week ending 2/24:
M - 8.5 @ 6:42/mi
T - 11.7 @ 6:45/mi (3 x 2000 @ 10k race pace w/800 jog: 6:49, 6:47, 6:45) - mostly 81s
W - 21.0 @ 6:35/mi (2:18) - last 3 in 5:56, 5:56, 5:51
Th - 12.4 @ 7:00/mi
F - 11.6 @ 6:56/mi
Sa - 16.2 @ 6:51/mi (1:51, Mt. Tabor from NW, really feeling the hills/previous days' distance toward the end)
Su - 27.0 @ 6:28/mi (2:54:30 total). 8 up, 16 @ MP at Sauvie (6:04, 6:01, 6:05, 6:06, 6:00, 6:04, 6:02, 6:04, 6:00, 6:01, 5:58, 6:02, 6:02, 6:02, 6:10, 5:57), 3 dn.
TOTAL: 108.4 / 12:07:05 / 6:42 pace
Ok, I decided to take the insanity to a whole new level this week, also running my biggest week ever, probably by at least 5 miles. Before I shifted to yes on LA, I had planned a long-ish taper leading into the Linfield 10,000 on 3/1. After hitting the Tues solo track workout well and later that day deciding yes on LA, I drastically changed that direction to do a “fit-in-everything-I-haven’t-yet-done-this-training-cycle” week. 21 pre-work on Wed 4:35 AM? Check. At least one overdistance run? (I did 2x28 and 1x27 before Chicago). Check. A Hansons-style 26.2 km at MP? Check. 100+ miles? Check. Over 12 hrs of training? Check. Was the whole thing ill-conceived? Maybe. My thinking was that I’d done well at VLH with a peak of 99 for the week ending 21 days out, why not do a monster week ending 21 days out from LA? (The dangers of being self-coached, right?) The obvious answer is it could well be too much to properly recover from before the race. But my volume has been good I’ve been recovering very well from it in general. So I’ve rolled the dice (ok, THROWN the dice) in hopes of topping off my endurance tank and we’ll see if it helps or hurts come 3/17. Right now just about everything hurts, but not in an “oh my god I’m injured” type of way, just in a “holy crap I can’t believe I just did that week” type of way. I've been thinking the last couple days "man, I'm in a training danger zone". Fingers crossed. But I figure I have nothing to lose.
This morning, I ran 7 pre-miles at about 7:00s before meeting my two training partners at Sauvie, 1 more mile easy with them, then the 16 @ MP, and 3 easy for cool-down at 7:20-7:00 (which was actually not at all easy being 24 in and having just run so hard). So they did 20 to my 27. While the MP felt hard from the start and all of us had done the 16 including up/down Tabor yesterday, we were together today thru 13, then they gapped me, finishing at least 35 seconds ahead. But it was more they sped up (5:58/6:00/5:35) rather than me slowing down much (6:02/6:10/5:57), except on the 6:10 which was gradual uphill followed by the reverse of it where they really kicked it in to the end-point, but man was I cooked. I’m never real concerned these days about “losing” a training run. Races are all that matter. These guys have 2:41 and 2:43 PRs to-date, but both I feel have a strong potential to go sub-2:40 at LA. We hope to all start together "conservatively" at about 6:05s the first third of the race.
The thought of running 80s-82s for 25 laps (goal time 33:59) this Fri evening sounds 100% deplorable at the moment, but after today I will in fact [have to] taper, probably starting out with 6 and 8 very easy Mon/Tues, and how I feel dictating what I do from there (I haven’t ruled out a Wed AM easy 15). LA automatically became the goal race and Linfield a tune-up, but my time goal on the track has not changed. A sharp taper starts now, with these final 3 weeks looking something like 75/65/whatever. If ever I’ve been in shape to attempt sub-6:00 avg for 26.2, this is it. But it would still take a phenomenal day/conditions/focus/hill-survival for that to happen.
I can’t believe I’m running like this at age 41. While never easy, it’s been absolutely unreal recently.
Bill at Boston 1997 - mile 24
Mike & Bill Aronson, CIM 2007
Monday, February 25, 2013
When It Feels Right...
[written 2/18/13]
I’ve been sitting on a fence, but am about ready to jump over the “Run LA Marathon” side of it. It’s in 4 weeks on 3/17. It's still open, looks like an interesting course, I'm in good shape now, could be sidelined or worse by Berlin, and have been training with a couple guys of similar pace who are running LA. What started as a different approach to half-marathon training and paid off well at VLH has in fact doubled as marathon training (which was partly intentional in case I wanted to jump in a Spring race like Vernonia, Eugene, Boston, etc). Since Chicago, thru the W/E 2/17, my weeks have been 21,50,47,58,59,41,76,80,73,58,80,87,99,90,86,66,88,96,88. I'm at 1110 miles in 95 consecutive days since Nov. 15 (11.7 avg per day), with nary a double.
On the down-side, I haven't done any 100+ mile weeks, any 28 milers, enough core work, any mid-week 21 milers (yet), nor had the time to hold it at 85+ for at least 20 weeks like I plan to for before Berlin. I haven’t run a lot of hills, and the LA course looks to have plenty.
On the upside, I haven’t lost the strong base I built before into Chicago, plus what I gained from the race itself (both fitness-wise and confidence-wise), the ability to continue training/recovery thru XC season and then to step it up for the two recent halfs. In the past 14 weeks I’ve done weekend runs of 19-21 (qty. 10) and 24-25 (qty. 4). I’ve done workouts up to 6.5 mi at HMP (a couple times 5 mi on Springwater at the end of a 21+ @ 5:4x), and as far as 15 mi @ MP (89:10/5:57 avg, closing in 5:50, 5:39, 5:31 the final 3). Also, since Dec 15, I’ve done 6 x Wed 18-milers and 3 x 15-milers (including Wed of taper week 4 days out from VLH). At VLH, even course-adjusted I chopped about a minute off my recent best HM times, which technically could translate to 2 minutes in the marathon (ok, in a PERFECT marathon). But if I could run 78:high the 2nd half in Oct off a 75:low half ability, can I run a 77:high 2nd half at LA off a 74:low half ability? But what about the hills? Hmmm. Maybe 2:3x is a more reasonable goal than sub-6:00.0 pace.
Trying to PR in LA may fall into the “doing the same thing and expecting a different result” category, or perhaps just the straight-up “fantasy” category, but I actually think I’m in better shape than back on Oct. 7. Am I in course-specific shape? Not exactly. Do I have the optimal level of endurance? No, I haven’t quite done the mileage, and there is a law of diminishing returns given what I’ve already achieved, even though the above plus these upcoming few weeks would probably in and of itself pass as a reasonable training cylce in most people’s marathon books. But I’ve done not just volume, but decent volume plus workouts, and those workouts seem to be getting me to a slightly faster level. Am I much more confident at longer distances now? Yes. By virtue of merely having run a lot of distance in recent years, the 26.2 itself is no longer so daunting. Dropping it to 5:55s the latter half? Yes that’s daunting, but not excessively. And hills? I’m a decent uphill runner. No comment on downhills. One of my HTC teammates once scribbled on our van “Hills for Snacks”, as in “we eat hills for snacks”. She also liked uphills. But not at 5:55 pace. But if there’s ever a chance to realize my dream of a 5:40 final mile or two this is it, as the course drops about 200 feet approaching the oceanfront finish. Either that or my quads will be so worked from the rest of the course I’ll tumble down the hill as they give out multiple times. Is there a headwind coming in off the ocean, though? Probably. Maybe I pray for Santa Ana conditions with East winds.
Speaking of Santa Ana of course, it could be 92 degrees, in which case the whole idea of PR-ing or breaking 2:40 will be out the window. My last 3 fulls and most recent halfs have all been good if not perfect weather. That luck is certain to run out at some point. But life (especially marathon life) is not perfect. One of my goals if I ever achieved that sub-2:40 was then to have a bit more fun, be more spontaneous, enter races when I wanted, when I felt the time was right. Running LA goes along with that theme.
To those who feel trapped and defeated by marathon training, yes I understand it. But somehow I now feel as free as ever. I can knock out 10 or 12 (or 18) early AM with modest effort, then eat, shower, bike to work feeling good about the day. I’ve freed myself from the demons of running 2:3x, from the bad food/sugar demons, from the “I’m too old to race fast” thoughts, and from oh-so-many demons of doubt. I finally found a training model that works for me – prepare my body correctly and my mind will follow. Run well, run often, run smart, recover when needed, run confident, run free, run fast (whatever that may be for you).
My running log has these weird essays at the start of each month (the written equivalent of their cheesy stock photos). This month’s ends with: “More importantly, you have to adjust your goals as you age. None of us can run back into the arms of youth. At best, we can keep the grim reaper at bay.” Hey author, eff that. I’m old. And I’m improving. Why wouldn’t I try to go fast as possible, not just to keep a foot out of the grave? I’ve taken about 140 seconds off my half time since Jan. 07. Who’s to say I can’t claw back another 120 down to my all-time PR? Out of reach? Maybe. But I’ll never know if I don’t try.
I’ve been sitting on a fence, but am about ready to jump over the “Run LA Marathon” side of it. It’s in 4 weeks on 3/17. It's still open, looks like an interesting course, I'm in good shape now, could be sidelined or worse by Berlin, and have been training with a couple guys of similar pace who are running LA. What started as a different approach to half-marathon training and paid off well at VLH has in fact doubled as marathon training (which was partly intentional in case I wanted to jump in a Spring race like Vernonia, Eugene, Boston, etc). Since Chicago, thru the W/E 2/17, my weeks have been 21,50,47,58,59,41,76,80,73,58,80,87,99,90,86,66,88,96,88. I'm at 1110 miles in 95 consecutive days since Nov. 15 (11.7 avg per day), with nary a double.
