On February 6, I ran the Surf
City Marathon in Huntington Beach, CA. I’ve
done this race several times. It’s one
of the few winter races where I can count on comfortable temperatures for
running.
I usually fly into LAX,
but last time I had a bad experience picking up my rental car there. This time, I flew into the John Wayne airport
in Orange County. There weren’t any
flights on Saturday that would get me there in time for packet pickup. On Friday, by contrast, I could get a late
morning flight. I had this view from the airplane as we approached the airport.
I arrived just before
noon, so I went straight to lunch from the airport. After lunch, I checked into my hotel. I stayed at the Doubletree Club in Santa Ana,
which is just a few miles from the airport.
I’ve stayed at this hotel several times.
They have a race package that includes free parking plus race day
transportation. In my experience, they
also treat all the runners like VIPs. I
would recommend this hotel to anyone doing this race.
Next, I went to Huntington
Beach to pick up my race packet. As
usual, packet pickup was in a large tent set up in the beach parking lot. This year, most of the merchandise vendors
were set up in the parking lot just outside of the big tent. In the past, I always bumped into people I
knew. This year, however, I went a day
earlier. Most people traveling for the
race probably picked up their race packets on Saturday.
My hotel had an outdoor
pool and hot tub. It was a warm enough
day that I decided to spend part of the afternoon relaxing in the hot tub. I was able to massage my lower back by
positioning myself in front of one of the jets.
There’s a neighborhood in
Costa Mesa called SoBeCa. It was
originally an entertainment and cultural arts district, but there are also
restaurants and breweries there. I never
realized Orange County had so many breweries.
There were four just in the SoBeCa district.
SoBeCa is about two and a
half miles from my hotel. It was a pleasant
day, so I decided to walk there and back.
Besides eating dinner and sampling some beers, I got in five miles of
walking.
I spent Saturday morning
relaxing at the hotel and doing a few exercises in the fitness center. Then I drove back to Huntington Beach, where
I had lunch and visited the expo again.
I already had my race packet, but I wanted to hang around to look for
people I know. While I was there, they
were having a classic VW bus show.
When I got back to the
hotel, I took another dip in the hot tub.
I also stopped by the marathon desk to get a wristband for the race
shuttle. It was included in my room
rate, but I had to sign up for it.
For dinner, I once again
took advantage of the nice weather and walked to a restaurant that was two and
a half miles away.
On the morning of the
race, the hotel had a continental breakfast for the runners, starting at
4:30. I got up at 4:00 so I could be
ready. Getting up early on the west
coast is much easier than getting up early on the east coast.
Our bus to the start left
the hotel at 5:30. The bus ride took about
30 minutes. We were dropped off in front
of the Hyatt Regency. Most of the runners
walked around the block to get to the start corrals. I went through the hotel, so I could stop to
use a bathroom in the lobby. Then I made
my way through the hotel to a pedestrian bridge leading to the beach. I got there just in time for a group picture.
The temperature was in
the upper 40s, but I expected it to warm up to 70 by the time I finished. The afternoon high was forecast to be 81
degrees, making it the warmest day of the weekend. I dressed for the warmer temperatures,
knowing my legs would be cold in the early miles.
I ran my last marathon in
4:06:57. That was on a course that had
several miles of dirt road, and I felt like the soft footing was slowing me
down at times. This course is almost entirely
paved. Here, I thought I would be closer
to four hours if I had a good race. With
that in mind, I looked for the 4:00 pace group and lined up near them.
I don’t like running in
the middle of a pace group, because I often feel like I’m boxed in. I chose instead to run just in front of the
group. That gave me plenty of run to
find my own stride, but there was the danger that I might get too far ahead of
them. That’s exactly what happened. By the end of the first mile, I found myself right
behind the 3:50 pace group.
