What: Fox Cities Marathon - Appleton, WI Where: Riverside Park, Neenah, WI When: Sunday, September
28, 2003 Weather: 45°F, Partly Cloudy, NNW winds 10-20 mph and gusty Information:
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This was my first attempt at the full marathon.
Before I begin, I must share some sobering news. There was a death associated with the half-marathon
event that was part of the day's schedule. I quote from the local newspaper:
"Cuong V. Nguyen, a 31-year-old Green Bay man participating in the
13.1-mile half-marathon, collapsed on Midway Road less than a quarter-mile from the finish at 10:14
a.m. He was pronounced dead at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton."
Needless to say I was shocked to hear about this afterward. I know these things happen but it's
still startling to me.
Some background information on this event. Last May I ran my first half-marathon. Crossing the
finish line was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life. I was pleased, proud, and on top of
the world. That feeling lasted about an hour. As I stayed and watched the full marathoners cross the
line I felt less and less like I had done anything worthwhile and more and more like I hadn't really
done anything at all. It wasn't those finishing in 3:00:00 or 3:30:00 or even 4:00:00 but rather
everyone crossing later on, those pounding the pavement in 4:15:00, 4:30:00, etc. Male, female, old,
young, stocky, lean, tall, short, etc. I thought these are the true runners, the ones with the guts
to stick it out for 26.2 miles. Their times didn't matter; in fact I think I felt more respect for
the ones struggling to cross the line in under 5 hours. What sheer determination. I knew right there
and then that I had to run a full marathon but I also really and truly doubted I could do it. I just
couldn't fathom how anyone could slug it out for up to four hours or longer. So I didn't say
anything to anyone about this. In a few weeks I confided in my wife, Renee, and made a deal with
myself. If I could muster a 20-mile run by July 6 then I would register for the Fox Cities Marathon
and tell family and friends. Well, July 6 came and went and thanks to my wife's tremendous support
all went well that day and the many weeks afterward. Before we knew it, it was the day before race
day. Hard to imagine the miles getting there.
This was my first true out-of-town race by which I mean we don't have any family in the immediate
vicinity and our hotel isn't going to be within walking distance of the start line. We drove in the
day before and immediately went to the packet pick-up and registration. Next we took the bus tour of
the course. There were only 20 or so people on the bus and I was surprised by that. We met some
interesting folks. I'm glad we took the time to view the course because although it was advertised
as "flat" (aren't they all?) I wouldn't necessarily agree with that. Much was flat, to be sure, but
there were plenty of rolling hills and a monster compound hill just before mile 16 (and I do mean
monster) and a very steep, but short, bridge overpass at mile
14. I wouldn't have wanted to be surprised by either of those obstacles in the race itself.
After the tour we went back to the expo itself where they had a body fat analysis. I'm not certain
how accurate it was but as I scored
15.7% I am choosing to believe it was dead on (LOL). My wife scored really well, too. We stopped to
chat with the Pace Setters people who were offering pace groups in 10 minute increments but after
chatting for awhile I decided to stick with the advice I was given by a friend well experienced
in marathon running and that was to eschew the pace groups and to run my own race.
We got up early on race day and drove to the finish line where shuttle buses took runners to the
start line which was several miles away. My brother-in-law ("Mike"😉 was running in a relay team and
Renee decided to go to his starting point (about mile 6) to see him off and wait for me to appear.
In addition to Renee, my father-in-law ("Dad"😉 and mother-in-law ("Mom"😉 will be there to cheer both
Mike and me.
The weather was cold and I mean cold. Although it was about 45°F or so, there was a very stiff wind
out of the north that made it feel much colder. Plus this was our first really cool spell since last
winter so not many of us had yet acclimated to the change. When I arrived at the start line area I
found a spot to spread a blanket and go through my usual stretching and warm-up routine. Then I hit
the portable toilet. This was the first time I had to use the facilities before a race because I
hadn't run a full marathon before and in all of my prior races I was either a local or the hotel I
was at was literally right across the street from the start line. My point here is that it wasn't as
easy a thing as I thought it would be. I'll spare the details but I had to negotiate my warm-up
suit, running shorts, and underwear all within the confines of the portable toilet and let's just
say I wish there was an easier way! Anyway, from there I found the bag and tag area and shed my
warm-up suit and checked my bag. Now, stripped down to my running gear, I was really cold.
