Madison Marathon recap 2013

I’m skipping ahead chronologically because I want to tell you all about the fun that was the Madison Marathon this year.
When the marathon organizers changed the date from May to November, I was a little nervous about the cold, and I was right to be. Race morning, it was in the 30s, with a slight wind. The race starts and ends at the capital, which is exciting , but presents some problems… the first 1/2 mile is downhill (so people go too fast) and the last 1/2 mile is uphill, so you’re spending your last bit of energy struggling up a hill! Good thing we stopped for coffee before the race. That cup of steaming liquid magic got me through the wait for the gun to go off!

I started with the selfies around the first mile 🙂

I tried to catch photos that show how hilly the course was…

Here is my sexy shadow self, somewhere around mile 10, next to a stranger in a hat.

There is a big hill around mile 17, and once you make it to the top, there is a beautiful view!

How about this sign?

I know that some of you think I’m crazy for taking photos and tweeting while running, but here is proof that I’m not the only one…

I loved this little kid and I definitely touched that sign. You betcha.

Around mile 18, I started to feel a little jello-y in my legs, but nothing too serious. I felt like Gumby!

Brian was waiting for me right around mile 19, and caught me midfueling… Swedish fish FTW.

The course had a little loop, so I saw him again around mile 20…

I’m typically a hot runner, so cold races are kind of miserable because I want my gloves for the first two miles, then my hands get too warm. I ended up taking my gloves off and putting them back on a dozen times during this race. The wind got to me!
Amanda was volunteering at the mile 21 water station, so I was looking forward to seeing her! Even with the hills and the cold, I was feeling great.

I walked through the mile 22 aid station to drink my water, and when I tried to start running again, I noticed that my right quad had tightened up noticeably, and my gait changed dramatically. It’s almost like my right leg refused to land on a bent knee, so I had to land on an almost straight leg. How crazy. It changed the end of my race big time.
Luckily, Santa was there, coming to my rescue at the mile 23 aid station. If I didn’t have pictures of this, you would probably think I’d started hallucinating.

The last three miles of this race are basically an out-and-back on John Nolen Drive. It overlooks Lake Monona, right in Madison.

When you turn around to head back, you’re at about mile 24.5, but it feels (and looks!) like the Capitol is sooooooo far away.

Mile 26, starting the last uphill…

Brian was waiting right by the finish line for me…

And I did it. Marathon number seven, finished. It was a slow race, made worse by the last five miles (I was in my way to a PR until mile 20!), but I pulled my gimpy butt across the line in 4:54:36.

We ran back to our hotel in Middleton (the Extended Stay suites, highly recommend!), I took an ice bath, ate leftover Chinese food, and headed home. Oh, after a quick stop at CherryBerry to eat my weight in froyo. 🙂

Miles this year: 400.2