On the down-side, I haven't done any 100+ mile weeks, any 28 milers, enough core work, any mid-week 21 milers (yet), nor had the time to hold it at 85+ for at least 20 weeks like I plan to for before Berlin. I haven’t run a lot of hills, and the LA course looks to have plenty.
On the upside, I haven’t lost the strong base I built before into Chicago, plus what I gained from the race itself (both fitness-wise and confidence-wise), the ability to continue training/recovery thru XC season and then to step it up for the two recent halfs. In the past 14 weeks I’ve done weekend runs of 19-21 (qty. 10) and 24-25 (qty. 4). I’ve done workouts up to 6.5 mi at HMP (a couple times 5 mi on Springwater at the end of a 21+ @ 5:4x), and as far as 15 mi @ MP (89:10/5:57 avg, closing in 5:50, 5:39, 5:31 the final 3). Also, since Dec 15, I’ve done 6 x Wed 18-milers and 3 x 15-milers (including Wed of taper week 4 days out from VLH). At VLH, even course-adjusted I chopped about a minute off my recent best HM times, which technically could translate to 2 minutes in the marathon (ok, in a PERFECT marathon). But if I could run 78:high the 2nd half in Oct off a 75:low half ability, can I run a 77:high 2nd half at LA off a 74:low half ability? But what about the hills? Hmmm. Maybe 2:3x is a more reasonable goal than sub-6:00.0 pace.
Trying to PR in LA may fall into the “doing the same thing and expecting a different result” category, or perhaps just the straight-up “fantasy” category, but I actually think I’m in better shape than back on Oct. 7. Am I in course-specific shape? Not exactly. Do I have the optimal level of endurance? No, I haven’t quite done the mileage, and there is a law of diminishing returns given what I’ve already achieved, even though the above plus these upcoming few weeks would probably in and of itself pass as a reasonable training cylce in most people’s marathon books. But I’ve done not just volume, but decent volume plus workouts, and those workouts seem to be getting me to a slightly faster level. Am I much more confident at longer distances now? Yes. By virtue of merely having run a lot of distance in recent years, the 26.2 itself is no longer so daunting. Dropping it to 5:55s the latter half? Yes that’s daunting, but not excessively. And hills? I’m a decent uphill runner. No comment on downhills. One of my HTC teammates once scribbled on our van “Hills for Snacks”, as in “we eat hills for snacks”. She also liked uphills. But not at 5:55 pace. But if there’s ever a chance to realize my dream of a 5:40 final mile or two this is it, as the course drops about 200 feet approaching the oceanfront finish. Either that or my quads will be so worked from the rest of the course I’ll tumble down the hill as they give out multiple times. Is there a headwind coming in off the ocean, though? Probably. Maybe I pray for Santa Ana conditions with East winds.
Speaking of Santa Ana of course, it could be 92 degrees, in which case the whole idea of PR-ing or breaking 2:40 will be out the window. My last 3 fulls and most recent halfs have all been good if not perfect weather. That luck is certain to run out at some point. But life (especially marathon life) is not perfect. One of my goals if I ever achieved that sub-2:40 was then to have a bit more fun, be more spontaneous, enter races when I wanted, when I felt the time was right. Running LA goes along with that theme.
To those who feel trapped and defeated by marathon training, yes I understand it. But somehow I now feel as free as ever. I can knock out 10 or 12 (or 18) early AM with modest effort, then eat, shower, bike to work feeling good about the day. I’ve freed myself from the demons of running 2:3x, from the bad food/sugar demons, from the “I’m too old to race fast” thoughts, and from oh-so-many demons of doubt. I finally found a training model that works for me – prepare my body correctly and my mind will follow. Run well, run often, run smart, recover when needed, run confident, run free, run fast (whatever that may be for you).
My running log has these weird essays at the start of each month (the written equivalent of their cheesy stock photos). This month’s ends with: “More importantly, you have to adjust your goals as you age. None of us can run back into the arms of youth. At best, we can keep the grim reaper at bay.” Hey author, eff that. I’m old. And I’m improving. Why wouldn’t I try to go fast as possible, not just to keep a foot out of the grave? I’ve taken about 140 seconds off my half time since Jan. 07. Who’s to say I can’t claw back another 120 down to my all-time PR? Out of reach? Maybe. But I’ll never know if I don’t try.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Dream Comes True at Chicago
Optional: Read this article as a "warm-up" before reading my story:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/im-truly-sorry-for-this-but-youre-about-to-hear-al,28995/
Results (bib #1930): http://results.chicagomarathon.com/
10/07/2012. My 28th marathon. Cool and dry, perfect weather, 40s during the race, slight wind but nothing major. Course turns enough through the city the wind was probably equally in front and behind us, so really never a factor. Well, obviously not, I mean Kebede broke the course record by 59 seconds with his 2:04:38 (4:46 pace). Perfect day for fast running.
* New PR: 2:38:55 (6:03.7 pace)
Splits: Taken manually at each course mile marker. 5K splits provided by official chip mats.
Average Pace: 6:03.7/mi
Halfs: 80:08 + 78:47 (6:07/mi + 6:01/mi)
5-mile splits: 30:21, 30:51, 30:27, 29:51, 30:04
http://www.theonion.com/articles/im-truly-sorry-for-this-but-youre-about-to-hear-al,28995/
Results (bib #1930): http://results.chicagomarathon.com/
10/07/2012. My 28th marathon. Cool and dry, perfect weather, 40s during the race, slight wind but nothing major. Course turns enough through the city the wind was probably equally in front and behind us, so really never a factor. Well, obviously not, I mean Kebede broke the course record by 59 seconds with his 2:04:38 (4:46 pace). Perfect day for fast running.
* New PR: 2:38:55 (6:03.7 pace)
* 67 seconds under previous PR (2:40:02)
* 148th overall; 137th male
* 7th male 40-44; 11th masters 40+
(2 guys in 45-49 and 1 guy in 50-54 also in front of me)
* 2nd half 81 seconds faster than 1st half (80:08 + 78:47)
* 148th overall; 137th male
* 7th male 40-44; 11th masters 40+
(2 guys in 45-49 and 1 guy in 50-54 also in front of me)
* 2nd half 81 seconds faster than 1st half (80:08 + 78:47)
Splits: Taken manually at each course mile marker. 5K splits provided by official chip mats.
| 6:11.7 | 0:06:11.7 |
| 5:59.9 | 0:12:11.6 |
| 6:07.6 | 0:18:19.2 |
| 5:59.1 | 0:24:18.3 |
| 6:02.8 | 0:30:21.1 (5) |
| 6:11.7 | 0:36:32.8 |
| 6:06.9 | 0:42:39.7 |
| 6:11.8 | 0:48:51.5 |
| 6:06.5 | 0:54:58.0 |
| 6:14.0 | 1:01:12.0 (10) |
| 6:00.6 | 1:07:12.6 |
| 6:09.8 | 1:13:22.4 |
| 6:08.4 | 1:19:30.8 |
| 6:08.1 | 1:25:38.9 |
| 6:00.7 | 1:31:39.6 (15) |
| 5:58.5 | 1:37:38.1 |
| 6:00.6 | 1:43:38.7 |
| 5:57.4 | 1:49:36.1 |
| 5:56.5 | 1:55:32.6 |
| 5:57.7 | 2:01:30.3 (20) |
| 5:57.0 | 2:07:27.3 |
| 5:56.5 | 2:13:23.8 |
| 5:55.8 | 2:19:19.6 |
| 6:05.0 | 2:25:24.6 |
| 6:10.3 | 2:31:34.9 (25) |
| 6:03.0 | 2:37:37.9 |
| 1:17.1 | 2:38:55.0 |
Average Pace: 6:03.7/mi
5-mile splits: 30:21, 30:51, 30:27, 29:51, 30:04
Chip Mat 5K splits:
18:55=18:55 (5K)
18:55=37:50 (10K)
19:07=56:57 (15K)
19:02=75:59 (20K)
18:51=94:50 (25K)
18:33=1:53:23 (30K)
18:30=2:11:53 (35K)
18:46=2:30:39 (40K)
08:16=2:38:55 (42.2K)
18:55=18:55 (5K)
18:55=37:50 (10K)
19:07=56:57 (15K)
19:02=75:59 (20K)
18:51=94:50 (25K)
18:33=1:53:23 (30K)
18:30=2:11:53 (35K)
18:46=2:30:39 (40K)
08:16=2:38:55 (42.2K)
We flew to Chicago Thurs PM, and did random touristy stuff Fri/Sat:
the hop-on-hop-off bus tour, Lincoln Park zoo, Sears Tower Skydeck, deep dish
pizza, parks/art, marathon expo of course, etc. Was sure to keep my morning
runs short 3-4 miles and wore compression socks Sat as we walked probably
another 3-4 miles, as I didn’t want my legs to be dead come raceday. Pfitzinger
says skip the tourism for post-race, but our travel plans and hotel worked out
the opposite. I had to just keep re-assuring myself I’m in such good shape it
won’t matter, no way some extra walking will take it all out of me. I had no
idea what a beautiful and interesting city Chicago is. I’m sure it has its
ghettos too, but we were only in and around downtown.
