Back in December, I thought if my legs responded to some speedwork, a 55 minute 15k would be possible. My assumption was that Mark and Stephen would run a time close to this. As for speedwork, after reading some of the Jack Daniels book, I settled on doing a session of intervals each week, along with a tempo and long run.
Week one of 800's with Johnny did not go well. Weeks 2 was mediocre 800's at Disney, then weeks 3 - 5 the 1000's felt great. One last session of 800's the week before the race did not happen. I tried, but the bike ride earlier that day had me wiped out.
By the time the race came around, I knew 5:55 pace was beyond reach.
At the starting line I found Chuck, Mark, Stephen H, Rusty, Jeremy, Steve C, Lee, and Tim. Not only was it cool to be around so many friends, but a many of them were very close to my pace. Last year I ran side by side Jeremy and Steve C for a perfect race.
This year I didn't plan ahead to run with anyone, but I figured some of those guys would be around. Of the 8 people I mentioned, about 4 were with me at mile 1. 6:12 was slower than I expected, but this race is too far for me to go out too hard. Over the next 3 miles, Stephen and I pulled away from most of the group, and Rusty started to pull away from us up toward Tim. We had just run 3 consecutive miles at my goal pace of 6:05, so if the next mile, which included the hill on the first bridge slowed us down, it wasn't a big deal. We actually ran that mile 3 seconds faster than goal.
It was after the hill at mile 5 that I told Stephen he better take off if he wanted to catch Rusty and the guys up ahead. Just 2 weeks ago he had run just under 1:22:00 half marathon, which I figured was well beyond my fitness. He did pull away by a few meters, but at mile 7 I was back up next to him.
Instead of continuing my 5:56 pace that I caught him with, we both held on to 5:50 for the next 2 miles. Both of those miles included challenging hills. At the bottom of the last hill we caught Tim, who had kept at 6:00 pace the entire race. Here I was in a race with 2000 people, and the only ones within 100 meters in either direction were 2 guys I train with every week.
Not that I expected to beat Stephen, but I knew that in order to, I would of needed to separate around mile 8, and I didn't. Right around mile 9 I heard footsteps and knew it must be him. I put on a small surge, but didn't expect to keep it, or separate from him. Not long after that he hit his finishing stride and coasted in 8 seconds before me and 4th in our age group. :( Rusty was 3rd.
All the times I pictured the last few miles of the race, not once was it as cool as the actual finish. Of course the end of a race is painful, but it's a lot easier when you are in good company.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Pensacola Beach Run
January 15, 2011
About the race:
Out and back along Pensacola Beach. What it lacks in variety, it makes up for with scenery. There are portions where you can see water on both sides. What sets this race apart from other races is that you don't have to pick a distance. They just record the farthest timing mat you cross, and that's what you get scored for. 5k, 10, or half marathon.
As great as the race was, first all the stuff it was NOT:
...not a challenge to find my inner warrior and dig deeper than I ever have.
...not a break through performance.
...not a day when I was the best athlete that showed up.
...not a glamorous race venue.
All that being said, it was near the top, if not the most satisfying race to date. Started off like any other race. Felt far too easy, and there were probably 20 people well ahead of me. Mile one was 6:05 to the second. I pumped my fist and loudly showed my excitement. I wanted to brag, and I knew Steve was in range to hear me. Before the race he asked what my pace was going to be, and I told him 6:05.
Shortly after mile 1, the 5k runners turned left and were quickly out of sight. I was too far back to know how many people turned. What I did know is that there was more people than I could accurately count in front of me. One by one I passed just a few people, including "Awkward Running Guy" in his white McGuires cotton t-shirt and sweat flinging off his face as it sharply turned from side to side. He has been a staple in many races since last year at Double Bridge Run when I thought he was injured. Unlike the Pensacola half marathon, he was not carrying his shirt in one hand while leading the race at mile 3.
