Ran a 10k in June (6 Viewers)

[The_Man]

I'm in. Somewhere around a 3:20:30 - don't know my exact time yet, and my Garmin is a tiny bit off since it stopped timing when I stopped to tie my shoe - ugh! At Mile 2, I felt something slapping my ankle and thought maybe it was the plastic tie you use to attach the timing chip. Nope, it was my right shoelace. But the shoe was staying in place on my foot, so I ran with it like that until Mile 14, when I stopped to tie it. And then suddenly, I could push off so much more with my right that it was like being turbocharged. Miles 15 and 16 were my fastest of the day - 7:14 and 7:15, I think.

Once again, I faded at the finish. There were three brutal hills from Mile 24.5 to the finish, as you leave the trail and head back up to the start. I had to walk a couple of times going up them, and had something like an 8:14 and an 8:45 for the last two miles. Still, I pretty much achieved my goal of running a time that would have been a BQ under the old standards, and set a PR by about 5 minutes.

Will do a full RR later today or early tomorrow. As always, thanks for all the amazing support.

 

[sho nuff]

Great job...you The_Man!!!

 

[tri-man 47]

I wanted to do 20 today and ended up with 16.

Listen to you! ...just 16. --The_Man - that's great. Congrats!!

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Awesome job, The_Man.

 

[prosopis]

I'm in. Somewhere around a 3:20:30 - don't know my exact time yet, and my Garmin is a tiny bit off since it stopped timing when I stopped to tie my shoe - ugh! At Mile 2, I felt something slapping my ankle and thought maybe it was the plastic tie you use to attach the timing chip. Nope, it was my right shoelace. But the shoe was staying in place on my foot, so I ran with it like that until Mile 14, when I stopped to tie it. And then suddenly, I could push off so much more with my right that it was like being turbocharged. Miles 15 and 16 were my fastest of the day - 7:14 and 7:15, I think. Once again, I faded at the finish. There were three brutal hills from Mile 24.5 to the finish, as you leave the trail and head back up to the start. I had to walk a couple of times going up them, and had something like an 8:14 and an 8:45 for the last two miles. Still, I pretty much achieved my goal of running a time that would have been a BQ under the old standards, and set a PR by about 5 minutes.Will do a full RR later today or early tomorrow. As always, thanks for all the amazing support.

That is fantastic!!!!!! How do you get an 8:14 and an 8:45 walking? You are The Man!!!

 

[BassNBrew]

I'm in. Somewhere around a 3:20:30 - don't know my exact time yet, and my Garmin is a tiny bit off since it stopped timing when I stopped to tie my shoe - ugh! At Mile 2, I felt something slapping my ankle and thought maybe it was the plastic tie you use to attach the timing chip. Nope, it was my right shoelace. But the shoe was staying in place on my foot, so I ran with it like that until Mile 14, when I stopped to tie it. And then suddenly, I could push off so much more with my right that it was like being turbocharged. Miles 15 and 16 were my fastest of the day - 7:14 and 7:15, I think. Once again, I faded at the finish. There were three brutal hills from Mile 24.5 to the finish, as you leave the trail and head back up to the start. I had to walk a couple of times going up them, and had something like an 8:14 and an 8:45 for the last two miles. Still, I pretty much achieved my goal of running a time that would have been a BQ under the old standards, and set a PR by about 5 minutes.Will do a full RR later today or early tomorrow. As always, thanks for all the amazing support.

That's a great time. Can't wait to hear the race report.

 

[Sand]

The entire Karamazov clan did the Thanksgiving 5K today. This is a small and highly informal event -- probably 100 or so total entrants. My daughter (10) rode her bike through the race, my son (12) ran 24:05 despite not having run more than a mile and half in well over a year, and my wife ran this with a friend for fun. She's doing the Tucson marathon in a couple of weeks, so this was just a relaxed taper run for her. I managed to turn in a 22:25, which was only 15 seconds off my PR and good for 15th place overall. GL to The_Man and anybody else racing today or this weekend. And happy Thanksgiving.

What is your wife's target for the marathon? I am running the same marathon.

She's hoping for a 3:50, which would be a BQ (although she probably wouldn't actually be able to register with that time). Plan B is 3:XX:XX.

There's no more qualifying but not being able to register. That was 2011 only. If she makes the time she's in. It won't fill next year, anyway.Congrats The Man. I assume a BQ for you is 3:15? I sure hope so, as if it was 3:20 that would be the suck.

 

[SteelCurtain]

Great races.....especially The_Man and Dexter!

On Thanksgiving, I ran 2 ugly miles (8:30 pace) for my first running since marathon in mid-October. (I know, I know, I'm LAZY!)

Did just over 5 miles at 8:19 per mile pace yesterday.

Was hoping to run today but too busy with family stuff. Walked three miles though. also my shins are aching a little so decided to lay low.

Will go out for a long run tomorrow. Hoping for 10 but will settle for 8. Gotta enjoy this incredibly perfect running weather while I still can.

 

[FBG26]

First time checking in in almost 8 weeks.... had some minor surgery after the Twin Cities marathon and was forced to take 2 weeks off, which turned in to me doing nothing the entire month of October. Been running a bit this month, but realized I need to get back on the wagon when I hit 190 on the scale the other day.

I'm determined to get back to my college football weight (170) so this week I decided to really get serious about running again, and also get in the weight room and pool since I hadn't been in either for months. It's good to have goals again!

 

[Ned]

I'm in. Somewhere around a 3:20:30 - don't know my exact time yet, and my Garmin is a tiny bit off since it stopped timing when I stopped to tie my shoe - ugh! At Mile 2, I felt something slapping my ankle and thought maybe it was the plastic tie you use to attach the timing chip. Nope, it was my right shoelace. But the shoe was staying in place on my foot, so I ran with it like that until Mile 14, when I stopped to tie it. And then suddenly, I could push off so much more with my right that it was like being turbocharged. Miles 15 and 16 were my fastest of the day - 7:14 and 7:15, I think. Once again, I faded at the finish. There were three brutal hills from Mile 24.5 to the finish, as you leave the trail and head back up to the start. I had to walk a couple of times going up them, and had something like an 8:14 and an 8:45 for the last two miles. Still, I pretty much achieved my goal of running a time that would have been a BQ under the old standards, and set a PR by about 5 minutes.Will do a full RR later today or early tomorrow. As always, thanks for all the amazing support.

