Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend (photo added

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carm
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Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend (photo added

Postby carm » Sun May 27, 2012 4:21 pm

It's the first chapter of a memoir. Get a cup of coffee. :lol:

I've had a busy couple of years. I've only been running since 3 summers ago. It's one of those things that I decided to pick up in celebration of my 30th birthday. After doing a bunch of triathlons and a couple of half marathons, I decided last fall that I wanted to do a marathon. I have a friend at work who has done one and has done ATB several times. I always thought that she was just a little bit crazy. I decided to join the crazy club and having been friends with Jes for quite some time, I spoke with her about some things and signed up with the K2J Fitness Marathon Clinic. It's a pretty fast group and produces many BQers and Boston-bound runners. Despite the speediness of the group, everyone is incredibly friendly and welcoming. I was pleasantly surprised by this since you never know.

Marathon training began in mid-January and this cycle was the first time that I focused on running and put my other cross-training activities on hold for the most part. I ran 5x a week, swam once and played underwater hockey once whenever I had enough energy. I did a really easy yin yoga class on Mondays. I pained me a bit to not be riding my bike but oh well, I had other priorities this winter/spring. Training went extremely well. I did Tempo Tuesdays up to ATB with Andy and Jes, and did all of my long runs (except for one) with friends, who eventually became known as the Zoomphoto Run Club (ZRC). What a blast and I feel really fortunate to have gotten to know everyone really well over our 2-3 hour runs, and have developed some great friendships. ATB went well and my Montreal 1/2 did too. Both were supposed to be B races but became "mini-A" races (Andy's term), which is my own darn fault I guess. I PB'd the half distance, which I'm really happy about.

Since Montreal, my training has been hit and miss - definitely not as solid as the first half of the training cycle. I'm not sure why but it seemed that my body had had enough. I tweaked my hamstring mildly heading into taper but thanks to my trusty physio, Jordan from Momentum, it was quickly fixed with IMS, stretching and a few days of rest. Heading into Ottawa, I felt really well rested and tapered. My legs re-gained their pep in the week leading up to the race.

Fast forward to Sunday May 27th. After a decent night of sleep, I headed downtown and met up with many Maniacs doing the marathon, as well as some friends from K2J. I put myself near the 4:15 bunnies (my friend was the R:W bunny) but honestly, didn't know where I would be comfortable for most of the race. I was happy to try and stay ahead of the 4:30 bunny and I didn't see him until the last 2K and he passed me- dammit! Anyway, that's getting too far ahead. My plan was to carry my hand-held and re-fill it as needed; I would take gels every 6k and supplement with Gatorade if needed.

The first 21K were quite enjoyable. It was slightly overcast and cool, with a light breeze coming from the East/North-East. I was holding back (so I thought) and running around a 6:00/km pace. I ran through Westboro and went through a bunch of cheering stations, including my tri club's and Team MitoCanada, the team that I was running with. Wow, talk about noise! I was enjoying the marathon experience to its fullest and I'm so happy that I did that. The time on the Western Parkway wasn't too bad and passed quickly. At this point, the little hills along the parkway and on the Hull side took their toll and I was getting tired. I pulled back the pace and wasn't disappointed about that since it was still very early in the game. On the Gatineau side, I stopped at a water station and re-filled my hand-held. The water tasted funny and metallic. After a few sips, I decided that I would chuck it at the next water station. I ran into a mini-wall at about 25K heading back to the Ottawa side. I saw Maniacs near the National Art Gallery (thanks for cheering guys!), which was such a boost! I loved the sign, Smiles!

