Run: Race Previous Next

Notes

So...my first DNF.

many issues - maybe getting this down will help me put this behind me...

Cold really took hold the night before the race - was running a fever, couldn't sleep at all.

considered taking cold meds and did some research - came to the conclusion that I'd be better off without taking anything.

pre race morning

Good breakfast at 6am, went for a jog around the block, noticed that I was having problems breathing and running smoothly.

went down to start at 7:15 and hung out with the Frontrunners group in the hotel - was hoping I would start feeling better by being around happy people, but continued to feel flat.

tried a warmup jog with Gord - that went ok and started feeling a little more optimistic.

------lots of warning signs that I should have adjusted my pacing downward....

race start

started with Doran, Gord, Jordan, Nathan, Ian, Colena, Bronwyn, Karen - they were all so excited - very cool

positioned myself just behind the 3:30 pace group. I met the pacer 'Dave' at the expo and he had 129 runs under his belt and said that we would be aiming to do about a 1:42/1:48 pace strategy.

started running and immediately decided to run by myself for some reason - don't know what really caused that, but I fellt like I just neded to be alone to focus on pace.

1st 10k 48:31 4:52

was aiming for a 5:00 pace for the first 5k and a little bit faster the second 5k, ended up with a 24:23 folowed by a 24:08. too fast on a good day, waaaayy too fast on this day. got sucked in following the 3:30 pace group.

Also misread my pace on the phone - couldn't hear the 1 minute updates and saw the average of 4:52 and thought I was much closer to target pace than I was. ran far too much under 4:50 - especially up Johnson.

felt that I was working too hard running the park and started thinking about slowing down.

I felt a shiver and started to feel clammy in this section.

10-15k 25:51 5:11

consciously slowed down when I passed the 10k marker on Dallas - put away the phone and just tried to find a comfortable pace. Gave up on A goal - tried to focus on B goal (new PB under 3:49) - continued to struggle - nothing felt 'right', breathing was diffcult, mind started wandering to problems with my hip and foot....started thinking about how I really shouldn't be hurting at 1/3 of the race.

15-20k 28:13 5:39

this is the section that killed me mentally. I was looking forward to the downhill section along Monterey to the beach and when I got to it I was actually slowing down. Left foot and left hip pain started to bother me.had to start walking when I hit beach drive and tried to adjust my mindset to C goal - just finish

20-25k 30:55 6:12

I was done - mentally and physically - mix of walking and running to get through the turn-around at Exeter. watched all the Frontrunners people pass me through this section as well as the 3:40 and 3:45 pace groups. Couldn't even find the energy to encourage people - just trying to hang on. Foot and hip continued to get more and more into my mind and by the time I got back to Estevan, I was thinking about how much there was left to run and whether or not there was any point in risking an injury given the pace that I was crawling along at....

Decided that I was done and called Deb for a rescue.

Post race

went home and sulked....took a good 2 hours to get body temperature settled down. had a nap and woke up with a full blown cold. Hip and leg are sore, but not as bad as they have been after some of the training runs this summer.

Need to take some time off training and get my legs back underneath me.

Definately the worst race I have run in terms of result and mindset during the race. I think I made the right decision to stop. A better decision would have been to not start, the best decision would have been to not register on Sept 2nd when I was starting to have problems with my foot. There was no good reason for me to commit to the race at that point and once I committed, my approach really changed to one of survival with all the physio/chiro appointments.

Fueling notes

Ran with belt - one bottle water, one with Nuun coffee flavour

gels reminders set for every 30 minutes

10 minute before start

7k @ beacon hill park on dallas road

13k @pemberton

20k @ willows

25k @ cattle point

water reminders set for every 20 minutes - alternated between water and nuun

no stomach problems - made a portapotty stop at GNS - too much water.

Next steps....

get over my cold

congratulate all the runners that had a great run - lots of really good performances out there

take a few weeks off running - swim, spin, stretch and put this behind me.

---------------------------------Race Planning notes below - read for a chuckle sometime.......

Race Planning (Oct 7) 4 days out.

Medical check

----->left foot improved - no pain in last 4 short runs

----->left hamsting knot getting better - lots of stretching./ baths with epsom salts.

----->right side good :)

Recent running

----->Very quiet 4 week taper - lots of chiro/physio and sitting around.

----->9/19/2015 Run to Sydney 33k - run was good up to 23k, then babied the foot

............................cardio and legs felt good.

----->9/12/2015 Beachfront run 23k - great 14k, then backed off for foot.

............................great me time - felt strong

----->9/10/2015 thursday morning 17.6k with 15k under 5

............................felt strong - good midweek run

----->8/29/2015 solo 32k run along the beach

............................45min tempo at 4:54 pace - felt strong

----->8/15/2015 lands end loop 27k @ 5:07

............................end of 100k week - felt strong

----->4/26/2015 tc 1/2 1:35:37

............................strong run - enjoyed downhill warm up start to get in the groove

............................stayed focussed on the tangents and keeping a steady pace

............................marathon equivalent 3:26:22 = 4:54 pace

----->Recent Mileage

July 270k 4th highest ever

Aug 311k 2nd highest ever

Sept 160k

SO...the question is, is there any good reason why I should not aim for a 4:54 pace???????

If I do, the 5k splits need to be 24:30

range between 24:00 (4:48) and 25:00 (5:00)

------>Update Oct 10 - 1 day out.

feeling pretty good after morning shakeout run.

all mentally set for a 4:54 pace run.

left foot is good - I expect it will hurt, but it is better than it has been for 6 weeks.

left hip is good - lots of stretching last week and mobility seems to be improving.

Deb has had a cold this week and I may have a touch of it -nothing big