I’ve been struggling with injury and illness for the past couple of weeks, so even as I toed the line, I knew I wasn’t at my peak. I’d had to skip some key workouts to get to the line relatively injury-free and I wasn’t happy about it, but it is what it is. I knew I was in the best shape I’d been in in quite a while, even while skipping these workouts, so deep down I was excited to see what I could do!
All week the forecast looked daunting. Cold and steady rain began being predicted that Monday and the forecasts only got worse as the week progressed. Folks were posting videos and helpful tips to the race Facebook page about how to dress and how to avoid hypothermia. I frantically took heed (and am so thankful I did!). The morning of the race dawned and I heard the rain as I woke up. The forecast was correct, after all.
I bundled up, pulled on every piece of wool clothing I owned! (Including the wool shirt that probably saved me) After coffee and breakfast and a healthy dose of anxiously looking out every window in my house as if that would make the rain magically stop, we headed out the door.
I met up with the 5:00 pacers (one of whom I’ve known basically my entire life!) and vowed to stick with them for as long as I could. We took off in the freezing rain and I stuck to them like glue. Miles dinged by and the rain didn’t slack. I slowly got soggier and soggier–despite my awesome rain jacket. My gloves were saturated and pulling them off/ putting them back on became nearly impossible. My feet sloshed around in my shoes. But I was in great spirits! I was sticking with the pace and feeling pretty great despite the conditions.
I was able to hold pace until mile 14, where I lost my wind cover. The wind began picking up and whipping through my jackets. I kept going to keep my body temperature up. I fell behind, but only by a couple of seconds. I kept sight of the pacers for the next few miles, but I could feel myself getting colder and colder with each mile.
By mile 18, I was in bad shape. I passed a friend at the mile 18 aid station and she knew I wasn’t right. She yelled to ask me if I was ok.
“No!” I yelled back, feeling miserable. “I’m in a bad place.”
“Do you want some fruit snacks?” she asked.
I laughed and said I didn’t– I was feeling like puking.
“Be careful!” she called after me and I waved in return, head bowed against the wind.
I was in capital T-trouble. I didn’t think I was going to make it. I seriously considered giving up and going back to my friend at mile 18. By mile 19, I wanted to give up to whomever happened to be around. I have never been so low in a race in my life. I was cold, hypothermic, sick to my stomach, wet through, and thoroughly miserable. I just wanted to get warm.
My core was mostly ok, which saved me from the worst effects of the hypothermia, but my feet and hands were numb blocks of ice. I couldn’t even tear open a Gu and had to tear it with my teeth.
But then, despite everything, I hit mile 20. I have a love/hate relationship with mile 20. At that point you are so close!! BUT simultaneously you feel like you might as well be 50 miles away. The slow aches start creeping in on me, making everything feel awful.
But this mile 20 was somehow different. Maybe my nutrition was on point. Maybe my body is adapting to the work load. OR maybe my body’s just given up — waiving the white flag — OK crazy lady — you win! Anyway, I felt blessedly great, got my second wind, and continued on. And while I wasn’t as fast as I had been — I was fast enough to stave off worsening hypothermia!
At mile 24, I passed a volunteer calling split times. I gave her a hearty thanks (Bless those volunteers who had to STAND there in that cold and wet!) and a big smile.
“If you can smile at this point, you’re doing it right!!” she called after me.
My smile widened. I was going to make it after all! I’d beaten the wall back and was back on track! I barely remember those last two miles as they dinged by, but I crossed the finish line with a grateful heart — another marathon in the books! And while my time was a bit slower than I would have liked, I still beat my old PR by nearly an hour! I was happy with the effort.
I’ve got a whirlwind couple of months ahead of me as I begin full Ironman training, but this race was a great kickoff to the 2019 race calendar!
Tales from the Back of the Pack 