It started with the normal race packet pick up Friday afternoon where there seemed to be a gazzillion people there. The Yuenling Shamrock is a very well attended race. It brings people from every where. J & A Racing always does a great job of putting together an event. So much stuff to buy at the expo packet pick up, but we didn't feel we needed other 'green' stuff so we headed out for a quick late lunch. That lasted way too long as we met people that were visiting that had known my father in law, hometown and was a fellow Okie. It was nice talking to them.
Ok, back to running stuff. Saturday morning came early.....and cold.....my wife and I got geared up for the 8K. Always a fun run and a pretty nice warmup for the marathon the following day. I decided to run with my wife to help motivate her and push just a little to get a better finish time for her. Actually it is pretty fun to run with some body. I never really do that. There were lots of folks out there as always and as always just a really fun event. We crossed the finish line hand in hand with our arms raised in the air in victory. Good stuff. Afterwards a visit to the big tent on the beach for some stew (really really good this year) and mill around in the crowd. Enough crowd.......lets go home!
We got home cleaned up and put on our race event shirts (we can only wear the same shirts on race day otherwise that is just weird) and hung out at the house. We were watching our grandson that afternoon and evening so nothing too big planned. Mainly just keeping that crazy busy little boy occupied. That's a hand full! We survived until bedtime.....I crashed early and Granny took over. Yes, I bailed on her but I was feeling tired and knew I would be worn out before the marathon.
Sunday morning arrived......I really don't like that so many of the races are on Sunday....makes me miss church. I got up, did my normal routine and started preparing for the race. I really wasn't feeling this race.....NOT GOOD! Wasn't sure if I was just tired from such a quick turn around or what but was less than excited about running 26.2 miles that morning. Regardless.....I geared up for battle. My wife (and grandson) were going to drop me off so we didn't need to get there too early. The half marathon started at 7AM while the full began at 8:30. They were going to go to church.....I needed prayers! The crowds for the half had sort of thinned out.
I went thru my normal pre-race routine......I feel like a old pro at this by now......even though I'm pretty far from being a pro. Guess I'm just a bit OCD. Oh well....a little stretch.....and little bit of walking around.....another trip to the porta-potties.......hey it is a fact of life! And of course my quick pre-race photo.....but this one was by myself. Marathons can be prett lonely. Mostly just you and the road. I don't have many friends that are as crazy as myself. Oh well, this has been proven to help me with my fight against diabetes.....I must keep doing it.
It was time to gather in the corral and get set. Others began to gather too. A few chatted with each other talking about the race. A couple of guys saw that I looked like I knew what I was doing......not sure how I looked different than any of the others. Anyway they asked my thoughts about the race. Two of the guys were running their first marathon. I encouraged them and told them that it would be very exciting for them. They asked if I had done this race before....I said I did.....they asked how many I have done.....ok they asked......this would be number ten. They were amazed especially when I told them I just ran one the Sunday before. I like shocking people.
We shared our running history a bit and they asked my advise.....of course it is always the same.....DONT START OFF TOO FAST! My goal was just to beat my old PR (set seven days earlier) 5:29:59 was my goal. I really didn't feel too confident in this run. Maybe an 11:30 pace to start? That would be a little slower than last week but could conserve some of my energy for later on in the run. I bid my new race friends, Gil and Tim a FUN RUN and off and running we went.
As always I begin quicker than I want or should.....it is just the excitement of the beginning. I see all the runners flying past and I wonder if I will ever see them again......in the later miles? When they run out of gas? Or will their youth and energy help push them on? We will see........flash forward.....there were many that I passed along the course that ended up walking.......nothing wrong with walking! Just get to the finish whether it is running, walking or crawling........I've contemplated crawling many times!
I end up (against my better knowledge) running in the low 10:00 pace......why do I do this? Anyway, I caught Tim around mile three and we end up running together for a while. We actually talk some and get to know each other a bit. It's funny how racing can really allow perfect strangers to become friends. I remind myself to be sure to find him on Facebook or something later. We passed Gil during our run through Camp Pendelton. We end up running at a pace of around 10:40 .....way too fast but I'm feeling pretty good. I think we both are pushing each other. At mile 15 I pulled away. I kept my pace and continued on. I felt good.....however my Runkeeper/iPhone died at mile 12......how am I going to know where I am? And no music for the next dozen miles! Run Eugene Run.....that is what I do.
My pace has slowed down a little, I just don't know how much. And then I see the 5:00 hour pace group catch up with me. Really? Don't get excited.....I've been here before.....the last six miles are the toughest......I die on this last part. They encourage me to run with them but there isn't much gas. I keep up for about a mile....and that was all.....I wave goodbye....lol. The dreams of a sub 5:00 pulls away step by step. I tell myself to not be ridiculous, my goal is under 5-1/2 hours.....just RUN EUGENE RUN....so I do.
Here we go. 37th street we turn back onto the boardwalk. Finish line is at 31st street...KING NEPTUNE! I turn the corner and I can see it......math math math.....how far is six blocks.....no clue.....still running. I pass a group of Team in Training people all dressed in purple. I did that once in 2008. They are walking. Just a few feet past them and a guy with not much more than a American flag shorty shorts flies past.....he was a King Neptune runner. (All three races including the half before the full that morning.) I wanted to do it......come on get real! Then the Team in Training guys get motivated after seeing the American flag run past and start their sprint.....dang it is still far away! But they yell at me, "Hey Twenty Six point Freaken Two....lets go!" (It says that on the back of my shirt) CRAP! Ok.......I push and run past them again this time yelling "Don't let this old man beat you!" Oh no! 100 yards away and I am running out of breath! No sprint left....I knew I started my kick too soon, but I cannot let them catch me.
I already knew what picture I wanted to take. My wife brought my 8K medal from the day before. That medal along with my additional Whale Challenge medal I head over to my wife and swap my race things for my grandson. The guy standing at the edge was preventing everyone from coming back thru the exit area (where they were standing), he was nice enough to allow me to carry my grandson back thru to pose for a picture. That made number more special.......oh yeah......and the fact that I ran the race in 5:09:47! No way!
Busted my PR like crazy!
23 minutes faster than last week!
24 minutes faster than Disney in January!
41 minutes faster than Shamrock last year!
And nearly an entire hour off of my typical marathons ending last November!
That is just crazy! Thank you Shamrock for giving me a great race to set my PR. 5:00:00 seems possible now. I would have never thought. Dreamed.....but never thought! Just goes to show that you can accomplish whatever your mind sets in front of.
RUN EUGENE RUN
Until the next race (3 weeks)
ET This I Believe
Eugene Thompson
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