It’s hard to know where to start. There were so many incredible moments from today’s race. Most importantly, I finished and I did not get injured. I walked right past the medical tent at the end without so much of a glance. However, then I coincidentally got a calf cramp about 10 feet later that forced me to stop and rest it before walking further. Well, I didn’t say I wasn’t in pain. As a matter-of-fact, pretty much everything hurt by the time I was finished. 26.2 miles is no joke!
Race day prep
Alarm went off at 3:00 A.M. for a 6:30 A.M. start time. The race was in Huntington Beach, California but we stayed about 15-20 minutes away in Costa Mesa where I found an extended stay hotel with a two bedroom apartment; complete with a full kitchen and two separate bathrooms. It was half the cost of a regular hotel room closer to the start line and far more comfortable.
I prepped the same way I normally would for any long run, so my “never anything new on race day” plan was off to a good start. I had brought my beets, vinegar, Ezekiel English muffin, almond butter and bananas with me. I also brought my Skratch Vegan Recovery drink and Nelly’s Peanut Butter bar for after the race. Although I brought Vans waffles, which I prepared and brought with me, I didn’t end up eating them.
I arrived at the starting line around 6:00 A.M. and did my dynamic warm up. There was a 50% chance of rain in the forecast and it started to drizzle while I was warming up. I didn’t want it to rain. However, I was mentally prepared since I ran both of my 20 mile training runs in the rain. Thankfully, it stopped drizzling pretty quickly and the rain never manifested. The temperature was around 53 degrees when the race started.
Pacing group
Given that this is my first marathon I wasn’t fully confident in my pacing strategy. I felt confident I could finish (barring any unforeseen circumstances) but not necessarily in the time that I’d trained for. So, I decided to line up with a pacing group that was 5 minutes slower than my marathon goal pace where I had focus my training runs.
I spoke to the pacers before the race to ask what their strategy would be for finishing on time. He said they would go out at the race pace and keep it steady throughout the run. That should have been my first clue not to follow them but I stayed there.
In my marathon pace training runs I always give myself 5 minutes to warm up at a conversational pace. Then, in the first mile I gradually pick up my pace until I’m running at goal pace by the end of the mile. Then, I hold steady for the rest of the run. That has been my training and that should have been my race plan. Lesson one learned.
Also, the pacers lied. My Coros rarely ever read my goal pace while I kept up with them. It was always slightly faster. Still, I managed to keep them in my sights for the first 10 miles.
The middle miles
Miles 11-19 were kind of a blur. My pace fell 10-15 seconds below my goal pace but my heart rate remained steady in my threshold heart rate zone. I focused on listening to my Harry Potter audiobook and reminded myself to look around and enjoy my surroundings. I had to keep alert around this time too, because the half marathoner’s were catching up (they started later) and were much faster than most of the marathoner’s at this point. They would come up from behind in groups and fly past. These were the hour and a half runners so they were really quick.
Around mile 17 I was really starting to feel the fatigue set in but my guardian angel came up from behind and I kept hearing, “Just 9 more little miles!” and “Single digits! You’ve got this”. As I came up on the 17 mile marker sign I reached out and taped it for mental motivation. My guardian angel saw that and threw out some more encouraging words. He passed me a few moments later and I realized that he was a pacer for the time group just behind where I started.
I stayed with the pacing group for a couple of miles. However, the path narrowed and I fell behind a crowd of runners and lost the pacer. He came along at just the moment I needed him though and I felt more energy now. My pace did not increase but I felt more energized.
Around this point I saw a mile marker facing the opposite direction on the other side of the beachside path we were running along. There weren’t any runners coming toward me but I assumed we must be heading toward a turnaround and must come back the other direction. I glanced over my shoulder as I passed it to see where it would bring me; mile 22. Ugh! I was only passing mile 17 at that point and that seemed like a very long way. I would still have 4 more miles to go after getting back to that point where I was right now. This was the dark side of my mentality creeping in.
I let the thought happen and then I let it go. It really made no difference anyway. I was going to finish this race whether I ran fast or slow or I had to walk it. My primary goal was to finish. All time goals were simply a bonus. I felt better after I let that defeating thought pass out of my mind and I refocused on the beauty of the Pacific Ocean and the waves crashing below the cliffside pathway we were running along.
