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Got my butt kicked

RV's picture
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started by RV on October 2, 2006

I did the Milwaukee Lakefront marathon yesterday.
Everything started out great. Felt good. Weather was perfect. Sunny and 50's. Pretty easy course...just a few inclines - can't really call them hills. 2500 people. I wanted to run a 3:45.
The first first half of the marathon went great. Was right on pace. Everything felt good. By mile 15 started to get some protest from the legs. Eased the pace back a bit. At mile 18 they suddenly realized that we were doing a marathon and revolted! It wasn't a nutrition or hydration thing - wasn't hitting the wall. My legs were like they were 200 pounds each - they were just dead. I massively struggled the last 8 miles. I even broke down and periodically walked a couple minutes a few times. ARG! The other problem was my own dumb fault - I wore my racing flats. Now, I had worn the same model shoe previously on this marathon course the previous year, but what I forgot to take into account was that back then I wasn't running using Evolution method. So running with more of a forefoot strike on a shoe with nearly no forefoot cushioning - My feet feel like I ran barefoot the entire way. Very painful. I even resorted to running the last few miles with a heel strike to lessen the pain in my foot. I finished in 4:07. Yuck! I feel worse today than I did after the IM a few weeks ago. Still trying to figure out if it was fatigue left over from IMWI, or something else?
Since it was the last big race of the season, my wife had a big batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies waiting for me when I got home. :D

RV

It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss

Anton's picture
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Anton posted 1 year ago.

This is just my opinion RV...but I think it was way to soon after IMmoo to do a marathon. Especially a Marathon where you had time expectations..perhaps if you had said "i'm doing it but just for a finish" and lollygagged the whole thing.
Most recovery plans for IM have you doing nothing serious for three weeks to a month.
One suffers a system wide depletion after an event the length of an IM. Even though you feel "ok" you may have no reserves...nothing deep down to pull from. I've done several long events after my IM's and have felt worse at the end of those than I did the IM...It takes quite awhile to spring back...

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent Van Gogh
My Blog: http://anton.trifuel.net

rjkowski's picture
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rjkowski posted 1 year ago.

Good call Anton.

Last year my wife and I decided to sign up for the Twin Cities Marathon, which was three weeks after we did IM Moo. My logic was that it would be a piece of cake since we would have been trained up for the IM. Boy was I wrong! I think my wife described it best when she said that it felt like starting at mile 140.6.

This year we didn't sign up for the marathon!

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jmruns430 posted 1 year ago.

I've never done an Ironman (yet) so I can't say too much about your recovery needs after that, but after every single marathon I've done I can't even try to run hard or even that long for at least a month. And that's after only a marathon, not a marathon after a really long swim and bike, so I'd imagine that your legs were really nowhere's near ready to give that run another go. Don't be too hard on yourself, you finished in what isn't a terrible time for someone in your place. But go give yourself the real recovery you deserve. I try to stick by the theory that you really shouldnt run in the first 5 days after a marathon and need at least one easy day for every mile you ran before you can run hard again (I've had coaches that tell me this applies to 5k's too). So give your legs a break! And congrats on finishing.

RV's picture
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RV posted 1 year ago.

Thanks for the input!
I did think that it is only a marathon - should be easy!
Appreciate the advice - it helps. And I'm learning from this - not signing up for the marathon next year after IMOO.

RV

It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss

madcity mick's picture
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madcity mick posted 1 year ago.

Thanks for the learning experience - better you than me ;) . I had originally thought of doing same - Lakefront after IMWI - but I haven't run a step since IMWI and couldn't imagine doing a marathon. But kudos to you for doing it.

beads1985's picture
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beads1985 posted 1 year ago.

RV;53438 wrote:
Thanks for the input!
I did think that it is only a marathon - should be easy!
Appreciate the advice - it helps. And I'm learning from this - not signing up for the marathon next year after IMOO.

It is funny you said that ''it is only a marathon''
Before my first marathon I couldn't imagine saying that.

After the first marathon you get a different perspective.
I have said it a few times since then and people think I am crazy.

RV's picture
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RV posted 1 year ago.

beads1985;53457 wrote:
It is funny you said that ''it is only a marathon''
Before my first marathon I couldn't imagine saying that.

After the first marathon you get a different perspective.
I have said it a few times since then and people think I am crazy.

Ya, funny how fast your perspective changes.
Now I have learned that while I don't need to be afraid of the distances, I still need to be respectful of them.

RV

It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss