Philadelphia Marathon race report

[caito]

To be perfectly honest, I was not happy with my effort last year at MCM.  I think I was feeling overconfident from a great marathon the year before and had a lot going on at work.  I ran all of my miles in training, but didn't hit all my workouts/speedwork.  Mentally, I just wasn't all there.  After I finished MCM (not a PR, but not a PW) I decided that if I'm going to train for an run a marathon, I'm going in 100%. 

In the spring I was unsure if I'd run a marathon this fall.  Mentally I still wasn't there yet. But ultimately I decided skipping this year would not make it any easier to back on the horse next year, and I definitely made the right decision.  I chose Philly for a few reasons -- I wanted a November race & I've heard such great things about it.

I went all in for training.  It was just what I needed.  Focused on clean eating, cut way back on alcohol, sacrificed some social life for quality rest and early bedtimes.  By summer, I'd been working with my trainer for a year, focusing a lot of core strength, correcting imbalances, building strength and flexibility in my glutes, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors.  As the months went by, I noticed that my easy run pace was faster than it used to be.  I ran a lot.  I ran doubles once a week over the summer.  I ran weekly hill repeats for months.  I hit all my speed work sessions.  I felt really good.  I am certain that I was able to run the mileage and hit the workouts without injury because of all the work I'd been doing in the gym.  Once I hit my peak training weeks, I had a minor issue with a sore calf but my chiropractor & ART took care of it and it was gone just days after my final 20 miler. 

 For the entire training process, I also focused immensely on the mental aspect, specifically staying in the moment. Running the mile I'm in and not worrying about the next miles.  My mantra became, "Be here now." If I felt lousy or tired during I run, I would just repeat it to myself.  I would think about Scott Jurek's mantra, "This is what you  came here for."  Just stay in the moment.  There are highs and lows, and during the lows you just ride it out til it passes.  I would think about race day and try to visualize it on training runs for months. 

During taper, physically I felt great.  My runs felt good, energetic, not sluggish.  I was freaking out a bit mentally -- everything had gone so right for months, I was just hoping to hold on to that til race day.  And somehow, I did.  Based on my training paces, I had a feeling I could PR but really tried not to think about it.  Instead I just had in my mind to think about 9:45 miles all the way through.

Race day weather turned out to be perfect.  I didn't get sick and nothing hurt.  I think my least favorite part of a race is waiting at the start.  I waited over an hour in the corral.  And of course, once it was too late to hit a portapotty, I really had to pee.  Knowing that lines at portapotties on the course are always long, I decided I would just pee my pants when I started running.  I was annoyed by the wave start, but once I was out there immediately appreciated it.  Philly is an incredibly organized & well executed race.  The streets are narrow and the course is crowded, but the wave start made it so that I never once felt like the course was too crowded.  It was perfect.   The course is like, a perfect tour of Philly.  I tried to pee on the run but my body just would not let me!  So I started looking for a tree, wall, bush, etc.  Being a city course, it was hard to find a spot to pull over. But then there in South Philly, along the Delaware River at mile 3.75, there was this little brick wall with a right angle that created the PERFECT pee spot.  It was like a marathon miracle.  I ran over and had the best pee ever, and lost only about 30 seconds.  Seriously, I was ELATED after that pee.  I got back on the course and felt on top of the world -- now I was ready to have a great race day.  Shortly after that, I saw Amy cheering on the sidewalk and waved. 

The crowds in Philly are awesome.  The sidewalks through the city were packed and the signs were great.  So much character!  Around mile 7/8 we were up by Drexel and frat boys were blaring music and singing along.  Good stuff.  Loved the taiko drummers up the hill by the zoo.  A volunteer handed me a cup of water and said, "I can't promise it's not vodka!"  This race is right up my alley.  I was really enjoying the run, smiling, in a great place mentally. I told myself to enjoy each mile, "there's only one Mile 9 in a marathon, so enjoy it, etc."   

Almost half way, feeling good.  My pace was right where I thought it would be and I felt good, although my legs did feel a little more tired than I thought.  In the teen miles, I was a little concerned/annoyed that my legs felt a bit tired.  Then I realized they were supposed to feel that way.  It was 15/16 miles after all, and at race pace.  For some reason I had it my head that I should feel perfectly fresh until mile 20!  That's silly.

