Dallas Marathon Half: Where Is The Magic, Baby?

There are a few races on my calendar that stand out every year because they are special to me. The Dallas Marathon and Half (formerly White Rock Marathon and Half) is always a highlight on the calendar.  Mr K and I were involved with the White Rock Marathon way before we ever even imagined that we would run it one day.  He has been "manning" the very infamous water stop at the Dolly Pardon Hills for about 10 years now, as best we can figure.  The White Rock was Erik's first marathon back in 2008 and my first marathon in 2011.  I have run the half every year since 2008 (excluding 2011 when I went all the way) and I have hit some big milestones at that race when the odds were stacked against me either due to a intense concert performance schedule or a wonky hip issue.  I always call it White Rock Magic because that is what it seemed to be, no other explanation.  They changed the race name and venue this year and I was hoping that the magic would follow suit, but it worked out to be quite the opposite for me. 

I picked up a new shirt at the expo....hehe.

I love Marathon Week in Dallas.  My Twitter timeline and Facebook feed are full of positive energy and excitement since I know so many people who are involved with the race--running the marathon, half, on a relay team, or volunteering in some fashion.  I love the race expo too, it always takes us forever to get in and out of there because we see so many frunners.  It is a great vibe!  This year the race took the opportunity to honor its history and had a display for each year of the marathon--including race date, weather, winners, a picture of the race shirt, and some candid shots from the course.  Mr K was THRILLED to find himself highlighted on the 2006 display--in full Dolly attire!  Clearly this was before he started running because the Dolly featured there was much heavier than the current Dolly.  I like to joke that it is like the Fat Elvis.  I  had to stop for a quick picture by the display for my 1st marathon--there seemed to be a bit of shared trauma around this one as we all talked about just how cold and rainy it was that day.



 

 

The alarm sounded earlier than usual on race morning as the directions were to arrive in downtown by 6:00 am. Everything was going smoothly until this happened:

 



 

I sat in traffic for a solid hour and a half before making it off of the highway, nope I was not freaking out...not one bit....Then there was the little issue of where to leave my car.  Downtown Dallas does not make this easy and I became increasingly frantic as I searched for an open parking lot only to find none.  Near tears, I finally found a spot at a parking meter--with a 2 hour limit (huh?) and I had no change.  A call to Mr K to let him know I might need a ride later if my car was towed and I hastily grabbed my gear and rushed off to find a porta potty and my corral.  By some miracle I ran into Felix and we made it into the corrals before they were closed.  I had already realized that in my panic I had left my sunglasses and iPod (with a carefully selected new playlist) in the car.  Talking with Felix in the corral helped to calm me down and soon the anthem was sung and the starting gun had sounded.  The energy of a huge race is always fantastic -- and I LOVE that the confetti was Texas shaped!

I started further back in my corral than ideal and I spent a lot of the early miles working to get around people who were moving slower than me.  It was very crowded in the beginning (and for much of the race) and I wondered how some of these people ended up so far up in the corral.  The weather was less than ideal--70 degrees and 90% humidity.  The streets were wet and it hasn't rained a drop in Dallas in a month or more, if that gives you an idea how bad it was.  Quite often I had the feeling that I was slipping and I had some unusual aches by the end--slippery streets! I was soon soaked with sweat, but was still determined to try to stick as close to my goal pace as I could.  This would prove to be a downfall in the later miles, I have made this mistake time and time again--I'm just too stubborn to adjust my plan sometimes.  Maybe I have finally learned my lesson.



All Smiles at Mile 4--check out the redneck dude!

The crowds in the West Dallas loop of the race were awesome--so much spirit as the marathon crossed into their side of the city for the first time ever.  Running the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (Large Marge) is always a treat and I count myself lucky to have done it twice this year.  The views of the skyline are pretty impressive from this vantage point.  I knew that a band of my friends would be "spectathletes" at the race--riding from point to point on their bikes, but I was unsure of their plan and knew that there focus would be on the marathoners as they would need the most support.  It was great to hear my name around mile 4 and see Mama C, Fiona, Dat, and Brian. 



At the Dollies with my Spectathletes Mama C & Fiona

Passing the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, the race beneficiary, was a new addition this year and one of my favorite.  It was great to see staff and families from the hospital out cheering--reminding me that the challenges I was facing were nothing compared to theirs.  I heard a familiar voice as we neared Turtle Creek and I was thrilled to see Felix.  I was already starting to feel the fatigue and was happy to have his energy for a couple of miles before the half and full split.  After the turn around I was starting to feel the full effect of my efforts and decided to throw any goals out the window and just get this race finished.  I channeled my inner Drum and smiled a huge smile when I really wanted to cuss and stomp my feet.  I don't know if it helped, but it couldn't hurt!

Post Race with Beth & Teal (Life Is A Run)

After the turn around my next goal was getting to the RAW aide station somewhere between 10 and 11.  I knew that the friendly faces there would give me a boost and indeed they did!  Thanks Cherry, Lulu, Rick, and Tini for your smiles and energy--I hope to repay the favor someday.  I missed seeing a favorite face, Byron--vanmate from IMAZ, his energy is amazing and he always has solid advice for me.  Feeling somewhat sad, I ran on for a block or so only to notice a figure next to me--Byron!!  He did, indeed, offer me some sound advice and good energy and sent me on my way.  Thanks Byron!

Mr K and Carolyn strike a pose at the Dollies

I ran back up the infamous Grassy Knoll and back into downtown thinking that this race was just about done....WRONG!  We ran past the finish line on a lengthy out-and-back that was uphill (what the what?!).  I was feeling pretty mentally defeated at this point but kept on moving forward.  The finishers chute was pretty incredible, lots of cheers as I managed to find an extra kick for the finish.  I made it in 2:01:17, looking back at past races this is a consistent time for these conditions.  My mile splits are all over the place and my shoulders were crazy sore, which tells me that I spent much of the race struggling.  A fellow half runner, Marcie, tweeted: "There are days when you feel like running forever and days when you swear you will never run again.  Both make you a stronger runner." I think that this sums things up perfectly.

A Traditional Celebratory Beer with Gretchen
Now and Then

I had a good time hanging out post race with a great group of frunners before finding a special treat from the City of Dallas on my car.  Grr...after a tour of South Dallas I made my way out to the Dollies in time to see DK come through on her way to finishing her 1st marathon.  It was a huge thrill to cheer her on!  Marathoner friends Mark, Robert, and Felix went on to run phenomenal races given the horrid conditions.  I am so proud of everyone who laced up their running shoes and gave it a shot.  Did I mention that the cold front was here by mid-afternoon?  Oh Texas....

While it appeared that much of  my White Rock Magic seemed to disappear along with the race's name change, I was still reminded of how lucky I be a part of race day in Big D.  I will be a part of this race as long as I am able, despite any frustrations that it may bring me.  Looks like I will just have to find a way to create some Dallas Marathon Magic, right?

(Thanks to Mama C, Beth and Teal, and Carolyn for the pictures that help to tell the story!)