Houston Marathon Race Report

Before I start in on my thoughts from the 2011 Houston Marathon, I'd like to convey my admiration for anyone who has ever ran a marathon.  This is no easy task.  26.2 miles physically destroys your legs and it takes months of training to prepare your body for the punishment that accompanies a marathon.

All of this being said... I failed for the 2011 Houston Marathon.  I set a goal of 3:30 in November and I did not hit it.  Although I was close at 3:31:34 it still comes down to the simple fact that I missed my goal.  I understand a lot of people will want to say "you still did great" or "well, you had so much to overcome".  All this may be true, I know I did well and I know I overcame a lot, but I still missed a goal I had set for myself.  I could make excuses about why I didn't hit my goal, but what is the point.  I know myself and by missing something I set out for will only make me stronger in the long run.  It means I am doing an exceptional job setting challenging goals.  No one should hit 100% of their goals.  If you are hitting every one of your goals it means you can do better.  Give yourself more credit.  Push yourself even further than you thought you could.  I assure you, nine times out of ten you'll surprise yourself.

Prior to the Race:
I started training for the marathon in mid November (about 3 weeks after the last race of my 2010 season).  After 70.3 Austin I took almost a month of mental and physical recovery from my first triathlon season.  Did a few rides and runs but wanted to take the opportunity to put the training log away and focus on my life and things I may have neglected during my season.  Once I started training again I set a goal for the Houston Marathon.  I took the numbers from some recent long runs and based them against my last marathon.  My goal for the race in January was 3:30 (about 8:00 minute miles).  Training was going really well until I had a bike crash in mid December.  This took me out of training for about 3 weeks (when I should have building more base mileage).  I did a few runs in late December after I was cleared to workout again and decided I was still going to try and run the marathon.  I also made the decision not to revise my time goal.  My crash course marathon training went as well as I could have hoped.  I built what I thought was a sufficient base in a relatively short period of time.

Race Day
The weather for a marathon was pretty horrible for that time of year.  About 65 degrees, humid and raining.  This meant a few things:

1) Rain makes running more difficult.  You use more energy to run in the rain.  You also get less power out every stride since your shoes have less traction
2) It was relatively hot and humid.  You have to actively control your body temp.  That means making sure you stay hydrated, consume enough sodium to replace the salt in your sweat, and keep your body temperature down.
3) Did I mention it was raining? This also made it more difficult to judge the amount of water (and sodium) I was losing while racing.  By being wet the entire race I couldn't tell my sweat rate.

The Houston Marathon is a massive race.  I want to take a moment to give the race directors credit for putting on a fantastic race (minus that totally unnecessary hill they threw in around mile 15).  The expo was great and the race and post race support was awesome.

The first sign that this was going to be a long day was when my heart rate sky-rocketed as soon as the race started.  I generally have a slower heart rate (even during races) and it took me a long time to get it under control.  It wasn't until about mile 5 that I seemed to settle into the run.  My race plan consisted of staying at or above an 8:00 minute per mile pace until mile 8 at which time I would speed up to a faster yet still comfortable pace.  During all of my training runs I was able to drop to under a 7:30 pace and hold it for a few miles without a problem.  I think I left this extra gear at home on Sunday.  My body wouldn't let me speed up at all.  I was fine running 7:50 but couldn't hold a faster pace for more than 60 seconds without feeling it drain me.  This kept me from building a substantial time cushion for when I would undoubtedly hit "the wall".  I wanted to be averaging under 7:50 going into mile 18, my average pace was 7:54.

I remember passing an aid station around mile 17 and starting to feel a second wind.  I got really excited when this happened because I thought I should still be able to break 3:30.  As soon as I hit mile 18 I developed a bad stitch in my side.  Every step was excruciating as every muscle along the right side of my abdomen was clenched tight and would not loosen up.  I figured if I could hurry and push through it I could still make my goal... yeah, that didn't happen.  It took 2 incredibly slow and painful miles to push through the cramp.  As soon as it went away I ran smack into "the wall".  I couldn't get my pace back down anywhere near where it needed to be.  The next 6 miles were frustrating to say the least as I could feel 3:30 slipping away.  Then at mile 24 3:30 literally passed me by as the 3:30 pace guy ran past.  I made a valiant effert to keep up with him which lasted all of about 20 seconds.  I had to slow back down again.  It wasn't until the last mile I was finally able to pick up my pace.  I never caught up to that 3:30 pacer.  I finished the Houston Marathon with a time of 3:31:34.

