Marine Corps Marathon - Race Recap

This is a marathon post (literally and figuratively), so here's the short version: Felt great the first half.  Felt like throwing up much of the second.  Finished in 4:34:05.  Far slower than I'd hoped, but there came a moment when I had to decide what was most important.  When faced with a choice between running fast and running happy, experience has taught me to run happy or risk doing neither.  So I ran happy. :)

The rest of the story...

PRE-RACE

Traveled to DC with my folks, who came out to support me.  We went to the expo Friday afternoon, where job #1 was packet pickup.

While we were there, Dad had nice chat with Jeff Galloway, and Mom was kind enough to wait in line to purchase these while I took in the rest of the expo:

 

Had a lovely visit with my cousin and his wife and stayed with them Friday night before checking into a hotel for Saturday.  Once we got to the hotel, I laid everything out for the next morning and managed to sleep about 4.5 hours.

We got up at 4 and caught a shuttle from the hotel to Pentagon City.  Walked 2-3 miles from the drop off point to the start line and arrived at Runners Village in time to take in a prayer service.  Also took advantage of VIP "Presidential Potty" privileges available as a result of my purchases at the expo.

When it was time to line up, I found my spot amongst the 30,000+ runners and waited for the opening ceremonies to begin.

Then I joined my fellow runners in stripping off throwaway layers we used to keep warm before the start.  I'm told they're collected and donated to charity.

I took a shot of caffeine shortly before they fired the Howitzer and popped an energy gel as we inched forward to start the race.

THE PLAN

The race plan was simple.  Start the first mile @ 9:45.  Then drop 15 seconds per mile until reaching 8:45 and maintain that the rest of the way.  Allowing for a 30-second walk break through each if the 12 water stations, the plan was for a 3:56 finish, giving me wiggle room for up to 10 extra seconds per mile if I needed it or up to an extra half mile if the course was long.  I correctly assumed it would be hard to run the shortest distance between two points with 30,000 people in the way!  I had created a spreadsheet with the target pace and course info for each mile (landmarks, elevation changes, aid stations).  But I also included something else.

One of the reasons I chose Marine Corps as my first marathon is that through working with them, I have come to love our veterans and developed a deep respect for them.  I dedicated each mile to a different person and had a Road ID made specifically for the race to help me remember who each mile was for, figuring it would serve as a nice memento of my journey.  While running, I thought about the person that mile was dedicated to, prayed for them, and reflected on how they'd inspired me and what I had learned from them.  Although I did so to honor them, this strategy turned out to be important for keeping me going.  I wasn't running the race alone; I was running with 26 people I care about.

THE RACE

Mile 1 - Remember your history, where you came from, where this journey began. Know that you are prepared.

Mile 2 - Commit yourself fully.  Especially going up that hill!

Mile 3 - Do the best you can in this moment. Fortunately, that meant making up the time lost on the uphill and being right back on plan!

Mile 4 - Make it a good story.  Realized one reason men have faster race times is that they don't have to wait for a porta-potty.  Saw several just off the course with their backs to us, urinating as thousands of people ran by!

Mile 5 - Keep it simple. Keep going.  Time for the energy gel I'd tucked in the strap of my sports bra.  Body heat made the consistency more conducive to consumption.  Those things can get a little on the chewy side when cold!

Mile 6 - There may be giants all around you, but you are a tiny powerhouse. Trust your training.  Ran behind a girl wearing a shirt that said: Spankings from men in uniform make me run faster!  Oh, my!

Mile 7 - Be resilient. Don't let anything stop you.

Mile 8 - Follow your plan.  Let go of anything that holds you back.  At the end of this mile, I was almost perfectly on target--one second ahead of planned pace!

Mile 9 - You have been transformed. Practice boundaries.  One of the biggest challenges was navigating the crowd.  I knew there would be a bottleneck the first couple of miles, but even a third of the way through the race, I was still fighting to create space to run.  Popped a second gel.

Mile 10 - Don't sabotage yourself.  Love yourself in the way you run this race.  

