The Expo
I was able to help out GU Sports at the expo this year. I learned from last year and I brought a bar stool. I was able to sit a big chunk of the time, but was up high so it wasn’t rude when I spoke to participants. I learned a few things about GU products and felt that I did a good job representing the product.
I walked around the expo twice. The first day I had a few snacks and tried some new products. I tried to be conservative on the second day. I love going to expos and talking with the vendors. I didn’t talk as much this year to the vendors.
VIP
I received a VIP pass from GU Sports for working the expo. GU is a big sponsor of the race, and as being an ambassador, I got VIP tickets. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but this was amazing. Nicole and Ariel came with me on race day. We parked in the VIP lot. The VIP lounge made it easy and simple. Portta Potties, VIP bag check, morning treats were just a few benefits. I sure wish I would have had some food and drink before the race. Maybe next year. The Pre-race was a snap. I left to the start about 10-15 minutes before the start. I was able to use the restroom one last time and stayed in my warm up clothes as long as possible.
Marathon Start
I wiggled my way to the start line and got close to the start. I tried not to get too close because I feared I would go out too fast. The Colorado Rockies manager, Jim Tracy, got the chance to start the race. Cool to see him up close. My fingers and toes were a little cold and numb.Miles 1-5
I kept telling myself to take it easy. I tried hard not to go out too fast. My Garmin watch always seems to go out of signal while in downtown Denver. I used my Timex watch in conjunction because I knew of Garmin’s faults. The miles seemed easy. I passed Kerry Kuck, blind runner, and told him to have a good race. I was in close range with Tristan Mitchell, but I knew he was running the half marathon.
Mile 1 6:06
Mile 2 5:46
Mile 3 6:10
Mile 4 6:08
Mile 5 6:09
Miles 6-10
I had mile first gel just before mile 6. I was doing well with liquids and it was nice to see the course again. I ran this part of the course several weeks ago. I was able to see who was ahead and who was trailing. It was nice to see some of my running friends. I was happy with my 10K and 10 mile split times.
Mile 6 6:19
Mile 7 6:04
Mile 8 6:08
Mile 9 6:38
Mile 10 5:56
Miles 11-15
I made the marathon / half marathon split turn perfectly. The signs were perfect. Ryan Turbyfill and his family were on the course and I saw them twice. It was so awesome to see them and I was giving out high fives. Half marathon split time was perfect. It was almost a little too fast. I had my second gel just before the 12.6 water station. I had a runner or two pass me after the half marathon point.
Mile 11 5:49
Mile 12 6:24
Mile 13 6:34
Mile 14 6:13
Mile 15 6:34
Miles 16-20
I felt my first leg cramp around mile 15, which was same as last year. It was starting to get a little tough. The course was still familiar and I knew I should try to reserve as much energy as possible. I had my third gel around mile 19. I had more Gatorade because I knew the sodium content was higher. I was pretty satisfied with my 20 mile split time. It was a little slower than my training runs.
Mile 16 6:35
Mile 17 6:41
Mile 18 6:29
Mile 19 6:30
Mile 20 7:07
Miles 20-26.2
Here comes the toughest part of the marathon. I didn’t struggle as much this year with the final miles. I had a few more runners pass me, but I remember passing one. My legs were tight and cramped, but I was mentally tough. During the last mile I had a runner gaining on me. He had an orange shirt and the big uphill was coming. I wanted to work hard so he wouldn’t catch me. The finish was a dead sprint. A different runner was gaining distance fast and I wasn’t sure if I could keep ahead. He caught me. Another one was coming, but never caught me. What a close and tough finish.
Mile 21 6:39
Mile 22 6:40
Mile 23 7:03
Mile 24 7:16
Mile 25 7:12
Mile 26/.2 8:11
Finish
Overall 14 of 2166
Division 5 of 211
Gender 13 of 1211
Post-Race
After I finished my calves, hamstrings, hips, and even my right shoulder has some of the most intense cramping I’ve ever witnessed. Things settled down after some ice and I slowly went to find my family. I decided to go to the medical tent because my fingers were a little tingly and I was shivering. When I arrived (50 min after the race), I had serious cramps again. The medics took my temperature which read 102, then again at 102.2. Ice and deep breaths helped my temperature even though I was still shivering.
I transferred medic tents where the staff took a few tests. My blood sugar level was at 72, Blood pressure was normal, temperature returned to normal, sodium normal, and every thing else normal. I was given an IV and drank a highly concentrated sodium sports drink. I was taken to be warmed up by the sun and left within an hour.
Nutrition
I had 4 GU gels during the race (1 every 6 miles). 3 where GU roctanes which have more sodium and potassium then the regular GU gels. I drank at nearly every aid station. I drank Gatorade Endurance (which has a high amount of sodium) at every other aid station. When I knew I was starting to cramp I consumed more Gatorade. At some point around mile 18-20 I noticed my stomach was sloshing a little bit.
The nutrition and weather was nearly the same during my high intense training runs. My body did not cramp during the training runs. I ran 20 miles of the race course several weeks ago. I am on a mission now to find out solutions to my cramping and solve it.
