It's been a little over a week since the marathon and I'm still enjoying the runners high. I had decided prior to the marathon that I would take a break from running for at least 2 weeks after the event. I have held true to that plan and have found it refreshing. It's given me a chance to reflect on my 2010 running achievements and plan new ones for 2011.
As much as I wanted to love the marathon and everything related to it the opposite turned out to be true. The training really took its toll on me the past 4 months. I found myself in a place where I was tired of running. It had become a tedious chore instead of an enjoyable adventure. In short I was burnt out. Prior to the race I was filled with doubt, anxiety and fear. During the race I was pleased that the first 13 miles were near effortless, but last 13 were less enjoyable.
The funny thing about running is you quickly forget the misery of the race. Instead you focus on the accomplishment of the finish and how great it felt. Then you dissect the race as a whole. You grade your performance and start to think about what you could have done different. Then what you swore you wouldn't do you do. You start thinking about your next one. You see once you accomplish a new distance doing it again isn't as bad. The fear is replaced by confidence and the desire to do better overcomes any reservations you have against it. Pain is temporary pride is forever.
Now that the race is over and even though a day hasn't gone by that I haven't thought about the marathon I am starting to refocus on the year ahead. I'm happy to say I'm looking forward to running again; excited even. My post mara-splurg ends Saturday 1/22 and on Monday I begin training for my first 5K of the season on March 12.
My running goals for 2011 are:
1. Beat last years personal records (PR's) in every distance
2. Improve nutrition
3. Begin Strength Training
4. Incorporate cross training
5. Become more flexible
6. Run 1000 miles
Run on friends!
-Bob
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
My First Marathon Experience
The alarm went off at 2am and I rolled out of bed. Feeling both anxious and excited I jumped in the shower while my wife, Stephanie, started on the oatmeal. I had tried going to bed at 7pm the night before after a big pasta meal. Instead of counting sheep I laid in bed counting miles. Trying to envision how the run was going to go. Trying to remember that long 20 mile training run and how it humbled me at mile 18 hoping that I could at least make it to mile 22 before running into any kind of discomfort or trouble. Eventually I found restless sleep until the alarm went off.
After a nice hot shower I went through my typical long run dress routine, band-aids, body glide, food pouch and finally my warm-up gear. We left the room at 2:45am to head over to the bus stop where 4 buses were lined up waiting to take us to the marathon event grounds. The air was a brisk 42F degrees, but I was comfortable in my warm-up garb. I was awake and energetic. So far, everything was going better than planned.
We arrived at the grounds around 3:20am-ish. They already had the DJ there talking up the hype and blasting some adrenaline pumping tunes. The race start was scheduled for 5:35am so we had some time to kill. Thankfully we purchased the special "Race Retreat" tent amenities which meant we had a nice warm tent with chairs and leather couches to sit on. Pre race food like bagels, banana's and other fruit. Coffee and Tea were also available. Plus our own private port-o-let area. It was most comfortable. They had TV's set up with a live feed coming from outside on the DJ stage and a countdown clock to keep us informed of the race start. About 45 min before the gun I made my final potty trip and got in line to get a Mylar blanket. It was pretty chilly outside still and I was going to strip out of my warm-up gear and store it in my bag check bag. It's a half mile walk to the start line and I didn't want to waste any energy running there. The blanket was wonderful.
We arrived at the start corrals about 10min before the start. It was colder out there on the road. Steph and I kissed goodbye and wished each other safety, luck and a good race before I headed off to my corral B. It was just over a 1/4 mile walk to my start corral. They had the announcers on stage and big screens set up down the line so you could see what was going on on stage. Of course they brought out Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy. Played the national anthem and started the first wave with fire works and flames. Most spectacular start I have ever seen. They did this same start every 2 minutes for each corral; fire works and all!
The race was on! My corral took off at a decent leisurely pace of about 9 min miles. A little slower than I would have liked; however, a friends last minute advice rang through my head. "Don't get caught up in the hype. Go out easy." Great advice from a great runner. If I had known the course was going to narrow like it did I may have worked my way up a little further the first few miles so I could of packed with a group around my goal pace, but as it was I nestled in comfortably with the folks around me and relaxed while I took it all in. It was a little chilly still and there were some low lying stale areas where the air was colder around 35F-ish by my estimation as my hands were cold. I wasn't running hard enough or long enough to generate enough body heat to keep me warm so those first 5 miles were best described as cold. They clicked off fast and comfortable. 5 miles felt like 1. I was excited. My body felt great even my foot that I was mostly worried about.
