Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Horsetooth Half Marathon

Previous WeekRecent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesPaul's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageMonth ViewYear View
Graph View
Next Week
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

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

 

 

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
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
68.150.0013.100.000.0081.25
Brooks Launch Yellow Miles: 10.25Saucony A5 Flat Miles: 16.00Brooks PureConnect Miles: 29.00Saucony Kinvara Miles: 5.00Saucony Kinvara 3 Miles: 8.25Saucony Hattori Miles: 5.00Brooks Green Silence Miles: 7.75
Race: Horsetooth Half Marathon (13.109 Miles) 01:10:32, Place overall: 1
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
4.900.0013.100.000.0018.00

Horsetooth Half Marathon today. Last year I ran 1:11:58, and this year my goal was to go under 1:11. This is the hardest half course I have ever run, and it has 5 very large hills during the first 8 miles (2 in the first two miles), and then the last 5 miles are flat. Last year I took the hills too hard and washed out the last half, and this year I was hoping to stay relaxed until the last half of the race.

Elevation chart is HERE.

Great day to run, about 50 degrees and no wind. Warmed up about 2 miles from my house, and then did some strides at the start line. At the start line, I saw Mike Chavez and Hunter Paris, the same group that I ran with at the Sharin O The Green 5K last month. Should be a good race.

The race started on time, and we started on the first big climb, up onto Centennial Rd. Mike, Hunter, and I separated from the pack pretty quick, although the pace seemed pretty relaxed, which was good. Crested the first hill, and hit 6:19 for the first mile. Had a bit of downhill, then then the next major hill. 6:21 for Mile 2. 500' of climbing at 5200' elevation is not fun.

After the 2nd hill, the course settles down for a few miles, and there is a lot of good downhill. Still, the downhill miles were feeling pretty relaxed, and our group of 3 stuck together. No one seemed to be straining. Miles 3-5 were 5:19, 5:22, 5:13. Mile 4 featured hill #3, up the dam, which was not as bad. Mile 5 had the pounding downhill off the dam. We all stayed pretty relaxed and cool through all this, no one threw any surges.

Once off the dam, the course really speeds up a lot until the two Bingham Hills. 5:00 for Mile 6.

The first Bingham Hill is during the second part of Mile 7. At this point our group of 3 was still together, but I could hear that Hunter was breathing harder than Mike and I. Now that we were on the second half of the course, I felt okay about pushing the pace a bit, and I decided it was a good time to pick it up. I surged up the first Bingham Hill, and sure enough, Hunter dropped off pretty quick. 5:16 for Mile 7. Now it was a two-man race. I was feeling good.

Crested the first Bingham Hill, and then surged down the downhill on the other side. Had a lot of good downhill, and then the second (smaller) Bingham Hill. 5:15 for Mile 8. Mike still seemed to be running pretty easy next to me. Based on how he floated away from me in the 5K last month, I felt my chances of winning were poor.

This was the point of the race last year when the wheels fell off. This year, though, I was still feeling good. We turned off of Bingham Hill Rd, and the hills were done. Flat the rest of the way. We then turned off of Overland, and onto the Poudre Trail.

We were 5:00 for Mile 9, which surprised me. Mike dropped a step behind me, which also surprised me. I tried to keep the pace going. 5:02 for Mile 10. I followed that up with a 5:05 for Mile 11, and Mike dropped back several meters. I was surprised and happy to drop a ~15:35 5K this late on an honest part of a mile-high half marathon.

Now I was laboring pretty hard, but was also smelling the barn and smelling a win. If I just didn't fall apart, I should be able to hold off Mike, and also get my goal of sub-1:11. Mile 12 was 5:13, and Mile 13 was 5:15. So some drop-off, but not too bad, especially after those faster miles earlier. Last 0.1 was 46s (long?), and I was extremely happy to finish with 1:10:32. Mike was second with 1:11:06, Hunter 3rd with 1:13-something.

Time ended up being a course record, and I think this was my best race in several years. I'm really pleased with the effort and the outcome, and am encouraged for my race in couple months in Duluth. I hope to run under 1:06 there.

Cooled down, collected awards, and then went to Matador for burritos and beer, as is tradition. Good day.

Brooks Launch Yellow Miles: 2.00Saucony A5 Flat Miles: 16.00
Comments(22)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

More snow, no running.

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
8.250.000.000.000.008.25

Snow is finally done for a while. What a crazy April...we started the month at about 60% snowpack and are now near 100%...which is awesome for the water year and to ward off forest fires.

Ran home for lunch. 8.25 miles, averaged 7:20/Mile. Sore from Sunday, but legs were happy to be running.

Brooks Launch Yellow Miles: 8.25
Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
12.000.000.000.000.0012.00

12 miles, easy to moderate pace on the Power/Spring Creek/Poudre Trails.

Brooks PureConnect Miles: 12.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
13.250.000.000.000.0013.25

am - Fossil Creek Park, 5 miles, no watch

noon - ran home for lunch. 8.25 miles, averaged 6:56/mile.

Saucony Kinvara Miles: 5.00Saucony Kinvara 3 Miles: 8.25
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
12.750.000.000.000.0012.75

am - south end out of neighborhood. 5 miles, no watch

noon - ran home for lunch. 7.75 miles, no watch.

Saucony Hattori Miles: 5.00Brooks Green Silence Miles: 7.75
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
17.000.000.000.000.0017.00

Trilby to Shields to Kathy Fromme Prairie to Spring Creek Trail. 17 miles, averaged 7:01/mile. HOT out...like 75 degrees (I guess it's all relative). Didn't do any kind of workout, just survived.

Brooks PureConnect Miles: 17.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
68.150.0013.100.000.0081.25
Brooks Launch Yellow Miles: 10.25Saucony A5 Flat Miles: 16.00Brooks PureConnect Miles: 29.00Saucony Kinvara Miles: 5.00Saucony Kinvara 3 Miles: 8.25Saucony Hattori Miles: 5.00Brooks Green Silence Miles: 7.75
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Recent Comments: