[ScratchType1]

I shall explain the latter half of the thread title in due course.<br><br>
Woke up in good shape this morning, a bit annoyed by how the weather is unseasonably warm and humid for October around here, but I was well rested and my legs felt good.<br><br>
Got a bit directionally challenged down around the Wilmington Riverfront area and decided that rather than trying to figure out the roadways, I'd park down by the shops near Frawley Stadium as I remembered them being about .75 miles away from the start and registration area. So I jogged there, although halfway there I realized I was still wearing my tee shirt over my singlet and that I was going to be getting another tee at registration. I looked at my watch and determined that I would be able to jog there, register, jog back to car and jog back to the start.<br><br>
I just ran an easy jog. I figured it was good warmup anyhow since I had taken Monday and Tuesday off from running, ran Wednesday, then rested again the last two days.<br><br>
I got to registration and a new tee shirt. On the way back, I pulled the glucometer out of my pocket and tested my blood sugar while walking. 130 mg/dl. It was 8:35, 25 minutes before race and I used my Novolog Flexpen to inject 2 units of rapid acting insulin to help with the liver dump during the race. Once injected, I resumed jogging. I don't know what people who saw me doing all this along the riverfront walk thought.<br><br>
Got back to my car at around 8:44. Dumped my two extra tee shirts in the car and then jogged back to the start, getting back with about 5 minutes to spare.<br><br>
At the start, the lady on the megaphone said something about course changes. I rarely can decipher the utterances over megaphones.<br><br>
I had a very important goal in this race. Keep myself from starting off too fast. It's been tendency of mine to register my fastest mile in the first mile of 5Ks and by the end of the race feel like I'm hanging on.<br><br>
So when things got started, I tried to keep my pace restrained. Not too restrained, but definitely avoid the feeling of how my legs felt during the intervals I had run the week prior. I wanted something slightly less than that.<br><br>
I was a bit dismayed when I got to the first mile marker and it had taken me 10:10 to reach it. Now based upon my heart rate at that point, I should have been about 9:30 or better. Weird. But otherwise I felt good, I felt like I could start to try picking up my pace now that there would only be 2 miles to go, so that's what I did.<br><br>
I began passing others, over the next third of a mile or so there would only be one instance of a trio overtaking me, but they soon dropped into a walk and I would pass them again. My goal for the rest of the race was to try to pull in people who were ahead of me.<br><br>
My heart rate average went up another half-dozen beats in the second mile and I was again a bit dumbfounded at my seeming lack of speed relatively speaking. It was a time of 9:37, but I felt like I was running up near the speed I had been doing in the 800m intervals of the week prior. Perception can be funny, I guess.<br><br>
That motivated me more though. I knew I needed to dial it up another notch and I went to doing so. In prior 5Ks I often felt dragging the last 1.1 miles. This time it felt tough, but it felt better. I worked on reeling in more of those who had been ahead of me and focused on keeping my upper body relaxed and my legs turning circles underneath me.<br><br>
I was also wondering if the course was mismeasured.<br><br>
I also was putting in the hardest kick I've ever put in yet. Glancing at the watch, my heart rate was consistently showing up over 170 bpm, my previous hardest efforts had seen upper 160s. Oh yeah, I was kicking as hard as I could.<br><br>
Still, the finish didn't seem to be showing up about when it felt like it should be showing up. Damn it. Keep kicking. There it is. Why is my watch already over 29 minutes? Why is the clock showing over 29? Fuck. At least let me beat 30 minutes. I've done that twice before, how could I be this slow?<br><br>
30:03. 171 heart rate average the last 1.1 miles. Blood sugar tested at 171 mg/dl upon completion.<br><br>
So I don't know.<br><br>
I wish I had had a Garmin while out there today. I've used Mapmyrun, conservatively, to show 3.2 miles and maybe as long as 3.25.<br><br>
Maybe my legs just weren't there today.<br><br>
I'll get ready for my next 5K in 3 weeks time.

 

[ScratchType1]

I need to remember there were some good things in this race.<br><br>
Carried through with the plan. I didn't race out too fast in the beginning and was able to run negative splits. After 1.3 miles or so, nobody passed me and I pulled in a fair number of people who had been out in front of me. I finished strong and didn't feel like I had left too much out on the course. The last mile was painful, but not as painful as prior 5Ks.<br><br>
I saw a nice increase in the average heart rate over prior 5Ks. I hope that's a good sign that my anaerobic threshold has gone up a bit. I'm also glad that my legs felt stronger. Prior races, they'd often feel beat up after 2 miles. Today I was pushing hard but they didn't feel so beat up. I believe this indicates they are getting stronger.<br><br>
I just wish I knew for sure if the course was long. If it was long, I can feel better about the result.

