Running 101

Ok…the run, last year 1 ran the marathon in 4:27:43 which was the 27th fastest run out of 187 in my age group. I passed over 500 people on the way to the finish line. Gotta be happy with that result. Especially since at the end of the bike, I really thought I’d be walking the entire way. I was so tired and worn out after all those hills. I was so hot, dehydrated and low on energy that I didn’t even bother taking my Garmin watch out of my T2 bag and putting it on. I thought, there’s no way I want a detailed record of this mess!

So what happened? I don’t really know, a few things got me turned around. The crowd support at the transition area was amazing, hundreds and hundreds of people cheering each and everyone on whether they were walking or running. Like a shot of adrenaline straight into the bloodstream. That got me moving.

The run went out and back for a 2km loop and there was an aid station at the end. They run aid stations were awesome. They had everything, water, Gatorade, coke, ice, sponges, tons of food and snacks and great volunteers, at least 20 or 30 at each one. I stuck with the Gatorade for the first few miles and gradually started to feel better. Steph and the Girls were just under the bridge before the turn up to 4th street and seeing them and hearing their encouragement was another badly needed shot of adrenaline.

I wasn’t really conscious of the number of people I was passing, but I do remember being really surprised at how many people were walking. Lots of them. Sometimes in groups of up to 5 or 6. They would be walking along and talking about the race.  If you can walk and talk, why aren’t you at least jogging? That was contrasted by other people that were really in trouble. They were both cramped up and limping along, stopping to try to stretch out their muscles every few meters, or they were having digestive problems, not a pretty sight, I’ll leave it at that. They is not much you can do for people in that state, the damage has been done and it takes a lot to turn things around at that point. You do your best to try to encourage them along to the next aid station. That’s why they say Ironman is swim, bike, run and nutrition, a four part event.

The run is really where the rubber meets the road at the Ironman. Consider the entire starting field and the likelihood of every athlete running to their full potential on race day, never happens…why, what happens to everyone? Some will be eliminated due to improper training, usually a mistake made by training for a marathon, instead of training for a marathon after a 180k bike ride. Some others will be eliminated by pacing and nutritional errors that begin to show themselves on the run, like my walking and talking friends.

The idea here is to complete the bike ride and have set yourself up the opportunity for a successful run through the correct application of your training, nutrition guidelines and pacing strategies. After that it’s the One Thing that decides who runs to their potential and who doesn’t. But, beware, you know it’s coming…your body will have a conversation with your head at some point during the run that will go something like this…

Body to Mind: "Ok, this is really starting to hurt. I can keep going, but I need a really good reason to keep it up."
Mind to Body: "We’ll keep going because of the One Thing. Just keep moving, do the best you can do and we'll get there."

The One Thing is whatever motivated you to do this in the first place. Before the race you need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and figure out what your One Thing is. Make it good, this is no time for screwing around because if it’s not a good reason, your body will call your bluff when the chips are down.
My One Thing is thinking of Barb, her valiant struggle with MS and of how much I know she wishes she could be here experiencing this with me. No matter how much I hurt, it is nothing compared to what she goes through on a daily basis. That’s all I need to keep me going.

A successful Ironman marathon is one of not slowing down. Not slowing down is mostly a function of maintaining your focus, not fitness. If you are not cramping up and can still consume calories on the run, you can have a successful marathon. The difference between a good marathon and bad marathon is just continuing to move forward, as best you can, for the entire 26.2 miles. This year I’ve been doing a lot more running and will be looking to improve on last year’s 4:27, at least a 4:20 which would break me into the top 20 on the run, that would be awesome!