Shamrock Race Report: Part II - Getting to the Finish Line

Pre Race
Everything leading up to the race went according to plan. The three hour drive to VA Beach was uneventful, packet pickup was smooth, and the pre-race weather forecast had low 40s and little wind. We stayed at the Hampton Inn which was within walking distance of the start and finish line. This allowed Karolina and me to stay in the warm room (with my own bathroom!) until 15 minutes before our respective races. Karolina was running the half marathon which started one hour before the full marathon at 7:00 AM while the full marathon started at 8:00 AM. Our alarm went off at 4:45 and we started our regular pre-race routines.

Breakfast was my usual balance bar with a cup of coffee, followed by a banana, and then bottle of Perpetuam. With breakfast out of the way, I suited up and go back in bed and just relaxed. The horizon was just starting to show light when Karolina left for her race start. I wished her well and told her to hammer the last three miles of the run. We'd both completed a perfect taper and she was ready for a big PR. I now anxiously waited alone in my room, taking four or five trips to the bathroom. It was so nice having my own bathroom and not waiting in the porto lines. I watched the sun rise over the Atlantic and then went downstairs to meet Craig and Scott 15 minutes before the start.

We moved near the front of the start line, just ahead of the 3:10 pace group. I asked the lead pacer how he planned on running the race. He said it would be mostly even, with maybe a 1 minute positive split from the half way mark. I planned on running my race but I also wanted to have an idea of what the pace group had planned. I 'checked myself' a few times, making sure everything was set. I tied a double knot on my Nike Lunar Racers and made sure my Fuel Belt was tight and in the right position. As we waited, I killed the final moments trying to relax and get my HR down. Scott, Craig, and I gave each other one last handshake and we were off.

Start - Miles 1-3
The start was surprisingly smooth. There was no bumping, dodging or mass passing of people. At one point, Scott joked that we were "holding everyone up" because it seemed like no one was passing us. Nearing the first mile, the 3:10 group went by on the far side of the road. I was very surprised since my Garmin showed us at low 7 min mile pace. We passed through mile 1 at 7:07 and motioned to Scott and Craig that we should slow up a bit. The pace group did the same and we hit the next mile at 7:21 which evened things out. Around that point we passed our cheering section which was a great boost and we gave them a wave.

Rudee Bridge - Miles 3-7
Around mile 3 we made our first pass over Rudee Bridge. I hadn't seen it before, but I knew it was the main climb on the course. It wasn't as bad as I'd feared, a 200 meter steady rise and drop. My focus going over the bridge was to keep my HR down and not lose a Fuel Belt bottle. When running uphill, I tend to bump the bottles which can cause them to eject. I shorten my stride, focusing on fast feet and kept one hand near my fuel belt. The three of us went over easily and gently cruised down the backside of the bridge. This led to a long flat stretch of road going out to the first turn around. Up to this point, the three of us stayed together and didn't say much. Craig thought this is was a good time to crack a few jokes. It helped keep the mood light and relaxed and we cruised along holding 7:14 pace. At the turnaround near 5.5 miles I started drinking from my fuel belt and took my first swig of Hammer Gel. I wanted to move through my Fuel Belt and give it to Karolina at the half way point. I wasn't thirsty yet, but I'd trained to drink at miles 5, 10, and 14 and I wanted to stick with my plan.

Camp Pendleton - Miles 7-10
By the time we entered the army base, the race had really thinned out. We passed a few people, and a few people passed us, but for the most part if was very spread out. The base had a number of 90 degree turns which caused our pace to fluctuate a bit. I think this also contributed to our pace dropping a bit. By the time we left the base we were running sub 7:10 pace. Things felt great and I did a few self checks to make sure my HR was down and I stayed relaxed. As we left the base I took down some Endurolytes. Scott and Craig were letting me dictate the pace and Scott mentioned that I was "sweating a lot" so I wanted to keep enough salt in my system. I've always been a big sweater and knew the Endurolytes would be critical to keeping the cramps away later in the race. We crossed back over the Rudee Bridge and hit the 10 mile mark in 1:12:06 - 24 seconds ahead of pace. This was my first real check of our overall pace and it showed that we were right on track. I grabbed water at the next aid station and threw it on my face - only to discover it was Gatorade. I'd keep the sticky face until the next aide station.

