Not as expected, very tough night out there.  74 degree start and a 64 degree finish.  Winds 18-20mph and gusting a bit higher. (blah) 4:44:07.  One of the most humbling experiences of my life.

Woke up this morning around 7am, couple cups of coffee, protein cliff bar, toast and strawberry Jam, water (I’ve been dehydrated the entire time I’ve been in Vegas but spent the last two days getting it under control).  11 am, Cliff bar, Gatorade and another glass of water.  Start with some very light stretching, really slowly working on the hips and IT bands.  Ankles KT Taped up, all ready to go

1:30 pm – Show up at race, find a spot in the shade and blocked from the wind (pretty bad out there today) and chill.  Some light stretching, feeling nice and loose

2:45 pm – Porta potty then head to corral and take a cliff shot gel, bit of water.

3:08 or so, my corral is off.  Lots of energy, fun start.

Mile 1 – 10:06 – I go off very conservative but notice my HR is way up, 20 bpm more than it usually is at that pace.  Small uphill and into a nasty head wind.  As soon as we turn north I’m sure it will settle down.

Miles 2 – 6 (10:05, 10:00, 10:13, 9:49, 9:47) – Taking it easy but HR is still way up, with the tailwind and a slight downhill.  I’m feeling light on the feet but something just doesn’t feel right

Miles 7 – 10 (9:28, 9:32, 9:27, 9:12) – Okay, pick up the 4:10 pace group and feel like I get into a rythym.  HR still way up though.

Miles 11 – 13 (10:15, 10:06, 10:13)  - Why did the pacer pick up the pace so much?  Is she crazy?  Wait, its me.  We change direction and have a semi broadside/head wind now and a few uphills.  Uh oh….. I’m slipping.

Mile 14 – (10:27) Hill was much longer than anticipated, HR shows how much I gave it getting up, passing a lot of walkers but am paying the price, Give a hoot when I get to the top.  Downhill I’ll recover.  Wait, HR isn’t going down at all going downhill?  I’m above what my max would me in a half.  Saw Docket on her way up when I was going down but she had her head down, looked like she was giving it everything she had.  Cheered her on but I think she missed me.

Miles 15 – 17 (10:54, 11:22, 10:48) This was the toughest 2 2 miles of my life.  It was a long, head wind, never ending 2 miles up.  Lots of walkers.  I still managed to “jog” up it but again paying the price.  Way over my HM heart rates.  Get to the top, think, hardest part done, get into a grove and bring this thing home.

Mile 18 (10:28) – Recover a bit on the down hill, feeling better.  Cheer on Docket again as she has her head down, probably trying to stay out  of the wind but missed me again

Mile 19 -20 (11:10, 11:44) – Course levels out, HR creeping way up again and I’m at very easy pace now.  Take a few extra seconds in the water stop.

Mile 21 (12:29) – Had to walk about 30 seconds to get HR down.  This time it works and I pick up the 4:25 pace group.  Phew, not all is wasted, I can still beet Ophra

Mile 22 – 23 (10:32, 10:51) – Suck it up time.  I stop looking at my watch and just follow the pacer.  Feeling pretty comfortable now.

Mile 24 (13:13) – Wait, why did she just pick up the pace?  Look at my watch and we are running a 9:20?  Turns out she was about 10 minutes behind so she started to try to make up time.  This hurt me, pegged my HR, 188 is way to high and I had to walk twice about 60 seconds each to settle down again.

Mile 25 (13:19) – Again walked for about 2 minutes.  I think this one was more physiological than anything.  We were in the ugly lonely dark part of town.  Notice my HR is the lowest this mile since mile 5.  Okay suck it up, lets go.  We make the turn to the strip.

Mile 26 and 26.xxx What ever the distance was.  Okay, in training you banged out that sub 7 minute mile at the end of a HM, suck it up!!!  I give it everything, get into 5k HR’s and man I’m flying.  See me hit 9:33, but ouch, 192 bpm, that’s higher than its ever been.  Smile for the cameras and I had nothing left.

Finish – I get to the shute and almost threw-up right there, legs were jello and my chest was pounding, hard to breathe.  Actually really scared for a second.  Got a water, chocolate milk, but the saving grace was the jamba juice, banana strawberry really hit the spot.  Milar blanket and walked through and found a place to sit down.  I couldn’t stand, knees were shaking and calves just wouldn’t hold anymore.  About 10 minutes sitting and HR is still 168, wow.  Finally settled about 30 minutes later, visited with some friends and strangers.  Was able to get up and walk the 1 ½ miles back to my car no problem.

During the race I took 5 cliff shot gels, one at the start and 4 spaced 45 minutes apart.  I had an extra but no way I could stomach it.  Water with the cliff shots and Gatorade on the other stops.  Sometimes two cups.

I thought the race was well organized for the full.  Could have used a couple of more Gatorade stops, they were out of my sequence, and maybe one or two more spaced out at the end.  But all in all zero complaints about the race.  I will however NEVER run the half.  That’s a lot of people.

I am extremely happy with my results not by the numbers, but I know I gave it everything I had.  I’m disappointed with my numbers for sure but something just wasn’t right at the start.  Even sitting trying to relax before the race my HR was over 110 a few times.  My resting HR is 47.  The things I worried the most about, my ankles and ITB, were both non-issues.  If I stayed on the 10:00 pace I think I had a 50% chance of a 4:20

The only thing I did different today was take a decongestant this morning, the wind has really screwed up my allergies and my Flonase wasn’t enough.

Sounds like it just wasn't your day from the beginning - heartrate up and all.  I'm glad, in a way, that i don't have a HRM because I"d be scared to psych myself out based on the numbers alone.  It sounds like the conditions were less than ideal.  I can't help but wonder if you did, on some level, psych yourself out despite the conditions - a PM race gives you a lot of time to think that you might not have in training, and that you wouldn't have on a race that basically starts while you're still bleary eyed and unfocused.  

Sounds like a tough race in tough conditions.  Nice job gritting it out and getting it done.

Great job Josh. I wouldn't be surprised if your allergies were affecting your heartrate, especially given how congested you were the day before.  That weather sounds horrible!  Wind is the worst.  Your training has been really good this cycle, another cycle and a nice cool, calm marathon and you will crush that time.

Hey Josh, 

Awesome job! 

Heat and wind are definitely not ideal for racing a marathon. I, for one, will never run Vegas. 

I have some thoughts when it a postmortem is appropriate. But for now, enjoy your achievement! 

Nice job Josh!  You finished a marathon!  That in itself is awesome.

Actually, the winds were at 30mph at some point in time.

I think that decongestants can increase your heart rate so that could have been part of it.  But despite it all, you toughed it out and made it.  Congrats, marathoner!