California International Marathon

Boston Qualifier

3:51:01

Folsom to Sacramento, CA

With four full marathons under my belt for the year already, I was feeling totally prepared as the CIM race day approached. The plan since July had been to train hard for the mountainous courses of Crater Lake and Lake Tahoe in August and October, treat the Raleigh marathon as a fun run in November, then go for speed in December at CIM.

I had qualified for NYC in October with a 1:45:44 half marathon which allowed me to estimate my finishing time using online calculators. 3:50:00 was my initial goal! Finally breaking 4 hours in Raleigh on a hilly course only a week after running the Lake Tahoe Marathon helped boost my confidence about performing well in Sacramento. By the time I would toe the start line in Folsom I’d be recovered and stronger for having run all those more difficult courses. Still, I wondered. Had I been overdoing it? Training continued regardless. A few weeks prior to CIM, I ran an unofficial 15k at the Davis Turkey Trot. It was a 5k followed by a 10k with a 15 minute break in between. I gave it everything I had. All out effort was rewarded with 2 new PR’s and 2 age group awards.

My times were:

5k: 23:09 (average pace 7:18)

10k: 48:55 (average pace 7:44)

Needless to say, this was exactly what I needed to quiet any residual inferior thoughts. Plugging those additional times into the race predictor calculator lowered my finishing time to 3:45:00 and I began thinking this was a real possibility. My year so far had been jam packed with PR’s, new states, and even a few wins! By December I had only two long term running goals left! And I was ready to check them off at CIM.

1. Qualify for Boston

2. Sub BQ time

For a 3:45:00 finish I’d need to maintain an average pace of 8:35 min/mile which unbelievably seemed doable on this “easier” course. The CIM course boasts a 300 foot net downhill elevation chart and, even though there are rolling hills (600 feet of gain) they’re small in comparison to what I had been running at the previous races. The course is also mostly straight as it’s a “point to point” starting in Folsom and ending in the state capital of Sacramento.

The week before the race was pretty low key. After indulging quite a bit on Thanksgiving, I regrouped, getting my nutrition back on track and drinking plenty of water. I did an 11 mile run seven days out from race day, then a couple 6 mile runs midweek, and ended the week with an easy 3 miler. I also happened to be dog sitting that week so everyday I walked the pup about a mile.

On the Friday before the marathon I had the day off from work so I made my expo appointment for that day at noon. It was the first available time slot for the bib pickup in downtown Sacramento and there was a huge turnout!

Unlike prior years, masks were required as well as proof of vaccination and photo ID to retrieve your bib, T-shirt, and swag bag.

The expo was well organized with merchandise, photo opps, and vendor booths, my favorite being the Rock Tahoe table where you could try your luck with a spin of the wheel.

Their grand prize was a free entry to the half marathon in June. I took home another Rock Tahoe water bottle but the real prize for me was seeing the RD’s again in person. If you recall, this was my very first half marathon and where my running journey started in 2016. I pulled myself away and meandered around the relatively small event, stopping for a short time in front of the BQ Bell and wondering if I had what it took to qualify for Boston and ring that bell.

To qualify I would only need a 3:55:00 or faster time. I had recently “aged up” to the 50-54 group (being 50 years old for the April 2023 Boston marathon) which gave me an extra 5 minutes. However, to have a chance at actually being accepted for the Boston marathon in 2023, I’d need a few minutes below that time (official cutoff times will be announced in fall of 2022). Boston is such a scary goal for most runners, at least I tend to think so. So, instead I focused on my paces and my goal time of 3:45:00. For some odd reason that seemed more manageable in my brain than the highly sought after BQ. However, standing in front of the BQ bell made me realize how close I was to actually qualifying and how far I’ve come since running that first Rock Tahoe half.

Since the expo was at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in downtown, I met up with my husband afterwards, who conveniently works a few blocks away.

We enjoyed a nice lunch on the Old Sacramento waterfront near the festive old town Christmas tree. You couldn’t ask for a more cheerful, holiday atmosphere, perfect for pre-race vibes and photo opportunities.

After, we took a short stroll around the oldest part of the city and I took note that the weather, while pleasant at around 50 degrees, seemed odd. The air was thick and heavy. It was mid-afternoon, but the fog had not burned off yet making the sunlight seem a strange orange color. I secretly hoped this would not be the case on Sunday. I distracted my thoughts with a few train pictures and noticed other runner, fresh from the expo arriving as well.

