Saturday was one hell of a day. By the end of it I could still feel the adrenaline and endorphins rushing through my body. That morning I'd gone all out at the Wirefly National (Half) Marathon. I'd set my goal a bit high at an hour and thirty-five minutes(1:35), with the slightest suspicion that I could probably clock a 1:30 if conditions were favorable for me.
When I crossed the finish line my watch, which I'd started the moment I passed the threshold of the starting line (not when the gun fired to signify the race start), read 1:31. A few friends were there to greet me and I was really happy with my performance.
I'd had a few rough weeks leading up to the race. I traveled to Japan and back, then to Los Angeles and back and finally I spent five days in Austin, Texas, at the South by Southwest Music Conference where I slept on the floor of a hotel room and altered my running schedule to fit my social and partying schedule. I returned from Texas on the Monday before the race and tried to taper to the best of my abilities. However, as this was merely a race inserted into my marathon training schedule, I wanted to ensure that I adhered to that.
The night before the race I tried to ensure that I got to bed early, but probably didn't fall asleep until sometime after 11pm. I set the alarm for twenty past five so I would have time to get up, ensure all of my things were in order, drink a cup of coffee and be out of the house by 6am. As the race was routed through the city, I had a slight worry that I may face some road closures on the way to RFK Stadium, the site of the race start.
There was a slight drizzle when I left the house which increased as I faced a traffic jam of cars all waiting in line to enter the designated parking lot for the race. Like myself, I'm sure many of the other drivers were anxious to park and commence their pre-race routines. Nevertheless, it was frustrating to see many of these drivers battle one another for position in the slow moving line (especially at intersections where cars were turning into the line and others were forging straight ahead). I wasn't entirely sure what my pre-race warm-up would consist of, if anything, and therefore just sat back and followed the line until I was parked.
The rain had let up by the time I got out of the car. It was still dark at twenty minutes before 7am, and I was attempting to figure out what clothes were appropriate for the race. I had pinned my number to the front of my blue Adidas running shirt (which I wore at both the Marine Corps Marathon and the Outerbanks Marathon). As a half marathon participant they also required us to pin a bib which read "HALF" to the back of our shirts. The temperature was just above 50 degrees, and the debate was whether to put a longsleeve shirt under my running shirt or not. Without the numbers pinned to the running shirt it wouldn't have mattered very much; I could easily take off the longsleeve if and when it got too warm. I put it on, and even grabbed my light jacket to prevent me from being too cold on the walk from the car to the starting area.
I was able to give my jacket to CJ before the race started and just as it was time to fight my way into position for the start I decided I'd give her my long sleeve shirt too. Though I tend to have a colder body temperature than most, the humidity in the air led me to reason that I'd be plenty comfortable in just the short sleeve shirt.
I made my way into the herd of runners. I located the 3:10 marathon pace runners (1:35 half; 7:15 minutes per mile) and also bumped into Becky (full marathon participant) and Jason (half participant) from the Potomac Runners track group. Similar to the Outerbanks Marathon I did last November, I had a calm about me that was almost worrying. With most of the other things that happen in my life, I operate with a tad bit of anxiousness. It's not something I recommend, but it's how I've developed. That said, it's a bit eerie to enter into something for which I've set a goal with such an air of calm. I began second guessing myself, wondering if I should be taking things more seriously. Luckily, before I could ponder it too much, the race director and Mayor Adrian Fenty had given their motivational, thank you speeches and the race was upon us.
I made a very conscious effort to start slowly, and kept the 3:10 pace runners within sight. I felt that I was moving at a snail's pace, but reminded myself that the adrenaline pumping through my veins would get the best of me if I allowed it that opportunity. Therefore I trudged along. At most of the larger races the first mile is solely about getting out of the pack and entering into your own stride. With only 5,000 participants in the entire race it took at most half a mile to reach a spot where I would be able run my own race.
I was pleased but a bit worried when the clock set up at the first mile marker read 8:00 minutes as I passed it. I was pleased that I hadn't gone out too fast, but if I was going to average a 7:15 pace that meant I was going to have to make it up with a pretty fast mile towards the end. My game plan was to run a negative split, meaning the I would run the later half of the race faster than the first half. As I ran I wondered exactly how "slow" I wanted to run the first half; which in turn would determine how fast I needed to run the second half.
