Marathon #3

I achieved my primary goal at the 2022 Walt Disney World Marathon. I
finished. Yes I had fun and enjoyed the experience. I really hated
life during my other marathons. I made the decision around mile 15 or
so to just walk hard, try to run when it made sense, and avoid
emptying my tanks all the way. I think it was the right decision. I
have my medal and I will be able to start running again after giving
myself time to recover (especially the chafing on my thighs, brutal).

The last time I ran a marathon I wrote a whole post about what I
needed to improve the next time I attempted the distance. Fielding was
a big topic in that post. I definitely noticed a pick up in energy
after I ate something. If I had only been better trained to actually
take advantage of that insight. I knew that I wasn't physically ready
to take on the distance in a way that would be consistent with how I
like to think of myself as a runner. I frequently forget (or choose to
ignore) that running identity is based on running accomplishments that
are years in the past. My 10K PR, my sub two hour half marathon, my
first sub 5 hour marathon. Those are four or five years in the past.
I'm not that runner anymore. I looked at the times of the YouTuber who
passed me on the course, the guy who hosts the podcast I listen to
(that I found when looking for podcasts about runDisney), and the
people who were in course pictures with me. The version of me who ran
the RIchmond Marathon in 2017 would have beat all of them. I still
think I'm that guy. I'm not.

Yes, I'm older, but the 2022 marathoner didn't put in the miles needed
to be competitive with the 2017 version of myself. I was probably in
the best shape of my life when I did my first marathon. I ran the half
in 2:06 at the marathon. I will acknowledge that I went out way too
fast, but I was only 3 minutes slower than the Patrick Henry Half I
ran in 2015. I probably could have put down a 1:45 half if that was
the target distance. My first half was in 2013. That was 9 years ago
(well, more like 8.5 but let's not get too picky). What I could do
doesn't have anything to do with what I can do now. I can't just coast
on athletic achievements from the distant past. I have to be someone
who runs like this, not someone who ran like that.

So how do I go about reclaiming my former prowess? Realizing my run
1000 miles resolution is a good step in that direction. A big part of
running is volume. I will get on my 5, 5, and 10 plan next week. Those
numbers are just guidelines. That's the minimum I need to hit on my
primary runs to get to 20 miles a week, which will get me to 1000
miles. The volume is just a part of it though. At the end of the
marathon I ran for short spurts. I focused on my form. There was a
difference. I've been so much slower this year. I just can't get down
to the times that I used to run. I have no doubt that my mechanics are
playing a role. Better knee drive, more open stride, better push off
or something could all be a factor in my pace. I will pay better
attention to my form as I ease back into my regular running routine.

This form thing isn't just idle speculation. I did some intervals on a
treadmill where I got the speed up to a point where I had to really
concentrate on how I was running to keep up. My next run outside was
much faster than previous runs (and the runs soon thereafter). My
effort didn't feel any harder, but I was moving much faster. That
should have been my cue to really dig into form and find a way to make
that kind of effort a permanent part of my running. I didn't. I just
kept on doing the same old thing.

I'm proud of finishing this marathon, but I want my running reality to
match what I have in my head. (That's actually a pretty good summary
of all my goals). I just got a very real (and accurate) picture of my
current fitness level. I know what needs to be done to make my
imagined reality my actual reality. Lots of sweating in Florida
humidity while staying aware of what my knees, hips, and arms are
doing (and building up the strength of my lower body and core when I'm
not dripping sweat).