I don't even know where to begin, so I'll give it my best shot.
Overall - the experience was AMAZING! No matter what my performance in this race, I am extremely grateful to have pushed myself to train for this race after only 4 months of training. It answered a lot of questions I had about races in general, and it opened my eyes to many other issues that I didn't even know were ISSUES. I shall elaborate:
The race began at 7am, so my goal to was to wake at 5:30, don my race attire (which was all arranged the night prior), fix a bagel sandwich for myself (though Greg ended up fixing it for me), drink some water, down requisite doses of Ibuprofen, stretch, be out the door by 6:30. I was very nervous because I hadn't been running in the mornings. I was afraid I'd be crotchety and stiff. I was nervous that I wouldn't have enough water in my system. I was extremely paranoid that my ibuprofen wouldn't kick-in in time. I don't even want to go into how freaked out I was about my breakfast - did I choose wisely? Did I consume enough calories?
And then - of course - I experienced the circus of "what-if" paranoia all night long. What if I forgot my iPod? What if I slept in? What if I forgot my Gu? What if Gu made me throw up (I'd never had Gu before this race)? What if there wasn't enough water along the way? ...and on and on and on.
I woke at 4am and wasn't able to fall back to sleep. I wasn't really nervous about the race itself - I knew I'd finish. I felt confident that I would be in one piece when completing the race. I didn't care about time - it was about the experience.
So - I learned - and quickly - that #1 : Going into this race, I had all the wrong fears. My "issues" were non-issues and #2: I DO care about time!
As the runners gathered at The University of Oregon's Hayward Field for staging, I chose safely - I fell in behind the girl with the 10 minute mile flag. I was certain to be running 10 minute miles, as I had been all along. I did not, however, account for the fact that the time approached 7am, my chosen spot was getting further and further from ten minute mile pacing girl. I realized this just prior to the gun shot - while a fellow was singing the Star Spangled Banner - I had in fact been edged to a slower group of folk. I decided I'd stay where I was. One can't exactly move around during The Banner, and I surmised that I'd probably start slower than normal, but that would be OK - perhaps starting slower would help my legs and I would avoid the pain and suffering that demands I stop and stretch/massage throughout the first two miles. Note to self: Start the Marathon ABOVE my skill level. Like with the 8 minute mile crowd. By the time the race gets going, I'll be where I belong.
So - we were off. Let me first say that it's quite moving to be standing in a sea of very motivated individuals while the national anthem is being sung. I can only imagine what that will feel like during the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.
When we pushed off - I felt tremendous. I was ON TIME, feeling nostalgic, and ready to run.
As it turns out, though - I was going VERY slowly. Almost insanely so. I was stuck in a pack of (no offense) elderly people and very slow runners. Nothing wrong with this, except that everyone around me felt it necessary to run in large groups and were therefore difficult to pass. This extremely slow movement, coupled with the soreness in my legs, caused my first two miles to take 30 minutes. I had some catching up to do, but I did feel fantastic after I broke into my stride.
As I continued along the way, I began to really appreciate the fact that I was going for it. I enjoyed watching the people lined up on the streets of Eugene to cheer on the runners. It's a great feeling to see so much local support. I also became aware that I was going to be running for almost two and a half hours. I mean - that's a long time. Think of your favorite long movie. Sit down on the couch and watch it in its entirety. That's how long I would be running.
All kinds of people were swarming around me. All sizes, shapes, and ages. I can't even count how many people in their 60's and 70's were ZOOMING by me wearing their "50 states" shirts, which bragged (rightfully so) for them that they have run a marathon in every state. For the record - I passed most of these people before the 11 mile mark when the Full and Half Marathon separated.
At mile 5, I saw some familiar faces - Greg and Emelyn came to cheer! Emelyn was so excited to be at the race she was trying to run with me and keep up. I scooped her up and ran with her for a little while, but of course handed her off to Greg eventually. She was having so much fun. When I fell back into the now much more sparse stream of runners, a gentleman in his 50's running beside me said "Nice Job, mom" and it made my day. Seeing Greg and Emelyn had been such a great feeling, but to hear a perfect stranger make a comment like that, well, it ALMOST brought tears to my eyes. It certainly gave me motivation to light my feet on fire.
