1) Recover quickly from the marathon, or at least feel reasonably OK ... whatever that means to you.
2) Wait until after the marathon to make a decision about the half marathon.
3) Have a good understanding of your own body and how you recover from races.
4) Don't do this for a first-time marathon or half marathon.
5) Take extra rest and do a couple of short easy runs. Legs not sore? You're good to go.
6) Be prepared to take the half marathon easy.
7) Run with running buddies who you absolutely will not abandon.
8) Enjoy your race! Chat with other runners, interact with spectators, take pictures, linger at aid stations, and stop to walk whenever you please.
9) Do it for the T-shirt and medal.
10) Accept your certifiably insane label ;-)
Monday, October 17, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Chicago Marathon Part III
What Went Well
Got a PR – Knocked off 2 minutes 30 seconds off my previous marathon PR (also ran on flat course too, but on a 55 degree day). Would have knocked off more had the heat not gotten to me.
Was prepared to ditch my shirt – I had sunscreen all over me and didn’t have my bib attached to my shirt.
My ankle held up - After flaring up right before taper, it did not hurt at all. Didn't need my sample pack of Biofreeze. Yay.
No quad muscle failure – This is a hugely huge thing that went well. In my first 2 marathons, I started getting twinges of soreness between mile 8-12 and then painful soreness by mile 14. That never happened this time around. Yes, I got kinda sore by mile 21, but it was bearable. All those squats paid off.
Felt strong at mile 20 - I actually picked up the pace a little bit in the 5K split around mile 20. Mile 21, well, that was another story.
Crowd support - Amazing. That is all.
Stayed positive the whole time - This makes the difference between a good race and a bad one. Even after I knew I wasn't going to reach my goal, I figured I'd enjoy the race as much as I could. No need to dwell on what wasn't going well. At least my quads were OK and my feet didn't hurt. I never wanted to give up. I never thought I wouldn't finish. That's a victory.
Post-race recovery – Usually it takes a few days for my legs to get back on speaking terms with me. They never stopped speaking to me this time around. No problems going up and down stairs either. I did a decent amount of walking after the marathon (in the finish area and to the post-race area, then a mile back to my hotel, then a mile and a half in the evening, then several miles the following day). It helped. A lot. While my legs got sore, the soreness was nowhere near as bad as before. Good stuff.
Bank of America Customer Upgrade Area – This was nice. There were snacks, water, Gatorade, a tent and grassy area with picnic tables, extra port-a-potties, and an aluminum water bottle for BoA customers. I went there pre- and post-race. It was quiet and less crowded than other areas pre-race, louder but also less crowded than other areas post-race.
What Went Poorly
The weather – Really, there isn’t anything you can do about the weather. It could have been worse. I think the temperature was about 5 degrees hotter than I thought it was, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the humidity was higher than I thought as well. Small things like that can make a difference. Even still, I trained in weather worse than the marathon. I just didn’t train at my marathon pace.
Went out too fast? - This is questionable but probable. I trained to run BQ pace and I have held BQ pace in a half marathon in worse weather. I held BQ pace for the first half on the nose. And then the heat got to me. Badly.
My official splits. You can clearly see where I decided to slow down after the halfway point. Major side eye to that 10:42 split. That was just dumb on my part, although I'm pretty sure that's where the heat was the worst.
Positive splits - Also known as crash and burn. Running fast to bank time in the first half and then hoping you can hold on for the second half is not the way to run a marathon. Mardi Gras was the closest I've come to even splits where there was a difference of 2 minutes 15 seconds between my first half and second half. I've never managed to run negative splits in a marathon. Maybe next time with the right weather.
The weather, again - Chicago has a history of being hot. I knew this and decided to register anyway. While it wasn't as bad as years past, it was enough to significantly affect performance. It really didn’t feel that bad. I never overheated. I just think it was deceptively warm and deceptively humid.
Ended dehydrated - I drank water at every stop til mile 3 and then Gatorade and water at every water stop after mile 3, AND I had a Fuelbelt with my own supply of water and Gatorade. And yet I still ended up dehydrated at the finish line. If I really think about it, I was showing signs of dehydration from about mile 6 ... I’m not exactly sure. At least I recognized that I recognized that and knew I needed not just water but electrolytes as well. I was trying to walk the fine line between overhydration and underhydration. In the end, I didn't walk that line the right way.
Immediate post-finish - I felt OK for the first 10 minutes but then felt nauseous. For me, nausea is a classic dehydration sign. I have enough running experience that I have ran to the point of bad dehydration before (I don’t recommend it because it feels miserable). I knew what was happening almost immediately. Sat down on a curb. Tried to stand up. Oh hell no. Sat back down again as my stomach decided it did not want what I was trying to put in it. But then I felt better. I’ve had this happen before, usually in the summer or when it is hot or very humid. I knew it would pass. I stayed put for another few minutes, successfully stood up, and made my way out of the runners only area. I felt better once I got water and food back into my stomach.
What Just Was
GPS devices - If you are using a Garmin in Chicago, I’d suggest using it for time not pace. My distance was off from the very beginning, due to underpasses, tall buildings, and the large amounts of runners interfering with satellite connections. My distance was off by over half a mile by the end of the race. I knew this was going to be problem running through a city. So I went off time (which meant I needed to calculate approximate mile splits in my head ... that’s a good way to keep your mind occupied) and not the pace on the Garmin.
Now that I am a little more removed, I'd still run Chicago again. It is not perfect, and you need to be aware of what you're going into. You need to know it is a very large race and it could be hot. I think the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones. Expect to be greeted well by thousands of volunteers and over a million spectators as you run through the streets of Chicago.
