The Great Gasparilla

I was the sole Vermonter to complete the Gasparilla Marathon yesterday in 4:00:44. It's too bad that this was the last Gasparilla Marathon, because I had a blast. I was blessed with perfect weather, a great FLAT course, and sunshine!

It was rough waking up at 3:15 a.m., especially after a night of pre-marathon tossing and turning. I was nervous on my way to the start because navigating through Tampa when so many roads were closed for the marathon was a challenge. I knew that I needed to be at the convention center and I could see it, but I just couldn't get there. I circled the one way streets of Tampa for a 1/2 hour before I made it to a parking garage. I met up with my friend Rich (the only other Vermonter--picture on right), who was running the Gasparilla 1/2 Marathon, at the convention center (race headquarters). Neither of us were really sure where the start line was, so we dropped our stuff off at the bag drop and followed a pack of other runners at about 5:40 a.m.

We faced the moon at the starting line--a spectacular site. I ran the first seven miles or so in the dark which was really cool. It was as though the miles didn't really exist because I couldn't really see where I was going and I was still a bit sleepy. The first loop of the course was around Davis Island. An island of beautiful homes that you couldn't really see yet. It was flat and friendly, except for the bridge we had to run over to enter and exit the island. The bridge was very congested, crowded, and we all bottlenecked.

The second loop went through the downtown skyscrapers. I enjoyed being able to see the runners ahead of me and behind me throughout the out-and-back sections of this part.

The third loop of the course was a long out-and-back along Bayshore Blvd, which runs all along the bay. I started to really feel my legs around mile 15 or so which is where I typically run into trouble (usually mile 16), so I avoided looking at my watch. I tried to get in a zone and ignore my legs.

I was trying to maintain a relaxed 9ish mile pace throughout the marathon. In the first half, this meant really holding myself back. I wanted to finish the marathon feeling strong and consistent. So, I ran with the 4 hour pace group for miles 15ish through 20ish. This was a challenge for me because I'm not a pack runner. I felt boxed in and had trouble seeing where I was going. In hind site, staying with the pace group was probably the best thing for me. It kept my mind off my cramping quads, my pace relaxed, and enjoying the marathon.

Right around mile 20, the pace group picked up the pace (or so I perceived). My quads were cramping and the run felt tougher. Then, I noticed another girl, Christy, who started walking. She was part of the 4 hour pace group and couldn't keep up with their pace. I patted her on the back and told her to hang in there and run with me. Thank goodness she did. We both motivated each other as we picked up the pace and engaged in great conversation. Christy dropped off again after mile 21 and I ran the rest on my own.

Just after Christy dropped off, I approached a spectator-crowded intersection of the course. I looked up at the crowd and saw my mom. I was so excited to see her (picture below). I knew she was coming down to watch me, but I didn't expect to see her until the finish. My mom took a couple pictures of me, I gave her a hug, and told her I'd be at the finish around 10. That was all the motivation I needed. Off I ran with a smile on my face.

The final 5 miles weren't easy. A headwind picked up and the sun beamed down on my face. My quads were still cramping, but I kept pushing. I tried to stay relaxed and focused. I picked off one mile at a time. I could see the finish area from about a mile away. I slowly reeled in the finish and picked up my final push through the line. I wanted to finish around 4:00:00 (yet, really sub 4:00:00) and I squeaked across the line in 4:00:44--close enough!

This was one of my strongest mental races. I ran the first 20 with my head so I could enjoy (relatively speaking) the final 6.2. I ran an exceptionally even paced race. My mile paces ran from 8:51-9:37, but mostly right around 9:10. My half split was 2:00:00...doesn't get much closer for a equal first and second half.

So, this was not my fastest marathon and not my slowest. It was one of my greatest though. To top it all off, I got the coolest medal. My new favorite (and Riley's too). Now, it's time to rest, and refocus on my VT City Marathon and Mooseman Triathlon training.

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