Sat night and Sun: I did all the normal pre-race stuff: half slept, half lay awake thinking all night, the prep and triple checking I had everything just right before leaving the hotel at 6:00am, the pre-race porta potty and gear drop, the walk over to starting corral A-B, getting there 20 minutes before start, making sure I wasn’t too far back. Lined up 10-12 rows back, a bit far considering where I hoped to finish, but assuming it would go out fast and wouldn’t be too crowded. That all worked out fine, but was as nervous as I’ve ever been before a race. Looking at even just the hundreds of shoes of those around me confirmed that I was in the right place: Luna Racer, Launch, Kinvara, Nike elite racer something er other, Green Silence, Adios, many others I didn’t recognize but were clearly 5 to 8 ounces.
It was cool to hear the elite introductions (even though I couldn’t see them up there; the crowd went wild for Ritz), and equally sinking to hear them actually announce “If you’re not in your corral by now, you have to start at the back of this wave, behind Corral E.” Wouldn’t that be the worst to get through a long bathroom line, drop your bag, try to get to the A corral only to hear you’re 2 minutes late and not allowed in? And these were not the 4-foot police barricades to hop over, they were like 8-foot chain link fences. I hope no one really fast got shut out that way.
Sat night and Sun: I did all the normal pre-race stuff: half slept, half lay awake thinking all night, the prep and triple checking I had everything just right before leaving the hotel at 6:00am, the pre-race porta potty and gear drop, the walk over to starting corral A-B, getting there 20 minutes before start, making sure I wasn’t too far back. Lined up 10-12 rows back, a bit far considering where I hoped to finish, but assuming it would go out fast and wouldn’t be too crowded. That all worked out fine, but was as nervous as I’ve ever been before a race. Looking at even just the hundreds of shoes of those around me confirmed that I was in the right place: Luna Racer, Launch, Kinvara, Nike elite racer something er other, Green Silence, Adios, many others I didn’t recognize but were clearly 5 to 8 ounces.
It was cool to hear the elite introductions (even though I couldn’t see them up there; the crowd went wild for Ritz), and equally sinking to hear them actually announce “If you’re not in your corral by now, you have to start at the back of this wave, behind Corral E.” Wouldn’t that be the worst to get through a long bathroom line, drop your bag, try to get to the A corral only to hear you’re 2 minutes late and not allowed in? And these were not the 4-foot police barricades to hop over, they were like 8-foot chain link fences. I hope no one really fast got shut out that way.
“Remove your hats for the national anthem.” Respectfully, it was far
too cold for that, as it was 40 degrees and breezy. I left my beanie hat on, as
did most others. I also wore a short sleeve tech shirt, thin cotton gloves,
shorts, a breathe right strip (I really think those actually help you take in
more oxygen), carried a few gels, and, maybe most importantly, wore Adidas Adios 2. Somehow I didn’t hear
the actual gun, but we starting moving and it was ON. Started my watch when I
crossed the mat maybe 10-15 seconds after the elites. I’m not exaggerating when
I say I was in about 400th place after a half mile. The depth of
this field was incredible, although I knew I’d be doing lots of passing even
early, given how many folks bolted off the line (people don’t mess around at
Chicago!). I felt stiff and awkward trying to run fast, had stretched but
barely jogged, opting for no warm up to save energy.
Choosing to not wear my Garmin and stick with a stopwatch, I had
no idea how fast I was going mile 1, and whether it would be a 5:50 (bad) or a
6:30 (also bad). I was relieved when I saw the clock ticking toward 6:00 and was
almost but not quite there. Lapped my watch at 6:11. Very good. My goal was to
hit 6:05 to 6:10s the first half. A lot of the rest of my first half may look
like a mile on a mile off, but with the turns, slight wind, course direction,
etc, I think I was actually running pretty even. I spotted Andrew Schupp around
7 miles and we spoke briefly. He said he just wanted to ensure it was not a
death march for him, which I took to mean he was not in great shape, even
though he’s run about 2:32-2:39 plenty of times. He and his buddy were on the
pace I wanted so I stuck with them for a few miles, but he seemed to already be
slowing by 10, so I pulled away and found other guys’ backs to focus on.
10 was definitely too slow (6:14), but I overcompensated mile 11
(6:00), and listened in to a couple guys in front of me: “Whoa, that was a bit
quick. Look, we want to be OVER 80. Let’s dial it back the next couple miles,
even 6:10s would be fine.” It’s like they were reading my mind. So I stuck
right behind them and did that, not wanting to surge through halfway like I’d
done at CIM with a 5:56 13th mile, and instead saving it for
somewhere well AFTER halfway.
I’d had a strange tight left calf/soleus/achilles starting about 8
days out, probably something to do with the Adios and my initial 14 mile run in
them. I was trying to break in the shoes, but instead they sorta broke in my
lower legs in an unexpected way, especially the soleus. My left achilles always hurts more than the right, as it's the one I had surgery on 8 yrs ago (Haglund bump removal), but this tightness just above it was new. It worried me all week
because it remained tight, though nothing red or inflamed. Courtney gave it a
good massage Sat AM in our hotel room, which I think really helped. My plan to
deal with this was to numb any pain early and run right through it. I applied biofreeze and took two
ibuprofen and before leaving the Hyatt, two at mile 5 and two more around 14, and while I could
feel it, it never really got tighter or felt like it was going to seize up. It was
never a factor. But still, I was worried about it most of the way. Later on, I
completely forgot about it as my quads were what really hurt.
Just past halfway (80:08) the two “6:10s for the next couple
miles” guys and I started passing others, gradually at first, and then more
quickly a couple miles later. Yes, we were speeding up – but they were also clearly
slowing down. 12, 13, 14 were all in the 6:08-6:10 range, but then… it was ON.
Just before 15, one of the guys sensed I had accelerated and said
to me: “6:00s?” and I said, “Yep” (the other guy had dropped back), thinking
about my post on the Lizard board: 'Would I love to run a 77 second half? Of
course I would. But that’s not likely. I’d be thrilled with a 78:30.' Well, I
knew I couldn’t run a 77:anything unless I was at least a few ticks under
6:00s. Like 5:55s. But I figured 6:00s was a good start, maybe later I could
drop it to 5:50s, we’d see. So this dude and I started clicking the miles
together, just the two of us: Boom. Boom. Boom. Incredibly even. In fact, I
could not believe how even we were running, but still just fast tempo,
not all out. Seemed like every time I hit lap it was a 5:57. No Garmin, I was
just taking course splits (unlike many races, the mile markers in Chicago seemed
perfectly consistent and accurately placed). I've only ever hit splits like that in the
first half of a marathon, usually before fading badly. To run them late in the
race was UNREAL. Must have been those 100 mile weeks and/or 28-mile long runs.
Around some corner and through a throng of spectators, approaching
a jumbo-tron I got that quick-step euphoric feeling you sometimes get and half-stepped
him, to which he responded, very calmly: “Hey, this feels like 5:50. Listen, let’s
save that pace for just a bit later.” He was totally right. I said, “Yeah, too
early for that, thanks.” Little did I know that he was not bluffing;
read on for that. I added, "I've run under 2:41 three times, but never under 2:40." He responded with, "You can DO this, man. WE can do this. You with me?" A: "Yep."
The splits for 15-23 (9 miles) were all between 5:55 and 6:00.
After a few sub-6:00s and as we closed in on the 30K mat, I was getting tired
and that on-the-verge feeling, and said, “Hey man, I need to run a controlled
pace from 30 to 35K. Then after that, it’s whatever we’ve got left.” I didn’t
even know exactly what I was suggesting by “controlled pace”; I guess I was
hoping to dial it back to 6:02 from 5:57 or something. He said “Ok”, but then
we didn’t slow down at all; and looking at my splits, the 30K to 35K was the
fastest 5K of my race (18:30)! And this guy was freakin’ hard core. Around
19.5, he said:
“You see that guy way up there in the orange?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s my buddy. He said he was going to go out at 77 and I told him he’s crazy and I would come rolling past him at mile 22 like he was standing still.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s my buddy. He said he was going to go out at 77 and I told him he’s crazy and I would come rolling past him at mile 22 like he was standing still.”
Given the gap from us to orange guy was maybe 25 seconds, it
indeed looked like we’d be catching him in a couple more miles. I said, “Yeah,
77’s way too fast, what we’re doing is better.” Since we’d built this 2-man alliance
that’d already lasted 4+ miles, I finally asked:
“Hey, what’s your name?”
“Stu. How about you?”
“Bill.”
“How old are you, Stu?”
“38, how about you?”
“40.”
“You ever make any money in the master’s?”
[Me laughing]: “Uh… no. [as we go up an overpass] Sorry, can’t talk.”
“Stu. How about you?”
“Bill.”
“How old are you, Stu?”
“38, how about you?”
“40.”
“You ever make any money in the master’s?”
[Me laughing]: “Uh… no. [as we go up an overpass] Sorry, can’t talk.”
So Stu [see John Stewart in the results] and I were side by side
as we continued mowing down guys like we were the only two on the entire course
who'd gone out sensibly. This may well be the best aerobic shape I’ve been in.
Ever. I actually felt sorta bad as Stu and I were darting past guys who were clearly
hurting while keeping up some, albeit strained, banter. Other guys having a
conversation around you when you’re just spent can really put salt in those
wounds; I’ve definitely been on both sides of that dynamic.
At the mile 21 aid station, I grabbed a gatorade (even though it
was cool weather, I drank extra gatorade throughout, figuring electrolytes
would stave off any soleus cramping), didn’t see if Stu grabbed anything, but
coming out of it he had maybe 4 seconds and I already felt like I was at a 93%
of max type pace, so I “let” him go. Miles 22 and 23 for were still sub-6 for
me, but Stu kept pulling away, undoubtedly chatting up and encouraging a few
others along the way. This guy had confidence, energy, smarts, and wheels! Every
mile he would get further and further ahead until I could barely see him. I
think he must’ve run 5:45 to 5:50 the rest of the way (the pace back at 17 that
he told me we should “save for just a bit later”), cuz around 24 I’d guess he had 30 seconds and
then by 40K he was about out of sight [results show he ran 40K to F at 5:45
pace to my 6:04, a 26 second difference over just 1.36 miles]. I think he
passed orange guy at 21.5 and I passed orange guy about a half mile later.