Got a PR – Knocked off 2 minutes 30 seconds off my previous marathon PR (also ran on flat course too, but on a 55 degree day). Would have knocked off more had the heat not gotten to me.
Was prepared to ditch my shirt – I had sunscreen all over me and didn’t have my bib attached to my shirt.
My ankle held up - After flaring up right before taper, it did not hurt at all. Didn't need my sample pack of Biofreeze. Yay.
No quad muscle failure – This is a hugely huge thing that went well. In my first 2 marathons, I started getting twinges of soreness between mile 8-12 and then painful soreness by mile 14. That never happened this time around. Yes, I got kinda sore by mile 21, but it was bearable. All those squats paid off.
Felt strong at mile 20 - I actually picked up the pace a little bit in the 5K split around mile 20. Mile 21, well, that was another story.
Crowd support - Amazing. That is all.
Stayed positive the whole time - This makes the difference between a good race and a bad one. Even after I knew I wasn't going to reach my goal, I figured I'd enjoy the race as much as I could. No need to dwell on what wasn't going well. At least my quads were OK and my feet didn't hurt. I never wanted to give up. I never thought I wouldn't finish. That's a victory.
Post-race recovery – Usually it takes a few days for my legs to get back on speaking terms with me. They never stopped speaking to me this time around. No problems going up and down stairs either. I did a decent amount of walking after the marathon (in the finish area and to the post-race area, then a mile back to my hotel, then a mile and a half in the evening, then several miles the following day). It helped. A lot. While my legs got sore, the soreness was nowhere near as bad as before. Good stuff.
Bank of America Customer Upgrade Area – This was nice. There were snacks, water, Gatorade, a tent and grassy area with picnic tables, extra port-a-potties, and an aluminum water bottle for BoA customers. I went there pre- and post-race. It was quiet and less crowded than other areas pre-race, louder but also less crowded than other areas post-race.
What Went Poorly
The weather – Really, there isn’t anything you can do about the weather. It could have been worse. I think the temperature was about 5 degrees hotter than I thought it was, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the humidity was higher than I thought as well. Small things like that can make a difference. Even still, I trained in weather worse than the marathon. I just didn’t train at my marathon pace.
Went out too fast? - This is questionable but probable. I trained to run BQ pace and I have held BQ pace in a half marathon in worse weather. I held BQ pace for the first half on the nose. And then the heat got to me. Badly.
My official splits. You can clearly see where I decided to slow down after the halfway point. Major side eye to that 10:42 split. That was just dumb on my part, although I'm pretty sure that's where the heat was the worst.
Positive splits - Also known as crash and burn. Running fast to bank time in the first half and then hoping you can hold on for the second half is not the way to run a marathon. Mardi Gras was the closest I've come to even splits where there was a difference of 2 minutes 15 seconds between my first half and second half. I've never managed to run negative splits in a marathon. Maybe next time with the right weather.
The weather, again - Chicago has a history of being hot. I knew this and decided to register anyway. While it wasn't as bad as years past, it was enough to significantly affect performance. It really didn’t feel that bad. I never overheated. I just think it was deceptively warm and deceptively humid.
Ended dehydrated - I drank water at every stop til mile 3 and then Gatorade and water at every water stop after mile 3, AND I had a Fuelbelt with my own supply of water and Gatorade. And yet I still ended up dehydrated at the finish line. If I really think about it, I was showing signs of dehydration from about mile 6 ... I’m not exactly sure. At least I recognized that I recognized that and knew I needed not just water but electrolytes as well. I was trying to walk the fine line between overhydration and underhydration. In the end, I didn't walk that line the right way.
Immediate post-finish - I felt OK for the first 10 minutes but then felt nauseous. For me, nausea is a classic dehydration sign. I have enough running experience that I have ran to the point of bad dehydration before (I don’t recommend it because it feels miserable). I knew what was happening almost immediately. Sat down on a curb. Tried to stand up. Oh hell no. Sat back down again as my stomach decided it did not want what I was trying to put in it. But then I felt better. I’ve had this happen before, usually in the summer or when it is hot or very humid. I knew it would pass. I stayed put for another few minutes, successfully stood up, and made my way out of the runners only area. I felt better once I got water and food back into my stomach.
What Just Was
GPS devices - If you are using a Garmin in Chicago, I’d suggest using it for time not pace. My distance was off from the very beginning, due to underpasses, tall buildings, and the large amounts of runners interfering with satellite connections. My distance was off by over half a mile by the end of the race. I knew this was going to be problem running through a city. So I went off time (which meant I needed to calculate approximate mile splits in my head ... that’s a good way to keep your mind occupied) and not the pace on the Garmin.
Now that I am a little more removed, I'd still run Chicago again. It is not perfect, and you need to be aware of what you're going into. You need to know it is a very large race and it could be hot. I think the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones. Expect to be greeted well by thousands of volunteers and over a million spectators as you run through the streets of Chicago.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Running =/= Strong Legs: The Verdict
Yeah yeah, I still have a few more Chicago Marathon posts left. Sorry, just bear with me.
My legs felt pretty much back to normal today. I went for an easy 4 mile run on the treadmill. My legs held up perfectly. I have never had a good run so soon after a marathon before.
In fact, my legs never really hurt too much either during or after the marathon. My calves did not hurt at all (thank you, Zensah compression sleeves). My quads were sore but not nearly as bad as after marathon #1 and #2. My quads did not fail on me like they did in marathon #1 and #2. Hallelujah.
What's the secret?