It's funny how you tend to over hydrate for a run like this. You worry so much about your fluids and not bonking due to poor preparation that you nearly bonk in the other direction. Guys and a few girls were running off to the trees that lined the course like crazy. Nature got a good watering Sunday morning. Even I eventually contributed to the cause. There were a lot of outhouses, just not always were you needed them.
It was around mile 7 where I noticed the sky was changing color and the air temperature was slightly warmer. We were approaching the Magic Kingdom and 2 key mile markers 10 and 13.1. I really didn't look at my watch much other than to peek and make sure I wasn't running too fast. You know you're in trouble when you start looking at your watch frequently for updates on distance and speed. I did look to see what I was at the 10 and 13.1 distances. My best 10 mile run to date is a 1:19 and my target was to be at 1:30 or a little better. I looked and seen that I was about 1:32 about 4 min off where I really wanted to be. It was actually right at the 9 mile marker I ran into my first sign of trouble. There was a slight downhill then an uphill. I pushed a little on the uphill and that's when my left foot gave me that familiar twinge of pain. This worried me. A mere 20 seconds before this happened I was thinking I'm coming up on the halfway mark soon and I feel good. I'm going to run a negative split for the second half. I focused hard on my gait trying to make sure the foot didn't get any worse. I hit the 10 mile checked my watch and went right back to worrying about my foot. The negative thoughts hit hard. Will I be able to finish? It usually acts up around 7 and by 13 I'm done. Does this mean by 15 I'll have to quit? I didn't even get to enjoy the fact I had just run through Cinderella's castle. My next concern was getting to mile 13.
Thankfully they had 13.1 time strip across the road. I crossed it at exactly 2:00:30. This bummed me out and began the negative race for me. If I could maintain what I've been doing so far I would have a 4 hr finish at time I was trying to beat. The magical 4 hr mark. The one thing I know about my long races, is that I always, always fade toward the end and given that my last 6 weeks of training was non-existent I knew my hopes of beating that time were about gone. Especially with my foot acting up. Thankfully, my foot never did get any worse. It was a mild pain, but the pain the rest of my legs and feet were feeling were much worse by the end.
Maybe it was the negative thoughts, or perhaps just the length of the run itself. I was starting to feel the run. I was getting tired. All of mile 14 I started to revamp my race strategy. I started to analyze how my body was doing. What I felt and tried to predict how I was going to feel in the next hour, next 2 hours. I knew that by mile 15 I would have to begin run-walking segments if I was going to finish the race and I was going to FINISH the race. As I hit mile 15 I began to walk and took the opportunity to pull out my fuel, peanut butter cookies, and enjoy some delicious sweets. Out of all the fuel sources I tried these worked the best and I liked the taste too. As soon as I polished off the second cookie I started back running again. I didn't use any specific time or method I just went by what my pride could handle. Usually I would run to a mile marker then I would walk for a bit then start running to the next one. This worked great until mile 22.
At mile 17 they were handing out banana's and I decided, even though I hate banana's, that I was going to eat one figuring it would make me feel better. I choked down about half of it before tossing the rest in grass for some woodland creature to finish. I then heard a runner behind me claim that was a delicious banana's and I turned around and acknowledged that I don't like banana's and that it was indeed a good banana. No lie and it did make me feel better for about 5 min. Mile 18 is another key mile. It's one you run in training working up to the famed 20. It's also the mile which you realize you're in single digit miles now, only 8 more to go and 20 is just up ahead. Mile 18 is also the proverbial wall for many runners. It comes for me right around 2 hrs and 45min. A time at which I would like to be done running. It's at this point I realize that my quads are starting to hurt and my right foot has no joined my left foot in some kind of sympathy pain. Mile marker 19 was at the top of an overpass hill, which I walked up, if I'm going to walk may as well make it a good place to do it. Then I set my sights on 20.
