Note: full race report is now up here
Won't have time to write up the complete report until Tuesday but here's the executive summary:
Weather cool and some clouds and sun. Held pace of 8:53 or so on the Garmin....I was getting more tired gradually but not too bad... I figured could still go PR or for sure sub 4 hours gutting it out the last 5 miles .... until mile 21, that's were you turn back for the final run to the finish which was smack into a 10mph headwind on the beach boardwalk.
The energy output for keeping pace went up by about 10%...about 2 miles of this and I was into "Wall' in a big way and I crashed and had to do run-walk. Finished in about 4:06:30...
Nevertheless, I'm happy to have done my 20th marathon in what was probably my forth fastest time. It was a beautiful day and I had some interesting conversation during the race.
But I'm annoyed that I couldn't have run the race smarter. It's not easy to optimize pacing to 10 min in a 240 min event I guess.
Obviously I should have gone out slower, but not sure how I could have known that. Perhaps I should just subtract 10 minutes from my current methods and then do negative splits if conditions and the stats look good? I will have to ponder this.
I can't complain about this: it's why I like the marathon...much more difficult to optimize than shorter races. I'm just puzzled.
Once again I come away really liking the Surf City Marathon...the support is awesome and the setup is very good for marathoners.. the half looks a bit too crowded for my taste.
I also used AirBnB to find a place to stay for one night (hotels have mandatory 2 night)...worked out really well.
More later...
Pacing for a marathon is so incredibly hard. I just don't get how you can try for a PR unless you push it a bit harder from the start. But if you push too hard then it'll all blow up in your face. It's about getting the balance just right - and I have no idea how this is done.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe the road marathon is one of the hardest races on the planet (even ultras) because it takes such precision to glue all the integral pieces together to come cross that finish line feeling strong. The marathon is a beast of a race, because it's just that - a race, for a very long time! But Char is right, if you don't try, you will never know. And there is beauty in that. You tried.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have learned as I get older is as our bodies age (unfortunately), we have to fine-tune those muscles even tighter so they remain strong for things like wind.
I'd suggest to not wait too long between marathons; do a few in a row within a couple weeks of one another, and I bet you will find the 3rd or so one the strongest. Then start over with a training cycle. Take a few days of rest and think about it.
I salute your effort and your grit to give it a try. That means a lot in my book! Glad you loved the event, too!
That is still a good time, well done! As Jill says, road marathons are really tough. I found that I had to be in super shape to run sub 4 and do it comfortably. My best is 3:49 and I remember I was thin as a stick man when i ran that. Rest well!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 20th marathon.
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