Running the C.I.M.! Yahoo! I made it!

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. - Acts 20:24

A day after running the California International Marathon and I’m delighted to report that I both survived and finished! It was a wonderful experience, one that I’d recommend to any runner. After crossing the Finish line, my wonderfully supportive wife Janet and amazingly supportive girls asked how the race went, I said “great!” Then proceeded to say, “I have to sit down…” I was spent; I was drained. Later I would think about running the marathon as being the highlight and culmination of six months of training for the marathon. Six months of expectations, reading magazines, books & internet sites about training regimes; six months of fund raising for the Ishimwe Center; six months of blogging and tracking miles run in training; six months of talking about it, thinking about it, dreaming about it. So in retrospect, the marathon was an outstanding six month success!!

My gratitude and thanks goes out to everyone who sponsored me through the fundraiser, encouragement and/or prayer. Thanks to everyone who asked about and patiently listened to my patter about running. Thank you to my family for encouraging me to ‘go for it!’ And thank you God, for granting my prayer for health and non-injury for the training and for giving us great weather the day of the race.

Janet, Beth, Amy and I left San Jose mid-Saturday morning, Dec. 4, and drove to Sacramento to attend the Race Expo. The Expo is the race’s pre-gathering to distribute racer’s bib numbers, t-shirts, timing chips and race goodie bags. Held downtown in Sacramento’s Convention Center, the Expo also has vendors selling race apparel (including humorous t-shirts such as “Will run for coffee!” or “chocolate” or “tequila”, energy stuff (GU, snacks, etc.), and a number of up-coming races were represented such as the Big Sur Marathon next May. If you were staying in Sacramento, there were signups for special shuttle busses to take you to the start ($10 tickets). There is no Starting Line parking for spectators, so bussing was pretty much the only way to go. People watching at the Expo can also be fun. The running community is a sub-culture all itself. If you have ever actively been part of your kids’ lives in soccer, theatre, dance, voice, or other sports, you understand what I’m talking about when I mention sub-culture. It has a look, feel and vernacular unto itself. There are hard core athletes, marathoners as thin as a twig, casual runners like me, and every body type, shape and style in between. Conversations are about running using running terms (negative splits, hydration strategies, chafing, etc.). We enjoyed our time there, but hunger overcame us, so we left looking for lunch at Old Town Sac.

Old Town is always fun to walk through with its shops, live steam train and the river view, but we found nothing enticing for fast food, so headed toward Folsom, following the race course out of town. We thought this would benefit both the family’s driving around on race Sunday, and me in seeing what the course looked like. My first impression was clearly that there are a lot of rolling hills to run. My second impression held the same as the first (and my viewpoint didn’t change during the race either). The course is a net downhill course, starting at the Folsom Dam in the foothills and running down to and ending at the State Capitol. Now I understand why hill training is important…. race’s like this one. And course is absolutely beautiful!

We made it to our hotel, the Marriott Courtyard, Folsom and checked in. In connection with the Folsom Chamber of Commerce, the Marriott had their customer service hats on for marathon runners. Discounted rooms, breakfast bags in the morning (bagel, banana, water bottle) and coffee! And the hotel and Chamber sponsored free (as opposed to $10) bus shuttles to the start. All to encourage patronage of Folsom area hotels and shops. Saturday evening was rainy. Before the race we met our friends the Bonne’s at the Old Spaghetti Factory (Rancho Cordova) to get caught up on family and to carb. load! I could carb. load every day! Trust me, I could. I recommend the Garlic Mizithra pasta! It was a great evening of fellowship and laughter! Then back the hotel to try and sleep! We all prayed for no-rain during the race!

Sunday dawn cool, crisp, cloudy, gorgeous and no rain! The school bus picked up runners at 5:15am and headed toward the starting area. Here is where staying in Folsom paid off big time! The C of C also sponsored a VIP tent with heating, lights, chairs, private port-o-potties. We arrived at the start line at about 5:45 (the race doesn’t start until 7am) so a warm tent was well appreciated. It was the only tent for runners. We had maybe 200 runners in the spacious tent! The other 8300 runners could only dream in the cold steel gray dawn about the luxury we enjoyed. I me two guys who flew in from Mexico City to run and another guy from Cape Town, South Africa.

