Race Report - 2011 SunTrust National Marathon - A race of "southern efficiency and northern charm."

Great news: My second marathon was a success! I finished. (Hooray.  Ever Important.)  I ran it all by myself, for the first time, and I finished in under the 5-hour time limit, which as it turns out, was not enforced at all.  Also, I knock 31 minutes and 45 seconds off the time from my first marathon--a new PR! All fantastic things about Saturday.

Yesterday, I lay around my house and being gluttonous--only leaving to pick up a take-out cheeseburger from my beloved Fuddruckers. And a vanilla milkshake.  Well-deserved.  My quads are still pretty sore from the race. As I hobbled up 18th street on the way to work, I saw a few empty GU wrappers scattered around. While I was a bit perturbed about the litter in the street, it was nice to see a small artifact from Saturday's event.

Unfortunately, I did not really enjoy this race as much as I was hoping I would.  Although I enjoy running by myself sometimes, I found it lonely doing the entire race by myself without anyone to meet at the finish line.  I had planned it that way, just in case I had a bad race, but it was still a lonely feeling.  Also, I had a near nuclear-meltdown in my car minutes before the start of the race.  (More on that in a moment.)

Friday night, the night before the race, I'd gotten everything prepared for the next morning, as I am not at my most energetic at 4:30 am in the morning.  I set my coffee-maker, laid out my clothes, packed my bags. (I packed a bag to check, even though I was driving.  I was still debating about checking some last-minute items.) I also packed some non-skintight sweats to wear after the race to my post-race-date. (Fancy sweatpants! LOL)

For breakfast I had two Eggo waffles, coffee and gatorade.  I usually have some leftover pasta from the night before, but my Vapiano was so delicious, I ate it all in one sitting and had none left.  I thought waffles should be relatively sustaining.  I left my house at 5:30am for the race, which started at 7am.  All runners were supposed to be in our corrals at 6:30-6:45am.  Without traffic, it usually takes me about 15 minutes to get downtown, and I was guessing it would take me an extra 15-20 to get to the Armory.   So, I thought I had plenty of time.  I easily drove into the city and over to the Capital within 15 minutes, but getting to the Armory was a much different story.  Although the roads were open, as marked on the race-day map, the two-lane Independence Avenue was NOT ample enough to accommodate the 11,000 participants of Saturday morning's race.

The metro opened "early" to "accommodate runners" (at 6:00am, as opposed to 7:00am).  But, seeing as how in DC it takes at least 10-20 minutes to travel anywhere via metrorail, the early opening was extremely inadequate, especially since most of the runners were entering the city from the suburbs of Maryland and Virginia.  I ride the metro to and from work every day and have developed quite a passionate dislike of the train because of the seemingly-constant delays, mechanical failures, crowds, inconsistent service, and increases in fares without matching increase in service.  So I could easily go on a tangential rant about the subway system of our nation’s capital, but I won't. At least not right here and now.

 But, living in Northern Virginia, and assuming—albeit incorrectly--that I would have to be at the start of the race on time, I knew that even if I got on the first train into the city, getting my bag checked, using the bathroom, then getting into my corral before 7:00am would be impossible. So, I decided to drive to the Armory and take advantage of the much-touted free parking and "thousands of spaces."  My mom and brother had both offered to drive me, but I thought I’d enjoy the luxury of parking and sitting in my warm car until I had to join my corral.

Photos while driving. Still cheerfully/foolishly assuming I'd make it to the stadium on time.

Alas, that would just be a pipe dream.  I don't ever have fears about driving in the city, and Saturday  I knew where I was going and that I was in the company of many other runners heading in the same direction.  The masses of vehicles were all filing onto Independence Avenue and slowly crawling toward RFK Stadium.  I reached Capital Hill a little before 6:00am.  By 6:30am, I had only progressed about five blocks east. As I sat in traffic, time kept ticking away.  Realizing I was going to be much later than expected, I started to get myself ready in the car.  I put my running shoes on, loaded my pockets with my camera, chapstick and ipod,  I took off my coat and put on my throw-away sweatshirt, and I opened up my handwarmers and put them in my gloves....all the while, trying unsuccessfully to keep very calm about getting to the start of the race.

At 6:40am, still sitting in the barely-moving line of cars, I started to see some runners getting out of vehicles around me and start walking down Independence toward the start line.  OMG--What do I do!?!? As we inched toward the stadium I started to get panicky and trying to think of contingency plans.  I texted my mom, the only person I knew who would respond to my texts that early on a Saturday, and told her I was stuck in traffic 13 blocks from the Stadium and I was supposed to be in my corral NOW.  She responded by saying "Maybe skipping it was meant to be..." **GASP!** NO!!--NOT HELPFUL!

I figured my best chance of getting to the stadium before 8:00am was to park somewhere—anywhere!--and get on the metro, which was now open.  Lacking a GPS, I called my mom frantically asking her to find my cross streets on a map and get me the quickest walking directions to the Eastern Market Metro station.  I also kept fishing in my enormous abyss of a work-purse for my map of DC.  I'm positive it was there, but at that moment, I was unable to find it, while driving, talking on the phone, trying to scope out [legal]  parallel parking spots, and fighting back tears.

Somehow, miraculously, the heavens shone down on a small, but perfectly legal (I hoped) parking spot about 20 feet off Independence Ave.  Oh thank the Lord!! It was a tight TIGHT squeeze, and I was far from a calm state of mind.  It took me about six or eight reverse-forward combos (and several curse words) to actually squeeze my SUV into this space sized for a Civic, but I did it.  Oh Glory be!  6:56am….four minutes until the race starts. I was still a complete wreck.

