Describe your race day.
We loaded onto the bus for the hour long ride to the start. There was a lot of nervous energy on the bus. Most people were dead quiet- my friend Nici and I chatted and giggled the whole way up! It was cold at the top! Thank you Revel for the gloves and blanket; I also had on some fleece pants and a jacket to check. I huddled
with my running buddies as we all waited nervously for the start. Speaking of nerves, there were plenty of porta potties(super important!) and water and Gatorade. The announcers kept us posted on race start details and even told us when to get our check bags on the truck. We lined up to start- I found my 3:45 goal pacer and got ready to run. The horn went off (the national anthem was missing?) and away we went. We started the descent down the mountain - I was moving at a much faster than anticipated pace. I pulled away from the 3:45 pacer and soon joined the 3:40 group. I had my music going with one earbud in and my friend Vickie to my left. We sang and danced and chatted through the first few miles which flew by! She ran this course last year and kept me in check , conserving energy for the second half. I pulled away from the 3:40 pacer and closed in on 3:35. I was at a pretty good pace at the half point and was well ahead of my goal pace. I kept going, enjoying the beautiful views, and appreciating the well placed aid stations for a couple of sips of water when I needed it. Miles 15-21were super hilly after hitting all of that downhill in the first half. My legs were tired but I kept pushing. As we descended into Azusa, I knew my goal pace was well within reach. When I hit mile 23 the calf cramps started. I could barely pick up my
feet but told myself to keep pressing on. As I hit mile 26 and made the right turn to head to the finish I began to cry- tears of joy and pain and exhaustion. I crossed the finish line at just over 3:39! That was an 18 minute marathon PR, a 16 BQ (I needed 3:55) and 6 minutes under goal pace! Thank you Revel for the epic day, the great views and the BQ!