Chicago and Madison Marathon 2016

Couch to Boston Marathon Qualifier in 5 years!

The feeling of achieving a 'BQ" for me is as exciting as becoming an Ironman finisher. 

Over the past five years, I've had hundreds of race photos. The one to the left is a Top 10, taken shortly after crossing the finishing line of the the 2016 Madison Marathon. Over my shoulder the clock is at 3:38. The M55-59 age group BQ time is 3:40. My official race time was 3:37:45. Yes a BQ, but perhaps not 'good' enough for an official entry, I understand that. But one of those things that can't be taken away. I'll always have achieved a 'BQ'. And I would have never thought it possible. It just kind of evolved.

I never was a 'runner'. Now, when asked as a triathlete the inevitable 'which do you like best?' or some variation of the question, swimming is the most gratifying because I started with very little background and am (have been) happy to be 'average,' bicycling is the most fun, I really enjoy the feeling of 'racing,' and running is the most surprising as it may be my best discipline. In a typical triathlon I'll finish the swim in the 50th percentile, be in the 33rd after the bike and 25th after the run.

After beginning 2012 doing Insanity and dropping 30+ pounds. I was looking for the 'next thing' to do. I had done the Syttende Mai 17 mile walk 20 years ago and decided on the 10 mile run. I figured I would average 10:00 minute miles and was very surprised to finish at 8:02. I ran the Madison Mini that August and finished 7:34. The Syttende Mai, Monona 20K, Madison Mini, and Madison Half have become annual fixtures on my race schedule.

After volunteering at IMOO 2014, I entered the 2015 race. I had never done a marathon and signed up for the October 2014 Haunted Hustle. I read a book by Matt Fitzgerald called 'Running by Feel'. And gave it a go. Although I wore a watch, I never looked at it. I just ran. Started 'fast' and faded. As I came up the finishing chute I saw the clock click past 3:40 and I finished at 3:40:28. Twenty eight seconds off a BQ in my first marathon. Are you kidding me?!?

No way. Two weeks later, so much for recovery, I gave the Madison Marathon a go. In my age group, I was 3rd at the 10k , 4th at the half, 1st at the 30k, and crashed and burned finishing 16th. A 4:10 finish after a 1:45 half. I knew I had 'gone out fast' and the 'wall' was just that, not a gradual fade - done. It hurt bad, and I thought of quitting, then a wheelchair racer came by. We passed each other back and forth up and down the hills. Quitting was not an option.

I stayed with the start fast and fade strategy for the 2015 post IMOO Haunted Hustle and crashed and burned again. Finishing at 4:20, roughly forty minutes slower than my first attempt.

I made the 2016 Chicago Marathon my "A" race. But once again, followed the start fast and fade strategy. Now you would think a M 55-59 top 14%, top 24% male, top 17% overall finish would be 'good enough' but finishing at 3:40:08, eight seconds off a BQ, as AKW pointed out, was 'lame'. And the post race photo (below) shows a little less excitement.

A 3:40 marathon is an 8:23 pace. I ran 13 of the first 15 miles under 8:00. That's 260 seconds below a 3:40. Miles 16 thru 19 were less than 8:23. Mile 20 was 8:25. Then the fast fade. Four of the last six miles were over 9:00. My watch indicated my average pace was below 8:20. The 3:40 'pace group' passed me. I knew it would be close. I approached the finish line and the race clock was past 3:40. The difference would be how long from the starting gun to pass the starting line. 3:40:08.

The week of the race I fought a chest cold. I didn't feel 'fit'. I lowered my expectations to 'training run'. A poor mindset that had a corresponding negative affect on execution. I ended up running 26.56 miles. Meaning I didn't run the tangents very well. Instead of taking the inside corners, I stayed in the left lane and ran an 'extra' quarter mile. At an 8:24 pace, a quarter mile takes 2:06.