I had given up all hope of actually checking a bag, but I was planning to catch the metro, so I yanked my ATM card and the only cash I had ($8) out of my wallet and leapt from my car.  Fortunately, while I was parking, my mom had looked up directions to the metro.  She realized that I could just walk down Independence Ave and probably get to the stadium quicker than I would have if I went to find the metro, buy a ticket, and wait for the train. (Even though Eastern Market is only 1 stop away from the Stadium stop, the whole process is time-consuming, especially since I didn't have my Smarttrip Card and would have had to waste time buying a disposable farecard.)  I began to head east down Independence toward the stadium.  Luckily, I'd gotten myself ready to run in the car sitting in traffic, so I already had my gloves on and my pockets were already stuffed with the essentials.  I hadn't meant to bring my blackberry but now I had it, since I was still on the phone to my mom.  I'd also meant to detach my single car key from enormously heavy key chain, but it looked like that was coming with me as well.  I hung up the phone with my mom and started jogging down the street, passing some half marathoners on my way.  I had to pee like a racehorse and it was now after 7:00am--the official start of the race.  As I passed a few fellow runners, I tried to joke that I hadn't planned on having a mile-long warm up dash to the start before my 26.2 miles run, but no one seemed to find that too amusing.  (They were probably weeping on the phone to their moms in their cars moments before, just like me, and not in the mood to laugh about it quite yet.)

I could hear someone singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" in the distance, so I knew I was getting close, but I was still a complete nervous wreck.  I calmed down a little bit when I got to the Stadium and saw hundreds of runners still emerging from the metro--many of them with bags to check.  I felt relieved seeing them because I realized I wasn't the only one running very late, and I wasn’t going to miss the start.  (Looking back, at the time, I thought the organizers would be really strict about the 5-hour time-limit and that definitely added to my level of panic.  If I'd been running the half, even if I started late, I'd still make it in under 5 hours. But I was worried I was putting myself at a disadvantage by being late. This turned out to be a non-issue looking back.  But at 7:10am, how was I to know that!?)  I joked with some guy getting off the metro that it was typical of DC that even the Marathon doesn't start on time. And that's true! It is after all a city famous for its "southern efficiency and northern charm."

Finally, once I arrived and found my corral still waiting to start, I began to unwind a little.  I still  had to find a bathroom. Urgently. I asked the corral "bouncer" girl where to go, and she said there were some over the hill, but she didn't know how long the lines were. Great, I thought, and dashed over there.  There were only five porta-pots, but thankfully, the lines weren't that long. (I later found out that there were SEVENTY porta-pots just up the hill.  That might have been helpful for the volunteer girl to know, but c'est la vie.)
I chatted with a couple of people in line, and I was glad when this other woman said she was "near tears in her car trying to get to the parking lot."  It made me happy to know that other people experienced the same crisis-moments as I did getting to the stadium. (Reading the reviews on Active.com, it's very disturbing how many people had difficulties with getting to the race.)

Having emptied my bladder and calmed my racing heart a little bit, I wandered back to the corrals.  I called my mom to update her that I'd made it to the start and everything was fine.  (That I had time to do that is pretty amazing.)  The back corrals were progressing up to the start line and, as they passed, I searched the crowd for people I know to no avail. Eventually, I joined my corral as they passed and headed to the start.  Thankfully I remembered to set my stopwatch (and my ipod stopwatch) as I crossed the start, and I was off!...around 7:40am.

The first mile or so was up a small hill.  I always like when races start going uphill because it helps me not start out too fast.   Within the first two miles, I warmed up enough to remove my throw-away sweatshirt and my handwarmers.  The weather for the race was perfect for running.  The sun had come up, there was barely any wind, and it was in the low to mid-40s. Gorgeous.  My problem was, I was not quite in a running-mood yet.  I was still not completely wound-down from my morning parking debacle, so I tried not to think that there was 25 more miles ahead of me. I also tried not to think about how tired I had been that morning and how my 1.1 mile jog to the Stadium was probably not going to do me any favors in the later miles of the race.



United States Supreme Court Building (the back door)

 As the sun rose higher in the sky, I was able to snap some lovely photos of the Capital. (photos to come soon!)  I do love that building and how breathtaking it looks in almost every picture, no matter how amateur the photographer.  Unfortunately, we ran down Constitution Ave, past the back side of the Mall, so getting pictures of all the great museums wasn't possible.  Because I live here, I decided I didn't need pictures since I can go see the museums any time I wanted.  But, had I traveled to this race, I might have been disappointed not running down on the Mall.

New friend & I in front of the Capital



Washington Monument



Union Station (a site of a different DC-driving breakdown, several years ago.)

Before we hit mile three, I was surprised and somewhat alarmed to discover I was hungry. Really hungry.  I'd had what I considered to be a more than adequate breakfast, but nevertheless I felt ravenous.  I was concerned because I still had 23 miles to go, and hadn't brought with me any extra fuel.  At the first fuel stop, I grabbed three GUs and sucked down two immediately.  I also grabbed two cups of Powerade, figuring I could use any extra calories I could get.  I saved the other GU, as I knew there would not be another fuel station until mile 13, 10 miles away! (Doesn't that seem to be a pretty long stretch to go without a fuel stop?)

We then turned up 18th street and headed toward my office.  It was on this road, that I take when I drive into work, that I realized all of my driving debacles have occurred within the D.C. city limits. Grrrr....This morning was just another traumatic DC-traffic experience.  I also, somewhat ridiculously, snapped photos all the way up the street.  Even though I see these places almost every day, there's something special about running past them during a race.  The pictures themselves are actually pretty boring, but personally special.

Running up 18th Street

Past Vapiano--probably too early for cute bartenders though...

Connecticut & 18th. 5 days a week, kids.

We passed Dupont Circle around mile 5.5 and began our long ascent uphill into Adams Morgan then into Columbia Heights.  I really loved the enthusiasm of the spectators.  Lots of folks came out to cheer on the runners, brought fabulous signs ("Go Faster!...That's what she said!") and everyone was in great spirits.  I kept getting frustrated though because there were hardly any mile markers on the course.  I don't think I passed ANY mile-markers at all until Mile 5, when the relay split.  I don't run with a Garmin and thus I had no idea how fast I was running most of the time.   I knew, thankfully, how much time had passed, since I had my  new $20 Timex, but mileage was more difficult to determine.  Also, there was a timer only at mile 10 and mile 15.  I kept having to find strangers-with-GPS watches to tell me what mile I was on.  The inability to be able to gauge how fast I was going was really irritating.

As we ran down H Street, I knew we were almost halfway through the race.  I was worried about this because so many runners had signed up for the half marathon (I think approximately 7,000 out of 11,000 runners) and I knew losing so many companions would be mentally challenging.  To my relief, even after I passed the halfway point, I didn't ever feel too alone.  I always felt surrounded by a small but comforting crowd of runners. At mile 13's fuel station I grabbed 2 more GUs and sucked them down.  I was mildly concerned about the caffeine I was consuming.  Although I know my body is regularly accustomed to a lot of caffeine, I was worried about taking in this much while also running and increasing my heart rate.  A heart attack mid-race would not be very awesome at all.

Mile 13 wound around RFK stadium, and I remembered how much I really love the stadium.  It's an older building and has an interesting mid-century modern look that distinguishes it from newer stadiums.  It was built in 1961, as a completely circular structure with the intention of accommodating both the Washington Senators baseball team and the Redskins.  The Senators only played one season in the stadium before leaving DC for Minnesota.  And unfortunately, in attempting to house both sports in one venue, there were some significant design flaws for both sports' spectators.  It was remodeled in 2005 and is now the home of the DC United Soccer Team, although the seats are still burgundy and gold (Redskins colors)  It would be nice if it could be modernized so the Redskins could play there.  (Right now they play in Maryland, several miles east of the city in a stadium that was cheaply built and is difficult to get to and from.)

But anyway….back to the race….As the full marathoners circled up past the Armory and the finish-line party--a nasty tease, watching everyone celebrating when you still have 13 miles ahead of you--I tried to glance around for anyone I knew who had finished the half and was lingering....maybe my boss or Cassie?  But I didn't see anyone....we started off on the second lap towards the Capital.  This time around, the crowd was smaller, quieter and less invigorating.
I checked my watch and realized that I would most likely not be on time for my 1:00pm date, especially considering I started the race 30 minutes after the gun went off and parked a mile away.  I pulled my blackberry out, found my date's phone number in an email chain and left him a voicemail as I was running explaining I'd probably be later than expected....carrying my blackberry came in handy!

I was in great need of a pick-me-up around mile 16, and right on cue, a rowdy group of about six spectators appeared.  One girl was yelling and lunging forward to high five the runners as we passed, and one guy was offering cups of beer.  Most runners did not take him up on the offer, but I did.  It was probably under 6 ounces....not too much to be dehydrating, and was absolute heaven! Ahhhh….I also thought this might help balance out the all of the caffeine in the GU I'd been consuming.  Their enthusiasm and a few gulps of Miller Lite rejuvenated me, and I powered through the next few miles relatively easily. (It also helped that the next few miles were all downhill towards the waterfront and marina.)

Looking towards Hains Point

Along the water....beautiful, but pretty quiet (and I had no idea what mile I was on.)

We crossed through a tunnel and under the Anacostia River and began a long quiet stretch through Southeast DC.  The spectators and the weather were both still wonderful, and we got to run along the riverside for a while, which was pretty.  But it was a long stretch and felt very quiet.  A few times I caught myself looking behind me to make sure I wasn't the last person in the race.  I noticed a few instances when a policeman or traffic director would wave cars through an intersection, having not seen a runner come up.  Dangerous!   I know having the roads closes is a massive inconvenience, but I'm absolutely sure no runner wants to be taken out by a car during the last 10 miles of a marathon.

Nationals Stadium

Around mile 21-23, there was a turn-around along the riverside.  I always get the urge to speed up during these because I see everyone ahead of me running past in the opposite direction and I get the feeling I'm very behind!  Does this happen to anyone else?   It was so tempting to turn around early and knock a few minutes off my final time. haha....Also, I was having some recurring feelings of gastrointestinal distress, despite my normal pre-race Imodium AD.  I was hoping I wouldn't have to make a last minute pit-stop with under 10 miles to go....

struggling...

Finally, we came up on Mile 25 (there was a marker there--hooray!) and started crossing the bridge back into the city toward the stadium.  The final minutes of the marathon are all uphill toward the finish line.  Had I had more energy, I would have asked some of the spectators where the heck the finish line WAS, but I wasn't able to form words and run up the last hill at the same time...

At last I crossed the finish line! I put myself at 4:48-ish minutes on my stopwatch. Yay! I grabbed 2 ice packs at the medical tent, thinking I'd ice my knees in the car, and a banana.  I didn't want to get too many goodies because I was heading to my brunch-date soon, but I did grab several of the cute "I <3 Chocolate Milk" stickers from one table.  Fortunately, I crossed the finish line with plenty of time to stretch and text and call a few people to let them know I finished before I had to start walking to my car.  I was tempted to get a post-race massage, but the line was really long and I knew I’d be very late for brunch if I did.

The end of the race and the walk to my car was quite long and lonely.  I hadn’t invited anyone to come be at the race, because I was worried I wouldn’t finish and I’d be in a non-celebratory mood. (& then I booked a date.)  But, it was still lonely, especially once I did finish with a decent time.  As I mentioned, I don’t mind running by myself…I sometimes prefer it.  But this race, I didn’t have any social time before the race and I didn’t have much after and it was a little bit depressing.

