Ran a 10k in June (3 Viewers)

[pigskinliquors]

overall place: 278 out of 294

division place: 40 out of 40

place among people in the area capable of finishing a 10K: 40 of 1,000

gender place: 139 out of 142

time: 1:06:27

pace: 10:42

Fixed. Good job ...you're doin' it! One race at a time ...one season at a time. Be proud.

YOU finished a race on the same day that many people didn't do squat. You earned

 

[El Floppo]

I ran in my first ever 10K race tonight. I may be fat and slow, but I finished and I only walked briefly through the 2 water stations.Here's the summary from the online results:age: 39gender: Moverall place: 278 out of 294division place: 40 out of 40 gender place: 139 out of 142time: 1:06:27pace: 10:42So, once again I was last in my division. The same thing happened when I ran my first 5K last summer. It's a good thing I have no pride! I was shooting for about 60 minutes, so I'm a little disappointed in my time, but I really did take it easy because with less than 3 weeks until my first half marathon I just don't want to get injured and my knees are finally starting to come around. After this half marathon is over, I may need to start working on my speed - unless I get crazy and start training for a full marathon.

Awesome that you finished. That should always be your #1 goal when running a new distance race for the first time!!!

Very Congrats on the race, shmeg!

 

[El Floppo]

Old man - Poppa only 48.

This is a nice pick-me-up for those old guy. I'm 40, and you guys are making me feel young

39, greybeard.It's nice to feel like a spring chicken again...

 

[GStrot]

I ran in my first ever 10K race tonight. I may be fat and slow, but I finished and I only walked briefly through the 2 water stations.Here's the summary from the online results:age: 39gender: Moverall place: 278 out of 294division place: 40 out of 40 gender place: 139 out of 142time: 1:06:27pace: 10:42So, once again I was last in my division. The same thing happened when I ran my first 5K last summer. It's a good thing I have no pride! I was shooting for about 60 minutes, so I'm a little disappointed in my time, but I really did take it easy because with less than 3 weeks until my first half marathon I just don't want to get injured and my knees are finally starting to come around. After this half marathon is over, I may need to start working on my speed - unless I get crazy and start training for a full marathon.

Awesome that you finished. That should always be your #1 goal when running a new distance race for the first time!!!

I agree with this guy. Congratulations on finishing! Hopefully I can do the same thing in a couple of weeks. I am not even going to check my standings.

 

[El Floppo]

I was shooting for about 60 minutes, so I'm a little disappointed in my time, but I really did take it easy because with less than 3 weeks until my first half marathon I just don't want to get injured and my knees are finally starting to come around.

Congratulations on finishing the 10K. I wouldn't worry about your time at all if I were you. If you're training for a half marathon, you were probably running on tired legs to start with, and like you said it would be silly to get injured running a "side" race while you're training for something bigger. Good luck with half.

Another very You're in the middle of training for your "A" race. This was a "B" race at best and IK is dead-on: this was more about putting in the miles on tired legs than "racing". How did you feel at the end? Anything left? ie: could you imagine running some more... like another 10k?

 

[GStrot]

I don't know any sites, but one song that I mentally will 'play' sometimes is the Doobie Brothers 'China Grove.' It jumps right in with a strong guitar lick, focused on the first beat as the down beat, and it's a fast tune. Some old Joe Walsh/James Gang stuff works well, too, as does some Bruce Springsteen. In one of my early triathlons, "Cabaret" popped into my head near the start of the run. I could not shake that song for miles. So now I also plan out the music that I'll focus on during a race (without headphones - I just 'play' the song as I plod along). Of course, you probably aren't looking for old music like this ...

Aren't we about the same age? (42 here)According to one of the sites I found, Cabaret comes in at 218bpm. I don't think I'm quite prepared for a sub-2hr marathon just yet. Of course, this number might already be doubled (an 80bpm song is the same as a 160bpm song, just hit the beat with one foot instead of both...similar to "green lights are timed for 45" means they're also timed for 90 lol) for whatever reason, so in actuality it may be a 109bpm song instead, which is too slow when compared to 160bpm.

Springsteen's "Born To Run" (how apt) comes in at 145bpm. Might be close enough to use as a slowdown/rest pace, or perhaps I can try the "beat adjuster" software I've seen on one of the sites to speed it up to 160ish (The Boss on helium!).

