October 4th, 2008
Yesterday it came to my attention that my backup marathon, the Philadelphia Marathon, is filling up pretty quickly and I will have to decide before Steamtown if I should sign up or not. I have no interest in doing the race this year, 6 weeks after my marathon debut, but it’s my Plan B in case Steamtown is a bust. Here’s the question though…what exactly constitutes a bust?
Before my DNF of the Distance Run, I would have said it was not hitting my preferred goal time of 3:45, but I’ve since gained some perspective on it, so a 4:00 would be fine and fab for my first, if that’s what I end up with. Over 4:00 however, I’d want to redeem myself in Philly.
I just wish Philly didn’t cost $125 because given a choice, I really don’t want to run a marathon 6 weeks after my first unless I have to. I could go for the Half (only $100!) but I believe you can only upgrade to the Full as long as there’s room left. I did the Half last year and I’m not dying to do it again and besides, I signed up for a sweet Half in the Spring, the Lehigh Valley Half, so I can wait till then for a new Half PR.
Decisions, decisions…
Now I’d like to address something I’ve brought up before and we’ve actually discussed, thanks to you, my fine blog commenting friends. Yesterday I was advised by a forum friend that I should be conservative and instead of going for 3:45, should shoot for sub-4:00, simply because it’s my first marathon.
If you’ve read this blog for a while, you would know that this rankles me to the bone. Why do people who have a difficult first marathon (or second or third or fourth) assume you will too? As if we were all cut from the same cloth. We’re not.
Lower expectations do not motivate me – that’s not what I consider fun. I can appreciate that some folks enjoy entering races as training runs or like to race conservatively or to test the waters on a distance before going all out their second time, but that’s not me. I race to race. That’s how I get my jollies.
Nevertheless, as strong a person as I am in many ways, hearing these doubts about my first marathon leads me to doubt myself all over again. Suddenly I’m poring over my logs, wondering if I was fooling myself the whole cycle (maybe I didn’t do the work I thought I had, maybe my mileage wasn’t up to snuff, did I miss some runs I don’t remember missing??) but no, it’s all there. I’ve no reason to feel down about it, I just need to clear my head of all the lingering negative fuzz.
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Hi Flo!
I would LOVE for you to do Philly for my own selfish reasons!
Don’t let the naysayers get you down. For my first marathon, I trained all summer with a 4:10 in mind. It wasn’t until PDR, 4 weeks before my marathon that I realized I could probably do better. And like you – I’m not training my ass off for 18 frickin weeks to run conservatively . After weeks of agonizing and pouring over my training log, I decided the DAY before to go for a sub 4. Finished in 3:59:46. That’s still 10 min slower than Mcmillan predicts from my half time. Jim2 has a predictor formula on his site that was dead on for me. Maybe you can take your 10 mile time from PDR and plug that in.
It’s natural to second guess your ability and your goal, it’s all part of taper madness. The real trick is to figure out a realistic goal based on training and race times and then to execute your plan properly on race day. Alot of first-timers miss on one or the other. I think that’s all anyone is cautioning you about. For every report you read about someone making their first-time goal, there are 2 that didn’t.
I’ve followed your training, you have more ability at this running thing than I do. If I can run sub 4 at Baltimore, you can definitely run a sub 3:45 at Steamtown. (I’m just sad I won’t be there).
Good luck and don’t let the taper madness get to you. ;-)
Kat
Wow Kat, thanks for that bolster up! Just what I needed. I am so incredibly sad you won’t be at Steamtown, either. You’ll be with me on the course though, I’ll run a mile for you and all our missing Steamtowners.
Agree completely with overreaching goals and improperly executing the plan being race killers. Take hydration for example, lol (which I will not mess up again!). I’m going to do everything in my power to start modestly, keep it under control on the downhills and save some energy for the hills at the end. If I can do that, along with eating and drinking right, I should be ok.
Hugs to you girl and thanks again.
I remember something back while I was in school. The same question was posed to me over and over again. ” What ya gonna do, if you don’t make it through med school?” I hated it!! DAMN IT, I WILL MAKE IT!!!!!!!
You know – “Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail.”
I love the fact that you are so positive. You are very clear and concise in your training and you seem to be “right on” in your expectations. In fact, I think I want to hire you as my personal trainer.
The “forum friend” is like many of us – we hate to see the anguish of setting the bar too high and then failing. Your bar is set “just right.”
It’s not, “I think I can, I think I can.”
It’s, “I know I can, I know can! Beotch!”
Dave, thank you so much, yet another totally uplifting post. Great story about rising above the noise for med school. Between that and Kat’s race, these are great examples of setting that bar and following through.