So 21.5 and I was tired and alone with still a long way to go, but
still passing many and being passed by none. Mile 23 was my fastest of the
race, at 5:55, but then I started to really feel it. It got as hard as always,
and I was worried about blowing up like in Houston and transitioning to 6:20 or
6:30, but the pace only lagged a little. There may even have been headwind,
that’s what Ritz cites for his slightly slower miles the last few, I dunno. The
wind was really not strong even if slightly in coming towards us. 6:05 for 24,
really feeling it but trying to keep turnover and hold my form together. Quads
aching, ready to be done. 6:10 for 25, but had just seen 2:30:high on the clock
at 40K which I knew was a good sign (I’d been dreading seeing 2:32 there like
in the recent past). There was also a sidelines guy at 40K yelling to me and
everyone within earshot: “You guys have 10 minutes to get under 2:40… you’ve
got it! You’ve got it!”. Then the ‘1 mile to go’ sign. I was even able to pick
it up a little. Then the ‘800 to go’ sign (man, this race is organized!). A bit
of a 2nd wind as I realized I may even have a chance at sub-2:39.
Unexpected small hill after the right turn toward the 26 marker, but the ‘300 to
go’ sign shortly after, left turn for the finish and the banner was even closer
down the straightaway than I expected. Gave it everything I had left, took off
my hat, raised both arms and yelled out “Yeah!” as I crossed the mats. Stu was
the first person I saw and I thanked him profusely, got a couple photos
together before heading down the long walk toward goodies, beer, dry clothes,
and my wife. Stu ran 35K to 40K in 18:16 to my 18:46, and 40K to F in 7:50 to
my 8:16. So he rolled through the final 7.2K 0:56 seconds faster than me for a
2:37:57 finish, with halves of 80:09+77:48. Wow.
A look through the results shows that I passed over 60 people
during the 2nd half, and Stu passed over 70. Only a couple guys ever passed me, toward the very end, and I
don’t think anyone passed him. We had completely crushed it, and for once I was that
guy with something left during those final miles. I had raced a marathon without
fading, without blowing up; not just run it, not just finished it, but actually
RACED it. Wow, what a feeling.
I’ve been running for over 30 years and completed over 600 races
ranging from 400 meters to the marathon. I’ve certainly had plenty of good
races, but this may well be the best race I’ve ever run. Not according to what some random equivalency conversion calculator says, but according to what
I felt out there, that feeling of true endurance while at a sustained fast-ish
pace over such a long distance being unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Yes, I’m an amateur. I mean, I've had my moments, but have never been close to elite times, at any distance. And I'm sorta a running nerd. But dammit if I didn’t feel
like an elite out there on the streets of Chicago. This was my day, my PR, the
one thing in running I always felt I woulda, shoulda, coulda, but never
actually had, done. Under 2:40 may seem like an arbitrary time, over an
arbitrary distance (extended to please the Queen, as the story goes), at a
random pace (6:06 per mile). But because it’s such a formidable barrier amongst
decent-but-not-Tier 1-or-Tier 2 type runners, the time is both symbolic and
revered in the running community. This will certainly go down as one of the
most, if not the most, memorable moments of my running “career.”
Preparing for the Chicago Marathon 2012
Hmmm. Looks like I sorta suck at blogging. I haven’t written
a damn thing since Houston in January. I never did the 2011 year-end recap I’d
thought about, woops (summary: it was a good running year for me). I’ve had
plenty to say all year while training with others - advice, questions,
strategizing, conjecture, criticism, hollow theories, etc, just haven’t typed
it out. Oh, well. Hopefully what I write below will be worth reading. The
experience of training and racing this past year has actually been incredibly
rewarding as well as humbling for me – the ups, the downs, the challenges, the
triumphs, and finally the big payoff of running a marathon PR.
It’s been 19 years since I toed my first marathon start line
with 2:37 (6:00 pace) as an A-Goal and sub-2:40 as an “easy” fallback (I ended
up in 2:47). Since then I’d run another 26 marathons, not always with 2:3x as a
goal time, but fairly often so, and had come up short every single time.
In summer and Fall of 2011, averaging high 70s per week with
a few weeks in the 85-90 range during the 20 week buildup to CIM had
seemed adequate, more volume than ever before, with some quality workouts and shorter
races mixed in. But after the late-race fades at CIM and then Houston, I
decided to re-up a commitment to volume. To quote my last blog entry: “I can’t
help but think there’s gotta be more where that came from, and am already
thinking about a debut at Chicago in 2012 (registration opens Feb. 1). Although
the prospect of increasing from my peak weeks of 85/90 to 100+ (and a few 28-mi
long runs) does not sound real appealing at the moment, I can’t think of
anything else (legal) that might get me through those final miles at goal pace.
It may require another 300 hours on my feet to achieve just those final 40
minutes at the right pace.”
I decided I would need to train almost like an elite to run
like even a sub-elite or decent age-group competitor. Inspiration came from
seeing things like an interview with Cam Levins – killing it in the 10,000 and
talking about having peaked at 150 mpw. Distance makes you fast. From seeing
Shalane out running the Springwater trail, and her dominance at the trials and
gutsy performance in London, knowing how hard she works. Distance makes you
fast. From seeing Farah/Rupp in the Olympic 10,000 – what a race! From
remembering Brian Sell: when 110-120 wasn’t enough, increasing to 140-160 and
making the 2008 Olympic marathon team. Distance makes you fast.
To kick it off I decided to do 5 x 80 mpw leading up to the
July 4th half, which I raced in 75:27 (5:45/mi). I then quickly
built through the high 80s and 90s, culminating in exactly 200 miles in 14 days
(no doubles) during the wks starting July 23 and July 30. My 20 week marathon
buildup looked like this:
64, 75, 80, 80, 80, 80, 40, 86, 91, 100, 100, 88, 88, 82,
89, 88, 48, 79, 61 (wk ending 9/30 - 7 days before marathon).
The 40 and 48 were weeks that each had 3 consecutive planned
days off – intentional rest. I didn’t miss any days other than those 6 during
the entire training cycle. I ran 13 consecutive Wed medium-long runs of 15-18
miles and the following 16 weekend long run distances (qty):
17 (2), 19 (1), 20 (1), 21 (5), 24 (3), 25 (1), 27 (1), 28
(2)
I could include lots more detail, but basically I did some
tempo runs, a couple 10K races, some MP runs, a few fast intervals, but mostly
just did pretty high volume, tried to get enough rest, and continued eating
well (and a LOT) and taking supplements (all legal – I swear!). I believe what
I did this year really built on what I did last year with the 3377 miles in
2011, and I needed both that base and this solid training cycle to finally be
strong enough to race a marathon the way I (and others) have expected me to
for years.
It may go without saying, but training properly is a huge commitment. The endless 4 and 5 am early mornings for me, the only time that works well, considering my 16-mile RT bike commute, long work hours, a full-time admin management position in a non-profit stretched for resources, and all life's other little stresses (and we don't even have kids!).
In the next post I’ll talk about the actual race.
It may go without saying, but training properly is a huge commitment. The endless 4 and 5 am early mornings for me, the only time that works well, considering my 16-mile RT bike commute, long work hours, a full-time admin management position in a non-profit stretched for resources, and all life's other little stresses (and we don't even have kids!).
In the next post I’ll talk about the actual race.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Houston 2012: A Second Chance?
Results (bib #953): http://results.houstonmarathon.com/2012/
01/15/2012. My 27th marathon. Cool and dry, perfect weather, 40s during the race, maybe 50 by the end but never too hot. Wore the Luna Racer1 again, Paula-Radcliffe-style beige compression socks (hey, why not?), singlet, shorts, & lightweight gloves. Would I have another chance at slipping under 2:40? Couldn’t ask for a more perfect day, but in the end (literally), instead of slipping under, my hopes slipped away as I again involuntarily slowed over the final 3 miles.
5:56=12:03
6:06=18:09
6:06=24:15
6:03=30:18 (5)
6:05=36:23
6:23=42:46
5:43=48:29
6:06=54:35
6:05=60:40 (10)
6:03=66:43
6:03=72:46
6:04=78:50
6:07=84:57
6:02=90:59 (15)
5:58=96:57
6:13=1:43:10
6:06=1:49:16
6:05=1:55:21
6:17=2:01:38 (20)
5:47=2:07:25
6:12=2:13:37
6:07=2:19:44
6:31=2:26:15
6:34=2:32:49 (25)
6:33=2:39:22
1:22=2:40:44 = 6:07.8 avg pace
(2nd best all-time behind CIM 2011- 2:40:02; 3rd best is now my former PR: Boston 1997- 2:40:45)
Halfs: 79:31 + 81:13
01/15/2012. My 27th marathon. Cool and dry, perfect weather, 40s during the race, maybe 50 by the end but never too hot. Wore the Luna Racer1 again, Paula-Radcliffe-style beige compression socks (hey, why not?), singlet, shorts, & lightweight gloves. Would I have another chance at slipping under 2:40? Couldn’t ask for a more perfect day, but in the end (literally), instead of slipping under, my hopes slipped away as I again involuntarily slowed over the final 3 miles.
