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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (7 Viewers)

Past the half in 1:33.  7:09 pace.  :headbang:

Not sure where he needs to be for Boston. But he is definitely gutting it out.

 
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3:10 is bq, I am sure his goal is 3:05. I dont think he intends to start off at goal pace, so this appears on schedule. 

 
3:10 is bq, I am sure his goal is 3:05. I dont think he intends to start off at goal pace, so this appears on schedule. 
So far he's super impressive.  Dude is a rock star. I mean really, dude is injured, doesn't train much recently, and is going faster than my goal.  Just goes to show how much experience over time counts.  

 
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Got a call from my doc late today regarding MRI results, not good. The meniscus tear I have is a root tear, a rare type that at my age coupled with the somewhat advanced arthritis they also found is likely unfixable.

So trying to process the fact that my goal now is to find a path to walking comfortably, running days are over.   :(
That sucks.  Can you bike, swim?  

 
That sucks.  Can you bike, swim?  
Yeah I think those will be options. Never much of a swimmer and no pool access. Coincidentally just got a Pelotan spinner delivered this morning for my wife, that will likely end up being my new thing. Not too excited about it now but hopefully I'll end up enjoying it. 

 
Nigel said:
Yeah I think those will be options. Never much of a swimmer and no pool access. Coincidentally just got a Pelotan spinner delivered this morning for my wife, that will likely end up being my new thing. Not too excited about it now but hopefully I'll end up enjoying it. 
Oooof, sorry man. Second opinion?

 
Appreciate the kind words, guys. Yeah, I know it wasn't the smartest idea to start that fast but I felt great...for awhile anyway. My cardio was fantastic today but unfortunately my legs weren't. Around mile 7 I knew I was in trouble. I tried to hold it together and hoped I'd bounce back but both IT bands started screaming at me. Around mile 12 I decided that today wasn't going to be my day. I thought about what @SteveC702 said about his experiences and it wasn't worth it to me to continue off pace and in danger of falling apart completely in the last 10K. So I figured it would be better to bail before something bad happened. My dad would be waiting to see me pass @ 16.5, so that's where my race would be over. It's funny because I actually feel pretty good about my first ever DNF. I had a plan and I stuck to it.

@Nigel My heart breaks for you, bro. But maybe you could get a second opinion? If not, buy a road bike so you can still get out there. I have really enjoyed cycling while I was injured. 

 
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Happy you went for it @Hang 10 and even happier you played it smart!  That's such a difficult call to make, but you're living to fight another day. 

Was the ankle an issue at all?

 
Happy you went for it @Hang 10 and even happier you played it smart!  That's such a difficult call to make, but you're living to fight another day. 

Was the ankle an issue at all?
It was uncomfortable for sure but if that was my only problem I could have definitely kept going. As I sit on the couch now, it doesn't feel that bad so I'm hopeful that today didn't cause any setbacks. 

What really did me in was earlier this week. When I had given up on running, I took a couple fitness classes Monday and Tuesday and did a #### ton of lunges and other leg exercises. I was still doing 2 a-day workouts as late as Tuesday. If I only knew I was supposed to be tapering...

Though probably still doubtful that I'd ran a 3:05 coming off the running layoff I had no matter what I did this week. It was a good lesson to learn that there's no real substitute for running...at least where marathons are concerned. 

 
Great effort @Hang 10, glad you went for it, and that you played it smart. No "what ifs"... 

Appreciate all of the well-wishes. I am going to make an appointment with a doc who does root attachment surgery, which not many do. The guy Ive been seeing (Red Sox team doc) doesn't do it but referred me to him. He's pretty sure the arthritis makes it a non-starter but no harm in finding out for sure. 

 
It was uncomfortable for sure but if that was my only problem I could have definitely kept going. As I sit on the couch now, it doesn't feel that bad so I'm hopeful that today didn't cause any setbacks. 

What really did me in was earlier this week. When I had given up on running, I took a couple fitness classes Monday and Tuesday and did a #### ton of lunges and other leg exercises. I was still doing 2 a-day workouts as late as Tuesday. If I only knew I was supposed to be tapering...