 

[ScratchType1]

They've posted the results, and I got to admit that looking at some of the times some of the runners have done, the course would be accurately measured. Damn. This is frustrating.<br><br>
I'll see if I can dig deeper and get some time comparisons.

 

[praecipua]

<b>Scratch</b>-- Good, hard effort. I'm sorry the result wasn't what you wanted, but you've been training very well, and the heat probably sucked a lot out of you. Nothing like a problematic race to motivate for the next one! I'm proud of and inspired by you and your determination, and this race is just another example of working hard and making good things happen!

 

[Hippo]

I have days when I'm just slow for no obvious reason too. Sorry it's causing you some angst - you WILL have better days. I also like to read your RRs because ages ago I was from your area - grew up in Bucks County and then went to HS & College in Chester Co. I envy the fall weather you get. None of that here in the PNW - it just goes from Indian Summer straight to 52F and damp.<br><br>
I sense sometimes that there's an "argument" between people who want to run everything off a pace plan and those who insist on running completely by feel (or HR.) I think I can understand both sides, having done both at times.<br><br>
Six months ago I was talking to one of my role model ultrarunners (who is very fast) and she said she never wears a watch and just finds out how she did when she crosses the finish line. I thought that was odd until a race in July where I was making myself miserable because I was falling behind my pace chart. Her words came to me and at the next Aid Station I threw pace chart, watch, and Garmin all into the drop bag. The rest of my day was WONDERFUL, I just ran for the joy of it.<br><br>
I'm not diabetic, so I don't understand anything about the levels you mention. Is there any way I can learn about that?

 

[keriksen]

Sorry you were disappointed by your race today, <b>Scratch</b>. I'm sure the heat had a lot to do with your time being slower than you had hoped, but I wonder if you maybe were a little too conservative. I don't know if you saw it, but there was a piece in Runner's World a few months ago where they tested a bunch of college cross-country runners, and found that their fastest 5K times resulted when they went out fast, and hung on for dear life at the end. This is what makes 5K's so tough. If you aren't hurting the whole time, you're probably running too easy. But you can't hurt too badly, or your performance will drop off. It's a fickle, cruel distance.<br><br>
That said, a good effort on a tough day, when maybe you didn't have your best stuff. (See also: Sabathia, CC) Just another step along the way. Your training is going well, and I'm excited to see how you do in Philly. It will be fun to meet you!

 

[solarpowered]

Scratch -- sorry things felt <i>off</i> today. I certainly can relate. But, as Kris said, a good effort on a tough day. Congrats!

 

[bard73]

I'm sorry that your results weren't what you were wanting to see. It was still a good effort. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Smile">

 

[Frankie71]

<b>Scratch</b> there will always be good and bad races. The important things are that you were out there putting one foot in front of the other and you learned things from the race. As <b>keriksen</b> said, looking foward to meeting you and seeing how well you do in Philly ( well for me it will be finding out after the fact how you did as Ill be behind ya somewere <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Smile"> )

 

[equinox marathon 43]

Scratch - Sorry if it wasn't what you were hoping for. You'll get them next time! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Smile">

 

[batmomm]

sorry you didn't feel it but heat and humidity will up your PRE something fierce!! That being said sometime it's nothing you can pinpoint. I did a 3 part 5k cul de sac race series. The first was so hot and humid and I hit 27:30, missed the second week, 3rd week much better weather, felt great, barely eked out a 29:30...go figure

 

[mmoonptdeux]

Hey <b>Scratch</b> - there will be good days and bad days. Sounds like you had a day that leaned toward the latter, but you made what you had work, which is really all one can ask for, and you deserve congrats for that.<br><br>
I think <b>keriksen</b> put it well with the C.C. Sabathia reference - he definitely didn't have it working that first ALDS game, but he made what he had work.

