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Ran a 10k in June (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter GStrot
- Start date
prosopis
Arizona Chupacabra
That is awesome!!!!!!!
sho nuff
Footballguy
Way to go, Ned! Congrats!!
Ned
Footballguy
Hey guys. Sorry for the late drive by, but I'm a hurtin pup right now. I at least wanted to swing in and let ya know some quick hits...
I woke up this morning with a bout of diarrhea. It had me spooked. We got lost driving in to Philly as they closed the exit we were using right as we got there. Mass chaos trying to find parking had me in the portojohns at 6:57 ####ting my guts out.
First 10 felt great. Stomach was "tight" the entire time, but manageable. Gu at 17 induced a hurl. Then another hurl smelling the stale beer in Manyunk section somewhere around 20-21 where they were giving out shots of beer. I was a zombie for the rest of the run and don't remember much except the tears rolling down my face while finishing.
I've napped most of the afternoon and hit up the inlaws for a bday dinner for our nephew. Now fighting a 101 fever. My stomach is at least settled down now. Good times.
Even with all that, I'm pretty siked and proud with gutting this one out. I was so ready to quit at 21 it wasn't even funny. The <9:00 miles were melting away. I thought I had this one crushed.
I woke up this morning with a bout of diarrhea. It had me spooked. We got lost driving in to Philly as they closed the exit we were using right as we got there. Mass chaos trying to find parking had me in the portojohns at 6:57 ####ting my guts out.
First 10 felt great. Stomach was "tight" the entire time, but manageable. Gu at 17 induced a hurl. Then another hurl smelling the stale beer in Manyunk section somewhere around 20-21 where they were giving out shots of beer. I was a zombie for the rest of the run and don't remember much except the tears rolling down my face while finishing.
I've napped most of the afternoon and hit up the inlaws for a bday dinner for our nephew. Now fighting a 101 fever. My stomach is at least settled down now. Good times.
Even with all that, I'm pretty siked and proud with gutting this one out. I was so ready to quit at 21 it wasn't even funny. The <9:00 miles were melting away. I thought I had this one crushed.
sho nuff
Footballguy
Freaking warrior stuff man.Impressive without all that...but add all that in and that is a Man's day right there.Congrats.Get better man.
The_Man
Footballguy
Ned, you are a competitor - unbelievable effort when everything conspired against you. It took tremendous guts to finish those last 5 miles and you did it. Awesome job!
2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
Kind of an extreme tactic to shake pre-race jitters, but hey, whatever works
Great work under miserable physical issues man, proud and happy for you.
Way to tough it out Ned. I know it's not what you were hoping for in terms of time and especially enjoyment, but this will make the next one seem like a piece of cake. You've come a long ways and not only are a warrior for completing this, but for how you handled the training plan. Get well quick!!!
tri-man 47
Footballguy
'The_Man said:'sho nuff said:
Marathons are tough beasts under the best of conditions. To hang in there when clearly less than 100% is incredible. Very proud of you, Ned!!!!!Darrinll40
Footballguy
Just wow Ned. Great job getting through it.'Ned said:
Darrinll40
Footballguy
Last week was very depressing for me. I went out for my regular easy 4 on Tuesday and everything was great until about mile 3. That was when my lower back started aching. It wasn't bad so I went ahead and finished the run.
I skipped the hill workout on Wednesday to rest the back a bit and went out for 4 on Thursday. I got through 2 when the back started in again, it got progressively worse and I had to stop and walk a bit by mile 3, I walked/ran my way home.
Saturday I was planning on going 9, as last weeks 8 was fairly easy. I started out real slow, and wore a stretchable back brace I picked up at Walmart. It helped for a while, but by mile 3 I was feeling twinges above the brace, in a completely different spot than before. I stopped at 4 miles and walked home. Unfortunately my long runs are out and back so I had a nice 4 mile walk home.
The only time my back hurts is when I am running, though I think I know why. When I lost my weight the first time I experienced the same pain at about the same weight. So, I am hoping that it goes away when I get closer to 200. What it means for sure is that I am not going to attempt to run 10 miles on Thursday, but I am going to do the 5K. I am not going to do anything to stress my back between now and then and I am hoping that it will just get better.
I skipped the hill workout on Wednesday to rest the back a bit and went out for 4 on Thursday. I got through 2 when the back started in again, it got progressively worse and I had to stop and walk a bit by mile 3, I walked/ran my way home.
Saturday I was planning on going 9, as last weeks 8 was fairly easy. I started out real slow, and wore a stretchable back brace I picked up at Walmart. It helped for a while, but by mile 3 I was feeling twinges above the brace, in a completely different spot than before. I stopped at 4 miles and walked home. Unfortunately my long runs are out and back so I had a nice 4 mile walk home.
The only time my back hurts is when I am running, though I think I know why. When I lost my weight the first time I experienced the same pain at about the same weight. So, I am hoping that it goes away when I get closer to 200. What it means for sure is that I am not going to attempt to run 10 miles on Thursday, but I am going to do the 5K. I am not going to do anything to stress my back between now and then and I am hoping that it will just get better.
IvanKaramazov
Footballguy
Great job getting through this one. Honestly, I think I might have just skipped this event if I was sick (GI-sick especially) and looked for a backup event. Kudos for sticking it out and turning in a really good time under the circumstances.'Ned said:
pmbrown_22
Footballguy
Epic race Ned. Two projectile sessions is nothing to joke about. That had to take a ton out of you. Way to stick it out though.
------
Not too much for me. I did run 8 or 9 on Friday. Forgot my watch so I guessed at about the distance and it was a good one. It wiped my legs and I was going to attempt to run 14 on Saturday. I got up Saturday and my legs were like lead weights. I ran 3 and then called it quits and went back to bed. Somehow I have picked up a head cold so I took yesterday off and possibly today. I am bored at work though so I need something to do to pass the time.
Have a great week all and a good Turkey day as well.
------
Not too much for me. I did run 8 or 9 on Friday. Forgot my watch so I guessed at about the distance and it was a good one. It wiped my legs and I was going to attempt to run 14 on Saturday. I got up Saturday and my legs were like lead weights. I ran 3 and then called it quits and went back to bed. Somehow I have picked up a head cold so I took yesterday off and possibly today. I am bored at work though so I need something to do to pass the time.
Have a great week all and a good Turkey day as well.
The_Man
Footballguy
Darrin - just take it easy and hang with it. I'm sure it will get better and it sounds like you are taking the right steps.
8 miles for me on Saturday. I felt really good, and just ran comfortably. The first mile was 9:00 and by the last two I did 7:46 and 7:14.
Sunday was an 8k race that I signed up to do with my wife as a "fun run." It was a new event, limited to 500 people, with much of the course in and around the Baltimore Zoo. With just 6 days until the Marathon, I didn't want to work myself too hard. So as my wife and I were waiting in the starting area, I kept telling her that I was just going to take it easy and not get caught up in the race. And then as the starter got everyone lined up, I started to edge closer and closer to the line, and told my wife, "I just don't want to get caught up behind a lot of really slow people." And she was like, "Yeah, you're going to race it, I'll just see you at the finish."