3:20?!?! KICK ### GB!!!! Can't wait to hear the full details. That's crazy about the tied shoe feeling that much better. Do you think some of that was an adrenaline rush from having to stop/start suddenly? So siked for you.

 

[FBG26]

I'm in. Somewhere around a 3:20:30 - don't know my exact time yet, and my Garmin is a tiny bit off since it stopped timing when I stopped to tie my shoe - ugh! At Mile 2, I felt something slapping my ankle and thought maybe it was the plastic tie you use to attach the timing chip. Nope, it was my right shoelace. But the shoe was staying in place on my foot, so I ran with it like that until Mile 14, when I stopped to tie it. And then suddenly, I could push off so much more with my right that it was like being turbocharged. Miles 15 and 16 were my fastest of the day - 7:14 and 7:15, I think. Once again, I faded at the finish. There were three brutal hills from Mile 24.5 to the finish, as you leave the trail and head back up to the start. I had to walk a couple of times going up them, and had something like an 8:14 and an 8:45 for the last two miles. Still, I pretty much achieved my goal of running a time that would have been a BQ under the old standards, and set a PR by about 5 minutes.Will do a full RR later today or early tomorrow. As always, thanks for all the amazing support.

Also, at the code the the bowing guy....

 

[gruecd]

I'm going to watch the Badgers play Pedophile State on Saturday in Madison.

Seriously...grow up...and I dispise Penn State.

Seriously. Relax.

 

[gruecd]

I'm in. Somewhere around a 3:20:30 - don't know my exact time yet, and my Garmin is a tiny bit off since it stopped timing when I stopped to tie my shoe - ugh! At Mile 2, I felt something slapping my ankle and thought maybe it was the plastic tie you use to attach the timing chip. Nope, it was my right shoelace. But the shoe was staying in place on my foot, so I ran with it like that until Mile 14, when I stopped to tie it. And then suddenly, I could push off so much more with my right that it was like being turbocharged. Miles 15 and 16 were my fastest of the day - 7:14 and 7:15, I think. Once again, I faded at the finish. There were three brutal hills from Mile 24.5 to the finish, as you leave the trail and head back up to the start. I had to walk a couple of times going up them, and had something like an 8:14 and an 8:45 for the last two miles. Still, I pretty much achieved my goal of running a time that would have been a BQ under the old standards, and set a PR by about 5 minutes.Will do a full RR later today or early tomorrow. As always, thanks for all the amazing support.

Nice job!

 

[tri-man 47]

I'm going to watch the Badgers play Pedophile State on Saturday in Madison.

Seriously...grow up...and I dispise Penn State.

Seriously. Relax.

I'm with BnB on this one, grue. You're prone to using a demeaning tone (when I suggested training that's different than yours, I was "weird," or when I mentioned last spring that I was retiring from the marathon distance, I was a "loser"). That won't always come off well, particularly when you're using such strong language to unfairly stereotype an entire educational community.

 

[gruecd]

I'm going to watch the Badgers play Pedophile State on Saturday in Madison.

Seriously...grow up...and I dispise Penn State.

Seriously. Relax.

I'm with BnB on this one, grue. You're prone to using a demeaning tone (when I suggested training that's different than yours, I was "weird," or when I mentioned last spring that I was retiring from the marathon distance, I was a "loser"). That won't always come off well, particularly when you're using such strong language to unfairly stereotype an entire educational community.

Pretty sure both the "weird" and the "loser" were followed by "winks" (i.e., ), which means I was kidding. You guys are really good at teasing other people, but then it's not OK when someone does it back. I don't need this.ETA: And I especially don't like being teamed up on like this. If you wanna call me out on something, do it privately.

 

[tri-man 47]

Pretty sure both the "weird" and the "loser" were followed by "winks" (i.e., ), which means I was kidding. You guys are really good at teasing other people, but then it's not OK when someone does it back. I don't need this.ETA: And I especially don't like being teamed up on like this. If you wanna call me out on something, do it privately.

For the record, the latter was a thumbs down. But you're really missing the big point here. BnB took offense to your language regarding Penn State, and an appropriate response would have been to acknowledge that. Instead, you blew him off, so I weighed in. Public message board - public comments back and forth ...not sure why that's an issue. We all have our own styles and personalities, and that's OK. You just hit a couple of nerves with the PSU reference that goes beyond the running and personal banter.

 

[gruecd]

For the record, the latter was a thumbs down. But you're really missing the big point here. BnB took offense to your language regarding Penn State, and an appropriate response would have been to acknowledge that. Instead, you blew him off, so I weighed in. Public message board - public comments back and forth ...not sure why that's an issue. We all have our own styles and personalities, and that's OK. You just hit a couple of nerves with the PSU reference that goes beyond the running and personal banter.

tri-man, you should know me well enough by now to know that my comments to you were tongue-in-cheek. I apologize if I offended you, but I'd hope you know that it wasn't my intent to do so.My comment about PSU wasn't a personal attack on anyone on this board, but the response ("Grow up") certainly was.

 

[SteelCurtain]

Great races.....especially The_Man and Dexter!On Thanksgiving, I ran 2 ugly miles (8:30 pace) for my first running since marathon in mid-October. (I know, I know, I'm LAZY!)Did just over 5 miles at 8:19 per mile pace yesterday.Was hoping to run today but too busy with family stuff. Walked three miles though. also my shins are aching a little so decided to lay low.Will go out for a long run tomorrow. Hoping for 10 but will settle for 8. Gotta enjoy this incredibly perfect running weather while I still can.

Banged out a 10K yesterday at a 8:37/mile pace. Was fairly comfortable. Decided not to go a bit further as we had family in town and really didn't want to be that guy who disappeared for too long.I might try to get a run in after work and the kids are in bed = running in the dark. Really don't feel like it but the weather is just freakin gorgeous and it looks like it will be ending soon.

 

[The_Man]

Long Race Report follows. It was a great day. Thanks for all your support and encouragement. Short story is I met my goal of breaking 3:21:00 by running a lot of strong, consistent miles, and then struggling through a tough finish up some big hills.

