Training Log Archive: levitin

A thought on race organization. The Shamrock half began at 0700. At this point, the sun had recently risen, but it was somewhat nippy out. I'm glad our race didn't start until 8am. Assuming a modest 2 hour half marathon (9:09 pace), that gets Joe Runner to the beer tent at 9 in the morning. (The naming sponsor is a beer company.)

Who wants to drink beer at 9 in the morning ?

Event: Shamrock Marathon
 

Event: WCOC Season Opener
 

A beautiful day for a race. I planned the race, and raced the plan for 16-18 miles.The plan was to start slow, and speed up, which I managed pretty well. Suffered intermittent cramps starting around 23. Did not bring my electrolyte caps, which probably would have helped stave off the cramps, but my pace was already fading from fatigue even before the cramps arrived.

Further split and HR analysis later.

Parts of the race were successful. I seeded myself properly. I stuck to my race plan for 20 miles. A significant part of this was to go out at a speed that should have enabled negative splits and not guaranteed a meltdown. At 8:45s for the first 6 miles, I watched (patiently) people pass by me. Then I sped up moderately to 8:30s, again successfully. I didn't burn up, either going too fast or raising my HR too high. I slowly reeled in people who had slipped past me in the southbound part of the course. I was less than a minute ahead of plan at the half marathon. I knew I did not want to run too large a surplus or I would melt down. At 15 I sped up again, according to plan, to 8:20s, and actually logged a few 8:20 miles along the wooded section of Shore Drive.

The 5M splits were not designed to be even for this race. The goal was to have 5/5/5/5/6.2 splits as follows:
43:45
42:45
42:35
41:40
52:xx for the final 10K.

In fact, the splits were
43:20
42:15
42:49
43:18 (< 90 seconds late vs. plan after a 90s pitstop)
1:01:23 for the final 10K.

I'm thinking of this as a mental success, and a reality-check that I cannot achieve vast race goals with half-vast training.

Shamrock Expo, VB.

Smaller than last year, fewer freebies. The marathon shirt is long sleeve technical and light colored. The black shirt from last year is a bit of an oddity: wicking material in black.

I joked w/ the folks from OBX Marathon about how they spelled AARHGG on the back of their T. The woman *finally* saw what was on her partner's shirt and saw the H in the middle of the word.

Temps are about the same here as in Boston. Maybe going out for a bit of a shake-down run in a bit.

Easy run at Northside Park, down Tidewater Dr and back to the park, then around to make 20 min. A bit windy and chilly (~48°) for how I was dressed (shorts and windbreaker, cap, no gloves). Legs feel fine.

Just got over stomach bug a day ago. Weather in VB is predicted to be in the 50s. I have not run hard in this heat and sun in a long time. Perhaps the crowds will need sunglasses because of the wide expanses of pale flesh shown by all the runners, me included, from the frozen north.