The Philly Marathon was timed perfectly (the Sunday before Thanksgiving) so that I finished the race and had a few days before Thanksgiving. "Luckily" for me my school district had parent/teacher conferences the week of Thanksgiving so I didn't have a second to be sad about missing running with the late nights and exhaustion of conferences. Before I knew it, it was Thanksgiving and we all now that once Thanksgiving happens the holidays are basically here and free time doesn't exist! Long story short, I didn't experience the post race blues this time around.
Back to the race....
Leading up to the race was not the superstitious set of routines it usually is. I approached this race more relaxed and didn't deprive myself alcohol or caffeine the last month like I usually do and I think it helped me. As I mentioned in previous posts, around October 14th (again) I felt similar (tho not as intense) pain in my pelvis. I was smart about my injury..whatever it was. I did some PT, 15 hours in the hyperbaric chamber (Yes, I still swear by the benefits of the hyperbaric chamber), and saw doctors. It was decided that it was HIGHLY unlikely that I fractured my pelvis again, but there was pain so a little PT and scaled back training with lots of rest was encouraged. Usually the idea of rest makes me twitch, but I followed the recommendations of my doctors and it seemed to help. I felt calm, cool, and collected race weekend. I was ready for this race mentally and physically. (Additionally, it was agreed upon that I would get an MRI the day after the race...just in case).
Leading Up To The Race:
The day before the race my friend and I went to the expo to get our numbers and check out gear/vendors. After the expo we just relaxed in our hotel room until our dinner reservation at 5:00-yup, 5:00! ha ha The night before the race I couldn't sleep...part because of nerves and part because I went to bed with the sun still up ha ha. By the time I fell asleep the alarm was going off. We watched the weather before we left and knew it would be great! Walking outside we were surprised at just how great. The weather on race day was AMAZING-slightly overcast and cool, but not cold. We did have some wind that was intense at times.
Plan Of Attack:
My plan of attack was negative splits. The idea of negative splits is that your 1st 1/2 of the race is slower than the 2nd 1/2. The purpose of a negative splits is to conserve energy. Often runners start out too quickly and burn out. Burning out early on has you getting slower and slower as the race progresses and when, like me, you're hoping to get a qualifying time doing an 8:23 mile (like I needed to do to qualify), for 26 miles is unlikely. Negative splits are tricky mentally. When you think about racing and needing a specific time running slower than the necessary time seems counterproductive. When you are racing and are "forced" to run your first few miles at a 9:00 pace when you know you are capable of so much more you really need to be focused in sticking to that slower pace...the end justifies the means! I was comfortable the entire race thanks to negative splits. There wasn't even a thought about a "wall" or walking. I can't imagine running another marathon without negative splits. In addition to negative splits keeping me happy my cheer team was awesome! I saw my family/friends all over Philly and in every photo they took I was smiling and looked very comfortable-Thanks Negative Splits!
Post Race:
As I ended the race (still smiling) they handed out hot chicken broth. After running for 3:46:15 (that's right, 6:15 off from my BQ) and drinking only water and Gatorade (tho @ mile 20 some people were handing out beers and I took one...best decision to change up all the sugar I was taking in) and eating sports beans and gels the chicken broth was AMAZING and probably the greatest thing I had ever consumed ha ha. In addition to the salt tasting great the warmth of the broth was needed. Once I stopped running I got very cold, very quickly. Within minutes of finishing, my lips were blue and my teeth were chattering. I met up with my cheer team, got warm/dry clothes on and headed out of Philly!
CELEBRATE:
After the race I threw myself a little party with friends and family. I decided, months earlier, to listen to one of my running mentors and celebrate the fact that I completed another marathon-regardless of whether or not I got my Boston Qualifier time. Still smiling, it was great to have everyone out to help me ease into the off season ha ha
It's safe to say that November 22nd, 2015 was one of the greatest days of my life. I am immensely proud of myself. Nope, I didn't qualify but I came damn close! I cut 8:18 off my best marathon time and I gained a renewed belief in myself and what I'm capable of! Then came November 23rd....
"I've learned that finishing a marathon isn't just an athletic achievement. It's a state of mind that says anything is possible."
No comments:
Post a Comment