Thanks tron, I really do appreciate all the feedback and advice! You definitely changed the way I approached my training for the better so I can be in a position to even attempt this.

Friday morning weigh in

217.0

Week 1 -2.0 lbs
Week 2 -1.4 lbs
Week 3 -1.6 lbs
Week 4 -1.0 lbs
January -6.8 lbs
Week 5 -1.2 lbs
Week 6 -.2 lbs
Week 7 -.6 lbs
Week 8 -1.2 lbs
February -3.0 lbs
Week 9 -1.4 lbs
Week 10 -1.2 lbs
Week 11 -.6 lbs
Week 12 +1.2 lbs
Week 13 -2.2 lbs
March -3.4 lbs
Week 14 -.4 lbs
Week 15 -1.0 lbs
Week 16 +1.0 lbs
Week 17 -.2 lbs
April -1.0 lbs
Week 18 -1.8 lbs
Week 19 -1.6 lbs
Week 20 -.6 lbs
Week 21 -.8 lbs
May -4.8 lbs
Week 22 -1.2 lbs
Week 23 -.2 lbs
Week 24 -.8 lbs
Week 25 -1.0 lbs
Week 26 -.4 lbs
June -3.2 lbs
Week 27 +.4 lbs
Week 28 -1.0 lbs
Week 29 +2.0 lbs
Week 30 +2.4 lbs
July +3.8 lbs
Week 31 -.8 lbs
Week 32 -.6 lbs
Week 33 -2.0 lbs
Week 34 +1.0 lbs
August -3.6 lbs
Week 35 -1.0 lbs
Week 36 -1.6 lbs
Week 37 +.8 lbs
Week 38 +.6 lbs
Week 39 -1.4 lbs
September -1.4 lbs
Week 40 -.8 lbs
Week 41 +1.2 lbs
Week 42 +.6 lbs
Week 43 -1.0 lbs
October +.4 lbs
Week 44 +.6 lbs
Week 45 +1.0 lbs

Total -21.8/50 (43.6%)

Total mileage:
Week 1 26.0
Week 2 28.5
Week 3 27.5
Week 4 34.0
January 126.0
Week 5 28.0
Week 6 24.0
Week 7 27.0
Week 8 34.0
February 124.0
Week 9 30.0
Week 10 36.0
Week 11 22.0
Week 12 27.0
Week 13 34.0
March 128.0
Week 14 33.1
Week 15 37.0
Week 16 35.1
Week 17 41.0
April 152.5
Week 18 35.2
Week 19 35.0
Week 20 24.5
Week 21 30.0
May 140.5
Week 22 34.0
Week 23 40.5
Week 24 37.0
Week 25 27.0
Week 26 31.0
June 147.5
Week 27 32.0
Week 28 32.0
Week 29 36.0
Week 30 32.0
July 132.0
Week 31 21.0
Week 32 41.5
Week 33 34.0
Week 34 44.0
August 173.5
Week 35 38.0
Week 36 51.0
Week 37 48.5
Week 38 40.0
Week 39 46.0
September 200.5
Week 40 47.2
Week 41 41.0
Week 42 52.0
Week 43 31.2
October 187.8
Week 44 33.0
Week 45 32.0

Total 1550.9/1750 (88.6%)

Good luck tomorrow, can't wait to read up on it and hear how you get on.

Good luck!

Ugh everything was going great until mile 17. I was on a 9:45 pace and feeling good but my legs gave out. I slowed down then finally had to stop and walk around mile 22. Mostly walking from there but I did a slow shuffle jog the last mile to make sure I broke 5 hrs. Unofficial time was 4:57:16...my legs have never hurt this bad ever. Full report later...

Sunday 11/13
Pensacola Marathon
4:57:16 11:13 pace

Wow I knew it would be tough but that race really kicked my ass. The day started off great, I got to the starting area around 6 am so I had 30 minutes to hit the bathroom, get stretched out and do some light running to warm up. I found the 4:15 pacer who was starting about halfway back and I felt confident I could hang with her most of the way at least.

After a great singing of the national anthem the race started right on time and we were off! I was a little nervous but more excited and anxious to see how I could hold up. I was on the pacer's left hip as we dodged and weaved thru some slower runners until the field thinned out. A few minutes in I checked my app and we were on a 9:15 pace instead of 9:45! Ok no problem she's gonna slow down and fall back where we need to be...right? Nope she kept right on motoring along and at the .75 mark she was still on that fast pace so I just dropped back and let her go. I ended up with a 9:38 first mile and was a little flustered but eventually settled into a good pace and started to enjoy the race.

The weather was great, mid 50s but felt a little cooler than that. The end of mile 2 featured the first uphill climb of the race but it wasn't bad at all. I was staying very consistent with my pacing, going 9:49 in mile 2 then 9:48 for miles 3, 4 & 5. At the beginning of mile 6 I had the urge to pee and that stretch of the course had lots of wooded areas off to the right so I ducked off really quickly but it didn't really cost me any time. There were water stations every 2 miles with both water and a sports drink called nuun, which unfortunately tasted awful and they only had one flavor. I was gonna alternate every other station but only managed to choke down 2 half-cups of that crap during the race.

