So I ran yesterday, it was the third time I have run since the marathon (just over 3 weeks ago). It was the first time I didn’t have hip pain that affected my run as well as stiffness the day afterward. Maybe I’m finally recovered from the marathon. I am still planning on taking it easy and monitoring my leg health closely over the next 2 weeks. I’d like to participate in the 30minute runs (or more) every day for the month of December, like a bunch of others on trifuel, but I’m not going to risk injury or next season to do something that trivial. So, we’ll see. I am pretty optimistic after yesterday though. I took it out real slow (8:50 first mile), then ramped it up for 4 miles in 31:50 (so sub 8min pace) negative splitting every mile.
For some reason, I’m having a hard time holding back while running. My 3 runs since the marathon thus far have all been at a faster pace than I initially intended them. I’m guessing it’s a combo of the lack of running frequency making me too revved up for each run and the fact that I was doing so much long and low running for the marathon that it’s fun to open it up and go fast again. I just need to hold back as much as possible, since I think the high intensity of my first post-mary run was what injured my hips in the first place.
Oh yes, and side note. I think I have completed my 2009 schedule. The only thing that will change it now is if the races are moved from the anticipated dates. I am going to try and round out 2009 with the Tecumseh Trail Marathon in Indiana. It fits the requirements I was looking for, and it’ll be something different. Once I get this one done, I’m only one step from (gulp)…the strange and scary world of ultra-running. But that’s for later in life…
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Awesome weekend for the family
Big congrats to my dad and sister are in order. They both ran the Rock n Roll San Antonio Marathon this past weekend. It was my sister’s third marathon, and after 2 close calls, she finally got over the hump and broke the 5hr mark, coming in at 4:55:35.
It was also the first full marathon for my dad. Surprising, considering he’s done somewhere around 15 half marathons. He finished in 4:37 and some change, a strong performance. From the brief phone conversation I had with them afterwards, it sounded like he took it out a little harder than he thought he was. It’s sooooo hard to hold back with all the excitement and energy at the start of a marathon, I could definitely relate. But they both did a great job, so that’s very exciting. Now all of us have finished our ’08 season and can enjoy the holiday downtime before prepping for 2009, the year of the 70.3.
It was also the first full marathon for my dad. Surprising, considering he’s done somewhere around 15 half marathons. He finished in 4:37 and some change, a strong performance. From the brief phone conversation I had with them afterwards, it sounded like he took it out a little harder than he thought he was. It’s sooooo hard to hold back with all the excitement and energy at the start of a marathon, I could definitely relate. But they both did a great job, so that’s very exciting. Now all of us have finished our ’08 season and can enjoy the holiday downtime before prepping for 2009, the year of the 70.3.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
2009 Goals and some other notes
Now that I’ve got my basic race schedule laid out it’s time to set the goals. There is a lot of uncertainty in the schedule for next year with regard to B and C races, but my goals are mostly focused on the A races, so I feel comfortable going ahead with the goal setting.
My goals are a part of my yearly training plan, which follows from the Triathlete’s Training Bible, so they are as specific as possible. I do like to compete with others in my AG when I see them on the course, but as a whole I’m not consistently winning to the point where I feel comfortable making goals that are out of my control (like a podium finish at …). That being said, my performance goals are all time based. Obviously, this can be effected by the weather and other unseen factors, but it’s about as good as I can do.
So, without further ramblings, here are my season goals:
1. Complete Derby Mini-marathon in sub 1:35
2. Complete IM 70.3 Steelhead in sub 5:30
3. Complete IM 70.3 Augusta in sub 5:15
4. Race 2009 season at less than 190lbs (currently 207), reach goal weight by April 1, 2009
Some explanation:
· Even though the mini-Marathon is a B race and early in the season, I feel like this will be a good goal to judge my run progression over the winter. Also, 1:35 is BQ (Boston Qualifier) pace, even if only for half a marathon. My PR on the course I will be running is 1:38:xx from high school, but I feel like I’m not far off that level of performance currently (if not faster).
