I picked up my packet at an outdoor gear store in Franklin on Thursday afternoon. The packet only contained a shirt and racing bib (not much for a marathon) but the shirt fit and had a descent design (I almost always sign up for the wrong size - I have several race shirts that are just itty-bitty and others that I think would fit Brian).
The racing bib had a map of the course in the background (in case you get lost?).
This was the first year this marathon had been run. A half marathon has been run for a number of years now and was by far the bigger race. I believe about 220 people completed the full marathon and about 1300 finished the half marathon. Both races started together but the full marathon broke off from the half around the 2 mile split. The courses joined back up around the 8 mile split and stayed together until the 14 mile split when the half marathoners turned around and headed back toward the finish line.
The course started along the river in downtown, headed toward Belmont University and the 12 South area, back down to the Gulch, around the capitol, across the river, around LP Field where the Titans play, and then out and back along the river on the Shelby Bottoms Greenway before crossing the river again and finishing at 1st Ave and Broadway. The first half was pretty hilly with the second half being flat (other than a significant hill around 25.5 miles across the river on the bridge). However with a lot of the second half of the race being on the greenway, I knew there wouldn't be much to distract me from the pain of running a marathon.
It was cold yesterday morning - 36F at 7 am when the race started. It warmed up to 54F at 11 am but it was overcast and a bit windy so I was frozen throughout the race. I had on three layers but never once considered peeling any of them off.
I started off the race strong and running a little faster than I had planned. I ran the Richmond Marathon in 4:14:41 so my only goal for this race was to do better. I planned to run the first 13 miles around an 8:50/mile pace. My average ended up being 8:45/mile but I did have an 8:11 and 8:25 in there. I even made a bathroom stop around mile 4! This plan allowed me to have plenty of time (hopefully) when I might be struggling the second half to still be able to beat my last time.
Brian and the boys showed up around the 10 mile split (I'm under the bridge in the picture below). I was still feeling pretty good at this point.
I started to struggle around mile 15 when we entered the greenway. I have run 3 half-marathons in the last year that began around LP Field and used this greenway so I knew that I still had a long way to go. Running is so dependent on your mental strength and I began to crack a bit.
Before the race I had checked where the water stops were supposed to be and knew there weren't many on the greenway. I walk through all the water stops to give my body a little break and knew that after the 15.5 mile split, the next water stop wasn't until 18.5 miles (usually there is a water stop at least every 2 miles). When I got to 18.5 miles, there was no water! I had been struggling and telling myself I just had to make it to here and would get a break. At this point, I walked for the first time (other than the prior water stops). My legs were so heavy and I was tired. I was mentally done. Randomly, this was were Brian and the boys had been after last seeing me and had drawn all over the greenway!
After the race, Carter told me right away that he drew a picture of me and Brian kissing (haha!) - I didn't gather that from this drawing when running by it :)
Supposedly, this is me :)
After seeing these, I got back to running and found the water stop at the 19 mile split. Unfortunately, once I walk, it's so easy to keep doing it! So I ended up walking a few times each mile - never for long, but I'm not the type of runner that runs, walks, runs, walks, etc. I kept setting little goals for myself, like "run to that big tree up ahead and then you can walk".
Brian and the boys were waiting for me around the 23 mile split.
High fives!!!
I pushed through those last few miles (running more finally but still taking some breaks to walk) and finally made it to the finish. Here I come approaching the finish line!
I finished the race in 4:05:52 (beating my last marathon time by 9 minutes). Even though the last third of the race got really hard for me, I'm happy with how I did. I'm not sure if I went out too fast (I don't think so) but I do think the cold got me a little bit. Maybe the next marathon I do, I can finish sub 4 hours :)
The race was small but I placed 3rd in my age category (out of 21).
The finishers medal ...
The third place award ...
I was disappointed in the awards. Even the overall winners only got a paper certificate like this!
Even more disappointing, when I finished the race, they had already run out of food!!! Apparently the half marathoners ate it all! We have run a handful of races managed by "What Do You Run For?" and they have all been done well. Until this one. How do you not have any food after a marathon??? Especially one that has the normal registration fee of around $100?!?!? I saw comments on their facebook page that a half marathoner finishing at 2:25 didn't get food either.
Not that I plan on doing another marathon anytime soon, but I definitely will not be doing this one again - or recommend to anyone that they should do it.
However, none of this affected my time or the course and I'm glad I did the marathon and am happy with my time. I'm signed up to do a half marathon next weekend - wish me luck that I can WALK by then!!!
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