M'kay

Arrived in Richland, WA for the Tri-Cities marathon on Saturday afternoon.  Signs you're at a small marathon:

• No expo, just a packet pickup line in the host hotel.  
• On check-in, the hotel clerk asks if you're with the marathon.  When you respond yes, they let you know your "special" checkout time is 2pm (yeah!).
  
• While walking your dogs in some grass across the parking lot from your hotel room, you stumble across "the" finish arch lying in said grass, next to the sponsoring club's trailer. 
  
• Race morning you walk the 50 yards (max) to the gathering area before walking another 50 yards to the start line on the road.
• You finish in the same parking lot you're vehicle is parked in.

Really a nice small marathon though, although I've found myself drawn to the nicer smaller affairs over the monstrous behemoths that require navigating crowds and waiting.  These folks even managed a (mediocre) pasta buffet at the hotel restaurant the evening before, where Dianna and I met up with David Nelson, who I'd somehow conned into skipping Portland to run this marathon with me (thanks David!).

Race morning was gorgeous, low 40s temps, clear skies and a touch of breeze (which would unfortunately increase later).  The route consisted of a bit of road running, 4 bridge crossings over 3 different bridges, and miles of paved biking/walking trails along the mighty Columbia river.  Advertised as mostly flat and fast, the best opportunity for a sub-3 attempt here in Washington.  David and I started together with at most 200 other marathoners and marathon relay runners (which made figuring out placings impossible, but my goal was strictly for time, not place).  At the voice of the starter (no bullhorn or starter gun....another small marathon sign!), we were off.  Splits by garmin (which came a bit before the mile markers starting pretty much with mile 1):

• Mile 1 (6:50) - Despite wanting to start of slow, we managed to go out fast and hit goal pace on the nose.
  
• Mile 2 (7:06) - Climb to the first bridge crossing in this mile.  Plus, we held back a bit more.
  
• Mile 3 (6:50) - Descent from the bridge and onto the roadway paralleling the river.
  
• Mile 4 (6:43) - A bit of downhill to the picture point.  Nice and early so we're still looking pretty good.
  
• Mile 5 (6:47) - Feeling some crosswinds....should've known that since they weren't bugging us, we'd be paying on the return trip.
  
• Mile 6 (6:53) - If David wasn't keeping his head for the both of us, I would've pushed too hard in this stretch and paid dearly later.
  
• Mile 7 (6:49) - Aside from the near collision David had with a relay spectator congratulating a runner that just made a handoff in the middle of the course, uneventful.  First GU.
  
• Mile 8 (6:53) - Finally see our second bridge coming up.
  
• Mile 9 (6:51) - A bit meaner crosswind on the bridge, but we push the pace a bit to get up and over the bridge in good time.
  
• Mile 10 (6:48) - Ouch.....nasty headwinds start here.  Plus, some of this stretch is concrete, which I'm starting to feel in my feet and legs.
• Mile 11 (6:55) - We see the leader running strongly headed back in the opposite direction from the turnaround from this 2.5 mile out and back stretch.
  
• Mile 12 (6:45) - Halfway through this mile, we hit the turnaround and finally reap the benefit from the headwind that just became a tailwind.  I don't *feel* benefitted!
  
• Mile 13 (6:45) - As David pointed out, the tailwind gives us a push that makes it easy to hit our splits.
  
• Halfway (1:29:43) - Aiming for 1:29:30 at the half, so only 13 seconds behind.  Feeling good and conservative.
  
• Mile 14 (6:47) - Weren't we just here?  Second GU.
  
• Mile 15 (6:49) - Long desolate stretch along the river.  Commented that I was feeling good after not feeling so great the last couple of miles.  Immediately regretted voicing that for fear of jinxing myself.
• Mile 16 (7:11) - Approaching the third bridge at the far end of the course.  Turning onto the bridge, the winds hit hard.  Sinuses start freezing up and this mile was tough.  Trying to block wind for David, who was having a hard mile.
  
• Mile 17 (6:59) - Down from the bridge through the not so nice section of town, across some gravel and sand to get ourselves back on the trail.  Trying to drag David along but he says to go.
  
• Mile 18 (6:54) - Headwind is just plain nasty.  It probably wasn't all that bad, but running alone made it tough mentally.
  
• Mile 19 (6:51) - Really starting to feel the miles on my legs.  Making the mental computations, knew I needed to make up some time to get below 3 hours, so desperately trying to keep miles at 6:50 or below.
  
