Pre-Marathon Race Report

Welcome to part 1 of my Marathon race report.

Ok first let me start with Taper is no joke. I finished my final long run and was busy, busy with work and traveling until the actual race. I experienced so many things during taper weeks. First of all I got a cold thankfully it was resolved by marathon day (thank you vitamin C, Echinacea, and lots of water). Next I experienced really weird dreams.

In one dream I forgot to put my sports bra on and was at the starting line and started freaking out. Another that I was covered in Chafe from head to toe but really needed a shower. These are just a couple examples of the many weird dreams I had.

Also during taper I experienced a million emotions. I was excited and nervous and terrified. I would start crying for seemingly no reason. I would visualize crossing the finish line and start crying. I listened to Moana and started crying. Ok but seriously How far I’ll go is a great song!

Beginning of November I wore my vans because it was raining and ended up with a very sore foot. I think it is my peroneal tendon in my foot. So leading up to the marathon I was worried and in pain. I took few runs off and did everything I could to heal my foot. A few days before the race it was still hurting but felt a lot better. I knew the race was going to be painful, but I would be able to get through it.

Friday afternoon it got real! As I went to pick up my parents and check in to the hotel, I was nervous and excited. Of course I was trying to be very picky with everything I put in my mouth and hydrating like crazy. The next day we went drove the course to the expo to pick up my runners packet. Driving the course was a weird experience. Realizing just how far it really was and that I would be running that the next day was surreal. It definitely made me feel better knowing the course a little and did help when I actually did run it. We got to the expo and picked up my packet. There were so many people there. I am not one for crowds so I didn’t really want to stay longer than I needed to.

While we were there they were interviewing the panel of elite athletes. It was reassuring to hear them talk about their routines and specifics of what they do. It made me feel a little less crazy for being so particular about sticking to my routine. After that we went out for lunch and a short shake out run. Really short since my foot was hurting.

 

Dinner was Costco Pizza since I had done my long runs on that and knew it would sit well in my stomach. I stretched laid all of my stuff out and went to bed. I slept surprisingly well for the night before a marathon. All of my sleep training and focus definitely paid off.

4:30am my alarm went off and I started getting ready. Clothes, Vaseline, eating, hydrating, checking and rechecking my stuff. I had decided to wear a XXL pull over jacket over everything to keep me warm. By 5:00 we head to the car so my parents could drop me off at the bus pickup. When my mom dropped me off at the bus she said it felt like dropping me off for the first day of kindergarten! See you at the finish. Getting on the bus was scary. I kept running through my head all of the things I needed to do, my focuses for the race, and what the day would look like. I felt like I was on the verge of crying, screaming, and peeing my pants all at the same time.

When the bus arrived I went to meet up with our first timers groups and get ready.

We still had over an hour before the race start. After a picture with the first timers I found a line for a porta-potty and waited. I didn’t have to go yet but knew I would soon. After that it was time to line up and get ready to start.