Last spring, as I was considering my race calendar, "What about Bob" and I decided we would once again try to qualify for Boston. The last time we tried was in 2004 in our pre-Garmin days. Pre-Garmin days are similar to the days before microwaves. You vaguely remember them but can't imagine life without them now! Suffice it to say that the 2004 race was less than stellar. "What about Bob" took off in a blaze of taper glory despite my best effort to hold him back. At mile 20 we met up again and I decided to walk/jog/shuffle him in for a PR 4:03 finish. I knew I could have come in under four hours but probably not by much.
Flash forward to 2009. At this point I have completed four open marathons (the last one with Bob in 2004) and two Ironman marathons. Insert countless other triathlons and running races of various distances. So, two weeks ago I finished Longhorn. My legs were shredded from the downhills and the DOMS lasted the longest I have experienced. It was 5 days until they dissipated. Five painful days.
A week into my recovery I knew the Marathon was a bad idea. A really bad idea. Despite everyone around me thinking I am insane in my athletic pursuits, I am actually pretty moderate and methodical. Unfortunately, loyalty trumps common sense and I knew if Bob was going to toe the start line, so was I. The question mark was Bob. He developed a back/leg ailment and rehabbed like crazy the last two weeks.
In the meantime, after a week of just moving, Monday of race week rolled around and it was time to get ready. My assignments from Gordo were pretty simple:
Monday: one hour run with 2x20 minutes steady (about 8:15 pace)
Tuesday: 45 minute run at steady/3 hour ride (bike not car)/45 minute run at steady
Wednesday: 30 minute easy run/30 minute swim
Thursday: Off
Friday: 20 minute run
Saturday: Race
Obviously Tuesday stands out in terms of effort and length of workout. Basically, this day served two purposes. First, check my recovery from Longhorn. What would my heart rate look like in the second run? Would it be elevated or depressed? Both could be a sign of needing more rest. Second, how would I run in the second run. Essentially, I was mimicking the fatigue of a marathon by working out for almost four hours before the second run.
I am happy to report that all the data came back very good. My heart rate and speed were on target and my second run was very good. There was only one slight problem. My legs were pissed. Basically, they were not their usual springy, well as springy as I can get, self. For the first time they had creaks and lots of little ways to communicate that they would like the off season to start NOW!
Despite my legs, I decided to go for it. The only question at this point was what would happen at mile 20. My longest run this year had been about 16 miles. Most recently, I had been focused on the half marathon run for Longhorn. Gordo reassured me that the fitness was there but I was concerned about the specificity of the pounding. I was not convinced it was there despite running approximately 35 miles per week throughout the year.
Race day shows up and the weather is decent. About 45 degrees at the start with a high of 66 degrees. The only concern is winds 15-25 mph from the southwest. Basically, the last 10 miles of the race were into the wind. Insert my standard pre race breakfast and fueling here. Bob had brilliantly booked a hotel at the start and we were able to skip the whole port-a-potty experience.
My race goal was to qualify for Boston. I knew that I needed to average and 8:47 pace (3:50 total race time) throughout the race. Bob needed a 8:27 pace (3:45 total race time) to qualify. I decided to run his pace to work as a team to the finish. I had also decided that this race was NOT a leave no runner behind event. If one of us couldn't make it, the other needed to get it done.
Right before the start I chugged by 8 ounces of Gatorade with EFS pre-race mixed into it. The race had about 7000 participants (tremendous growth) and started seamlessly. I anticipated my Garmin having a few problems in the beginning of the race because of the urban environment blocking the signal. The first three miles were about not blowing up and easing into our pace.
After three miles I started my nutrition plan. I knew two things in advance. One, it would be hot. Two, the course was serving Powerade. It has a higher carbohydrate percentage and can cause stomach upset if you are not careful. I decided that I would sip at least two gulps of fluid at each stop and have Powerade every second or third stop. As I got hot, I started putting a bit of water on my neck and back. At mile 9 or so I would have a chocolate Clif shot. At mile 14, I would have a Cliff espresso (caffeine please!). Another 40 minutes later I would have another chocolate Clif shot. Every time I would have a gel, I would walk and consume a 4 ounces of water. Much simpler nutrition plan than an Ironman!
