DopeyBadger
Imagathoner
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
RACE DAY!!!
To Infinity and Beyond - Becoming a Better DopeyBadger (Comments Welcome)
- Thread starter DopeyBadger
- Start date
DopeyBadger
Imagathoner
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
3:28:36 unofficial.
Details to come later.
Details to come later.
opusone
Imagineer Wanna Be
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2011
All I can say is... REDEMPTION!! I know last year's Wisconsin Marathon didn't quite go as planned for you, but you made the changes that needed to be made: reconsidered your training options, found what works for you, and stuck with it. You should be very proud!
From 75th percentile a year ago to 11th percentile today (and a top 100 finish)!!
From 75th percentile a year ago to 11th percentile today (and a top 100 finish)!!
DopeyBadger
Imagathoner
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
2016 Wisconsin Marathon Recap
Like any good story you have to start at the beginning.
The beginning of this story started on May 2nd, 2015. It was my 5th attempt at a marathon and 5th attempt at breaking one of my goals: a sub-4:00 marathon. I had trained harder than any training plan I had done prior and went into the day feeling very confident. I remember vividly doing my pre-run stretches and looking to my wife and saying "Today is going to be a good day." Things did not work out that well for me. By mile 11 of the race, all goals were gone and I SERIOUSLY considered DNF'ing and just pulling off the course. I wasn't injured. I just wasn't having the kind of day I had imagined. It wasn't the day I trained for. I lost all motivation. I ended up finishing with my worst marathon time of 4:58. I was devastated. I thought to myself, "Honestly, what could I have done differently?" I saw other runners seemingly not as effected by what I perceived as the reason I failed so miserably (forecast morning of was for 60s and when I finished it was 88). This marathon pushed me in a way no other had before. It made me completely review everything I was doing. If I wanted to reach my goals, I had to make changes. I evaluated my diet, my training schedule, my philosophy on pacing, my carb loading strategy, my mental weaknesses, my tapering... If it was related to running I picked it up and read it. I needed to know what I had to do differently. A few days after the race had ended, they were offering a reduced registration for early birds. I bit on it and swore I'd be back again to prove I can and would do better.
Flash forward one year and here I am. Sitting with a completely revamped view of running. So without further ado, my recap of the 2016 Wisconsin Marathon.
It starts with Friday (the day prior to race day). As I previously laid out, I was to complete the Western Australian carb loading strategy. After waking up and completing a short run, I started the carb process at 6:30am. Looking at the clock and plan I realized it would take 11 hours to complete it and I would prefer it be finished sooner because I wanted enough time for everything to settle prior to bed. So, instead of the laid out plan I went with 4 scoops and cut the time down to finish at 1:30pm. Everything went fine, but honestly after consuming 34 separate 8oz servings of that stuff I was over it. I ended up eating a few more carbs, protein, and fat from normal food than previously described (what can I say I was still hungry) and ended up at about 12.3 g carbs / kg body weight. I headed to bed at 6:45pm.
It wasn't great sleep, but was good enough. Lucy (our dog) doesn't do well with storms and lucky me it was storming. My wife took her to the living room to calm her down so she only effected my sleep a little, but the last time she visited at 2:15 am was my can't get back to sleep moment. I just laid there until 3:00am (when I planned to wake anyways). Got everything in the car and we were off by 4:30am. I did a quick check of the weather and the current conditions at 4:30am were 70 and no wind in Kenosha.
It was a 1.75 hour drive to Kenosha from our place and all along I kept an eye on the forecast. It was staying around 66 and no wind. The interesting part was that as each hour passed it went from predicted 20mph winds to 0 wind. The front was clearly moving slower than predicted. Gigi was sound asleep in the back (and drooling!)
We arrived at 6:00am and got a nice close parking spot. Got dressed and made my way to the starting area. After I made a last pitstop around 6:20am, it dawned on me that I had forgotten to put on glide between my legs. My wife rushed back to get the car while I started my stretching. I did my normal dynamic stretching routine with my new static hip stretches that have been working well for me the last 4 weeks. I got a quick jog in to warm-up the muscles and met my wife at the starting line to get the glide. I did a quick run to the porta-potty but found the lines to be too long and decided I didn't actually need to use it. I got lined up in the starting chute and was ready to go. Here are two pics of me and Gigi before the start.
And then something crazy happened. They began to sing the national anthem. Oh, that's not the crazy part... At the beginning of the song it was legitimately 66 and no wind. By the end of the song, it was mid-50s and 20mph wind. It was a literal flipping of a switch and we went from practically nothing to full on Northern winds real quick. I lined up and off we went.
I'll break down what I can remember from each mile and give splits and estimated finish time based on splits. Key thing to remember. I run blind to my time, so while I'm including it for your reading pleasure I am completely unaware of my mile splits until I tell you. **Spoiler alert** It's pretty late before I look.
MILE - SPLIT - PREDICTED FINISH TIME
Mile 1 - 7:45 (3:23:03)
As planned I took the first mile easy. I never pushed the pace. I let everyone around me pass me and take off like the little ghosts they were. It became very apparent when we turned from going West to going South that the wind was VERY strong. I made a conscious effort to take it easy. Little did I know "easy" was a 7:45, but honestly it was easy and barely breathing pace. I was introduced to my first set of characters in our story. They were the "Marquette Possee". Them and others will be named at my liberty. They were a loud collection of Marquette University runners both old and college age. They were boisterous and clearly having a good time.
Mile 2 - 7:31 (3:20:00)
First encounter with an aid station went well. Well manned well organized and well done, especially for this early in the race. A lot of fellow racers skipped this first aid station. Still keeping it easy and not pushing it. I knew the turn North was coming soon and would need to conserve energy.
