New York's Prodigal Son (Blogger Edition)

Here is a post from early 2012 from my WordPress site. Thought it was worth it to repost here since I decided I like Blogger better. Let me know what you think.

http://wp.me/p1XleN-9

Looks Can Be Deceiving: My Miami Marathon Experience.

I certainly got more than I expected in Miami this weekend, Super Bowl Sunday. When I first signed up for this race early last summer, I was fresh off of a personal best at the hilly San Francisco Marathon. Motivated by the marathon bombings, I set my sights for Boston as I knew it was within reach. My original goal was to run the New York City marathon. And after 10 years of wanting it, this November I'm in. But deep inside me I knew I can make it to Boston and that I should put in the extra effort to get there.

The more experienced marathoners I spoke with at the time suggested that I wait at least until Spring 2014 before I start running marathons again. But with the schedule demands of my engineering career, I knew that wasn't going to be possible. It was hard enough last year, 2013 training in the Spring time, just when the construction season is getting busy. And I knew that I would finally run New York City in November, so my summer and fall would be spent training. I had to make a choice. Miami was a no brainer. 

The course was flat. I can train during the holiday season, when work is slower, and I can escape the cold New York City weather for a weekend. All seemed right with the world... so I thought. But I still couldn't get the advice out of my head from those who were more experienced than I was: that I should wait. I knew qualifying for Boston would be an uphill battle. 

So let's skip all the polar vortex marathon training this winter in New York City and go directly to today's race. Race start was 6:15 AM and my cab was stuck in traffic. I had to get out in the middle of traffic and walk 6 blocks just so that I can check my bag in and make it to my coral. Coral C was crowded. And there were no bathrooms available so I was going to have to empty out at the first water stop. I finally saw one 3 miles into the race. But before I got there, the crowded field on MacArthur Causeway had me doing zig zags along the roadway. One guy even tripped me up but an early disaster was avoided. 

Upon relief, and just before hitting mile 4, the race started to open up and I was able to hit my stride. The sun hadn't risen yet and though there was some humidity, the heat wasn't too bad. I was holding close to  Boston Qualifying pace no problem and was feeling good. I also knew that I had plenty of energy to pick up the pace after the half mark. But it never happened. Mile 14, 15, the 16 came, and I kept holding myself back because I realized that I was on pace and the sooner I start running faster the harder it would be to maintain.

Bad news came at mile 17 as I was holding pace, a major Charlie Horse caught my upper left thigh and hamstring. I was devastated. But I had no time to grieve. I had to think quick. I picked up the gel intake and walked it off for about 2 minutes. Luckily I was right at the water stop so I could also wash it down with water as well as hydrate my body as I normally do. I may have lost some time, but at that point all was not lost. One runner shouted for me to keep going and that it was ALL MENTAL! He was right, but now was not the time I wanted to hear that. 

I proceeded to run Boston Qualifying pace, but that runner's comment had my thoughts racing. Was this Charlie Horse going to come back? Why did I focus so much on my calves and knees this training season and not focus enough on my upper legs? Maybe I should have waited! All going through my head until I hit mile 20. At that point, I could run my 10K pace, get to the finish line and start planning my trip to Boston. Mother nature had a different plan. Around 8:30 A.M. or so, the sun really started to shine and the humidity started to pick up. I started feeling dizzy and I saw fellow runners on the side of the road passed out getting medical attention. (After the race, I heard one guy had a heart attack) And I noticed the mile 20 and 21 marker had a yellow caution. I remember specifically thinking, is that for the runners, or for the cars. But my dizziness soon picked up and thoughts of my 2010 New Jersey marathon came flooding in. I knew then that if I was going to run the rest of the year, I had to slow down and forget about qualifying for Boston. And that I did. Also, the five minute rain storm that followed my decision to slow down confirmed that I made the right choice. 

So as I was running along, I was well under the pace to at least get a new PR. But at that point it was time for my biological functions to weigh in. Long time ago I discovered that PowerGels by PowerBar did not go well with me. However, I decided to load up on them because I was trying to stay away from gels with caffeine. I have been hearing stories about heart attacks and me being such a coffee drinker, I didn't want to elevate my heart rate any more than I had to. However, most of the caffeinated GU gels that my body grew accustomed to had much less sodium content which probably was a reason for some of the recent calf strains I experienced in previous races. I went back to PowerGels because of their high sodium content. That was a mistake. Apparently, the extra intake of PowerGels at mile 17 that relieved my Charlie Horse wanted to make a quick escape. And it wasn't going to wait. At mile 23, I saw a fresh park bathroom, not a porta potty, but a clean, glowing bathroom with no line that seemed to shine from the distance. I then said, screw a PR, I have to go. I proceeded to spend the next 15 minutes relieving myself. At one point I forgot that I was actually running a marathon, until I looked over at my watch and saw that it was still ticking. Paradise was over, I had to go get my medal. 

During my 2010 New Jersey marathon, I learned the walk-run technique. With no thoughts in my head, I just ran a slow less strenuous pace, and when I felt like walking, I walked. The "Go Brooklyn" shout outs were ever increasing, at mile 25, I realized I still had a shot at hitting around 4 hours or so. So I picked up the pace to a comfortable jog until I crossed the finish line. And that was it. It was over. Didn't feel disappointed. Actually felt physically better than I did during my previous marathons. But I knew I learned some major lessons that will carry me for the rest of my racing year. 

1. Never take PowerGels again. I learned my lesson once and I should have maintained my sodium intake regimen. 

2. Pick and choose your marathons carefully. Your body needs time to adjust when training in extreme cold weather for race day heat and humidity. 

3. Balanced stretching and cross fit training is important. I focused so much on my calves and IT, that it must have created an imbalance in my thighs and hamstring. This was the first time I ever had any pain in my upper leg. 

In short, this marathon may have been a disaster as far as time goes. But I learned some important aspects about my running that will help me get to Boston sooner rather than later. You have to have bad days in order to appreciate the good ones.