So the gun went off and I took off - I told myself I would run as fast as my legs felt like going while focusing on keeping my breathing regular and comfortable. And I felt great in that first mile - was wearing my new racing shoes again and things felt effortless through a 6:53 mile. The next mile went up a couple of small hills and so I backed off, all the while concentrating on keeping my breathing regular and not labored, even up the small hills - 7:23 mile. Even though I backed off the pace, I was now passing people right and left. They were struggling and I felt like I was still just getting warmed up. Only one guy passed me during the entire race and it was during this stretch. He was a Vibram-wearing guy who works at the local run shop.
Third mile had some huge downhills - down, down, down. I was moving fast but really focused on getting my breathing fully back under control on the downhills. I loved the feeling of picking up speed while simultaneously running with an easier effort. I passed about another half-dozen people and ended up with another 6:53 mile. Unfortunately, what goes down must go up. And as we turned off the city streets back into the zoo property, there was a giant climb back up. Less than a quarter-mile, but very, very steep. For the first time, I felt like I was working hard, but again focused on breathing easy, even on the climb. I passed two more people on the big climb and finished Mile 4 with a 6:36, which I was surprised about considering the climb. The final 0.8 of the 8k was really cool, because now we were in the Africa part of the Zoo. We've been members there forever, and usually the animals seem semi-conscious, lying there unmoving as hordes of people stare at them through the glass. Maybe it was the time of day, or the novelty of humans sprinting past their habitats, but yesterday, the animals were all energized like I've never seen them before. The cheetahs were up at the edge of their enclosure, eying the people down as they went by. Two jaguars in a tree were screaming in such a way that at first I thought it was a tape recording, Disney Jungle Cruise-stye. And one chimp was loving it, hurling himself at the glass so that it shook each time someone went by the window.
Ever since reaching the top of the hill, running was now an effort like it hadn't been previously, but I didn't push myself into the red zone like I might otherwise have if I were truly racing and not just having a "fun run"
There were a couple more hills to the finish and I tracked down and passed a woman with a long blonde ponytail on the final climb. I wasn't gunning for her or anything, just running my race, but she had really started to slow down, so I went on by. Not sure what my time was for the final 0.8 miles because I forgot to hit stop on my Garmin, but I finished the race averaging 6:55 for the 4.8 mile distance. Turns out that was good enough for 10th overall, and first among the 40+ silverbacks.
It probably wasn't the smartest thing in the world to do, but I feel fine today. More than that, it was fun. And I hope it helped teach me a lesson for the marathon that starting slow and easy is the way to go. I loved passing all those people and finishing like I was feeling strong. The marathon distance really is no joke - it occurred to me after finishing the 8K race that I had covered less than one-fifth the distance of a marathon.
Anyway, no more racing for me until Saturday. Will do 6 tomorrow - had planned to do 2 at GMP, but now will just take it easy on the speed all week long - then 4 on Thursday, and 2 or 3 on Friday.
8 miles for me on Saturday. I felt really good, and just ran comfortably. The first mile was 9:00 and by the last two I did 7:46 and 7:14.
Sunday was an 8k race that I signed up to do with my wife as a "fun run." It was a new event, limited to 500 people, with much of the course in and around the Baltimore Zoo. With just 6 days until the Marathon, I didn't want to work myself too hard. So as my wife and I were waiting in the starting area, I kept telling her that I was just going to take it easy and not get caught up in the race. And then as the starter got everyone lined up, I started to edge closer and closer to the line, and told my wife, "I just don't want to get caught up behind a lot of really slow people." And she was like, "Yeah, you're going to race it, I'll just see you at the finish."
So the gun went off and I took off - I told myself I would run as fast as my legs felt like going while focusing on keeping my breathing regular and comfortable. And I felt great in that first mile - was wearing my new racing shoes again and things felt effortless through a 6:53 mile. The next mile went up a couple of small hills and so I backed off, all the while concentrating on keeping my breathing regular and not labored, even up the small hills - 7:23 mile. Even though I backed off the pace, I was now passing people right and left. They were struggling and I felt like I was still just getting warmed up. Only one guy passed me during the entire race and it was during this stretch. He was a Vibram-wearing guy who works at the local run shop.
Third mile had some huge downhills - down, down, down. I was moving fast but really focused on getting my breathing fully back under control on the downhills. I loved the feeling of picking up speed while simultaneously running with an easier effort. I passed about another half-dozen people and ended up with another 6:53 mile. Unfortunately, what goes down must go up. And as we turned off the city streets back into the zoo property, there was a giant climb back up. Less than a quarter-mile, but very, very steep. For the first time, I felt like I was working hard, but again focused on breathing easy, even on the climb. I passed two more people on the big climb and finished Mile 4 with a 6:36, which I was surprised about considering the climb. The final 0.8 of the 8k was really cool, because now we were in the Africa part of the Zoo. We've been members there forever, and usually the animals seem semi-conscious, lying there unmoving as hordes of people stare at them through the glass. Maybe it was the time of day, or the novelty of humans sprinting past their habitats, but yesterday, the animals were all energized like I've never seen them before. The cheetahs were up at the edge of their enclosure, eying the people down as they went by. Two jaguars in a tree were screaming in such a way that at first I thought it was a tape recording, Disney Jungle Cruise-stye. And one chimp was loving it, hurling himself at the glass so that it shook each time someone went by the window.
Ever since reaching the top of the hill, running was now an effort like it hadn't been previously, but I didn't push myself into the red zone like I might otherwise have if I were truly racing and not just having a "fun run"
There were a couple more hills to the finish and I tracked down and passed a woman with a long blonde ponytail on the final climb. I wasn't gunning for her or anything, just running my race, but she had really started to slow down, so I went on by. Not sure what my time was for the final 0.8 miles because I forgot to hit stop on my Garmin, but I finished the race averaging 6:55 for the 4.8 mile distance. Turns out that was good enough for 10th overall, and first among the 40+ silverbacks.It probably wasn't the smartest thing in the world to do, but I feel fine today. More than that, it was fun. And I hope it helped teach me a lesson for the marathon that starting slow and easy is the way to go. I loved passing all those people and finishing like I was feeling strong. The marathon distance really is no joke - it occurred to me after finishing the 8K race that I had covered less than one-fifth the distance of a marathon.
Anyway, no more racing for me until Saturday. Will do 6 tomorrow - had planned to do 2 at GMP, but now will just take it easy on the speed all week long - then 4 on Thursday, and 2 or 3 on Friday.
pigskinliquors
Dr. Parrothead
Ned: Awesome job gutting it out...literally. You didn't miss your goal by much, and considering all you went through, an amazing performance. Breaking PR's by too much isn't too wise anyway, as it makes getting another one more difficult. Your training, and perseverance paid off, as most mere mortals would not have been able to complete 26.2 with a perfect start to the day. You did so under extraordinary circumstances.
Darrin: Wise move saving the back. You have many other races in your future.
