Racing Reflections

As I sign up for my next race, I've been had the change to reflect on the Chicagoland Spring Marathon: what went well, what I might alter, and what totally bombed.

Let's start with the good.

My training was spot on as far as number of runs and hitting my mileage for the week.  I missed a handle of workouts due to fatigue or not feeling well.  The majority of the time I at least attempted the run and often was able to complete my workout.  I definitely put in the work and my legs were marathon ready.

My nutrition was also very good while training.  I stuck with my staples of a green smoothie in the morning and a large salad for lunch.  Dinner always fluctuated, but my cooking usually revolves around a lean protein (fish, chicken, steak occasionally), a carb, and lots of veggies.  More vegetables than you think it possible for a human being to eat.  Once a week we ate salad dinner as well.

What I would do differently with my food involves the weekend and sweets.  Weekends we eat out once or twice usually with a glass of beer or two.  I also eat less frequently on the weekends, though bigger meals.  My smoothies are exchanged for something heavy on the carbs.  There tends to be overall less fruit, whole foods.  I also LOVE to bake.  I keep premade, pre-scooped cookie dough in freezer bags so it can be baked as wanted.  We all know processed sugar doesn't help our athletic goals and my goal for my next race is to decrease it to two or three times a week.

Here is what went wrong.  Really, really wrong.

I went out with too fast of a pace.  And I knew it.  The whole time.  I was too excited about running 8:00 miles and hitting all my splits.  When I do a training run, the first 1-2 miles are the warm-up and I usually start off with an 8:45-8:30 pace.  After mile 2 my legs start churning and I find that 8:00 mile easily.  The pacer I was following for the first few miles was hitting 7:45, 7:30 miles, nothing was near the pace I needed to hit and it was too fast too early for me.

While I hit my mileage during my training, I ran too many of these miles too fast.  With a race pace goal of 8:00 miles, I was hitting an 8:30 at my slowest for an easy run.  I was not letting my body recover enough in between race pace efforts and speed work.  Coming from a soccer and lacrosse background, when we ran during practice I would run as fast as I could to get it over with.  I'm still running with that mentality during my marathon training and it is the wrong way to go.  My goal for my next training cycle is more easy runs at 8:45-9:00 pace and race pace efforts no more than once a week.

Totally wrong.  But seriously hilarious.  Please DNF before you die.

Other changes I would make?

Besides the nutrition and better pacing, I would like to run more miles on the surfaces the race covers.  I ran a lot of crushed limestone trails when the marathon was completely on asphalt and my legs felt it.

I am going to strength train more consistently.  I usually lift weights 2-3 times a week, but when the mileage increased, strength training was exchanged for couch time.  I notice improve posture, running efficiency and endurance when I am incorporating more lifting into my routine and it is something that is too beneficial to ignore.

I also am going to make time for more yoga.  Yoga makes my back happy and keeps my hips loose while I can't achieve with only stretching after a run.


What have you learned from a bad run or race?

How many easy runs do you run a week?

Chicagoland Spring Marathon Recap: My First DNF

The Chicagoland Spring Marathon was held on Sunday May 17, 2015 with the full and half marathons both starting together at 7:05 am in Schaumburg, IL.  Packet pick up was on Saturday at Dick Ponds Running Store in Hoffman Estates.  There was a long line to get your bib, but it went quickly. 

Sunday morning my alarm went off at 5 am to start my pre-race coffee, bagel and banana.  After only 4 hours of sleep, I was slow to get moving.  A couple cups of coffee seemed to do the trick and we were out the door by 6 am. 

This race is close to home.  We arrived at the starting line and parked by 6:30.  I was tired, but excited to run and line up with the 8:00/mile pace group.   The temperature was in the lower 70s and the humidity was at 70%.

 

I had met a fellow runner at the packet pick-up and we both had the same pace goal.  We lined up together and talked for the first hour of the race.

