Mental prep breakdown for Goofy..esp the full

[goofeygirl]

Originally Posted by irishtwins1112

I had completely finished the mgm park and was exiting. I walked past the station where they give out candy.....walked down the main avenue and I even have a picture taken while I was walking past the 23 mile marker(one of the race pictures) . I walked out the front of mgm where the parking lot is to your right and there is a walk way to your left going beside the lake(I believe you run on a sidewalk between two sets of bushes ......but someone correct me if I am wrong because that has been 4 years ago). They put up 3 traffic cones and said that we would not be allowed to finish. Put us on a small van(that was sitting in the parking lot) and we were taken to the staging area. There was a security guard and several of the sweeper bikes so I am guessing we were the last ones....I didn't see anyone behind us? I asked why we were swept because even though I had slowed considerably I thought I still had that cushion (the time between when I crossed the start line and the last person did) but they said we were too far off pace and they had to reopen the roads. I told them that was a load of crap (because I knew there were no more roads between the place where they were sweeping us and the finish) but it doesn't matter. We weren't keeping pace so I understand why we were swept.

I was doing the Goofy that weekend. It was my second marathon. I did even splits on most of my back to back runs of 15 minutes per mile during training that year. I can pull up my Garmin history and see how far off pace I was if you would like. I do remember seeing the bikes on the way into MGM. I asked the guy about my pace and he said that I was 30 seconds ahead of pace. I was in a bad mood and talking about how terrible I felt but the guy was really nice and he said "Just keep moving, your going to finish". There was a flag waving at Mile 23 I think.

Mainly I think my block was physical pain.....however I am sure there was a mental component to it. I had developed blisters(on both feet) during the first half of the marathon that popped almost simultaneously at Mile 10 (on the ball of my feet.....some parts in the tender portion under the toes). I was basically walk/running on raw meat until the end. It sucked monkey balls. I am not sure if I can say that on here......but it did. I was in a lot of pain.

Mentally, I think I was good until my friend doing the race with me left me somewhere between 20 and 22 miles. I know you have to run your own race but it was odd mentally for me because she was a 17-18 minute miler during training and it seemed like she half "donkeyed" every part of training that she did. I guess I expected her to be the one lagging and me to be the one to help her get to the finish. Instead, I had slowed down after mile 20 and she said "Are you sure you can't go any faster?". I said no looked down and when I looked up she was gone. No encouragement....no words of motivation....nothing. I guess I was a little bit annoyed at that whole situation. At some point I did say that I didn't know if I really wanted to finish.

Since I have decided it is better for me to do races alone.

Of course that situation is different...for someone to just say 'bye' so far along in the race without it being discussed...I would be feeling like f-u if someone had been with me that long and then said 'bye' another words, you are too slow and I am leaving you now. Instead of sometime earlier suggesting it might happen.
Mental prepartion is a huge part of something like this. I am fearful I will get to mile 13 and think, if this was a half I would be finished...instead of thinking 'wow, I am halfway done with this'.

Those blistering feet though, you had the determination alright.

When you look back, are you angry at her or yourself? - for letting her quick move get to you?

Its something to consider for anyone who is doing this with someone else...you might get ditched...be prepared!

[irishtwins1112]

I agree with all of that 100%. We had talked about if somebody got to slow we had to do what we had to do. But I guess I just never thought I would be the one left behind and that I would have at least a few more seconds of encouragement before she blasted off. Honestly I don't think it would have mattered because I was in so much pain.....I don't think I could have gone any faster. Looking back on it, I don't fault her for it. It was her first marathon....I wouldn't have wanted to crap out just for someone else's sake.......but like FFigawi said you probably want to avoid the your too slow and I am leaving you discussion at Mile 22 of the marathon. I am fine now....but at the time it was very emotional (and it made me hold a grudge for a little while....secretly) for me because she is my sister-in-law and I had to hear her tell over and over again about the last couple of miles of the race to every family member imaginable.

