Grandma's 2011 - The Race Report

The Goal: To Race a Marathon

So the plan was set. What Wendy wanted me to do with this race was to, well, race. In my previous 4 marathons, I had run for the experience. To finish. That's not to say I didn't have goals. For every one of my marathons, based on my training, I thought: "I should be able to run 4:30." But it never happened. Why? Well, I was never really properly trained...and I never pushed myself. When it hurt, I slowed down. When I wanted to, I walked. I enjoyed the events...but, as I referenced in my first blog post I was never really happy with the result. People always say running a marathon will change your life, etc. Well it didn't change mine. All it did was make me wonder why it is I can't reach my potential. Well yesterday, I finally reached, and killed, that 4:30. I also realized that is not, in any way shape or form, the limit of my potential.

My PR before this was 4:47. With a 2:02 PR in the half, and faster PRs in even shorter races, I just wasn't fulfilled. Sure, my body is not naturally made for long distances...and yes, that excuse worked for a while, but I, as you know, wanted more. I am now realizing that those relative PRs at shorter distances are no longer what I am trying to match. Those records are going to be shattered too.

Wendy set out a very specific, mile by mile, plan for me. I asked her to. I wanted that. I wanted to feel like I was attached to and committed to something - someone. When it hurt, I wanted a number to look at to say: "Well, Wendy did all this hard work for me and I don't want to let her down, so I better push it and meet this goal." And no, wanting it myself wasn't enough. That is evidenced by my first 4 marathon results. Wendy has analyzed the results of every single race I have ever run (there have been dozens and dozens for years and years) along with my training over the past 5 weeks. While she thought I was capable of much more, she decided to be conservative and put me on pace to run a 4:26. Yup. She said she was being conservative in suggesting I run a 21 minute PR. Gulp.

The goal of this race, as I said, was to learn how to race a marathon. To start slow and finish strong. To have something left in the tank in the last few miles. To be smart - to think about what I am doing at all points in the race, to focus, and to stick to a race plan. I had yet to do any of the above before yesterday.

The plan had me starting out with ten miles of 10:15s. She said this would feel pedestrian and it did. I imagine I have started many of my marathons around this pace (I don't have any mile by mile data of past races). I stuck at this pace, more or less, for 10 miles. After that I moved to 10:10 for a few miles, then 10:05, and then finally 10:00 minute miles until the end. I was given much more specific instructions about how to carry this out...what to do if I felt good, bad, etc. But this was the basic outline.

I will skip all of the reporting about the race expo, etc. and also all of the drama about the torrential downpour race morning and my complete panic at the start area - where I didn't even have my race shoes on until about 10 minutes before the start! I was a bit of a spaz, to say the least.

My friend Kei decided to run with me and stick to Wendy's plan. She was skeptical. She wanted to start strong and just finish with whatever she had left and hopefully finish in 4:30. I convinced her to try and follow my program and end at 4:26 with me. She ultimately agreed.

We started out with the 10:15s and truly just felt like we were out for a slow jog. Because of my last minute panic, etc. we started near the very back of the field and had to pass a lot of walkers, etc. But we soon got into a very comfortable groove. I had the garmin gps, so I spent a lot of time reigning Kei back in to get on pace. It is very, very hard for me to stick to a consistent pace - in a race or in training, with a watch or without. This was great practice. There isn't too much to report. We just stuck to the plan and felt great.

We both sort of had to pee starting around mile 10, but neither of us was interested in waiting in line. As we came upon the half marathon start (13.1 miles in, of course) we saw the huge line of bathrooms - there for the start of that race an hour earlier. Brilliant! We briefly discussed whether we should go or not. I wanted to cross that mat on time! I was terribly nervous and worried that if I took the pit stop (which was literally about 10 yards before the half marathon timing mat) Wendy would be at home freaking out (via the online tracking) because I was already off pace. We decided it made the most sense to just go now, while we had the chance with no lines. I jumped in and jumped out so fast - and I didn't even wait for Kei...I just TOOK OFF sprinting so I could get across that mat! After which I completely stopped. It must have looked extremely comical. I was SO worried about Wendy being worried. And I felt SO GREAT I didn't want to give her the wrong idea. So, after crossing the mat I waited for Kei, we laughed, and set off on our way. We had a little bit of time to make up - but not much.

