2012 Sub-3:00 Marathon Goal Thread (Read 6881 times)

DoppleBock


    ??

     

    By mile #17 - All I could do was focus on breathing and form.  Mile #23 was already light headed and just trying to push as hard as possible without passing out.  This is shy scenic marathons mean almost nothing to me.  Crowd, bands also mean nothing.  It is nice to have other runners to focus on to catch and pass ... as long as they stay the hell out of my way! 

     

    Did you notice the badly ripped, grooved up road in Mile 23 going up a hill that was slippery with Gatorade. Or the gigantic opossum that was roadkill right after the mile 17 marker? 

    Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

     

     

      DB, that wasn't meant to be an "attacky" post. Now that I read it, I sound kind of like an ass. Just commenting on really the two things I remember about this race and seeing if anyone else did.

       

      That's one thing I regret I kind of zoned out the entire race. I can barely remember anything about it. Except that it hurt most of it.

       

      Overall Houston is a good race. If it was local, I'd run either the half or full probably every year. If they just improve their corral line-ups (i.e. more corrals) and pave the whole course in asphalt. It would be golden.

      DoppleBock


        I did not take it negatively - Just saying I did not notice anything.  Probably the only thing I took time to notice was when a really nice female butt came into view.  That and I ran next to a guy that had to be 6 foot 9 and 230-240 pounds when I ran with the 3:20 group - Thinking "Brotha from anotha motha"

        Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

         

         

        HermosaBoy


          That and I ran next to a guy that had to be 6 foot 9 and 230-240 pounds when I ran with the 3:20 group - Thinking "Brotha from anotha motha"

           

          HA!

          And you can quote me as saying I was mis-quoted. Groucho Marx

           

          Rob

          bhearn


            Concrete - I never notices the concrete ?   

             

            Wow. That was the one thing worrying me going into the race; generally I am very trashed after running a race on concrete. For Houston I opted for slightly-more-cushiony flats (Saucony Fastwitch 4, my regular trainers) over my typical race shoe (Saucony Type A2). I think that made a huge difference; I don't feel beat up at all.

             

            Yes, fix the corral situation at the start and pave the course over with asphalt, and it would be just about perfect. However, there were a lot more underpass/overpasses than I expected for a "flat" course. I still think Boston is a faster course, at least for me. Give me net downhill and just a few decent hills.

             

            The highlight for me was running around the Rice campus -- I graduated from there 25 years ago. Anyone else catch the MOB (Marching Owl Band) members playing music just before we turned the corner around Rice? I used to be in the MOB.

             

            I was kind of annoyed the whole way about the placement of the 3:10 pace group. I was ahead of them until my potty stop around M9; then they were 30-45 seconds ahead of me the whole rest of the way. So there was always a big mass of people just ahead of me; it was very thin behind me. I was convinced throughout the race that the pace group was too fast -- I was maintaining a 10-20 second cushion on 3:10 pace. I was planning on kicking in the last mile, but still I'd rather place ahead than behind of all those people. Of course, by the finish the group was a lot thinner. And I did kick way past the group leader in the last mile. Oddly, he crossed the line around 3:09:45. So either my math was wrong, or he slowed a lot in the last mile.

            xor


              Before the race, I was warning folks about all the concrete on another message board and was retorted a few times by folks claiming that I didn't know what I was talking about.  Good to see that it wasn't just me.

               

              And yeah, there is a lot more roly poly in there than folks expect.  However, I had just remembered the rolies toward the end.  They were sneaky throughout.

               

              What the hell am I doing in here.

               

              See ya.

               

              DoppleBock


                Rollys in the 1st 6 miles - Pretty flat for the next 14 ~ 3-4 unerpasses the last 6.2.  Maybe 400-500 feet of total elevation gain / loss ~ Maybe 200-300?  Garmin anyone?

                 

                I think that is almost perfect in my book - Enough change to help the legs.

                 

                But yes - I was really suprised how many ups and downs in the 1st 6-7 miles 

                 

                Before the race, I was warning folks about all the concrete on another message board and was retorted a few times by folks claiming that I didn't know what I was talking about.  Good to see that it wasn't just me.

                 

                And yeah, there is a lot more roly poly in there than folks expect.  However, I had just remembered the rolies toward the end.  They were sneaky throughout.

                 

                What the hell am I doing in here.

                 

                See ya.

                Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                 

                 

                DoppleBock


                  Boston may be easier for the person who knows how to run it to near perfection ~ The 1st 10+ miles takes way too much discipline for most runners.

                  Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                   

                   


                  Why is it sideways?

                    Before the race, I was warning folks about all the concrete on another message board and was retorted a few times by folks claiming that I didn't know what I was talking about.  Good to see that it wasn't just me.

                     

                    Maybe the concrete is what got Ritz...


                    finally Sub-3!!!

                      Just found this website and I am very happy to have knocked 11' off my 26.2 PR to squeek under the 3 hour mark. 

                       

                      I can't imagine how I could ever run faster, but I said that at 3:10 too.


                      I Ain't Dead Yet!

                        Can the list master update my spring goal race to Pine Line Trail Marathon in Medford, WI on 4/28? After much thought and help from Dopplebock I decided that going all-out 3 weeks away from my big FANS 24 hour race would probably not be a good idea.  

                         

                        Will still run Wobegon but as a slower training run or may pace a friend to a BQ.

                        My hair is gone and I'm almost blind
                        The days of my youth are far behind
                        My neck is stiff, I can't turn my head
                        Can't hear one-half that's being said
                        And this is the message I want you to get
                        I'm still a-kicking, and I ain't dead yet.

                          Don, I transferred the sub-2:45 goal over as well.  Is that right or would you like to adjust it?

                          "I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."

                          -- Dick LeBeau


                          Was it all a dream?

                            Rollys in the 1st 6 miles - Pretty flat for the next 14 ~ 3-4 unerpasses the last 6.2.  Maybe 400-500 feet of total elevation gain / loss ~ Maybe 200-300?  Garmin anyone?

                             

                            I think that is almost perfect in my book - Enough change to help the legs.

                             

                            But yes - I was really suprised how many ups and downs in the 1st 6-7 miles 

                             

                            My garmin came up with ~800ft up/750ft down in the half.  More than I expected. It seemed pretty damn flat to me.


                            I Ain't Dead Yet!

                              Don, I transferred the sub-2:45 goal over as well.  Is that right or would you like to adjust it?

                               

                              Thanks man.  Nah, let's swing away and see what I come up with.

                              My hair is gone and I'm almost blind
                              The days of my youth are far behind
                              My neck is stiff, I can't turn my head
                              Can't hear one-half that's being said
                              And this is the message I want you to get
                              I'm still a-kicking, and I ain't dead yet.

                              DoppleBock


                                Must be that you were floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee!

                                 

                                 

                                My garmin came up with ~800ft up/750ft down in the half.  More than I expected. It seemed pretty damn flat to me.

                                Long dead ... But my stench lingers !