Those temps, when you haven't had a chance to get acclimated can be brutal. I think you held up pretty well considering. Congrats on the PR and looking forward to seeing how you do at Philly.
Barking Mad To Run
No advice since I'm not a distance runner anymore, just wanted to say congrats on your marathon. Sorry you didn't get the goal you wanted but, dang, 3:38 is still pretty damn speedy! Especially in the conditions you described. And you got a PR!
The slower back-of-the-pack 5-and-6 hours and more folks (which is where I would've been, lol) must've really been suffering by the end, being out in that warmth that long.
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt
Congrats on the PR. That was one you definitely fought for and earned when things got tough in the final 10 miles. Great RR too. Well written and I loved the details and honest break-down of the day.
I don't have anything to add except that I wish I had a dollar for every RR I've read this spring in which a person missed his or her goals, discussed the heat, and then wondered what went wrong. I don't think there is a person on this planet who can train in 40-50 degrees temps all winter and then be able to knock one out of the park on a 70 degree, sunny day. Considering those conditions, I think you did extremely well and showed real fortitude in fighting for every minute you could down the stretch.
Life is good.
Hip Redux
Oski, we have some thinking to do about next year. You and Mr. O would love this event.
It's on his list! We loved Burlington when we visited in grad school. BUT I say Avenue of the Giants first.
delicate flower
You guys are great. I really do appreciate all the comments and for putting my mind at ease.
Here is a picture of the hill at mile 15. Check out the crowds. What a zoo. Really cool stuff. I don't think this picture does the hill much justice though.
<3
That would certainly be an easier course. More food choices in Burlington though. You know, FOOD.
This.
i know when I start running in warmer weather in the spring it takes at least 7 or 8 runs in the warmer weather before my body says, "oh, yeah. I remember how to do this." Having it only be your second warm weather run definitely factored in. As you said, though, there have been much worse crashes and burns. This wasn't a death march. Just a slow fade.
I am am also very much looking forward to seeing what you do in Philly. Congratulations on the PR!
A buddy of mine led the 3:45 pace group and has run this particular marathon a number of times. He said that the conditions were pretty rough, especially compared to past years, he was really glad he wasn't looking to go much faster than 3:45. I wouldn't stress about it were I in your shoes.
Phil, that was a great report. Open and honest, but above all, positive in the face of difficulty.
I am sure that you have a BQ in your future. Cooler and flatter Fall race in Philly, after a summer of warm training with upped GMP? Oh yeah, that could be the one.
The fact that you held on for a PR is admirable. Congratulations! Even faster races await.
It never ceases to amaze me that people think they can run goal pace (assuming goal pace is fairly challenging) in any temps over 50. We had several people from my area crash and burn in Boston. Not only can't you run goal pace in warmer weather but you can't wait until you feel warm to back down. The horse is already out of the barn by that point. You have to back off from the first mile.
Fortunately for me, I have blown up badly in hot weather but it's always happened in training.. Let me tell you that walking 4 miles back to the car when you can't stop sweating profusely and your heart rate won't decline is an unpleasant experience you don't forget.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Boston this year was 70+, and a few folks I know went to VT for redemption 5 weeks later only to find more hot temps. Sometimes doesn't matter how great your training went as far as achieving your A goal when the temps aren't to your liking.
We had several people from my area crash and burn in Boston.
Here also, and some of them were first-wave runners not of the type to train poorly. The later waves must have been even more difficult to hang on from.
I actually passed a lone pacer at mile 23 who had fallen off. He was an older guy and finished shortly after me so I chatted with him a bit. He was a 3:15 pacer but could not hold the pace. He had to send the group ahead without him. He felt bad doing that but he was at least happy the group had two pacers. I patted him on the back and thanked him for volunteering as a pace leader.
It never ceases to amaze me that people think they can run goal pace (assuming goal pace is fairly challenging) in any temps over 50.
In my case, it was a total lack of experience racing in those temps. This was a learning experience for me.
Moth, thanks for popping in. I did a bunch of faster paced runs, but they were all shorter. The most GMP miles I did in one run was 8. That is something I will address when training for Philly. I definitely need to work on that.
One MP workout isn't enough. The last 6 weeks is when the rule of specificity kicks in. You need to spend more time @ race pace and less time building your support system. That's primarally reserved for your base phase and supplemented throughout the year by maintaining consistent mileage. This is also the time you need to trade some of those LSD runs for speed-endurance runs. You want to progressively increase the volume of time spent @ race pace. Your key workout during this period is your race pace long run. Obviously if you haven't 1st addressed the other components - aerobic foundation & speed - in your training this won't matter.
Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile
Julia, this is the first time heat has impacted my marathon. You are right though...all the training can't beat Mother Nature.
I still don't think I've ever trained harder than I trained for Boston 2012. So, believe me, I know the heartbreak of training so hard only to have Mother Nature slap you in the face. But, from monitoring your training in the Marathoner Dailies, and knowing we run similar paces and have similar PRs, I think low-3:20s is in reach for you since I've already done it twice now. I think there are probably some little things you could do between now and Philly (IMHO more mileage, more races in the half marathon range) as insurance, though. A flat course and a tail wind would also be nice.
Another thing, I think someone may have touched on here or in another thread... I do like to assess my performance against the field or other competitors when conditions are tough. For instance, this years Boston, I was only a minute slower than my teammates who both ran 3:18 or better this spring so that made me feel that I might have had sub-3:20 on a better day. I'd still rather have 3:19:59 but it's something.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to invade the BB!
My blog is JT Running DC. It's awesome. Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes. Guide to the New York City Marathon. Guide to the Boston Marathon. Guide to Running Gear. Guide to Running Clothes.