At about 6:40 I finished stretching and headed out to find the pace group that I wanted to run with. The group’s leaders (a guy & a gal) were both experienced runners who said they guaranteed a finish time of 4 hrs 15 min. if we stuck with them. They carried small dowels with red signs identifying their pack of runners as 4:15. This was my fantasy goal. I chatted with a couple of runners who had the same fantasy as me. The announcers identified some runners including a runner who had run all 27 previous Calif. Intl. Marathons! Amazing!! And before we knew it the Star Spangled Banner had been sung and the starting gun fired at 7am sharp! It took our group maybe two minutes to cross the starting line. My timing chip later confirmed that. We were off with only 26.2 miles to go with a gorgeous pink and gray sunrise filling the eastern sky. In hindsight I liked the one way route of the marathon (as opposed to routes run out and back or in a loop). Everything on the way was new. The ground was wet from the night’s rain and as the sun warmed small patches of ground fog formed.

As we ran, the two pace leaders called out encouragement, identified each mile accomplished getting us to yell and even led runners in shoulder and neck exercises on downhill stretches! They did a great job. I ran behind each for stretches of miles. Each had a bit different style. They even bantered back and forth as old friends do. Janet, Amy & Beth observed that as our group approached them, it was a little pack of runners crowded around the leaders. Before and after were runners spaced out. I think the girls enjoyed people watching as they debated which guy runner was cute, etc. done in the spirit of fun while waiting for me to run by! They were waiting near the 15 mile marker as I ran by and waved, yelled and gave high fives to them as I went!

Then the miles continued to mount. I started feeling the distance tiring me. At the 20 mile mark, the pace team started to pull ahead. The race committee had fun putting up a painted ‘wall’ for us to run through. Twenty miles is considered ‘the wall.’ In theory, this is when the body’s store of glycogen is all but used up and you are running on empty. I could feel the energy starting to fade even with all the training, the energy gels, carb loading, drinks and water to keep me hydrated. At around mile 23, I hit my ‘wall’ and was running on empty. Here’s where the race truly begins. Here’s where training, prayer and mental toughness helps carry you through.

In retrospect, I feel that I didn’t go out to fast. My training times had been a little faster. I was very happy with my marathon split times. Following readings and advice, I hydrated and consumed carbs. (Gu) at appropriate rates. It just wasn’t enough to carry me through at my fantasy pace. I wasn’t disappointed. Hey! I finished a marathon! And lived to tell about it!!

Those last 3.2 miles were just plain long, hard and slow. The crowds that lined the streets along the route were great and extremely encouraging. I would walk for a couple minutes then would run to the next mile marker. Eventually the 26 mile marker appeared! Two tenths of a mile to go! “Never give up, Never surrender” I told myself. All the runners around be felt a lift in there step and pace! Turning the last corner and heading for the Finish Line I saw Beth, Amy and Janet yelling encouragement and waving! Only a hundred yards to go! The Finish Line is so close. The State Capitol building in the background and thousands of spectators and runners everywhere! I remember thinking “Pick up the pace! ... Don’t trip now.” Crossing the Finish Line felt great! Although thousands finished ahead of me (and thousands after), I knew that I’d finished the race, that I completed the course! Victory!! It was all good. After volunteers relieved me of my timing chip (they actually have volunteers on stools, with tiny stools for runners to lift their shoe onto then cut off the running chip for later re-use), I received the finisher’s medal then hobbled to where I might find Janet and the kids. After their greetings, my sweaty hugs and obligatory family photos, I just had to sit down.

Sitting down was probably not the best thing to do. I felt light headed. Maybe it was hydration, maybe low blood sugar or salt / electrolytes imbalance. I have to do some research, but the cause was probably one of these three. I didn’t experience this is practice (but only ran 22 as my longest practice run). After eating part of a bagel, banana and water, I felt better. Janet and the kids were patient with me, letting me rest until I was ready to stand. Then it was off to retrieve my sweats bag to warm me up. We then walked to the car and relaxed! Janet drove us back to the hotel to allow me to shower and us to check out. After a quick lunch, we headed home, stopping by Manteca to see my Mom! After the visit, Janet drove home while I napped! What a great feel that was. Great finish (of a day) to a great finish (of a race)!

Here’s my split times:


5.9 mile    split 0:56:41
13.1 mile  split 2:06:49
20 mile     split 3:18:10
26.2 Finish      4:29:34

Once again, let me thank everyone who encouraged and supported my run! Thank you to all who sponsored the fund raiser for Ishimwe! As I wrote in several emails: every dollar of support goes directly to Faith and Roger Shaw’s ministry, and in God’s economy is applied directly to the bottom line of His heavenly balance sheet. God is good! Actually, He is so much more than good; He is Awesome!

Happy Running! - John

I am grateful for God’s blessing on my run!
I am grateful for a supportive family!
I am grateful for supportive friends!
I am grateful for my health!I am grateful for completing a marathon!