Chicago 2011-My First DNF

Well, I think the title tells the majority of the story, but there are some details to fill in and I have to decide what's next for me.

I think I ended up overtrained going into the race, and I was pretty sure I knew it, but I decided to still give it a shot hoping for some race day magic to occur. I started having some issues about 6-7 weeks out from the race with my HR spiking to levels it shouldn't have been hitting on a few runs here and there. Then there were the relatively consistent feeling of dead legs, but not so bad I couldn't finish workouts for the most part. The only ones I had real trouble with were some early VO2max workouts, but then again, I didn't get a real good indication on those because some injury issues started cropping up. First, the piriformis got tight, then the hip flexors, and my last long run was a 19 mile struggle that left me a bit gimpy for a few days after I did it. Then, during taper, I never really got that fresh, pop in the legs feeling that I've definitely had in the past in the week or so before a marathon. All in all, I think I saw the writing on the wall, but I chose to ignore it after all the work I had put in because I just couldn't reconcile running all those miles and then scaling back my goal time without even giving it a shot.

So, race day arrived, and after reading both Chris and Wendy's reports, I have to say I had an eerily similar feeling in the first few miles. I was clipping along at the predetermined goal pace, but just felt like I was working at a higher effort level than I should have been early in the race. I didn't have any crowd issues, probably because when I saw the log jam that was the 3:10 pace group in the B corral, and after hearing that mile 1 would be almost 8:00 pace, I decided to just do my own thing since I was going to be sticking with a pace group for the whole race anyway. I hit mile 1 just about dead on where I wanted to be at 7:13, then hit 2 and 3 at 7:09 and 7:08. Just a few seconds faster than planned, but not anything I was concerned about. The 5K mark was 22:15 (7:10 pace) and pretty much right where I wanted to be. The next few miles went by pretty uneventfully, and I got into a little bit of a groove, hitting the 10K mark with a 22:04 5K split. I hit 15K at exactly 22:04 as well, so even though I was working a bit more than I would have liked, I was running very consistently.

It was very shortly after I hit the 15K mark that I started noticing my left quad tightening up a bit. I wasn't real worried about it at that point, but it was something I was aware of and stayed on my mind. As I hit mile 12 and took a GU, I noticed that I had dropped the last one I was going to take before being able to replenish on course, so there was another little mental hurdle. By the time I hit 20K, the left quad was becoming more of an issue and the right one was starting to get tight as well. And it was obvious by looking at my splits at 20K that i was starting to feel it, as I slowed to 22:29 for that 5K. I was pretty much very aware at this point that I was in big trouble in terms of my goal time and the doubts about finishing started to creep in. I crossed the half in 1:33:46 (yep, the only positive of the entire day, a 3:18 HM PR) and was pretty well done mentally at that point.

I fought it through mile 14, but by the time I hit 15 I was really concerned about completely wrecking my quads and ending up with a torn muscle and putting myself out of commission for a significant amount of time. At that point, I started looking for the next med tent to take my first career DNF. I stopped right around 15.5 or so and was quickly ushered into a van back to Whitney Young high school and then onto a bus back to the finish area. I was on that bus with several people who, based on the conversation, were looking for an OTQ time on Sunday. That made me feel a bit better about bailing, knowing that even those who are amazingly fast and fit certainly have their own bad days.

So, what did I learn? I'm about 99.9% sure I was overtrained, and I have no one to blame for that but myself. I know my body well enough that I should have been able to feel myself going over that line. I stupidly started chasing numbers instead of listening to my body and I certainly paid the price for it. Could I have backed off the goal pace and finished? No doubt. Would I have been okay with that? I'm not sure. Knowing that I gave myself a chance fully aware that it could end poorly makes me happier than if I had played it safe. Would I have been able to eek out a PR? Possibly, but I was all in to get a BQ, much like Chris and Dave and Wendy were all in on their goals. I guess I'm fine with this because I've made tremendous gains in fitness in the last year and know that I'll live to fight another day and I will eventually get my BQ. I'll go back and look at the training with Dave and we'll figure out a way to better attack things next time.

I think for now, two things are certain. One, I need a bit of a break from marathon training, and I had planned that before the issues during the race. Some shorter races, a bit less mileage, and some focus on speed after I recover from this little bout of overtraining I think will do me a world of good. Second, I won't be running the Chicago marathon in the future until/unless they move the race back a few weeks. The weather this week has just been too unpredictable for the last bunch of years and until they make a decision to do something different, I invest way too much time getting ready for a marathon to be done in by weather consistently.

