When the Carmel Marathon was rescheduled from April 4th to June 14th I was sad. I knew it was necessary. I also knew that I have Ironman 70.3 Wisconsin in Madison that day. And assuming we can race by then I will be in Madison. Normally I would just completely be - oh well, can't so a race that isn't happening. I don't do virtual races. I kinds thing they're dumb. But they're cool for some people. I had deferred my Carmel entry to 2021 and figured my streak had ended...this was supposed to by my 10th year of the Carmel races and I am one of the remaining streakers. Then coach encouraged me to to a 26.2 mile "race" as part of my training for Ironman Wisconsin. So I stuck with the original date, and eventually running in Carmel. Not on the course as they had asked us not to and part of the trail is closed anyway. Here's the tale of my solo, self-supported, self-entertained Carmel marathon.
The end of taper week was kinda driving me bonkers because there was so little training and I was working full days since I didn't need to scoot to the expo or anything. I made sure I was hydrated on Friday and laid out my flat runner and labeled water bottles asking people not to move them. Other than that it was a pretty normal day.
Saturday morning I woke up and had ALL THE FEELS - like real race morning feels. I did the things I usually do as well as filling all my water bottles. I headed out the door later than I would on a normal race morning when I would have to park and such. But instead I had to drop bottles at planned locations. I got everything dropped and to my start location a few minutes before "go" time. Challenge 1: no bathrooms at the start. Even going before I left home I could have used another stop. But I headed for my start line, took a minute to gather myself and then the race was on at 8:05 AM.
I had grabbed a sip of water at the start line so I didn't use the water a mile up...forgetting that part of why it was there was that was four miles to the next bottle. Challenge 2: feeling like I really wanted water before I got to mine around mile 5. I was also aware that I needed a bathroom. But the challenge with your own course in a largely residential area when everything that you might stop in is closed...is no bathrooms. And pooping in public in Carmel is not ok. I got my water and carried on. But then Challenge 3: I pooped a little around mile 6.5 and figured it was going to be a LOOOONG day. I turned on Main Street and BEHOLD! A porta potty for the utility substation and it was outside the fence and UNLOCKED! I was able to go and clean myself up and continue on my merry way.
The next few miles were pretty uneventful. I passed the start and headed into my second loop. I was about a mile in when someone I know online passed while she was out on her run and we "chatted" for a hot second. Other than waving at randos and a few check-ins from coach that was my human experience. I had skipped over a water station at the start when I passed it and I shouldn't have done that. By the time I got to my water I was in a world of hurt and had been getting side stitches and had been through run/walk and was straight up walking. There was also a dead mallard duck on the path. Fortunately I had seen it while I was setting up water so it didn't completely creep me out. Special things about self-supported: I was also carrying a baggie in my pocket for my trash so that I wasn't littering along the way. Special thing about physical distancing: I had to hop curbs and run in grass at times to remain 6 feet away from some clueless people.
I don't run with my phone or music. By about mile 15 or so it was getting lonely and harder to entertain myself especially since I was walking and not feeling great. I made it back to the start around mile 18 and made the call not to quit. This is also when I learned Challenge 4: Garmin navigation doesn't do a great job with courses that loop on themselves. But I did some quick math and geography and figured out what route to use to maximize water and finish 26.2 miles near the car. Just after mile 19 is when coach did a drive by and told me to hang in.
Mile 20 is about when it started drizzling/light rain. Thrilling. Fortunately I have trained and raced in rain more than my fair share so this didn't make anything worse than it already was. I had grabbed a bottle and carried it with me so I was slowly rehydrating and feeling a little better. The ostentatious houses were amusing me. And the giant political signs for the one state official I am least amused with. This stretch was also where I flipped off a driver for nearly hitting me when I was in a crosswalk. It was cancelled out with a friendly wave to a truck driver at the next one that actually stopped for me. This is the land of roundabouts and some people can't figure out how to interact with pedestrians. Keep in mind I am on side paths on open roads with the watch running like it is a race. No stoppage.
I get to my last bottle and decide to carry again. I drop off the empty and pick up the full. Around the corner I see coach again and he tells me that I am officially at the point where finishing is closer to the car than anything else. Yup. I keep going and I am starting to feel better so I am race walking/jogging a bit. Nowhere near running, but way better than it had been. I cross the street to turn and then realize there's no path on my side of the street and the road narrows in a bit. Challenge 5: side paths are not on both sides of the street. So i run in the grass until I can cross back over to the path, but then need to cross back 3/4 of a mile up.
I figure out that my planned finish line is going to be well past 26.2 miles. So at 26.25 miles I stop the watch. At about 26.5 I see coach and the dogs and stop to shrug off how slow the race was. I cross the street and collect another bottle. After I get to the car I take a few post-race pics and have my recovery shake. Then I have to drive back around the course to pick up my bottles. This is not something that is normal for a marathon. Challenge 6: Getting in and out of the car and bending over to pick up bottles when you just finished a marathon.
After I got home and showered and got situated I jotted a few notes in Training Peaks about the good, bad, and ugly...
The good:
1) I finished
2) The streak is intact
3) It wasn't my slowest
4) I have a start on a base tan
The bad:
1) Hella lot of walking. More than running.