The_Man: Great "fun" run! Awesome to have effortless miles, and to get us another podium!!!!
_______________________________
My Update:
Saturday was an all-day and into the night tailgate, so my only workout over the weekend was yesterday. I chose a 45 mile ride that I've only done once before, and didn't like as it has stop lights, and too much chip seal. With the winds at start at 13 MPH and by end over 18 MPH,
I knew it would be a good challenge to go sub 3:00 p/m (20+ MPH). The first 16 were all with the wind, and I had borrowed just over 5:00 to my 3:00 p/m pace. My HR also was still hovering in the high 140's so my effort was also low. The next 15 were directly into the wind, hilly and mostly chip seal = the suck! My HR got up to 165 in the first mile into the wind, and I did all I could to keep it there. When I got to mile 32, I still had 1:15 left of my borrowed time, though I had to work hard to do so. Miles 33-36 were back with the wind, and I went 2:44 (partly into the wind), 2:06, 2:12, 2:41 (partly into the wind) to give me a good cushion for the final 9 (mostly into the wind). I made it to mile 43, with a two minute plus cushion left, and took off the throttle, to cool down a bit. I ended up going 45.1, at 20.1 MPH. Calves are sore today, but all else feels good.
Darrin: Wise move saving the back. You have many other races in your future.
The_Man: Great "fun" run! Awesome to have effortless miles, and to get us another podium!!!!
_______________________________
My Update:
Saturday was an all-day and into the night tailgate, so my only workout over the weekend was yesterday. I chose a 45 mile ride that I've only done once before, and didn't like as it has stop lights, and too much chip seal. With the winds at start at 13 MPH and by end over 18 MPH,
I knew it would be a good challenge to go sub 3:00 p/m (20+ MPH). The first 16 were all with the wind, and I had borrowed just over 5:00 to my 3:00 p/m pace. My HR also was still hovering in the high 140's so my effort was also low. The next 15 were directly into the wind, hilly and mostly chip seal = the suck! My HR got up to 165 in the first mile into the wind, and I did all I could to keep it there. When I got to mile 32, I still had 1:15 left of my borrowed time, though I had to work hard to do so. Miles 33-36 were back with the wind, and I went 2:44 (partly into the wind), 2:06, 2:12, 2:41 (partly into the wind) to give me a good cushion for the final 9 (mostly into the wind). I made it to mile 43, with a two minute plus cushion left, and took off the throttle, to cool down a bit. I ended up going 45.1, at 20.1 MPH. Calves are sore today, but all else feels good.
Last edited by a moderator:
Ned
Footballguy
Appreciate all the comments, guys. I certainly thought of this crew as some extra motivation. I'm no tough guy. I was just fueled by the fear of an epic fail with so many people interested in how I was doing. We had quite the support crew at the race cheering my brother and I along. Heck, my FIL was watching the live tracker on his iphone in church and was missing his sound cues (he's the sound guy). There's no way I was going to quit this one. It was a surreal experience, to say the least.
I will plug in the Garmin later today after I get situated with work to get the data. The last few miles came to a screeching halt, I know that much.
My brother had a blast and is hooked. He got wrapped up into the experience and SandedTM the start. He blew up at 10 and limped it on home for a 2:09
x. For someone with zero running experience, I think he did a fantastic job. He's got some potential if he decides to commit to this sport.
There were 2 men that died at the finish yesterday. It certainly puts a whole new perspective on this hobby. The 40yr old man collapsed right in front of my family. They watched the EMTs perform CPR. Scary, scary stuff. My link
I will plug in the Garmin later today after I get situated with work to get the data. The last few miles came to a screeching halt, I know that much.
My brother had a blast and is hooked. He got wrapped up into the experience and SandedTM the start. He blew up at 10 and limped it on home for a 2:09
x. For someone with zero running experience, I think he did a fantastic job. He's got some potential if he decides to commit to this sport.There were 2 men that died at the finish yesterday. It certainly puts a whole new perspective on this hobby. The 40yr old man collapsed right in front of my family. They watched the EMTs perform CPR. Scary, scary stuff. My link
The_Man
Footballguy
This is so hard. One was 21, the other 40. I saw a Facebook post from someone who claimed to know the 40-year-old, said that he recently completed an Ironman triathlon, barely missing qualifying for the World Championships. I literally don't comprehend how this happens - is it undetected heart disease?I just pray my wife and mom and sisters don't see this between now and Saturday - I've lost almost 20 pounds and am in the best shape of my life since I started running a couple of years ago. And yet they will worry and also make the argument that I'm risking my health by doing this.
And, to be honest, on Wednesday when I have the day off and everyone else in my family is at work/school, I will probably spend an hour or so updating the file that contains all our financial info, and account passwords, etc., so that all that stuff will be organized and accessible, just in case.
sho nuff
Footballguy
Same here...my wife and mother worry about me running so much and pushing it at times (especially when my wife saw my HR data after the last half she got onto me for pushing it...but she knows how competitive I am with myself and she trusts that I do know my body enough to feel when Im pushing it too hard...at least I think I do...Im sure these guys thought they knew too though).Its definitely a scary thing to think about when you hear these stories.
Just have to be careful and keep trying to be safe when out there going for it.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
The_Man - I think you did the right thing ...get the race juices flowing and engage the fast twitch muscles, and remind yourself of your fast tempo speed in contrast to your marathon pacing. Now you can bring that competitive edge into the marathon.
ThreeThousand
Footballguy
Good job Ned - just over a 4 hr. marathon is super, especially for a 2nd race.
Ned
Footballguy
The_Man: I think you're just fine. Running a semi-hard 8K a week before isn't going to hurt you at all. Hell it's probably good for you to get the legs turning over. I'm really siked to hear how you do this weekend.
jb: My previous was 4:42. Not really a fair shake as I SandedTM the hell out of that run and hit the wall hard. I'm "wife restricted" to 1 marathon/year, so I have a year to work on getting myself ready to break the now very elusive 4:00 monkey. Philly is probably going to be a yearly ritual for me. I absolutely love that race.
jb: My previous was 4:42. Not really a fair shake as I SandedTM the hell out of that run and hit the wall hard. I'm "wife restricted" to 1 marathon/year, so I have a year to work on getting myself ready to break the now very elusive 4:00 monkey. Philly is probably going to be a yearly ritual for me. I absolutely love that race.
gruecd
Footballguy
With all due respect, that's so not fair and so untrue. In fact, I'd argue the exact opposite, that you're improving your health and well-being.Show her this article, and draw her attention to the fact that men who burn at least 3,000 calories per week (equal to about five hours of running) are 83 percent less likely to have severe erectile dysfunction.
gruecd
Footballguy
+1If this was a goal race, it totally would've been a DNS for me. I would've regrouped, waited a couple of weeks, and run CIM or something. I think you're crazy, but nice work toughing it out.
pigskinliquors
Dr. Parrothead
Regarding the two runners who lost their lives =With all due respect, that's so not fair and so untrue. In fact, I'd argue the exact opposite, that you're improving your health and well-being.Show her this article, and draw her attention to the fact that men who burn at least 3,000 calories per week (equal to about five hours of running) are 83 percent less likely to have severe erectile dysfunction.
