Training Log Archive: Bender

Toronto International Marathon ...last "fall" edition ever, sadness

Damn it! Really can't put into words how frustrated I am with my race. ...I'd done the speed work ...endured all the necessary distance on the legs ...posted the speeds to put me into NYC qualifying range; ...going into the race I felt on top of the world and extremely comfortable in my confidence ...which is why when something started niggling at the back of my mind at about the 6km mark I choose to push it to the back and pretend it wasn't there.

Only a few km later and I was starting to suffer; not even having reach the first 10k mark ("What the F!??!!"). I continued to ignore it and suffer quietly next to Super. As we came down Rosedale Valley Rd I tried to mentally push the suffering aside given the familiarity of my training grounds, but by the bottom of the Bayview Extension it was clear that my race was certainly not going to be pretty. Even to the point that as we went past my place I joked to Super that we should call it and head in for some beers on our deck (kinda wasn't joking on the inside). Finally about 400m before the half-way matt I gave up the tireless game of yo-yo I was playing trying to run next to Super. Up until then we'd beautifully kept our pace and it suddenly felt like a parachute went out the back. Luckily I hadn't abandoned him completely as dkonotopetz managed to latch back on just as I came unhooked and the two of them disappeared up the road rapidly.

Billy pulled up next to me on his bike, taking a break from the Battle of the Blade tapping to come taunt me. Luckily he exchanged the taunting for encouragement when he noticed my condition. He pushed me to keep pace with passing runners for atleast 100m and repeated as each subsequent runner came by. Unfortunately he couldn't hang around too long so once down near the foot of Bathurst he turned tail and encouraged me to save the day.

Quick refresher from a few weeks ago (pre-race goals):
A - NYC qualifying time (<2:55)
B - Sub-3hr
C - beat previous PB (3:08)

With goals A and B now clearly out of reach I turned my attention on making something out of the day and not having all my weeks of training and single minded focus go to waste. After all I'd given up a lot of great orienteering this year for the sole purpose of a sub 3hr marathon on Oct 17th. I dug deep and then even deeper, reminding myself of the hours of prep I'd put into getting my body fully trained to handle this pounding despite what my brain was trying to tell it otherwise.

...well, that only lasted a brief period, for as I came around a course turn around (~30.5km) I caught sight of the 3:10 bunny (and his mob of 30-34y.o. Boston hopefuls in tow) only about a km back. Rejig... and voila! race goal "D" was invented! there on the spot! Try to stay ahead of the 3:10 mob until the bottom of University Ave (39km) and bring it in for a <3:15. With my years piling on I now have the advantage of another 5mins added to my Boston qualifier time, so I figured that I could atleast make the day useful and accomplish a qualifying time for 2012 (...2011 is out of the picture; more on that later). Unfortunately only a couple more clicks and I heard a stampede of running shoes coming on fast from behind. I pulled to the side to allow those stupid, frickin', god-for-sacken, damn bunny ears bounce past like it was nothing! I couldn't even latch on to these guys. "What the hell's wrong with me!?!?!!!" was all I could yell internally to myself. But kept on with the mental mantra of confidence.

All along the Queen's Quay the bodies past me like I was standing still as I continued to pour every ounce of effort I could muster into this damn thing. Now it was a matter of keeping that damn 3:15 bunny behind me. I hadn't seen it, but just knew it was gaining on me, hunting me down as I limped my wounded body along. "Hallelujah left turn!" ...and we're headed north on the final 3.2k to Queen's Park! The final 3k is a continuous gentle uphill and I just focused on my countless training runs where I'd done mental exercises over the final 3k with this exact finish in mind. With bodies continuing to flow by in an unanswerable stream I played a battle in my head that I couldn't explain, which was likely the most frustrating part ..."what happened?".

Finally about College street I over heard a little girl on the sidewalk exclaim excitedly to her dad "...daddy!!! Look here comes another runner wearing bunny ears!!!" Ahh... FACKKKKKK!!!! I think to myself internally as the 3:15 mob stormed by and I couldn't respond. After another maybe 45sec I decided that since Boston gives a 59sec margin for error on your qualifying time, come hell or high water I was gonna work my hardest for the day over these final 500m around Queen's park! As I rounded the top end of the park and the finish line came into view I still couldn't relax yet as the clock was back light by sun glare, so I pushed it in just in case I was playing with seconds.

3:15:32! ...and that's a painful 3:15:32, not physically, but mentally! I have absolutely no explanation for such a disappointing race when all the stars were aligned and I was better prepared than I've ever been for a race.

...guess sometimes it's just not your day.


The good (0-21k)
1: 4:06
2: 4:05 (0:08:11)
3: 4:02 (0:12:13)
4: 3:58 (0:16:12) <--- downhill (Hog's Hollow)
5: 4:31 (0:20:43) <--- uphill (Hog's Hollow)
6: 4:02 (0:24:45)
7: 4:09 (0:28:54)
8: 4:04 (0:32:58)
9: 4:04 (0:37:02)
10: 4:16 (0:41:18)
11: 4:21 (0:45:39) <--- uphill out of Forest Hill village
12: 4:02 (0:49:41)
13: 4:04 (0:53:45)
14: 4:03 (0:57:48)
15: 4:04 (1:01:52)
16: 4:04 (1:05:56)
17: 4:33 (1:10:29) <--- think the sign was off
18: 3:59 (1:14:28)
19: 4:30 (1:18:58) <--- wheels starting to come off
20: 4:24 (1:23:22)
21: 4:31 (1:27:53)

...the bad (22-34k)
22: 4:29 (1:32:22)
23: <--- missed the split
24: 9:21 (1:41:43)
25: 4:47 (1:46:30)
26: 4:48 (1:51:18)
27: <--- missed the split
28: 9:34 (2:00:52)
29: 4:51 (2:05:43)
30: 4:57 (2:10:40)
31: 5:13 (2:15:53)
32: 4:48 (2:20:41)
33: 5:02 (2:25:43)
34: 5:06 (2:30:49)

...and the ugly (36-42.2k)
35: <--- missed the split
36: 10:11 (2:41:00)
37: 5:24 (2:46:24)
38: 5:34 (2:51:58)
39: <--- missed the split
40: 11:24 (3:03:22)
41: 5:41 (3:09:03)
42.2: 6:29 (3:15:32)

C • :-( 12

Light loosening up; next time the shoes go on it's game time. ...off to pick up my chip from the race expo at CNE grounds.

C • Good luck this weekend!!!! 4

Last real workout before Sunday ...homework is done and nothing left I can do.
20 minutes easy warm up, 10 minutes at marathon pace and then right into 2 minutes at 5k pace, 10 minutes easy warm down

...and yet more taper.

Only 5 more sleeps until the "Quadruple C" at the "Double D"!

C • Sub-3 18

C • Music to inspire 2

Easy run along Huron County roads

12x100m strides; focus on form.