Run Ninja Run: February 2007

But he wrote a race report!!!

By: dshtriathlete
During my training for the marathon – I used many motivational quotes to help get me going and keep me going. So, I think it would be appropriate to start my race report with another quote that is fitting. “Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember”. I know this to be very true – canoeing on the Mississippi with 2-3 foot swells in 40 degree weather during an adventure race for 8 hours was one of the most difficult things I have ever done – but it is one of my favorite memories now looking back on it. And that is how I am going to look at my first marathon experience. It was definitely hard to bear, but because I persevered – it will be sweet to remember.

Leading up to the marathon – I had not run in a couple years – and truthfully – had not run any real distance since playing soccer in college more than 15 years ago. I began running in September and had 18 weeks to prepare for 26.2 miles. On one hand – I know that I may have bitten off more than I could chew – trying to tackle this distance with very little running before this. However – I can’t understand how I can go 20+ hours in an adventure race – but an hour into the marathon I was hurting, but more on that coming up.

I am not going to talk much about the mornings events leading up to the race – other than to say we had to be out of bed very early. We arrived at Epcot at 3:50 am and proceeded towards a series of holding areas before we made it to the final starting corrals. It was still comfortable in the mid 60’s before the start. My brother (Doug, Golfball) and I hung out in the C Corral near the 5:30 pace group. A few minutes before the start – we listened to a nice rendition of the Star Spangled Banner – complete with red rockets and bombs bursting in air. Then Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald took the stage and chattered on for a while before counting down to the start of the race. Fireworks everywhere and we began shuffling forward towards the starting line. It took about 5 minutes to make it to the start line and then we picked up the pace and hung out with the 5:30 pace group. As I had been told is usually the case – the first couple miles were easy and uneventful. The humidity was causing the upper 60’s temperature at the start, to feel warmer than it was and I was starting to struggle. I remember there was a band somewhere around mile 3 or 4 I think – and they were playing Journey – “Don’t Stop Believing” – and while at that point – I still believed – it was still a good song to hear at that point.

To quote another great philosopher, Mike Tyson – “Everyone has a plan – until they get punched in the mouth.” Between miles 5 and 6… I got punched in the mouth. My heart rate was maxed out due to my struggles with the heat. And my legs and feet were having problems MUCH earlier than they usually did on my long training runs. All my plans for how I was going to handle adversity and pain just went out the window. And the thing that bummed me out the most – was that I was not going to be able to run with my brother. I could tell he was having a good day and he looked very strong. It was also about this time that my feet felt like they were on fire. And I was reduced to mostly walking – but I was still running as much as I could push myself to do. Right around this time – I made the first of 2 stops to pee. (TMI?) It was also about that time that I came to a HUGE sign across an overpass with a picture of Hercules that said in large letters – GO THE DISTANCE. Which made me start to think about the song, and how appropriate it was.

Hercules – GO The Distance

I have often dreamed, of a far off place
Where a hero’s welcome, would be waiting for me
Where the crowds will cheer, when they see my face
And a voice keeps saying, this is where I’m meant to be
I’ll be there someday, I can go the distance
I will find my way, if I can be strong
I know ev’ry mile, will be worth my while
When I go the distance, I’ll be right where I belong
Down an unknown road, to embrace my fate
Though that road may wander, it will lead me to you
And a thousand years, would be worth the wait
It might take a lifetime, but somehow I’ll see it through
And I won’t look back, I can go the distance
And I’ll stay on track, no, I won’t accept defeat
It’s an uphill slope, but I won’t lose hope
Till I go the distance, and my journey is complete
But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part
For a hero’s strength is measured by his heart
Like a shooting star, I will go the distance
I will search the world, I will face its’ harms
I don’t care how far, I can go the distance
Till I find my hero’s welcome, waiting in your arms
I will search the world, I will face it’s harms
Till I find my hero’s welcome, waiting in your arms

The next memorable spot along the journey was – Choose Your Groove – run to the left for 70’s music, run to the right for 80’s music. Of course I ran to the right – although sadly – I have no idea what song was playing when I ran through. It was also funny to see the ages of the people who picked each of the grooves. Older folks to the left – young guns to the right!

