More Than I Ever Imagined {London Marathon Race Recap}

As race mornings go I woke up relatively late, which isn't to say I was rested since I tossed and turned for most of the night. But once I was up I got dressed quickly and then Sanya (my twin sister) and I were out the door.

We walked to Westminster station and took the tube and then the train to Greenwich station...

Then we commenced the walk to the start....

Which was longer than I thought it would be...

And then a little longer than that...

By the time we got to the Red start zone I was already tired (but still smiling)...

San wished me luck and I headed into the start area, found a patch of grass that wasn't damp to sit on and tried to "rest" my legs while I watched the elites take off...

But while I was there it started to drizzle cold rain and I immediately regretted giving San my rain jacket to hold. Fortunately San called me before it got to be too miserable and said she would meet me back at the Red start if I wanted the jacket. She was a total life saver! So I headed back and we stayed there for a few minutes until my start zone opened up...

Then it was time to go...

Once back inside the Red start I lined up with my fellow runners and we walked a bit and stood around some more while waiting to make our way to the start line. A lot of people were running for different charities and many people were decked out in costumes... some of which were more interesting than others...

As we got closer to the start I found the 6 hour pacers...

And the other 6 hour runners and I discussed the plan for the race with the pacers while we waited to walk the final stretch to the start...

My plan was to stick with or stay ahead of the 6 hour pacing group. I had an interval strategy in mind but it was a bit different from what the pacers were doing. I figured I could adjust my strategy to fit theirs as long as it would get me across the finish line in under 6 hours.

About two miles into the race I realized I was wrong. The pacers were running a bit faster between the inclines so that they could walk up the inclines (yes there ARE hills in the London Marathon). Other walk breaks were thrown in as well but they were not (or at least they didn't seem to be) very structured, so it was throwing me off. I'm usually pretty steady with my pace/mile so I decided to abandon the "stick with the pacing group" idea and just try to stay ahead of them.

San and I planned to meet at the NSPCC cheer points along the course so the first time I saw her was around mile 6...

I was feeling pretty good at that point (still able to smile) so after a quick picture I headed off again. Meeting up at the NSPCC cheer points didn't work out exactly as planned so the next meet up was planned for mile 13 at Tower Bridge. As I approached the half marathon mark blisters were really starting to bother me and I felt like I was struggling a bit... not how you want to feel with another half marathon to go. But the crowd build up as I approached Tower Bridge was great...

I saw San as I approached the top of the bridge...

Stopped for more pictures...

And to spray Biofreeze on my knee...

Then I took a cereal bar from her and headed off again. I was in pain (the blisters mostly but my left knee was also mildly tight), and tired, and hungry, and had no idea how I was going to make through the second half of the course.

Most of the second half was a blur. I saw San again at around mile 19 but I was so close to tears that I didn't stop. San asked "what do you need?" and all I could think of was "I just need to finish".

If you've run a marathon before you know that it's more a mental game than anything else at this point. I had already seen the 6 hour pacer pass me, I had dropped my intervals to very short run:walk durations, and I was struggling not to cry. 

But then I saw some of the messages that my family and friends had been sending me. Those messages honestly gave me the extra push I needed... and then I caught up to the 6 hour pacer!

When the pacer saw me he said "I knew you could do it! Keep going and stay ahead of me!" so that's exactly what I did. 

The NSPCC charity I given me grandstand tickets for the finish line so Sanya was there waiting for me...

And I made it through the finish in my sub-6 hour goal time...

Despite the blisters and the mid-race periods of discouragement, London was a pretty amazing marathon experience (nothing has topped Chicago so far, but it's pretty hard to beat running in the city that I love the most).

I made it through the race without injuries (just a few blisters), I ran for a charity that I love, and I'm absolutely proud of my sub-6 hour finish!

San met me at the family meet up area and we slowly walked towards Westminster station and back to the flat where we were staying.

After a long shower and gingerly tending to my poor blistered feet, we went out for a celebration dinner at Dishoom Indian restaurant... the perfect cuisine to end an amazing day!

Overall my London Marathon experience was incredible, more than I ever imagined it would be. I would do this race again for sure. In fact, if I could, I would do the London Marathon every Spring and the Chicago Marathon every Fall! But until life can accommodate that it's time to plan for the rest of the year. Up next... the 2019 Marine Corps Marathon!

Another Heart Break {Berlin Marathon: Race Recap}...

Race morning started like any other. Early. The night before I'd implemented my usual multi-alarm system to ensure I didn't oversleep...

But between race nerves and an early night I was up well before that...

We were staying at a hotel that was filled with runners and had a free breakfast option so once everyone was ready we grabbed a quick bite to eat...

(↑↑breakfast of champions↑↑)

And then took some "before we head into the cold wet weather" pictures in the hotel lobby...

(↑↑Me with my parents and Kai↑↑)

Berlin has an amazing transportation system (which is only one of the really great things about the city) so it didn't take us long to get to the station closest to the start corrals. As we were walking towards the entrance to the corrals runners were all around... 

The excitement in the air was starting to get palpable and I was starting to get more nervous. The moment I would take on my third Marathon Major was here! And in a city so beautiful and rich with culture... it was an unbelievable feeling.

On the way we saw remnants of the Wall so I stopped and took a few pics...

And then we continued on our journey. It was a pretty decent walk to the start. Runners who opted for gear check eventually went in one direction and others (like me) who opted for the poncho were sent in a different direction. And then there was more walking.

And still a bit more walking.

Until we finally made it to the start...