I'll add this article to show that you will likely live longer, not shorter bc of running.
Ned
Footballguy
2011 Philly Marathon Race Report
I've had enough time to catch my breath, get work under control, and get my thoughts together to write this one up. It's not as exciting since I gave up the quick spoilers, but this is a great exercise. Sorry for the long winded post.
After coming home from a fantastic trip to AC with my wife on Friday afternoon, I noticed my throat felt dry and thought 'oh no'. Fast forward to Saturday night's pizza party and I felt a full blown cold. It wasn't terribly congested in my chest, but it was bothering me enough in my sinuses that I felt like I was having issues breathing when I ran my last 4mi shakeout run. Nevertheless, I'm the opposite of grue/Ivan and felt there was no way in hell I was going to bag this race. I just couldn't stand that thought.
I slept great Saturday night and woke up about an hour before the alarm was set (4:15). I laid there picturing the race and going in/out of sleep until 4:15. I had my usual pre-run breakfast - cup of coffee and peanut butter bagel. I was maybe 2 bites into my bagel and my guts were rumbling. I'm very paranoid about poo incidents while running so I stress out a bit about trying to get a pre-run #2 completed. This was no problem today. I went twice before leaving. I turned my focus to hydrating and took an unscheduled gatorade for the ride.
The drive to the race was an event in itself. We got to the Ben Franklin Pkwy exit off of 676 only to find that they just closed it off due to the race. We got there at 6:03 and they closed it at 6:00. Not knowing the city very well, I was starting to panic. A huge thanks to my saint of a wife who kept things calm and used the iphone (thanks Steve!) to get us to one of the alternate parking spots. This had us running way late, but we still had 30mins before go time. A quick 10min walk had us standing in line at the portopots. When it finally came my turn I asked the wife what time it was - 6:57.
Oh crap (pun). Here I am with my guts exploding and it's 3mins to the gun. Thank god my corral was 4th in line. I got to the line in time and was across the line at 7:06 or so.
As the run started, of course my HR was elevated beyond belief. I could feel the anxious feeling in my chest. The first goal was to settle down and keep things stupid easy. It was going to take me a while to chill out after all of the pre-race drama. I all but threw out the plan right here. I'm sorry The_Man
. I mega-failed in this department and I know it. I was focusing hard on going at recovery type effort to chill out for the first 2 miles and focused on deep cleansing breaths. Nearly the entire first half is nothing short of epic in terms of spectator support. The first 5 miles went by in the blink of an eye thanks to focusing on chilling out and all of the hoopla from the spectators. Data: 1-9:09/168, 2-9:00/172, 3-8:51/170, 4-9:05/172, 5-8:58/172.
After taking my first Gu at 4.5 I could tell my stomach didn't like that too much. I took an extra water at 4.9 and took my time to get it all down. That tight feeling in my stomach never went away, so I tried to ignore it as best as I could. Aside from the stomach, I was gliding along with ease. The water station at 5.1 marked the infamous Chestnut Street stretch. Spectators pack in here like they're giving away free money. It was extremely packed this year. So much so that they were on the streets forcing the runners to neck down. At 7.0 I saw my family. My mom who just recently beat stage 3 ovarian cancer was in attendance. She was the first one I saw as she happened to poke her head out of the crowd as I looked ahead. She lit up like a xmas tree when I saw her. So cool to have here there.
I was running next to a guy that was carrying a vevuzla and would randomly blow that god awful thing. Each blow sent the crowd into a feeding frenzy which was admittingly a ton of fun. Before I knew it we were well past my next planned Gu (9.0).
I scarfed down 4 chomps (I like to alternate Gu and Chomps) some time after the big hill at 10. I didn't want to try and eat while making the major climb of the race, so I decided to wait until I got to the top to eat. Aside from the stomach I was still cruising and was able to answer The_Man's question - yes this feels too easy! I recovered from the climb at 10 very quickly and felt really confident heading into the split at the half. Data: 6-8:48/173, 7-8:37/172 (some nice downhills and vevuzula blowing), 8-9:00/173, 9-8:47/171, 10-9:08/176.
After mile 10 the crowds died down a bit and things got a little quiet. The silver lining was the half marathoners were pumping each other up about getting close to the finish, which was fun and sucked all at the same time. For one, the energy was great, but on the other hand it sucked that they were amping up for a big finish while us marathoners were being pushed to the left to do another 13.1. I wanted to get back on schedule with the Gu, so I took one right before the split at 13. Yuck this stuff is starting to taste like crap. :X My stomach was no worse for wear, but it wasn't happy either. Lots of gurgling and burping. Just keep ignoring it, I thought. 10-15 were about as uneventful as I could've hoped at this stage of the race. Just plugging along trying to get to 20. Data: 11.16(I hit lap button 0.16 after to get back on time with mile markers) 8:48 avg/173, 12-8:58/174, 13-8:57/176, 14-9:16/174, 15-9:01/175
I was expecting to see the family again at the half split, but they just missed me due to bathroom breaks. Thankfully they were all signed up for the text message updates and saw that I was on pace for a 3:55. After the split the course turned into no man's land as we worked our way up the Schuylkill River. While there were still quite a bit of runners here, it got pretty lonely along this stretch. The 2nd half was an out-back loop along the Schuylkill and then up into Manyunk. I knew there were some hills in Manyunk, so I was mentally bracing for that. As I watched the leaders working their way back inbound, I took my now infamous Gu at 17.something. I don't remember where it exactly happened, but it felt like maybe 60 seconds went by and the aforementioned gurgles intensified. Before I knew it, I caught 'it' in my mouth. Lunged to the side and let it fly. I stopped briefly and felt like I got kicked in the balls. I was more pissed off than sick. HTF can this happen? It felt like an eternity, but I only lost about 30-ish seconds. How I managed this is beyond me. I got to the next water station and double fisted water only. I was now scared to death of dehydration since most of what I gave back to the running gods was water. Hydration became priority #1 from here on out.
Manyunk started somewhere around mile 18. At this point I was so worried about getting sick that I lost all focus. I was one-track minded. Stay hydrated and don't puke again. Manyunk was pretty hilly, but I don't remember the exact mileage of when the hills were. It seemed we climbed up and down into a bowl where it flattened out just in time for us to turn around and reverse back out. The beer table was set up somewhere around 19. The stench was unbearable. I dry heaved twice or so passing by the table the first time. The shots looked like bourbon at first glance, but the stench of stale beer on the asphalt cleared that up real quick. The crowds were awesome at the bottom of Main St. The one thing I remember clearly was a chick yelling out "20 miles?!?! That's crazy! You guys got this!!!" She must've been saying it all day as I heard it a number of times while going around the turn around.
