Racing in Washington

 What. A. Race!

As I am writing this recap, I am sitting with both legs elevated, trying to ease my very sore muscles.  You know what though, it was absolutely worth it!! As they say: "Better sore, than sorry!"  Well, I am definitely sore, and I am definitely not sorry!

I was very nervous for this race.  Just two weeks ago, after a 12 mile training run - which went perfectly well - I ended up straining my right calf.  I had felt fine during my run, and even that entire day while at work, but when I got on a plane that night something must have happened.  Some time between getting off that plane and getting to bed, something caused my calf to strain.  I thought I was just sore and needed to massage the muscle out, but as it became more and more uncomfortable to walk, especially down hills or stairs, I knew it was more than a sore muscle, it was a strained muscle.

Of course, I was so careful this entire training course not to get injured and bam! Two weeks out, I get injured.  Wanting to give my calf a rest and a chance to recover, but not wanting to loose any of my training, I spent the next week working out on the elliptical.  Then the entire week before the race, I did nothing. Absolutely nothing! No elliptical, no power walks, no weights.  I went into a complete recovery mode in an attempt to let me calf heal itself.  I was icing 3-4 times a day - using my Zensah compression socks to keep the ice in place - and applying arnica cream to the muscle to ease the pain.  The day before the race I was feeling better, and becoming cautiously hopeful that my calf was going to be okay.

When my husband and I arrived in Washington, we were pleasantly surprised by where we stayed.  We had reservations at the Roaring River Bed and Breakfast which was easily the cutest place I have ever stayed!! The couple that runs the B&B were so friendly, and the husband is a Boston Marathon Alum - that right there tells me they are an awesome couple! Plus this location was very close the the finish line.  The views from this place were spectacular, and you could sit and just admire the river as it roared through the trees (just as I did in the photo on the right).  The room we stayed in was quaint, with views of the river, and a jacuzzi tub which I took full advantage of in order to loosen my muscles up the night before.  Plus the bed was so comfortable, I had one of the best night sleeps before a race than I have ever had.  They even deliver breakfast to your room, which my husband took advantage of, considering I was probably around mile 11 at this point.

The morning of the race I woke up around 3am, like I usually do, to get some extra fluids in and eat my rice cake and banana - my staple pre-race meal.  I stretched a little and I noticed that I could still feel the calf strain, but it was a much duller ache than agonizing pain. Thankfully as the excitement of the race built, so did those adrenaline hormones which helped mask some of my discomfort.

This race, just like the Boston Marathon, starts at one location, and finished 26.2 miles away.  The runners are required to show up early at this finish in order catch the buses that would take us to the start.  It was pitch black, 46 degrees, and smelt of smoke.  There were a lot of fires burning in the surrounding areas, so air quality at the start of this race was 'yellow', but that didn't stop us!

Of all the marathons I have ran, this had the smallest showing.  This marathon caps its entries at 600 runners, unlike the Rock'N'Roll Marathons which have thousands of runners!  At the start, there were no corrals, no 'elites', and for once, plenty of ports potties to go around! Not complaining there! The start, on the other hand, was a little anti-climatic; with the organizer simply saying, "Ready, Set, Go!" There was no horn, no buzzer, just one guy starting the clock.  Not that simplicity is a bad thing, but it did make me laugh especially when compared to the production of a start in a Disney race (those are really awesome!).

Anyways, back to the race.  The sun was finally beginning to rise as we kicked off the run at 7:00 AM sharp.  We did a small out and back within the parking lot, which was very dusty, before heading off into the woods.  About a quarter mile in, we hit "The Tunnel" - which gives this race series its name.  This tunnel is over 100 years old and is over 2 miles long. 

There are zero lights in this tunnel so we all had to run with our head lamps through it so we could see where we were going.  Normally during races I do not run with sunglasses, but this race I decided to run with my Oakley Radar Race Pace glasses with built in headphones.  Now the trick was to figure out how to listen to my music when I couldn't wear my sunglasses in the tunnel, and while having my head lamp on my head.  Thankfully the headphones are adjustable, and I was able to wear my sunglasses on my head, with the head lamp wrapped about them, and still have the ear buds reach my ears.
Pictured to the right is another runner, Kathryn, who I became friends with as we waited for the race to start.

