THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon

Recent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesSeeaprilrun's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageWeek ViewMonth ViewYear View
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
20082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

Location:

Wichita,KS,

Member Since:

Sep 14, 2008

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Local Elite

Running Accomplishments:

marathon pr:  2:59:49.  Saint George 2011

Praire Spirit 50 mile winner 7:36:30 2013

I accidentally ran 100 miles in November 2013.  it was hard.  I threw up a lot.  decided to do a better job next time

I did it again on purpose October 2014--Heartland 100 winner and CR 17:38:37

Heartland 50 winner May 2014

Psycho Wyco 50k winner February 2012

 

Short-Term Running Goals:

Run enough to hold off the middle-age spread

 

 

 

 

Long-Term Running Goals:

 

Sub 3 hour marathon--SOMEDAY!  Done!

 

New long term goal:  ....run enough to feel kinda like I did when I was fit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personal:

I was a single mom.  Two times over.  We all survived, despite the fact that I make atrocious decisions.  Then, I met a man I didn't deserve.  And he loves me so much.  And I love him. We lived in sin and bought a house for two years then hired a judge and officially got married(to our great delight and also the delight of our mothers), then a month later he was diagnosed with cancer.  Well we survived all that and he's 100% fine now.  But, we're really out of shape and really busy with kids and jobs and running just isn't my priority and there's so many other layers to all of it, but I'm running anyway.  This is my failure blog now.  Just to log that one run a week if I snag it.  
Somehow that matters and I want that run recorded.

Favorite Blogs:

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Mizuno Waverider 12 Lifetime Miles: 333.61
Nike Air Pegasus Lifetime Miles: 507.20
Pink Pegs Lifetime Miles: 595.58
Pink Nike Avant Lifetime Miles: 624.04
Crappy Asics Lifetime Miles: 146.72
Adidas Adizero Mana Lifetime Miles: 113.32
Blue Avants Lifetime Miles: 653.33
Crocs Lifetime Miles: 18.08
Lunarfly Lifetime Miles: 468.47
Race: Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon (26.2 Miles) 03:23:26, Place overall: 3, Place in age division: 1
Total Distance
27.00

Okie dokie here it is. The night before went well enough. I ate some lasagna, hydrated, and got a decent night's sleep. David dropped me off at 7 and I met up with Eddy. We were really nervous. We paced around, hit the port-a-pots, jogged around to warm up and then lined up. Sang the national anthem and shortly thereafter we were off. Miles 1-5 7:19, 7:17, 7:21, 7:15, 7:16. Started off conservative as planned. Legs and breathing felt fine. Hooked up with 3 guys all wanting to run 3:10 so we ran together and talked. Took a gu at mile 5.  It was actually pretty crowded and had to some people-dodging.  Lots of corners--this course has 68 90 degree turns and a hairpin.  I didn't like the patches of cobblestone but at least they were only a block or two long when we hit them.

Miles 6-10 7:11, 7:15, 7:11, 7:21, 7:08  veering around corners still but that's okay.  Our group is intact.  I see my mom and daughter at mile 8 and it is a great boost!  Still feel good.

Miles 11-15 7:07, 7:17, 7:11, 7:11, 7:20  gu at mile 11 and see my husband.  Hi honey!  Two of the guys in our group have surged ahead but picking up the pace feels uncomfortable to me so I hang back a little with the other guy

Mile 16  7:36.  My legs suddenly feel very tired and so do I.  This is a little early for that.  I figure it is just one of those little bad patches and I will snap out of it.

17-20 7:39, 7:51,7:53, 8:05.  My legs go from tired to hurting, and boy do they hurt.  They are tight and hurt all over and I can't drive them any harder.  I watch my goal time slip away and mentally this really starts to kill me.  I see the girls from work at mile 20 and it is so good to have someone yelling for me!

21-24 8:20,8:14, 8:35, 8:48  Not only my goal time but now any chance at a PR slips away.  I start to get  muscle spasms that hart in my calves and in my hamstring.  They are short little spasms like just a second and then they stop and then I'll get another one.  Those little buggers sure do hurt though!  Mentally I have taken a hit and there is no recovery.  This is the closest I have ever been to dropping out of a race.  The girls are at mile 22 and 24 cheering for me and they are WONDERFUL!  How can I quit with such wonderful friends and family?  NO--I owe it to them to cross that finish line.  I am in second, amazingly, until mile 22 and then Lacy passes me.  I have no fight to put up.  I wish her luck and tell her to go get 'em!

25, 26 9:13, 9:10.  Death march.  Shuffle shuffle.  I have nothing.  This is really hard.  This is a looong 2 miles and I want to cry.  A couple of times I actually teared up, mostly with disappointment.   I have worked really hard and this is quite miserable.  I never even felt this bad in my first marathon.  I don't know what the last .2 but I attempted some kind of pick-up at the end.  Miraculously, I hang onto 3rd.