Mile 3 - 7:35 (3:19:42)
As we rounded around mile 2.25 we were about to make our turn. I was introduced to two new re-occuring characters "Baseball Jersey girl" and "Endurance House man". I could tell Baseball Jersey girl was trying to keep up with me and could tell Endurance House man wanted to be ahead of me. As we rounded the turn North it was like a serious punch to the face. I IMMEDIATELY jumped behind Endurance House man with the hope he would break the wind up for me. It was a serious cold wind and it was a real force. Running behind him helped but it wasn't enough.
Mile 4 - 7:37 (3:19:40)
The "Marquette Possee" reappeared and it was a welcome sight. A much larger group of people to help break up the wind. I tucked into the back of the pack and decided to take it easy back there. Still a lot of smiling and loudness to this group, but a tad bit more seriousness. Was still trying to keep it easy.
Mile 5 - 7:36 (3:19:39)
The second aid station was at mile 4.1. I knew going into the race there was one aid station I didn't like from last year but couldn't remember which. Found it! Second aid station and only one table with very few people at it. Had to break stride to get a single water cup and it forced the end to our large group as we got spread out because of the aid station. Originally was planned on meeting my wife at mile 4.5 to get a water bottle from her, but my mom decided to run the 5K and we knew there wasn't enough time for my wife and daughter to see her finish and see me at mile 4.5. I told my wife to see her finish before I left her at the start, so I wasn't expecting to see her.
Mile 6 - 7:50 (3:20:39)
I thought the wind was bad between mile 3-5. Yea, nope. That was a piece of cake because all of the buildings at least slightly broke up the wind. We're talking 20 mph instead of 30 mph, but still it helped. But at the mile 5 marker we turned onto the lake path. No trees, no buildings, just us and the lake. OH AND SAND!!!! I COMPLETELY UNDERESTIMATED what the wind would do to the sand on the beach. It looked like this?!?!?!
OK, MAYBE a small exaggeration. But, yea it was close to this. The sand felt like little pieces of glass slamming into your face, legs, and arms. Some people were trying to run backwards to no avail. I kept reminding myself just make it to 7.5 the turn around and all would be better. Baseball Jersey and Endurance House were still with me and I could tell each were thinking the same thing. Darn this wind! I took in my first e-gel right after hitting the mile 5 marker. Hit up another aid station and was starting to realize I was a little low on water.
Mile 7 - 7:54 (3:21:33)
Our first view of the leaders of the Half came through (he was at mile 9, when I was mile 6.5) Looked strong and like he was enjoying the tail wind. Baseball and I ascended a small hill and we tucked in behind some others with the hope of breaking the wind. Ran into a few members of Marquette Possee and their day was getting a little grimmer. Looked like a few were in a bit of pain.
Mile 8 - 7:42 (3:21:35)
The turn from heading North to heading South came at mile 7.5. THANK GOODNESS! I was FINALLY able to run. I decided to open up the stride a bit and get comfortable for the next 12 miles of South tailwinds.
Mile 9 - 7:20 (3:20:32)
Ran into Baseball Jersey again and we shot the breeze about how it was nice to not be in the head wind anymore. We discussed the Pac-Man and talked about how we were chomping all of the people in front of us.
Mile 10 - 7:26 (3:20:00)
Took in my second e-gel. It was about 0.2 miles after this that I got an instant cramp (side stitch?) in the side of my gut. Then it was in my chest. I really started to panic. Why was this happening? Never had this in training, why now? I realized that my water consumption must be too low to adequately absorb the carbs. I used my technique of removing a cramp, by placing two fingers on the spot and massaging. The cramp is likely a build-up of nasty by-products there and if you can dissipate them into a lower concentration then you can usually overcome. I wasn't so lucky. I also realized that I was going to be short on my gels. I was thinking gels at 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, but realized I only pulled enough gels for 5, 10, 15, 20. So I was a little early on the gel and it didn't go well. Never saw Baseball Jersey again.
Mile 11 - 7:43 (3:20:12)
Hit the next aid station. Only two people and they got overwhelmed. I got the short end of the stick with no hands of water to grab. I had to put on the breaks and wait for a cup. It was uncomfortable and not only did I lose my rhythm in my stride, but my breathing was off. The side cramp was still there and bothersome. I continued to massage it. I encountered the end of the sand storm (FINALLY!) and found Endurance House man again. I passed him and then he passed me.
Mile 12 - 7:28 (3:19:51)
It was pre-planned to meet my wife at mile 11.5. She would have a water bottle with a e-gel rubber banded to the bottle. It was a blessing. I was getting hot, low on water, and needed the gel for later. The exchange worked out perfectly and I was off without missing a beat.
I'm behind the guy in orange. What a photo-bomber... This was the point last year where I almost quit. I was still dealing with the side cramp and felt it was effecting my paces. I "knew" I was slowing down (yep not the case, but mentally I thought I was). It was a bit of a downer because I thought, "Man, I'm ruining my opportunity at faster splits because of this tailwind because I have this side stitch."
Mile 13 - 7:20 (3:19:15)
At just after mile 12 was the turnaround for the Half marathoners. We went from having a decent number of people around to being only able to see one or two in front of me at a time. Big change, but mentally it didn't effect me as much as last year because I was better prepared for it. Side stitch still present and at this point I was wondering if it was ever going to go away. I started focusing on my breathing. Taking deep belly breaths at 1+1+2. I was just trying to get into rhythm again. Kept massaging it.
