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.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
iPod Arm
I love music. And I am big on wanting to block things out in certain situations - in law school, I took almost all my exams with headphones on, back in the days when even recordable CD's were not commonplace. The one time I was asked to remove the headphones, I was lost, and couldn't focus. Having not gone to that class at all may have also figured into the negative experience, but I really felt I was better off writing about immigration law with Tanya Donnelly's sweet voice in my head.
Well, as you know by now, personal music devices will be verboten at this year's AT&T Austin Marathon and Half Marathon. Last year, without an enforcement mechanism in place, and before USA Track and Field officially banned them at USATF-covered events, they went with just strongly discouraging their use.
Many large marathons, including the Marine Corps Marathon, immediately, and probably eagerly, complied. The Twin Cities Marathon warned people headphones were banned, but people ignored the warnings, or perhaps couldn't hear them over the Justin Timberlake rattling in their skulls, and 176 runners were disqualified. I'm not clear yet how it will be enforced in Austin. I note that there seemed to be more headphones than ever at 3M, despite their ban.
The flap from the average headphone-wearing runner crowd is pushing the USATF to reconsider, but for now, the rule stands. I do wonder how much influence Nike, obviously a major sponsor in many events, is going to impose on the race director community, since they've put so much into their partnership with Apple.
In large part, the USATF enacted the rule to conform to the policy of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which is mainly concerned with the use of two-way radios in competition.
For most races, though, the main issue is safety. I can't think of the last race where I didn't see a number of examples of people being completely oblivious to their surroundings because they were wearing headphones. I've seen people not able to hear the sirens of support vehicles passing them, or the shouts of "wheelchair up" when a wheelchair racer needs to be able to pass. I was even observing at 3M that when moving through a not-too-thick crowd, a runner will hear you come up and often move over just a little to help you pass through a tight spot. Runners with headphones tend to be in their own little world, though.
I also believe (pause for effect) that headphones have a deleterious effect on running form. Yeah, that's right. I'm tempted to submit an article on "iPod Assymetry Syndrome" and submit it to a medical journal, except that I'm lazy.
I started thinking about this watching an avid marathoner I knew for well over a year that would wear her iPod on her right arm. She also wore her long hair in a ponytail, and many times, running behind her, I could see the ponytail didn't swing evenly. You could trace the asymmetry to her shoulders, and to... the arm with the iPod strapped to it. From there, you could even see the slight imbalance in her stride. She even had some issues in the leg that ended up getting the shortened stride, which could be due to any number of factors... but you had to wonder.
I know when I run with an iPod on my arm, it's easy to get caught up in cord management (pardon the pun). Watch runners, and most of them carry their music-bearing arm differently.
As we've all figured out by now, the high repetition of the motions of running means that imbalances and eccentricities have consequences, and will likely be mirrored elsewhere. Everyone should, by now, be feeling and seeing the link between the way you move your arms, and your stride.
When you shorten the travel of one arm, it's likely to play out in the stride, because you're essentially throwing yourself out of balance. There's also the added tension in the shoulder from carrying that arm out slightly. Over any appreciable distance, it all translates to "no bueno."
When I do take the iPod on a training run, I use a little Shuffle and attach it to my waistband - it doesn't move through a range of motion, so the cord stays stable. Even then, I make the the cord short enough or run it through my shirt so that I don't have to move the arm on that side any differently to clear it.
Finally, and most importantly to me, I don't want to race or even train much with music, because it's a crutch, even a cheat. Clearly, we want to run with music because it benefits us - it keeps us from getting bored, it motivates us. There's a reason the Nike+ iPod system has a "Power Song" feature. Hell, I want to add a Nano to my ridiculous Apple product lineup just so I can push the button and immediately go to AC/DC's "Hell's Bells".
One whin- sorry, "runner", in one of the articles said "I need my music to get me through it. A marathon is a mental challenge and if I don't have my music to keep me motivated, it just isn't fun."
Well, guess what? Remember that we do this precisely because it is not "easy", and it is not "fun" in the same way as, say, Whack-A-Mole, or taunting Ron Paul supporters online. You've all learned how important the mental component of distance running is. The thing is, we're not all running to challenge the winning time in a race - we all run to challenge our own limits and abilities, and that's ultimately a mental challenge of your ability to deal with discomfort and pain, and to continue to push yourself. Whether you are physically capable of running a 2:20, three-hour, four-hour, or five-plus hour marathon, it all comes down to your ability to push yourself.
Even that "boredom", that being alone in your head, is one of the difficult parts of distance running. It's one of the reasons running's a challenge in the first place - can you keep your mental focus over the miles, and over the time you need to complete those miles? Music can help you dissociate, which is a perfectly acceptable method of dealing with pain and boredom. But again, it's external, it's not a skill or a layer of toughness you've developed. You're just taking it away. You might as well be racing on painkillers, or high.
If you say you get bored, or need the distraction, and music gives that to you, then that music is a crutch. The mind is a powerful thing - I completely believe I could run a faster race at almost any distance with the "Rocky" theme pounding through my head every step of the way. But I don't race with headphones, exactly because it's such an effective crutch.
There are plenty of good, real external motivators in a race - spectators are a huge one. But spectators are an expected, almost natural part of a running event. Support from other humans for what you're doing that moment is meaningful, and should be more inspiring than any song. And ironically, with headphones on, you're going to miss a lot of that.
I'll do training runs with an iPod occasionally, when I just need to knock out a run, and because I almost see running with music as a separate sort of activity from running. But more often, I'll specifically choose to go without it, because I know I need to exercise my mental focus and toughness.
I've been happy seeing some of you ditching the headphones as the training season has progressed. If you still train all the time with headphones, I recommend taking some runs without them in the next few weeks to get used to the difference.
You've all trained really hard, and most of you have displayed some extraordinary toughness along the way. Listen to some relaxing music the night before. Crank the tunes up in your car on the way to the race, and get pumped. But leave the headphones at home. We've got 40 bands on and around the course. We've got a gospel choir at mile 5.5 that is gonna blow you away. One of Mandy's Rock Camp kids bands, Holy Hand Grenade, will be on Cesar Chavez, under the Lamar bridge. It's going to be an inspiring day, even without whatever you damned kids are listening to these days.
Well, as you know by now, personal music devices will be verboten at this year's AT&T Austin Marathon and Half Marathon. Last year, without an enforcement mechanism in place, and before USA Track and Field officially banned them at USATF-covered events, they went with just strongly discouraging their use.
