Now that the race is over it's time to look back and reflect a little on how it happened. When you train for an event like a marathon you really have to put your whole life into it. It doesn't matter if you plan to run a 2hr30min or a 5hr30min race there's still a lot of work, sore muscles and sacrificing of free time that goes into it. Once the race is over it's almost therapeutic to go back and contemplate the entire event. Fortunately, for those of you that may be reading this, I'm not going to rehash the entire training period in this report, just the trip to Arizona. Here goes:
SATURDAY: Katie and I flew out together on Saturday. Our flight was scheduled to leave Baltimore at 6:15am with a transfer in Dallas arriving in Phoenix around 11:15am. We arrived at the airport shortly after 5:00am and then the excitement began. We were notified by curbside check-in that our flight from Dallas to Phoenix had been canceled and that we would need to check in at the ticketing desk. No problem. We were under the impression that American Airlines had dealt with this sort of issue previously and that we' d find a quick solution. Wrong.
It turns out that Baltimore is a bit of an outpost where American Airlines stores only the very worst of their employees. In another odd twist, they promote the very worst of these employees to supervisor. I never trust a woman with a mullet and wearing a Baltimore Ravens football jersey to know how to manage an office and my prejudices were spot on in this instance (By the way, the Ravens were unable to score a touchdown and lost to the Colts later that same day). After being misdirected a few times and finally convincing the ticket counter that we needed to get into Phoenix in time to get to the race expo to pick up my race packet we finally had a plan: Take a cab to DC and catch a plane to Phoenix by 3:30 via a lay-over in Chicago.
The cab ride was uneventful and we realized we were fortunate to get on the flight because everyone at Reagan Nat'l Airport appeared to be dealing with the same issue. Life remained tense when we were late in arriving to Phoenix. We were still waiting to deboard the plane at 4:15 and the expo closed at 5:00.
Flying by the seat of our pants we left our luggage at the terminal and immediately jumped on the shuttle to the car rental. After getting the car we went back for our luggage, grabbed it, and then got a call from my friend Brad who was also doing the race. The race directors understood my problem and gave everything I needed to Brad. This was a huge help that allowed us to just head straight to the condo and relax and wait for Charlie, our friend and private chef for the weekend, to prepare our carb-loading feast.
Katie and I shared the condo with our friends Charlie and Mo, Brad and Sondra, and our new friends George and Mindy. It was a relaxing evening with good food, good wine for the non-runners and good conversation. This was also the first time I was able to meet in person the email pen pal I'd had for the last four months, John Reich. John had set me up with a training plan designed for my goals and then coached me through each week of training. To sum up what kind of runner John is, he ran a blisteringly fast 2:38 marathon and was disappointed with his race. Incredible. Wish him luck as his race season progresses and he attempts to qualify for the Olympic Trials.
After the rough start to the day I felt relaxed as I went to bed and didn't have any trouble falling asleep after assessing the lessons I'd learned that day: 1.) Don't travel across country the day before a race 2.) Never trust a woman sporting a mullet and wearing a Raven's jersey.
SUNDAY (RACE MORNING): It was unseasonably cold in Arizona. As everyone on the East Coast was bemoaning global warming and 'the end of the world as we know it' the rest of the country has been getting a pounding by a hard winter. Phoenix had clear skies but cold air. I think it was 24 degrees at race start and just over freezing at race finish. Typically it's a high in the 60's.
I set the alarm for a little after 5:00 am and woke up right on time. My body was still on Eastern time and I was alert and hungry. Breakfast consisted of granola, half a bagel and Gatorade. And coffee... there's always a need for coffee. I also put down a Clif Bar and a gel prior to the start of the race. The problem with sleeping is that it is the nutritional equivalent of fasting. This time around I decided that I was going to keep the calories going into my body before the race so that I'd never run out of energy and bonk. Overall, the plan was quite effective.
Brad and I were driven to the race start by Sondra and Katie and were dropped off just a couple of blocks from race start. After checking my bag in we had about 45 minutes to kill prior to the start. Brrrr. That's all I have to say about the pre-race.
Brad and I started together towards the front of the racers. That was great because it was so cold that I'm not sure that I could have waited much longer. We ran together for the first 4 miles or so and then split off to pursue our individual race plans. The race course was a very flat point to point that wound through Phoenix and Scottsdale and finally ended in Tempe at Sun Devil Stadium.
The idea behind the Rock and Roll marathons is that they put a band every mile of the course. It is really a boost as you're running because just as one band is fading out you're able to begin hearing the next one. It really keeps the mile markers ticking by.
The course wasn't particularly scenic as it was all run on roads through neighborhoods or along major thoroughfares. There were occasional views of the mountains in the distance but never any breathtaking views. However, the neighborhoods really came out in support (maybe because their driveways were blocked by runners but I'm not complaining).