Boardwalk - Miles 10-13
We then made our way to sea and turned left on the boardwalk. As we approached, Scott remarked that this was the point when we'd "feel the wind". At the start, there was no wind but it was scheduled to pick up during the day. If it was bad, this would be the worst section of the race. We made the turn, and thankfully, there was no wind. We spread out across the boardwalk and enjoyed the awesome view of the sea and Virginia Beach skyline. Our pace was still in the 7:08-7:10 range and everything felt good. Scott and Craig both said they felt good and we maintain our steady pace. Shortly before turning off the boardwalk, Scott came up next to me and reminded me to hold back and relax. We were about to pass back through the start/finish area and the crowds would be big. Scott reminded me to hold steady and not get excited with all the cheering. It was at mile 12 when we saw the Team FeXY section. Shawn Clark ran out of the crowd and kept us company for 400 meters while Sam and Karen shouted us on. Shawn gave us some inspiring words before pulling up. About 400 meters later, I saw Karolina. The plan was to drop off my empty fuel belt and gloves while grabbing a new bottle of HEED and Hammer Gel flask. The complicated handoff went surprisingly well while Karolina ran along with me for a few seconds. She told me she had a great half marathon race and PRed. It was just the motivation I needed. After a few seconds I told Karolina I had to go and she pulled off.

Atlantic Ave. & Shore Drive - Miles 13-19
Scott, Craig and I regrouped and hit the half marathon mark at 1:34:13 - 47 seconds ahead of pace. Up to this point, the race had gone exactly to plan. No surprises, no issues, no bathroom stops, no tripping, no cramps, nothing! We made the turn onto Atlantic Ave. which was a long straight three mile stretch that seemed to go on forever. I felt really good and tried to lock into a relaxed but strong pace. Scott and Craig lined up behind me and we started a paceline down the road. At mile 14, I we had about 8 guys following behind us in a straight line. I felt great and ticked off 7:05 mile pace. We then turned left into a wooded section along Shore Drive at mile 16. For some reason, my Garmin started showing weird data and said we were running 7:25 pace. At first I thought I had slowed down and quickly picked up the pace. After a few seconds Craig asked me what the hell I was doing? I'd completely blown up the paceline and Scott quickly came to the front and told me to back off a bit. I settled back down, but was still concerned about the numbers I saw on the Garmin. At that point, I stopped looking at my watch and got split data from Scott at each mile marker. We continued running along shore drive, reading the interesting motivational signs posted by the race organizers. At this point I noticed that we were passing people at a steady rate. We ticked off 7:10 and 7:07 splits and then Scott gave me the news that Craig had fallen back. We both talked about whether we should hold up and I was conflicted with what I should do. Craig was shooting to go sub 3:15 and we were well under the pace to hit that time. I ultimately told Scott that we should keep going. I felt bad but I also didn’t know what lay ahead for me in the race.

Fort Story - Miles 19-23
We finally made the right turn into Fort Story which marked the 19 mile point in the race. This was a mini milestone in the race and point to check my pace and nutrition. Everything felt good as I took down more gel and Endurolytes. My feet hurt a little but calves felt great with my 2XU compression race socks. I started to pick things up and bit and got down to near sub 7:00 pace. At this point Scott came up to me and said I should hold back a little. There was still 7 miles to go and I should control my effort with a gradual build. I agreed and slowed our pace through mile 21. At mile 22 I finished my bottle and gel and ditched them at the aide station. Suddenly, at this point I started to feel the effects of my efforts. I was hurting and slowed down to 7:14 pace. Scott could see I was slowing down and provided some motivational words as I bared down on what lay ahead. This was where the mental toughness would come into play. I thought back to all the hard workouts and the moments when I pushed through the pain. The pain and discomfort was spreading from my feet to my quads and I tried to focus on the straight line ahead of me. Five more miles….four more miles…hang on…bend, don't break.

