Napa 2012 report: Another brick in the wall, or I'm too old for this shit.

Sunday was the 34^th Napa
Valley Marathon. It was to be my fifth NVM and 15^th
overall. My PR of 3:53:xx seems like it was from a previous life, as
I've had a bad blow up even though I thought was good shape, the heat
of CHI 2010 (also in good shape), a couple of honey-do races with the
wife (most enjoyable) and an admitted half-ass attempt to just finish
NVM last year.

Going into this year's race, I felt my
training was pretty good. Solid for me, but not as strong as in the
past. My “fast” runs seemed to have slowed somewhat from several
years ago, and I'm sure most of it has to do with simply my general
fitness. Regardless, this is the best I've felt since my 10/10/10
experience when I hoped to get a new PR but ran into a hot Chicago.
And so I thought perhaps, just maybe, I could do a sub 4:00 race.
Boy, I tell ya...

Saturday was a busy day for us. My 9
year old had a soccer game, and my 11 year old had a b-ball game. The
weather on Saturday was warm, a cause of concern for me and race day.
We ran about town in the AM, and hit the road after lunch. We stopped
at our new favorite winery (big surprise for those of you that know
me) and tasted and picked up some bottles. Off to the nice small expo
to get my my stuff, and had another glass or 2 of wine that they were
pouring as part of the day. We ran up to St. Helena to have and early
dinner with fellow 365-er Glenn and his wife, Susie. My wife wanted
sparkling wine, so I had to indulge her (and myself), sharing a
bottle. Good food and good conversations had by all.

We got some desert near the hotel, and
the family dropped me off (Julie had to run kids around on Sunday
AM). I crashed by 9 PM, but unfortunately didn't sleep too well as I
awoke at 3 AM. I had a standard pre-race breakfast of a couple of
energy bars and coffee, then got on a bus to the start by 5:15 or so.

It was a chilly AM, but gorgeous. The
sun was just starting to rise over the grape vines in Calistoga, and
it is always a site to see. The lines to the porta-potties where
short so I took a leak. Bumped into Glenn and Susie when I came out,
so I chatted with them and took a couple of more pees to try to empty
my bladder. We dropped off our bags at the gear-check, exchanged well
wishes, and lined up.

On a day like Sunday, NVM is a
incredibly gorgeous race. The rising sun, the fields of vines, the AM
mist and the brisk AM air are always a pleasure to take in. The race
is small, so you don't need to worry about finding your pace pretty
quickly. I clicked off mile after mile right in my comfort zone and
goal pace of 9:10 +/- for the first half. But as I got closer to mile
13, I began to have my doubts. I felt OK, but I knew I would have to
take yet another leak (this seems to be a recurring theme for me of
late), and I could also feel the temperature slowly but surely
creeping up. Julie made her way to some of the crossroads, shouting
words of encouragement as I passed. “I'm gonna have to pee” I
shouted back. Which I did after the first half, and at that point I
began to realize that under 4 was highly unlikely. I was a little
disappointed with myself, but ultimately I knew that I was too
optimistic at the start. And so, bladder once again empty, the
question became do I just finish comfortably, or do I grind at
whatever pace I could and be miserable for the balance of the race,
and probably beyond. I know I am not of the masochist,
run-yourself-to-the-med-tent camp, and in my mind there is little to
gain by pushing hard for a possible non-PR time of 4:10 or worse. So
I backed off and took in the sights and sounds of my favorite race. I
thanked the volunteers as I went through aid-stations. I sought out
the youngest kids, either cheering or passing our drinks and
applauded their support. I high-fived people here and there, all the
while run-walking through wine country on an absolutely incredible
spring day. Thoughts changed to the rest of my day – another
playoff b-ball game later. Having dinner with pops in San Francisco
that night. The beer my wife promised to bring me at the finish, and
the burrito I ordered from her when she called me on my cell at mile
17 or whatever. My pace dropped to the 11-12 mpm range, depending on
how much running and how much walking I did, which was driven by how
many hills there were in any given mile. I had one HORRIBLE mile of
about 14mpm, but that is the last big hill and I, quite honestly, had
little desire to run up it. Puss.

What I have come to understand in these
sorts of races where I muddle through the later stages is that
marathoning is a tough fucking sport. And I'm not talking about my
efforts in particular. As, for all intents and purposes, a
run-walking spectator I am always amazed and humbled by the agony
that so many people put themselves through. I suspect you see it more
in the back of the pack, where the less-than-fit, non-elite and
not-so-trained tend to congregate. And it puts a human face on goals
of the masses, both big and small. Finish my first. Run under 4:40.
Run in memory of my relative. 1794 finishers, and at least as many
goals. I was leap-frogging with one woman who was struggling, another
who was being run in by a peer. And as I crossed in a disappointing
4:31:xx, I heard someone behind me scream to herself “BAM- that's
PR”. It's you vs. yourself, you vs. 26.2 miles, you vs. the
elements, and that's it, at least for most of us. And while I lost on
Sunday to all of the above, I have no regrets and continue to be a
proud, humble runner that checked off another personal
accomplishment.