The pace group picked up their speed and I cautiously followed. My legs felt good as we made our way down East Capitol street towards the back side of the Capitol, itself. From there we cut South a short bit until we hit Independence Avenue. There's a slight downhill there and if I am recalling the route correctly we hit the second mile marker there. We had, indeed, picked up the pace a bit. The second mile was run at 6:56. I worried a bit if that was too fast, but my legs were feeling good. That is the dilemma of a long race, however. Having done a good job of tapering the previous week, my legs felt pretty fresh. It's easy to let that feeling, combined with the race day adrenaline, pump you into running a fast first half. And,if that first half is too quick, then your body crashes before you can maintain for the second half.
I consciously tried to slow down a bit, but as we crept in front of the Capitol and onto Constitution Avenue, I settled into a comfortable pace. My friends Issa, Marie, Ana and Mike Garrity were all waiting around the 3 mile marker (14th and Constitution). It's always refreshing to see familiar faces, and to hear their voices. Almost embarassingly they cheered much louder than anyone else during the day, screaming "Heja Mike, Heja Mike" a chant that Issa learned during my first marathon in Stockholm years ago.
After passing them I noticed two guys running very quickly down the opposite side of Constitution. At first I thought that maybe they'd forgotten or dropped something or were rushing back to the site of an accident or an injured friend. However, with the White House on my right I noticed that these were the front runners of the race who had already made it to the turn around a mile up the road. They were cruising very quickly, and more and more runners followed them.
I tried to take in the scenery and realized that I was hovering around a 7:05 pace (Mile 3 was 7:04 and Mile 4 was 7:08). I began to calculate exactly when and how I would make a move on the back half of the race. I contemplated keeping this pace until as late as mile 8 or 9 and then kicking it in, but once I hit the six mile marker I wasn't able to really contain myself.
I didn't kick things in to an all out sprint or anything of that nature, but did knock twenty seconds off my pace for mile 7 (6:44). By this time we were in Southwest DC on Maine Avenue, a quadrant I used to live in. As I picked it up I began passing people and feeling strong. My only worry was whether or not it was too soon, and even though I'd increased my pace I had to make sure that I wouldn't increase it so much that I would tire before the end.
We crossed South Capitol street, entering the Southeast quadrant of DC. I saw the new Washington Nationals baseball team stadium around mile 9 (6:41). We made our way North once again towards Pennsylvania Ave SE before heading South across the Anacostia River. This was the site of the split for the marathoners and the half-marathoners. The marathoners were directed up a clover leaf on ramp while those of us only going 13.1 miles were directed towards the back side of RFK. I was very happy that my race was almost finished. Though I was begin to feel the early signs of fatigue (Mile 10 was 6:28), my mental game kicked in at this point.
Once you've trained 18 miles and run 26.2 mile marathons in the past, short portions like the 3 miles that lay ahead pale in comparison. It was very easy to draw upon last Wednesday's track work out. We did mile repeats with a one lap break in between. I was running those at 5:40-5:50/mile pace. I pushed my mind back to there and thought about how the lap rest was barely enough to recover. As I was going at a slower pace than my track workout, I should be able to complete the end of this race without any problem. And, if that wasn't enough, I could easily draw into my mind the fact that I only had 20 minutes left of running.
Though I'd looked a bit at the course map for the marathon, I didn't pay much attention to the elevation graphic that was on the race's website. Almost all of the running I do in DC is on relatively flat ground, so I was a bit surprised to find the deserted streets of Southeast to be made up of rolling hills. I was still running fast and feeling good, but the headwind and the hills were really testing me. Combine that with the fact that there were almost no bystanders cheering on the runners at this point in the course and it was a trying test for the finish.
Nevertheless, I dug in and ran miles 11 and 12 quite quickly (6:32 and 6:21, respectively). With only one mile left I continued to push myself. I caught another runner who'd passed me earlier and we ran neck and neck for some time. As my lap timer eclipsed 6 minutes for mile 13 I wondered how far the mile marker could be. Ultimately that would be where the finish line was, too, and I was eager to cross it. My body was really starting to feel it. In fact, I noticed a warm sensation throughout my legs at this point. They'd overcome any small aches or pains or soreness from the previous miles. Yet, I was a bit disappointed to see the mile 13 marker still a ways off. I was a bit in shock when I noticed my mile time was 7:23. I barelled down and crossed the finish line questioning if, indeed, that mile was marked correctly.
Soon enough CJ and my cheering crowd from Miles 3 and 5 were there to greet me. I was given my finisher medal and returned my timing chip. I was happy that the race was over and glad that I'd given it my all. I felt good, yet a bit exhausted. I didn't dwell on it long, but I was still confused about the last mile. I didn't feel as if I'd slowed down at all from Mile 12 to Mile 13. In fact, I thought that I may have gone even faster. That would have been the perfect race. Had I logged that mile at 6:20 or so my time would have been right at 1:30! However, it wasn't, and I will have to learn from that in terms of how I run the marathon. Again, it's a long race and I have to run intelligently so I don't peter out before the finish line.