At mile 20 I knew I was going to finish and that finish couldn't be too long off. 10K left I told myself. 6.2 miles easy peasy. At my worst that can't be any more than an hour. Turns out it took an hour 7 minutes. Ironically my first ever 10K took me exactly 1hr and 7 minutes to complete. At mile 22 I realized I wasn't going to break 4 hrs. tears began to well up in my eyes. I wanted to finish I wanted to be done. I hurt and I wanted it to be over. Even if I could finish the last 4 at my normal 8K pace. I would not break 4 hrs. This mile began the real pain of the race. My quads hurt like someone stabbed them with short pointy knives. My feet ached with every step. They felt sore and over used. Walking hurt just as much as running, but running was more tiring. My run/walks increased greatly in these last 4 miles. The crowd was trying it's best to be motivational. Seeing a walking runner must be disheartening. They would use my name, as it was printed on my bib to encourage me. It did little good. I wanted to be a hero. I wanted to impress the crowd, but the truth was I was hurting, I was tired, I was human.
Miles 23-25 really meshed together. They felt equally long and equally painful. At mile 25 there was a DJ announcing just one more mile. That mile wrapped around the inside of Epcot center park and it was the longest mile I have ever run/walked. I wish I could tell you I finished strong, that I dug deep and legged out the last mile, but I didn't. I dug deep just to make it this far. I did manage a final run for the last quarter mile a salty 9 minute mile pace to cross the finish line with my arms up in the air in a cheesy I did it finish. The tears flowed. I was done. I did do it. I hobbled over to get my medal and have my picture taken. Then I hobbled back to the retreat tent to get some food and rest my weary body.
I said that this was it. One marathon and I'm done with marathons, but I fear my running friends are correct. It's a sickness. Not even 8hrs after the race and I'm considering still the 4hr breaker. Wondering if I didn't have 6 weeks of bad training how I would have done. Wondering how I'm going to feel after the next one. Knowing full well I hated every aspect of the marathon. The training and the race itself. The problem is I love running.
And that my friends is a runners life.
may you have the courage to start
the strength to endure
and the resolve to finish
I did it!
-Bob
After a nice hot shower I went through my typical long run dress routine, band-aids, body glide, food pouch and finally my warm-up gear. We left the room at 2:45am to head over to the bus stop where 4 buses were lined up waiting to take us to the marathon event grounds. The air was a brisk 42F degrees, but I was comfortable in my warm-up garb. I was awake and energetic. So far, everything was going better than planned.
We arrived at the grounds around 3:20am-ish. They already had the DJ there talking up the hype and blasting some adrenaline pumping tunes. The race start was scheduled for 5:35am so we had some time to kill. Thankfully we purchased the special "Race Retreat" tent amenities which meant we had a nice warm tent with chairs and leather couches to sit on. Pre race food like bagels, banana's and other fruit. Coffee and Tea were also available. Plus our own private port-o-let area. It was most comfortable. They had TV's set up with a live feed coming from outside on the DJ stage and a countdown clock to keep us informed of the race start. About 45 min before the gun I made my final potty trip and got in line to get a Mylar blanket. It was pretty chilly outside still and I was going to strip out of my warm-up gear and store it in my bag check bag. It's a half mile walk to the start line and I didn't want to waste any energy running there. The blanket was wonderful.
We arrived at the start corrals about 10min before the start. It was colder out there on the road. Steph and I kissed goodbye and wished each other safety, luck and a good race before I headed off to my corral B. It was just over a 1/4 mile walk to my start corral. They had the announcers on stage and big screens set up down the line so you could see what was going on on stage. Of course they brought out Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy. Played the national anthem and started the first wave with fire works and flames. Most spectacular start I have ever seen. They did this same start every 2 minutes for each corral; fire works and all!
The race was on! My corral took off at a decent leisurely pace of about 9 min miles. A little slower than I would have liked; however, a friends last minute advice rang through my head. "Don't get caught up in the hype. Go out easy." Great advice from a great runner. If I had known the course was going to narrow like it did I may have worked my way up a little further the first few miles so I could of packed with a group around my goal pace, but as it was I nestled in comfortably with the folks around me and relaxed while I took it all in. It was a little chilly still and there were some low lying stale areas where the air was colder around 35F-ish by my estimation as my hands were cold. I wasn't running hard enough or long enough to generate enough body heat to keep me warm so those first 5 miles were best described as cold. They clicked off fast and comfortable. 5 miles felt like 1. I was excited. My body felt great even my foot that I was mostly worried about.
