I did it! I toed the line at the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon at Virginia Beach, and finished it! But before I give you the race recap, I want everyone to know what an amazing daughter I have. She literally took care of everything for me, from getting us to the hotel and the Virginia Beach Convention Center for the expo to mapping where to go for the start. She found excellent places to eat and showed up with a bagel and breakfast every morning. She made sure I was not overdoing it and getting good rest. Then, on race morning, she walked with me to the start and supported me throughout the race. She had a new Skratch water bottle and gels ready for me at the halfway point and was there cheering for me near the finish. All of that and so much more. Everyone that is doing a marathon should have someone like her there for them. She made everything so much easier. All I really had to do was run the marathon.
After traveling all night from Alaska to Virginia Beach, we took Thursday to recoup. Then, on Friday, we headed to the convention center. It was a pretty big expo, so we spent quite a while checking out all the fun things they had. The marathon check-in process was easy and smooth, and there was no waiting.
My brother, Terry, and his family drove from Morgantown, WV, to be at the marathon. I was so happy they could make it; it meant so much to me that they were there. We walked the boardwalk to meet with Jose (brother-in-law), who was also running the race, and later, we had a long, relaxing lunch. It was so good to see them and catch up.
Robert, my other nephew (John is pictured above), didn’t join us, but he was part of my cheering squad along the boardwalk. Kathy was taking photos from a few stories above them.
That intro had a little race preview, but let’s jump to race day. The reality of getting any sleep the night before the marathon is wishful thinking. So, we were up early, got ready, ate a prerace breakfast, and casually walked to the start. We were there in plenty of time. However, the bathroom lines were really long, and it truly seemed like our line was moving the slowest! By the time I got through that line, I had just enough time to strip off my warming layers and head to my corral.
For the course, the marathoners and half-marathoners start at the same place on an out-and-back loop. Then, with a half-mile left to go, the half-marathoners turn off to the beachfront boardwalk and the marathoners continue straight. The last half of the marathon is another out-and-back loop in the opposite direction from where we started. The course was flat with one small hill/bridge to cross (x2 with the out-and-back second loop).
I planned to take the first 5 miles easy, see how I felt, and then increase my speed at that point. Remember, I have been running most of my runs at a slow, easy pace to prevent injury and get the training in. Again, due to knee issues and injuries, I have not run a marathon since 2017, so I am happy to be able to run at all. I was just taking it all in and enjoying the race.
I was running fairly easy, but then I caught up to the half-marathon pacers, who were running at 2 hours 15 minutes (10:18 min/mile). I wasn’t expecting to be at the half that early, so I thought I should slow down. Yet, I was running so comfortably that I eventually passed the pacers and continued on. I did slow down a little, though, and I ran the half in 2 hours and 16 minutes., I felt like I could have run faster, but I didn’t want to push too much outside my training.
Just past the halfway mark, Sonja was waiting for me with a full bottle of Skratch hydration and more Gu packs. We traded my empty bottle that I had started the marathon with for the new one, handed off my arm warmers, and received a lot of encouragement. She’s the best! Soon after, I turned onto the boardwalk, where Terry, John, Robert, and Kathy were cheering me on.
I wasn’t in the habit of fueling for the run in past races. But it was so crucial for me to finish this marathon that I would do everything I could to be successful. I drank the Skratch hydration fairly frequently, about every 15 minutes, and took a Gu every 20-30 minutes. I walked through every water station and drank a full cup of water as well. The temperatures for the race were in the low to mid-60s, with a nice cool breeze at times, but I have been training in sub-20-degree weather, so this was a little warm for me. The goal was to stay hydrated! I was glad that I chose to bring my own hydration mix because it seemed to me that some of the water stations were a little far apart during the second half.
Part of the marathon is run on the boardwalk by the Ocean, but most of it is run through the city and neighborhoods. So, it isn’t the most scenic course, but it was really nice. And it was so flat! The course was not packed with spectators like some of the bigger marathons, but there were plenty of people cheering us on. And there was a lot of beer being handed out. I couldn’t image drinking on the run. 😳
I was cruising along, feeling really strong and energetic. I planned to increase my pace when I got to 20 miles. I have never felt this good at 20 miles in a marathon. And out of nowhere, I got a cramp in my left calf. I had been working on strengthening the calves after the muscle strain in January, so I thought I would be okay. I stopped immediately and walked until the muscle spasm calmed down. Then I started to run again, and soon after, my right calf started cramping as well. This was so disappointing, to say the least. I was on pace for a BQ. Granted, it probably would not have been enough of a buffer to get into Boston, but it would have really boosted my confidence.
This cramping continued off and on for the last five miles of the race. With about two miles to go, I got a severe and painful cramp in my left thigh. I thought this cramp was going to take me out of the race. I tried massaging it out, but it was so painful that I couldn’t straighten my leg. I finally reached a point where I thought I could walk, and it seized up again. Eventually, I was able to slowly jog the last two miles.
I finally reached the statue of King Neptune, which is visible once you hit the boardwalk a couple of miles away, and finished the race shortly after. I missed the BQ by 2 minutes and 11 seconds. I wasn’t even expecting to come close to a BQ, but I have to say, it was so disappointing to be that close and know that if I had not had the cramping issues, I would have qualified for Boston plus a couple of minutes buffer. But now I know that I can do it.
Jose also finished the race. He just ran the Chicago Marathon in October, so he took this one nice and easy and just enjoyed it.
Sonja and I met Jose at the post-race party. We didn’t stay long because we had not had much rest the last couple of nights, and Jose had about an hour’s drive home. So, he headed home, and we returned to the hotel and ordered room service.
After traveling so far, the marathon wasn’t our only plan; we turned this trip into a mini vacation. The following day, we headed to WV to put flowers on my mother’s grave and visit with my brothers, Ben and David, and my sister-in-law, Diana. Ben lived nearby, but David and Diana drove a couple of hours from NC to see us. It is always a sad occasion when visiting my mother’s grave. I miss her so much. But we were happy to see more family and enjoyed our short time together.
Of course, like everything else, Sonja drove the whole, entire way. This photo was taken when we got to Va Beach, and it was warm enough to roll the window down. We miss that in Alaska. So nice! It’s the little things…But it was bone chillin’ cold in WV! Va was so much warmer!
While there, I had to have Chick-fil-A! It was not the most nutritious meal post-marathon, but it was so good!
On our way back to Norfolk, where we would catch our flight home, we stopped in Yorktown to spend the evening with Jose and my sister, Teena. Jose looked fully recovered from the marathon already. Sonja was enjoying the warm weather and the view of the James River from their deck. This area has so much history. It’s awesome. I wish we would have had more time to hang out.
This was such an awesome trip. I truly enjoyed running this well-organized marathon; they did a great job. The whole trip went by so fast, and before we knew it, we were heading home.
There is so much hard work, overcoming obstacles, and focus on this one goal, and then, it is over—just like that. Although I am excited that I finally was able to train for and finish a marathon, I have not met my goal of getting into Boston. So, I will take a week or two off and then start this next stage of getting that BQ. Coach Laura of Laura Norris Running has it all mapped out. I am excited to get started.
I appreciate everybody’s support, and I want to especially thank Scott for all his support throughout this whole ordeal for the last seven years! I’m sure it’s not easy living with a marathoner who has had one setback after another for this long. I also miss my mother, who was my biggest fan. As I have mentioned in previous posts, she always asked about my running and was always very encouraging. And, of course, I would not have been at the start without the help of Coach Laura or Zuzanna at Runners’ Edge Alaska.
Happy Running
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