Heading into Rockcliffe, I re-gained some of my sanity and my legs until about the 35K mark, when my body said to me, "OK, that's it...time to call it quits or slow down since I'm tired!" The sun was shining really brightly at this point and there was no wind/breeze. One word: HOT! My friend Kim from work lives near there and was so kind to scurry on her bike to 3 different locations - the 30K mark, Beechwood and again along the Canal. I really appreciated her words of encouragement at this point since I was VERY VERY miserable (8-9 on a scale of 10). I saw 2 marathoners wrapped in blankets waiting for medical assistance. UGH. I didn't need to see that. Along Birch St., there were a few residents with hoses on. I didn't want my feet to get wet so I threw my head into the mist. It felt so nice! The last 7K felt like a death march (I guess that this was The Wall!) and I thought of Spirit's advice to me on Saturday. She told me in the last 10K to focus, look straight ahead, keep the legs moving and run straight. I did just that but every muscle in my body was telling me to slow down or walk. I briefly ran into Jes near the 38k(?) mark and she was gone again. Damn, you've got some serious stamina, Jes! Seriously, she was gone like a rocket. Heading back onto Sussex, it was hot and I squeezed a bunch of sponges onto me. Ahhh! Up to this point, I didn't feel that over-heated but I guess that it caught up on me. Since I was struggling, I figured that breaking down the last few km into chunks was a smart idea; otherwise, I might give up and walk more than run/shuffle. I didn't want to do that. I kind of lost track of my time goal in the last 10K. The 4:30 bunny hadn't passed me, so I guess that time goal was still within grasp although looking at my Garmin splits, I didn't really care at this point. They were SO slow. I wanted to get it done!

My short-term aim was to reach the Canal. I made it there and saw the massive crowds but wasn't in the mood to look for people that I knew. This girl was grouchy! Along the Canal, I started feeling nauseous on the verge of vomiting. Oh no, this wasn't good. My heart rate was fine, I was running quite slow (high 6's, low 7 min/km), I was hydrating with Gatorade (at this point) but anytime that I tried to increase my pace, I felt like I was going to puke. To cope, I took a few un-timed short walk breaks. I won't lie, I talked to myself but given the red marathon bib, I'm sure that people understood. I didn't want to push the envelope because once you do, you might be stuck and I wanted to finish the last 2.2K! It was the longest 2.2K ever and just as I was down, the 4:30 R:W bunny (the only bunny) passed me and was high-tailing it. I caught him just before Pretoria Bridge while they were on a walk break but then him and his group were off again. I was in no condition to chase them. I saw the lululemon girls since they had great signs and my favourite song at the moment was blasting. I don't recall the name (DH always has Live 88.5 blasting at home) but it really pumps me up. My focus heading into the finish chute was keeping my eye on the 4:30 bunny. I never caught him but I held my arms up and smiled crossing the finish line. DONE and I am a marathoner! :dance: :D :D! :-BD

Good:
Fueled and hydrated well. The brain felt well glucosed.
My body didn't fall apart on me but fatigued more than I thought it ever could. My feet got sore, which is such a strange feeling!
Battled the Wall and made it through, just barely. All walls have doors.
The crowd. Ottawa Marathon has a wicked set of volunteers and community support.

Bad:
Went a bit too quickly for the first 1/2. Should have dialed it back just a smidge.
Tummy troubles, which may have been due to the nasty QC water, the heat, dehydration...who knows?
Slowed down way too much from 25-42K and ran a big fat positive - not ideal.

Stats:
Gun time: 4:33:17
Chip time: 4:30:41
Pace: 6:25/km
AG: 155/215
Gender: 877/1456

Splits:
10K: 1:00:25
21.1K: 2:08:29
30K: 3:06:31

Image
Last edited by carm on Mon May 28, 2012 7:35 am, edited 3 times in total.
Carm

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby chunkymonkeymelonhed » Sun May 27, 2012 4:32 pm

well done Carm- so happy for you.
On the books for 2017:
50th Birthday!!
Boston Marathon- April 17th what a day- DREAM COME TRUE :dance:
Run for Water 10K- May 28th
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Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby Jwolf » Sun May 27, 2012 5:06 pm

Great report, Carm. Sounds like a fairly typical first marathon, both good and bad. :) The thing about the marathon is that it's impossible to prepare for what it will feel like until you're out there. Now you've been in it and through it. Great experience overall!

(I want to know what that song was...)

Another one in your future or do you prefer to get back to tri? Or both, I would guess?