That's where I parted ways with my parents and Kai... 

And went to Corral H (after a quick visit to the porta potty)...

The Corrals had screens so we could see the elite athletes at the beginning of their attempt to break some records...

Which made the wait for the Corrals to start tolerable. Plus, someone left their blanket behind so I took advantage of that and sat down while we waited... 

Finally we started and I have to say the excitement reminded me of how I felt in Chicago. It was pretty incredible. I was able to catch a glimpse of my mom and Kai in the Grand Stand cheering area at the start, which added to my excitement as well. 

My strategy for the race was to stick to the right side of the course, get beyond the crowd at the start, and then start my intervals. I figured that I would start to slow down during the second half of the race so I wanted to run the first half under 3 hours. I already knew the points where my family was going to try to be along the course (we mapped it out the day before) and I was prepared to run the first 7K without seeing them. So I decided to take in the sites...

After the 5K mark (and first water station) we runners had to carefully maneuver through the increasingly wet streets...

I continued to take pictures along the course (which I'll post throughout) but for the life of me I can't remember where along the course most of them were taken. When I saw a nice building or something that looked like it would be "symbolic" of Berlin I just stepped off to the side and snapped a pic. Normally I try and remember the mile marker (or I guess in this case the Km marker) so that I can explain more about what that aspect of the course was like; but this time I really don't have that reference (sorry guys) so a few of the pics may be out of sync.

I do remember that just beyond the 7K mark I started to feel some blisters popping up, but it wasn't horrible. Yet. That's also the point where I saw my parents and Kai for the first time since I started...

While I was able to take off my gloves at that point, it was still too cold to take off my long sleeve running top... but too hot to need full sleeve coverage. I tried to keep the sleeves 3/4 way up but between the rain and sweat the top was soaked and I was only partially successful in finding the right balance. Oh well, that was, as I would soon find out, the least of my worries along the course.

I left my first family meet up and continued on. I wasn't going to see them again until just around the 21K mark so I had some more time to distract myself with taking pictures along the route. I was paying close attention to my pace because I knew I would be cutting it close toward the latter part of the race, but so far my pace was ok. I was on target to finish well before the cut off and even though my blisters were getting worse, I wasn't in any significant pain. 

Somewhere between 7K (or the start) and 21K (and maybe a little bit beyond that) I took these...

I (briefly) contemplated researching what these buildings are and confirming where along the course they exist but then I thought "Well, suppose someone reading the blog gets curious by not knowing and uses that curiosity as the platform to enter the Berlin Marathon, train hard for it, save up enough money, and go to run Berlin to find out for themselves? I wouldn't want to take that away from them would I?" I decided I didn't and therefore no additional research and confirmation was done (you're welcome).

After a while seeing the city was less and less thrilling as my fatigue got more and more intense. My blisters were getting much worse and my legs were getting really tired. I distracted myself by counting down the Km markers until it was time to see my family. My Mom took pictures while Kai searched for my MaxFreeze spray (which I applied quickly before moving on) and my Dad sang...

Then I was off for another long stretch of running before the final family meet up. I was already really tired by this point. Gradually my legs felt like they were on fire and my pace really started to slow. And then there was Mile 21. 

Sigh. I don't even know where to start... At Mile 21 my left knee felt like it was going to explode. I don't know what I did. I don't know if I landed wrong. I don't remember a sudden sharp pain. I don't remember feeling something pull. I do remember that I could no longer land on it without pain, I realized I still had 7K to go, and when I tried to reach my Mom and Kai on their phones I could not get through.

I was in pain and I was in trouble. So I messaged my twin sister...

By the time I got to my parents and Kai I had slowed down so much that I was in serious danger of not making the cutoff. They didn't have Advil but they had my MaxFreeze spray so I soaked my knee in as much of it as possible...

And then, while I anxiously checked my pace, I made my way under the arch that was deflating as rapidly as my Berlin dreams were...

My Dad suggested that I take the spray with me so Kai graciously ran after me so I could carry it in case I needed it later on (since I wasn't going to see them again until after I finished). I took the spray and kept on going and tried not to cry. I knew crying would lead to me gasping for air and I was already out of breath. My lungs couldn't handle any additional work so I really tried to stay calm. But I cried for a bit anyway. 

The trek from 35K to 40K was the longest 5K of my life. It seemed like it would never end and I spent most of it walking with my MaxFreeze in hand...

Eventually I saw the Brandenburg Gate and I knew the end was near. I was in so much pain that I couldn't even muster up the energy to smile (or open my eyes)...

And then once I passed Brandenburg I realized that the end was not quite as "near" as I had hoped. I still had another Km or so to go...

Shortly after MarathonFoto took that picture I looked at my watch and saw that I had passed the finish time I wanted. I was devastated. It took everything out of me not to break down in tears again. I was running as much as I could to make it to the finish in as little time as possible but I knew that the finish would be bittersweet. Once I was done, I called Sanya in tears again for the second marathon in a row. 

Why do I do this to myself?

It's a question that I asked myself repeatedly during those last miles of the course. I'm pretty sure that question popped up during my training as well. And I continued to ask it for several days after the race. 

I finished and I was really happy about that...

...but it wasn't the finish that I wanted so my heart was still a little broken in the end. 

Although I didn't meet my goal for Berlin, this race is definitely one worth doing. It was a beautiful course! The crowd support was awesome!! And the city is so incredible!!! It's a Bucket List marathon for sure! And whether or not you want to do the World Marathon Majors, Berlin is a "must do" event.