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A running thread!! Awesome!
On January 22 2017 21:04 Raidern wrote: After 4 months of no running I finally started running again late in Dec. At first it was twice a week, but this week i finally ran 3 times in 6 days for the 1st time in months. Feeling motivated again to improve but im feeling very slow and heavy. Im 4kg above my avg weight so im trying to bring that number down as well. Yup, same for me. Winter has hit me pretty hard this year and I'm looking forward to getting outside again when it warms up. I'm up about 7kg right now, which is quite noticeable to me. When I did my last bigger run in may I was around 180 pounds leaned out (the year before I was 170, but I have put on quite a bit of muscle), but now I'm up to 200 and it's bugging me quite a bit. My strategy this year is to sign up for a bunch of charity fun runs and half marathons to keep a goal for myself. I find I struggle quite a bit when I don't have something to work toward.
The few runs I've done outside this winter (I don't run outside when it's below -10, and it has been quite cold for the last few months) have actually been better than I thought they would be. I definitely feel heavy but I don't feel quite as slow as I thought. I was aiming for my 5k times last summer +3 minutes and I was only about 30 seconds off each time.
I just started treadmill running to prep for my first run, which is in early march. It's only a 10k so I'm not too concerned. I'm already noticing I'm feeling lighter, though I haven't weighed myself yet. My goal is to be down to at least 185 or 180 for my half marathon in May. I think if I keep watching what I eat and keep a schedule running I'll be down at that quickly enough.
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United States13896 Posts
2017 is here.
And the weather in the midwest is ... unpredictable. One day it's bordering on 60 degrees (Fahrenheit) and overcast, the next it's 35 and rainy, then the next it's 30 and snowing. It's making training for my next marathon challenging. When I can get a day where its dry and between 35-50 it's heaven, but lately its a lot of cold rain and a few flurries, so I've been doing more treadmill running than I particularly care for. I've got a pair of Solomon trail running shoes coming in soon so I can run the snowy streets with more confidence, but until then it's more treadmill time, more sweating, and more misery. My god the amount of chafing due to treadmill sweat and no adequate breeze from movement to alleviate it ... I usually never chafe but fuck me. I've got a 19 mile training run planned for tomorrow on a treadmill ... not exactly psyched.
Anyways the plan for the next 4 months is as such:
March 19: L.A. Marathon - goal sub 3:00:00 May 7: Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon - goal beat PR on course (3:18:12)
The sub 3 goal is probably my most optimistic goal. I'd realistically be happy with anything else that would BQ and even with a sub 3:10:00, which would be a PR by about 10 minutes. If anything goes wrong in L.A. I'll try harder to shoot for a faster run closer to home, but I'd prefer to BQ on the flatter, faster course, rather than one that has like 750 ft. elevation gain. If I'm being realistic about my current fitness level I think a 3:05:00 is attainable for me in L.A. but sub 3 might not be. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself but we'll see. The one positive of the the treadmill runs is that it is also just about the only way I can simulate such a flat course. The hills of southern Ohio make doing that on roads pretty much impossible.
Overall fitness wise I feel much better leading up to this marathon attempt than I did the last (but that's not saying much). At 6'1 (185 cm) and 166 lbs (75 kg) I'm very envious of the weights everyone here is training at. I'd love to lose 10 lbs but I think 5 lbs is the most I'll be able to cut. My diet is shit, and I just don't quite have everything streamlined in my life well enough to avoid shit food. A new market finally opened up close to me last week, we'll see if I can utilize it. Before that I had been living in a food desert of sorts. There will be a proper supermarket open in the spring less than 1 minute away so I eagerly await that day. Gonna do my best to get below 160 but I'll settle for being 3 or 4 lbs lighter.
Anyways it looks like you guys are up to some exciting stuff already. Bonham 2:30 or 2:35 would be sick I hope your Achilles has cooled down by now. NonY, 1:12 for the start of your racing season ... keep tearing up those roads man! Congrats on the baby+BQ mtmentat! Huge combo! Hope everyone can stay healthy and get to where they want to be!
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It was finally warm out the other day so I got to do a nice long outdoor. I haven't done more than 5k at a time for the last few months but that day I felt like doing a 10k. I actually managed 12, which felt amazing. I paced myself much better than normal and felt totally fine at the end. I was going to continue to 15k but one of my shoes got wet and I felt a blister forming on the side of my foot (It was a big ol' blood blister so it's probably good I stopped).
