Columbus Marathon Race Report: It’s In the Bag

Friday:

After a pre-dawn wake up call, we headed for Columbus. Immediately after check-in we were off to the race expo. It was bigger/better than I expected. I paid homage to the Mizuno booth and scored a cool USATF running top. The kids scored lots of candy, chocolate milk, various bars, jump ropes, you name it they scored it.

Saturday:

We drove the race course then hubby took Things 1 and 2 to Boo at the Zoo, leaving me to chill and relax. By late afternoon I swear any anxiety I had about the race just fell away.

Dinner was my ritual pizza followed by more weather reports, clothing deliberations and early to bed.

I woke on my own at 4:14, exactly one minute before the marimba alarm hubby set on my Ipod went off. Commence pre-race fueling.

1 whole bagel w/pb and jelly, 1 banana and ½ an energy bar, water.

Then back to bed until 6.

6am continue fueling: ½ energy bar, sports drink, coffee.

Dress, stretch, don garbage bag and we’re out the door.

33 and windy so I went with Option 3—the Zoot top, tights and headband. I love the fact that our hotel was so close to the start I could avoid the porta-potties entirely.

I got in my starting corral right between the 3:50 and 4 hr pace groups approx 7:15a and had a worrisome time finding my Garmin signal. I was wondering if the tall building we were next to had something to do with it. Nevertheless I was excited to get started and felt good!

Goal: Sub 4 hr. BQ!

Stretch goal: New marathon PR, although that’s unlikely on this course

Miles 1-3: 8:34, 8:38, 8:27

A straightaway down Broad St. So many people were weaving all over the place; stepping/tripping on thrown-off layers. I feel like I’m barely moving and wonder what this will do to my pace. It’s still pretty dark but I can see at the first mile marker that my Garmin reads 1.2 miles. How can I have already run an extra .20 miles on a straightaway?? And pace 8:34? No way was I going that fast! So now I’m totally doubting the Garmin. What if I slow down and it turns out I was on pace to begin with? So I decide in my infinite wisdom to keep my pace picked up a bit, sort of an insurance policy. Right. Recipe for disaster. But that’s what I do. There’s a tall guy ahead in head to toe Hammer gear. I wonder how long I can stay with him?

Miles 4-6: 8:45, 8:39, 8:34

We turn into a cute residential neighborhood. I am impressed by the crowd support. I am still too fast, even if I want to bank a little time. But there are some nice downhills I feel I need to make some hay on.

Miles 7-9: 8:52 8:50 8:40

We’re in German Village, very charming, still great crowds. Still too flippin fast. Hammer guy is still just ahead.

Miles 10-12: 8:49, 8;50, 8:59

We come up High Street, there are uphills here but I am determined to handle them. A guy tells me I’m running an 8:45 pace and asks what my goal is. When I told him it’s to finish in under 4 hours he goes well you’re way ahead of that. EEK! So my garmin is not wrong?? I am out waaaay too fast. I try to slow it down before I blow up. Too bad I’m not running the half!

Miles 13-15: 8;41, 9;11, 9:25

I see hubby and the kids at about 14.5. Thing 1 has her signs laying face down on the ground and Thing 2 has tossed her pom poms aside and is intently devouring a donut when I run up for a fuel handoff. I learn later they’d been there just 90 seconds when I got there. The tweet my time system is not working. Joy.

Miles: 16-18: 9;04, 8;56, 9:15

I am lucky enough to have a couple of girlfriends and their posses make the trip to Columbus to see me. I see them shortly after I saw hubby and the kids. They made the most adorable signs. After that we looped onto the OSU campus. My mantra is “I totally have this in the bag”.

Miles 19-21: 9:29, 9:14, 9:02

The OSU campus is deadsville. No bands, no crowds. Just niggly winding inclines that don’t seem to end. The miles are crawling and I feel like I am too. I totally have this in the bag. I had heard murmurings that miles 17-20 were tough. I’m waiting for the course to even out. It’s not happening. Wow Hammer guy is still just ahead. I take comfort in the fact that he’s slowed so much too.

Miles 22-26: 9:17, 9:03, 9:53, 10:05, 9:43

No huge hills but the inclines are killing me. Plus my Garmin keeps beeping the mile markers way before I actually hit them. Punk. Can I get in under 4 hrs? I honestly don’t know. But I can’t give up. I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t give it all I had left. We return to a residential neighborhood with great crowd support. So many people are cheering for me and I didn’t even put my name on my shirt—maybe it’s cuz I’m running so freaking slow they can easily read it on my bib. Nevertheless I am grateful. The water station volunteers are exceptionally supportive too. By mile 24 it has become a death march for me. A couple of guys go down. I’ve taken all my Gu’s. I pull out some Honey Stinger Chews because they are chewy and delicious and I’m praying they will distract me from my agony and maybe give me a lift too. Trouble is I have no saliva so the pillow of deliciousness is stuck dessicating in my cheek. I haven’t got the energy to bother to work it out. And stopping for water is out of the question. I’m running (I use that term loosely) in the middle of the street looking straight ahead, deep inside of myself. Just pick up your feet. I totally have this in the bag. Mile 25, me and the Hammer guy are still plodding up. The incline will never end. I am working harder for longer than I ever have in a race. I hear the crowd at the finish. Finally there are lots of balloon arches. The crowd thickens. I see my friends and make the final turn onto the homestretch—hallelujiah it’s a big DOWNHILL! I let gravity take me and just let it rip. I heard hubby and the kids yelling. The clock says 4:00:06. Finally I know for sure. I TOTALLY HAVE THIS ONE IN THE BAG!!

I crossed the finish line and my left leg immediately locked up the second I stopped. The foil cape guy goes “Are you alright?” I managed to walk down the chute and got my medal. I bet I could throw up if I thought about it enough. I started collecting food even though the thought of eating repulsed me. Someone handed me a sweet fleece running cap which I proceeded to drop and then pick up. Ha!

Epilogue: I can best describe my performance in this race as self-inflicted ugliness. My BQ last year (faster) was 100x easier than this one, although to be fair there were no hills to speak of in the second half. I could be the poster woman portraying what not to do in a Pacing 101 class. I’m not sure I even deserved the BQ today. Although I certainly gutted it out in the end. The marathon can definitely show you a facet of yourself you may not know is there.
Finish Time: 3:58:45