There was an issue with this tunnel, however... no GPS.  My watch and NikePlus both said I had passed the 2 miles mark, when about 5 minutes later I found myself actually running past the two mile marker.  I knew this was going to be tricky for the rest of the race since I relied both on my watch and NikePlus to maintain a good pace.

Once we got out of the tunnel, there were volunteers who collected the headlamps so we didn't have to run with them the whole time.  Thank you volunteers!!  Once my head lamp was off, I was able to adorn my sunglasses and resume listening to my music. 

Around mile 4, I realized my pacing was way off.  I felt like I was running an 8-minute mile, but my watch kept telling me I was running a 7:15 pace.  A pair of runners began passing me, and I asked them what pace they were running.  It sounded like the guy said they were running a 3:30 marathon pace - which was exactly what my goal was - so I decided to forego my own instruments and stay with this pair the whole time.

As we ran, we ran through some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen, which gigantic trees nearly blocking out the sky, and huge boulders forming valleys all around us.  We even ran over old railroad ridges which were hundreds of feet off the ground and showed breath taking views!

This race flew by fairly quickly.  I definitely got lost in my music, and I was so focused on the runners in front of me and the views around me that before I knew it another mile marker seemed to pass by. At the half way point, I was feeling strong.  My right calf was behaving, my breathing was good, and I felt like I could go another 13.1 miles.

Around 16 miles my right knee began to act up a little, as did my hips, but I focused on a strong stride and was able to work out those kinks.  I was nervous as we approached mile 18, because that was when my Chicago marathon began to go horribly wrong.  But mile 18 passed without a glitch, and so did mile 19.  I was already doing better than in Chicago which was a huge relief for me.

At mile 20, my left calf began to threaten to cramp.  I could feel the muscle getting tight, and I knew one wrong move would send the muscle fibers into gridlock.  I focused harder than ever just to keep in stride with the two runners in front of me and reminded myself, it is better to be sore than sorry, and that it was time to give it all I've got.

At mile 22, my right quad grew tight, the lactic acid that was flooding the muscles now making itself known.  I know I was running more on my right leg than my left leg as an attempt to keep my left calf from giving out under the pressure. I was doing this on purpose because I know I can run on a sore quad, not a cramped calf. 

Next thing I knew we had passed mile 23.1....it was just a 5k from here.  I was tired, so tired! I started to get side aches, and had to really control my breathing to get them out.  My legs were so worn out, I had diverted all my energy to pumping my arms in an attempt to keep my momentum going.

As the miles fell off, I passed the 25 mile marker.  It was just a single mile now. I told myself to give it everything I got.  I was still trailing the runner in front of me, and the other one had fallen just behind me.  We had passed some volunteers who were cheering us on, and one of them was reading out loud from her phone.  I removed one of my earbuds so I could hear what she was saying.

"3:18!! Good job, keep going!"

Those words, that time, still brings a tear to my eye as I recall this woman saying that time out loud.  I was less than a mile away from the finish and I was over 10 minutes under my goal time.  If I just kept moving forward, I would receive by 5th Boston Qualifying time... I guess the runners had said they were running a "7:30 pace", not a "3:30 marathon pace".  I've never been so happy to misunderstand someone.

With less than a half mile to go, I spotted my husband - who is the best cheerleader in the world and supports me at all of my marathons.  He was just before the 26 miles marker, cheering me on, letting me know I was almost there.  By the time I saw him, I knew I was there.  I was going to not only finish this race, but achieve my goal of finishing in under 3:30.

When I crossed the finish line, I saw the clock and it read: 3:22:17.  I did it!! I was so tired, so sore, and so happy!!

After the Chicago Marathon in 2016, it really took a toll on my confidence as a runner.  I had never been in so much pain to the point that I considered stopping in the middle of that race.  Well this time, I may have been in pain, but I pushed through.  The months of training, the unexpected rest week, the meal plans, the ice baths, it had all been worth it.  Plus, I made some great friends who I hope to see again at a race one day! Congrats Dave and Kat!

Now I am going to be taking some time off from training, giving myself at least a week if not two, for my muscles, tendons and everything else to recover.  My next races are two half marathons back to back in November, so until then my fellow runners, keep being awesome and keep running it off!