itri
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
As many of you know, I ran my first marathon on Sunday in Phoenix, the PF Chang's Rock n' Roll Arizona Marathon. Here's the condensed version of my race report, if you'd like the full version, with lots of pictures, you can check out my blog here.
I had three goals for this race. The first was just to finish. The second was to go under 5 hours. I thought that if I had a good race, I could run 4:45.
My friend Valerie (who I stayed with) took me downtown Sunday morning, and we had planned for lots of extra time because we had heard that traffic was ridiculously crazy. Well, there was NO traffic and we were there WAY early. Val hung out with me for awhile until I met up with friends Cody, Josh, Randi, and Michelle, at which point it was time to head for the corrals. They were all in much lower numbered corrals, so we wished each other good luck and split. Before I knew it, it was time to go and we started walking up toward the start line. I couldn't figure out why everybody was cheering, and then I looked up and realized that John McCain was up on the stand (and apparently the mayor of Phoenix, not that I would have any clue who that was). I was really conscious of not going out too fast and let everyone else just go flowing past me. The first three or four miles sucked. For some weird reason, even though I was really watching my pace, I was having some minor side stitches. Nothing too bad, just really annoying, and messing with my mind because I knew I had a LONG way to go. What was even worse was that the 5 hour pace group had started at the front of my corral, and they went out really fast, and I almost even lost sight of them, which freaked me out! This was around the point that I tossed my 4:45 goal out the window and just started hoping for under 5. Around mile 5, I met my twin...seriously, she was wearing the matching tank top to my skirt, and a hot pink skirt, so pretty much the same as me, just opposite.
She was great. She was a great pace for me, and we ran together, chatting up a storm for 8 miles. We caught up with the pace group and ran with them for a little while before they started making me feel claustrophobic, so we decided to go around them and get out in front. That was the last I saw of them!
My running partner was unfortunately suffering from shin splints and decided to drop out at the half, which was a major bummer since we ran so well together. I kind of felt like I was running in no-mans land the next several miles. The crowd had thinned out a bit and there was nobody running my pace. Anyone that was close was run/walking. I felt ok, but not great. I was running right around my goal pace and feeling pretty good through mile 22 or so. Valerie was right before 22, and I was running strong. And then I hit the wall at 23. It kind of snuck up on me, because everybody had said it would be around 21 or 22. Those last 3 miles were SO hard. My quads tightened up, then my hamstrings tightened up. I walked the aid stations, but walking almost felt worse than running. The last two miles were a shuffle, but I just kept telling myself that it was only x miles, I could walk the last bit and still go under 5. I channeled my online running group ("don't think, just run") and my friend Amy (kicking breast cancer's a$$). And even though it felt like fooooreeevvveer, before I knew it, I was coming around the corner and could see the finish line. I picked it up, and finished really strong, with a smile.
As I was working my way through the water/fruit/etc., I saw Cody and Josh. Josh was hurting pretty bad, but Cody was feeling good...he went 3:47! And we found out a little later that Michelle went 3:41 and qualified for Boston! We headed over to gear check where Valerie met up with us and ran into my friend from high school and his wife, who walked the half-marathon (after falling off the training wagon in a major way
). We hung out with them and listened to the post-race concert, talking and getting caught up (I hadn't seen my friend since our 10 year reunion, 5 years ago!).
I am so happy, and I still can't quite believe it, two days later. It's hard to believe that it's been and gone already, it's all kind of a blur! I'm so thrilled that I was able to do this! I'm sore today, but much improved, and almost back to feeling somewhat normal.
Here's my unofficial finisher picture (lots more on the blog):
I had three goals for this race. The first was just to finish. The second was to go under 5 hours. I thought that if I had a good race, I could run 4:45.
My friend Valerie (who I stayed with) took me downtown Sunday morning, and we had planned for lots of extra time because we had heard that traffic was ridiculously crazy. Well, there was NO traffic and we were there WAY early. Val hung out with me for awhile until I met up with friends Cody, Josh, Randi, and Michelle, at which point it was time to head for the corrals. They were all in much lower numbered corrals, so we wished each other good luck and split. Before I knew it, it was time to go and we started walking up toward the start line. I couldn't figure out why everybody was cheering, and then I looked up and realized that John McCain was up on the stand (and apparently the mayor of Phoenix, not that I would have any clue who that was). I was really conscious of not going out too fast and let everyone else just go flowing past me. The first three or four miles sucked. For some weird reason, even though I was really watching my pace, I was having some minor side stitches. Nothing too bad, just really annoying, and messing with my mind because I knew I had a LONG way to go. What was even worse was that the 5 hour pace group had started at the front of my corral, and they went out really fast, and I almost even lost sight of them, which freaked me out! This was around the point that I tossed my 4:45 goal out the window and just started hoping for under 5. Around mile 5, I met my twin...seriously, she was wearing the matching tank top to my skirt, and a hot pink skirt, so pretty much the same as me, just opposite.
My running partner was unfortunately suffering from shin splints and decided to drop out at the half, which was a major bummer since we ran so well together. I kind of felt like I was running in no-mans land the next several miles. The crowd had thinned out a bit and there was nobody running my pace. Anyone that was close was run/walking. I felt ok, but not great. I was running right around my goal pace and feeling pretty good through mile 22 or so. Valerie was right before 22, and I was running strong. And then I hit the wall at 23. It kind of snuck up on me, because everybody had said it would be around 21 or 22. Those last 3 miles were SO hard. My quads tightened up, then my hamstrings tightened up. I walked the aid stations, but walking almost felt worse than running. The last two miles were a shuffle, but I just kept telling myself that it was only x miles, I could walk the last bit and still go under 5. I channeled my online running group ("don't think, just run") and my friend Amy (kicking breast cancer's a$$). And even though it felt like fooooreeevvveer, before I knew it, I was coming around the corner and could see the finish line. I picked it up, and finished really strong, with a smile.
As I was working my way through the water/fruit/etc., I saw Cody and Josh. Josh was hurting pretty bad, but Cody was feeling good...he went 3:47! And we found out a little later that Michelle went 3:41 and qualified for Boston! We headed over to gear check where Valerie met up with us and ran into my friend from high school and his wife, who walked the half-marathon (after falling off the training wagon in a major way
I am so happy, and I still can't quite believe it, two days later. It's hard to believe that it's been and gone already, it's all kind of a blur! I'm so thrilled that I was able to do this! I'm sore today, but much improved, and almost back to feeling somewhat normal.
Here's my unofficial finisher picture (lots more on the blog):