• Mile 20 (6:51) - Third GU. 
  
• Mile 21 (6:50) - Really fighting the negative mental thoughts here.  Mind was trying to tell me below 3 was not possible but I resisted.  Mightly.
  
• Mile 22 (6:55) - Ouch.  Didn't remember that the outbound stretch here had some mild downhill that now was uphill into the dang wind.
  
• Mile 23 (6:56) - Form is taking some serious hits here when my mind wanders, so I'm really trying to focus, stay strong and most importantly positive.  Difficult.
  
• Mile 24 (6:59) - Ouch.  At the base of the bridge climb to the homestretch.  Took a last GU hoping for a kick in the pants.  Feeling a bit dehydrated despite drinking at every aid stations (every 2 miles).
  
• Mile 25 (6:40) - After the climb to the bridge, felt like the crossing was a bit downhill, probably because the wind was no longer head-on.  Came out the other side and managed to advantage the downhill with a bit of speed.  Knew it was going to be really, really, really close.  Legs starting to get wobbly.
  
• Mile 26 (6:36) - Chewed up some roadkill here, which helped, but mostly was just suffering increasingly badly....no real concept of time or pace here, just putting one foot in front of the other as fast as possible. Some guy jogs up and asks if I want him to run me in....manage to gasp yes, I *need* to beat 3 hours.  He says it'll be really close.  I start to do something close to sprint effort.
  
• Final 0.2 (1:04) - Nothing but pain....breathing pattern gone.  Form gone.  Just moving towards the finish.  Doesn't look like I'll make it since the clock says 2:59:48 and I'm still about 30 seconds away.....still trying.....oh wait, that's 2:58:--.....keep running!!!
• Second half (1:29:34) - Negative split by 9 seconds.
  

Crossed in 2:59:17, stopped and tried to breath with my hands on my knees, and promptly fell.  Another sign it's a small race.....not being swarmed by medics!  They even took my race bib tag while I was still on the ground :).  After a minute, I managed to regain enough of my composure to stop my watch at 3:00:40.  Shortly thereafter with a bit of help, managed to stand and get my finisher medal, then hobbled over to my wife who took over from there.  Honestly wasn't real sure I'd made it so I know I asked her several times if I'd made it under 3.  I figure this race ranks #1 for me in finishing effort and leaving it all out there.  I really wanted to head back out to help run David in but just didn't have anything left....my legs were shot, my foot was hurting (started around mile 23), and I was just exhausted...and hungry.  But David didn't need me and ran a huge PR and a great race.  I just know I owe some of my success in this race to his wise pacing in the early miles.

Found out at the awards ceremony that I took 1st in my AG (35-39), so a bonus commemorative glass.  No idea what my overall placing was but given the fact that the race was so small, probably deceptively high.  Needless to say, I'm just beside myself that I made it under 3 hours and feel like the work I put in over the last year has paid off.  I know I'm really lucky that the weather (aside from the winds) was so nice and everthing came together at the right time in a fall when so many were stymied by conditions.  Thanks to everyone for all the support I've gotten these past several months....as a lone runner without a local support network, it helps tremendously.  Now, it's time to bask for a while and figure out what my next goal is going to be.

P.S. Note to self:  Abbreviated taper/peak worked well.  A mere 25% reduction 2 weeks out and a second 25% reduction (total 50%) for the week of the marathon before race day worked well, keeping the intensity up and only tapering that a few days prior.  Also keeping the normal schedule (no rest days, 1-3 double days) worked well.

Adrenaline 8 (Blue)	410.43 miles
Asics 2130 (Blue)	217.70 miles
NB 903	203.46 miles
Adrenaline 8 (Green)	36.33 62.53miles
Brooks T3 Racer(Red)	32.47 miles

Off day.  Still riding the high from having a great race, but some post-marathon thoughts I want to save so I don't forget them:

• Mental preparation was critical for this race.  I have a problem with 5Ks and Marathons.  I don't like the way 5Ks hurt and it's difficult for me to race as hard as I should.  Marathons are more insiduous....I tend to "not believe".  I worked hard to quash these thoughts during training and to consciously tell myself I could do it.  They got worse the final month or so of training so it really became an effort to not slip up.  That mental discipline helped tremendously when the same thoughts crept in early in the race and was key to not fading during the final 8 miles.  When the headwinds kicked up, my mind kept trying to telling me it was over, but I kept pushing that thought back and telling myself I could do it (run the sub-3).  It worked.  It also required a lot of practice, just like everything else leading up to racing a marathon.
  