I don't mind "old" songs. In fact, several Beach Boys' (and others of that era) tunes are in the 160 range. Heck Glen Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" comes in at 78bpm (=156). Might be the perfect tune to play -- catch a nap, while staying on pace! lol

I'm more of an 80's and Classic Rock guy. Aerosmith, AC/DC, Billy Idol, Van Halen, Skynyrd, Zepp, etc, as long as I can find the pearls at around 160bpm. Pretty much if a video was made of a song during the 80's (before MTV gave up their founding premise ), I probably like it. However, not many of the songs from these artists are finding their way into the databases I've found so far. The search goes on........

Aerobic Instructors (good ones at least) have to know the bpm for the mixes they create and use. My guess is for you to look for a site for them

That might get you in trouble with the wife.

 

[GStrot]

:(

Old man - Poppa only 48.

This is a nice pick-me-up for those old guy. I'm 40, and you guys are making me feel young

39, greybeard.It's nice to feel like a spring chicken again...

34.I will be almost 35 during the race which sucks because the higher age group cut off is 35 so I will be with everyone younger than me. Hence, not checking the standings.

 

[Poppa]

:(

Old man - Poppa only 48.

This is a nice pick-me-up for those old guy. I'm 40, and you guys are making me feel young

You youngsters have many miles to look forward to... Excellent run Schmeg - you've much to be proud of!

 

[Cowboys#1]

So I did some speed work yesterday and I really, really hurt my left hammy. I didnt feel it pop but I was running on a soccer field and it wasnt perfectly even. I took a long stride to avoid a rock and I landed really awkwardly.. right away my hammy tightened up and I'm still in discomfort now. I hope this clears up before tomorrows 5k or I'll be shooting for 25:00 instead of 20:00

Regarding the Garmin 305 us in Canada are getting screwed. It costs $410 Canadian and I saw it for as little as $210 US.

 

[pigskinliquors]

So I did some speed work yesterday and I really, really hurt my left hammy. I didnt feel it pop but I was running on a soccer field and it wasnt perfectly even. I took a long stride to avoid a rock and I landed really awkwardly.. right away my hammy tightened up and I'm still in discomfort now. I hope this clears up before tomorrows 5k or I'll be shooting for 25:00 instead of 20:00

Take it ez today and hope.

Regarding the Garmin 305 us in Canada are getting screwed. It costs $410 Canadian and I saw it for as little as $210 US.

I bought it for $248 U.S. AND got a $50 rebate = $198

 

[tri-man 47]

So I did some speed work yesterday and I really, really hurt my left hammy. I didnt feel it pop but I was running on a soccer field and it wasnt perfectly even. I took a long stride to avoid a rock and I landed really awkwardly.. right away my hammy tightened up and I'm still in discomfort now. I hope this clears up before tomorrows 5k or I'll be shooting for 25:00 instead of 20:00

That's a big-time bummer. Maybe you can lightly massage it tonight to loosen it some, and then give yourself plenty of time to work it loose in the morning before the race. Be careful, though ...you'll have more races.

 

[El Floppo]

So I did some speed work yesterday and I really, really hurt my left hammy. I didnt feel it pop but I was running on a soccer field and it wasnt perfectly even. I took a long stride to avoid a rock and I landed really awkwardly.. right away my hammy tightened up and I'm still in discomfort now. I hope this clears up before tomorrows 5k or I'll be shooting for 25:00 instead of 20:00

That's a big-time bummer. Maybe you can lightly massage it tonight to loosen it some, and then give yourself plenty of time to work it loose in the morning before the race. Be careful, though ...you'll have more races.

I'd go as far as saying to bail on the race unless you know you won't be tempted to push the pace; there'll be plenty of other races for you this year, but not so many if you further blow-out your ham tomorrow.Sorry about the injury- hopefully you'll feel better tomorrow. Injuries ####### suck.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

So I did some speed work yesterday and I really, really hurt my left hammy. I didnt feel it pop but I was running on a soccer field and it wasnt perfectly even. I took a long stride to avoid a rock and I landed really awkwardly.. right away my hammy tightened up and I'm still in discomfort now. I hope this clears up before tomorrows 5k or I'll be shooting for 25:00 instead of 20:00 :(

That's a big-time bummer. Maybe you can lightly massage it tonight to loosen it some, and then give yourself plenty of time to work it loose in the morning before the race. Be careful, though ...you'll have more races.

I'd go as far as saying to bail on the race unless you know you won't be tempted to push the pace; there'll be plenty of other races for you this year, but not so many if you further blow-out your ham tomorrow.Sorry about the injury- hopefully you'll feel better tomorrow. Injuries ####### suck.

I was going to say something about how you should consider ditching the race as well.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

Any advice for running a race (not training runs) in the rain? Looks like the weather for my race next week might be a little wet.

