The Marathon (STWM race report)

42.195 kilometres (26 miles and 385 yards).   You're going to feel pain somewhere.   How you deal with it is up to you.   Learning to accept it and carry on is how you get better.  


From various running tables I understood that I could run a sub 3hr 10min race, so that's what I attempted to do.  My training this time around has been tougher and more focused than in the past, but it's taught me where my weaknesses are.  I certainly learned a lot from when I thought I'd just go out and do it (in May) to actually doing it yesterday. 

The race went something like this:

Leading up to the race I've been pretty mellow.  In the past I've thought about certain times and that left me only with anxiety (whether a 5k race or the marathon), so with no real quest, I set about just running.   I've been a bit jumpy, but no serious internal anxiety.   Anytime some adrenaline tried to shoot through, I'd tell it not now.  I guess that's what comes with the experience of 3 previous marathons. 

On Sunday I went down with my family (who were running the half).  I'm so proud of them being able to follow and pursue their own dreams and going out there and doing it.   Amazing.  I knew they would be hurting so could I do no less?

8:45am.  Lining up with the 3:10 bunny.  Making jokes about our impending future.  Would he please be a wall for me to run behind as the wind comes up? This was supposed to be a windy day.  It was.

9am. Race starts - boom - okay. Last year I had great emotion when I started and I was almost crying with excitement. I've had many starts like that.  I've also had many starts where I've said "Am I ready? I think I'm crazy".  This start was just "Okay, time to start running".

We are about 30seconds back from the start.  However, theres also a slow start due to the number of people and we only get a 4:45k in or so.  It was slow.  Okay I thought, I'm easing into this. And it's just another run.   But soon we are going.  It is downhill a tiny bit for the start and we've picked up the pace.  We're going around a 4:14-4:20 pace (instead of the desired 4:30 even splits).   Fair enough, but now I've got to pick it up a bit if I want to continue.

We get to Lakeshore and we're in a grove now.  Not too many people changing positions.   A couple people not paying attention scuffle up.   Nobody fell but some close calls (wearing headphones no doubt).   The 3:10 group however is on the ball.  We're passing people (but at a controlled rate).   Up the little ramp near Spadina now.  I was hoping the bunny would go easier up the uphill but whatever.  Now we get the first sample of the wind.  It's probably between 35-40k an hour with gusts over 50.   Okay we felt it first as we turned on to Lakeshore but now we're really feeling it.  With a huge crowd though (I figured about 400 marathoners, and 800 half marathoners) all doing the same general pace.   With a sizable group its better for the wind.  Find pockets of people to run behind, although that was constantly changing. 

At 10k I made a decision.  The pacebunny saw we were 1min now ahead of pace at about 44min, and I think slowed down a tiny bit.  My body was primed so I made the key decision to let myself continue at the pace (4:15-4:20).   Now all of a sudden I quickly find myself alone for the rest of the race.  (Well alone from groups).  I am passing quite a few hard starters and I go around the 12.5 turn around.   Stage 2, now the wind is at my back.

This was a quite enjoyable period.  I just let my focus go and ran to feel good.  Making eye contact with all the supporters on the sidelines, trying to feel a connection with them.   No pushing it.  I was hoping to see my family before the split off.   They saw me at the very last few seconds and their encouragement was great.   That was about 16k in, and my fiancee would be waiting for me around 21k so I had a good knowledge that I could ride out the positive feelings til the next one.

20k see her.  That's always awesome.  I showed her that for once (See May's race, or my 30k in aug) I was doing great.  I'm sure that eased her a lot.   Now it was part 3 - til 30k.   The scenery however becomes boring (long empty streets with no supporters).  We do a run down to the water for a turn around at Cherry.   This was awfully windy.  Now we are totally exposed into 50kmph+ winds coming from the side, and no people or buildings near to you block any of it.  After the turn around I see the 3:10 bunny so I felt positive that I had a minute or so on him.  Next I see one of my training buddies.  He gives me a high five.  That was awesome. I had hoped to run with him but he was feeling his training wasn't as intense so opted to drop back.  Smart move.   We cheered eachother on and continued.   More boring scenery, awful smells and finally to 30k.

30k has you starting at Queen Street near Eastern avenue.  I have to say I love and hate the Beaches.   The crowd support there is ridiculous, but its sort of 'light' rolling hills and you really feel it.  I also hate hate hate out and backs.  The only positive here was that I've run the course before (the Windemere part many times, but this now at least once) and I knew what to expect and how far out before I could turn around.   No disappointment.    33.5k we turn around.  This (well I think it was 32.5k last year) was where I hit the wall last year and I knew it.  Today I sort of felt okay.  Now my only goal was to finish by running non-stop. 

The next few k I'm just counting down now.  Fewer and fewer until the end.  I can see the CN tower and the Bay St. buildings in the distance.  Usually I hate that, as I know its far, but this time it was okay.    I was still very calm and accepting that I was just out for a run.  Now however my quads were totally hurting and the wind was in your face for the last 8 k.  There was no escape for the wind.  Queen St + Eastern are basically wind tunnels that just throw everything in your face.  I know it's slowing me down but it's all I can do to hang on.  I made it to 35k without slowing down too much but now I was hitting over 4:30/k so I just wanted to hang on. 

The worst part for me was coming up.  After a fantastic Greek cheering section that's ridiculously loud (awesome), you have to run up the DVP overpass, full face into the wind, and 40k in, tired out.  I must have looked like a zombie going up because I certainly felt like one.  Too bad the cheering station couldn't be spread along the on ramp.  That would have been better in my tired opinion.    But now it was all but over, just over 2k to go.   At this point, 40k, the bunny had caught up.  I got a small speed boost in my legs from that, but I wasn't going to catch him.   He was now a jackrabbit and I couldn't put the boosters on.  

Final K - a buddy comes up on a bike and starts biking with me.  That was cool.  He's giving me feedback that I look good, asking me to pick people off - the 500m sign would be coming up and there's one final turn onto Bay street.  I'm subconsciously speeding up bit by bit.  We're having a short form discussion of other runners.  I tell him I'm doing pretty good and then the final turn: 3:09 on the board!

Okay gangbuster time!  Full on full pace total adrenaline rush for a final kick.  Faster faster and faster (well what felt like an all on sprint, but only about a 3:55 pace) for the last bit and boom 3:09:52 gun time!  I didn't even care what my chip said, I cleared that hurdle of a 3:10 gun that has always been historically my Boston mark.  I was so happy!  3:09:28 chip btw. 

All in all a great fun run.  I played everything right, the wind was tough but through my training, I persevered.   While I think I could have run just as fast in May, I now have enough training to allow me to perform regardless of the conditions.  That's what the experience and training is for - to perform consistently. 

With that out of the way I have a lot of options.  Do I retire? Do i try for Boston's new qualification standards of 3:05?  Do I try for my dream of sub 3? 

Lots to decide and plenty of time to do it.  But for now I'm happy, and above all - biggest thanks to friends and family support - especially my fiancee with her tireless running around and bag carrying support and love to help me through this and put up with me through the training.

Oh and the blog will continue - there's always something to improve upon.