I'm not familiar with this race. Can you share some details (distance, terrain, location, etc).
Best wishes!
Thread about Running
- Thread starter TarHeelNation11
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Best wishes!
It's a 100 mile trail race in Alabama, a little over 16k feet of vert and about the same amount of descending. I've never seen any section of the course but from what I have read it is mostly your typical southern single track trails. Some gravel/jeep roads thrown in and a few miles on asphalt just for good measure.
I'm flying solo and it's my first attempt at this distance. No crew or pacer. Just a bunch of preloaded drop bags and I'll definitely eat a fair amount of aid station food. Supposedly one of the aid station captains makes an awesome banana pudding. So I need to be far enough up in the pack to get some of that before it's all gone... lol.
I mainly hose this race because it's a lottery qualifier for Western States. As long as I can finish in under 30 hours, I can enter the lottery for states. So thats goal A. Goal B would be to try and finish in under 24 hours. I think that would be a pretty solid effort for a first trail 100 with no crew or pacer.
What steps are involved in a face like that? You mentioned 30 hours. What kind of breaks and for how long? Running 100 miles in 24 hours seems insane. When I was 17 and in basic training, I felt like I could run all day long. It's hard to fathom at 47 and out of shape
Good luck. I'd forgotten you were registered. I'll give you my two cents since I don't know your experience, .It's a 100 mile trail race in Alabama, a little over 16k feet of vert and about the same amount of descending. I've never seen any section of the course but from what I have read it is mostly your typical southern single track trails. Some gravel/jeep roads thrown in and a few miles on asphalt just for good measure.
I'm flying solo and it's my first attempt at this distance. No crew or pacer. Just a bunch of preloaded drop bags and I'll definitely eat a fair amount of aid station food. Supposedly one of the aid station captains makes an awesome banana pudding. So I need to be far enough up in the pack to get some of that before it's all gone... lol.
I mainly hose this race because it's a lottery qualifier for Western States. As long as I can finish in under 30 hours, I can enter the lottery for states. So thats goal A. Goal B would be to try and finish in under 24 hours. I think that would be a pretty solid effort for a first trail 100 with no crew or pacer.
- DO NOT GET DEHYDRATED. That seems obvious, but it happens to me a lot and that kills my appetite, which kills my energy. I finally discovered Tailwind, which helps me a lot with taking in calories (it's not sickly sweet like Gatorade) and keeps me hungry later in the race so I'm not down to a walk of the living dead.
- Miles 30-40 are horrible in any 100 (or 100K or 50M.) I don't know why, but I have many friends who agree with this observation. It doesn't matter the race or the time of day, something just seems to happen in those miles. Our only guess is your body realizes the marathon should have ended already and its protesting the continued stress.
- 2-4 a.m. is horrible. You're younger so it may not hit you as hard, but that is a rough time. Your body is wondering why you're not asleep yet. But, get to sunrise and you'll have all-new energy. Never, ever, think about the couch or the bed during this time.
- Western States, in general, is not a beautiful race, but it is 100% worth it. I hope you qualify and make the cut in the lottery.
- You'll beat some people who look way fitter than you and you'll lose to someone who looks like they are either about to fall apart or are marginally obese. Not sure why this is, but it happens.
- One aid-station at a time. I'm sure you know this one.
- I don't know if you didn't WANT a pacer or just couldn't find one, but you'll certainly fall in with other people off and on during the race. It's a nice way to break it up with the distraction of talking to someone new.
- Since you don't have a pacer, consider sticking a note in your drop bags for what you want to do at that aid station (change socks, leave headlamp, etc...) I've sat and stared into my bag, too brain dead to process what to do with it.
- They have live tracking if you want to share your bib # here. I can see why you might not want to, but I imagine at least a few of us would like to watch your progress.
- An absolute must is that you post a picture of your belt buckle here when you finish.
- Have fun!
regarding that banana pudding ^
The longest endurance stuff i've done lasted 8 hrs. I remember trying to be really consistent with what types of stuff i ate during training AND during the race. By the time i'd worked up to 6 hrs if i varied what I ate (like flipping from gu or gell to sammiches or energy waffles) i would get messed up - less hydrated or cramps, upset stomach etc.
