This past weekend was my final race for 2013… the California International Marathon, otherwise known as CIM. It is known as a “fast” course with a downhill profile, but is filled with little rolling hills on a downward profile. See photo below. It is run by many as Boston qualifier and by others looking to set a new PR… I was looking to do the latter.
Let’s start with the CIM expo and the tweet up hosted by @chrismalenab. I met up with a lot of familiar faces and some new ones and took a lot of photos. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen them as well.
Love the running community!
Race Day
The temperature at the start was around mid 20s. Some had it at low 20s, others had it at high 20s, but either way it was cold. The start line was pretty much empty until about 15 minutes before the race because most of the runners were still on the bus trying to stay warm. I got off the bus early to use the bathroom, but there were so many porta pottys that the lines were almost non-existent. Let’s put it this way, I walked past a line that had 4 runners waiting because it had “too many people.” One weird thing that this race is known for is the potty-to-runner ratio being high. Yay.
Snow/Ice on the top of the buses.
Race attire: Weather was predicted to be 27 degrees at the start and end mid 30s. I ran in a long sleeve shirt, arm sleeves as well as a second layer, gloves, shorts, calf sleeves (almost the same coverage as pants, but more room to move) and a beanie. I also had my hydration pack on.
Remember the race plan? Start and stay with the 3:40 pace group until mile 22 then pick up the pace for the last 4 miles for sub-3:40 finish.
Mile 1: 8:17
Mile 2: 8:26
Mile 3: 7:56
Mile 4: 8:10
Mile 5: 8:13
It was COLD standing around at the start, but after the first couple miles, I felt comfortable. You could see the cold breath coming from all the runners… almost like we were all smoking. The first few miles felt really congested and miles 3-5 I had to pick up the pace in certain spots to keep the 3:40 pace group in site. Not that they were going fast, just that there were so many people around.
Mile 6: 8:21
Mile 7: 8:20
Mile 8: 8:20
Mile 9: 8:16
Mile 10: 8:11
I am feeling really good right now. I have found a nice groove and a good spot to keep the 3:40 pace group in sight. The crowd has opened up a little bit and I’m starting to feel comfortable. I actually want to pick up the pace and pass the 3:40 group, but I know it is WAY to early for that nonsense. I think I have to go to the bathroom, but not willing to sacrifice the seconds… yet.
Mile 11: 8:16
Mile 12: 8:21
Mile 13: 8:12
Half Marathon split: 1:48:35
Doing the math in my head and I am right on pace… for a sub 3:40 finish. Legs feel ok at this point… I don’t feel strained to keep up with the 3:40 group, but it is not feeling “easy” either. In my head, I’m thinking, just do that split one more time and you’ll have your goal.
Mile 14: 8:20
Mile 15: 8:15
Mile 16: 8:15
Here is where I start to feel REALLY good. I’m actually thinking at this point of passing the 3:40 pace group and bringing this baby home for a sub 3:35 finish. No joke. 10 miles? Ya, I’ve got this. I’m doing a little celebration dance in my head and thinking about how awesome it is going to be to share that I nailed a 3:32 marathon. WHOA. That would be awesome.
Reality check. I need to stay smart. This is the point where my race could have turned disastrous. If I make that move above, maybe it happens, maybe it doesn’t. I’ve run too many races that have fallen apart the last 6 miles so I stick to the plan to make my move at mile 22.
Mile 17: 8:28
Mile 18: 8:27
Mile 19: 8:29
Mile 20: 8:29
Mile 21: 8:33
Over the last 5 miles I have caught up to dead-even with the 3:40 pace group… never passing them, but making up the 25 or so feet behind them that I was maintaining. My legs are beginning to feel heavy and I can feel that we have slowed down. I’ve been keeping an eye on my mile splits when possible and the 3:40 pace is around 8:23… with a few 8:10-8:15 splits, the pace leaders could be slowing us down so that we don’t come in too fast.
Around mile 20 I think about passing the 3:40 pace group, but decide to hold off until about half-way through mile 21. My legs were beginning to feel heavy, but I knew if I could get within the last 4 or so miles, I could fight my way home.
