The day finally came: marathon day!!! I wanted to write a blog about my experience since I imagine many of you have never run nor would ever think about running a marathon. You'll actually be reading about the easy part of a marathon training: the actual race. The training part will always be the hardest--don't forget that.
My cell phone alarm went off at 5:30 in the morning, but I was already up by 5 readying my protein shake and dressing in my racing clothes. By 6 I started feeling the effects of the protein shake (I use Usana). André and I left the apartment by 7am to beat the hordes of runners that will be taking the métro to Longueuil (south of Montréal across the St. Lawrence river).
Going up to the bridge where the pace corrals were located, I looked out over the river on a cool sunny Indian summer day. The forecast was going to be a warm day, 23 C (73.4 F). André left to our first rendez-vous spot along the course. I walked up the bridge to find my corral. Number 13. I got number 13 because the estimated time that I wrote for my entry to the marathon was 4 hours, given my weak performance the last three years. I arrived early at the corral. 30 minutes to wait for the start--there's only so much stretching one can do. So I people watched, but it worried me to see what I was seeing.
First of all, people were running and jumping in place to warm up. What's wrong with that? The distance is 26.2 miles (42 kilometers). For elites, they can afford to warm up like that, but for us mortals the marathon is about conserving energy. That first mile is the warm up. Second, clean shoes. There were a lot of clean shoes. Why would clean shoes worry me? The shoes one wears for a marathon should be well broken in by miles and miles of training. My runners are dirty and there's a hole in the right shoe. Third, some people were already wearing their Montréal Marathon t-shirt they received the day before at the running expo. Curious about this one? Running this long distance, wearing unfamiliar clothing now would be a detriment to their race performance. One doesn't know how this new clothing is going to "rub" your body over 26.2 miles. I wore my racing jersey (I have pockets in the back to place my three bottles of Rev by Usana) that I wore during all three of my long runs of 16 miles.
At the start of the marathon, the announcer was counting down for each wave departure. With each successive corral on their way out on the marathon course, the next corral moved forward closer to the start line. Each countdown got me excited and anxious. It's like waiting in line to ride a rollercoaster. You inch closer and closer to getting into the rollercoaster ride. You see others getting in, the attendant checking to see if everyone is strapped in. With maybe a countdown, the rollercoaster lurches at zero, suddenly taking off faster and faster. The start of the marathon reminded of me that. "...Three, two, one...<horn blows>" And the runners lurch forward in a walk, then a jog, faster and faster crossing the start line making their way to the first turn onto L'Île Ste-Hélène.
I ran the first two miles slower than 9 miles per minute. I remembered my 10 mile tempo runs started out pretty much the same, and I was counting on doing the same thing at the marathon. During my 10 mile tempo runs, I would run faster with each mile eventually running comfortably between 8:30 and 9:00 miles. Each mile after, the pace was dropping (getting faster), until I reached a comfortable pace that I could maintain for the miles that remained before me. Normally in a long race like a marathon, one falls into a pace with a group or at least another person running at the same pace, but I noticed that I was passing people or people were passing me. I never stayed long with a group or with another person for the entire race. My greatest pass during the race was catching up to the 4 hour rabbit, passing him, and keeping him behind me.
With the training program I followed over the summer, I noticed that I never stopped during the race. The weather was warm, but I continued on not greatly affected by the weather. I drank water at each water station. At each hour, I drank one bottle of Rev to get me through the next hour. I slowed down after mile 20 or so, holding on as the miles slowly went by. Eventually, though, I reached mile 24, knowing that only 2.2 miles were left; so, I picked up the pace even more, willing myself to reach that finish line well under 4 hours. By mile 25, I was running back at my regular pace, knowing by mile 26 I would have to kick it in. As mile 26 neared, I readied my mind to kick it in. I ran faster than 8:30 pace coming into the chutes and crossing the line at 3:50:01, official time--I just checked it online.
I was happy with the results, and surprised with the performance on the road. Yes, I'm already looking to doing another marathon using the Hansons Marathon Method, knowing how to use it now--even André was talking about doing a half marathon. I met André and he handed me sack of potato chips--I sweat my minerals out so I crave salty foods rather than sweets after running a marathon. 3:50:01. It's my third fastest marathon to date. Yes I'm coming back to see if I can lower it. I always do. Until next year, marathon. Thank you for showing me what I did right for my training, and on what I need to work.