It was just a perfect day for a marathon. Partly cloudy, minimal wind, and temps that were below 50 at the 9 a.m. start and rose probably only to the low 60s by the end.

My goal for this, my second, marathon was to break 3:20:59 – basically to run a time that would have qualified me for Boston until they toughened standards by 5 minutes. This would also get me halfway from my previous 3:25:25 PR to the new 3:15 BQ time. To reach this goal meant to run a 7:40 pace. My mileage for this training cycle was really pretty low, so I was worried about my endurance, but my fitness was excellent. I felt like I could run a 7:40 mile with minimal effort at this point. The trick was going to be stringing together 26 of them in a row. My thought for the day was “Free Miles.” I didn’t want to focus on “Fast” because I knew I was fast enough to run a 7:40 – I wanted to focus on running the miles so easily that they cost me no effort, and so were “Free” on my way to reaching the end.

It’s a small race – about 500 runners and another 40 2-person relay teams. When the gun sounded I was near the front of the pack, though not in the very first few rows, and I quickly got to a comfortable pace without being crowded. The first 1.5 miles are on winding country roads that lead down to the bike/running trail where most of the Marathon is held. Right as we started, we ran past a thoroughbred horse farm and it was cool to see all the horses standing in the field, staring at us as we streamed by. The first mile in particular is very steeply downhill (unfortunately, we would be running back up that hill 25 miles later). Between the hill and the excitement of the start, I cranked out Mile 1 in 7:17.

Halfway through Mile 2, we got to the trail, and I focused on settling down and accruing as many Free Miles as I could get. It was at this point that I also felt something slapping my right ankle ever so slightly. I looked down and saw that my shoelace was untied. I love my new racing shoes so much, but the laces are kind of garbage – they’re really just ribbons like you’d find on a Christmas package. And despite double-knotting, this one had slipped loose. But the shoes fit my foot so well, that it wasn’t slipping off my heel or anything. I decided that I didn’t want to stop to retie the lace before I’d even really gotten warm and that I’d keep going for now unless the shoe started to slip, or I started to alter my footfall or stride to keep the shoe in place. I think I did baby it a little, but it never caused any cramping or soreness, so I must not have altered my stride too much.

In addition to “Free Miles” my other thought for this race was that I was going to break it up into 4 laps of 6.5 miles each. My goal for the first lap was to focus on getting loose and running with the most minimal effort possible, and it went well. Splits were:

Mile 2: 7:34

Mile 3: 7:45

Mile 4: 7:37

Mile 5: 7:37

Mile 6: 7:31

At Mile 6 we crossed one of the small roads that intersects with the trail. They had traffic stopped for us to go by, and the first car waiting in the line was a hearse. I thought that was a funny bit of black humor. I also heard the first gunshot blasts echoing through the hillsides. It was the opening weekend of Maryland’s hunting season, and there were hunters aplenty in the nearby vicinity, based on all the gunshots I heard. Made me a little nervous to be in the woods, and glad that my racing shoes are orange.

Right around Mile 6.5, the end of my first “lap,” I ran into a pretty big group of runners. I ran with them for a couple tenths, but decided I would prefer to be on my own, rather than get pulled into the pace and rhythm of the group. So I put on a tiny burst to get by them. My focus on this next lap was “Keep it easy.” If at any point, I found myself breathing hard, I forced myself to slow down and get things back under control.

After passing that group, I didn’t pass many more runners until the midway point, and one guy passed me. Other than one relay runner, and then 2 marathoners who got me on the hills in the final 1.5 miles, nobody else would pass me after the 6.5 Mile mark. Lap 2 splits:

Mile 7: 7:32

Mile 8: 7:37

Mile 9: 7:29

Mile 10: 7:30

Mile 11: 7:32

Mile 12: 7:27

Mile 13: 7:27

To be honest, I was getting a little worried in between Miles 9 and 11. My legs were a little tight, and I just wasn’t sure if I would be able to sustain my pace for the distance. Starting at Mile 10 until the turnaround at Mile 13.5, there’s a slight incline (about 1 percent). Not enough to really notice, but enough for you to feel. But then getting to the midway point was a big lift. I was there in about 90 seconds ahead of pace and making the turn toward home, plus starting to head downhill, were a big boost.

Right at Mile 14, I pulled over to a picnic table I had seen before hitting the turnaround, put my foot on top and quickly retied my shoe – it probably took my about 12 seconds. Having the shoe tied really made a difference. Instead of worrying with each step if my shoe would slip off, I could really dig in and push off with each stride. The two miles that followed were fast. Splits for this section:

Mile 14: 7:24

Mile 15: 7:15

Mile 16: 7:18

Mile 17: 7:27

Mile 18: 7:25

Mile 19: 7:30

At about Mile 18, there was a race marshal standing in the middle of the path, diverting runners from the right side of the trail, to the left. A medical cart with red light flashing was there, with 2 or 3 EMTs sitting in it. Oh no, I thought, I hope nobody’s dying, remembering the Philly Marathon. But then I wondered why the EMTs were just sitting there. When I got to the marshal and looked over, there was a dead deer lying in the path. I’m pretty sure he must have been shot somewhere then ran to this spot and died. I immediately thought of Ned and imagined some kind of hybrid Marathon/Deer Hunting biathlon, which would be his dream come true.

In my first marathon, I mistakenly thought that 20 miles was close to the finish and that kind of thinking made the last five miles excruciatingly long and slow. This time, I knew I was just starting the fourth quarter, and that I needed to dig deep. Also, my family was waiting for me at Mile 22 and I wanted to be running strong when they saw me. So for this final lap, I again just told myself to keep running as easily as possible, and focus on moving my legs at the same pace I had been for the previous 150 minutes.

Mile 20: 7:35

Mile 21: 7:36

Mile 22: 7:42

Here I saw my family and that was great. But looking forward to seeing them had kept me going, and now that it was over, things started getting hard. All I could think about now was putting one foot in front of the next. But after that last big intersection at Mile 22, a lot of people were hurting worse than I was. I must have passed a dozen people, and I saw my first walkers. I didn’t want that to happen to me and I just kept going.

