Marathon #8 - TCM 2

I don't think I've fully conveyed the mental anxiety that marathon running induces. I was reminded of it while reading Haruki Murakami's What I talk about when I talk about running. An extremely experienced marathoner, Murakami recounts training really well for a recent race and then tanking near the end. For his next race, he trains more moderately and approaches it in a low-stress whatever-happens mentality, and tanks again.

So in the week leading up to a race I simultaneously fret that I've overtrained (done too many 22+ runs and worn my legs down to shreds) and that I've undertrained (why haven't I pushed myself more on long runs?). I worry that I'll go for too fast of a time and crash in a fantastic heap of hubris, or that I'll go too slow and sell myself short. The only thing that really keeps me sane is having a group of people that I run with and therefore can compare myself to so I have some idea of where I should be.

And so there I was last week at the starting line of the Twin Cities Marathon with my group, distrustful of the cool (45 degree) forecast in our sleeveless shirts, with long socks on our arms to stave off the chill. I never dreamed I'd be wearing those socks until mile 16, but at mile 2 the sky opened up and it rained for the first half of the race. In a crashing downpour we ran around Lake Calhoun and Harriet, a steaming half-naked mass churning through the flooded streets. All I could do was laugh and whoop at the the ridiculousness of it all, and be thankful for the cool weather.

Ever since I crashed last year I've paid a bit more attention to how the weather influences your running ability... Jeff Galloway has a little chart that I've shared with my training groups:

Adjusting Race Pace for Heat:
Estimated temperature at finish - Slower than goal pace - 8 min mile becomes...
55-60 degrees - 1% - 8:05
60-65 degrees - 3% - 8:15
65-70 degrees - 5% - 8:25
70-75 degrees - 7% - 8:35
75-80 degrees - 12% - 8:58
80-85 degrees - 20% - 9:35
Above 85 degrees - Forget it... run for fun

It's a little extreme, but the point is clear: you have a lot better chance of making a good time if it's cooler. So when I realized that we finally had a chance at the elusive 50-degree marathon, I let my goal time creep up a bit and got comfortable with the idea of starting out faster than usual.

After mile 19 we crossed the Mississippi and dug in for the grudge of the last 6+ miles. With much beloved running buddies SJ and AP by my side (making it a little Grandma's reunion), we pulled each other along the river, up the hills and on to Summit Avenue. Miles 23 and 24 were tough, and I had to dig deep... Summit feels never ending and unrelentingly uphill... and seeing how close to the end I got last year was just heartbreaking.

I walked up the last hill around Dale and found myself made a personal mission by a group of crazed spectators... they walked along with me cheering like maniacs and erupted into hysteria when I took off running and didn't look back (thanks guys! whoever you are!). I turned the corner at mile 25 and enjoyed the steady decline of the last mile... running it in to the finish, leaving everything on the course.

I was elated to see the time (4:02! Ten minutes off my PR!) but too spent for tears this time. The relief of stopping running is so amazing... it is the best feeling in the world.

I'm really proud of my time... nervous about replicating it, and conscious that my next goal is clearly the much sought after "sub-4." But for now there is the blessed relief from long-run training and a chance to work on some other running goals over the winter... and to do some non-running things as well! like sewing and baking.