ADT Marathon Relay and Labor Day weekend...

This weekend started off poorly.  I admittedly drank stupid drunk on Saturday before the CU-CSU game.  I know my limit, but exceeded it.  I didn't puke and wasn't close but I wasn't a 31 year old.  It made the game less enjoyable but it would not have been anyway.  CU was outcoached and outplayed.  McElwain already appears to make better adjustments than a coach on his 2nd year.  Of course McElwain has many years of experience and is coming from the most successful program in college football over the last few years in Alabama.  CU's staff could learn a lesson about patience, play calling and adjustments.  Their team was motivated and played smart, discilpined football.  It was not a good start to the weekend.

Sunday was a day planned to help my mother-in-law sand and paint her deck.  We were exhausted so we slept in a little and we were about 30-45 minutes behind schedule all day it seemed.  The deck took longer than planned and I kicked over the can of paint and it was just a mess.  I was glad to get it done, but it was one of my tougher days on a day I thought would be a little relaxing mentally, things just didn't go well.  I went to bed at 10:45.  There was an alarm set for 3:45.  Oh joy!!!

That brings us to the ADT Marathon.  My Aunt's knee was not cleared by the doctor so I subbed for her in the Harrington Harrier Marathon Relay team.  I won't lie, I was excited to be part of it but wish I could have had a 4th day off or make yesterday an additional 4 hours to make up for how crazy yesterday was.

I woke up just before 4, showered (yes, I shower even before I get all stinky) and took the dog out and was gone just before 4:20.  All you potheads, I am sorry to disappoint I wasn't talking about your 4:20 and why you found this blog.  I figured a drive and 48 oz of water would allow me to get to Colorado Springs at a decent time to pick my Uncle just after 5:30 and to take care of business.  Wrong!!!    Oh well, I felt alright there anyway.  I got to the starting area with my Uncle just before 6:15.  Too bad we waited 5 minutes or so for a train to pass because by the time I got prepared, it was just after 6:20.  My Uncle thought the start time was 6:30.  I could have sworn the website said 6:45.  There didn't seem to be much rush when I hit the port-a-pottie line at 6:25.  Stop here and start at the next paragraph just below the other bolded area if you don't want details about port-a-potties.  When I got in there at 6:30, I suddenly heard people yelling instructions.  Port-a-potties at football games (someone needs to not eat corn and drink the next morning please) and these events (runners weird diets and their eating habits lacks a solid crap it seems) are disgusting and the one place, even me the poop anywhere guy, I find it tough to do so though I will if I have to.  It is nice that they added a urinal side for the guys so we don't have to look at what's in the toilet.  I feel sorry for women that they have no choice.  I was debating heavily if this was a time I'd just go #2 and I was prepared to do so but with no voices outside the port-a-pottie and someone that shits like a cat spraying the wall, seat, etc, it wasn't even worth a wipe-down to relieve myself and I knew my stomach could now handle 7.5 miles and not be an issue "there" after many long runs.  I decided to just pee and head out.  Done with the port-a-potty talk. 

It was vacant area around the port-a-potties and I expected to at least some relay teams since I saw a few teams that decided to send off their runner together.  I didn't see anyone but spectators and these teams as I crossed the trail to see the marathoners headed down towards me.  SHIT!  Do I wait or do I go?  I ran to the end of the marathoners.  No one was getting close to the start and I had seen a couple other relay green bibs in the group, so I just took off about 10-15 seconds after the last runner.  I should have asked but could not see volunteers and my mind was wandering, should I have started.  Nope, but oh well I guess.  I ran the first mile like a light jog on a long run since I was at the back of all the 4 hr to 5 hr marathon group and felt like I was at the GTIS/Bolder Boulder having to pass runner after runner.  I felt like a dick knowing that I probably started early and I was passing all these people trying to finish 26.2 miles, not a measily 6.75, wait 7.5, who knows? (Get to that part later).  I got to the Mile 1 marker and it opened up after running past the last pace group of 4:00 hours at the 3/4 mile area.

Off-topic:After reading a lot about marathons and these pace groups, I wish these events had something besides the Under 34 age group Boston Qualifying groups.  Not everyone is trying to BQ and not everyone wants to run 4:00 hours to 5:30 hours.  I have changed my visions to 3:45 and Myrtle Beach (my first marathon in February) and most marathons I see concentrate on the 4:00 hours and over and the BQ group.  I do have to say Myrtle should be interesting since they have a women's group qualifier and a lot of long straight aways with no elevation difference so I may be able to see that 3:35 groups flag bobbing up and down down the road.  Anyway, to float back down to earth and talk about the race.