Mile 14 - 7:27 (3:18:58)
I hit the half marathon mark in 1:39:46. My half PR from December was 1:38:49. I worked significantly harder during the half to get that time. I also had near ideal conditions 30F, no wind, and flat course. If you would have told me I was one minute off PR Half pace I probably would have laughed at you. It definitely didn't feel the same. I was getting concerned about the side stitch. It wasn't going away. I was scheduled to take my next gel at mile marker 13. But because I was one short, and the last gel didn't go well I opted to skip it for now.
Mile 15 - 7:23 (3:18:36)
It was around this point that I re-encountered Endurance House. I chomped him and left him behind hoping to not see him again. I started seeing a few other people and just kept trying to slowly catch up to them. Still skipped the gel at mile marker 14. The side stitch was going away but still present. Kept massaging and kept forcing my breathing.
Mile 16 - 7:26 (3:18:23)
I hit the mile 15 marker and we transitioned to small pebble gravel roads. I was positive it was slowing me down (Surprise! It wasn't!) I kept trying to catch up to people and slowly pass them. I believe I caught a few people here. I finally decided to go for another gel. I decided to do half of the gel and not the whole thing. It worked well. Side stitch was gone, good breathing, and still feeling very strong (although that darn pebble was slowing me down, lol!)
Mile 17 - 7:23 (3:18:07)
I got my first view of the lead marathoner again. He was headed North into the headwind and again with a beach at his side. He looked absolutely miserable and was trying to move as quick as he could, to no avail.
Mile 18 - 7:36 (3:18:10)
My first encounter with a new character, Military Man. He was wearing a military hat. I slowly caught up to him and we jockeyed back and forth for the next mile. I knew the turn to head North was coming soon. I was not looking forward to it. I could see the faces of everyone else headed North and they looked awful. So much effort for so little gains.
Mile 19 - 7:30 (3:18:07)
The last Southern mile. I was doing everything I could to conserve energy and yet maintain a good pace. I was still feeling very comfortable.
Mile 20 - 8:13 (3:18:58)
This was the literal turning point of the race. We literally turned North. We literally came face to face with 30 mph winds. And we could literally only smile at the grand difficulty of the run. The real key was that now there was no large group. There was barely anyone around to try and tag on to. I did my best, but everyone I encountered was going way slower than I wanted to go. I tried my best to maintain the same effort, but was convinced my pace had dropped significantly. I saw Endurance House and Military Man going towards the turn and they weren't too far behind me.
Mile 21 - 8:29 (3:20:05)
Felt the pace continue to drop. My estimate was I was doing a 10-12 min mile. It just felt so difficult. That dang wind! Military Man came up behind me. He was going faster, so I quickly latched on. It was helping having him break the wind, but after about 0.5 miles it was clear his intended pace and effort was more than I could give. He broke away from me and was not seen again on the race course. At this point, him and two other people were the only ones to pass me in the next few miles. I can live with that. Why? Because that means I wasn't falling behind and was at least holding my position with peers of similar paces at this point in the race.
Mile 22 - 8:40 (3:21:18)
The effort was still there, but I could tell I didn't have another gear. It felt like the race was slipping away. I kept positive and kept telling myself to power through the wind as best as I could.
Mile 23 - 8:51 (3:22:38)
I could feel the end was near. I was only 4 miles from the finish. I just kept reminding myself to push as hard as I could. But that darn wind was just pushing harder and harder. The times when I passed the beaches didn't help with all of the sand in my face. I decided to risk it and use the last gel. I again did a half dose being cognizant of trying to stave off another side stitch.
Mile 24 - 8:47 (3:23:48)
Everyone was yelling "Just 3 miles". That's all that's left. Down the stretch I was able to pass a few people. Still feeling strong and still feeling like I was giving my max effort. I was still convinced that may pace was easily in the 11-12 min mile range. I felt like I was barely moving because of the darn wind.
Mile 25 - 9:10 (3:25:15)
Well hello there. A few people came up on me and tried to pass. I dug deep and tried to stave them off. Then, we rounded a corner to a bare no trees, no houses stretch and POW the wind was RIDICULOUS! I literally felt like I wasn't going anywhere. There was a camera man there so it will be really interesting to see that picture... The people trying to pass me all tucked behind me at this point. Looks like I was the leader, and I spent a lot of energy breaking the wind. As we rounded out of the wind, the group broke off from me and left me behind. I could tell I was starting to run on fumes.
Mile 26 - 9:16 (3:26:43)
As I came to the Mile 25 marker I decided it was FINALLY time to break the blind. I was nervous. I was expecting to see a 11-12 min/mile. I was expecting to see a 3:45-4:00 time on the watch. I could tell my pace had slipped because of the wind from Mile 19-now and I was letting everything slip away. WAIT, WHAT?!?!?!?! A 9:10 mile split and a current time of 3:15!!!!!! YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME?!?!!?! So I haven't been running 11-12 min/miles. I'm not running around a 3:45-4:00. I was in complete SHOCK! At about 25.5 miles there was a group of cheer'ers and man were they uplifting! They were loud! They were fun! It was an extreme buildup. I knew if I could maintain pace I would finish just under 3:30 (my watch was a little off the mile markers). All I had to do was keep pushing.
Mile 26.2 - 8:42 pace (3:28:35)
There it was. The final mile marker. 26 miles down and only 0.2 miles (oh, ok 0.4 miles) to go. One thing I didn't really get to enjoy all run was any of my music. Both with the headwind and tailwind it was just too loud to really hear the music. It was a little sad, but then in the last stretch "Chandelier" started. I just smiled. My favorite running song during my final stretch. Sometimes it just works out perfectly. Saw my mom as I entered the finishing chute and crossed the line. Still shocked. REALLY?!?! A 3:28:35. I didn't push the same as I did for last year's 3:38 or last year's half 1:38. It wasn't the same rushed feeling in the final stretch. Yet, here I sit with a 10 minute PR for the marathon distance. But even more important was a 90 MINUTE improvement over last year's time. Let that sink in. I CUT 1.5 HOURS OFF MY TIME FROM LAST YEAR IN THE SAME EVENT. AND I DID THAT WITH A CRAZY HEADWIND. SHOCKED! Just SHOCKED!
