tri-man 47
Footballguy
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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (5 Viewers)
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BassNBrew
Footballguy
BassNBrew
Footballguy
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
Spartans Rule
Footballguy
Did the Las Vegas HM today as well, my first one. Finished in 2:03:36.
My main goal was just to finish and I didn’t have a real clear time in mind, but I definitely ran faster than expected. I got out fairly slow to be safe, then realized around the halfway mark I wasn’t tiring at all and started pushing the pace. Got a little carried away at the end and according to Strava ran mile 12 at an 8:48 clip, which caused me to run out of steam a bit down the stretch.
Pacing is not something I’ve figured out at all - when I look at my watch I have no idea what it’s gonna tell me. More tempo runs next time probably, and maybe Michigan winter forcing me to inside to the treadmill won’t be so bad. I think I might have been physically capable of breaking 2 hours if I ran a smarter race, but for a first time I’m really happy with how it went. I’ll definitely do another and chase that 2 hour mark.
Thanks to everyone in the thread. I don’t post a ton but I do read regularly and it’s uncanny how often I’ll have a question in my head and come in and see that exact topic being discussed. I’ve learned a ton here and a lot of you guys are pretty inspiring with the things you accomplish.
My main goal was just to finish and I didn’t have a real clear time in mind, but I definitely ran faster than expected. I got out fairly slow to be safe, then realized around the halfway mark I wasn’t tiring at all and started pushing the pace. Got a little carried away at the end and according to Strava ran mile 12 at an 8:48 clip, which caused me to run out of steam a bit down the stretch.
Pacing is not something I’ve figured out at all - when I look at my watch I have no idea what it’s gonna tell me. More tempo runs next time probably, and maybe Michigan winter forcing me to inside to the treadmill won’t be so bad. I think I might have been physically capable of breaking 2 hours if I ran a smarter race, but for a first time I’m really happy with how it went. I’ll definitely do another and chase that 2 hour mark.
Thanks to everyone in the thread. I don’t post a ton but I do read regularly and it’s uncanny how often I’ll have a question in my head and come in and see that exact topic being discussed. I’ve learned a ton here and a lot of you guys are pretty inspiring with the things you accomplish.
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Zasada
Footballguy
Fantastic job! Miles 10-13 were a little tougher not just because they were at the end but also because they were slightly uphill. On my Strava you could see my HR really bump-up as soon as we shifted from slight downhill to slight uphill.
Was a really fun race. What corral were you in? I was Blue 3.
Spartans Rule
Footballguy
Green 8. When I signed up I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to finish so I put down a really slow expected time. Apparently the overconfident way outnumber the modest because I passed a lot of blue, and I started about 15 minutes after the last wave of them.
gianmarco
Footballguy
Cautiously optimistic I'll be able to get out soon. Yesterday was the first morning I woke up without any pain and got through the day without any as well. At work now and still not feeling anything after being on my feet for a good bit. Last few days have seen a steady improvement with discomfort only after walking a decent amount.
I'll probably give it another couple days before testing it out but I think I'll be good to go.
I'll probably give it another couple days before testing it out but I think I'll be good to go.
brettdj
Footballguy
I prefer using my bike on a trainer because the seat settings usually don't quite work on separates. Just bought a https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2018/07/elite-drivo-2-ii-trainer-review.html. Love it, works with all of the latest apps (Zwift, Rouvy, Sufferfest, etc.) Fairly quick to swap bikes/tires, wife and I both use it.
-OZ-
Footballguy
I hadn't even thought about direct drivers. That looks great but a bit expensive, I was trying to stay under $500. Will look more at direct drive.
brettdj
Footballguy
I agree a bit expensive found the Drivo 2 for $1050. Don't remember the less expensive options.
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Sand
Footballguy
You can probably find the wheel-on smart trainers for about that. Clever Training has a 20% off sale (have to buy a $5 membership to get the discount). That DCR article has a section on those.
-OZ-
Footballguy
That's the plan, though I don't think I want to do a membership plan. Maybe one of our riders will convince me otherwise.
tri-man 47
Footballguy
pbm107
Footballguy
Richmond Marathon Race Report
Background
My PR going into this race was a 2:59:08 set in Philly back in 2015 and after that I had 2 crash and burn marathons in 2017. Training this year went really well. I have run more quality this year than ever and I was able to set PRs in the mile, 5K, 5 mile, 10k (not a race but a workout), and 8 mile. I feel good about the planning out of the year and my execution of the plan. Following the last 7 weeks of the Hansons plan went well for me and I ran all my MP runs under 6:40 and my HR for these were below 160 and average power was always right at 325 Watts. In my previous marathons my average HR was between 163-170 and in my PR race I averaged 167. I created a pace band for 2:59:00 (6:50 pace customized for the course elevation) and decided that I would run the first few miles at 6:50 and then peek at the HR. If the HR was low I would increase the pace until it was up to 160, but stay below 6:40 the first half of the race.
Pre-race fueling I attempted to follow the same routine as my last 3 Sunday long runs. Water with Ucan, bowl of cereal, honey sticker energy bar, coffee, and 15 minutes before the race a gel and a little water. I stayed at the Marriott by the starting line and I was able to stay at the hotel until 7:35 for a 7:45 start. It was pretty sweet.
Conditions for the race were ideal with temperatures in the 40s and I was wearing a singlet with long socks for arm warmers and gloves that I planned on ditching at mile 4.
Miles 1-2
The start was good, not too crowded and I am doing my best to just settle in and get comfortable. I see a dude wearing the fancy Nike @JShare87 running shoes, and then I noticed his shoe was untied and thought to myself the same thing happened to @Hang 10 in his race here. I read his race reports from this race last week. I felt good here and curiosity got the best of me and I decided to look at the HR to see if I could go faster expecting to see 155 or something. I took a look and it said 167 and I was like WTF.
Miles 3-4
Since my HR was showing something I didn’t want to see I stopped displaying it decided to let my pace band be my guide. I was starting to get a little warm and attempted to take off my armbands almost lost my pace band in the process. Velcro strips (for pace band) and cotton throwaway gloves didn’t make things easy. Shortly later ditched the gloves.
Miles 5-7
I am just trying to keep things as easy as possible with the mindset that I am going to crush the 2nd half of this race, I should have taken off the gloves earlier because I felt great. Took my first gel at mile 6 and mile 7 was a long downhill that I took advantage of for my fastest mile of the day, 6:31.
Miles 8-12
On mile 8 you cross the river the first time and I am enjoying the view from the bridge and the crowd support. I decided to take another look at my HR and I was quite pleased to see it was at 160. Perhaps it was high early because I was getting warm. This was the most scenic part of the race running by the river and I was comfortably running by HR keeping it around 160. I am pumped that I am setting myself up for a strong finish.
Miles 13-15
I got to the mile 13 marker at 1:28:28 which was 22 secs ahead of my pace band. The toughest part of the course is miles 16-18 so I didn’t want to overdo it in this section. I took a gel during this stretch and I choked a bit on the water. This cause me to cough a bit, and each time I coughed it felt like I had a mild hernia.
Miles 16-18
Mile 16 was the most challenging of the day as it was a hill crossing the bridge with a decent headwind. I found that I couldn’t pace myself off of other runners here, because they were slowing down too much. The hills weren’t that step but it was a grind running uphill for 3 miles. Unfortunately by the time I got to the 18 mile marker I was only 4 sec ahead of my pace band.
Miles 19-20
I took a look at my pace band to see what it had prescribed for mile 19 and it showed 6:46 so that confirmed that the hill was over. I also needed to start moving and I while I was tired at this point I wasn’t destroyed, finished this mile in 6:42. Mile 20 is a mystery to me, the pace band prescribed 6:45, I ran it at the same HR as mile 19, Strava GAP has it at 6:38, but it took me 7:02. I was now at 2:16:43 and the pace band showed 2:16:33, I was 10 sec behind pace.
This was a low point for me, knowing the old adage how this is the start of the 2nd half of the race. Rarely do things go better in the last 6 miles of the marathon. I wonder if this is where I start my crash and burn, will I even break 3?
Miles 21-22
The pace band showed 6:47 for this mile and I increased the effort a bit. I took my last gel of day and mistakenly grabbed a PowerAde instead of water. I know that isn’t recommended but I figure it’s better than nothing. I ended finishing mile 21 right at 6:47 making up no time on the pace band.
This is the entire race right here, there was a lot of confusion, doubt, and anger. I knew I wouldn’t be very happy with myself later if I didn’t go right now. I took a look at the pace band and it showed 6:52 and I decided I was going to run faster than that for this mile. I felt like I was running a Hanson’s strength workout and finish this mile in 6:38. I am now 3 sec ahead of my band.
Miles 23-24
I am passing all sorts of people at this point and working hard, my breathing patterns more like a 5 miler or 10k. People can hear me coming up behind them and they move over looking at my like I’m a madman. Mile 23 comes in at 6:42 and mile 24 is at 6:35 and I am now about 20 sec ahead of the pace band.
Miles 25-26.2
Mile 25 took forever, mentally I can handle when there is just one mile to go but getting to that point is misery. Legs are heavy and I am thinking I overdid it the last three miles. There is a small hill here to that didn’t help. I get to the final mile and I start hammering it home and then the last .5 of the race is a steep downhill. I’m usually a good downhill runner but I my hamstrings say no to the downhill. They don’t lockup but they are on the verge, so I have to sort waddle down the hill like I’m trying not to crap myself. I come in at 2:58:45 for a 23 sec PR. A 25 sec positive split.
I am fortunate that the weather conditions were so good and I was able to PR. I feel good my training and my race day execution. I don’t have any regrets on handling what I could control and anytime you can PR in the marathon is a good thing. However I do wonder if I will ever get to the point where my times lineup, meaning that if you plug in my 5K or 10k time into a racing calculator I should be able to run a half marathon and marathon faster. Perhaps I am more of a middle distance guy than a marathoner.
Thanks for all your support and tracking.
Background
My PR going into this race was a 2:59:08 set in Philly back in 2015 and after that I had 2 crash and burn marathons in 2017. Training this year went really well. I have run more quality this year than ever and I was able to set PRs in the mile, 5K, 5 mile, 10k (not a race but a workout), and 8 mile. I feel good about the planning out of the year and my execution of the plan. Following the last 7 weeks of the Hansons plan went well for me and I ran all my MP runs under 6:40 and my HR for these were below 160 and average power was always right at 325 Watts. In my previous marathons my average HR was between 163-170 and in my PR race I averaged 167. I created a pace band for 2:59:00 (6:50 pace customized for the course elevation) and decided that I would run the first few miles at 6:50 and then peek at the HR. If the HR was low I would increase the pace until it was up to 160, but stay below 6:40 the first half of the race.
Pre-race fueling I attempted to follow the same routine as my last 3 Sunday long runs. Water with Ucan, bowl of cereal, honey sticker energy bar, coffee, and 15 minutes before the race a gel and a little water. I stayed at the Marriott by the starting line and I was able to stay at the hotel until 7:35 for a 7:45 start. It was pretty sweet.
Conditions for the race were ideal with temperatures in the 40s and I was wearing a singlet with long socks for arm warmers and gloves that I planned on ditching at mile 4.
Miles 1-2
The start was good, not too crowded and I am doing my best to just settle in and get comfortable. I see a dude wearing the fancy Nike @JShare87 running shoes, and then I noticed his shoe was untied and thought to myself the same thing happened to @Hang 10 in his race here. I read his race reports from this race last week. I felt good here and curiosity got the best of me and I decided to look at the HR to see if I could go faster expecting to see 155 or something. I took a look and it said 167 and I was like WTF.
Miles 3-4
Since my HR was showing something I didn’t want to see I stopped displaying it decided to let my pace band be my guide. I was starting to get a little warm and attempted to take off my armbands almost lost my pace band in the process. Velcro strips (for pace band) and cotton throwaway gloves didn’t make things easy. Shortly later ditched the gloves.
