Sorry for the slow post, but what a week I had. On June 23rd, I went golfing for the very first time. My team finished 4th, little did I know, but for my first adventure on the links, I played one of the toughest courses in the state! After the tournament, I headed off to Seattle for my very first marathon. One has got to love a weekend of firsts.
Saturday morning, I got out of bed, did not really sleep, was way to excited/nervous to run. I was one of the first to the starting line at 4:30 am. I think this ended up being a really good thing, because it allowed me to find a nice place to stretch out, eat some breakfast, use the bathroom without a long line, and enjoy people watching. At the start, I found my corral and waited to begin my 26.2 mile journey.
The first 12 miles of the race went almost perfect! I held back, walked through every water station to prevent going out to fast and was hitting my goal pace of around 10:20 per mile. I have found in training, that just above a 10 minute pace, I can easily talk and maintain that pace for mile after mile without feeling tired or strained at the end. I figured, keep that pace up and I will definitely have something left in the tank for the last 6.2 miles. My only mistake in the first part of the race...I was so worried about hydration, I drank two cups of water through every aid station. During the marathon, it was overcast and 60 degrees. My body did not need all that water, especially at the start. By mile 7, I had to hit the outhouse. With it being so early in the race, it took over 4 minutes waiting in line! But after some relief, I was back cruising.
When I got to the floating bridge, just past mile 9, I started to pass people. Getting concerned, I checked my pacing watch and found I was holding steady. My strategy of not getting to excited was paying off. Coming off the floating bridge, around mile 12, things went wrong! My right side IT band flared up around my knee. By mile 13, I could not run. The strange thing about my IT band flare up is that I could not run a single step to save my life. Every step jogging or running felt like a hot iron being poked into my knee, but as soon as I stopped and started walking, the pain would disappear.
At this point in the race, the half marathon and full marathon had rejoined, separated by a concrete barrier. As we neared the location where the two races would split again, I noticed people jumping from the full side over to the half side. The temptation was there! Should I jump over and complete a 15 mile day or go for it and hope my knee held up. Now, when I write that I could walk, I mean, I could WALK without pain. Butt wiggling, arms pumping, power walking. So, why not go for it and power walk the rest of this bad boy!
So I went for it and did it! I completed the marathon in just over 5 hours, 20 minutes. What a tale of two halves! I finished the first twelve in just over 2 hours, and then power walked the back half (averaging a 14 minute per mile walking pace) in around three hours and twenty minutes. The only down side to the race? Do you know how boring in can be to walk 14 miles!? Especially when your cardio system feels like it is in first gear and begging to put the peddle to the metal and kick it into a higher gear. Right now I am looking for my next full marathon to run. I feel like I left a lot of time on the table. My wife and I have started saving with eyes on the 2012 Disney World Marathon, we'll make that call in September. I cannot wait for my next race. And my next round of golf!
In many ways, I find that by breaking down in my first race and yet still finishing has made me even more of a marathon fanatic. I know that no matter what happens, when I line up to run, I can finish 26.2 miles. Now I want to know what happens when I run a good race.
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