Anybody else like this?
The longest endurance stuff i've done lasted 8 hrs. I remember trying to be really consistent with what types of stuff i ate during training AND during the race. By the time i'd worked up to 6 hrs if i varied what I ate (like flipping from gu or gell to sammiches or energy waffles) i would get messed up - less hydrated or cramps, upset stomach etc.
Anybody else like this?
Thank you for the tips. I'm also going to be using Tailwind, and I'm going to try to keep up my water intake throughout the whole race. I'm also really concerned about getting my electrolyte intake right, so hopefully the tailwind will help with that. I have some gatorades that will be in my drop bags, I like it okay in small enough doses. Won't be a primary fuel source though.
I'm going to try to constantly remind myself that the lows will turn around. Rough times running through miles 30-40 will be something I'll make sure to watch out for. I'm a bit of an insomniac which I hope will help me with the sleep deprivation. But I'm nervous about getting a good nights sleep before the race. If I roll in on a bad nights sleep then this will be a lot harder. I got a pretty decent headlamp for the race, and I've got spare batteries and 2 portable battery bank charger things. I'm going to try to make it for at least the first 6 hours without any music/podcasts etc. Then hopefully that will give me a little boost.
The note in the drop bag thing is a good idea. I definitely can get brain dead when I'm running for a long time. If I could have had a pacer/crew I would have, but asking someone to make a 6 hour drive to alabama for an entire weekend is a big ask so I'm just going at it solo. I have a feeling that there will be plenty of people to jump on a train with since I won't be up in the front.
I'll be rocking bib #204. I believe this link is where the live tracking will be if anybody wants to follow along and laugh at how slow I'm running lol
UltraSignup Live Results
ultrasignup.com
My stomach is pretty unpredictable but I usually like more solid foods when I get into longer duration stuff. I can only take so much candy and "endurance fuel." which is also pretty much just candy with fancy wrappers.
For this race I have a lot of "treats" like pop tarts and swiss rolls lol. But honey stinger waffles, fruit snacks and nutri grain bars will be a bulk of the calories I take in, in addition to liquid calories from Tailwind and Gatorade. But I'm also going to graze on aid station food as well. I'll probably carry an extra plastic bag with me and just throw everything I want from the aid station in it and take off.
Gels cause a lot of people stomach issues. I've given up on them completely. Uncrustables are pretty good for long events for something more solid.
Everything was going well up until about mile 18 which was the first time I rolled my ankle. Went to pass someone and they didn’t really give me any space and it turned over coming back onto the trail. Kinda one of those two or three hop steps and you get back to it. But then at around mile 21 I rolled it really bad. Probably because it was compromised from the first one. I hobbled into the aid station, taped it up and pushed on for another 33 miles but missed the cutoff at the mile 55 aid station by two minutes. If I had known I was that close then I probably could’ve made that one but I was struggling to get through technical stuff with the ankle and was bleeding time like crazy.
Hydration, nutrition and muscle fatigue were all managed better than I expected. I could’ve had a pretty good day if it weren’t for my ankle making it look like someone surgically implanted a baseball in my leg.. Just sucks to have two bad steps **** everything up.
I’d like to be proud of the effort but a DNF is a DNF. Nothing but hollow victories and some very expensive and time consuming lessons. Pretty bummed out right now. This is going to eat at me for a long time.
Hydration, nutrition and muscle fatigue were all managed better than I expected. I could’ve had a pretty good day if it weren’t for my ankle making it look like someone surgically implanted a baseball in my leg.. Just sucks to have two bad steps **** everything up.
I’d like to be proud of the effort but a DNF is a DNF. Nothing but hollow victories and some very expensive and time consuming lessons. Pretty bummed out right now. This is going to eat at me for a long time.
I know that has to be rough. An elite hobby/sport is painful and rewarding it seems. I still can't imagine how hard it has to be to train for something like that. Basically a lifestyle devoted to running . 🏃♂️
I thought something might have happened after 13 because your pace changed quite a bit. At first, I thought it was lack of signal at some of the aid stations and they weren't recording splits. But, then when one did record, it was obvious you'd slowed. Now we know why. If I had to guess, the person you went around was wearing headphones and not paying attention to their surroundings. If they weren't wearing headphones, they were just a jerk. Most people are good about telling me/you to let them know if/when you want to pass.