Mile 11 - Don't let this go to the dogs.  Find that secret part of yourself no one knows about and use her to get you through this mile.  That secret part of me got me through this mile just a little faster than I needed to be.  10 seconds ahead of schedule and feeling strong.

Mile 12 - Just keep hitting your target.  Again.  And again.  

Mile 13 - Seek first the kingdom of God.  Remember what is important and that God is with you every step of the way.  Nutter Butter instead of gel this time.  I've learned that sometimes too many gels in a row don't sit well, and on previous runs Nutter Butters have proven a nice alternative.  I've eaten them on the run before but found myself trying not to choke while doing it at this pace.  Lost about 15 seconds on this mile.

Mile 14 - You've got 2 legs.  Use them!  When my Garmin hit 13.1, I noticed my time was less than 2 hours, a good sign for a sub-4 finish.  But I also noticed the halfway marker was about .3 off what my watch was telling me.  As I'd suspected, weaving through the crowd to keep my pace was requiring me to run further.  I knew I would probably end up needing that entire half mile of cushion to get under 4 (which meant my 10 second/mile time cushion was gone).  And then, it happened.  I got light-headed and felt a wave of nausea along with abdominal cramping that slowed my pace.  To a full minute slower than I needed to be going.  Experience has taught me that pushing through that kind of pain only makes it worse and sets me up for a major crash, so I had to back off a bit in hopes that it would ease up.  Hated seeing my sub-4 slipping through my fingers after such a good first half.  Initially thought I might still have a shot at some kind of moral victory in covering 26.2 in < 4 hours, even though I knew I'd end up running over 26.2 and therefore over 4, but the worse I felt, the less likely it seemed I would be able to push as hard the second half as I had the first.

Mile 15 - God is in control.  Believe in good things.  And know that whether you think it's good or bad, everything happens for a reason.  I thought back to the Wounded Warrior Half, my worst race back in June.  Even though I was physically and emotionally wrecked after that one, I was SO grateful that what happened happened then because it prepared me for this moment--choosing between running fast and running happy.  I did as much of the former as I could without jeopardizing the latter.  I was able to go a little faster than I had the previous mile but couldn't push too hard without feeling sick again.  That was pretty much the way it worked the rest of the race.

Mile 16 - Don't be a coward.  Fly!  I felt like my wings had been clipped by the dizziness and nausea, but I kept pressing forward and didn't give up.  I was running smart but not scared.

Mile 17 - You are a survivor.  Keep your sense of humor.  Do what you need to do for you.  I skipped my planned gel because I was concerned about keeping it down, but I did grab a piece of candy because the thought of it didn't nauseate me as much as the idea of a gel.  I think this was the point where I really let go.  I went back to the beginning and remembered my original goals when I signed up in January: finish the race and have a good experience.  Pushing at this point was not going to get me any glorious time goal.  It was just going to make me sick and keep me from meeting my original goal of feeling good.  So I decided to accept that this was not my day and just enjoy the race.  It felt good to have the courage to let it be, and I was amazed at the peace that I felt when I would have expected to be devastated about the time.

Mile 18 - Power through.  I was struggling to keep mentally focused and struggling to run at this point, but I reminded myself that I only had single digits to go and tried to treat it almost like LSD (though hopefully not too slow!).  To the best of my ability, I wanted to run happy.

Mile 19 - No excuses.  Unlike some previous runs where weather and/or hills were a factor, this was the perfect day and a great course for a race, just not a perfect day for me.  I accepted that I simply hadn't been strong enough to sustain my first half effort over the long haul today.  But after backing off and running the last couple of miles just under 11:00 pace, I decided to see if I had recovered enough to push a little harder again and still try to get the best finishing time I was capable of for the day.  Managed to run this mile in 10:17.

Mile 20 - This is the stuff they make movies about--victory and defeat, struggle and resilience. And who knows what the future holds?  The rest of my story is not yet written.  Just because my second half was a disaster doesn't mean I won't triumph in my next race.  Nobody makes movies about teams that win all their games; we are inspired by stories of those who overcome obstacles to turn things around.  I paid for my increased effort in the previous mile, feeling worse and slowing to 12:00 pace.  Yuck.

Mile 21 - You are a runner.  And you are going to be a marathon runner as soon as you cross that finish line, no matter what your time is.  Take a cue from the Marines: Improvise, Adapt, & Overcome.  I switched to a run/walk strategy to get me through the final 10K, setting my watch for 4 minutes of running with 1 minute of walking.  I remembered that this strategy had only cost me 5 minutes over 20 miles on a training run and hoped it wouldn't cost me too much time in the race.  I thought if it allowed me to recover enough to push a little harder for a few minutes between breaks, it might actually save me time overall. 

Mile 22 - Be strong.  Draw on the strength that is part of your heritage--from your grandfather.  Run with Papa's heart.  My grandfather has been compared to John Wayne, and it's fair to say he was a man with true grit.  Which was what I needed to finish this race.  I made an attempt to run with the 4:15 pace group as they started to pass me, thinking being with a group would have helped me.  But I found I simply could not keep up and knew I was going to have to do this on my own.  At this point, even running "happy" had become a relative term. But I was determined to persevere to the finish.  No matter how bad I felt, quitting was never an option.

Mile 23 - Be smart.  Creative.  You will succeed.   I continued plodding along and cut my walk break down to 30 seconds when I thought I could run a little longer. 

Mile 24 - This has been ordained by God.  A week before, when it looked like the race might be cancelled on account of the government shutdown, my brother reminded me of Proverbs 16:9 - We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.  During the week, I had been praying about the race and put it in His hands.  I turned my thoughts toward Him for the strength to keep going.  And grabbed a Dunkin' Donut hole as I ran by the last food station.

Mile 25 - Do it for a deployed soldier.  I thought about my friend who is overseas right now.  My struggle to run a few miles is nothing compared to what these guys do. 

Mile 26 - Run!  I decided to run the whole mile as fast as I could (which at that point was not very fast) and didn't even walk through the water station.  I drank as I ran, considering it practice for the day when I try to run a full 26.2 without stopping.  Felt good to challenge myself.

Mile 26.2 - I kept on running and hit the lap button when my Garmin showed 26.2.  4:27:26.  Too bad I was still a half mile from the finish!

Mile 26.7 - I was in such bad shape, I took one more break before I reached the actual mile marker for 26 and then ran the rest of the way.  Over the final .2, my left calf was cramping like nobody's business, so it was more hobbling than running up the final hill, but I kept moving as fast as I could, looking up and seeing the Marine Corps War Memorial just beyond the finish line.

POST-RACE

It's hard to describe what I felt when I finished.  I didn't experience the intensity of emotion I'd expected but rather a quiet sense of satisfaction in my accomplishment.  I tried to stretch a little as I moved along in the line of finishers waiting to receive these:

I shook hands with one Marine after another, exchanging thanks for congratulations.  By the time I made it through the receiving line, the physical impact was starting to catch up with me.  But I still had the wherewithal to know I should go up and get my picture taken in front of the memorial and did so before making my way to the line for fluids, snacks, and recovery jackets.  

As I moved through the line, I became increasingly dizzy.  Before I knew it, I was struggling to maintain consciousness.  Thankfully, two American Red Cross volunteers spotted me staggering toward the family meet-up area and convinced me to stop by the medical tent to get checked out.  Turns out, that probably ended up being the most memorable part of the day.  :)

They had me lie down on a cot in the back corner of the tent and drilled me with questions when all I wanted to do was take some slow, deep, relaxing breaths.  But I understand they had to make sure I was oriented and get my info in case I passed out.  Initially, there was a team of people surrounding me, but then they left me in this guy's capable hands.  

