[I hope y'all are having a boring day at work because this is going to be long!]
Marine Corps Marathon? DONE!
I took Friday off from work so that I'd have plenty of time to pack and I got up right about 8 a.m. I had to do some laundry, run the sprinklers (7 sprinklers x 15 mins. each), and pack for me and Brian and then make it to lunch at noon for my friend Maggie's bridal lunch and bridesmaid dress shopping (more on that in a future post). I got all that accomplished and then made it off to lunch in time.
My dad was set to arrive at our house at 4:15 p.m. So when I got home around 4, I packed up the food and drink cooler and got Gatsby packed for Suite Paws and the kitties' room ready for their home alone weekend. When dad got here, we packed all our stuff into his car, loaded Gatsby in the backseat, dropped Gatsby off at Suite Paws, and then headed to WCPE's studios in Wake Forest to pickup Brian.
[I should also mention here that my brother-in-law Clay wasn't able to run the marathon. He started having knee problems about a month out from the marathon and had to pull himself out. Pretty crappy timing, but he's concentrating on rehabbing his knee and hopes to run the Myrtle Beach Marathon in February.]
We got to Richmond around 8 p.m. and picked up my uncle at his house and then headed out to a local Italian restaurant for dinner. We spent the night in Richmond (going to bed pretty early) and then left Saturday morning for D.C. around 10 a.m.
We stayed at a Hampton Inn in Alexandria and after checking into our rooms, we headed to downtown D.C. to the MCM Expo. The expo itself was crowded, but very well organized. Getting to the expo was absolute hell. It was occurring at the same time as the Comedy Central rally with Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart and it was a huge pain in the ass. There were so many flippin' people in D.C.--pedestrians, cars, traffic cops, and not nearly enough parking spaces. Thank goodness we had Brian who was driving and knows D.C. very well. After about AN HOUR we found a parking space in a parking garage and then walked to the expo. We picked up our bibs, shirts, and goodie bags and then walked through some of the vendor booths. Then we bailed because we were starving and eventually found a ridiculously packed (tiny!) Quiznos where we waited about 20 minutes to get our sandwiches and then sat at a table in the corner by the bathrooms. Yuck.
After lunch, Brian took us out to the course start and we drove as much of the course as we could. We drove most of it, but had to cut out a few places because of the the crazy crowds. Driving the course was REALLY helpful. While we were driving, we also had dad's iPhone on speakerphone and we were listening to the Appalachian game via a phone call to mom who had her phone by the computer speakers. It worked wonderfully!
We eventually made it back to the hotel to decompress for a bit and then headed out to pick up Brian's parents and go out to dinner (Italian, again!). Dinner was really good! Afterward, we took Mike and Barb back to the Metro station, bought our passes for Sunday, and then headed to Harris Teeter to buy a few things for Sunday morning breakfast. When we got back to the hotel, I laid out everything I needed for in the morning and packed my "checked" bag for after the race.
I went to bed around 10:30 and laid there until about 11. Then I fell asleep and didn't wake up until my alarm went off at 4:50! I woke right up and got dressed. I wore black capri tights, a gold Livestrong longsleeve shirt, and a custom-made (yay, CafePress!) black t-shirt (and a bright pink headband). The t-shirt said "Breathe In, Breathe Out, Keep Running" on the front and "Laura" and "Marine Corps Marathon 10.31.2010" on the back. I purposely wanted my name on the shirt so that people could cheer for me by name (though, when I make another one, I will have my name on the front AND the back). I also wore bright red velour pants and a red snowflake sweatshirt that I bought from Goodwill over my running outfit to keep warm before the race. I discarded those (purposely hideous) clothes right before the start and the MCM people picked them up and donated them to charity.
After I got dressed I ate breakfast, which consisted of a whole wheat bagel smeared with peanut butter, a banana, and some Gatorade. I also took two Endurolyte pills, which are filled with electrolytes to help reduce cramping. (I've had calf cramping during some of my longer runs, especially when it was hot.) We left the hotel at 5:30 a.m. and Brian dropped us off at the Metro. Brian told us exactly where to go and a train arrived right as we got to the platform. We hopped on and then it dawned on us that we didn't double check that it was the right train (fortunately it was!). We rode a few stops and then got off at the Pentagon. We then had to walk about 20 minutes in the dark around the Pentagon to get to the parking lot where the Runner's Village was located; we also had to go through security at this point.
