BI-LO Myrtle Beach Marathon - Run


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Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
United States
55F / 13C
Sunny
 		Total Time = 4h 11m 58s
Overall Rank = 769/1602
Age Group = 44
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

My pre-race routine started with a massage three days prior to the race on day of my last run. On race day I woke up five minutes before all three alarms went off. Classic pre-marathon restful evening, right? All my gear was laid out the night before so I just ate a bowl of (BI-LO)oatmeal and a cup of fruit yogurt and headed for the car. A training/racing friend of mine and I headed to the start area which was a short drive from the hotel. We had 30 minutes to spare. We geared up and talked about the race.
Event warmup:

Thankfully, the inclement weather predicted never showed that morning so I was able to run in the preferred gear of shorts and a couple of tech jerseys (1 long/1 short) plus a throwaway and gloves and baseball hat. Warmup was drinking a bottle of water, walking about 400 yards to the start and some light stretching once there.
Run
  • 4h 11m 58s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 09m 37s  min/mile
Comments:

This is also the first time I didn't run with water on my belt. Just carrying e-gels and using the water provided by the course. It worked pretty well. You do have to pay attention and not miss critical water stops when needing a gel or hydrating to keep your HR in check. This race was managed very well in the water/first aid department and I never felt tense about getting fluids.
What would you do differently?:

I still really want to break four hours for a marathon. When I started this race I didn't have that expectation. However, I crossed the 1/2 split at 2 hours and felt really good. I thought, well maybe.....just then the 4:00 pace runner went by me around Mile 14 and I was very tempted to hop on for the rest of the race. I was more concerned with following my prior strategy regarding managing my HR during the race and ultimately wanted to see that goal to fruition. Next time though, I may be more tempted to follow the 4 hour crowd.
Post race
Warm down:

Walk about 1/2 mile back to car and eat a Met-RX protein bar.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Probably too low of an LT. I like everything else that I did.

Event comments:

I rate this race a 5 because now after four marathons I'm convinced that I'm not a 'BIG RACE' guy. They're great for bragging but not for my PR. I like the smaller attended races. It's just what's right for me.




Last updated: 2006-02-24 12:00 AM
Running
04:11:58 | 26.2 miles | 09m 37s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 769/1602
Performance: Good
This was the first race I did while using an HR monitor. I've been training with one since November. My strategy for pace, etc. was based on my LT for running. I've definitely got additional work to do to raise my LT. My lap by lap data suggests that to maintain any kind of pace to hit my 4 hour goal, I had to run above my LT to get there. This started to occur with regularity around Mile 14 through the end of the race. My last two miles were faster than average pace but my HR was really high. Especially the last 1/2 mile or so. However, it was still my second best performance out of four marathons to date. So I truly believe that utilizing an HR monitor is the way to go. It almost makes me feel like everything I did prior to this was just by guessing.
Course: Course was particularly flat (we're at the beach!). Slight terrain changes are there and come very subtley which can creep up on you if you're not paying attention. The biggest factors here are wind/weather. The course has some nice stretches down by the water and some boring ones out on main thoroughfare (King's Hwy). If you are looking to qualify for a particular race or are working on a new strategy or running style, this course provides you with that opportunity.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5