Miles 5-7
I am just trying to keep things as easy as possible with the mindset that I am going to crush the 2nd half of this race, I should have taken off the gloves earlier because I felt great. Took my first gel at mile 6 and mile 7 was a long downhill that I took advantage of for my fastest mile of the day, 6:31.
Miles 8-12
On mile 8 you cross the river the first time and I am enjoying the view from the bridge and the crowd support. I decided to take another look at my HR and I was quite pleased to see it was at 160. Perhaps it was high early because I was getting warm. This was the most scenic part of the race running by the river and I was comfortably running by HR keeping it around 160. I am pumped that I am setting myself up for a strong finish.
Miles 13-15
I got to the mile 13 marker at 1:28:28 which was 22 secs ahead of my pace band. The toughest part of the course is miles 16-18 so I didn’t want to overdo it in this section. I took a gel during this stretch and I choked a bit on the water. This cause me to cough a bit, and each time I coughed it felt like I had a mild hernia.
Miles 16-18
Mile 16 was the most challenging of the day as it was a hill crossing the bridge with a decent headwind. I found that I couldn’t pace myself off of other runners here, because they were slowing down too much. The hills weren’t that step but it was a grind running uphill for 3 miles. Unfortunately by the time I got to the 18 mile marker I was only 4 sec ahead of my pace band.
Miles 19-20
I took a look at my pace band to see what it had prescribed for mile 19 and it showed 6:46 so that confirmed that the hill was over. I also needed to start moving and I while I was tired at this point I wasn’t destroyed, finished this mile in 6:42. Mile 20 is a mystery to me, the pace band prescribed 6:45, I ran it at the same HR as mile 19, Strava GAP has it at 6:38, but it took me 7:02. I was now at 2:16:43 and the pace band showed 2:16:33, I was 10 sec behind pace.
This was a low point for me, knowing the old adage how this is the start of the 2nd half of the race. Rarely do things go better in the last 6 miles of the marathon. I wonder if this is where I start my crash and burn, will I even break 3?
Miles 21-22
The pace band showed 6:47 for this mile and I increased the effort a bit. I took my last gel of day and mistakenly grabbed a PowerAde instead of water. I know that isn’t recommended but I figure it’s better than nothing. I ended finishing mile 21 right at 6:47 making up no time on the pace band.
This is the entire race right here, there was a lot of confusion, doubt, and anger. I knew I wouldn’t be very happy with myself later if I didn’t go right now. I took a look at the pace band and it showed 6:52 and I decided I was going to run faster than that for this mile. I felt like I was running a Hanson’s strength workout and finish this mile in 6:38. I am now 3 sec ahead of my band.
Miles 23-24
I am passing all sorts of people at this point and working hard, my breathing patterns more like a 5 miler or 10k. People can hear me coming up behind them and they move over looking at my like I’m a madman. Mile 23 comes in at 6:42 and mile 24 is at 6:35 and I am now about 20 sec ahead of the pace band.
Miles 25-26.2
Mile 25 took forever, mentally I can handle when there is just one mile to go but getting to that point is misery. Legs are heavy and I am thinking I overdid it the last three miles. There is a small hill here to that didn’t help. I get to the final mile and I start hammering it home and then the last .5 of the race is a steep downhill. I’m usually a good downhill runner but I my hamstrings say no to the downhill. They don’t lockup but they are on the verge, so I have to sort waddle down the hill like I’m trying not to crap myself. I come in at 2:58:45 for a 23 sec PR. A 25 sec positive split.
I am fortunate that the weather conditions were so good and I was able to PR. I feel good my training and my race day execution. I don’t have any regrets on handling what I could control and anytime you can PR in the marathon is a good thing. However I do wonder if I will ever get to the point where my times lineup, meaning that if you plug in my 5K or 10k time into a racing calculator I should be able to run a half marathon and marathon faster. Perhaps I am more of a middle distance guy than a marathoner.
Thanks for all your support and tracking.
The_Man
Footballguy
Great Race, great Race Report!
Also, sounds like a PowerAde commercial. Drink one PowerAde, run Miles 22-24 in 6:38 pace, scare people as you fly past them like a madman.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
@pbm107 Congrats again! That 21-24 mile section was awesome and shows your perseverance!
How much do you think Hanson’s helped compared to your normal consistent training? It sounds like it helped at least mentally during the late stages.
Have you decided on “A” races for next year?
The race results are giving you 2:58:44 so you should go with that.
How much do you think Hanson’s helped compared to your normal consistent training? It sounds like it helped at least mentally during the late stages.
Have you decided on “A” races for next year?
The race results are giving you 2:58:44 so you should go with that.
Awesome job @pbm107. Looks to me like you had a well thought out plan and training going in and executed extremely well - and that plan and training also allowed you to overcome some potential mental hazards on race day.
That mental toughness to overcome those things is, to me, the greatest hurdle for a marathoner. And you passed those hurdles to a great PR. Just awesome.
That mental toughness to overcome those things is, to me, the greatest hurdle for a marathoner. And you passed those hurdles to a great PR. Just awesome.
JShare87
Footballguy
I would say perhaps you’re more of an all-around runner! Your 5 and 10k times are crazy fast, and you just crushed a marathon. I am obviously very new to all of this, but the marathon takes time to figure out. Also, there are so many variables that go into a marathon. All those PRs means you put in some serious work. Well done and congrats to the year you are having as a runner.
Brony
Footballguy
Great job @pbm107! Very smart to stay right by the starting line esp when it's 40 outside. I didn't know what a pace band was, but a little googling increased my knowledge. Very impressive of you to lay out a plan, follow it closely and see it deliver expectations. Sounds boring and easy but we all know all of the miles and work you put into the plan and kudos to you for earning that PR.
Zasada
Footballguy
Las Vegas Rock & Roll Half Marathon Report
This was not only my first HM but my first race (and thus my first Race Report). From reading all your reports I had a general idea what to expect with the race but it was still all very new to me. I very rarely run with even one other person, let alone 40,000.
