St George Marathon

[ERCougar]

Tough day, ER. I was still behind the 3:35 pace group at 18 so I probably passed you somewhere between 20 and 22. That's a guess. You looked spent but composed when I saw you after the chute.

I had something similar happen to me at Utah Valley. I had hoped to run the time I did yesterday, and had put in some intense training to do it. Somehow I thought it was a great idea to carbo load with mostly powerbars and the next day was a complete disaster. This is with Immodium AD - I destroyed a couple of portajohns. I had other things conspiring against me in that race too, but it was a disaster - ran the first 9 at 8:12ish pace, walked the last 17 for the most part. This time I kept to bagels and rice - bland and easily digestible. I did my usual immodium AD regimen and popped two chewable Pepto tablets before the start.

I only have a couple of questions: do you use gels on long training runs, and were you drinking water or Gatorade? I usually have some mild gut distress after my gels but it only lasts for a minute and usually is only gas. That's why I ask the former - using gels on my long runs is the way I beat that (costs a fortune in gels, though!). I can't do Gatorade in races - something about it messes up my insides. The salt tabs with water are much better.

I'll accept the title of demonstrably faster so long as I never have to prove it. I'm reasonably certain that you'd beat me at any shorter distance. And remember that this is my sixth marathon in less than three years - I should be used to these things by now.

I never would suspect this being an issue, but I did down a Clif bar the morning of the race and the the night before as I was going to bed. I didn't even think anything of it because it didn't seem related, but it was a change in routine. (The powerbar carbo load that you did isn't crazy--I've seen it recommended before).

On long runs, yes, I've been doing gels. I usually carry three 10 oz flasks of gatorade and a fourth one of water mixed with a few gels. I haven't really had issues with gels during runs but they don't sit perfectly well either. Or maybe it's the Gatorade. I'm open to the salt tablet/packet thing. Also, my gels (hammer) are pretty low in sodium--maybe that would help.

My bigger question, before I get into all the training/racing details, is--do marathons necessarily feel like that did? I've watched a few St G finishes and I've noticed the faster runners always look better--more smiles, high 5s, etc. You think Duh!, but it's not all that intuitive--if both groups are pushing themselves then they should look similarly spent at the end, no? There are moments in halfs where it hurts and I have to push myself "through the tough spots" (as you say) too, but it's different. I don't feel completely broken like I did yesterday. I never want that again--no goal is worth that.

[Pheidippides]

I never would suspect this being an issue, but I did down a Clif bar the morning of the race and the the night before as I was going to bed. I didn't even think anything of it because it didn't seem related, but it was a change in routine. (The powerbar carbo load that you did isn't crazy--I've seen it recommended before).

On long runs, yes, I've been doing gels. I usually carry three 10 oz flasks of gatorade and a fourth one of water mixed with a few gels. I haven't really had issues with gels during runs but they don't sit perfectly well either. Or maybe it's the Gatorade. I'm open to the salt tablet/packet thing. Also, my gels (hammer) are pretty low in sodium--maybe that would help.

My bigger question, before I get into all the training/racing details, is--do marathons necessarily feel like that did? I've watched a few St G finishes and I've noticed the faster runners always look better--more smiles, high 5s, etc. You think Duh!, but it's not all that intuitive--if both groups are pushing themselves then they should look similarly spent at the end, no? There are moments in halfs where it hurts and I have to push myself "through the tough spots" (as you say) too, but it's different. I don't feel completely broken like I did yesterday. I never want that again--no goal is worth that.

Yeah. You just described Utah Valley. I was a broken man after that, even though my recovery was very easy afterwards. That failure wasn't erased from my psyche until yesterday. I am unsure if it's a mental thing or a physical thing. I felt like puking a few times after finishing yesterday, and my body (legs, stomach, everything) is messed up today but I'm anything but defeated.