The 2nd pass by the beer tables did me in. I raced up to the stone wall just past the tables and let all the precious water I had collected go to waste. God that killed me. My abs were sore. My stomach was a literal knot. WTF am I thinking? The same table I hit up at the beginning of Manyunk was a godsend. I double fisted water. Twice. I was in a daze, but wanted to keep my feet moving. So I shuffled along at 20 or 21ish. I can't remember what's what at this point. Data: 16-8:56/177, 17-9:27/177, 18-9:21/178, 19-9:30, 20-9:47/175
As mentioned, its all fuzzy after this. I knew I was fading, but I couldn't quit now. There's no putting up with all this to just quit anyway. At least that's the silly justifications that were going through my head. I noticed somewhere around 25 that I was close to home. The crowds were thickening. I saw a big fat flag that said '25'. It was like a wake up call. I admit I walked briefly for 30sec clips intermittently along this final stretch of 6.2. How many? Hell if I know. It seemed like I had no rhyme or reason to them. I just did it. That 25 flag really hit home and gave me just enough gas to get to the finish. The crowds were so amazing at 26.0 that I literally cried for the last 0.2. I can remember tasting my tears, grunting, wheezing, burping. I probably sounded liked a very mentally unstable person. As I saw the finish line chutes, I tried sprinting it out. My calves were torched. Every 3rd step seemed to be a cramp. I felt like I was jumping up from someone shooting at my feet. What an odd sensation that was. I finished and looked up to see Mayor Nutter giving out high fives. I lunged for one and almost bit thanks to the 2nd mat jumping up and clipping my foot. What a dork. Data: 21-9:34/177, 22-9:51/175, 23-10:50/170, 24-10:22/170, 25/11:06, 26-9:57/175, 26.2-7:37/189
Overall time: 4:05:54 avg HR=173
What a crazy, insane, epic, and stupid race that was. Even after putting this all on 'paper', it just seems surreal. Even after the stomach issues, I managed to shave off 37 minutes from my previous marathon. I will take it!!
I've had enough time to catch my breath, get work under control, and get my thoughts together to write this one up. It's not as exciting since I gave up the quick spoilers, but this is a great exercise. Sorry for the long winded post.
After coming home from a fantastic trip to AC with my wife on Friday afternoon, I noticed my throat felt dry and thought 'oh no'. Fast forward to Saturday night's pizza party and I felt a full blown cold. It wasn't terribly congested in my chest, but it was bothering me enough in my sinuses that I felt like I was having issues breathing when I ran my last 4mi shakeout run. Nevertheless, I'm the opposite of grue/Ivan and felt there was no way in hell I was going to bag this race. I just couldn't stand that thought.
I slept great Saturday night and woke up about an hour before the alarm was set (4:15). I laid there picturing the race and going in/out of sleep until 4:15. I had my usual pre-run breakfast - cup of coffee and peanut butter bagel. I was maybe 2 bites into my bagel and my guts were rumbling. I'm very paranoid about poo incidents while running so I stress out a bit about trying to get a pre-run #2 completed. This was no problem today. I went twice before leaving. I turned my focus to hydrating and took an unscheduled gatorade for the ride.
The drive to the race was an event in itself. We got to the Ben Franklin Pkwy exit off of 676 only to find that they just closed it off due to the race. We got there at 6:03 and they closed it at 6:00. Not knowing the city very well, I was starting to panic. A huge thanks to my saint of a wife who kept things calm and used the iphone (thanks Steve!) to get us to one of the alternate parking spots. This had us running way late, but we still had 30mins before go time. A quick 10min walk had us standing in line at the portopots. When it finally came my turn I asked the wife what time it was - 6:57.
Oh crap (pun). Here I am with my guts exploding and it's 3mins to the gun. Thank god my corral was 4th in line. I got to the line in time and was across the line at 7:06 or so.As the run started, of course my HR was elevated beyond belief. I could feel the anxious feeling in my chest. The first goal was to settle down and keep things stupid easy. It was going to take me a while to chill out after all of the pre-race drama. I all but threw out the plan right here. I'm sorry The_Man
. I mega-failed in this department and I know it. I was focusing hard on going at recovery type effort to chill out for the first 2 miles and focused on deep cleansing breaths. Nearly the entire first half is nothing short of epic in terms of spectator support. The first 5 miles went by in the blink of an eye thanks to focusing on chilling out and all of the hoopla from the spectators. Data: 1-9:09/168, 2-9:00/172, 3-8:51/170, 4-9:05/172, 5-8:58/172.After taking my first Gu at 4.5 I could tell my stomach didn't like that too much. I took an extra water at 4.9 and took my time to get it all down. That tight feeling in my stomach never went away, so I tried to ignore it as best as I could. Aside from the stomach, I was gliding along with ease. The water station at 5.1 marked the infamous Chestnut Street stretch. Spectators pack in here like they're giving away free money. It was extremely packed this year. So much so that they were on the streets forcing the runners to neck down. At 7.0 I saw my family. My mom who just recently beat stage 3 ovarian cancer was in attendance. She was the first one I saw as she happened to poke her head out of the crowd as I looked ahead. She lit up like a xmas tree when I saw her. So cool to have here there.
I was running next to a guy that was carrying a vevuzla and would randomly blow that god awful thing. Each blow sent the crowd into a feeding frenzy which was admittingly a ton of fun. Before I knew it we were well past my next planned Gu (9.0).
I scarfed down 4 chomps (I like to alternate Gu and Chomps) some time after the big hill at 10. I didn't want to try and eat while making the major climb of the race, so I decided to wait until I got to the top to eat. Aside from the stomach I was still cruising and was able to answer The_Man's question - yes this feels too easy! I recovered from the climb at 10 very quickly and felt really confident heading into the split at the half. Data: 6-8:48/173, 7-8:37/172 (some nice downhills and vevuzula blowing), 8-9:00/173, 9-8:47/171, 10-9:08/176.After mile 10 the crowds died down a bit and things got a little quiet. The silver lining was the half marathoners were pumping each other up about getting close to the finish, which was fun and sucked all at the same time. For one, the energy was great, but on the other hand it sucked that they were amping up for a big finish while us marathoners were being pushed to the left to do another 13.1. I wanted to get back on schedule with the Gu, so I took one right before the split at 13. Yuck this stuff is starting to taste like crap. :X My stomach was no worse for wear, but it wasn't happy either. Lots of gurgling and burping. Just keep ignoring it, I thought. 10-15 were about as uneventful as I could've hoped at this stage of the race. Just plugging along trying to get to 20. Data: 11.16(I hit lap button 0.16 after to get back on time with mile markers) 8:48 avg/173, 12-8:58/174, 13-8:57/176, 14-9:16/174, 15-9:01/175
I was expecting to see the family again at the half split, but they just missed me due to bathroom breaks. Thankfully they were all signed up for the text message updates and saw that I was on pace for a 3:55. After the split the course turned into no man's land as we worked our way up the Schuylkill River. While there were still quite a bit of runners here, it got pretty lonely along this stretch. The 2nd half was an out-back loop along the Schuylkill and then up into Manyunk. I knew there were some hills in Manyunk, so I was mentally bracing for that. As I watched the leaders working their way back inbound, I took my now infamous Gu at 17.something. I don't remember where it exactly happened, but it felt like maybe 60 seconds went by and the aforementioned gurgles intensified. Before I knew it, I caught 'it' in my mouth. Lunged to the side and let it fly. I stopped briefly and felt like I got kicked in the balls. I was more pissed off than sick. HTF can this happen? It felt like an eternity, but I only lost about 30-ish seconds. How I managed this is beyond me. I got to the next water station and double fisted water only. I was now scared to death of dehydration since most of what I gave back to the running gods was water. Hydration became priority #1 from here on out.
