“Hey Mark, look up,” I whispered to myself. Beautiful. Simply beautiful. The morning sun charged the skyline. Mother Nature gave us great weather. The wind cooled our sweaty bodies. The temperature did not beat us senseless. The people around me reminded me why I enjoy running. A perfect day for running, culminated in to a personal best time and a memorable experience.
Pre-race jitters didn’t accompany me. I pre-gamed properly the night before and in the morning. I loaded up on spaghetti and sports drink Saturday night. I went to bed on time. In the morning, I loaded up on cereal, milk, one cup of coffee, and one liter of energy drink two hours before the starting time. One hour before the race, I ate an energy bar and nibbled on one throughout the race.
My sticking point during the Chicago Marathon was going out too fast. The energy around the event amped me up and I had to wind myself back down. Music was in the air. The excitement flowed the crowd. I felt like a party pooper but it had to be done. This race acts as a precursor to the Chicago Marathon and gives me time to tweak my training and routine. I did well. I didn’t burn out near the end as I did last year. I pushed through without resorting to walking.
Water and energy drink was available throughout the course. I took sips at every water station to make sure I’m hydrated. I managed my energy food and fluids well. I didn’t feel thirsty or hungry for any duration. My focused stayed on the course ahead of me. The only main distractions were the steel canyons above me and the skyline before me.
Sports, I’ve discovered, is ninety percent mental. At mile ten, a part of me begged to stop. It pleaded despite knowing that my body had plenty left. I came close to walking. I felt myself slowing down and started repeating a mantra, “GO!” It happens to me often. It occurs during long days. It happens even during 5K races. My mind sounds the siren too early because of fear. It fears it’s near its breaking point. It approaches an area of discomfort that it is not used to. Although the body can handle it, the mind never tested this new ground. I must remind myself that failure is okay as long as it explores new extended limits of success. It’s the only way to become comfortable with something new and push the line of success and failure out further into new ground. This is the next roadblock I need to conquer.
I wore a sleeveless tee shirt by Hind, running shorts by Nike, Smartwool running socks, ASICS GEL-Foundation 8 running shoes, and prescription sunglasses. The shirt felt great on my body. It was soft, light, and airy. Sweat did not linger on the shirt. The Smartwool socks have great moisture wicking properties and doesn’t create a stink. The Nike running shorts have been a mainstay for years. They haven’t worn out and they feel great. I switched from the GT-2140 to the GEL-Foundation 8 for the race because the GT-2140 was not giving me the stability my ankles and feet needed. My body was more accustomed to the GEL Foundation 8 shoes. I will continue to use the GT-2140s on shorter days until my ankles and feet are strong enough for shoes with less stability and structure. I will decide which shoe I will wear as my training comes along. One change I want to make before the Chicago Marathon is to find a light weight pair of sunglasses. The current glasses I have were great against the glare but they were heavy. I need to find something lighter that will fit my face. A few more changes and it’ll be just right…
The results:
- Finished in 2:03:42.
- Beat my prior PR by 23 minutes.
- Average pace of 9:27.
- Blister under right foot arch, skin chafing in left armpit and right inner thigh.
- One huge ego boost.
Matthew and Patrick did great also. Matthew ran 1:43:53 and Patrick came in at 1:38:51. There is plenty to do before the Chicago Marathon.
Goals:
- Continue pushing the limits and eliminating the mental roadblock during each long run.
- Maintain a good life, work, school, training balance.
- Lose a few pounds before running 26.2 miles.
This has been my best run and best physical shape I have been in since grade school. I am excited and thrilled to be where I am in my life right now. I can envision running a half marathon under 1:45:59 next spring. Almost anything can be accomplished with proper training and patience.