The first ten miles were pretty uneventful. I started a little off pace and took the first ten to settle into a groove. It was a good plan because I didn't suffer a drastic drop-off of my pace during the race. I had planned to see Katie around mile twelve and grab some food and drop my hat, gloves and an outer shirt. I took off the shirt and hat but kept the gloves the entire race. It was cold and the gloves were essential. If you see some pictures where I'm missing a glove, let's just say that it was in there somewhere keeping me warm.
Shortly after seeing Katie I met my next herom of ladies, Mo and Mindy. They screamed and more than a few guys were jealous as I'd just been swarmed by four women in a span of a quarter mile. Not too shabby. Next up were my mom, Aunt Helen and Uncle David. Everyone was spaced between the 11 and 13 mile marker and it was a good boost to have such support passing the half way mark. It really is an adrenaline kick when you see people along the course so I can't say thank you enough to the people that came out and braved the cold to cheer me on.
The race started getting interesting around mile 15. I could feel a mild bonk coming on and it was a little worrisome as I still had another 1.5 hours to run. I saw family and friends again around mile 16 and it was once again a real boost. My aunt forced a Gatorade into my hands that really helped get some sugar flowing through my body again. Looking back on it, that was really helpful.
Most people that have run a marathon have experienced a bit of emotion somewhere during the course. Your body becomes so depleted and exhausted that it's really common to want to just sit down and cry. I was really touched that my mom flew out to AZ just to watch the marathon (and visit her brother in Sedona-- not such a bad deal) so by mile 16 it really got to me everytime I spotted her hiding behind her camera. I don't think she caught any tears on film but I was close.
At mile 18 I was feeling pretty good because I only had 2 miles left to run. Yeah, I'm going to make this. What!!??? 26.2 minus 18 doesn't equal 2? Aww, Crap. I guess I had put so much emphasis on getting to the 20 mile mark and feeling good that my exhausted mind forgot that last 10k of the race. Minor detail.
Mile 20. Katie was waiting there and I'm pretty sure I just punched her hand in a feeble attempt at a high 5 and grunted. Emotions were really strong then and I almost lost it. Still, adrenaline is a good thing. I'd been feeling pretty tired but mile 20 was a bit better. I started thinking in terms of 2 miles. Get from 20-22. Done. Only four miles left. Now, get from 22-24. Done. Then the word "only" then dropped out of my vocabulary. It became there are STILL 2.2 miles left. Alright. Suck it up.
It was at this point that I heard a group of people come up behind me led by a guy carrying a sign signifying that he was the 3:40 pace group leader. My main goal was to run a 3:30 so I knew was going to have to hang on if I was going to meet my secondary goal, break 3:45. I was slowing down and had just run my first 9:00 minute mile of the race. I knew that if I slowed any more I'd be at risk of missing that goal so I set my target on that 3:40 sign and just held on for dear life. He moved ahead of me when I stopped for water and he didn't but I was still in range for the 3:40 when I crossed the 25mile sign. I felt like I was at an all out sprint and ran an 8:05 mile to get to 26.0. Katie was there cheering and really charged me up at the end. She took off at a startling fast pace to try to watch me get across the finish line. I was shocked at her speed and could only recognize her by the enormous dust cloud she kicked up with her speed. Impressive.
After rounding a corner and crossing the line I was done. Walking through the finisher's area and grabbing water I knew that I didn't have anything left that day. It's a good feeling. I didn't exactly meet my goal but I gave it everything I had. My legs were shaking while I stood and I eventually had to just sit down for a few minutes before catching up with people at the end.
I'm really glad that I did this race and I hope it's not too self-indulgent to tell you what I'm proud of. Though, at this point I suppose that if you're still reading you're not concerned about that.
I'm really proud of the people that donated money. In all honesty, I wrote one email and was rewarded with generosity that I didn't expect. All of the thanks goes out to you.
Personally, I'm glad that I stuck to this race and gave it all I had. While training I only missed two scheduled runs and those days were entirely out of my control. Although I didn't meet my goal, I bettered my previous marathon best by 50 minutes. It's a good feeling to turn thirty and be in the best shape of my life. Finally, I've been back from AZ for a week and I'm already back to running and it's entirely pain free. I had sore muscles the two days after the race and then
began healing quickly.
POST RACE: We ended our trip with a couple of days at David and Helen's house in Cottonwood, AZ. They always entertain and thanks goes to them for putting up the Siehndel clan for a few days. It really made the trip a complete vacation. Before flying out Katie and I made a day trip up to the Grand Canyon. If you haven't been, it really is incredible. We braved VERY cold temperatures and spent the whole afternoon looking over the edge and taking breathtaking views. I hope to make it back and have Helen drag me down into the canyon to the Havasu Falls.
Thanks for reading this far. Now go drink a Gatorade. You've earned it.
1 comment:
well done travis!!! i'm in awe! :)
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