Forums >Racing>2020 Marathon Training and relevant COVID 19 discussion echo chamber
weather - wow! what a time even despite the additional mileage you've run! Congrats! Even more kudos for not loosing it and continuing to run despite the frustration - I once lost the course and could not get compose myself after that. Great time! Congrats again!
DW and Keen - good luck tomorrow!
paces PRs - 5K - 5:48 / 10K - 6:05 / HM - 6:14 / FM - 6:26 per mile
Mother of Cats
Hi all - just checking in to let everyone know that I DNF'd very early (before mile 5).
My right leg started spasming and cramping pretty early in the race (it had done something similar on the drive down on Friday) - several different muscles, not just one. I gave it a bit of time, but it was just getting worse and felt like I was starting to do some damage, so I pulled up.
I'm pretty pissed off, as it was a great day to run.
I've had all sorts of issues moving back and forth between one leg and the other - I'm thinking this is a reoccurrence of sciatic issues I had a few years ago. Time for the ortho.
Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.
And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.
weather: Wow, that’s impressive! Congrats!
Dwave: Sorry to hear you had to DNF, but definitely the right call when you still have 25 miles to go. There will be other races.
Thanks for the well wishes. Going to hurt for a bit since this has been a time I've been chasing, but I'll sleep better (eventually) knowing I didn't quit!
*EDIT* Just heard back from the race director who said there was supposed to be a volunteer at the turn, but what likely happened is they were helping patrol a nearby intersection after the lead runner went through so it went unmanned for a few minutes. Sigh, just bad luck and will make note for next year. Oh well at least this proves I’m not too crazy 😜
Sorry to hear that DW 🙁 Always more races around the corner though!
JMac - hope the injury is behaving itself?
1mile: 4:46 (12/20) | 5K: 15:57 (3/21) | 10K: 33:40 (4/20) | 15K 51:43 (4/21) | HM: 1:15:03 (12/20) | FM: 2:40:30 (1/20)
Problem Child
Darkwave damn. That sucks
i think Keen made it in but I only saw his ultra finish. He must have had a few beers. No marathon time but his time leading UP to that was sub 3
Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.
VDOT 53.37
5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22
DW - sorry to hear about DNF. It's bizarre how it works sometimes - I would understand if the leg started to cramp somewhere around a half distance or so, but to have issues so early in the race... There must be something different about a race day comparing to a workout day - seems like legs know about it.
My week is a totally dedicated to people from metric part of the world, especially to my New Zealand friends:
Mon - 9.98 @10:28
Tue - 9.99 @8:43
Wed - 11.97 @8:49
Thu - 11.98 @8:38
Fri - 9.99 @8:55
Sat - 17.99 @8:47
Sun - 18.99 @8:40
===
Total: 90.9 miles
Glad I had at least the mileage in - still was coughing the whole week, though was coughing less and less as the week progressed. No workouts but at least the aerobic work was done.
calbears: Solid week (especially with the cough), was that weekend double on trails with lots of elevation?
weather: Ugh, yeah that's some tough luck.
My week...second recovery week. Feeling good so starting to ramp things back up next week...
M: 3.5M @ 8:47
T: 5.1M @ 8:59
W: Rest
T: 6.2M @ 9:49
F: Rest
S: 6.7M @ 9:11 w/strides
S: 5.1M @ 8:50
Total: 26.6M
weather - excellent time! even with the turn mishap. (I once entered an out-and-back 5K where the turnaround point was not yet marked when I got there... so I just kept running until it was obvious something was wrong. I walked back to the start in a huff.)
dw - bummer. You usually get injuries nipped in the bud pretty quickly. Good luck with it.
streaks - I'm against them. Most runners are obsessive enough as it is.
running form - I'm always observant of form and have tinkered a lot with my own. I'm not sure anything good has ever come from it though. Does anybody out there know an experienced runner who revamped their form and got faster? I'm imagine there are some, but not many.
darkwave - ugh that sucks. I guess better to have to bail early, vs. having a great day then it hits at 20-something.
