Adios Sucker! Pasadena Marathon Recap

Hello, my name is Emil and I am a marathoncoholic... marathon maniac... I should've skipped this race. But hey, the race was paid for and I needed to show up to collect my medal. I just had to cover 26.2 miles to get it. This year's shirt was nice, but there was some trouble getting it. They were not available until late on the first day of the expo. They were nice enough to allow us to make arrangements to pick it up on race day or even have it mailed. Speaking of mailing stuff, I just realized that I've never received the finisher's towel from the Malibu Marathon. Oh well, that teaches me to take my sweet time out there! Anyways here are some of the reasons why I should've skipped the race:

• I felt a little under the weather a couple of days leading up to the race.
• My training has been nonexistent since the beginning of 2009.
• I've been dealing with lower back pain.
  
• My right ankle is still not 100%.

My goal was to get through the first half in about 2 hours. Then just survive the second half. That has been the typical race I have been running since I first injured my right hip back in January 2009 during the Carlsbad Marathon. The body has since become more and more rundown. I wanted to finish in about 4:30, but I knew that was a long shot. I knew it was going to take me around 5hrs. I knew it was going to be a struggle, but still I wanted to run as hard as I could for as long as could.

I bumped into maniac Mitch and PasadenaRunner (Tom) in the parking structure. I was pretty sure parking was free, but the security guard told Tom that we had to pay. So Tom and I both decided $2 was good insurance... just in case. I headed to the starting line to pick up my shirt, watch the bike tour start, and use the portapotties. I did 2 out of the 3 because it started to rain and I decided to go back to my car to take a quick nap.

1st Half
Mile 1 was pretty congested. I was fine with that because I felt really lethargic. I was spotted by a fellow maniac Marcia. She was running the half. I wished her a good race and took off to test the ankle. I then saw maniac Mitch and ran with him for several miles. I took my regular walk break every 30 minutes. By mile 8, I started to feel discomfort in my gimpy right ankle so I knew I had no chance to finish around 4:30. I knew the second half was going to be another walkathon. Tom caught me near the mile 10 turnaround. Between 12 and 13, I was feeling really tired going up the hill exiting the Rose Bowl. A pretty girl blows by me and the back of her shirt says "Adios Sucker!" My legs were feeling pretty heavy, but I chased her down to ask her where she got her shirt. It was a Nike shirt. Man, seeing that shirt really felt like a kick in the nuts! It would have been suicide to follow her any further, so I fell back.
1: 8:39
2: 8:24
3: 8:35
4: 9:36
5: 8:44
6: 8:31
7: 9:27
8: 9:06
9: 9:49
10: 9:25
11: 10:09
12: 10:23
13: 9:49 Adios sucker!

2nd Half
My friend Helen passed me around mile 15 when I was reduced to walking up a hill. She asked how I was feeling. I felt like I shouldn't be there! I felt like I was wearing ankle weights and breathing through a straw. I was crying uncle at mile 18. It was a long downhill section and I could not get the legs to work. This was very similar to 1st Ave at NYC. I should have been picking up the pace, but instead I was crawling with the half marathon walkers. Maniac Howard caught me and I had him drag me for a little while. Then a little bit later maniac James caught me. He kind of got me going a little bit. The 2 hills going up to miles 21 and 22 were not fun. Near mile 24 I started coming up to Asian Mullet Guy, whom I kept seeing on the switchbacks during the last 2 hills. For you "How I Met Your Mother" fans out there... around mile 25, I saw a picture of Barney Stinson on a popsicle stick in an orange traffic cone. Asian Mullet Guy sped up and I could not follow. Coming up to mile 26, I felt like fainting. I had to muster up whatever I had left to put on a show for the cameras. As soon as I crossed the finish line, I felt very light headed, legs were cramping, and was on the verge of blacking out. I tried to find some bananas, but I didn't find any. All I could find were apple and orange slices.
14: 12:51
15: 13:28
16: 11:51
17: 14:29
18: 19:17 lol wth!
19: 13:30
20: 11:19
21: 13:49
22: 16:15
23: 13:15
24: 12:47
25: 14:03
26: 13:28
26.2: 2:02
Finish: 5:03:14

Post Race Thoughts
If I would've toughened up a little bit during mile 18, I could've finished under or closer to 5 hours. But it's close enough.

My current fitness is only adequate for a 10k. A half marathon is a stretch. A marathon should be out of the question. My lungs definitely could not keep up. My body is too inefficient. I'm going to have to start carrying more food if I want to keep doing these slogathons. After 15 consecutive months of running at least 1 marathon with 1 gimpy body part or more, I think I'm ready for a long break. My 1st break will come in May where I'll only run a half marathon.

Next stop: New Orleans! It will be my first time there and I see that Scott Jurek will be there!