The thought of position did not cross my mind until I saw the turn around, and only one person turned. He was about 150m ahead. Up until now I ran exactly in the range that I planned. 6:05, 6:03, and 6:01. I don't remember looking at my watch at all for the next mile. My goal was to catch that dude, then figure out what to do from there. It was really close to the 4 mile marker when I did catch him, because I remember pointing it out to him. Garmin read 5:45. I pulled ahead by a few feet and asked if he was going to run sub 6:00 for the last 2 miles. He didn't reply, so I slowed down to get closer and asked again. He nodded and said yes. For whatever reason, I was happy to have company, and not at all worried about coming in 2nd vs 1st. However, his next mile was at least a 6:10, because I ran it in 6:02 and created a sizable gap. Well, nothing left but to push the last mile... alone. 5:58 according to Garmin, and it felt good. The rush from being in first place, even if it wasn't the half marathon, was cool.
In the chute I saw 2 coworkers that did the 5k. I was completely rude and didn't even ask how they did. Then a strange girl came up to me and said she was Tristan. When I look as confused as possible she said she was Steve's girlfriend. Oh, nice to meet you, I'm leaving now for a cool-down. Another totally rude move.
My plan was to jog out and run the last part of the half marathon in with Steve. Not once did I do the math that told me after my 6 miles, he still had 7 miles to go. I made my way to the 1 mile marker (mile 12), and he must of been around mile 8. After waiting for 15 minutes the first half marathon guy went by, and another few minutes until I saw Steve in 4th place. He crossed the 1 mile marker in 1:15:30. This was my first indicator to how his race was going. Out loud I said "if we bring in the last mile in 6:30, you are sub 1:22:00!" He seemed good with this, so we dialed in the pace and knocked it out. He seemed happy with the result, and why not, a 1:21:58 is great. On most days I'd trade a 1:22 half for a 37:37 10k, but today it meant I got a BOTTLE OPENER for winning!
About the race:
Out and back along Pensacola Beach. What it lacks in variety, it makes up for with scenery. There are portions where you can see water on both sides. What sets this race apart from other races is that you don't have to pick a distance. They just record the farthest timing mat you cross, and that's what you get scored for. 5k, 10, or half marathon.
As great as the race was, first all the stuff it was NOT:
...not a challenge to find my inner warrior and dig deeper than I ever have.
...not a break through performance.
...not a day when I was the best athlete that showed up.
...not a glamorous race venue.
All that being said, it was near the top, if not the most satisfying race to date. Started off like any other race. Felt far too easy, and there were probably 20 people well ahead of me. Mile one was 6:05 to the second. I pumped my fist and loudly showed my excitement. I wanted to brag, and I knew Steve was in range to hear me. Before the race he asked what my pace was going to be, and I told him 6:05.
Shortly after mile 1, the 5k runners turned left and were quickly out of sight. I was too far back to know how many people turned. What I did know is that there was more people than I could accurately count in front of me. One by one I passed just a few people, including "Awkward Running Guy" in his white McGuires cotton t-shirt and sweat flinging off his face as it sharply turned from side to side. He has been a staple in many races since last year at Double Bridge Run when I thought he was injured. Unlike the Pensacola half marathon, he was not carrying his shirt in one hand while leading the race at mile 3.
The thought of position did not cross my mind until I saw the turn around, and only one person turned. He was about 150m ahead. Up until now I ran exactly in the range that I planned. 6:05, 6:03, and 6:01. I don't remember looking at my watch at all for the next mile. My goal was to catch that dude, then figure out what to do from there. It was really close to the 4 mile marker when I did catch him, because I remember pointing it out to him. Garmin read 5:45. I pulled ahead by a few feet and asked if he was going to run sub 6:00 for the last 2 miles. He didn't reply, so I slowed down to get closer and asked again. He nodded and said yes. For whatever reason, I was happy to have company, and not at all worried about coming in 2nd vs 1st. However, his next mile was at least a 6:10, because I ran it in 6:02 and created a sizable gap. Well, nothing left but to push the last mile... alone. 5:58 according to Garmin, and it felt good. The rush from being in first place, even if it wasn't the half marathon, was cool.
In the chute I saw 2 coworkers that did the 5k. I was completely rude and didn't even ask how they did. Then a strange girl came up to me and said she was Tristan. When I look as confused as possible she said she was Steve's girlfriend. Oh, nice to meet you, I'm leaving now for a cool-down. Another totally rude move.
My plan was to jog out and run the last part of the half marathon in with Steve. Not once did I do the math that told me after my 6 miles, he still had 7 miles to go. I made my way to the 1 mile marker (mile 12), and he must of been around mile 8. After waiting for 15 minutes the first half marathon guy went by, and another few minutes until I saw Steve in 4th place. He crossed the 1 mile marker in 1:15:30. This was my first indicator to how his race was going. Out loud I said "if we bring in the last mile in 6:30, you are sub 1:22:00!" He seemed good with this, so we dialed in the pace and knocked it out. He seemed happy with the result, and why not, a 1:21:58 is great. On most days I'd trade a 1:22 half for a 37:37 10k, but today it meant I got a BOTTLE OPENER for winning!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Kaiser Half Marathon
Found this race when I was looking for a 10k. Since my family was already staying in a condo on Orange Beach, it was only a 5 minute drive. Even if I didn't hammer out a hard run, it seemed like a good fit.
After another beautiful sunrise over the gulf, I sat down to figure out my pace. 2 weeks ago I ran 1:26:43. It was a time I was proud of, but I knew there was a faster time in me. Also, in the back of my mind I knew that Steve ran a 1:22:35 two weeks ago, and I wanted the pace to be fast enough to give myself a chance at beating him. 1:24 sounded good, which is 6:25 pace.
The race itself was absolutely beautiful. All except about 2 miles was twisting through the woods on a trail. Bright sun peaking through the trees. Temps were in the 40's with a constant breeze. A better setting could not be scripted.
During the race I was having a great time. Looking back, someone would think it was boring. No crowd along the race, and I was in 4th place from before the 2 mile mark to the finish. Steve was between 15 and 20 seconds ahead of me up until mile 12, and 5th place was more than a minute behind me.
Other than mile 11 when I took a shot at closing the gap on Steve, I was locked into my goal pace. Unfortunate for me, Steve also picked that stretch to reel in 2nd place, and my 6:15 did not close a single second. Finished 4th overall, but the results show 1st in AG since Steve took the 3rd overall prize.
Scored another pair of Stuffitts Shoe Savers, an aluminum bottle from Fuel Belt, and some coasters with the race logo on it. Combined with a 12oz Nathan water bottle in the goody bag, it was a good bit of loot.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Pensacola Half Marathon
4 weeks after my marathon it seemed like a good idea to ride the fitness with a half marathon. The half is a distance I've only done once before, which was all the way back in 2007 with a time of 1:41. No race report for The Nationwide Columbus Half-Marathon of 2007, but I remember a few things very clearly.
1. My legs hurt more at the end of that race any any other time in my life up to that point.
2. My plan to run easy for 10 miles then beat my brother in the last 5k almost worked.
3. According to onlineraceresults.com I was at 8:11 pace through mile 5, and finished with an overall pace of 7:44. (talk about a negative split!)
4. It was by far the biggest race I ever entered. Showing up the morning of the race to get my packet was NOT a good idea. We almost didn't get to run.
According to the VDot calc from my recent 3:06 marathon, my potential at a half is 1:30. That felt like it would be extremely easy. In April I ran 1:30 in the first half of Boston, so it seemed like too modest of a goal.
Never did decide on a good goal, but it really didn't matter. After getting out of the car Travis and I realized we both forgot our Garmins. There were mile markers, but since I had no watch, I couldn't even calculate splits. Looks like PE was the only gauge. Since it was hot for November (low 60's) and high humidity, my PE was high.
Saw Steve at the start line, then quickly said something to Evan a few hundred yards out. Another minute I caught and passed Brian who proceeded to talk much more than I expected. Lastly I said a few things to Chuck just past the 1 mile mark. Although I fully expected Chuck finish before me, I never saw him again. The last person I caught was Steve at mile 2, and we ran together for 3 miles.
The first time I noticed that my shoes were soaked from sweat was before Steve pulled away. This should of been a red flashing light to adjust my pace. The sweat contributed to a blister. 10k had a clock and I was only 3 seconds slower than 40 minutes. After that point the race became very boring, lonely, and painful. Oh well, not every race can be exciting. Finished in 1:26:43. PR by 15 minutes, and left plenty of room to PR twice more this season.
1. My legs hurt more at the end of that race any any other time in my life up to that point.
2. My plan to run easy for 10 miles then beat my brother in the last 5k almost worked.
3. According to onlineraceresults.com I was at 8:11 pace through mile 5, and finished with an overall pace of 7:44. (talk about a negative split!)
4. It was by far the biggest race I ever entered. Showing up the morning of the race to get my packet was NOT a good idea. We almost didn't get to run.
According to the VDot calc from my recent 3:06 marathon, my potential at a half is 1:30. That felt like it would be extremely easy. In April I ran 1:30 in the first half of Boston, so it seemed like too modest of a goal.
Never did decide on a good goal, but it really didn't matter. After getting out of the car Travis and I realized we both forgot our Garmins. There were mile markers, but since I had no watch, I couldn't even calculate splits. Looks like PE was the only gauge. Since it was hot for November (low 60's) and high humidity, my PE was high.
Saw Steve at the start line, then quickly said something to Evan a few hundred yards out. Another minute I caught and passed Brian who proceeded to talk much more than I expected. Lastly I said a few things to Chuck just past the 1 mile mark. Although I fully expected Chuck finish before me, I never saw him again. The last person I caught was Steve at mile 2, and we ran together for 3 miles.
The first time I noticed that my shoes were soaked from sweat was before Steve pulled away. This should of been a red flashing light to adjust my pace. The sweat contributed to a blister. 10k had a clock and I was only 3 seconds slower than 40 minutes. After that point the race became very boring, lonely, and painful. Oh well, not every race can be exciting. Finished in 1:26:43. PR by 15 minutes, and left plenty of room to PR twice more this season.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Additional Columbus Marathon Info
Training:
Average weekly milage for 13 weeks before race - 43
Long Runs 12, 12, 6, 14, 12, 8, 15, 17, 20, 12, 5, 18, 10
Yes, 3 weeks out my long run was 5 miles. My only 20 miler was really four 5 mile runs with short breaks.
Previous marathons:
05/08 - 3:32 - Flying Pig
02/09 - 3:32 - Pensacola (training run for Georgia)
03/09 - 3:09 - Georgia ING
04/10 - 3:18 - Boston
Ok, fine, here's a race report - Pricelined the Hyatt (host hotel) for $100. buca di beppo and BD's Mongolian BBQ are both walking distance from start/finish/hotel and yummy, interesting, and affordable (like $10 per person). Get reservations at buca if going the day before the race. My party of 6 waited for almost 90 minutes. The goody bag sucked, the race shirt is black short sleeve Nike technical shirt, and the expo was average (for a race with 15,000 people).
Monday, October 18, 2010
Columbus Marathon 2010
In April when I failed to achieve my goal in Boston, this race looked ideal. I needed to get another chance to beat that course, but I wasn't qualified for 2011. Columbus was on the last day before registration opened for Boston. Also, it was shortly after my brother returned from Afghanistan, so I would be able to travel to Ohio to see him. Perfect.
The plan was simple. In spring of 2009 I ran a 3:09. So, using the same 15 week plan, I was going to do it again, only with another 18 months of running in the bank. This would be an "easy" way to qualify for Boston again. I ran into 2 problems. First, this race was in the fall, not the spring, so I was training in the summer instead of the winter. Long runs were not quality workouts. Skipped some, and cut others short. Also, 2 weeks before the marathon I realized there was still 3 weeks left of the plan to do. When I scheduled everything back in June, I miscounted how many weeks I had.
If only there was a way to capture all the excitement and energy in the start of a race, and release it as needed. The live band at the start was great. Then after a few short announcements, the National Anthem, and a countdown with AC/DC blaring, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... nothing. No gun, and nobody moved. Well, lets try that again. Another countdown followed by a gun, fireworks, and everyone took off.
Rather than run by feel and be in tune with my body, I think my best races are better described as an out of body experience. Rather than take in what's going on and processing it to make decisions, I try to imagine myself as an actor going through the motions. The script has been written, and Scott is just there to execute it.
I wrote that, in order to understand this. When my first split was 7:08, Scott the actor was nailing it. Mile 2 in 6:52, and the director should of been ripping up the script and throwing chairs. Totally not what we talked about. Each mile was supposed to be between 7:10 and 7:15. There are timing mats that record my time. My Garmin was recording time. After a time was run and the split recorded, it's there forever. Some mistakes can be undone. However, if you start poorly in a race, you can't undo it.
