When I registered for the Holland Haven Marathon last November I signed up for the half marathon. It was a race that had been on my to-do list for a while and I decided to make an early commitment to the 2023 race to make sure I would finally do it. By Memorial Day weekend I decided to transfer up to the full marathon and make it my twelfth marathon.

The main motivation for making the swap was due to my concern about getting accepted for the 2024 Boston Marathon. The qualifying time for my age group is 3:40:00. After running 3:37:18 in Boston this past April, I began to question if a 2:42 buffer would be enough. 

In 2022 and 2023, all qualifiers who submitted times for the race were accepted. I wondered if that was partially due to fewer people traveling to the race following COVID-19 or fewer people having run marathons during pandemic times that allowed them to qualify. In 2019, runners needed a time that was 4:52 faster than the standard in order to be accepted because so many people had applied. The qualifying times were adjusted to be five minutes faster after that race so maybe that leveled things out more.

I’ve run Boston three times and have had a blast each time. I don’t know if I’ll feel the need to run it every year, but for now, if I get accepted and am able to go, I will probably jump at the opportunity. Holland Haven took place days before the 2023 qualifying window would close so it would be my last chance to try to improve my time.

I struggled through a bunch of warm and humid runs this summer and questioned if I was really prepared to run a faster time. In the days leading up to the race I had to remind myself that it’s rare that I follow a training plan perfectly and things usually work out just fine. Things came together in the final month as I ran a couple of solid races, then my last 20-mile training run was especially strong. I was still acclimated to the heat and humidity and it looked like cool temperatures were going to hit just in time for the race. I was hopeful that this was going to be a good one.

The race took place on Sunday, September 10, and I made the three-hour drive out to Holland the day before. My first destination was Holland State Park so I could check out the beach. It was a beautiful day along Lake Michigan. 

I went to downtown Holland next to check out some of the stores before packet pickup started at 3:00. When I got to Gazelle Sports it was hopping! I picked up my bib and shirt, browsed a little, then drove to my hotel that was about 10 minutes away. I wanted to do more sightseeing but also knew I should be smart and rest my legs. I got some buttered noodles with chicken for dinner at Noodles and Company and was disciplined enough to relax at the hotel after that. 

I left the hotel by 5:30 on race morning after getting some fairly decent sleep. I parked in a lot near Gazelle again and walked a quarter mile up the road to the finishing area by CrossFit Holland. I stood around in the dark for 10-15 minutes until busses came at 5:45 and I was the first one on. After missing a chartered bus when I ran Boston in ‘22, I’ve made a point of being extra early so I don’t run that risk again! This was a point-to-point race meaning we’d start in Grand Haven and run south back down to Holland. The bus was not packed and I realized that a bunch of people probably had family or friends drive them to the start so they didn’t need the bus. That was confirmed later in the morning as the parking lots and roads around Rosy Mound Elementary filled up.

Just before the bus dropped me off to wait outside the school, I began to feel tightness in my chest from anxiety. I race constantly so I don’t know why I still get worked up. Even though this would be my twelfth marathon the distance is still very intimidating. When we got to the school I sat on a curb and read a book on my phone which helped keep me distracted and reduced some of the anxiety. 

I saw a few people tucking their arms into their t-shirts to stay warm and was especially glad that I had layered up. It was in the 50s and I literally had cold feet. As we got closer to the start of the race at 7:30 I ran just over half a mile to try to warm up. I took my warm clothes to gear check then went to line up. 

I was aware that the race would take place on a six-foot path, but when I realized we would all start the race on that path and not out on the road I worried about the congestion factor. The marathon had just under 400 participants, making it the smallest crowd I’ve had for a marathon. Quite a difference from the 30,000 people at my last marathon! Still – get that many people on one path and it gets crowded! I positioned myself fairly close to the front and it all worked out.

The race director Eddie Kline held up the huge medal before we started and told us it was the carrot we were chasing. We’d have to get through the whole thing because he knew we wanted that medal! 

The start was very low-key. No announcements, music, or anything. Suddenly it was time to start and I realized my sunglasses were still in my fuel belt. I fumbled with them as I started to run and felt totally unprepared! 