My head was not in it if I did not say that.  I felt like an ass still for passing people I knew had a long road trail ahead of them compared to mine.  The trail was very nice the first few miles.  I knew my pace was solid but not great.  My ears felt pressure like when I am up past 10,000 feet and like in a plane.  It was weird and made my feet pounding on the ground and breathing feel awkward.  I kept pushing anyway.  At Mile 2, I needed liquid, I settled for Gatorade.  Had to stop, I just can't drink on the go easily and may have to have a squeeze bottle for the marathon if I don't want to stop.  Stopping with exhausted legs to get water worries me.  There was a guy that must have started the relay right before me that was sitting back and passed me right before or after this since I knew I had passed him in the small path around Palmer Lake and no one else was behind me when I took off other than the relay runners that got it right.  His speed must have made the marathon people even more like WTF.  How did a relay guy already catch me?!  I knew he was going to bonk on his leg of a relay when I had got closer to him with a little over a mile left after I hadn't seen him the previous 2 miles.  You could tell he had ran 10ks and wasn't built for longer runs and figured an extra half mile at that pace, he figure he'd kill it no problem.  At that magic 10k marker, I almost caught him with his stroll much slower.  I got within 200 yards probably and was hoping to catch him.  No luck with that but I stayed within 200 yards after he caught his 2nd wind.  Right around this 10k mark, I also had a guy BLAZE past me.  He probably started on time and was under 6 minute miles if that was the case.  Damn!!!  I can fortunately say that no one caught me after that and my Uncle had us in mythical second place since the 10k guys other team member had not arrived yet.  Oops!

Before I talk about the rest, I have to say, the notification for the change in distance did not affect me, but to someone that had never done more than 6, but wanted to gut out 3/4 mile more for their leg, the change to another mile on top of that extra 3/4 mile could not have been fun.  The start was confusing and I should have asked someone.  Palmer Lake is dried up and that was sad to see after seeing the views in Georgetown.  My run was great and I wish I had been able to figure out my bathroom issues and started with the other relay runners, but was glad to get ahead of them so I didn't start out too fast thinking I needed to keep up with 6:00/mi and even 7:00/mi types.  I am an 8:00/mi guy at that distance right now if I am going full go and I think I was around 8:15/mi so I am not too disappointed.

Anyway, my Uncle gutted out some nice rolling hills that also were the most beautiful part of the run and coolest part seeing parts of the AFA nearby.  With his coaching football and everything else going on, he had not trained how he'd want to and he was right around 7:00/mi for the toughest parts of the relay.  I tried to keep up with him as he ran the first mile of the 3rd leg of the relay to get to my cousin Emily waiting just beyond Mile Marker 17.  She was under the weather and ran a solid 5 miles.  I got to the 3rd/4th transition leg with my Aunt and cousin Katee.  She had to be the youngest runner (in probably the whole competition) and we saw Emily and Tim right around 2:50.  We were doing well.  Katee is young and as tentative as I was to push a 4 mile run when I got into what I though was a longer distance of anything 4 miles or more.  The good thing is the last 1/2 mile, she whipped into high gear and was an 8:00 pace the last 1/2 mile after not knowing how far she could push the first 3.5.  Our "official time" on the website says, 3:32:54.  I'd like to claim that but my leg was an additional 13 or so minutes more than that and I am going to say we finished in 3:46-3:48ish.  Still a respectable time considering that would have placed us 4th out of 15 co-ed teams.

Some humorous things I heard: I can't run without my headphones.  That lady is wearing Skechers.  She's going to run a full marathon in Skechers.  Some teams started early (I admittedly said I was one of them), so I don't care if they are ahead because they ran with the marathoners.  After reading marathoners blogs, I heard a fan say, you're almost there at the 22 mile mark????  Seriously lady, I am surprised that person wasn't like, STFU?!??!  A marathon runner never wants to hear this unless they are 0.2 miles away.  I can see why, 4.2 miles is not almost there when you have no legs and are exhausted and ready to quit.

It was a great experience being able to be part of a relay with my cousins and Aunt and Uncle.  I wasn't as attractive as my Aunt running, but I hope I did her leg proud.  I really enjoyed seeing my first marathon in person.  It let me see the group I strive to be by February and the pains, triumphs, and everthing else in between of a marathon.  I saw a K-State runner at Mile 22 that was done.  I felt awful for him.  There were people at the finish line that looked like they were like hell no, never again, others that looked like they had won the state title in wrestling and others that were a mixture of those feelings.  To see the pain in some of those peoples bodies be it legs, backs, etc. wow, even more respect for people that have ran that far.

I tried to hurry home and beat my mom there.  For some reason, she figured she needed an appointment to see her grand daughter.  It was awkward and I won't get too much into the discomfort of family drama off my blog, but I want her to see Sophie more and I was glad she could spend a couple hours with her.

I didn't have much time this weekend to enjoy Sophie and our family since I had my fantasy football draft later that night at 4:30.  I look forward to just running when I can and spending much more time with Sophie and Andi next week.  I definitely had a day of not being around them yesterday and while I enjoyed the events I did yesterday, the the biggest part of my life was missing in my wife and kid and that's not how I want it to be.