Only a small handful of people knew that October 13 would mark the day that I went out and ran my 4th full marathon – see, it’s kind of a funny story…so here’s the short version:
On September 28, I just happened to be dorking around on Facebook…I hit “refresh” as I often do, and much to my surprise, a post from the Baltimore Running Festival (BRF) appeared in my feed that had this photo:
Along with the image, the post read simply: “VOLUNTEER NEEDED TO RUN THE FULL MARATHON IN THIS DUNKIN DONUTS COSTUME! We’re looking for an adventurous runner who is willing to run the full marathon while wearing this Dunkin Donuts costume. Payment is some free race photos and possibly some coupons from Dunkin. First person to reply gets to wear it.”
On a whim, I typed, “ME!” as fast as I could, refreshed the page and was surprised to see that I, in fact was the first to respond. I was kind of surprised, but excited! Within a few minutes, there were more replies, but I was informed that I had in fact ‘won’ the honor! Soon after that, I was in contact with the folks at the BRF, registered and ready to go. BRF let me know that Dunkin Donuts would be contacting me with info about the costume shortly and in the meantime, I just couldn’t believe what I had signed up to do! Sure, running 26.2 miles with a giant coffee cup on could be an “interesting” experience, but since I had 20 to run that day ANYWAY, the extra bulk would FORCE me to run slower, right?
…so how come I am wearing “normal” clothes in my finisher’s photo above?
Well, the Sunday before race day, I was informed by BRF that the contact they had with Dunkin’ was unable to be reached. So, hubs and I had already booked our hotel and made plans with friends, so of course, we went with it anyway! I decided to have some spirit and not only wore Orioles orange, but Ravens purple 🙂
But – back to the race.
I ran the week leading up to race day like a normal training week: no taper or major carbo loading and I went into the race with a few goals:
- Run a 3:57 (my previous PR had been 3:58, set at Shamrock Marathon, which is about a 9 minute pace)
- Run smart (start slow, listen to my body and slow down if need be, it wasn’t an “A” race for me)
- Enjoy the course (I was told the race would be hilly – and I looked forward to the sight seeing opportunities)
Armed with those low-key aspirations, I definitely headed into the race with a very positive attitude.
So, without further ado, here’s the whole story:
Race morning began for me a few minutes before 6 AM. With an 8 AM start for the race, I had set my alarm for 6, planned to leave by 7 AM and be all ready to race when the gun went off. Of course, things don’t always go as planned…you see, my morning prep went just fine (had a blueberry bagel from Wegmans that I’d purchased the night before, plus some Nuun Kona Cola, since the hotel room only had decaf coffee) but hubs and I were surprised when we arrived at the parking garage to see that it did not open until 9 AM! Well, that just wasn’t going to work! So, we busted out the map on hub’s phone and we walked the 2 1/2 miles (ish) to the starting area. No harm, no foul.
Although the race was fairly large (3,021 finishers) there were no corrals, just self-seeding. This would have been fine if I had been able to get to the start a little earlier (not the race’s fault!) as spectators were already walling around the line-up area, making it difficult to even get in! In the chaos, I ended up ditching my idea of checking my bag in and just handing over my post-race bag and hoodie to hubs before jumping in to the crowd!
It wasn’t more than 5 minutes that I had to wait before the anthem played and the race began! The song, “Let’s Go” was the starting song and was a good pump up song:
I had decided that I wouldn’t switch on my iPod until I felt like I needed a boost in the race, though I had my headphones in anyway, because I didn’t want to have to deal with pulling them out or dropping them, etc. I was so glad that I did this, because the crowd was electric at the start!
I ran my first mile at around a 9 minute pace, due to congestion. It was nice to start out so easy – I saw the 4 hour pacer right near me which gave me this odd sense of calm.
The first few miles were really a happy blur…we were running through the city toward Druid Hill park, where we’d enter the Baltimore Zoo for some smooth sailing-downhill miles. At around Mile 3, there was a big banner that said, “Will you Marry Me, Christa?” – interesting, as I pondered how I’d feel about seeing that at the beginning of a marathon if I were her!
