To Infinity and Beyond - Becoming a Better DopeyBadger (Comments Welcome)

[roxymama]

Quoted wrong person (meant to quote @TheHamm )

Don't be too impressed. I'm not the expert. And I'm not great at distracting my brain in any setting outside of running. Which is probably one of the reasons I enjoy running so much.

I did fall asleep once during a pregnancy yoga class, but that probably had more to do with being pregnant than anything else.

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

Yoga newbie giving my 2 cent's worth:

I've been going once a week for 5 weeks. My class is a 6AM class at the Y. We were already members so it's free. The instructors seem to be 'real' yoga instructors, and not just Y staff. The class is usually 3 or 4 rookies, and 1 or 2 more experienced people. The instructor is good about giving pose modifications for both the beginners and experts. The Y provides mats, blocks, and straps, so startup cost is zero, as long as you have long shorts (compression are better) and/or running tights.

I've not been doing it long enough to see real benefits to my running, but I can see that the core work and stretching will pay off. An unexpected benefit is that yoga makes you more body-aware. As runners, we tend to be lower body aware, but not so much upper body. You're more aware of tight shoulders/neck/back/hips. While I've not noticed my running changing yet, I've noticed the way I walk/sit/sleep has changed. I don't know exactly how to describe it, except more 'cat-like'. Lighter on my feet, and more fluid. I have to believe I'm going to see the same benefits while running. It's probably already happening, I just haven't noticed it yet.

Another benefit is that it's good to be the rookie at something. It shakes the mind up and forces a new thought process.

Because I'm a beginner, I'm concentrating more on the physical aspect and getting the poses right, and not focusing on the breathing and mental (can you focus on the mental part?) aspect yet. But I do not have any problems shutting out external thoughts during the hour class. Full disclosure: no kids and no job make that pretty easy, possibly I don't have any external thoughts!

So put me down as another vote for yoga, especially if you can try it in a no/low cost way.

 

[canglim52]

I used to do Yoga my self, though now I use that time for more specific strength training. The meditation aspect is a huge benefit. I still meditate daily, and as I’ve mentioned before on this blog, I run with no music so that I can be mindful and meditate the entire way. Some days are easier than other, but it helps me in all areas of my life not just running. If you want a great app for meditation, try Headspace! They have sections for all sorts of stuff including athletes.

As for running by feel vs running by pace goal... I’m completely torn. I’ve run my last several PRs all by feel and I wouldn’t have set those PRs in same fashion with a pace goal. However, as I continue to progress I wonder if the pace goals would help me even out my splits and go faster. Idk the answer, and I’d be really curious to know what Kipchoge and other elites do. Also, any scientific litature on the subject?

 

[sourire]

Another vote for yoga here! I started taking classes in college (when it was free for students) and have taken various classes over the years - the Y, local gyms, tried hot yoga at a crowded city studio (kind of yuck when the guy next to me started sweating on my mat - no thanks), tried some places where you could take your first class for free to see if it was a good fit (free is always a good price), and my sister once dragged me to her yoga studio where we did 108 sun salutations to welcome in summer [that was an experience (which I would do again btw), and my arms were ouchie for days].

Anyway, I should practice more, but agree with @OldSlowGoofyGuy in that it has made me more "body aware," especially when it comes to some aches and pains that come up with running. I do a short routine after running sometimes for stretching purposes. I now feel like I know which poses will help what ails me. (Sometimes, the teacher at the gym will ask for requests at the start of class to see if certain body parts are bothering anyone, so she will do a few poses to focus on that which is nice.) I don't make it to class a ton, but you will find me at least once a week in my living room doing some poses to my favorite music (and yes, that includes Springsteen...acoustic).

 

[pixarmom]

Enjoying the report, Billy!

CONGRATULATIONS, @Ariel484 - so happy for you! Hope all is well!

 

[DopeyBadger]

THE 2018 Chicago Marathon: Part 2

Sunday (10/7/18)

Race Day.

Sleep went well. Unlike Friday night where I woke up multiple times and had the same perpetual dream of a pre-shakeout morning routine, instead I slept like a baby. I aimed to wake up at 4:00am to get ready for the race. At 3:55, I woke up, looked at my phone and knew the time was now. I used the bathroom and then ate my pre-race breakfast. A PB/honey bagel with a banana and 32 oz of water. I timed this with the hope that I could use the bathroom for the last time at the port-potties around 6:20am (rule of two hours). I put on my running clothes and I was out the door at 5:20am. I tried to delay my leaving as much as I was comfortable with because of the rain. Albeit a light rain, it was more than nothing. I decided to wear my poncho and then had a hoodie/sweatpants combo that I could either take off at gear check or keep on based on how I was feeling.

I made the short trek down Michigan Ave towards Gate 4 (pre-assigned gate for Corral B entry). I was at the gate within minutes. Plenty of people out and about. Then I headed up to security and then made by way to gear check. I brought along a Maurten water bottle and Maurten drink mix 320. I wasn't clear on their water policy (could I bring it in?), so I decided to use their water near gear check. I walked about 5-10 min over to gear check and then passed off my bag. I decided to keep the poncho/hoodie/sweatpants combo on. I looked around for a bit and couldn't find the water, but eventually I did end up finding it. Then I did some walking around to try and find the entrance to Corral B. Eventually by about 6:15am I was outside the Corral B entrance and just settled in. I went and used the bathroom for hopefully the last time. Then I sat down in Corral B and just tried to calm my nerves.

While in Corral B, I saw tons and tons of runners with the Nike 4% shoes. That was probably the biggest observation. I shared some space on the curb. I also had a few spare garbage bags and handed those out to fellow runners that wanted to sit down on a dry spot. At around 7:10am, I got up and did some light dynamic stretching. Things were feeling ok, but not healthy. At about 7:15-7:20am is when @CheapRunnerMike found me. We were also keeping our eyes open for @canglim52 but never did find him prior to the race starting. I let Mike know that the strategy was just to take it nice and easy. My right ankle had been giving me fits the last couple of runs. Specifically when I was turning right was when it seemed to get aggravated the most. Mike was fine taking it in stride and we still had the agreement that if something went wrong either of us could drop back/head off and no harm. I realized based on my pre-race HR that this was probably the calmest I had ever been. I think it was somewhere around 48-50 which is pretty astounding since I'm usually around 100-120 right before the race starts. I drank my 17oz of Maurten 320, ate some RunGum, and then listened to the National Anthem. Told Mike I wasn't able to get the training in that I was hoping for and the guy next to us said he hadn't been able to run in months. So guess I wasn't the worst off... Did see him post-race and he seemed to be hanging in there. We also saw quite a few runners relieving themselves on the fence line while still in the corrals. Good thing it wasn't an electric fence. Although it did bring a moment of thought that I too had to go the bathroom. But I reminded myself that I've used this 2 hour technique plenty of times and only been failed once. Today was not going to be the second time. Before we knew it, the gun went off and the elites were off and racing. Took about 2.5 min for us at the rear of Corral B to make it to the start. And then, we were off.

As I like to do, I raced this blind. I took it one step further for this race and even turned off the buzz/noise alerts for when I crossed an auto-lap mile. From a review of others past Chicago Marathon data, it was clear GPS pacing would be an issue. So to remove any feelings about "short" miles, I just turned off the notifications so I had no idea when it thought I hit a mile or not. But because of this I'm not sure how much I can trust the Garmin splits. So I'll use the official Chicago Marathon splits instead.

