Utah Valley Marathon: The Race

The day before the race Felicia and I met up at the convention center to pick up our race packets and bibs.

Race morning we were up bright and early at 3am in order to make the bus ride up Provo Canyon to Wallsburg.  I was worried about the bus ride and having it psych me out by realizing how long I was going to have to run or that I was going to get claustrophobic.  Luckily we got seats at the front of the bus and our excited/nervous energy kept us chatty and made the time pass quickly.

At the start we sat in a field with the other runners and took turns going to the bathroom. Which reminds me.  I have never been so nervous and so early before a race! Starting the day before the race my stomach was a mess.  Usually I don't get that feeling til the morning of!

The race started as the sun came up.  At about mile 1 I realized I had forgotten to eat my Honey Stinger Waffle a few minutes before the start like I as planning.  I had put it in my drop bag and forgotten about it! I had eaten a whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter and honey a couple hours before and sipped on Nuun electrolyte drink. So at mile one I was already hungry! Luckily I had a bunch of gels and chews in my hydration pack.  I took out some chews to eat and didn't zip the pack back up all the way and later realized on of my GU's fell out.  So once I realized that I wouldn't have enough of my own gel's I knew I needed to get some from the aid stations when they were offered. I was slightly worried because I hadn't trained with the specific brand or flavors they were offering and they say don't try anything new on race day.  But I did and it worked out fine.

The first 8 miles or so were fast and downhill. Once we got to mile 8 the hills started. This is also where Felicia and I split up.  This course is touted as a fast downhill course. I would agree except for those 8 miles in the middle there. The last couple miles of hills I got a nice little headwind I had to push against and I really just had to laugh at the irony. Thomas and Brooklyn were originally going to meet me more towards the bottom of the canyon but surprised me at the very top of the hill.  Perfect spot!

After seeing them I focused on getting to the bottom of the canyon and after that the race is about a 10 mile straight shot down University Ave to the finish. I am super proud of how I handled the whole race mentally and physically.  Going into the race I chose to talk to myself as if I were my own best friend.  For example, when I started getting feeling like my legs were going to cramp, "No big deal, take in some more electrolyte, take a leg cramp pill, and slow the pace down a bit.  The goal is to finish strong, not limping." Or when there were more hills than I was expecting "Not a problem! You and Felicia have trained so much on hills." Or when I had a side ache "Remember that time in training when you worked through a side ache and just kept running? You can do it again. Breathe in and out threw your nose."

Once I was at the bottom of the canyon about mile 16 was when my pace started to stray from Boston Qualifying pace (8:12). I can honestly say though that I was giving it my best and felt so strong. That last ten mile stretch I saw the 3:30 and 3:35 pacers pass me and although a tiny bit disappointed that they were the ones I needed to stick with in order to BQ, I knew that I overall was rockin' it.

Here are what my splits looked like:

Through the last ten miles there were some great crowd support since it was on a main street.  One of Felicia and I's coworkers was along the route cheering us on.  There was an ice pop stand where they were handing out ice pops (so needed and refreshing at that point).  They even had a sprinkler/shower type thing you could run under to cool off.  The temperature was pretty great throughout the raise and probably got to mid 70's by the time I ended.

This photo is super unflattering but it's a perfect representation of how you feel at the end of a race. 

The finish line shoot was lined with spectators cheering for you by name since your name was on your race bib.  Man did it feel good to cross that finish line and ring that PR bell!

This training period really taught me that I am capable of so much more than I give myself credit for.  It taught me that experiences are better and more endurable when done alongside a friend.  It taught me that I am both physically AND mentally tough.

And yes I will probably do another one and hunt down that BQ.