Chalk this one up as experience...

AZhat

Here we go gang. I'll add the official results when they get posted later on, but I want to get this out there. I'll start by saying that I never expected the outcome of my first marathon race like I did today. Never. I have had two half marathons under my belt, countless miles of training and the anticipation that I'd reach my marathon goal for this first time. I didn't expect this, so I "chalk this one up to experience" and will have to move on from it to cope.

Unofficial Time: 4:51.20
Official:
Gun Time: 4:54.20
Chip Time: 4:51:10
Place: 4259/7,365 finishers
Gender: 1616/3,538 finishers
Division: 336/612
10K: 57:08
HalfM: 2:04.16
20 mi: 3:21.32

Average Pace: 11:06 Neutral

Splits:
9.19
8.14 (clicked split too fast x50 seconds)
10.06 (longer time due to the mistake in mile 2)
9.10
9.13
9.07
9.13
9.24 MILE 8
9.23
9.55
10.13 MILE 11
9.49
10.02
11.49 (stop for bathroom)
10.09
11.09
11.00
11.28
11.12
23.27 MILES 20,21 (my mess up)
16.32 (where I lost it and hit "the wall")
18.09 (where I broke down)
12.50 (where I tried to suck it up and run a bit/walk a bit to the end)
14.00
16.14

OK. So there you have that. I went out with these three things in my mind to do.

Goal: 4:10 Marathon
Try for: 4:00 Marathon
Dream: Sub-4

I didn't think that I was being unrealistic with these thoughts and I felt that I could come close to at least one of them. This was not the case.

PLAN A: Was to start the marathon and be conservative. I wanted to have my splits hit the 9:10 range and maintain that for the first have of the marathon to get close to the 4 hour time. That I did for the first 7 miles. MILE 8. Dammit. Mile 8 started the beginning of the physical challenges I would face for the duration of my race. I hit Mile 8 and my left quad suddenly felt like it was on fire. Not only that, my hip joint was aching as well. I've experienced the quad feeling before, due to not having the proper training on the roads and the soreness being from that. The hip problem was totally new to me.

Right then and there I told myself to "get through it" and trudge on. That I did, but from that point on my splits began to show it. By Mile 11 I really had to start modifying my "PLAN". And that I did.

PLAN B: I had to right then and there say, "you know...take your head off of your splits for now and just get through this as best as you can". What I felt I needed to do was not worry about my pace and perhaps slow myself down a bit. So, I made the executive decision to walk ALL water stops. This actually meant to walk all miles for a little bit from here on out.

I did that for Mile 12
13... ( I hit my HalfM time around 2:06)
14...
15...
16...
17...
18...
19...
20...
21...

Things were going according to PLAN B until I started MILE 22...and then I HIT THE WALL!!! You see, I was walking through that water stop when a group ran past me. That particular group was the pace group for a marathon time of 4:15. I don't know what it was about seeing those pacers running past me that did it...but I lost it. I completely lost it mentally and it took me out of the race. The competiveness part of me couldn't get past seeing that and if I wasn't going to cross that finish line before the 4:15 pace group...then F*** it. And so, I started my 2 miles of utter misery right then and there. For the first time in my racing career (which isn't much), I was going to walk.

PLAN C: I decide to walk. burning mad

I walked Mile 22 mad as hell. burning mad

I know that people/spectators could tell and they tried their best to cheer me up. Mile 23, I broke down. That's when the tears started to fall cry

and again wonderful spectators said the nicest things to me that I'll cherish for a long time. However, I hit Mile 24 and said..."It's a 5K...a 5K...you can do this...a 5K". I had had some time to rehydrate and rest and decided I would try to Run/Walk the rest of the marathon. That I did. Actually I shuffled my sore, stiff joints and body the last 5K of the race...sucked it up...and didn't call it a complete loss.

I also did see many marathoners doing the same thing as I. They were walking...walk/running...walking... They were all in good shape and still had to walk. I tried to console myself that I was still doing a good thing. I was still running a marathon. I still trained for the damn thing for a good long time. I still sweat my ass off for 6 months for it. I still made it happen after taking a full time job just as I started training. I still did it. You know folks, I STILL DID IT!!!

