2022 Advanced Racing Thread (Read 497 times)

SteveChCh


Hot Weather Complainer

    Yeah. I’m also not sure I peaked early but I will try and figure things out later. The running rogue podcast dude talks about feeling the feels and grieving as necessary after a race before doing anything else. It sounds ridiculous to say but each morning I’ve woken up, it feels like there’s been a death in the family, and I need to build myself up to get through the day. 

    I know that’s crazy. It’s not life and death. But I’m feeling the feels. I’ve thought about this every day for nearly 6 months, and it’s a killer. Wondering why I do this is exactly how I feel. I’ve got a half in 6 weeks I’d always planned to run as a fun run, and that’s it for the year. I hope there’s a triumphant redemption race in my future.

    5km: 18:34 11/23 │ 10km: 39:10 8/23 │ HM: 1:26:48 9/23 │ M: 3:34:49 6/23

     

    2024 Races:

    Motorway Half Marathon February 25, 2024 1:29:55

    Christchurch Half-Marathon April 21, 2024

    Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024

    Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024

    flavio80


    Intl. correspondent

      I know that’s crazy. It’s not life and death. But I’m feeling the feels. I’ve thought about this every day for nearly 6 months, and it’s a killer. Wondering why I do this is exactly how I feel. I’ve got a half in 6 weeks I’d always planned to run as a fun run, and that’s it for the year. I hope there’s a triumphant redemption race in my future.

      Hang in there. It took me a long while to sort of accept what happened. The fitness is there, so long as you remain consistent the break throughs will come. Unfortunately they take time, months, sometimes years and we're impatient 😁

      It's a year after my marathon and I've still not been able to return to that level of mileage. It's a long process.

      PRs: 1500 4:54.1 2019 - 5K 17:53 2023 - 10K 37:55 2023 - HM 1:21:59 2021

      Up next: no idea

      Tool to generate Strava weekly

      JMac11


      RIP Milkman

        I know that’s crazy. It’s not life and death. But I’m feeling the feels. I’ve thought about this every day for nearly 6 months, and it’s a killer. Wondering why I do this is exactly how I feel. I’ve got a half in 6 weeks I’d always planned to run as a fun run, and that’s it for the year. I hope there’s a triumphant redemption race in my future.

         

        Run the half for run. Then enjoy some of the summer not grinding out big miles. Maybe enter some short 5Ks. Drink some beers. Enjoy yourself. By the new year, I'm sure you'll feel inspired again.

        5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

         

         

        flavio80


        Intl. correspondent

          Steve - I dare you to do this:

          Superman

          PRs: 1500 4:54.1 2019 - 5K 17:53 2023 - 10K 37:55 2023 - HM 1:21:59 2021

          Up next: no idea

          Tool to generate Strava weekly

          Ian5


            Steve-Tough to read that,you can practically see how it felo apart.I used to always suffer with cramp,it got less the more miles I did,but never managed to quite get rid of it fully.

            The closest I have found to a cure is pickle juice,there are quite a few studies showing it send a neurological sogb to your brain that turns it off.I have done it a few times and if you take it straight away it has worked for me.

            In fact it's on my shopping list to find in Chicago.

            5k 17:35,10k 36:43,10m 61:55,HM 1:24:03,Full 3:07:39

              Steve great race report, extremely hard-core.

              You have great mates to support you like that. I've never imagined Jmac with the New York accent but now I will picture him saying " hey Joey hurry up with that pizza "

              It sounds like you had some sort of muscle strain before you started that you weren't aware of ?

              Anyway I've enjoyed your training this year and meeting you and hope you feel better soon.

              55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

              " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

              Somewhere in between is about right "      

               

              JMac11


              RIP Milkman

                Piwi may be on to something. I wonder if you had a light strain during one of your long runs that then caused all these issues. If I remember, you did have that spasm for the first time in your final long run, which was a bit of a "oh no" moment. Dealing with my strained hamstring now, I can tell you it's causing a lot of other problems away from the site (which is hard to find actually). It's more like all of the other shit you deal with, not the specific spot of the strain. Could be on to something there.