It's now set to be cold again for the next couple weeks so I'm counting down the days until it's warm again so I can get back out at it. I'm going to do treadmill more often in the meantime.
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Kudos to you, you, and you.
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Estonia4504 Posts
Here's my experience. With the "Zombies, Run!" app I started out slow (5km runs for 2 months about 2 times weekly, about 2 years ago), did a small amount of running in March-April last year (total about 40 km), and from July end 2016, finally started with a training program which had the goal of preparing me for a half marathon eventually. In late october, I ran 2 of them, and it was an amazing feeling, but now I haven't been running due to slacking off or slippery roads. I kind of want to start again, but it's still terrible weather for it (I'll try to start around march, when the ice and snow is gone) and I want to set an OK goal. Would a marathon be doable within this year if I start training in March?
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On February 05 2017 15:02 mustaju wrote: Here's my experience. With the "Zombies, Run!" app I started out slow (5km runs for 2 months about 2 times weekly, about 2 years ago), did a small amount of running in March-April last year (total about 40 km), and from July end 2016, finally started with a training program which had the goal of preparing me for a half marathon eventually. In late october, I ran 2 of them, and it was an amazing feeling, but now I haven't been running due to slacking off or slippery roads. I kind of want to start again, but it's still terrible weather for it (I'll try to start around march, when the ice and snow is gone) and I want to set an OK goal. Would a marathon be doable within this year if I start training in March?
Yes, it would absolutely be possible. 6-9 months is plenty of time to prepare. That said, I generally encourage people to focus more on running faster, rather than just doing longer races; unless doing a specific race is just something you really feel you must do.
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A wild update appears! It's not very effective.
Rehabbing my Achilles tendon has taken far more time and patience that I anticipated. However, I am moving in the right direction. After so many false starts and foiled hopes, I hesitate to think about a return date. But it's coming. When it does, goal A1 will be to run healthy each day and take a sensible view to rebuilding my fitness. A sub-2:30 marathon might be in my future or it might not. I've gotta take things one step at a time.
In the meantime, I've been cycling a bit more--usually around an hour day. It's been very interesting, mostly because people who I think I should pass no problem usually drop me with no apparent effort. Today I was coming down the hill around Stanley Park, about a 3k sustained downhill with very light traffic, smooth pavement, and no lights. There was a middle-aged woman carrying some extra weight on a fancy race bike ahead of me, and I could not catch her for love nor money until the road flattened out. She wasn't riding very hard; I bet she took one pedal stroke for every three of mine.
L_Master and other cycling people: is there a way to calculate how much I'm giving up in these encounters because of my bike? I thought it was a negligible amount but events like today's make me suspicious. I ride a Kona Jake the Snake, which is a cyclocross bike with a steel frame. I've replaced the knobbly tires that came with it with some smooth ones. Not super skinny like a race bike, but certainly not what I would call fat.
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On March 21 2017 06:58 Bonham wrote: A wild update appears! It's not very effective.
Rehabbing my Achilles tendon has taken far more time and patience that I anticipated. However, I am moving in the right direction. After so many false starts and foiled hopes, I hesitate to think about a return date. But it's coming. When it does, goal A1 will be to run healthy each day and take a sensible view to rebuilding my fitness. A sub-2:30 marathon might be in my future or it might not. I've gotta take things one step at a time.
In the meantime, I've been cycling a bit more--usually around an hour day. It's been very interesting, mostly because people who I think I should pass no problem usually drop me with no apparent effort. Today I was coming down the hill around Stanley Park, about a 3k sustained downhill with very light traffic, smooth pavement, and no lights. There was a middle-aged woman carrying some extra weight on a fancy race bike ahead of me, and I could not catch her for love nor money until the road flattened out. She wasn't riding very hard; I bet she took one pedal stroke for every three of mine.
L_Master and other cycling people: is there a way to calculate how much I'm giving up in these encounters because of my bike? I thought it was a negligible amount but events like today's make me suspicious. I ride a Kona Jake the Snake, which is a cyclocross bike with a steel frame. I've replaced the knobbly tires that came with it with some smooth ones. Not super skinny like a race bike, but certainly not what I would call fat.
Truth is, that bike, while it is a cross bike; is not too dissimilar from a dedicated road bike. It probably weighs a couple lbs more, but it's profile is going to be similar. When it comes to bike speed there are really just three players: Weight, Aerodynamics, and Rolling Resistance. On the flat, weight hardly matters. It really comes down to rolling resistance and aerodynamics; of which aerodynamics is by FAR the bigger component. And of course in the case of this lady, weight would actually be an advantage on the downhill.
