The Race to Mile 14
Here is my race report from the 2008 White Rock Marathon on December 14 in Dallas Texas.
RACE
The morning didn't start off to well. I was going to be up at 5 amish but Jane's kitty cat Lizzy decided to throw a fit for being locked away in the laundry room around 4:30... which meant I was up. As soon as I awoke and could't fall back to sleep I got on my race day attire and finished packing my suitcase and carry on bag for the flight later on that night. In two seperate cars Julie, Jane, and I made our way to the American Airlines Center. I had forgotten my pre marathon breakfast at Jane's house so as soon as we arrived at the AAC... I got some oranges and bananas and ate them. As Julie and Jane waited I warmed up a bit just to get my legs moving. After warming up... we headed inside the AAC to find Gerald and the rest of the Negative Split Racing Gang. Around 7:30 all of us runners headed out to get staged for the start. As I made my way to corral A of the start the chills went away. I was calm and relaxed... I did the work... I deserved to be at the start line of the 39th Dallas White Rock Marathon.
As we staged the announcer... can't remember the name... was talking about having the "run of your life" and thats when it hit me. I was here... in Dallas... to run... no matter if Boston happened or not. My total mindset changed from "Boston Boston Boston" to "have the race of your life". The national anthem was sung... the wheelchairs went off... the Marine One helicopter flew overhead... and then Ready GO! As I hit the start line I hit the start button to my Garmin. The first mile was straight into the gusty North Texas morning winds. My pace for the first mile was slow... I wanted to have energy for later. As we hit mile 2 I was feeling good... and on pace to run the marathon of a lifetime... same with mile 3. As I approached the aide station for mile 4... uh oh... my stomach started cramping... what the heck... Mile 4.... you gotta be kidding me. I took in some food that I had trained with right then... maybe that would help... NOPE! Continued on... and felt worse as the race went on. The bad part was that by mile 5 I was barely breaking a sweat... how could that be??? I'm gonna finish.... I told myself! I am not a loser or a DNFer. At about mile 6 1/2 ish I saw some buddies. White lies came out of their mouths how I was looking good... whatever... I knew that was just for encouragement! The miles slowly slowed down one by one. The next few miles felt like forever! By mile 10 my time superly slow. Not just were the weather conditions getting worse... but so were my cramps... now also in my muscles besides my stomach. At mile 12 I saw Julie and Jane sitting down spectating off the lake. I told them I was not doing good with a big frown! I finally made it to the halfway point but for two reasons... (a) to see a friend of mine who was waiting there and (b)to make it halfway. It was finally as I approached mile 14 I was doing worse and I feared the worse could happen.
I stopped... got some water... watered down some gatorade... had that... and finally... yes finally fell over. Other runners saw me but that prompted the med staff to have me stretch it out... get fluids in... and finally pull me out of the race. I found out later on that was the right choice I made. I was then on my way in an ambulance to get treated at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas.
Hospital report to come next!
More to come...
RACE
The morning didn't start off to well. I was going to be up at 5 amish but Jane's kitty cat Lizzy decided to throw a fit for being locked away in the laundry room around 4:30... which meant I was up. As soon as I awoke and could't fall back to sleep I got on my race day attire and finished packing my suitcase and carry on bag for the flight later on that night. In two seperate cars Julie, Jane, and I made our way to the American Airlines Center. I had forgotten my pre marathon breakfast at Jane's house so as soon as we arrived at the AAC... I got some oranges and bananas and ate them. As Julie and Jane waited I warmed up a bit just to get my legs moving. After warming up... we headed inside the AAC to find Gerald and the rest of the Negative Split Racing Gang. Around 7:30 all of us runners headed out to get staged for the start. As I made my way to corral A of the start the chills went away. I was calm and relaxed... I did the work... I deserved to be at the start line of the 39th Dallas White Rock Marathon.
As we staged the announcer... can't remember the name... was talking about having the "run of your life" and thats when it hit me. I was here... in Dallas... to run... no matter if Boston happened or not. My total mindset changed from "Boston Boston Boston" to "have the race of your life". The national anthem was sung... the wheelchairs went off... the Marine One helicopter flew overhead... and then Ready GO! As I hit the start line I hit the start button to my Garmin. The first mile was straight into the gusty North Texas morning winds. My pace for the first mile was slow... I wanted to have energy for later. As we hit mile 2 I was feeling good... and on pace to run the marathon of a lifetime... same with mile 3. As I approached the aide station for mile 4... uh oh... my stomach started cramping... what the heck... Mile 4.... you gotta be kidding me. I took in some food that I had trained with right then... maybe that would help... NOPE! Continued on... and felt worse as the race went on. The bad part was that by mile 5 I was barely breaking a sweat... how could that be??? I'm gonna finish.... I told myself! I am not a loser or a DNFer. At about mile 6 1/2 ish I saw some buddies. White lies came out of their mouths how I was looking good... whatever... I knew that was just for encouragement! The miles slowly slowed down one by one. The next few miles felt like forever! By mile 10 my time superly slow. Not just were the weather conditions getting worse... but so were my cramps... now also in my muscles besides my stomach. At mile 12 I saw Julie and Jane sitting down spectating off the lake. I told them I was not doing good with a big frown! I finally made it to the halfway point but for two reasons... (a) to see a friend of mine who was waiting there and (b)to make it halfway. It was finally as I approached mile 14 I was doing worse and I feared the worse could happen.
I stopped... got some water... watered down some gatorade... had that... and finally... yes finally fell over. Other runners saw me but that prompted the med staff to have me stretch it out... get fluids in... and finally pull me out of the race. I found out later on that was the right choice I made. I was then on my way in an ambulance to get treated at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas.
Hospital report to come next!
More to come...
Comments
But look at this side of it - you got more for your money. You got the bonus of extra stuff from the race (medical stuff, supplies, etc...). More for your money!