Marathon training continues, but with its challenges. I finished an 18-mile run on a relatively cool 64 degree morning, with 16 good miles on a 3:30 run / 0:30 walk interval. As the miles continued, my feet began to ache, along with my left ankle. Early in the seventeenth mile, my mental training failed me: I ended up walking the last 1-1/2 miles over 30 minutes. Within a few minutes of reaching my car, and removing my shoes, my feet were feeling better, the ankle didn't feel terribly injured, and I felt so disappointed that I hadn't persisted through the end of the long run. Somehow between now and the October 10 marathon, I need a mental strategy to persist through the finish line.
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| Driving to the race at "ass o'clock" |
The Tucker Running Club organized a team for today's Big Peach Sizzler. I've run the 10K on Labor Day each year from 2014 - 2019, and set my 10K personal best on this course in 2017. But in the midst of marathon training, I was definitely not racing this year, just working in some easy mileage between the 18-miler and a 20-miler coming up this weekend. I set my watch for 2:00 / 0:30 intervals. My plan was to run the first 3 - 4 miles run - walk, and if I felt good, then switch over to 2:00 easy run / 0:30 strides or sprints, simulating this week's track workout for six laps of "stride the straights, jog the curves". Admittedly the 2 minute easy sections would give me more rest than I would get in the track workout, but since this would normally be a 4-mile maximum day, I figured I couldn't go wrong with longer recovery times. I also set my watch to signal whenever my heart rate reached or exceeded 160 beats per minute.
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| above: Chris Ludwig, Rebecca Ludwig, Susie Hill, Jeff Norris, and Rhonda Moore-Kelly with the author: "Tucker Running Club in the House!" |
I started with a few other Tucker Running Club friends just in front of the 11:00 minute / mile pace sign, and behind a runner carrying the United States flag. The other runners had voluntarily spread out a bit to allow physical distancing, which I greatly appreciated, even though I felt fairly safe from COVID breakthrough infection while outdoors. The temperature was a little warmer than I had expected, about 70 degrees, when just 24 hours ago the forecast for this morning had been low- to mid-60's, but as the light increased after sunrise, I noticed that the skies were cloudy, so that was going to help. 
With Bonnie and Long Tran a few minutes before the start
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| Runners gathering for the start |
At 7:30 am sharp, we heard the shot of the starting pistol. Conversations suddenly stopped as we began slowly walking toward the starting line, but I saw Rebecca Ludwig up ahead dashing to catch up with a faster group. Rebecca recently completed her first ultra-marathon, and will run the Berlin Marathon and the Chicago Marathon just two weeks apart! Crossing the starting line at an easy jog, I was looking for Bonnie photographing runners to our left. I flashed her a big smile and raised both arms, and just kept moving with the rest of the group. I was concerned that I would be running too fast, but when I checked my watch, I was on a 10:30 min / mile pace, perfect for practicing a marathon start. With two minutes elapsed, my watch sounded for the first walk break. This year I was far enough to the side to step out of the way to slow to a walk. One runner asked "Are you OK?" and I replied "Yes, doing run-walk for easy mileage today." But I really appreciated that he asked!
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| Rebecca shortly after the start |
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| Me, a minute or so later |
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| Carolyn Weber after the start |
A couple of walk breaks later, and a nice downhill start, we were on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, heading slightly uphill for a short stretch. The police moved us over to a single lane within a few blocks, which was enough room since we were spread out fairly well. Quite a few others were doing run - walk intervals, so it was easy to stick with my goal for the early miles not to pass anyone unless they were walking. The distance between me and the US flag increased a bit with every walk break, but I just reminded myself, "Not racing today!" At least not for the first miles. Before long, the mile 1 marker appeared, 10:43 elapsed. Right on target, Coach Carl will be pleased, I thought. A group of volunteers manned the first water station early in the second mile. I was expecting water bottles due to the ongoing pandemic, but to my surprise, the volunteers were handing paper cups of water, just as in the good ol' days.
