Gusher Marathon Recap 3/7/15

Wow, what can I say. I've always wanted to start a blog but wasn't sure when the right time would be. But as my ol' grand pappy used to say "if you don't do it now, by god, it ain't gonna get done!" So here it is, a little bit of a work in progress. But as we move along together and I figure this out. It'll be a thing of beauty.

The Gusher Marathon:
1st overall    3:00:47

Going into this, I was really concerned about my weight. Eight weeks out when we started the training block I really began to focus on my dieting habits. I used the mantra: breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper, to get my weight to where it needed to be. I started off around 166 lbs and for my height that's a little on the heavy side. I am 5'8''. My goal race weight is 157 and because I started so far out I easily moved down to 154 by race day. I did this by eating lots of veggies and going to bed a little hungry every night. Portion control is my biggest hurdle.



Race morning started at 2:30 when Zoe (our chocolate Min. Schnauzer) woke me up to bring her outside. Thanks dude, sleep is WAY overrated the night before a big race. At five, the usual pre-race breakfast of applesauce and sports drink. Then I was off to the University where the race was being held.

 

Once I arrived and did my pre-race ritual of warming up and downing a Honey Stinger gel.  I moseyed over to the starting line to get in some final race pace pick ups and stretching. Also, to get an eye on my competition, as I was told I had the strongest chance from our area to take the overall in the marathon. Not to sound like an arrogant turd; because most of the heavy hitters from our area were running the half.



When the race started we took off at a pretty solid pace. One of my goals going into this was to take the first half very easy and not go too hard. Sometimes my competitive streak gets the best of me and I end up just surviving the last few miles. This is a very amateur approach and one that up until this race I never understood.



The first half went as planned. However, the bike escort kept telling our group that we were 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Which didn't make sense to me. Because there was no one else in sight wearing a marathon race number. Then, my friend Gilbert (who was running the half and found us at mile 10) said the guy in first took a wrong turn. Next thing I see is this kid blazing by me like banshee...it was first place! Again, my maturity as an athlete let him go because I knew he couldn't hold that pace for long. He was running sub-6:30/mile and breathing pretty hard. Once we got to the University, I picked up the pace and ended up dropping the group I was with. This put me in 3rd place going into second and final lap.
First Half: 1:31

The second lap is what makes this race so challenging. On your way to and from downtown there is a three mile stretch with no shade and lots of wind. This really puts the hurt on people. Also, when you finally reach downtown there is no one to cheer you on. Basically, you are running by yourself. Again, this is where a lot of people lose pace because it is so quiet. Its just you and the rhythm of your feet. This is not a bad thing. In fact its what I enjoy most about the race. At mile 20 in downtown I overtook second place and got the split between first. I couldn't see him but knew he was close. So I dropped it into gear again and picked up the pace. At mile 22 I caught first place and after a congratulatory pat on the back moved into the lead. Once I reached Lamar, with about 2 miles to go, I really began to open the stride and drop my pace considerably. Then, at the last turn my good friend and long time training partner Josh Michael escorted me into the finish chute for my first marathon and first marathon win ! Second half split: 1:29

Overall, my approach to this race was to insure a strong finish. This was accomplished by proper pacing, proper training, and most importantly...patience.

I want to give a HUGE shout out to my wife Brooke for putting up with me.
HUGE shout out to my coach Todd Teren of Outrival Racing and my sponsor Honey Stinger for getting me prepped on and off the course!

Finally, thanks to Richard and Amie for putting on such a great race !





My Nutrition for the race: Honey Stinger Strawberry-Kiwi Gel (30 minutes pre-race, @ miles: 10, 16, and 22). Water from aid stations (throughout)