OBX Marathon

THE GOOD NEWS ... I FINISHED A MARATHON! I FINISHED IN 3:34.15 AND I QUALIFIED FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON! I FINISHED 3RD IN MY DIVISION! :-) AND ... I FELT GREAT AND ENJOYED EVERY STEP OF THE JOURNEY!

Here's the long winded breakdown ...

Four days later and I'm finally able to walk down the stairs without cringing in pain. What an experience! I could not have asked for a better day than race day last Sunday. Sixty-five degrees, sunshine and a refreshing breeze made for perfect running weather. I was worried the wind was going to play a negative factor during the day since it was blowing in a resisting direction the day before. Luckily my two lucky pennies and the dead lady bug played in my favor and conditions were flawless. (That's another story.) Apparently dead lady bugs are just as lucky as living ones!

First I'll start with the Expo. It was a small event but that was expected since it is a smaller race, relatively speaking. The Outer Banks is a small community, too. It was held in a youth community center. Walking in I felt the vibe and energy from all the eager runners and vendors. Everything was very well-organized and the process was fast and painless. The full marathoners received long sleeve shirts and the half-marathoners got the short-sleeved ones. The shirts are nice and light-weight, perfect for running on a fall day. Anyway Chris and I left the Expo and went to check into our motel. Yes, a motel. Hotels got quite pricey for race weekend. Hey, whatever works right? :-)

We didn't do much that night - went to the outlet mall and walked around a bit. I wanted to get my legs moving since we just traveled a few hours. For dinner, we went to an Italian restaurant of course and I got spaghetti and meatballs! It was delicious! I had a beer with dinner too - I don't think there's any wrong in enjoying a beer before the race. A little something to calm my nerves. When we returned to our motel I got everything ready for the next morning so I didn't have anything to worry about at 5am! My clothes were laid out along with my watch, iPod, running belt and all of its contents. In my running belt - six GUs, chapstick, vaseline, gummy bears, bandaids and my phone. Before I hit the sack I made sure everything that needed to be charged was charged.

My alarm went off at 4:50am. I shot up anxious for the day and proceeded to get ready. I had an everything bagel without any spread and half a banana for breakfast. I didn't drink too much water for two reasons - I didn't want to cramp up and I didn't want to have to use the bathroom during the run. I met the shuttle to transport me to the start and before that I took a couple Ibuprofins. That's something I've done before all my long runs. Since Chris and I were staying where the finish was we basically drove the entire route before getting to the start. This was intimidating. I sat next to a very nice guy who gave me a lot of great advice when he found out it was my first marathon. I used the bathroom before the race, stretched and ate a GU about 20 minutes before the start. I bought a cheap long-sleeved t-shirt to wear before the race and right before we lined up to start I threw it away.

Gun shot and go! I felt great at the start probably due to my three-week taper. I was told by someone who was familiar with my times, pace, etc. to try and stay in between a 8.00 and 8.15 pace. At times I looked at my watch and saw I was running faster than 8.00/mile so I forced myself to slow down. I didn't start my iPod right away because I remember my battery almost died during my 22 mile training run. We weaved in and out of neighborhoods, bike trails, a three mile dirt/sand path, the woods and finally the main road. Spectator support wasn't that of a big city race but even though the streets were flooding, groups of people were frequent and they were all energetic and motivating. The views were breathtaking. We got to run alongside the sound, passed beautiful beach homes and around the Wright Brothers Memorial.

I ate a GU gel every six miles. My mentality was a major factor in my success in this race. When the gun shot I told myself that I'm going to go on a run this morning, it's a beautiful day and I'm going to enjoy the sights and take in the experience. I was going to smile as often as I could. This all probably sounds cheesy but let me tell you, it worked. I was relaxed and calm and as I continued to run I kept smiling. What I like to do is set little goals so that the entire distance isn't overwhelming. My goals ... 5, 6, 10, 12, 13.1, 16, 18, 20, 22.5, 24, 26.2. Now I'll tell you the significance. The night before I set several text messages to inform Chris where I was. I made them funny and light-hearted so I would laugh when I opened them up during the race to send them. So I text Chris at miles 5, 10, halfway, 16, 20, 22.5 (the big bridge) and 24. The other mileages was when I ate the GU. This keeps me continually looking forward to something. Chris and some of my family members would send me text messages throughout the race too - and those were fun to get and to know that I had a lot of people hoping for the best for my race.