Yes, this was a failure.  I had a goal and missed it.  In doing so I noticed two very important things.  First, I looked back at mile 24 when the 3:30 pacer past me.  When this happened I literally laughed.  Not entirely sure why this was funny, except at a moment like that what else is there to do?  I was out there doing what I loved.  I understood that it simply wasn't my day.  I saw a goal literally slip through my hands and was able to smile about it.

The second important thing that happened was once I got home. I was feeling a little down and decided to put my Houston Marathon medal next to the rest of my medals I'd earned these past 12 months.

I took a moment to look back on what an amazing year this has been.  I have grown so much as both a person and an athlete.  In that one moment looking down at 12 months of accomplishments the disappointment from the race went away and I realized how truly happy I am in my life right now.

Just because I failed to hit a goal doesn't make me, my training, or even my race a failure.  I am extremely happy I competed in the Houston Marathon and am proud I overcame the obstacles set in front of me.  Being an athlete, it is easy for us to get wrapped up in pace, heart rate and race times.  I'd like to suggest you never lose sight of the big picture.  Use these bumps in the road to propel you even higher.  These little "failures" will make the next success even sweeter.

A New Low

About 3 months ago there was one evening which made me begin to question whether I was too committed to triathlon.  I had a party to attend on a Thursday night which started around 7:00.  Naturally, I wanted to get a workout in before the party began so I hit the pool at my local gym after I got off work.  I finished my hour long set, showered and changed ready to head out to the party.  The one thing I didn't account for was dinner.  I didn't want to be late so I needed to pick something relatively fast and healthy.  Decided to stop at the Subway right outside my gym.  I picked up the norm, a foot-long turkey sandwich.  The bar was only about 4 miles away.  I ate the entire thing and a diet coke during my commute.  I parked at the bar, looked down at the empty sandwich bag and crumbs on my pants then proceeded to think to myself... This is really sad... yet I had a sense of pride.  Am not sure what was worse, that I found a time in which it was necessary to demolish a foot long sandwich in 7 minutes while operating a motor vehicle or that I was proud of doing so.

Last night it got worse... Same premise as before.  I had a happy hour that evening and wanted to get a run in before I met my friends.  As I was leaving the gym on my way to the bar I decided I needed to pick something up to eat.  The problem is that I am now on a gluten free diet (more on this in another post).  For those not familiar with gluten free it pretty much rules out all food that can be prepared in less than 10 minutes.  Once again, I was in a hurry and didn't have the time to wait for a proper meal so... I stopped at a gas station (pause for look of disgust).  My dinner last night consisted of a Muscle Milk (chocolate) and a Gatorade.  For some unknown reason this actually sounded like a good idea at the time but, yes... it was just as absolutely disgusting as it sounds.  This definitely goes down in my personal record books as one of the most disgusting meals (I really shouldn't call it a meal) I have ever had!

So next time anyone wants to question my dedication to triathlon, I will accompany them to the nearest gas station, help them find the Muscle Milk and Gatorade, and watch as they will undoubtedly enjoy this fabulous gluten free 2 minute "meal".

And... I'm Back!

On Tuesday 1/3 I had my post surgery follow up appointment and... drumroll please... I'm cleared for all athletic activities!  (Pause for applause).

That being said I've been doing spin classes and running for about a week now... don't tell the doc.  So now that I'm back what has changed?  Whats going on with training?
What has changed?
Two things have changed.  First of all riding a bike is no longer like riding a bike.  I rode for the first time since my crash on Sunday and it was more than a little nerve-racking.  Every turn I took I could feel my bike sliding out from under me.  Very odd compared to how comfortable I was on my bike a month ago.  I understand that it is going to take me a few weeks to get comfortable again and I willing to put the time in.  I intend to go on short rides for the next 3 weeks or so and by Feb 1 I hope to be doing long group rides again. 

Please note: anyone who knows me in no way expects me to wait until February to do another long group ride... they are probably right.  This plan looks awesome on paper but my lack of patience and self preservation will without a doubt have me doing another long ride before February. 

It was kind of funny that at the beginning of my recovery I wanted nothing to do with triathlon or sports.  I knew how long I was going to be out of the game and simply wanted to forget about it all and be a bum for a few weeks.  That sounded great until my co-workers dropped off a gift basket with a copy of Triathlete Magazine... Woops.  Suddenly that fire to train and learn about triathlon was back.  I spent a lot of time on websites researching new ways to train, the 2011 lineup of bikes (I'm buying one in March) and nutrition.  Through the research I stumbled upon a few articles on the gluten free diet.  This sparked the second major change during my recovery.  I decided to give the gluten free diet a try.  Since I started running about 14 months ago I had been battling GI issues on a regular basis.  The gluten free diet has been shown to totally cure this in some cases.  I figure it is worth a try.  I've been on the diet for a little over a week now and will continue to provide updates on how its going.

