A Dugyot in the U.S.A.: 4:52:12

This past weekend, i ran the Santa Rosa Marathon in 4:52:12.

I am not particularly happy about my finish, my target being somewhere between 4:30 and 4:45.

I had a sinking feeling that i was in trouble around mile 3; i could feel my left glutes and piriformis working harder than usual. Whenever this has happened in training, they loosen up within about a mile. Then again, training runs are done at a relatively slow pace. For this marathon i was trying to do a "race pace" of 9:30 during my 3 minute runs punctuated by brisk walking intervals. The hip tightness never let up, and after a few more miles, i could feel the same sensation developing on the right.

Wondering why it hurts so much

In spite of the pain, around halfway through the race i had managed to convince myself that i was doing quite well. Everything was going according to plan. I got to 13.1 in less time than anticipated, and if i could manage a negative split, i should finish well within my target. Alas, the pain then started to intensify, and my speed started dropping off. Deciding to "trust my training," i only pushed myself harder.

Average pace, as tracked by my GPS watch. Note the steady decline after the halfway point

Tragedy struck around mile 24. Towards the end of a three-minute run, my left thigh cramped up. I slowed down and tried to jog through it, but it just got worse. Walking for about 2 minutes made it dissipate completely, so i gingerly jogged through my next interval. At that point, i had a suspicion that my legs were ticking time bombs, but i hoped that they would last. After all, it was JUST ANOTHER TWO MILES.

There was one special guy that i had been trying to catch up with: Banana Man (so named because of the banana he carried in his backpack). We had started the marathon at roughly the same pace, but at around mile 6, he got faster and left me behind. I had seen him vaguely in the distance for the past 19 miles or so. However, Banana Man had slowed down considerably over the past 2 miles, and was now basically within striking distance. So i gritted my teeth, stepped on the gas, and actually PASSED him!

At around mile 25.5, i finally fell apart. My right thigh cramped up so hard that i had to stop moving, bend over, and massage the muscle. A nice lady tapped me lightly on the shoulder and said "We're almost there!" as she trotted by. Despite her cajoling, my leg was so stiff and painful that i could just stand there and watch helplessly... as Banana Man et al. trudged slowly past.

Determined to at least hobble the rest of the way, i slowly put one foot in front of the other and started walking through the pain. This went on for a minute or so. Miraculously, the cramping vanished, and i managed to pick up my feet and do an "old man shuffle" all the way to the finish line. In the end, Banana Man beat me by about 33 seconds... but i still finished the race "running."

The smile hides the pain

Immediately after crossing the finish, both legs seized up completely... and i had to ignominiously limp to get my medal. Owww.

I worked for that medal

Postmortem analysis/rationalization of my disappointing finish:

I did my usual 16-week buildup for this race, but had been very liberal with substitutions. Primarily this was due to time constraints. Some days i would need to do 9 miles but could only do 6; other days i would need to do a long run and split it up into a double instead. For the entire training cycle, i only completed ONE full 20-miler, and that had been on a treadmill. Meh. Honestly, i thought my decent finishes in my most recent halfs (halves?) were a testament to my improving athletic ability. But the full 26.2 is more than just 13.1 x 2. It has its own challenges and requires a different approach to preparation. Half-assery will not cut it; in order to be able to "trust the training," you have to train properly.

In addition, about a month ago, while heading out to do a 20-miler, i twisted my left ankle about a mile in. My left foot hit a reflector (just my luck - the only one on the side of the road), and i went down. I didn't necessarily think any serious damage was done, but if i'm being completely honest, it might have; my left ankle still hurts when i point my toes down and in. Maybe i'm unconsciously favoring my left ankle and working my hips more? At any rate, that event struck a considerable blow to my training: instead of a "monster" week with maximum mileage, i had to back off and baby the ankle to be sure i'd make it to race day.

TL;DR: i missed my goal because i was undertrained and unprepared.

For future reference:

1. Long runs really count; get in at least two 20-milers before race day. Do strides at the end of each.

2. Continue to do hill work until the end.

3. Don't slack off of strength training.

Even though this is my ninth marathon, i'm still learning new things. Hopefully, application of those lessons leads to further gains.

On a different note, this is the first marathon that i've run "alone." Gianina and Adrian stayed at home (which was only two hours away), so i had to work out all the logistics in advance. I also had to get a new Camelbak with a bigger bladder and more storage space. It's a rehearsal for a future race that i won't mention since i don't want to jinx it.

RACE NOTES:

1. The "expo" was just a packet pickup in the Sports Basement (a sporting goods store) in Santa Rosa. The "swag" wasn't bad: the usual coupons, a puffy jacket, and a bottle of red wine.

2. Race day weather was great, starting out in the high 50s and ending in the mid 60s. Mostly cloudy all throughout, a little bit of sunlight here and there. It could have been much worse (initially projected to be 80s), as there was little to no shade on the course.

A little ray of sunshine

3. Since it was such a small race (less than a thousand marathoners), there were no long security checks. In fact, i stayed at my downtown hotel half a mile from the start, and just moseyed on over a few minutes before the gun went off.

Leaving the hotel... 20 minutes before the race starts

Waiting for the gun to go off

4. The course, while billed as being "flat," really isn't. To be fair, there aren't any significant hills, but the up-and-down "undulations" will get to you if you're expecting "flat." It was otherwise pleasant, running mostly through parks/vineyards, with some patches of road/sidewalk. Definitely not as gorgeous as Napa. You can avail of the "shot of Chardonnay" (i did) right after you run through the Deloach Winery at mile 10. It may have been a bad idea, but i thought a little alcohol would dull the pain in my hips. I was wrong. The course also tended to narrow at some points, which is always inconvenient for my run-walk-run strategy (which requires a lot of passing).

The official elevation chart

Elevation as measured by my GPS watch. Note the "undulations" midway

5. I've never really hung around for a post-race experience. At the end, i'm usually just trying to reunite with my family so we can get back to the hotel. Usually, the lines for beer etc. are so long anyway that i don't even think it's worth it. Well, since i was by myself for this one, i just sat down, drank some water, and ate some chocolate chip cookies for a few minutes, trying to rest my legs enough for the walk back to the hotel. (Half a mile isn't that bad... at NYC, you have to walk a mile just to get out of the racers' area). Since i wasn't driving, i decided to sample the "free beer." There were no lines, and with the way they managed the freebies, one could easily have gotten way more than the allotment of two. As it was, i got three. Unfortunately, they were IPAs.

6. In terms of value for money: $130-ish and change isn't bad for a jacket, a bottle of wine, some beers, and free (low-res - you have to pay $11 for the HD versions) race day photographs. Clearly, this race has great support from local businesses.