· After putting together a very rudimentary race plan for Steelhead, I feel comfortable that I should be able to break 5:30 relatively easily, so this might be a weak goal. However, I’m hoping I can be closer to 5:20 there and then use some tricks from experience to break 5:15 only 7 weeks later at Augusta. From very early looks at the courses, they are both mostly flat, so should be comparable in speed.
· The additional training from going from Oly focus to HIM focus will likely lead to weight loss naturally. I have raced Clydesdale most of the past year, and would not want to “work” to keep weight on to do it again. So, I am going to consciously lose weight over the winter prep and base to hopefully add some speed and reduce the load on my joints. I certainly have the weight to lose since I’m around 16-17% bodyfat. 14 weeks is a good amount of time to lose the weight in a healthy way (even though the holidays are in there).
There they are. Now that they are published, I have to stick to them. We’ll see how things go. For the most part, I am done with my planning for 2009, other than some detailing stuff. I have also had 2 weeks of recovery from my marathon, so I’m ready to get back to business.
On a side note, my dad and sister are competing in the Rock n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon this weekend. It will be my sister’s 3rd Mary and she is trying to break 5hrs and it will be my dad’s first, so wish them luck. I’ll try to cover their success stories early next week.
My goals are a part of my yearly training plan, which follows from the Triathlete’s Training Bible, so they are as specific as possible. I do like to compete with others in my AG when I see them on the course, but as a whole I’m not consistently winning to the point where I feel comfortable making goals that are out of my control (like a podium finish at …). That being said, my performance goals are all time based. Obviously, this can be effected by the weather and other unseen factors, but it’s about as good as I can do.
So, without further ramblings, here are my season goals:
1. Complete Derby Mini-marathon in sub 1:35
2. Complete IM 70.3 Steelhead in sub 5:30
3. Complete IM 70.3 Augusta in sub 5:15
4. Race 2009 season at less than 190lbs (currently 207), reach goal weight by April 1, 2009
Some explanation:
· Even though the mini-Marathon is a B race and early in the season, I feel like this will be a good goal to judge my run progression over the winter. Also, 1:35 is BQ (Boston Qualifier) pace, even if only for half a marathon. My PR on the course I will be running is 1:38:xx from high school, but I feel like I’m not far off that level of performance currently (if not faster).
· After putting together a very rudimentary race plan for Steelhead, I feel comfortable that I should be able to break 5:30 relatively easily, so this might be a weak goal. However, I’m hoping I can be closer to 5:20 there and then use some tricks from experience to break 5:15 only 7 weeks later at Augusta. From very early looks at the courses, they are both mostly flat, so should be comparable in speed.
· The additional training from going from Oly focus to HIM focus will likely lead to weight loss naturally. I have raced Clydesdale most of the past year, and would not want to “work” to keep weight on to do it again. So, I am going to consciously lose weight over the winter prep and base to hopefully add some speed and reduce the load on my joints. I certainly have the weight to lose since I’m around 16-17% bodyfat. 14 weeks is a good amount of time to lose the weight in a healthy way (even though the holidays are in there).
There they are. Now that they are published, I have to stick to them. We’ll see how things go. For the most part, I am done with my planning for 2009, other than some detailing stuff. I have also had 2 weeks of recovery from my marathon, so I’m ready to get back to business.
On a side note, my dad and sister are competing in the Rock n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon this weekend. It will be my sister’s 3rd Mary and she is trying to break 5hrs and it will be my dad’s first, so wish them luck. I’ll try to cover their success stories early next week.
Friday, November 7, 2008
2009 Race Schedule
Here it is. The unveiling of what I am hoping to be my 2009 race schedule. Some dates are not certain, so we will see what kind of interferences we get. May and June look to be the busiest months, but mostly low priority races. I do have my first ever century ride in there though. Some of the other events (sprint tri’s and mini-Marathon) are yearly stand-bys and good opportunities to get my wife and mom involved if they want to race again. Also, by doing one in the St. Louis area, we get a race that my sister doesn’t have to travel extensively to. The 70.3s are the focus of year 2 (of 3) on my way to IMLou in 2010. I also hope to volunteer at Louisville this year to really “earn” my spot. I know it doesn’t sell out immediately like the other IMs yet, but I feel like volunteering is just another necessary step along the way to doing it myself.
