Bay Shore Marathon
Marathon #3
Time: 5:51:28; Average Pace: 13:24
Overall :1665 / 1708 Gender :741 / 770 Category (F 41-44) :116 / 121
Splits
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This marathon was rough. A rough nightmare really. An nightmare that went on for nearly 6 hours. I was under trained and it showed out there on the course. I have learned my lesson and wont ever train for a marathon alone again. Ever. Probably. Training started early in the year. I was really excited at first, tacking on extra miles to half marathon training. The longest long run was only 15.5 miles. After half training ended I couldn't get my ass out the door to run. Even though I made the decision to enter this marathon it's like I was resisting something.
I have a real problem with people telling me what to do. I was every one's bitch at work and at the bottom of the totem pole. Outside of work, things were on my term but I guess being the training schedule's bitch was making me resist. It was a really rough year. I found out in January that I was losing my job and it wasn't until the middle of April when I found out my last day was going to be June 2.
Beth and I drove up together on Friday. It was about a 5 hour scenic drive. I had the option of spending the rest of the week at her parents vacation home about an hour north but the following Friday was my last day of work forever so I opted to drive back with Nikki and Renee the next day.
The start line was so small. No official corrals. In fact, the pace leaders only went up to a 10 minute mile. This was disappointing for a slow runner like myself. Not that I needed a pacer but I knew I was going to be alone out there at some point. I think less than 2000 ran the full. The half marathon started at the turn around point for the marathon and the 10k, which Beth was running, started 15 minutes after me. The 10k folks started to pass me at one point and then around mile 8, the half runners started to come from the opposite direction followed by the fast marathoners so the course was desolate for the last 10 miles. Not too horrible.
The course was out and back and ran alongside the Grand Traverse Bay. I was worried about the course being boring. The F^3 half marathon is an out and back along Lake Michigan and it's positively boring. The scenery for this was was so beautiful. In the early miles there was a fog that sat over the lake showcasing the hilly landscape in silhouette.
I don't know what was going on with my stomach but I stopped at the port-o-potty at least 3 times! It was ridiculous. If you look at my runkeeper time, which pauses when inactive, and then look at my official finish time, you'll see I lost 13 minutes! Odd since there wasn't the crazy lines like in a larger race.
I stared to lose my mind before the turn around. I really lost it around mile 15. After the turn around I could see how many people were behind me. Not many. At least I wasn't going to be last! As I carried on the aid/water station started breaking down. I begged them to not take away the water from the folks still coming.
My dad has a great knack off calling me when I just finish running or at the end of a long run. Today, he called me between miles 15 and 16. "Hi Dad, I'm running a marathon right now." That made the girl next to me chuckle. This poor woman had no idea what mile we were on. She must not have been wearing a watch and not paying attention to the mile markers. She asked what run/walk intervals I was doing and then decided to follow me. This is where I was losing it and readjusting my intervals. I tried to stay on track for her sake but I couldn't do it.
At one point as I was walking I thought that my legs would shatter if I started running again. I walked most of mile 24. For such a small race, the locals came out and were really supportive. This wasn't like running through a Chicago hood. This was a hood of people with enough money to afford a house that faces a lake. These were big beautiful houses who had their own private beaches. No one goes here except residents and us runners. I was so thankful for these people because they had ice, and orange slices and candy! The only problem is that on the way back we were on the lake side of the street and they stayed on their side handing out goodies. I didn't want to take any more steps than necessary. I recall trying to muster out a shout of, "please don't make me go over to you to get that water!" It was to a kid handing out water. Kids have lots of energy. One man had a cooler full of ice. I took handfuls and shoved it down my compression pants.
The race started on a college campus. We parked on campus next to a man who was something like 75 and trying to BQ for his third Boston. At first sight because of his age, I thought I had a running ally but when he said was trying to finish in under 4 something he became my hero instead. I passed him around mile 25. I felt really bad for him as I knew he hadnt BQd. Beth was talking to his wife while waiting for me and foound out he has stomach issues.
Right before I saw him a Martina McBride song came up on the run playlist and I started getting all emotional. The end was coming near and I was so happy to get thing thing over with that I started crying. Crazy things happen during a marathon.
Pockets of cheering people guided me into a running track finish. I saw Beth, she took my photo. I'm glad she was there as there are no other photos of my running. The photographers often forget about the slow folks at smaller races. No finish line photo. No finish line beer. There was supposed to be ice cream from a local maker but they packed up an hour earlier. Another woman finished with me so I asked her to get my picture.
