Pace Groups (And a Pace Story)

Maybe I don't understand what a pace group is supposed to do...

What I gathered from everything that I read about pace groups is that they were supposed to keep a consistant pace throughout the race. Obviously this is VERY difficult to do. I mean, I can understand falling a little off pace in this process. But when I ran in Chicago, we had five paceleaders for the 4:45 group. They all had their little Garmins beeping the whole time and were obsessive about hitting our EXACT pace on every mile.

For the Flying Pig, Bill and I started out with the 4:30 pace group, with the idea that after we split (around mile 9), we would both pick up the pace (for him to run a 2:12 and for me to finish with a 4:22). I thought I would be okay, because most of my training runs I was doing a 9 minute pace. In fact, on my last two long runs it was almost agony to keep a 10 minute pace. So I thought a goal pace of 10:18 would give me a nice finish time.

We started our first mile at 10:15. I was super impressed because there was a lot of crowd to navigate around. The paceleader was great, monitoring our breathing, giving us tips on running up the hill, etc. He had paced 15 marathons before and lives in San Diego, where there are LOTS of hills to train on. So I felt comfortable with him, like he knew what he was doing.

The next mile was 9:07. Okay? A little fast. Especially since we walked through a water stop. But maybe the strategy was to save it for the hills?

Mile 3 = 10:53
Mile 4 = 9:45
Mile 5 = 10:13
Mile 6 = 9:48

When they stopped for water I decided to ditch them. I mentally needed to get up the 4 mile gradual climb and the worst part of the marathon was coming up. I was already starting to feel a little tired (and probably a little antsy since our pace was all over the place). I decided to take it nice and super easy and logged an 11:22 for my next mile. I thought this was okay since we obviously had made up some time in the pace group. I wasn't too worried.

The next mile was 10:53, but the weird thing was that I was AHEAD of the pace group at this point. This was actually the mile that I slowed down to catch up with them again. I figured the paceleader knew best what he was doing.

I felt better running with them because our next mile was 10:12 (only 6 seconds fast). Then 10:07.

Mile 11 = 9:38 and I was starting to get pissed off because my arms were hurting which was slowing me down. I also didn't feel so great in my stomach (which probably had nothing to do with my pacing). I was feeling tired though.

Mile 12 = 10:01
Mile 13 = 10:06
Mile 14 = 10:29

This is where I started to ditch the pace group again. I KNEW that I could pace myself. I had done it a million times, keeping a 10 minute mile the whole way and only ending about 30 seconds off pace. I was feeling like CRAP and had to slow down.
So I logged a 10:52 and for the next two split the difference between 21:38 (I forgot to hit my watch on mile 16).

I was DYING and had no energy.

This is when my times really fell off.

Mile 18 = 12:32

This was not good. However, I knew the 4:45 group was behind me. So I revised my Plan C goal from "just finishing" to "finishing with my Chicago goal time: 4:45".

Mile 19 = 12:02

I was pissed off at myself and willed myself to pick up the pace.

Mile 20 = 11:27
Mile 21 = 11:42
Mile 22 = 11:03
Mile 23 = 13:12

BUT this is where I stopped at the Port-o-let. I had to pee since the 9th mile and was trying to hold it in all this time. I couldn't take it anymore and decided to stop. Well, I guess after waiting that long I couldn't go. I was like "come on, come on, come on". I was watching my watch the whole time. That little trip cost me 2 minutes. (Sorry if that was TMI).

Mile 24 = 12:16 (I was making goal points for myself at this point. "Just make it to that red house and then you can walk a little". Well, let's just say I walked a lot during that mile).

Mile 25 = 14:29 (Ouch!)"OK" I told myself, "NO MORE WALKING!"

Mile 26.2 = 12:41

I THINK the extra .25 was added around mile 22. But I'm not sure.

At any rate, I was just glad to finish. My knees hurt more than they ever have before. My friends near the finish line said I looked "pissed off". I smiled at the end because I knew there would be pictures taken. :)

But I must have looked really bad because volunteers kept asking me if I was ok. Really? For real?

I saw people walking around with ice cream. Brilliant! Calcium, protein, fat, yummy...just what I needed. I ambled to the end and was draped with a blanket, a towel and a medal. (That was cool. They usually just hand them to you).

I saw my parents and Bill and went over to the grass to get rid of my lactic acid. It took Bill, my mom AND my dad to help me to the ground. I am including the picture because it is funny. But I look extremely gross in it. So then I will end with a cute picture of me and all of my friends so that you can get that scary picture out of your mind. :)

Chicago Marathon: Mile 1-7

OK, one of the big perks of running for a charity is that you get a special tent. Team CdLS' was the "Trophy Tent". This tent has free food and beverages, their own masseurs, and (most importantly) their own port-a-lets. Totally worth it! It was nice to get ready in a fairly calm environment where you don't have to worry about those things. I had prepped myself by cutting out red meat and alcohol for the past two nights. I was coated in Body Glide. I had taken my secret weapons: Immodium and Tylenol 8-hour (to reduce my core temperature and prevent inflamation). Most importantly, I was well hydrated.

The one thing I forgot?
Tums.

Yes, the Immodium helped tremendously, but I think all my nervousness was then diverted into my stomach. Luckily my team captain, Beth had an extra.

