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SmuttyNose Half Marathon - RACE REPORT (We need more race reports) (Read 1206 times)

    Before, I can tell you about the race, I have to tell you about my buildup to this race.

     

    My PR before this race was 1:57:54 and I really felt that a HM PR in the 1:55:00 range was within my reach.  I started training for this race about 5 months ago by building mileage.   My training plan was a hybrid plan using the NOBBY (Lydiard Foundation Plan) as my base or starting point (with a few changes of my liking).   I wanted my average mileage to be at around 50 MPW and wanted to do at least one quality workout and sometimes two, and I wanted to segment my training according the Lydiard training principles. 

     

    My training was going just fine and I was feeling very confident in my ability to set a solid Half Marathon PR.   BUT, my problems started 10 weeks ago when I developed Plantar Fasciitis on my left foot (started hurting like HELL most of the time).   Just as I was going into the quality portion of my training plan I was forced to focus my attention on healing my plantar fasciitis instead of quality HM training.   Because of that my average mileage dropping to the low 30’s and I had number of training weeks when the 20’s was all my foot could handle.  NO quality, speed or hill workouts and only limited long runs, and I spent the formidable part of my training trying treating my injury.    THIS WAS NOT THEY WAY I DREW IT UP WHEN DEVELOPING MY TRAINING PLAN.

     

    NOW TO RACE DAY:   Woke up on race morning at 5:00AM and stood up --- and realized that for the first time in about 2 months my left foot wasn’t in total pain…   Got ready for the race, had my traditional pre-race breakfast of toast with peanut butter/honey and a cup of coffee…..got my stuff together and jumped into the truck for the 1hr 30 minute drive to the race.     It was raining but only supposed to be a little misty and a little damp – temps in the upper 50’s and no wind…so I figured the weather would be decent by the time the race actually started  -- WRONG.   Got to the race and the wind was whipping at 20 to 30 miles per hour and it was raining like cats and dog…..the weather really SUCKED for running and even sucked more for a RACING.   30 minute before the race, I was setting in my truck trying to decide if I ought to just go home……but of course, I’m a runner which means I have no common sense when it comes to these types of things so I knew I was going to run.     20 minutes before the race started, I went to bathroom to take care of business and while walking to the starting line I stepped in a HUGE puddle of water and my right foot, shoe and sock were totally soaked from the ankle down (GREAT – This was just how I wanted to warm up for my race)…

     

    ALSO – because it was raining so hard, I decided to leave my Garmin behind because I didn’t want it to drown in the race…….as a side note, I found racing without my Garmin to be liberating so I don’t think I’ll wear it in races any more (only when I go for training runs).

     

    GOING THRU  MY MIND WAITING FOR THE RACE TO START:   Because of my Plantar Fasciitis, I wasn’t confident of any great PR’s and because of the weather it even seemed more remote…..I needed to run at least 8:59 per mile for PR, but based on my lower training load and intensity, I wasn’t sure if I could do it.   To be honest, I wasn’t sure if my left foot would hold up for 13 miles that day.   In fact, I wasn’t even really sure what the hell I was doing there to begin with…………but I was there and planning to give it everything that I had for 13.1 miles. 

     

    RACE TIME…..At 9:00 AM the race started with 1,800 Half Marathoners and 700 Marathoners (that’s a lot of CRAZY in one place).    I was a lot further back in the pack at the start than I wanted to be, so it took more than a minute before I got to the start mat.   FINALLY I was running, not too cold and the rain was down to a drizzle….and it seemed like things would be OK.

     

    MILE 1 Split - 9:25 --- I was behind so many people because I started too far back in the pack so I had already lost a little time but I wasn’t worried because I thought I could make that up.   The wind and rain really picked up again and it was RAGING and blowing right in my face and the face of all of the runners.

     

    Mile 2 split – 18:20  – COOL – I was making up a little time.  

     

    Mile 3 split – 27:15 --- OK – still running into the wind but I knew that later on in the race, the wind would be at my back…

     

    Mile 4 – I picked up a few more second and the race turned so that the wind was more to the side now and it felt a little easier to run.  It was still pouring.

     

    Mile 5 split – 45:05 – OK – Ive almost caught up to my time and I’m feeling pretty good – but I sure wish it would stop raining….I wear glasses and had a baseball cap on (NO NOT MY RED SOX CAP – I’m pissed at the Red Sox right now) but my glasses kept beading up and I couldn’t see half the time….so I would take them off every now and them and wipe them off on the back of my singlet (the only place that managed to stay semi-dry during the race)..

     

    Mile 5 split --- 53:50 --- OK – now I’m ahead and looking at a PR

     

    Mile 7 and 8 --- My left foot was starting to hurt again. 

     

    Mile 9 --- Coming into mile 9, the rain stopped and the sun actually peaked out just a bit.   Just past mile 9 you turn south and are on the main road and starting on the way back to the finish…   As you turn on the main road, the wind is behind you, the rain had stopped and it’s a little bit downhill.    As you looked to the left, you could see the ocean and beaches and the sun shining thru the clowds..the running felt better and for the first time all day long,  I finally remembered why I was there and was glad to be there..(I’m usually glad to be at a race) – I sure wish my foot would stop hurting.

     

    Miles 11 and 12:    By this time I was about 60 seconds ahead of my pace but my left foot and my  Plantar Fasciitis was hurting like hell again, and my lack of training was starting to catch up to me (and I had developed a blister the size of JUPITER on my right foot – remember I soaked it up good before the race started – instead of doing an actual warm-up)……and FINALLY because my legs were getting really mushy and tired, they felt very very heavy, I ended up HAVING to take a couple of 30 to 45 second walk breaks.   I really didn’t want to walk but just felt that my legs were getting too tired and I had to give them a bit of a break……

     

    As I came to the mile 13 marker, I could kind of calculate (I’m not too good a math in races)…..  that I was still a little ahead but was I ever having trouble running --  I pushed on thru to the end and was very HAPPY to finally finish the race…

     

    Race time 1:57:27 and a PR by 27 seconds   Smile………that’s better than staying home……

     

    Actually, considering I had such a lag in training when it really counted the most, and the conditions for the day, I just can’t be unhappy with my time.   On the other hand, I think I can run a Half Marathon faster than I ran this one if I can get thru a training cycle without an injury.   This is the second year in a row I’ve been injured during training cycle for a target race, so I really have to change something.   Also, I have stamina issues – so I need more long runs with the last few miles at HM pace or a little faster so that I can maintain my strength at the end of a race.

     

    Overall it was an interesting race, and an interesting day.  I did OK but I’m positive I can do better.

     

    I was going to stay and watch the Marathoners come in but it started pouring again so I decided I’d been there long enough and went home.

    Champions are made when no one is watching

      Phidippides,

       

        great race!  fantastic report!    very honest with some humor.   expressed yourself very eloquently in a way that I could feel your emotions & pain (especially that PF crap).  You can add this experience on top of all your others & come up with an even better plan next year with more pr's!  Looking forward to more great race reports from you in the future & from others as well. 


      Loves the outdoors

        Congratulations! It sounds like you raced well despite your training issues. And you are right - we do need more race reports! 

        One day I decided I wanted to become a runner, so I did.

          Congratulations!  My little brother ran his first half at Smuttynose so I was up there in the rain being silently grateful that I changed my mind on August about running Cape Cod instead of Smuttynose for my full.  It was definitely not a day for PRs so all the more credit to you for pulling it off!

            Love the race recap, congrats on gutting out a PR in less than ideal conditions.


            Half Fanatic #846

              VERY nice job - on the race AND the report!  I enjoyed reading it. Smile

              "I don't always roll a joint, but when I do, it's usually my ankle" - unk.         "Frankly autocorrect, I'm getting a bit tired of your shirt".                  I ran half my last race on my left foot!                                  

                Thanks Everyone......

                 

                John

                Champions are made when no one is watching

                  John,

                   

                  hows the foot feeling 4 days after?

                    hows the foot feeling 4 days after?

                     

                    Surprisingly not much different than before.  It was very sore on Monday and not too bad on Tue.   I ran 3 miles on Wed and plan to run 3 more this evening (felt OK during the run yesterday, but a little sore afterwards).....I think its slowly starting to turn the corner....

                    Champions are made when no one is watching

                      that's very good to hear!  what shoes did you wear?   taking it easy rest of year?  or?

                        I wore my LOCO Carumba's --- since this was a LOCO sponsored race, I thought it might bring me some good luck to wear LOCO Shoes...

                         

                        Want to continue my normal running but not a lot of intensity - normal paced runs and moderate mileage until the foot heals a little more but expect to run AT LEAST 30 MPW......then pick the mileage back up in Dec or Jan...

                         

                        There are a few really good races coming  -- a 5 miler just before Thanksgiving and a few others that I have normally run so if I feel like I can run them without my foot hurting (too badly), then I'll probably go ahead and run them..........I have a friend that is a race director for a race on Saturday (4.7 miles) and he talked me into running but i told him I was going to just run normal training pace and not race it...

                        Champions are made when no one is watching

                          good ol trusty locos!     maybe you can be the poster boy for someone who had PF & figured out how to beat it & then share it with the world, at least the running world here on RA. there are alot of people out there who are/have dealt with this.  seriously,   wish you success on that.  and again congrats on a great race!  it was all worth it, right? 

                            Good job gutting it out.  It is always disappointing to get rain on race day.  Sounds like you turned a negative into a positive!

                            2018 Goals

                            Figure out the achilles thing...... and THEN try to get running regularly again.

                            No racing goals