DNF my first marathon... What now?

Sounds like it could be any number of factors. Give some more details about this race and build up and we can figure out next steps.

Race day temp?

Hydration/nutrition strategy before and during race?

Mileage, long run distance?

MaineTrain wrote:

Sounds like it could be any number of factors. Give some more details about this race and build up and we can figure out next steps.

Race day temp?

Hydration/nutrition strategy before and during race?

Mileage, long run distance?

77 degrees, 82% humidity

Breakfast: Bagel w/ PB

During: Water every aid station. GU @ 8, 14, 20.

Mileage: 100 mpw, longest distance run 22.

Build up:

6 @ MP

10 @ MP

HM race (10 @ MP, then cut down)

2.5 weeks out: Special block: 10 @ 5:36 pace in AM, 8 @ 5:20 in PM (goal MP in PM)

1.5 weeks out: 3x3 miles @ MP

I think I'm in 2:20-2:21 shape.

My first thought was to go out in 1:11 the next marathon and be a bit safer. This one I went out in 1:12:27 with the heat, because Jack Daniels' heat calculator says that, but I guess humidity is a different beast.

Obviously, I want to make trials, but after an experience like that I can't help but be disappointed...

Marathon is a strange beast.

77 degrees is pretty warm, even more so with the high humidity. That's the crappy part about spring marathons: They're so hit or miss with weather. Did you have runs in similar temps during the build up?

That breakfast seems a bit sparse to me.. I usually wake up 3-4 hours before a race and eat a small-medium sized meal. Obviously this depends on how you handle having food in your stomach on race day. Did you take in a good amount of food in the 1-2 days prior?

Only fluids during were water? No Gatorade mixture at all during? Could be not enough electrolytes when you needed em.

Mileage and long run looks fine. That special block workout tells me you're following a bit of Canova's philosophies. Was that your only special block during this build up?

The reality is that this isn't the best time of the year to run a marathon. We're transitioning to a warmer part of the year, so a large chunk of your training was probably in easier, cooler temperatures.

Without knowing what exactly went wrong, a fall marathon might be easier. It'll be harder to hit your target paces in the summer, but you'll have the entire summer to get acclimated.

You'll bounce back. I ran 3:22 in my first marathon after coming through halfway in 1:30. I walked, cried, contemplated quitting, etc for the entirety of the final 10k. This was after a decent buildup. Since then, I have had much more success. I got my BQ my next time out and have progressed by nearly an hour in the years since.

Don't let one race ruin the distance for you. Most people screw it up on their first attempt. Especially when it's hot. Weather plays a huge factor and blaming the heat is no excuse. It's plain fact.

AshamedTryHard wrote:

MaineTrain wrote:

Sounds like it could be any number of factors. Give some more details about this race and build up and we can figure out next steps.

Race day temp?

Hydration/nutrition strategy before and during race?

Mileage, long run distance?

77 degrees, 82% humidity

You could have stopped there. Those are terrible conditions for running a fast marathon. I wouldn't worry about it. If you run another one in conditions like that I would forget the clock and run based on feel.

Too bad it didn't go as planned - I was rooting for you! Were you in the lead for the first half?

I think to be ready for a marathon in those sorts of temperatures, you actually need to have a block of training in even warmer conditions. So you may have been able to go out in 1:12:30 if you had done a couple months of running in 90+ degree temps, but if you have mainly done your buildup in similar conditions or cooler, the "heat conversions" kind of go out the window. Also, was there any wind? The big thing to watch out for in a warm marathon is a tailwind in the second half - the "still air" effect when running with the wind can certainly lead to overheating (I know this from regular long runs, which are not even run at a challenging pace!)

Anyway, you know the fitness is there. Don't get too hung up on your performance today - the conditions just managed to overwhelm your buildup (as perfect as you felt it was).

You learned something valuable. Go through your training again and give it another shot. Weather is ALWAYS going to be factor but hopefully you get lucky on the next one and get ideal conditions.

Work on marathon pace this go around. Maybe you were not at the fitness level you thought you were so therefore your adjustment wasn't enough. Get a few of those 15 - 18 milers at MP for your long runs to make sure you know what your MP is.

What do you do? Try again :)

Learn from your mistakes...hydrate better and pay more attention to the elements on race day.

You will finish.....don't worry about time. Go by feel.

Actually heat train properly.

Angryjohnny wrote:

77 degrees, 82% humidity

You could have stopped there. Those are terrible conditions for running a fast marathon. I wouldn't worry about it. If you run another one in conditions like that I would forget the clock and run based on feel.[/quote]

That is a pretty good assessment. I found results for the race, and only one guy broke 2:40:

And out of 76 starters, it looks like only 45 finished - and virtually all of them were sub-1:15 half marathon guys (I think a couple qualified with an actual marathon).

I think the OP should have started at 2:32 or 2:34 pace, and he would have won comfortably. No shame in the race he ran - he just miscalculated the effect of the heat and humidity.

Optimal starting temp is 35-45 degrees. Anything over 50 is going to be tough. If starting temp is above 65 then forget your plan and run it as a supported training run. Never drive yourself to blacking out or heat stroke. You could get permanently injured. During the race if you stop sweating and/or get chills on a hot day then you need to start walking and hit the nearest med tent.

How much weight did you lose?

Good luck

+1 on a cooler weather race

+1 on something like Gatorade

Definitely +1 on trying again

Flounder wrote:

Never drive yourself to blacking out or heat stroke. You could get permanently injured. During the race if you stop sweating and/or get chills on a hot day then you need to start walking and hit the nearest med tent.

Absolutely correct. No race is worth risking death or permanent injury. Keep yourself safe and try again another day.

Whoever scheduled a marathon on the gulf coast in late May should be shot.

Yes!!!!!! Humblebrag Alert. wrote:

You'll bounce back. I ran 3:22 in my first marathon after coming through halfway in 1:30. I walked, cried, contemplated quitting, etc for the entirety of the final 10k. This was after a decent buildup. Since then, I have had much more success. I got my BQ my next time out and have progressed by nearly an hour in the years since.

Don't let one race ruin the distance for you. Most people screw it up on their first attempt. Especially when it's hot. Weather plays a huge factor and blaming the heat is no excuse. It's plain fact.

Right answer

amkelley wrote:

Absolutely correct. No race is worth risking death or permanent injury. Keep yourself safe and try again another day.

This, 100%.

Marathons are interesting because they teach you how to fail. The OP had a good plan going in, was trained but got eaten by the race. The weather sucked and that will punish you. Don't beat yourself up over it. I know it sucks, but take a day or two to get mentally in order and go back to work.

Listen to the poster who said run 15-18 at MP and learn. Listen to the poster who said try the marathon by feel. Your fall marathon should be about feel than time. You'll learn a bunch about your performance and where you struggle so when you go crazy next spring, you can hit your goal.

Go have a beer and relax. It's better to DNF then to have an ER visit or worse.