Reflections on Marathon #1
Marathon: Louisiana Marathon
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Date: January 7, 2018
Finish Time: 5:01:37
Marathon Mantra: Most marathons I end up with a mantra that I repeat in my head when I'm struggling. Last year, on the back of a runner's t-shirt I saw the saying, "Strength is a choice." That became my mantra for my spring marathons. I didn't develop an official mantra last weekend, but my prevailing thought was if I kept moving forward I would eventually get to the finish line.
Review of the Marathon: This was a beautiful marathon!! It was well organized and went off without a hitch. In addition to the marathon, they organized a food truck festival on Saturday and a music and food festival at the finish of the marathon. There is nothing more fantastic thn hot, spicy (vegetarian) chili after a marathon - especially if it is made by a local restaurant.
We started in downtown Baton Rouge then headed south. We ran around University Lake on the LSU campus. My favorite part of the entire race was looking across the lake and seeing the runners in front of me weaving around the edge with majestic lake houses behind them. The rest of the race was spent in neighborhoods. There were large trees with umbrellas full of leaves. The color was a stark contrast to Ohio's winter browns. With approximately seven miles to go the sun came out in its full glory and kept me warm as I pushed to the finish. The route was flat enough to be fast and "easy," but not so flat as to burn your quads.
The race volunteers and fans were very supportive. They all told the runners (and walkers) that we were doing an amazing job. I wasn't reaching my goal, but they were adamant that I was doing great. This boosted my spirit. I am very grateful that strangers will pass out water for HOURS so I can do what I love and so all participants can push for their dreams! Thank you!!
Lesson Learned: Each marathon presents its own lessons. This marathon taught me to not get so worked up over conditions I cannot change. I was obsessively concerned with the cold weather. It was 25 degrees at the start and 39 when I crossed the finish line. This did present some challenges (asthma and tight, cold muscles), but really was not a big deal. A sunny 39 in Baton Rouge is actually wonderfully pleasant. I walked around comfortably for awhile after I finished soaking in the sunshine.
In case I needed this lesson to hit me in the face, I again got VERY worked up about having to drive home in the snow and dark once I landed in Cincinnati. Again this ended up not being that bad. I realized that I was holding my breath while driving and that really the roads were okay (once decent lane on the highway). That's when it hit me, I had gotten so worked up about the road conditions (and potential death) that I wasn't enjoying what was really a beautiful drive home. It looked like a snowy, country drive at Christmas time with the moonlight trapped between the clouds and snow.
The State of My Body: Each marathon brings some familiar and some new physical challenges. Annoying because I had a time goal was the fact that I had to stop to got to the bathroom several times.
My biggest physical challenge was hip pain, especially my left. I have borderline dysplasia and as a consequence torn labrums in my hips. By doing a lot of specific strength exercises and avoiding motions that hurt, I keep this pretty well under control. Running, though, makes my hips very achy. When I run long distances even though I try to use the correct muscles to keep my hips stable, I end up with angry IT bands. This presents my biggest challenge in running marathons. It's very painful and at times it feels like I might end up falling on my face.
Also because of the cold weather my asthma was not very happy. I have learned to use my inhaler every hour when I run distances.
Final Takeaway: I left Louisiana feeling much more confident about my chances of running twelve marathons this year. The last few months I have worked through some hamstring and plantar fascia pain. I was worried that I would not be able to reach this goal and would not do as well to raise funds for the Run for the Future scholarship fund. It is different to run with a public goal. It was nice to get the first public marathon under my belt.