Mile 0-3.1 (5k) - 27:09 (8:45 min/mile)

I went out really really slowly. The goal was to try and run a negative split. I had only negative splitted a marathon once (Lakefront 2015), otherwise the other 11 marathons were positive split. So I tried to settle into a pace where I was barely breathing. I felt like it was a pace around EA/EB. Since I hadn't had a training run longer than 80 min since mid-August, I knew my endurance was going to be challenged in this race. So I was hoping a conservative approach would win out. So Mike and I settled into something nice and easy and let the tons and tons and tons of other runners just pass us. The crowds were nice in this portion. I don't really remember a ton as there were lots of runners and lots of spectators. Just about the 5k mark is where Mike's family was camped out and where he broke off for a few seconds to say hi. He did eventually catch up to me. I also stuck with my plan of two water cups per aid stations and also threw in an additional single Gatorade cup at each station. Thankfully between the 20 aid stations and the fact that they are like 2 blocks long, this was easily accomplishable. In addition, that sensation of having to go to the bathroom slowly left my mind.

Mile 3.1-6.2 (10k) - 26:11 (8:26 min/mile)

The pace was still feeling right. Because of the lack of shakeout the day prior and because I didn't do any sort of WU (for fear of causing an issue), I just stayed nice and calm with the pacing. I believe it was around this time that a light rain started. The crowds started to thin out a bit more. I was getting a lot of call-outs on my Wisconsin Badgers jersey. Mike was getting some call-outs for his Canadian compression leg sleeves and his tropical attire. I had some flare-ups in my achilles that made them feel a little tight. A new sensation, but I was hopeful it would dissipate. Around mile 4, it became time to admit that my right shin was bothering me. It was that same sharp pain with each step that's quite recognizable to those who have had a stress fracture/reaction. A single location. The goal was to keep running on it as much as I could before the pain increased to a point where I had to stop. I wasn't sure if that was going to be mile 5 or mile 25. I had my first E-Gel around mile 5.5. It was around this time that nature called Mike and he answered. So we split temporarily and then he was able to catch back up. It was toward the 10k mat that the rain started to pick up even more to a moderate/heavy rain. Not like buckets of rain, but enough to notice it. There were plenty of times where it was necessary to dodge some significant puddles.

Mile 6.2-9.3 (15k) - 25:36 (8:15 min/mile)

The pace still felt right. I was getting into a groove. The shin continued to bother me, but the ankle wasn't an issue. The streets got a bit tighter through this section. So a ton more WI call-outs as people were close enough to see my singlet easily. I had my 2nd RunGum of the day around mile 7. Mike made mention about how he could smell the cinnamon. I continued to stay on track with my liquid consumption getting two cups of water and one of gatorade at nearly every station. I wasn't thirsty, but I wasn't sloshing either. I think it was around this time we ran into taco shorts from the clothing company BOA. Mike ran up and told him he liked the shorts. I told him about the "Fit-en-ness taco in my mouth shirt" I had seen. The guy seemed to get a kick out of it. Continued to press on knowing my family was going to be around mile 10-11.

Mile 9.3-12.4 (20k) - 24:58 (8:02 min/mile)

The pace still felt exactly the same as it had when I first started out. Calm, conservative, and something I could continue to hold without issue. Around mile 10-11 is when I saw my family. Steph, Gigi, SIL, and MIL were there. My MIL and SIL had driven up that morning. Since my SIL had lived in Chicago a few years back, she knew the area quite well and could navigate the multiple viewing locations. I told them to buy a mylar balloon that was easy to spot. Coincidentally we went with a pineapple, which happened to match Mike's tropical attire. So it seemed like a perfect match. G had a ton of enthusiasm when I saw her and I could tell she was saying "Go Dad Go!" Once I passed Mile 10.5, I knew it had been almost 2 months since I had done anything longer. But it didn't bother me. I was going to draw on years of experience and the confidence of knowing that while my training had been derailed, I could still do this at a nice, slow, and calm pace.

Mile 12.4-13.1 (Half) - 5:34 (8:10 min/mile)

Can't say I remember anything specific about this very short period of time. I know that the HM mark served as the water mark. Mike and I hit it at 1:49:26. I knew we were around a 1:49-1:51 when we crossed based on the clock. I was feeling good about how things had been going up to that point. The shin bothered me but hadn't gotten any worse. The ankle wasn't an issue. But I knew that if I stopped everything could tighten up real quick. So it was just a continued push to the finish. Goal - beat 1:49:26 in the second half. I looked at Mike and said now we know what to beat for the remainder of the race.

Mile 13.1-15.5 (25k) - 19:36 (8:05 min/mile)

Continued to get my nutrition in on time. Took my 3rd RunGum in around Mile 14 (this time mint). Continued to get shout-outs for both of us. I think it was around here or earlier than Mike ran into some friends. I also had a guy come from behind and shout hey WI as he had a local running company jersey on. It was around this time that I had my first thought that this pace might be a touch too aggressive. It seemed like my legs were moving a little bit faster and my breathing was a little bit harder. I tried to pull back a few times and did so. But maybe allowed this slightly harder to pace to linger around a bit too much.

Mile 15.5-18.6 (30k) - 25:03 (8:04 min/mile)

Still holding the same pace from the 10k mark through the 30k mark (in around a 8:02-8:15 min/mile). Still feeling good. Could tell the intensity of the run was starting to pick up, but it was definitely still manageable. The breathing was becoming a bit more labored. The legs were hurting a bit more. The shin was still about the same level of annoyance. I think I had my 3rd E-Gel around this time. I also believe I saw Steph and the family again around mile 17. But the comments and jokes between myself and Mike were still flying. It made it nice starting around this time to have someone else to run with as he definitely kept me relaxed and talking. I wasn't always so focused on the race and sometimes just on the conversation.

Mile 18.7-21.8 (35k) - 26:21 (8:29 min/mile)

The pace was still manageable, but I could tell the difficulty was increasing with each step. After each mile passed, the race ramped up another notch. I could tell that while the difficulty increased the pace had slightly decreased. Mike did his best to keep my mind off the racing. I think it was around this time that Mike had to step off course for another bathroom break. But he was able to find my in due time. It was around this time that Mike let me know that the pace was still incredibly even up to this point given I had no feedback and that my running form looked the same from mile 1 to mile 21. I was still feeling good. The shin was still bothersome but not nearly the level of Lakefront 2016. My quads were really starting to burn though. Somewhere around mile 21.5 is the last time I saw my family. I just happened to see the pineapple out of the corner of my eye. And then saw Gigi's head pop out above the crowd. My wife would comment post-race how they thought it was funny they were carrying a pineapple and the guy who happened to be running near me all three times was wearing a pineapple tee. Little did they know that was Mike. In addition, they all commented post-race that at mile 21.5 was the best I had ever looked at that point in the race. I didn't look like death like I had and like others around me apparently looked.



Mile 21.9-25 (40k) - 27:48 (8:57 min/mile)

It just hit me like a ton of bricks. One moment I was fine and chatting with Mike. Labored breathing but capable. But suddenly I was only able to give one word answers to questions/comments. Suddenly my legs went from fine, to yea we're in rough shape. I could tell the race took a turn around mile 21.5-22. It was sudden like a slap in the face. In fact, I did in fact slap myself in the face. I pinched my arm and I just tried real hard to "wake" myself up. I was starting to get in a fog. This was when Mike turned on the positive affirmations. We also pulled out a few @ZellyB "F*** tired!" moments to try and keep this thing going. But I knew that it was becoming a game of survive the remaining miles. We came across two other WI guys. Mike labeled him as the next person to Pac-Man. I agreed, but I never had it in me to make a move. The goal was make it to the finish line.



Mile 25-26.2 (Finish) - 13:02 (9:34 min/mile)

My quads were on fire. It was a tough go from mile 22 to the finish. There was a pretty severe fade at the end of the race. We climbed Mt Roosevelt. Even before the race when I was headed to the aquarium I noted that that hill is no joke. Especially at mile 26. Finally we turned the corner and saw the finish. Then it was just a matter of coasting into the finish line.



Final Time - 3:41:14
Overall - 8466/44473 (19%)
Gender - 6513/23864 (27%)
Age - 1088/2017 (54%)

It wasn't the day I had imagined nearly one year ago. But it was the day I got given the roller coaster of training. I just missed out on the negative split race. I ran a 1:49:26 first half and a 1:51:48 second half. So a positive split of 2:22. This being my 13th marathon, this was actually my 3rd best paced race. Only Lakefront 2015 (-4:53) and Disney 2017 (+1:22) were better paced races. So overall, I missed on the negative split, but I actually did quite well getting close. Not perfect, but I've certainly done worse. And given that I had my problems with training over the last 60 days, had no idea where my fitness was, and yet had a 3rd best paced performance while maintaining blind to individual splits is something I'll stay proud of.

After the race was over, Mike and I made our way over to the gear check. Got some clothes on, and then Mike found some friends of his. Then we headed over to Letter Q to meet up with Christian. I was stoked to see he had crushed his race. In addition, we met up with @garneska and Mike's family. Lots of congrats all around and feelings of accomplishments. About an hour later my wife and family found us and we moved over to the 27th mile post-race area. Ate a hot dog and hamburger. G played in the mud. Then @camaker finished and he found us at the 27th mile party. Since my MIL and SIL decided they were going to head back right away, we had extra spots at our table for RPM Italian. So I invited @camaker and @canglim52 to join us. My family headed back to the hotel to rinse off a muddy child. I headed towards the letter reunion area to meet up with @roxymama who had just finished. Found @roxymama and gave my congrats! Time to think about that next one right, says person #5 million and 1! Then we made our way back to Michigan Ave and parted ways as I made my way into the hotel.

Got back to the hotel around 3pm and started to get cleaned up for dinner. Finished that off very slowly and then got into some nice clothes. It was definitely time to celebrate with some doughnuts!!!







Got a Lyft over to RPM Italian. Met up with @camaker and @canglim52 for dinner. What a fantastic restaurant. It was opened by Giuliana and Bill Rancic. Steph was super stoked for this meal. I had pork chops and mashed potatoes. Easily the best pork chop I've ever had. Steph had a Moscow Mule, a ricotta cheese app, a pasta dish, and cannolis. G had meatballs and two ice creams (chocolate and raspberry). G was convinced she would like raspberry but I opted to have her get both in case she didn't like them. For a nice restaurant, I feel like G did a decent job. It was nice to sit and have a meal with other DIS'ers and talk about life/running. So thanks again guys for coming to dinner.

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel via Lyft and then I called it a night.

Monday (10/8/18)

Woke up and immediately devoured the remaining two doughnuts. We got everything situated and then headed to the lobby with our luggage. We gave our luggage to the front desk and we asked them about the Columbus Day parade. It was to start at 12:30 so our goal was to beat that, but they ensured us we could still get our car when it starts.

We headed over to Starbucks. As I was sitting there, I saw a Dopey jacket and thought what are the odds. And even more so, what are the odds it was @ZellyB and @Chris-Mo. It was great to see them since I didn't get to stick around at the finish to see them then. We caught up and talked about the race in general. Wished each other well as they were in queue for Wildberry Pancakes. Good choice!

Then Steph decided she wanted to go to Navy Pier. It was only about 30 min (1.5 miles) away, so we decided to walk. It was only slightly torture-esqe. When we got to Navy Pier, we decided to do the ferris wheel. Had good timing again as moments after we were in line it went from a 10 min wait to much much longer. The ferris wheel was nice other than the lack of AC (80 degree day) and that it got stuck for about 5 min (not a loading/unloading thing). But during that time the AC came on, so hooray!







After the wheel, we had some Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Then we had to decide whether we were going to eat pizza or just shake shack. Funny enough, had we gone to Gino's like we planned, I bet we would have run into @garneska who was there. Instead we just ate at our hotel (Shake Shack). It was decent, but a ton of trouble finding a table. But again the timing was on point, because the line got 20x longer right after we finished up. Made our way back to the front desk and made the call for our car to be delivered. The car pulled up at 12:25 and moments later the street was blocked off for the hotel. Such perfect timing again! It really was the theme of the trip as we perfectly timed so many of the parts of the trip (our expo timing, our aquarium trip, dining at Sienna Tavern, finding @cburnett11 outside the Doughnut shop, arrival at the Navy pier, Shake Shack, and getting our car before the parade started). Honestly, you'd almost think we planned to be on point with time.

And then it was off for the drive home to WI.

Overall, I'd say outside of the shake-out run being canceled the trip went as planned. I'm so happy that while it was cancelled I was able to run into at least everyone outside of @Wendy98 at least once. So unplanned meet ups worked well too. Crazy to think in a city of millions and a race of 45,000 I was still able to find so many people I knew. The race went about as well as I could have hoped. Yea I didn't get my goal of negative splits, and yes I didn't win the prediction contest with my guess of 3:14. But I'm still happy about it. Funny how a PR performance of 3:14 a year ago could be a disappointment, but a 3:41 a year later and the slowest Marathon since Jan 2016 would still make me happy. It's all a matter of perspective. Next, get healthy. Then once I'm healthy, go back out there and attack training again. I've decided not to run another marathon until I can get my shorter distance times down. I'd like to see a sub-1:25 HM before my next marathon attempt. We'll see if I stick to that moving forward. I thought the Chicago marathon course was nice, and the crowd support was good. But honestly, I liked Disney's course better from a speed perspective. Something about it being mostly at night for me seems to make it faster. I also think Disney is significantly flatter. The only catch is Disney's weather is a lot more variable than is Chicago. So it can be hit or miss on temps. So we'll see how the next 15 months go. But I'm thinking Disney 2020 will be my next marathon, but I'm not ready to commit to that just yet. It will also not be part of a challenge. If I'm going to run Disney to BQ, then I'm there for the marathon as a stand-alone race.

Congrats goes to @JohnFilipoff who had the closest guess (3:37:46) to the final time of 3:41:14. I'll email you.

Thanks to everyone for cheering me along this training cycle and during the race. I truly appreciate it. And thanks for reading! A big shoutout to Mike who helped carry me through this race on less than ideal training. It was a kind gesture and I won't forget it.

 

[BikeFan]

I used to do Yoga my self, though now I use that time for more specific strength training. The meditation aspect is a huge benefit. I still meditate daily, and as I’ve mentioned before on this blog, I run with no music so that I can be mindful and meditate the entire way. Some days are easier than other, but it helps me in all areas of my life not just running. If you want a great app for meditation, try Headspace! They have sections for all sorts of stuff including athletes.

That's excellent advice. While I still listen to music on the treadmill, because it's just too awful otherwise D), I go without music outside so I can be better attuned to what my body is telling me. I would encourage every runner to try this.

As for running by feel vs running by pace goal... I’m completely torn. I’ve run my last several PRs all by feel and I wouldn’t have set those PRs in same fashion with a pace goal. However, as I continue to progress I wonder if the pace goals would help me even out my splits and go faster. Idk the answer, and I’d be really curious to know what Kipchoge and other elites do. Also, any scientific litature on the subject?

I think there's no "best" answer to this question; rather, it's very runner specific. Some very good runners can accurately gauge their pace by feel, and that method works for them, but not all of us are that sort of runner. I'm certainly not very good at it. Whenever I've tried to run a full by feel, I almost always run too hard at the start when I start feeling good, and it bites me back in the second half of the race. I need to keep my eye on my watch to slow myself down in the first half and to keep my speed up in the second half when the fatigue really starts to hit. A lot also depends on where you are as a runner. When you're a newer runner and the response to training is huge, every race is going to be a PR, frequently by a big margin. It's tough to have pace goals then because your fitness level is changing so much so fast it's hard to know where you're at. You could set too conservative a pace goal and not run to your full potential. Sometimes you've just go to wing it and see what happens. In one year my marathon PR went from 3:56 in 2012 to 3:19 in 2013, but it's only dropped to 3:13 since. At this point I know any further changes are just going to be incremental, and I need to be mindful of pacing. That's why a lot of training programs recommend a mid-cycle race or time trial to help you learn where you're at in a cycle.

As for the elites, don't forget that they're racing tactically for a placing (unless they're going for a WR or PR), whereas us average runners are strictly racing the clock, and thus our goals are different. I'm sure it's a much different mindset for them. From what I've read of the science, even splits are usually the most efficient.

 

[Capang]

Congratulations!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Are you sure you weren't taking "Watching....always watching" to the next level by sitting next to us at lunch?

Always watching. That would take it to a whole new level I guess. Had to make sure you carb-loaded appropriately.

Funny how things work out. Our reservation goof actually made that day work out better for me by having that late lunch anyways. And at least roxykiddo and gigi had a chance to compare stuffed animals which is always important Next time I'm ordering roxykiddo the ginormous meatball.

It was nice to see the kids get together again.

I know I wasn't the one you were responding to, but personally, my recommendation is to find a studio. At least to start maybe.

I am just not a fan of DIY yoga with videos, even now that I kinda sorta know what I'm doing after taking yoga classes on and off for the last 5 or 6 years. The instructor feedback and instruction is very helpful (modifications or props or adjustments), my studio has a bunch of different styles that I can sample from, and there are no distractions there. I don't zone out at home and get the kind of session that I'm looking for from yoga when I'm doing it in my house.

Also not the target responder, but I have plenty of experience AND opinions. I am on board with @Miranda that finding a studio that you can deal with and afford is a great start. I cannot deal with hot yoga, I cannot deal with someone who is more suited to be a drill Sargent or spinning instructor, and I cannot deal with some of the prices. If you have access to University facilities, there will be lots of cheap options and at least in my Big10 town it is not all sorority girls. Also cheap is the YMCA. (Because you need $$ for your house and a bike trainer, right?). These are not always the highest quality options, but I have sometimes had better instructors at the Y than at larger, more respected studios around town. Also, I was irritated that studios that offer RYT training often charge people to take the class with a student teacher and do not tell them that is what they are getting- I would like to believe I was an amazing student teacher, but I would have been irritated to pay thinking I was getting something I was not.

I also want to put out a suggestion of Cosmic Kids Yoga with G. This jives with Ariel484's comment about fitting it all in as I think it is multitasking (but not with an infant!) I believe my girls (5) are a bit older than yours, but they loved it at 3 years old and it is legit yoga with funny kid stories. They do criticize me for not following instructions as I tend to take poses a bit farther, but I do that in a proper class as well.

I am the target responder, and I'll echo what was said above - go to a studio or other classes led by a qualified instructor. Learning the proper body position in any yoga pose is important to prevent injury and get the intended results. Online and streaming classes are easy and convenient, but you run the risk of serious injury if you're not doing the poses properly.

I'm going out on a limb and guessing you may be similar to me in that turning off your brain even in the quietest of yoga studios could be a challenge. I'll play devil's advocate and will say that sometimes at home with some soft tunes playing in my headphones is easier for me to zone out than in a really quiet studio...with other people present around me. I still have a hard time not thinking about all the things in any environment. But much like running, the harder the workout, the more I focus on that and "zone out." Easy beginner yoga...brain overload.

Edit to add: @FFigawi is wise...I did studio first before at home and he has the right reasoning.

I started doing Yin about a year and a half ago and at first I thought it was going to be really hard because my brain was always flitting all over the place. The first instructor (I miss her so much, she left this past spring) did not use music or background sounds at all and Yin is all about holding long poses (usually 2-5 minutes, but sometimes as long as 10) and meditating. And I thought meditating meant having nothing in my mind and then I would start thinking about now there's something in my mind while I'm thinking about having nothing in my mind... But the option to meditate by allowing your brain to wander wherever it goes is always presented, and that is the type that I always use. You don't let yourself dwell on any one thing for too long, just wherever your brain goes naturally.

It's really relaxing... I know I am thinking about dozens of different things over the 90 minutes of class, but I honestly cannot tell you what any of them are when we are done.

Yoga newbie giving my 2 cent's worth:

I've been going once a week for 5 weeks. My class is a 6AM class at the Y. We were already members so it's free. The instructors seem to be 'real' yoga instructors, and not just Y staff. The class is usually 3 or 4 rookies, and 1 or 2 more experienced people. The instructor is good about giving pose modifications for both the beginners and experts. The Y provides mats, blocks, and straps, so startup cost is zero, as long as you have long shorts (compression are better) and/or running tights.

I've not been doing it long enough to see real benefits to my running, but I can see that the core work and stretching will pay off. An unexpected benefit is that yoga makes you more body-aware. As runners, we tend to be lower body aware, but not so much upper body. You're more aware of tight shoulders/neck/back/hips. While I've not noticed my running changing yet, I've noticed the way I walk/sit/sleep has changed. I don't know exactly how to describe it, except more 'cat-like'. Lighter on my feet, and more fluid. I have to believe I'm going to see the same benefits while running. It's probably already happening, I just haven't noticed it yet.

Another benefit is that it's good to be the rookie at something. It shakes the mind up and forces a new thought process.

Because I'm a beginner, I'm concentrating more on the physical aspect and getting the poses right, and not focusing on the breathing and mental (can you focus on the mental part?) aspect yet. But I do not have any problems shutting out external thoughts during the hour class. Full disclosure: no kids and no job make that pretty easy, possibly I don't have any external thoughts!

So put me down as another vote for yoga, especially if you can try it in a no/low cost way.

I used to do Yoga my self, though now I use that time for more specific strength training. The meditation aspect is a huge benefit. I still meditate daily, and as I’ve mentioned before on this blog, I run with no music so that I can be mindful and meditate the entire way. Some days are easier than other, but it helps me in all areas of my life not just running. If you want a great app for meditation, try Headspace! They have sections for all sorts of stuff including athletes.

Another vote for yoga here! I started taking classes in college (when it was free for students) and have taken various classes over the years - the Y, local gyms, tried hot yoga at a crowded city studio (kind of yuck when the guy next to me started sweating on my mat - no thanks), tried some places where you could take your first class for free to see if it was a good fit (free is always a good price), and my sister once dragged me to her yoga studio where we did 108 sun salutations to welcome in summer [that was an experience (which I would do again btw), and my arms were ouchie for days].

