Loved the Big Sur Marathon!

Bart Yasso said, "If we were told that we could run only one marathon in our lifetime, Big Sur would have to be it." And boy, oh boy, I have to agree. This marathon is gorgeous and touted as one of the most beautiful marathons in the world. The route is on Highway One, right along the coast, which is very beautiful AND hilly and windy. Experienced runners say to add an additional 15-20 minutes to your normal marathon time to account for the hills and wind. So I was preparing myself to have a good time, take some pictures along the way and just enjoy the run. I felt confident knowing that I had four months of solid training under my belt. One small glitch that occurred right before the marathon was that I got sick with a nasty cold that included chills, achy body and runny nose. Great timing, huh? Luckily, by Thursday, I was starting to feel better and feel like I could run the 26.2 on Sunday.

I appreciate whoever donated their Ragnar shirt for me to wear. That was very nice of you! But unfortunately, it was too small. I had taken two other shirts just in case that one didn't work out but in the end, I decided to wear the Big Sur marathon shirt. On marathon morning, Lindy, Karen and I met outside Lindy's hotel room at 3:55 a.m. Noah took us to the Marriott Hotel, where we met Sharon, and caught the bus that would take us on the long drive to the start of the marathon. On the bus I chatted with Lindy and ate a half peanut butter sandwich and drank plenty of water. Our bus was a nice, cushy travel bus which included a bathroom in the back. I definitely took advantage of that and used the bathroom. When we got to the top, Karen and Sharon got in line for the porta-potties and Lindy and I sat on the grass and waited for 6:45 a.m. - when it would all begin. {Lindy and I at the start}

It wasn't too much time before they started calling the runners to the start according to finish times. Lindy and I started prepping by taking off our warm clothes. We got rid of our long pants and extra jackets and stuffed everything in our drop bags. I ran our bags to the truck that was loading the drop bags and then we re-united with Karen and Sharon and made our way to the start line. As we approached the start, I spotted Scott Dunlap, author of A Trail Runner's Blog, lined up front and center at the start. We stopped and gawked, then we made our way to our start places. The weather was beautiful - not too cold and not too windy. Later, I was told we had unusally nice weather. Last year, it was pretty cold. We lined up and the announcer gave us a 30 second count down and we were off. The start is at Big Sur Ranger Station which is up a canyon, so the run begins downhill with trees on either side. Around mile seven, it opened up and we could see the coast and the beautiful scenery. This marathon is gorgeous! And this marathon is hilly! One hill right after another. As we approached mile 10, we faced the big hill that extends from miles 10-12. Lindy, Karen and I charged up the hill, running every step. We had conquered the biggest hill. It's hard to see but the hill wraps up both these hills and just seems to keep going!
As we came to the halfway point, we approached Bixby Bridge. And you know you're approaching Bixby Bridge because you can hear the sounds of a grand piano echoing through the valley. Unbelievable! We stopped for a quick picture. My husband and I drove the marathon course the day after the marathon and took these pictures at Bixby Bridge. Isn't it gorgeous?

I stayed hydrated by taking gu every six miles and drinking lots of water along the way. Lindy, Karen and I all took water bottles and when our water was getting low, the water stations were pretty efficient at filling them nice and quick. At some water stations, they were out of water but had gatorade. I loved talking with Karen and Lindy along the way. This made the miles so enjoyable! We stayed together along the whole route until around mile 23. I started feeling my legs tightening and my feet hurting. I knew I needed a walk break. I waved Lindy and Karen on and walked for a bit. I would run 30 steps then walk 30 steps. Then it turned into just walking. My legs were feeling every single step I had taken to that point. As I approached mile 25, I decided to kick it into gear and see if I could beat my time at St. George. I mustered enough strength to sprint to the finish and clocked in at 4:13:28. A new personal record!

This was such a fantastic, gorgeous marathon! I hope I will be returning to run Big Sur again for the fun mile marker signs, the bands that played along the route, the big drums beating right before the big hill at mile 10, the piano player at mile 13, the strawberries at mile 25 and seeing that finish line! I am so proud of Karen - she did absolutely awesome for her first marathon. She will rock it in St. George. And I am so proud of Lindy - she completed the Boston 2 Big Sur challenge so very strong! I saw the pictures that the photographers took of Lindy and Karen crossing the finish line together - so awesome! Can't wait to read Lindy, Sharon and Karen's perspective of the race.