I took advantage of the free massage, where the therapist really focused on my lower back. Obviously it was tight because of my tight hamstrings. She also did a bit of work on my upper back, which is still showing a weird pain that developed while in Austin.
I attempted to rest after getting home, which involved parking the car at 11th and Girard as Harvard Street was impassable because the full marathon route ran along it. However, my adrenaline was still flowing through my veins and rendered it impossible to fully relax. Eventually, CJ and I grabbed lunch with my friends Matt and Megah before I drove up to Philly for a dinner meeting.
I drove back to DC that night, leaving Philly around 10pm. Usually I am exhausted by that point, especially given the day(s) that I'd just had. Nevertheless, I was still pumped and had no problems making it home safely. Even once I got home I had trouble relaxing and transitioning into sleep. It was one of those days that makes me feel great about all the miles I've logged and the hours I work.
All of that said, it's now Wedensday morning and I have been exhausted the past three days. I biked on Sunday with Audu and crashed out pretty early that night. Monday I got up and ran 8 miles (the first 6 felt good but the last two I could tell I was tired) and had trouble staying up past 9:30pm. Yesterday I went for a slow 5 and felt exhausted at night once again. Allergies combined with the hectic life I've been living have been catching up to me. It's tough to admit that rest is a considerable part of the training formula. I read about avid trainers who sleep anywhere from 10 to 12 hours per day. That is never going to make it's way into my current lifestyle, but I would love to consistently get eight hours of sleep. I was able to get that last night, but it required going to bed by 10:30pm.
Tonight is a fartlek workout with the track group and then I begin to prepare for the longest run of the season. Yes sir, my first 20 miler is going to happen on Saturday morning, followed by my first soccer game of the season on Sunday. I'm excited about the prospects of running Vancouver in 3:10. With the race I just ran I'm confident that I should be able to tackle that.
Below are the mile splits for the National Half Marathon:
Mile 1 - 7:58
Mile 2 - 6:56
Mile 3 - 7:04
Mile 4 - 7:08
Mile 5 - 7:08
Mile 6 - 7:07
Mile 7 - 6:44
Mile 8 - 6:46
Mile 9 - 6:41
Mile 10 - 6:28
Mile 11 - 6:32
Mile 12 - 6:21
Mile 13 - 7:23
.1 to finish - .38
Total Time: 1:31:02
When I crossed the finish line my watch, which I'd started the moment I passed the threshold of the starting line (not when the gun fired to signify the race start), read 1:31. A few friends were there to greet me and I was really happy with my performance.
I'd had a few rough weeks leading up to the race. I traveled to Japan and back, then to Los Angeles and back and finally I spent five days in Austin, Texas, at the South by Southwest Music Conference where I slept on the floor of a hotel room and altered my running schedule to fit my social and partying schedule. I returned from Texas on the Monday before the race and tried to taper to the best of my abilities. However, as this was merely a race inserted into my marathon training schedule, I wanted to ensure that I adhered to that.
The night before the race I tried to ensure that I got to bed early, but probably didn't fall asleep until sometime after 11pm. I set the alarm for twenty past five so I would have time to get up, ensure all of my things were in order, drink a cup of coffee and be out of the house by 6am. As the race was routed through the city, I had a slight worry that I may face some road closures on the way to RFK Stadium, the site of the race start.
There was a slight drizzle when I left the house which increased as I faced a traffic jam of cars all waiting in line to enter the designated parking lot for the race. Like myself, I'm sure many of the other drivers were anxious to park and commence their pre-race routines. Nevertheless, it was frustrating to see many of these drivers battle one another for position in the slow moving line (especially at intersections where cars were turning into the line and others were forging straight ahead). I wasn't entirely sure what my pre-race warm-up would consist of, if anything, and therefore just sat back and followed the line until I was parked.
The rain had let up by the time I got out of the car. It was still dark at twenty minutes before 7am, and I was attempting to figure out what clothes were appropriate for the race. I had pinned my number to the front of my blue Adidas running shirt (which I wore at both the Marine Corps Marathon and the Outerbanks Marathon). As a half marathon participant they also required us to pin a bib which read "HALF" to the back of our shirts. The temperature was just above 50 degrees, and the debate was whether to put a longsleeve shirt under my running shirt or not. Without the numbers pinned to the running shirt it wouldn't have mattered very much; I could easily take off the longsleeve if and when it got too warm. I put it on, and even grabbed my light jacket to prevent me from being too cold on the walk from the car to the starting area.