Run between the raindrops!! :( If you don't have a cheap parka/raincoat that you don't mind throwing away, cut some neck/arm holes in a large trash bag. This will keep you dry as you wait for the gun.Once you get going, you can pitch it (get way over to the side of the road so you don't interfere with other runners), or keep wearing it if it's not too restrictive and it's still raining (as opposed to sprinkling). The less wet you get, the less water you have to carry with you soaked into your clothes.Don't wear cotton. That'll soak up the rain like nobody's business. That's why today's runners wear dry-fit or cool-max clothing, to wick away sweat. Cotton soaks up sweat, so obviously it'll soak up rain. A light rain with cool-max, you shouldn't even notice that you're damp.Try to avoid the big puddles (and mega-soaked shoes), but don't dance around so much that you hurt yourself or impede other runners. Another reason to avoid the puddles is that they may be hiding a pothole.Stick to your hydration routine. Being damp from the rain can fool you into thinking you don't need to drink, but do it anyhow.Above all, don't worry about the rain. The only way you're going to avoid it is not to run. If you're going to run anyhow, just , run your race, and be sure to get some of the chicks in wet t-shirts for us. :X

 

[El Floppo]

Any advice for running a race (not training runs) in the rain? Looks like the weather for my race next week might be a little wet.

Run between the raindrops!! If you don't have a cheap parka/raincoat that you don't mind throwing away, cut some neck/arm holes in a large trash bag. This will keep you dry as you wait for the gun.Once you get going, you can pitch it (get way over to the side of the road so you don't interfere with other runners), or keep wearing it if it's not too restrictive and it's still raining (as opposed to sprinkling). The less wet you get, the less water you have to carry with you soaked into your clothes.Don't wear cotton. That'll soak up the rain like nobody's business. That's why today's runners wear dry-fit or cool-max clothing, to wick away sweat. Cotton soaks up sweat, so obviously it'll soak up rain. A light rain with cool-max, you shouldn't even notice that you're damp.Try to avoid the big puddles (and mega-soaked shoes), but don't dance around so much that you hurt yourself or impede other runners. Another reason to avoid the puddles is that they may be hiding a pothole.Stick to your hydration routine. Being damp from the rain can fool you into thinking you don't need to drink, but do it anyhow.Above all, don't worry about the rain. The only way you're going to avoid it is not to run. If you're going to run anyhow, just , run your race, and be sure to get some of the chicks in wet t-shirts for us.

In before JoeB shows us that torrential pic from IM Lake Placid.excellently RS.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

Several Garmin 305's on eBay. One advertised is $238 BIN, $15 S&H, and mentions the $50 rebate. I got my 201 on eBay a couple years ago, and patiently waited out the other buyers until I found the best deal. I still can't understand why 50 people will bid up one auction to retail price while there are 49 other auctions that they all could have bid on separately and each gotten the item for well below retail.

I've gotten behind on paying attention to who's run recently, and who has a race in the near future, so I'll just start over by saying congrats to the recent racers and good luck to those with events coming up!

 

[Cowboys#1]

I would love to skip the run tomorrow but it's my last one until I do a 10k at the end of june.. I will take it very easy but I know myself and I know that once I see the 40 year old wimmens fly by that I'm picking it up hammy or no hammy.

 

[El Floppo]

I would love to skip the run tomorrow but it's my last one until I do a 10k at the end of june.. I will take it very easy but I know myself and I know that once I see the 40 year old wimmens fly by that I'm picking it up hammy or no hammy.

Man... I hear ya loud and clear on that. It kills me to have anybody pass me- let alone clowns in running shoes.That's why the advice to not run. Better to not be tempted at all if you can't hold back.I got injured in the training leading up to my IM a couple years' back. I shut things down as much as I could, but still had to keep training and had a couple of races in front of me that I wanted to at least partially complete... that was tough, especially on the run where according to plan, I had to go lightly and quit after a few miles each race. Really hard to do either, but with a major "A" race looming on the horizon, I knew I didn't have a choice.

 

[gruecd]

Above all, don't worry about the rain. The only way you're going to avoid it is not to run. If you're going to run anyhow, just , run your race, and be sure to get some of the chicks in wet t-shirts for us.

Great advice. The first 8 miles of my first-ever marathon were run in a torrential downpour, and it really wasn't that big of a deal. They gave us raincoat-type things at the start, but I ditched mine after the first couple of miles. As long as it's not wet AND cold, you've got nothing to worry about.

 

[Poppa]

...let alone clowns in running shoes.

No such thing...