It looks like you did eventually catch her though, if I'm seeing the flyby right and thinking it was on your second trip?
If your bike has smooth road tyres you should be giving up very little there. That said, unless you ride a ton of a gravel I would highly recommend picking up a decent set of tyres such as the Continental Gatorskin tyres (usually 25 or 28mm is best). They aren't particularly expensive and do a great job with flat resistance and the like while offering decent handling characteristics.
Next thing you'd have to check is your tyre pressure. For a normal road tyre you'd be looking at 80-100 psi most likely. If you're way below this, that could be costing you a little bit. Also, if you're drivetrain is really dirty/rusty/worn that could also be costing you some power, maybe 5-10% for a bad case.
Next question would be, what are you wearing? If you're out there in a t shirt and some athletic shorts...that can definitely be costing you a little, especially when speeds are up over 30-35 kph.
Beyond that, it's hard to say. You're riding a route the doesn't seem especially flat; and covering it usually is the 15-16 mph range, with some sections at a really, really, low HR. That to me isn't that slow. Though looking at your HR, in all honesty it doesn't really seem like you were trying particularly hard to catch her, with your HR going into the low 120s.
If you feel up for it and want to give a few rips; I'd be really interested to see what you could do for a full gas rip up that Stanley Park climb. Pedal really easy for a lap, then give that same kind of effort but on the downhill after the climb instead. On a different ride it would also be good to see a hard effort for say 2 laps of Stanley Park Loop. Similar to a HM type effort. Consistent on the ups and downs, but good power.
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Thanks for the detailed response! Some quick pertinent notes right before I run out the door to work:
My tires aren't smooth--they have grooves. These ones: www.ribblecycles.co.uk. I also have disc brakes!
Tire pressure and drive train should be good; I cleaned and oiled the latter while inflating the former on Sunday.
I'm wearing a rain jacket and my running shorts, which means that if I ever fall I'm going to get road rash in some interesting places.
Regarding heart rate data: that all comes from my watch's monitor in my wrist. I've been told that it doesn't work very well for skinny people and found its readings to be generally out to lunch. I've stopped looking at it when running/riding. I'm extremely skeptical that its readings are accurate, though I suppose their relative position might be in tune.
R.e. further tests: sure, I'd be down! I don't grasp your phrasing for the first one though. You're saying I should ride slow for one lap, then bust it up the climb, then coast down the backside? Is that right?
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On March 22 2017 00:06 Bonham wrote:Thanks for the detailed response! Some quick pertinent notes right before I run out the door to work: My tires aren't smooth--they have grooves. These ones: www.ribblecycles.co.uk. I also have disc brakes! Tire pressure and drive train should be good; I cleaned and oiled the latter while inflating the former on Sunday. I'm wearing a rain jacket and my running shorts, which means that if I ever fall I'm going to get road rash in some interesting places. Regarding heart rate data: that all comes from my watch's monitor in my wrist. I've been told that it doesn't work very well for skinny people and found its readings to be generally out to lunch. I've stopped looking at it when running/riding. I'm extremely skeptical that its readings are accurate, though I suppose their relative position might be in tune. R.e. further tests: sure, I'd be down! I don't grasp your phrasing for the first one though. You're saying I should ride slow for one lap, then bust it up the climb, then coast down the backside? Is that right?
Yea pretty much. Think of going up the hill as a 1500m race effort or whatever. Before would just be warm up, and then obviously right after you're going to be pretty winded, so you just coast and take it easy for a minute or two as you recover. Nothing wrong with soft pedaling if that feels better.
And yea, I have to admit, your HR data does look pretty wonky much of the team, even going back and looking at some of your workouts one repeat would be like 170bpm and another would be like 150.
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On March 22 2017 00:46 L_Master wrote:
Yea pretty much. Think of going up the hill as a 1500m race effort or whatever. Before would just be warm up, and then obviously right after you're going to be pretty winded, so you just coast and take it easy for a minute or two as you recover. Nothing wrong with soft pedaling if that feels better.
And yea, I have to admit, your HR data does look pretty wonky much of the team, even going back and looking at some of your workouts one repeat would be like 170bpm and another would be like 150.
Alright, just off the bike from a three-lap ride of the park. First was a warmup, second one was kind of a tempo effort, third was cooldown. Took a fair few scalps when I was going hard, which was fun. Biking is OK, you know? It's no running, but it's not bad.
