Ugh. Sorry, Larry. Lesson learned, huh?

Melody, it's hard to give advice without more info. What's your base like? What are you training for? Answers to those questions would make a huge difference in how I suggest you go from here. I generally take very little time off after this race, but that's because I only have ten weeks left before my next target race, and that's my one yearly marathon, so I have to make it count for something. But then after that race I'll *really* take time off because I'll coming off a long training season--say about eight tough months--and I'll go into a month or two of 25-mile weeks and racing only when I feel like it without aiming for PRs. Then I'll go back to slowly building my base, aiming for staying at 40 miles per week and holding my long runs at between 10 and 14 miles through the months of April and June. My training season starts in July, generally gunning for a racing season between November and late February. But there's not a whole lot of down time between races for me in that span.

Picked up my race packet yesterday. Wish I felt better about my chances for a PR. Looks like we might be getting some wind and rain from a passing hurricane that weekend, and I just don't feel like I'm coming of a stellar season.

Thinking today of awaldvogel, and MrPH and bobev, who are running their first of two half marathons this month--they must be half-crazed, those two. 

Go, HMers!!!  It will be good to get reports from them!

 

DS came in 5th in the state meet, so he and we were very pleased!  Most importantly, he felt good afterwards - much stronger than last week.  On to New Englands next week!

 Thanks Teresa! Nice finish for DS

Finished Fort Worth Marathon Half.
Sleepless night due to head congestion, not ideal situation for first half. Got up early had an Oikos plain yogurt and light muscle milk, and regular coffee. Got dressed, Nike Fit shorts (with one small pocket in the mid back - car keys and cough drops went there. Pearl Izume zippered cycling vest wtih three pockets along the back, gu, snot rag, driver license, and phone went there. Stretched a little, and left early. I was not in ideal condition for first half, but what the heck I thought, it will still be a pb!

Got there at 0715 am before the marathon started at 0830, and got to walk around a bit, found more coffee, had a gu, some water, went potty a couple of times.Did some stretching, read a book, walked the length of the parking lot to warm up, had a menthol cough drop to clear head. I liked the venue, Lagrange Field Baseball field) - lots of bathrooms, and with the bleachers ledges to stretch on etc.

The 20 miler was supposed to start at 0800 but was combined with the half because some of the water stops were not ready - there are some speedy marathoners etc. Total field was about 300-400 runners. I got in the back of the pack for the start and we were off. The first part of the race was to the end of the field, up a steep short hill onto the top of a dike/causeway (or whatever they are called) then along the top and down. I ran to plan, run 1min, walk 1min, but speed was faster than I thought I should start with... as usual race adrenalin kicks in. I reigned it in and settled in for a long 3 1/2 hrs - which I thought it would take.

In the first mi or so I decided to change the custom display on my Forerunner 301. I wanted it to show lap time instead of clock time, as well as lap distance and pace. So while walking i fiddled with it until I got what I wanted. Things went fine, felt good until around mi 5. Then my right ham started to complain. I tightened my stride so I wouldn't over stretch it and listened to it the rest of the way. I increase foot fall a bit to maintain pace without aggravating ham. Around 7 I decided to get some rocks out of right shoe (why is it always the right one that picks up the bigger rocks?) from the gravel we ran on sometimes. While I did that I also stretched the right ham and IT band a bit. That seemed to help and I went on my way. As I went I thought of when I would start extending running time, and based on how I felt thought ok, maybe after mi 9 or 10. Oh, around mi 4 or so I got stuffy so I had a menthol cough drop. Had four gu's during the run, walked at every water stop and had water and/or Gatorade to stay hydrated and nourished. So around mi 9 I extended running time beyond a min, still walked a min. Adjusted by how close to I was to water stop. I got annoyed at the mi 9 & 10 signs because they were off by a mi. The signs said, half - 10 mi, 20 miler 18 mi - excuse me but we have the same finish line! So how come the half was a mile longer? Besides my GPS agreed with the 20 miler sign indicating we were 2 mi from the finish...

