I originally signed up for the Shore to Shore Half Marathon to serve as a tune up for the 2013 Leavenworth Oktoberfest marathon, but opted to run the Tough Mudder in Seattle on the same day instead. The awesome race coordinators at RunWenatchee were kind enough to allow me to change my distance. One of my goals for 2013 was to run a Boston Qualifying (BQ) marathon (sub-3:10) and I decided to do it in Chelan.
The change in races accelerated my marathon training four weeks and dropped my program time frame from 16 weeks to 12 weeks. I think this actually benefited me since I have never made it through a marathon training program uninjured in my two tries. Unfortunately, I was slightly hobbled by the time I got to this race with a bum Achilles's tendon.
My wife had signed up for the half-marathon and we started the hour drive from our home to the finish line in Manson. It was a cool morning with rain threatening, but almost ideal conditions otherwise. We arrived at the finish line 15 minutes before the final marathon bus was scheduled to leave so that gave me enough time to pick up my race packet and stop for a biological break. The bus ride was fun; everyone was running the marathon and we had ample time to chat during the 26 mile drive. I met a group of four youngsters running their first marathon and a seasoned marathon veteran who was visiting from Napa, California, just to run the S2S! We shared stories and I shared gummi bears.
After a bus ride that seemed a little too long, we arrived at the start line to find cooler temperatures and a light drizzle. There was still 20 minutes until start time so I chatted with folks and warmed up. After that I stripped down to my racing kit, left my stuff in a drop bag with Chad (a local racing stud and doctor who was volunteering at the race), and ambled up to toe the line. It was then that I learned that the actual BQ entry times would be more difficult, given the events of the 2013 Boston Marathon. But that didn't matter much to me since my goal at the time was to only qualify for Boston and not to actually run the Boston Marathon.
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| 404 in the white singlet, a paced start for once |
The race was off and I somehow managed to avoid the adrenaline rush and settle right in to my 7:14 pace (upon further review, my first mile was 11 seconds faster than goal, but that's better than my typical 30 seconds faster). The paced start was a change and several folks passed me in the first few miles, many of whom I would cross paths with in the next few miles. I met a few soldiers and heard some inspiring stories. The first six miles were actually quite enjoyable, mostly downhill with a little bit of rain to keep me cool. It was about that time that Chad drove by with a van full of drop bags, telling me to quit chatting and start racing. If I can thank one person for the result of this race, it would be Chad.
I was a little more focused after that and concentrated on my pace and breathing. There was a nice surprise at the half-marathon start/13-mile aid station where I saw several friends, including Coach Stephanie and her husband Alex. I passed a few more people and settled into a groove behind a runner from Texas who was shooting for a 3:05. We ran together until about mile 15 when his pace no longer matched my goal pace. It helped to run with someone though instead of going it alone.
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| Getting in the groove |
I ran through the town of Chelan mostly on my own, doing a water, sports drink, GU & water, repeat cycle at the aid stations. Things were going great and I felt super confident the entire time that I would achieve my goal. The rain was picking up and my socks were soaked and my shoes were creaking.
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| Awesome aid station in the town of Chelan! |
The climb out of Chelan was rough and lonely. The last person I saw was the lead woman runner (for the first time since the start), stopped on the side of the road with cramping issues. A few miles later, I caught the first set of half-marathoners, who started half an hour behind but 13 miles ahead of us. My pace was starting to fall but was still hovering around goal and I managed to catch another marathoner, also having cramping issues.
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| Passing another marathoner in the final 10K |
I was starting to get a little worried in the final few miles. I told myself that I only had a 5K left so that should be easy. My legs told me that they were too tired. I told my legs to shut up. Coming in to the final half mile, I thought I was still doing great on time but I didn't realize that the approach to the finish line was so long. I turned the corner to see it 400 meters away and the large clock time and BQ dream ticking away. I mustered up the strength to sprint the finish and crossed the line at 3:09:59.3.
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| Crossing the finish line with 7/10 of a second to spare |
HIGHLIGHTS/FUNNY NOTES:
- I set a goal of 3:10 earlier in the year and posted it on a sign above my workstation. A couple of weeks before the race, I changed this to 3:09:59 and replaced the sign, and accomplished exactly what I had hoped (be careful what you wish for).
- My race number of 404 is an Internet error, combining my programming employment with my running life.
- Great conversations on the bus ride.
- Chad telling me to quit chatting and start running.
- Qualifying with 7/10 of a second to spare but still falling 1 minute and 37 seconds short due to field size limitations
Would I run it again? Yes.
Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes.
Good
- Great point-to-point with awesome views
- Excellent volunteers
- Finisher's medal, shirt, and age group prize
- Snacks at the end
- Some of the aid stations weren't too great.
- It's a lonely and tough final six miles
Boston or bust!
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