Monumental Marathon Race Report

845 Views 12 Replies 13 Participants Last post by mutthound, Nov 15, 2010

RunAsics

Discussion Starter · Nov 8, 2010

Indianapolis Monumental Marathon - November 6th, 2010
 
This happened to be my 6th marathon start and 3rd this year but I hadn't planned it this way. I'd run, nay hobbled, Boston on a bum ankle then set my sights on a fast time in Chicago after more rehab for post tibular tendonitis (tip: don't get this ailment). That melted away as the temperatures mirrored those of my disastrous debut in Chicago 2008. Around mile 14 my race spiraled into a sun baked death march. At mile 16, I swore I'd never (ever) run another marathon again and maybe just give up racing entirely. It sucked. Seeing the 3:20 pacer run by around mile 22, I decided to stop and wait for DW. I finished in 3:45:20, my worst marathon by a city mile. Several city miles. OK, so stopping for 20 mins didn't help my time but my season was a complete and utter disaster. That said; I felt really good about getting DW to the finish line.
 
Later, after we learnt that DW had actually BQ'ed for Boston 2012, I decided to look for another race rather than training over winter for a Spring marathon. I picked the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. It was 4 weeks out, low key, cheap, allegedly flat and in driving distance. My goal was simply to BQ for Boston 2012. That's a 3:20:59 for me. Nothing fancy. Just get it done. A mirror of 2008 where I ran Outer Banks in November, 4 weeks after Chicago.
 
Short and sweet results: Perhaps getting bib #333 and having it signed by Hal Higdon at the "expo" gave me an edge? Deena Kastor's signature helped me in 2009. It was that or a lot of hard training. Either way, the result was perhaps my best ever race performance, aside from a sub 38 10k. I was patient and let the race come to me and other such clichés. 
 
Time: 3:06:25 (PR by 2:49)
Pace: 7.07 mpm
HM Splits: 1:34:34 / 1:31:51
OA Place: 109 / 2464
AG Place: 12 / 258
 
 
Long version:
After a recovery week, I repeated the last 3 weeks of my training plan. Two weeks after Chicago I ran my favorite race, the Frank Lloyd Wright 10k. I posted a 38:44 which was only a few seconds slower than 2009. I knew I had a shot at a sub 3:10 marathon. In 2009, I'd been on pace for a 3:07 but faded in the last 4 miles to a 3:09. A great time but well short of what I felt I was capable of running. 
 
Overall, my legs felt fresher than they had for the entire season but coming into marathon week I couldn't help but think that I was perhaps too rested. Too late now... The worry now was the race day temperature. Forecasts called for upper 20s rising into the lower to mid 30s. I packed a lot of gear... but finally decided on shorts, t-shirt and arm warmers - compression shorts and vest underneath plus my trusty calf sleeves. I made the right choice.
 
The race.
Our hotel was about a mile from the start. Not ideal but it was a steal on Hotwire. A busted TV remote gave us a free breakfast. I made the most of that with a cup of oatmeal and a banana. DW had a heartier meal. The walk to the start actually had a calming effect
 
At the starting line I chatted with a few folks and listened to a HS band massacre the national anthem with cold horns. I wasn't nervous at all. I'd decided to run with the 3:10 pace group with the option to fade a bit and still renew my BQ. No pressure. The marathon and half marathon started together so we had a lot of people running with the pace group. Frankly, it was pretty crowded but that meant that it felt a bit warmer.
 
I was wearing sunglasses as it was going to get sunny. However, in the pre-dawn light I almost wiped out a few times as the course weaved south around the Lucas Oil football stadium and then again while looking for DW as we headed a zigzag route north. The early miles were easy but the pace varied as the pacer found his rhythm. I resisted the urge to push ahead. The plan being to stay with the pacer until 15-20 miles then see what happened. I was content to sit there and listen to a couple of army guys talk shop. That took my mind off an older half marathoner who sounded like he was about to collapse.
 
Miles 1-5: 07:23; 07:08; 07:10; 07:15; 07:05
 
We were squeezed into the inside lane of some major roads. There was a lot of jostling in the pack. I almost hit a few traffic cones as I tried to say on the outside thus avoiding the camber while not being hit by an oncoming bus. Finally, the HMers split off during the 7th mile and we had more room. I was taking water every other aid station and had a gel just before mile 6. At this time I was feeling OK but my quads were complaining, I had random pains in my ankle, knees and lower back. 
 
A key point in the race occurred as we turned left off the major roads at mile 8 and hit a water stop. Since it was on the left hand side I had to cut over. I pushed ahead of the pace group, grabbed my water and was off, having mastered the art of drinking from a cup while running. A short while later I could hear the pace group behind me but fixed on an even effort despite not having anyone to draft off. 
 
Miles 6 - 10: 07:15; 07:13; 07:13; 07:18; 07:09
 
In mile 10 we headed back north into a breeze through a nice neighborhood. I hand slapped 5 or 6 kids in mile 11 but was thinking "crap, only 11 miles". I was hold my pace in front of the 3:10 group. The crowd support was light but pleasant. At the mile 12 marker we hit another major road going north. I'd downed my 2nd gel and was starting to feel good. My aches and pains were fading. Soon I hit 13 miles as turned left crossing the HM mats in 1:34:34. Perhaps I should have waved for the photographers but it was too early for that.
 
