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May 18, 2009
I still hate writing race reports
Yesterday I ran the Cleveland Marathon. This was not a PR attempt, more like a final step in the process of recovering from last year's injuries. I figured that running an OK pace (in this case, 7:30) and finishing uninjured would mean I was officially "cured" and I could think about training for a good time in a fall marathon.
In the interest of saving $$$, I traveled to the race alone. Everything - the flight, the subway ride into town, the hotel check-in - went incredibly smoothly. After picking up my stuff at the expo I got to meet (live, in person, for the very first time) Salty (and her husband, and her baby, and her friend who was also running the marathon) and hang out a bit.
Saturday I had nothing planned but a short little run, whatever walking was required to get food, and a whole lot of nothing. This kept me free from distractions but gave me ample time to convince myself I could not possibly run goal pace, not even for a single mile. I played a lot of wordscraper and listened to a lot of the most mindless CNN I'd ever heard.
Friday and Saturday had been warm and muggy, but Sunday morning was cold, yay! And windy, boo. The start area was like a wind tunnel and after a little while I began to shiver uncontrollably. I finally decided that jogging a bit would be a more productive expenditure of energy than shivering. Just before the inevitable Singing Of The Anthem, Salty appeared with a good-luck hug.
The start didn't seem terribly crowded, but I thought it took about 30s to cross the mat. Coach had insisted I stay at pace (no faster) for at least 13 miles, so I spent the entire first half of the race slowing down. I cannot stress how much this helped me later in the race, though in retrospect I could've (and should've) gone out just a touch slower. About half the time we were running into the wind, and many times I had to decide whether to 1) run up to that guy up there and draft, or 2) stay back and run my pace, letting others pass me as they drafted off each other. I didn't always choose correctly. Salty, who'd just finished the 10k, met me at mile 10 and we chatted for a couple of miles
After the halfers split off we began a long yucky stretch into the wind. Around 17 or 18 we finally turned out of that and into a park, thanks god. I saw a woman with a smiling dog who looks like mine, and it made me smile, and the woman saw me smile and it made her smile, smiles all around. I passed a woman I'd been tailing for miles. There were lots of Canada geese, whose honking made me smile. People were really starting to slow down, but I pressed on and found myself running with a different bunch. Around 19 miles I realized I was about to pass another woman I'd been tailing, but before I could do the deed, another woman came steaming past both of us, which dampened my satisfaction a little bit :-)
I felt ok at 20 miles but not supergreat. At 21 a stupid little hill slammed me against the wall. Excuse me, the Wall. Suddenly I hated everything. Salty reappeared unexpectedly around 22 and ran a mile with me, but this time she was doing all the chatting and I was wondering how I could just step off the course and die. I was no longer checking my watch much; every time I thought I should check my pace I'd think, "no, you don't wanna know, just pick it up. Now."
But wait...by 23 I found myself on the heels of 3 women who were fading faster than I was, and I was happily surprised to pass them at a water station. They eventually passed me back, but one of them started to fade badly around 24.5 and I caught her again. We spent the entire 26th mile running mostly side by side into the wind. Since she'd been ahead of me the whole race, I figured she was faster and I really was not in the mood to kill myself with a futile sprint at the end of a marathon, so I just stayed with her, not working but not drafting either. She pulled ahead and I said "go on, you got it," but she slowed and I caught her again. At 26 I pulled ahead and she went with me; I kicked one more time but she didn't follow. All that drama netted me about 2 seconds, yay me.
My hotel did not want to give me a late checkout so I had to leave the race immediately after finishing. The walk back to the hotel took about 1000 incredibly painful years.
Yesterday's results gave me a chip time of 3:16:54, but today I see that's been amended to 3:17:52, which is what my watch said. My watch also said 26.44 miles (for 7:30 avg pace), but official time rules here, so officially I ran 7:32 pace. I also ran a positive split of about 2.5min, so I'm not that happy. I also missed masters money (I was 4th but they only go 3-deep), but I really wasn't counting on that.
Some stats and fun facts:
- I did not run in flats this time, just very light trainers
- I managed to down one entire Clif Shot Blok during the entire race
- my calves do not hurt
- my quads hurt like a mother despite the fact that there weren't many hills
- no crazy-high mileage this time, just 3 weeks 70+ including 1 80-mile week
- no short sharp speedwork, mostly tempo and MP
- 16th female, 139 overall, either 3AG or 1AG depending on whether the race allows double-dipping
- both masters women who finished immediately ahead of me were behind me even at 30k. They knew what they were doing :-)
All in all, I'm ok with this, but I think I can do better.
Posted by joe positive at May 18, 2009 2:34 PM
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Comments
Yeah, I thought you'd be reluctant about posting the race report, but I'm so glad you did. Amazing job out there. I wondered what the wind was like. Nice job taking it in stride and enjoying the ride. I thought your description of the back and forth with other female runners went - that is the type of thing that keeps me going. If I am on my own with no female competition in sight, I get lazy. So I'll personally bet it netted you more than 2 seconds - it also prevented you from drifting off.
Awesome job. You've had a tough year + and this paid off for you big. So are you gonna come to Steamtown now? Downhill - could be a big PR! :)
Posted by: Mindi at May 18, 2009 8:00 PM
Thanks for taking the time to post the detailed report. Sounds like you planned your race and raced your plan. Good job! I can still count on living vicariously (!) by way of all your miles! And speaking of smiles, you make me smile. Peace, -- D.
Posted by: Daniel at May 21, 2009 7:04 PM
Nice comeback after all that injury stuff. Here's to the next one.
jobs
Posted by: jobs at May 25, 2009 12:34 PM