The race was a great event. A great FE event with Irunforbeer (John) and it was a pleasure meeting him and his wife. Pre-Race we named our mutual quests for sub3-hour at this race - We are "Team John". Weather much better than last year - not muggy at the beginning. I was successful in achiving a Personal Course Record erasing last years DNF from getting sick. But didn't get a Sub3 or even a PR - Should I need it I did get a NYC-Q for 2008. Here's the mile by mile.
# Plan Avg Actual Avg Sec HR Boston
......................Off.....HR
1 7:00 7:00 6:54 6:54 (6) 160 146
Dropped a Gu went to pick up - that’s a scary thing going upstream to get it at ~0.5 mile - got it and transferred all to pockets - note to self - safety pin to shorts no work - find out how Brett glues to butt. Lost Irunforbeer due to my Gu distractions saw 40-50 yards ahead with the 3 hr pace.
2 6:50 6:55 6:55 6:54 (1) 168 161
Surprised by HR hitting alarm (>167). Hoping for #s like Boston - credit temps 60-65 at SD vs 45 Bos.
3 6:40 6:50 6:48 6:52 6 167 162
Stuck with pace targets despite HR alarms - within reason (kinda "hugged" the alarm point trying to keep the pace close).
4 6:16 6:41 6:12 6:42 1 167 162
Big down hill - gained ground - passed 3 hr pace team - saw irunforbeer way ahead - bright orange shirt was great to pressure me faster.
5 6:33 6:40 6:46 6:43 14 166 164
Pace slipping a little from plan but I was not ready to increase HR. Knew I planned for slowdown so figured I'd have to not slow down so much at the end.
6 6:46 6:41 6:54 6:44 22 166 161
More of the same - hugging the HR target
7 6:55 6:43 6:57 6:46 23 167 162
More of the same - hugging the HR target - starting a 4 mile gradual uphill.
8 7:04 6:45 7:15 6:50 33 166 162
More of the same - hugging the HR target - 3 to go
9 7:07 6:48 7:06 6:51 32 165 161
More of the same - hugging the HR target - 2 to go
10 7:12 6:50 6:57 6:52 16 166 162
More of the same - hugging the HR target - last mile of uphill - Made up a very little bit of ground on hill. Irunforbeer's orange shirt still a becon to help drive me on ~200 yards ahead.
11 6:14 6:46 6:36 6:50 45 160 162
I thought I flew down this hill - I see 6:06 pace first 1/2 - I think milemarkers was messed up.
12 6:48 6:47 6:49 6:50 36 163 158
HR going down with pace - I start noticing I can speed up a little. Slowly move to get back on target.
13 6:46 6:47 6:44 6:50 34 164 159
Moving Faster
14 6:50 6:47 6:41 6:49 24 164 161
A little faster - I pass by Irunforbeer somewhere on this mile - wish him luck then keep trying to get back on target.
15 6:52 6:48 6:53 6:49 25 163 161
A couple small hills slow me down a little - but on planned pace
16 7:07 6:49 7:04 6:50 21 164 157
Same this mile
17 6:46 6:49 7:28 6:52 63 162 159
I don't know what happen here - just let off the gas a little - there were a bunch of turns this mile that kept messing up my stride - 3 hr pace team passed me by.
18 6:55 6:49 6:37 6:52 45 165 161
I sped up and linked to the pace team - wow they were moving. But I felt like I could hang on - I like running with the group.
19 6:55 6:49 6:07 6:49 (4) 167 162
Stayed with pace team - I show pace was 6:47 but milemarkers distorted the pace.
20 6:57 6:50 6:53 6:49 (9) 166 161
Stayed with pace team
21 6:57 6:50 6:47 6:49 (19) 165 163
Stayed with pace team
22 6:58 6:50 6:58 6:50 (20) 164 159
Lost the pace team - the leader did a switch (the leadership was split between 2 guys each running a 1/2 marathon). And the new guy ran faster - so it seemed to me. Going into the switch the team was 6-7 guys - a mile after the switch I think he had smoked us all - I thought that was bad form.
23 6:55 6:51 7:26 6:51 10 162 158
Without pace team - I'm struggling keeping pace and start struggling with breathing.
24 6:59 6:51 8:00 6:54 71 159 163
Breathing issue becomes pronounced enough to force walking - chest tight making deep breathing at running speed tough. I try to run after a brief walk. With a fast finish - still a chance at Sub3.
25 6:58 6:51 10:30 7:03 282 142 167
A couple attempts at running fail - can only maintain jog - not run. With Sub3 and even PR gone - decide to look around for irunforbeer thinking a finishline "Team John" photo would look kinda neat - don't see him - continue jog.
26 6:58 6:52 9:59 7:09 462 143 167
I see an orange shirt in the distance behind so figure I'd jog and he'd catch me around finish for the Team John finish. Near the end - that wasn't him so keep looking behind for that photo.
26.2 6:59 6:52 12:10 7:12 524 145 170
Well I wasn't going to let the clock get to 3:10 without me finished so after looking some more I went ahead and finished. Found him later in the walk out. I'll let him share his race report for his details.
