Hatfield McCoy Marathon Recap (Round Two)

This past weekend was a first for me - I went back and ran a marathon for a second time. I've only ever repeated two other races before - my hometown Turkey Trot and the Big Ten 10K. I wasn't sure what it would be like to repeat a race of a much longer distance. I did know this time around would be a little different since it was slated to be 10 degrees hotter (with a predicted real feel of 100) than 2014.

Michael and I took a half day Friday to drive down. We probably could've waited until after work and gotten in late, but I wanted to make sure Michael got the "full" Hatfield McCoy experience with the free pasta dinner and the skit.

From Northeast Ohio, the drive is very easy - you get on 77-S and take it forever, then finish it up with a short stretch on a state highway. The only major town you pass by is Charleston, WV, so it's stress-free. We got a bit of a late start because I had to stop in the hood to get gas (never again!), but we arrived about 45 minutes before the skit. We had plenty of time to pick up our packets, eat, and get good seats in the auditorium. 

The RD gave a 30 minute talk about the race and how much it's grown. The skit was just as good as last year, and Michael said he enjoyed it. I did snap a quick picture to send my dad, who replied "I don't understand your message or picture." Hey - I tried!

We booked a hotel about 40 minutes away from Williamson. When I tried called the downtown hotels on two separate occasions, they wouldn't let me book a room. I got fed up with it, and I got us a Best Western for cheaper and booked online no problem. I know the city isn't really set-up to handle major tourism, but they seem to shoot themselves in the foot sometimes. If I call a hotel, I expect to be able to book a room!

Our alarm was set Saturday morning for 4:45 AM (getting up before 5 always makes us a bit sad). (Side note - how do you runners not in the Eastern time zone travel for races?! You must always get screwed by the time change plus an early wake-up!) We saw maybe two or three other cars on the road, and we had no issue finding a spot to park downtown, which was my big worry.

We walked about two minutes to a corner where people were congregating for a shuttle and got on the second one that came by. I think we waited less than 5 minutes, and then the actual ride to the Food City took less than 10. We cycled through the bathroom in a few minutes and had about 20 minutes to wait for the start. I did forget about the pre-race prayer. (Again, I appreciate the sentiment of hoping everyone has a good race, but having a Christian prayer for a very diverse group of people makes me pretty uncomfortable. I think it's a cultural thing there, but I wish they could be a little more self-aware.) 

The race started right on schedule, and we were across the line in about 30 seconds. While the race is chip-timed, there is no mat at the start. The two re-enactors from the skit saw us off by shooting a few rounds. 

Given how hot and humid it was supposed to be, Michael and I discussed strategy for this race, and we planned to run around 10:30 min/miles for the first half, to try to get as many miles under our belts as we could before it got oppressively hot. Our splits for the first 12 miles hovered around 11 min/miles with our walk breaks.

I forgot just how gorgeous this course is! While the race really advertised the feud aspect (obviously), I think they do a disservice by not mentioning how beautiful the region is. I tried to soak it in while I was cool enough to enjoy it.

I think both Michael and I were a little apprehensive about running another marathon after the sufferfest that was Blue Ridge, so it was nice when the biggest hill of the day, Blackberry Mountain, was no big deal. We did power-walk, but there was no soul-crushing defeat.

Soon enough, we were at the top. This was the first aid station with "extras," and I had the best, freshest piece of watermelon ever. I had a few more slices at other points in the race, and they were all just as good. Michael got a bit ahead of me on the downhill, so I finally got a picture of him running!

The course flattened out for a few miles after this, and we continued making good time. Until about mile 12, that is. I think there was a moment where we both looked at each other walking out of an aid station and were like "It is hot!" At this point we started implementing walk breaks whenever we felt like it. I really appreciate that this race doesn't have a time limit. It was nice to only manage our bodies, not our bodies and the clock.

The person I ran with last year really started struggling around this point, so it was nice to enjoy downtown Matewan when we came through the halfway mark this time.

I also stopped to take an identical picture of the river as I did last year, only this time no one came up to tell me it was an ugly spot and I shouldn't photograph it.

