Warning: This might be a long and rambling post.
Got the bus down to DC on Friday morning. It was also our first try of AirBnB, the house rental site. It turned out to be a great location, 5 minute walk to the Metro which was about 4 or 5 stops from the marathon start. Good food and the iconic sights of DC within walking distance too. I've been there a couple of times before and I forget everything is so much closer in DC... and so much quieter than NY too, road traffic AND people. An awful lot of homeless people though.
The apartment was great. But it was a little weird that they didn't move ANY of their stuff. So it just looked like you had walked into someone's place and started staying there. Food in the fridge, no wardrobe or dresser space as it was full of their clothes, pictures on the wall, bathroom stuff out, etc. We were only there two nights and there was plenty space to leave our stuff in the living room etc but I kept saying to Heather, "It totally doesn't bother me.... but don't you think it's weird that....".
I'd totally stay there again though :-)
We hit the marathon expo late afternoon before it got too busy with after work people and I'm guessing Saturday was pretty busy. So there was no line at all to get in or get your number, they were queuing out the door to get in (through security) when we left. It was at the DC Armory, everything military has security.
Then we dropped close to $200 on some Brooks MCM gear t-shirts and glasses and some gels and little things. For a change the free race t-shirt you got was a Brooks thick winter mock neck top.... in brown. Good logos though.
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Pizza and cheesecake for dinner. District of Pi pizza in DC serves really good pizza btw.
Saturday morning we did a very light 1.5M jog/walk to Wholefoods for breakfast.
Then we went to the National Archives Museum for a t-shirt for Heather's dad.
Once we found out it was free we had a little wander and got to see an exhibition based around autographs so lots of famous presidents and celebrity signatures on original letters to the President at the time. Then we fought past the numerous schoolchildren to get a glimpse of the Constitution, Bill Of Rights and Declaration of Independence.
The other thing Heather wanted to see was the new Martin Luther King memorial. Unfortunately this was all the way at the other end of the Mall and the weather was a lot sunnier then expected. Oh dear, sore feet already!
As there was no real public transport back to our flat we ended up walking the couple of miles back via the White House where I managed to get a photo off before everyone was shouted at to leave the area at the fence as it was now closed. You can almost make out the line up of black SUV's outside, maybe someone important was coming or going?
I'd kind of carbo loaded during the week. Not really anything different as I enjoy pasta anyway, but I had a couple of pasta dishes midweek. So Saturday night we had a spring roll, lettuce wraps, steak and chips with a side of mac n cheese, brussels sprouts and then a chocolate brownie sundae.
Probably my only bad decision of the weekend was to wear older trainers that have support and I left old Superfeet in them. Combined with the unexpected amount of walking we did I don't know if this was a factor in my calves being pretty tight that night. I was rubbing them against the restaurant chair and moaning how tight they were.
Onto the big day.
Up at 5am with the aim of leaving at 6am. Public transport to races here is funny as it's how most people get there I'm guessing. The stop after ours the train really filled up and by the time we got out at the Pentagon stop the platform and stairs were jammed. A slight flaw in the system as you have to swipe your card on exit in order for it to deduct the right amount in DC so there's a delay as everyone has to swipe through the barriers.
Then there was a 1/2 mile walk to the baggage area as the sun began to rise. We were both desperate for the toilet by now and then just as we caught sight of the port-a-loos we then saw the lines to get through security!
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| Everybody doing the I need to pee dance |
Of course, the start was another 1/2M up the road so I started jogging. Luckily it is on both sides of a freeway so there was plenty room on one side and actually plenty space to get into where you wanted.
Interestingly, maybe because they call this "the people's marathon" there is no pre-assigned corals, you can just go where you want. I think most people in a marathon are more honest with their abilities than say a 10K but I lined up ahead of the 3.25 pacer just to be sure of not getting caught up behind slow starters.
I ended up with nearly 10 minutes to calm myself down and watch the parachutists, with the largest American flag ever displayed in a parachute drop or something and then a quick flyover to get the patriotism bubbling over, ha ha.
This was the course profile and route. Everyone kept mentioning the hill at 26 miles up to the finish line at the Iwo Jima memorial!
This worked out well enough for me and I encountered no problems whatsoever with energy. At nearly all the fluid stations I stopped and, well I didn't even walk, I stood still for 5seconds and drank gatorade then jogged forward and did the same for the water. I started pouring some in my cap towards the end. It started off around 12 degrees and got up to about 17. I read some people saying it was a lot warmer than expected but after training here through Summer I found it perfect.
Dodging a few people for the first mile and scared to go off too quickly I started with an 8.18 then the uphill lead to an 8.28. I decided I needed to quicken up so a combination of stopping for a pee (at the side of the road) but having some downhill lead to a 7.56. Uphill over the bridge 8.02, then with the 3.25 pacer and his balloons in the distance and a flatter course I settled down to the race proper.
