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Wow, that site is awesome, thanks!
Most trail races are like that. It's a great mix - people chasing you want to stay ahead of, people in front you want to catch, but you might not see either group for 10-20-30 minutes, maybe an hour or more. Then you catch that glimpse, looking down a switchback and realize you're gaining, and you get a surge on energy. Or you look back on a long section of fire road and see people gaining on you, and it gets you moving just a little bit quicker.I always try to keep the mindset that I'm only racing myself....but the little races within the race do help motivate when you're out there for hours!Or maybe that's just me.......6 miles at 9:49 today.Nice report Grue
That would be amazing. I figure if I can average 10:30/mile through 15.5 (until I'm off the AT), I'd need to average 9:12 the rest of the way to go sub-8.
Pretty amazing stuff, dude. Congrats.So what do you guys wanna know?
Up at 4 AM, 48 ounces of Ultra Fuel :X , bathroom, Immodium. Didn't want to use the emergency TP packed in my hydration pack. Left the house at 4:45, pulled over for speeding (which I wasn't) on the way there. Nicest cop in the world. Told him I was on the way to a race, he joked that he thought I was in a car race, then asked me a bunch of questions about the 50K before letting me go with a warning.
It was raining when we started, and it had been raining for the previous 18 hours or so. Temps in the low 50s, so I went with just a short-sleeve shirt, shorts, and gloves. Course conditions definitely weren't good on the way out, but they weren't horrible. Ran the majority of the hills (hiking just the steeper ones) and managed just one fall, and hit the turnaround in 18th place in about 2:20. Nutrition-wise, just GU every 30 minutes.
My parents, GF, and a couple of friends were out there in the rain cheering me on, which was great. I stopped at the aid station at mile 17.8, where they refilled my hydration pack and gave me a fresh supply of GU and some dry gloves. Here's a pic of me coming down the stairs into the aid station.
The way back was hard work. Most places there was nowhere to run that wasn't muddy and slippery. Every uphill was an adventure to find enough footing to get up, and most the downhills were equally slow as you slipped and slid your way down. Between the turn and the AS at mile 24, I think I passed 6 guys, and 2 passed me. Calves were getting sore, so I stopped at the AS to have my crew douse 'em with Biofreeze (which didn't really help, by the way). Ran by myself the entire rest of the way, but I kept pushing myself, because I didn't want anyone else to pass me. Pic of me at one of the road crossings around mile 20.
Finished in 4:54x, good for 14th place. Changed clothes, got the hell out of there, and then home, shower, bed.
The end.
Using your numbers for the first 15.5 you would be at 2h42m. I have you at 8'45" the rest of the way for another 5h. Total 7h42m.I think you're well trained for this event and with the right taper will surprise yourself. The course is flat and nearly pristine after 15.5. You have 6'48" distance speed in you legs for 26 miles. 25% slower puts you at 8'30" pace. Finishing the thing is huge and I'm not downplaying finishing under 8...just saying that if I was laying money on this I would have you at 7:35-7:45.One bit of advice. Don't take it too easy at the beginning. Use those first 2.5 miles of pavement to get into a good postion. It will be hard to pass on the single track. I not saying to go apepoop fast at the start, just don't be overly conservative. When I did shut-in last year the start was steeper than this and then leveled out for a couple of miles once we transitioned from fire road to single track. I got stuck at the back of a 20 person group with no way to pass as was force to run 10+ min pace where I should have been running around 9 min. Better to have some people pass you on the single track than you having to pass a bunch of other people.
Good to see you still riding strong. I rode 3.1 mi to the gym and 3.1 back this evening on my mtb. I don't even remember the last time I broke out the road bike. Every time I start to get the itch, someone I know gets tagged by a car.
Yea #### that flu shot BS. If it works for you great but everyone I've ever know that had one complains about it afterwards. I mean they essentially give you the newest version of the flu so what do you think is going to happen? But like I said, if it works for you great. What annoys the living hell out of me is how they almost push you into getting one if you visit a doctor. I have a fairly severe arthritic condition that requires me to take a drug that lowers my immune system so every time I go see a doc we have this mother####ing 10 minute discussion on why I haven't had a flu shot and why I'm not getting one and you really need to have one and I can give it to right now. I DON'T WANT A ####### FLU SHOT!!!!!!!