Prologue (quite long, skip to the RR below if not really bored)
I started hiking back in May 2017. Once a week to start, then that grew to Saturdays and Sundays. Then that started to incorporate a little bit of trail running as I became more confident & able. Strava has been a great tool for motivation -- I was always wanting to show progression and beat my last time on a course or segment.
Winter 17/18 I managed to keep hiking through the whole season. In March for the first time I ran 15K on a fantastic trail run in PHX. That made it clear that I could be able to stretch to a HM and perhaps run with my colleagues in Vegas in Nov. So in May 2018 I set five fitness goals for the summer/year based mostly on my times from the prior fall.
I managed to knock out four of the five goals through the summer and then focused on the final one: Vegas.
As part of preparing for my other goals I had adopted a 3x weekly activity schedule. Midweek I would do 70 minutes on the treadmill at a hiking pace but 15% grade. It was easier on the knees but still a good workout. When I got a few weeks away from my hardest goal of the year so far (Triple Crown of Canmore), I increased the treadmill to 2x weekly. That goal was a tough one for me (12 hours of hiking) but I did it and kept my confidence up.
Once the only remaining goal was the Vegas HM, so I started street running more and hiking (and trail running) a little less. Just to get the muscles tuned to running a bit.
@gianmarco and I are on very similar trajectories (with me a little less disciplined) having both started getting more active in the last 18 months. He's much more dedicated than I am and I watched his first HM attempt closely. He did awesome (achieving a time I would be thrilled with) but he was disappointed as he felt he could have done better. And when seeking tips, a few of the guys here suggested he didn't have enough long runs in his training. As such, I adjusted my plan to add a 20km run to each of the 5 weeks immediately prior to Vegas. This is just one example of how your guys' advice specifically helped me train.
I ended-up doing only 4 20km runs. I dropped the last one because most websites suggest that a long run a week before a race was a bad idea. But my third run was not great and it taught me a lot of things about how I need to prepare for the HM (e.g. stay away from protein-heavy meals and remain hydrated for the 24hrs before the run). The fourth corrected all of these things and gave me a roadmap for how to prepare for Vegas.
The weekend of the Vegas run I fly down on Friday morning. My work colleagues are there and fully into the "Vegas spirit". But I did my very best to resist joining them in that spirit. I managed to stay away from alcohol (only 1 beer consumed on Friday and 0.5 of one on Saturday, none on Sunday). I'm also eating carbs as much as I can for the three days. Saturday night dinner is pasta, pasta, and more pasta. Sunday morning is potato skins and french toast. Everything I did I tried to simulate a normal run for me: Eat a big meal ~10 hours before my run/hike (and nothing after) and drink a ton of water. Wear exactly the same clothes (which have proven to give me ZERO irritation), don't drink/eat on the run, etc, etc. Even though I'm watching college/NFL football in the sportsbooks, I'm sticking to water. Lots of it. And having to piss every 30 minutes. But I am resolved to not get dehydrated.
I cut the water intake about 2 hours before race time, had a couple more bathroom breaks and started praying that I wouldn't need another.
The hours before the race I got changed and headed-out with my colleagues. We all (did a terrible thing and) lied on our estimated times so that we could start in an early corral. There is a big dinner after the race (hosted by a vendor of ours) and in order for everyone to get to it at a reasonable time we needed to be in an early corral. So I was grouped-in with runners who had estimated a 1:35 HM. I feel like a major impostor but tell myself I'll get off to the side and stay out of the way of the faster folks.
We had about a half-hour to kill in the corral so I did some stretching. It was chilly (59F) and a little windy (10mph). Gun goes off for the elites, we move up and are released about 5 minutes later. I'm running my first race!
Kilometer 1 (Sorry, imperial guys. I had my Strava working in kms and that's how I pace myself and remember the race.), 4:50min/km pace
Thanks to reading all the RRs of you guys, I knew the first km or two would be a lot of people-dodging and this was the case. The sun was just getting below the horizon and we were headed south on the strip (which was shut down for the race) toward the famous Las Vegas sign. As soon as Strava reported my pace I immediately think "oh no, I'm going out too fast, need to slow down". But the runners around me are mostly all fast and it's hard to go slower when everyone around you is faster. Also the pace feels normal/comfortable. Maybe my phone is adding distance again.
Kilometer 2 5:00min/km pace
Good. A little slower. Feels good. A super-fast runner springs from a port-a-potty just as I'm running by and sprints away. I think about how I really to need to not take a potty break. I hope I don't have to. Pass the famous Las Vegas sign. Pass the end of the airport runways.
Kilometer 3 5:10 pace
Pass the 2mi marker and it's about timed right that I think my phone isn't adding much distance, if any. I'm still running faster (4:50-5:10) than I think I should be (5:20) but things feel good and I can't help but feel like I'm banking time.
Kilometer 4 5:00 pace
Make the turn to run back north. Tailwind shifts to a headwind. Turn the baseball cap around to reduce drag. But at the same time a slight (imperceptible) uphill shifts to a slight downhill. Still feeling great. Lots of people passing me but I'm also passing a fair number. Did others overestimate their paces to get in the early corral, too?
Kilometers 5-7 4:50 pace
The downhill seems to more than offset the headwind and Strava starts running-off 4:50min/km paces to me. Wow. That's much faster than I'm used to. But it feels good. In the back of my mind I'm thinking about the classic mistake I hear all first-time racers make of going out too fast. But it's so hard to slow down. I'm getting passed by girls a foot+ shorter than me. Sure, they're younger but my ego is at stake here.
Kilometers 8-12 4:50 pace
Strava keeps rolling-off the 4:50min kms. Still a little worried about that. But I'm behind a running Elvis and he's providing a great pace for me. Still getting passed lots, but also passing others. Run by the starting corrals on the other side of the street and other runners are still getting released (40,000 supposedly in this race). I cross what I think is the halfway point chip-sensors. Think about my family who is following-along on the app. What are they thinking right now? Gives me some motivation. Keep the pace. I do some drafting behind other runners when the wind picks-up.
Then Eddie Money's Take Me Home Tonight hits the playlist. There I am, running up the Vegas strip, spectators on both side of the road, and I'm singing and rocking some major air-guitar. I don't care what they think. It's giving me some serious motivation and power.
