The Baltimore Marathon wasn’t the poop-free long training run I was hoping for, but it mostly went well and I got in a decent final long run before the Richmond Marathon, now less than three weeks away.
My brother-in-law, Chad, also ran a pretty solid first marathon, and the Bald Hairybacks, the marathon relay team made up of Clark, his dad and two coworkers, had a good time. All in all, I’d call it a success.
Friday afternoon, Clark and I drove up to Baltimore. We met Bart at the expo at the convention center and picked up our race packets. As always, the premium was a super nice Under Armour shirt.
Our next stop was the Pratt Street Ale House right across from the convention center. I had a couple beers there and tried to find something on the menu that fit in with the no-fiber rule I’d been trying to stick to. I settled on a margherita flatbread that just had cheese and tomato slices.
We went down the street to Pickles Pub for the beginning of the Dodgers-Brewers game. Clark’s dad and brother made it to Baltimore and met us there. It was getting late by then, so we all headed to our respective hotels with plans to meet early the next morning.
Clark and I stayed in a hotel near the airport. I slept well except for 2:30 a.m., when I was woken up by several very loud, definitely drunk people hanging out in the hallway outside our room. They were really carrying on. It sounded like they didn’t realize they were no longer at the bar. I was pretty close to calling the front desk when it suddenly stopped. I don’t know if someone else complained or if they all finally decided to go pass out. I was just glad to get back to sleep.
My alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. Clark and I were out the door by 6. Traffic into the city was still very light that early and we got a great parking spot in one of the free stadium lots.
Bart had stayed at a hotel across the street from Camden Yards, right next to the marathon start line. On our way to meet him there, we ran into Travis, the fourth relay team member. Clark’s brother and dad found us at the start line. The gang was all there.
The weather was almost ideal, in the 50s to start, only warming up into the low 60s, with a light breeze. If it’d been less humid it would’ve been perfect, but I guess we can’t have everything.
About 30 minutes before the 8 a.m. start, I hit the bathroom in the ballpark, took off my sweats and checked my bag.
We all wished each other luck, and then Chad, Clark’s dad, who was running the first leg for the relay team, and I squeezed into the crowd at the start line.
I’d waited too long to get in the corral and couldn’t get any farther up than well behind the 4:15 pace group. If this were a goal race I’d have been upset with myself, or tried harder to force my way up farther, but I just decided to take it as an opportunity to start even easier than intended. The first three miles are uphill anyway.
At 8 a.m. on the dot, we were off! About a minute later, I crossed the start line.
As expected, the first three miles felt slow, as it was so crowded and there was plenty of uphill. But they were all right around 4:00 pace — 9:11, 9:03 and 9:09. I caught and passed the 4:15 pace group somewhere in these first miles.
Then we made a right turn into Druid Hill Park, and then into the zoo (where handlers had PENGUINS waiting to greet us!) We ran some nice downhills and miles 4 and 5 sped up to 8:38 and 8:27.
This is also the part of the course where the push-rim wheelchair racers catch us (they get a five-minute head start on the field, but the uphill in the first three miles slows them down.) They all have bike escorts riding ahead, clearing a path, especially for the downhills, when the wheelchairs are obviously flying. Every year, there’s a near collision because of idiots wearing earbuds, not paying attention. This year was no different. Seriously, if you must listen to music, just use one earbud, so you can hear if something important comes up.
Getting off my soapbox now… I ran by the first relay exchange. Right around the corner was mile 6. That split was 8:34. I ate the only GU I’d brought with me and washed it down with a cup of water from the aid station just past that mile marker.
Clark’s dad had started in front of me and I never caught up to him on that first leg. It wasn’t far into the second leg that I found the next teammate, Travis. I ran with him for a bit and then sped up again. This section of the course has the best downhills, heading back toward the Inner Harbor, so I had to take advantage. I ran miles 7, 8 and 9 in 8:46, 8:32 and 8:40.
Somewhere in that section, I was running through an intersection. Traffic was backed up on either side of it as drivers waited to cross (which was going to be a LONG wait.) Right as I ran through, someone laid on the horn, which made me snap my head. The cop holding traffic laughed and said “They like you! They like you!” Which made me laugh too. That did not sound like a friendly honk!
