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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (13 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ned
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ChiefD
Footballguy
JShare87
Footballguy
2020 Celebration Marathon Race Report
Pre-race: Everything was shaping up to make a legitimate attempt at an amazing time. The training kind of fell off the rails after I pulled/tore my hammy during the Turkey Trot. Before that race, I had a 20 miler that just seemed effortless. I ditched the plan after the Turkey Trot and focused more on quality instead of quantity. I think I realized during that time I am not capable of logging the volume as our friend @MAC_32 suggests. I know everyone deals with their own issues attempting to log the miles. Whether it be kids, motivation, time, etc... My issue is health. I’m almost positive it all stems from my herniated disc but cannot be too sure. With all that being said, my fitness was at an all-time high heading into the race. I feel I’ve built a strong enough base over the last 3–4 years to handle the distance regardless of the volume during this cycle.
Raceday: I was under the weather but felt really good Sunday morning. Slept great but didn’t get much as I had to be up at 3 am in order to arrive on time. Handled my bathroom business and hit the road. Nerves were good, wife and I were having a great time on the way there. We arrived and walked half a mile to the start line. Used the bathroom 10 minutes before. Did a small warm-up and got into the corral. Ditched the pullover, and we’re off.
Mile 1: (7:15) My heart rate was low and time was good, I’m thinking this is going to be a good day.
Miles 2-7: 7:10/7:09/7:09/7:10/7:07/7:06 Holding the pace seemed to be a bit difficult. I knew I was working a tad too hard at these paces but was holding up fine. I jumped in with the 3:10 pacer and his group around mile 3. I was a bit behind them but sped up and tucked myself into the pack in order to avoid the slight headwind. During this stretch the miles seemed to fly by which I’ve never really experienced during a race.
Mile 8: This mile got a bit tricky. There was a section of the course that seemed to be a nature trail of sorts. A wooden zig-zagging bridge that went through the woods. A beautiful part of the course. However, my watch was saying my pace was 10:00. WTF!?!? It felt like we were flying, and I know my pace didn’t fall off. How is this happening? I think my watch wasn’t registering the distance traveled because after this mile my watch was behind the markers. I arrived at marker 9 but my watch was showing 8.94. Also during this mile, our pacer took off after the bridge. I was assuming he was trying to make up time. I was demoralized because I knew I couldn’t catch him and thought I was falling way behind. Come to find out, he pulled a @gruecd and hit a port-a-potty without me seeing. I was relieved when he had to catch back up to me and wasn’t light years in front of me. Whew! Reel it back in @JShare87.
Miles 9-12: 7:06/7:00/7:08/7:05 Sticking with the pacer and another guy. The group went from about 12 to 2. I started to feel great at this point. Cue the Meatloaf song! (I just wanted to say, this is the only Meatloaf song I have. It came on the radio a few days before the race and I was feeling the vibe, so I threw it on the playlist.) I start singing a little bit, put a smile on my face, would throw a hand or 2 up and then.....
Mile 13: 7:23 This was the turning point in the race. Shortly after I begin singing, my watch goes out. No big deal, probably just glitched. I’ll power it on and get back in the groove. I spent most of this mile fidgeting with my watch only to learn that the battery is dead! WTF! I’m screwed. No chance I can do another half without my music. My mentality really took a huge hit here. Went from zoning in and an all-time high, to a demoralizing low in an instant. I know my wife is waiting at the halfway mark and I begin to ask myself if I should just walk off the course and go home with her.
I have a talk with myself and was reminded of a video I saw on Twitter the other day. Basically it was a man describing how someone lived on the street. So no matter what you’re going through, quit complaint because this is someone’s life. So I thought of this homeless man I’ve never met and told myself, “you’re such a little b####, suck it up and finish this thing.” I reel my mind back in, take off the Apple Watch and headphones in order to drop them with my wife along with the gloves. The course split on a sidewalk at this point. My pacer decided to run to the left where there was a gigantic red X. I noticed that, plus an arrow pointing in the other direction. I yell at him while somewhat trying to decide whether or not to follow him. He realized his mistake, adjusted as did I. My adjustment caused me to run directly into the bush that separated the 2 paths. Now I’m really thinking I need to leave with my wife. I don’t, she gives me the bottle, I drop my stuff and continue on.
Miles 14-19 7:16/7:10/7:20/7:31
I know during this stretch that the finish is going to be ugly. I couldn’t help but remember the feeling I felt after my first marathon and the relay. The pain I was in after completing those runs begin to creep into my mind. Almost like a tiny human telling me to back off and stop. My throat also begins to hurt during this stretch and it’s the first time I can say the sickness had an impact on me. To make matters worse, I look at my HR and it’s in the 180s. Not good.