 

[IvanKaramazov]

...let alone clowns in running shoes.

No such thing...

You missed a softball.

 

[tri-man 47]

Huh:

Interesting relay races

A friend of mine mentioned these to me. He and his team have done very well in the Wasatch race.

 

[Schmegma]

Huh:

Interesting relay races

A friend of mine mentioned these to me. He and his team have done very well in the Wasatch race.

I tried to get a group together for the Great River relay listed on that site. Not a single person said yes, except for the smartasses who "volunteered" to drive, not knowing the rule that everyone in the vehicle must run.I think it sounds like a great time!

 

[RoarinSonoran]

Above all, don't worry about the rain. The only way you're going to avoid it is not to run. If you're going to run anyhow, just , run your race, and be sure to get some of the chicks in wet t-shirts for us.

Great advice. The first 8 miles of my first-ever marathon were run in a torrential downpour, and it really wasn't that big of a deal. They gave us raincoat-type things at the start, but I ditched mine after the first couple of miles. As long as it's not wet AND cold, you've got nothing to worry about.

This time of year, cold shouldn't be a problem, but the rain should definitely cool things down. The first three miles in Dublin were in a light rain, and it was perfect! I was hoping for a little rain in Nashville, but alas it was not to be. A few spots on the windshield of the shuttle bus to the start area and that was it.

Huh:

Interesting relay races

A friend of mine mentioned these to me. He and his team have done very well in the Wasatch race.

I think my doc and my ol' coach were on a team that did this (the Del Sol one a few weeks ago). Doc thinks he may have a stress fracture in his foot as a result. lol

 

[wraith5]

(marathon on Saturday)

Me too. Good luck!

Glllllllllllllllllll!!!!Run fast and strong (both relative terms, of course!!) (gatorade, of course)

 

[wraith5]

I ran in my first ever 10K race tonight. I may be fat and slow, but I finished and I only walked briefly through the 2 water stations.Here's the summary from the online results:age: 39gender: Moverall place: 278 out of 294division place: 40 out of 40 gender place: 139 out of 142time: 1:06:27pace: 10:42So, once again I was last in my division. The same thing happened when I ran my first 5K last summer. It's a good thing I have no pride! I was shooting for about 60 minutes, so I'm a little disappointed in my time, but I really did take it easy because with less than 3 weeks until my first half marathon I just don't want to get injured and my knees are finally starting to come around. After this half marathon is over, I may need to start working on my speed - unless I get crazy and start training for a full marathon.

You were one of 300 people who got up off their ##### and ran the race - I don't care if you finished in 2:06:27 - you accomplished something only a small percentage of people ever actually accomplish. Congratulations for that and be PROUD!!

 

[El Floppo]

I've been pretty good this week: 2 short 25 min. runs (per doc's orders) 30 min bike session on the trainer (easy spin just to try and get the legs used to it again and test the knee), just got back from the pool- 700 yds of mostly 100s and 50s (again- trying to get back into things slowly), going to jump on the trainer again for 40 mins once I get some work out this afternoon.

If not for this thread, I GUARANTEE that I wouldn't be doing any of this.

You guys have been such a profound inspiration to me- both the speedy vets and the complete noobs. to all of you!!

Now I have to pick a couple of short running races in the next month to give myself some goals before getting into my training schedule for NYC Marathon in the fall.

For the rest of you Tri-guys, a new really interesting race- IM Newfoundland July 29th. A bit soon for me (especially with the baby due the end of June) to get into shape where I could "race" it, but I'll definitely be thinking about it for next year.

The swimming is getting my tri-juices flowing again... mebbe do an IM next year with Pigskin? Hmmmmm? Howzabout it, gb?

 

[GStrot]

If not for this thread, I GUARANTEE that I wouldn't be doing any of this.You guys have been such a profound inspiration to me- both the speedy vets and the complete noobs. to all of you!!

I would like to echo these comments. I don't think I have said thank you enough for all the help and support that people have posted in this thread. Good luck to everyone racing this weekend.

 

[RustyFA]

GREAT JOB SCHEMGMA! -sp?

That is great.

28 here.

 

[wraith5]

I created this other thread where I've asked if anyone knows of music databases in the innernest that would also display the beats-per-minute of the songs. Not many replies, but I'm finding a few sources and am still searching. I'd like to find songs in the 160bpm range to put on my Ipod (150bpm = 10:00 pace; 160 = 9:00, 170 = 8:00), hopefully to help pick up my tempo and give me a push when the monkey is trying to jump on my back.