Telling myself to slow down, I proceeded to run the next 4 miles at 7:00 +/- 3 seconds. Each mile marker I cursed, shook my head, and wondered what this race report was going to look like. "Well, I went out too hard and blah blah blah..."
Mile 6 was time for my first gel, but it had to be at a water stop. Turned a corner and BAM there was water. I didn't have my gel ready and I was halfway past the stop. Inhaled the gel and choked on some water. That didn't go totally as planned, but I had calories in me at the right time. With mile 1 at the planned pace, and gel 1 at the correct location, Scott had 2 things going as scripted, and 5 miles of winging it.
As we crossed the 10k timing mat in 43:52 (7:04 pace), I told the guy next to me "well, now everyone will know that we went out too fast." To my surprised he replied "That's exactly what I was thinking." It should of been funny, but I believed it.
The next 2 miles I got serious. 7:09 followed by 7:08. Garmin and I had a little conversation and it was working. Mile 8 I saw my family, but my daughter didn't see me. Of course I did what any dad would do and stopped to get her attention and a high five. It must of got me motivated because the next 4 miles were back to my bad splits. Crossed the 13.1 mat in 1:32:47 (7:05 pace). This was not how Scott pictured the race.
Whoa, where did the crowd go? The half marathoners peeled off, and nobody was around. Soon I caught someone that was tattooed all over. No earrings, but his earlobes had a huge hole in the middle. Top it off with long dreads and long beard, and he was an interesting looking guy. As I approached him I said something about running beside him at the next race photo person. He responded and was very friendly and talkative. This was his first marathon, and he had no idea on how fast he was running or when he expected to finish. Pretty soon he said that he needed to peel off because he hasn't yet perfected his "poop schedule for the long run." We passed the porta potties but he kept running. Then we went by a tattoo parlor, and he went straight for the door while talking to the people waiting outside.
So much for the free spirit mentality guy keeping me company. At mile 16 it was time for my 3rd gel and time to get serious about pace again. I needed to stop being in the race, and start watching Scott execute the race plan. When running downtown for miles 12 and 13 the buildings screwed up my Garmin distance and gave me another .3 miles. Not acceptable, so Scott clicked the lap button at mile 16 when the clock read 1:53:00. Now the watch would click at the mile markers again.
A few meters before mile 17 Garmin clicked 7:02. By the time Scott crossed the marker, the clock read 2:00:10. Ha, Scott ran a 7:10 mile, and the Garmin was wrong! Then before mile 18 the Garmin clicked 6:49, but according to the clock bib 552 crossed in 7:05. This got me thinking, what if the Garmin was far enough off to make me think I was on pace for sub 3:10, but actually over? There was going to be a lot of math problems in the next few miles to find out if this was possible.
During the next stretch of miles, Scott's thoughts rotated from...
... this is a beautiful and peaceful day out here.
... sure is lonely out here with a thin crowd and very few runners.
... now my legs are starting to feel tired and heavy.
... I'm still going faster than I need to, so the legs must be doing fine.
... slow down so you don't blow up.
... keep running while you feel good in case you blow up.
To be perfectly honest, miles 14 - 24 were tough. The entertainment helped a lot. According to the website, there are "nearly 80 live bands and radio stations along the course to ensure that runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes had the support they needed throughout the entire race." My favorite was the guy playing the Rocky theme on his keyboard that was propped up on his bicycle. He looked like he was having a good time. Some of the bands sounded really good, and I heard Hang On Sloopy 4 times. It is Columbus, OH after all.
At mile 20 we crossed the last timing mat before the finish. 2:21:17 (7:04 pace). I wondered if I ran 8 min/miles for the next 6 miles, how much time I'd have remaining to run the last .2. It was useless, I couldn't do the math. For whatever reason, I kept wanting to multiply 8x8 instead of 6x8. Safe to say that exercise does not help my brain function.
The math problems kept my mind off everything else for a while. In fact, 4 miles went by 7:01, 7:03, 6:53, 7:07. Time for some more math. 2:49 and some change at mile 24. That means I could do two 10 minute miles and it's still in the bag. Or an 8 minute mile followed by a 12. Instead of being overcome with joy, I was still upset about being too fast. What if Scott blows up from going out too fast? Not only did he go out too fast in the first half, but also did the 2nd half too fast also! What an idiot this guy is. This was not the script I imagined. Scott is supposed to be a clock. The Columbus marathon is not the goal, it's just a step to get back to Boston.