I was then tantalizingly close to the Magic Kingdom. Once I could see Space Mountain and the Castle – I was able to forget my pain for a few minutes. Going down Main Street with all the cheering crowds was very cool. And then running through the castle was something I had been thinking about for my whole training and it was very cool and memorable – yet somewhat surreal as it was actually happening.

Strangely, one of my favorite memories from the Magic Kingdom was going through Frontier Land and seeing Woody & Pokey, and “Cotton Eyed Joe” was being blasted through the loud speakers. That put a little pep in my step – if only for a couple minutes.

Another cool moment was leaving Magic Kingdom through a back gate and seeing all the floats used in the parade. A lot of the characters were around posing for pictures and they were blasting the song they play during the parade…

Remember the Magic

Your heart could just take wing,
You could live out all your dreams.
No matter how, no matter when,
You can reach that world again.
It's like a dream come true
That lives inside of you.
It's time to remember the magic!
It's time to remember the magic!

Another one of the many favorite moments that I can remember was shortly after leaving Magic Kingdom – out on the roads – there was a long line of soldiers in fatigues standing by the side of the road and high-fiving everyone as they ran / walked by. That helped bring a little perspective to where I was at mentally and physically at that moment of the race.

And that was where my race really went downhill. (or maybe I should say uphill – that would be more fitting) This is where I started to feel the blisters forming on both my little toes, my toenails felt like they were coming off – and my feet felt like they were 200 degrees. It was also around here, where my legs began a chronic state of cramping and tightness.

At one of the aid stations before entering Animal Kingdom – they were completely out of EVERYTHING – no water, no PowerAde, they had nothing – and by this time – it was between 9 and 10 am and the temperature had now climbed to the mid to high 70’s with over 90% humidity. So there were a LOT of pissed off people at that aid station. This is pretty ridiculous and unforgivable – for a race like Disney – they should not let something like that happen. But – all things are about perspective… and I was dealing with bigger problem than no water – so that was actually low on my list of worries. The one thing they DID have was Bio-Freeze and Tylenol – and this was the first of MANY aid stations that I stopped to slather Bio-Freeze on my legs. This was also the 2nd and last of two pee stops. (More TMI?)

I remember right before entering Animal Kingdom – they were pumping Kelly Clarkson – a remix of “Because of You” – over the loud-speakers. That gave me a SLIGHT pep in my every painful step – which at that point meant that I was able to pick my pace up from a crawl to a slow walk. From the back side of Animal Kingdom to the front of Animal Kingdom where we entered the highway (about miles 15 – 18) were the hardest mentally for me. Entering the park around mile 16 – I was, by this time, in what I would call moderate pain. And every step was taking all my will power. This section was where I was in the most danger of throwing in the towel. It was mentally painful to know how much physical pain I was in – and to know that I had to continue pushing in this state (or worse) for another 3 + hours.

So – despite the fact that my mind was pretty much clouded with pain – and focused on just making forward progress and putting one foot in front of the other – here are a couple of the things I remember. At the back of the park – they had animals lined up – and they had a sheep that was waving at everyone. I found that funny and it took my mind out of the present for a brief time. There was also a baby gator, a hawk, and a couple other animals out and people were getting pictures taken with them.

Right after that, I came across a person handing out Twizlers and pretzels. There was a steel drum band and they were playing the Woody Wood-Pecker theme – and that was funny.

It was walking through the park that I hit one of the toughest moments. Right in front of me – as guy who appeared to be really struggling – he just walked off the course and sat down on a bench and laid his head back on the bench. I wanted to do that SO BADLY. I was in a lot of pain – both from my legs and my feet – and the heat was just oppressive – and I really just wanted to stop and be done with this whole thing. But my favorite shirt that I saw that day – kept me going. It said – “Marathon: The triumph of desire over reason.” And that was so true – I wanted to finish very badly – but reason was telling me that I may not make it in under 7 hours – so why go through another couple hours of pain – only to not make it under 7 hours. It was at that point that I decided the only way that I was not crossing the line, was if I got swept of the course at the 20 mile cut off point.

