Running With Jack

Generally I consider myself a conservative runner, tending not to lean too far out of my comfort zone during a race. But as I lined up for the annual Hornisgrinde Marathon on Sunday I had the urge to push pass the barriers that my mind and body have set up and do something reckless. There were several factors that helped contribute to this decision – the weather was unseasonably cool (68°F), I have been taking it easy the last three weeks since the 50-mile run, and my wife was there and had offered to drive home.

As I lined up with the 250+ marathon runners I thought about the course, basically the first 25K are downhill or flat, the last 17K climb back to the finish. I decided to go out fast and hope that I have enough left in me to carry me over the finish line. With a little luck maybe I could break my 4:14 course record as well.

When the starting pistol went off the mass moved forward and for the first 5-6 minutes we remained more or less scrunched together as we made our way down a dirt logging road. But then the mass began to separate and I was able to pick up the pace. The next few kilometers were gentle downhill and before I knew it I was running 8:00 miles, which for me is totally irresponsible during a marathon.

I attached myself to a couple runners who were running a consistent pace and let them carry me along. We went over a few gentle, very run able, rolling hills and barely let up on the gas. I continued to red-line it and eventually passed the 10K marker in 51:09 (5:07/km, 8:14/mi. average pace). My legs were holding up well and my breathing was controlled and efficient, I kept moving at this (for me) ridiculous pace.

Around the 12K marker one of the runners that I was following fell behind and the slightly older gentlemen and I began to play cat and mouse. We exchanged the lead several times over the next 11K, finally passing the half-marathon point in 1:51:06 (5:16/km, 8:28/mi. average pace).

As I ran up a steeper hill around KM 23 my body started protesting the demands that I was placing on it. At KM 25 I stopped long enough at an aid station to down a gel and a banana, but was soon on my way again. I fell behind the gentleman that I had been following, but started catching him around KM 27 as we began to climb out of a valley. I had just about caught up to him when the course straightened out again and he poured on the speed. I was done pouring and could only maintain by this time.

I knew the rest of the course was more or less a gentle uphill until the last mile, then a steeper climb to the finish line. I trudged on but was quickly running out of steam. I passed the 32 km/20 mi. point in around 3:05, not good considering my fast start.

By this time my legs were beat up and I had trouble to keep running, often having to stop and walk for a bit. My little experiment today was becoming a real eye-opener, I was amazed how quickly my body disintegrated when pushed beyond what I had trained for.

I was not a happy camper as I plodded on, my legs were toast and worst yet my will to continue was almost non-existent. With 6km (4 miles) to go I stopped plodding and walked. I walked maybe a mile, then decided that I had enough and wanted to get to the finish line sooner, not later. I plodded on again at some resemblance of a run, walking the steeper climbs, but determined to get the race over with.

Finally I reached the last hill, which rose steeply for about a mile to the finish line. I walked most of it but somehow managed to jog the last few hundred meters over the finish line. My wife was waiting, but my only thought was to find a chair, which I did. My wife graciously got something for me to drink, and I fought the cramps that were gripping my legs.

Luckily these subsided shortly and the worst was over by the time my wife returned. It was still fairly cool outside and breezy, so I headed off to the showers. Afterward we decided to drive home, my wife had already eaten and I wasn’t hungry (yet).

I ended up finishing the race in 4:44:25, which is poor considering my fast start, but I’m okay with that. I already ran a good marathon this year, so on this day it was all about stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new. If I want to run faster marathons in the future, and I emphasize IF, then this race has shown me that I need to train specifically for that purpose. Training for an ultra and a faster marathon are not the same for me, I knew that, but sometimes you just have to prove it on the trail.

I think I ended up walking more in the last quarter of the race because I saw no good reason to continue to push hard. I had a fantastic first-half race and knew I was not in the range for a best/course PR, so I relaxed and enjoyed the scenery of a beautiful countryside marathon.

This morning my legs are a bit tired and I have a ravishing appetite, but otherwise feel great! Now I look forward to a week or two of rest, then I will start training for the Baden Marathon, which takes place on Sept. 21!