Two Cities Race Re-cap

I will start with an apology for how long this is. I waited a few days to let it all sink in and so that we could really process a few things, believe me, this is the short version.

This was marathon #4 in 1 year and 1 month. The recommendation for mere mortal runners (meaning non professional, non elite, non pro, non professionally coached, average joe runners) is 2 full marathons max per year.

This is not new info to us, we have known that since we started researching marathons before we ever ran our first one. That said......they are addicting. Not only that, they have served the purpose of giving us a goal to be working towards. Always "training" has kept us on track, and kept us pushing ourselves. It has provided hours of the free "stress relief" that is running. There is also the fact that Brian and I do this together. We enjoy working as a team, being each others support system, motivators, coachs, dietitians.....we are always working together towards a goal. As soon as we cross the finish line, we are already analysing what we would do different next time, how we would train differently, pace differently, fuel differently during the run.....we wait a month, register for the next one, and go to work again. The pain fades so quickly afterwards that it is extremely easy to forget the toll the whole process has taken on your body. Although the pain fades quickly, there is damage that has been done that takes much longer to repair. If you aren't' allowing your body the time it needs to heal in between, it's only a matter of time before it catches up with you.

It caught up to us at Two Cities. More me than Brian.

We had a great round of training this go round, no injuries or nagging pains. We ended up with about 350 training miles in prep for this marathon. So we got to the start line feeling pretty good. Our goal was 4:40. Previous times were this - 4:48 for our first marathon, 4:42 for our second, 5:07 with an injury for our 3rd. So getting to the start healthy, knowing this was supposed to be a "flat, fast course", 4:40 was a very reasonable goal.

Mistake #1 - We lined up behind the 4:15 pace group. We didn't really discuss this, we just got into our corral B, saw the pace group, and I think we were both thinking that if we stayed with it for as long as we could, even if we faded back and the 4:30 pace group caught us we could stay with them. We managed 11 miles with the 4:15 group. I was exhausted 6 miles into it. We had not run that fast in any training runs, nor was there any need to have run that fast to finish in 4:40. We really started slowing down between 11 and 13 miles, and at 13.5 the 4:30 pace group passed and left us behind. There was no pace group after that, so we were on our own.

Mistake #2 - Thinking a 26.2 mile run in Fresno would be scenic, fun, or in anyway enjoyable. It wasn't. I had been in pain, (not normal marathon pain, but "my Achilles is going to snap and roll up into my calf pain) starting at about mile15. I came out of San Fran marathon with a strained calf that took a while to get rid of. I think about half way into this training go round I was finally pain free, which sent me into this marathon thinking all was well. At mile 15 I knew it hadn't healed completely, and that not only had it not healed, I could feel the damage being done. Every step I was waiting to feel a snap, pull, tear......I truly did not believe I would finish without it happening. Combined that with an ugly, boring course full of long ascents and descents, slanted roads during the flats, and an overwhelming feeling of not wanting to keep going and it was a long, long second half of a marathon. Fresno......its Fresno. We got what we got....20 ish miles of Fresno. The first 6 miles or so we ran from Fresno to Old Town Clovis, which was cute, but then we turned around and ran right back into Fresno.

Mistake #3 - Although we had looked at the course many times on the map, there were certain things we just didn't realize would be as big of factors as they were. The rolling hills in the beginning, run at a faster pace than we should have been running. The 4 underpasses that dipped down through tunnels under the road and then back up the other side. The design of the course itself. We started at a park, ran away from it, then back to where the finish was, then turned and ran away from it again. Mentally...not a good thing. When we turned away from the finish and headed out Friant Road it just went on and on and on. We didn't' know what mile we would finally turn around at (ended up being near 19.5). We could see everyone already heading back in the other lanes, and that isn't a great feeling either. There was also the fact that here we had been busting our booties struggling along and are at mile 17, and we can look at the lane next to us and see the half marathoners who are at mile 5 or 6 walking. To each there own, maybe that was their plan for the day, but there was a lot of me going off in my head Jillian style yelling at them to move their butts and run. 2 seconds later I would be stopped, crying, saying I was so tired, I don't want to do this, ect....Brian telling me to stop and walk, me getting mad at him and saying no, I don't want to walk, hyperventilating because..who can run, cry, and breath at the same time?

There was a lot of pain, lack of mental stability, lack of focus.....an overwhelming feeling of it all not being worth finishing. Why was I doing this? Why finish? Why am I still going? I was not into the crowd support which is usually very important to me during a race. I had my head down most of the second half, not taking in anything that was going on around me or on the sides of the road, including the people or bands playing. When someone would say something to me, I would manage a thumbs up, but would make no attempt at looking up. Because I was looking down, I could see the kids along the course and did manage to high five any that were in reach. I dropped Brian at a porta pottie. He told me to keep going, and normally I do, but then wait for him at an aid station while I drink and fuel. Well, he had my Sports Beans, so I had no fuel. I grabbed water and kept going, afraid that if I stopped I'd be done. I power walked up the hills, and ran at a good, even pace and stayed ahead of him for about 2 miles.

We had asked Simone to have the kids waiting at mile 26 so we could see them and have a boost for that never ending .2 miles at the end....but mile 26 was not where we thought it would be, so mile 25 seemed to never end. We turned to enter the park and saw another hill, with the 26 mile marker on it. The kids were there, and when you see the pics you will see a series of me locked onto something on my left side, and you will see me drift over in front of Brian to the left. I locked onto the kids and didn't blink, they definitely pulled me up that hill. We got our high fives and I looked down at my watch and saw 5:06:24. I said to Brian, "Lets Go!" wanting to make it in under 5:07. We picked it up as much as we could, but as we came up on the finish I saw my watch click over. I laughed and looked at him and said we were finishing the same as San Fran (you will see these facial expressions going on in the pics, so now you know what was going on : ). We did beat San Fran by 35 seconds, for what its worth.

We both agree that this was our 4th and final for a while. For me, my bodies lack of ability to produce the results it was capable of a year ago, my minds total lack of ability to focus and keep me in the game, my lack of desire to keep running during this race....it is all a clear message to me that my body has had enough for now. It needs a break. I proved this year that I can do it. Even if it isn't pretty or fast, I can physically and mentally get myself across that line after 26.2 miles. I am capable of accomplishing more than I ever dreamed I would be able to do. I do have the physical and mental ability to do this, and I didn't know a year ago if I could. I no longer feel the need to keep proving it over and over again though. And now I am developing the common sense, humility, and self control to know when to take a step back and allow my body the time it needs to recover from a hard yet amazing year. So all though this was a brutal run, it served a purpose.

No worries, we are not hanging up our Brooks and Mizunos just yet. We have some very fun runs coming up in the next few months, and one I am especially looking forward to! Our immediate plans include weekly miles in the 25 - 30 range, and keeping a base at a 13 mile long run every other weekend....that is after we finish enjoying whats left of this week off!
I am posting the pics, ours and the professional pics, on our Dropshots site. I will be back to link to it as soon as they are all up.
ok, they are up and start here

(If you read this whole recap, you deserve your own finishers medal!)