Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Canyonlands Half Marathon

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Location:

Fort Collins,CO,

Member Since:

May 15, 2003

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Local Elite

Running Accomplishments:

Unaided PR's:
5K: 14:48 (Track - 2001)
10K: 30:45 (Track - 2001)
10K: 31:32 (Bolder Boulder - 2013)
Half Marathon: 1:06:09 (Duluth - 2013)
Marathon: 2:17:54 (Grandma's) - 2014)
Marathon: 2:19:47 (Indianapolis Monumental - 2013)
Marathon: 2:19:49 (Indianapolis Monumental - 2010)

Aided PR's:
10K: 29:38 (Des News - 2011)
Half Marathon: 1:05:30 (TOU Half - 2011)
Marathon: 2:18:09 (St George - 2007)
Marathon: 2:17:35 (Boston - 2011)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in June of 2008. Started taking Enbrel in March, 2009.

Run as much as I can, and race as well as I can. Make the most of however much time I have left as an able-bodied runner.

Training for the 2018 Colorado Marathon

Long-Term Running Goals:

  Run until I'm old, and then run some more. Stand tall.

Personal:

1 wife, 2 kids. 1 cat. Work as a GIS Specialist/Map Geek

Endure and persist; this pain will turn to your good. - Ovid

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. - Romans 5:1-5

 

 

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Saucony Trail Shoe Lifetime Miles: 247.50
Hoka Clifton Lifetime Miles: 491.50
Saucony Type A6 Lifetime Miles: 186.50
Saucony Zealot Lifetime Miles: 478.75
Saucony Kinvara 6 Lifetime Miles: 433.50
Saucony Kinvara 6-2 Lifetime Miles: 358.75
Brooks Pure Connect Blue Lifetime Miles: 337.25
New Balance Trainers Lifetime Miles: 314.50
New Balance 1400 Racers Lifetime Miles: 65.00
Brook Pureflow Lifetime Miles: 99.50
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
345.5553.0012.950.000.00411.50
Asic DS Trainer Miles: 72.75Saucony Kinvara Miles: 103.25Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 72.75Brooks Launch Miles: 64.25Brooks Launch (2) Miles: 72.50Saucony Type A Miles: 20.50Saucony Guide TR Miles: 0.50
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
14.000.000.000.000.0014.00

noon - out-and-back to North Logan, 9 miles, 6:59/mile average.

PM - Hillside to Summit and back. 5 miles, 7:14/mile average

Asic DS Trainer Miles: 9.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
16.000.000.000.000.0016.00

Big Workout. Tinman tempo for 16 miles, Bear River Ranch out-and-back. Averaged 5:56/mile for 16 miles.

Saucony Kinvara Miles: 16.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
14.000.000.000.000.0014.00

AM - snowing, so I ran on the treadmill, 7 miles.

PM - Smithfield Canyon, 7 miles, 7:07/mile average.

Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 7.00Asic DS Trainer Miles: 7.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
14.000.000.000.000.0014.00

AM - Smithfield Canyon, 9 miles, 7:02/mile. Nice and sunny today...but still about of foot of snow on the ground.

PM - north Smithfield out-and-back, 5 miles, 7:28/mile. Very hungry during run.

Saucony Kinvara Miles: 5.00Brooks Launch Miles: 9.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
10.007.003.000.000.0020.00

Long Run / Big Workout. Ran the Airport/Benson/Bear River Loop, 20 miles. After 4 miles of warmup, I started a 4-3-2-1 workout. (4 miles at MP, followed by 4 minutes recovery jog, 3 miles at MP, 3 min recovery, 2 miles at LT, 2 min recovery, 1 mile at LT, then crawl home).

It went pretty well, definitely my best tempo pacing workout of the year. Splits:

4-mile (5:29, 5:24, 5:23, 5:19); 3-mile (5:18, 5:22, 5:18), 2-mile (5:05, 5:13), 1-mile (4:59).

This route is out in the middle of the valley, so terrain is pretty flat with a couple exceptions. I felt in control and good the whole workout, but as soon as I finished the last interval, my body was pretty much done, and then I had 4 miles of total death-march back home to cool down and finish the long run. But it was good. 6:17/mile average pace for 20 miles.

Brooks Launch Miles: 20.00
Comments(5)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
14.000.000.000.000.0014.00

AM - Summit to Smithfield Canyon, 10 miles, 7:24/mile.

PM - random loop, 4 miles, 7:22/mile

Brooks Launch Miles: 4.00Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 10.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
14.000.000.000.000.0014.00

AM - North Logan out-and-back, 8 miles, 7:06/mile average. About 3" of new snow last night, but the roads had already melted off and it was a lovely morning.