The following week Chris and I ran a destination Half Marathon in Key West. It was a wild scene starting the race at 6:30 AM in the dark, as in before sunrise, as it was already over 80 degrees. But the story is not the race but what I read on the flight there. Another Matt Fitzgerald book "The New Rules of Marathon ... Nutrition". 

As I read the book, reflected on my experience and thought about my go forward strategy I determined three objectives 1) run a better pace 2) incorporate a nutrition plan and 3) run tangents.

Having done Ironman and executing what I thought was a very good 'nutrition plan', it never occurred to me that perhaps part of my marathon failure was due to a lack of nutrition plan. I carried a couple gels and drank some water or Gatorade along the route. But it wasn't really a 'plan', it just happened. 

What I learned was in endurance events lasting longer than 90 minutes, carbohydrates need be replenished at a minimum of 30 grams per hour up to an optimum of 60 grams per hour. The trick is 'how do you do that?'. A typical gel contains 25 grams so that's 7-8 gels in 3-1/2 hours. PLUS it is suggested to drink 16 oz. of water each hour while gellin'. No way that is happening.

What worked for me at IMOO was 1st Endurance EFS. It has no gelling agents and therefore can be consumed with less and mixed easily with water. I calculated for 3.6 hours of racing, I would need 216 grams of carbs or roughly nine ounces of EFS. I decided to carry three six ounce fuel belt bottles half EFS and half water in a Nathan Hipster. Carrying energy can be a challenge and Madison Marathon race day was no different. As one of the bottles popped out of the Hipster on mile three. I retrieved the bottle and fortunately I had made a 'game day' decision to wear tri-shorts in stead of running shorts. I put two of the bottles in the hips pockets and kept only one in the Hipster. I did end up drinking too much water before and during the race and made the strategic decision to 'take a break' at mile 18 which cost me 30 seconds.  

The second objective was 'pace' and overcoming the fear of 'starting too slow and fading' past the objective time. This take faith. I had already proven the 'start fast, fade, and shuffle' didn't work. I'll give it a go. I started the race with the 3:40 group and stayed with them. As we passed the on course photographers I developed a 'during the race strategy' of "ill try to get in as many pictures with the pace group guys as possible". It worked.

It was mentioned early in the race what a large group it was. When I hit the can at 18 I knew I would give up 30 seconds or so. I just kept keeping an eye on the guy with the florescent hat and caught one runner at a time. I thought about the story Mark Allen told when I heard him speak at USAT Nationals in 2015 when he was catching up to Dave Scott at Kona. Doing the math in my head 'I'll have to make up 5 seconds for six miles...' It took me until mile 23 to catch back up. At that point there were four of the group left, the two pacers, me and another guy. At that point I was feeling good I stepped past the pacers and they responded 'Go Get 'Em Kris' and off I went.

I negative split the marathon. The second half was faster than the first half. The last six was the fastest six. The last three was the fastest three. And mile 25 was the fastest mile. Boy, did it work.

And the final objective was the tangents. I tried to cut every corner I could. Point to point. I tried to stay a few steps ahead of the pacers when approaching corners as I found it difficult to navigate through a large group of runners behind the pacers. I ran 'only' 26.34 miles.

I finished the race with the race clock at 3:38 my 'Official' time was 3:37:45. AG 6th of 31. As I crossed the finish line I held my arms out and yelled "Boston Marathon Qualifier, Baby!" that's right I did. And a small crowd gave a cheer. I get goose bumps now. It was really cool. And then I gave the "PR Bell" a solid clang.

I caught up to Chris who PR'ed in the Half Marathon. I am really grateful to have a training partner like her. And then we went for our traditional post race pancakes. Picture to the left also a top 10 ;  )

I write this not because I'm super swell. But to remember the really cool experience. And maybe share that 'it's never too late' with another to perhaps find some encouragement to begin a journey that may result in accomplishing something never thought possible.  Like 2017 Ride Across Wisconsin August 25th 175 miles Dubuque to Kenosha. OK it's out there.