Detroit Free Press Marathon recap

The weekend started with a delayed drive down to Windsor/Detroit due to previous commitments but we managed to make the runner kit pick up at the Health and Fitness Expo before the 7pm cutoff. My wife dropped me off and circled the block a few times while I ran in to grab my bib. I did not walk the Expo as there was really nothing I needed prior to this race, and really wanted to get to my in-laws for the pre-race carb load pasta dinner.

The tunnel was backed up so we headed to the bridge and made it back home in just over an hour – including a chat with the Border guard who wished me luck in my quest of sub-4hrs. The funny thought that crossed my mind was that in less than 12hrs I would be back in almost the exact same spot but this time running with a pack of fellow “athletes” and weekend warriors.

After a few plates of pasta and tons of water, I settled in to an evening of relaxation, watching TV, and visiting with family. I excused myself, set up the crockpot for my pre-race oatmeal and headed to bed early – attempting to get 6hrs of sleep before the race.

4am came early, and after some fitfull sleep afraid I would oversleep, I woke up, dressed, ate and woke up my wife for the early morning trip to the Tunnel Bus. No need to fight traffic or find parking especially if that would mean waking everyone up to hang around in the cold…

The bus got me to the starting chute at 6:30 and the energy in the cold morning was contagious – with music blaring and the emcee pumping up the crowd before the National Anthems. Before I knew it, it was race time.

I took off with the 3:55 pace bunny and kept him and his spider hat in view as we approached the Ambassador Bridge 2 miles in. The sight from the bridge was spectacular, and many stopped to take pictures, but I kept on feeling very comfortable and looking forward to running in Windsor, where I had gone to University, and have not been back as often as I would like.

I kept my eyes open for my family, as I wasn’t sure if they were going to be roadside on the Windsor side or only near the finish line.  As I approached the first relay point, I saw my sister, who was a volunteer, and exchanged a high-five and felt energized by getting to see her if only for a few seconds. Within minutes we were around the corner and heading to the “underwater mile”.

The route travels through the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel and measures exactly one mile, and this was an eerie experience, mainly due to the fact that the temperature outside was around 40F yet in the tunnel with no breeze it felt like it was about 30 degrees warmer, and I started to sweat, as did many of the runners around me. Some even took their shirts off in the tunnel but quickly put them back on as we approached the Detroit opening as the cold air was like a deep freeze blast.

As we re-entered downtown Detroit the crowd was rabid, vocal and lined what looked like 10 deep everywhere – it was an amazing reception and one that I will not forget even as a Canadian runner. We now headed into the meat of the race – heading towards Mexicantown and Corktown punctuated with passing the now empty lot that was once the sight of Tiger Stadium, ominous in that the Tigers had been eliminated from the ALCS the night before. This area holds many memories for me, as growing up in the area I went to Tigers games and during my University years frequented Mexicantown after hours along with Lafayette Coney Island (I was tempted to stop for a ‘Heavy Heavy Chili Fries’ but knew that wouldn’t sit well with a half marathon still ahead of me).

The course was well marked and at the spot where the ½ Marathon turned to the Finish Line meant that more than half of my running mates were gone but that 3:55 pacer was still in view. I had crossed the halfway mark in 1:51 and change (gun time) so was feeling good – but that was about to change.

Over the next few miles, I lost sight of the pacer, and started to struggle mentally – as it seemed the slightest thing caused me to question everything and it was around this point that the variance between the posted mile makers and my Nike+ started to affect me – it appears that my system needs to be recalibrated as all my distances were off by almost 10%. This meant that my stretch goal of 3:45 based on the training pace was actually off by 10% and that did not sit well – almost immediately I started having to take walking breaks between hydration stops.

After a few more tough miles, I managed to get back on track and the run through Indian Village (miles 16-18) was better – if not for the scenery and the neighbourhood tents and encouragement (not to mention the Polka music and free beer offered by a few). By this time I had accepted that 3:45 was not going to happen but I had not seen any other pacers so was trying to stay positive and focus on my own pace and the music from my iPhone.

As I hit the 30k mark things started to crumble again, and my confidence was shaken and the turn onto Belle Isle (funny enough a spot I had never been to before) was going to challenge me more than anything else. I knew that once I finished the 3 mile loop it would mean only 4 miles until the Finish but no sooner would I get myself in the right frame of mind to push on, and my phone died. This meant no more annoying miscalculated distances, but also meant no more music and that meant listening to the voices in my mind and at times they were pretty loud.

Once I left Belle Isle and turned towards downtown again, I vowed to keep moving no matter what, and that I would no longer “race” anyone but myself. Finishing was my goal, and given where I was in the run, I was already going to destroy my PB because this time I ran more and walked less and as painful as it was mentally and physically, it was better than the last time. This realization made the last few miles rewarding though not effortless.

I enjoyed the views along the river, the crowds and the volunteers and before I knew it I was on Atwater and heading into the chute – where the crowd reenergized me and gave me the boost to kick the final half mile.

I finished with arms raised, crossing the line 4:21 after the gun and with an official time of 4:17:23. Seeing my family after getting my medal was incredible – they had been worried because they had been tracking my iPhone and thought they had missed me or that something had happened once it died.

Post race was spent rehydrating , refueling and the race provided more nutrition and liquids than I could have expected. It was an amazing experience – one that I may even consider running again… I’m a runner – there is always a chance I’m going to do this again…

A special thanks to the race organizers, volunteers and the police and security that were present everywhere making this a truly amazing event, and to Energy Bits for the amazing fuel that kept me going.