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October 1, 2006
a somewhat more coherent account
The only thing worse than writing a race report is writing a race report about a race that didn't turn out the way I wanted it to.
I ran Akron yesterday, and the short story is: 3:17:28, 7th female, 1st masters. This was not a PR, and in fact was the first marathon I've run that was not a PR.
Longer story, details inserted somewhat randomly:
This week I finally read "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit," which I liked more than I expected to. The main character has a sort of mantra that goes: It doesn't really matter. Here goes nothing. It will be interesting to see how this will turn out.
The Akron paper ran a story Friday with a headline something like "Even modest runners have a chance this year," and went on to report that the organizers were going to make the race a community event rather than an elite-focussed thing. To me, this sounded like maybe they hadn't been able to attract elites, but it didn't really matter to me. It would be interesting to see how this turned out. Anyway, I got to the expo to pick up my stuff, and behold! an F number had been bestowed on me for the first time in my life! Apparently the decision had been really last minute, because the bib didn't have a name on it like all the others. No matter.
Raceday morning was 48F, windy, and gray-skied. Rain and more wind were expected by midday. I did not wear my (un)trusty GPS, because I wasn't sure it would hold a signal the whole way. I was left with my regular race watch and my own (un)trusty sense of pace. Here goes nothing. At the gun we set off, with the wind and slightly downhill. In addition to the marathon, there were also 2 separate relay races (2-person and 5-person), and I felt lost in a sea of pink and blue bibs (marathon bibs were yellow) I dared not pace off of. First mile was too fast, but I corrected and ran the next 2 miles (uphill, into the wind) a bit slow. The first 6 miles were generally uncomfortable, not least because of the wind and the (early-arriving) rain. The course had more hills than I realized and I just couldn't regulate my effort enough to regulate my pace. Also, my feet started to hurt. I knew we'd turn around sometime after 10K so I told myself it didn't matter.
Miles 6 - 12 were the best in the whole race; I felt relaxed and in control; I saw Mike; I had a brief conversation with someone running nearby; a spectator called out "hey yellow [bib], you're about 6th woman."
Around mile 11 the course left the streets for a crushed-limestone towpath. After a few miles, the novelty of the surface wore off and my feet began to hurt more (I didn't find out until later that this was due to bloodblisters growing on the soles of my feet). By mile 13 I thought I might not make it to 20 feeling good, and by 14 I knew it for sure. No matter. I'd just try and make it to 20 without wanting to die. Here goes nothing.
15 - 19 were almost all uphill. Thoroughly demoralized, I passed some relay-exchange point and a bike pulled out in front of me, and kept looking over his shoulder - at me, it seemed. I puffed to someone running nearby: "what's this bike?" The guy said "I guess you're the leader." I smiled for what would be the last time that morning and said "old lady leader, maybe." Oh man, that bike! Here I was, struggling to maintain something under 7:45s (and later 8s) and there was a bike escort announcing to all Hey y'all here's the masters leader! I felt like a total idiot and pretender as the spectators (and traffic cops) clapped and whoohoo'd and cheered and wanted to take my picture. I wanted to apologize to that poor guy having to bike really really slow in 48-degree windy rain, but I couldn't catch him. After a very steep hill just before 22, my legs were totally numb except when my calves wanted to cramp (off and on until the end, it turned out). The rest of the race was a blur: down a hill, up one, try some powerade for those cramps, flat, oh shit low blood sugar - must've been the powerade, up one last goddamn hill, that poor bike guy might as well get off and walk his bike I'm going so slow, ok there's the finish. Some people from some radio station want to talk to me? About what? Well that sure turned out interesting.
Though I saw Mike on the street just before the finish, we hadn't made arrangements on where to meet, and we didn't count on the chaos of all the families and friends of all the marathoners and 2-person and 5-person relayers. Consequently, we didn't hook up for nearly an hour, by which time I was shivering violently from hobbling around the outdoor stadium in wet clothes, and in tears from the cold and fatigue and frustration. Some wonderful man gave me a Cleveland Indians sweatshirt, may god bless him.
So this already-too-long report has been mostly a human-interest thing. Here's a brief analysis from a running point of view:
1) inadequate hill training, and not realizing just how hilly this course was
2) too-fast, downhill first mile, as my quads have been reminding me all day. Poor sense of pace and no one to pace off of (certainly not the guy running a 5K leg of a relay)
3) training that included lots of quantity but not enough quality. Nearly all my medium-long runs - last year's marathon-training staple - were at recovery pace; I was too tired to do otherwise.
4) 48F and sunny is fine; 48F and rainy and gray and windy is too much for me.
Anyway, my training partners asked me to run Disney with them, so I'm going to. My mind wants to start training right now, but my legs are too sore. But maybe by the end of the week I'll start. It will be interesting to see how this turns out.
Posted by joe positive at October 1, 2006 5:08 PM
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Comments
Congratulations on a good effort, and on winning the masters race! I've never run a marathon in the rain, but I can tell from running shorter races in the rain (one today, in fact) that that would definitely make it tougher and slower (if only b/c of the heavier shoes/socks).
I had to laugh about your pace bike experience. I had that in a marathon once as well, and I felt like telling the guy he could go ahead when I hit the wall at the end. I think my last mile was like 10:00 and I thought he was going to fall over from trying to bike so slowly.
Posted by: Alison at October 1, 2006 10:41 PM
sound win, tough race, illuminating analysis: what else can you wish for? A couple of nice guys who take care of your pace and body temperature... go Joe+Ve, GO. Remember good rest = good training.
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at October 2, 2006 6:20 AM
Great job! I'm sorry you didn't run the time you wanted and had to deal with horrible weather, but I like how you already are able to reflect on your experience and think about next time. Congratulations on being the 1st master! Did you get a nice prize?
Posted by: Caitlin at October 2, 2006 10:43 AM
Thanks, y'all. I'm so glad to hear that someone else has had a ridiculous pace-bike experience. Regarding the prize: this race had cash awards - right nice ones, too - which softens the blow somewhat.
Posted by: joe positive at October 2, 2006 11:58 AM
Congratulations! I'm sorry you didn't run what you wanted to, though. This writeup, as all of yours are, is a hilarious account of your endeavor. I enjoyed it! Recover well and I look forward to seeing what's next on your plate.
Posted by: Meghan at October 3, 2006 12:27 AM
Great report. Sometimes in a wave of PRs, when you don't get one, it spurs you onto obtain one next time. Also, FYI, 3:17 would have put you 15th master in the National Masters Marathon Championships in MN last weekend. So, in theory, since that course is easier, you are approximately running at the level of 15th ranked master in the country for the marathon. You deserved the applause and the escort---even though it is distracting I guess. Most impressive is 6th overall....in a major marathon. You have got to feel some pride in that. As slow as you feel that biker dude was biking...he wasn't running, girlfriend. Great job!
Posted by: Jennifer at October 3, 2006 9:25 AM
Great report. Sometimes in a wave of PRs, when you don't get one, it spurs you onto obtain one next time. Also, FYI, 3:17 would have put you 15th master in the National Masters Marathon Championships in MN last weekend. So, in theory, since that course is easier, you are approximately running at the level of 15th ranked master in the country for the marathon. You deserved the applause and the escort---even though it is distracting I guess. Most impressive is 6th overall....in a major marathon. You have got to feel some pride in that. As slow as you feel that biker dude was biking...he wasn't running, girlfriend. Great job!
Posted by: Jennifer at October 3, 2006 9:26 AM