Phoenix Marathon- About time for a PR!

I want to write this while it is still fresh in my mind. I gave the spoiler in the title, but that's because I am so excited!! When I signed up for this marathon in January, I promised myself it was so I could practice the nutrition and starting slower. I knew I would have to run "fast" but I wasn't necessarily trying to BQ. It wasn't until I ran my half marathon that I even started to think about getting a BQ. I still needed to keep my original goal in mind. I wanted my PR!! Last year my biggest disappointment was working so hard and not even having a PR to show for it.

So, here goes.

Thursday night, I slept a full 7 1/2 hours. It was fabulous. I had been carb loading all day and we had arrived in Phoenix at 8pm.

On Friday, we met Annie's family for breakfast and then went to the Expo and met new friends from Instagram. :-) I will write more later.  We went to the temple together which was really wonderful and then ate dinner at the house.

I woke up at 3:15 and ate my larabar and banana as planned at 3:30. I mixed up 2 packages of superstarch and took them to the race. We left at 4am and loaded the bus at 4:30am. We got in line at the Porta Pottys and I drank my superstarch 45 minutes before the race started. The porta potty line took forever and the race actually started while I was in there. I finally started the race completely alone. :-) This was actually okay. I loved starting at the back of the pack. It was very symbolic for me. The first pacer I passed was the 5:10 pacer. My first marathon was a 5:11 so I felt like this was nostalgic. I was running about an 8:18 pace. It was a steep descent and that was the slowest I could go without changing my gait. I ran the next mile at 8:20 for the same reason. Once it wasn't so steep I could get to my planned pace easier.

Mile 3- 8:32, very happy to see the 8:30. :-) My heart rate was doing great
Mile 4-8:28- still on plan and getting ready for the hill
Mile 5-8:38- slowing down a little as we start to climb
Mile 6-8:44- really wanted to keep my heart rate down until I got to the top
Mile 7- 8:11- so excited to be done with the hill that I was enjoying the downhill. :-)  Took a hammer gel
Mile 8-8:29- Back on track.
Mile 9-8:23- My next 20k I was wanting to run 8:20
Mile 10-8:18
Mile 11-8:19
Mile 12-8:22- A little bit of uphill in here.
Mile 13-8:15- 1st half- 1:50- Exactly where I wanted to be- woo hoo!
Mile 14-8:18- Trying to stick with the 8:20 plan but feeling good
Mile 15-8:18
Mile 16-8:21 At mile 16 I wanted to feel better than I ever have at that point and I did.
Mile 17-8:21
Mile 18-8:28 This is the end of the second 20k, but I didn't quite feel ready to step on the gas.
Mile 19-8:19
Mile 20-8:29- Here is where I checked my total time and I was at 2:47, I knew to qualify I needed a 53 minute 10k and I was trying to do the math, but I thought that was about an 8:20 or 8:30, I thought it was still possible.
Mile 21-8:25- I was starting to feel really hot. I took a honey stinger gel and was out of water.
Mile 22- 9:14- I was slowing down to get water and fill my bottles
Mile 23- 11:32- Gave in and used a porto potty(I had been needing to use it since Mile 3)
Mile 24-9:52- Trying to get back in the running, but my quads were feeling trashed
Mile 25-8:38- Tried to figure out if I could still PR, pushing as hard as I could
Mile 26- 8:08- The fluid is kicking in and I am feeling a second wind, time to give it all I had!
Mile .2- 7:38- Finishing as hard as I can! Final time 3:45:15- A 3 1/2 minute PR! Yeah!! I get to ring the PR bell.

Nutrition was great. I took Gatorade at every aid station. I took a couple of hammer gels throughout the race and some sports beans. I didn't feel like I ever bonked. I think the fat load helped me lose a few pounds before the carb load. I just think the heat affected me for that mile 21 and I needed fluid. I am glad I was able to recover and get a PR, but of course I still want that BQ.  I will be in the next age category in September. :-) So, now I know I can get a 3:45 with a walk/potty break!