10k Time Trial

2/19 - I took the day off from work to use up some of my vacation hours I've accrued and to attend the Pasadena Marathon expo. My lower back had been feeling better so I decided to run an impromptu 10k time trial at the Rose Bowl before going to the expo. I parked at my usually spot at the aquatic center (old TNT habit). I jogged over to the Rose Bowl loop. The first loop was a little faster than I'd expected. But it felt ok and I was not pushing it. Just to be safe, I walked for about 2 minutes and jogged the beginning of the second loop. The second loop was more of a fartlek run. There were portions where I was definitely running in the low 7's because the right hamstring was getting tight so I had to back off.

• 1st loop in 24:34, 7:55 pace.
• 2nd loop in 27:25, 8:50 pace.

After I cooled down, I sat in my car reading my Runner's World magazine. I had an hour to kill before heading over to the expo. I finished my magazine and still had time, so I headed over to Petsmart to buy a new filter for my poor fish at work. Then I headed back to park at the Paseo. I got my ticket validated at Macy's and headed across the street to the convention center.

I bumped into a bunch of Marathon Maniacs at this expo... Howard, Silver, James, Charles, Mitch, Dane, and Yolanda. I might be missing some people. While leaving the expo, I bump into Louis. We picked up our bib and race packet, but they did not have any shirts! They kept promising that they're on their way, but the ETA kept getting later and later. Finally they started taking down names and bib numbers for those that cannot wait. We can then pick them up on race day or they'll mail them. As a frequent marathoner, this did not bother me because I have more shirts than I know what to do with them. I've donated so many of them to GoodWill and I still have enough to outfit a small village! Anyways, whether due to being a young race or circumstances out of their control, this race really cannot catch a break!

I ended up signing up for the Carlsbad all day 25k again. They did not have a shirt in my size. Hmmm... that must be the theme of the day. The girl tried to give me a large. I said no thanks. So she was going to check back at the office and mail me a medium if she finds one.

Back Spasms + Running = Ouch!

2/13 - I woke up with a very sore back. But I went out for a short run anyways. The lovely back spasms really slowed me down... 3.4mi in 29:28. 14:37 out, 14:51 in... which comes to approximately a 8:40 pace. That was about as fast as my body would allow. Whenever the back bothers me, it makes me feel like a 90 year old.

Year o' Fun
This is just going to be another fun year of running for me before I get serious in 2011. I'm sure I'll still have fun when I run faster races. Maybe I'm just toughening myself up mentally by slogging through these marathons with practically no training. Speaking of which, the Pasadena Marathon is coming up this Sunday. This might be the last time that I run this race. I already have 3 (maybe 4) marathons that I have set to run every year. I will probably sign up for 1 other out-of-state marathon in 2011 to work on completing a marathon in all 50 states. But the primary goal for 2011 is to work on qualifying for Boston.

1. LA
   
2. San Diego
3. New York (if I get in)
   
4. Honolulu

Strategy for Pasadena
I'm hoping to finish Pasadena in about 4:30. I'm going to run it the same way I run most of my marathons. Go out as comfortably fast as I can and hang on for dear life! That will translate to about a 8:20 - 8:40 pace. I'm going to try and abandon my usual 2nd half walkathon strategy. But if I'm feeling horrible, I will back off since I have the Mardi Gras Marathon the following weekend.

Pictures
My blog is practically void of pictures. Pretty much only my FB friends get to see my race photos. But I'll try to liven up my blog with pictures in the near future. I'll just have to remember to bring my camera to the races.

Rewards
I got this "triple crown" medal in the mail for running in 3 Rock n' Roll events in 2009. By the end of this year, I'll get the "rock legend" medal. It's so much easier to do now that the Competitor Group has gobbled up so many races.

Ridiculously Out of Shape Surf City Marathon

Expo
I left work early on Friday to attend the expo. I got there a little before 3pm where I stood in a rather long line in the rain waiting for them to let us in. While in line I met maniac#376. Interesting fellow. We were the 2 best dressed in that line for sure. We were both wearing our shirt and tie. Once inside, I saw my RWOL friend Ray while picking up my bib. The Longboard Legacy Club and California Dreamin' Series booths were a zoo situated right next to the other zoo, the race shirt pickup. I said a quick hi to super-volunteer Kathy while picking up my 2nd California Dreamin' jacket. It was definitely better looking than the 1st one that I got last year. The only thing I don't like about it is the armpit mesh thingie. I decided to come back later for my legacy stuff because they looked overwhelmed. I had to go back through the expo to get around the half marathon shirt pickup. There was just too many half marathoners. They need more room. The race has outgrown their current expo site. When I came back for my legacy stuff, there was still a line. But it was less chaotic.

FE - Operation Jack Pasta Dinner
The next day I drove back out to Huntington Beach to eat pasta at a charity dinner for Operation Jack/Train4Autism. It was great seeing a bunch of the RWOL folks and meeting a few new people. There was more than enough pasta for everyone there. Definitely a marathon pasta party done right. I think I ate something that did not agree with me because the next day, I had to keep dealing with extra bowel movement. It could have been nerves as well. Even though it was my 39th marathon, I still get pretty nervous and super excited.