Kilometers 13-15 4:50 pace
Still running a slight downhill and the wind has abated. Running Elvis continues to be locked about 20ft in front of me. Lots of people on the sides of the road cheering the everyone on. Feels like they're cheering me too. Keeping me motivated. I run through another refreshment station and contemplate a drink but decide to not mess with what has worked in the past. I can drink when I'm done. Besides, I'm not really thirsty. And I don't have to pee. I know the northern turnaround point must be coming-up but it feels like it takes forever to get there. I'm watching for my (faster) colleague going the other direction so that I can give him some encouragement but without my glasses it's hard to see. It's a nice distraction though, trying to find him. Between the Stratosphere and downtown is a bit of a deadzone. Not too many people cheering, quite dark. Feels strangely post-apocalyptic.
Kilometers 16-19 4:50 pace
The slight downhill shifts back to uphill as we hit downtown and turn back around to head south again. The uphill is imperceptible but as I later see on my Strava it causes my HR to climb above 160. While I'm running I know my HR is up but refuse to look at my watch. I don't want to see a big number and have the devil on my shoulder tell me it's safe to slow down. I've got only 5km left. It's just a 5k. I can nut his one out. HTFU. The devil is whispering to me:
"You've got your <2hr goal in the bag. You're tired. You can walk the rest of the way and still hit that goal. It's OK to take a break."
But #### the devil. Let's go for the stretch goal of 1:50. That has to be within reach if my phone isn't lying too much about my pace.
Running Elvis is starting to slow a bit. Around 17km I decide to overtake him and give him a "Go, Elvis! Go, Elvis!" as I go by. He laughs. Strangely the runners have thinned-out so much that it almost feels like I'm running alone.
Kilometers 20-21 4:50 pace
Strava reads-out a 4:10km to me and I know it's total bull#### (later confirmed on the map). Also as I'm passing the mile markers I know Strava is ahead of my true distance. Not just due to the GPS bouncing-around but I've been zig-zagging the course quite a bit passing people. This is where things get tough. My body keeps wanting to slow. I have to force the pace. Without my glasses everything looks like a blur. A little earlier I passed the 11mi marker and getting to 12mi feels like it's taking FOREVER. I keep scanning for the 12mi sign and the finish line. It's a clear line-of-sight down the strip now but I can't see the finish line. Starting to feel like I'm going to barf (I would later see that I hit 170HR which historically is barf territory). That would suck if I have to stop to heave. So close to the end. Other runners sense the nearing of the finish line and they're beginning to sprint. That was my plan too, but I'm having trouble just keeping my pace. Desperate to see the finish line. Why can't I see it?!?!
Kilometer 21.1 4:50 pace
The finish line was much less prominent than I expected, but there it was. I want to sprint as others are sprinting by me but it's taking everything I have to not walk. God, it would suck to walk the last 100m. HTFU, Brian.
I hit the first timing mat, and almost break stride but see there's a second mat another 10m away. WHY ARE THERE TWO!?!?!? I'M DONE NOW, I DON'T WANT TO RUN 10M MORE. But I do. 10m more of running to play it safe, and I hit the second timing mat. Almost instantly a text comes through from my SIL with a "Congratulations!!!". They were following on the app! I get through the finish and handed a medal. I know it's basically a participation medal but I put it on. My phone rings. Trying to stop my Strava at the same time. It's my wife. She's congratulating me too. I can barely talk. Still trying to not barf. But I feel glorious.
At that point I didn't know what my finishing time was. I stopped my Strava late and with the phone ringing I didn't look at the time. I do know that I only got halfway into my first homestretch song (Beastie Boys' Sabotage, what else?!?). So I'm going to be close to 1:50.
I ask my wife (who was tracking me) what my time was. She starts reading-out the numbers to me:
One... Forty... Seven!
WTF. I knew I beat my two hour goal and was hoping I got to 1:50 based on my pace and playlist position, but 1:47?! Unpossible!
Now I know why people race. The feeling of relief and accomplishment was such an awesome payoff.
The fastest runner among my colleagues had a 90-minute goal and ran a 1:29:59 (PR). He's incredible. And I know in the grand scheme of things 1:47 is unremarkable among seasoned runners. But I'm going to own it for at least the next few days. 18 months ago I couldn't run 1km without walking.
By the numbers:
The lower altitude of the race (versus my home) did seemingly give me a boost. I was concerned that the stress of worrying about missing my goal (since I had told so many people about it) would be a detractor from my performance. But the energy of the race and the crowd more than offset that.
At the group dinner afterwards there were many pints (my reward for being so restrained in the days before the race). Then some steak tartare (mmm), followed by a nice 10oz filet.
After dinner I limped back to my room. I hit the pillow and was out 30 seconds later. Now I'm on my flight home to have lunch with my wife and thank her for supporting me over the last months and year.
Once again, thank you to everyone here for your encouragement and advice. I'm not ashamed to admit that positive reinforcement is a huge motivator for me. And @gianmarco, your HM experience gave me incredible guidance for what to do on mine. Thank you.
This was not only my first HM but my first race (and thus my first Race Report). From reading all your reports I had a general idea what to expect with the race but it was still all very new to me. I very rarely run with even one other person, let alone 40,000.
Prologue (quite long, skip to the RR below if not really bored)
I started hiking back in May 2017. Once a week to start, then that grew to Saturdays and Sundays. Then that started to incorporate a little bit of trail running as I became more confident & able. Strava has been a great tool for motivation -- I was always wanting to show progression and beat my last time on a course or segment.
Winter 17/18 I managed to keep hiking through the whole season. In March for the first time I ran 15K on a fantastic trail run in PHX. That made it clear that I could be able to stretch to a HM and perhaps run with my colleagues in Vegas in Nov. So in May 2018 I set five fitness goals for the summer/year based mostly on my times from the prior fall.
I managed to knock out four of the five goals through the summer and then focused on the final one: Vegas.
