On April 27, 2019,
I Finish me my eighth derby festival marathon in eight years. Even though this is a big accomplishment in my day was bad. My goal was to BQ with a time of 3hrs 4 min for my age group (35-39).
Leading up to the race I did research to see what’s my true fitness from my previous race. I used the Greg Mcmillan calculator and Jack Danial vdot system. I supposed to be able to run a marathon under 3hrs.
My best half- marathon is 1hrs 24min 46 seconds run last november. My fitness was supposed to get me this BQ of 3hrs 4 min. In 2017 I was able to BQ for the first time in this race 3hrs 8min.
My plan was to one even for the first half of the race. Focusing on 4+ 5 miles races in the marathon. Then when the last 6 miles (10K) came alone I would have my legs and fitness to crush it.
The last six miles has always giving me the most problems in the marathon even when I BQ. Most runners hit the wall at 18 miles are 20 miles in the race. Last year I hit the wall early at about 10 miles.
I did not have the trainig in for the marathon and went out way to fast in trying to keep up with a Hot girl I was talking to in the race. This year I felt ok early.
The weather was so nice for the start of the race. My friend took me to the race we got a good parking spot right by the start/finish line. All I had to do was get out of the car a walking about two blocks.
I made it to my corrals greet some fast runners. In my mind was doubts about my IT injury. This crept in my mind all night that I could not sleep.
I had the fear of not evening being able to finish. My leg did not feel that bad. The best in weeks. Not full heal by no means oh! The race started with me trying to hit my splits. For the first 5 mile 6:52 m2-6:57 m3-6:56 m4-7:11 m5- 7:11 I was on pace to my marathon goal time on 3:04. This is a 7:01 mile pace for 26.2
Then my pace started to slow down I could even feel my legs and body getting weak by the miles. As we were getting closer to churchill downs the famous horse race track in the world. I started to hit the wall.
Mile six was 7:02 m7- 7:10 m8-7:03 m9-7:05 m10-7:21- You see the next five miles are a lot slower my frist. The course do slow down as you get closer to Iroquois Park. I call this heartbreak hills for the derby festival marathon.
As I was running down sutherland parkway in Louisville,Ky a guy was shouting the hills are coming the hills are coming. I know this man! I have run this race seven times and BQ.
M11-7:07 m12-7:38 m13-7:23 m14-7:26 m15 7:23- My next set of five miles is even slower than the last. The hills in the park got the best of me and deep down in my mind I knew this was coming.
My body has held up good for the most part on a unheal IT band. Now I was going to put more stress on it with steep hills on top on trying to hold a 7:01 mile peace.
My old coach told me on Facebook when you left the park you did not look good. He was right! I was upset to turn around and see the 3:10 pace group pass me! Not good when my goal was to run a sub 3hrs 5 min marathon and I started way before this group.
This got to me and I started to give up. In my mind the goal was dead and no way to make up for it. Mile16- 7:48 M17-9:15 m18-9:41 m19-9:07 m20-11:31 – My energy was now depleted I went from 7:48 miles to my next mile 9:15 mile.
My goal now was just to finish this race! I could not wait for the end. My boston dream was over for now. So many people pass by me some say good Job other just kept running.
This boston qualifier sub 3hrs 10 min could not overcome IT injury. My last 10k- m21-10:29 m22-10:16 m23-10:28 m24-9:46-m25-10:18 -m26-9:39. The finish time 3:40:58 on my garmin watch.
First marathon 4hrs 5 min and that was seven years ago. I’m going backward. This does not feel good to know my performance has fallen way off. How can I run a 1:24:46 half-marathon last november and run 3:40 marathon in April?
I want to think my injury pay a role in me doing so poorly. Last year my time was faster and I did not have a full cycle of training under my belt. This year I was able to put in ten good weeks of training before the IT injury.
Maybe adding all the extra stress with running cause me to hit the wall fast. I worry so much about my race before race day. I was not 100% going into the marathon this is another stress then the hills add more stress.
The second part of this blog post will be everything I did wrong leading up to my marathon. Yes! When you get lazy doing the non running things!