Nashville Tennessee Living

Country Music Marathon April 25, 2009

Saturday was Nashville’s Country Music Marathon. It was the 10th anniversary. Over 30,000 people lined up on West End Avenue at 7 am to begin the either 26.2 mile Full or 13.1 mile Half Marathon.

Most of us had been training for this day for over 12 weeks. Twelve long weeks of Running 3 to 5 days each week. Every Saturday running a little further. On non-running days you lifted weights to build up your core. It helps with endurance.
Then, the week before the race you rest. And eat in preparation for the big day. You wear your favorite running gear. You rub the glide on to make sure you don’t chafe. You hope to sleep well the night before. And you pray it doesn’t rain.

Before you know it, it’s Saturday. You’ve set the alarm for 3:45 because you need to leave by 4:30. The traffic will start backing up at the Shelby Street exit just after 5am. I didn’t need the alarm because I was laying awake in anticipation. I shouldn’t be worrying because I’ve prepared for this. I am in better shape than last year, when I did my first ½ Marathon.

We arrive like clockwork. Park the car at LP Field, where the race will end. Then onto the Shuttles that will take us to Centennial Park where we will meet our training group, TEAM RIO, for a group photo. Then we wait. We are ready. We have prepared for this.

BUT for some reason the weather changed last week. Instead of highs in the low 70s and dawn temperatures in the high 40’s or low 50’s, the expected high is an unusual 88 Degrees! The warnings are everywhere on how to avoid heat exhaustion. Staying hydrated. 

When there are over 30,000 plus people running in an event like this, you’re separated into Corrals. 1000 people per corral. I was supposed to be in Corral 19 but somehow Patricia, who I was starting with got us moved up into 17. My good friend Donna was also starting with us. She’s training for a ½ Iron Man and this will just be like a training day.

Finally, it’s our turn to start. We take off in a light jog down West End to Lower Broadway. I didn’t remember the hills along West End, but they’re small and we do them just fine. There’s music along the way and lots of people cheering and with signs. Around mile 3 we’ve turned the corner and are now heading UP Demonbruem. This is a new leg of the race. The organizers wanted the out-of-towners to get to see lower Broadway, the Honky Tonks and to pass by the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and Country Music Hall of Fame. That’s nice, but Demonbruem is up hill for 2 miles.

On a normal day, I might have been able to do it, but it was already hot. I needed to walk a little. Donna said “goodbye” and continued on. When it leveled a little Patricia and I started running again. Now, I’m not really a long distant runner, but I figured I’d run at least 10 or 11 of the 13 miles with some walking in between. Before we got to Music Row, I needed to walk again. Off went Patricia. We’d probably meet up later.

I started to slow down about mile 7. I had to focus and keep moving ahead. My goal was to shave 1.5 minutes off last year’s time. That would have me averaging a 13 minute mile. Not fast. But faster than last year. It took me 15 minutes to get between mile 8 and 9 and I knew I’d be in trouble if I didn’t pick up my pace. I ran when it was downhill and walked a lot in between.

At 11.5 miles I became concerned that I wasn’t feeling well. I had already seen several people being helped along the side of the course. Some laying on their backs being attended to by paramedics. Just over a mile and a half and I had to decide. Slow down and finish or stop at the upcoming medical booth and have someone look at me.

I choose to slow down. I still didn’t feel well, but I wasn’t feeling worse. A few feet before turning the last corner, and only a few hundred feet from the finish line , there was another woman laying on the side of the road. Eyes closed, people attending to her.  As I rounded the corner, all the previously walking people started to run. It’s customary to RUN across the finish line. Even if you’re a walker. Still feeling bad and thinking about the last woman I saw, I continued walking all the way across the finish.

I finished.   

Over 40 people were taken to the hospital from the race. A 26 year old died of Cardiac Arrest. The Doctor on duty said it wasn’t heat related. I can’t help wondering if he would still be alive if he had gone to the movies instead.

I did beat my time. I came in 1 minute sooner than last year. Just one. But I finished. As I drove to Sunday School at 7:30 yesterday morning, I thought about the previous day. I didn’t reach my goal. There were circumstances beyond my control. But I know for sure that I’m in better shape than I was last year and my running has greatly improved. I don’t have to prove it to anyone.

There is a ½ Marathon in Murfreesboro in October. It’s always cool in October. Hmmmm.

Read Training for the Country Music Marathon - Part 1

Training for the Country Music Marathon Part 2

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About the  Author:

Connie Harvey is a full time Realtor with Prudential Woodmont Realty. She specializes in Nashville TN Real Estate, Brentwood TN Real Estate and Franklin TN Real estate. Learn more about her at www.ConnieHarvey.com.