Kentucky Derby Marathon RR
On Saturday, I ran the Kentucky Derby Marathon in Louisville, KY. It was a fun race and my 45th marathon. I had lots of fun but I was slow due to it being hilly, but it's a race I would run again because it's loads of fun.
After the Disney Marathon, I was supposed to run the Houston Marathon for a PR, but I caught a fever the night before the race and I had to DNS. But don't fret, as I always have back up marathons all throughout the year! When I realized KY would be my 45th, I started counting down through the rest of the planned marathon and realize my 50th would be Chicago later this year! Makes sense it would be that one.
After Houston, I ran the Princess Half Marathon weekend with my girlfriends and we had tons of fun. As I mentioned, hubby and I went straight to the hospital for his second brain surgery, which went well. His recovery was even more amazing than the last time. He was running and back to work in 10 days. My training really did not start in full until after we were back home and rested. However, for the first time in a while, we had time to train me well and train well we did. I am finally back to the mileage I was before my knee surgery and my speed seems to have come back. I did some challenging workouts, including a 21 miler that was more a marathon than anything else (in speed and challenges). Training, as usual, went great. But you know me, I train well and race poorly and this time it was no exception, ha.
We landed in Indy on Thursday night and stayed overnight.
We headed to Louisville early Friday morning and got to the expo right after lunch and right after finding a Krispy Kreme near KY to buy my donuts and a Target to buy my Mtn Dew. We stayed at the Galt House and that hotel is great. It's large (it has two towers) but the room was excellent and the service was great. The price was also great (we used to the race website to book it) but I suspect we got a huge bargain. The expo was small, so it only took a few minutes to get our packet and shirts. The race and expo were well organized. We headed to watch the Avengers movie right after and that's all I'm going to say about that, lol.
The Marathon had a shirt and a trucker hat, which I think was a perfect match for my INKnBURN:
We landed in Indy on Thursday night and stayed overnight.
We headed to Louisville early Friday morning and got to the expo right after lunch and right after finding a Krispy Kreme near KY to buy my donuts and a Target to buy my Mtn Dew. We stayed at the Galt House and that hotel is great. It's large (it has two towers) but the room was excellent and the service was great. The price was also great (we used to the race website to book it) but I suspect we got a huge bargain. The expo was small, so it only took a few minutes to get our packet and shirts. The race and expo were well organized. We headed to watch the Avengers movie right after and that's all I'm going to say about that, lol.
The Marathon had a shirt and a trucker hat, which I think was a perfect match for my INKnBURN:
We had dinner in Bourbon District at the Hard Rock Cafe. I had some fajitas and my stomach was happy to eat that instead of carbs. I went to bed at midnight and woke up at 6:10am ready to go.
The race started at 7:30am and we stayed a couple of blocks from the start and finish lines. We started around 4 minutes after the race started. No waves. Just corrals and then everybody started as they crossed the finish line. My husband went off like a bat out of hell and then I never saw him again until I was finishing. He was doing the HM and he is slower than me but I feel like he is coming after my 2:04 HM PR, motherfucker.
Miles 1-10
The first ten miles of the race are pretty flat. n fact, the Half Marathon was flat or so my husband says. The first eight miles are uneventful as they go through downtown and then residential areas (and the University of Louisville) on our way to the main attraction, Churchill Downs! The temps were a bit warmer than I like for marathons, starting at 55F and ending in the 60s. In fact, that is too hot for marathons for me, lol. Anyway, the first few miles felt good especially since the sun was hidden behind the downtown buildings. But once we headed to Churchill Downs, we had the sun to our left (and a strongish wind). We got to Churchill Downs pretty quickly (well, I did. My husband was probably already done with it). I kept looking at my watch and I was running between MP and easy pace for all these miles while my HR was below MP HR, so I kept at it. I knew the hilly part was coming but I didn't suspect it would be as bad as people said. The elevation chart is a bit misleading, since all this time I'm thinking that it looks like one bad hill and then downhill or flat til the finish. Hahahahahaha.