We got into the Inner Harbor area, which was nuts, as always. Half marathoners were trying to cross the marathon course to get to their own start line for the 9:45 a.m. start. There are also a ton of spectators.
As I was running through, I heard someone call my name and I stopped when I saw it was Shaggy, Clark’s and my old college roommate! He was running the half this year. I had a nice little chat (another perk of doing these races as training runs) and then went on my way.
Around the next bend in the road, we passed the second relay exchange for the first time, before doing an out-and-back to the Under Armour headquarters. Clark was there so I stopped for another little chat, to tell him I saw Shaggy.
Running again, I knew I was going to have to stop to use the bathroom. It’d been brewing since about mile 7. There was another water stop and a bank of port-o-potties just before mile 10. I ducked into one and took care of business.
My watch beeped mile 10 just after I got out. Between stopping to talk to people and the bathroom break, that mile had taken 10:24 to finish.
I felt a lot better though! I got to the turnaround at the UA headquarters and grabbed a sleeve of GU Chomps, ate half of them and held on to the other half for later.
Then we headed back toward the second relay exchange. I think this picture was taken along that stretch:
It was mile 10 before anyone commented on my Ravens shirt!
I ran miles 11 and 12 in 8:52 and 8:48, but I could feel my guts rumbling again. What the hell!
I made it past the relay exchange again, where I saw Clark again, still waiting on Travis, but just past that, I had to stop for the second time in three miles. It took me a little longer, but I wanted to make sure I got absolutely everything out that time.
I rejoined the race, passed the half marathon start, finished mile 13 in 11:05 and then crossed the halfway timing mat in 2:01.
The next few miles of the course are nice. It’s mostly flat and it’s quieter (but still has plenty of spectators.) There was a slight reroute this year that took us along more of the Inner Harbor than we used to see.
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel so great. I didn’t have to poop anymore, but I had the worst side stitch under my ribs on the right side. I really didn’t want to slow down and walk though, so I just dug my fingers into it and concentrated on exhaling when I was landing on the opposite foot. Don’t ask me why that works, but it does. Eventually. Miles 14, 15 and 16 were 9:04, 8:48 and 9:10.
And then we hit The Merge.
Right before the mile 16 marker, the marathon and half marathon courses come together for the final 10 miles. It goes from plenty of room to run to super crowded.
That also happens to be where the worst hills of the race are. Between not feeling like weaving through the crowds more than absolutely necessary and the hills, I always slow down on this stretch. This year was no exception. Miles 17, 18 and 19 were 9:17, 9:37 and 9:54.
On the bright side, the side stitch went away! I’d been worried I was in for a repeat of this race last year, when the side stitches and stomach cramping just got progressively worse until I’d had to run-walk the last eight miles, but that was not the case. I didn’t feel too bad by the time I made it past the last relay exchange just before mile 19!
There was more uphill in the next mile, but then we finally got a nice downhill stretch to Lake Montebello. The course made a lap around the lake next.
Mile 20 was on that lap. I finished it in 9:07. My elapsed time was something like 3:05 — 45 minutes faster than the horrible solo 20-miler I’d run a month earlier! I was really glad this one was going so much better.
A little past that, we hit the next aid station, which had more GU. (I’d eaten the other half of the Chomps at mile 16.) I took a strawberry-banana gel, some Gatorade and some water, then started running again. Mile 21 was 9:59.
We finished the lake lap. Immediately after that was an out-and-back they’d had to add last year when they changed the finish of the course. I hated it last year and I hated it this year too.
The rest of the course took us through some nice neighborhoods with a TON of spectator support. Mile 22 was 9:11.
I think I passed the Dunkin’ Donuts table in the next mile, where I stopped for the Munchkins this year since I didn’t feel like I would puke if I ate them, like last year. Mile 23 was 10:02.
In the next mile, I saw and cheered for the two people in tiger costumes dancing to “Eye of the Tiger” on repeat, nonstop, until the course closes. They’re an annual tradition! They had to miss it last year for work or something, so I was glad to see them back this time.
I actually felt just as good at the end of this marathon as I had at the beginning, which makes no sense. Mile 24 was 8:59.
