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Ran a 10k - Official Thread (6 Viewers)

No Apple Watch here, still using my Suunto Spartan from 2019. It’s not awesome but it works.

Regarding strava - has anyone regretted going back to the free version? I do like the premium features but not sure I’d really miss them.

I am paid subscriber and agree I am not sure I would really miss the premium features. It is also annoying how the recent price increases were basically hidden. I am probably going to keep it paying though as I know the company is struggling and think it is a good product generally.
That’s a good point and really $80 for the year isn’t horrible. I’m just trying to cut back on subscriptions in general.

Subscription creep is a damn problem.
I drove my wife crazy with this from post covid til sometime this winter until she saw a news bit on it. Then she searched for and read a couple articles. Then the algorithm kept filtering similar content to her orbit. It took some time for her to buy-in but we're now back to just one streaming service, xbox live (kids gaming w friends), and amazon prime/music.

Strava premium's cool (did a free trial just to see), but we're middle class schnooks and these $50-100 annual subscriptions add up. As I said over drinks sometime a few weeks ago while out with friends - 'we eat and drink our money with you all and the rest gets invested...whether it's our kids, depreciable assets, our future, or our health - pyhsical or mental. In today's world in our line of work that's the end of our line. And I'm good with that because we've surrounded ourselves with some damn fine people - cheers!'

So...sorry, Strava - hope you make it and don't take away my free access.
 
No Apple Watch here, still using my Suunto Spartan from 2019. It’s not awesome but it works.

Regarding strava - has anyone regretted going back to the free version? I do like the premium features but not sure I’d really miss them.

I am paid subscriber and agree I am not sure I would really miss the premium features. It is also annoying how the recent price increases were basically hidden. I am probably going to keep it paying though as I know the company is struggling and think it is a good product generally.
That’s a good point and really $80 for the year isn’t horrible. I’m just trying to cut back on subscriptions in general.

Subscription creep is a damn problem.
I drove my wife crazy with this from post covid til sometime this winter until she saw a news bit on it. Then she searched for and read a couple articles. Then the algorithm kept filtering similar content to her orbit. It took some time for her to buy-in but we're now back to just one streaming service, xbox live (kids gaming w friends), and amazon prime/music.

Strava premium's cool (did a free trial just to see), but we're middle class schnooks and these $50-100 annual subscriptions add up. As I said over drinks sometime a few weeks ago while out with friends - 'we eat and drink our money with you all and the rest gets invested...whether it's our kids, depreciable assets, our future, or our health - pyhsical or mental. In today's world in our line of work that's the end of our line. And I'm good with that because we've surrounded ourselves with some damn fine people - cheers!'

So...sorry, Strava - hope you make it and don't take away my free access.
Yeah. I’ve justified strava and zwift as health investments. Trying to figure out whether the paid strava actually helps.
 
So, I've been running low mileage this year (80ish a month), but I've been trying to work on a more powerful stride via having it a point of focus during runs and strength training (mainly hamstring curls and back squats). I had noticed that my cadence was creeping up during races over the years and was worried about developing the old man shuffle.

My stride length over all my runs had dropped from 1.19m in 2016 to 1.15m in 2022. So far this year it is 1.24m. The longer stride has made my training runs quicker, which while not the goal I'm okay with, although I obviously have to be cognizant of any injuries creeping up due to the increased stress. So far so good, though.

On a fun note, I ran two legs for the alumni team for a relay race at my alma mater. Legs are roughly 1/2 mile, and according to moving time on Garmin I managed 2:39 and 2:45 for my two (not as impressive as it sounds, as they were net 75ft downhill, although they were on sidewalks and cobblestones, so there's that). Overall team performance was on the meh side, but it was fun and I pulled my own weight at least.
Yup, I hear ya. I thought I was pounding the finish at Boston'21, but then I saw a clip of video from the finish line, and it was a classic old man, high cadence shuffle. Ugh. So I, too, have been working on a longer stride by focusing on a lower cadence. It's a work in progress. But it's relevant: We either stride longer or step quicker.
 
So...sorry, Strava - hope you make it and don't take away my free access.

I’ve probably stated this before but I don’t subscribe on principle. I give them a lot of personal and running data for free. And they want that PLUS my money?

I subscribe on principle. A while back I heard they weren't making any money, and I didn't want them to go away or significantly change their model. Strava is a huge reason I have stuck with my fitness since I started. If they start making buckets of money and don't need my sub fees anymore, I'll consider stopping. But until then, it's one of the few subscriptions I maintain.
 
So...sorry, Strava - hope you make it and don't take away my free access.

I’ve probably stated this before but I don’t subscribe on principle. I give them a lot of personal and running data for free. And they want that PLUS my money?

I subscribe on principle. A while back I heard they weren't making any money, and I didn't want them to go away or significantly change their model. Strava is a huge reason I have stuck with my fitness since I started. If they start making buckets of money and don't need my sub fees anymore, I'll consider stopping. But until then, it's one of the few subscriptions I maintain.
Yeah, this is me.
 
No Apple Watch here, still using my Suunto Spartan from 2019. It’s not awesome but it works.

Regarding strava - has anyone regretted going back to the free version? I do like the premium features but not sure I’d really miss them.