As part of preparing for my other goals I had adopted a 3x weekly activity schedule. Midweek I would do 70 minutes on the treadmill at a hiking pace but 15% grade. It was easier on the knees but still a good workout. When I got a few weeks away from my hardest goal of the year so far (Triple Crown of Canmore), I increased the treadmill to 2x weekly. That goal was a tough one for me (12 hours of hiking) but I did it and kept my confidence up.
Once the only remaining goal was the Vegas HM, so I started street running more and hiking (and trail running) a little less. Just to get the muscles tuned to running a bit.
@gianmarco and I are on very similar trajectories (with me a little less disciplined) having both started getting more active in the last 18 months. He's much more dedicated than I am and I watched his first HM attempt closely. He did awesome (achieving a time I would be thrilled with) but he was disappointed as he felt he could have done better. And when seeking tips, a few of the guys here suggested he didn't have enough long runs in his training. As such, I adjusted my plan to add a 20km run to each of the 5 weeks immediately prior to Vegas. This is just one example of how your guys' advice specifically helped me train.
I ended-up doing only 4 20km runs. I dropped the last one because most websites suggest that a long run a week before a race was a bad idea. But my third run was not great and it taught me a lot of things about how I need to prepare for the HM (e.g. stay away from protein-heavy meals and remain hydrated for the 24hrs before the run). The fourth corrected all of these things and gave me a roadmap for how to prepare for Vegas.
The weekend of the Vegas run I fly down on Friday morning. My work colleagues are there and fully into the "Vegas spirit". But I did my very best to resist joining them in that spirit. I managed to stay away from alcohol (only 1 beer consumed on Friday and 0.5 of one on Saturday, none on Sunday). I'm also eating carbs as much as I can for the three days. Saturday night dinner is pasta, pasta, and more pasta. Sunday morning is potato skins and french toast. Everything I did I tried to simulate a normal run for me: Eat a big meal ~10 hours before my run/hike (and nothing after) and drink a ton of water. Wear exactly the same clothes (which have proven to give me ZERO irritation), don't drink/eat on the run, etc, etc. Even though I'm watching college/NFL football in the sportsbooks, I'm sticking to water. Lots of it. And having to piss every 30 minutes. But I am resolved to not get dehydrated.
I cut the water intake about 2 hours before race time, had a couple more bathroom breaks and started praying that I wouldn't need another.
The hours before the race I got changed and headed-out with my colleagues. We all (did a terrible thing and) lied on our estimated times so that we could start in an early corral. There is a big dinner after the race (hosted by a vendor of ours) and in order for everyone to get to it at a reasonable time we needed to be in an early corral. So I was grouped-in with runners who had estimated a 1:35 HM. I feel like a major impostor but tell myself I'll get off to the side and stay out of the way of the faster folks.
We had about a half-hour to kill in the corral so I did some stretching. It was chilly (59F) and a little windy (10mph). Gun goes off for the elites, we move up and are released about 5 minutes later. I'm running my first race!
Kilometer 1 (Sorry, imperial guys. I had my Strava working in kms and that's how I pace myself and remember the race.), 4:50min/km pace
Thanks to reading all the RRs of you guys, I knew the first km or two would be a lot of people-dodging and this was the case. The sun was just getting below the horizon and we were headed south on the strip (which was shut down for the race) toward the famous Las Vegas sign. As soon as Strava reported my pace I immediately think "oh no, I'm going out too fast, need to slow down". But the runners around me are mostly all fast and it's hard to go slower when everyone around you is faster. Also the pace feels normal/comfortable. Maybe my phone is adding distance again.
Kilometer 2 5:00min/km pace
Good. A little slower. Feels good. A super-fast runner springs from a port-a-potty just as I'm running by and sprints away. I think about how I really to need to not take a potty break. I hope I don't have to. Pass the famous Las Vegas sign. Pass the end of the airport runways.
Kilometer 3 5:10 pace
Pass the 2mi marker and it's about timed right that I think my phone isn't adding much distance, if any. I'm still running faster (4:50-5:10) than I think I should be (5:20) but things feel good and I can't help but feel like I'm banking time.
Kilometer 4 5:00 pace
Make the turn to run back north. Tailwind shifts to a headwind. Turn the baseball cap around to reduce drag. But at the same time a slight (imperceptible) uphill shifts to a slight downhill. Still feeling great. Lots of people passing me but I'm also passing a fair number. Did others overestimate their paces to get in the early corral, too?
Kilometers 5-7 4:50 pace
The downhill seems to more than offset the headwind and Strava starts running-off 4:50min/km paces to me. Wow. That's much faster than I'm used to. But it feels good. In the back of my mind I'm thinking about the classic mistake I hear all first-time racers make of going out too fast. But it's so hard to slow down. I'm getting passed by girls a foot+ shorter than me. Sure, they're younger but my ego is at stake here.
Kilometers 8-12 4:50 pace
Strava keeps rolling-off the 4:50min kms. Still a little worried about that. But I'm behind a running Elvis and he's providing a great pace for me. Still getting passed lots, but also passing others. Run by the starting corrals on the other side of the street and other runners are still getting released (40,000 supposedly in this race). I cross what I think is the halfway point chip-sensors. Think about my family who is following-along on the app. What are they thinking right now? Gives me some motivation. Keep the pace. I do some drafting behind other runners when the wind picks-up.
Then Eddie Money's Take Me Home Tonight hits the playlist. There I am, running up the Vegas strip, spectators on both side of the road, and I'm singing and rocking some major air-guitar. I don't care what they think. It's giving me some serious motivation and power.
- Take me home tonight
- I don't wanna let you go till I see the light
- Take me home tonight
- [Never figured out what he says here]
- Beeeee my little baby... baby my darlin'... oh oh oh
Kilometers 13-15 4:50 pace
Still running a slight downhill and the wind has abated. Running Elvis continues to be locked about 20ft in front of me. Lots of people on the sides of the road cheering the everyone on. Feels like they're cheering me too. Keeping me motivated. I run through another refreshment station and contemplate a drink but decide to not mess with what has worked in the past. I can drink when I'm done. Besides, I'm not really thirsty. And I don't have to pee. I know the northern turnaround point must be coming-up but it feels like it takes forever to get there. I'm watching for my (faster) colleague going the other direction so that I can give him some encouragement but without my glasses it's hard to see. It's a nice distraction though, trying to find him. Between the Stratosphere and downtown is a bit of a deadzone. Not too many people cheering, quite dark. Feels strangely post-apocalyptic.
