A little update on the trials of the marathon by Coach Brian. 

 Being a “coach” I hear lots of marathon stories and gain more of an understanding for the Marathon from each and every athlete but running the event is the most educational. 

I am frustrated that it was not to be.  The goal was 2:35 and quite simply I failed.

First Half was quiet. I tried to be conservative and not go out too quick. After the lead pack of 4 went out hard, a pack of 7-8 savvy runners were moving quite well. I really felt I could go with them and it was hard to let them go but it was a good decision. I will get back to their fate later on. A runner came up to me at 5km and asked what my plan was? I replied 2:35 and he was the same. I was a 30 - 150m behind him for the next 32km.

I went through Half in just over 1:17 which was the plan. The spit mat was right at 21km so add 100m and I was low 1:17. I was alone and had to really work through 22-30km with the wind coming in along the Lake (Ontario). My good friend Adrian Lambert was with me most of the second half.  Lambert was motivating, keeping me focused on the group ahead that was coming apart.

I made the turn at 31km to have the wind at my back and really have the race begin with the final 10km. I was still catching runners and keeping the runner that had 2:35 aspirations in my sight. I knew at 32km that if I could put together a 37 minute 10km I would be 2:35 ish.........but as I found out, 10km is a long way. 

I felt good, not great but good. I had a gel at 26km, lots of water and gatorade and thought I was well fueled for the final push. I caught another runner that stuck with me for a few km. It was good to have company but I knew I (we) had marginally slowed down. Nothing dramatic but the 3:40's (3:40 per km) that were part of the previous two hours had stopped. Now looking back I think I knew I was in trouble and was reaching for anything to keep me going. Grabbing another gel at 34, taking my singlet off as it was getting hot........I think these were all desperate acts by a runner falling apart. The end of the day came at 36km. The pace had slowed to a crawl, the runner I was with had taken off, my gait was gone, the look on Lambert's face and the fact that he had stopped giving me km splits was signaling the end. Now this is a new area of "competing" for me, that the race is completely over, the goal is gone, you feel like you have been shot and you still have 6km to go. I always say that I hate the competitions that are just survival and not performance but here I was in this survival scenario. I hated being there and writing this today I hate even more that I was there. 

I stumbled through 6km and it was GREAT to have Lambert with me. We had a good high five at about 40km and with me running 5 min km's it kind of refreshed things. I knew I lost it physically at 35-36km but shortly after I lost it mentally. I needed something to somehow keep myself motivated. Something came when a few runners started catching up with me and it was great to suddenly have a new thought rather than just looking at km signs slowly go by. Whenever somebody went by me I tried to stay with them, it was a simple game and it worked. This seemed to have the next few minutes go by, I was able to hold off two guys and it brought me to the finish line in 2:40high.

The pack of 6-7 runners that went by me at the very start all blew up worse than I did......some DNFed. Around 16 runners went through half way on pace that was sub 2:35 and 4 ended up there. So falling apart is part of the game and I must say that poor race strategy is a reality out there so patience in the first half.

In the end it wasn't the day, the heat, the wind, my very vocal lack of respect for the record.........it was plainly that I wasn't fit enough which for runners not succeeding their goals, fitness is usually the reason.

Till next time. Lessons learned and even with an inability to go down stairs I signed up for Boston.  It should be fun Cheers at Cheers. 

Splits below.  Yikes. 

23k - 28k : 18:27 (3:41 pace)
28k - 29k : 3:44
29k - 30k : 3:49
30k - 31k : 3:56
31k - 32k : 3:47
32k - 34k : 7:30 (uphill)
34k - 35k : 3:50
35k - 36k : 4:07 ('the wall')
36k - 37k : 4:17
37k - 38k : 4:19
38k - 39k : 4:38
39k - 40k : 4:55
40k - 41k : 4:40
41k - 42.2k : 4:42