Green Bay Marathon

Quick summary, the race was cancelled 2 hours and 35 minutes into the event because of extreme heat, but I still finished anyhow in 4:28.

Long drawn out version, This is the race that wasn't meant to be I guess. A few months ago, I decided to do a marathon state streak. As part of that, I also decided to do a marathon on my 42nd birthday. I liked the idea of running 42.2km as a present to myself and it would give me credit for another state to help complete my streak. And so my journey toward the Green Bay Marathon began. This was not a PR race for me, but merely another race in a string of states and a chance to have some fun on my BD.

Two weeks ago, I ran the Colorado Marathon. Recovery went well and I was feeling very good this past week. Legs were back to normal. However, the weather forecast was looking very warm, downright hot. I didn't mind really, I was running for fun with no pressure for a goal time. A couple of days before the race, the RD offered marathoners the option to drop to the half, no questions asked, at the mile 12 half/full split because of the expected heat. That was not an option for me, I needed the full finish to get credit for the streak.

The race is centered around Lambeau Field in Green Bay, home of the Packers. I flew into Milwaukee, toured the MillerCoors Brewery then headed 2 hours north to Green Bay. The race expo was really nice, very well supported. Free pasta dinner and specially brewed 26.2 craft beer just for the race, all on the Lambeau stadium concourse. I turned in early, was asleep by 9 pm (I take an Ambien before all my races now). I slept very soundly and by morning I was refreshed and ready to run!

I arrived at the start line very early. It was already 68 degrees at 6 am, forecast to rise into the mid 80s before noon. Slow down, hydrate, and just have fun! The first several miles were very easy. I was sweating a lot, working hard, but it still felt great. We passed the local NWS office at mile 8, which was a pleasant surprise. (That is my employer). Local residents were out in droves and cheering us total random strangers on. It was just a ton of fun! Many folks who lived along the course also had set out their sprinklers so it was fun to run through as many as I could. It really was a beautiful morning and there was quite a bit of shade and it felt great to be celebrating my birthday in such a fun way.

At mile 12, the course splits with half marathoners heading back to the stadium. I honestly was feeling great. Yes, it was getting very warm. But personally, I was doing well. It's at this point that we lose the shade though, and running into a breeze. The breeze felt good though and cooled me off, but the sun was really starting to slow me down, temps were In the lower 80s at this time. Time to start taking walk breaks.  I hit mile 13 right at 2 hours.

By mile 14, I had settled into a very easy jog, with an occasional walk and was not having any problems. I was drinking water and Gatorade at every aid station, and they also had ice which was wonderful. And yet, even though it was hot, I was feeling Ok! The ice really made a difference for me. I would grab a full cup and just munch on ice chips until the next aid station, which were about 1 mile apart at this point. I stopped to pee at mile 17 and continued on.

At mile 18, everyone was told the race had been black flagged, that it had been cancelled and asked us all to stop. Honestly, to me, that seemed ridiculous, I felt fine. Really! We were back in the shade, the breeze was at my back, and I just made the personal decision at that moment that I would finish this race. I intended to complete 42.2 km no matter what. But what did it mean? No one really knew. Many of us continued on anyhow talking amongst ourselves. I did see one runner down on the trail around mile 19, and police were already there responding.

At mile 20, they were announcing over speakers that the race was cancelled and to stop, hydrate, and wait for a bus to drive us back to the finish line. However, no one ever said we had to leave the course. Again, while I was walking more and more, I was determined to finish. I still felt relatively fine. The ice helped a lot. Having cold ice in my mouth made it seem not so hot. I grabbed a wet towel from the aid station and sponged off. I was walking more and more, but I assumed they would keep the course open, and they did. If not, I would just find my way back to the stadium anyhow, I could see it in the distance. Police were still directing traffic on the course and not preventing us from continuing, and volunteers stayed at the water stations (thank you so much!). A few other folks had brought coolers of ice out along the last few miles and were handing it out too. Plus, I had money and could have stopped to buy something if I needed it. And that's how the last 6 miles went. One foot in front of the other, moving ever closer to the finish line, jogging for a bit, walking, eating ice, hitting every sprinkler that was out, and just celebrating life.

By mile 24, the temp was in the upper 80s. I knew that if I ran at all, I was probably putting my safety in jeopardy. I was monitoring my heart rate with my Garmin and was watching my rates closely. Any running and it would spike. So no running in those last two miles, I just walked it in. It didn't really matter how long it took, no official times would be posted, and I wanted to complete my journey.

And so ended my race that wasn't meant to be. I walked across the finish line in 4:28, got my medal and sat down. After about 15 minutes of rest, I was feeling pretty nauseous and my arms and legs started to tingle. That last mile in the sun really took its toll. I sipped some water, tried to get a root beer but they were out. The thought of regular beer, brats, or anything else just turned my stomach. I headed for my car, which was only a block away. After sitting in the air conditioning for a few minutes, I felt much better. And within 30 minutes, I was ready to eat and drink. And after I got back to Milwaukee and cleaned up, I enjoyed a fabulous birthday dinner and raised a couple of beers to my experience.

The race was cancelled 2 hours and 35 minutes into the run. At that point, the top 5 men had finished, and medical support was overwhelmed with mostly half marathoners going down. All of the med tents were full, 20 people were transported to area hospitals, and the directors made the decision to cancel the race. I feel bad for the people that succumbed to the heat, and in the end, it was probably the right decision to make, otherwise, somebody probably would have died. For me personally, yes, while the heat slowed me down, I think I played it smart. I knew what I had to do. There was no pressure to reach a specific time. And once the race was cancelled, I intended to finish if it took all day. At any point if I felt in jeopardy, I would have stopped and taken the shuttle back to the stadium.

Because the race was cancelled, no official results will be posted. I'm a bit disappointed. I know I completed the race and I'm healthy, but I guess it doesn't really count for the streak. I have a medal and my Garmin splits but no official result. And yes, it still feels a little hollow. I know it's just running and there are so many more important things in life than this silly race. Thankfully this was not a major goal race for me. We can't control the weather. And hopefully, there were no serious injuries in Green Bay and those that went down recover quick.

Another race jogged and logged, but well, not really.  Time to forget this race and move forward!