Long Beach International City Bank Marathon: 10/9/11

Weather Report: 58 at the Start and 75 at the Finish 

The Course: The course was pretty flat and Miles 17-18 within the Cal State Long Beach campus are a little hilly but not that bad at all. They just sneak up on you when you are starting to feel the pain!

Race Report

The day had finally come and I was ready for it but a little worried about the Achilles tendinitis that had struck me one week before the race.  I decided that I would run the marathon regardless of the pain because it was not bad enough to stop me.  I got my carbs loaded in at Olive Garden the night before and took advantage of the never ending pasta bowl for $8.95!  I also visited Whole Foods for the first time and realized that a small box of hot food can cost you $10.00 if you aren't paying attention!

I had all of my stuff laid out the night before so I wouldn't be all stressed out looking for things in the morning.  I wore something nice and bright so that my husband/photographer and my son/biggest fan could easily spot me.  This outfit looks like something from the collection of Neon Blonde Runner! 

I ate a banana and half of a bagel and headed to the start which was a hop skip and a jump from our hotel. The weather was beautiful at the start at 6:00am but come 7:00am that sun was out and it warmed up quick!  I attempted to put my headphones into my iphone before the start and to my luck my head phones were not working..bummer! Not a good sign since I use my music to carry me through the rough times! Note to self: try out headphones prior to race day! I was feeling pretty good at the start..nervous but ready!

The Long Beach Hyatt

6:00AM

7:00AM: Hello Sunshine!

The course was great and very scenic.  I really enjoyed it! My favorite parts of the course were running by the Queen Mary and the bike path next to the  ocean/beach. There was a really cool breeze and it was very refreshing.  There were some really young kids running the half marathon and I thought it was pretty cool to see them running such a long distance.  The uncool part was watching them breeze right past me!!

My favorite picture even though I am not in it!

Easy Runner here must be 11-12 years old!

My husband/photographer and my son/biggest fan were there with me at the Start, and also waiting for me at Miles 5-6 and the Finish.  They made me another awesome sign too!  My son made good use of the chair he insisted that I buy him from REI! He hopes that one day I can pick up the pace so he won't have to cart that chair around with him anymore!

My achilles stopped me from even setting any real goal for the day, but in the back of my mind my goal was to run even splits of 9:09 and pick it up in the second half if needed, or should I say if I was still able.  

Although I started to feel a little discomfort in my leg at Mile 15, the first 18 miles were great. I GU'd at Miles 6 and 13 without really feeling that I needed to. I wasn't feeling tired at Mile 18 and I still had the energy to keep going. strong. It was definitely getting warm and I was keeping myself cool by dumping water over my head at the water stops. The volunteers were nice enough to throw water all over me too and then my shorts were glued to my rear!  That didn't feel real comfortable!

I knew that the fatigue would start to hit me around Mile 20 so I was prepared for that to happen but I was not prepared for the pain in my Achilles to hit me so suddenly and unexpectedly when things were going so well!  Shawna/Bandit was waiting for me at Mile 20 but as I was approaching Mile 17 I saw her and yelled out her name and she ran across the street and joined me.  She had no idea that she was joining me three miles too soon!  She thought I was doing great and had already reached Mile 20!  I wish!! Just to clarify, Shawna did pay her registration fees but had to pull out at the last minute due to an injury which caused her to miss too much of our training so she's not really a true Bandit. She does have a bib number!

I'm still smiling here as we leave CSULB!

Miles 1 through 18-The good...

The course was really flat for the most part and the elevation at Mile 17-18 was not as bad as I thought it would be. Those minor inclines changed things for me and were just enough to aggravate my Achilles! I GU'd again at Mile 20 and it didn't kick in! Shawna was being really supportive and hung in there with me. I was able to somewhat keep my composure up until Mile 21 and then I quickly fell apart! 

That would be me!

Miles 19 to 26.2-The bad and the ugly!

The crowd was great but I was so off focus that I wasn't able to  use their energy to push me to the finish line. The crowd in Cal State Long Beach was the best ever and I think I heard my name about 25 times while I was running through the campus.

