The weather on race morning was perfect: low-40s and no wind. It had rained overnight, but that had left area and was replaced with partly cloudy skies. I did my usual race morning routine and having a small cup of coffee and a piece of toast. My friend and I car-pooled to the race as we usually do, telling stories of past races and our goals of this race. My goal that morning was to go for 3:38, which would be a full hour PR. I had training up to my tune-up half for a 3:45 and then switched my training paces to 3:38 6 weeks out. This would prove costly, since the 3:45 goal was based of a 10k race time at the beginning of the training cycle. Hence all my training paces were based off what my current fitness was then. Running my half in 1:41:54 showed I had improved, so I tweaked my training paces, figuring I could pull it off.
After some time in the YMCA keeping warm and talking racing business with friends, I headed out to the start corral with 15 minutes to go. I decided that with going for 3:38 I would line up in front of the 3:42 pace group. If things were not feeling like 3:38 would happen, I could fall back to that group and still finish in a respectable time and still-huge PR.
Right at 8am, the horn went off and the race started. It was strange being fairly close to the front. It would take a minute to cross the start line and get going. As usual the road was packed with runners all around, dodging large water puddles, and getting around slower runners starting off in the wrong spot. But the loop through downtown was pretty uneventful once there was room around me. Some friends not running were on bikes riding around the course cheering on a bunch of runners, so it was good to see them from time to time and get high fives. I really had to keep an eye on my Garmin to make sure I was keeping my pace under control, it was feeling really easy to run this morning. I hit the first two aide stations at 2.1 and 3.9 and walked them as planned and taking in Gatorade. I only took one cup and thinking back, there was only 2-4oz in a cup. That is too little to take in for me and would cause issues later on. Miles 1-4 splits: 8:23-8:17-8:15-8:13.
Leaving the city and heading off toward the Millennium Park area was great. We run for a couple of miles in Butterworth Park and with the sunrise hitting the fog, gave an impressive sight to see. I take in my first Gu at the mile 5.4 aide station and chase it down with water. Things are feeling pretty good and the pace is easy. I was thinking ahead at this point about the rolling hills coming up once I leave Butterworth Park. Right before leaving the park, there is the mile 6.9 aide station and the table order of liquids has changed. I ask for Gatorade at the second table and they say it is back at the first table. I hesitate a second and decide not run back for some and just wait until the next aide station. I hit the hills doing well, I ease up on the pace going up the hills and cruise down the back sides. In the middle of these hills around mile 8.7, the half runners break off and the road becomes quite a bit less congested. I finally come up the next aide station too here and I slow down and take in 2 cups of Gatorade. It does not take long to get out of the hills and onto flats before entering the paved trails of Millennium Park. Mile 5-9 Splits: 8:17-8:17-8:17-8:17-8:22.
Entering into Millennium Park is via a U-turn and then running parallel to the runners coming toward the Park. I noticed the 3:42 pace group was pretty much on my heels. This made me do a double take of my pace. I was doing 8:17 and had been for quite a while. So I realized that they were going a good bit faster for even splitting the course. Another reason why I like to run my own race. It is nice to have groups to be with others for support, but it can sting you if there pacing is off. I come upon the mile 10.1 aide station and down another Gu and take in water. Quickly getting back to pace and working toward the last hill of the race at mile 11.4, which I tackle without much issue and coast down the backside. I also begin to pass runners I have been running with or seeing ahead of me. Mile 12.2 gives me more Gatorade. I cross the half mats in 1:49:25 and head down toward the Grand River and toward the bridge to cross it. Here I also enter the woody area of the course and my Garmin starts to act up as usual, showing my pace slower than it actually is. Miles 10-15 splits: 8:10-8:17-8:17-8:17-8:18-8:26.
After cross the river I start the long out and back section that is the toughest part of the course. Mostly because it is the range of miles were the marathon gets tough and the mental battles begins. But I do see a friend waiting at the relay station and I get a shout out that is good to receive. Also there is a much needed aide station I take fluids in and forget the Gu. Coming up on the mile 16 aide station is a small path that my family is to be waiting at, but I don't see them and then realize I gave them the wrong time to be there. So I continue on a bit bummed, but knowing I will see them on the way back. So I take my last Gu of the race here and am a little bit more slowly get up to speed. At this point, my left quad and right hamstring are tiring. But this is what my training plan focused on, running through the fatigue. As I approach the mile 18 my friend Steve jumps in who had been saying we will pace me in. This is a great surprise that he actually was going to do it. I take in more Gatorade at 17.8 and make the turn around at 18 and head back. Miles 16-18 splits: 8:22-8:41-8:22.
