Road Racing & Training Thread: Week Ending 4/16/2023

Happy birthday man!

Male, 29, 6'4", 151.5 lbs
Races: Recover from Boston

Mn - 8 @ 7:35s
Tu - 8.75 with 3T @ 6:00 and 4x200 in 37 37 36 36
Wd - 7.25 @ 8:05s
Th - 6 with 3x1600 in 5:44 5:57 5:57 (out of control first rep, reverse on the track)
Fr - 6 @ 7:40s
Sa - 4 @ 7:50s (PreDrive)
Su - 4 @ 7:45s + 4 Strides

Total - 44.5

Congrats, man and great recap. That Berlin race should be great.

I found this quoted part so relatable. Even in my PB marathon, I was feeling the exact thing even as my splits stayed consistent and I felt aerobically sound. I'm crossing my fingers that a combo of more conservative pacing and better preparation than I've had in the past will keep my legs intact. That being said I'm prepared to hang on for dear life if necessary even if I feel on the verge of my legs locking up. I'm pretty pumped about the developments on the weather by the way. Looks like there will be minimal to no rain, low dewpoint (51 or below), and high 50s temps. Will run with the 1:30 HM pace group and then try to negative split...patiently.

M24, 5'10" 140
PRs: 15:15 5k, 31:15 10k, 1:08:44 Half Marathon, 2:31:54 Marathon
Upcoming Races: Boston Marathon 2023 (Sub 2:30)
M: 8 Easy
T: 7 Easy
W: Workout - 2 Easy, 4 x Mile with 400 jog @ 5:30 avg, 2 Easy
Th: 7 Easy
F: Scheduled Off Day
S: 5 Easy
S: 3.5 Easy
40 miles total

Boston Marathon: 2:33:39

Recap: Going into the weekend I was confident in my abilities to dip under 2:30 for the marathon. My legs felt great, workouts went super, and I didn't have any injury hiccups the entire training block. I knew the fitness was there; all I had to do was execute. Unfortunately, I didn't hit my goal of sub-2:30 but walked away from the weekend still satisfied with the effort I gave.

While we gathered in our starting corral I remember feeling so awestruck at the fact that the Elite men were just a few meters away and that I too was about to run the historical Boston Marathon. Race starts and after a few stutter-steps to get across the line, we finally get into a running stride. First mile hits - 5:41 - felt fine and right on pace. The next 13 miles fluctuated between 5:36 - 5:40 which is what I wanted, and I had a huge group of runners to bounce off of and keep me within the pace range. I roll through the half in 1:14:14 feeling phenomenal. Energy was high, I was executing nutrition perfectly, and our group was still strong. I knew the hardest parts of the course were yet to come so I put my head down and continued to work.

30k hits and the time reads 1:46:29. I know sub-2:30 is slowly slipping away but I try to stay focused and keep reminding myself that I've got to use the downhills to my advantage the next 8 miles. Mentally, I knew what I needed to do; but physically, my legs just began to falter. I started clocking 6:00 miles, then a 6:10, then a 6:25 at mile 25 and I knew I just needed to get home.

I emerge from the underpass in the final mile and the crowd just erupts! I have never seen anything like it. Spectators 7+ rows deep filled with so much energy. I make my way towards the infamous right turn on Hereford and then the left on Boylston and I can see the finish. I throw my arms up in pure shock! The applause, the cheering, the screaming, the yelling of my bib number carrying me the rest of the way to the finish. I got choked up by it all and my emotions were at such a gratified high.

I cross the finish, see my time, and know I didn't even come close to my goal. Initially, a little upset, but after reflecting I know I ran my best race I could that day and it just wan't my day to run sub-2:30. There truly isn't anything like those crowds at the Boston Marathon and that race is something I won't ever forget.

I can't be disappointed with running a 2:33:39 in just my second marathon, especially of a fairly difficult course in less than ideal conditions. And I'm already excited to make my way back there in 2024 for a shot at redemption.

darkwave - Glad to see the workout paces dropping. (above) I am not planning on another marathon for a little while but will keep doing the long workouts regularly. I feel like they are really beneficial across any race distance.
highhoppingworm- Tough to train right while traveling. Impressive 400 TT, will be exciting to see where you end up in the 800
Sub 6 - A lot of good quality work in there! From Boston I got blisters on the top of both of my feet from my Adidas Sen Takumi 8s, weird spot but not really a hassle other than some blood. I'm just happy they haven't aggravated my extensor tendonitis that I tend to get.
notarobot - I was just listening to a friend's running podcast where they brought in their coach and he talked about "Winning Running by Peter Coe", he said something to the effect that it was impossible to follow (too hard). In his first coaching job he loosely trained his mid distance runners with it and they were exhausted all the time, but come taper would race well. He said he would never do that again because it's too hard and the athletes don't enjoy it. I can send you the link to that section if you want.
pewow - Goodluck in your 5x10k relay
JerryMiznerApologist - 'lankier by the day', me and you both. Tough running at 10PM then again 8 hours later.
Thoughtsleader - Best of luck in your marathon, I think your race plan is a good one. fuel early and often
beersandmiles - great marathon! glad you got a ~30s PR, even if it wasnt the sub 2:22 you wanted.
AverageForFun - Great race! I tried to lookout for you near the start/during the race but no luck. From your splits it looks like it was very well ran. PreRace: I like that you woke up 3 hours before me. Miles 1-4: It did take a little bit for the crowd to settle into place, I just stuck with it rather than try to go around. Miles 9-14: I think my hair stood up on my arms when I first heard the scream tunnel, Rest: glad you were able to make it past the hills and run the last 4 miles pretty well! I'm guessing you were passing a lot of people then. PostRace: Wife and I waited for our crew at the finish for quite a long time before we got clothes, only bad part about the rain, otherwise it was quite welcome, We saw a lot of people with 'blue/pale skin' (wife included). General: Sounds like a solid race! thanks for the report, glad all those miles/effort paid off and you got a PR and under 2:45. Time to work on those other PRs!
WinorLose#WhyD3 - The marathon is tough, hopefully you will be able to get under 2:30 next time. Glad you were also able to enjoy the day!
General - Looks like most people default to 3 or 4 x1mi prerace workout.

Thoughtsleader - A good prep and good weather sound like a recipe for success, go for it man. I'm excited to hear how it goes! Wishing you the best of luck!

WinorLose - You're not wrong, there truly isn't ANYTHING like the crowds.

Sam - I was also looking for you, but it turns out 6foot + and fairly lean male marathoners are more common than I thought. About the waking up early thing . . . yeah I wish my body didn't wake me up so early every time I race. Even worse was our hotel had the fire alarm go off and flood the floor below us as police and firetrucks stayed from 10pm-12. Would enjoy reading a race report from you as well and hear how it went. My mother got pretty cold/pale as well so we rushed out as quickly as possible so she doesn't get too sick. The rain wasn't horrible by any means, I just wish I wasn't the fool wearing his glasses and then switching to holding them throughout the race.