I ran the Dublin Marathon 3 weeks ago today.

I wrote an emo post that day, but I’m glad tumblr ate it because it wasn’t fair.

This marathon journey started in 2010 when I started my running journey, and by the end of the year I had run 2 half marathons and was toying with the idea of a full – but it had to be a worthy marathon. Cue finding Dublin. Timing wasn’t right for Dublin for years. I ran Los Angeles and Marine Corps in 2012. I was hoping for a 2014 Dublin, but a friend’s wedding pushed it to 2015. 

After a busy spring/summer 2014 training for my first two sprint triathlons (truth be told, I was training for one in late July, but did another a month later because I had so much fun the first time), then in Fall 2014 I ran Ragnar DC and a Marathon relay. I pretty much took off December 2014-May 2015 from running (and really exercise). In part because of the weather, in part because I knew Dublin training would own me over the summer, and in part because I was distracted and caught up in a blossoming relationship with T. 

June 2015 I knew I had to kick off my 18 weeks of training. I registered for the race and slowly (like run a song walk a song), but surely I was training. I was slow – slow for me who is already slow. With needed walking breaks I was averaging 14-15 min miles. Training was grueling, especially in the summer, but I pushed. It took a long time, but my lung capacity and running endurance were coming back to me. The changing weather was semi helping come fall. I was still fighting for 12:30 min/miles throughout training, but I thought adrenaline would get me moving faster on race day. 

I set myself up for disappointment. I knew running my LA PR of 5:04 wasn’t possible, but I thought I would beat MCM’s 5:27. I was banking on 11:30min-12min/miles for Dublin. 

I was feeling good for race day physically and mostly mentally, however race day morning’s damp, sprinkling, and humid weather had me stressed. I was layered up before the race and thought I’d shed some as I ran my early miles, but even just being in the corral ready to start had me too hot. So sweatshirt and pants were shed. I crossed the start and a wave of “I’m really doing this” emotions came over me. My excitement quickly turned back to stress as I felt myself feeling VERY HOT, like overheated. I was drinking water sparingly because I was less than 2 miles in and I already felt like I had to pee. I peed twice before the race in the portapotties! I guess I hydrated too well in the days and hours leading up to the race. 

As much as I didn’t want to stop to pee I KNEW I was too miserable. I couldn’t control feeling overheated as easily as I could fix the painful needing to pee feeling. So just shy of the 3 mile marker I used the portapotty, I think I was lost about 3 minutes in the process, but I felt better. For the next 3 or so miles I still couldn’t get my body temperature to regulate. I tried to stop thinking about it and just get lost in my music. It was nearly mile 6 and I still wasn’t in the zone, thankfully I saw a beautiful rainbow while the course wound through a giant park. Okay so it was drizzling (THE ONLY DAY OF MY 8 DAY TRIP), but I was in Ireland and there’s a rainbow. 

Soon after I see the rainbow a woman next to me grabs my attention – I had met her and her husband on my flight. They were celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary (which was hard to believe since they didn’t look a day over 45).  His shirt said “Together” on top and “19″ like a jersey and her shirt said “Since” and “85″ – they were adorable. They ran with him on the left and her on the right. We were about the same pace so we kept passing each other for the next 8 miles.  Thankfully soon after first seeing them and the rainbow I got into my zone. I was running my miles between 11:30-12min (minus the bathroom stop). I was so pleased. I hit the half marathon marker and felt good, but was worried about what was ahead. 

All through training this go around I kept hitting my wall at mile 16, I pushed through to do my 18 and 20 milers, but those miles past 16 were horrid. My sister kept hitting her wall during MCM training at 16 and hit it the day of MCM too. It was hard to “drag” her those 10 miles. I kept bargaining with myself to push off hitting the wall. 

To my delight at mile 20 I was feeling pretty “good” (I use this loosely 4 hours into running in humid rain). I had kept to my run 3 miles walk 1 min/take a gu break up until mile 20 and I had told myself starting at mile 21 I would take a 1 min walking breaking every mile (I find it much harder to get back to running after a break longer than a minute, especially at the end of a marathon).  

I had high hopes going into mile 21, but the drizzle had picked up to full blown rain between miles 22-25 which led to the already thin crowds to truly disappear. It was a 15,000 person race, but I felt pretty lonely those last 6-8 miles. I think with the European races they tend to get less “causal” marathoners and therefore there were only a small amount of runners even left on the course. 22-24 took everything I had to push through, I promised myself I wouldn’t cry and I didn’t, but it was close. I hated watching the time tick by, I hated the weather, I hated the lack of crowds, I hated that I didn’t train better. But I knew I was going to finish strong. When it came for my 1 minute walk break as I wrapped up mile 24, I decided to end the race on my terms. No more walking breaks, in fact I picked up my pace for that last mile and a quarter. Music high to keep me pumping, I didn’t need the crowds that weren’t there. I only needed what I’ve always had all along. Myself. 

As illustrated by the pics with the green painted streets – that was the chute leading into the finish. I didn’t care about my time at that point, I just wanted to end strong and I did. FINISHER. 

5:45:35 – It was my slowest of the 3 marathons, it was the longest I’ve even been on my feet running almost as long as I’ve ever spent walking. That is an accomplishment all on it’s own. I wonder if those Sub 3 marathoners could bare to be on their feet for almost 6 hours running, even if it was slow. 

3 marathons, that’s one heck of a career. However I’m closing the book on marathons, I’m ready for new challenges. Olympic Tri, different distance races, and one day a half iron marathon.