Race Report: Coach Eli’s First Marathon

What follows is probably one of the best race reports I have ever read. Eli documented his training leading up to the event, splits at the event, the weather conditions, nutrition (pre-race and during), as well as his emotional state. When he tackles his next marathon, and you know he will, this report will serve him well. Read on….

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Event: Jacksonville Bank Marathon (12/18/11)
Conditions at race time (7am-10am): 40s, low humidity, approx. 5 MPH wind from the North
Result: 3:09:44 (10/41 Male 25-29, 56/571 Male, 61/827 Overall)
Splits: -22:16 (5k [7:10/mile)
-1:10:27 (10-mile [7:03/mile total, 6:59/mile for this segment])
-1:32:09 (half [7:02/mile total, 6:56/mile for this segment])
-2:21:04 (20-mile, 7:03/mile total, 7:05/mile for this segment)
-3:09:44 (7:14/mile total, 7:50/mile for this segment)

Author’s Note: This race report is really, really long. Like, self-indulgently so. It’s broken up into four sections: Pre-Race, Race Morning, The Race, and Post-Race and Reaction. If you’re inclined to read the whole thing, feel free to take a break between each section—go for a run, maybe. Or, if you’re not interested in the whole thing, just read the last paragraph of Pre-Race, the entire Race Morning section, and the two paragraphs in Post-Race and Reaction that begin with the word “overall.” Skip The Race entirely—I followed a good nutrition plan, was on pace at 20 miles, and still slowed by 45-50s/mile the last 10k. That’s all you need to know.

Pre-Race
I have a pretty calm attitude about racing. This attitude comes from three things: First, experience—I’ve been running competitively for eighteen years and have run literally hundreds of races; when I line up at the start line, I know what to expect. Second, I trust my training—not blindly, but if I’m lining up for a goal race I know I’ve put in the work over the past few months to make the race a success. And third, I’ve found that getting nervous doesn’t accomplish anything—sure I get race day jitters just like anyone else, but I’ve gotten pretty good at putting off the nerves until that morning because I’ve learned that nervous energy spent before race day is energy wasted, whereas nervous energy on race morning is part of what gives you that race day edge.

So even though Jacksonville was my first marathon, I treated it just like any other race (just, you know, longer). Sure, the training was different (I had never run longer than 16 miles until this October) and had entailed some new logistical elements (like practicing taking water and Shot Bloks on the run, which I had never done before), and yes, 26.2 miles was 5.2 miles longer than any run I had done in training. But I had spent 18 weeks preparing and there was no sense doubting that training’s effectiveness during race week. Based on my training and my tune-up races I knew I was in shape to run (on a day with good conditions when I felt good) somewhere between 3:02-3:09. So I committed to a plan of trying to run a Boston qualifier—which for my gender and age group is sub-3:05 (7:03 pace)—with a slightly slower first 5k and then even splits.

I got some extra sleep a couple nights during race week and made sure to moderate my holiday party-related excesses. Since I’m someone who actually likes to taper I didn’t have even a mild case of the dreaded taperitis. Everything ran smoothly Saturday (the flight to Jacksonville, hotel check-in, packet pickup) and I took a 10-minute super-easy shakeout run after checking into the hotel, had a huge pasta dinner, laid out my racing clothes and attached my bib and chip before going to bed (never leave this until race morning!), and then slept great.

Race Morning
On race morning my alarm went off at 3am and I made a breakfast of Gatorade and a bagel with peanut butter and honey in my hotel room (I had taken a quick trip to the grocery store the night before, as the hotel’s breakfast didn’t begin until 5am and I wanted to have time to digest before running) and then promptly went back to sleep. My second alarm went off at 5:15am; I took a shower, put on my BodyGlide and racing clothes (shorts, socks, and a dry-fit T that I had tested on my long runs)) and throwaway warmup sweats, grabbed my Gatorade and a banana and headed down to the lobby to catch the shuttle to the race site.

The shuttle arrived at the start line at 6:20am for a 7am start. I waited in line for the portolets, took care of business in there, and then immediately got back into line as I knew I would need to pee again in 10 minutes. After getting out a second time I stood around by a generator pumping out some hot air (it was 39 degrees!) for a few minutes before going for a two-minute warmup jog with a couple 10-second faster than race pace pickups—no need for more, gotta conserve energy for 26.2! I then snuck behind some hedges for a final pre-race pee before getting in the chute four or five minutes before the start.

