Just a mere 7 weeks ago,
I made the decision to run another marathon, this time in San Diego. The
decision came just a week after running an 88km trail race and almost 18 months
after my last road marathon where I had vowed never to do another one again. My
interest in road running had waned since moving overseas back in 2012 and I
find it extremely boring and arduous work trying to stay focused and running
hard on pavement for much more than an hour these days. And yet I also saw the
benefits of running another marathon - it meant I had to work on my speed and
leg turnover, work on my speed endurance, something that my body just wasn't
used to anymore with being an ultra-runner and trail running convert for so
long.
Moving from trail to
road and preparing for a marathon in just 7 weeks wasn't easy. I knew the
distance wouldn't be a problem, but I had no idea how I would cope with a
faster pace. I also wasn't used to pounding out the miles on road these days
and my hips, glutes and feet had been having a few moans and groans leading up
to the marathon but thankfully they didn't develop into running injuries. Add
to that catching laryngitis and a bad cold just 2 weeks before the race and I
really had no idea how my old body would fair over 26 miles.
When I entered the race,
I put my anticipated time as 3 hours 10 minutes. Being honest with myself, I
felt capable of running anything between 3.05 and 3.10 if I had a good day but
I really didn't want to go into the race putting pressure on myself. This
wasn't about posting a fast time - it was about teaching my body to run faster
again which in turn would aid me with the trail races I had planned over the
coming months.
The race was on the
Sunday, so we travelled to San Diego on the Friday - a 6-hour drive from
Phoenix to the coast. Having never travelled across the very south of Arizona,
it was interesting to see how barren and flat it was down there compared to the
Phoenix area. As we passed close to the Mexican border, there were real sand
dunes just like those I have seen in the Sahara Desert, and I desperately
wanted to get out there and have a wander but the heat was far too intense and
it wouldn’t have been a sensible thing to do.
 |
| Real desert with sand dunes :-) |
As we got to San Diego,
it became hillier and the dried-out landscape started to become greener with
lots more colour. Things also cooled off and we had gone from 35+ degrees whilst
travelling across the deserts to around 20 degrees as we came into the city. It
felt amazing even with the renowned San Diego coastal fog, and we excitedly opened
the windows on the truck for the dogs to breath in some of the fresh air rather
than being cooked up with the air con blowing.
We were staying at the
Blue Heron Cottages in Ocean Beach and I must say that it was a bloody excellent
choice. The original Dog Beach was just a 5-minute drive away and there were
enough bars and restaurants in the vicinity to keep us entertained if we wanted
to venture out. Ocean Beach definitely had that California feel to it, and we
loved it! The cottages were amazing and very pet friendly - up to 4 pets could
stay there for just $25 per visit which was perfect considering we had Wilson,
Brandy, Tillie and Khayman with us. The back yards of the cottages were
entirely fenced in with a communal area for all guests to share, and dogs were
able to roam free and mingle with each other. They even provided dog toys to
keep them entertained and our 3 pups spent ages out there playing and frolicking
with each other.
 |
| Perfect for dogs and cats - back yard at Blue Heron Cottages, Ocean Beach Can highly recommend them :-) |
We spent Friday
afternoon at the beach with the dogs and they had so much fun splashing around
in the sea and jumping in the waves. Even Tillie wouldn't come out of the water
and considering it was her first visit to the coast, we were so happy to see
her looking confident and having so much fun. I also managed a short 5km run
along the coastal path and the beach and it felt amazing to be breathing in the
cool, fresh sea air as the waves crashed against the rocks below.
 |
| The real original "Dog Beach" - packed with lots of furry friends :-) |
A couple of friends from
Phoenix were also running the marathon, so on Saturday morning I met with up
with Mario and Cary and we all headed to race registration together. It was
great to see them and chat about the race and running in general - with 30,000
runners expected to take part, it was unlikely that I would see them the next
day so I was glad to be able to spend a little time with them and wish them a
successful race.
 |
| At the Expo with Cary and Mario :-) |
Saturday afternoon saw
us spending more time on the beach but with an early start expected Sunday
morning for the race, I had to be in bed early to make sure I was rested ready
for the race. That night however, there was yet another terrorist attack in the
UK and I found myself watching the news until later than expected, feeling
extremely sad that this is the world in which we live these days. It made me
think about the race - 30,000 people gathered together, raising money for
charity and having good times with friends and family - something that these
terrorists resent - but I felt extremely reassured to hear about the increased
police presence, the K-9 units that would be patrolling the streets for the
duration of the race, and the increased security in general.