Anyhow, I just stumbled upon a site with some good prospects (still not finding the definitive be-all-end-all list). One song that I just have to include is Dionne Warwick's "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", coming in at 158bpm.

How did you arrive at those paces based on BPM? This is an interesting concept to me and want to learn more: I generally run to music, but I don't set my pace to the music. I just listen to stuff I like to run to (Metallica, Drowning Pool, Marilyn Manson, Methods of Mayhem, POD, Eminem...) and go. I do have a playlist (not IPOD) of my favorites that tend to be faster paced, but I've never looked specifically at pace & BPM...

 

[RoarinSonoran]

I created this other thread where I've asked if anyone knows of music databases in the innernest that would also display the beats-per-minute of the songs. Not many replies, but I'm finding a few sources and am still searching. I'd like to find songs in the 160bpm range to put on my Ipod (150bpm = 10:00 pace; 160 = 9:00, 170 = 8:00), hopefully to help pick up my tempo and give me a push when the monkey is trying to jump on my back.

Anyhow, I just stumbled upon a site with some good prospects (still not finding the definitive be-all-end-all list). One song that I just have to include is Dionne Warwick's "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", coming in at 158bpm.

How did you arrive at those paces based on BPM? This is an interesting concept to me and want to learn more: I generally run to music, but I don't set my pace to the music. I just listen to stuff I like to run to (Metallica, Drowning Pool, Marilyn Manson, Methods of Mayhem, POD, Eminem...) and go. I do have a playlist (not IPOD) of my favorites that tend to be faster paced, but I've never looked specifically at pace & BPM...

Innernest. link There doesn't seem to be a magical formula, at least it's not obvious. I'll keep plugging away at it.

ETA: another link that echoes the numbers of the link above (still no formula)

ETA2: while searching for the formula (search term: "running pace beats per minute", no quotes), I found this site selling cassette tapes with some ideas of songs to use...cassette tapes!!

 

[Schmegma]

I created this other thread where I've asked if anyone knows of music databases in the innernest that would also display the beats-per-minute of the songs. Not many replies, but I'm finding a few sources and am still searching. I'd like to find songs in the 160bpm range to put on my Ipod (150bpm = 10:00 pace; 160 = 9:00, 170 = 8:00), hopefully to help pick up my tempo and give me a push when the monkey is trying to jump on my back.

Anyhow, I just stumbled upon a site with some good prospects (still not finding the definitive be-all-end-all list). One song that I just have to include is Dionne Warwick's "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", coming in at 158bpm.



(* for those of you just tuning in, see my sig for my upcoming races...the final race in the series is in San Jose )

I replied in the other thread. I am pretty much a guru when it comes to running to music based on the BPM.

RS - Perhaps you missed this post? Tapping out your own BPM is really very simple.

 

[Cowboys#1]

im such a junkie.. i was out bike riding the course today and theres a running room on the way.. i walk in saw some shoes try them on.. took them for a spin and bought them. I know they say dont change anything for a race but I'm wearing these new shoes.. they are amazing!

I tend to slightly over pronate and these shoes should help that out.. they are wider than my old nikes and they breathe so much I think my toes caught a cold.

http://store.reebok.com/product/index.jsp?...rentPage=family

I did a very short 2k warm up tonight and the hammy seems to be hanging in okay.. let's hope i feel this way this time tomorrow!

 

[IvanKaramazov]

im such a junkie.. i was out bike riding the course today and theres a running room on the way.. i walk in saw some shoes try them on.. took them for a spin and bought them. I know they say dont change anything for a race but I'm wearing these new shoes.. they are amazing!

We'll put that on your tombstone. :doomed:

 

[El Floppo]

im such a junkie.. i was out bike riding the course today and theres a running room on the way.. i walk in saw some shoes try them on.. took them for a spin and bought them. I know they say dont change anything for a race but I'm wearing these new shoes.. they are amazing!

We'll put that on your tombstone. :doomed:

In the history of bad ideas, this isn't anywhere near the top- especially for a 5k. But considering the tweaked hammy and that it's a race- it's also a long ways from the bottom of that list.

 

[DolphinsPhan]

Awesome run for me this morning. 7 miles in under an hour

2 miles @ 9m/m, 3 miles @ 8:30 m/m, 2 miles @ 8m/m (5k goal pace). Felt great afterwards.

Thanks again for everyone in this thread for keeping up the motivation.