The 4:00 pace group passed right by us at Mile 24 and it was tough watching them head to the finish when I had been ahead of them the entire race!! I did the best that I could to keep moving the last two miles and thank God that the last couple of miles were down hill!  I sucked it up and  headed to the Finish with my tail between my legs!  It just was not my race and I am still trying to process all of this today! I was on track for a sub four finish and didn't deliver! Shawna was a great support system for me and tried her best to keep me focused in spite of the issues that I was having.  Shawna told me that she uses profanity, gets really mean and cries when she hits the WALL so if I ever run a race with her, I will be running off the course when she starts cussing me out and hitting me!

Why is Shawna smiling while I am dying a slow death behind her?

Shawna exited to the left as I approached the Finish Line. When I looked up and saw the clock at 4:05:35 I wasn't a happy camper.  My watch was showing 4:02:20 so I am not quite sure what happened to my watch during the mess of those last 5.2 miles. My current PR is 4:05:16 and it was pretty painful to miss a PR by 20 seconds.  Even one second would have made me feel better after struggling like I did! I would have powered through it had I not screwed up the time on my Garmin and been aware of what my time really was! My watch had either lost connection or lost it's mind along with me!  It was more than three minutes slower than the official time and I didn't know that until I was crossing the finish line! I have not participated in too many races but the previous two races that I did run have the time posted at each mile marker and I usually compare to make sure that we are on the same page. In any case, I screwed up big time with the whole timing thing!

The look of defeat!

Getting my Medal!

In spite of having a less than perfect race and earning a PW, I didn't let that stop me from making up excuses to eat!  I was in the mood for an In and Out cheeseburger, fries and a vanilla shake. 

I couldn't wait to take a bite before I took the picture!

My son and my husband managed to drink 80% of my vanilla shake for me so I decided to make up for the loss of sugar with these! I only ate two..not all three!

Most people don't even think of running a marathon the day after they finish one, but I did!!  I wanted to go back and fix what happened and make it right but I know that I can't do that and I have to accept defeat when it happens.  I don't like to fail and it's hard for me to swallow!!  All of the elements of a good race seemed to be present for me on Sunday. I can't blame the warm weather, the minor hills of the course, the pain, the nasty blister on my toe, my malfunctioning head phones or anything but myself. It wasn't my race and it wasn't my day!

 

So what did I learn from this race? I learned that I need to stay focused on the race and my goal. I could have handled this race so many different ways and I think my way of dealing with it was not the best way. I know that Boston is a long ways away for me and I must train harder and push myself harder!  I also need to realize that every race that I run will not always be my best race.  Running a marathon is tough and if you can finish one, you have accomplished something that most people will not experience in their lifetime! I admire Shawna for always bringing me back down to earth and reminding me of these things.

Shawna and Me! Why does she look so refreshed and I look a hot mess??

Family Photo compliments of Shawna!

So, unlike this guy, I will be taking it easy this week...

 

and spending a lot of time with these three guys...

I have been doing a lot of this too...with Buster. We still have Buster hanging around the house and nobody has claimed him since he ran all the way home with me last Tuesday! He seems to like it at our place if you haven't noticed!

No marathons on the Race Schedule for the remainder of 2011.  I am going to try to enjoy the holidays and run a few small races just for fun! Congratulations to everyone who ran Long Beach and Chicago on Sunday.  We are all winners!!

I've got three words for you Long Beach...I'll be back!!

Am I Going Insane or What?

I'm in a weird state where I feel great and empowered about running and then I can't get my brain to stop spinning and I feel stressed about running period! I keep having paranoid thoughts that maybe I won't do so well in the Long Beach Marathon or be unable to finish it!  What in the world is going on with me?? This race is 23 days away and I need to pull it together!!  Whenever I feel this way I start signing up for more races or looking for new ways to improve my skills and confidence.  These feelings started with my 20 mile run last Sunday.  I felt that I should have done way better than I did and I really got discouraged.  I had no reason not to do well on my 20 miler because the weather was perfect and the sun never came out during the whole run.  On the bright side, I will be tackling 22 miles this Sunday, the weather will be great and I need to redeem myself or else this is going to be ugly.

