Form Running the 2015 TCS NYC Marathon: That Freedom Feeling

My 2nd straight NYC Marathon has come and gone and the experience is just as exhilarating as it was last year. My hamstring failed to maintain pace a record 4 times but pain management and efficient form running saw me through to the finish. The culprit in this marathon were the 2 back to back half marathons I ran just 3 weeks prior, as my hamstring didn't have enough time to recover to a point where I can hold a pace that my heart and head knew I can do. But before we get into that lets back up a little bit. 

I spoke about honest preparation in my last blog with a summer filled with high intensity track and tempo runs. However, since I usually plan my race schedule months in advance, I still had to keep up the mileage for my Fall marathons. That didn't give my previously injured hamstring adequate rest time it needed to function at its full potential. And let's face it, my aging muscles constantly remind me that I'm past my prime so I have this feeling that I'm also racing against time. How much longer can I keep this up? Didn't I start running as a way to relax? Why is it feeling like another full time job? 

Fortunately, I found the balance where the stress from running isn't to the point where I don't enjoy it anymore. If I keep rushing to achieve these goals; Boston Qualifier, 2015 miles in 2015, more NYRR 9+1's, and run-cation trips that earn me extra medals, I'll burn out to the point where I will hate running again.

So ignoring the advice of some of my friends, I took on the Self-Transcendence Marathon in late summer, 9 and a half weeks before the TCS NYC Marathon. There really isn't much to say about this one. In brief: 

• 9 times around Rockland Lake in Rockland State Park, Congers, NY. 
• Fluid stop at every mile (only 3 water stops since it was a 3 mile loop) with a lovely selection of fruits, potato chips, and cookies that I took advantage of post mile 20. 
• One guy near the finisher chute counting how many times he saw you since there was no timing chips (hence the time everyone's official time was based on the start gun, including Boston Qualifiers)
• Temperatures reached the low 90s halfway through the race with about half the loop exposed to the intense sunlight. 

Halfway through the race, I felt that familiar burn in my previously injured hamstring. With NYC on my mind, I consciously scaled back my effort to avoid injury. 

Official time taken by photo. 3:27:55 (No timing chip)

That didn't stop me from making it to the NYC starting line slightly hobbled. In the time between Self-Transcendence and TCS NYC, I marathon paced the R'n'R Virginia Beach Half, the R'n'R Brooklyn Half, the NYRR Staten Island Half, and PR'd the NYRR Bronx 10 mile. The physical therapy sessions leading up to TCS NYC revealed to me that my previously injured hamstring was not 100%. So all I could do is hope for the best. 

Morning selfie #1: NFA Wildcats checking in! Great seeing Tiffany again! 

Morning selfie #2: My friend from Normandy teaches me the correct way to negative split - 3:12 PR #CPTC

Morning selfie #3: First time marathoner, Moussa, excels at work-life and marathon training balance.

Morning Selfie #4: Mary Ann and others from the NYC Marathoners Group. 

Who cares! It's marathon day and I'm going to enjoy it. I'm running the biggest marathon in the world for a 2nd straight year. I had to get my morning selfies in with friends whose training I've been following and teammates I've trained with. People coming together to inspire, motivate, and congratulate is all part of the experience. However, I didn't anticipate what would happen as I was getting ready to empty out in the Porta-potty just before they released the first wave of runners from my corral. The waste tightening string in my shorts snapped making it impossible to hold my shorts up during the race. 

"Don't worry, David. No one will laugh if you run in your underwear." says Dimitri #NBR

I laughed. I didn't panic. I can still run it if I tighten my Spi-Belt around the waste line. But just in case I have to ditch the shorts, let me make sure I have my essentials, like house key, ID, and credit card in my Spi-Belt. Gels were now tucked in my arm sleeve and both hands were now occupied. But where were my salt pills? Shit... They must have stayed in the pockets of my throwaway clothes. These gels are now more important than ever, because I knew I would have hamstring trouble. 

