Yesterday, I ran the Charleston Distance Run.  This was the 41st annual running of the event and the 6th time I've run in it.  Given that it's run on Labor Day weekend, conditions are never great and some years it's horrible.  This year it looked like it was going to be much closer to horrible than tolerable.  The forecast was for 70 degrees and 100% humidity.  Based on that, my plan was to run the first half relatively conservatively and then see what I had in the tank in the last few miles.  I executed that plan.  Like shot it through the heart executed.

I woke up at 5:00 a.m., ate my Power Bar and drank my quart of Gatorade, put on my race clothes and put my gym bag and cooler in the car.  Then, I just hung around until about 6:30 as it's a half hour from my house to the parking area for the race.  I got there, did my business in an actual toilet rather than a port-o-pottie, and started jogging to the start area.  The race finishes at the University of Charleston football stadium and that's where you park but it starts at the state capitol. My plan was to jog a mile, do 2 x 2 minutes at race pace with 2 minute recoveries, and then do a couple of strides.  That's what I accomplished but I had hoped to finish about 10 minutes before the gun.  Instead, I finished 5 minutes before the gun and was now overheated.  It didn't help when I got among the masses of people standing around that all wind was blocked.  Fortunately, I had brought a bottle of ice water with me specifically for the purpose of dumping it over my head after the warm up and I was able to cool off somewhat.

The gun fired and everyone took off like they were shot out of a cannon.  Did I mention I planned a conservative start?  Well, that was out the window.  I thought I was pushing a bit too much and when I looked at my Garmin around the 3/4 mile point, it showed 6:27.  I knew good and well that a sub 6:30 pace was completely unsustainable and all that would do is cause me to blow up.  I pulled back a bit and tried to settle into an effort that felt somewhere between half marathon and marathon effort.  Last year, in conditions not much different than this year, I felt like I was struggling from the start.  This year, I felt like I was on cruise control.  That surprised me.

This past Sunday, I did a 21 mile long run including 2 miles of hard hill work and doing the last 5 miles at a hard effort.  Then, I did a moderately hard hill workout on Tuesday.  Then, I did 6 miles on Thursday with 2 miles at tempo pace + strides on both warm up and cool down + form drills.  I kind of expected my legs to be dead for the race but they weren't.

Around 3.7 miles into the race, you see a sign that says "Capital Punishment Hill Begins."  It's awful.  For the next 3/4 mile, you climb continuously.  The climb rises about 300 feet and you see a sign that says "Capital Punishment Hill Ends."  As usual, people blow by me going up the hill.  I just let them go and know I'll make up time on the downhill as I do a good bit of downhill training.  The sign about the hill ending gives you false hope.  Just past that sign, you turn a corner and there is another short, sharp climb.  There are a bunch more short, sharp climbs as well and some of these are steep enough to reduce you to a walk.  In reality, you have another 200-300 feet of climbing to do after you finish Capital Punishment Hill.  My worst moment of the race came at one of those.

The steepest climb on the course comes as you make a left turn from Oakwood Road onto Bridge Road.  It is very steep.  As I round the turn, the police have a car stopped waiting for a break in the runners before they let it go.  Some 300+ pound man is complaining, "they're on the left, they're on the right, they're all over the road."  I was suffering badly at that point but that really pissed me off.  I yelled, "why don't you get off your ass, start training, and join us next year?"  I have no idea if he understood what I said but a couple of runners chuckled.  I admit it wasn't one of my finer moments.

At any rate, I flew down the hills and came onto the flat ground at Mile 8.  This is where the race really begins.  The hills trash your legs but you still have 7 miles of flat ground to go.  All of it is on pavement with zero shade and the weather, of course, has warmed by this time.  I try to settle in and not push too hard but I keep thinking that I am pushing too hard and eventually I'm going to blow up.  I run Miles 8-10 just telling myself, "relax, relax, relax."  I'm trying to run about a 7:00 pace but I'm running more like 6:50.  Around Mile 11, it hits me and my legs have had it.  I'm also starting to struggle aerobically and I recognize that's from the initial stages of overheating and possibly dehydration as well.  I drank Gatorade at every aid station that offered it and dumped water over my head at every aid station in an effort to stay hydrated and cool.  I'm not having great success.

