This year, the California International Marathon (CIM), fell just 4 weeks after I crossed the Rio 100 finish line. I wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to run it, until marathon week arrived.
After a few short runs, I decided to go for it. So on race morning, I woke up at 3:30 am to get ready for the day and miles ahead.
Much like last year, I had my oatmeal and coffee and waited for Vans to wake up so we could hit the road at 5:30 am to get to the starting line.
My usual routine once I get to the starting area is like the 10,000 other runners, line up for the porta potties. This year though was a little different.
The distance between the next person in line and the actual porta potty is a few week. As I exited the porta potty and held the door open for the next person in line, a rogue runner tried to cut the line and jump into my porta potty!! I had to hold him back a little and told him, “Hell no buddy, you have to wait in line like everyone else. ” He turned and went to the back of the line and the whole line cheered me on. 🙂 One girl said “Thank you,” to me.
The race start is divided into a few different corrals. This year, I started on right when I really meant to start on the left but it was fine, I had made a deal with myself pre race.
Before the race, I told myself that I needed to run slow and easy because I really want to get back out on the trails and pavement, really just hits my body hard and requires a much longer recovery period.
For the first time in my 14 CIM starts, the race was delayed by 10 minutes. They never told us why, but I did find that to be very odd.
Once the race started, I tried not to get caught up in the early mile sprinting that always occurs.
My first few miles were sub 9 even though I didn’t feel like they were. I kept telling myself to slow down.
Around mile 10 or so, my stomach started to turn and not feel the best. I must have stopped at two different times on course. I hate stopping during the race but I told myself that I might as well, I had no one waiting at the finish line and it would give me a nice break.
Mile 12 or so, my ankle started to ache. The same ankle that I had issues with at Rio. It wasn’t unbearable but it did slow me down a little.
Eventually by mile 16, I started to feel good. My plan became, walk at the aid-stations (even though I don’t use the race aid-stations) and then run to the next one.
I met a nice man who was running his 20th CIM. He liked my pace so we chatted for a bit and then we lost each other at one of the aid-stations.
My mind did wander this year. I was bored at times. Not that the race is boring or the spectators, they are what truly make the race fun (I’ve run the race in the early years where some of those middle miles were quiet and boring because there were no spectators).
I just missed running with someone. This is the third year in a row that I have run it solo. I was going to bring headphones which is so unlike me, I never run with headphones but I really wish I had for a few of those miles.
Soon enough, I was at mile 20. I was getting texts from Vans who was at Squeaker’s soccer game. He was following me virtually online. That was a nice boost.
I texted my aunt who lives in East Sac to see if she was out there and I totally thought she was and waived very enthusiastically at someone I thought was her, only to find out post race, that she never made it out there.
The final miles for once ticked by much quicker than in years past. I kept my head down and just kept willing my legs to run.
I crossed the finish line which was entirely different this year. There are normally male and female shoots but they just had everyone finish under one arch this year which made the name announcing kind of funny.
The finish set up was different too. This was the 40th anniversary of CIM. The race shirt and the race poster I thought were super lame this year but all made sense when I crossed the finish line. We were handed really nice wind breakers and back packs!
Super sweet post race swag.
I wandered around the finish area looking for the Information tent because someone mid race told me there are now buses that can take you back to Folsom. Last year I took an Uber that cost me a small fortune.
Since I wasn’t racing off to a soccer game like I was last year, I decided to take the bus. It took me a while to find it and we had to sit on there for a while until the bus was full but it was great!
I had a great conversation on the bus with a woman from San Jose. I decided to take the first bus drop off location because Vans had called and said he wasn’t far from that spot so I only had to wait about 5 minutes.
Overall, I am thrilled with my CIM for 2023. I wanted to run 10 minute miles and I hit that number right on the nose.
This wasn’t my fast CIM by a long stretch but it wasn’t my slowest. I will say I am quite proud having been able to run it 4 weeks post 100 mile. I even wore my Rio shirt for the race which was awesome because some of the spectators knew what Rio was and would yell out “Awesome Rio! Well done!” 🙂 That felt good.
It wouldn’t be December with out CIM. Not sure how many I have left in me. I really love and appreciate trails so much more but running a marathon gives you a different kind of mental toughness. I will never be a speedy marathoner, but that’s okay. Sometimes it is more fun to enjoy the ride. 🙂
Congrats to everyone that ran the 40th annual CIM! It was my 14th CIM and my 20th marathon total.
Happy Trails!
~Trailmomma
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