Dottie Catlin Boston Marathon Report 2012
Hi All:
That was a really hard one. I finished in 5 hours, 12 minutes slower then my IMFL time last year and 15 minutes than my first ever marathon years ago. I was on pace to go under 4, so naturally I have some concerns. Yes, it was hot, but I changed my strategy and I still should've been under 4. My vDot is 42, I dialed back to 39 and then reconfigured for Boston Course and then again with heat calc. My stomach and mind were fine, but my legs were not-even from the beginning.
My strategy had me starting at 9:11 (reconfigured strategy re: heat), and you know how the strategy played out for BM course--it basically put me at a 9:06/min pace. My vDot before dropping 3 points, etc. was an 8:25 pace and I was hitting it in training.
I started out and immediately my legs hurt. I couldn't even get to 9:11 pace on the downhills out there in Hopkinton! So, I just did my EP (9:47) and decided to treat this like a training run, starting out in zone 1 and hoping that my legs would open up by mile 5. They did only a little bit, but not for long. I never could get into the 9s at all, was around a 10/min pace avg by 10, dropped to 10:30 by 15, 11 by 20 and finished at 11:20. My legs were absolutely killing me. I had practiced "suffering"-racing vs just jogging in a comfort zone, but I could not do it, I just could not do it.
So, what's the deal?
Pre-race everything was normal re: nutrition and such. Pre-race meal same as always, 700 cals 2&1/2 hrs out. Gu 1/2 hour before starting, gu every 40 mins, 2 Scaps every hour. NO stomach issues, mind was in it. Water every mile. Also doused water over my body every mile. Was definitely hot, but it was the legs. No injuries, just hurt, hurt, hurt. You know how the last 8 miles usually hurts in a marathon--well, this was literally the whole time. I even thought of pulling out! I peed 4 times, fine. Peed after the race-ok. No headache, feel ok (been shopping and out for ice cream with the family--don't feel tired mentally but my legs are just shot.
I have been doing Jan OS and marathon hack, both intermediate, as I should from past times (12:42 at IMFL). I followed everything pretty much to the T. Sure I felt a little tired from now & then, but not deadly so. I was surprised to only drop the bike workouts with 10 days to go, but i did what I was told. I will say that I made huge gains on the bike, but I also did on the run. My vDot improved each time. But, come the race my quads were like, hello! What is this? It was as if my body was saying you've spent too much time on your bike and not enough time running, or resting? I dunno.
Anyway, it's not so much that i care, but if I wasn't tapered I certainly didn't recognize it. How do you? I want to have a good season. I am an athena, but I've lost weight too and am in better shape. The heat was crazy, but as I said I just kept saying to myself--ouch my legs--how am I going to get through this--I have never thought that before!
I would love to hear from some wicked smart members on your thoughts! Should I have bagged the bike 3 weeks out or what? Just chaulk it up to the heat? Bad luck? I really don't think it was poor nutrition. I'd say I burned 3100cals, had 700 for bfast, 100 before start, then 700 on course=1500. Is that too little? I drank water every mile (but the cups are halfway filled).
I dunno--what does it mean when your legs just hurt? Is that bonking (even from the beginning??!?) Is it potassium or iron levels or something (never had a problem)? Is it lack of tapering (and you would feel it from the beginning?) I got 8 hours of sleep both nights before the marathon, hydrated, the whole nine.
Anyway, you get the jist. Any guidance?? THANK YOU!!!!
Comments
Nice report. We are on similar schedules. IMFL then Dec OS here. Stopped my OS 12 days pre boston with a bike FTP test then in the next 11 days took 3 rest days and ran 13,8,6,4,2 and threw in some swimming as my taper. So I do think you gave up the bike early enough.
Why did your legs hurt? I gotta say its the course and most likely exacerbated by the heat. I don't know if there is some physiological effect on the muscles from the heat but it sure felt like it and sounds like it talking to others. I thought heat was more an effect on the cardiovascular system than the muscles. My quads actually felt a lot better the first half of this year compared to last but I think the second half hurt more than last year?
Congrats on your Finish! Tim,
I know that I have days that running is totally effortless and other days that my legs are like lead. I have never figured out what causes the lead legs. Glycogen issue? imune system fighting something? bio-rhythems? No clue. I just know it happens and I cant fix it, kind of like the weather.
Dispite the difficult conditions (legs and weather) you did a good job of managing the changes as they came. Seems like good race execution to me. Having a good race when everything just clicks is easy. Having a decent race when faced with adversity is where your metel really shows. So I say "Great Job" - you earned it.
(And, keep posting if you have advice--like shout out to Al Truscutt and Mike Graffeo, and the others that are so active, and the coaches....what do you guys think?)
Congratulations on your finish. As for the heat- there was no way for you to train and be prepared for the weather, unless you did treadmill runs without fans (I did that for Ragnar this past winter).
Glad you were able to smile. Looking forward to riding together this summer.
* do only EN workouts leading up to a race...really!
* adjust your build up to allow for an earlier taper (3 vs 2 weeks, for example)
* continue on and assume this was an outlier!
I'd say your legs were smart, They knew they shouldn't be running hard cause of the heat, so they let you know that from the start. As long as you enjoyed the crowds at the end, consider it a successful day.
Shoot, I don't want to be no 5 hour stand-alone marathoner, even if it is a good time for some folks. I want to be around 4. So, that's what I did. I took everyone's advice and dialed way back after BM. I'm talking 2 swims, a 10k (paced at Z2 only) and 2 other 4 mile Z2s. Yeah, I had a plan.
I woke up yesterday, drove a half hour away, and ran the Cox Providence Marathon. Call me crazy, but I needed to reset my head going into tri season. It just is what it is. But, I know some of you feel me!
4:04:37. I'll take it. Head is reset--mind out of the gutter, legs enjoyed the full taper. Now it's a bit more recovery, and then the build.
Might not be the perfectly recommended path, but it worked for me, and i'm glad I did it.
Here's to believing in ourselves, even after a bad race. It is possible to stay on pace!
Happy training!
I know, I SERIOUSLY know, P! I did think that when I saw Maura! But, I just couldn't deal mentally with a 5 hour marathon going into the season when I knew it wasn't the heat at BM. I've reset my head and I can tell I am on track. I was way overtrained (my own fault) after the winter and not eating enough either, so I have fixed all that and am back to my chipper self. Yes, recovery this week, I know. Thank you for checking in. I was wondering if you were going to come up behind me on your training run! The kids are adorable!!