The weather was much colder now that I wasn't running, and since I hadn’t checked a bag, I was clutching all of my belongings, including two ice packs, in my numb hands. After what felt like an eternity, I finally reached my car--not ticketed--phew!  (I hadn't but glanced at the street signs before dashing off to the race, so I wasn’t 100% sure I’d parked legally.)  Thank goodness I had to give my mom the cross streets that morning, or I surely would have forgotten to check them and would not have found my car!  It felt wonderful to sit down in my warm car. I balance the ice packs on my knees and headed off to my post-race date....

Although my goal was to finish in under 5 hours, and I knocked almost 32 minutes off my marathon time, I was still somewhat disappointed that I hadn't come in under 4:45....lol.  We can always do better. :)  It's something to strive for in the next marathon, I suppose...A good motivator.

Race Pros: Beautiful weather, fun and pretty course, great spectators.

Race Cons: Terrible and frustrating getting to the start, no mile marker signs, expensive considering how poorly organized the event was, Swag is pretty light, considering the cost and prominence of the race and its sponsors. The half & full participants got almost the exact same shirts and medals. (Shouldn’t the full get something more special, like they do in Baltimore?)

I can't wait to read about everyone else's race-day experiences!

The National Marathon: Race Day Poetry

Eek!! In all the hustle and bustle getting ready for the race Saturday, I forgot to post my race-day poems. I've been writing (mostly naughty) limericks to entertain myself and my friends lately, so I decided to jot something down before Saturday's marathon.  They aren't tremendously clever, but I think I may start posting something similar before each race.

Race-Day Haiku:

Running through D.C.
My second full marathon.
Hope I can finish.

Race-Day Limerick:

A race I will run in D.C.
Twenty-six-point-two miles of glee(?)
As I frantically run,
I do hope I'll have fun,
And I hope I don't injure my knee.

Race Report to follow soon!

Marathon Eve!

Only 11.5 hours until the gun goes off! I'm excited, nervous and (uh-oh) exhausted from this killer day!

Work was non-stop from the time I got there. I barely had time to eat--not good under 24 hours before the marathon.  But luckily, I was able to leave work a little early to head to the Armory on the other side of the city and pick up my race packet and my boss's race packet. (My boss is running the Half.) I got to see my girlfriend Cassie (also running the half) for a couple minutes at the expo, before heading back to work to drop off my boss's packet.  I then swung by Vapiano to pick up some delicious carbo-loaded pasta (and to say a quick "hello" to my adorable super-crush bartender)and headed home.

Expect a full report on the race (and a couple of date-reports) asap!  Here's hoping tomorrow will be a successful run. It's looking like it will be a very very chilly morning...

2 Blind Dates

A few weeks ago, I came to the very depressing realization that I had not gone on an actual date since before Christmas.  (I don't believe that my standing monthly drinks-date with the Ex or texting my cute bartender in the hopes of cheap/free drinks count as dating.)  Startled and concerned at this extended dry spell, I decided to dip my toe into the pool of online dating.  I had considered this before, but I was going to postpone it until late spring/early summer (after my spring races are over, after I find a new apartment and find out about my job situation, etc.) But I was struck with a bout of carpe-diem-itis, and I decided to sign up sooner rather than later.  Though I have only been swimming in this pool for two weeks, I can already make two fairly safe assumptions about the majority of the male population of the D.C. metropolitan area:

1.) Almost everyone is an Engineer, works in I.T. or works for the Federal Government. Not to make any hasty judgments, but these professions do not tend to recruit the most creative, flexible or open-minded employees.  Also, everyone is in grad school for something.

2.) The majority of men in this region are terrible at marketing themselves. I guess in a way this is a good thing, because if I should meet someone I like, I can rest assured he doesn't have enough skill to go trying to pursue other girls.  For instance, almost everyone says they enjoy "seeing friends, spending time with family, music, travel, [insert-favorite-sport-here]."  What makes you different and more interesting that the forty other men who all say the same things? 
Maybe your pictures?  But I'm finding these men struggle in that department as well. I mean, it's nice that you travel, but if every single picture on your profile is a generic and small figure of you in a corner, with a huge mountain or seascape as the main focal point, I still have no idea what you look like, and I will be scared to meet you.  I'll also be concerned if you're wearing sunglasses and/or a hat in every picture. Or if there are only extreme close-ups of your face.  What are you hiding? I'm good at spotting red flags. (Perhaps I should put that in my profile. ;))

But I digress. And I'm making these assumptions having not yet actually met any of the men behind these online profiles...which actually brings me to the point of this blog post:  In the next 72 hours, I have two blind dates lined up that I've "met" online.  The first one in tonight, and while I'm excited about actually going on a date, I'm a bit nervous about the whole scenario....We have not talked much online, except to set up a meeting time and place.  So, he actually could be a serial killer.  (If you don't see anymore blog posts after this, please worry.)  Also, it's after work.  Do I have to stay in my work clothes or can I wear jeans? If I'm in jeans and he's in a suit, I'll look like a bum. If I'm in work clothes and he's not I'll feel too conservative-looking and overdressed.  This is always a problem meeting somebody for the first time. (And unfortunately, I have a bit of a protruding gut at the moment that makes most of my "cute and sexy first date outfits" unwearable.  It's also 36 hours before my marathon, which is not ideal.  Even if we find we are long lost soulmates and hit it off with fantastic conversation, I'll still have to end the night realitvely early to go home and get some rest....C'est la vie. Here's hoping to at least a nice evening with good conversation, no gruesome death, and maybe some chemistry. We will see.