Just prior to mile six, a water station provided the first opportunity for me to "eat" some GU. If you are unfamiliar with GU, the best I can do to describe it is to compare it to a chapstick flavored packet of gel-like substance that is the consistency of that stuff you caulk your bathtub with. It's disgusting. Wretched in fact. It's 100 calories of electrolytes and simple and complex sugars to keep you moving while taking up very little room in your tummy to minimize cramping. I am clueless as to how it came into being. As awful as it is - I will say this - while it took many conversations with myself to actually swallow the stuff, I did feel it work into my system after about ten minutes. The impact was measurable.
At mile 6, I saw my good friend and co-worker Greg Shaull. He high-fived me, which gave me a super confidence boost and I began to take off. I'm not sure where it happened - I think it was at mile 7. I began to tear it up. I passed everyone within my site between miles 7 and 10. It felt great to be cruising at such a fast speed - and I did afterall have some time "make up". I knew my start would be slow, and it was. I knew this, yet it began to really bother me. As it turned out - I did care about time. What's more - I discovered that my body felt great cruising along. I need to push myself a little more than I have been during my longer runs - I just might like what I see happening.
Miles 11 and 12 brought me back down to Earth. I needed to pace myself a little better to avoid bonking - and I needed another GU packet. I wasn't sure when the next water station would be, so I stopped running and very slowly ate a packet. It was repugnant. I quickly began running again because time was a wastin' and was delighted to see the next water station.
I'll be honest - the last mile was a bit painful. I was sort of shocked that it made much of a difference to run one more mile than I had last weekend. As soon as I saw the 12 mile marker, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel and it made me yearn to be finished already. For some, they would increase their pace and blow it out of the water. For me - who had already torn it up earlier in the race - well, I just needed to get through it. As soon as I saw Autzen Stadium and the finish line, I did put my head down and pick up the pace. It only slightly increased my pace, though.
Greg and Emelyn were at the base of the finish line-row where you run through the people lined finish area before crossing the line and I was SO glad to see them. Emelyn was grinning ear to ear when she saw me, as was Greg. I felt very proud at that moment to have just ran the half-marathon, where I hadn't even thought about it beforehand. I mean - of course I was excited to do it - but seeing them at the finish line somehow made me feel more accomplished. I guess I hadn't really put much thought into what I was doing.
So As I continued on to the finish line, the crowd was ROARING. And I do mean screaming their heads off. My first thought was that they were just extremely pumped and high energy for all runners. However - when I crossed the finish line and looked to my left - I saw the REAL reason for the carrying-on! The WINNER of the 26.2 mile marathon was finishing at the same time as I finished the half marathon. How funny is that? At any rate - I was glad to have the extra cheering because I needed it.
Here's where I should have been so overcome with emotion and gratitude that I dropped to my knees and bawled like a baby. This did not happen. I was instead accosted by someone from Nestle Quik (sp?), who was passing out bottles of chocolate milk at the finish line - saying "drink chocolate milk for speedy muscle recovery". I stood bewildered for a while, trying to make sense of it all. I understand they had the right to be there as sponsors, but it just irritated me. So - feeling confused and dazed, I gathered some provisions from the food tents and looked around for Greg and Emelyn. They quickly found me and we went to breakfast soon after.
I finished the race in 2:23, which isn't too bad when you consider the first two miles took 30 minutes for me to complete. For the next month, I'll be working out those kinks in the first three miles, and then doing one longer run on the weekend. I will then begin my marathon training schedule at the beginning of June. Seems surreal. After witnessing the race environment of the Eugene Marathon - I am looking extremely forward to my "date with destiny" (Official Marine Corps terminology regarding their marathon) in October!
Overall - the experience was AMAZING! No matter what my performance in this race, I am extremely grateful to have pushed myself to train for this race after only 4 months of training. It answered a lot of questions I had about races in general, and it opened my eyes to many other issues that I didn't even know were ISSUES. I shall elaborate:
The race began at 7am, so my goal to was to wake at 5:30, don my race attire (which was all arranged the night prior), fix a bagel sandwich for myself (though Greg ended up fixing it for me), drink some water, down requisite doses of Ibuprofen, stretch, be out the door by 6:30. I was very nervous because I hadn't been running in the mornings. I was afraid I'd be crotchety and stiff. I was nervous that I wouldn't have enough water in my system. I was extremely paranoid that my ibuprofen wouldn't kick-in in time. I don't even want to go into how freaked out I was about my breakfast - did I choose wisely? Did I consume enough calories?
