I chose to run with the 4 hour and 15 minute goal time group. My last marathon seven weeks ago, that I was far better trained for, was a 4:12 finishing time.
But, for the first time ever, I ran the marathon in costume, as Supergirl. Complete with a cape. The day was cold and windy, so the long sleeves of the costume and the cape worked well to keep me warm.
At the start of the race, it was 29 degrees and maybe by the end the temperature was in the mid-40's. I started with the 4:15 pace group. Our leaders, Lisa and Mike, definitely made the running eperience unique. They had us shaking out our arms and fingers every couple of miles. It seemed silly, but they kept saying, "You'll thank us at mile 20", and yes they were right, it kept our upper body loose. They instructed us to take the tight turns on the course so that we limited the distance that we were running.
I felt good at mile 4, so I broke away from the group and went ahead. A few miles later, I stopped to use the restroom and the group caught up with me around mile 8.
The winds were strong and made running far more challenging. Our pace leaders told us to "tuck in" and run closer together to try to shield the wind. It helped a bit, but the cold and the wind definitely took their toll. With wind, there is more fluid loss, so I was mindful to drink as much as possible.
I pulled ahead of the pace group again at mile 12, and they caught me at mile 14. Lisa, one of the pace leaders said, "We caught up with Supergirl!" Part of me thought she was taunting me for thinking I could pull ahead.
I stayed with the group through mile 21 I needed that group support, positive energy, and shielding from the wind. It took everything in my being to keep up with them and not drop off.
At the water stop at mile 21, I choked on my cup of water, and as I choked, the group ran by. I tried to keep them in sight, but they kept getting farther and farther away.
Dressing as Supergirl definitely has its advantage in crowd support. Lots of people yelled, "Go Superwoman!" "Go Supergirl!" It really helped push me forward. But, my mile splits dropped below ten minutes. I felt tired. But I kept going. Three miles left. Two miles left. One mile. And then a strong finish. Even the announcer yelled for Supergirl!
My finish time: 4 hours, 16 minutes, thirty seconds. That's about three and a half minutes slower than my time seven weeks ago at Long Beach, when I was training harder. I'm proud of my time, and I had fun along the way.
3 comments:
Good job, Heather! I admire you for your persistence and courage to run a marathon. I love the way you wrote about it too! It really pulled me in, kind of like I was running with you! Thank you for your great example of vegan fitness!
You should be very proud. I ran the Santa Barbara marathon yesterday as part of a 2-person relay. My partner ran 17.9 miles at 9:03 pace, and I ran the last 8.3 at 9:53 pace.
I watched many people come in between 4:05 (when I finished) and 4:15, and I was just amazed at how people can maintain this pace for 26.2 miles. It's very motivating. And maybe next year I'll train for the full thing.
Running two marathons so close together is a big challenge, so pat yourself on the back! And now take some much deserved rest. Your body will thank you.
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