CIM (California International Marathon) - My 2022 Marathon

I’ve been hearing so much about CIM in recent years, but when you’re on the East Coast that is quite the trip! Now that we’re on the west coast I made this my marathon for the year and hopefully a great opportunity for a personal best! Back in 2016 I crossed the finish line in 3 hours and 30 seconds!!! Qualifying for Boston, yes! But not joining the sub-3 club. What better time to make an attempt than now!?!?

First stop was Fleet Feet Sacramento for a shakeout led by Black Girls Run and Black Men Run. Great first run in Sacramento, and hands down one of the best Fleet Feet’s I’ve ever been to. They have everything! Then a reading of Alison’s new book Running While Black followed by a Q&A. It’s been great hearing the continued dialogue birthed from her book and having Kouri with us makes it another memorable experience.

Second stop was the expo. Grabbed my bib, Alison got settled at her booth, left Kouri with her and then I got to exploring. Chose to get my shot at the “CIM” as opposed to the “26.2” photo spot. Can’t go wrong either way, but don’t leave without getting one or the other.

Then it was time to get some rest. S/O to Alison getting a hotel right by one of the bus stops. I ran into some heading back home who missed the bus to the start line and had to grab a taxi! I’d rather avoid having a stressful morning. If there’s anything I can sell you on, if you do this race pay for the VIP package. It’s worth it! Everyone has the option of staying on the bus to stay warm, but for those who chose the VIP you get a building that’s warm and porta potties set aside for you. There’s coffee, water, fruit and bagels inside. When you have the space to move you can relax, stretch and warm up before you head to the starting line.

Now to the course. I chose to go against my original plan, and just go fast and take a chance on really going for it. I will live with that. Ran with someone who previously ran a 2:57:00 and we were cruising. Everyone kept talking about the rolling hills in the first half and they weren’t playing around. It’s a lot of up-and-down! Up-and-down! Up-and-down! Up-and-down! Up-and-down! Hah! That eventually caught up to me around the 30K mark. My mind was moving forward but my legs didn’t have the stamina to keep what I was trying to hold. When you don’t hit your goal how do you respond? Or how would you respond?

If you look to the crowd for some extra energy this is a tough course for that. There’s not a ton of cheer stations, so you’re out there on your own unless you have people traveling to support you, which I highly recommend. This year they changed the relay portion to only two people, so one person runs 13.4 and the other person runs 12.8 miles. I think if they kept the original 4 person relay that creates extra cheer zones, which are great for the course, but I understand logistics are probably tough for that.

Much love and S/O to Renegade Running, Black Girls Run - Sacramento, Black Men Run - Sacramento, Corremos Sacramento, Oiselle Voile for being out there cheering everyone on!

Are you thinking about doing this race next year? It is a fast course, but be prepared for those early hills. It’s not a flat course at all, but it lives up to the “net downhill” status it carries. If I come back I’ll probably hit the relay with a buddy. We’ll see, but let me know what your’e thinking.