359 TSS on 5hrs.
I ended up going just over 3:27, which is an 18 minute PB on my first marathon, so no complaints, but the chest cold didn't help ... the hacking cough didn't inspire confidence.
Oh, you know what else didn't inspire confidence? Forgetting my gels at home. Also realizing this as I was on the bus to the start line, pulling away from the expo where I could have bought some. Luckily, I ran into Val on the start line, she offered me one of hers (who brings spare gels to a race?), so that got me to the aid station with gels.
The race is more or less broken up into three sections: the first 10miles is a loop up on the mountain, and I managed to keep my pace between 4:30-4:45 (4:45 average being a 3:20 marathon). Chatted with other runners, enjoyed the sunshine, started taking in calories on my modified schedule. I had thought that this run was not going to get started until the run along the lake, because the next 10 miles is a flat 5k, leading to the long downhill that takes you down to the lake.
However, there was a very cold and strong wind coming off the lake, blowing
up the downhill we were running. My downhill run wasn't really any faster than my pace on the preceding flat. Oh, did I mention it was freezing? My fingers were so numb it took me about three minutes to tear open a gel.
Once on the lakeshore, it warmed up, and while I didn't hit the wall right away, it was there in the distance, waiting. I hit it about 36km, the first signal was my hamstrings cramping when I stepped up onto a curb as the race route when from the road to a sidewalk. Things slowed down significantly from thereon, going from ~5 min/km to 5:40 min/km steadily over the next 7k. I would get a series of cramps in one leg, adjust my stride to try and alleviate them, and then the other side would start.
Very happy to finish under 3:30, there's still a lot of time on the table for next year, given proper nutrition, another year of base and no stupid arctic winds.
2013:
| Season Goals: |
|
| Result |
|
| 1 | Sub 5 Century |
| N/A |
|
| 2 | Sub 2:20 at ATB |
| 2:23 |
|
| 3 | 3:20 R2H |
| 3:27 |
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| Training Objectives: |
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| 1 | Swim 3.8k 70min |
| N/A |
|
| 2 | Run 1:30 half |
| 1:30:16 |
|
| 3 | Raise FTP to 280 |
| N/A (260 mid-season) |
|
| 4 | Run refridgee-8-er at Chilly pace | 0:53:49 | yes |
| 5 | Finish EndurRun Sport |
| yes |
|
| 6 | Finish Run for the Toad |
| yes |
|
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|
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| Training to support objectives |
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|
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| 1 | Hit HM pace targets at end of long runs |
|
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| 2 | Don't get injured on run. Follow BarryP implementation of Desert Dude's plan. |
| 3 | Maintain until March, then focus on raising FTP/CP5 %, ride early season with WCC |
I adjusted my goals mid-season when I decided that bike racing wasn't in the cards for the rest of the year, mainly because of the time commitment that long rides demanded. The result was a change of focus to running, and two marathons and a 50k trail ultra later, I would say it's been a success.
I've put a lot of volume in since the start of July (~1050km) and done so without significant injury (needed a few sessions of ART in the 300+km months). The highlight was my 39:00 10k, something I've been trying to do for a couple years now. Things that I'd like to improve are my mental focus when things get tough at the end of the race, and holding my pace over longer distances.
So now looking forward, I'd like focus on triathlon over the winter, with Syracuse 70.3 as my A race, going 4:50:00 and stretch goal getting a spot for the WC in Tremblant in September. If that last part doesn't work out, I'm going to replicate July-November of this year, stretch goal of BQ (maybe at Scotia Waterfront Marathon).