On the plus side:
* at least I didn’t miss it by as little as last time
* made it to the starting line healthy, despite a pretty bad cold that hung around for 3+ of the 6 wks between CIM and this, but never kept me from training (lots of DayQuil and NyQuil)
* 2nd best time ever
* no stops during the race, porta potty or otherwise
* left foot felt fine, despite pain it had at CIM; must have tied my shoes just right this time (same shoes); well, I did get a blood blister on my right foot, but it was small and didn’t slow me down
* held it together mentally
* at least I didn’t miss it by as little as last time
* made it to the starting line healthy, despite a pretty bad cold that hung around for 3+ of the 6 wks between CIM and this, but never kept me from training (lots of DayQuil and NyQuil)
* 2nd best time ever
* no stops during the race, porta potty or otherwise
* left foot felt fine, despite pain it had at CIM; must have tied my shoes just right this time (same shoes); well, I did get a blood blister on my right foot, but it was small and didn’t slow me down
* held it together mentally
On the minus side:
* I didn’t miss it by as little as last time
* at least 0:45 slower than goal time
* 7th in age 40-44, with 4 of the 6 guys in front of me in the 2:40:17-2:40:39 range, 3 of them having passed me in the final miles. Only 9th master’s male.
* confidence in my training theory has eroded, meaning I probably should up mileage to 100+ in future marathon buildups
* second half was 102 seconds slower than first half, which is 10 seconds worse than CIM (0:92) despite a slightly more conservative first half split
* 0 for 2 at something I’d given myself a 85% chance of being at least 1 of 2 at
* at least 0:45 slower than goal time
* 7th in age 40-44, with 4 of the 6 guys in front of me in the 2:40:17-2:40:39 range, 3 of them having passed me in the final miles. Only 9th master’s male.
* confidence in my training theory has eroded, meaning I probably should up mileage to 100+ in future marathon buildups
* second half was 102 seconds slower than first half, which is 10 seconds worse than CIM (0:92) despite a slightly more conservative first half split
* 0 for 2 at something I’d given myself a 85% chance of being at least 1 of 2 at
Here’s how it went down:
61 of 7675 finishers
54 of 4856 males
7 of 814 males 40-44
9th overall male masters 40+
Splits: Taken manually at each course mile marker. Missed a couple, so approximated for those based on 2-mile splits. Some erratic splits due to course marker misplacement. No, I didn’t really run a 6:17 for mile 20, a 5:47 for mile 21, or a 6:23 early in the race. My Garmin 305 shows lap paces ranging from 5:56 to 6:09 during the first 23 miles, so overall my miles were really consistent... until they weren’t.
6:07=06:0754 of 4856 males
7 of 814 males 40-44
9th overall male masters 40+
Splits: Taken manually at each course mile marker. Missed a couple, so approximated for those based on 2-mile splits. Some erratic splits due to course marker misplacement. No, I didn’t really run a 6:17 for mile 20, a 5:47 for mile 21, or a 6:23 early in the race. My Garmin 305 shows lap paces ranging from 5:56 to 6:09 during the first 23 miles, so overall my miles were really consistent... until they weren’t.
5:56=12:03
6:06=18:09
6:06=24:15
6:03=30:18 (5)
6:05=36:23
6:23=42:46
5:43=48:29
6:06=54:35
6:05=60:40 (10)
6:03=66:43
6:03=72:46
6:04=78:50
6:07=84:57
6:02=90:59 (15)
5:58=96:57
6:13=1:43:10
6:06=1:49:16
6:05=1:55:21
6:17=2:01:38 (20)
5:47=2:07:25
6:12=2:13:37
6:07=2:19:44
6:31=2:26:15
6:34=2:32:49 (25)
6:33=2:39:22
1:22=2:40:44 = 6:07.8 avg pace
(2nd best all-time behind CIM 2011- 2:40:02; 3rd best is now my former PR: Boston 1997- 2:40:45)
Halfs: 79:31 + 81:13
5-mile splits: 30:18, 30:22, 30:19, 30:39, 31:11
Chip Splits:
18:48=18:48 (5k)
18:56=37:44 (10k)
18:48=56:32 (15k)
18:51=75:23 (20k)
18:56=94:19 (25k)
19:07=1:53:26 (30k)
18:36=2:12:02 (35k)
19:51=2:31:53 (40k) OUCH
08:51=2:40:44 (42.2k) OUCH
I’ll try to spare you some of the drama in this report compared to CIM. I really didn’t know what to expect, and had only peaked at 67 miles with a longest run of 18.5 since CIM, but decided to stick with my original plan: if I don’t do it at the first one, give it a go at the second. Was banking on all that other pre-CIM training benefitting me here too. On race day I woke a few hours early, ate plenty of carbs/calories (bagel, several rice cakes, Clif bar, banana, green tea), laid back down for awhile, got up for good around 5:30. Left the Marriott about 6:05 and walked the half-mile over to the convention center. I felt rested and ready. Drank a last-minute dose of DayQuil (I swear that stuff is performance enhancing), dropped my stuff at bagcheck, and headed toward the start with hordes of others. This was a large event with about 8,000 in the full and 9,000 in the half. I accidentally made my way toward the half startline before remembering from the map that the marathon corrals are a block over (probably wouldn’t have mattered, since the chip mats go all the way across, but didn’t want to chance it). By the time I got into that corral, over 20 minutes before the 7:oo am start, it was already super-densely-packed and difficult to weave through to my proper placement. So I moved up a certain amount then decided not to expend the energy and just started further back, somewhere around the 3:10 pace group sign. There might have been over 1000 people in front of me, it certainly looked like 50+ rows compared to the 6-10 rows back I’d planned on. It was 19 seconds after the gun to cross the start line, compared with buddies Dan and Richard, who took just 3 and 11 seconds, and found each other during the first mile. Although I didn’t know it at the time, this gap meant I wouldn’t run with them during the race as we’d talked about. It also meant a certain amount of weaving the first mile, but that was easy enough (apologies to everyone I elbowed), and I still managed about a 6:07. But Woops on starting too far back. Oh, well.
The low-6:00s felt not hard but not easy, exactly the type of tempo I expected, although it maybe felt slightly harder than CIM. Hmm. Running alongside half marathoners kind of messes with you, since their pacing can be so erratic, so I did my best to ignore them and just run tempo. I was happy when they turned off around 9, getting to see who all was really in my race. Dan and Richard maintained a 20-30 second physical lead, and there weren’t many guys between us. But at that pace I never felt inclined to put in the effort it would take to close that gap, so just kept running my own race, figuring they might come back eventually.
A number of mile markers were erratically place, but they seemed to come in sets of 2, so a slow mile would be followed by a fast one or vice versa. Annoying, but whatever. I glanced at my Garmin “lap pace” for a more accurate gauge. But it was great they were consistently reading out the avg. pace as we passed the markers, and I remember hearing 6:04 from about 9 all the way to 22 or 23. Definitely a good thing to hear consistently, considering 6:05 is 2:39:30, and knowing their readouts and the clock times I was seeing were based on gun time, so mine should be even a bit faster.
It was a decently deep field but pretty strung out, about every 1-2 miles I’d pass someone or vice versa, but never ran with a large pack like at CIM. Some guy passed me around 17 and I went with him for a mile or so. The crowd cheered for him as “Ryan”. My bib read “Billy Bob” which I figured was fitting for racing in the south. By 30k I was tired, but surprisingly slightly less so than CIM, and thought “Ok, this is it, the 2nd half starts here. Pretend I’m just starting a 12k. Quick steps. 45 minutes to go. Do or die.” I had this track “Spirit of ‘76” by The Alarm in my head: “For every one who survives, there are many who fall”… “I will never give in, until the day that I die”, etc. So I tried to “crank” it and chased after Ryan, Dan & Richard (who had ever-so-gradually gotten just a bit closer, but still had maybe 15 seconds). Chip splits show my 30 to 35k split at 18:36, my fastest 5k segment of the race. I passed Richard (2:44:45) around 21, but never caught Dan (2:40:12) or Ryan (2:39:19 with negative splits- close to 80:00 at the half- really wish I could have gone with him).
However, by 21 I knew I couldn’t hold the low-6:00s for 5 more miles, and after about 6:09 pace for the next 2, that was it, I was cooked. Right around 23, I thought “Oh, no, it’s happening again.” My body just tied up and generally wouldn't cooperate, quads got super-sore, and that smooth tempo became a painful struggle. Guys started passing; it looked like they were running sub-6 pace, but I knew they weren’t. Still, I couldn’t go with anyone. I stayed focused mentally and tried to push, but the tank was empty, despite the carbo loading, no run Sat (just watched the trials and walked), a good raceday breakfast, plenty of water and sports drink, and 4 gels- early and often- including one before the start and at miles 7, 14, 21 (as expected, that 4th one didn’t do a damn thing for me). I felt I'd done everything right, made it slightly further than CIM at goal pace, but then crumbled worse than CIM. Had those final 3 miles each been even in 6:15-6:20 instead of 6:30+, I’d have been real close to 2:40-flat again, if not under. But I… could… not… do… it. Crap. As I passed 26, I was gaining on a female and thought about having watched Ritz in person come past there charging hard after Abdi the day before, with about the same gap to close. I tried to kick it in around the last corner and down the straight-away, but still finished about 5 seconds back of her, knowing all along I’d almost certainly get her on chip time (I did, but in my heart still do not like “chipping” people).
WHAT NOW?
