Bayshore Marathon - Painful 16 Seconds

So I ran Bayshore with the hopes of a BQ which is 3:25. My PR was 3:33:51. I finished with 3:25:16. I missed by 16sec. A G.I. pit stop cost me the BQ as I lost close to 2min. Couldn't believe it. My fault as I just ate too much the day before.

I really pushed the training this cycle to see what I could do. I thought I handled it pretty well. I've got to look at my taper though as I think I peaked about 10 days out. Oh well.

Bayshore is a great race with a great course. We got started and I stayed conservative the first mile. My plan was to then run around 7:45s and see what happened. I felt fine but not totally fresh. No big deal though as it wasn't going to stop me. Around mile 8 is when I started feeling my stomach. I just kept pushing through it. I hit the Half right around where I wanted to be but my stomach was really talking to me now. Finally around 15 I knew I wasn't going to make it so I made the pit stop.

I stayed positve and kept saying I'm still going to make it. The mistake I made though was I felt good and ran the next two miles too fast trying to make it up. I eased back but that effort may have cost me. Anyway around mile 19 I felt something on both my calves. I looked down and both calves were bleeding. My shoes must have been scraping them.

I stopped looking at my watch at 20 and pushed it to the end. I was feeling it by now but just pushed on through. I did end up bleeding some time between 24-25. The last mile I was able to crank it up. We hit the track with about 150m to go and I'm all out. I saw the clock and then looked at my watch and just shook my head.

I'm not unhappy as I PR'd by over 8min. A year ago my PR was 3:51 and if you said I'd run a 3:25 I'd have said you were on drugs. But really, 16 seconds?

Well, like I said in your blog, that BQ is just sitting there waiting for you. What a great training cycle you ran! The bleeding calf things is weird - you'd better figure that part out.

Rest up and carefully contemplate your next attempt. Hopefully you'll have more great training and a good weather day and your body won't pull that on you again!

Alex, I really feel for you due to my potty stop history. This really sucked and is very hard to control. I agree with you trying to catch up too fast was the real cause though. With that, the BQ is really well within your ability. You just need a good day. Congratulations on the 8 minutes PR!

Congrats on the PR, all things considered a pretty gutsy race. You BQ'd by over 5 min with the old standard. It's just a matter of time before you get it done, hang in there, Alex.

Congrats on the PR! I'm sorry about the potty stop, I hope you can figure out some foods that settle well for the days before the race or on the course. You know you have the fitness and the ability to BQ, though, this isn't a missed it by 10 minutes thing. You're definitely BQ fit and ready...

All things considered, with the PR and fighting through the GI issue and bleeding calves, you really had an impressive race! I do feel for you on the 16 seconds, but on the good side you should be primed to get it on try number two. Without that pitstop you would have nailed it with plenty to spare.

Have you ever tried immodium before a race? I don't take it during training runs, since I don't mind making a stop during those if I need to, but I always pop two of them an hour before a race because of past issues. That seems to do the trick for me.

You probably missed me on the bus because I had a hat and jacket on. So my name on my shirt wouldn't have shown and I look nothing like my pictures when I have my hair up and a hat on!

Darn, Alex!! What a way to gut it out and congrats on the excellent PR! No matter what, you have come a very long way, so hats off to you and your excellent training. You'll get that BQ in the next one - no issue there.

(And if it makes you feel any better, I ran 4:00:11 at Boston - so I, too, was 12 sec short).

It's a shame about missing the BQ, but the reality is that this was a good PR. The next race, with good conditions, will get you into Boston.

You ran a great race! Really sorry about 16secs. but it's out there just waiting for you......

Yes, a bittersweet finishing time, but I really hope you focus on the sweetness part. An 8 minute PR is HUGE! There's no doubt you''ll get those 16 seconds - and then some - in the future.

Congrats on a HUGE PR! It sounds like you gave it everything you had on the day so hopefully you will be satisfied with that once you have had a bit more time to put things in perspective.

I feel your pain as the first time I tried to crack 3 hours I ran 3:01 and literally watched the seconds tick away as I approached the finish line.

But just look what a good training cycle can do for you!

Congrats again and best of luck recovering now as you deserve it.

Alex - phenomenal job on the big PR a bit heartbreaking missing the BQ because of GI Issues. But, the good news is you know you have it in you do get that BQ! Great report and enjoy the victory!

What everyone else said. Ugh. I feel for you.



Also, you passed me as I waited at the turnaround point. Didn't see you, but I was there during the time you would have reached the half. I paced a friend for the second half.

