First...a quick apology to all of you for being so absent lately.  Yes, I was busy for a bit, but I also really struggle in the weeks leading up to my marathons.  It's like I want to get as far away from running as possible for some reason, and I just can't bring myself to post.  I look forward to slowly catching up on everything I've missed though!  This got kinda long, so feel free to skip and skim.

This weekend was the Columbus Marathon, my second marathon of this year.  My big running goal for the year was to break 3:00, and I did that substantially back in April.  I kept my training going stong, and decided that 2:50 would be my goal for this race.  As I had with my sub 3 goal, I told everyone about my sub 2:50 in order to hold myself accountable.

Unfortunately, leading up to the race, I had no confidence in my ability to pull it off.  I knew I had put the miles in, still running 70-100+ mile weeks on a regular basis, but I was afraid I had done too many slow miles with my running friends and not enough speed work. I had some quality workouts that were total fails, and I wasn't as diligent about doing weekly hill sprints as I had been in the last marathon cycle.  In the short MP workouts leading up to the race, I was barely able to sustain the pace.  Heck, I'd hardly done anything longer than 4 miles at MP all cycle.  I'd also run a lackluster 5 mile race, barely running 6:13 pace, but then a strong 8 mile race, running an identical 6:13 pace with portions into a brutal headwind.

Nonetheless, the weather was perfect for marathon running and enough people told me just to go for it that I decided to give it a shot.  So, here's what ensued:

Pre-Race

If I have one complaint about this race, it's the corral system at the start.  Security was really tight this year, and one of the measures they used was to have everyone in the corral by 7:00am for a 7:30am start.  That worked fine for the elites because they could stride out onto the course and continue to warm up.  The rest of us were forced to tighten up and lose whatever warmup we had done.  It just didn't seem racer friendly, and I think there has to be another solution (maybe just having a larger area blocked off where only athletes can enter to warm up prior to entering the corral).

While I was waiting, I saw a lot of folks I knew, which always helps with the nerves.  I saw my store owner/training partner, and talked to him for quite a bit.  He worked the expo for the two days before the race, so he was thinking about running 2:55, but still going out with 2 other guys who were shooting for a 2:50 and then slowing when he fatigued.  I had run with the other guys before as well, but figured they may not run the smooth as granite pace that I like to aim for, so I just chatted with them until the start time and moved to the other side of the corral.

Mi 1-5

(6:41, 6:31, 6:27, 6:21, 6:24)

I lined up fairly close to the front, about 2 rows behind three race organizers separating us from the elites.  As the gun and fireworks went off, the elites started out, but we were held back.  Then, somewhat suddenly, we were allowed to go about 10 seconds later.  There was something that didn't go quite right, and I'd love to see how those three workers managed to survive without being completely run over!  Anyway, one of my biggest goals was not to go too quickly in mile one, so I kept that as my focus.  Even though I intended just to run by myself, about 3/4 of a mile in I looked over and saw myself right next to my store owner and his friends.

Honestly, my whole race was made by my decision at this point (yeah, crazy that I feel like my race down to this).  Even though I haven't done it in the past, I decided that I'd run with these guys, as long as it stayed sensible.  I guess it was different than choosing to go with random runners because I had run with these guys before, and trusted in their abilities.  I knew this wouldn't be an easy pace for me to hold, so sharing the workload just seemed worth the risk at that moment.

After we got out at the conservative first mile, the pace picked up a little.  We weren't missing by too much though, and it was nice just to be talking to friends like it was another training run.

Mi 6-10

(6:21, 6:30, 6:24, 6:27, 6:26)

These miles were just flying by.  I can't even describe how quickly the early miles seemed to tick off.  One of the guys I was running with is pretty well known in the Columbus area, and a local coach, so it was great to feed off all the support he got.  I also lucked out in that despite forgetting to take off my good winter running hat before the race, I was able to toss it to one of his people and they'll get it back to me!  My store owner and I were running behind the other two guys, really letting them do the work and just kinda chatting.  Sometimes their pace escalated a little too much, so we just let them separate ahead and soon enough they'd be right back with us.  Our group was also growing into a defacto pace group, and we soon noticed we were running with as many as 8-12 guys.

Quick aside:  I ditched my throw-away gloves at about mile 6, which felt fine temperature-wise but resulted in my hands being pretty numb.  The first water station I hit, I ended up botching 2 handoffs and totally dumping cups of water on the volunteers!  It was as if I'd just run with my hand out trying to see how many cups I could knock over!  Pretty sad.

Mi 11-15

(6:26, 6:32, 6:24, 6:32, 6:25)

There's really not much to say about the course through this point in the race.  The crowd support was phenomenal, and the energy of the event is the best I've ever felt.  I think we did go up and down a couple times, but compared to what I train on, it was hardly noticeable.  Thinking about the race, I worried a few times that the pace was a little too quick, but I decided that having a couple seconds in the bank wouldn't be bad.  I felt good and was still just running, not really racing (if that makes sense).

Shortly after the half, the guy everyone knew started to experience some hamstring pain that had him pretty concerned.  This was really the first time I moved to the front of our pack, and I started to chat a little more with the other guy we started out with.  He was feeling good as well, but we both decided we weren't going to make any pace changes until mile 20-22.

