26.2 miles later and I'm still kicking...
If you follow me on social media then you've likely seen a post come through your feed regarding the recent Dallas Marathon that I participated in.
As an avid runner, accomplishing the feat of running a marathon was something that I have always aspired to check off my list. However, the road to successfully completing the marathon took a little bit of a "two steps forward - one step back" type of approach.
Let me explain...
2021
Every year the BMW Dallas Marathon takes place around the second weekend of December. In 2021, my first year living in Dallas, I decided it was time for me to give running a marathon a shot.
With only a few months out from the 2021 Dallas Marathon, I found a 12-week marathon training program that I thought would certainly prepare me to complete the dreaded elevation that the course had to offer. However, 2 days prior to the race, I caught a virus that was spreading and was unable to compete.
Despite my setback, I knew that I was still wanting to complete a marathon and decided that I would set my sights on next year.
2022
After officially being a Dallas resident for over a year at this point, I knew it was only fitting that the Dallas Marathon be the one race that I attempt to complete first. Only this time - with more intense training and focused planning.
I found a 16-week marathon training plan that I altered slightly to fit my routine as a runner. From there - it was time to get moving.
Initially, I was following the training plan exactly as instructed, but quickly began to burn out due to the sheer amount of time it was taking up. Many weeks consisted of over 30 miles that I just didn't feel were providing me as much value as I'd hoped.
I adjusted the routine to encompass 3-4 weekly training runs that were shorter in duration and mileage and one weekly long-run where I took it slow and steady for an extended amount of time. Eventually, my long runs worked there way up to 18 miles.
However, as great as 18 miles is....it's no marathon. I knew that my biggest challenge still lie ahead and as the date neared, it would benefit me less to continue increasing my mileage. It was time to taper down.
So with my longest run ever being 18 miles, I stepped up to the starting line.
Race Day
Around 4:45am I woke up to drink my coffee, eat some breakfast, and stretch out ahead of our 8:50am race time.
I arrived to my corral around 7:45am to continue stretching and ensure a decent position towards the beginning of my group. Finally, at 8:50am, my corral took off for our 26.2 mile journey.
I was quickly greeted by my fiancé, friends, and family as I approached the 1/2 mile marker where they cheered me on and then left to go wait on me at the 9 mile point.
After making my way through downtown Dallas and the historic Highland Park neighborhood, I turned down the most exciting stretch of the entire race (with the exception of the finish line, that is) - Greenville Avenue.
Greenville Avenue is known for it's bustling shops, bars, and restaurants that line either side of the historic street. Nestled tightly within one of Dallas' most well-known neighborhoods, this street serves as the location of the majority of supporters throughout the race.
Luckily, Rachel and I live on the corner of Greenville Ave. and as I made my way through the crowd and approached mile 9, I once again saw my phenomenal support group waiting to cheer me on.
At this point of the race, I had instructed Rachel to have a granola bar ready to hand off to me so I could gain some much needed energy before heading down towards the lake. However, with the adrenaline pulsing through me and the crowd cheering for the runners, I instead waved off the granola bar and shouted to my crew
"I'm feeling dangerous."
A sentiment I would soon regret.
The Lake...
After leaving the hustle and bustle of Greenville Ave., myself and the other runners made a left turn to head down to White Rock Lake. The lake is a 9-mile loop surrounded by some of the most prominent homes in Dallas sitting amongst the hilltops that line the shore.
I had trained at White Rock plenty of times prior to race day, but hardly ever after having already run 11 miles.
The lake had aid stations set up every 2 miles or so to help runners refuel with water and gatorade but the mental side of running a marathon started to creep in at at this point due to the sheer lack of cheering supporters that were able to stand along the lake.
The lake was a lonely portion of the run for me as I began to experience cramps that I had not previously dealt with during training. From around mile 15, all the way until I finished the race, I had to stop every 400 yards or so and massage out (apologies for the graphic description) tennis ball sized knots that would pop out of my quads.
This slowed me down tremendously, but at the end of the day, I kept on running/walking until I eventually made it around the lake, up the dreaded hill at mile 20, and all of the way back to downtown where my support group was waiting to cheer me on as I crossed that much-desired finish line.
Key Takeaways
A few things I learned from running a marathon.
A great support team makes all of the difference
Your feet will hurt worse than expected
Smiling helps your mentality throughout the race (of which I'd say about 85% of the race is mental)
Dallas has more hills than I expected
Thanks for reading everyone! If you want to learn more about my experiences or begin training for a marathon of your own please don't hesitate to reach out to me via the website or social media!
Vin
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