Marathon Me

Frank with John - Photo by Paul Sontag

Austin Marathon Day, my favorite day of the year. This would be my 9th running of the Austin Marathon (Wow, 9 times, seems like only yesterday I started running marathons). The Austin marathon was my first marathon and it has also been the site of my PR four times. I actually run better since they changed the course to add in more hills and so I was expecting a good time.

My training hasn’t changed very much, I still try to run 20-30 miles a week and a marathon a month. But about a 6 weeks ago I started doing P90X, which is a total body workout system. The main benefits I’ve found from this were from doing the Plyometrics and leg workouts. I am now much stronger in my legs and my core, which I was hoping would lead to a solid finish.

The 3M half-marathon was the first race I had done after starting P90X and I was able to run the last three miles right around 6:00/M, which means it was working. The week before the marathon Shelley, Christopher and I decided to do a family 5k. I thought it would be a good final tune up before Austin. I was able to run a 17:27 on a short course, which I figured translated into a 18:00 5k roughly. I plugged both this time and my 3M time into marathon pace predictors and it came back with a range of 2:55-2:57, so this would be my goal. I felt like I was stronger than I was when I ran 3M, but the Austin course is harder, so I was hoping it would balance out. The goal was a 1:27 first half and a 1:30 second half for 2:57.

We got to the start about 25 minutes before the 7am start, which was perfect to me. The race started about 15 minutes late but didn’t seem to affect too much. I was luckily able to seed myself very close to the front, right behind the elite start. I saw Ryan and John Ferguson (who was in town for the half, on his way to run the Antarctica Marathon, which will be his 7th and final continent. Impressive.)

My plan was to start out fast but keep steady the first three uphill miles and then let it fly for the next three. We start down Congress and everything is going to plan. I jump right out into a 6:17 mile to get away from the crowd, then try to settle into 6:30s.

Onward through the hills

0-1: 6:17
1-2: 6:39
2-3: 6:24

So far so good. I actually ran a mile or so with a 12 your old boy who was running the half and ripping out 6:30 miles, I wish I could run that fast at his age. I hope he had a good race. We turned the corner and headed into the downhill section. I love this part of the course. My goal was to try and get three 6:15/M miles and put some precious time in the bank. We make the turn back down 1st street and I just let it fly.

3-4: 6:13
4-5: 6:13
5-6: 6:18

Mission accomplished. The first 10k has flown by and I am feeling pretty good. I am not breathing hard and my legs while tired, still feel really good. We turn on to Veterans drive and head towards Lake Austin Blvd, I know I am going to slow up in this section but the goal is to keep it under 7:00/M miles for as long as possible. I see Al & Sandy cheering and it helps me pick up the pace for that mile, but then I slow down just a bit.

6-7: 6:27
7-8: 6:49
8-9: 6:49

Finally done with LAB we head into the Enfield/Exposition part of the course. I have to dig down a little deeper to stay on pace in these hills, but I see Team Hobbs and get a nice jolt of energy from them and John Paladino.

9-10: 6:45
10-11: 6:56

Exposition is starting to kick my ass, I can feel the sub 7:00/M slipping away.

11-12: 7:11

Argh! I push a little harder towards the half, I must get back under 7:00/M. If I can stay under 7:00/M I should be right on track for 1:27 for the half. Excellent.

12-13: 6:56

I hit the half in 1:26:42, which is exactly where I wanted to be. PR here I come. Not so fast Pal, my body starts to tell me. I can feel the GI issues coming on. I had successfully been fighting it off for the last few miles, but now I have to make a decision, try to risk it and keep pushing and hope to still come under 3 hours, or pull off and take care of business so that if it is close I will be in a position to push it really hard without worrying. I decide the next porta-potty I see I’m jumping into. No more “woods” trips for me.

13-14: 6:44

I see the Blue Cabinet of Miracles up ahead and jump in. This takes entirely way too long and I see my race slipping away. But finally I emerge 2.5 minutes later from the darkness back into the light and feel quite refreshed. The Gallow-pooping seems to have worked again. I’m able to run 6:05-6:10 up until the next mile marker to try and make up some of the wasted time. But it is still a very, very ugly mile.

