Mav's mentor group - CLOSED (Page 7)

The race went well.  Course and weather were ideal.  First third was incredable.  Running fast and easy everything according to plan.  Middle third needed an extra gear but couldn't find one that worked and pace began to suffer.  4min off pace at the half way point.  mile 18 sucked. 2 friends who ran the half mary ran out of the crowd just before mile 20 and paced with me until just past 21.  Good friends are good for the spirit.  Keep them close.  Ran well to 23 and then struggled bad through 24.  Running to the next intersection and walking to lamp post and then running again to next intersection and walking to next lamp post.  Keep cramps at bay until 25.  Then it felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. 25+ passing runners again, having fun again. 
26.2 Good race well run.

In retrospective: Nutro (gu/powerbars) and hydro(nuun) were good.  Cramps were easily managed (salt tabs night before and morning of race).  No chafeing (body glide is a gift from the gods and goddesses).  Knees, feet and calf muscles, my old injuries, made no unusual demands.  My training plan for this race had many more fast days and fewer 20 mile days.  I had lots of speed early but suffered from lack of endurance later in the race.  Possible did not taper enough. but taper was about the same as last full.

Looking forward to another marathon, but don't have another full on this years schedule.  I will return to AZ next winter to run the same course again and I am giving some serious thoughts to making my first IM, and IMAZ.

Yes,  I'm walking a little funny today.  Need to get on the trainer tonight and activate some endorphins.

Congratulations on the finish.

At mile 18 I have a number of different strategies to find _happiness_.  Not much science here but I need something to change the pattern without really doing anything different.

miles 16-17-18 You know you're in the middle of something big.

1.  Have I been keeping up with my electrolytes and hydration.  Drink 
2.  I keep a special gu pack for this moment.  Normal fuel is gu tri-berry.  At 18 I consume gu jet-blackberry roctaine with 2x more caffene.  I also carry a very small bag of chomps so I can switch to something special.  Helps to give the mind something different to think about.  In the next run I'd like to carry expresso beans, or maybe an expresso cookie bar.
3.  Change music to a faster beat.

I'll do anything to get to mile 20.  Once I'm past 20, I'm on the home stretch.  I've done so many 6 mile runs I'm easily convinced at 20 that the remainder is just another 6 mile run.  It may not be as fast as a normal 6miler. but the distance is the same.  Of course 6 is almost 5 because every minute you think about 6 being 5 you're moving closer to 5. As soon as you're convinced 6 is like 5, you're at 5.  Everyone knows 5 is just like being at 4.  Try it- it's true.  3 is almost 2.  Everyone does 3 miles.  Of course there isn't much difference between 2 and 1.  1 is a normal cooldown.  Point_2 thats less than a lap at the track.   Before you know it you're over the last timing mat and it's over.  Breaking it down into smaller and smaller bits.

 Cheers