I love to race. By the end of this article or what I like to call a “story”, you will know exactly what I mean and feel my passion. Hopefully, all of you will have a bit more confidence and fight going into your next race. There is an art to racing. Many runners focus so hard on the training they forget what they are training for and don’t prepare or plan well enough for the race day’s mental and physical demands and sometimes get disappointed in the outcome. Effective racing is a combination of fitness, smarts, strategy, strength, mindset, self-awareness, knowledge, experience and toughness. Oh, and math skills. More on this later. I have gotten pretty good at racing because I have practiced, practiced, practiced. Here is my recent race day story of how I achieved an optimal race day performance and experience following the race day mantra I teach.
CONFIDENCE!
CONTROL!
CONQUER!
On Sunday I competed in the Run De Pere Half Marathon in De Pere, WI. It’s a great race, well organized and some nice swag and post race food. It’s is about a 15 minute drive from my home in Green Bay so very convenient. I last raced a 5K in mid August. I strained my hamstring during this race and am slowly working my way back. This is still a work in progress, but I became fit enough to race effectively and with CONFIDENCE! Confidence comes from and builds from consistent training, being fit, consistent racing and knowing what you are capable on race day and then executing the plan. I was ready.
It’s Friday evening of race weekend. The weather looks good and I feel good, confident and pumped to race on Sunday. Ahhh, it’s been too long. However, on Saturday morning at 3:30am, just 5 hours after I felt good, I woke up with tremendous stomach pain. This was not how I envisioned the start of my race story. My stomach hurt and I did not feel good overall either but no fever. I did not have any GI symptoms typical of a stomach flu so no concern for my safety or dehydration. My stomach just hurt….I could not deny it. As the day went on Saturday I ate some toast and a bagel, some fluids and improved just enough to decide that Sunday was a definite go. I was not gonna miss my last race of the year because of a little tummy ache.
On race morning, I woke up with that similar stomach pain but felt better above the shoulders. 2 hours before, I did force down 3 Huma gels with about 8 ounces of water rather than the 16-20 oz as planned. This is the first time I was actually grossed out by gels…. never happened before. I wanted to salt load as well using my protocol but just didn’t want to chance my stomach on this day, and it was a beautiful Fall day. I was so excited to race. I don’t really get nervous on race day anymore. It’s more about anticipation and thrill. I think with more experience and confidence, the nerves do stay in control or are more tolerable. We can’t let nerves get the best of us. It can affect performance. It’s 30 degrees and sunny at the start and the mid 30s during race. It felt nice. With light winds, I wore shorts and a thin breathable SMART APPROACH long sleeve top. I was never cold.
Because of my hamstring issue, going into the race I was not at a level of fitness I hoped to be in and less fit than last year in this race when I ran a 1:44:00 in very windy conditions. However, I had my base fitness with some 30 mile weeks leading up to the big day. My 5K time in August predicts a 1:42:30 HALF. With my base and experience, my 5K race time transfers well over to my HALF time historically in similar race conditions. But, like I said, my fitness was not like it was in August. I estimated I was in 1:43 – 1:45 capable shape going in before the stomach thing popped up. 1:43 would be a perfect race IMO. Even with my stomach, I was still hoping for and shooting for a sub 1:45 (8:00 pace). I did not feel this was a reach and was confident and strategized around this and would just see how it goes. My good friend and our running friend from the I LOVE TO RUN site, Jerome Cloninger, put down a HALF time last month to beat, 1:45:38. This was my goal #1. I wanted to impress Jerome who I respect and younger as well. My race plan was to stay in CONTROL early on and through the middle. 8:00-8:15 pace the first 2 miles was goal. It should feel pretty comfortable early and then settle in around 7:50-8:00 pace through mile 10 and then a push finish. Of course, a negative split is always in the race plan and should be the goal for all racers. It is unacceptable for me to run a positive split unless there is a very good reason. The biggest error by athletes in racing is a lack of control/discipline and a lack of knowing who you are as a runner. The average runner gives in to the race day adrenaline, starts too quickly and just goes with it because they are feeling so good at the time. It usually leads to a fade and sub optimal race day performance. Having CONTROL early and throughout the race is so crucial. I teach and practice…. if pace feels too easy early, it’s probably about right. Accept feeling good.
The starting area changed this year so when the gun went off, I ran down a nice size hill for around .1 mile. It flattened out when I saw the 13 mile sign so I knew I had to climb it on my final kick to the finish line. Gahh. The early miles were nice and pleasant. I ran along the Fox River and could see the sun glisten on the water. Just so peaceful. I just felt so lucky in the moment to be out there racing. My time and goals kinda left me for a bit but only for a bit. The course was relatively flat and kind of an out an back with a loop in the middle. There is one nice size hill at mile 6 but it didn’t really phase me. I do hill work and have CONFIDENCE on hills. I passed 2 people walking up it. I thought they either started too fast or they need more hill work. It wasn’t that killer but quite noticeable. I felt like I was on a normal long run these first 6 miles. I was cruising and feeling exactly like how I teach…CONFIDENT and in complete CONTROL. In fact, for a split second I wondered if I was going too slow. This feeling passed as I know better and you get rewarded later for CONTROL early.
