Race report: Nice marathon, Nov 7, 2009

No, I have not run marathon recently but since I have nothing to write about and I am bored (I know, I have final exams next week and should be studying, but I am a lazy student and I hate school, so...), I decided to write a race report about my 1st and only marathon (so far).
It is pretty funny story, little sad at the end and with semi-scientific approach.

I came to Paris in Sept 2008 and since I have been already running every day I decided to do Paris marathon in April. I was pretty good with training plan, did long runs, high mileage, but not so much intervals or tempos. I felt confident for 3:30. Unfortunately I got injured (ITB problem) 1 month before the marathon so did not run it (kind of...).
Because I was supposed to go to school to Nice, already before Paris marathon I signed up for Nice-Cannes marathon in Nov.
However, things got complicated:
-after Paris I was not able to run for 5 months, I only biked for 3 months out of those 5, and start running again 2,5 months before Nice
- and I did not go to school to Nice.
So I was really pissed that I signed up for a race, paid entry fee, train and hotel. But since I was signed up, I decided to go. But was not excited at all.
I did not use a real plan for this marathon, just run how I felt, but my mileage was still around 60miles during a peak week (could not do more because my ITB started to act up towards the end) and few times I even did some real intervals (6x1k).
Although I was not very confident, I still believed I can finish the thing in a decent time. Since I am use to do all my runs (long, short) at around 8min pace (maybe 7:45, maybe 8:15, somewhere around that), I was secretly hoping for 3:30. You know, 3:30 seemed so fast a year ago (I ran few miles with a friend in Boston marathon in 2008, she ran 3:23 and I ran like 7miles with her and then just dropped out because I could not keep up with her). But after running higher mileage past year, 3:30 has not seems so fast anymore. But I still was not sure I could do that.
I was really scared of hitting a wall. That was my nightmare! So my plan was to run 8min pace until 35th km (because 30-35k is a "wall range", right?) and then if I feel good, I would pick up the pace to finish at around 3:30. Worse scenario: hit the wall and drag myself to finish somehow under 5h because I had a train to catch to Paris (you know, having a train, plane or something to catch is a really highly motivating factor. I highly recommend it.)

Now the funny part (ok, not so funny):
Race instructions said that no large baggages will be taken onto bus from start to finish, only things we need at the finish line. And I was going there alone, so nobody would take my things with him. This meant I had to pack everything I needed into one very small backpack. Race was Sunday, I was going there on Saturday. So basically I took with me this:
3 cotton t-shirts (I do not have any technical whatever-fabric t-shirts as most hard core runners do. One t-shirt I was wearing on Saturday while traveling, then one for running and one for changing afterwards. I also used the one for running as my pyjamas during the night:) I am such an idiot)
1 shorts (in backpack)
3 pairs of socks (1 wearing, 2 in backpack. I got special running socks for the occasion on Friday and I was going to wear them for the first time during a race. Please be gentle with me, I was not a real marathoner back then. Now I know that I should never try anything new on a race day)
3 pair of underwear (1 wearing, 2 in backpack)
2 sport bras (1 wearing, 1 in backpack)
1 spandex (wearing)
1 running jacket (wearing)
1 pair of sneakers (wearing)
2 Milka caramel chocolates (yummy) (in backpack. I bought them on Monday and it is still a miracle to me that I have not eaten them by Saturday because chocolate usually does not last too long around me)
6 slices of whole wheat-bread (in backpack. I baked it myself day before)
2 tiny orange-flavored sport gels (in backpack. I have never eaten any energy gels before, but I had read that marathoners do that, so I was a marathoner now and therefore I bought two together with my socks a day before!)
1 toothbrush (in backpack)
1 toothpaste (in backpack)
1 0.5l bottle of water (in backpack)
ID card
10 Euros
Credit card
Cell phone
No towel, no hair brush, no lotion (or vaseline or whatever marathoners use) because my tiny backpack was already full!
I am a light traveler:) And I had Tax law notes with me because I was supposed to have an exam on Monday.
I took a train to Nice Saturday morning. It is like 5-6 hours with TGV. Not too bad. I ate one chocolate on a train, I needed energy right?
When I arrived to Nice and it was raining:( I hit the expo, got my bib and goodies and went to the hotel.
Well, hotel...I got there and there was a huge sign on a door "Sorry, this establishment was closed by (something with ministry and authorities) and will be closed until (I do not remember the date). What the heck? I called the hotel that I was there and that there is this sign but the guy told me not to worry, that's ok and that he will be right down to get me. Ok...Have you seen the movie Psycho? I did and that movie was all I could think of going up the stairs with this creepy one-eyed!!! guy. But what did I expect for 35Euros a night, right?
I was really considering not staying there but then I called my sister and told her where I was so they know where to look for my body if I did not show up. Then I felt reassured and decided to stay. (Did I mention that my parents have no idea about this marathon business? They are not very supportive, my mom would freak out if she knew I was about to run a marathon. So I just did not told them. They still do not know. Only my sister and couple friends from school knew I was running this.)
In the evening I ate another chocolate and 3 sliced of bread (for energy, right?) and finish my water bottle. Water in the hotel was disgusting, I am not sure whether it was drinking water or not so I played it safe and drank only little.
Anyway, I survived the night, not raped, killed or anything, finish my 3 slices of bread, drank little water from the tub and left the place asap.