Many large marathons, including the Marine Corps Marathon, immediately, and probably eagerly, complied. The Twin Cities Marathon warned people headphones were banned, but people ignored the warnings, or perhaps couldn't hear them over the Justin Timberlake rattling in their skulls, and 176 runners were disqualified. I'm not clear yet how it will be enforced in Austin. I note that there seemed to be more headphones than ever at 3M, despite their ban.
The flap from the average headphone-wearing runner crowd is pushing the USATF to reconsider, but for now, the rule stands. I do wonder how much influence Nike, obviously a major sponsor in many events, is going to impose on the race director community, since they've put so much into their partnership with Apple.
In large part, the USATF enacted the rule to conform to the policy of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which is mainly concerned with the use of two-way radios in competition.
For most races, though, the main issue is safety. I can't think of the last race where I didn't see a number of examples of people being completely oblivious to their surroundings because they were wearing headphones. I've seen people not able to hear the sirens of support vehicles passing them, or the shouts of "wheelchair up" when a wheelchair racer needs to be able to pass. I was even observing at 3M that when moving through a not-too-thick crowd, a runner will hear you come up and often move over just a little to help you pass through a tight spot. Runners with headphones tend to be in their own little world, though.
I also believe (pause for effect) that headphones have a deleterious effect on running form. Yeah, that's right. I'm tempted to submit an article on "iPod Assymetry Syndrome" and submit it to a medical journal, except that I'm lazy.
I started thinking about this watching an avid marathoner I knew for well over a year that would wear her iPod on her right arm. She also wore her long hair in a ponytail, and many times, running behind her, I could see the ponytail didn't swing evenly. You could trace the asymmetry to her shoulders, and to... the arm with the iPod strapped to it. From there, you could even see the slight imbalance in her stride. She even had some issues in the leg that ended up getting the shortened stride, which could be due to any number of factors... but you had to wonder.
I know when I run with an iPod on my arm, it's easy to get caught up in cord management (pardon the pun). Watch runners, and most of them carry their music-bearing arm differently.
As we've all figured out by now, the high repetition of the motions of running means that imbalances and eccentricities have consequences, and will likely be mirrored elsewhere. Everyone should, by now, be feeling and seeing the link between the way you move your arms, and your stride.
When you shorten the travel of one arm, it's likely to play out in the stride, because you're essentially throwing yourself out of balance. There's also the added tension in the shoulder from carrying that arm out slightly. Over any appreciable distance, it all translates to "no bueno."
When I do take the iPod on a training run, I use a little Shuffle and attach it to my waistband - it doesn't move through a range of motion, so the cord stays stable. Even then, I make the the cord short enough or run it through my shirt so that I don't have to move the arm on that side any differently to clear it.
Finally, and most importantly to me, I don't want to race or even train much with music, because it's a crutch, even a cheat. Clearly, we want to run with music because it benefits us - it keeps us from getting bored, it motivates us. There's a reason the Nike+ iPod system has a "Power Song" feature. Hell, I want to add a Nano to my ridiculous Apple product lineup just so I can push the button and immediately go to AC/DC's "Hell's Bells".
One whin- sorry, "runner", in one of the articles said "I need my music to get me through it. A marathon is a mental challenge and if I don't have my music to keep me motivated, it just isn't fun."
Well, guess what? Remember that we do this precisely because it is not "easy", and it is not "fun" in the same way as, say, Whack-A-Mole, or taunting Ron Paul supporters online. You've all learned how important the mental component of distance running is. The thing is, we're not all running to challenge the winning time in a race - we all run to challenge our own limits and abilities, and that's ultimately a mental challenge of your ability to deal with discomfort and pain, and to continue to push yourself. Whether you are physically capable of running a 2:20, three-hour, four-hour, or five-plus hour marathon, it all comes down to your ability to push yourself.
Even that "boredom", that being alone in your head, is one of the difficult parts of distance running. It's one of the reasons running's a challenge in the first place - can you keep your mental focus over the miles, and over the time you need to complete those miles? Music can help you dissociate, which is a perfectly acceptable method of dealing with pain and boredom. But again, it's external, it's not a skill or a layer of toughness you've developed. You're just taking it away. You might as well be racing on painkillers, or high.
If you say you get bored, or need the distraction, and music gives that to you, then that music is a crutch. The mind is a powerful thing - I completely believe I could run a faster race at almost any distance with the "Rocky" theme pounding through my head every step of the way. But I don't race with headphones, exactly because it's such an effective crutch.
There are plenty of good, real external motivators in a race - spectators are a huge one. But spectators are an expected, almost natural part of a running event. Support from other humans for what you're doing that moment is meaningful, and should be more inspiring than any song. And ironically, with headphones on, you're going to miss a lot of that.
I'll do training runs with an iPod occasionally, when I just need to knock out a run, and because I almost see running with music as a separate sort of activity from running. But more often, I'll specifically choose to go without it, because I know I need to exercise my mental focus and toughness.
I've been happy seeing some of you ditching the headphones as the training season has progressed. If you still train all the time with headphones, I recommend taking some runs without them in the next few weeks to get used to the difference.
You've all trained really hard, and most of you have displayed some extraordinary toughness along the way. Listen to some relaxing music the night before. Crank the tunes up in your car on the way to the race, and get pumped. But leave the headphones at home. We've got 40 bands on and around the course. We've got a gospel choir at mile 5.5 that is gonna blow you away. One of Mandy's Rock Camp kids bands, Holy Hand Grenade, will be on Cesar Chavez, under the Lamar bridge. It's going to be an inspiring day, even without whatever you damned kids are listening to these days.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Stuff Yer Packet
OK, so on Saturday, February 9, we'll all run seven miles, then I've set us up to work from 8-12am stuffing race packets. I warned you early on that you'd be expected to do some volunteer work for the race. Here ya go. It'll be fun - Mike Wheat and his folks that run the packet stuffing... stuff... are pretty cool. And you'll get a t-shirt. We'll grab some breakfast tacos and donuts or something.
Go to
http://attaustinmarathon.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4&Itemid=5
Sign up for packet pickup, 8-12 on Saturday, February 9. It won't be at the Lavaca location, he'll give us the new location in the next few days.
I've already signed up - don't be a bunch of slackers and leave me hanging.
Go to
http://attaustinmarathon.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4&Itemid=5
Sign up for packet pickup, 8-12 on Saturday, February 9. It won't be at the Lavaca location, he'll give us the new location in the next few days.
I've already signed up - don't be a bunch of slackers and leave me hanging.