I found the Military Man, he crossed only a few seconds ahead of me and congratulated him on the race. Yep, I had definitely made up ground on him in the last few miles even though I never saw him. My daughter came running up and yelled "HIGH FIVE!" It was a fun moment. She gave me a hug and high five and said "Go Runners!" Then the pain of finishing flooded me. I made it about 0.2 miles from the finish line before I asked my wife to get the car and bring it over. I had nothing left. I got in the car and we were on our way home. I pulled off my shoes and they were filled with sand. In both the shoes and the socks. CRAZY! I wonder how long I ran with all of that sand in the shoes/socks. Also, I saw the lake and flags on the course as we drove by so I decided to document the wind on the way home.
The medal!
Final Thoughts
I am super happy with the results. Yea, I didn't hit my 3:26 that I trained for. But, endurance running is an outdoor sport. You have to deal with the conditions like every other athlete out there on the course. I felt like I could run a 3:18. Well low and behold at Mile 19 I was on pace for a 3:18:07. I strongly believe if there wasn't a head wind for the last 7 miles I would have been able to hold pace or even increase it. I was feeling good at that point. It wasn't the "Wall" unless you want to call the wind "THE WALL" then I'd agree with you.
I'm at my limit of pic uploads so I'll throw them into the next post, but here's what would have been here.
*Upload image of overall pacing from Garmin
My final stats from todays run were:
Time - 3:28:35
Overall Place - 73/673 (11%)#
Gender Place - 63/380 (17%)#
Age Place - 16/61 (26%)
#Non-Disney Best Placements EVER!
Lastly, this is my new overall career graph for full marathons and half marathons.
*Upload image of updated career graph
Crazy to think that my new full PR is only out paced by two Half PRs. Truly happy with the progress.
PS - I felt good enough post-run that we ended up making a run to Costco. Yep, recovery already going well. And I indulged on some pizza!
So now comes two weeks off. I'll get to enjoy some more family time. I'll take some time to evaluate my next training plan and decide which races I sign up for for the remainder of the year.
Last of all I want to thank all of you. You have been truly supportive during this last training cycle and I feel truly blessed. Thank you all for taking the time to read about my adventures!
Like any good story you have to start at the beginning.
The beginning of this story started on May 2nd, 2015. It was my 5th attempt at a marathon and 5th attempt at breaking one of my goals: a sub-4:00 marathon. I had trained harder than any training plan I had done prior and went into the day feeling very confident. I remember vividly doing my pre-run stretches and looking to my wife and saying "Today is going to be a good day." Things did not work out that well for me. By mile 11 of the race, all goals were gone and I SERIOUSLY considered DNF'ing and just pulling off the course. I wasn't injured. I just wasn't having the kind of day I had imagined. It wasn't the day I trained for. I lost all motivation. I ended up finishing with my worst marathon time of 4:58. I was devastated. I thought to myself, "Honestly, what could I have done differently?" I saw other runners seemingly not as effected by what I perceived as the reason I failed so miserably (forecast morning of was for 60s and when I finished it was 88). This marathon pushed me in a way no other had before. It made me completely review everything I was doing. If I wanted to reach my goals, I had to make changes. I evaluated my diet, my training schedule, my philosophy on pacing, my carb loading strategy, my mental weaknesses, my tapering... If it was related to running I picked it up and read it. I needed to know what I had to do differently. A few days after the race had ended, they were offering a reduced registration for early birds. I bit on it and swore I'd be back again to prove I can and would do better.
Flash forward one year and here I am. Sitting with a completely revamped view of running. So without further ado, my recap of the 2016 Wisconsin Marathon.
It starts with Friday (the day prior to race day). As I previously laid out, I was to complete the Western Australian carb loading strategy. After waking up and completing a short run, I started the carb process at 6:30am. Looking at the clock and plan I realized it would take 11 hours to complete it and I would prefer it be finished sooner because I wanted enough time for everything to settle prior to bed. So, instead of the laid out plan I went with 4 scoops and cut the time down to finish at 1:30pm. Everything went fine, but honestly after consuming 34 separate 8oz servings of that stuff I was over it. I ended up eating a few more carbs, protein, and fat from normal food than previously described (what can I say I was still hungry) and ended up at about 12.3 g carbs / kg body weight. I headed to bed at 6:45pm.
It wasn't great sleep, but was good enough. Lucy (our dog) doesn't do well with storms and lucky me it was storming. My wife took her to the living room to calm her down so she only effected my sleep a little, but the last time she visited at 2:15 am was my can't get back to sleep moment. I just laid there until 3:00am (when I planned to wake anyways). Got everything in the car and we were off by 4:30am. I did a quick check of the weather and the current conditions at 4:30am were 70 and no wind in Kenosha.
It was a 1.75 hour drive to Kenosha from our place and all along I kept an eye on the forecast. It was staying around 66 and no wind. The interesting part was that as each hour passed it went from predicted 20mph winds to 0 wind. The front was clearly moving slower than predicted. Gigi was sound asleep in the back (and drooling!)
