Shamrock Race Report

Well, nothing really went the way I wanted it to the week leading up to the race. After coming down with the flu on Tuesday and still having zero energy come Friday, I was really nervous about what lied ahead of me. When we left town on Friday for the 6 hour trek to VA beach, I was hopeful that 2 more days of rest and sleep would do the trick. Unfortunately, the sleep part didn't really happen. On Friday night I didn't sleep at all. I think I might have gotten an hour or two at best and even that was in bits and pieces. Saturday I was more tired than I think I have ever been and at one point the exhaustion, combined with anxiety for race day, brought me to tears. Finally around 2pm I was able to lay down for a bit and just relax. Saturday night I got some sleep but woke up Sunday really tired and with a sore throat. But like every race day, I was calm and ready to run.

When we headed to the start of the race the wind was howling! Waiting for the start we ducked into alcoves to try to find some shelter. The temperature wasn't bad but the wind made it chilly; in fact, it was a really beautiful sunny day. After a 15 minute delayed start and a squat behind a building with a male elite runner (who shall remain nameless to protect him) for a quick pee, I lined myself up in between the 3:30 and 3:40 pace groups. I wasn't feeling much of anything at this point in terms of anxiety or nerves...but I was tired. I was yawning, rubbing my eyes and just felt like I hadn't woke up enough yet. But I told myself as I crossed the start, "you're going to do this."

The first few miles flew by as I struggled to dial in my 8:12 pace and my first 5 miles were all under 8:00. While the pace felt fine for my legs, I wanted to slow it down to where I needed to be so I wouldn't fall apart later in the race. I could also tell right from the get go that I wasn't my normal self. I wasn't out of breath but my breathing wasn't normal. I know what these paces feel like and I was breathing harder than I had in any training run at this pace. That concerned me and made me want to find my pace and settle in even more. Whenever I hit my pace, I tried to focus on what it felt like but then I'd slowly speed up again. Anyway, before I knew it we were at mile 8 which is around the military base. Last year this part was sort of boring but this year there were tons of service men and woman outside of their barracks cheering us on. It was so cool because you could hear them from far away and when you eventually ran through them the energy was great!! I made sure to thank them for what they do for us and went smiling on my way.

When we left the base and headed back towards the start for the next half we were also running into the wind. I knew I had at least 7 miles of head wind to deal with so I just tried to stay focused and push through. When we entered the boardwalk just after mile 10 the wind was pretty brutal. There weren't many runners around but the few of us that were together held tight in a pack. Without saying so, we all took turns moving to the front to take the brunt of the wind. From miles 6 to 10 my pace jumped around from 8:00 to 8:08 but the wind was kind enough to help me find that 8:12 pace I'd been looking for while we were on the boardwalk. We exited the boardwalk just before the half way point but unfortunately that didn't mean we escaped the wind. I knew I had to get to Shore Drive at mile 16 before I'd feel any relief.

I pushed along but was starting to feel really tired. I didn't have my normal energy to begin with and the wind was not helping. Thankfully there was some crowd support at this point and I joined up with 2 guys running around my pace. We stuck together supporting each other through the wind and eventually I let them go a little ahead of me. It was their first marathon and they were shooting for a 3:30-3:40 and I didn't want to get caught up in any rookie mistakes. So I backed off and went back to doing my own thing.

Last year the 3 mile stretch from miles 16-19 on Shore Drive is where the wheels started to come off and I went to shit. This year I was so mentally prepared for this section and the few days I spent visualizing this stretch and forming a game plan definitely paid off. It wasn't until mile 18 of this stretch that I felt completely confident that I was going to do this. I had some doubts up until this point but then something clicked and when I knew I only had 8 miles to go, I was ready to get the job done. But, I knew I had one more boring 4 mile stretch with wind to deal with before I was back to main road with 3 miles to the finish.

When we hit Atlantic Ave we were once again in the wind and a lot of runners started walking and slowing down. This is where my death march of shuffling, walking and crying started last year so I decided to break the 4 miles into half mile increments and count them down. Around mile 20 I passed the two guys I was with earlier and was thankful I let them go when I did; they were clearly fading fast. I was really starting to feel things during this stretch both mentally and physically so I played a game with the cones lining the road. I would run hard for 2 cones then back off for one cone. Not only did this help change up the leg kick a bit, but it made this boring stretch go a little faster. My pace started falling here and I did my best to just hang on the best I could. Miles 20-23 my pace slowed to around an 8:20. I kept telling myself, just get to mile 23 and you got this...

Finally! I rounded the corner and knew that if nothing else, I would finish! I was really tired at this point and wanted to slow down but I knew I lost what little cushion I had and couldn't lose any more time. I was passing runners and that helped me feel strong but there was nothing I could do for my pace as I struggled to hold the 8:20. I was on the look out for a landmark I picked out the day before which was the turn onto the final stretch on the boardwalk. When I saw that hotel and knew the turn was coming, I gave it all I got. Once I entered the boardwalk I knew I was cutting it really close so I pushed as hard as I freaking could. I know I looked like a mess but I didn't care. Everything was hurting at this point and I was so determined to see that 3:35 finish. Thank god for the crowd support on the boardwalk because I needed all the help I could get. I tried to smile as I crossed the finish line but the tears started coming and it was all I could do not to fall over!!

Through the pain, exhaustion and tears, I said to myself, "I did it".

3:35:02

13th in age group 30-34

73rd woman overall

426 overall

Exactly a 3 min PR!

I waddled my way to bag check with bad cramps and collected my swag (you not only get a medal but a long sleeve tee and a hat at the finish) along the way. People were coming up to me to see if I was ok so I imagine I looked pretty rough. When I finally got settled and could talk without wincing, I called Andy. Within a second of answering he said, "3:35:02!" and I just started bawling. I really wanted this and I put so much into training. I was so scared all week after being sick so reaching my goal was even more special.

I know this is ridicously long and I actually have more thoughts about this race, but I'll save them for another day. Let's just say, I know I have more in me. I'm positive of that. And while I told myself out on the course yesterday that if I pulled this off I would never have to race again, within a few hours of finishing I was already wishing I could go back and try harder.

Goodie bag and race shirt.

Long sleeve tee and hat you get at finish line.

Medal which also doubles as a bottle opener!!!

I'm sore today but not terrible and now nursing the back half of my flu which turned into a cold. My Achilles was killing yesterday during the race and after but thankfully that has subsided. I'll be taking it very easy this week to make sure I recover adequately because we all know what's 4 weeks from today!! Thanks for your support and tweets while I was racing. It made my day when I got home and saw them all! You guys are the best and I swear, I thought of you so much while I was out there yesterday.