Runner Insight

For those of you paying attention, back in September I was telling you about my first marathon and the events of race day. Well, I never got around to publishing part four, the final part of my marathon adventures, because a lot of miscellaneous stuff came up. But for those of you that have been waiting, clenching the edge of your seat, only removing yourself from the glow of your computer screen for bathroom breaks and to open holiday and birthday gifts . . . Your patience is about to be rewarded!

Here it is…the long awaited conclusion and results of my marathon race day.

You’re Welcome!!

Part 4 Missoula Marathon 2007 Race Day

Well, as you’ll recall, I had just had a pit stop, where T poured cold water on my neck and changed out my neck wrap for a fresh cold one. 

It was hot – 90 plus degrees out – a record breaking summer for western Montana! The sun was intense, and there was no shade to be found. 

I was running along, nearing the 20 mile mark, when I noticed my right foot was feeling numb.  I stopped to examine it and as I felt my ankle to see if it felt swollen, I flexed my toes on my right foot…Whoa!!! Big mistake!  My whole leg started to cramp up.  I never get cramps, so when this one started, I panicked a bit.  I pushed my toes back down and furiously rubbed my right leg, and luckily, with that immediate and intense attention, I was able to avoid a full blown cramp.  But of course, this whole situation had me worried – a lot.  Would I be able to finish the race? If I ran on my numb foot, I could injure it even worse and not even realize it. Would it hurt to walk on it? Could I keep myself safe and healthy, or was it too late?

Obviously I couldn’t run on a numb foot…that was just too dumb, so I started walking because I didn’t want to risk twisting my ankle and being unable to finish the race.  With my ever-present cell phone, I called T.  I think she was surprised to be hearing from me.  I said I didn’t know if I could go on.  We had a bad connection, so when she said, “What?  I didn’t hear you…,” right then and there I decided not to repeat my negative thoughts, and instead I told her I was going to have to walk some of the last 6 miles due to my numb foot and leg cramps. 

So we pushed back the next meeting time, and I told her I would call again when I was getting closer.  I was more than a little bummed by my set-back, but at the same time, I was glad that I was able to walk, and even run some when the numbness subsided, and I felt my foot was okay. 

All along the way, volunteers were there to hand out water, power aid and gels, and the crowds were so supportive. 

At one point, a volunteer on a bike came up to me and asked how I was doing.  I told her I was walking due to some cramping in my right leg.  She gave me about 6 Pringles potato chips for the sodium and, can you believe this: her own personal water bottle!? How amazingly generous and compassionate!  She told me I could leave her water bottle at the next aid station, and she would get it there. I was so grateful for her care and attention. 

By now, I knew it was true what I had heard about the marathon: that it was really two races: the first twenty miles, then the last six.  Because my last 6 miles were hell.  It seemed like it was taking forever. 

My next pit stop was near the mall with about 3.2 miles to go on the bike path that I was very familiar with.  There again I met T, and this time our good friend Marty was there too.  They got me a fresh cool neck wrap and water.  T walked with me for awhile, but I really wanted her to be at the finish line, so I said I would be fine and started to run for a bit, and she peeled off to head towards the finish line downtown. 

The enthusiastic crowds at the mall gave me a much needed boost of energy, and I ran for quite some time before I had to walk again.  I was very aware of my time: that it was going to be well over 5 hours before I would cross the finish line.  Of course my objective had now changed, and I was only concerned with finishing, and doing it in under the 6 hours required to be an official finisher. 

So with my run-a-little/walk-some-more strategy, I plugged along on the path that had no shade at all.  The sun was beating down on me, and I knew it had to be getting close to 100 degrees! 

As I was approaching the turn that would take me over the Orange Street Bridge, I could hear the music playing and the crowd cheering, and in my brain I did an imaginary back flip with excitement:  I knew I was just about there! 

As I got to the bridge where the finish line was, I was looking around.  I could see balloons tied to the side of the bridge, but I was expecting so much more.  According to what the website had said, there was supposed to be a huge balloon arch.  Oh well…I was just excited to be on the bridge.  I gave it my all, running as fast as I could, high-fiving the onlookers as they stretched their hands out and shouted words of encouragement.

I finished strong, running at a sprint towards the finish line.  I was never so happy to be done with a race in all my life. 

I was a marathoner!  Albeit a bit of a dazed marathoner, but an undisputed one, nonetheless.  My finish time was: 5:28:00.

T came to the finish line and escorted me to get my finishers medal in the shape of a star, and then on to the food:  to the re-fueling station to replenish my glycogen stores!  I was  wobbly and very tired, and with the temperature hitting the mid 90’s, of course I was overheated.  I sat in a folding chair under a tent, and chowed down on watermelon and bagels.  The pasta and salty nut mix were just what I needed. 

After I regained some of my strength, I turned to T and said with absolute conviction, “I’m never doing that again!” 

“I was hoping you would say that,” she replied. She knew how hard this whole marathon training process for the past six months had been on my body.

Then it was time to head for home.  But there was one small problem with that plan: I could not get out of the chair.  My legs had stiffened up.  But T managed to pull me up to a standing position.  I didn’t want to hang around as it was hot, did I mention it was hot?  And I needed my Starbucks fix! 

So we stopped at my favorite coffee hangout, and I showed off my medal to anyone who would look!  At one point I asked T to tell me what it said on my star-shaped medal. 

She looked at it and then said with a straight face, “My Little Sherriff.” 

“WHAT!?!” 

Of course it didn’t really say that, but I have to admit the shape of the star medal did look like one of those kids play tin sheriff badges. To this day, we still laugh about that.