My second blind date is, interestingly, immediately following my marathon on Saturday.  This one fellow offered to come watch my race, which I thought was very kind, but seeing as he has no idea what I look like, it may be hard to find me among the thousands of runners filing up Connecticut Avenue [in the rain.]  But, I--completely jokingly--suggested that he could come meet me for brunch afterwards.  And, apparently unphased by the prospect of going on a date with a girl who has been running for five hours, he agreed.  I find this incredibly amusing.  And liberating.  For one thing, he will meet me when I am looking easily as bad as I could look--especially if it rains.  I will be a sweaty, salty sore mass or tired muscles and curly-hair frizz.  He will also have the opportunity to see me woof down the 10,000 calories I consume during my typical all-you-can-eat-post-race-brunch-buffet. And probably also see me get tipsy on the bottomless mimosas.  As far as sex-appeal, this is about as unappealing as I can get: sweaty, smelling, make-up-less, gluttonous, and possibly very grumpy and tired...if he wants to see me again after this date, I really can only improve my image.  I love this idea and I really think it will be a hilarious experiment!  I admire that he is bold enough not to be thwarted by the prospect of my general post-race grossness and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens. (I hope he isn't just having yogurt and granola while I'm pounding biscuits and gravy into my munch-cave like it's my last meal.)

Stay tuned....I will let you know how both go...in the mean time, less than 39 hours until the marathon!!!

"Blind Date" by Wendy:  http://www.umeart.com/gallery3/blinddate.html

The Running Shoe Race

A few months ago, I went for the first time to an actual "Running Store" to be fitted for running shoes.  Before this, I had never gone to a professional before and I thought, considering my penchant for injuries, I should perhaps have someone "in-the-know"  watch me run and examine my gait and stance to see if I am wearing the right shoes or the wrong shoes.

My ambitious young shoe salesman, James, did not fill me with tons of confidence.  He was certainly prepared to sell me anything I would buy, but he didn't exactly express himself with a vast amount of authority and knowledge about running, shoes and me as a runner.  But, thanks to modern technology, he didn't really have to, as the computer into which he put all my information, told him (and me) most of the important facts about my feet anyway.  (He did whip out that measuring device to measure my feet, something I haven't experienced since my mom stopped taking me for first-day-of-school-shoes in the 5th grade.)

Together, James and I learned a lot.  For one thing, I am an slight underpronator, which means I land with most of my weight on the outer edge of my foot as opposed to the inside like overpronators. I had always suspected this was true, but I always seem to find/read articles about overpronators, and I could never find very much about underpronation. (I think the reason is, underpronators don't typically have as many injuries as a result of their gait as do overpronators.)  I also confirmed that I should be wearing shoes that are half a size or a full size bigger than my regular shoes, depending on the brand. (Brooks? Half-size bigger. Nike, Saucony? Full size bigger.) I already knew this from looking at the huge hole in the heel of my normal-size running shoes, but it was nice to have it confirmed by a professional-ish person.

In this particular store, they make you take off your shoes and socks and run barefoot on a treadmill.  (A bit of a traumatic experience, since I do not like being barefoot or having my feet be a focal point of any group activity.) But, in watching this video, I did see the way I run for the first time, and had the opportunity to notice that  A.) I am pigeon-toed when I run. Very sexy. and B.) My right arch collapses as I land and then take-off again.  I'm pretty sure these are only minor imperfections, and I don't think that they cause or are in danger of causing any running-related injuries.  Besides, my right side is the one that seems very well-behaved and never seems to cause me any problems....knock on wood.  Nevertheless, James tried his best to sell me some $100 arch supports, you know, just in case.  No thanks, James...the shoes I want aren't even $100, so I'm not paying for arches I don't believe I need. He said they would make me a more efficient runner, but I'm not ever going to win any prizes for speed, so unless this arch will magically transform me into Kara Goucher, I'll be a-okay without them.

Anyway, after about two hours in the running store--honestly, I've had a full hair cut, color and style in less time than this took me to find a pair of running shoes--I finally walked out with a brand new shiny pair of Nike Air Pegasus.  They weren't purple, as I would have liked, but they felt like running on perfect little clouds. Hooray! Shoe victory!

My snazzy new Nikes!

A few short weeks after this running store visit/self-exploration exercise, I noticed a smashingly good sale on running shoes at my local athletic store.  Now that I felt educated on all of my many idiosyncrasies as a runner, I was keen on perusing the selection and finding myself a super-budget busting deal. (Yes, I know that buying two new pairs of running shoes, instead of one, slightly defeats the super-sale prices.  But, if there are $100 Brooks in my size on sale for $40, that's hard for a bargain-hunter like me to turn down! Plus, they were white with navy and purple--a personal fave color combo.)  So, I ordered a second pair of shiny new running shoes.  Also wonderfully comfortable, but in a different way than the Nikes.

My snazzy new super-sale Brooks!

But then came my shoe conundrum: which pair of shoes should I wear in the upcoming marathon?  Do I go with my new, full-priced, professionally-chosen Nikes?  Should I wear my new, 60%-off, super-sale, pretty Brooks? Or should I wear my old, tried and true, been through many races with me and have never let me down Sauconys? What is a girl (and possible shoe addict) to do??

Here is what I did:  I went on an 18.75 mile run around my neighborhood, my last "long run" before the National Marathon this weekend.  I have a fairly hilly 6.25 mile loop near my house, and I ran three laps around.  My plan was to change my shoes (and get water and GU) each time I completed a lap.  Aside from looking like a bit of an odd duck, heading out to my car with three pairs of shoes in tow, I think it was a great plan.  My Brooks, while very comfortable, started to rub a little bit in the arch right around the six-mile mark.  I think they are maybe just a half-size too big (if that), so the arch hits slightly higher on my foot than it should.  Still very comfy, but I probably need to double-up on the socks to prevent the arch from rubbing.  In any case, I was not going to take them out and test them on my 26.2 mile journey.  I changed into my Nikes for my second lap.  They were really fantastic.  I could have easily have kept going in them for another lap....or two...or three....maybe. Finally, I reverted back to my old, dirty Sauconys.  I have loved them.  They've run my first marathon with me, three half marathons, a 10K and countless training runs. Sigh....