Whats going on with training?
I am actually having an easier time getting back into it that I thought.  I can tell I've taken a step back, but not near as far as I thought I would.  My muscles are going to take a little time to get used to training everyday but I think I can get there soon.  I'm definitely going to have to ease my way into... the Houston Marathon at the end of the month.  That's right, I am signed up for a marathon in 3 short weeks.  I'm going to see how training goes the next week or so but right now I intend on running it.  Its going to be incredibly challenging to go from no athletic activity for 3 weeks to marathon readiness in less than a month. 

I promise I am smarter about training than it looks like.  I am very good at listening to my body and will not push myself to injury just to run a marathon.  On the note of listening to your body, I am currently reading Brain Training for Runners by Matt Fitzgerald.  So far a great book.  I'll write more about it later but am really enjoying it so far.

A Ride to Remember

I was in a cycling crash a little more than 2 weeks ago.  It was the beginning of a group ride in Brenham, TX.  We had just gone over a hill and were descending towards a metal grated bridge.  The bridge was still wet from morning dew/fog.  The last thing I can remember was approaching the bridge.  Next thing I know I am being lifted up on a backboard onto an ambulance.  As soon as the realization hit of what was going on I was struck by a moment of what can only be described as sheer panic.  I looked down at my feet and have never in my life been so happy to see my toes wiggle.  I don't remember the crash but from what I gather my bike lost traction going over the bridge, and came out from under me.  I fell directly on the left side of my body dislocating my shoulder, breaking a bone in my wrist, severely bruising my left hip, fracturing 3 bones in my cheek and causing a significant concussion.

After the crash, I spent much of the first week in bed on pain meds.  The following weekend I had surgery to fix the three fractured bones in my face.  Although my face is still a little swollen and in some pain I am feeling much better.  My shoulder, hip and wrist seem to be almost entirely recovered from the crash.  It feels like it has been much more than 2.5 weeks since the accident as I have spent much of this time in bed.  Although I am itching to get back to training I understand how lucky I am to be in the condition I am in.  Needless to say it could have been exponentially worse.  A big thanks to my parents for helping to take care of me, friends and family for the get well cards and gifts and my training buddies for getting me a new cycling helmet (the other one is now retired in my garage).

I'd like to leave you all with two things to take away from my experience:

• ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET - You never know when you are going to hit a bump wrong, lose traction, or even worse, have a run in with a car.  No matter how far you're riding or what kind of bike you are on, wear your helmet.  I will still wear mine even though I fully intend on riding a tricycle with a motorcycle helmet for the next month.
• Buy a Road ID - This was my second time riding with this group (Saturdayride.com, they are a fantastic group of people by the way) and most of them probably had no idea who I was.  Thanks to the Road ID the group knew my name and called my parents right after the crash.  The paramedics didn't have to bombard me with questions about who I was or what I was allergic to when my head was in a state of disarray.  This little bracelet is more beneficial than you could know. www.RoadID.com

And Away We Go...

In 1924 George Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest.  His response: "Because its there"  I love this quote.  People ask: Why do you want to beat up your body just to complete this race?  What is the point of running 26.2 miles, traveling 70.3 miles or even worse 140.6 miles?  Why do you care if you hit a specific time goal?  Well... because its there.

I've been at endurance sports for about a year now and have finally decided to start writing about it.  I'll try to share my knowledge, experience, funny stories, mistakes and everything in between.

A Brief History

I have always been somewhat of an athlete.  From when I was young all throughout highschool I played numerous sports including: football, golf, baseball, wrestling, roller hockey and rugby.  Enjoyed all of them but did not truly excel at any of them.  That trend continued into college at The University of Texas as I made a transition into more tame sports such as softball, flag football and tennis.  In college I worked out a few times a week, most of which was in the weight room.  I considered a mile run or a 500 yard swim to be an exhausting workout.  As you can tell, I was nowhere near an "endurance athlete".

Once college came to an end I moved back to Houston and started work.  I lived in an apartment for about a year with a small gym.  This would be sufficient as I was still in "broke college kid" mode.  I would much rather have spent all disposable income on alcohol and food than anything that involved athletic activity (not the healthiest time of my life).  Around May of 2009 I moved out of the apartment and back in with my parents (hate all you want, they were cool and I saved a ton of money).  I still didn't want to shell out cash for a gym membership, but wanted a way to stay in shape...

