2008 Austin Marathon Race Report

The race started out with a long bathroom line, and then jogging to the Rogue tent to try and find my running partners Amy and Robyn. No one was there, so I decided to head for the chute in hopes that I would find them during the start. So the race started kind of rough, like last year I didn’t feel like I was about to run a marathon. I heard the gun go off, and through a thick haze of gun powder we were off.

During the first half mile I was a little depressed that I hadn’t found Amy or Robyn, but then a little into the first mile I heard someone calling my name, and found them right behind me. I felt a lot better after that. The trek up Congress felt really good (besides the black lung I had contracted going over Congress), and my muscles were very loose. We made the turn on Lightsey, then over the small hump onto 1^st street. At 1^st street I felt my heart-rate skyrocket, and I started sweating a lot and got concerned. All of the taper runs were pretty bad after 3M, and I started to feel about as bad as I did the week before. I shed my throwaway tech shirt and gloves at that point and felt better. I caught up to Andrea and wished her good luck. I took my first GU at the Runtex waterstop at mile 5. I was pretty tired at that point, and figured that this was going to be a difficult marathon, but still tried to think happy thoughts.

My mantras were:

“You are strong, your body will stop lying soon”

“I feel great, you can do this”

“Think happy thoughts”

During 3M I had to make a pit stop which I preventing me from breaking 2 hours, and after that was nervous I would need to stop during the marathon. So I decided if I needed to go I would go early near Lyons golf course. On LAB I left Robyn and Amy and stopped, intending to catch up later (I would regret this later). I got out of the woods and couldn’t see Amy or Robyn at all. I made the turn onto Enfield, and realized I hadn’t taken my second GU, I kept thinking where the heck is the waterstop. I found a waterstop and took my second GU. I caught up to Robyn who told me Amy was just up ahead (or something like that). So I wished her my best and continued on. Running the 22 miler with them, most at MGP, was so easy that I felt that I needed to catch up to Amy. I saw Amy on some of the hills and felt I could catch up. I passed Matt, Amy’s husband, about half way up Exposition, who encouraged me not to take that from his wife. So I sped up, probably a little too fast over the hills. The hills were pretty much a blip (thanks to Karen).

I made it over Mopac, still within sight of my rabbit, and continued probably a little too fast. Great Northern then came up, and I just aimed for the overpass, and Foster. The turn onto Foster, into the sun which was brutal. It was getting a lot hotter then I expected it. I saw Amy Wolf, one of my coworkers, around Northcross mall, I think, and I think I said Hi. I also saw my mother-in-law and tried to pose for a picture. Unfortunately at this point, probably mile 17, I started to feel pretty bad. At mile 17 and 18 I started to take stock of what was working:

1. I wasn’t dizzy.
2. I could keep gu’s and water down which meant my electrolytes were ok.
3. The pain in my right foot had gone away.

My main problems were energy and general depression. I told myself that I was just hitting the wall. I stopped believing my first mantra, and kept repeating my second one over and over again. At this point I just had an incredible erge to stop and go to sleep, but I made a deal with myself. I had to run, but I could walk longer through the waterstops. I was scared to start walking because I didn’t think I would start running again. I was aiming at the Rogue water stop and my friend Leslie at this point.

I got to the Rogue waterstop, and saw Amy right in front of me running with Dee. I got water, did my last gu, and tried to catch up to Amy. I tried to think of something witty, and started to calculate how many miles it took to catch up to her but it was hard. I finally caught up to her, then tried to run with her. She said something like “I’m starting to slow my pace”, and I told her that she wasn’t. I was worried that maybe she thought she was slowing because I caught up, but I think I was just going too fast. Amy then noticed Lorrie in the distance, and told me to prepare for the onslaught. I realized I was with Amy, and went “oh shit”. Lorrie then let it rip, yelling something about not stopping, or something. We ran together for a little bit, but she was going very strong at this point (even waving to other people) and I could barley hold the water cups. I then started to slow down, and didn’t have the energy to tell her I was slowing down. As she disappeared into the distance, I felt like I had given it everything I had. From 20 miles on I was in survival mode. All I wanted to do was stop running. The ending felt so far away, but I knew it would eventually come and feel really good. I got to the “Avenues” and stared at the ground as I told myself I wouldn’t count them down like I did last year. I got to Red River, and remembered that we would have to turn onto Duval soon. I got to the waterstop before the big hill and walked part way up the hill drinking water then started running again.

I got to Duval and told my self “all you have to do is fall down this hill”, so I just pointed everything forward and allowed gravity to get me down it. I got into campus and tried to just think of anything else besides running, I thought about the renovations to the stadium, about the sky. I got out of campus, then onto Trinity and saw “The Hill” on San Jacinto. I had been dreading that since I hit the wall, “how the hell was I going to get over this thing?”. I just stared at the ground and just let it happen. I kept thinking “Just get over this freaking thing, and it’s all over”. I got over the hill, then made the right turn onto 11^th street, and saw cool shade and a head wind. It felt so good, and all of a sudden I felt tons better.

I saw all of the people and looked around trying to saver the moment. I was almost done, the finish line was in sight. I started looking for my parents, then felt the most incredible muscle paint I had ever felt in my right calf. My right leg stopped working and I nearly collapsed. I got back up, and my leg still wasn’t working and was in pain, so I started hopping. The crowd started to roar, and I got the adrenaline burst to get myself across the finish line. I WAS FINISHED!

I got my medal, and still dragging my leg made it into the chute. Luckily my leg cramp went away, and I started walking again. I saw Amy, Lorrie, and Mary at the finish line, and let out some sort of yell and I felt fantastic. My dad John met me at the gate with some concern, and I told him I was fine that it was just a muscle cramp.

I think Amy asked me what time I did and I looked down and saw 4:20. I had stopped my watch at the finish but hadn’t looked at it yet. I was thrilled, I thought I had lost a lot more time, and I had a 16 minute PR.

Later the second stage of my marathon began the recovery. I was able to eat soup at the marathon and a full meal at Spaghetti warehouse with Andrea and my family. I drank a Red Bull on the way home, cleaned up, and we were able to go to the post-marathon party that night, which I think was a tremendous accomplishment. I had 2 beers, then hit the wall and decided I needed to go back home, and my day was over.

Thanks to everyone who came out and cheered us on, I couldn’t have made it through without that support.

I missed a lot of mile markers but here are my splits from my Garmin

Mile 1: 10:19

Mile 2: 9:51

Mile 3,4: 9:12/mi

Mile 5,6: 9:17/mi

Mile 7: 9:26

Mile 8,9,10: 9:47/mi

Mile 11.12.13: 9:18/mi

Mile 14: 9:26

Mile 15: 9:28

Mile 16: 9:40

Mile 17: 9:31

Mile 18: 9:58 (Hit the wall HARD)

Mile 19: 9:34

Mile 20: 9:42

Mile 21: 9:43

Mile 22: 10:30

Mile 23: 10:51

Mile 24: 11:54

Mile 25: 11:09

Mile 26.2: 11:13/mi