The Honolulu Marathon Recap

STATS:
3:25:37
37th Female
Age Group: 3rd
Overall: 295 (over 24,000 participants)


Before I write about my experience I will update you on Makai (aka The "Miracle" Child):

I passed him before mile 13.  One of the hardest things I've done is leave him on the course to fight the conditions on his own.  He wasn't on his own.  Fellow runners encouraged him and even gave him fuel when he ran out and needed more than gatorade and water.  Although he wanted to finish in under 4 hours, I didn't think it was possible, given the pain he was in when I left him, so expected him closer to the 5 hour mark.  After grabbing some food, Steve and I headed over to watch the finish, and before we made it there, he came flying (7 min/mile his last mile) across the finish line.  The kid finished in 3:51:09.  Not bad for a 16 year old who has never ran more than 13.1 miles.  To say I'm proud would be an understatement.  To say he pushed himself to a place he didn't know existed within him is accurate.

I had a great sleep before the marathon!  Lined up at the start with 30,000 of my closest friends next to Steve and Makai,  although we knew once the fireworks went off, they would take off at their pace and I would follow my plan.  As anticipated, I darted in and out of people the first 2 miles and then settled into my planned race pace.  The bands were playing and Christmas lights shining and I felt confident about the day ahead of me.

I was on schedule, running right on target pace which would give me a 3:19 finish and feeling great, until I turned up onto Kalanianiole Hwy which is mile 11.  The wind.  It gusted so hard at times that my visor flew off my head.  I tried to tuck behind other runners but they were either going too fast or too slow so I spent from mile 11-16 alone heading into the wind.  I could hardly maintain a 7:30 pace, and was suppose to be running 7:22's.  As I got further along the Hwy, my pace was dropping to almost 8 minute miles, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not speed up.

I started freaking out.  What was going on?  In my races this year, I had never had to struggle to maintain anything more than a 7:30 pace for a long distance and the last race I did I was running sub 7's after mile 11.  So I concentrated on my fuel plan and was sure that when I headed back out of Hawai'i Kai the wind would be at my back and I would make up some time.

As I ran out of the housing area in Hawai'i Kai at mile 17, I started to feel dizzy and my legs heavy.  I was only running a 7:45 mile.  I drank gatorade at the next aid station and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.  I tried to look for Makai running into Hawai'i Kai but couldn't find him.  I heard my name twice from friends and managed a hello but kept on running and knew I had my game face on (which looks I'm pissed).  I smile when I run, but there were no smiles.  After 3 miles back on Kalanianiole Hwy I started feeling better and had passed a runner who is younger and much stronger (faster!) than I, so the discouragement started to fade in my own training plan with the reality that the conditions sucked and I was not the only one feeling the pain.  I think the wind took the life out of me and even though I was not fighting it anymore, it had taken it's toll on me.  My only goal at this point was to not let my Garmin read anything more than 7:50's.  I resolved that breaking 3:30 was not likely but I could still break 3:45 and qualify for Boston.

Getting closer to Kahala I started feeling stronger with my pace picking up.  Coming off the freeway to the cheers and the band playing gave me a kickstart I needed and I started moving faster.  I thought I heard my name but was in the zone, and then heard it again and it was clearer.  A good friend who had escorted the wheel chair racers on his bike had come back on the course to cheer me on.  Hearing your name being called on the course is an awesome feeling.  I think I told him I felt like crap (not really the word I used) and he told me to keep going.  Let me know Steve was ahead of me which was a relief because at this point I started believing I could break 3:30.  Steve needed a 3:25 to qualify for Boston.

Diamond Head wasn't as painful as I expected and I even passed some girls (YES!).  Took in some gatorade at the aid station halfway up the hill and knew once I crested it, I was home free.  I tried to let loose down the hill towards Kapiolani Park but my legs wouldn't go any faster.  I heard my name again from my friend and ran down the homestretch with less than a mile to go.   Tons of people line the park cheering you on and when you are a girl, I think you get some extra cheers.  Especially when you are wearing a Lululemon skirt  with ruffles on your ass (yes, I was told my skirt was cute by spectators which did make me smile)!

I was going to break 3:30 yet knew if I worked hard I would make it in 3:25, which sounds a lot better than 3:26.  So with game face on I ran toward the finish line trying to catch a glimpse of my parents and son.  I heard my dad give a great loud cheer with 200 yards left yet was determined to cross in 3:25 so didn't even look up.  As I passed under the last banner I heard the announcer say my name and told me to smile so with both hands raised in the air and a huge smile I crossed the finish line!

The volunteers were awesome and I went straight into the mister shower.  One other female was there and gave me a huge hug and told me congrats.  I was the 37th female to cross the finish line and 295th overall...I notice the girls gravitate together with congrats as there aren't many of us.  I ran a 4:14 in 1999 and a 4:26 in 2007.  It was a huge PR for me!!!

I got my water and gatorade and looked for my husband to congratulate him as I knew he has qualified, but had no idea how his race had gone and if he had reached his personal goals (you can read his blog to find out about those).  My friend on the bike was at the finish with big congrats and took pictures and  Steve still didn't show up.  As I was getting ready to call him from my friend's phone, he came walking up. He had gone to watch the finish from the side and had missed my finish entirely.  That may be a good thing as he may not have been proud of the double fist pump I gave.

We both were exhausted and disappointed at how difficult the race had been but super stoked that we had both broken the 3:30 barrier and had qualified for Boston.  (Makai finishes = see above) Saw our fellow Kailua runners, offered congrats, and headed home.

Spent Sunday laying around.  Steve drank beer, but my stomach was too jacked up for my anticipated drink. Had a very painful 3 mile run yesterday morning and we are contemplating if our training plan caused the bad race or if it was the conditions.  The training plan worked through the all our other races this year (none less than a half marathon) so are not sure which direction to take as we train for the Napa Valley Marathon in March.

Right now, I'm going to enjoy the last couple weeks of the year.  I have around 150 miles to run to reach my other running goal of 2012 by running 2012 miles.  But I can take my time and not worry about tempo runs, striders, pace runs, ect and just run.

Not sure if we are even going to Boston.  The fact that we qualified is a huge feat in itself.  Honolulu was the day to see what 11 months of training could do to an average runner like me.  If you believe, you can succeed!

Per Runner's World Magazine regarding the desire to BQ.  It's a surreal feeling to be in that group! "....10 percent of American marathoners are fast enough to qualify for Boston.."