I woke up even earlier than my typical 5:00 AM rising
time on Sunday, February 15th, to get dressed and ready for the 14th
Annual Lost Dutchman Marathon. While washing my eyes out and getting my brain
going, I felt a little strange. Here I was, on the morning of a full, 26.2 mile
marathon and I didn’t feel the pre-race jitters typical of race day. I didn’t
have any gear laid out or prepared, except for the race number that I attached
to my race belt the night before. I got dressed the same way I get dressed for
a long run and I decided, last minute, to bring along a hand-held bottle. I
stuffed some Honey Stinger Energy Chews into my belt, threw on my Road Runner
Sports hat and headed out the door.
It felt strange because I had always seen 26.2 as a
distance that needed to be well prepared for. Obviously it still is, but for
this particular race, the reason for my participation was different. This was a
training race, a catered long run if you will, and I wasn’t looking to push it
very hard. My physical condition was primed for the distance, but my mental
approach to the race was not PR seeking, or limit pushing. It was merely to get
the distance in and enjoy the event. This difference in mental approach takes
any of the pressure that people often put on themselves before a race, and
removes it completely. The focus was no longer, “how well am I going to do”,
but rather more of a, “this is going to be fun!” mentality. Needless to say, I
was calm, but excited; relaxed, but ready.
The Lost Dutchman Marathon is a beautiful, well-organized
event that has been going on in Apache Junction, Arizona for 14 years.
Besides the full and half distances, the event also includes a 10K and an 8K
trail run. It takes place at the foothills of the Superstition Mountains on the
far east side of the Valley of the Sun and is an incredibly scenic race. For
the full, the course is point-to-point, meaning you start in one place, and
finish in another. Because of this, we had to get on some school buses and get
shuttled to the start line. The drive to the start line was charmingly bumpy
and got slightly less tolerable when an alarm started going off in the bus that
could not be reset or shut off for the last 5 or so miles of the trip.
When we arrived at the start line, a trailhead at the
base of the Superstitions, there were rows of little campfires, surrounded by
groups of runners, staying warm and enjoying the moments of calm before the
race start. I used the bathroom, ate some food, drank some water and before I
knew it, we were lined up and we were off!
The first 6 miles of the course ran along a dirt road and
included some flat sections and some rolling hills. I was running with a
teammate and before I knew it, we were off the dirt and onto the road. The
miles were flying by at a comfortable 8:30/mile average pace and I felt great!
I ran this race like a long run so my hydration and nutrition was on point and
was really just another practice round, like what I do every weekend.
The course continued on through Apache Junction,
occasionally going into some residential areas. Throughout the course, however,
the beautiful Superstition Mountains watched over the course and provided a
constant dose of awe-inspiring scenery. The half-marathon point came and went and before I knew
it, I was on the back half of the race, still feeling fresh and
comfortable.
At mile 16, the course started to take its toll on the
runners around me. People started walking and dropping back and you could see
the mileage in their faces. Witnessing that always makes me appreciate the
importance of having a solid nutrition and hydration plan for, not just races,
but training runs as well. It amazes me that despite pushing their bodies to
the kinds of limits reached during a marathon, people forget to fuel properly.
There were a few people that I wanted to just tell, “eat more at the next aid
station” or “get some electrolytes when you can”, knowing what they were going
through, but most people don’t want to hear advice, especially when they aren’t
feeling well, so I kept my mouth shut. Eventually, people figure out that the
“wall” can be avoided, but during a race, I’ll avoid bothering people with
information on how to not feel the way they are already feeling. Needless to say, me and my teammate were chugging along happily, eating and drinking and feeling fresh.
Mile 20 came around and I decided it was time to turn it up a little. I had been staying in my Long Zone (Heart Rate Zone 2 to some), for the
whole race but with 10K to go, I decided to let myself creep up into Base (or Zone 3). This was a training run so I didn’t want to push any harder than that,
but even at that heart rate, I felt fast.
The last 6 miles flew by even faster. With an average of
7:30-8 minute miles, the distance melted away. I smiled each time my Garmin beeped and showed me my split times. With the final push, I crossed the
finish line in 3 hours, 41 minutes, and 14 seconds. Oddly, my chip time matched
my Garmin’s time to the exact second. This may or may not be the first time in modern
history that this has occurred to anyone. Ever.
This race was a huge validator for me. I know that my
training has been hard and that I’ve been putting a lot of mileage in. I also
know that my speed has been improving and that I am getting stronger. But
seeing it when you are out doing your own thing is not as tangible as when you
see a race result. This race showed me that I am improving and it felt great.
The most remarkable thing about it, and what may have been even more validating than
the good finish time, is how I felt after the race, for the rest of the day,
and how I feel now (the next day). I have been more beat up and sore after a
16-mile run than I feel right now. I am walking with no problems and even rode
my bike to school. I feel great and ready to keep training and that just shows
me that I am adapting to my training and recovering very well.
This was an important step in my training for the 7 Dirty
Thirties. It has showed me that my training is working and that I am improving,
but is was also just a fun experience. The race was great, the course was
beautiful, my fellow runners were friendly, the volunteers rocked and I just had a wonderful time. I am very
curious to see what kind of time I could put up in a marathon that I actually
race in, but for now, let the training continue!
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