goals, priorities and planning

Two weeks ago I rocked my first half marathon. At the outset, the endeavor of running 13.1 miles was daunting. Like any good management project, goals and priorities had to be set and a plan established in line with those goals. To define success, each goal was assigned a priority:

• Pri0 goals are those which, if they are not met, the project is an abject failure. This is top priority. You do not ship a product that doesn’t meet Pri0 goals.
• Pri1 goals are firm requirements. They must be satisfied before the project is considered complete. They can be sacrificed, for example, if they stand in the way of a Pri0 goal. You might ship a product that doesn’t meet Pri1 goals, but you work your ass off to avoid it.
• Pri2 and Pri3 goals are “nice to have”. They soften the edges, make the project feel good, and fix those little chinks in the armor. 

We established some goals early, and modified some along the way as the situation changed. But as we lined up at the starting line Sunday at 7am I had firm goals:

M took care of the training plan, which we followed as best as our bodies and schedules would allow. A crack team of knowledgeable experts (podiatrists, physical therapists) was assembled to debug and diagnose each unexpected issue which arose. Early mornings were had. Entire days were spent in combination running and recovery. The result: success.

We finished. We retained 100% of our pride. Health was maintained. Our pace goals were met (2:16:22 = 10.24min/mile). Only minor pain was added to the existing aches. All Pri0, Pri1, and Pri2 goals achieved. The only goal (Pri3) that wasn’t met was the avoidance of walking.

We rocked a steady 10:00min/mile pace right up until mile 8, when I completely ran out of gas. Getting over a cold and the resulting loss of sleep from the week before had taken it’s toll on me and I simply hit a wall. Everything before mile 8 was business as usual. Everything between miles 8 and 13 was a battle of will. Every water station was an oasis after that point. I stopped at least 2 times that weren’t water stops, just out of complete exhaustion. M got tough (or, as tough as she could) on me, willing me not to stop more than I needed to. It was a fight, but it was won. 

Below is the pace/heart rate graph from the run… looking at what started happening around mile 6 and then after mile 8 you can see my body breaking down as pace dropped and heart rate started to go out of control.

In retrospect, this was certainly the hardest run I’ve ever had.  I don’t think I was prepared enough for the full 13, having only ran a handful of longer runs toward the end of the training due to my knee issues. I also learned the importance of pacing. I started out too fast and paid the price for it later. These things will get fixed the next time.

Yes, next time.  This is likely not the last… Andy had the miraculously fantastic idea to host our own private half marathon, the Half to the Hook. Looks like it’s time for another training schedule!