Goofy was awesome!

I had my concerns, especially about Josiah’s grand total of 10 training miles, & his total lack of motivation. He kept telling me before the race, & up to that morning that the race was going to “suck” & that he was regretting that he ever let me sign him up for it. (Teenagers!) I was getting so tired of hearing him complain. I kept telling him over & over, to just make the best of it. Walk & jog, greet the characters, look around & try to have some fun. He just didn’t seem to be listening to me. Jacob, on the other hand was motivated & put in 124 training miles in 9 weeks, averaging about 15 per week. Some of those were speedwork & goal race pace for a sub 2 hr half. His longest training run was 12 miles, with 6 of those at goal pace just under 9:00. He had his doubts about keeping that pace for 13.1 miles, but he knew for sure that he would at least finish unless something major came up, like an injury that would stop him. We were both a little concerned about previous Achilles issues too.

The weather on race day was absolutely perfect, with clear skies, no wind, & in the 50’s (both days.) All 3 of us started in corral 3, so we had fireworks in front & behind us. Jacob & I left Josiah behind within the 1st mile, with more orders from me to drink, take it slow, do your best, & HAVE FUN. That first mile was really crowded & slow, it was over 11 minutes. We wanted to take it slow at first, but this was a little too slow. We had no choice but to start trying to get around other runners. We had talked about not wanting to weave in order to not waste energy, but soon it was apparent that we would have no choice if we were ever to hit 9 min miles. Trying to get around other runners would continue to be an issue until the last 5K or so. We had to even run off the road on the grass & try not to run into the signs. Even with all that weaving in & out, we started to click off sub 9 min miles. I made sure Jacob took his gels & water, & kept checking on him as far as how he was feeling. He kept telling me that he was feeling great, & I was really getting stoked that he was nailing it. He didn’t start to breath heavy & feel a bit fatigued until after 11 miles or so – perfect! Those last couple of miles were sweet! We both knew he was going to make it under 2 hours by this time. Then across the finish line we came in 1:56:04. About 15 min later we caught up with Evelyn & found out that the race text messages indicated that Josiah was due to finish in about another 10 min. Really?! Wow! A bit later, we just caught a glimpse of him raising his hat as he crossed the line in 2:21:26. Now Josiah’s asking me about another “fun” half (it can’t be just a boring one like the Simsbury Iron Horse in June.) Can you believe this kid? He had a blast!

The next day, I was so glad to be able to experience a major Disney race again so soon. The atmosphere & characters were so much fun, but the previous day I was too concerned with Jacob to fully take it all in. I didn’t even notice that the place was still decorated for Christmas. My legs were surprisingly sore 24 hours after a 13 mile LSD run. I tried to warm them up as best as I could, but I was starting to get nervous about just finishing at a slow pace. The sore legs, the extra 10 lbs of winter fat, & only hitting approx. 20 miles per week in training since Hartford, really had me wondering. The 1st corral was even better than the 3rd of course, so it was great to be off at the starting gun right behind the elites. The first mile was 8:26, but after that, with plenty of elbow room & warmed up legs, I started to easily click off miles well under 8:00. I soon forgot about the soreness & jitters I had felt pre-race. I was feeling smooth & in a good rhythm, passing people here & there. I maintained an ave 7:42 pace for the next 21 miles.

Then after feeling really good one minute, the next minute I felt the fatigue take over like a wave. Here it was again, the issue that I deal with at the end of all my marathons. I always argued with myself & others that I didn’t believe it was the normal “hitting the wall” due to glycogen depletion. I have a good routine of taking in 3 to 4 gels (90 cal. each) during a marathon. I start taking in water at about 5 miles or so, & then continue to take water in more frequently from there on adding my electrolyte pill(s) every 45 min to an hour . The big difference that I believe that I get compared to other runners, is the tingly feelings in my arms & then across my entire body – a sure sign of an electrolyte issue. I have tried again & again to solve this issue. I have read this article & that article. I have tried this product & that product. I tried different doses of the electrolyte pills & nothing has worked in any of my marathons. This issue is also what has sent me to the med tent a few times. I was getting into real trouble again. The tingles were getting really bad & I could only walk now. Mile 23 was 8:39, mile 24 was 10:18, & mile 25 was 14:37. Dang! I can’t stop now & I don’t want to hit the med tent yet again, but if I don’t do something quick, I’m going to pass out & require emergency medical treatment. Where in the world is that next hydration stop?! Finally, there it it is, the last one with about a mile yet to go. I stopped & grabbed a PowerAde cup & quickly drank it. Then I downed two more full cups. To just make sure it was enough, I also took in a good helping of water to wash it all down. Within just a couple minutes, I went from walking, to jogging, to running, to sprinting. It was incredible! I was now sprinting what was left of that final mile – flying by people like I had just entered the race! I came in so quick to that 3:34:03 finish, I was almost knocking people down & ready to run more!

