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Seattle Rock and Roll 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
Race: Seattle Rock and Roll Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) 01:08:12, Place overall: 5, Place in age division: 2
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
1.400.0013.100.000.0014.50

Race day! Got up at 4:10AM, after a great night of sleep (went to bed at 8:30PM, slept like a baby). I went down to the hospitality suite, grabbed a banana and had a cup of coffee, then we all loaded the bus at 5AM (about 20 invited athletes total). Shot the breeze and kept myself entertained by talking to Rik Ceulemans, a Belgian runner (1:02, 2:13 PR's). Very entertaining guy, great stories. Had another half cup of coffee. Thanks to coffee, this was a "5-star" race, and fortunately we had plenty of portapots in the VIP area, so 5 stars was very easy to accomodate. I can't say enough about the Rock and Roll franchise, and Elite Racing, who performed the hospitality. They really know how to do things right.

Warmed up for about a mile. Listened to some music. Finally, it was time to line up for the 7AM start. I took one more potty break, stashed my clothes, and did some strides. It was an absolutely perfect day. Low-50s for temperature, clear sky, and little to no wind. There is no other place to run this time of year.

The race started on time (yah!). My plan was to run aggressive from the gun; I had nothing to lose. Rizzo, Ceulemans, and Elija Nyabuti (an African) took off hard. I was with them for about 400m, but quickly dropped back to the next back when it became obvious they were intent on running 4:50 pace. I soon found the lead marathon pack, consisting of Peter Gilmore, several Kenyans, and Drew Polley (former Wash State runner who was debuting in the half marathon). It also meant some TV time, so I decided to stay with the lead marathoners as long as I could.

And they were out hard. First 3 mile splits were 5:07, 5:04, 5:03. 5K in 15:52 (23 seconds faster than Indy). I took water at Mile 3, and the marathoners dropped me because of that, and I could not catch up comfortably, so I had to let them go. Drat. No more TV time.

Now I was by myself, and we were going to come up on the first big hill. I hit 5:08 for Mile 4, and by then the hill was cranking. 5:44 for Mile 5. The hill was hard, but not THAT hard. Some downhill on Mile 6, and then flat again. 5:00 for Mile 6. It was fast, but not THAT fast. This was the first of several mile markers to be off, the only hiccup of the inaugural race.

I knew the next hill would be during Mile 10, so I wanted to reestablish a good rhythm. I saw my college buddy Pete on his road bike starting at Mile 5. We stayed in good legal compliance, as he did not aid me whatsoever, but it was comforting just knowing he was there, as I had no one to run with still. A Kenyan had fallen off the lead marathon pack, so I focused on trying to reel him in as well.

Mile 7 in 5:07. Good. 10K in 32:18 (7 seconds faster than Indy). We were now running on a curvy road along a very pretty lake. It was nice, although I was not paying attention much to the scenery. Still no real wind, which was good. Mile 8 in 5:23. Not good. Tried to pick it up. Mile 9 in 5:21. Cursed a G-rated expletive under my breath. What's the deal? At least the Kenyan was still coming back, and Peter my guardian angel lurking somewhere behind me on his bike on the paved trail near the road.

During Mile 10, the half and full split from each other. The half went left, and the marathon right. I made the left and entered a very long, dark tunnel. There was no longer a Kenyan ahead of me. Hmmn...must have been a marathoner. This was good in that I didn't have to worry about him, but bad in that there was now NO ONE in sight and I was truly alone in a dark, scary place. There were all sorts of weird noises in the tunnel. The Mile 10 sign came about 3 minutes too early, so I didn't even bother with the split. The noises got louder and loud and freakier and freakier. Eventually I saw that it was a live band playing in the mouth the the tunnel, not traffic, that was making the noise. The sound was reverberating off the walls and it was very psychodelic. It's a good thing I don't do drugs, otherwise I would have been very freaked out. Felt like I was just flying through the tunnel, felt like 4:30 pace because the dark really messed with perception. But in any case I was feeling great still, which was encouraging at this point in the race.

Finally got to the end of the trippy tunnel of doom and was now running on the freeway. Weird, but kind of cool, and certainly a fast surface to be on. Closed course, by the way, so not even a hint of cars. Only RnR can afford to close a freeway, I imagine. Finally saw the 11 Mile mark, and took my split. 10:16 for 10/11, meaning I was back on a great pace, and perhaps I truly was pushing air through that tunnel.

The course then took a nice downhill on a ramp and into downtown. I was still all alone; no one in sight ahead of me, and no one behind me that I could feel. Someone told me that I was in 5th! (great, because money is 5 deep). I also calculated I was probably the 3rd American, so I could get some U.S.-only prize money too. I was still feeling strong, and was determined that no one would catch me. If I could close with more 5:08 miles, surely I would retain my spot.