We arrived at 6:00am and got a nice close parking spot. Got dressed and made my way to the starting area. After I made a last pitstop around 6:20am, it dawned on me that I had forgotten to put on glide between my legs. My wife rushed back to get the car while I started my stretching. I did my normal dynamic stretching routine with my new static hip stretches that have been working well for me the last 4 weeks. I got a quick jog in to warm-up the muscles and met my wife at the starting line to get the glide. I did a quick run to the porta-potty but found the lines to be too long and decided I didn't actually need to use it. I got lined up in the starting chute and was ready to go. Here are two pics of me and Gigi before the start.
And then something crazy happened. They began to sing the national anthem. Oh, that's not the crazy part... At the beginning of the song it was legitimately 66 and no wind. By the end of the song, it was mid-50s and 20mph wind. It was a literal flipping of a switch and we went from practically nothing to full on Northern winds real quick. I lined up and off we went.
I'll break down what I can remember from each mile and give splits and estimated finish time based on splits. Key thing to remember. I run blind to my time, so while I'm including it for your reading pleasure I am completely unaware of my mile splits until I tell you. **Spoiler alert** It's pretty late before I look.
MILE - SPLIT - PREDICTED FINISH TIME
Mile 1 - 7:45 (3:23:03)
As planned I took the first mile easy. I never pushed the pace. I let everyone around me pass me and take off like the little ghosts they were. It became very apparent when we turned from going West to going South that the wind was VERY strong. I made a conscious effort to take it easy. Little did I know "easy" was a 7:45, but honestly it was easy and barely breathing pace. I was introduced to my first set of characters in our story. They were the "Marquette Possee". Them and others will be named at my liberty. They were a loud collection of Marquette University runners both old and college age. They were boisterous and clearly having a good time.
Mile 2 - 7:31 (3:20:00)
First encounter with an aid station went well. Well manned well organized and well done, especially for this early in the race. A lot of fellow racers skipped this first aid station. Still keeping it easy and not pushing it. I knew the turn North was coming soon and would need to conserve energy.
Mile 3 - 7:35 (3:19:42)
As we rounded around mile 2.25 we were about to make our turn. I was introduced to two new re-occuring characters "Baseball Jersey girl" and "Endurance House man". I could tell Baseball Jersey girl was trying to keep up with me and could tell Endurance House man wanted to be ahead of me. As we rounded the turn North it was like a serious punch to the face. I IMMEDIATELY jumped behind Endurance House man with the hope he would break the wind up for me. It was a serious cold wind and it was a real force. Running behind him helped but it wasn't enough.
Mile 4 - 7:37 (3:19:40)
The "Marquette Possee" reappeared and it was a welcome sight. A much larger group of people to help break up the wind. I tucked into the back of the pack and decided to take it easy back there. Still a lot of smiling and loudness to this group, but a tad bit more seriousness. Was still trying to keep it easy.
Mile 5 - 7:36 (3:19:39)
The second aid station was at mile 4.1. I knew going into the race there was one aid station I didn't like from last year but couldn't remember which. Found it! Second aid station and only one table with very few people at it. Had to break stride to get a single water cup and it forced the end to our large group as we got spread out because of the aid station. Originally was planned on meeting my wife at mile 4.5 to get a water bottle from her, but my mom decided to run the 5K and we knew there wasn't enough time for my wife and daughter to see her finish and see me at mile 4.5. I told my wife to see her finish before I left her at the start, so I wasn't expecting to see her.
Mile 6 - 7:50 (3:20:39)
I thought the wind was bad between mile 3-5. Yea, nope. That was a piece of cake because all of the buildings at least slightly broke up the wind. We're talking 20 mph instead of 30 mph, but still it helped. But at the mile 5 marker we turned onto the lake path. No trees, no buildings, just us and the lake. OH AND SAND!!!! I COMPLETELY UNDERESTIMATED what the wind would do to the sand on the beach. It looked like this?!?!?!
OK, MAYBE a small exaggeration. But, yea it was close to this. The sand felt like little pieces of glass slamming into your face, legs, and arms. Some people were trying to run backwards to no avail. I kept reminding myself just make it to 7.5 the turn around and all would be better. Baseball Jersey and Endurance House were still with me and I could tell each were thinking the same thing. Darn this wind! I took in my first e-gel right after hitting the mile 5 marker. Hit up another aid station and was starting to realize I was a little low on water.
Mile 7 - 7:54 (3:21:33)
Our first view of the leaders of the Half came through (he was at mile 9, when I was mile 6.5) Looked strong and like he was enjoying the tail wind. Baseball and I ascended a small hill and we tucked in behind some others with the hope of breaking the wind. Ran into a few members of Marquette Possee and their day was getting a little grimmer. Looked like a few were in a bit of pain.
Mile 8 - 7:42 (3:21:35)
The turn from heading North to heading South came at mile 7.5. THANK GOODNESS! I was FINALLY able to run. I decided to open up the stride a bit and get comfortable for the next 12 miles of South tailwinds.
Mile 9 - 7:20 (3:20:32)
Ran into Baseball Jersey again and we shot the breeze about how it was nice to not be in the head wind anymore. We discussed the Pac-Man and talked about how we were chomping all of the people in front of us.
Mile 10 - 7:26 (3:20:00)
Took in my second e-gel. It was about 0.2 miles after this that I got an instant cramp (side stitch?) in the side of my gut. Then it was in my chest. I really started to panic. Why was this happening? Never had this in training, why now? I realized that my water consumption must be too low to adequately absorb the carbs. I used my technique of removing a cramp, by placing two fingers on the spot and massaging. The cramp is likely a build-up of nasty by-products there and if you can dissipate them into a lower concentration then you can usually overcome. I wasn't so lucky. I also realized that I was going to be short on my gels. I was thinking gels at 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, but realized I only pulled enough gels for 5, 10, 15, 20. So I was a little early on the gel and it didn't go well. Never saw Baseball Jersey again.
