Well, I got my sticker.
I haven’t felt much desire to post a review of this accomplishment, despite its momentous effect on me. I guess it feels like overkill at this point. If you follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter you can’t avoid the fact that I’ve recently run a marathon, and that it’s been a big deal to me. However, for posterity, here’s a quick recap of my 2011 Bayshore Marathon:
The Cabin
I decided to do this thing up right and rented a cabin on a lake for a week. I mean, we were in Traverse City right? Might as well make the most of it. So I landed on a gem called Cedar Lake Lodge. As with most cabins, you’re a little nervous, hoping the pictures actually match real life, but this one was exactly as advertised! We had a great time enjoying the amenities (pool table, pontoon boat, kayaks) as well as just lounging and hamming it up with each other. I definitely want to stay there again, soon. And what trip to Traverse City is complete without a trip to Moomer’s and Don’s Drive In?
The Weather
All runners obsess about the weather. It’s what we do. I was really hoping for a beautiful day to enhance the scenery of Lake Michigan as I ran, but it turned out to be overcast with a slight drizzle. Although the scenery wasn’t what I was hoping for, I think the weather was just what I needed to complete this thing in the time I desired. I probably wouldn’t have done as well with a warmer day. I simply haven’t trained much in the heat this year.
The Playlist
The playlist worked like a charm. It was perfectly set. I was nervous about not adding more songs than the time I was shooting for, but in the end I went with my gut and believed in my training, finishing one song before my last.
The last podcast I had loaded (during miles 16-20), Extraordinary Strength by Erwin McManus, ended up talking a lot about marathons. It was a very timely lesson to say the least, with the following verse repeated often:
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 3:12-14
The Run
Against the advice of many veterans, I decided not to simply try to finish a marathon but instead I put myself on a clock—I wanted to do it in under four hours. It’s not a world class time to hit, but it felt better than average to be in the three’s.
The run started at a pretty leisurely pace. According to my splits my first mile was the slowest by far. There were 2,400 runners to contend with, but I certainly wasn’t trying to go out too fast. I wanted to ease into this thing and make it to the end without crawling. The lake was misty and foggy, which was interesting to look at for the first couple miles, but then I can’t remember ever looking out at it again the rest of the way. A stark difference from my experience in the half last year.
Around mile 8 I saw the first of three friends I was looking for during the race. Jason (who went on to best his Half Marathon PR by 20 minutes) came into sight and was full of such enthusiasm that my energy barometer jumped a few notches instantly. A couple miles later I had the same experience with his wife Angel, exchanging high fives with her and her friend.
The first half of my run went a little slower than I had hoped (1:55). It was slightly faster than the pace I needed to hit my time, but not quite as fast as I thought I might do the first half. It was actually five minutes slower than the half marathon I did last October. At that point I was a little nervous about hitting my time. I thought I might have banked a little more wiggle room for the end of the run, but I felt really good running that pace at the time so I felt it was still within reach.
Miles 14 and 15 were my fastest miles of the run. I’m not sure if it was because I was trying to make up some time, or because the playlist started my “pump me up” section. It was probably a little of both, but it worked and made me feel a little more confident. Also during this stretch I ran past my coworker, friend, and marathon partner, Janelle. I was so happy to see her doing so well (I think she smiled the entire run). Going through the ups and downs of training with her this year has been such a blessing!
I stopped around mile 16 to use the bathroom. It wasn’t a necessary break, but one I had been contemplating for over four miles, and I hated the thought of waiting another ten. I thought I had found one that would be free, making it a quick stop, but someone ran in as I was making my descent and I had to wait for what seemed like a full minute. I did some stretching while I waited, and I think the overall downtime was a net gain. A little freaky though when you’re trying to hit a time. I’m just glad it wasn’t an “emergency” stop!
My last podcast was supposed to end at mile 20, but I was ahead of schedule so it ended just as I approached mile 21. I was pretty stoked to have gotten that far. Now is the time when I had to start making deals with my body. I told myself that if I could keep up the pace for the next two miles then I would allow myself to walk through the water break at mile 23. I made it, so I stopped and grabbed a couple waters and walked for a full 50 yards, which felt great!
I did the same thing for mile 25, but this time I walked for only a few seconds. I considered planning one more quick breather somewhere around 26, but once the crowd and the finish line were in sight I kicked it into another gear and finished this thing in proper fashion. I had enough in the tank to even sprint a bit on the track (well, it felt like a sprint anyway).
The biggest disappointment for me was that my chip time didn’t register at the beginning of the race, so my official time is slightly off from what was recorded on my Nike+. Although I stopped my Nike+ a few seconds after I crossed the finish line (meaning that my time is a hair better than even that), I’m still going with the Nike+ time because it’s more accurate: 3:53:23 (8:54/mile)
The Aftermath
The whole time I was training for this I would constantly tell people that I’m not a runner, that I’m just doing this thing to cross it off my bucket list. Now that it’s over, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am in fact, a runner.
But I am also now much more than who I was only six months ago. I have a deeper appreciate for certain words (such as vision, determination, inspiration, encouragement, strength, focus, marathon, God), and a deeper appreciation for who I am as a person.
This journey will easily change your life. I encourage everyone to get out there and do it. The only thing stopping you is yourself (Try telling this guy you can’t do it. Or this guy.). It doesn’t have to be about your finishing time. Just enjoy learning more about yourself than you ever thought possible.
Filed under: Running
In the past, I have simply loaded up the ipod with a selection of my favorite tunes, hit shuffle, and let fate decide what inspired me for that particular race. This time I have strategically compiled a playlist to get me to the finish line in under four hours.
Since the lights go out around 5:00pm these days, I was running around the cemetery in the pitch dark. Also, my ipod had apparently leaked power since October so I had to do a rushed charge and only had enough battery power to have music playing but not enough to initiate my Nike+ system. Not a huge deal though. I only ran a mile, and it took somewhere around nine and a half minutes.
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