Dragonslaying: The AT&T Race Plan, Part Duh (sp?) - Part Deux: The Other, 16.2 Mile-Long Tail

Composite titles strike me as funny.

When we last left our intrepid band of questionably intelligent runners, the marathoners, clearly not understanding there was another option, took a left turn onto Exposition, while the only slightly smarter half marathoners took the shorter way back to the finish...

Half marathoners, skim through this - there's stuff to help you, too.

Miles 11 and 12: The End of the Beginning
OK, so the marathoner's are not off the dragon's back yet. But only have a little over a mile left to ride through it. You've all run it enough times that you'll probably unconsciously avoid potholes. And, for those of you who ran the Double Dragon, just think to yourself, "Well, at least I only have to do it once today."

Here, form, form, form. The road should open up a bit with the half marathoners turning off. Get out of the camber on the sides, and run the crown. Also, as you know, there's been a lot of construction here, so the road might be a little ugly around the edges. Stay out of that.

You get the short climb, then the long climb up to Windsor, then you've got a little reprieve until the big hill going up to Westover. Don't worry about your time here. Get up the hill, balancing your pace and your energy output. Keep your head up, and your hips pressed into the hill. Roll all the way through your foot with every stride. There will be some crowd support here, but you should really be able to hear the crowd and the band at the top. Let that draw you up the hill.

When you get to the top, relax, shake it out. You've got another, oft-overlooked hill going up to 35th, and you get a little rise up to the top of the bridge over Mopac. Cherish this - it's the last of the true hills.

Now you get a downhill to Jackson, where you make a left turn.

Miles 13-18: Where the Hell Am I and What the Hell Am I Doing?
I always think this point is a little disorienting, which is bad, since I'm already only half Asian. HA! Sorry. Anyway, by this time, the initial excitement of the race has worn off, you enter neighborhoods where the crowds are spottier, and you've gotten through the section that people are stressed about, and that presented a set of challenges for you. From here on out, it's just a matter of running, and running, and running.

You can't lose purpose here, and your priority purpose now is to get back on pace. If you feel good, you might be tempted to speed up, thinking it's flat from here on out. I would advise against that - it's flat, you've beaten the hills, but you've got 14 miles left to run. Trust me, it's not as simple a calculation as it seems - "Gee, I've run 12 hard miles, and I feel good. I should speed up." Well, maybe, maybe not. You've run 18, 20, 22, and you should remember how the miles catch up to you quickly near the tail end of that distance. So, no matter how good you feel, just use these next four miles to see how you feel getting back on and staying on your marathon goal pace.

You'll take a right turn at 41st through a little neighborhood, then a left on Bull Creek. You're still climbing north, but this is mostly flat. You hit the halfway point on Bull Creek, near 45th. Yihah. You cruise up to Hancock, take a right, go down a little hill and up a little hill. Again, just maintain pace.

There's again not a lot to say about these miles. They're flat to "false flat". You're running. You're trying to stay on the flat parts of the street, off the camber. You're staying relaxed. If you feel things tightening up, change things up a little - butt kick for a few strides, pull the knees a bit higher for a few.

There's a small incline up White Rock to Great Northern, then you enter, as I always think of it, and as Douglas Adams might say, "the long, dark, teatime of the soul." Long and flat, the road itself is numbing, even discouraging for some people, and you're entering the true "middle miles" of the race. You've been on this road and on those miles, so you know them well. You know both better than the majority of the other runners out there. So, this is a good test of your where you're at with your pace. If you hold pace well here, and you get through mile 16 and up to Foster, and still feel just outstanding, then you can start thinking about turning up the pace.

If you do increase your pace, start planning in your head. Plan on just increasing your pace by just five seconds or so, and holding that pace up to mile 20, where you can reassess it then.

You might be at a point where you seriously doubt your ability to maintain your pace for the rest of the race. You're at an important decision point, and only you can truly make that choice. I will say that if you held on up to Great Northern, don't let your performance on Great Northern decide the rest of your race. It's a tough stretch of road. Just hold on, do your best, try to run comfortably for now, and make any real decisions after mile 18.

