Half of Hard is Still Hard
Planned: 13.1mi @ ~1:42:00
Actual: 13.1mi @ 1:39:26
My friend Phil is running her first marathon this weekend in Vegas (I think). The only thing that matches my excitement about seeing one of my friends take up that challenge is my excitement about not having to run another 13 miles this morning.
There were several issues related to last year’s race from toilet access to damaged pride that I was leery of as the race got closer. This year wasn’t nearly as dramatic. The weather was chilly but perfect for running. The course is really exceptional starting in Griffith Park, taking you past the Silverlake Reservoir and into downtown. I wasn’t as prepared this time around which I could feel by mile three, but I was able to hold a 7:30 pace until around mile 9 when I got a cramp in my shoulder that wouldn’t go away for a couple of miles necessitating a Buddah-like breathing regimen in the hopes that I could deaden the pain by giving my muscle more oxygen. (Ironically, I’ve been reading another series of articles at the Science of Sport about cramps and how we don’t really know why they happen or how to stop them, so I totally should have known better.)
Once I got mile 11 behind me, things started looking up if for no other reason than I realized there was a finish line and I had a pretty good chance of crossing it soon. Mile 13 was a blur. I started getting a lot of challenges from other runners and, at first, I didn’t think I would be able to answer them, but when I saw 2nd street in the distance, I knew we were close so I notched it up a gear and slowly started catching up.
In the last two hundred yards I was able to reel in three or four people who I had only known from their backs for most of the race. My switch to a sprint in the last hundred yards probably comes off as me being kind of a jerk to the spectators, but I don’t really care. I’ve done that since cross country and it can mostly be attributed to the fact that I’m not very good at pacing myself which leaves me with more energy at the end than I should have. Why not use it?
It took about 45 minutes for the bag people to find my bag. When I got home, I took a shower and a nap. And I just got up from nap number two.
Thanks to T for cheering. I know I looked tired. I was.
I’m not sure about the future. I have this masters degree that I haven’t put to good use, and I’m afraid the running keeps me from a more creative routine. Since it’s cold and dark now, I may take a couple of months to regroup before setting out again. I know I vowed I was done with marathons for a couple of years, but I can’t help but think that a San Diego time under 3:30 is totally within my grasp (seeing as my last one was 3:35). The future is uncertain.