Notes
Location Race Time Time of Day Pace Between Overall Place Division Place Sex Place
Time 4:17:01 11:32:45 11:35 573/1167 12/35 402/683
20 Mile 3:05:16 10:21:00 9:50 559/1167 9/35 406/683
25K 2:21:24 9:37:09 9:32 582/1165 12/35 426/681
Half 1:58:12 9:13:56 9:24 597/1159 12/34 434/677
15K 1:22:42 8:38:27 9:04 568/1163 10/35 415/681
10K 54:34 8:10:19 8:52 533/1159 9/35 390/678
5K 27:04 7:42:49 8:43 461/1166 10/35 347/682
ChipStart 12:49 7:15:45 611/1167 15/35 435/683
GunStart 00:00 7:02:57
First, some background. This would be my third marathon. Marathon #1 was 4:57:36, #2 was 3:56:35. Logic would predict, with 5 hour, then 4 hour, this year would be a 3 hour effort, right? Riiight. My training was going great up until last December, when my posterior tibial tendon flared up. I tried the various approaches until I decided I needed to take a complete break from running in January and February. After that break, I resumed very gradually, and guess what? The ankle/foot felt just as bad as it had before the long layoff. Two months wasted. At that point I realized that this was just something I'd have to manage, by not overdoing the running, and taking days off when needed. I continued my slow ramp-up, which brought me to only one 60-mile week and only one 20-mile run prior to the marathon.
All this to say the training was not what I had hoped, but at least I was getting somewhat close to where I needed to be. The two-week taper seemed easier than last year, with less mental craziness and fewer unexplained and worrisome pains (physical craziness). Nonetheless, I had very little idea how this was going to play out this year. Last year, I attempted a rather slavish attachment to a too-fast, McMillan-suggested pace group. This year, my strategy was to simply find my zone, stick to it, and see where it leads.
Dreamed about marathon preparation in a thunderstorm, then woke up at 5:00 to a heavy thunderstorm. By 6:00, it had abated, and rain didn't return the rest of the day. My breakfast was a thing of yogurt. That seems to be about right; nice on my stomach and probably as much as digestion would be able to contribute to my race effort. I was feeling good by the time DW dropped me off near the starting line. Made my way to meet my buddies for a group photo, then got in the porta-potty line. Slow line, and it was practically time for the starting cannon by the time I got done. Made my way into the mob at line-up, and it was time for the national anthem and the boom. We just stood for a while after that anyway, due to the wave start. Just at the moment I was coming through the corral, we were stopped, which put me and two others at the start of Wave 3. The poor gal beside me cried out, "There goes my pacer!" She was okay with it, and we and the race marshalls were good humored. Had a two minute wait, and we were off.
DW was waiting nearby, and yelled and I waved. Still feeling good. Had a lot less weaving and dodging this year, no doubt due to the wave start. By mile 2, felt like I was pretty much in the sought-after zone. Around mile 4, I started to feel a bit crampy in my left hip/glute. Never had that problem before; what's up? It wasn't bad, so I tried to not obsess about it.
General comments. The crowds were great, and even after the half-marathoners broke off, there seemed to be a lot more support for the full group than in the past. This was the first year we had our names printed on our bibs, so a LOT of people were yelling my name as I went by. Very nice. There were rock bands, a polka band, a school jazz band, vocalists, DJs, Barb playing her trumpet, Elvis, the bearded nun, and all those good things. Sheridan Avenue as usual was great, but a lot of other places also had great crowds.
I was attempting to be running at a pace I felt I could maintain for 26 miles, but the post-race stats show that I was slower at every split. Maybe that's kind of the definition of my zone. I think I'm okay with it, this year anyway.
Still feeling quite good going down 48th and at the 10K split on the bike path. Saw Liukang and his wife along there, or they saw me, and may have snapped a photo of me. The path wasn't as congested this year, another good thing. Lots of support here, too. Stopped at a porta-potty around mile 8. There wasn't a pressing need, but it was available, and I thought it would be prudent. Didn't need it again during the course of the race, or even until I got home.
Coming up 20th Street, I was expecting to see the 10 mile sign. It was disappointing, then, to see the 9 mile sign. Then, coming up 10th I was expecting to see the 10 mile sign, and it proved to be 11. It all works out, I guess. Anyway, I ran up those hills without difficulty while some were straining or walking, and finally came past the stadium and high-fived DW. THis was my chance to break off and make it only an easy half (I think I could do a 1:45 without much difficulty), but ambition overcame good sense, and I said good job to the halfies while they wished us fullies good luck.
On to the Antelope Valley trail, and I stopped to put my foot on a fire hydrant and stretch out that glute. That definitely helped. It wasn't long until the winners started coming our way. I was impressed, and conveyed that to them. This year's winning times were slower than previous years, though. Same course, so was it the humid weather?
I'm still feeling pretty good going past Lincoln High, but the mental thing of running all the way to Holmes Lake and back was beginning to seem daunting. This was mile 16, and it helped a bit to tell myself that the turnaround was only four miles away. Pretty hard, uphill miles, though. Around mile 18 I started to feel that familiar tightness in my abdomen that indicates I'm running low on fuel. It was a lot less bad than last year, though, and didn't really seem to break me down as it had before. The legs and feet were what were breaking down. I started walking through the aid stations to give myself time to eat an orange segment and drink my water or Gatorade properly. These breaks got progressively slower and longer.
Miles 21 through 24 were kind of zoned out for me. Crowd was still encouraging, but I took a couple of walk breaks. Mostly ran, though, other than at the aid stations. Really encouraging to get to mile 24 and realize this is the home stretch. Wasn't encouraging enough, though, to make me speed up. To walk less, perhaps. Just before mile 24, the 4:00 pacer passed me. She didn't seem super fast, but was obviously a lot fresher than I. I didn't have enough oomph to push for the sub-4:00 at that point, or didn't care enough. (It was really confusing later when I got my bag, checked the app, and saw I had a 4:29. I didn't know the app was reporting gun time, and it made no sense that the pacer could gain 30 minutes on me in the last two miles. She actually gain 17 minutes, which is still indicative of a death march. 11:35 may qualify as such. Still not sure the math works out.)
So, with the crowd's encouragement, I finished it out. No kick at the end, but I ran across the finish, got my medal, and staggered through the recovery area. Got both Pepsi and chocolate milk, and three bags of SunChips, and water. Opted to skip the massage.
Had some difficulty hooking up with DW afterward, until I claimed my bag and got my phone. Seemed like a long walk to the car. Home, shower, nap, lunch at Ruby's (the steak went down very nicely), then dance class. I was a pretty poor dance partner this afternoon.
So, it wasn't to be a PR, but considering that throughout March I was considering bailing on the whole thing, I'm happy with the way it went.
It's in the back of my mind, though, that the half is a much funner race.