- KY Derby Festival Mini-Marathon--4/25/2009--1/2 Marathon--Louisville, KY--B
- Tri-for-Joe--5/17/2009--Sprint Tri--Cincinnati, OH--C
- Horsey Hundred--5/23/2009--Century Ride--Georgetown, KY--B
- Deer Creek Tri & Du--6/7/2009--Olympic Tri--Mt. Sterling, OH--B
- St. Peter's RecPlex Tri--6/21/2009--Sprint Tri--St. Peters, MO--C
- Indianapolis Sprint Tri--6/27/2009--Sprint Tri--Indianapolis, IN--C
- Ironman 70.3 Steelhead--8/1/2009--70.3--Benton Harbor, MI--A
- Ironman 70.3 Augusta--9/27/2009--70.3--Augusta, GA--A
- ?--11/?/09--Marathon--?--B
As far as the marathon goes, it will be kind of a way to wind down the season. I don’t think I’m ready to tackle another time goal here, though. It will be more for the enjoyment. Since that’s the case, I am considering doing a trail marathon if it falls in the right time period (nov/dec) and is close enough. Since the 70.3s require pretty substantial travelling, I’d like to stay close to Cincinnati on this one (3-4 hr drive range).
Feedback!
- If anyone has any suggestions that meet my above requirements for the end of year marathon (standard or trail), let me know.
- If anyone is going to be at any of these races, let me know. It’d be nice to meet and say hello to some other triathletes (or athletes in general).
Thursday, November 6, 2008
2008 Season in Review
I am in my recovery and planning mode right now, getting ready to transition into offseason training, which will add back in weightlifting and erging (rowing machine) as well as whatever other miscellaneous activities I decide. My main focuses are strength building, top end run speed, swim (in general), and weight loss (goodbye to being a Clydesdale). I am also in reflection mode of my successfully completed 2008 season, thus the nature of this post.
Even though this was my 5th year of competing in triathlons, it was a milestone year in many ways. First, it was my first full season since graduating from U. of Dayton, so triathlon didn’t have to take a backseat to rowing for 9 months out of the year. This meant I could plan an entire schedule around triathlons, including designating A races, etc. I also read Triathlete’s Training Bible in December and January, which helped immensely. Second, I completed my first marathon in January (and later my 2nd last month). Third, I won my division at a local race for the first (and 2nd) times as a Clydesdale. Lastly, I improved my biking to the point that I averaged over 20mph at every race this season, an accomplishment I had only done once in my previous 4 years of competing. I think the most exciting aspect of this is that I still see plenty of room for improvement, so am excited to start setting goals and getting a race plan together, which is actually already almost complete and will be posted soon.
2008 Race Results
January 13 -- Rock n’ Roll Arizona Marathon – 3:53:14 (broke 4hrs in first ever marathon)
April 26 – KY Derby Festival MiniMarathon – 1:42:42
May 18 – Tri for Joe (sprint) – 1:22:20 (1st of 21 Clydesdale, 40 of 839 OA)
June 15 – St. Peters RecPlex Tri (sprint) – 1:50:42 (5 of 17 in M20-24 AG, 30 of 457 OA)
June 21 – Indianapolis Sprint Tri (sprint) – 1:02:56 (3 of 41 Clydesdale, 71 of 575 OA)
June 29 – Cincy One World Du (Oly du) – 2:18:00 (1 of 9 Clydesdale, 35 of 213 OA)
August 24 – Chicago Accenture Tri (Oly, A race) – 2:29:45 (4 of 49 Clydesdale, 284 of 4089 OA)
October 5 – Tri-for-Sight (sprint) – 1:44:04 (3 of 20 Clydesdale, 42 of 324 OA)
October 26 – Marine Corps Marathon – 3:44:37 (was overly ambitious shooting for 3:30, and paid the last 6 miles…but new PR)
Overall, it was a busy year, and quite successful. I think I did a good job of establishing myself as a top Clydesdale in the region and at least competitive nationally for my size. Now, I am hoping to drop some weight so I can push a little harder and at least be locally competitive in the standard M20-24 AG next year.
