(click to enlarge)
Pre-Race
6:00 a.m. Wake up, make coffee, make toast (one slice w/ butter & jelly, one slice with peanut butter). Run around frantically.
6:30 a.m. Drop luggage in Hoobaru for my parents (who are flying in just to see me run, then flying out with me in the evening) to pick up and put my keys back in my apartment.
6:45 a.m. Arrive at Ting's to carpool down to Framingham Service Plaza with Jenn B. and Maria.
7:11 a.m. Arrive at Framingham Service Plaza. Chat with other runners and spectators. Order a small coffee and hash browns from McDonald's to surprised looks from other runners. Get comment "maybe I should order a Big Mac." Consume said food. Observe Chad's Captain America costume in amazement and envy his Gu/camera-holding shield. Start plotting to qualify for Boston by age 30 and celebrate by running it as Catwoman. Take group pictures outside.
7:45 a.m. Leave for Hopkinton State Park. Take school bus to Athlete's Village. On bus, open tupperware with remaining toast and start eating it. Get comment "you have the most interesting pre-race food." Fidget nervously. Walk to Athlete's Village with Maria.
8:30 a.m. Pee at first bank of port-a-potties we see. Fellow line patron notices Army Ten Miler shirt and asks if I'm from D.C. Realize that line patron lives about 2 miles from my parents. Wish him a good race and pee. Obtain water, gatorade, and free shoelaces. Wander among 26,000 fidgety runners. Stretch and wish I brought Cosmo and Glamour for brainless mind-candy reading.
9:45 a.m. Get in line for port-a-potties again. Realize that chugging a water bottle full of Gatorade is a bad idea. Get flashbacks to Foxfields of years past and wonder why sober marathoners can't pee faster than sunburned college girls in sundresses. Wish there was a trough for all the men to pee in. Make friends with fellow line patrons.
10:15 a.m. Finally head out to the start line. Shed sweatpants and require help from volunteer to take them off my legs. Keep wandering down the hill toward the start. Freak out at possibility of ChampionChip malfunction.
10:26 a.m. Meet the real joggler. Tweet about meeting the real joggler.
10:30 a.m. Make final adjustments to tutu by safety pinning Gu to various points around its circumference. Take off Army Ten Miler shirt and bid it adieu.
10:36 a.m. And we're off! Cross the start line.
The Race, during which time switches to mile markers
Mile 1-4: Am stressed-out pony. Too stressed to notice scenery, but not stressed enough to notice that time is few seconds off goal pace for 4:30:00. A port-a-potty friend recognizes me and passes me like a gazelle. Splits: 10:23, 10:20, 10:34, 10:22
Mile 4ish: Pee behind tree at Ashland water stop, copying many other women. Feel less stressed.
Miles 5-9: Parents and babies shriek things like "look,a princess!" "a tutu lady!" and "blaerlkajgagh!!!" (tiny toddler whom I high-five). Splits: 11:04, 10:02. 10:17, 10:25, 10:18
Miles 10-13: Go from feeling good (mentally and physically) to feeling not-so-good. Splits: 10:14, 10:27, 10:22, 10:59
Mile 13.1 Wish JTT were here to sing Livin' on a Prayer. Sing it in my head. Split: 2:16. Now must run 2:14 for the next half to get goal. Can I do it?
Miles 14-15: Run through Wellesley and contemplate taking up offers of free kisses. Feel a bit like Justin Timberlake or Hannah Montana from all the screaming. Start making countdown until I can see parents at Woodland T/Newton Fire Station. Splits: 10:39, 10:11
Mile 16: Wait in frustration at port-a-potty because there is no tree to pee behind. Wail at wasting four minutes in the line. Split: 14:00
Mile 17: See my parents and wave happily at them. Spirits perk up at sight of "Run Kristina Run" sign and jubilant parents. Hug them and scoot on. Split: 10:55
Miles 18-19: Comm Ave to the John Kelly statue pass in a blur. Declare love for medic who hands me two giant Tylenol. Splits: 10:40, 10:39
Mile 20: See friends Alett and Krista handing out beer. Have a cup of beer. Get picture taken. Have jelly beans. Realize that Heartbreak Hill is coming. Oops. Split: 10:56
(this is me passing Alett)Mile 22: Ah, Cleveland Circle feels so lovely. The urge to stop and buy food is getting strong. Headwinds are now unbearable. Don't see parents, but see crowded T cars go by. Boston College kids create Wellesley-esque high-fiving line and scream "TU-TU! TU-TU!" Feel like bishop or football team. See Manny jump out of a more-sober BC crowd. Yay HGSE! Split: 10:29
Mile 23: See CRC folks at 1753 Beacon. Leap with joy at more familiar faces who cheer me by my name and not Tutu. Get picture taken and some inspiration to scoot. Now hopeful about the next three miles. Split: 10:44
Mile 24: Pass through Coolidge Corner. See Rebecca and her kids on the sidelines. Yay for more fellow HGSE alums! Split: 10:06
Mile 25: Start heading into Kenmore territory. Citgo sign taunts me, inspiring delirious daydreams of Fenway franks on a hot summer day. Encouraging comments from passerby counteract the demoralizing effects of the wind. See Lizzy and high-five her. Yay JQUS! Split: 11:06
Mile 26: Mom sees me from Newbury Street while Dad searches for bathroom (which I find out later). Driven by delirium, drag self up the dip under Mass Ave to Hereford Street. See Rachel and get pumped once again for the turn from Hereford to Boylston, which is almost as beautiful as the last surge uphill at Marine Corps (yes, I probably committed blasphemy with that statement). The blue finish line banner looms through a blur of faces, screams, and cowbells as I push through the final headwinds to the very end.
3:22 p.m. Cross the finish line in 4:41:07! PR by three minutes!
What I'd Do Differently, Stream of Consciousness Version
Not pee. Just kidding (peeing during the race probably indicates that I was hydrated enough). Actually *do* a 20-miler prior to the marathon. Schedule my part-time job so that I could have participated in CRC long runs. Put my name on my singlet. Wear different shorts under my tutu (the RaceReady shorts were a tiny bit too big due to a slight weight loss). Bring a trash bag and magazines to Hopkinton. Get up 15 minutes earlier. Not fly out the same day. Not worry about my parents having a fun time--they did. Get a new pair of shoes. Wear arm warmers and perhaps short tights. Carry more Advil with me. Sleep more. Taper properly. Lift and cross-train.
Overall
With all the pre-race hype, Boston felt like the Super Bowl. I'd begun to imagine it as a fun jaunt through the Massachusetts countryside and thus felt confused when it hurt--note to self: 26.2 miles is *always* going to hurt! And hurt it did. Heartbreak Hill (the entire series of 3) chewed me up and spat me out, but thankfully I didn't hit the wall after it. It didn't hurt as badly as my first marathon, likely because of better training and better common sense (see also: dressing in winter running clothes for a 70 degree day for MCM '05).
The crowd support was amazing in ways I did not expect. Wellesley and BC were the biggest crowd energizers, and the individual familiar faces kept me going. The CRC support (long runs, pasta party, carpooling, advice, etc) helped so much--I don't know how I did a marathon without any of that. I'm now inspired to qualify by the time I turn 30...an hour-reduction by Nov. 4, 2010? Hell yeah!
1 comment:
awesome race report! i love it! congrats on a great race!
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