2011 National Marathon Race Report

The Race:  This is the third time I’ve run National.  Since it’s just an hour away, it’s an affordable day-trip race.  It offers some nice variety: the downtown monuments, DC neighborhoods, modest hills, flat sections, two bridge crossings over the Anacostia River, and a two-mile riverfront park stretch.  Perhaps most important, the late-March date is early enough to offer the possibility of cool temps, which I love.

DW: The new twist this year was that this would be DW’s first marathon.  She wanted to get one done before her iron-distance tri this Fall.  I had offered to pace her this day but she wanted to do it alone since she’ll be doing it that way this Fall.  In a case of bad timing, she had a visitor this day and was cramping rather badly.  Before she started, she knew it would not be a great day for her but she decided to go ahead and do the race anyway.  Her goal had been a 4:45 but she ended up with a 5:06.  Still, she was not at all discouraged.  In fact, she finished strong and seemed to have lots in the tank left at the end.  She said she felt sure she could beat this time on in the Fall.  She has a half-iron tri in about seven weeks so the training will pick up pretty quickly again.

Goals: This is my 10^th marathon.  In 2009 I had a breakthrough race at National, getting a 3:25:40—an 11-minute PR—and feeling great at the end.  I was never able to do it again.  Instead, my four marathons since then (National, Philly, Boston, Baystate) have all come in between 3:36:07 and 3:41:28. The goals for this race were to finish somewhere in that yawning 10-minute+ gap:

     1) beat my 2^nd place finish (3:36:07)

     2) sub-3:30

Training:  I greatly reduced my mileage last summer and Fall but picked things up again in November and had a solid and consistent training cycle since then.  Unlike with the big snows we got last year, the weather cooperated through this cycle.  No excuses.

Weather: I love colder weather and the forecast was perfect: 35F at the start, 40F by the finish.  Cloudy, 8 mph wind.  No excuses.

Race Day:  All went smoothly on race morning.  It’s an early start: up at 4, on the road a little after 5, in the parking lot by 6:15. I give WRFB a call in case he’s gotten there early and we have a chance to meet up.  No answer.  He’s not been answering my calls ever since our visit to his place a few years ago, and I try not to take it personally.  Besides, I understand the insurance paid for everything.

Anyway, we leave the phone in the car and head out.  Porta-john lines were quite manageable.  This was clearly shorts weather but I decided to go with a long-sleeve shirt, mostly because I was concerned about being chilled at the start and didn’t know if the wind might pick up down by the river.  I also used some thin gloves.  No need for sunglasses or sunscreen, given the cloudy forecast.

The Run:  I had been assigned to the wrong corral but got that cleared up at the expo. I was in corral 3 and things seemed well organized.  As I was waiting for the start, though, I looked up at the dawn and realized there wasn’t a cloud in the sky!   So much for the cloudy forecast.  I always hate this part of the day. I get the jitters and just tried to breathe deep and stay relaxed.  Soon we were off.

     I happened to be right next to the 3:30 pace group and made a mental note of that.  The start feels a bit crowded and there were a few folks who seemed to have lined up in the wrong place but, on the whole, it wasn’t bad and by the second mile there was a little bit of room to stretch out.  My aim was to not worry about mile-to-mile paces but instead, run relaxed, and check my overall pace every few miles, trying to stay in the 7:50s.  (So while I’m reporting the mile-by-mile times here, I didn’t necessarily have that info during the run.)

     After 2 miles: 7:57 pace.  Okay, nice start.  This is feeling very easy, just as it should.  Relax, settle into a comfortable pace and run few miles.  I grab a little water at mile 3; make a point to enjoy the sites along the National Mall.  I realize I’m plenty warm, strip off my gloves, and roll up my sleeves.  I take a gel as I approach the mile 5 water station, a little early for me but the only sustained hill of the day comes right after that, so I figure it can’t hurt.

     After 5 miles: 7:48 pace.  It’s feeling easy (wow, what a difference from Boston when it was already feeling hard at this point) but I need to watch that I don’t go out too fast.  Keep it in check.

     After 7 miles 7:49 pace.  We’re finishing the long—though modest—uphill section.  Still easy and I’m a little faster than I’d planned.  I notice the mile 7 line chalked on the pavement—I haven’t actually seen a mile marker up to this point; did I miss them?—and check my Garmin; it’s measuring very long, probably because of the tunnel we went through, so my overall pace is actually something a little slower than what it reads, so I’m okay. 

     I’ve now caught up to the 3:25 pacer, which I realize I can use to my advantage: keep him in my sights up ahead and I’ll know I’m in good shape, not too fast, not too slow.  I know we’ve got some net downhill miles now and I plan to let my stride open up a bit to take advantage, keeping it under control. We pass a reservoir and Howard University where students are always pretty loud.  I’m expecting some good hip hop blasting and as I approach I start to hear…”Y-M-C-A!”  Really?! That’s what they chose to play?  Kids today!  The next dorm a few blocks away is playing some good hip-hop that I don’t recognize.  That’s more like it!