Mile 11 - 7:43 (3:20:12)
Hit the next aid station. Only two people and they got overwhelmed. I got the short end of the stick with no hands of water to grab. I had to put on the breaks and wait for a cup. It was uncomfortable and not only did I lose my rhythm in my stride, but my breathing was off. The side cramp was still there and bothersome. I continued to massage it. I encountered the end of the sand storm (FINALLY!) and found Endurance House man again. I passed him and then he passed me.
Mile 12 - 7:28 (3:19:51)
It was pre-planned to meet my wife at mile 11.5. She would have a water bottle with a e-gel rubber banded to the bottle. It was a blessing. I was getting hot, low on water, and needed the gel for later. The exchange worked out perfectly and I was off without missing a beat.
I'm behind the guy in orange. What a photo-bomber... This was the point last year where I almost quit. I was still dealing with the side cramp and felt it was effecting my paces. I "knew" I was slowing down (yep not the case, but mentally I thought I was). It was a bit of a downer because I thought, "Man, I'm ruining my opportunity at faster splits because of this tailwind because I have this side stitch."
Mile 13 - 7:20 (3:19:15)
At just after mile 12 was the turnaround for the Half marathoners. We went from having a decent number of people around to being only able to see one or two in front of me at a time. Big change, but mentally it didn't effect me as much as last year because I was better prepared for it. Side stitch still present and at this point I was wondering if it was ever going to go away. I started focusing on my breathing. Taking deep belly breaths at 1+1+2. I was just trying to get into rhythm again. Kept massaging it.
Mile 14 - 7:27 (3:18:58)
I hit the half marathon mark in 1:39:46. My half PR from December was 1:38:49. I worked significantly harder during the half to get that time. I also had near ideal conditions 30F, no wind, and flat course. If you would have told me I was one minute off PR Half pace I probably would have laughed at you. It definitely didn't feel the same. I was getting concerned about the side stitch. It wasn't going away. I was scheduled to take my next gel at mile marker 13. But because I was one short, and the last gel didn't go well I opted to skip it for now.
Mile 15 - 7:23 (3:18:36)
It was around this point that I re-encountered Endurance House. I chomped him and left him behind hoping to not see him again. I started seeing a few other people and just kept trying to slowly catch up to them. Still skipped the gel at mile marker 14. The side stitch was going away but still present. Kept massaging and kept forcing my breathing.
Mile 16 - 7:26 (3:18:23)
I hit the mile 15 marker and we transitioned to small pebble gravel roads. I was positive it was slowing me down (Surprise! It wasn't!) I kept trying to catch up to people and slowly pass them. I believe I caught a few people here. I finally decided to go for another gel. I decided to do half of the gel and not the whole thing. It worked well. Side stitch was gone, good breathing, and still feeling very strong (although that darn pebble was slowing me down, lol!)
Mile 17 - 7:23 (3:18:07)
I got my first view of the lead marathoner again. He was headed North into the headwind and again with a beach at his side. He looked absolutely miserable and was trying to move as quick as he could, to no avail.
Mile 18 - 7:36 (3:18:10)
My first encounter with a new character, Military Man. He was wearing a military hat. I slowly caught up to him and we jockeyed back and forth for the next mile. I knew the turn to head North was coming soon. I was not looking forward to it. I could see the faces of everyone else headed North and they looked awful. So much effort for so little gains.
Mile 19 - 7:30 (3:18:07)
The last Southern mile. I was doing everything I could to conserve energy and yet maintain a good pace. I was still feeling very comfortable.
Mile 20 - 8:13 (3:18:58)
This was the literal turning point of the race. We literally turned North. We literally came face to face with 30 mph winds. And we could literally only smile at the grand difficulty of the run. The real key was that now there was no large group. There was barely anyone around to try and tag on to. I did my best, but everyone I encountered was going way slower than I wanted to go. I tried my best to maintain the same effort, but was convinced my pace had dropped significantly. I saw Endurance House and Military Man going towards the turn and they weren't too far behind me.
Mile 21 - 8:29 (3:20:05)
Felt the pace continue to drop. My estimate was I was doing a 10-12 min mile. It just felt so difficult. That dang wind! Military Man came up behind me. He was going faster, so I quickly latched on. It was helping having him break the wind, but after about 0.5 miles it was clear his intended pace and effort was more than I could give. He broke away from me and was not seen again on the race course. At this point, him and two other people were the only ones to pass me in the next few miles. I can live with that. Why? Because that means I wasn't falling behind and was at least holding my position with peers of similar paces at this point in the race.
Mile 22 - 8:40 (3:21:18)
The effort was still there, but I could tell I didn't have another gear. It felt like the race was slipping away. I kept positive and kept telling myself to power through the wind as best as I could.
Mile 23 - 8:51 (3:22:38)
I could feel the end was near. I was only 4 miles from the finish. I just kept reminding myself to push as hard as I could. But that darn wind was just pushing harder and harder. The times when I passed the beaches didn't help with all of the sand in my face. I decided to risk it and use the last gel. I again did a half dose being cognizant of trying to stave off another side stitch.
Mile 24 - 8:47 (3:23:48)
Everyone was yelling "Just 3 miles". That's all that's left. Down the stretch I was able to pass a few people. Still feeling strong and still feeling like I was giving my max effort. I was still convinced that may pace was easily in the 11-12 min mile range. I felt like I was barely moving because of the darn wind.
