CIM race report

This is written from my phone so pardon the typos. Woke up every hour on the hour after 1am (CA time). Got out of bed at 3:40 without any alarm and got ready with my singlet and shorts and lots of body glide. Made a slice of bread with Nutella for breakfast and scarfed that down followed by a quick TP massage session since I’ve done that before 90% of my long runs. Went down to the lobby and met Keith and Ruth at 4:30am and waited for the rest of the team. The lobby had a fire place dividing it and we headed over to the part away from the reception and basically took over it. Then Steve gave us a little talk, he reminded us of all work we’d put in and that what we needed to so was run our plan. Which was to bold it till 19 miles and then open up. It was really nice to have him, Ruth and Karen with us in Sacramento. I’ve trained before but never had my coach with me at a “destination marathon” and this was great. Steve made some modifications to our race pls a after driving the course and that’s not something that can be done from
Austin.

After that if was waiting for the bus. Got on the bus with the 3:10 train and Charles, Larry and Ken. We got to the start and took our turns visiting the ports potty, I made two trips. 20 Ni utes before the start I made it to the bag drop off and then went for a 5 mile warmup. I saw the 3 hour pace group and got close to them and then saw Charles, Ken and Jim and joined them. Then off to the races.

I knew from the email from the pace group leader that they were going out fast, first half goal of 1:28:40 which makes no sense to me for people at their limit. There seemed to be 50 to 70 people with the group then. They peeled away from me at the start as did Ken and Charles. I wanted to hold back.

Mile 1 – 6:55

I was glad I didn’t push it on the downhill start.

Mile 2 – 6:40

Time to slow it down, negative splits I’d the goal. Sweet my goal is 6:52 to 6:53 average pace through 19 miles. I take my planned thermolyte pills at 2.5 miles. I carried my own small ozarka water bottle (with tap water) to avoid the rush of people and used that to wash down the pills. When I took my pill bag off my safety pin opened and I lost 3 bags or 6 pills … which were foe the rest of the race but luckily I doubled up since I had a similar issue on a training run.

Mile 3 – 6:53

GU

Mile 4 – 6:40 and overall time of 27:10 with a target of 27:32 (SLOW DOWN)

Mile 5 – 7:05 and overall time 34:15 with target of 34:21 (better)

Mile 6 – 6:53

At this point the 3 hour pace group is nowhere in sight. I’m ahead of pace and they have to be a half a minute if not more ahead of me. This has to be the worst pacing, it might be fine for the pacers but people at their limits cannot deal with the lactic acid build up, it kills us. More on that later, remember the 70ish size of the people with the group at the start, I’ll have more on that around 22 miles. At this point there are a few people with a red Gecco of lizard trying to run a 3 hour pace pulling away from me.

Mile 7 – 6:54 (locking in based on effort)

Another GU. Have to thanks Mike for sharing the spots of the stops and his pace band strategy of marking when to fuel. At this point I loose a GU but have two more than I need with me 🙂

Mile 8 – 6:55

Thermolytes but this time I hold all the pill bags and same issue so I drop them but pick stop and pick them up. At this point Fred is with me and stuff the pill bags into my gloves. Fred and I pretty much run with each other for the next 10 miles, it was nice to ha e a familiar face there.

Mile 9 – 6:56 and overall time of 1:01:55 which is 5 seconds slower than overall goal time. No worries I’m negative splitting.

Start feelingy quads at this point buy I figure I need to give it time.

Mile 10 – 1:08:44 overall and within two sec of 3 hour pace goal! Chickens.

GU followed by a long steep hill which is followed by another. Fred and I are within 10 feet of each other for a while

Mile 11 – 1:15:39 TT (1:15:34 goal)

Mile 12 – 1:22:31 (1:22:26)

Mile 13 – 1:29:21 (1:29:18)

Mile 14 – 1:36:11 (1:36:10)

Start feeling heavy in the legs. GU

Mile 15 – 1:43:04 (1:43:03)

This is where Steve said NOT to pick it up. Thermolytes. Man it was hard to rip the baggir open with numb hands andouth 🙂

Mile 16 – 1:50:00 (1:40:55) Keep holding it back.

Jim from Team Rogue who I saw at the start passes me and says something. I’m so focused I had no idea who it was till half a mile later when I finally saw hi and wish him good luck.

Mile 17 – 1:56:46 (1:56:47) Need to keep this going till 19.

Mile 18 – 2:03:42 (2:03:39) lost a little time

Mile 19 – 2:10:41 (2:10:31)

I’m ten seconds behind flat 3 hour marathon target but this is the plan. Time to speed up a little, I find some people and start reeling them in and try and keep Jim in my sights. He is amazing to run with, he has pulled me in on so many long training runs I just need to be close to him. GU

Mile 20 – 6:51 pace

Mile 21 – P 6:40, TT 2:24:14 (G 2:14:16)

We cross the bridge (last hill) and I tear off my 3:10 pace band, scream is that all this course has got and throw it at some poor guy on the side who looks a little surprised at my actions.

Mile 22 – 6:42, 2:30:56 (2:31:07)

I see the three hour pace group, with 5 or 7 people … that is not good for such a big group. I also see the Gecco uniforms that I pass (except for one who was way ahead).

Mile 23 – 6:39, 2:37:36 (2:38:00)

I’m getting closer to the three hour pace group, within 15 feet. I’m taking water and Cytomax at every stop since I can’t work my fingers well enough to get my last GU. I pass the three hour pace group. The guy I inch up to starts to pick it up bit I just hold steady and he doesn’t have it in him.

Mile 24 – 6:39, 2:44:16 (2:44:52) I’m going to break three hours.

Mile 25 – 6:41, 2:50:57 (2:51:44)

I catch to Jim how gives me a few words of encouragement. I ease in and finish: 2:59:10

My PR before this was at my last race, Boston ’06 in 3:01:08

GO TEAM ROUGE!