First Marathon
Angela and Xavier had invited me to participate with them in running our first marathon together at Disney World in Florida. Traditionally a fun and vacation based marathon, the Disney World Marathon, named runDisney, takes place in Florida during January just after New Years. What may not be obvious to the non-runner is the fact that the training leading up to a mid-winter marathon in Boston is cold and dark, which makes it tough to get the needed miles in.
Additionally with a knee injury, my training had been in a severe decline ever since finishing my first official half marathon in mid-October. So untrained, but strong-willed, I set forth to finish my first marathon.
Waking at 3AM to make the 5AM corral time was a harsh start. I could not help but feel both excitement and dread as the starting time approached. Corralling with Angela and Xavier, our plan was to run our own races, and as we strolled to the starting line, we were off in the running herd.
I quickly started drafting with some older runner who clearly looked like he had run multiple marathons, was at a solid 11 minute pace. I stuck with him until mile 5 where he stopped for water. Feeling strong enough, I peeled off into my own groove for a few miles before drafting with a running club where they only spoke in Spanish. This group had been going at a slightly quicker 10:30min/mi pace, but again feeling strong in the dark of the morning, I kept pace.
As we entered Magic Kingdom, the first huge spectacle beyond the start line, my pace was all over as lanes formed and dissipated with the changing widths of the race track in the park. A castle raised into the sky, and princesses Ana and Elsa from Frozen waved. The first crowds of the parks cheered. It was still a cool, but slightly humid morning.
Leaving Magic Kingdom, I eventually drafted along a solo runner from Brazil. Another older gentleman of running experience as it appeared, and we raced along at steady paces passing slow groups and the like. The miles 7 through 13 seemed to feel great on my legs. My right knee had bearable pain, but my strides were even. Animal Kingdom arrived and was left behind in a flurry of feathers, the smell of manure, and the spectacle of the great tree.
Nearing the half-way mark, the sun was getting high, and the humidity was more than noticeable. Fellow runners with long sleeve shirts and baggy shorts were soaked to the bone. The Brazilian was clearly soaked through, but as I thought I might persevere through with luck and will, I had run out of shotblocks, my only nutrition I had brought with me. As the humidity soared into the high 90 percentile, mile 14 was without a water station and it was through an open sun-baked parking lot of which a turn into a headwind put me to my first walk.
At the start of mile 15, I was alone, cramping, and worried about the coming half. I had no nutrition and I began to think of taking the next medical tent cart off the course. My only choice to continue would be to attempt to use what little nutrition would be provided on the course and consume my salt from the Powerade provided.
I chugged 2 cups of Powerade at each water station from 15 to 18, and had some Cliff gu assortments, which were all thick, and hardly consumable in its entirety. My race turned into a survival run. My stomach began to churn and I stopped for a "quick" portapotty break at start of mile 18.
Lost on more time than I had wanted, I tried to race on at steady pace. Alas, my lack of training caught up with me. My knees began to feel sore; my quads, calves, and hamstrings were cramping in alternating turns. I had the urge to urinate almost every 15 minutes, as I tried to compensate with loss of fluid and salt by drinking at every hydration station.
I was losing control over my body. A short jog here and there to get through ESPN Wide World of Sports. Then onto Hollywood Studios. The occasional jog would turn up a sharp left knee pain, possibly compensating for my tight right IT band over the miles. Onto the last 10k.
Most of the finish had become a blur. The urge to urinate so often was extraordinarily distracting. The spectators throughout Hollywood Studios and Epcot were only a reminder to try hard and of the ever so present knee pain. I could not tell if my muscles or joints were in a deeper pain.
The loud orchestral brass through Epcot was thankfully and willingly bringing me to the finish. I was powerwalking at this point trying to maintain a steady enough pace and it seems to have worked. A final and painful jog through the finish line felt inconclusive as pain and relief were my primary thoughts.
Erin and Debra got me back home, where the complete cooldown of stretching and eating could be comfortably carried out.
For my first marathon, I am truly satisfied with the results. Uninjured and fully trained, I might have actually enjoyed the second half, but c'est la vie. It might have been a better idea to pick a marathon that was scheduled in October, leaving the summer months for training as I had done with the half marathon. Dialing in the portions for nutrition would also be another task that would have helped.
