I do not consider myself much of a social person. In fact, I
am actually quite a loner most of the time, but I do belong to my share of
running clubs. Right now, I am an active member of three clubs, and though I do
not keep a current membership, I actively follow the goings on of two more clubs
back in California which I had belonged to for many years. You may think I am
digressing from the point here, which is the Bayshore race report, but I just
needed to lay a little groundwork before I get to the actual race report.
This past weekend was the Bayshore Marathon and HalfMarathon in Traverse City, Michigan. This is the goal race for the spring
training series with my road running club, Team Playmakers. I ran the half
again this year. Unlike last year, where this was a goal race for me, this year
I was woefully unprepared for 13 miles
of fast road running. My ultra training has left me fit enough for the ups and
downs of a 6 hour trail run, but it has not left me fit for the continuous fast
running that a road race requires. However, my race performance is definitely
not the interesting part of this weekend. What was interesting about the
weekend for me was the power of teamwork.
I was an MIA team member this winter. Between the cold
weather, my ultra training and traveling, and my desire to sleep in on cold
winter mornings, I made exactly one of the team training sessions prior
to Bayshore. I followed the team goings-on through the Facebook page, but I was
not present for much of the training. Perhaps that is why the spirit of the
team was so evident to me this weekend.
The week before the marathon and half were tense ones on the
Playmaker's discussion group. It seemed everyone had some variety of ache,
pain, or problem that was a signal of impending doom (or at least a sign that
the goal would not be accomplished). The team spirit and support began to show
itself then, and it continued right up to race day.
Jerry and I arrived at Traverse City on Friday afternoon and
connected with my friend and teamie Kate, who had brought along three other teamies,
Tina, Mike, and Nicole, as well as her incredibly supportive husband, Mark, and
three kids, for a pre-race pasta dinner at Fazzoli's. Spirits were high, as were
the nerves. Tina and Mike were about to run their first marathons. Nicole and
Kate were veterans, but Kate was attempting a Boston qualifier time which was
12 minutes faster than her previous (and first marathon).
We had a great time and then headed over to packet pick-up.
There is not much of an expo for the Bayshore race. There is basically just the
Running Fit booth, a few tables for various groups and races, but no real expo.
However, packet pick-up allowed us to run
into more of our Playmakers teammates and coaches. Maybe because I had no
pressure to perform the next day and maybe because I hadn't seen many of my
teammates for a while, I was really enjoying the social atmosphere and
excitement.
After packet pick-up, we all headed back to our respective
lodgings. Tina popped over to our campsite for me to tape up her knee with some
Rock Tape. She had been struggling with knee pain for several weeks and decided
to give the taping a try. We chose a
very festive blue argyle pattern. No one would miss her as she passed.
The Bayshore course is set up so that the marathon is an out
and back, while the half is point-to-point. The half starts at the marathon
turn-around a half hour after the marathon start. The course is a two lane road
that winds along the bay with beautiful views. The half marathoners meet the
marathoners about 4 miles into the race, so those running the half get to cheer
their marathon friends as they pass.
The drawback of that arrangement is that the half
marathoners have to get up really early to get the buses to the start. I had to
catch the shuttle at the campground at 5:00 for the trip to the high school to
catch the bus to the start. I got on one of the early buses and got to the
start line about 5:40 for a 7:30 start. It was a long wait, but the up side was
that for about the first hour the lines for the port-a-johns were short. I had
found a Playmaker's teamie, Theresa, at the high school and was really happy to
have company for the long wait. Eventually other Playmaker's teamies--
recognizable by their red Team Playmakers gear-- came by to say hi.
Unfortunately, except for Michelle, I did not know many of their names. Our
fearless leader Ann, rode up on her bike and herded as many of us together as
she could find for a team picture before the start.
The race start was uneventful and organized. I headed off
down the course, and it was just as I had remembered. I slipped into my planned
8:00 pace and zoned out a bit waiting for the action to start with the
approaching marathoners. At about 4.5 miles the bikes leading the first
marathon man came into sight. For the next mile or so, I entertained myself by
whooping and hollering for the leading marathoners as they passed by. Soon the
marathoners started coming in packs, and I knew it was time to start watching
for Playmakers.
I already had it in my head the order my teamies should be
approaching. The group that I normally would train with (if I had actually been
attending the training sessions) would be in the lead. I expected to see either
Paul, Geoff, or Dr. Tom and Hannah first, but I was not sure what order they
would be in. Sure enough, Paul came into view first. He looked to be doing great
and on pace for a good PR. Geoff came next, and I almost missed Dr. Tom and
Hannah in the crowd, but managed to get a quick shout out before they slipped
past.
