Wow. Here I am at the end of the week and ready to start the weekend. This one may not be as exiting of the last one, though. I'm still reflecting on what last Sunday meant to me and so many other runners. Some had just ran their first half marathon. Some, such as myself, had just ran their first marathon. I ran, mixed in with just a little walking, a total 26.2 miles throughout the city of Pittsburgh on May 1st, 2016. I can't believe it. Me? I did that? Are you serious? I still shake my head in disbelief, but I also still smile with pride. If you were to see me, you'd notice that my smile is bigger and wider than any you may find on an Eat N Park cookie.
Two Days Prior to Race Day
Friday was relatively calm and quiet. I was still relaxed and not worried about "running" a 5k in the morning. Yeah, the day before I'm supposed to run a marathon, I'm running a 5k. The marathon has to shake things up a bit with what they call the Steel Challenge. If you run the 5k on Saturday and then one of the big races on Sunday, you get an extra medal. Who doesn't want extra race bling? However, that was Saturday and this is Friday. I was just trying to remain focused on the task at hand. I just had a few things to take care of in order to prepare for Sunday. It was now time to hit up the Marathon Expo and get my race bibs!
My first stop was the Mario Lemieux Foundation. I had chosen to run for a reason as you all know, and as an incentive to raise money for a good cause, the foundation rewards their runners when you reach certain fundraising goals. This was my third year being part of #teamlemieux and as you can see by the pic, I (with the help of so many others) was able to raise enough money to be rewarded with a signed Mario Lemieux jersey. Just like last year, I've chosen to raffle off the jersey to those that donated. Without their help, I would not have had the success I have had once again. For a third year, we were able to raise over $2500, which I'm calling our hat trick! What's even more amazing is that, as I stated in a previous post, we were able to raise over $10,000 in that time frame. I truly cannot thanks everyone enough for for all they have done for me and this charity.
Next up was the expo. I picked up my 5k bib and shirt, but my marathon bib was next. It's about to go down.
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Look ma, I got my bib! Not sure of the volunteer's name, but she had the
bib, so she got the pic with me. |
Now, what's a trip to the expo without finding your name on the wall? I found my name twice. In fact, a lot of runners had heir name listed twice. This was because we all signed up for the Steel Challenge. But, for all I know, this could be my Earth - 2 doppelganger. I just pray he's not evil. (There has been a lot of that going on, on Earth - 2.)
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I'm a big fan of the show Arrow on TV as well as the Green Arrow comics
and comics in general. Last year my bib said "I'm Batman." This year
I had to become something more...... |
Saturday, 5K day!
It was Saturday morning and I was meeting up with my girlfriend at the time, her girls' uncle, and a few other friends before prior to the start of the race. The goal of the day was to simply run easy, and to not "do anything stupid" the day before the marathon. We managed to do just that. My friends and I were able to stick with Coach Suzanne who was pacing runners at a 10:30 pace, but Chad and a few others jumped ahead and we lost sight of them. Eventually we lost site of Kirsten and her son because Kaden had some wheels and they needed to go faster. Overall, it felt good to not take a run too seriously and really just have fun with it. We finished in around 33 or 34 minutes, and now it was time for the kids marathon run. We had all headed back to the starting line on the North Shore by PNC park so that my girlfriend at the time could meet up with her girls, and then I headed back over to the finish line. There were so many nice things to witness during that run, and it was really awesome getting to see the kids come sprinting down the street and towards the finish line. It was a blast!
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| Kim, Kirsten, and I with a photo bomb courtesy of Kirsten's little one. |
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| The SCRR 5k Runners! Photo courtesy of Steel City Road Runners Group. |
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| Coach Suzanne's "kids" getting ready for the 5k. |
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| Hey coach, pay attention! We're talking a selfie! |
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| That's better. And hey,self, close your darn mouth already. |
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| Runners are off and...well....running! |
Looks like someone forgot to move his thumb.
We went back towards the expo to look around some more and to see if maybe there was anything else we may need for Sunday. There wasn't, so it was time to head on home. The race was less than 24 hours away and things were about to get real, and exciting, real fast!