Though probably still doubtful that I'd ran a 3:05 coming off the running layoff I had no matter what I did this week. It was a good lesson to learn that there's no real substitute for running...at least where marathons are concerned. 
Hell of an effort and glad the timing worked out for you that your dad was just a couple of miles down the road from when you started having issues. Your short recap also reminded me of another lesson that should be shared - it's not always your original injury that gets you in the marathon. My issue going into Boston 2013 was a severe case of shin splints unlike any other episode of shin splints I've ever had before - but in the end my reward for finishing was a 3-months bout of ITBS (due to my quadriceps/hamstrings compensation for my original issue). Sounds like you may have just saved yourself for another shot at that BQ in the spring.

 
Nigel said:
Got a call from my doc late today regarding MRI results, not good. The meniscus tear I have is a root tear, a rare type that at my age coupled with the somewhat advanced arthritis they also found is likely unfixable.

So trying to process the fact that my goal now is to find a path to walking comfortably, running days are over.   :(
The four words I dread, so it's hard to imagine what you're feeling.  Dammit, dammit, dammit.  Very sorry to hear this, Nigel.

 
Nigel said:
Got a call from my doc late today regarding MRI results, not good. The meniscus tear I have is a root tear, a rare type that at my age coupled with the somewhat advanced arthritis they also found is likely unfixable.

So trying to process the fact that my goal now is to find a path to walking comfortably, running days are over.   :(
damn

can't they 3d print a new leg or something?

 
@Nigel, I've been meaning to post about this in here for a few weeks, now seems as good a time as any...

Dave Mackey is an accomplished ultrarunner - in FFA terms he's super elite upper tier.  Back in May of 2015 he was out on one of his normal mountain runs outside Boulder when a, well, boulder gave way.  He fell 30 feet down the mountain, and the rock came to rest on top of his lower leg, completely crushing it.  He was luckily found shortly thereafter, and thanks to an amazing effort by the rescue crew they got him out of there a few hours later.  While they were initially able to save his leg after multiple surgeries, that started a brutal and painful cycle of 13 total surgeries, trying to get the leg back to some semblance of normal.  But it wasn't healing, he was in constant pain, and two weeks ago he made the decision to amputate.  That surgery seems to have gone well, he's already working with the prosthetics people, and there is little doubt he'll be out running again someday.

Now this isn't to say that you should amputate, of course!  But it's a pretty inspiring example of a dude who's been through hell who I hope to personally see out on the trails again soon.  I hope that you'll someday also be able to say, "For me, once something is taken away and given back to you, it is a thousand times more valuable than it was before."

Good article and interview on the ordeal, with a link to the original accident/rescue article as well. Not too many articles on runners include the question, "What was it like to wake up without your leg?"

 
Nigel, I have heard those very same words.  While my running days were not over, I have been limited since.  Do not despair. Get a second opinion. See what happens. 

 
On a lighter note, what books are you all reading / listening to?   I'm about to finish on trails by Robert Moor and it seems right up Duck's alley.  Good read about making, exploring, and the meaning of trails of all varieties. Makes me want to hike and trail run more. 

 
On a lighter note, what books are you all reading / listening to?   I'm about to finish on trails by Robert Moor and it seems right up Duck's alley.  Good read about making, exploring, and the meaning of trails of all varieties. Makes me want to hike and trail run more. 
Thanks, I'll have to check it out.  The couple of times I've done volunteer trail work it's really opened my eyes into how tough it is to build and maintain these things that I just take for granted running on.

 
2016 NYC MARATHON Race report

Start area – arrived at start area and saw huge lines at security in Staten Island. I found a back security area that was very quiet and skipped all the lines. Easily got to bag check and then headed to my corral. Relaxed in the corral by sitting on the ground and leaning up against a tree. Weather was nearly ideal….temp around 50. Sunny (would have preferred cloudy) and the wind was picking up. My start was on the lower level of the Verrazano Narrows bridge. I had this feeling it would be underneath with a dark and dreary feel. In reality, the lower level starts on a ramp (so you have blue skies above you). National anthem and introductions of the elite runners and we are ready to go……

RACE BEGINS -- Once you start, you are underneath the upper level, but its easy to see Manhattan, the NYFD boats in the bay spraying water, etc. Its an awesome feeling being a part of the 50,000 runners on this journey.

