Race report: a short report for a short day

[Ryan]

At the moment, I don't really feel like delving into the dirty details of how the whole race went. I'll just give a quick synopsis. If you don't want to read a few paragraphs, here's the real short story. No fatigue, even when I had to stop, no reason to believe I got in over my head or went in with a too aggressive goal or anything like that. My calf muscles just rebelled.

Essentially, I went into the marathon with two concerns. Seeing as my goal was essentially to run 2:50-3:00 and I knew I was in shape for better, lack of conditioning or an over aggressive goal was not one of them. I knew I was in shape to finish in the goal time. My first concern was the tight hips that first made themselves known in June and I had largely managed but still occasionally made themselves known when running faster, typically faster than marathon pace. I wasn't too worried but it was in the back of my mind. By about 7-8 miles, the hips flared up but I managed to work through that issue by about 13-14 miles without slowing down. At this point, I was in third place and feeling like I was on top of the world. In fact, I was thinking of chasing down second place. I honestly felt like I was about 5-10 miles into a 20+ mile long run. I was very much under control, if anything running too easy for race day.

My second concern was actually a bit of an afterthought. A couple of times this summer, my calves would twitch a little in a sign of early cramping. It has never been an issue before 20 miles and it was only on real hot days, where I was very late in a long run and the temperature had already climbed into the 80s. I figured it would be no problem, seeing as the temperatures would "only" be in the 70s by the end. Well, just after 16 miles, I felt the right calf twitch. Then the left. I was able to keep going but they gradually got worse until every couple hundred yards or so, I would get a hitch in my stride when one would cramp just after toe-off. Still, I was able to maintain at least a decent pace so I kept making my way along.

Then, it happened. Somewhere right around the 20 mile mark, they got worse. Shortly after 20, as I was approaching an aid station, they didn't completely lock up on me but got bad enough that I knew the final 6 miles would be slow and risky. Did I want to risk a bad injury for a performance I was going to be frustrated with? It was very hard to do this because I was so focused on going by Jamie's bench and finishing strong for Jamie but I couldn't risk it. I pulled off at the aid station, someone brought ice for me, and eventually I got up, tore my timing chip off my shoe, tossed it in the trash and asked for a ride back to the finish line.

It's frustrating when you've run 20 mile training runs over far more hilly courses on warmer and more humid days at a faster pace than you were able to manage to cover 20 miles on race day but that's life sometimes. It wasn't my day, a couple of race day issues such as bad handoffs at aid stations didn't help, and I'm sure I'll notice a few things I could have done differently as I review my training log.

I will be back for some unfinished business next year, though probably running the half. It was a half, after all, that Jamie never got to finish.

[Andrew A.]

There is good reason that I would not care to run a marathon June-August (Paavo Nurmi possibly excepted).     Regardless, given the circumstances you ran smart and did not let emotion lead you to do something stupid out there.  Like Kenny Rodgers put it, know when to fold 'em -- a lot of less wise people would have held on out of foolish pride and wound up with nothing to show for it except a longer recovery period.

[cesar]

Good decision. Beat them all in the alumni meet!!

[Ryan]

Andrew, thing was it was supposed to be little more than a long run and that's the way I was running it. Whatever happened, such is life. You win some, you lose some. It may take me a while to even think about getting back on the marathon horse but that's fine, the shorter races are more fun in many ways.

As for Paavo, I've been there twice for the relay. This one plays out to be far less grueling than that, though it may not have some of the other aspects that make Paavo a draw for some.

Cesar, I'm not sure about beat them all but I'll give it my all. Whatever I have left in my legs at that time will all be left on the course.

[Andrew A.]

On the same token, not all training runs or workouts should be completed exactly as planned -- it is a fool who pushes on when there are clear cues that the body will not perform.   

[cesar]

Splits were given on the course?


Maybe with you have worn the watch you would have dropped out a lot sooner?




BTW, the photos are in www.runningintheusa.com   and i saw your hearcut, you are virtually bald!!

[Ryan]

Andrew, precisely how I'm looking at it. We all have bad days sometimes, we have to know when to cut our losses and live to fight another day. It sucks when the bad day coincides with race day but that's how it works out sometimes.

Cesar, no splits given on the course. Had I worn a watch, I would have done the same thing. I essentially knew where I was and what pace I was running the whole way, even without the watch.

Fortunately for me, no photos of me after the 17 mile mark or so, which means all the photos look exceptionally good. I was still in the flow in those photos, essentially strolling through an easy run. If somebody doesn't notice that there is no finish line photo of me, they might think I had a great race.

[Ed]

Great thinking and decision-making Ryan -
 
It is truly disappointing when race day just is not your day, especially, if there are sentimental issues tied to the race.  However, that is no reason to make a bad decision.
 
You will race better another day.  Let this be a lesson for others - to follow your lead.