The course went through Busse Woods which is a beautiful wooded area with asphalt paths running throughout. The race field was small enough so that we were comfortable on the paths without feeling overcrowded.  There were even bicyclists and non-marathon runners out on the path for their morning workout and there was still plenty of room. The only part of the course I did not like was the multiple out and backs.  At one point, we did the same out and back twice.  I do understand the constrictions of the park itself, but it did seem like too many.  Also, I’m pretty sure at one point a girl walking next to me just turned around instead of getting all the way to the end and turning around.  Cheating is never a good thing.

The first 7 miles of this race were a breeze for me.  I was hitting my 8:00/mile goal on target and I was excited to see Chris cheering me on at mile 6.5.  I had some unrest in my stomach, but it was something I decided I could push through.  My legs felt fresh and moved effortlessly.  

Miles 8-13 I started to feel the effects of the humidity.  I was drenched in sweat.  I took one cup of Gatorade and one cup of water at every water stop, but I felt parched and I had difficulty stomaching my Clif Shot Bloks.  Around mile 12, I was told by a spectator that I was in the top 20 for the women and to keep pushing.  I got a (short) second wind and kept pushing on despite my pace falling to 8:10-8:20/mile.  After the hallway point, I started to alternate running and walking.  I noticed a lot of other runners struggling as well.  I kept moving knowing that I would see Chris at mile 17.  When I finally got to that point, I teared up seeing him.  I was exhausted and ready to quit.  He gave me a pep talk and said he’d see me at mile 21 to check on my status. 

I tried to put my head in the game for 4 more miles until I could see him again, but my pace continued to slow and I was walking more than I was running.  By mile 19, I noticed I had stopped sweating despite the heat and humidity.  My hamstrings started to cramp up and I knew that I was done. 

I reached mile 21, spotted Chris, and I told him I had enough.  He said I was looking a little pale (which, for me, is unbelievable as I am always bright red when I run). I stopped at the last nearby water stop and downed 4 cups of Gatorade.  I also drank half the water in my Nalgene when we got to his car.

Sitting down in the car seat I felt like a quitter and a failure.  I was discouraged beyond belief.  I had never stepped out of a race before despite how hard I had to push and struggle to complete it. I was tired, but I also thought I had made a mistake for deciding to DNF.

When we arrived home, I immediately took off my sweaty gear. I stepped on the scale as I was curious just how much I was sweating out.  I had lost 4 pounds.  That was after drinking all of that Gatorade and water.  Seeing that number convinced me that I had made the right decision in stepping off of the course.

Am I discouraged? A little.  I feel as though I could have kept going. I could have pushed through and at least had a sub-4.   But my body was giving me a signal to stop.  I have enough medical background to understand if I stop sweating during a hot and humid race, my body is being overworked and could have dangerous consequences.

Yesterday my body felt good considering what it went through.  My hips and back were sore, but felt better as I moved around throughout the day.  I also focused on drinking tons of water (over 100 oz), eating water rich fruits and vegetables, and healthy proteins.  Today I finally don’t feel thirsty.  The soreness is also gone.

This race was a huge learning experience for me.  I am proud of myself for recognizing the signs of dehydration, however I do believe I could have prevented some of the problems.  First off, I definitely went out too fast.  I often have this problem at races.  It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement.  Sunday I was trying to stick with a pace group that started around a 7:45 mile and averaged less than 8:00/mile through the first 6 miles.  I eventually decided to fall back from them, but it was a little too late.  Second, I need to drink and eat more in the morning.  I didn’t have much of an appetite because I was exhausted from the lack of sleep.  However, as I was unable to eat my fuel during the run, the morning breakfast would have provided me with more energy.  Drinking more water in the morning could have also helped me with my fluid consumption.  Third, deciding when to pull out of a race is very difficult.  It was hard to determine if what I felt was discomfort or something worse since it was not pain related.  Listening to your body is definitely the most important part of racing and I think the most difficult aspect for some of us to achieve. 

The Chicagoland Spring Marathon is definitely a race I would do again.  The course was gorgeous and very relaxing.  The entry fee was very reasonable (I think I paid $75).  Hopefully the weather will cooperate with us better next year.