2019 Sub 3 hour marathon thread (Read 680 times)

ZZCaptainObvious


    ZZCaptain: Why did you pick that as a target marathon? Late August in Wisconsin? I’ve ran a few loops around Lake Monona (20+ yrs ago) and it is nice route but late August with pretty much guaranteed heat and humidity - why not Twin Cities early October or something?

     

    I did think about Twin Cities, but (a) I live in Madison and (b) I suspect that Boston registration would be closed by the time that Twin Cities rolls around, which is kind of the end goal for me. Also, Twin Cities is at an awkward time with work/life balance since I'm either taking a week off or upgrading a bunch of software the following weekend.

     

    And I lived in Taiwan for three years growing up, so heat and humidity aren't as bad as they could be. If the weather doesn't cooperate, I'll probably cut out at the half mark and run something else. I'm also running a half two weeks before (also in Madison - I like Madison a lot) for the seventh year in a row.

     

    MTA: Madison, thanks for the heads up on the course! I figured it wasn't too flat, but that it wouldn't have the last seven miles of the Madison Marathon which I'm less a fan of. And the owners of this race also put on the Haunted Hustle out in Middleton, which I quite enjoyed (despite the course being a touch short).

    darkwave


    Mother of Cats

      Catching up some....

       

       

       

      DW Great race as always sorry about the overall awards. Sometimes you got to fight there was literally 6 seconds between you and the money. 

       

      No, I know.  The woman 6 seconds ahead is a friend.  I was reeling her in, but couldn't quite do it.  OTOH, that's by far the closest I've ever been to her in a race.

       

      Lela -belated, but welcome back as well.  I've heard good things about Erie.

       

      Cinnamon - very sorry about the portajohn visits - those are so frustrating.

       

      I never dumped off last week, so here it is for the formality of it:

       

      38  miles, 14 "miles" of pool-running, and 1000 yards of swimming

      M: Yoga and 8 "miles" of pool-running.
      T: 10 miles, including 2x(1600, 800) in 6:00, 2:53, 5:55, 2:53 (half distance recovery in 4:25-4:40 after 1600s, and 2:07 after 800)).  Also leg strengthwork and 750 yards recovery swimming.
      W: 7 miles very easy (8:52) plus drills/strides and DIY yoga.
      Th: Light upper body weights/core, DIY yoga, and 6 "miles" of pool-running.
      F: 7 miles, including an uptempo 1600 in 6:09. Also DIY yoga.
      Sa:  Travel and DIY yoga.
      Su: 3 mile warmup, 10 mile race in 62:28, 1 mile cool-down, travel, 250 yards recovery swimming

      Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.

       

      And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.

      JMac11


      RIP Milkman

        I see what you did there...

         

         

         

         

        Cinnamon - very sorry about the portajohn visits - those are so frustrating.

         

        I never dumped off last week, so here it is

          

        5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

         

         

        darkwave


        Mother of Cats

          I see what you did there...

           

           

           

          Hah!  That pun was unintentional.

           

          [got scoped out today as part of the investigation of my GI issues earlier this season, so potty humor is on my mind]

          Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.

           

          And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.

          JMac11


          RIP Milkman

            How many folks in here run charity 5Ks where they could easily win? I'm trying to find some 5ks throughout the summer, and I'm a little worried at the lack of competition in a lot of these (some winners are in the 18's) and whether it'll really let me push myself to the fullest.

            5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

             

             

            weatherboy80


              I'd say most of my local 5K's are that way in that I'm usually in the top 5-10 and where the winning times rarely break 16.  For example, my 17:27 last week on a very warm and humid morning placed 4th and the winning time was only 16:31 (he is usually around 16 flat).  Problem is I often have to run solo at many of these races.  My PR last fall was nice since I was able to chase the winner for the last 1.5 miles.

              1mile: 4:46 (12/20) | 5K: 15:57 (3/21)  |  10K: 33:40 (4/20)  |  15K 51:43 (4/21) | HM: 1:15:03 (12/20)  |  FM: 2:40:30 (1/20)

              cinnamon girl


                Ok Captain - sounds like you've contemplated things. Madison is lovely, spent 10 years of my life at that college. I assume you work for EPIC?

                 

                JMac - it's going to take me awhile to catch up on things, but is seeing how fast you can get at the 5k your next goal after Brooklyn Half? Good luck for your race week prep by the way - it's coming up quick!! But to specifically answer your question - I don't run charity 5ks for me it's not an efficient use of time and training time for any 'goals'. I have done one once that I remember, because it was for a cancer patient I used to take care of when I worked in oncology. (guy in his 30s die of colon CA - wtf, right?!) There is 'training value' in running charity 5ks I think, practicing shoes, pacing, warm-up routine, pushing yourself (internalizing your effort), etc would be helpful in prep for a goal 5k.

                 

                Finbad - how did the 10k go??