Mile 20: 7:41 This was the 2nd turning point in the race. As I’m approaching this marker, I hear music! This stretch ran through a local high school on the track. The song that was playing was Whitney Houston’s: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Oh s###, @JShare87 is back! I start signing and smiling. Also a weird time for @gianmarco to enter my thoughts but couldn’t help but picture him dancing around for some reason. That made me laugh. The energy at this part of the race was great and may have been the only reason I completed it. I could hear the music from about half a mile away and that carried me through the next few miles. Plus, during every water stop, the young kids kept making funny comments about how good my hair looked. That helped out as well. (The positives of not having headphones in)
Miles 21-24: 7:59/7:59/8:03/8:11 I was holding on as best I could during this stretch. My legs were shot. Dragging my right leg along for the ride. I just kept doing the math in my head to get under 3:21. When I saw the first 8 minutes mile I became upset but knew it wouldn’t be the last one.
Mile 25: Right at the end of mile 24, as I saw the marker is where it got ugly. Real ugly. I remember almost passing out a few times in this 400m stretch. I knew my body had nothing left. My mind starts to race. “You need to stop now, your HR has been over 180 for about 10 miles. You’re going to need an ambulance.” Pure panic mode. A mini anxiety attack. I know I’ve detailed some of my race anxiety here before, but I’ve struggle a bit with it outside of racing. No real worries or stressors just overthinking everything, following every rule, not being able to just let go and not give a ####. So I made it a resolution of mine this year to get better with it, and I have made some serious strides. I let the anxiety get the best of me for about 2 minutes, but with some self-talk I was able to calm down and put one foot in front of the other.
Mile 26: 7:48 I catch a few of the runners ahead of me doing the walk/run dance. I try to encourage them as I pass thinking it will help me with my own struggles and it did. I begin to hear cheering and music again. I couldn’t help but think of my wife waiting for me at the line.
Mile: .2 There’s 2 runners ahead of me, and I already know they’re soon going to be behind me whether they like it or not. I see the line and hit the gas leaving them behind.
Post race: I grab my medal and my wife and tell her we need to get to the car immediately. I knew if I stopped or sat down, it would be Washington or St. Louis all over again. We make it half a mile to the car and I collapse in the passenger seat. Freezing cold, I bundle up and turn the heat on full blast. The ride home was rough and my day yesterday was not good. I threw up a few times And was t able to eat much of anything. Stayed in bed from 1:30 until I had to get up for work this morning. Still not feeling myself as of now, but I finished the race and went to work. Legs are shot. I am having a hard time walking but know it will get better.
Thoughts: This was my 3rd marathon and each one was vastly different. I try and take away something from each one.
1st marathon: Gained an entirely different level of respect and perspective of the monster that is 26.2
2nd marathon: I can do beat this monster.
3rd marathon: I can push through anything.
I am not at all satisfied with my time or anything time related yesterday. I don’t care that it was a PR. I don’t care that it was a sub 3:15. I don’t care because I know I’m better than that. What I am satisfied with is my ability to never quit. This was the first marathon I truly “raced” From start to finish I pushed the pace and grinded the whole way. I left it all on the course.
I don’t know where I’ll go from here, but I think I’m going to focus more on quality than quantity for a while. I get want @MAC_32 was saying about volume, but I don’t think I will ever be a 60 mile a week guy. Everyone runs for different reasons. I’m like most, I want to eat what I want, when I want. I am also afraid of going back to the old me. But I’m not afraid of going back to the old me because I didn’t like the old me. I’m afraid of going back to the old me because I love this version of myself. I also love all the support everyone in here with provides me each and everyday. From reaching out to me via text or follow me during this race, it is greatly appreciated. Y’all are the real MVPs. I’m just an idiot that ran 26.2 miles yesterday while singing Meatloaf.
Pre-race: Everything was shaping up to make a legitimate attempt at an amazing time. The training kind of fell off the rails after I pulled/tore my hammy during the Turkey Trot. Before that race, I had a 20 miler that just seemed effortless. I ditched the plan after the Turkey Trot and focused more on quality instead of quantity. I think I realized during that time I am not capable of logging the volume as our friend @MAC_32 suggests. I know everyone deals with their own issues attempting to log the miles. Whether it be kids, motivation, time, etc... My issue is health. I’m almost positive it all stems from my herniated disc but cannot be too sure. With all that being said, my fitness was at an all-time high heading into the race. I feel I’ve built a strong enough base over the last 3–4 years to handle the distance regardless of the volume during this cycle.
