Trin's 5k report Trin's Marathon Rich's Marathon Some Highlights
Our road to Miami started in January 2006 when Trin told me that she’d just found out about the marathon there. She’d visited the city a few years previously and thought it would be a great place to run a marathon.
So we booked our flights as soon as we could, reserved our hotel and paid our race entry fees. There was no turning back. But at the beginning of April Trin became injured and unfortunately embarked on a long summer of one step forward, three steps began. As I write (in March 07) Trin’s running is picking up again. Hundreds if not thousands of pounds have been spent on getting several different diagnoses, on treatment, on a scan, and on massage. Nobody seems to be able to work out how to treat the injury, because everybody thinks its something different.
Thanks to the injury Trin missed out on lots of races she’d set her sights on taking part in. The London Marathon was one and there were many others. My running tailed off and so I suffered from one back injury in the autumn, and just as that got better another back injury hit me in December that was to last until late February.
However missing Miami was not an option. Nor was travelling all the way there to spectate. We were going to run the Miami Marathon.
When we entered the race months beforehand we had dreams of running the race in 3hrs 30mins. It was disappointing but we recognised that we had to lower our sights and be more conservative.
In 2005 Trin had won a 52-mile race by employing a run-walk tactic. She suggested we did the same in Miami. I figured it had worked for her once before so it seemed a good idea. Certainly I couldn’t come up with anything better.
We knew we wanted to finish in less than 5 hours, which at an even pace means running at just over 11 minutes per mile. So the plan was to run to the first mile marker, and then walk until 11 minutes had elapsed, when we would start to run again to the second mile marker, and walk until 22 minutes had passed. And so on for every mile. This meant that the only full mile we would actually run was the first one. And the faster we could walk, the less we’d have to run.
I can say, with the benefit of hindsight, that it worked. We found that after every walk we had been passed by people running more slowly than we wanted to, so we had to weave in and out of them every time we started running again. That was hard work. And as the miles passed by we found that I couldn’t quite keep up with Trin’s run pace, whilst Trin couldn’t quite keep up with my walk pace, and so just after half way we split up and Trin disappeared slowly from view.
The weekend was complicated by the fact that we had also entered the Tropical 5k race on the day before the Marathon. Originally this was to be a chance to stretch our legs after long flights the day before the race . . however we decided that as we couldn’t race the Marathon “properly” we would race the 5k instead.
Here’s Trin’s report of the 5k, written the same day as the race . .
Well we did the 'Tropical 5K' today and decided to
have a real shot at the race because we'll be taking it relatively easy
tomorrow.
It was perfect conditions for those of us who don't run well in the cold. It was
mild enough to feel comfortable in just racing vest and shorts without being too
hot.
We started quite far back because we'd got one of the last shuttles to the start
so we were storming past runners well into the first mile. I felt quite happy
with the pace but Rich began to struggle in the 2nd mile. I bargained with him
that we could ease off in the middle mile so long as we picked the pace back up
in the 3rd and final mile.
Then Rich grabbed a drink from the drink station and I lost him . . . I could
still hear his watch beeping so I guessed he wasn't too far behind and would
catch up soon.
When he didn't I decided that I would carry on and stop just before the finish
line to wait for him so we could finish together as planned.
So, about a few feet before the line I stopped. I waited a few seconds and then
stopped my watch so I'd know what time I would have finished in if I'd have
carried on (23.30).
It was just over 2 minutes before Rich appeared and we finished the race
together. Then we went to the post race party being held on South Beach. It was
amazing . . . as much free food and drink as you want, live music and free
Shiatsu massage. It was a great atmosphere.
Then they had the prize giving and Rich went off to look at the results. He came
back full of apologies . . . apparently I was 7th in my category but if I hadn't
have waited I would have picked up a prize for 2nd place.
I have to confess I was pretty fed up for a couple of hours after finding that
out but we have both just about come to terms with it. Sure it was my decision
to wait, but I didn't realise Rich was so far behind . . . c'est la vie
And, if I had picked up a prize, the lady who picked up 5th today wouldn't have
so I hope I made her day . . . even if she doesn't know it!
Anyway, my legs feel ok, and ready to tackle tomorrows 'race'.
Would you believe it... came all the way out here
to run a marathon in the sunshine and looked out the window this morning and
there was a tropical storm goin’ on!