The last 10k
I don’t remember passing the 20 mile marker specifically but I do recall looking at my watch and seeing that I was into uncharted territory past the 20 mile mark. Just a 10k to go! I tried to pick up my pace but my body was far too fatigued at this point. My heart rate had fallen into my aerobic zone and my pace was now in my conversational zone. I was breathing fine but my body was not capable at that moment of increasing speed.
I used the water stations on the course to supplement the electrolytes that I had in my hydration bladder. At the mile 21 water station someone stepped in front of me to grab a water and I was forced to walk or run into him. I got my water and decided to walk a few steps through this station. Up until now, I had been running constantly. I thought the short break may help me pick up my pace a little, too. However, instead of feeling better my calf started to get a knot, so I tossed the rest of the water and started running again.
It was the right call. The knot in my calf quickly subsided and I was back on track. I was still fatigued but my heart rate was still in my aerobic zone so I knew I was okay.
Race hydration
Prior to the race I tried to drink as much fluids as I could get in me. I would alternate between electrolytes and plain water. When I’d run out of one, I’d start a new bottle of the other. In between, I’d supplement with herbal tea for a different flavor. However, I did not bring enough bottled water with me to the hotel and the tap water was awful. I rationed my last bottle of plain water in the evening before the race so that I would have enough from the gallon jug for my race morning. This was lesson number 2. Bring more bottled water than you think you need.
On the course I continued with supplementing the electrolytes in my hydration bladder with water available on the course. This was the first race I’ve run where I used the water stations as I ran through them without stopping. My first grab, pinch and drink was rather clumsy. I think some of it may have made it into my mouth but most of it splashed all over my face and ran down my neck. I made a mental note to pour out a little water next time before attempting to drink. It worked much better the next time. By the end of the race I was drinking like a pro (sort of).
Race fueling
Nothing new on race day. I followed my fueling strategy that I’ve been working on during my training and I found it to be successful. I never hit a wall or even came close to it, so I believe my pre-race and in-race fueling strategy was successful.
Prior to the race I carb loaded for 3 days leading up to the race. I didn’t stick to a strict carb load plan this time. If I wasn’t able to fit in all of the extra carbs or if I wasn’t hungry, then I didn’t eat the extra food. I also increased my hydration even more than the first carb load test. I think the combination of these two adjustments helped to reduce the discomfort and bloating that accompanied my last carb load test.
On the course I brought 8 gels; 6 Huma and 2 Maurten’s Gel 100. I stacked the caffeinated gels toward the middle and end miles and mixed in a non-caffeinated Maurten’s in between. I took my first gel at mile 4 and then every 3 miles after that to mile 25.
There were only two gels that I had trouble stomaching. I didn’t want a gel at mile 16 but I knew I needed to take it. When I pulled it out of my vest pocket I saw that it was chocolate. Now, normally I’d be really excited to get a chocolate flavored gel (or anything chocolate for that matter) but not at that moment. I tore it open and started sucking the sweet, thick contents into my mouth. I found it really hard to swallow so I pushed large amounts from the package into my mouth just to get it all in and be done with it.
Thankfully, the gel stayed put in my stomach and I was glad that I’d taken it. As I mentioned before, I was starting to feel fatigue set in by mile 17, just a few minutes later. Who knows if I might have hit a wall after all if I hadn’t made myself fuel at that moment but I didn’t because I followed my training and my plan. Lesson number three, don’t think on the course, follow the plan. Your brain is not capable of making important decisions at mile 16 of a marathon.
The best laid plans
Although I’d filled my hydration bladder as full as I could get it and still get the cap on, I still managed to run out of electrolytes just after mile 24. I was extremely thirsty and my mouth was dry. I still had one more gel to take at mile 25 and it was a Maurten’s Gel 100 which requires water. Even if it didn’t require water with the gel, I can’t take any gels without fluids to wash it down. Thankfully, there was a water station around mile 25, so I was able to take my last gel (most of it) and drink just enough water to get me to the finish line.
The finisher’s chute
I really thought I would cry as I crossed the finish line of my first marathon. I choke up when I watch others do it on TV or read their inspiring posts on social media. However, I didn’t cry and it didn’t even cross my mind.