Mile 23: 7:44

Mile 24: 7:52

Finally at Mile 24.5 we turned off the trail and back onto country roads, and after just a couple hundred yards, the course hit a very steep, though not very long, hill. As I started to climb, my calves screamed. I had to stop to walk the last half, and 2 people passed me. Luckily the back side of the hill was almost as steep going down, and I just let gravity and momentum pull me forward.

Mile 25: 8:15

The last mile back up to the school had two big hills. I walked the first, and then almost walked the second, but a nice guy I passed told me, to just keep jogging, however slow I had to, but not to walk. That boosted me and I covered the last Mile in 8:53, with an 8:44 pace for the final 0.2.

Official time was 3:20:30. A 7:39 pace, and good enough to beat my goal. I feel pretty good today, just a little sore on stairs. And I know that if I maintain this level of fitness, and then commit myself to a Pfitz 18/55 plan in the spring, that the 3:15 I need for Boston is well within reach. But I also have to say that running another marathon is the last thing I want to think about right now. With work and family, it’s hard to find the time to really commit to an intensive training program, and the genuine exhaustion I felt in the closing miles on Saturday is too fresh in my memory. Running a marathon is hard frigging work. So right now, I’m going to focus on staying fit with some shorter races, and hopefully will suffer enough amnesia in the coming weeks to get me back out there again

As always, your support is tremendous! Sorry for being so long-winded.

 

[tri-man 47]

tri-man, you should know me well enough by now to know that my comments to you were tongue-in-cheek. I apologize if I offended you, but I'd hope you know that it wasn't my intent to do so.

OK--

The_Man - great report! I love the "free miles" concept. That, and the Ned-biathlon. I'm sure some of the training limitations hurt you on those final miles (along with the very late hills). All those earlier miles, though, were smoking!!! Congrats again!

 

[SteelCurtain]

Long Race Report follows. It was a great day. Thanks for all your support and encouragement. Short story is I met my goal of breaking 3:21:00 by running a lot of strong, consistent miles, and then struggling through a tough finish up some big hills.It was just a perfect day for a marathon. Partly cloudy, minimal wind, and temps that were below 50 at the 9 a.m. start and rose probably only to the low 60s by the end.My goal for this, my second, marathon was to break 3:20:59 – basically to run a time that would have qualified me for Boston until they toughened standards by 5 minutes. This would also get me halfway from my previous 3:25:25 PR to the new 3:15 BQ time. To reach this goal meant to run a 7:40 pace. My mileage for this training cycle was really pretty low, so I was worried about my endurance, but my fitness was excellent. I felt like I could run a 7:40 mile with minimal effort at this point. The trick was going to be stringing together 26 of them in a row. My thought for the day was “Free Miles.” I didn’t want to focus on “Fast” because I knew I was fast enough to run a 7:40 – I wanted to focus on running the miles so easily that they cost me no effort, and so were “Free” on my way to reaching the end. It’s a small race – about 500 runners and another 40 2-person relay teams. When the gun sounded I was near the front of the pack, though not in the very first few rows, and I quickly got to a comfortable pace without being crowded. The first 1.5 miles are on winding country roads that lead down to the bike/running trail where most of the Marathon is held. Right as we started, we ran past a thoroughbred horse farm and it was cool to see all the horses standing in the field, staring at us as we streamed by. The first mile in particular is very steeply downhill (unfortunately, we would be running back up that hill 25 miles later). Between the hill and the excitement of the start, I cranked out Mile 1 in 7:17.Halfway through Mile 2, we got to the trail, and I focused on settling down and accruing as many Free Miles as I could get. It was at this point that I also felt something slapping my right ankle ever so slightly. I looked down and saw that my shoelace was untied. I love my new racing shoes so much, but the laces are kind of garbage – they’re really just ribbons like you’d find on a Christmas package. And despite double-knotting, this one had slipped loose. But the shoes fit my foot so well, that it wasn’t slipping off my heel or anything. I decided that I didn’t want to stop to retie the lace before I’d even really gotten warm and that I’d keep going for now unless the shoe started to slip, or I started to alter my footfall or stride to keep the shoe in place. I think I did baby it a little, but it never caused any cramping or soreness, so I must not have altered my stride too much.In addition to “Free Miles” my other thought for this race was that I was going to break it up into 4 laps of 6.5 miles each. My goal for the first lap was to focus on getting loose and running with the most minimal effort possible, and it went well. Splits were:Mile 2: 7:34Mile 3: 7:45Mile 4: 7:37Mile 5: 7:37Mile 6: 7:31At Mile 6 we crossed one of the small roads that intersects with the trail. They had traffic stopped for us to go by, and the first car waiting in the line was a hearse. I thought that was a funny bit of black humor. I also heard the first gunshot blasts echoing through the hillsides. It was the opening weekend of Maryland’s hunting season, and there were hunters aplenty in the nearby vicinity, based on all the gunshots I heard. Made me a little nervous to be in the woods, and glad that my racing shoes are orange.Right around Mile 6.5, the end of my first “lap,” I ran into a pretty big group of runners. I ran with them for a couple tenths, but decided I would prefer to be on my own, rather than get pulled into the pace and rhythm of the group. So I put on a tiny burst to get by them. My focus on this next lap was “Keep it easy.” If at any point, I found myself breathing hard, I forced myself to slow down and get things back under control.After passing that group, I didn’t pass many more runners until the midway point, and one guy passed me. Other than one relay runner, and then 2 marathoners who got me on the hills in the final 1.5 miles, nobody else would pass me after the 6.5 Mile mark. Lap 2 splits:Mile 7: 7:32Mile 8: 7:37Mile 9: 7:29Mile 10: 7:30Mile 11: 7:32Mile 12: 7:27Mile 13: 7:27To be honest, I was getting a little worried in between Miles 9 and 11. My legs were a little tight, and I just wasn’t sure if I would be able to sustain my pace for the distance. Starting at Mile 10 until the turnaround at Mile 13.5, there’s a slight incline (about 1 percent). Not enough to really notice, but enough for you to feel. But then getting to the midway point was a big lift. I was there in about 90 seconds ahead of pace and making the turn toward home, plus starting to head downhill, were a big boost.Right at Mile 14, I pulled over to a picnic table I had seen before hitting the turnaround, put my foot on top and quickly retied my shoe – it probably took my about 12 seconds. Having the shoe tied really made a difference. Instead of worrying with each step if my shoe would slip off, I could really dig in and push off with each stride. The two miles that followed were fast. Splits for this section:Mile 14: 7:24Mile 15: 7:15Mile 16: 7:18Mile 17: 7:27Mile 18: 7:25Mile 19: 7:30At about Mile 18, there was a race marshal standing in the middle of the path, diverting runners from the right side of the trail, to the left. A medical cart with red light flashing was there, with 2 or 3 EMTs sitting in it. Oh no, I thought, I hope nobody’s dying, remembering the Philly Marathon. But then I wondered why the EMTs were just sitting there. When I got to the marshal and looked over, there was a dead deer lying in the path. I’m pretty sure he must have been shot somewhere then ran to this spot and died. I immediately thought of Ned and imagined some kind of hybrid Marathon/Deer Hunting biathlon, which would be his dream come true.In my first marathon, I mistakenly thought that 20 miles was close to the finish and that kind of thinking made the last five miles excruciatingly long and slow. This time, I knew I was just starting the fourth quarter, and that I needed to dig deep. Also, my family was waiting for me at Mile 22 and I wanted to be running strong when they saw me. So for this final lap, I again just told myself to keep running as easily as possible, and focus on moving my legs at the same pace I had been for the previous 150 minutes.Mile 20: 7:35Mile 21: 7:36Mile 22: 7:42Here I saw my family and that was great. But looking forward to seeing them had kept me going, and now that it was over, things started getting hard. All I could think about now was putting one foot in front of the next. But after that last big intersection at Mile 22, a lot of people were hurting worse than I was. I must have passed a dozen people, and I saw my first walkers. I didn’t want that to happen to me and I just kept going.Mile 23: 7:44Mile 24: 7:52Finally at Mile 24.5 we turned off the trail and back onto country roads, and after just a couple hundred yards, the course hit a very steep, though not very long, hill. As I started to climb, my calves screamed. I had to stop to walk the last half, and 2 people passed me. Luckily the back side of the hill was almost as steep going down, and I just let gravity and momentum pull me forward.Mile 25: 8:15The last mile back up to the school had two big hills. I walked the first, and then almost walked the second, but a nice guy I passed told me, to just keep jogging, however slow I had to, but not to walk. That boosted me and I covered the last Mile in 8:53, with an 8:44 pace for the final 0.2.Official time was 3:20:30. A 7:39 pace, and good enough to beat my goal. I feel pretty good today, just a little sore on stairs. And I know that if I maintain this level of fitness, and then commit myself to a Pfitz 18/55 plan in the spring, that the 3:15 I need for Boston is well within reach. But I also have to say that running another marathon is the last thing I want to think about right now. With work and family, it’s hard to find the time to really commit to an intensive training program, and the genuine exhaustion I felt in the closing miles on Saturday is too fresh in my memory. Running a marathon is hard frigging work. So right now, I’m going to focus on staying fit with some shorter races, and hopefully will suffer enough amnesia in the coming weeks to get me back out there againAs always, your support is tremendous! Sorry for being so long-winded.