Atlantic Ave. Part II - Miles 23-26
We left the army base and got back out on Atlantic Ave. at mile 23. I told myself I had 5k to go. Come on, 5k is so short…I can run 5k with one leg. I tried every mental trick in the book. At mile 24 I started to feel a bit better and put myself in a running trance. My stride was locked in, I just continued the exact same motion over and over, trying to hang on and not blow up. Amazingly, we were still passing people. I was watching people blow up all around me, stopping to walk, stretching calves, sitting on the curb. Scott kept me focused, saying motivational phrases and counting down the miles. I continued my trance like run until suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt something kick my left foot. Scott was following right behind me and he accidentally got too close and kicked my foot forward. I felt my hamstring tighten up and begin to cramp. No! I yelled and tripped forward catching myself before locking up my hamstring and falling down. I was wide awake now from my trance. Scott was apologizing next to me but I heard nothing, all I could hear was brain screaming for me to stop. We hit mile 25 - one mile to go. The course snaked left and right and the sudden change in stride caused my right calve to twitch dangerously. I was moments away from my calve locking up and I needed to hang on for another 8 minutes. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, a cyclist pulled out in front of us, nearly hitting Scott. Scott provided some colorful commentary as we put our heads down for the final turn onto the home stretch.

Boardwalk - Mile 26
The final stretch was a .3 mile straight shot down the boardwalk. We made the final turn and could see the finish banner in the distance. I asked Scott if I was close to hitting 3:10. "We got it" was his reply. All I remember thinking was OK - don't cramp now. Just hang on for another quarter mile. The crowds grew as we approached the line. I could hear the sound of the announcer but it slowly became drowned out in the screams from the crowd. I looked over and saw Scott next to me. I could see he wanted to drop the hammer but I couldn't go. Part of me was scared of cramping up, but deep down I really just wanted to enjoy the final moments of the journey. It was running down the final stretch smiling from ear to ear. I couldn't stop smiling, I was so happy. It was going to happen. I was going to qualify for Boston. In the final steps I extended my hand to Scott. A final handshake to the guy who helped shepherd me home to the finish. We did it.




Finish
A few moments after crossing the line, I stopped my watch and hunched over. After a quick self examination, I confirmed I was OK and started my slow hobble down the finish shoot. I walked a few steps and then stopped to look at my watch. I still wasn't 100% convinced I'd done it. I saw 3:08:something. OK - confirmed. We received our finishers gear (a nice hat, medal, and beer cup) and made our way to the exit. Reid was the first to find us followed by Karolina, Dan and Shawn. About five minutes later we heard that Craig was finishing. He hung tough after mile 18 and also qualified for Boston with a 3:13. The three of us all hit our goals. It was an awesome conclusion and all the more special being surrounded by my friends and lovely wife.

Looking back on the day, the one thing I can say is "everything clicked". From pre-race, to race, to post-race, there was nothing that could have gone better. Everyone who ran on Sunday had a great race. Dan, Reid, Shawn, Ally, and Karolina all had PR races. The three marathoners all hit BQs and had amazing races. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.

Miles	Split	Total	HR
1.00	0:07:07	0:07:07	139
2.00	0:07:21	0:14:28	146
3.00	0:07:07	0:21:35	154
4.00	0:07:16	0:28:51	150
5.00	0:07:14	0:36:05	152
6.00	0:07:28	0:43:33	155
7.00	0:07:10	0:50:43	156
8.00	0:07:09	0:57:52	154
9.00	0:07:06	1:04:58	156
10.00	0:07:08	1:12:06	157
11.00	0:07:09	1:19:15	157
12.00	0:07:10	1:26:25	158
13.00	0:07:08	1:33:33	161
14.00	0:07:03	1:40:36	161
15.00	0:07:05	1:47:41	162
16.00	0:07:07	1:54:48	162
17.00	0:07:10	2:01:58	163
18.00	0:07:07	2:09:05	164
19.00	0:07:03	2:16:08	166
20.00	0:07:01	2:23:09	167
21.00	0:07:09	2:30:18	168
22.00	0:07:14	2:37:32	167
23.00	0:07:12	2:44:44	166
24.00	0:07:14	2:51:58	167
25.00	0:07:14	2:59:12	168
26.00	0:07:14	3:06:26	170
26.22	0:01:34	3:08:00	171

Shamrock Race Report: Part I - Getting to the Start Line

This is part 1 of my race report for the Shamrock Marathon

Making the decision to go for BQ
The idea of qualifying for the Boston Marathon first came up in 2004 when I began running again. My supervisor was a serious runner and he talked about the Boston Marathon and the qualification process. I remember going to the BAA website and looking up the times. My first thought was wow, that's fast. Then I figured out the pace, 7:15, and realized it was way beyond my capabilities. The idea of qualifying for the Boston Marathon quickly faded away.
Two years later I attempted my first marathon. I signed up for the Marine Corp Marathon and started training. 2006 was a tough year both personally and professionally. I didn't train well, put on weight, and tried to make up the missing mileage a month before the race. Long story short - I got injured and didn't race. My lasting memory of this incident was going to packet pickup, telling them I wouldn’t race, and refusing to take the race t-shirt. I didn't want the shirt for a race I didn't complete - especially a marathon.

