QT: Lessons Learned (or Relearned) from the 2024 Charlotte Marathon

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As you may have heard, last weekend we were in Charlotte for the 20th running of the Charlotte Marathon.

For a lot of runners, race day is a big deal.

Months of training has led up to this one run, and we want everything to go well.

For me? Race day is just another day. A data point, if you will.

Hopefully it goes well, but however it shakes out I try to learn some things to help me continue to grow as a runner and as a coach.

A Mixed Bag

So how was my Charlotte Marathon experience?

That may be a bit harsh, because objectively it was a good day.

I mean, I did get to ring the PR bell after I crossed the finish line.

The way the race unfolded, however, left me less than satisfied despite the solid result.

Any PR is a good PR, but who among us wouldn’t prefer a big PR over a little one?

I was on pace for an almost 15 minute PR through 20 miles, at which point the wheels pretty well fell off.

I held on for a 3 minute PR, which I know is nothing to scoff at, but I can’t help myself but to feel like I let myself down over the last 10k.

That said, I left it all on the course and recovery has gone much better than I expected.

So, once again, it really was a good day even if I’m a bit meh about the whole thing.

Lessons from the Charlotte Marathon

Anyway, I don’t write race recaps because boring.

But I glean a few lessons from this past weekend that I think could be useful for you going forward.

Turn Off Alerts

I had meant to do this before the race but forgot.

Thankfully it wasn’t a huge deal, but it was definitely annoying.

If you have some sort of heart rate or pace alerts set on your watch to keep you in check during your regular runs, turn them off.

My damn watch was buzzing the whole race, but once I got going there was no turning it off.

Next time, hopefully I’ll remember to change that setting before the gun goes off.

Choose the Right Strategy

What is the best race strategy for you?

Well, it kind of depends a bit on the type of person you are.

I think I got this one wrong.

My strategy was to go for a big PR.

And I did.

I came up short, but clearly I’m still a little salty about how the day played out.

But what if I came at this one from the opposite direction?

What if I was aiming for a 2-3 minute PR?

Clearly, I would have hit the nail on the head.

But I think, though there’s no way to be sure, that I would have ended up finishing stronger and may have ended up with a 5-6 minute PR.

And for me?

That would completely change the way I feel about my race performance.

Don’t Discount the Hills

I didn’t know what to expect about the hills in Charlotte.

In my defense, rolling hills isn’t exactly a description that can be clearly defined.

Most races do a terrible job of accurately preparing runners for what their hill situation is going to be.

The Charlotte Marathon is no exception here.

Whatever the race claims, from rolling hills to flat as a pancake, make sure you try and find an elevation profile for the course.

That still may not be enough to really make it clear, but at least you’ll have a better idea of what to expect so you can plan your strategy accordingly.

More Turns Than a Drunk Snake

Another thing I clearly overlooked in the leadup to the Charlotte Marathon were the number of turns on the course.

This matters, because the more turns a race has the harder it’s going to be to “only” run the race distance.

I ended up running almost 26.7 miles on Sunday, and that half mile is not nothing.

You’re probably not going to find too many races that are dead straight.

And if you do, they are probably boring AF.

But if you’re chasing a PR ever extra tenth of a mile matters.

The fewer turns, the fewer bonus miles you can expect to log on race day.

Don’t Overreact

Hands down, this is the biggest lesson for me from the Charlotte Marathon.

After a race, no matter how it goes, it’s easy to let the results dictate your next steps.

If the race went well? Then it’s somewhat natural to think you need to “step up” your training ahead of the next race to ensure an even better experience.

And if the race was a shit show? Blow it all up and start again!

In most cases, the best bet is to keep on keeping on.

If your training has been going well and you feel like your fitness is improving?

More of the same is likely going to yield more improvements.

Does that mean there aren’t a few tweaks or adjustments that might be worth making?

Of course not.

But there’s no need for an overhaul as the result of a single data point, right?

What’s Next?

Now that the Charlotte Marathon is done and dusted, what’s up next?

As per usual, I have no plans to race again any time soon.

That doesn’t mean I won’t find a race to run at some point, maybe even some point soon.

But for now, I’m back to the usual routine which is a-ok with me.

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The 2024 Charlotte Marathon provided several lessons that you may find helpful as you look ahead to your next race. #runchat Share on X

What is a Big Lesson You Learned from Your Most Recent Race?

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