Veterans Marathon Race Report
Comments (39) Apparently when you don’t write about a marathon right away, the report for it gets even longer. Oops. Props to anyone who makes it through!
I wasn’t sure about writing a race report for the Veterans Marathon. I mean, Bobbi wrote one, isn’t that good enough? And Kim mentioned we stayed over, and this Kim wrote a spectator report! Hee hee.
In all honesty, despite this marathon (and whole weekend) being a blast, it made me doubt myself as a runner, and I didn’t like that one bit. So I was pushing it out of my mind for awhile. And even now, as I come back to it a week later, I still feel the same way.
So I was avoiding writing anything about it because something that bothers me is when bloggers write unkind things about themselves online. It makes me feel so sad when I read my friend’s posts and they are too hard on themselves. Not that we shouldn’t be real with ourselves, and not that we should write those types of posts to fish for compliments… but I worry about people. I worry that they don’t love themselves the way they should. And maybe that topic deserves a whole blog post rather than being thrown in to this race recap (what do you think?). Anyway. I didn’t want to write something like that and have people think, “Kim is too hard on herself! She seems like she has no self-worth.” Or worse, to feel like they needed to write comments to make me feel better. Because that is not the point (and it wouldn’t work).
Gosh. I should just go on like this and skip the whole report! Ha ha.
So I usually try to give things a positive spin here. You won’t see any scathing reviews on something unless it was really bad. You guys know that. I felt bad just posting about how upset I was with the kids stealing our packages! And I didn’t want to write some “Woe is me my marathon failed,” crap. Because it was not a complete fail. In fact, it was completely fun. But it would be a lie to write a sunshiny report and say that I didn’t have those feelings of self doubt. So you’ll get two race reports below: “I should have stuck to my promise” and “Bobbi and Kim’s Awesome Weekend of Non-Stop Fun.”
I should have stuck to my promise
Does anyone remember my NYC 2011 Marathon race report? That is the last marathon I ran before this one. Here is the (almost) last paragraph from that post:
I think I need to take time off from running marathons and focus on losing weight. Running is so much easier for me when I am lighter. I feel like I have so much more in me, but am not taking care of myself very well. That will be my focus now. No more marathons for awhile.
All year I stuck to my promise and did not run a marathon. I did an ultra instead because you can run those nice and slow and not feel upset about pace. I understand this twisted logic on doing an ultra instead of a marathon may only make sense in my head.
But! I ran 26 miles to prepare for my ultra. And then ran the ultra and kept my mileage up. I ran a 20 miler with Bobbi that felt easy. Why not run a marathon with her?
Oh. Because I still haven’t lost that weight. Oops. In fact, I am heavier than I was when I ran NYC!
So. When I bonked at mile 16, yet again, in another marathon, all I could think was “Man! I really should have lost some weight! I have no business doing this at this pace! Oh well. Maybe I will lose weight later.”
I really am not committed to eating healthy or losing weight. And I am not upset with the way I look when I am heavier or lighter. I am a pretty happy person.
So. That’s that report. On to the next one!
Bobbi and Kim’s Awesome Weekend of Non-Stop Fun
I have been very lucky to get to know Bobbi pretty well over the past few years! We see each other every Wednesday night for strength class, our pace matches for runs, she helps my husband with his business, and we text and email most days.
So, when the Chicago Marathon didn’t go as planned for Bobbi, I was asking her the following Wednesday, “So, what marathon you looking at?”
Hee hee hee. I am on to you Bobbi!
She said she wasn’t sure, she was looking at some, but the stars would have to align for her to go, etc. So that night I got online and sent her info to the Veterans Marathon in IN, which happened to be on the one weekend I was free in November. Hmm, coincidence?
I emailed Kim (@ girl evolving) to ask what she knew about the race. It turns out she has run it. And then she very kindly offered for Bobbi and I to stay over the night before the race! Bobbi and I didn’t want to decide until the week of the race (despite talking about it every.single.day like we were running it – we were TOO excited!!!). We had heard it was a windy course and wanted to check the weather. That Monday we saw 13mph winds in the forecast and said “eff it” and went for it.
Road trip!
As you guys know, we had such a great time at Kim’s! We got there around 5:30 pm, got to hang out with Leo and Kim’s husband, Dave, eat a yummy meal and chat the night away. It was perfect!
The race was only an hour away (if even!) and we got there with no issues. Bobbi drove all weekend – she rocks!
Parking, packet pickup, and porta pottie lines were a breeze.
There was an awesome ceremony before with the local high school marching band and flag team, and a wonderful speech from the mayor. We were off at 8:00 am est!
The first half of the course went great. Rolling hills, steady 10:00 minute mile pace, keeping somewhat quiet (me) to save chatting for the end when I needed the energy.
At mile 9 the sun emerged from this strange cloud that I hadn’t previously noticed had so graciously been covering it. Damn.
And I started to struggle. At 9. Really? A hill at 11 got to me. Really?
Then at the half way point my legs didn’t want to go at that pace anymore.
Here’s the thing. The 10:00 minute mile pace did not feel hard. I knew we would slow down on hills, but why the sudden bonk halfway?
I honestly did not care at that point. Bobbi was doing great and this was her last PR effort of the year. As long as she did well, I was a happy camper, no matter what happened.
She didn’t do well. Her stomach cramped up big time. She needed to use a porta pottie. There were none around. At mile 15 I asked some man if she could use the one in his home. He was so happy to help her out. I chatted with his wife while Bobbi was inside.
Then she was off again and looking good. And I was slowing down even more.
Here’s the thing about this course – the first 13.1 is with the halfers – you go outside of Columbia City (oh, guess I should have mentioned the town it is in) to the southeast and back. The second half is straight west and back. On country roads. Out and back. WITH EXTREME WINDS. Seriously. I could barely keep up right, and add that to running on the camber of the road, and I was a mess.
At some point (mile 18?) we had to run on gravel for awhile. Big, rocky gravel. My knee did not like that, which worried me, since I don’t normally have knee issues. I turned on my music for a sec to try to find a groove. Someone went by in an ATV and blew dust all over me. WTH? Also, apparently the clouds came back (according to the picture below).
All this time I was keeping Bobbi in my sights and would see her run and walk. I knew something was not right. Finally, she stopped to wait for me. I told her I was feeling like crap, she was too. And we decided to walk the rest.
8. Whole. Miles.
That took awhile.
We ran in to Kim (@ Healthy Strides) with two miles to go. We got to pet kittens. We met new friends on course. We told jokes. I almost cried. I limped. It was not pretty.
We ran the last few blocks!
And were SO HAPPY to finish. At least, I was anyway. We talked about why we kept going – we wanted the damn medal and to wear the jacket we got with the pride that we finished! And despite this not going the way we wanted, as Bobbi says, “We ran that sh*t.” And we still had a lot of fun together. It was a well run, awesome race, with fun people. We both just had bad days. But as I mentioned before – I am not sure if it was a bad day for me, or if I am just a cocky runner doing things she shouldn’t. Oops. That sentence should have been in the “I should have stuck to my promise” report.
After the race we talked to Kim (@ Healthy Strides) for awhile then went to Kim’s (@ girl evolving) for showers. It was so nice to talk to her and see a friend who understands the anguish of the marathon! And then we drove home. Still having fun the whole time. Just a little more defeated then before. Ha ha.
But on to more running in 2013 (and the rest of 2012!) together!
Themocracy