bushdocda
Footballguy
Stoked you had a great day - awesome race and report!2018 Treasure Coast Marathon
Not sure where to start with this one. I truly feel I learned so much from my last marathon and vowed not to let the marathon win again. Going in, I had no real goal and didn’t really think about this run as a race. I just wanted to complete the 26.2 without stopping and finish strong. Considering the 8 week training program and issues with my back, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. However, since January 1st, I have worked harder than I have ever worked in my life to accomplish this goal. I don’t think I missed a single day of the gym since the 1st, on top of all the running throughout. My weight in Seattle last July was 155 at the start. Today, I was 165 but felt it was a completely different body.
On to the race....
It was tough to not let the marathon distract me the entire week. I was physically at work, but I’d be lying if I said thoughts of the marathon didn’t consume me the entire week. Anxiety started to kick in around Friday. When I say anxiety, my breathing changes and I get tightness in my chest. Still not sure why this happens, gotta figure out a way to turn the thoughts and energy into something positive on race day. I had my socks picked out about 5 days in advance (fairly thick, quarter socks), they were grey. Only one bag of rice Saturday night. I wanted more, but remembered Gruced laughing at me and saying something like “where you gonna get your protein bro? Good luck with that.” It seemed like a minimum 2 bagger kinda race, but I resisted.
I slept pretty well and woke up at 4 am. I had 2 bathroom sessions and did my normal routine (this includes holding the cobra yoga pose for minutes on end to try and loosen that nerve). Left the house around 5:15 and arrived at the race site around 5:40. I waited in line to use the restroom for about 17 minutes. 5:57 rolls around as I stumble out of the porta-potty. Race starts in 3 minutes and the corral is jam-packed! I squeeze in behind the 3:30 pacer without a warm-up. I turn some music on, adjust my gloves (Brony) and waited for the start.
Gun goes off and the heart rate is somewhat elevated. I kept saying, just ease into this race and don’t do anything stupid. I listened to some music for the first 4 miles, and I just couldn’t find a groove. I switched over to a podcast and it had a nice calming effect on me. I wasn’t really concerned with my paces at this point, only my heart rate. I tried to keep it around or under 155. It was really windy, and I hit the first bridge around mile 11. 3 bros and a lady all running as a team, passed me on the bridge. I decided to take it a bit easy and settle in behind them. They built a wall that blocked the wind.
I positioned my wife and dad at the halfway point. I had a mixture of tailwind and salt tabs mixed in a water bottle that they delivered to me. Around mile 15 the caffeinated tailwind kicked in and I went into the zone. I was following that group but decided to break away and get after it. I jumped the sidewalk and hit the street. This was a long 3-4 mile straightaway. I don’t know why, but I love straightaways and live running on the white painted lines. There is something therapeutic about it. I find a mark on the horizon, and I get this laser-like focus.
When I got to mile 18, I hit a tiny wall. My heart rate was high, I was going pretty slow, and my legs were dying. I said to myself, not already! I changed my mentality rather quickly and caught up with a guy that was running at a good clip. We ran together all the way up to mile 22. If you remember my last marathon write-up, mile 22 was my breaking point. Not today! I used that experience and left my running mate. At this point, I knew I had the heart to finish this thing strong. I said to myself out loud a few times, “you’re a bad mutha*****.” Not sure where that saying came from but I said it a few times. There was only one thing that stood in my way, the last of the 4 bridges we had to run with a heavy wind. I finished the bridge somewhat strong and knew I was home-free.
I had 2 songs that I was saving for mile marker 25. Once I hit mile marker 25, I put the music as high as I could, with a smile from ear to ear and started to jam. A numbness came over my entire body, and I literally started singing out loud. It was the best feeling I’ve ever had during a run. Maybe even one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. It was such a high and euphoria, I almost got emotional. I was picking people off left and right, and they probably thought I was crazy, because I was singing, smiling, and almost dancing to the music.
I saw the finish line in the distance and it hit me. I veered out into the middle of the road and gave it all I had. The course went a bit long, but I didn’t care. 100 yards from the line, I spotted my family, friends, and my wife. I crossed the line with a huge smile on my face and dove into my wife’s arms for a huge hug (it felt awesome). After that, I walked a bit and had a nice moment to myself. I know the time is nothing spectacular but it wasn’t about the time for me. I ran a negative split in a marathon and felt amazing after I finished. Did I leave a little on the table? Maybe. But I learned so much from this race too. I have such a long way to go in order to accomplish my ultimate goal. I’m not sure where I go from here, but I know I’m going to enjoy this one for a while. One run or day should never define anyone, but it feels damn good for all the hard work and dedication to culminate with a great run.
I truly appreciate everyone in here. We are all different, but share common goals. We get each other, and I am glad to be a part of it. I was thinking about all of you on the course today each time I crossed a timing mat.
What podcast got you settled in??
and 
great job jshare! 
In effect, you're doing hard efforts every weekend. Give yourself more of a break so you can follow a better training cycle. Specifically, after a race, let yourself enjoy it for a couple/few days without having to immediately think about the next weekend's race. 