Anyway, I should practice more, but agree with @OldSlowGoofyGuy in that it has made me more "body aware," especially when it comes to some aches and pains that come up with running. I do a short routine after running sometimes for stretching purposes. I now feel like I know which poses will help what ails me. (Sometimes, the teacher at the gym will ask for requests at the start of class to see if certain body parts are bothering anyone, so she will do a few poses to focus on that which is nice.) I don't make it to class a ton, but you will find me at least once a week in my living room doing some poses to my favorite music (and yes, that includes Springsteen...acoustic).

Anyway, yoga is a great suggestion, not just for the enhanced strength and flexibility, but for the meditation/relaxation part.

Thanks for all the yoga suggestions everyone. Seems like the consensus across the board is that if I go down the path of yoga, then I really need to do it in a class setting and not at home. That makes it really tough for me. Time is a major constraint. A lot of weekends are workouts before Steph leaves for work (7:00am most Saturdays if I have to leave the house). We've only got one car. The weekdays aren't much better since time is an issue. If I include driving somewhere, then I'm probably limited to a 30 min class at most which seems like a bigger waste than just doing something else for 60 min and no transportation at home. So yoga sounds like something I'll have to put on the back burner until I can carve out an appropriate amount of time to do it right and injury free (because I wouldn't want to add in a new exercise that increases my injury risk since that's the whole point (in addition to getting better)).

While I do listen to music, running has served as my meditation. I really can zone out and think about lots of things and clear my mind. I don't get that same experience from indoor biking or from many other things in my life. But running has always been a nice space for me to just think.

Clip-in shoes and pedals would certainly help, but you could get by for a while with the old-school toe cages. They'll provide much of the power transfer pedaling efficiency at a fraction of the cost. The quality of the bike on a smart trainer doesn't make much of a difference. The trainer will control the power and resistance at a given level no matter if you're using an old steel beater or the latest carbon machine.

Sounds good. I can see if I can find some toe cages. Nice to know the bike doesn't really matter. Now it's a waiting game. We should move into the house in less than a month and then we should have a better idea moving forward. Plus, it still comes down to what Steph wants to do.

"Feel" can be a dangerous thing, because it's not always an accurate measure. I've read countless race reports from ultra runners, almost all of whom describe a roller-coaster ride of emotions within a race, going from "I feel amazing!" to "I just want to drop out and die!" and back again, all in the same race. Desi Linden even stated that she was initially going to drop out of this year's Boston due to the miserable weather, but only stuck in the race long enough to help out Shalane Flanagan. She told the Washington Post, "To be honest, at miles 2-3-4, I didn’t think I’d make it to the finish line." Obviously, I'm sure she's glad she hung in there a little longer. I've experienced the same thing in my fastest marathons - I've almost always felt just awful in the first several miles, and was strongly convinced at the time today was NOT going to be my day. I just try to ignore those feelings and focus on hitting my splits for as long as I can, and I've usually felt better eventually. Honestly, I thought at the time and still do think that it was a mistake at Lakefront for you not to just get into 7:00 pace in the first three miles, stay there as long as you could, and see what happens. I'm certainly no expert by any stretch, but if you felt like you were in the 7:00 range based on training, then that's what I would've told you to run if I were your coach. I think the more you would've hit those splits, the more your confidence would've been strengthened and hopefully you've had held the pace to the end.

That's fair about Des. She ran a marathon about 15 min slower than anything in the previous 4 years because of the conditions. But she was able to maintain a relatively even pace from beginning to end. She only saw 5k split fluctuations of about 5-6 seconds/mile from 5k to the finish. From 0-5k she was about 15 seconds per mile slower.

So let's say I did do the 7:00 and continued to hold it in Lakefront 2017. Since I actually had paces between 7:04-7:11 up till mile 17 (albeit blind) I'd say I wasn't too far off. But yet come mile 17, I succumbed to fatigue and couldn't hold that pace anymore. I also did lose motivation after seeing mile 18 come in at 7:33 (I didn't check from mile 4 to 17) when I happened to check in. I ended up running 7:33-8:06 from Mile 18 to the finish. So I'm not sure I see whether I would have actually been able to hold a faster pace and do it for longer. I do know that come the end of the race things were getting pretty tough even at the slower pace. But we do know a loss of motivation can change things.

As for running by feel vs running by pace goal... I’m completely torn. I’ve run my last several PRs all by feel and I wouldn’t have set those PRs in same fashion with a pace goal. However, as I continue to progress I wonder if the pace goals would help me even out my splits and go faster. Idk the answer, and I’d be really curious to know what Kipchoge and other elites do. Also, any scientific litature on the subject?

Most research agrees that a slightly negative split or even split typically yields the best performances. A slightly positive split can easily turn into a giant positive split. Pacing in a marathon is tough.

Enjoying the report, Billy!

Thanks!

Congratulations!

Thanks!

 

[avondale]

THE 2018 Chicago Marathon: Part 2

Sunday (10/7/18)

Race Day.

Sleep went well. Unlike Friday night where I woke up multiple times and had the same perpetual dream of a pre-shakeout morning routine, instead I slept like a baby. I aimed to wake up at 4:00am to get ready for the race. At 3:55, I woke up, looked at my phone and knew the time was now. I used the bathroom and then ate my pre-race breakfast. A PB/honey bagel with a banana and 32 oz of water. I timed this with the hope that I could use the bathroom for the last time at the port-potties around 6:20am (rule of two hours). I put on my running clothes and I was out the door at 5:20am. I tried to delay my leaving as much as I was comfortable with because of the rain. Albeit a light rain, it was more than nothing. I decided to wear my poncho and then had a hoodie/sweatpants combo that I could either take off at gear check or keep on based on how I was feeling.

I made the short trek down Michigan Ave towards Gate 4 (pre-assigned gate for Corral B entry). I was at the gate within minutes. Plenty of people out and about. Then I headed up to security and then made by way to gear check. I brought along a Maurten water bottle and Maurten drink mix 320. I wasn't clear on their water policy (could I bring it in?), so I decided to use their water near gear check. I walked about 5-10 min over to gear check and then passed off my bag. I decided to keep the poncho/hoodie/sweatpants combo on. I looked around for a bit and couldn't find the water, but eventually I did end up finding it. Then I did some walking around to try and find the entrance to Corral B. Eventually by about 6:15am I was outside the Corral B entrance and just settled in. I went and used the bathroom for hopefully the last time. Then I sat down in Corral B and just tried to calm my nerves.

While in Corral B, I saw tons and tons of runners with the Nike 4% shoes. That was probably the biggest observation. I shared some space on the curb. I also had a few spare garbage bags and handed those out to fellow runners that wanted to sit down on a dry spot. At around 7:10am, I got up and did some light dynamic stretching. Things were feeling ok, but not healthy. At about 7:15-7:20am is when @CheapRunnerMike found me. We were also keeping our eyes open for @canglim52 but never did find him prior to the race starting. I let Mike know that the strategy was just to take it nice and easy. My right ankle had been giving me fits the last couple of runs. Specifically when I was turning right was when it seemed to get aggravated the most. Mike was fine taking it in stride and we still had the agreement that if something went wrong either of us could drop back/head off and no harm. I realized based on my pre-race HR that this was probably the calmest I had ever been. I think it was somewhere around 48-50 which is pretty astounding since I'm usually around 100-120 right before the race starts. I drank my 17oz of Maurten 320, ate some RunGum, and then listened to the National Anthem. Told Mike I wasn't able to get the training in that I was hoping for and the guy next to us said he hadn't been able to run in months. So guess I wasn't the worst off... Did see him post-race and he seemed to be hanging in there. We also saw quite a few runners relieving themselves on the fence line while still in the corrals. Good thing it wasn't an electric fence. Although it did bring a moment of thought that I too had to go the bathroom. But I reminded myself that I've used this 2 hour technique plenty of times and only been failed once. Today was not going to be the second time. Before we knew it, the gun went off and the elites were off and racing. Took about 2.5 min for us at the rear of Corral B to make it to the start. And then, we were off.