He was super nice.  He got me some water, Saltines (which I could only lick at first because I was afraid of seeing them again if I tried to eat), and later some pretzels.  He also stretched my hamstrings and calves when I started cramping.  When it was time to try sitting up, I was concerned I wouldn't be able to support myself on the cot without something to lean against, so this Navy Corpsman came and sat behind me, letting me lean on him.  He even held my crackers!  :)

When I was ready to try swinging my legs over the side of the cot and sit up on my own, I started cramping, so they each took a leg, stretching and massaging my calves.  Talk about VIP treatment!  

They asked me to lie down again, and I was getting cold, so they got me a couple of blankets and tucked me in.  I got to keep this one as a souvenir.  :)

As I recovered, I was able to laugh at the whole thing.  I had wanted my first marathon to be special...this guaranteed it will be an experience I'll never forget!

ANALYSIS

In order to become the best runner I can be (even if I'm not yet fully sure what that means), I want to learn as much as I can from my runs, especially races.  Given how far off my finishing time was, not only from what I was hoping for but also from what some of my past performances predicted, I really want to understand what happened, so I can adjust my training, race strategy, and/or expectations if need be.  As best I can tell, there was a domino effect from the nausea at mile 14.  That jacked up my fuel plan, and I ran the 2nd half of the race on one Nutter Butter, a piece of candy, and a donut hole.  Seriously?  Even with a few sips of water and Gatorade, no wonder I slowed down and struggled to keep going!  That is also probably what landed me in the medical tent afterward.  A lot of people hit the wall around mile 20.  I was feeling depleted at that point but didn't really slam into until mile 27!  Thank God it didn't happen until after I finished.

So then the key is to understand what caused the nausea to begin with so I can keep that domino from tipping again.  Everything I ate and drank leading up to that point had been previously tested without incident, so I don't think it was nutrition-related.  On multiple occasions, I have experienced similar symptoms from overexertion, and the fact that I was also dizzy lends credence to the idea of that being the culprit, as that would not be expected if it was something I ate. 

It seems plausible that my symptoms were effort-related, but on my four-hour run three weeks ago, I actually ran the first half a little bit faster without any of those symptoms.  So why did I have them at the race?  What was different this time?  There are too many variables--most of them unquantifiable--and there is no way to parcel them out to accurately answer that question.  Believe me, I tried.  :)

But by considering the contributing factors, I've identified several things I could do differently in the future:

- Allow more time between the last, longest/hardest run and race day.  I thought 3 weeks would be enough, especially since I slashed my mileage by 25% each week for the last 3 weeks.  But maybe not.

- Arrive a day or two earlier.  Perhaps that would reduce the impact of jet lag and give me extra rest leading up to the race.  If possible, I could attend the expo a day earlier (before things sell out!) and put myself on a clock to limit time on my feet there.

- Set goals based on training data, not conversion calculators.  The best predictor of future performance is past performance.  Especially performance in runs of comparable distance.  My predicted marathon time based on 10 x 800m was 3:36:48--nearly an hour faster than my actual finishing time.  My mile time and mini-10K performance last month also predicted a sub-4 finish, as did my 5K and half marathon times from the summer, once adjusted for the heat.  Of course, none of those allow for what happened at mile 14, which is sort of the point.  It's much harder to sustain maximum effort and a lot more can go wrong over 26.2 miles than 800m or even 13.1. So if we look at times for runs closest to marathon distance, was it really realistic to think I could hold 9:09 for 26.2 (or in this case, 8:59 for 26.7) when my pace on the 24-mile and 4-hour runs were 9:33 and 9:43 respectively?  Probably not.  I told myself that taper, adrenaline, a flatter course, better weather, not having to carry my own water, and the training effect of those runs themselves would help me shave time.  But apparently not that much time.  Based on the conversion calculators, I developed a race plan to run more than twenty-six 9-minute miles, when my training data suggested something in the neighborhood of 9:38 would have been more realistic.  Wonder what would have happened if over the whole race I had only been trying to average the pace I thought should be my warmup pace for the first two miles???