2) 10 degrees warmer than training requires more water than I planned spacing for
3) Garmin navigation on the watch isn't great with courses than loop.
4) It's a reverse farm tan because of the sleeves
The ugly:
1) 45 min slower than planned
2) flipped off one driver who doesn't know how to drive roundabouts with peds in the crosswalk
3) Magical Duke Energy porta potty was about a half mile later than ideal. But happy it was there.
So marathon 11 finished. Streak maintained.
The end of taper week was kinda driving me bonkers because there was so little training and I was working full days since I didn't need to scoot to the expo or anything. I made sure I was hydrated on Friday and laid out my flat runner and labeled water bottles asking people not to move them. Other than that it was a pretty normal day.
Saturday morning I woke up and had ALL THE FEELS - like real race morning feels. I did the things I usually do as well as filling all my water bottles. I headed out the door later than I would on a normal race morning when I would have to park and such. But instead I had to drop bottles at planned locations. I got everything dropped and to my start location a few minutes before "go" time. Challenge 1: no bathrooms at the start. Even going before I left home I could have used another stop. But I headed for my start line, took a minute to gather myself and then the race was on at 8:05 AM.
I had grabbed a sip of water at the start line so I didn't use the water a mile up...forgetting that part of why it was there was that was four miles to the next bottle. Challenge 2: feeling like I really wanted water before I got to mine around mile 5. I was also aware that I needed a bathroom. But the challenge with your own course in a largely residential area when everything that you might stop in is closed...is no bathrooms. And pooping in public in Carmel is not ok. I got my water and carried on. But then Challenge 3: I pooped a little around mile 6.5 and figured it was going to be a LOOOONG day. I turned on Main Street and BEHOLD! A porta potty for the utility substation and it was outside the fence and UNLOCKED! I was able to go and clean myself up and continue on my merry way.
The next few miles were pretty uneventful. I passed the start and headed into my second loop. I was about a mile in when someone I know online passed while she was out on her run and we "chatted" for a hot second. Other than waving at randos and a few check-ins from coach that was my human experience. I had skipped over a water station at the start when I passed it and I shouldn't have done that. By the time I got to my water I was in a world of hurt and had been getting side stitches and had been through run/walk and was straight up walking. There was also a dead mallard duck on the path. Fortunately I had seen it while I was setting up water so it didn't completely creep me out. Special things about self-supported: I was also carrying a baggie in my pocket for my trash so that I wasn't littering along the way. Special thing about physical distancing: I had to hop curbs and run in grass at times to remain 6 feet away from some clueless people.
I don't run with my phone or music. By about mile 15 or so it was getting lonely and harder to entertain myself especially since I was walking and not feeling great. I made it back to the start around mile 18 and made the call not to quit. This is also when I learned Challenge 4: Garmin navigation doesn't do a great job with courses that loop on themselves. But I did some quick math and geography and figured out what route to use to maximize water and finish 26.2 miles near the car. Just after mile 19 is when coach did a drive by and told me to hang in.
Mile 20 is about when it started drizzling/light rain. Thrilling. Fortunately I have trained and raced in rain more than my fair share so this didn't make anything worse than it already was. I had grabbed a bottle and carried it with me so I was slowly rehydrating and feeling a little better. The ostentatious houses were amusing me. And the giant political signs for the one state official I am least amused with. This stretch was also where I flipped off a driver for nearly hitting me when I was in a crosswalk. It was cancelled out with a friendly wave to a truck driver at the next one that actually stopped for me. This is the land of roundabouts and some people can't figure out how to interact with pedestrians. Keep in mind I am on side paths on open roads with the watch running like it is a race. No stoppage.
I get to my last bottle and decide to carry again. I drop off the empty and pick up the full. Around the corner I see coach again and he tells me that I am officially at the point where finishing is closer to the car than anything else. Yup. I keep going and I am starting to feel better so I am race walking/jogging a bit. Nowhere near running, but way better than it had been. I cross the street to turn and then realize there's no path on my side of the street and the road narrows in a bit. Challenge 5: side paths are not on both sides of the street. So i run in the grass until I can cross back over to the path, but then need to cross back 3/4 of a mile up.
I figure out that my planned finish line is going to be well past 26.2 miles. So at 26.25 miles I stop the watch. At about 26.5 I see coach and the dogs and stop to shrug off how slow the race was. I cross the street and collect another bottle. After I get to the car I take a few post-race pics and have my recovery shake. Then I have to drive back around the course to pick up my bottles. This is not something that is normal for a marathon. Challenge 6: Getting in and out of the car and bending over to pick up bottles when you just finished a marathon.
After I got home and showered and got situated I jotted a few notes in Training Peaks about the good, bad, and ugly...
The good:
1) I finished
2) The streak is intact
3) It wasn't my slowest
4) I have a start on a base tan
The bad:
1) Hella lot of walking. More than running.
2) 10 degrees warmer than training requires more water than I planned spacing for
3) Garmin navigation on the watch isn't great with courses than loop.
4) It's a reverse farm tan because of the sleeves
The ugly:
1) 45 min slower than planned
2) flipped off one driver who doesn't know how to drive roundabouts with peds in the crosswalk
3) Magical Duke Energy porta potty was about a half mile later than ideal. But happy it was there.
So marathon 11 finished. Streak maintained.
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