Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Race Recap: Ogden Marathon

I am still struggling on what to say about this race. On one hand, I fell short of my goal and that warranted a lot of "I'm sorry" & "*hugz!*" texts from my friends. But on the other hand, this race was 100x more difficult than I imagined it to be. Every time someone said "I'm sorry" about my race, I found myself getting frustrated.

Why? 

Because at about 9830198234 points during this race I wanted to give up on myself -- and at 9830198234 points during this race I wouldn't let myself do that. I fought for every mile, and every time someone tried to offer some sort of condolence, I realized that they were putting their own spin on my experience before understanding what I just went through. I gave everything I had during this race, and for that I'm so satisfied with my effort.

So please don't say you're sorry or feel bad for me & instead just read. :) 

Pre-race 

Naomi & I arrived in Salt Lake City on Friday afternoon and I noticed immediately I had a headache. I took an Excedrine, and after the expo & dinner I felt better. But on Saturday morning -- race morning -- I woke up with another headache and wondered if it truly was the altitude instead of being psychosomatic. I took another Excedrine for safe measure as Naomi dropped me off at the buses that brought me up to the start line. 

Naomi & me outside the historic Union Station expo
Bonfires burned in the dark, cool morning at the race start, and all the runners huddled around the flames for warmth. Not long after the sun rose over the mountains, the starting gun was fired and we were on our way back to Ogden by foot.  

The race

I happened to be in the port-o-potty line as the staring gun was fired (awesome), and I got a late start with the 5:30 marathoners. My first mile was spent dodging, weaving, and starting off too fast to catch up with my pack. Dang it. 

Just like CIM, I wanted to negative split this race, treating miles 1-5 as a warm up & doing pace miles or faster for the rest. When I started out too quickly, I tried to reel it in for a few miles to even that out and preserve some energy. I was able to slow it down without a problem -- but when it was time for me to pick it back up to pace miles, my legs wouldn't turn over. I have no other way to describe it except that I felt like my warm-up was my workout. My breathing was slightly labored and my heart rate felt okay, but really it just felt like I was working too hard to maintain what should have been a decently casual pace for me. I was running what would feel like 7:30 miles at sea level, but when I would look at my watch, I saw 8:30s. It was extremely disheartening. I felt like I was working my ass off and my paces were not backing up my efforts. 

Miles 1-5:
1: 7:54
2: 8:09
3: 8:05
4: 8:06
5: 8:07 
source
I told myself before the race to be realistic about altitude & to check back in with myself at mile 5 to assess how I was feeling. By mile 6 I found myself counting the miles I had left (not good so early on!) and thought about my backup plan -- slowing down, enjoying the scenery, treating Ogden as a training run, & signing up for a sea-level race a few weeks out. And that's when I decided to do that -- to just get the miles in and sign up for a different race.


But by mile 7, I convinced myself that I didn't dedicate so much time and money to come to Utah for a training run. So I was going to fight for a few more miles and reassess at the halfway point. 

Miles 6-13

6: 8:15
7: 8:08
8: 8:08
9: 8:19
10: 8:11
11: 8:29 -- water bottle refill
12: 7:54
13: 8:14
source
I hit the halfway point in 1:48, and I knew I was pretty far off from my goal. I was getting frustrated when looking at the paces on my watch, so I tucked my watch away and decided to stop looking at it. Instead I was going to run on feel and keep fighting at my race-pace effort. I kept going back & forth with myself on whether to push my body or back off and save my legs for another day. This happened the entire race.

Miles 14-16
14: 8:10 
15: 8:27 -- the Big Steep Hill & water bottle refill
16: 8:18
source
My goal was to survive until the Big Steep Hill between miles 14 and 15, and fly down the multi-mile descend after that. The uphill wasn't a problem for me and I passed a lot of people walking up the beast. The only issue was that I wasn't able to fly back down the hill like I wanted. Right as I was finally warming up to the altitude, my legs were toast from the downhill pounding. They felt like wobbly mush.

I was unusually thirsty and taking water from my handheld every half mile or so, but I needed to start refilling at more stops since I was running out so quickly. Eventually I started refilling my bottle at every stop and I would also chug a cup of water while I was there. I was taking in a lot more liquids than usual, but I was kind of expecting that up at altitude. The sun was getting higher, the air was getting drier, there was very little shade and no wind on the course, and I was seriously doing my damnedest to hit anything under 8:30. Words cannot describe how hard I was working to do even that.

Miles 17-19
17: 8:23 -- water bottle refill
18: 8:16
19: 8:20

And then at mile 20, my stomach had enough of all the water/GU sloshing around & I made my first ever bathroom break during a marathon. There's a first for everything, right?!
Miles 20-24
20: 9:58 -- water bottle refill & bathroom break :(
21: 7:51
22: 8:08
23: 8:04
24: 8:10
source
Once we hit mile 24, the course switched from downhill pavement to a bike path filled with rolling hills (and even the occasional biker coming at us). It got congested as I caught up with the slower half marathoners/walkers, the last marathon relay point, and golf carts trying to get through to bring people to the medical tents. I dodged and weaved some more, just like how I started the race. At this point, my legs were completely dead -- after running for so many miles downhill, my muscles almost didn't know how to handle flatter ground. It was very hard to even stay upright.
This race was no joke -- I felt like an idiot for thinking a downhill race might make a marathon easier. 

