Proof of Concept

After last week's successful 1/2 marathon -- 1:40:10 -- the McMillian running calculator predicted that I would be able (all things being equal) to run a marathon in 3:31:15, at a pace of 8:04 minutes per mile. Today, instead of going to Charlottesville to play diplomacy with my friends, I set out to do a proof-of-concept run; 20 miles at 8:04 per mile. I also enlisted the aid of my family - M and J set up a table at the side of the course, and the stocked it with Gatorade so that I could practice getting the liquid in my mouth instead of on my kit, which has been a problem in actual races. That support was invaluable and really kept me going in the last miles of the run. Here are my splits from the training run:

1 (actually .75 miles, from the aid station to mile marker 0) 5:58
2: 7:46
3: 7:37 (at this point I figured out which mile markers were the ones I was running, and started to adjust my pace accordingly) (light to cross road, no delay)
4: 7:51 (light to cross road, no delay)
5: 7:59
6: 8:04
7: 7:56 (light to cross road, :05 sec delay)
8: 7:53 (first gel shot here) (light to cross road, no delay)
9: 7:56
10: 8:01 (1:17:12 for the first half)
11: 8:01 (light to cross road, :05 sec delay)
12: 7:49 (second gel shot here) (light to cross road, :15 sec delay)
13: 7:51
14: 8:08
15: 8:01 (light to cross road, :05 sec delay)
16: 8:08 (final gel shot here) (light to cross road, .05 sec delay)
17: 8:10
18: 8:17
19: 8:10 (light to cross road, :05 sec delay)
20: 8:03 (light to cross road, no delay)
21: 1:34 -- last .25 miles to the aid station.

Watch net time: 2:40:07, minus road delays, 2:39:27. Average time, 7:58/mi.

Now, based on that time, McMillian predicts 3:32:22 for the marathon; but still. Given that I forgot to carbo-load in the previous 48 hours, I think we have to say that proof of concept has been achieved. I ought to be able to run the marathon sub 3:40, and on a really good day, I might get near 3:30.

THAT being said, I have to admit that my body was completely shattered by this run. I've been exhausted before, but never so thoroughly as today. I could barely get back out of the car, stagger up the steps and clean up. It is now 30 minutes after, and I am still pretty damn beat up. My memory may be playing tricks with me, though -- I remember two weeks ago after the 20 mile run being so fashed that I could barely eat, 30 minutes out -- so maybe this is some of that. I am definitely never again neglecting to carbo-load before a long run, however -- the difference between the way I feel now and the way I felt after the 1/2 marathon is hard to put into words. The main word that comes to me now is "ow."

Other stuff happened this week -- but I wanted to get this blogged while it was still fresh.