Soon, I will put up my tentative race plan, and then start with the official goals, which I’ll also post. Making them public makes them much more concrete, I believe since I am being held accountable by others who read this (if anyone actually does).
Even though this was my 5th year of competing in triathlons, it was a milestone year in many ways. First, it was my first full season since graduating from U. of Dayton, so triathlon didn’t have to take a backseat to rowing for 9 months out of the year. This meant I could plan an entire schedule around triathlons, including designating A races, etc. I also read Triathlete’s Training Bible in December and January, which helped immensely. Second, I completed my first marathon in January (and later my 2nd last month). Third, I won my division at a local race for the first (and 2nd) times as a Clydesdale. Lastly, I improved my biking to the point that I averaged over 20mph at every race this season, an accomplishment I had only done once in my previous 4 years of competing. I think the most exciting aspect of this is that I still see plenty of room for improvement, so am excited to start setting goals and getting a race plan together, which is actually already almost complete and will be posted soon.
2008 Race Results
January 13 -- Rock n’ Roll Arizona Marathon – 3:53:14 (broke 4hrs in first ever marathon)
April 26 – KY Derby Festival MiniMarathon – 1:42:42
May 18 – Tri for Joe (sprint) – 1:22:20 (1st of 21 Clydesdale, 40 of 839 OA)
June 15 – St. Peters RecPlex Tri (sprint) – 1:50:42 (5 of 17 in M20-24 AG, 30 of 457 OA)
June 21 – Indianapolis Sprint Tri (sprint) – 1:02:56 (3 of 41 Clydesdale, 71 of 575 OA)
June 29 – Cincy One World Du (Oly du) – 2:18:00 (1 of 9 Clydesdale, 35 of 213 OA)
August 24 – Chicago Accenture Tri (Oly, A race) – 2:29:45 (4 of 49 Clydesdale, 284 of 4089 OA)
October 5 – Tri-for-Sight (sprint) – 1:44:04 (3 of 20 Clydesdale, 42 of 324 OA)
October 26 – Marine Corps Marathon – 3:44:37 (was overly ambitious shooting for 3:30, and paid the last 6 miles…but new PR)
Overall, it was a busy year, and quite successful. I think I did a good job of establishing myself as a top Clydesdale in the region and at least competitive nationally for my size. Now, I am hoping to drop some weight so I can push a little harder and at least be locally competitive in the standard M20-24 AG next year.
Soon, I will put up my tentative race plan, and then start with the official goals, which I’ll also post. Making them public makes them much more concrete, I believe since I am being held accountable by others who read this (if anyone actually does).
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Oops...should have been more patient
Well, I thought I was done with my recovery from the marathon…
I was itching to get out after basically taking last week off completely (I did one 30 minute swim), so I planned out a full off-season week for this week. This is still a pretty small workload (~5hrs), since the majority of the off-season I’ll be working somewhere on the range of 7-8hrs per week of training, hopefully). I also reintroduced lifting into my regimen to get that offseason strength boost. If all goes well I’ll be doing 30minute lifting circuits during lunch 3 days a week to cover each muscle group once a week (1x shoulder and arms, 1x chest and back, and 1x legs). Of course, abs/core will be included every lifting session. To get all the lifts in this small window of time, the workouts will be high intensity with super setting of almost everything. But I digress…
Back to being itching to get out, I took off Monday as a scheduling day and for running errands, so yesterday began my return to a regular schedule. I had a relatively steady and boring 30 minute swim mid-day (1.5km total workout), similar effort as usual for right now. In the evening though, I made my return to running. I planned to run approx. 40 minutes or so and had a route in mind with some hills. I took off and my legs felt great. I felt like I was floating, so I glided along at a pretty fast pace for me. By mile 2, reality set in, but my legs started to hurt a bit. This is unusual, and I just attributed it to fatigue. By the last mile of the 6 mile run, I was hurting pretty bad and knew the run itself, or the high intensity, or the hills, or some combination was a mistake. I covered the 6 miles (w/ rolling hills) in 43:15, so I was pushing a pretty good pace all the way to the end (~7:15s).