Miles 25-26.35
25: 8:56 -- water bottle refill
26: 8:40
.35: 2:54 (8:20 pace)

I saw Naomi and her friend Aaron cheering me on as I approached the crowded finish line grandstands & I did my best to finish strong in front of so many people. I had nothing -- absolutely nothing -- left in me. I may not have PR'd this course, but I sure beat myself up by not taking the easy way out.

Overall this race was wonderful & I recommend it to anyone who wants to run a beautiful and very scenic route. The expo was charming, the swag was above-average (things you actually use in your race bag: Runners World magazine, Kleenex, pedicure set, Shot Blox), and the entire race was well-organized, efficient, and all the workers/volunteers were friendly. The course itself was breathtaking & a tiny part of me wishes I had brought my phone with me to snap some super blurry pictures of all the mountain scenery. Instead, the only way I can describe the gorgeousness of Utah is to tell you to run this race yourself. Just don't try to race it if you're not used to altitude or downhill running. 

In short: This race was a total bitch for me. The altitude nearly killed me and I worked so hard to not give in. I'm satisfied with my finishing time despite the obstacles & I don't want people to pity me for not making my 3:30 goal. Sure, upon careful split analyzing, if I hadn't stopped for water or the bathroom, I would have bettered my current 3:35 PR... but I truly believe I took the breaks I needed in order to make it to the finish line. And I am okay with that. 

A bit longer: I am confident I can sub-3:30 based on this training cycle and this race itself. Some rudimentary calculations of what this altitude race translates to at sea level say I'm capable of running much faster than what my Garmin showed. I personally learned that I'm capable of pushing myself even when my legs won't move & it's hard to breathe. If I can push myself to that extent under those conditions, I know can do anything... at least at sea level. :)

Marathoner x7
Garmin time: 26.35 miles, 3:38:43 -- 8:18 pace

Official time: 26.2 miles, 3:38:43 -- 8:21 pace
Overall place: 384 out of 2,385 
Gender place: 107 out of 1,179 
A/G place: 22 out of 143

Splits:
1: 7:54
2: 8:09
3: 8:05
4: 8:06
5: 8:07
6: 8:15
7: 8:08
8: 8:08
9: 8:19
10: 8:11
11: 8:29
12: 7:54
13: 8:14
14: 8:10 
15: 8:27
16: 8:18
17: 8:29
18: 8:16
19: 8:20
20: 9:58 
21: 7:51
22: 8:08
23: 8:04
24: 8:10
25: 8:56
26: 8:40
.35: 2:54 (8:20 pace)

Super huge thanks and massive hugs to Naomi for totting me around/keeping me company/motivating me/putting up with me this weekend! Despite how hard this race was for me, I KNOW you'll enjoy doing it next year. :) xoxoxo

32 comments:

  1. You are so super studly for pushing through. Mental toughness to the n-th degree...giving it all you had. For that, I give you celebratory (((hugs))) not ones of condolence :)

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  2. I don't feel bad for you for a second -- Jana & I looked up your time Saturday night and we were MAD impressed that you ran such an amazing time at altitude. You clearly ran a hard, strong race and I *know* you've got that 3:30 in you. You are AWESOME!!

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  3. Fantastic effort Alyssa! You did well and worked extremely hard, well done! I've done some downhill marathons and although they can be relatively fast, they are never easy. Non of my best times are on downhill courses. Hope you are resting well.

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  4. Congratulations (even though it wasn't the time you wanted)! PS you got BALLER/AMAZING in ALL of your race photos - so I would say that is a WIN!!!!!!

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  5. I totally know how you feel right now because I felt the exact same way after Eugene. You did an amazing job training for Ogden and you have the fitness to run a sub 3:30. Marathons are such heart breakers! I hate them and love them at the same time. Are you still thinking about SGM in October?

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  6. I totally agree that sub-3:30 is in you. Altitude is a funny thing and we all react differently to it. And downhills are killers--more so than uphills, I think. You ran a really, really strong race and should be very proud of your efforts! No pity from me on this one--only admiration!

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  7. You TOTALLY have a sub-3:30 in you... this race just proves how strong you are, and it's awesome that you never gave up, even when it totally sucked.

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  8. I hear ya on leaving it all on the course. I felt that way at Eugene. So happy you didn't give up out there, even when it was tough! Congrats on another marathon!

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  9. Well, I am not going to say sorry at all. I know Utah well, and I have friends and family who live there and train there. Some of them ran Ogden as well. The elevation I think is a sneaky thing there. In and around SLC it is not bad for me. Yet, all you have to do is drive up on one of the Canyons for 15 minutes and boom you are 1500-2000 ft higher real fast. Regardless coming from your location to run any race that starts up one of the Wasatch Front Canyons - congrats!!! You hugely achieved something big. Great time and effort. You look very strong in all the photo's.