It's funny how you tend to over hydrate for a run like this. You worry so much about your fluids and not bonking due to poor preparation that you nearly bonk in the other direction. Guys and a few girls were running off to the trees that lined the course like crazy. Nature got a good watering Sunday morning. Even I eventually contributed to the cause. There were a lot of outhouses, just not always were you needed them.
It was around mile 7 where I noticed the sky was changing color and the air temperature was slightly warmer. We were approaching the Magic Kingdom and 2 key mile markers 10 and 13.1. I really didn't look at my watch much other than to peek and make sure I wasn't running too fast. You know you're in trouble when you start looking at your watch frequently for updates on distance and speed. I did look to see what I was at the 10 and 13.1 distances. My best 10 mile run to date is a 1:19 and my target was to be at 1:30 or a little better. I looked and seen that I was about 1:32 about 4 min off where I really wanted to be. It was actually right at the 9 mile marker I ran into my first sign of trouble. There was a slight downhill then an uphill. I pushed a little on the uphill and that's when my left foot gave me that familiar twinge of pain. This worried me. A mere 20 seconds before this happened I was thinking I'm coming up on the halfway mark soon and I feel good. I'm going to run a negative split for the second half. I focused hard on my gait trying to make sure the foot didn't get any worse. I hit the 10 mile checked my watch and went right back to worrying about my foot. The negative thoughts hit hard. Will I be able to finish? It usually acts up around 7 and by 13 I'm done. Does this mean by 15 I'll have to quit? I didn't even get to enjoy the fact I had just run through Cinderella's castle. My next concern was getting to mile 13.
Thankfully they had 13.1 time strip across the road. I crossed it at exactly 2:00:30. This bummed me out and began the negative race for me. If I could maintain what I've been doing so far I would have a 4 hr finish at time I was trying to beat. The magical 4 hr mark. The one thing I know about my long races, is that I always, always fade toward the end and given that my last 6 weeks of training was non-existent I knew my hopes of beating that time were about gone. Especially with my foot acting up. Thankfully, my foot never did get any worse. It was a mild pain, but the pain the rest of my legs and feet were feeling were much worse by the end.
Maybe it was the negative thoughts, or perhaps just the length of the run itself. I was starting to feel the run. I was getting tired. All of mile 14 I started to revamp my race strategy. I started to analyze how my body was doing. What I felt and tried to predict how I was going to feel in the next hour, next 2 hours. I knew that by mile 15 I would have to begin run-walking segments if I was going to finish the race and I was going to FINISH the race. As I hit mile 15 I began to walk and took the opportunity to pull out my fuel, peanut butter cookies, and enjoy some delicious sweets. Out of all the fuel sources I tried these worked the best and I liked the taste too. As soon as I polished off the second cookie I started back running again. I didn't use any specific time or method I just went by what my pride could handle. Usually I would run to a mile marker then I would walk for a bit then start running to the next one. This worked great until mile 22.
At mile 17 they were handing out banana's and I decided, even though I hate banana's, that I was going to eat one figuring it would make me feel better. I choked down about half of it before tossing the rest in grass for some woodland creature to finish. I then heard a runner behind me claim that was a delicious banana's and I turned around and acknowledged that I don't like banana's and that it was indeed a good banana. No lie and it did make me feel better for about 5 min. Mile 18 is another key mile. It's one you run in training working up to the famed 20. It's also the mile which you realize you're in single digit miles now, only 8 more to go and 20 is just up ahead. Mile 18 is also the proverbial wall for many runners. It comes for me right around 2 hrs and 45min. A time at which I would like to be done running. It's at this point I realize that my quads are starting to hurt and my right foot has no joined my left foot in some kind of sympathy pain. Mile marker 19 was at the top of an overpass hill, which I walked up, if I'm going to walk may as well make it a good place to do it. Then I set my sights on 20.