As soon as I stopped I had a stabbing pain in both hips…no good. I hobbled a cool down and headed inside. The pain didn’t subside all night, affecting me whenever I was on my feet. I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and almost fell over from the pain on the way. It was still a pretty sharp pain this morning. As I’ve moved around today, the pain has dulled some, but is still there when I’m walking. I looked it up and think it might be hip bursitis. So, I guess I wasn’t recovered yet from the marathon…oops.
I’m going to discuss it with my dad tonight (he’s a PT) and decide how to go from here. I’m pretty certain running is out for the rest of the week. I just hope I can get back on the bike before the end of the week, since I have really been eager to ride, even if it’s on the trainer. However, I did get my shoulder and arm lift in today. I had to hobble around the gym to get to the weights somewhat, but there was no pain when I was standing/sitting to accomplish my lifts since they were all upper body.
Anyways, moral of the story is BE PATIENT WITH YOUR RECOVERY TIME!
I was itching to get out after basically taking last week off completely (I did one 30 minute swim), so I planned out a full off-season week for this week. This is still a pretty small workload (~5hrs), since the majority of the off-season I’ll be working somewhere on the range of 7-8hrs per week of training, hopefully). I also reintroduced lifting into my regimen to get that offseason strength boost. If all goes well I’ll be doing 30minute lifting circuits during lunch 3 days a week to cover each muscle group once a week (1x shoulder and arms, 1x chest and back, and 1x legs). Of course, abs/core will be included every lifting session. To get all the lifts in this small window of time, the workouts will be high intensity with super setting of almost everything. But I digress…
Back to being itching to get out, I took off Monday as a scheduling day and for running errands, so yesterday began my return to a regular schedule. I had a relatively steady and boring 30 minute swim mid-day (1.5km total workout), similar effort as usual for right now. In the evening though, I made my return to running. I planned to run approx. 40 minutes or so and had a route in mind with some hills. I took off and my legs felt great. I felt like I was floating, so I glided along at a pretty fast pace for me. By mile 2, reality set in, but my legs started to hurt a bit. This is unusual, and I just attributed it to fatigue. By the last mile of the 6 mile run, I was hurting pretty bad and knew the run itself, or the high intensity, or the hills, or some combination was a mistake. I covered the 6 miles (w/ rolling hills) in 43:15, so I was pushing a pretty good pace all the way to the end (~7:15s).
As soon as I stopped I had a stabbing pain in both hips…no good. I hobbled a cool down and headed inside. The pain didn’t subside all night, affecting me whenever I was on my feet. I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and almost fell over from the pain on the way. It was still a pretty sharp pain this morning. As I’ve moved around today, the pain has dulled some, but is still there when I’m walking. I looked it up and think it might be hip bursitis. So, I guess I wasn’t recovered yet from the marathon…oops.
I’m going to discuss it with my dad tonight (he’s a PT) and decide how to go from here. I’m pretty certain running is out for the rest of the week. I just hope I can get back on the bike before the end of the week, since I have really been eager to ride, even if it’s on the trainer. However, I did get my shoulder and arm lift in today. I had to hobble around the gym to get to the weights somewhat, but there was no pain when I was standing/sitting to accomplish my lifts since they were all upper body.
Anyways, moral of the story is BE PATIENT WITH YOUR RECOVERY TIME!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Marine Corps Marathon: Ending the '08 Season at "the Wall"
Sunday marked the end of my 2008 racing season with my last A race, the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC. I ran my first marathon in January, and it is really what got me out of a pretty slow winter of training and focused on the 2008 season. In the recovery weeks, I wrote out my season race plan and set all my goals for the year. I was also invited by a friend who lives in the DC area to come run the MCM with him since we’re pretty close to the same speed. We decided to try and run 3:30 for the marathon along with another friend from the area. So, that’s how I got here, now to the race weekend itself.
I drove from Cincinnati to his house in Arlington on Saturday morning, about an 8 hour drive. We headed to a local burger place, where I had possibly the best burger of all time for lunch. I know, not great pre-race food, but I was also being a tourist. I doubt it had any bearing on my results. Then we headed to packet pickup, which was very smooth. In and out with a quick look at the expo in less than an hour, and then we headed back to his place and relaxed. I was tired from the drive, so was fine just watching college football until dinner time. At dinner, we went to a small Italian restaurant and met up with a couple friends, other race participants including the other member of our pace group. We did a little strategizing and planned when/where to meet and then were off to get ready for the race. I got all my gear laid out and was in bed by 11.