We took our team photo and made our way to the starting line. I felt really bad about not being able to meet my Roncker group. But I had no way to get in contact with them. I parted with my family and lined up behind the pace leaders for the 4:45 group. Then I hear my name being shouted. It was Lindsay and Sarah! Hurrah! We chatted about all of our nervousness. Funnily enough, a man standing next to us was also from Cincinnati! They decided to run with the 5:00 pace group because of the heat, so they headed back. I had my ipod with me, but just as a security thing. I didn't think I would use it.

It took 18 minutes for me to get to the starting line. I was a little nervous because in the glacial-paced moving I got pretty far behind the pace leaders. It ended up not being a problem because I caught up with them once we started moving.

It was SO CROWDED!!!! I was right up next to one of the pace guys. He kept weaving, and it was kind of hard to track him for awhile. I was concentrating on staying with them so much that I didn't really enjoy the sites. :( Mile one. I looked at my watch. 10:06. Uh, thought we were supposed to do a 10:52. Then I realized that they had to make up a lot of time because of the water stops.

I had no idea how they were going to do these. Well, at the first one they blew a whistle and we all walked through it. Apparantly the pacers were amazed at how crowded and crazy they were. They started freaking out about keeping the pace. They said we lost a lot of time there. Despite the fact that we were pacing fast, I felt great. I even felt like we were going a little slowly.

Next water stop. No water.

WHAT?

People were outraged. My paceleader (Ken) said they had never seen anything like this before and hoped this wasn't a foretelling of things to come. They figured that people were taking 2 cups instead of one and that no one had expected that.
(Ha! Then why did I get an email on THURSDAY saying: * Be sure to stay hydrated during the race. Make note of aid stations and prepare to utilize them. You will need to drink more to compensate for the rapid depletion of your body's fluids in the heat...they KNEW it was going to be hot. Come on!) Some man was like "I'm going to write a mean note. This is ridiculous!" and the lady by him was like "I'm sure you will be one of 30,000.")

The thing that almost made ME cry though was a little clink I heard and then a smashing sound of electronics being trampled. My ipod was gone. I know, I know, I've gotten my use out of it. But really it was more of a sentimental thing. My husband got it for me as a present when I started seriously running and had it engraved with a message and everything.

OK. I was now extremely hot.
The sidewalks were swamped with spectators. It was so cool! Everytime we went by a big group they yelled "GO 4:45!" and we cheered back.

We ran by a clock at 9:30 and it said "89 degrees." Ugh.

By Lincoln Park (mile 7ish?) I was having a hard time keeping up with the pace group. I think other people were too, because our group had diminished a LOT. I dropped back.

Hardly any water at this stop. I think I got one of the last cups.

It was tough because there was a little uphill and it was just so hot! It was a really beautiful part of the course though...a little oasis in the middle of the city. People were jumping into the fountains and lying down in them before continuing on the course.

I didn't feel too bad about dropping back at this point. I saw a lot of people from the 4:30 pace group, so I knew I was in good company.

I was dying to see my family again, but knew I had 4 miles to go.

Rain Out?

I hope that last night's practice was rained out (well, lightninged out...we don't stop for rain!). All of this is for selfish reasons of course. I had to go to my bookclub meeting, so I opted to do my run on Monday. If it was rained out I won't feel as badly about skipping :)

The latest news for me though is that my physical therapy worked! I had a follow-up with my orthopaedic doctor yesterday. He said that my right quadricep had increased to the size and tone of my left quadricep (amazing!). He was impressed with my improvement. The only downside is that if I still have even slight pain in 3 months I'm supposed to schedule an MRI, because that means the muscle is torn and they would have to do surgery. Yeck. I do NOT want knee surgery. He seemed optimistic though that this was not the case.

I am getting very excited for Chicago. My sister (who lives there) even planned out a route for my family and emailed it to me and my husband Bill. She figured it out using Google Earth and the pacing that I gave her. She even has figured out what time they can move to the next spot, what transportation and transportation station to use, etc. She is smart. I guess that's why she has a degree in engineering. :)

I decided that I am going to run with one of the New Balance Pace Teams . I am also trying to talk my running buddies (Lindsey, Sarah and Eric) into doing this as well so that we can run together. That would be fun AND those girls (and guy) have kept me going a lot of times when I really really wanted to stop. The only bad thing is that I wish they had a pace group between 4:30 and 4:45 (I KNOW that would be stupid, because what would it be? 4:38?). I was hoping to run an 11 minute mile the entire time, but after my 3:29 20 miler I am thinking I could do a 10:30 pace the entire way. I say this because my first 20 miler pretty much mirrored what I did for the Flying Pig...yes, even the walking at the end and the really slow miles at the end where I should have been walking. I know I can handle the 10:52 pace (which would put me at 4:45) but I don't know about doing a 10:18 (which would put me at 4:30). And yes, yes, I KNOW that I can run ahead of the slower group (which is what the site tells you to do if you are inbetween). However, I am one of those people who get overly excited at the actual race. I take them out WAY too fast, check myself, say "No, I'm really feeling great. For real. I can do this for 25 more miles." and then absolutely die at the end.

So I think the pace group will be good for me for that reason. I guess if I am feeling super spry (ha ha) I can always pump it up for the last two miles of the race. And besides, there's always next time to do the 10:18 pace. (You KNOW this won't be my last marathon if I have anything to do about it!)