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My cell phone alarm went off at 5:30 in the morning, but I was already up by 5 readying my protein shake and dressing in my racing clothes. By 6 I started feeling the effects of the protein shake (I use Usana). André and I left the apartment by 7am to beat the hordes of runners that will be taking the métro to Longueuil (south of Montréal across the St. Lawrence river).
Going up to the bridge where the pace corrals were located, I looked out over the river on a cool sunny Indian summer day. The forecast was going to be a warm day, 23 C (73.4 F). André left to our first rendez-vous spot along the course. I walked up the bridge to find my corral. Number 13. I got number 13 because the estimated time that I wrote for my entry to the marathon was 4 hours, given my weak performance the last three years. I arrived early at the corral. 30 minutes to wait for the start--there's only so much stretching one can do. So I people watched, but it worried me to see what I was seeing.
First of all, people were running and jumping in place to warm up. What's wrong with that? The distance is 26.2 miles (42 kilometers). For elites, they can afford to warm up like that, but for us mortals the marathon is about conserving energy. That first mile is the warm up. Second, clean shoes. There were a lot of clean shoes. Why would clean shoes worry me? The shoes one wears for a marathon should be well broken in by miles and miles of training. My runners are dirty and there's a hole in the right shoe. Third, some people were already wearing their Montréal Marathon t-shirt they received the day before at the running expo. Curious about this one? Running this long distance, wearing unfamiliar clothing now would be a detriment to their race performance. One doesn't know how this new clothing is going to "rub" your body over 26.2 miles. I wore my racing jersey (I have pockets in the back to place my three bottles of Rev by Usana) that I wore during all three of my long runs of 16 miles.
At the start of the marathon, the announcer was counting down for each wave departure. With each successive corral on their way out on the marathon course, the next corral moved forward closer to the start line. Each countdown got me excited and anxious. It's like waiting in line to ride a rollercoaster. You inch closer and closer to getting into the rollercoaster ride. You see others getting in, the attendant checking to see if everyone is strapped in. With maybe a countdown, the rollercoaster lurches at zero, suddenly taking off faster and faster. The start of the marathon reminded of me that. "...Three, two, one...<horn blows>" And the runners lurch forward in a walk, then a jog, faster and faster crossing the start line making their way to the first turn onto L'Île Ste-Hélène.
I ran the first two miles slower than 9 miles per minute. I remembered my 10 mile tempo runs started out pretty much the same, and I was counting on doing the same thing at the marathon. During my 10 mile tempo runs, I would run faster with each mile eventually running comfortably between 8:30 and 9:00 miles. Each mile after, the pace was dropping (getting faster), until I reached a comfortable pace that I could maintain for the miles that remained before me. Normally in a long race like a marathon, one falls into a pace with a group or at least another person running at the same pace, but I noticed that I was passing people or people were passing me. I never stayed long with a group or with another person for the entire race. My greatest pass during the race was catching up to the 4 hour rabbit, passing him, and keeping him behind me.
With the training program I followed over the summer, I noticed that I never stopped during the race. The weather was warm, but I continued on not greatly affected by the weather. I drank water at each water station. At each hour, I drank one bottle of Rev to get me through the next hour. I slowed down after mile 20 or so, holding on as the miles slowly went by. Eventually, though, I reached mile 24, knowing that only 2.2 miles were left; so, I picked up the pace even more, willing myself to reach that finish line well under 4 hours. By mile 25, I was running back at my regular pace, knowing by mile 26 I would have to kick it in. As mile 26 neared, I readied my mind to kick it in. I ran faster than 8:30 pace coming into the chutes and crossing the line at 3:50:01, official time--I just checked it online.
I was happy with the results, and surprised with the performance on the road. Yes, I'm already looking to doing another marathon using the Hansons Marathon Method, knowing how to use it now--even André was talking about doing a half marathon. I met André and he handed me sack of potato chips--I sweat my minerals out so I crave salty foods rather than sweets after running a marathon. 3:50:01. It's my third fastest marathon to date. Yes I'm coming back to see if I can lower it. I always do. Until next year, marathon. Thank you for showing me what I did right for my training, and on what I need to work.
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