Btw, I love this “I know I can, I know can! Beotch!” (where Beotch in this case will be my own self doubt…I still love my forum friend, annoying as this incident was). Anyway, it will be a mantra for this next week and race day. What a nice alternative to thinking I’ve set myself up for the biggest “I told you so” moment in blog history.
Yes, these kinda thoughts come up during taper.
I’ve also heard the “be conservative” advice and even the “run to finish” version. I believe that the point of these things is to try to dissuade a newbie marathoner from going out too fast, and then having a horrible time in the last few miles. If you have done a proper training program and enough racing to know what youor pace is, then that advice is not for you.
My original target was 4:00, based on shorter races and a “Hill Factor”. During training it became apparent that I was gettng faster, so I (with some trepidation) reset it to 3:50. During the race, I decided about mile 8 that I could do better, and ended up at 3:46:11. The pundits would say that was way too early to accelerate. Well foo to them, I ran it my way.
It’s your marathon Flo, run it your way.
You have a plan. You done the training. Stick to your plan. Dont let negative thoughts stop you now.
Go for it!!
Oh man, you have a whole week to toil on the whole pacing thing, and I can see you making your final decision while you’re standing at the starting line (maybe on the bus ride there if you’re lucky).
Can’t wait to read the race report – take a laptop with you and post from the runner’s refreshment tent please.
Progman, im expected mile by mile updates.
She better get someone to take on the run reports every miles. Slowing to type could ruin her pace.
HAHAHA, you guys are the best!!
Jim, I only have to look at your race to see what happens when everything goes great. I love that you had such a success, may mine be a fraction of yours in smart running and happy surprises.
Bruce and Progman, you guys are hilarious. I’m waiting for the Garmin 505, the one that transmits race reports on the fly. Until then, I promise to get home as soon as I can and give you the full, uncensored dirt.
Does the race have online tracking??? Not to put any added pressure on you.
Alas, no online tracking, it’s a smaller race.
Flo, you need to immediately banish the doubts from your mind. I’m the same way – I had one tough tempo run a few weeks ago and I started to doubt what I could do at PDR but then I came back and crushed my goal. I have absolutely no doubt that you have set a proper program for yourself, done the hard work and you have also considered every possible obstacle that could come up to hinder you. Think about it – your PDR mishap really was training (in terms of how to manage your hydration) for your Steamtown Marathon which has been the goal all along. As you stated above, now you know better. I think we all tend to micro-analyze everything about this whole race thing, when in reality you have to consider variables like hydration (that are impacted by race day weather and conditions), nutrition, and beyond that it’s putting one foot in front of the other.
You have the right attitude in that you’re not going in over-confident or cocky. The confidence you have is something you’ve earned with all your hard training. Enjoy this race for what it is: a celebration of all the honest and hard miles you’ve put it faithfully and successfully.
Finally, I’m counting on you to make me proud because my fall marathon hopes are now being vicariously lived out through you. I did see the orthopedist and he assured me my leg pain is not bone-related, but still did not give me a firm diagnosis. He recommended more stretching and some arch supports. That was last week and I’m right back where I was after PDR feeling like I need a week off and like you, I’m finding that Philly is just about full. I am very reluctant to drop $125 non-refundable with my leg feeling like this (and worsening) and so today I made the tough call to pull the plug for this year. I need to get back to running without pain more than I need to “not waste” my 9 weeks of official training I’ve put in. It really sucks and I am so very disappointed but it’s really the right decision and I’ve been trying to delay making it but with the race almost full my time is up. My leg only has gotten worse, not better except for my week off.
Anyway…
I think I ran past you this morning right by the art museum (kelly drive side). Were you wearing a white top with some sort of a diagonal stripe on it? You were way past me when I realized it might be you so I didn’t get to say hi or offer you an anticipatory Steamtown high five.
Well, I’m going to rest the leg and stay tuned for your result which I am absolutely certain will ROCK. You’ve busted your ass this far, I have no doubt you won’t bust it harder on race day and crush your own goal.
Now go do it!
All the best,
Todd
TODD!! First off, I thought I saw you today (and yes, that was me)!! Were you wearing a white shirt with I think some black trim on it and your fuelbelt? I thought it was you but my memory for faces and names is so incredibly bad, I didn’t trust myself to say hi.
Oh, man, I’m so sorry to hear you leg isn’t better. But can I commend you a zillion times over for realizing it’s best to take care of it than lose that training? I read so many reports of people running through stuff that they shouldn’t have and being sidelined for real, so I’m super proud of you for treating this with long-term in mind. But again, I’m truly sad you have to deal with this at all, I can only imagine how frustrated you must be over it.