As I approached mile 19, my right hamstring felt like it seized up. I stopped and stretched it out and walked a few feet to make sure it was ok. It seemed a false alarm, so I continued on a bit slower and starting a mental battle. Steve would ask every now and then how I was doing, that I was doing good, and we would get to the end on time. This would play out for miles ahead. I crossed the 20 mile timing mats and happy that the race was coming to a close, but also just beginning. Just pass this, my wife and kids were on the side as planned. I slowed, gave my wife a kiss and son a high-five, then continued on with a renewed spirit that I would not let them down for putting up with my insane training all summer. The mental battle was full on and I was summoning everything I could to battle it. A friend from a FB running group posting rang in my head here. I could not let them down either. I came up to the bridge and the 21.4 mile aide station and took in my pickle juice (it works amazing for cramps). I got a high-five from my relay running friend. The next few miles were a blur as I struggled to keep things moving at the best pace I could. I was beginning to pass a lot of runners hitting the wall and walking. Soon I was had returned to Butterworth park and mile the mile 23.5 aide station and barely able to take down the Gatorade. Miles 19-24 splits: 8:38-8:54-8:55-9:10-8:55-9:08.
In the middle of this large open field park, I felt like my stomach was finally going to revolt and puke. So I slowed to a walk, stopped, and did my best to get things under control. I avoid puking and walked for about 30 feet before starting to run again. Steve assured me that the end was so close and I had it. Just after this, the 3:42 pace group finally caught and began to pass me. I said "He that is not going to happen", they laughed and I went after them. That lasted about 500ft realizing I could not hold that pace. So I let them go and returned to a pace I could handle. We continued on and came to the last aide station at 24.7 as we left the park. I took in some water and it was refreshing. As I walked through this, I stared down the stretch of road that I had run so many times over the summer and visualizing what it would be like on race day. I looked at my watch and saw that it 3:3x and at that moment I knew I would finish in the 3:4x range. So I got the legs moving and pounded out these last couple of miles at a faster pace and back nearer what I started out at. Mile 25-26 splits: 9:31-8:44.
The final .33 happens right after making the last turn and see the finish way off in the distance. I feel the adrenaline pumping with the thick crowds cheering and encouraging me. I clock this final segment in at a 8:18 pace. Funny thing at this point, I must of been out of it, but for the last several miles I was calling Steve, Dan. I finally realized it and told Steve about it. He laugh and said I could call him anything I wanted at this point. I laughed and kept cruising toward the finish line. I finally can see the clock when I am a hundred feet away and see it is just about to turn to 3:45. The biggest smile comes across my face seeing that and lots of emotions surge through me. This was a moment I have want to see for the last 3 years. To see myself crossing the finish line with a 3 as the first digit. I cross the finish and do a big fist pump in the air and get a big congrats hug from Steve for pulling this off. I walk over to the RD Don Kern, who greets every runner at the finish. He says congrats and I tell him I just knocked an hour off my PR. I take a couple of steps and he turns and says "What?!?"...I turned back and say "Boom! Your race rocks!". So I move on down the chute and see a good friend Bari volunteering and handing out water. I get a big congrats and a hug for a job well down. I then wander over to get my well earned medal. My mom is waiting there with a big hug and congrats too, which makes the day even better. Thanks to chip timing, my finish time was 3:44:20.
So there it is, my 2013 Grand Rapids Marathon experience. My previous PR was at the Martian Marathon in the spring of 2012 with a time of 4:39:11 giving me an improvement of 54:51. Below are my general stats from the race, I did slow on the second half, so I ran a positive split of 5:29, not too bad I think considering.
First half: 1:49:25
Second half: 1:54:55
Finish: 3:44:20
Total distance(Garmin): 26.33
Average pace: 8:34/M
Age Group(35-39): 64/137
Gender: 348/850
Overall: 459/1413
Well earned medal this day!
Some thoughts now that I have had time to think about the race:
1) I took in way too little Gatorade! Each station I had pretty much one cup. Each cup at best held 2-4oz based off how they were only 1/3 full. At the pace I was running I should of been taking two cups at each station.
2) For less issues during the those tough miles, I should of went out at a slower pace(duh!). It would of been better to pick up the pace later on and run a negative split. But I had false confidence in changing my training 6 weeks out. If I had training for a 3:38 from day one, I could of it that goal.
3) Mental toughness: I am mentally tougher that in the past, but I have a ways to go in this department. Besides doing some reading on how to train for this aspect of racing when things get tough, I will have to figure this out if I want to improve and get down to BQ and beyond.
4) Chaffing: Boy did I get chaffed with those arm warmers you see me wearing above! Yikes, I had not thought about applying BodyGlide to those areas. So I suffered the at night and today at work.
