IMChoo: Let's go running!

First, a brief recap. When we last left our intrepid athlete (me), I'd left T2 with appropriate gear. Success! I was on top of my nutrition for the day and ready to run a focused, well-paced marathon.

I'd talked with my track coach and asked the internet what a reasonable Ironman-marathon goal would be, and set my best-day goal based on that -- so I was dreaming of a run that would be about 30 minutes slower than my stand-alone marathon.

I had plans that went out to a 13:00 min/mile pace and had told my parents that as long as I am making the cut-offs it is still a good day. Since my starting position, bike and swim had gone so well, I had loads of time before cutoffs became a problem, so I was feeling quite good.

Run

Run Visualization from Race Plan (Part 1)

I started off the run like I had most of the brick-workouts this year with what I've called a run-pyramid. It eases me into the running and gives me lots of things to think about and pretty soon 3-4 miles are done, and you are fully in run mode!

It starts with a 30 second run, 30 second walk, to get yourself going, and then goes to
1 minute run, 30 second walk
2 minute run, 30 second walk
3 minute run, 30 second walk
...

Until you are finishing the run intervals comfortably and feel like you have left your weird biking legs behind you. Usually for me that would happen around the 6 or 7 minutes step.

On race day, I worked up to the 4 minute ladder and then changed strategy to a half mile run, 30 second walk, so I would be more likely to be walking at the aid stations, which were pretty close to the mile markers.

My best 5 miles of the day was miles 0-5 where I was running a little too briskly, but it wasn't so fast that I regretted it later. I'd made a list of things to look for in the first part of the run, and also wanted to add some new stuff to keep an eye out for for the second loop. So I got to say hello to the back-side of a marsh, hello to the Subway, hello to the swim start, etc.

I put some savings in my karma bank when I came across a cheerer who had scraped her knee. I had some (Ironman) bandaids in my run belt and gave them to her, and thanked her for cheering. It felt good to take that micro-break to do something for someone else.

There were 4 bridge crossings for the day and I love counting things down, so crossing bridge #1 was a great marker for the day. I was happy and strong and moving well. The post-it of my dreams, with the 11:30 pace run was fore-front in my mind for a lot of the run, and I tried very hard to stay around that, or a little ahead, so I could have some buffer for later in the day.

Run Visualization from Race Plan (Part 2)

 The TeamZ cheer station for the run was around mile 9, 11, 22 and 24, and I was super excited to see everyone as I came down the hill for mile 9 (fastest mile of the day included that glorious downhill). I had successfully dran my bottles of Skratch that I left T2 with and was refilling the bottles with coke from the aid stations (which then would fizz out all over my hand) and was on top of my calories. This was after one of the big-hill crests of the day where I kept my head up and walked with purpose.

The loop to get back to the TeamZ tent had the rest of the hills of the course and for that, I used a phrase "Roll through the hills". In my Monday night runs, I'd found a nice up&down section that I called a roller-coaster and treated it as if it was a fun and exciting adventure to run down & up, and I brought that mentality with me to race day.

I was feeling good, and ran from the TeamZ tent to bridge crossing #2. I did that first half marathon in 2:29 and was completely on pace for my perfect day

Run Visualization from Race Plan (Part 3)

Right after that was special needs where I picked up some cookies, and some new bottles with Skratch, which was a nice change from the coke I'd been drinking. I saw my parents near there which was neat -- I was so proud of them for finding me somewhere on the course that was off of my basic-cheer-guide-script and also I was happy to have them there to hand off my arm-warmers to, since I was on track to not need them at all!

Shortly after special needs I saw a training friend who is a biking-machine and started working to reel her in. We were both having great runs, so that took a long time, which was a good thing! Watching her kept my head up and gave me something to aim for and since she was having a good day, the target stayed in front of me for quite some time.

All day long, I had been working to keep my focus small and to "stay in the box," and around mile 15 while passing her, "stay in the box" got a little crazy in my head. I started visualizing boxes of Christmas presents, with like wrapping paper and a bow and everything. At mile 15, I got to unwrap the mile 15 box, and I had to enjoy that present (ie. observe my surroundings, celebrate strength, work on my cadence, look for things I'd noticed on the first loop) for that whole mile. Like watching little kids unwrap things, I "played" with each new toy as I got it, instead of rushing on to the others. It was a pretty vivid mental image and it worked really well for a number of miles that could have felt desolate or isolated otherwise.