Will you go for a Spring marathon or use the Fall and Winter to improve speed for shorter races in the Spring? If a marathon, have you picked one out yet?
As for your wonderful supportive words, thank you so much, you gave me a great boost with your post. Hugs and good health for you and rest that leg well, it has a lot of work to do once it’s better.
Hey Flo, I ran the San Jose Half today. here’s how it went.
I carpooled to the race with two other runners, Joe and Kati.
After the usual nervy watch-checking potty line, we got to the start area just in time to duck into the corral. We had not checked to see if there were pace groups in this race, so it was a nice surprise to see a 1:45 sign sticking up out of the throng. My goal exactly! No time to get close to it though. Good Luck Guys! and off we went. The pace sign was about 100 yards in front, so I concentrated on reeling it in slowly. That took 3 miles. The splits showed we were going slightly faster than pace, but I felt comfortable. At about mile 6 Joe moved ahead of the group but I stayed put, happy with 1:45.
At about mile 9.5 I was wondering when to make my own move, when: OW! A sharp pain in my left foot, at the front end of the second metatarsal, right where it hits the ground. So I tried a few things before accepting the dread DNF. Run on the inside of the foot? no, that was worse. Run no the outside edge, with the toes turned in?. That was better. by mile 10 the pain faded somewhat and I went back to running normally. OK, maybe not a DNF today. Where did the pace leader go? I got ahead of the group while looking down and running with a limp! To be fair, the leader would have been slowing down for a positive split. So I winged it after that. The pain returned once, for a minute or two, but not as bad.
I had enough in the tank to gradually accelerate for the final two miles, hit the line in 1:42:07 (by my watch, the chip times are not posted yet), then went to the medical tent. The doc thought a tendon problem was more likely than a stress fracture, but I should probably get it X-rayed anyway.
So I got a PR, beat my goal, but nearly DNF’d, What an interesting day!
P.S. Results are up now. My watch time, 1:42:07 was also my chip time
JIM!! More capital letters and exclamation points for you! Wow, now I see how it is with you…you’re one of those runners who think you’re not as fast as you are then BAM! you show yourself how good you really are. What an amazing report, almost DNFing to getting a PR, talk about a turn of events!
How did Joe do, since he moved up before you? Did you end up passing him and not knowing it? And how does this affect your next marathon goal? Are you playing with calculators like crazy now? I would!
Ha! So cool. Btw, know that even before I read this report, I’d planned to reread your marathon report on this blog in a couple days. It has that same “didn’t expect to and exceeded” magic and I wanted to relive how that feels vicariously through you before my big day. How lucky am I to get to “experience” it now for two separate occasions.
Yay Jim!!
I didn’t catch Joe. He finished in 1:41:09, monster PR for him. and Kati in 1:39:07, so I was the slow one in our car, but also the oldest, so that’s OK. (Kati’s in her 20′s, Joe in his 40′s)
Calculators? I just flipped open Daniels at page 48, table 3.1. Looks like I could BQ (3:35) with a small cushion on a flat course. And CIM is downhill! I just hope my foot will be OK. Maybe I should think about 3:30.
WOW! Now that’s running. Soon enough you’ll be too speedy to hang out here, and will need to post with the scary fasties at Letsrun.com.
And double yay for being the oldest in the car. If you want to give yourself a giggle, find an age grade calculator and see how you compare to our wayward youth. It’s worth it for a little gloating.
Leave? Nah! I love the positivity around here!
That age grade thing is fun, One’s head could start to swell :-)
What’s wrong with a little head swelling now and then? There has to be some consolation for being as old as we are!
First, I totally believe that you can hit your race goal for Steamtown. Just by reading your blog I can say that you are doing the training and doing it the right way. Let me tell you my story… I am a runner and a biker so this story is actually about a bike ride. Sorry, please don’t hate me for being “one of them!” I live in Colorado and of course we have killer elevation and some killer mountains. I hate riding hills and am more of an endurance rider. Put me on a flat in Kansas and I can ride for days. Put me on a hill and I will bitch the entire ride. Well, two years ago I signed up for a race called the Copper Triangle. The ride is a 78-mile ride over 3 Mountain passes with one being Vail, a killer Mountain Pass. That year I did terrible. I was literally coming in when they were taking down the banners. In fact, a guy on a unicycle beat me. No Lie!!!! Well, after that race I said I would never do it again. It was the single most humiliating and devastating athletic event I had been in. However, just like child birth I forgot the pain and signed up for it again this year. Well, I was really worried the entire training period. I didn’t get in the rides I should have and I was certain I was destined for a repeat of the year before. But you know what? That did not happen. I had the best ride of my entire year and the reason was that I decided I could conquer Vail. I used the power of my mind and decided that I was a strong rider and I kicked major A*)!!! My point here is that you have done the training and you are physically ready to kick A@#. Now take the most powerful organ in your body, the mind, and make it happen. Block out the naysayers and do what you know you can do and it will happen. I believe in you and I know that many other fans of your blog also do. Use that to your advantage and go take Steamtown!
