The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

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HCcD
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The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

Postby HCcD » Tue May 06, 2014 7:14 am

Race Plan you say? Ha !!! I laugh at race plans !!!! :shifty:


Short Version:

The original plan was to train for my first ultra this spring with Mississauga as a tune-up and final long run in preparation for the K-Town 6 Hour Ultra in June … Such the case, leading up to his was a lot of back-to-back longish runs and steady pace training, in implementing various run/walk strategies … Then plans changed at the end of March, and the K-Town was off the table for this year, at least, and Mississauga got bumped up to my key event for this Winter/Spring training cycle … Contacted the Coaches and was given a revised schedule for April to tweak things up a bit and add a bit of speedier workout session to the mix before tapering … Realistically, post-injury, and lack of long tempo runs, et al, I figured that I was in 3:50:xx marathon fitness, if I just ran it at a controlled and steady effort .. Well, that was the original plan, Ha !!! On race day, the weather was so nice, sans the 25kph W winds and up to 38kph gusts, at times, I decided to go for broke and throw caution to the wind and start out for a 3:30-3:35 marathon pace … Yikes !!!! Deep down, I figured that I would only have about 25-30K max in me at this pace, but, decided to roll the dice anyways … Ha !!!

In the end finished up with a 3:55:00 … Though, was on pace for a 3:35:xx at the half way point and 3:40:xx at the 32K mark, while just lost steam over the final 5-6K or so, and literally walking/running it in … Just confirming that I am still have about a year or so, to rebuild my fitness to pre-injury state … No regrets, however … just decided to Go For It on Sunday and went for Bust … Ha !!! :)


Long Version:

After about 15 months or so, post injury, I was finally able to rebuild my fitness and training for another marathon training cycle … Still, more mentally than physically, I was still only at about 90% or so, as pretty well all my race times and paces, tended to be about 10% slower across the board … Physically, have lost some muscle mass and replaced with with extra weight, mostly body fat, due to reduced training volume and penchant for junk food … As mentioned earlier, the original goal for this Spring was a 6 Hour Ultra in K-Town, as such my training schedule was geared for back-to-back longish runs, but at an easier pace/effort, with a lot of run:walk breaks, etc … But, all that changed at the end of March, when it was decided to defer it to next year, or at least … and, refocus on running the Mississauga Marathon as my key event, rather than just using it as a training event in practicing my goal ultra run:walk pacing strategy … After a bit of tweaking from the K2J Coaches, I was given an adjusted 3-4 week build / taper schedule, adding a bit more upbeat training with speed and tempo into the mix … Perhaps, too little to late, in preparation for Mississauga, eh !!!

The Plan was to run at a steady effort for a reasonable 3:50:xx pace, which realistically, was where most of my training and races predicted, leading up to the weekend … However, on morning of race day, with temperatues hovering around 6C or so at the start and overcast, with some nasty winds, decided to Go For Broke and race this sucker … ooops … So much for Race Plan, eh! :)

Anyways, the race starts and I was already behind the 3:30:xx pace bunny, as he just took off like a bat, and I decided to run my own pace, and kept him within my sights until finally settling in … My 5K and 10K split times were only about 30 seconds or so … I was tucked inside the mass of runners for much of the first bit, protected by the winds, but, once the split came for the half and full marathon runners, it felt like an empty road, as there was quite a bit of separation between the runners, in front and behind …Was able to continue to move along and crossed the half way point in 1:46:3x … At this point, a 3:30:xx was no longer a possibility, and I think mentally, I just suddenly fell into a steady pace around 5:30mpk or so, that and starting run into a headwind at that point, Ha !!! … I think the nastiest stretch was from about 25-28K or so, both running up a false flat and into quite a nasty headwind … my energies starting to zap … the next 3-4K or so was a bit of zig-zagging and a few rollers … then heading up to the 20-mile mark, Robin had mentiioned that there was a blow-up wall on the road that you had to run under … anyways, as I made it up that little hill, I literally ran into and hit the side of the wall … Ha !!! Yup, stopped for a few seconds and started pounding against it … :) A few of the spectators there, thought it was a bit funny and got a few smiles out of it … :) Anyways, crossed the 32K mark at 2:45:xx and figured, that I did not really lose too much time over the last 10-11K or so, and was still on a 3:40 pace … Ha!! That did not last long … starting to slow down a wee bit, but still managing a steady pace up until about the 36K mark, then I just started to lose steam …