As I like to do, I raced this blind. I took it one step further for this race and even turned off the buzz/noise alerts for when I crossed an auto-lap mile. From a review of others past Chicago Marathon data, it was clear GPS pacing would be an issue. So to remove any feelings about "short" miles, I just turned off the notifications so I had no idea when it thought I hit a mile or not. But because of this I'm not sure how much I can trust the Garmin splits. So I'll use the official Chicago Marathon splits instead.

Mile 0-3.1 (5k) - 27:09 (8:45 min/mile)

I went out really really slowly. The goal was to try and run a negative split. I had only negative splitted a marathon once (Lakefront 2015), otherwise the other 11 marathons were positive split. So I tried to settle into a pace where I was barely breathing. I felt like it was a pace around EA/EB. Since I hadn't had a training run longer than 80 min since mid-August, I knew my endurance was going to be challenged in this race. So I was hoping a conservative approach would win out. So Mike and I settled into something nice and easy and let the tons and tons and tons of other runners just pass us. The crowds were nice in this portion. I don't really remember a ton as there were lots of runners and lots of spectators. Just about the 5k mark is where Mike's family was camped out and where he broke off for a few seconds to say hi. He did eventually catch up to me. I also stuck with my plan of two water cups per aid stations and also threw in an additional single Gatorade cup at each station. Thankfully between the 20 aid stations and the fact that they are like 2 blocks long, this was easily accomplishable. In addition, that sensation of having to go to the bathroom slowly left my mind.

Mile 3.1-6.2 (10k) - 26:11 (8:26 min/mile)

The pace was still feeling right. Because of the lack of shakeout the day prior and because I didn't do any sort of WU (for fear of causing an issue), I just stayed nice and calm with the pacing. I believe it was around this time that a light rain started. The crowds started to thin out a bit more. I was getting a lot of call-outs on my Wisconsin Badgers jersey. Mike was getting some call-outs for his Canadian compression leg sleeves and his tropical attire. I had some flare-ups in my achilles that made them feel a little tight. A new sensation, but I was hopeful it would dissipate. Around mile 4, it became time to admit that my right shin was bothering me. It was that same sharp pain with each step that's quite recognizable to those who have had a stress fracture/reaction. A single location. The goal was to keep running on it as much as I could before the pain increased to a point where I had to stop. I wasn't sure if that was going to be mile 5 or mile 25. I had my first E-Gel around mile 5.5. It was around this time that nature called Mike and he answered. So we split temporarily and then he was able to catch back up. It was toward the 10k mat that the rain started to pick up even more to a moderate/heavy rain. Not like buckets of rain, but enough to notice it. There were plenty of times where it was necessary to dodge some significant puddles.

Mile 6.2-9.3 (15k) - 25:36 (8:15 min/mile)

The pace still felt right. I was getting into a groove. The shin continued to bother me, but the ankle wasn't an issue. The streets got a bit tighter through this section. So a ton more WI call-outs as people were close enough to see my singlet easily. I had my 2nd RunGum of the day around mile 7. Mike made mention about how he could smell the cinnamon. I continued to stay on track with my liquid consumption getting two cups of water and one of gatorade at nearly every station. I wasn't thirsty, but I wasn't sloshing either. I think it was around this time we ran into taco shorts from the clothing company BOA. Mike ran up and told him he liked the shorts. I told him about the "Fit-en-ness taco in my mouth shirt" I had seen. The guy seemed to get a kick out of it. Continued to press on knowing my family was going to be around mile 10-11.

Mile 9.3-12.4 (20k) - 24:58 (8:02 min/mile)

The pace still felt exactly the same as it had when I first started out. Calm, conservative, and something I could continue to hold without issue. Around mile 10-11 is when I saw my family. Steph, Gigi, SIL, and MIL were there. My MIL and SIL had driven up that morning. Since my SIL had lived in Chicago a few years back, she knew the area quite well and could navigate the multiple viewing locations. I told them to buy a mylar balloon that was easy to spot. Coincidentally we went with a pineapple, which happened to match Mike's tropical attire. So it seemed like a perfect match. G had a ton of enthusiasm when I saw her and I could tell she was saying "Go Dad Go!" Once I passed Mile 10.5, I knew it had been almost 2 months since I had done anything longer. But it didn't bother me. I was going to draw on years of experience and the confidence of knowing that while my training had been derailed, I could still do this at a nice, slow, and calm pace.

Mile 12.4-13.1 (Half) - 5:34 (8:10 min/mile)

Can't say I remember anything specific about this very short period of time. I know that the HM mark served as the water mark. Mike and I hit it at 1:49:26. I knew we were around a 1:49-1:51 when we crossed based on the clock. I was feeling good about how things had been going up to that point. The shin bothered me but hadn't gotten any worse. The ankle wasn't an issue. But I knew that if I stopped everything could tighten up real quick. So it was just a continued push to the finish. Goal - beat 1:49:26 in the second half. I looked at Mike and said now we know what to beat for the remainder of the race.

Mile 13.1-15.5 (25k) - 19:36 (8:05 min/mile)

Continued to get my nutrition in on time. Took my 3rd RunGum in around Mile 14 (this time mint). Continued to get shout-outs for both of us. I think it was around here or earlier than Mike ran into some friends. I also had a guy come from behind and shout hey WI as he had a local running company jersey on. It was around this time that I had my first thought that this pace might be a touch too aggressive. It seemed like my legs were moving a little bit faster and my breathing was a little bit harder. I tried to pull back a few times and did so. But maybe allowed this slightly harder to pace to linger around a bit too much.

Mile 15.5-18.6 (30k) - 25:03 (8:04 min/mile)

Still holding the same pace from the 10k mark through the 30k mark (in around a 8:02-8:15 min/mile). Still feeling good. Could tell the intensity of the run was starting to pick up, but it was definitely still manageable. The breathing was becoming a bit more labored. The legs were hurting a bit more. The shin was still about the same level of annoyance. I think I had my 3rd E-Gel around this time. I also believe I saw Steph and the family again around mile 17. But the comments and jokes between myself and Mike were still flying. It made it nice starting around this time to have someone else to run with as he definitely kept me relaxed and talking. I wasn't always so focused on the race and sometimes just on the conversation.

Mile 18.7-21.8 (35k) - 26:21 (8:29 min/mile)

The pace was still manageable, but I could tell the difficulty was increasing with each step. After each mile passed, the race ramped up another notch. I could tell that while the difficulty increased the pace had slightly decreased. Mike did his best to keep my mind off the racing. I think it was around this time that Mike had to step off course for another bathroom break. But he was able to find my in due time. It was around this time that Mike let me know that the pace was still incredibly even up to this point given I had no feedback and that my running form looked the same from mile 1 to mile 21. I was still feeling good. The shin was still bothersome but not nearly the level of Lakefront 2016. My quads were really starting to burn though. Somewhere around mile 21.5 is the last time I saw my family. I just happened to see the pineapple out of the corner of my eye. And then saw Gigi's head pop out above the crowd. My wife would comment post-race how they thought it was funny they were carrying a pineapple and the guy who happened to be running near me all three times was wearing a pineapple tee. Little did they know that was Mike. In addition, they all commented post-race that at mile 21.5 was the best I had ever looked at that point in the race. I didn't look like death like I had and like others around me apparently looked.

