Sights on Boston

Oh the rigors of marathon training. 5-6 days per week, 5:00 AM mornings, from the end of July to the beginning of November. I hate it, I love it. It's that kind of relationship.

This year my training felt totally different than before. Last time for nearly every run I had a running buddy. My morning runs had been my social time of the day. This time the majority of my runs were solo, just me and the darkness. So I ran fast. When I got scared I ran really fast and I held my MACE at ready. There were a couple instances when I got spooked. One of those times was a morning when I left home before 5AM for a 10+ mile run. I hadn't gotten more than a mile from home before I noticed a car creeping behind me. Glancing back at it I watched the car pull into a driveway. I turned down a neighboring street and the car was soon behind me again, staying just behind me. "What the..?" I did an about-face, threw my hands up in the air, and was about to shout out and I saw... newspaper, only a girl throwing newspapers. She about gave me a heart attack. :/  (Which is why I now have Bruce... he will be my added protection when the next marathon rolls along.)

About once a week I did run with Nicolina. I was so grateful for those days! Grateful for socializing, safety, and for how it made that run feel so much shorter. Nicolina signed up to run Richmond also and we were in it together.

My favorite day by far for training was Saturday! Because on Saturday I could sleep until 5:30, leave on my run at 6:00, and see the sun rise! I usually bumped my scheduled Friday long runs to Saturdays, and though they were the longest of my runs I'd feel exhilarated. I was always caught up in the beauty surrounding me on my run! I guess because normally all I saw was the beam from my headlight shining on the dark pavement, the Fall colors in the morning light seemed unreal! Awe, gratitude, and wonder were always my feelings toward God's creation, and then I'd smile, rise, and fold into a sun salutation. It's my favorite way to start a 20 mile run.

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I started joking that the only reason I was running is for the caffeine in the GU! Addicted.

There are three lakes/ponds I would often run by. The water reflects the sunrise and it is gorgeous!

Race day approached. I had butterflies like crazy. Why was I so nervous? My first time running a marathon my goal was just to complete it and to feel like I had competed well. I thought it would be nice to qualify for Boston, but that seemed wishful. But now on the second go, I had a time I was shooting for. I knew I had qualified for Boston before and I wanted no less this time, in fact I wanted to see improvement. I had higher expectations of myself.

2012 Richmond Marathon- 3:25:30
2015 Goal Time- 3:23:00

RACE DAY: NOV 14, 2015
I had trained, I was prepared, but there is always the factor of how the body will respond on a given day, and I had no way of knowing if I would wake up strong or sick.

Nicolina and I drove down together. I was nervous, but the anticipation and excitement which hung in the air left me almost giddy. I love a challenge, and mixing a girls weekend away with a race led me to decide its the best way to travel! Traveling is great, but traveling to compete gives it purpose. Traveling without kids gave me freedom. Traveling with Nicolina gave me friendship and great company. And everything led to one great event... the Marathon!

We drove the course, picked up our packet at the race expo, and each ordered two meals at Panera to fuel up with carbs (when we ordered our waitress said we'd definitely win after eating that much, haha). We were in a super nice hotel, we stretched before bed, and fell asleep early. I slept great! I woke energized, feeling ready to run, and checked my clock... 2:00 AM. Not tired at all I ate a banana, stretched, and laid with my legs up the wall. After that I cozy'd back up in my covers and woke every hour until I finally decided it was time to get up.

Our hope was to grab a ride from UBER to the race start, but no one was driving that early so we had to drive ourselves in. The roads were jammed, parking was full, and we should have left much earlier! By the time we parked, jogged in, and used a bathroom the race had already started. Starting behind is never good, I was supposed to be in the first corral, but I didn't cross the start line until six minutes after the clock started. I spent the first six miles just weaving around people and running on the edges of the road or the median. It was a good way to wear myself out, but I wasn't concerned at the time, I was just excited to go!

I was running really fast! I had so much energy I was ready to let loose and I couldn't keep myself from smiling! I felt ecstatic when I saw Devin and the kids (and John and Nicolina's mom) cheering me on along the side! Richmond is a great race! So many fans, lots of music, and pretty scenery when the roads lead out of town. And I was stupidly thrilled to be going so fast, when what I should have been doing was pulling in the reigns, but I felt great and I wanted to see what I could do.

I was depleted by mile 18 and even my caffeinated GU couldn't energize my legs and body the way I needed it. I was hurting but doggedly I pushed on. Close to mile 22 I found another runner keeping the pace I wanted to be at and I stuck to her for a couple miles. Then I pooped out.

Splits:
1- 7:06
2- 7:00
3- 7:02
4- 7:04
5- 7:15
6- 7:23
7- 6:51 :/
8- 7:22
9- 7:06
10- 7:28
11- 7:45
12- 7:36
13- 7:30
14- 7:23
15- 7:19
16- 7:34
17- 7:52
18- 7:54
19- 7:45
20- 8:22
21- 8:09
22- 7:39
23- 7:44
24- 8:30
25- 9:10 :(
26- 8:54
.2- 7:49

Final watch time: 3:22:02
There was some trouble with my chip and my clock time was at 3:28:00, but after some e-mailing they adjusted my net time to 3:23:00. (I did it!)

I got my goal time! I qualified for Boston even though I ran like a fool without a plan. I figured I would start fast. There is so much excitement at the beginning of a race so I thought I would just go with it. Mile 1, mile 2, maybe even mile 3, but then I should have reigned myself in. My first 10 miles were too fast, I didn't train at that pace, and it wiped out all my energy.

I completed the race utterly and completely exhausted. Many regrets consumed me as I lay shivering on the grass, huddled in the fleece, logo'd blanket they'd handed me, feeling helpless to move. I should have kept pace with the girl I was trailing, I shouldn't have given in to my weakness, I should have pushed on. If I had done that, I could have come in several minutes ahead. But had I done that, would I have really collapsed?

When I thought I could move again, I shuffled slowly to my biggest fans. My biggest regret of the day is that I didn't get a picture with them. Devin knew I wanted him to be there, so he came in the cold with Bridger, Myra, and Sawyer. Each time they cheered me on I got a little boost and their cheers kept me going! Sure do love them! I was so grateful to have their support, even though at the end I was too tired to show it. Too tired to remember to take a picture.

I didn't run very well, but it didn't ruin the trip. It lit my fire! I learned some things and I'll come back and do it better next time! And I have Boston to look forward to! April 2017!

On my birthday Devin designed this running shoe as my birthday cake! He is so creative.

On Thanksgiving I ran the Turkey Trot with Sarah Calderwood. I did the 10K and won $200 for coming in 2nd for women overall. I think I'll do it again ;).

(My bib says Rachael, I ran in her name).