Last...But Not Least by a Long Shot

My marathon, the Edge to Edge Marathon from Tofino to Ucluelet, was June 12th. In some ways, that seems like so long ago. In others, I can still feel the fatigue in my legs as if I just crossed the finish line. This is my attempt to recap the experience, from the emotions to the physical challenges I faced throughout. As I learned well, the two things are inextricably linked.

Pre-Marathon - Preparing for the Battle
The alarm went off at 5:15, but I was wide awake by then. I always have a fear of oversleeping for really important events, and that fact alone usually wakes me up a half and hour prematurely. Combine that with the sheer terror I was feeling, and I was wide awake by the time it started to get light at 4:30. Of course, waking up to the pacific ocean isn't so bad.


I started drinking one of my water bottles I had prepared with my GU Brew because I knew that eating anything would probably be difficult given my extremely nervous stomach. I did manage half a banana and about 1/8 of a multigrain bagel with peanut butter, but even that was a struggle. Janna, my roommate for this adventure, was just excited, not nervous. She's one of these people who doesn't get nervous for these races like I do, but on this morning, her excitement wasn't rubbing off on me.

I can't even really tell you why I was so nervous. I certainly wasn't competing to win. I was only really competing with myself, with my mind. Maybe that's why I was so nervous. I wasn't sure it was a competition I'd win. I also didn't want to finish last, and in a marathon with only 150 people, there was a better than even chance I might.

6:15 - Waiting for the Bus to Tofino
There were six of us outside the BlackRockResort waiting for the bus. Mea, Tara, Janna and me, and two men who must have thought we were crazy. Let me explain. As I mentioned above, I was nervous. And during the course of the trip, we discovered a little song/video that sort of became the trip mascot. In order to relieve the tension, I decided to play our song and got us all dancing. At 6:15 in the morning. To Baby Monkey.



7:30 - Start Time for the Slow People, but Where is the Start Line?
So we arrive in Tofino, and there are a handful of people around, but I'm not really seeing a start line or any evidence that a marathon is about to take place. Now to be fair, I was starting in the unofficial early wave start, but I expected there to at least be a start line.

Finally, we saw a lady with a clipboard and a pace car, and we knew we were in the right place. And then we saw the start line, before


And after.


Time to get this party started. On island time, of course.

Miles 1-5 - Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me Where to Turn?
So the horn goes off, and I take off with about 25 other early bird runners and walkers. I get off to a good start and am planning to follow my "run a mile, walk a minute" plan. But I'm slow, and soon, I'm at the back of the pack with about 5 others. This is nothing new for me. I run at a pretty slow pace normally, and with having to go 26.2 miles, I'm definitely pacing myself.

Now, the Edge to Edge marathon is an open course, meaning you share the road with cars. This isn't a big deal leaving Tofino because there is a bike path we ran on. It's also not incredibly well marked at this point because a) we're starting at 7:30, and as evidenced with the start line, they're not quite set up yet, and b) it's Tofino, which gives laid back a whole new meaning.

I don't know the course, but I know that at some point, I make a turn onto the beach. I just wasn't sure where that was, and with some turns in the road, there wasn't really anyone in front of me to watch where they go. So I jog on, figuring there would be a person or a sign. And I was right. There was a person. Unfortunately for me, he drove after me, stopping me about 1/2 kilometer past the beach turn, telling me I needed to turn back.

Yes, I went 1K out of my way. It was pretty discouraging, but that feeling soon went away when I got to the beach and was running along the surf. I didn't get my camera out to capture the moment, but luckily for me, Janna and Mea did.


Miles 6-12 - The Lonely Open Road
Running on the beach was definitely the highlight of the marathon. Unfortunately, it wasn't a long enough stretch, and soon we were back on the road where most of the run takes place, the road between Tofino and Ucluelet. And it was long. There were aid stations about every 2 miles, and it took me until the final aid station to realize they were all themed. The volunteers were all really great and put a lot of work in. A big thank you to them.

It was about mile 8 that the fast people from the 8:30 start time began to catch up to me, but until then, there were times when I couldn't see anyone in front of me. It was a little weird. This was also the point that the bear warning started to dance around in my head. Were they in the forest along the side of the road? Were there other animals? Hey, it kept my mind occupied.

At about mile 11, Janna and Mea had caught up to me. They were going strong.


We spent a couple of minutes jogging and talking, but soon they were off. But not before they gave me encouragement in the promise of much beer at the end. It definitely kept me going.