At Foster, behind Northcross, you should see some crowds again, which should really help. You also know that you've hit the uppermost point of the course, and soon you'll be heading home. Let it boost you, but if you're considering upping your pace a little, again, think back to your training runs, and ahead to the final miles, and carefully weigh your decision.

Finishing mile 18, you're halfway down Morrow. Start looking at the ridiculous blue line we painted down the street - it'll be there for quite a while. Think of it as a big blue thread pulling you down the course.

Mile 18.5-24: Homeward Bound
I refer to the song, not the ridiculous Disney movie, though, if the ridiculous Disney movie works better for you... whatever.

At 18.5, you turn the corner south onto Woodward, and you're on your way to the finish. You're close to the end of the dreaded "middle miles", and the elevation profile finally starts trending downhill. This is another good spot to relax, shake out the arms, and hit the mental and physical "reset" button. If you're looking at the finish at this point, it's going to seem improbably far. You still want to break it into manageable chunks, a few or a couple of miles at a time. It's like when we do repeats - you don't want to think about the total mileage you have left, it's easier to think about the repeat you're on right then, and worry about the next one later.

These are flat to slightly downhill streets. If you struggled through the middle miles, try to regain a relaxed rhythm. If you're feeling strong, and have easily maintained your pace, you again have to choose whether to hold where you are, or give the pace a little nudge.

Most of us are going to have felt discomfort and maybe a bit of pain by now. We've all had little to large dings in the past six months, and we all know what we really need to be concerned about, and what we can safely push ourselves through. If you're hurting here, don't dwell on it, but don't just try to ignore it, either - take a zen approach, or rather, a zazen approach. It's like meditaiton. People think they have to clear their mind, and they end up getting all mentally bunched up by trying not to think. Acceptance (but not resignation) is the better way - go through your body from head to toe. Think about how you feel. Look at it like you're picking up a shiny object, then put it back down. Go through it all, then be done with it.

I also know that all that zen stuff is a matter of practice, and sometimes just too hard to do. If it doesn't work for you, then just... don't give up, right?

Down Woodward and Arroyo Seco, left on Romeria, and back onto Woodrow, all the way to North Loop. Again, all you have to worry about is finding your rhythm and pace.

North Loop is a little challenge. If you've been struggling or just been holding on, let it take a little pace from you - conserve your effort to get you to the finish, or for where it's better used. If you're feeling good, try to minimize how much it takes from your time, but don't burn yourself up.

You turn right on Guadalupe, left on 46th. 46th kind of gently undulates ahead of you, up and down, and you can still see that blue thread pulling you down it.

Left turn on Avenue H, right on 49th, right on Red River. You should get some crowds at Hancock Center. Take it as a sign that you're close, you're out of the suburban and mental wilderness, and returning to center, where there's going to be lots of people supporting you.

Your right turn on 41st gives you a brief downhill, then the last hill worth worrying about. You're gonna be tired - don't let your head sag, because you know the shoulders, back, and hips follow. Don't think about the effort, think about the form. That will carry you through, and will make you feel stronger.

You can also think about the fact that when you turn the corner, you've got fast downhills, and only two miles to go...

Miles 25-25.9: Blow and Go
For those of you who ran Duval, you know this section is fast. Don't go crazy - it's not the finish - but challenge yourself to pick up the pace a little. Do it by pulling and holding your form together. Do it by switching your brain back on, keeping your head up, trying to be alert. Do it by thinking about quick, light turnover, not muscling yourself through.

When you get down into campus, it might get quiet again. Don't let it get you down. You're getting to mile 25 in front of Memorial Stadium. Stay strong.

When you emerge from campus, you might see some crowds again. More importantly, you're just about a mile from the finish. San Jacinto seems to have a little slight uwards grade on it - don't let that hurt or slow you down this far in. Form form form, strong strong strong.

OK, the ending for everyone coming up later this afternoon...