Raceday: I was under the weather but felt really good Sunday morning. Slept great but didn’t get much as I had to be up at 3 am in order to arrive on time. Handled my bathroom business and hit the road. Nerves were good, wife and I were having a great time on the way there. We arrived and walked half a mile to the start line. Used the bathroom 10 minutes before. Did a small warm-up and got into the corral. Ditched the pullover, and we’re off.
Mile 1: (7:15) My heart rate was low and time was good, I’m thinking this is going to be a good day.
Miles 2-7: 7:10/7:09/7:09/7:10/7:07/7:06 Holding the pace seemed to be a bit difficult. I knew I was working a tad too hard at these paces but was holding up fine. I jumped in with the 3:10 pacer and his group around mile 3. I was a bit behind them but sped up and tucked myself into the pack in order to avoid the slight headwind. During this stretch the miles seemed to fly by which I’ve never really experienced during a race.
Mile 8: This mile got a bit tricky. There was a section of the course that seemed to be a nature trail of sorts. A wooden zig-zagging bridge that went through the woods. A beautiful part of the course. However, my watch was saying my pace was 10:00. WTF!?!? It felt like we were flying, and I know my pace didn’t fall off. How is this happening? I think my watch wasn’t registering the distance traveled because after this mile my watch was behind the markers. I arrived at marker 9 but my watch was showing 8.94. Also during this mile, our pacer took off after the bridge. I was assuming he was trying to make up time. I was demoralized because I knew I couldn’t catch him and thought I was falling way behind. Come to find out, he pulled a @gruecd and hit a port-a-potty without me seeing. I was relieved when he had to catch back up to me and wasn’t light years in front of me. Whew! Reel it back in @JShare87.
Miles 9-12: 7:06/7:00/7:08/7:05 Sticking with the pacer and another guy. The group went from about 12 to 2. I started to feel great at this point. Cue the Meatloaf song! (I just wanted to say, this is the only Meatloaf song I have. It came on the radio a few days before the race and I was feeling the vibe, so I threw it on the playlist.) I start singing a little bit, put a smile on my face, would throw a hand or 2 up and then.....
Mile 13: 7:23 This was the turning point in the race. Shortly after I begin singing, my watch goes out. No big deal, probably just glitched. I’ll power it on and get back in the groove. I spent most of this mile fidgeting with my watch only to learn that the battery is dead! WTF! I’m screwed. No chance I can do another half without my music. My mentality really took a huge hit here. Went from zoning in and an all-time high, to a demoralizing low in an instant. I know my wife is waiting at the halfway mark and I begin to ask myself if I should just walk off the course and go home with her.
I have a talk with myself and was reminded of a video I saw on Twitter the other day. Basically it was a man describing how someone lived on the street. So no matter what you’re going through, quit complaint because this is someone’s life. So I thought of this homeless man I’ve never met and told myself, “you’re such a little b####, suck it up and finish this thing.” I reel my mind back in, take off the Apple Watch and headphones in order to drop them with my wife along with the gloves. The course split on a sidewalk at this point. My pacer decided to run to the left where there was a gigantic red X. I noticed that, plus an arrow pointing in the other direction. I yell at him while somewhat trying to decide whether or not to follow him. He realized his mistake, adjusted as did I. My adjustment caused me to run directly into the bush that separated the 2 paths. Now I’m really thinking I need to leave with my wife. I don’t, she gives me the bottle, I drop my stuff and continue on.
Miles 14-19 7:16/7:10/7:20/7:31
I know during this stretch that the finish is going to be ugly. I couldn’t help but remember the feeling I felt after my first marathon and the relay. The pain I was in after completing those runs begin to creep into my mind. Almost like a tiny human telling me to back off and stop. My throat also begins to hurt during this stretch and it’s the first time I can say the sickness had an impact on me. To make matters worse, I look at my HR and it’s in the 180s. Not good.
Mile 20: 7:41 This was the 2nd turning point in the race. As I’m approaching this marker, I hear music! This stretch ran through a local high school on the track. The song that was playing was Whitney Houston’s: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Oh s###, @JShare87 is back! I start signing and smiling. Also a weird time for @gianmarco to enter my thoughts but couldn’t help but picture him dancing around for some reason. That made me laugh. The energy at this part of the race was great and may have been the only reason I completed it. I could hear the music from about half a mile away and that carried me through the next few miles. Plus, during every water stop, the young kids kept making funny comments about how good my hair looked. That helped out as well. (The positives of not having headphones in)
Miles 21-24: 7:59/7:59/8:03/8:11 I was holding on as best I could during this stretch. My legs were shot. Dragging my right leg along for the ride. I just kept doing the math in my head to get under 3:21. When I saw the first 8 minutes mile I became upset but knew it wouldn’t be the last one.