Mile 1 – 8:06 per mile pace/149 heart rate beats per minute
Mile 2 – 6:33/150
Mile 3 – 7:39/155
The first two miles are on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Mile 1 is all uphill and is often one of a marathoner’s slowest miles and mile 2 is all downhill (160 feet of elevation is lost in mile 2!) which leads to being the fastest mile of the entire race for many people. Admittedly, mile 1 was just me trying not to push and warm up the muscles. A few cobwebs and tight muscles but they went away pretty quickly. In mile 2, my mind started going crazy thinking my GPS wasn’t tracking correctly because I was on the lower level of the bridge. So I ran by feel and saw my pace going fast but I wasn’t sure if it was accurate. The mind games of a marathon are unreal! Mile 3 was where I tried to get myself into a smooth rhythm.

Mile 4 – 7:30/156
Mile 5 – 7:30/156
Mile 6 – 7:33/156
Mile 7 – 7:24/160
Mile 8 – 7:33/160
This section is rather quiet as we progress through a section of an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood so cheering is almost non-existent. As I try to get into a rhythm, I just don’t feel well. My morning of feeling lethargic was still with me. I had to push to maintain my paces. Pushing in miles 4-8 of a marathon to maintain pace is not a good sign. In all my previous marathons, I had to hold myself back from going too fast this early in the race.
This section is in Brooklyn along a long stretch of 4th avenue. Tons of runners and where the three corrals from the start all come together. Although there are tons of runners, they didn’t impact my pace. The wind continued to blow against the runners steadily at a 10-15 mph clip.

Mile 9 – 7:34/161
Mile 10 – 7:26/158
Mile 11 – 7:40/160
Mile 12 – 7:32/159
Mile 13 – 7:46/160
These five miles in Brooklyn are my favorite in the entire race. The race winds through various neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Music pumping, people dancing, crowds screaming…..just a fabulous environment all around. It is tough to not want to run faster as the block party is rocking.

Mile 14 – 7:41/160
Mile 15 – 7:55/160
Mile 16 – 7:46/163
This part of the course gets you from Brooklyn…..over a small bridge (aka, hill) into Queens....and then a much larger bridge (aka, much larger hill) into Manhattan. To be frank, the much larger bridge (known as the Queensboro Bridge) blew up my first NYC Marathon in 2014. My goal this year was to make sure my race didn’t get derailed on that mile 16 bridge. I slowed down slightly in Mile 15 to prep for the bridge. The first half of Mile 16 is going uphill on Queensboro Bridge and I did it in 8:22 pace, the second half of Mile 16 is the downhill section and I cruised that section at 7:10/mile pace.

Mile 17 – 7:34/162
Mile 18 – 7:28/162
Mile 19 – 7:35/164
These 3 miles are in Manhattan. Going up first avenue, crowds are huge (generally 5-10 people deep). Often runners go too fast because their adrenaline is flowing. I definitely was pushing to maintain my pace. The wind was blowing at 15-20 mph and going right into our faces. I felt like I was pushing harder than I should. I questioned whether I was able to maintain this pace. I had given up some time on Miles 14-16, so I couldn’t afford to give up more if I wanted to break 3:20. For me, this part of the race, although has huge crowd support have (both times I’ve run NYC) where I question my strategy and my mind starts to race.

Mile 20 – 7:43/166
Mile 21 – 7:44/168
These couple miles are through the Bronx and I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed these miles. Crowds are smaller but such vitality and genuine cheering coming from the fans in this section of the race. It was also along this section where I couldn’t pace off others as most people were fading and going much too slowly for me. I felt confident as I continued to pass people regularly as I cruised through the Bronx. Don’t get me wrong. Body was feeling tired and pain was being felt in my legs. I was grinding but all in all, I was better than 95% of my fellow runners.

