Notes
The 2013 Tobacco Road Marathon
Slight positive split: (+1:26)
1st half: 1:40:48
2nd half: 1:42:24
Split: (Race time | Leg time | Time of day | Pos | Cat Pos | Gen Pos | Pace)
- 3.44M: 00:26:19.133 (RT) 00:26:19.133 (LT) 07:26:19.133 (TD) 92 (Pos) 11 (CP) 79 (GP) 7:39 (P)
- 8.27M: 01:03:36.910 (RT) 01:03:37 (LT) 08:03:37 (TD) 108 (Pos) 12 (CP) 96 (GP) 7:41 (P)
- 13.1M: 01:40:58.413 (RT) 01:40:58 (LT) 08:40:58 (TD) 107 (Pos) 12 (CP) 96 (GP) 7:42 (P)
- 18.17M: 02:20:04.973 (RT) 02:20:05 (LT) 09:20:05 (TD) 78 (Pos) 6 (CP) 66 (GP) 7:42 (P)
- 19.66M: 02:31:42.917 (RT) 02:31:43 (LT) 09:31:43 (TD) 67 (Pos) 7 (CP) 56 (GP) 7:43 (P)
- Finish: 03:23:24.600 (RT) 03:23:25 (LT) 10:23:25 (TD) 67 (Pos) 6 (CP) 57 (GP) 7:45 (P)
Temperature:
51 (7:00) - 52 (11:00), cloudy, humid (perfect temperature)
Wearing:
Short + shot-sleeve + kinvara 2
Strategy:
1. aiming at 1:40:00 for half (about 1 min slower than planned)
2. slow down a bit around Mile 20 to make sure to finish (avoid cramping)
3. speed up around Mile 26 to break 3:23:00, but failed (left calf cramped right away, hence lost about 10-15 secs). But feel like that kind of risk is worth to take!
4. Found a running partner (Jody Booth who finished 3:33:00 and Justin Andrews 3:22:41, warden of a federal prison) from Mile 5 - Mile 20 (very helpful!)
Course:
1. half bridal path + half paved (bridal: M2.5-M4, M12-M23.5)
2. not hilly
3. Good: soft ground good for joints (less body harm)
4. Bad: slight loss of speed on loose bridal path (slower than hard paved ground), more muscle usage for same speed for both forefoot (more calf) and heel strike (more quad).
Leg muscle:
1. left calf cramped at Mile 26 (didn't stretch at all, that's why it takes 4 days to heel)
2. right quad almost cramped
3. both quads + both hamstrings + left calf exhausted
4. implication: different forms on two legs: forefoot landing mostly (left), full/heel strike after mile 20 (right)
Body weight:
158-160lbs (comparing with 155lbs at City of Oaks 2012)
Gel: pre-race, 6, 11, 15, 19, 22 (6 in total)
Training:
1. MPW: around 30 miles (better than City of Oaks 2012 but still weak)
2. Long runs: 16, 18, 20, 20, 20, 18 (pace: 9:00-10:00) [too slow!]
3. Speedworks: 4, 5, 6, 6 (pace: 7:00-7:05) [should be ok!]
4. Period: 8 weeks (too short!)
Comments:
1. After run: no joint pain, but muscles are over limit, didn't feel any full-body exhaustion (comparing with City of Oaks: didn't feel sleepy in the afternoon, didn't feel ichy in lungs).
2. Didn't reach the goal of 2:20:00.
3. Hence, bottleneck: muscles, if not cramped, could have been faster.
4. Training period too short
5. Long run is too slow
6. Possible solution: (i) long run faster (as least partially), (ii) tempo runs longer (extend to 8-9 miles), (iii) reduce body weight
7. Overall, a GREAT run despite the slower 2nd half and the disappointing finish (cramp at Mile 26)!
Recovery followup:
1. On Tuesday: calves and hamstrings are ok, but left calf (cramped) and right quad are worse.
2. On Wednesday: left calf and right quad still bad.
3. On Thursday: both parts start to heal.
4. On Friday: both parts feel normal when walking.