You've nailed one of the biggest challenges to 100s. For 20, 30, 40 hours, pretty much everything has to go right. A misstep here or there can totally change or ruin your event.
I've had a few DNFs. They never sit well and nothing we say will make you feel better in the short term. Maybe you can find another one in the next few months and use this as a 50-mile training run. Hope the ankle heals up quickly.
Sorry about this, and I know it is hard to take and we all are just wired to beat ourselves up as what we see as a failure, but I hope you can step back with a different perspective of how elite it is to go as far as you did in an ultra. I have huge respect for anyone who can complete an ultra....and sticking it out for 55 miles with the injury...most would have just dropped out as soon as they turned / sprained their ankle.
Oops - I typed a lot more respect and kudos comments here but they got lost somehow.
Congrats on the great effort - and best wishes in a speedy and quick recovery then getting back after it
Thanks guys. Based on the way my ankle looks this morning I don’t know how I could’ve made it another 45 miles even if it weren’t for the cutoffs.
I’m trying to look at the positive side this morning while watching people finish. There is zero doubt in my mind that I can conquer this distance. I had made up my mind early that they were going to have to drag me off the course and I stuck to that. I had some really decent stretches of running when I did get on smooth surfaces that didn’t aggravate the ankle. If I had reduced some time at aid stations I might’ve been okay but there isn’t much choice when you’re in problem solving mode from 20 miles in.
Im going to look into some kind of stretchy tape wrap job that I could start races with to hopefully reduce the chances of having a bad roll again.
Mashed potatoes with chicken broth is gonna be a new go to fuel source, especially in the second half.
I do like running solo but running in groups was a lot of fun. Jumped in with a few at the beginning and really had a lot of fun. But running (hiking) at night alone sucked ass. The aid station crews were awesome but I think having a crew/pacer is a HUGE advantage.
If I run this race again I’m lining up near the front and tucking in behind the elites. The conga line to the first aid station was ridiculous and cost me a ton of time.
I wish things would’ve been different but I don’t think there was much I could’ve done differently. I’m just glad I didn’t voluntarily drop.
I’m trying to look at the positive side this morning while watching people finish. There is zero doubt in my mind that I can conquer this distance. I had made up my mind early that they were going to have to drag me off the course and I stuck to that. I had some really decent stretches of running when I did get on smooth surfaces that didn’t aggravate the ankle. If I had reduced some time at aid stations I might’ve been okay but there isn’t much choice when you’re in problem solving mode from 20 miles in.
Im going to look into some kind of stretchy tape wrap job that I could start races with to hopefully reduce the chances of having a bad roll again.
Mashed potatoes with chicken broth is gonna be a new go to fuel source, especially in the second half.
I do like running solo but running in groups was a lot of fun. Jumped in with a few at the beginning and really had a lot of fun. But running (hiking) at night alone sucked ass. The aid station crews were awesome but I think having a crew/pacer is a HUGE advantage.
If I run this race again I’m lining up near the front and tucking in behind the elites. The conga line to the first aid station was ridiculous and cost me a ton of time.
I wish things would’ve been different but I don’t think there was much I could’ve done differently. I’m just glad I didn’t voluntarily drop.
I don't know if this would work, but I've been battling plantar and the doctor gave me sort of an elastic ace band that goes around my foot. It would fit around my ankle too if I raised it up there. I don't know if it would be too tight and cut off circulation, though.
The time goes by extremely slowly when you're alone at night. That's the best time to fall in with someone to give you a distraction.
I gotta admit, part of the reason I wanted to see you finish was to see if you had any good hallucination stories. 😄 Your brain can go to some weird places when you're tired and in the woods in the middle of the night. I had some real weird ones on a run that involved two straight missed nights of sleep.
I've never gotten mashed potatoes at an ultra, but could never stand the boiled potatoes they often serve. Uncrustables are a great thing to carry with you if you like PB&J.
I'm looking at the live tracking results and the way they read only 36 people finished under the cutoff?