                 

                 

                 

                 

                Andres1045


                  How many folks in here run charity 5Ks where they could easily win? I'm trying to find some 5ks throughout the summer, and I'm a little worried at the lack of competition in a lot of these (some winners are in the 18's) and whether it'll really let me push myself to the fullest.

                  I've never won a 5k, but often find myself in 2nd-5th place with rather unremarkable times. And similar to weatherboy, I'm stuck running by myself in many of those. I'd say that would affect my time some, but not by a whole lot. For example, in my PR I pushed a little harder in the last half mile as I had a guy on my heels the whole way who then passed me at the 3 mile marker, and I passed back at the end. If it had been one of those races where I was stuck running on my own with no one close, I probably would have been 2-5s slower.

                   

                  A bigger reason why I try to avoid the little races with slow winning times is because they can so often end up being short. Even when it's a "certified" course, they lay it out wrong. I hate that. Bigger races don't do that (or at least I thought--f'ing Cherry Blossom!!!).

                  Upcoming races: Boston

                  minmalS


                  Stotan Disciple

                     

                    Of course, the flip side is I think we can take TOO long off, especially as we get older.  I honestly would not be comfortable with taking more than 10 days off from running altogether - after those 10 days, the first week or two I have a lot of aches and pains and near-injuries as I ramp back up.  If I took any longer, I'd worry that I'd lose my durability.

                     

                    That's why I personally go with 7-10 days of non-running - 7 is the lower limit, and 10 the upper.

                     

                    +2 That has been an issue for both my GF and I.

                    She has been out injured since the week before CIM. I attribute overuse and the vaporflys without adequate arch support. She seldom take days off. But when she do they're 6 months at a time

                     

                     

                    My Strava has been resolved so please retry if in limbo. By the way my Strava is boring all slow miles all the time. Garmin connect is where the details are at.

                    Thinking should be done first, before training begins.

                    minmalS


                    Stotan Disciple

                      How many folks in here run charity 5Ks where they could easily win? I'm trying to find some 5ks throughout the summer, and I'm a little worried at the lack of competition in a lot of these (some winners are in the 18's) and whether it'll really let me push myself to the fullest.

                      Corporate Challenge in Central Park.  Make Sure to get to the front I don't want to hear any excuses about slow traffic.

                      Those guys and gals will start your summer racing off right.

                       

                      Don't get ......

                      Chicked

                      Thinking should be done first, before training begins.

                      JMac11


                      RIP Milkman

                        Cinnamon - Ugh, cancer in your 30s is some scary shit. One thing I keep trying to remind myself all the time when I get down and out about a workout is "be thankful you're even running."

                         

                        Thanks for the well wishes! Yes, after Brooklyn, I plan on spending all summer working on speed. First, I haven't had a dedicated 5k/10k period for a few years at this point, and summer is usually a good time to do it, especially since I don't need to start my CIM training until September. Second, I like the idea of doing more speed work as a "base" building before marathon specific training. Finally, I'd like to get a respectable 5K time, rather than just ones I pick up in the middle of other race distances or at the beginning of marathon cycles when I feel like crap.

                         

                        I wish NYRR had more 5Ks, but they don't, and it really pisses me off. They love having 4 and 5 mile races because it works best for them in Central Park. So it's hard to find good non-charity 5Ks around here.

                         

                        Nimmals - I have run the corporate challenge for the past 5 years, but I'm missing it this year! I always finish in like 30th with a not-so-impressive time (as seen by my 5K PR), yet I'm probably in 200th by the 0.5 mile mark. I've seen guys go out at 5:30 in the first mile and not crack 7:00 in their final mile. The fastest guys do put up good times though. I'm running most of my charity 5Ks out on Long Island this year, so may see you at one of them. Right now, my very preliminary plan is one in Smithtown on June 29, Heart&Sole on July 21, and Hope Runs Here on August 17. ETA: i hope you do show up for some so I have someone to chase after 

                         

                        Andres - what's your deal these days, get some "upcoming races" in your sig line! You've made a lot of progress so far this year, need something out there to go after. Feel like you're on the winging it schedule.

                        5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

                         

                         

                        Andres1045


                          Andres - what's your deal these days, get some "upcoming races" in your sig line! You've made a lot of progress so far this year, need something out there to go after. Feel like you're on the winging it schedule.

                          I'm running a 5k the first weekend of June. Or at least that's the plan. My wife wants me to run it with our oldest son for his first 5k (he's 8), but I think she'll end up running it with him.  After that, I won't race anything until September, at least. Not much happens here racewise until then.  Most mornings end up being 80+ with very high humidity. Not much fun to race in that, so there aren't any real races going.