Great race and awesome report. An incredible PR! Way to go!Enjoy the relaxation.....you earned it.

 

[2Young2BBald]

Kind of an ugly color, but a nice Cyber-Monday deal on a Garmin 405 for $139.99.

 

[pmbrown_22]

Great race and report The_Man. Those hills at the end have to be disheartening to see, but you got through them and still had a great PR.

------------

As for me, I have been doing a whole lot of nothing. I have been feeling bad the last week which has subsided, but it has been raining hard for 2 solid days. I am thinking that I may be better off getting into a boat and covering some miles instead of running them. I am hoping for a window tonight to maybe get out and get some in.

Have a great day all.

 

[Ned]

The_Man: I love the detailed RR's when it comes to marathons! So much happens within the span of 26.2 miles that it deserves a long detailed report. Like SC said in his RR - if for anything else it's great to have it logged somewhere for yourself so you can look back on it. At any rate, congrats again on a fantastic race. You have a ton of talent and I'd be willing to bet you can smash a BQ if you gave Pfitz 18/55 a fair shake. I know it's changed me as a runner.

@ the running/hunting biatholon. I'd do one of those in a heartbeat!! I probably wouldn't have been able to resist temptation to stop and check out the buck. Those critters have an amazing will to survive. I'm not shocked one made it out there.

 

[Ned]

Enjoy the relaxation.....you earned it.

Promise me you'll enjoy it more than I have. I ran one 5 miler last week and feel like a stinkin' slug. You've earned some R&R. Take full advantage!

 

[SteelCurtain]

Kind of an ugly color, but a nice Cyber-Monday deal on a Garmin 405 for $139.99.

Don't like green? Then go black

 

[pigskinliquors]

The_Man: Outstanding race. Your training was more than enough to get that result. I know you wished to have had more miles in, but over training is always a possibility. Great race, and report. Give yourself some much deserved time off!

Grue/Tri/BnB: Amazingly this is the only real "tiff" I can remember in this thread. I fully understand everyone's responses that they've made, post Grue's initial one. Hopefully it's dropped, and we can all move on to talk more about HR and awesome stuff like Ned racing through the woods with a 12 gauge.

Steel and Dexter: Great 10k's!

Ivan: Awesome family effort!!

Well...I track mine...but don't really train by it at this point.

All I'm saying is that it IS possible to run a good marathon without obsessing over heart rate. In fairness, it's possible that one's ability to gauge "perceived effort" is just something that comes with time, too.

Agreed regarding HR. I only had HR for one marathon, and it was my slowest. Granted a lot of it had to do with slowing as I've gotten older and running a much more difficult (hilly)course than I had previously, but HR is just one of many tools for gauging effort.

Kind of an ugly color, but a nice Cyber-Monday deal on a Garmin 405 for $139.99.

Don't like green? Then go black

SWEEEEEEEET! I just ordered one, with two bike mounts. Merry Christmas to me! _____________________

My Update:

I took it upon myself to eat as much as I possibly could all weekend, and certainly outdid myself. For Thanksgiving we tailgated from 8:00 am through the end of the A&M/tu game ( ). We made the day about more than football and drinking for once and conducted a massive Toys For Tots drive. Anyone who brought a toy, we fed = 8 turkeys later (I felt as if I ate a full-one myself!) we had three truckloads of toys We also had a live Longhorn at our tailgate that brought two police cars to our tailgate as somebody reported that we had stolen Bevo. Our's looked nothing like him or his siblings even.