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| A little dark in that area, but we had to take a pic near the logo. |
Now that I was home and ready to relax, I wanted to be sure that I had a proper pre-race meal (lots of pasta) and that I did my best too stay off of my feet. I was already feeling tired so that was good sign as far as sleep was concerned. I had a feeling that I was going to be able to sleep and I would be good to go for the morning. Still remaining focused, I decided to get my play list in order for tomorrow's big run.
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| Yeah, this is how you start a marathon! With a little Def Leppard! |
I wanted to be asleep by 9pm so I crawled into bed at 8pm. My girlfriend at the time and I were texting and keeping each other calm as well as sending good vibes to one another. But now, it was time for bed. I layed my head down on my pillow and closed my eyes. I was ready to sleep. WRONG! As tired as I was, and as relaxed as I thought I was, I could NOT fall asleep! I thought for sure I would! Nope. I tossed and turned for hours trying what ever I could to make sure my eyes got heavier and I passed out. Nothing worked! However, I finally fell asleep somewhere around midnight as my alarm went off at 4:30 AM and I woke up. Despite the little amount of sleep I got, I did not really feel tired at all. I actually felt like I was well rested! I was now awake, and it was now time to get ready.
Sunday, May 1st, 2016, RACE DAY!
I always shower before a race, even though I know I would need one after I ran. It makes me more comfortable and at ease when I'm fresh and clean right before a race. (I know, weird running quirks) It does also helps calm me down. Little did I know that while I was in the shower, my room mate would be posting a video on Instagram of me listening to the theme of Rocky. Yep. That's how I was getting ready for my first marathon.
I made sure I had all I needed for race day the night before (and Friday,) so I was dressed quickly. I had all my gels and rain gear for my phone (Zip Loc baggie.) I had my running belt complete with full bottles of water. It was now time to head off to the city as well as the Westin Hotel to meet up with my girlfriend, and the rest of the SCRR group.
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| The calm before the storm, walking across the Smithfield Street Bridge. Such a great city. |
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| All your Steel City Road Runners: Photo Courtesy of Steel City Road Runners Group |
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| Getting wound up at the start line |
We lined up in our corals and just nervously waited for the starting gun to pop. The National Anthem was sung beautifully, and within minutes, it was go time. The send each corral out in waves, and we were in corral C. We had a little wait ahead of us, so that meant we had a few more minutes to clear our minds and get a few more stretches in. But then, we were off. Right at the start, the rain started to come down. It didn't bother me too much, but I'm goofy and actually don't mind running in the rain. It rained for the better part of the first 5 miles all the way into the North Side of the city. The spectators were amazing, as they are every year. So many had lined the streets to cheer on friends, loved ones, and total strangers. I had my music going, but I really didn't notice it too much as the roar of the crowd and all the live music had drowned most of it out. I was OK with that. I really did enjoy seeing all of those people cheering everyone on and really feeding them some high energy to push them through whatever part of the marathon course they were on. I gave every child I saw a high five, and fist bumped a lot of the other spectators. The Urban Impact group was AWESOME and they were out in full force to cheer as they do every year. This year they seemed to have doubled the size of their group!
Somewhere between mile 5 and 6 my girlfriend at the time and I parted ways. I checked to make sure she would be fine and she assured me she would be OK. So, with a good luck kiss we were both off to do our own thing. She was well on her way to fishing her first 13.1 (and almost halfway there) and I was on my way to finishing my first 26.2 (I still had quite a way to go.)
When I got to the West End and mile 7, I knew I had some friends waiting for me. Our friend Kirsten had come running by and checked in to see how it was going and I told her I was feeling good and I'd see her at the finish line. I was just about to the first towards the end of the first street of the West End and I couldn't see my friend's yet. I was thinking, "where the heck are you standing Chad?" I turned the corner and chugged down the hill and I saw a familiar bald head. It was Chad, his wife and daughter, and other family members cheering everyone down the street. I heard Dana yell and Chad both yell, "there's Chuck" so I made sure to go down and high five everyone, and to also give Chad a big sweaty hug. That was such an awesome feeling. I knew I was far from done, but that was the boost I needed to get me to the half way point.
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| I'll admit, I saw the people, but missed the sign when I was running by. |
On my way into the South Side, I wasn't feeling tired, but I was starting to get a little warmer. As it turned out, once the rain stopped, the humidity picked up (as it does.) I did notice I was drinking a little more water than I did during training, and I was worried I was getting dehydrated. I thought I had drank enough water the day before, hell the week before. There was no way I could be getting dehydrated. So, on I went. The Birmingham Bridge was next, and so was dreaded Forbes hill. This was supposed to be the breaking point for so many marathon runners during the Pittsburgh Marathon.