This was the point where my companion dropped out last year, and I was surprised how little of that part of the course I remembered. I totally forgot about the long section along the river, though this meant the dirt road part was way shorter than I was thinking, which was a nice surprise. But that didn't mean the dirt road wasn't still there!

Luckily, there hadn't been unseasonable rain the whole week before the race, so it was not all mud like 2014. But I was glad the entrance to the golf course didn't disappoint and was once again hilariously bad.

I was really excited for another chance at the swinging bridge, and I even got a picture this time around!

The last section of the race had very little shade, and it felt like we were in the middle of a Marathon Maniacs walking club. It was really fun getting to talk to a bunch of different people, including some others going for the 50 States. It's easy to get down about how slow walking is compared to running, but our chats helped pass the time.

Michael also spotted my returning racer sign! I was getting worried we had missed it.

In the last half mile, it finally started to rain. We passed a couple other racers, and we all just shook our heads and laughed! And finally, the end was in sight.

The finish downtown came up quickly, and the re-enactors were once again there to greet us.

Time: 6:11:50

We were given our medals and immediately grabbed some chairs in the shade. A volunteer came over with some towels soaked in ice water and said we looked "done." Considering how bad I felt, I don't want to think about how bad I looked.

My entire legs had gotten horrible cramps the last eight miles of the race, and I was worried they would persist. But once I sat down, they quickly went away. I was relieved, since I had been imaging writhing in pain in the backseat the whole drive home.

Michael and I walked the few blocks back to the car and enjoyed a change of shoes and some time in the air conditioning. Once we felt a little more normal, we walked to a nearby restaurant to get our free post-race meal (there were four other restaurants we could have picked). I got two hot dogs, chips, a pop, and finished it off with soft serve ice cream.

I loved this post-race meal concept! It was so nice getting a pretty solid meal and having a choice on what it was. I just wish they had advertised what each restaurant offered. Hurley Drug ended up being great, but we weren't exactly up to wandering all over downtown to find out all the options.

Once full, we drove a half mile up the hill to the abandoned high school to shower. Not as creepy as I expected, actually, and I survived taking a shower in an open room with a bunch of other ladies. Also not as intimidating as I imagined.

I'm not planning on repeating any other marathons until the 50 States is complete, but it was fun to get to re-visit one of them. But I can't wait to see what the next 38 have to offer!

Knoxville Marathon Recap

Knoxville marked the second race of the year for me, and I'd rank it up there as one of my favorites!

The race started at the pretty reasonable time of 7:30, and we stayed about 10 minutes away in North Knoxville. (There were several host hotels within walking distance of the start/finish, but they were stupid expensive.)

We left the hotel right around 6:30. We probably should've allowed a little more time - I always forget how much time it takes to get ready and pack up all our stuff, too! The drive was easy, but there was a bit of a snarl trying to find parking. We knew what lot we wanted and where it was, though it took some doing to get to with the road closures. Google Maps didn't understand where one of the entrances was, so we ended up sitting next to the garage for a minute trying to figure out how to get in, only to realize where we already there! But for all the hassle, parking right next to the finish was totally worth it.

See you in 26.2 miles!

Our next decision was what to wear. The weather had predicted a low of 45, but it was actually about 25 pre-race. We knew with predicted highs of 60, it would be too hot for jackets, but it was so hard to go just in short sleeves. The walk to the start took about 15 minutes, and it was pretty miserable. However, I felt much better a few minutes after starting, so definitely the right choice. (I was really glad to have my hat and gloves, however.)

Michael and I had a moment of panic when we were almost across the bridge to the start (walking in the opposite direction of the way the race would run), when police started clearing the street, and the spectators on the sidewalk crammed into a standstill. Luckily we managed to shove our way through a tiny gap without getting yelled at. We stood off to the side until our corral came by, and then hopped in. I wish we had had time for a bathroom stop, but it wasn't an emergency.

