“…I have finished the course, I have kept
the faith…” 2 Timothy 4:7
Ok, I know I completely took the passage from 2 Timothy
out of context but that is exactly how I felt after I crossed the finish line at
the Los Angeles Marathon on February 14th. I vividly remember thanking God for the
strength and mental toughness to have finished the race. As I laid in a fetal position on the asphalt
on Ocean Blvd. I couldn’t help but be reminded of how I doubted myself so many
times. “Was I capable of breaking the 3
hour barrier?” Well, the doubts were squashed!
I finally did it. I ran a 2:59:37. Good for 165th place out of 20,609 finishers. Unbelievable!
Memories of my 1st marathon back in 2009 have been in the forefront this week. I ran a 3:40 at the inaugural Pasadena Marathon on a rainy, cold day. I felt pain unlike any other but also felt a sense of tremendous accomplishment. Back then, I was just “making up” the training schedule with absolutely zero direction other than some online tools. I ran 3-4 days per week and thought 20-25 miles per week was a lot. I did no speed or hill work and had no sense of what I was capable of. It is hard to fathom that 7 years and some 40 races later (15 marathons) that my body and mind are in a different place. I wonder what the next 7 years will bring.
The training leading up to LA was very difficult. As I wrote in my January blog, the training
was more than any other race I had run.
Chris, my coach, was systematically increasing the miles each week to
get my body and mind ready. He started
the cycle in mid-October and by mid-February, I was more than ready.
Race morning felt similar to other race mornings. Craig had organized a ride from his home in Glendale to Dodger stadium and also planned out a ride home from Santa Monica. Craig’s planning meant no worries for me (a key mental component that pays off in the race). All I had to do was show up at his place by 5:15 am. Craig, Tom, and I arrived at Dodger Stadium around 5:45 am and were welcomed by some 21,000 runners who were stretching, eating, and mentally getting prepared for the run ahead.
Craig had also purchased VIP tickets for us to gain access to a private tent with its own bathrooms and light breakfast. After a 30 minute walk all over Dodger Stadium (nobody actually knew where the tent was), we arrived by happenstance and the light breakfast was gone and the bathroom lines were just as long as the others. Total joke. All we got was a to-go water bottle. The $80 bottle as Tom suggested.
After a few minutes in the tent and a heartfelt prayer from Craig, I was off to my corral. One of the benefits of being in a race prior and running a decent time was that I was able to start in the 1st corral with the big guns. I arrived at 6:30 and saw a few familiar faces (Sean, Anthony, some ultra guys) and enjoyed some nice conversation with them. At 6:35, the wheel chair race started followed by the elite women at 6:45. I was only a few feet away from them and was surprised that there were only 6 women. Seemed like a very small group. At 6:50, the elite men came out. Again a small group of 10+ or so. The shocking thing to me was these guys were not much bigger than me. The Kenyan runners looked fierce and focused. Super thin and not tall but they carried themselves with confidence. You knew they were fast just by the way they walked around. It was neat to see them up close. At 6:55, the gun went off and it was go time.
After my normal prayer, I started about 10 seconds later and quickly got into a rhythm. I wanted to run 6:30 pace for the first few miles to get the legs and body warmed up (counterintuitive to start fast but I knew I needed a jumpstart if I was going to break 3 hours). I ran 6:30 pace through the 5k mark and was feeling good. The weather was perfect, low 50’s, which was a nice change to the forecast of hotter temps.
As the course meandered through downtown, the miles kept going. I vividly remember seeing mile 4 and was shocked that I had already gone so far. It really seemed like the race had just started but my watch said about 26 minutes had passed. Running a race is a strange thing. 26.2 miles seems far but when you’re in the middle of it, the miles come and go so quickly. It’s hard to be in the moment and enjoy it all. Part of it, I’m sure, is the body’s response to the pain; “Just get me through it!”, “How much longer?” At any rate, I tackled the first hill up towards Disney Concert Hall and started to slow a bit which was part of my plan. After 10k, I was averaging 6:35 pace and right on target. I wanted to be between 6:38 and 6:42 and was well below that.
My body was responding well to all the training. At the 20k mark which was just under halfway, I was maintaining a 6:41 pace and felt great. I was 1:23:09 into the race and had definitely found my rhythm. The course was awesome and the weather was still holding. Somewhere between this point and the 30k mark, I noticed my watch was off. The plan from the outset was to place my watch in Average Pace mode and keep it there. I wasn’t concerned with the Mile Mode (there are mile markers everywhere) or the Time Mode. My only concern was the Pace (between 6:38 – 6:42 or 2:55 marathon time). At the 30k mark, I changed modes and noticed my watch said 20.54 miles instead of 20 miles which I had just passed. I didn’t really think anything of it because courses are off all the time. Courses are measured from the quickest possible way. If you run in the middle of the street and take wide turns, you will always run a longer marathon. Mindful of that, I tried to run the inside of the street and cut the corners right at the curb. Even doing that, my watch was off. What I realized after the race and should have realized at 30k, was that the pace I was on was off as well. My watch said 6:37 pace at 30k when it was actually 6:45 pace. I thought I had been banking time for 20 miles! Unfortunate because I would have pushed hard to maintain sub 6:40. Regardless, I kept moving.
Most marathoners will tell you that the race really starts after 20 miles. Not sure why but it certainly feels that way. The body changes for some reason and makes the last 6 miles oftentimes regretful. Regretting why you signed up in the first place. Why you even run at all. Why are you so dumb? Etc. Etc. Etc. Those thoughts pierced my mind but I quickly worked through them and kept going. The Average Pace on my watch starting moving upwards and it seemed each mile gained another second or two. 6:37, 6:38, 6:40. By the time I was on the downward side of San Vicente at mile 24, I was at 6:42 pace and starting to wane. Fortunately, a few runners that I had been running with most of the day were starting to pull away. Knowing that if I didn’t keep up with them I would fold, I managed to find another gear. I not only kept up with them, I passed them and knew at that point I was going to make my goal.
As I turned the corner from San Vicente to Ocean, the finish line was getting close. I was still at 6:42 pace. It was foggy in Santa Monica and a bit cold. I was tired and ready to stop. I saw my buddy, Hunt, on the way to the finish and he was a huge encouragement. Just enough to keep me moving.
Finally, the finish line was in view. Sadly, it was not at all what I expected. The 6:42 pace my watch said was completely wrong. The announcer at the finish said, “30 seconds to the 3 hour mark!” What in the world??! Immediately, I held my breath, it seemed, and sprinted towards the finish. I was not going to let my watch mishap mess up all the work I’d just done. I broke the line at 2:59:47, which was adjusted down to 2:59:37 due to the 10 second start delay. I was completely exhausted and completely excited. I finally accomplished something I never thought possible. The frustrating part was I actually ran a lot faster. My watch later said I ran 26.75 miles at a 6:42 pace. It didn’t matter. I did it.
What a day. What
an experience. I’m so thankful to God
who loves me no matter if I run or not.
I’m thankful to a family who cheers me on no matter the time or the
place I get. I’m thankful for great
friends who I get to run with. I’m
thankful for a great coach in Chris Vargo who developed a plan and got me in
the best shape of my life.
The takeaway - all things are possible. I’m living proof that if you put your mind to
something, commit to training for it, and then believe in it, it can happen.
Next up – the Leona Divide 50 mile on April 16th. Excited to get back on the trails after a 2
month hiatus.