7.49, 7.32, 7,46, 7.37, 7.39 (inc my second and final roadside pee-stop!), 7.35, 7.37, 7.50, 7.50 for a 1.42.44 half.
I missed about 6 of the mile markers along the whole way so my numbers might be slightly out.
In the areas where there wasn't much crowd like the little peninsula area through 9M, they had lots of roadside signs. Lots of humour that gave me something to read during this stretch.
I wish I could remember them all. Along with those and the supporter held ones there was at least 5 "If this was easy it would be called your mom" signs. "You're running better than congress" and a few references to runners stamina. Oh, and "1 in 4 runners poop themselves, are you the 1?".
With some high school bands & other music, there was enough along with the pace checking and looking out for the water stops to make me not miss wearing headphones and listening to music while racing.
Of course there was also a long stretch with fallen marine remembrance pictures and tonnes of military runners from all countries and people running in memory of marines, etc. A very patriotic feeling event for a lot of Americans.
From the pacing advice on the Runner's World marathon forum I was advised to run between 7.50 & 8.00 for 10M then 7.50 for the next 10M. Then drop to 7.45-ish for 3M and give it what you have left for the last 3M. I was advised playing slightly safe with this to avoid completely blowing up and ruining it all, ha ha. It was good that I had simple easy to remember numbers in my head and I appreciated that it was long enough that I could slow down or speed up at points and that I could let the 3.25 pacer get away and that I might catch them up later.
Remember those tight calves? Well, around halfway they totally tightened up. The tightest calf muscles I've ever had. Fortunately they didn't get much worse but they stayed tight the rest of the way. So I'm not sure how that affected my pace, I could keep going, I wasn't in bother aerobically just no sudden movements were possible.... no jumping!
After running a 7.34 at the 14th mile I realised I was going too fast as I was just past halfway and there was a long way to go especially with that unknown last 6M to come. I'd read too many scare stories so I slowed down but still tried to maintain the initial goal pacing: 7.45, 7.45, 8.05, 7.52, 7.45, 7.45 through 20M's.
By this point it really felt like the run to the finish. You leave central DC and the National Mall and all the Smithsonian museums and monuments behind and head away from the crowds out over a big open wide bridge and freeway back into Virginia.
This was the worst part, desolate, like running down the A90 with only runners for company.
It was a little windy and this was the area the wind hit you. Anybody who was struggling was really feeling it now. I was surprised how many people were walking at this point and how many were stopped, mainly stretching their legs on the road barrier.
Apart form my calves, I felt good and the benefit of good pacing meant I was now passing so many people which gave me a boost. I really felt I was running so much faster than nearly everybody else.
I ran a 7.40, 7.36, 7.36 and 7.37 before you round a little area of apartments and shops called Crystal City where there were was a lot of race supporters out and hey, here was the 3.25 balloon guy with his little band of merry men (& women) crowded around him.
I think this picture was near here where I took my last bit of gel, so I am trying to breathe after taking the gel and also I'm knackered!
Catching the pace guy helped keep me going as I breezed past them and rounded the Pentagon and original baggage area heading for home, 7.37, 7.44 and the surprise-ish hill up to the line (1.42). It was actually really short, just 30m or so but it was pretty steep for an end of marathon and would've definitely stopped some people in their tracks despite the crowds lining the entire finish area and all the marines that line up to the finish high5-ing runners.
During the last 2miles I started to be around people who were now running similar paces to me. With the 26M marker in sight I looked at my watch and seen 3.23.50-ish so I gave it my all up the hill and crossed the line in 3.24.30! Overall 7.47 pace and 596th place, 93rd age grouper.
As soon as I stopped, I "walked" up the kerb onto the grass to get my medal. Wow, I could barely walk, my calves and my left hip were so sore and now that I had stopped, my quads joined in with the pain party.
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| Chunky chunky medals |
This was my official timing. I'm super pleased with the way I paced it. When I seen a guy stuck in the middle of the road hands on knees with a 1/2 mile to go I'm so glad I was able to complete it and save the not being able to move properly until after I crossed the line.
I waited in the after race area for Heather and I ate basically everything I had taken and everything they gave out. Sweets, 1/2 bottle dr pepper, a can of cherry cola, a bottle of water, a protein shake, 2 bananas, packets of little snacks, a chocolate bar and probably more.
Then we headed back to the house. We grabbed food for the bus and caught a taxi to the bus station and then endured the ride back with me constantly moving my legs as there was no room to stretch out. One of the biggest hurdles we faced was the step down off the bus onto the pavement when we got back in to NYC. Got home at 11pm and was glad I had taken Monday off work. It took until Thursday before I felt nearly back to full mobility.
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| kerr-ching |
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