Friday I had the worst bike ride that I've had since my comeback. I did 21 miles at just over 20.1 MPH, and really had to push it to do so, even though the winds were pretty light. I blame it on the likely 5 lbs. of extra weight I was carrying from the Turkey-day-eat/drink-a-thon.

Yesterday I had 5 little girls all day following a Saturday night sleepover (these were guests of my daughters sickos), so I didn't have a chance to ride until 4:30. The winds were 20 mph+ and it was in the low 40's, so I did 1:15 Spinerval session instead. Tri should be proud as I finished it with a series of static lunges. Legs felt sore in a great way this morning bc of it. I need to make sure I add these to my training schedule.

 

[pigskinliquors]

My Update:

That's right, I have some training to report!! After work I had a FF draft that ended at 8. I got home as quickly as I could, put my lights on my road bike, and went out for a fairly hard 7 mile ride (Dr. ordered) to see the effect. The weather was unseasonly awesome (low 70's, medium wind), and it felt great...more mentally than physically. The high point was passing an approximately 60 year dude on his tri-bike while going 27 mph on a long straightaway (he was going maybe 17). I finished the ride that actually is a bit hilly (especially for here) with a 19.1 mph average which included a one mile warm-up and cool-down. Most importantly, there was no extra pain in my groin/hip this morning. Hopefully this is the first of many cycling posts in a row for me. My goal is to slowly work up to a short ride of 20 miles, and be averaging 100+ miles per week no later than November 1st. My newly found beer gut needs to be punished

I just looked this up to see what I predicted, and it looks like I'm right on schedule. My short rides are now 20 miles, and I will likely surpass 100 miles for the first time this week. Giddy'up.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Right at Mile 14, I pulled over to a picnic table I had seen before hitting the turnaround, put my foot on top and quickly retied my shoe – it probably took my about 12 seconds. Having the shoe tied really made a difference.

See, this is the kind of high-quality expert running advice that keeps me coming back to this thread. (Note the "wink -- I'm just joking" smilie. Good race report and congrats on the stellar time).

 

[Ned]

My Update:

That's right, I have some training to report!! After work I had a FF draft that ended at 8. I got home as quickly as I could, put my lights on my road bike, and went out for a fairly hard 7 mile ride (Dr. ordered) to see the effect. The weather was unseasonly awesome (low 70's, medium wind), and it felt great...more mentally than physically. The high point was passing an approximately 60 year dude on his tri-bike while going 27 mph on a long straightaway (he was going maybe 17). I finished the ride that actually is a bit hilly (especially for here) with a 19.1 mph average which included a one mile warm-up and cool-down. Most importantly, there was no extra pain in my groin/hip this morning. Hopefully this is the first of many cycling posts in a row for me. My goal is to slowly work up to a short ride of 20 miles, and be averaging 100+ miles per week no later than November 1st. My newly found beer gut needs to be punished

I just looked this up to see what I predicted, and it looks like I'm right on schedule. My short rides are now 20 miles, and I will likely surpass 100 miles for the first time this week. Giddy'up.

 

[tri-man 47]

liquors - great that you're on track with your bike training. Count on this thread to cap a holiday weekend with reports about dead deer and live Longhorns.

I'm disappointed though. I thought you'd get us all refocused with some appropriate pics.

 

[mr. furley]

hi

needed a place to put this and since you all helped me a ton along the way.. why not here.

4'ish years ago i decided to start jogging in an effort to get in better shape, have something positive to do after work and get healthy for my soon to be born kids.

having never ever run for enjoyment before i started here and got hooked in to the couch potato to 5k plan. my first full mile checked in at just over 13 minutes within a year i ran a 10k at about a 12 minute pace. then had a kid and my running fell off to a complete halt.

after a year hiatus i picked up again... and then along came baby #2. running once again came to a halt.

each time i told myself i was going to get back on the horse. and i have. this time re-starting in March of this year.. clocking miles at just under 11 minutes.

for the longest time i could not figure out how to increase my pace. i was running flat footed. hammering the sidewalk with heavy footfalls. someone here (tri-man?) suggested running more on the balls of my feet.. it took time to switch and get used to it but since that suggestion i have shaved about 2 minutes per mile off my time.. to where i am today, running my first sub 9-minute mile pace over just short of 2.5 miles.

i'm flabbergasted. from March to November.. 2 minutes per mile. doesn't sound like much and i know a lot of you are running in the 6-7 minute range or better but to me it's a huge milestone. my goal this season was to crack the 10 minute barrier before the snow flew. i bested that by over a minute.

in the past 4 years i have come to love it. not like some of you crazies in here running 50 miles a week but i put in 7-10 and it feels great. i'm in decent enough shape and feel better than i have, physically, in a long while. i've cut way back on the amount i eat and am eating better than ever... all in an effort to make sure i can run on the days that i am scheduled to. after yo-yo'ing between 220-235 for years and years (sometimes higher for a guy 5'11" who carries it well, i think, it's still a tremendous wear) i weighed in at 214 a week ago and that's trending downward.

thanks for all the suggestions, the encouragement, the chiding and the suggestions to just suck it up time and again.

you're all nuts but in a helpful way

 

[prosopis]

The Man- Awesome report and race. I am amazed at how nonchalant a lot of guys in this thread are regarding their speed.

Mr Furley- Congrats and I can add you to the list of people who have surpassed me and pissed me off. I just cant get my speed up there.

I did 6.25 miles today and then went to my daughters soccer game. These games allow me to run in different areas of town which is nice. My daughter almost got a goal.

 

[mr. furley]

Mr Furley- Congrats and I can add you to the list of people who have surpassed me and pissed me off. I just cant get my speed up there.

i found running faster over shorter distances once a week or so really made a difference. i'd run normal monday and wednesday and then balls out on friday (relatively balls out ) i'd run a lot shorter distance but pretty quickly my regular runs started getting faster and faster.