At mile 20 I knew I was going to finish and that finish couldn't be too long off. 10K left I told myself. 6.2 miles easy peasy. At my worst that can't be any more than an hour. Turns out it took an hour 7 minutes. Ironically my first ever 10K took me exactly 1hr and 7 minutes to complete. At mile 22 I realized I wasn't going to break 4 hrs. tears began to well up in my eyes. I wanted to finish I wanted to be done. I hurt and I wanted it to be over. Even if I could finish the last 4 at my normal 8K pace. I would not break 4 hrs. This mile began the real pain of the race. My quads hurt like someone stabbed them with short pointy knives. My feet ached with every step. They felt sore and over used. Walking hurt just as much as running, but running was more tiring. My run/walks increased greatly in these last 4 miles. The crowd was trying it's best to be motivational. Seeing a walking runner must be disheartening. They would use my name, as it was printed on my bib to encourage me. It did little good. I wanted to be a hero. I wanted to impress the crowd, but the truth was I was hurting, I was tired, I was human.
Miles 23-25 really meshed together. They felt equally long and equally painful. At mile 25 there was a DJ announcing just one more mile. That mile wrapped around the inside of Epcot center park and it was the longest mile I have ever run/walked. I wish I could tell you I finished strong, that I dug deep and legged out the last mile, but I didn't. I dug deep just to make it this far. I did manage a final run for the last quarter mile a salty 9 minute mile pace to cross the finish line with my arms up in the air in a cheesy I did it finish. The tears flowed. I was done. I did do it. I hobbled over to get my medal and have my picture taken. Then I hobbled back to the retreat tent to get some food and rest my weary body.
I said that this was it. One marathon and I'm done with marathons, but I fear my running friends are correct. It's a sickness. Not even 8hrs after the race and I'm considering still the 4hr breaker. Wondering if I didn't have 6 weeks of bad training how I would have done. Wondering how I'm going to feel after the next one. Knowing full well I hated every aspect of the marathon. The training and the race itself. The problem is I love running.
And that my friends is a runners life.
may you have the courage to start
the strength to endure
and the resolve to finish
I did it!
-Bob
Monday, January 3, 2011
The pre Marathon experience
Oh what a journey. I sit here 6 days away from my first Marathon. It's all I've been thinking about the past 2 weeks. I've logged 335 miles (50 hrs) since I started training in September. Ran 16, 18 and 20 mile runs.
Everything was going great until Thanksgiving 6 weeks ago. That's when the load came untied.
(Week 1 net miles: 0/40)I ran zero miles that week ZERO. I didn't get it done. I was on vacation and made excuses.
(Week 2 net miles: 17.3/38) I was going to make it up the following week, which started out well, but ended abruptly with the seasons first snow storm. I should have ran in the snow. I should have gotten it done. I didn't. I hoped the snow would go away.
(Week 3 net miles: 13.5/45)I hoped all week. It didn't. I was lazy. I refused the treadmill. As Saturday approached I knew I had to get my long run in. It had to get done. I braved the snow and ice. I struggled on the run and ended up straining my left foot.
(Week 4 net miles: 13.2/48) It took the entire week for my foot to heal enough to run again. So now it's Saturday again. Feeling the pressure of only a single run the previous week I pushed through the snow and ice again completing only 13 of a 20 mile planned run.
(Week 5 net miles: 0/25)Another week for my foot to heal and it's Saturday and Christmas... Learning from the last few weeks mistakes I take the day off.
(Week 6 net miles: 3/25) Knowing the marathon is quickly approaching I cautiously go out for a run extremely thankful for the back to back warm days that melted all of the snow and ice. I ran on hard surface and it felt good.
So here I am Monday of the final week. Sunday, Jan. 9th, is the day. I did a 6.5 mile run at my previous marathon pace and was lucky to finish it. My aerobic fitness is shot. The good news is my endurance isn't. My legs have never felt stronger. Am I ready? I don't know. Will I meet my goal time? I'm not even going to try, finish is the goal. Will my foot hold up? I don't know. It's scary and depressing all at the same time.
Here are my key learning moments from a first time Marathon trainer. My previous experience is 2 half marathons and a couple 10 mile races. Prior to marathon training I was running 20 - 26 miles a week. I upped it to 30 - 35 for Marathon training.
