2018 3:20 (and beyond) (Read 582 times)

Ace - Thanks. The travels were nice, but I was very ready to come home to my family at the end of it all.

Dad - Yes, Norway was nicer than Panama, but it was an interesting contrast for sure!

RLK - I bet your dad will have a great trip. There are lots of nice things to see and experience there. Good to hear you are feeling better again with your running!

FB - Panama was a work trip for a conference, Norway was a trip to see my parents and visit some friends on the way, so it was (luckily) not just one long business trip. Got to stop over in the Bay Area for a couple of days in between as well.

SC - According to a formula I found a while ago with effects of ascent/descent, an 83 ft drop per mile (2000 ft over 24 miles) would adjust a 7:35 pace to a 7:22 pace. But that's just a general guideline of course. Hope the race works out for you and you beat your goal!

I think I feel a hair better now, although my legs don't exactly feel fresh. Trying to hit 50 miles for the week, so since I missed my morning run today and have a birthday dinner to attend tonight I will have to do a lunch run today. Did one yesterday with 5x400 and 6x200 reps (per JD), and was able to get the legs to turn over at the required pace, and got 10 for the day with that session and a short run with the dog early evening.

SC - then I'll just keep my mouth shut. 

CK - I was also an adult-onset runner.

Actually I started "running" (some of you know this story) in grad school in the late 1980s in order to do triathlons, since I could already swim and bike. It was my least favorite and my worst of the three sports, and it surprised me that I ended up becoming a competitive runner in my 40s!  (I didn't like bike racing because I don't like drafting close to other riders.  I did a few races but it wasn't for me.)

I have never been to Norway, but I rather enjoyed my time in Panama when I was there on my sailboat (2002).

FB/CK: I have bad judgment and I endorse the use of Trail Toes.  100 miles of heat and water crossings at Western States and 0 blisters.  The only time I have had blisters of note after I started using TrailToes was 1) when I soaked a foot in epsom salts for several days before a stupid-long run to solve a problem, and it softened the skin up 2) in even stupider-longer races where practically everyone has foot issues - even then, mine were fairly minor.

Clever: The bad news: I was talking with someone else who coaches people here recently - his view is that the Tunnel course is good for 10-15 seconds/mile if you are ready for the long downhill, which I'd agree with.  You might be optimistic about getting more than that.  (You're probably the first person to be optimistic about their marathon.)  The good news:  It doesn't really matter anyway because as I said before you won't know what pace you are actually running - inaccurate gps readings and inaccurate mile markers.  Last year, mile 16 was the first marker that was (probably) in the right place.  If you have the "right effort feel" dialed in and run at that effort you'll be doing the best you can anyway.  I expect to be out there one way or another - volunteer or standing at the finish.  Hopefully I'll see you at the finish glorying in your safe BQ.

Ilana: I'm headed your way at the end of July so I expect a personal message from me. EDIT: (you can) expect a personal message from me.  Doh...

RunTheChamp: Norway and Panama are not exactly close to each other, and not two places I'd expect people to "recently travel to".  Do you have some kind of covert job - bitcoin kidnapper perhaps, something like that?

McB/CDave: Sore?

Clever: A wheel would be a huge improvement - at least then you'd be able to confirm/adjust early.  Last year the first 3 miles were the worst.  I was aiming for 7:30-ish, exited the tunnel, hit the 3rd mile marker, and saw something like 27 minutes on my watch.  After panicking briefly, I decided either it was not going to be my day or the mile markers were way off.  I already knew not to trust the markers from previous years' races, and was running by heart rate anyway, but still, it was hard to dismiss that Official Data right in front of me saying I was running 9 minute miles.  Hoping for the best for you, but trying to enable you to plan for the worst and still do ok.  Given that there are at least 8 races on that course each year, and have been for a few years, it seems like someone could wheel it and write good instructions that say things like "Mile 6 is 50 feet past the end of the big talus field on the left".  The markers still wouldn't be 100% accurate but they'd be much closer.

I call the fictional place from The Tick ‘The City.’

It would be odd for a majorly downhill race to not accept majorly downhill races as qualifiers, no?

So....

BQing:   Must be a USATF certified course or the international equivalent.  No indoor marathons allowed. No restrictions on location of start/finish or net drop.  Gun or chip time count.

OTQing:  Must be a USATF certified course or the international equivalent.  The event must be sanctioned by the USATF or the international equivalent.  No restrictions on location of start/finish.  Net drop can not exceed 3.25 meters per kilometer (the B-race has a net drop of 3.23 meters per kilometer).  Gun time only, with the occasional very rare exception.

Marathon World Recording: Course must be measured by IAAF measurer, who should either ride in the lead car during the race to confirm the measured course is being run or otherwise validate that the correct course is being used.  Course should be remeasured as soon as possible before the start or after the finish by a different measurer.  Start and finish must be within 50% of the course distance. Net drop can not exceed 1 meter per kilometer.  Transponder timing is allowed - not sure if that means chip time is valid.   Interesting question that probably doesn't come up in practice, since any world record contender is likely starting at the very front.