Kilometers 16-19 4:50 pace
The slight downhill shifts back to uphill as we hit downtown and turn back around to head south again. The uphill is imperceptible but as I later see on my Strava it causes my HR to climb above 160. While I'm running I know my HR is up but refuse to look at my watch. I don't want to see a big number and have the devil on my shoulder tell me it's safe to slow down. I've got only 5km left. It's just a 5k. I can nut his one out. HTFU. The devil is whispering to me:
"You've got your <2hr goal in the bag. You're tired. You can walk the rest of the way and still hit that goal. It's OK to take a break."
But #### the devil. Let's go for the stretch goal of 1:50. That has to be within reach if my phone isn't lying too much about my pace.
Running Elvis is starting to slow a bit. Around 17km I decide to overtake him and give him a "Go, Elvis! Go, Elvis!" as I go by. He laughs. Strangely the runners have thinned-out so much that it almost feels like I'm running alone.
Kilometers 20-21 4:50 pace
Strava reads-out a 4:10km to me and I know it's total bull#### (later confirmed on the map). Also as I'm passing the mile markers I know Strava is ahead of my true distance. Not just due to the GPS bouncing-around but I've been zig-zagging the course quite a bit passing people. This is where things get tough. My body keeps wanting to slow. I have to force the pace. Without my glasses everything looks like a blur. A little earlier I passed the 11mi marker and getting to 12mi feels like it's taking FOREVER. I keep scanning for the 12mi sign and the finish line. It's a clear line-of-sight down the strip now but I can't see the finish line. Starting to feel like I'm going to barf (I would later see that I hit 170HR which historically is barf territory). That would suck if I have to stop to heave. So close to the end. Other runners sense the nearing of the finish line and they're beginning to sprint. That was my plan too, but I'm having trouble just keeping my pace. Desperate to see the finish line. Why can't I see it?!?!
Kilometer 21.1 4:50 pace
The finish line was much less prominent than I expected, but there it was. I want to sprint as others are sprinting by me but it's taking everything I have to not walk. God, it would suck to walk the last 100m. HTFU, Brian.
I hit the first timing mat, and almost break stride but see there's a second mat another 10m away. WHY ARE THERE TWO!?!?!? I'M DONE NOW, I DON'T WANT TO RUN 10M MORE. But I do. 10m more of running to play it safe, and I hit the second timing mat. Almost instantly a text comes through from my SIL with a "Congratulations!!!". They were following on the app! I get through the finish and handed a medal. I know it's basically a participation medal but I put it on. My phone rings. Trying to stop my Strava at the same time. It's my wife. She's congratulating me too. I can barely talk. Still trying to not barf. But I feel glorious.
At that point I didn't know what my finishing time was. I stopped my Strava late and with the phone ringing I didn't look at the time. I do know that I only got halfway into my first homestretch song (Beastie Boys' Sabotage, what else?!?). So I'm going to be close to 1:50.
I ask my wife (who was tracking me) what my time was. She starts reading-out the numbers to me:
One... Forty... Seven!
WTF. I knew I beat my two hour goal and was hoping I got to 1:50 based on my pace and playlist position, but 1:47?! Unpossible!
Now I know why people race. The feeling of relief and accomplishment was such an awesome payoff.
The fastest runner among my colleagues had a 90-minute goal and ran a 1:29:59 (PR). He's incredible. And I know in the grand scheme of things 1:47 is unremarkable among seasoned runners. But I'm going to own it for at least the next few days. 18 months ago I couldn't run 1km without walking.
By the numbers:
- Official time 1:47:36 (one second faster than unofficial for some reason)
- 800/17100 overall
- 605/6902 among men
- 83/1080 in my age group (45-49)
- One lost toenail (perhaps two, the one on the same toe of the other foot is considering a departure)
The lower altitude of the race (versus my home) did seemingly give me a boost. I was concerned that the stress of worrying about missing my goal (since I had told so many people about it) would be a detractor from my performance. But the energy of the race and the crowd more than offset that.
At the group dinner afterwards there were many pints (my reward for being so restrained in the days before the race). Then some steak tartare (mmm), followed by a nice 10oz filet.
After dinner I limped back to my room. I hit the pillow and was out 30 seconds later. Now I'm on my flight home to have lunch with my wife and thank her for supporting me over the last months and year.
Once again, thank you to everyone here for your encouragement and advice. I'm not ashamed to admit that positive reinforcement is a huge motivator for me. And @gianmarco, your HM experience gave me incredible guidance for what to do on mine. Thank you.
Last edited by a moderator:
pbm107
Footballguy
I don't think Hanson's hurt (like you said before - one of many good options), I liked the plan and am considering buying their half marathon book. After my 4 week recovery block I will decide what my goal race for the spring is. It will either be a 5K or a half marathon (Love Run in March). I will likely run most of the same spring races as last year it is just a question what type of plan I am going to follow a 5K or half. Unfortunately I will miss Broad Street this year because of a conflict with my son's first communion.
The_Man
Footballguy
I have a question about building mileage.Is it really necessary to have a step-back week every third or fourth week? After running only on weekends for years, I've been running regularly for six weeks, including running 5 times per week for the last month.
Week 1: 16 miles (6-mile long run)
Week 2: 18 miles (7-mile LR)
Week 3: 23 miles (9-mile LR, increased to 5 runs per week)
Week 4: 25 miles (9-mile LR)
Week 5: 27 miles (10-mile LR)
Week 6: 29 miles (10-mile LR)
I'm running totally by feel, not pushing myself very hard (though I will step up the pace for the final 2 or 3 miles of a run if I'm feeling good) and focusing on building fitness while dropping a little weight. My legs feel good and my times are gradually getting faster, even as my perceived effort remains constant. My plan is to keep adding a couple of miles every week, including extending the Long Run by a mile every week or two.