I made a real attempt to carbo load for 3 days before the race. I even did a minor carb depletion for a couple days before that, the kind they say can force the body to store more glycogen later. I wanted to have my fuel stores topped off as much as possible considering I was pretty depleted the final 40 minutes at CIM. On Thursday I cooked & ate a 16 oz box of pasta split between a late lunch and dinner (this is some serious eating, folks). More pasta, bread & bland carbs on Friday. Felt pretty bloated like they say you should. French toast, bagel, sandwich, soup, pasta, bread on Saturday. Plenty of calories several hours before the race Sunday AM. Seemed perfect. I know the Paleo people might say this is the wrong approach, but I read some of this Paleo for Athletes book and it seemed to be saying: “Paleo is a great day-to-day diet, but if you’re a serious endurance athlete, man, you better eat some serious carbs too, especially before competition.” So I don’t really get it. I guess everyone wants to sell a book these days.After all these years, I finally understand that just running a lot of marathons does not make you a marathoner. And that great performances are not achieved on race day (well, of course physically they are), but moreso through training. Training that is consistent, long-term, and includes the right mix of volume and intensity. I’ll admit that the marathon is not my best distance and is unlikely to ever be, whatever the reasons. However, I’ve decided not to give up quite yet. Running 3320 miles in 2011 (previous best 2646), lots of races, changes in diet, and marathon-specific training resulted in both a marathon PR and my two fastest times in 27 attempts. I can’t help but think there’s gotta be more where that came from, and am already thinking about a debut at Chicago in 2012 (registration opens Feb. 1). Although the prospect of increasing from my peak weeks of 85/90 to 100+ (and a few 28-mi long runs) does not sound real appealing at the moment, I can’t think of anything else (legal) that might get me through those final miles at goal pace. It may require another 300 hours on my feet to achieve just those final 40 minutes at the right pace. This is truly a crazy “sport”.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Post-CIM Thoughts
I was hoping to sit down after CIM and write how I’d just run something like 79:00+77:30 for a 2:36. Or some variation of that for a 2:37, 2:38, or 2:39. And how perfect my training had been to get me there. And how I’d finally mastered the marathon. Well, having just run 79:15+80:47=2:40:02, I’ll write this instead:
I’ve always struggled with the marathon, compared to other distances. Maybe my mix of fast and slow twitch muscles isn’t quite right for it. I seem to do pretty well in 12k’s, 15k’s and halfs, which have often predicted faster marathon times than I’ve finished. But marathons aren’t run on paper or in an internet pace calculator. All that matters once you’re out there is, well, what you can do once you’re out there.
In my first one (San Francisco ’93, age 21), I raced from the start just like I was used to doing for a 10k or a half. 6:00 was an easy pace, and after all, all I needed was 6:05s to break 2:40 (my ‘B’ goal in that race, ‘A’ goal being a sub-6 avg). At 16 I felt great and said to Maria Trujillo (one of the fastest women marathoners in CA at the time), who I’d been running with to that point, “We’re doing awesome, only 10 miles to go.” She didn’t say anything, but just looked over at me with a irratated look on her face like ‘What an idiot.’ About 3 miles later, I hit a major wall, she pulled WAY away (and won it in 2:38 or so I believe), and I slowed from my high-5’s to high 6’s then eventually to something like 7:32 as I finished in 2:47-high off a sub-6:00 pace through 18 miles. A harsh welcome to the marathon. And a sign of future struggles.
Maybe I’m too thin, and just can’t train my body to burn enough fat. But wait, the best runners in the world have just as little body fat, if not less, so that can’t be it. Maybe my training hasn’t been optimal or marathon-specific enough. Often true, but I really tried to correct that this time with a super-base (55-70mpw for 22 wks) followed by an intensive 18-week Pfitzinger program (70-85mpw). Maybe guys like Dan Sheil and Tim Knox are right in running 100+ mpw in marathon build-ups instead. Maybe even higher mileage would boost my race day endurance at the faster speeds. Brian Sell did that. Pretty sure you won’t see me going 130-160mpw, though =).
Or maybe I don’t have enough years of good marathon-level base mileage, even with all my years of general running base (this is the first year, really ever, that I’ve taken marathon base training super seriously). I have no problem covering the distance evenly or better when at a slightly slower speed (i.e. 6:25 pace for a recent 25.5 mile training run with negative splits toward the end), but running down close to 6:00s for that long seems to accumulate just enough lactate so that I’ve still never, in 26 marathons, run even or negative splits during one I was truly racing. I really believed CIM 2011 was going to be different, but in the end it wasn’t. My 2nd half was 92 seconds slower than my first. I burned through at least 75 seconds during the final 10k that I didn’t expect to. Of course most of us have blown up WAY beyond that, sometimes 75 seconds or more per mile toward the end. But again, this time was supposed to be different. It is so disappointing that the final 2 miles were so slow despite how hard I was trying for them not to be. I just could not hang onto anything near race pace at that point.
Then again, I saw an interview with Brian Sell right after Boston 2009 where he’d just tanked and finished in 2:16, way back. He said his prep and workouts were very similar to 2006 where he’d run phenomenal to finish 4th, and just didn’t know what happened. Of course the headwind there didn’t help in 2009. Everyone has their days. Great, good, bad. Sometimes there are no answers. I thought I was having a phenomenal day at CIM, and really felt that way through 12, even through 15, before it got too hard way too soon, around 30k. If only my quads had survived even a couple more miles before giving up.
I told a few people I wanted to be sure to be over 79:00 at the half, so was pleased when I went through in 79:15 and thought, oh man, this is so perfect. My training got me here. I’m just floating at 6:00 pace, feeling good. My plan to improve my half speed the first part of this year worked out, getting me to near 75-flat by July. I need that speed to break 2:40, I figured. And that 6:lows would feel so easy compared with 5:40/5:45 pace I’d run for 15k to half races all year long.
I heard someone say earlier this year: “It’s one thing to have the will to run a good marathon, but it’s a whole nother thing to have the will to put in the training to run a good marathon.” I read another quote along the lines of: “I’ve run good marathons on poor training and poor marathons on good training, but I can guarantee that I’ll never run a great marathon on anything but great training.”
I’ll admit I’m a slow learner (including a stretch starting with Boston '97 doing 10 marathons in 18 months with similar training and similar results as I chased 2:3x and never got there), but I realized late last year that a number of things would need to change to race a great marathon. At my age, injury history, and past challenges at the distance, it would take great training, getting to the starting line healthy, and everything coming together to get south of 2:40. Last December as I ran the Holiday Half along Willamette Blvd and was fading to 6:20s into a stiff headwind by the end, having not done a run longer than 8 miles in several months, and finishing in 80-low, I thought ‘What are my chances of ever running this pace again for a full?’. A realistic answer at that point seemed about 15%, a pretty long shot. So late last year I decided 2011 would be the year I stop slacking, work extremely hard, and see what I can really do. Afterall, I’d be turning freakin’ 40 in Nov. So I bought a book on training, first one ever. And then worked. And worked. And worked. 2422 miles in 243 consecutive days. 60 mile weeks. Then 70s. Then 80s. 85s. 97 in 7 days once. Long runs, tempo runs, races, VO2 max workouts, marathon pace runs, track workouts. I was determined to be a living, breathing Pfitzinger product, the guy who at the end of the race epitomizes the well-prepared marathoner from this quote in his book Advanced Marathoning: [regarding 20 to F]: “This is the part of the race that poorly prepared marathoners dread, and well prepared marathoners relish.” I would be the guy who relishes the final 10-12k; it would be super-hard but still fast, with no fade, maybe even a slight pickup. By mid-November, nearly a year later, I was putting my sub-2:40 chances at 85% which, in my mind, had climbed steadily throughout the year from the 15% chance I originally gave myself.
In 2011, I sacrificed some productivity at work. I went to bed by 9:00 most nights. Trained every morning. Up at 4:00am for Wed AM 15-milers, by 5:15 most other days. Trained in the heat. The rain. Wind. Through creatine withdrawals. When sick. When tired. When sore. Through achilles, hamstring, groin, and other pains. On the track. With younger guys. When unmotivated. After work when the schedule called for it, as much as I hate running end of day anymore. I did ALL the workouts. Didn’t always hit the Pfitzinger recommend paces, but still did ALL the workouts.
Did I overtrain this year by nearly doubling my mileage from what I’d done the last two years? Did I overdo it on shorter races? Did I go too hard on those final 2 long runs, 23 miles three weeks out and 17 two weeks out? Was my taper too steep? Not steep enough? Too long? Too short? Did I eat the wrong foods leading up to race day? Should I have done more on gradual downhill to simulate the course? Did I eat enough for dinner? Breakfast? Did that final night's lack of sleep affect my muscles? Should I have worn trainers not racers?
The questions of course are are endless, and no one really has any answers better than guessing, but if I went back in time and had a chance to prep for CIM 2011 again, I wouldn’t change a single thing (well, maybe I’d cut out Klock XC =) and the creatine experiment, but that’s about it). I had what I had on race day, and it wasn’t quite enough. The weather, my groin, my calves, my stomach, my core, my shoes, my mind, they all not only cooperated, they were perfect. But my quads weren’t, and the extent to which really surprised me. I really don’t know why. It happens. As anal and obsessive as I trend, I’m saying a big “Oh, well” and moving on. It feels great to have this race over with, and is a HUGE weight off my shoulders. I don’t think I’ve ever put as much pressure on myself with such long lead-time for a single performance in the 30 years I’ve been doing this, yet I dealt with my own expectations & demons pretty well (although I wish I could have slept better Sat night). I honestly don’t know how top athletes handle the pressure, the prize money, the expectations, the Olympics, the media, and all the rest of it. Well, I guess some of them do so better than others. They need not only the physical abilities, but nerves of steel. Which blows my mind. It was super-awesome to hear someone screaming around mile 23 “Don’t think, just run.” So pure, so honest, so raw. Just run. You’re almost there. That’s what it’s all about. Especially by mile 23 =).
