Saturday, December 14, 2013

Texas Whiner Marathon 12/14/2013 (4th failed attempt to BQ. This is getting old.)

2013 running season came to an unsatisfactory end.  I looked for any long run to reduce wasted preparation.  I found a tiny race 6 days after cancelled Dallas Marathon. 

_goal
3:30.

Logistical details weren't readily available; I had the race time and address but not much else.  "Whatever happens happens."

I didn't know how much fitness a runner was expected to lose 6 days after taper.  My dance card was filled that week.  "I can eat anything after December marathon," I'd been promising friends and family.  It was unfair to ask others to change plans for my ruined "A" race.

Icy roads made training impractical, and I had no easy access to treadmill.  I estimate 2 additional lb of dead weight.  "Just carb load and show up.  Dress warm. " 

_turn of events
The email from race director 4 days before race:
1.  The race registration was closed due to last minute sign ups.  Head count = 100.
2.  There ain't enough parking spaces, T shirts, and food.  But the organizer was working on it.
3.  This was a Boston qualifying course.

After 5 days of inactivity, the road cleared enough to run.  It would be the only training run before the race: warm up, 1 mile at 6:30 pace, cool down.  I felt sick during warm up and came close to puking.  Sodium phosphate loading was the prime suspect.  I had difficulty getting to 6:30 pace, in contrast to 6 days ago I had to reduce effort to bleed off speed. 

The sick feeling came 2 more times that week.  I ignored the issue but adjusted race expectation accordingly.  I was puzzled by my lack of speed—6:30 mile were never an issue, even during off season.

New goal: finish safely & pukelessly.  But make effort for 3:19:59.

_course
8.3 laps around Bachman Lake (next to Love Field Airport).  Concrete pedestrian trail.  No motor vehicle.  4 climbs per lap.  The final stretch was in reverse direction.

Forecast: 43F ~ 40F, 92% humidity, 14 mph wind, cloudy.

_race
I found myself in the lead pack with another runner.  He pointed out hazards and asked what I needed to qualify.  "I'll take you through the first lap."  Half lap later a tough looking dude wearing a hooded shirt passed us.  He ran with some sinus issue and started to build a lead after a downhill.  My guide stuck with me and left the course after the lap.

I sweated and threw away the T-shirt.

I saw no other participants before lapping the walkers.  We encouraged each other.  It was a 43F cloudy day; I dressed correctly for 7:33 pace.  I didn't feel light and fast as previous week but was hopeful about holding the pace.  I was aware half way of a marathon was at mile 20. 

The lead guy was out of sight.  I didn't care.  I focused on each downhill.  A girl caught up to me during lap 3.  I stayed with her.  She ran each mile slightly faster to win the half marathon.  I was on pace by mile 14, but hamstrings started to tighten.  It was Irving Marathon all over again except this time I didn’t have a 100k run to blame. 

_no excuse
My strides fell apart.  I wasn’t in form for 3:20 finish.  I didn’t experience runner’s high—the data slapped me in the face.

I had a slow quarter-mile splits as I caught up to the distinct hooded shirt and red calf sleeves at a climb.  We acknowledged each other but exchanged few words due to my limited Spanish vocabulary.  It's nice to have someone to share the suffering.

Runners talked behind our backs, unaware how far their voices carried.  We were referred to as “black and red socks,” “triathlete and the other,” or “Mexican and Asian.”  Apparently I looked better than I felt.

Wind speed increased.  Air temperature dropped.  My pace slowed.  I wish I had that T-shirt back.

Boston qualifying time was out of reach.  I focused on winning.  I surged at a climb and heard snot rocket struggling behind me.  Mile 22 of a marathon was easier when being pursued.  He caught back up during next 5k.  My legs were so stiff; I climb the hills rocking side to side.

2 of us completed lap 8 shoulder to shoulder—an amateur Iron War.  He paused at the final water stop.  “Really!?”  I surged up the hill.  I held the image of Macca running away from Raeler in 2010.  I made the U-turn.  I saw my chaser with no fight in his eyes.  I high-fived everyone and smiled to phone cameras at finish line.  I was 15 minutes behind a goal that felt realistic just an hour ago.

_post race
Volunteers and half marathoners congratulated me.  A few knew what I was after, "sorry you didn't qualify."  I felt lots of things; mostly I felt cold.  I hugged the course volunteers for warmth and emotional support.  I did not cry. 

The hooded shirt guy and I exchanged a smile and a few words.  I didn't understand his words.  He wasn’t even Latino.

I attempted to work the water station after putting on ski jacket.  A volunteer suggested that I eat a sandwich instead.  I walked the course to encourage runners.  I accidentally dropped the Subway plastic bag.  I stepped on it before the wind carried it away.  I spent the next 20 seconds attempting to pick it up.  A volunteer finally came to help.

My left calf cramped as I got in the car.  I was glad I didn’t buy that stick shift in 2006. My mood improved as the car warmed up.  Completing a marathon was always worthy of celebrations. 

I won a race!

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Dallas Marathon 12/8/2013 (3rd failed attempt to BQ)


I decided on this Boston qualifying event at mile 25 of Irving Marathon.  The timing wasn't perfect: 2014 Boston Marathon spots were unlikely to be available by December, and the Danube trip would impede my normal 14-week preparation.  There were only so many such "A" events left in these legs--"seize the opportunity while you can."

_goal
3:19:59

_training
I went to the high school track after Danube trip for MAF test and was dismayed by amount of fitness lost in 15 days.  I thought my nearly daily skate/run was sufficient to stay in shape.  A2A restored some confidence in my fitness.

I acquired 9-week program from Runners' World and followed the weekly mileage but not the pace.  6.5 years after the first marathon, I learned 8:30 was not a good recovery pace for this body.  The peak weekly mileage approached 50.

_technique
I acquired a metronome and confirmed my running cadence was closer to 92 than 96.  Yeah, off-by-4 is natural given I counted strides in 15 seconds, not a full minutes.

Plantar fasciitis reared its head from time to time but no longer impeded my training.  The shoe collection continued to be dominated by light and flexible flats.

I watched "Gliders vs Gazelles" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJWPwVF30yo) and was mesmerized by Carfrae's running form.  The video convinced me the need to settle on the ugly glide, but I was unable to shake the image of gazelles' hind leg angles.  Carfrae's strides at 2013 Ironman championship was a beautiful sight.  The experience felt like double push.

After months of obsession, I participated in Newton's analysis at Trishop and was pleasantly surprised I ran more like Rinny than the gliders.


[snipped off video]

_diet
My body went into withdraw after September vacation where I ingested large quantity of dairy, alcohol, and processed food.  I gained 4 pounds in 15 days.  The first week home I was unable to run an hour without GI issues.

I resumed my normal diet and achieved race weight by A2A.  I was so in tune by November, I could feel my body weight with half-pound precision each morning.  Family meals threw a few curve balls, but race week weight control was near perfect.

_final week
I often struggled with the last long run 7 days before the race.  Not this time.  This was the first winter training block I didn't crash due to drop foot.

The left knee healed.

My preparation wasn't as aggressive as 2011, but I felt confident about my 3rd attempt at Boston qualifying time.  I just needed reasonable weather and clothing.  I became obsessed about my food source; it's one of the few remaining controllable things that could derailed the race.

I unwrapped my final pair of Green Silence for the 2x1600.  The new shoes felt unbelievable.  It was so difficult to observe the speed limit, I cut the session short by 300 meters--"Just do the minimum.  Save it for the race day."

I missed coffee.  I visualized the weight gain sessions after the race.

_race
Cancelled due to weather.