I cross the line and it is over.  My wonderful running tribe, the girls from work, and my family are all there to meet me and give me hugs.  They saw me tear up but I got it back under control and didn't cry.  Some tribe members had a rough day too.  Some had a great day and I am so proud of them! 

I know I should not be ashamed of 3rd place or my time but the fact of the matter is I worked hard towards a better time and it is disappointing and frustrating when a race that you train hard for does not go well.  On the flip side, this is still a far cry from where I started and my life and health are vastly improved.

I am not finished yet.  Houston is on January 30th and I am already plotting my REVENGE!  Time to take a short break, review my training and try to figure out what went so wrong, and then fix it and be bold enough to toe the line again and go for it.


Lunarfly Miles: 26.20
Weight: 0.00
Comments
From Bonnie on Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 16:12:56 from 128.196.228.134

Hugs!

From SlowJoe on Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 17:55:58 from 214.13.130.104

Ahhh, sorry it didn't go well, dang. 3rd place is awesome though, not bad for a blowup; still looking forward to the details.

From april27 on Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 18:43:29 from 99.188.251.180

I understand how you can feel horrid after a race...but 3rd isn't too shabby! Keep that in mind when you write more!

From seeaprilrun on Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 19:28:34 from 68.103.248.145

Details are posted!

From KP on Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 19:36:25 from 173.24.255.248

way to hang tough! awesome job, april!

From Tracy on Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 20:13:28 from 173.23.75.96

You're still my hero! I like your mentality--it wasn't what you had hoped for, but you are ready for the next one :)

((APRIL))

From SlowJoe on Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 20:34:08 from 214.13.130.104

Yep, you're my hero too! You definitely know you have a better race in you (just wasn't your day is all), maybe one with less freakin' turns.. Houston will be straighter, cooler, and you'll be even more in shape. Nice job sticking it out and finishing the race as well; I hope I can remember this as a good example of heart when I am struggling.

From Snoqualmie on Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 21:35:14 from 24.18.192.33

You can be very proud of every step! That is so tough when you are hurting in the last miles, but you are an amazing athlete. We learn so much with every marathon or tough race. Enjoy this accomplishment, because you are an amazing runner! I know it's no consolation, but your death march is my yet-to-run BQ pace. Good job and good luck in Houston! :)

From JulieC on Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 21:51:44 from 71.35.250.173

no worries. you may be a winter runner spring peaker. I feel your frustration. The only thoughts I have is the above PLUS this will help you in the long run. Walls are NO fun. And you hadn't had one. At first it can bring you down for your next one but if you really think thru it all it will help you in your future training. This marathon will give you strength in your runs to come in the following weeks barring an easy week this following week. With the heat, the hairpins and perhaps a quicker start (I made that mistake as well) I am guessing that glycogen stores were used up to 15 miles, hence the cramping. You are going to learn much and be ready to take on Houston!! 3rd is AWESOME!! Did they have a prize for you?

From JulieC on Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 21:58:00 from 71.35.250.173

3:23 is still a FAST marathon. : D

From JulieC on Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 22:02:19 from 71.35.250.173

IN 1999 I was on for a 3:20 marathon at TOU then death marched it in the last 6 miles (some 11 pace miles) and came in at 3:40. I was so done with marathons....it took me 6 years to recover and run SLC marathon in 2006 followed by SGM 2006. WALLS. DANG THEM!! It happens to us all. I just want you to know you ran tough GIRL!! HEAL UP. Make sure you get some ICE BATHS in!!! ASAP. RETURN WITH A VENGEANCE!!

From Kelli on Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 22:19:16 from 71.219.65.246

Darn it April, I am so sorry this was not the race you were prepared for. Those darn leg cramps!! Crud. BUT you have a good attitude, you have the next marathon to shoot for, and you will get that time you want. I know you will. You are a tough runner and that speed is so in you, the race just needs to hit on the right day.

Way to hang tough through all of that and keep going! I am so glad you had family and friends there to cheer you on. No one really knows how much that means until they really struggle and then have someone cheering THEIR name. It is a bog boost. I was at home cheering you, I was checking online every 30 minutes until i went to MIL, I was so anxious to hear about it.

Enjoy some rest, then get back at it for January!

From ChrisM on Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 04:42:22 from 130.88.123.4

I think I can honestly say I know exactly how you feel having experienced something similar in my last marathon. Although I would rather you did not have to go through that, it is very frustrating feeling like that during a marathon watching the clock tick by and having to work very hard just to finish.

