My Marathon Recap -- CarenClark.com Message Board

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Date Posted: 13:56:36 10/29/02 Tue
Author: Caren
Subject: My Marathon Recap

I began my day at 5:00 a.m. I had organized everything I�d need for the race the night before, so I was out the door around 6:00. I hopped on the Metro and followed the hoards of other runners who were all headed to the starting line. Occasionally, I�d overhear a snippet of conversation. Here was a man who had run a marathon a mere two weeks before; there was a woman who, like me, was about to run her first marathon. Some people were quiet and looked nervous. Still others tried to take quick catnaps or closed their eyes to rest and focus.

The Metro dumped us close to the Iwo Jima memorial in Rosslyn, VA. People were streaming toward the site. Big, little, old, young, competitors, and spectators. It was truly a sea of people and the starting gun was still an hour away. With all the tents, people, and commotion, it reminded me of a county fair.

I quickly located the AIDS Marathon hospitality tent, where runners were being helped by staff to write their names on their singlets, or to put on temporary tattoos with the AIDS Marathon logo. I had already decorated my singlet (�Caren� on the front; �26.2 Woohoo!� on the back).

Around 7:30, I went to check my baggage and stand in line at the port-o-potties. On the way there, I passed the Iwo Jima statue, which looked pretty cool with the sun rising behind it. By the time I returned to the tent, almost 45 minutes had passed. After taking some group photos, my pace group decided to head to the start line. On the way, we decided on our strategy. We decided to do a 3:2 run/walk ratio and run at a 14:30 pace for the first 5 miles. At mile 5 we would speed up to our race pace of 13:30 and continue that way until the end.

Runners were supposed to line up in corrals according to their expected finish times. At one point, we had to walk down a very steep, muddy slope to get down to the road with the corrals. People were slipping and sliding down that slope. I ended up doing a backwards crab walk on my hands and feet in order not to slip. Ugh.

So we got to the bottom of the hill and realized that the corrals where we were ended with the 4-hour finishers. Doh! We needed to be with the 6-hour folks. However, it was too late to change at that point, because the gun was due to fire in minutes.

Finally, the race was on! A mass of people surged towards�well, nowhere, really. After taking a few steps, everyone was forced to stop because there was simply no room to run. It felt like 10 minutes later that we actually reached the starting line.

A few minutes later, the course opened up enough to allow everyone to begin running. Our group tried to stay out of the way of the faster runners behind us, but it was difficult.

This was when I got my first idea of how absolutely cool it was to have so much spectator support. People were lined up on both sides of the runners, holding up signs, shouting out encouragement, giving high fives, etc.

I was so happy when I saw the family members of some of my best friends! In the throngs of people, I didn�t have much hope for actually spotting people I knew, so that was an excellent way to begin the race. I wouldn�t have seen them if our group hadn�t been in the wrong place LOL.

The first few miles passed so quickly I hardly noticed them. There was so much to focus on for those first few miles. Whenever runners would run under highway underpasses, they�d begin clapping and shouting to hear the echoes. Hee. It was also cool to see the front-runners at certain places when the course looped. They were really hauling!

I can�t say enough about the spectators. They were lined up along the course like they were watching a parade. Some brought chairs; some brought pets. I wanted to thank each and every one of them for coming out to cheer. Many held signs that said �AIDS Marathoners, You Are Heroes� and thanked us as we passed. Others held signs with the names of their family members who were running. Nearly all of them shouted out the runners� names as if we knew them. Imagine hearing, �Good job, Caren,� �Looking good, Caren,� �Go, Caren,� �You�re doing great, Caren,� �Way to go, Caren.� Talk about encouraging! The best part is that there were spectators throughout the entire course (except for the 14th Street Bridge). I was particularly grateful for the spectators who stuck around to cheer on the back of the pack runners long after the uber-runners had passed.

I was really surprised how easy it was to pick out individual faces from the crowd. At one point, I actually saw the executive director of my company. He was there to cheer on his daughter. I gave him a high five and kept going.

The first leg of the race was somewhat dull in terms of scenery. Although it was interesting to be running along streets that I had driven regularly in the past, there wasn�t all that much to see. Then it seemed like we looped around the Pentagon forever.

By mile 7, I was nice and warmed up, and was settling in to the faster pace of the run. I was having a little trouble getting my breathing right, but everything else felt fine.

