Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high;
and the dreams that you dream of, once in a lullaby;
somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly;
and the dreams that you dream of, dreams really do come true
A few years ago I set a goal to run a sub-5:30 marathon. I have been working on improving my marathon since then, and have occasionally nibbled away at the difference between PR and 5:30, but never getting closer than 5:42:57. I didn't have a great 2017 marathon season and I thought that the 5:30 chase would need to wait until after Ironman. I knew I was running the Carmel marathon, but didn't know what would happen and didn't want to get any hopes up because I am focused on Ironman this year.
After Monumental last year I had to do some hard self-reflection about the way I approach the marathon. Not the training or pre-race prep, but what happens at the start gun. From that I came to a conclusion that I needed to do run/walk and that Carmel would be a good place to test it before Louisville. With the food sensitivity testing I was also changing all of my nutrition and so I needed to practice that under real conditions. My run training volume going into Carmel was lower than my marathon volume had been in at least a few years. I had lost 20 lbs since the beginning of the year. I had fallen during two of my longest training runs. I only had one 20 miler and the end of that I had checked out of. I was also in denial that I was running the full. Hard core denial. Of course I was running at Carmel, I am one of the remaining streakers, but I always run the half at Carmel so it was easy to stay in denial. It didn't fully hit that I was running the full until about 90 minutes before the race. I wanted to puke.
I was in Corral D for the race so I went back to my spot after all the normal pre-race things. I made sure I was in front of the 5:45 pacer (who I didn't want to see again), but well behind the 2:30 half marathon pacer (who I would be in trouble if I caught). There wasn't a 5:30 pacer and that probably worked to my advantage. I started with my sunglasses on for the whole 20 minutes of sun there was during the race.
I was doing my 3:1 run/walk from the beginning of the race to manage both effort and some of my bad marathon habits. This was a good thing because the first FIVE MILES of the new course are downhill. My first mile was under 11:00 even with the walking. I knew I had to back it down and spent the next four miles doing that. I was carrying a bottle of homemade sports drink and it was a bit interesting because I don't usually carry my own fluids, but the bottle system I bought was working well for me. However, learning to grab water cups and drink with my left hard was interesting.
Through 10K I was a few minutes ahead of goal pace and I knew I needed to be mindful of effort and keeping it cool through at least 16 miles. I was well hydrated and feeling a bit sloshy so a little before mile 9 I took the time (I had it) to make a potty stop so that I would be more comfortable. I knew it was the right call because I was getting jealous of the boys doing their thing wherever.
I saw friends and coaches/trainers along the half marathon course and it was always a nice boost. I was doing a good job with maintaining the run/walk and managing effort...and managing how social I was.
The halfway point coming right alongside the half marathon finish was something I had anticipated being mentally hard, but it actually turned out to be pretty energizing. I figured out (on course) that the new course still involved the climb up Mount Rangeline before turning into the finish and knew that was going to be hard the second time around. The energy in the area was great, though, and I handed my water bottle to Trena and continued through the finish area on the marathon side of the course. The run through the bricks/grass back to the Monon was less than ideal, but I survived.
On the Monon it wasn't too lonely, but it also wasn't congested with people not in the race, which I had worried about. Turning on to 96th is where it started feeling like the lonely back half of a marathon course. I was sticking to the plan and knowing to manage effort through mile 16. After 16 I knew that effort would be increasing to mile 20, and I was trying to keep the splits at goal pace, but I wasn't quite there. Miles 20-23 I knew were just about getting them in the bank, but I was also very aware that I was losing my cushion on time. At mile marker 24 I knew I would either need to hit splits or give up on any hope of 5:30. I had actually gotten ok with the idea of a 10 minute PR being a huge victory, even though it would still be over 5:30. I had planned that at mile 25 if I was at 5:15 I would push hard into the finish, but I was at 15:15 and told myself I wasn't going to make it. Shortly after that Coach Matt met me on the course and I said I wasn't going to quite make 5:30. He said I was having a really good day and he ran in with me for a bit. For a guy as fast as he is (fast, but not ridiculously so) even running in jeans and a coat at my pace has got to be hard, so mad props to him for doing it. We were commenting on the crazy wind (it was gusting to 40 mph) and how he had been looking for me in a singlet, but I said with the wind it never got warm enough to take off my top layer. He walked the two walk breaks with me and then in the last half mile he asked if I was going to take the last walk break...I had been deciding and kept running. I ran to the top of Mount Rangeline (mile 26) and then came around the corner to the gentle downhill to the finish rolling hard.
The cross wind nearly made me trip myself a few times as I was running in, but fortunately I stayed upright. The finish line was mostly torn down because of the wind but all the necessary pieces (timing mats) were still good. After I crossed the line I stopped my watch. When I looked it said 5:29:46, but I wasn't going to believe it until I got the timing from the timing company. I got water and kept walking. Matt caught me again. We walked over to timing and got the print out. I had him read it because I couldn't even look. 5:29:44!!!