Chicago, the event, is a blast because there is the opportunity to meet a bunch of great people during the weekend. As Chris said in his report, Sunday was an absolutely great day with the exception of the hours between 7:30 and well, around 10:00 for me. Even if I don't run in the future, I may have to spectate, because it really has to be an amazing thing to watch that many people run by. Thanks for reading and thanks for the encouragement and support that evrybody contributes that really does make this a community and not just some random message board.

Happy running everybody!

Sorry about the DNF but I do understand wanting to train hard enough to reach your goal. That whole pushing yourself to your best potential vs overtraining seems to be a pretty fine line. A break from marathon training sounds great, especially since the snow is probably not too far away (hate to say it).

Sorry for the bad day, Jim. I like your idea of having some time off. It will be good for you.

After reading these reports, it's pretty clear to me that the culprit was bad pasta.

Onward and upward, buddy.

Once again Jim, I am sorry to hear that Sunday was not your day. I know how much time and effort you had put into your training cycle. The fear of overtraining is one reason why I only run one marathon a year. That way I keep a base, run shorter races, stay healthier, and more motivated during the training cycle. Keep me posted on what your plans are for the fall. I could always use a buddy to help pace a race. I think we could both attack that sub 3:05 time.

As for now, take a little time off to recover and reflect. Good things are in the future!!

Great attitude, Jim. I agree that going all-in on something is worth the potential of a crash and not making it. I've been there too, but haven't regretted decisions during a race. Some tweaking here and there and it would be great to see you come back even stronger.

(+) 1 on the great attitude Jim!! I'm sorry to hear about the DNF but it sounds like the smart decision. You'll be back in no time.

Heartbreaking, but learn what you can. FWIW, I'm jealous of the motivation you "run til you puke" types have. Ity sounds like a great weekend aside from ther race - good peeps out there.

Recover well.

Jim, sorry to hear about your bad racing day. It is indeed frustrating to train so hard all this time and then bail due to injury or other issues. I've been there myself.

This may be the rantings of a vapid old man, but I really think that none of you overtrained in terms of mileage, but you probably train too fast day in and day out. That is the quickest way to burnout and injury that I have seen over the years regardless of ability level and age. And it also can lead to subpar race day results. I'm sure that this opinion will not be agreed on by all and that's OK. Our natural tendency as humans is the best way to improve is to continue to push harder. In long distance running there is a point of diminishing returns. Something to consider anyway.

Whatever path you choose from here on out, I wish you the best. I have enjoyed hearing about your journey and hope that the BQ will happen in the near future. I'm sure you and Dave will figure something out that will work for you. Also glad you had a great weekend otherwise.

Shrug it off. You are a far better runner than you were a year or even 6 months ago. It will show better in a race result soon. Why crush yourself and potentially make an injury worse finishing a race? No biggie on the DNF and I view it as the smart thing to do sometimes. If I fear real injury, I drop out. I think I've DNFed 3 times. I had a blast hanging with you on Saturday. I don't think you ever admitted that you were wrong about meatball and bacon being awesome pizza toppings. But you know I'm right about that now after that pizza on Sunday, don't you. You just are too stubborn to admit I'm right!

If you were nailing a big half marathon PR in a marathon, it shows just how aggressive you were in setting your race goal this time. It's a shame that you had to DNF, but you were wise: continuing to push it was courting disaster.

Take a rest, reassess and when you're ready, start chipping away at your PR. Be patient as you grow as a runner, and that BQ will come.

jon c wrote:
This may be the rantings of a vapid old man, but I really think that none of you overtrained in terms of mileage, but you probably train too fast day in and day out.

I at least partly agree with you. I don't really think the distance covered was the issue, but the combination of the pretty huge increase in mileage along with a decent amount of intensity is probably the culprit. I think I'm more vulnerable than some, because I already know I can't race even 5Ks on a regular basis without major drops in performance. I don't think it's the day after day issue you're referring to, but the frequency of hard workouts is probably an issue.

Chris M wrote:Shrug it off. You are a far better runner than you were a year or even 6 months ago. It will show better in a race result soon. Why crush yourself and potentially make an injury worse finishing a race? No biggie on the DNF and I view it as the smart thing to do sometimes. If I fear real injury, I drop out. I think I've DNFed 3 times. I had a blast hanging with you on Saturday. I don't think you ever admitted that you were wrong about meatball and bacon being awesome pizza toppings. But you know I'm right about that now after that pizza on Sunday, don't you. You just are too stubborn to admit I'm right!

