Thursday, December 22, 2011

Saint George Matathon

The short of it oh dear lord I thought I had the electrolyte issue down but the last 6 miles taught me otherwise. Best thing on the day was my smiling son's face at the finish line so happy to see me (I didn't get to see him at all yesterday because for the short time I was home he was napping). Best sign I saw of all the signs was a little 8 year old girl holding a sign somewhere between miles 23 and 24 that said "you're not almost there" made me laugh and smile. Time should be somewhere around 4:58 or so as I forgot to start my watch and stop it and it read 4:58, the clock said 5:07 but it took us more than 9 minutes to get across the start line, so I got my sub 5. Oh and the heat hammered me I didn't expect that what moron dressed me all in black today oh that's right it was me. Final time ended up being 4:58:55.

The long of it stick with me here.

Strangest thing yesterday and today is I never really got nervous, I had this manic energy about me all day yesterday but I never got nervous. I am ADD and OCD so I am always a little manic but I just had this palpable energy all day yesterday like I wanted to run circles around the building and everywhere I went I couldn't help but speed or get frustrated if things too long. I am sure tagalong or happyutahrunner some of the people I met from Runners Wolrd who went to a couple clinics can attest to my manic persona haha.



I had arranged for yesterday to be a half day so I could attend a couple clinics, go to the expo and meet some RW peeps. It seemed like I was running behind all day, I swear I was cursing the sonic people and my wife for wanting sonic for lunch for taking so long as I wanted everything to be quick quick and snappy. I got to the clinic around 2:45 and me and JordanLee walked around and checked some of the merchandise. I got not 1 but 2 26.2 stickers so haha there (ok one came with our packets but I bought another so did Jordan). I also bought me a short sleeve STG marathon shirt as I find it hilarious that they do a long sleeve shirt when in STG you can wear that for like 3 months.

Had the hardest time getting my bib as we went to the one guy who was doing the 3000 range bibs (your bib number was assigned by your projected time so the higher up the slower you are, giving people complexes I see at the marathon expo). He then sent us to the Washington County area for bibs who then again sent us back to other guy saying sometimes they file them wrong. Then they sent us to the weight division as I had signed up as a Clydesdale. I then promptly failed the weight test for being a Clydesdale so they put me back in the regular divisions.

Me, Jordan and Happyutahrunner went to the first timers clinic after that, which was pretty much fun but since I had run two of my training runs on the course it really didn't tell me anything except allowing me to make snarky comments. Tagalong joined us at the end and then her and Jordan left to get some dinner. Happyutahrunner (please forgive me if I got you and tagalong mixed up I remember your real names and am not sure if you want those posted her but can't remember your online names as well) and me then set through the pace group meeting which was useful but since I didn't use any of the info again just allowed me to make snarky comments.



After that I went to the all you can eat pasta dinner and said hello to runningute who had a table of ice cream, I mean that is the way to party in style. Runningute was like a ghost he was hard to track down, I did see him at the finish line and know his time but I will let him tell you his story. After that I went home and actually for the first race ever set out all my running stuff for the morning so I didn't have to do anything the next day. I picked my old fatman shirt for my throwaway and made it into bed around 8pm.

Surprisingly enough I actually slept ok, I think because of all the manic energy I had going on all day I was just plain exhausted by the time it was time to go bed and I just crashed. Alarm was set for 3:15 and got up pretty easily and grabbed all my stuff and headed for the 4am shuttles so I could be entered in the early bird prizes. I was suppose to meet up with a few of the others to ride shuttles with them but didn't see anyone so I got on the second bus heading to the start line and let me tell you that was a great decision. If you do that there isn't many people there when you get there and no lines for the portapotties and you can pick out a sweet spot on the fences to lay down on so you don't have to stand around for two hours.

Had the breakfast I had packed last night around 5:30 and was actually glad I brought some throwaways as it was a little cold but not cold enough for the bonfires. Did get back in line for the portapotties around 6 again and they were taking photos of people in the line for the crappers. I mean seriously who is going to buy a photo of themselves in line for the crapper made me laugh. I then lined up with the 4:30 pace group where I ran into happyutahrunner again (again sorry if I am mixing you and tagalong up I remember your real name though so forgive me). She was going to stay with the 4:30 pace group and we started together for the first half mile or so and I thought about staying with them too but decided to run my race and not the pacers race. I actually didn't see either of them tell I started to cramp around mile 19 and was doing great up until that point.



