IMy Marine Corps Marathon weekend 2014:
Friday: 8:15 am flight to BWI. MARC rail to Union Station. Lunch with parents at Paul's. Spin through the Food exhibit at American History, bought 2 books (remember this). 1:30-ish metro to expo, 3 hours checking out expo by myself (enjoyed every minute, but why is my bag so heavy), 5-ish sister/brother-in-law/kids arrive to do their expo thing. I picked up a set of MCM RaceDots for my bib and a camouflage headband from Sparkly Soul Inc. for race day. 6 pm discover there are 2 books in my expo bag. 7 pm dinner at Carmine's then home to VA for the night.
Saturday: 9 am shakeout run with new raceDots holding "I Run" bib on Nuu-Muu race dress. Decided 3 across top and one at bottom center were best when wearing bib at dress hemline. 11:30 am shopping for race day breakfast and then family lunch. 2 pm my niece's softball game. She got to pitch the final inning and earned the win! 4 pm headed into DC to Crystal City Hyatt to get room. Not feeling well. 6 pm at the Marine Dining In pasta dinner. It was spectacular and always worth the extra money! 8 pm back to hotel to prep for race and sleep.
Sunday early morning: Awake at 5 am ( 30 min pre alarm). Breakfast in bed consisted of Perrier, bagel and peanut butter. Dressed, packed up, and cleared out of the room. Valet brought car around so we could load it and walk to shuttle in Crystal City.
Sunday pre-race: There were 20 shuttle busses all lined up and yet it took about 45 min to get on one! After walking to the security area we once again waited 20 or so minutes before they literally pulled the plugs on the medal detectors and let everyone through. It was the only way to get the half of their runners who were waiting to the line on time. I visited the facilities, my brother-in-law dropped my bag with UPS, and I headed for the 4:45 pace groups in quick order. I was there about 10 min before the flag was flown in by the Skydiving squad. The HELOs arrived. What an incredible send off!
MCM Race Start: The 4:45 pace group crossed the start line 18 minutes after the race start. I was prepared to fight my way upstream to keep up with her. I have enough pacer experience to know that it is my job to hang with the pacer not the other way around. We were rabbits jumping from hole to hole for 3+ miles. The course was incredibly congested and there was a steady drift of runners and walkers falling back. I stayed in contact with the group until around mile 7 when I ended up too far in front of them at a water stop and just kept going. The stretch through Rock Creek Parkway was emotionally grounding. Running in the woods is very centering to me and I am not afraid of an out and back.
My race plan: Besides using the pacer, my plan was to do the 10 I knew I had, the 10 I needed to Beat the Bridge, and make up the 6.2 I needed to finish however I could. Here is the truth in advertising part: my training topped out at 16 miles in Aug/Sept. My flu shot derailed me and my farthest distance in the past 2 weeks was the BAA Half! That is why I lined up with the 4:45 group. That's what I thought I brought to the race Sunday morning.
Miles 7-13.1: I left the pace group at the Georgetown water stop. I enjoyed seeing my family before the Kennedy Center. The run down to Hains Point was beautiful. The salute to the fallen Marines was emotional. I passed a whole group running with service flags at the same point. The 13.1 band (as I call them) were a real boost.
Miles 13.1-20: Hains Point to the Lincoln was another beautiful stretch. Folks were starting to show their miles through this stretch. I was in the thick of my second 10 and holding solid. I stopped to kiss my nephew and niece right after the Lincoln turn near mile 17. Their cheeks were so clean and fresh. They really gave me a boost! It was at that point I realized Lincoln to Capital to 14th Street Bridge is only 3 miles! That's nothing for such an amazing stretch! I hit the Mall and was greeted by a spectator running next to me giving encouraging words (including my name and "runDisney"). I did not have the energy to turn and figure out who you were, but thank you! You were a huge help as I headed up the hill onto the Mall. At 18.5 we rounded the Capital and I took a moment to savor the view. Mile 20 was calling! I had dubbed it my finish line! My mission: Beat the Bridge and sort out the final 6 out!
Miles 20-23: I was thrilled to see the mile 20 sign! I knew I had just missed seeing my family for the third and final time on the course, but the 14th Street Bridge was calling and I was headed to the other side. The trick for me is that it really seemed more like 3 bridges and that stretch is way too long without a water break. At mile 21 my 4:45 pace group caught up with me. I jumped in and hung on for about a mile. Jumping back in with a pace group late in the race is very difficult. Simply put they are moving faster than you are and it probably won't work for long. They got ahead of me over the last bridge incline. We were together at the Crystal City water stop. Then I was off the back again. I worked my way through mile 23 before I started implementing 30 pace walk breaks.
Miles 23-26.2: Using my 30 pace walk breaks as needed I made it out of Crystal City and headed back to the start line. It is a good thing when you know you are headed toward the finish. The final 2 miles are relatively peaceful and reflective after being bombarded by sound, water, and structures in Crystal City. The Marines in the final mile did not want to see any walking. We were all so close. I was able to enjoy the finish this year. Up the hill I went giving high fives to every Marine along the way! Getting our medals from servicemen is amazing! They always seem to select the most enthusiastic Marines for the finish area. I made it through the official photo area just fine and then like clockwork my systems began to shut down!
Post race: They always put the facilities so far away from the finish at MCM. Could we just have some porta-potties somewhat close? The mass of runners trying to get their food and drink was near to impossible to get through. I was overwhelmed by a need to sit. So I did right next to a pair of medical staff. Just in case I really did need help. After a couple of minutes I was fine and back on my way. I left everything I had and more on the course. I finished in 4:48. Only 3 minutes off my estimate for the day. I was just shy of a minute a mile off my PR pace, but I knew that was not in me and that I would not have finished if I had tried for a much lower time goal. My sister and brother-in-law beat their goal solidly and knocked around 30 min off their PR! All around it was an amazing day for our family! Our parents and the kids saw them at multiple points along the course as well. They were using the find my iPhone app within their family group and were able to watch them run around DC and the screen. Sounds like a marathon video game to me!
The MCM is an amazing race. It is also a beast unto itself. A staggered start for more formalized corrals can't be too far away. They need to spread the runners out on the course. Everyone I know who raced Beat the Bridge. I will race it again, but it is not an every year kind of race for me. Is it on your bucket list?
