Stephen Sykes: The Myrtle Beach Marathon

In the week leading up to the marathon, my main focus was just to run easy and make sure my legs were fresh going into the race. I ran Monday-Thursday with my mileage decreasing each day (and interestingly enough, the total mileage of those four days was 26.2). I was getting ever closer to the day of reckoning.

Friday, February 17, 2006
I took the day off Friday. There was no need to run; it wouldn't help me any for the race, and I could always use the extra rest to make sure my legs were completely prepared for the epic undertaking of the next day.

I drove down to Myrtle Beach, which took just over three hours. I got there at about 3:30 p.m., so I had a lot of time to kill before my parents and sister got there. I checked out the Nike outlet to see if they had any good running stuff. I then headed into town and began driving the course. There were a few other people doing the same. I knew most of the course from the half-marathon the year before and the relay anchor leg two years before, so I focused on the part I hadn't been on. After that, I went to the expo to pick up my marathon and my dad's half-marathon race packets. It was a madhouse, so I got out of there as quick as I could. I then met up with my family at the hotel and we went to eat at Fazoli's (best pre-race meal restaurant there is). We then headed back to the hotel. I checked the weather—which looked questionable—and brought back an old pre-race tradition of watching the lobby scene of The Matrix (amazing). I went to sleep at about 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 18, 2006 – Race Day
I woke up at 5:15 a.m. to get ready for the 6:30 a.m. start time. I checked the weather again, which looked much better than it did the night before. I put on my traditional N.C. State socks and Pegasus Racer shoes and made sure I had all my PowerGels (4). Then my dad and I jogged to the start (our hotel was a block away). I ate my first PowerGel and got ready for the start. Dan Wagoner—Dorman alumnus and lead leg of the Clemson Running Club team—wished me luck at the line. The gun went off. The race was underway.

I was a little further back in the pack than I wanted to be, so I had to do some weaving in the first few hundred yards. But that probably kept my pace conservative as I went out in at a relaxed 6:21. I missed the two-mile, but at the three, I had 12:32 for past two miles. That was a bit fast, so I tried to settle down. I eased off well with a 6:41 fourth mile. Subconsciously, I must've told myself to speed up because my next two miles were both 6:17. I relaxed on my next mile to an excellent 6:25. Some people had been passing me these past few miles, but I wasn't too concerned this early in the race. I was trying to look around and enjoy the scenery at this point, so that I could keep the pace under control. I must have lost focus on the eighth mile because after eating a PowerGel, I split my watch at 6:59. I made that loss up quick on the next mile with a scorching 6:08. The next two miles, I settled in and hit 6:21 and 6:29. My next two miles, I really started passing people. They were mostly half-marathoners. It really helped my confidence to pass them near their finish even though I was only halfway through.

I passed the top female marathoner, Luanne Coulter, at the half-marathon point with a time of 1:23:41. I was over a minute ahead of where I wanted to be and was feeling great. My mom and sister cheered me on at the next corner. At mile 14, I decided to hold off on my PowerGel until the 16th mile in a calculated risk—I figured I would need it more in the later part of the race. The next few miles I spent catching and trying to pass a determined competitor, but I finally dropped him. I tried to relax a bit after the effort it took to pass. I came through mile 17 and checked my watch—7:48. That scared the heck out of me. Had I really fallen that far off pace? I though I was screwed. I came through mile 18, checked my watch, and laughed. It was a 4:51. That meant that the 17-mile mark was horribly wrong, and that my time for those two miles was actually right on pace. I was incredibly relieved and settled back into my rhythm. As I came through the 20-mile, I passed under a fake brick arch that was supposed to be "The Wall". A few Clemson Running Club members/Dorman alumni were there to cheer me on, and I smiled as I came by because I still felt great. There was a guy in front of me that I had been reeling in for a few miles who I caught and passed at mile 21. I also got a cheer as the "Big Dogs" drove by from Jack Todd and Mike Baird (older running friends of mine). I had been ripping off miles in 6:10 range for the past few miles. Now I was coming up on another person, who I passed at about 23 miles. Now I was starting to feel the soreness, but I knew I didn't very much further to go. I kept pushing it and ran 6:22, 6:17, and 6:14 and passed yet another runner. Current Dorman runner Matt Henderson was at the 26 with his dad to cheer me on. I felt great; I was almost finished. I turned the corner and charged up the final straightaway to finish. I had done it. I had completed my first marathon, and had done it much faster than I had expected at 2:46:14 (6:21 pace).

I grabbed some water and walked out of the chute. My family and friends were there to congratulate me on a great race. I felt so strong throughout the entire race, had a faster second half-marathon (1:22:32), and even passed three people in the last 10k. I was told that I had finished eighth place overall. That time also gives me (unofficially, at the moment) the state record for the 18-19-age division, as well as qualifying me for Boston. I walked around until the awards ceremony, where I got an award for being first in my age group (I was also the only person under 20 in the top-100).

I chilled out with my family for the rest of the day. It got cold, windy, and rainy later in the day, but luckily the weather had been absolutely perfect during the race.

Sunday, February 19, 2006
I woke up late in the morning, and we went to eat at IHOP. My legs were still pretty sore, but they weren't as dead as they had been. After that I began the long drive back up to Raleigh.

Experience
I had an awesome experience at the Myrtle Beach Marathon. I really couldn't have asked for a better race. I'm glad all my training paid off. I felt incredibly strong during the marathon, and I really enjoyed my race. Now it's time to start training for the Cooper River Bridge Run and the Boston Marathon!