Race morning: Woke up at 6AM and out the door by 6:20. Caught the metro to the race course, hit the bathrooms, dropped off the gear and was off to the start line. Even though we weren’t held up anywhere in particular, we didn’t get into our corral until 7:55 and found our other runner at the same time, with 5 minutes to spare. That didn’t allow much time to get nervous, which was fine with me.
Miles 0-7: This was the hilly section of the course that ran through a wooded area near Arlington Cemetery, across the Potomac and up around University of Georgetown. My breathing felt pretty steady at the get go, but I felt like I was working harder than I wanted to stay with my group. However, we hadn’t caught the 3:30 pace guy, so I assumed it was just nerves. By mile 4 we were on 8 minute/mile pace (the goal) but still were behind the pacer. We finally caught (and passed) him just after the Key Bridge. At this point I felt pretty comfortable with the pace and so the three of us moved ahead, which is where I wanted to be. I am usually pretty steady on my long runs, but definitely don’t usually negative split them. We wound up the last hill and out of Georgetown and I felt like I had hit my rhythm as we headed to the flat section.
Miles 7+-14: Most of this section is very flat, running right along the river. It is also pretty dull, a period where it is easy to get a little bored with the effort. Luckily, running with friends, we were able to talk through this section. I actually don’t remember much of miles 7-12, other than we passed the Kennedy Center and headed to some public golf course. At the half marathon mat, we were almost 3 minutes up on the 3:30 pace…oops. I was beginning to tell I wouldn’t be able to maintain at this pace, so slowed a little. Apparently it wasn’t enough since at mile 14 I was over 3 minutes ahead of pace and my legs were starting to feel a little stiff, not enough to really effect me at this point, but enough to worry me since it was too early to feel like this.
Miles 14+-20: This should have been the most fun part of the course. It was very flat; most of it was in and around the mall, so the roads were lined with spectators and monuments. This is where we all separated. Just past mile 14, my two pace partners dropped to the side for a bathroom break. I never need to go during a race since I sweat out all of my fluids. I did however; use this time alone to really focus in on hitting my pace. I ran the next 2+ miles at exactly 8 minute miles. My friends caught me around mile 16 and kept on going. At this point, I didn’t want to push a sub-8 pace anymore, so I let them leave. However, less than a mile later one of them fell back to where I was. His hamstring was acting up and he wished me good luck and fell back. Now, I knew I’d be alone the remaining 8 or so miles. I don’t know what happened, but almost as soon as I saw my friend fall off pace, I felt the stiffness and the pain. I needed to slow again. I had time to give back to still hit 3:30, but between miles 18-20 I was giving it back too fast and I didn’t think I could speed up again at this point. At the 20 mile mark I walked for a minute…
Miles 20-Doom (the end): I tried my hand at breaking up the next miles by doing 10 and 1’s. This lasted all of 10 minutes. We left the monuments and headed back across the longest, loneliest, highway bridge to Crystal City. The bridge was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I was hitting the wall and needed some driving force to get my spirits back up. Instead I got the bridge, which offered an uneven road surface, isolation from crowd support and no shade for the next 1.5 miles. I shuffled and walked across the bridge and down into Crystal City where the crowd-support was awesome. I think they were trying to make up for leaving us alone in such a crucial part of the race. For me, it seems it was too late. I had already been passed by the 3:30 pace group, which wasn’t a killer blow even though it was my goal. I was expecting it by that point and was still on pace to easily PR from my first marathon. At this point, my legs were just shutting down; I could run about 5 minutes at a time before having to walk again because my calves were spasming and nearly knocking me over. The frustrating part was, my breathing wasn’t rough I still felt like I had some decent energy and was pushing a pretty decent walking pace all things considered, but I just couldn’t run. I don’t really remember focusing on much but ending the race at around mile 24. I was somewhere near the pentagon (where we started) but was spending most of the time looking at the ground and cursing my legs. At least once I walked for over 10 minutes straight before trying my hand at shuffling again, but my running stretches kept getting shorter. The spasms would start within 15-20 seconds of starting to run. I had to walk at least half of the final mile and was even told “You can’t walk during the last mile!” by a couple of spectators. People who are going to offer THAT kind of encouragement don’t need to be standing on the side of the road. I saw the finish ahead and was determined to cross running (or as close to it as I was capable) so I locked my legs in place from the knees down to keep from using my calves and shuffled across the finish line. I had never been so relieved to be finished with a race, but at the same time disappointed. Time 3:44:37.
