Rest

30 Oct

Rest
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Rest--I did ride my bike to class this morning, but I left 15 min earlier!

(New) Total Time for MCM 3:33:30

Pre-Race "Rest"--Fri before the race was one of the most hectic days I've ever had, and included two runs, one of which was in combat boots. It was actually supposed to be my quality rest day before the race. I think this is where I hurt my left a** cheek and right calf. Ugh.

Pre-Race Nutrition--Again, let's just forget about Friday! Friday did end with Greek salad, homemade pizza, ice cream, and some Smirnoff! Saturday, I ate a lot of foods I really like: sushi, salmon, pasta, pizza, and a piece of cake. Breakfast on Sunday: baked salmon, baked potato, piece of cheese pizza, OJ. Just before the race I had my usual frappuccino and snickers bar. My stomach felt AWESOME!

Pre-Race Ritual--I totally jammed to my favorite tunes to get psyched for the race while riding the Metro. I reread the list of people who made the day possible for me and who continue to provide inspiration and motivation. I also wrote the miles where I would eat my gels (water stops were in weird places) and my splits (1-10, 11-16, 17-20) on my hand.

Miles 1-10--My a** cheek wasn't feeling 100% at the start line, so I decided it was going to be a Goal B day (sub-3:40), which was just fine with me. The first 10 miles were ~8:30/pace. It was so packed for the first 9 miles, no one could move anyway. Plus I'm patient and I welcomed the slow pace.

Miles 11-16--We finally spread out, and I picked it up just a little bit. It takes me a while to get warmed up anyway. The wind coming down the mall toward Haines Point near the 1/2 marathon point was just ridiculous though. I passed some guys from the Air Force Academy and from the University just after the half. I was pretty confident of my ability to negative split the marathon when I saw what my 1/2 marathon time was. Considering, I felt pretty good.

Miles 17-20--My FAVORITE part of the race! I needed a break from the tons of people and the crowds. In mile 3, a bazillion people passed me on the way into Georgetown. After mile 16 no one passed me, and I must have passed several hundred people after that. People didn't look so great running around Haines Point. But my TNT friends gave lots of encouragement!

Last 10K--Wind rears its ugly head at this point (BAD wind started on 14th St Bridge). A friend ran with me for the last 7.2 miles, and it sure was nice to have the company! He didn't dictate pace, which was fine. I could not believe how HARD it was to run up that hill at the Iwo Jima memorial!!! The medals this year are awesome.

Post-Race--A friend and I collected my stuff, checked in at the TNT tent, and watched people finish for about 3 hours afterward. I don't have a voice today! It was incredible! My right shoulder hurt the worst out of everything, but my legs weren't that sore. I'm ok today, and the bike ride this morning felt ok. I don't even feel dehydrated.

Overall--Given Friday's horrible day and the wind, I don't think I could have ran any faster. I really did leave it all out on the course. I didn't walk at all, and I ran through EVERY water stop (first time in 9 marathons!).

What went wrong:
Friday. Everything went wrong on Friday.
Too much taper! I should maintain higher mileage.
Wind (no control, but hey)

What went right:
Training to hydrate only every 4 miles
Pre-race fueling
Pre-race ritual (quotes, music, inspirational people, etc)
5 gels (6, 9, 13, 17, 21)
Breaking race down into chunks by pace (1-10, 11-16, 17-20, 10K)
Running for a charity was fun and motivational
Wearing gloves
Writing splits and when to eat gels on my hand
Wearing sunglasses and contact lens
Pinning gels to outside of shorts, then folding inside
Wearing my bigger size socks
Being boxed in for 9 miles
Foot powder in socks
Running through all water stops (pinch cup at the top and sip)
Cheering for runners
A, B, and C goal plans worked well
I have learned patience!!!
Boston Qualification!
Marathon #9
(Most important) I had FUN!

Still need to work on:
Adverse weather conditions
Better pre-race Fridays
More strength training!
Developing a faster "slow" pace (next goal is 7:40/mi)
Not being paranoid in the first 10 miles