                5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

                 

                 

                SteveChCh


                Hot Weather Complainer

                  Marby - well done on a great race. If you have the motivation and luck with injuries, I have no doubt you have a sub 3 in you.

                   

                  Thanks all for the great thoughts and comments. I’m at the airport now and really looking forward to seeing my partner. Glad I missed October snow at home!

                   

                  Also realised I forgot to mention I got cramp in both forearms as I entered the stadium. I thought someone was grabbing me and I looked down and saw the muscles folding over. There was definitely some sort of imbalance with electrolytes and salts.

                   

                  Flavio, I’m not sure I can pull that off!

                   

                  JMac - you’re right, I’ll probably get the itch again but I’ll just keep my current plan for half’s and 10km for the next few months.

                   

                  For now I’ll research where to get the best pickle juice!

                  5km: 18:34 11/23 │ 10km: 39:10 8/23 │ HM: 1:26:48 9/23 │ M: 3:34:49 6/23

                   

                  2024 Races:

                  Motorway Half Marathon February 25, 2024 1:29:55

                  Christchurch Half-Marathon April 21, 2024

                  Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024

                  Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024

                  Marky_Mark_17


                    I know that’s crazy. It’s not life and death. But I’m feeling the feels. I’ve thought about this every day for nearly 6 months, and it’s a killer. Wondering why I do this is exactly how I feel. I’ve got a half in 6 weeks I’d always planned to run as a fun run, and that’s it for the year. I hope there’s a triumphant redemption race in my future.

                     

                    I hear you dude.  Last time I ran a marathon, it didn't go nearly as badly as yours, but I was still dark about it for months after just because I had been building up for so long and I knew I had a quicker time in me than what I actually got.  I mean, a year's worth of f%$king build up and I couldn't find a few extra minutes.

                     

                    Sorry the race turned to sh!t.  It sucks.  But... it is what it is and you can't change that, although you should absolutely give yourself time to be as gutted about it as you want to be.  And maybe there's a bit of a "Chinese Democracy" factor here (GnR reference for anyone who isn't a rock fan).   Build up to something for that long and it becomes very hard for it not to end up as a disappointment on some level.  Although judging from your RR it sounds more like it feels like Lulu (Metallica reference... not a person) but with the extended build-up of Chinese Democracy.  That's a pretty tough pill to swallow.

                     

                    I agree with what JMac says (no really).  Give yourself some downtime.  Have some fun.  There is such a fine line in this sport between success and failure even with months of training that sometimes the best answer is just to not take it too seriously.  We've all crashed and burned, sometimes for reasons we couldn't really explain.  I guess the thing that keeps us all coming back is that we find joy in the process, sometimes more than the outcome.

                    3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)  

                    10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)

                    * Net downhill course

                    Last race: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

                    Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

                    "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

                    Fishyone


                      Steve- Sometimes there are just too many reasons or all of them added up......JMac and Mark are right on the money.  Step away for a while and regroup mentally.  Have fun and race your upcoming half with the fitness you earned in training.  The gains ARE STILL THERE.  Enjoy them and have fun racing again.  I had the best training cycle I've ever had before Boston including nultiple100 mile weeks, crazy Daniels workouts and a 20 miler at 7:00 minute pace.  Then the stars didn't align and I was disappointed with the result.  I felt I wasted all of that work.... not how you want 4 months of work to end Took a couple of months to sulk and pout and now I'm back determined to get back out on the marathon course again!!  Oh and by the way..... it was my 12th marathon..... this was your first and you finished and gutted it out!!  Now go have a beer for me

                      5K 18:36 (2023), 10K 39:40 (2022), 1/2 1:24:37 (2023), full 2:58:36 (2015) 

                      ccoakley


                        Steve, so sorry it wasn't your race.  Just incredibly impressive that you kept going when it got so bad so early.  I agree with the others that you should take some time and run for fun but I also appreciate how difficult that can be.  Most of us tend to be very data focused and it can be really hard to just run without having numbers to meet.  I would suggest trying to find a non-pace based running goal or project.  I doubt a streak would do much for you, maybe trail running or a geography challenge?