And then - of course - I experienced the circus of "what-if" paranoia all night long. What if I forgot my iPod? What if I slept in? What if I forgot my Gu? What if Gu made me throw up (I'd never had Gu before this race)? What if there wasn't enough water along the way? ...and on and on and on.
I woke at 4am and wasn't able to fall back to sleep. I wasn't really nervous about the race itself - I knew I'd finish. I felt confident that I would be in one piece when completing the race. I didn't care about time - it was about the experience.
So - I learned - and quickly - that #1 : Going into this race, I had all the wrong fears. My "issues" were non-issues and #2: I DO care about time!
As the runners gathered at The University of Oregon's Hayward Field for staging, I chose safely - I fell in behind the girl with the 10 minute mile flag. I was certain to be running 10 minute miles, as I had been all along. I did not, however, account for the fact that the time approached 7am, my chosen spot was getting further and further from ten minute mile pacing girl. I realized this just prior to the gun shot - while a fellow was singing the Star Spangled Banner - I had in fact been edged to a slower group of folk. I decided I'd stay where I was. One can't exactly move around during The Banner, and I surmised that I'd probably start slower than normal, but that would be OK - perhaps starting slower would help my legs and I would avoid the pain and suffering that demands I stop and stretch/massage throughout the first two miles. Note to self: Start the Marathon ABOVE my skill level. Like with the 8 minute mile crowd. By the time the race gets going, I'll be where I belong.
So - we were off. Let me first say that it's quite moving to be standing in a sea of very motivated individuals while the national anthem is being sung. I can only imagine what that will feel like during the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.
When we pushed off - I felt tremendous. I was ON TIME, feeling nostalgic, and ready to run.
As it turns out, though - I was going VERY slowly. Almost insanely so. I was stuck in a pack of (no offense) elderly people and very slow runners. Nothing wrong with this, except that everyone around me felt it necessary to run in large groups and were therefore difficult to pass. This extremely slow movement, coupled with the soreness in my legs, caused my first two miles to take 30 minutes. I had some catching up to do, but I did feel fantastic after I broke into my stride.
As I continued along the way, I began to really appreciate the fact that I was going for it. I enjoyed watching the people lined up on the streets of Eugene to cheer on the runners. It's a great feeling to see so much local support. I also became aware that I was going to be running for almost two and a half hours. I mean - that's a long time. Think of your favorite long movie. Sit down on the couch and watch it in its entirety. That's how long I would be running.
All kinds of people were swarming around me. All sizes, shapes, and ages. I can't even count how many people in their 60's and 70's were ZOOMING by me wearing their "50 states" shirts, which bragged (rightfully so) for them that they have run a marathon in every state. For the record - I passed most of these people before the 11 mile mark when the Full and Half Marathon separated.
At mile 5, I saw some familiar faces - Greg and Emelyn came to cheer! Emelyn was so excited to be at the race she was trying to run with me and keep up. I scooped her up and ran with her for a little while, but of course handed her off to Greg eventually. She was having so much fun. When I fell back into the now much more sparse stream of runners, a gentleman in his 50's running beside me said "Nice Job, mom" and it made my day. Seeing Greg and Emelyn had been such a great feeling, but to hear a perfect stranger make a comment like that, well, it ALMOST brought tears to my eyes. It certainly gave me motivation to light my feet on fire.
Just prior to mile six, a water station provided the first opportunity for me to "eat" some GU. If you are unfamiliar with GU, the best I can do to describe it is to compare it to a chapstick flavored packet of gel-like substance that is the consistency of that stuff you caulk your bathtub with. It's disgusting. Wretched in fact. It's 100 calories of electrolytes and simple and complex sugars to keep you moving while taking up very little room in your tummy to minimize cramping. I am clueless as to how it came into being. As awful as it is - I will say this - while it took many conversations with myself to actually swallow the stuff, I did feel it work into my system after about ten minutes. The impact was measurable.
At mile 6, I saw my good friend and co-worker Greg Shaull. He high-fived me, which gave me a super confidence boost and I began to take off. I'm not sure where it happened - I think it was at mile 7. I began to tear it up. I passed everyone within my site between miles 7 and 10. It felt great to be cruising at such a fast speed - and I did afterall have some time "make up". I knew my start would be slow, and it was. I knew this, yet it began to really bother me. As it turned out - I did care about time. What's more - I discovered that my body felt great cruising along. I need to push myself a little more than I have been during my longer runs - I just might like what I see happening.
Miles 11 and 12 brought me back down to Earth. I needed to pace myself a little better to avoid bonking - and I needed another GU packet. I wasn't sure when the next water station would be, so I stopped running and very slowly ate a packet. It was repugnant. I quickly began running again because time was a wastin' and was delighted to see the next water station.
I'll be honest - the last mile was a bit painful. I was sort of shocked that it made much of a difference to run one more mile than I had last weekend. As soon as I saw the 12 mile marker, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel and it made me yearn to be finished already. For some, they would increase their pace and blow it out of the water. For me - who had already torn it up earlier in the race - well, I just needed to get through it. As soon as I saw Autzen Stadium and the finish line, I did put my head down and pick up the pace. It only slightly increased my pace, though.
Greg and Emelyn were at the base of the finish line-row where you run through the people lined finish area before crossing the line and I was SO glad to see them. Emelyn was grinning ear to ear when she saw me, as was Greg. I felt very proud at that moment to have just ran the half-marathon, where I hadn't even thought about it beforehand. I mean - of course I was excited to do it - but seeing them at the finish line somehow made me feel more accomplished. I guess I hadn't really put much thought into what I was doing.
So As I continued on to the finish line, the crowd was ROARING. And I do mean screaming their heads off. My first thought was that they were just extremely pumped and high energy for all runners. However - when I crossed the finish line and looked to my left - I saw the REAL reason for the carrying-on! The WINNER of the 26.2 mile marathon was finishing at the same time as I finished the half marathon. How funny is that? At any rate - I was glad to have the extra cheering because I needed it.
Here's where I should have been so overcome with emotion and gratitude that I dropped to my knees and bawled like a baby. This did not happen. I was instead accosted by someone from Nestle Quik (sp?), who was passing out bottles of chocolate milk at the finish line - saying "drink chocolate milk for speedy muscle recovery". I stood bewildered for a while, trying to make sense of it all. I understand they had the right to be there as sponsors, but it just irritated me. So - feeling confused and dazed, I gathered some provisions from the food tents and looked around for Greg and Emelyn. They quickly found me and we went to breakfast soon after.
I finished the race in 2:23, which isn't too bad when you consider the first two miles took 30 minutes for me to complete. For the next month, I'll be working out those kinks in the first three miles, and then doing one longer run on the weekend. I will then begin my marathon training schedule at the beginning of June. Seems surreal. After witnessing the race environment of the Eugene Marathon - I am looking extremely forward to my "date with destiny" (Official Marine Corps terminology regarding their marathon) in October!
I also need to add that my good friend and running idol Tia Smith finished the marathon in 4:25!! GO TIA!
7 comments:
Just Awesome! Liz, the part about carrying Emelyn and then a total stranger applauding your efforts---wow that is inspirational!!
Good for you! I am so motivated to get my act together. I am returning to the pavement on Monday. I will enjoy knowing you are in front of me and waiting for me at the finish line!
Way to go, Liz!! This is truly an accomplishment to be proud of. Sounds like the Eugene race was an excellent opportunity to learn how to handle a race involving lots of people, which will be a big help when you run the Marine Corps marathon in Nov. Is there any way you can post on this website that great photo of you running in the Eugene race? - Carol
Ooops! When I returned to Liz's blog I saw that the great race photo is already published. Was I ever unobservant!
Great job Liz! Thanks for the shout out too! The only reason, however, that I am commenting is to attest to your very accurate description of GU. It really is terrible, awful, horrible. I'm glad that I had it to get something in me, but it was disgusting!!!
PS: Did you ever think that you would be completing a Half Marathon in a race three months ago?
I'm not going to say anything that everyone else hasn't already, but I wanted you to know how proud of you I am. I knew you could do it. Never had any doubt. You, Nanci, and the other ladies will be awesome this fall. I'll cheer you on from Ohio! Love you babe!
You Rock Girl! You set a goal that in my humble opinion was very steep and you grabbed it! You did it and I am now thoroughly convinced I will never see you during our marathon. Not even at the lineup! ;(
Way to go chick!
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