 

[gruecd]

Right at Mile 14, I pulled over to a picnic table I had seen before hitting the turnaround, put my foot on top and quickly retied my shoe – it probably took my about 12 seconds. Having the shoe tied really made a difference.

See, this is the kind of high-quality expert running advice that keeps me coming back to this thread. (Note the "wink -- I'm just joking" smilie. Good race report and congrats on the stellar time).

Glad you said it and not me.

Seriously, The_Man, loved the race report, and impressed by the progress you've made. Commit yourself to a Pfitz plan, and the BQ will be yours for the taking. I've already comitted to running Boston again in 2013, so if you can get a qualifier next spring, I'll be there with you!

 

[sho nuff]

Was 3 miles into speed work (did .75 warm up or so at 10min/mi pace and then did the next 2.25 in fartleks...and the left calf just tighted up big time. Decided to bag it for the night and stretch/ice/rest up.

After a night of that and compression sleeves overnight...feeling better today.

Tonight is a weights night...tomorrow will test it out with a light run.

Sucked as I was enjoying the run again last night.

Still need to get my own plan written down on what running I want to do over the next few weeks. Going into runs not knowing what my goal will be for that run has not helped much.

And my training is definitely set to change after the holidays. After months of thinking about it, and going through all the numbers...I am becoming a stay at home dad starting in January. Excited to spend more time with my kids...and with 3 days a week "mothers" day out, I will run some at least 2 of those days to have more time at night with my wife after the kids go to bed.

 

[Ned]

Was 3 miles into speed work (did .75 warm up or so at 10min/mi pace and then did the next 2.25 in fartleks...and the left calf just tighted up big time. Decided to bag it for the night and stretch/ice/rest up.After a night of that and compression sleeves overnight...feeling better today.Tonight is a weights night...tomorrow will test it out with a light run.Sucked as I was enjoying the run again last night.Still need to get my own plan written down on what running I want to do over the next few weeks. Going into runs not knowing what my goal will be for that run has not helped much. And my training is definitely set to change after the holidays. After months of thinking about it, and going through all the numbers...I am becoming a stay at home dad starting in January. Excited to spend more time with my kids...and with 3 days a week "mothers" day out, I will run some at least 2 of those days to have more time at night with my wife after the kids go to bed.

Congrats on the big life change! It will most likely be the best decision you ever made. The running benefits will just be icing on the cake!

 

[The_Man]

Right at Mile 14, I pulled over to a picnic table I had seen before hitting the turnaround, put my foot on top and quickly retied my shoe – it probably took my about 12 seconds. Having the shoe tied really made a difference.

See, this is the kind of high-quality expert running advice that keeps me coming back to this thread. (Note the "wink -- I'm just joking" smilie. Good race report and congrats on the stellar time).

Glad you said it and not me.

Seriously, The_Man, loved the race report, and impressed by the progress you've made. Commit yourself to a Pfitz plan, and the BQ will be yours for the taking. I've already comitted to running Boston again in 2013, so if you can get a qualifier next spring, I'll be there with you!

Looking forward to the race pics and seeing if I can detect my shoelace flapping in the breeze. I'll let you know about 2013 -- have to admit I'm feeling good today, looking forward to a recovery run tomorrow, and that I was leafing through "Advanced Marathoning" last night to check out the Pfitz plan. When my wife came in the room, I stashed the book away like she was catching me looking at porn -- the last thing she wants to hear about this week is a new, even more time-consuming, marathon training plan. Boston in 2014 coincides with Easter weekend, which means we could visit my mother-in-law for the holiday (she lives across the street from Boston College, at the end of the descent from Heartbreak Hill) and the kids could come without missing school. Right now 40 mpw feels like my comfort zone (6-8-6 on T-W-T, then 8 and 12 on the weekend) so I'm going to do that through the holidays and then think about the future.Hopefully we are cool again in here - it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a little family spat, right?

Steel Curtain - glad to hear you are back out there again.



Mr. Furley - what a great story. Totally inspirational. To the regular world, running 10 miles a week and cranking out sub-9:00 miles is kick ###. Don't ever forget that we are not the regular world in here. Very far from it, in fact. Great job!

ShoNuff - huge news! Congratulations. It sounds like you are making a great decision for yourself and your family. For the holidays, it doesn't really matter what your running plan is, just having one and sticking to it is the important thing. Be realistic about how often and how far you can run -- it's definitely a time of year to take a little well-earned rest.

Prosopis - good job by you, better job by your daughter.

PSL - amazing on the 100-mile week. You have handled a tough injury situation without ever whining once, and have made the best of it.

 

[Ned]

When my wife came in the room, I stashed the book away like she was catching me looking at porn -- the last thing she wants to hear about this week is a new, even more time-consuming, marathon training plan.Right now 40 mpw feels like my comfort zone (6-8-6 on T-W-T, then 8 and 12 on the weekend) so I'm going to do that through the holidays and then think about the future.

at the runner's pron.I'm right there with you on the 40 mpw. That's where I'll be settling in also. I think a steady diet of 40 mpw will set us up great for 2012. I did my 2nd post-marathon run yesterday and felt a lot better - a measly 4mi @ 9:01/152. Still feel off, but it's all good. I've expected a solid 3 weeks to recover, so no harm no foul.

 

[pigskinliquors]

ShoNuff: With the weather getting colder, this is a good time to remind everyone to make sure they get some quality stretching in after their workouts.

...Oh, and Tri-Man, you requested a photo. Here's one that show's my daughters with the longhorn. You can actually see the first police car that arrived in the background.

______________________

My little update:

I got in 6 miles on the elliptical last night, while enjoying spectacular scenery. Also, the original mini-van Momma called me last night and wanted to know if I could pay her a visit this week. Life is grand.

 

[sho nuff]

Yeah, the weather is colder...and thanks for those wonderful stretching reminders...nice, um, form. Though, I wish cold was the excuse...was in on the treadmill watching monday night football.

 

[pigskinliquors]

...I stashed the book away like she was catching me looking at porn...

PSL...without ever whining once...