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On March 26 2017 05:27 Bonham wrote:Show nested quote +On March 22 2017 00:46 L_Master wrote:
Yea pretty much. Think of going up the hill as a 1500m race effort or whatever. Before would just be warm up, and then obviously right after you're going to be pretty winded, so you just coast and take it easy for a minute or two as you recover. Nothing wrong with soft pedaling if that feels better.
And yea, I have to admit, your HR data does look pretty wonky much of the team, even going back and looking at some of your workouts one repeat would be like 170bpm and another would be like 150. Alright, just off the bike from a three-lap ride of the park. First was a warmup, second one was kind of a tempo effort, third was cooldown. Took a fair few scalps when I was going hard, which was fun. Biking is OK, you know? It's no running, but it's not bad.
Yea it's got it's fun parts for sure. The feel of a good bike ride can never match one of those runs where you are just in sync and it feels like your legs have just disappeared as you float across the ground...
That said, I think cycling overall is generally a bit more interesting than running, little more social if you're into that, and the racing is definitely far more interesting. Unless you're an elite every race is a time trial. Suffering is good, and there are time trials in cycling, but the variety and tactics of bike racing definitely wins out from that regard.
Nice rolling of Stanley, pretty good speed, especially up that climb.
To be honest, instead of a hard Stanley what I'd really love to see is a full gas effort up this guy (assuming it's accessible): www.strava.com. You hit that as hard as you can and it's pretty easy to tell exactly how much power you're putting down on the bike.
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United States13896 Posts
Late update on L.A.:
After a late start on training due to finals and a busy work schedule, January was the best month for running I had since early last summer. It was unseasonably warm this winter and I was able to get the most out of these 40 and 50 degree (F) days for a while. I was feeling pretty good and getting into the big distance weeks late in the month and early February when I had a few minor injuries that made February essentially a wash. First the quad, then a lower back strain made for a few setbacks. By mid-late February the cold finally hit hard for a small period of time and I did not do my part to put in any work, which, along with the small injuries, would come back to bite me.
Fast forward to Mid-March in Los Angeles.
The first half was a breeze. PR for 15k, 20k, and Half. Running with 3:05 pacer and just feeling in the zone. the majority of the elevation gain is throughout the city, so by 15 or 16 miles I'm thinking I could hit my goal and qualify.
It was not to be. Hit the wall hard in mile 17, just didn't have the milage under my belt during training. Fell off gradually and naturally my sister (who was running her first marathon) BQ'd and now I'm looking at what I can do before Cincinnati's Flying Pig in May to join her. Ugh. Frustrating race but I got what I deserved after not putting in the mileage i needed to in training.
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And now it's time for tendon news with Bonham:
Went for an 8k test run last week that somehow flared everything up real bad. For a few days I thought I'd torn it again and I was very, very sad. But it's improved so much in the last few days that I do not think this is likely. Still, it taught me an important lesson: play it safe.
I'm now swimming/biking exclusively. I'm due to get some physio next Monday, so I might hazard a run after that if the auspices are favorable. My mantra right now is "play it safe, play it safe, and don't forget to play it safe."
On March 27 2017 08:42 p4NDemik wrote: It was not to be. Hit the wall hard in mile 17, just didn't have the milage under my belt during training. Fell off gradually and naturally my sister (who was running her first marathon) BQ'd and now I'm looking at what I can do before Cincinnati's Flying Pig in May to join her. Ugh. Frustrating race but I got what I deserved after not putting in the mileage i needed to in training.
Don't despair--blowing up in a marathon, especially your first, is a long and hallowed tradition. You're way more one of us than your freak look-at-how-easy-I-qualified sister. How's the build for Flying Pig going?
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Hi guys,
Last Year was a great running year for me.
1) I ran at least 1 mile a day for the whole year, ending with about 2700 miles in total (would have had 3000 but I hurt my knee)
2) I won a prize for coming in 9th overall and 3rd in my age group (18-29) in a 2 miler race (12:11 Gun time - not that great, I know) https://raceroster.com/results/x2d93qxz4gzqtuf4
3) I ran my first official marathon a month later in 3:26:37 (I was aiming for Boston QA but bonked hard between 21k and 30k), but came in 2nd overall. raceroster.com
So far in 2017 I have been wandering...Not really sure what I want to do. I was always more of a speed guy, so I want to try to get my 5K and 10K down lower, currently 19:00 and 41:30 respectively, and was wondering if I should focus on one over the other? I am currently doing anywhere from 30-50 mpw and would like to hover around 40-50.
