Notes
5k. I like the 5k. NYC Marathon: 3:34:40
Not pleased with this result, but happy to have finished this. Weather was warm (high 60s at the start with a 64-65 degree dew point, but felt that I could probably manage 3:10 coming in. I put up workouts that gave me some confidence in this goal and was good in finding the pacers right at the start. After 2 miles which are both garbage in terms of times because of the Verrazano, they seemed to pick it up a bit. Stuck with them until 7 before blowing out porta potty #1. I never saw them again but was surprised to find that I was still below pace for miles afterward (at least to the halfway mark) despite intentionally shifting into a slower gear to preserve the legs. The heat was real and I definitely felt it in the first half. Things started to unravel at 15 miles when I blew out porta potty #2. Began again and almost vomited up my gu gel. Calf cramps and occasional walking characterized 15-17 with slow jogs and stopping at the hydration stations became more and more frequent. Got depressed at mile 17 as the weight of the race really crushed me (just as I crushed porta potty #3) and figuring out how I was going to manage 9 more miles. The Bronx was a real struggle. Not much I can say about it, figured I would be over 4 hours for this thing between 20 and 23. Mile 22 featured the only time I wasn't in a porta potty and stopped completely in order to dry heave a bunch, hoping to purge the Gatorade in my belly, but to no avail. It was a long, slow trudge up 5th Ave, but when I got into the park, a little downhill section helped me gain a minuscule amount of momentum and I was able to finish.
What's the takeaway? Well, for starters, I don't think I'm a marathoner. I've never been good at pacing and honestly, I don't really love training for marathons. This was also a tough training cycle. Coming off of knee surgery in March, I was just happy to be able to bend my leg by late May. I couldn't have expected finishing a marathon only 8 months later. Weather, early a.m. runs, having a new kid, not getting up to the mileage I wanted all played a role. They're not excuses, but might explain why I fell apart in this. At the end of the day, it's my race and the burden is on me.
I did manage a new, modest 10k PR out of all of this, a race that I'm more proud of than this one. I also put up some of my best workouts which I think is good for this upcoming Spring/Summer if my wife is cool with me training again (not seriously until 2023 probably). Last time I ran (and failed) a marathon, that next training cycle I PR'ed in the 5k, which has always been the goal, so maybe I can replicate that. Either way, happy to have checked this off the bucket list despite the terrible time.
Giving myself some rest, not sure how long!