Churchill Downs was fun, but it was smaller than I thought. I was expecting this stadium sized thing and it was as small as the ones that we have down here. Fortunately, we didn't have to run in the sand/earth, and we were able to see a couple of horses with their jockeys warming up for their practice. When we exit Churchill Downs, the Half Marathon turned left back to downtown for more flat running, while we turned right to head to the park where those bad hills are. The next two miles were flat, albeit with maybe a bit of an uphill at 1%, but what I remember about Miles 9-10 was the smell of horse shit. It never went away. Yuck.
Miles 11-17
So, remember I thought it was one bad hill at Mile 11.66 and then pretty downhill and flat through the finish? Well, the park was around five miles long and it had mostly uphills. It fell like it was uphill both ways, lol. When I reached the bad hill you see there at Mile 11, I started my long walk (same thing I do at the Flying Pig which has similar uphills for three or so miles) and met two ladies. One was doing her third marathon and one was doing her first. We chatted for a while and they had the same strategy (walk the uphills and run the rest). Unfortunately, during these five miles there was not much "rest" to run in. The downhills were around 0.05 long if at all, followed by a new uphill that little by little killed my legs even when I was walking. I tried to run one but was glad sanity prevailed and I walked because if I had run this, I would have had to walk the rest of the way to the finish. It killed my legs but I ran more than I would have had I run these hills.
I crossed the HM in 2:20 or something and I knew I would lose the post surgery fast time because there were more hills to come. After crossing the HM mat, I sort of quit trying.
The park was beautiful and it had gorgeous views of downtown and other areas below. There was entertainment during this part as well, but not many people cheering, which is understandable since the park was closed. The water stations throughout were as good as the others.
Miles 18-26
Miles 1-10
The first ten miles of the race are pretty flat. n fact, the Half Marathon was flat or so my husband says. The first eight miles are uneventful as they go through downtown and then residential areas (and the University of Louisville) on our way to the main attraction, Churchill Downs! The temps were a bit warmer than I like for marathons, starting at 55F and ending in the 60s. In fact, that is too hot for marathons for me, lol. Anyway, the first few miles felt good especially since the sun was hidden behind the downtown buildings. But once we headed to Churchill Downs, we had the sun to our left (and a strongish wind). We got to Churchill Downs pretty quickly (well, I did. My husband was probably already done with it). I kept looking at my watch and I was running between MP and easy pace for all these miles while my HR was below MP HR, so I kept at it. I knew the hilly part was coming but I didn't suspect it would be as bad as people said. The elevation chart is a bit misleading, since all this time I'm thinking that it looks like one bad hill and then downhill or flat til the finish. Hahahahahaha.
Churchill Downs was fun, but it was smaller than I thought. I was expecting this stadium sized thing and it was as small as the ones that we have down here. Fortunately, we didn't have to run in the sand/earth, and we were able to see a couple of horses with their jockeys warming up for their practice. When we exit Churchill Downs, the Half Marathon turned left back to downtown for more flat running, while we turned right to head to the park where those bad hills are. The next two miles were flat, albeit with maybe a bit of an uphill at 1%, but what I remember about Miles 9-10 was the smell of horse shit. It never went away. Yuck.
Miles 11-17
So, remember I thought it was one bad hill at Mile 11.66 and then pretty downhill and flat through the finish? Well, the park was around five miles long and it had mostly uphills. It fell like it was uphill both ways, lol. When I reached the bad hill you see there at Mile 11, I started my long walk (same thing I do at the Flying Pig which has similar uphills for three or so miles) and met two ladies. One was doing her third marathon and one was doing her first. We chatted for a while and they had the same strategy (walk the uphills and run the rest). Unfortunately, during these five miles there was not much "rest" to run in. The downhills were around 0.05 long if at all, followed by a new uphill that little by little killed my legs even when I was walking. I tried to run one but was glad sanity prevailed and I walked because if I had run this, I would have had to walk the rest of the way to the finish. It killed my legs but I ran more than I would have had I run these hills.
I crossed the HM in 2:20 or something and I knew I would lose the post surgery fast time because there were more hills to come. After crossing the HM mat, I sort of quit trying.
The park was beautiful and it had gorgeous views of downtown and other areas below. There was entertainment during this part as well, but not many people cheering, which is understandable since the park was closed. The water stations throughout were as good as the others.