I have the Daniel's Running Formula book, but he combines the 5 and 10k training together.
A couple questions:
1) Is there different training for each one, or they about the same? Any specific? I'd like to go sub 18 5K by the fall... I know, I know, its harder than it seems, etc. I have probably 10-15 pounds I could shed though . 2) At my current level, is there a race I should be focusing on (maybe 10K training would improve all aspects, etc?) - I am 30 years old as of a couple months ago.
Thanks in advance for the help!
The first half was a breeze. PR for 15k, 20k, and Half. Running with 3:05 pacer and just feeling in the zone. the majority of the elevation gain is throughout the city, so by 15 or 16 miles I'm thinking I could hit my goal and qualify.
It was not to be. Hit the wall hard in mile 17, just didn't have the milage under my belt during training. Fell off gradually and naturally my sister (who was running her first marathon) BQ'd and now I'm looking at what I can do before Cincinnati's Flying Pig in May to join her. Ugh. Frustrating race but I got what I deserved after not putting in the mileage i needed to in training.
same thing happened to me around the half mark. all the best next time you go out.
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8716 Posts
The book I have has different plans for 5k and 8k-10k. The workouts in the 5k plan are a little shorter and there are a few more of them at 3k-5k pace. I wouldn't say that the training is very different. If you wanted to train a little more specifically for one or the other, you could replace a slower/longer workout with a faster/shorter workout to target the 5k or vice versa for the 10k. For 5k, especially for a marathon runner, it's pretty important to get in several workouts at 5k pace or faster (not counting speed work) so that you get familiar with the pace and effort.
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On April 07 2017 06:44 Bonham wrote:And now it's time for tendon news with Bonham: Went for an 8k test run last week that somehow flared everything up real bad. For a few days I thought I'd torn it again and I was very, very sad. But it's improved so much in the last few days that I do not think this is likely. Still, it taught me an important lesson: play it safe. I'm now swimming/biking exclusively. I'm due to get some physio next Monday, so I might hazard a run after that if the auspices are favorable. My mantra right now is "play it safe, play it safe, and don't forget to play it safe." Show nested quote +On March 27 2017 08:42 p4NDemik wrote: It was not to be. Hit the wall hard in mile 17, just didn't have the milage under my belt during training. Fell off gradually and naturally my sister (who was running her first marathon) BQ'd and now I'm looking at what I can do before Cincinnati's Flying Pig in May to join her. Ugh. Frustrating race but I got what I deserved after not putting in the mileage i needed to in training. Don't despair--blowing up in a marathon, especially your first, is a long and hallowed tradition. You're way more one of us than your freak look-at-how-easy-I-qualified sister. How's the build for Flying Pig going?
How's your tendon doing?
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On May 02 2017 21:30 NonY wrote: The book I have has different plans for 5k and 8k-10k. The workouts in the 5k plan are a little shorter and there are a few more of them at 3k-5k pace. I wouldn't say that the training is very different. If you wanted to train a little more specifically for one or the other, you could replace a slower/longer workout with a faster/shorter workout to target the 5k or vice versa for the 10k. For 5k, especially for a marathon runner, it's pretty important to get in several workouts at 5k pace or faster (not counting speed work) so that you get familiar with the pace and effort.
Yeah, I was thinking along the same lines. Wouldn't running at 5k pace technically be a speed workout, though?
P.S. Did you ever end up doing that challenge where you run 26.2 miles, win 26.2 games of Starcraft and eat 26.2 donuts in one day?
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On May 03 2017 06:51 WoolySheep wrote:Show nested quote +On May 02 2017 21:30 NonY wrote: The book I have has different plans for 5k and 8k-10k. The workouts in the 5k plan are a little shorter and there are a few more of them at 3k-5k pace. I wouldn't say that the training is very different. If you wanted to train a little more specifically for one or the other, you could replace a slower/longer workout with a faster/shorter workout to target the 5k or vice versa for the 10k. For 5k, especially for a marathon runner, it's pretty important to get in several workouts at 5k pace or faster (not counting speed work) so that you get familiar with the pace and effort. Yeah, I was thinking along the same lines. Wouldn't running at 5k pace technically be a speed workout, though? P.S. Did you ever end up doing that challenge where you run 26.2 miles, win 26.2 games of Starcraft and eat 26.2 donuts in one day?
