New Years Double "Eve" Marathon (Race Recap)

Monday, December 31
Marathon #17
Texas Marathon #3
Allen, TX
Weather - COLD, Rainy, Windy

Last year, I did the "Goofy" at the New Years Double series. Ran the half on New Year's Eve and the full on New Year's Day. I had a great experience, running a solid half and then PR'ing the heck out of my marathon time the next day. GINORMOUS bling didn't hurt either. Obviously, I had to come back and run again, and this time, I had somehow convinced my (ex) sister-in-law, Lisa, to join me. We registered waaaay back in March. She signed up for the half both days, and I was signed up for the full both days. Um. Yeah. We all know how the marathon has been treating me lately, so I was obviously not really looking forward to running 50+ miles in two days.

I flew in to Austin LATE Friday. Like landing near midnight late. Saturday we shopped - mainly on the lookout for warm clothes since the forecast for race day was cold and wet. Saturday night we went to the bar. Where I, uh, carb loaded.

I skipped karaoke, but I did shoop (you know, to Salt n' Pepa!) Sunday, we drove up to Dallas. Libby had opened packet pick up so that we would not have to stand in the rain in the morning to get our bibs. (THANK YOU!!). Then there was MORE shopping for cold/wet weather clothes. Although I'm normally really confident in my ability to handle the cold, I knew I was going to be on the course FOREVER, so I picked up a long sleeve shirt to wear under my tank. (I did NOT regret this). We stopped at Target to get some snacks and salads for dinner, and I had a great time trying to find gloves/mittens to keep me warm.

I KNOW. I should have bought these.

Race Day

Race didn't start until 8:15, but we got up around 6 to get ready, coffee up, eat, etc. My outfit really IS the cutest:

 

Much to our dismay, the forecast did NOT change. 80-90% chance of rain. EXCELLENT. I'm an expert at the rain. But 39 degrees and rain? And wind? Sigh.

With it being a holiday, there was no traffic on the drive from our hotel in Richardson to Celebration Park in Allen. We even lucked out and got a decently close parking space. We did NOT want to get out of the car. We hit the bathroom lines around 7:30 and got through pretty quick. About 8:05 and I decide I need to go again. So... we get in line and miss our start. I'd rather pee now and not be thinking about it later.

We started after the very last of 10(?) waves. Which was nice because there was no weaving around everyone. As soon as I started running, I remembered what the course was like. Very windy and mostly flat. My stomach started hurting and I had to use the bathroom again just after mile 3. (And again at mile 7 and 13.5). Lisa was walking the half (due to multiple injuries) and I made sure to get this picture of her around mile 8, while I was heading into mile 12. She looks pretty happy, considering how wet it was.

Just before mile 12, a runner (a guy wearing pj pants and a Perry the Platypus hat) collapsed on the ground. I couldn't believe the number of people that just stepped around him! I asked him if he was ok, and if he needed me to get him help. He said he was ok, but he was only a mile from the finish, and when I was coming around at mile 1, he was just then heading toward the finish. (Pet peeve - people, really. Just take a SECOND out of your race and ask if someone is ok).

I was taking it slow and easy. I was feeling... ok. Not great, but not bad. Things took a turn for the worse somewhere around mile 17 or 18. I started walking a lot. I saw Lesley at the turnaround and told her half-heartedly to catch up. I walked a ton, thinking she would be right there. She caught up right as we headed in for lap number 4. I did NOT want to keep running. I was soaked and FREEZING. The wind had really picked up in the last loop and I really felt like I was getting hypothermia. WHO KNEW TEXAS GOT THAT COLD??? I had to stop at the bathroom AGAIN, and Lesley walked until I caught up. Right around the time Lisa got this picture of us:

I look happier than I feel. The whole last loop was a death march for me. Looking at my splits, I went from 11-12 min miles to 14+ min miles. Gross. I only ran when I did because Lesley "made" me. Oh, and I wanted to get the HECK OUT OF THE FREEZING COLD. We actually "ran" the last 2/3 of a mile or so, and finished on a nearly deserted course.

We are finishing. A miracle.

Official Time - 5:37:29
Official 6.55 - 1:22:01
Official 10.5 - 2:06:17
Official 13.1 - 2:38:21 (actually, not *too* bad, considering what I've been running)
Official 16.7 - 3:27:41
Official 19.7 - 4:09:08
Official 23.3 - 5:02:28
Overall Place - 141/150 (LAME)
Gender Place - 59/65
Division Place - 7/8

Course measured very long for me - 27.52 miles, although it is a certified course, so I must just run the worst tangents ever in the history of running. Below are the splits I have from mapmyrun. Until mile 17, all the long splits are bathroom breaks :(

1	00:10:27	1.0 mi	10:36
2	00:10:21	1.0 mi	10:28
3	00:10:24	1.0 mi	10:36
4	00:12:37	1.0 mi	14:05
5	00:10:46	1.0 mi	10:50
6	00:12:31	1.0 mi	13:50
7	00:11:21	1.0 mi	12:45
8	00:12:26	1.0 mi	12:35
9	00:10:15	1.0 mi	10:27
10	00:10:51	1.0 mi	10:53
11	00:10:49	1.0 mi	11:11
12	00:10:22	1.0 mi	10:29
13	00:11:30	1.0 mi	11:56
14	00:10:42	1.0 mi	11:03
15	00:12:42	1.0 mi	14:11
16	00:10:24	1.0 mi	10:37
17	00:12:49	1.0 mi	13:31
18	00:13:06	1.0 mi	13:23
19	00:12:56	1.0 mi	13:30
20	00:14:23	1.0 mi	15:06
21	00:13:45	1.0 mi	14:12
22	00:13:41	1.0 mi	14:32
23	00:12:07	1.0 mi	12:09
24	00:14:23	1.0 mi	14:30
25	00:13:43	1.0 mi	14:26
26	00:14:52	1.0 mi	14:52
27	00:14:04	1.0 mi	14:14
28	00:09:13	0.7 mi	14:19

 
I told Lesley before we even finished running that I was going to be dropping down to the half the next day. I was cold. I was cranky. My IT band was aching, and my feet HURT. I wore the Glycerins, which have been great on my shorter runs, and they were fine when I wore them in Utah for a half. NOT comfortable for a marathon. By the end, it felt like I had cement blocks on my feet.

I was IMMEDIATELY sore upon finishing. I felt like I could barely walk. I was too cold and tired to even care about getting a finisher picture. Blah.

Thoughts:

• CIM rain was ok. At least it was warm. THIS SUCKED.
• I am SO GLAD that I wore long pants and long sleeves. I was chilled the entire time.
• I still enjoy the loop course. I know it gets repetitive, but it was nice seeing people throughout the race. Well, until the last loop when we were pretty much alone.
• The aid station near the start (mile 2 and 5 of first loop) offered pb & j sandwiches. THEY WERE DELICIOUS. I got super hungry in this one, so that was awesome having those.
• Wore my iFitness belt for the first time. Glorious. Love it. Good replacement for the one bottle belt I've been using since 2010.
• Best volunteers ever. And I couldn't believe that there were SPECTATORS in this weather. Awesome! (but crazy!)
• I didn't start suffering until much later this time, so maybe my efforts over the last few weeks to re-build my base were not totally in vain!
• There was one decent race picture of me, but I'm not about to spent $24.95 on a LOW RES digital picture. (Rant: When will these photographers realize that if they charged $10 or so, that people would BUY THEIR PICTURES)

... to be continued