weatherboy - you seem to be taking it in stride, but I would be kind of pissed. I hesitant to be too critical of race directors, because I’ve never done it, and I’m sure there are so many details to manage. But the mandatory bare minimum is (1) course measurement, (2) course marking, (3) race timing. Everything else should be secondary. I don’t really care about the food, music, shirts, medals, etc. Of course >90% of race participants are more casual about the racing part and care more about that stuff, so they cater to the masses. I had a year of racing where I could swear half of them were too short, too long, or poorly marked. If I don’t get a valid time for the proper distance, I feel like I’ve wasted my time and money. /rant
My week:
Mon - 8 with Mona fartlek
Tues - 12 MLR
Wed - 6 easy
Thu - 10 with 5x1200m
Fri - 6 easy
Sat - 18 LR
Sun - 5 easy
Total - 66 miles
Comments:
- Things are still feeling pretty good. I feel like I’m a bit ahead of where I usually am at this point in the cycle. - Second attempt at the Mona. I guess you measure how well you did by total miles. Which was about the same as last week. But last week felt pretty haphazard, and this time I felt a bit more in control. My splits verified that paces were more consistent for reps & recoveries.
- Thurs intervals: targeted a bit faster than 10k pace (6:45). Ended up doing pretty well: first 4 @ 6:35-6:39, enough gas left in the tank to hammer #5 at 6:31. - LR: again pushed a bit by the running group. Only planned on 16 but stuck with some folks going longer, and about 10-15 sec/mi faster than I’d probably do on my own.
Dave
Too bad you are not on Strava Anyway - the whole task during the week was not to mess anything like heart or any other organ - as the great doctors cannot even say what it is my family has (we were with my little kid 3 times at the doctors and all they gave us - inhaler, then antibiotic, then inhaler again - didn't help at all. The kid was coughing for two months, sometimes it sounded really scary, they gave no name to the issue - not flu, not influenza, nothing. Finally he got better, seems like on its own. So, I was very cautious of any consequences on myself too and took it extremely easy - so, no elevation runs as it is always requires some kind of an exertion close to a max effort, which is I tried to avoid as I said. I didn't run hills for 3 weeks by now and that is sad, as in my experience anything 3 weeks and above and you loose it - so, I will have to start hills next week basically from scratch . But I had no choice anyway and that's why I do not like winter cycles, all the illnesses and sickness usually comes at that time and you basically losing some time out of your training cycle (never happened to me during fall cycle
Why you are taking two weeks off normal training - do you feel tired or burned out or is it just a precaution?
Stotan Disciple
Keen Whats the Dealy-Yo I hope yours went better than mine.
Darkwave - Sorry to hear. You've had these issues in the past as you've said. I'm sure you will bounce back. Sending healing vibes..
MaryMark nice week as well. I use lap button on track work because as you surmise GPS doesn't like curves. whatchamacallit's says 5:04 then when you put in pace calculator you get 5:12-5:16. It looks good at 5:04 though.
Well I had a solid race despite poor results. I had wanted to run the AR in the 45-49 AG. I had my GF crew for me and was excited I had a plan after watching the cowtown splits I notice he went out fast then slowed so my idea was to run a slower steadier pace. I knew Hecksher was windy but it was also flat so I was thinking if not too windy I could run a 3:08 around 6:00 gps pace.
When my GF came back and said Mike was here I got excited I was hoping I could hang with him and try to outkick him. I knew he had the same idea as me get the AR by running a 2:36 marathon and hang on for sub 3:09. The race starts off and we go out easy in a 6:12 first mile we are pretty much running as a group in 4,5,6,7 positions. the first 5k we hit 18:11. Its fine but feels too fast a mile into the second 5k the group drops a 5:27 on a calm section, the course is very windy usually into or side wind with a short 800M section with a tailwind. in this section they are hammering we had discussed the best way to hit the AR there was another 40-44 trail runner and an open kid running his first race other than 800M on the track first 5k\marathon everything.
