Gobbler Grind Marathon Recap

On Saturday evening, Mom & Dad drove me to the Milwaukee airport, where I boarded a Midwest Airlines flight to Kansas City. Despite carefully watching my intake over the past few days, I ate one of the two baked on-board chocolate chip cookies I was given, saving the second for after the race. :)

For my pre-race meal, I went to a Fazoli's between the airport and the hotel. They offer "endless" pasta and breadsticks for under $6. I had two large bowls of penne marinara and five breadsticks, and I was quite satisfied. I checked in to the hotel just before 9 p.m.

The temperatures were in the low 40s on race day morning. I drove my rental car to the race site (half a mile from the hotel) at about 7:15 (45 minutes before start time). Quite a few folks took advantage of the race day packet pickup. I waited in a long but fast-moving line and got my race number, thanking the volunteers who quickly gave me everything I needed.

I walked back to the car so I could stay warm and make my final preparations. I had used the bathroom at the hotel at 7. While I would have preferred another trip right before start time, the lines were a bit too long, so I decided not to worry about it.

I arrived at the start a few minutes before race time. I was carrying two Clif bars, four packets of GU (energy gel), a cell phone, three paper towels, a digital camera, the key to the rental car, and a small 10-ounce plastic bottle of water. In addition to my "standard" race uniform (shoes, socks, RaceReady LD shorts, singlet), I wore my NB windbreaker, a dri-fit winter hat, and a pair of knit gloves from the Twin Cities Marathon. Yeah, I was definitely geared up!

Despite 11 previous marathons, this is the first 26.2-mile race in which I was running without having seen a course map. I quickly learned that everybody (5K, half and full) ran the first three miles together on paved roads. The 5K folks turned toward the finish as the longer-distance runners continued on a bike trail.

It was smooth sailing for the first ten miles. I followed what has become a standard habit for me -- munching on a Clif bar at miles 4-6 and washing each bite down with a little water. I was running at about 9:05/mile. This is slower than my personal record pace (8:54), but I wasn't overly concerned with a PR. We left the trail somewhere in the 6-8 mile range and headed up a gradual but consistent incline on a paved road -- no problem at all. I made a quick pit stop at a vacant portable restroom at mile 9.

I downed a packet of lemon GU at mile 10, still feeling comfortable. Soon after returning to the trail, we reached the point where the half-marathoners turn back toward the finish. Things got a bit lonely and quiet, but I was used to this type of atmosphere. I do most of my training runs solo. At mile 12, I called Jenelle to let her know I was doing okay. She gave me lots of encouragement and support, which kept me going strong. I reached the halfway point at about 1:59:30. Shortly after that, I called Andrew to let him know about my progress. He was out doing some errands with Holly, Ella, and Lily at the time, but he sounded happy to hear from me. :)

Looking for some extra energy in the second half, I did something that I hadn't done during any of my training runs -- I tried eating a second Clif bar. I only had a couple of bites before realizing that this was a far-from-optimal course of action. By the time I reached a turn-around point at mile 15.5, I was battling to keep stomach cramps from forcing me to walk. Drinking water little by little and slowing my pace, I was able to keep it together, averaging 9:45/mile for miles 16-20.

Starting at mile 20, the marathoners had to deal with several loops and turnarounds. There were volunteers posted in all the right places, and they always gave me clear and accurate directions when I needed them. I'm very thankful for their presence. The only error I noticed was that the mile 20 marker was placed at 20.25 miles. I worried for a moment that I'd have an extra quarter mile to run, but then the mile 21 marker arrived at exactly the right spot. My mile splits below are adjusted to correct the error.

I forget exactly when I took gels in the latter portions of the race, but I think I took at least two of them after my stomach cramps had subsided. During the last six miles, I walked the first minute or so of each mile in an effort to keep from feeling totally spent. I was at or above ten minutes a mile at this point, but I wasn't overly concerned about my time.

My last remaining goal was a strong finish. Thankfully, my walking strategy worked. After my last walking break ended (with about 1.1 miles to go), my stength was renewed, and I was able to zoom to the finish. I don't think I was going any faster than 9:00 / mile, but I felt like I was flying.

I passed two other runners shortly before reaching the finish area. I shouted to the assembled crowd, "Let's hear it!", as it seemed too quiet for a marathon finish. My encouragement didn't have much of an effect until I heard the DJ/announcer say my name. "Benjamin Isaacson, welcome home!" was his exclamation, and I smiled and crossed the line with a chip time of 4:08:25.

After calling several family members with news of my finish, I returned to the hotel for a shower. I checked out around 1:30 p.m. My post-race meal was a trip to CiCi's all-you-can-eat pizza buffet in Shawnee. I got my fill of pizza, cheese garlic bread, and cinnamon rolls before driving to the Kansas City airport for my return flight.

I landed just before 6 p.m. in Milwaukee, and I was back home around 7:30. It was a quick trip, but it was lots of fun.

Details:

Miles 1-5	9:14	9:14	8:50	9:01	8:42
Miles 6-10	8:56	9:12	9:12	9:11	9:28
Miles 11-15	9:18	9:04	9:11	9:23	9:03
Miles 16-20	9:55	9:48	9:13	10:18	9:29
Miles 21-25	9:59	9:53	10:13	10:19	10:32
Miles 26-End	9:55	1:52

• Average Pace: 9:28/mile
• First half: 1:59:35    Second half: 2:08:50
• Fastest Mile: #5 (8:42) Slowest Mile: #25 (10:32)
• Despite some trouble in the second half, I was able to finish strong without feeling completely exhausted. Onward to Arizona and Austin!