I went to the herd that was to be the start of the race, wedged in somewhere about a third of the
way in back and tried to keep warm. There will be about 2,500 people at the start. About 800 are
running the full marathon; 1,500 people the half, and the rest are walkers. I'm wearing the Timex
GPS Speed and Distance monitor which I will rely on for distance and split information even though
the course is well marked. As we near the start time I turn on the GPS device to ensure it's working
and ready to go. It is and so am I.
After a moment of silence to honor someone of note from the local community that passed away
recently, someone sings the National Anthem and the gun sounds that starts the wheel chair
contestants. Now I'm really starting to feel anxious but also fidgety. I plan on negative splits
which I've written conspicuously on my forearms. I need to start slow and gradually progress from
there. I know someone who barely finished under 4 hours in their inaugural marathon because they got
a little too comfortable at mile 14 and turned on their jets prematurely only to crash and burn
somewhere after mile 20. I'm truly concerned about that happening to me today.
Finally our gun sounds and we're off! I get to the line in about 30 seconds or so and start my
watch. The field is crowded but moving steadily. The starting area is very pretty with water on both
our right and left. But I am still mighty cold, in fact I would say my hands and feet are all numb.
I'll be happy when I get warmed up.
I've set a goal of 3:45:00 which I realize is aggressive for a first marathon but I've already run
the distance in training as well as five other runs of 20 or longer so I think it's attainable, but
a stretch. Right now I'm just trying to find a rhythm and not step on anyone or get stepped on. The
first mile comes up pretty darned quick and I sneak a peek at my watch which reads 8:50. That's
about where I want to be and indicates I'm starting out all right.
Miles 2 through 4 are pretty nice scenery and uneventful. I'm trying to find a rhythm and get warmed
up. I'm beginning to regain some feeling in my feet and hands which is good. Up ahead I can see
people I met yesterday. Everyone seems to be going out much faster than I am. I keep telling myself
that's acceptable. We don't want to burn up later on. Mile five finally arrives and I can compare my
first split to what I had planned. We're at 41:47 versus a planned 43:45. I'm a little worried. It
didn't feel like I was going out faster than planned.
After mile 5 we start out on the long NE segment that will take us eventually all the way up to
Kaukauna, 11 miles away. It's a nice flat residential area with many older homes to look at.
Somewhere close to mile 7 is where Mike's relay leg begins and where I expect to see Renee. Sure
enough, there she is yelling that I look smooth and good. I can't believe what a thrill it is to see
her. I just wasn't expecting to have that kind of reaction. Mom, too, is there from having seen Mike
off and she offers some words of encouragement. This is really stimulating.
Mile 9 is another high point and one that I have been anxiously awaiting since the start of the
race. Mile 9 is where the half marathon branches off. I remember when I did my half in May that I
felt a little envious as I watched the full marathon crowd continue on their way while I peeled off
with the rest of the half bunch. I recall wishing that I had the ability to continue on to the full.
Well now the tables were turned and it was I that was continuing on as I mentally said farewell to
the people in the half. There are twice as many in the half as the full so things definitely open up
a bit once they peel off.
There's Renee again at mile 10! I was not expecting her again so soon. It's even more of a boost
this time than it was four miles earlier. Having family to cheer for you like that is really
important. At this point I should mention two other things about this well-run race. Our bib numbers
also have our first names on them and in big enough letters that many spectators are rooting for us
by name as we pass by. Secondly, every five miles or so the course changes sides so that we run on
the opposite side of the road. This is very helpful to the legs. Mile 10 marks my second split which
I record as
15:1:15 versus a planned 1:27:15, exactly four minutes fast. So, even though I thought I had settled
down into a slower pace closer to target, I've actually gotten faster. I'm still very concerned
about fading late and make a concerted effort to settle down into a slower rhythm.
Just after mile 10 we swing north for a while and that 20 mph wind makes itself felt for the first
time in earnest. All I can say is that it is mighty cold and I don't want to be spending the rest of
the day running into it! Fortunately, most of the course is going to be perpendicular to the wind so
we shouldn't have too many miles either into it or directly with it. But that doesn't matter much at
the moment because we are definitely heading right into it. Between mile 11 and 12 I spot a friend
from work who calls my name and tells me I'm looking good and strong. That's a real boost. Several
other folks standing in the vicinity also call to me by name. This is getting better all the time.
Miles 11 and 12 are picturesque and bring some rolling hills into the picture. Personally, I find
them to be a welcome break from the monotonous plodding along level asphalt. At mile 13, however, is
something unexpected. I was aware there would be an underpass, a narrow tunnel under a roadway, but
I wasn't prepared for the water station that appeared. I can't recall it in great specificity but I
remember it was very large and elaborate and had a 50s rock theme. I recall a giant juke box
display, a huge guitar, and several people dressed in Elvis costumes. What I remember most was the
uplifting feeling it gave me. The combination of the loud rock music and the cheering of the people
(often using my name) was really stimulating. It made me forget the steep decline under the road and
the subsequent incline back to level ground again.
After the tunnel it's back to nice scenery and rolling hills. But I'm growing nervous now. I know
that soon that awful hill will be upon us. I just hope I have the strength to get through it. Much
of my training has been on very hilly terrain but logistics prevented me from doing any of my 20+
runs over hilly terrain (the only trail long enough in my area is over an abandoned railroad line so
it's basically flat). At mile 15 I record my next split which is 2:04:27 versus a planned 2:10:30.
I'm still getting faster. What's going on here? I'm making a concerted effort to slow down and I
keep getting faster. At this rate I'll never make it to the finish line and that's not a joke.
All right ... there's no avoiding it ... that monster hill over the Fox River and into Kaukauna is
coming up. Hunker down and concentrate, Robert. It's nothing you can't handle. The hill is about 100
feet in height and several hundred yards in length, in two segments (after what seems to be the top,
it turns left and continues for another hundred yards or so, which you can't discern from the first
leg because it's so steep -- I'm glad I took the course tour the day before). It could be even
higher than 100 feet, I'm not certain. Just awful, especially at that point in the race. But it was
also the highlight of the entire day. Renee's brother (Mike, who had already run a leg in a relay)
was at the bottom of the hill on my right yelling words of encouragement and instruction. Dad
(Renee's father) was a little farther up on my left also yelling words of advice and coaching. Way
up ahead was Mom (Renee's mother) just being her sweet, encouraging self. In between were the two
dozen or so high school girls that comprise the Kaukauna women's cross country team and they were
all screaming "Go, Robert, Go!" in unison and had written my name in chalk on the road way. Seems
that Mom, Dad, and Mike got there early enough to recruit them and they were nice enough to play
along (they were there to cheer their coach, I think, who was also running). Anyway, that carried me
through that awful stretch. It was like a scene out of Rocky or something. Just amazing; almost
embarrassing.
After the hill we continue through Riverside park and begin a very long and very gradual downhill
stretch of tree lined roadway (to give you some idea of the hill we just climbed, this downhill
stretch extends for over four miles unabated). There's one quaint neighborhood after another. Each
seems to have its own personality and each brings out small groups of spectators, the majority of
which are calling out to us by name. This little race is very well supported and seemingly very well
organized considering it involves no less than eleven separate and distinct cities, villages and
towns each with their own police departments and traffic issues to contend with. I can't get over
how well supported this race is.
Mom, Dad, and Mike drive past me in their car somewhere around mile
16. I guess they're heading to their next vantage point along the course. I'm still basking in the
glow of the hill incident when they zoom by shouting at me from the car. It's another shot of
adrenaline that helps me continue on my merry way.
At mile 18 I try to grab a cup of water but wind up wearing it instead of drinking it. I'm not
thirsty and feel fine as far as I can tell but my seasoned marathon friend scolded me in no
uncertain terms to drink some water during the race regardless of how I felt. Oh well; maybe later.
Mile 20 is coming up and I get ready to record my next split. I'm sitting at 2:44:39 versus a
planned 2:53:00, about 8 minutes fast. I'm still getting faster when I don't want to. Just after
mile 20, there's a mock wall (called, what else, "The Wall"😉 that people put up each year. Most of
the runners make punching gestures as they pass through it. As symbols go, it's very cute.
I'll have to admit that the next three miles were very tough mentally. Though there were sill
pockets of people cheering us on I didn't see any friends or family through this stretch. I guess it
was just tough to get to this area of the course by car. At mile 20 I did the unthinkable and
actually stopped momentarily to gulp two large mouthfuls of water then really bolted out of there
feeling like I had just lost an hour or two. I settled down shortly thereafter. At this point I
notice I lose the 3:40:00 pace group I had been trailing the entire race. They had been stopping for
water along the way and I would get ahead of them as a result but then they'd always overtake me
again. This time, though, they aren't coming back. One of their group did apparently break away as I
see someone just ahead of me with a 3:40 number on their back.
