Tuesday, October 13, 2009

ANYONE'S GUESS

Prior to the marathon I wrote;

In 2008 the 40-44 age-group was won in 3:00:15 – poor guy just missed sub-3. And then there were another 9 guys in that age-group between 3:11 and 3:20. A 3:10 would put you about 25th place overall. I’m guessing that’s the kind of shape I’m in right about now. I’ll probably finish 4th in my age-group and then be pissed that I didn’t train harder.
Either I’m so in-tune with my body that it’s scary or I just run as fast as I need to in order to meet a certain time.

While I finished 6th in my age-group, I was only 10 seconds/mile out of 3rd place and a spot on the podium. I wouldn’t say I’m pissed, but a 3:06 should be attainable for me.

Beth wanted to know what I thought about my performance. I guess the easy answer is that you get what you ask for. Or as my friend Eric puts it; the harder he trains, the faster he runs. I didn’t train hard, therefore I didn’t run fast. While I’d like to be upset at running an average marathon, I only have myself to blame given that my training during/after our trip to Disney World consisted of the following weekly mileage; 15, 80, 26, 53, 43, 8, 21. Sure there was some rollerskiing and biking thrown in there too, but not really enough to make up for that kind of training.

My last 4 marathons have been 3:12, 3:05, 3:09 and 3:10. The good news is that none of them had kick-ass training leading up to them. So I guess I’m just basically a 3:10 marathoner on normal training. If I happen to put in a very solid training block, then perhaps I still have a shot at sub-3. Whether or not that happens is anyone's guess.

Overall, the weekend was a blast. Road tripping, hanging out in my hometown, beautiful fall colors, great food, beer, music, and friends.

If you’re a stats geek and desperate for some numbers, here were my splits;

1 – missed
2 – 14:29
3 – 7:20
4 – 7:05
5 – 7:06
6 – 7:00
7 – 7:24
8 – 7:16
9 – 7:11
10 – 7:16
11 – 7:37 (including ~ :30 pee break)
12 – 6:40
13 – 7:19
14 – 7:06
15 – 7:13
16 – 7:09
17 – 7:13
18 – 7:20
19 – 7:40 (including :36 pee break)
20 – 7:11
21 – 7:11
22 – 7:14
23 – 7:33 (the switch is thrown)
24 – 7:38
25 – 7:30
26.2 – 8:54

Quote of the Day;

“Running is essentially private and, if you like, selfish, and all the more valuable for being so.” – Roger Robinson

5 comments:

  1. Hi Chad. Came across your blog via Thomas. That's a very solid marathon you've just completed. It's good to know that you can churn out 3:10 marathons on basic training, The sub 3 hour is there if you ever decide to push the training that bit harder. I'm hoping to join the ranks of sub 3:10 in a few weeks.

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  2. I agree that if you put your guts into training that you push harder in the race because you feel like you have so much of yourself on the line. Maybe a 3:10 with no injuries and not being burnt out is better than a sub 3, that is up to you to decide. Maybe you are just waiting for a race to get excited about. Either way, you've had 4 consistant races and that is something to be proud of.

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  3. Someday I want to be able to say "So I guess I’m just basically a 3:10 marathoner on normal training."

    Nice work and glad you enjoyed the experience. Good attitude and you know what you need to do for the right race!

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  4. I know the feeling all too well, but it's better than getting an age award for a bad race just because there was no competition. I've got trophies from races I can't even remember running.

    You probably aren't any more upset than the guy who ran 3:00:15 was for not breaking three. We all look back and think we could've done better - but if we could've, we would've.

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