Wonderful Day, Wonderful Event!

I am completely awed by how well-organized all of the marathon activities and events were. What a well-oiled machine! I know the organizers and volunteers work really hard behind the scenes to make it so seamless for event participants. Thanks to you all! I had a wonderful experience today, and I'm sure that was truel for most participants, thanks to your efforts.

My day started at 2:45 AM with a small breakfast and modest amount of coffee. Then after a shower and a chance to digest and stretch it was off to the bus at the Marriott. Calle Principal was lined with what must have been dozens of busses, already filling up with marathoners by the time I got there at 4:25 or so. We 21-milers waited in front of the hotel for a bit, then loaded onto our busses and we were on our way. It was surreal driving down Highway 1 in the dark, one of many busses in a long chain that seemed to stretch as far as one could see. Some people chatted amiably, while others caught a last-minute snooze. At first I was looking at the road to get a sense of the course, but I quickly became so overwhelmed and daunted by its length that I decided it was better not to do that.

There were a lot more people at Andrew Molera than I expected, because some of the relay racers were there as well. The lines for the restrooms were long, so I attended to that right away. We were fortunate in that it wasn't that cold, so I was able to stash some layers in my sweats bag that I had intended to wear.

While waiting at the start, I saw a few familiar faces, but most of the people I spoke with had come from out of town for the event. At 6:30, after singing the National Anthem (lead very nicely by an Irishman from Esalen), the gun went off and we were on our way. Many people were walking, but some, like me, were there to run the full 21. The energy felt different than the start of larger running races that I've been in, such as the Big Sur Half. So I didn't feel that race adrenaline rush in quite the same way.

I'm not going to give a blow-by-blow of every moment of the run - my memory just isn't that good and this entry would be way too long. But here are a few of my experiences and observations.

• There were a lot of people following what was probably the Galloway method of interspersing short periods of walking into their runs. Their pace seemed good - it didn't seem to slow them down at all.
• I was grateful that I hit the restrooms a few times early on in the event, and appreciated that they were available every few miles. Because by the end of the race when the thousands of walkers had joined in, there were long lines and I would have been reluctant to take the time.
• More people than I expected ran/walked with their iPods/MP3 players. This surprised me, because in the Q&A period on Saturday, it had been strongly discouraged so I left mine at home. It turns out that I did enjoy the music, sounds of nature, and ocassional comments from fellow participants along the way. But on the other hand, there were some pretty long stretches where I could have used the energizing impact of my running music.
  
• One of the best things about the 21-miler was getting to see the elite and faster marathoners run past.
  
• I felt well-prepared for the hilly stretch leading up to Hurricane Point. It helped to hear Hugo's talk yesterday, because I knew how long to expect it to last and wasn't looking around every bend expecting the end to be in site. I actually enjoyed it! The funny thing was that such a big deal had been made about "be sure to look back behind you at the top and see where you've been," but the fog was so dense at that point that I couldn't see a thing!
• Of course, the drummers and the pianists and the other musical offerings contributed greatly to the overall atmosphere and gave me renewed energy at some key points along the way.
• The coast, when it wasn't obscured by fog, was awe-inspiring. And in the fog, it was magical.
• The most difficult part of the event for me was the Highlands, because my ankles are my weak link, and the tilt of the road was hard on them.
• At mile 25 (mile 20 for the 21-miler) I was so excited and amazed that I was almost done and that I'd successfully run the whole thing, that I began to hyperventilate. Fortunately I got it under control - passing out due to excessive excitement would have been a disappointing finish.
• It was wonderful to see and hear people I know at the finish. Thanks to those of you who to0k the time to come out and cheer along the course or at the end.
• My finish time was 3:37:49. That was at least 20 minutes earlier than what I'd told my husband and friend Allston who were going to be there at the end to cheer me on. Sadly, as a result of that poor time estimate on my part, as well as the difficulty of finding nearby parking, my husband didn't make it in time to see me finish. Allston and I aren't quite sure why we didn't see each other since he was there on the course at the appropriate time. It was still great to have them both there (my husband only briefly due to another commitment, and Allston to listen to me debrief, help navigate the crowds, and generally take care of me as I started to "come down."
• The huge crowd milling around Marathon Village was intense, so although I had looked forward to staying for food, awards, and general socializing, I left fairly quickly. I felt cold and tired, but not very hungry. So a shower, snack, and an afternoon in bed sounded delightful. And that's what I did! Except for general stiffness and some soreness in my left ankle which has been bothering me anyway the past couple of weeks, I'm feeling pretty good.
• I'm trying not to second-guess whether I should have done the full marathon instead of the 21-miler. It seems pretty clear that I could have completed the full event, although the last few miles probably would have been a struggle instead of relatively pleasant. And I imagine my post-race aches and pains would have been more severe. So I need to hold onto my original intention - to run the event and to enjoy it, and to view it as a step along the way to a full marathon. I did enjoy it, and I feel charged up about going on to do a marathon, so I guess it's "Mission Accomplished!"
• I hope those of you reading this who participated in ANY of today's events also enjoyed yourselves and accomplished your goals. I encourage you to contribute to the "Comments" area and tell me about YOUR experience today.