Thursday, March 24, 2011

I kinda BQ'd

Wow!  Has it really been since December that I last wrote about my running adventures?  Clearly my mind
has been in another place.  I've been running, I swear!  Writing?  Not so much.  Let's see if I can remember how to do both...

After running the Springfield Marathon, I was ampted to try and run a marathon that actually had crowd support and a real expo (not a rack of clothes and a free pencil).  I was determined to make sure all my ducks were in a row for this marathon.  I trained well with only a one-week sideline of major illness.  I made sure I logged in a 20 and 22 miler. I ran longer runs at race pace. I cut out alcohol for an entire week, and the most crucial piece was to employ my dear friend and coach Christian to pace me through my 3rd marathon.

After his return from a stress fracture, Coach Christian (CC) ran my last few long runs with me in preparation for my much-anticipated marathon.  He got me though an easy 22, he pushed me through the difficult last 5 miles of a 17-miler, and pace-ran a 13 mile taper run.  He had higher ambitions for me than I did; he thought I could run a marathon at an 8:10 pace.  I only needed an 8:23 to qualify for Boston; I had my doubts.

CC hooked us up with a sweet condo in Williamsburg and drove the whole way.  Already my coach had gone above and beyond the call of duty.  He even bought dinner!  We were all shocked to learn that instead of my own bedroom in the condo, I got an entire condo to myself!  That evening I treated myself to a cannoli in a gigantic whirlpool bathtub--just what an aspiring BQ-er needs!

The next day we awoke at 4 am to prep for the hour drive to Virginia Beach.  Vicky, CC's wife, was running the half marathon and needed to be there by 6:15.  We arrived with little traffic issues, dropped Vicky off at the bag check, and part ways.  CC and I headed over closer to our own start and miraculously (or illegally) snagged a parking spot in the Ramada parking lot.  Turns out this spot was only a block away from our start.  After we park, we realized the start balloon had been inflated at one end of the street had been barricaded by the VA police at the other end in lieu of the race.  If we had been minutes later, this parking spot would have been unreachable.

After three trips into the Hampton Inn for bathroom usage with doors clearly marked "NOT for public use, Hampton patrons ONLY", we headed to the car to lube up, strip down, and send last minute text messages to our friends and supporters.

CC and I headed out to warm up.  CC likes to run sans shirt, so he received many sideways glances in the wind-chilled sub 40 degree temps.  "Are you going to be embarrassed to run with me," he asks.  "No, it'll be more entertaining, Naked Man." He may be naked man to others but he's just Christian to me.

After a delayed start and a last minute decision to divide us into waves, we start the race around 8:17. We started the race with Kevin Hewitt pacing a friend with similar goals.  Kevin immediately made a bee-line for the porta pots after the race started.  Pumped with race adrenaline, CC followed Kevin and banged on the door of the porta pot.  "HEY MAN, LET ME IN!!!" he shouts just after Kevin runs in...too funny!  Hey, that's how we roll.

By mile 7-8 I am cruising at an 8:00 pace feeling like its a 10:30.  Things are going well.  We run through a military camp and I am in good spirits high-fiving all the troops.  Music is playing and I am just along for the ride. CC is wearing all the stats: pace, distance, elapsed time, all I have to do is follow him, he'll do the rest.

My friend and neighbor, Amber, joins us around this point.  CC has now adopted another runner to pull through.  To distract us, CC tells us stories of his crazy past.  It's hard to believe such a wholesome fella could have done such wild and dangerous things; it just goes to show that my theory is correct: Runners are insane, we run to keep ourselves tame.

We see Vicky at mile 13, then we see Michael Wardian sprint by shortly after headed into the home stretch, now we head into a lonely stretch of the run.  Still, I am in good company w/ CC and Amber.  We meet a pack of Erin's.  Our bibs have our names on them, so I get to hear over and over, 'Go Erin!'. Things are going well as we push all the way through to mile 20.

Even at 22 I am still feeling optimistic though tired.  It isn't long after that, though I feel extreme fatigue set in.  Amber is still running strong, she even downs a beer. Slowly, but surely Amber increases the gap.  Christian senses me pulling back.  Using his overly encouraging tone, he tries to push me back into our original pace.  All I want to do is punch him in the face, if only I had the energy..and could catch him!  He skips, and runs backwards trying to bring me back to the land of the marathoning aware.  All I want is this race to be over.

'Where is that F-ing boardwalk!', I think to myself.  Once I hit it, I plan to take off with everything I have. "I'm going to throw these F-ing shoes in the trash!", I pant out. "Lets get this race over and you can throw those shoes away," says CC.  We round a corner, CC pumps up the crowd so that hopefully they will inspire me to push on through.

Finally, we hit the boardwalk.  What?!  Did they want us to run the entire length of it?  I don't even see the finish line, I find an ounce of energy to pick it up somewhat, but not kill it just yet.  How much further do I have? "We have 4/10ths of a mile", CC informs me."C'mon!"

I finally see the finish line balloon off in the distance.  "Get behind me!" I summon up to words to shout to CC.  He catches on and falls into line.  "Move that beautiful behind!  C'mon Erin, bring it in!  Let's see what you got! Move it!" He shouts as I pick up speed.

The girl Kevin was pacing was pushing for a 3:29.  We leap-frogged the duo throughout the entire race.  Even though I only anticipated getting under a 3:40 we were ahead of Kevin and 'his girl'. "Kevin's girl is going to catch us!", CC shouts from behind.  That's all the motivation I needed.  As soon as I heard that I gave it all I had left.  I sprinted past cheering spectators, I heard Vicky's excited voice as I zipped by.  I was booking it in amazed I had anything left.  I wanted it to be over!


3:35:27-Yes, I qualified for Boston...but will I make it in?  Due to last years mad rush for race registration resulting in an record-breaking 8 hour fill, the BAA (Boston Athletic Association) had to revamp its rules to accommodate the coming years of race registry. The announcement of this predicament was made after I finished the Springfield marathon in November, AFTER I registered for the Shamrock Marathon in December but BEFORE I ran Shamrock.

I threw my hands up upon announcement of the new rolling entry rules. Even if you meet your qualifying time for your gender/age group there is still a staggered registration based on your qualifying time.  If you run 20 minutes under your qualifying time, you will be allowed first entry.  It then tapers back to 10 minutes two days later, then five and finally the actual required time to qualify-in my case 3:40.  Now...because I am 27 seconds over 3:35 I will be lumped in w/ the 3:40s so therefore I have just as much chance of getting in as anybody else even though I beat the standard by almost five minutes.  Let me repeat that...ALMOST!

CC was tracking our progress via Garmin.  We ran 26.4 miles (courses always measure long on a Garmin; USATF always cut the tangents when measuring a course to ensure the impossibility of running LESS than 26.2).  We maintained an 8:09 pace on average.  I am beyond thrilled that this was even possible for me.  I had days when breaking a 10 minute mile was a huge feat and never did I think this day would come.

If I get into Boston for 2012 or not, I am so happy with my race performance.  I ran that entire thing w/o stopping once.  CC was an amazing pacer; he was right on the money the entire time.  He knew what I was capable of even if I had my doubts.  He pulled me through and helped me fulfill and even push beyond my goal.  He is an incredible friend and I highly recommend him to anyone in need of an inspiring coach and mentor.

Thanks CC!!!