I am paid subscriber and agree I am not sure I would really miss the premium features. It is also annoying how the recent price increases were basically hidden. I am probably going to keep it paying though as I know the company is struggling and think it is a good product generally.
That’s a good point and really $80 for the year isn’t horrible. I’m just trying to cut back on subscriptions in general.

Subscription creep is a damn problem.
Yep - Strava just isn't in the "can't miss" category, so I don't subscribe. The analysis tools aren't that great - for that I go to Golden Cheetah, which is open source and works great for what I need. I do carry Wahoo System X, but will likely kill that for the summer.
 
Got a couple racers going this weekend hitting the start line - I think @Zasada is running most of the metric measurement scale on one side of the country and @SteelCurtain is throwing down on Long Island on the east coast.

Gentlemen, May your legs be full of running!!!!!
I appreciate this, but the pacing company moved me (as per my request) to a closer race to my house. Instead of 2 hours away, its only a 30 minute drive. I'm pacing 1:40 half marathon. It's fast enough to make me nervous and its a good workout.

I'm also the pace team coordinator for the race, so post race, I'll likely run out part way and catch how the remaining half marathon pacers are doing and maybe run a few miles back with a full marathon pacer. I haven't really decided but standing around the finish line for a couple hours doesn't sound particularly appealing.

Good luck @Zasada in your race!
 
It was rainy/cloudy and, as such, the views weren't anywhere near last year. First 50K was good, next 10K I wanted to quit, then after that I found new life and managed to beat last year's time (but still not sub-14:00). Longer RR to come!
Awesome job! Inspiring 🌄 :clap:
 
So...sorry, Strava - hope you make it and don't take away my free access.

I’ve probably stated this before but I don’t subscribe on principle. I give them a lot of personal and running data for free. And they want that PLUS my money?

I subscribe on principle. A while back I heard they weren't making any money, and I didn't want them to go away or significantly change their model.
:goodposting:
 
Miwok 100K Race Report

I will really try to keep this one short. For those of you who have read my prior race reports, you know how much of a challenge that is for me!

Prologue

Great year of running in 2022. Record mileage and elevation. First two 100Ks in the books. HM PR. Full marathon PR/BQ.

But the recovery from my marathon was brutal. Down for 3 weeks with a groin soreness/strain. And then as I started to ramp things up, my calf periostitis -- not seen since 2021 -- was back. And from what I read, the periostitis treadmill can only be stopped with rest. Running on it just makes it worse. But, with Miwok three months away, I decided to run through it.

Had a good training month in April, but my overall fitness wasn't where it for last year's Miwok.

My primary goal was ultimately to just finish and get my WSER lottery ticket refreshed. My secondary goal was to improve on my aid station game from last year. I spent 1h2m aggregate in aid stations last year, and I was hoping to cut that in half this year. By doing things like eating while running instead of eating at the station. Maybe I cut enough off my down time to more than compensate for my inferior fitness, and improve my time from last year, but that was a real longshot.

The forecast was for 10C (59F) at race time, a high of 15C (60F) during the day. Rain in the morning, and otherwise mostly cloudy.

Had an AirBnB just 300 meters from the start/finish. Got up on race morning, took care of business, got geared-up (with a raincoat) and headed-out.

First 55K

I learned from last year that the race bottlenecks at the trailhead and remains a conga line up the initial climb, and then down again to Muir Beach. So I made an effort to get at the front of the pack (maybe 100 of 450 runners) so that I might suffer less from the conga line. And I did. It was much faster getting up to Cardiac and then back down to Muir Beach. I made up a minute or two from last year's time just by doing that.

Just after Cardiac, things were just getting light (the race starts about an hour before sunrise), and I was listening to my podcast, when disaster almost struck: I missed a turn, and after about 30 feet of running, a runner behind me hollered at me to come back to the correct path. After kicking myself for missing the turn (it was marked, but Miwok flagging is not the really overt kind), I got back on-course and thanked my saviour for what he did.

With all the rain, there was a fair amount of mud. My trusty Salomon Speedcross shoes were great in it, except for the fact that I left my GTX version up north. And they were soaked. As was my pack, shirt, shoes, head, etc. That would be the case until the halfway point.

Muir Beach aid (the first pass through) was great. Didn't need to refill my flasks. Grabbed three oreos, and turned right back around to the trail. Very efficient.

Tennessee Valley (again first pass) was almost as great. Just refilled flasks, and ate three oreos walking out of the station.

Because of the rain/clouds, I got very little of the (truly incredible) views I got last year. A few breaks in the weather allowed me short views of the bay, and a bit of a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. That was nice.

The race organizers moved the location of Bridge View aid, so it wasn't comparable YOY. Kept going with the new routine, though, and it appeared to be working.

At this point I felt like I was running a little slower than last year, but making up time at the aid stations. And this segment analysis of the first 55K indicates that. The big spikes in time are shorter aid stops, and I would burn that time off with slower running.

Tennessee Valley (second pass) was fast -- much faster than last year.

And then disaster almost struck again: Almost two hours after I missed a turn, I missed another! I got called-back by a helpful runner once more. Who turned out to be the same runner that called me back from the first missed turn! What are the odds of that? From this point on, I was way more mindful of the course markers, and didn't let myself zone out into my podcast like I had done before.