I split Mile 12 with a 4:44. Okaaaay. Kept pushing. Feeling great. Terrain is flat again. Sub-1:08 is looking possible. I passed the Mile 26 marathon mark with total time of 1:06-low. Only a quarter-mile to go, I should get sub-1:08! Right?

Turned the final corner, after a suspiciously long amount of time after Mile 26. Hit Mile 13 in 5:34. Okay, so Mile 11 was another wrong mile mark, and so is Mile 26. So a better way to look at it is that 11/12 was 10:18 for 2 miles, so 5:09 pace. Still a good split, but my goal of sub-1:08 is looking suspect at best.

I sprinted hard from Mile 13. I could see the clock, and it was saying "1:07:5x". Tried to bridge an impossibly long distance, but sure enough, it clicked over to 1:08:xx...like clockwork. Drat, I still had about 100 meters left. Eh. Eased up a little, but still finished strong, my watching reading 1:08:13 at the finish line, and the last 0.1 in 35s.

But even though I missed sub-1:08, I was still elated at the finish. It was a 20s PR, on a much harder course than Indy. Not only that, but I was indeed 5th overall and the 3rd American, which should be worth a total of $500 + $500 = $1000 for my effort. By far my best winnings in a half marathon, and close to my best winnings for any race. And since RnR paid all my expenses, and it actually real profit (and will help out our down payment on our new house). I don't run for money, but I felt that hitting a money spot helped validate RnR bringing me out, as I feel obligated to "perform" when I get accommodations like that. And the money symbolizes a coveted placing, and means that I competed well, so I am very pleased with that. And it was good redemption from Indy, where I could not finish the race well and kick myself into the coveted money spot.

The Kenyan won with 1:05:14, Rizzo 2nd with 1:05:34, the Belgian 3rd with 1:06:01, the WSU-alum 4th with 1:06:45, myself 5th with an official time of 1:08:15 (not sure why my watch was faster), 6th, 7th, and 8th coming in behind me with 1:08:52, 1:08:58, and 1:08:59. (Sean Sundall was the 7th place guy). Winning women's time was a low 1:11, which is smokin'.

****Update****Official time was updated to be 1:08:12. Sweet - another 3 seconds!

I liked the course. It was somewhat difficult with the hills, but still decently fast, since the roads where not crowned anywhere, and it had a good, fast surface throughout. None of the uphills were excruciatingly-long, and there were enough flat areas to get a good rhythm. Temp's were perfect the entire race. The only glitch were the various mile markers that were off, but the course as a whole was accurate, so the markers were not a big deal to me. Considering this was a first-year event with 25,000 total participants, it was VERY well-done.

Sean and I are now 1-1 this year. If he comes to the Freedom Run 15K next Saturday, we will have the tie-breaker showdown, ha ha. No, I plan to have fun at the 15K, I've been wanting to do this local race for a while.

I plan to go back to a base phase and dial things down a little for July and maybe August, depending how long it takes us to sell our house and move. I don't want to be training for anything while doing this move, and I don't want to deal with the stress of it all, plus being on Enbrel I just need to be careful with things like stress and overexertion. And if I've learned one thing over the last couple years, YOU GOTTA TAKE A BREAK SOMETIMES! But after this latest PR, I have to believe I have a good marathon in me, so perhaps Cal Int'l in December is still a possibility. But I need to get that fire back to train for it. Marathon training is very hard, and I need to make sure I can commit to it both physical and mentally before I give a Trials attempt an honest go. We shall see.

Saucony Type A Miles: 13.10Brooks Adrenaline 8, #2 Miles: 1.40
Comments
From Sean Sundwall on Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 20:58:31 from 98.247.29.82

Well done Paul. It was great to see you. You ran a very smart race. You were usually in my sights but never within reach. Great job....and I think you actually get $1250...750 for the overall 5th and 500 for 3rd US. I may or may not run in Logan. Just have to see how my calves are doing. The one residual effect from Grandma's that I felt today which hurt at 8 miles like they should at 13 and they hurt at 13 like they should at the end of a marathon. Have a great trip back knowing you had a great day.

From allie on Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 21:02:36 from 65.160.29.66

congratulations! great race today. i loved the part about the psychodelic tunnel.

From Burt on Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 21:03:10 from 98.167.151.26

Great race Paul. Sorry time didn't stand still for you at the end. I like how both you and Sean were freaked out in the tunnel. Fiddy, on the other hand, loved it. Maybe it was a different tunnel. (Or maybe he's on crack...right children?)

From Brent on Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 21:07:16 from 66.7.127.219

Paul, great race report, congradulations, you may not need commando points, but, you get 1,000 for a great race and a PR. Can't image running that fast and thinkg about race strategy at the same time, sweet, sweet race with cash in hand.