 |
| Back to the beach with Tillie, Wilson and Brandy :-) |
I awoke at 4.15am on
Sunday morning and after a bowl of porridge and a cup of tea, we were ready to
hit the road. The race started at 6.15 but with all the road closures, Andy
needed to drop me off for the shuttle to the start before he got stuck
downtown. He wasn't coming to the start with me - there was no parking and with
having the dogs with us, it really wasn't practical - so after the hugs and
good luck wishes, I headed to the start at Balboa Park whilst Andy headed back
to the cottage with the animals in tow.
 |
| Downtown San Diego just before heading to the start - 5am and smiling :-) |
It was a lovely,
overcast and cool morning and conditions were ideal for running. I was feeling
optimistic and hopeful of a good run, and I still felt capable of running
around 3.10 if everything went to plan. I dropped my bag at the baggage trucks
and then headed to the start. I was in coral number 2 and I was a little
concerned that I would be too far back but it was perfect. I didn't get dragged
along too fast at the start, but then I didn't have anybody in front of me that
was holding me up and as they released our coral a minute or so after the
first, I was soon getting into my stride and heading out on the course.
One of the things I love
about the bigger races I have done in both America and Canada is the fact that
they play their national anthems prior to the start and every time I've heard
"The Star Spangled Banner" or "Oh Canada", I have felt
extremely emotional and patriotic to the country I've lived in at the time. I
never experienced that in the UK - the London Marathon and the Great North are
both televised and are a huge part of the UK running scene, and yet I cannot
recall them having ever played the British National Anthem which I find a
little sad. Sunday morning in San Diego was no exception and as the national
anthem of the USA was sung live, I once again shed a tear of emotion as I
watched and listened to the people around me singing along before a rousing
cheer at the end. It was amazing!
The San Diego Marathon
course is definitely not flat and the first few miles are consist of some
rolling hills. I was trying to stick to around 7.15 minute miles but I felt
relaxed and comfortable and found that I was knocking out closer to 7 minute
miles. I decided to just go with it to see how long I could hold that pace -
even if I slowed towards the end, so long as I ran a sub 3.15 I knew that I
would be very happy.
I wasn’t really paying
too much attention to mile markers or mile splits but was trying to concentrate
on finding a rhythm that I could maintain. I was also making sure to enjoy the
course and the race itself. The course wasn’t the most scenic and it reminded
me somewhat of other city marathons I’ve done in London, Calgary and Edmonton -
but the energy out on the course in San Diego was simply amazing. There seemed
to be endless cheerleaders out on the course dancing and singing away on what
seemed to be every street corner, and there was plenty of live music to keep you
entertained if you needed it. There was also a stretch at around about 8 miles
where the street was lined on both sides of the road with photos and memories
of soldiers that had died in active service, stretching for a good mile or more
down the road followed by locals lining the street and waving the American flag
for a further mile or so. The “Wear Blue: Run to Remember” team were behind
this which I later learned is a national nonprofit running community that
honours the service and sacrifice of the American military, bringing together
military and civilian communities and creating a living memorial for all those
that have fallen in service. I always
feel emotional when I see things like this, and it seemed apt that I happened
to be wearing my blue Aravaipa Racing Team shirt as I passed through.
I passed the half way
mark in 1.33 and was happy with how things were going - although I knew I would
undoubtedly tire as the race progressed, I was still confident that I would run
around 3.10 to 3.15 based on how I was feeling. I wasn’t too bothered about where
I was in the ladies’ race – I knew I wasn’t going to win or even make the top
3, but a top 10 placing would make me very happy. At one point, I was informed
that I was 17th lady – I was still on track for a 3.10 finish
at that point and it highlighted the quality of the field if I was “only” 17th despite
running that kind of pace.
We hit the Mission Bay
area and did a lovely little stretch alongside the shoreline and through the
park and it was a couple of miles after that where the real climbing started.
By now, my glutes were
started to tighten a little which was affecting my lower back - I really need
to build strength work back in to my training as it did hinder me a little when
I tried to stride out and pick up the pace - something to work on over the next
few months.
I passed through 20
miles in 2.25 and was once again surprised but very happy with the split but as
the road started to gradually climb, I knew that my pace would likely slow from
here onwards. I’d been informed by my good friend Mario the previous day that
there was a good climb of over a mile but I hadn’t yet encountered that climb.
At 22 miles, the road got slightly steeper but then we turned off and headed
down to the freeway which led me to believe that that was the climb that Mario
had mentioned. How wrong could I be! The next 2 miles climbed up the freeway –
it was steep, it was long, and just when you thought you were at the top, there
was a bend in the road and it continued to climb.
My pace had slowed at
this point and I ended up doing a combination of running and walking up the
hill along with everybody else. We only had about 4 miles to go to the finish and
I tried to stay focused, but I did find myself swearing a little when I saw the
road again curved and went up even though it seemed like I’d already been
climbing for about 10 minutes!
I knew that the finish
was downhill but what I didn’t know was how much of the finish was downhill –
was it a mile, was it 2 miles?