Christi, I LOVE that story!! Who doesn’t love an “I return and conquer” tale? Especially when it involves being beat by a unicycle? Really cool. Thank you hugely for that, yet another shot of race insulin for my big day. I’m beginning to feel like a Butterball Turkey. A well-supported Butterball, that’s for sure. Thanks to the lot of you!!
Cool story, Christi. I think of cycling as the sister sport. I’ll probably be on my bike this week, to avoid running on my injured foot. I’m curious: Did you do anything differently with pacing, etc. or was it all down to being in better shape, physically and mentally?
+1 to Christi (Unicycle/Mind/Naysayer rejection)
+1 to Jim E (staving off a DNF and cashing it in for a PR!!)
With my injured leg needing healing from impact, I will also be hitting the bike. I do need to get a seat that doesn’t bruise my ass, though. I learned that in June when I had knee pain and jumped on a bike for 17 miles one fine evening, and had fun sitting for 5-6 days. (Sarcasm means actually “not fun”.)
Flo-
Wanted to respond to your response but did not want my sheepish bailing-out ass commenting on the ‘latest’ blog post, and most certainly not on the subject of running fashions. But yes, that was me with a white long-sleeve adidas top (the ‘black’ trim you saw was my dark navy 3 stripes) and a fuel belt (Yes, I bailed after only 8 miles but I was damn ready for 16 as scheduled.)
I love the thought of keeping (Nay! Improving!!) my cardio fitness on the bike/elliptical/rowing machine for the next month or so and assuming I can run with no pain, planning on building from scratch with some BS 10% running plan and immediately transitioning into a 16-18 week marathon program. I figure, if I’ve got 10 months of running 20+ miles/week and the past 9 weeks of targeted marathon training, that means I’m NOT really starting from scratch. I can only lose so much if I stop running for 4 weeks (in terms of what tendons and connective tissue can handle). Not saying I’ll lose nothing, but I tend to think I’ll lose less there than in cardio (if not doing the aforementioned other activities).
If that all works out I’ll look at an April marathon, but I have far to go before choosing one in particular.
For now, I have to find contentment in my half marathon time at PDR of 1:51:36. That’s my first half, and just over 7 months after starting running. I know a lot of the faster runners decry the presence of “rookies” like me in their beloved races, but if we have the desire and the willingness to do the training, then we have every right to be there in the start corrals with them. Or at least that’s my newbie battle cry!
Anyhoo, as stated earlier I am living my fall marathon vicariously through you, so hang in there, relax as needed in your taper and KICK *ASS* at Steamtown! After reading this blog only a couple of months, I can say you are my heroine – no joke, no hyperbole.
GO, FLO!!!
-Todd
Todd, you so crack me up with your waiting for the new post to go down before replying to this one, that’s totally something I would do.
No question about it, you did amazingly well in your Half debut, especially so soon after beginning to run! Once you get all fixed, you’ve got a long way to go as far as growth (they say 5-10 years no matter the age you start!), so keep that in your head, whether you’re cycling or ellipticalling or whatever you have to do to keep up the fitness.
Your plan sounds smart as far as easing back into a plan for a Spring race. I’ll be thinking about you this next month, sending you waves of good health and healing vibes because I wanna see your ass back out there in the park again, for a high five or even a big ole hug. You’ve got the right attitude, for sure…one of a true runner.
Jim in answer to your question I think it was all mental. My biking partner believes that I had the fitness all along but just didn’t have the confidence. Of course, that is easy for her to say since she is naturally gifted and always does well. Me on the other hand I have to work twice as hard and sometimes I do let my mind take over in a negative way. It really was a mental block that I climbed over. Throughout the ride I mentally reminded myself that I was strong. I had several mantras that I used. In addition, I think another key thing that I got right that day was nutrition!!! I was able to fuel correctly the whole time that really helped! I would just say the biking gods smiled on me that day. Now I hope the running gods smile on me next weekend when I take on the Denver 1/2 marathon!