Manyunk started somewhere around mile 18. At this point I was so worried about getting sick that I lost all focus. I was one-track minded. Stay hydrated and don't puke again. Manyunk was pretty hilly, but I don't remember the exact mileage of when the hills were. It seemed we climbed up and down into a bowl where it flattened out just in time for us to turn around and reverse back out. The beer table was set up somewhere around 19. The stench was unbearable. I dry heaved twice or so passing by the table the first time. The shots looked like bourbon at first glance, but the stench of stale beer on the asphalt cleared that up real quick. The crowds were awesome at the bottom of Main St. The one thing I remember clearly was a chick yelling out "20 miles?!?! That's crazy! You guys got this!!!" She must've been saying it all day as I heard it a number of times while going around the turn around.
The 2nd pass by the beer tables did me in. I raced up to the stone wall just past the tables and let all the precious water I had collected go to waste. God that killed me. My abs were sore. My stomach was a literal knot. WTF am I thinking? The same table I hit up at the beginning of Manyunk was a godsend. I double fisted water. Twice. I was in a daze, but wanted to keep my feet moving. So I shuffled along at 20 or 21ish. I can't remember what's what at this point. Data: 16-8:56/177, 17-9:27/177, 18-9:21/178, 19-9:30, 20-9:47/175
As mentioned, its all fuzzy after this. I knew I was fading, but I couldn't quit now. There's no putting up with all this to just quit anyway. At least that's the silly justifications that were going through my head. I noticed somewhere around 25 that I was close to home. The crowds were thickening. I saw a big fat flag that said '25'. It was like a wake up call. I admit I walked briefly for 30sec clips intermittently along this final stretch of 6.2. How many? Hell if I know. It seemed like I had no rhyme or reason to them. I just did it. That 25 flag really hit home and gave me just enough gas to get to the finish. The crowds were so amazing at 26.0 that I literally cried for the last 0.2. I can remember tasting my tears, grunting, wheezing, burping. I probably sounded liked a very mentally unstable person. As I saw the finish line chutes, I tried sprinting it out. My calves were torched. Every 3rd step seemed to be a cramp. I felt like I was jumping up from someone shooting at my feet. What an odd sensation that was. I finished and looked up to see Mayor Nutter giving out high fives. I lunged for one and almost bit thanks to the 2nd mat jumping up and clipping my foot. What a dork. Data: 21-9:34/177, 22-9:51/175, 23-10:50/170, 24-10:22/170, 25/11:06, 26-9:57/175, 26.2-7:37/189
Overall time: 4:05:54 avg HR=173
What a crazy, insane, epic, and stupid race that was. Even after putting this all on 'paper', it just seems surreal. Even after the stomach issues, I managed to shave off 37 minutes from my previous marathon. I will take it!!
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pigskinliquors
Dr. Parrothead
GREAT report Ned! I love the vevuzla idea!! You toughed out an epic one. You will definitely be prepared for much more for every race you run the rest of your life having been able to conquer what you conquered!! You also need to change your final time to 4:05. You earned it!!!!!!!!!!
Ned
Footballguy
Oops!! Good catch. It was one for the memory, but also something I never want to do again.ETA: I forgot to add that race day plus one has been alright. Stomach is still gurgly and throat is sore, but fever is gone. Legs are surprisingly decent. I'm at least somewhat functional today and not a tub of goo.
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prosopis
Arizona Chupacabra
Way cool'The_Man said:Darrin - just take it easy and hang with it. I'm sure it will get better and it sounds like you are taking the right steps.
8 miles for me on Saturday. I felt really good, and just ran comfortably. The first mile was 9:00 and by the last two I did 7:46 and 7:14.
Sunday was an 8k race that I signed up to do with my wife as a "fun run." It was a new event, limited to 500 people, with much of the course in and around the Baltimore Zoo. With just 6 days until the Marathon, I didn't want to work myself too hard. So as my wife and I were waiting in the starting area, I kept telling her that I was just going to take it easy and not get caught up in the race. And then as the starter got everyone lined up, I started to edge closer and closer to the line, and told my wife, "I just don't want to get caught up behind a lot of really slow people." And she was like, "Yeah, you're going to race it, I'll just see you at the finish."
So the gun went off and I took off - I told myself I would run as fast as my legs felt like going while focusing on keeping my breathing regular and comfortable. And I felt great in that first mile - was wearing my new racing shoes again and things felt effortless through a 6:53 mile. The next mile went up a couple of small hills and so I backed off, all the while concentrating on keeping my breathing regular and not labored, even up the small hills - 7:23 mile. Even though I backed off the pace, I was now passing people right and left. They were struggling and I felt like I was still just getting warmed up. Only one guy passed me during the entire race and it was during this stretch. He was a Vibram-wearing guy who works at the local run shop.
Third mile had some huge downhills - down, down, down. I was moving fast but really focused on getting my breathing fully back under control on the downhills. I loved the feeling of picking up speed while simultaneously running with an easier effort. I passed about another half-dozen people and ended up with another 6:53 mile. Unfortunately, what goes down must go up. And as we turned off the city streets back into the zoo property, there was a giant climb back up. Less than a quarter-mile, but very, very steep. For the first time, I felt like I was working hard, but again focused on breathing easy, even on the climb. I passed two more people on the big climb and finished Mile 4 with a 6:36, which I was surprised about considering the climb. The final 0.8 of the 8k was really cool, because now we were in the Africa part of the Zoo. We've been members there forever, and usually the animals seem semi-conscious, lying there unmoving as hordes of people stare at them through the glass. Maybe it was the time of day, or the novelty of humans sprinting past their habitats, but yesterday, the animals were all energized like I've never seen them before. The cheetahs were up at the edge of their enclosure, eying the people down as they went by. Two jaguars in a tree were screaming in such a way that at first I thought it was a tape recording, Disney Jungle Cruise-stye. And one chimp was loving it, hurling himself at the glass so that it shook each time someone went by the window.
Ever since reaching the top of the hill, running was now an effort like it hadn't been previously, but I didn't push myself into the red zone like I might otherwise have if I were truly racing and not just having a "fun run"
It probably wasn't the smartest thing in the world to do, but I feel fine today. More than that, it was fun. And I hope it helped teach me a lesson for the marathon that starting slow and easy is the way to go. I loved passing all those people and finishing like I was feeling strong. The marathon distance really is no joke - it occurred to me after finishing the 8K race that I had covered less than one-fifth the distance of a marathon.
