All About Running > Racing > Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon
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Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon (Read 298 times)
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Ball Tongue
posted: 4/5/2008 at 9:03 PM
Great morning for a race in Springfield, IL. Temperature at 7:30 was about 38. Plenty of sun. There were about 800 finishers. This was my first HM in about 10 years. I had no idea of what pace I was going to be able to hold. I have really only been running seriously again since Jan 1 and have not road raced (prior to this year) in about a decade. I had no idea what to expect this morning.

I sort of planned on 6:40's at a HR of about 173 or so. Didn't happen. Locked in around 6:20 with a HR at 180 and pretty much stayed there the whole race +/- 10 seconds. The last 4 miles were very, very hilly and I discovered having big legs is a plus when running up hills.

Found a running buddy in my age group and we stayed together through about mile 8. We actually chatted all the way to that point and kept telling each other we needed to slow down. He did slow down, I did not. I kept waiting to start sucking because I honestly didn't think I could maintain a 180 HR for that long. My 5K HR has been around 180 so far this year, so I was waiting for the ball to drop. It never did.

The race drink was Accelerade. I grabbed about 4 cups of it and spilled most of it. It does taste nasty. Didn't think I would need to take on any real energy for a HM and I was right. I didn't even drink much water, probably less than 8 ounces.

I was in 15th place at the 7 mile marker. Went through 10 miles in 1:03. Reeled in 4 people on one hill around mile 11 and finished strong in 1:22:59. 11th overall, 4th in AG of 70. I was comfortable the entire race. I never felt like I was breathing hard and I was up on the front of my feet the whole way.

Thanks to MikeyMike and Jeff for the tapering advice which I sort of followed. I adopted the idea and just tweaked it a little bit.

5K next Saturday, 10K the Saturday after that. Speed workouts.

I have a full M next month and will shoot for <3:00.
The Gaijin Samurai. a.k.a The attorney dissin' attorney. Read and Listen
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posted: 4/5/2008 at 9:08 PM
One Impressive performance.

Great race Marcus.

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Funky Monkey
posted: 4/5/2008 at 9:19 PM
Sweet work Marcus! You are gonna bust that marathon.

Too bad the 4:1 race drink didn't taste any good Evil grin
It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack.
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posted: 4/5/2008 at 9:34 PM
modified: 4/5/2008 at 9:35 PM
Super race, Marcus

Also one of the most, if not THE most, impressive displays of treadmill training I've seen. You can't miss on the sub-3 unless you get crazy in the early miles. The 5k-10k races so close is going to make marathon pace feel like a jog, so be careful--voice of experience from a notoriously bad marathon pacer.

Masters PR's:
40's - 5k 16:39; 10k 33:48, HM 1:15:27, Marathon 2:43:12
50's - couch potato
60's - 5k 19:02, 10k 38:35, HM 1:26:33, 30k 2:06:26
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posted: 4/5/2008 at 10:13 PM
Holy cow dude. Awesome race--amazing when you run that much faster than even you thought. Great job.
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i can has marathawn?
posted: 4/5/2008 at 10:19 PM
Damned impressive. If I can hold that pace for a 5K I'm over the moon, that's one helluva half marathon.
Ed
Bib #10 at the Tuesday night Good Times 5K series in Lowell, MA (so sad it's over, mark your calendar for opening night on 4/2/09)

2008 goal: HTFU and BQ at BayState Marathon

Beer is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy.
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posted: 4/6/2008 at 3:50 PM
Great race Marcus! My first 1/2 is next Saturday and I'd be thrilled to come in with a time 20 minutes behind yours.

You mentioned the tapering advice that MikeyMike and Jeff gave you. Is their advice on these forums somewhere? With the success you had, I'd be interested in reading it too.
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Ball Tongue
posted: 4/6/2008 at 5:50 PM
Quote from runohio on 4/6/2008 at 3:50 PM:
You mentioned the tapering advice that MikeyMike and Jeff gave you. Is their advice on these forums somewhere? With the success you had, I'd be interested in reading it too.


Just look at my log and compare volume and intensity over the last two weeks. I ran 20 less miles this week and took it pretty easy on pace.

You don't need to copy it exactly, just cut back on intensity the last three days before the race. That's pretty much all that I did.

Good luck!!!

The Gaijin Samurai. a.k.a The attorney dissin' attorney. Read and Listen
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No one's nemesis
posted: 4/6/2008 at 6:43 PM
Way to go, Marcus! Congratulations. Awesome race.
Rick
"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." - Juma Ikangaa
"I wanna go fast." Ricky Bobby
runningforcassy.blogspot.com
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Hurdle the Dead
posted: 4/6/2008 at 6:44 PM
Quote from rvelich on 4/6/2008 at 6:43 PM:
Way to go, Marcus! Congratulations. Awesome race.


Speaking of races, are you psyched or what?

After my run today, I might be pacing you. Or running way way behind you. But I'm looking forward to it. You ready?
E-mail: JakeKnight2002@aol.com
-----------------------

"The past is nothing but a series of recollections; it does not own you ... if we are prisoners of the past, we are jailer as well."
~~ Jack Kerley, The Hundredth Man
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Ball Tongue
posted: 4/6/2008 at 7:14 PM
Quote from JakeKnight on 4/6/2008 at 6:44 PM:
You ready?


For Monkey? Sheeee-iiiittt.

For everyone else that threw some love my way, thanks a bunch!!!! Big grin

Although my DW, DD, and DM were there they don't 'get' it like y'all do.

I don't really have any local runner friends so this is my only forum to talk all things running.

Thanks for reading.
The Gaijin Samurai. a.k.a The attorney dissin' attorney. Read and Listen
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posted: 4/6/2008 at 7:29 PM
Holy crap great race man!! and you don't even look Kenyan Big grin
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posted: 4/6/2008 at 10:01 PM
Quote from DJ Marcus on 4/6/2008 at 5:50 PM:
Just look at my log and compare volume and intensity over the last two weeks. I ran 20 less miles this week and took it pretty easy on pace.

You don't need to copy it exactly, just cut back on intensity the last three days before the race. That's pretty much all that I did.

Good luck!!!


Thanks!
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posted: 4/6/2008 at 10:40 PM
Way to go Marcus! Nice job!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4B-r8KJhlE
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All About Running > Racing > Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon