Las Vegas, Nevada
December 5, 2010
3:47:11
8:40 Pace
What's not to like about Las Vegas? Somewhere around mile 20 of this race I realized just how much I really like running and runners. We were all out there doing the same thing, some smiling more than others, working our legs off and knowing we still had a long way to run. At mile 16, I had said to myself, "only 10 more miles to go". Who says that? In what other context would that comment be appropriate?
So, I ran around Las Vegas for 26 miles. And for the most part, I enjoyed it. The race began at the Mandalay Bay on Las Vegas Boulevard, and followed out and back for 6 miles, passing the hotels, casinos and monuments along the way. This was a great way to see the city, particularly without worrying about crossing streets or getting sucked into a casino. After mile 12, the route was a little less scenic, heading over the highway into a residential/industrial area, completing loops that seemed designed only to find 13 miles of roadway. More than once, I found myself running in the direction of the finish, only to be routed out on another 4 mile loop.
The support and organization in the race were terrific. Water was everywhere I needed it, a variety of bands played every few miles, and local cheering squads and fans lined most of the route. I normally don't run with music, and try to keep a rhythm in my head to match my pace, and I have to say all these distractions drew me out of my concentration and my pace showed the results. But that's my fault for not maintaining concentration and the mental toughness I needed for this distance.
Looking back over the past few weeks since my last marathon, my training mileage hasn't been where it should have to support this distance. I caught a really nasty cold that put me out for almost a week, and my longest runs were only 15 miles. Knowing how I faded after 20 miles in Vermont, when I had been training better, running several 20 plus milers beforehand, I knew the Vegas race wouldn't be my best. Timewise, I was right, but this was my last marathon of 2010, my fourth of the year, and I was going to enjoy it.
The course is mostly flat, and I aimed for 7:50 pace. The first 15 miles was all over the place, though, from 7:35 to 8:15. As I mentioned, I never got my head in the race. Towards 20 miles, I was out of it, and my goal dropped from 3:30 to 3:40, then beyond. Miles 21 to 25 saw me shuffling, slow running and walking through water stops. I was completely out of energy and my legs were beat. In other words, The Wall. Once I finally did make the turn toward the finish, I mustered up what I could and ran a slightly respectable last mile.
I'll chalk this up as another learning experience. I paid attention to my form and how my legs were feeling throughout the distance, and was able to ward off cramps, injury and find muscles that were still willing to work. However, I think I could have run smarter with a little more attention to my breathing and pace. This probably would have paid off later in the race by keeping my early miles a little slower, and warding off the damage that can cause. I'm constantly learning to adjust my eating, weight, race pace, distance and running calorie intake to balance off energy depletion, lactic acid buildup, and to find that sweet spot where I can race through the finish.
Nevertheless, Nevada is in the books. One more state down, 38 more to go.
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