The second half of the race goes out along the river, turns around and comes back to the finish.  On my way out, the fast people were running by on the way in. I was certain I was running downhill and they were running uphill.  I thought it kind of sucks to have to run mile 23-26 uphill, but whatever, you hurt anyway at that point.  One of things I'm most proud about this race is that I stayed mentally strong and positive the entire way.  If there was ever a low point, it was in the late teens, just wanting to get to the turn around at mile 20.  But really, I never went to that dark place where you hate running and feel despair at how many miles you have left to go. My fueling was spot on and I drank water at every stop.  So important.  I chanted my mantras in my head and soaked in everything going on around me.  Miles 22-26 everything clicked.  Even thought I was certain I'd be running a slight uphill, it felt like downhill.  I talked to myself a lot -- "This is mile 23 of YOUR marathon, be here now."  My speed picked up, I knew I had it deep down.  I kept my head in check and really focused on the present moment and boy did it work.  And there it was.  The final .2 miles.  I was flying. I had a huge smile on my face.  Got a high five from Mayor Nutter & crossed the line for nearly a 3 minute PR.  Average pace 9:42.  Ran a big negative split.  My final miles were by far my fastest.    YAY!  It all paid off.  That felt so good.

What also felt good was that they give you a big salty soft pretzel & a cup of hot chicken broth.  And then I got to hang out with Amy and bunch of her running friends and drink beer.   Philly rules. 

Lessons learned: 
1. Respect the distance.
2. Respect the training.
3. Train your mind.

[Eco Ellen]

Love the lessons learned. Congratulations on a job well done.

[Mom of Scooby]

Nice report!! So glad you had a great run.. All of my friends from out of town who have run this marathon have loved it.. I was supposed to run last year but got hurt.. Maybe next fall!


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[Belgian Lace]

High.  Five.

 

[kevin871]

Congrats on a great race. Sounds like your training really paid off.

[Fionn mac Cumhail]

BAM!!! Awesome race and awesome report!  Thank you!   

[Fast Eddie]

Great race, even better pee break.   

CONGRATS.

[diablita]

awesome!  nice work and there's some really good stuff in here I'm going to keep in mind for my next race (not the pee pants part).

[Ice Cream]

Nice.
FWIW: I had that pee issue, too.  Someone told me to drink a lot until 2 hours before marathon start and then stop drinking altogether until the water stops at the race. It woks very well for me.

[Fionn mac Cumhail]

Someone told me to drink a lot until 2 hours before marathon start...

Weren't you shitfaced?!

[RunSusanRun]

Congrats!!

[JBM]

Good job! Great race report!

[Arrojo]

Got a high five from Mayor Nutter & crossed the line for nearly a 3 minute PR.  Average pace 9:42.  Ran a big negative split.  My final miles were by far my fastest.    YAY!  It all paid off.  That felt so good.

   Nicely done caito.  Congrats!!!

[rocketgirl]

Nice! 

[Chasing Amy]

Congrats again!

#3 is the hard part for me. Once the negative thoughts start slipping in there, I am toast.

[Run Amok]

awesome awesome awesome! What a thrill to have a plan all come together perfectly. Clearly that huge pr was not an accident! Congrats!

[merigayle]

Yay!

Fwiw, a friend said she lost 7 minutes waiting at a porta  potty!

[omega lambda]

Well done!  Great report.  Congratulations!

[i am party]

For the entire training process, I also focused immensely on the mental aspect, specifically staying in the moment. Running the mile I'm in and not worrying about the next miles.  My mantra became, "Be here now." If I felt lousy or tired during I run, I would just repeat it to myself.  I would think about Scott Jurek's mantra, "This is what you  came here for."  Just stay in the moment.  There are highs and lows, and during the lows you just ride it out til it passes.  I would think about race day and try to visualize it on training runs for months. 

Awesome.  Makes me think about one of my favorite running essays:

http://www.bunnhill.com/bobhodge/Special/visual.htm

What also felt good was that they give you a big salty soft pretzel & a cup of hot chicken broth. 

They owe you at least that what with the waiting around in the corral.

[Mom of Scooby]

And I'm only a little disappointed I didn't get invited to drink beers after.. seeing as I've met Amy in personand all