Time to rest, regroup, refocus, and come up with a raceplan for Houston which, to be completely honest, is really TBD depending on how my recovery & training goes. It’s only 6 weeks out, and the last time my quads felt like this (Boston 2009, same year Sell tanked), it took the better part of 3 weeks for the soreness to go completely away, but then I ran reasonably well at Newport, which was 3 weeks after that (6 wks total between marathons). Hoping for 2 weeks until full muscle recovery this time, and will be looking for some remedies to speed that along.
Thanks for reading. Comments welcome.
CIM 2011 - Race Report
12/4/2011. My 26th marathon. Perfect weather conditions (low-40s, clear and dry, maybe a slight tailwind for part of the race but mostly calm), awesome field. Well organized & well measured. The people who put on this event are exceptional and deserve much kudos. This isn’t a good marathon, it’s a GREAT marathon. The West coast standard, for sure.
On the plus side:
* made it to the starting line healthy
* PR by 0:43 (previous- 2:40:45 Boston ’97)
* 4:14 faster than last marathon (2:44:16 Eugene ‘10)
* 5th in age group (40-44) & 6th place master’s (yes, a 55-y.o. ran 2:36!)
* no stops during the race, porta potty or otherwise
* top finisher over 2:40:00 =)
* held it together mentally
* top 100 overall (92nd)
* made it to the starting line healthy
* PR by 0:43 (previous- 2:40:45 Boston ’97)
* 4:14 faster than last marathon (2:44:16 Eugene ‘10)
* 5th in age group (40-44) & 6th place master’s (yes, a 55-y.o. ran 2:36!)
* no stops during the race, porta potty or otherwise
* top finisher over 2:40:00 =)
* held it together mentally
* top 100 overall (92nd)
On the minus side:
* at least 0:03 slower than goal time
* inexplicably, body didn’t cooperate in the final miles
* burned WAY too much muscle, which means a slower recovery which could affect Houston prep
* no idea what went wrong
* bittersweet performance given my higher self-expectations
* inexplicably, body didn’t cooperate in the final miles
* burned WAY too much muscle, which means a slower recovery which could affect Houston prep
* no idea what went wrong
* bittersweet performance given my higher self-expectations
Splits: (taken manually exactly at each course mile marker)
6:14=06:146:01=12:15
6:07=18:22
6:00=24:22
6:08=30:30 (5)
6:02=36:32
6:01=42:33
6:00=48:33
6:04=54:37
6:00=60:37 (10)
6:04=66:41
6:04=72:45
5:56=78:41
5:58=84:39
6:04=90:43 (15)
6:00=96:43
5:59=1:42:42
6:03=1:48:45
6:03=1:54:48
6:07=2:00:55 (20)
6:10=2:07:05
6:11=2:13:16
6:17=2:19:33
6:16=2:25:49
6:22=2:32:11 (25)
6:26=2:38:37
1:25=2:40:02 (6:06.2 avg pace)
Halfs: 79:15 (6:02.7) + 80:47 (6:09.7)
5-mile splits: 30:30, 30:07, 30:06, 30:12, 31:16 (ouch)
BEFORE
Fly into SMF arriving 1:00pm Saturday, city Yolobus to convention center, only $2, woohoo. Expo, pickup packet, check chip, walk past booths, nothing special just like every expo, leave after 15 minutes. Walk 3/4 mile to hotel, Vagabond Inn Executive (Tim Swietlik will tell you how comfortable the beds are here). Lie on bed with both feet up, really worried about persistent tight calves. Wonder if that recent strong West/Northwest wind will finally really be calm or slight East as forecast. TV & iPod. Dinner at River City Grill (salad, bread, chicken parmesan & pasta), just a couple blocks from the hotel in an outdoor shopping center. Order more bread to go, adding to the breakfast stuff I’d already planned. Take magnesium (natural sleep assistance) & L-Glutamine, try to sleep at 8:30pm, it’s not working, toss & turn for the better part of 7 hrs, maybe slept a couple. Out of bed at 3:45. Green tea, chinese “energy blend” granules, sausage patty, bread, banana, bathroom x 2, stretch, use “the stick” all over legs, bundle up, leave at 4:50 and walk a block to Holiday Inn for bus pickup. Feeling really relaxed and awesome, I know today will be my day. Long schoolbus ride, i-pod just like the guy next to me, the bus is full of lively conversation except for us two. Increase the volume to drown out the chatter. Heard shuffled tracks by Indigo Girls, Garbage, Creed, U2, Tori Amos, Midnight Oil, Fuel, blink-182, Sarah McLachlan, Smashing Pumpkins, The Cult, Eve 6, Rage Against the Machine, etc. When I hear “This time the bullet cold rocked ya, yellow ribbon instead of a swastika. Nothing proper ‘bout your propaganda…” by Rage, I think ‘Damn, this album came out freakin’ 20 years ago, and we’re still in fucking Iraq.’ Which reminds me of my first CIM back then, 18 years ago in 1993, age 22, 2nd marathon ever. Major wall, 2:43:20 after having hit 21 @ 2:06:00. 37:20 for 5.2=Ouch. That won’t happen today, I reassure myself. I think about other politically charged songs like “American Idiot” by Green Day, but my mind won’t stay there long as it expectedly drifts right back to ‘It’s just 6:00s to 6:05s. Nothing but a long tempo run. Nothing but a long tempo run.’ Off the bus, walk around. Jog. Bathroom. Stretch. Jog some more. Can’t remember ever seeing more people warming up for a marathon. This crowd is serious. The faster women look like they’re out for blood. Good. Me too – gonna redeem & make it count this time. Bathroom again. Strip down. Should I wear my hat? Yes (good decision, as the cold continued for awhile). Cram everything else into a plastic bag & tie it tight. Scramble to find the appropriate sweats truck. Tie shoes & secure chip. One hand on a square carboard trashcan & stretch both slightly tight quads as I hear the star spangled banner. Weave through aways and line up 6-8 rows back, don’t want to start too fast. Countdown, gun & we’re moving.
DURING
First third of a mile and I’m right next to the 2:46 pace group. (How cool is it that they had an elite-purpose-specific pace group this year? Seems to have worked, looking at the long string of women finishing from 2:43 to 2:45. 29 under 2:46:00. I wonder how many of them are Americans and first-time trials qualifiers. Probably a good chunk. Pretty cool.) My Garmin pace says 6:20, so I pick it up a bit. Mile 1 in 6:14, perfect since I definitely wanted to err on the side of conservative the first few miles. The pace is strong but comfortable and I settle into low 6:00s after that. I run from 4 to 9 or so behind a couple young guys, who are chatting with one guy and then another he hands off to from a relay team pacing alongside them who seem to be mostly doing the relay for fun (or maybe a legal way to get some pacing from their buddies). They congratulate one of the relayers on a recent 16:40, which I presume is a 5k, sounds like XC. Good runners. The two running the full tell me it’s their first time and ask my goal to which I immediately respond “sub-2:40”. They don’t mention a time but that they want to be conservative because of the unknown. That’s smart I say – they should run even splits, thinking how zen of me and that I will be the master of even or negative splits today. They drop it to 5:55s or better, I let them go, and they have quite a gap by halfway. I wonder if I’ll see them again. I won’t. Congrats to those two, whoever they were, for running strong their first time out the gate.
I take my first GU along with a pair of ibuprofen at 9. I’d decided to carry them due to strange calf soreness the last couple taper weeks that never completely went away. Calves still feel ever-so-slightly tight despite a heavy lathering of Biofreeze but not too bad, but I decide to err on the side of caution and take the NSAIDs just in case, figuring they should last 1.5 hrs no problem and could serve a general anti-inflammatory purpose when the going gets tougher. Around mile 10, finally the sun on the road provides some much-welcomed warmth and I think that I might later write something completely cheeseball like: ‘As the sun warmed the day, it ignited the fire in my soul and under my feet as I went on to finish the race of my life,’ or some such non-sense.
Around the same time, my left foot starts to get that feeling that the laces are too tight (Nike Lunaracer1), although I swear I didn’t overtighten. No way I’m stopping unless it gets really bad, I can’t afford to lose any unnecessary time out here. The strain on those top of foot tendons has happened before, and the pain is bearable so I continue on, think about other things, and get used to it. It reminds me of something Bret Kimple said to me: “The thing about the marathon is that things can go so ugly, so early, and you’ve still got a long way to go.” This does not fall in the 'so ugly' category, I tell myself, ignoring the now moderate & persistent pain. After a few more miles, I don't even notice it again the rest of the race.
From 9 to 12 I slowly gain on a pack of 6 or so and decide to run just a tad quicker through half to pickup a good split there. I become the pack leader as we cross the halfway mats in 79-low and continue to lead it through 14 with a second sub-6:00 (check out the results to see how others with half splits in the 79:11-79:20 range fared. Looks like 3 of 8 finished strong, and the other 5, including me, faded, as I finished 4 of 8 out of that halfway pack. But it was a great pack to be in until it broke up around 17.5). About 4 times in 6 miles we see enthusiastic supporters of a guy named “Lucas” cheering him on. About the 3rd time we see his posse, someone in the pack asks “So who’s Lucas?” and a tall dude raises his hand. “Popular guy” I say, and several of us have a 3-second laugh.