Post race: The regular post race discomfort set in quickly and I hobbled around calling family and my wife to let them know I was done. I found my running group, none of us made it, finishing 3:34+, 3:44+, and 3:57 respectively. Once the initial emotions at the finish line wore off some, I was able to put things in to perspective and was much more satisfied with the day. I think it was the poor pacing that did me in more than anything else, and I’m still pretty certain I am capable of sub 3:30, but that will have to wait for next year. I had a banana, Clif bar, and gel w/ caffeine before the race, 2 gels on the course (miles 8 and 15), Powerade every 4 miles for the first 16 miles and every 2 miles after that, and water at every water stop (~2miles). I also had an additional bottle of watered down Gatorade and bottle of water on my belt. This is well more than I had in my long training runs which were usually 2 gels and a bottle of watered down Gatorade along with water at regular intervals and I didn’t have issues with my legs shutting down there.
Anyways, it’s not the way I wanted to end the season, but no need to dwell on it. I still have unfinished business for next year, though so maybe that will push me through the winter. I am mostly recovered from the soreness by now and am looking forward to working on my ’09 racing schedule in the next couple weeks. I already know my A races, but it’s time to fill in the blanks for the rest.
And I’ll get you next time marathon………………next time.
I drove from Cincinnati to his house in Arlington on Saturday morning, about an 8 hour drive. We headed to a local burger place, where I had possibly the best burger of all time for lunch. I know, not great pre-race food, but I was also being a tourist. I doubt it had any bearing on my results. Then we headed to packet pickup, which was very smooth. In and out with a quick look at the expo in less than an hour, and then we headed back to his place and relaxed. I was tired from the drive, so was fine just watching college football until dinner time. At dinner, we went to a small Italian restaurant and met up with a couple friends, other race participants including the other member of our pace group. We did a little strategizing and planned when/where to meet and then were off to get ready for the race. I got all my gear laid out and was in bed by 11.
Race morning: Woke up at 6AM and out the door by 6:20. Caught the metro to the race course, hit the bathrooms, dropped off the gear and was off to the start line. Even though we weren’t held up anywhere in particular, we didn’t get into our corral until 7:55 and found our other runner at the same time, with 5 minutes to spare. That didn’t allow much time to get nervous, which was fine with me.
Miles 0-7: This was the hilly section of the course that ran through a wooded area near Arlington Cemetery, across the Potomac and up around University of Georgetown. My breathing felt pretty steady at the get go, but I felt like I was working harder than I wanted to stay with my group. However, we hadn’t caught the 3:30 pace guy, so I assumed it was just nerves. By mile 4 we were on 8 minute/mile pace (the goal) but still were behind the pacer. We finally caught (and passed) him just after the Key Bridge. At this point I felt pretty comfortable with the pace and so the three of us moved ahead, which is where I wanted to be. I am usually pretty steady on my long runs, but definitely don’t usually negative split them. We wound up the last hill and out of Georgetown and I felt like I had hit my rhythm as we headed to the flat section.
Miles 7+-14: Most of this section is very flat, running right along the river. It is also pretty dull, a period where it is easy to get a little bored with the effort. Luckily, running with friends, we were able to talk through this section. I actually don’t remember much of miles 7-12, other than we passed the Kennedy Center and headed to some public golf course. At the half marathon mat, we were almost 3 minutes up on the 3:30 pace…oops. I was beginning to tell I wouldn’t be able to maintain at this pace, so slowed a little. Apparently it wasn’t enough since at mile 14 I was over 3 minutes ahead of pace and my legs were starting to feel a little stiff, not enough to really effect me at this point, but enough to worry me since it was too early to feel like this.
