After a super disappointing Spring, where I missed 3 big races because I was either sick, or traveling, or totally undertrained, I have FINALLY made it to the starting (and finish) line of another marathon. WOO HOO!!
I heard about Grandma's marathon from other runners, and it was only praise and accolades. A running friend of mine was also planning to be there to run the half, it was only two weeks after my DNS at Newport marathon, so the timing to give it another try was perfect.
OK, maybe not perfect, as I do think I messed up my taper with so much traveling and running all over the place and my schedule. But as my coach reminded me after my race, the lead up and training are rarely ideal. You do need to show up at least somehow prepared, otherwise the 26.2 miles will chew you up and spit you out, but maybe not every single thing has to be perfect.
Well, my not-so-perfect trip to Minnesota started with me eating some bad taco at Austin airport and getting some issues with my stomach, again! (I did not run Newport marathon two weeks prior exactly due to nausea and stomach issues). I remember driving to Duluth, feeling like crap and telling myself: this can't be happening again!
I decided just to take it easy and one day at a time, and see how I feel. I ate some bread and pasta and oatmeal Thursday - Saturday morning to carbo-load and put at least some nutrients in my body before running for such a long time.
I went to the expo and collected my bib and goodie bag, and met Kellyn Taylor of North Arizona Elite running team. She would go ahead to win the race and get a nice PR and course record. It was lovely to chat with her and get some inspiration/motivation for the race :-)
Then before I knew it, it was Saturday morning and I was getting ready to leave to run 🏃♀️ . The charger for my watch decided to malfunction on THAT particular night, I have been using it just fine before and after the race... So I set out with a watch that barely had any battery, I ate maybe half of breakfast of what I usually eat before the marathon, and on top of everything, my period started... I have never raced on my period, and would prefer not to ever do it again, but mother nature works against you sometimes.
Despite all these "issues", I stood by the start line happy and excited. Yay, I made it to the start of my 4th marathon, that's already better than the 3 races I tried to run in the past few months... 🤷♀️
As we set off, I still was not 100% sure I would be able to complete 26 miles. But I thought I will simply take 1 mile at a time, see how I feel and adjust, as necessary.
4 miles in, my watch died as the battery was completely down, and I was pretty much running by feel. Grandma's is not an international/huge race, so they had maybe 2 clocks on the course to show the time. I chatted for a few miles with a lady that I kept on leap frogging at first, she told me she is aiming for 3.50, and I knew I can go faster than that, so I left her behind.
Majority of the race is run along Lake Superior. And it was a cool, dreary, kind of humid and rainy, but perfect morning to run the marathon. This was my first time to run a non-major, so I absolutely loved how empty the course was, that I could actually run through water stops and just grab my drinks, and that I did not need to weave around people. Volunteers were fantastic and the small crowds that did come to cheer were wonderful.
At around mile 20, we arrived to Duluth and fatigue arrived together with that. I remember feeling much stronger at mile 20 in Berlin, but then my physical conditional was also much better then. At mile 20, I knew for SURE now that I am going to complete the marathon even if I had to walk the last few miles.
I had a very vague idea how I am doing with time, but I felt I am snagging at least some kind of PR. At mile 22 (or somewhere there), my running friend spotted me and managed to grab this shot. Do you like my "Kardashian butt"? It still had tons of running waffles stuck in my back pocket 😂
There were a lot of turns and some hills (both up and down) during the last 3-4 miles, and I remember barreling down one downhill, thinking to myself: "Oh, it's gonna hurt tomorrow"... And boy did it hurt!
FINALLY, I see the finish line. I am hurting all over and feel like I am barely moving, but here I look quite victorious as I know I have at least a 5 minute PR 😀
I got some chicken soup (???) and a dermal blanket and checked my official time as I grabbed my bag. 3.45.51! 8 minute PR from my last marathon and lots of happiness!
A lot of non-running people often ask me why I run and why I run marathons. I think you can not half-ass a marathon. You can not cheat your way to the finish line. You have to come prepared, having put in some hard work and training. And I absolutely hate half-assess, so here goes my love for marathons. And that feeling when you cross the finish line, realizing that your hard-work is paying off, that feeling is so joyous!