Now, I will rest, eat, and sleep to heal up for the next adventure.
Additionally with a knee injury, my training had been in a severe decline ever since finishing my first official half marathon in mid-October. So untrained, but strong-willed, I set forth to finish my first marathon.
Waking at 3AM to make the 5AM corral time was a harsh start. I could not help but feel both excitement and dread as the starting time approached. Corralling with Angela and Xavier, our plan was to run our own races, and as we strolled to the starting line, we were off in the running herd.
I quickly started drafting with some older runner who clearly looked like he had run multiple marathons, was at a solid 11 minute pace. I stuck with him until mile 5 where he stopped for water. Feeling strong enough, I peeled off into my own groove for a few miles before drafting with a running club where they only spoke in Spanish. This group had been going at a slightly quicker 10:30min/mi pace, but again feeling strong in the dark of the morning, I kept pace.
As we entered Magic Kingdom, the first huge spectacle beyond the start line, my pace was all over as lanes formed and dissipated with the changing widths of the race track in the park. A castle raised into the sky, and princesses Ana and Elsa from Frozen waved. The first crowds of the parks cheered. It was still a cool, but slightly humid morning.
Leaving Magic Kingdom, I eventually drafted along a solo runner from Brazil. Another older gentleman of running experience as it appeared, and we raced along at steady paces passing slow groups and the like. The miles 7 through 13 seemed to feel great on my legs. My right knee had bearable pain, but my strides were even. Animal Kingdom arrived and was left behind in a flurry of feathers, the smell of manure, and the spectacle of the great tree.
Nearing the half-way mark, the sun was getting high, and the humidity was more than noticeable. Fellow runners with long sleeve shirts and baggy shorts were soaked to the bone. The Brazilian was clearly soaked through, but as I thought I might persevere through with luck and will, I had run out of shotblocks, my only nutrition I had brought with me. As the humidity soared into the high 90 percentile, mile 14 was without a water station and it was through an open sun-baked parking lot of which a turn into a headwind put me to my first walk.
At the start of mile 15, I was alone, cramping, and worried about the coming half. I had no nutrition and I began to think of taking the next medical tent cart off the course. My only choice to continue would be to attempt to use what little nutrition would be provided on the course and consume my salt from the Powerade provided.
I chugged 2 cups of Powerade at each water station from 15 to 18, and had some Cliff gu assortments, which were all thick, and hardly consumable in its entirety. My race turned into a survival run. My stomach began to churn and I stopped for a "quick" portapotty break at start of mile 18.
Lost on more time than I had wanted, I tried to race on at steady pace. Alas, my lack of training caught up with me. My knees began to feel sore; my quads, calves, and hamstrings were cramping in alternating turns. I had the urge to urinate almost every 15 minutes, as I tried to compensate with loss of fluid and salt by drinking at every hydration station.
I was losing control over my body. A short jog here and there to get through ESPN Wide World of Sports. Then onto Hollywood Studios. The occasional jog would turn up a sharp left knee pain, possibly compensating for my tight right IT band over the miles. Onto the last 10k.
Most of the finish had become a blur. The urge to urinate so often was extraordinarily distracting. The spectators throughout Hollywood Studios and Epcot were only a reminder to try hard and of the ever so present knee pain. I could not tell if my muscles or joints were in a deeper pain.
The loud orchestral brass through Epcot was thankfully and willingly bringing me to the finish. I was powerwalking at this point trying to maintain a steady enough pace and it seems to have worked. A final and painful jog through the finish line felt inconclusive as pain and relief were my primary thoughts.
Erin and Debra got me back home, where the complete cooldown of stretching and eating could be comfortably carried out.
For my first marathon, I am truly satisfied with the results. Uninjured and fully trained, I might have actually enjoyed the second half, but c'est la vie. It might have been a better idea to pick a marathon that was scheduled in October, leaving the summer months for training as I had done with the half marathon. Dialing in the portions for nutrition would also be another task that would have helped.
Now, I will rest, eat, and sleep to heal up for the next adventure.