Somewhere Between Mile 12 and 13 - Heartbreak
About 10 minutes after Janna and Mea ran off, I approached the next aid station, and I saw a welcome face, but not welcome under the circumstances. It was Tara, and she had her knee brace hanging off her right knee. I was at first surprised to see her because when we started at 7:30, she took off and I lost sight of her quickly. I had figured she was at least a mile ahead, and it took a minute for it to dawn on me that seeing her here wasn't good news. And I was right.

She started to have knee pain around mile two and bravely continued running for another 10 miles! By mile 10, the pain in her knee had become unbearable, and by the time she got to the aid station we were at, she had to stop and end her marathon early. She put on such a brave face when I saw her, but I could see and feel how disappointed she was. I stayed and talked to her for about 10 minutes, and then I had to continue on. It was really hard to leave her there, and I kind of knew at that moment that this wasn't going to be my last marathon. Between Holly's knee that kept her from even starting and Tara's injury, we still had 2 team members to get through a marathon. Edge to Edge 2012, here we come.

Mile 13 - 20 - Let the Mind Games Begin and the Second Wind
Miles 13 to 17 could also be called the dead zone. You're over halfway, so that's promising. But it took me more than 3 hours to get to that point, so I knew I had another 3 hours at least to go. That is not a pleasant thought. My legs are already feeling fatigued, and I just left one of my friends who couldn't finish. This was probably when my confidence was lowest. I just had so far to go, and I was running on the fumes of GU Brew, Powerade and water.

After 18 miles of running and walking on a nearly empty stomach, the last thing I expected was a burst of energy. But it happened. After about a steady 30 minutes of walking, I suddenly felt ready to run again. And at this point, it becomes a mental game more than a physical one. I knew I had some energy to run, so I started to. But I was afraid to hit a wall I just knew was coming, so I played mind games to get me through. Run until the next car comes. Run to the next beach turnoff sign. Run to the next water station. Anything to keep myself running.

Mile 20 - 23 - Where Did All These Fu#%ing Hills Come From?
Ahh...the home stretch. The road to Ucluelet. It won't be long now. Except...what the hell is this? Hills? At the 20 mile mark? Whose idea of a bad joke is this?

At this point, it's me, an injured couple and a woman in a red jog bra. We're all in close enough proximity that I can hear faint conversation from the couple, and the woman in red isn't too far in front of me. Like me, she's walking up the hills and running down. So I'm pacing her pretty well. Until I summit one hill, and I see her at the bottom, thumb out, looking for a ride. Is that an option? I mean, I know this is my first marathon, so I don't know all the rules, but I'm pretty sure hitchhiking to the finish is frowned upon. I don't know for sure that she ever got a ride, but I do know that after the next hill, I never saw her again.

Mile 23 - Tears
There it was. The only 5K to go water station. Just to be sure, I asked the wonderful volunteers at the peace themed water station how much further. "Only 5k to go!" I drank my water and a cup of Powerade and continued on, and then it hit me. Only 5k to go. I can do that! How many 5k's have I done? Piece of cake. And then tears. A few at first, and then they started flowing. It was the first moment I knew for sure that I'd finish. I was going to do this, and all the training and effort was worth it. And given the injuries that hit two of my friends, it was never a foregone conclusion that I would finish. Until that moment. And I jogged and cried. At least until I got to the next hill.

Mile 24-25.5 - More Fu#%ing Hills?
Now I'm officially in Ucluelet, and more rolling hills. Seriously, for the last 6 miles. Rolling hills doesn't sound bad in theory. I mean, what goes up must come down, right? But by this point, going uphill makes every muscle in my legs burn, and going downhill, I can feel each toenail pressing against the front of my shoe, separating from my toes with each stride downhill. I had vaguely heard of this losing toenails thing, but it wasn't on my list of pre-race concerns. Maybe it should have been.

Mile 25.5-26.1 - Where is the Damn Finish Line?
About this time, I'm beginning to wonder how big Ucluelet really is and if they're going to make me run through all of it. I mean, I entered the town about a mile ago, and I just didn't remember there being this many side streets. Every time I saw someone and asked how much further, it was just one more kilometer, then 500 meters. Will this thing never end?????

Mile 26.1-26.2 - The Finish Line, All My Friends, and the Sprint to the Finish
Now I'm headed down hill, and I can see it. The finish line. And because there isn't really anyone left out there with me (not sure if the hitchhiker finished or not), I can start to hear my friends before I see them because they can see me. It was one of the coolest feelings I've ever had. I felt this surge of energy (a combination hearing my friends cheer me on and my overwhelmingly intense desire to be done with this thing), and I started to sprint! Seriously!