I started doing squats using an exercise ball with two 12 kg kettlebells. 3 sets of 20 reps once a week. And maybe lunges with one foot on the exercise ball, but I think it was mostly squats. It wasn't a huge extra time commitment and yet strength training on my legs made such a big difference.
Running does not mean strong legs. I get the need for strength training. The verdict? Strength training works.
My legs felt pretty much back to normal today. I went for an easy 4 mile run on the treadmill. My legs held up perfectly. I have never had a good run so soon after a marathon before.
In fact, my legs never really hurt too much either during or after the marathon. My calves did not hurt at all (thank you, Zensah compression sleeves). My quads were sore but not nearly as bad as after marathon #1 and #2. My quads did not fail on me like they did in marathon #1 and #2. Hallelujah.
What's the secret?
I started doing squats using an exercise ball with two 12 kg kettlebells. 3 sets of 20 reps once a week. And maybe lunges with one foot on the exercise ball, but I think it was mostly squats. It wasn't a huge extra time commitment and yet strength training on my legs made such a big difference.
Running does not mean strong legs. I get the need for strength training. The verdict? Strength training works.
Chicago Marathon Part II
Top 10 Reasons Why I Would Run the Chicago Marathon Again
1. The course is flat. There are a few inclines, including one just before the finish line. Other than that, it is a pancake. I never even saw an elevation chart.
2. It was really fun. Music, dancers, bands, cheering crowds, signs, and all sorts of random things will greet you on your 26.2 mile tour of the city of Chicago.
3. You will never run alone.
4. Over 1.7 million spectators line the streets to cheer you on. The crowds were best in the entire first half, around miles 20-21 in Chinatown, and the last 2 miles.
5. All of the aid stations were well-stocked and well-organized. At least, they were all fine when I went by. There were signs for the aid stations before you even saw them, so you knew they were coming up.
6. The expo is giant. I got to meet Hal Higdon. How can you argue with that?
7. Chicago has nice architecture. You will see a lot of it on the marathon.
8. Chicago becomes a runner's playground in the days around the marathon. Wear your T-shirt or medal afterwards and random people will congratulate you or ask you about the marathon.
9. It is one of the World Marathon Majors.
10. If I lived closer, I would run Chicago every year. It had the best combination of an interesting course, lots of spectators, and good course support out of the races I have participated in.
Top 5 Reasons Why I Would Not Run the Chicago Marathon Again
1. The weather is usually not conducive to good marathon performances. It seems like it is either too hot or too cold, more times that not too hot. No happy medium. I think I could have BQed had it not been for the weather.
2. Most of the second half of the course is not as interesting as the first half. There are fewer spectators and less shade.
3. If you have to travel, it is expensive. I refuse to think about how much money I spent on 3 nights in a hotel, airfare, marathon registration, food, sightseeing, and marathon gear.
4. It is a very large race. Large races are not everyone's cup of tea. The expo, the start, the course itself, the aid stations, and the finish are all crowded. Not swamped but definitely crowded. You need to be careful about tripping over or running into other runners. Over 35,000 runners finished the Chicago Marathon this year.
5. You need a good spectator plan. It is very difficult for a spectator to see their runner or vice versa.
All in all, Chicago is a fun, large, well-organized, and well-supported race. The biggest caveat is the weather. I'd have to think about it, but I'd probably run it again.
1. The course is flat. There are a few inclines, including one just before the finish line. Other than that, it is a pancake. I never even saw an elevation chart.
2. It was really fun. Music, dancers, bands, cheering crowds, signs, and all sorts of random things will greet you on your 26.2 mile tour of the city of Chicago.
3. You will never run alone.
4. Over 1.7 million spectators line the streets to cheer you on. The crowds were best in the entire first half, around miles 20-21 in Chinatown, and the last 2 miles.
5. All of the aid stations were well-stocked and well-organized. At least, they were all fine when I went by. There were signs for the aid stations before you even saw them, so you knew they were coming up.
6. The expo is giant. I got to meet Hal Higdon. How can you argue with that?
7. Chicago has nice architecture. You will see a lot of it on the marathon.
8. Chicago becomes a runner's playground in the days around the marathon. Wear your T-shirt or medal afterwards and random people will congratulate you or ask you about the marathon.
9. It is one of the World Marathon Majors.
10. If I lived closer, I would run Chicago every year. It had the best combination of an interesting course, lots of spectators, and good course support out of the races I have participated in.
Top 5 Reasons Why I Would Not Run the Chicago Marathon Again
1. The weather is usually not conducive to good marathon performances. It seems like it is either too hot or too cold, more times that not too hot. No happy medium. I think I could have BQed had it not been for the weather.
2. Most of the second half of the course is not as interesting as the first half. There are fewer spectators and less shade.
3. If you have to travel, it is expensive. I refuse to think about how much money I spent on 3 nights in a hotel, airfare, marathon registration, food, sightseeing, and marathon gear.
4. It is a very large race. Large races are not everyone's cup of tea. The expo, the start, the course itself, the aid stations, and the finish are all crowded. Not swamped but definitely crowded. You need to be careful about tripping over or running into other runners. Over 35,000 runners finished the Chicago Marathon this year.
5. You need a good spectator plan. It is very difficult for a spectator to see their runner or vice versa.
All in all, Chicago is a fun, large, well-organized, and well-supported race. The biggest caveat is the weather. I'd have to think about it, but I'd probably run it again.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Chicago Marathon Recap
I ran the Chicago Marathon on October 9, 2011. This race has a history of being hot. It wasn’t as bad as some years, but it was hot enough to slow almost everyone down. While I didn’t get the BQ I had trained to run, I set a new marathon PR and had fun doing it.
The race expo was gigantic.