Monday, January 28, 2008
The 3M's: Migas, Mimosas, and Moxie
Yeah, "moxie", cause I had nothing else.
But it works, cause there was lots of it yesterday, before there were lots of mimosas and migas.
We couldn't have asked for better weather, I think - 44 at the start, humid, but not too stifling with the temperature, and partly to mostly down-hilly through the morning.
Big congratulations to our first-time half marathoners: Eve, who came in 2:08 after she started, looking just as cheerful as usual; Stacy, who I will admit surprised me a little with a 2:30:11; Jacala, who managed to lose her chip at some point, but came in somewhere in the 2:30-2:40 range, and didn't complain about anything; and Carmen, who rebounded somewhat from, but still pushed through, her IT band troubles to edge in under three hours, with a 2:58 and change.
Just behind her, finishing her second half marathon, was Debbie. She's pushed herself through a lot of the runs, sometimes against my advice, though she's also had the discipline to draw the line when she had to. Yesterday, she fought through some pain and put on a show with a strong, gutsy finish. She came in at 3:08:24, besting her 3:14:07 performance at Motive back in 2004.
Kellie was her usual, smooth, machine-like self, and her 2:10:17 was also a PR, beating her 2:16:33 set at Motive in 2006.
Jim, looking suspiciously shorter, more Hispanic, and more entirely like Daniel, finished in 2:18:26, which was curiously also about a minute and a half better than Daniel's goal for the day. Thanks, Jim, for letting Daniel run in your stead, and we hope you're feeling better.
After waffling whether she really wanted to run that hard for 13 miles, Christina decided to take a potshot at her one previous half marathon time of 1:53 (big surprise). I have never been happier not to go on a run with her, since she ran 8:12's to get to a 1:47:27. I was quite happy to not die, but still PR by 8 minutes with a 1:56:37.
Paul succombed again to various pains, probably deciding to save his all-or-nothing effort for AT&T in three weeks.
Big thanks to Michelle for playing course mom, and letting me throw sweaty, snotty-sleeved shirts at her (did you not know about the snot? Sorry...). Thanks also to Christine, who showed up at mile 12 to give us a boost before entering the weird purgatory of the UT campus. She even made a sign...
Afterwards, everyone trouped up to Trudy's, the place where my own running journey sort of began years ago, where many waffles and... alcohols were had (I'll post the picture later tonight).
Thanks so much, Debbie, for picking up the tab for a bunch of hungry runner lushes. That was above and beyond.
I was primarily happy that everyone seemed to be smiling. It was a good day, and our first big payoff for the commitment and sacrifices and early mornings and the aches and pains. I think we were learned or were reminded why we do this.
So, for these final weeks, just stay focused, and you know... don't slack!
But it works, cause there was lots of it yesterday, before there were lots of mimosas and migas.
We couldn't have asked for better weather, I think - 44 at the start, humid, but not too stifling with the temperature, and partly to mostly down-hilly through the morning.
Big congratulations to our first-time half marathoners: Eve, who came in 2:08 after she started, looking just as cheerful as usual; Stacy, who I will admit surprised me a little with a 2:30:11; Jacala, who managed to lose her chip at some point, but came in somewhere in the 2:30-2:40 range, and didn't complain about anything; and Carmen, who rebounded somewhat from, but still pushed through, her IT band troubles to edge in under three hours, with a 2:58 and change.
Just behind her, finishing her second half marathon, was Debbie. She's pushed herself through a lot of the runs, sometimes against my advice, though she's also had the discipline to draw the line when she had to. Yesterday, she fought through some pain and put on a show with a strong, gutsy finish. She came in at 3:08:24, besting her 3:14:07 performance at Motive back in 2004.
Kellie was her usual, smooth, machine-like self, and her 2:10:17 was also a PR, beating her 2:16:33 set at Motive in 2006.
Jim, looking suspiciously shorter, more Hispanic, and more entirely like Daniel, finished in 2:18:26, which was curiously also about a minute and a half better than Daniel's goal for the day. Thanks, Jim, for letting Daniel run in your stead, and we hope you're feeling better.
After waffling whether she really wanted to run that hard for 13 miles, Christina decided to take a potshot at her one previous half marathon time of 1:53 (big surprise). I have never been happier not to go on a run with her, since she ran 8:12's to get to a 1:47:27. I was quite happy to not die, but still PR by 8 minutes with a 1:56:37.
Paul succombed again to various pains, probably deciding to save his all-or-nothing effort for AT&T in three weeks.
Big thanks to Michelle for playing course mom, and letting me throw sweaty, snotty-sleeved shirts at her (did you not know about the snot? Sorry...). Thanks also to Christine, who showed up at mile 12 to give us a boost before entering the weird purgatory of the UT campus. She even made a sign...
Afterwards, everyone trouped up to Trudy's, the place where my own running journey sort of began years ago, where many waffles and... alcohols were had (I'll post the picture later tonight).
Thanks so much, Debbie, for picking up the tab for a bunch of hungry runner lushes. That was above and beyond.
I was primarily happy that everyone seemed to be smiling. It was a good day, and our first big payoff for the commitment and sacrifices and early mornings and the aches and pains. I think we were learned or were reminded why we do this.
So, for these final weeks, just stay focused, and you know... don't slack!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
3M Race Plan
The Approach - You have to put every race you run into the larger context of your training.
Half marathoners, this is, for all but Debbie, your first half marathon. You just want to get through it safely and relatively happily. You'll have AT&T three weeks later, which is enough time to recover, if you don't go absolutely nuts and blast yourself too hard on Sunday. Last year, almost all the half marathoners in my group and others that I knew were actually faster on the harder course at AT&T than they were at 3M, just because they had that first experience under their belt. So, appreciate this for what it is, work hard, but know that your true goal race still lies ahead.
For the marathoners - at one point, 3M was only two weeks before the marathon, and regardless of the admonitions of their coaches, people would blow themselves out at 3M and not be at their best for the marathon. With three weeks in between, now, you're a lot less likely to do that. I'd still urge you to run smart - you're coming off a 22 mile run, and you do have your goal race still ahead.
That level of consideration aside, I wouldn't worry as much about expending too much effort as I would getting injured. If you have a problem now, talk to me about it. If a problem arises during the race, you've gotta be mature enough to assess it honestly, and put it and the race in perspective. Why mess up your first marathon with a half marathon injury?
OK, let's talk about the race and the course. I think planning is one of the funnest parts of this sport. You get to play general, plotting and scheming your battle. For those of us that are prone to obsessing about a race, it's better to focus that energy on something useful than to sit around imagining that there are little gnomes planting explosives in your knee. Or something like that.
