Dragonslaying: The AT&T Race Plan, Part One

OK, this will look a little familiar to some of you who were in a different group last year. That’s because I wrote it, and with some changes, it still applies. I'm also rolling the first ten miles, and the last half mile, of the marathon and half marathon race plans together. Some of you remember being beginners and getting the cold shoulder from some marathoners I tried to integrate you with. It was important to me that this group be different, and you all made that a reality. You've run together as a team, and come to like (or at least tolerate) each other socially, and to respect each other as runners on your respective journeys. So, let's walk through this one together.

This is a different race…
If you ran 3M, do not take this race for granted. This race is an entirely different experience. Race management at 3M was all about regulating pace, and getting through a very few gently sloping uphills. The AT&T Half, and the first 12 miles for the marathoners, will be about intelligence, maturity, patience, and, of course, force of will.

Despite the difference in the elevation profile from the old Freescale courses or from 3M, this course can still be fairly fast, if you manage it properly. Many people who ran their first half at 3M will actually run faster at AT&T, just with the benefit of that bit of experience. If you’re smart and patient about the hills, you won’t give up too much time, and you’ll get enough long downward slopes to recover and catch a little of that time back. If you fail to manage the hills, going at them too hard and fast, you will pay the price with your pace later, and you won’t get the full benefit of the downward slopes.

Prepare, Yada, Yada, Yada
I won’t rehash all the stuff from my previous novel on pre-race prep, but I will emphasize that you need to be PARKED, AND ON SITE AT 6AM. No excuses, no flexibility. The race is incredibly well organized, and has been planned to cover almost every eventuality. In its first year with the downtown start/finish, parking and traffic proved to not be a problem. But the facts remain – 12,000 runners will be trying to get to a downtown start/finish, and many routes into the race area will be getting sealed off after 6am. I know the traffic plan for the route, and can answer individual questions about the best routes to take from different locations. You can also check out the traffic guide, which should be online shortly.

Have a plan, and two backup plans, for how to get to the start, and for where you’ll park.

Make sure you pack your clothing drop bag the night before. Warm, dry clothes, a small towel (you should always know where your towel is), even shoes, if you can get them in there. Put your ID and a bit of cash in your shoe or wrapped up in something where it won’t come out, so you can buy some extra food or drink after the race from the Farmer’s Market.

There are no pace groups for the half, but you can get in with one of the full marathon pace groups for the first ten miles. So, if you’re looking at a 2:15 half marathon, get in with the 4:30 pace group (NOT THE 2:15! HA!). The pace group leaders usually do a great job of running a flat, constant pace, and there are two for every pace, to help ensure consistency. Still, be prepared to run your own race – they’re not robots. The starting chute will be divided by signs into various per-mile paces. Use those to place yourself.

The Course: Slaying Dragons
So, I’m not a Harry Potter fan, and I got tired of Dungeons and Dragons really quickly, but I tend to think of challenging parts of a race course as dragons. In running and looking at this course last year, I began to think of it as one dragon in three parts. I think you can do the same with the marathon course, except that parts of the dragon are… a lot longer. That’s why one of our runs is called the Dragon, or the Double Dragon.

You can choose to view the dragon, this course, as your opponent, or your friend, whatever works for your psychology, but either way, you need to understand it.

I’m hoping everyone’s driven the course this week. You’ve run all of it, but again, familiarity is one of your best weapons. Drive it, study the map, the elevation profile, run through the course in your mind as much as you can. Let’s run through it here…

Mile 1-3: Enter the Dragon
The tendency of almost all runners is to go out too fast, caught up in their own adrenaline, fooled by their fresh legs, and lured into the mob mentality of the people around them that are suffering from the same afflictions. It really is like an amped-up warrior charging a dragon head-on. It looks impressive until the warrior gets summarily bitten in half or burnt to a crisp.

IF YOU GO OUT TOO FAST IN THIS RACE, YOU WILL SUFFER.

You’re going to climb 215 feet in about 2.7 miles. So, look at the first three miles as your warm-up. For those of you trying to run at a certain pace, you can be as much as a minute slow for that first mile. Let the crowd slow you down – don’t waste too much energy trying to dodge around people. Look around, soak in the experience. Wave at the bands, the crowds, thank the police officers. Look at all the shops. Be aware of your surroundings – what’s the address of the San Jose Motel? Does Guero’s look open? What flavors are up on the Amy’s Ice Cream menu? What brand is the giant boot? Do what it takes to calm yourself, and slow down.

