The Morning After - PF Chang Rock 'N Roll Arizona Marathon

The elation of a great run is fleeting.  So much you wonder if the tale isn't fantasized.  A concoction of chemical influenced memories crippled by an over active imagination.  But you know it happened.  Right?

Yesterday marked my 2nd running of the PF Chang Rock 'N Roll Arizona Marathon.  The route where I proudly gave my marathon virginity two years ago.

Sure I have two marathons between that first time and this one, but those two marathons were pitiful attempts of filling an empty void that is truly here, on this route, during this time of the year.  My results at those efforts reflect it.  Despite completing both, I wasn't prepared for either and my PR remained in Arizona.  With that first one.  As it should be.

My first outing was predominately about finishing without dying.  New to the sport of amateur jogging :) , I focused and trained on completing it.  A set goal of 05:15:00, roughly a 12:00 per mile pace or thereabouts.  And I did that.  Finished.  Didn't die obviously.  And missed my time target by over two minutes.  Miraculous.

Now I'm back after dropping out last year as a result of lack of physical and mental preparation.  This time.  This year.  All of me.  I was prepared.  Physically and mentally, as I've put both through some grueling tests recently.

Up early to get the fires within burning.  To get the mind game on point.  To empty all residual waste by-products (yes this is important).

Had a couple of hick-ups that were unavoidable.  It happens when you're living with a loved one with dementia.  But now we have arrived.

Downtown in the bite of the desert winter morning cold that will soon give way to lovely warm January tempts.  Animal (Brillz Remix) on repeat to get the mind primed.  I was ready.  Sub 5 hour goal the target.  It's time to do this.

Quick meet up with faster more mature runners who continue to inspire me: how da hell she pull off a 03:35hr @ 8:15 pace so casually? Seriously?  Who da fvck does this?  And we're not bringing up Ms. 32nd Marathon lady pulling an impressive 04:45 with her weekly antics that shows no signs of letting up.  Where da fvck does she get all the engergy?

But I digress - after a reality check with friends "somebody got to hold down the rear" I head from their 2nd coral start back to coral '06.  Perfect coral number for me; if you know what I'm saying; "A-phi!"

I was briefly disappointed there was no pacer in sight for times greater than 4:30.  But that's when I discovered this was "my race, my run, my day, and my effort."  It was truly going to be about me.  No pacer to worry about.  A run to simply enjoy and soak in.

And soak it up I did.

Y'all I never had such a wonderful time on course as I did yesterday.  I spoke with spectators.  I cheered on the volunteers and thank them profusely.  Mingled with Jesus in Arcadia which I found before the half point.  A truly delightful experience.

Now a marathon ain't no joke.  Shyt is serious.  Pretty demanding on the fvcking body, so all wasn't roses without the fvcking torns.  Hell to the nawl!

This would also be the first distance run I would run without any self contained liquid support.  No hydration pack.  Just gels, a half eaten cliff bar, two GoPro Sessions, and my cell phone.  That's it.  I was dependent on the aid-stations and my ability to monitor myself  accordingly.  Shyt had me scared but it was the challenge that I wanted to experience.

I have trust issues.  No joke.  And this was going to test my fvcking trust for realz.

Mile 11 I realized my gels were slowly turning into molasses within my stomach, so I was going to need to adjust my fueling strategy if I was going to survive this. Thank goodness for trail training and depletion training runs.  I had some idea of how to play all this out without running into the dreaded wall!

Mile 19 had to take a piss break due to my increased water intake to dilute the growing sugary mess within.  Decided to do the port-a-potty instead of pissing down my leg.  Shyt ain't that serious.  But those are 180-240 seconds I will not recover.

Mile 22 is where the fight of the whole run occurred.  It was mile 22 where the five hour mark would be won or lost.  My innards protested and screamed "byotch oscillate and juggle us one more d@mned time and watch you find yourself on the side of the fvcking road in the fetal."  I was hurting bad.  This wasn't the wall.  This was GI distress like I had never experienced on a run ever!

This in conjunction with an ever tightening right hamstring that felt it would pop at any given moment.  I knew the hamstring issue was a side effect of not enough salts and too much water in the system used to dilute the sugary!  Oh the joy.

Fam, I can't say what happened.  Can't say how or if the fight ended.

I remember a lady in ink-n-burn gear and remember saying, stay with her.  I remember putting my head down and turning up the music and going into a dark corner within head.  Embracing the discomfort as I seperated body and mind. 

Zoning out I remember briefly thinking, "this ain't shyt compared to The North Face Endurance Challenge. Your legs aren't as tired.  Your cardio is fantastic!  Fvck this and keep it moving.  You're good.  Fvck the signals from your body.  There are no medical concerns or emergency needs.  Keep it moving."

Keep it moving I did.  Mile 22 would find me at a 13:10 min pace but I recovered mile 23 out, gradually increasing my splits to the end.

Near mile 24 is where I bonded with Johnathon of the Wilderness Brewing Company here in town.

Unless you're a runner, it's hard to explain how sometimes in the mist of a run when you need that push how you can bond with someone without saying a word.  Yet you connect.  It was after mile 24 before we actually began speaking with each other.  Pushing each other.

It was his first marathon and he had an excellent run.  But I owe so much to him giving me that extra I needed right there at the end where the fatigue was really sitting in and the fight from earlier had taken so much out of me.  My body slowly breaking down, yet my spirits so high!

Needless to say, the marathon was a wonderful event.  Rock 'N Roll events can be overwhelming to most.  But I'm finding that the majority of folks participate in the shorter distances and the marathon distance isn't as crowded as they once were, which is both wonderful and somewhat disparaging.

I did finish within my target five hour finish.  Officially  4:56:47 @ 11:20 per mile avg.  Yes a new marathon PR.  Race isn't given to the swift...

My splits are testament to the struggles I've shared.  Holding a consistent average pace of 10:58 per mile for roughly the first 19 miles.  With miles 21, 22, and 23 splits revealing the fight of mind and body in eerie detail.

Will I be back to dance with the mistress that I so willfully give myself to sadomasochism?

Damned straight I will!  It hurts so good.  To the point that makes you wonder through all the emotional and chemical alterations the mind and body endures to complete a marathon, did it really happen the way I remembered it?  Could it really have been that profound, inspiring, painful, and challenging simultaneously?  Some sort of freakishly life cocktail to elicit the joys of mind alteration and the lows of adventure hangover through spirit and body?  WTF?!?

Guess I'll need to keep on this journey as long as I'm blessed with the body and mind to discover the wonders of life within myself and among others who dare face the limits of their existence to see.

Amazing how foggy the memory can be the morning after.  

Don't forget to watch the video (will post below so come back if it isn't uploaded yet - uploading)!  Visit my YouTube channel and subscribe to stay up to date, as I publish videos on the regular that may not show up here!  Remember be good, do you, and try to be the best you you know.