The Race
The race was, as all good races are, about what I expected. I ditched my sweats on the side of the road moments before the start, and after only a little bit of typical race start clogging (Jacksonville isn’t big—only 2300 runners combined between the marathon, half, and 5k) was able to settle into just over 7-minute pace. About two minutes in I realized that I was over-hydrated, and when the course went onto a side street with some bushes I pulled off to the side and took a 15-second pit stop—I figured it was better to give up a few seconds now than feel uncomfortable for as long as it took to work itself out. I settled back into my pace, and the next few miles went according to plan, starting steadily just over 7-minute pace and dropping down to about 7-flat a little before 10k.

I stuck to my fueling and hydration plan (water at most water stops, the occasional Gatorade, and a half-pack of Shot Bloks immediately before the water stops at Mile 8, Mile 12, 17, and 21) and found myself right on pace at 5k, 10 miles, 13.1 (13:04), and 20 miles (2:21:04). And this was when I learned firsthand the truth of the old marathoners’ cliché that there are two halves to the race: the first 20 miles and the last 10k.

From Mile 20 to the finish I lost four minutes and forty seconds to 3:05 pace, finishing at 3:09:44. And while I didn’t feel great, the thing that surprised me was that I didn’t feel any worse than while running at the end of any other race—I just couldn’t go any faster. I would focus on really bearing down and keeping my stride length and turnover up for 20-30 seconds and still get passed by that person I had heard rolling up on me. Yeah, my calfs were a little sore, but my legs really just seemed like they were out of power more than anything else.

It turns out a marathon run is just like any other run (just longer). I’ve run 800s where I’ve closed with a 36-second 200 meters after running the first lap in 60-flat, 5ks where I’ve closed in 6:00/mile after hitting the mile at 5:20 pace, and half marathons where the last 5k was at 7:30 pace after the first 10 miles being at 6:40 . . . and now I’ve run a marathon with my last 10k at 7:50 pace after doing the first 20 miles just over 7-flat (I’ve also run races where I’ve closed strong, too!). It’s pretty standard—you go out over your head, and for than the last just less than quarter of the race you slow down by right around 10%.

Post-Race and Reaction
My first thought upon crossing the finish line was, “Crap, I forgot to Tebow” (a friend had offered me a night on the town if in my finish line pictures I was imitating the Denver Broncos’ quarterback). Finishing really wasn’t an emotional thing; when you’ve already made the commitment to leading a healthy lifestyle, the completion of the marathon itself isn’t life-changing. The commitment to a healthy lifestyle, and to the training is what really matters, and what happens on race day is a reflection—a celebration, really—of that commitment made months or years ago.

After the race, I experienced a good amount of joint soreness (knee, specifically). I walked with a limp for the remainder of the day, and going up and down stairs was a bit of an adventure. But by Monday morning my pain was solely muscular, and by Wednesday I started feeling like myself again. On Saturday I even went for a very easy and very, very short (15-minute) run. By the middle of the next week I was thinking about running the 3M Half Marathon at the end of January (after some well-deserved down time, of course).

Overall, I would say I did more things right for my first marathon than wrong: my training was consistent; I didn’t have any huge race day nutrition, hydration or GI issues; I avoided chafing, cramping, or injury; and I had a race plan and I executed it, giving myself a chance to hit my goal. That’s a successful race.

Of course, with the benefit of hindsight, there are a few things I would do differently: I wish I had done a bit more quality training substantially faster than race pace; I think my calfs may have maintained a little more power the last 10k if I had raced in a shoe with a bit more cushion and maybe even more heel drop (I wore the Asics Hyperspeed 4, which weighs only 7 oz.); and, based on the layer of salt that I wiped off my face, ears, and neck after finishing, I may have benefited from taking salt tablets during the event in addition to water, Shot Bloks, and a little bit of Gatorade.

I don’t see myself doing another marathon for a while–at least not in 2012, anyway. While the training isn’t any harder that it is for other distances, it is more of a time commitment. But when 2013 rolls around, who knows, maybe I’ll get back on the marathon wagon? For now, though, I’m really interested to see what I can do over the shorter distances with a solid four months of marathon training for base—after all, I’ve got an age group fish to defend at the Chuy’s 5k this spring!

Happy racing!

Coach Eli
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Coach Eli Asch leads track/quality run sessions for Team Tempo, and is also available for private run lessons. Take your running to the next level with Coach Eli!

Tags: austin, eli asch, fitness, marathon, running, triathlon

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