A Passion for Running

Just jotting some stuff down so I don’t forget.

1. Something Amiss: Although I am very pleased about the result in Regina, something was definitely “off”. I was not at my best on race day. I am not sure if it had something to do with the whole race jitters = adrenaline = high heart rate thing but, what I do know is that I did not run nearly as comfortably, or as fast as I did in my training runs. I’d like to figure that out.
2. Mental Toughness & Pacing: I used a few methods to stay on pace through the rough patches of the race. First, I focused on passing people. The phrases I used were, “I’m tougher”, “I have more guts” (hat tip to Prefontaine), and “You’re mine”. Second, I concentrated strongly on a high turnover, short stride length combination. In other words, I focused on low to the ground, efficient form. Third, I recalled advice I got from Andrew not to let my heart rate slow in the final miles. Andrew said that the body protects itself by slowing and, even though it may feel like you are working very hard (and not slowing down) in the later miles, heart rate and pace will concurrently slow. I found this to be highly accurate and discovered that maintaining pace had a lot to do with keeping my heart rate as high as it had been in the earlier miles. This was a good lesson since I always thought heart rate would only rise in the latter stages of a marathon.
3. Rest & Pre-Race Fueling: Pre-race fueling and hydration were excellent and I was well rested prior to the race. Bonus: I have always over-hydrated prior to marathons. This has always resulted in one very long pee break! Not this time. Hydration was perfect. I cannot think of anything here that I would improve.
4. On Course Fueling: I alternated between drinking water and gatorade at about eight water stations. I did not eat anything (no gels, powerbars etc) during the race.
5. Walking: I did not walk a single step of that race. In fact, now that I think about it, I recall using this as one of my mental tricks. I told myself that walking once would lead to more walking. I refused to let myself walk even a step. I have a two-marathon no walking streak.

I think that’s it but I may come back to this post if I think of anything else.