myrtle beach marathon race report
Message posted by: Chris M.
I ran the MB marathon on Saturday (Feb 14th – Valentine’s Day) for the second time (my third marathon). Last year I arrived in MB with so much nervous anticipation of what my first marathon would be like, I missed out on experiencing all that MB has to offer (stop laughing…) Myrtle Beach is a polarizing place to say the least. A mix of old world sleeze and new world affluence. Seedy beach shops and tatoo palors are peppered in with fine restaurants and beach side watering holes. There are plenty of lost souls hanging around but there are also families with kids taking it all in and thorougly enjoying themselves. Mix in 60 degree sunny weather in February, and I believe that it provides the perfect place for a memorable winter marathon.
Last year’s race, my first, was incredible. I finished strong, which was my goal. Time didn’t matter and I allowed myself to keep my head up and enjoy almost every step. I finished in 4:07 and was thrilled to be a part of the somewhat exclusive club of “marathon finishers”!
By the way, I am 41 years old and caught the endurance bug just two years ago as a way to welcome the big 4-0 with a little spring in my step.
After a fairly busy season with triathlons (sprints, olympics, and a half), as well as one other marathon (Charlotte Thunder Road : 3:36), I thought that a stretch goal would be for me to run a 3:20 and qualify for Boston…
The MB race starts at 6:30AM. A lot of the race is inland from the beach and requires running down a congested highway (Kings Hwy), so I assume that the early start is required in order to deal with the traffic. Given that it can be cold in Feb, even in MB, this is somewhat daunting, but this is how they do it, and marathoners shouldn’t complain.
My race plan was simple. Break the race plan into three areas: conditioning (a necessary part of any marathon), nutrition (I believe the single biggest part of the day), and the mental part (do you have what it will take to keep going when your body says: enough). Other than that, my plan was to start near the front, find a good pack, keep my pace consistent, and see if I had it in me to get over the line in 3:20.
The temps in MB Saturday were perfect. Mid 40′s to mid 50′s with a slight breeze and a sky full of cloud coverage.
True to plan, I got through the first three miles just as the sun was rising and was finally able to read my Garmin. I was running a 7:35 pace and was feeling pretty good. At mile 4 the course turns along the beach road and runners are rewarded with a long stretch of straight running with the Atlantic ocean coming alive off to your left. We had rented a very nice hotel room (more like a condo) at the Anderson Beach Spa which was along the course at about mile 5, so I was moving quickly in anticipation of getting the family “pick me up” screams and yells as I passed (which I did)!
At mile 6 I hooked up with a group of runners that were certainly in a groove. They were running a perfect pace for me, so I decided to drop in behind them and they could not have been more accomodating. The leader of the pack was a tri coach, Ironman finisher, and experienced marathoner, and to boot, she was friendly and encouraging as we all grouped together and pushed toward the half way point.
At the half way point (1:39), I knew that the “race was on”. I was feeling good, but knew that repeating that effort(1:39)in order to get in around 3:20 was going to take all that I had. I had been supplementing with GU about every :45 and drinking water at every aid station. I carry a fuel belt with two small bottles of Hammer Perpetuem (one for the half way point and one for mile 20). I started sipping my perpetuem at 13.2, just as planned, and by 14 I realized that today it just wasn’t working. I felt sick to my stomach. Anyway, I thought that maybe my GU and the on course drink (Powerade) could get me home and hoped that the stomach problems would subside. It never really happened that way.
I was still running strong, and keeping up with the pack until mile 16 when one woman (a strong 44 year old runner from Clinton, SC) dropped off to use the facilities, and the leader of the pack, the professional triathlete and coach, decided to push ahead at a strong pace. This left me all alone.
Being alone in a long course race is always telling to me. Without anyone to push me, I find that I really begin to understand what I am all about. I go from feelings of “You have to keep up… You’re feeling strong…You’re doing it” to thoughts of “I may puke…I’m slowing down…I don’t think I have it in me today…” This all factors in to that third tier of my strategy (the mental part)… The good news is that I am keeping my pace (now about 7:45/7:50). Still in the game! My stomach is still sloshing and upset, but I’m making out okay.
At mile 18 or 19, the lady from Clinton (who had stopped to go to the rest room) came right up on me and said (as if we had just started the race)… “Oh there you are, I dropped off back there to go to the bathroom and Katie pushed ahead to keep her pace to run a 3:15, I’m glad I caught you.” It was great to have someone to run with again and off we went.
At mile 22 Laura (the lady that was pulling me along) cruised right through the aid station and it was at that point that I realized I just didn’t have it in me to keep up with her (and her very impressive drive to finish) so I dropped off and, once again, found myself alone. This time, though, I only had about 4 to go.
My pre race calculations determined that in order to finish in 3:20, I felt that I needed to cross the 24.2 mile mark in 3:00 hrs. At about 23 miles or so, I looked down to see how I was doing and my Garmin read “Lost Satellite Signal”… which happens all the time, damnit! Despite not having a pacing mechanism, I was able to figure out with the time, that I was almost exactly one mile short of my 3:00 goal (right passed the 23 mile marker). At about the same time, my lack of nutrition began kicking in and my right quad begin to tingle (that feeling you get when you just know that if you put too much pressure on it, its going to cramp…)
There is not a lot of crowd support in MB, but those that are out are great. Just when I thought that it was all turning for the worst, I came on an older man with a military hat that looked up from his chair and said, “sonny, there’s no stopping you now!” And that was all I needed.
With my legs cramping, my stomach churning, and my smile as wide as it could possibly be, I kept my head high, concentrated on my form and repeated my favorite mantra (your light, your strong, your quick on your feet) until I made the turn into the last stretch to the finish.
As I approached the finishing shoot, I noticed that I was right on pace to break 3:30, if I sprinted… So that’s exactly what I did. Now if I could see it on film, I am sure it would have been anything but a sprint, but to me it felt like I was flying. As I approached the finish line, I looked to my right and in the crowd, much to my surprise was my twin bro, a multiple Boston qualifier and Ironman, who had driven up to surprise me and see me finish. I gave him a loud “YO!” , put my head down and crossed the finish in 3:29:59! for what I realize now was an exceptional performance for me on so many levels. (chip time 3:59:49)
For some reason I always get teary right after a race and this was no exception. Partly because of the emotions that build as I run, partly I guess because of the elation of finshing, and always because I look up and see my two beautiful girls (7 and 9) and my Valentine of 14 years (Sarah) coming at me with arms wide open for hugs and kisses in celebration of, in their minds, the world’s greatest runner.
As for the Boston Qualifying time…well, it’s still out there and I know it will keep me pushing and keep my thoughts positive just as the running group had for most of the afternoon as they forced me to think positive thoughts and find the strength deep within to keep me going.
Three things I took from this race:
a) Running brings together so many different kinds of people and there is so much strength in the power of diversity
b) It’s all about nutrition (in a race and in life)
c) I really love participating with others and sharing in the excitment of seeing total strangers achieve their goals on marathon day.
And by the way, Katie (the coach) finished in the top 20 for females at 3:21 and Laura, who never broke stride the whole race finished 2nd in her age group! Congrats and thanks to them!!
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