Enjoy that cool medal, too.
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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby jamix » Sun May 27, 2012 5:07 pm

Glad to see you managed to battle your way through the wall. Are you planning to do this marathon thing on a regular basis?
2013 GOALS:

- Compete in the "Early Bird Sprint Triathlon" in May
- Run a 5km pb during the "Bushtukah Canada Day Road Race"
- Complete an Olympic distance triathlon
- Cycle > 33 km / hr during the cycle portion of a Sprint Triathlon.
- Stay healthy and happy

Races

April 28th: Manotick 10km (40:16)
May 18th: Ottawa Early Bird Sprint Triathlon (DNF)
June 8th: Riverkeeper SuperSprint (2nd overall)
July 1st: Bushtukah Canada Day 5km (18:37)

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby HCcD » Sun May 27, 2012 5:09 pm

Congratulations, on completing your first marathon, Carm ... You Are A MARATHONER !!! :dance: :dance:

Interesting comment you made about the possible water station in QC, as there were a few of commenting about that same issue at the M&G ... and, it appears to be at about the same point in my own race, where I started feeling similar symptoms, l as you .... :think: :think: :think:

It was a pleasure to have been part of your journey this Winter/Spring during part of your training for Tempo Tuesdays and Weekend Long Runs ....

Looking forward to hear when and where your breaking news will be, on your next marathon .... :twisted: :P :shifty: :wink:

Until then, rest up and recover well, and allow your body, mind and spirit, as long as it requires, before you start running again ... As well, allow yourself to absorb your amazing accomplishment and celebrate it in whatever and however way you choose ...
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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby Spirit Unleashed » Sun May 27, 2012 5:41 pm

congrats carm!

fwiw, everyone \i've talked to in the marathon had queasey stomache.
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Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby Kelodie » Sun May 27, 2012 5:47 pm

Congratulations marathoner! What a way to tough it out. :-)

I love what you said "all walls have doors".

I'm sorry I didn't see you on the course. I think you were just a bit behind JF. Had I known, I would have waited for you!
"Keep Going. Never Give Up" - Spencer
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Run for Women 5K, May 11
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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby jes » Sun May 27, 2012 5:51 pm

So very proud of you! It's been so much fun to reconnect over the last few months! I hope we can run together a lot in the future!

It's really hard to describe that last 10k until you've done it. Everything can be going just fine and suddenly the wheels come off (that's what happened to me - one minute fine, next minute my breakie was making an appearance!). I don't remember bad water in Hull, but I didn't take water at every station since I had my hand held. But I accidentally tasted the water from one of the sponges - that was nasty!!!

Enjoy some rest and relaxation, and then we can discuss your next one! :D
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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby HCcD » Sun May 27, 2012 6:12 pm

jes wrote:So very proud of you! It's been so much fun to reconnect over the last few months! I hope we can run together a lot in the future!

It's really hard to describe that last 10k until you've done it. Everything can be going just fine and suddenly the wheels come off (that's what happened to me - one minute fine, next minute my breakie was making an appearance!). I don't remember bad water in Hull, but I didn't take water at every station since I had my hand held. But I accidentally tasted the water from one of the sponges - that was nasty!!!

Enjoy some rest and relaxation, and then we can discuss your next one! :D


Interesting comment about the sponges, Jes ... as I used it to soak it over my head/buff, and also tasted something salty .... I know that they had the water in the garbage bin, and even though I saw bags of new sponges, just wondering if they may have recycled them ?? :think: :think: :think: And, yes, it did taste nasty ... though, I just thought it was from the salty/sweat coming from may face ?? :shock: :?
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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby Tori » Sun May 27, 2012 6:22 pm

Congrats carm! You had a great first marathon. I think you got to experience all the highs and lows of it. I still think when the sun came out it really hit the runners hard.

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby scrumhalfgirl » Sun May 27, 2012 6:26 pm

Congratulations Marathoner! You've really pushed yourself this training cycle and it has paid off! you have lots to be proud of!!!!

Now...go ride that bike!
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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby Habs4ever » Sun May 27, 2012 6:32 pm

Congratulations marathoner, well done.
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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby Hammie » Sun May 27, 2012 6:41 pm

Great job! Congrats on pushing as hard a you did.
2014: the year of new awesomeness!
Rogers Insurance Run for L'Arche Half March 22 - done
Calgary Marathon Wild Rose 50k June 1 - done
Stampede Road Race 5k July 6 - done
Magrath sprint tri July 12 - done!!
Jog for the Bog 10k July 27 - done
Seawheeze Half Marathon August 23 - done
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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby ceileigh » Sun May 27, 2012 7:03 pm

Congrats on your first marathon! Totally loved your report. I have never run a full but I have a rule for the Ottawa half - I never drink the water in Hull :roll: Did it the first year I ran and never ever again! Way to push through the final KM's :dance:

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby RA. » Sun May 27, 2012 7:04 pm

Congratulations! You never forget your first!
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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby AndyM » Sun May 27, 2012 7:53 pm

Congratulations marathoner!!! You were amazing today but I was not surprised. You are really a girl that means business and I expected you would do well today. Very proud of you!