Mile 25: Right at the end of mile 24, as I saw the marker is where it got ugly. Real ugly. I remember almost passing out a few times in this 400m stretch. I knew my body had nothing left. My mind starts to race. “You need to stop now, your HR has been over 180 for about 10 miles. You’re going to need an ambulance.” Pure panic mode. A mini anxiety attack. I know I’ve detailed some of my race anxiety here before, but I’ve struggle a bit with it outside of racing. No real worries or stressors just overthinking everything, following every rule, not being able to just let go and not give a ####. So I made it a resolution of mine this year to get better with it, and I have made some serious strides. I let the anxiety get the best of me for about 2 minutes, but with some self-talk I was able to calm down and put one foot in front of the other.
Mile 26: 7:48 I catch a few of the runners ahead of me doing the walk/run dance. I try to encourage them as I pass thinking it will help me with my own struggles and it did. I begin to hear cheering and music again. I couldn’t help but think of my wife waiting for me at the line.
Mile: .2 There’s 2 runners ahead of me, and I already know they’re soon going to be behind me whether they like it or not. I see the line and hit the gas leaving them behind.
Post race: I grab my medal and my wife and tell her we need to get to the car immediately. I knew if I stopped or sat down, it would be Washington or St. Louis all over again. We make it half a mile to the car and I collapse in the passenger seat. Freezing cold, I bundle up and turn the heat on full blast. The ride home was rough and my day yesterday was not good. I threw up a few times And was t able to eat much of anything. Stayed in bed from 1:30 until I had to get up for work this morning. Still not feeling myself as of now, but I finished the race and went to work. Legs are shot. I am having a hard time walking but know it will get better.
Thoughts: This was my 3rd marathon and each one was vastly different. I try and take away something from each one.
1st marathon: Gained an entirely different level of respect and perspective of the monster that is 26.2
2nd marathon: I can do beat this monster.
3rd marathon: I can push through anything.
I am not at all satisfied with my time or anything time related yesterday. I don’t care that it was a PR. I don’t care that it was a sub 3:15. I don’t care because I know I’m better than that. What I am satisfied with is my ability to never quit. This was the first marathon I truly “raced” From start to finish I pushed the pace and grinded the whole way. I left it all on the course.
I don’t know where I’ll go from here, but I think I’m going to focus more on quality than quantity for a while. I get want @MAC_32 was saying about volume, but I don’t think I will ever be a 60 mile a week guy. Everyone runs for different reasons. I’m like most, I want to eat what I want, when I want. I am also afraid of going back to the old me. But I’m not afraid of going back to the old me because I didn’t like the old me. I’m afraid of going back to the old me because I love this version of myself. I also love all the support everyone in here with provides me each and everyday. From reaching out to me via text or follow me during this race, it is greatly appreciated. Y’all are the real MVPs. I’m just an idiot that ran 26.2 miles yesterday while singing Meatloaf.
gianmarco
Footballguy
One of the most awesome reports I've read here. Reading that and getting an understanding how much you're growing and learning is hard to describe how enriching it is.
You should be so proud. And I think you are, which is the best part. You didn't get your BQ or the time you wanted yesterday, but I think, for the first time, you know you will in the future.
You should be so proud. And I think you are, which is the best part. You didn't get your BQ or the time you wanted yesterday, but I think, for the first time, you know you will in the future.
The Iguana
Footballguy
I can only imagine how much it has to suck after putting in the effort and knowing how good things were going and then have a bug affect the race day. But that seriously is a #BMF effort. Extraordinary inspiring race report. One I won't soon forget!
MAC_32
Footballguy
@JShare87 I dont think you need 60 mpw to qualify. I don't know how much you need, but given your natural talent and ability to run through the suffrage it is quite a bit less than that. Given how your last few months have gone I wonder if your greatest hurdle is knowing when not to press the bmf button.
JAA
Footballguy
Where are you staying? When do you get-in/leave? What are your plans? What do you need?
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Brony
Footballguy
JShare87
Footballguy
First time I ever followed a pacer, so I have no idea. As for the HR, I was definitely suffering. Was it genuinely in the 180s for 10-12 miles? I’m not sure. I do know that it was greater than the 160s I was at for the first half. I was monitoring it and was able to make it drop into the low 170s by slowing down. I’ve never had any issues with this watch and the HR monitor before. Also, it dropped a little after finishing the race into a little higher than my normal recovery HR.