When I got to Forbes I could see the hill runners that volunteered to motivate and assist competitors with the hardest part of the course. Their job was to basically run up and down the hill in order to make sure we all got up the hill. It was a pretty cool thing to witness as made my way up Forbes, but I was going to take that hill without anyone's help. Although I felt good, and made it to the top, I was ready to break down. Not in a bad way though, but in a good way. I felt myself getting choked as I thought, "holy crap I'm really doing this!" There was no turning back now. I'm really am running a marathon. I was now at the top of Forbes, the hardest part of the course, and just a few miles from the half way point.
I noticed it got a little quieter as I was running through Oakland. Sure I had my music going, but the volume was relatively low. I just didn't see as many people lining the streets in order to cheer runners on to the next water stop or the next mile. I was getting even hotter and was starting to dump water all over my head. I was hearing my thoughts. I just was not hearing any cheers or "you got this" coming from strangers. The only noise I did notice was the music being played by the band in front of True Runners in Shady Side. And then, the unthinkable happened.
My phone died! It had a full charge! How the heck could this happen? Sure I took a couple of pictures, but there is no way that my GPS watch (I run my Garmin's live GPS tracker for long runs) and the music killed the battery that fast! But, it was true. I had no phone and I had no music. Smartly, I did bring a charger with me but by the time I tried to fumble with that I said screw it and just decided to keep on running. And, because of that, I feel I was able to appreciate my surroundings as well as what I was doing a little more. I was able to listen to the other runners. I was able to hear a few more cheers. I truly did make me have a greater appreciation for my surrounding. However, without music to distract me, my thoughts started to get the better of me.
When I hit mile 16 I stopped briefly to pull down the compression sleeves I had on my calves. My legs felt like they were on fire, so when I did pull them down, there was instant relief. It felt so very soothing. I walked for a few minutes and then decided to pick it back up. At that point, that brief walk was what I needed to get me through the next couple of miles. Around mile 18 though, I felt I was starting to break down. At least, that is what my mind was telling me. I was really hot and dousing my head with water. I was starting to feel lightheaded and even felt like I was getting a little headache. How could this be possible? I ran 22 miles a few weeks back and I felt fantastic after that run! I think my head was getting the better of me as we were often told in training. I felt my breathing change a bit and felt myself getting a little short on breath. This I knew was because I was thinking too much. Damn my phone for dying! I needed a distratcion! After feeling myself beginning to gasp, I stopped again in order to catch my breath, calm my nerves, and relax. It was tine to refocus on that finish line. I was 18.5 miles into this and I only had under 8 miles to go. I picked up my feed and continued on into Homestead.
What can I say about the people of Homestead? THEY WERE AWESOME! I got such a good vibe from all the cheers, all the music, all the volunteers, just everyone and everything! I loved how Homestead had energized me! I felt myself being to smile again. I started to tell myself again that I was going to do this! One of my fellow trainees came running by somewhere in this area and asked how I was doing. I told her I was hurting but I was still going to finish and that I'd see her at the finish line. (I said that to quite a few runners that day. Thanks for checking on me Adrienne!)
I finally reached Bloomfield and I knew we were on the home stretch. I was still smiling, but I was still struggling. Somewhere around mile 20, a guy from Detroit happened to be running behind me and saw my sign and noticed it was my first marathon. We got to chatting and talked about Pittsburgh. It turns out that he had gone to school here and even though he moved back home, he comes back every year to run the marathon. We just finished up mile 22 and I told him I felt the need to walk a little so he stayed with me. We walked for about a quarter of a mile (I kept checking my watch) and we really did not have that much further to go. We finally reached to top the hill in Bloomfield so it was now all down hill until the Strip District and the city. My knees were hurting; my feet were hurting; everything was hurting. But there was mile marker 23! Only a 5k to go!
To sum that up, Bloomfield was another area I loved running through. There was a great oldies band playing on one side and Frankie Valli blaring over speakers on the other side. It was my jam too! (Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You.) Needless to say I had enough energy in me to sing along and very loudly and really say to myself, "I'm almost there and I'm really going to finish this!" We got down the hill and I still felt the need to do a little more power walking along with my running. The 4:45 pacer passed us just beyond mile maker 24 but I didn't care. It wasn't the 5:00 pacer so I was very happy with my time and progress.