The first 13 miles were unpleasant, not painful, just unpleasant. My legs were creaky again. At various times my hip flexors, left shin and even the bottom of my right foot announced that they were annoyed. It was really strange to have my legs feel this way. At this point, I ran through a few mantras to remind them it was okay; Relentless forward motion, this is a day at the office, 4 hours until the off season and Boston or bust. When things felt really hard, I looked at my Livestrong bracelet. Yes, I pulled out the big guns for the race and decided to wear the Livestrong bracelet that Zachary received at his first stem cell transplant. When things get hard, I remember that they are nothing compared to what Zachary chose to endure. These are the times that I talk to Zachary. These are the times I remember what is real.
At mile 14, I realized that Bob was a little behind pace. I decided to pick it up to see if I could pull him through. About this time the caffeine kicked in and I was feeling good. Mentally I felt strong because I slipped into Ironman mode. For me, this is the mode where I start clicking the miles off. This is the mode where time changes and I move into relentless forward motion. I love this feeling. Unfortunately, Bob's leg decided to protest and he fell farther behind. I decided to keep moving because I had an appointment with Boston to keep.
The only problem was that my bladder was full. Really full. In a triathlon, you are in spandex and you are grimy and soaked. If you pee on the run no one thinks twice about it. In marathons, the average participant thinks you are socially inept and will treat you like a leper if they see you urinating on yourself. I decided that it was better to hit the port-a-potty than run in wet running shorts for another 12 miles. It turned out to be a good choice because I was so much more comfortable the rest of the race.
Miles 15-18.5 had some elevation changes but nothing like Bloomington. It felt good to use some different muscles. One of the things I really missed in this race was the age on people's calves. In triathlons, you can tell when you are passing someone in your age group. In marathons you have no idea. I was passing lots of people but the thrill was missing!
About mile 20 I started to do the math. If my speed dropped from my average pace of 8:23 to 10 minute miles, would I still make it? I was asking these questions because my brain was getting a bit fuzzy and my right quad was cramping a bit. The wind continued to pick up. This was the specificity point of the race where the pounding started to make a difference. The next water stop I walked a bit to gather myself and get some good hydration. At this point, I knew I just needed to power through.
At mile 24, the crowds increased and Bob's wife Jane was there to greet me with her son Ben. A little further down, Bob's daughter Sarah took pictures of me as I ran. A few moments later I see her sprinting down the sidewalk and stop to take more pictures. I think we have another runner to join our team in the future.
The rest of the way I was able to pick it up a bit and run it home to a huge PR and a ticket to Boston. I finished 9th in my age group out of 108 women and I was 417 overall out of 1978. My finish time was 3:43:06 with a pace time of 8:30 per mile. When I finished I quickly remembered why I gave up open Marathons! They are hard and they hurt. I knew I was also slightly dehydrated despite the fluids I consumed in the race. I immediately chugged two 20 ounce waters and an 8 ounce Powerade. I was also hungry and ate a banana. I really wanted potato chips but I was unable to find a single chip. I swear, if they put a salt lick in the middle of the finish area, it would be surrounded by runners madly trying to get their fix.
On a side note, Bob's day did not go as planned. He finished but was having some weird sensations including sensitivity to light. He wisely went to the medical tent and given his heart condition (a heart attack and five stents 3 years ago), they decided to take him to the hospital. They kept him over night for observation and he was released the next day.
Despite qualifying for Boston, I was disappointed that Bob would not be joining me and that he was headed to the hospital. I love him dearly and everything felt empty without him. I missed our post race beer and laughter. I missed knowing we had won the day together. I also delayed posting or talking to anyone until we knew he was okay. He is back in Bloomington and doing well.
A special thanks to Coach and Willa. Once again, they released me to go experience the world. During the race I thought about BARC and how all the members of the team got me to Boston one way or the other. I can't thank them enough! Another special thanks to Village Bob who has been a part of my training and racing journey this year. He even stuck with me in his off season! Now we are both in the off season! Gordo again proved that his tag line is correct, "there is no easy way" but there is a better way. My thanks to him for letting me be a part of his team.
And the final verdict: fitness carried the day. I am amazed how much better my legs feel today. I have a feeling my recovery will be much faster than Longhorn. Perhaps it is the Boston effect.
Run, Bike, Swim, Live, Laugh, Love