Based on all of her analysis, Wendy thought I would start "feeling it" around mile 16. And she was right. "It" wasn't bad...it was just...there. A little bit of tightness...some soreness, etc. My biggest problem was in my ankles, or maybe my achilles, and I am left wondering if perhaps I need more support than my Frees. They provide so many other benefits and so much comfort in other ways that I would hate to use anything else. Perhaps I just need more time on them. I really did not experience any physical problems whatsoever in this race. Just things, little niggles, that I noticed were "there."

Things went great as we headed into town. Don't tell my coach (I was supposed to be focused), but Kei and I were chatting up a storm the entire way. We were both just having so much fun...enjoying the beautiful course, the PERFECT race weather, the wind at our backs, and hundreds of jokes from our friendship together. It was around mile 20 that I started getting quieter. I really felt great...but, as is the case in every marathon, I just didn't know how much I had left in the tank. I worried that at any moment things would take a turn. I had felt so good all day I didn't want that to change. Thankfully, it didn't.

I saw various friends as spectators along the way. At mile 24, I was excited to see my family. My nephew Jack had made a sign for me at our spaghetti dinner the night before. He was so completely adorable - getting excited as he saw me coming and holding up his sign. Here he is with Neil, my stepdad.

My brother-in-law Foster is an amazing photographer...so he got several shots of Kei and I was we passed by, still feeling awesome.

Now, don't get me wrong...I was feeling it at this point. But I was completely fine. And somewhat baffled by this. At some point in between miles 24 and 25 I said to Kei: Oh my god...I am gonna do this." I knew Kei was fit to go faster than me...and I told her at this point to go ahead whenever she wanted. However, she was loving the race plan - and loving her some Wendy - she could not believe how great she still felt. Remember, she thought she was in shape to go 4:30 and was going to start with 9:40s and just see what happened from there. She kept saying: "OK, I am a believer in starting slow! This is amazing!" She said her plan was to stick with me until mile 25 and just take off from there.

So, at mile 25, she took off. And so did I. I decided I wanted to stick with her as long as I could. And we just went for it. In fact, according to the results, we passed 94 people in the last 1.2 miles!

After I ran around the DECC (the large convention center near the finish) it was getting very tough. Sprinter tough. The lactic acid was building up, the breathing was heavy, and that mile seemed to take forever. I was glad to see my friend Matt about half way or so into the mile. Having someone there cheering definitely gave me a boost - I had felt so good all race I didn't want to look shabby now! About 30 seconds after I saw him...there he was again, sprinting ahead to cheer for me again. I was, again, thankful. It was just so timely and needed.

The end of Grandma's is terribly deceiving. You SO think you are there and then you have to do this major wrap around before you get to the finish. I, of course, knew this having run the marathon there 3 previous times and the half marathon twice. We were about .25 from the 26 mile mark when Kei, whose shoulder I had been sitting on this entire time, turned around and yelled "where the hell is the finish?!" This sentiment is echoed by MANY a first time Grandma's runner.

I saw my family again at mile 26 but this time there were no more smiles and waving. I had been going all out for an entire mile and was pretty spent - though still moving fast. This picture pretty much sums up how I felt.

I just kept hitting it hard until the end. I knew I was ahead of Wendy's plan...and I wanted to blow her mind as much as possible. Literally. That is what I wanted. She had spent SO MUCH TIME making a plan just for me - a completely individualized training and racing plan. I literally wanted to knock her of her feet. I was so, incredibly excited in that moment. And so, incredibly, grateful to have found Wendy. No, Wendy didn't run the race. But her guidance - in not only my training and racing, but also my mental toughness - has been invaluable. She has made me believe I can achieve things in running I really never thought possible.

I finished in 4:23:07. A 24-minute personal best.

And this is only the beginning!

She hardly even trained me for this race! Only 3 weeks of training and 2 weeks of taper. Yes, I had some miles on my legs before that...but not many, and nothing organized or planned. The fact that we have an entire training program ahead of us makes me incredibly excited.

I love running. And I am starting to be proud of, and believe in, the runner I can become.

We have some HUGE plans and goals for NYC on November 6. Stay tuned.

---

For those who are interested, below are the stats. I also turned off auto lap (and hit my own individual laps) for the first time ever in my garmin-owning life. I worked out really well. I enjoyed not panicking when my watch beeped well before the mile marker. ;)

*Note: Wendy built in an extra 45 seconds to miles 21-22 at lemon drop hill, a fairly steep hill preceded by a long, gradual, and slight incline.