Boston Revenge

When you get beat up and knocked down, a great philosophy is that old famous one... to get back up. When you really really get beat up, it takes a little more time to get over it. But to take that challenge and get back up, that sounds glorious. After my Boston Marathon of 2012, I've been training just for that.

About this time last year I was preparing for Boston, feeling great and in 3:00 marathon shape. It would be a series of unfortunate decisions that would lead to a complete collapse and cause me to spiral into a 4:16 marathon and a terrifying experience. One of my greatest faults last year was drinking a lot of Gatorade the day before the event, I mean about 3 litres a lot! Why...why would I on my 7th marathon do something that I had never done in any of my other marathons? The only thing I can come up with is nerves. To err is human, and with the news broadcasts' predicting a record heat day, and my 1st Boston about to go down. I err'd, I err'd that $*#T up big time. During the run I suffered from something I had never heard of until it happened: overhydration (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/overhydration) Along with my sugar and salt probably hitting the critical meter. Needless to say I blew up early and my race was over before I started. To read more on that (http://dstyb.blogspot.ca/2012/04/my-monday-april-16th-2012-in-boston-262.html)

I remember sitting on the ground after the race with my family and friends surrounding me. I wasn't cognizant of the situation, and for the first time racing I was scared for my health. I had pushed it to the edge. An hour later after being wheeled to the med tent, I managed to come back to earth and get some fluids in, just short from going on an IV. This one really really beat me up.

A week after the Boston debacle, I got back on the road and the thought of another marathon seemed daunting. At the time I was signed up for Ottawa Race Weekend for the 27th of May and I was really nervous that I would have the same experience I had in Boston. Even thinking about Boston at this point wasn't an option. It took me a few weeks to regain my form, and I showed up to ORW with a nervous curiosity about me. It was as if I was running my first marathon. At the starting line I took some deep breaths and promised myself to relax into a comfortable pace right away. I was off and the plan came together flawlessly to finish in 3:01. This race brought my confidence back, I needed that. To let me know what I already shouldve known, that Boston 2012 was a one time thing.

 Now that I`m a week out from the race, I contemplate, review the past, and visualize this years starting line. A month ago it was fearful, after running Around the Bay, (not a great race for me) that Boston fear started growing again. My last long run, and my last hill workout fixed that completely. I went out for my last 3 hour run and destroyed it, I added a couple big hills the last 40 minutes of the run and felt like a gem. I then came out smiling from my last hill workout-My favourite in Ottawa. (https://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=217705717122258425059.0004d9a1397c97f97e437)

I`m very excited for Beantown this year. I`m excited to laugh, I`m excited to smile. Particularly over some of those hills that had me cringing last year. I will enjoy this year, and I think that`s what I can take from last year. Just settle in and enjoy the great experiences, because there may be a time when they don`t come around so often.

Here`s to you and Boston Monday!!

D

Hold On

It's nice to be blogging again. For all of you that followed my blog on IRun. Thanks a lot for reading, it was great to have the support. I hope that I can meet your expectations as I continue my blog here.

The key to any race is holding on, getting yourself to ride through the entire effort while pressing the pace just above your lactate threshold. This is the goal of most people when they race. A lot of us are racing to gain PR's, qualify for a race, or for a little friendly competition. If you've trained properly, and understand those paces, hopefully you can achieve that success in your key events. I consider every event a mathematical balance, it tends to go up and down for me.

2012 Review

April Boston Marathon 2012
I buried myself before this race started by over-hydrating on Gatorade. I held on until 7KM.

May Ottawa Marathon 2012 
Great race up until the mid 30KM range. I had to dig deep and focus on the person in front of me. It was so frustrating to look at my watch and try and maintain my pace.

June Spartan Sprint 5KM 2012
This was my first Spartan race, I wasn't really sure what to expect. It was so muddy to start, I struggled with the obstacles. I had to fight to hold on the last 2KM. It was such a tough fight, a different one. In a 5KM race you're above your lactate threshold, so my chest burned throughout the last few Kilometers.

July Spartan Beast 25KM 2012
I wasn't really certain how to evaluate this race. Spartan organizers don't give you much information. Though because it was a trail run, I expected it to be fun! It was the opposite. They basically sent us up and down a ski hill for 25KM. It was quite taxing and by 3KM in the race- I was fighting to hold on. I would've trained a lot differently for this one if I could go back.

Army Run Half Marathon 2012
It was time to get a PB in my half, it was time to crush it! I held on for the entire event. I knew I was just above my lactate threshold pace. As I made the turn on Sussex with about  4KM left, I felt the hurt. This is when I started really focusing on the shirt ahead of me, holding on with everything I had.

Toronto Scotiabank Half Marathon 2012
I held on for 8KM. That's always really hard in a race to go that early. But my stomach went at 8KM and my lung ceased up. This was a nice humbling race to get me back in check. I pushed through the last kilometers stopping when I needed and struggling through.

911 Run Run Half Marathon 2012
I held on for 18KM. Almost to the very end. I had never experienced such a strong wind resistance. As I made the turn on the 2nd half of the race my legs were heavy from the hills. The last few kilometers of this one hurt bad. It was nice to finish, and hold on to the end.

I think that most races require participants to hold on. It's the beauty of racing, and so challenging. I may know that I'll have to hold on for a race, but it's one of the hardest things to do. When you're holding on, it takes extreme mental power and physical power to keep your legs moving. The more holding on you can do, the better it will serve you come race time. Holding on is key to knowing yourself better, and will make you helluva a lot more proud come that finish line.

Cheers,

D