Not sure what to say, I'm thankful for obtaining my goal of a PR and would have ran a better race if not for a GI issue (lost about 2-3 min, had to wait for the john) and stomach cramps hitting me before Newton. Thankfully the cramps subsided during the hills, but it was an unnecessary and avoidable mental drag for the remainder of the race. Due to my own mistakes, the stomach was shut down for business and it felt like I was pushing it even with a few gulps of plain water. But enough of the would've, could've, and should've stuff. What an awesome race and one that I respect even more. It was a blessing to run it, but I don't want to return to it until my game is straight and I improve some more. After a better analysis I'll report some of the lessons I learned in hopes of helping others. Right now I'm still in celebration mode!
After some further analysis I realized most ground was lost in the last 10K. Ever heard that one before? I ran 6:57 avg. thru 20 miles vs. 7:41 avg. for the last 6.2 miles. For what’s it’s worth, here are the big three lessons I learned:
- Eat lighter the day before and incorporate more simple carb choices. I have a nasty habit of munching when I get nervous. I liken it to “cramming” for an exam so to speak. Need to maintain focus and realize food is not a solution.
- Don’t try new stuff you didn’t try in training. I’m embarrassed for admitting this, but I fell into the “new stuff” trap. Examples include not drinking anything for the first 10 miles, eating a prerace meal (I trained mostly on empty), and drinking Gatorade Endurance. Not sure why I thought these changes would not be a big deal, but they were. By the way, plain Gatorade and the Endurance formula are definitely different. My stomach went bonkers when I drank that stuff. I’m beginning to think that the carb gels and stuff might not work for me any more. I forced down two gels and they did little more than cause a tummy protest.
- Work on down hills for Boston. Plyometrics can be considered. I haven’t experienced eccentric contractions like those since the negative drops I did in weight training.
So I dropped the ball on nutrition, course specific training (but didn’t hear anybody mention down hill drills), and trying “new stuff”. When will I ever learn??? That’s what I love about the marathon.
| 