Mile 22 – 7:42/166
Mile 23 – 7:52/167
Back into Manhattan and now I’m holding on for dear life. Legs are fried, breathing is labored. I’m still passing lots of people but I feel that the matchsticks are burning at both ends. Of course, at this point, I start to realize the 3:20 is very much a possibility but also very much in jeopardy. Mile 23 is uphill. Not a fun section of the course. Its not a big hill but any hill at mile 23 of a marathon is too big.

Mile 24 – 8:29/167
I stumbled for a moment and had a tinge of dizziness. I had to make a split second decision and decided to walk through a water station (hence the slower time) to settle down my body from the brink. I was rapidly running numbers through my head but also knew that 3:20 was lost. But the opportunity to qualify for Boston was still very much a possibility. I gave myself a quick pep talk and started running again.

Mile 25 – 8:06/165
Mile 26 – 7:56/164
I was pushing hard in Mile 25 and frankly I’m surprised that mile was that slow. I enjoy the time in Central Park as I’ve run these streets often when I’m in NYC and the trees and nature remind me of my regular running routes at home! Mile 26 is partially uphill. I pushed hard on that time to finish strong. I was still passing 90% of the runners. A few more were walking in, which speaks to the power and challenge of the marathon.

Last 0.2 – 6:42/168
Boston Marathon qualifying is dependent on having the strongest time possible. I pushed this as hard as I possibly could. Legs were in pain, lungs were burning, head was woozy, I was giving everything I could to the final stretch (which happens to also be uphill….GRRRRR). Never thought sub 7 minute time would be possible at the end of any marathon. Pleased with this last push.

Total – 26.2 miles 3:21:04
Average heart rate – 161
Overall – 2,890/51,995
Age Group – 318/4,614

After I crossed the line, emotions were apparent as I realized I had qualified for Boston. The finish line of a marathon is a surreal sight as people are mentally burnt out, physically spent, while others are in need of medical attention. It usually like a bunch of walking zombies shuffling wherever race officials tell us to go. It was a bit of a blur, but in NYC, you walk about 100-200 feet before they have probably 30 different volunteers giving out medals. It was very cool, however, to get my finishers medal (from the race which qualified me to run the Boston Marathon) from Shalane Flanagan, US Olympic Marathoner and Boston native. I immediately recognized her as she put the medal over my head. I have followed and cheered for her for years! (The funny thing is @Ned said "Say hello to Shalene for me".  She was in a booth at the expo signing books so I took her picture and texted it to him.  Little did I know she would place the medal over my head.  I tried to get a photo with her but no photographers were around and I didn't have my phone.)

The days following the marathon had very little of the discomfort that I have had in previous marathons. I was able to easily navigate stairs.

NYC is a tough course and the morning logistics are always a challenge. I think in the right conditions, I could run faster than 3:20, but the beauty of a marathon is that rarely does everything go right. Thankfully, in New York in 2016, for me, more right than went wrong. See you in Boston in 2018!

====================================

By the numbers –
3:25:00 – Time needed to qualify for Boston

3:21:04 – Finish Time (My previous best time was 3:29:11)

2890 – My finishing place out of 51,995 runners (top 5.5% of finishers)

7:41 – My average pace per mile for 26.2 miles

812 – Miles I have run since July 23

373,803 – calories burned from all that running

16 – pounds lost since July 23 (estimate half were from stopping lifting weights at gym and half was getting rid of some extra fat)

74 – highest week of mileage during this training cycle

1 – Ticket punched to 2018 Boston Marathon!!!!!

 
Great stuff Steel.  I am amazed at how well you kept your HR down.  You are obviously very fit. 

Go kill them at Boston!

Cool about Shalane!. At Houston in 2012 (I think), I was eating lunch at the host hotel restaurant the day before the Sunday race. They had run the Olympic qualifying race that morning and Shalane had run.  She sat down right next to me along with some of her support group at the restaurant.  I spoke to her briefly, but I did not know she had won the race earlier. 

 
Great stuff Steel.  I am amazed at how well you kept your HR down.  You are obviously very fit. 

Go kill them at Boston!