[Solon]

Yeah. You just described Utah Valley. I was a broken man after that, even though my recovery was very easy afterwards. That failure wasn't erased from my psyche until yesterday. I am unsure if it's a mental thing or a physical thing. I felt like puking a few times after finishing yesterday, and my body (legs, stomach, everything) is messed up today but I'm anything but defeated.

There are just days like that - right? At least, for me. Some days I have it; some days I don't. Sorry for the problems, ER, but I'm glad you're not injured. Congrats to all you fast-guys.

I'm not sure how you guys can keep track of how/what you're doing each mile. Let me break down my marathon for you guys:

Pre-race: line up in back with the kids who didn't train and the guy on crutches.

Miles 1-7: Run 10-minute miles.
Somewhere between miles 7-8: walk up the steepest part of Veyo Hill
Miles 8-26: Run 10-minute miles.

Post-race: pound ice cream; hand a bunch to my kid over the fence. Go shopping in St. George.

I've never had a race where my last miles were the exact same speed as the first ones, and that was my overall goal. With the walk up the hill, I posted a pretty nice negative split.

It was a beautiful morning with perfect weather, and even a little tail-wind for the first half or so. A fun day, but I doubt I run this particular race again.

[ERCougar]

There are just days like that - right? At least, for me. Some days I have it; some days I don't. Sorry for the problems, ER, but I'm glad you're not injured. Congrats to all you fast-guys.

I'm not sure how you guys can keep track of how/what you're doing each mile. Let me break down my marathon for you guys:

Pre-race: line up in back with the kids who didn't train and the guy on crutches.

Miles 1-7: Run 10-minute miles.
Somewhere between miles 7-8: walk up the steepest part of Veyo Hill
Miles 8-26: Run 10-minute miles.

Post-race: pound ice cream; hand a bunch to my kid over the fence. Go shopping in St. George.

I've never had a race where my last miles were the exact same speed as the first ones, and that was my overall goal. With the walk up the hill, I posted a pretty nice negative split.

It was a beautiful morning with perfect weather, and even a little tail-wind for the first half or so. A fun day, but I doubt I run this particular race again.

You forgot to mention the Solon training program: 1 long run, 17 miles, pushing a stroller. You're good to go.

[Pheidippides]

You forgot to mention the Solon training program: 1 long run, 17 miles, pushing a stroller. You're good to go.

Lol. Awesome.

Solon, I remember the miles by my splits off my Garmin. I have to write the recaps while looking at my garmin stats.

[Joe Public]

I've enjoyed reading about everyone's experiences. Here's how things went for me.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into the race. I'd missed most of my final week of hard training - the week before my two-week taper - due to a family emergency. Work was very busy for the last couple of weeks, and I slept several hours less each night than I usually do during that time period. Also, my legs felt really bad, like someone had hit them repeatedly, on Wednesday through Friday. Life happens with all of its variables; that's part of doing things like this.

I was able to sleep almost a full night on Thursday night, which is important. I drove from SoCal to St. George on Friday and was settled into the hotel by the time the BYU game started. As an aside, the hotel was great. They ran shuttles to the bussing area starting at 4am, opened their breakfast area at 4am, had water bottles on ice for us in the lobby after the race, etc.

My easy goal for the race was to finish. My medium goal was to PR (basically a 4:20 or better). My stretch goal was to break the 4:00 barrier. This was my second marathon, and I learned a lot about going out too fast from my first one. In a similar vein, I used the Higdon Novice 1 training plan for my first, and I recommend it for finishing a first marathon. That being said, I remember getting to the 20-mile mark of my first marathon and thinking, "I now need to run an hour longer than I ever have in training. How am I going to do that?" This time, I had five training runs of 18 miles or longer, including two 23-mile runs.

When I arrived at the starting line Saturday morning, I saw the pace groups. My planned strategy was to stay with the 4:00 pace group through 14 miles and then let gravity help me get below that 4-hour mark. However, I misheard the announcer at the starting line. He announced something, and I thought he said it was 30 minutes until the start. It was 6:40am at that point, so I figured the race was running behind. Therefore, I took my time taking my warm-ups off and stowing my gear bag in the truck.

