P.F. Changs Rock 'N' Roll Arizona Marathon - RunMarathon

I was pretty nervous and worried about this race and didn't know until I started IF I would even be able to run. I finished all but one of my long runs in training, but have been having some strange lower-leg problems for the last month that have been making running difficult, but don't impede walking. I am so happy that everything was 100% ok injury-wise. I started in the next to last corral so I would be tempted to start out too fast and am very glad I did. I ran the first 3 miles slower than my long run pace, realized that everything was ok injury-wise and started fantasizing about my pre-injury time goal (4:20). I decided to make a go for it. I caught up and passed some pace groups until I came to the 4:15 one at about 7 miles. They were running almost my exact long run pace (9:40) so I stuck with them, but honestly didn't think I would be able to maintain it for the entire rest of the race. I decided to enjoy the experience and was just so happy to be feeling so good (famous last words I know). I really found my groove. My quads and calves did get very stiff at about mile 22, but there's not much to be done about that. I have to give a big THANKS to Jen with Arizona Road Runners for saying just the right thing at the right time to keep me with them. At mile 24 I was thinking how I had already run better than I had hoped and so I should be let myself slow down. At that moment she said to us "You've worked hard to get here, don't let it slip away now!" and that really encouraged me to keep it up to finish strong.

This race better than I could have hoped except for the stiff muscles. My nutrition and hydration were spot on. I wasn't even breathing heavy at all throughout the race. I almost always feel nauseous at the end of races and I wasn't at all. Of course, considering the last two things, maybe I could have run harder???

Afterwards, I was able to share the joy with another runner in the pace group who had qualified for Boston after several unsuccessful attempts. I was stiff, but it was the best I have ever felt after a race.


Stiff muscles and being worried about injury flare-ups


I improved a whole hour over my previous marathon (5:16) and IM marathon (5:13). I'm registered for IMWI and feel a lot more confident about it after this race.