So there you have it folks, after 7 marathon finishes, & 1 DNF, I believe I have finally solved my electrolyte issue. Forget the pills & water! It doesn’t matter what some say about the sugar levels, type of sugar, and the supposedly improper water & electrolyte balance in sports drinks, those drinks are exactly what I need. I now have a new marathon hydration plan that involves getting those Gatorade/ PowerAde drinks in me much earlier & much more frequently. I just may throw what electrolyte pills I have left in the trash. I don’t think I’ll ever try to use them again. I’m also recovering well. The day after I was feeling the post marathon “I can’t walk down stairs” soreness, but I’m already feeling much better after 4 days.

When the half & full times are combined, I finished in the top 6% out of all of the 5,458 Goofy challengers. If I had consumed those PowerAde drinks sooner, I know I could have gone sub 3:25 for another BQ. I am so ready to go for a 3:05 - 3:10 marathon this fall!

[img]http://www.365runners.com/[/img]

[img]http://www.365runners.com/[/img]

Congratulations on having a great half with your two sons, and getting a handle on your marathon problems the next day.

It might have been a "Goofy" way to do it, but hey... if it works, it works!

Taking sport drink instead of water sounds like a good strategy going forward. I think I'd still take the supplemental electrolytes, but maybe that more steady stream of fuel provided but the drink is what you need to get you to 26.2 (ideally, beyond 26.2) without that horrible crash.

Watch out for Josiah. I'm betting he'll have you talked into a Warrior Dash within the year.

Thanks Mark.

I forgot to mention something just coming out of Animal Kingdom. No sooner did we just pass the restrooms in that park, which were open to runners, that I saw an interesting sight. A woman runner was in a sitting position just a foot off the course peeing through her running shorts. I mean it was coming out like a race horse. That was a first for me.

Congrats Dave to you and your sons. Sounds like you should be drinking powerade instead of water to not dilute. I only drink water right after gels and at the end. You might be a very salty sweater? Just a thought. A 3:34 is great considering all you did the whole weekend.

Great report, Dave. Congrats on going Goofy and having a great weekend with your boys. Others around me were complaining about the heat when the sun came out, but I didn't really notice it otherwise. What did you think?

healdgator wrote:Great report, Dave. Congrats on going Goofy and having a great weekend with your boys. Others around me were complaining about the heat when the sun came out, but I didn't really notice it otherwise. What did you think?

It was the coolest (weather-wise) marathon of all 8 that I have participated in. I thought it was perfect, even when the sun was in my eyes towards the end.

What a neat two days - and you got to have a really neat experience with your boys - that is just awesome. Congrats on an impressive two-day performance as well. It will be fun to see what you do at your next "just" marathon distance! Thanks for sharing the report and

Way to go Dave on your Goofy and what a great way to do the half - sharing it with your boys! Great pictures too! I was out there for the Chip & Dale relay... we finished around 3:38 so I have a feeling at one point you probabloy passed me as you caught your last burst of energy. Congrats!!!

Congrats to you all! I'm so glad it all came together and that the boys ultimately had a great experience! Way to go.

The very first paragraph of your report really had me smiling....so funny about your son Josiah and what a typical attitude he had. I'm glad that it all turned out well as it usually does (although hard to convince them at the time) and now he's excited to keep running.

Congratulations all the way around, both on finishing the goofy and getting further insight to your electrolyte issue. Hopefully, that's just the right ticket...drinking along the way. You know by now that each race and situation is different, so adding this to the mix might be just what you need.

Yahooo!

what a report. Was wondering whether or not your pit stop was going to cost you. CONGRATS!