Wrong. The next thing I know, the elite runners are off and running. I wrapped up my prep, stowed my bag, and made my way to the starting area. By the time I got to the starting line, the gun clock showed seven minutes. I saw some balloons in the distance, and I guessed it probably was the 4:00 group. I figured we would be going about the same pace, so I wasn't in any hurry to catch them.

The weather was great. After training in the ninety-plus-degree heat all summer, the cool temperature and slight tailwind felt fantastic. I kept telling myself to not go out too fast. I wasn't sure what the downhill would do to my pace, but I wanted to keep it around a nine-minute mile for at least the first 14 miles of the race. I could always quicken the pace later, but I didn't want to sew the seeds of my own destruction, so to speak, at the beginning of the race. Who knew, though, anyway? I felt awful on a ten-miler a week ago, and the wheels could fall off at any time.

My willpower overcame the temptation to stay with the folks who were passing me the first several miles. Some of them seemed to really be breathing hard for mile two or three of a marathon. By some stroke of luck, my legs were feeling OK on race morning. Not great, but good enough and much better than the previous few days. The best thing, though, was my breathing. It was really easy and slow.

The miles went by. Thanks to bluegoose, I wasn't surprised at mile 7 when that crazy hill came into view. I ran up the hill, but I adjusted my pace to match the same perceived exertion as the rest of the race to that point. A few miles before, I'd caught the balloons I saw in the distance. It was the 4:15 pace group. I spent the next several miles searching the field in front of me for more balloons. I saw them after the hill, and they stayed in and out of sight for a long time. I inched closer sometimes, but I walked through every water stop and gave up any ground I'd gained.

My pace was spot on. I stayed between 8:40/mile and 9:20/mile for the first 14 miles, depending on the incline or decline. I hit the 13.1-mile marker at 1:59. I was right on pace. Even better, I still had fresh legs and slow breathing. Based on the elevation map, I'd expected a major climb around the 12/13/14-mile mark. All I found, though, were some gentle upslopes and flat stretches. I'd overestimated that part of the course.

It was about at this point that I ran into the biggest challenge of the race for me. The liner in my running shorts folded over in a way that exposed the stitching/seam side of the liner to my legs. It was like running with rough-grain sandpaper inserts in my shorts. I grabbed a stick of Vaseline every aid station for the rest of the race, but it was very raw by the end. It wasn't bad enough that I couldn't keep going, so I did.

I let my pace quicken slightly once the declines started again; I stayed between 8:30/mile and 9:00/mile. I was watching for the other bluegoose hill at mile 18 or 19, and I took the same approach as the first one (matching my perceived exertion from the rest of the race). As I ran up this hill, though, I realized I was passing people. I thought back to my first marathon, and this was about the same point that the wheels fell off for me back then. Here I was - the legs were pretty good, and the lungs were very good. I actually started to smile. I was 18 miles in and still feeling fine.

I'd been going back and forth in my head about whether/when to go a little faster since about mile 15. I had to tell myself, "Don't do it. Stick with the plan. There's a lot of race left." Well, here I was at mile 21. I was passing lots of people at that point, and I still felt good and was breathing easily. I caught the 4:00 pace group (which at that point looked to be the group leader and one other person) and passed it. Finally, at the end of mile 23, I figured I'd pick it up a little. My legs were tired at that point, but I didn't want to leave anything in the tank. I picked it up to between 8:30/mile to 8:15/mile.

My legs were getting increasingly heavier, and my breathing picked up a little. I was still passing the other runners. I was about at my limit, but I came around that last corner and saw the balloons over the finish line. I gave it everything I had, dropping to a sub-8:00/mile pace for the homestretch. I crossed the finish line at a 6:30/mile pace. Done! I stopped my watch, and I saw I was in the low 3:50s. I PRed by half an hour over my previous time. As a whole, things went better than I ever would have hoped.