Until the next one! 👋🏻
I heard about Grandma's marathon from other runners, and it was only praise and accolades. A running friend of mine was also planning to be there to run the half, it was only two weeks after my DNS at Newport marathon, so the timing to give it another try was perfect.
OK, maybe not perfect, as I do think I messed up my taper with so much traveling and running all over the place and my schedule. But as my coach reminded me after my race, the lead up and training are rarely ideal. You do need to show up at least somehow prepared, otherwise the 26.2 miles will chew you up and spit you out, but maybe not every single thing has to be perfect.
Well, my not-so-perfect trip to Minnesota started with me eating some bad taco at Austin airport and getting some issues with my stomach, again! (I did not run Newport marathon two weeks prior exactly due to nausea and stomach issues). I remember driving to Duluth, feeling like crap and telling myself: this can't be happening again!
I decided just to take it easy and one day at a time, and see how I feel. I ate some bread and pasta and oatmeal Thursday - Saturday morning to carbo-load and put at least some nutrients in my body before running for such a long time.
I went to the expo and collected my bib and goodie bag, and met Kellyn Taylor of North Arizona Elite running team. She would go ahead to win the race and get a nice PR and course record. It was lovely to chat with her and get some inspiration/motivation for the race :-)
Then before I knew it, it was Saturday morning and I was getting ready to leave to run 🏃♀️ . The charger for my watch decided to malfunction on THAT particular night, I have been using it just fine before and after the race... So I set out with a watch that barely had any battery, I ate maybe half of breakfast of what I usually eat before the marathon, and on top of everything, my period started... I have never raced on my period, and would prefer not to ever do it again, but mother nature works against you sometimes.
Despite all these "issues", I stood by the start line happy and excited. Yay, I made it to the start of my 4th marathon, that's already better than the 3 races I tried to run in the past few months... 🤷♀️
As we set off, I still was not 100% sure I would be able to complete 26 miles. But I thought I will simply take 1 mile at a time, see how I feel and adjust, as necessary.
4 miles in, my watch died as the battery was completely down, and I was pretty much running by feel. Grandma's is not an international/huge race, so they had maybe 2 clocks on the course to show the time. I chatted for a few miles with a lady that I kept on leap frogging at first, she told me she is aiming for 3.50, and I knew I can go faster than that, so I left her behind.
Majority of the race is run along Lake Superior. And it was a cool, dreary, kind of humid and rainy, but perfect morning to run the marathon. This was my first time to run a non-major, so I absolutely loved how empty the course was, that I could actually run through water stops and just grab my drinks, and that I did not need to weave around people. Volunteers were fantastic and the small crowds that did come to cheer were wonderful.
At around mile 20, we arrived to Duluth and fatigue arrived together with that. I remember feeling much stronger at mile 20 in Berlin, but then my physical conditional was also much better then. At mile 20, I knew for SURE now that I am going to complete the marathon even if I had to walk the last few miles.
I had a very vague idea how I am doing with time, but I felt I am snagging at least some kind of PR. At mile 22 (or somewhere there), my running friend spotted me and managed to grab this shot. Do you like my "Kardashian butt"? It still had tons of running waffles stuck in my back pocket 😂
There were a lot of turns and some hills (both up and down) during the last 3-4 miles, and I remember barreling down one downhill, thinking to myself: "Oh, it's gonna hurt tomorrow"... And boy did it hurt!
FINALLY, I see the finish line. I am hurting all over and feel like I am barely moving, but here I look quite victorious as I know I have at least a 5 minute PR 😀
I got some chicken soup (???) and a dermal blanket and checked my official time as I grabbed my bag. 3.45.51! 8 minute PR from my last marathon and lots of happiness!
A lot of non-running people often ask me why I run and why I run marathons. I think you can not half-ass a marathon. You can not cheat your way to the finish line. You have to come prepared, having put in some hard work and training. And I absolutely hate half-assess, so here goes my love for marathons. And that feeling when you cross the finish line, realizing that your hard-work is paying off, that feeling is so joyous!
Until the next one! 👋🏻
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