Fox Cities Marathon - Run

Got to the corral about two minutes before the gun went off. It was a crisp morning! The temps were in the very low 40s but the sun was shining brightly. I did wish there was cloud cover but then told myself to get over it because that was definitely one aspect of the next fewish hours that I had absolutely no control over. I lined up at the end of Corral A, near the people expecting to run about a 9:00 pace. There were marathoners in the corral along with half-marathoners, and people competing in the marathon relay (I will keep my thoughts quiet on that event). Someone gave me the great advice to line up behind those doing my expected pace so I wouldn't start out too fast. Brilliant idea!

The gun went off and away we went! The first couple miles were entirely into the sun. It was difficult to see very far ahead. But it did cast some lovely halos. The line-up plan went welI. The first mile was run in 8:06 so I didn't start off too fast. In fact, I needed to pick it up slightly! I was feeling alright at the start but muscles were still a little bit tight and I looked forward to warming up a bit. I had a goal time of 3:30:00 and decided days before the race even started that this would be a quiet race for me. I would not chat much and would acknowledge volunteers and spectators with waves or smiles. I needed to conserve my energy for running.

So I continued to run and kept track of my pace. Another great thing about having a 3:30:00 goal pace was the pace was an 8:00 mile. Easy math! I did have a pace tatoo also for extra insurance. At a little over 2.5 miles, the half-marathoners peeled off and I was surprised to not feel like the field decreased drastically! There seemed to be a decent amount of runners still around but we did have more room to navigate. I guess I should be grateful for that marathon relay option. It created a larger field after the break-away. I remember how sparse the field looked when I ran the WI marathon and the half-marathoners ran back into town as we had to head out to rural Kenosha.

We got to the first relay transition area and encountered bigger crowds again as the relay teammates were gathered to make exchanges. Not quite sure why the first exchange was at mile 5 since that's not 1/4 way through the marathon but oh well... Took my first Gu.

Kept running. I did walk most of the water stations. Just enough walking to drink the water and keep moving. I didn't take any Gatorade. I had electrolyte pills along in case I needed them but for the first 8ish miles, I didn't take any of those either.

At the aid station at mile 8ish I took two electrolyte pills with the water. It was getting slightly warmer and I was heating up for sure. I ditched my throw-away gloves at this point also. Just out of the aid station, a guy runs up alongside me. He tries to chat a bit. I chat even less. I find out his name is Zach. He is 24 and running his first marathon. He asked me what my goal time is and I told him it's 3:30:00 and he said that was also his goal. I told him he was welcome to run with me, but I am not going to be able to chat much as I was trying to conserve energy. He agreed to that and then talked some more! Sheesh!!!! Some people don't listen! I just responded very minimally but politely. He was a nice kid. At about mile 10, I took a second Gu and also took off my arm warmers and looped them through the belt on my race bib but didn't tie them. At about mile 10.05, they fell off the race belt and I quick ran back to get them. I almost let them go but they weren't cheap... Zach had kept running so I thought this was my chance to escape him and made a mental note to find him at the end to see how his race went. But I caught back up to him at about mile 10.5. He chatted a bit more and I responded minimally a bit more and at mile 13, he couldn't hang anymore. Zach was dropped. He should've conserved his energy...

I did find out the day after the race, through Facebook, how Zach's race went. On the Fox Cities Marathon page, a picture of me running, (a horrible picture..) that I'm sure I didn't authorize, was posted in their small album and I commented and Zach commented after. It was nice to hear from him and find out how he did as I didn't get a chance to see him after the race. Zach had finished his first marathon in 3:39:55!

Kept on running. At mile 14, a spectator informed me and this girl Lisa who I had been running near (we had our names on the race bib and I heard hers called often) that we were number 38 (Lisa) and 39 (me). I assumed that meant of women. Didn't need or want that info. Took another Gu around mile 15. Was trying to keep my energy consistent at this race and so took more Gus than normal but I decided to get the calories in now because my body was handling them well. Maybe I use them as a crutch?

At mile 17, I was already starting to dig deep. I knew I had nine more miles left in me at the 8:00 pace and I could achieve my goal but I also knew it was going to hurt so much. I told myself to trust the pain. I told myself that my calves got this FREAKING HUGE over the summer so I could run a 3:30:00 marathon. I told myself I would get this goal.

This was also the point where I caught up to the 3:30 pacer. I just hung behind him for a while. I didn't chat :) or try to let him know I wanted to hang near him for the rest of this race. I knew I was well on track to achieving my 3:30:00 because the pacer had crossed the start line ahead of me since I lined up further back. I was already banking over one minute. I told myself that I could never let the pacer drop me! From here on out, I was going to stick with him or if I felt alright, go ahead the last few miles. No question, no doubt. I wouldn't get dropped.

