A mile into the 2020 Carlsbad Marathon last Sunday, I had flashbacks to the California International Marathon six weeks earlier. Everything was tight. My right hip/groin/quad were tense, which led to a shorter and uncomfortable stride. “Here we go again,” I thought.
That’s the thing about running a marathon — you never know exactly what challenges you are going to face on race day. My training leading into Carlsbad was much better and more consistent than my training before CIM. Yet, through the first 5K, I was questioning whether I should just walk off the course or not.
Instead of focusing on the negative thoughts bouncing around in my head, I decided to set some easy goals. First, I concentrated on trying to ease back my pace and loosen up. All of my attention shifted to reaching the 5-mile mark where I knew I would get to see Rachel and Addie (at barely older than four months, this was Addie’s first race experience).
“Don’t quit. There is always something I can work on,” I told myself. Even if I wasn’t going to hit my BQ goal on Sunday, I knew in mile four that I was going to finish the race and gain fitness.
When I let that Boston qualifying pressure go, I was able to enjoy the experience.
The Carlsbad Marathon has a 6:15 a.m. start time. With that early start, the first three miles were mostly in the dark. But right after the 5K mark, as the race reached coast highway, the sky lightened to display stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.
I ran that stretch along the ocean countless times when I lived in Encinitas. Because I know the roads so well, I had a confidence and peace while running Sunday. The sound of the ocean lapping against the shore is always a great running soundtrack.
Normally I dislike double-loop or out-and-back race courses. Carlsbad has both. When I ran the race in 2017, there was an out and back section up and back down Palomar Airport Rd. I hated that part of the race, where runners head away from the beach uphill for several miles only to circle right back down the hill.
This 2020 Carlsbad Marathon course was perfect to me. Not all double loops and out and backs are created equal. Not only did this year’s course lead to more ocean-view miles, but it also allowed me to see Rachel and Addie four times without them moving all over the course.
Rachel (with Addie in her stroller) was able to walk less than half a mile from our hotel down to coast highway. I ran past and waved to them on the first out and back at mile 5 then saw them again headed back into town at mile 13. My second loop passed them at miles 18 and 22.
The way the course was set up, and having a cheering section four different times, gave me something to anticipate. I was able to split the race into smaller portions and attack each one.
Early-race stiffness faded, and I settled into a rhythm. My main goal became running a negative split. After hitting the halfway point in 1:36, I set an overall time goal of 3:10.
Then it happened. I don’t know exactly what mile, but I realized I felt like I was actually racing for the first time in almost a year.
I ended up with eight sub-seven-minute miles. All eight came in the second half of the race, including the entire final 10K. My final mile was my quickest (6:38).
Marathon’s aren’t easy. They always find a mental or physical weakness and expose it. What makes the difference between a triumph and a failure is how the runner responds.
Most of my recent races have felt like failures — simply running in fear and trying to survive. On Sunday, I felt like I recaptured my racing spirit.
I didn’t hit my big goals; my finish time of 3:07:10 was 2+ minutes off BQ pace and I really need a sub-3-hour race for my 2021 Boston entry to be secure.
But I ran faster than I have in almost a year (3:01:57 at the Mesa Marathon in February of 2019). I didn’t let early struggles keep me down or define my day.
Also, I enjoyed being on the road, surrounded by a beautiful course and an incredible running community.
The 2020 Carlsbad Marathon was my 55th marathon. And it’s easily one of my favorites.
While the big-city races have their place (and Boston is beyond special), Carlsbad has a near-perfect setup. The marathon starts much earlier than the half, which means zero lines for the port-o-lets (I used them three times in 30 minutes before the race).
For anyone worried about being cold, the bag-drop is conveniently close to the start and inside a warm tent that has plenty of room for runners to do warmup drills. There is plenty of parking close to the start/finish, and getting back out of the lot post race is easy as well.
The ocean views with the sun rising are spectacular. The first half is peaceful. As the morning progresses, more and more spectators come out to give the race more buzz.
There are plenty of aid stations and port-o-lets on the course.
The half started at 7:45 a.m., an hour and a half after the full. Because of the multiple loops and two races going at once, there could easily be traffic jams. But each course has its own lane. Race organizers marked each course very well. I passed some of the slower full marathoners on my second out and back, but I was never zigging or zagging. The half marathoners ran in their own lane to my right, and it was fun to have other people next to me.
Next up: Mesa Marathon on February 8. I took some big positive steps in the first few weeks of 2020 and on Sunday in Carlsbad. Now it’s time to keep it going.
There’s always something to work on.