Past 16 and it’s starting to feel not-so-easy. Hmmm. No panic, I just pull out my 2nd GU and finish it by the mile 17 aid station. This is my favorite part of the course: wide, even pavement, thousands of trees in brilliant fall color lining Fair Oaks Blvd. The section where, the last 2 times I ran here, in ’07 and ’08, I started a long and persistent drive to the finish resulting in negative splits (but wasn’t racing either time, so had plenty left in the tank). As I pass 18 and approach 30k, which in my mind is the halfway point of any marathon, I feel almost exactly the opposite I’d envisioned. I’d visualized really winding it up and then unleashing 6:00s and better from 30k in, but instead I’m sensing either A) a bad patch, or B) the beginning of the end. To add to this feeling, a few guys from my pack, which has now strung out not only single file but is well splintered, seem to be realizing MY dream as they start to disappear into the distance. Why am I not able to start dropping the 5:50s and 5:55s I’d hoped for? That’s ok, though, let them go. I’m still (reasonably) comfortable at 6:0x’s. Race plan still intact.
Now nearly to 19 and my quads are both getting real sore real quick. That’s ok, I tell myself, even just maintain that 6:05 tempo and I’ve still got plenty of time. But that psychology works for less than 10 more minutes, and as I reach the mats at 20 with a not-so-easy 6:07 and just under 2:01 total, a 39 flat 10k starts to sound not-so-easy, a distance I’d already just run 3-in-a-row of at a “moderate/tempo” pace around mid-37s. I try some math, but never quite finish it. If 6:26s is 40-flat, then 39-flat is… well, under 6:20s at least. Don’t even think about using ALL that time. You don’t want to cut it so close. That wasn’t the plan. Go for 6:05-6:15s. Hold it together. Yes, it feels like you’re crawling when this starts to happen, but you’re not, it’s just a sensation. I know this from experience. But still, crap. It’s gonna hurt. BIG TIME hurt. I catch back up to Lucas, who has become a casualty of the “accelerations” at the front end of our former pack (actually, the few guys who pulled away just kept running even, didn’t really speed up, it just felt like they had because some of us started going slightly backwards- funny how that happens). I use his pace for a half mile then go by him and a woman who was well ahead of us and has completely exploded. I’m taking any tangent I can find, running in the gutter when possible where the road curves. I feel ok up the little bridge, which I think is at 21.5 but can never remember for some reason. Not feeling so good down it, super-ouch on the quads as I wonder if they might give out completely, sending me to the pavement. I keep drinking Ultima every mile, hoping somehow the electrolytes will give a boost, but I know it’s too late. Starting to be in a daze, everything is slowing down and becoming sorta surreal, like the dramatic point in a movie where it goes to slow-mo and the star doesn’t see or hear anything other than what they’re intently focused on. Somehow I miss the final GU handout I’d been planning on. That’s ok, I think, because experience tells me that if I think I need 4 GUs in a 2.5 hr period (I also ate one on the starting line), that 4th one won’t do a damn thing for me. I know it's just mind vs. body the rest of the way anyway. There's no such thing as a magic boost or second wind once this feeling begins. I know this all too well.
Mile 23 in 6:17. Lord. 2:19:33. I’d been telling myself the week pre-race that a 2:20-flat here would be key to going sub-2:40, but had also thought about how different a 2:20 with 3.2 to go would feel if I was feeling good vs. feeling cooked, and how I would deal with that mentally. Well, I wasn’t just cooked, I was overcooked. I wasn't just well done, but completely burnt, inedible. I was that burger left on the grill for 4 hrs and discovered at the end of the party. My legs were oh so torched. Completely rubberized. Dead meat without a bit of spring left, the muscles sustaining more and more damage with each step. I was no longer burning fat, glycogen, or anything you’re supposed to in those final miles. I had resorted to fueling my dream race with 100% muscle. That wasn’t the plan. Triple ouch. Quadruple ouch. Anyone who’s experienced this knows the feeling I’m trying to convey. Honestly, it's indescribable.
Pick it up, then sonofabitch, muscle limitations slow it back down. Pick it up again. Repeat every 30 seconds, like a fartlek. Less than 20 minutes to go. I can do this. It’s mine to lose. I’ve worked so hard. 4:30am tempo runs in the pouring rain. Amazing long runs. XC races. 4 1/2 legs at Hood To Coast. Speedwork. Not just runs, real workouts. I deserve it, dammit. Focus. Keep the legs moving, it doesn’t matter how far your feet come off the ground. There are no points for style. Pass more people than pass you. Mile 24 in 6:16. Hurts like a mother but good split, only 2 to go. Head still in it. Final major turns. Downtown now. Marked parking spots and meters. More spectators. Holding signs and placards. Where’s the next one? There. 25. This had better be 2:31:high. 2:32:11. Holy hell, that was a 6:22. God, I’m just bleeding time here. If my race was televised TDF-style, Phil Liggett & Paul Sherwen would be saying, “Oh, now look at this, Aronson has cracked. He’s moving backwards on the road. Yes, it certainly doesn’t look like he’ll be able to recover from this. He seems to be working hard, but I can tell you, this guy is no Jens Voight.” One more mile, gotta make it faster than that. Getting passed by 2 guys in a half mile, not a good sign, and I know they’re not exactly negative splitting it because I had passed them a couple miles earlier. Crossing 16th, is the turn on 8th, 9th? Doesn’t matter, it’s less than 5 minutes from here, ALL that matters is the clock. Go as hard as possible. Where’s 26? Where’s 26? Ok, closing in on it. But was that a 6:26 (pace showing on Garmin)?! Lord. Head still in it. I’ve got this. I’ve got this. Sprint it in. Legs won’t respond. A few stumbly, uneven strides and then have to shorten them again to avoid falling. 2 more turns. Clock before the final turn 2:39:38. Arghh, maybe I don't got this. Keep pushing, dammit. As tight a line as possible around the last corner, nearly stepping on the metal barricade stabilizing feet. I use everything (which by now is, of course, nothing) I have left to will myself across the line, but it can hardly be called a kick. I see 2:40:04 as I approach but I know it’ll be a few more seconds; the last time I see on a clock is usually from a bit out, not when I’m right under or beside it.Mile 23 in 6:17. Lord. 2:19:33. I’d been telling myself the week pre-race that a 2:20-flat here would be key to going sub-2:40, but had also thought about how different a 2:20 with 3.2 to go would feel if I was feeling good vs. feeling cooked, and how I would deal with that mentally. Well, I wasn’t just cooked, I was overcooked. I wasn't just well done, but completely burnt, inedible. I was that burger left on the grill for 4 hrs and discovered at the end of the party. My legs were oh so torched. Completely rubberized. Dead meat without a bit of spring left, the muscles sustaining more and more damage with each step. I was no longer burning fat, glycogen, or anything you’re supposed to in those final miles. I had resorted to fueling my dream race with 100% muscle. That wasn’t the plan. Triple ouch. Quadruple ouch. Anyone who’s experienced this knows the feeling I’m trying to convey. Honestly, it's indescribable.
I stop my watch 4 strides past the line in 2:40:04, and I KNOW as soon as I look down that I didn’t make it, that I’m just BARELY on the fat side of 2:40. Crap! Having started my watch right on the starting mat and within a couple seconds past the finish mat, instinct tells me it it’ll be in the 2:40:00-2:40:03 range. Of course I’m hopeful for some chip miracle, but am pretty sure that’s not gonna happen, and the results later confirm that to my horror: 2:40:02. Holy crap. I was ‘that’ guy. You know, the guy (or gal) who doesn’t quite make it, who comes in right AFTER the announcer does the exciting countdown to a symbolic time like 2:40 or 3:00, heartily congratulating those who barely make it and then going eerily silent as others filter in. Although I suppose that’s better than him saying, “Oh, so close, all of you. Better luck next time, guys!”
But you know what. I’m 40 freakin’ years old, been running for 30 years, have completed 26 marathons and just ran a PR over 14 years after my previous PR, in a finish time I had long ago written off as never being able to touch again. So regardless of what the future holds or whether I ever break 2:40, I’ll always know I laid it ALL out at CIM 2011. If I could have run 3 seconds faster, I would have. But I couldn’t. I tried. And tried. Never gave up. Never stopped pushing. It took every ounce of physical and mental capability I had to cover 26.22 miles in 2:40:02. And because of that, I’m pleased with my race, even if less-than-estatic about my time. Had I thrown in the towel it could’ve been 2+ more minutes, easily. Easily. I saw people doing that out there. They couldn’t have been any more cooked than me, but at some point just said, “It’s not worth it.” Mental toughness can get you through, even when your body screams “No More!”.
AFTER
Met up with my dad at the finish; he was out from Colorado to help with my grandmother (now 97) down in Stockton. Photo, sweats bag, pancakes & food for later (can’t ever eat right after). Back to hotel for shower, check race results & print boarding pass from shared computers, then to Stockton to see Gram for awhile, and check out the new board & care place she’ll be moving into this week. Realize that it is a gift to have the mobility I do (she’s currently bed ridden with a pelvic fracture), and although I’d said my A, B, C, and D goals were all to break 2:40, it is always a sense of accomplishment to finish and to give it your all. I guess that would be E) None of the Above. Back to the Sacramento airport by 4:45 for a 5:50 flight. Finally super hungry after just snacking all day. 2 burritos + chips from the Coyote Café for only $11, finished it all. Uneventful flight home.Internet race results. Envious of locals like Chris Stelzer (76:18+75:03=2:31:21) and Rocky Wing (75:09+77:45=2:32:54), and of guys in my mile 12 to 17 pack who went on to finish in 2:38 and 2:39. Good for them, but that was supposed to be me too. In fact, had it been, I would've had some great guys to work with those last few miles. I wonder if they trained harder, smarter, had better days, inherently better genetics, or what. Perhaps just luck of the draw. Whatever. Too tired. Bedtime. Slept really well.
Thanks for reading. Comments welcome.
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