My Rock n Roll San Antonio marathon race report

My long...now longer than expected quest for Boston.
San Antonio Rock n Roll:

I want to begin with my start of running marathons. It's short. I've only ran one marathon. It was back in Feb. of this year. I didn't know what to do really and was just taking advice from my dad, a retired marathoner, and reading plans from running books in the library. In Feb. my time was 4:13:xx. I was happy, but I wasn't. I hoped that I would of at least done a 4 or under. I then started thinking about how to better my speed and to train smarter. I decided to check out the FIRST plan. After looking at my #'s from other races I'd ran, it seemed very possible for me to BQ. That wasn't my first intention going into this training but after being in it for a couple weeks I decided to go for it. I got mixed feedback along the way. Many scoffed at the idea of a BQ attempt on #2 marathon. But I had lots of positive feedback, as well. I had pain free training up until 2 weeks before race day. I decided to be cautious and hold of on running and concentrate on recovery and x training. I could still feel some uncomfortableness in my right leg but I didn't think it would be enough to hinder my goals come race day. So coming in this was what was going against me:1) I still have some IT band/knee issues coming in. 2) I traveled in a van with my DH, son, mother and step-father 5+ hours the day before. If you knew my family you'd understand and feel my pain. I love San Antonio. The food, the scenery, the people. And the culture is like no other town in Texas. So why not run the Inaugural Rock n Roll marathon? The ride to S.A was chaos for me. I'm in the back seat of a van trying to find my happy place. It's hard with a child's nintendo DS going off, a mother with gas issues is in the van and a heated debate between DH and step-father is happening in the front seat. We finally get to the Alamodome where the expo is taking place and I just jump out of the van at the curb with my mother. We went in and got my packet super quick. I really didn't want to spend a lot of time at the expo except maybe try to find Bart Yasso and get a few last words of wisdom from a great runner like himself. I finally found him alone at a booth with no one around. We talked for a good while and he gave me some great advice and from that moment till I went to bed I had a huge perma-grin and he is now my new BFF. Goal time: 3:45 Race day morning: The shuttle pick up was a block from my hotel. Stood in line for about 10 minutes. While on the shuttle I spoke with another great runner. I was never able to catch her name. She lives in Houston now and works for Brooks. She had ran in the Olympic Trials back in the late eighties and I think it was the Houston marathon that she won years ago. Her PR was a 2:28 and was finishing her career that day with 40 marathons under her belt. It was nice to talk to someone like that 30 min. before running. It was a beautiful morning for running. I think it was in the late fourties and was supposed to warm up in the mid sixties by the end of the race. The gun goes off and we're off. Here are my splits. But mind you I was never able to see my pace per mile on my Garmin. Mile 1: 8:34Mile 2: 8: 28. I'm already feeling discomfort in my right leg. I don't even think about it because I'm so psyched about all the people out cheering. It's just a sea of people. I'm from Ft. Worth and I just haven't experienced a race this huge with 30,000 people running. I notice my distance alerts going off on my Garmin but it never shows my pace per mile. I'm so frustrated because I'm bunny rabbit and tend to go out too quick. So, I just really try to watch my pace estimating what my pace might be by looking at my time every now and then. Mile 3: 8:38Mile 4: 8:32Mile 5: 8:42-Decide on an early GU n water because of that feeling that I'm feeling. Mile 6: 8:27Mile 7: 8:20Mile 8: 8:23-cytomaxMile 9: 8:19Mile10:8:28-GU/waterMile11:8:28Mile12:8:25-I feel desolate in this desert like terrain. Where are all the bands that are supposed to be out here? Mile13:8:28-cytomax and ran with 3 other ladies that were trying to BQ. We had some good chats. Mile14:8:27Mile15:8:24Mile16:8:35-The temps are really getting warmer than expected. I even heard a few other runners saying the same thing. Mile17:8:24Mile18:8:38-GU/waterMile19:8:35Mile20:8:36Mile21:8:30-After this point I decided to alternate every aid station, one water one electrolyte. I wanted to make sure I was hydrating right. I'm always aware and make sure I hyrdate properly. I just wanted to make sure. Mile22:8:38-I could feel something starting to change and it didn't feel good. I wasn't sure what to expect at this point.Mile23:8:48-One last GU. I start feeling sharp pains shoot down the side of my right leg. I found making longer strides helped it to go away. But at this point I had a hard time willing longer strides. And from here on out it was a gradual uphill in elevation and I realize that I am experiencing my first "wall."Mile24:8:55-I want to give a negative shout out to the band the decided to play the Chicken dance song. Bad choice dudes. You know you're stage is set up at the 24 mile mark. Do you really think runners what to hear that played, and hear it being played out of tune, at mile 24? Bad call. I hope I never hear the Chicken Dance song. If I do it will be a bad flashback for me. Mile25:9:04-I hear a military coach talking to a runner that was fading fast. I felt like her a bit too. I tried to get ahead of her because it was making me think about my pain too much and I didn't want to do that. Quads are feeling like raw meat and thinking about it just seems to make it worse. Mile26:9:03-I see the Alamodome. I looked at my Garmin and saw that I had a few min. left before hitting the 3:45:59. I really dug in to try and make it but I then turn the corner to meet a 2 tenths of a mile mother of a f&@^#&@^ hill going straight up. I try to tunnel vision on the top of the hill and just go. Then everything goes black. I hear cheers from above the bridge and start to lose my balance. I hold on to the cement wall to the R of me before I fall back. I'm really pissed thinking I may not even make it. Mile:.5: 9:51-I put .5 because when I stopped my watch just over the mat, that's where it was at. Others are saying there Garmins read the same. Mmmm, course off? Back to my lack of vision and morphing into a ghoul like state: Some guy from above me shouted at me to start running again because the finish is just at the top. I'm telling myself that I'd be the biggest dork to DNF yards from the finish. So I somehow willed my blown off legs the rest of the way. I don't know what my time was coming in. I was so delirious that I could of sworn I read 3:43. Yea, right. I don't think I'll be purchasing the finish photo of this run. I probably look like an extra out of Night of the Living Dead. Finishing time: 3:47:53
Positives:
1) My first marathon was Feb. 23 with a 4:13. Nov.16, I did a 3:47:53. I shaved 26 min. off my PR in less than 9 months. 2) I got to meet and talk with a running Godfather. 3) I'm less than 2 min. away from BQ'ing.
Negatives:!
1) I was so close to Boston, I could taste it. And it's hard for me to really celebrate a big PR with being that close and not making it.
2) I'm a stubborn dumbazz and need to learn how to maintain my LR's during training and listen to my body when it hurts.