I was able to give my jacket to CJ before the race started and just as it was time to fight my way into position for the start I decided I'd give her my long sleeve shirt too. Though I tend to have a colder body temperature than most, the humidity in the air led me to reason that I'd be plenty comfortable in just the short sleeve shirt.
I made my way into the herd of runners. I located the 3:10 marathon pace runners (1:35 half; 7:15 minutes per mile) and also bumped into Becky (full marathon participant) and Jason (half participant) from the Potomac Runners track group. Similar to the Outerbanks Marathon I did last November, I had a calm about me that was almost worrying. With most of the other things that happen in my life, I operate with a tad bit of anxiousness. It's not something I recommend, but it's how I've developed. That said, it's a bit eerie to enter into something for which I've set a goal with such an air of calm. I began second guessing myself, wondering if I should be taking things more seriously. Luckily, before I could ponder it too much, the race director and Mayor Adrian Fenty had given their motivational, thank you speeches and the race was upon us.
I made a very conscious effort to start slowly, and kept the 3:10 pace runners within sight. I felt that I was moving at a snail's pace, but reminded myself that the adrenaline pumping through my veins would get the best of me if I allowed it that opportunity. Therefore I trudged along. At most of the larger races the first mile is solely about getting out of the pack and entering into your own stride. With only 5,000 participants in the entire race it took at most half a mile to reach a spot where I would be able run my own race.
I was pleased but a bit worried when the clock set up at the first mile marker read 8:00 minutes as I passed it. I was pleased that I hadn't gone out too fast, but if I was going to average a 7:15 pace that meant I was going to have to make it up with a pretty fast mile towards the end. My game plan was to run a negative split, meaning the I would run the later half of the race faster than the first half. As I ran I wondered exactly how "slow" I wanted to run the first half; which in turn would determine how fast I needed to run the second half.
The pace group picked up their speed and I cautiously followed. My legs felt good as we made our way down East Capitol street towards the back side of the Capitol, itself. From there we cut South a short bit until we hit Independence Avenue. There's a slight downhill there and if I am recalling the route correctly we hit the second mile marker there. We had, indeed, picked up the pace a bit. The second mile was run at 6:56. I worried a bit if that was too fast, but my legs were feeling good. That is the dilemma of a long race, however. Having done a good job of tapering the previous week, my legs felt pretty fresh. It's easy to let that feeling, combined with the race day adrenaline, pump you into running a fast first half. And,if that first half is too quick, then your body crashes before you can maintain for the second half.
I consciously tried to slow down a bit, but as we crept in front of the Capitol and onto Constitution Avenue, I settled into a comfortable pace. My friends Issa, Marie, Ana and Mike Garrity were all waiting around the 3 mile marker (14th and Constitution). It's always refreshing to see familiar faces, and to hear their voices. Almost embarassingly they cheered much louder than anyone else during the day, screaming "Heja Mike, Heja Mike" a chant that Issa learned during my first marathon in Stockholm years ago.
After passing them I noticed two guys running very quickly down the opposite side of Constitution. At first I thought that maybe they'd forgotten or dropped something or were rushing back to the site of an accident or an injured friend. However, with the White House on my right I noticed that these were the front runners of the race who had already made it to the turn around a mile up the road. They were cruising very quickly, and more and more runners followed them.
I tried to take in the scenery and realized that I was hovering around a 7:05 pace (Mile 3 was 7:04 and Mile 4 was 7:08). I began to calculate exactly when and how I would make a move on the back half of the race. I contemplated keeping this pace until as late as mile 8 or 9 and then kicking it in, but once I hit the six mile marker I wasn't able to really contain myself.
I didn't kick things in to an all out sprint or anything of that nature, but did knock twenty seconds off my pace for mile 7 (6:44). By this time we were in Southwest DC on Maine Avenue, a quadrant I used to live in. As I picked it up I began passing people and feeling strong. My only worry was whether or not it was too soon, and even though I'd increased my pace I had to make sure that I wouldn't increase it so much that I would tire before the end.
We crossed South Capitol street, entering the Southeast quadrant of DC. I saw the new Washington Nationals baseball team stadium around mile 9 (6:41). We made our way North once again towards Pennsylvania Ave SE before heading South across the Anacostia River. This was the site of the split for the marathoners and the half-marathoners. The marathoners were directed up a clover leaf on ramp while those of us only going 13.1 miles were directed towards the back side of RFK. I was very happy that my race was almost finished. Though I was begin to feel the early signs of fatigue (Mile 10 was 6:28), my mental game kicked in at this point.