Hey, I'm going to plead the 5th on any argument I made after about 8:00 that night! And I'm not sure what I was arguing, bacon is delicious on everything! Meatballs sound weird on a pizza, but no reason they wouldn't be delicious.

Oh, and you're absolutely right about the running stuff too. I'm very surprised I'm as okay with what happened as I am. Very strange for me.

Jim, I'm sorry about the DNF but I'm really glad to see that you're o.k. with it. As Chris said, you're a much better runner than you were a short time ago, so you'll take whatever you can from this and just move on. Your plan to do some shorter stuff in the near future will probably get you back to feeling fresh.
As for the overtraining, I'd be interested in hearing more (perhaps over on your blog) about what exactly you think you did wrong. You mentioned the possibility of too much intensity. I assume that means that there was not enough recovery, easy days, etc.?
One thing that you said rings very true...being scheduled so early in the fall, Chicago can get some really unpredictable weather. I think one of the reasons I love the Philly marathon is that coming so late in the fall (Nov. 20th this year), you're pretty much guaranteed a cool day. In this part of the country, it's the last fall marathon in which PR's and BQ's are achievable goals.
Thanks for breaking down your day. Now put it in the rear view mirror.

Sorry about the DNF...marathon running is definitely about the journey and the learning process. Pay attention to what you have learned, apply it and then give it another shot to continue the learning process.

We all have great races and bad races, and I think you are right on in your assessment of overtraining, and maybe I should have tried to bring it up earlier, but I'm always afraid to do that. I have fallen off into the abyss so many times in the past, but each of us is an experiment of one, so you never know how someone is going to respond to the miles and the taper.

Rest, recover, move on and don't over analyze - all of our days eventually arrive and there are way more important things to worry about in life. The next one will be great.

Well, Jim, that was a very tough race for you. Since the marathon is one tough nut to crack, I wonder if your goals aren't just too aggressive given the time you've spent on marathon training. Your past running history certainly helps but nothing replaces accumulated miles on your body like time. THe good news is you feel you have a diagnosis an that's 90% of the battle. Rest up, don[t get out of shape and think about what you'd do differently next time!

Jim you gave it your shot and it didn't happen. The bottom line is you put it out there. Most don't. Evaluate and then adjust and go for it again.

Jim, sorry it didn't turn out as you planned but you did get a HM PR out of the deal. I love your attitude about dropping out and think that you did the right thing. I'm really glad we got a chance to meet and talk a bit before the race. Recover well, adjust and conquer your next one. Best of luck!

mul21 wrote:

jon c wrote:
This may be the rantings of a vapid old man, but I really think that none of you overtrained in terms of mileage, but you probably train too fast day in and day out.

I at least partly agree with you. I don't really think the distance covered was the issue, but the combination of the pretty huge increase in mileage along with a decent amount of intensity is probably the culprit. I think I'm more vulnerable than some, because I already know I can't race even 5Ks on a regular basis without major drops in performance. I don't think it's the day after day issue you're referring to, but the frequency of hard workouts is probably an issue.

Agreed Jim, I probably could have stated that a little differently. Like the way you stated it better anyway.

I'm sorry your race didn't turn out like expected smart move to not get further injured. I agree Chicago's weather has been too warm too many years in a row move it back already! Rest ,rest the rest a little more...............

I've read your report and Chris', and it's so bizarre how similar our experiences/feelings were. You are right about the B 3:10 group--it was a complete cluster. I, too, suffered big time in this race due to overtraining...and I kind of saw it coming but only realize that in retrospect. It's so hard to ride that line without going over. Recover well!

Been in your spot. Take a break. Dial it down for a while. You will be back.

there are many wrong ways to run a marathon. There is only one way to DNF. Your decision was the mark of a disciplined runner. I think you have enough details on your training to tweak it accordingly for next cycle. You did jump up quite a bit in mileage while doing intense training.

I also agree Chicago weather is a crap shoot as is any marathon in most areas in Oct. Adjust your training pick a more opportune marathon and 3:05 will be yours hands down or is it hands up at the finish line.

We put so much effort into training that the race itself becomes more important than the journey getting there. But 18 weeks or what have you of dedicated training is really the gift. We are not summed up by one 3 hours and 5 minute run but more by the 126 days of training. Much more opportunity to be had in those days then in 1. Cease the moment means just that "the moment." You did that everyday even marathon day.

Sorry this race didn't turned out as it should have. If you were overtained, I'll have to accept some of the responsibility. I will say though that based on our weekly/daily interactions I thought you were handling the training very well. Damn.

Figure out what's going on with the hernia and rest up. We'll get back at it.