At 36K or so, my mind started to do the math and, that if I held this pace, I would still come in under 3:45:xx, but, then I started cramping a wee bit, and dry-heaving .. Guess I took in too many GU's and gatorade on the course and my system was starting to shut down a bit .. Acckkk !!! Anyways, I think, mentally, at this point, the clock did not really matter and I went into more of energy management roll, implementing run:walk breaks every 400-500m running or so with 15sec walks … The last 2.5K or so, I was just out of gas, and literally lost about 5 minutes with the amount of walking involved … and, in the end, was able to cross the Finish Line in 3:55:00, exactly 6 minutes improvement over Hamilton last November, and finally back into the 3's in my marathon times .. Ha !!!

In hindsight, I probably should have gone with the race plan to run a steady, evenly paced for a 3:50:xx marathon, and establish a current baseline for my training moving forward, but part of me just wanted to confirm, what I already knew, was that I still have quite a ways to go to regain my pre-injury marathon race fitness … In the end, I have no regrets on how I approached this race and am quite happy to have Marathon #31 in the books and look forward to my next marathon training cycle …

At this point, my next scheduled marathon will be in Hamilton Road2Hope, next November, with Jes, aiming for an evenly paced 3:50:xx marathon … Not planning to run/race another marathon til then, but do have one or two on the radar that have been of interest to me … :)
Race Results: http://itsmyrun.com/index.php?display=p ... unner=HCiD

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HCcD
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Re: The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

Postby HCcD » Tue May 06, 2014 7:18 am

What was a bit of an ironic foreshadowing was that before race week(end) Robin and I had been talking about running together, as she was pacing her friend to her first sub-4hr, but with a whisper goal of 3:55:xx ... I kinda said that I was either going to go for a steady and controlled 3:50:xx and/or go for broke and that she would likely be picking me up along the race course to finish at 3:55:xx .. I fulfilled my part of the bargain, but never did see her on the course ... :shifty: Ha !!! :shock: :lol: :wink: :shifty: :oops: :oops:
Race Results: http://itsmyrun.com/index.php?display=p ... unner=HCiD

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Re: The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

Postby Spirit Unleashed » Tue May 06, 2014 7:32 am

the title cracks me up!

thanks for a nice report.
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Re: The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

Postby Habs4ever » Tue May 06, 2014 8:04 am

Congratulations on another marathon, Andy. Sorry it didn't work out the way you wanted, but any day you can run and finish a marathon is a good day. :D
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Re: The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

Postby Jwolf » Tue May 06, 2014 8:31 am

Thanks for the detailed report and congrats on another finish. :)

You'll be back! :)
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Re: The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

Postby RobW » Tue May 06, 2014 1:16 pm

Ouch. Glad you didn't further injure yourself doing that. I totally neglected my race plan for my second marathon and it kicked my ass.

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Re: The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

Postby Robinandamelia » Tue May 06, 2014 2:16 pm

Sometimes it's just good to experiment, especially if you have nothing on the line (i.e wanting to qualify etc). So I think your execution made some sense. Gives you an idea, after being injured etc., of where you stand. Also, you never know, might have actually pulled it off.... It's something I do every time I race :)

Nice work out there and great to see you again on Saturday. Thanks again for picking up my race kit too :)

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Re: The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

Postby Avis » Tue May 06, 2014 2:42 pm

Congrats, Andy! I loved your go-for-broke attitude! Great report!
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Re: The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

Postby purdy65 » Tue May 06, 2014 3:20 pm

Another marathon! Congrats! :D :D

I get where you were coming from, but I can't to it.... no pain tolerance. :lol: :lol:
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Re: The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

Postby jes » Tue May 06, 2014 4:25 pm

Robinandamelia wrote:So I think your execution made some sense. Gives you an idea, after being injured etc., of where you stand.


Some....but not a lot ;)

3:50 in Hamilton eh? Yeah, I guess I can get behind that :D (How many weeks till Nov??!!)
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Re: The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

Postby 5km » Wed May 07, 2014 10:36 am

Congratulations. Another marathon done!

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Re: The Heck With The Race Plan - HCcD's Missisuaga Marathon

Postby Ken B » Sat May 10, 2014 11:04 am

Great reports! ( Both of them! ) Pretty decent results considering your injury and training, Andy! Congratulations! :)


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