PM - Forrester Acres, 6 miles, no watch

Asic DS Trainer Miles: 8.00Brooks Launch (2) Miles: 6.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
9.800.006.200.000.0016.00

Big Workout. Warmed up Hillside to Summit (about 2 miles) to the cemetery. Then did 10x1000m @ CV pace with 60s recovery jog between intervals. Splits were 3:15, 3:12, 3:09, 3:05, 3:06, 3:07, 3:07, 3:05, 3:06, 3:03. 

Cooled down for 6 miles. Good workout. 

Saucony Kinvara Miles: 16.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
14.750.000.000.000.0014.75

AM - lower North Loga out-and-back. 9 miles, 6:50/mile average. Nice morning.

PM - Forrester Acres with Seth. 5.75 miles, no watch.

Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 9.00Brooks Launch (2) Miles: 5.75
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
14.500.000.000.000.0014.50

AM - Smithfield Canyon, 9.75 miles, 6:56/mile average.

PM - north Smithfield loop with Seth. 4.75 miles

Saucony Kinvara Miles: 4.75Asic DS Trainer Miles: 9.75
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
10.2510.000.000.000.0020.25

Long Run / Big Workout. Warmed up for 2.5 miles down to Forrester Acres, and then did 2x5-mile loops at marathon pace, with about 6 minutes recovery jog between the two sets. The loop is a net drop for the first 2.5 miles and net climb for the remaining 2.5...but nothing real big or hard.

Splits were (5:25, 5:23, 5:28, 5:25, 5:23) for the first set, and (5:19, 5:19, 5:22, 5:21, 5:20) for the second set. All-in-all, a good workout, and a nice day to run. Feel like I'm finally hitting on most cylinders for workouts and training. Now just need to get it going and turn it into a race.

Cooled down for 6 miles. 20.25 miles total for the 6:15/mile average. 94 miles for the week.

Brooks Launch (2) Miles: 20.25
Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.750.000.000.000.005.75

Forrester Acres with Seth, 5.75 miles, no watch. We stopped to play at the park on the way back and Seth had fun jumping in all puddles.

Saucony Kinvara Miles: 5.75
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
16.000.000.000.000.0016.00

AM - Smithfield Canyon, light rain. 10 miles, 7:03/mile average.

PM - Ran to Wells Fargo and then to Zions in Smithfield for my weekly banking errands. Then tacked on some misc mileage for 6 miles total. About 7:35/mile average. The rain finally let up, and it was fairly nice out.

Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 10.00Asic DS Trainer Miles: 6.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
18.000.000.000.000.0018.00

AM - medium workout, did a 10-mile tinman tempo on the Bear River Loop. First three miles were around 6:00-6:05, and then the last seven were 5:30-5:40. Cooled down for about three miles. 13.5 miles total, 6:06/mile average pace. Felt okay, about what I needed out of the workout.

PM - north Smithfield out-and-back with Seth, 4.5 miles, 8:05/mile average.

Saucony Kinvara Miles: 13.50Brooks Launch Miles: 4.50
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
10.000.000.000.000.0010.00

10 miles in the rain. Thoroughly soaked and unhappy. 6:45/mile average.

Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 10.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
8.000.000.000.000.008.00

North Logan out-and-back, 8 miles, 7:03/mile average

Asic DS Trainer Miles: 8.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

5 miles with Walter. 6:57/mile average. Off to Moab!

Brooks Launch (2) Miles: 5.00
Comments(2)
Race: Canyonlands Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) 01:12:10, Place overall: 2, Place in age division: 1
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
8.0013.000.000.000.0021.00

Canyonlands Half Marathon. This was my 6th stab at this race. My previous results were 1:16:59 ('03), 1:17:35 ('04), 1:16:21 ('05), 1:18:14 ('06), and DNS ('08). Interestingly, these are my 5 worst-ever half marathon results. So my history with this race is a little cursed. I wanted to bust out a big one this year, as I was actually healthy and in shape (2 of the 3 things that kept me from running well the other years). However, this year ended up being cursed again, largely due to weather (the 3rd thing that tends to blow up this race). But at least I am in shape enough to get a 4-minute course best and 4-position placing best, so I need to count my blessings. And I can honestly say it was my best Canyonlands Half in 6 attempts!