Anyway, no more racing for me until Saturday. Will do 6 tomorrow - had planned to do 2 at GMP, but now will just take it easy on the speed all week long - then 4 on Thursday, and 2 or 3 on Friday.
The_Man
Footballguy
OMG, what an epic Race Report. As much as I loved it all, this was my favorite line - just about sums things up for those of us in this thread.
Sand
Footballguy
Not only an epic report, but wow your HR seems to be really high the whole race. That is a tough, tough HR to hold for that long. That is a race to remember, regardless of time.----On my end, things aren't so rosy. I got hurt before my 10k, managed to get healthy for that, and then spiked my calf the day after. Got that healed up and have come down with a terrible cold that I can't get rid of. So I'm supposed to be doing 50 mile weeks and I've done 40 combined over the last three weeks. So my thoughts of doing a marathon this year are done - finito. I have borked the training schedule to the point that I believe it irreparable.I haven't figured out what's next, but I'll find something. Maybe a big trail run or that 25k swim in Pensacola Bay next year. We'll see.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
NED - what can I say. That's a phenomenally brave effort ...one for the ages. If you can push through a near-4:00 marathon with an uncooperative stomach, it makes the little hassles of life seem quite manageable, doesn't it? I was very surprised/worried by the early HR data, which probably was a good indication of trouble ahead. Way to persevere!!! I'm totally impressed. 
Sand - sorry to hear about the recent challenges, my friend! Take your time, heal up, and then work on next season's race schedule. Be sure to include some 5Ks, 'cause that 20:29 is going down early.
Sand - sorry to hear about the recent challenges, my friend! Take your time, heal up, and then work on next season's race schedule. Be sure to include some 5Ks, 'cause that 20:29 is going down early.
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Ned - great report. Love the tripping on the mat at the end. Thinking of it now, I'm shocked I haven't done that at the end of my races. Your HR's are really high. Were you expecting/shooting for them to be in that range?
Sand - sorry to hear about the injury. Get healed up and get after it in the spring.
MY UPDATE: Still not running. I will this weekend. Work and family have been too busy. Plus I've been a bit lazy.
Sand - sorry to hear about the injury. Get healed up and get after it in the spring.
MY UPDATE: Still not running. I will this weekend. Work and family have been too busy. Plus I've been a bit lazy.
Ned
Footballguy
I've since studied the HR data a bit and this is the most linear run I've ever had BY FAR. I'm usually good for a 10-12 BPM creep on long runs. How I did that on Sunday, I don't really know. I guess I just have to just chalk it up to the focus on relaxation. 
Mile 2 I was at 9:00/172 and mile 12 I was at 8:58/174. That is incredible for me. The entire time as I ran and relaxed I kept wondering when I'd have to pay the piper for the higher HR. I started to really get confident when I saw somewhere along Chestnut St (6-8) that I was starting to see 160s creep in. I thought "hey my pace is getting faster AND HR is going down. This rocks!" It was then I realized that I was probably going to stay pretty flat for the course of the race. Ultimately I justified it during the race based on a few thoughts. After consulting the book, I was wrong on the MP HR range... 
1 - Every race my HR is always elevated much higher than any training run I've ever done. It's not even close. There's just no way that I can walk up to the starting line remotely close to the way I do a training run. This has me questioning my beliefs in racing based on HR all together. A 170 HR effort on Sunday felt like recovery effort, however in a training run 170 has me running sub 8:00 and wheezing at the end.
2 - The Pfitz book says MP HR is 79-88% of max which equates to 153-170 (Steel I was expecting 155 at the start!), however during the race I kept telling myself that MP is just under LT which was 176 for me. So I kept tabs on where I was and floated around 170-175 while keeping an honest assessment of effort. It really was very easy for the first 13+. I don't think I started to feel any fatigue until 15ish, maybe.
Mile 2 I was at 9:00/172 and mile 12 I was at 8:58/174. That is incredible for me. The entire time as I ran and relaxed I kept wondering when I'd have to pay the piper for the higher HR. I started to really get confident when I saw somewhere along Chestnut St (6-8) that I was starting to see 160s creep in. I thought "hey my pace is getting faster AND HR is going down. This rocks!" It was then I realized that I was probably going to stay pretty flat for the course of the race. Ultimately I justified it during the race based on a few thoughts. After consulting the book, I was wrong on the MP HR range... 1 - Every race my HR is always elevated much higher than any training run I've ever done. It's not even close. There's just no way that I can walk up to the starting line remotely close to the way I do a training run. This has me questioning my beliefs in racing based on HR all together. A 170 HR effort on Sunday felt like recovery effort, however in a training run 170 has me running sub 8:00 and wheezing at the end.
2 - The Pfitz book says MP HR is 79-88% of max which equates to 153-170 (Steel I was expecting 155 at the start!), however during the race I kept telling myself that MP is just under LT which was 176 for me. So I kept tabs on where I was and floated around 170-175 while keeping an honest assessment of effort. It really was very easy for the first 13+. I don't think I started to feel any fatigue until 15ish, maybe.
Ned
Footballguy
Major bummer, Sand. If you choose to do a long trail race, maybe we can compare notes as I think that's going to be first on the 2012 schedule for me too. Hope you kick the cold soon, but it may be a blessing in disguise giving your injuries a little extra time to heal.
pigskinliquors
Dr. Parrothead
Ned: I predicted and tried to warn you about some of your race day problems/adventures...
My marathon experiences and Century ride experiences replicate your experience regarding HR. My HR escalates quicker than I like, and amazingly levels off for long durations that I can't sustain during normal training runs. I believe it's about finding your zone, and maintaining it. Your HR gets elevated due to excitement, and can be sustained if you can find that sweet spot of comfort while pushing.Ned: I like your plan. A few recommendations.
#1 set a time (not HR) goal for your first mile. Your HR will likely be up due to excitement, and if you look at your watch and your HR is higher than expected, your HR will possibly rise even further. First mile excitement is to be expected. Focus on your rhythm and cadence with a time goal. It's kind of like me thinking about Tommy Lasorda "in the heat of the moment"
#2: understand that your HR can be sustained higher on a race day than it can in training, and sometimes escalates faster than in training. Don't panic if that happens. Trust your training and your taper to sustain more than you think you have in the past. This is where your HR plan might need to be altered. Going slower to sustain HR can sometimes destroy your rhythm/cadence. Find your sweet spot and let it ride.
#3: scout out bathrooms that you'll hit race morning. I love finding a nearby hotel that I can hangout at and use their restrooms a few times prior to the race. IF they have bathrooms on floors other than the first they are golden = others won't find them
#4: My favorite marathon tradition was to dedicate miles to people that are important to me; especially the last 6.2 miles. For each, get in your head somebody to thank during that mile, and to concentrate on. Taking the focus off of the pain, and your HR (which I'm guessing you will be incessantly checking), will allow you to breathe more naturally and to concentrate on positives (awesome people) and not the negatives.
