Grandma’s Race Report – Amber Morrison

Duluth is beautiful!  If you have never been there you should put it on your list of places to visit. Lake Superior is like a vast ocean with no end in sight. The air is fresh, without that hint of briny aroma us NWers are used to.

I had an amazing experience with the generous elite hospitality (after Kristen rescued me – that is entirely different blog post #operationrescueber).  People of Duluth are excited to have the runners in town and many say “Grandma’s marathon weekend is like the 4th of July for the city.”
Lucky shoe tag “Believe” attached
Courtney’s amazing cards

 

While the anthem was sung and the wheelchairs pushed off, Kristen and I huddled under spectators’ umbrellas shivering.  About a minute later we had 5 Kenyan athletes tucked under this single umbrella…yeah they are really tiny. The female winner came up to my shoulder! The weather had been ideal literally right up until the start. Once the buses dropped us off, the rain started and continued through the first half hour of the race. I have never truly experienced Midwest rain; it is wild. The drops are huge and soak you instantly. It feels like being hit with water balloons. So we were all soaked; socks, shoes, shorts etc. Thankfully I put a hat in my bag.  I had to Mcguiver it but cutting a pony hole with first aid scissors, but it worked wonders.

At the start girls were chatting about the B std and the paces they planned to hit.  I loved it!  Everyone had the same mentality, lets work together to do this – not compete. I knew the group would take off fast as we were all so cold standing there. My plan was to negative split the race and go out the first mile or 2 over goal pace (6:13). With rain beating in my face by mile 6 I could feel my right quad getting tired.  I am not sure what this was or why it was happening. I kept the pace hoping it would pass.  At mile 10 both quads felt the race already.  I couldn’t understand why my legs would be feeling mileage this early.  I still had 16 miles to go and usually at mile 10 I’m just settling in. I called an audible here. I knew if I continued at this pace I would likely blow up by mile 18 and be walking.  I felt I worked way too hard and I deserved at least a PR. So I dialed it back a little and just tried to mentally make other muscles in my legs absorb the race. I made different muscle take their turn and do their part in hope the quads would make it to the end. I figured 2:45 was very reasonable at this point. I drank from my cute little Seahawk bottles and gel’d as I planned. I only had to turn back for one bottle since it got put on the men’s table, not women’s.  It was nice to have on course support bottles. I fueled well and never felt that “bonk” I experienced in Eugene or on some training runs.
Scott wrote on each bottle. Some of them cracked me up!

Well flying didn’t’ happen. A mile later my legs were locked and barely running. I felt like I was crawling at 10min/mile pace. I splashed in the puddles because the cold water felt good on my burning legs. I kept calculating the time and realized the PR would happen even if I fell to 8min miles. So I pushed with whatever I could find. At mile 21-22 there is the a “hill,” it really isn’t bad and feels good to climb. I knew after this point it was a slight downhill to the finish with crowds and lots of support. I thought “climb this thing and with whatever is left fly.”

The real pain face of mile 24. I don’t want to land on the R quad.

 

The attempted sprint to the finish. Very special looking here.

 

The last mile is slow no matter how good you feel. There are a ton of turns, headwind and one hair pin corner. As I approached the finish I could see the clock at 2:46:35.  I thought to myself, just get there, make your official time start with 2:46:xx. With pure will and desire I “sprinted” as hard as I could to hit that line. I almost fell over when I crossed, thankfully a volunteer saved me. I soon called Scott and he told me 2:46:59.  I will take success in whatever form I can. I always hear my good friend Jason Gulley say “a PR is a PR!” I shuffled back the to hotel, showered and had a great lunch with friend Marci Gage (4th in the marathon with 2:33) and her roommate Tori Tyler (5th in the half – 1:16). Both rock star athletes and some of the most humble easy going girls I met all weekend.  We had Paninis and much deserved beers! So for now I am resting, working, enjoying time in my yard and meeting friends at the brewery. I will begin my next training cycle working with a coach Garry Killgore. My friend and superstar athlete Marci Gage, has generously put me in contact with her coach. I am excited for new possibilities and for whatever is next. Thanks for the amazing support of my husband, friends family and BDP teammates. Special thanks to #PowerBar #Nuun and #Saucony for keeping me fueled, hydrated and my feet happy. Lastly thanks to Brad Jones rolfing, Bob Curtis at Advanced Sports Chiropractic and Ash at  Nine needles acupuncture for getting me through an injury in the middle of the training session.
GARMIN DATA
26.41 miles (I did way too much zig zagging for my bottles, I can improve on this)
1) 6:15
2) 6:11
3) 6:13
4) 6:08
5) 6:11
6) 6:14
7) 6:19
8) 6:22
9) 6:06
10) 20 (audible 6:17-20)
11) 6:20
12) 6:20
13) 6:18
14) 6:17
15) 6:17
16) 6:21
17) 6:21
18) 6:21
19) 6:10
20) 6:29
21) 6:24
22) 6:29 (Lemon drop Hill)
23) 6:37* boom-Legs done!
24) 6:36
25) 6:33
26) 6:31
? last .41?
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