As for the hill on South Congress, it’s not as bad as it looks, if you treat it with respect. It actually breaks into several chunks, with short flats in between. Treat it as multiple short hills, and enjoy those little recoveries. Use these first hills to set the precedence for your hill-climbing form for the day. Head up, hips pressed into the hill ahead of you, arms relaxed but setting the pace for your legs.

When you get to about Mary Street, past the first mile, it seems to level off, but you still have a very slight grade all the way past Oltorf, through the second mile, pretty much to Cumberland. When a race starts on hills like this, it’s hard to get into a groove. It’s easy to get down on yourself and think you’re not running well, and that you’ll never make your pace. The dragon that is this course gets help from the dragons of fear and doubt that reside in us. You’ve got to do battle with them, too. Accept the course for what it is, know there will be ups and downs, and be confident in all the work you’ve put in.

When you’re approaching Lightsey, look up ahead to see how the crowd is shaping up around the corner. You don’t want to get caught too far inside, where you might be forced over the curb, and you don’t want to be pushed to the outside. Pick a line through the corner and stick with it. If it gets crowded in this or any other turn, be light on your feet in case they bump someone else’s, and if someone in front of you is pushing you in or out, give them a very light, quick touch on the elbow to let them know you’re there.

On Lightsey, you get a reprieve, with a short downhill. Use it to relax a bit. People who don’t know the course will use the downhill too much and then get walloped by the hill at the end of the street. You’ve all run it, so you know better.

Once you get to South First, if you’ve been disciplined, then you’ve bopped the dragon soundly on the head. Great. Don’t get cocky.

Mile 3-5: Glide.
You turn right on South First, and start to descend 210 feet over the next 2.4 miles. You still have to be smart, though – this stretch is just as dangerous as the uphills you just conquered.

When you turn the corner and turn, you’ll release off the little hill on Lightsey. I want you to think again about relaxing, shake your arms out, loosen your neck and shoulders, then focus on settling into an easy pace. This is where I think you should start feeling like you’re running a race, which just means getting your head together and settling into a rhythm.

Do not try to make up time. This is another stretch where people are going to ruin their day by failing to be smart and mature. If you run it properly, and with some restraint, you’re going to get some time back, and you’re going to bank some energy, as well. On some of the steeper downhill portions, you might even put the brakes on a bit – but not too much. You need to control your pace, minimizing impact, and keeping your turnover rate from getting so high you’re actually taxing your lungs and legs. But, you don’t want to be really jamming on the brakes, either, because you’ll burn out your quads. It’s like driving a car down a mountainside – you have to finesse the brakes so you control your speed without burning them up. You’ve all worked on finding that balance – do it.

You’ll come down onto level ground past Whataburger and RunTex. You’ll feel the incline going over the South First Street bridge, then it’ll level off as you enter a fun but twisty portion of the course that deserves its own section…

Mile 6: Like Rats In a Noisy Maze
Enjoy the gospel choir at 2nd and Lavaca, and soak up the sound from the crowds. This should be the first place on the course where you’ll get great crowd support. Draw energy from it, but don’t let it affect your pace. Thank the crowd with a smile and a wave, and store that energy away for later.

You’ll turn left on 4th Street, then go over to Nueces. This is probably going to be one of the two most awkward portions of the course – a tight left turn onto Nueces, which will have condo construction on the right, and two lanes to run in, three if there are no cars parked there (the meters will be bagged with “no parking” warnings on Friday). The road surface here is also a bit rough, and possibly loose. You’re on Nueces for a short block before making another tight left onto 3rd, then a quick right onto San Antonio. Remember the suggestions on tight corners in crowds – recognize early, plan a path, and make contact, if necessary.

Miles 7-9.5: The Part Where You Just Run
Once you turn right onto Cesar Chavez, you’re in for the long stretches that lay between you and the dragon’s back. Please don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten my overworked metaphor… you’re fighting dragons here, remember? At this point, you’re pretty much on the dragon’s neck.