The last time that I had these weird feelings I signed up for four half marathons. I played it safe and signed up for half marathons...not full marathons.  Chicken!  Well this time I came up with two really crazy thoughts.  My first crazy thought....Why not tackle the Beach Cities Challenge?  This consists of completing this series of marathons:

1) Long Beach International City Bank Marathon on October 9, 2011, which I am already registered for and will be tackling in just a few weeks!

2) Surf City Marathon on February 5, 2012

3) The OC Marathon on May 6, 2012.

So what do you get for doing all of these marathons?  You get this lovely medal:

The Queen Mary signifies the Long Beach Marathon, the Surf Board represents the Surf City Marathon and the Wave is for the OC Marathon.  Kinda cute huh?

I got this neat medal hanger for my birthday from my husband and it's looking pretty empty these days.  I only have three medals to date and he must be giving me a big hint because this sucker is huge and can probably hold 50 plus medals.  I guess I better sign up for some more races so I am not feeling embarrassed of how empty it looks.

My medal hanger currently has three medals :(

My second crazy idea is to become a Marathon Maniac!  In order to achieve Bronze Level status, I would have to complete one of the two options below.  I think I would prefer to complete "3 Marathons within a 90 day time frame." 

The three marathons that would qualify me for Marathon Maniac status include the following:

1) Surf City Marathon on February 5, 2012

2) Los Angeles Marathon on March 18, 2012

3) OC Marathon on May 6, 2012

Since I am already running the Surf City and the OC Marathon for the Beach Cities Challenge, why not add one more marathon and kill two birds with one stone?? What do you think?  Would you take on both of these challenges?

Las Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon 12/5/10

I chose the Las Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon as my very first marathon because my family loves Las Vegas and so do I.  I thought it would be fun to run on the strip without it being full of traffic, well it still had human traffic, and enjoy the scenery!  So I decided to make it a vacation that included a Marathon! How crazy is that??

THE HEALTH AND FITNESS EXPO:

I arrived at the Expo at the Sands Convention Center and picked up my race bib and goodie bag. It was super crowded and people were just everywhere. We shopped around for a little bit and had a little bit of fun as you can see by the picture below. I have to say that we walked around the Expo for way too long and I was really tired by the time we finally got out of there!!

Having fun at the Expo!



Cool Dressing Rooms!

I went to the table for Corral Changes and changed from Corral 22 to Corral 8.  There were 32 corrals in all which are released every two minutes.  I didn’t want to start after 8am and risk getting stuck in the possible chance of rain in the forecast, so I lied!  They gave me a little green dot to place on my bib with the number “8”. I was really tired by the time we finally got out of there because we walked a lot!

By dinnertime I was so nervous that I didn’t really feel like eating but I knew that I had to or else I wasn’t going to have any energy for the next day.  I ate as much as I could and left it at that. We went to Olive Garden and I had linguine with marinara sauce. By the time we left the restaurant, it was packed with runners! Good thing we got there early!



I laid out all of my race gear the night before: Running Clothes, Garmin, Socks, Shoes, Bib, Race Belt, Jacket, Water, Chap Stick, Water Bottles, I-pod, and Vaseline for my feet to avoid blisters! I kept a big bottle of water by my bed and drank and drank! I planned to go to bed at 9:00pm and it was 10:00pm the last time that I looked at the clock.

 
RACE DAY!

I WAS SO NERVOUS!! The race started at 7:00am, so I ate my banana and half of a bagel and headed downstairs around 6:15am to see if any of the runners were down there yet. Lots of runners were hanging out at Starbucks getting breakfast and coffee. So many people were dressed in cute costumes and I was wondering how in the world they could run a marathon in a costume! 

The Start Line was located right near the Mandalay Bay Hotel so we stayed at the Luxor, which was pretty darn close. It was 44 degrees outside and I was freezing!!  I wore shorts because I knew that there was no way I would survive in pants and I am usually warmed up by the first mile anyway. I found my corral, which happened to be with the 4:00 Pace Group, and just followed it closer and closer to the Start Line. It was really noisy out there but I heard the starting gun go off!  

