The S.O.’s Marine Corps Marathon Race Report (AKA “Medical Tent Stop #3)
I’m working on being more positive and now being a race organizer I’ve made an effort to be more “forgiving” for certain issues that can arise for races. In order to stay positive I will have to skip what I call the “Packet Pickup Debacle of 2013” and get right to the race. I also have to skip the section on getting to the race that morning.
So here we are at the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon start line. I have a plan. I have a pace chart, I have perfect weather, I have two pairs of gloves, two beanies, two hand warmers, one hoodie, and an iPod with approximately three hours and twenty minutes of music on it. I was able to easily access the three hour to 3:20 group start and the cannon shot and we were off!
Mile 1 – 7:36 Damn I feel good. I was supposed to run 7:50, but there was a downhill and it’s ok. I’m just getting loose.
Mile 2 – 7:51 Perfect. Now I’m on pace.
2.5 – Wow, finally an aid station, I need some Gatorade and water.
Mile 3 – 7:33 Ok, another easy mile, I’m ahead of pace but better ease off a bit.
3.5 – GU #2 downy the hatch!
Mile 4 – 6:59 I swear, it’s not my fault, this was mostly down hill the whole time. I tried running slow I promise.
4.8 – Wow, this aid station was another 2+ miles away. Maybe I should have read a map.
Mile 5 – 7:22 Ok, I’m a little fast but it feels fine, and I just saw the 3:15 pace group coming the other direction. I wonder if I can catch them.
Mile 6 – 7:06 I guess its ok that I picked it up a little, that 3:15 pace group is down the road. I see the sign.
6.5 – Ok i’m taking both Gatorade and water now.
Mile 7 – 7:24 getting settled in.
Mile 8 – 7:14 The 3:15 pace group is now behind me. I wonder if I can go catch that 3:05 pace group. I feel good. Let’s go get a BQ.
8.5 – G#3 Down the hatch! Water and Gatorade again.
Mile 9 – 7:18 Why don’t I feel as good as I did at mile 3? No biggy, I’ll hang on.
Mile 10 – 7:15
10.5 – More Gatorade and water.
Mile 11 – 7:09
Mile 12 – 7:11 – I’m not feeling very good. I better just slow down and not worry about that BQ of 3:09 and get focused on 3:15 – 3:20.
Mile 13 – 7:29 – Wow, that was still fast, I was trying to slow down to 7:39-7:50. That’s ok. I’ll take my foot off the gas a little more.
13.3 – Wow, this water was far.. more Gatorade and water.
13.5 – GU #4
Mile 14 – 7:35 – Ok, need to slow down a little more please. Maybe I should do a few 8 min miles?
Mile 15 – 7:44 – Better on pace, but wow I feel crappy. Just hold on and do another at 8.
15.8 – 2 cups of Gatorade and 1 water cup.
Mile 16 – 7:53 – Correct Pace, wrong feeling. HTF am I going to do 10 more miles? (the 3:15 pace group passed me, well that was a nice thought).
Mile 17 – 8:00 – Ok, let’s see if I can just do 3 miles at 8. That seems easy right?
17.5 – 2 cups of Gatorade and 1 water cup
Mile 18 – 8:57 – I walked for a full minute and stopped and stretched which carried into mile 19. I think.
18.5 – Gu #5
Mile 19 – 9:52 – The wheels have officially fallen off. My nipples are chaffed because I never run in shirts. Thankfully someone gave me some Vaseline, but its so cold outside its not spreading well.
19.2 – 2 cups of Gatorade and 1 water cup (I don’t remember any water stops after this).
Mile 20 – 9:12 – Wow, 2 miles over nine. Looks like my 3:20 is going to tun into a 3:25 – 3:30.
Mile 21 – 9:48 – WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP WALKING!? I DON’T UNDERSTAND
Mile 22 – 11:08 – WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME? OK, figure out how to just jog and get let’s not get in slower than 3:30.
Mile 23 – 10:25 – %%$(##@!
Mile 24 – 10:20 – It’s only 2 more miles right? Right legs?
Mile 25 – 11:47 – Where am I? Oh there is a port potty, %$K it, I’m stopping in there. OMG I’m nauseated, that can’t be good.
Mile 26 – 11:42 – OMG..am I walking up the hill at the finisher chute?
Mile 26.2 – 3:46.11 (my garmin said 26.57) – I think I’m going to die.
Mile 27 – WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP Walking!?
Mile 27.5 ish… Hello Medical Tent. I”m just going to lay here right next to you in the sun.
Medic: “Do you need help sir?”
Me: “Sh%*t, here we go again”
Cringe.
Ouch.
🙁
"Houston, we've had a problem"
Hope all is well now…
great telling of a familiar to me story.
I'm sure not to you, but to me, the reader, that was highly entertaining. Sounds rough though! 🙁
Hilarious and sad all rolled into one. 🙁