Race #122: I am a Flying Pig!

Photo by Andrea Torgerson

Man, I am glad this is over! It was interesting to put myself through the test and see what I could do.


Overall Time:

3:27:54

Overall Pace:

7:57

Overall Place:

247 out of 4084

Age Division Place (35-39):

33 out of 347

Gender Place:

206 out of 2395

6.8mi:

50:03 (pace 7:20, rank 135)

13.1 (First Half):

1:34:45 (pace 7:14, rank 134)

19.7mi:

2:24:18 (pace 7:20, rank 131)

25.2mi:

3:18:34 (pace 7:53, rank 235)

Second Half (13.2-26.2mi)

1:53:10 (pace 8:39)

Last Mile:

9:20

Splits (from Nike+):

MI 1 7:11  7'11"/mi

MI 2 14:05 6'54"/mi

MI 3  21:16  7'11"/mi

MI 4  28:19 7'03"/mi

MI 5  35:20  7'02"/mi

MI 6  42:03  6'43"/mi *Fastest

MI 7  49:33  7'30"/mi

MI 8  56:32  6'59"/mi

MI 9  1:03:34  7'02"/mi

MI 10  1:10:35  7'01"/mi

MI 11  1:17:23  6'48"/mi

MI 12  1:24:26  7'04"/mi

MI 13  1:31:29  7'03"/mi

MI 14  1:38:27  6'58"/mi

MI 15  1:45:37  7'10"/mi

MI 16  1:52:38  7'01"/mi

MI 17  1:59:39  7'02"/mi 

MI 18  2:06:59  7'20"/mi *Wait for me pace group!

MI 19  2:14:19  7'20"/mi *Goodbye Boston!

MI 20  2:22:23  8'04"/mi

MI 21  2:30:48  8'25"/mi

MI 22  2:39:11  8'23"/mi *Cheered up by teammates Joe and Dan

MI 23  2:48:21  9'10"/mi

MI 24  2:58:13  9'52"/mi

MI 25  3:08:43  10'31"/mi *Waaaaaaaaah! Ouch Ouch Ouch!

MI 26  3:18:23  9'39"/mi

Up all night:
I did not sleep a wink the night before the race. I wish I were exaggerating. I would doze off and then suddenly re-awake, sometimes my heart was racing. I watched the clock waiting for 4:30 to roll around.

It's a shame that six months of training could have been ruined due to one night of insomnia. This is lame, but one culprit may be one square of dark chocolate consumed before I went to bed. I'm a lightweight when it comes to caffeine and I have had issues with this in the past.

But it was probably my nerves. I put too much pressure on myself. I've been stressed out with work leading into the event, and now the stress of the event really whooped me.

The Big Event:
It was really cool. The crowds were great, the race was well organized, and there was a super fun, festive atmosphere. I am really glad to have seen it from the inside. At one point were were running over the bridge back into Ohio just as the sun was rising. It was beautiful.


Pace Group:
So I jumped in the Ronker's 3:10 pace group. These guys are fantastic, the keep the crowds pumped and they keep us on target. They were like a metronome. They were taking it easy on the hills, but my heart rate was still rising into the 170s. Not good for endurance...

Douching:

So they past 2 races I have started dumping water over my head in an attempt to cool myself down, hoping to keep the engine revving longer. It's called a "Landis-Douche," you create a cooler climate around yourself by dumping water on your head. Supposedly Floyd Landis thought of this while watching an episode of the Snorks during a Jack Daniels binge.

Hitting the Wall:

I think somewhere during the 18 mile the wheels came off! I did the first 18.6 miles around 2:12. I looked great, I was running, I was a competitor, I was Boston-bound. So there is a hill just outside my house, I was with the group on that short hill. Then I wasn't. The elevation distance is only 33 feet, but I guess that's like climbing a 3-story house. At one spot it touches 11%... Ugh, my "heartbreak hill" is right out my front door.

So I think I look okay through Mile 20ish. I conceded about 40 secs but at least I could see my pace group. Then it happened. I fell apart. I became a "jogger." And to top it off, I was Landis-douching like a maniac so I looked like a mess. I could hear at least one person audibly laugh at me per mile! It wasn't my imagination — I was running slow enough to make the eye-contact, see the laughter and see the knee-slap... I did the last 7.6 miles in about 1:16, at about a 10:00 pace. That still isn't bad, but I tacked on about 3 minutes extra per mile.  All the early miles flew by quickly, these last miles felt so drawn out and excrutiating. 

Among the Greats:
One cool aspect of running the marathon would be to see how I compare to some of my heroes:

Lance Armstrong, NYC, 2:46:43
Laurent Jalabert, NYC, 2:55:39
Chris Boardman, London, 3:19:27

Look out Boardman! I'll be gunning for you next time!

Fatty
So I definitely carbo-loaded going into the event. When I am injured I tend to eat a lot of food, I feel like I am seeking the nutrients to heal me. So having 2 weeks of reduced athletic activity + overeating going into the event put a few pounds on my waistline. In March I was around 140 pounds. I think race day I was around 144-146... I wonder if dragging that extra weight around hindered my performance as well. But, I would rather have the extra weight than to by malnourished and bonky.

Again?:
I have to admit this has been a bittersweet journey. I certainly love running and it is really cool to see how far you can go by your own propulsion. Although, I do prefer trail running. I think that my body is not totally suited for running, I have flat feet and one leg that is shorter. This makes for a lot of motion while I run and these distance events really wear on my body.

Personally I feel running is like organ meats. A bit of paté is quite nice, but I am not sure I was to sit down to a 5 lb. platter of fried calf livers and foie gras. The marathon was that 5 lb platter...