                        5k 24:53 (2020) |10k 52:24 (2021) |HM 1:57:14 (2019) |FM 4:24 (2007) |50k 5:57 (2022)

                         

                         

                        flavio80


                        Intl. correspondent

                          In other news my weight is now down to 82kg 181lbs after reaching a peak of 86kg/190lbs back in August.

                          That gives me hope.

                          Strength training today was also a success.

                          I managed 6, 6 and 3+3 on the chin ups, I'm up to 3x8 with 55kg on lat pulldowns and 5x5 with 100kg on the leg press.

                          There's one exercise which is very challenging to me.

                          It's a weighted split squat. You do the split squat holding dumbbells on your shoulder, then when you're up, you raise one knee and do a press (Push the dumbbells up from your shoulder), like this video but with one dumbbell in each hand.

                          I did these today with 7.5kg. Last week I tried with 10kg 22lb dumbbells but it was just too much and had to do fewer reps.

                          Despite these being obviously incredibly rookie numbers, they represent massive progress since I re-started lifting for real back in October last year. During marathon training (May-Oct 2021) I had gone very soft with my strength training and paid for it.

                          Before that I wasn't going to a gym and you can only get so far with only calisthenics.

                          Now I'm on a road towards hopefully at some point reach average bro-jo numbers, at the very least dead lift my own body weight so I can start competing with Zebano.

                          PRs: 1500 4:54.1 2019 - 5K 17:53 2023 - 10K 37:55 2023 - HM 1:21:59 2021

                          Up next: no idea

                          Tool to generate Strava weekly

                          mmerkle


                            Marby: Great race.

                             

                            Steve: I'm sorry it went that way man. The fact that you finished is badass. That mental toughness should help you run a much faster time when you don't have cramping issues. I (and everyone here) understand getting bummed about a marathon performance because like you said you think about it for so long leading up to it. The marathon is like life though. Use your favorite metaphor. The marathon is like Apollo Creed and you gotta be like Rocky. Don't let it win. I haven't had a "good" marathon yet but I imagine when you finally do it's all the sweeter!

                             

                            Flavio: I love the split squat, it's one of my go-to's. I like a lot of one-legged stuff for running. Balance is underrated. Have you tried using a Bosu ball?

                            JMac11


                            RIP Milkman

                              I was able to run the past 2 days. Hamstring felt really tight and weak. So I started doing some rehab stuff. The level 1 stuff was too easy since I was already doing some prehab work, so yesterday after my run I went to the gym and started doing more advanced hamstring strengthening, e.g. bridges with an exercise ball, andddd I restrained it. Tried to run today, it's worse today than it was earlier this week and gave up. Weirdly though, it's in a slightly different spot, so I think there's something just wrong with my hamstring right now where it's completely out of whack from the race strain and I was primed to hurt it again.

                               

                              Going to shut it down for a few days again. Clearly if I run the marathon still, I'll have to go with the short taper route and we're only 4 weeks out this Sunday. I don't really have a desire to just stop running for the full 10-14 days to get this thing healed and then show up at the line and run a slow race, but I'm going to be more careful now than I just was. Either way, Moose Mug was barely in the question and that is out. PR is definitely out as well. We'll see what happens but even my "real" goal of 2:39:59 on that course may be out too and I'll just have to try to get out there and run a course PR (2:46). Injuries suck.

                               

                              The irony of reinjuring my hamstring doing strengthening work for it is not lost on me.

                               

                              Good luck to all the Chicago runners this weekend! We'll be here tracking.

                              5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

                               

                               

                              Mikkey


                              Mmmm Bop

                                Steve - Sorry to hear that your race didn’t go to plan…but the good news is that all your endurance training runs haven’t gone to waste. I don’t have the answer to cramps, but keep looking forward and assume you ran a 3:15/18 and aim for a faster pace next time as I don’t think you’re a wimp and will give up on marathons.

                                 

                                I do get your pain btw because after a couple of my marathons I was genuinely devastated for a few weeks…but you do get over it. 

                                5k - 17:53 (4/19)   10k - 37:53 (11/18)   Half - 1:23:18 (4/19)   Full - 2:50:43 (4/19)