Marathon #4 completed (grand rapids marathon)

I finally beat Oprah!!! That has always been my only marathon goal time. I've come close to her 4:29:20 on a couple occasions, and this year I won! Yay me!!

Not that I really care how fast (or slow) Oprah Winfrey ran a marathon in 1994. I suppose she somehow popularized the event for "normal people" (like she's at all normal). She was much younger, had her own personal chef and trainer, and a crew that ran alongside her... Still, she showed the world it can be done. And, heck, I read where she lost 72 pounds in the process! I've never been a fan of Oprah the personality, but she set a benchmark for me, and I can now say I'm more successful than her! Well, okay, maybe that's taking it a bit far...

Anyway, I ran the Grand Rapids Marathon this past Sunday, and finished in a personal best time of 4 hours, 27 minutes, and 43 seconds! Of the four marathons I have now completed, this was the most satisfying. Perhaps because I felt the most apprehensive going into this one (though I should have been more so in 2019 when I ran with a hangover), or maybe it's a culmination of all that's been going on the past 18 months. Who knows, but it felt good.

I had a lot of anxiety about this being my first 'away-from-home' marathon. I'd never been to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and I felt totally unprepared mentally for the course. Plus I was having some calf/achillies pain in my left leg, and right up until the race started I really wasn't sure if I'd be able to run or not. The previous week had been terrible.

I'm sure those of you who know me know that it was 'much ado about nothing' though. I felt fine the entire race, and if you can imagine, my leg feels fine now that the event is over. I mean, yes, I was plenty sore, but I had no injuries, no blisters, no chafing, and aside from the grueling strain of 4 1/2 hours of running, I felt pretty darn good from start to finish! At least that's how I remember it now.

  

LOGISTICS & LODGING

We left home around 11 Saturday morning and took I-69 N to I-94 W to Rt. 131 N and got to our friend's house in Dorr, MI in just under 2 1/2 hours. Dorr is just minutes southwest of Grand Rapids. We visited at their house for a bit, then headed over to Caledonia to check out the church building where Tom is the pastor. It's a really cool couple of buildings and we hope to go back soon so we can attend a Sunday service there.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Downtown on Pearl Street in Grand Rapids. It is just off to the right from 131, and only 2 blocks from the downtown YMCA where the event is held. It's the perfect place to stay, and wasn't bad as far as hotels go either. Parking was especially nice.

The hotel was right across the street from the Gerald R. Ford Museum on one side, and some other museum on the other. It's just across the river from the downtown area, and supposedly 1/2 mile from the Founders Brewery. We were going to go there but it didn't work out this trip. We did walk around downtown a bit Monday morning, and went with Tom and Kim to an Italian place for supper Saturday night. 

 THE NUMBERS

• Calories burned: 3,011
• GU Gels consumed: 5
• Water stations I stopped at: every single one
• Official time & distance: 4:27:43 (10:13 pace); 26.22 miles
• My watch said: 4:27:28 (10:04 pace); 26.57 miles
• Time at 26.22 miles according to my watch: 4:24:25 (10:05 pace)
• Slowest mile: 10:31
• Fastest mile: 9:10 (the last one)
• Total # of marathoners: 652
• My place: 376
  

 THE RUN

It was a bit nippy the morning of the race. I think it was like 45f. I went back and forth over what type shirt to wear. I finally settled on a long-sleeve shirt underneath with a t-shirt over it with my race bib. I figured that way if I got hot I could take the long-sleeve shirt off and still have my bib on the t-shirt. I got a little warm towards the end (it warmed up to about 60), but kept both shirts on and didn't sweat too much. I was also happy that I didn't have any chafing!

Both shirts were Walmart "wicking" shirts, the green shorts were the ones I've worn forever (I think I actually got them at Old Navy eons ago), I wore an Indy Mini hat, Hoka Clifton 7 shoes, and my new black Injinji toe socks. Everything was great - though I probably didn't need a hat.