You have hopefully all reviewed the race preparation guide I posted. Some of you are prone to blowing things off, thinking it's not a big deal. Eventually, that will bite you in the gluteal region. Just humor me and do the prep work this week, OK?
OK, the course...
The start - Take it easy. It’s that simple. Unless you’re unusually experienced and disciplined, if you’re supposed to run 10 minute miles in a race, and you try to start at that, you’re going to run faster. Getting too swept up in the adrenaline and excitement, the press of thousands of runners, can all add up to an early critical error in your race. Going out too fast might not just be a simple mathematical fix of going slower later - you could burn yourself up, or at least take longer to get into your rhythm.
Do not bother trying to dodge around people - you’ll just burn energy. Look ahead, and pick a path through people that doesn’t have you darting around too much.
Watch your feet - People will be discarding clothing and plastic garbage bags - don’t trip on them. If you’re ditching clothing, for God’s sake, throw it safely off the road.
The first mile has you going north on Stonelake. It’s basically flat, but with some slight incline - only about 40 feet over about half a mile. At this point, that doesn’t matter - just relax, enjoy the start, and try to get into a rhythm.
Mile 2 - Running south on Jollyville should feel somewhat good. There’s about 50 feet of climb over the course of a mile - nothing to worry about.
Miles 3 and 4 - Running south on Mesa should still feel pretty good, because it’s somewhat flat. There’ll be some spectators here.
Miles 3.5-5 - This stretch down Spicewood Springs is fun, beginning about a 170-foot drop in elevation up through mile six. BUT, it’s also a great place to blow your race. You don’t want to go pounding down this. We’ve all learned that running downhill can still wear you out - moving your legs at a faster rate can easily overwhelm the benefit that gravity is giving you, giving you a net energy loss. On the other hand, if you try too hard to control your speed, you can break your rhythm and wear out your quads. Try instead to just relax and just hold your pace, taking advantage of the downhills to conserve your energy. This early in a race, it’s better to bank energy than time. And besides, on a decent downhill, you’re still going to get a little time benefit, whether you intend to or not.
The bagpiper is usually around here, too...
Miles 6-6.5 - Count your blessings. After a sharp right onto Shoal Creek, and a sharper right onto Foster, you spend all of a few blocks on Great Northern. Consider this a fairly mellow part of the run - just stay on pace and cover this middle distance. Shake your arms out, relax your neck, shoulders, legs and feet, and just run.
Miles 6.5-8.5 - This is the long stretch down Burnet Road. There’s a minor but longish incline, here, but you guys have had slightly more hill training than most groups probably have. You’ll do fine. Stay relaxed, keep your hips under you, and enjoy this stretch - there are usually plenty of crowds here. In the last half mile, you get rewarded with a long downhill, but again, use this to relax and recharge, because you have a couple of long climbs coming up...
Miles 8.5-10 - North Loop - the long incline. But most everyone in this group has run it at least 3-4 times just in the past six months, if not more. You know it, you’ve beaten it time and time again, even after more distance and more hills. Just hold your pace and your form, and get up it. Around 10, you get another climb, but grind through it - you’re about to get this course’s big reward.
The Big Finish -
At mile 10, you'll be turning right off of North Loop's long incline, onto Duval, beginning a great 3.2 mile fast stretch of downhills and flats to the finish. It’s almost a 200 foot elevation drop, a lot of it coming in a couple of smooth drops.
There are still occasional fluctuations, where there’ll be a slight incline for a block or so. Just ride through them, knowing another drop is coming.
Here's where you can take a look at how you feel, and decide whether to turn it up or not. If you do increase pace, do it gradually. Don't go from 11:30 per mile to 11:00 unless you are darned sure you can hold that for 3 miles. The best plan is to try to pick up 5-10 seconds in mile 11 and 12, with the option to crank it up a little more in the last mile.
I like to pick several “go points” near the end of a race, where I think the factors will come together to make for a good place to boost my speed a bit. I ran a 5K last year seriously hung-over. The first mile was a struggle. But, I hit my first go point, where for a week, I had known it was where I would make my move (insofar as I ever have “a move”). Being psychologically prepped for that made a tremendous difference, and I was able to pull out a PR.
The stretch through campus can be challenging - the crowds get sparse, and it gets relatively quiet, and you lose sense of how close you are to the finish. Trust that you are very close. If you haven’t keeled over or give up yet, it’s too late for that - keep running.
In the last mile, feel it. Regardless of what's happened so far, it's going to be over soon. That last mile is all yours, and you are in control of how you end the race. Think of the finish line, and the crowds cheering, and your friends that'll be there, proud of what you've accomplished.
You’ll come out of campus crossing MLK, and you’ll be able to see the finish. Try to boost your pace a little (but don’t burn up too early). Pick someone ahead of you, and catch them. Pick another, catch them. Stay relaxed - you want to think of running strides, not sprints. You don’t want to pull anything, here, you just want to pick up the pace.
Run all the way through the finish. Do not let up at all until you've crossed both finish mats.
Some other things to think about:
Pace. In terms of pace, I can talk to you individually about that. For almost everyone, I just want to give you a speed limit. Here's what I'm doing: your time trial time gives us your predicted pace for the half. I'm adding 10 seconds per mile. The first two miles, you need to try to be 30-45 seconds even slower per mile. After that, you don't exceed that predicted pace, until mile 10...
Run your own race. Ignore people passing you. Some won't finish, you'll pass some of them back up if you're smart, and hey, everyone but one person is going to have at least one faster person out there. You get sucked into someone else’s run, and you’re probably ditching at least six months of training and experience. Run your own race.
Do what you have to do, as soon as possible. Gotta pee? Pee. The first mile of the course will be lined with men facing bushes, and women hunkering in the weeds. Might be gross and unseemly, but you're there to run a race. Got a rock in your shoe? Get it out right then. Give up 10-15 seconds early rather than 5-10 seconds a mile for the rest of the race.
Fight the urge to strip. I mean, in addition to your usual urge to strip. If it's very cold, you're going to heat up in the first couple of miles. DO NOT DITCH ALL YOUR WARMTH unless the temperature drastically changes. I did this at the 2006 marathon, and it was perhaps my biggest mistake. After a couple of hours, your core temperature is going to drop back down. Leave the gloves on. If you do take them off, keep them. Stuff them in your waistband. Keep your hat and your long sleeves. You can always push the sleeves up.
