Where: Overland Park, KS. 233 marathoners, 1110 half marathoners, 476 5k-ers.
When: 8am, Sunday November 22nd, 2009. Note, this was a last minute decision, and I didn't register until the Thursday night before the race, 11/19, right before online registration closed.
Why: Well, why not. I wasn't completely happy with my run in Des Moines 5 weeks ago, so I immediately signed up for the Rock n Roll Las Vegas marathon, which is in 2 weeks. But, I also thought I might be able to get Marathon Maniac Status if I got one more race in. This was my only shot within driving distance, and based on my work schedule, so, why not.
How: I'm not sure how I did this. Luck I guess. I was going to use this race as my last extra-long long run before Vegas in 2 weeks, and just wanted to run very slow, around 4:45. I didn't taper since I wasn't planning on running this event, (ran 20 miles last weekend, doh), it was a hilly course, and I just ran a marathon 5 weeks ago, so I did NOT want to race this event. But, everything just felt great today, and I tried to push myself to my limit when I realized it was all working. So, in theory, this shouldn't have resulted in a PR, but it did, so I'll definitely take it. 4:24:25 gives me a good benchmark to continue making improvements!
Lessons Learned: When taking salt tablets at the water stops, you actually should use the water to swallow the tablets. At the first stop, I didn't, and had to chew the salt caps. Eww, that was soooo gross. I also learned how to manage my cramping, and did not have any serious cramps at all this race. I also got my pacing more under control, so feel good about that. Despite porta potties being a necesary evil, it's amazing how good you can feel after using one.
Fun Notes: My brother, sister in law, and nephew managed to follow me throughout the course, and caught up with me 8 different times on the course. They played their own game of Where's Waldo, and had fun spectating their first race. I also got to meet RunnerinKansas (a fellow Runner's World forumite) along the way.
The Good: I didn't die. I got a new PR. I had so much fun, and the weather was gorgeous. For late November, in the midwest, to get temperatures in the 50s with no precipitation was awesome.
The Bad: I'm still a mid-to-back-of-the-pack runner. And you know what? So what! That's who I am, I out there running, trying, making improvements, and having the time of my life. All of that added up together spells priceless to me, no matter what my speed. And I'm still going to go out there every day and give my best, and at the end of the day, if I can just do that one thing, then I've won! Oh, one more bad thing, I have another marathon in Las Vegas in 2 weeks. Oops. That one will definitely have to be a slow, fun run, but on the bright side, it will give me the necessary qualifications for Marathon Maniacs.
What If: I wonder what I could have done with this race if I had a proper taper, and it wasn't as hilly? I think I really could have met my 4:22 goal with no problem.
The Hardware: (I love the Turkey on the shirt and the medal, that's one of the reasons I ran the race!)
The Finish: (Finally, a floating Pic after 1300 miles, at the finish line no less, that alone is worth the price of admission!)
The Goofy Post Finish Shot: Yes, I'm smirking. Just couldn't contain my glee I guess! :)
And the Elevation Profile:
No comments:
Post a Comment