April 15 - April 21, 2013 (with Carmel Marathon Review)

I ran Carmel Marathon on April 20.  I meant to write a review for it as soon as I finished.  But I just simply don’t know where to start.  I felt very tire from that one very crazy week; I know I need to record that part of history regardless I want it or not.  So here’s what happen last week.

Monday morning of April 15, I got up early and get to ready to work as every other day.  It was supposed to be normal as any other Monday morning; people get out of bed and go to work.  I did the same thing I got up early to go to work as usual.  I didn’t know the start time of Boston Marathon, so I didn’t want to run in the morning, and miss out the streaming online.  So I watched the whole race, and decided to run it in 2014.  At lunch time, I ran out for a run without turn on the GPS.  I ran this route for 57m’19s’ and felt a little tight on left IT band.  Soon after I return to my office and then I learn that big news we all been following for the past several weeks.  I don’t want write more of what we all been reading.

Tuesday, I ran a much easier lunch hour run on this route for 44m’25s’, then felt somewhat better, and joined yoga class right after.  Since I was so close to the race day, I took Wednesday and Thursday completely off from running, and bounded to Indianapolis on Thursday morning. 

After I arrived to Indy and check in at the car rental to pick up my economic car, but turn out they went out tiny vehicles, and gave me a free upgrade to a Jeep Patriot.  That’s was cool!  I haven’t driven a big car like that since I left Texas.  Anyway, the weather at the time was quite nice, temperature was at 70 degree and sunny.  Soon after I arrived at the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway to check out the race track and museum; I was happy like a little kid tour around there for over three hours.  

Eventually, I got myself into hotel and check in early for the night.  Over the night, I awoke by thunders and heard pouring rain from other side of window.  Friday morning, I up early and drove myself down Monon Trail near the expo for a shakeup jog.  After a night a down pour, it was cold and windy outside.  There were no encourage sights, I saw water flood both side of trail and golf course nearby.  I got in 35 minutes of easy jog for about 4.4 miles in Carmel.

After I pick up my package around noon, I decided to venture out to drive the course, and then while I get into my car, I noticed snow was on my car.  Great!

The course was very flat, no major or notable hill.  But it was clearly flood it around mile 7 in River Road Park and around mile 15 in Hagan-Burke Trail.  Later that night, the race organizer post an update on Facebook that course been modified and everything is ready to go.  At the same time, the National Weather Services issued a freeze warming for Carmel till 8am Saturday morning.  Wonderful!

Saturday morning, I up early, staff my face with bagels, and coffee.  Get to starting line at 6:30 and stroll around for few steps.  After an opening ceremony and moment of silent for Boston bombing, then we were set to go at 7:30.  Temp was chilly at 35 degrees, wind was howling at gusting 22 miles per hour, and a thin layer of ice on bridges.  Air horn was sound and we were charge forward. 

Within the first mile, I already was running solo.  Alisha Wargel of Evensville IN told me before the race that she will run together with me, but she charged forward with couple dozens of half marathoner into horizon.  Ah well…  Whatever!  In the way, I didn’t mind to running solo.  I self-coach and train solo, which just make perfect sense to race solo.  I felt very good and very motivated. 

I learn my lesson on the Garmin watch will drop signal during long distance, so I put a Timex watch on as the backup timer, but instead doing mile split, I hit the split button every 5-mile.  At mile 5, I split 33m’31.50s’, which was 6m’42s’ per mile; that is 2m’55s’ marathon finished.  I know I was running fast and encourage myself to slow down.  At 10K mark, the course has a timing mat and I clocked 41m’50s’, which was 6m’45s’, and I was placed at 30^th overall on that spot.  That ain’t bad.

At that time, I felt the call of nature.  Not sure was because the coffee I drink or cold wind made me wants go urgently; I hang on and ignore it.  Tony Boroczk of Wheaton IL caught me from behind exchange few encouragement to each other.  At mile 10, I clocked 35m’03.95s’ on my Timex and I can’t hold it anymore.  I pull over, have it a go, and lost about 17 seconds for do it that.  Then the second female finisher – Jen Rossano of McCordsville IN caught up to me, but I eventually replace my spot and drop her around half mark. 

It was truly windy day and I clocked 1h’30m’13s’ at the half.  I knew then, there’s a very slight chance that I can run a personal best.  I was just hoping I can run solid time.  That thought relaxed me and I continuous to push forward.  At mile 15, I split at 33m’52.28s’ on the Timex, that average around 6m’50s’ pace; which I was running a PR pace and that was very encouraging.  Near mile 20, I was busy to get gel out of short pocket and didn’t hit a split my watch.  But official time clocked me at 2h’19m’01s’.  At mile 21, I chased down David Walle of Saint Clair MI, who was in the front pack from beginning.  I guess he noticed me and dug deep into his tank. 

 

That’s another encouragement for me.  I remember I didn’t split at mile 20, when I getting close to mile 23, I decide to clock it.  I do that for two reasons, first was to see how I did from mile 15 to 23, second was to see I ran in the last 3.2 miles; I clocked 56m’29s’ for the last eight – that was terrible.  I immediately know that I was not running well.  I told to myself, ‘you need to work harder, if you want to get something done here, and party isn’t start here’. 

I dug deep, way deep by running the last 3.2 miles at 22m’06.93s’.  I finished Carmel Marathon with an official time at 3h’01m’20s’ (Timex is 3h’01m’03s’) and placed 19th overall. 

 

 

T. Boroczk finished at 3h’01m’02s’, A. Wargel ran 3h’03m’39s’, and J Rossano ran 3h’08m’50s’ officially.   

I fell short to running a new personal best.  I was in shape for it and I felt it from the beginning, but condition was not good enough and is not something within our control.  However, I did run a Boston Qualify time for 2014.  As now, I felt strongly about running in the Beantown next year and take MA off my list. 

I tour around downtown Indy in the afternoon and check out of few places in the area, including chop down a one-pound elk burger in Bub’s Burger; if you goes to that burger joint in the near future, you can locate my burger picture on their wall, below the television (the manager told me that’s where he going to put it).  I came back to Maryland on Sunday afternoon and look forward for another marathon later this year. 

 

Any good suggestion?