Run friendly. Remember who we are - the group for non-uppity, non-elitist runners. Thank the volunteers, especially the kids. Thank the cops guarding the intersections. Wave thanks at the spectators. Encourage your fellow runners. You can be focused on your race, but make it part of your routine to spread some love. You’ll feel better for it.
Drink water. If it's cold, cold water doesn't always seem appealing, but you need it. People get dehydrated in winter races because they're cold and don't drink as much water as they usually would. Take it, drink it. And thank the volunteers.
Run the crown of the road. These roads have a lot of camber, so when possible, run the center stripe.
Draft. Drafting is not just for doped cyclists and NASCAR. If we get winds, use the crowds to your advantage to, um, break wind for you. You know what I mean.
Break the race into manageable chunks. Don't try to bite off 13.1 miles, run a mile, or two or three miles at a time. Think about these chunks when you familiarize yourself with the course.
No iPods. You’re not going to be able to use them at AT&T, might as well practice now. Use it before the race to get in your happy place, but during the race, you want to hear the crowds and the bagpipes, and you want to find the motivation in yourself.
Again, run your own race. This includes your running partner. If you're running with someone, and you get separated, be prepared to be alone for a while. DO NOT try to speed up to catch them. If you do decide to catch them, give yourself a long time to do it. Keep an eye on them, and make it a multi-mile mission. It’ll give you something else to focus on, too. Decide you'll get to them near the finish.
Trouble. You're going to have rough spots, unless you're a freak and/or you're running waaaaayyy too slow. When you do, focus on your form - keep your head up, shoulders back. you may be tired, but slumping makes things worse. You get less air, and it will turn your stride into a shuffle. It all starts with your eyes. If the eyes drop to the ground right in front of you, your head will follow. Your neck, being tilted, will cause your shoulders to shift forward. Pretty soon, your butt is hanging out behind you, and you’re wondering why you can’t breathe well, and why your neck, shoulders and back hurt.
Think about all the time and effort and will you've spent training. You've had tough runs, and gotten through them. Get through it now. Don't trade away a few minutes, or even an hour, of moderate pain for regret that'll last until you get a chance to race again.
Which, granted, will just be in three weeks.
Half marathoners, this is, for all but Debbie, your first half marathon. You just want to get through it safely and relatively happily. You'll have AT&T three weeks later, which is enough time to recover, if you don't go absolutely nuts and blast yourself too hard on Sunday. Last year, almost all the half marathoners in my group and others that I knew were actually faster on the harder course at AT&T than they were at 3M, just because they had that first experience under their belt. So, appreciate this for what it is, work hard, but know that your true goal race still lies ahead.
For the marathoners - at one point, 3M was only two weeks before the marathon, and regardless of the admonitions of their coaches, people would blow themselves out at 3M and not be at their best for the marathon. With three weeks in between, now, you're a lot less likely to do that. I'd still urge you to run smart - you're coming off a 22 mile run, and you do have your goal race still ahead.
That level of consideration aside, I wouldn't worry as much about expending too much effort as I would getting injured. If you have a problem now, talk to me about it. If a problem arises during the race, you've gotta be mature enough to assess it honestly, and put it and the race in perspective. Why mess up your first marathon with a half marathon injury?
OK, let's talk about the race and the course. I think planning is one of the funnest parts of this sport. You get to play general, plotting and scheming your battle. For those of us that are prone to obsessing about a race, it's better to focus that energy on something useful than to sit around imagining that there are little gnomes planting explosives in your knee. Or something like that.
You have hopefully all reviewed the race preparation guide I posted. Some of you are prone to blowing things off, thinking it's not a big deal. Eventually, that will bite you in the gluteal region. Just humor me and do the prep work this week, OK?
OK, the course...
The start - Take it easy. It’s that simple. Unless you’re unusually experienced and disciplined, if you’re supposed to run 10 minute miles in a race, and you try to start at that, you’re going to run faster. Getting too swept up in the adrenaline and excitement, the press of thousands of runners, can all add up to an early critical error in your race. Going out too fast might not just be a simple mathematical fix of going slower later - you could burn yourself up, or at least take longer to get into your rhythm.
Do not bother trying to dodge around people - you’ll just burn energy. Look ahead, and pick a path through people that doesn’t have you darting around too much.
Watch your feet - People will be discarding clothing and plastic garbage bags - don’t trip on them. If you’re ditching clothing, for God’s sake, throw it safely off the road.
The first mile has you going north on Stonelake. It’s basically flat, but with some slight incline - only about 40 feet over about half a mile. At this point, that doesn’t matter - just relax, enjoy the start, and try to get into a rhythm.
Mile 2 - Running south on Jollyville should feel somewhat good. There’s about 50 feet of climb over the course of a mile - nothing to worry about.
Miles 3 and 4 - Running south on Mesa should still feel pretty good, because it’s somewhat flat. There’ll be some spectators here.
Miles 3.5-5 - This stretch down Spicewood Springs is fun, beginning about a 170-foot drop in elevation up through mile six. BUT, it’s also a great place to blow your race. You don’t want to go pounding down this. We’ve all learned that running downhill can still wear you out - moving your legs at a faster rate can easily overwhelm the benefit that gravity is giving you, giving you a net energy loss. On the other hand, if you try too hard to control your speed, you can break your rhythm and wear out your quads. Try instead to just relax and just hold your pace, taking advantage of the downhills to conserve your energy. This early in a race, it’s better to bank energy than time. And besides, on a decent downhill, you’re still going to get a little time benefit, whether you intend to or not.
The bagpiper is usually around here, too...
Miles 6-6.5 - Count your blessings. After a sharp right onto Shoal Creek, and a sharper right onto Foster, you spend all of a few blocks on Great Northern. Consider this a fairly mellow part of the run - just stay on pace and cover this middle distance. Shake your arms out, relax your neck, shoulders, legs and feet, and just run.
Miles 6.5-8.5 - This is the long stretch down Burnet Road. There’s a minor but longish incline, here, but you guys have had slightly more hill training than most groups probably have. You’ll do fine. Stay relaxed, keep your hips under you, and enjoy this stretch - there are usually plenty of crowds here. In the last half mile, you get rewarded with a long downhill, but again, use this to relax and recharge, because you have a couple of long climbs coming up...
Miles 8.5-10 - North Loop - the long incline. But most everyone in this group has run it at least 3-4 times just in the past six months, if not more. You know it, you’ve beaten it time and time again, even after more distance and more hills. Just hold your pace and your form, and get up it. Around 10, you get another climb, but grind through it - you’re about to get this course’s big reward.