The marathon gave us a clear bag that we put a sticker on that had our bib number on it that allowed us to check our post-race clothes. We went to UPS truck no. 27 and checked our bags. The UPS drivers drove the trucks to the finish where we were able to pick up our belongings. This worked WONDERFULLY. It allowed Brian to have to bring minimal stuff with him for us (just our cell phones and wallets).
After we checked our bags, we walked to start line (at Arlington) to find our corral (you line up based on expected finish time) and we waited. When we got to the start line it was still completely dark, but fairly shortly the sun started to rise. It was BEAUTIFUL. A great sunrise on a crisp Sunday morning. (It was about 45°.) I drank another Gatorade and ate a Strawberry Yogurt Zone Perfect Bar (about 200 calories). More and more runners started arriving and eventually it was time to lineup. We heard the national anthem (I cried) and chatted with some of the people around us. Then we heard the start cannon (how bad ass is that?) and off we went.
Haha. Just kidding. There were 31,000 runners and we were probably three quarters of the way back in the start crowd, so it took us about 20 minutes to cross the start line. Dad and I walked to the start in a big mass of people, gave each other a final hug, wished each other luck, and then off we went for real!!!
I crossed the start. I was running a marathon. Holy crap, what was I thinking!?!? :-) I was SO excited. Then, I looked to the right and saw the backs of probably 15 runner guys peeing in the woods (a mere 50 yards from the start line). Sentimental personal moment over. HAHAHA. Some lady beside me commented, "That's totally just nerves!" Me, "Yup, but it sure does suck to be a girl."
The first 8 miles or so are mostly flat, but do have 3 pretty serious hills. I ran the first few hills conservatively, killed it on the downhills, and enjoyed the run. There were TONS of spectators and even more runners and lots of people shedding excess clothes.
Between miles 3 and 4, there was a big hill. I decided to walk up it and take one of my GU gels and drink some of my Gatorade/water mix (from my $1 Hello Kitty water bottle that I bought from Target). After I was fueled, I crossed a bridge that took us from Arlington into Georgetown.
Oh my goodness. There were SO many spectators in Georgetown and they were going crazy. It was incredible. It actually made me choke up to think that they were cheering for me. We turned left and headed into a wooded area that followed the Potomac. The crowds thinned out and as I was running out, other runners were heading back in---they were about 2-4 miles ahead of me. And I heard one of them shout, "HEY! LOOK AT THE TURTLES!" OMG, I thought, what a complete jackass. Who the hell says that? Usually runners are so nice. And then three guys dressed as Ninja Turtles ran past me (it was Halloween afterall). HA! The runner community was redeemed.
We made a sharp turn, ran/walked up a big hill, and headed back through Georgetown where the crowds were just as insane. The Georgetown Hoyas cheerleaders were out in full uniform and pompoms! People were BLASTING music and it was like a huge block party. There were also a lot of fraternities out cheering. Tons of great signs. One of the stores had a two story banner hanging down that said, "RUN LIKE YOU STOLE YOUR SHOES!" It was awesome and I felt GREAT. (I also abandoned my Hello Kitty water bottle in Georgetown.)
Then we started moving into downtown D.C. (running by the Watergate Hotel) and I took another gel. The crowds thinned out a bit, but there were still some good, loud spectators. I then turned my focus to Brian because I knew I'd see him at mile 10. Well, mile 10 came and no Brian and I was bummed and then I remembered he said it would be BETWEEN miles 10 and 11, so I kept looking for him and then I saw him in his BRIGHT orange Cleveland Browns shirt. He was looking for me, but didn't see me, so I screamed LEBLANC and he looked over. I slowed down to a walk and he encouraged me and told me that he had missed seeing my dad, but that he was tracking us both on his laptop and that we were doing great! It was so wonderful to see him. It really kept my spirits up. We said goodbye and I told him I'd see him at mile 16.