I back off and let them go. im running in no mans land I come through the second 5k in 36:59, they are about 200M ahead I run my own race what I think was 5:54-5:56 which is a 6:00 real time. as we complete the third loop in 54:50. We run as a group for the next 2 loops 1:13:04, I hit the half in 1:15:56, Mike the starts to pepper me with attack we create a slight gap on the other two ut they are about 50M back. We are now 1:31:09 for the halfway point. I'm looking at the time and I'm like that's 3:;02:18 pace. Mike starts to pick it up and we are now pulling away from the other guys. we hit 18.64 in 1:50:02.
Mike starts to really roll he opens up a 50 M gap and I shut it down. The gloves are off and he is attacking during hard windy sections and weaving to make me lose sight of him in the runners we are lapping. We hit the marathon marker timing station which will be in about 2 more laps.a full marathon only if you finish th 50K. I'm now hanging on for dear life as he deliver blow after blow im looking at my watch and im panicked we are running 5:32 and I manage to hold on we usually slow for the third mile as its all into the wind we get there and he attack again relentlessly I am now giving him more rope in the hope that he stops attacking.instead of easing off with 100M gap he applies more pressure he guy is smart I thought I was a tactician he ducks into the 25k runners so I loose sight I am now watching the gap extend. I start to realize I have to potty so I decide to stop at the ext bathroom as opposed to a portapotty. just before 21.i duck into a bathroom to poop. im so demoralized I sit and relax relieved to be out of the wind and away from the relentless attacks. I come out and all the people behind me are now ahead I start to run and my hip is now killing me maybe it's from sitting? I lost 3 minutes on the stop s I run to the finish its 2:12:53 now and tell mey GF that's it I'm out she says "You know everyone of your athletes look to you for guidance and exemplary running and we are Stotans, 'There is no quitting. Are you injured, I say no. I'm at this point talking and having a conversation she was like If its not a serious injury finish. we don't quit." I start running again my athletes from the peacock team are yelling encouragement. I get going again and come through now suffering in 6:20 pace. I hit 24:85 in 2:33:04. It takes another 10 minutes of suffering to hit marathon in 2:43;20? I'm cooked I stop and walk to the next aid station the 800m runner pulls up beside me and is encouraging I cam barely move my calves are on fire. I walk slog the next mile and a half. I ask my GF again can I stop she says its your last loop. just finish. I slog it with a few friends running the remainder with me encouraging me I really want to quit but I don't.
I get lap just as Mike finishes in the AR of 3:06:10 which is 6:00/mi. I ran his race played into his hand I should have run the 5:56 GPS or 6:00 real time as I had planned rather than to run his race. I think one of my friends warned Mike to not run it easy as it would play to my strength he took it to me I tried to play with the big boys and this is my worse 50k result ever. 3:31. ouch
Think Jordan Hasay, said it best. "I finished, I didn't quit , a finish is better than a DNF. And a start is better than not to have started at all (DNS)".
Friends be grateful for your health there are so many people unable to toe the line.
Have a great next week.
Mon - off
Tue 5x 2k 10.0 mi
Wed Easy 10.5 mi
Thu 9 mi Deeks
Fri 7.5 mi
Sat 6.4
Sun 1.44mi warm up 31.55 mile (50k race)
76.4 Mi
Thinking should be done first, before training begins.
Morning! Had a good week. Doubled 2 times and confirmed that I'm not a morning person. I enjoyed the 400's (thanks Cinnamon)and legs felt pretty good although they were slower than I hoped. I think I'm going to do some 800's this week. Thursday was supposed to be a tempo but there was 30 + MPH winds out on the Charles and I couldn't figure out the T effort so I bailed and just did some strides. Saturday was an unplanned day off but after spending 7 hours driving to and from and touring a college campus with my daughter I just couldn't find the motivation to do an evening run.
