The race

Mile 1-3

The first mile headed us out of town and onto the bike path, then we winded our way through the park for the next two miles. We stayed close to our pace group, they were running about a 10.30/mile pace. It didn't feel slow, and I started to think that maybe I'd stay with them for the whole race. I tell P, this race was a great idea and I am so happy we are doing it. Then I tell her, to hold on to this memory when I start bitch'n at mile 20 about how much I hate this race, remember how nice I was at this moment. She laughs.

mile 3 ... 32.30

Mile 3-6

We headed out of the park and uphill. If you have ever done Around the Bay, the next 3 miles were very similar to the last 10k in Burlington. Nothing too steep, but biggish rolling hills. If they had of been at the end, I would of hated them. We didn't have any problems with them. In fact P and I rocked the hils. We rocked them so much, we lost our pace group. We kept looking back, seeing they were way behind us and tried to adjust our pace, that didn't work, we kept getting further ahead.

mile 6 1.03.12

Mile 6 - 9

We headed off the road and into a beautiful park that looped around ponds and playgrounds. At the abundantly stocked waterstop I took my first gel, I know everyone was on the edge of their seats wondering when I would do that! We were still trying to slow down to catch our pace group, but we were now about .5k ahead of them, cause we are superfast! At mile 8 we headed out of that park, up a hill, and into another park that ran along a river, the path was wide and shaded with trees.

Sometime around here I began to regret my decision to indulge in the cinnamon bun. Yes, I have no willpower, and they smelled so good! I found a port-a-potty at the next waterstop, thankfully, the cinnamon bun stayed put and everything was okay. I caught up with P at mile 9.

mile 9 ... 1.35.20

Mile 9 - halfway

Our original plan was to run to the halfway with the 4.44 pace team, then pick it up. We lost the pace team around mile 5 and now I had secretly launched the speed it up plan. I didn't tell P. She was happily munching on the oreo cookie they were giving out. At mile 13 you head out of the park and turnaround. The more water than niagara falls waterstop, enthusiastic volunteers, blasting music and the guy on stilts did distract from what I would describe as a junk yard a la sanford and son. As we crossed mile 13, P and I agreed to keep this pace until mile 20, that was our new goal. For those keeping track, I took gel number two here.

There are out-n-back turnarounds during this marathon and it gives you a chance to see where everyone is. One thing I noticed, there were some freakishly tall people in this race. Maybe a basketball team was running, or the stilt guy brought a village of giants with him. But there were a lot of them.

halfway - 2.18

Mile 13.2 - 20

I don't really remember much about 13-16, except my legs were beginning to tighten. My IT band and my right hip flexor were starting to cry out for mercy.

At mile 16 we are taken off the wide beautiful path on to a small path that leads to an industrial estate. Now if I was to find fault with GR, this would be it. It really wasn't bad, but after running it what seemed like a fairy tale setting the next two miles didn't fit in ... plus I was hurting.

I grabbed water from the endless supply at the waterstop, but P kept going. I had a bit of momentum from catching her, and I passed her. I knew my legs had to keep going to get me to 20. I saw the Oprah pace team they were at mile 18, I made a mental note of the time, to see how far behind we were. I crossed mile 18 at 3.07, 7 minutes behind Oprah. Which meant we had done the last 5 miles in under 49 minutes! The next two miles were pretty tough. I kept telling myself if I don't stop til 20, then I can walk all the way back if I have to.

mile 20 3.30.29

Mile 20 - 24

Once I saw the 20 mile marker I knew I had to keep running there was a functioning waterstop not far away I could keep going til then. I grabbed some water and gummy bears from the large selection available and started running again. I felt better. Stronger. At mile 21 you turnaround and head back. I saw P, she wasn't far behind me. I had noted Oprahs time again, they were now 6.40 ahead of me. I knew I couldn't catch them. At the waterstop just before 22, I grabbed water and a handful of gummy bears and did something for the first time in this marathon. I walked. I walked and drank and chewed my delicious gummy goodies all the way across the bridge. I would of walked all the way back to the finish, except, there was a photographer poised at the end of the bridge, ready to capture the moment.

DAMIT!

I waved to him to wait, I threw my cups away, took a deep breath and smiled through those horrendous first few steps.

I ran til 23. Not fast. But strong. I actually felt pretty good. I was going to walk for 1 minute, but that turned into 2, and was quickly approaching 3 when I remembered running everyday. I can run 3 miles. I've did that everyday. I can do these last 3 miles. So I started running again. Til 24, when I had another walking party just for me.

mile 24 4.14

Mile 24 to finish

When I saw 4.14 at mile 24, I thought if I can pull 2 miles out at 9 minutes each, I'll just be over 4.30. Now I don't know who's legs I thought would be running those 2 miles, but once I started running I knew they wouldn't be mine. I think I got about 1/2 a mile at that pace before I wanted to die. It wasn't the previous 24 miles that did me in, it was that .5 that killed. I managed a slow jog where I barely moved my feet of the ground to 25. Then came to a grinding halt.

"Seriously, mile 25 you can do this, just run"

"Shut up"

"You are going to start running at the telephone pole, yes you are"

"I am going to walk so slow, that I'll never get to the f'ing pole ever"

It took a long time to get to the pole, but when I did, I kept walking. Then I saw that dam photographer again, I felt like Britney, hounded by photographers. So I started running. It hurt. The last mile was torture. I had to stop 3 times to walk. Then I could see the YMCA and the finish line. I kept running. Some guy passed me, which ticked me off, so I tried to catch him. I began to sprint. Then hobbled in pain and waved to him and shouted "You go on, I'll let you take this one."

26.2 ... 4.41

As they cut my chip off my shoe, I heard P's name being called out. She was just over a minute behind me.

I hugged her, she had picked the best race ever.

Grand Rapids was just grand!