Whining no, but I have been done this and this and been this and this . It's now time to do this edited to add: I somehow missed the Furley sighting back in this thread! So glad to hear that you are still at it, and improving. Even more awesome is getting into shape, and losing poundage

 

[tri-man 47]

in the past 4 years i have come to love it. not like some of you crazies in here running 50 miles a week but i put in 7-10 and it feels great. i'm in decent enough shape and feel better than i have, physically, in a long while. i've cut way back on the amount i eat and am eating better than ever... all in an effort to make sure i can run on the days that i am scheduled to. after yo-yo'ing between 220-235 for years and years (sometimes higher for a guy 5'11" who carries it well, i think, it's still a tremendous wear) i weighed in at 214 a week ago and that's trending downward.

thanks for all the suggestions, the encouragement, the chiding and the suggestions to just suck it up time and again.

you're all nuts but in a helpful way

Very cool! Thanks for the update!!!sho nuff - congrats on your big decision. Good for you.

The_Man - those 40 mile weeks can quickly become mid-50's if you do some 12/20 weekends (and lengthen the midweek 8 to 10).

liquors - you had me at "quality" "workouts" ...but it's nice to see your kids, too.

 

[mr. furley]

gruecd> your inbox is full

 

[Dexter]

I feel myself falling back into my bad habits. All the work I put in this past year will be thrown away in the next 3 months unless I stop it. Next week we begin another biggest loser contest at work. I win most of these and I think I'm going to put in the work to win this one too.

I'm setting up the bike in the basement and going to hit Fraser bike on the weekends and run 3 days a week. #### being fat!!!

 

[Ned]

I feel myself falling back into my bad habits. All the work I put in this past year will be thrown away in the next 3 months unless I stop it. Next week we begin another biggest loser contest at work. I win most of these and I think I'm going to put in the work to win this one too.I'm setting up the bike in the basement and going to hit Fraser bike on the weekends and run 3 days a week. #### being fat!!!

Go get'm, Dex! I can identify with that feeling. I've ran twice post-marathon and it's eating away at me. We've got a stretch of great running weather starting today. I'm looking forward to a good lunch time run today.

 

[sho nuff]

I feel myself falling back into my bad habits. All the work I put in this past year will be thrown away in the next 3 months unless I stop it. Next week we begin another biggest loser contest at work. I win most of these and I think I'm going to put in the work to win this one too.I'm setting up the bike in the basement and going to hit Fraser bike on the weekends and run 3 days a week. #### being fat!!!

Go get'm, Dex! I can identify with that feeling. I've ran twice post-marathon and it's eating away at me. We've got a stretch of great running weather starting today. I'm looking forward to a good lunch time run today.

I know the feeling as well. Holiday food + busier time at work lead to me giving in to temptation and eating much worse than I had been. Have to get back on track.

 

[pmbrown_22]

Dex - Think of it as padding your stats so you lose more. Sounds like you have a good plan though which is a start. I started this week in my attempt to lose about 15 or so pounds. So far so good.

--------------

Got out yesterday for a good run of 5 miles after not feeling great last week. I am all about it now and I am starting to get into my obsessive mode. I am trying to be meticulous about everything at once, but it will all ease once I start my plan. Couple weeks to ramp up to around 55 miles per week then a strong attempt at another 18/70 Pfitz cycle. Sometime before it starts we will have a new baby in the house so that could and probably will change everything. Who needs sleep really, what a waste of time.

Also I am switching shoes this week. I ordered some Brooks Glycerins. Anyone run in these. They felt great in the store and I saw a good deal on some 8's on Eastbay for only $70.

One more thing. Let's talk socks. I need some good non-cotton recommendations. I just found out a week or so ago that my Nike Dri-Fits have cotton in them and are probably causing some of my blisters on my feet. I know that cotton is bad, but never really looked at what the make up of my socks were. Only when you assume right! I really don't want a thick sock to run in, but there are so many out there, I am having a hard time deciding.

 

[The_Man]

Dexter, Ned, and Sho Nuff - way to get back out there. It's just so tempting to let it all slip away, but don't do it! I basically just spent the last 4 months getting back to where I was a year ago, following a good 3-4 months of sloth.

That being said, like PMB, I am also all about it right now. I can't wait to build off my current fitness level to see how much faster I can get. Today was my first post-marathon run -- 4 very easy recovery miles. My right Achilles is still a little tender, but otherwise it actually felt better to run than to not run -- like I was stretching out my sore muscles and getting the blood moving again. My plan is to do 4 again on Friday, then 5 on Sunday - I'm following the Pfitz recovery plan, even if I didn't follow the training plan. Last year, I ran a 5k Turkey Trot 25 days after a Marathon with a 6:25 pace -- this year I'm doing a Christmas 5-miler 21 days post-Marathon. Right now I'm hoping to run it at a 6:30 pace, though I'm ready to back off at any time if I'm still feeling too beat up by then.

PMB - Congrats on the new baby! So amazing, and at what a fun time of year. What's the ETA? We might need to pitch in to get a Bourbon Chase onesie for him/her.

 

[pmbrown_22]

Dexter, Ned, and Sho Nuff - way to get back out there. It's just so tempting to let it all slip away, but don't do it! I basically just spent the last 4 months getting back to where I was a year ago, following a good 3-4 months of sloth.

That being said, like PMB, I am also all about it right now. I can't wait to build off my current fitness level to see how much faster I can get. Today was my first post-marathon run -- 4 very easy recovery miles. My right Achilles is still a little tender, but otherwise it actually felt better to run than to not run -- like I was stretching out my sore muscles and getting the blood moving again. My plan is to do 4 again on Friday, then 5 on Sunday - I'm following the Pfitz recovery plan, even if I didn't follow the training plan. Last year, I ran a 5k Turkey Trot 25 days after a Marathon with a 6:25 pace -- this year I'm doing a Christmas 5-miler 21 days post-Marathon. Right now I'm hoping to run it at a 6:30 pace, though I'm ready to back off at any time if I'm still feeling too beat up by then.

PMB - Congrats on the new baby! So amazing, and at what a fun time of year. What's the ETA? We might need to pitch in to get a Bourbon Chase onesie for him/her.

Wife is 34 weeks, but baby is measuring at 38 weeks. It is going to be a big one and possibly a C-Section this time. I am thinking in about 3 weeks or so. Probably right around Christmas. Save your money on a shirt and just send me Bourbon.