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bushdocda
Footballguy
. I was sad to learn she wasnt the one actually singing in the song, but that didnt matter too much to 12 year old me 
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
gruecd
Footballguy
@ChiefD - One idea for getting out of your rut...maybe drive a bit away from home and try some different routes. I ran from the office today after work instead of going home first and running from there, and it was really nice just checking out the new scenery instead of knowing exactly how many miles I had left the whole time.
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
@JShare87 - amazing effort. I'm sure your illness impacted you more than you realize. I think you captured the best parts of a marathon. I think you learn so much about yourself mentally and your body during the training cycle. Race day -- you have to tactically put it all together and its always a learning experience. Congrats on the PR. Can't wait to see you run another one when you are ready!
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Looked like the pacer missing the turn was just an innocent human error. Often our first time on the course is pacing it, so it can happen. In terms of his bathroom stop, I hope he announced he would be taking off to take care of business and to keep chugging along at 7:10 pace (or whatever you were doing at the time) and he would be back soon.
My favorite part? When @JShare87 said you ran with the pacer and the miles just flew by. THAT'S what we aim for. You have the camaraderie of the group. You aren't stressing about paces because the pacer is doing all that. You are just "effortlessly" cruising along. I'll be honest, when I run with a pacer, I prefer to be back off the group a bit. I don't like the tight crowd. However, in Indy, with the headwind for the last half, I used that group to buffer me from the wind.
Seriously, if the pacer was good....pass along a quick note to jim AT marathonpacing dot com. He will forward all that feedback to the pacer and honestly, its the best receiving that feedback. Remember, that pacer wasn't earning money. He was volunteering. Give him some love.
JShare87
Footballguy
Haha. When I realized what he did, I immediately thought of you. As to him announcing something, I didn’t hear because my headphones were still working at the time. I really think of most of you during a race, especially a 3+ hour race. I’ll tell you who I think of most though. It’s @SFBayDuck and the other ultra runners. No disrespect to @SayWhat?, @AAABatteries, @JAA, or any of the other true endurance athletes, but Duck’s Western States report really left me in awe. When I get to the 20 or so mile mark, those guys pop in my head and stay there continuously. I’m thinking, “how tf do they go further than 26 miles?” Everyone has their own specialty but the more I think of those guys, the more respect I have for them.
I had this thought during my last mile. The course was a loop, so for the last mile there’s a sign: Marathoners first loop turn left. Half marathoners and 2nd loop, turn right to the finish line. I wonder if someone said to me, instead of finishing this marathon now, turn left, run another half (so 39.3 miles total) and we’ll give you a million dollars. How many runners would do that without prior knowledge. Like they sprung the proposal on you at that moment when you’ve mentally prepared to be finished in a few minutes. I know I’d say, keep the money, I’m done. In fact, I’m not sure I would run another mile for a million! How about you guys?
-OZ-
Footballguy
Good info here. Wish I had known that last month, but I'm happy to have gotten the chance to talk to my pacer at the end of the event. I figure a heartfelt "thank you" is all they really want.
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Absolutely. I don't do it for the thank you, but when I hear it, I know I made a difference and makes it all worth it.
People have been super kind. One woman (who coincidentally was quite hot) wrote this awesome review of me on the facebook race page about how it was to run with me and how she overachieved in her goals by several minutes. It was really touching in so many ways. I still have it saved in my phone.
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Pacing update -- I'll be running my slowest marathon in 12 days. I'm leading the 4:00 pace group at Miami Marathon. Last year I did the 3:45 group, but with my injury, limited training and whatnot, I backed way off and asked for a slower time.
My slowest marathon ever was 3:52
x. In 12 days, it will be 3:59x. I'm looking forward to helping people get their sub-4 marathon.
My slowest marathon ever was 3:52
x. In 12 days, it will be 3:59x. I'm looking forward to helping people get their sub-4 marathon.
-OZ-
Footballguy
tri-man 47
Footballguy
I loved the report, @JShare87. I'm amazed at how you fought on through the second half with that high HR. A few miles of that is doable, but to carry a high rate for seemingly much of the second half of a marathon is rather incredible. So cool to read how you fought through all sorts of obstacles. You've definitely learned some great lessons, and they'll benefit you in future races ...and I look forward to those!