There was a cold breeze,
and my hands were cold, even though I was wearing gloves. When I’m cold, I have trouble relaxing, so I
tend to start faster than I should. For
the time being, I was comfortable running behind the 3:50 group, but I wasn’t
going to pass them. If I felt boxed in,
I had to slow down and stay behind them.
I continued to run behind
the 3:50 group until we reached the first turn, which was between two and three
miles. There was an aid station just
before the turn. That caught me off
guard, because the tables were on our left, but I had already moved to the
right in anticipation of the right turn onto Seapoint Street. I chose to skip that aid station, but I knew
it would be important to drink at all the others. I was cold in the early miles, but it was
going to get hot later.
It was near that aid
station that I heard music for the first time.
There was a sound system playing “Gangnam Style.” That’s not surf music, but it’s an energetic
song that always gets me pumped up.
For the next few miles, I
continued to run near the 3:50 group. At
times, the pace felt fast, and I dropped back a little. Other times, the pace felt easier and I
caught up to them again.
In the fifth mile, we
went down a hill. By the bottom of the
hill, one of the 4:00 pacers caught up to us.
That shocked me. We had been
averaging 8:36 per mile. To run a 3:50 hour
marathon, you need to average 8:45, so we were starting kind of fast. To run a four hour marathon, you only need to
average 9:09. That 4:00 pacer was going
ridiculously fast. That’s no way to lead
a pace group.
In the next mile, we
entered Huntington Central Park. The
next two miles had lots of turns. At
times we were on a narrow path. I
sometimes had to slow down a little to stay behind the group. At other times, the pace leaders would pull
away, and I’d find myself working harder to keep up.
I really shouldn’t have
stayed with the group once the pace started taking more effort. The longer I stayed with them, the more
tempted I was to try to keep up that pace for the whole race. It was optimistic, to say the least, but 3:50
happens to be the time I need for a Boston qualifier. That’s something I’ll shoot for any time it
seems possible.
While we were in the
park, we passed a high school band that was performing for us. They set up in the same spot every year.
After leaving the park,
we ran back up the same hill we ran down a few miles earlier. This race is mostly flat, but this is a hill
that I always find tiring. It seemed
like the 3:50 pacers were taking the hill without slowing down. As I followed them up the hill, I found myself
really huffing and puffing.
There was an aid station
at the top of the hill, and I took my time having a drink. I fell behind the group, but over the next
mile I gradually caught my breath. By
the nine mile mark, I had caught up to the group again.
Just before the 10 mile
mark, we finished the inland portion of the course and turned back onto the
Pacific Coast Highway. The rest of the
race consisted of two out-and-backs.
First, we would run out-and-back along the highway. Then we would do another out-and-back on a
bike path between the highway and the beach.
This is a race where it’s easy to spot your friends.
It was about two and a
half miles to the turnaround of the first out-and-back. As I started this section, I finally felt
warm enough to take off my gloves.
Within a few miles, I would start feeling hot.
At first, I was keeping
up with the group, but it was taking more effort. By the time we reached the turn, I was losing
contact with them. The halfway mark was about
half a mile after the turnaround. By the
time I got there I had lost contact with the 3:50 group, yet I was actually on
pace to finish in 3:48.
Now that I was on my own,
I had to start paying more attention to my pace. I read my time at each mile marker. I was still keeping up the pace I needed for
a 3:50 finish, but it got more difficult with each mile. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to sustain
the pace for the rest of the race. I
probably shouldn’t have tried.
I was starting to
experience other problems besides find the pace more difficult. Shortly after the turnaround, I started to
notice some chafing. I was sweating
enough that my clothes were getting salty.
As they rubbed against my skin, a few sore spots started to sting. I neglected to put Aquaphor on my legs before
the race, so it wasn’t surprising that I had chafing there. I also had chafing in areas that have never
been a problem before.
Around 15 miles, I
started to feel some rumbles in my intestines.
I had an unsettled digestive system since getting up. I thought I got it all out of my system
before the race, but I started to wonder if I could make it through the race
without a bathroom stop.