My son and I walking to the Corrals.  He is my biggest fan!

Look closely and you will see me in the middle!

I decided to take a last minute potty stop before my coral was released and when I got out of the porta potty they were gone! I just blended in and off I went! I spotted by husband and my son once I crossed the starting line and I waived at them and hoped for the best!  

Here goes nothing!

I felt pretty good for the first six miles.  I spent most of my time weaving in and out of the crowds and looking for open space to run through. There were tons of fans along the strip and the bands were doing their thing.  The crowds gave me lots of motivation and I was feeling pretty good! I felt like I could have gone way faster but I knew that pacing myself was important so I kept it slow and easy. I was a little amazed at how the men around me were just openly farting and acting like nothing was happening!

Mile 1: 9:04

Mile 2: 9:05

Mile 3: 8:57

Mile 4: 8:50

Mile 5: 8:50

Mile 6: 9:01

Around Mile 6, I decided that it was GU time and I continued to GU every six miles of the race.  I attempted to GU and run at the same time so that I could maintain my pace. It was a little difficult but I did my best. I always carry my own water since I have this fear of passing out and not having any water to save myself from doing it.  The GU seemed to give me a boost and I kept on going.  By Mile 7 the crowds had dissipated and I was able to run freely without weaving. I started to hit a mini wall at Miles 10 and 11 because I was getting too focused on time and whether or not I could even finish the race!  I was also texting updates to all of my friends and family so I was a little overwhelmed in general!  The race offered runner updates via text message but it malfunctioned and they ended up having to refund the money to everyone who subscribed to it.

Mile 7: 8:52

Mile 8: 9:05

Mile 9: 8:56

Mile 10: 9:17

Mile 11: 9:17

Mile 12: 9:02

I noticed that the 4:00 Pace Group was still in front of me by a very short distance so I felt like I was on track to a decent finish time.  I knew it wasn't going to be 4:00 but at this point I was just praying that I could finish!  My husband and my son were waiting for me right around Mile 12, so I was keeping my eye out for them.  I also wanted to get rid of my jacket that I had tied around my waist since Mile 2!

Notice that I had passed the 4:00 Pace Group at this point :)

I crossed the split point where the half marathon ended and the rest of the brave souls keep going to run the full marathon.  I turned the corner and what did I see?  A freeway overpass that resembled a good sized hill.  This is where I ran into some trouble and never really recovered.  I watched the 4:00 Pace Group tackle the overpass and I think I never saw them again!  Miles 13 to 17 were a little challenging but I knew that if we went up hill we had to go downhill at some point.

Mile 13: 8:44

Mile 14: 9:42

Mile 15: 9:20

Mile 16: 9:09

Mile 17: 9:45

I had mixed emotions from Miles 18 to 24.  Up until this point in the race, I had not stopped running or taken any breaks.  I could feel myself slowing down at times but I didn't want to stop unless I really needed to.  I finally hit "THE WALL" at Mile 23 and ended up walking through the water station.  I filled up my water bottles, poured water over my head, and told myself that I needed to pick up the pace and finish the race. I only had a few miles to go and it would be over.  

That was me at Mile 23!

Mile 18: 9:01

Mile 19: 9:30

Mile 20: 9:25

Mile 21: 9:34

Mile 22: 9:18

Mile 23: 10:11 "THE WALL"

Mile 24: 10:03

I gave it my all the last 2.20 miles but I was feeling it at this point and pushed with everything I had to get to the Finish Line. My husband told me to look for him at the Finish but I was so far gone at that point that I forgot to look for him.  He did see me though and took some great pictures!

Mile 25: 9:07

Mile 26: 9:30

Almost there!!!

I saw the finish line and had never been happier in my life!  I had completed my first marathon and swore that I would never do this to myself again!  As soon as the pain from the first marathon was gone (a week later)..I was already thinking about running another one.  I guess that is the way it goes in a runner's world.

I DID IT!

My official time was 4:05:16 (9:22 Pace).  Not too bad for my first marathon!

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