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Comments: To start the race and think "I have 150 more laps" is quite overwhelming. I lined myself up towards the back and we were off. The girls were loud and cheering constantly. Each runner had their number on the front and a tyvek sheet with your name on the back. Being there were only 5 women, I heard my name constantly...from the counters along with the few spectators. I asked my counter to not tell me every lap what number I was on. She would randomly let me know. Each girl had a sheet with 6 columns of 25. At each lap, they wrote our total time down. The girls were awesome...enthusiastic, loud, singing. It was great. I found it somewhat challenging to settle into a pace. I knew between a 9:30-10:30 pace was 1:40-1:50/lap. I tried to not go too fast, but you get caught up with the girls cheering and the other runners. I am guessing I went out too fast (more on that later). Being there were only ~40 people, I found it hard to find someone with a similar pace. It was great to see Brad and it was neat to talk to the other runners. The winner was insanely fast and continually lapped me (and others). Every 30 minutes, Dick sets a cone in the middle of the track near the counters. As you run around it, you then run on the outside lane as the "oncoming traffic" is on the inside lane. Sounds complex. The direction change was easy and issue free. I ate a GU every 30 minutes. There were 4 tables, one set up in each corner of the track (the track was kind of rectangular vs. oval). You could use any of the tables for your aid station. Brad and I had our GU, running water bottles and a gallon jug of water (for faster refilling). It was nice having the 4 tables as you could pick up/drop off your bottle whenever you wanted. I hit the 75 lap mark and glad to be on the second half. I didn't walk at all during the first half and tried to matain a reasonable pace. I had a few side stitches in the second half along with some stomach issues which lead to a few more walk breaks. It was really dry in the gym and I always felt like I had cottonmouth. I tried to sip on water, but think I overdid it at times and that lead to a sloshy stomach. For the first half, I took the GU while running. On the 2nd half, I would stop, stretch a bit while I took the GU. I also hit the restroom on the 2nd half and had about 2 laps total of walking. Not bad for me, considering how much I walked in my first marathon. How far I've come. It was great to have Brad running the course and seeing him every few laps...although as the race went on, we said less and less to eachother with each pass. I met a woman, Renee, the day before who was leading for the ladies. She continually passed me and I knew she'd take 1st for the women. I really had no expectation going into the race to place, but started to think, "what if" during the race. Bea, another female runner, was running with her husband and I wasn't sure what lap they were on vs. me. With 2 laps left, Brad passed me and said he was almost done. The last lap of the race, the counters all start chanting your name, which was really cool and motivating. He finished in just over 3:29 (with a goal time of 3:30). He hung out on the side of the track, stretching and cheering me on. My lowest point of the race was around this time. Brad left to hit the restroom and I don't know if it was in my head, but started to get a little dizzy/lightheaded. I took some brief walk breaks and continued to eat. Being awful at math, especially during a marathon, Brad said I had ~5 miles left. With a little over 3 miles to go, I caught this awesome second wind. I was focused, felt like I had good form and was running somewhat effortlessly. I was passing people and was in good spirits. Dick, the RD, kept asking what lap I was on, saying I was in 2nd, but needed to not let up. Brad was on the side of the track and I kept counting down to him with each lap. It felt great to be in single digits! My counter was screaming I was down to less than 10. I thought about the training runs that equated to that distance and how it was so little left to go. With 2 left, I passed Bea and her husband. They were running strong during my low point and I thought they were ahead of me. With the last lap, the girls were chanting my name as I ran around my final lap. I finished strong with a 12 minute PR and 2nd place female. What would you do differently?: Pace myself better. I think I went out too fast.  Post race
Warm down: I got my medal from Liz, my counter. Brad and I took some pictures with eachother and our counters. I got my 2nd place award from Dick's wife (the track and field coach). One of the runners makes the awards every year. They were carved wooden books. Mine says, "How I came in 2nd at the 2010 Zoom! Yah! Yah! Marathon. Brad and I showered at the gym (they provided towels for any out of towners that needed them), said thank you to the counters that were left along with Dick and his wife and went to grab lunch. What limited your ability to perform faster: Going out too fast. It was also pretty warm on the one corner of the gym. I should have either started running in a tank vs. short sleeved shirt or took my shirt of earlier in the race and just run in a sports bra. I expected to have a faster time than I did. I am a little disappointed with that, given how consistent I felt my training was. That being said, I look back to a few years ago and see how far I've come. I know I have the ability to get faster. It is amazing to compare this marathon, my mindset, physical effort, etc to that of Disney just 3 years ago. Or even Vermont 2.5 years ago. I've learned a lot. Event comments: I went into this race not expecting a lot. I left with such an amazing experience. It was awesome to see Brad so many times during the race. Pros: pre race dinner small number of runners so you get to know people awesome RD post race shower/towel access personal lap counter/cheerleader unique award aid station set up music played during race Cons: a little warm on one side of the track music was kind of quiet This was one of the most fun marathons I've run and I'd run it again. Very few, minor cons. Top notch, fun, different race. And another state down. 9th marathon, 8th state. Last updated: 2009-08-21 12:00 AM
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Minnesota Distance Running Association
60F / 16C
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Let's rewind a few years to when I found the small article in Runner's World about this indoor marathon that was run at St. Olaf's College in Northfield, MN. I gave it to Brad, laughing at the insane idea of an indoor marathon on a track. Of course, he thought it was awesome and entered the lottery for the 2009 race. He didn't get in, but re-entered for the 2010 race. Me, not wanting to miss out on anything, threw my name in as well. A few months later, we were notified by Dick Daymont, perhaps one of the nicest Race Directors, that we were both in for the 2010 race!
Throughout training, it is kind of comical to think you're training for an indoor marathon. Running in 150 "circles". Honestly, I was questioning what I got myself into. As if the 18 mile training run on the treadmill in the end of December wasn't enough. At the least, it would be another state to add to the list. What I got out of it was so much more.
We landed in Minneapolis Friday night where the temp on the car got down to -12 degrees. We drove the 45 minutes south to Northfield, MN and checked into the Super 8. No joke...I think we were the only people staying in the hotel that night.
Saturday evening was the "expo" and pre-race dinner at St. Olaf's dining hall. The expo was low key. We got a mug, 4 GUs some homemade cookies from one of the runners and some Malt O'Meal cereal (plant is right in Northfield). There was a private room for this and the dinner. The runners mingled a bit and it sounded like there were some people that knew eachother as they were swapping stories. The food was amazing....really good with so many options. So good we ate lunch there on Sunday after the race. Dick said some comments/instructions and had a few others get up and speak. One guy had run 130+ marathons and was turning only 35 years old. Another guy was finishing his 50 states with this race being his 50th. There was a blind woman running...her first marathon without a guide (she felt the railing the entire way). The guy who helped come up with the Zoom! Yah! Yah! was also there (years ago, there was no marathon that started with the letter Z). It was great to talk to some of the other runners. The 2 guys who sat at our table had both run the race the year before with Darrin coming in 2nd last year.
After the dinner, Brad and I headed back to the hotel. Managed to be asleep by 8:30.
Up at 5:00 am for coffee, bagel and banana. We left the hotel ~5:40 am and got to the gym ~5:50am. Brad and I put our bags on the side of the track, hit the restrooms (was nice to have real restrooms during the race) and took some pictures. The race is an event to benefit the St. Olaf's Women's Track and Field Team. Each runner is assigned a team member who is your lap counter and cheerleader. Mine was Liz and her and her roommate, Davey (Brad's counter), made signs for us. All the runners lined up and we were off.