2006 - DNS

One year later I reentered the Marine Corp Marathon and followed a solid (but abridged) marathon training plan. I felt confident that I could run a solid race given my training and went in with the goal of finishing. I finished the race but suffered through one of the hardest and most painful moments of my life. I went out too fast, hit the wall at mile 18, and hobbled home with seizing cramps.

2007 - 4:05

I didn't want to run another marathon ever again. But, I made a last minute decision to enter the Baltimore Marathon in 2008 with the idea of supporting Karolina. I was going to start with her and see what happens. I was better trained overall in 2008, but I hadn't focused on the marathon. I started the race with Karolina and slowly ran my own race after a few miles. I used my experiences from 2007 to temper my efforts, focus on nutrition and hydration, and run a steady and relaxed race. I made it to the line without bonking in complete shock of my time.

2008 - 3:33

After Baltimore I realized that I could actually run 26.2 miles without killing myself. I also started dreaming about what I could do if I focused on the marathon. How fast could I go? Could I qualify? By the time we got home from Baltimore, I'd made the decision to go for a BQ.

Picking the Plan
I consulted with my coach, Eric Sorensen, and my cadre of running friends about marathon-specific training. I grew up a swimmer and all I knew about running came from triathlon training. I needed to build a marathon training plan that would take me from my current form to BQ. I'd need to run more miles per week then ever before and run consistently for at least 18 weeks over the winter months. I consulted with friends, family, and researched the internet across running forums and websites.

I eventually decided on a plan developed by Pete Pfitzinger known as the Pfitz 55/18. The plan goes 18 weeks with a max mileage of 55 miles a week. I started my marathon training three weeks prior to the formal plan to get some base miles down and not jump to quickly into high mileage running. The Pfitz 55/18 plan comes from the book Advance Marathoning. It's an excellent guide to 'racing' marathons. This was one of the big differences in my training - going from training to finish a marathon to training to race a marathon. I liked the simplicity of Pfitzinger's training, the focus on one key workout a week and simple pacing guidance during longer runs. The main difference from my past training was this plan included 10-14 mile runs during the middle of the week. These 'medium distance' runs kept the weekly mileage up while allowing two days off from running a week. Once I decided on the plan - I completely committed to the schedule.

Dark Cold Winter
The only drawback to spring marathon is that training goes on during the winter. I initially dodged the outdoors when I started training and hit the treadmill whenever possible. Once the individual workouts exceeded 8 miles - I found myself resorting to run outdoors. Although I initially fought it, I eventually embraced the dark cold evening run workouts. I convinced myself that they made me tougher and that the harsh conditions would make race day feel easy. By December I was limiting the treadmill to select recovery workouts and doing everything outside on the W&OD trail. I did all of my evening runs alone and rarely saw a single runner on the trail. I adopted the image of the 'lonely long distance runner' - training alone and driven by my own unseen demons. As I ticked through the workouts, the longer I stayed on schedule, the more galvanized and driven I became with completing the program. Looking back, I missed only four workouts in 21 weeks.

Challenges Along the Way
No quest would be complete without some challenges along the way. I had a few scares but at no point did I train myself to injury. This was my ultimate fear. I'd get within a few weeks of completing the training and suddenly wake up injured and unable to run. While this never happened, I did manage a trip to emergency room with a severe abdominal infection. As bad as it was, the timing was almost perfect, coming near the end of the hard training cycle. The time off corresponded with a scheduled recovery period and I bounced back quickly. My life outside of running also brought a few challenges. Work demanded much of time and I found myself exhausted from the challenges in the office and the demands of training. Once again, when things really became tough, the timing worked out. My late nights in office came during taper when my run training decreased dramatically. Had this come during a major training cycle, I would have likely snapped under the pressure. Everything seemed to happen at the opportune time, and I started to think that I just might be successful.

