Oh Everest, My Everest

Clock Time: 5:43:08
Chip Time: 5:37:41
Average Pace: 12:53

I am effing exhausted and the mile 14 Tourette's is still in full force, but I did a pretty good job today (not the best, but decent) so here are the splits:

5K - 00:40:50, 13:08 pace, predicted finish: 5:44:20
10K - 1:16:21, 12:17 pace, predicted finish: 5:22:03
15K - 1:51:01, 11:54 pace, predicted finish: 5:12:00
20K - 2:39:46, 12:51 pace, predicted finish: 5:36:54
1/2 - 2:48:32, 12:51 pace, predicted finish: 5:36:54
25K - 3:17:41, 12:43 pace, predicted finish: 5:33:25
30K - 3:59:46, 13:08 pace, predicted finish: 5:44:20
40K - 5:25:13, 13:05 pace, predicted finish: 5:43:01

This is the race I should have run last year. I was hoping I could skip it and go right on to a big improvement. The first three splits had me coming in easily at 5:15, but then I really needed to use the portajohn right before mile 10 and I couldn't just keep running until I got to one without a line (that didn't happen until mile 20). So I waited TWELVE WHOLE MINUTES to use one, though I was at least clever enough to do it at the orange station so I could enjoy my little frozen slice of orange while waiting in line. Between the actual time wasted there and the rough start I had after standing still for 12 minutes, I could have easily made my realistic goal of 5:30. In fact, the 5:30 pace group caught up to me around mile 22 when I started to feel really bad, and I tried to stay motivated and keep pace with them for a while. That lasted all of a mile. Mile 23 rolled around and I realized that while they were doing run-walk like I had resorted to by that point, they were not doing 4/1s like me. They were doing something longer like 5/1 or 6/1, which might as well have been 60/1 or 300/1 considering the shape I was in. It couldn't have been too far off of my own system, but it was just enough to really, really hurt.

My joints seem okay, but my muscles are KILLING me. My calves and IT bands are the worst. I've never had to stop and stretch so much and even sitting still is agonizing with my IT bands wigging out on me. It's most certainly time for some vitamin I. I can't believe I thought I was going to do a speed workout this week. Like, did I smoke some crack when I planned on that and just not remember that I did? Seriously. A marathon is no joke. I take back what I said about 20-milers. Those babies are totally doable. Marathons are the ones that are like plane wrecks. Plain and simple, yo. The human body does NOT want to run that far. Ever. And when we make them do that anyway, they ruthlessly make us pay.

Two-word summary race report: OUCH! BOO-ya.

Labels: blue powerade, caffeine, great weather, GU, MCM, P.R., sport beans

I don't really know what to say for myself. I haven't trained properly (or at all?) and I'm going to run this son of a bitch anyway. I eeked out 16 miles on Saturday as a last ditch attempt at training. I felt some serious aches beyond anything I felt during my six months of real training for MCM. At the same time, my knees did not bother me as much. Go figure. I nearly crippled myself and, as I lay sprawled in a twitchy "stretching" position in the parking lot post-run, I thought solemnly, 'Well, it's only ten more miles than that.' Part of my brain is still reeling from that sentence, but that part of me has already been relieved of duty.

Coach sent out an email yesterday about a 10-mile race this coming Sunday... I figure there is a greater benefit in running a longish distance a week out from the big day than there is detriment to my training program in doing so at the end of my taper. (Read: Who'm I kidding? I didn't do any of this properly from the get-go. Why start now?)

Labels: long run, MCM, reckless, taper

I look really stupid, but that's what you get when your supervisor comes into your office and says to show off your medal for the camera. My knees are killing me, but I'm already thinking about registering for LA in early March. (What is wrong with me!?)

I figure it's like ripping the band-aid off. Better to do it sooner than later. Plus, I have some room for improvement. 6:22:20 is, well, 6:22:20. That's two whole hours slower than Oprah did it a few years ago and it would be unacceptable for me to give up now. In other news, there's all kinds of other stuff going on with me (what's new), possibly including some major life transitions very soon, but I'll get to that in my main blog soon enough. For now, all I have to say is BOO-ya!

Labels: marathon, MCM, race