Race Report Marine Corps Marathon 30OCT11 By pilotrunner
Training: Using a modified Hal Higdon method, I used an 18 week formula with 510 miles scheduled. No major injuries during training, but did scale back 3 weeks due to a pinched nerve bundle in left foot causing pain. Max distance run was 18 miles and max week in mileage was 42 miles. By coincidence, one of the weeks I down-scaled had a 20 mile run scheduled.
Pre-Race: My wife and I arrived two days early to enjoy DC and not be rushed into the race. There is little else in the world I hate more than being rushed for any event, let alone a marathon in which I’m running. We stayed in Crystal City, VA which is adjacent to the Pentagon and very “Metro-Friendly” in its location (Metro is the DC subway system, not “metro” as in metro-sexual, eyebrow-plucking pseudo-men). Packet pick-up was at the DC Armory near the stadium east of the capitol. I arrived 30 minutes prior to the opening ceremony and was about 200th in line of a very well-run and organized event.
The Night Before: I began a diet change on Wednesday and capped it off with a pasta dinner thrown by the charity for which I run, the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. Besides the great pasta, the charity had raised over $608,000 as of 3pm that afternoon. Personally, I had raised just shy of $3,000 but was well short of the individual leader who raised an impressive $11,000. After watching SNOW, yes SNOW, fall during the day, a hard, cold rain was falling at 1800 when we arrived for dinner. Needless to say, as a barefoot runner, this was causing me some concern. The temperature was 34°f and the wind was howling from the north, but as we left the dinner and headed to the Metro to head back to the hotel, the precipitation had stopped but the temperature was still quite chilly. We were back at the hotel and in the rack by 2200.
Race Morning: I set my alarm for 0330 and woke up and had a bagel with jam, then went back to bed and slept until 0600. My breakfast consisted of a small bowl of Apple Jacks with skim milk, a small yogurt and a glass of OJ. Stepping out of the hotel to walk to the Metro station, the roads were very wet and the temperature showed 31°f. I had brought no shoes except my travel shoes. This was going to be interesting and I was going to be barefoot like it or not.
We walked to the Crystal City Metro station and waited 18 minutes for a train! After boarding the train, we were told the Arlington station (very convenient to the start area) was closed until 0800 so we all got off at the Pentagon. Nearly a mile and a half from the start, 15,000 people were all walking the same direction and we only arrived at our corral 5 minutes before the howitzer. Cutting it too close for my liking.
The Race: Over my running long sleeve Nike shirt, Semper Fi short sleeve shirt and Lulu Lemmon running shorts (I hadn’t tried on my kilt in 4 months and… um… It didn’t fit. Seems my hip flexors had grown substantially to the point where I couldn’t buckle my Kilt! Before you ask, no… my ass didn’t grow and I had lost 8 lbs during training), I had a Walmart $1.99 sweatshirt, Walmart $1.99 sweatpants and my Walmart $1.99 stocking cap. On the back of my sweatshirt I drew 4 bare feet and had the quote, “Yes, I’m Barefoot” and “Yes, I’m cold!”. Of the many comments I received before ditching the sweatshirt at the 4 mile point, most were, “I was going to ask you questions, but you’re shirt answered them! Thanks!”. I felt vindicated.
When the Howitzer fired signaling the beginning of the race, I took off my sweatpants and sweatsocks (Walmart…you guessed it… $1.99) and started my race. The “official” temperature was 39°f, but I’m calling BS because I was in the shadows, standing on a wet street with frost on the grass 5 feet from me! My feet were freezing and splashing through the many puddles didn’t help matters. Most of the first couple of miles was uphill, so it was difficult to get into a rhythm with the cold, the wet streets, the uphill and the dodging of slower runners. After the misery of splashing through the first water stop at 2 miles, the sun was on the course and the warmth was quite refreshing… For a half a mile… then the course slammed downhill through the trees on some very chewed up asphalt. As we approached water stop number two at the 4 mile mark, and we crossed “Key Bridge” which had been salted from the previous evening’s snow festivities where I learned a very valuable fact- ROCK SALT SUCKS TO RUN ON! My wife was on the bridge and she said many people were slipping on ice!