Confidence
As my training moved through the two key months of January and February, I started to believe that I could BQ. The tests I completed in training gave me the confidence that I could run 26.2 miles at 7:15 pace. I was running faster then ever around the track and able to hold the right pace on select long runs. Each milestone in training sowed the seeds of confidence that would bloom during taper. The final few weeks were largely uneventful. My challenge was balancing work with my life at home. The other item to control was my mental strength. It could make or break the race and I needed to balance confidence, patience, relaxation, and excitement. "The work is done, now you need to execute" and "Execution: running the race according to plan" became phrases I repeated over and over. I was nervous no question about it, but I was also excited.

3:08:00

On Sunday I ran a 3:08:00 at the Shamrock Marathon and successfully qualified for the Boston Marathon. I'll be posting photos and race report shortly once I get things settled at work.

For now, a huge thank you to all my family and friends for their support, well wishes, and congratulations the past week. This has been an amazing past four months of works and I couldn't have got through it without you. THANK YOU!

http://results.active.com/pages/page.jsp?eventLinkageID=20302

DAVID ORTON #275

RESTON, VA

Age: 31 Gender: M

Distance	MAR
Clock Time	3:08:05
Chip Time	3:08:00
Overall Place	73 / 2555
Gender Place	68 / 1573
Division Place	9 / 193
Age Grade	66.4%
7 Mile	50:36
Half Split	1:34:13
18 1 Mile	2:09:44

The Final Week

So it's come down to this...one last week of taper. The work is done so now the focus shifts to staying relaxed and keeping my head straight. As of today, the weather is looking good and all the pieces are in falling into place for a great weekend in VA Beach.

I'll try to post some more info this week leading up to the race. After Thursday the best source for updates will be my twitter account.

Thanks again to all my family and friends who've provided support and encouragement along this journey.

Monday	03/16/09	Off	0.0
Tuesday	03/17/09	Recovery Run	6.0
Wednesday	03/18/09	7 Miles w/ 2 Mi @ marathon pace	7.0
Thursday	03/19/09	Off	0.0
Friday	03/20/09	5 Miles w/ 6x100m Strides	5.0
Saturday	03/21/09	Recovery Run	4.0
Sunday	03/22/09	Shamrock Marathon	26.2
Week 21 Totals			48.2

HOLD FAST

OK - so I'm 11 weeks into my marathon training cycle with 10 weeks to go. Since October 27 I've run 399 miles in 54 hours and 30 minutes. Going back to the original schedule, I've only missed two run workouts totaling 9 miles.

Overall, I'd assess my training and condition as very good. I can say that I haven't been this consistent in my running in a long time. This gives me a lot of confidence as I move into the second half of my training cycle.

I just need to "HOLD FAST".

Finding the Right Shoes

So here's a short story about finding the right shoes.

One item that gets a lot of attention from marathoners is shoes. This is a no-brainer since it's the #1 piece of equipment for all runners. So what happens when you find the right pair of shoes and the brand discontinues or 'updates' them?

This was an issue I faced up until last weekend. Since last spring I've been running in the Asics Gel-Nimbus 9 shoe. According the the website, the shoe is described as:

ASICS' top-of-the-line cushioning shoe, the GEL-Nimbus® 9 features a Space Trusstic System® for more efficient foot function, a Biomorphic Fit Upper, and the extreme lightweight comfort of a Solyte® midsole.

What this really means is it's a shoe with minimal support or motion control and lots of cushioning. Although a little heavy at 12.4 oz, it's a solid training shoe and also the same shoe that I wore for the Baltimore Marathon.

So I was a happy man until Asics 'updated' the shoe to the version 10.0. This presented a few problems and one big opportunity. The problem was now I needed to adapt to a new shoe that might include a few new 'features' and a new fit. It might turn our better, it might also make the shoe worse for my foot. The opportunity was that with some luck, I might find some Nimbus 9s on sale as stores make room for the new version.

When it came time to get some new shoes (I usually replaced my shoes after 350+ miles), I checked the usual online shops but could not find any size 10.5 Nimbus 9s! I was resigned to paying full retail for a new pair of 'updated' shoes that might or might not work...

