On Saturday, April 6th, 2024 I ran Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon and qualified for the Boston Marathon!
I signed up for this race the day after I found out I wouldn’t be running Boston 2024 with the goal of qualifying for Boston again with a bigger buffer. (Boston Marathon 2024 had a record number of applicants which resulted in one of the biggest buffers of all time, 5:29).
I first qualified for the Boston Marathon (after 10 years of setting the goal) at Revel Big Bear Marathon in 2022 and was optimistic that I could shave off more time after significantly improving my fitness over the last year and a half. Here’s how the race went.
Revel Mt. Charleston – Travel & Pre-Race
On Thursday, 2 days before the race, my friend and fellow run and BODi coach, Jen and I drove from north county San Diego to Vegas. We were fortunate to have no traffic and smooth sailing and lots of carbs. (Read this post for more on how I carb load for marathons). I bought a Tesla the week before so we planned our stops around charging stations with some walk breaks added in.
We got into Vegas with a full charge at 5:30 PM And met up with a friend and fellow Team Run the World BODi teammate Hannah for a Thai food dinner. Then we drove to the host hotel/casino where we’d booked a room for Thursday and Friday and checked in, got ready for bed and went to bed early! However, it took me over 2 hours to fall asleep. I had tweaked my knee doing something with the kids a few days prior and it was kind of throbbing and my mind was reeling thinking about that, the race and a lot of other stuff on my mind. It’s so frustrating not to be able to sleep!
I’m so glad we drove out 2 days ahead, because we got to sleep in, eat some food in the room and then go for our shake out run in a neighborhood across the street. my legs felt good but the wind was HOWLING!!! The forecast was showing more and more wind for Saturday and I tried not to think about it, but it was hard not to! I hate running in wind and I knew based on the map that miles 14-22 would have a slight headwind and then 22-26 would have a tailwind. Jen kept telling me not to talk about it or worry about it so I tried to let it go.
It was also very cold. Normally Vegas can be really warm on race weekend, making the start of the race cold and the finish line very hot. I was happy to see that the finish line weather would be in the 50s, but the start line forecast was 10 degrees. I’ve never been in 10 degree weather in my life!
After the shake out, we got ready and got coffee and a croissant sandwich at a really yummy coffee shop near the Expo which was about 15 min from the host hotel (I am glad we drove so we had a car, lots of driving here – I’d recommend renting one or staying on the strip and doing Uber if you are flying in).
At the Revel Mt. Charleston Expo, I felt confident and optimistic. as with Revel Big Bear, I bought a pint glass with the Revel logo on it, knowing I’d want to remember this race once I finally got my spot at Boston and broke my 10 year old marathon PR (set at CIM in 2024).
To help with the freezing start line temps, I bought a buff/scarf at the Expo that I planned to wear around my neck, pull up over my face. We saw an Instagram friend, Natascha there, and she told us that she was staying at the cabins at the start line and that we could warm up in there before the race. I hugged her I was so happy!
We decided to just eat our snacks for lunch (I had a vanilla yogurt & granola, grapes and crackers) since we’d had 2 breakfasts (I had oatmeal & a banana in the hotel before shakeout, croissant sandwich and coffee at the coffee shop around 10 AM) and dinner was early, at 5 PM. We spent several hours laying in bed reading, doing our instagram posts, watching TV and doing final mental race prep. We were probably the most boring people in Vegas that afternoon! We went to Macaroni grill to get the “build your own pasta” again (same as at Revel Big Bear half) – it’s super basic but perfect and they give you a big loaf of focaccia bread. As a foodie, it kills me to eat at a chain restaurant while traveling but this is predictable and simple.
It took me a while to fall asleep again but not as long this time. My knee was throbbing a little again (during the day it was fine) and my mind was going through all the pre-race stuff.
Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon – Pre -Race
2:30 AM wake up, breakfast & coffee (we brought our own pour over since the hotel room had no coffee maker), and we were in the casino ready to drive to the bus loading by 3:30 AM. Bus loading was WAY more smooth than the Revel Big Bear loading – we got right on a bus.
Nothing could really prepare me for how cold it was at the start. I was so happy that the bus to the start was a party bus and not a school bus like at Big Bear. We we were plenty warm but as soon as we got off, we were in snow!!! It had literally snowed the night before and we were surrounded. I put on the robe I had gotten from my grandma to keep me warm. We arrived around 4:50 AM and Natascha had told us we could come to her cabin at 5:15. That was just the amount of time we needed to use the bathrooms.
After a productive bathroom break, I took 2 Imodium. I don’t usually do this (though I did practice in training once), but last marathon I had to stop for the bathroom and I was really hoping this would help (spoiler, it did not – do I need to take it earlier?). I have to go during every single long run, no matter what I do, so honestly I’m not surprised when I have to go during a race.
Despite the cold and everything, I felt really confident with my sub 3:30 goal. In line for the port of potties, the guy in front of me’s bib number was my lucky number and when I was waiting for Tess and Jen, I looked up and I was right next to the 3:30 pace sign. I decided this was another sign that I was going to hit it!!