Surprisingly, I pass a couple of runners who are having even less success than me.  To the west looms a dark cloud and I'm thinking, "oh my that rain will feel wonderful."  But, the running gods are fickle and instead of rain, all they give me is a 20-30 m.p.h. wind directly in my face.  That wind just flat stands me up.

One of our good local female runners, Marian Pyles, passed me in the hills and got way ahead of me.  Over a couple of miles, I have gradually closed in on her and, much to my surprise, I get around her at Mile 13.  By this point, all I can do are fartleks.  Run hard for a couple of light poles and then ease up.  Run hard, ease up.  I run that way for probably the last 3 miles in the race as it's all I have left.  I am spent and every step keep wondering if that's the step when I'm going to blow up completely.  Every time I try to pick up the pace, my heart rate skyrockets and I'm forced to back down.  However, I'm also not fading badly.  That tells me that my endurance and stamina are good but my speed is a bit weak.  That's what I'd expect from my current training and what I'll need for my goal marathon in November so I'm not disappointed

I come into the U.C. stadium and pick up the pace on the track.  I have looked at my watch before entering and think a sub 1:45 is out the window.  Instead, as I round the final turn I see 1:44:33 on the finishing clock and I give it everything I have left.  The clock says 1:44:53 when I cross but my official time ends up being 1:44:47.  It was good enough for 1st place in my age group and 1st place in the military division.  I hung out and drank a few beers with a group of local runners - some of whom have been racing the CDR for over 30 years.

I feel like I had a very good race and it bodes well for the November marathon.  I'm surprised at how good my legs feel today.  I don't know if that's because my training has gone well or because my harder running earlier this week kept me from going truly all out or what.  This is probably the best I've ever felt the day after a long race.  I'm looking forward to two months of really hard marathon training.

Just to show you the difference a year can make, here are my mile splits from last year compared to this year.  I love the fact that my fastest mile of the race was the last one.  Sweet.

Mile 1 - 6:48, 6:40

Mile 2 - 6:49, 6:43

Mile 3 - 7:06, 6:54

Mile 4 - 7:23, 7:11

Mile 5 - 8:33, 8:22

Mile 6 - 7:36, 7:12

Mile 7 - 7:05, 7:13

Mile 8 - 6:14, 6:11

Mile 9 - 7:11, 6:50

Mile 10 - 7:08, 6:53

Mile 11 - 7:14, 6:52

Mile 12 - 7:25, 7:02

Mile 13 - 7:30, 6:56

Mile 14 - 7:54, 7:04

Mile 15 - 7:21, 6:39

One final note.  I brought Vaseline because I experience nip burn if I don't use it and it worked as intended.  I haven't ever used it to prevent chafing on my naughty bits as that has never been a problem in over 5 years of running.  Never say "never."  Ouch.

Ick.  I'm not sure where that horrible mistake came from.  "I have drank?"  Fixed it.

Congratulations on running an extremely strong race, Brad.  That comparison of splits from last year's race to this year's is quite striking.  It's tough to race at all in those conditions and you really did well keeping a strong pace throughout, especially into those final miles.  Congratulations also on 1st place in your AG and 1st military.

I haven't followed your training too closely this marathon cycle, but it looks to me like you're setting yourself up for a great race this November.

Hey LTH!  Nice race.  It's "I have drunk," as in "I have drunk deeply of the cup" (Churchill).

Sounds like an interesting, tough course, too.  I love how you compared your splits.

Wow, sounds like you did great in horrid conditions. Sorry to hear about the chafing on your naughty bits.

Excellent race in tough conditions. Those hills sound terrible. Congrats on the firsts you attained!

 

Drink, drank, drunk it is (ex-English language teacher). Looks like Brad changed it to drank (sans have).

My guess is that he wasn't certain which one it was. He needed us to tell him. Don't feel embarrassed, Brad. No one is perfect. 

congrats on the strong finish and AG award, military too. interesting reading and good reflection on realizing what you still need to. agree with others that your marathon should be a great one. very nice job!

Very cool seeing your splits from both years!

You torched it!  Weather is quite the enemy right now.  Dave's Virginia Beach report mimics that mantra.  Plus, I can't imagine what the Disney Half folks are gonna report today.  The weather here in So Cal is gag-me-with-a-spoon kinda ridiculous!!

Things need to cool down before one of us here on the B&B ends up in the med tent.