Atlanta Marathon Race Review

Lances' Recap:
After putting in numerous hours and miles of training, Lacey and I thought we were as ready as anyone could be for the Atlanta Marathon. We had talked with people that had run parts of the course, read all about the course, and knew that is was hilly and definitely not a flat course. With all the training though, we constantly had hills in every run and thought that training in Auburn would be more than adequate for Atlanta. Even with significant preparation, a marathon is not necessarily a race that you want to make more challenging. Just running 26.2 miles can, and as we found- out a constantly changing terrain, really punish the body.

We woke up race day morning and felt wonderful and were full with excitement and anticipation. The weather was ideal for a marathon, with temperatures not expected to be above 55 for the entirety of the race. The plan was to maintain 8:00 / mile pace for the first 22 or so miles and then see how we felt and try to turn it on at the end. This goal, which we thought was easily attainable based on how the training had gone, would easily qualify Lacey for the Boston Marathon with a 3:30 (she has to run under a 3:40 to qualify). In addition, the goal would give me a good hard training run to gauge how much harder I would have to train to qualify myself with a 3:10 in another race.

Well the Atlanta Marathon course had other plans in store for us during the race! The first few miles came and went easily keeping the 8:00 / mile pace, but about 8 miles in Lacey started to slow with some tightness in her hamstrings. This small slip in pace beginning at this point still had us well within qualifying her for Boston and at the half split (13.1 miles) we were at an 8:07 / mile pace. That’s when I began to realize that I had done some serious damage to my body with the constant up and down that the course had already thrown at us and now we had to turn around and do it all over again (Atlanta is an out and back course). My quads were completely gone and were no longer providing any cushion with each step we took. This was something that had never happened in our training runs regardless of the hills we took in Auburn so I knew a sub 3:30 was probably out of the question but I still figured I could hold on. With a water stop around mile 16, I was still running well and in order to try and work some stiffness out of my legs I gave it a good kick and sped up to pick up water for both Lacey and me. I was hoping that this little burst would help reawaken my dead quads.

That last kick lasted until mile 18 when Lacey looked over at me, thinking she was slowing me down, and saw that I was struggling just as bad if not worse. At this point of the race, I did not think my body was going to allow me to finish. Every step was filled with jarring pain in my knees due to the quads not being able to act as my shock absorbers. We tried not to slow but with every look down at the watch it began more and more obvious we were slowing dramatically. I felt so awful because I was supposed to be the stronger of the two of us and should be able to push the pace to keep us both going to ensure Lacey qualified for Boston. I had nothing, though, and told Lacey to go on without me and that I would just finish as soon as I could. Running on less than fumes with pain in every step, I finally made it to the finish line in 4:29:01 (Lacey finished in 4:19:16). By far the worst race day performance for either one of us and ultimately rather humbling. A marathon is not easy but both Lacey and I determined to keep running them and enjoying the fact that we are capable of even attempting such a demanding physical activity. One day, we will run Boston together and look back on the Atlanta race as something that helped make us better and even more determined runners.

Now we are already looking forward to the next one. Last night, we signed up for the Mercedes Marathon that is run on Valentine’s Day 2010 in Birmingham AL. We will get back to training in a week or two after our bodies had recovered sufficiently from the beating Atlanta gave us. We both know we are better runners than the times at Atlanta indicate, and we are more determined than ever to run the best race of our lives that we both still know is inside us! Only 77 more days until the next opportunity.

Lacey's Recap:
Lance said it best and professionally, I'll sum it in my non-professionalization up with this: ATLANTA SUCKED! It was the hardest race I have ever run in my life. Lance and I trained so hard and put so much time and effort into a strict training plan, and I know we were ready. We just got a marathon thrown at us that we did not expect. I guess we figured since Atlanta is so close to Auburn and it's not in a mountainous region, that it could not be as hilly as everyone said it was... well, we were wrong! It was so hilly! We passed out hotel between 17 and 18 and I seriously considered bailing on the course and heading back to the room, but I knew Lance wouldn't let me, and I am NOT a quitter! When, Lance and I both crashed around mile 18, we did have a pretty good time at first. We were laughing with all the volunteers at our run/limp/hop groove we were in. Then, around 23 it wasn't funny anymore, the pain was SEVERE. Every step felt like knives stabbing in my hamstrings, butt, back, and feet. OUCH! I wondered for a few miles, why I like to run these crazy races, but as soon as I crossed the finish line I remembered why. I run because I have the ability, health, and determination to push myself to new extremes and it makes me stronger everytime. Running gets me through things that nothing else can, and without it I would not be the Lacey who I am, and I would not have the amazing fiance I have either. Running has worked pretty well for me :)

The constant demand of pushing up hills is still exerting it's effect on Lance and I. Just come watch me attempt to walk, and you will understand, those hills were not for sissies :) Lance and I were planning on going back to Atlanta every Thanksgiving and running this race again, since it was our first race together, but I think we have decided Thanksgiving will be spent with families, and we can just leave it to ourselves to get a run in that day :) It was very humbling, and I do believe it made us stronger. We WILL hit our 3:30 goal. One thing that is different about this race from all the others is that the second after I finished I was ready to run another marathon. I knew it would need to be a couple of months, but I can't wait to cross my next finish line. There could not be a more perfect next race for us than the Mercedes Marathon on Valentines Day. I'm excited! I ran the half last year and didn't think the hills were too daunting. Lance and I are tossing our Garmins for that one and just running by how we feel- this is how I ran Memphis and finished in 3:35:42, so I think it works well. I'm just thankful we are both such healthy and dedicated individuals who both have this crazy obsession with running. Yeah, I admit we may have something loose in our noggins, but I wouldn't have it any other way :)