I tossed my stocking cap at 3 miles and my sweatshirt was gone by 4. I was now up to “running temperature” and was a little chilly but feeling good. The outside temp was about 40°f at this point but the wind had died down substantially. Mile 4-7 is pretty boring then comes the climb to the reservoir in Georgetown. This was a slog with lots of folks stopping to walk without moving to the side of the street so there was a lot of people-dodging going on. The water stop at the top was refreshing and coming downhill into Georgetown at mile 8 I let myself go actually seeing a 7:30 pace for a bit before settling down to a 10:00-10:15 marathon pace I had expected.
From 8-13.1, it was really just about finding my pace. I settled in and the miles flew by. I found myself “riding the line” and sought out as many white lines as I could due to the changing tarmac surfaces in the metro DC area. At the half-point, I felt pretty good, was well fed and hydrated and thinking, “this might not turn out so bad”.
13.1-19 was just a drone around the monuments and the DC mall. Lots and lots of people cheering and this was very motivating. It must be said that the MCM crowd is one of the most enthusiastic marathon crowd around! This is also a point where I should add that I am a red-blooded, American male and I enjoy looking at all the in-shape women running with and around me. Unfortunately, running barefoot requires a constant scan of the road surface and it greatly impacted my “gawking” at the lovely females of which there were many. Really the only “bummer” of the barefoot running I've yet to find.
Mile 20 finds me at “the bridge” and finding many, many runners who have hit their wall. I’m feeling, well, honestly GREAT! I dodge to the left of a runner who stopped directly in front of me and stub my toe on a curb. It doesn’t seem bad, but I look down and bleeding, quite profusely, and I have a big chunk of skin flapping on the front of my big toe. Bummer. At least it doesn’t hurt.
To this point I’ve been running constantly and I’m feeling pretty good even with the blood all around my big toe. I’m well hydrated and, although getting tired, nowhere near hitting my wall. It still looks like this will be a great marathon!
Then, mile 24 hits and my world shatters. Remember the three weeks I cut my training back for? Well, it’s
back with a vengeance with no warning whatsoever. BAM! I know if I stop running, it will be very difficult to get going again, but the pain is too much and I have to walk. I’m now really bummed because it’s easier to run than walk, but running hurts as well. I decide I’m going to run point to point then walk a bit. Around the Pentagon, I spot a highway sign a half a mile or so away so off I run. Searing pain with every step but I continued on to the sign. At the sign I shut it down and decide to walk to a police observation area. Approaching the police area, I see mile marker 25. Almost there! Eff it… I’m running the rest of the way pain or no pain. (pain it is&hellip
.Mile marker 26 is at the base of the climb to the Iwo Jima memorial but it might as well be Mount Everest because it sucks. Additionally, for us barefoot enthusiasts, the pavement turns to very old, broken up chip-n-seal which is the final kick in the crotch for me personally. I cross the line in 4:56:35 and, while I didn’t exactly meet my mental goal, I exceeded my spoken goal of 5 hours. Without the walking I would have made my mental goal, but like Don Meredith always said, "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas".
The worst part of the marathon is to come because the post-finish is the most hideous pavement EVER! Hobbling my way to get my medal, we stage for Iwo Jima pictures in the grass that is HEAVENLY for a barefoot runner. The previous day’s snow and rain makes mud. Glorious, cold, fresh, mud. Picture taken with barefoot on the sign, it’s off to the Semper Fi tent to meet the Mrs who has gotten the royal run-around to find her husband.
Post Race: If my foot didn’t hurt, I could easily run today which is a pity. 98% of my body feels fine, a bit sore, butgood nonetheless. It’s the 2% that is the top of my left foot feels like crap. Post race meal was a pizza delivered to the hotel and a beer.My wife said she saw two other barefoot guys so it looks like I got 2nd in the barefoot category!