Miles 18-26
At this point, I text my husband and say, is this the Flying Pig? The park felt the same way as the Pig. In fact, I wish the hills were located similar to where the Pig ones were because it's Miles 6-9 and then you don't hit hills this bad later. But by placing them from 11-17, which are to me, the hardest miles to race during a marathon (after the HM point and before 20 miles), it made the rest of the race hard.
I finally headed out of the park and for the life of me, the flat miles 18-19 felt like uphill. My legs were done. I ran as much as I could but I had issues with my compression sock bunching (FFS, I already ran a marathon sockless, so I should have done the same here but I never learn). I stopped too many times to fix the sock, and to take water, or Powerade. Thank you to the man who gave me a whole bottle of Powerade which I drank while walking. And thank you to the kid that gave me a bottle of Electrolyte Water at Mile 22. Forever grateful.
Mile 22 is where the other bad hill is located. At this point I looked at it and said seriously? Even though I am walking a lot, I still see the same people around me so I know I'm not the only one struggling. I finished with the same people I was around at Mile 14, so at least that is something.
At this point, I text my husband and whine that I was probably walking the rest of the race. And then I put my phone in my pocket and proceed to run for two miles (except to fix my sock). And then it becomes three miles. And then I text him I'm at Mile 25. He texted back that he was 1/2 mile from the finish. And I keep running and don't see him. And I keep running and running and thinking how much longer to get to 26, sheesh? The marker for 25 was 0.40 from my watch, although I think it wasn't placed correctly since I crossed Mile 26 0.20 off from the watch, which is more normal for me. I finally saw my husband, who took a picture of me on the run (it was hideous so I won't post it) and I head to the finish. Finished in 5:13:15. Not the time I wanted (I seriously thought I could at least run a sub-5 in this course, hahahaha), but faster than the San Francisco Marathon and the Pig, both comparably hilly, albeit a bit worse. So, not too bad.
I had tons of fun at this race, notwithstanding. The people cheering were having fun even with the slower runners. It's a party. The only thing I didn't see was bourbon or beer on the course. I know it was there but most likely it was there for the half marathoners and by the time I went by it was gone. It was hot and sunny when I finished, so I don't blame them for leaving, lol.
I grabbed a heat blanket and my medal and headed outside to meet my husband and get a beer.
I finally headed out of the park and for the life of me, the flat miles 18-19 felt like uphill. My legs were done. I ran as much as I could but I had issues with my compression sock bunching (FFS, I already ran a marathon sockless, so I should have done the same here but I never learn). I stopped too many times to fix the sock, and to take water, or Powerade. Thank you to the man who gave me a whole bottle of Powerade which I drank while walking. And thank you to the kid that gave me a bottle of Electrolyte Water at Mile 22. Forever grateful.
Mile 22 is where the other bad hill is located. At this point I looked at it and said seriously? Even though I am walking a lot, I still see the same people around me so I know I'm not the only one struggling. I finished with the same people I was around at Mile 14, so at least that is something.
At this point, I text my husband and whine that I was probably walking the rest of the race. And then I put my phone in my pocket and proceed to run for two miles (except to fix my sock). And then it becomes three miles. And then I text him I'm at Mile 25. He texted back that he was 1/2 mile from the finish. And I keep running and don't see him. And I keep running and running and thinking how much longer to get to 26, sheesh? The marker for 25 was 0.40 from my watch, although I think it wasn't placed correctly since I crossed Mile 26 0.20 off from the watch, which is more normal for me. I finally saw my husband, who took a picture of me on the run (it was hideous so I won't post it) and I head to the finish. Finished in 5:13:15. Not the time I wanted (I seriously thought I could at least run a sub-5 in this course, hahahaha), but faster than the San Francisco Marathon and the Pig, both comparably hilly, albeit a bit worse. So, not too bad.
I had tons of fun at this race, notwithstanding. The people cheering were having fun even with the slower runners. It's a party. The only thing I didn't see was bourbon or beer on the course. I know it was there but most likely it was there for the half marathoners and by the time I went by it was gone. It was hot and sunny when I finished, so I don't blame them for leaving, lol.
I grabbed a heat blanket and my medal and headed outside to meet my husband and get a beer.
Marathon # 45 is done and 46 is coming up in two weeks. Next time, don't trust your gut and listen to the people that have run that said it's fucking hilly, lol.
Comments
Post a Comment