Final Time 3:08:42
Dropped a Gu went to pick up - that’s a scary thing going upstream to get it at ~0.5 mile - got it and transferred all to pockets - note to self - safety pin to shorts no work - find out how Brett glues to butt. Lost Irunforbeer due to my Gu distractions saw 40-50 yards ahead with the 3 hr pace.
2 6:50 6:55 6:55 6:54 (1) 168 161
Surprised by HR hitting alarm (>167). Hoping for #s like Boston - credit temps 60-65 at SD vs 45 Bos.
3 6:40 6:50 6:48 6:52 6 167 162
Stuck with pace targets despite HR alarms - within reason (kinda "hugged" the alarm point trying to keep the pace close).
4 6:16 6:41 6:12 6:42 1 167 162
Big down hill - gained ground - passed 3 hr pace team - saw irunforbeer way ahead - bright orange shirt was great to pressure me faster.
5 6:33 6:40 6:46 6:43 14 166 164
Pace slipping a little from plan but I was not ready to increase HR. Knew I planned for slowdown so figured I'd have to not slow down so much at the end.
6 6:46 6:41 6:54 6:44 22 166 161
More of the same - hugging the HR target
7 6:55 6:43 6:57 6:46 23 167 162
More of the same - hugging the HR target - starting a 4 mile gradual uphill.
8 7:04 6:45 7:15 6:50 33 166 162
More of the same - hugging the HR target - 3 to go
9 7:07 6:48 7:06 6:51 32 165 161
More of the same - hugging the HR target - 2 to go
10 7:12 6:50 6:57 6:52 16 166 162
More of the same - hugging the HR target - last mile of uphill - Made up a very little bit of ground on hill. Irunforbeer's orange shirt still a becon to help drive me on ~200 yards ahead.
11 6:14 6:46 6:36 6:50 45 160 162
I thought I flew down this hill - I see 6:06 pace first 1/2 - I think milemarkers was messed up.
12 6:48 6:47 6:49 6:50 36 163 158
HR going down with pace - I start noticing I can speed up a little. Slowly move to get back on target.
13 6:46 6:47 6:44 6:50 34 164 159
Moving Faster
14 6:50 6:47 6:41 6:49 24 164 161
A little faster - I pass by Irunforbeer somewhere on this mile - wish him luck then keep trying to get back on target.
15 6:52 6:48 6:53 6:49 25 163 161
A couple small hills slow me down a little - but on planned pace
16 7:07 6:49 7:04 6:50 21 164 157
Same this mile
17 6:46 6:49 7:28 6:52 63 162 159
I don't know what happen here - just let off the gas a little - there were a bunch of turns this mile that kept messing up my stride - 3 hr pace team passed me by.
18 6:55 6:49 6:37 6:52 45 165 161
I sped up and linked to the pace team - wow they were moving. But I felt like I could hang on - I like running with the group.
19 6:55 6:49 6:07 6:49 (4) 167 162
Stayed with pace team - I show pace was 6:47 but milemarkers distorted the pace.
20 6:57 6:50 6:53 6:49 (9) 166 161
Stayed with pace team
21 6:57 6:50 6:47 6:49 (19) 165 163
Stayed with pace team
22 6:58 6:50 6:58 6:50 (20) 164 159
Lost the pace team - the leader did a switch (the leadership was split between 2 guys each running a 1/2 marathon). And the new guy ran faster - so it seemed to me. Going into the switch the team was 6-7 guys - a mile after the switch I think he had smoked us all - I thought that was bad form.
23 6:55 6:51 7:26 6:51 10 162 158
Without pace team - I'm struggling keeping pace and start struggling with breathing.
24 6:59 6:51 8:00 6:54 71 159 163
Breathing issue becomes pronounced enough to force walking - chest tight making deep breathing at running speed tough. I try to run after a brief walk. With a fast finish - still a chance at Sub3.
25 6:58 6:51 10:30 7:03 282 142 167
A couple attempts at running fail - can only maintain jog - not run. With Sub3 and even PR gone - decide to look around for irunforbeer thinking a finishline "Team John" photo would look kinda neat - don't see him - continue jog.
26 6:58 6:52 9:59 7:09 462 143 167
I see an orange shirt in the distance behind so figure I'd jog and he'd catch me around finish for the Team John finish. Near the end - that wasn't him so keep looking behind for that photo.
26.2 6:59 6:52 12:10 7:12 524 145 170
Well I wasn't going to let the clock get to 3:10 without me finished so after looking some more I went ahead and finished. Found him later in the walk out. I'll let him share his race report for his details.
Final Time 3:08:42
Still wondering what caused the breathing issues - best I can come up with is the HR strap was not loose enough and after 23 miles of slightly constrained breathing caused by the tightness eventually felt like chest tightness.
As a precaution I had one of the medic doctors at the race finish check and rule out heart issues which he did.
Overall most of the race went great - hydration, fueling, pace strategy all seemed to work perfect. I think I will look into a less restrictive HR strap - or perhaps strapless.
John
As a precaution I had one of the medic doctors at the race finish check and rule out heart issues which he did.
Overall most of the race went great - hydration, fueling, pace strategy all seemed to work perfect. I think I will look into a less restrictive HR strap - or perhaps strapless.
John