Stay Kool, B of BS Rools out

From paul on Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 21:08:31 from 24.19.109.134

Sean - thanks for the correction. That is good news. The 15K will be fun. It's mostly downhill, and I don't plan on gassing myself, so we can just have fun with it.

Allie/Burt - I actually loved the psychodelic tunnel. "Freaked out" is a good thing at Mile 10 of a half marathon. A little adrenaline goes a long ways.

From Dale on Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 21:09:00 from 69.10.215.11

That tunnel is a bit spooky. I ran it during the Seattle Marathon 2 years ago and everything sounds strange while running in it, although I wasn't running alone like you. Plus, garmin really hates tunnels.

Nice job on the time and placing!

From paul on Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 21:16:11 from 24.19.109.134

Brent - thanks, I can use all the commando points I can get, so distribute freely (money cannot buy commando points).

Dale - perhaps the 10-mile mark was off by half mile because they were using a garmin to mark it.

From The Howling Commando on Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 21:17:04 from 72.224.24.41

Love the race report. You have a gift man. Sucks that the markers were off, but awesome PR nonetheless

From Ashbaker on Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 21:18:47 from 98.97.238.102

I am very jealous Paul.. Good city, good PR and good times..

From Mike Warren on Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 21:38:44 from 208.117.124.133

Awesome Race! Very entertaining report. Happy things went so well for you. Congrats on the PR & Prize money never hurts!!!

From Snoqualmie on Sat, Jun 27, 2009 at 23:00:41 from 67.171.56.164

Thanks for the great race report! And congratulations! It was really fun to read about the course from your point of view. For example, when I went through the tunnel, everyone was screaming (on top of the band sound) and it was deafening. Enjoy your recovery and good luck with the moving.

From Jon on Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 00:37:26 from 75.169.152.43

Trippy tunnel of doom, closed course freeway, and a PR. Amazing. We have come to expect such things from you, and you don't disappoint. Congrats on a well-earned PR and top finish.

You and Sean should both do the 15k, but agree to not race till the bottom of the hill at Hollow Road. Then you get a 2 or 3 mile duel, much easier to survive.

From Superfly on Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 00:49:22 from 208.117.127.110

Nice pay day I'd say. I knew you would run well and you ran great. If you chose CIM you'll be chalking up another PR. But listen to your body and don't go back to the injury bus like some of us are on.

From josse on Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 00:52:57 from 70.192.50.129

Oh man I just love reading your race reports. It is like a really good book:) Well done, I would love to see you take another crack at the marathon, that is if your body can handle it. I love you approach to running, racing, and life in general. And congrats on the PR!

From jtshad on Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 09:43:38 from 69.20.133.78

Congrats on the strong race and great finish in the money. You are such a strong runner and it is fun to read your race reports. Congrats on the PR and RnR most definitely was right in bringing you out!

From MichelleL on Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 11:34:11 from 71.35.250.200

Congratulations on a 20s pr on a course like that. So I missed it, where are you moving to? UT county????

From Kelli on Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 11:41:35 from 71.219.76.64

That was an awesome report, I especially liked the psychedelic tunnel of doom!!

Great job on the race, the placing, and the cash for your new house! Nothing beats that.

I have to echo Josse---you have such a great attitude!! It is very inspiring.

From paul on Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 11:55:28 from 24.19.109.134

Michelle - no, we are just moving to a different house in Cache Valley, in Smithfield rather than Logan.

From JD on Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 12:52:55 from 32.178.13.208

Loved your race report. Nice job. You are fast!

From Snoqualmie on Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 15:17:56 from 67.171.56.164

Was that you running w/ the marathon lead pack on the front page of the Sports Section of the Seattle Times this morning (Sunday)?

From redrooster on Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 19:35:50 from 71.219.135.124

awesome job Paul, thanks for keeping us all motivated, inspired, and entertained with these phenomenal races!! Hope to see you on the 4th, though i won't be running, I may show up to watch the finish, especially if Sean comes out. Scott

From Dustin on Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 20:13:37 from 209.33.192.10

Congrats on an Awesome race. Your race report was great, sounds like you had a great experience. Hope all goes well with the house.

From paul on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 03:24:31 from 75.162.109.179

Snoqualmie - alas no, the photo came after I had been dropped. The two Americans in the photo were Peter Gilmore and Drew Polley.

From auntieem on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 10:11:56 from 67.182.145.8

Thanks for a report from the front! I liked the course also; it was fun and plenty wide enough for the crowds of people back where I was. The tunnel was awful, and probably more awful for you as the only one in it! Definitely the worst moment.

Congratulations on your terrific finish!

From Eric Day on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 10:53:29 from 189.192.121.253

Awesome race Paul, you ran smart & did an excellent job. Saw part of the race online, thanks to Allie, while at work. Missed you arriving at the finish line since I had to attend a client., but did see your time. awesome.