As I got closer and closer to Muir Beach aid (second), I was really looking forward to seeing my wife, who was crewing me. And when I got there, she had everything planned for an efficient and complete pit stop. She's a pro already. I didn't save much time versus last year, but got so much more done. Changed my shoes and socks (which took a while), changed my shirt, got medicated, sunscreen (to guarantee more rain) applied, and fed. She had two pre-filled flasks for me ready to swap out. And mentally, it was great to see her.

Then I set out for the biggest climb of the race. Climbing is normally where I gain ground and feel good. Not this race. This 400 meter (~1,300ft) was brutal. I got passed over and over. What was wrong with me? Why was I so slow? I was 96th overall coming into Muir Beach (#2) and by the time I got to Cardiac (#2), I had dropped 50 spots. Many of those were due to my long Muir aid stop (shoes/socks/etc) but not all. I was a full 10 minutes slower on this climb than 2022. I shuffled into Cardiac doubting my ability to get through the next 45K. I was hurting, and slow.

After leaving Cardiac, I texted my wife "Leaving Cardiac 1231. Really fading."

And because she's awesome, my wife replied "YOU CAN DO THIS!".

There was still more climbing (about another 100m/330ft) out of Cardiac, but then I got to the top of the ridge. Lots of rolling hills here. I was behind a slow group of runners, and that was fine by me. I sucked. I needed to be slow. Who cares if I keep pace with last year. I just want my WSER lottery ticket.

I asked myself "Can I just walk the rest of this and still beat cutoff?".

Last 45K

Then, something flipped.

I don't know if it was the fact that things were flatter/rolling, that the rain had stopped, or that I had switched to caffeinated Tailwind (from the non-caffeinated kind). Probably some combination of all.

But after about 20 minutes of being behind the slow group of runners, I say to myself "enough of this" and pass them. Then drop them. And start to pass more runners. After having lost 50 spots in rank between Muir and Cardiac, I gained 18 spots between Cardiac and Bolinas (#1). And then Bolinas (#1) to Randall I gained another 9 spots. Even with the post-Randall 300m (990ft) climb (which I was terrible at on this day), I gained another five spots.

The biggest difference came on the last 10K: It's rolling hills for the first 7K, then a technical/steep downhill for 3K before the finish line. Last year, I walked a bunch of the runnable sections, and it took me almost two hours (1h57m) to close this section out and finish.

This year, I got behind a group of runners who were running sections that last year I walked. So I decided to try to stick with them. And I did. It wasn't a blistering pace, by any means, but I was moving faster than last year. As I got into the big downhill, I checked my watch and saw that if I could get down in under 30 minutes, I might actually beat last year's time! So I pushed over the roots and rocks, and under the trees, and over the streams, and worked hard. My "pacers" were in front of me doing the same. One in particular was cheering his friends on from the front. I made it a goal to stick with them. Which I did. After the race, I see I had taken 14 minutes off the last 10K versus last year.

At the end of the downhill, I emerge from the forest, cross a little bridge, and I'm 100ft from the finish line. There's a cheering crowd, and my wife (who missed me at the finish last year) was yelling louder than anyone else. I cross the finish line, a volunteer puts my finisher's on me, and I get a big hug (must have been gross for her) from my wife.

I check my watch, and I had beat last year's time by four minutes. On 14 hours of race, that's less than half a percent faster. But knowing how I felt at the top of the Cardiac climb (where I had written-off any hope of a faster race vs 2022), and that I had just beat "last year me", I was pretty stoked. And sharing that with my wife was awesome.

Had a good chat over some finish-line food with my "pacers". They were feeling it like I was.
  • 14:01:17 (3m45s faster vs 2022)
  • 116/353 overall
  • 84/216 gender
  • 28/81 AG
  • 96 DNF
  • 40 minutes spent in aid stations, vs 62 minutes in 2022 (didn't achieve goal of 1/2 the time)

Epilogue

Now I need to decide if I try to push through this calf injury until July (100 miler attempt), or shut things down and heal. Both of the PTs I have spoken with said I will have to do the latter at some point. And if I don't, things could progress into a stress fracture. Much to ponder.

But for now, I'll take my WSER lottery ticket for this year, and be thankful that I got this year's Miwok done faster than I thought I could. A nice feeling.
 
Last edited:
Then, something flipped.

I don't know if it was the fact that things were flatter/rolling, that the rain had stopped, or that I had switched to caffeinated Tailwind (from the non-caffeinated kind). Probably some combination of all.

But after about 20 minutes of being behind the slow group of runners, I say to myself "enough of this" and pass them. Then drop them. And start to pass more runners. After having lost 50 spots in rank between Muir and Cardiac, I gained 18 spots between Cardiac and Bolinas (#1). And then Bolinas (#1) to Randall I gained another 9 spots. Even with the post-Randall 300m (990ft) climb (which I was terrible at on this day), I gained another five spots.

The biggest difference came on the last 10K: It's rolling hills for the first 7K, then a technical/steep downhill for 3K before the finish line. Last year, I walked a bunch of the runnable sections, and it took me almost two hours (1h57m) to close this section out and finish.

