GRANDMA'S MARATHON
So I hop on a plane to Duluth, MN, solo, to go run a marathon over 1800 miles away from home. Why? Because I was on a mission! I chose this marathon because it's known as one of the top Great Boston Qualifying Races. The town of Duluth is up on the shore of Lake Superior and race day conditions are usually fantastic in June. Solo? Because my husband has been totally supportive of me, but only to the point of it not breaking the bank. (Which would be the case if our whole family went.) I love him dearly, and I'm so grateful for his support sending me up to conquer my dream! (Talk about added pressure!)
I had been thinking about this day for a long time, but now was the time to confirm all the small details back at my hotel room. My race outfit was out, my bib# was pinned to it, my watch was charged, my phone was charged and next to my ear buds, I had new socks to wear with my shoes (my thing is new socks for race day), I knew I could get my PB and bagel with coffee downstairs in the hotel before heading to the start, I had a big bottle of powerade to start drinking in the morning that would be enough until I reached the start line, my 'Nathan' water bottle was ready to be filled with fresh water and it had my fuel that was six Root Beer GU's stuffed in it's zip pocket. (wow, sorry for the 'run on' sentence... LOL, a pun!)
Now for the BIG details. My race strategy! I made three goals. Plan A - Boston Qualify, Plan B - Sub 4 hours, Plan C - PR (run a personal record). Why three goals? I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment, but I was going to concentrate on the A goal! A female 45-49 needs 3:55:00 or less to qualify for Boston. I planned out what the approximate elapsed time I should be at each 5 mile interval to finish between 3:50 - 3:53. I wanted to give myself a little cushion as I know I could be off on running the tangents of the course and end up running longer than 26.2! I then wrote it down on the backside of a 3:45 marathon pace bracelet that I got from the expo! (I just turned it inside out to wear) I'm so glad I thought of that because I started out writing it on my arm in pen! (it was not workin' for me). I actually had 3:45 in mind too, but I wasn't very confident and wanted to be sure I didn't start out the first half too fast. I wanted to stick with a more comfortable pace I was sure I could hold, I know from experience that it's not a good idea to bank miles. I had the first 5 mile interval on there, which was 38:00 - 44:00, but I had to tear if off to make the pace band fit. Of course I memorized it. I would plan to fuel every 5 miles as well, so it would work out perfectly!
I slept in my Boston t-shirt and the very last thing I did was put my Boston hat in my gear check bag. I was going to run on Saturday with the goal of Boston Qualifying! I could actually visualize it! I wanted to be able to put that hat on at the end of my race to signify a BQ when I achieved my goal.
Race morning! Everything went as planned leading up to the start line. I was able to take the bus that arrived first to the starting line and was able to sit on a hill, relax, finish my powerade and check out the selection of porta-jons that were waiting for me when I needed them. No lines yet. (that never happens to me) The one last minute item I was thankful to pack on my trip and throw into my gear check bag? An umbrella and my space blanket from a previous Disney race!!
The race starts in Two Harbors and runs south down the shore of Lake Superior to Duluth. There was a huge storm and we were right on the edge of it! We got a downpour of rain just before the start of the race. We were told we wouldn't be out of it when the race starts. Pouring rain isn't exactly ideal for a good race day, but I did my best to stay dry. I was shaking from being wet and cold (it was in the high 50's, low 60's) so I joined a few runners under the gear check truck sitting near the inside of the tires. I was really happy to have joined the ladies that were huddled there. Everyone was so positive regardless of the rain! There were a few of us hoping to BQ and one of the ladies didn't hesitate to say "you'll qualify, don't worry about the rain". I wanted to believe her, so I decided I would. We were called to the starting line and I lined up just behind the 3:45 pacer and in front of the 4:00 pacer. One thing I wasn't going to let happen was let the 4 hour guy past me! I tossed my umbrella to a volunteer, discarded my space blanket, and we were off running in the rain!
When I ran I started to think of all the people, friends and family, back home that were supporting me. Many knew what my goal was and they all told me they'd be tracking me (there's that pressure again!). It was great for me to break my race down into 5 mile intervals (I kept my eye on my watch and was right on it), but I was also aiming for those timing matts! Knowing I had that support truly helped!
