Well, I did a thing yesterday.
Well, my husband did a thing yesterday. We are officially signed up to run the Houston Marathon, on January 14, 2024.
Just typing that sentence gave me the chills.
The Houston Marathon is currently home to my marathon PR from Houston 2019 in 2:55:29. Running Houston 2019 was so exhilarating. It was the first “big” marathon I had ever competed in and it was the first time I ran a sub 3 marathon.
The coolest part, in hindsight, is that my dad, step-mom, and little sister were there to support and cheer me on. My dad and step-mom made a killer team and found me a couple of times on the course and having them there to cheer me on is a memory I cherish.
I still remember running Houston 2019 like it was yesterday and to this day, I hold that race as the race of my life to date, but aspire to have more.
My First Sub 3 Marathon
In short, it was a very chilly, crispy morning before the start of the race. My dad stood with me on the outside of my coral allowing me to keep my clothes on as long as possible before being shuffled to the start line. This is where I learned that throw-away clothes are a thing. LOL
The race took off and my toes were nearly numb from the chill, but the rest of me was ready to roll. I instantly fell into my goal pace of 6:40 coming through the first mile in 6:38 according. I felt smooth even though I was still a little cold.
The pace felt easier and easier. I rarely looked at my watch as the pace was so familiar to me. I enjoyed the music and the scenery to some extent but remained very focused on the task at hand. It wasn’t until mile 15 that I started constantly running in the 6:40-something range, but until then had been running 6:30-somethings so I wasn’t too concerned with the slight reduction in pace. I kept chugging along until miles 24 and 25. I ran 6:49 and 6:51 not terrible for this late in the race, but definitely not goal pace. I really goofed by getting distracted by the landscape as we re-entered downtown for the final stretch and got lazy resulting in a 7:14 mile 26 split (whoops). Well, that split was enough to redirect my focus to the upcoming finish line as I finished the last 0.20 in 6:09 pace.
I had missed my goal time by 29 seconds and I was livid. I was exhausted, but I was mad. I wish I could describe the feelings I felt better, but it was the craziest rush of emotions. Instead of being happy with an eight-minute PR, I was mad that I had pushed more.
To be honest, before the race, I had believed I could run sub 2:55, not by much, but I believed I could. I had never felt stronger in my life, yet here I was at the finish line having run 2:55 plus. I was fuming.
I found my family and was greeted with such love and excitement. I wanted to celebrate with them, but I shared my disappointment and was met with hugs and encouragement. It would take me a couple of months following to finally find my rhythm running again. I continued to run fast, but I no longer felt strong and confident but scared and my body seemed to carry that anger from the finish line until I made it a point to just let it go because it was doing me more harm than good. It was not fueling me, but hindering me from moving forward.
My Second Sub 3 Marathon
In December 2019, I ran CIM in 2:56:52 after feeling less than ideal during the build-up. The paces that once felt effortless during the Houston build felt more strenuous during the CIM build, but I persevered. I felt very meh about those race results. I was happy to have run another sub 3 marathon, but I felt like I had lost the magic from training that I had before Houston. I had felt completely spent at the finish line of CIM like I had given absolutely everything I had that day, and so I was not disappointed. I mean I almost threw up a few minutes after crossing the line, but I have never let running win like that and so I refused to let myself throw up then too.
In the spirit of running well, but not too well, I elected to return to Houston in 2020 after returning home and feeling great. Houston was only 6 weeks after CIM, but with the support of my coach, we decided to retest my fitness because why not. I was hungry to return to Houston. I was hungry to return to the course that had beat me, but God had other plans as my flight to Houston from Kansas City was canceled due to winter storms. I had no plan B and so Houston 2020 was out, but it was for the better because I had become sick in the days leading up to Houston. If the weather had not stopped me, I would have run Houston sick or not, and who knows what would have happened then.
I was disappointed, but clearly needed a break so I took two weeks off from running, the longest break I had taken from running since high school to rest and recover.
The Beginning of what Felt like the End
The time away from running was a much-needed reset. As my coach and I sat down after the break to map out the next block of training we decided to go after a fast 5k to change things up, but little did we know that there wouldn’t be any more racing for anyone in a few weeks with the onset of COVID.
Lucky for me, all I needed for training was the outdoors and so I kept training. In mid-April 2020, I had a roommate of mine pace me through 5k at 6-minute pace to test my fitness a bit. I came through 5k in 18:49, not too shabby for my old marathon legs. The first mile was smooth and controlled, but it only felt like I was sprinting for the last 2 miles.
Then fast forward another 6 weeks to finding out I was pregnant with my firstborn and the dreams of chasing PRs and grinding out miles endlessly were put on hold until now.
I have been pregnant twice and breastfeeding endlessly over the past 3 years and am still breastfeeding now, but I am finally ready to get back to chasing PRs and pounding the pavement. My training is going to look drastically different as the pre-baby days of 70-90 mile weeks are long gone as a full-time job, two-time parent, and wife calls, but I am more than ready for the challenge.
So here goes nothing! Below, you will find my upcoming race schedule. Stay tuned!
2023-2024 Race Schedule
Prairie Fire Half Marathon Oct 8, 2023
Salina Crossroads Marathon Nov 4, 2023
Houston Marathon Jan 14, 2024
Cheers, running friends, and happy miles!
