Cleveland marathon - round 2

Corbin and I getting ready at the starting line. He ate half of my banana.

What can I say, he is excited for me. 

This is me pulling in just after the split from the half and the full. Still in tact, but HOT!

Dying just after 22, the heat started getting to me. 

Yesterday was the Cleveland Marathon. I ran it last year and had such a HORRIBLE experience I never wanted to run it again. I tried to find the post I wrote on it last year, but I can't seem to find it. I'll post the link when I do. Needless to say, it was put on my "to don't" list immediately after. So of course, after attempting to train for several other marathons that took place earlier in the year, I was completely thwarted in all and ended up only being able to find time to train for the Cleveland again. 

So, with determination I trained. I took some time off of running in Jan and Feb due to my outrageous work and school schedule at the time and did my first run of the year on March 15th. In a matter of 2 months I was able to increase my long runs by 2-4 miles each week, and only fit in one 3-6 miler in addition. Sometimes if my light was load I would squeeze in another but not often. That, on top of teaching 9-13 classes a week (yoga mostly, some strength and 1 spinning class per week) and hopping on the bike a few times a week I was able to train for the marathon with no... I repeat NO injuries. Due to the insane amount of pain I was in last year when I trained, every time I finished a long run I wanted to cry and scream with utter happiness. 

Despite about a million obstacles that faced us last weekend, I cooked up a big pot of homemade fettuccine alfredo on saturday night, we all snuggled on the couch and watched a movie, and were in bed by 1030 pm. I prepped all of my stuff for the morning, camelback, clothes, big bag of skittles, headphones, shoes, sugar free rock star!!!

We were up at 315 and out the door by 345. We stopped by tim hortons and grabbed a bagel before we headed out. I  usually ate a homemade bagel and egg sandwich but we were out of bagels :(, but I ate up and me and Corbin zonked out by the time we hit the freeway. My wonderful husband drove up the 2+ hours while me and Corbin slept. An amazing man he is. We showed up right a 6 am, and while we were driving around lost on where to go we ended up finding an awesome parking spot that was only $4 for the day and less then a mile to the start. Hello plethora of good signs! The only bad sign that arose before the start of the event was the fact that I was comfortable in a t-shirt and shorts by that point. This could only mean that things were going to heat up quickly through out the morning. I was able to make it to the bathroom (#1 AND #2, which is always a plus) and make it to the stadium just in time for the national anthem. I kissed my husband and my son good by and was off to the starting line in a great mood. Well... as close to the start line as I could manage. The gun went off at 7 and I crossed with ease around 7:11. I had no fear, no anxiety, and no pain. 

I learned not to listen to music in the beginning of a long run. There is usually a lot going on, and when you spend almost 5 hours on the road, music starts to get really boring towards the end, which is when you usually need it the most. The first 6 miles went by very smoothly, although it was warm, when you were in the shade, which was about 1/2 of the time the weather couldn't have been better. I took a bathroom break around mile 6. I should have waited cause it was an exceptionally long wait, and I feel that I killed too much time. But I was in and out quick and decided it was time for headphones. I also started to get REALLY hungry at that point, and despite all the food I felt I ate, I don't think it was enough. I wonder if the heat had anything to do with using food faster for energy,  I don't know. Thankfully I had my skittles and chomped on some for a little. Finally seeing a GU stop I learned from the last marathon to stock up! So I grabbed 2 and ate one immediately and threw the other in my camelback (man those things are useful!)  


I hit the first half around 2:15 and my husband and son were waiting there for me at this spot. It was great to see them. I was feeling awesome, and my pace was awesome, but I was starting to get very hot. There was a lot of sun, and even though the temp said it was only in the low-mid 70's, the sunlight was direct and there was minimal shade since we were running on the streets. I said hi to them and they ran with me for about a block and we parted ways again. My water stops had been minimal up to this point. I didn't need it in the first few stops and by the time I did it seems that so did everyone else and they were running out at the tables. I was again thankful that I had my camelback cause I could drink my water gato mix whenever I pleased. When the half and the full split the numbers dropped insanely, 50:1 it seemed, so things really cleared up. Most runners actually ditched the street and hit the sidewalks in search of any shading from the trees. This was a good way to go. The water became more frequent also and at every water station they were spraying all the runners that went by with the giant water hose. I think this was the thing that saved me. I hit the hose, and the water hard at every stop. For a while I was just drinking some and dumping the rest on my head. Then it became drinking 1-1 1/2 and dumping the rest on my head. Then drinking 1- 1 1/2 water and 1 gatorade and dumping whatever was left on me.

Just after mile 16 we hit a park that had a lot of shade. It also had a bike path so I jumped off the road and hit the bike path here, and I was getting a little tired and was in need of more food at this point. I couldn't find my extra GU, it must have fallen out of my pouch, so I noshed on some more skittle to tide me over. The park was nice and quite and it was a good run pick me up after all the heat.  I remembered this part last year. I remember crying, I remember wanting to quit, to give up. I remember hyperventilating when I hit mile 18 and I remember being in so much pain. This year, I was trucking a long, tired, but awesome. We went back onto the streets after 19, and there was another GU  stop here. I grabbed 2 more. I also started walking for about 20 seconds at each stop to drink water and recover for a few seconds. That seemed to help. 

At mile 20 we hit a path that ran across the lake. Last year this is where the wind picked up, it started to get cold and rainy and it smelled like dead fish. This year was just pretty. It was hot though, the sun was rising and there was no protection from it, we left the path at 22 and I wanted to yell at some volunteers to find out is any of the course was shaded! I didn't, and at about 22 1/2 I saw my husband and son again. They were waiting in a building in the shade with water for me. I drank some and Abraham poured the rest on my head. I shed my tank top and took a break for about 5 minutes or so. I highly debated weather I could finish or not the entire time I was standing there. I was in pain (don't take a break at 22 or your legs will yell at you) and I was angered by the sun. But after I cooled down and my husband pep talked me into continuing, I did and after a few blocks my pace was strong again. There were a lot of water stops, big hoses, enough shade and enough people now that we were back in the city to keep me trucking along. I changed my music to something crazy up beat and trucked along with every mile till the end. I felt amazing. 

When I rounded the corner to the downhill finish (thank you Cleveland) I saw the 26 flag and felt like crying. I love that feeling of overwhelming happiness because of accomplishment, triumph over obstacles and punching fear in the face with courage. I pulled into the starting line and sprinted it home with a 5:08 on the clock. I take away 11 for the start time and 5 for the break (yes, yes I will) that puts me in at a 4:52. That is a freaking 36 minutes faster then last year. With the insane amount of heat I faced, I'll take it!

I came up with a shirt Im gonna wear next year 
"I celebrate my curves because I celebrate my runs with pizza and beer.. and sometimes cookies"