It's a great course, though, isn't it?

Sixteen seconds aside, that's a fantastic PR. It shows how far you've come. Be proud.

Michael Enright wrote:Well, like I said in your blog, that BQ is just sitting there waiting for you. What a great training cycle you ran! The bleeding calf things is weird - you'd better figure that part out.

Rest up and carefully contemplate your next attempt. Hopefully you'll have more great training and a good weather day and your body won't pull that on you again!

Thanks Michael. The bleeding was from my shoes hitting the calves on the back kick. Must have had bad form.

Jerry wrote:Alex, I really feel for you due to my potty stop history. This really sucked and is very hard to control. I agree with you trying to catch up too fast was the real cause though. With that, the BQ is really well within your ability. You just need a good day. Congratulations on the 8 minutes PR!

Thanks Jerry. You're definitely correct that trying to catch up too fast hurt me. Live and learn.

fostever wrote:Congrats on the PR, all things considered a pretty gutsy race. You BQ'd by over 5 min with the old standard. It's just a matter of time before you get it done, hang in there, Alex.

Thanks Steve. Congrats on your race.

Julie wrote:Congrats on the PR! I'm sorry about the potty stop, I hope you can figure out some foods that settle well for the days before the race or on the course. You know you have the fitness and the ability to BQ, though, this isn't a missed it by 10 minutes thing. You're definitely BQ fit and ready...

Thanks Julie. I think it was just a matter of too much quantity of food as opposed to what I had.

carleenp wrote:All things considered, with the PR and fighting through the GI issue and bleeding calves, you really had an impressive race! I do feel for you on the 16 seconds, but on the good side you should be primed to get it on try number two. Without that pitstop you would have nailed it with plenty to spare.

Have you ever tried immodium before a race? I don't take it during training runs, since I don't mind making a stop during those if I need to, but I always pop two of them an hour before a race because of past issues. That seems to do the trick for me.

You probably missed me on the bus because I had a hat and jacket on. So my name on my shirt wouldn't have shown and I look nothing like my pictures when I have my hair up and a hat on!

Thanks Carleen. I'll definitely give that immodium a shot. I don't need that happening again. Congrats again on your race.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Darn, Alex!! What a way to gut it out and congrats on the excellent PR! No matter what, you have come a very long way, so hats off to you and your excellent training. You'll get that BQ in the next one - no issue there.

(And if it makes you feel any better, I ran 4:00:11 at Boston - so I, too, was 12 sec short).

Thanks Michele. I feel like I have come a long way and a lot of that credit goes to everyone on this board including you so thanks.

Chris Coleman wrote:It's a shame about missing the BQ, but the reality is that this was a good PR. The next race, with good conditions, will get you into Boston.

Thanks Chris. I feel like I can nab it next time out.

amyjoann wrote:You ran a great race! Really sorry about 16secs. but it's out there just waiting for you......

Thank you. I know it's out there for me now. I'm very pleased.

Dave-O wrote:Yes, a bittersweet finishing time, but I really hope you focus on the sweetness part. An 8 minute PR is HUGE! There's no doubt you''ll get those 16 seconds - and then some - in the future.

Thanks Dave. It is bittersweet but I am focusing on the positive and am very happy despite.

Ben Z wrote:Congrats on a HUGE PR! It sounds like you gave it everything you had on the day so hopefully you will be satisfied with that once you have had a bit more time to put things in perspective.

I feel your pain as the first time I tried to crack 3 hours I ran 3:01 and literally watched the seconds tick away as I approached the finish line.

But just look what a good training cycle can do for you!

Congrats again and best of luck recovering now as you deserve it.

Thanks Ben. I did have a good cycle and hopefully next time out I'll nail it.

Kenny B. wrote:Alex - phenomenal job on the big PR a bit heartbreaking missing the BQ because of GI Issues. But, the good news is you know you have it in you do get that BQ! Great report and enjoy the victory!

Thanks Kenny. I do know it's in me and I didn't know that truely before the race.

Bob wrote:What everyone else said. Ugh. I feel for you.



Also, you passed me as I waited at the turnaround point. Didn't see you, but I was there during the time you would have reached the half. I paced a friend for the second half.

It's a great course, though, isn't it?

Thanks Bob. It is a great course. At the half I was fumbling around holding a cup of water and trying to open a baggie that held my SCaps that I couldn't get open.

Mark B wrote:Sixteen seconds aside, that's a fantastic PR. It shows how far you've come. Be proud.

Thanks Mark. I am proud of my accomplishment.