 

[ScratchType1]

I can give you the quick and dirty primer. The numbers like 130 mg/dl and 170 mg/dl are a measurement of the density of glucose in the blood. The normal reference range for a human being with a normally working endocrine system is to be between 70 mg/dl and 120 mg/dl, approximately, although any person after a carb heavy meal can see the blood sugar to spike up above 150 mg/dl for a short while as the insulin released by the pancreas plays catch up.<br><br>
Chronically high blood sugars are well correlated with a number of bad complications and their effects are gradual, cumulative over time for the most part. On the other hand, low blood sugars, going below 70 mg/dl or further are the ones more immediately scary. New diabetics especially when they go below the normal reference range feel it, get shaky and know to eat sugar.<br><br>
Now, now when you've been diabetic for a long time, the body can become a bit acclimated to the low blood sugars that are experienced in the attempt to manually simulate with theoretical projection versus what should be an automatic system of reactive properties, that is I try to project what my body will do with food, diet and exercise and project the insulin I will need and inject, a normal person just does that stuff and the body automatically reacts.<br><br>
Errors can be made or variables unaccounted for, so hypos are a logical consequence of trying to maintain tight control as I try to do -- my last 3 longterm blood tests to measure control over a 3 month time period have shown me to be in the upper end of the normal reference range for test results.<br><br>
Anyhow, I don't sense hypos as well as I did 15 or 20 years ago. I've even had times where I've tested my blood sugar, found it in the low 30s and felt almost normal. And when you start getting down towards the 20s that's where you're in danger of passing out. You won't likely die going super low, eventually the liver kicks in and raids the glycogen stores for fuel. Still, you can imagine that hypos are generally something I'd like to avoid.<br><br>
I guess that wasn't so quick, but it should give you a bit more info about what's going on the type 1 diabetic endocrine system.<br><br>
------<br><br>
I've pretty much accepted that for whatever unknown reason, I just had slow legs yesterday. Maybe it was the heat and humidity of yesterday, the couple of runs I've had where I've blown up have been out in heat and humidity, maybe my body doesn't do well with that. I was sweating like crazy during the last mile, first time ever I can remember having to constantly wipe sweat out of my eyes as it came pouring down my forehead.<br><br>
Let's hope for better weather in 3 weeks and a time more like I think I should be capable of.<br><br>
Gotta get ready, go out, and put some more miles in this morning.

 

[rollingrock]

another well-run race scratch, altho you didn't make your "goal" time, your pace plans always amaze me as i am a run as i feel person. great blood sugar control scratch. i have a fairly good grasp of what that takes and, well, i could go on......nicely done. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/notworthy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="notworthy"><br><br>
keep up the great work scratch, i hope you continue to race.<br><br>
how do your legs feel the day after the race?

 

[Jill]

Good race <b>Scratch</b>, even if you had heavy legs yesterday.

 

[ScratchType1]

My legs felt pretty good today and I went out for 3.8 miles this morning. Although I felt it some while out there today, probably because I went out, played 18 holes of golf yesterday afternoon, walking and carrying my bag. It was almost surreal yesterday afternoon, felt like July but then seeing the sun going down a little after 6 in the evening.<br><br>
3 weeks from now, I think I'll again try to repeat the plan of negative splits even if that's not the perfect plan for running the fastest 5K. It was good for me to run a negative split race to let me get a feel for that because when I do the half marathon in Philly, I very much want it to be a race where I finish strong over one where it feels like I'm hanging on for dear life over the last miles.<br><br>
It's interesting people talking about running by feel over running with plans. I think running with a plan is my running by feel. I was the kid fascinated by baseball stats when I was young, part of how I feel the game of baseball is by swimming in the numbers. Sometimes people think doing things by numbers is to throw out feeling. I don't think that's true for everyone. How I feel a race and how I feel my day to day life with type 1 diabetes is a sea of numbers.

 

[McTortle]

Scratch - you are one who continually inspires me. Thank you.

 

[Kriddie]

Great job Scratch, I'm sure this miserable weather kept you from hitting the time you wanted. You still got out there and did it, that's what matters.

 

[theia]

<b>Scratch</b>, I have learned that the bad races and training runs make me appreciate the good ones even more. You got a bad one out of the way this weekend... Next time, nothing will stop you!!!

 

[ScratchType1]

Actually, I think it was a good run, don't get me wrong. I had a plan and executed the plan, gave me a microcosmic view of how I want my pacing to go at the half-marathon, saw some good signs of improved conditioning based upon the heart rate averages. My legs felt good too.<br><br>
I think it was just the heat that slowed things up for me. Other than that, I was really happy with following the plan and being able to sustain a heart rate over 170 bpm in the last 1.1 miles. I couldn't have done that even a month ago.