Sunday morning was nice, no rain, but pretty cold. I was freezing and thirsty. Shoot, I should have drunk more of that disgusting water!
I checked in my tiny backpack and went to start. I was not wearing my glasses so did not see where to go, so I just entered from the back and tried to get to 3:30 pacers. It did not workout out, I got stuck with 3:45 people but I could see (well, "see") 3:30 pacer not far ahead.

Then off we went. Race starts at Promenade des Anglais, which is very broad and flat, so very easy to get around people and run fast.
I sprinted first 200m to get to 3:30 pacer:) Then I just kept my nice easy 8min pace. After few miles I got ahead of 3:30 group because they were running little bit slower than 8min pace. So I just told to myself, DO NOT let them get you! And that's what I did. I kept turning around the whole way to check whether they were gaining on me or not:)
I run very relaxed race, feeling good. We ran on a coast so I was enjoying the scenery, nice houses and stuff.
I felt very good, but did not want to pick it up, because I was so scared of THE wall. I debated with myself to pick it up after half, but no no no. Wait until 35k!
There were some hills between half and 30k, but they did not seem to bad and I kept passing people. I felt relaxed.
Then 30k came. Ok, this is it. "THE wall range". At the aid station I took 2 half bananas. My plan was to eat them slowly during next 5k. And I did. I ran with one banana in each hand, smiling and enjoying. At around 32k I also ate one of those energy gels I was carrying with me in my shorts pocket. It was ok taste, but I have not felt any energy boost or anything. There were few more uphills and downhills, still smiling and running with my bananas and taking a bite now and then. Unfortunately on downhills my ITB started to act up and my whole right thigh was started to feel "crampy". I tried to relax it somehow while running, it did not help too much but at around 35kn we got back to flat road and it was much better.
35k, "THE wall range" was over and time to pick up the pace! I bet those bananas helped me to get through it without hitting it. Or was it those Milka caramel chocolates? not sure:) I drank only water so far, but this time I took also coke (because everybody was doing it..daaaa. I am a marathoner now, so do what other marathoners do!) and I ate/drank my second gel and two more bananas at the aid station. But this time I did not want to carry them with me for too long, so I just ate them by 37k. I was feeling good physically, but mentally I was ready to be done with this. I keep picking up the pace, although I do not know by how much, since I was not a proud owner of a Garmin back then. But I was running negative splits.
As we were approaching Cannes there were crowds cheering on us. It was cool, I liked it.
Then I saw the red carpet and I knew we had only few more hundred meters to go.
And then just like a movie star I crossed the finish line in 3:27,21.

I felt I could have run faster but it was my first marathon so I wanted to play it safe and finish.
I went to get my backpack and this older guy turned to me and said "You look young. Was this your first marathon?". I said yes and he said that 3:27 is pretty good for a first timer. And he also said that I will be very sore tomorrow but not to worry because with every other marathon I run, I will be less and less sore:)
Hm, I wonder whether it is true. I want to find out in the future:) But I guess he was right, because he was right about soreness the next day. I was very sore next few days. And my ITB got pretty bad during the train ride back to Paris and I had to take one month off to heal it.

I felt little lonely at the end. I think that I would have enjoyed it much more if somebody was there with me, cheering and meeting me at the finish line. Oh, well. Maybe in the future.

Other than that, it was fun:) Everything worked out fine. No problem with my socks, gels did not upset my stomach, I did not need more t-shirts or underwear or anything.