Nashville Country Music Marathon

Let's talk about Nashville.  Phfew!  Nashville kicked my butt...physically and mentally. 

Mark and me at the expo.

The Good: The expo at the Nashville marathon was nothing like anything I had seen.  In Delaware I walked up to a table under a tent and grabbed the race packets for me, Sam and my dad.  Nashville is serious business.  We had to bring a confirmation letter that they had sent us a few weeks earlier, show our ID and there was no chance I could get my brother's packet for him.  Entering in the convention center we were immediately corralled down stairs and through walkways like a herd of cows.  I think they were preparing us for the race. We walked for about ten minutes through this obstacle course before we actually entered the expo.  The expo had a lot of good vendors and a fair amount of free stuff.  We got into Nashville the afternoon before the race and the expo was packed.  I was able to get my old lady knees taped for free at the KT tape table.  I waited forty-five minutes for it and it was definitely worth it!

On the morning of the race we had little trouble finding street parking near the starting line.  We stopped in at the CVS and went to the restroom.  We were told that the line was much shorter than the port-o-potties at the starting line.  I definitely felt like the people that bought the VIP parking and bathroom passes were suckers.  Of course, my mom made friends with everyone around us.  Sharing our stories and talking about us as if we weren't standing right there to hear it all. 

There were 35 corrals.  And a ton of people waiting for the start.  It was pretty impressive and exciting to see everyone getting ready for the race.

The first half of the course was great.  We ran through neighborhoods with lots of supporters and the hills were there, but definitely manageable.

On the full marathon course we got to run around a small park around mile twenty-two or so.  There was a good amount of shade and some beautiful birds.  This park was so nice in fact that I suggested to Mark that we lay down in a grassy spot near a tree.  He was not amused.
There were ample hydration stations and first aid.  There were even several spots that had hoses out to cool us down, and with the heat (in the mid-80s) we needed them.  I would have been in trouble had I not brought my Fuel Belt with me though.  I really do love that thing!

The bands were a lot of fun and they got me pumped up as we ran by them.  I was expecting them to be a lot closer together but I was definitely happy they were there.  And they were pretty darn talented.  Kudos Nashville!

The Bad: The second half of the course was not nearly as scenic as the first.  We ran through some cool neighborhoods and as I mentioned before the park at twenty-two.  But there was a long stretch where we were on a four lane highway and we also ran through an industrial zone.  There was little shade in these two sections of the course and with the sweltering heat that made the race that much more difficult.


In both of these areas as you headed out you could see the faster runners heading back.  This would have been a great time to cheer each other on (like we did in Delaware), but no one seemed to be interested in that idea.  Well, no one except me and Mark.  With 30,000 runners we couldn't find anyone to tell us "Good job!"? Lame.

The start line before the race

Yes, that was not a typo.  There were 30,000 runners.  About 26,000 of them were halfers (as we called them throughout the weekend).  All of the runners started together in the 35 corrals.  Even though they assign the corrals based on your projected finish time so you should be running with other people at your speed the first half of the race consisted of us weaving through people and looking around to try to find each other and the pace groups (which we lost in the first half of the race).  It was pretty crazy and in my opinion they should have started the races separately and maybe have had separate courses.
 
The Ugly:  The weather was beautiful...if you were planning on spending the day sitting in a shady area.  As for us marathoners, it was brutal.  The heat had a significant impact on my performance.  I hope to take a lesson from this and do more training in hotter temps.
 
The hills.  I was not prepared for them.  On the elevation map they look pretty insignificant.  I was ready for the big ones at the beginning of the race but not the hills at the end.  And there were a lot of them.
 
The walkers.  I do not run a particularly fast pace but I was hoping to be able to run most of my race.  When we reached the four lane highway section of the course it seemed like everyone started walking.  This had a severe impact on my psyche.  Now that I look back on it that makes me really mad at myself.  This was my race to run.  Why would I let the tired people around me impact my will to run? Lame.  I hope to take lesson from this and focus on my own running and motivation in my next race.



Ice for my old lady knees!



Celebrating on Broadway with our "Ground Control" team!

Overall:  After experiencing the Rock and Roll marathon series I will probably try to avoid them if possible.  They are very well organized, but it seems like its more about the money than the running.  Before this race I was sure that I would prefer big marathons to smaller ones.  Now I'm not so sure.  I guess I need to run a few more to make a fair conclusion.

I had a lot of fun during this weekend and I'm glad I ran the marathon.  It was mentally, physically and emotionally challenging but I'm glad I did it.  This race opened my eyes to how far I have to go to get to where I want to be as a runner.  It was fun to run with my brother and I'm glad that we had our amazing "Ground Control" team (Ashley and my Mom).  They really helped lift my spirits throughout the race.

Just before the start of the race my brother told me that the night before his marathon in Greenville my Dad had called to wish him luck.  Mark missed that call but was still able to talk to him.  We listened to the voicemail that my Dad left him.  We stood there among 30,000 people with tears streaming down our faces wishing that it wasn't a recording, but him standing there with us ready to run.  I think he was there but left the running to us.