In the next mile, I passed two spectators yelling at us “Y’all are gonna EAT tonight! Who wants to go get ice cream right now?” Mile 25 was 8:46.
There was a little more uphill in the last full mile, which kinda sucked, but it let me pass back the (relay) runner in the banana suit who’d passed me a mile earlier. Let me tell you, if you want attention from spectators, run in a banana suit. They were beside themselves when they saw that banana coming. All any of them could get out was “BANANA!” And then the banana would wave at them haha. Mile 26 was 9:08.
Then we made a left turn onto Pratt Street, and just ahead was the finish line!
I picked it up to a 7:00/mile pace for that last stretch. I heard Clark yell my name from the sideline and waved at him.
I finished the marathon in 4:02:52, a 9:16/mile pace.
That shirt seemed to get longer as I got sweatier, and by the end it looked like I wasn’t wearing shorts.
That time placed me 22nd of 135 in the F 35-39 age group, 118th of 924 women and 508th of 2,325 overall.
My Garmin had gotten a few 10ths ahead of the mile markers and said I’d run 26.5 miles, a 9:10/mile pace.
Either way, that overall pace was more than two minutes per mile faster than the one terrible 20-miler I did last month. I am feeling MUCH better about my ability to run a good race in Richmond than I was before Baltimore, which is the whole reason I sign up for this “training” marathon.
I got my medal, took some water and snacks for when my appetite came back and then went to try to find Clark.
Photo from the race’s Facebook page of the marathon medal on the cannon at Fort McHenry, the scene depicted inside this year’s fold-open medal.
He wasn’t where I’d seen him before the finish line, so I figured Bart, the last relay runner, must have finished. So I went to gear check to get my bag, then the changing tent to get into my dry clothes.
I’d never noticed this before, but everyone in that changing tent was making the same quiet “Ahhhhh!” sounds as they removed running shoes that no longer felt comfortable after hours of running or clothes that had either chafed or were just soaking wet with sweat. I was right there with them. It’s almost involuntary. NOTHING in this world feels better to me than taking off a soaking wet sports bra! I felt so much better in dry clothes.
Unfortunately, the gear check bags weren’t big enough to hold my sweats plus a different pair of shoes, so I had to put back on the shoes I’d just run in. I didn’t have any blisters from them or anything, but my feet just were not excited to be back in them.
Next stop was the beer garden, where I found the Bald Hairybacks celebrating their 4:13 finish. Chad had gone back to his hotel to shower, but eventually he and Samira made it to the beer garden too. He’d finished in 3:51. Not what he was aiming for, but I told him my first marathon had taken me almost 45 minutes longer than I’d expected. I also told him he’d be looking for his next marathon within two days and he said he was already thinking about it.
Chad, Clark and their dad.
Plus me.
The Bald Hairybacks, in order of the relay leg they ran — my father-in-law, Travis, Clark and Bart.
Dogfish Head was the beer sponsor again this year. We stayed until they were out of 60 Minute IPA, Namaste and SeaQuench Ale.
Clark, Bart, Travis and I went back to Pickles Pub, which was giving away another free beer with race bibs that day. We also got a late lunch, and then we all headed home.
Actually, Clark and I went to Kara and Huey’s house for Jamie’s 15th birthday party, where we got more food — burgers, salad and mac and cheese, with an ice cream birthday cake. Those spectators at mile 25 knew what they were talking about haha.
When that broke up, we went to the Washington Street Pub with Dave. By the time he was ready to leave, the final Dodgers-Brewers game was in the seventh inning, so Clark and I went to Doc’s to meet one of his other coworkers and see the end of the game.
The Dodgers pulled it off! They’re going back to the World Series!
Which means Clark and I are going too! Games 3, 4 and 5 are next weekend in L.A., but I’m not sure what the actual plan is right now.
We finally went home after that. I went straight to bed.
Sunday, I tried to sleep in, but I didn’t make it much past 7:30 a.m. Clark’s parents dropped off Pepper later in the morning, and we spent the rest of the day on the couch, watching NASCAR and football.
Today, I feel pretty good! I am officially tapering for Richmond, even though this week still has some decent mileage. Today is a short easy run and strength training.
A Simple Running Log 