Knickerbocker 60K Dress Rehearsal #1

I ran World's Smallest Marathon last weekend. It was participated by one (me) and there were no volunteers (I mixed my own Gatorade!), no organizers, no security.

The course consisting of my run from home to the Park, followed by 6 4-mile loops around the middle section (72nd to 102nd and back, clockwise), also included some odd detours around water fountains (FYI, if you need a good water fountain in the Park: on the East side, near 101st, by the baseball field. Very strong, also in the shade). Distance and time was measured by my Garmin.

The purpose of this exercise, of course, was to test my strategy for the 60K race in two months. An oft-repeated tip for ultra-marathoners is to walk the hills. As you know, I had warmed to the idea in my previous runs, but I never used it from the beginning, rather saved is as a last resort. Last Saturday, I picked three big hills (on the West Side around 75th to 85th, on the East Side right before the reservoir around 100th and right before the Cat Hill. This loop has 140 feet of ascend and descend) and walked them both for rest and refueling. Total distance I walked per lap was about 0.8 mile, 1/5 of the loop.

The result was amazing. First of all, I didn't have a near choking experience due to eating on the run (yes, I had these before). Second, I was still happy, dancing and smiling on lap 5 (mile 20). My legs were getting tired but it was bearable. Third, I kept a good 11 min/mile pace on average, because I could run the flat segments faster than I would have, knowing the rest was near. Also, I should say that I have a pretty good walk speed, even while eating.

I was aiming for 25 miles, but I couldn't just stop there and not post a marathon time. So, I did another mile and change and posted a 4:50 marathon finish (which is an unofficial PB, by the way). In two months, I will have 11-12 more miles to go after this and even if I walk the whole distance, I can still finish under the allowed 8 hour limit. If I can keep my 11 min/mile pace, I will hit my target of 7 hours.

The next day, I didn't have any serious injuries. I was able to walk normally, could have run too, but didn't have time. I had a bit of a shin pain before this run and I can still feel it today. So, I am going to take the week mostly off, other than some walking and cycling. The plan is to do one more rehearsal (30 miles) about a month before the race and get ready for the taper.