Once we were home, I had a soothing bath and tried to take a nap, but my legs were too sore and every time I moved they hurt. So it was not very restful.  I got up, and within a few hours my legs felt better.  It wasn’t until I tried to climb the stairs that I realized just how sore they really were.  And don’t even get me started about going to the bathroom!

That evening, T and Marty took me out to our favorite steak house for my celebratory dinner.  Yes, I wore my medal, and if it was socially acceptable I would have worn it as a badge of accomplishment everywhere I went for a week or two!  But I was content to wear it to dinner, where I did talk to several other marathoners and half marathoners who had run in the race, and we all agreed it was way too hot! DUH! I don’t know if anyone running a marathon could really stay hydrated in that heat.

Oh yeah, that balloon arch that was supposed to be at the finish line? It was there, big as life.  I didn’t see it when I ran under it, so imagine my surprise when I saw it in the photo. What’s that all about? You’d think I was blind or something….

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner

P.S. If you’re getting value out of this blog, you can do me a favor by linking to us and mentioning my blog to friends and co-workers. Here’s the link information for this particular article:
Title: Marathon Training: My First Marathon – Race Day Part 4

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Marathon Training: My First Marathon – Race Day Part 3

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I had made the turn that would take me through the Big Flat valley.  I was running along, feeling good as I had just seen T and I had a fresh boost of energy, hydrating and unaware of the “Leg Mile Marker” No. 9 coming up.  Let me explain.  

Each mile along the route was marked not only by a big number painted on the road indicating the mileage, but Missoula artists had painted really amazing, very unique mile marker sculptures in the shape of a runner’s lower leg.  The leg mile markers were life-size and had balloons attached to them. 

Well I, of course being legally blind, did not see the marker, so naturally, I plowed right into it, getting the balloons wrapped up in my legs.  It took some maneuvering, but I was able to extract myself from them within a few seconds, fortunately with no damage to the mile marker or myself.  Of course my up close and personal encounter with the balloons was witnessed by my fellow runners.

Still shaking my head and laughing to myself, I continued on my way; the Big Flat Valley was so peaceful and scenic.  Soon I began a gradual climb, the only hill on the 26.2 mile course, and really not too bad of a incline, except that it was really starting to heat up, and it was only 8:30 a.m.  The shade of the canyon was very refreshing and welcome.  

About half way up the hill, I saw that quite a few of the other marathon runners were walking, and the urge to join them was too much for me to resist, so I walked for a while too.  The walk did me good, and soon I was back running again.  I hit the half way mark and my time was 2:16.  I was excited to be right on track for a 4:30 finish.  

My dreams of a 4 hour marathon were long gone!  As I started the descent down out of the canyon, the 4:30 pace group passed me.  I started to run with them, but found their pace was too fast for me, and I fell behind. 

Coming out of the shade of the canyon, the heat hit me full force, like a blast furnace with its doors wide open!  At least I was now running in familiar territory; I had done a lot of my training runs here.  I got an energy drink at the aid station at mile 15 and had a power gel.  It was hot; did I mention that it was hot?    

I was really looking forward to seeing T at mile 16!  My hip was now hurting more, and all I could think about was getting to mile 16.  When I got to where I thought T would be, I didn’t see or hear her, and the fatigue and pain was making me feel a bit desperate and anxious.  I kept running and looking, when I heard T shouting to keep coming, just a little bit farther.  I made it to where she was.  I kept saying, “Where were you?”  She told me she had to park a little ways down the road, as there were too many cars right at the turn.  In reality, she was not even 100 yards down the road from where I expected to see her, but in my bonked out mind it seemed miles! LOL 

So I got some cold water and a fresh, cool neck wrap and we poured water on my neck and wrists and I splashed it on my face and arms.  The heat was intense and the next 10 miles came with no shade at all!  So with another hug for luck I was on my way a bit more composed…But not for long…

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The cannon was loud and made its point: I was off and running along with about 500 other marathoners.  It was exciting to be running in the Inaugural Missoula Marathon. I was a part of history.

The sun was barely up, and it was so quiet except for the sound of many, many feet hitting the pavement.  I felt good and the pace was fast, but not uncomfortable.  In retrospect, I see it was adrenaline and the reality of being in my first marathon that kept my pace fast for the first 8 miles. 

As the runners started to thin out a bit, I fell into a really good zone.  I was feeling strong and was inhaling the sights and sounds of the early morning start.  We were running alongside open fields, and the sound of the large irrigation sprinklers tick, tick, ticking away was as simplistic and serene as the joy I felt from hearing them.  As I ran, I could hear a lone meadowlark singing its song to cheer me along. 

The 8 mile mark was just ahead, and I could hear the music from several boom boxes pumping out the tunes loud and strong to keep us marathon runners energized and motivated.  Then I heard my name being called out.  I looked up and it was T. She told me my time, right on track for a 4:30 finish.  It was such a great surprise to see her at this point in the race, as I wasn’t expecting to see her until the 16 mile mark.  So with a fresh, cool neck wrap and a hug for luck, she shooed me off to continue on my quest.  

My right hip was beginning to hurt a little; this was a pain I hadn’t had before.  I was kind of worried, as I still had a long ways to go. I kept running and soon I made the turn that would lead me through one of the most beautiful valleys in Western Montana. The Big Flat valley is known for its picturesque horse ranches and the winding Clark Fork River with dramatic drop offs.

As I was running along, I encountered my first mishap at mile marker number 9….

How ’bout it?

-Vision Runner 

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