I got to meet Hal Higdon! And he signed my marathon book.
Ready to start on Sunday morning
Here's the mile-by-mile breakdown:
Mile 1-3 - The Loop in downtown Chicago. I really liked the architecture in Chicago. The beginning was crowded. There was only one part in the first mile or two on a narrow(er) street where I had to slow down. That’s probably a good thing. I knew I had to be careful about going out too fast. The crowding made that difficult to do. When I hit the 5K mark, I thought I was running too slow but then realized that I was just about where I wanted to be.
Mile 4-7 - LaSalle Drive heading north, then Lincoln Park. I like parks.
Mile 8-11 - This part was very pretty. Brownstone buildings, lots of spectators. If you look out for the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower, you can use it as a reference point. Head north, then back, head west, then back, head south, then back. If you know to look for the Willis Tower just before mile 8, you will know where you are. I didn't see the Willis Tower, but I did catch a glimpse of the John Hancock Building, the other tall black building with antennas. I hit my planned pace on the nose for several miles. Oddly enough, I walked along mile 11 later in the day and did not recognize it at all.
Mile 12 - I honestly couldn’t tell you. Somewhere in downtown Chicago. At least it was shady. I got confused about where I was. I thought I was at mile 12 but was still in mile 11. I think the course goes very close to the Willis Tower and yet I completely missed it. My husband was spectating on a bridge. He did not see me. I did not see him. A note to spectators. Bright signs and distinctive clothing are not enough. We should have gone with a mylar helium balloon.
I am not in this picture, but this is what the marathon looked like around mile 12.
Mile 13 – Halfway done in 1:46:15. I was on pace to qualify for Boston and only about 30 seconds off my half marathon PR. I decided halfway was a good time to take my tank top off, take a walk break, and whip out my iPod. I was also dehydrated but mostly unaware of it at that point.
Mile 14-17 – Eh. I kinda don’t remember much about this part. Headed west out from downtown Chicago. The scenery and crowd support were OK but not as good as the first half. The charity cheer zone around mile 14 was fun. There was less shade (although I was expecting no shade and there was some shade). The heat was catching up with me. Started slowing down a bit. I felt kinda nauseous around mile 15. Ate some pretzels?
Mile 18-19 – I pulled out my race cheat sheet, a little piece of paper with paces and times. While I still had time to make a move and was close to BQ pace, I knew I needed to speed up to make it. That was not going to happen. So I slowed down again. Took more walk breaks. Stepped to the side to walk and drink water and Gatorade. Ate more pretzels. I figured I could still get a PR. Just enjoy the race and get my money’s worth by being out on the course longer.
Mile 20 – The nauseous feeling from mile 15 or so had gone away. I picked up the pace a bit here. I was feeling better. My legs were still feeling OK, too. Well, that was a victory. I don’t remember my exact 20 mile time, but it was my fastest 20 miles in a marathon yet. Another victory.
Mile 21 – Chinatown. Lots of crowds. The wheels started falling off around this point. But this time it wasn’t because my legs hurt. It was the heat. At a certain point, there isn’t much you can do to beat the heat. So my plan was to hold on.
Mile 22 – Eh. I kinda don’t remember much about this part either. Except for a bunch of people giving out little cups of beer. I was really tempted to take one (because a marathoner I met several months ago described beer in a marathon as “sweet nectar of the gods”). But I resisted. Kinda knew I was dehydrated. Beer would only make that worse.
Mile 23 – The heat was really starting to get to me. Full sun by a highway. The temperature was rising. Slowest 5K split of the entire marathon. Saw a runner go down, probably because of the heat. I tripped on a runner at a water stop (didn’t fall but later realized that I got a nasty blister on a toe that had been giving me trouble since May). The course finally started turning north towards the finish line. 5K to go. Rebel Yell by Billy Idol came on my iPod. More more more.
Mile 24-25 – Straight north up Michigan Ave. I was expecting more full sun and was pleasantly surprised that there was a little bit of shade. Two miles to go, then 1 mile to go. The crowds were getting loud again. The Willis Tower was getting bigger and bigger.
Mile 26 – There is a lot of hype about the bridge/hill at the very end of marathon, right before you turn left to see the finish line. Maybe I am used to hills, but I didn’t think it was that bad. Or maybe it was because I knew it was there. Or maybe it was all the spectators.
Mile 26.2 – Slight downhill to the finish line. There were a lot of spectators in bleachers, but I honestly do not remember hearing them. I was a marathoner for the third time. 3:53 flat on my Garmin, but I knew I had a few seconds of wiggle room. Official finish time was 3:52:56. New marathon PR by a few minutes. All things considered, I’ll call that a win.
I felt fine at the finish but didn’t feel fine about 10 minutes afterwards. My stomach decided it did not want what I was trying to put in it. Thankfully (I guess?), this very thing has happened to me before. I knew this was classic dehydration for me. Sat down, let my stomach do its thing, and then started to feel better. I got up, made my way out of the runners only area, found my husband (nightmare ... he had to stand next to someone with a helium balloon), walked to the post-race party area, and started getting food and water back in my system. I knew I was fine once I could eat and drink again.
Back to all smiles at Cloud Gate aka The Bean
Would I run Chicago again? Yes. The course is crowded, flat, well-supported, and lined with spectators. There are some big caveats, though. More on that later.
The race expo was gigantic.
I got to meet Hal Higdon! And he signed my marathon book.