Cool about Shalane!. At Houston in 2012 (I think), I was eating lunch at the host hotel restaurant the day before the Sunday race. They had run the Olympic qualifying race that morning and Shalane had run.  She sat down right next to me along with some of her support group at the restaurant.  I spoke to her briefly, but I did not know she had won the race earlier. 
Thanks!  I think my max HR is 177. 

Shalane was super cool.  I'm a bigger fan after meeting her.

 
Killer effort @Steel Curtain - that HR is pretty high for you, right?  Your ability to grind out results is phenomenal.
Yup.  A bit higher than I would like, but on race day, I was going off of time.  I never got comfortable. 

See who gave me my medal?  I tried to get a picture of us together just for you, but there weren't any photographers there.  She was so cool.  :wub:

 
:clap: steel! 

Starting to feel like yoda.  I get up all stiff in the morning, every time I get up my back takes a minute to let me walk, wiping is a pita, but as soon as I get warmed up on the run, I feel like a Jedi. 

Eta: went to the doctor last week, she gave me some muscle relaxer but didn't say anything about my running. 

 
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Week 15 was last week - It's taper time, but I'm so tired I can't even get excited about it.  I've never been so tired....my wife is sick of me going to bed at 7-8pm :lol:  

M: 6 recovery @ 8:51/131.  This was the best I felt all week.  Weird.
T: 9 MLR + strides @ 8:06/141.  Knew right here my body was tired when I started to feel it during the strides.
W: 15 MLR @ 8:12/142.  Very sluggish, but thrilled to be done with these!  
T: 6 recovery.  Hunting today and flat out exhausted, so I decided to not run OR hunt the afternoon :shock:  - slept instead.
F: 10mi @ 7:54/152.  I planned for some sort of speed work, but didn't know what I'd have in me.  So I decided to wing it and go Strava segment hunting.  I took back one of my CR's on a 1.8mi loop @ 6:04 pace.  :boxing:   Running in the wind made this hard...so when I went for another 1.3mi segment after a quick half mile recovery.....it was right into the wind.  I just had no fight in me and bailed after a quarter mile into it.  
S: 6 recovery @ 8:52/136
S: 20 LR @ 8:10/150.  HR started out high, but I felt better than the HR said.  So i said screw it and covered up my watch with my sleeve - didn't look at it for 10 miles.  Around mile 12 I realized yep, I feel like I'm running in sand now.... Looked at my watch and :lol:  my HR was telling the truth.  Fought through to finish this, but man that was a chore.

66mi for the week.

-----------------------------

I took a quick couple of days off of work to get a shortened hunting stint in, so I had some time to reflect on why I'm so dang tired.  I realized I was probably setting a lot of all time highs, so I checked my log.  While it may be some confirmation bias, I think I'm just paying the piper for running more than I ever have before.

Most miles run 2 months pre-cycle = 463 (2014 = 366) - I pregamed the hell out of it and question if I set myself up right here.
Most miles run weeks 1-15 = 991.25; 66mpw (2014 = 907.5; 60.5mpw) - Thats a big jump.
Least # days off (104 days weeks 1-15) = 11 (2014 = 15) - only 4 less days, but those days off are big. 
Highest count of 20+ milers = 6 (2014 = 5) -  Not sure how I managed to schedule this since I've always run 5 per cycle. :unsure:  
Longest LR = 24 (2014 = 22)  

On top of those #'s, I'm already past my 2,014 YTD mileage @ 2091 vs. 2,068 for all of 2014.  I'm set to crush my YTD PR of 2,156 from 2012.
 

I really hope the taper treats me nice and I rebound quickly.  I'm in uncharted territory and a tad worried I've overdone it.

 
I really hope the taper treats me nice and I rebound quickly.  I'm in uncharted territory and a tad worried I've overdone it.
Has the taper ever treated anyone nicely?  Just looking over some of your output after you reached some milestones (weekly mileage PR, 15K, 20/14), you had a rough go of it initially but 2-3 weeks after you hit another sweet spot.  I get that you have kinda stumbled to the finish line and could use a confidence boosting run, but if the extent of your issues right now are fatigue I think you're in a good spot.  Try to get a good one in about 5-10 days from now, but let your body tell you when to do it.

 

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