My return to road racing... (Read 671 times)

Big D Texas Marathon Sun, April 1, 2007 My daughter-in-law asked me to help her run her first half-marathon, quite the honor. Of course, I said yes and signed up, but she had placed herself on the injured reserve (well, she had help with that one - pregnant, yep, gonna be a grandaddy!) just a week and a half before the race so there I am, looking directly at that pace bunny's butt...nothing to do but move up to the full marathon and run the whold durn thing! Pre-race: - typical pre-race breakfast stuff, 20 oz coffee, 5 chocolate-covered donuts (the sixth one from the package is somewhere on the floor of my car, I think) 2 hours before race - beg officials to let me switch from half to full marathon, pay difference in entry - 2 bathroom stops, unexpected visit with friend from Austin - Stand around for usual amount of time at the starting line, positioned mid-way back from the front - Stand around for an additional 20 minutes due to some drunk guy knocking 2 people off a bridge just outside the S/F area and closing a major highway at 6am on a Sunday morning, killing one of said people (drunk drivers suck), causing delay Derek mentioned in his race report Resources: - handheld water bottle with Clip2 drink - 6 Succeed capsules - 2 orange slices - Blister Shield powder in my socks - Sport Slick roll-on on my tender parts - RaceReady shorts and shortsleeved shirt - Montrail running hat - Smartwool ankle socks - Asics street shoes Strategy: - go out at my normal pace and see how close I can come to holding it for 26.2 Result: - first half 2:00:09, second half 2:04:08 (chip time was 4:03:50, splits add to clock time) - 104th overall, 9th in age group - no problems with hydration, stomach distress, never hit "the wall" - absolutely NO muscular soreness day after race (recovery run of 6 miles today) Not a PR for me, but quite a boost given I have upped the mileage recently and I thought the legs were too fatigued to get anywhere near 4 hours! I haven't run a road marathon in several years, really didn't know what to expect. When I reached the half right at 2 hours, I thought to myself, "Self (that's what I call myself), your legs and body got you here in 2 hours, can your head get you to the finish in 2 hours from now???" My trail running may have been a contributor to losing 4 minutes in the back half, I just couldn't pass an aid station without slowing to a walk and drinking water, which may have contributed to 2 pee breaks. Today, I have no doubt that with a little work I could take a chunk off my 3:53 PR, maybe even BQ. Just don't know if I will ever want to put that much time into road running. Anyway, it was a fun, beautiful North Texas day and a great day for a run. The marathon is a good value and the field is not large (423 finishers). No April Fool's for me on Sunday! Lynn B

this post makes me want to vomit... other than that...you ROCK! Can I have some of your mojo..

yeahthat! WTG! :: off to google: succeed capsules, because if I can get success in a capsule... ::

Nicely done. And nice report. ... Congrats on your soon to be grandchild!

Thanks, Mike! The marathon was a good chance to test the mental focus when the legs said hey, you're going too fast for this far! I actually had a neat experience in that I overheard a young lady at about mile 15 say something to her dad (spectator) that made me think she was fading (mentally). She and I had been going back and forth for the last 10 miles and I had noticed she was running strong. I told her that we had a good shot at getting close to 4 hours and complimented her on how strong she was running and if she wanted to jump in with me that we could do it together. Well, she picked it up and fell in with me and we began to talk...I told her that the difference between a 4 hour and a 4:30 marathon is determined exactly at this point of the race...and that those who stayed focused mentally were the 4 hour runners and those who did not were going to slow down. We talked about her school (TCU kinesiology/education major), her family, her training, her hometown...next thing she knew, we were at mile 20. I told her, "this is where they usually put the wall, but you're running way too strong and consistently to have a problem with that!". We rocked on and had a few "dull" spells, but I continued to heap praise on her and to assure her that what she was feeling was normal for someone who covered the distance she had run so far. At mile 24, I told her that if a mistake was to be made today, it has already been made...nothing was stopping her from her finish at this point...she perked up a bit...I explained that emotions lurk just under the surface between mile 24 and just past the finish and that she might feel like crying...I backed off at the finish so she would have a good finisher picture without some old guy beside her and I caught up to her just after the finish line...she turned to me with big whale tears and bear-hugged me and said "I couldn't have done it without you"! Wow, what a rush, but truth be told, I couldn't have done it without her! Yet another serendipitous race experience for me! Thanks again, felt good to test myself... Lynn B

I actually had a neat experience in that I overheard a young lady at about mile 15. . .

Wow, Lynn, I wish I could run one with you! That is such a wonderful story! Good for you. Deb

Amazing! Thanks for sharing your experience, it's stories like yours that make me want to stop typing and RUN. Did you write a race report for you first 100 miler? You need a website! (I can help if you want one?)

Are you thinking what I'm thinking??? I think I just learned how to insert pictures!

First, congratulations on heading towards grandaddy status! Nice race, especially considering you weren't planning on running the whole marathon. I liked the conversation you had with yourself (self). It's all about mind over matter. If you don't mind, then it doesn't matter! Pain? What pain?

Are you thinking what I'm thinking

This could work... Derek, don't know about Chicago, but there's no reason we couldn't run together in the DFW area! Voice, thanks for the offer, I can't imagine my own website! Lynn B