Each mile was just ticking off…tick, tick, tick. I settled into a pace that hovered around 8:15-8:40ish – stopped right before Mile 6 to take my first GU, then set back off…
Around Mile 7, something incredible happened! I was running behind a woman and saw that she had a photograph on her back. As I approached her, I saw that the message said, “In Memory of…” – I was taken aback…
Here I was, in a city I had only been to twice, running a race that I hadn’t really planned on and I literally run into someone that knew my brave, beautiful and courageous friend Jamie?! I had to tap this woman on the shoulder and let her know! We had a brief running hug and I think it boosted both of us!!*
I wouldn’t stop running again until I passed Mile 11, right near Under Armour. The temperature was still low, but the sun was rising up a little higher, so I pulled over, rolled off my armwarmers, started up the iPod and took my second GU…back to the grind!
I hit the half point around 1:50, which is right near my current PR (1:47) so I felt great! We were back near downtown and passed the starting area for the half marathon (they started at 9:45 AM) so it was nice to have a big cheering section at that point in the race! From there, we headed down near Fells Point area and northward…and for the first time, at around Mile 15, I felt the first feeling of being somewhat alone on the course, which was kind of relaxing!
Of course, that didn’t last long! At Mile 16, the courses merged along a straightaway area where a band was playing. It was pretty congested, but not terrible – I guess I had read enough about it being a total cluster that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it could be!
Of course, Mile 16 also signified the course ‘rollercoaster’ of hills from there through Mile 22-ish!
The thing about the Baltimore Hills was this: they’re not particularly steep (like the ones here in Charlottesville) but they can drag on…and on…and on. Also, the roads weren’t in the BEST shape, so you had to watch your footing in what had become quite a mess of people: marathoners, half marathoners and even relay runners. So, everyone was running “their” pace and you really had to stay vigilant! Soon enough though, we reached beautiful Lake Montebello.
Now, this part of the race was a little disorienting, as the lake was pretty large and you could see runners that were ahead of you streaming around the perimeter, just as you were setting off to round it…along with that, it was pretty sunny by that point. Since I had just ticked off Mile 20 (and was under 3 hours!) I decided that it was the time to just take it easy and feel out the rest of the race! I am not great at math, but it occurred to me that I could probably readjust my marathon goal for that day to around a 3:50 or… even a 3:47?!
Side note here: I felt strong, no real pain…except for the first time in a marathon, I felt FAMISHED! My tummy was growling SOO loud! I had lost a GU somewhere during the race, so all I could do was drink more water at the stations!
The miles kept rolling, pretty uneventfully…my playlist was rocking and I was in total disbelief that I had not hit any sort of wall or experienced the dreaded leg cramps that I had previously endured in both Richmond and Shamrock…it was getting a little harder to push the pace, but since I wasn’t under any stress for a specific time, I just let it go…running happy and strong!
At Mile 25, I saw the clock: 3:33! WHAT?! How did this happen? With just 1.2 miles to go, it hit me that I was going to go sub 3:45, as long as I could keep chugging along at my 8:30-ish pace! We snaked down through downtown, saw the Orioles bird (it will always make me smile now) and pushed through Camden Yards…Mile 26…then closer….
I could hear the announcer say: “If your goal is 3:45 today and you can hear my voice, IT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!”
I could see the timer, and though it wasn’t quite a sprint finish, it was a strong one! I crossed the finish at the clock time of 3:44-something and glanced at my Garmin, which read 3:43:18.
I was overcome with emotion when I received my medal! I had just shaved FIFTEEN ENTIRE MINUTES off of my marathon time! And I felt AMAZING!
I navigated out of the finisher’s area after grabbing a bottle of water and headed to where I thought the meetup area was for a Disney group I belong to, but didn’t see anyone, so I called my hubs and we decided to meet near the Jimmy John’s by the Orioles stadium where he surprised me with a Pumpkin Mocha from Caribou! MMMMMMM! Best recovery drink ever! I also scarfed down half a turkey sandwich before we headed back to the hotel.