I met and ran with several people throughout the race. One guy, Terrell, was running his 19th marathon. His goal was 3:40, as was mine. We ran together around the Wright Brothers Memorial and then for another few miles. I lost him in the dirt and sand path when he dropped back a little and I kept on with my pace. Then I met Hal and Dan, a very funny running pair. Dan was quite the pessimist, but ironically in a comical way. Hal was running his 63rd marathon and was going for his 21st Boston qualification. Everyone was quick to give me their bit of advice when they found out I was running my first marathon. I appreciate all the information I can absorb. I went ahead of those two at a water station after three or four miles of running together. Water stations sometimes slow people down but I was nervous it was going to take away from my pace so I grabbed my water, cupped it and drank on the go. Once I left Hal and Dan I turned on my iPod (around mile 17) and was determined to finish the race in good time.

If there were people out cheering I would happily thank them for their support, if a little kid was sticking out their hand for a hi-five I embraced the energy and hi-fived them ... a positive attitude really works wonders. I kept waiting for that wall I was supposed to hit but I never really encountered one. Around mile 21 miles kept getting a little longer but I pushed forward. Then, there was the bridge! A mile-long bridge. I'm not sure how tall it is exactly but at mile 22 - it looks like a mountain. Traffic was pretty much stopped next to us so there was some support from the passengers. I jokingly asked one car for a ride to the finish. Downhill from here - literally. Down the bridge, a small strip until the right at the light to turn into downtown Manteo and then a couple miles to the finish. If I hit a wall it would be here - not a big one - but enough to challenge me. Again I pushed forward and fought the pain. The finish was a rush. Fans lined each side of the street and downtown Manteo is a beautiful sight. Chris was right near the finish line and he was cheering loud. It was so great to see him! The coolest thing was getting my name announced when I was crossing the finish line. "MEREDITH BROWN FROM RALEIGH!"

They gave me my medal right away and kept the runners cycling through. We were led to a tent with half peanut butter sandwiches, bananas and apple slides. I had the sandwich, half a banana and an apple slice. I also had some water and a sip of Gatorade. I felt pretty good but my legs were tired obviously. My breathing was great and I was hardly out of breath. It was really only the pain circulating in my legs.

The post-race festivities were cute. There was a band playing, people dancing, free beer and food. All of this was right on the water, too. Chris and I enjoyed the scenery for a bit then got some food (I had some chicken fingers that ended up going right through me) and sat on a bench on the sound.

After reading my results I found out I finished 167 overall (out of nearly 2,000) and 24 out of 796 females. I also discovered that I ran negative splits, meaning my pace got faster throughout the race. For the first half of the race I averaged a 8.15 pace, after 20 miles I averaged a 8.12 pace and then I finished the last 6.2 miles with a 8.07 pace. This all averaged out to a 8.11 pace for the duration of the race. I was extremely pleased and surprised by my performance and experience.

I registered for the 2010 BOSTON MARATHON today. I'll start training in January. For now I'm resting my body. I'll probably work in a little workout tomorrow on the elliptical and then something this weekend as well. My oldest sister and I are running a seven-mile trail run in December. After that I have my next marathon to look forward to. I hope that training is just as positive as my OBX training and race was. Of course, it's all what you make out of it.

I'll post every week or do talking about different things running-related and will pick up on training when I start in January. I can't wait to take you along in my Boston experience. I plan on taking on a different training schedule so it will be interesting to compare.

THANKS for all the support and interest. I'm so lucky and blessed to have wonderful family and friends! Love you all!

Two Days 'til the Big Show

Have you heard the news? There has been a swarm of killer butterflies attacking the North Raleigh area.