I headed all the way back to where I saw Beth but she wasn't there. She had walked to the tent not so near but ish the finish line. Apparently thats where the pretzels and chips were. No bananas. She volunteered to gather up some goodies for me and met me where I was. We got Culvers and put our feet in the lake then headed back to the hotel for showers and a nap. I had to wait to have my celebratory beer.
I have a real problem with people telling me what to do. I was every one's bitch at work and at the bottom of the totem pole. Outside of work, things were on my term but I guess being the training schedule's bitch was making me resist. It was a really rough year. I found out in January that I was losing my job and it wasn't until the middle of April when I found out my last day was going to be June 2.
Beth and I drove up together on Friday. It was about a 5 hour scenic drive. I had the option of spending the rest of the week at her parents vacation home about an hour north but the following Friday was my last day of work forever so I opted to drive back with Nikki and Renee the next day.
The start line was so small. No official corrals. In fact, the pace leaders only went up to a 10 minute mile. This was disappointing for a slow runner like myself. Not that I needed a pacer but I knew I was going to be alone out there at some point. I think less than 2000 ran the full. The half marathon started at the turn around point for the marathon and the 10k, which Beth was running, started 15 minutes after me. The 10k folks started to pass me at one point and then around mile 8, the half runners started to come from the opposite direction followed by the fast marathoners so the course was desolate for the last 10 miles. Not too horrible.
The course was out and back and ran alongside the Grand Traverse Bay. I was worried about the course being boring. The F^3 half marathon is an out and back along Lake Michigan and it's positively boring. The scenery for this was was so beautiful. In the early miles there was a fog that sat over the lake showcasing the hilly landscape in silhouette.
I don't know what was going on with my stomach but I stopped at the port-o-potty at least 3 times! It was ridiculous. If you look at my runkeeper time, which pauses when inactive, and then look at my official finish time, you'll see I lost 13 minutes! Odd since there wasn't the crazy lines like in a larger race.
I stared to lose my mind before the turn around. I really lost it around mile 15. After the turn around I could see how many people were behind me. Not many. At least I wasn't going to be last! As I carried on the aid/water station started breaking down. I begged them to not take away the water from the folks still coming.
My dad has a great knack off calling me when I just finish running or at the end of a long run. Today, he called me between miles 15 and 16. "Hi Dad, I'm running a marathon right now." That made the girl next to me chuckle. This poor woman had no idea what mile we were on. She must not have been wearing a watch and not paying attention to the mile markers. She asked what run/walk intervals I was doing and then decided to follow me. This is where I was losing it and readjusting my intervals. I tried to stay on track for her sake but I couldn't do it.
At one point as I was walking I thought that my legs would shatter if I started running again. I walked most of mile 24. For such a small race, the locals came out and were really supportive. This wasn't like running through a Chicago hood. This was a hood of people with enough money to afford a house that faces a lake. These were big beautiful houses who had their own private beaches. No one goes here except residents and us runners. I was so thankful for these people because they had ice, and orange slices and candy! The only problem is that on the way back we were on the lake side of the street and they stayed on their side handing out goodies. I didn't want to take any more steps than necessary. I recall trying to muster out a shout of, "please don't make me go over to you to get that water!" It was to a kid handing out water. Kids have lots of energy. One man had a cooler full of ice. I took handfuls and shoved it down my compression pants.
The race started on a college campus. We parked on campus next to a man who was something like 75 and trying to BQ for his third Boston. At first sight because of his age, I thought I had a running ally but when he said was trying to finish in under 4 something he became my hero instead. I passed him around mile 25. I felt really bad for him as I knew he hadnt BQd. Beth was talking to his wife while waiting for me and foound out he has stomach issues.
Right before I saw him a Martina McBride song came up on the run playlist and I started getting all emotional. The end was coming near and I was so happy to get thing thing over with that I started crying. Crazy things happen during a marathon.
Pockets of cheering people guided me into a running track finish. I saw Beth, she took my photo. I'm glad she was there as there are no other photos of my running. The photographers often forget about the slow folks at smaller races. No finish line photo. No finish line beer. There was supposed to be ice cream from a local maker but they packed up an hour earlier. Another woman finished with me so I asked her to get my picture.
I headed all the way back to where I saw Beth but she wasn't there. She had walked to the tent not so near but ish the finish line. Apparently thats where the pretzels and chips were. No bananas. She volunteered to gather up some goodies for me and met me where I was. We got Culvers and put our feet in the lake then headed back to the hotel for showers and a nap. I had to wait to have my celebratory beer.
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