Vermont City Marathon is the greatest! I've run 7 marathons in 4 different locations and this is by far the best. I can't imagine anything better. There are tons of volunteers, it is super-well organized and the whole city comes out to cheer on the runners. I don't quite know why, but when you are battling the darkest places of fatigue and pain, total strangers telling you that you can do it really helps. At mile 20 a family was handing runners freeze-pops. A guy handed me a purple grape freeze pop and I actually got welled-up. The kindness of the gesture in that moment is hard to describe. In the same neighborhood some people were handing out watermelons. To paraphrase co-marathoner and amazing cousin Netdahe, "Watermelon is not cheap! I wouldn't buy watermelon for 8,000 people! I don't care how fuckin' bourgeois that neighborhood is. I love those people:" I love my cousin.
I really wasn't that psyched to run this marathon, feeling jaded and a bit burnt out. But as Alan and I waited at the crowded start line together, goosebumps appeared on my arms and legs, and it wasn't cold. Marathons are exciting. Alan was so cheerful and pumped and I'm grateful for his enthusiasm. He's faster than me, but ran with me for the first nine miles for the company and so our family could see us together. Dahe was way out ahead of us, injured but doing it anyway and his results were really incredible by any standards, despite his need to walk a lot in the later miles (3:47!!). My time was not my best, not my worst (4:20). The knee acted up around mile 14 due to lots of turns in that part of the route. But a fellow runner gave me a baggie with some ibuprofen (and an immodium, which she warned me off of and I handed to a spectator to safely dispose of) and things got better. Running up Battery Street with the Taiko Drummers and the intense crowds of cheering spectators at mile 15 is my favorite part and the bum knee didn't change that. What a thrill! But after that I felt discouraged and nervous about the knee until I talked myself into something different, the first clue of the day that what's going on in my head is as important as how I feel physically. More on that later.
Seeing my kids, Neil and my parents (and this year Kayla, Brook, Henekis and Losada) at various points and the Finish is more than enough to keep me going. They look so proud. Momma cries. It's not easy for arthritic Dad to stand there waiting for a glimpse of me. Patrick would rather go to the Aquarium. They put a lot of time and energy into supporting me, including navigating throngs of people, hot sun, and hours on their feet. I guess it's partly symbolic, but it means a lot to me that they do that. And it helps me keep running when I want to stop, because I can't wait to see their faces and be embraced by them when it's all over. My incredible, strong, athletic teenage daughter brags about my marathoning on facebook. I half joke with her that I run marathons so she'll think I'm cool. It means so much that I can do something that impresses her.
Seeing my kids, Neil and my parents (and this year Kayla, Brook, Henekis and Losada) at various points and the Finish is more than enough to keep me going. They look so proud. Momma cries. It's not easy for arthritic Dad to stand there waiting for a glimpse of me. Patrick would rather go to the Aquarium. They put a lot of time and energy into supporting me, including navigating throngs of people, hot sun, and hours on their feet. I guess it's partly symbolic, but it means a lot to me that they do that. And it helps me keep running when I want to stop, because I can't wait to see their faces and be embraced by them when it's all over. My incredible, strong, athletic teenage daughter brags about my marathoning on facebook. I half joke with her that I run marathons so she'll think I'm cool. It means so much that I can do something that impresses her.
I learned from this race and its ups and downs and from talking to Netdahe about how he runs so fast (man, that kid is FAST!) that the thing that holds me back and prevents me from being faster is my mind. I'm going to take some time off before training for another marathon, but something clicked for me and I now understand that I really could run faster if I could just train my brain harder. Yes, it hurts and I want with all my body to stop sometimes, but the thing that prevents me from actually stopping can grow and strengthen like any of my other muscles to make me run faster, even when it hurts. I don't mean running through the pain of an injury, but just running through the pain of fatigue and exhaustion. This is what I need to figure out to be a faster marathoner. And I think I can work on this by mountain biking with my super-skilled family this summer. I want to try to keep up with them on the trails, to push myself to the limits of brain comfort and beyond.
The only other thing I must say about race day is that the chocolate milk someone handed me at the finish was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. Wow. Who knew?
Oh, and PPS. Harper and I decided our little family should do a 4-person relay next year. What should we call our team? Three Favreaus and a Gascon? Whoever comes up with the most clever name wins a prize. You have almost a year.
Below are some pictures from the day, in reverse order:
The only other thing I must say about race day is that the chocolate milk someone handed me at the finish was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. Wow. Who knew?
Oh, and PPS. Harper and I decided our little family should do a 4-person relay next year. What should we call our team? Three Favreaus and a Gascon? Whoever comes up with the most clever name wins a prize. You have almost a year.
Below are some pictures from the day, in reverse order:
After the finish with the people who love me best. Thanks to Wayne, who also loves me best, for snapping the photo.
Gee whiz. I love them so much
My fellow marathoners. Alan's second marathon and Netdahe's 3rd. A joy to have people I'm close to to talk with about running. I'm so proud of both of these guys.
Seeing my family just before crossing the finish line.
Harper took this picture of Netdahe somewhere along the course. He looks so strong and capable. A great runner and an even better man/father/husband/brother, etc.
Fresh as daisies before leaving the house for the race.
And this is my time breakdown:
| Checkpoint | Time of Day | Chip Time | Chip Pace | Gun Time | Gun Pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | 8:03:25.21AM | ||||
| 10K | 9:01:59.34AM | 00:58:35 | 00:09:26 | 00:59:56 | 00:09:39 |
| 10 MILE | 9:38:28.72AM | 01:35:04 | 00:09:31 | 01:36:25 | 00:09:39 |
| Half | 10:08:34.25AM | 02:05:10 | 00:09:33 | 02:06:31 | 00:09:39 |
| 20 Mile | 11:19:14.64AM | 03:15:50 | 00:09:48 | 03:17:11 | 00:09:52 |
| Finish | 12:23:31.94PM | 04:20:07 | 00:09:56 | 04:21:28 | 00:09:59 |