But surprisingly, alas, when I put them on this time, they did not feel cushiony at all compared to my wonderful new shoes. Actually, compared to my two new pairs of shoes, they felt like I was wearing those barefoot-running shoes. Flat and hard.  I have to admit, I was mildly distressed that the shoes I'd worn and loved for so long now suddenly seemed sub-par. I ran my final 6.25 mile lap in them, and once I started moving--and erased the memory of my new, softer shoes--they were fine.  Just as effective and functional as they had been in the past.  But, I don't think we will ever be the same...it was like trying to go back to watching Black & White Rabbit-Ears TV after having watched an HD TV...it still works, but it's just not the same, and now I know what I'm missing.

You have probably figured out by now that this weekend in the marathon I plan on wearing my Nikes.  They won this race by a landslide. I only hope now they can carry me through MY race just as efficiently! Cross your fingers.

Countdown to Race Day: 4 days!

The most nervous girl in the world...

There are only five days until the National Marathon. FIVE DAYS! Eeek! (According to the website, it's actually 4 days, 13 hours and 33 minutes.  And it's about this time during which I plan on becoming officially petrified.  I know I did this during my first marathon, but that was my first one and my worries were for entirely different reasons.

For this race, the main focus of my fear is the five hour time limit.  From what I have heard, the race officiants are very strict about cutting people off precisely at the five-hour mark.  My long runs, as I time them right now, have me finishing this race in almost exactly five hours....and that doesn't include any unforeseen mishaps, stopping to pee, etc. I am debating about running with a pace group that is slightly faster than five hours, so I will have a cushion of time.  The great thing about this race is that they seem to have a pacer for every five-minute interval, so if I need to slow down or speed up, hopefully a new group will be somewhere nearby.  I was thinking, maybe the 4:45 group?  That might be a little ambitious though, I'm feeling very unsure....In my first marathon, I just wanted ti finish, and with a seven-hour time limit, I knew that, even clutching a broken limb and limping across the finish line I could have [eventually] finished.  Now, I am very concerned that I'll be so close and just won't be able to pick up the pace enough to not get swept....

My second reason for being a bundle of nerves is probably something that will never go away....the eternal question: Have I trained enough? I think I will probably always ask this before a full marathon.  I don't think I'm alone, I bet a lot of runners do.  Because, no matter how hard I've worked, or what I've done to prepare, there's always that feeling that I could have--and should have--done more.  I could have logged more miles, done more speed work, have eaten a more nutritious diet,  done more strength training, even rested more.  Am I ready?  That question won't be answered I guess until Saturday afternoon, after the race is over.

Anyway, below is my plan for the week.  It sounds like a lot when it's written down, but it's mostly the same as what I did the week before my last marathon.  Also, if I'm feeling sore or weary, I may cut out somethings Wednesday and Thursday:

Monday (today): Spin (45min.) and BodyPump (60min.) Normal Exertion.

Tuesday: Abs (15min) and short run 3miles.  Slow/light exertion.

Wednesday: Abs (15min) BodyPump* (60min) and Spinning* (60min.) Light Exertion.

Thursday: Abs* (15min) and mini-run 1-2miles*.  Slow/light exertion.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: RACE DAY!

*can be eliminated if I feel tired or like I might be overworking muscles. 

My First Marathon: A very delayed assessment.

I ran my first FULL marathon on Saturday, October 16, 2010 in Baltimore, MD.  On Monday, October 18, 2010, my boss, an avid runner and triathlete, sent me this article on how to assess one's race-day performance and suggested it might help me improve my race time in my next marathon.  I thought it was a great article with some really good ideas on how to reflect with the thought of improvement.  The author, Patrick McCrann, comments that after a marathon, "most runners simply…keep running. No downtime. No rest. No reflection. No time for growth…and ultimately no room for it either. Any marathon finisher will tell you the importance of being 100 percent mentally prepared for the challenges of race day; yet few choose to exercise their mental muscles in the post-race window when it makes the biggest difference."

I can safely say that after my marathon, I did NOT keep running.  I went to Austin for work where I made a gluttonous pig of myself and discovered my very favorite beverage--the "Mexican Martini."  so, although I didn't run, I certainly was not contemplating my race.  I did jot down some notes on my memo pad that I carry with me everywhere, but I have not yet actually compiled all of my thoughts and comments into one written place. (I wish I had an ipad to jot things down on whenever they sprung into my mind, but I do not...yet.)

Now, as I approach my second marathon--one with a nerve-racking 5-hour time limitation--I want to look back at my first race and see what happened, as best I can remember: What went wrong, what went right, and what I could do better.

Phase 1: "Gather/write down everything that happened on the day." (& the evening/day before) "What you ate pre- and mid-race. What you drank and when. The conditions, including winds and temps pre- and during race. The gear you chose and why. The pacing strategy you set upon and how it played out. The “decisive” point in your marathon where you either hit the wall or broke through it. You emotions pre- and mid-race."

*and*

Phase 2 (in red):  "Analyze. Using a different color pen, review all the data and make notes on things you would do differently now in hindsight. You should have alternatives or notes for almost every single item on the list; if it was perfect, then circle that item to make it easier to find in the future. Do your best to critique your race from an external viewpoint; if possible share it with others to get their feedback and input on areas you can seek improvement."

The evening before:
Typically stressful drive from my office in D.C. to Catonsville to pick up Cassie, then to Baltimore to pick up our race-day packets, then back to Catonsville for dinner (Italian--spaghetti with white clam sauce...delicious), then back to Cassie's, shower, laid out all my race-day stuff, reading in bed, bedtime. A long evening and a lot of car time, but not bad. I would not really do much differently the night before, except maybe take the enitre day off work because I hate leaving work feeling rushed and frazzled. Fortunately, my boss is a runner so he understands more than the average boss might.  Cassie and I had a great, relaxing evening.  I had a filling, carb-loaded dinner (spaghetti & clam sauce night be a tradition/good-luck meal now...I've had it before two successful races now.) and I got plenty of rest.  Some races I've run and the night before only gotten a few hours of sleep (thanks, Disney for making me wake up at 3am) but this was about as perfect as it gets, sleepwise!