Mile 25 - 9:10 (3:25:15)
Well hello there. A few people came up on me and tried to pass. I dug deep and tried to stave them off. Then, we rounded a corner to a bare no trees, no houses stretch and POW the wind was RIDICULOUS! I literally felt like I wasn't going anywhere. There was a camera man there so it will be really interesting to see that picture... The people trying to pass me all tucked behind me at this point. Looks like I was the leader, and I spent a lot of energy breaking the wind. As we rounded out of the wind, the group broke off from me and left me behind. I could tell I was starting to run on fumes.
Mile 26 - 9:16 (3:26:43)
As I came to the Mile 25 marker I decided it was FINALLY time to break the blind. I was nervous. I was expecting to see a 11-12 min/mile. I was expecting to see a 3:45-4:00 time on the watch. I could tell my pace had slipped because of the wind from Mile 19-now and I was letting everything slip away. WAIT, WHAT?!?!?!?! A 9:10 mile split and a current time of 3:15!!!!!! YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME?!?!!?! So I haven't been running 11-12 min/miles. I'm not running around a 3:45-4:00. I was in complete SHOCK! At about 25.5 miles there was a group of cheer'ers and man were they uplifting! They were loud! They were fun! It was an extreme buildup. I knew if I could maintain pace I would finish just under 3:30 (my watch was a little off the mile markers). All I had to do was keep pushing.
Mile 26.2 - 8:42 pace (3:28:35)
There it was. The final mile marker. 26 miles down and only 0.2 miles (oh, ok 0.4 miles) to go. One thing I didn't really get to enjoy all run was any of my music. Both with the headwind and tailwind it was just too loud to really hear the music. It was a little sad, but then in the last stretch "Chandelier" started. I just smiled. My favorite running song during my final stretch. Sometimes it just works out perfectly. Saw my mom as I entered the finishing chute and crossed the line. Still shocked. REALLY?!?! A 3:28:35. I didn't push the same as I did for last year's 3:38 or last year's half 1:38. It wasn't the same rushed feeling in the final stretch. Yet, here I sit with a 10 minute PR for the marathon distance. But even more important was a 90 MINUTE improvement over last year's time. Let that sink in. I CUT 1.5 HOURS OFF MY TIME FROM LAST YEAR IN THE SAME EVENT. AND I DID THAT WITH A CRAZY HEADWIND. SHOCKED! Just SHOCKED!
I found the Military Man, he crossed only a few seconds ahead of me and congratulated him on the race. Yep, I had definitely made up ground on him in the last few miles even though I never saw him. My daughter came running up and yelled "HIGH FIVE!" It was a fun moment. She gave me a hug and high five and said "Go Runners!" Then the pain of finishing flooded me. I made it about 0.2 miles from the finish line before I asked my wife to get the car and bring it over. I had nothing left. I got in the car and we were on our way home. I pulled off my shoes and they were filled with sand. In both the shoes and the socks. CRAZY! I wonder how long I ran with all of that sand in the shoes/socks. Also, I saw the lake and flags on the course as we drove by so I decided to document the wind on the way home.
The medal!
Final Thoughts
I am super happy with the results. Yea, I didn't hit my 3:26 that I trained for. But, endurance running is an outdoor sport. You have to deal with the conditions like every other athlete out there on the course. I felt like I could run a 3:18. Well low and behold at Mile 19 I was on pace for a 3:18:07. I strongly believe if there wasn't a head wind for the last 7 miles I would have been able to hold pace or even increase it. I was feeling good at that point. It wasn't the "Wall" unless you want to call the wind "THE WALL" then I'd agree with you.
I'm at my limit of pic uploads so I'll throw them into the next post, but here's what would have been here.
*Upload image of overall pacing from Garmin
My final stats from todays run were:
Time - 3:28:35
Overall Place - 73/673 (11%)#
Gender Place - 63/380 (17%)#
Age Place - 16/61 (26%)
#Non-Disney Best Placements EVER!
Lastly, this is my new overall career graph for full marathons and half marathons.
*Upload image of updated career graph
Crazy to think that my new full PR is only out paced by two Half PRs. Truly happy with the progress.
PS - I felt good enough post-run that we ended up making a run to Costco. Yep, recovery already going well. And I indulged on some pizza!
So now comes two weeks off. I'll get to enjoy some more family time. I'll take some time to evaluate my next training plan and decide which races I sign up for for the remainder of the year.
Last of all I want to thank all of you. You have been truly supportive during this last training cycle and I feel truly blessed. Thank you all for taking the time to read about my adventures!
DopeyBadger
Imagathoner
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
Garmin Pacing and Career Graph. You can see the immediate drop in pace when I did the turn-around.
DopeyBadger
Imagathoner
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
Looks like a correction is in order:
Apparently I didn't set a new half PR from mile 0-13.1 but at some point I did set a new PR of 13.1 miles in 1:38:32. WOW! Thanks Garmin!
Apparently I didn't set a new half PR from mile 0-13.1 but at some point I did set a new PR of 13.1 miles in 1:38:32. WOW! Thanks Garmin!
Chasing Dopey
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2016
Helluva run, man. Well done!
roxymama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2015
I'm impressed you can recall such good detail after being pummeled by sand. Are you still shaking it out if your ears? I'm even more impressed with your race and progress. It's crazy inspirational and you deserve some good rest and some reflection on the job well done! Your Gigi reminds me of my kiddo too; nothing better than their adoration after a race.
Also I think we all can agree that medal is crazy and awesome!
Also I think we all can agree that medal is crazy and awesome!
Slogger
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2015
Congrats @DopeyBadger!!! Sounds like you handled the adversity well and ran a great race!A new PR and the confidence to know that your training and planning paid off big time.