5K 18:36 (2023), 10K 39:40 (2022), 1/2 1:24:37 (2023), full 2:58:36 (2015)
Thanks Dave and Cal! I am still pretty upset by the whole situation, but not much I can do at this point. I let the race director (nicely) know what they can do in the future. He mentioned to me that there were arrows marked somewhere at the turn, which is very likely and I simply just missed them and blew straight through the turn since it was pretty bright and just after sunrise as well. What sucks is that there was supposed to be a volunteer there as well pointing us off that park sidewalk and back out onto the road. Part of the issue is that I was so focused on running my pace and that I simply might have missed those poorly spotted arrows. What I can be happy about is that I easily broke 75 minutes (yes unofficial) based on my splits and after a short reset I didn't give up and fought back to the podium. Turns out I can run pretty well in an angry state I'll also do a better job at choosing my goal races for better organization as well.
Nimmals: what a monster race. Congrats for not giving up!
Fishy: great week!
RIP Milkman
Darkwave - you're such a smart runner. I definitely would have ran through it, especially after the work you put in after your last marathon issues with the truck. I hope you heal up quickly and it turns out to be nothing.
Weather - crazy story. That sort of stuff is what worries me about running smaller races. If I do, I only run with this one organization out on Long Island that does a good job with lead bikes. They always make sure that if the lead pack gets separated, the bikes will separate and stay with 2nd, 3rd, etc. Anyway, you were obviously in great shape and it sucks you couldn't nab the official PR. Also, it's the race directors fault, not yours for missing the arrows. What kind of excuse is that? The RD should be ashamed for even remotely suggesting it was your fault. Dave's take on this is exactly right.
Fishy - another nice week, mileage looking great
Nimmals - great race. Those winds were brutal this weekend, can't believe people had to run in the OT in those conditions. It does sound like you learned a good lesson of running your own race though. I feel like usually you race so well, but that pace seemed suicidal. Look at how the elites run: if some crazy idiot goes out at a ridiculous pace, they just hang back and make their move later.
Coronavirus/Me - (no, I don't have it). My injury has been up and down all week. Saturday it was bad enough that if I wasn't traveling and doing an out and back vs. my usual loops in CP, I may have just shut it down for a few days. However, I was about 6 miles from my Airbnb so I decided to just keep running. Then, yesterday during my recovery run, it was almost 100% pain free. I think this is going to keep happening.
Anyway, I'm surprised we haven't spoken about the coronavirus on this board. I realized this during my run yesterday: there's a good chance the Boston Marathon gets cancelled. If you look at how governments are reacting to this, they do not want any sort of mass event to go on. I think there's probably less of a concern for the runners as there is for the hundreds of thousands of spectators that line the course in close quarters. I would also think London has a possibility of getting cancelled as well depending on how this thing spreads through Europe. Smaller marathons will probably be spared because of the lack of crowds and also RDs that aren't terrified of the outcome, so I'm going to have to start at least looking for Plan Bs in case it does get cancelled. We obviously saw it with the Tokyo marathon, so it's not some far fetched possibility.
Additionally, this just convinces me even more I need to run for the next week before my mini taper and go nab a PR at NYC. If Boston isn't run, I don't want to waste a relatively decent cycle by not getting a PR anywhere.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
Thanks JMac! The race director did admit that he could see how this happened . Either way not sure I'd recommend this race for that same reason and a few others. They also had a 10K that started prior to the half so we had to plow through them for the first 5K which made logistics rather interesting especially since the fluid stops were only on the right side of the road where all the slower run/walkers were located Luckily I was able to skip those stations since the weather was so good. Thinking back the biggest thing that sucks is I demonstrated that I would have been well under 75 and it's a barrier I have wanted to break for the past few year! I'll be 40 this summer so not sure how many chances I'll have with this current fitness. So I guess since a PR is a "personal" record I can at least say I achieved a HM distance PR inside a 13.5 race I'm also thinking of signing up for my hometown (Buffalo, NY) half marathon towards the end of May since it is the 20th Anniversary and we are scheduled to visit family then assuming the virus doesn't wipe us all out by then. If the weather cooperates might be a good chance to officially knock out sub 75 in a better organized race
I'd also tend to agree now there is a non-zero chance that Boston gets cancelled just due to its International flair and mass hysteria ongoing.