I found I liked Chad as a pacer. He walked the water stops like I do and he was a QUIET runner. A very nice guy but not super chatty. I appreciated that during a race! So around mile 19, he had heard my name a couple times from spectators calling it out after reading it on my bib. I had positioned myself so I was running beside him (not in a creepy way..) so he looked over at me and asked if I was the Ruth whose name he kept hearing. I told him I was and he said that's his daughter's name! I knew I really liked him them, what great taste he has. I asked him how old his daughter was and Chad asked, "What day is it?" I said, "Whaaaaaaat? You have a very understanding wife!" He said, "Grandma and wife are both very understanding. Ruth is only 4 days old." Well, dang, I felt like it was meant to be that I found Chad at this point in the race!!

There was also another girl attached to Chad. I never did catch her name. She was super nice but CHATTY! Agh, what's with the chatting...??!!! She was a nurse practitioner in the Neenah area. Seemed to be around my age or slightly younger.

As we were approaching mile 20, I finally remembered to look for Terri! I was supposed to keep an eye out starting at mile 19.5 as Terri wasn't exactly sure where she'd be standing. She would be there with her kiddos Nicholas and Elena as well as her sister. I never saw them and I thought they never saw me. It turns out Elena dropped the ball slightly. I later found out she waved at me but never screamed as directed by her mom. She had been given strict instructions to alert everyone if she saw me first and to cheer loudly because everyone needs that support at mile 20 of a marathon! She was admonished slightly by her mom haha!! So I missed my one spot to see my support crew. Oh well. I knew they were cheering me on and I also like to pretend all the spectators are out there to see me and there were a few signs encouraging the "random stranger" so those helped me through.

We passed mile 21 and that was another moment where I knew I would make my goal. I hit a wall hard in mile 21 of my first marathon. When I passed through mile 21 and kept going without hitting a wall, I gained the final bit of confidence that my goal time was mine.

At one point, around mile 22 (8 half-miles to go...), we pulled just slightly ahead of Chad. Then I pulled away from the nice nurse practitioner at mile 23. I was HURTING but with six half-miles to go, I knew I had more in me than she had. I was seeing some paces on my watch in the 8:20 range when I was running with her and I didn't want to see that. I decided to break away and make my final push to the finish.

The most frustrating part of the last couple miles was when I met up with the half-marathoners from the competitive walk division. They were walking at a non-competitive pace often three or four abreast and difficult to navigate around. At one point close to mile 25, I was coming to a corner with a left turn and a runner came beside me on the right and passed. He made me slow down because of a walker ahead of me. He didn't give any room between himself and the walker so I could make that turn without slowing down. GRR! So I had to pass him back and beat him in!

It was also mentally tough to see soooo many walkers the last mile. I wanted to walk too!!!! But of course couldn't let myself. Chad yelled from behind me at about mile 25.5 "Goooo Ruth. You got this!" It was nice to hear him again! It was a great push to keep me moving to the finish. The finish loops around the park and you don't even see the finish until it's about 500 yards away. But when I did... :) I passed the 26-mile marker and was surprised to see the finish line looking closer than I expected. I usually feel like that last .2 is sooo far away. I kept running and saw Terri, Bill, and Hannah waiting along the finish line and cheering me in. I finished. Over a minute under my goal time. Amazed and elated and completely exhausted. I got my medal and then... felt the pain! The pain of a marathoner! I LOVE IT!!

My splits:

1 -- 8:06
2 -- 7:59
3 -- 7:46
4 -- 7:55
5 -- 7:53
6 -- 7:49
7 -- 7:54
8 -- 7:52
9 -- 7:51
10 -- 7:56
11 -- 7:39
12 -- 7:58
13 -- 7:50
14 -- 7:57
15 -- 7:54
16 -- 8:01
17 -- 7:57
18 -- 8:02
19 -- 8:02
20 -- 7:57
21 -- 8:00
22 -- 8:05
23 -- 7:56
24 -- 8:10
25 -- 8:00
26 -- 7:55

2ish -- 8:08

Garmin reading: 26.34 3:29:10 (forgot to stop it the moment I crossed the finish line)
Overall M&F 131/978

Nothing much on race day. Maybe change some aspects of my training/taper...

Got my medal and finisher's shirt. Terri, Bill, and Hannah came from the finish line to find me. Wanted to sit soooo badly. My calves and hammies were KILLING ME!!! I walked a bit, less than .2 miles then sat down even though I knew I shouldn't... I did get a massage which helped a bit. I could actually walk after!


I need to keep on top of my calories when I taper. I did gain some weight and felt it during the run. I also have some thoughts about the taper and the plan in general that I followed... But I am so happy with this PR!


I loved this race and appreciated it for what it was. It's difficult to follow the Chicago Marathon, though...