Suffice to say that by the time we started running everybody was drenched to the
skin . . . it was still warm though.
Just before the race I considered dropping my 11 min/mile pace to 10.30's
because my legs felt so good yesterday. I am so glad I decided against that and
stuck with the original plan.
It all started off really well and during the run part I felt quite strong. Rich
began to struggle with the run pace from about mile 14 and began to drop back. I
stayed with the pace until my injury slowed me in mile 17. From then on it was a
struggle but I adopted a stride-shuffle technique, which enabled me to 'run' in
short bursts throughout each mile so still managing to maintain the 11-minute
thing.
It was great weather for me to run in . . . warm and humid but with cloud cover
so no burning sun.
The crowd support was absolutely fantastic . . . loads of encouragement, which
is something the Americans are really good at!
The running numbers had our names printed on them so everyone just shouted your
name with words of support.
The last few miles I was constantly recalculating mile times at mile markers to
make sure I was ok for sub 5.
I finished in 4.44.06 and my gun time was also under 5 (4.55ish) so not the
disaster it might have been. I'm fairly content with that.
Rich came in just behind me in 4.51 so he's happy as well.
Rich’s Marathon report
To say it was a shame how the 5k worked out would
be an understatement and I was devastated when I realised that if I'd been more
positive Trin would have "medalled". I know what a difference that would have
made to her self-esteem as a runner after so many months of struggling with her
injury.
But we put it behind us, partly thanks to a second day of retail therapy at the
Expo, and looked ahead to today's marathon.
Of course today I was determined not to let anything happen that might
jeopardise Trin's race and I managed to banish the negative thoughts I could
have struggled with during the race. Our run/walk strategy worked well although
even as early as 8 miles I was struggling to keep up during the run, whilst my
long legs gave me an advantage during the walks. Inevitably this led to Trin
pushing ahead with definite instructions NOT to wait just short of the
finish line!!
As the race went on I amended the strategy to accommodate my increasing
tiredness but ran/walked every single mile. Somewhere in the early 20’s my watch
beeped to tell me 11 minutes has passed once again and I hadn’t even finished
running at that point. I was due a walk but had run so slowly that I ran out of
time.
So I spent the final 5 miles walking the first half of each mile, and running the second half. Constantly bribing myself with promises of beer and cake and chocolate if I ran the next half. It worked, and I was able to push hard for the final half-mile and enjoy the finishing straight, running fast and getting cheered loudly by the crowd.
When I found Trin waiting for me a few yards beyond the finish line, I was overcome with emotion. It had been a long and difficult journey but we had completed it despite all those obstacles we had to overcome. I never expected to enjoy a marathon that took more than 4 hours but I can honestly say that I enjoyed this one more than most.
I wouldn’t mind another crack at it either!!!
Well, there are many things that stick in the mind . .
The course, the crowds, the cities of Miami and Miami Beach . . Coconut Grove . . real cheerleaders . . the cruise liners . . the other runners . .
But here’s a couple of things that really stuck . .
In about the 5th mile, as we set off on another walk, the sub-4 hour pace-maker ran by leading her group of runners. I heard her say to somebody alongside her “I’m really struggling to keep my balloons under control in this wind”. I looked across and could see what she meant!
In about mile 12, as we were running back towards Downtown, we came round a bend, and there on a corner was a young guy, with an amp and some enormous speakers with “Won’t Get Fooled Again” blasting out as loud as possible. It was a really uplifting moment for me as I was struggling with Trin’s running pace just then. It’s a song I’ve always loved but all the more so now.
And a few yards down the road, with the Who still blasting in our ears, there was the paraplegic guy running with one artificial leg who stopped, picked up a traffic cone and started playing air guitar with it, Pete Townsend style.
Finally (almost), coming home on that long straight road from Coconut Grove towards the finish, there was a rather short yet squat traffic cop (I wouldn’t have upset her) who called out “gimme some skin Rich” and so I High-fived with one of Miami’s finest as I crossed the road she was taking care of.
It’s
never happened to me anywhere else!!
And after the race, enjoying a well-earned meal and some beer with our friend
Glo (and her friends too) before they had to spend Sunday afternoon driving back
up to Jacksonville while we had nothing to do but sit in the sun and dazzle the
world with our medals!!