race report: california international marathon
Message posted by: Mark B.
Summary: I ran the California International Marathon on Sunday. It was my shot at redemption after a horribly painful crash-and-burn at the Eugene Marathon last spring. My primary goal – and the point of the past six months of training — was simple: DON’T CRASH. The result? A crash-free 4:24:16 finish that was 21 minutes better than Eugene, and about 5 minutes better than my PR set during my first marathon (Portland 2007). Success! Well, sort of.
Now, for the gory details (better grab a cup ofcoffee, this might take awhile):
Background: My first two marathons were less than ideal. My first marathon in Portland (2007) got sideways when two huge blisters developed on one foot mid-race. I finished in 4:29. Thinking that the blisters were the only things that had slowed me down in the first marathon, I concluded that I should be able to easily break four hours in my second marathon. Boy, was I wrong. I started out at a sub-4 pace, crashed after 10 miles and (thoroughly humbled) hobbled the next 16 miles to finish in 4:45, promising my body I’d never run another marathon again if it could just get me across the finish line. It was a lie, of course, but I didn’t know it at the time.
This cycle: I still hadn’t decided to run another marathon afterI finished my recovery with a fun 5k race (24:12), but I knew I needed to workon building up my base. So I spent two months running at the lower end of my heart rate before finally deciding to go for it again at CIM. I used Hal’s Intermediate II and had no real problems, other than a cold that took out a few training days, and a sore ankle during taper.
During my 18 weeks, I trained with one, and only one goal in mind: finishing this marathon without crashing and burning. And if I couldn’t do it this time, running well within my capabilities, then I was through with 26.2.
Which leads us to…
Race Day: It was chilly (upper 30s) and foggy on Sunday,similar to the weather I had during a few of my longer runs in Vancouver. I wore shorts, a short-sleeved tech shirt and a SportHill top as a top layer andstayed comfortable throughout the race. I also had to carry a fuel belt withabout 16 ounces of my training sport drink (HEED) because I couldn’t stomach the Cytomax they were serving on the course. I took another 16 ounces with me and downed it just before the start, leaving me to ration the remaining 16 ounces of HEED for the rest of the race, alternating with water and five gels.
My race plan was to run between 9:30 and 9:40 miles overall (I’d tried for 8:50 in Eugene), and to play it safe lined up with the 4:15 pace group knowing they’d be running on the slower side of my goal pace. If I felt strong later in the race, I’d pick it up a little – but NOT at the expense of a possible crash.
Here’s how it went:
Miles 1-5: 9:37, 9:31, 9:38, 9:38, 9:36. Average HRranged from 142 (73% max HR) in first mile to 158 (82% max) at end of first five.
The first five miles went well. The pacers did a great job getting their group relaxed, leading us through drills to keep relaxed as we started ranging up and down CIM’s infamous rolling hills. They went so well, in fact, that I was surprised to look back after a couple of miles and noticed that I’d pulled ahead of the 4:15 group. Should I slow down, or press ahead? I was in my predicted range, so I kept my pace.
Miles 6-10: 9:52, 9:45, 9:51, 9:38, 9:37. HR ranged from 158 (82% max) to 161 (83% max).
More rollers as we progressed through the semi-rural area east of Sacramento. I kept checking behind me for the 4:15 group – they were a fun bunch – and couldn’t see them. So, imagine my surprise when I heard a herd of footsteps approaching somewhere around mile 8, looked to my right and saw a pacer holding the 4:15 lollipop sign. Huh? Uh-oh.
Miles 11-15: 9:41, 9:45, 9:54, 9:47, 9:48. HR ranged from162 (84% max) to 166 (86% max).
They say the hills on CIM stop after the halfway point. They lie. And while not a single one of the hills would qualify as difficult – I ran steeper and longer hills regularly during my training – I could feel them starting to wear on me as I kept pace with my 4:15 buddies. My average heart rate was in a decent place, so I cruised, hoping that the course would start to flatten out. Soon.
Miles 16-20: 9:44, 9:38, 9:56, 10:13, 10:36. HR dipped from 166 (86% max) to 163 (84% max) by Mile 20.
My 4:15 buddies were starting to give me problems. Every time they hit an aid station, they dashed to the tables, grabbed their fluids and hurried to get back to pace. No walking, and little slowing. I’d planned to walk through some of the stations and hadn’t walked through one yet. That started to catch up with me after mile 15, and I slipped slowly from the front of the 4:15 pack to the middle, to the back and then behind them. I made a push during mile17 to see if I could close the gap, but it took a lot of effort and didn’t really help. So I had to make a decision: push it harder and risk blowing up, or let them go? Given my primary goal, I really didn’t have any choice. I hated to do it, but I let them go. (They finished at 4:15 on the button, gun time)
Miles 21-26: 10:51, 10:50, 10:53, 11:02, 11:25, 10:30. HR dipped from 163 (84% max) to 160 (83% max) in Mile 25, back up to 165 (85% max)in last mile with one last surge to 177 (92% max) in last kick in.
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By the 20-mile mark in Eugene this spring, I’d already been walking and jogging for the better part of 10 miles. By mile 20 at CIM, I hadn’t even stopped to walk at an aid station. That changed after I let the 4:15 group go, but I still only walked while taking fluids. It was getting harder to keep my focus and form, and I was dying for this damn race to be over as I counted down the final blocks in midtown Sacramento, but I still had enough in me to pick up the pace in the last mile to the fastest since mile 20 and to outkick some other 40-something guy in the last 50 meters.
Chip time: 4:24:16 – a 5-minute improvement over my PR in Portland, and a 21-minute improvement on my last marathon in Eugene this spring.
First half split: 2:09:26
Second half split: 2:14:50
The aftermath: I was far more sore after CIM than I was in Portland or Eugene, but I shouldn’t be surprised. I can thank those pesky rolling hills – and the fact that this time, I could count my total walking distance in meters, not miles.
I achieved my goal. I proved I could run an entire marathon and not blow up. I got an amazingly cool medal to show for it, and the praise of friends and family. Yay!
I should be happy,vindicated and excited, right? But still… I can’t help but wonder why, after months and more than 1,000 miles of careful training, I managed to improve the time of my first (and trouble-plagued) marathon by only 5 minutes. I know I trained for endurance, not speed, but couldn’t I have gone just a little bit faster? Maybe the speed just isn’t there for me, or at least not for a 26.2? I don’t know. What I do know is that I want to step back in distance to a 13.1 this spring and see if I can find a way to get faster. Then, maybe, a full marathon in the fall.
Thanks for reading, and all your help over the past year. You’re the best.
-Mark
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