Oops, I did it again!

Something about human nature allows, or rather forces, the suppression of trauma from long term memory. It is said to be true of child birth, and of running marathons.

And so, less than 9 months after subjecting myself to my first "full," and despite being 100% satisfied with my performance and my official marathon PR, I found myself at the start line of my 2nd marathon.
I believe it started with a tactic made popular by one of my endurance heroes, Rich Macdonald. Rich has repeatedly convinced his wife, Megan, to sign up for ridiculous athletic adventures by getting her drunk and then mingling with other co-conspirators, applying group bias and peer pressure to get her to commit. I'm quite certain Melissa employed the same tactics on me.

Following a first half summer season of bike racing, Melissa and I went to Europe for Duathlon World's, where Mel represented Canada proudly in the Elite field, and I stood on the side lines as her manager, yelling "go baby" at all the right moments (other teams had more traditional managers yelling time gaps and other useless tactical information).
The summer concluded with more cycling in Italy, then some late season races, including Tour De Bowness, Calgary 70.3 (bike leg of the winning relay team), and Revelstoke Steamer Hill Climb.

Then, as the leaves fell and Alberta voted yet again, to skip autumn and go straight to winter 1.0, my mind turned to running again. And drinking. Next thing I know, we've got flights and hotels and are registered.
Mel put together a great program which would get us ready, with each of us taking slightly different routes.
The general strategy was to increase mileage a lot more than the previous plan. My body had held up really well and we could increase the stress on it.
Physio from Shari MacDonald and chiropractic from Dr Carson would ensure that continued to be the case.

In addition to growing volume and targeted intensity, we sprinkled in a few preparatory races

09/08 - MEC 15k: 3rd OA, time: 59:11
10/07 - Kelowna SynRype Half Marathon: 5th OA, 2nd AG, time: 1:21:01
10/27 - Dash of Doom 5k: 1st OA, time: 18:04
11/27 - AWS re:Invent 8k: 2nd overall, time: 28:36

The half marathon broke a 4 race "slump" of 1:23:xx that went back nearly 2 years.
My weekly average was over 90km, maxing out at just over 100.
The AWS race 5 days before the marathon moved the chains on my 2 mile, 5k, and 5 mile PBs.

Final preparation included walking 20,000 steps a day in Las Vegas but sleeping over 10 hours a night. With a disciplined end of week and proper fueling once we arrived in Sacramento, I knew we were ready!

Race morning:
Rather uneventful, thankfully! After maybe 3 hours of decent sleep, alarms rang at 4:30 AM and Mel and I ran the 2k from the hotel to the busses, hopped on and were transported in the dark to Folsom, CA. Weather was about as perfect as it comes; very low wind, temps around 2C. And no smoke/fire/snow/etc.
Bit of a scramble getting to the front for the start due to the volume of talent at this race.
CIM served as the US National Marathon, as well as a US OTQ (Olympic Trials Qualifier), with serious incentives going to speedy Americans. I pushed my way through a huge mob and find myself at the prescribed 3 hour mark, only to see literally hundreds of runners STILL ahead of me at the start.

Nutrition:
High percentage of carbs, effectively starting 48 hrs prior to the race. Not really increasing calorie count, just redistributing it. Nothing too spicy or exotic.
1.5 glasses of wine the night before (don't change anything too drastic right before the race, right?)
Morning breakfast of oatmeal and half a bagel with peanut butter, coffee, water, and a maple gel 20 minutes before the start.
During the race, took a Honey Stinger Gold gel at km 12, half a Maple ReKarb gel at km 28, sip of water at nearly each station, and 1.8 oz of pickle juice*

The plan:
Due to the aforementioned OTQ, there was a pace team for the women's B standard time of 2:45, and it was my plan to start the race fast and latch on to this pacer. I planned to run a 1:23 half (as I've done many times before), which would keep the pacer in sight. I would then try to hang on as long as I could. I have been known to be able to find another gear in the final kms of most races, and with CIM's flat finish I was banking on testing my abilities like never before.

The reality:
First half went almost exactly to plan. A bit faster, but with the net descent it was pretty reasonable.
Distance markers every 5km showed I was averaging around 3:51 pace, 4 seconds under the 2:45 pacer and 9 seconds under my sub-2:50 "A" goal.
I caught the pace team around after about 30 minutes, and ran within eye shot for most of the day.
Melissa came running up beside me and we both didn't notice until she was literally right beside me. Then she dropped me on a hill.
Then I passed her on a downhill. The thing about CIM that is not in the brochure, but best advice we received from friends was that for every uphill (and there are plenty), there is an equal or longer downhill right after. I capitalized on this by running steady up, and flying downhill to regain contact with the pacer.
Kilometer 22 it started to get old. My first half went great and my average pace was still incredulously quick, but these next few miles were tough. I was starting to make mistakes.
I sprayed sport drink all up my nose. I spilled a gooey gel all over my leg and arm. My legs bobbled. I lost the pacer in a crowd.
Then I approached the final quarter, the WALL, and my excitement grew. This is the moment I go from pacing to racing. My typical race tactic this year has been to pace the first third, observe the field in the 2nd third, and compete in the final third with the mindset of "you've been holding back for this section of the race!"
Though my body was still feeling rough and muscles were drained, I focused on form and increased my cadence to keep my legs turning over. My watch average pace said 3:55, but it occurred to me the course was probably a bit long, and if I could that average down by just 1 second I might finish with a sub-2:45! Somehow I managed to run the final 8km at 3:47 pace, bringing me in with a 2:44:49 chip time (2:44:10 Strava time); an 8 minute improvement on my Phoenix time.
I crossed the finish line in a state of hyperventilation, and in disbelief, and in relief. Then I got to witness Melissa run across the finish line a couple minutes behind me, also smashing her expectations!


