20 Questions: How to Solve the Mystery of Race Day Disasters

May 11, 2011

#%*!  happens on race day.  And when it does, my inbox fills with questions like these.

Why did I bonk at mile 23 when I was on pace for my personal record?
Why did my foot start hurting halfway through?
Why did I have dizziness after the race?
Why was I beaten by Gumby?

(Okay, I confess. That last question is mine and one that I continue to ask myself because I was beaten by Gumby in the NYC Marathon. But he only had me by a stretch:) But I digress...)
We become better runners, doctors, spouses, and people when we evolve through the challenging events of our lives. We never ask ourselves after a personal record performance, 'How can I improve?' We don't spend time evaluating what went right. It is the feelings of true discontent from a race gone bad that fuels us to figure out how to improve the next time. And this is the perfect time to play a game of twenty questions.
Let's take a question I received last week from SuperWill after my post on how to get rid of calf cramps.

Good information about leg cramps. QUESTION: I'm curious to know what you think caused the leg problems for Kim Smith, the front runner of the Boston Marathon? Went out to fast, did not hydrate enough, or tail wind does not cool you like a head wind? I think my problems are not stretching or hydrating enough but what about Kim?

If I were having coffee with Kim I'd start asking questions and start from the actual time the calf pain started and work out from there (think like you're playing a mean game of Clue–Colonel Mustard, with the knife in the study).
1.  When did you feel the calf pain coming on?
2.  Where were you on the course and did you have avoid any obstacle?
3.  Was it a sharp pain like a charlie horse or a dull ache?
4.  Were you hydrating adequately for the conditions?
5.  Were you taking in electrolytes?
6.  Did you have any other issues going on (diarrhea)?
7. What were the weather conditions?
8.  Was your pacing strategy more aggressive?
If this doesn't lead us to an answer I'd start looking back in time.
9.  Were you well rested coming into the marathon?
10.  Did you wear (or do) anything new race week (sandals, heels, flip flops, dancing on tables).
11.  Did you transition to new shoes during the season (minimalist, less support, more support).
11.  Did you have any aches and pains during the season?
12.    Did you train for the demands of the course (hills, downhill, flat)?
13.  Were you taking any medications?
14.  Were you sick leading up to the race or on race day?
15.  Did you make any dietary changes?
16.  Did you travel long distance to the race?
17.  When did you arrive pre-race?  Just before or a few days ahead of time?
18.  Did you change any pre-race rituals (warm up harder, longer, sit for long stretches)?
19.  Did you drink too much water race week?
20.  Did you not drink enough?
The answer isn't always easy to find, but it's there and little by little, you can weed out the variables that don't apply and begin to zone in on what might be the culprit. Sometimes it isn't one thing, it's a combination of things. One time I had a runner who was training for a personal record for a half-marathon and started having muscle cramping all over his body. It happened in training, on race day and eventually during the work day. After looking back at his training log and identifying when it started, he was able to link it to the medication he was taking.
If you're open to it, you can learn a great deal about the mysteries of racing by reflection. Although it may seem that we can race the same marathon year after year, the truth is every time you toe the line at the Boston Marathon (or any other race), it is a whole new course. You can't compare the year of the Northerly headwinds to this year's 26.2 mile tail wind. It's like apples to oranges.
My hunch for Kim Smith is that she may have suffered from tail-winditis. That is, she and many other runners that day complained about severe muscle cramping and fatigue (more so than usual). There was a very strong tail wind that allowed everyone to run harder, sooner, and in doing so, they created more dramatic muscle damage earlier in the race from the impact forces. In combination with a lot of downhill running in the first half that gives you a recipe for extreme muscle fatigue. Albeit disappointing for Kim, it is another piece of glass in her marathon mosaic and one she can use to fine tune her racing strategy.
Happy Trails.
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