My five borough journey begins: Desensitized to the cheering crowds as we left the upper level of the Verrazano, I was focused on readjusting for anticipated pain in the later miles. High 5s along 4th Ave felt more routine and robotic. Kid sticks hand out, David slaps hand, and keep it moving. All while Spi-belt is failing to keep his shorts up. I moved to the center to bypass high 5s while running with one hand on my shorts. Finally I had enough. With 4 gels in my hand, and 2 struggling to stay in my arm sleeves, I made a quick stop on the side of the road right after the 5k marker.

Feeling FREE to hold tight yet efficient form.

"I won't be needing these anymore!" As I dropped the shorts in front of some spectators who looked at me with laughter. I could still salvage this race and do something special here. I let out a little laugh cause this can easily become the NYC Marathon Underwear Scandal of 2015. 

Cycling and triathlons have never appealed to me partly because of the skin tight suits these guys have to wear. My frame is too skinny to ever pull that off. So subconscious insecurities start to creep in. (And I know I'm not alone with this because plenty of my runner friends go to great lengths to make sure their race day outfits are perfect). But wait, I'm running in my underwear and it feels good. No SWASHING AND SWISHING of Michael Jordanesque shorts. No conscious thoughts of losing keys, gels, or anything else in my pockets. I feel FREE to lock into form for optimal efficiency. A whole new level of applying the Weekly Form Run. 

Not too long after, I notice runners with superhero costumes on, runner girls wearing nothing but bikinis and their bibs, and one guy with strictly tighty whitey's on. Subconscious Insecurity GONE! But now with just 4 gels in my hands and two sliding sound in my arm sleeves I better ration. My thoughts:

• I don't have enough salts.
• It's getting warmer out here. 
• My hamstring isn't going to make it.
• DNF is not an option.

How can I prevent my muscles from overheating post mile 20? By mile 10 the familiar burn started to set, earlier than anticipated. My thoughts racing, "Must keep muscles cool. WATER!! Cold water, that is." From there I looked for the next water stop. 

I developed a routine from then on at all the remaining water stops. One cup of Gatorade, 5 cups of water poured on the injured hamstring, 1 cup over my head. All with the flow of the race. However, each stop would slow me down 30 to 45 seconds. Better to compromise on my overall time than DNF. AND THIS WORKED! 

Men's Half tights to be worn in future races. 

The first pull came at Mile 14. But it was a strain rather than that gun shot, stop you in your tracks hamstring lock that had me agonizing in previous marathons. I could still run: just slow down, shake it off and get back into form. Five more times, I'd feel this strain: 4 in the previously injured and 2 in the compensating, right hamstring. And all 6 times, with a little shake of the legs to better distribute blood flow and losing another 10 seconds, I locked right back into form. And a lovely, freedom feeling form run it was. Running in your underwear is great. Olympic athletes, cyclists, triathletes, Underwear Run participants - they are on to something. 

Each bridge from Queensboro on, made its mark on my hamstrings. And when I saw the line of CPTC runners cheering us on, a boost of energy came over me and I raised my hands in excitement. Ouch... Maybe I shouldn't have done that. There goes the right hamstring straining for #6! 

Lessons learned: OK I get it I get! After 9 marathons, maybe I overtrain a little bit. I showed up to the TCS NYC Marsthon with 1603 miles logged into these legs for 2015. I'm still determined to hit 2015 miles before 2015, but a Spring Marathon shall be skipped. 

This also means a Boston qualifying pursuit for the 2017 race is unlikely. I really have to give myself time to heal. I'm not racing against time. Plenty of Masters runners in my running club show me that I can get faster as my body ages. That being said, I remember the same quote I posted in last year's marathon blog post:

Today's Inspirational Quote: 

"The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you if you don't let it get the best of you." 

-- Will Rogers

Ain't that the truth! It took running in my underwear to focus less on what I look like while I run. More emphasis was on how I feel while I run and how efficient are my motions. I can feel my body lock into form in ways I never felt before when applying the weekly form run. So much so that running in half tights will surely be apart of my regimen in the future. If it's good enough for Olympic athletes, it's good enough for me. 

A well deserved donut, a day after my marathon PR!