Sometime between miles 7 and 10, I began having a little trouble, but I couldn�t really pinpoint why. My left leg was bothering me in a few places, but as of then it was just an irritation. Other than that, I didn�t feel tired, but I was having a harder time than I would have liked keeping up with my pace group. Maybe it was the temperature (It was a beautiful day in the 60s, but that�s a little warm for a marathon�40s is ideal.). Maybe it was just destined not to be one of my greater runs.

Around mile 10, I dropped off to go to the bathroom, which didn�t take too long. However, after that I couldn�t catch up with my group. My left knee had started to hurt *a lot*. It wasn�t an injury I had experienced before, and I couldn�t believe that it was happening now during the race. (I can hardly walk on it today. I may have really done a number on it.)

Frankly, I was pissed off. I was really frustrated to have to slow down considerably to deal with the pain, and to know that I�d have to run the rest of the long race on my own. I had envisioned the marathon as the ultimate culmination of all my long training runs. When before I�d believed that the marathon would be my best run yet, I was now worrying that I wouldn�t be able to finish.

Fortunately, I somehow still managed to maintain about a 14-minute per mile pace. That wasn�t ideal, but it would get me to the 14th Street Bridge in time before it was reopened to traffic. Or so I hoped, anyway.

I was very glad that at least the individual miles were passing by quickly. Sometimes during the long runs, it became almost unbearable wondering when the next mile marker would appear in sight. I never had that problem during the entire marathon. There was just too much to see and think about.

Speaking of things to see, the course itself was incredible. It was a sample of everything DC has to offer: monuments, parks, water. I�d highly recommend this race to any runner. The Marines were a bonus, too. Not only did they help make the route scenic, they were organized, supportive, and capable. They can really put on a marathon.

Miles 20-22 were somewhat nerve-wracking because I knew I had to beat the bridge. In my head, I knew that my pace was okay and I�d make it just fine, but my worries from the last 6 months made me doubtful. I�d say those were the worst miles of the entire race. My knee was killing me, yet I was running on it faster than before. Thank goodness every spectator I passed would assure me that I�d make the bridge just fine. Finally, there was mile 22 and I could head up the on-ramp to the bridge. Ah. Now that was an amazing feeling of relief. I knew from there out, that no matter what, I was going to finish the marathon. Honestly, I was more emotional running across that very long and boring bridge than I was when I crossed the finish line.

Nothing of note happened in the remaining few miles. Unfortunately, I had to walk most of the time by this point, which was so disappointing to me because I had wanted to run a strong race and finish strong like I had for my long training runs.

Mile 25 seemed to take forever, because I knew the end was so close. I was happy to see my friends� family again near the finish line, and took a few seconds to ham for their cameras. (I�ll post pictures whenever I get them.)

Oh, some sadistic course designer thought it would be a good idea to have a big hill right before the finish line. I was not amused.

Mile marker 26. Almost there. The way the course was set up, the finish line was around a curve, so you couldn�t see it until you were right on top of it. I didn�t like that, either. It would have been more encouraging to see it from far away, but anyhoo.

Finally, there it was! That big, beautiful, inflatable red arch over the finish line. When I saw it, I began sprinting towards it and crossed it at a fast run. I accepted my hard-earned Finisher�s medal from a Marine. The clock time was 6:41, which definitely wasn�t my time goal. I had hoped to finish in 6 hours.

However, I had set two firm goals for my first marathon: (1) Finish; and (2) Enjoy the experience. I did both of those. My official chip time of 6:37:58 leaves me plenty of room for improvement for my *next* marathon. Yes, I do plan to run another one until I am happier with my time. I guess that�s how this sport sucks you in.

It was an amazing day, one that I will always remember. The past six months have been remarkable. When I began, I couldn�t run a mile. Now I have completed a marathon. In the process, I�ve met so many admirable people, raised $2,300 for an incredible cause, and had the support of family and friends through it all.

In rereading some of my old journal entries on this site, I realized that it sounds like I complained a lot. Although I did need to vent sometimes about aches and pains or setbacks, I wouldn�t have changed any of my experience. What I have gained far outweighs any blister or aching muscle.

Thank you to everyone who has offered me a kind word, who turned out to see me run, or who made a donation to the Whitman-Walker clinic. I truly appreciate everything you have done and would not have accomplished this without your support.

~Caren

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