The Big Finish -
At mile 10, you'll be turning right off of North Loop's long incline, onto Duval, beginning a great 3.2 mile fast stretch of downhills and flats to the finish. It’s almost a 200 foot elevation drop, a lot of it coming in a couple of smooth drops.
There are still occasional fluctuations, where there’ll be a slight incline for a block or so. Just ride through them, knowing another drop is coming.
Here's where you can take a look at how you feel, and decide whether to turn it up or not. If you do increase pace, do it gradually. Don't go from 11:30 per mile to 11:00 unless you are darned sure you can hold that for 3 miles. The best plan is to try to pick up 5-10 seconds in mile 11 and 12, with the option to crank it up a little more in the last mile.
I like to pick several “go points” near the end of a race, where I think the factors will come together to make for a good place to boost my speed a bit. I ran a 5K last year seriously hung-over. The first mile was a struggle. But, I hit my first go point, where for a week, I had known it was where I would make my move (insofar as I ever have “a move”). Being psychologically prepped for that made a tremendous difference, and I was able to pull out a PR.
The stretch through campus can be challenging - the crowds get sparse, and it gets relatively quiet, and you lose sense of how close you are to the finish. Trust that you are very close. If you haven’t keeled over or give up yet, it’s too late for that - keep running.
In the last mile, feel it. Regardless of what's happened so far, it's going to be over soon. That last mile is all yours, and you are in control of how you end the race. Think of the finish line, and the crowds cheering, and your friends that'll be there, proud of what you've accomplished.
You’ll come out of campus crossing MLK, and you’ll be able to see the finish. Try to boost your pace a little (but don’t burn up too early). Pick someone ahead of you, and catch them. Pick another, catch them. Stay relaxed - you want to think of running strides, not sprints. You don’t want to pull anything, here, you just want to pick up the pace.
Run all the way through the finish. Do not let up at all until you've crossed both finish mats.
Some other things to think about:
Pace. In terms of pace, I can talk to you individually about that. For almost everyone, I just want to give you a speed limit. Here's what I'm doing: your time trial time gives us your predicted pace for the half. I'm adding 10 seconds per mile. The first two miles, you need to try to be 30-45 seconds even slower per mile. After that, you don't exceed that predicted pace, until mile 10...
Run your own race. Ignore people passing you. Some won't finish, you'll pass some of them back up if you're smart, and hey, everyone but one person is going to have at least one faster person out there. You get sucked into someone else’s run, and you’re probably ditching at least six months of training and experience. Run your own race.
Do what you have to do, as soon as possible. Gotta pee? Pee. The first mile of the course will be lined with men facing bushes, and women hunkering in the weeds. Might be gross and unseemly, but you're there to run a race. Got a rock in your shoe? Get it out right then. Give up 10-15 seconds early rather than 5-10 seconds a mile for the rest of the race.
Fight the urge to strip. I mean, in addition to your usual urge to strip. If it's very cold, you're going to heat up in the first couple of miles. DO NOT DITCH ALL YOUR WARMTH unless the temperature drastically changes. I did this at the 2006 marathon, and it was perhaps my biggest mistake. After a couple of hours, your core temperature is going to drop back down. Leave the gloves on. If you do take them off, keep them. Stuff them in your waistband. Keep your hat and your long sleeves. You can always push the sleeves up.
Run friendly. Remember who we are - the group for non-uppity, non-elitist runners. Thank the volunteers, especially the kids. Thank the cops guarding the intersections. Wave thanks at the spectators. Encourage your fellow runners. You can be focused on your race, but make it part of your routine to spread some love. You’ll feel better for it.
Drink water. If it's cold, cold water doesn't always seem appealing, but you need it. People get dehydrated in winter races because they're cold and don't drink as much water as they usually would. Take it, drink it. And thank the volunteers.
Run the crown of the road. These roads have a lot of camber, so when possible, run the center stripe.
Draft. Drafting is not just for doped cyclists and NASCAR. If we get winds, use the crowds to your advantage to, um, break wind for you. You know what I mean.
Break the race into manageable chunks. Don't try to bite off 13.1 miles, run a mile, or two or three miles at a time. Think about these chunks when you familiarize yourself with the course.
No iPods. You’re not going to be able to use them at AT&T, might as well practice now. Use it before the race to get in your happy place, but during the race, you want to hear the crowds and the bagpipes, and you want to find the motivation in yourself.
Again, run your own race. This includes your running partner. If you're running with someone, and you get separated, be prepared to be alone for a while. DO NOT try to speed up to catch them. If you do decide to catch them, give yourself a long time to do it. Keep an eye on them, and make it a multi-mile mission. It’ll give you something else to focus on, too. Decide you'll get to them near the finish.
Trouble. You're going to have rough spots, unless you're a freak and/or you're running waaaaayyy too slow. When you do, focus on your form - keep your head up, shoulders back. you may be tired, but slumping makes things worse. You get less air, and it will turn your stride into a shuffle. It all starts with your eyes. If the eyes drop to the ground right in front of you, your head will follow. Your neck, being tilted, will cause your shoulders to shift forward. Pretty soon, your butt is hanging out behind you, and you’re wondering why you can’t breathe well, and why your neck, shoulders and back hurt.
Think about all the time and effort and will you've spent training. You've had tough runs, and gotten through them. Get through it now. Don't trade away a few minutes, or even an hour, of moderate pain for regret that'll last until you get a chance to race again.
Which, granted, will just be in three weeks.
Race Preparation
OK, so it's showtime, here. You can't just piddle through the week and show up to run Sunday morning. Well, you can, but it would be, um, dumb. This is not a 5K. So, here's a bit of a guide...
Preparing this week:
Get familiar with the course - it makes a difference. You've all seen how much better runs go in familiar territory. Go to the race website and print out several copies of the map. Put one in your car, one on your desk at work, one on the nightstand, or on the fridge.
Drive the course - I even tend to stop at the bottom of hills, get out, and walk or jog up them, so I know in my head what it feels like. When you near the top, think about how it's going to be to beat it and not let it wear you down.
Visualize - After driving it, pick up one of those maps every now and then, and run the race in your head (at high speed - please don't sit at work staring at a map for three hours). Run chunks of it in your head. Feel the rhythm of the stretches that will require more effort, and the ones where you'll be able to recover. I promise you this will be a huge benefit to you.
Segment the Course - Break the course into manageable chunks of two to three miles each. Getting through each chunk will be an accomplishment, and it'll be easier than going at all 13 miles at once.
