2011 Maui Marathon: Race Recap

A week from last Sunday I completed the Maui Marathon. My (favorite) mother in-law, who had been visiting, had to leave Thursday night before the race (sad. but we had SO MUCH FUN while she was here!). She must have been doing a great job of distracting me, because the minute she left I got so nervous for the race. (Next time can you stay? Please?) All day Friday and Saturday I had this flood of adrenaline and nerves running through me. It felt like I needed to puke, dance, scream, and pass out all at once.

Finish area the day before (packet pick-up)

 Had I trained enough? Would I be able to make it? Would I pass out on the course? Would I poop my pants? Would I run faster than I thought I could and blow my goals out of the water? Would I injure myself/get food poisoning and not even make it to the starting line? I think it is apparent that my head, the week before a big race, is RIDICULOUS.

I had run a really strong 20 miles a mere 2 1/2 weeks before, yet it felt like a lifetime ago. I didn't feel like I even knew how to run anymore. Saturday night I was so nervous I couldn't finish my spaghetti at our carbo-load dinner.

But 3:15am Sunday morning, the nerves were gone. I felt strangely calm and nonchalant. My friend Corinne picked me up around 4am and we were at the race by 4:30. It was Corinne's first marathon, and she made us (me, Corinne, and our friend Krista) awesome tutu's to wear for the race!

Corinne getting down with group aerobics before the start.

Before I knew it, the race had started. Corinne and I had trained using 5/1 intervals (run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat) so we set out with the plan to run our intervals real slow for at least the first half of the race, then see how we were feeling and speed up from there. From our training runs, I knew we should come in somewhere around 5 hours - if everything went perfect, we even had a shot at coming in under 5 hours.

Running buddies.

Overall, for me, this race went NOTHING like my training. I think that is what was so hard for me to accept when it got hard. Intellectually I knew the marathon would be hard, but I forgot just HOW hard. I expected to start suffering around mile 19 or 20. Instead, my left hip flexor got tight at mile 6, I got extremely, unusually tired around mile 11, and at mile 16.5 both of my legs cramped up completely. I'm talking bad charlie-horse level cramps from my calves (and the surrounding muscles on both sides), up over my knees, and on up my inner thighs to my groin.

Tutu's in action.

Cramping is hard because not only is it incredibly painful, but it has the ability to stop you in your tracks completely. Stretching didn't help. I wasn't sure if I should walk or run - with either one it felt like my legs were on the verge of locking up completely, which would mean collapsing on the course and my first ever DNF (did not finish). So naturally, when the cramping hit at mile 16.5, my first thought was "am I going to be able to finish?" I was so disheartened that I still had another 10 miles to go and was feeling so badly. I had not planned for this! (hahaha, as if that would make a difference).

I wanted to quit so bad.

I just wanted it to be over.

But, no matter how bad I wanted to quit, I couldn't. . I've always said; run, walk, or crawl......I will finish. I knew the only way I would quit was if I actually did collapse and the medics drug me off the course. Sounds dramatic, I know, but dudes, in the moment it felt dramatic.

So I kept going. Mile 18......19......Ran when I could, walked when I thought I needed to. Mile 20........21.......The whole time it was such a mental game - why did I cramp? Too many electrolytes? Not enough? Could I do anything about it now? Not gonna lie.....I got really negative for a mile or so. I was so angry and dissapointed that the race wasn't going the way I wanted it to go. They always tell you to plan several different scenarios for your run so you can react/accomodate accordingly, but this reality hadn't even been on my radar.

This was....mile 21? 22? 23? All I know is I was struggling.

By mile 22 or so, I decided that I had to relinquish the negativity as well as my hopes for what this race could have been. Things were obviously going different and I could accept it, relax, and try to enjoy the last few miles - or I could kick myself all the way to the finish line. It took about half a mile to talk myself into being positive, but I finally just let go.

It is what it is.

So I kept running some more, throwing cups of cold water over my head at the aid stations. (Oh the aid stations! Hallelujah.) In my head I kept repeating '3 miles till water, 3 miles till Brant, 3 miles till water, # miles till Brant'.......and then it was '2 miles till water, 2 miles till Brant'.......'1 mile till water, 1 mile till Brant'.......

It's almost over

 Finally there was mile marker 26. Death had not come yet, so I picked up the pace for the last .2. As I approached the finish line, there was no adrenaline, no excitement......nothing but pure survival mode. I could hear Corinne screaming my name. I crossed the mat, stopped my watch, and sat down for the girl to take my shoe chip off. And then I started to cry.

No pics of my finish. Our camera died right before.

I'm a little embarassed that I cried - this whole re-telling is dramatic enough, but I also don't want to discount the experience. I cried because I was finally done. I cried because I hadn't given up. I cried because discipline hurts. The chip girl asked me if this was my first marathon and I blubbered...nooooo. Brant found me after I got the medal and I cried some more. He helped me down to the beach and held all my stuff as I stripped to my sports bra and shorts and waded into the ocean.

I want to say this: there is NO way I could have trained for and completed this race without Brant. He gave up so many Saturday mornings to crew for Corinne and I with water and gatorade. He was consistently supportive. He massaged my legs, gave pep talks, figured out my race nutrition/hydration, and if he ever doubted that I could do it, he never said it out loud. The dude has lived with my nerosis for many years now, but deserves a medal after these last few months of training. The thought of reaching him at the finish line is a large part of what kept me going.

Best 'pit crew' EVER.

So that's it.  The longest race recap ever. I wanted to record it though, so I can remember.

And after all that, you may be saying ' why in the world would you run a stupid marathon? Why would you run at all if it's really that bad? Well, if you are a runner, you know why. I bet if you love to play any sort of sport, you know why.

I run because (to me) there is no better feeling than a good run - my legs turning over fast, breathing easy, wind on my face, and a dip in the ocean afterwords. I'll take the suffering, crappy runs if it means I get the good ones. Endorphins feel amazing. I run because I feel like it's something in my life that God uses to teach me (maybe when you are as stubborn and prideful as I am, it takes 26+ miles to learn something)?  And despite my introvert ways, running is my favorite way to make friends.

My time in this race wasn't what I was hoping for, but I am super stoked regardless. My time was over 20 minutes faster than my first marathon, and my recovery has been a million times faster. That's progress!

The next marathon is in January. I've got a lot to work on before then. You know, like figuring out how not to cramp. But I'm so stoked that I have awesome friends to do it with - Krista and Corinne are running in January for sure.


On the one hand: it's just 26.2 miles. One foot in front of the other. It ends eventually.

On the other? It's 26.2 freaking miles!!

P.S. I also want to say this: the aid stations at this race were awesome! Amazing volunteers, water, Gatorade, watermelon, oranges, and ice water sponges. And contrary to other races I've witnessed, this one waited for the slower finishers before tearing down the finish line. People were cheering for racers in the back of the pack and that is awesome because seriously? The back of the pack needs more cheers than anybody!!So if you wanna do a race, I highly recommend the Maui Marathon.