They were having issues with the chip reader at the finish line or something like that. The first place male had finished when I finally made it back to the finish line but the results still hadn’t updated well over an hour later. That could have something to do with it.
I didn’t sleep much the night before so I was already on the verge of hallucinating by around 8pm. At one point I saw a stump that I briefly thought was a backpack. My eyes played tricks on me a few times so I’m sure I would’ve been having some wild hallucinations by the end of the night.
I’ve been looking into stretchy tapes and wraps. There are a lot of options out there. I will have to try some in training once I’m back to running.
Admittedly I mainly tried the mashed potatoes because I had heard interviews with Courtney Dauwalter where she talked about carrying them in a plastic baby food pouch as a primary fuel source. The chicken broth was almost like a crazy and made them really creamy. Or you could do mostly broth and drink it.
I think next time I will try to plan to run through the first aid station or two without stopping. If I had a crew I’d consider doing the first half on handhelds and maybe a small belt. It’s interesting to look back and start doing the math on where time can be made up. Also it seems like to run a good time you have to go out fairly aggressive because slowing down is inevitable. Lots of stuff running through my head and it makes me want to be back on a starting line as soon as possible.
What was the weather like? I'm not sure what part of Alabama this race is in, but in August I was in Tuscaloosa (son starting law school there) - and I honestly don't know if I've ever been so hot, sweaty, miserable. And that was just walking. It is stifling.
I get that it is now November, but even in November I'm guessing the heat and humidity can sort of be deceptive and can really sap your hydration, electrolytes, energy.
That is why I chose an October race in MN for my first 50k. To have a better chance at it being cool. It ended up being around 30 degrees with 4 inches of snow at the start.
Anyway - are you considering going back to this specific one, or maybe targeting a cooler race? I don't recall when Leadville is, and that race likely has higher elevation challenges, and is a far travel for you. Likely there are 100 milers further north that might be cooler than Alabama though.
The weather was pretty great. Around 40 degrees at the start, though it felt colder than that to me. I believe the high for the day was around 60. Personally I don't do well with big temperature changes. When I finally stopped at the final aid station, I was jack hammering within about five minutes of sitting down. I really don't like being cold while running, and it gets a lot worse when you have to stop to hike or sit down. But my first ultra was outside of Charleston, SC in July. It was close to 100 degrees and very humid. Plus there were tons of mosquitos. That was miserable.
I haven't decided on the next race. I really want to target another lottery qualifier for Western States. Getting on that start line is my #1 bucket list item in ultra running and I know it can take a lot of years of qualifying to get in. So I figure that since 100 miles is such a huge effort, I should try and focus my racing around those qualifying races. I'd like to be able to do two 100's per year. I've heard a lot of more experienced ultra runners say that the body really adapts to these super long efforts as you do more of them. I hope that is true for me as well. It's kind of crazy that aside from my ankle, I'm less jacked up from running 55 miles than I was after either of my first two ultras that were considerably shorter, and completely flat. So clearly the long run fitness has dramatically improved.
Unfortunately a lot of the races I really want to do are hard to get into. Western States is #1. But I also really want to do UTMB, Hardrock, Leadville, and a few other big 100 milers. Eventually I'd love to run some 200's as well. Some of Candice Burt's races look awesome, particularly Moab 240 and the Tahoe 200. I'm looking at qualifiers for 2023, and there aren't a lot of choices on the east coast and they fill up fast.
Georgia Death Race is a WS qualifier, but it's gotten hard to get in. I haven't done it in several years but I felt like it was a bit oversold as being difficult. I did it three straight years and finished 8, 18, and 33rd and the last year, I ran into issues midway and walked quite a bit more than usual. It's full for 2022, though. It was actually a golden ticket race at one point.
I'm signed up for Hellbender 100 next May. I did it a couple years ago but wasn't well trained. The 2022 race is sort of full and there is a wait list. So many races you have to commit early and hope you're ready. I signed up for this one because it's one of the few east coast races that gives UTMB points.
