Here's a picture of me and my friend Candice just before the start of our races. Candice ran the half marathon - and she did awesome!!
I just love the Houston Marathon and Sunday was a PERFECT day for running. I do not like cold weather so I was a little nervous when the low for the start of the race was predicted to be in the 40s (yes that's COLD for a Houstonian). However, I'll say that the start was perfect! I think it helps having a crowd of 25,000 of your closest running strangers surrounding you, but nonetheless it felt great.
I was lucky and found one of my Team in Training teammates to run with. Marium and I pretty much did the whole race together. I loved it! Believe me, for this marathon I really needed the added peer pressure to keep me going. I don't know what it was, but I just wasn't totally in the groove for this race. Looking back, I'm ecstatic about it, but while I was running the course I just couldn't seem to relax and enjoy it all totally. Running with Marium made it a lot better than had I done it alone, so I am so so so grateful that she was there.
The start of the Houston marathon is pretty cool because both the Half Marathon and Full Marathon start at about the same time (give or take 10 minutes) and about a block or so apart from one another. The cool part is at around Mile 2 the half and the full merge into one big happy, squished race. Some may be annoyed by it, but I think it's pretty cool! Hey, we're all runners and we're all running a tough race, so it's neat to come together for a while.
I felt good, though not totally happy, for about the first 6 or 7 miles. I made a pit stop around this time, so had to push it to catch back up with Marium. This might have been a bad idea considering at some points during this 5 mile stretch my Garmin was reading a 9:18/9:30 minute mile - YIKES! A little too fast for me this time around.
I joined forces with Marium again at my favorite part of the course, Mile 11ish, the Rice University/Hermann Park area. Beautiful oaks shade the course and the crowds really start to build. I also, personally, love running by the church whose priest stands outside to sprinkle holy water on all the runners. I figure that will at least carry me through to Mile 20.
This year I got Mile 20 stuck in my head. That, for me, was where the real race was going to begin. I guess because it's just close enough to the finish to make you actually want to finish despite everything! Plus, I thought if I felt good at 20 then I might could pick up the pace at that point.
Marium and I got through Rice, West University and made it to the turn at Weslayan and Mile 14. That's where the 'fam' was waiting. I was really starting to hurt, so the mental picture of running past my family (and trying to make it look good) helped. Plus the fact that Marium was not slowing down any time soon and I just had to stay with her, despite the desperate cries of my legs and hips to stop. I made it around the corner, high fived the family, absorbed the super powers they gave me and trudged up the big hill that led to Mile 15.
I think at around Mile 15 I turned to Marium and asked "How are you feeling?", secretly hoping she might say something like "Not so good, let's just stop here. I think we've gone far enough today." But that is not what Marium said. After she replied "Doing good" I knew she was here to run a full marathon, so I guess I was too. Oh boy! Again, I just told myself, 'Just get to Mile 20, it's only 5 miles away, then you just have to run home.'
Getting to Mile 20 was very painful! I don't know why I got so sore so quickly this time, but everything hurt from the waist down - A LOT! Mile 20 came and went. Then Mile 21 came and went. Still no real drive to push it home yet.
Next came Mile 22, and that's when it happened! That is when the 4:45:00 pace group passed us. My time last year was 4:42:47, so when the 4:45:00 pace group passed me it was like watching my own personal best run by me sticking it's tongue out singing 'Na na na na boo boo, you can't catch me'. Marium and I looked at each other and said "I thought we were further ahead of them?!" Now I HAD to go as hard as I could to get ahead, and stay ahead of that pace group.
I pushed and got ahead, but that wasn't enough. Because I felt the need to stop and walk through every aid station, I knew I had to get farther ahead or risk being passed again. I pushed the pace even more and physically it HURT, but mentally it felt good too - like I was meeting a challenge I had set for myself deep inside. I knew I was pushing hard too because my fingers started to tingle and my stomach was doing back flips.
At this time in a marathon, you have to remember that it is as painful to walk as it is to run, so as much as your body is screaming for you to walk you can't. Even walking through the aid stations was tough, trying to run again after a walk is 10x harder! I always say to myself "The fastest way to finish is to keep running." I got to Mile 23, then Mile 24 and I could see downtown Houston.
Just as you hit downtown you also hit mile 25! With one mile to go all I could think was, "10 more minutes and you're done!" (Even though in reality it took me longer, the mental trick works for me every time) Plus, I was so worried that pace group was going to catch me.
Finally, Mile 26 and then the turn down in front of the George R Brown Convention Center. I spotted my family in the stands and forced a smile and a wave from wayyyyy deep down, because OUCH it hurt!
Mere feet from the finish line and I think my face says it all in this picture! Hey - who wants to smile at mile 26.1???
I crossed the line and really had to fight the urge to pass out, and/or punch everyone who stepped in between me and a cup of water. But I did it! Marathon #3 was in the books!
While I was waiting to claim my finisher's shirt, my husband text me "Would you like to know your net time?" Ummmm yes...this is the most important thing to any marathoner - good or bad, please give me my TIME!! 4:41 and some change...a new personal best by 1 WHOLE MINUTE! It may not sound like much to you, but that minute is huge to me. It means I did better than last year, it means I improved, it means I got faster - if even by the smallest margin, it is a victory on top of a victory to me!
Now, time to eat, rest, and train for Ironman!!!
BTW - Marium did great too! She also set her own personal best on Sunday. Houston was her second marathon in a little less than 4 months - AMAZING!
Congratulations on a race well run! You did amazing.
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