Oh good..another blah marathon..

So marathon #7 in Melbourne, FL at the beginning of February was a bust. Near record high temperatures were set that weekend and my body was just not ready for the heat and humidity. I was planning on doing a marathon in Georgia this spring, but now I felt more pressure. I really didn't want to have two bad races in a row, so I was hoping for good weather and good health.

I had 5 weeks between the marathon in  Florida and the Georgia Marathon in Atlanta. I did some hiking, a handful of 3-7 mile runs, and a 10 miler. I had planned to do a 50k trail race at the beginning of the month but it was cancelled due to extreme winds. I had been taking it easy assuming I would have at least this one long 'training' day, but when it was cancelled I felt panicked that I had missed my opportunity to get in another long run. I knew my legs needed some rest, but I was nervous that all of my training would go to waste.

Read, set, dork!

I flew in to Atlanta Saturday afternoon and took the MARTA directly over to the Hyatt where packet pick up was held. Check in was easy and I was in and out in 5 minutes. I walked around the expo briefly and stopped at the pacers table. I had trained through the winter with hopes to run a 3:45 in Melbourne but that obviously didn't happen, even though I was pretty confident with my training. But the last 5 weeks went by quickly and now I was nervous. I decided to try to race smart and start with the 4:00 pace group. A new marathon PR would have to wait.

Who knew Atlanta was so hilly? Apparently everyone but me..

The weather race morning felt good - just below 60 degrees and cloudy, I was hoping it would be a little cooler at the start. I walked from the hotel to the start line and wandered in circles for a few minutes before finding the start line. I decided to carry my phone and some gels and other calories. The course has water stations approximately every 1.5 - 2 miles, only one aid station with gels at mile 19, and other random snack foods (oranges, pretzels, raisins) at various aid stations throughout the course. I drank 2-3 cups of water at each of the aid stations and ate a gel at the start and at miles 6, 13, and 19.

So far, so good

The 4:00 group started in the third wave at 7:06. The pacers had lined up way back in the wave 3 corral and I didn't feel like fighting my way through the crowd to line up next to them. So I started ahead of the group and figured I would just run comfortably until they caught up to me.The course was somewhat crowded but I was able to stay relaxed and run comfortably at a 8:45 - 9:07 min/mi pace for the first several miles. We ran in the dark for the first 45 minutes and were treated to a beautiful sunrise. It was overcast and there was a light breeze, so even after the sun came up it was still pretty comfortable. The temperature was rising, but still manageable, especially compared to Florida. I was not prepared for how hilly Atlanta is..I don't actually remember any flat stretches. The hills through most of the race weren't so bad and made the miles pass by quickly.

The course spread out a bit after mile 7 where the half marathoners split off. The first 10 miles went by ahead of pace, so I was surprised when the 4:00 pace group passed me...I passed the half marathon mark at about 1:57, and the 4:00 group was about 20 seconds ahead of me. I knew they were running slightly fast, so I figured I would just try to keep them insight. But after another mile went by I got nervous and decided I would try to catch up to them and hold their pace. Well, that didn't work and the race went down hill from there. 

..And here comes the crash

I started hitting the wall at mile 20. I knew I had a buffer to be able to finish by 4 hours, but that was quickly wiped away. The hills were finally getting to me and the downhills weren't enough of a recovery at this point. I made it to mile 22 before I let myself walk, since I knew at this point I was not going to beat 4 hours. Just after mile 23 I saw my Aunt and Uncle for about 15 seconds as I ran by..quick, but a nice morale boost. I was very happy to see them! But as soon as I rounded the corner I needed to walk again. I almost never have problems with asthma anymore, but for some reason I began having difficulty breathing and I couldn't walk it off. It took me a while to recover and when I started running again it returned. The last few miles were very slow and painful. I even considered visiting the medical tent after I finished because of how dizzy I felt. But I ended up getting some food and drink and finding a shaded bench to just chill out for a few minutes.

I was disappointed. I felt like my all of my winter training had been a a waste. I was running more miles and at a faster pace than I ever had in previous marathon training, with no result to show for it. I knew there would be other marathons (at least 42 others..) but mentally this was a huge let down and filled me with self-doubt. But this was another marathon checked off my list and another learning experience.

I'm hanging up my running shoes until the fall. I'll be beginning a different kind of daily marathon soon...see you in 3 weeks, Atlanta!