Forums >Racing>2010 Goal of Sub 3:00 marathon
I will hand the duties to someone else - 80-90% of the time it is a blast the other 10-20% a chore. When I am really busy or I just don't give a shit about training, I hate coming on to a running board.
Overall it has been a joy ... Last year at this time Jim ask someone to take the reigns for 2010 - I jumped for the man and just started one for 2010
Next ....
DB -> I know its bit early but you do a great job with this forum.. any thoughts about next year?? Or do you need a break.. I am getting my race schedule together and am ready to throw a few out for 2011.. you taking orders?
Long dead ... But my stench lingers !
I think it's a longshot, but I'm going to try to get it done in Hartford on Saturday morning.
EJ, as one of the many sub 3 thread lurkers, I wish you the best as you kick Hartford's ass. Magic can happen. I'm looking forward to the report.
The Thunder
Ha! Well I didn't think you were a weirdo, but I was like "who IS that guy?" I did appreciate the cheering by name and support regardless. It definitely broke up the mental game each time! This is the 2nd time I have run Wineglass as the full marathon. One other time as a relay, and I have done two training runs on the course of the last 24 miles. So I am quite familiar with the course and have learned how to pace it pretty well. I love the course and race. But I also like the smaller races for many of the reasons that dcv mentions he did not. But knowing the course really well and having run there before, makes a big difference. My original goal for Wineglass was to just go under 2:55. But within the last 3 weeks of training, and after running a 1:21 half, I decided that I would just lay it all on the line and go for what I was "capable of on paper." After all, I felt 100%, everything was going perfect, and who knows if it would ever line up like that again. All the predictors had my solidly at 2:51, so that became my goal. (6:31 - 6:32 pace) My plan of attack was to break it up into 5k's, just biting off 3.1 miles at a time, and pacing each one of those rather than worrying about 26.2 miles and overall time and pacing. I figured I would go out just a little under goal pace for the first mile, then settle into goal pace by 5k. Then hit each 5k split from there and pace each portion. The nice thing about my Garmin Forerunner 110 is that when you hit the lap split, it resets your average pace for the current lap. This was originally not a feature I liked because I wanted to know my overall average pace thru entire training runs, but for this racing plan in the marathon, it was perfect. It kept me much more in check for smaller chunks of the race and helped me stay very consistent and even. I was right on target at every split and it seemed that 6:30 - 6:31 pace was where I was settling in pretty well. I felt really great thru the first half and was right on target. This gave me a big confidence boost. I enjoyed the next few miles. At about mile 16, I started to let a little doubt creep in. I could feel my legs getting tired and the 6:31 pace became slightly more effort to maintain. Still nothing major, but just those late mile doubts. But at mile 18, we hit the last relay exchange point and there was a big crowd cheering and lots of activity, so I fed off that energy and said, "Ok, you have come this far. Don't give up on it now," I got a bit of a second wind and had a really strong miles 18 to 20. At mile 20, I knew it was time to work. THE LAST 10k! This is the place where the marathon makes or breaks you. So, I hit the split at 20 miles and said, "Just 2 more 5k's. Just one 5k at a time." I knew I could dig deep and hold my pacing for at least one more 5k. This is where it really helped to just be biting off 3.1 miles at a time. Menatally, it was an attainable goal and I knew I could do it. And I did. With 5k to go, I was still right on pace. I hit my split with the last 5k to go and now it was work. My legs were feeling really heavy and I wanted to slow up. I was fighting everything when I hit mile 24. I looked at my watch and saw 6:33 on the pace. For the first time in the race, I had slipped over 6:32 pace on my watch. And it might not sound like much, but let me tell you, at that point my brain said I was done. I knew I could back off and "coast in" for the last 2 miles and still come away with a great race for me, and I really wanted to do just that. That one little second on my watch was so much more than that. I imagine the only people who can understand what I mean are marathoners. Right when I was ready to let my pace slide and back things down, conceding that this was the best I was gonna do for today, my friend Emily, who had been biking the course along with us for support, came up alongside me. I remember telling her I was hurting and I thought about backing off, and she said "Don't do that now!" And that was it. Those four simple words from a friend at mile 24 were what I needed. It clicked in my head, and I said to her, "No, I am not going to back off at this point. I have worked too hard for this." And that's what it took. The extra push from her, to make me not concede that those last 2 miles. I dug deep for every ounce I had left and was able to get my pace back to 6:32 average for that last 5k and finish what I started. I crossed the line in 2:50:24, right on 6:30 pace and 13th overall. Things had gone exactly to plan, and I could not have asked for a better race. Everything I had worked so hard for had paid off. It all came together when it needed to and I am really, really happy with this one. Going back and analyzing my splits/pacing, this is what they were for each 5k and the half and 20 mile points: 20:15 time - 6:32 pace 20:18 - 6:32 20:09 - 6:29 20:12 - 6:30 1:25:17 half marathon - 6:30 20:08 - 6:29 20:02 - 6:27 2:10:02 at 20 miles - 6:30 20:10 - 6:29 20: 20 - 6:32 1:25:17 first half 1:25:07 second half
Ha! Well I didn't think you were a weirdo, but I was like "who IS that guy?" I did appreciate the cheering by name and support regardless. It definitely broke up the mental game each time!