You do adapt, especially mentally. I hate how it sounds out loud and it reeks of humble-bragging, but I'm at the point where my friends and I plan runs of 30-50 miles for the upcoming weekend. Not races, of course, just self-supported runs. The problem is that there is a HUGE jump from 50 to 100 and I've been terrible about training for 100s over the years. It's a very big time commitment and there aren't a lot of people to train with. If you're ever interested in running up our way or in the high country, let me know and I can meet you somewhere. One thing I've noticed for me is that races that involve more walking, I recover from quicker. I'll be more sore from a marathon than a long ultra. However, I'll be tired much longer after the ultra--especially it involves a night (or two) of missed sleep.
Here's where I mentally quit at UTMB in 2018. I was fighting the mystery illness and sat down to this view. This is why I want so badly to go back and finish. This and having to watch the finishers come into Chamonix after I'd dropped and gone back.
I looked at GDR and Cruel Jewel, but both of those also seem to be really hard to get into. I was just looking at Hellbender and that looks like a tough course. The elevation gain is no joke but the terrain on some of those trails gets a bit tough at times too.
I'm currently thinking what I might do is try to find a race sometime around April-May and then go back to Pinhoti for redemption and my lottery ticket. That way I can hopefully build more confidence by getting a finish, and dial in nutrition and stuff for the 2nd half of the race which is still uncharted territory for me.
I'm already much less intimidated by the longer distances even though I barely made it halfway through Pinhoti. Literally everything but my ankle was still working well at that point. Throw in a good night of sleep before the race and some caffeine to help get through the night and I'm 100% sure I can get through the 2nd half. I can see what you mean, once I'm healed up a 30 mile adventure run won't seem like that big of a deal at all.
We'll have to put something together sometime. Not sure when I'll be back to running but I'm definitely up for something like that when I'm healthy again.
That view at UTMB is ridiculous. I'm sure you'll get back at some point. If I ever get in I hope I'm in a position to get out there as early as possible and get some time on the course before the race. Just to be able to take it in.
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You mentioned the "conga line" at Pinhoti. It was really bad at Mont Blanc, for probably 40 miles or more. The only cool part about it was at night you could see a long line of headlamps stretching out way ahead and behind you. The downside of that was when you saw them way above you and realized that's where you're heading. That said, the actual elevations weren't terribly high. Barely more than Mount Mitchell, as I recall. I need to check, but when I got in, they had something like a "three time loser" policy, where if you got rejected in the lottery three straight years, you automatically got in the fourth year--as long as you had the necessary points.
I was planning to do Tokyo Marathon in early March 2022 to get my Abbott 6 star medal for completing the 6 World Major Marathons (Boston, Chicago, NYC, Berlin, London....and finally Tokyo after a full 2 year delay).
Long story short - Tokyo city and Tokyo Marathon Foundation still are far from having their act together (but all the other majors are at or near back to normal) - severely restricting who can run in 2022, with lots of questions unanswered on quarantines etc, what you can / can't do in addition to the race when in Tokyo....so its not worth it and I will have to wait / hope for 2023.
So - the marathon tour group I am in line for Tokyo with (Marathon Tours Company - based in Boston) is offering a concession to those who had to defer Tokyo again:
Run Rome marathon and Paris marathon 7-8 days apart in late Mar- early April 2022, traveling with Marathon Tours. Both look absolutely beautiful...so historic, epic. I am 95% sure that I will choose this option. Pretty exciting to think about.
I believe I'll enjoy both of these cities more than Tokyo anyway. They should be switched out for Tokyo in world major status. Tokyo should lose world major status, they've bungled the delays, etc so badly.
Long story short - Tokyo city and Tokyo Marathon Foundation still are far from having their act together (but all the other majors are at or near back to normal) - severely restricting who can run in 2022, with lots of questions unanswered on quarantines etc, what you can / can't do in addition to the race when in Tokyo....so its not worth it and I will have to wait / hope for 2023.
So - the marathon tour group I am in line for Tokyo with (Marathon Tours Company - based in Boston) is offering a concession to those who had to defer Tokyo again:
Run Rome marathon and Paris marathon 7-8 days apart in late Mar- early April 2022, traveling with Marathon Tours. Both look absolutely beautiful...so historic, epic. I am 95% sure that I will choose this option. Pretty exciting to think about.
I believe I'll enjoy both of these cities more than Tokyo anyway. They should be switched out for Tokyo in world major status. Tokyo should lose world major status, they've bungled the delays, etc so badly.
