ORRRC Marathon

Not all races are created equal.  Some are much larger than others and have a jubilant feel to them, with spectators the entire length of the course. Others are small in scope, with little more than the volunteers every mile and a half or so at aid stations.  Some courses are hilly and challenging, while others are flat.  I have been in races with as little as 64 runners (local 10k), and as much as 34,000 runners (Chicago Marathon).  Regardless of type of course or size of participation, all races require those running/walking to finish in order to reap the benefits; or in the case of marathoners, bragging rights about how many and how fast.

This was my third marathon so far, and that in just under two and a half years.  From the first to the current I managed to drop an entire hour off of my running time.  The 2010 Chicago Marathon time was 5 hours, 5 minutes and change.  Yesterday’s official time was 4 hours 6 minutes and change.  59 minutes dropped over 26.2 miles!  By comparison, my time at the Air Force Marathon last September was 4 hours, 21 minutes and change; so even there I have made a pretty dramatic change for the better.  In terms of running, 15 minutes over 26 miles is still a sharp increase in ability.  It is an accomplishment in itself to complete a single marathon.  Best statistics show that less than 1 tenth of 1 percent of the population have completed a marathon, with the number completed increasing, those numbers drop significantly.  This was number three for me.

The night before I had a good carb loading dinner.  Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp, Italian Sausage, Bell Peppers and Mushrooms.  I was prepped and ready; belly full of pasta.

I was fortunate to have some familiar faces.  As soon as I parked and started walking toward the Start/Finish area a friend from high school greeted me.  We ran track together in high school, and a couple years ago she started back into running; and she’s outdone me by doing triathlons!  After picking up my packet, bib number and timing chip I found my cousin Molly, who also started distance running not too long ago.  I was able to run with both for at least a few minutes.  Somewhere around mile 8 I saw someone from the Road Runners’ Club that I first met at the Broken Toes 27k in 2010.  He was running the half and was already heading toward the finish line.  I was only able to say, “Nice job George, keep it up!”  He’s much taller and faster than I, but it was a face I remembered from a few previous races.  It’s always nice to have familiar faces throughout the course.

And then there are those new faces.  Some of them come with introductions like, “Hi, I’m Dan.  And you are?”  Others just come with a good conversational attitude.  There was only Dan and Randy that came with names yesterday, but the conversations didn’t end with just those two.  Didn’t get much about Dan, but Randy and I talked for quite a while about diets and minimalist footwear.  Randy was wearing little more than thin leather thongs strapped to his feet – looked like something out of ancient Rome or Greece.  There was the 63 year old man who, last weekend did a marathon distance trail race, and the ORRRC marathon put him well over 100 marathons completed.  Soft spoken, humble, but bright, spry and full of energy for his young age.  The other that caught me off guard was the 57 year old man who normally runs ultra marathons, typically 50 and 100 mile races.  And I thought running 26.2 miles was a long distance!  All told, I probably had someone to talk to for at least 17 of the 26.2 miles.  There were others here and there, some I gave an encouraging word as I passed them, others did the same for me.  Nice people can make for a great race experience.

My challenge was to keep the overall time around 4:10:00.  Deep down I had desired to post a time that was below the four hour time, but realistically I wasn’t sure it could happen.  But as I crossed mile markers and check my pace, the further I got the better I found my chances.  I had maintained a sub-9 minute mile pace up until around mile 16.  I maintained a 9 minute mile for the next two, and then I hit mile 18.  In races at various distances I have experienced all kinds of maladies.  Cramps, muscle fatigue, lactic acid build up, shin splints, and even broken bones, but what hit me at mile 18 was something completely different.

Dizziness is usually a bad thing when doing any kind of physical activity. The kind of dizziness I experienced was akin to spinning around in circles for a while, then trying to run straight.  This lasted between miles 18 and 20.  I slowed way down, took more and longer walk breaks until it subsided.  When I hit the 20 mile mark, I knew I only had 6.2 miles (10k) left.  I knew that if I maintained at least a 10 minute mile for the remainder I would be well within my 4:10:00 time, so I focused on breathing, pacing, and the other people on the course.  The dizziness subsided and I resumed a somewhat normal pace.  I thanked God several times for keeping me upright and moving forward for the rest of the race.

When I hit mile 23 I knew I was almost done.  Did a little math in my head and figured at worst I would have another 30 minutes, and at best 27 minutes.  Crossed mile 24, then 25, then turned off the bike path and onto surface streets.  I could see the finish line about four blocks away.  Crossed mile 26 and knew I only had 385 yards left; less than a quarter mile!  There wasn’t much left in the tank, but I gave all I had, thanking the volunteers at each street crossing who held traffic for me.  After crossing the last corner I knew it was almost over and I pushed with what little I had left – and I crossed my third marathon finish line.  More volunteers met me, one clipped the timing chip and another gave me a medal.  Others were there directing me to snacks and drinks.

A distance race is an immensely personal thing, and when I’ve finished each one I have had the emotional flood, or, the runner’s high.  I sat down with a Dr. Pepper to stretch and the weight of what I had done rushed over me.  I had bested my last time, come in under my goal time, and finished yet another full marathon.  Sure I shared multiple miles with lots of people, but they did not run for me, they ran with me.  This was something I did; a culmination of many weeks worth of training and dedication.

I had another goal besides finishing with a specific time.  I have been raising money for autism research throughout this training cycle, and it will continue for the next several weeks.  I wanted to have at least half of my $500 goal met before I crossed the finish line – and thanks to so many kind and wonderful people I did just that.  Before the race even started I was at 51%.  A big thanks to those of you who donated so far, and a thanks in advance for those who will no doubt push me beyond that $500 mark as I run the Flying Pig in five weeks.

Never say you can’t.  A piece of advice/knowledge/humor from the race:  On the back of one shirt I found inspiration, “You won’t die from running, you’ll pass out first”  I’ve heard and read people’s reactions when they know someone who has run a half or full marathon, “That would KILL ME!”  I’m living proof that is not the case.