General Discussion Race Reports! » Colorado Marathon Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply

Colorado Marathon - RunMarathon


View Member's Race Log View other race reports
Fort Collins, Colorado
United States
40F / 4C
Sunny
Total Time = 3h 32m 59s
Overall Rank = 136/975
Age Group = M50-54
Age Group Rank = 7/47
Pre-race routine:

I brought my own food from home and had my normal breakfast.
Event warmup:

Only had about a half mile of warmup due to lack of time.
Run
  • 3h 32m 59s
  • 26.2 miles
  • 08m 08s  min/mile
Comments:

I had done this race twice before. My last race here was my marathon PR – 3:26:20 - and my first time qualifying for Boston. After my unsatisfactory race in Boston last year I wanted to qualify again and maybe go back to Boston to see what I'm capable of when fully healthy.

I started training for this race way back in September. My focus was to build up substantial volume and hold it for several months, then work on speed and long runs in the month or so preceding the race. During the eight months leading up to the race I ran over 2300 miles, with a peak week of slightly over 100 miles. As is my norm, I also raced frequently and set several new PRs along the way. In other races I set new personal course bests in almost every race. Despite the generally lousy weather I managed to have decent long runs with closing miles at or near race pace. My speedwork went well. Based on all this, I was fully expecting to set a new PR. I was thinking somewhere between 3:15-3:20.

Race morning seemed OK. The weather was just about perfect. The bus got to the starting area a bit later than I was wanting. By the time I got through the potty line and completed some basic routine prerace items I didn't have much time to get in a decent warmup. I did what I could and got in the line for the start. I figured I would ease into the first mile to loosen up, then pick up the pace to what I felt would be sustainable based on my previous recent longer races. This worked well as the first mile was 7:45, then I dropped to the 7:20 range. I was cruising along and not really feeling like I was running hard. I went through 6 miles at just about 45 minutes, a 7:30 pace, right on target and feeling good. At 8 miles I was just over an hour, still on target and feeling good. Shortly after that I could feel my calves starting to tighten up. It seemed very early for that and I had run a 10 mile race a couple months ago at a much faster pace with no issues at all. I felt like I was keeping the same effort, but in the next few miles people started passing me and I knew I was slowing down. Somewhere in those miles I knew this wasn't going to be the race I wanted and I backed off some thinking I could still salvage a PR. I went through the half at 1:40:34, about a minute and a half slower than my last race here. I thought maybe by backing off I could run the second half better than the last race and get that PR. But it just wasn't happening. As I could see the possibility of a PR slipping away, the goal now turned to maybe breaking 3:30. That still seemed possible even as I went through 20 miles. Then I seemed to slow a bit more and the focus was to just get the BQ. I had to really force myself to keep going because by then my legs were getting really tight. I shortened up my stride and increased the cadence to allow myself to keep moving forward at a decent pace. I recall passing the 25 mile mark in the last race with over 18 minutes to finish thinking I could walk it in if I had to. This time when I passed 25 I only had 13 minutes and I knew I had to keep up the effort in that final 1.2 miles. Mile 26 was my slowest mile of the race as the course was getting crowded with people from the half marathon and marathoners trying to finish in good form. When I finally made the last turn and could see the finish line I was able to muster up a final bit of energy and run the last .2 at a slightly stronger pace. I crossed the line in 3:32:59. Only 3 minutes under the BQ time, but nonetheless I had made it.

I'm not overly disappointed. I wasn't like the race was a complete failure. I'm just chalking it up to being an incidence of everything just not coming together on race day. I did make the real goal of qualifying for Boston again. Now I have several months to decide if I'm actually going to Boston again. The race itself is an amazing experience, but the associated costs of travel and accommodations are quite an expense.

What would you do differently?:

Not sure
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around some, drank a few beers with friends.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Legs tightened up for some unknown reason.

Event comments:

Good race, great course, well organized. I recommend this race to anyone looking for a fast time.




Last updated: 2010-05-06 12:00 AM
Running
03:32:59 | 26.2 miles | 08m 08s  min/mile
Age Group: 7/47
Overall: 136/975
Performance: Good
Course: Point to point course. Starting in the Poudre River Canyon for the first 17 miles, along a road for 3 miles, then on a paved path for 6 miles before turning onto a city street for the final .2. The course drops about 1200 feet, about 800 in the first half/400 in the last. Almost continuously downhill at a gentle grade with only one small uphill around mile 19.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

{postbutton}
2010-05-10 3:21 PM

User image

Expert
2555
20005002525
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Subject: Colorado Marathon


2010-05-10 3:59 PM
in reply to: #2849282

User image

Champion
5312
5000100100100
Calgary
Subject: RE: Colorado Marathon
good job finishing it. Second half sounded rough.
2010-05-11 8:59 AM
in reply to: #2849282

User image

Expert
2555
20005002525
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Subject: RE: Colorado Marathon
Thanks Darren.

Yes, the second half wasn't pretty, but I was able to keep going well enough to bring home the BQ.
2010-05-11 2:15 PM
in reply to: #2849282

User image

Pro
4277
20002000100100252525
Parker, CO
Subject: RE: Colorado Marathon
Nice race Don...even if you didn't PR you stil BQ'd.  strange about your legs tightening up...I hate when something like that happens on race day. Especially with marathons as so much goes into getting ready for one.  Really a good finish time for you though and you should be happy with that!

If I can ever get running consistantly again I hope to do Colorado Marathon again.  It is really a beautiful course!
2010-05-11 4:02 PM
in reply to: #2849282

User image

Expert
973
5001001001001002525
Berkeley, Calif.
Subject: RE: Colorado Marathon
Congrats on the BQ!

This was a great race report. It's actually fairly reassuring to see you note that sometimes the race just doesn't come together like you hoped/planned. I love your good attitude about it.

2010-05-11 7:16 PM
in reply to: #2849282

User image

Expert
2555
20005002525
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Subject: RE: Colorado Marathon
Thanks Ray & Erin.

There are days when it just go as well as planned. Rather than keep chasing a PR that wasn't likely to happen, the smart thing to do was readjust my goals as I went. The only real goal was the BQ and all the others were secondary. Now that I have the BQ I may possibly do a fall marathon and just go for the PR even if it results in blowing up and a DNF. I won't have that much to lose.


2010-05-20 2:33 PM
in reply to: #2849282

User image

Master
1927
100050010010010010025
Guilford, CT
Subject: RE: Colorado Marathon
Well done!  Way to hang tough through it.  Race report was a good read.  Your training is impressive.
General Discussion-> Race Reports!
{postbutton}
General Discussion Race Reports! » Colorado Marathon Rss Feed