And finally, after 6 hours and 45 minutes, I crossed that finish line. My first words? "THANK CHRIST THAT'S OVER!" That made a couple people at the end chuckle. Next, a medal, and then hugs from all my friends, my support, the people that got me through this. Janna told me when I sprinted across the finish line, it made her cry. It makes me cry just to type that, to know what great friends and great support I have.

After lunch, a nice hot shower and much wine, it was time to bask in the accomplishment and tend to the sore muscles. And to celebrate what an amazing experience the whole thing was. Not just the run, but the training, the injuries, the strategy dinners, the email chains about which anti-inflammatories work best, the post-training beers, the pep talks, the physical therapy, the friendship and the support.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I finished 126 of 126. There were a couple of people who crossed the finish line after me, but they were either from the 8:30 start time or relay people. I was dead freaking last. And I've never been prouder of myself.

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A Shout Out to my Four Marathon Partners

Well, it's over. I did it. And I'll talk about more about the particulars in an upcoming blog.

But first, I wanted to talk a little about the amazing women that took this journey with me. I never would have crossed the finish line if it weren't for the things that each of them gave me on this journey.

First, Tara. You are the reason we are all here this weekend. If it wasn't for you and that damned article in Northwest Runners magazine (and too much wine), none of us would have even dreamed of attempting this. You are my shopping, travel and now running inspiration, and I promise to come back and do it again with you next year. But next time, we'll run together because my best training runs were when you were there pushing me.

Holly, you are such a super stud runner that the only reason you were held back this weekend is that you are so fast, it takes the messages from your body time to catch up. So many times through this, you encouraged me when I was injured, sick or just frustrated at how slow I was. And your friendship has been invaluable to me. As I said to Tara, we will all come back and do this again next year. I promise.

Mea, you are such a supportive friend. You made me believe I could actually do this, and you seem to think I can do more, but we'll discuss that later. :-) I'm so glad we've gotten to know each other so much better through this, and I might let you talk me into an olympic marathon, but we'll wait and see. ;-)

Janna, your positive outlook on everything is so infectious and inspires me, not just with running, but in life. Knowing that you are in for adventures like this encourages me to do things I might not do without you. I'm so proud of how you overcame so much to rock this marathon, even wearing bright pink socks to get it done. I am so looking forward to our next adventure together (as long as there's wine).

To all of you, from the decision to do this, to commiserating over our various injuries to all our training runs and subsequent celebrations, this has been one of the best experiences of my life. 2012 Edge to Edge, here we come.


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One More Sleep and Then The Fun Begins

It's go time. I'm sitting in my unbelievably gorgeous hotel room at the Black Rock Resort staring out at the ocean and a surprisingly clear sky as the sun sets. I've mixed together my GU brew and laid out my clothes, and now all that is left to do is run 26.2 miles.

Yikes.

Today was packet pickup day and a free day to explore Tofino and Ucluelet. And may I say, I love it here. A remote surfer community on upper Vancouver Island. Who would have known?

As promised, there is wildlife, but to my eyes, no bears yet. You might remember from an earlier post that one of the distinct charms of this marathon was the possibility of seeing bears. And with the exception of Janna and me, everyone has seen one. In fact, the Tofino Visitors Centre has even issued a warning.



But the wildlife is here in abundance. At breakfast, the entire restaurant abandoned their meals to view a couple of passing Orcas. There are deer aplenty, and we saw a sea lion bobbing in the water in front of our hotel. During a late afternoon adult beverage outside at a great place called Shelter, we were graced with two very majestic bald eagles perched just overhead.

All of this has made for a great setting for my first marathon, and at this time tomorrow, all the work and friendship and support and injuries will hopefully pay off in a marathon finish. Here goes nothing.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Marine Dr,Ucluelet,Canada

3 days to go: Venturing to Victoria

All packed and ready to go, and we're off for Victoria. It was a relatively easy drive to the border until I was questioned by Canadian customs. When he asked me where I was going, I said, "Ucluelet! To run a marathon!" Suspiciously, he said, "there is no marathon in Ucluelet," at which point, I noticed a second customs agent walk over and size up me and my car. After much convincing and even showing him the race web page, he waved me through and I continued on to the ferry, where I stared in amazement as to the scope and size of the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. It was so big, a guy selling makeup offered to change my life.

