Rock and Roll DC Marathon

D.C. Marathon - Marathon #15

Pre conditions: A 50k trail race and an average of 5 hours of sleep the week before left in pretty bad shape for this race. While I did hikes that reveled my quads were pretty burnt out I didn't do any recover runs opting to just rest when I could. 3 hours of sleep before race but has a great breakfast thanks to Jessica.

Mile 0.05 - I tell the twins that we only have 26.1 miles left.

Mile 1 - "Twenty five point freaking two left!" I lose The twins due to bathroom. Wasn't going to be able to keep up anyway so I decide to run with the 4:25 pace group. By this point I already felt off with my calves. The pace was slightly above my comfort pace but I decided to stick with and look forward to hitting the low point. With proper nutrition and pace you could avoid the "wall" but not so much in ultras. I wanted to get some experience of hitting my low point and pushing through it.
Mile 6 - I see the twins briefly and then lose them and the pace group on the hills. The crowd support on the was spectacular though! My quads burn on the uphills and hurt on the downhills.
Mile 9 - I catch up to the pace group. I feed off the energy of the pacers.
Mile 12 - High five with Ramona! I think that's the first I seen my name on a poster board before too.
Mile 13 - I lose the pace group while refilling my water bottle. Already pretty tired I start focusing on my right foot striking the ground.
Mile 17 - I briefly see the twins and get more high fives on a turn around. They are followed by the pace group. Maybe two minutes ahead. The turnaround has a band playing too. My energy level goes up and I'm struggling to calm myself as I really want to start kicking.
Mile 19 - I meet an older Asian man who says this is his 325th marathon. It's all about the training he says. I get pretty motivated by this. I focus on long breaths in and out of my nose.
Mile 20 - Seeing the 20 mile makes me happy. Normally I get my second wind here. I do feel better but the feeling only lasts for a mile. The rest of the race will be a struggle.
Mile 24 - My thoughts turn to friends and family who have supported me through the years and I draw motivation on this.
Mile 25.9 - Near the end I don't feel like kicking but I see a fellow person of the 4:25 pace group kicking so I have no choice but to try to.
Mile 26.3 - Finish. Two volunteers check on me. Better than my first marathon 3.25 years ago where I was on a wheelchair for a bit and every volunteer checked on me. I ended up short of a PR by a few minutes, not that I care about silly stuff like that.

Sierra Vista 50K

Pre-conditions: A 4.5 hour flight, 1 hour wait to get rental car, then 3 hour drive to Las Cruces. Sleep 2 hours. A slice of bread with Nutella and OJ for breakfast.


0-3: Sleepy head - Forecast had 45 degrees so I wore a light jacket and a hat but less than a mile in I had to store them in my vest. I was pretty sleepy in these miles. 


3-8: Zen mode. Following miles I cleared my mind and miles just passed by. Pretty happy running.


8-9: I struggled to breathe for a little bit. At 4500 to 5000 feet I shouldn't be struggling for oxygen but felt like this for 10 minutes. Two runners pasted me and I decided to stick with their pace. Lost them at the next aid station.

9-12: Nutrition focus - At the aid station I saw avocado. Fat power! I grab one and a banana. A minute later I look down and notice two bananas and spend the next three minutes debating whether I really saw the avocado (mirage?). I probably just rushed it too much and grabbed the wrong one. These miles I slowed a bit to make sure I was eating enough.

12-16: An old foe - reached a low point till the turnout point. The miles felt long and the sun started to beat down. I underestimated the sun again. Should have know better by now...I been competing outdoors for 7 years now.

16-26: Stronger together - I met Mikey who did the 50k at midnight, came back 8 minutes before the race, changed into daytime gear and ran again. We ran together till almost the end. Talking helped the miles go by.

26-30: It's suppose to hurt - By this point Mikey and I stopped talking. Though I was motivated by him being behind me I wanted to just collapse. It reminds me of a quote I once read: To run a ultra is to keep going when everything else wants to stop.

30-32: Hyper mode - Mikey starts a strong kick which after 60 miles is super impressive and leaves me in the dust. I end up getting my boost from the downhills. Charging the downhills gives me an adrenaline rush that is sustained for a bit. My breathing becomes wild but I loose any feeling of pain and speed up. Lucky the end of the course had enough of a downhill for me to get into the mode. I pretty much kick till the end.