October (2016) Running Challenge

I can't wait to read all the race reports on here. In the mean time here's mine

Race information

What? Bucharest International Marathon (Half)
When? October 9th, 2016
How far?21.1 km / 13.1 miles
Website? http://bucharest-marathon.com/en

Goals

Goal Description

What I never told anyone - 1:30:00
What I told everyone - 1:33:00
What I told myself just in case - 1:40:00
What I told my parents - I won't die

Result below


Background

First some background. I started running in late December so I run for about 9 months now. I did my first 5k in 32 minutes. My first official 5k was 23 min something with a 10k at 48:28 in April. At this point I got injured from toomuchtoosoonitis and was forced into 3 weeks of no running. My first half was supposed to be in May so that fell of the books and I decided to train for this one from almost scratch. I started basebuilding from 0 in June and got 40 mpw in August while running 6 days a week. I respond much better to frequency than intensity it seems and I felt better than before.
Initial goal for this half was 1:45, that was back in June. I did a 5k in July and got 21:00 so that changed a bit to under 1:40. I did a nother 5k in September in 19:57 so now I was hoping for 1:33. Recently my threshold pace started to feel easier so I started having secret dreams of clocks pointing at 1:30. Maybe an 1:29:59. It helped a ton that I lost a huge amount of weight, like 7 kg
Also I never did a long run longer than 20k. I wanted my first half to be special

Training

I formulated my training from Jack Daniels book and followed his paces and advice. I liked his way to increase mileage a lot as it allowed me to adjust to volume rather than increasing it little by little each week. I also took a week easier every once in a while. Followed his half plan almost to the letter (phase I to III are quite similar for all his plans), even did the back-to-back vo2max/tempo workouts. For 40 mpw, the workouts were challenging but nothing too hard. Hell my friend that ran like 35 mpw did longer interval sessions. I always felt good during the training, excepting the last phases but those paid up tons after. Phase III was 4 weeks long and I did 4 sessions of 1000 m repeats (I did like 4-5 repeats at max) and the usual tempo run (either 20 min nonstop or 30 min broken in mile repeats or 6x5minutes, 3x10 min etc). Phase IV introduced a long mid week workout that rivaled my long run but at much harder intensity (60 min easy, 20 min tempo, 5 min easy, 10 min tempo). Marathon pace long runs helped a lot also.

Pre Race

I decided to bring all my tricks to this one that I have learned over the ear. Start was at 9:30. Woke up at 5:30 and first thing was a shakeout run, 10 minutes long, then a shower and breakfast which included bananas, bread, some meat, and lastly, chocolate (around 700 cals total). Temperatures were litteraly ideal. 6 C (42 F). Perfect racing conditions, humidity at 70%. At 8:00 I was at the race start and warmed up with around 2 miles of jogging and some strides

Race Strategy

The race itself was a little scary. There was a big hill at the start which wasn't a problem now, but the course would loop back at km 18 on the same hill. The whole race had 200 m elevation in total. I secretly aimed at 1:30 so the plan was to go conservatively uphill and recover time going downhill and keep an even pace for most of the race.

First 5k - 21:34

I set my watch to give me 5k splits so I don't obsess about it every km and I can just focus on running. I took a gel with me to eat at halfpoint and didn't eat anything before because of reasons I'll point at the end. I was in second sector because I registred with a time of 1:45 (what I thought then) so it took me 1 minute to pass the start. First 5 km went by smoothly. The plan was to feel good until the last 5k. I catched up with friends on the course and went uphill slow and downhill fast. Breathing was relaxed, no 2-2 paterns and everyone around me seemed so slow because I started a little back in the pack. 5k mark in 21:34, succes I just did my 5k pr from July, now let's do it 4 times

Second 5k - 21:18

Catched up with a friend of mine that also wanted 1:30 and we decided to stick together. This part included a street that went uphill then downhill. There was a rockband playing metal and we saw the Kenyans marathoners cruising at 3:09 min/km (5:04 min/mile) damn they looked so fast. There was a 10k relay guy with them but he seemed to be in trouble. Second 5k went by pretty comfy too and on pace. I hit the 10k mark and watch beeped 42:52. A 10k PR. Yeeeaaaaaa

