The Bayshore Marathon Race Report. (finally)

OK, here are the good and bad and real ugly...

Let's start with the good.(also known around my house as the first half)

As was the original plan, i started a little slower than i had been training and i hoped to hit the halfway point around 1:43 ish. See what is in the tank and go for a BQ if i could. Per the race mat, my halftime was 1:43:02, at a 7:53 pace.

Great, right where i wanted to be. Close enough to keep thinking about a BQ, and i felt tired but not so bad. Great pace, but a few really quik moments in the first half may have hurt me in the long run.

Another great stat...i was called a clydesdale around mile 5...Not really intended as a negative from the runners i came upon who looked over and said.

"hey, we're running with a clydesdale" Really, now sure i'm a big guy but more on that later

And the real stats per garmin:

Mile 1 7:45
Mile 2 7:36
Mile 3 7:39
Mile 4 7:34
Mile 5 7:45
Mile 6 7:54
Mile 7 7:49
Mile 8 7:48
Mile 9 7:58
Mile 10 7:48 total elapsed 1:17:35 fastest 10 miles evah!!!
Mile 11 7:58
Mile 12 8:00 (are you starting to notice a trend here????)
Mile 13 8:09 elapsed first half 1:43:02

See this was great, best 1st half, but obviously i was slowing down. In part to conserve energy, i did make a conscious decision to slow a little but....

The Bad...or the second half

Not so good, mentally i was ok, but really....being a large guy and being a little quicker than most at this point leads a lot of volunteers to say encouraging things like....

"great job, big guy" or "keep it up, big guy" or "looking good, big fella" at seemingly every water station. I get it!!!

I am a large man. and i get that the volunteers are trying to be encouraging but....

for christ sake after a while, i'm beginning to think it's surprising and unnatural to be running given my bulk.

But back to the bad...2nd half 2:06:19

again the bad stats

Mile 14 8:19
Mile 15 8:23
Mile 16 8:29
Mile 17 8:38
Mile 18 9:52 saw nitmos here and knowing that i had lost a BQ attempt here started to walk, and walk, and walk....my goal was to not break stride until i saw Mr and Mrs Nitmos...thank them for encouraging me and continue on, but i just wanted to quit. but no....after a few hundred yard, Nitmos was next to me running with me a pacing me to no longer BQ, but to just finish...
Mile 19 10:14
Mile 20 10:16
Mile 21 8:53
Mile 22 10:02
Mile 23 11:02
Mile 24 11:51
Mile 25 9:36
Mile 26 9:03
Mile .2 3:09

Total time 3:49:21

i promised Mack and Jimmy and Allison that if i didn't have a BQ, i would grab them and the three of us would cross the finish line together. So in my most painful finish, i had Mack in one hand and she had Jimmy struggling to keep up in her other. Allison was in a port-a-potty line and missed it, but....the moment was still nice. Then....the finish line, and refreshments...also known as....

The Ugly

It's funny how the body can react after being pushed to it's limits. After getting a finishing medal and having my chip removed, i went to the line for refreshments. Some ice cream a banana, some water and stuff.

As i stood there, i quite honestly lost control of my bodily functions and my bladder unloaded itself right there in line. Nothing i could consciously do to stop it....hell, i didn't know it was happening until half way through, then i looked down. Weird thing, no other runner even flinched. Then...the tunnel vision set in. "Well, this is weird" i thought to myself, as i began to shake, just a little. I figured, a banana would help, and as long as i stayed calm i would be ok...so i looked at the runner right behind in line and said.

"if, i fall over, will you get someone. i think i'm ok, but i'm getting a little wobbly"

"do you need someone now?"

"no. i think some food will fix it, but just in case"

"ok"

Well, i did not fall over and some food helped, and taking my shirt off and hanging it from my waistband hid the pee. So i felt better, grabbed the kids, and headed off the grab a shower.

Real Ugly.

Well the shower helped and after getting dressed sat down in the hotel room and asked for a few minutes to sit before heading back to watch Lisa finish. i guess my five minute little rest turned into a half hour snooze, cause next thing....

"Mike, get up. Mark just called and Lisa's not done yet and it's been 6 hrs"

"Crap...check with the medical people, we're on our way." Adrenaline can be a funny thing. To see me move for the next few minutes, you swear looking at me you couldn't have been able to tell i'd just run a marathon. Boom....shoes are on and we're getting the brood of kids together, a running for the elevator to head the 2 miles to the finish line.

Mark calls a few minutes later and she's found and fine and finished.

But, in true Steers spirit...i was not there to cheer on her finish.

For that i am truly sorry.

....but the beauty of an 18 year friendship, is that within 6 months these little gaffes have a habit of turning into stupid running jokes (sorry bout the pun there...totally unintentional, and not at all avoidable)

Anyway, after that.

A great cookout, catered by the Nitmos clan with a few drinks, dogs, burgers and hopefully a rather enjoyable evening by all.

Housekeeping Stuff

i hope a fresh look will keep me more engaged.

also, Fun Guv is now a blog member and no more phantom post from her (cause after 13 never dull years of marriage, continuos years at that....i still think the sun shines out of her butt)

i'm going to be less random, i have a few things to post about soon, then a slightly adjusted direction, again part of the decision to end the blog and start over was part of a fresh start.

Since the Bayshore is done...next post will be some final thoughts on the Bayshore Marathon, and the next thing, and then a post on the new rules for the blog (and i may ask for some advise on this one)

Thanks for reading