Since my laptop died the day before we left home, I'm writing this post from a tablet and will try to be brief so my poor thumbs don't fall off. Please excuse any typos or unfortunate auto correct issues.
Okay. So race day. Marathon Monday.
Weather: I'm a little worried about the forecast. 71 degrees, sunny, and a 15 MPH tailwind. I know some people thrive at this temperature, but I'm not one of them. I run best about 20 degrees cooler. That said, there are some things I can do to mitigate the heat related slowdown. I may be able to push it off until the last few miles where I hope to meet the sea breeze. My last marathon at this temperature was Mountains2Beach in 2014. Maybe you'll remember how that turned out? Two words: med tent.
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| Friday's run, 50 degrees and sunny |
Fueling plan: Salt tabs, once an hour. Gel every 6-8 miles. Water stations will be every mile, so I can definitely make a lot of stops. Lastly: Body Glide. I'm going to apply it as if I'm racing in the rain. I plan to dump a lot of water on myself to stay cool.
Pace plan: Compared to the past few training blocks, this one has been excellent. I broke two PRs en route to the marathon and effort vs. pace has certainly shifted. If all goes exactly to plan and the weather is conducive, I think I could reasonably expect to break 3:25. If not, finish time depends when the over heating begins. My goal is to start out at a 7:45 pace (3:23) and see how it feels. I've got enough of these marathon things under my belt that I know what each point in the race should feel like if I'm doing it right. After my M2B med tent day, my main goal is always to finish in one piece. Running races shouldn't end with medical intervention.
If the weather forces a slowdown before 15 miles, I will slow it down even more to training pace and revisit my goal at a May 7th marathon. Otherwise, I'm going for it. Wish me luck!
4 comments:
Good luck! Have a great race!
I may not be commenting as much lately, but I'm still here and I am still reading and I am SO ROOTING FOR YOU!!
You know I'll be stalking. Here's hoping for a great day!!
I hope it goes great. I agree that 70s is not ideal marathon temperature.
I'd prefer 40/50 as I know you would too.
But just listen to your body and I am sure you'll enjoy it.
Good luck (or maybe by this time "I hope it went well?")! I certainly don't envy that weather forecast - sounds hot!
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