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| Final down hill near the Church Brew Works |
We ran another mile and passed the 25 mile marker when John looked at me and said, "this is it. This is the home stretch man." I thanked him for sticking with me and told him that it really helped me a lot. It took my mind off the pain and everything else. It was the distraction I needed.
As we came up the street he told me he was going to take off and do his thing. Mile marker 26 was just up ahead and as we parted ways I gave a nice "Let's Go Pens" to Mr. Detroit Rock City (because I had to do so.)
This was it. This was the moment I worked so hard for. The finish line was only a half mile away, and I'll be damned if I didn't run across it. I'm not walking the rest of the way! I passed the mile marker and soon heard some people yelling for me. I looked to my left and there were some of my life long friends, people I had known from my 20's, as well as from high school. And, like I asked and hoped, they had a present for me. They had a nice cold can of beer!
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| You can tell I've got a big grin on my face right here. |
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| Stop looking at the "bald" spot. My hair is wet. |
This is where the waterworks really started to hit me. I'm sentimental and I have no problem admitting to that. I got choked up and held back tears as Bryan handed me a beer while Sara, Amy, Steph, and Dana cheered me on. I didn't take more than a few more steps and just on the opposite side of the street just a little further up were my girlfriend and her kids! The waterworks just increased ten fold! Chloe and Kayla were yelling, "you can do it" and Kim was yelling "you did it!" Yeah, I cried. I can't tell you all how awesome that felt! All of those people, people I know and care deeply about, were there to make sure I turned that corner and made it to the finish line. I wish I had stopped long enough to take a picture with everyone, but the everything in that moment seems to move so quickly. I was almost done, and I had to just kept going a little while longer. Just a few more minutes and I would be a marathoner.
I turned the corner, and I saw it. I saw the finish line! And then, I raised my beer. I raised that beer and held it in the air all the way across the finish line, just like I said I would. I told John that I would probably kiss the finish line and when I crossed it, I did. I got down on the ground and kissed the dirtiest piece of plastic I've ever seen, just like I said I would. I finished my first marathon, just like I said I would! I freaking did it! I finished a marathon! And then, I cracked my beer and I finished that!
Wow...what a day that was. What an experience that was! It still feels so surreal to me. I had faith that I would be able to do this, and I knew I had to. I had to not only for me, but for all of these people:
There was just no way that I was letting any of these people down. Even though I had the help of John from Detroit, I also had the help of all those listed above. They got me to the finish. You got me to the finish. John go me to the finish. I got me to the finish. Pittsburgh got me to the finish.
That's my story. That's my journey, my quest. 16 blog posts and you've got to read along and almost feel like you were there (I think.) I was able to share all of this with all of you. But, this wasn't just my story and my journey. To me, it didn't matter if you ran 13.1 or 26.2 on Sunday May 1st, 2016.
It was your journey.
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| Amy and Sara before the start of their 1st half. |
It was their journey.
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| Sara calming her nerves. |
It was our journey, and what a journey it was.
You know, it's funny. When I look back I think to myself, where do I go from here? Around mile 22 I was thinking to myself, "I'm good. There is no way in hell I'll ever do this again." But, when I got back to my car I told myself something completely different. I said, "you are so full of shit." And I am. Completely! Am I really only going to run just one marathon? Hell no! I have a score to settle with you, Pittsburgh!
The Pittsburgh Marathon beat me. It really did. But, it didn't finish me. I finished it. I'll see you in 2017 Pittsburgh, for round number two.
Until next time folks, keep on running.
Sinceriously,
Chuck Hull
The Running Jedi
#26miles26dedications #runpgh #gameonpgh #marathonrunner
PS: This isn't the end of the blog either. I may not post as often, but I'm going to continue writing about my running exploits, and maybe anything else that comes to mind. The title may change, but the concept will remain the same. I have plenty of stories to tell.
PPS: What's the first thing you do after you run a marathon? That's easy. You go down the fountain at Point State Park and do a #marathonplank. Your move Shelby Cole.
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| Considering I couldn't move, this was easy. |