From Superfly on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 11:49:24 from 208.117.127.110

I just had to make one more comment. I re-read your post again and decided that this is the next best thing to racing myself.... reading your race reports. Actually the results are better when I read your posts. I love that you are feeling good and that late in the race you were actually able to push harder and close very well. I love being in that kind of shape.

Honestly your running really, really well and I can't wait to see what the marathon will bring if you run it. Good job man.

From Jon on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 12:03:06 from 138.64.2.76

I agree, Clyde. The results are much better but less painful when we live vicariously through Paul. Maybe we can have him run all our races! His reports make you feel like you ran alongside. Or drove alongside to keep up with him, as the case may be.

From Little Bad Legs on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 13:09:17 from 24.216.235.183

Awesome race! Enjoy your break, get the fire back and then I hope to see you in Sacramento in December.

From Sasha Pachev on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 16:08:01 from 192.168.1.1

Congratulations on success in several areas. PR on a slower course, PR on the cash in one race (correct? I believe your previous PR is $1100 from Ogden 2007), and I really like the vindication of the elite status proving to the race director that your airplane ticket was deserved.

As you mentioned already, winning money has more value than what is written on the check. Any runner that has ever been in the vicinity of money knows how hard it is to earn anything with your legs alone especially in shorter distances. You throw out $200 for the win in a local half, and lo and behold you see 1:05-1:06 on the Hospital Hill course guys. So to win $1250 in a half is serious business.

This is going to look great on your resume. Now people will start saying "who the heck is Paul Petersen" although they should have been saying that after the Trials. But it is easy to lose one sheep among the 53, third American in a major half is a different story.

Incidentally, was this an airline sponsored ticket, or did the race directors pay for it themselves?

Now the key is to remain calm. Major success whets the appetite, which is good, but at times it can make you a little drunk and less cautious which results in overtraining/overracing and as a consequence an injury or staleness. Approach your next steps with prayer and humility, with the Lord's guidance you will not go wrong.

And regarding Smithfield vs Logan, that's a bummer. Your Logan house was located perfectly near the finish of TOU. I really liked that location. But sometimes the Lord pours out so many blessings that there is not room enough to receive them, so you have to move.

From Dave S on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 16:13:08 from 4.254.228.182

Awesome race! I always love reading your reports.

From paul on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 17:50:25 from 65.103.252.214

Sasha - yes, Sean was correct; it is actually $750+$500, which is a PR for single-race prize money.

Whenever I get any sort of comp, travel, or special treatment, I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform well and conduct myself well. I felt the same way with Trials, especially since I got my free ride by running a downhill course.

To be fair, the invited field at Seattle was not terribly deep, probably because it was the race's first year. I expect it will be much tougher to place high next year. But in every race, you can only compete against those who show up, not those who don't show up. But I hold my placing in perspective and certainly don't think too highly of myself. But it will certainly look good on the resume.

Regarding your airline question, I was flown out via Southwest, and they are not listed as a race sponsor. That's all I know.

Good point about biting off too much after a race success, but believe me, I am quite calm. I have made the mistake of trying to "keep the ball rolling" more than once, and it almost always ends in injury. Others on this blog can relate as well. It's back to base-building, and no major races before December. I'm pretty much done for the summer and fall, other than some "fun" local races. No plans have been made for a next target race, racing has to fit into the rest of my life, and not the other way around, so it will depend how things are going.

Regarding Logan v. Smithfield, I like living in central Logan too, but God has called us out to Smithfield. We have helped plant an evangelical Christian church in Smithfield about a year ago, and we know now that we need to be living and forming relationships in that community. Logan is convenient, but God's plan is not necessarily the "easy" route. Fortunately there are many good running routes in Smithfield, plus much less traffic. Plus, I still work in Logan, so will still get to do my old routes. Living near TOU is nice, but that is just one day per year.

From Jon on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 17:59:31 from 138.64.2.76

"Living near TOU is nice, but that is just one day per year."

True, but living near Planet Walk is every day of the year, and you won't be able to replace that in Smithfield! (can you tell I'm still a bit sad?)

From paul on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 18:02:44 from 65.103.252.214

Sure I can. There's a Golden Mile in Smithfield too. Don't worry Jon, I'll make it a point to do some afternoon/evening runs from work.

From MichelleL on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 20:51:07 from 71.35.250.200

Rural running is great for unplanned stars. I can vouch for the foolishness of keeping the ball rolling, but I think its one of those things most people have to learn for themselves. Paul, I think it's wonderful you are following your calling to Smithfield.

From Holt on Sat, Jul 04, 2009 at 21:45:09 from 75.169.57.203

Way to go Paul! I just can't say anything more than you continually amaze me!

From Adam RW on Mon, Jul 06, 2009 at 23:18:30 from 98.202.223.65

I can't believe I missed this one! It was a great read. Glad to see such a great race and PR so early in the season! Congrats it is well deserved...

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