- For large races, I can modify my training by incorporating short bursts of speed into long runs to simulate passing people.  I essentially did my training runs on "cruise control."  But at the race, I was repeatedly braking for slower runners, then accelerating to go around them and resume my target pace.  I did that again and again...for miles.  It's hard to imagine that not resulting in higher energy expenditure than just running at a steady pace with no acceleration required.  So if I'm going to have to contend with a crowd, I need to better prepare for that kind of effort.  I may also need to adjust my goals accordingly.  It's probably not realistic to expect to have the best run of my life (which is what this race would have had to be to meet my time goal) while essentially running with the entire crowd at a Major League Baseball game.  Duh.  :)  So I can practice bursting and recalibrate my goals...or just stick to smaller races where it's less likely to be an issue.  Like my upcoming 50K with just 80 people registered! 

- Should I find myself queasy on a future run, I can try forcing myself to choke down a gel when I know I need it, even if it means tossing my cookies.  I wasn't willing to take the chance on this one because that had never been tested, so I opted for a tough under-fueled 4:34 over vomiting with a risk of DNF.  But maybe next time, I'll try it and see what happens.

A few other little things that I'll keep in mind moving forward:

- One thing noticeably absent from the mile-by-mile report above: landmarks.  I remember running past the river, some monuments, the Capitol, and the reflecting pool, but I was really focused on my race more so than taking in the city.  As an athlete, I think this is a good thing.  But for future reference, it means I don't need to plan on doing much sightseeing during a race!

- Running with music often helps me, and unless I'm doing something like Rock 'n' Roll where there's a band every mile, I will probably pop an ear bud in next time.  I ran this one without for 2 reasons.  One was that with so many runners, I wanted to make sure I was paying attention to my surroundings and could hear others coming up behind me.  I was also told there was a ton of course support--which there was--just not a lot of the musical variety, unless you count cowbells.  (Those were so loud, they actually made me want to run faster just to get past them as quickly as I could!)  So next time, I'll put together a playlist, perhaps even one that has a similar motivational effect as my mile dedications for this race.

- I ran this race for Team USO, using it as an opportunity to raise funds to support the troops.  As such, I ran in a singlet with their logo and got a little boost when people shouted, "Team USO."  I knew that out of all these thousands of people, they were cheering for ME.  For future races, I'll consider putting my name on my bib or clothing because it really did help me keep going.

- All the stuff I normally do for recovery really makes a difference.  There was another domino that fell when I went to medical.  I didn't do my usual post-race stretching, and because of the way things unfolded, I didn't use my massage stick when I finally linked up with my family an hour later.  Thankfully, I wore compression during and after the race, but it was about 6 hours before I got to foam roll, and I skipped the ice bath altogether that night.  And paid dearly for it.  I have never been so sore in all my life!  At least now I know those things are not a waste of time.  :)

REFLECTIONS

I finished my first marathon.  I overcame all of the obstacles that once held me back.  Starting with not being able to breathe as a child and not being able to run as a young adult.  Even after I became a runner, I put off doing a marathon because I thought I could never run that far without a partner or music (which used to be prohibited).  At MCM, I did both. 

So I didn't meet my time goal.  This time.  I have the rest of my life to keep getting stronger and faster.  The more important goal for this race was to enjoy the experience, which for the most part I did.  And I still finished with more people behind me than ahead of me.  Even though I didn't meet the time goal (and my attempt to do so probably contributed to my demise), having it served me well.  It made the last six months of training a lot more exciting and motivated me to train as hard as I did, which I am so grateful for.

The night before the race, my brother reminded me that many of my fellow first-timers had probably reached the peak of their training with their first and only 20-mile run some time in the past month.  Over the past 6 months, I had done SEVEN runs of 20 miles or more.  Some may argue I was over-training and that fatigue actually compromised my performance, but in this case I think all those runs helped me more than hurt me.  My body had become well-adapted to the demand I was placing on it.  But equally important, I had trained my mind to keep going and wasn't shaken even when I had trouble.  I can only imagine how I would have panicked if I had only done a single 20-miler and never gone beyond.  Although I knew I had to be careful once things started going south, I never once doubted whether I would finish.  That confidence was runner's gold and worth all the hours and the miles it took to acquire it. 