Finally, as I summited
the hill, I saw the 24-mile marker – thank goodness! This meant that it must be
2 miles downhill to the finish – yay! Except my legs were buggered from the
climbing and running a faster pace than I’m used to these days, and with the
tight glutes, I couldn’t take advantage of the downhill as much as I would have
like. I was hoping to do some sub 7’s heading into the finish to recoup some
lost time from the climb but I found myself struggling to pick up the pace
despite a decent downhill gradient – gosh, I even walked a few steps before
realizing how ridiculous it was to be walking downhill!
My sub 3.10 had already
slipped away unless I suddenly started to run 6 minute miles, but there was
still a chance that I could go sub 3.15 if I could just get the flaming legs
moving a bit more quickly. I overtook a few people and tried to keep pushing,
counting down the miles as I went – 1.9 to go, 1.8 to go, 1.7 to go – and then
finally there was less than a mile to go. My watch was approaching 3.08 – could
I do it?
We merged with the half
marathon runners in the final mile, us on one side of the road and them on the
other, and the crowds were amazing! I could hear the speakers at the finish
line but I still couldn’t see it and then bloody hell – there was another small
hill of about 100 metres to contend with -what the …..??!! I pushed up the hill
as best as I could before turning left into Waterfront Park and there ahead of
me, about 600 metres away, was the finish line. I glanced at my watch again – 2
minutes to do 600m and go sub 3.15 – I pumped my arms, tried to stride out and
move my legs but it felt like I was running through sludge. The crowds were
urging us all on to the finish, I was pushing as best as I could and finally,
finally I crossed the line – my official time 3.15.15.
I am not going to worry
about 15 seconds – there are so many places where I could have saved a few
seconds - if I hadn’t stopped to go the loo at 3 miles, if I hadn’t have walked
through that aid station, if I hadn’t walked around that cone, if this, if that
– it really wouldn’t make any difference to my result and I was very happy. I
also hit my goal of a top 10 place – I finished 9th female, 2nd in
my age group and 107th overall out of a few thousand runners.
I’d be pretty selfish if I was disappointed with that result!
 |
| Post Race Party Zone in Waterfront Park, San Diego |
Andy was unable to see
me finish with having the dogs with us but we met up about an hour later and
headed to Denny’s to get some greasy food to refuel before heading back to the beach
again with the dogs. It was a pretty awesome day and I really felt extremely content
when heading to bed that night.
 |
| More dog park and doggy beach fun :-) |
It's now Monday
afternoon and I’m typing this as we are heading home having had another amazing
day. We spent another hour at the dog beach in Mission Bay this morning before
heading to La Jolla to see the wild seals on the coast and have a little walk
along the cliffs. We stopped off in Palm Springs and spent a little time there
at yet another dog park to make sure the pups were fed and watered, and as I
type, we have just crossed the state line and are back in Arizona after a
wonderful weekend in California. Looking back, I can say for certain that I
would consider the San Diego Marathon again despite being more of a trail
runner at heart these days.
 |
| Coastal Walk in La Jolla |
 |
| Wilson and Tillie chilling out in a hot and sunny Palm Springs |
 |
| Wild seals in La Jolla |
As ever, I have my
husband Andy to thank for agreeing to going on another mini road trip with the
dogs and cat in tow, and for putting up with me harping on about running and
racing and pacing and heart rate etc etc etc for goodness knows how many years
now! He may not have been able to make it to the start and finish line with me
this time, but he still made me feel relaxed, he still had belief in me, and I
felt much better knowing that the furries would be taken care of whilst I
raced.
I also have to say a
huge thank you to Adam Livingston who has been coaching me since last October.
I am feeling the fittest I have done for a while right now and it’s thanks to
the program that Adam has put together for me in recent weeks. When I think of
the races that I have already done this year, I feel like my training has been
spot on in helping me to recover but also in preparing me for the next. I had
niggles that thankfully went away because my training plan didn’t have me
overdoing things, and my pace increased enough for me to run a 3.15 marathon
which I didn’t think I was capable of anymore – who knows, if I trained
properly for 6 months instead of just the 6 weeks, and if I cut out the trail
running, I may have even got close to 3 hours! Vegas in November anybody....?
But my passion isn’t on
the roads, it is on the trails although that doesn’t mean I’m reluctant to
venture back to my running roots occasionally - training for something
different has helped to refresh my mind and body and I am glad I did the
marathon - but I am looking forward to getting back on the trails over the
coming weeks, starting with the Blackout Trail Race this Friday night in
Flagstaff. Yep, I’m racing again on Friday and I’m once again feeling just a
teeny weeny bit excited 😊
 |
| Been there, done it, got the t-shirt :-) |
No comments:
Post a Comment