This is the 2nd time I have run Wineglass as the full marathon. One other time as a relay, and I have done two training runs on the course of the last 24 miles. So I am quite familiar with the course and have learned how to pace it pretty well. I love the course and race. But I also like the smaller races for many of the reasons that dcv mentions he did not. But knowing the course really well and having run there before, makes a big difference.
My original goal for Wineglass was to just go under 2:55. But within the last 3 weeks of training, and after running a 1:21 half, I decided that I would just lay it all on the line and go for what I was "capable of on paper." After all, I felt 100%, everything was going perfect, and who knows if it would ever line up like that again. All the predictors had my solidly at 2:51, so that became my goal. (6:31 - 6:32 pace)
My plan of attack was to break it up into 5k's, just biting off 3.1 miles at a time, and pacing each one of those rather than worrying about 26.2 miles and overall time and pacing. I figured I would go out just a little under goal pace for the first mile, then settle into goal pace by 5k. Then hit each 5k split from there and pace each portion. The nice thing about my Garmin Forerunner 110 is that when you hit the lap split, it resets your average pace for the current lap. This was originally not a feature I liked because I wanted to know my overall average pace thru entire training runs, but for this racing plan in the marathon, it was perfect. It kept me much more in check for smaller chunks of the race and helped me stay very consistent and even. I was right on target at every split and it seemed that 6:30 - 6:31 pace was where I was settling in pretty well.
I felt really great thru the first half and was right on target. This gave me a big confidence boost. I enjoyed the next few miles. At about mile 16, I started to let a little doubt creep in. I could feel my legs getting tired and the 6:31 pace became slightly more effort to maintain. Still nothing major, but just those late mile doubts. But at mile 18, we hit the last relay exchange point and there was a big crowd cheering and lots of activity, so I fed off that energy and said, "Ok, you have come this far. Don't give up on it now," I got a bit of a second wind and had a really strong miles 18 to 20.
At mile 20, I knew it was time to work. THE LAST 10k! This is the place where the marathon makes or breaks you. So, I hit the split at 20 miles and said, "Just 2 more 5k's. Just one 5k at a time." I knew I could dig deep and hold my pacing for at least one more 5k. This is where it really helped to just be biting off 3.1 miles at a time. Menatally, it was an attainable goal and I knew I could do it. And I did. With 5k to go, I was still right on pace.
I hit my split with the last 5k to go and now it was work. My legs were feeling really heavy and I wanted to slow up. I was fighting everything when I hit mile 24. I looked at my watch and saw 6:33 on the pace. For the first time in the race, I had slipped over 6:32 pace on my watch. And it might not sound like much, but let me tell you, at that point my brain said I was done. I knew I could back off and "coast in" for the last 2 miles and still come away with a great race for me, and I really wanted to do just that. That one little second on my watch was so much more than that. I imagine the only people who can understand what I mean are marathoners.
Right when I was ready to let my pace slide and back things down, conceding that this was the best I was gonna do for today, my friend Emily, who had been biking the course along with us for support, came up alongside me. I remember telling her I was hurting and I thought about backing off, and she said "Don't do that now!" And that was it. Those four simple words from a friend at mile 24 were what I needed. It clicked in my head, and I said to her, "No, I am not going to back off at this point. I have worked too hard for this." And that's what it took. The extra push from her, to make me not concede that those last 2 miles. I dug deep for every ounce I had left and was able to get my pace back to 6:32 average for that last 5k and finish what I started.
I crossed the line in 2:50:24, right on 6:30 pace and 13th overall. Things had gone exactly to plan, and I could not have asked for a better race. Everything I had worked so hard for had paid off. It all came together when it needed to and I am really, really happy with this one.