So where does that leave me? Honestly,
I have no clue. Could I get back in the 3:55 range? I'm sure. Do I
want to? I do, but I'm not sure if I am willing to do what it takes.
Call it lack of discipline, lack of heart, or perhaps just lack of my
former youth. And I'm OK with it.

Run to live, baby. And beer me.

Thanks Jack for sharing and congratulations on another NVM finish! Just remember it is all what we make of it on a given day, isn't it? Some races are awesome, some are not, and we come back for more whether they are 5Ks, 10Ks, or marathons. It is all about the self satisfaction in the fact that we did it at the end of the day.

Regarding how to assess a race afterwards, I think it boils down to hope. Do you think you have it in you to do better? "I hope so."

Now, whether you get pissed off at yourself and it turns from hope to 'I sure as hell better!", well, that's up to the user.

Gratz on the race, Jack. Taking in how the other runners were expressing their feelings was certainly worth something. For my last race, I didn't look at anyone. I was focused. I didn't want to be distracted. No telling what my face was telling other people.

Run, Beer, Happy!

Sweet report Jack -- too old to do this shit? That's what we tell ourselves in between gearing up (I dare not call it training) for the next one. Well done.

Loved the race report!!

What a great race report! I love your honesty and perspective!
I was a recent spectator at the Myrtle Beach Marathon. My step-daughter was running her first. We watched at the finish as the back of the packers finished. It was inspiring!

"What I have come to understand in these
sorts of races where I muddle through the later stages is that
marathoning is a tough fucking sport. And I'm not talking about my
efforts in particular."


You got that right, Jack! I met you and your family on the night before my first marathon. I think I'm at 13 finished marathons since then and you know what....it doesn't get any easier! Loved your report and your perspective on what we actually pay to do for fun. Nuts, isn't it? But somehow doing 26.2 at any speed does make that burrito you order mid-race (classic) taste better. So keep doing it!

Jack_Scaff wrote:

What I have come to understand in these
sorts of races where I muddle through the later stages is that
marathoning is a tough fucking sport. And I'm not talking about my
efforts in particular. As, for all intents and purposes, a
run-walking spectator I am always amazed and humbled by the agony
that so many people put themselves through. I suspect you see it more
in the back of the pack, where the less-than-fit, non-elite and
not-so-trained tend to congregate. And it puts a human face on goals
of the masses, both big and small. Finish my first. Run under 4:40.
Run in memory of my relative. 1794 finishers, and at least as many
goals. I was leap-frogging with one woman who was struggling, another
who was being run in by a peer. And as I crossed in a disappointing
4:31:xx, I heard someone behind me scream to herself “BAM- that's
PR”. It's you vs. yourself, you vs. 26.2 miles, you vs. the
elements, and that's it, at least for most of us. And while I lost on
Sunday to all of the above, I have no regrets and continue to be a
proud, humble runner that checked off another personal
accomplishment.

Awesome report. I want to steal this and post it on Facebook because it really does encompass the many emotions and different ways people feel about running and their races. I figured I'd ask for permission before I did it though!

Really enjoyed your report, Jack. Even though it wad raining last year, it's definitely a beautiful race. I love your perspective on the sport, one we can all share from those tough races.

Enjoy the beer this week.

Thanks for the kind words all. Maybe it is the endorphins that cause me to get so philosophical. Or maybe I just like to hear myself ramble on.

Regardless, our sport in general this board in particular has some truly amazing people and stories, and I am proud to be a part of the community.

Great report Jack. And we really enjoyed dinner with you and your family. We also had awesome burritos (and fish tacos - and wine) for our post-race banquet. We finished in 5:14, so Susie's got her first 26.2 in the books. Her reflections on this tough fucking sport were similar to yours, albeit a bit more visceral ( ) than philosophical.

I was almost ready to make a post in here wondering why we're not getting very many gritty race reports now that's it spring...and here you are. Grit and all. Congrats on your finish. You know it takes about a week before you can really determine your future speed goals. Lots of reflection from both the left and right side of the brain needs to take place. Probably best to do that over a delightful glass o' wine.

Jack_Scaff wrote:I have no regrets and continue to be a
proud, humble runner that checked off another personal
accomplishment.

That is awesome Jack and what it is all about. Good reminder for myself too!