I don't remember a lot of the miles and actually was just enjoying everything around me while just running my race. I took the first couple of miles slow like I wanted too which was easy as it's like a cattle call at the start. It took us 9 minutes just to hit the start line from the 4:30 pace group in the back. I didn't want to waste a lot of time in the beginning playing the weaving game and wasting all that energy trying to weave in an out so I just took it casual until it thinned out.

Everything went to plan and I just enjoyed myself looking at the signs people had made and enjoying the crowds and my other runners. 2 miles in I saw my first runner head for the bushes instead of the portapotties and this was a bold runner too as there was no bushes or trees so basically he pulled of the road and said screw it don't look people. Saw my first cell phone at mile 5. Saw road kill at mile 6 and me and two other runners joked the elites must have come through pretty fast to squash that squirrel or raccoon like that.

Veyo surprised me as they had a marching band and tons of people out to cheer you on it was pretty cool. I did exactly what I wanted on Veyo I had decided miles 7-12 would be taken easy and walk breaks if I needed them so I could save energy for the fast downhills at the end (I flew through Snow Canyon) and I could make up anytime lost if I did so.

I kept resisting the urge to pull over to a bush and pee but somewhere just after Snow Canyon and mile 14 I came up to the portapotties and saw no line and was like sweet. But then some jacktard cut in front of me, is it illegal to commit homicide if someone cuts in line for a portapotty because it shouldn't be. So I lost a minute or two there, I really should have just used a bush but there was no line until I got cut in front of.



I ran a positive split, I came into the half way point around 2:20 but more on that later or right now for that matter. Like I said everything was going pretty good until mile 19 or so, I stayed in front of the 4:30 pacer but then I started to cramp. I had taken gatorade at every aid station but it just wasn't enough. After mile 21 I started to take two gatorades at every aid station which actually got me to the finish line but just barely. It became that run as far as I can go before I started to cramp then walk tell the cramps went away and then rinse and repeat for the last 6 miles or so.

Mile 23 aid station was pretty odd and sureal, last night during the first timers clinic the guy mentioned how the aid station at 23 had people on a waiting list for 6 years to man it and that everyone on there had been manning it for years and years. Well I take an ice water and all of a sudden I hear a Hi son, my mom was the one who handed me the ice water and I was so out of it at the time I didn't even notice. I guess she volunteers every year and is at the coveted aid station.

The last 6 miles hurt so bad but I just powered through them. I knew my goal of 4:30 was gone because of the cramps and only being able to run in spurts but I was he!! bent on getting the sub 5 at all costs. Best mile marker ever had to be mile marker 25.2 they even told you it was the best mile marker, funny they did a 25.2. There was also a mile marker for 26 and I tried to sprint in and did my very best I probably looked like a wounded duck as I was cramping severely but I am sure I got my sub 5.

I saw runningute at the finish line, grabbed an ice cream bar that I had no appetite for and walked around for a bit. I did win an early bird prize a STG marathon tech hat which is cool and worth getting on the early bus for. And then headed to the car as my wife waited longer than I told her (didn't expect the slow time to get started and then i finished 28 minutes later than anticipated). My dad brought me a gatorade best gift at the finish line as it wasn't a lemon lime gatorade I never want to drink that stuff again as long as I live. I was downing it like crazy after mile 21 taking two at a time. I would have drank ditch water over lemon lime gatorade at that point.

Even though we walked around a bit I found I could not sit in the car as I cramped up something fierce the moment I sat. So I downed the whole gatorade my dad brought me and a gu and walked around some more. Plan was to get up to Smiths to get another gatorade and apple. But because all the traffic was diverted it was slow as heck. At one point I had my wife let me out and I walked another block as I couldn't sit in the car any longer or I cramped. Funny thing is a lady stopped and offered me a ride while I was walking which made me smile. Finally got to smiths where the cashier gave me this dude is crazy look as I had already drank an entire gatorade before I checked out and asked her to charge me for it and throw it away. I did still have my medal on so that counts right.

Things I learned, A work more on the electrolyte issue try some other solutions than gatorade and GUs. B marathons are fun and crazy and for crazy people as I can't wait to do another even though I spent the last 6 miles in utter misery. C the heat was more of a factor than I thought it would be sure 91 doesn't seem that bad when you trained in 100's but put 20 miles in front of you before you hit that 90 and it sucks monkey balls. D a smiling baby boy is the best thing at a finish line ever.

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