Ready to start on Sunday morning
Here's the mile-by-mile breakdown:
Mile 1-3 - The Loop in downtown Chicago. I really liked the architecture in Chicago. The beginning was crowded. There was only one part in the first mile or two on a narrow(er) street where I had to slow down. That’s probably a good thing. I knew I had to be careful about going out too fast. The crowding made that difficult to do. When I hit the 5K mark, I thought I was running too slow but then realized that I was just about where I wanted to be.
Mile 4-7 - LaSalle Drive heading north, then Lincoln Park. I like parks.
Mile 8-11 - This part was very pretty. Brownstone buildings, lots of spectators. If you look out for the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower, you can use it as a reference point. Head north, then back, head west, then back, head south, then back. If you know to look for the Willis Tower just before mile 8, you will know where you are. I didn't see the Willis Tower, but I did catch a glimpse of the John Hancock Building, the other tall black building with antennas. I hit my planned pace on the nose for several miles. Oddly enough, I walked along mile 11 later in the day and did not recognize it at all.
Mile 12 - I honestly couldn’t tell you. Somewhere in downtown Chicago. At least it was shady. I got confused about where I was. I thought I was at mile 12 but was still in mile 11. I think the course goes very close to the Willis Tower and yet I completely missed it. My husband was spectating on a bridge. He did not see me. I did not see him. A note to spectators. Bright signs and distinctive clothing are not enough. We should have gone with a mylar helium balloon.
I am not in this picture, but this is what the marathon looked like around mile 12.
Mile 13 – Halfway done in 1:46:15. I was on pace to qualify for Boston and only about 30 seconds off my half marathon PR. I decided halfway was a good time to take my tank top off, take a walk break, and whip out my iPod. I was also dehydrated but mostly unaware of it at that point.
Mile 14-17 – Eh. I kinda don’t remember much about this part. Headed west out from downtown Chicago. The scenery and crowd support were OK but not as good as the first half. The charity cheer zone around mile 14 was fun. There was less shade (although I was expecting no shade and there was some shade). The heat was catching up with me. Started slowing down a bit. I felt kinda nauseous around mile 15. Ate some pretzels?
Mile 18-19 – I pulled out my race cheat sheet, a little piece of paper with paces and times. While I still had time to make a move and was close to BQ pace, I knew I needed to speed up to make it. That was not going to happen. So I slowed down again. Took more walk breaks. Stepped to the side to walk and drink water and Gatorade. Ate more pretzels. I figured I could still get a PR. Just enjoy the race and get my money’s worth by being out on the course longer.
Mile 20 – The nauseous feeling from mile 15 or so had gone away. I picked up the pace a bit here. I was feeling better. My legs were still feeling OK, too. Well, that was a victory. I don’t remember my exact 20 mile time, but it was my fastest 20 miles in a marathon yet. Another victory.
Mile 21 – Chinatown. Lots of crowds. The wheels started falling off around this point. But this time it wasn’t because my legs hurt. It was the heat. At a certain point, there isn’t much you can do to beat the heat. So my plan was to hold on.
Mile 22 – Eh. I kinda don’t remember much about this part either. Except for a bunch of people giving out little cups of beer. I was really tempted to take one (because a marathoner I met several months ago described beer in a marathon as “sweet nectar of the gods”). But I resisted. Kinda knew I was dehydrated. Beer would only make that worse.
Mile 23 – The heat was really starting to get to me. Full sun by a highway. The temperature was rising. Slowest 5K split of the entire marathon. Saw a runner go down, probably because of the heat. I tripped on a runner at a water stop (didn’t fall but later realized that I got a nasty blister on a toe that had been giving me trouble since May). The course finally started turning north towards the finish line. 5K to go. Rebel Yell by Billy Idol came on my iPod. More more more.
Mile 24-25 – Straight north up Michigan Ave. I was expecting more full sun and was pleasantly surprised that there was a little bit of shade. Two miles to go, then 1 mile to go. The crowds were getting loud again. The Willis Tower was getting bigger and bigger.
Mile 26 – There is a lot of hype about the bridge/hill at the very end of marathon, right before you turn left to see the finish line. Maybe I am used to hills, but I didn’t think it was that bad. Or maybe it was because I knew it was there. Or maybe it was all the spectators.
Mile 26.2 – Slight downhill to the finish line. There were a lot of spectators in bleachers, but I honestly do not remember hearing them. I was a marathoner for the third time. 3:53 flat on my Garmin, but I knew I had a few seconds of wiggle room. Official finish time was 3:52:56. New marathon PR by a few minutes. All things considered, I’ll call that a win.
I felt fine at the finish but didn’t feel fine about 10 minutes afterwards. My stomach decided it did not want what I was trying to put in it. Thankfully (I guess?), this very thing has happened to me before. I knew this was classic dehydration for me. Sat down, let my stomach do its thing, and then started to feel better. I got up, made my way out of the runners only area, found my husband (nightmare ... he had to stand next to someone with a helium balloon), walked to the post-race party area, and started getting food and water back in my system. I knew I was fine once I could eat and drink again.
Back to all smiles at Cloud Gate aka The Bean
Would I run Chicago again? Yes. The course is crowded, flat, well-supported, and lined with spectators. There are some big caveats, though. More on that later.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Marathon Training - All Wrapped Up
I ran 3.4 easy miles today.
And so concludes training for the Chicago Marathon. I skipped a handful of workouts and made some adjustments here and there, but overall I stuck to my plan pretty closely. Consistency is what gets you the performance you want.
If I had to name the single most helpful thing in this training cycle, it would be getting a Garmin. I needed an accurate sense of pace. If you consistently practice hitting a particular pace, that pace becomes second nature. You push the button and go. You know what effort level goes along with that pace. Nike+ was good enough for a very long time. Good enough is not enough to take me to the next level.