During mile 7 the course split off from the half marathon and it became a lot more lonely. I have to say it was a very energizing feeling making that right hand turn instead of going straight and it even gave me chill bumps!! This part of the course was the least scenic however and the race started to become a grind. My pace was still good and I had picked it up slightly, going 9:40, 9:45, 9:46, 9:44 and 9:46 from 6-10. I started running with a really skinny guy who clearly had run marathons before and we chatted a little. I asked if he was going for a 4:15 finish and he said yeah pretty close to that. I mentioned the pacer running off and leaving and he said "Yeah she took off from everybody and even left her son behind!". He also asked me if I had lost a lot of weight and said he could tell I used to be bigger by the way I ran.

I stayed with him for the next few miles with split times of 9:43, 9:50 and 9:37 thru mile 13. At the halfway point I was right at 2:09 and I honestly thought I could maintain that pace or maybe even run a slightly faster second half. Unfortunately that feeling wouldn't last very long. Towards the end of mile 14 I noticed I was a little over 10:00 even though I felt like I was running at the same pace. I picked it up a little and got it to 9:54 but the same thing happened miles 15 & 16 which were 9:55 & 9:58.

Then it happened...in the middle of mile 17 my legs decided they'd had enough. My body felt great but I just couldn't run at that pace anymore. I decided at that point to just concentrate on finishing the race and not worry about my time. The next 5 miles were progressively slower due to my legs getting weaker and the biggest two hills of the race in mile 17 and 19. It was a pretty awful feeling knowing I had over 6 miles to go.

During mile 22 the course once again split off from the half marathoners and we went away from downtown while they turned left towards the finish line. The feeling now was the complete opposite as before. I wanted so desperately to be done!! During mile 23 I couldn't keep running anymore. I started walking but even that was painful. Each step my legs were on fire...after a few minutes I'd try a slow jog but wouldn't last long. The sun was shining bright now and it was starting to feel a lot warmer. The water stations became like heaven as I'd grab 5-6 cups every time now.

We made the turn back towards the finish line during mile 24 and it couldn't get there fast enough. I was walking at a snail's pace it felt like and had given up trying to jog. Once we hit the end of mile 25 I checked my time and figured out that if I kept walking this slow pace I wouldn't even break 5 hours. So after the last water station I sucked it up and did kind of a slow shuffle jog. Finally we rounded the last turn and it was less than a half mile to go! I kept up the slow jog and crossed the line in just under 4:58, completely wiped out and just relieved to be finished.

I was able to get on one of the complimentary massage tables pretty quickly and the girl worked exclusively on my lower legs for about 20 minutes. It helped a little but I limped my way out of there and went straight to my mom's house to soak in an epsom salt bath. As I'm typing this up Monday morning my legs are still awfully sore but better than yesterday. I think by Wednesday or Thursday I'll be good to go and I might try a slow 3-4 miles Saturday.

I have mixed feelings about the marathon. I'm extremely happy that I finished but a little disappointed that my legs gave out so early. I guess you just never know how your body will react until you actually run one. I'm not sure if I'll ever attempt another full marathon. The training schedule is really tough and when I think about all the hours and miles invested and I still came up so far short of my goal it's a little disheartening. I think if I ever do make another attempt I need to lose at least 25-30 lbs and get below 190. I also need to get back in the gym and lift. Those two things should take quite a bit of stress off my legs and make a huge difference.

I still plan on racing a full schedule this winter. There's a 5K Thanksgiving morning that's part of the race series in Ocala that I joined. It's 10 days from now so I think I should be up to it, even if I'm not in peak form. The Ocala marathon is in January but I want no part of that again so soon...I'll be doing the half marathon that day hopefully. In February my absolute favorite race in Pensacola takes place, the 15K double bridge run. I definitely plan on coming back for that. So I still have lots of things to stay motivated for and I'll continue to update this log a couple times a week.

Great TR buddy. Really well done on getting through it, even if you didn't get the performance you wanted. It's still an epic achievement if you look at where you've come from. Where do you think things went wrong? Was it just a case of it being too much of a shock to the system or something you could have controlled like fuelling or hydration?

I don't think it was a hydration issue. I actually stoped twice to pee in the first 10 miles. My body never shut down and I didn't get that feeling of hitting "the wall". My legs just got tired, I slowed down for a few miles then they just couldn't run anymore. I think for my first marathon I should've just been more conservative with my goal and started at maybe a 10:15 pace.

great trip report. sad that it didn't end that well. but still, congratulations on running a marathon, great job!

did you take in any fuel besides those two nuun cups?

give yourself enough time to recover! if you run the 5k, take it very easy imho (don't race it!).

Yes I brought a clif bar with me and ate it in small bites. I ate about 1/3 of it before the water stations at mile 8, 12 & 16. I also had a couple fun size snickers around mile 18. That was probably the best tasting thing I've ever put in my mouth!!

