I chose to run the Hyannis Marathon for my BQ race instead of Salisbury Marathon because I did not want to run two marathons in April again. I had a shorter training period, but I was happy with my decision. Training through the winter was pretty tough this year so I was glad to have a shorter marathon prep! Just like last year, it rained as we drove up to the Hyannis. It took us six hours because we had to make three stops. I was so relieved to get to the race hotel!
As I was checking into the hotel, I overheard a woman at the end of the counter tell the hotel employee “I ran the 10K last year and loved the experience so I signed up for the half marathon this year! My first half! 13.2 miles!” I smiled and hoped that she would have a good race and that she would be pleasantly surprised when she realized she ONLY had to run 13.1 miles! I also smiled because I remember how it felt when I was a new runner and excited to take on new distances.
I have really good memories of the Hyannis Marathon weekend. I was a fairly new runner when I ran my first Hyannis Half Marathon and I remember walking to the expo with a runner carrying a box of posters and books. I asked if he had run the race before and he said “Yes! It’s a good race!” After I picked up my bib, I walked down the hallway where people had set up tables to sell merchandise and that is when I realized that the guy who walked with me down the hallway was Bill Rodgers!! I have seen Bill Rodgers many times since then and have even been to his store in Faniuel Hall! He spoke at the NYCM Streakers Luncheon in 2022 and he said something that really resonated with me. He said “I am like an old car. I have a lot of miles on me and I don’t run very well anymore!” We all laughed, but we also knew that there was some truth to it. I am going to be a very very old car one day! Hahah. Just have to keep up with my oil and tire changes so I can run for a very long time! 🤪
Anyway, back to the race!
Henry did not sleep well the night before the race. Maybe he also had pre race anxiety! I woke up really tired, but I am used to it by now so I just went about getting ready for the race. I made a cup of tea and went outside to get a feel of the weather. I packed every form of running bottom so that I would have options, but I knew I had to run in shorts. I could not overdress like I normally do and make it feel like a training run. I had to dress like I was going to race so that I could race! Plus, if I was too warm, I might feel too comfortable and fall asleep. Being a little cold at the start could help wake me up.
At the porto potty line, I ran into old friends, Phil and Kurt! It was a mini Back on my Feet reunion and it helped put me in good mood for the start of the race. Kurt gave me a fist pump and said “As our friend Jay would say, ‘We’re not here to make friends.’” In other words, stay focused and run your race! Kurt almost passed out during the Providence Half Marathon one year because I pushed him too hard the last few miles and here he was giving me a pep talk! Thank you, Kurt!
There are no pacers or signs in the corrals telling people where to stand according to expected race pace so I stood closer to the front. I probably could have stood a little further back because the runners around me went out fast! Like 7:15min/mile fast. I had to slow down and let them all go so that I would not die later in the race. My marathon sister, Bethany, caught up to me as I was trying to slow down and I was so excited to see her that I sped up again. She is a master at pacing and told me to slow down. I looked at my watch and it said 7:55. I listened and let her go even though I wanted to run with her and catch up! I had to stay focused on the task at hand.
Two guys around me stopped at every mile and did ten pushups. I named them “The Push Up Guys”! It was quite amusing because they were ahead of me and I passed them as they did pushups and then they would pass me again until the next mile marker! They stopped passing me around Mile 8 so I was sad to lose my entertainment. I waited for them at the finish line, but they did not do any push ups after they finished. Maybe they stopped the push up challenge at some point during the race. 🤷🏻♀️
The benefit of a two loop course is that you know what to expect on the second loop. BUT, most of the runners ran the half so at the start of the second loop, I could only see one or two runners ahead of me. The course looked so different without the mass of runners! I made sure to always be in sight of another runner, but I got nervous every time I passed someone and there was no one in sight ahead of me! The course was only marked at major turns so I just followed the road until I saw cones and volunteers. Thankfully, I stayed on course and did not get lost!
By Mile 20, my quads started to cramp, there was one more hill, and I was getting tired. I had already eaten five gels WITH caffeine, but the lack of sleep from last night was definitely affecting me now. Mentally, I wanted to get to this section of the course where we ran on a very narrow shoulder on a busy road. I knew that if I got there, I would be close to the finish! It was getting lonely out there because I had been by myself for the second loop. I ran my three slowest miles around here, but then I got to that stretch! The thrill of dodging pot holes on the shoulder and praying that I did not get hit by a car at Mile 23 was just what I needed to wake up! I dialed back in and ran the last three miles as hard as I could.
As I ran down one last hill, a few people were walking on the road. I ran past a dog and the dog lunged for me! I felt something touch my right leg. Thankfully the dog was leashed and the owner pulled the dog back before it took a bite of me! Whew! I was really awake then!! I ran really fast to get away and was so excited to get to the finish! My quads were on fire, but I ran as hard as I could to the finish. I saw the race clock and knew that I secured my BQ!
I went in with the goal of 3:39:59 and I was super happy to beat my goal time with 3:35:05! I worked with a new running coach from Running Joyfully this training block and the workouts increased my confidence that I could BQ, but I was not quite sure how fast I could run. My post partum body is still trying to regain the speed that I once had. I did not run a lot of miles in training (my highest mileage week was 36 miles), but I ran a lot of quality miles. Bethany said to me “a little quality goes a long way for you” and it does! Now if I can run a few more miles and get some sleep, maybe 3:35 won’t feel so hard next time!! Thank you, Coach Katie for working with me!
Race Numbers!
125 Marathon Runners (90 Men, 35 Women)
Women’s Champion Lila Gaudrault 2:57:11
Men’s Champion Iain Ridgway 2:42:59
My time: 3:35:05 (6th female, 3rd in age group! They only give awards out to the first 2 in each age group. It was not a big deal to me because I came to BQ and not to win an age group award. The race has changed a lot over the years and it used to draw a much bigger crowd. I am sure they cut out a lot of expenses so that they can continue to hold this race every year. I could not even find any water at the finish line or inside the ballroom where there was a small spread of food. I did not need any water, but I was just surprised that there was no water. The course is good for people trying to run a BQ, but they have to be okay with an open course, no crowds and a lot of solo miles. Also, the water stops use plastic cups, which is why I carried my own water for most of the race because you cannot pinch and drink from a plastic cup without risking cutting up your lip in the process!)
BQRunning 