The same can be said about running and training for races.
Most marathon plans incorporate a variety of training runs over the course of 16 to 18 weeks. Depending upon the training plan level - beginner, intermediate, advanced - runners might log anywhere between 400 and 1,000 miles just to run one marathon.
To a non-runner, this probably sounds absolutely crazy, and on some levels maybe it is. But in order for one to prepare the body for the task of running 26.2 miles in one go, these training runs are essential. They build endurance, strength, and most importantly, mental toughness.
However, there are many variables that can happen on race day that, no matter what kind of training a runner completes, will throw a wrench into the best-laid plans.
One of the most difficult race-day variables to overcome is weather, and spring marathons can be the trickiest. The problem lies in the fact that a vast majority of spring race training is completed during the cooler winter months. This isn't an issue if the weather is cool on race day, but it's been my experience that more often than not, spring race day temps are less than ideal.
I experienced this problem when I ran the May 2012 Cleveland Marathon. My goal going into this race was to set a PR. I was really hoping to cut about 19 minutes off my best marathon time and finish around five hours, preferably under it. This goal drove my training for this race, and as I toed up to the start line, I was confident. My training had gone very well and I felt great.
I ran with the 5:00 pace group for most of the race and was very comfortable through mile 16, but then it all went south. The water station there had run out of cups, but since I had hydrated well at the previous station, I didn't think it would be too much of a problem and could hold off until the next station. By the time I reached mile 17, I was in trouble. I felt lightheaded, sick to my stomach and developed a pounding headache. The mid-80 temps, lack of shade and not hydrating at the previous water station caught up with me, and I had to reassess my goal: either continue the pace I had kept for the previous 17 miles and risk a DNF (Did Not Finish) and a ride in an ambulance or worse, or take it easy and just get across the finish line. I chose the latter and walked the remaining nine miles of the race, hence my 6:15 and change finish time.
Despite the fact that the Cleveland race marked my worst marathon time by far, I am thankful that I was able to finish. I made a smart decision and was ready to call it off altogether if my condition didn't improve. I swallowed my pride and tossed out my goal without hesitation. I also learned a few valuable lessons at that race, the most important being that despite the additional weight a hydration pack adds to a 26.2 mile run, it's worth wearing one on hot race days.
Another variable that can affect race day is health/general wellness. On Halloween morning 2013, I was running along my favorite route early in the morning when, a few miles in, I stepped on something - a pinecone, perhaps, or a stick - and rolled my foot. I hobbled the last mile or so to get to my car, praying that it wasn't too serious because I had a marathon in a week and a half in West Virginia. I dropped my run streak (66 days!) and rested and doctored my foot until race day.
Again, I had a goal to finish in under five hours and set a PR. In September of that year, I had run the Erie Marathon and clocked my best marathon time at 4:31:00 and was hoping to top it in WV's Marshall Marathon. However, I had to revise my goal as my foot was still a bit tender. The weather was cool and overcast, perfect conditions for a race, but my foot began to bother me at around mile 19. Still, I persevered and finished in 5:08 and change. For the 2011 Chicago Marathon, I clocked my second-worst time (just under six hours) because of knee issues, which I eventually fixed with a shoe change. You can read about that race in my blog post about running minimalist.
Other variables such as course terrain can be overcome by training appropriately, but unpleasant surprises can still lurk around every corner, especially if one is unfamiliar with the area. This couldn't be more true than when I think back to the marathon I ran in July 2013 in Vermont: the Mad Marathon.
Perhaps the name should have given me a clue. Touted on its website as "The world's most beautiful marathon," I just had to give it a shot. The elevation chart was a bit intimidating, but hey, I live in Cassadaga. I can't go a mile out my front door without encountering some pretty hefty hills, so I thought I would be able to train for this race by incorporating them into every mid-level and long run in my plan.
Well, it was a good idea in theory, anyway. We arrived in Vermont the day before the race. I picked up my packet in a very timely fashion (I was the only runner there, so no waiting in line!) and, since we had some time to burn, we decided to drive the course. What an eye opener it was. The hills were HUGE, much steeper and longer than I had imagined. Suddenly I was confronted with the knowledge that my training had been woefully insufficient.
If you dislike running flat courses, then you should give the Mad Marathon a try because there isn't a single flat spot to be had. Only a few hundred runners sign up for and finish the Mad Marathon each year; I guess not many people like the idea of running miles and miles of hills. While the course is indeed very beautiful - rustic country where the cows outnumber the spectators 50 to 1 - it took every ounce of energy I had and a full cup of locally brewed beer at mile 23 (very yummy, too!) to complete the course. I didn't have much energy to fully enjoy the views but did snap a few pictures. Not looking to set any PRs this time, I planned to finish in under six hours and did so in 5:29 and change. Afterward, I went to our room and crashed. It took me nearly two weeks to recover.
(elevation chart for the Mad Marathon - doesn't do it justice!)
I'm fortunate that up to this point, I've been able to finish every race I've started. I'm sure there will be a race that will get the best of me or a day when I am ill or something comes up and I can't make it. I'm not looking forward to it happening, but it's inevitable. Life is too unpredictable to plan otherwise!
Thanks for reading, friends. :)
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