Since I already had my race swag, Saturday was all about relaxing and getting ready for the main event on Sunday. I slept in and savored coffee time with hubby as the local news broadcasted the weather forecast for race day. While the majority of my running friends enjoy running in foggy conditions, it’s not optimal for me. Something about the humidity and heaviness of the wet air makes the effort seem more difficult resulting in higher than average heart rates. Not ideal when I’m about to tackle a 26.2 mile speed goal. But, I tried to let go of any pre-race worry and lean more towards an “everything is working out in my favor” approach. When the weatherman mentioned the race, I threw my hands in the air and announced to hubby, “Sunday is the day I qualify for Boston!”. He continued sipping his coffee, surely tired of my antics.

Living in a town named “Winters” during the holiday season is a joy. Our small town transforms into a Hallmark Christmas movie the first weekend of every December. https://www.discoverwinters.com/

With events such as the hot chocolate stroll, town Christmas tree lighting, and live music, it’s abuzz with fun activities. Not to be missed is the hugely popular Lighted Tractor Parade which always takes place the night before CIM. With this on the schedule at night, Saturday morning was all about REST.

As we watched the line of tractors parading down Main St., the heavy fog slowly rolled in. By the time we hurried back home, it was dense and I worried not only about the racing conditions but also the early morning drive to the city garage. I decided to reset my alarm for 15 minutes earlier or 2:55am to account for any delays on the roads. And, after eating a bowl of pasta, I went directly to bed hoping to fall asleep quickly ahead of the big day.

Sunday morning: Race day had arrived! Before setting foot on the floor, I glanced out the window through my half-opened eyes to see if the conditions had improved. It was pretty foggy still, but not the impending doom that I had pictured the night before. Feeling a spark of positivity, I made coffee and got race ready.

With my race gear in hand, I said goodbye to hubby, and backed out of the driveway into the pea soup conditions. The drive wasn’t nearly as bad as I had envisioned so I relaxed a bit as I headed to Sacramento, singing along with the radio, sipping coffee, and getting pumped for the day ahead! I made it nearly the entire way before seeing a major wreck on the causeway, bringing me back to the reality of the weather.

Happy that I had given myself extra time, I was calm and collected finding the city parking garage, gathering my pre-race and post-race bags, and heading to the State Capital to find gear check and eventually the buses to the start line. Due to Covid changes, there was no start line gear check which meant anything you brought on the bus, you needed to be able to carry with you during the race or discard.

This year the cold, uninviting hard seats of a school bus were replaced with the cozy comfort of a luxury coach. A digital clock in the front of the bus seemed unusually apparent in the predawn darkness. 4:38am it announced! Face-covered athletes filed in and found seats next to strangers. I sank into my seat, hood up, mask on, closed my eyes in relaxation for a short time and listened to other runners discuss goals, course strategies, and pacing. The clock ticked to 5:30am. I tried to get an idea of our whereabouts but the fog kept that a secret. Then, finally we exited HWY 50 in a caravan of buses. Upon arrival at Folsom Dam, we were invited to remain on the bus rather than venture into the cold, dark starting environment. By this time though I needed to find one of the thousands of porta-potties. Taking one last look at the clock, I left the sanctuary of the bus at 5:50am. I was wearing throwaway fleece pants, an old hoodie, and gloves but the excitement and/or nerves still made me shiver as I passed time in the damp, dimly-lit starting area. I did a few warm up “runs” while holding my gear bag and squeezing my oversized pants at the waist as a belt so I wouldn’t trip over the floppy hems. In between, I remembered to eat a few snacks and drink a few water bottles. As the 7am race start approached, I shed down to my shorts (keeping my hoodie and gloves on) and tossed my pre-race bag of snack wrappers, then walked over to the self-seeding corrals. Passing the already crowded gates, I searched for my “estimated finish time” pacer, 3:45. As I worked my way towards the front from the 6:00 pacer to the 4:30, a woman asked me which pace I was trying to get to. I responded 3:45 to which she said, without even questioning my ability, “me too! C’mon!” We squeezed through the barricades and inched our way forward through the thousands of runners. Just before the National Anthem played, we found a pocket of space in front of the 3:50 pacer. At this point, I had to mentally check myself because just 2 years earlier in 2019 I had lined up with the 5 hr pacer and all of a sudden the last 2 years of training rushed through my mind. I took a deep breath and refocused. I was still looking for the 3:45 pacer but started to question if there even was one at this point. The woman pointed ahead us. I squinted to see if the pacer she was referring to was holding the 3:45 sign but I couldn’t make it out. Not worried, I watched the faster runners crossing the timing mat for about 7 minutes before our group got the green light.

