Surf City Marathon Recap

The plan for the Surf Metropolis Marathon was at all times to drop round mile 20. My greater objective, the Los Angeles Marathon, is correct across the nook, and I’ve actually struggled with future exercises. Final marathon cycle, I did none. All of my lengthy runs have been at easyish tempo. That was for numerous causes, however the greatest one was I hadn’t run a marathon in a number of years and I needed to make it to the beginning and end line wholesome. I hadn’t accomplished 14, 15…20 mile runs in nearly 4 years!

Anyway, one factor I needed…and possibly desperately wanted was a top quality future within the marathon tempo window. Discover ways to run at objective marathon tempo (for me between 7:30-8 minutes), take all of my gasoline, run with a bottle, and many others. I really like the Surf Metropolis Marathon and half marathon occasions, so signing up for the marathon and dropping at 20 made probably the most sense to me. Operating an honest half and tacking on miles was high-quality, however getting 20 miles at objective marathon tempo was higher.

I wasn’t tapered going into the Surf Metropolis Marathon and I had run 10 miles the day earlier than. The climate was speculated to be torrential rain, however fortunately we missed that and acquired some wind. I made a decision to run within the 361 Livid Future, which can doubtless be my marathon shoe for the Los Angeles.

Earlier than the Surf Metropolis Marathon:

As talked about, I wasn’t tapered and ran 10 miles the day earlier than. For numerous causes, however I figured it will forestall me from ending the Surf Metropolis Marathon. Why not end? That may add much more restoration time and I might miss an excessive amount of time for the Los Angeles (in all probability). Many individuals can run two marathons in 6 weeks, however I haven’t even made it to 2 in a single 12 months. So, I figured it was not in my finest curiosity as tempting because it is perhaps.

I drove right down to Lengthy Seashore Airport to select up my husband after which over to Huntington Seashore. We really made it form of early, picked up bibs and relaxed. I didn’t sleep effectively, just about the entire week earlier than so I wasn’t anticipating a lot.

That morning, I awoke with abdomen points. I’m nonetheless unsure why or what from and I used to be actually unsure if I might even end 20 miles. I didn’t really feel good (severe déjà vu from 2022 Surf Metropolis Half, besides I didn’t eat tres leches cake). We acquired to the Surf Metropolis Marathon round 5:30 and walked to the beginning. I used to be extraordinarily involved about my abdomen.

Surf Metropolis Marathon Race:

By the point I knew it, we have been off. I lined up between the three:10 and three:30 pacer. I might have lined as much as the three:20 pacer, however there wasn’t one. 3:20 could be my preferrred tempo, however truthfully, I had no concept how this may go particularly with my abdomen points. The primary mile of Surf Metropolis Marathon glided by fairly quick and I ran a 7:52. I used to be weirdly bummed as a result of whereas sure, it’s my vary of seven:30-8 minutes, 7:52 felt rather a lot tougher than it ought to.

From there I simply saved to myself. I ran a 7:51 and seven:46 subsequent couple of miles. My physique didn’t really feel horrible, however not nice both. The three:30 tempo group started to swallow me up and I used to be like what the heck, I’m no less than 20 seconds in entrance of an 8-minute tempo. However I didn’t let it hassle me and simply saved trucking alongside. Ultimately I pulled away and so they by no means caught again up.

We climbed one of many bigger hills of the race and I ran a 7:55, which might be my slowest mile for the day. At each mile of the Surf Metropolis Marathon, I used to be ingesting UCAN. At mile 5 of the Surf Metropolis Marathon, I opted for my first gel. I deliberate to make use of a Maurten 100 however ended up ripping the highest off too small and couldn’t get it open. I stuffed it again into my pocket and simply had the Maurten 160 as an alternative. I’ve been utilizing a special methodology of gels through which I don’t inhale a gel in a single chunk, however sip it over the course of a mile or two. It appears to work effectively and I didn’t have any abdomen points throughout the race. From there, my abdomen points appeared to dwindle to nonexistent which was preferrred. At 5:00 am, I felt like I used to be being punched within the abdomen. At mile of the Surf Metropolis Marathon, I principally felt high-quality.

