Ben Rubenstein's Running Blog: The 2014 Vermont City Marathon

Introduction

On Sunday May 25, I ran the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington. It was a thrilling experience, and if you’re interested, you can read this detailed report. If you’re not, I completely understand. If you want a short summary— call me. I’ll happy tell you about it in 10 minutes or less. But if you want a mile by mile account, including descriptions of what I did, what I thought, and how I felt—then read on.

I trained for this race differently. I had trained for previous races with the Brooklyn chapter of Team in Training. I loved that experience. I loved the coaches and the entire group. They instilled within me the foundation that I built upon for the three marathons that I’ve now completed. I missed them and will be back with them very soon.

But— I needed to change things up a bit this time around. So for this race I trained with Matt Imberman, a running coach who I originally met on the day I ran my first marathon in New Jersey.

The Night Before

The night before the race I went out to dinner at The Olive Garden with my race support team. It was great having everyone there: Elliot Wasser, Brittany Spanno, Amanda Gallo, Linda Lam, Mike Stillwell, and Lisa Stillwell. As usual, I had spaghetti and meatballs, and I was very careful not to overeat. I was in bed by 10:00, watching TV and feeling sleepy. I actually slept reasonably well considering it was the night before a marathon that I’d been training for since January.

Morning Routine

My alarm went off at 4:45. I showered and prepared my usual pre-long-run breakfast. I had transported all of the necessary appliances in order to prepare the following: tea with sugar, toasted bagel with butter, two soft boiled eggs with salt, and one Mint Milano cookie. I also had some water. It was a little difficult to eat because I didn’t have a huge appetite at that hour, but I got it down and was done eating by 5:45. This was ideal because it gave me over two hours of time to digest, which is critical for me because of the issues I’ve had with nausea in my two previous marathons.

Pre-Race at Battery Park

Once I was dressed and ready I left my hotel and walked over to Battery Park. This park is beautiful, overlooking Lake Champlain. I paced around, stretched, did my warms up, sat down, stood up, sat down again, texted, peed about five times, tapped my foot anxiously, and finally checked my bag and headed into the corrals. Once I was in the corrals I felt pretty calm. I took a few deep breaths and closed my eyes. I heard organ music… the introduction to “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2. I love this song. I was so happy that they were playing it that I teared up. I can't think of a better song to get me pumped up for a race. That was a great way to start.

The temperature was warm and a bit humid. The sun was shining brightly— no clouds in the sky.

Miles 1-3

The air horn blew and off I went. I felt good at first, but about half a mile in I had some scary moments. First, my right leg started tightening up. This happens to me often, and it annoys the hell out of me, but I’m used to it. I call it ARS, which stands for “Awkward Running Syndrome”. It’s not painful, it’s just really goddam annoying. When it happens I can’t run normally and feel off-balance and uncomfortable. The only remedy I’ve found is to stop, stretch, walk a bit, then resume running. So that’s exactly what I did. It was a bit dispiriting to have to do that in the first mile of a marathon but I had no choice. I tried to think positively and not let it bother me.

This will pass.

This has happened a million times.

Don’t worry about it.

Later in the first mile— sudden pain in my right knee! Now this pissed me off. I couldn’t believe it. I have a history of issues with this knee, but it had been FINE for weeks prior to the race. I’d tapered properly, iced it, foam rolled twice a day, had several massages… I even saw an orthopedist and got an MRI, the results of which were totally normal.

What the fuck! No!

You’ve got be kidding me. Is this really happening?

Now I was angry. I couldn’t control my emotions and enjoy the race at this point. I was nervous and angry about the tightness and the knee pain. But on I ran, and thankfully, it never returned. My knee was totally fine for the remainder of the race.

Miles 2 and 3 went well, although I was aware that my pace was slower than I wanted it to be. My long runs had been at about a 9:50 pace during training. But considering the heat and humidity as well as the marathon distance, I knew that running slower was the right decision. I had discussed this with Matt at length. So when I saw my watch reporting a 10:30 pace, I told myself:

this is fine.

this is early days.

these are early miles.

this is fine.

this is right where I want to be.

Mile 1: 10:38. Not bad, considering I stopped to stretch.

Mile 2: 10:30

The third mile took us right through Church Street in downtown Burlington which was very cool.

Mile 3: 10:34

Miles 4-9 — Out and Back on the Highway

Mile 4 is where the “out and back” on the highway began. This was by far the most boring part of the race. Three miles out and three miles back on a pretty nondescript looking highway. The first three miles were a gentle downhill slope, which while nice, also comes with the constant reminder that this is going to be all uphill on the way back.

This stretch of highway also had no shade. The sun was beating down on me and I really started to sweat. I began using the water stations not only to hydrate, but to cool myself by dumping water over my head and neck. This really helped. I also got my shirt wet which helped keep me cool.

The highway portion of the course seemed to go on forever. Every time I thought I saw the turnaround point, I was wrong; there was more. Six miles total on the highway.

Mile 4: 10:07

Mile 5: 11:01 because I stopped to pee

Mile 6: 10:06

Mile 7: 10:05

Mile 8: 10:29

Mile 9: 10:14

Mile 10

Mile ten was the best! I was so happy to be off of that awful highway and done with the uphill climb. Mile ten was like a homecoming.

I’m back!

Crowds were cheering… the highway was over… I was now running downhill right back into town, through Church Street again, and my mind and body felt GREAT. This was my favorite mile of the entire race. It was a joy.

Mile 10: 9:55 My only sub-10:00 mile of the race.

Mile 11-15

This portion of the race is hazy in my mind, mostly because nothing really memorable took place. I was fine. I was in a comfort zone, just doing my thing. I had long since accepted the fact that I was going to have to run this marathon at a slower pace than I had hoped, so I made my peace with the 10:30 pace and did not allow it to discourage me.

I knew that at mile 16 I would face the most significant hill of the course… “Battery Hill”. So that was on my mind during mile 15 as I approached it.

Mile 11: 10:22

Mile 12: 10:35

Mile 13: 10:29

Mile 14: 10:35

Mile 15: 10:27

Mile 16 — “Battery Hill”

My two previous marathons (New Jersey and Chicago) were both completely flat courses. This was my first time running a marathon with hills. Mile 16 has a very steep, but mercifully short hill. I think the distance of the hill is about a quarter of a mile or so.

I had done an easy pace practice run on the Friday prior to the race, during which I used that opportunity to run up this hill. So when I did it during the marathon, I had confidence that it would be okay, and it was. I did take a 30 second walking break about half way up, but overall this hill was not a problem and it was over before I knew it. There was also great crowd support there, along with a group of drummers pounding on massive kettle drums. I loved that part.

Mile 16: 10:53

Once I crested the hill, I felt really good because I knew that the remainder of the course was flat and downhill. I also knew that Amanda was waiting for me at the mile 17 marker, so I now thought…

Run to Amanda

Mile 17-22 — Running with Amanda

My friend Amanda has done many practice runs with me during my training for this race, so I knew she would be a great running partner. She knew exactly what I wanted: a quiet and reliable running partner by my side.

When I saw her in the distance waiting for me on the side of the road, I could see her reaction: none. She would explain later that she did not recognize me! I guess my unshaven face, my watery marathon hairstyle, and my emotionless expression really threw her off. She identified me based only on my bib number.

The first thing she said to me was “Your hair looks awesome.”

Mile 17: 10:25

Mile 18: 10:43

Mile 19: 10:40

Mile 20: 10:40

You can see based on my miles above, that I was starting to slow down. The race really began getting tough around mile 20. I was tired. I began taking more frequent walking breaks. I was hot.

I focused on getting to the bike bath. The bike bath is the last leg of the race. It’s a gorgeous tree lined path which runs along side Lake Champlain and back to Waterfront Park.

Just get to the fucking bike path.

The race gradually stopped being fun. I was okay, but really struggling. I maintained my running form, but when I stopped to walk, my legs would suddenly feel like jello. It was hard to tell if walking was even helping me or not.

Mile 21: 11:09

Mile 22: 11:32

Eventually Amanda and I arrived at the bike path and I took it alone from there. I am grateful that she was there.

Mile 23-25 — The Bike Path and the Crazy Pace Leader

This part of the course was beautiful, but it was hard to enjoy it because I felt so miserable. I really had to push hard mentally and physically to keep running. Then I saw the 4:45 pace group. My personal record for a marathon was 4:47, set in New Jersey in May of last year. So although I was not tracking my total time on my watch, I now knew that if I stayed with this group, I would set a new personal record. So I tried to do this. I tried really hard.

Now I want to tell you about this pacer. She looked to be in her fifties. A very fit woman, in mile 25 of a marathon, holding a “4:45” sign and running with some balloons attached to her. She was talking, upbeat and as chipper as ever. I was blown away by what she was doing. I generally prefer running alone and in silence, but at this point, having this little group to latch onto was really helpful. I have a whole new respect for marathon pacers. This woman was absolutely incredible. This 4:45 clan of runners was helpful, but their presence also inflicted me with a sense of desperation.

Stay with this group.

Stay with this fucking group.

No… I can’t.

yes I CAN!

Fuck it. Let them go.

NO.

NO!

I need to walk

NO I DON’T!

This is really hard.

I do things that are hard.

That’s what I do.

My ears are clogged up.

My breathing is amplified in my brain.

Like the astronaut in 2001.

I want to die.

This is almost over.

Stay with this group, you’ll be angry at yourself later if you don’t.

I can’t.

Mental anguish. Physical exhaustion. Although I had long since accepted that I wouldn’t make my goal time, the opportunity for a new personal record was still within my grasp— a point made glaringly obvious by the presence of the 4:45 pace group.

But I was so tired. I desperately tried to stay with them. Although I’ve been trained to look up, I looked down at the ground as I ran, focusing on the feet of the runner in front of me.

Just stay with her.

Stay with her.

I let them go. I was just too tired. Off they went into the distance… the balloons, the chatting, and my personal record disappearing into nothingness.

Mile 23: 11:47

Mile 24: 11:40

Mile 25: 12:08

Mile 26

I ran a bit.. walked a bit… ran hard for a bit… walked a bit more… until I saw the end of the bike path, I heard the crowd, and I knew that the end was near.

Once I exited the bike path I was out in the sun, by the lake, crowds lining the course, green grass, back to civilization! The end was so close— so I started to run harder, and as a result I felt a sudden pain in my groin on both sides. WOAH. It hurt, but then went away. I started to run hard again and my calves started freaking out… getting all wobbly, like there were bubbles flowing inside them.

What is happening!?

The last couple of hundred feet are a straight shot down a grass corridor to the finish line. I ran hard but my legs started going crazy. So even along that final stretch I had to walk just a little bit. I was distracted from the joy of finishing the marathon because of the sudden insanity I was feeling in my legs.

But I did run right through to the finish. A guy standing there saw me, put his hand up and said “You’re done… you’re done.”

Mile 26: 11:31

After the Finish Line

I pressed the stop button on my watch: 4:44. A new personal record.

I was astonished. Incredulous. Shocked. I was too tired and delirious to be happy at that point, but very relieved that I could finally stop running.

I felt weak and unfocused. I forgot about the medal until someone put it onto me. I didn’t even see who did that.

Someone handed me a water bottle. I grabbed a banana. I looked for a piece of grass to sit down on. I saw Mike and Lisa on the other side of the barricade. I couldn’t speak yet. I needed a few minutes to collect myself.

I needed to eat but there was no food in sight. I didn’t understand this. Where is the food?

I lay down on the grass. I had a little bit of the banana but it was brown and I didn’t want it. I felt a bit dizzy when I got up.

Amanda, Linda, Elliot, and Brittany arrived. It was great to see them.

I exited the finishers’ chute and made my way into the park with the group and sat down. I still didn’t see any goddam food. I eventually bought a burger but it wasn’t good and I only ate a little bit of it.

I felt pretty good for about 20 minutes. We took some photos and I talked with everyone about the race.

Muscle Spasms and Nausea

Suddenly my right foot started to hurt. My big toe was going crazy— flexing itself and moving uncontrollably. Pain. I tore my shoes off and tried to relax my foot by massaging it. Then my entire leg from the knee down through the foot seized up. An intense muscle spasm. I don’t even know how to explain this. I screamed in pain. It was as though I suddenly had no control over my body. You could see my calf muscle quivering. It was as though someone was stretching out my leg like a rubber band. It was agonizing.

Elliot suggested that I needed to get some electrolytes into my system, and someone eventually arrived with an ice pack and some Gatorade, and pair of medics came to my aid. The helped me get onto my feet in order to get blood flowing into the leg.

I walked around for a bit, and eventually sat back down, and then lay down in the grass. After a few minutes I started to feel nauseous. Then as I made my way slowly back to the hotel I started dry-heaving. Elliot (a doctor) felt strongly that this was a symptom of an electrolyte imbalance, and that I needed to drink a sports drink and eat a banana. So I did that, slowly, but I felt sick for a while.

With Elliot and Brittany’s aid, I got back to my hotel and eventually I settled down and was better after a hot bath and a long nap. I even went out to dinner with everyone and had a full meal.

Concluding Thoughts

Of my three marathons, this one was the most successful.

• I did not get nauseous (until after).

• I ran my fastest time, despite heat, humidity, and hills.

• My friends were there to support me. I will never forget this.

• I feel very satisfied with this accomplishment. I have nothing to feel disappointed about.

You may be wondering: how did I finish at 4:44 despite finishing behind the 4:45 pace group? Over dinner that night Amanda would point out the obvious answer: I started the race after they did. So although I was running with them, I was actually ahead of them because they had a full minute head start at the beginning of the race. Brilliant!

Thank You

Thank you to my friends who travelled to Burlington to be with me for this special day: Lisa, Mike, Elliot, Brittany, Amanda, and Linda.

Thank you to Amanda Gallo for running with me in Central Park and running with me during the marathon. You've been a great friend and your presence in the race was wonderful.

Thank you to coaches Jim Purvis and Amy Sitar who helped me fall in love with long distance running, and helped pave the way for me to get to this day.

And thank you to Coach Matt Imberman who helped me prepare myself physically and mentally for this marathon. Including training, dealing with the flu, recovering from a back injury, treating a chaffed inner thigh, helping guide me on the decision to skip Big Sur and run Vermont instead, adjusting my nutrition and hydration, conquering the nausea, strengthening my core, and everything else that goes into preparing oneself for a 26.2 mile race. THANK YOU.