After bathrooms, we spent 20-25 min in Natascha’s cabin which was so helpful. My toes were really really cold and staring to get numb. It was also a nice distraction. With 20 min to go, we left the cabin, dropped out stuff off in bag drop (which included my jacket). We then huddled around the heaters (first time ever that Revel had heaters at the stat line) and tried not to worry as HUGE gusts of wind almost blew our hats off.
At this point I noticed I was hungry. I ate so much the 3 days before during the carb load that it felt impossible to feel hungry, but I was. I had eaten an oatmeal packet, & banana in the hotel but that was at 3 AM and now it was nearly 6 AM. On the bus I drank Tailwind (1.5 scoops) . At that point I knew I needed to take one of my gels (glad I packed an extra) before the race even started and I opted for my Spring Energy Awesome Sauce which has 180 calories and tastes like apple sauce.
With 7 min to go we walked to the start line. Tess and I started near the 3:30 pacer and said goodbye to Jen who started near the 3:50 pacer. With 1 minute to go, I took off my pants and robe and thew them to the side. I was immediately FREEZING.
Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon- The First Half
Crossing the start line of the Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon, I was colder than I’ve ever been. Within a few strides, my body was in fight of flight mode, sending me ‘WTF ARE YOU DOING” signals. I was wearing shorts, a tank top, arm warmers, a cotton zip up, a buff around my neck (and face to start), a hat and a ear warming headband. My feet felt completely numb and like blocks of ice. Have you ever done a cold plunge? Where your body is screaming for you to get out? It felt like that.
Needless to say, the first mile really sucked, but I just focused on doing what I could & kept telling myself it didn’t matter. I knew it would be a slower mile as you start uphill, but soon we were running downhill. I also had almost no warm up (I was planning to do drills and a couple strides but that was almost impossible). My feet still felt like ice blocks. I was relieved when I got through mile 1.
The next miles felt smooth. I was warming up a little bit and focused on enjoying the moment! The views were beautiful and I was positive through these miles. Splits:
| 1 | 0:08:39 |
| 2 | 0:07:52 |
| 3 | 0:07:54 |
| 4 | 0:07:55 |
Mile 5 is a slower mile as you take sharp right off the road and loop up and around a parking lot. This is where I decided to ditch the hand warmers I had in my gloves, but nothing else came off. I also used this as a chance to take my gel (around 30 min) and put in my airpods.
From here, the course was a long, mostly straight shot and I was feeling a bit bored. I had set up a Ali on the Run podcast episode (a fun interview with Molly Siedel) and I decided to put that on to entertain me as I got more miles in. It worked – I was enjoying myself as I listened to Ali and Molly play “Never Have I Ever” and talk about running comebacks. This mile ended up being a little slower, as expected, at 8:31.
These miles are the steepest My pace continued to be smooth for miles 7-11. The only little doubt I had here was that as I had hoped during these miles would naturally feel faster. They were the biggest decline and it didn’t feel like gravity was giving me as much of a push as I expected.
| 6 | 0:08:09 |
| 7 | 0:07:49 |
| 8 | 0:07:52 |
| 9 | 0:07:46 |
| 10 | 0:08:08 |
| 11 | 0:08:08 |
Around mile 8.5 is when the urge to use the restroom started and I considered stopping at mile 9. But I didn’t because it wasn’t urgent. However, I knew there were aid stations only every 2 miles, so I decided if I still had togo, I’d go at 11. I stopped at Big Bear around mile 13 for the bathroom and still hit my goal and I had mentally rehearsed this happening so I just decided to go with it.
As the aid station just past mile 11 approached, it looked like there was no line for the bathrooms and 5 of them! I stopped and immediately noticed ALL were taken. And then I stood there. For what seemed like an eternity. But really, it was probably 30 seconds. Once I was in the bathroom I was quick. After I was out, I tried to get water at the aid station but no one was holding out cups. I had to stop at one of the tables and try to fill up my bottle. This stop cost me a minute and a half.
A note on race nutrition – I nailed it. I took 7 gels in total – a combination of Spring Energy and Huma Gel Plus (electrolytes). I also took 3 sets of 2 Hylands Cramping pills. In total I averaged 60g/carbs per hour.
I was now listening to music and things were feeling harder. My overall pace had been sticking at 8:05 and now it had gone up to 8:10. But, you never know what will happen in a marathon. I tried to stay positive, but I found that my pace was naturally slowing and the wind was now REALLY picking up.
| 12 | 0:09:16 |
| 13 | 0:08:17 |
| 14 | 0:08:05 |
| 15 | 0:08:15 |
At some point the road slightly changed course and we were running into a cross/head wind coming from the left. I tried to draft off a woman for a while but she was running slower than I wanted so I went ahead. She then caught me and passed me later (and I passed her at the end).