Key Takeaways:

• 
  
  Training Plan
  Can't overstate how valuable it was to have Melissa put my training plan together with the long range vision, pushing me with confidence-building high speed and big distance workouts, and holding me back enough to prevent burnout and injury. 
• Mental strength / confidence / risk taking
  Great truth spoken by one of the elites before the race, "you will experience a tough mile, but there's another good mile right around the corner." Marathon distance will present plenty of such tough miles. Be prepared to combat them each one of them. 
• Recovery (Normatec compression pants, Massage, Physio, Chiro, sleep, rest days).
  Your muscles only grow once you stop working them.  One visit with Shari and she transformed the way I run today. The last 8k was literally made possible by the new and improved running form she prescribed.
• 80/20 rule. Train slow to race fast. Nailed this one. See below zone distribution over the past 3 months. Aerobic Zones 1 and 2 are represented by the lightest shades, and you can see, account for the bulk of training time.

First marathon!

"Training for a marathon requires a LOT of running," and other epiphanies learned over the past 3 months.

Coming off of World's Duathlon Championships in Penticton last summer, I was left with a bit of a void in my training. Melissa and I had maintained a very disciplined and determined training regime for months leading up to the race, and exhausted ourselves physically and emotionally in 2 dramatic hours late last August.

We returned to Calgary completely drained, but on a high of satisfaction and relief. I took part in a few more races that fall, starting with Provincial time trial championships, a MEC fondo, and Victoria half-marathon. Each of these events left me a little unsatisfied; I couldn't hold my expected power during the ITT, I flatted and chased for about 90km of the fondo, and I literally stumbled across the finish line in Victoria without nabbing the PB I fully expected.

While my fitness was at an all-time high, my mental game was done for the year.

So, I was as surprised as anyone to hear my mouth say "Yes!" when Melissa suggested we sign up for a marathon in February.

Part of me went along with it because I knew it could provide a tremendous boost to her running ability, and part of me felt like I could pull this off with little pressure on myself; I'm not a runner…guaranteed a PB having never raced this distance…

The timing also fit perfect with my off-season training. I could focus on running until February, keep my weight down over the winter, and start bike training on March 1st.

So, we registered and bought flights to Phoenix, booked a BnB, and Melissa drew up our 3 month training plan.

The first long run was 25 km, and I was bored immediately and in pain by km 20. Hmm, not a great start.

"Marathon pace is actually pretty damn fast!"

The runs got progressively longer, and more speed work was added. I recall a cold, icy run along Calgary's bow river with Darryl Penner, which was to include 12 km at marathon pace (MP). It was then that I realized how quick MP actually is! I struggled in an out and back route, questioning my decision making ability.

The weekly volume went up as did the length of the long run. Set a new distance record for me when we took advantage of a fortuitously timed trip to Seattle and notched 32 km along the scenic Burke-Gilman trail. Though I finished with my intestines upended and my feet in pain, it gave me a much needed lift in spirits that the distance could be achieved.

I also started to really care! No longer was I content with just finishing my first marathon, but I recognized how much work it was going to take, and how much dedication, how much time away from my bike, that I did not want to finish it feeling like I could have done better. There was no second chance at this.

I also wanted to represent Melissa properly. She had designed a creative and challenging program and I owed her my 100% commitment to this plan.

A few weeks later was a planned a 25km run with 15km at MP. It happened to fall on the same weekend as the first MEC running race, which featured a half marathon. Perfect! Sticking to the plan, I warmed up for 4km, then ran at a steady 4:05 / km for 15, along with Melissa and a few others. I felt really comfortable and had the coach's blessing to "do whatever you want after the 15 km" so decided to open it up. The pace felt so easy I couldn't believe it. I finished the final 6km with a 3:53 pace, catching but losing out to 1st place in a sprint finish.

The next big milestone was "peak week." I would amass my highest volume running mileage at >80km, including a Yasso's workout, and finishing with a 36km long run. 2 bike workouts added in there, just for sanity's sake.

The Yasso's workout I did at the 200m track at Repsol Centre. If you're not familiar with the Yasso's workout, it's a mean workout often used a few weeks prior to a marathon to help predict one's finishing time. It indicated 2:51 was possible. Grain of salt applied to these as it assumes one has the physical and skeletal ability to run the full distance and not just aerobically capable.