The race started out with a few miles in the city proper, before we headed out to a huge, very nice neighborhood. The halfers ran with us to past mile 12 (I think), so there was huge crowd support in the first half. This area in particular was amazing. It probably stretched for several miles, but there were fun signs and cheer groups the whole way. It was awesome to see the community embrace and support the race, rather than being annoyed a giant pack of runners was being noisy and closing their roads on a Sunday morning.

The next section led us through some beautiful parks and wooded paths. I expected the parks to be more urban, but they felt really secluded and peaceful. It was a little tricky because the path narrowed at this point. There was a group of four sorority girls running together, all abreast, and everyone seemed equally annoyed about having to navigate around them.

By this point, we had run through a lot of major hills, but I still felt good. Other than miles where I quickly walked through the water stops, I was at or below my goal pace to run a 4:45. The weather was perfect, and my legs felt fresh. I still felt like a PR was easily in reach at this point.

Towards the 11 mile mark, we headed back towards downtown to drop the halfers off. While we got pretty close to the stadium, it was enough streets away that it didn't feel too painful. (Or maybe it was just because I get so disoriented in a race.)

We finally got to run through World's Fair Park, which would've been really neat to explore if we had more time. However, it got incredibly empty at this point. There were 700 people doing the full, so I expected to be surrounded by more people, like at Mount Desert Island, but it was fairly lonely. Except for spots with a quick turn or two, I could always see people ahead and behind, but I was essentially alone.

Also, in normal fashion for a race with lots more people doing the half than full, the second half of the course was much less scenic. After passing through the Park, we came upon a very depressed part of town. Like, I wouldn't ever run there alone, depressed. But since there were plenty of police around, I was able to take in what sights there were.

It was also at this point I continued on without Michael. His stomach really started bothering him, so I went on ahead. Mine bothered me later, so we think the roast beef sandwiches we made for lunch the day before probably had gone a little bad. (Luckily the race had plenty of bathrooms!)

After a few more miles in the depressed area, I got to another neighborhood that had embraced the race. There weren't too many spectators out, but lots of interesting signs were posted for my entertainment! However, someone made a Portal set promising cake (which was a lie), but it broke my heart. I got so excited for a cake pick-me-up. Not funny.

Glad I finally got around to watching Walking Dead.

The last main section of the course took me through a riverfront path and another swanky neighborhood. (I'm not a big city person, but Knoxville seems like a pretty sweet place to live!) The wind picked up at this point, and I put my hat back on.

It was also at this point that my legs were totally beat up by the hills. I had hoped to get under five hours, but after an extended bathroom stop, I knew that wasn't happening either. I decided to just do my best, and simply be happy with getting my tenth marathon under my belt.

I hadn't noticed too much of a camber throughout the race, but at this point, the inside of my left knee really started to hurt. There was a rogue aid station set up by other runners that had everything under the sun, and I was tempted to take some ibuprofen. I skipped it, but I really wished I had indulged when I got to the last couple of miles. I also saw Michael on the way back, and I was happy to see he was less than two miles behind me.

The last mile or two took us through downtown again on the way to Neyland Stadium. It was pretty cool to run down the streets we had walked the night before. In this big square, a musician was playing American Pie, which is one of my favorite songs. It was a nice treat for the last bit of the race.

However, my knee was really painful at this point. It hurt just as much to run as to walk, but I still took a few breaks, just for my mental state. There was a huge downhill leading to the stadium, which was much easier to walk. I felt so stupid walking down a hill half a mile from the finish, but it just hurt too badly.

I forgot the pain when I finally came up to the finish. We got to finish on the 50 yard line of the stadium (though the turf wasn't painted, and we were off to the side). I'm not an SEC football fan at all, but it was so cool! MSU needs to take some notes.

Time: 5:07:49

The gates leading to the bleachers were open, so after collecting my medal, hat, space blanket, and water, I stretched out on a bench to wait for Michael. I was ready to get a finishing photo of him, but he sprinted so fast I almost missed him!

After a very nice volunteer took our photo, we headed inside to the marathon finishing area. It was in a special lounge, with couches and a huge spread of food (pizza, fresh lemon ice, quiche, etc). I ate my fill, and then wandered to the stretching area. I expected a five minute work-over, but the therapist probably spent about 20 minutes hitting all the major areas (plus offered to more, if I wanted). This was so nice compared to most post-marathon areas, especially for a smaller race.