                           

                          My big goal, as of now, is to race the Houston full next year. I've kind of written off doing any marathons until then. I'd like to really get in good shape and run it well. Leading up to that I'll probably run several of the "warm up series" races affiliated with the marathon. It's a long shot, but I'd love to qualify as a "local elite" for Houston through one of those races. They have different age groups, but still it'll be hard. The guys in the 40-49 range are still quite fast, with the winner usually doing 2:35 or so in the marathon, and similar equivalent times in the warm up races, adjusted for weather. But they can only qualify once. So in theory if you wait until the last one (a 30k), you just need to get 4th to qualify if the other 3 have already qualified in the prior races, and meet a minimum standard time which isn't super hard (I think it's around 6:15 pace).

                          Upcoming races: Boston

                          ZZCaptainObvious


                            Cinnamon - yeah, in Bridges/Integration. Aka making Epic talk to everyone else better.

                             

                            I do want to run Twin Cities one of these years as well since my mom's side of the family is up in that area.

                            cinnamon girl


                              JMac - I understand the desire to work on 5k-10k speed for sure. Definitely. Refreshing! And it is always fun to think of and work towards a 5k (and 10k) PR - I'm thinking of it as well! I bet those 4 and 5 mi races in Central Park would be good for CIM base-training though.

                               

                              Nimmals - what the hell did she do?? Even when I completely tore my hamstring I wasn't out for 6 months. Almost.

                               

                              I'm a little annoyed - email received today listing awards from Vancouver and they don't have me in the top 3 Masters prize money - they have 3rd place as someone I finished ahead of by almost 3 minutes even with my 3 minutes of pit stops. I finished 40 sec behind 2nd place Master (who was in the 40-44 AG). 1st Master was legitly fast at 2:52 (AG 40-44). Did they just look at the 40-44 age group for Masters placement and completely disregard the thought that someone in the 45-49 could have finished faster? I responded to the email which I didn't really want to do, but it's about principal. The $200 isn't going to help me much at this point. I feel like I've been invisible some races - I ran Carlsbad 5000 (2017?) and  should have made top 10 Masters but they had a 30-something year old in the top 10. I emailed RnR about that and they said they weren't changing the results because the woman ran in our heat. (WTF?!) Idk - maybe this is all just getting a little spark going in my belly. HA.

                               

                              It'slike part of me cares but part of me doesn't.

                               

                               

                               

                               

                              darkwave


                              Mother of Cats

                                 

                                 

                                I'm a little annoyed - email received today listing awards from Vancouver and they don't have me in the top 3 Masters prize money - they have 3rd place as someone I finished ahead of by almost 3 minutes even with my 3 minutes of pit stops. I finished 40 sec behind 2nd place Master (who was in the 40-44 AG). 1st Master was legitly fast at 2:52 (AG 40-44). Did they just look at the 40-44 age group for Masters placement and completely disregard the thought that someone in the 45-49 could have finished faster? I responded to the email which I didn't really want to do, but it's about principal. The $200 isn't going to help me much at this point. I feel like I've been invisible some races - I ran Carlsbad 5000 (2017?) and  should have made top 10 Masters but they had a 30-something year old in the top 10. I emailed RnR about that and they said they weren't changing the results because the woman ran in our heat. (WTF?!) Idk - maybe this is all just getting a little spark going in my belly. HA.

                                 

                                It'slike part of me cares but part of me doesn't.

                                 

                                I get it.  Every time I challenge results (which happens a fair bit in the female masters division, unfortunately, since that division seems most prone to mistake/abuse), there's a part of me that feels like I'm being a sore loser and a bad sport.

                                 

                                And...I think that's because we've been programmed that way.  As women who were girls in the 70s and 80s, we were encouraged to do sports (unlike previous generations), but there was still very much a focus on comradery and activity, not competition.  It wasn't OK for us to want to compete and to win, in the way that it was for men, or that it is now for both genders (though I think it's still much more socially acceptable for women to cross a finish holding hands than for men).

                                 

                                [and actually, that's a good question for the men here - if you beat another guy, but saw him given an award ahead of you, would you feel uncomfortable contacting the race management and asking them to double check the results?]

                                 

                                I still feel a bit awkward when I talk about wanting to win, though I just move past it.  And, for the same reasons, I feel a bit of hesitation when contesting results that I believe are wrong.  But...this is ultimately a competition, and there is nothing wrong with asking that the rules be fairly enforced, and the awards fairly given.

                                 

                                Charity 5Ks - I'm a bit amused by this characterization of charity races as less competitive.  That's not my experience here - whether a race benefits a charity doesn't have much, if any, correlation with how deep it is.  Some of our biggest races benefit charities, and we have some very very small races (5Ks won in over 20 minutes) that are run by for-profit groups.

                                 

                                Also amused by having plenty of 4 milers and 5 milers, but no 5Ks - it's really just the inverse here.  Plenty of 5Ks, but hard to find a 4 or 5 miler, which is why my PRs for both those distances are now slower than my 10 mile PR.....

                                 

                                Jmac - you need to come down to DC, and I can come up to NYC.

                                Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.

                                 

                                And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.