Miles 14+-20: This should have been the most fun part of the course. It was very flat; most of it was in and around the mall, so the roads were lined with spectators and monuments. This is where we all separated. Just past mile 14, my two pace partners dropped to the side for a bathroom break. I never need to go during a race since I sweat out all of my fluids. I did however; use this time alone to really focus in on hitting my pace. I ran the next 2+ miles at exactly 8 minute miles. My friends caught me around mile 16 and kept on going. At this point, I didn’t want to push a sub-8 pace anymore, so I let them leave. However, less than a mile later one of them fell back to where I was. His hamstring was acting up and he wished me good luck and fell back. Now, I knew I’d be alone the remaining 8 or so miles. I don’t know what happened, but almost as soon as I saw my friend fall off pace, I felt the stiffness and the pain. I needed to slow again. I had time to give back to still hit 3:30, but between miles 18-20 I was giving it back too fast and I didn’t think I could speed up again at this point. At the 20 mile mark I walked for a minute…
Miles 20-Doom (the end): I tried my hand at breaking up the next miles by doing 10 and 1’s. This lasted all of 10 minutes. We left the monuments and headed back across the longest, loneliest, highway bridge to Crystal City. The bridge was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I was hitting the wall and needed some driving force to get my spirits back up. Instead I got the bridge, which offered an uneven road surface, isolation from crowd support and no shade for the next 1.5 miles. I shuffled and walked across the bridge and down into Crystal City where the crowd-support was awesome. I think they were trying to make up for leaving us alone in such a crucial part of the race. For me, it seems it was too late. I had already been passed by the 3:30 pace group, which wasn’t a killer blow even though it was my goal. I was expecting it by that point and was still on pace to easily PR from my first marathon. At this point, my legs were just shutting down; I could run about 5 minutes at a time before having to walk again because my calves were spasming and nearly knocking me over. The frustrating part was, my breathing wasn’t rough I still felt like I had some decent energy and was pushing a pretty decent walking pace all things considered, but I just couldn’t run. I don’t really remember focusing on much but ending the race at around mile 24. I was somewhere near the pentagon (where we started) but was spending most of the time looking at the ground and cursing my legs. At least once I walked for over 10 minutes straight before trying my hand at shuffling again, but my running stretches kept getting shorter. The spasms would start within 15-20 seconds of starting to run. I had to walk at least half of the final mile and was even told “You can’t walk during the last mile!” by a couple of spectators. People who are going to offer THAT kind of encouragement don’t need to be standing on the side of the road. I saw the finish ahead and was determined to cross running (or as close to it as I was capable) so I locked my legs in place from the knees down to keep from using my calves and shuffled across the finish line. I had never been so relieved to be finished with a race, but at the same time disappointed. Time 3:44:37.
Post race: The regular post race discomfort set in quickly and I hobbled around calling family and my wife to let them know I was done. I found my running group, none of us made it, finishing 3:34+, 3:44+, and 3:57 respectively. Once the initial emotions at the finish line wore off some, I was able to put things in to perspective and was much more satisfied with the day. I think it was the poor pacing that did me in more than anything else, and I’m still pretty certain I am capable of sub 3:30, but that will have to wait for next year. I had a banana, Clif bar, and gel w/ caffeine before the race, 2 gels on the course (miles 8 and 15), Powerade every 4 miles for the first 16 miles and every 2 miles after that, and water at every water stop (~2miles). I also had an additional bottle of watered down Gatorade and bottle of water on my belt. This is well more than I had in my long training runs which were usually 2 gels and a bottle of watered down Gatorade along with water at regular intervals and I didn’t have issues with my legs shutting down there.
Anyways, it’s not the way I wanted to end the season, but no need to dwell on it. I still have unfinished business for next year, though so maybe that will push me through the winter. I am mostly recovered from the soreness by now and am looking forward to working on my ’09 racing schedule in the next couple weeks. I already know my A races, but it’s time to fill in the blanks for the rest.
And I’ll get you next time marathon………………next time.
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