Philippians 4:13

Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon

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Location:

Idaho Falls,ID,USA

Member Since:

Apr 21, 2007

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

2007 St. George Marathon 2:32:06 (marathon PR)

2014 St. George Marathon 2:32:45 (close to old PR...7 years later!)

2014 Boston Marathon, 2:39:00, 298th OA, 8th AG, 1st Idahoan

2013 Lake Lowell Marathon, 2:48:34 (Course Record), 1st Overall (#6)

2012 Boston Marathon, 2:43:26 (HOT!!), 114th OA, 9th Master OA, 1st Idahoan

2010 B&A Trail Marathon (MD), 2:40:18, 1st Overall (#3), Master's Course Record (still!)

2010 Mesa Falls Marathon, 2:48:55, 1st Overall (#4)

2009 Pocatello Marathon, 2:37:22, 1st Overall (#2)

2011 The M.A.D. Marathon, 2:55:14, 1st OA (training run) (#5)

2006 Teton Dam Marathon, 2:50:48 1st Overall (#1)

2015 Hood to Coast Relay (195 miles), 1st Masters Team (6th OA), 19:59:57, 6:03 avg pace for the team

2008 Ragner Relay Del Sol (182 mile relay) 1st place team 17:04:37, 5:38 pace avg for the team

50,000 lifetime miles from spring 2000 to October 2019.  Computer logged 50,000 miles from Jan 2005 to September 12, 2020. 

Logged (on computer) 49,802 miles (2 x circumference of the earth) in ~5,700 days (8/23/20)

Logged (on computer) 24,901 miles (circumference of the earth) in 2,889 days (11/29/12) http://jeff.fastrunningblog.com/blog-My-alarm-went-off-I-got-up-eventually-/11-29-2012.html  

Short-Term Running Goals:

Keep on running, enjoy it for the sake of running, relax and enjoy life...de-stress.  Stay fit as I enter retirement in < 4years.

No racing, retired.

Long-Term Running Goals:

Keep running until this old body says no, running for fun.

Personal:

 I started running competitively in 2005 and ran my first marathon in 2005. Now retired from competitive racing.

Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;

answer me, for I need your help.
Protect me, for I am devoted to you.
Save me, for I serve you and trust you.
You are my God.
Be merciful to me, O Lord,
for I am calling on you constantly.
Give me happiness, O Lord,
for I give myself to you.
O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,
so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord;
hear my urgent cry.
I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,
and you will answer me.  - Psalm 86:1-7

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Saucony Fastwitch White 2019 Lifetime Miles: 1960.23
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Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38 Lifetime Miles: 667.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
45.2352.400.000.0097.63
Race: Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon (26.2 Miles) 02:48:56, Place overall: 18, Place in age division: 3
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
1.5026.200.000.0027.70

Well, my first pacing gig is over...and I wasn't able to pull any of the women through to the trials.  Here is the story...

Weather last night was horrible with tornado warnings all over and massive wind and rain.  When I woke up at 5am, it was still raining a bit but the wind was pushing 20-25mph steady out of the NNW.  Showered, ate something, drank coffee then Gatorade, watched the runners for the HM make their way to the 7am start then headed down to the course.  Met up with Aimee and Claire to warmup and check the weather...windy which made the 46 degrees really cold. 

Lined up at the start and saw Katie (Danner) Aldridge from the Blog going for the OT!  We had all dressed in singlets as it seemed to be warming up, no rain and some glimpses of the sun. 

Gun fires and we are off.  Now my charge was to try and run fairly steady for a 2:45 -2:47 finish, which meant between 6:18-6:22 pace.  With the wind factored in, I knew we would need to use the wind at our backs to run some quicker but even effort miles to make up for the effects of the headwind.  Miles 1-5 wind was mostly at our backs, 6-16...HEAD ON plus mile 6-7 had the only uphill (over an overpass). Miles 16-19 still into the wind but somewhat protected, miles 20-22 crosswind, 23-26.2 wind at our backs. So I wanted to go a little faster, say 6:15ish at first, allow for the wind to slow us up for the next stretch.  Miles 1-6 went pretty much according to plan with couple of quicker miles but right on target.  However, by 5M my GPS was already measuring the course 0.15M long.  I was trying to keep steady, but the gals were kinda all over except for Jessica, Claire and the twins, Katie Danner and a couple I never met, so we did not have a consistent pack.  Mile 8-11 was a really #$% as we hit the boardwalk with the wind head on.  I jumped to the front to take the wind and push a little back onto the OTQ pace and quickly started losing some of the gals By 13M it was pretty much Jessica, me, Alan from NY who was helping out and another guy.  I asked Alan to take Jessica while I tried to get the remains of  the pack back up with us.  By 16M, Jessica and Alan were up by about 25 seconds and I was trying to pull Claire along in second (no one else in sight at the time).  Claire was struggling, running low on fuel through 20M.  At around 21M, notice third place women (Karissa) coming up fast and notice that Jessica had dropped Alan.  So I put on the burners to catch her by 23M and try to pace her back down to see if we could get the 2:47.  She was running well, but everytime I tried to push back to OTQ required pace, she could only hold a 6:27 (which is what she was holding from about 16M on until I caught her).  We turned onto the boardwalk, saw the finish and saw 2:47 click over.  I burned ahead a little so Jessica could have the glory shot of 1st place by herself and she clicked in at 2:49 and change.  The rest of the women started rolling in, with the top 15 or so breaking 3:00. 