Got the official results from Sunday...here's the breakdown:

10K 1:00:48
13.1 2:09:24
13.1-20.2 1:20:43
20.2-26.2 1:27:21
Finish 4:57:28

Dude you ran a freaking marathon, dont be so hard on yourself!!! Congrats

Thanks! I'm feeling better about it every day. I've also decided I'm doing it again next year and I'll be in much better shape and know more what to expect.

Good job and congratulations.

how are you feeling? what are the current plans?

I started doing better in my long distance cycling events when I substantially upped my intake during the ride. Perhaps running is different, but it sounds to me like you may have under consumed some calories? No Gu's or gels during the whole event? I know you can get the bulk of your calories from burning fat but you need some carbohydrate to burn that fat.
Still a very nice accomplishment, congrats.

Congrats FL, I feel your pain on being frustrated by having to walk and finishing under your goal, but like someone else said you ran a freaking marathon! Awesome accomplishment and under 5 hours is nothing to scoff out.

Loved the detailed trip report, and I can certainly relate to some of the feelings, thanks for sharing!

I'm feeling very good, I was pretty sore for about 3 days after and my right ankle was swollen but didn't really hurt at all. I did an easy 5 miles Sunday for my first run since the race and it went well. My legs felt a little tired at the end but no soreness at all today. I'll run this afternoon and Tuesday then I'm probably gonna do the 5K Thanksgiving morning. Longer term plan is a half marathon here on January 15th (there's also a marathon but not even thinking about that). Then I wanna go back to Pensacola in February for my favorite 15K race and maybe a few other shorter races in March and April.

Thanks!! Yeah that's probably the biggest mistake I made, only taking in about 300 calories during the race. I ate about 750 calories ninety minutes before the start.

Thanks!! I'm definitely feeling a lot better about it now. I'm determined to get back there next year and improve. It'll make a big difference knowing what to expect and doing a few things differently next time.

Finished the 5K in 26:01, new PR by 21 seconds!! The weather was great, high 50s with no wind. Full report later...

Belated congrats to finishing your first marathon and the recent 5K PB!

I contemplated a bit what might have gone wrong in your marathon, most likely something in the nutrition strategy. Can you summarize your taper week and nutrition on race day/during the race (apologies if I missed that). My best guess would be not enough calories and/or minerals at the moment it went south.

Thanks! Yes I think I didn't consume enough calories/electrolytes during the marathon. That morning I ate 2 clif bars with peanut butter spread over one of them about 90 minutes before the start. On the way to the race I drank a bottle of Gatorade. So I estimated about 750-800 calories before the race.

During the race I ate another clif bar, about 1/3 each around mile 8, 12 and 16. I drank a very small amount of Nuun which was absolutely awful...I should've forced myself to get much more of it down. I had half of two small cups, so maybe 2 oz. My legs started going south during mile 17 and around mile 18 one of the water stations had candy bars, I had 2 fun size snickers bars there. Everything else was just water approximately every 2 miles.

After re-reading your TR and converting temperature, your weight and volume units to meaningful numbers ;-p - you were likely a bit "overhydrated", drinking too much liquid in relation to electrolytes (which can get very dangerous in more extreme conditions).

Drinking water every 2 miles - how much water, like 2 cups? Were you thirsty or just gulping it down because "it's a marathon".
Having had to pee might be another sign (although it also happened to me).

In the end, you did great and with an experience like that, you will appreciate when a marathon really goes well.

I did not go back to check your height, but 98kg seems not optimal (which you're aware of), so I'm sure losing a couple more pounds will bring your running to yet another level. And it is already on a good level!

Monday 11/14 thru Saturday 11/19
Off/recovery

Sunday 11/20
5 mile easy run
57:46 11:33 pace

Monday 11/21
6 mile easy run
1:08:33 11:26 pace

Tuesday 11/22
6 mile easy run
1:08:35 11:26 pace

Wednesday 11/23
Off

Thursday 11/24
Ocala Turkey Trot 5K
26:01 8:24 pace

Friday 11/25
5 mile easy run
57:59 11:36 pace

Saturday 11/26
Off

I feel like I'm fully recovered from the marathon and I'm glad to be back in a good routine! I took 6 days off before getting back at it and my legs have felt great for the most part.

Thursday morning I ran the Ocala Turkey Trot 5K with my younger two kids. My plan was to start out aggressively for the first mile and see how I felt from there. I was hoping to be around 25:30 if things went really well.

The start was pretty crowded as there were over 1200 runners entered but it thinned out fairly quickly and I got off to a good start. The end of mile 1 was uphill and I finished with a split of 8:27. Mile 2 was much of the same, starting uphill and there was another small uphill stretch in the middle. I stayed consistent and finished it in 8:26.

I knew mile 3 would be mostly downhill so I tried to turn it on and make up some time. I ended up running my fastest mile since high school with a 7:49 but with the grade adjustment it came out to 8:14. I finished strong and ended up posting a time of 26:01, 8:24 pace. The GPS was a little long, showing a total of 3.16 miles.

I'm obviously very happy with how the race went. The time is a new personal best by 21 seconds. I'll be doing another 5K in two weeks and hope to bring it down even further!