It was a long over due marathon which I was planning on racing New York City Marathon and it was canceled. I started to train for NYCM in July, top mileage was 118 miles, longest mileage day was 35 miles, A1C during the build up was 5.7, and my best workout was 8x1mile hard, 1mile medium- avg. 5.01, medium miles 5:40 which was 85-90% of marathon race pace and 12x2min, 8x1min that same afternoon. As good as my Training was for New York Marathon was great until I raced USATF Club Cross Country Championships. I was a 10k and I don't know why it messed me up, but my training suffered. At Club Cross Champs, I started the race out a little too fast 4:40 first mile, but we used it as a tune up for Houston and it took 2 weeks to get over the mental and physical strand on my body. I'm sure training for 6 months was too long without any breaks, but it was hard for me to conceder to throw away all the hard work I had done so I pressed on for 10 more weeks from NYCM to Houston Marathon. I also was a little sick going in to the race with a lingering head cold and a bunch a junk in my throat. I don't know if that was a problem but I know all week long it kept me from sleeping. I'm sure it had some effects on my for the race, but there is no gauge on how much it would have affected me.
The extra time for figuring out my blood sugar problems with racing fast helped to fix some of the kinks. That helped me out a lot I was also much better at traveling and eating what was available to me and for Houston I didn't have any problems with my hands swelling. Which has been a big concern that I have chatted with Missy Foy about and Dr. Chris Monty. I know some of my issues with racing fast is my body buffering system is not working correctly and I feel I'm getting closer to a solution. I don't always have the option of going out slow for every race especially if I want to compete for the win. Winning is much less likely if I don't go out with the leaders or at least closes to the leaders. That was one of the biggest success I had in Houston was that my hands didn't swell up much at all. I have been trying a couple of different things to stop the hands swelling. I changed my diet to 99% gluten free and Dairy free to keep from slowing my lymphatic system down some of the other digestive problems that comes with those foods. I also need some more vitamin B-6 and that was more for my Krebs cycle and training at the high intensity level that I do. Probiotics to keep my digestives system running and healthy. I took a little more then I had been thinking and it worked great! I also started to take some of Power Bars High Intensity- Beta Alanine which helps buffer the lactic acid in your body.
As for Houston pre race nutrition preparation I was eating more carbs then normal and had to take a little more insulin to balance that stuff out a little better. I would have smoothie in the morning maybe some Organic Sharkies as a snack, salad for lunch with a Lara bar or 2, then I did make some chili for some of my meals that week, but dinner is usually pretty small. The day before the race I had a package of Sharkies and a Protein Plus Power Bar, Lunch I got in to Houston later so another Power Bar and some cashews, and Dinner I had a big salad and a little bit of chicken with another bar for the carbo loading. Race Morning I had a couple of bars worth about 400 to 500 calories and was ready to race. durning the race I took a Power Bar Gel at mile 8 or 9 because I felt like I might be a bit low of BG and at 25 because I need something to change up the scenario. Other than gel I had water most of the way and at 5 miles I took some Gatorade at an aid station when I missed a gel stop.
It was an overall ok race, but I want more and all my training was based on 5:00 to 5:10. My body was ready tor run under 2:15 and racing much slower is a big problem because the way my body used energy was based on those paces. I did not train to run 2:30 or 2:20 and that made racing this marathon much more painful. I did feel pretty good up until 10 to 11 miles and at that point I could feel my body really start to tighten up. I had a side cramp right after 11 miles to 14, plus I could feel my IT bands start to tighten too. There are a lot of things to improve and I need to change for my next marathon. For the most part I was pretty happy with how I controlled my diabetes for the race.
I want to race a Marathon where I feel good at 1/2 marathon at my goal marathon pace. It has not happened yet and it drives me nuts that I can put together a half marathon. It will come and I know I'm close and the weather was bad, but in my mind I still want more then a 2:30 marathon.
What is next for me I will hold off to plan because I need some time off training. I will take a couple of weeks off and start a build up, however I wont start setting up races until I'm extremely fit. I hate planning races before my fitness comes around and not know if I'm ready to race or not. I will fight all temptation to put anything on my schedule until I know I'm and my peak fitness.
Tommy