So, I was kind of a failure in my pacing gig.  If I would have held the 2:45, I would have dropped everyone so I held back to try and help the ones that I could.  By 16M, it was down to place, not OTQ so I tried to help 2nd along for a while but feel I let Jessica down if I would have been there to push her a bit more.

I forgot how much sea level makes a difference!  Never even breathed hard once, even when I ran my sub 6:00 pace at 22-23M.  If I had been running for me, I think I could have beat the 2:35 guy, which could have put me about 6th.  Oh well, maybe next year.

On that note, this could be a good men's OTQ for the FRB, but the weather can be vary unpredictable and could be a dream killer (as it was for these women).

Splits:

1-6:32

2-6:13

3-6:04 (a downhill helped here)

4-6:13

5-6:15

6-6:19

7-6:10

8-6:27 (first mile into the wind on the boardwalk)

9-6:19

10-6:29

11-6:17

12-6:28 (starting to slow for the pack)

13-6:17

14-6:41 (stop to wait for the pack to catch up)

15-6:39 (pack struggling, only Claire hangs on)

16-6:35 (trying to coax Claire thru the next few miles)

17-6:32

18-6:34

19-6:35

20-6:50 (a bit of uphill and a nasty crosswind)

21-6:20 (see 3rd coming on, start to chase down Jessica)

22-5:51 (in pursuit of Jessica)

23-5:55

24-6:27 (pushing Jessica, but could not get her any faster)

25-6:27

26-6:27

0.2-~3:00 (put I have the last stretch at more like 0.5M)

So, overall I enjoyed it but wish I could have helped the women to OTQ...any of them.  Kind of bittersweet.  The gals and assistant elite program Director all said I did all that I could do to help, but...All the women racers were very nice and I want to thank them all for the opportunity and trust they put in me to help them out.  I don't remember all their names, but it was great meeting Allison, Brandy, Aimee, Jessica, Claire, Katie and Katie, Jennifer, Karissa and Bev (who has run all 6 OT to date but did not make it today for this next one) and the others that names escape me at this late hour.

Now, off to DC for a week of training in a really swank hotel in Foggy Bottom.

 (Tangents - 185 miles)

Comments(19)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.0021.200.000.0026.20

5M easy on the TM at the gym in the hotel...a vision of the future for my hometown gym.   TM had a TV screen right on the machine, a built in fan, easy to use controls and a wide fast deck.  Miles felt great, not pain or issues but still took it short to easy back into the week after yeterday's run.  Probably will try to go outside this afternoon after the class for a short run then go out for St. Patty's day.

total time: 34:00  (Stratos - 138 miles)

6M after my training class today along the Potomac River down to the Lincoln Memorial and up to the WWII memorial.  Spent a little time observing the WWII memorial (not here the last time I was down here) then returned to the hotel via Georgeown.  I am feeling REALLY good.  As I was running down the path, I had to do a u-turn at a construction site and ended up getting behind a guy who was running along at a good clip.  As he heard me behind him, he started to kick it into gear...my competitive juices got the better of me and I started to push the pace and past him doing a 0.5M at about a 5:15 pace.  As I went by him, I commented on his good pace.  Well, at dinner one of the ladies we were dining with indicated that DC has a very large gay population, and I look back now and realize he probably thought I was checking him out!  Dang, I have to remember this is not Idaho and I was just being nice to a fellow runner (as I blew past him).

Nice dinner at a Georgetown restaurant with some good folks.  City life is sure different than our smaller town.

total time:  38:25  (Tangents - 191 miles)

 

Comments(5)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.530.000.000.0011.53

5M easy on the TM in the very nice gym...working off the beers from last night's fun dinner.  Conference starts today then a run down to the mall and Jefferson Memorial on tap for afterwards.

total time:  33:40  (Stratos - 159 miles)

6.53M with Tony from Princeton after the conference in cool and cloudy conditions.  Ran thru Georgetown to the Lincoln, Jefferson and Washington memorials and back.  Nice easy paced run with great conversation.  It is really cool running around this area!

total time:  56:53  (Stratos - 165 miles)

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.105.000.000.0013.10

10.1M early this morning along the C&O canal towpath.  Nice run, except the smell..whoa!  Got in behind a guy who was pushing the pace pretty good so I just stayed with him.  Achilles got a little tight, but not bad.

total time:  1:08:00  (Stratos 175 miles)

3M after work and souvenir shopping in Georgetown.  Easy light run just to shake out the legs after sitting in a conference all day.

total time: 20:30  (Stratos - 178 miles)

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.100.000.000.0013.10

7.1M early this morning along the towpath on a very windy day. Achilles is feeling better.

total time: 51:14  (Stratos - 185 miles)

6M outside after class on a VERY windy afternoon down to the Mall and up to the Natural History Museum.

total time: 41:23  (Stratos - 191 miles)

Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.000.000.000.006.00

6M on the TM at the gym this morning before the last day of class.  I didn't feel like running outside in the cooler temps with the clothes I could borrow from the gym and didn't want to stink up mine before packing them in the suitcase.  Leaving for home today...hooray!  Get to see my family after being gone for a whole week!

Likely no run tomorrow as we have lots of family/Easter activities for the kids planned.

total time:  39:20  (Stratos - 201 miles)

Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

No run today as I feel like up like total crap, caught some kind of bug on the plane.

Comments(6)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
45.2352.400.000.0097.63
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