Vancouver USA Marathon - June 17, 2012 - Race Recap

My first full marathon!  The week leading up this race was stressful and became worse daily emotionally for both my training partner and myself.  The day before the race we found ourselves crying in each others arms and actually wondering aloud if we should back out of the race.  We decided there was no way we could allow outside influences to destroy the day we had been looking forward to and working towards for such a long time.  So... emotionally drained, we persevered.  I learned that she can take adversity and it makes her a stronger runner!  I also learned that the nauseous feeling I get when emotionally stressed does carry through to a race.  Oh well!  :P

Hugs are the BEST way to start a marathon!

...And we're off!  Me and my awesome BRF (Best Running Friend) - Jillian - 

wearing our "Sole Sisters" shirts she bought us from the Another Mother Runner store!!! 

The first half of the race was easy-peasy and going great - the second half was when my stomach began its upheaval.  I continued on and honestly, I enjoyed the experience.  Another runner friend (Donna) caught up with me and I changed my view of racing to pacing and just appreciated the camaraderie of being out for a long run with friends.  I kept an eye on the time and as long as we were ahead of my outside goal (finishing under 5:30) then I was fine with taking it easy.  Could I have pushed it more in the second half?  Yup.  Do I regret not doing that?  Not at all.

At the VUM Expo, posing in front of Mile Marker 26... We got this!  

Tony, Donna and me :)

The race itself?  Last year I ran the inaugural Vancouver USA 1/2 Marathon one month after my first 1/2 marathon.  I had run the majority of the course.... and the one little mile and a half that I had missed?  It was the biggest hill!  On race day I turned the corner and as we began to head up I went into shock.  Where had this come from?!?!?  It was a mountain we were climbing!  And it was never-ending!  My first road nemesis was born.  Over the past year before the marathon (which placed the hill between miles 19 & 20) I dreaded THE hill.  Finally my running partner inserted it into a training run - I think it was our 18 miler? - near the end.  THE hill won that day, too.  I decided that there was no way I could allow this to continue.  So.... we tackled the hill on a shorter run.  We started a mile and a half away and before we knew it, up we went. Seriously? I thought this was a hill?  Apparently miles on your legs before hitting it makes a huge difference.  It was pretty easy.  Another repeat of the same a couple more times and I was pretty sure I had beat THE hill.  That is, until marathon day.  My stomach had already emptied itself, I was fighting dehydration with all I had and... THE hill?  Well.... I might have given it a shot but by that time I was with a friend who had the theory of "walk the hills."  I do feel slightly disappointed that we didn't even give it a try.  Who knows?  But, I'll keep attacking that hill and I'm ready to run it easily in next years' half! ;)

Soooo happy to be done!!!

Remember that earlier photo?  Here's Tony, Donna and me AFTER the race!!!  LOL