The marathon organizers put together a great race. I wish I could have enjoyed the post-race area more. After I received my finisher's medal, though, my body started to go into recovery mode. I was in all sorts of misery that I won't recount here. I didn't eat or drink for hours, which is typical for me anytime I put in a run over 20 miles or so. In a move Solon might appreciate, I did grab some ice cream for my children.

Congratulations to my fellow CUFfers who participated. If I run any more marathons, this race will be on the short list. For now, on to the 70.3 next spring.

[lambdacoug]

All these write-ups are fantastically motivational. I'm realistically at least a year from a Marathon, but reading these accounts of the races is really motivational. I'm getting ahead of myself though, first a 10k, then a half, then realistic talk of a Marathon for can begin. I really have appreciated reading all the race stories, both good and bad. To face that distance and conquer it, no matter the time, is awe inspiring to a guy that is intimidated by a "mere" 10k. If I ever do make it to a Marathon, it will be in no small part due to these posts and this forum.

[Pheidippides]

I've enjoyed reading about everyone's experiences. Here's how things went for me.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into the race. I'd missed most of my final week of hard training - the week before my two-week taper - due to a family emergency. Work was very busy for the last couple of weeks, and I slept several hours less each night than I usually do during that time period. Also, my legs felt really bad, like someone had hit them repeatedly, on Wednesday through Friday. Life happens with all of its variables; that's part of doing things like this.

I was able to sleep almost a full night on Thursday night, which is important. I drove from SoCal to St. George on Friday and was settled into the hotel by the time the BYU game started. As an aside, the hotel was great. They ran shuttles to the bussing area starting at 4am, opened their breakfast area at 4am, had water bottles on ice for us in the lobby after the race, etc.

My easy goal for the race was to finish. My medium goal was to PR (basically a 4:20 or better). My stretch goal was to break the 4:00 barrier. This was my second marathon, and I learned a lot about going out too fast from my first one. In a similar vein, I used the Higdon Novice 1 training plan for my first, and I recommend it for finishing a first marathon. That being said, I remember getting to the 20-mile mark of my first marathon and thinking, "I now need to run an hour longer than I ever have in training. How am I going to do that?" This time, I had five training runs of 18 miles or longer, including two 23-mile runs.

When I arrived at the starting line Saturday morning, I saw the pace groups. My planned strategy was to stay with the 4:00 pace group through 14 miles and then let gravity help me get below that 4-hour mark. However, I misheard the announcer at the starting line. He announced something, and I thought he said it was 30 minutes until the start. It was 6:40am at that point, so I figured the race was running behind. Therefore, I took my time taking my warm-ups off and stowing my gear bag in the truck.

Wrong. The next thing I know, the elite runners are off and running. I wrapped up my prep, stowed my bag, and made my way to the starting area. By the time I got to the starting line, the gun clock showed seven minutes. I saw some balloons in the distance, and I guessed it probably was the 4:00 group. I figured we would be going about the same pace, so I wasn't in any hurry to catch them.

The weather was great. After training in the ninety-plus-degree heat all summer, the cool temperature and slight tailwind felt fantastic. I kept telling myself to not go out too fast. I wasn't sure what the downhill would do to my pace, but I wanted to keep it around a nine-minute mile for at least the first 14 miles of the race. I could always quicken the pace later, but I didn't want to sew the seeds of my own destruction, so to speak, at the beginning of the race. Who knew, though, anyway? I felt awful on a ten-miler a week ago, and the wheels could fall off at any time.

My willpower overcame the temptation to stay with the folks who were passing me the first several miles. Some of them seemed to really be breathing hard for mile two or three of a marathon. By some stroke of luck, my legs were feeling OK on race morning. Not great, but good enough and much better than the previous few days. The best thing, though, was my breathing. It was really easy and slow.