I ran faster, even though the dog days of summer. I should have ran slower. And yet I didn't. I taught myself to drink Gatorade and eat pretzels. I have a sense of how warmth affects me and how to handle it. I ran my fastest long distance summertime race pace of all time. I set a half marathon PR in rain (warm rain, but rain nonetheless). Good stuff.
I got injured right before taper. Flareup of the pain in my ankle/heel. Again. Past me would have continued to run. Present me recognized that I needed to do something immediately, because future me has lofty goals. I took some extra rest days. I didn't do my second 20 mile run, but I did a 3-hour endurance workout with two 7 mile treadmill runs with an hour on a stationary bike sandwiched in between. Almost no pain, and it was actually fun. Backing off worked. I took a potential setback and turned it into a confidence booster.
Hopefully, I will take what went well at the Mardi Gras Marathon and what went poorly at the Cox Marathon and learn from them. Mardi Gras was a smart race. Cox was a stupid race. Mardi Gras couldn't have gone any better if I had tried. Oh right, I did. I went out conservatively, had an appropriate goal, met the goal, and had tons of fun. Cox was a failed attempt at a Boston Qualifier/Gansett Qualifier. Cox was one of those races where if it could go wrong, it did go wrong. I went out too fast, used all my mental energy in the beginning when I should have saved it for the end, had my timing device fail on me, mentally and physically lost it halfway through, and left all of my goals out on the course. In hindsight, I probably had an overly ambitious goal and was coming back from an injury. Pretty much the only successful part of Cox was that I never wanted to quit or thought I wouldn't finish.
I sometimes think that not meeting your goals motivates you to work harder next time.
Next time is here. I am ready to get the Chicago Marathon on the road. Let's see if I can run 26.2 miles in 3 hours 35 minutes or less. This time, I began lining up all my cards in a row from the get go. 3 hours 35 minutes has been in the back of my mind since early June when I started training.
I don't know if I will reach my goal in Chicago. The weather could get to me (The weather is a big monkey wrench right now. For now, I am sticking with 3 hours 35 minutes. But that is very likely to change). I still might have an overly ambitious goal. I could fail again.
I won't know unless I try. Survive the pain. Yes I can. Yes I can. Yes I can. Yes I can. Right here right now. I can. I will. Endure.
Flying off to Chicago in the AM ...
And so concludes training for the Chicago Marathon. I skipped a handful of workouts and made some adjustments here and there, but overall I stuck to my plan pretty closely. Consistency is what gets you the performance you want.
If I had to name the single most helpful thing in this training cycle, it would be getting a Garmin. I needed an accurate sense of pace. If you consistently practice hitting a particular pace, that pace becomes second nature. You push the button and go. You know what effort level goes along with that pace. Nike+ was good enough for a very long time. Good enough is not enough to take me to the next level.
I ran faster, even though the dog days of summer. I should have ran slower. And yet I didn't. I taught myself to drink Gatorade and eat pretzels. I have a sense of how warmth affects me and how to handle it. I ran my fastest long distance summertime race pace of all time. I set a half marathon PR in rain (warm rain, but rain nonetheless). Good stuff.
I got injured right before taper. Flareup of the pain in my ankle/heel. Again. Past me would have continued to run. Present me recognized that I needed to do something immediately, because future me has lofty goals. I took some extra rest days. I didn't do my second 20 mile run, but I did a 3-hour endurance workout with two 7 mile treadmill runs with an hour on a stationary bike sandwiched in between. Almost no pain, and it was actually fun. Backing off worked. I took a potential setback and turned it into a confidence booster.
Hopefully, I will take what went well at the Mardi Gras Marathon and what went poorly at the Cox Marathon and learn from them. Mardi Gras was a smart race. Cox was a stupid race. Mardi Gras couldn't have gone any better if I had tried. Oh right, I did. I went out conservatively, had an appropriate goal, met the goal, and had tons of fun. Cox was a failed attempt at a Boston Qualifier/Gansett Qualifier. Cox was one of those races where if it could go wrong, it did go wrong. I went out too fast, used all my mental energy in the beginning when I should have saved it for the end, had my timing device fail on me, mentally and physically lost it halfway through, and left all of my goals out on the course. In hindsight, I probably had an overly ambitious goal and was coming back from an injury. Pretty much the only successful part of Cox was that I never wanted to quit or thought I wouldn't finish.
I sometimes think that not meeting your goals motivates you to work harder next time.
Next time is here. I am ready to get the Chicago Marathon on the road. Let's see if I can run 26.2 miles in 3 hours 35 minutes or less. This time, I began lining up all my cards in a row from the get go. 3 hours 35 minutes has been in the back of my mind since early June when I started training.
I don't know if I will reach my goal in Chicago. The weather could get to me (The weather is a big monkey wrench right now. For now, I am sticking with 3 hours 35 minutes. But that is very likely to change). I still might have an overly ambitious goal. I could fail again.
I won't know unless I try. Survive the pain. Yes I can. Yes I can. Yes I can. Yes I can. Right here right now. I can. I will. Endure.
Flying off to Chicago in the AM ...
Marathon Training Week 18
My training plan for the week was cross-train or rest, run 3, 4, and 3 miles, rest, 2 mile run (Seriously? What is a 2 mile run? Why even bother. I am not doing that), and rest. And then that 26.2 mile long haul that is the Chicago Marathon. Last week of taper. BRING IT BABY!!
Sunday – yoga on demand. Kinda sad that my yoga class at the gym was cancelled.
Monday – 3.7 mile run, plus abs and lower back. Did 2 sets of lunges in the evening. Done with leg strength training til after Chicago. Had to reel in the pace in the beginning because it was just the right temperature on a beautiful morning. Or maybe it was because the first half mile was downhill.