Going into the event a lot of wear-and-tear built up. Actually I am very worried about my knee, I hope the pain will go away with time. Because of these injuries I kind of wish I just focused on cycling and did not take on this challenge. (Editor's note: I began writing this the day after race, as of now I am feeling much better and the injuries are healed — although I feel like I am still lacking my punch that I had last year. Basically my legs are all slow-twitch muscles right now!).

I am still looking forward to doing some events in the future. I really dig the TOPO trail runs. I am definitely not planning to do another marathon or road running race anytime soon.

Since I began exercising I was felt a sense of accomplishment after an achievement or an event. Once completed, I see a higher summit, I seek a greater challenge. In my mind I saw the marathon as a stepping stone to a future Ironman. For once I feel like I can stop. I have tested myself and I feel like I have reached my limits. I love cycling and I am happy to focus on my passion!

This is soooo lame but despite all the trials and tribulations I wept like a little girl when I logged into Nike+ and I had a video message from Paula Radcliffe congratulating me on the accomplishment.

Ready, Set, Go!

Tomorrow will be the first marathon I have ever attempted. I've run 2.9 Half-Marathons but I know from my training that the marathon is a monster all it's own. I can't believe that I have been preparing for this day for about 6 months now! And in some ways this day has been years in the making, ever since the day a 205 lb Jimmy got a Nike+ for his birthday in November of 2006.

Goals:
1. Finish: All things aside, I need to make sure that I get to the end.
2. Qualify for Boston: I need to run a 3:10 to do this. I'm not sure if the course or the conditions will allow me to complete this goal but I will give it my best shot.
3. Run a 3:00 Marathon: Ha! I set this goal last year, but I know now that this is near impossible at this point in my life. Perhaps someday dreamer! When jet packs are legal...

Strategy:
Start slow. I have to make sure that the heat and hills don't destroy me. I'm going to monitor my heart rate and make sure it doesn't get too high too early — gotta stay out of my zone 5 (somewhere around 164 bpm).

So I am planning to run in the 3:10 pace group. Not sure what they are planning to do. Are they going to start slow too? So I plan to sit in the back, stay out of the wind. If they are running too hard for me I will allow myself to fall off in the first half of the race and

Nutrition:
I'm planning to use 3 bottles of GU Roctaine, a drink that not only has electrolytes but plenty of carbohydrates and over 200 calories per bottle. I also plan to use GU gels for any other calories I might need. Actually, I think I'm going to be drinking my calories from the time I wake up.

Definitely using a recovery drink after the event. And making sure I dose myself with protein every few hours after.

Tapering or Trashed?:
In my training I pushed myself too hard and did not allow for more time to recover. Over months this added up to a lot of tight, twisted muscles in my legs. So a few weeks ago my quad would not stop hurting after workouts. I was worried my knee was starting to go. So a week ago I cut back training and began to rest. In fact, I haven't run in a week and a half because every training run re-injured my quad. Also, my calf muscles have also been tight as a fiddle.

So this means about 3 weeks off from training (1 week rest for injury, 1 week rest before the marathon, and 1 week to recover). I hope this won't effect my second Mohican 100 attempt, but in some ways I think it's a blessing and hopefully my legs will be fresher and less prone to injury throughout this year.

It's just frustrating to go into a big event and not feel your best. It really kills your confidence.

Repair:
I've been going to Norwood Chiropractic to see Doctors Yost and Ogden. They use Active Release Technique massage to work out all the kinks, twists, blood and lactic acid built up in my legs. They have been keeping me going for the past 3 years. Give them a try, they are life-savers!

I've been using CEP compression socks to repair my calf muscles and to keep my legs fresh even on those days where I have to do a lot of standing. The compression increases blood flow and allows for muscles to be repaired quicker.

Preparation:
I started carbo-loading, sodium-loading and hydrating days ago. I stopped drinking alcohol around last weekend too. I've been trying to consume anti-oxidents and omega-fats to make sure my muscles are at their best.

Regrets:
I wish I did more core work as part of my training.  I've been doing yoga and some weights at home but I always feel like a strong core is beneficial to everyone, including endurance athletes.

I wish I went to Pendleton Pilates this year. Their Pilates mat classes are fun and challenging and keep me at my most fit. I also never got to check out Elmntl Fitness, they offer cross-fit type exercises in an outdoor, natural environment.

Almost Match Fit

Today I ran two relay legs of the Flying Pig, it came out to about 12.83 miles. It took me about an hour and forty minutes.

1st Leg, 6.84mi, 1:17:11, 11:17 per mile
My 2nd Leg, 5.16mi, 41:50, 8:06 per mile
My 3rd Leg, 7.67mi, 1:01:54, 8:04 per mile
4th Leg, 6.55mi, 1:12:46, 11:06 per mile

My personal total: 12.83mi, 1:43:44, 8:05 per mile avg pace
My Est. Half Marthon Time: 1:46
My Est. Marathon Time: 3:33

It is weird how I perceived my run. I felt great, I know I flew up some hills. But I felt like I blew up in the second leg. Maybe it was the last 2 miles... I started cramping a little and I could feel all my little muscle fibers tearing apart. I wonder how fast I was running before that. It is nice to see I have a consistent race pace of about an eight-minute mile.

Running that distance finally accomplished something I have been dreaming about for three years. Ever since the 2006 World Cup I have always wanted to be able to run 90 minutes. I would often daydream about Franck Ribery while jogging around my neighborhood — the "Moped" is my power animal!