2010 Metro PCS Dallas White Rock Marathon

Distance: 26.2 miles
Duration: 4:15:29
Average Pace Per Mile: 9:45
Weather: 37 degrees. NNE wind at 9 mph. It was COLD.



3:00 am Sunday Morning
I woke up and  could not go back to sleep. I was so excited. I stayed in bed and waited until my 4 am alarm went off. At 4 am I heard the NFL theme song. Da-Da-Da-DAH! Trey said, "It's marathon time!"

4:00 am - I got dressed and made sure I put petroleum jelly in areas that are prone to chaffing. I did not want my armpits to catch on fire during the race. Chaffing sucks, but the jelly seems to work. Shortly, after getting dressed, I ate my typical breakfast, english egg muffin, with a banana. Then I started to freak out because I thought maybe I ate breakfast WAY to EARLY. I mean the race didn't even start until 8 am! I would be starving by 10! Since I already ate my meal, there was nothing I could do, so I promised myself I would eat again before 8.

4:45 am - Trey loaded the car, we headed to a gas station to get gas, Trey got some snack food, and we were on the road to Fair Park. We arrived early and we didn't have to deal with traffic. SCORE.

5:30 am - We sat in the car and twiddled our thumbs. Trey had to hear me burst out every few minutes..."I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!" Calm down. 

6:00 am - I walked to the coliseum to use the bathroom, while Trey waited in the car. There were no lines to the bathroom. I went back to the car sat with Trey and didn't feel like eating my banana, so I ate Trey's gas station powdered donuts. Fat = Fuel? Sure.

7:20 am - We decided to leave the car and I needed to make one last pit stop before the race. By 7:20, the coliseum was packed and the bathroom line went on forever and a mile. We decided to leave that area and look for the porta potties outside. Those lines were also long, but not as bad. Plus, they were close to the corral areas and I could hear race announcements. I waited about 25 minutes in line, emptied my tank and I was ready to run!

8:00 am - I said goodbye to Trey and I settled into my corral station, H. There were 22,000 runners and with the corral stations it felt like a smaller race. As you know, corral congestion was one of my main concerns, but I made sure I was at the front and I had no problems weaving around runners. Big sigh of relief.

Oh wow, the energy at the start line was incredible! They had some great music playing and with each corral start they would shoot confetti in the air. PAR-TAY!

It was so cold at the beginning of the race. While I was waiting for the race to start I could not stop shivering. I'm not sure if it was my nerves or the cold. Probably both. For the first mile, my feet felt like frozen blocks of ice. I also felt like my pace was too slow, so I pushed myself. Around mile 2.5 I finally checked my watch and my pace was 8:27. I was aiming to maintain a 9:30 overall pace, but I was feeling good, so I just went with it and maintained an 8:27 - 9:14 pace for a long time.

Here is the breakdown:
10K (55:26) pace 8:56 
Half (2:00:13) pace 9:14 
20 (3:09:20) pace 9:28
26.2 (4:15:29) pace 9:45


I'm super pleased with my results, especially this being my first marathon. Looking at the numbers you probably would never guess it, but there were two times during the race I thought about quitting or walking the rest of the way. At mile 12 and again at mile 16 my right ankle bugged out and I was in serious PAIN. I didn't walk, I just ran and prayed through it. I think it's strange how it came and went. Weird, considering I never really dealt with ankle pain during my training. I'm just glad the pain didn't come back after mile 16. 


There were about 30 water stations along the course. Since I stopped and fueled at most all of the stations, Gatorade and water, I only consumed two gels. I've concluded that it's A Marathon Bathroom Miracle since I didn't have to stop to use the porta potty during the 4 hour race. UNBELIEVABLE. 


Well, I'm really glad I decided not to wear headphones 1.) Because after a while the cord gets on my nerves and sometimes music in general 2.) I enjoyed hearing the spectators 3.) I got a chance to hear the live music, even if it was only in passing. My name was printed on my bib and also the blue bib signified I was a first time marathoner. So, spectators would cheer me on by saying, "Way to go first timer." "Looking good Dominique, keep it up." It doesn't seem like much, but those cheers really helped! 


The final stretch....

Post-Race
When I crossed the finish line, I immediately felt achy. The next few events felt like a dream sequence. I was out of it! Someone put one of those aluminum foil space covers on me and another person said congratulations and placed a medal around my neck. I made my way to the automobile building, picked up my finishers shirt, which is AWESOME. I had absolutely no appetite,  but I felt weak, so I made myself eat yogurt. I sat on the floor and didn't want to move. Everywhere I looked I saw finishers sprawled out on the concrete. We all looked terrible, but felt great ---- That's a marathon for you.

Trey's parents drove up and helped us with Cheyenne. It was nice visiting with them.

One thing I want to say about this race is that I was so impressed with the organization. I loved the corral start, there was ample parking, the route was mostly flat, and the finisher shirts and medals look great. Love. Love. Love The Dallas White Rock Marathon!