Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Three Days Post Race

My legs are still sore, but not as much as Monday.  I have been rolling my quadriceps and calves with the Stick.  It helps tremendously.  I am able to walk down the stairs almost as fast as my two year old now.  I will go for a short thirty minute run to loosen the legs some more either this evening or tomorrow.

Three days later thinking about the race, I wonder what I could have done to finish faster.  I hit the half marathon mark at 1:50:18 which means I ran a negative split once again.  My second half was run in 1:46:10.  I ran a negative split in Baltimore, but much closer together.  Sunday my split was almost four minutes apart.  This makes me think if  I had picked up the pace instead of going out so conservatively at the beginning, I would have been able to hit my goal of 3:35.  I think if I had a better night's sleep the night before, I might have had more energy to push it the first half.  A fellow runner who ran Mohawk this year in 3:24 was able to figure out that I passed 146 people in my second half without anyone passing me.  That's kind of cool.

My plan for the next couple of months is to keep my mileage up around 35-40 miles per week and then resume a training schedule in January for Boston.  My next race will be the Rockville Centre 10k on November 9.

I'm sure I've posted this video before, but I absolutely love it.
So true.

7 comments:

  1. lol.. bloody nips.
    You know, had you gotten the sleep, and pushed a bit more at the beginning, you probably would have shaved off those minutes. But isn't that just the luck of the draw, that you DON'T know what race day will bring? I bet even Olympic athletes say woulda, shoulda, coulda. I know I play that song all the time, even in stupid training runs! Remember, it could be worse, you could be stuck in MY head! lol.
    But, negative splits? That's real skill and control. All the decisions surrounding the skillful part is the art of it, no?
    Passing all those people takes strength and a powerful will. Again, that's skill that you've cultivated. I see only more PR's on the horizon for you.

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    1. You are always so positive and encouraging. You say skill, I say just low expectations. I always err on the incapable side, because being overconfident can have an outcome 100 times worse. I need to find a happy medium. I really do wish you could be my personal cheerleader, though. :)

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  2. You ran a fantastic race and if you'd pushed the pace more in the first half you may have disadvantaged yourself for the second. I know it must have been disappointing not to hit your target, but think of those in your fan club (guilty) who are in awe of what you did accomplish. It's all about perspective.

    The funny thing about post-race day aches is that we can take pleasure in the pain because of what it represents. The video was funny. I've had that reaction after racing far less than marathon distance (but not the last little part that I thought was kinda gross).

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    1. Kinda gross and lotsa painful. Maybe I'll invent sports bras for men.

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    2. Good luck, but call them anything but that.

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    3. How about The Upper Jock Strap? Quick! I need a patent attorney ASAP!!

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    4. You may want to start with a branding specialist : )

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