I'll try to keep this short, as I have better things to do than waste time on the computer (ie - my family loves me, and I love them). Temps for this race were good, upper 50s, low 60s and overcast. However, we were pummeled by a headwind for most of the race. At times in the canyon it would swirl or temporarily go away, but it was present for most of the canyon, and of course the last two miles in town were sheer hell. It was very very similar to 2006.

I had wanted to try to run a PR, but threw that out when I saw (and felt) the wind. I think that was my mistake. I should have just shrugged my shoulders and put the pedal to the medal anyway. Yeah, it wouldn't have turned out great, but at least I would have been in a racing mindset. The problem was that I just tucked in for a few miles (about a pack of 6 of us), and dinked around with 5:30-5:40 for most of the first half. It was easy and kind of fun, but was feeling more like a workout than anything. It was running strategic without a strategy.

Eventually everyone dropped off the pack except for myself, Josh Stephen, and Bryant Jensen. We then dropped Josh...temporarily...as he always seemed to find his way back. But the pace was pretty easy and we were keeping conversation. Finally dropped Josh for good around Mile 9 or so.

During the 10th mile is the only real hill of the course. Bryant and I went up it, and it didn't feel too bad, the pace was still easy. But then Bryant pushed the downhill and dropped me a little. I wasn't in the mood to run real hard (kind of the problem for the race), and figured I'd catch him on the flat. The problem was that he kept pushing, the wind kept blowing, and I couldn't shift gears into race mode. Instead, after 10 miles was feeling pretty easy, my legs got really heavy feeling, and I couldn't get out of my pace. And suddenly everything went from feeling easy to feeling hard.

I held a somewhat close 20m gap to him for over a mile, but on the US-191 section during Mile 12, he increased the gap to about 100m. I ended up finishing 22s back from Bryant, with a 1:12:10.

I was right in thinking before the race that it would be tactical, and would require a slow start, but where I erred was in not having any actual tactics to play. I realized that when I got to Mile 7 or so, when it was just down to Bryant and I. We had dropped everyone else just by continuing a set pace, no moves needed. But I knew that Bryant was too good of a runner to beat with a bunch of 5:30s into the wind; it would require some sort of decisive move. And I hadn't really considered or visualized what move to make, and was feeling to lazy and lethargic to actually make one on the fly. So it was Bryant who made the move, and kudos to him since he actually showed up to race and did what was needed to win. I give credit where credit is due. Definitely not my best race, either physically (legs of lead at the end) or emotionally (too loose, no edge).

Oh well. I try to find the good in everything. Again, the conditions were very similar in 2006, when I ran 1:18:14 and finished something like 11th. Today, on the same course and same weather, I ran 1:12:10 and was runner-up. It was a Canyonlands-best for me, and raises the benchmark a little bit. I'll just have to come back another year!

Mile splits were 5:34, 5:35, 5:32, 5:39, 5:20, 11:07 (2-mile), 5:26, 5:17, 5:22, 5:24, 5:44, 5:33, 0:32.

Our whole family had a lot of fun in Moab. Got to hike around, enjoy warmer weather, and eat too much food. It's always a fun trip out here, and a nice mini-vacation.

Saucony Type A Miles: 20.50Saucony Guide TR Miles: 0.50
Comments(12)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
15.000.000.000.000.0015.00

AM - Smithfield Canyon, 9 miles, 7:14/mile average. Legs were a bit flat from the race Saturday, but other than that felt fine. Did a few strides on the way back to hopefully get some spunk back.

PM - Hillside to Summit to Smithfield Canyon. 6 miles, 7:09/mile average.

Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 9.00Brooks Launch (2) Miles: 6.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
15.000.000.000.000.0015.00

AM - Hyde Park Canyon out-and-back. 8 miles, 7:15/mile average. Did a few strides on the way back.

PM - Forrester Acres and back on Summit. 7 miles, 7:15/mile average.

Brooks Launch Miles: 7.00Asic DS Trainer Miles: 8.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
12.500.003.750.000.0016.25

Did a longer run today, with a short fartlek workout at the end. Even though the race didn't leave me sore, I didn't want to push the mid-week workout too hard, and just get in some miles with some faster running.

I met Carson at Forrester Acres and we did a little out-and-back to the north end of Smithfield, and then some laps at Forrester Acres. At about 10 miles I dropped Carson off, and headed up Smithfield Canyon to finish the run with a 10x2-minute fartlek (1 minute recovery jog). Did 6 of the reps on the uphill, then the next 3 on the downhill, and the final one on mixed terrain. Kept it at about 5:25-5:30 pace on the uphill portions, 4:55-5:00 on the downhill portions, and 5:10 on the final one on mixed gradient. Felt decent, but wasn't working it too hard. But it seemed good to get the legs turning over a little bit within a longer run. 16.25 miles total, averaged 6:45/mile overall.