     We’re through the downhill miles now and at the mile 11 mark I sneak a peek at my watch: 7:48 overall pace, for what it’s worth.  I didn’t gain any time on those downhills; I’m slowing a bit.  The 3:25 pacer sprinted the downhills and is gone now; so much for that plan.  I take a gel with water.

     Just shy of mile 13 the folks in the half peel off to head to the finish.  I’m always happy to see this point in the race.  Roughly 3 out of 4 runners peel off and the course opens up; sweet. When that happens, the full marathoners have to run this odd little section through the parking lot surrounding RFK Stadium to head back onto the course near the original start.  In the lot some young half-marathoner who looks really tired is walking to his car leaning a bit on his (presumably) girlfriend or wife.  As we approach I say, “Lucky bastard!” and they both burst out laughing.  So do the three or four folks I’m running with. 

     It would be nice to be done but, in fact, we’re just starting the real race now.  I realize I’m starting to feel it; it’s no longer easy.  I’m okay for the halfway point, but that early effortless feeling is gone.  I pass the halfway point just under 1:44.  A good time, but my Garmin’s measuring something like 13.9 miles already.  Huh?  That means my overall pace data is pretty useless.  What to do?  Well, I’ll just run it mile-by-mile; aiming to stay under 8:00.  That would bring me in under 3:30.  I’ll ignore the overall pace and check the current mile pace.  I’ll have to check my watch more frequently, but it’ll work.  I remember I’ve got two banana halfs in separate baggies in the big back pocket of my Race Ready shorts, so I treat myself to the first half.  Nice.

     We pass mile 14 and up ahead I see the 3:25 pace group again.  My Garmin’s reading a 7:50 pace, but my real pace must be slower.  These guys are falling behind arent’ they?  I catch up to the leader and confirm: “3:25 pace?” “Yup.”  “Are you running 7:50s?”  “Yup.”  “Okay, I’ll try hanging on as long as I can.”  “Okay.” 

     I drift back a bit and keep them in my sight.  We near mile 15 on my Garmin and it shows an 8:08 pace for that mile.  Huh?  Are we going that slow?  I’m confused.  Do I believe the pacer—who seems to be little erratic, the watch—that’s already known to be off, or my body—which is getting a little tired and unreliable?  I’m inclined to go with the watch.  Try to pick it up.

     Mile 16 is always a milestone—just 10 to go.  We head through more tunnels—I glance at the Garmin and, sure enough, it’s blank as we come out—and head down to the waterfront.  My third gel with water around mile 17. 

     Mile 18 on the Garmin, says 7:59, good.  The overall pace is 7:52 …I wonder what my real pace is?  Up ahead I see the 3;25 pacer again.  This time, though, he’s off to the left and barely jogging.   WTH?  Then I realize, he’s done; walking by himself while still holding his pace sign.  Boy, will that confuse people.  Well, time to buckle down.  This won’t be easy but I can churn out 8 MP miles, can’t I?   I eat the second half of my banana.  Yum.

     I’m not one of those people who feeds off of crowd energy.  When I start getting tired, I turn inward.  I settle down, tell myself to relax, do a form check, try to feel the rhythm of the stride.  I detach and almost feel like I’m watching myself.  I get oblivious to surroundings. By mile 20 we’re crossing the bridge and the guy at the 20 mile mat says, “10K left.”  Yup, just a 10K now.

     I can feel my hamstrings as we climbed the bridge, but nothing bad…yet.  My back’s a little stiff too; that’s unusual for me.  Quads are getting a little sore.  All in all, though, I’m okay. 

     Mile 21-ish—I’m way off the course markers: 8:07.  Uh oh.  Slowing down.  I need to pick this up.  It’s the crucial part of the race.  Make or break time. 

     Mile 22: 8:11.  Really?  I thought I was picking up the pace.  It’s a flat park portion near the river but my legs are feeling really heavy.  Lots of folks fading all around me, which doesn’t help.  Walkers are showing up more frequently now. 

     Mile 23: 8:24.  Okay, I’m officially in trouble.  The 3:30 pace guy—who only has 5 or 6 people with him now, seems to blow by me effortlessly.  There goes that goal.  My legs feel like lead; they just won’t move faster.  But I’ve got to pick it up.  There’s a marching band up ahead but they seem to be taking a break.  Just one guy is thumping a bass drum.. boom… boom… boom.  Sounds like a death march! C’mon, pick it up.

     Mile 24: 8:05.  Better, but I’ve got to at least maintain this if I still have a shot at my goal. 