Luck struck in the least likely place last Saturday when I happened to walk around my local Modell's Sporting Goods shop. Modells isn't a place known for high-end running shoes so I was shocked to see my Nimbus 9s on the wall at a huge mark down. I asked if they had any 10.5 and the manager pulled out two pairs. I grabbed both boxes, confirmed the shoes inside, and went for the register. I think the manager had never seen someone grab two boxes of the same pair of shoes and run for th register without trying them on. The ulitmate bonus of finding these discontinues shoes came when they were rung up. Not only were they on sale, the attendent took another $15 off as part of a Christmas sale. I got the shoes for $50 when the original retail was $120. Christmas came early!!!

Thanks for reading.

The Pfitzer 18/55 Plan

One question I had going into my training cycle was which training plan to follow. Should I make one up, purchase one, find one online, or some combination of all three. After some research and excellent feedback from my friends, I decided to follow a modified version of Pete Pfitzinger's 55/18 plan. The plan is based on an eighteen week schedule with a peak mileage of 55 miles. Pete Pfitzinger developed the plan with Scott Douglas in their book Advanced Marathoning.

What I like about the plan is the simplicity. There are no major formulas or heart rate zones. The focus is on consistent training, recovery, pacing, and build-up. Recovery includes two full days off a week which is something I've fought with internally. I've always felt that I need to run 6 days a week. While this might be true at lower volumes, it doesn't translate well to longer training sessions. With a mid-distance and long run each week, ample recovery is critical to staying injury free.

In this plan, speedwork is centered around current 5k pace, half marathon pace, and goal marathon pace. Certain workouts include sets of 100 meter strides to help leg turnover. Overall, it's a simple but challenging plan.

This blog, appropriately named The Road to Boston, includes a few of the Pfitzinger plans in a useful web interface. As always, there is no magic bullet for marathon training. No two people are exactly alike and training plans should be customized and tailored to an individuals needs. I think these plan provide a good blueprint for success and I look forward to sharing my personal details with you over the next few months.

Thanks for reading.

Matias Kills It

OK - So my buddy Matias ran the New York Marathon this weekend and absolutely killed it! He ran a 2:38 which is wicked fast. Here is a look at his splits.

Distance	5 km	10 km	15 km	20 km	13.1 mi	25 km	30 km	35 km	40 km	26.22 mi
Time	0:19:07	0:37:37	0:56:20	1:15:03	1:19:11	1:34:16	1:52:47	2:11:47	2:30:30	2:38:49
5k Split	0:19:07	0:18:30	0:18:43	0:18:43		0:19:13	0:18:31	0:19:00	0:18:43
Pace	0:06:10	0:06:04	0:06:03	0:06:03	0:06:02	0:06:05	0:06:04	0:06:04	0:06:04	0:06:03

He ran a solid race the entire way. He started out at 6:10 pace and then quick settled into the low 6:00s. His overall pace never changed by more than a couple seconds and the largest variance in his 5k splits was about 30 seconds from 20 t0 25 km and also from 30 to 35. I'm not positive, but I think this is when the runners reach some of the hills at the Queensboro Bridge. He also finished strong dropping his overall pace the final 2 KM so he must have been running at sub 6 pace. Awesome.

Here is what Matias had to say on the Georgetown Running Company Blog:

"The plan worked though, keeping the heartrate between 174-176 on the flats, and not letting it go above 180 during any of the first 20 miles. It was tough because at mile 15 there's the Queensboro Bridge and had to let my pack go, but I think it helped keep things together towards the end."

What's amazing is that Matias is so well conditioned that he can run his heart at 174 BPM for over two and half hours. That puts his threshold almost 10 beats higher than mine (168). Amazing! It leaves me to wonder if I should be doing more interval/threshold work to raise that line up into the mid 170s. No one is the same, but it's always cool to look at the data.

Another story from Matias which speak volumes about the marathon:

"Oh and classic moment of the race was at the half marathon mark where a young gun says "Alright! Half way there!" followed by a seasoned veteran of the sport asking him if NYC was his first marathon (which is was) and then telling him somewhat viciously that the halfway point of the marathon was at the 20 mile marker. Ouch."

That second quote is right on.

Thanks for reading.

New York Marathon

So last weekend was the final 'big city' marathon of 2009. The New York City Marathon is one of the largest in the world and this year it attracted a super strong field for both the men and women.

The Science of Sport Blog has posted an awesome analysis of both the Men's and Women's race. Check it out to see some excellent marathon related data.

The Washington Post also did an excellent analysis of the
'marathon wall' based on mile split data taken over the final 10 miles.

