California International Marathon Recap

The week before the race

Starting right around last Tuesday, I got really nervous.  Anxious, excited, and concerned, I was running the gambit of emotions.  Luckily, by about Thursday that had all subsided.  It was odd that I got so nervous so early and I thought the nerves would really get to me by the end of the week, but they weren't there.

Saturday

The day before the race.  I drove to Sacramento, met up with my parents who were putting me up for the night, and went to the expo to pick up my number.  I love going to the race expos, but this one was particularly exciting given the story in the Sacramento Bee about my journey to the marathon.  I was really cool to have people come up to me who saw me in the paper, I got a kick out of being a mini-celebrity at the expo.  I bought a pair of throw away gloves for $1 because I was worried about the cold and made the bad mistake of getting a new pair of socks for the run.  Same type of socks I always run in, but you'll hear later about why this was a bad decision on my part.

After getting back from the expo, I still though it quite odd that I wasn't nervous like I thought I would be.  I went to dinner with some family and friends and had my ritualistic pre-race pasta.  Still no nerves.  Weird.  Then, I went to my parents house and started putting my race clothes together.  I pinned my number on my shirt, tagged my shoe, and laid everything out.  That is when it hit me that I was really doing a marathon.  Here came those nerves.

But, they subsided and I was able to sleep.

Before the start

I got up at 5 a.m. and my parents drove me to the start of the race near the Folsom dam.  I was layered up with some throw away clothes to keep me warm.  We go the the runner drop off and I jumped out and started to make my way to the start line.  I was really warm!  Apparently, the storm that had been pushing through the area was a tropical one and the weather was so warm that I stripped off all my extra clothing and checked my bag to pick them up later.  I wasn't going to need them at the race start like I thought.

I made my way to the start area as the sun was coming up.  It was a beautiful day and the rain that we had all feared was coming was not there.  I got to the corral area, met with my pace group, and started stretching out for the race.  Luckily, I was not nervous at that point.

We all packed in as 7:00 a.m. drew closer.  The national anthem played, and then the race started.  It took about 2 minutes for our group to shuffle to the line, and then we were off, running the first few steps of a marathon!

The first mile

The first mile of the race was a downhill run.  I stuck with a pace group because I didn't want to go out too fast and burn myself up.  It was quite crowded at that point.  For the most part, people were corralled where they should be and the running went smooth.  Of course, there were a few people that lined up at the front who were slower runners, creating a bit of a hazard as the still compacted group of runners tried to get around them, but for the most part people were corralled where they should have been and getting passed or passing was rare.  That makes for a good clean start and what seems like a crowded start be really fun.

To Mile 5

After a mile or so we made a right turn onto an slight uphill.  The road we were on was a wide and straight shot through to about mile 5 and really helped to stretch out the pack.  I stayed right with the pace group and was feeling quite good.  The warmth of the weather felt good and I was right where I should be.  There were slight rolling hills at this point, but nothing too terrible.  It was all great fun.

Through this stretch, everyone who had worn warm up cloths and gloves were realizing that they didn't need them and were stripping them off.  The road was littered with hats, gloves, sweatshirts, and other clothing.  I had to jump around a few, but for the most part I stuck to the middle of the road and missed most of the clothes.

Mile 5 to Mile 10

This part of the race was really fun.  We ran down a street right through where I grow up and it was fun to return there for this race.  The road was relatively flat and the mood of everyone was still upbeat.  I kept with the pace team and we had a good time getting through this part. 

Fair Oaks Village - Mile 10

After a long 5 miles of running down Fair Oaks Boulevard, we hit Fair Oaks Village.  This picturesque old town area had some steep hills and a lot of turns, but it was also a lot of fun because it was different from the long and flat run we had just come from.  Plus, some of my family and friends were at this point cheering me on.  That is always an added bonus.

Mile 10 to the halfway point

This part of the race is one of the tougher parts.  After leaving Fair Oaks Village, we entered a very hilly portion of the race.  There was a significant amount of rolling hills that really take their toll on you.  But I kept plugging away and kept going.  At the halfway point, I was able to exchange a bottle of fluids and keep going.  The largest crowd of the race so far was at this point.  The roadway was narrowed to one lane with spectators crowding each side of the lane.  Although I think they should have taken up another lane for the runners, it was pretty cool to run through here with people cheering on both sides of you.  It made me feel like a professional athlete and really kept me going.