The miles went by. Thanks to bluegoose, I wasn't surprised at mile 7 when that crazy hill came into view. I ran up the hill, but I adjusted my pace to match the same perceived exertion as the rest of the race to that point. A few miles before, I'd caught the balloons I saw in the distance. It was the 4:15 pace group. I spent the next several miles searching the field in front of me for more balloons. I saw them after the hill, and they stayed in and out of sight for a long time. I inched closer sometimes, but I walked through every water stop and gave up any ground I'd gained.

My pace was spot on. I stayed between 8:40/mile and 9:20/mile for the first 14 miles, depending on the incline or decline. I hit the 13.1-mile marker at 1:59. I was right on pace. Even better, I still had fresh legs and slow breathing. Based on the elevation map, I'd expected a major climb around the 12/13/14-mile mark. All I found, though, were some gentle upslopes and flat stretches. I'd overestimated that part of the course.

It was about at this point that I ran into the biggest challenge of the race for me. The liner in my running shorts folded over in a way that exposed the stitching/seam side of the liner to my legs. It was like running with rough-grain sandpaper inserts in my shorts. I grabbed a stick of Vaseline every aid station for the rest of the race, but it was very raw by the end. It wasn't bad enough that I couldn't keep going, so I did.

I let my pace quicken slightly once the declines started again; I stayed between 8:30/mile and 9:00/mile. I was watching for the other bluegoose hill at mile 18 or 19, and I took the same approach as the first one (matching my perceived exertion from the rest of the race). As I ran up this hill, though, I realized I was passing people. I thought back to my first marathon, and this was about the same point that the wheels fell off for me back then. Here I was - the legs were pretty good, and the lungs were very good. I actually started to smile. I was 18 miles in and still feeling fine.

I'd been going back and forth in my head about whether/when to go a little faster since about mile 15. I had to tell myself, "Don't do it. Stick with the plan. There's a lot of race left." Well, here I was at mile 21. I was passing lots of people at that point, and I still felt good and was breathing easily. I caught the 4:00 pace group (which at that point looked to be the group leader and one other person) and passed it. Finally, at the end of mile 23, I figured I'd pick it up a little. My legs were tired at that point, but I didn't want to leave anything in the tank. I picked it up to between 8:30/mile to 8:15/mile.

My legs were getting increasingly heavier, and my breathing picked up a little. I was still passing the other runners. I was about at my limit, but I came around that last corner and saw the balloons over the finish line. I gave it everything I had, dropping to a sub-8:00/mile pace for the homestretch. I crossed the finish line at a 6:30/mile pace. Done! I stopped my watch, and I saw I was in the low 3:50s. I PRed by half an hour over my previous time. As a whole, things went better than I ever would have hoped.

The marathon organizers put together a great race. I wish I could have enjoyed the post-race area more. After I received my finisher's medal, though, my body started to go into recovery mode. I was in all sorts of misery that I won't recount here. I didn't eat or drink for hours, which is typical for me anytime I put in a run over 20 miles or so. In a move Solon might appreciate, I did grab some ice cream for my children.

Congratulations to my fellow CUFfers who participated. If I run any more marathons, this race will be on the short list. For now, on to the 70.3 next spring.

Fantastic race! It only took you two races to learn what it took me six races to learn. Passing people at the end is a load of fun, no?

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Runner series registration starts....Now!

[Coach McGuirk]

Runner series registration starts....Now!

explain this, please? I went to the website, but don't understand how this works.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

explain this, please? I went to the website, but don't understand how this works.

Sorry. My alarm threw me off. It starts at 9:00 MST. There should be a link on this page at that point: http://www.stgeorgemarathon.com/runnerseries/index.php Anyway, it costs $15 to register for the runner's series. Once registered, if you participate in two St. George area races over the next year, you automatically bipass the lottery for the St. George marathon and are automatically accepted.

If you plan on running the marathon, the runner's series is the most predictable way to get in. Usually sells out in like 20 minutes though.

[ERCougar]

Now!
And it sells out in more like 5 minutes.

[ERCougar]

Wife is in.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

I'm in!

[Coach McGuirk]

In!