I was really pleased to see Paula win her third title. She is the greatest female marathoner in the world, regardless of his missteps at the Olympics. She took the lead within the first few moments of the race and never let anyone get ahead of her.

Karolina and I both hope to run in NYC marathon some day down the road.

Reviewing Baltimore

OK - So I ran a PR about three weeks ago at the Baltimore Running Festival. It was a challenging race course but a perfect day for running. This post recaps the race by providing some data points taken during the race.

The course follows a similar profile to Boston with hills starting at mile 16.
http://www.thebaltimoremarathon.com/Assets/Marathon+Elevation.pdf

Below are my splits, HR data, pace, and notes take from my Garmin Forerunner 305 during the race.

Miles	Split Time	Cumul. Time	Heart Rate	Pace	Notes
1.00	0:09:08	0:09:08	131	0:09:08	Started easy with Karolina
2.00	0:08:14	0:17:22	144	0:08:41
3.00	0:07:53	0:25:15	148	0:08:25	Settled into my pace
4.00	0:07:59	0:33:14	145	0:08:19
5.00	0:07:53	0:41:07	142	0:08:13
6.00	0:07:52	0:48:59	147	0:08:10
7.00	0:07:16	0:56:15	147	0:08:02	Nice long downhill
8.00	0:07:50	1:04:05	150	0:08:01
9.00	0:07:52	1:11:57	149	0:08:00
10.00	0:07:52	1:19:49	150	0:07:59
11.00	0:07:55	1:27:44	152	0:07:59
12.00	0:07:44	1:35:28	152	0:07:57
13.00	0:07:47	1:43:15	155	0:07:57	Ran with a good friend for 5 miles
14.00	0:07:54	1:51:09	156	0:07:56
15.00	0:08:00	1:59:09	156	0:07:57	Start of the Hills
16.00	0:08:38	2:07:47	156	0:07:59	Hills
17.00	0:08:30	2:16:17	155	0:08:01	Hills
18.00	0:08:26	2:24:43	157	0:08:02	Hills
19.00	0:08:17	2:33:00	161	0:08:03	End of the Hills
20.00	0:08:02	2:41:02	168	0:08:03	Began to pick things up
21.00	0:07:56	2:48:58	166	0:08:03
22.00	0:08:04	2:57:02	168	0:08:03	Rollers
23.00	0:07:53	3:04:55	169	0:08:02
24.00	0:07:33	3:12:28	171	0:08:01	Dropped the hammer as the downhills began
25.00	0:07:51	3:20:19	173	0:08:01	Felt great but then calve cramps came on
26.00	0:08:21	3:28:40	170	0:08:02	Ran last mile on my heels to stop calve cramps
26.48	0:04:08	3:32:48	168	0:08:02	Shuffled home. Garmin read 26.48 total miles

Below is the data taken from the official results webpage:

Distance	MAR
Clock Time	3:33:59
Chip Time	3:33:08
Overall Place	346 / 3114
Gender Place	287 / 1998
Division Place	48 / 267
Mile6	0:49:49
Mile10	1:21:17
20K	1:43:08
Half	1:45:54
30K	2:34:51
Mile21	2:51:26
Ctz	USA
Pace	0:08:09

When reviewing the data I notice the following:

• I am comfortable running sub 8 min pace with my HR in the high 140s to low 150s when the course is flat.
• I paced the race very well, with a 1:46 first half and 1:47 second half marathon.
• I slowed my pace appropriately during the hills from mile 15 to 20 keeping my HR in the low to mid 150s.
• My hydration plan was about 1-2 miles short of the finish resulting in calve cramps.
• I had more in my tank over the final 1-2 miles and might have run faster had I taken Endurolytes during the final 10k (to hold off the cramps).

When I loaded the Garmin data into TrainingPeaks WKO+ I found that my normative graded pace (taking the hills into account) was 7:11. While this is purely hypothetical, it does give me some confidence that I can run close to BQ pace for 42 KM.

The key takeaway from Baltimore is race execution. I know that I can run a marathon well if I properly pace and execute the race. My hydration and nutritional needs are clear and even though I missed my Endurlytes during the final 10k, I think I've got a good plan that works. I also know where to keep my HR during the marathon and not blow up.

I need to take the experiences from this race and apply them to my mental and physical preparation for my next marathon.

Thanks for reading.