This was the first time I'd ever run with a pace group. Their start corals are by celebrity, rather than projected time, so of course I was in the 'Oprah' group. It was pretty small from start to finish, but no one was annoying, so I stayed just a few feet behind them. A guy and a girl took turns holding the sign as pacers. He didn't look like a runner at all, but said this was his 19th marathon. Other people in the group were a guy that was 6'6", a couple guys running together - one was maybe 40 and the other maybe 20, and for quite awhile a guy from Chicago who was probably near my age. There was also a larger group called 'Hope Water' who were around for a bit, but they eventually scattered. No one ever talked to me (and I didn't talk to anyone), but it was kind of nice to listen to people chatting, especially the ones who ran this race every year. The guy pacer did a good job letting us know what to expect up ahead, and how we were doing time-wise and whatnot. I'm glad he was there.

I stayed with the group until mile 20 or 21. They got tangled up at a water station or something and I kept going. One of them passed me at another water station, but I ended up getting back in front. I'm sure they weren't too far behind me at the end, but I was mostly alone when I hit the home stretch. At least I think so - I was fairly oblivious.

Normally I start out really slow and get faster as I go. It was different running basically the same pace throughout, although my last 3.57 miles were my fastest (all under 10). 

 

THE EVENT

I liked this event. I'm not sure how many did the half, 10k, or 5k. Jane did the 5k and didn't think there were too many. I thought the numbers were just about right. Enough to make it fun, but not so many that you were crowded.

The course started at the downtown Y and you make a look through downtown, but once you cross back over the river it was mostly run in a park/greenway-type setting and wound through the countryside southwest of Grand Rapids. It was all very pretty - along a river and through woods and whatnot - but I was surprised so little of it was actually IN Grand Rapids.

It was a fairly flat course, but there were a few smallish climbs. Only one was at all steep and it was short, Overall I'd say it's flatter than Fort Wayne.

There were also plenty of aid/water stations. They had water and Gatorade at all of them, and some had GU gels, gummies, oreos, and pretzels. I only took water, but I took at least 1 or 2 cups at every station. I'm sure I could have shaved a little time off by skipping some, but for as slow as I go the hydration is probably more important.

The only part of the event that was a little lacking was the size of the beer garden area afterward. It was in a little fenced off section, and even without covid it was too crowded for my comfort. I wished it had been a bit larger, but it didn't keep me from having a beer or 2.5.

The BEST part about this event - by far - is the 10-day countdown emails the race director sends out! I thought this myself, and heard it from others during the run. The guy from Chicago said that's why he comes to Grand Rapids every year instead of running the Chicago Marathon. He really makes you feel like somebody, and I got misty-eyed I don't know how many times when reading his encouragement. I took a beer from Fort Wayne for the race director. Somewhere I read where he wanted people to bring him one, so I got a Hop River Harrison Street Wheat because not only is Hop River a Fort Wayne brewery, but the Y I work at is on Harrison Street (as is Hop River), and I thought it appropriate since the event is held at a Y. I don't know. I wanted to talk to the director, but I just gave it to a girl who said she'd put it in the box with all the other beers. Maybe he looked at it. :) He did give me a fist bump after I crossed the finish line and they said my name and that I was from Fort Wayne.

 AND SO IT GOES...

Another marathon down. I actually did a lot of praying and praising God during this run (and smiling). I'd never been this nervous before a run. I honestly didn't know if I could even do it. At about halfway I still wasn't feeling too confident. At the 16 or 18-mile mark I thought I was going to have to walk. Around 20 miles, though, I think I finally convinced myself I wasn't going to go this far with the Oprah group and not at least try to beat her time! When I got back into town and turned toward the final straightaway with about a quarter mile to go... it was like turning into a wind tunnel and I STILL didn't know how it would end! The stretch was also lined with people though - including the best wife imaginable - and I think it's the first time I can remember smiling as I approached the finish line. Whether it was all the emails from Don, or the amount of anxiety before the race, this actually felt like a victory for me! I was happy (and you know I don't say that often).

I would consider coming back for this marathon again. I liked the atmosphere and am not sure I'm up for a 'big city' race. This seemed a good fit for me. We'll see.

***

Psalm 139:14-16

"Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
    you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
    I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
    before I’d even lived one day."