I have no pictures from my first marathon as the company that took them has closed their doors so the links to the ones existing on their site don't work any longer. I should have bought one! Live and learn.
It was a great experience running the Huntsville Marathon which was also an inaugural race. One of the most difficult things I've ever done. I had no idea what my finish time would be so figured, heck, I'll aim for a 4 hour marathon. Sounded like an nice average time. My fasted half by this time was a 1:43, so I figured double it and add a bit. Not so.
The morning was cold when I arrived in Huntsville, but after taking the bus ride to the start it was surprisingly warmer higher up in the mountains. I noticed the people doing the marathon didn't look like the people I was used to seeing at races I had done to this point. To me they all looked like elites. I felt like the odd one out, but I'm sure I wasn't. Just seemed a different crowd.
It didn't seem long before the race began. I started the race off with a friend of mine David Crawford, a much faster runner than me.
The first two miles we went out way too fast, 7:51, then 7:57 per mile. I experienced a side ache which I hadn't ever experienced racing I don't think. It was probably a mix of the elevation and the speed were were running. I realized we were going too quickly, but even after that we didn't slow down enough, but with the drop in elevation it was difficult to slow down. For the next 6 miles we were still doing an 8:34 average pace. The pace was much more like a half marathon race pace than for a 26.2 mile race. After one hour we had already done more than 7 miles and had dropped about 1800' in elevation. The side ache finally eased off by this time. The scenery coming down the mountain was beautiful. Not as rugged as the canyon races, but still spectacular in its own way.
Mile 10 was still at an 8:46 pace and for another 2 miles I stuck with David. I could tell I was fading, but decided to walk for a moment at one of the aid stations. Dave went ahead of me around mile 12. Never did see him again during the race.
At the half marathon point the time was about 1:53, I was happy with that. Things were going great!
Through mile 13 and up to mile 14 I could hear someone very close behind me breathing deeply, I never did turn around to see who it was, but at mile 14 I thought I've got to rest. By 14 Miles I was about 2:03:00 into the race. I pulled up and started walking and whoever it was that was breathing deep behind me at this point passed and looked back to me and called out, "thanks for pacing me, you been great to follow and were doing great!" Something to that effect. I smiled and waved to her. I was trying to figure out at this pace, what would my finishing time be, it worked out to about a 3:50 Marathon. I would be so happy to get that time, but thought I doubt I can do it, but hey, maybe something close to it. I thought maybe I could do the 4 hour marathon.
Miles 15 and 16 didn't go too badly, about an 11 minute mile for each. But I knew I was fading. By mile 18,
I. Was. Done! I had started walking, and my legs just wouldn't allow me to attempt to run. I thought I've got another 8 miles to go! I can't do this! I had done what they call "Bonked". I thought I'll just keep going that direction. I was thinking I've got to keep going, I have to get to my car! We had dropped about 3400' by this point and the rest of the course was very flat. So flat that after that huge downhill it felt like it was going uphill. There were fields off to each side and the road seemed to go on forever ahead of us. At some point there was supposed to have been a monastery, but I never saw it. But around this time there was an angel sent to me. A girl pulled up beside me and said do you want to run with me. I said sure. Her name was Cathy Gridley and she was incredible. Turned out she was doing something like her 68th marathon, and wasn't doing very well in this inaugural race. From that point to about mile 22 she would get me to focus on something ahead of us, a post, or shadow or whatever and we'd jog to that something, then walk to another item ahead of us. We kept doing this over and over. She must have seen I was in trouble and I know without her I'd have never finished this race. They'd have found me sitting in the ditch waiting for someone to carry me away. Throughout this time she was helping me I remember a few talking gibberish and wondered whatever did she think of me.
What I had just said made no sense, even to me! By 23 miles I was about 4 hours and 15 minutes into the race. It had taken me over 2 hours to go 9 miles.
We got to an aid station and I said, I've got to use the toilet. She said I'll keep going ahead and try to catch up to me.
I lost track of the time while I was in the port-a-potty and finally came out of there and headed west once again. I could see Cathy, or at least I thought it was her, way in the distance and tried really hard to catch up to her, but there was no way. Miles 24 and 25 were almost a 20 min mile each. But the final mile I was able to speed up to just under 4 mph. Very short bursts of jogging. And finally the finish line! There were photographers so figured I've got to at least make it look like I'm running and that's what I did. As I was going down the finish shute I heard my name and saw David with the people cheering me on, then I also saw Cathy. I crossed the finish line in 5:15. It had taken me over 3 hours to do the last 12 miles.
They put the medal around my neck and I felt awful. I needed to lay down somewhere, anywhere. Cathy came over and congratulated me and I hugged her and thanked her for her help. I couldn't have done it without her, she was incredible in my eyes. David and I walked over to the area where people were eating and visiting and I laid down on the grass in the sunlight. He got me a creamer and I think he needed my bib to get it as I vaguely remember giving it to him. I ate that and then must have passed out. Later he told me two paramedics came to check on me and I told them I was fine, but I have absolutely no memory of that. He left after awhile and I guess I said I'm staying right here for now. I remember hearing them doing the awards but had no interest in going over there, had no strength to either. It must have been about an hour later I finally dragged myself over to the toilets, then hobbled to behind one of the shacks and laid down. Sometime around this point I realized I didn't have my bib. It must have blown away while I was passed out on the grass. Its the only one I don't have from any of my races unfortunately. Laying there, I could hear music playing and was tapping my feet together. The medical people were going around checking on people and I was hoping they'd see my feet tapping and think I was fine so they'd leave me alone. I think it worked.
Around 5:30 I thought I've got to get home and staggered my way to the car. I could see the place was pretty much deserted. My car was one of the few still in the parking lot. It was the worst I had ever felt in my life, or so I thought.
When I got into the car I checked my phone and I had missed calls from my boss. I called him back and he wanted to know how it went etc and would I do it again. I told him now wasn't the time to ask me that, kind of like women having babies. You don't ask them moments after giving birth when do you want to have another one. On the way home I stopped at McDonald's as I was starving. I don't think I was driving too well as I seem to remember someone flicking the bird at me for some reason that I couldn't figure out...
But, even though I felt terrible, had bonked, and was way over my expected finish time, within 2 days of this I entered the lottery for the Ogden Marathon coming up the next May. I wanted to do it all over again! I knew I could do better and realized I had made the mistake most people make in their first. They go out too quickly in the beginning.
I wouldn't make that mistake again!
Official time was 5:15:03.9. I was 13/16 in my male age group. 55-59. 179/195 out of all the males, and 329/379 overall. Speed: 5 mph. Pace: 12:01. Not the greatest, but least it wasn't a DNF and I wasn't last!
I met up with the group at the store around 3:30 that morning. I got off work a little bit early to try to get some extra sleep but it didn't help. I was so wound up I couldn't fall asleep and I'm not sure if I ever did. Everyone was pretty quiet on the trip up which was a contrast to the return drive.
On the return drive people were a lot more talkative. I got to know Andrew and Michelle Keddington a little and have run into them a number of times since. He's an awesome runner and they travel around to some major races in the country. Once I had finished this race I knew I was hooked and couldn't wait to run another one. I was very happy with my results. I finished in 2:08:15, I was 3rd out of the 4 guys in my age group, and 145th out of 217 people. I WASN'T LAST! :) Average pace was 9:47 which is 6.13 mph. The course had about 500' of climbs in it total. I also learned a lot in the race, including, DO NOT wear cotton shirts and DO things to avoid chaffing!