The terminal was only matched by the actual ferry, which is huge. It has its own buffet and spa. It was an unbelievably beautiful ride. The ferry slaloms between little islands on its way to Victoria, some so close on either side that you could see the pebbles on the beach.

Arriving in Victoria, I was not disappointed at its beauty. This is my first time in Victoria, and it's much larger than I thought it would be. Among the sites from today were: the Empress Hotel, a statue of Captain John Cook in a Canucks jersey,


and a fiddling Darth Vader.


I had said that I was going to lay off wine until after the race, but a rooftop setting at dusk foiled that plan. Besides, isn't red wine good for you? I keep reading articles that it cures everything from athletes foot to old age. It's got to be good marathon training, right?

Anyway, tomorrow we are off to Ucluelet, the site of the marathon. Now the nerves start to sink in.

Tomorrow, the long trek up island will still take less time than I will to run the marathon.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Victoria, BC

Packing Up The Tools for a Successful Marathon

Four days to go until race day, but one day to go until I leave for Canada. Packing for this trip is much different than other vacations because my biggest focus is on items I'll need for the race.

But first, don't forget your passport! Okay, now that I can get across the border, what are the tools of a successful Edge to Edge marathoner?

First, fuel for the run. My favorite? Has to be Shot Blocks. Shot Blocks rock. They are little gel cubes, or energy chews as they are identified on the packaging. Shot Blocks were created by the creator of the Clif Bar and they have long been a staple of my triathlon training. They're easy to carry, easy to digest and rather yummy. Shot Blocks...check.

Next, GU Brew electrolyte powder. Now normally, I'm strictly a water drinker, but after talking to countless distance runners, all of them said I need some sort of electrolyte or glucose liquid. After trying several powders and goos on long training runs, I settled on orange flavored GU Brew, which isn't too sweet and is pretty easy to mix up on the run, so to speak.




Finally, bear bell. Bear bell? Why the hell would I need a bear bell for a marathon, you ask. Well, that's a good question. Apparently one of the enticing things about this particular marathon to my friend Tara was the description that "runners may even spot a bear while running through some of the wilderness areas."

Now, on the one hand, that's kind of cool that we might see a bear. On the other hand, I'm pretty slow and destined to be near the back of the pack, or as it might be known on Sunday, bear lunch. So I'm hoping that the bear bell will keep Yogi and Boo Boo at a nice safe distance and will not act as a dinner bell.

Special socks, running shoes, running pants, dri-fit shirt in case of rain, iPod, hat, heart monitor, check, check, check. I think I'm ready to go.

Tomorrow...my first visit to Victoria eve. High tea and carbo loading.


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5...4...3...2...1...

Five more days. The marathon is just 5 days away. And believe it or not, I'm excited.

Through all the injuries, illness, training, doubts and fears, I know that, barring any unforeseen injuries, I'll finish. Not only that, but I'll finish strong. And so will my friends.

But, what I've learned is that I didn't do this just to finish. I finally realize that I did it for the journey. The journey has made this whole experience something I will treasure forever.

I learned that despite my insecurities about being the slowest runner and holding people back, I like running with a friend better than I like running alone. I like the support I get and the encouragement I can give. I like having that friendly face waiting for me as I come around the corner at mile 5 and encouraging her to start running again because I'm not quite ready for that walk break. And what keeps me going is the shared experience of each training run and having that celebratory beer at the end.

I learned that training for a marathon is a lot like life and vice versa. Some days the runs are easy and natural and you feel like you can run forever. Others, it feels like a struggle, like you don't know how you'll even get through the first mile. And it's taught me that it's all a journey, that even when you reach one destination, it's just a water station on the longer journey.

I learned that beer is hydrating, or at least it is according to an article I'm taking as gospel.

I learned that injuries are a part of the deal once you turn 40, and the key is managing them, stretching religiously and using that f#%king foam roller.

I learned that Shot Blocks rock and will be consumed by me every two miles.

And I learned that I'm doing this race with some of the most dedicated and most supportive women I know, and I am one of the luckiest people in the world to call them my friends.

So we leave for Vancouver Island on Thursday, and starting today, I'm going to make this a daily blog up until race day (thanks to the magic of my wonderful iPad), so stay tuned for the adventures of the Seattle Monthly Runners - Marathon Division as we head up to Canada and conquer the Edge to Edge Marathon.

Tomorrow...packing all the goos, electrolytes and supplements. Can I take all that crap across the border?