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  10. Oxygen, man. I quit after attempting a 5 mile run in Denver. I have no idea how you made it through 26+. Badass.

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  11. Downhill races are no joke. Steamtown was a disaster for me. My legs were trashed and it was the only marathon I have ever felt completely destroyed after. It took awhile to feel normal again. It seems to depend on the runner. Some people I know have run massive PRs beyond what they are capable on a "normal" course. Others have completely blew up. You still ran a really solid race. Especially with altitude too. Congrats!!!

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  12. Tough as nails. No joke, you're my running inspiration. So ... where to next? ;)

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  13. Hey! You pushed through, it was at altitude and you stayed focus and not gave up. That's all it matter, and ask yourself this, did you have fun? Running isn't always for PRing all the time rights? I'm proud of ya!

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  14. Thanks for sharing and inspiring, even though you didn't make your goal. People under estimate the dryness and altitude all the time. I lived in Denver before moving to the Bay Area, and it is totally different! Congrats on a great finish.

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  15. Wow you really ran your heart out up there. I think this quote says it all "I gave everything I had during this race, and for that I'm so satisfied with my effort."

    I know that running at altitude is harder than sea level, though I figured that the downhill would cancel out the altitude, so that your mile times would be similar to running at sea level on flat ground. Though it sounds like it was more difficult than I imagined. Not sure what the best way to train for a downhill marathon, maybe doing 20 mile workouts on the treadmill with a downhill tilt similar to what you would see at Odgen? Just seems difficult to train for it.

    You definitely have a sub 3:30 marathon in you, maybe CIM would be a great place to smash your PR to smithereens. Great job on the race overall, you ran as hard as you could and survived with an outstanding time.

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  16. That was so cool to read! You are awesome and the whole experience was an inspiration to me.

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  17. Wow congrats! I realize you didn't hit your goal, but like you said, there were points where you wanted to give up but you didn't - you kept going and finished! I think your pace is great and congrats again on being mentally tough!

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  18. Totally impressed. I didn't make it 8 miles the time I tried to go on a run in altitude in Montana. It would have been much, much easier to drop out...studly willpower. Let's move to Utah and get acclimated so we can run all these pretty races!

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  19. Congratulations on an amazing race - I'm not sure I would have stuck at it like you did...and your 'frustratingly slow' pace is literally the fastest mile I have ever run!! You're so speedy.

    (Oooh and those pro foot inserts completely sorted my PF, thanks SO much!!)

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  20. So very inspiring! Way to go body! You held in there and used your body till the very last mile :) Im proud of you congrats!

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  21. Good race. You left nuthin out there even though it was brutal to keep pushing. I am impressed.

    The sub-3:30 will happen...I really like the CIM course..cool, not crowded, dead flat in the last 6 miles, rolling mostly downs, point to point course..are you going to run there again? It's a lucky place.

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  22. You did awesome! You worked really hard and were well prepared. Altitude is a very tricky thing. Now you have experience and the next altitude race will feel better. Feel proud!

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  23. Holy hell you had a race... the tough ones always make us stronger for the next one. WAY TO FIGHT, CLAW, GRIT and RUN THE POOP out of that race. I still can't get over how stellar you look in that race photo... seriously looks like you haven't run a single mile, when clearly you worked your ass off. Cheers.

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  24. Congrats A! Altitude is killer...I remember my first day biking in Ogden for my internship there. It was brutal coming from Minnesota.

    I look forward to reading about your journey to the 3:30 marathon. I know you can do it!

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    1. Aww, thanks, Julie. Long time, no hear! Hope all is going so, so well with you!

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  25. I will never send you another "hugs" type text again! I regret all the junk I predicted based off of my own experiences happened, though. Altitude is a tough cookie. I definitely think you ran your sub-3:30 effort which is awesome. I imagine it is a tough choice whether to scrap an off day for another or to keep persevering and I'm glad you are happy with your decision. Curious if you are going to still run St. George. Another downhill, altitude, Utah race seems like the sequel to a horror movie :D I am twiddling with the idea of running a downhill marathon next year and this definitely colors my perspective a bit.

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  26. Wow, I'm impressed by how hard you still hit it without your Garmin. What shoes are you wearing in the pics? Just curious.

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    1. Thanks! I had my Garmin on me, I just wasn't really checking it. Sorry if that was confusing. The shoes I wore at Ogden are the 2012 model of Newton Distances. :)

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  27. I don't know why I haven't commented on this yet! No matter how hard we train, some days just aren't our day. You still gave it what you could (altitude, ugh!), and I know you have sub-3:30 in you. CIM, lets doooo it!

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    1. You are coming for CIM too!!!!?? Am I really going to get to see you that much this year!? A dream come true!!

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  28. I tried to comment here the other day, but it got eaten by a computer monster. We'll pretend that it was an incredibly profound comment. ;-)
    Anyway, I'm glad you're proud of yourself, because you ran a damn good race. It was a tough race, it was tough on your body, and yet you ran a 3:38. It was just a short time ago that sub-4 was still a dream, and now look at you! Be proud -- I am!!

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