All in all, it was a fantastic race experience…unexpected, but awesome. In a few days, I may do a mile-by-mile breakdown to see how I can improve for the next A race, but until then, I plan on riding this PR high as far as it wants to take me!
Official finish time: 3:43:18
The next morning, I tried out the race shirt…best one I have ever received, btw, definitely a benefit to having Under Armour as a ‘hometown’ sponsor:
—
* After the race, I saw my name mentioned in a Facebook comment, that said, “I wonder if that girl was Krissy Murphy.” – it accompanied this post: At mile 7 I had a girl come up beside me and she yelled. “Hey, I saw the back of your shirt. I used to work with Jamie at Epcot. She was an amazing person. “. We hugged and then ran our separate ways. Here we are hundreds of miles from florida… I am humbled!
Please visit this page if you would like to contribute to Team Fight, the organization that my NEW friend Kristine was running for, in memory of Jamie 🙂
You kicked butt girl! So cool how you did it on a ‘whim’ I LOVE going to Baltimore – I have family in Silver Springs, MD and go up there usually every year – next year, MCM!
Thanks, Kat ! I think this race proved to me JUST how mental running is!
Way to PR by a HUGE margin! You’re amazing, even in normal running clothes instead of a costume :).
Thanks, Victoria! Although it would have been pretty amazing to have a story about running as a coffee cup, this wasn’t too bad as an alternate 🙂
OMG, you are amazing!!! Serious congratulations!!!! So happy for you, and it’s so amazing that you freaking PRed by so much when you were taking it easy!! You are going to kill your A-race! Loved the recap, it’s such a small world 🙂 Also, the shirt you got, is definitely a good one! Love Under Armour.
Thanks, Steph!! It was (and still is) an incredible feeling. And definitely agree…the shirt alone is worth toughing this course out! 🙂
Krissy!!! I am SO excited for you!!! What an amazing race you had. I think that you really needed this race as a confidence booster to prove what your body is capable of and what the future holds for you in regards to your marathon time. You rocked this thing with little preparation AND no tapering. That right there is so freaking impressive!!!
I look forward to reading about your next PR.
Ali
Thank you, Ali! Your words are so inspiring to me, thank you for taking the time to share them!!
LOVE THIS!!! Congratulations on a surprise PR! That shirt is awesome. I’m adding Baltimore to The List.
Thanks, Heather!
What a cool story about how you got into Baltimore, BUT super huge congrats on your shiny new PR. That is awesome- way to go!!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much, Tasha! It was a fantastic weekend!!
No wonder this suddenly came out of the blue. Awesome job, and glad you ran into an inspiration out there!
Yes! it is always great to be surrounded by inspiring people 😀 thanks for the kind words!!
You are the cutest!! That is a tough course, great job on your PR! I love my shirt too, orange for the half last year!
Thanks so much, Becka!
Wow! Congrats on running an absolutely fantastic race! YAY!! And congrats on an awesome new PR. I love the shirt you got as well. Sometimes race shirts fit so oddly, but this one looks great.
Thanks, Caroline! Yes, it is so awesome to get a shirt I actually want to wear! 🙂
Wow! Congrats on the new PR! Great shirt too!
Thank you, Stacy!!!
Wow, congrats! Sometimes it helps to have no pressure to PR, but 15 minutes is amazing! You must be on cloud 9. You know, I’ve always stayed away from Baltimore because I’ve been warned about the killer hills, but your story makes it very tempting. I mean, Shamrock is pancake flat which you’d think would be fast but I think the lack of variety makes for very sore legs!
So what is up with a hotel that only has decaf coffee and a parking garage that doesn’t open until 9am? Glad you made it in time and didn’t stress about the 2.5 miles!
I absolutely love the color of that race shirt!
Alison – I heard so many horror stories about B’more as well, but the hills really are a different ‘breed’ of hill in my opinion! None were very steep – and though they did stretch long, it made for comfortable descents when headed down – no quad thrashing, etc…
I totally agree about Shamrock. I felt that the flatness was very deceptive!!! I like a little variety 🙂
And RIGHT!? I was going to bring some Starbucks VIA but it totally slipped my mind. So glad that Nuun did the trick! 🙂 And yes, I guess the 2.5 mile walk was just the right warmup that I needed, lol!!
Excellent race, Krissy!
Thanks so much, gal!! 😀
Krissy – Such an awesome recap for your fabulous race!! Your photos are super cute too – you can tell you are having tons of fun…somehow I think that’s the key to a fantastic race. Congrats again on an incredible PR! 🙂
Thanks very much, Christine! Haha…you say the pics are good cos I didn’t post the many that my eyes were closed, lol!! hehe…but you are so right! Having fun is definitely key!!
how amazing is it that you “ran” (hahaha) into someone that also knew Jamie! she was obviously a very special person who touched many people’s lives.
and btw, amazing race swag….almost makes me want to run a marathon…or i’ll just go to the nike outlet in beverton and buy a fancy sweatshirt and pretend i ran a cool race like you. you make me so proud to be your sister!!!
Thanks sistah! And right?! It certainly was fate…..
Great swag, right? Maybe we can run the Lululemon half marathon in August next year….????? 😉
My best marathons were both ones I went into with no expectations and a smile on my face. I will take your experience and my experience and hopefully it will help me at my next one.
CONGRATS!!!!! I am so happy for you. 3:43 is an AMAZING time.
Thanks so much, Robin! You are one of my most inspiring cheerleaders…I think of you every run ❤
Congrats on an amazing PR! 15 minutes is huge, especially considering you were ‘taking it easy.’ In the photos you look like you are really enjoying the race, and it’s almost enough to inspire me to sign up for a full!
Thank you, Steph! I really still am in disbelief…and OMG, the full marathon…wow, it is just…life changing! I ran my first just about 11 months ago and I would have never imagined in my life that I would do more than one 😉
This is SUCH a great race recap! Thanks you for sharing and CONGRATS girl! So impressive and inspiring.
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it!!! 🙂 It felt like an impossible task to capture the pure emotion I felt on Saturday!
Congrats on the PR! Love the shirt & medal. So cool!
Seriously awesome! Congrats again on a great race and a huge PR! I live in MD just outside of DC, and Saturday was perfect running weather. I’ve usually found that I do well when I take the pressure off to just go out and run. You never know what will happen.
Definitely ideal conditions on Saturday! Really could not have asked for ANYTHING better.
I love that you said, “anything can happen.”
Right before I put my iPhone away, I saw a tweet from one of these Disney quote twitter accounts I follow…it said, “”Go and chase your dreams, you won’t regret it. Anything can happen if you let it.”
Fate.
Congrats on the PR!! Dominating fashion girl. How did you get pics already? I have been anxiously awaiting the email to see if there are any that I don’t look totally ridiculous in! Oh, P.S. – just saw you did a BRM giveaway too…I am doing mine now so I guess I will see you there in April!
Hi Tanya! I just happened to click over to the photo site and saw that they were loaded! So fast!! 🙂
Yay BRM! Have you run it before? Excited to meet you!!
Wow!! What an accomplishment!! Congrats!! That is so impressive – and you look so happy in your photos!!
Thanks, Emily!! 😀
Great recap, and congrats! Reading your recap puts the memories of last year in my head – some good, some bad. I’m glad you had a good experience.
I like the green shirts this year, but damn, they haven’t changed the design on those things in a while!
Thanks, David! 🙂
I’m so disappointed that you didn’t run as a coffee cup, but think this is an AWESOME story and am so so so pleased that you beat your goal!!!! Way to go girl!!
Haha, right? I am going to try and “make up for it” later this month at a Halloween race…. 😉
Too bad about the DD costume (that would’ve been a funny story!), but a 15-minute PR definitely makes for a memorable race–congratulations!! 🙂
Carrie – right?! I was so stoked to be that crazy coffee cup, but PRs are fun, too 🙂 Thanks so much!!!!
I ran the half and saw the girl with the Jamie photo on her back for a while during the race. Congrats on your amazing PR! I also ran this race on a whim (decided a week and a half out) and scored a shiny new PR myself. I think that course is magical.
Thanks! I am so glad you had a wonderful race, too!!!!
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