Later I looked at my last half mile "sprint to the finish" time and it was 5:09 (or about 10:20 pace) and since I didn't pick it up until the last 0.2 I was hauling at the end. I understand why we do hard intervals in marathon training...so we can kick to the finish. :)
Needless to say I am the happiest girl in the world. I am sad for a friend who didn't make his goals, but he has been wonderfully celebratory of my success.
and the dreams that you dream of, once in a lullaby;
somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly;
and the dreams that you dream of, dreams really do come true
A few years ago I set a goal to run a sub-5:30 marathon. I have been working on improving my marathon since then, and have occasionally nibbled away at the difference between PR and 5:30, but never getting closer than 5:42:57. I didn't have a great 2017 marathon season and I thought that the 5:30 chase would need to wait until after Ironman. I knew I was running the Carmel marathon, but didn't know what would happen and didn't want to get any hopes up because I am focused on Ironman this year.
After Monumental last year I had to do some hard self-reflection about the way I approach the marathon. Not the training or pre-race prep, but what happens at the start gun. From that I came to a conclusion that I needed to do run/walk and that Carmel would be a good place to test it before Louisville. With the food sensitivity testing I was also changing all of my nutrition and so I needed to practice that under real conditions. My run training volume going into Carmel was lower than my marathon volume had been in at least a few years. I had lost 20 lbs since the beginning of the year. I had fallen during two of my longest training runs. I only had one 20 miler and the end of that I had checked out of. I was also in denial that I was running the full. Hard core denial. Of course I was running at Carmel, I am one of the remaining streakers, but I always run the half at Carmel so it was easy to stay in denial. It didn't fully hit that I was running the full until about 90 minutes before the race. I wanted to puke.
I was in Corral D for the race so I went back to my spot after all the normal pre-race things. I made sure I was in front of the 5:45 pacer (who I didn't want to see again), but well behind the 2:30 half marathon pacer (who I would be in trouble if I caught). There wasn't a 5:30 pacer and that probably worked to my advantage. I started with my sunglasses on for the whole 20 minutes of sun there was during the race.
I was doing my 3:1 run/walk from the beginning of the race to manage both effort and some of my bad marathon habits. This was a good thing because the first FIVE MILES of the new course are downhill. My first mile was under 11:00 even with the walking. I knew I had to back it down and spent the next four miles doing that. I was carrying a bottle of homemade sports drink and it was a bit interesting because I don't usually carry my own fluids, but the bottle system I bought was working well for me. However, learning to grab water cups and drink with my left hard was interesting.
Through 10K I was a few minutes ahead of goal pace and I knew I needed to be mindful of effort and keeping it cool through at least 16 miles. I was well hydrated and feeling a bit sloshy so a little before mile 9 I took the time (I had it) to make a potty stop so that I would be more comfortable. I knew it was the right call because I was getting jealous of the boys doing their thing wherever.
I saw friends and coaches/trainers along the half marathon course and it was always a nice boost. I was doing a good job with maintaining the run/walk and managing effort...and managing how social I was.
The halfway point coming right alongside the half marathon finish was something I had anticipated being mentally hard, but it actually turned out to be pretty energizing. I figured out (on course) that the new course still involved the climb up Mount Rangeline before turning into the finish and knew that was going to be hard the second time around. The energy in the area was great, though, and I handed my water bottle to Trena and continued through the finish area on the marathon side of the course. The run through the bricks/grass back to the Monon was less than ideal, but I survived.
On the Monon it wasn't too lonely, but it also wasn't congested with people not in the race, which I had worried about. Turning on to 96th is where it started feeling like the lonely back half of a marathon course. I was sticking to the plan and knowing to manage effort through mile 16. After 16 I knew that effort would be increasing to mile 20, and I was trying to keep the splits at goal pace, but I wasn't quite there. Miles 20-23 I knew were just about getting them in the bank, but I was also very aware that I was losing my cushion on time. At mile marker 24 I knew I would either need to hit splits or give up on any hope of 5:30. I had actually gotten ok with the idea of a 10 minute PR being a huge victory, even though it would still be over 5:30. I had planned that at mile 25 if I was at 5:15 I would push hard into the finish, but I was at 15:15 and told myself I wasn't going to make it. Shortly after that Coach Matt met me on the course and I said I wasn't going to quite make 5:30. He said I was having a really good day and he ran in with me for a bit. For a guy as fast as he is (fast, but not ridiculously so) even running in jeans and a coat at my pace has got to be hard, so mad props to him for doing it. We were commenting on the crazy wind (it was gusting to 40 mph) and how he had been looking for me in a singlet, but I said with the wind it never got warm enough to take off my top layer. He walked the two walk breaks with me and then in the last half mile he asked if I was going to take the last walk break...I had been deciding and kept running. I ran to the top of Mount Rangeline (mile 26) and then came around the corner to the gentle downhill to the finish rolling hard.
The cross wind nearly made me trip myself a few times as I was running in, but fortunately I stayed upright. The finish line was mostly torn down because of the wind but all the necessary pieces (timing mats) were still good. After I crossed the line I stopped my watch. When I looked it said 5:29:46, but I wasn't going to believe it until I got the timing from the timing company. I got water and kept walking. Matt caught me again. We walked over to timing and got the print out. I had him read it because I couldn't even look. 5:29:44!!!
Later I looked at my last half mile "sprint to the finish" time and it was 5:09 (or about 10:20 pace) and since I didn't pick it up until the last 0.2 I was hauling at the end. I understand why we do hard intervals in marathon training...so we can kick to the finish. :)
Needless to say I am the happiest girl in the world. I am sad for a friend who didn't make his goals, but he has been wonderfully celebratory of my success.
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