Your story continues to inspire and give me hope that better results can be obtained with dedication and hard work.
Bonus points that you have already posted a detailed race report on the SAME day as your event.
Congrats again! Now enjoy your accomplishment and get some rest.
DopeyBadger
Imagathoner
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
Thanks!
Honestly, the whole time I was thinking to myself during the run, "Roxymama can recall such great details about her race so I need to memorize everything as best I can."
Actually, when I got home I had to shower because my skin was coated in a layer of sand. It was funny, but also a little disturbing. My goal with this journal was to show others where I started and where I've gotten to at this point. My hope is that others will be inspired to see how far they can take themselves by seeing how I've been able to accomplish what I have. Gigi is great, such a ham! Love the medal, it's so funny!It was definitely an experience. Now I know if I can just adjust my strategy mid-race I can overcome anything including side stitches and crazy wind. Haven't gotten any of the smoke yet. That sounds like it would be miserable. Hopefully it doesn't linger for too long.
A new PR and the confidence to know that your training and planning paid off big time.
Your story continues to inspire and give me hope that better results can be obtained with dedication and hard work.
Bonus points that you have already posted a detailed race report on the SAME day as your event.
Congrats again! Now enjoy your accomplishment and get some rest.
Thanks! I think the biggest confidence boost is knowing that I can still do better. I didn't get that same flying feeling I had during last October's marathon. Given the blind paces I was running I feel confident a 3:18 is doable and that I'm getting closer to that sub-3:00. I'm still where I projected myself to be about a year ago, and still on track for a sub-3 in Fall 2017. As we've discussed I believe in the system that I've created for myself with a hybrid of a few different training plans. It works and it's backed by my philosophies from the scientific research I've read. Thanks for the bonus points. I knew if I let the day go too long I start to forget some of the finer details. I really wanted to write as much as I could remember so that when I look back at this years from now it'll re-remind me of this great accomplishment. I agree it's time to recover and rest for a few weeks so that I can be prepared for the next more aggressive and pushed to the max training plan.
Thanks!
REDEMPTION is right! Such a different feeling from last year to this. Last year when I saw my wife at Mile 11 I wanted to quit. This year I had a side stitch but my wife said I looked like I was flying I was running so fast. I'm so happy with my new training regimen and excited to see where it can take me next.
WOOOO HOOOOO!!!! Just in complete shock that I just did that. I ran that fast in those conditions. Mind blown!
DopeyBadger
Imagathoner
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
Thanks! It still hasn't sunk in yet. The conditions just make me appreciate even more what I accomplished. I don't know which would mean more to me: getting the 3:28 in those conditions or having ideal conditions and getting a 3:18. I feel like the 3:28 was fitting for this redemption marathon just because of what happened last year.
RunDisneyDad
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2015
@DopeyBadger congrats on your run...awesome stuff. Bummer you turned into that wind right at mile 20. That's about as bad of timing as you can have. Major props to you for sticking it out and staying so disciplined to not look at your watch. Anyway, you need to hire a PR rep because your story is incredible and can inspire a lot of people!
DopeyBadger
Imagathoner
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
Thank you, I appreciate it! Yea, the wind was a real downer at mile 20. I feel that if this was a more heavily attended race it might not have been as bad, because if you look at the splits in the beg/mid of the race going North it didn't seem to effect me as much (good drafting I guess). I'll take it though.
I truly believe strongly in not looking at your watch and just running by effort. I mean look at these effort based paces:
Mile 1 - 7:45 (3:23:03)
Mile 2 - 7:31 (3:20:00)
Mile 3 - 7:35 (3:19:42)
Mile 4 - 7:37 (3:19:40)
Mile 5 - 7:36 (3:19:39)
Mile 12 - 7:28 (3:19:51)
Mile 13 - 7:20 (3:19:15)
Mile 14 - 7:27 (3:18:58)
Mile 15 - 7:23 (3:18:36)
Mile 16 - 7:26 (3:18:23)
Mile 17 - 7:23 (3:18:07)
Miles 2-5 are done within 6 seconds of each other and Miles 12-17 are within 8 seconds. To me, that's proof enough that an effort based system works for me. Although admittedly when things felt like a 10-12 minute mile I had a lot of internal pressure just to take a quick peak. But I reminded myself, what would it change? I was already giving everything I had, would seeing a faster/slower time really make a positive impact? Especially if I looked down and saw a 3:45 or 4:30 time in a mid-mile split. It's likely only going to lead to a negative outcome. Best to save it until there's really nothing I can do differently.
LOL, thanks! In the end, my goals matter to me and make me happy when I reach them. But I actually get more enjoyment in helping others reach their goals. My hope is that this training journal can help to serve as a platform where other people can read and say to themselves, "Well, if he can do it. So can I!" I'm not doing anything special, I just found a system that works really well for me and I believe can work well for others. It's not like I was some awesome runner in high school or college. Quite the opposite. When I tried out for our high school track 2-mile team, I was told I wasn't good enough. It was true, I wasn't. And I let it stop there and never did anything about it. But that's because I had never really done any training to run 2 miles, I just tried out. Now, I see things differently. There will always be people who think you can't do something, but what matters more is whether YOU think you can't do something. Like I always like to say, "If you want it, PROVE IT, by doing what is necessary to get it!" I spent this last year proving it to myself that I really did want these goals. Now, I know that if I keep trying to prove it, that I'll get whatever goal I set in front of myself.
CheapRunnerMike
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2014
Great job @DopeyBadger! Wind is one of the toughest elements to battle in a race and to throw it in at mile 20...yikes. You battled through and never quit, and look at that time! Congratulations on a great result, all of your hard work has paid off. Awesome job Will 
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