Pre-race Stuff
I parked in the usual Beach lot around 5:30am. As I was eating my usual Powerbar, I saw my friend Louis walk by my car. I chased him down to say hi. It was pretty windy. I got back into my car, but didn't stay inside too long since nature was calling again. So I jogged to the Hyatt to take care of business. I had the 5 star restroom all to myself. I hardly ever use the portapotties at this race. I jogged back to my car to take off my layers. I then hit the portapotties just to complete my marathon experience. I saw Sam getting into position to pace the 3:30 group. Then I saw Rachel. She said she was going to stick with me since it was a training run for her. I told her, "yeah, right... I'm planning to be out there for about 5 hrs!" The plan was to get to the half at around 2 hrs and then slog my way in for the 2nd half. I knew my endurance was barely ready for a 10k let alone a full marathon. But no matter how much I'll struggle out there... this year I've vowed to no longer disrespect any charities by doing the gun-to-the-head poses while I'm wearing their shirts. I kind of regret doing that so often in my Worldvision and Team in Training outfits.

1st Half
Rachel and I started off in wave 4. She takes off like a rocket. I didn't catch her until somewhere after mile 2. Eventually I caught and hung around the 3:50 pace group. She did the same thing. But at around mile 8 we hit a decent hill. I took one step on my "bad" ankle and it did not feel right. This happened right after I told her how it was easier for me to run up hills. How ironic. I immediately slowed down and Rachel kept going. I saw her looking around for me, but she was already beyond shouting distance. The hill and the ankle completely drained my spirit. My energy level felt ridiculously low. I told myself, "good job bonking at mile 9!" But I knew I had to take it easy for the ankle to recover for the 2nd half "cooldown". Howard catches me just as we're coming to the halfway mark. I got to the halfway mark around 2 hrs even so I set myself up to finish around 5 hrs.
1: 8:27
2: 8:25
3: 8:23
4: 8:51
5: 8:26
6: 8:53
7: 8:43
8: 9:16
9: 9:06
10: 9:08
11: 10:10
12: 10:33
13: 10:01

2nd Half - the death march
Roccco passed me during my walk break. I decided to run up to him and hang with him for a few miles. But eventually I had to let him go since I was going to burn myself out trying to keep up with him. My plan was to try and keep every mile under 15 minutes. When I walked, I walked slow. I didn't even bother power walking. The last 10k reminded me of Frodo slogging his way up to Mt. Doom with the ring of power weighing him down psychologically... except I didn't have a Samwise Gamgee to carry me. I tried to run at a faster pace at mile 22 and almost immediately every muscle began to cramp... so I resorted back to shuffling the rest of the way. During mile 23, I felt like I had been run over by a truck. Since I was hurting pretty badly, I decided to visit the restroom. I'm glad we didn't have to run down to the pier and back this year. Both of my calves were cramping up as I tried to run with a decent stride coming up on the finishing chute. I out hobbled a lady to the finish line. Death march over.
14: 10:36
15: 10:59
16: 12:30
17: 12:26
18: 13:50
19: 13:57
20: 13:43
21: 13:34
22: 14:02
23: 17:50
24: 16:18
25: 13:32
26: 13:11
26.2: 2:12
Finish: 4:57:12

Post-race
I talked to a couple of my marathon maniac friends in the finish area for awhile. Then I made my way over to the California Dreamin' booth to pick up my extra medal. Boy I had to work hard for this one... beer-handicapped San Francisco, sore Achilles Long Beach, and ridiculously out of shape Surf City. I tried to get a beer at the beer garden, but they announced that the next shipment was going to take another 20 minutes. I wasn't dying to have a Michelob Ultra, so I walked back to my car and drove myself to Garden Grove to eat some Korean BBQ with my church friend. The drive was horrible... where are all of these Vietnamese people going on a Superbowl Sunday? I didn't eat very much. It was still a lot of beef, but not the usual amount that I normally consume. I was just too tired.

The Future
I think there was more "damage" to the right ankle than just the Achilles. Thankfully that doesn't hurt anymore. I was feeling some discomfort on the medial side of the ankle during the race starting at mile 8ish. I told myself before the race that I would have to at least finish Surf City under 5 hrs to consider signing up for Chicago. As of right now it is about half filled, so I still have time to decide. I might wait until after Pasadena to make my final decision. But seeing how this is my last year as a full fledged marathon maniac, I'll probably sign up for it by this Sunday.

Well... it's not much, but at least I'm headed in the right direction:
Malibu 11/15 - 5:22:44
Las Vegas 12/6 - 5:15:05
Carlsbad 1/24 - 5:11:57
Surf City 2/7 - 4:57:12