During this presents-part of the run and into the side-stitch part of the run, I got to enjoy an amazing sunset. We were running west on a river-front path with scenic bridges in front of us. The sky turned a beautiful pink and we were out playing outdoors and being strong and successful.

For the run, I started with that run-pyramid plan, and I also had a "get back on plan" plan, and I also had a "fall back" plan. I started getting some side stitches around mile 20, and was walking more than I had wanted to. While running back down the river, saying goodbye to Marsh1, goodbye to Marsh2, goodbye to the swim start, I had to fall back to a run/walk and forced myself into 2 minutes of running, 30 seconds of walking. "2 minutes of running is just 100 seconds plus a bit, so of course you can do that" I told myself, over and over. That worked until bridge crossing #3, which was probably the lowest point of the day. (It was not a very low point in the overall scheme of things)

At bridge crossing 3, I was having some serious side pain and was trying deep alligator breaths where I pushed the air down to the bottom of my lungs, big exhale lion/dragon breathing, and 4 step inhale 4 step exhale circular breathing, and nothing was really solving it. Everyone around me could totally hear me coming though as "quiet" was not one of my breathing goals. Finally, I tried bending over to see if I could/needed to throw up, and that twist relieved most of the pain, and it stayed better when I stood up again! Working through that and then cresting the big hill took about a mile and a half, and added about 4 minutes to my finish time.

At the time, this was hardly a negative thing. I had passed on the run two teammates who had had their dream-race derailed by angry-tummies so having a side-stitch that made me walk, this late in the race, was not a big deal. Now, with some perspective, I can even see it as a positive. I've finally had a side-stitch come on me in a race, and overcome it to some degree!

Run Visualization from Race Plan (Part 4)

Throughout the run, I tried really hard not to say anything negative out loud, or especially to join in any negative conversations. There were a lot of people groaning about the steep hill on the second loop, but instead of thinking about that, I cheered for the downhill runners saying things like "I want to be like you someday... maybe in like 20 minutes" and totally cracked myself up.

Cresting the big hill for the second time, I was excited for many things

1. I was running downhill again
2. I was running after the drama of the side-stitch
3. My legs were still able to go downhill from all the practice I'd been putting in since the half on the relaxed-downhill-fall
4. I was going to get to see the TeamZ cheer station again and pass off my fuel belt and sunglasses so they wouldn't be in my finish picture.
5. I was starting to think about finish pictures!!

Running past the TeamZ cheer tent for the third time

The neighborhood hill loop after passing TeamZ was harder than the first time through (of course, since I'd run 13 miles since then!), and like on the bridge, I did a lot of loud and purposeful breathing during my walk breaks, but I was joking about it and passing people who weren't running as much or weren't walking as purposefully. I tried to start my present-visualization back up again, but was spending too much focus on managing the side-stitch, so just remember a few things, like seeing the beautiful big moon shining down on us, and trying to call out fun and positive things to people who were having block-parties cheering for us.

My slowest mile of the day was coming up past the TeamZ tent for the last time and cresting the big hill, but from then on, the excitement started building.

My abs had decided they had done enough for me, so I had a new kind of downhill pain. My legs felt ok, but I had to hold my stomach in place otherwise it hurt as I jostled down the hill.

I also remember some fake smiling through pain, using the study I'd heard about that even fake smiles relieve stress.

Bridge crossing #4 meant I was really actually close and it was time to start having epic thoughts and perhaps a transcendental life revelation. That didn't really happen, but I did take a pause where I could see the finish line, but the crowds weren't too dense to walk a bit and think about the day. I tossed away my glow necklace and started running down the hill.

I heard the announcer say "Debbie, a first timer from Alexandria, VA, You Are An Ironman!" and I waved my arms in the air a bit, apparently at different angles, and not in a triumphant fist-pump kind of way, so there's some room for improvement there, but having two teammates dive for me to get to give me a medal was pretty exciting

I was shuffled through the finisher area and passed off to my sherpa and family easily. Again, I was super proud of my family for being there together at the right time and making it easy for me to meet up with them. This is the sweaty smile of a very self-satisfied person, but I hadn't yet realized that I'd finished the marathon in 5:04 overall, which meant my second half-marathon was only 6 minutes slower than the first, and that my overall day was basically a complete realization of the post-it of my dreams.