Then the course went out on this LONG-ASS peninsula thing that was BORING. It was gorgeous, but there weren't a ton of spectators. I crossed a water station and took another gel. After I finished my water, I remembered that I needed to take more Endurolytes, but I was 3 miles away from a water stop. So (at a risk of TMI) I sucked up as much spit as I could and swallowed each vitamin-sized, chalky pill sans water. Fortunately, I can do this really easily. I was definitely starting to get a bit tired, so I started walking and running. (The race has a 14 minute/mile pace requirement until you get to mile 20 because you have to "beat the bridge" and make it over an Interstate bridge by a certain time so that they can reopen it to traffic.) I was running at about an 11:30 pace, so I knew I could afford to walk some, though I tried to keep my pace right around 14 minutes. I'd make deals with myself like, "OK, run until you get to the next water station(or mile marker, or whatever)." I got to the half-marathon point right around 2 hours and 30 minutes and tried to figure out what my finish time could be. I knew it wouldn't be under 5 hours, but I thought under 5:30 was plausible. At the end of the peninsula, as I was turning back toward the National Mall, we saw Marine One heading toward the White House and some guy screamed, "OBAMA, I LOVE YOU MAN." I was also near this older lady who looked to be in her late 60s/early 70s. We kept passing each other as we were walking and running at different intervals. She was rocking it!
As we would go past different 5K splits, there would be a clock that was based on the gun time (remember I started 20 minutes after the gun) and then I started freaking out because I knew I had been walking and I was scared that the "beat the bridge" pace was based on the gun time and that I wasn't going to make it and not get to finish. So I really focused. I tried to run as much as I could and looked forward to seeing Brian at mile 16. When I found him, he was with his parents and there was a HUGE crowd of people. So I stopped and talked to them for about a minute. They told me that my dad was about 5 minutes ahead of me and was looking good. Then off I went!
At this point, I was running around the National Mall and I swear to y'all we passed that dang Washington Monument 11ty-billion times. Miles 16-20 took FOREVER as I alternated between walking and jogging. The crowds were great, but I didn't think it would ever end and I was so focused on that damn bridge time that I really didn't enjoy the sights. At each water stop, I'd take a Powerade cup and two water cups and take a gel. I also took two more Endurolytes. I also saw some lady bawling at one point and screaming "I CAN'T GO ON!" and her husband (who was pacing her) was trying to encourage her. I felt really bad for her. I ran pretty solidly from mile 18 to mile 19 and then ran/walked to mile 20 (I knew this point that I was going to make the bridge).
When the bridge started there was a huge sign that said, "THIS BRIDGE IS YOUR BITCH!" and that made me laugh out loud. I also cheered for myself and everyone else. I KNEW at this point that I was going to finish. My left hip hurt and my feet were on fire, but I knew I was going to finish. The bridge took about 2 miles and pretty much never seemed to end. And, I'm not going to like y'all, I knew I was going to finish, so I pretty much walked that whole bridge. I may have jogged for maybe 3 minutes total. Everyone else was walking too. There was no energy and no spectators (it's literally an Interstate HOV bridge) with Interstate traffic on each side.
When the bridge ended, we were in Crystal City and there was a two mile out and back. And this part also took a very long time and it was frustrating on the "out" b/c you could see all the people ahead of you coming "back." The one thing that really kept me going was that I knew I should see my dad because he was ahead of me. There were good crowds here. Finally, I saw my dad and he saw me at the exact same time. We were so happy to see each other. It was awesome. We KNEW we were both going to finish and that was the most important thing. I gave him a quick hug and when I lifted up to hug him my left calf started cramping. We said goodbye and I popped some more Endurolytes (sans water) and continued onward. The "back" portion was a lot more fun because I was able to see all of the people behind me.
I got to the mile 24 marker and water stop and had to decide if I could make it in under 5:30. I did some mental math and knew that I'd have to run the rest of the way at an 11 min/mile pace. I probably could have done it, but I didn't have enough will. I think somewhere back on that bridge, I had subconsciously decided that finishing was enough for me that day and time wasn't important. So, I continued walking and jogging. I should also point out that the course is measured on straight lines at the shortest distance you could possibly run, so because of all the people and the weaving you have to do, I actually ran 26.4 miles (dad actually ran 26.6!). As I got to the last 0.5-0.75 of a mile I busted ass until I hit 26.2 on my Garmin and then I hit stop. Then I walked for a few seconds and came into the entrance of Arlington, which is a big hill and is the last .2 miles of the race. There were tons of crowds and bleachers set up at the finish. There was also a Comcast video camera filming people on a HUGE screen. I summoned all my energy, ran as hard as I could, and crossed the finish.