The few times during the race I remember slowing down? First- the beginning of the first half where I actually had to stop for a porta-jon (thanks to the course bus tour I was able to time it right). Second- still in the first half when a man commented on me passing him he said, "don't worry, we'll be passing you later in the course". Thank you sir! Reminded me to slow down. With all the shorter hills up and the long hills down it actually felt like I was being pulled to the finish line like a magnet! The rain had become more of a mist and by the time I reached the second half the sun came out. My intervals were right on target! Third time slowing down- the 16 mile mark when I needed to refill my water bottle and take a good guzzle of it. I also took some 1/4 slices of banana. The last- reaching the top of Lemon drop Hill (mile 22) and stopping for the most refreshing slice of orange, a big swig of water, taking a deep breath, and knowing that if I just kept going without stopping? I was going to reach my goal! There's no stopping now! (and seriously, would I want to try this again?) I wanted to put that Boston hat on that was in my gear check bag!
I was finally winding around the streets of downtown Duluth heading to the finish line. I had to talk myself out of getting emotional because it can actually cause me to get what I call an athletic asthma. I crossed the finish line with just under three minutes to spare! Even running the best I could to stay close to the tangents actually covering 26.32 miles! Yay! Almost certain to be accepted to Boston in 2016!
Have you ever raced in the rain?
Do you break up your races into intervals?
What was one of your most rewarding finish lines?
I arrived on Thursday, the race was on Saturday. Had a nice chat with the taxi driver about Grandmas Marathon (of course!) on the way to my hotel. The most amusing thing? While helping me with my bags he said, "I hope you win!" I giggled a little, but was polite and just said, "Thank you. Wouldn't that be nice?" Made my night! I could not have picked a better place to stay in downtown Duluth! I was right in Canal Park just blocks from the finish line, party festivities, and Grandmas Restaurant!
Friday came and it was wonderful to get a good nights sleep alone in my room. Didn't have to worry about anyone but myself (which was strange, but kinda cool actually). I woke up to the most beautiful view from my window just before sunrise on Lake Superior. I got out of bed, took this amazing photo, and went right back to sleep. I knew that with the race the next day there was no way I was going to be able to sleep that night! When I finally did wake, I got dressed to do a short run along lake Superior. Quite a beautiful place to run and the weather was fantastic! (All good signs of wonderful things to come!)
I headed over to the Expo as soon as I could, which was just a short stroll from the hotel. (great, right?) They had a spaghetti dinner that was 'all you can eat' running from 11am - 9pm. That was to be my fuel for the day. I had a small plate for brunch, lunch and for dinner! (yes, small plates) It came with a slice of bread and a small chocolate milk! I wish more races had something like this available! I was alone far from home without my family and friends, but to overcome that I made a few new ones. The nice family I sat with at lunch actually asked for my race number so they could follow me! :-) (yep, more pressure!)
I decided to buy myself a ticket for a bus tour of the course at the Expo. I highly recommend this option if it's offered. Especially if you're in an area that you are not familiar with. You'll be able to seek out different landmarks to spot during your race, actually see where the water stops, fuel stops, and porta-jons are. I was so thankful to see all the porta-jons spread throughout the course! (you never know what can happen on race day) I was also able to see and be able to visualize the last turns before the finish when running into downtown Duluth just after reaching the infamous lemon drop hill at mile 22. On that note, I saw that lemon drop hill was not all that bad! It certainly helped me mentally.
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| RunningOnTheFly & BubbleGumRunner (our FB pages) |
My original plan for the weekend was to race the William A Irvin 5K on Friday as my shake out with Kim, aka RunningOnTheFly (we met through pages on FB) and her friend Barb. When Coach found out it was at 6:00pm that evening? He 'recommended' that I should be off my feet at that time. Of course I took Coach's advice about staying out of the race, but I was still on my feet cheering for Kim and Barb (that's what friends are for). It was great to finally meet Kim and we were able to meet up one more time just before dinner that evening.