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
First of all, your race report left me in awe. To execute like that, gut it out, and work through your demons (on the fly during the race!) is truly inspiring. That level of pushing your limits, for that long (that so many of you in here show) is something I just can't relate to. So much respect.
I've been a Laker fan for 37 years. I have a teenage daughter that I had the blessing of coaching in hoops for seven years. So checking my phone during my cool down yesterday at just before noon, and seeing all the texts about what had happened crushed me. Then when word came out that his daughter was on the plane, I was just destroyed. I've been crying off and on for 36 hours now, sometimes with my daughter, sometimes with my girlfriend, a lot of the time by myself. Reading your post, out loud to my girlfriend just now, had me crying again. Obviously I'm super emotional right now, but your kind words are a reminder of the positive influence we can all have on other people, and how that's all that we really have in the short time we have here. So thank you for that little shout out, and thank you all for the positive influences you've had on my life, and the lives of everyone here.
gruecd
Footballguy
Very unselfish what you're doing, but aren't you worried about trying to run for so long at a pace that's so much slower than usual for you? For me at least, running at 9:10 pace for 4 hours would be really physically uncomfortable (and unnatural).SteelCurtain said:Pacing update -- I'll be running my slowest marathon in 12 days. I'm leading the 4:00 pace group at Miami Marathon. Last year I did the 3:45 group, but with my injury, limited training and whatnot, I backed way off and asked for a slower time.
My slowest marathon ever was 3:52
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ChiefD
Footballguy
gruecd
Footballguy
LOL it's all relative, my man. Lotsa guys way faster than me who'd be uncomfortable running at my pace for 4 hours, too.
gruecd
Footballguy
Current plan is to crash at the Westin with a bunch of female runner friends (fast, but not hot) from home, unless @Steel Curtain decides to leave his family at home, in which case I'll hopefully bunk with him. I arrive in Boston on Saturday at 1:25 and leave on Tuesday at 3:15. I've got plans for dinner on Saturday night, but that's it. No real needs, but if you could make sure that it's about 40 degrees with wind from the SW, that would be great.JAA said:
ChiefD
Footballguy
So much to like about your report that I had to highlight my favorites. Man, you overcame something so much bigger than a marathon race. To me, this all started at that relay when you overcame so much there. And then to back that up with THIS performance feeling like you did - wow!!JShare87 said:Mile 8: This mile got a bit tricky. There was a section of the course that seemed to be a nature trail of sorts. A wooden zig-zagging bridge that went through the woods. A beautiful part of the course. However, my watch was saying my pace was 10:00. WTF!?!? It felt like we were flying, and I know my pace didn’t fall off. How is this happening? I think my watch wasn’t registering the distance traveled because after this mile my watch was behind the markers. I arrived at marker 9 but my watch was showing 8.94. Also during this mile, our pacer took off after the bridge. I was assuming he was trying to make up time. I was demoralized because I knew I couldn’t catch him and thought I was falling way behind. Come to find out, he pulled a @gruecd and hit a port-a-potty without me seeing. I was relieved when he had to catch back up to me and wasn’t light years in front of me. Whew! Reel it back in @JShare87.
Mental Rebound #1.
Miles 9-12: 7:06/7:00/7:08/7:05 Sticking with the pacer and another guy. The group went from about 12 to 2. I started to feel great at this point. Cue the Meatloaf song! (I just wanted to say, this is the only Meatloaf song I have. It came on the radio a few days before the race and I was feeling the vibe, so I threw it on the playlist.) I start singing a little bit, put a smile on my face, would throw a hand or 2 up and then.....
Just had to laugh out loud on this one. I'm going to have to add that song to my long run playlist just to give me a laugh during a grueling run.
Mile 13: 7:23 This was the turning point in the race. Shortly after I begin singing, my watch goes out. No big deal, probably just glitched. I’ll power it on and get back in the groove. I spent most of this mile fidgeting with my watch only to learn that the battery is dead! WTF! I’m screwed. No chance I can do another half without my music. My mentality really took a huge hit here. Went from zoning in and an all-time high, to a demoralizing low in an instant. I know my wife is waiting at the halfway mark and I begin to ask myself if I should just walk off the course and go home with her.
I have a talk with myself and was reminded of a video I saw on Twitter the other day. Basically it was a man describing how someone lived on the street. So no matter what you’re going through, quit complaint because this is someone’s life. So I thought of this homeless man I’ve never met and told myself, “you’re such a little b####, suck it up and finish this thing.” I reel my mind back in, take off the Apple Watch and headphones in order to drop them with my wife along with the gloves. The course split on a sidewalk at this point. My pacer decided to run to the left where there was a gigantic red X. I noticed that, plus an arrow pointing in the other direction. I yell at him while somewhat trying to decide whether or not to follow him. He realized his mistake, adjusted as did I. My adjustment caused me to run directly into the bush that separated the 2 paths. Now I’m really thinking I need to leave with my wife. I don’t, she gives me the bottle, I drop my stuff and continue on.
