Tunnel Hill 50 (marathon) Post Race Thoughts

I ran the Tunnel Hill 50 Mile race yesterday in Vienna, IL. Finished in 4:23. Not bad for a 50 miler! Except I only ran a marathon. Yep, dropped out at the 26.5 mile mark. That was my plan coming into the race. My longest run in the last 3 months has only been 13 miles. Not exactly ultra training. Figured I could gut out a good marathon. Well, I finished a marathon, but not a "good" one. It was a death march the last 6 miles. Guess that's what happens when you aren't trained. Miles matter. In my mind I thought a sub-4 marathon was possible. I was stupid. Hey, live and learn. Here are my lessons from yesterday:

NEGATIVES
1. Long runs matter. You can't fake preparation for a marathon or ultra. Longest run was 13 miles. Really? I needed many more long runs in the 18-20 mile range.

2. My water bottle had a crack. Every time I squeezed for a drink, it shot/dribbled out the side. Lost 1/3 bottle every time it was filled. Ran out of water a couple of times. And it made my hand rather cold. Guess I need to check out my bottles before every race.

3. Not a big fan of Sword sports drink (offered on the course). Started with my own Tailwind drink, but should have carried more powder or just gone with gels and water. Needed more calories. Should have snacked at aid stations too. UCAN sport drink before the race was very nice--maybe more of that during my next race? Also, I ate Honey Stinger gels for this race--they are quite thick and hard to squeeze out (especially when cold). Might move to SIS gels which are more liquidy (and many have 75mg of caffeine).

4. Wrist based heart rate monitoring is not reliable. I skipped my chest strap and went with the built-in optical HR monitor on my Garmin 235 watch. It was not steady and read too high several times. Can't trust it. If I want to stay under control, I need to utilize a chest HR strap or Stryd foot pod for power (that did work well).

POSITIVES:
1. My new Craft running vest was perfect for this weather (high 30s with 10mph winds). Shirt alone would be too cold, full jacket too warm. Vest was perfect and it felt really comfortable.

2. My new running shoes, Skechers GoRun Ride 8s, were great. Too bad I couldn't push them harder. They are lightweight, well-cushioned, and responsive.

3. Using my Buff headwear was a perfect choice. Covered my neck, ears, head, and face...all at once...or just one body part at a time. Very flexible attire! Not super warm, but just right for the day.

4. My run-walk strategy (9 min run, 1 min walk) worked well...until it didn't. It got me to around 20 miles, but then I was just toast. If I had run steady with no breaks, I probably would have died at 15 miles. I think a longer walk period would have more success. Maybe an 8-2 run/walk strategy in the future.

Considering all of the above, the race was slower than expected, but still a fantastic long run. My left heel hurts a bit, but otherwise I'm fine one day later. Am I ready for a BQ attempt in April?  It'll take work, but it's possible. I've learned my lessons.