I could barely hear my breathing, no one around me, so peaceful…but I could hear my gut. It was so weird…gurgles, an occasional burp. WTH is going on? My stomach was stable at that 8:00 ish pace. In mile 3 my HR was spiking in the 170s which I knew was not accurate. I rarely have an issue with my watch with HR so not sure what was up during this mile other than bragging to one of my runners (Cathy) this past week on how I never have an issue. It self corrected in mile 4 and was fine thereafter. I also raised my sleeves up. Hmm. Coincidence? In each of these early miles I was hoping to be trickling into the 7s for pace but wasn’t. It wouldn’t concern me normally as I know I can kick late. I had to be aware of my pacing without obsessing over it but was quite aware that too many miles above 8:00 pace meant I needed more miles under 8:00 pace later on. With my gut, there was a bit of an unknown. This made me a bit uneasy but it was also thrilling in a weird way. In one thought, I am questioning my toughness. In the next thought, I am excited to experience something different. We all can relate though to it not being fun to run in pain whether your gut or your hammy or any other body part.
The first 6 miles I was cruising and all the miles were right around 8:00 pace but a tad on the slower side of it. In mile 7 is when I first thought about wanting to hit a sub 8:00 mile. I didn’t pick up the pace or effort significantly, but I felt like I was putting in a tad more effort so I expected to be rewarded for it. In that 7th mile was the first time I felt like moved away from my cruising effort and it became a bit of a challenge but still in CONTROL. I also peeked at my watch at 6.56 miles. It said 53:00. I am half way there.
Side Note: When I do my training runs, I always listen to music, podcasts, sports, talk etc. I like to keep my mind stimulated in training. I sometimes text my athletes while running too which is a skill. It also shows how easy I run very often. I have never had an earpiece or headphones on during any of my 300 ish races. I might have carried a boom box once. Ha. In a race, everything is different. I am in tune with my surroundings, crowd, breathing, what I am feeling, hearing, my running stats, HR, pace, analyzing the math and just the whole experience. I realize we are not elites but perhaps we can learn from them. Do they listen to music in their races? I don’t want to miss my own story.
I am good at math. Stay with me. A 53:00 first half means I need to run the 2nd half under 52:00 to get a sub 1:45. College education right here. Impressed? I now feel a bit of a breeze coming at me and essentially am heading straight North and back to start line 6 + miles away. It is by no means windy or uncomfortable but whatever breeze present was coming right at me. The body feels good, legs great, breathing all good. My stomach was status quo and not feeling worse but not better either. I finished the 7th mile at 8:03 pace. It was really the first time where some doubt crossed my mind about being able to do a 1:45 this day. I felt good but with the breeze messing with my brain (memories of last year) and knowing I had to put out more effort the next 6 miles gave me a bit of uneasiness. BUT, you know what? I freakin love that feeling. I simply love to race. Seriously, I really love it. Game on!! #CONFIDENCE
I look at my watch after 7.12 miles. I am still good at math but it’s not easier converting minutes and seconds on a watch into pace. I run all the seconds, minutes in my head and do addition, subtraction and division and come up with: I need to average 7:55 pace the final 6 miles to get to 1:45! I normally would feel good about this but today maybe some doubt but whatever. I talk to myself. Suck it up buttercup and stop making your stomach an excuse. You are tougher than this. You showed up so put up or shut up. Let’s Go! #CONFIDENCE
During the 8th mile, I felt like my effort was similar as the previous mile. I am working harder than the first 6 miles. This I know and feel. When the 8th mile beeps I see another darn 8:03. Perhaps it’s the wind. Likely some glycogen depletion. I still feel good overall however, I just can’t start kicking it in quite yet. #CONTROL I relax…focus on holding this effort and perhaps notching it up a bit to where I feel a bit more challenge. Legs are still good. Mile 9 beeps and I see 7:59. Woot. Under 8:00 by 1 lousy second. I don’t feel like I am being rewarded for my increased effort. Gosh darnit. I may have said something else. I decide to just stay with this effort for the next couple miles #CONTROL because I just don’t feel I am ready to push quite yet. Miles 10 and 11 come in at 7:55 and 7:59 pace. SOS!