Enter running.  More specifically enter Memorial Park 3 mile loop.  I can still remember my first time out to run the loop with a friend from work.  We went out with intent to run one lap... I didn't make it.  At mile 1 I needed to slow down.  By mile 2 I was walking.  This was not my proudest moment.  I wasn't overweight or unhealthy, I simply had no endurance.  At this point I decided I'd like to start running more.  After about 2 months I was running 2 or 3 times a week for about 3 to 4 miles per workout.  A friend then approached me about a race called Muddy Buddy.  This is a 6 mile race where you and your teammate take turns biking and running (you each bike about 3 miles and run 3 miles) and finish by bear crawling through mud.  This was just as much fun as it sounded like!  By Monday after the race I was already looking for another race

That same Monday I read an article about training for a marathon.  It gave an example of an 18 week training program.  Later that day I conveniently ran across the website for the Austin Marathon... which happened to be about 19 weeks away.  I thought this through for a minute or two (not exaggerating, I seriously made this decision in a matter of minutes... not anywhere long enough to really consider the repercussions for signing up for a marathon).  By the end of the day I was registered for the 2010 Austin Marathon.

Like all new runners I had my fair share of ups and downs while training.  I learned valuable lessons about running socks, compression shorts and the importance of Glide (who would have thought that something as simple as a t-shirt could cause so much pain).  By the time the marathon came around I had a good amount of running under my belt.  My longest run was 19 miles (although 20 was recommended).

The marathon was absolutely amazing.  I won't recap the entire race, but I'll give a few highlights:

• The night before the race I struck up a conversation with another runner.  I told him my time goal (4 hours) and his advice was to be more conservative.  Told me that 4 hours was very fast and very difficult to do for your first marathon.
• Race Morning.  The energy before the race is unreal.  I'd never been part of anything like it.  Everyone is excited and nervous at the same time.  You know that all these people are about to go through the same 26.2 mile journey as you.
• The wall.  This happened for me at mile 22.  4 miles had never felt so far.  I seriously thought about quitting.
• "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey came on my Ipod at mile 24.  The timing was perfect.  I give a lot of credit to this song for helping me power through those last miles.

To this day I have never been more proud of myself than when I crossed the finish line.  I had to try and keep myself from tearing up down the finishing chute (couldn't mess up my finishing picture).  Once I crossed the finish line and got my medal I broke down.  Took me about 5 minutes to gather myself before I could leave the finishers area.  I had so many people tell me that going from not running at all to training to run a marathon was crazy, that 4 months was not enough time, that I was dumb to train by myself, that my goal was too lofty and 4 hours was unattainable... I finished the marathon in 3 hours 57 minutes and 46 seconds.

My Dad and I

My Mom and I

*On a side note I cannot begin to describe how important it was to have my parents support me through training and on race day.  There is no way I could ever thank them enough.

About two months after the marathon I ran my first half marathon (I never said my training made sense). As I started to train for this I began having problems with my calf.  I was able to work it out before the race, but made the decision that I needed another sport besides running.  I heard about triathlons through a friend.  I thought that swim bike run sounded like a lot of fun.  Granted I could barely swim to save my life and I hadn't ridden a bike since elementary school but that was ok, I'd figure it out (if you're thinking to yourself that I'm nuts... your right... and it gets worse).

I signed up with Team in Training to compete in the Nations Triathlon in September of 2010.  I met so many great people, raised some money and got in even better shape.  I was able to turn my doggy paddle into something that from a distance resembled a freestyle stroke.  I bought a triathlon bike - Fuji Aloha 2.0 (great intro bike by the way) and learned how to ride a bike all over again.  Now if you thought that anything I did before might have lacked some logic, don't stop reading now.

I had my first sprint tri scheduled for early June.  Before I even completed the event I had some friends who were suggesting that I register for this Half Ironman with them.  Once again I showed total disregard for common sense and my well being by registering for 70.3 Austin (wait... it gets worse).  By mid June I had completed this sprint triathlon.  I had a panic attack during the swim and struggled through an easy bike course... but I had a great run (as bad as it sounds I did have a great time at the race).  At this same time this new group of friends were looking to sign up for an Ironman in 2011.  I couldn't miss this chance to do something that made absolutely no sense and risk my health... I signed up with them for Ironman Texas 2011.

The 2010 Season is now over and I do not regret one decision I have made this past year.  I have had more fun and met more amazing people this past year than ever before.  Endurance sports are now a major part of my life and I would not have it any other way.

Races completed in 2010*
Austin Marathon
Angie's Half Crazy Half Marathon
Gren2Green 10k
Tejas Sprint Triathlon
Gatorbait Sprint Triathlon
Clear Lake Olympic Triathlon
Nations Triathlon
USAT Age Group National Championship
70.3 Austin

*A huge thanks to my amazing friends and family!  Without your support all of this would not have been possible.