It's gotten awfully quiet all of a sudden and I'm aware that I'm passing people but no one's passing
me. I just love the relay people, I really do. Many have passed me during the race. I just think to
myself "so what; you're just running a portion of this thing". But when I start passing some relay
people then I get to think big of myself and say (in jest) "ha ha; I'm passing you and you're just
running a leg of this and I'm doing the entire course". So, I can't lose. Whichever way I play it,
I'm all right.
At mile 23 something very pleasant happens. Renee is there to offer loud and visible support. A few
folks nearby are joining her. This couldn't come at a better time. The last 3 miles were really
tough mentally and there's a short but nasty bridge overpass coming up at mile 24. Renee knew
exactly what she was doing. She tells me I'm looking strong and to bear down and bring it on home.
I'm really scared I'm running too fast and will crash but she's been running far longer than I have
and she knows what she's talking about. I'll do as she suggests. Mike and Dad have been shouting
similar words earlier and they are also both seasoned runners. Maybe I'll get through this thing
after all.
All right. It's mile 24 and that dreaded overpass. Thanks to Renee and the rest of the family I'm
able to power up and over that overpass in style and pass about 10 people in the process. The good
news is that at the foot of the bridge we take a right hand turn onto Midway Road which is the last
leg of the entire course. Just over two more miles and we're to the finish line! I had been worried
about this stretch because it is more or less into the wind and the wind has been getting steadily
stronger throughout the race. It's also starting to sprinkle, not a good combination. But much to my
surprise and delight we are still at an angle to the wind and it isn't a significant factor.
Mile 25 arrives and I record my last split. It's 3:25:29 versus my planned 3:35:05. I'm almost 10
minutes ahead of myself with only 1.2 miles to go. I'm going to make it! I'm not going to crash and
burn. Heck, I could walk it in from here and still make my 3:45:00 goal time. Wow. It's just now
starting to sink in that this is turning into something really special. All of my aches and pains
are fading into the background for the moment. I have only one thing on my mind and that's crossing
that finish line.
This is just awesome now. The crowd is really starting to fill in. The cheering is getting louder
and more constant. I'm passing stragglers from the half marathon and walkers. I'm still passing some
relay people. No one's passing me. This is great. Out of the blue Mom appears and cheers me on to
finish. Then Mike appears, also yelling words of encouragement. Then finally Dad shows up and tells
me to hunker down and power through to the finish. I don't know how he does it but he is visible
about a quarter mile out and then again just before the line. The announcer is calling out our names
as we approach the finish line. It's a very thrilling moment. It feels like something from the old
Wide World of Sports program.
As the finish line appears and I hear my name being called my eyes start to fill with tears. I
imagined this moment for months but the actual happening is far more moving than anything I have
dreamt. I cross the line and actually remember to stop my watch (3:36:52) and then run to Renee and
give her a big hug. "We did it", I say to her. "We did it." Mom, Dad, and Mike are all there
expressing their pride and support. It's all like a dream.
We find the bag and tag place and reclaim my belongings. We also stop by for the finishers' medal
and shirt (I like that the shirts aren't given out ahead of time and this one is a particularly
nice shirt at that). I force down a slice of orange and a bit of banana but all I really want is
some water, to put on my warm-up suit, and walk around. As I've been saying all along, it's
really cold out!
Well, for the record, I finished 137/683 overall; 16/56 in my division (M45-49); and 119/425 gender.
My official time was 3:37:29 and my chip time was 3:36:52. For my first marathon attempt I am darned
pleased with these numbers.
Splits were as follows:
Mile Time Pace 5 0:41:47 8:21 10 1:23:15 8:18 15 2:04:27 8:14 20 2:44:39 8:02 25 3:25:29 8:10 FIN
3:36:52 8:01
I'm not sure if I'll ever do another full marathon or not. The time commitment is huge, as you all
know, but so is the sacrifice on friends and family. All summer long my wife gave up her own weekend
long runs to accompany me on mine with her bike and that just isn't fair to her. I couldn't have
possibly done this without her.
Anyway, I've realized the dream I had at the half marathon back in May. Now I feel comfortable
calling myself a "runner".
Thanks for reading.