I fought to stay on pace
until we turned onto the bike path.
Before I got to the turn, I saw the 3:50 group on the bike path. I did a time check and determined they were
ahead of me by about 1:40. I already
knew I wasn’t going to catch them, but now I knew how far back I was.
As I made the U-turn onto
the bike path, the wheels came off. I
immediately realized I couldn’t sustain my pace any longer. I waited too long to back off. Now I was going to slow down dramatically.
I was no longer keeping
up with anyone around me. I had to
retreat into my comfort zone and find a pace that would be sustainable for the
next 10 miles. My new goal was to break four
hours. It’s a goal I could no longer
take for granted.
The out-and-back on the
bike path is longer than the out-and-back on the highway. It’s almost five miles each way. I’ve run this course enough times to know how
long it feels when you’re fighting to sustain an ambitious pace. It feels even longer when you’ve blown up,
and you’re struggling just to finish.
The rest of the race was unpleasant, but I had only myself to
blame. I had no business trying to pace
for 3:50. I realized that several miles
earlier, but I didn’t have the sense to back off.
At 17 miles, I got my
first time-check since slowing down.
That mile was 9:03. That was
easily fast enough to keep me on pace for four hours, but I didn’t know how
much more I would slow down.
There are several public
bathrooms along the beach. I reached one
just as someone was leaving the bathroom.
I was tempted to stop, but I was afraid my legs would be too stiff when
I resumed running. I decided to hold out
as long as I could. The longer I held my
current pace, the more likely I was to finish in four hours.
Miles 18 and 19 took 9:28
and 9:27 respectively. I didn’t know exactly
what pace I needed the rest of the way, but I knew that was still fast
enough.
There was a band set up
alongside the highway. The bike path
passed close enough that I could hear the music. The first time I went by, they were playing
an instrumental version of “Music to Watch Girls By.” I used to have that on a 45. It’s one of my favorite instrumentals from
the late 60s.
I was putting more effort
into keeping up with the runners around me, but I continued to slow down. Mile 20 took 9:42. At first, I was too tired to do the mental
arithmetic and figure out what pace I needed the rest of the way. Then I realized I still had more than 63 minutes
before the four-hour mark. With 6.2
miles to go, I only needed to average 10 minutes per mile. I was still doing that.
In the next mile, my
friend Stefanie passed me. She started
slow and was running negative splits. I
started too fast and was on my way to positive splits. At this point in the race, I couldn’t keep up
with her.
Just before the
turnaround, I saw the 21 mile sign. I
looked at my watch, but the time didn’t seem possible. I suspect the sign was facing the wrong
way. We weren’t supposed to reach 21
miles until after the turn.
Just after making the
turn, I saw one of the 4:00 pace leaders.
It’s the same one who briefly caught up to the 3:50 group earlier in the
race. I knew I would have to work to
keep my time under four hours, but I was still ahead of that pace. This guy shouldn’t have been catching up to
me this soon. He was still going too
fast.
Physically, I was just
barely hanging on, but I got a psychological lift from knowing I was finally on
the way back toward the finish. I still
had five miles to go, but I was headed in the right direction now.
At mile 22 my time made more
sense. In the previous two miles, I
averaged 9:45. Those were the last two
miles that were faster than 10 minutes.
Mile 23 took exactly 10 minutes.
At first that was demoralizing, but then I realized I now only needed to
average about 10:30 per mile.
I started to notice some
discomfort in my right knee. That knee
has been a problem for a year and a half.
It’s healed sufficiently that I can do training runs, but a marathon can
still make me notice it. It usually
feels fine within 24 hours.
The good news is that I
never noticed any discomfort in my lower back.
It was bothering me both Friday and Saturday, even though I didn’t do
anything to aggravate it. On the day I
subjected my back to the impact of 26.2 miles of running, it felt OK. Go figure.
When I went past the band
again, they were playing “Pipeline.” At
a race called Surf City, you expect to hear some surf music. Hearing that lifted my spirits.