Once you've trained 18 miles and run 26.2 mile marathons in the past, short portions like the 3 miles that lay ahead pale in comparison. It was very easy to draw upon last Wednesday's track work out. We did mile repeats with a one lap break in between. I was running those at 5:40-5:50/mile pace. I pushed my mind back to there and thought about how the lap rest was barely enough to recover. As I was going at a slower pace than my track workout, I should be able to complete the end of this race without any problem. And, if that wasn't enough, I could easily draw into my mind the fact that I only had 20 minutes left of running.
Though I'd looked a bit at the course map for the marathon, I didn't pay much attention to the elevation graphic that was on the race's website. Almost all of the running I do in DC is on relatively flat ground, so I was a bit surprised to find the deserted streets of Southeast to be made up of rolling hills. I was still running fast and feeling good, but the headwind and the hills were really testing me. Combine that with the fact that there were almost no bystanders cheering on the runners at this point in the course and it was a trying test for the finish.
Nevertheless, I dug in and ran miles 11 and 12 quite quickly (6:32 and 6:21, respectively). With only one mile left I continued to push myself. I caught another runner who'd passed me earlier and we ran neck and neck for some time. As my lap timer eclipsed 6 minutes for mile 13 I wondered how far the mile marker could be. Ultimately that would be where the finish line was, too, and I was eager to cross it. My body was really starting to feel it. In fact, I noticed a warm sensation throughout my legs at this point. They'd overcome any small aches or pains or soreness from the previous miles. Yet, I was a bit disappointed to see the mile 13 marker still a ways off. I was a bit in shock when I noticed my mile time was 7:23. I barelled down and crossed the finish line questioning if, indeed, that mile was marked correctly.
Soon enough CJ and my cheering crowd from Miles 3 and 5 were there to greet me. I was given my finisher medal and returned my timing chip. I was happy that the race was over and glad that I'd given it my all. I felt good, yet a bit exhausted. I didn't dwell on it long, but I was still confused about the last mile. I didn't feel as if I'd slowed down at all from Mile 12 to Mile 13. In fact, I thought that I may have gone even faster. That would have been the perfect race. Had I logged that mile at 6:20 or so my time would have been right at 1:30! However, it wasn't, and I will have to learn from that in terms of how I run the marathon. Again, it's a long race and I have to run intelligently so I don't peter out before the finish line.
I took advantage of the free massage, where the therapist really focused on my lower back. Obviously it was tight because of my tight hamstrings. She also did a bit of work on my upper back, which is still showing a weird pain that developed while in Austin.
I attempted to rest after getting home, which involved parking the car at 11th and Girard as Harvard Street was impassable because the full marathon route ran along it. However, my adrenaline was still flowing through my veins and rendered it impossible to fully relax. Eventually, CJ and I grabbed lunch with my friends Matt and Megah before I drove up to Philly for a dinner meeting.
I drove back to DC that night, leaving Philly around 10pm. Usually I am exhausted by that point, especially given the day(s) that I'd just had. Nevertheless, I was still pumped and had no problems making it home safely. Even once I got home I had trouble relaxing and transitioning into sleep. It was one of those days that makes me feel great about all the miles I've logged and the hours I work.
All of that said, it's now Wedensday morning and I have been exhausted the past three days. I biked on Sunday with Audu and crashed out pretty early that night. Monday I got up and ran 8 miles (the first 6 felt good but the last two I could tell I was tired) and had trouble staying up past 9:30pm. Yesterday I went for a slow 5 and felt exhausted at night once again. Allergies combined with the hectic life I've been living have been catching up to me. It's tough to admit that rest is a considerable part of the training formula. I read about avid trainers who sleep anywhere from 10 to 12 hours per day. That is never going to make it's way into my current lifestyle, but I would love to consistently get eight hours of sleep. I was able to get that last night, but it required going to bed by 10:30pm.
Tonight is a fartlek workout with the track group and then I begin to prepare for the longest run of the season. Yes sir, my first 20 miler is going to happen on Saturday morning, followed by my first soccer game of the season on Sunday. I'm excited about the prospects of running Vancouver in 3:10. With the race I just ran I'm confident that I should be able to tackle that.
Below are the mile splits for the National Half Marathon:
Mile 1 - 7:58
Mile 2 - 6:56
Mile 3 - 7:04
Mile 4 - 7:08
Mile 5 - 7:08
Mile 6 - 7:07
Mile 7 - 6:44
Mile 8 - 6:46
Mile 9 - 6:41
Mile 10 - 6:28
Mile 11 - 6:32
Mile 12 - 6:21
Mile 13 - 7:23
.1 to finish - .38
Total Time: 1:31:02
posted by Mike Mowery at 6:37 AM
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