This year, I got behind a group of runners who were running sections that last year I walked. So I decided to try to stick with them. And I did. It wasn't a blistering pace, by any means, but I was moving faster than last year. As I got into the big downhill, I checked my watch and saw that if I could get down in under 30 minutes, I might actually beat last year's time! So I pushed over the roots and rocks, and under the trees, and over the streams, and worked hard. My "pacers" were in front of me doing the same. One in particular was cheering his friends on from the front. I made it a goal to stick with them. Which I did. After the race, I see I had taken 14 minutes off the last 10K versus last year.

At the end of the downhill, I emerge from the forest, cross a little bridge, and I'm 100ft from the finish line. There's a cheering crowd, and my wife (who missed me at the finish last year) was yelling louder than anyone else. I cross the finish line, a volunteer puts my finisher's on me, and I get a big hug (must have been gross for her) from my wife.

I check my watch, and I had beat last year's time by four minutes. On 14 hours of race, that's less than half a percent faster. But knowing how I felt at the top of the Cardiac climb (where I had written-off any hope of a faster race vs 2022), and that I had just beat "last year me", I was pretty stoked. And sharing that with my wife was awesome.
This is so bad-*** I had chills reading it.

Awesome job. Just pure awesome. :headbang:
 
Gutty performance out there Zasada! Even your race reports are even getting better with time - I was mentally rooting for you as I was reading that. Congrats on beating last year's time and running a much smarter race!
 
Well there it is boys. The secret to running. When you’re not feeling great out there, stick with it until 55k.

Jokes aside, an incredible athlete here and what a demonstration of learning, adjusting and applying. Pretty awesome to keep your mind with you and to have the capacity to move through the checkpoints with intention under fatigue and conditions. And fast finish. My goodness.
UltraBMF @Zasada.

Edit - shout out to caffeinnneee
 
@Zasada - Great race and report. The roller coaster of thoughts, emotions, pain that you endured and fought through, is soooooo impressive.

You're an absolute beast. I can't even fathom a race that long, and you just kill them :thumbup:
 
I finished my first 1/2 marathon yesterday. I'm 48 years old and never ran more than a mile at a time until about three years ago. Finished in 2:08:45. I've learned a lot reading through this thread. So thank you all.
Well la-di-da you just drop this in here on a random Monday night with no warning and no awareness that you are lurking and training and putting in the work and then all of a sudden the half marathon is in the books with a very good time for a new guy that we didn’t know about until today which is a pretty bad *** move……..
 
I finished my first 1/2 marathon yesterday. I'm 48 years old and never ran more than a mile at a time until about three years ago. Finished in 2:08:45. I've learned a lot reading through this thread. So thank you all.
Well la-di-da you just drop this in here on a random Monday night with no warning and no awareness that you are lurking and training and putting in the work and then all of a sudden the half marathon is in the books with a very good time for a new guy that we didn’t know about until today which is a pretty bad *** move……..
Well all the training, injuries, and second guessing all my life decisions really did suck. I don't know how all you sub 1:30 guys do it. But the finish line was AWESOME!
 
Well all the training, injuries, and second guessing all my life decisions really did suck. I don't know how all you sub 1:30 guys do it. But the finish line was AWESOME!
That feeling is worth all of the training grind. Running a half marathon is no joke - that is a major accomplishment. You should be really proud of yourself and thank you for letting us know about it.

Next time post more so we can follow your journey. There are some special people in here that can provide good advice and answer any questions.

Congrats again. That's a solid time. Sub 2:00 is not that far away......

:thumbup:
 
I finished my first 1/2 marathon yesterday. I'm 48 years old and never ran more than a mile at a time until about three years ago. Finished in 2:08:45. I've learned a lot reading through this thread. So thank you all.
That’s a great accomplishment! And in less than two years, you’ll move to a new age group …they’ll start to slow down, and you’re just getting started.

:pickle:

In keeping with our schtick: Early congratulations on your first marathon! (But in fact, I didn’t run my first marathon until I was 52.)
 
I don't have much of a bucket list -- there's really only one item on it, and that's running a marathon. Yesterday I began a 22-week training program targeting an October 21 race date. Let's do this. :boxing:
Sweet.

What race are you looking at?
 
I don't have much of a bucket list -- there's really only one item on it, and that's running a marathon. Yesterday I began a 22-week training program targeting an October 21 race date. Let's do this. :boxing:
Sweet.

What race are you looking at?
The Garmin marathon in KC is the one I'm looking at. I'm in Lawrence but there don't seem to be any races on my timeline here.
That's a pretty fun race. I've run the half marathon there a couple of times.

Keep us posted - I'll come out and support you on the course somewhere. I'll be the guy with the FBG 10K sign attached to a shovel.
 
I don't have much of a bucket list -- there's really only one item on it, and that's running a marathon. Yesterday I began a 22-week training program targeting an October 21 race date. Let's do this. :boxing:
Sweet.

What race are you looking at?
The Garmin marathon in KC is the one I'm looking at. I'm in Lawrence but there don't seem to be any races on my timeline here.
That's a pretty fun race. I've run the half marathon there a couple of times.

Keep us posted - I'll come out and support you on the course somewhere. I'll be the guy with the FBG 10K sign attached to a shovel.

“Time to DIG IN!”
 