I would also like to thank the makers of Nike DriFit, Adidas ClimaLite and Mizuno running shoes

 

[Darrinll40]

This morning I extended my long run from 5.5 miles to 6.29 (according to mapmyrun.com). My only goal was to make it a nice easy run and to keep a steady pace. I ran it in 1:01:32, for a 9:47 m/m pace. Right now I really feel good, but right after I was done my right calf was complaining a little. An hour or so after my run it stopped, so I am not really worried about it. My next 5K is not until July 1, then not until September. Central Florida summers seem to be filled with half marathons and marathons. I am also training for a 10k but that is not until next February. I am going to try and increase my long run by at least half a mile every month, but I will have to see how that goes.

Overall I am happy about my progress to date.

I hope everyone else is doing as well.

Have a great weekend.

 

[gruecd]

Just got back from my 5K. Finished in 19:36, the same time as my PR from last fall, but on a much more hilly course. Placed 42nd out of a couple thousand participants and 14th in the 30-39 age group. Averaged 6:19 pace for the 3.1 miles, although my Garmin says that I ran 3.23 miles, which brings me down to 6:04.

Just a couple of 4-milers and a couple of 6-milers on the schedule for next week, and then Green Bay next Sunday!

 

[RoarinSonoran]

Bleah, what a morning. First I slept through two snooze alarms before I realized it was Saturday and I should have gotten up on the first alarm to go run.

I intended to do 2x5mi loops = 10mi, but ended up cutting it short and only doing 8mi. After the first loop, I just felt so bleah (it was too warm already, so I'll have to get up earlier next week) that I only got in another mile+ before it was time to walk. I walked most of the next mile (mostly uphill, then running the downhills), and then ran the last 1/2mi downhill to finish up the 8mi.

What a sucky start to a lllloooooonnnngggg day (gotta come in to work today, trying to squeeze a few more hours into the week to finish a project).

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Cliffs Notes: I got a dehyrdation cramp around mile 20, so my marathon ended up sucking horribly, but I still finished.

Long Version: The marathon started at 7:00 with reasonably good weather. Clear skies, no rain, but wind out of the east at 10-20 mph. The wind conditions were a little disappointing because it's been surprisingly still the past couple of days, but that wind is definitely nothing out of the oridnary for this area, so conditions were on the upper end of what one might reasonably have expected.

I had already decided to err on the side of starting too slow, and the Mile 1 marker I was just under 10:00, so that was my cue to speed things up a little, which I did. By the end of Mile 13, I was very pleased with how things were going, as I was running ~9:15. That's slightly slower than my "dream scenario" of 9:09, but still very good for me. I wasn't winded at all and not especially tired. Everything was looking great.

Then trouble began.

Sometime around Mile 16, I started to get some pain in my left knee. I don't have any special knee problems, but this felt a little worse than just your standard ache that goes away after a little while. I slowed down a bit at this point so as not to aggravate it and partly because Miles 16-18 is usually where I start to have a hard time maintaining pace anyway. Since things were going so well otherwise, I didn't think too much of this.

Well, by Mile 18, my knee was starting to feel a bit better, but now I was getting pain in my left hip. Again, I was not overly concerned at first, since I figured this was a result of over-compensating for my left knee. Watch your form, no problem. However, my hip got much worse very quickly. It eventually got to the point where I'm sure I was noticeably limping, and it felt like if I had reached down to touch my hip I would have pulled back a hand covered in blood -- that kind of pain.

So about half a mile or so after the Mile 20 marker, I admitted defeat. I stopped and walked.

This absolutely sucked becaused the one main goal I had for this race was to finish without walking. Granted, this was something outside of my control, but I spent a lot of time training for this race, and I was bitterly disappointed to have to stop at all. I tried doing some walk/run right off the bat, but that didn't help. For about 1/2 mile (or maybe even a full mile; I was distraught at the time and may be getting some details wrong), I could barely walk at all. I was seriously concerned that I wouldn't even be able to walk the last six miles and some scrub would have to come and get me off the course. I was also concerned that I had run for too long on that hip when it was obvious that something was the matter, and that I had seriously injured myself somehow.

Anyway, I resolved to finish this course come hell or high water, so I spent the next several miles doing run/walk, with a heavy empahsis on the "walk" part. Again, this was really depressing because by the time I got to Mile 22 or so, I was starting to get passed by a lot of the same people I had put behind me at the halfway point. Every time I would try to run, though, I couldn't make it more than a couple hundred yards (tops) without getting excruciating hip pain, so there really wasn't much I could do about it.

