State #1 Sacramento, California

October 4, 2009

Cowtown is not my first marathon in California, but it is my first Boston qualifying race!  This is the race I am using as State #1 in my 50 State Journey. Before I get to my BQ race report here is a little recap of how it all began...

My first marathon was the Santa Clarita Marathon in November 1999.  I have been running off and on since high school.  As someone who is never satisfied with the body I reside within running is my way to try and shed pounds, maintain weight, and stay in shape.  Although I have varying degrees of success and many failures in the endeavor, running, regardless of my weight, gives me something I need.

The goal of obtaining the ideal body never happened for me and is no longer my motivation for running.  The psychological benefits of running keeps me pounding the pavement these days.  Going for a run, whether it be three miles or the marathon distance, is a fresh start to each new day.  Each run is a new beginning.  We can't undo our mistakes and fix the past, but we can always begin again and that is what running does for me. Completing a run means anything is possible. When life is an uncertain struggle, running wipes the slate clean each time.

My road to the marathon began when my daughter started kindergarten. I spent the first five years of her life being mom.  She is the joy of my life.  She always has been and always will be, but once she started school, I had time on my hands.  I definitely put on weight during those years, and eventually began focusing on my health.  By the time she was in second grade, running became an important aspect of my life.  I remember thinking to myself, if I can run ten miles without stopping, I will sign up for the Santa Clarita Marathon. Of course I had to measure the distance with my car; there were no Garmin's. Immediately after the ten mile run, I mailed in the entry. Yes we had to mail the entries! While preparing for my first marathon, I thought I may need to try out a half marathon first.  I found "City to the Sea"  located on the Central Coast of California, starting in San Luis Obispo and ending at Avila Beach.  It was a great first half.  I finished fifth in my age and even merited a top one hundred  finisher's mug.  Needless to say, I was hooked on the racing high.  

They say it is better to be under-trained than even slightly over trained and that seems to be what I did for my first marathon in 1999.  I did not taper at all prior to the race. I just ran and ran and ran.  I actually had incredible knee pain from too much running.  I visited a doctor a week or two before race day seeking out a cortisone shot to ease the pain in my knee.  Thankfully they did not give me one.  It was recommended by the doctor that I stop running.  I remember a rather dismissive comment made by the doctor that I wasn't running in the Olympics or anything.  Hey, listen buddy it is my Olympics.  That was also the beginning of knee braces.  

The day before the marathon we traveled to Santa Clarita as a family. My husband was my supporter at the time. He even rode his bike on my last long run through Farmersville and into Exeter. This was before we even knew about the infamous Rocky Hill, popular with local runners for long runs and hill training. It only took my husband watching and supporting me at one more marathon~The Napa Marathon~to decide watching is for the birds.  He wanted to run too.  We ran our first marathon together in October 2000 at the San Jose Marathon. It has been a family activity ever since. I still fondly reflect on that first marathon as we drive past Magic Mountain on our travels to Los Angeles to fly to various states.  My daughter was standing at mile 17 with a drink in her hand as I made the climb up the hill to Magic Mountain  If you know the area it is quite a climb. Those were the days when she was still impressed by her mama. 

The start of mile 17 hill!  My daughter and husband at gas station!

 Now she says, "I know I know that was mile 17 of your first marathon and that was the hotel we stayed at..."  It seems, in a way, it was just the other day, but it has been sixteen years and she is all grown up now.  A college graduate and in the work force for three years already! "Enjoy it while you can, it goes by so fast, too fast."  Older parents can tell younger parents, but it can't be truly understood until you live it for yourself.  

All grown up...office life!

On the morning of my first marathon, my husband drove me to the bus which took me to the start line.  I remember a tent with serious looking runners.  I really don't recall too many details of that first race.  It was quite hilly and I talked to one man in the first half and one lady a few times.  In the finish photo the lady finishes just before me.  I was in good running shape at the time and yet I finished just under four hours.  I took no fuel the entire course and ran hard the day before.  I still wonder how I would have done if I was more knowledgeable about tapering and fueling.  I do remember crossing the line and being exhausted.  I definitely remember doing the marathon shuffle back to the hotel and someone saying to me "you did it" as I walked into the lobby.

First Marathon Ever 3:59;41

One thing that I definitely experience after running a marathon is a letdown.  It has been referred to as post marathon depression.  The best cure for this is to sign up for another marathon and begin or continue training for the next one.  My next marathon was Napa in March of 2000.  This was another destination race. My in-laws and brother-in-law all met us for a little family get together.  The weather was not the best for my second marathon.  In fact, 45 minutes into the race it started to rain and never stopped.  Not the best event to have the in-laws spectate. 

My husband's family all came out in the rain to support me!

 This race started out great for me, I was flying doing seven minute miles.  I had a small waist pack with jelly beans and I remember being so water logged and weighed down that I dumped the pack just over the half way point.  Around mile twenty, I died.  I ended up walk running the remainder of the race.  Again, I was at my running best and yet I did not understand how to manage my pace early and properly fuel before and during the race.  I finished this one in 3:54 and looked like a drowned rat at the end.  

My husband had the running bug by now and we ran the San Jose Marathon together in October of 2000.  My mom went with us on the adventure to watch our daughter while we ran.  We both finished just under four hours.  I do not really remember a whole lot about this race other than it started in downtown San Jose and ran through some industrial areas and there were a lot of light rail tracks and trains. The medal was a computer circuit board. Not one of my favorites, but unique to the Silicon Valley theme.

