Forums >Racing>2011 Goal of Sub-3:00 Marathon
Ben & Candice - I said it on FB, but I'll say it here as well. Great job in the heat and tough conditions at the St. Louis Marathon. It's tough no matter what when you get that kind of weather, but for us up here in MN training in the cold all winter hitting a race with that kind of weather so early in the season is especially cruel. I am in awe of what both of you put up for times. NYC will be a much better day with a celebration after the race.
Thanks Don
Ben and I were both definitely disappointed with our times, but we both went after it early on despite the weather. That's all you can do and just hope it sticks I guess. I go back and forth between being bummed and just happy I survived as well as I did.
I have work to do for sub 3 at NYC though. I just don't know how much. Not sure what I could have ran if the heat hadn't been a factor. I felt great early on.
Break on through
The Gansett Marathon was a small marathon (162 finishers) with great support from the race director and volunteers. The route was full of twists and turns in the beachside town of Narragansett, Rhode Island. Mainly it was two loops - a 16 mile loop returning to the start followed by a 10 mile loop retracing some of the steps of the first loop and also returning to the start. It was fairly cold - around 38 degrees F at the start at 8 AM, and very windy throughout!
My goal was 2:50, so I wanted to stay around a 6:29 pace. Here's the tale of the watch...
1 - 6:39, 2 - 6:31, 3 - 6:25, 4 - 6:26,5 - 6:26, 6 - 6:30, 7 - 6:29, 8 - 6:18,9 - 6:30, 10-6:33, 11-6:29, 12-6:29,13-6:29, 14-6:36, 15-6:24, 16-6:24,17-6:38, 18-6:37, 19-6:26, 20-6:37,21-6:45, 22-6:59, 23-7:10, 24-7:06,25-7:28, 26-6:40, (26.2)- 1:31
Final Time - 2:53:34 / 15th place
I definitely wanted to avoid going too fast in the first couple of miles, as I have had that problem in previous marathons, so I started with the the mindset of being okay with going a bit slower for the first couple of miles and easing into the target pace. Around mile 7 to 11, I think, I was running about the same pace as another guy. And we traded off taking the brunt of the wind every half mile (every mile and half mile were conveniently marked for the race) - I pulled ahead for a while, but he would pass me for good around mile 21.
I was right on pace through the halfway point - 1:24:56. But fatigue had already been setting in for a couple of miles already, and doubts were creeping in. I was able to keep somewhat close to my target pace through mile 20, but around there, it was like the flip of a switch, and everything was difficult. I developed a side-stich / stomach cramp, and my legs were heavy. A couple runners passed me in the last few miles, and a third was about to pass around the 25 mile mark. I was able to get it together enough for the last mile to regain a sub 7:00 pace and keep from getting passed one more time.
So 2:50 remains a goal, but I think I did what I could given the conditions. Slowing down at the half-way point might have given me more even splits and a slightly better time and place than what I did trying to maintain the pace and melting down at the end. But it still would have been above 2:50. I had to give it a shot!
I may try Gansett again next year... who knows...
"Not to touch the Earth, not to see the Sun, nothing left to do but run, run, run..."
Based on Text message results, so far I have the following results for Boston:
Kahn 2:50:41
Tunney (Nemo ME) 2:54:37
Hrynowski (BadDawg) 2:56:37
Hearn (bhearn) 2:58:41
I didn't have the bib numbers for everyone in the sub 3 group. Looks like a great day to run Boston. Winning time of 2:03:02 is just mind boggling, even with the tailwind. And Desiree Davila is my hero.
http://briandpurcell.blogspot.com/
Hancock (xhristofer) 3:03:32
Rowe 3:13:17
Nice job for Rowe after having very little training recently because of injuries. I believe that's just about 4 minutes off his PR.
Hass (spaniel) 3:27:32
He was still sub 6 pace at 30k, so that last 12k must have been BRUTAL!
joescott 2:57:03
jenjones 3:08:11 (I believe that's a PR for her)
bzaganjo 3:17:02
dnephin 3:19:01
kosherdave 3:19:35
Tmorin - 2:58:19
DGRosen - 3:01:43
Geo Runner - 3:02:37
Congrats to everyone that ran today. What a race to participate in!
Hass (spaniel) 3:27:32 He was still sub 6 pace at 30k, so that last 12k must have been BRUTAL!
That hurts just thinking about it. Way to power through though....
Final Time - 2:53:34 / 15th place So 2:50 remains a goal, but I think I did what I could given the conditions. Slowing down at the half-way point might have given me more even splits and a slightly better time and place than what I did trying to maintain the pace and melting down at the end. But it still would have been above 2:50. I had to give it a shot!
Beat - (wanted to acknowledge this lest it gets buried amongst all the Boston talk)...great race! Yesterday was super windy, way to hang in there, and fight back that last mile.
Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and roguesWe're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes
tenacity
Hmmmm... 3:00:33, but don't know if that's chip time or not. I *might* have gone under 3 barely.
I would swear I posted in this thread, but can't find it. Maybe I posted in DB's 2010 thread. Got it at Boston today, official result was 2:56:38,
MTA: and met bhearn and others, which was great.
E.J.Greater Lowell Road RunnersCry havoc and let slip the dawgs of war!May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your SPF30, may the rains fall soft upon your sweat-wicking hat, and until you hit the finish line may The Flying Spaghetti Monster hold you in the hollow of His Noodly Appendage.
I had a blast today. As reported above, 2:58:41, about a minute PR. About a minute negative split. I planned on :20 negative split, but picked it up after Heartbreak. I was never really hurting.
That's because you are a MACHINE. Nice running!
Thanks! If it was always easy, it wouldn't be as much fun to keep trying at it.
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