Do I really need to have a step back week, or do you think it's ok to keep gradually growing the weekly totals (as long as my legs feel good)? The other easy way I see to grow my mileage is to add a sixth run of the week, which I might do if I'm still feeling healthy once I get to around 35 miles per week on five runs. Any thoughts on running 6 vs. 5 days per week?
Week 1: 16 miles (6-mile long run)
Week 2: 18 miles (7-mile LR)
Week 3: 23 miles (9-mile LR, increased to 5 runs per week)
Week 4: 25 miles (9-mile LR)
Week 5: 27 miles (10-mile LR)
Week 6: 29 miles (10-mile LR)
I'm running totally by feel, not pushing myself very hard (though I will step up the pace for the final 2 or 3 miles of a run if I'm feeling good) and focusing on building fitness while dropping a little weight. My legs feel good and my times are gradually getting faster, even as my perceived effort remains constant. My plan is to keep adding a couple of miles every week, including extending the Long Run by a mile every week or two.
Do I really need to have a step back week, or do you think it's ok to keep gradually growing the weekly totals (as long as my legs feel good)? The other easy way I see to grow my mileage is to add a sixth run of the week, which I might do if I'm still feeling healthy once I get to around 35 miles per week on five runs. Any thoughts on running 6 vs. 5 days per week?
gianmarco
Footballguy
So freaking awesome. For your first race AND it being a HM and for the type of running you normally do, how incredibly impressive. I completely agree how we're on such a similar trajectory which is why I've been really excited to see how you'd do in this race and you absolutely destroyed it. And in a competitive way, I'm so jealous and now need to get out there and beat this effort of yours!!
But in all seriousness, I'm really happy that my experience and hopefully stuff I documented and what others had to say helped out. I've gotten the same kind of boost. From my inexperienced view, it looks like you ran this about as perfectly as you could. I was watching those times peel off while at work last night and couldn't help but keep smiling for a while.
Congrats, GB!
BULL.
1:47 is INCREDIBLE, especially for a first timer. Your report gave me chills. Just awesome - you absolutely killed it!
pbm107
Footballguy
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
tri-man 47
Footballguy
Spartans Rule
Footballguy
This is definitely the shark move. Starting from a too-slow corral I passed at least a thousand people and got passed maybe 10 times. At times I was looking for "lead blockers" who were also going fast and could kind of carve out paths through the masses for me to follow.
I'm convinced enough people lied about their estimated times that it's not worth feeling bad over. If I do Vegas again I'm gonna claim 1:45.
Brony
Footballguy
Great job @Zasada and @Spartans Rule- sounds like an awesome experience and cool that you had a bunch of people supporting you virtually. Glad that Flo Rida didn't show up in your earbuds(!)
Some of those Strava segments on the strip are starting to look like real FFA leaderboards now.
Some of those Strava segments on the strip are starting to look like real FFA leaderboards now.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
I’m sure you’ve read about the advantages of step back weeks regarding recovery and injury prevention. Why the rush? Maybe you are recovering fine already but playing it safer seems to be the prudent thing to do.
In recent years, I run every day when training for an A race. It seems to be the best way for me to get in the mileage I want. If you are feeling fresh enough, adding a sixth day as your mileage increases seems fine to me.
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
Great race, great report. Way to execute in a way that let you finish so strong. #GotSome
bushdocda
Footballguy
Great read @Zasada - thanks for sharing.
The degree of difficulty is way up there on what you did: first race, a HM, a very big race and the Vegas factor. The hiking and training you’ve shared here and on strava was cool to see put it into the race context. Great work and great result! Hope there are more races in your future.
The degree of difficulty is way up there on what you did: first race, a HM, a very big race and the Vegas factor. The hiking and training you’ve shared here and on strava was cool to see put it into the race context. Great work and great result! Hope there are more races in your future.
bushdocda
Footballguy
Great race and report! Executed so solid per your plan and training. Awesome to observe.
Was this first time at Richmond??
How did you come up with the last 7 weeks of Hansons to cap the cycle, was that based on timing of the race or other factors that led you to that choice?
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
Great report, great execution, great race (I feel like I keep saying the same thing in here lately). #GotSome
As for the bolded, I know you sing something there even if you don't know what the words are . Come on, spill it.
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
I think if you are primarily running easy and are increasing mileage slowly, you could probably get away without taking a "down week". That being said, I think it can be helpful. Training Effect = Work x Recovery. So give yourself a little extra recovery on occasion to allow the body to "absorb" the training. Maybe every 5th week is fine, especially without much intensity and at 5 days a week. Perhaps once you bump up to 6 or start adding intensity it'll become more important to have that down week every 3rd or 4th week. And at some point, your body will let you know that it's time for a little break. The key is whether you're tuned in enough to hear it, or if you ignore it and end up with reduced performance at best and an injury at worst.
Zasada
Footballguy
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
In other news Zach Bitter, who already owned the American record for 100 miles on a track at 11:47, just destroyed the world 100 mile trail record by running the Tunnel Hill 100 Mile Race in 12:08 (he took 24 minutes off WR and 36 minutes off AR). Yes, that's a sub 7:17 mile pace.....for 100 miles. Sure, it's a flat "rails-to-trails" type of trail, but that's just ridiculous. I talked to him at Javelina a couple of weeks back and he said he was feeling pretty good about his training. Yeah, I guess so!
SFBayDuck
Footballguy
pbm107
Footballguy
Thanks, yeah this was my first time at Richmond. It was a good experience, race was well organized and post race we hit a few bars that were fun but not too crowded.
I did the last 7 weeks of Hanson’s because I had 2 goal races this season. A half in September and Richmond. I did the 12 week Pfitz half plan prior to my half. The Pfitz plan was more difficult for me than Hanson’s and I couldn’t do all the runs.
SteelCurtain
Footballguy
Great races in here! Great job @Zasada! My first half marathon was a 1:49 so you have me beat!
Well done @Spartans Rule!
@pbm107 - I can only dream of your speed!
Well done @Spartans Rule!
@pbm107 - I can only dream of your speed!
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