Overall, this was an awesome race! The majority of the course was super scenic (and the rest of it was at least visually interesting). The whole weekend was well organized, and there was great support from both spectators and volunteers. The area was also really cool, and it would've been great to spend more time in the area.

Knoxville sure was hilly, but it sure was fantastic.

Myrtle Beach Marathon Recap

I know I normally write my travel recap first for races, but I have a lot on my mind from the Myrtle Beach Marathon that I want to get down before I forget. Besides, I'm sure you all care much more about my race than my other adventures anyway!

For some ungodly reason, the race starts at 6:30 AM (right around sunrise), despite it being mid-Feburary. I'm guessing this is because the main road along the ocean gets shut down and traps everyone at the resorts.

Michael and I both had a horrible night's sleep Friday. An itemized list of the noise we endured: a family cursing at full volume running down the hall at 10 PM, the same family cursing and running at 11 PM, a toddler having a meltdown in the next room because she was up until midnight (parents, what did you think would happen?!?!), and a smoker watching videos at full volume on his phone outside the room at 1:30 AM.

Our hotel (Crown Reef Resort) was certainly Not Cheap, but a lot of the other guests seemed...out of place. I would definitely recommend staying elsewhere if you go to Myrtle Beach. I would also recommend being at least 25 so you can stay at a nicer resort. (Yes, I'm still very bitter!)

The 5 AM wake-up call came very early, considering I got probably less than six hours of sleep. I reminded myself I had no problems running Hatfield-McCoy on less than four hours last year, so I sucked it up.

Parking was free at Broadway at the Beach, and it was about a five minute walk from the start. We also could've taken a shuttle from the hotel, but we wanted the warm car to wait in, and I had read less than stellar reviews of the shuttles in prior years. It was a little tricky to find in the dark with the road closures, but it was still stress-free. There were tons of spaces, so we had no trouble parking less than 45 minutes before the start.

By the time I had finished my bagel, I realized we only had about 15 minutes until the start! We quickly packed up our stuff and headed to the start. There weren't too many people walking over, but we managed to get to the right spot. We were also able to walk right into port-a-potties and then waited in line only a few minutes before the gun.

The pacer started out way too fast, so we didn't end up running with him.

It was around 30 at the start, but I only wanted a light jacket for the race, so I brought my mylar blanket I had been saving since Maine to throw away. That was an excellent idea! They also had a big clothes drop a few miles in specially for donation, so that's an option as well.

I am sad I didn't stop for a quick picture at this point. A crescent moon was still clearly visible above the palmetto trees, and it looked exactly like the state license plate. It was pretty crowded and I didn't want to get run down. Looking back though, I wish I had hopped on the median to get the shot!

The race is a loop course but has very few turns, though there are a few short out-and-backs to add distance. We began with a long run towards the airport. It was very pleasant as soon as the sun came up. The humidity actually felt pretty nice after so many dry winter days in Michigan. I spoke briefly to a couple transplants who were worried about how cold 30 degrees would be.

We passed a band around mile six or seven playing Country Roads and sang along. I have no shame when I'm running marathons. One guy also stopped and danced along to it. I would say the race had a super fun, relaxed atmosphere - at least towards the back by me.

We then hit Ocean Blvd and ran along the strip for a very long time. Other people had complained they didn't like having the ocean blocked, but there were still quite a few spots with an unobstructed view, plus the buildings were great at sheltering us from the wind.

Being from a small town, I also thought running through "honky tonk" was pretty neat. It had that fun tourist feel without the downside of being filled with tourists. Win win, if you ask me.

My legs were feeling great at this point. My goal was to run 10:53 min/miles, and my average was just about dead on, with only quick walk breaks at water stops. At mile 12, in the honky tonk section, I put on my podcasts to get myself to mile 20. The halfers had split off at mile 11, so now the course had plenty of room and I could really get into my own groove.

Around mile 15 or 16 we entered North Myrtle Beach and ran by private homes and had more ocean views. At this point, Michael started struggling to keep pace, and he dropped back from me.

I was interested to try out my plan from Stone Bridge that worked so well and use my podcasts to zone out until mile 20. For the first time, I think I finally understood what it means when people say they "go inside" themselves for a run. I still enjoyed the course, but I was able to block out all concept of time and distance and just put one foot in front of the other. I started getting a little fatigued by mile 18, but I was able to just focus on my podcasts and keep up the pace.

I was really confident I would hit my 4:45 goal until I made the turn and hit mile 19. Out of nowhere, there was a horrible, horrible headwind. A runner near me reported the forecast had said it was 20 mph, but honestly, head-on, it felt much stronger. I felt like I was running into a brick wall. I walked through more water stops at this point, so it's harder to analyze my splits, but it seems like I did an okay job of keeping up the pace.

At mile 20 I switched to the new music I bought and got ready to rock out. That is, until I came up on mile 21 and started feeling a tingling in my hands. I had a decision to make - this was clearly the sign of a rapidly approaching bonk - what should I do?

I remembered how horrible I had felt when I bonked at Sleeping Bear, so I slowed to a power walk and began stuffing Sports Beans in my mouth like it was my job. I ate and ate until the tingling went away. My stomach was pretty unhappy at that point, but the silver lining to IBS is I'm actually pretty proficient at ignoring that discomfort and carrying on. Looking at my splits, I lost only about two or three minutes there, and I'm sure I would've lost much more time if I let myself go over the edge.

I also had a crazy revelation at this point. My Garmin starts my lap pace over each mile (which I like), and there were a couple miles where the beginning was sheltered from the headwind...and I was running a sub-10 pace. What? Who was I? I'm not a runner who can run sub-10 miles in the last 10K of a marathon! But apparently I am. That was a huge moment for me. To go from not being able to run one 10 minute mile to running that pace at the end of a distance race in a couple years is a huge achievement for me!

The last few miles were on a bike path, which did offer some protection from the wind. A lot of people were beaten down at the point and walking, so I felt pretty good passing a lot of runners. Yet another thing I'm not used to! Maybe I need to give myself more credit.

The race finishes at TicketReturn.Com Field (yes, that name is super stupid). They are the farm team for the Cubs (who my parents love), but I couldn't coordinate taking my camera out for a picture at mile 26.

No pictures after mile 25!

The chute was almost .2 miles long and felt like it went on forever! I had promised myself earlier I wouldn't kick if I didn't want to, but I did try to pick it up at the very end. My legs were spent from fighting the wind, but I managed a sub-10 pace for the last bit.

Time: 4:51:07

Despite all the obstacles - a five minute PR! I was overcome with the same feelings I had after my first marathon and almost cried. It passed quickly, but it was still overwhelming. I finally accomplished a goal I've been chasing for over a year.

The chute continued for quite a ways past the finish line. I got my medal (placed around my neck!) and skipped the free picture area since I was alone. I hobbled to the food tent and was very pleased to find a police officer keeping out everyone without a bib. Considering how many people still tried to get in, they really needed someone with authority. I was super bummed the promised Krispy Kreme donuts were gone, but I got some pretzels to settle my stomach.

I retreated to a hill overlooking the chute to wait for Michael. I really wanted to walk back to the finish line to get pictures of him, but my legs just hurt to badly to contemplate moving. When I heard his name called, I did hobble back down the chute to meet him.

I picked up a few more snacks, including chocolate milk, and we found a curb to sit on. The group next to us had a Stick, and I was really tempted to ask to borrow it. My quads were so tight!

Overall, this race was awesome, and I would highly recommend it. It was well organized, and, as a Northerner, I found the course pretty scenic and interesting. The volunteers were awesome, and I never wanted for anything.

I think I needed this race to really fine tune what I learned at Stone Bridge. I need to just go inside myself from mile 8-12 until 20, then use music to power myself home. Bonks need to be addressed immediately.

Now the question is - can I gain back some of those lost minutes at Knoxville in five weeks?