2014 Races:
Around the Bay 30K - DNS :(
ORW Marathon - 3:38:11 - PB & first BQ!!!!

Personal Bests:
Marathon - May 2014 - 3:38:11-----30K - Mar 2013 - 2:37:42----1/2 Marathon - Oct 2013- 1:38:53----10K - Oct 2012 - 45:31-----5K - Feb 2009 - 22:21

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby Dstew » Sun May 27, 2012 8:28 pm

Soak in the fact you are a marathoner but not too long otherwise you may come to your senses and decide not to build off this one and try it again. :D

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby carm » Sun May 27, 2012 8:35 pm

Kelodie wrote:I love what you said "all walls have doors".


Sadly, I stole that from someone else. :)
Carm

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby carm » Sun May 27, 2012 8:40 pm

I have some other things on the go for the rest of this year and 2013, so a fall marathon in 2013 might be a possibility. There isn't a shortage of awesome fall marathons but Philly or Chicago might be nice. I like big city marathons with nice schwag, expos and good organization.

I will do a sprint tri in July and a couple 5K's this summer/fall. I must admit that I love the half marathon distance and I appear to be better at it (more experience, I guess), so I will probably focus on that for a little while and then return to do another marathon. Now that I have a benchmark time for my first, I need to do better than that! It's an ok time for a first but we do these races to get faster, no? :)
Carm

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby Pat29 » Sun May 27, 2012 9:04 pm

Congrats on your first marathon.
[b]2016 Races:[b]

January - Richmond Road Races 10 km 41:06
March - St Patrick's Day 10 km 41:31
April - Minto Run for Reach half-marathon 1:28:56
May - Sporting Life 10 km - 41:10
May - Ottawa Marathon - 3:26:37
September - Army Run


My running blog: http://www.thecourageoflungs.com

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby RobW » Sun May 27, 2012 10:57 pm

Congrats on completing your first marathon! I too like the big city feel for a marathon. If doing a US Fall marathon out west is a consideration, Portland has great swag and great organization. Can't remember the size of the expo though.

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend

Postby orleansrunner1962 » Mon May 28, 2012 7:07 am

Great report Carm -- sounds like you experienced the marathon FULLY :D

Rest up, take pride in your accomplishment -- you are now a MARATHONER....

And, I'll put a plug in for Chicago (when you are ready) -- it is a GREAT marathon....!!
2014:
Mar - Around the Bay 30 km - Done
May - Sulphur Spring 100 miler - DNS
Sept - Army HM
Sept/Oct - 50 miler
Oct - Pace Bunny - Toronto Scotia Waterfront
Dec - Reggae Marathon in Jamaica

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend (photo a

Postby purdy65 » Mon May 28, 2012 8:15 am

Excellent report Carm! Congratulations! I think you always have to be prepared to reach a point in a marathon when you are miserable and ask yourself why the heck you are doing this, but the finish line makes it all worthwhile.

You know, before I read your report, I was pondering the number of reports of tummy troubles in the race yesterday, and wondering if there was something going on.

Good work! :D
It's not the size of the dog in the fight...it's the size of the fight in the dog! 11K Marker post - 2010 ATB.

Introducing 2017

GoodLife Half Marathon.
TBD

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend (photo a

Postby Size5 » Mon May 28, 2012 8:17 am

Well done on the first marathon!!sounds like you hung in there and some! You came ut shinning in the end!
Vancouver 2012 Done!
Considering CIM 2012

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Re: Carm's First Marathon RR at Ottawa Race Weekend (photo a

Postby Robinandamelia » Mon May 28, 2012 9:58 am

Congrats to you marathoner! Sounds like you did great to me! Love the pic.


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