Race Information
- Name: Rock’n’Roll San Jose Marathon
- Date: October 1, 2023
- Distance: 13.1 miles
- Location: San Jose, CA
- Website: https://www.runrocknroll.com/san-jose
- Time: 1:43:52
Goals
| Goal | Description | Completed? |
|---|---|---|
| A | Finish | Yes |
| B | Sub 1:50 | Yes |
| C | Sub 1:45 | Yes |
| D | Sub 1:40 | No |
Splits
| Mile | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 23:33 | 7:35 |
| 5 | 36:42 | 6:57 |
| 8 | 1:01:55 | 8:25 |
| 10 | 1:18:02 | 8:04 |
| 13.1 | 1:43:52 | 8:21 |
Training
I made a goal to run a sub 2-hour half marathon after the race last year and started running pretty consistently. I realized I needed to work on my endurance more so I started following the 80-20 training where 80% of the time I run at an easy and comfortable pace and the other 20% at a faster and harder pace. I also paid attention to my heart rate more and made sure that the easy runs were easy based on the HR zone.
I have run about 1,100 miles this year, peaking at about 38 miles per week. Each week consisted of about 5 or 6 runs, where the shorter runs were done during weekdays and longer ones on the weekends. Many miles are done with Vy, whom I feel thankful for joining me in this journey. Looking back, I think I might have ramped up the mileage too fast. The last few weeks before the race Overall, I decided to taper and not run as much, which might have reduced my running capacity for a bit.
One thing that I did not put a lot of focus on is nutrition and body conditioning. I am hoping to take these things more seriously next year.
Pre-race
I went to the center to get my bib on Friday afternoon before the event. It was already a bit crowded and although finding parking is not difficult, getting out of the parking lot afterwards is a nightmare. On race day, I woke up at 6 and at a banh mi and some electrolytes for breakfast. This year, I decided to take Uber to the race, which saved me from finding parking.
Race
The event started on time at 8:00 AM. I started in corral 2 with the 1:40 pacers and my buddy Eric. However, there were a lot of people not in the correct corrals. This made it difficult to run at first as it was too crowded to pass the slower runners. I had to sprint a bit to catch up with the pacers as I was left behind from the start. My heart rate was quite high from the start, reaching to about 180.
During the first 2 miles, I was still trying to find the right rhythm. It was a sizable group of people targeting 1:40 pace.
At mile 3, I accidentally stepped on a pothole, hurting my ankle. I had to stop for about 20 seconds because of the pain. I decided to keep going and chased down the pacers. I was still able to keep up until mile 6 at roughly 7:39 / mile pace.
From mile 7, I had to slow down because my heart rate was too high and I could not sustain this pace anymore. My new pace from then on was roughly 8:05 / mile.
Every 2 miles, there is a water station. I stopped by and got water at every station, except for the first one. I also used all 2 of my gels.
During the whole run, Eric ran along with me even though he could have run a lot faster. I appreciated that very much.
Post-race
After the race, I got some water and a banana. I finally noticed the pain in my ankle and stopped by the medical tent to get some ice. I ended up with a sprained ankle.
Overall, I am happy with the result and the effort that I put into the race. Maybe next year I’ll be able to conquer the sub 1:40 goal.
The template is based on http://sfdavis.com/racereports.