That continues to surprise me that Japan hasn't handled COVID better than it has. I always picture them as being so on top of things and disciplined. You'll get there one day and it looks like you have a good option.
We were in Rome a couple years ago and, especially as an Ancient Roman History buff, I really enjoyed it--especially the historic sites. The only downside, which would not affect the race, was the number of people trying to scam you at those same historic sites. I couldn't find a good map of the course, but I imagine there will be a lot to look at as you make your way through the race. Paris as a city is less interesting to me, but it still could be a scenic course.
My only advice is to not get on tour buses with a bunch of sick people before either race! 😄
Some new records.
www.yahoo.com
How Aleksandr Sorokin Ran 100 Miles at a 6:31-Mile Pace
The 40-year-old's stunning performance smashed two world records on Friday The 40-year-old's stunning performance smashed two world records on Friday
Some new records.
How Aleksandr Sorokin Ran 100 Miles at a 6:31-Mile Pace
The 40-year-old's stunning performance smashed two world records on Friday The 40-year-old's stunning performance smashed two world records on Friday
For some, a 6:30-minute mile is the target pace for a 5K
I feel attacked.
i’ve got outside ankle bone stiffness/soreness in one ankle…doesn’t keep me from running, but man it’s tight/weak.
it’s weird because i’ve ramped up volume and interval training while also incorporating more yoga and strength training…my day offs are my yoga or foam roller days.
in other words, i feel like i’m doing more maintenance work to prevent injury, yet i’m having issues.
it’s weird because i’ve ramped up volume and interval training while also incorporating more yoga and strength training…my day offs are my yoga or foam roller days.
in other words, i feel like i’m doing more maintenance work to prevent injury, yet i’m having issues.
I’ve had that exact same problem before with stretching and foam rolling. If I do too much then I very quickly start picking up injuries
I’ve taken the last few weeks off, my cat has been really sick and running just wasn’t a priority. I think the break was good though because I’m ready to get back to work.
Im going to go back for redemption at Pinhoti. I’m hoping to also do either a 50 miler or 100k sometime around early august. I’m going to use that race to dial in everything so I’m ready for Pinhoti.
This time the goal won’t just be to finish. I want to compete. That’s gonna mean a completely different type of mindset in training and a lot more speed work and aggressive tempo efforts on tough trails. Also a lot of focus on carrying momentum through rolling sections. Most of the climbs at Pinhoti are runnable so I want to try and make up some time on those rolling sections in the first half.
The biggest lesson I learned last year was to get out of the gate fast. I need to be ready to drop a 7:30ish mile out of the gate to beat the conga line to the single track. I’d rather give up some spots in the first few miles than have to weave my way through that crap again.
Im going to go back for redemption at Pinhoti. I’m hoping to also do either a 50 miler or 100k sometime around early august. I’m going to use that race to dial in everything so I’m ready for Pinhoti.
This time the goal won’t just be to finish. I want to compete. That’s gonna mean a completely different type of mindset in training and a lot more speed work and aggressive tempo efforts on tough trails. Also a lot of focus on carrying momentum through rolling sections. Most of the climbs at Pinhoti are runnable so I want to try and make up some time on those rolling sections in the first half.
The biggest lesson I learned last year was to get out of the gate fast. I need to be ready to drop a 7:30ish mile out of the gate to beat the conga line to the single track. I’d rather give up some spots in the first few miles than have to weave my way through that crap again.
I did! I have been in Rome the last couple days. Oh my goodness I love it here so much. All the ancient history and beautiful sculptures etc.
And the restaurants and wine bars etc are so good. I am looking forward to the race on Sunday.
Then we go to Florence for a couple days, then Paris and my wife and I are taking day trips with our Marathon Tours group - to Normandy and then to Champagne after the marathon. The whole trip is about two weeks. I have to say I think this will be my most enjoyable run trip outside the US.
Thanks for asking!
The Heels come on at 2:30 am Saturday morning here but I doubt I could even get them on tv. We haven’t turned the tv on yet at all.
I assume they mostly show soccer here but I heard Italy got upset and won’t go to World Cup. So they may as well show US basketball. Right ?