At least I seemed to start in the right spot. A few people ran past me but I really didn’t have to battle any congestion. Sometimes my first mile of a race is on the slow side as I work through the crowd and warm up. That clearly wasn’t an issue for me this time. I ran the first mile in 7:52 despite telling myself I shouldn’t go below an 8:00 pace. I knew I could get myself into trouble later in the race by starting too fast so I tried to slow down. I ran the second mile in 7:59 then stayed above 8:00 after that.

After running in warm temps all summer, it felt amazing to start the race in the 50s. My hands were actually cold for the first few miles! The sun had just begun to rise but the path had trees that kept us in the shade for the majority of the run.

We spent 17 miles of the marathon running along Lakeshore Ave. It’s the main road that runs close to Lake Michigan but we didn’t get many glimpses of the water. We mostly had a view of fancy homes that DO have that waterfront view.

I didn’t think there would be many spectators but the nice part about running so much of the race down one road was that it made it easy for people to drive along the course. They were able to pull off on the shoulders or side roads, wait for their people to come by, then continue down the road to catch them in another spot. I was thankful for people who cheered for me or lifted my spirits by blaring stuff like Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” from their cars. I loved when one group hung out of the car windows as they enthusiastically sang along to Tag Team’s “Whoomp! There It Is.”

My spirits were also lifted early in the race when I got to the first aid station and was greeted by my Instagram friend Brandi. She lives in Grand Haven so when she saw that I’d be running the race, she said she hoped to cheer me on. She would be at an aid station with her running club. She saw me coming and ran up to me with a cup of water and yelled “Janet!!” She made me smile then I felt guilty just taking the water and continuing my run! It would have been nice to stop and actually talk but I was on a mission and she had more water to hand out. Still, it made me smile for a bit and I was so glad to see her.

The crowd and the excitement at the half marathon mark must have psyched me up too because that was the one other time I dropped below an 8:00 pace. I ran the next mile in 7:58. So far I have managed to run one marathon around that pace, but I wasn’t convinced I’d put in enough successful speedwork during this training segment to aim for my usual goal pace of 8:00. Leading up to the race I told myself I ought to run around 8:10-8:15 pace. That might be more reasonable and I could push harder at the end if I had it in me. However…it was nice and cool. My Garmin estimated that I could run a 3:30 marathon. Maybe I was doubting myself more than I needed to and could actually pull it off? I knew going for it could be a little risky, but sometimes you don’t reach your potential if you don’t try.

My pace fluctuated a little bit throughout the first 20 miles but I was pretty consistent. I’d run somewhere around 8:09-8:13 for a mile, then drop back down to 8:03-8:04 for the next few miles. The course was relatively flat with what I’d consider a few kind of sidewalk “humps” that created a quick incline followed by a quick decline. There were a few little hills along the way but nothing too bad. Each time I came to one I told myself that it was good to use some different muscles for a little bit.

As I got further into the race, it turned into a countdown. 10 miles left? Less than an hour and a half to go. 19 miles? Maybe only an hour more! I kept talking my way through it. I’d picture certain distances along my usual running routes and tell myself it was just like running from a certain point back to home and I could totally do that. I ran 8:09 for mile 20, but the slowdown became a little more obvious after that. I stayed in the 8:10s for the next few miles, then ran an 8:36 for mile 24 and an 8:41 for mile 25. I really dragged through several long runs this summer and although it felt miserable at the time, it also helped make me stronger. When I slowed down to the 8:30s and 8:40s I was able to tell myself that I was still running faster than some of those long runs. I wasn’t dragging THAT much and I was doing fine.

I thought about my friend Jan who had walked 17 miles on Friday and 12 miles on Saturday for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day in Chicago. I thought about my friend Kurt who had just completed a 100K that weekend! Their feats helped reassure me that I could keep pushing. I saw a woman spectating on crutches multiple times throughout the race. For all I knew she might be an injured runner who wished she could be out there participating. That made me think of a Toad the Wet Sprocket song I had listened to days before the race – “I Will Not Take These Things For Granted.” I am fortunate that I am able to do this and took time to recognize that.

Going into the race I suspected I might be capable of running a 3:34 marathon. It seems to be a sweet spot for me since that’s been my time in several races. I had it in my head to keep pushing in hopes of getting that 3:34. As I made the final turn toward the finish line, I knew I had done it. I was thrilled when I saw my friend Amy in the road cheering me on! Her friend Carmen was out there doing the same and it made me so happy.