Mile 24 was done very carefully in 7:21. Thoughts became "slow down and treat the legs nice and they will take care of you." Mile 25 was even more careful in 7:27. After that last mile marker, for the first time I felt confident Scott would make it, so I allowed myself to run fast. For the first time in 5 marathons, I finished feeling good. PR by almost 4 minutes.
Official results http://bit.ly/cSybNm Garmin splits http://bit.ly/aPww2U
Nutrition:
Gels and water at mile 6, 11, 16, 21
Gatorade at mile 22 and 24 (or maybe it was 23 and 25...)
9 Endurolytes at miles 5(2), 8, 12(2), 15, 18(2), 22
The plan was simple. In spring of 2009 I ran a 3:09. So, using the same 15 week plan, I was going to do it again, only with another 18 months of running in the bank. This would be an "easy" way to qualify for Boston again. I ran into 2 problems. First, this race was in the fall, not the spring, so I was training in the summer instead of the winter. Long runs were not quality workouts. Skipped some, and cut others short. Also, 2 weeks before the marathon I realized there was still 3 weeks left of the plan to do. When I scheduled everything back in June, I miscounted how many weeks I had.
So if I try something new at each race, then doing everything the same would be something new, right? After I put my gels in my old race belt, I decided my wife's race belt was better. The only reason I brought it was in case my brother wanted it. No time to test if the gels or container of Endurolytes would rub me raw, or if I could get the pills out while running, but I decided to give it a go. Something that bothered me about all race belts is how they turn around, so I used a safety pin to attach it to my shorts. Pictures went through my head of my entire shorts trying to turn around with the belt, but it never happened.
If only there was a way to capture all the excitement and energy in the start of a race, and release it as needed. The live band at the start was great. Then after a few short announcements, the National Anthem, and a countdown with AC/DC blaring, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... nothing. No gun, and nobody moved. Well, lets try that again. Another countdown followed by a gun, fireworks, and everyone took off.
Rather than run by feel and be in tune with my body, I think my best races are better described as an out of body experience. Rather than take in what's going on and processing it to make decisions, I try to imagine myself as an actor going through the motions. The script has been written, and Scott is just there to execute it.
I wrote that, in order to understand this. When my first split was 7:08, Scott the actor was nailing it. Mile 2 in 6:52, and the director should of been ripping up the script and throwing chairs. Totally not what we talked about. Each mile was supposed to be between 7:10 and 7:15. There are timing mats that record my time. My Garmin was recording time. After a time was run and the split recorded, it's there forever. Some mistakes can be undone. However, if you start poorly in a race, you can't undo it.
Telling myself to slow down, I proceeded to run the next 4 miles at 7:00 +/- 3 seconds. Each mile marker I cursed, shook my head, and wondered what this race report was going to look like. "Well, I went out too hard and blah blah blah..."
Mile 6 was time for my first gel, but it had to be at a water stop. Turned a corner and BAM there was water. I didn't have my gel ready and I was halfway past the stop. Inhaled the gel and choked on some water. That didn't go totally as planned, but I had calories in me at the right time. With mile 1 at the planned pace, and gel 1 at the correct location, Scott had 2 things going as scripted, and 5 miles of winging it.
As we crossed the 10k timing mat in 43:52 (7:04 pace), I told the guy next to me "well, now everyone will know that we went out too fast." To my surprised he replied "That's exactly what I was thinking." It should of been funny, but I believed it.
The next 2 miles I got serious. 7:09 followed by 7:08. Garmin and I had a little conversation and it was working. Mile 8 I saw my family, but my daughter didn't see me. Of course I did what any dad would do and stopped to get her attention and a high five. It must of got me motivated because the next 4 miles were back to my bad splits. Crossed the 13.1 mat in 1:32:47 (7:05 pace). This was not how Scott pictured the race.
Whoa, where did the crowd go? The half marathoners peeled off, and nobody was around. Soon I caught someone that was tattooed all over. No earrings, but his earlobes had a huge hole in the middle. Top it off with long dreads and long beard, and he was an interesting looking guy. As I approached him I said something about running beside him at the next race photo person. He responded and was very friendly and talkative. This was his first marathon, and he had no idea on how fast he was running or when he expected to finish. Pretty soon he said that he needed to peel off because he hasn't yet perfected his "poop schedule for the long run." We passed the porta potties but he kept running. Then we went by a tattoo parlor, and he went straight for the door while talking to the people waiting outside.