I don't have much of a bucket list -- there's really only one item on it, and that's running a marathon. Yesterday I began a 22-week training program targeting an October 21 race date. Let's do this. :boxing:
What training program are you using? We'd all be happy to over-analyze it for you. :yes:

Seems pretty basic. I started a day early (3 miles yesterday instead of rest) because I think that'll work best with my schedule. Emphasizing rest, recovery, and slow pace will be important -- the last few times I caught the running bug, I did too much too fast and ended up with some sort of injury. I've already done 7-9 miles/week in April, so hopefully my legs are ready to transition into this beginner plan.
 
Miwok 100K Race Report

I will really try to keep this one short. For those of you who have read my prior race reports, you know how much of a challenge that is for me!

Prologue

Great year of running in 2022. Record mileage and elevation. First two 100Ks in the books. HM PR. Full marathon PR/BQ.

But the recovery from my marathon was brutal. Down for 3 weeks with a groin soreness/strain. And then as I started to ramp things up, my calf periostitis -- not seen since 2021 -- was back. And from what I read, the periostitis treadmill can only be stopped with rest. Running on it just makes it worse. But, with Miwok three months away, I decided to run through it.

Had a good training month in April, but my overall fitness wasn't where it for last year's Miwok.

My primary goal was ultimately to just finish and get my WSER lottery ticket refreshed. My secondary goal was to improve on my aid station game from last year. I spent 1h2m aggregate in aid stations last year, and I was hoping to cut that in half this year. By doing things like eating while running instead of eating at the station. Maybe I cut enough off my down time to more than compensate for my inferior fitness, and improve my time from last year, but that was a real longshot.

The forecast was for 10C (59F) at race time, a high of 15C (60F) during the day. Rain in the morning, and otherwise mostly cloudy.

Had an AirBnB just 300 meters from the start/finish. Got up on race morning, took care of business, got geared-up (with a raincoat) and headed-out.

First 55K

I learned from last year that the race bottlenecks at the trailhead and remains a conga line up the initial climb, and then down again to Muir Beach. So I made an effort to get at the front of the pack (maybe 100 of 450 runners) so that I might suffer less from the conga line. And I did. It was much faster getting up to Cardiac and then back down to Muir Beach. I made up a minute or two from last year's time just by doing that.

Just after Cardiac, things were just getting light (the race starts about an hour before sunrise), and I was listening to my podcast, when disaster almost struck: I missed a turn, and after about 30 feet of running, a runner behind me hollered at me to come back to the correct path. After kicking myself for missing the turn (it was marked, but Miwok flagging is not the really overt kind), I got back on-course and thanked my saviour for what he did.

With all the rain, there was a fair amount of mud. My trusty Salomon Speedcross shoes were great in it, except for the fact that I left my GTX version up north. And they were soaked. As was my pack, shirt, shoes, head, etc. That would be the case until the halfway point.

Muir Beach aid (the first pass through) was great. Didn't need to refill my flasks. Grabbed three oreos, and turned right back around to the trail. Very efficient.

Tennessee Valley (again first pass) was almost as great. Just refilled flasks, and ate three oreos walking out of the station.

Because of the rain/clouds, I got very little of the (truly incredible) views I got last year. A few breaks in the weather allowed me short views of the bay, and a bit of a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. That was nice.

The race organizers moved the location of Bridge View aid, so it wasn't comparable YOY. Kept going with the new routine, though, and it appeared to be working.

At this point I felt like I was running a little slower than last year, but making up time at the aid stations. And this segment analysis of the first 55K indicates that. The big spikes in time are shorter aid stops, and I would burn that time off with slower running.

Tennessee Valley (second pass) was fast -- much faster than last year.

And then disaster almost struck again: Almost two hours after I missed a turn, I missed another! I got called-back by a helpful runner once more. Who turned out to be the same runner that called me back from the first missed turn! What are the odds of that? From this point on, I was way more mindful of the course markers, and didn't let myself zone out into my podcast like I had done before.

As I got closer and closer to Muir Beach aid (second), I was really looking forward to seeing my wife, who was crewing me. And when I got there, she had everything planned for an efficient and complete pit stop. She's a pro already. I didn't save much time versus last year, but got so much more done. Changed my shoes and socks (which took a while), changed my shirt, got medicated, sunscreen (to guarantee more rain) applied, and fed. She had two pre-filled flasks for me ready to swap out. And mentally, it was great to see her.

Then I set out for the biggest climb of the race. Climbing is normally where I gain ground and feel good. Not this race. This 400 meter (~1,300ft) was brutal. I got passed over and over. What was wrong with me? Why was I so slow? I was 96th overall coming into Muir Beach (#2) and by the time I got to Cardiac (#2), I had dropped 50 spots. Many of those were due to my long Muir aid stop (shoes/socks/etc) but not all. I was a full 10 minutes slower on this climb than 2022. I shuffled into Cardiac doubting my ability to get through the next 45K. I was hurting, and slow.

After leaving Cardiac, I texted my wife "Leaving Cardiac 1231. Really fading."

And because she's awesome, my wife replied "YOU CAN DO THIS!".

There was still more climbing (about another 100m/330ft) out of Cardiac, but then I got to the top of the ridge. Lots of rolling hills here. I was behind a slow group of runners, and that was fine by me. I sucked. I needed to be slow. Who cares if I keep pace with last year. I just want my WSER lottery ticket.

I asked myself "Can I just walk the rest of this and still beat cutoff?".

Last 45K

Then, something flipped.