Next I started looking for my dear friend and sometimes
training partner, Kate. She was the real reason I had decided to go through
with the race at Bayshore that I obviously was not trained for. She was hoping
for a Boston qualifying time of 3:40 or faster. I believed that she could do
it, but it was going to take a really perfectly executed race on her part
because it was going to be a huge PR for her. She had done some really great
training, and I was more excited about her performance than anything else for
the weekend. Sure enough she came next and looking good. I had lost the ability
to do math by that time, but her smile made me think that she must be right on
pace.
I must have sent Kate all my energy as she passed because it was about at that time that the wheels fell off for me. I was not used to 9 miles of continuous running at that speed and began to suffer. I had two really horrible miles in there, but was continuously uplifted by the red Playmakers shirts meeting me and the opportunity to cheer on the marathoners as they went by. Soon, I passed the Playmaker's tent on the course and Coach Mike gave me a little boost as I went by. I was happy to see Tina not soon after and see that she was still running and smiling.
As I rounded the corner onto the track I heard my name and
saw the smiling face of my friend Janet, the one who I had cheered to her first
marathon finish just a while back, returning the favor and cheering me in. I
finished the race a little off my goal of 1:45, in 1:47.07. It was 6 minutes
slower than last year, which bummed me out just a little, but it was really
about what I deserved based on the training I had been doing. The IT band
problem really made me drop my mileage in the crucial 6 weeks leading up to the
race, so all-in-all, I was satisfied with the performance. I picked up my drop
bag and found Jer. The next order of business was to check the results. I was shocked and amazed to see that I had come in 5th in my age group! Medals in this race go down to 5th place, so I was pretty excited to be getting an award. With that bit of happy news, we headed up to the stands to cheer in my fellow Playmakers
and wait to see how the marathoners had done.
As I sat in the stands cheering in the red jerseys I was so
proud of my team. I knew that each of the finishers had a story and had dealt
with and overcome many obstacles to be there. The looks of determination and triumph
on their faces as they rounded the corner and headed down the finishing
straight was priceless. I cursed my phone camera which would not let me get
close-ups of the finishers.
Soon the marathoners started to finish. I anxiously watched
as the clock approached 3:25. I knew that my friends Geoff and Paul were both
shooting for times under 3:30. I was particularly pulling for Geoff, as he had
just missed his BQ time at Kalamazoo by a few seconds a few weeks before and
was giving it another shot. Paul came around the corner first at a little over
3:26, an awesome time for him!! He totally deserved it because he is one of the
hardest workers I know. Geoff came just a minute or so later in 3:28!! He got
his time as well!
Jer and I shuffled off the bleachers and headed over to the
finish area. When I finally found her, she said, "I made it! I
made it!" I had forgotten that the
time on the clock was gun time. Her chip time was 3:39.31!!! I was so happy!
Her parents were there (who are also runners), as well as her husband, kids, and many of her
Playmaker's friends and training partners. It was an amazing moment, so full of
joy. Paul was there, as well, and there
were congratulations all around.
We congregated over at the Playmaker's team area, as one by one we cheered in our fellow runners. Each one was a victory and a celebration. Soon we got news from the course. Tina's knee had given out and she was walking and in pain at about mile 21. Erica texted Tina to see if she needed Paul or me to run out to help. She said no -- another of our teammates, Jim, was there on his bike and helping her through it. I also found out later that Coach Lynn, after running his own marathon, was out on the course helping some of the other runners in to the finish. What a guy!! Soon Tina came around the corner, running, and crossed the finish line triumphant. It was not the time she had hoped for, but she had done it. It was a huge moment for her, as she had faced and overcome many personal and physical challenges to get to that finish line and completing the marathon had symbolic value beyond just the accomplishment itself.
After the race, a group of us met in Kate's hotel room, with
Playmaker's teammates popping in and out all afternoon. What a great
experience. I thought back to my first marathon. I was there without any team
support. I finished (with a BQ time) and had no one to share it with (except a
husband who was extremely grumpy and anxious to get on the road and head home).
It really struck me then how great the team experience is, the camaraderie and
support. Whether it is a good or bad day, with a group like this, there is
always someone there with a smile and
words of support and congratulations. There is always someone there who
can empathize because whether fast or slow, we all go through much the same
experiences in running a marathon, experience the same highs and lows, trials
and tribulations.
One of the things that writing this blog has done is help me
to appreciate and reflect on the value of these experiences. I think that often
we run the race and when it is over, we may focus on the result and forget to
reflect on the value of the experience. What I learned about the spirit of
teamwork here will linger long after I forget what time I ran. Thanks
Playmaker's!
Here is a look at my Team Playmaker's Bayshore weekend:
Great post!
ReplyDeleteAwesome report Lori! What a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your finish.......good for you!!! Yep, the support of others really helps....I have not joined Playmakers recently - but got my start from being in the walk to run group - i just flunked running!!! Wish they had more training and events on the west side.......
ReplyDelete