Mile 22: 8:17
Mile 23: 8:10
Mile 24: 8:24
I have moved in front of the 3:40 pace group and am moving pretty good. I didn’t look at my watch for the last 3 miles and ran completely by feel. I can tell that I am in a more “open” space which means that I am far in front of the 3:40 pace, but not caught up with the 3:35 pace group. I wonder how close I am with two miles to go. I glance down at my total time and see that I am around 3:20… with two miles to go, sub 3:40 is in the bag. Mile 24 felt loooooong. I’m not surprised to see that mile was a bit slower than the previous 2, but I’m in the home stretch.
Mile 25: 8:27
Mile 26: 7:55
Marathon: 3:37:45 (11-minute PR)
I threw it down on that last mile. One mile… how fast can you go? All that was going through my head was “last mile for the year, last mile for the year.” Okay, not literally the LAST mile, but you know what I mean.
Shout out to Alyssa for jumping up and down and screaming like a mad woman before the finish line. It brought the biggest smile to my face.
I crossed the finish line and knowing that I had reached a goal that I set out to accomplish for 2013 and one that I failed to do back in June in San Diego. I gave myself a 50/50 shot at doing this earlier in the week in a preview post and based on my training up to that point, it seemed like fair odds. I ran the perfect race… it happens. I can’t explain why it happens on some races and why others can just fall apart, but for me, on this one day, I had the pace and held onto it.
I didn’t walk at all during the race… as much as I wanted to, I know that if I would have walked, even for 10 seconds, my race would have been over. It would have felt so good to take that 10 second walk and let my legs rest, but I know that it would have been quickly followed by another walk break, then another walk break, then it would have been a mental battle to find my pace again.
Staying with the 3:40 pace group as long as I did is what made this race successful. I was able to find a “zen” moment in my head at multiple points during the race and just let my body run… almost like I threw it in cruise control and let the group control the pace. I’m amazed to look back at the splits and see exactly where I felt good enough to pull even and when the pace group began to slow… I’m never really that “glued” into my pace, but like I said, there was something different about this race. The first 16 miles were consistent 8:10-8:20 split (with the 7:56 anomaly). From 17-21 was right around 8:30, which saved my legs for the last push. Mile 22-23 were quick “out of the gates” miles to create separation from the pace group, 24-25 were “how long is this race?” miles… and 26 was the celebration mile.
Thank you to everyone that wished me luck and good running vibes before the race. Over the course of a race, I think about all the advice that I receive and how great it is going to be to be able to celebrate with all of you on social media. It’s weird, but I feel like if I put my times and my goals out there, that we are doing this together and I have to keep up my end of the bargain. Back in March, I broke 4 hours for the very first time and to be able to get my time down to 3:37 by the end of the year, caps an amazing year.
On Thursday I will be posting my 2014 calendar…
I mean, with my final race of 2013 being finished a few days ago, I better start planning the next one, right?
HINT: Desert Double Down.
Double HINT: $20 off all RnR races on 12/12 – details here.
Thank you everyone for being part of a wonderful 2013 racing year.
AMAZING time. Congrats on the huge PR!
Congratulations!
Congrats on your PR — incredible!
You always amaze me – CONGRATS!!!!
Congrats – you ran an amazing race. Enjoy it!!!!
Congrats on your perfect ending to 2013!
CONGRATS! You’ve worked hard for it! Enjoy the off-season!
I always follow along, but rarely comment — but I HAD to on this one. I was cheering for you from afar and I’m so thrilled for you!!! Congrats on an amazing PR. I definitely agree with you on the walking. I felt it this weekend in fact. It’s a slipperly slope. Awesome job not giving in or giving up!
HUGE congrats on the PR! I’m still trying to figure out which RNR race(s) I want to sign up for on the 12th!
Freaking amazing. Congrats on the awesome work this year!
Congratulations on your PR! I’ll be reading this post again before my first marathon at RnR AZ in January.
COLD WEATHER = CRAZY AWESOME motivation to get your BOOTY MOVING! Your race time is incredible. No words. I would probably run/walk a marathon in 7 hours, LOL! I would get distracted and forget what I was doing, LOL!
It was so great to see you at around the 11…you looked happy and strong and relaxed and I KNEW you were going to hit your goal. I KNEW IT. GREAT JOB out there! And seeing the joy in your face when it was all done…contagious :) So glad I was there to see it :)
Hard work. Determination. Goals. Get it! Congrats on an amazing race and year. May 2014 be even bigger and better!