Going back and analyzing my splits/pacing, this is what they were for each 5k and the half and 20 mile points:
20:15 time - 6:32 pace
20:18 - 6:32
20:09 - 6:29
20:12 - 6:30
1:25:17 half marathon - 6:30
20:08 - 6:29
20:02 - 6:27
2:10:02 at 20 miles - 6:30
20:10 - 6:29
20: 20 - 6:32
1:25:17 first half
1:25:07 second half
Wow...that's what it's all about!
1 Hip and 2 Hamstring reconstructions later…
Ccowden
Truly a great race - nicely paced, although 25 seconds - Damn man you were so close to saying you are a 2:49 guy!
Not as bad as my last Grandmas - Hot and I blew up - Faking it the last 8 miles (Oh yah, give it to me baby!)
1:23:53 / 1:26:07 = 2:50:00 ... I could have farted it under 2:50
Is there a heat wave building in the upper midwest ???? Oh, right, it must be Chicago marathon time ...
Just messing with all of you!
Is there a heat wave building in the upper midwest ???? Oh, right, it must be Chicago marathon time ... Just messing with all of you!
It's just to balance out from last year!
By 10:30 am, it should only be in the mid 60's.That's still pretty cool compared to most of the weather we had to train in this summer.
I will be doing a little run in the woods and thinking about you guys - I start @ 6:00am and will not likely finish until @ 4:00pm.
Headlamps shining in the cool morning air ... the morning mist burning off ... the wind rustling in the trees ... crunching leaves underfoot.
Those leaves will be hiding all the rocks and roots I am going to be triping on ... all the constant hills are going to trash my quads ... It will be harder and harder to lift up my feet ... I will start falling ... and falling ... swear a few times ... maybe punch a tree or two.
Then it will go from warm to hot ... my stomache will start to sour from all the gu ... the salt that has crusted up on my face will start to run into my eyes as sweat starts to pour down my face.
As my eyes burn I will get mad ... running is stupid ... I just want to get it over with ... so I will haul ass to the finish line.
and then ... start dreaming about running another one!
I will be doing a little run in the woods and thinking about you guys - I start @ 6:00am and will not likely finish until @ 4:00pm. Headlamps shining in the cool morning air ... the morning mist burning off ... the wind rustling in the trees ... crunching leaves underfoot. Those leaves will be hiding all the rocks and roots I am going to be triping on ... all the constant hills are going to trash my quads ... It will be harder and harder to lift up my feet ... I will start falling ... and falling ... swear a few times ... maybe punch a tree or two. Then it will go from warm to hot ... my stomache will start to sour from all the gu ... the salt that has crusted up on my face will start to run into my eyes as sweat starts to pour down my face. As my eyes burn I will get mad ... running is stupid ... I just want to get it over with ... so I will haul ass to the finish line. and then ... start dreaming about running another one!
What ultra are you doing? Sounds like fun :-)
Glacial 50M
Low key ... aide stations are far apart ... either a 2 hand held race or a camelback race
Good luck! Even running 50 M slow one week after a hard marathon has to be pretty painful... Hopefully the it's a little cooler up in the KM...
I just hope I can talk the 1st aide station out of some of their cream filled donuts!
Ultra are all about jogging between Buffets (I mean aide stations)
But you are misinformed about a slow 50 - Its not that bad. Although this one has @ 11,000 feet of elevation change or so I am told
Good Monkey training!
Hey, all.
Due to weather concerns, and an unyielding desire to run the best time I can, I'm opting out of Chicago's splendor for my hometown race with a couple hundred participants. "City of Trees Marathon" this Sunday. Will be sharing my report after.
Bout time you got to training....or you're gonna get your butt handed to you at the Monkey.
Hey, all. Due to weather concerns, and an unyielding desire to run the best time I can, I'm opting out of Chicago's splendor for my hometown race with a couple hundred participants. "City of Trees Marathon" this Sunday. Will be sharing my report after.
Good luck chances!
Ccowden 1:25:17 first half 1:25:07 second half Truly a great race - nicely paced, although 25 seconds - Damn man you were so close to saying you are a 2:49 guy! Not as bad as my last Grandmas - Hot and I blew up - Faking it the last 8 miles (Oh yah, give it to me baby!) 1:23:53 / 1:26:07 = 2:50:00 ... I could have farted it under 2:50
I didn't leave those 25 seconds out there anywhere. The tank was completely empty for the last 2 miles and I was running on nothing but fumes and desire to hold my pace. I finished 36 seconds faster than that day's dream of 2:51, so those 25 seconds you mention.... don't even make the equation. I am 100% satisfied, and then some, being a 2:50 guy.