I'm still processing Sunday's race. I'm trying to figure out how it happened - how do you go from running 26.2 miles in 3 hours and 44 minutes to in just over 3 and a half hours? What was it that pushed me to accomplishing this major goal? How did I cruise for so long without feeling sick, anxious, pained, tired?
There's probably a number of reasons contributing to success. First, this was, after all my 10th marathon. There has to be something said for running so many of these - I'm used to the starting line, used to water stations, used to working my way through crowds, used to pace groups, used to cheering crowds. I have my race shirt with my name on it. I know how many GUs I should eat. I know that if I drink gatorade at every aid station, I'll feel sick and so I have to alternate with water. So of course having previous experience helped.
I also started doing more stretching and massage therapy, something that I really haven't done too much of. I started doing yoga more seriously a while ago and I'm sure that contributed to my breaking 4 hours. Maybe more stretching and massages helped me not feel too sore 24 miles in? Maybe the stretching is strengthening muscles that I wasn't working before? I'm not sure and I don't want to assign 100% credit to stretching just yet. Let's see how I'm doing after a few more months.
The week before the race, I tried really hard to eat well. I didn't eat a lot of carbs, so that I could carbo-load the day before the race. I ate a pint of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries every morning for a week. I know that a lot of berries have anti-inflammatory properties and of course, they're just plain good for you. Did that necessarily help me cut 30 seconds off my pace time? I can't say for sure, but I do know that I'll be eating a lot more berries in the future. On the day before race day, I ate carbs but didn't go crazy - an english muffin and raisin bran for breakfast, a SMALL bowl of pasta with bread and salad for lunch, and my burrito for dinner of course. It was lots of carbs but not so much food that I felt gross. I drank a lot of water, but didn't feel bloated on race day.
And of course, I have to give a lot of credit to the Flying Pig Marathon. It is such a well-organized race. The volunteers are fabulous, there are water stops at EVERY MILE, the crowds are everywhere. The course isn't too crowded and the pace groups were friendly and fun. It is somehow my favorite race, which is surprising considering that I never thought I would go to Ohio, let alone go several years in a row.
There are a lot of contributing factors to my qualifying for Boston. I have a wonderful support system of family and loved ones. I have a mom who works at a running store and who can send me cool running gear. But now my question is - what next? What are my long term running goals?
It would make sense to turn to 50 and 100 mile races. Conquering a new distance would be a logical next step. However, I'm not sure if I'll ever be a serious ultra-marathoner. As much as I enjoy the 24 hour races, I think my distance is the marathon. I love the big marathons and the small marathons. I'm a big fan of the distance - it just works for me.
I want to run the Boston marathon. But it's looking more and more like there's no possible way that I could get in for 2014. Runners are all alike - we all want to be there for 2014. I anticipate that Boston will sell out with the runners who have qualified with 15, 10 minutes to spare (not 3). But if I can't do Boston, what can I do?
Perhaps New York. The NYC marathon has even stricter qualifying times than Boston. For Boston, I need 3:35:00. For NYC, I would need to run in 3:10:00 or less. (For Boston times click here. For NYC click here). So maybe a new qualifying time is a goal? That would certainly take me quite a few more marathons to do. I've come to the realization that doing well in marathons isn't something that happens overnight. It's a process that takes years and years, which is a good thing since I plan on running for the rest of my life.
Maybe I'll become a pacer. Maybe I'll lead runners in marathons to their goal. Or maybe I'll become a pacer for visually impaired runners. Achilles International is a foundation that I would love to work with one day.
Who knows what will be next? For now, I have to make it through the 24 hour race and then see if I can get into Boston when registration opens in September. One step at a time, just like running a marathon.
There's probably a number of reasons contributing to success. First, this was, after all my 10th marathon. There has to be something said for running so many of these - I'm used to the starting line, used to water stations, used to working my way through crowds, used to pace groups, used to cheering crowds. I have my race shirt with my name on it. I know how many GUs I should eat. I know that if I drink gatorade at every aid station, I'll feel sick and so I have to alternate with water. So of course having previous experience helped.
I also started doing more stretching and massage therapy, something that I really haven't done too much of. I started doing yoga more seriously a while ago and I'm sure that contributed to my breaking 4 hours. Maybe more stretching and massages helped me not feel too sore 24 miles in? Maybe the stretching is strengthening muscles that I wasn't working before? I'm not sure and I don't want to assign 100% credit to stretching just yet. Let's see how I'm doing after a few more months.
The week before the race, I tried really hard to eat well. I didn't eat a lot of carbs, so that I could carbo-load the day before the race. I ate a pint of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries every morning for a week. I know that a lot of berries have anti-inflammatory properties and of course, they're just plain good for you. Did that necessarily help me cut 30 seconds off my pace time? I can't say for sure, but I do know that I'll be eating a lot more berries in the future. On the day before race day, I ate carbs but didn't go crazy - an english muffin and raisin bran for breakfast, a SMALL bowl of pasta with bread and salad for lunch, and my burrito for dinner of course. It was lots of carbs but not so much food that I felt gross. I drank a lot of water, but didn't feel bloated on race day.
And of course, I have to give a lot of credit to the Flying Pig Marathon. It is such a well-organized race. The volunteers are fabulous, there are water stops at EVERY MILE, the crowds are everywhere. The course isn't too crowded and the pace groups were friendly and fun. It is somehow my favorite race, which is surprising considering that I never thought I would go to Ohio, let alone go several years in a row.
There are a lot of contributing factors to my qualifying for Boston. I have a wonderful support system of family and loved ones. I have a mom who works at a running store and who can send me cool running gear. But now my question is - what next? What are my long term running goals?
It would make sense to turn to 50 and 100 mile races. Conquering a new distance would be a logical next step. However, I'm not sure if I'll ever be a serious ultra-marathoner. As much as I enjoy the 24 hour races, I think my distance is the marathon. I love the big marathons and the small marathons. I'm a big fan of the distance - it just works for me.
I want to run the Boston marathon. But it's looking more and more like there's no possible way that I could get in for 2014. Runners are all alike - we all want to be there for 2014. I anticipate that Boston will sell out with the runners who have qualified with 15, 10 minutes to spare (not 3). But if I can't do Boston, what can I do?
Perhaps New York. The NYC marathon has even stricter qualifying times than Boston. For Boston, I need 3:35:00. For NYC, I would need to run in 3:10:00 or less. (For Boston times click here. For NYC click here). So maybe a new qualifying time is a goal? That would certainly take me quite a few more marathons to do. I've come to the realization that doing well in marathons isn't something that happens overnight. It's a process that takes years and years, which is a good thing since I plan on running for the rest of my life.
Maybe I'll become a pacer. Maybe I'll lead runners in marathons to their goal. Or maybe I'll become a pacer for visually impaired runners. Achilles International is a foundation that I would love to work with one day.
Who knows what will be next? For now, I have to make it through the 24 hour race and then see if I can get into Boston when registration opens in September. One step at a time, just like running a marathon.
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