That can depend on what you mean by speedwork. Some people use that to mean anything faster than about threshold pace. Others use it to mean any workouts that focus on lactate clearance or aerobic fatigue resistance (usually looking at least 3k pace, but generally faster). Others use it to mean true "speedwork" in the sense actually improving your top end speed, i.e. sprint work; stuff like hill sprints, flying 30s/60s, starts, etc.
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United States13896 Posts
So the Flying Pig was yesterday. I had run exactly 5 out of 48 days since L.A. I could have done more work, but for the most part the lack of training was due to April being particularly busy. Both jobs cranking along, the last weeks of the spring semester, along with social commitments, and I had essentially told myself I was putting running lower in my set of priorities.
The days run by all accounts should have been an absolute shit show. I got up, got prepped, left my house and got parked. As I got out of my car I realized I didn't put on my Garmin but had left it charging. "Fuck it," I thought to myself. Going into that weekend I had told myself I would just run without any pressure. Not even try to qualify, just run to finish and enjoy it. Oh well. Weather was actually pretty great - low 30's at start, predicted to warm to just around 50 Fahrenheit at finish. Much better than last year.
So I got to the starting area, got prepped, stretched, and proceeded to the pig pens as they call them. I dropped back to pig pen B instead of A as I didn't want to run with the faster group out of the gate. Also, Pig Pen B had portable toilets that I needed to use. So I waited in line to use them. As I entered I dropped my energy gels on the ground because my shorts don't have a spare pocket and I'm not bringing them anywhere in that god forsaken stall. Anyways, point is I get out of the stall, proceed to the front of pen B and forget my gels.
Start race, go out at reasonable pace, trying to keep pace with the 3:20 pacer, but out of traffic. By mile two we hit the first aid station, I get gatorade, and I realize I've left my gels at the starting line. FUCK IT. I have the thought "I'm going to bonk even fucking harder than L.A." for a moment but I manage not to dwell on it by remarking at my idiocy to a few nearby runners, whom I'm sure did not give one shit. FUCK IT. I'm just going to run.
And run I did. Very steady 7:33 to 7:25 pace for 7 miles ... 10 miles ... at the half ... 15 miles. It's at this point in the race when the course has taken us out of the city and into the NE suburbs of Cincinnati. At 15 miles I took off my long sleeve compression shirt as things were beginning to warm up. At this point all elevation gain is behind me and it's a long, steady downhill for some time. By mile 19 I was beginning to realize I was somehow in good shape. I felt better than I had the previous year and was steadily gaining on the 3:15 pacer that I had in eye-sight for quite some time. I nab a free GU shot hoping it will do anything, but doubting it will (why the fuck do they give these out at mile 19 and not mile 9?).
By mile 22 the course flattens out along the Ohio River and you get glimpses of the city in the distance. Knowing how close I was to the pacer, how well I was feeling, and how close I was to the finish, despite my lack of further training after L.A., despite my idiotic ditching of my gels, I could taste a PR. I probably pushed my pace up to 7:20 or slightly lower for a mile or two in an effort to reach the pacer group and coast with or overtake them. That was probably a burst of energy slightly too early.
Right at the 25 mile marker my right hamstring cramps up entirely and I enjoy the splendor of walking peg-leg in front of spectators for about 30 or so seconds. Eventually the cramp unwinds itself and I can walk with a decent gait, then I can start lightly jogging again. By the time I'm jogging again I can see the 25.2 time station and the clock: 3:10 and change. 3:18:12 was my time last year (PR). Fucking hell.
"Well fuck. I guess I'm doing this." I think. I curse a few times and probably offend a few families as I start into a faster pace. Hamstring seems fine. No reason I can't do this. My arms are bent at a hairpin angle, my form is shit, but I'm able to squeeze out a decent push. 3:17:39. 7:10 final mile. PR. No fucking idea how I got there other than having great race weather. Because I did not put in the work, and my fuel plan was completely out the window.
Weird race, but it was in the end very satisfying I suppose. Not the elusive BQ I had previously been chasing but it was still quite sweet. I'll take a PR whenever I can get it. Oddly enough, last year I had to pee in the first mile and I paused my watch while I was in the portable toilet. My unofficial time in the 2016 Flying Pig going by my watch? 3:17:39. Spooky. Cheers guys! I'm gonna take a few weeks off running and then check back in when I've decided what my next race will be.
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