Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Post-Marathon Post Mortem

“Well, that sucked.”

Pretty much sums up my feelings right after we crossed the finish line on Sunday. Quad and knee pain started to kick in heavily around mile 17 or so, forcing me to walk a bit and slowing us down. I’m certainly happy to have that fourth medal but it was a bit frustrating to have a bad day on race day. Jen felt great, though, and we’d decided beforehand to finish together so it was nice that she helped me drag my butt across the line.

Spent the last three days trying to figure it out and there’s really not much to analyze beyond the fact that, as the cliché says, some days you feel great and some days you don’t. Sunday was the latter and it was unfortunate that it happened on race day.

Conversely, I am pretty happy that I gutted it out and finished only 15 minutes slower than my goal of 4:30. There’s some satisfaction in that and in the fact that our training had really gone pretty well with only a few minor speed bumps along the way. Our 20 mile runs were good. Our speed training and tempo runs felt great, for the most part. We overscheduled ourselves in the last six weeks with kid stuff and work things and that impacted our ability to cross train, which may have hurt me. In the end, I took the race I was given and made the most of it.

Random notes:

*Saw some great signs and writing on shirts along the way including: “Chafe today, brag forever.” “I’m running with my daughter,” on a mid-50s man, right next to a 20-something woman with “I’m running with my father.” “Run like someone’s chasing you.” My favorite was on the back of a runner: “Sometime in the future, there will come a day when we will not be able to do this. This is NOT one of those days.”

*Felt weird to start the race all bundled up as we faced temps in the low 30s that never really climbed above the low 40s all day. Stayed in three layers and my running pants through the whole race and was shivering uncontrollably for 15 minutes afterward due to exertion and the cold. After two years of extreme heat, ironic that we’d face chilly temps on race day.

*Mentally, I’m incredibly happy to be done with marathons for a while. Both Jen and I really became burned out this summer and we’re jazzed about throttling it back to half-marathons and cross training. In some sense, I think we’ll be in even better shape with the added cross training and the variety. Adding to that, we’ve signed up for this half marathon in February, providing extra motivation to train hard through the winter and forcing us to take a little vacation to boot.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

T-Minus 1 Day and Counting. . .

As I write this, it’s about 20 hours until the start of the 2009 Chicago Marathon and the culmination of another long training season for Team Wuori. I’m sitting in our hotel room at the Renaissance, looking east toward Chicago as the skyline pokes through the early-morning haze and watching planes make their way toward the airport.

We’re on the east/west O’Hare flight pattern and the planes literally pass right over our hotel room, gear already down, about 60-90 seconds from landing. Soundproof glass and the fact that I’m a plane junkie make this a pleasant location.

My emotions are all over the board but in general I’m feeling good about the race and how our training went this summer. There seemed to be a few more aches and pains than in previous years and I missed two longer runs due to injury and illness. However, I think I’m in better overall shape that I’ve been in our three previous marathons.

Even experienced marathoners have pre-race doubts and I’m no exception. I’m a little concerned about my left knee and left ankle, which have been bothering me off and on this summer. I’m also a little perplexed by what to wear. With morning temps in the low 30s, staying warm in the early miles may be a challenge. While I know I’ll warm up once things get going, it’s the 45-60 minutes of pre-race waiting that may take its toll.

One other thought that I keep returning to is to enjoy the experience. I tend to get so worked up in worrying about the weather, my aches and pains and my time goals that I sometimes forget that this is supposed to be fun. Running with 40,000 runners, each with their own individual story, in a sea of a million spectators, should be an inspirational and exciting experience. I just need to remember to stay in the moment and enjoy it. Just a little bit.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

T-Minus 2 Days and Counting. . .

Good run on Wednesday a.m. Did 3.1 in about 28 minutes, taking great pains to go nice and slow. Was a little groggy from lack of a “wake up” shower that I usually take before our morning runs. And, hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. All in all, though, I did feel fine.

Our bigger concern right now is weather. Forecast is for morning temps to be in the high 20s/low 30s, with the daily high only at 46. No rain forecast yet, which is good. However, the temps mean that we will most likely be running most of the race in the 30s, which creates a whole different set of issues. I’m not as concerned about my upper body as I am about my lower body. I’m trying to figure whether or not to wear my polypro running pants or not for the duration of the race.

I’ve run 3-5 miles in them before but never a long run and I just don’t want to end up with chafing issues halfway into the race. I’ve begun thinking about having running shorts on under the running pants and then just running in that until I feel comfortable enough to lose the running pants. Decisions. Decisions.

We’ll have “throwaway” clothes to wear on the train to downtown and to keep on before the start. That's really where I have most of my concern. We'll be at the starting area for about an hour before we actually start running and it's during that time that we'll have the potential to be really cold. So, gonna dress in layers and just plan to throw off some stuff as the start gets closer. It's a weird scene but necessary.

Received some good advice in the mass e-mail from the race medical director reminding runners that we want to be cold the first couple of miles and to dress as though it were 20 degrees warmer. Just need to keep remembering that.

We're going to try to get in one final 3- or 4-mile run tomorrow morning or afternoon, weather permitting, just to keep the legs fresh. Then, it's relaxation city until the start.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

T-Minus 4 Days and Counting. . .

Our plan this week as we zero in on race day is to do 3-4 miles each day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday just to keep the legs loose. Ran last night after class and cranked out an easy 3 in just under 27 minutes, coming in just as the dark was becoming an issue. Did the loop around Rock Valley College with a glorious sunset giving way to dusk and then darkness. Temps were low 50s, the run was effortless and the tunes on the Shuffle were just right. This is what running is all about and it felt great. Going to head out on Wednesday morning to do about 3 or 4 and probably do the same on Friday morning.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

T-Minus 7 Days and Counting. . .

Well, here we are. One week from right now, I'll be sitting in a hotel in Chicago getting ready to get a fitful night of sleep as I ready for our fourth Chicago Marathon. It's been a long road of training and it's nice to be ready as we near the end.

Did our final long run today; 10 miles with 5 out from home and back. Temps were a bit chilly, not that I'm complaining, with the long-term forecast for next week looking about the same. Had a couple of takeaways from today's run. First of all, I'm in wicked good shape, as they say in Maine. Knocked off 10.15 miles in 1:34:22, averaging just under 9:20 pace, much faster than we'll run next week. Felt great, nearly from start to finish, from a cardio standpoint.

On the not-so-great front, I had some knee pain toward the end and my connective tissue from my leg to foot is sore, as it has been after most of my 10+ mile runs. I look at it this way; it's general fatigue from all of the running this summer and I'll be able to have a good recovery following the race.

My pain tolerance is fairly high and if I have to suffer next week, it'll be worth it to have that medal hanging from my neck. We're set for a few short runs this week, just to keep the legs fresh. And, news flash, I'm getting my first-ever massage on Wednesday in the hopes that it'll loosen me up a bit for the big race.

More thoughts to come. . .