Race-Day morning:
Woke-up, did my normal morning routine (brush teeth, insert contacts, wash face, apply sunscreen, etc.) I ate left-over spaghetti and clam sauce, Gerber Banana-Baby Food, and Lemon-Lime Gatorade.  Then I put on race-day outfit, packed up back with lots of "just-in-case" items, headed out. Cassie didn't want coffee, but I needed some sweet Colombian nectar, so we stopped at 7-11 on the way to the lightrail station. (we took the train because parking during the race can be (& was) a nightmare.)
I had my bag to check, that I was still trying to organize on the train, a big Gatorade and a coffee, so I had my hands full. Hydrating....

It's hard for me to get ready in the morning, period. (Probably why I'm chronically late to work.)  But it's harder still if I'm extra-nervous anyway.  I felt flustered and discombobulated, like it was the first day of school. I also had THREE different bibs to pin onto myself (my pacer-group bib, the "Full" bib, and my actual running bib with the timing chip sewn in.)  I wasn't sure how everything would fit, so I ended up having to put on and remove my shirt several times and adjusting all the bibs.  Time-consuming and annoying, I definitely should have checked that situation out the night before.
This was also the first race I've ever run in which the timing chip is on my bib, not my shoe, so I had to be extra cautious not to bend/break the timer-device.  
I ate a LOT, compared to what I normally eat for long runs, but there were still several hours until race-start and I knew I'd need the energy. I started buying banana baby food when I began traveling to races and realized how regular bananas don't travel well.  Now it's a ritual/tradition of mine. 

There are a LOT of pictures of us before the race, because we didn't know where to go and ended up walking a lap around Camden Yards completely unnecessarily & the photographers kept snapping us. Oops!--just tack that on to our 26.2!

What I wore:
Booty running shorts, my "Team Sparkle" skirt, my regular running tank-top, our homemade Natty-Boh race-day shirts (with my three friggin bibs), knee socks--no strategy here, we specifically dressed to look cute.  I also had my running sleeves (men's socks that I have cut the toes out of), my fanny-pack and a running headband that was severely unattractive but very functional at keeping away the fly-aways.  
My running sleeves look ridiculous but are absolutely essential, as I am in the "Excess Sweaters of America" club. my booty shorts were ok, but they didn't have any pockets, which would have been nice. And I did feel like I was baring a lot of excess thigh & cheek as I ran and that made me uncomfortable.  Also, I was worried that my thighs would start rubbing together and chaffing, so around mile 5 I ended up grabbing one of the popsicle sticks with vaseline on it that the medical volunteers hand out on the course. Big mistake! My thighs were sticky the WHOLE rest of the race. My skirt kept sticking between my legs too and sequins would be coming off all over my legs. (bad idea/gross/not comfortable....ick!) 


What I carried: Spare bands for my ITBS knee, aspirin, aleve, band-aids, extra safety pins, body glide, my camera, chapstick, GU, my ipod. I don't think those silly ITBS bands do a gosh darn thing to help anyone run, but I carried them as a security blanket. Other than that, everything was either essential or tiny (safety pins). My camera ran out of batteries around mile 13 and after that I was annoyed with having to carry it, but if it'd worked, I would have been thrilled. Thank goodness I had packed a travel-sized body glide, because around mile 17 my cute tee-shirt started really rubbing under my arms.  The body glide helped like magic, but if I didn't have it, it would have been unbearable! This race I'm considering not running with a fannypack.  I've never ever had to use my assortment of bandaids and safety pins, and it's heavy and annoying.  I do really like to have the items with me for peace of mind though, so we will see...

Race Day Conditions: Weather-wise, it was beautiful and sunny but the wind was killer! (20-30 mph winds.)
That wind was incredible!!  I thought I had a bad sunburn after the race and was surprised bc I'd covered myself in SPF.  Then, I realized--it was windburn.  I had Bob Seger's "Against the Wind" playing in my head along much of the back half...I was not prepared, but I don't know what I could/would do differently. Any suggestions?  I've been training in the wind, against my will, lately, so maybe that will help?
 
Pacing Strategy: Basically none.  Start slow because the first five miles were all uphill.  Then, just keep going until either I finish or I can't go anymore. I think Cassie and I worried too much about the uphill in the beginning.  Looking back, the beginning is where you WANT the uphill: You have the most energy, and you're just warming up, so you're naturally moving at a slower pace anyway--at least I am.  After about three miles, I always tend to speed up naturally.  For the National, I actually am going to time myself on my stopwatch and see if I can take better advantage of downhills and flat roads to make up time.  (Although the National isn't going to be as hilly.) Also, I will (knock on wood) hopefully not be concerned about my IT Band as much as I was in Baltimore.


Notes & comments: I was very nervous before the race and I was just hoping to finish.  The week preceding the race, I compulsively combed the blog-o-sphere reading people's personal experiences who did not finish their races or had to drop out.  (ADVICE: Don't do this! It's torture.  It's like constantly checking on your ex-boyfriend on Facebook. Just focus on YOU.  This is your race and your experience, so you cannot compare it to other people's races.)  I'd told so many people I was running it and I did NOT want to drop out.  I was worried about my knee because I'd been having problems with my IT Band since Labor Day weekend and running any distance longer than 1.5-2 miles had been causing me pain since then.  Cassie and I had done a 21 mile long run about three or four weeks before the actual race and by the end of it, my knee was absolutely killing me.  I had gone to see a doctor, and nothing was broken or anything, so that made me a little less anxious, but I was concerned that, before I hit 26.2 miles, the pain would become too crippling to continue and I'd have to stop running completely. (ADVICE: Go to the doctor if you're concerned before the race.  Always better to know, rather than take a chance of injuring yourself further.)

