Marathon Debrief (Reflections)

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 Hind site is always 20/20, but I have no regrets about my attempt to go after a super big goal and finishin 3 hours and 10 minutes at the Indianapolis monumental marathon. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

If I pulled it off it would mean Chicago and maybe Boston, and if not than I wouldn't be any worse off. Making a PR would be nice, but even if I went a 3:15 it wouldn't get me to advance my BIG goals.


Running with a pacing group felt great. The crowd was in it and there was this incredible sound of the cadence of shoes hitting the pavement. At moments, it almost what sounded like a synchronized percussion instrument. It felt good. Hardly looked at my watch


But when I did, I noticed my heart rate higher than I would have liked. At 175+... I did know if that would be sustainable. 


And I almost pulled it off, but the woozies kicked in at mile 18. I came out of an aid station and a switch flipped, making my body chemistry all out of sorts. But I fought the stumbling bleariness of the moment and started moving my body.


I wasn't exactly aware of where I was because I'd been just keeping eyes on the pacer. A good strategy, but the 3:10 group slipped away, and I needed to get oriented and recalibrate, changing my rhythm on the fly. Not an easy thing when my brain is already a bit fuzzy.


But I fought.


Still. Moments of walking, but I fought to keep my body going. Try and reduce the all out stops. It went on like this through the end of the race, but I finished.


I finished.


A "D" goal at this point, but there are countless others who never have the opportunity or will to start. I went faster than some who PRed yesterday. Each person was running his or her race with individual stories and struggles. The last 8.2 miles may have been painful physically and mentally, but this suffering informs what I know I am capable of tolerating. And I wasn't just finishing a race, I was finishing a month's long process of sleeplessness and weariness. Which I tried to compartmentalize, but inevitably impacted my function and attention to other things. 


I'm regrouping.


I'm going to unashamedly enter the lottery for Chicago, and if that doesn't work, register for Detroit. I like running Detroit Free Press Marathon. It holds a special place as my first marathon and where I have my PR. Maybe next year it will be where it gets me into Boston.


But for now, rest, recover, and take things lightly. Celebrate the work and the result. Maybe inspire others to dig deep and learn more about themselves through running.



Appendix

Inevitably, I am thinking about what could have gone better. Processing....

1. Air stations were pretty crowded. The first two I missed water. Small amount of Gatorade, but that might have influenced my downfall. I also felt pressure to get the fluids so I could take my gels.

2. The pacer group kept me honest, but I wonder if I went real conservative at the start like a mile warm up of a training run if it had helped keep my stamina up.

3. This isn't the first woozy episode. I think I pulled up out of the crash in a decent way, but got to think through very clear and direct steps to take when this kind of thing happens.


By the numbers:

876 miles

120 hrs

104 runs






I didn't get an especially good race day photo for any number of reasons, so I'm using this one as I go off to work a 12-14 hour shift at my day job. A different kind of endurance. Feeling full. 







Watch the whole "Monumental Marathon Log" Series

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