Notes
Time: 3:14:22 (PRed 9:00 in comparison to Tobacco Road 2013)
Official result:
Place: age (6), gender (33), overall (39)
Splits:
- 6.2m: 46:40 (75)
- 13.1m: 1:38:29 (67)
- 20m: 2:27:47 (54)
- GunTime: 3:14:27 (39)
- ChipTime: 3:14:22
- Pace: 7:25
[Big negative split of 2:26]
Temperature: 46 (7:00) - 55 (11:00), sunny, humidity %80 - %50
Wearing:
1. perfect for short and short sleeve (topless fine too)
2. no gloves needed
4. new Kinvara 4 is great!
Course: still feel very hilly given I've been training in the hilly Umstead park, especially the first half (M3,5,9) and mile 23.
Gels: mile 7, 12, 16.5, 19.5, 22 and 24 (six in total)
Body weight: 160lbs (comparing with 155lbs at City of Oaks 2012)
Race strategy and comments:
0. Overall, a GREAT (not perfect since could have been faster if pushed harder and earlier, e.g., at M20) run with a perfect weather!
1. Aiming at 1:38:15 for the first half (7:30/min), 15 secs slower than planned
2. Slow down to 8:00 at mile 23 (the hill is not as suffering as it seemed, using more quads to lift so that the calves are saved)
3. Speed up at the last two miles (7:15 and 6:45) to break 3:15. (It seems that I should have pushed a bit harder 4 miles earlier)
4. Tried to find a number of running partners, but dumped all of them
5. Leg muscles: right hamstring was close to cramp at the end but ok (even starting to push earlier should not cramp).
6. Not maxed out, because: (a) big negative split (the best negative split before was 1:30 at LIM 2011), (b) last mile pace 6:45, (c) no cramping, (d) post race: no full body exhaustion or huge muscle soreness (as in Tabacco Road 13)). (but even did max out, would not be able to make 3:10:00 anyway.
7. After run: no joint pain, muscles are fine too, no full-body exhaustion (not sleepy in the afternoon, not ichy in lungs).
8. Hence, bottleneck: muscles, seem to still need more LONG tempos (such as 8m-10m?).
9. Long run distance and speed are both fine
10. Possible solution:
- (i) maintain long run distance and speed,
- (ii) add MP in long runs (such as 20mi = 4mi WR + 14mi MP + 2mi CD)
- (iii) tempo runs longer (extend to 8-10 miles) and slightly slower (6:50 pace may not be needed),
- (iv) reduce body weight
11. Recovery followup: Monday: both calves fine, left leg ok, but right upper quads and right hamstring sore until Tuesday, implying an uneven form. Should consider intentionally using left hamstring more to adjust the form. Wednesday, everything seems to be back to normal, legs still heavy but no soreness at specific muscles.
12. The 9-min PR was not surprising, given not completely maxed out. The 9-min PR (i.e., 20 sec faster per mile) was due to (a) improvement on speedworks (4-7mile tempos + 3 half marathon races) and (b) faster pace on the long runs (influenced by Anton): 8:19 22-miler in Philly and 8:15 20-miler in Umstead.
Summary of training:
1. 13 weeks (7.28-10.27) [long enough]
2. MPW: 40-45 [total MPW not high but ok, better then City of Oaks 2012, will go for 55 in the next cycle]
3. speedworks: 4 tempos (4m, 5m, 6m, 7m, best pace 6:49 for 7m tempo), one interval and 3 half marathons as long speed runs (2 maxed out with best time 1:32:15 and 1 slowed down for 30 sec per mile: 1:38)
4. long runs: 11, 13.5, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 21, 22, 20 (count: 6 x 18-20+, 3 x 14-16) [feels like plenty]
5. long run pace: improved from 10:00+ to 8:15 (best 20m run at Umstead)
6. long run course: bridal path at the hilly Umstead park (soft + hilly + loose ground) and schuylkill trail in Philly (hard + flat + solid)
7. taper: did a half marathon one week before race (1:38), it turned out fine!