My main "pacing strategy" if I had one was "Don't stop until you absolutely have to," because, if I had to walk the last few miles, I wanted to get as far as I possibly could before I had to stop.  Cassie was nervous too because she had also had some IT Band issues, but she seemed more confident than me that we would finish. (ADVICE: Have confidence!)

The first half of the race went perfectly fine, a bit slow, but that was good...I wanted to go slower in the beginning in order to not wear myself out too soon.  Also, I didn't have a watch or a gps, so I was not paying any sort of attention to my time.  This was my first race in a while that the clock wasn't shown ticking at every mile.  I'd been taking that for granted.  (ADVICE: Wear a watch, so you have some idea what time it is and/or how much time has past....Cassie had one, but once we got separated, I was clueless.)  My knee started hurting right on queue--about 2-3 miles in, but it was the same pain--not pleasant, but not unbearable.  I could definitely keep going.(ADVICE: Keep going and don't give up unless you absolutely must!)

Around Mile 12, we stopped to go to the bathroom. I didn't need to, but we figured there was no line, so we better go. (The half marathon had just started, so we assumed the last half of the course would be much more crowded.) (ADVICE: Don't stop to pee, unless you have to...precious minutes wasted.)

After that, things started to unravel a bit.  Cassie started having real pain around miles 12-16.  Miles 12-14 are the flatter parts of this very hilly course, so I was hoping to make up some time here, but we kept having to walk it out.  Her hip kept bothering her--cramping up, I think, and she kept having to slow down or stop.  This was worrisome, because every time I stopped running, my knee stiffened up and it was more and more painful to start again. (Walking can make things worse--you know when you're wearing uncomfortable high heels someplace and then you take them off under the table, but you need to put them back on so you can leave a party?  It's 1000X worse trying to put them back on again, right?  That's sometimes what trying to run is like after too long a "walk-break.")  We were only halfway through and I was worried my knee wouldn't make it unless I kept running.  Then, worse than cramping, Cassie had a crisis of confidence.  I firmly believe in mind over matter, and I was worried she would not be able to push through any pain she was having if she didn't believe she could.  She hit that metaphorical wall all running-writers warn you about. (ADVICE: Have a "Just in case I hit the wall Mantra" prepared like "Start Strong, finish strong," or "No struggle, no progress." A close friend of mine used to call me "Killa Mike," mainly because he always forgot the first half of my name, but he gave me my mantra: "I can do this because I AM KILLA MIKE." Simple, but effective.)

I tried to help--I kept telling her things [I thought] were motivational or inspirational.  We played some word games to try to make the time go by faster and get her mind off the pain. We stretched, we slowed down, we walked.  But I was worried that, if I kept stopping to walk, I'd never make it through myself.  This was the "decisive" point in the race.  I just had to keep going.  I left Cassie behind, hoping she would be okay.  I felt like a terrible friend and a bad person, but I couldn't imagine struggling through the next ten miles stopping and walking frequently.  I kept telling people that my "twin" (we had matching outfits) was right behind me and she needed some extra cheer when they saw her come.  But still, it was hard.  We had run our first half together a year prior in the exact same race on the exact same weekend.  We'd finished the race together holding hands and we both got a little emotional!  So, it was really sad when I realized that we weren't finishing this one together. People had warned me/us how hard it is to try to keep pace with someone for 26 miles, but it was much much harder than I imagined. (I'm still not sure about this...I will see how I do next weekend when I run a Full Marathon on my own.  It's so much harder to stick together through a full than a half. I think next time, it would be better now that we know we might lose each other, and that is OK. And, most importantly, have fun during the race.  It should not be a day of torture, it should be a fun leisure-time recreational activity. ADVICE: Enjoy it!)

At the end of the race, I felt mixed emotions.  I was happy to be finished, but I was also exhausted and stiff as a board.  I was also annoyed, because after I finished, all I wanted was some ice to sooth my aching knees, and the medical tent at the finish line didn't have ice. (Really?? No ice after a  26.2 mile race?)  They said I had to go to the "main medical tent," because after running 26.2 miles, wandering through crowds of people searching for the mysterious and elusive "main medical tent" is exactly what I want to do.
I felt super-guilty that I had left Cassie behind.  I tried, unsuccessfully, to pick up her stuff from bag check.  then I waited for Cassie to finish--luckily, she was only about 15 minutes behind me. We snapped a few pictures and then met up with her husband to go out and celebrate.  There were no hard feelings, but that didn't stop me from feeling bad about it.  It would have been nice/more special to finish together, but I'm glad that we both finished (at all) and did our first race together.

Phase 3: Strategize--what to do next time?
Eat well--again
Try on your top with race bib, undergarments & everything else the night before.
Wear a watch!
Carry less. (no ITB strap, less GU....possibly no fanny pack??)
Do not use the vaseline at the medical tents. It is gross.
Will not stop to pee, unless it's absolutely necessary.
Enjoy my race MORE because (hopefully) I will not be as nervous. (Probably lying--I will still be nervous. Maybe more so because of the time constraints.)

Phase 4: Execute--put changes into action
I'm not sure how much change I can put into action right now.  I've varied my training a bit, but not drastically.  My longest run was 18 miles...shorter than the one for Baltimore, but closer to the race by two or three weeks. Other than that, I think I have to wait until my actual race day to implement significant changes.  I would like to be carrying less body weight in ten days--when the race actually is. I think that is possible.  I'm not sure how much of a difference that will make, but having to transport less weight means expending less energy, so it could be a good change. Race day is when the changes will really be notable....I'll let you know how it goes.Cross your fingers for me!

 Has anyone else done this exercise?  Any good advice/suggestions/race day traditions?

The End.