I wanted to add.....sometimes I will buddy up with someone (a stranger) during the race. I think in this situation you don't have to have "the discussion". You just stay with them if is your pace and visit if the person appears to enjoy it........or you tell them "Good Luck! I need to pick up the pace a little bit but I will see you a little further down the course" and you leave them. Because you don't know this person and you probably will never see them again.....they expect you to run your own race and you don't feel bad when you have to leave them. This is what I prefer to do during races.

[drdelsol]

I am not that sophisticated, but I am toward the back. My usual planning is ,stay in the back of the corral so you don't get bumped around as much. Fireworks go off so start moving forward, realize that it is too crowded so the half hearted jogging isn't get you anywhere and walk quickly until it opens up. If you are feeling good go faster, if not, like last year go slower but stop for pictures and use the lines as your excuse for the longer finish time. Push myself so that my middle age bladder only requires one potty stop. See the choir and go, "Dang this is finally over" until you go around the corner and go dang it where is that finish line. High five a character, finish. Carry my medal because I don't want to get sweat all over it, curse the bus for having steps. Go back to hotel.

[cewait]

I agree 100% that one of the conversations that MUST occur when running with a friend or family member is that each and every one of us is responsible for their own race. Partners must agree BEFORE the race starts that at some point in time, there MAY come a time that I need to let you go, or visa versa. The one pulling forward usually feels more guilt by leaving the other behind in the cases where I have run with another.

The agreement should have some sort of safe phrase or something so the one pulling away knows it is ok. In my races where a friend and I have parted, it was usually the slower one saying I am slowing you down too much, get out of here. Though there have been a couple times where the faster runner said, I think I can make x:xx time, I am pushing off.

I can see where feelings may be a little raw if these conversations have not occurred. I just assumed that most folks did.

One year I ran the part of Goofy with Mr Rice. We ran the half together and we pushed each other up to the Christmas Tree in Epcot and I had to let him go. I was on the rivets and needed to back off, else the next day would be a complete disaster. We met up the following day and ran up to mile 10, I knew I was holding him up so I let him go just before MK. Funny, he left me like greased lightning... up to the mile 14-15 range. His IT band fired up and he was stopped at a first aid station trying to get his strap on ... He was idle for a few moments and I ended up passing him while he was roadside. We did not know it until out post race discussions.

[afnaechiquita]

Originally Posted by cewait

I agree 100% that one of the conversations that MUST occur when running with a friend or family member is that each and every one of us is responsible for their own race. Partners must agree BEFORE the race starts that at some point in time, there MAY come a time that I need to let you go, or visa versa. The one pulling forward usually feels more guilt by leaving the other behind in the cases where I have run with another.

The agreement should have some sort of safe phrase or something so the one pulling away knows it is ok. In my races where a friend and I have parted, it was usually the slower one saying I am slowing you down too much, get out of here. Though there have been a couple times where the faster runner said, I think I can make x:xx time, I am pushing off.

I can see where feelings may be a little raw if these conversations have not occurred. I just assumed that most folks did.

One year I ran the part of Goofy with Mr Rice. We ran the half together and we pushed each other up to the Christmas Tree in Epcot and I had to let him go. I was on the rivets and needed to back off, else the next day would be a complete disaster. We met up the following day and ran up to mile 10, I knew I was holding him up so I let him go just before MK. Funny, he left me like greased lightning... up to the mile 14-15 range. His IT band fired up and he was stopped at a first aid station trying to get his strap on ... He was idle for a few moments and I ended up passing him while he was roadside. We did not know it until out post race discussions.

I agree. It has to be in advance. My aunt and I actually didn't discuss it in advance, but she knew that I wanted to stop for pictures, and that she herself would not be able to make the time if she stopped for pictures. So at the first character, she said I should go on ahead and wait in line and she'd keep running. I felt no guilt, she didn't feel like she was holding me back, and we both finished at our own time.