I don't know if it was the fact that things were flatter/rolling, that the rain had stopped, or that I had switched to caffeinated Tailwind (from the non-caffeinated kind). Probably some combination of all.

But after about 20 minutes of being behind the slow group of runners, I say to myself "enough of this" and pass them. Then drop them. And start to pass more runners. After having lost 50 spots in rank between Muir and Cardiac, I gained 18 spots between Cardiac and Bolinas (#1). And then Bolinas (#1) to Randall I gained another 9 spots. Even with the post-Randall 300m (990ft) climb (which I was terrible at on this day), I gained another five spots.

The biggest difference came on the last 10K: It's rolling hills for the first 7K, then a technical/steep downhill for 3K before the finish line. Last year, I walked a bunch of the runnable sections, and it took me almost two hours (1h57m) to close this section out and finish.

This year, I got behind a group of runners who were running sections that last year I walked. So I decided to try to stick with them. And I did. It wasn't a blistering pace, by any means, but I was moving faster than last year. As I got into the big downhill, I checked my watch and saw that if I could get down in under 30 minutes, I might actually beat last year's time! So I pushed over the roots and rocks, and under the trees, and over the streams, and worked hard. My "pacers" were in front of me doing the same. One in particular was cheering his friends on from the front. I made it a goal to stick with them. Which I did. After the race, I see I had taken 14 minutes off the last 10K versus last year.

At the end of the downhill, I emerge from the forest, cross a little bridge, and I'm 100ft from the finish line. There's a cheering crowd, and my wife (who missed me at the finish last year) was yelling louder than anyone else. I cross the finish line, a volunteer puts my finisher's on me, and I get a big hug (must have been gross for her) from my wife.

I check my watch, and I had beat last year's time by four minutes. On 14 hours of race, that's less than half a percent faster. But knowing how I felt at the top of the Cardiac climb (where I had written-off any hope of a faster race vs 2022), and that I had just beat "last year me", I was pretty stoked. And sharing that with my wife was awesome.

Had a good chat over some finish-line food with my "pacers". They were feeling it like I was.
  • 14:01:17 (3m45s faster vs 2022)
  • 116/353 overall
  • 84/216 gender
  • 28/81 AG
  • 96 DNF
  • 40 minutes spent in aid stations, vs 62 minutes in 2022 (didn't achieve goal of 1/2 the time)

Epilogue

Now I need to decide if I try to push through this calf injury until July (100 miler attempt), or shut things down and heal. Both of the PTs I have spoken with said I will have to do the latter at some point. And if I don't, things could progress into a stress fracture. Much to ponder.

But for now, I'll take my WSER lottery ticket for this year, and be thankful that I got this year's Miwok done faster than I thought I could. A nice feeling.
This is pretty freaking epic. Congrats on a great race! (Also crushing the AirBnB game with a perfectly located place!)

Reading this is making me start to wonder if I should try this race someday. Hmmmmmmm......
 
I don't have much of a bucket list -- there's really only one item on it, and that's running a marathon. Yesterday I began a 22-week training program targeting an October 21 race date. Let's do this. :boxing:
What training program are you using? We'd all be happy to over-analyze it for you. :yes:

Seems pretty basic. I started a day early (3 miles yesterday instead of rest) because I think that'll work best with my schedule. Emphasizing rest, recovery, and slow pace will be important -- the last few times I caught the running bug, I did too much too fast and ended up with some sort of injury. I've already done 7-9 miles/week in April, so hopefully my legs are ready to transition into this beginner plan.
Great stuff. Have you run a half marathon before?

We are here to help and support and cheer you to the finish line!
 
I finished my first 1/2 marathon yesterday. I'm 48 years old and never ran more than a mile at a time until about three years ago. Finished in 2:08:45. I've learned a lot reading through this thread. So thank you all.
2:08 is a great time! Congratulations! Hope you stick around to share about your next running journey....whether its a 5k or a marathon or somewhere in between.

However, I'm more impressed if you read this entire thread. That is a true endurance sport!
 
I don't have much of a bucket list -- there's really only one item on it, and that's running a marathon. Yesterday I began a 22-week training program targeting an October 21 race date. Let's do this. :boxing:
What training program are you using? We'd all be happy to over-analyze it for you. :yes:

Seems pretty basic. I started a day early (3 miles yesterday instead of rest) because I think that'll work best with my schedule. Emphasizing rest, recovery, and slow pace will be important -- the last few times I caught the running bug, I did too much too fast and ended up with some sort of injury. I've already done 7-9 miles/week in April, so hopefully my legs are ready to transition into this beginner plan.
Great stuff. Have you run a half marathon before?

We are here to help and support and cheer you to the finish line!
I have not -- the most I've ever run in a single go is probably 10-11 miles. Could always opt for a shorter race distance if my legs just can't take the high mileage associated with full marathon training, but I'm going to see how far I can get by being disciplined about pace/stretching/foam rolling etc.
 
I finished my first 1/2 marathon yesterday. I'm 48 years old and never ran more than a mile at a time until about three years ago. Finished in 2:08:45. I've learned a lot reading through this thread. So thank you all.
2:08 is a great time! Congratulations! Hope you stick around to share about your next running journey....whether its a 5k or a marathon or somewhere in between.

However, I'm more impressed if you read this entire thread. That is a true endurance sport!
I use it to train my mind for those long runs!
 