Hey. I actually exercised for 41 extra unexpected minutes than I had planned. Mr. Green

I reflect upon this and have come up with a few things to say.
1) Sometimes you can do all you can do and it's not always going to go your way. Sometimes it's just not going to happen and be your day.
2) If I want to improve my racing, I'll probably have to do more outside work to condition it right.
3) I learned about myself and realized that I still achieved a major lifetime goal of mine. I went after something that scared me to death and faced it the best I could. I am still an athlete. There will be other races and I bet I can P.R. this one.

So, that's it. Thanks for reading this long race report gang. I hope I didn't disappoint you with how I did. I know that I lot of you would have thought that I would have done better.

You know..."I'm chalking this one up as experience". And now I'm going to ice these sore legs, beg for an elevator key at my school tomorrow and watch the first episode of 24. Mr. Green

Peace Out.

~26.2 Noley

PS Does this mean that "I'm in???" Wink

PSS It was a beautiful marathon course and the spectators were awesome! Mr. Green

PSS Am I "Still In" Razz

PSSS Curt Schilling (sp) and John McCain waved at me today. For realz. They were there at the starting line cheering us on. CS's wife ran the marathon today as well. How awesome is that. I liked that a Red Sox hero was there. Mr. Green

Excelent

I had a similar experience and a near identical time.

Way to stick it out and finish

Welcome to the marathon club

Member

Wow...that sounds like you went through a pretty tough ordeal! Sends the chills down my spine when I think of my first marathon coming up in October...Congrats on completing your first one though! thumbs up

Hipster Doofus

I am so very proud of you, Marcie. Congratulations to you on your first, and for having the heart (and guts) to finish rather than letting the injuries take you out of the race.

And you are in - you were never out.

Wink

The Pinball

congratulations on your finish noley!

i can't imagine pain from mile 8 on...

but i can kinda imagine how you felt when you saw the pace group go by. Sad

i really can't imagine how you even had time to train for this marathon, given the year you've had...it's amazing and commendable that you went for it. i couldn't have.

you did great in finishing and i'm positive you'll take this and do another marathon someday.

congratulations again -- i'd say you're in! cheers

howz that feel??? cheers

PRESIDENT

You can't be disappointed Noley, that was awesome. You finished and did amazingly well. Dancing Banana

You are in. Mr. Green

Member

You are IN Noley, you are in.

Dancing Banana

Congratulations, you marathoner, you!!!! Welcome to the club!

I'm sorry you didn't run the race you thought you were going to. (Many of your experiences were very similiar to my first marathon race also). You still finished your marathon, despite all your physical and mental conditions that were happening around you!

We are not disapointed in you; I'm actually really proud of you being able to pull this off with your new full time job! That was a heck of a time committment, being able to sandwich training in with everything else!

I hope you are icing a cold beer and your legs, and eating some carbs, and chilling out and waiting for "24" to come on!!

P.S. There has already been times, since I ran my first marathon, where some difficult task (or run) has come up. Sometimes I think about my marathon, and say to myself, "heck, I can do this. I ran a marathon, I can do anything."

Wear that medal to work tomorrow, you earned it!!!

Big Daddy

Congratulations Noley! Sorry it was so difficult, but you did it!

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Way to go Noley!

Dancing Banana

Member

Marcie...YOU ROCK! Welcome to the club marathoner. I'm sorry you didn't have the ideal first time experience but I think you need to look at it again. You had one MAIN goal, to become a marathoner, and you did. You finished in front of tons of people (and that includes me in EVERY marathon I've run) and no one, but no one cares about your time but you.

Next time, you will crush the 4:15 group.

Member

WTG Nole!!!! Warming up for the WARCHANT!!!!

Member

Pyromaniac

Good job Noley. You will learn well from your experience.

Member

Congratulations on your new Marathoner status!!

I don't think I would ever be disappointed in someone who finished something they worked for. Not every race turns out as "planned", we all have tough races. What makes you a great runner is the fact that you battled through it. Congratulations to you. Nice job! thumbs up

Relax and feel better!

The Movie Geek

Way to go, Noley! You are in. You finished. That wasn't quite your goal but it is much more than most people will ever be able to say (coming from someone who can't say it, yet).

Chalk this one up as experience...

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