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| Race route, same as it always was (since 2018) |
The mile 2 marker came up fairly quickly, I thought, for an easy and relatively slow run. 10:40 for the second mile, 21:23 elapsed. Right on track, nice and consistent. My pulse was consistently around 140 bpm. Around this time, Harley Eisenberg called out as I passed him. He and a partner were pushing a wheelchair participant. We leapfrogged a couple of times due to my walk breaks, then I got out in front a bit further to stay out of their way. Before long, we ran by the Oglethorpe University campus, welcoming students back to school, then the Town Brookhaven development where we picked up my race bib on Saturday. The Brookhaven MARTA station came into view, which is where the 5K runners had began about an hour before. I guess I got excited and must have sped up a bit, then unexpectedly I heard my heart rate alert. I don't know what really caused my heart rate to spike, but I immediately slowed to a walk, about 45 seconds. My heart rate quickly dropped below 130 bpm. I tightened the band on my watch one notch, just in case the sensor wasn't ready properly. 10:27 for mile 3, 31:50 elapsed.
My heart rate settled down again, and I felt really good. After the walk break at 34:30 - 35:00 minutes, I resolved to begin the pace "pickups" at the next "walk break" signal. At 37:00 flat, I picked up the pace a bit. Just 30 seconds, but that felt really good! I slowed back down to an easier pace, then 2 minutes later, another pickup, passing the US flag bearer. By 41:10 elapsed, I had covered mile 4 in 9:20, with just two pickups. Each time I passed several runners. Around this stage, I caught up with Lisa Calas and Susie Hill in Tucker Running Club, ran with them for a moment, then as my watch sounded the next alert, told them "I'm trying to run a negative split" and took off, which coincided with a downhill section. My heart rate exceeded 160 bpm a couple of times, but quickly dropped with each 2 minute easy jog, so I continued this pattern for two more cycles. Then coming off of the 47:30 pickup, my heart rate kept increasing even after I slowed down. I was feeling the exertion, so I decided that I had better take a short walk break, unfortunately immediately after I had jetted past several people. My pulse quickly dropped below 160 bpm, so I resumed running. Shortly after the next pickup, the mile 5 alert sounded near the entrance to Lenox Mall, another 9:20 mile, and 50:30 elapsed.
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| Easy 5K with regular walk breaks, followed by a tough 5K with 7 pickups and a sprint to the finish |
In 2017, I finished this race in less than 50 minutes; in most of the other Sizzler years, I was getting close to the finish line by this stage. But I wasn't racing today. And after the 52:00 minute pickup, my heart rate was redlining, and I was feeling tired. With one full mile to go, I took a walk break, even though I could see Rebecca Ludwig just ahead. 52:30, back to running. Around that time, Rebecca took a walk break of her own. I caught up to her and said "hello!" Maybe she was surprised to see me, but resumed running to stay with me. Rebecca said "I think this is the only time that I'll ever run with you in a race." I replied, "I'll need another walk break in a moment" and did exactly that at 54:30. Rebecca pulled ahead; no problem since I wasn't racing today.
Shortly after the next walk break, I reached the corner of Peachtree with Piedmont, making the right turn around 58 minutes elapsed. From this turn, I need less than 4 minutes to get to the finish line. I nearly caught up to Rebecca, but at 59:35, at the 6 mile marker, my heart rate alert was making a continuous racket, so I slowed down a little. 9:05 for mile 6, but approaching the 1 hour mark. I had always finished this race in less than 1 hour, and had once run every mile under an 8:15 minute / mile pace. But not racing today. Then the roadway visibly went slightly downhill again, so I picked up my pace again. Less than two blocks to go. I caught up with Rebecca, said "Let's go!" She took off with me, keeping up with me as we made the turn onto Lenox Road. Someone cheered me on, I think it was Jackie Whitlock from Coach Carl's training group, but I was breathing so hard with sweat in my eyes just running as fast as possible not racing today?! Now the final right turn onto Tower Place Drive toward the finish line, DON'T SLOW DOWN. I didn't know where Rebecca was but assumed that she was hot on my tail. The announcer called out "Tucker Running Club! Tucker Running Club in the House!!" so I assumed that he saw both Rebecca and me at the same time. Over the line and stopped my watch, 1:02:03, and turned around to see that Rebecca was the next finisher, just 4 - 5 seconds after me.
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| Sue Landa and David Bloomquist finishing together |
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| Rebecca's finish |
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| Lisa Calas' finish |
Fist bumps exchanged with Rebecca in celebration. And Sue Landa and David Bloomquist had finished about 20 seconds ahead of me. David called "I want to make sure that I make it into the blog!" and he and Sue posed with me for a photo.
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| This man is smiling like he just won the race! |
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| Grandmaster runners after finishing |
P. S. Somehow my chip didn't register at the starting line, so my recorded chip time equals my official time. At least I wasn't racing today.
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