I had been thinking about this day for a long time, but now was the time to confirm all the small details back at my hotel room. My race outfit was out, my bib# was pinned to it, my watch was charged, my phone was charged and next to my ear buds, I had new socks to wear with my shoes (my thing is new socks for race day), I knew I could get my PB and bagel with coffee downstairs in the hotel before heading to the start, I had a big bottle of powerade to start drinking in the morning that would be enough until I reached the start line, my 'Nathan' water bottle was ready to be filled with fresh water and it had my fuel that was six Root Beer GU's stuffed in it's zip pocket. (wow, sorry for the 'run on' sentence... LOL, a pun!)
 |
| My original homemade pace band |
I slept in my Boston t-shirt and the very last thing I did was put my Boston hat in my gear check bag. I was going to run on Saturday with the goal of Boston Qualifying! I could actually visualize it! I wanted to be able to put that hat on at the end of my race to signify a BQ when I achieved my goal.
Race morning! Everything went as planned leading up to the start line. I was able to take the bus that arrived first to the starting line and was able to sit on a hill, relax, finish my powerade and check out the selection of porta-jons that were waiting for me when I needed them. No lines yet. (that never happens to me) The one last minute item I was thankful to pack on my trip and throw into my gear check bag? An umbrella and my space blanket from a previous Disney race!! The race starts in Two Harbors and runs south down the shore of Lake Superior to Duluth. There was a huge storm and we were right on the edge of it! We got a downpour of rain just before the start of the race. We were told we wouldn't be out of it when the race starts. Pouring rain isn't exactly ideal for a good race day, but I did my best to stay dry. I was shaking from being wet and cold (it was in the high 50's, low 60's) so I joined a few runners under the gear check truck sitting near the inside of the tires. I was really happy to have joined the ladies that were huddled there. Everyone was so positive regardless of the rain! There were a few of us hoping to BQ and one of the ladies didn't hesitate to say "you'll qualify, don't worry about the rain". I wanted to believe her, so I decided I would. We were called to the starting line and I lined up just behind the 3:45 pacer and in front of the 4:00 pacer. One thing I wasn't going to let happen was let the 4 hour guy past me! I tossed my umbrella to a volunteer, discarded my space blanket, and we were off running in the rain!
When I ran I started to think of all the people, friends and family, back home that were supporting me. Many knew what my goal was and they all told me they'd be tracking me (there's that pressure again!). It was great for me to break my race down into 5 mile intervals (I kept my eye on my watch and was right on it), but I was also aiming for those timing matts! Knowing I had that support truly helped!
The few times during the race I remember slowing down? First- the beginning of the first half where I actually had to stop for a porta-jon (thanks to the course bus tour I was able to time it right). Second- still in the first half when a man commented on me passing him he said, "don't worry, we'll be passing you later in the course". Thank you sir! Reminded me to slow down. With all the shorter hills up and the long hills down it actually felt like I was being pulled to the finish line like a magnet! The rain had become more of a mist and by the time I reached the second half the sun came out. My intervals were right on target! Third time slowing down- the 16 mile mark when I needed to refill my water bottle and take a good guzzle of it. I also took some 1/4 slices of banana. The last- reaching the top of Lemon drop Hill (mile 22) and stopping for the most refreshing slice of orange, a big swig of water, taking a deep breath, and knowing that if I just kept going without stopping? I was going to reach my goal! There's no stopping now! (and seriously, would I want to try this again?) I wanted to put that Boston hat on that was in my gear check bag!I was finally winding around the streets of downtown Duluth heading to the finish line. I had to talk myself out of getting emotional because it can actually cause me to get what I call an athletic asthma. I crossed the finish line with just under three minutes to spare! Even running the best I could to stay close to the tangents actually covering 26.32 miles! Yay! Almost certain to be accepted to Boston in 2016! |
| My 13th Marathon and Most Rewarding Finish Line... Grandma's Marathon 2015 |
Do you break up your races into intervals?
What was one of your most rewarding finish lines?
Totally awesome!!!!! Actually, I have also raced in the rain (quite a lot, lately LOL)...but my pace isn't really a "race" pace. I love your plan of breaking the race down into 5-mile intervals - short, sweet, and totally manageable. Congrats on your first BQ....I look forward to tracking you on race day in April :-)
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