Last Sunday I completed the Columbus Marathon. Finished in 3:09 in my
goal range of 3:08-3:10. The conditions where cool (39 start - 45
finish) and very windy. This my third marathon in 3 years: '02
Cincinnati 3:15 '03 Columbus 3:28 (cramped at mi19). Long time runner,
but recent marathoner.
The week before the race, I overloaded my quads doing house
construction creating 2 days of muscle soreness and worried about
insufficient taper. Folks here convinced me I was ready and that
appears to be true.
My initial goals where to go out at 3:10 pace on first half. Pick up
just a bit if I felt great. Then get over the hill (actually small
mile long rise) at ~mi 19 that caused me to cramp the year before.
Then see what I had left to finish.
I wanted to start slow to warm up but was slower than expected hitting
the 1st mile at almost 8:00 almost. Then over compensated on the next
2 miles at 6:46, 6:52. Then found a group talking about 3:10 finish
goal and decided I should follow them (there was no race sponsored
3:10 group or I would have been with them).
Hit the halfway point on pace. Legs started to feel some pain (which I
did not expect). The small group I was running with fell apart over
the next few miles and I set my sights on getting over the hill
(rise). When I reached it I found that it had expanded to in my mind
and was not very steep. I cleared it faster than expected with mile 19
at 7:40. Although, by the time I reached the top, my legs were getting
very tight and threatening to cramp (at least in my mind). I continued
a bit slower over mile 20 to let my legs (and mind?) recover, at 7:30.
Once my legs felt good (actually sore, but loose), I turned to the
final part of my plan: Go faster to the finish if I am ready to do so.
Having had an excellent training preparation including at very fast
10K that would predict a sub 3:00 marathon, I pick up the pace. Mile
21 came in at 6:40. This was probably too fast. And my legs tightened
and threated cramping once again, bringing back memories of the
previous year. Knowing that leg cramping would probably mean the
difference between a sucessful marathon and a repeat of the previous
year. I backed off the pace slightly with miles 23,24,25 at ~7:20.
Over this last stretch, my legs were in definite severe pain, and
cycled from loose to tight. I definitely could have pushed them
harder, but feared the worse. I did manage to finish the last 1.2 at
about 7:00 pace. It is nice to finish strong.
Once across the finish line, I could barely make it through the
feeding trough. I sat and fed on a bench for 5-10 minutes and started
to freeze. Realizing I had a half mile to go to get back to the YMCA
where my stuff and car was, I decided to head out. I made it to the Y
in a painful shuffle (+30:00 pace) shivering (luckly I had sent a
heavy sweatshirt to the finish area).
This has been a good enough experience that I will be back for another
marathon in 2005. I do plan on some minor adjustments to my training
and would be interested in any feedback. I would like to get closer to
my predicted marathon capability that my recent 37:07 10K would
suggest.
Here are my ideas:
1) Current training is working well (Pfitzinger, Advanced
Marathoning), don't change much. My increased experience base
(training and racing) will allow me to go faster.
2) Focus a bit more on leg strength. Weights in pre/early build up.
Then, hills and sprints in program.
3) Slight increase in distance if body/time permits. Always seems to
help.
4) Maybe be more conservative in my taper, definitely watch other
activities week before.
5) Maybe choose a marathon that is flatter at the end (I know Columbus
is a flat marathon). Even the Cincinnati marathon that has a more
substantial climb, but (if they run the same as 2004) it comes early
and the last 10+ miles are flat to slight downhill. Also, I run these
roads every week and they would not be a mental challenge.