Tuesday – 4.2 mile run, plus 2 sets of upper body exercises at the gym. Completely done with strength training til after Chicago. Felt really spacy on the run and I am not sure why. Oh well. Pace was about the same as Monday.
Wednesday – 3.4 mile run. Cruised through it at a very easy pace.
Thursday – Rest day.
Friday – 3.4 mile run. Last run til Chi-Town. I think the Beastie Boys said no sleep til Brooklyn, but I'll take last run til Chi-Town. Ran at the same pace as Wednesday and felt like I could cruise along forever. The pace? Was the same as my overall pace in my first marathon.
Saturday - The plan is rest, and some walking around the marathon expo and the city of Chicago.
Sunday - Chicago Marathon. Stay tuned.
Total Miles: Scheduled (not counting the marathon) – 12 Actual – 14.7
Sunday – yoga on demand. Kinda sad that my yoga class at the gym was cancelled.
Monday – 3.7 mile run, plus abs and lower back. Did 2 sets of lunges in the evening. Done with leg strength training til after Chicago. Had to reel in the pace in the beginning because it was just the right temperature on a beautiful morning. Or maybe it was because the first half mile was downhill.
Tuesday – 4.2 mile run, plus 2 sets of upper body exercises at the gym. Completely done with strength training til after Chicago. Felt really spacy on the run and I am not sure why. Oh well. Pace was about the same as Monday.
Wednesday – 3.4 mile run. Cruised through it at a very easy pace.
Thursday – Rest day.
Friday – 3.4 mile run. Last run til Chi-Town. I think the Beastie Boys said no sleep til Brooklyn, but I'll take last run til Chi-Town. Ran at the same pace as Wednesday and felt like I could cruise along forever. The pace? Was the same as my overall pace in my first marathon.
Saturday - The plan is rest, and some walking around the marathon expo and the city of Chicago.
Sunday - Chicago Marathon. Stay tuned.
Total Miles: Scheduled (not counting the marathon) – 12 Actual – 14.7
Monday, October 3, 2011
More Music
New editions to my running playlist (that I still don't really use for running):
Switchfoot - Dark Horses
Switchfoot - The War Inside
Gym Class Heroes (featuring Adam Levine) - Stereo Hearts
Foster the People - Helena Beat
Hot Chelle Rae - Tonight Tonight
Cobra Starship - You Make Me Feel
Black Eyed Peas - Don't Stop the Party
Some of these will be tucked on my iPod for the Chicago Marathon. My plan is to run without music as long as I can and then turn it on when I need it.
Switchfoot - Dark Horses
Switchfoot - The War Inside
Gym Class Heroes (featuring Adam Levine) - Stereo Hearts
Foster the People - Helena Beat
Hot Chelle Rae - Tonight Tonight
Cobra Starship - You Make Me Feel
Black Eyed Peas - Don't Stop the Party
Some of these will be tucked on my iPod for the Chicago Marathon. My plan is to run without music as long as I can and then turn it on when I need it.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Marathon Training Week 17
My training plan for the week was cross-train, run 4, 5, and 4 miles, rest, 3 mile run, and 8 mile long run. Huh, look at that. A regular running week.
I started phasing out some of my strength training, especially my legs. I can see that my quad muscles are stronger. I am really hoping that I will avoid the massive quad muscle failure that happened in both of my marathons. Or at least this time I know that yes, it hurts, but yes, it's just part of the game and I can push through it. I am still going to yoga once a week. That's not going to change.
Sunday – yoga class, plus lunges (2 sets instead of 3 as usual).
Monday – 4.2 mile run, plus abs and lower back exercises. Nice easy pace. Humid. Hey, weather, it's about time to drop the humidity. Thanks.
Tuesday – 5.2 mile run, plus upper body exercises (3 sets as usual) and squats (2 sets instead of 3 as usual). Kept the pace pretty easy. Reeeeallly not feeling the humidity, though. Where are those crisp fall days? Did my strength training on Tuesday because I had more flexibility with my schedule. I kinda like teaching one class, going home, exercising, doing work, and then going back to teach my second class.
Wednesday – 4.4 mile run in the PM, then planks and pushups when I got home.
Thursday – Rest day.
Friday – 8.2 mile run. Last long run on the books. I switched the 8 mile long run and 3 mile run because I was running a 5K on Saturday. Started the run in the dark and finished when it was light out. I got to see the sun rise for the first time in a long time. I had a ridiculous amount of reflective stuff. My shoes, pants, arm sleeves, Fuelbelt, headband, and vest all had reflective strips. Ran negative splits without realizing it.
Saturday - Local 5K that I ran, not raced. I thought of it as doing a training run with a bunch of other people with a T-shirt and refreshments thrown in. And yet I ran it in 23:29. I was not pushing the pace. Seriously? Something must be working. I was the 4th female overall and 1st in my age category. I also got a special prize for being the first female faculty member (the race was sponsored by one of the universities I work for). Not too shabby. I learned that the pack will go out too fast and that I am not competing against anyone other than me. It is also important to note that the pace felt easy and yet I knew it was faster than I wanted to run. This is helpful info to realize going into Chicago.
Total Miles: Scheduled – 24 Actual – 25.1
September Mileage: Scheduled - 151 Actual - 148.8
I started phasing out some of my strength training, especially my legs. I can see that my quad muscles are stronger. I am really hoping that I will avoid the massive quad muscle failure that happened in both of my marathons. Or at least this time I know that yes, it hurts, but yes, it's just part of the game and I can push through it. I am still going to yoga once a week. That's not going to change.