I finished in 3:34:19 and was SO excited. The goal of the race was to improve my 3:37 time and I had done it by three minutes! I had nearly a six-minute buffer for my Boston-qualifying time and that should be enough to ensure I would get in! 

I may not have approached race the smartest way but I still got it done. It was risky going a little faster than I suspected I should and I kind of paid for it with a few tough miles at the end. Sometimes you’ve just gotta go for it though and I achieved my goal for the day!

I definitely paid for it when I came to a sudden stop after crossing the finish line. That always feels brutal after moving for 3.5 hours. A volunteer told me it was okay for me to sit on top of one of the water coolers so I did. I called out to Amy who was just outside of the finishing corral and told her I was fine but had to sit for a moment. I got up after a couple minutes and made my way to her and Carmen and celebrated excitedly. I knew I still had to be a little cautious though because I didn’t feel great. I leaned against a wall and felt like I needed oxygen or something. I told Amy and Carmen that it might be smart for me to go to medical just in case. At the very least I knew I better sit because I didn’t want to be walking around if I felt short of breath. I sat on a cot in the medical tent and the woman there was great. I didn’t even know Carmen yet and she was so helpful, finding something that allowed me to make an ice wrap that I could put on my neck and head.

Amy was great about getting food and trying to get me to eat. I tried a fruit chew but my mouth was so dry it was hard to eat. Everyone was kind about getting water for me to make sure I rehydrated and eventually that helped me eat a pretzel or two at least. I was so thankful for their help and patience while I tried to feel a bit more normal. After 10 minutes or so I felt good enough to get up and check out some of the post-race activities.

I was able to eat a bag of Ruffles which helped me get some sodium at least. I very rarely eat hot dogs anymore so those weren’t appealing, and Amy did not recommend the other option of the chicken sausage that she had. A look at it confirmed that for me! My stomach was pretty wrecked from the race so I wasn’t taking any risks at that point. 

There was a “Paws-athon” presented by the Harbor Humane Society and we were so excited to visit with the three puppies that were there and available for adoption. Puppies should be a part of every race celebration area as far as I’m concerned!

Amy checked the results and notified me that I was the female masters winner. What?! I never place in a marathon! I guess that was a bonus for doing a small race. The female winner was in my age group so she placed in the overall category. I was next in line for the 40-44 age group and since I topped all of the women 40+, that got me the masters win! Amy had placed third in her age group for the half marathon and Carmen placed second in her age group for the 8K, so we all went to collect pins.

I got my stuff from gear check and Amy was kind enough to give me a couple of stickers!

Then we went to the merch area and I bought a jacket that I had eyed the day before at Gazelle.

We took advantage of ALL of the photo opportunities next.

It was so nice to hang out with Amy and Carmen after the race and I knew they had been there much longer than me. Amy had finished her race an hour before me! After making sure I was okay, we parted ways. I had hoped to look for some good treats in downtown Holland but my stomach kept giving me problems. At least I ate a protein bar, but just when I thought I was ready to start the drive home, I had to make another stop. The three-hour drive back home seemed a little dicey! Eventually I headed out and drove for about half an hour but decided I better make a stop in Grand Rapids. I went to Panera and had a nice chocolate croissant, and since I knew Detroit Cookie Company was close by, I stopped for a box of cookies to take home. I made another stop an hour later to eat a bagel and snacked on some pretzel crisps while I drove. Thankfully I held up well enough for the rest of the drive.

Now I’m due for a little downtime. I DO have the Ann Arbor half marathon on my schedule which falls three weeks after this marathon. I’ll see how I feel as that gets closer. I certainly won’t have any goals and will just try to enjoy it if I feel up for it. No more heavy training for me though until the end of December when I will start working toward Boston, assuming I get accepted. It’s kind of nice that I’ve completed my fall marathon so early in the season. I usually don’t race until October or November!

Another major bonus about the timing of this race is that as the qualifying window for Boston 2024 was about to close, it was already open for 2025. That means I am able to use my time from this race for both years! The pressure to run a fast marathon is off for next year. That leaves me open to be more flexible with my racing plans. Rather than doing a fall marathon in 2024, I might try doing a 50K or something else.

It’s kind of funny to think about how I spent months and months training and working so hard, and just like that, it’s over in 3.5 hours. I almost don’t know what to do with myself when I finally have a break from my routine. I know it’s important to rest and recover, but I know I won’t be able to resist getting back to it soon.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz and Twitter @reidphotography