Here we go! After all those months of training, and after the phenomenal year I’d been having, I knew I was ready. So, as I crossed over the timing mat, a quiet voice in my head whispered, “less than 4 hours until you become Boston Qualified!”

Miles 1-5 are always speedy since the course is downhill and I was afraid of going out too fast. As much as I tried to hold back, the excitement, lack of being in a pace group, and course traffic got the best of me which was visible in my post-race stats. The goal was to stay at around 8:35 pace for the entirety of the race. My actual paces were as follows:

The first five miles were done before I even knew what happened. I tossed my jacket at mile 3.5 and took a gel around the same time. This was a little different for me because I usually wait until around mile 5 to fuel. This time I knew I’d need every bit of stored energy to get me to the finish with more speed and less bonking, so my fueling approach became more aggressive. (1 GU every 3.5 miles for a total of 7 gels!) Close to mile 6 there’s a left turn and that’s when I noticed a pacer! “What sign is she holding?”, I asked myself as I secretly hoped for a 3:45 answer. 3:45! YES! Now I can just settle in with her (and the 50 people grouped around her) for the next 20 miles. Every mile felt strong and relaxed so I zoned out, concentrating on the crowds lining the streets and their creative signage. The air was cool and the fog that I had worried about was a nonissue. I was hydrating well, grabbing a full cup of water every few miles. Mile 10 arrived like it was nothing. I was running on the left side of the road, and whereas at previous hydration stations, water was available on both the left and the right side, at mile 10 it was only offered in the right. I was at the end of it before I realized what was happening. I’d have to skip this one. Still, I figured I’d be fine as long as I got water at mile 12. Well, I missed the mile 12 aid station too. I was zoning out which isn’t a bad thing but now I hadn’t hydrated for 4 miles. Ugh. Still, I was feeling good and tried not to worry about it. We crossed the halfway mat at 1:50:55 which was slightly faster than I wanted but overall in a “good” range for my 3:45 goal. Ideally, I would have preferred 1:52:30, but considering I was mainly going by effort in the beginning, I was satisfied.

For some reason I always get a mental boost at the halfway point as I start counting down the miles. At mile 15, I could feel a glimpse of my quads tightening from all the downhill they had endured during the first couple hours. Things were getting harder. Still, I stuck with the pacer. I also got back on track with the hydration, taking full cups to try to make up for the stops I’d missed. During uphill sections, I could tell that I was working harder, then we’d reach the peak, and I found myself holding back. It was a roller coaster of thoughts during miles 16-18. From “how am I going to feel in a few miles if my quads are already in this shape” to “this is really manageable” “just keep going at this pace”.

At just passed mile 18, I just couldn’t hold onto the pacer. I grabbed a cup of water and tried to get back in the pack but I struggled. By 18.5 she was getting away from me. Mile 19 was all about hanging on. I saw a sign that said, “12k to go” and for some reason that seemed easier than 7 miles, so I kept going.

Becoming more sluggish, by mile 20, I gave in to the realization that this was not the day for the 3:45 goal. I was hurting, mentally and physically. But, I wasn’t giving up. I only had a 10k to go and I still believed I would finish in around 3:46 or so. I was still wearing my gloves, not sure why. My form was out of whack as I felt like I was leaning backwards with a belly full of jiggling water. My quads, especially my left one, ached. I concentrated on the music in my ears, thankful that I wasn’t cramping. I ran like a horse with blinders on, barely glancing at the crowds, wishing I was closer to the finish line. The course had flattened out which seemed excruciating after the 20 miles of boosting downhill.

I questioned how everything got so hard so fast. I knew I was slowing down but I told myself that I just had to keep going. The final bridge at mile 21.8 which is usually loud with music and much needed energy and support (due to Covid no doubt) was fairly quiet and missing the 35k timing mat. What was present, however, was a race photographer ready to capture my continuing struggle as I entered the city of Sacramento.

In East Sacramento, I was being passed by runners left and right.

At mile 22, a “Welcome to the FINAL FOUR!” banner hung from an overpass. I felt terrible. How could I keep doing this for another 4 miles?? I didn’t know how I’d make it. I already wanted to give up. I wondered what my finishing time would be at this rate, it was the only thing that kept me going through the pain cave.

