Winning Back What I Lost

St. George Marathon

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Location:

Meridian,ID,US

Member Since:

Mar 31, 2008

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

PR's:

5K Beat Coach Pete Fun Run Boise, ID- 21:13(2009)

Meridan Barn Sour Days 10k, Meridian, ID- 41:32(2012)

Famous Potato Half Marathon, Boise, ID- 1:30:40 (2012)

Utah Valley Marathon, Provo, UT- 3:20:14 (2011)

Athlinks profile here.

Garmin Connect profile here.

Short-Term Running Goals:

2014 Racing Schedule and Goals: 

-Get healthy

-St. George Marathon, October 4, 2014, St. George, UT

Long-Term Running Goals:

Run at least one marathon every year until I buy the farm.

Qualify for Boston Marathon.

Personal:

Started running in November 2007 to get fit. Now I'm back almost to square one after back surgery. I did it once and I'll do it again.

"In truth, runners don't race other runners. They race against themselves: to conquer their wills, to transcend their weaknesses, to beat back their nightmares. And while a runner can't actually beat himself, he can beat his time. Even years into running, he can get better."  Running for His Life by Michael Hall. 

 

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
New Balance MR 1400 Lifetime Miles: 392.77
Saucony Kinvara 2 Lifetime Miles: 424.41
Saucony Kinvara 3 Lifetime Miles: 438.89
Saucony Ride 5 Lifetime Miles: 235.68
Brooks Launch (Blue/Yellow) Lifetime Miles: 282.52
Hoka Rapa Nui Tarmac's Lifetime Miles: 181.17
Hoka Clifton (Blue)(2) Lifetime Miles: 164.15
Race: St. George Marathon (26.2 Miles) 03:30:29, Place overall: 886, Place in age division: 135
Total Distance
26.20

It was a near perfect day to run a fast marathon. Perfect starting temp, perfect tail wind, and a perfect downhill course. That is, if you're properly prepared to take advantage. Obviously, I was not. I just didn't have the endurance or leg strength to take advantage of the downhill in the last 6 miles.

I thought long and hard about what I would do when I started to suffer. Would I fold and give up? I went over in my mind and tried to imagine that moment because it always comes. I still haven't learned how to suffer well. I've run enough of these things to realize that the pain won't last for long but it's so hard to push past it. I really admire those who can.

Miles 1-7 felt really easy, as they should. Hung with the 3:15 pace group until just before Veyo Hill as I ducked behind the POP for a quick leak. Big mistake. It's so hard to run alone. I closed to within shouting distance of them, about 150 yds back, through Veyo and the rollers during miles 8-12 but never actually caught up to them again. Despite this, I came through the half at 1:38:07 which was exactly according to plan.

What I didn't plan on was the pace group pulling away on the downhill starting at 13. I just couldn't get my legs to turn over. They were just too tight from working so hard on the uphill, too hard it turns out. Psychologically, this was devastating. I was on my own and could actually see my goal, in the form of red and white balloons, desert me in the desert.

I kept running, or something like it. Aided by the steep downhill, I was only slightly off pace through the 30k mark (7:29 overall) but I knew that the ledges were lurking and I was hurting way too much and way too early to finish with the negative split I needed. At 19, I told myself to just keep running no matter what. Even if my pace slowed to a crawl, if I stopped to walk it would just get easier to give in. But give in I did. The last 10k (1:11!) was a mix of jogging and walking. Even on the steepest of the downhill I never broke 8:30 pace again. Pathetic.

On the upside, I didn't have my typical GI issues. Experimented with a new product called PREV. Took a dose a half hour before the race and another at the half. I had sporadic attacks of stomach pain but they didn't last long and I never felt compelled to visit the POP. So I've eliminated that excuse/obstacle which bodes well when I'm actually well-trained and in better shape.

I'm not as disappointed as I thought I'd be. Certainly not as dejected as I was in June when I thought 3:15 was almost inevitable. Hopefully, I can regroup after taking the week to recover and heal. Maybe I'll find the desire to train harder, eat better, and get fitter. Maybe I won't. We'll see.

Saucony Kinvara 3 Miles: 26.20
Comments
From Marlin on Mon, Oct 08, 2012 at 07:21:00 from 174.253.161.114

Great job Neil, you are an awesome marathoner my friend, you worked through it and came out with a respectable time. (more long slow runs and more marathons?)

From SlowJoe on Mon, Oct 08, 2012 at 13:17:30 from 69.131.141.92

Tough race. We had perfect conditions down here too; I feel your pain as I managed to waste them as well.

I hope you will find that motivation to keep going. A 1:30 HM PR definitely means you have the ability to crush a BQ time, it's just a matter of everything needing to come together.

From Kelli on Mon, Oct 08, 2012 at 17:11:39 from 67.172.235.55

WOW, I could copy and paste your opening comments! Those last 6 miles were just brutal. And i did the same thing as you---I knew the blow up would come and I tried to be prepared for it! OH, the JOY of marathoning!

Everything WILL come together, it will! Nice job battling through the race.

From Court on Mon, Oct 08, 2012 at 23:10:00 from 12.155.85.131

Solid race Neil. Good job.

From jtshad on Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 15:00:19 from 204.134.132.225

Sorry about the tough race, but you showed your character by keeping going and not quitting. As you said, you have run enough to have an understanding of the marathon. You will find the right combination of training, hydration, fueling and hit your BQ time.

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