Race Report

I’m sitting on a plane headed to Colorado so a great time to finally do a race report…if I can remember the details it’s been so long. Ill put all the pictures at the end of the post because I’m on my iPhone and its just easier that way.
Ok. Lets go.
First things first. I missed it by 63 seconds! Honestly all the McMillan calculators said I’d be right about there but I really didn’t think I would BQ. I didn’t really think I’d get sub 3:43. Yes. I’m negative I suppose. It’s just that in my mind running 26.2 miles at an 8:23 pace seems beyond me. Like only study athletes can do that and I’m just a regular, kinda fit, tad skinny fat around the mid section mother of 2. So it is rather remarkable and considering 10years ago I could barely make it around the block I never in a million years imagined I’d be here. Hell I didn’t even know what a Garmin was or what the Boston marathon meant. Bittersweet.
The race was on Sunday so Diane and I left Walla Walla for the 6.5hour drive at 5:30am. We actually made great time with about 18 bathroom stops. It only took 6hrs and no one peed their pants. See, winning already.
We arrived in Missoula and headed straight to the tiny but lovely outdoor expo. I was in a bit of a hurry to get there because I totally wanted to meet Jeff Galloway and thank him. No joke. 10 years ago in Sacramento when I walked into Fleet Feet after having my son I bought my first pair of shoes (Asics kayano) tights, ear warmers and a pull over. At the checkout I impulsively grabbed Jeff Galloway’s running book and I just started doing the run/walk thing. Upon finishing my first 5k in 30 minutes I was hooked. Ok ok ok…bla bla. Well I didn’t get to thank him personally because he was giving a speech but that’s ok, I probably would have bawled like a baby. Emotional crazy bitch.
Met Adam!
Hi Adam!! Nice job by the way.
Didn’t get to meet Tasha but maybe soon??
Went to the hotel. Quick shake out run. It was hot. Yuck. Stuffed our faces with pasta and then back to the hotel. I was wiped out from the drive and passed out around 8:00(we were one hour ahead mountain time). Oddly I slept great.
Woke up at 4:30 got our shit and walked maybe 3/4 mile to start. Nice quiet bus ride. Marathon was point to point (love that) it started I’m Frenchtown and ran southeast into Missoula.
Upon leaving the bus a volunteer hopped on, wished us well and said they had extra porta potties and the wait was no more than 2 minutes. Awesome because I had to go like never before!
Well..so we’re waiting…and waiting.. And flippin waiting. The national anthem is sung and there’s like 2 minutes. The line is barely moving and I have to go. I’m next in line and the cannon goes off. Awesome. I finally get in, lock the door and I’m sorry – but I shit my brains out! Who knows what I left on those walls but glorious relief. Rush out, drop my bag and look for Diane. Shit! Everyone is going. I hop over the gate stand to the side and look for her. I was about to take off but I just got her attention and she hopped the gate and we were off…behind the the walkers. Fuck. We passed the 5hr pace group, then the 4:30, then the 4:00. I swear every time I looked at my Garmin we were going 10min mile and my heart rate was up there. Weave here, go around her, pass him. Grrr. Ugh 63 seconds.
Finally passed the 3:50 and kinda settled in.
My crazy awesome goal was to BQ but my main goal was to actually race this fucker! I didn’t race Portland (fell apart before the gun went off) Didn’t really race Eugene, just wanted sub 4 without dying. Didn’t race Sacramento because weather mentally kicked my ass. Basically I was tired of excuses for my sub par performance. I signed up for Missoula just two days after the Boston bombings and figured it was a good time to race a marathon and lay it out there. I was hoping with only 12 weeks to train I wouldn’t have enough time to burn out and elevate my head case situation.
During the race I kept surprisingly even splits. It was stunningly beautiful and peaceful. The weather was fresh and cold at the start and it stayed that way almost though out.
Some where around mile 8 Diane and I started talking to this lady (super nice, trying to do 50states) I dicked around too long just chatting away…ugh 63 seconds.
Around mile 14 we climbed “the hill”
It was a decent climb, pace dropped to 9:10. Diane bailed and totally gunned it up the hill. I knew she’d wait at the top…right?! After making it up the hill and seeing Diane I felt great. It was go time. I put my headphones in (too early) and cruised at 8 min mile for a few miles. Around mile 18 the sun came out and I was getting tired. Wait… Where did my “go time” attitude go? Glancing at my watch (which I said I wouldn’t do) I was doing 8:45ish and struggling. I felt beaten. I think it was mile 19 I asked Diane “Can I walk?!” Now I knew she would say no but I just had to ask. Next water stop I could walk. And I did. Then she looked at me and was like, “Come on!!” And I did. I thought…oh this is the part in the marathon where you have to push through. I thought of my good friend and her saying to me “get out of your head. Don’t think about it” and it worked. I shut down my enormous facility between my ears and just pushed through and kept lifting my heavy ass legs. The last 20-25 miles my Garmin says the elevation goes up 100feet and I swear I felt it!
Mile 25 they posted signs saying “4 more turns” “three more turns”
The turns, round abouts and walkers the last mile were pretty annoying. By this point Diane is sprinting to the finish and I’m on my own (I’m fine with that) This dude and I were battling it out and I dropped his ass. Haha.
63 seconds short.
Haha jokes on me.
All in all, other than the crying on the massage table at the finish I’m stoaked with the race. Missoula is filled with fit good looking men people and I’d love to do the race again! I found out I came in 7th in my Age group out of maybe 90 or 100 women or something so that was a shock to me. Missoula I will be back! Oh and the beer at the end was freaking awesome!!
I could have made it, couldn’t I have?? Ugh