Houston Marathon - Race Report

Hello again. Yes, I'm still out here, but figured that endless "training reports" would be just a little on the boring side. So, here is an actual "race report". Woohoo!

The Chevron Houston Marathon starting gun sounded at 7:00 AM yesterday (Sunday, January 13) to clear skies, 44 degree temp, and a 10-15mph north wind, and a record 17,000 runners (apprx. 7,000 full, 10,000 half).

I won't bore everyone with the details, but this was my second marathon, and my finish time was a mere 1 min. 26 sec. better than my first go around. Yesterday, I got a 3:56:47, and in Austin last year, I got a 3:58:22. So, different cities, extremely different courses (Houston mostly flat, Austin pretty darn hilly), and very similar weather, but the same result. I guess for all practical purposes, I'm a 4 hour marathoner.

Looking at my unofficial splits, I do seem to have run Houston much more consistently...starting out at about 8:50/mile, with only a slight fade that kicked in around mile 19 or so. In Austin, I logged several early miles at 8:35, only to be faced with about 4 10:00 miles later in the course, before having to really give it a kick to finish under 4 hours.

I ran Houston with a friend, and that made the race much more enjoyable. In a way, I'm glad I ran my first marathon "solo", because I felt like I was able to absorb the event and personalize it a little. Conversely, having a running partner run stride for stride was very beneficial. I began cramping up at about mile 22, and the obligation to finish with him, without holding him back, is what kept me going.

DEHYDRATION PROBLEM:

I didn't realize it at the time, but the right hamstring cramp I was able to ward off in mile 22 was actually the first sign that I was on my way to becoming severely dehydrated. Almost immediately after finishing, I began experiencing a massive headache, and I had absolutely no appetite whatsoever. This is alarming for me, because the post-race cheeseburger is always my salvation!

My ever-supportive wife drove me home, and I slept the entire hour in the car. When we got home, I went straight to the couch, where she basically force-fed me some chicken broth and and water. I went straight to bed, and it wasn't until about 6:00 AM this morning that I actually felt better. Since then, I have rebounded, regained the appetite, and feel pretty much 100%.....except for the typically sore quads.

This is where I need some help from you guys. My IMCDA discussion group has already given me some advice on hydration/electrolyte strategy, but I can use all the help I can get. At the time, I felt like I followed a pretty good plan....no alcohol the week before the event; increased water/fluid intake the days before; good amount of water/Gatorade immediately before race; water and/or Gatorade at every stop, plus a pack of Sport Beans every 45 minutes or so.

So far, it appears as though I should look into into electrolyte supplement in addition to water/sports drink. I need to work out a formula, based on my 6' 3" 190 lb. frame, and heavy (though not profusely) sweating.

I guess part of the problem is that I (stupidly) tend to worry about this more in the summer, when I'm sweating buckets, but not on days like yesterday, where the sweat dries so fast, the only think left on your face is a layer of salt.

Now it is time to recover, and get ready for Austin in February 17. My plan there is to run it as sort of an "Ironman Simulation", which means I won't be trying to set a PR, and won't even care about 4 hours. Try to get myself familiar with a even, steady pace that I'll be able to handle at Coeur d'Alene.

Then, blissfully, I'll be back into full-time cross-training.