2016 Chicago Marathon Race Report
The weekend got off to a good start on Saturday morning. Got to meet
@tri-man 47 for a shake out/warm up run before his half marathon. Drove down to meet him, and the morning couldn't have been more perfect for running - about 44 degrees or so. Found him pretty quickly - he's a tall dude and was easy to spot. Went on a 2.4 mile run, and the pace was 9:43 and my heart rate was 141. This was pretty much inline with what I had been seeing leading up to the marathon, and so I started to formulate a plan in my head for the race, but more on that in a minute.
While we only spent about 35-40 minutes together, you get a sense of the kind of person tri-man is. We talked about running (and I gleaned a couple of tips off of him, specifically doing some track speed runs in the future, which I know is something I lack), family, and kids. I could tell pretty quickly that he is a good man, a good family man, and you could sense his pride in his family (and his pending grandbaby - congrats!). So thanks to him for the invite and the company.
The Pre-Race Plan
Going in, I pretty much knew I wasn't going to hit sub 4:00. That was my plan at the beginning of the training cycle, but it became clear to me back in June that I did not have the mental capacity right now to get there. This training cycle was a chore for me. I do not like to run early in the morning, so my training runs became mentally tough - meaning, just get done with them. And that's the wrong attitude I know.
So consequently, I did little speed work. I tried to run some faster miles, but I just don't have the mental capacity right now to shut out the distractions like heat and humidity to be able to do the proper type of runs. Those conditions are hard for me and my body. And somehow, I need to figure out how to get past that if I want to continue to get better.
So on race day, I thought I should be able to keep my heart rate somewhere in the 158-160 range and should be able to hold that through the race. Based on training runs and fresh legs because of the taper and hoping for cooler temps, I figured if I could be in that HR zone most of the day I should be able to be at a pace around 9:30 or so, which would put me in a finish time around 4:10. So that was my plan.
Race Day
The build up all week was perfect. My nutrition was really good, and I did my runs that week later in the day so I could sleep in. This helped a lot I thought. So on race day morning, I felt really good. Had my normal race day breakfast of peanut butter toast and half of a banana, and drank half a coke along with some water. Had a good dump, but had no real stomach issues to worry about. Mixed up my tailwind, got my stuff together, and we headed to the race.
If you remember from last year, we had some parking snafu's, so this year we pre-booked a spot again, but knowing the course better this year I picked a spot right on Congress, which is the road leading to the start-finish line in Grant Park. The parking lot was right off the highway, and our spot was ready when we got there. We left about 30 minutes earlier than last year, so we had time to stay warm in the car before we walked the .5 miles to Grant Park.
Got into the corral area about 30 minutes before race time, and actually had time for a final pee in the porta potty before they closed the corral. Couldn't have gone any smoother.
So here are my splits from the official time. I will do my best to reconstruct what was going on in each segment:
5K: 28:40, Pace 9:14, HR 157. Just where I wanted to be. At the beginning of this race, it's impossible to get a good gauge of pace with the tall buildings messing with the GPS. So I ran this segment totally on HR, since that was the one true measurement on my watch. But I was feeling normal here and not feeling like I was going too fast. Right where I wanted to be.
10K: 29:27, Pace 9:29, HR 164. This segment was weird to me, as my HR started to creep up already. I wasn't working any harder I thought, but I knew my pace was falling off a little bit. But I was still within the range where I wanted to be. But I was definitely watching my HR at this point.
15K: 28:49, Pace 9:17, HR 165. I knew I was running faster, but I didn't feel like my effort was any faster than the first 5K. But damn, my HR was still up, and have no idea why. The only thing I can think of at this point is I knew the humidity was high at the start (about 78-80%), and I was worried about that because I checked it before the race. The race temp was also around 56 at the start, so this is about the only thing I could attribute the high HR to. And this was frustrating at this point, because I knew I probably couldn't hold this pace at that HR until the end. But, I was also invested into this pace at this point, so I figured I would try and see what happened. In my mind, this was DEFINITELY going to be my last marathon, and I wanted to give it an honest effort.
20K: 29:24, Pace 9:28, HR 165. Heart rate is still up there, but I am still holding my pace. Had finished off my first 12 ounces of tailwind at this point, so dropped off that bottle with my wife. I was carrying another 18 ounces, so I was good there. Had been taking chews on a regular basis since the beginning, so my body felt really good.
HALF: 2:02:50. Was about where I thought I might be, but the HR was still worrying me.
25K: 30:07, Pace 9:42, HR 168. HR was creeping up higher, and I started leaking oil here. Clearly the higher HR started to kick me in the jimmy johns here, and right at mile 15 I knew I was in a little trouble. But, I DID recognize it early and just decided to slow down, enjoy it the rest of the way, and try and save some so I could run the last 2-3 miles or so in. Last year I started cramping up around mile 20, and I didn't want that to happen this year.
30K: 33:54, Pace 10:55, HR 166. Basically was in a slow jog at this point, and my legs were hurting a bit. Just trying to maintain positive thoughts and just keep one foot in front of the other. Lots of thinking right now about my future as a marathon runner.
35K: 38:05, Pace 12:16, HR 163. I'm doing a walk/jog combo at this point, but I am trying to just walk through the aid stations, drink my tailwind, and then jog to the next aid station. I hate marathons.
40K: 37:30, Pace 12:04, HR 156. This is actually an improvement over last year, in that I ran/walked this segment in 41:41 last year. I was actually feeling good here, and really was the result of me recognizing back at mile 15 that if I didn't slow down I would be in bad shape at the end. As a result, I actually got a little bit of a second wind here, knowing the end was near, but I do think drinking the Tailwind all day actually kept me somewhat fresh at the end. So I had a little energy for the final couple of miles. I started to pick it up at mile 24 or so.
FINISH: 14:31, Pace 10:38, HR 163. To be honest, I am probably most proud of these last two miles of this race. I hit mile 24, and I could feel some energy hit my body. I wasn't running super fast or anything, but this was a good push for me. To compare, last year I ran this segment at an 11:17 pace. So I felt somewhat rejuvenated these last two miles.
Final Official Time: 4:31:25
So 2 minutes faster than last year. So I am happy with the progress, but not satisfied. It went about as I thought it would. And I got out of it what I put into it.
The Next Chapter
I don't know. I pretty much hated this entire training cycle, and I don't know if I can do another one in the dead of summer. This is two brutal summers in a row weather-wise here in KC, and between that and me not really being a morning person, not sure I can do another. I've toyed with the idea of running a spring marathon so I could train for one in the winter just to see the difference, but I am starting to think I am not a marathoner, but rather a guy who ran a couple of marathons.
My plan at the moment is to do 2 half's next year - one in the spring and one in the fall - and see if I can mix in more quality work-outs since the distances aren't as long. But dammit, that itch is still there to try and beat 4:00. I know it's in there somewhere, but I need to figure this out mentally. I think a lot of the work related stress I have had for the last 5 years is catching up to me, and if I'm going to be honest with myself I need to take care of those things to free up my mind. And that may happen this year yet.
Thanks to all you guys for your support and encouragement. I certainly wouldn't have come THIS far without your help, and I do know that this is still an incredible accomplishment.
) The official timing had my first 5K split at 19:18 
x to qualify for the Taiwanese Olympic team? It would be a shame if he got it in his first race after qualifying. I'm glad he got it, but man it would have been cool to see him in Rio.