I will not put a live strain into my body based on guess work. Im with Gru on this one.
Did it once years ago and got sick. Never again. Now I just don't socialize with nayone from Oct-April.
Flu vaccines are not a live strain. My linkI've gotten the flu shot every year since the AF made me get it back in 1998 and have never had the flu or any severe reactions. I'm willing to bet that Ivan nailed it. The marathon and then the flu shot overloaded his immune system letting a cold virus take over.
Been saying this for years. I really want to move to a one bedroom shack in North Dakota and dispense with civilization. I'd invite you but that would kind of fly in the face of moving.
I'll take the under. You're going to destroy this.Another semi taper week leading up to the HM on Sunday. Weather forecast is looking pristine with partly cloudy and 48 for Sunday AM. I can't friggin wait.
I'm off this week for deer hunting and then a semi vacation in Atlantic City for the wife and I. Front loading the mileage so I can recover before the race. Yesterday was a silky smooth 10mi MLR. Windy again but this time I ran smarter and it paid off (9:06/143). Today was a 13mi MLR and I felt fantastic. I wasn't mentally into it at the beginning, but fell into a nice groove around mile 7 and the miles started to click away. Unintentionally started hitting 8:5x miles towards the end and was still in the 142-144 HR range. Love it. 9:06/142.
No excuses for this weekend. Go big or go home. 1:37 or bust.
I tend to get sick when I ease off the throttle for a few days ...after a big event or the end of race season, when I take a break from work, etc. The flu shot probably didn't help any.'IvanKaramazov said:This is incredibly annoying. My fever just absolutely will not go away, and I can't really run until it does. The result is that I've run a grand total of 7 miles since the marathon.
Good for you! Watch your pacing at the start of the 10K. A lot of folks will go out (too) hard. Know the course as best you can - know the turns and cut the corners (run the tangents) if possible! Plan a mental strategy to carry you through the final mile or two. If that's extending your distance beyond your training runs, your mind will try to go negative on you ...have a plan about how you want to finish the race. E.g., try to stay with runners around you (even shadow running behind someone with a similar pace/stride), have a mantra ready to carry you along, etc. Let us know how it goes!
Yep, run fast
What tri-man said. Don't burn it all up in the first few miles of the race. Something I am desperately trying to learn in the next month.
I'm in DE, so yeah I'm in that general area. I haven't heard anything about the Cape May marathon, though.
'gruecd said:
Despite heavy pressure at work I have never gotten the flu shot. I am in the camp of people who thinks it is a bad idea. I have never had the flu either. I do work in health care and I am one of the last hold outs. It may be mandatory for me in the future but until then I will pass.
Can't wait to see what kinda numbers you & Ned put up
Haha. My sister posted this same link on my FB page.
I could not walk a mile in flip flops without being annoyed...much less run any kind of distance.Sub 3 marathon...ridiculous.Haha. My sister posted this same link on my FB page.
x in his half this weekend) unless he decides I'm too slow and fat!
Guy I was running behind in the Charlotte 5k was barefoot. Couldn't believe it.I could not walk a mile in flip flops without being annoyed...much less run any kind of distance.Sub 3 marathon...ridiculous.Haha. My sister posted this same link on my FB page.
I ran the Vegas 1/2 marathon next to a guy that ran it barefoot and in an Elvis costume who was running with a group of guys pushing a jog stroller with a cooler full of beer. I also got remarried during the race.Guy I was running behind in the Charlotte 5k was barefoot. Couldn't believe it.I could not walk a mile in flip flops without being annoyed...much less run any kind of distance.Sub 3 marathon...ridiculous.Haha. My sister posted this same link on my FB page.
Damn man, you wi!'2Young2BBald said:I ran the Vegas 1/2 marathon next to a guy that ran it barefoot and in an Elvis costume who was running with a group of guys pushing a jog stroller with a cooler full of beer. I also got remarried during the race.Guy I was running behind in the Charlotte 5k was barefoot. Couldn't believe it.I could not walk a mile in flip flops without being annoyed...much less run any kind of distance.Sub 3 marathon...ridiculous.Haha. My sister posted this same link on my FB page.