Plan Nutrition - Part of knowing the course is knowing when you'll take your nutrition. What I do is work backwards - I want my last Gu 3 miles out from the finish, and I want them every 30-40 minutes. Water stops are at every even-numbered mile. So, I know I'll Gu at miles 10 and 6. Figure out how many you'll need, and go buy them now - RunTex sells out of everything but "Your Nephew's Dirty Diaper" flavored gel before races. You can also get gels at bike shops, REI, and Academy. You also need to know how you're going to carry what you need to carry.
Have your outfit ready.
You've all run in a variety of conditions. Now, just accept that the weather will be what it will be. That acceptance will give you another big advantage over people that are agonizing about the weather all this week. It might be 29, windy and cold. Fine - what will you wear? Find those pieces, lay them out now.
It might be 65 and humid. Fine - what will you wear?
The rule is to dress for 20 degrees warmer than the temperature. You should know by now what you like. Now is also not the time to try new shorts, socks, jogbras, or some shirts. That's a sure entry to that popular game show, “What’s Gonna Chafe?”
Remember, up to 40% of body heat is lost through your head, most of the rest through your extremities. Plus, blood flow is redirected by your body to keep your organs and brain warm. So, hat and gloves are the most crucial things in cold weather.
In case of rain, have something disposable, or a trash bag with holes for the arms and head. It's nice to be dry while standing around at the start line, then you can rip it off when you get moving.
Got Bodyglide? Bandaids?
Thursday and Friday:
Hydrate. Get a couple of liters of water in you a day, depending on your size. Use some ElectroMix or something similar - available at Central Market, Whole Foods, RunTex, or bike shops.
Friday night:
This is actually your best night to get your carbs. Have a reasonable-sized plate of pasta, not too late in the evening. And get to bed at a reasonable hour. You can forego the clubs for one damned night.
Saturday:
Stay off your feet. This is not the time for a hike, lawn work, walking at the race expo for four hours like I did in Chicago trying to decide if I should buy and wear new clothes for the marathon when I know not to do that (I didn't).
Oh, and don’t forget to pick up your race packet.
Eat early - eat at 5:30 or 6, be done by 7 or 7:30. Why? Because you want to be able to sleep, and you want the food to digest, so that it'll be usable in the race, but yet not filling up your lower intestines demanding immediate release at mile five. Having to pee is fairly common, but you do not want to have to go #2, losing time while your legs cramp up in a cold, nasty porta-potty. And if you try to hold it, your core will tighten up, expending more energy and messing with your mechanics.
Don't drink too late - you want to be able to sleep without getting up constantly through the night.
Get everything together Saturday night, not Sunday morning:
Preparing this week:
Get familiar with the course - it makes a difference. You've all seen how much better runs go in familiar territory. Go to the race website and print out several copies of the map. Put one in your car, one on your desk at work, one on the nightstand, or on the fridge.
Drive the course - I even tend to stop at the bottom of hills, get out, and walk or jog up them, so I know in my head what it feels like. When you near the top, think about how it's going to be to beat it and not let it wear you down.
Visualize - After driving it, pick up one of those maps every now and then, and run the race in your head (at high speed - please don't sit at work staring at a map for three hours). Run chunks of it in your head. Feel the rhythm of the stretches that will require more effort, and the ones where you'll be able to recover. I promise you this will be a huge benefit to you.
Segment the Course - Break the course into manageable chunks of two to three miles each. Getting through each chunk will be an accomplishment, and it'll be easier than going at all 13 miles at once.
Plan Nutrition - Part of knowing the course is knowing when you'll take your nutrition. What I do is work backwards - I want my last Gu 3 miles out from the finish, and I want them every 30-40 minutes. Water stops are at every even-numbered mile. So, I know I'll Gu at miles 10 and 6. Figure out how many you'll need, and go buy them now - RunTex sells out of everything but "Your Nephew's Dirty Diaper" flavored gel before races. You can also get gels at bike shops, REI, and Academy. You also need to know how you're going to carry what you need to carry.
Have your outfit ready.
You've all run in a variety of conditions. Now, just accept that the weather will be what it will be. That acceptance will give you another big advantage over people that are agonizing about the weather all this week. It might be 29, windy and cold. Fine - what will you wear? Find those pieces, lay them out now.
It might be 65 and humid. Fine - what will you wear?
The rule is to dress for 20 degrees warmer than the temperature. You should know by now what you like. Now is also not the time to try new shorts, socks, jogbras, or some shirts. That's a sure entry to that popular game show, “What’s Gonna Chafe?”
Remember, up to 40% of body heat is lost through your head, most of the rest through your extremities. Plus, blood flow is redirected by your body to keep your organs and brain warm. So, hat and gloves are the most crucial things in cold weather.
In case of rain, have something disposable, or a trash bag with holes for the arms and head. It's nice to be dry while standing around at the start line, then you can rip it off when you get moving.
Got Bodyglide? Bandaids?
Thursday and Friday:
Hydrate. Get a couple of liters of water in you a day, depending on your size. Use some ElectroMix or something similar - available at Central Market, Whole Foods, RunTex, or bike shops.
Friday night:
This is actually your best night to get your carbs. Have a reasonable-sized plate of pasta, not too late in the evening. And get to bed at a reasonable hour. You can forego the clubs for one damned night.
Saturday:
Stay off your feet. This is not the time for a hike, lawn work, walking at the race expo for four hours like I did in Chicago trying to decide if I should buy and wear new clothes for the marathon when I know not to do that (I didn't).
Oh, and don’t forget to pick up your race packet.
Eat early - eat at 5:30 or 6, be done by 7 or 7:30. Why? Because you want to be able to sleep, and you want the food to digest, so that it'll be usable in the race, but yet not filling up your lower intestines demanding immediate release at mile five. Having to pee is fairly common, but you do not want to have to go #2, losing time while your legs cramp up in a cold, nasty porta-potty. And if you try to hold it, your core will tighten up, expending more energy and messing with your mechanics.
Don't drink too late - you want to be able to sleep without getting up constantly through the night.
Get everything together Saturday night, not Sunday morning:
- Pin your race bib to your shirt or shorts. If you are slightly OCD like some coaches, this could take you half an hour to get it perfectly straight. It has to be straight. It just does.
- Put your gels, electrolyte capsules, whatever you're taking on the course, in whatever you're taking them in.
- Pack your drop bag with your pre and post-race stuff.
- Make sure you have what you need for breakfast.
Figure out your morning schedule - work it backwards:
- The race is at 7am.