Two more days. Oh. My. Gosh. I took it very easy this week. Here’s the short of the workouts …

Monday I switched it up and did an elliptical workout.  Just kidding – I did the usual and this time for 30 minutes. Tuesday I aimed at finishing an easy four mile run but I didn’t have my Garmin so I just ran for 35 minutes. My pace must have been faster than I thought because I ran more than four miles. I was really trying to slow my pace down but I have yet to prove to master that skill. After work Wednesday I hit the pavement for an easy three miles. Yesterday I was ecstatic that I had to only run two miles. The last time I was told to or felt like running only two miles was, well, a long time ago.

Now I’m in rest mode. Today and tomorrow are days to be nice to my body. I might even refrain from taking the stairs; forcing myself to be lazy.  I’m starting to feel recovered so I hope that feeling only increases for when Sunday rolls around.

Water has been my best friend, especially this week. I’m forcing an immense amount of water into my system. My nervous are overtaking me because I was scared into not drinking sodas this week. I didn’t realize how much I depend on my soda mid-morning. For the life of me I could not figure out why I was so exhausted during the latter part of the afternoon. I finally figured it out and continued with my one soda routine. It won’t hurt me as long as I drink sufficient water (and then some). I also drink a cup of coffee in the morning but that’s also a part of my routine and didn’t see a need to change that either.

Chris and I plan on leaving tomorrow (Saturday) morning. We’ll head to the Expo probably after grabbing a bite to eat. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Expo has to offer, maybe some running goodies.  Then, I hope to get a good dinner before the rush of runners hit the Outer Banks. We are staying until Monday to enjoy OBX for another day with each other. And, to celebrate our four-year anniversary! It’s turning out to be an excellent week so far – let’s hope that continues!

Smooth Sailing From Here

At this point I've done all that I can to prepare for this race. Yesterday I finished my last long run until I face 26.2 miles a week from now. I've been tapering for a couple weeks now - running 15 and then 8 (yesterday) after my 22-miler in Indiana. This week will be an extremely easy week - making sure I am 100% recovered and ready-to-go on Sunday.

I didn't feel like I was running fast during my 8-mile run but surprisingly I averaged an 8:13 pace. North Carolina is perfect. A 76-degree day - at some points overcast and others sunny - made for a beautiful fall Halloween, and a great running day. I know I've complained about the hilly routes that are inevitable in Raleigh but I'm noticing that they are phasing me less and less as I continue to face them. I came across many hills yesterday - more than usual I would say - and I wasn't so worried about avoiding them. They were just part of the run. Of course that happens at the end of my training but I'm hoping that will work in my favor in OBX. Reviews say that course is mainly flat with a steep and long hill going over the bridge into Manteo at mile 22 or 23. If I've learned to conquer unforgiving hills then a flat terrain will be cake! Or at least that's what I'm hoping.

Anyway - I've been consumed in the OBX Marathon Web site. They don't really post anything new but I check every day just in case. I think I'm just getting eager to get this thing started! Many of the reviews online are very contradicting to one another. Some will say it's not a course for a PR, and some will say this is the perfect course to get your best time. Maybe it all just depends on the weather, which seems to be a common theme. One review from a couple years ago said at the start it was drizzling and overcast, then it got sunny, then it down-poured, then it was overcast and windy and they finished with the sun. Everything but snow pretty much! Apparently the racers last year got lucky with gorgeous weather. Weather.com says cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain for Sunday. I just hope the wind off the ocean isn't overbearing. I'll have to be strategic when packing and will probably have to go out and buy some "throw away" clothes. Clothes I can toss if it gets too hot or what have you. It's easier to shed then it is to steal the rain jacket from the guy next to you. You would have to pray that you are faster than him!

I'll post this week's very easy training schedule on the side. Today I'm resting - maybe I'll do a core workout and stretch. I'm also tracking a co-worker in the New York Marathon, which is getting me motivated for next weekend! It's football sunday (Go Eagles!) and game 4 of the World Series (Go Yanks!) so I don't want to do much else besides watch some sports and relax. :-)

Thanks again for all your support!! Now the countdown REALLY begins!! 7 days!