Homage to Flock of Seagulls aside, on March 26, 2011, I participated in and completed the SunTrust National Marathon in Washington, DC. This was my first full marathon, and I venture to guess at this point that it won't be my last (much to the chagrin of my wife). I started training for this race shortly after my McDonald's Half-Marathon PR in November, and my training was as up and down as the marathon race course. Given the extremely hectic schedule I've maintained over the past few months, I was pretty concerned going into the race, and had adjusted my goals from coming in under four hours for this race, to just being able to cross the finish line in the vertical position. It was a constant struggle to find adequate time to put into training through most of January and February, as work obligations and poor weather kept me sidelined quite often. I managed to get in several good long runs, but the key speedwork and shorter maintenance runs during the week left me rusty going into every weekend. Nonetheless, I got in a couple of decent 19 milers, and my last long run was a solid three hours non-stop, so I felt confident I'd finish the 26.2 one way or another.
We drove up to DC the Friday before the race, accompanied my my in-laws, which was a great addition to my support team. It was a stressful trip up, and I managed to get to the Expo for packet pickup with just less than an hour to spare. Because the DC Transit Authority deemed it unnecessary to open the Metro early on Saturday, I was concerned about getting to the start line on time, but thankfully our hotel was running a shuttle to the race, five dollars well spent. They also offered runner-friendly sack breakfasts to pick up on the way (bagel, OJ, banana, peanut butter, etc), another five dollars well spent. The last thing you want to worry about is how you're going to fuel yourself from a hotel room. That bag combined with a Clif bar meant I'd make it to the start with a full tank.
It was an unseasonably cold (for late March) morning that day, and I opted to go out there overdressed and take advantage of the bag check option (which I normally try to avoid the hassle). Thankfully they had the Armory near the start line open to hang out inside, so I did in order to take advantage of the warmth and abundant pre-race toilet options. Just before 7am, I checked my bag and coat, headed out into the fray.
Like all other big races, it started out in a mob, which I am thankful for because it prevented me from taking off too fast. I'm thankful for that, especially as I recount miles 22-26. Two reasons I picked DC for my first marathon: the scenery, and iPods were allowed on the course (the Shamrock in VA Beach the previous weekend didn't allow them). We left RFK Stadium and headed west toward the Mall. It was a great morning for a run, 35 degrees and sunny. We passed the Capitol, the Washington Memorial, the White House, and all the other great sites in central DC. Keeping things realistic, I rocked a pretty easy pace through the first 10K, crossing at just about 1:00. There was great crowd support along the way, but none better than when we ran through Howard University. The students were out in force, and it was a great morale booster. Even better, about two miles after that, I saw five familiar faces along the side of the road, as Melissa, Caitlyn, Roger, Pat, and Laura were there to cheer me along. It was great to see they made it out.
I hit the 13.1 split at just over 2:00, and was feeling pretty decent. This was a quite manageable pace for me, as I'd run the half marathon at over 1.5 minutes per mile faster than that, but I knew I had to do it all over again, so I kept the same shuffle going. I got a text from a friend saying he was camped out at mile 19, so I knew I'd see another familiar face soon. With the second passing of the Capitol and all the monuments behind me, I prepared myself for the barren lands along the Anacosita River that were to come. I'd read the support was thin along that stage of the course, so I was dreading it. There were some great sights to see along the way, as we passed Nationals Park, Fort Myer, and the shipyards along the way. I ran into my good friend Gary at about 20 miles, and it was great to see a friendly face, as I was starting to feel the effects of what was becoming the longest run I'd ever run in my life. I'd done a pretty good job of feuling along the way, but there were a lot of miles and hours on my body, and they were ready to attack.
At mile 21, Gary had run ahead to meet me again, and I'm glad he did. My body was in full revolt, as I had little gas left in the tank. I had earlier told Gary I was starving, and it became his personal mission to help. He showed up with what would become the best tasting apple I'd ever eaten. That refueled me like you'd never believe, and I kept moving along. Shortly after, I saw the family again at about 22 miles, and my motivation and mood spiked again, but my legs didn't want to play along. Cramps were setting in hard, to the point each mile became .25 walking, .75 running. I wasn't going to stop. I kept pushing, and managed to get a lot of the lactic acid out of my legs, just in time for the day's biggest hill at 24 miles. I knew if I could crest this one, it was in the bag. I pushed myself over the top with the help of a couple of funny signs and a friendly DCPD officer cheering me on, and settled in for the last mile and a half. I saw another friend and classmate at 25 miles, and I knew I was almost there. I crossed the river one more time, tackled a headwind full on, and found the finish line. After 4 hours, 26 minutes, 32 seconds of running to hell and back, I became a marathoner.
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