Mental Rebound #2. This is so massive.
Miles 14-19 7:16/7:10/7:20/7:31
I know during this stretch that the finish is going to be ugly. I couldn’t help but remember the feeling I felt after my first marathon and the relay. The pain I was in after completing those runs begin to creep into my mind. Almost like a tiny human telling me to back off and stop. My throat also begins to hurt during this stretch and it’s the first time I can say the sickness had an impact on me. To make matters worse, I look at my HR and it’s in the 180s. Not good.
Mental Rebound #3. You flicked that tiny human off your shoulder and kept going. Another massive breakthrough.
Mile 20: 7:41 This was the 2nd turning point in the race. As I’m approaching this marker, I hear music! This stretch ran through a local high school on the track. The song that was playing was Whitney Houston’s: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Oh s###, @JShare87 is back! I start signing and smiling. Also a weird time for @gianmarco to enter my thoughts but couldn’t help but picture him dancing around for some reason. That made me laugh. The energy at this part of the race was great and may have been the only reason I completed it. I could hear the music from about half a mile away and that carried me through the next few miles. Plus, during every water stop, the young kids kept making funny comments about how good my hair looked. That helped out as well. (The positives of not having headphones in)
Miles 21-24: 7:59/7:59/8:03/8:11 I was holding on as best I could during this stretch. My legs were shot. Dragging my right leg along for the ride. I just kept doing the math in my head to get under 3:21. When I saw the first 8 minutes mile I became upset but knew it wouldn’t be the last one.
Mile 25: Right at the end of mile 24, as I saw the marker is where it got ugly. Real ugly. I remember almost passing out a few times in this 400m stretch. I knew my body had nothing left. My mind starts to race. “You need to stop now, your HR has been over 180 for about 10 miles. You’re going to need an ambulance.” Pure panic mode. A mini anxiety attack. I know I’ve detailed some of my race anxiety here before, but I’ve struggle a bit with it outside of racing. No real worries or stressors just overthinking everything, following every rule, not being able to just let go and not give a ####. So I made it a resolution of mine this year to get better with it, and I have made some serious strides. I let the anxiety get the best of me for about 2 minutes, but with some self-talk I was able to calm down and put one foot in front of the other.
Mental Rebound #4! Holy Sheeeeit you are crossing some barriers here. Inspiring as hell.
Mile 26: 7:48 I catch a few of the runners ahead of me doing the walk/run dance. I try to encourage them as I pass thinking it will help me with my own struggles and it did. I begin to hear cheering and music again. I couldn’t help but think of my wife waiting for me at the line.
Mile: .2 There’s 2 runners ahead of me, and I already know they’re soon going to be behind me whether they like it or not. I see the line and hit the gas leaving them behind.
This is just awesome.
1st marathon: Gained an entirely different level of respect and perspective of the monster that is 26.2
2nd marathon: I can do beat this monster.
3rd marathon: I can push through anything.
I am not at all satisfied with my time or anything time related yesterday. I don’t care that it was a PR. I don’t care that it was a sub 3:15. I don’t care because I know I’m better than that. What I am satisfied with is my ability to never quit. This was the first marathon I truly “raced” From start to finish I pushed the pace and grinded the whole way. I left it all on the course.
This is what it is all about. Just bad-###.
I don’t know where I’ll go from here, but I think I’m going to focus more on quality than quantity for a while. I get want @MAC_32 was saying about volume, but I don’t think I will ever be a 60 mile a week guy. Everyone runs for different reasons. I’m like most, I want to eat what I want, when I want. I am also afraid of going back to the old me. But I’m not afraid of going back to the old me because I didn’t like the old me. I’m afraid of going back to the old me because I love this version of myself. I also love all the support everyone in here with provides me each and everyday. From reaching out to me via text or follow me during this race, it is greatly appreciated. Y’all are the real MVPs. I’m just an idiot that ran 26.2 miles yesterday while singing Meatloaf.
This is gold. And to be honest, something I really needed to hear because it really is the right perspective. I am going to steal this one as I try to work on myself. So thank you.
Really inspiring race. And to PR with all that adversity - double wow!! Just incredible.