Sunday – yoga class, plus lunges (2 sets instead of 3 as usual).
Monday – 4.2 mile run, plus abs and lower back exercises. Nice easy pace. Humid. Hey, weather, it's about time to drop the humidity. Thanks.
Tuesday – 5.2 mile run, plus upper body exercises (3 sets as usual) and squats (2 sets instead of 3 as usual). Kept the pace pretty easy. Reeeeallly not feeling the humidity, though. Where are those crisp fall days? Did my strength training on Tuesday because I had more flexibility with my schedule. I kinda like teaching one class, going home, exercising, doing work, and then going back to teach my second class.
Wednesday – 4.4 mile run in the PM, then planks and pushups when I got home.
Thursday – Rest day.
Friday – 8.2 mile run. Last long run on the books. I switched the 8 mile long run and 3 mile run because I was running a 5K on Saturday. Started the run in the dark and finished when it was light out. I got to see the sun rise for the first time in a long time. I had a ridiculous amount of reflective stuff. My shoes, pants, arm sleeves, Fuelbelt, headband, and vest all had reflective strips. Ran negative splits without realizing it.
Saturday - Local 5K that I ran, not raced. I thought of it as doing a training run with a bunch of other people with a T-shirt and refreshments thrown in. And yet I ran it in 23:29. I was not pushing the pace. Seriously? Something must be working. I was the 4th female overall and 1st in my age category. I also got a special prize for being the first female faculty member (the race was sponsored by one of the universities I work for). Not too shabby. I learned that the pack will go out too fast and that I am not competing against anyone other than me. It is also important to note that the pace felt easy and yet I knew it was faster than I wanted to run. This is helpful info to realize going into Chicago.
Total Miles: Scheduled – 24 Actual – 25.1
September Mileage: Scheduled - 151 Actual - 148.8
Onto October
October 2009 - Good Things in Threes
1. I ran a half marathon in a nor'easter in Newport, RI. It was one of the stupidest things I have ever done. Sideways rain? No thank you. I remember standing at the start line reassessing my time goal and my sanity. I have very little desire to run in weather like that ever again. BUT I can proudly say that I survived and finished well under my goal of 2 hours. Even though it wasn't my fastest half marathon, it was one of my strongest performances. I felt like I could do anything after slogging along in cold wind-driven rain for 13.1 miles.
2. The following weekend, I ran a local 5-mile race. I didn't pre-register because I wasn't sure how I would feel after the half marathon. I was close to defending my dissertation, and I wasn't sure I'd have enough extra time. Boy, am I glad I decided to do it at the last minute. I was the third female finisher! For my $20 entry fee, I got a long-sleeve T-shirt, a banana, a bottle of Vitamin water, a nice buffet lunch, and a $50 cash prize. Score!
3. Then I defended my dissertation 10 days after the nor'easter race and 4 days after the local 5 miler. I can honestly say the half marathon was harder than the dissertation defense. Or maybe it was the confidence boost from kicking asphalt in Newport.
October 2010 - Run, PR, Repeat
1. Ran a half marathon (Divas Half Marathon in Long Island) a week after running my first ever 20 mile run (for no reason ... I didn't need to run that far). I signed up one week in advance. Newport was my target race, but my training had gone better than I expected. I set a half marathon PR at Divas by a minute and a half.
2. Ran 12 miles the following weekend while on vacation in Vermont. Then ran the Newport half marathon the weekend after that. Anything would have been better than the nor'easter. Race morning was cool and sunny. Perfect running weather. I set my half marathon PR again by a minute and a half.
3. I was pleased with my half marathon performance, and so I registered for my first marathon. I had been seriously contemplating marathons for almost a year. It was time to do it.
October 2011
Stay tuned
1. I ran a half marathon in a nor'easter in Newport, RI. It was one of the stupidest things I have ever done. Sideways rain? No thank you. I remember standing at the start line reassessing my time goal and my sanity. I have very little desire to run in weather like that ever again. BUT I can proudly say that I survived and finished well under my goal of 2 hours. Even though it wasn't my fastest half marathon, it was one of my strongest performances. I felt like I could do anything after slogging along in cold wind-driven rain for 13.1 miles.
2. The following weekend, I ran a local 5-mile race. I didn't pre-register because I wasn't sure how I would feel after the half marathon. I was close to defending my dissertation, and I wasn't sure I'd have enough extra time. Boy, am I glad I decided to do it at the last minute. I was the third female finisher! For my $20 entry fee, I got a long-sleeve T-shirt, a banana, a bottle of Vitamin water, a nice buffet lunch, and a $50 cash prize. Score!
3. Then I defended my dissertation 10 days after the nor'easter race and 4 days after the local 5 miler. I can honestly say the half marathon was harder than the dissertation defense. Or maybe it was the confidence boost from kicking asphalt in Newport.
October 2010 - Run, PR, Repeat
1. Ran a half marathon (Divas Half Marathon in Long Island) a week after running my first ever 20 mile run (for no reason ... I didn't need to run that far). I signed up one week in advance. Newport was my target race, but my training had gone better than I expected. I set a half marathon PR at Divas by a minute and a half.
2. Ran 12 miles the following weekend while on vacation in Vermont. Then ran the Newport half marathon the weekend after that. Anything would have been better than the nor'easter. Race morning was cool and sunny. Perfect running weather. I set my half marathon PR again by a minute and a half.
3. I was pleased with my half marathon performance, and so I registered for my first marathon. I had been seriously contemplating marathons for almost a year. It was time to do it.
October 2011
Stay tuned
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)