Yesterday, I finished my fourth marathon, the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and what an incredible marathon experience it was!
The day got off to a good start with a 0.9 mile walk to the starting line from the Holiday Inn to the Metrodome. The port-a-pottie lines moved quickly, there was free Caribou Coffee for Galen, and it was a brisk 41 degrees at the starting line (by the time I finished the temps were still a cool 54 degrees). I sat on a curb until it was time to go into the starting corral where things warmed up quickly as runners were stuffed like sardines into the two corrals (there were about 10,000 to 11,000 runners). The race started at 8:00 with the first corral (the elite runners) taking off and the second corral (everyone else) following about 3 minutes behind. My goal for the race was to beat 5 hours, so I wore a 4:50 pace band.
The first mile of the race is through downtown Minneapolis. One of my favorite parts of the course was between Miles 1 and 2 where the church bells were ringing at the Minneapolis Basilica. The sound of the bells resonated through downtown and followed us through Mile 2, where they became drowned out by spectators. Spectators on the sides of the street, hanging over overpasses, ringing bells, using thundersticks, cheering, using clappers...it was crazy! At Mile 2 we headed west into a neighborhood where everyone was out on the street and porches. I heard my first and only Prince song (When Doves Cry) on this street (unfortunately his majesty did not come to support the marathoners in person), and the first of many stereos blasting the Rocky theme song. The marathon continued to wind south through gorgeous neighborhoods with spectators lining the streets.
Around Mile 3, a guy on a street corner was playing the tuba. [5K split: 34:16] Between Miles 5 and 8, I saw a family dressed up in wolf skins, a small symphony, a reggae band, and one of my favorite signs at the race: "Run Like a Fat Kid Loves Cupcakes." The view looking back from Lake Calhoun to the Minneapolis skyline around Mile 5 was breathtaking. [10K split: 1:09:42] Miles 8 through 10 blend together a bit. I do remember coming out of the aid station around Mile 9 and seeing some spectators with a 2 foot tall budda. (Rub his tummy for luck anyone?) Mile 10 was the second big highlight of the course. A group was having a huge party and had extended an archway of balloons over the course. I knew this would be a good race because they were playing "I'm Your Man" by Wham! (Personal favorite, I can't help it.) About this point in the marathon, I was starting to get a little tired because I hadn't been taking walk breaks like I do in my Saturday training runs. I was starting to fall behind a few seconds on my pace for a 4:50 marathon so I picked it up a bit. There were some rolling hills between Miles 9 and 12 but they didn't get to me too much. I remember seeing some girls in Scandavian costumes dancing to polka music. I kept focusing on getting to 13.1 miles because I knew Galen would be there to cheer me on. [Half Split 2:25:29].
I saw Galen around 13.3 miles and then he ran over and met me around Mile 14. Galen wore his Epic Cycling winter jersey so he was easy to find...I think trying to find me was like looking for a needle in a haystack! There were oodles and oodles of runners. I should mention, at this point, that I didn't run at all the week before this marathon because I'd been having pain in my right ankle and shin. Around Mile 14 my shin really started acting up. I tried to ignore it, but it was really starting to get to me, so I walked for a little bit.
Miles 14 through 16 were scenic...unfortunately guys using the woods for pit stops took away from the scenery...I was really starting to hurt at the Mile 16 marker, but darn it, there was Galen waiting to take my picture so I kept jogging for a bit then slowed down to whine about my shin hurting. He told me he would try to find me again around Mile 19, but I wouldn't see him again until Mile 25. The spectator traffic was rather intense and he spent a lot of time while I was running stuck in traffic jams. I kept trudging on through Mile 16 to the Mile 17 aid station. As I left the Mile 17 aid station, the 5 hour pace group ran into me. I tried to hang with them and got through part of Mile 18, but I just couldn't hold their pace. I was really disappointed at this point of the race because I thought I was going to be lucky to finish in the 6 hour time limit. I tore off my 4:50 pace band so I would better focus on my Plan B. My shin was no longer an issue, because my quads, hips, and knees were getting very unhappy and I suspected I had a blister on my right big toe (note: This marathon DID take the prize for giving me the biggest running blister ever!). My feet were also starting to cramp. I continued running up to Mile 19 and walked across the Franklin Bridge (it was an incline) to save some energy.
The autumn colors and kayakers on the Mississippi River were a great distraction from my leg pain. I jogged the downhill on the overpass (I was officially in St. Paul) and just kept focusing on Mile 20...Mile 20 where I was greated by a giant inflatable wall. Yes, I hit the wall at Mile 20. Literally. Then I ran through it. ALARC had a giant inflatable brick wall that we all got to run through at the Mile 20 marker. There's nothing like getting a greating like "Welcome to the wall at Mile 20. Go ahead. Hit the wall. One at a time. You know you want to." As the ALARC wall guy kindly reminded us as we passed through: "Only 6.2 miles left, but they are going to be a looooooooooong 6.2 miles." Did I mentioned he was lounging in a camp chair under a blankie? He's lucky no one hit HIM! [Mile 20 Split: 3:51:19]
With 6.2 miles left, I could still finish the marathon in under 5 hours, but I was in extreme pain. I settled to at least set a personal record. I kept trudging along, averaging around 11:00 minute mile pace and then taking 1 to 2 minute walk breaks every 1/2 mile...with the exception of the hills. Miles 21 through 23 are uphill. Mile 21 had a large, steep uphill. I walked it knowing I'd make it up faster that way. If the hill were at the beginning of the race, it wouldn't have been an issue, but I knew from the elevation chart that Miles 24 through 26 were relatively flat to downhill. Around Mile 22, there were a couple runners dressed up with nuns and signs that said "Run Like Hell" with "hell" crossed out and "heck" penciled in.
I was in heaven when I got to Mile 23...well except for my pain...I was still jogging with mall-walker breaks and trying to keep going. I'd run from tree to stop sign to crazy spectator guy. At Mile 24, a spectator actually walked out in the street and said to me "You only have 2 miles left. That's like 20 minutes of running. Go for it!" So I jogged about 0.5 mile then took another walk break, jogged again, came to the Mile 25 aid station, and saw that my total time was around 4:55. I was shocked in a good way. I didn't realize that I was so close to 5 hours. I really started pushing it after the aid station to try to keep jogging. Somewhere in Mile 25 I saw Galen again. This was also near a group playing "Eye of the Tiger." Whoohoo! That's my song!!!!! I walked briefly and then just went for it the last 0.6 miles. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Galen running along the sidewalk taking photos of me. I didn't have the energy to acknowledge him, but it really helped to have someone cheering me on as I took the last 0.2 miles.
The view from Mile 26 to the finish line was spectacular. An American flag was hanging over the course, framing the capitol building in St. Paul. I grimaced my way the last 0.2 miles...which seemed to last forever...and finished with a time of 5:10:54...an 8 minute and 11 second PR over my St. Louis Marathon time in 2007. Whoohoo!
Despite how I felt around Mile 20 when I swore off all marathons, I am sure I will be returning to marathoning once I can walk again. For now, I am waddling and walking downstairs backwards...and seeing visions of the Target logo in my head. (They were sponsors and their logo was on every water cup at every aid station...) Minneapolis/St. Paul did an excellent job with this event. The crowd support was amazing...they came out to line the streets...every mile. While there are times that I can't remember the specific details about the scenery, there were no industrial areas on the course. As they say, it's the most beautiful urban marathon in America!
