Kiawah Marathon Recap

I realize probably nobody really cares about my recaps, but I like getting my thoughts on paper…or screen! It is hard to believe that the Kiawah marathon is behind us already. Going into the day, I felt so strong and just felt an enormous PR coming on, but that is not what happened!

Just like Chicago, the forecasted temperature kept rising. It was disappointing, but I didn’t let it stress me out too much. After all, Chicago weather was even warmer. The MAJOR difference was the humidity. I think the humidity was around 97% and it was only around 75% in Chicago. That is a big difference and my body could tell.

Matt, my husband, and I walked to the start and got in line for the bathroom. Unfortunately, when there were five minutes left before start time, there were still about 6-7 people ahead of us in line. I didn’t really feel like I needed to go, but I was standing there drinking a bottle of water, so it would have been nice to try. So, I nervously shimmied my way through to the start line. Thankfully, I never had to stop at a porta potty! My body needed every bit of that fluid as I became dehydrated during the race.

Probably around mile 15 or 16, it really became apparent that I would not achieve a PR. I was feeling the dehydration big time. At water stations, I started to take two waters and slow way down to make sure I could consume it all. At that point, I didn’t even stress about the time I was losing by slowing to a jog. It was definitely an investment to make sure I could finish the race strong without needing medical help. Each time I got more water, I felt better for a little while.

When it was time to consume my third dose of nutrition, I just couldn’t even do it. The thought of eating anything sounded absolutely horrible. So, I also began to take the Gatorade at the aid stations. It was a good compromise and I had done some training with Gatorade.

On top of slowing down for the water and general fatigue, there were several little obstacles. There were a few stretches of gravel and one really awful stretch of compact sand that was undulating. It was very difficult to maintain my pace in those areas. I always say, “slow down before you fall down”, because I can fall down even when there aren’t obstacles!

When I was getting very close to the end, with my foggy brain, I thought I saw a sign that said “Erin”. Then I realized there were two people yelling for me! It was my very sweet friend Hadyn and her husband Bryan! I can’t even describe the happiness that brought me! I felt a surge of energy and made my way to the end of the race.

At the very end of the race, there was actually a big hill…at the race that is known for it’s flatness! However, it was all good, I had just made it through the hardest race of the year! The clock said 3:24:02 and I felt proud after making it through that yucky weather!

After seeing my sweet children and parents and resting a bit, I was able to see Matt finish his race! He battled hard with a foot injury, feeling pretty sick at mile 24, and the weather that we all endured. Seeing him finish the race made me so super proud! I am so thankful the kids and I were able to witness his amazing finish!

This year has been amazing and I’m kind of loving being 40!

I can’t wait to see what 2022 has in store!