I was smiling, I was happy, and I WAS DONE. And I saw my dad waiting.
I was given a foil blanket to help keep warm and we walked through a finisher chute where a Marine put a finisher medal around my neck and we went up to the Marine War Memorial where we got our finisher photos made. We took a picture separately and then one together. We walked over to the grass, sat down, and did some stretching. We walked toward the Finish Festival and saw Brian and his parents, all the while deconstructing the race.
At the Finish Festival we picked up our checked bags and went into a building lobby to change.
**DISCLAIMER: If you're easily nauseated by blood, etc., skip this next paragraph.**
I took off my shoes and socks and holy moly did my feet look bad. Fortunately for y'all, I didn't take a picture (I thought Brian was going to puke.) I had 4 blisters, two of of which were the size of a quarter (and one of those was filled with water and blood). My two "index" toes were in bad, bad shape. They had blood blisters all over them and the two toenails had completely worked themselves loose. One is now completely dislocated from my toe bed (held in only by a blister at the top) and the other one will fall out at any time. Both will be gone very soon. (Don't worry, I'm taking good care of everything and keeping it wrapped up.) The blisters are all almost healed, but the toes are still quite painful.
**DISCLAIMER OVER**
After changing, we walked around a bit and saw the seriously long line for the Metro (a block and a half long). We decided to grab something to eat at the festival and dad wanted to do some shopping, so Brian and I camped out on a bench. After about an hour, the Metro lines thinned out and we headed back to the hotel. We each took a long bath and then went out to dinner at a place called Hops (interestingly, I wasn't too hungry), but my meal was delicious. We also went to Baskin Robbins for ice cream!
Monday morning we slept in, ate breakfast in the hotel, and then headed home, stopping in Richmond at the Cracker Barrel. YUM!
Final Thoughts
This race was incredible. The coolest thing I've ever done. We're definitely planning to run it again next year! Now that we know what to expect and all of the logistics involved, dad and I know exactly what we need to do to train (hill workouts and speed runs!). We also both need to lose more weight. I HAVE to lose at least 25 lbs. before I'll be at a really good weight for running.
The United States Marine Corps is awesome. This race was so well organized. The water stations were well-manned and never empty. The Marines were so encouraging, as were all the spectators. It was amazing to have a Marine tell you how inspirational you were or how great you were doing.
It's amazing how many different types of people I saw running the race. Many different shapes, sizes, and ages. And lots of people running for charity or for fallen or active duty military. My dad even saw a lady with a shirt that said, "10/15/2010: Finished Chemo; 10/31/2010: Running Marine Corps Marathon." This race was a true testament of the human spirit and what the body can do!
It sucks to be a girl. Guys just peeled off at will during the race and peed wherever they wanted! Some girls did too, but I figured that I would pee all over myself! I was so worried about my time during the first 20 miles that I wasn't going to stop until I crossed the bridge (all of the portapotty lines were long!). When I got done with the bridge, I just had 4.2 miles left, so I figured I'd just hold it. At the end, it wasn't easy to find a portapotty so I ended up waiting until about 1.5 hours after I finished before I found a bathroom. So I didn't pee from 7:15 a.m. until about 3 p.m. and I drank A LOT of water and Propel. Pretty crazy!
Brian was incredible. He drove us around all day Saturday, spent all day Sunday on his feet cheering and tracking us, and then drove us home on Monday. It really helped to have him there. He was an A#1 crew member.
It was so very nice of Mike and Barb to come up and cheer for us. They also had to do a lot of walking and waiting on Sunday and it really meant a lot. They were excellent cheerleaders and so supportive!
The professional photographers on the course were everywhere! I'll have lots of pictures to post when I'm able to download them!!
I pretty much was a hobbling mess the rest of Sunday, all day Monday, and all day Tuesday. Today, my quads are still sore, but I can walk normally. My toes are definitely still sore and I won't be able to run until they heal a bit more. I'm hoping to take a short walk tomorrow.
Final Numbers
Gun Time: 5:54:53 | Chip Time: 5:37:01 | Garmin 26.2 Time: 5:33:46
Garmin Stats: http://bit.ly/dq4S3r
I can't wait until next year! I will be ready to rock out a strong PR!