Around mile 23.5 a girl ran passed me, poop up her back and down her leg. Although this wasn’t the first time I’ve ever seen this, it just made me question why we were all torturing ourselves out here. And STILL, I pushed forward. I thought I was still at around a 3:49 finishing time and although it wasn’t 3:45, it would still be a 10 minute PR AND a BQ! KEEP GOING! By mile 24, I felt my calves seize a bit. I remembered the crazy seizures during the Lake Tahoe Marathon and figured since I only had 2.2 miles to go, I’d be alright. I had little energy and my quads were on fire. Each stride took all my concentration and willpower. I finally worked up the energy to remove my gloves and felt so much lighter without them. Ha! At mile 25, I stopped. I grabbed a water and walked! I didn’t care about a new PR. I didn’t care about a BQ. I didn’t care that I just spent the last 25 miles trying to accomplishment something I’d never in my life thought I’d be able to do. Stopping felt good! Walking felt good! NO! What are you doing?? Go, Go, GOOO! I shook it off, and told myself to keep moving no matter how slow.

Just then two 3:50 pacers ran by! One was holding the pacing sign, the other was literally screaming, “C’mon, let’s go! LET’S GOOO! Guys, you HAVE to keep up! You have to do this!” He was running backwards waving his arms in a motion to hurry up! I’ll admit, he was freaking motivating. And I stepped up my game because of him. I couldn’t keep their pace, but I didn’t stop from that moment on. I finished that final lap downtown and ran (hobbled) down the finishing shoot. I raised my arms, crossed the finish line and thought, “And that’s it! BOSTON!”.

Sure, I was proud of myself, but my initial thoughts were “Where can I sit?” and “Wow, I’m a mess!” Ha! I barely remember the volunteers placing the medal around my neck and handing me a recovery jacket and water.

I took hold of the barricade and leaned over it to collect myself. It was super crowded so I figured I should pull myself together and get my drop bag which contained warm, dry clothes, my phone (for official results), and a protein shake among other recovery items.

My body had already stiffened just from the few minutes I had spent on the fence. I limped through thousands of finishers and collected my bag, then immediately saw my friends, Carlos and Ernesto. We caught up on the day’s events before deciding to meet more Fleet Feet friends in the beer garden.

Before that though, I had my eye on that BQ BELL!! It seemed surreal that I earned the right to ring it and so off I went to stand in the long line. It took close to an hour for my turn, but I would’ve waited the rest of the afternoon if I had to.

After securing photographic proof of qualifying, I headed over to the beer garden, picking up a free burrito on the way.

In my absent mindedness, I never once thought to check out the merch tent for Boston qualifying paraphernalia. Instead, I popped open a celebratory Strange Beast beer and cheered with my running friends to a historic, comeback race!

It was just like old times! We were so thankful to be back at CIM doing what we love.

After a few more photos, I drove reminiscing and savoring the magical memories of my first ever BQ!

Later that night, my husband and I drove a victory lap around town to admire Christmas lights. Wouldn’t you know it…we spotted a unicorn, clearly celebrating my new status!

A fairytale ending not only to the day but to the 2021 chapter of this running adventure.

A few days later, I saw a woman on IG wearing a “Boston Qualified” CIM shirt! Were these for sale at the merch tent at the finish?! Oh no! How did I miss these amazing shirts? Despondent, I contacted Sacramento Running Association. They confirmed any leftover shirts were shipped to the downtown Fleet Feet store. I desperately phoned but the unimpressed sales assistant reluctantly explained that boxes “in the back” contained CIM merchandise but he didn’t think they had any Boston shirts left, and definitely not in my size. I was bummed and mentioned it to hubby in passing. Then, on Christmas morning, I unwrapped the very shirt I’d seen on social media! A Christmas miracle! My ever supportive husband made a special search trip to the store, convincing the manager to allow him to go “in the back” and rifle through the boxes until he found one!

Unconditional support is EVERYTHING!!

Wrapping up the final days of the year, I look ahead to the fall announcement of the Boston 2023 cut off times. Will my qualifying time be fast enough to be accepted into the 127th running of the oldest marathon in the country? With a four minute buffer, I’m hopeful. For more information on Boston qualifying times click here: https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/plan/marathon-dates

The road to “Unicorn status” has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. And at age 49, a lesson in perseverance, consistency, and delayed gratification.

Whatever that BIG goal is for you, I’m here to tell you that you already have what it takes! Keep going, you will get there, and chances are, you’ll fly right past it! Chase your dream, work towards it, believe in it, and envision it. One magical day your dream will become a reality and it will be so worth it!

To register for the California International Marathon on December 4, 2022, click here: https://runsra.org/california-international-marathon/registration/