Craig's First Marathon

 It was our last marathon for a number of years.  We took a break from running marathons. We moved across town to a new home and our focus and priorities changed.  We did home improvement projects and raised our daughter who was busy with soccer and ballet and school events.  She was our priority. I also went back to work for the schools and life quickly passed in the blink of an eye.  We continued to run local 1ok races periodically, but marathons took a backseat.  Eight years later, with a new fitness kick, we made our return to running.  I remember making some short term, midterm and long term goals and posted it on the refrigerator.   The long term goal was to run Boston before my daughter graduated from high school.  The short term goal was building the base to return to marathon distance. We ran our first half marathon in June of 2009 on part of the Ironman course in Kona, Hawaii.  I finished in 1:48 and the running passion was reignited.

Before I had to return to knee braces!!

Such a happy time for us...back to running and in Hawaii!

I registered for three marathons in 2009 to attempt a BQ time.  The first marathon was the San Francisco hilly Marathon course in July of 2009. My husband ran the half.  This was an exciting little excursion with my mom and daughter who joined us for the trip.  The ups and downs took a toll on my knees.  I pushed myself through the legendary parts of San Fran, but with the hills and the long course was unable to obtain a Boston qualifier time. The Golden Gate Bridge is not quite as glamorous when you are running across it. The metal plates over the expansion joints are slick, requiring focus and caution to keep from slipping, but running on the Golden Gate Bridge is a cherished memory.  Another memory indelibly imprinted in my mind is the rope that would go up rerouting the runners to opens roads to traffic.  It happened four times to me and extended my final distance to 26.7 Not to complain, it was a great feeling to be running marathons again and having my mom and daughter there with me made it extra special. 

Still wearing cotton shirts!!

My daughter who only runs for fitness now was a very good little runner in middle school and high school.

  I am sure she went into cross country at the push of her mother, but she is and always will be my pride and joy. I know, I know I said that already, but it is still true! She was a good little athlete in soccer, cross country, track, band and a straight A student. Shameless plug for my baby girl.  I can still remember when she was that little second grader riding her bike alongside me as I went on some of my training runs. Anyhow, we were a running family at the time and I had a goal to accomplish before my baby went off to college.

In October 2009,  my next marathon was the Cowtown Marathon in Sacramento, the last year it was the full marathon distance.  The following year it was renamed the Urban Cow Half Marathon since the name was already being used for a marathon in Fort Worth, Texas. I can't recall too many detailed from the run, but I do have a few standout memories from the monumental day of first Boston qualifier.  

We ate dinner at the IKEA store since it was near our hotel and my husband loves Swedish meatballs. He was after all there just to support me in my quest, the least I could do is let him pick the dinner location.  It is not the best option prior to a marathon, but it seems to be a precursor to some of our interesting marathon meals throughout the 50 states.  I don't remember what I ate, but he ate those meatballs with gusto.  On race morning, I ate some Honey Nut Cheerios and a "Whatchamacallit" candy bar. I think I need to try eating the same thing for all BQ attempts.  It was the candy bar that got me over the finish line in time. I am sure of it!  

It was a two loop course and my strategy was to go out fairly aggressively in the first loop and hang on for dear life in the second.  This is not what the experts say to do, but it is what I did.  I ran the first half with the 3:40 pace group.  I was just ahead of the group for the first portion.  Somewhere in the second half, I let that group go or maybe they left me in the dust!  Being that it was a loop course with a section of out and back I saw the 3:50 pacer at points and I did not want to see him come up behind me.  I needed a 3:50 to qualify and there was a 59 second grace period at the time.  I feared that 3:50 pacer sign.  It was a shadow I did not need to see sneaking up from behind.  I thought of that stick as a scythe the grim reaper carries and I wanted to stay as far ahead of him as possible.  Somewhere past the twenty mile point, I approached a runner who was hitting the wall ~even Humpty Dumpty had wall issues...  She was struggling and her pain was obvious!  Who hasn't been there! She had a friend  desperately trying to motivate her and help her through, but it wasn't going to happen.  I wish I had that friend to take along to motivate me to the end.  She was so inspiring and saying all the right things, but when the tank is empty, it is empty!  

I was definitely getting tired, but I wanted to go to Boston. I was pushing and fighting the whole way.  I talked to someone in the final miles, I am not sure if it was the 3:45 pacer but it was obviously someone I wanted to encourage me.  I asked do you think I can make it?  When she asked what time I needed and I said 3:50 she told me, "You can make it," and it helped me fight on.  Somewhere around mile 23 there was Coke at an aid station. It was the best Coke I ever tasted and the sugar gave me an energy boost.  The final mile was pure pain to keep running and pushing to make my time.  I was definitely struggling.  My husband ran the half and he was there at the end.  He ran through  the finish with me.  I don't remember much about the finish area, but my husband says that I said, "I did it, I can't believe I did, I am going to Boston!"  I do remember calling my mom when we got in the car and telling her I did it!  My qualifying time was 3:49:41.  That time would definitely not get me in today with the new system, but it got me into Boston 2010!

All I had!

The final marathon of the year was the Fresno Marathon in November of 2009.  It was going to be my last attempt to qualify, but instead it was just a sweet run with no pressure. I knew I could run to enjoy it.

No pressure!