I've had a week to ponder this...and have recovered quite nicely thanks...BUT going from your PR to your PW in 2 weeks is a tad bit hard to stomach! Arrived in Maui pretty certain I would race the Maui Marathon at a respectful pace...YOU know a 3:45 or so..not fast...not too slow. Got the rental car....drove the course up through kaanapali to where were staying in Kahana...easy course..a little Big Sur like...BUT not nearly as tough! Still confident that I could sub 3:45 the course.
Woke up Saturday still on mainland time..good thing...with a 5:30AM start time I was hoping I didn't adjust to the time until Monday post race. Did a 3mile run...and the realization of the humidity sunk in..hmmmm...a sub 3:45 now became a question. The mind games started in...I hit the expo...met @patricemalloy (PR expert) and poof I was ready to roll! Number 513..lucky number...sure if I was superstitious...headed to the beach to do what you do on Maui...hang....
The night before the race was hot..humid...had to be on the road at 2:45AM to catch the bus by 3AM...Didn't sleep much which isn't uncommon. SO when the alarm went off I might have had 2 hours of crappy sleep...
Bussed out the start...feeling pretty good...normal race stuff..peanut butter and jelly, coffee...packed bags with tons of GU and saltsticks....It was almost 80 when we finally arrived at the start...1300 people waiting for almost 2 hours to get 26.2 miles done....
Race started at 5:30...it was dark and we ran under lights on the course. Was feeling pretty good...even though I forgot to charge my ipod...I was listening to Pandora on my phone. Th
e road from Kahului to hwy 30 was great...pacing dead on...hit hwy 30 into the rolling hills to Kaanapali and was pacing a perfect 3:45 finish until mile 16...yep....the sun was up...the heat was too and the humidity was CRAZY!
e road from Kahului to hwy 30 was great...pacing dead on...hit hwy 30 into the rolling hills to Kaanapali and was pacing a perfect 3:45 finish until mile 16...yep....the sun was up...the heat was too and the humidity was CRAZY! SO my race started at mile 16...phone died..no music..if ever I wanted to quit it was at mile 17...THANK God I met Tiffany, an Ironman who was having my kind of race too....and some dude from LA running his first marathon...WE rallied and hung...
The next 9 miles were by far the toughest miles I have ever run in my life..I am not being overly dramatic either...Tiffany and I hung and pretty much complained about the humidity and took some pics! We hit every aid station...consumed sooooo much water and heed I'm surprised I never had to stop and pee...not once...ate every piece of fruit I could and I took in some serious salt...AND we walked a lot...I mean A LOT! Tiffany bailed on me at 25 and I walked because my stomach hurt so bad I felt like I was going to puke when I ran...was soooo ok with walking...people passing me, didn't care...all I could do was laugh...started running around mile 26 again...rounded the turn and finished nice and slow...steady...4:10...that's right... I am human after all! (I kid)
SO you see...Maui did a number on mind...made me question a few things about me...my cockiness...my limitations...my inability to put mind over and that I have more to learn about being better, a true athlete....made me wonder why I do this endurance crap to myself...
My answer...BECAUSE I CAN! I was 8th in my AG...and when I looked at the results I realized..The Maui Marathon did to me what it did to everyone else racing it! The best place in the world for a personal worst marathon is on Maui...PARADISE!
Next race is Sunday October 4th...Going for a PR! See ya there!
Sorry, but I can't feel sorry for a 4:10 marathon in Hawaii. In fact, 4:10 is a good 30-minutes faster than my PR.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
I'm going to go pout now.
Sorry you didn't do as well as you thought. but remember that some people won't ever get a sub 5 hour marathon, so you still got that going for you. I hope that your next marathon goes great! I'm sure that you will feel better on your own truff! You go girl
ReplyDeleteI think you did OK! I am always when a person can tell it like it is. Great race report! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete(If only I could run a 3:45 or a 4:10 marathon! I think that is pretty darn good!)
It is hard to run in the heat and humidity if you are not used to it. So all things considered you put up a good fight. We are all human and cant control everything (weather, humidity, sun, delays etc).
ReplyDeleteThere is also nothing wrong with your time!! :) You are still faster than me !! The main thing is to look at the race and learn from it - which you seem to have done.
I say ROCK ON - what doesnt kill us makes us stronger, so go out and kick some butt.
NOTHING is worse then humidity
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job for the humidity, Shelly. AND it WAS in Maui, after all; a great place to be! LOL
ReplyDeleteNice job.
Ugh! Yeah that sounds rough. Of course you're PW is something I could only dream of even conquering but I'm also 15 years older so that's my excuse. :) Enough about ME. Really it's all relative and it sounds like a sucky race for you. Heat and humidity is a KILLER and especially when you are not used to it. So next one will be even sweeter. You're a good athlete and I'm sure you'll rally. You shall not go gently into the night. That's for certain! :) -- Reluctntrunner
ReplyDeleteI think everyone needs one of those races just to keep their mind in check. While it sucks, you are probably better off for it.
ReplyDeleteGood luck out in Sacramento!
Wow. To drink like that and *not* have to pee is not a good sign. Glad you were able to finish. Plus - I can think of worse places to have to run a PW. At least the scenery was decent (ha!).
ReplyDeleteGood luck in Sacto!
Humidity is my achilles heel - I've never run well in high humidity. I'm actually aiming for what you just achieved - a PB followed seven days later by a PW ... yes, a planned PW. I intend to enjoy every last moment (and then some) of the NYC marathon. Enjoy the race of your 2009 race-lineup!
ReplyDeleteMaui was brutal! The heat and humidity got to me as I took the turn into Lahaina. The "running on the highway" was a little unnerving as well.
ReplyDelete