Halfway to Mile 15

At this point in the race, I started looking for a porta-potty.  I didn't have to go, but a friend of mine said I should go then or else going at the 22 mile mark would make it really hard to start back up again.  I passed most of the porta potty banks because they were only about 5 or 6 to a bank and there was always a line.  I was starting to wonder of I should just look for some bushes, but then at about the 14th mile I saw some open ones and darted in.  I'm glad I did.

Mile 15 to Mile 20

This part of the race started to get tough as I knew it would.  The nice thing is that most of this run was under tree-lined streets which took the edge off of the heat the sun was generating.  The weather was a little too warm and it was taking its toll on racers.  I saw and ambulance speed past me going in the other direction taking a collapsed racer to the hospital.  Moments like that are when you really look at the gravity of what you are doing.

Interestingly enough, this part of the race had some really stupid drivers trying to do really stupid things.  One driver was at the blocked intersection yelling at the cop who was telling her she had to detour.  I understand they have been inconvenienced, but don't loose your temper, just take the detour and get on with your day.  I remember her arguing about being late for work and couldn't help but think that she was just making herself even more late by not taking the detour the cop was trying to tell her to do.

At about mile 18 I saw something really scary.  A driver came up to the blocked roadway and decided the barricade did not pertain to him.  He drove around it and right on the course.  Police were all over him, had to black him from going further, and it looked like he was getting arrested when I passed.  It is amazing how many people out there don't use common sense and are not aware of their surroundings.

Mile 20

At this point we ran through another fan congregation point.  I had more family there cheering for me and I was still running.  A little dehydrated, wobbly, but still running.

Mile 20 to Mile 22

This is when the race got the toughest.  It was everything to do to keep running with one foot in front of the other.  I wanted to quit.  I was questioning my sanity.  For the first time in the race I was wondering if I would actually make it.  I pushed as hard as I could, ignoring the fact that I was dehydrated because I hadn't been drinking enough water.

The blister on the right foot after the race

To make matters worse, you remember those new socks I bought?  Well, the right sock had a little burr of material in it right at the base of the big toe.  I hadn't notice it yet, but it had now developed into a gigantic blister that was causing problems.

I hit an aid station at about mile 21 and slowed to a walk, taking 3 cups of water and a fourth to dump on my head.  At that point I realized I was dehydrated and needed to walk a bit until the next aid station and drink more.  I did that and kept going, pain and all.

When I say pain, I mean a new kind of pain that I have never experienced before.  Not just from the blister, but pain from pushing my body farther than it has ever gone before.  It was horrible, but I kept telling myself "less that 10K to go, I can do this!"  But, it sounds like that would be motivating until you are actually there, then it just sounds foolish.

Mile 22 to Mile 25

This part of the race was brutal.  True, it was flat into midtown and downtown Sacramento, but the street numbers cause a big frustration.  At this point in the race, I am trying not to think about how much farther I have to go, just trying to keep one foot in front of the other.  But, that is a little impossible to do in this race.

As you run into town, you hit 50th street.  From this point, the streets start to count down and it makes you realize that you still have a long way to go.  Then, the long division starts.  You start to factor in the turn at 8th street, the lap to the Capitol, and, just when you think you can do this, what's that?  A street with a name and not a number?  WHAT THE HECK!  now I have MORE blocks to go.  Truly frustrating.

Mile 25 to Mile 26

Between mile 22 and mile 25, I had been doing some interval walking due to my foot and my dehydration.  But, I when I hit mile 24.5 I ran into a really great guy.  He originally told me his name, but I was a little delirious and didn't remember the name when I finished.  Luckily, a family member snapped a photo of us at the finish and I was able to look up his bib number for his name.  61 year old Jim Glick, pictured in the photo here on the left.

 

He stuck with me, obviously slowing his pace to keep with me, and kept encouraging me to keep going.  We rant that last mile and I wasn't walking.  We finally got to 9th street, could see the turn ahead, just 2/10ths of a mile to go.

Mile 26 to the Finish

We kept running, rounded the second to last corner, and as we approached the final turn on Capitol, there was all my friends and family, erupting in cheers.  It felt so good.  I made the turn, could see the finish line, and heard the announcer call my name as I crossed that line.

4:35:34 by the chip.  Not as fast as I had hoped, but I was still on top of the world.  I was then and there a marathoner, accomplishing what was once impossible.

I am still walking funny, but I did it and I am going to do it again.  If you had come to me one year ago and told me that I would run a marathon in a year, I would have laughed you out of the room.  After all, that was impossible for a 325 pound couch potato. 

Now, as a 225 pound marathon runner, I realize that nothing is impossible.

Life is good!