#5: Most importantly = Have a blast!!! Be ready to smile the entire time; to thank volunteers; to play up to the crowd. = enjoy EVERY second. You have worked your ### off for a long time, and your amazing reward is every single step and experience you have on race day. Relish every drop of it!! You've earned it.
The_Man
Footballguy
Sand - feel better soon, my friend.
Ned - congrats again. You are an excellent runner, and one of these days everything is going to come together for you on raceday and you are going to kill it. Sounds like things were actually going great for much of the race Sunday, until health issues kicked in.
I did 6 this morning, and am feeling a little sore from the race on Sunday. Tomorrow is a scheduled rest day, and I might end up taking Thursday off too, instead of my scheduled 4, if there's any lingering soreness. Then 3 on Friday, and it's race day on Saturday.
Weather is looking very good! Saturday's forecast calls for 43 degrees at 6 a.m., climbing to 56 by noon. That's a little warm, but the predicted dewpoint is very low - just 39 at noon. Sounds like there will be minimal humidity; I've heard that a combined temp+dewpoint of anything below 100 is optimal.
Wind forecast is for 4 mph out of the South at noon - so there might be a slight headwind for the second half, but the trail is very protected and with such light winds, I'm hopeful they won't be a factor at all.
I'm off starting tomorrow, and it's a good thing, as I'm starting to get too amped to get any work done anyway.
Ned - congrats again. You are an excellent runner, and one of these days everything is going to come together for you on raceday and you are going to kill it. Sounds like things were actually going great for much of the race Sunday, until health issues kicked in.
I did 6 this morning, and am feeling a little sore from the race on Sunday. Tomorrow is a scheduled rest day, and I might end up taking Thursday off too, instead of my scheduled 4, if there's any lingering soreness. Then 3 on Friday, and it's race day on Saturday.
Weather is looking very good! Saturday's forecast calls for 43 degrees at 6 a.m., climbing to 56 by noon. That's a little warm, but the predicted dewpoint is very low - just 39 at noon. Sounds like there will be minimal humidity; I've heard that a combined temp+dewpoint of anything below 100 is optimal.
Wind forecast is for 4 mph out of the South at noon - so there might be a slight headwind for the second half, but the trail is very protected and with such light winds, I'm hopeful they won't be a factor at all.
I'm off starting tomorrow, and it's a good thing, as I'm starting to get too amped to get any work done anyway.
pigskinliquors
Dr. Parrothead
Sand: So sorry to hear. Not having to endure a marathon and the needed training is certainly not all that bad. You are blessed to have swimming to fall back on. Hang int there GB.
So sorry to hear. Not having to endure a marathon and the needed training is certainly not all that bad. You are blessed to have swimming to fall back on. Hang int there GB.
Ned
Footballguy
You know, I'm sorry I forgot about this even after PMing you about it after you originally posted. Holy crap were you spot on or what?! I'm hoping this 170 zone is for real and something I can lean on in future races. I have a whole year to train for the next (wife only allowing me to do 1/year now).OK, I've hogged this thread too much. It's time to focus on The_Man crushing it this weekend in Baltimore.Ned: I predicted and tried to warn you about some of your race day problems/adventures...
My marathon experiences and Century ride experiences replicate your experience regarding HR. My HR escalates quicker than I like, and amazingly levels off for long durations that I can't sustain during normal training runs. I believe it's about finding your zone, and maintaining it. Your HR gets elevated due to excitement, and can be sustained if you can find that sweet spot of comfort while pushing.Ned: I like your plan. A few recommendations.
#1 set a time (not HR) goal for your first mile. Your HR will likely be up due to excitement, and if you look at your watch and your HR is higher than expected, your HR will possibly rise even further. First mile excitement is to be expected. Focus on your rhythm and cadence with a time goal. It's kind of like me thinking about Tommy Lasorda "in the heat of the moment"
#2: understand that your HR can be sustained higher on a race day than it can in training, and sometimes escalates faster than in training. Don't panic if that happens. Trust your training and your taper to sustain more than you think you have in the past. This is where your HR plan might need to be altered. Going slower to sustain HR can sometimes destroy your rhythm/cadence. Find your sweet spot and let it ride.
#3: scout out bathrooms that you'll hit race morning. I love finding a nearby hotel that I can hangout at and use their restrooms a few times prior to the race. IF they have bathrooms on floors other than the first they are golden = others won't find them
#4: My favorite marathon tradition was to dedicate miles to people that are important to me; especially the last 6.2 miles. For each, get in your head somebody to thank during that mile, and to concentrate on. Taking the focus off of the pain, and your HR (which I'm guessing you will be incessantly checking), will allow you to breathe more naturally and to concentrate on positives (awesome people) and not the negatives.
#5: Most importantly = Have a blast!!! Be ready to smile the entire time; to thank volunteers; to play up to the crowd. = enjoy EVERY second. You have worked your ### off for a long time, and your amazing reward is every single step and experience you have on race day. Relish every drop of it!! You've earned it.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Ned and liquors (et al) - I wonder if the elevated HR is in part due to the stimuli of the race environment. I noticed my HR running several beats higher than anticipated at Boston (with crowds and kids lining the streets) while not at Big Sur (cruising along with ocean views). Ned, your HR went down a bit around mile 6 ...wasn't that when the crowds started to thin, also?
Ned
Footballguy
Yes I think its the adrenaline dump from the environment with each person having different reactions to the conditions. I am talking out of my ### now, but I think my HR stayed more linear than usual due to that adrenaline rush slowly subsiding as I settled in. Coupled with the usual gradual HR creep I usually see, it sort of balanced out. Who the hell am I kidding. I don't have a fn clue.
Mile 6 was where the crowds were the most intense. All of Chestnut st was just a huge party that spanned from 5 to about 8. 6 was right about where the vevuzaling was going down. Maybe laughter is a good remedy for relaxing the HR?
pigskinliquors
Dr. Parrothead
I'd bet it's the excitement of the race environment. This is especially true for events that have flyovers, a great loud band, etc. to kick things off. I also agree with Ned that it's likely the adrenaline subsiding. I unfortunately only have HR splits for my last (and slowest) marathon, and ultra to go by for running events. For the marathon (Austin = Fireworks + Band) I was very elevated while for the ultra (quiet surreal start) my HR stayed very low. Looking at cycling data, my HR doesn't seem to get elevated until I have to put the hammer down. Cycling HR's jump around a lot, as it is MUCH easier to bring a HR down once it is up while pedaling. No such luxury for running. Looking at my last Hotter than Hell; my HR went:138142151167164168181 (putting the hammer down to catch the lead group; also losing Culdeus)164162156154 (while going 26.5 mph = effort fully leveled off; while sucking a wheel)For running, the only way to bring HR down drastically is to slow drastically or to walk/stop.'Ned said:Yes I think its the adrenaline dump from the environment with each person having different reactions to the conditions. I am talking out of my ### now, but I think my HR stayed more linear than usual due to that adrenaline rush slowly subsiding as I settled in. Coupled with the usual gradual HR creep I usually see, it sort of balanced out. Who the hell am I kidding. I don't have a fn clue.'tri-man 47 said:
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