No Bloody Nipples

Welcome to the 10th annual Little Rock Marathon.

The short version is I survived.

The long version is well... the long version.  My ideal goal was not met.  The sub 4 hour marathon.  Under 4 seems to be the goal for most non-elite athletes.  It was what I felt I was capable of doing.  It wouldn't be easy but I really thought it was doable.  I was wrong.

I'll detail the experience as best I can from start to finish.  To say this winter was mild would be a huge understatement.  I knew if we had a hot day I would be screwed.  It started great.  The temperature was roughly 38-43 degrees to start.  Perfect marathon weather.  My lovely wife Angie came to watch me run for the first time and saw me off at the start.  So far so good.

I lined up with the 4 hour pace group.  It was led by 2 twenty something young women.  The average pace for a 4  hr marathon is 9:10/mile.  They started out at around 8:45-8:30/mile.  In hindsight I understand they had a strategy to make up for time lost later but it ruined me.  I had a good 5K at around 26 minutes. I averaged a 9:05 10K pace.  I took 7 minutes off my previous LR Half Marathon time.  Good so far right?

Now I'm running low on gas and it's heating up big time.  Any other day it would've been gorgeous.

I get to the Hillcrest area around 10:30.  I did not do my homework and check out this part of the course.  It's why the pacers went out so hot.  It sucked.  I cannot be any more plain than that.  I was cocky going into this because of how strong I felt on the hills in the Soaring Wings Half Marathon in October.  After 14 miles the hills were horrible.  My own fault.  Next time I'm prepared.  Stairmaster here I come.

In the Hillcrest area Michelob had a tent set up and was giving out free beer to the runners.  I couldn't bring myself to drink one but I will never say another bad word about Michelob.

What goes up must come down.  The down hill part was okay we'll skip that part.


Bottom of the hill mile 18.  Hello Rebsamen Park.  Why do I remember mile 18 was Rebsamen Park?  because it was at mile 18 in pain at the base of the hills I experienced my first leg cramp.  I don't mean first of the race I mean first ever cramp while active in any kind of sport.  I've had a problem with muscle cramps before. I played most sports available here but NEVER had a muscle cramp while participating.  NO entirely sure what caused it.  I was hydrating.  I was using gelsI was lucky a few stretches and a little walking and I was okay to keep going.


Miles 18 and 19 took forever.  19 to 20 was by the golf course and to your right were all the people ahead of you separated only by orange cones. So easy to just join them.  They all looked so much happier so much closer to the finish.  Eventually we split to the point where there was a median between us.  This section seemed to take forever because it looked like at any time you would be turning around joining all the happy people on the other side.  It's a good thing I didn't give in to temptation and join the happy people early because there was a checkpoint at mile 20 right before you turn around.  Somewhere in this period when it was sunny and 70 degrees i started getting a bit nauseous as well.  Not bad thank goodness, just enough to further piss me off.

I'm going to interject at this time to talk about the various volunteer musicians.  Through the first 13 miles there are bands/individuals playing and/or singing songs for all the runners.  I usually run with a mp3 player but I don't race with it because I really enjoy the variety of live performers along the course.  Thank you to all musicians who performed for the runners at the 2012 Little Rock Marathon.  That said there was a definite lack of live music after mile 13.  There were a couple DJ's and a guitar player.  I will say I really enjoyed the guitar player with his Les Paul and Marshall half stack on the side of the road.  If he had beer I probably would have stopped and stayed to listen.

You turn around at mile 20 and follow the golf course back towards the Rivermarket down Cantrell past Cajun's Wharf.  This is not the most scenic part of the marathon.  I didn't like this part.  It was more walking than running and my spirit was ebbing.  Frustration was high at this point because not only was my 4:00 time completely and utterly screwed but I got passed by the 4:40 group.  The only thing that I can say that's positive about this period is that I recognized where I was and what was necessary to finish.

Mile 22 was a little better but not much.  Mile 24-25 there was another group giving out beer this time I gave in and drank a cup.  I tasted it for the rest of the race.  Glad I didn't give in to the temptation of Michelob.

Then came the Parrothead Club water station.  My neighbors Shari and Les were working it.  The funny part of that is they were in the front looking for me but completely missed me.  They almost jumped out of their skin when I grabbed them and gave them a hug.

Buoyed by seeing friends I picked up my pace a little.  Last mile or so I ran along with a nice lady.  I'm really good at remembering faces but I was mentally fried and could not pick this lady out of a lineup if my life depended on it.  We had a brief discussion comparing notes on the intense desire to either go fetal and cry or vomit.  It was comforting to share with someone so there in the same place at the same time.  I got a bit of a second wind and told I was choosing to vomit and picked up the pace so I could finish as strong as possible.

I did finish.  It took 4 hours and 50 minutes of continuous motion.  It was not the experience I wanted, expected or hoped it would be.  So there are now questions.  Was it worth it?  Yes very much so.  Why?  You learn more about yourself through adversity then through triumph.  Will I do it again?  Right now with 2 months behind me the answer is yes.