I don’t feel there’s a lot to say about these bits of the course. That’s why there’s no clever titles for these miles. You just run. You’ll get some long slow downgrades, and a few shorter inclines. Just stay relaxed, and hold your pace. This part of the course may be boring, but it’s not insignificant, because they set you up for the hills that start at Enfield.

Also, you should make sure to pay attention under the Lamar overpass – a couple of Mandy’s Rock Camp bands are playing, one of them called “Holy Hand Grenade.” Quote some Holy Grail at them.

Near mile seven and a half or so, after you come out from under the Mopac Bridge on Veteran’s, you have the hill that goes up by the fire station and up to Lake Austin Blvd., across from Magnolia Café. It’s steep and a little long. But how many times have you run up this? You’re on your turf now. You have the homefield advantage, and you should feel comfortable here. When you hit the street that comes down from RunTex, shake out the arms and hands, relax, and roll easily into the hill. When you see the fire station, I want you to think about your form, and about keeping your hips under you and pressing them into the hill. Reinforce that good form.

There’s about a two-mile stretch down Lake Austin. Again, this is old hat to you. It’s just not a big deal. It is boring. Sorry. Here’s a point where the forecast is for a 13mph headwind. Not too big a deal, but if you start feeling the wind giving you a lot of resistance, tuck in behind a group of runners, and draft.

Miles 9 and 10: On the Back of the Dragon
So, at the end of Lake Austin, you turn right onto Enfield, right into what all the fuss is about for those that whine about the course. But again, you’ve all been here, trained here. I might have trained you too much on this route. You marathoners ran it twice a couple of weeks ago. You’re on the dragon’s back, and there’s not much he can do about it. He will writhe up and down, but you’re just going to hold on, maintain your form, keep your wits about you, and ride the hills like you have in training runs before, for not quite a mile.

At Exposition, almost exactly ten miles in, the marathoners and half marathoners will split off. I’ll continue with the half marathon course for a ways here, and wrap up both courses tomorrow.
So, the half marathoners have just a 5K left. You’re sliding down the dragon’s back. Again, relax from the head down, shake out your arms, and take advantage of the downhill towards Mopac. Again, as before, do not fly down this. Strike that balance. Use this to relax and gather your strength for your finish. You’ll still pick up a little pace just naturally. You want to do that and regain your energy.

Miles 10.8-12.6: The Dragon’s Tail (Well, One of Them)
Coming out from under Mopac, you get a smallish uphill. Remember your form. Keep your head up, think about your hips, and focus on being smooth and strong.

When you get to the top, just past West Lynn, make a decision. If you feel like you’ve got a lot left in the tank, and can pick up the pace, then this is the time to do it. If you do increase pace, DO IT GRADUALLY. Keep it under control, and keep it smart - you’ve been through enough workouts that you should be able to feel what you have left in you.

Remember, too, that the dragon has one last true challenge for you – the uphill at mile 11.7, coming off the Lamar Street overpass on 15th Street. It’s a steep one. There’s a long downhill coming into it – maintain a strong, but relaxed pace. At this point, let the downhill carry you a little more than you might have earlier in the race, but still, keep it under control. Remember back to the workout in Clarksville, on Pressler, on the street with the crazy yelling guy, where you maintained your form down the hill, and worked on a slightly quicker, relaxed turnover. Find that day's groove again.

Relax and gather yourself to take that big hill. Hit it, and let it take just a little off your pace. It’s steep, that’s OK. Hold your form together – on a hill this steep, if you run with your hips under you, when you hit the top, you’ll feel a release, and it’ll feel good as you transition into another nice long downhill. Even the female half marathon winner last year commented on being surprised by this hill. You aren't surprised. You've run it, and you've run more hills, tougher hills, than most training groups do.

When you reach the top, relax, take some good breaths, and remember – you don’t have to slow down, because the effort you needed to climb the hill just dropped off. Trust that, and let your breath come back to you as you go down the hill a couple of blocks. Feet light, relaxed, but a little quick. Get back on your finishing pace.

You get some flat and then a little downhill towards the turn at San Jacinto. Hold your pace, or, if you have it in you, pick up the pace again just barely, and gradually. Let the downhill carry you into it. If there’s someone that’s kept their distance ahead of you for the past several minutes, decide you’re going to slowly catch them over the next few blocks. When you catch them, pick someone else, and go after them.

At San Jac, you rejoin the marathoners. Next, we'll catch them up to you, then finish it together.