- You need to be parked and out of the car at 6am AT THE LATEST.
- Maybe it'll take you 30 minutes to get there, so you need to leave your place at 5:30.
- You want to use the restroom (#2) before you leave. Give yourself time (because you never know) - so, on the pot by 5:15.
- You need to allow at least an hour for your breakfast to digest, so you need to be eating at 4:15.
- Set your alarm for 4:15 (you'll eat first). Yeah, this is insane. But so is running 13 miles, so... what the hell?
- Set multiple alarms. Use your alarm clock, your phone, yuor running watch. Get a friend to call you. Leave nothing to chance.
Race morning:
- GET THE HELL UP. No snooze button. This is when being nervous is a good thing, because it'll wake you up.
- Eat first, and have a glass of water, and coffee, if you need it.
- If you've done things right, you have an hour to check the weather, put on your laid-out clothes, make sure your bib number really is straight, and relax. I always turn on News 8, not so much for the crappy reporting, but to check the weather. On the other hand, one morning, the weatherperson’s first words were, “Wow, it is really unpleasantly hot and humid out there.”
At the race:
- DO NOT BE LATE. Period. Non-neogtiable, no excuses. You need to park, pick up your chip, drop your bag (if there's a bag drop), not be overly frazzled, and be ready for a warm-up at 6:15. I have to say, as a group, we’re lousy about this, for our long runs, and the races so far. Well, now it’s showtime, and whether we’ve developed good punctual habits or not, it’s time to get our crap together. BE ON TIME.
- Don't guzzle water. If you've hydrated well, and had some when you got up, you'll be fine with what you get on the course. Drink too much, and you'll have to pee.
- Still, hit the porta-potty after the warmup.
Get to the start line by 6:50. Find your friends. Then... relax. Soak up this moment. Look around at all the people that are about to do something pretty cool. You're one of them. You're probably also better trained and better prepared than most.
This is a lot of stuff, I know. But again, you're running 13.1 miles, asking a lot of your body. You've all worked so hard, you deserve nothing less from yourself than to be as knowledgeable and prepared and mindful as you can possibly be going into this. You're all going to do great.
Tomorrow: The Race Plan. Really, I promise. It's already written. I'm artificially creating suspense, like in a Bruckheimer movie.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Saturday's Long Run
OK, I need ya to read carefully and pay attention, or you're likely to be in completely the wrong place Saturday morning.
Our run starts at the NORTH (Gateway) Whole Foods Saturday morning, at 7am SHARP.
We're running point-to-point, from the Whole Foods at Gateway to the Whole Foods at Sixth and Lamar. Yes, this is an obvious and blatant throwback to those of us who remember the RunTex to RunTex runs (that predate a lot of running groups). I like the idea of point-to-point, because I think you get a different appreciation of the distance you're covering. Our route, though, is pretty dramatically different once we get west of Mopac.
Anyway, this requires us to carpool and coordinate transportation. Accordingly, here's your instructions:
1. Meet at 6:30 at the Whole Foods at SIXTH AND LAMAR. The downtown one. Our regular meeting place.
2. If you don't mind carpooling people, park near our meeting spot. Otherwise, please park on the street or at least in the garage. We need to stop taking up so many of their parking spots.
3. We'll carpool to Whole Foods North.
4. We'll start running at 7am SHARP. More on this in a moment.
5. Once we finish running, we'll need a few people to cart the original carpool drivers back up north to their cars.
If you bring a bag with dry clothes and a towel or whatever for after the run, I'll carry it in my car and have it for you at the end of the run.
We've been getting sloppy with being punctual. I have, too, largely because I run around and set water out. I'll have help with water stops this weekend, though, so I will be on time.
You cannot afford to be late on race morning. You can't even really afford to barely make it on race morning. Part of the discipline involved in all this is punctuality and reliability, right? So, be punctual and reliable from here on out. We've got six more Saturday long runs - it's time to start making some real commitments:
1. Commit to hydrating and getting your electolytes during the week.
2. Commit to getting your stuff together the night before.
3. Commit to getting to bed at a reasonable hour.
4. Commit to getting up, eating, and being ready to run when you leave your place.
5. Commit to getting to the run and being ready to run, on time.
None of this is really a lot to ask - it's just about making the choice. And it's not just for you, it's for your teammates, too. People are counting on you, whether you realize it or not.
This is going to be a great run - the half marathoners will be peaking their distance, and marathoners will hit 20. Be ready for it and enjoy it.
Our run starts at the NORTH (Gateway) Whole Foods Saturday morning, at 7am SHARP.
We're running point-to-point, from the Whole Foods at Gateway to the Whole Foods at Sixth and Lamar. Yes, this is an obvious and blatant throwback to those of us who remember the RunTex to RunTex runs (that predate a lot of running groups). I like the idea of point-to-point, because I think you get a different appreciation of the distance you're covering. Our route, though, is pretty dramatically different once we get west of Mopac.
Anyway, this requires us to carpool and coordinate transportation. Accordingly, here's your instructions:
1. Meet at 6:30 at the Whole Foods at SIXTH AND LAMAR. The downtown one. Our regular meeting place.
2. If you don't mind carpooling people, park near our meeting spot. Otherwise, please park on the street or at least in the garage. We need to stop taking up so many of their parking spots.
3. We'll carpool to Whole Foods North.
4. We'll start running at 7am SHARP. More on this in a moment.
5. Once we finish running, we'll need a few people to cart the original carpool drivers back up north to their cars.
If you bring a bag with dry clothes and a towel or whatever for after the run, I'll carry it in my car and have it for you at the end of the run.
We've been getting sloppy with being punctual. I have, too, largely because I run around and set water out. I'll have help with water stops this weekend, though, so I will be on time.
You cannot afford to be late on race morning. You can't even really afford to barely make it on race morning. Part of the discipline involved in all this is punctuality and reliability, right? So, be punctual and reliable from here on out. We've got six more Saturday long runs - it's time to start making some real commitments:
1. Commit to hydrating and getting your electolytes during the week.
2. Commit to getting your stuff together the night before.
3. Commit to getting to bed at a reasonable hour.
4. Commit to getting up, eating, and being ready to run when you leave your place.
5. Commit to getting to the run and being ready to run, on time.
None of this is really a lot to ask - it's just about making the choice. And it's not just for you, it's for your teammates, too. People are counting on you, whether you realize it or not.
This is going to be a great run - the half marathoners will be peaking their distance, and marathoners will hit 20. Be ready for it and enjoy it.
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