Mile 24 took 10:11. I was getting slower with each mile, but the
pace I needed to average the rest of the way was also getting slower. The only thing that would keep me from
breaking four hours was a bathroom stop.
I had to hold out until after the race.
It was right at 24 miles
that the 4:00 pacer passed me. I was surprised
it took that long for him to catch me.
He was right behind me at the turn, and I was slowing down. I suspect he realized he was going too fast
and now he was giving time back time by taking walking breaks. It’s worth noting that there weren’t any other
runners with him. He lost his whole group
by going too fast earlier.
I looked ahead across the
beach and saw the Huntington Beach Pier.
The finish line is only a few blocks past the pier. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the pier was much
farther away than it appeared to be. It
looked like it was only about six blocks away.
In fact, it was almost two miles away.
I held the same pace in
mile 25 as I did in mile 24. I now had
more than 13 minutes to finish the last 1.2 miles. I fought to keep from slowing down.
In the last mile, we returned
to the Pacific Coast Highway. I started
to feel more rumbles in my intestines. Maintaining
my pace was no longer my biggest concern.
I was more worried about making it to the finish before needed a
bathroom stop.
As I passed the pier, I
came within sight of the 26 mile sign. Then
I spotted the finish line. I kept
pushing and finished in 3:58:35. I ran
positive splits by more than 10 minutes.
That’s what I get for starting at a pace that never seemed sustainable.
Before the race, I would
have been happy to finish within four hours.
I did it the hard way, but I still broke four, despite poor pacing.
This race always has cool
finisher medals. They’re a little
different each year, but it’s usually a surfboard.
They always have lots of food
and beverages in the finish area. I knew
I was dehydrated, so I grabbed a bottle of water and started drinking. I also picked up a banana which I ate
immediate, and an energy bar which I saved for later. There were other snacks, but that was all I
needed.
When I got through the
finisher chute, I went straight to the port-o-potties for a long overdue
bathroom break. They had washing
stations, so I was able to use a damp paper towel to wipe areas that were chafing.
I waited in a long line
for the ID check to get my wrist band for the beer garden. Each runner got one free beer or
seltzer. I opted for a Longboard
Lager. Aside from being the best beer
they had, it was also the most appropriate.
I stopped at the results
tent to find out my official time, and then I made my way to the Hyatt to wait
for a bus back to Doubletree. They had
two pickup times. The first one was at
11:30. If I missed that, I would have to
wait until 12:45. I kept an eye on the
time and made sure I caught the 11:30 bus.
When we got back to the
hotel, the staff was lined up in the lobby to give us an ovation. They were making noise by banging pots and
pans. They do this every year. I know what to expect, but I love seeing the
reaction of runners who have never stayed here before.
In the lobby they had
water bottles and Doubletree cookies for us.
When I got back to my room, I found a surprise. The Director of Sales left this tin of Doubletree
cookies in my room. I don’t know if she
did that for everyone or if I got special consideration because I’ve stayed
here six times.
I took a quick shower to
rinse off the sweat and then went outside to soak in the hot tub. On Friday and Saturday, I was the only one in
the pool area. Sunday was a warmer day,
and a few other runners had the same idea.
After about 20 minutes in the hot tub, I took another shower to rinse
off the chlorine.
A few things about the
race weekend felt different this year. There
wasn’t a big group dinner the night before the race. There wasn’t a “beer & bacon station” set
up by spectators along the bike path.
The last thing that felt different was after the race. This race is usually held on the first Sunday
in February. In the past, that was
always Super Bowl Sunday. Watching the
game in the hotel lounge was a post-race tradition. This year, the NFL added an extra week to the
season. As a result, the Super Bowl won’t
be played until next weekend. I missed
being able to watch the game while recovering from the race.
Race Statistics
Distance: 26.2 miles
Time: 3:58:35
Average Pace: 9:06
Lifetime Marathons/Ultras: 449
