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
Total Distance
42.25
DS Racer 8 Miles: 5.30Saucony Kinvara 3 Miles: 32.38Saucony Tangent 4 (2) Miles: 4.57
Total Distance
5.30

630AM: Easy recovery run. I've got one eye on this weekend's forecast temps in St. George. Looks much better than '10 or '11. [/knock on wood]

DS Racer 8 Miles: 5.30
Add Comment
Total Distance
6.18

830PM: Dress rehearsal- 2M w/u, 2M @ goal MP, c/d. Horrible gut ache the entire run but I got through it. Couple more easy runs, travel day then race day.

Got my usual pre-race massage today and it totally released my piriformis pain. Hope it holds up through the race. Also, hit the 2k mile mark!

Saucony Kinvara 3 Miles: 6.18
Comments(4)
Total Distance
4.57

9PM: Easy + speed (6 x 30 secs). No issues, no problems. One more short run and then a long day of travel.

Saucony Tangent 4 (2) Miles: 4.57
Add Comment
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(5)
Total Distance
42.25
DS Racer 8 Miles: 5.30Saucony Kinvara 3 Miles: 32.38Saucony Tangent 4 (2) Miles: 4.57
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