I have not -- the most I've ever run in a single go is probably 10-11 miles. Could always opt for a shorter race distance if my legs just can't take the high mileage associated with full marathon training, but I'm going to see how far I can get by being disciplined about pace/stretching/foam rolling etc.

I use it to train my mind for those long runs!
Not sure if you guys are in the Strava group or even use it, but you may want to join. It's a good way for motivation - most of the runners in here are on there. I know when I was training seriously someone would post here if they saw a workout go awry or offer a suggestion or a word of encouragement.

https://www.strava.com/clubs/TeamFFA
 
I have not -- the most I've ever run in a single go is probably 10-11 miles. Could always opt for a shorter race distance if my legs just can't take the high mileage associated with full marathon training, but I'm going to see how far I can get by being disciplined about pace/stretching/foam rolling etc.

I use it to train my mind for those long runs!
Not sure if you guys are in the Strava group or even use it, but you may want to join. It's a good way for motivation - most of the runners in here are on there. I know when I was training seriously someone would post here if they saw a workout go awry or offer a suggestion or a word of encouragement.

https://www.strava.com/clubs/TeamFFA
And somewhere....in there or in the first post is a link as to who is who.

My initials are KR on Strava
 
I don't have much of a bucket list -- there's really only one item on it, and that's running a marathon. Yesterday I began a 22-week training program targeting an October 21 race date. Let's do this. :boxing:
What training program are you using? We'd all be happy to over-analyze it for you. :yes:

Seems pretty basic. I started a day early (3 miles yesterday instead of rest) because I think that'll work best with my schedule. Emphasizing rest, recovery, and slow pace will be important -- the last few times I caught the running bug, I did too much too fast and ended up with some sort of injury. I've already done 7-9 miles/week in April, so hopefully my legs are ready to transition into this beginner plan.
Great stuff. Have you run a half marathon before?

We are here to help and support and cheer you to the finish line!
I have not -- the most I've ever run in a single go is probably 10-11 miles. Could always opt for a shorter race distance if my legs just can't take the high mileage associated with full marathon training, but I'm going to see how far I can get by being disciplined about pace/stretching/foam rolling etc.
Don't neglect strength training for running. It doesn't have to be huge weights and I'm sure google has lots of good ideas if you have some dumbbells. If you don't, then you could hold a gallon jug of water in each hand and do some crunches and single leg dead lifts which will help with injury prevention.

Stay active in here and let us know how its going. This group helped me complete my first marathon and here I stand now with over 30 completed in the last 11 years. Who knows.....running this race might just change your life!
 
Miwok 100K Race Report

I will really try to keep this one short. For those of you who have read my prior race reports, you know how much of a challenge that is for me!

Prologue

Great year of running in 2022. Record mileage and elevation. First two 100Ks in the books. HM PR. Full marathon PR/BQ.

But the recovery from my marathon was brutal. Down for 3 weeks with a groin soreness/strain. And then as I started to ramp things up, my calf periostitis -- not seen since 2021 -- was back. And from what I read, the periostitis treadmill can only be stopped with rest. Running on it just makes it worse. But, with Miwok three months away, I decided to run through it.

Had a good training month in April, but my overall fitness wasn't where it for last year's Miwok.

My primary goal was ultimately to just finish and get my WSER lottery ticket refreshed. My secondary goal was to improve on my aid station game from last year. I spent 1h2m aggregate in aid stations last year, and I was hoping to cut that in half this year. By doing things like eating while running instead of eating at the station. Maybe I cut enough off my down time to more than compensate for my inferior fitness, and improve my time from last year, but that was a real longshot.

The forecast was for 10C (59F) at race time, a high of 15C (60F) during the day. Rain in the morning, and otherwise mostly cloudy.

Had an AirBnB just 300 meters from the start/finish. Got up on race morning, took care of business, got geared-up (with a raincoat) and headed-out.

First 55K

I learned from last year that the race bottlenecks at the trailhead and remains a conga line up the initial climb, and then down again to Muir Beach. So I made an effort to get at the front of the pack (maybe 100 of 450 runners) so that I might suffer less from the conga line. And I did. It was much faster getting up to Cardiac and then back down to Muir Beach. I made up a minute or two from last year's time just by doing that.

Just after Cardiac, things were just getting light (the race starts about an hour before sunrise), and I was listening to my podcast, when disaster almost struck: I missed a turn, and after about 30 feet of running, a runner behind me hollered at me to come back to the correct path. After kicking myself for missing the turn (it was marked, but Miwok flagging is not the really overt kind), I got back on-course and thanked my saviour for what he did.

With all the rain, there was a fair amount of mud. My trusty Salomon Speedcross shoes were great in it, except for the fact that I left my GTX version up north. And they were soaked. As was my pack, shirt, shoes, head, etc. That would be the case until the halfway point.

Muir Beach aid (the first pass through) was great. Didn't need to refill my flasks. Grabbed three oreos, and turned right back around to the trail. Very efficient.

Tennessee Valley (again first pass) was almost as great. Just refilled flasks, and ate three oreos walking out of the station.

Because of the rain/clouds, I got very little of the (truly incredible) views I got last year. A few breaks in the weather allowed me short views of the bay, and a bit of a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. That was nice.