Right after this – I got MY SPONGE. I held my sponge for the rest of the race and it helped me to stay as cool as I could in those temps. As I was sponging myself with water – I walked around the corner and there was Mt. Everest – that is strange when you are in Florida and it is so flat – to walk around the corner and see what appears to be a mountain – it is a bit odd – especially when your mind may not be fully engaged at that point.

Leaving Animal Kingdom – I came across a guy in combat boots carrying what looked to be a VERY heavy pack – and the temperature was well into the 80’s now, and he was really struggling. I felt so bad for him – and it helped me resolve that if he had made it this far – I could make it to the finish. All I was focusing on was making it to mile 20 before 5:38 – which was the cut-off time. As we were making our way out and through the parking lots – there were trams of people coming into the park and they were all stopping and mostly all cheering for us as we went by. That was pretty cool.

I thought that I might get emotional at the finish line – (and I am getting a little ahead of myself to be talking about that, at this point) but by the finish line – the only real emotion that I could feel was relief that it was over. There were a couple times when I would see someone’s shirt, or high fiving the soldiers out on the road, or something else – that really affected me. Probably the one that got me the most was outside Animal Kingdom. I saw two women that were running for Team in Training. And on the back of their shirts – they both had a picture of the same woman – and above it they had written – “In memory of our mom”. So – I started thinking about my mom and that was one of two times during the race that I got tears in my eyes.

Out on the highway – they were handing out Apple Pie power-gels and a volunteer made me laugh because she was saying – “these taste like crap – but they are free”… true!

There was a DJ and dancers out on the highway. Also one of my favorite moments from that section of the race was the motivational speaker. He was telling everyone to claim the finish line. That we had all worked much too hard to give in now – we were so close to the end. I remember him calling out my name as I got close to him - and saying that I was going to start running after he gave me a high-five. Sure enough I was able to get a little shot of adrenaline to get the old inertia going and run – if only for a few hundred yards.

I made the 20 mile marker in just over 5 hours. I had made my goal and would not get swept off the course. Now – I had about 2 hours to go 6.2 miles. On a good day – that should be NO PROBLEM. But today was not a good day and I still felt like I was in big trouble. Looking at my watch – it said that my pace was a 20 minute mile. Doing the math – I knew that I had to pick it up and get myself some padding to make it in under 7 hours. I was able to push with EVERYTHING that I had left and run for a minute at a time (with a good bit of walking in between). I was figuring that if I could just average even a 17 or 18 minute pace – I should JUST make it. I also saw a girl with dry heaves along the side of the road about then, and I thought to myself that at least I was not having that problem as well.

I was at mile 22 and was getting close to MGM – when Kate called me for the first time. I really needed to hear her voice as I was committed to finishing – but I was still really struggling. That was the second time I got tears in my eyes – talking to her and telling her I was in really bad shape. I did not want to disappoint her or let her down – after all the sacrifices she had made with all my training. She told me that my brother had finished and I was SO pumped for him. I could not have been more proud. He was really the reason I was there in the first place and he really pushed me to train and make it to the end. From where he was at 5 years ago – to now finishing a marathon like he did – was just awesome to me and that pushed me on as well!

Many times after that – I was on the phone with Kate, as from time to time she was checking my progress and how I was feeling. That really helped me make it to the finish line. She just kept encouraging me and telling me that I had plenty of time and I could make it. She had enough belief for the both of us – because I was still not sure – even then.

I entered MGM and could see the Tower of Terror - which is by far my favorite ride at Disney. There were a couple guys standing there beside a car – and they had a sign that ready – Ride to the Finish Line for $100. I am really not sure why – but that really pissed me off. I would not have taken the ride at that point if they were offering to pay me $1,000,000…. Well – maybe that is not true… there ARE other races after all. Right after that – they were handing out CHOCOLATE!!! That was a great point for me. I knew that I only had about 2.6 miles to go – and I was eating chocolate!

The one time I really wanted to stop and get my picture taken with a character was in MGM and it was Darth Vader and the Storm troopers. But by this time – I was still pretty worried about the time because I knew that it was going to come down to a couple minutes either way – and I just could not risk stopping to get a picture with them. Oh Well!

Part of the course in MGM takes you into a sort of tunnel through a building – and it felt SO GOOD. It was much cooler in this tunnel and I wanted to just stop and stand there – but that was just not an option. As you come out of the tunnel and turn the corner – all of the sudden - you are on the streets of New York City. That was cool going down the street with all the people cheering for you. A couple twists and turns and I was at the front entrance to the park. Everyone was giving high-fives to the security guards and people entering the park as they ran out and onto the boardwalk.

The boardwalk took me from MGM – past the Dolphin and Swan resorts and back to Epcot. On the boardwalk – I hit my very last aid station and slathered my last handful of Bio-Freeze onto my legs for the finishing stretch. Right after this station was when I saw a “not so trim” guy, dressed in a very tight spandex super-hero outfit from The Incredibles – THAT was pretty disturbing and funny at the same time.

I did not think I would ever get to mile marker 25 – it seemed like the mile that would not end. I was well into Epcot and starting around the world before I FINALLY made it to that marker. I had come 25 miles on my feet and under my own power since 6 am that morning, and around 6 hours and 40 minute later, I was right back where I had started this morning. I only had 1.2 miles left in this journey. After getting punched in the mouth so many times – not only does your plan go out the window – but it is very difficult to hold on to your perspective as well. I was in more pain and misery that I had been in a very long time – if not ever. And as much as I wanted to savor the moments and enjoy the accomplishment – all I could think was how badly I wanted this to be over – and that I had to make it to the finish in less than 7 hours. I had about 20 minutes for that last stretch – so I knew I would probably be able to do it – but I was not counting on anything until I got to that finish line.

For a very long time – I had a picture of mile marker 26 from a previous year’s race, on my computer to remind me of the goal. So – when I finally came around the corner and saw that big 2 and 6 – that was a very good feeling. And then it just got better from there. There was a full gospel choir singing and it was one of the best moments of the whole race. It gave me one last burst of adrenaline and I was able to break into a run. As I came around the corner – and saw the bleachers, the crowd, and the thing I had been waiting HOURS to see – the FINISH LINE. I could see the finish line and the clock and it read 6:59:40. I was already running and broke into a sprint (felt like a sprint – was more like a trot to the line) because I wanted to make it to the line in under 7 hours – so it would not be in my pictures. I knew about half-way there – that I was not going to make it – but I figured that I might as well keep trucking and get this over even faster. I heard the announcer call my name as a marathon finisher and then I heard the beep of my chip being read by the finishing line – recording my time. My chip time was 6 hours and 55 minutes… I had made it and I was a marathoner – no one could ever take it from me. It was not pretty – and not how I hoped it would go. But in the end – that is why so many people use the marathon as a metaphor for life. Perseverance is always rewarded. As my buddy Confucius said – “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” Hours ago – I did not know if I would make it to the finish – but I did in fact make it. It was a feeling of overwhelming RELIEF. I got my Mylar blanket and had my medal placed around my neck. I called Kate and told her I made it (which of course she knew as she had watched me finish.) I got my picture taken with my brother and then began the long trek to the bus stop. Early that morning we had made a long walk to the starting line – but that was on fresh legs – now I was making the return walk on wasted legs and it was not fun. We made it to the bus and I made it back to the hotel. After a painful ice bath and a very long, hot shower – I actually felt semi-human.

I would summarize my first marathon experience by paraphrasing Fort Minor’s “Remember the Name”:

It was 1% Luck

4% Skill

50% Concentrated Power of Will

5% Pleasure

40% Pain

And 100% Reason to remember that day.

Run Ninja Run

Monday, February 26, 2007

Movie Monday

run related posts coming to this blog in near future...maybe.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Movie Monday

Slam Dunk Contest

Monday, February 12, 2007

Movie Monday

Andy McKee - Drifting

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Tri-County Sunday...

all the news that's fit to print? I guess so!

Friday, February 02, 2007

My big brother doesn't have a blog

But he wrote a race report!!!

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