From miles 5 to eight of the Surf Metropolis Marathon, headed right into a park for a couple of miles and it was pretty slender. It was paved, however there have been loads of cracks and it wasn’t preferrred to run. Among the paved trails have been flooded with mud and like a diva, I believed completely not about operating straight into the mud. I doubtless didn’t run the tangents “effectively” and ended up avoiding large mud/water puddles. These weren’t my quickest miles however I feel it actually helped me run “straightforward” to really feel higher later. I ran a 7:40, 7:44, 7:41. A number of ladies handed me and I puzzled if I might come again to them later.

After we left the park, I one way or the other picked up a rock in my shoe. That was the one time I shortly stopped throughout the Surf Metropolis Marathon. It took me about 10 seconds to get it out and it wasn’t precisely the smoothest operation I’ve accomplished. From there, we went up the roads.

Once we hit the roads, it felt like a lightbulb went off and I began feeling fairly good. I didn’t go, “now I’m going to dash for 10 miles” however I slowly picked up the tempo and by no means appeared again. The Surf Metropolis Marathon had some wind, nevertheless it didn’t really feel horrible to me. Probably it’s as a result of I dwell in one of many windiest areas of the US. We headed down a steep downhill at mile 10 and I ran a 7:30.

The subsequent few miles went out on the Pacific Coast Freeway (PCH). It’s normally a boring, sizzling stretch for me. The primary 12 months I had abdomen points within the half and it felt neverending. The second 12 months I really felt good till the hill. Anyway, I began passing individuals on the Pacific Coast Freeway. I ran 7:40, 7:37. It wasn’t as if I used to be getting an excessive amount of sooner, however different individuals have been fading.

We rotated mile 12 of the Surf Metropolis Marathon and headed again in the direction of the beginning for the subsequent 4 miles. This had each a headwind and a climb, however I used to be nonetheless feeling good. I took an Orange UCAN Edge gel at mile 12 and a pineapple about mile 14. I used to be beginning to really feel good. I ran a 7:37 and seven:41. We started climbing at mile 14 and I felt myself selecting up the tempo a bit, which is humorous as a result of it was an uphill. I simply felt good.

I used to be getting motivation from the half marathoners going the other way. After I appeared down I spotted I had climbed the hill sooner than each occasions I ran the half marathon, and solely 15 seconds slower than once I ran the ten miler.

We have been close to the end line of the race and I noticed my pal Mary Kate. That type of factor provides me power and I ran a 7:32 and seven:32.

As we rotated for the final 4 miles, I spotted “wow simply 4 miles for me,” but in addition I believed do I really feel ok to complete? I did, however I knew it wasn’t the correct transfer for me.

The subsequent 4 miles have been on a slender path. There was some dodging of crowds on the slender pathway however everybody was respectful. We had a tailwind and I ran a 7:26 and seven:26. At mile 18, I began my subsequent gel. Did I want a Maurten 100 caffeine? No, however that’s once I plan to take the gel within the marathon so needed to maintain it going.

As we hit the seashore, I knew I used to be nonetheless feeling good which is a superb place to be within the marathon. The final mile I ran a 7:23 and it wasn’t as a result of I used to be sprinting, I simply felt good. When mile 20 of the Surf Metropolis Marathon got here, I knew I ought to drop out. I actually thought arduous about it as a result of I used to be feeling good, not feeling like I used to be struggling via.However I did and walked to satisfy my husband at Bolsa State Park. It was the correct transfer for me and what I deliberate all alongside. However I gained’t lie, it was nonetheless arduous to execute as a result of it took me nearly 1 / 4 of a mile to speak myself into stopping.

Surf Metropolis Marathon Ideas:

Was dropping out of the Surf Metropolis Marathon the perfect concept? Ought to I’ve continued? I don’t actually know. I do imagine in my coronary heart, I might have run someplace between 3:20-3:25 that day. I averaged 7:37 which put me at ending. marathon slightly below 3:20. BUT, everyone knows the actual race of the marathon begins at 20 miles and no method to know if I might have felt good or not. However I’ll by no means know and I can’t look again. I additionally know it will have doubtless taken me a while to get better after so I’m proud of my resolution.

All the things went as easily because it might. I didn’t suppose I might be capable of run beneath 8, not to mention nearer to 7:30. I’m trying ahead to seeing what these legs can do with a couple of extra weeks of coaching and taper. Los Angeles Marathon is far hillier than Surf Metropolis, however I’ll be tapered.