SNOWY and COLD!

My race prep:

Fairly good - I've never trained for a marathon before, so I have no way to judge it, but I don't feel nervous about the race that lies before me.

Mental State:

Fairly positive, even with the nasty cold and snow I know I'll be trudging through.

Race Day:

The day started at 7:30 for us as we were leaving Paul's cabin to head to the starting line. The drive is a bit sketchy - slippery and visibility is under 0.10 of a mile. Snow is just coming down faster than they can plow it away, but we creep along and arrive at 8:00 in Nisswa for the 8:30 start. I look around to see how many layers of clothes others are wearing to see if I'm going to freeze or be too warm. I have 3 layers of spandex on my legs - which I realized actually can help you snap your legs back once you bend them in running form, so not all bad, and on top I have a base shirt and 2 jackets - one insulating, one to fend off the elements of snow and wind. About 90 other people are there at the starting line - it's going to be a quiet run I think...not too many people to have to jockey for position I suppose.

We start right on time! The snow and wind are there right from the beginning, letting us know that they are forces to be reckoned with. At the start of the race, we have about 3" of snow on the ground already, and they said to expect at least 2 more. Oh well...race day is here, and it's time to go.

I feel pretty good for the first 9 miles Paul and I trudge through the race. Miles 7 - 9 were really a blur...and I say that because the snow was flying into my eyes and I literally could not see. There was a stretch where I was trying to keep up with the couple of people in front of us, just so I could follow in their footprints and make sure I stayed on course. At the mile 9 water stop, Paul ducks into the porta potty while I wait. A couple of minutes go by and he emerges, and back to the race we go. I'm feeling really good, but Paul isn't as comfortable. We see the mile 11 marker, and Paul asks me what our time is, I tell him we are at about One Forty Something, and he tells me to go along without him. We chat about it for a little while, but he tells me that he would like to see me go for my personal best. Considering this is the first marathon I've done - it will be my best! I continue at a comfortable pace for myself. Mile 12, I lay in the snow and make a snow angel for Paul...then a plow came and covered it up. Shortly thereafter, I cross the ½ way timing mat at 2:05. Not bad I tell myself! I look back and don't really see Paul anywhere behind me...so I trudge on alone. Most times in a marathon, or any race for that matter, I would expect to run along side of some people for a while or be near a grouping of people. But this race has few people to span the 26.2 miles, so it's a solitary run. I try to get my headphones out and after I do, I realize the battery is dead; must have left it on all night by accident. Oh well...it's so peaceful outside, I thought "it will be pretty scenery none the less". I don't think I was able to notice much scenery because I was trying to see where my feet were going to land next, trying to make sure I didn't twist an ankle or land on ice.

Miles 14 - 17 were on a crowned road - that sucked! I can't describe it in one word any better than that. The roads were crowned so my legs were fighting the slant and I could feel it on my right IT band. It was slippery too, so each landing of the foot on the snow/ice was a different twist on the muscles used to stabilize myself, and each push off of the ground was energy spent on trying to get grip and the foot slipping backwards instead of propelling me forward. The wind was a head wind, the snow hadn't let up, and it was nearly impossible to see anything. At times, I felt like my face was frozen and I didn't even notice the snow hitting it. I felt like I had "grandpa's eyebrows" on for a day - big and bushy because of the ice that had gathered there! Valuable lesson: Wear a hat with a bill on it - that way you can tilt it down to shield your eyes so you can still see where you are going! At one point, a gal passes me and tells me to keep up the good pace...I thanked her and returned the compliment to her. She then mentioned we only had 9 miles to go! I was happy to hear that, but then I realized on this stretch of the run how heavy my feet were beginning to feel - more so than normal. The snow that was getting onto my shoes was now melting into my shoes as well as compacting within the treads. *sigh* I thought "it's going to be a long 9 miles!" Miles 17 - 20 seemed to go really well...all things considered. Thom, Jodie, Morgan, and friends of the other runners we knew were there to cheer Paul and I on at about the 19.5 mile mark! That was a great site to see!!! Faces I knew! They asked where Paul was, and I told them I had left him at about mile 10 --- which, come to think of it was a bit off (it was closer to mile 12!) I think I started to lose some sense of time and distance at that point. At the mile 20 water stop, it happened; I hit the infamous wall I've heard so much about marathoners hitting as they make their way. I had been plugging along at a great pace up to that point...averaging close to 9:20 miles! The time it took me to get from the Mile 20 marker to the Mile 21 marker was...well, about one and a half times the time it had been taking me to go one mile. I couldn't get my legs to motor my feet. I was hitting a mental and physical challenge. My left foot started to have muscle spasms like when I did the Ironman, causing my toes to curl uncontrollably. I walked the muscle spasm out and seemed to be ok to start moving faster again, but then began to feel my hips and lower back getting tight from the changes I was making to my stride to accommodate the road, terrain, and heavy feet. Miles 21 - 25 were more of a jog/walk pace. When there were clearings on the path or road from the snow, I tried to lift my feet instead of shuffling them, but I couldn't seem to lift them off of the ground very easily. "It is what it is" I think to myself, and accept the energy being spent ..ging my feet along. I kept moving forward and that's what I wanted to do at that point. I thought about how if I continue to walk, at least I'm going forward, but at the same time, if I can jog, I can get inside and into some dry clothes a lot sooner....so I tried to keep it faster! With about a mile and a half left to go, I saw a sign for "Nisswa", indicating that I was re-entering the little town where the race would end. As I passed by some volunteers near the mile 25 marker, they said "This is a race you will never forget!" To that, I had to tell them they were so right...I wouldn't! I take their temporary inspiration and internalize it. I look at my watch and see 4:20. I have 10 minutes if I want to make it in 4:30...I have to really push to get there with the way my legs are feeling now...I just barely missed the mark and made it in 4:32. My goal was 4:00...but I can honestly say I'm not disappointed with this time, especially with the weather the way it was. I can only imagine how well I could have finished if it was the weather we had last weekend on this course - low 60's and sunny with very little wind. Maybe next year!

We cheered Paul on as he crossed the finish line about an hour later. He was glad to have finished, but it was not his personal best. I don't know how someone could battle that weather for over 5 and a half hours!!! That's Paul for you though - he's a guy with some mental strength to admire. I told him I was actually quite glad he encouraged me to go along without him when he did. I probably would have dropped if I hadn't.

My first marathon --- I don't think it will be my last, but it will be one that could never be repeated. There is no way to train for elements such as those we faced today, and there will probably never be a repeat of it. You don't expect to get a blizzard at the end of April...this is Minnesota though, so I guess anything is possible. Even though it sucked on the outside - the heavy, cold, wet feet, the inability to see very far in front of your own face, the multiple layers one is not used to wearing while running - I was happy on the inside. Another good weekend with Paul and his family was only beginning. I had a lot of time to reflect on how happy my life is right now - my loving and supportive boyfriend to cheer me on, caring for me as I come across the finish line, helping me get comfortable after I'm done running, always there supporting me - my good friends Paul and Jodie and how they offer their cabin up for us to stay here, Paul doing training runs with me, cooking great meals and fixing great drinks post run, the company in general, great friendship, and encouragement to do these races. Yeah, it's nutty to sign up for some of these things, but it does build character and it gives me something to work towards. My next endeavor seems to be smaller to me, but is actually longer - a ½ ironman in July. Last year it took me 6 hours to complete; 4:30 is a lot less, but when only running, it seems to be a bit more. After that, I'm ready to take on the Relay Race from Lacrosse, WI to Minneapolis, MN with another great group of friends. I love this life!

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