So much for the free spirit mentality guy keeping me company. At mile 16 it was time for my 3rd gel and time to get serious about pace again. I needed to stop being in the race, and start watching Scott execute the race plan. When running downtown for miles 12 and 13 the buildings screwed up my Garmin distance and gave me another .3 miles. Not acceptable, so Scott clicked the lap button at mile 16 when the clock read 1:53:00. Now the watch would click at the mile markers again.
A few meters before mile 17 Garmin clicked 7:02. By the time Scott crossed the marker, the clock read 2:00:10. Ha, Scott ran a 7:10 mile, and the Garmin was wrong! Then before mile 18 the Garmin clicked 6:49, but according to the clock bib 552 crossed in 7:05. This got me thinking, what if the Garmin was far enough off to make me think I was on pace for sub 3:10, but actually over? There was going to be a lot of math problems in the next few miles to find out if this was possible.
During the next stretch of miles, Scott's thoughts rotated from...
... this is a beautiful and peaceful day out here.
... sure is lonely out here with a thin crowd and very few runners.
... now my legs are starting to feel tired and heavy.
... I'm still going faster than I need to, so the legs must be doing fine.
... slow down so you don't blow up.
... keep running while you feel good in case you blow up.
To be perfectly honest, miles 14 - 24 were tough. The entertainment helped a lot. According to the website, there are "nearly 80 live bands and radio stations along the course to ensure that runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes had the support they needed throughout the entire race." My favorite was the guy playing the Rocky theme on his keyboard that was propped up on his bicycle. He looked like he was having a good time. Some of the bands sounded really good, and I heard Hang On Sloopy 4 times. It is Columbus, OH after all.
At mile 20 we crossed the last timing mat before the finish. 2:21:17 (7:04 pace). I wondered if I ran 8 min/miles for the next 6 miles, how much time I'd have remaining to run the last .2. It was useless, I couldn't do the math. For whatever reason, I kept wanting to multiply 8x8 instead of 6x8. Safe to say that exercise does not help my brain function.
The math problems kept my mind off everything else for a while. In fact, 4 miles went by 7:01, 7:03, 6:53, 7:07. Time for some more math. 2:49 and some change at mile 24. That means I could do two 10 minute miles and it's still in the bag. Or an 8 minute mile followed by a 12. Instead of being overcome with joy, I was still upset about being too fast. What if Scott blows up from going out too fast? Not only did he go out too fast in the first half, but also did the 2nd half too fast also! What an idiot this guy is. This was not the script I imagined. Scott is supposed to be a clock. The Columbus marathon is not the goal, it's just a step to get back to Boston.
Mile 24 was done very carefully in 7:21. Thoughts became "slow down and treat the legs nice and they will take care of you." Mile 25 was even more careful in 7:27. After that last mile marker, for the first time I felt confident Scott would make it, so I allowed myself to run fast. For the first time in 5 marathons, I finished feeling good. PR by almost 4 minutes.
Official results http://bit.ly/cSybNm Garmin splits http://bit.ly/aPww2U
Nutrition:
Gels and water at mile 6, 11, 16, 21
Gatorade at mile 22 and 24 (or maybe it was 23 and 25...)
9 Endurolytes at miles 5(2), 8, 12(2), 15, 18(2), 22
Training:
Average weekly milage for 13 weeks before race - 43
Long Runs 12, 12, 6, 14, 12, 8, 15, 17, 20, 12, 5, 18, 10
Yes, 3 weeks out my long run was 5 miles. My only 20 miler was really four 5 mile runs with short breaks.
Previous marathons:
05/08 - 3:32 - Flying Pig
02/09 - 3:32 - Pensacola (training run for Georgia)
03/09 - 3:09 - Georgia ING
04/10 - 3:18 - Boston
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Half of 2010
We are at the halfway point of 2010. Last year I rode 3,000 miles and ran 1,500. So far this year I have run more miles (950 biked compared to over 1,000 ran). I need motivation to ride...
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