Ok, back to math. Coach T-Archimedes wakes up again at 11.12 miles. I do the math and calculations and come up with: I need to run 7:40 pace the last 2 miles to run sub 1:45. It may have been 7:42 pace but I had in my head 7:40 pace. This is when it all changed. I felt like I was injected with a shot of adrenaline and an emotion IV chaser. It is hard to describe or explain. I was a bit disappointed in slacking the last few miles but also felt like I wasn’t slacking. I was pissed at my gut. Why on a beautiful day for a goal race was I not feeling 100%? I was so happy to be out there racing though. This feeling was overpowering. There was so much going through my head but all within just seconds. With 2 miles left, fatigue had finally set in. I was tired and the effort the last mile or 2 was up to semi-hard but come on, it hasn’t been “hard” just yet, right? The race is on. What I love to do, why I am here. The CONQUER mindset is in full force.
There are 2 miles left. I generally feel decent leg wise and in mindset. The gut is what it is. Let’s Effing Go! I don’t honestly remember much of the last 2 miles aside from the final hill. I put myself in a zone. Not sure how to describe it, but I go to another place. Look up Central Governor Model. My final 2 miles I am proving this model or theory to be correct. Your mind is powerful. I can’t really explain it but part of it is having the ability to block out or buffer pain. Normally, I try to block out my breathing and leg fatigue in the final push. My body and heart was feeling fine this day to handle more stress. I was in push mode! Race mode! CONQUER mode! The last 2 miles became a hard effort or all out effort. I am now in the T-Zone.
Mile 12 comes in at 7:51. I glanced at it. I faintly remember thinking it wasn’t good enough. How can I be in race mode and pushing harder but only run less than 10 seconds faster than the last mile? I didn’t even do any calculations because I was in my zone. I didn’t want to leave it. I just kept on. Knowing the course and landmarks helped as I knew or felt I was getting closer to the finish. It’s like having to go the bathroom even more as you get closer to the toilet. Odd analogy I know, but there is a sense of relief ahead but you still gotta get there. Mile 13 beeped in at 7:36. I liked it. I felt rewarded. I glanced ahead and know the hill is just ahead at the turn. I peek at the time on my watch and it says 1:44:10. I have to get up that dang hill and then there is a little 40 yard flatter finish. At this exact moment I don’t feel my stomach. Again, hard to explain. I have 49 seconds to be under 1:45. I just pushed up that hill (pic on right) without anything on my mind other than getting to the finish line as fast as I could. 1:44:48. Boom! A feeling of both relief and accomplishment! AND then nausea. I walked fast and took my mind to another place. The feeling passed in less than 60 seconds.
I am not an amazing runner talent wise. I never have been but in this moment when walking it out I came out of my T-Zone and felt badass and a confirmation of my true love of this sport, racing and appreciating what we as humans can physically do under stress. AND, what I can do or just did as an aging athlete still competing after 35 years of running. I was 15 minutes off my HALF PR but so what. It was my age 57 HALF PR. I beat my time from the Green Bay HALF earlier this year. I also knew I did the absolute best I could this day. CONFIDENCE! CONTROL! CONQUER! I raced tough and smart and accepted the outcome. I preach this mindset daily to my athletes. It just felt so darn good and it felt good to impress Jerome and set a good example on how to race and fight to all my athletes and those who follow me.
As good as I was feeling in that moment, there was more to come. One of my SMART Approach athletes I coach, Hannah, was behind me and still racing. She is not an experienced racer but has the drive to get better and will run both the Green Bay Marathon and Chicago Marathon under my guidance in 2024. My self excitement was immediately gone and my focus was only on Hannah. I wanted a fulfilling race and a great experience for her closing out the year. I gave her a race plan strategy to PR and was anxiously waiting for the outcome.
When I finished, I walked to the car to get my phone. It was a long walk, so I decided to jog so I wouldn’t miss her finish. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good either. Sometimes I finish a half and my legs lock up and are buckling almost immediately. On my run/walk back to the finish line to see her finish I am too slow. My phone beeps and I get a Final Surge Notification from my coaching site email and see her name and run result. It is 9:59 am so I know she ran a sub 2:00. MAYBE SHE DID IT! She needed sub 1:58. YEP! She got it. I briefly look at her splits with my arm spread out far in front of me and see a beautifully executed race plan, negative split, fast finish last mile and a PR by a minute. She executed the plan to perfection. I go to find her but have not yet met her in person. I yelled out the name Hannah to a couple ladies who look like her, so I thought. Based on how they look at me, I realize they aren’t Hannah. I walk a little further and our eyes finally meet. I give her a big hug and shake her husband Evan’s hand.
She was so happy. I was so happy. CONFIDENCE! CONTROL! CONQUER! Round 2. Hannah thrived today as well. It’s hard to explain the joy this gives me. It’s actually a better feeling than the one I had just minutes earlier. IT IS SO POWERFUL to see your athletes accomplish amazing things. We hung out post race another hour during the awards ceremony. Neither of us received an award on this day. However, WE BOTH WON!!
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