Marathon # 8 is in the books and it's a PR by 16 minutes for 26.2 and 21 for the course!
I came into this marathon knowing that I was poised to break my marathon PR of 4:28 that I set at the North Shore Marathon in 2013 and my Honolulu Marathon Course PR of 4:33 that I set last year. I ran a very strong Marathon Readiness Series, taking 1st place in my age group and added Cross Fit, RIPPED and Surfing into my workout routine all of which made me stronger and leaner (for awhile). However, as all runners know, you can never tell what might happen on race day. Things like weather, stomach issues, wardrobe malfunctions can always make things get ugly really fast. And so, I went into the race with an open mind and no huge expectations but with the intent to go out there and run it my best.
As always, my goal was to run as close to a 9 minute mile for as long as I could and then gut out the rest. From racing and training I knew I could hold close to 9 minute miles up to 18 miles and so, although this is not the way one should train, I decided to stick with what has worked for me all year. I trusted my method and I knew that if I could run well for a good amount of time I would be able to convince my mind to carry my body to the finish.
Although I was stressed about pre-race routines due to a Mile Race and a Party on Saturday everything ended up being perfect. I was able to stay off my feet, take naps, rest, and eat well Saturday and had the best night sleep that I had in a long time. I woke up when my alarm went off at 2:15, did my morning routine, and got to the starting line. When the fireworks went off I took off and stayed with my game plan. Everything seemed to be going as planned. I was feeling okay, there was no rain, and I was running behind the people I had always run behind at previous races. I hit the 5k mark at 27 minutes and was happy with my split. I continued on pace and hit 10k at 55 and proceeded to run up Diamond Head strong. From there until the half way mark which I hit at 2 hours exactly as planned I was doing well. The sun was not yet up and there was no rain which was good but I knew that it was going to be tough when the sun rose as it was already very humid.
After the half way mark and into Hawaii Kai I started to slow down. My legs were tightening and I knew I had to ease up. I was already on course for a huge PR and I needed to be smart. After making the turn out of Hawaii Kai I took a bathroom break and then walked through the water stop so that I could start hydrating my body. I decided that I would slow my pace down and fuel as much as I could and just finish the last 8 miles as best as I could. Miles 18-22 went well but once I got on to Kahala Avenue it became a battle of the mind. My legs were freezing from my arches to my hip flexor and even my arms were beginning to cramp. I started grabbing ice from the bags and putting them in my mouth, got the Satohap boys to spray my calves, and took some oranges from some nice strangers on the course. I knew that time was on my side and I just needed to get up the mountain and down without a total break down and I would be good.
At the end of Kahala Avenue before the ascend I saw one of my runner friends walking and was in shock. She's an excellent runner who has BQd in the past. As I ran past her I patted her on the shoulder and told her to get it done, only 2 miles left then ran past and fought up that little hill to Triangle Park.
When I got to the the foot of Diamond Head I walked through the last water stop and drank as much liquid as I could handle and decided to get it done. My usual fast pace up the mountain was labored as I concentrated on not flexing wrong. I made it to the top and was ready to cruise to the finish. I picked up the pace going down hill and my legs were screaming from the pounding (at which point I scolded myself for putting on 5 extra beer pounds) and I just told myself to suck it up and finish it. As I neared Kapiolani Park I could taste victory. I secretly wanted to hit 4:10 but I knew I didn't have the gas to pull it off and I knew that if I tried I could have possibly put myself in major cramp mode and not finish so I jogged in as best as I could with a heel strike as to not put my calves into spasm.
It honestly killed me not to be able to sprint to the finish line as I always do but I knew that smarter was better. As I neared the chute I could taste victory and I knew it was going to be a pretty significant PR for me on a day with rough conditions. I jumped at the finish line and crossed over to a 4:12:29 finish time. I could not stop smiling and was so happy to have finished another marathon. All of the hard work had paid off and it reminded me that there's so much that I am capable of it I set my mind to it.
And so another Marathon is in the books. I don't have another race until the Great Aloha Run in February and I am planning on taking a little break until January. I plan on sleeping in, running for FUN, surfing a lot, going on epic hikes, biking and hitting some yoga classes. :)
Thank you everyone who has been a part of this journey and for supporting me in my madness. This ones for you! <3
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