That weekend was -30C plus blowing snow and high winds, so the long run was going to be inside, again. Sick of treadmill workouts, we went to Mt Royal University track, also 200m in circumference. Just under 3 hours, 180 laps, and 720 right turns later, I finished. I had dialed in my nutrition strategy and, more importantly, had found my zen. My mind and body entered into a rhythm such that I was not going to falter or stumble until it was over.

"Tapering is a leading cause of divorce in endurance athlete marriages"

Sounds like fun on paper… relax, take the night off, carb-loading… far from it. There were some dark days and nights in there as anxiety levels arose and our coping mechanisms were limited (no bike, easy runs only, limited alcohol)!

This is probably the main reason they suggest not doing more than one or two marathons per year.

"Running a marathon is 33.3% physical preparation, 33.3% pacing, and 100% mental fortitude"

Race report: Mandatory belligerent neighbours yelling in the middle of the night outside our room, check. On the plus side, we didn't need our 3:30AM alarm.

Down a bagel with peanut butter and pack our gear and jog the 2km to the busses. Hop on and get carted out of town, to wait in the cold (4C) at the start line, lined up for port-a-potties and huddled around barrel fires like gypsies.

Last minute clothing drop and the fireworks announce the start of our journey back to the red glow of the Phoenix skyline, far away in the distance.

After jostling through the crowd in the opening km, I catch up to Melissa and we settle into a comfortable pace for the first 6 downhill kms. Hundreds have flown past us, succumbing to the allure of the net descent and listening to their lying fresh legs.

The road then turns up for a couple miles, and into a slight head wind. Melissa gracefully and predictably drops me, and soon I am passed by dozens of others, many of which are already wheezing from effort.

Patience. Run within myself. I glance at my HR, which has risen steadily from 150 to 160 on the climb. Ok just hold it there, there's a lot of road left to cover.

Atop the climb I push forward, legs now loose and ready to turn over.

I see that Melissa has not managed to find her first bottle at the aid station (elite runners are able to bring their own bottles and fuel, and have them placed at certain aid stations, however this race had them quite obscured). I bridge up to Mel and share my bottle and offer a gel. It's enough to hold her over until the next station.

Ian Jeffrey rejoins, and soon we are in a pack of about 8.

I cross the half at 1:26:46. A little slower than I figured, but feeling fantastic and confident I can maintain this.

Melissa gaps us after the half as our pace ebbs & flows while she drives steadily forward. Ian and I slog it out over the long expanses in the 2nd half, sections of road several miles long without a turn. I let Ian know that around km 32 I plan to "open it up."

As I cross km 28, I prepare for the "the wall," feared creature of marathon lore that has been known to chew up and spit out nearly every runner around km 30-32. Some say it has to do with low glycogen levels around the 2 hr mark. Some say it's a mental barrier we have fabricated. Either way, I'm totally ready to battle and yell out loud "I'm going to make this wall my bitch."

I anticipate the odometer reading on my Garmin watch displaying 32km like the count down to New Year's. Bring it. I start talking to myself and though my quads have been arguing with me since the early miles, their nagging is increasing in frequency.

But each time it hurts, it also goes away. I remind myself of this every time now. Km 33 arrives and now I'm into single digits. I can tell the wall is starting to doubt itself, though it hasn't surrendered yet.

The next couple km's it fights me, especially as I turn corners and have to regain my cadence. I see what the wall is trying to do… "bring it on, corners!" I bellow.

Then it succumbs, around km 35. I start getting faster and faster. I see Melissa in the distance and hope I can make it up to her so we can cross the finish together. She's looking strong, wow! I am further inspired. I catch her with about a mile to go, on a descent to the finish, and my legs are screaming but somehow only getting faster. I clock a final 5km in 19:45, with the last km at 3:38, completing my 2nd half in 1:25 50, including a 1 min negative split for a total time of 2:52:35.

 And…done!

So, what now? Yes, it meets the qualifying times for my age for Boston, Chicago, and London (3:15), and even NYC (2:58). Not gonna lie, even though I'm still limping 2.5 days later with no end in sight, I kinda liked it. I enjoyed having a race that allowed enough time to screw it up, enough time to think, to dial in to myself and my mind, and push myself beyond anything I've ever done before.

There was a sense of urgency in this first one as I'm turning 42 this year and it felt poetic to run 42 kms. Right now I'm shifting my focus back to bike racing and we'll see how 2018 unfolds.

Or maybe I'll leave my fate in the hands of the almighty rollup…

Full results here.

Strava link here.

Stats

Nutrition

Breakfast:

• 1/2 whole wheat bagel with natural peanut butter
• starbucks oatmeal with brown sugar & nuts
• small coffee.
• Half a bottle of water on the way up to the start.

During:

• 1 hand-bottle (20 oz) with Skratch Matcha Green Tea & Lemons mix (80 cals)
• 1 Endurance Tap Energy Gel, maple syrup (100 cals) - eaten at km 10
• 1 pack of Jelly Belly sport beans (100 cals) - 1 bean every km from 20-35
• 1 sip of water at each aid station, every 2 miles

Temperature

Start: 4C

Finish: 12C

Enjoying post-race pool-side Pina Coladas with legendary runners, the Deere's, Keith Bradford, Jody Draude, and Ed Bickley.