Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Accidental Qualifier 4/09/2014

Kurt, "Hey did you qualify for Boston last weekend?"
Me, "I was too slow for Boston.  Might try again in 2015"
"I turn 45 in August so if I can squeeze out another 3:23 at Dallas this year I could do it lol"
"For 45-yr-old male, you need 3:20:00....  qualifying time is 3:20:00"
"Check the BAA website, it has 3:25"
"Holy crap, I qualified!"

I was surprised, happy, embarrassed, relieved, and a little lost.  Mostly I felt like a dumb ass.

Hiring a running coach could’ve avoided this dumb mistake.

I was more interested in qualifying than going to Boston before 2013 bombing.  I found out most of my friends belong to 2 buckets:
“Are you stupid?  You want to get blown to pieces?” vs “That’s cool.  Hope you make it.”

Now I get to plan on running Boston on Monday, April 20, 2015.  Apparently I’m only qualified to apply, not guaranteed a race spot.

Had I known I only need 3:25:00 12 months ago, I could be racing Boston in 2 weeks.  If I had the correct qualifying time in December 2013, I would’ve missed out on a memorable experience at Texas Whiner Marathon.

I invested heavily to achieve qualifying time at 2011 and 2013 Dallas Marathons.  I failed for non-fitness reasons.  無心插柳柳成蔭.  I signed up for 2014 Irving mainly to support a local event.  Before yoga injury, I plotted to do a Karnazes by including the race as part of 79-mile spring run. 

Sometimes the side of the mountain is more interesting than the peak, but you can’t have the sides without the top.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Irving Marathon 4/05/2014 (Qualified for Boston 2015--5th time's the charm)

 “Can I PR by 8 minutes without marathon specific training?”  I face the same question as 2013 Irving Marathon.  With lingering injuries and memories of 4 failed attempts, I let go the idea of Boston. 

_milestones
1.  PR (Dallas White Rock 2010: 3:28:17)
2.  Apolo Ohno 2011 NYC (3:25:12)

_perfect condition
51F, 48% humidity, cloudy.  1 hour before the gun, I briefly considered qualify for Boston. 

_start
I started a typical pre-race kill-time conversation with Kayla.  "You look fast.  How fast do you run?"  "I will average 7-minute pace."  I wasn’t sure if she was joking.  "You're out of my league."  Kayla eventually won woman's division averaging 7:05 / mile.

Marathon started 10 minutes before half marathon.  I counted 37 heads in front of me.  7:44 pace didn’t’ feel easy.  I gave myself 50/50 chance of holding pace beyond mile 20. 

_running mate
3rd place woman caught up to me before mile 10.  Her Boston qualifying time was 3:30.  She asked for my pace. 
"Can I just follow you?" 
"If you want 3:30, you should slow down a bit." 
She agreed but couldn't help herself.  She passed me climbing a hill. 

Lindsey started to lose her form at mile 16.  I reeled her in, "at this rate, you'd beat your qualifying time by 6.5 minutes, which means your goal is too low or pace too fast."  She agreed but kept charging the climbs.  Been there, done that.  I stopped interfering. 

Lindsey was cooked by mile 20.  "This is half-way point.  You have a 6-minute cushion, so 8:45 pace would be sufficient."  Her eyes leaked doubts.  "Look, I'm a biddy-eye Asian with poor social skill.  I must be good at math, right?"  She smiled.  I held the pace and wished she could hang on.  For a moment, I desired for her to succeed more than reaching my own goal.

_nutrition
6 gels evenly spaced out, starting at mile 0.  Casey handed me a pack at mile 5 and 11.  I carry 2 in hat, 1 in back pocket.  The only issue was the volunteer shrinking back as I reach for water cup.  I could be the very first runner she served.

_intersection
The roads were partially closed for this out-and-back course.  The runners had the inside lanes. 

I saw the top 2 men duking it out running against motor vehicles on the meandering street.  The lead motorcycle was on the correct side of the cones probably feeling ignored.  Then I made the cop drove off runners' lane by charging toward him.  Another item checked off my bucket list: beat a cop at the game of chicken.

_the proverbial wall
Mile 21.  My pace bled slowly.  I celebrating holding sub-8 pace in 2nd half of marathon but felt the wall looming.

I started to heel-strike.  I tried to hold the image of Mirinda Carfrae at Kona.  Las Colinas Blvd was littered with hills.  The legs hemorrhaged speed with each additional climb.

What would the new model be if Apple acquired Dyson? 
iSuck.
Mental image of the perfect runner evaporated.  The pavement pounded my piriformis with each step.  The pain was bearable, but I wished the body remember how to run.

The electronic pacer left me in the dust.  I set the screen to quarter-mile pace.  Garmin 305 told me I sucked less than I felt.  Crampless, target time within reach, core temperature holding, ample fuel in the tank--this was the best marathons to date.

_embraced the suck
I swung my arms and hips like a race walker but with less elegance.  No one laughed.  I was the fastest runner on the road.  I passed an old guy on a Texas Flyer hill.  I missed having a paceline to skate with.  The old guy turned out to be 5 years my junior....

Half marathon walkers moved in clusters.  I begged them to give me the beeline then parted them like Red Sea.  A few cops seemed concerned.  I was unable to keep the chin down; I imagined I looked like my brother's Ironman photo.  The thought made me happy.

The final water station was stocked with enthusiastic volunteers.  "Water, Gatorade, what do you want?"  "Cigarette and tequila."  Their laughter made my day. 

The finish line came mercifully. 

#'s
3:23:48
pace: 7:47 / mile
place: 14/251
fastest quarter-mile split
    7:23 (mile 15.75)
slowest split
    8:49 (mile 23.5)
splits after mile 25:
    8:35
    8:28
    7:48
    8:09
    7:24


_post race
I was happy but felt ill.  Racing flats weren't ideal with poor landing technique.  "Hoka, I resist you."  I locked myself in convention center's unisex bathroom just in case.

Lindsey qualified for Boston.  She was an important person during 2 hours of my life.  We parted with a hug and might not recognize each other if we met on the street.

I felt better 20 minutes after the pounding stopped.  Bob and I went to My Place for Indian buffet.  We compared notes on family illness.  It got depressing.


_Pre-race physical activities:
-41 day.  Cowtown 50k.  5-hour aerobic run.
-13 day.  Rock n Roll half marathon.  Near PR pace.
-7 day.  9.3-mile Maffetone run followed by first longish skate of the year.
-6 day.  1-mile + 5k races in minimalist shoes.  Carrollton Runners Club.
-3 day.  1-mile tempo.  Legs felt dead.  Right foot and left hip unhappy.  Regretted racing in minimalist shoes 6 days before marathon.