• During my 3 day carbo-loading, I actually counted the grams of carbs I was injesting and tried to hit 4g/lb of body weight (648g).  Harder than I'd thought to get that many, but considering how I felt towards the end of the marathon, if I hadn't I probably would've bonked.
• Decision to take 4 GU with me was also key.  Whether real or psychological, the "extra" GU I took at 24 just before my final push felt like it was critical at a time when I was very tired, hurting, and trying to gather myself for the push up the hill followed by the final push towards the end, which I knew would be incredibly painful.  It was. 
  
• Gatorade consumption alone would not have been adequate.  It worked for me in Seattle last year, but the aid stations here didn't fill the cups with much (probably 4oz versus 6-8oz in Seattle).  Having the GU saved my bacon.
• Sticking with the Adrenaline shoes was smart.  Heavier and with a higher heel, yes, but the last miles my feet were hurting and the extra support was critical.  I need to train more in lightweight shoes/flats, but for now this decision was a good one.
• Reduced taper got me sharp for race day.  If I would've tapered more, my legs might've felt fresher, but I'm pretty sure I would've felt more sluggish.  With the taper I did, my legs only felt okay fresh by 2 days prior, but I didn't feel any of the sluggishness I normally feel during a larger taper.
• Why do I still underperform the marathon?  I'm not complaining, mind you, but my best 1/2 marathon time predicted a 2:56:44 marathon and I'd like my 153 seconds back, thank you very much.  I guess this will be one of my goals coming out of this....figure out how to out-perform a marathon.
• Having someone to run with at your pace during the event is *very* helpful, but another key is talking beforehand to set expectations if one or the other slows.  I broached the topic with David when we were waiting for the start, primarily because I seriously figured I'd be the one fading and he'd be the one running away from me, and I didn't want to hold him back.  I felt a bit guilty leaving him (still do) and tried to help pull him along for a mile or so but when it came down to it, I was able to go without feeling too badly.  
• Wearing race singlets opens up new possibilities for rubbing skin raw....like between my arm and back on my right side.  Need to apply body-glide there next time!
  

Another off day today.  I might take the dogs for a walk or hop on the bike for a bit later, but for now I'm just going to categorize my owies:

• Feet.  Some pain in the morning in left foot at big toe join, but otherwise not bad.
• Ankle:  Both heels have some discomfort, especially when the achilles is taut.  After moving away from orthotics in my shoes, I'd notice some "feeling" there periodically, but its more substantial today.  Need to add more achilles stretching and calf strengthening routines.
• Calves:  Seem to have taken a beating.  Don't hurt to just sit, but moving I can feel them working.  I think these took the brunt of the beating during the race, so some TLC now and strengthening later is in order.
• Knees:  Just fine.
  
• Quads:  No real issues.  They actually feel better than they do after some local runs, probably because the marathon course was pretty flat.
• Hamstrings:  Right hammie felt like it was thinking about cramping mildly late in the race, but it behaved.  Some tightness yesterday is gone and these feel fine.
• ITB:  Left ITB started giving some periodic discomfort late in the race.  Last 2 nights, both (left worse) have made their presence known throughout the night with what felt like periodic spasms (light), but no issues during the day.  Strange.
• Glutes/lower back:  Surprisingly tight and some soreness.  Guess I've neglected these muscles, because sitting in my chair for work has been killing me today, and I've got to get up periodically and move to relieve the discomfort.  More stretching and strengthening is definitely in order.
• The rest:  Just fine.
  

3 miles in 23:13, 7:44/mi, HR 147.

First post-marathon run.  Just kept things nice and easy.  No pain anywhere while running, but hip flexors were tired and tight.  Lower back still feels tight too.  Some reduced intensity core exercises and good stretching afterwards.

13.35 stationary/recumbent cycling miles in 40:00, Level 4, followed by a light core workout.  Plenty of sweating.

3 miles in 22:32, 7:30/mi, HR 160.

Rainy and warm (52F) today.  Legs wanted to go.  Some tightness in hip flexors to start but loosened up quickly.  Tried to force myself to hold back but not wildly successful.  HR high for most of the run....probably the pace and the jacket...a bit of overheating tends to elevate my HR.  Core workout with some added exercises (hamstring and adductors focused).

Off day.  Except for the 5+ hours of cutting and stacking wood.