The race organizers moved the location of Bridge View aid, so it wasn't comparable YOY. Kept going with the new routine, though, and it appeared to be working.

At this point I felt like I was running a little slower than last year, but making up time at the aid stations. And this segment analysis of the first 55K indicates that. The big spikes in time are shorter aid stops, and I would burn that time off with slower running.

Tennessee Valley (second pass) was fast -- much faster than last year.

And then disaster almost struck again: Almost two hours after I missed a turn, I missed another! I got called-back by a helpful runner once more. Who turned out to be the same runner that called me back from the first missed turn! What are the odds of that? From this point on, I was way more mindful of the course markers, and didn't let myself zone out into my podcast like I had done before.

As I got closer and closer to Muir Beach aid (second), I was really looking forward to seeing my wife, who was crewing me. And when I got there, she had everything planned for an efficient and complete pit stop. She's a pro already. I didn't save much time versus last year, but got so much more done. Changed my shoes and socks (which took a while), changed my shirt, got medicated, sunscreen (to guarantee more rain) applied, and fed. She had two pre-filled flasks for me ready to swap out. And mentally, it was great to see her.

Then I set out for the biggest climb of the race. Climbing is normally where I gain ground and feel good. Not this race. This 400 meter (~1,300ft) was brutal. I got passed over and over. What was wrong with me? Why was I so slow? I was 96th overall coming into Muir Beach (#2) and by the time I got to Cardiac (#2), I had dropped 50 spots. Many of those were due to my long Muir aid stop (shoes/socks/etc) but not all. I was a full 10 minutes slower on this climb than 2022. I shuffled into Cardiac doubting my ability to get through the next 45K. I was hurting, and slow.

After leaving Cardiac, I texted my wife "Leaving Cardiac 1231. Really fading."

And because she's awesome, my wife replied "YOU CAN DO THIS!".

There was still more climbing (about another 100m/330ft) out of Cardiac, but then I got to the top of the ridge. Lots of rolling hills here. I was behind a slow group of runners, and that was fine by me. I sucked. I needed to be slow. Who cares if I keep pace with last year. I just want my WSER lottery ticket.

I asked myself "Can I just walk the rest of this and still beat cutoff?".

Last 45K

Then, something flipped.

I don't know if it was the fact that things were flatter/rolling, that the rain had stopped, or that I had switched to caffeinated Tailwind (from the non-caffeinated kind). Probably some combination of all.

But after about 20 minutes of being behind the slow group of runners, I say to myself "enough of this" and pass them. Then drop them. And start to pass more runners. After having lost 50 spots in rank between Muir and Cardiac, I gained 18 spots between Cardiac and Bolinas (#1). And then Bolinas (#1) to Randall I gained another 9 spots. Even with the post-Randall 300m (990ft) climb (which I was terrible at on this day), I gained another five spots.

The biggest difference came on the last 10K: It's rolling hills for the first 7K, then a technical/steep downhill for 3K before the finish line. Last year, I walked a bunch of the runnable sections, and it took me almost two hours (1h57m) to close this section out and finish.

This year, I got behind a group of runners who were running sections that last year I walked. So I decided to try to stick with them. And I did. It wasn't a blistering pace, by any means, but I was moving faster than last year. As I got into the big downhill, I checked my watch and saw that if I could get down in under 30 minutes, I might actually beat last year's time! So I pushed over the roots and rocks, and under the trees, and over the streams, and worked hard. My "pacers" were in front of me doing the same. One in particular was cheering his friends on from the front. I made it a goal to stick with them. Which I did. After the race, I see I had taken 14 minutes off the last 10K versus last year.

At the end of the downhill, I emerge from the forest, cross a little bridge, and I'm 100ft from the finish line. There's a cheering crowd, and my wife (who missed me at the finish last year) was yelling louder than anyone else. I cross the finish line, a volunteer puts my finisher's on me, and I get a big hug (must have been gross for her) from my wife.

I check my watch, and I had beat last year's time by four minutes. On 14 hours of race, that's less than half a percent faster. But knowing how I felt at the top of the Cardiac climb (where I had written-off any hope of a faster race vs 2022), and that I had just beat "last year me", I was pretty stoked. And sharing that with my wife was awesome.

Had a good chat over some finish-line food with my "pacers". They were feeling it like I was.
  • 14:01:17 (3m45s faster vs 2022)
  • 116/353 overall
  • 84/216 gender
  • 28/81 AG
  • 96 DNF
  • 40 minutes spent in aid stations, vs 62 minutes in 2022 (didn't achieve goal of 1/2 the time)

Epilogue

Now I need to decide if I try to push through this calf injury until July (100 miler attempt), or shut things down and heal. Both of the PTs I have spoken with said I will have to do the latter at some point. And if I don't, things could progress into a stress fracture. Much to ponder.

But for now, I'll take my WSER lottery ticket for this year, and be thankful that I got this year's Miwok done faster than I thought I could. A nice feeling.
This is pretty freaking epic. Congrats on a great race! (Also crushing the AirBnB game with a perfectly located place!)

Reading this is making me start to wonder if I should try this race someday. Hmmmmmmm......

It's such a great race, I'd definitely recommend it. Temps are great, course is varied and stunning, aid stations are frequent and well-stocked.

I'll probably do it again next year.
 

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