As I neared the finish line I had to pay attention. There were signs pointing the half marathon runners to the left and the full marathoner’s to the right. I was worried I’d pick the wrong lane so I kept reading the sign as I approached to make sure I was where I belonged. I’ve almost passed a finish line before in another race, so I’m experienced in missing my turn at the very end.
Once I knew I was in the correct chute I saw others slowing down but I decided I did not want to slow down. I wanted to finish strong as I finish all my races. I was exhausted at this point and have been running miles well in my conversational zone for a few miles. However, I pushed as hard as I could muster and picked up my pace to run strong across the finish line; passing a few runners on my way in and bumping up my overall finishing place to boot!
Stopping running was harder than I thought it would be. I didn’t stop walking, even to stretch a little. I couldn’t or I knew I’d cramp up immediately, so I just kept walking. I grabbed two waters and a couple of packages of pretzels. I was surprised that there were no bananas. What race doesn’t have bananas at the finish line? Weird. As I was walking through the very long finisher’s chute I listened to the very end of my Harry Potter audiobook. I had been listening to the end of the story as I crossed the line and I completed the book before I left the chute. I find that very serendipitous of my journey to this point and I’m grateful for my books that got me to this point.
As I continued walking toward the exit my shoulder was cramping up and was really sore. I dropped one of the water bottles. I stopped and looked down at it on the ground that appeared a mile away and just said, “Dang! That’s a long way down.” I momentarily considered leaving it there and walking back to the table for another one but it was too far away. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get it but I bent down and managed to pick it up and stand back up. It was a proud moment.
Later I saw a man drop his water bottle and he didn’t so much as glance at it or even consider attempting to pick it up. He just kept walking.
I have no idea how long I was in the finisher’s chute. It seemed like a very long walk but I needed it. I found my sister right away as I exited the chute and she threw her arms around me with the biggest and most proud hug ever. She was saying “You did it!” and other wonderful things that I wish I could remember more clearly but I know how I felt and it was pride and love and a massive sense of accomplishment. Oh, and pain. There was a lot of pain.
Post race events
All I wanted to do was to keep moving. I wanted to walk because I could feel the cramping waiting at the threshold if I were to stop moving. We walked toward the beach and down the boardwalk for a ways and then backtracked because I wanted a picture by the finish line. I was so focused on getting my traditional finish line photo that I completely forgot to go to the timing tent to check my finish time results. A friend of mine who had tracked me on the race timing app texted me my finishing time which is the only way I found out what it was. When I say I was primarily focused on finishing, that is truly where my mind and heart were for this race.
On the way back to the car which was just a couple of blocks away, my sister said she’d gotten me a surprise and oh boy was it! When we got to the car she pulled out a pastry box of vegan doughnuts! I LOVE doughnuts almost as much as I love pancakes. I was so excited about the doughnuts but I was not in a stomach position to eat one immediately. Instead, I sipped on my Skratch Vegan Recovery drink that I’d brought with me so I could start the recovery process.
We had to make a stop for more bottled water on the way back to the hotel but I decided to wait in the car instead of walking and standing in line. By the time we made it back to the hotel my body was starting to shiver and I needed to get into a warm shower and get my circulation moving again. I found it to be a small miracle that I made it up the 15 steps to our hotel room without too much pain or incident. My sister had picked up some Epsom salts at the store so I soaked for a while in a warm tub in the salts. I think this had to make a big difference because I was moving around pretty well after my bath.
Post race meal
If you are ever in Costa Mesa, California I highly recommend eating at Seabirds Kitchen. Their food is extremely fresh and so flavorful. We went crazy on the food and ordered a couple of appetizers, our main meals and dessert for the road, even though we still had doughnuts waiting at the hotel. No regrets. Everything was wonderful! I had a doughnut and my avocado chocolate mousse that night (not at the same time).
My sister asked me the same question after the marathon that she’d asked me after my first half marathon, would I run another one. After the half marathon, I really wasn’t sure and I didn’t have an answer. But, when she asked me after my marathon I quickly answered, absolutely!
So, I’ll see you again for another training round in the not too distant future!