The course took us along some quiet side streets with barely a sole to see. It didn't bother me. I passed a guy with an headphones blasting some kind of junk. A mile later we exited wherever we'd been to see a nice big traffic jam and a two mile stretch of undulating road. I was now with a small string of runners. I focused on maintaining effort and picking off runners one by one.
 
Miles 11 - 15: 07:16: 07:10; 07:09; 07:09; 07:06
 
I took my 3rd gel by the mile 15 water station, a bit early but I figured it was better fuel now than enter a pit later. My gloves were getting nice and wet. Oh well. At this point I heard a runner coming up on me in what sounded like wet flip-flops. I commented on the fact they were the noisiest shoes in the world. He agreed. I'd see this guy later. The course continued its undulating pattern and I tried to maintain even effort and recover on the declines. At this time I was playing cat and mouse with a guy wearing a Detroit 26.2 long sleeve t-shirt. I'd pass, he'd catch and pass me. This went on for a many a mile and it gave me something to focus on. Along the way, I resisted the urge to shout for a girls choir to sing some Metallica tunes. Who knows, "Master of Puppets" may be good acapella style?
 
I was seeing my splits starting to gradually get faster. That peaked when, after a short stretch on another main road, the course headed down a spiraling off ramp and across the 30k timing mat. I stole a glance back and saw the 3:10 group about 1/4 mile behind me. It was still pretty big. 
 
After some nice side roads we entered a park and the Art Museum grounds. I dropped Detroit t-shirt guy. The course narrowed and I almost ran over a guy who'd decided to stop and stretch. Good plan! In fact I'd noticed quite a few runners stopping to stretch. Most wisely chose to do so off the course.
 
Miles 16 - 20: 07:10; 07:10; 07:02; 06:47; 07:03
 
Crossing a small foot bridge we finally hit mile 20, where upon a guy shouted that this is where the race begins. That apparently lit a fire under my arse as I picked up my effort, fixing my sights on a guy with a day glow orange top in the distance. He was going down! Barring a disaster I had the BQ. It was now a time trial. We passed a random Colts van blaring terrible rap music. Yeah, that helped. I was jonesing for a gel but wanted to wait for the next water station rather than risk a stomach bomb. That came in mile 21. By now I was running at a hard effort and passing more runners. By mile 22 I caught and passed orange shirt guy and could now see wet flip-flop shoe guy ahead.
 
Mile 23 was terrible. It ran on the right side of a small road with a significant camber. I struggled to maintain form but laid a terrible split. At the end of that mile, we turned right and headed south rejoining the HM course. Given the time frame, there were masses of walkers. Luckily the course was a straight shot south for two miles and split 13.1 / 26.1. We had the narrower inside lane. Still I almost flattened a couple of walkers by a water station. 
 
I saw wet flip-flop shoe guy ahead and I was closing in on him. My my calves were complaining and I recalled the spasms that'd slowed me in Chicago 2009. However; my calf sleeves seemed to be working. I also knew I had a nasty blister on the bottom of my right middle toe plus a toenail was going bye-bye. I missed the 24 mile marker while thinking about this. I was running as hard as I could. Then I felt a warm gush of liquid in my shoe - yep, blister popped. A bloody one too. No matter. Run. Run fast.
 
Miles 21 - 25: 06:53; 07:05; 07:13; 06:55; 06:55
 
I was on the heels of wet flip-flop shoe guys as we hit mile 25 and the brick roadway around the war monument. Now it was a foot race. He was holding me off but not by much. We passed a few more fading marathoners and swarms of walkers. Luckily the course was still split. I recalled the course map and knew we had to run in a square to finish. I closed. We turned onto West and I saw the 26 mile marker and increased my effort. I passed wet flip-flop shoe guy - he acknowledged me but I was in full flight.
 
Mile 26: 06:49
 
I kicked harder. I'd never experienced this before. I was approaching the end of a marathon and I felt great and was sprinting. I was going flat out as I made the final turn and hammered to the finishing line. I saw 03:06.xx and raised my arms in triumph. I'd run the last 0.2 in 1:17, the same as the end of my last 10k! This felt a lot easier than that.
 
I collected my finishers medal and some chocolate milk. DW ran over and I gave her a hug and smiled. My toes were sore, I had a blood stained shoe but that was about it. I felt surprisingly good. Even the 3+ hr drive back to home after a quick shower didn't cause me any problems. I'd never felt this good, physically, after a marathon. All those massages and recent pain sessions with the chiropractor had loosened up my hip flexors and back plus the extra rest had paid off. 
 
In summary, this is the marathon performance I'd always expected of myself. My last 10k time was a sub 7mpm pace. I'd love a sub 40 last 10k but that's a pipe dream. I'd been patient and run a big PR and negative split. I don't think I could have run the race better. A big negative split may mean time was left on the course but in the past I'd started a touch faster and faltered late in the race. Not today! I said I wouldn't run a marathon in 2011, rather wait for Boston 2012, but we shall see.
 
ETA: typos and bad grammar...

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