Step 1: The Lapse in Judgment
After running the Portland Marathon in October of '07 and failing to qualify for Boston I signed up to run the Vancouver International Marathon slated for May '08.
Step 2: Train Well
After taking most of November off and gaining almost 10 pounds after the October Portland Marathon it was time to get serious about training….. well, maybe. Shin problems in December forced me to take a break from running and use the bike for cardio. January and February went well but when I added speed work in late February the shin problems resurfaced. Training would be on again – off again up until taper time late in April.
Step 3: Positive Attitude
As I entered the taper phase of my training I was really feeling under trained. I just wasn't getting the big miles late in my training and yet the muscles were still feeling fatigued after even short runs. The muscles also were not recovering well and felt sore much of the time. My confidence in completing the marathon was waning and the hopes for a BQ were all but gone. Still, I kept trying to give myself pep talks and tell myself that I would be feeling strong on race morning.
Step 4: Pre-Race Prep
This I did well. The trip to Vancouver the day before the race was uneventful and relaxing. Our room at the Metropolitan was fantastic. The hotel service was great. Sue and I met up with Greg and Hayden for an early carbo load and to discuss race tactics. Mostly the talk was centered around my fear of just how bad this race was going to be for me. Sue and I later went for a lighter meal, where the talk was at least a little more positive, before retiring for the evening. I had a bit of a fitful sleep but still felt pretty rested when morning came.
Sue, Greg, Hayden, and I had a nice leisurely 1/2 mile walk to the start area and I was feeling much more positive at this point. I made some light hearted jokes about bailing but really knew that this race was going to happen and that I would finish. The starting area is such that by hanging back a ways we were able to hang with Sue and Hayden right up until just before the start. Greg and I made our way through the crowd of starters up to the 3:30 pace group for the start.
Step 5: Choose a Wise Pace – Miles 0-6
I was a bit surprised at the congestion in the first mile. There are approximately 3000 people at the start and you would expect that things would open up quicker but the first mile was slow. Once things opened up I was letting Greg set the pace and we started clipping along in the high 7's with my goal pace at 8. I was thinking that it would be nice to bank some time so I kept the pace up in the 7:50 range for these miles.
Normally I have to hold myself back early in a race but at this pace I felt like I was pushing a bit hard. My legs are feeling pretty good but I really didn't get comfortable with this pace until around mile 6. By mile 3 Greg was off on his own running something in the low to mid 7's. I really wished him a good run. The dude is fast. Somewhere in mile 3 I see the race leaders coming back towards us on the out and back stretch. This is always the highlight of Vancouver for me. Those guys are flying!
Step 6: Cruise the Middle Miles – Miles 7-20
These are always the best miles for me. I get to see Sue and Hayden cheering me on at mile 7 and I'm finally feeling good with my pace. I am actually beginning to get this small hope of actually holding this pace for the remaining 19 miles. The race winds through commercial, industrial, and residential areas, up and down hills, then along the waterfront into Stanley Park. I get to see Sue and Hayden again in mile 11. This is another cool aspect of the Vancouver Marathon; it is easy for friends and family to catch you at several locations during the race.
Mile 11 is also where the 8:30 group actually catches me. The pace groups in Vancouver do the 'Run 10 – Walk 1' thing. It works but for some reason I just don't like it. A marathon is about enduring 26.2 miles of sustained running. Not 26.2 miles of running – walking – rest breaks. I don't care how fast you run, but run damn it! Anyway, these guys really mess up my pace because when they run they run at about a 7:40 pace so that with the 1 minute of walking thrown in they end up with an average 8:00 pace. For the next few miles I was dealing with this seesaw thing where I would pass them as they stopped for their walk break and then they would pass me during their running. Every time they would pass I would end up speeding up to their pace for a while. It sucks!
I crossed the halfway point with a time of 1:44:26, which is right where I want to be. I also begin to notice blisters developing on my feet at this point. This isn't good but blisters have never really been a limiting factor, just an annoyance, so I wasn't really worried….. yet. The hills through Stanley Park are much bigger and more often than they appear on the race profile sheet but I knew this from last year's race. I continue to hold my 8:00 pace through the park and then along Pacific Ave. up to the Burrard bridge in mile 17. I get to see Sue and Hayden again here, always good to have 2 beautiful women cheering you on! Then it's up and over the bridge and into the Kitslano and Jericho Beach neighborhoods and more hills. I cross the 20 mile mark at 2:39:46, right on target!
Step 7: Reserves for a Strong Finish – Miles 21-26.2
I am really beginning to feel the effects of running 20 miles at just under an 8:00 pace average. I fight to keep my pace at or at least near 8:00 through mile 20 and the turnaround point. Just short of the turnaround I meet up with Greg coming back the other direction. We give each other high fives as we pass. Damn, I was really hoping he could hold his fast pace all the way to the finish. My legs hurt as I make the turn and head back on the last leg. I'm still on pace at mile 22 but it's getting hard to keep focus and it feels like I have to speed up just to hold the same pace. In mile 23 I begin to feel myself losing the battle to hold 8's I also see Greg up ahead. I catch Greg in mile 24 and we run together for a bit talking mostly of how much this sucks and how we just want it to be over.
Something I came to realize in this race is that I suffer way better alone. I was still holding 8-somethin's when I caught Greg but I realize that I was subconsciously thinking that once I caught him I could slow down. That was a stupid, big mental blunder. By the time I caught Greg I was off my pace though and would have to average 8:00 pace for the remaining 2 miles just to make the 3:30:59 that I would need for my Boston. I tested my legs a couple of times and there just wasn't any 8:00 miles left in them.
Mile 25 was really bad with a few episodes of full ham cramps and averaging a 10 minute pace. Interestingly, uphill wasn't as bad as downhill at this point. I did OK going up over the Burrard Bridge one last time. Loved the guy's sign that said "put your big girl panties on and deal with it"! Gave him a big thumbs up as I passed but as I started down the other side those damn hams just kept locking up. 1 mile remaining. Greg passes me on the downhill and off he goes while I struggle with my cramps. I knew I should down another gel but my stomach was warning me that it might not be a good idea. I took a Gatorade at the final aid station and pushed on. As the grade flattened my legs began to feel a little better and I was able push the pace up just a tad.
As you enter the finishing stretch you really remember why it is you torture yourself. The combination of the suffering, all the chemicals produced by the body, the crowd screaming for you to finish, the knowledge that you will soon be able to just stop, and the overwhelming sense of accomplishment all flooding the emotions is something that very few people ever get to experience. I see Sue and Hayden yelling encouragements as I near the finish. I wave and yell back at them as I fight back tears and get huge lump in my throat. I cross the finish line at 3:36:09. Damn. I lost over 6 minutes in the final 4 miles. I feel good though as they hang my finisher medal over my neck and there's Greg to meet me! We give each other a huge congratulatory hug and I feel tears well up again and run down my cheeks…. Maybe it's sweat? It's hard to tell at this point.
Step 8: The Recovery
After the finish they take the chip off your shoe and shuffle you through the chutes and into the BC Place coliseum where we get our finishers shirt and some badly needed recovery fuel. Once done here we meet with Sue and Hayden for some more congratulatory hugs and then head back to the hotel to get cleaned up and take a nap. After the nap we meet up with Greg and Hayden again to begin the real recovery process, massive amounts of beer and food! It must have worked because after only a couple of days off I am actually thinking that a nice recovery run this evening is in order. Now it's on to Portland in October for another attempt at a Boston qualifying time. Boston or bust, baby!
Cheers!
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