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Mile 21.9-25 (40k) - 27:48 (8:57 min/mile)

It just hit me like a ton of bricks. One moment I was fine and chatting with Mike. Labored breathing but capable. But suddenly I was only able to give one word answers to questions/comments. Suddenly my legs went from fine, to yea we're in rough shape. I could tell the race took a turn around mile 21.5-22. It was sudden like a slap in the face. In fact, I did in fact slap myself in the face. I pinched my arm and I just tried real hard to "wake" myself up. I was starting to get in a fog. This was when Mike turned on the positive affirmations. We also pulled out a few @ZellyB "F*** tired!" moments to try and keep this thing going. But I knew that it was becoming a game of survive the remaining miles. We came across two other WI guys. Mike labeled him as the next person to Pac-Man. I agreed, but I never had it in me to make a move. The goal was make it to the finish line.

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Mile 25-26.2 (Finish) - 13:02 (9:34 min/mile)

My quads were on fire. It was a tough go from mile 22 to the finish. There was a pretty severe fade at the end of the race. We climbed Mt Roosevelt. Even before the race when I was headed to the aquarium I noted that that hill is no joke. Especially at mile 26. Finally we turned the corner and saw the finish. Then it was just a matter of coasting into the finish line.

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Final Time - 3:41:14
Overall - 8466/44473 (19%)
Gender - 6513/23864 (27%)
Age - 1088/2017 (54%)

It wasn't the day I had imagined nearly one year ago. But it was the day I got given the roller coaster of training. I just missed out on the negative split race. I ran a 1:49:26 first half and a 1:51:48 second half. So a positive split of 2:22. This being my 13th marathon, this was actually my 3rd best paced race. Only Lakefront 2015 (-4:53) and Disney 2017 (+1:22) were better paced races. So overall, I missed on the negative split, but I actually did quite well getting close. Not perfect, but I've certainly done worse. And given that I had my problems with training over the last 60 days, had no idea where my fitness was, and yet had a 3rd best paced performance while maintaining blind to individual splits is something I'll stay proud of.

After the race was over, Mike and I made our way over to the gear check. Got some clothes on, and then Mike found some friends of his. Then we headed over to Letter Q to meet up with Christian. I was stoked to see he had crushed his race. In addition, we met up with @garneska and Mike's family. Lots of congrats all around and feelings of accomplishments. About an hour later my wife and family found us and we moved over to the 27th mile post-race area. Ate a hot dog and hamburger. G played in the mud. Then @camaker finished and he found us at the 27th mile party. Since my MIL and SIL decided they were going to head back right away, we had extra spots at our table for RPM Italian. So I invited @camaker and @canglim52 to join us. My family headed back to the hotel to rinse off a muddy child. I headed towards the letter reunion area to meet up with @roxymama who had just finished. Found @roxymama and gave my congrats! Time to think about that next one right, says person #5 million and 1! Then we made our way back to Michigan Ave and parted ways as I made my way into the hotel.

Got back to the hotel around 3pm and started to get cleaned up for dinner. Finished that off very slowly and then got into some nice clothes. It was definitely time to celebrate with some doughnuts!!!

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Got a Lyft over to RPM Italian. Met up with @camaker and @canglim52 for dinner. What a fantastic restaurant. It was opened by Giuliana and Bill Rancic. Steph was super stoked for this meal. I had pork chops and mashed potatoes. Easily the best pork chop I've ever had. Steph had a Moscow Mule, a ricotta cheese app, a pasta dish, and cannolis. G had meatballs and two ice creams (chocolate and raspberry). G was convinced she would like raspberry but I opted to have her get both in case she didn't like them. For a nice restaurant, I feel like G did a decent job. It was nice to sit and have a meal with other DIS'ers and talk about life/running. So thanks again guys for coming to dinner.

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel via Lyft and then I called it a night.

Monday (10/8/18)

Woke up and immediately devoured the remaining two doughnuts. We got everything situated and then headed to the lobby with our luggage. We gave our luggage to the front desk and we asked them about the Columbus Day parade. It was to start at 12:30 so our goal was to beat that, but they ensured us we could still get our car when it starts.

We headed over to Starbucks. As I was sitting there, I saw a Dopey jacket and thought what are the odds. And even more so, what are the odds it was @ZellyB and @Chris-Mo. It was great to see them since I didn't get to stick around at the finish to see them then. We caught up and talked about the race in general. Wished each other well as they were in queue for Wildberry Pancakes. Good choice!

Then Steph decided she wanted to go to Navy Pier. It was only about 30 min (1.5 miles) away, so we decided to walk. It was only slightly torture-esqe. When we got to Navy Pier, we decided to do the ferris wheel. Had good timing again as moments after we were in line it went from a 10 min wait to much much longer. The ferris wheel was nice other than the lack of AC (80 degree day) and that it got stuck for about 5 min (not a loading/unloading thing). But during that time the AC came on, so hooray!

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After the wheel, we had some Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Then we had to decide whether we were going to eat pizza or just shake shack. Funny enough, had we gone to Gino's like we planned, I bet we would have run into @garneska who was there. Instead we just ate at our hotel (Shake Shack). It was decent, but a ton of trouble finding a table. But again the timing was on point, because the line got 20x longer right after we finished up. Made our way back to the front desk and made the call for our car to be delivered. The car pulled up at 12:25 and moments later the street was blocked off for the hotel. Such perfect timing again! It really was the theme of the trip as we perfectly timed so many of the parts of the trip (our expo timing, our aquarium trip, dining at Sienna Tavern, finding @cburnett11 outside the Doughnut shop, arrival at the Navy pier, Shake Shack, and getting our car before the parade started). Honestly, you'd almost think we planned to be on point with time.

And then it was off for the drive home to WI.

Overall, I'd say outside of the shake-out run being canceled the trip went as planned. I'm so happy that while it was cancelled I was able to run into at least everyone outside of @Wendy98 at least once. So unplanned meet ups worked well too. Crazy to think in a city of millions and a race of 45,000 I was still able to find so many people I knew. The race went about as well as I could have hoped. Yea I didn't get my goal of negative splits, and yes I didn't win the prediction contest with my guess of 3:14. But I'm still happy about it. Funny how a PR performance of 3:14 a year ago could be a disappointment, but a 3:41 a year later and the slowest Marathon since Jan 2016 would still make me happy. It's all a matter of perspective. Next, get healthy. Then once I'm healthy, go back out there and attack training again. I've decided not to run another marathon until I can get my shorter distance times down. I'd like to see a sub-1:25 HM before my next marathon attempt. We'll see if I stick to that moving forward. I thought the Chicago marathon course was nice, and the crowd support was good. But honestly, I liked Disney's course better from a speed perspective. Something about it being mostly at night for me seems to make it faster. I also think Disney is significantly flatter. The only catch is Disney's weather is a lot more variable than is Chicago. So it can be hit or miss on temps. So we'll see how the next 15 months go. But I'm thinking Disney 2020 will be my next marathon, but I'm not ready to commit to that just yet. It will also not be part of a challenge. If I'm going to run Disney to BQ, then I'm there for the marathon as a stand-alone race.