#1. Marathon training takes serious commitment. Seriously. Don't miss your runs. Don't try and work around them. Don't take vacations during. Let your loved ones know you are going to be fairly absent and why. Limit races to key training dates and make sure the races are longer distance ones like 10K - 25K
#2. When you can't run your scheduled miles run whatever you can. Even if it's a lot shorter. some running is better than no running.
#3. A winter marathon is a bad idea if you live in the upper states. For obvious reasons.
#4. Cross training could have saved me. I have access to a pool, a track, a treadmill, a stationary bike and an elliptical. I just failed.
#5. Take a decent break before you begin marathon training. I overloaded. I went into training tired and overrun. This lead to lack of motivation see #4 and fatigue.
I'm very certain I could have run the 3:45 I was targeting if I would of had a better training series. I was feeling very confident in the middle of the training. Infact so confident I was going to up the goal to 3:30. Even though I say my goal is to finish I desperately want to finish in under 4 hours. I can't shake it. I can be told - just finish. I will be lucky if I can - just finish, but if I break 4 hours I won't have to run one again. I only want to do this once. I know better than to say never, but it will be a whole lot easier if I can hit that one goal. Heaven help me if I don't finish at all...
Everything was going great until Thanksgiving 6 weeks ago. That's when the load came untied.
(Week 1 net miles: 0/40)I ran zero miles that week ZERO. I didn't get it done. I was on vacation and made excuses.
(Week 2 net miles: 17.3/38) I was going to make it up the following week, which started out well, but ended abruptly with the seasons first snow storm. I should have ran in the snow. I should have gotten it done. I didn't. I hoped the snow would go away.
(Week 3 net miles: 13.5/45)I hoped all week. It didn't. I was lazy. I refused the treadmill. As Saturday approached I knew I had to get my long run in. It had to get done. I braved the snow and ice. I struggled on the run and ended up straining my left foot.
(Week 4 net miles: 13.2/48) It took the entire week for my foot to heal enough to run again. So now it's Saturday again. Feeling the pressure of only a single run the previous week I pushed through the snow and ice again completing only 13 of a 20 mile planned run.
(Week 5 net miles: 0/25)Another week for my foot to heal and it's Saturday and Christmas... Learning from the last few weeks mistakes I take the day off.
(Week 6 net miles: 3/25) Knowing the marathon is quickly approaching I cautiously go out for a run extremely thankful for the back to back warm days that melted all of the snow and ice. I ran on hard surface and it felt good.
So here I am Monday of the final week. Sunday, Jan. 9th, is the day. I did a 6.5 mile run at my previous marathon pace and was lucky to finish it. My aerobic fitness is shot. The good news is my endurance isn't. My legs have never felt stronger. Am I ready? I don't know. Will I meet my goal time? I'm not even going to try, finish is the goal. Will my foot hold up? I don't know. It's scary and depressing all at the same time.
Here are my key learning moments from a first time Marathon trainer. My previous experience is 2 half marathons and a couple 10 mile races. Prior to marathon training I was running 20 - 26 miles a week. I upped it to 30 - 35 for Marathon training.
#1. Marathon training takes serious commitment. Seriously. Don't miss your runs. Don't try and work around them. Don't take vacations during. Let your loved ones know you are going to be fairly absent and why. Limit races to key training dates and make sure the races are longer distance ones like 10K - 25K
#2. When you can't run your scheduled miles run whatever you can. Even if it's a lot shorter. some running is better than no running.
#3. A winter marathon is a bad idea if you live in the upper states. For obvious reasons.
#4. Cross training could have saved me. I have access to a pool, a track, a treadmill, a stationary bike and an elliptical. I just failed.
#5. Take a decent break before you begin marathon training. I overloaded. I went into training tired and overrun. This lead to lack of motivation see #4 and fatigue.
I'm very certain I could have run the 3:45 I was targeting if I would of had a better training series. I was feeling very confident in the middle of the training. Infact so confident I was going to up the goal to 3:30. Even though I say my goal is to finish I desperately want to finish in under 4 hours. I can't shake it. I can be told - just finish. I will be lucky if I can - just finish, but if I break 4 hours I won't have to run one again. I only want to do this once. I know better than to say never, but it will be a whole lot easier if I can hit that one goal. Heaven help me if I don't finish at all...
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