Saucony Kinvara Miles: 16.25
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
15.000.000.000.000.0015.00

AM - Smithfield Canyon with Carson. 8.75 miles, 7:55/mile average.

PM - Hyde Park out-and-back. 6.25 miles, 7:07/mile average.

Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 8.75Asic DS Trainer Miles: 6.25
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
15.000.000.000.000.0015.00

AM - loop out on the county roads outside of Smithfield. 10 miles, 7:15/mile average.

PM - canal trail, 5 miles, 7:45/mile. Muddy, but not as bad as I thought.

Saucony Kinvara Miles: 10.00Brooks Launch Miles: 5.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.0017.000.000.000.0022.00

Did a long run today, the last formal long run before Boston! (I am doing race next weekend). My legs were feeling fatigued this morning from the week, and it was foggy and cold outside, with an inch of new snow everywhere. I was not looking forward to hammering out a long run. I finally got enough inertia to get in my car at about 11AM and drive out to Hollow Rd, to do an out-and-back up Blacksmith Fork Canyon. Mysteriously, the fog stopped at about Providence, and it was beautiful in Hyrum and Nibley with no snow. When I looked back, there was just a black cloud over the northern half of the valley. It was kind of like looking at Mordor from the Shire.

I had a light canyon headwind for the first 8 miles, and then it shifted (as it often does by mid-day), and gave me a tailwind for the last 3 miles of uphill. Then I had a headwind for most of the way down. But it was fairly mild, thankfully.

It ended up being an awesome run, despite how bad I felt earlier on, and despite dealing with a headwind in both directions. My legs started feeling decent once I got going, then just got in a rhythm on the 11 miles of uphill and kept increasing the pace. By Mile 8, I was hitting sub-6. Coming back down for the final 11 miles, I just tried to keep it solid. Nothing too crazy, but hold a brisk pace. I made a potty stop at Mile 13, and also took some shot blocks there. From a fueling standpoint, the whole 22 miles felt great, much improvement in my long runs over the last month.

I ended up dong the 22 miles in 2:10:24 (5:55/mile average). Averaged 6:15/mile on the uphill, and 5:40/mile on the downhill. Hit a few under 5:30 here and there.

Splits were 6:42, 6:24, 6:33, 6:39, 6:20, 6:20, 6:04, 5:59, 5:57, 6:02, 5:44, (turnaround), 5:50, 5:36, 5:42, 5:28, 5:46, 5:31, 5:19, 5:22, 5:40, 5:39, 5:26.

98 miles for the week, my peak for training. Next week will still be hard (low 90s), and then the two-week taper.

Brooks Launch (2) Miles: 22.00
Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
14.000.000.000.000.0014.00

AM - north Smithfield out-and-back, 9 miles, 7:13/mile average.

PM - 5 miles with Tim. Went a little ways up Birch Creek Canyon. About 8:30/mile average.

Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 9.00Asic DS Trainer Miles: 5.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
14.000.000.000.000.0014.00

AM - ran some errands, and then looped out to Hyde Park. 7.5 miles, averaged 7:12/mile.

PM - Smithfield Canyon with Seth. 6.5 miles, 8:00/mile average.

Brooks Launch Miles: 6.50Brooks Launch (2) Miles: 7.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
10.006.000.000.000.0016.00

Did a workout today. Warmed up for 3 miles, and then did 3x2-mile at marathon pace, with 3 minutes recovery jog between sets. Splits were 10:26 (5:11, 5:15), 10:34 (5:11, 5:23), and 10:30 (5:12, 5:18). Had a little bit of wind, so the faster splits were with a tailwind, and the slower splits with a headwind. Cooled down for 6 miles. Averaged 6:22/mile for 16 miles.

Saucony Kinvara Miles: 16.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
14.000.000.000.000.0014.00

noon - Birch Creek Canyon. A little snowy and a little muddy, but it's a start. 8.25 miles, 7:24/mile average pace.

PM - Forrester Acres with Seth. 5.75 miles, no watch.

Brooks Launch Miles: 8.25Asic DS Trainer Miles: 5.75
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
345.5553.0012.950.000.00411.50
Asic DS Trainer Miles: 72.75Saucony Kinvara Miles: 103.25Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 72.75Brooks Launch Miles: 64.25Brooks Launch (2) Miles: 72.50Saucony Type A Miles: 20.50Saucony Guide TR Miles: 0.50
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