Finally at about Mile 23, the pain more or less completely went away. I had not been injured at all. Rather, it was just a cramp. I was used to being able to drink as much as I wanted during my long training runs; on my 20-miler, I drank two full bottles of PowerAde (the big bottles, I'm not sure how many ounces) and 1 1/2 12-oz bottles of water. There were aid stations every mile and a half during this race, but they were only handing out water and PowerAde in little 4 oz cups. I know that's designed to prevent hyponatremia, but I was never worried about that in the first place. The combination of walking and double-fisting liquids at a couple consecutive aid stations cleared up the cramp and I was back on my way.

I was able to run almost the entire last three miles, the only two exceptions being one street crossing and the last aid station, where I was very careful to take plenty of fluids.

Final time: ~4:55. (I don't know my chip time yet).

As of yesterday, I was fully expecting to finish this race between 4:15 and 4:20. Just a couple weeks ago I ran my 20-miler in 3:18 IIRC, which I know isn't exactly burning it up but which isn't even remotely indicative of the time I actually clocked here on race day. I thought maybe, if the weather is good, I might be able to flirt with 4:00, and maybe if the weather was bad I might drag my ### across the line at 4:30, but if you had told me that I would not only miss the 4:30 mark but would struggle just to crack five hours, I would have assumed that I must have gotten hurt somewhere in the race, which is of course exactly what happened, but that doesn't make it any better.

On one hand I am not inconsolable about this race. I did finish, and my incredibly poor performance was due to something that I had never had any problems with before and which was largely outside of my control. I could have done a better job of hydration earlier in the race, and if I had had more experience, perhaps I would have known that. Still, I had never any issue with hip/leg cramps ever on any run of any distance, so of course it figures that they would flare up for the first time during the one race I've been training religiously for for months. But still, at least I can cross "Run a Marathon" off the List Of Things I Want To Do Before I Die, so that's cool.

Still, it's very disappointing to finish so slowly when I'm 100% confident that I could have turned in at least a 25 minute better time. But I got my shirt, I got my finisher's medal, and my wife PRed in the Half, so there will be many beers consumed in the Karamazov household today.

 

[El Floppo]

IK... bummer about the cramp. Gotta say I've never heard of a hip cramp, but I'm very glad it wasn't something worse.

Incredible work gutting your way through it- how many people probably would have just shut it down when the pain got too bad.

This sounds like one of those races to flie away in the "experience" file. You fought though adversity and got it done. That's one more marathon for your legs and body to remember for the next time when you'll hopefully put it all together the way you want to.

Other people have said it in here, and I'm going to try and remember it when I'm running my races his season at paces and times far below what I had gotten used to- finishing is the important thing, especially for something as long as a marthon.

Great, inspiring work!

 

[RoarinSonoran]

But still, at least I can cross "Run a Marathon" off the List Of Things I Want To Do Before I Die, so that's cool.

:scribblesRunAnotherMarathonOnIK'sList:

Bummer on the cramp. Sounds a lot like my PF Chang's race back in January (it's been four months already? ). Pushing through an injury of any sort is usually not good, but knowing your body and just how far you can push it makes all the difference.

Be sure you and the wife do the usual shut-down steps (hydrate, eat, ice bath, etc, whatever might be on your list) before you starting imbibing. Neither of you want to wake up tomorrow and be unable to walk. Tho, your wife probably won't mind (assuming she's a mom?), cuz you're planning to carry her around everywhere cuz it's Mother's Day, right? lol

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Unfortunately, I ageed to take the kids to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tomorrow so she can have some down-time on Mother's Day. She's free to lounge around. I need to take some more ibuprofin (sp?). My knee has definitely stiffened up a lot. I should ice it down too.

 

[RoarinSonoran]

I need to take some more ibuprofin (sp?). My knee has definitely stiffened up a lot. I should ice it down too.

Thanks for the lightbulb-moment. My I-T is achey, and I hadn't even considered taking any Ibu. I did have a cool bath right after my run (didn't think about adding ice, forgetting that the time of year where "really cold water isn't coming out of the tap until November" is upon us lol), and then a couple rounds with an ice pack since then.

 

[tri-man 47]

gruecd, nice 5K! But IK, so sorry to hear about the difficulties ...especially the frustration knowing that it was a cramp that you ultimately were able to address. (Good, though, that it wasn't a true injury that sets you back for a long time). As least you persevered. You'll be back.

Unlike RoarinS, I was able to get up and out promptly this morning. I had hoped to sleep in for a change ...but woke up at 5:00 a.m. and immediately had thoughts of "hmm, if I start my workout at 6:00 a.m., I can be back to wake my daughter for work by 8:30 a.m." So up I was. I did an hour of easy biking through the north and west side of Chicago followed by an 8 mile run, which I did too fast (sub 8:00/miles), but dang, it felt great. A long nap, a few hours of removing/washing upstairs windows with the mrs., and now it's time to chill.