Third 5k - 21:24

My running buddy drops back saying it's too hard for him and he needs to slow down so I'm left alone. I'm feeling surprisingly good. People start to slow down, it's obviously starting to get hard. It makes me wonder when it will hit me. Pretty soon I found out. I hit 15k mark and bam, this is the pain patrol, here's pain. Breathing starts to get heavy. Luckily they had a water station so I take a bottle and pour most of it on my head. At 42 F you feel the cold and that gave me a boost until a little later. A little grandma on the edge yelled at me that I'll get a cold

Fourth 5k - 21:31

Oh boy it's hard. I can't focus on anything right now, can't even smile at people that cheer me. I pass km 17 just at the start line and go into the last lap. I'm less that 500 m from that big hill at the start and suddenly...I get a side stitch. I can't believe this. I drop from 4:20 min/km to 4:40 and start doing yoga breathing techniques to get rid of it. It goes away just before the hill and start to climb it slowly. I kept hearing around me "oh god not this *kitten* again". At the middle point what do you know. Remember that friend of mine that dropped me at 15k? Well the sly fox passes me and off he goes with a grin on his face. I can't keep up on the uphill so I just focus on my pace and try to follow him on the huge downhill that follows but I lose sight of him.

Last stretch (1.1 km)

I don't know what happened here. I just thought at the finish line and to move my legs. I actually managed to up my pace a bit. Crossed the finish line in a marvelous time of 1:31:53. Last 5k was done in under 21 minutes. I stop and I can't really control my legs. I also want to barf but luckily there is nothing to barf because I didn't eat before the race. Take that bodily functions
Post race

I didn't achieved my 1:30 goal but I would have on a flat course. I'm super happy of my time that I engraved it on the medal.
My friend lost it because he kicked way too soon but he still was ahead of my but I closed the gap to just 7 seconds. 7 seconds that he kept blabbering about every 10 seconds. Obviously he has better genetics.
This marks the first time I run 21.1 km.
I broke my 10k unofficial PR by 3 minutes and set half time that is a few seconds off my predicted VDOT time (but with hilly course).
Not sure if I like it yet. I'm still beat up and my quads scream from all those downhills. It's a different kind of suffering than in 5 and 10k. I wasn't out of breath like you are in those (except for the last 2k) but my legs are much more beat. I'm really happy with my pacing. I was pretty constant at 7 min/miles and never really went too slow or too hard. Considering I didn't get over the half distance in a long run I'd say that's pretty good. Official ranking puts me at 107/2761 in the open

What's next

Rest is next. I'll take 1 week off running because I just finished a huge training block, then a reverse taper and a basebuilding over the winter to 50 mpw at least. The next key race will be somewhere in April or May.

Pictures



STRAVA

https://www.strava.com/activities/739099173


Date.......Distance.......Type........How my legs are feeling

October 1 - 5.9 km - Easy - Niggle in left IT band
October 2 - 11.9km - Easy - Calves a little tight, fine after warm-up
October 3 - rest
October 4 - 6.7 km - Tempo - Fine, no pains
October 5 - 6.2 km - Easy - Fine, taper fine, wanna go fast
October 6 - 7.0 km - Easy - Very fine
October 7 - 5.0 km - Easy - Springy, rested legs
October 8 - 5.0 km - Easy - Ready to race
October 9 - 21.1km - Race - Dead legs are dead



03/04: Bucharest 10k and Family run 48:28
16/04: Color Run Bucharest
17/04: Forest Run 5k 22:05
04/06: Happy Run 5k 21:57
22/07: Bucharest After9Cross 9.5k 49:03
28/08: Fox Trail Half Marathon (10k) 48:28
18/09: Baneasa Trail Run (10.5k) 49:12
09/10: Bucharest International Marathon (Half Debut) 1:31:53