Does life ever go as planned?
This week was all about Sunday's Hong Kong Marathon, 24/7 with the in-laws, and a cold that crushed my race plans that were 4 months in the making.
Moments of the Week (Feb 6-12)
Feris missed more school days than she attended thanks to the cold I passed on to her. She can't seem to kick it because she refuses to take medicine and gets little to no sleep.
Jero had a spontaneous late Friday afternoon that stretched into the evening at the beach with friends that included volleyball, luminescent ocean bacteria, a bonfire, and raw marshmallows. Besides the fact that he fails the "marshmallow test" again and again, I'm glad he had this experience.
Lea, fueled by her grandparent’s generosity, has been peeling and eating pomegranates every day this week. I think she enjoys getting hands-on. The other highlight has been the dance routine she picked up from her CCA. She’s also learning to juggle.
Maricar ran a well-executed Marathon with consistent splits and a sub-4 time with plenty of room to spare. She’s now a believer in group training and plated running shoes. Always the dreamer, I think she wants to start combining travel and marathons.
Thinking Out Loud
What was it like with the in-laws this week? I'm the one at home so I had a full week with them and their unique habits. Maricar said these should come as no surprise, but because we are in a space 1/4 of what we are used to, they now have zero time commitments and I like to think we’ve become minimalists, these become amplified.
Enjoying a good deal on groceries and stuff, regardless if they need it, we want it, or if we have the space for it.
Either talking at the same time or talking when no one is listening.
Making coffee out of habit and leaving it out to get cold.
Saving seeds with the intention of planting them in a garden that doesn’t exist.
Saving bites of food or scraps of ingredients in bowls and containers, rather than just finishing or discarding it.
Saving used cooking oil in containers.
They leave next week and are already considering a return in less than a month. This is not healthy or sustainable for anyone. They need friends and hobbies.
On The Move
Run With Me on Strava - 45.90 mi, 2,178 ft Elevation
Race day was Sunday, and everything was going according to plan. For the 4 month cycle, I stayed injury free, kept a good weight, stuck to the training plan, and I was able to run/maintain while traveling.
It was too good to be true. This week was a mess and it all nearly fell apart.
Monday and Tuesday I struggled. I thought it was due to a sleep deficit, the time change, or the weather. It was all of the above and then it hit. It wasn't covid. The flu? A cold? I was in bed for the next two days. This never happens. I'm usually able to get out for an easy 5K, but I struggled to just walk around the apartment.
Then, Feris got it... another 2 days snuggling with Feris.
By Friday, I had to test my legs. I went for an light 3-mile run and felt lightheaded and drained. Saturday was 2 miles and my pace was even slower.
The day before the race, I still had symptoms, and was lethargic, but felt better after each night. I was thinking the following:
Don't race. It could get messy and I might blow up.
Start extremely conservative and shave a few seconds every mile until I couldn't go any faster. This way I could ease into the race, test my body, and finish strong.
Stick to the plan before I got sick and pull evenish splits for a <2:53 PR or worst-case scenario, a sub 3. This would have been a bold move, and could backfire quickly, resulting in the walk of shame.
Just finish… maybe run with Maricar.
Prerace - Used the bathroom and then went to warm up for a mile; jogging with a few bursts. I was congested and spent most of the time clearing my chest and sinuses through coughing and snot rockets. It is not a pretty sight. My hands and singlet were gross. I then made my way to the start line, BEHIND 1000s of runners.
Once the adrenaline got going, I decided I was going to figure out how to put it all out there. The impassable crowds kept me at bay for the first 5K. I went with the flow and was even able to enjoy hanging with Rohan for a while from kilometers 4-5. From there, the roads opened up and I went by feel. Usually, I have barely legible splits written down on my left arm so I know my benchmarks. This time, my strategy was to just keep an even effort throughout, run hard on the descents and ease up on the climbs.
Although I was off my original race mile pace by 10-15 seconds, I was able to fall back on my training and put up respectable negative splits. And, because I started slower in the way way back, I spent the entire 26+ miles passing people which kept things interesting.
Using quick math at 10 miles to go, I thought that a sub 3 was doable. I look back and that was an impossibly big stretch. If the weather was cooler and I didn’t get sick, I would have hit my original goal. However, with the cards I was dealt at the starting line, I ran a strategic race and I'm pleased with how it all played out. I was just over 3 hours and put it all out there; enjoying nearly every moment of it.
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Other random race notes…
What's my take on the course? It's my least favorite and that says a lot because I've run two marathons in Modesto, CA before.
Undulating. It's either your climbing or descending with the majority of the course crossing the longest bridges and tunnels that stretch on forever. Although there are no mountains to climb, the elevation adds up. Other soul-crushing sections include knowing for every tunnel descent or bridge out, there is a climb or run back.
Weather - It was a warm 67 degrees and just about 100% humidity. Fortunately, there was no sun and sometimes a breeze. The most uncomfortable sections were in the tunnels with zero air circulation. Wishful thinking that an early February race guaranteed cool conditions. I already had a good sweat a mile into the race and my shoes eventually got wet, which will explain my soon-to-be purple toenails.
Getting to the start of the race is easy.
There are plenty of places to warm up.
Unless you are in the front, you are guaranteed to be running the first mile blocked by other runners with no room to weave.
Nutrition Strategy - Light dinner with rice and ulam (pretty much any dish you eat with rice). And, a sweet potato. Woke up 3 hours before race time for more sweet potato, PB&J and some dates. 45 minutes before I had a few sips of Tailwind and a few dates. During the race I had 3 Clif Shots and took them at 45-60 minute intervals depending on when I saw a water station come up. I gagged a little bit each time. I stopped at most nutrition stations for a sip of water, to clean my hands, and a shower.
Bathroom - Didn't need it during the race. Thank god.
Post Race - There is no place to hang out at the finish. With so many people in a limited space, there are focused on getting people moving. And, poor planning on my part. There is no same-day drop bag which means we didn't have our phones. You would think we would have done a better job planning a post-run meeting point. Nope. Waited an hour and then spent another 20 minutes looking for Maricar. Then the nearest metro stations were CWB and Tin Hau and they seemed extra far because of street closures. Normally, this would have been fine but my muscles were stiff and I was walking around like my hips were going to pop out or I was suddenly going to cramp and fall.
Pre-Race Porta Potties - There weren't many but the queues were short and they moved quickly. I soon found out why. They were squat toilets and the most filthy ones I've ever experienced with multiple chunks of feces on the floor. I took a quick tinkle and got out of there with the visual seared into my memory.