14-15: 9:18

Ouch. I’m now trying to do simple caveman math and as near as I can determine I need to run 7:00/M miles from here until the end and also make up 2-2.5 minutes in order to break 3 hours. It’s going to be a tall order, but somehow I have no doubt it’s going to happen. It may be 2:59:59, but I am refusing to go run longer than 3 hours today. I head up Great Northern, and think it is really weird to run this direction on this road. I’m able to keep it together for the next three miles and head down North Cross Drive.

15-16: 6:52
16-17: 6:52
17-18: 6:55

I turn on Arroyo Seca and know it’s time to push it. I’m only made up about 20 seconds and now we get a couple of downhills. I see a friend of mine, Drew, and get another burst of energy.

18-19: 6:35
19-20: 6:31

I hit 20 miles at 2:15:50, and know that I need to run a sub 44 minute 10k and I’m under 3 hours for only the second time. I know I can run under 44 minutes since most of the miles have a slight downhill. I open it up to full throttle down North Loop and am rewarded with my fastest mile since mile 4-5. The P90X is paying dividends again.

Pushing it

20-21: 6:17

I slow a bit on Guadalupe and 46th street. I’m starting to feel a little tired, I really wish that the Queen of England hadn’t lengthened the marathon way back when.

21-22: 7:04

Alan Singletary picks up me and says he is going to pace me for a while. I almost instantly start feeling better. It was so nice to run with someone for a mile or so. We are pushing it down Duval and Alan says Scott Tracy is just up ahead. I have never been this close to Scott with 3 miles to go, except in a 5k, so I decide to try and push it a little as Alan pulls off and heads to his house. Thanks again for the pull.

22-23: 6:49
23-24: 6:26

I turn up Dean Keaton and I can see Scott just up ahead, I figure I will push hard to catch him and then we can run it in together. Dean Keaton was a steep hill but I think I was so focused on catching Scott I didn’t even notice and all of a sudden we were up it and turned down Guadalupe again. It is also weird to be running this direction on Guadalupe after all the Turkey Trots. Scott tells me to go ahead and finish strong and bring home a PR. Not wanting to disappoint him I start pushing.

24-25: 6:40

I see Corey May at the corner of MLK and Guadalupe and he encourages me to not be a sissy so I hit gas and head for the home stretch. As we are coming up San Jacinto I see a sign off in the distance (using my laser powered eyes) that has a huge number one on it, I look at my watch and say to myself “I am going to kill someone if that is the 1 mile to go sign”. Luckily it was the 1000 meters to go, I check my watch and see sub 3 is in the bag. Hey P90X let me have one more strong mile please. Thanks.

25-26: 6:36

I turned the corner on the Congress and my legs are pumping like mad, I see a guy 100 years in front of me and I am giving it everything I have trying to catch him. I am sure my face is scaring away all the small children but I keep pushing. In the end I can’t catch him, but I did take home a shiny new PR.

26.2: 0:58
========
2:56:40

Didn’t catch the guy in yellow, but still happy

I really love this course. I think the hills fit into my style of running. I am really, really pleased with my time, but the same way I always follow stocks after I sell, I start thinking about what could have been a sub 2:55 day without the pit-stop. But who knows, maybe without the rest I wouldn’t have been able to finish as strong.

This was a great day for me. My best friend Steve ran his first marathon (4:02).

Steve and Frank

My friend Alicia ran her first half-marathon, Vance had another solid performance in the half and Scott notched his 44th marathon, although I think he was wishing he hadn’t done a hard 14 miler on Thursday after work.

My sister has begun to pick up the mantle and knocked out her first half-marathon as well. She will be joining me for my 50th state and she will run her first marathon in a ceremonial passing of the baton.

My little sister and I

Thanks to everyone out on the course cheering, I think having all of you there is part of what makes this fast course for me.  Biggest thanks reserved for Shelley and Christopher for hanging out all day at the course and for putting up with my running in general.  Here is my little patient boy who likes like he is currently plotting something:

Little Mr. Mischief

I now look forward to no more PRs until next February. See you then.

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Tags: Marathons, P90X, Race Reports //