The Competitive Drive

I often think back to last year's Lake Monona 20k.  Despite the many half marathons I've ran, I've yet to run one at the same pace as that race.  That was only the third race I had ever ran and yet it has become my goal to run at the same pace but just slightly longer.

I feel like a stronger and better runner these days, but I'm not hitting the pace that I did for the 20k.  Partly I think it's because of the haphazard nature my training has devolved into.  Last spring, I was training seriously for the Madison half marathon.  I wasn't following a schedule, but I ran regularly and did a long run of 12 miles 2 weeks prior to the 20k.  I trained and I tapered.  These days, I run when I feel like it and sort of randomly run a half marathon when I feel like it.

During the Quad Cities Half marathon though, I wondered at mile 10.5 when I let the 2:00 pacer pass me by, if maybe the reason I'm no longer running at the same paces as when I first started running because I no longer have the same competitive drive.

When I first started running, I had no idea what kind of pace I was capable of.  I fully expected to run my half marathon at a 12 min/mi pace.  I kind of thought I'd run a half marathon, and then a marathon at some point and then be done.  Check off the item on the bucket list and move on to other things.  But running into a race creates a lot of adrenaline.  I used to think to myself, "You're in race. You can't slow down!"

But these days, I no longer think that.  Probably because races aren't as novel and perhaps because the foot injury last August put a somewhat different perspective in my head.  When I let the 2:00 pacer go, I had no regrets.  I thought to myself, "it's okay.  I'll catch up or I won't."

I no longer have that sort of competitive drive. I worry about pushing too hard and getting injured.  I don't just want to run one race.  I want to run many more. 

Quad Cities Half Marathon

Final time: 2:02:12 (PR)
10k split: 56:00

A lot of this marathon reminded me of the Flying Pig.  There was a marathon and a half marathon event that started out on the same course before the half marathoners turned off somewhere before mile 9.  There was also a relay component for the marathon.  They had a Pump N' Run event, and a shorter 5k event.  The course also traversed more than one state and ran across a couple of bridges and interstates.

We drove down Saturday afternoon and picked up my race packet.  Like the Flying Pig, swag included a poster of the Quad Cities marathon, but I declined the poster.  I was trying to give my Flying Pig one away to my sister even.  The shirt didn't feel like a dri-fit shirt, though the label claims otherwise.  It was soft, and made for a nice sleep shirt.  We also got a Quad Cities bandana. I chose a blue and green one to match the colors of the marathon.

All races except the kid's race started at 7:30am on Sunday in Moline, IL.  Our hotel was only a 5 minute drive away and AWAY from the race which meant very little traffic.  It was 42 degrees at the start, though expected to warm up to 50s mid morning and low 60s by noon.  I chose a sleeveless singlet to wear along with some capris, though I suspected I'd be too warm.  I got to the start shortly before 7am and was cold standing around, so I ducked inside a building until about 7:15am.  Then I lined up with the other runners and was surrounded by body heat.

It was crowded at the start.  Unlike Flying Pig which was strictly corralled, the Quad Cities allowed runners to line up according to what their perceived pace was.  Though there were pacers with signs, I felt they were spaced much too closely together.  The 2:10 pacer was really close to the 2:00 pacer, and I was planning to start between the two.  In the end, I chose to line up with the 2:10 pacer.  I find that starting with the 2:10 group and chasing the 2:00 group has worked well for me.  I crossed the start line with 1:20 on the clock.

Ironman volunteering

This past Sunday I volunteered on the bike course for Ironman Wisconsin. I spent about 6 hours pointing right and yelling "left!" so that bikers didn't miss their turnoff. It was right at an intersection so along with Officer Ann and Barry, we directed traffic as best as we can. I don't think I ever quite appreciated how obnoxious drivers can be until I'm watching them honk (at an officer!) for having to wait for bikers, making a turn right into the path of the bikers, and sometimes swerving damn close to them. I wasn't biking yet I was ready to curse out some of these drivers. The bikers were trying to complete an Ironman! Some drivers were nice and polite, and some were just assholes.

Last year, I was right by the finish line and watched as people came through, smiling and waving. It inspired me to do one. This year, working the middle of the bike course made it feel possible. The athletes do two loops of the bike course so they travel the same terrain and pass us twice. Some waved and nodded and said "thank you for volunteering," but the majority of them were focused on the race. It wasn't like the finish line where the racers were happy and relieved to be finished, but it was like how I felt on the marathon at mile 18, when you hit that point of not thinking too far past the next obstacle. You say to yourself, just get up that next hill, or just 5 more minutes. It is a mental battle.

So, I'm looking forward to the LA marathon and been scouting out training plans. I know now that I'll need to build in a few weeks of rest. I also would like to get up to 24 miles, and ideally a couple of times. Getting to 20 miles was sufficient to get to the finish line, but it didn't leave me feeling confident at the start. If part of the point of the 20 mile long run is to boost confidence, then I really need it to be closer to 24 to feel good. I'm aiming to start training in the first two weeks of November, which will give me 18-20 weeks. Ideally, I'd like to keep up with a weekly maintaining fitness schedule of a long ~10+ mile run on the weekends, and shorter 6 mile (tempo and interval) runs during the week until November when I'll start racking up the miles.