I’ve learned that this section of a marathon is my mental nemesis. ANd this is my BIGGEST takeaway from this marathon. I am better at staying positive after mile 20 than I am at mile 15!! I remember contemplating quitting (I did the same thing at Revel Big Bear around this same mileage) and then took that off the table. Like at Big Bear, I told myself ‘It’s going to hurt anyway” whether I ran at pace or slowed down, but the wind was pushing me enough that I just couldn’t seem to keep the pace.
At some point, my mind just went into defense mode and shut off. I stopped looking at my watch and just focused on not moving ahead. I wanted it to be over so bad. I cursed myself for running marathons. Why do I do this to myself?
Another realization I’ve had is that I just don’t love the solitude of these one way downhill courses. Revel, Mountains 2 Beach, etc…when there’s absolutely NO spectators, no bands, no crowds, no houses to look at. I’m an extrovert and apparently a city girl….the scenery was not beautiful to me, it was desolate and boring!
Every time I tried to refill my handheld water bottle at an aid station I couldn’t get more than 1 cup to put in it because there were so few volunteers (THANK YOU volunteers for standing in the freezing cold wind on a mountain to give us water, I cannot complain).
| 16 | 0:08:29 |
| 17 | 0:08:25 |
| 18 | 0:08:37 |
| 19 | 0:08:50 |
Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon Finish: Saved By the Pace Group!!!
Not only did I see my sub 3:30 goal slip, then my PR goal (sub 3:35) fell away and I just wanted to finish and be done. However….. one last goal gave me the kick I needed.
Just before the 20 mile mark, the 3:40 pace group approached. The pacer was a super positive, happy guy who excitedly told us that we were doing great and 3:30 ahead of 3:40! Suddenly, the goal of getting a BQ, no matter what the buffer, was big enough to motivate me.
I can’t even tell you the magic of this man’s words and the camaraderie of the group (even though no one was talking). I immediately tucked in with them and stayed with them. I just focused on keeping up. I kept telling myself that soon we’d be turning and that terrible wind would be a tailwind to the finish. Even though I knew the course dramatically flattens and there’s even a hill at mile 24, I kept focusing on the tailwind.
I started enjoying my music. My legs started to feel fresh. I felt GOOD! WHAT IS HAPPENING!? When we finally turned, I felt a weight lift. I picked up the pace and left that pace group – SEE YOU NEVER!!!!
Suddenly a new song on my playlist came on: “This is Me” from the Greatest Showman Soundtrack. I was nearly singing out loud, passing people and telling myself “You’ve got this!!!!”
| 20 | 0:08:30 |
| 21 | 0:08:14 |
| 22 | 0:08:21 |
| 23 | 0:08:32 |
I dedicated each of the final 6 miles to people in my life and mile 22 was for my mom and my Grandma, who died in February. I thought of them and how much they love me unconditionally and showed me what it means to be strong women. The next mile I thought of my 3 girls cheering for me saying “mommy go!!!” I thought of my husband & his continued support for my running. I thought of the running community, my BODi teammates (naming them one by one) and all the friends I’ve made through this.
The hill at mile 24 sucked. I walked for a split second then said out loud “oh no you will not walk” and I picked it up. Mile 25 I have no excuse – it was slow. I told myself to “crest with confidence” as we learned in our RRCA run coach course but I did not do that very well.
| 24 | 0:09:18 |
| 25 | 0:09:00 |
I looked down at my watch after mile 25 and I knew it was going to be close. I told myself “If you HAD to run a sub 8 minute mile in order to save your kids from danger, COULD YOU DO IT” Yes this is extreme,….but it worked!!! I told myself “of course I could” and I went to it. It helps that overall this is a nice downhill mile. I passed one person after the next, feeling so strong. My legs felt fresh, I felt strong.
I ran the final 0.2 miles at a sprint, a sub 7 minute mile and finished with a smile on my face.
| 26 | 0:07:55 |
| 0.2 | 0:01:43 |
I finished the marathon feeling REALLY proud that I pulled off a strong finish and another BQ. Two friends behind me were celebrating and told me I finished strong. I congratulated them and learned it was their first BQ. It was so fun to be there to celebrate that with them. I love the running community!!!
Thoughts After Missing my Marathon Goal at Revel Mt. Charleston
Every marathon finish is worth celebrating.
And if I can still BQ on a tough day for me, I’m on my way to getting to Boston. Most likely, I won’t get in the race with this time but I’m confident I’ll keep improving and get there. I had mixed emotions in the week after the race – a mix of happiness and sadness and honestly, frustration.
Instead of “What am I doing wrong?”, I’m asking “Where is this taking me?!” Every racing opportunity is a chance to learn and I am definitely learning from this one.
And the best place to celebrate a BQ and marathon finish is VEGAS!
But yes, I was still in bed before 10 PM.
Curious if any other extroverts out there find they race better and enjoy the process more in bigger races with more spectators & distractions? I think this is my last downhill one way mountain race for a while…but never say never.
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