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Monday, March 12, 2012

Lessons from the Albany Snickers Marathon

It's been 10 days since the Albany Snickers Marathon.  It was a great experience, and although I wanted to take it easy and lay off running for a whole week, I was itching to run the entire time.  My body craved the feeling of my heart pumping hard.  I was also longing to race again, and I signed up for a 5K this coming weekend.  The exciement of the race... the anticipation, the challenge, the thrill, and the satisfaction you get from pushing yourself is a joy of life.

Anyway... I jotted down some notes in my running log the day after the race, and I wanted to share them.

Overall: Taper was good.  Race execution was ok.  Too bad about the warmer weather.

Next Time:
- Remember to relax arms and shoulders, especially on downhills.
- I needed (and could easily tolerate!) 4 gels, at miles 8, 13.5, 18, and 23.  I could've probably used even more.  I've never had that much fuel before.  Most races only give you gels twice, so I may need to bring my own.
- I may need more fatigue-resistance training to help me in the final miles.  My quads had trouble lifting my legs, and my calves and ankles had little power to push me forward in the last few miles.  This may involve doing more days-in-a-row of running, instead of my usual run-every-other-day pattern that allows me full recovery between runs.  It may also involve more strength training.
- Cloud cover is a wonderful thing.
- I had dried sweat crusted on my skin after the race... it was probably good that I took Endurolytes.
- Having a pacer was great - I didn't have to worry about the pace, and I could draft.

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