Race Report: The World's Most Rainy Marathon

Finally, the race report on how the Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town went! It's taken me some time to write this because after we left Cape Town we traveled for a couple of weeks through Zambia and on to Malawi. Fortunately, I kept a journal during my trip so I can remember some important details. Just like Dirty Dancing, I've had the time of my life.

 On top of Table Mountain

The race occurred a week after arriving in Cape Town. The Tuesday before the big day Brooke and I visited Table Mountain, which looks just as it is named and towers over the city. We took the heart pounding Cableway to the top along with all the other excited tourists and decided to hike down the less traveled route rather than stand in line for the cable car again. Also, as we were looking for the trailhead we encountered a woman who looked us up and down and said, "The hike down is really hard. I mean, I'm in shape and I wouldn't do it." I almost said, "Bitch, I'm a marathon runner," (and Brooke, she's an avid cyclist) but I didn't. Instead I started the descent in my dress and fashionable sneaks as if I was wearing overalls and hiking boots. Maybe it was a mistake. It took nearly three hours and used some muscles that hadn't even been invented yet. And both Brooke and I could barely walk the next day. And this was just a few days before the race!

 Down the side of the mountain we go

I was pretty upset with myself. I began icing like crazy. I got a massage. I took medicinal baths. All in desperation to get back into racing shape. Except...I was still in unfamiliar territory. The day before race day we ventured out to Boulders Beach to see African penguins, and it was a lot further than we thought it would be. I hardly drank any water that day and had only eaten a cliff bar, a tuna sandwich and an ice cream cone (sold out of someone's driveway) and it was reaching 5:00 pm. This was the least amount of water and food I'd ever had before a big race. Luckily, we managed to find a place for dinner that served pasta. If none of this was anxiety-inducing enough, I had scheduled a car to pick me up at 5:00 am to take me to the race, and I was convinced the driver wasn't going to show up. Also, the weather forecast called for rain.

So how did the race end up going? It. Was. Awesome.

Jackass Penguin (really, that's what they are called)

My driver showed up on time, and he was a really sweet Zimbabwean who gave me a pep talk, seeming to be so excited about the race that it was hard not to get excited as well. I told him that I'd share my winnings with him if I won, and he assured me that he'd be looking for my results. Somehow, despite the tens of thousands of other runners (there was a huge half marathon that morning in addition to the ultra), he managed to get me so close to the starting area that I could see it from the taxi.

6:25 am, race time. South African National Anthem. Gun. It was a massive crowd of people and I just went with the flow, starting off at a very easy 10:30 pace to let my muscles warm up. After a couple of miles I started to gain some confidence and ran a pretty solid 9:45 (thanks Garmin watch!) until about the half marathon mark (13.1 miles or 21 km). An hour into the race it started to pour down rain as had been expected. But this didn't bother me and didn't seem to faze anyone around me either. We were all in good spirits. I had a lot of people around me asking me, "Robbin! Where are you from, Robbin?" My name was on my bib and the color of the bibs indicated whether you were South African or not. By the time the race was over my pink bib had washed completely white. The Two Oceans Marathon calls itself, "The most beautiful marathon in the world," and I heard a joker nearby exclaim, "Two Oceans Marathon: The most rainy marathon in the world." 

Chapman's Peak was before the marathon mark (42 km), and I didn't expect it to be such a long uphill. Or maybe I'd read that but had forgotten while I focused on mentally preparing for Constantia Nek. I was able to keep running, although it was very slow. I reached a 13 minute pace, but I was passing other runners and walkers (nobody can walk the whole race, but many people walk the hills). Down the other side I made up for some time with a 9:30 pace. 

Something really strange occurred during this race and that is that the first 42 kilometers felt like a breeze! There must be something psychological happening here. When I've run normal distanced marathons before, my body has started to really hurt the last few miles (sometimes even before, as was the case in the most recent NYC marathon I ran). Two Oceans was about 35 miles and I didn't start to really hurt until the last few miles of it. It's like when I'm guaranteed to finish my muscles and joints finally send the message to my brain that they hurt like hell. 

At Constantia Nek, which is the gigantic hill after the 42 km mark, I kept running. Everyone else had started to walk (some of the people that I passed on Constantia Nek passed me later on, so walking doesn't necessary slow down your overall finish time...for me it's more about pride and wanting to run as much as I can), and as I reached the crest of the hill an announcer on a PA system said, "We have some very strong men out here and one even stronger woman." I grinned. I'd repeated my I-must-keep-going running mantra over and over outloud, "I think I can...I think I can...I think I can." Just like The Little Engine that Could, which is something I began to do involuntarily in the last mile of the first marathon I ever ran

With 5 kilometers left (about 3 miles), my legs really started to hurt, and one of my feet was doing that thing that it does sometimes where it goes numb and my toes curl up inside my shoe in long spasms. It's awkward. I stopped briefly for the count of ten a couple of times to stretch or bounce a little to try to loosen up whatever was going on. One of the guys I'd met early on in the race passed me and said, "Robbin! You waited for me, Robbin!" I smiled and waved at him, grateful for the encouragement from this funny stranger.

According to my watch 56 km came and went and I still didn't see the finish line, but it turned out to be right around the corner (was there an actual corner? I can't remember and was totally out of it by this point). This was a little bit disorienting. Also, the finish area was in a field at the University of Cape Town, and after having thousands of runners pass through in the rain (I don't know how many tens of thousands of half marathoners there were, but they had all crossed over this grassy field), the field was a soppy, muddy mess. I later found out that the men's winner of the ultra (in a time of 3:08) had even slipped in the mud and fallen right before breaking the tape. 

Partly because I was delirious and partly out of joy I started to laugh. And then I started to cry. I always cry when I finish a marathon, and there were a lot of other people around me doing the same thing. Brooke was there to see me finish and she said that she nearly started to cry!  

My finish time was 6:31:33 (56 km). 

Posing with my medal

In case anyone has been following my training, I never did find any potatoes along the course. In fact, I really didn't end up eating that much during the race. I had a peanut butter cliff bar an hour into the race, and at other points two gels. I couldn't get into the ice cream or chocolate that was handed out toward the end. I never felt hungry or sluggish. I drank a lot of water (which came in tiny sealed plastic bags that I had to bite a corner out of in order to sip the water...something that actually worked really well) and powerade.

A celebratory margarita

So, the most beautiful marathon in the world was the most rainy, and perhaps I didn't get to take in all the views that I was supposed to. But my experience was far from disappointing. In fact, I think the rain was a blessing for me since running in the hot sun for that long would have been difficult. I had an entire week to take in all the eye-popping beauty that Cape Town has to offer.

Taking in the beauty. Thanks, Cape Town.

If I lived in South Africa I would definitely do Two Oceans every year.

It's an Uphill Battle

It's not quite two months before race day and I completed my first long training run. It was roughly 21 miles long. I ran a 10.9 mile loop twice (but walked a few of the last blocks on the 2nd loop). My good friend and fellow runner (we've run three marathons and many other races together, although with different finishing times) joined me for the 2nd loop. After making a pit stop at my apartment where I tried out some boiled baby potatoes with butter and salt and some flat coke (both are offered at the refreshment stations on the Two Oceans Marathon course), we headed back out. I think the potatoes were a success! However, I definitely felt as though I'd already run 11 miles. My friend, the gazelle, was springy and fresh while I felt every hill, big and small.

Speaking of hills, the TOM  has two really challenging hills that arrive after already completing 26.2 miles or the distance of a regular marathon: Chapmans Peak (rising 180m or 590ft) and then the big doozy, Constantia Nek (rising 215m or 705ft). Both of them cover about 4 km each of the course. I expect there to be a lot of cursing at this point in the race.

Race Profile. Gnarly.

I found this video that is sort of like a self help video for how to survive Constantia Nek. This dude is so calm. I'm a big believer in being mentally prepared for races. Unfortunately, I haven't always been consistent with this, instead taking it for granted that I know I'll finish. But for this race I'm trying to visualize myself reaching the finish line frequently. I've actually already finished this race half a dozen times in my head. I've also accepted a gold medal and given a victory speech with the American flag draped around my shoulders.

I'd like to increase my mileage over the rest of the month. The general rule is to increase no more than 10 percent a week. This seems like a good idea for me since I have never put in this many miles a month before. Finding the time is going to be the biggest challenge.

You Say Potato

This evening, running home from work, I sweated my way through gaggles of good looking people who were probably heading somewhere to hang out with other good looking (and non-sweaty) people. Meanwhile, I was thinking about potatoes. My train of thought began with how weird I felt because I ate too much sugar today. I felt similar while running in the most recent NYC marathon, at least during the last half of the race. And I attribute it to eating too many caffeinated energy gels. That led me to thinking about the "refreshment stations" that are going to be along the course of the Two Oceans Marathon. On its website the race organizers say that potatoes will be provided as one of the refreshments. But it doesn't say anything else about it. Will these potatoes be baked? Fried? Will there be a potato bar with butter and sour cream? Will they be mashed potatoes? Potatoes au gratin?

I follow the Two Oceans Marathon on Facebook and decided I would take my question there. I noticed that the person running the page is very responsive to questions and suggestions on the page. There are lots of interesting conversations on there (and not so interesting posts pleading for bibs to the sold out Half Marathon). Earlier today Two Oceans said,  "70 days to go to race day - that's 10 weeks...hope you have some great training runs planned for the weekend or maybe you're doing a race. Let us know what you're up to." See, so friendly! There are 22 comments so far, including one from a koala bear (judging from the profile picture). It just says, "Knee injury :-("

Recently I followed on their facebook page a controversy over the price of the Trail Run that is happening the same weekend as the marathon (there are several other races that weekend, including a Trail Run and a Half Marathon, which are both sold out). It seems that the Trail Run was posted as being a certain price and then suddenly the registration price was raised on the website without an explanation, but it included a free t-shirt. Subsequent complaints on their facebook page included stuff like, "I don't want to buy the t-shirt. Why are you forcing us to buy a t-shirt. This race is too expensive. You're never going to get locals to run in this race. This is highway robbery and we really want an explanation for why you are ruining this race." Then someone would respond with, "Stop complaining." The 22 km Trail Race (and free t-shirt) costs 550 Rand. I'm not sure how much that is in regular money, but it sounds expensive. 


So I posted this question on their wall: 

Greetings from Brooklyn, NY! I am running in the 56 km marathon and I would like to be prepared for the food provided at your refreshment stations before race day. I want to try eating potatoes on my long training runs. Is it possible to learn what kind of potatoes they are and how they are cooked? Looking forward to seeing you all on April 7th.

It will be fun to see what kind of response(s) I get.

72 Days, 13 Hours, 48 Minutes (and a book review)

What's been going on in Two Oceans Marathon training land! I'm still feeling confident. My goals still include: running at least 40 miles a week; eating less processed foods and more raw foods; drinking less of the alcohol; and getting enough sleep (which means kicking the animals out of the bed). The first two weeks of January I was successful in getting 40 miles in. It wasn't easy, but I felt stronger than I have in a really long time. I even had a couple of runs up the Williamsburg Bridge (the bridges in NYC are our urban mountains) where I totally zoned out and didn't even realize I'd run uphill until I was heading down the other side. Brilliant!

I wasn't as successful in the third week. I felt kind of cranky and tired. It happens. On Saturday it snowed and I fell on the ice while fighting with Oscar over some delicious-looking garbage he found (because I wanted to keep him from eating it, not because I wanted to eat it). On Sunday I was so sore from falling down that I felt as though I'd been in a car accident. I even had what felt like whip lash. (Someone call whine-one-one, I need a whaaambulance.) Monday, I took ibuprofen and iced my back all day. Now I know what people are talking about when they talk about icing stuff. It really helped! I ended up taking three days off in a row, which meant I lost my Saturday long run and now I'm behind this week

In the meantime, I finished reading Ultramarathonman: Confessions of an All-Night Runner by Dean Karnazes. I will probably write more about this book. But for now let's just say that I really thought I would not like the guy. Maybe it was the title. Or maybe it was the whole "sexiest man in sports" award by Sports Illustrated (don't they know this award belongs to Johnny Depp?). Obviously he's not Scott Jurek, my favorite "ultramarathonman". But despite all these reasons to be put off by him, I found his story really interesting. This book is definitely not a book that you would read for insights into how to be a great runner; there are no details about what he wears, eats (other than the stories about stopping at gas stations or ordering pizzas mid run) or even how he trains. He jumps right to the big events that have shaped his now-running career. Also, there are no stories about other runners. While I'm writing this I'm starting to feel like he is an asshole. But wait! What I found interesting about him was his brief insights into why he runs. Even though he is obsessive compulsive about it, I could relate to his use of running as therapy (I even used to say, when I lived in the mountains, that running on the trails was my version of going to church). I could relate to the thought that the "runner doesn't need much" as I am a really low maintenance runner when it comes to gear (often I don't even wear socks). And mostly, I related to the feeling that if you can complete a long distance race you can do anything. After surviving the "meltdown/euphoria" cycle that comes with participating in a marathon, there is a period of time when I feel pretty much invincible, and when I feel I could also get the "sexiest man in sports" award (but only if I wanted it).

Eating on the Run

I have decided that part of my training for the Two Oceans Marathon needs to involve experimenting with eating while running. I usually ingest the powerade gels (chocolate or vanilla flavored) during races longer than 90 minutes, but I felt so nauseous during the last marathon I ran that I'm a bit scared of them now. The gels are amazing; the first time I had one I wondered why I didn't use them recreationally. But they are full of caffeine and who knows what else. You can overdo it with them for sure. And by "overdo it" I mean poop your pants.

I went on a 2 1/2 hour run today, so it seemed like a good time to take along some food. I chose a peanut butter Cliff bar. I was so excited about it that I was having a hard time not eating it 20 minutes in. While I fantasized about the snack weighing down my pocket, I wondered what else I could eat while running. A burrito? A veggie dog? In Ultramarathonman Dean Karnazes talks about ordering a large pizza and en entire cheesecake to be delivered to him mid run. Would I be able to handle a cheesecake-pizza sandwich? Probably not, but it is always fun to fantasize about eating. Mmmmm...pizza and cheesecake.

About 90 minutes into my run, I was heading down the West Side Highway toward Battery Park and I decided I'd try the Cliff Bar. My face was numb and my throat was dry from the cold so the first couple of bites tasted exactly like plastic. But by bite three it started to taste delicious! There is something that feels very primitive, thus liberating, about eating while running. And I would say that it was a success. No stomach cramps. And I didn't get hungry or feel low energy by the end of the run. Most importantly I did not poop my pants. Next, I'll practice with salt intake while I run. Pretzels!

Two Oceans will have "refreshment stations" along the course which the race organizers say will have bar-one chocolates, bananas, potatoes, and ice cream. I'm not sure about any of these things. But I know of the perfect ice cream shop to help me "practice eating" while running. I'll do it, but only for the love of the sport.

Some things I saw on my run today:

Christmas lights still hanging in someone's yard and a cow that hangs out on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn

85 Days 13 Hours 27 Minutes

Websites for marathons love to include the countdown to their race. I suspect it's supposed to invoke panic. The internal monologue goes something like this: "Eighty-five days, 13 hours, and 27 minutes! Wait, what? WHAT?? What am I doing? There isn't enough time. I'm going to make a total ass of myself! I am an ass. I am, in fact, an ass of myself."

This may seem like a long time if you, say, know you will have to return a library book. Or if this is the countdown to your roommate's birthday. (If you are counting down 85 days until your roommate's birthday, you're probably psycho. I've seen Single White Female.) However, in terms of training, 85 days can easily be broken up into not-too-many-sounding weeks. And each of these weeks is important.

This week it's hard getting my planned 40 miles a week in. I'm an evening runner and since I have plans after work tonight and tomorrow night I'm going to have to cram a bunch of miles in on Saturday. Either that or I run slightly tipsy tonight when I get home or wake up early in the morning? And try to run then? Morning? Huh?

The excellent news is that there is always time to eat. Here is my lunch from Tiffin Wallah yesterday. One of the great things about living in New York City is the food. The food and the Jay Z song, "Empire State of Mind" are actually the two great things about living in NYC.



South Indian buffet, $7.95. Near the corner of 28th and Lexington Ave.

And just for the hell of it:

35 at 35

(picture of a t-shirt signed by Ryan Hall, which a friend from work picked up for me in Boulder, Co)

Around the same time that I was turning 35 I found a marathon in Cape Town, SA called Two Oceans, which also happens to be 35 miles long (56 km by their measurement). Perfect! The only trouble is that I haven't been running nearly as much as I should. Yes, I did the NYC marathon (for the second time) back in early November 2011, but it wasn't one of my finest races. The race-organizing folks are calling Two Oceans an ultramarathon, but I kind of think that should be reserved for 50 miles or longer. Instead, I'll just call it "a long f@$%*ing race."

I've completed seven marathons. Back in 2008 I had been living in Brooklyn for a year and I decided that I wanted to train for my first marathon, the NYC...because I'm crazy. It is difficult to get in this race through the lottery alone, so I raised money for a charity that primarily helped people in poverty living in NYC. It was my way of giving back to this city. Not that things had necessarily been easy living here. I was in a relationship with someone who was neglectful and dishonest, I'd gone through many temp jobs and craigslist gigs (no, not *that* kind of gig) before finally getting a job I liked and I'd had a series of unfortunate roommate situation after my first roommate (who was awesome!) had to leave town for a medical emergency. In the words of my girl Dolly Parton, "The Big Apple took a bite out of me." Training for the NYC marathon took my mind off of my troubles and gave me something positive to focus on. But I still had no idea the extent to which actually running the race would change my life forever. It was, in fact, the best day of my life. I'll never forget crossing the start line, running through Brooklyn and right past my then-apartment in Bed-Stuy with my neighbors sitting out on their stoops, hitting Williamsburg and seeing friends everywhere, running into Queens and getting a big bear hug from my cousin who was yelling his head off for me, and then crying the last couple of miles in Central Park because it hit me that I was actually going to finish. For someone who is plagued with constant self doubt, this was undeniably a great accomplishment. Once that medal was mine nobody could ever take it away from me.

Here's where I should post a picture of me running the NYC marathon, but eff-you Brightroom photography and your terrible race photos! All their photos of me make me look bloated and sluggish. But maybe that's just how I look when I run. Instead, here is the photo with my four-legged training partner that I used for my fundraising page:

Since November 2008 I have fought occasional depression and bad decisions to successfully complete six other 26.2s: Chicago (2009); Silver Spring, MD (2010); Paris (2010); Harrisburg, Pa (2010); Napa Valley (2011); and NYC (2011, again).

This being the first blog post I guess I should say that my goal right now is to write about what inspires me in order to get inspired. I also want to sell tons of adspace and become rich!! JK.

I have three months to train for the Two Oceans Marathon, "the most beautiful marathon in the world." Geeez. This morning, on this beautiful holiday day, I ran for 2 hours around Prospect Park, listening to my standard Wolf Parade pandora radio station. It felt like a decent start. I only need to be able to do that times three...and I'll be good to go April 7th.