On the plus side you ran 5 minutes outside your PR on a course with ridiculous number of right angle turns, which sounds like a nightmare course for a marathon! And winning your age and 3rd overall is awesome on a bad day.

The last time I had something like that happen in a marathon I thought it was down to being overtrained going into the marathon. You did some fab workouts with 10 miles at marathon pace but maybe in future you might try keeping the total duration of mp miles closer to something like 3-5 miles but with breaks and then repeat? I think it depends on the individual but I find if I am running high miles, it is difficult to run more than 6 miles at mp without getting extremely low and very tired--just a thought.

From seeaprilrun on Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 08:30:21 from 68.103.248.145

Bonnie-- :) Thanks. I needed a hug!

April--I am happy(and amazed) that I still placed! I soon learned that a LOT of folks struggled that day.

KP--thanks!

Tracy--thanks! Another hug, have really needed those all week!

Joe--Thanks! Sometimes just crossing the finish line is the victory. Now I know what people feel like when they have had a bad marathon and have met the wall, and have that much more respect for folks who have "blown up" and are still struggling along to get to that finish line. Regardless of ability or speed, 26.2 miles is a feat, and a brutal one at that!

Julie--Thanks for the comments and sharing about your marathon that didn't go so well. It is good to know that there is recovery and I am not doomed! :) And yes, I have every intention of redemption at Houston! I am in the process of reviewing my training and the events of the last 6 months to try and correct mistakes that were made.

Chris--Oh Chris, I know that you know how it feels. I remember your race report from your last marathon; I thought about it while writing mine because I felt like I could just cut and paste yours! But, I don't think that you are finished yet and I'm not either!

From Smooth on Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 09:53:47 from 67.41.235.104

April ~ Just want to tell you how much I admire you. I am so proud of you and the way you held it all together. WAY to finish this tough race in GREAT time and placement! I was rooting for you at home!

Recover well, renew, revenge!!!!

From Eric Day on Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 11:33:27 from 189.192.31.237

April, ashamed? Never ! I wish I could run a 3:23 marathon, and then remember, they are millions of people who wish they could run A marathon, let alone a 3:23 one. You did fine, maybe not your best day, we all have bad days, but handed in there and finished.

So congrats !

From seeaprilrun on Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 14:56:38 from 68.103.248.145

Smooth--thanks! My legs actually don't feel too bad today, so maybe the silver lining is a fast recovery.

Eric--thanks Eric!

From allie on Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 20:26:21 from 174.23.232.22

april - i can totally understand your disappointment, but i like your attitude about the whole thing. i think you did great. you didn't quit. you are not a quitter (even though you ARE a 'quitter' -- which makes your performance even more awesome).

in 2007 i was going for a 3:25 at TOU and my legs gave out on me at mile 14. mile 14! i completely crashed and burned and ran some of the slowest, most painful miles of my life. i was walk/running and holding back tears the entire time. i finally finished in 3:57 and broke down at the finish line. these things happen. it's not fun, but you learn from it. the bad times make the good times great. the very next year i ran a 2:56 and again cried at the finish line, but for a completely different reason. this is only the beginning! this was your third marathon, right? you are awesome. you have what it takes. it was just an 'off' day, and they are bound to happen in this sport. i am very happy for you and i admire your determination to finish the race and hang tough despite the hardships in the final miles. your training has been really strong and it shows there is a ton more to come from you. take some time to rest and recover and then it's on at houston!

From allie on Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 20:29:35 from 174.23.232.22

and i will echo what julie said that 3:23 is still a GREAT time. especially on that crazy course! :)

From seeaprilrun on Tue, Oct 12, 2010 at 13:10:26 from 68.103.248.145

Allie--Thanks for sharing your story! It is helpful to know that many besides me have experienced a disappointing blow up. It was a good learning experience and just like you said--this is only the beginning. I hope I'm one of those folks still running marathons in their 80's!

From Marathon Dreamer on Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 00:18:43 from 97.207.39.223

So sorry April that I am just now getting to your race report!! I totally feel for you. That disappointment is so hard to choke down after working so hard!! You just had a bad one and try to chalk it up to not being a good day. You and I share that vengeance for January. I am gonna make that BQ and you my friend are gonna reach your goals as well. Chin up!!! You have such a gift. Just think.... my Marathon pace was your last few miles.... that is how truly talented you are....

Add Your Comment.
  • Keep it family-safe. No vulgar or profane language. To discourage anonymous comments of cowardly nature, your IP address will be logged and posted next to your comment.
  • Do not respond to another person's comment out of context. If he made the original comment on another page/blog entry, go to that entry and respond there.
  • If all you want to do is contact the blogger and your comment is not connected with this entry and has no relevance to others, send a private message instead.
Only registered users with public blogs are allowed to post comments. Log in with your username and password or create an account and set up a blog.
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements