Madison Marathon Race Report

It had been a while since I had gone a trip on my own to do a race. Back when I was pacing a lot, there were a few times I made trips to races alone, though I usually shared a hotel with another pacer or two.

I had decided to do the Madison Marathon because I didn't want to go another year without running a marathon. So, I registered for the race and booked a cheap hotel and headed to Madison, The drive was uneventful and quiet, and I arrived in Madison with plenty of time to get to the expo.

Those who know me know I'm incredibly bad with directions, so I paid extra close attention to where I parked for expo. On race morning I used Google Maps on my phone to mark my parking location.

But for the expo I risked using my memory, and fortunately it worked out. After picking up my race packet, I headed to the hotel. Unfortunately, the hotel wasn't too nice. I asked them about a late checkout, and negotiated my way to 12:30 p.m., which would be cutting it close after finishing the race, but I really wanted to shower before driving back to Eagan. Strangely, they didn't seem to take down my room number.

After I did a short shake out run, I got some dinner at Noodles and Company, then tried to get some sleep. I had been in a mixed state (combination of manic and depression), so it was difficult to fall asleep, but I finally dozed off around 10:45 p.m, which gave a about six hours of sleep after I got up early for the race,

I had plenty of time to park and get to the start, so after hunkering down it my warm clothes for a while, I  did my warm up exercises. Laura called me and told me that her coworker, who was there to watch her husband, was at the race, and that I should send a picture of myself to her so her coworker could watch for me and cheer for me.

Then, I got in line for gear check, which turned out to be a bit of a fiasco. There was a very long line, and only one person was collecting the bags. I was certain I wouldn't make it to the start in time, but a volunteer started walking up the line and taking people's bags just in the nick of time.

Unfortunately, there were thousands of runners already lined up, and I couldn't get very close to the front. When the race started, I was still walking a fair amount after crossing the start line, and it took me around six miles to being able to run without weaving through the crowds.

I had trouble deciding what to wear on top. The temperature was decent, but in spots in it was pretty windy, which made it a little chilly, so I ended up wearing a long sleeve shirt the entire race instead of taking it off like I was planning.

I saw Laura's coworker, Becky, at the halfway point which was a nice boost. The course was a little bit of a blur. We ran along a couple lakes which was pretty, and there were some rolling hills with quite a bit of elevation gain the last couple miles.

I finished the race in 3:34:46. I was reasonably satisfied with my time as I hadn't run a ton of workouts or miles leading up to the race,

After I got my finishing food, I decided to forgo the finishing beer so I could get to the hotel. Seeing's how they didn't take my room number down for a late check out, I was a little worried that my room wouldn't be held for me.

Turns out I came just before it was about to be cleaned. My key card didn't work, but fortunately they reactivated it for me so I could get in my room and take a shower before my 5ish hour drive back to Eagan.

Overall the race was fine, but there was nothing great about it that would make me want to do it again. I also don't think I'll go on a solo trip to do a race again. I missed the wife and kids, and it would have been more fun if they had come along.