Congrats goes to @JohnFilipoff who had the closest guess (3:37:46) to the final time of 3:41:14. I'll email you.

Thanks to everyone for cheering me along this training cycle and during the race. I truly appreciate it. And thanks for reading! A big shoutout to Mike who helped carry me through this race on less than ideal training. It was a kind gesture and I won't forget it.

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Congratulations! Amazing how you stuck it out despite the injuries. A great experience!

 

[Keels]

I’m sure my opinion will be in the minority and most certainly an unpopular one - but instead of spending money on a unnecessary Smart Trainer ... have you given any earnest thought into meeting with a coach? No necessarily for training plans per se, but just overall advice on training theory and tools that can help you get over some of the mental humps you’re facing (you mentioned going away from blind pacing and it messing you up, for example).

When I decided to take triathlon and cycling seriously (before surgery obviously), I was a mess and couldn’t ever get anything going right. My coach Loc worked with me on getting my cadence even and how to improve power in my cycling workouts - it turns out that I do best when I can pace out my cadence like the beat of a drum or the beat of a song, so for running and cycling training I have about eight different playlists ranging in BPM that correspond where I need to be pace and cadence-wise. I would’ve never thought to do something like that.

The other thing he’s really great at is tough love, which I probably need more that anything. It’s one thing to tell my friends and people here my successes and struggles, but sometimes I really just need someone to say “this just isn’t good enough, you can do better than this.” and then he helps me through what I need to do better. I cycle with him personally once a week and do group swim with him, but I know of plenty of people who use virtual coaches and have great success (@FFigawi, for instance, has an amazing coach - I just decided to go in a different direction).

Oh top of that, it’s just nice to have a human (other than a book) to bounce ideas and theories off of.

He’s definitely the best $100/month I spend.

Anyway. Just my dos pesos.

 

[dis_or_dat]

Lots of great advice. I wonder if all that extra time on your legs also affected you too. e.g. 6 hours at a 13:44 pace marathon is really tough on your legs if you're not used to it.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Congratulations! Amazing how you stuck it out despite the injuries. A great experience!

Thanks!

I’m sure my opinion will be in the minority and most certainly an unpopular one - but instead of spending money on a unnecessary Smart Trainer ... have you given any earnest thought into meeting with a coach? No necessarily for training plans per se, but just overall advice on training theory and tools that can help you get over some of the mental humps you’re facing (you mentioned going away from blind pacing and it messing you up, for example).

When I decided to take triathlon and cycling seriously (before surgery obviously), I was a mess and couldn’t ever get anything going right. My coach Loc worked with me on getting my cadence even and how to improve power in my cycling workouts - it turns out that I do best when I can pace out my cadence like the beat of a drum or the beat of a song, so for running and cycling training I have about eight different playlists ranging in BPM that correspond where I need to be pace and cadence-wise. I would’ve never thought to do something like that.

The other thing he’s really great at is tough love, which I probably need more that anything. It’s one thing to tell my friends and people here my successes and struggles, but sometimes I really just need someone to say “this just isn’t good enough, you can do better than this.” and then he helps me through what I need to do better. I cycle with him personally once a week and do group swim with him, but I know of plenty of people who use virtual coaches and have great success (@FFigawi, for instance, has an amazing coach - I just decided to go in a different direction).

Oh top of that, it’s just nice to have a human (other than a book) to bounce ideas and theories off of.

He’s definitely the best $100/month I spend.

Anyway. Just my dos pesos.

Not an unpopular opinion with me. Seeking advice from those that are more experienced for a myriad of reasons is almost always a good thing. It would certainly be a tough choice between the two though. A Peloton (if Steph chooses so) would be something we would both use. A coach would not be. Now if it were a path where Steph chooses she doesn't want a Peloton then it would be smart trainer vs coach. Trainer would be useful for years whereas the coach's cost would start to go beyond the trainer in about 9 months (if at $100/month). But the coach would likely be immensely more valuable for my overall intent (getting faster at running). But that would likely mean possibly months of my current trainer before I can run again for the purpose of even getting a coach (between healing and falling temps). Definitely something to consider and a good idea.

Lots of great advice. I wonder if all that extra time on your legs also affected you too. e.g. 6 hours at a 13:44 pace marathon is really tough on your legs if you're not used to it.

Thanks! It's definitely possible. For this particular race, it was probably as easy as saying I wasn't able to put in a sufficient amount of training after restarting running. Clearly to me my Garmin VO2peak had fallen off a cliff and I wasn't able to get it back even close to where it was pre-injury. So I didn't have any expectation that I was going to put up a max fitness type race performance. So having my peak run nearly 60 days before the event and then having a 20 day span of no running at all really set me back.

 

[roxymama]

Great recap. It's wonderful that Mike was there with you. I bought something at the expo that was pineapple themed, which is another weird coincidence. Pics to come in my recap tomorrow.
I'm not sure how I would have faired if I felt pain starting at mile 4. kudos for keeping a positive attitude and gutting it out. And thank you for sticking around despite your legs obviously being very tired.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I enjoyed reading your recap. It got me to thinking about a few things for the marathon come January. I almost always run alone. However I think for the marathon, I may need to find a pace group and stick with them if it comes down to it. I'm still processing a lot about the mental aspect of tackling a marathon.

 

[Keels]

If you’re on Facebook, ask to join the PB&J Buy-Sell-Trade group. I just got a Kinetic Smart Trainer for the NOLA house off there - slightly used - for under $200. It has InRide, so it will work with TrainerRoad (which I use) and Zwift. I never pay full price for cycling stuff at this point, just because I don’t see the point.

 

[Ariel484]

So much yoga love...namaste y’all. @CheapRunnerMike the shirt you wore is ahhhhmazing!

Omg!!!! Congrats!!!

Sorry to hijack, Billy!

Yes yes yes to yoga!!!

Thank you!! (Also sorry to hijack, Billy.)

@DopeyBadger
I’d recommend at least a few classes with a yoga instructor for the same reasons everyone else said...otherwise you get this scenario (at least I have...replace “running” with “yoga” of course):

Also injuries and whatnot. But once you have the basics down you could look on YouTube or whatever. I definitely get the difficulty of scheduling, and yoga classes normally aren’t super cheap (I buy a package to get a price break but it’s still like $10-$12 per class - worth it to me but not “free” like going out for a run).

I think RunnersWorld has workouts too (DVDs you can buy and videos on their website).

ACK! Thanks for the congrats!

Enjoying the report, Billy!

CONGRATULATIONS, @Ariel484 - so happy for you! Hope all is well!

Thank you!!

 

[canglim52]

Great recap! You showed a lot of grit fighting your injuries, and impressive finish for the volume you had leading up. From an effort stand point it was a simply fantastic day! Although you didn’t PR, I still think it gets you closer to your goal and will serve you well for your next race.

Also, @BikeFan great response! I’d say its an important skill to have regardless of strategy. Chicago didn’t always have reliable GPS, that could easily throw you off if you didn’t know the feel. Also, stuff goes wrong conditions change, etc... being able to adapt on the fly is important.

 

[dis_or_dat]

Congrats @Ariel484 !!!!

I was going to ask how the donuts were, and then felt the pink box looked familiar and thought, surely not THE Stan’s Donuts?! They originated from my (grad school) alma mater! Wow, brought up a lot of food memories! Nice guy but the original location isn’t hip like the Chicago spots. I hope you enjoyed them, I personally always got the chocolate peanut butter with bananas too

 

[Ariel484]

@dis_or_dat thank you!