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Striders 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
72.906.0013.100.000.0092.00
Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 15.00Asic DS Trainer Miles: 10.75Brooks Launch Miles: 14.75Brooks Launch (2) Miles: 7.50Saucony Kinvara Miles: 16.00New Balance 790 Miles: 8.00
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
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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
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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
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
14.000.000.000.000.0014.00

noon - canal trail, 8 miles, 7:30/mile. Did a few strides too.

PM - Forrester Acres with Seth. 6 miles, no watch.

New Balance 790 Miles: 8.00Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 6.00
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Race: Striders Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) 01:07:29, Place overall: 1
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.900.0013.100.000.0020.00

Striders Half Marathon. As a rare treat, we had great weather this year: overcast, little to no wind, and temps in the low 40s.

This race was to be my last big workout before Boston. Since I had a shorter buildup for this marathon, I wanted to race a bit more frequently, so I did the St George Half in late January, then the Moab Half in mid-March, and the Striders Half today. My main goal was just to run well and get my confidence back up after a rather rocky Moab race a couple weeks ago, and to stay in control and not tap the well at all in doing so. (no need to get too tired or sore this close to Boston). It ended up being a really positive effort today, and I accomplished all that I set out to do. I felt sharp both physically and mentally.

When the race started, I got out to a quick start, but the first three miles were all pretty conversational. Bryant Jensen, who I figured would be my main competition, and Riley Cook went with me. The first three miles were 5:10, 5:11, and 5:06 (all mild downhill). Riley dropped back after 3, and then it was just Bryant and I.

I felt good at this pace, and wanted to keep it going for the 3 remaining downhill miles. Miles 4-6 were 5:00, 4:59, and 5:01. It was not a conscious surge, kind of happened organically, but I liked it and went with it. Was definitely breathing harder (no longer conversational pace), but still felt very controlled and loose. Bryant dropped a couple steps behind me, but kept close contact, and then dropped further back after Mile 6.

With Bryant dropping back a little, I pressed the pace as the course exited the canyon and started on the rolling hills around the lake. Mile 7 was another 5:00, and then 5:05 for Mile 8. The pace was now feeling pretty hard, but I was actually enjoying the hills a little bit after the long downhill.

Miles 9 and 10 were 5:14 and 5:08, respectively. Just 5K to go, and I felt like the race was pretty much sealed. The long uphill incline to the finish was coming up, and I didn't want to push too hard for this race, so I just tried to keep the pace honest and steady, but also cruise a little bit. 5:16, 5:19, and 5:19 for Miles 11, 12, and 13. Coasted into the finish in 37s for the 0.1, and finished with a time of 1:07:29.

This was almost 2 minutes faster than what I ran in 2007, and I also recaptured my old course record, which had been broken by Alex Tomas in 2009. So that was good. The course is a net downhill, but still somewhat challenging with the rolling hills and high altitude, so I feel pretty good about the time. And I feel good about starting my taper next week, and about what I need to do in Boston in 16 days.

Cooled down for about 4 miles afterward with a whole crew of folks.


Comments(25)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
72.906.0013.100.000.0092.00
Asics Heavy Shoe Miles: 15.00Asic DS Trainer Miles: 10.75Brooks Launch Miles: 14.75Brooks Launch (2) Miles: 7.50Saucony Kinvara Miles: 16.00New Balance 790 Miles: 8.00
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