MAC_32
Footballguy
The Iguana
Footballguy
ChiefD
Footballguy
The Iguana
Footballguy
On a different note... I signed my nephew up to run the trail race with me in March. I've been bugging him to join strava but he hadn't done it yet until just the other day. He had not been running much and I thought he was possibly going to blow off the race on me. Not sure how much he has been running actually but from last couple of conversations I have had with him I don't think it was much at all. He's only logged a couple of runs so far but enough that I'm pretty sure the little butthead will likely toast me come march. He's only 20-something so he probably "should" but we'll see how it goes. Going to have to up my game even more, I think.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
So, I'm thinking about trying a massage. Would one of you with more experience walk me through what to expect? Particularly stuff like what you wore and the social interaction with the masseuse. Some of my areas of concern are in the upper leg and hip areas and the experience might be incredibly awkward.
gianmarco
Footballguy
Massages are awesome.
--I would get at least 60 minutes.
--They say dress to your comfort level. You can keep underwear if you want but it's better if you don't. You will be covered so it's all good. This is what they do.
--Some people don't mind, but I ask for a female. If you have a preference either way, just ask. It's not wrong to request
-- Ask them any questions you have. Tell them it's your first time. They are used to it
-- Some talk, some don't. Most go along with how you are. If you want to chit chat, it's all good. I typically don't talk much but that's just me. I'm the same when getting a haircut too.
-- If it's not strong enough or too strong, speak up. Once you let them know what pressure you like, you'll be good the rest of the time.
MAC_32
Footballguy
I don't wear anything. They're typically only chatty if you want them to be. I see the same one now because she's just better than the alternatives, but even though we know each other now the chit chat's restricted to before and after. During it's down to business, but that's what I want. And a good masseuse will do just that - cater to what you want. Only real exception is when she finds an especially tender spot I wasn't expecting; usually good for at least a couple of those per visit and always yields a good laugh. 'How the hell does this not bother you?!? comes out at some point every time. But she also knows she can go over the line with me and I'll tell her, it's how she identifies the amount of pressure for that particular visit. As @gianmarco said just speak up if it's too light or too tough if they can't figure it out on their own. The good ones will adapt.
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Its a good question. I originally was worried I'd struggle the last 10K if I didn't back off the pace. I did two long runs and am confident I could run 3:45 if needed, however, he already has someone in there, so I'll just stick with this.
4:00 is about as slow I can go on an easy run. I will also not really taper much and probably do a hard workout a couple days before Miami just to tire the legs some.
I may feel differently after running this slow.
The Iguana
Footballguy
We have one here at work and my hips are always a big one. I usually wear a pair of compression shorts - just seems less awkward to me. Social interaction will be up to you. I often chat at least part of the time - life, family, vacation, etc. First part of the conversation is always about what I want in the session - problem areas, areas I want to concentrate on, etc. She's also pretty perceptive and will ask about specifics as she hits certain spots - usually also makes fun of me for my lack of flexibility but that's another story. Haven't been lately but have been looking at the schedule to see about going at some point soon.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Do you tip 20%?
The Iguana
Footballguy
I do. Quite a bit - running, walking, sitting, everything. Makes a huge difference, imo.
gruecd
Footballguy
I get a massage every month. Buck nekkid. I've been seeing the same MT for years, so we talk pretty much the whole time. And it's only awkward if you make it awkward. I've got super tight hip flexors, so she needs to get right up into the hip crease. On one or two occasions I've had to see a different MT, and it actually pissed me off because THEY were afraid to get up in there. It's a medical thing, not an erotic one.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
I took the day off from work tomorrow because I'm getting new carpeting installed in my office. I think I'll either get a massage or brave the long lines at a pot store. Haven't decided which.
gruecd
Footballguy
One other thing. If you're planning to run on the day that you get the massage, do it beforehand. Your legs will feel like dog#### afterwards.
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bushdocda
Footballguy
It’s taken me a few times but I’m less awkward now. I wear boxer briefs and have stayed with female masseuses. Try to find a sports massage specialist and then try to hone in on runner or leg specialist, they will be more comfortable with glute and adductor stuff. You’ll probably get a form to fill out to describe you and your body.
Of course, I make awkward small talk for a bit and they will ask about problem areas, hot spots etc but then I zone out and let them do stuff. Lots of elbows and thumbs. They get pissed if you schedule too short bc they then feel rushed so whatever the options are duration wise and what you’re considering, bump it up to the next longer one.
Then they say to come back regularly as it takes time/frequency to help tough spots. So maybe go back in a few weeks or a month for round 2. And if you didn’t like the masseuse, try another one.
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