I know a lot of people have been waiting for my race report from the Tangamanga Marathon, so here it is!!
We arrived on Friday in San Luis after a 12 hour drive which we had all misjudged the distance in retrospect. It seemed to take forever to get there. When we arrived, we checked into our rooms and before too long it was time to sleep!! Sleep is never an easy thing for me, especially in a new place, so sleep was broken up a bit through the night.
The next day, several of us headed down into the Centro area of the city to find where to pick up our numbers. Although we were at the start/finish, it was difficult to get directions there. Some of my friends decided to take a Taxi in hopes that the driver may know where to go, but Dave (my husband) and I opted to drive around to see the city a bit. We were able to drive some of the course and it was mostly flat. I was very impressed with the city. It had a lot of nice old buildings mixed in with new more modern ones. There were areas of uneven pavement and some parts or strips of road that were finished in large square uneven bricks. These would be a challenge to get good footing on especially when running fatigued.
After about 1½ hours in the car, I had it!! Soon after that, we found the stadium and Expo area. Picking up our numbers was simple. Dave had registered for the 10k. The Expo was very small. Only a few tents, but I had no trouble purchasing a few items such as a small waste pack, new sunglasses, and a new running outfit. Dave managed to get some running shorts too.
Dinner that night was enjoyable at the Stockade Buffet. I ate a good portion of carbs and had essentially started to load up 2 days prior to Saturday. I stayed off my feet most of the day as I was in the car and when we returned to the hotel, Dave and I relaxed by the pool with our 2 boys. We went to bed around 9pm (once again tossed and turned most of the night) and woke at 5am to get ready.
We all met out in the hotel lobby. There were several other runners from the hotel there that decided to shuttle with us. The air was crisp and dry (around 60 degrees at the start). I sipped on a gatorade as I prepared to run. Had a few breakfast rolls around 5am when I woke and I felt good to go. They had lots of porta pottys but we did manage to find an interior bathroom below the park area in the garage. No line at all at the woman’s room as there were not many running!! I was determined to start the run with an empty bladder so I went twice before the start.
At the start, I let everyone line up ahead of me. I hung out in the back just waiting for it all to clear out. The race start included runners for 10k, half, and full marathons. Not a huge crowd- about a 1,000 total.
When it came time for me to enter the start, just before I passed over the mat, I said a prayer and hit the start button on my watch.
The first 10k (6.2 miles) was ok- I felt good and held pace of around 8:40-8:50 per mile. I passed one of my friends around the 2-3 mile marker and he looked like he was just coasting along effortlessly. My breathing was off from the start. I had anticipated it to be a little harder with the elevation, but I underestimated how it would affect me as time went on. My right foot with the plantar fasciitis was already bugging me, but I was dealing with it.
At mile 11, I saw Dave standing over on the side of the course taking a picture of me and then he ran with me for a minute or 2. We talked briefly and I was feeling winded like I was working it a bit. At the half point (21k/13.1 mile marker) I was totally confused!! There were mats like it was the finish and I wasn’t sure if I was even in the right place!! I thought that most half marathons had their own designated area for finish. I stopped to talk with the official as I wasn’t sure if I should go through. It totally through me off. Try running in another country where you don’t speak the language!! I gathered from his gestures to continue through and onward, so off I went. I fell off pace for a bit here, but managed to make it up in the next mile. My right foot felt like I was hitting the pavement with the bones in it. The uneven areas on the pavement and speed bumps were a total PIA so I jumped up and ran on the sidewalk for many parts of the run.
I am not sure what happened to me from this point on. All I know, is around mile 16 I got a terrible side stitch that just would not go away. I continued to try and maintain pace and then before I knew it I was struggling. Another mile in, I was in pain!! Between the stupid right foot issues, the cramp in my side, then the heavy legs, I realized that today wasn’t going to be my day. Boston became a goal for another day and at this point, a finish became the goal. There were several of us that hung in there together along that last 10-12 miles or so. Traffic was distracting as a lot of the course was not totally closed off and police were trying to divert and redirect the traffic around runners.
We would run together, then lose eachother only to find eachother again a few minutes later. Armando became my running partner. He would struggle to run, then I would struggle. We would walk together, run a little, walk…. I would stop and bend over to stretch out my cramping legs and he would pour water on my back. He would stop and I would grab his hand and keep him moving. I tried to gel early in the race but it just upset my stomach. I did take in gatorade frequently throughout the run. When I did try to gel again, I vomited it in my mouth on several occasions afterwards. Lower abdominal stomach cramps came and went. I wondered if I would be heading to the bathroom, but thankfully the feeling did pass. The nurse in me took over and I stopped to help another runner sitting on the curb in obvious pain from severe leg cramps. Time passed and it was worth giving some of it to help others.
Running through the city was pretty and it had lots of shaded areas. It did help to keep the course cool as the hours went on. The most beautiful part of the run was through the Tangamanga Park. I only wish that I could have enjoyed the scenery more. I could have pushed harder, but every time I asked myself, “Are you doing the best you can at this moment?” I always answered YES to that question. There were times when I was light-headed and felt a little spaced out. The last 9-10 miles, my ipod battery died and there were no tunes. My ipod has been my running partner more often than not through my training. There weren’t any people around to say to me, “you can do it” or give me any encouraging words in my own native tongue. It makes for a lonely marathon and a long 26.2 miles.
Now that the race is over, I ask myself, “Was that the best you could have done?” My answer to that is NO, however… it would not have ended in a finish or me standing on 2 feet. I didn’t want to walk any of this marathon. I didn’t want to finish in 4:35 flat either. I also know that I am in 4 hour shape. That is probably the most frustrating thing about this for me. Not once during my run did I ever feel like I could just crank it and get into a rhythm like I did when I ran my half 2 months ago with a time of 1:48.
Dave met up with me about a ¼ mile from the finish where he gave some words of encouragement and took a brief video of me running. When I crossed that finish line, I felt amazed by what I did and how I hung in there despite how bad it became for me at the end. I put my arms up and smiled and for me… It was an awesome feeling to have made it 26.2 miles. Getting the medal placed around my neck brought a tear to my eye as I could hardly muster the strength to walk to meet my friends. Not long after I settled myself, and took in a nice leg massage… another friend of mine crossed the finish line – his 97th marathon completed on his 64th birthday!! Within a few minutes of him, came the man that I helped on the course. With a smile and a thumbs up we parted – although we couldn’t speak the same language, we already knew exactly what we were both saying to eachother.
So, as I look back on the weeks prior to the marathon and all the training involved you may ask me “Would you do it again?” And my answer would be “in a heart beat and see you in UTAH in September!!”
After a bomb like this, anyone that has worked so hard would be asking what the heck went wrong? I have several things swirling in my head. Poor sleep the past several weeks, the stresses of moving back to AZ, and then the last 6 weeks of training suffered for me because of the heat and humidity in Mazatlan. I had a terrible chest cold a few weeks ago that knocked me on my rear and some female stuff going on, but surely the biggy was the elevation of the marathon. I probably should have slowed the pace and listened to my body a lot sooner. My muscles were needing more oxygen and unfortunately, I was just not acclimated to the thinner air in San Luis. I think that I may be more sensitive to changes in weather and elevation because of my smoking history. So, there you have it. My first marathon summary… but it sure won’t be my last!!! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30884288&l=a819b7b522&id=1031575042
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