Mi 16-20

(6:26, 6:20, 6:19, 6:24, 6:34)

Funny enough, not long after making the comment about pace changes, we found our group separating a bit and our paces quickening just a touch.  It was me and him, and couple random guys, but it'd be the last I saw of my store owner and other running partner (even though my store owner hung back to help his buddy, he ran a 2:53 of his own once he left him).  This happened right around the highlight of the race for many participants:  running through Ohio State's stadium in mile 17.

Even though I felt pretty good going into stadium, my race felt like it was really changing as I exited.  As I was entering the stadium, I heard someone say in passing , "there's someone that's going to hit the wall."  I don't know if that conversation was directed toward me, but it was ringing in my ears as my legs suddenly felt heavy running up the small hill shortly after the stadium.  The guy I was with started to pull away a little, and I was on my own for the first time.

So, this is where my race started.  I had around 8 miles to run, and had a very small cushion on my goal.  At this point, I thought back to my last marathon in April, where I had already taken 16 minutes off my PR.  I knew the focus it took to hold on to my pace in that race, and I drew on that here.  My negative thoughts quickly went away, and I focused on little things:  keep the legs turning over, drop the arms, strong through your core, toe-off.

Mi 21-26

(6:28, 6:23, 6:21, 6:17, 6:25, 6:31)

Sure enough, my paces were holding.  If anything, I was speeding up a little.  I was breathing more heavily, but not struggling by any stretch.  It wasn't really pain I was feeling, but I was just heavy in my legs.  Still, I never let it go.  I could have given up anywhere in this final 10k, but I just kept running, knowing that if I did, 2:50 was in sight.  The spectators were great.  One cop actually read my name off my bib, and said, "I've been watching you all day, you're running great!"  I don't know if that was honest or not, but it was one of the best spectator comments I've ever heard.  I was catching lots of people here, just one by one passing folks that had given up the fight.  Just after mile 24, I actually passed our running partner that had gone ahead just after the stadium.  I couldn't believe it!

.46 to finish

(5:47)

As I neared the final turn to finish, I could already hear the crowd ahead.  My pace started to quicken, but I was sure I had my sub 2:50 from the mental math I had done earlier.  However, when I got to where I could see the clock, it was already getting ready to tick over 2:50!  I basically turned it into a full sprint, and crossed under the line, turning off my Garmin.  It read sub 2:50.  Sure enough, by chip time, I ran a sub 2:50 marathon!

Final thoughts:

I've never felt so pleased with a race, largely because I let myself try for something that I felt was out of reach and then somehow achieved it.  The even better part is that I've been able to share it with so many friends.  My mom came to the race to cheer me on, as did my Aunt and Uncle, and two friends from our running club (who had signs for all the club runners and one just for me).  They were great and I saw them at multiple points on the course.  Even my yoga instructor called me this morning to congratulate me, and our store owner has called twice just to talk about my race.

Also, all of you have always been a big help to my training.  I know I've been a little absent for a bit, but these forums play a huge role in helping me to continue to train and to continue to learn about running generally.  So thanks!

this was some of our group, the guy in the white being the one that had hamstring trouble, and the one in the yellow the guy that passed me coming out of the stadium that I then passed around mi 24

post race, maybe the most genuine smile I've ever had

my friends from the running club...the girl to my left ran, and is running Boston in April.  The one is red is doing her first marathon this weekend, and the blond just ran the Rock n Roll half

Holy crap, you are fast!  Those are some amazing splits. From the way you describe still feeling so strong toward the end, I can only imagine sub 2:45 not being far away., especially with more of the speed work you thought you were lacking. You did a fantastic job. Congratulations!

OMFG you are amazing!! Way to kill that course. It's been so fun to follow your training in the dailies and your hard work has paid off big time. How do you keep setting these huge PRs? I'll have to follow your template because sub-2:50 has to be the next big goal for me.

xlnt race and execution...that mental math can do the trick sometimes in getting thru the final miles...congrats on the hard training and the pr! enjoy your recovery...be well.

Awesome!  That is a great time and incredibly fast. Man, you must have been so focused those last miles. The way you held your pace was great and I bet that cop was telling the truth!

I don't know what to say, T.... Your energy is just boundless... What an phenomenal race! And we are so lucky that you allow us to see and feel what it's like in the sub-3:00 world. You and Jay and B-Plus, you are at another level, above everyone else. I'm sure it takes an incredible amount of determination, sweat, sacrifice even, to reach the level you are at. You inspire us all, SIAR. I'm so glad that you experienced such an amazing race. Be proud of yourself, as we are of you. Bravo, just bravo! I'm in awe, really...

I am honoured to be mentioned in the same sentence as SIAR and Jay 

 

We need to get you three to FE and race head to head   Or maybe we start our own RA B&B invitational with all you fast folks.   I'll bring the brewskis!  lol

I'll bring the smarties!

 

We need to get you three to FE and race head to head   Or maybe we start our own RA B&B invitational with all you fast folks.   I'll bring the brewskis!  lol

LOL.. you are always so full of great ideas, Oski!

B-Plus, of course you greatly deserve to be part of our trinity!