Anyway, as I made the last turn I could see my wife along the side cheering me on, and I looked up at the clock, and it was less than 3hrs. Huh? ok, bring it home what the heck, so I pushed it with as much as I had left. My GPS had me finishing in 2:59:44! Clock time was 3:00:15 or something but I walked to the start line from the back. Will have to see what chip time shows. But I couldn't believe it! Under 3 hours and I wasn't feeling that great - well not until the finish! Once again I ran long, GPS has it at 13.34 mi, which is within tolerance of missing the shortest race line.

I hooked up with wife, got my medal - which turns out to be a belt buckle - I have three leather western belts I can put it on, a long sleeve cotton short, water and some bars that were actually healthy (sodium and sugar not to high, with enough protein and fiber to be worth eating.

Overall I am pleased with the way my first half turned out, well more than that actually I am ecstatic!

 

Melody, you need to tells us the time between races and the distances.

 

Larry

 Larry,

I ran 2 HM 10/3 and 10/17.  The second was one I did not expect to run, it ended up being a trail run.  It wasn't until the end of this week that I felt good running.  I may run a 10K 11/21, but other than that, not much on the horizon until I start training for the River Run in January. 

Thanks for any help

Melody

 

Finished Fort Worth Marathon Half.

[snip]

I hooked up with wife, got my medal - which turns out to be a belt buckle - I have three leather western belts I can put it on, a long sleeve cotton short, water and some bars that were actually healthy (sodium and sugar not to high, with enough protein and fiber to be worth eating.

Overall I am pleased with the way my first half turned out, well more than that actually I am ecstatic!

Wow Bob that's great! Congrats on your first half and besting yourself by a significant margin!

Also cool that you got a medal you can use! My first half (I've only done one so far) was a women's only half and the medal is actually a necklace. Very nice.

Oh and also very cool you got food you can eat afterwards! I usually stick to the bananas...

Good job again!

Awesome job Tater and Bob!

Congratulations Bob and Mr. PH!

As for the 4k, I ran a 17:05 which I was happy with.  I've never done any x-country so didn't really know what to expect.

The small hills at the end beat me up.

The race was on the grounds of the Northport VA Medical Center and had a very patriotic feel to it including an army helicopter fly over 60 seconds before the start.  It was a lot of fun cheering for DW and a couple other family members as they came in.

Teresa, I've only been to Sunken Meadow park once or twice, and that was to relax on the beach.  It's definitely a nice park.  It gets its name from the optical illusion you get as you approach the park on a down hill slope.

The water of the LI sound appears to be higher then the "sunken meadow" in front of you.

Simon, how nice that you heard from your daughter! Good thinking on the vertically integrated operation! I'm glad all is well and that you got a good report.

Awaldvogel, great race for a x-country course. Sounds like a fun race. I don't run x-country too much either, and it's too bad.

MrPH, what a fantastic time at that half! I'm still running to catch up with you . . .

Bob, way to go on a day you didn't feel your best! It just goes to show how much your first race at a distance can show you. I'm so thrilled for you that your first half gave you such a thrilling experience. Imagine how you'll do when you're healthy! As for the tangents, I stink at running them. Once I'm in the race, it's all about people--getting around them, using them to pace off of, etc. Dumb of me, maybe, but I know it's how my mind works once I get into race mode.

Teresa, I'm sorry you're not feeling more yourself. I've had that feeling a couple of times, but usually at the beginning of summer, and then it's easy to blame the rising heat and humidity and just wait it out. I was going to suggest shoes, but it looks like you're on a fairly fresh pair of Izumi's, so that's probably not it.

Well, since I'm no help at diagnosis, I'll just tell you that when it happened to me, I pushed through it, sometimes crying all the way through the infernal walk break that I for some reason couldn't avoid. I wasn't in pain or breathing hard or anything--just didn't have the endurance to keep going. Strange. But one day we went away on vacation and running in a new environment, I got my mojo back. I bet yours is right around the corner.

MrPH, I just read your report - it's a good one!  I love the photo.  I must say, though, you don't look very potato headish!

You should post that photo on this board!