Rome is really cool. It's not like you can walk through 2000 year old architecture here in the US. Just gotta watch for the guys trying to scam you around the tourist attractions. You'll enjoy Florence too. It's funny over there it seems like even the tiniest hole-in-the-wall church has incredible architectural details inside. They were filming the Ryan Reynolds movie "6 Underground" when we were there which was kinda neat. Up on Michelangelo Point, you could hear squealing tires down below where they were filming chase scenes. We took a day trip to Cinque Terra that we enjoyed, but your schedule is probably already set. Plenty to see in Florence. Good luck on Sunday and in Paris. I don't think I could run a good time in Rome. I'd keep stopping to look at stuff and take pictures.
Whew, early August? I hope you find a 50/100K north of here!
I don't know enough about Pinhoti to offer any course-specific advice. Just realize that some of those pushing hard early are going to implode later on so don't worry about who's ahead of you. It's hard to tell who has gone out too fast early, just don't let it be you!
That's what I'm thinking anyways. I want to leave enough room between the B race and Pinhoti to recover and get a decent block going in.
And you're definitely right. I don't think I can win the race or anything like that, but I'd like to take a shot at top 10. For context, this past year I think anything under 24 hours was relatively competitive. There were only a handful of people in the sub 20 hour range. I'll let the 'elites' get out in front of me and just try to run the best race that I can run. If I go out and run one hell of a race (by my own standards) and finish 30th I'm 100% fine with that.
I'm already trying to sort out a crew/pacing situation. I just don't think there's any way to move through aid stations as effectively and efficiently without having someone to help get you what you need.
You never know. It's all about who shows up and over that sort of distance, anything can happen.
Good luck with training and whatever August race you find.
Oh, and a crew/pacer is also helpful getting you OUT of the aid station. Having been on both sides of the table, I know some people turn aid stations into social hour and seem to forget they are in a race!
I finished the Paris marathon today after Rome last Sunday. Conditions today were ideal. 35F at the start, clear blue skies, dry, no wind, pretty flat course. Set up for a really fast time if this was the only one you trained for.
I ran around 3:45 today - which is within a minute of what I ran Rome last week in. I sure didn’t plan it that way.
I know those aren’t blazing times - about 8:30 pace - but I just wanted both to be under 4:00 so I’ll sure take it.
This is surely the prettiest large city full marathon I’ve run. And it had great on course fans, music, water, food support. A wonderful race.
No more fulls for me in 2022. Ready for some time off.
For sure a major highlight of our trip was visiting beaches of Normandy - walking right on the beach overlooking the cliffs, and standing inside the German huge gun bunkers, still intact.
Then going to the Normandy US cemetery, which is right near the beach and ocean. If it doesn’t move you to tears / emotion - you have no heart.
Florence was such a great, beautiful, wonderful cultural city as well. I loved it.
And the whole trip has been made indescribably better by the improbable achievements of the Heels celebrated by Tar Heel Nation. So much to think about to help pass some of the race miles. It made the race today so much better and more enjoyable. A top 10 win all time and I think the biggest win outside of a national championship game win.
I ran around 3:45 today - which is within a minute of what I ran Rome last week in. I sure didn’t plan it that way.
I know those aren’t blazing times - about 8:30 pace - but I just wanted both to be under 4:00 so I’ll sure take it.
This is surely the prettiest large city full marathon I’ve run. And it had great on course fans, music, water, food support. A wonderful race.
No more fulls for me in 2022. Ready for some time off.
For sure a major highlight of our trip was visiting beaches of Normandy - walking right on the beach overlooking the cliffs, and standing inside the German huge gun bunkers, still intact.
Then going to the Normandy US cemetery, which is right near the beach and ocean. If it doesn’t move you to tears / emotion - you have no heart.
Florence was such a great, beautiful, wonderful cultural city as well. I loved it.
And the whole trip has been made indescribably better by the improbable achievements of the Heels celebrated by Tar Heel Nation. So much to think about to help pass some of the race miles. It made the race today so much better and more enjoyable. A top 10 win all time and I think the biggest win outside of a national championship game win.
Heck of a trip. Congratulations! Hope tonight caps it off as Best (extended) Week Ever!
