Cellcom Green Bay Marathon - RunMarathon

Got to the stadium just in time to wait in the huge potty line, check my bag of stuff, and go figure out how to line up. This was the only bad thing...you couldn't see or get to the drive people were lining up on. So no chance to get in with a pace group..it was sort of a CF. Shortly after passing the start line I ditched my garbage bag skirt and top, and quickly warmed up. The first half of the race was through tree lined residential streets. The trees were so old and huge they made a canopy across the street. That was great. People were lined up on their front lawns to see us pass. They all had old school boom-boxes out blaring a wide variety of music. It was clear early on that I had not eaten enough, and was hungry. I added water to my Infinite at mile 4 and started drinking that (10oz). I knew also that at some point I would need to go to the bathroom, as my body had not cooperated with me that morning. Well that hit at about mile 6 and for 2 miles there were no port-a-potties! I was 1 second away from asking some person on their lawn if I could drop a duce in their bathroom, but just when I was about to lose all hope, I spotted the blue boxes!!! After waiting in line and doing my thing, I had lost 3:30. Onward. About mile 10 I went again, no wait, and I was off again. This was the last time I used the bathroom. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? Somehow miraculously once I "emptied out" my system, I was good to roll!!! At mile 11 the half people broke off from the full. It was at this point that I think I took in my first of 3 Hammer Gels, and I fired up the iPod. I forgot my good running headphones, and only had the little crappy ones that come with the ipod (that always fall out of your ears), so I only put one in, and fought to keep it in my ear the rest of the way. It started getting windy and lonely. I never looked at my watch, and just tried to keep trucking. I KNEW that as much as I could, I just needed to keep running. Trying to run again after a walk break is PAINFUL, so I wanted to just keep running. I can't remember when I took my second Gel. At about mile 15 we had to cross a big bridge and start running on the Fox River Trail. This is an asphalt bike/run path along the river. Right away there were 4 chalk writings that said "GO Tanya GO, and RUN TANYA!" I knew they were not for me....but I smiled and pretended that they were!!! Luckily most of this trail had a little gravel along the side of it, and I chose to run there. This stretch between miles 15 and 22 was probably the hardest. At mile 20 they had a huge wall and TONS of people cheering you and high fiving you. It was a great pick-me-up. This is where I ate half a banana. At mile 22 you cross another bridge, and as you are climbing up the rise, people were cheering you on, saying you could do it, and as I crossed the 22 mile mark, I was like "You know...I CAN do this. I only have 4 miles left! Unless I totally fall apart in the next 40 min...I can do this!" So I took in my last gel to help insure I wouldn't run out of steam in the last miles, and I took off. Mile 23 was probably my best mile. This is where things were getting weird. All along the race there were the same "group" of people around me. People I would pass, then they would pass me, etc...you kind of see the same people. There were some people who after the half/full split I would think "just trying to hang onto them" but they would pull away and I just couldn't do it. BUT....during that last 4 miles....people were dropping like flies!! Cramps, exhaustion, whatever....people were fading fast. I totally pulled away from the people I had been hanging with, and ended up passing people I couldn't keep up with before. I was thinking "Yeah...I may be slow...but I'm steady. One gear. One speed. Drop it in and just go." So I just kept grinding and trying to get to the finish. Finally...the stadium. You ran in, around the field, then back out and the finish line was actually in the parking lot. As I was coming around the last curve, I had opened up my stride and picked up the pace a bit. I was passing people, but wasn't GRRRRING past them...just trying to pick it up a notch and finish strong. Well, on the last curve I took this dude, and he totally spazzed and came flying past me right at the line. Looked like Forest Gump bustin off his braces!! If he cock-blocked my official finish line photo I will be pissed. His arms and legs were flailing all about, and totally freaked me out. Weirdo! I got my alien blanket, my medal, and bee-lined it for the food/beer. I really wasn't hungry but had 2 cookies, beer and 2 low fat chocolate milks. Mmmmmmm. The brats looked good, but no dead ground up cow parts for me, thank you. Overall I was pleased. I was NOT trained up for this, and really had no idea what would happen. I was either going to be able to gut it out and do OK, or the wheels would completely come off the bus and I would be a total disaster. I am happy that it went OK. When training for PF Changs (before I got injured) I was thinking I wanted to finish under 4:15. So 4:33 is not too far off. I’ll take it.

Train

Great race. Well organized. Tons of volunteers, water and gatoraide, GU and well marked. Just great all around. Good race, medal, t-shirt and post race for the money!