Feel better, IK, in all respects.

 

[Schmegma]

I use Accelerade for longer workouts. I've definitely noticed that it is more effective than Gatorade. When I'd do some long stationary bike rides in my basement (~ 2 hours or so), I'd notice that drinking Gatorade wouldn't quench my need an energy boost, but Accelerade did. I used to drink the lemon lime, but in my last order I switched to the orange, and both are good (something of an acquired taste). On recent long runs I have also noticed that Gatorade, after a while, kind of "bites" the throat while Accelerade goes down smoother.

I've only had Gatorade Endurance when they handed it out during my 1/2-Ironman bike leg last summer. Whoa! That's a sodium-taste jolt. I drank it 'cause I considered it necessary, but it was not in any way refreshing. I finally took a straight water bottle at my last exchange and it was heavenly after the taste of the Gatorade Endurance.

For my marathon, I'll probably wear my Fuel Belt so that I can take a couple 7 oz. containers of Accelerade and carry a couple of gels ...but it will depend on what they're handing out on the course (I hear Mad City doesn't offer a great selection).

FYI for tri-man - At the Madison Marathon, Gatorade Endurance Formula will be available at marathon miles: 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24; GU Energy Gel: 13, 17, 23; Fruit: 18, 21, 24.I've always liked Gatorade, so I picked up a few bottles of the endurance formula and I really can't tell the difference, so I'll probably drink whatever they give me on the course. (ONLY TWO WEEKS AWAY! We need to make some plans for Saturday night SOON.)

And thanks to everyone who chatted up Accelerade. I picked up a tub of the lemon-lime, and this is my new favorite sports drink. I have also noticed a significant reduction in my next-day stiffness and soreness since adding this to my after run hydration. The protein must be helping, so I'm forever in your debt for making this recommendation.

I don't know what I'd do without you experienced guys who are so willing to share your knowledge and experience. I can't thank you enough for all the support and motivation.

If I die during my 9 mile run tomorrow, I've advised my wife to post in this thread and to invite you to the funeral.

 

[wraith5]

Cliffs Notes: I got a dehyrdation cramp around mile 20, so my marathon ended up sucking horribly, but I still finished....it's very disappointing to finish so slowly when I'm 100% confident that I could have turned in at least a 25 minute better time. But I got my shirt, I got my finisher's medal, and my wife PRed in the Half, so there will be many beers consumed in the Karamazov household today.

October 10, 2004: Chicago MarathonGoal time: 4:15Finish time: 4:47:40Got dehydrated, puked at mile 20, literally laid down at the side of the road for a minute at mile 23 because my head was spinning. In other words: I understand. Congratulations on the finish. At the end of the day, that's what counts.

 

[wraith5]

Two weeks out from the SoldierField10 mile, so I decided to take the training wheels off and see what I can do...

Ideally, I am hoping I can dial in a sub-80 for the race, so that's what I targeted today (41 front, 39 back). I finished with a 40:47 / 39:50 for a very near miss and a course PR by over a minute. My last mile was a 7:37, which is about what I can typically muster up to finish a 6 miler on a good day.

The next two weeks will go pretty easy - nothing over 6 miles and nothing too fast. If my mile splits start with a "7" at the race, I will be very, very happy.

You guys out there consistently running 7's amaze me, but it's the guys running the 9's and 10's who inspire me.

 

[Schmegma]

I hoped to get up early and do my 9 mile run before all the neighbors start mowing their lawns, etc, but it's 47 degrees (feels like 44) and raining right now.

According to the forecast it's supposed to clear up around 3:00 and the temp should be up to a whopping 63 degrees by then, so I guess I'll have to find something else to do this morning.

It is mother's day, so I guess I could do something nice for my wife.

 

[El Floppo]

I hoped to get up early and do my 9 mile run before all the neighbors start mowing their lawns, etc, but it's 47 degrees (feels like 44) and raining right now.

According to the forecast it's supposed to clear up around 3:00 and the temp should be up to a whopping 63 degrees by then, so I guess I'll have to find something else to do this morning.

It is mother's day, so I guess I could do something nice for my wife.

It's easy to tell you this from the comfort of home and not really in training for anything- but I highly recommend sticking to your proposed time (ie: the same time as the race) and getting out and running regardless what the weather is. You never know what race-day will bring, and it's better to be used to putting in long miles in any kind of conditions, not just optimum conditions.That said- I'm waiting until this afternoon to hopefully get on my bike.