Great finish to a busy & fun year.
I’m SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!!!!! congrats!
WOW!! What an awesome way to end 2013 with a bang. Congrats on that massive pr!
DUDE!!! This gave me goosebumps!! I TOTALLY knew you could do it. Congrats on a perfectly executed race. What a fantastic way to end 2013. I can’t wait to see what you pull off in 2014!
Congrats again and I love your thought process about the walking. I think this has been downfall a couple times…but mostly I need to get in to that zen state!! I find it on long runs, but let nerves take over on race day! I’ve heard nothing but good things about this race, I’ll need to put it on the list.
HOLY FREAKING MOLEY PAVEY!! You are officially a SPEED DEMON!! That is an amazing time!
What an awesome race and result for you homie – you worked HARD and DESERVED it!
YEAHHHH!!! Congrats, that is a huge PR!!!! You totally deserve it– I know you work so hard :)
Congratulations! I’ve really enjoyed reading about your journey to get your 3:37!
Congratulations! You are awesome! What a great way to end the year!
Congrats on a great race! I’ve been following your blog and IG for awhile and I saw you at the CIM Tweetup (creeper, I know) – but you and Chris were chatting away with others so I didn’t get to introduce myself to you (or say Hi to Chris either)! But both of you have been great to follow! It was super cold for the race and for some reason, almost every year, the Sac Bee always posts a picture of all the port-a-potty’s on the cover come CIM time! Like they are astonished that many are there EVERY year :) Again, Congrats on finishing 2013 with an awesome PR! I’m still on the fence if I’ll do another one or if I’m just going to be a one-timer!??!
Amazing! A HUGE PR and such a smart, well run race. Congrats, Brian!!
Woohoo!! Boy you rocked a wicked fast (yes wicked is a good thing) mile in the end! Way to end the year strong!!!
Congratulations, friend, what an amazing end to the year!!
I bet it feels good! Congrats!
Congratulations!!! What a smart race you ran. Looking forward to hearing your 2014 plans… planning a few Rock n Roll races for myself, debating on getting a tour pass… and from your hint it looks like I’ll be joining you in Vegas 2014!
Congrats!!!!! What a great race ! I have never had a final mile of a marathon be one of the fastest – I could learn from you!
Thats an insane PR congrats!!!
You just continue to impress! What a fantastic running year and how great that you finished so well! So so happy for you!
Congrats on an amazing race!!
Congrats so much! I loved reading how you fought to stay within your pace! Hopefully I can remember that for my next race.
Awesome race recap! Sounds like it went according to plan and your hard work paid off with an amazing PR! Congrats on a fantastic year of running/racing.
So happy for you! I’m with you on that walk break thing — once you start, it’s a vicious cycle downward :( Congratulations on a smart race!
Great race recap .. Congrats on your PR!!
Congrats on the crazy huge PR!!! Way to work hard for it!
Woo! 11-minute PR? That’s awesome!
I ran CIM the last two years. The first time I ran it (2011), the weather was perfect and everything was great for my first full ever. 2012? OMG, it was raining sideways! Looks like it was nice and sunny this year, though ridiculously cold, haha.
Congratulations! What a great way to finish the year!! :)
Congrats on the PR! It was definitely cold out there and you didn’t let it get you down!
Congrats on the PR and a great race? How did you like the hydration pack?
Ugh, I meant to put an exclamation point after the word race. :-)
I read this post a while ago and came back to read it again before I head into marathon #2 on Sunday. There’s a lot of good advice in it. Congrats on a major PR and sticking with your goals and intentions even when your legs were tired (I can’t imagine why) from all that you’ve accomplished this year. I love two things that I’m going to take with me in this post. First, the idea of not walking at all and reminding yourself that as good as it might feel, it will lead to more walking breaks and then another slowly that goal time will walk right out the door. And I also love the idea that you told yourself you were running your last miles of the year. And while you weren’t really running your last miles outside of a race, I imagine these 26.2 miles will actually be my last miles of 2013, so that’ll be even more applicable. Thanks for a great recap, and congratulations again on a great race and year!