     Mile 25: 8:25.  Not good, but I’m not that surprised.  In some ways this is the toughest mile of the race.  There are some modest rolling hills that seem huge this late in the race.  I have no idea where I am in relation to my goals, exactly, and it probably doesn’t matter.  I’m  pushing hard and doing the best I can; finding out the pace time won’t help.  Just push.  At the top of the long hill, there’s a downhill ramp onto the bridge to the finish.  Here’s my chance to pick it up, I’ve got nothing to save now.  Go, go, go.  

     Mile 26 (which I didn’t see at the time) 7:45.  Crap, this hurts.  And the last 0.2 seems to take forever.   I cross the line, hit the Garmin and it reads 3:30:27 [Official time: 3:30:23]   Cool!  I made my goal with minutes to spare.  But, wait, I’m confused.  How could I be so close to 3:30—my second goal?  The 3:30 pace group left me in the dust miles ago—and I started right next to them.  I had no idea I was so close to 3:30.  If I had known, maybe I could have found those 28 seconds!  Maybe…but, then again, maybe not.  My legs feel rubbery, like they’ve gone to sleep.  I get my medal (a really nice heavy medal with a bas-relief White House), grab a water and a cookie, and keep walking.  I’ve got to get back to the car, change, and cheer DW on at the finish!

Assessment and Lessons:

1. I feel good for hitting very close to where I wanted for the day; it was a success.
2. I was ready and appropriately trained for my goals.
3. The weather was awesome.  It makes all the difference in the world for me.  My legs were dead at the end but I never felt nauseous or overheated, as I often do in warmer temps.  I wish I could bottle this weather and pull it out every marathon day.
4. I had the hydration and fuel down perfectly.  4 gels, one small banana, 2 endurolytes.
5. The weak spot of the day was my execution, which made the difference in my not achieving 3:30.  I started out well and generally paced myself appropriately, though 3 & 4 were bit fast. However, my mental prep was focused on pace, not overall time, so when the Garmin started measuring way off, I was disoriented a bit.  (Quick: You pass mile marker 23.  Your Garmin shows 23.7 miles and a 7:51 overall pace.  Are you on target for a sub 8:00 pace?  If not, what pace do you need maintain for the remaining miles to catch up?  Not so easy, eh?  I had no idea.)  I also paid too much attention to the pacers; the 3:25 guy slowed me down a bit and when the 3:30 guy blew past, I erroneously assumed my 3:30 goal went with him.  Both dumb mistakes on my part.  I need to learn to work with an old-fashioned pace bracelet and the overall time on my watch; something I’ve never really done.  But what would a marathon be if I didn’t learn something from it?

Next: 

Time for some shorter races.  In the next 6 weeks, I’ve got a 15K, a 5K, and a ½ marathon.  Should be fun.  I usually cut mileage way back during the summer, but I’m thinking I might try to maintain mileage, if not intensity, to better acclimate and be ready to gear up for a Fall race, maybe Richmond again, another easy day-trip, and even better organized than National. 

Thanks for all your encouragement!

Wow, Tramps, what a race! You did well, even with the Garmin mishaps. While "mental math" is difficult in the later stages of a marathon, I always look at total time for the mileage post and figure what I need to do to finish by xx time. That way I know if I can do it, or if it's so far out of reach I just ease up and take what the day gives. But you did well to keep on track, even with all the distractions. And yeah, I tend to tune out the crowds, too. Nice job, and congratulations to your DW for finishing her first! She has big goals up ahead.

It was great watching you train for this one, Tramps. From your training posts to your weight-loss success on the other site, seems like you did everything right. Sorry your time was off a little. The good news? You ran a marathon with your wife! Even though you didn't train together, not very many people can say they ran a marathon with their spouse. Nice report - I enjoyed reading it!

I ALWAYS lose the ability to do math...even simply math!...during a race.  I'm glad you were able to keep your composure and focus on your performance and pull in such a GREAT time!!  Bravo!

--Robin

Great report, Tramps.  I could relate to you in so many different instances.  I've been wanting to get  a Garmin...I think if I do, I'll only use it for training and leave it at home on race day.  Yeah--I think I'm going to put National on my list of marathons to do.  Thanks for the report.  And congratulations!  And congratulations to your wife!  

I think Ceiling Cat would say "da Garmin, it messes with yur mind".

Definitely pace bracelet and timex next time.

It was fun to run the race vicariously with you.  That was a terrific time and just forget about that "what if" about the extra seconds over 3:30.  At least it wasn't 2 seconds!!

Great report, Tramps.  Heh, thought I'd called you back quickly enough, but you must have already turned off the phone.  Too bad about the confusion, but I still think it was a well run race.  Lost satellite at Dupont Circle, huh?  I don't remember that from the other years.  See you in a month or so at Frederick.