After the race, I asked myself if there was anything I would have done differently, and the answer was no.  I can't think of a single thing I would have changed about my training or anything I would change about how I ran this race--based on the knowledge I had going into it.  Did I run as fast as I possibly could every single minute?  No.  But it's hard to fault yourself for not pushing hard enough when you land in the medical tent.  I was flirting with disaster and made a conscious choice to back off to save my race.  Thank God I did.  Or who knows what might have happened. 

After 18 months, 2000+ miles, and over 600 hours of training for this race, it feels good to say I have no regrets about how I trained or about how I ran.  I believe that I did my best based on the level of knowledge, experience, and fitness I had at the time.  I love knowing that I will continue to grow in all 3 of those areas, so my best will only get better. 

Home Stretch

2 noteworthy runs in the past 2 weeks:

- Ran my fastest mile ever!  6 months ago my best time was 8:02.  6 weeks ago, 7:19.  This week: 6:48.  I'm still kind of in shock over this. 

- 4-hour run.  This one was a mixed bag.  The first 2 hours were sublime.  I was enjoying the cooler temperatures, cruising along right around goal marathon pace.  Then my caffeine wore off.  I felt a tad fatigued as I tackled a small hill but got back on my game on the descent.  Everything was going swimmingly until I turned the corner... and got smacked by a double-digit headwind that beat me down for the last 90 minutes.  It was brutal.  On top of that, the last 5 miles were straight uphill. So much for a negative split!  I slowed to what felt like a snail's pace, certain I looked like one of those cartoon characters who's trying to run forward but going nowhere as the wind kept trying to blow me back down the hill. 

I couldn't help but compare this run to the 24-miler I'd done a couple of weeks ago.  Although this one was farther and got off to a better start, it ended up being slower overall.  On the last one, I picked up the pace at the end and finished feeling physically strong and mentally confident.  This time, I slowed to a crawl and finished feeling physically awful and mentally defeated and disappointed about the decline in my performance.  The one thing I was proud of was resisting the temptation to take more than the planned :30 walk breaks every 2 miles.  I thought about who I'm running for in the Marine Corps Marathon and kept going.  I reasoned that such a tough run only made me stronger.  And even the pace that felt so slow at the end was faster than what I used to run on a good day.  It's amazing how perspective and expectations shift.  Still, it sucked that my last true long run ended this way.  So much for a glorious, triumphant finish to my training. 

Perhaps the most redeeming thing about this run was where I finished--my friend Kirk's house.  As an ultra runner, he is one of the people who inspired me.  I remember running with him back in May of last year--not sure if I would be able to finish 3 miles that day.  Knowing that we lived 20+ miles apart, running from my house to his was one of those "someday maybe" things...and now I've actually done it!  By the time I arrived, he had already fired up the grill, and I got to enjoy lunch with him, his kids, and his fiancee before they drove me home.  In that respect, it was the perfect way to cap off my training.  :)

So now, with 3 weeks to go, it's taper time.  There are less than 100 miles left between me and the MCM start line.  Less running means more time to think, and I hope I don't do too much of it over the next 3 weeks.  I know I'll be taking with me all the physical gains I've made over the past 18 months of training, as well as all I've learned.  That includes 2 important lessons that I need to remember (and that were reinforced by this last run):

- Anything can happen on race day.

- If you must choose between running fast and running happy, RUN HAPPY.

I hope to break the 4-hour mark and think I've put in enough work to do so, if I have a good day.  But I have the rest of my life to break that barrier (which I wouldn't even let myself consider 6 months ago).  If I continue on my current trajectory, someday the sub-2 half and 4-hour marathon will be like the 30-minute 5K or sub-60 10K: what once was elusive will become easy.  If October 27th is that day, GREAT.  If it's not, it's okay.  It's more important to finish this once-in-a-lifetime experience with a smile on my face than a 3 on my watch.