I usually don't write RR for anything under a half marathon and posted a short recap on the dailies
late yesterday that few people saw. My reports tend to not be that interesting because I don't remember
or write up a huge amount of race details, plus I'm pretty slow and boring. I'm the type of runner who
totally goes into my own head and keeps in tune with my body when I'm running so I don't see a lot that
goes on around me. I just start when the gun goes off and get to the finish steady as I can and thats
usually about it.
The reason I am making a separate post is not really because of the race itself but what happened the
day before and today after racing a 5 miler yesterday.
I am now 14 days out from a full marathon. I didn't taper for the 5 miler. In fact I swam 1,500 meters
Friday morning, then ran 5 miles later in the day on Friday about 15 hours before the race.
This is our 8th consecutive year doing this 5 mile trail race. (yes I've been racing for a long time!LOL)
The Brent Kelly Memorial 5 miler. It is held in a local nature park on trail, in memory of our friends
son/nephew/ Grandson (we know the entire family) who died at age 12. It was one of his favorite
places to walk and run with his family (he comes from a family of runners, Aunt and Grampa have
both run Boston multiple times and were there this year at the high school in Hopkinton as volunteers).
Proceeds go to fund athletics for kids from low income families.
Last year my time for this race was 48:38 but I was only back to running a few weeks after major surgery
in early Feb 2012. It was the only race distance of 2012 (only ran 5 miles the once) in which
I didn't have a distance PR so I was really hoping for a decent time this year as redemption. Also its a good
confidence booster 14 days before a full (#6) to run a good race of any distance.
Course starts with almost a mile across a sandy beach road, then you climb 125 feet over a 500 foot
distance on loose gravel and sand. If you aren't sucking wind by the time you get to the top of that hill
you aren't working hard enough. Then if you aren't running up a hill you are going down a hill. Around
in a big loop and back to the 1 mile of sandy road to the finish.
I found a photo from a previous year that shows the grade on that hill, it continues like that until you
reach the top about a 125 foot climb. This is just the start of that hill with the start line in the distance
across the beach. Fun stuff.
Pretty pleased today. With no taper and swimming and running the day before At age 51 on my 8th year at
this race I course PR'd by almost 2 full minutes (previous course PR was 45:26 in 2010) and finished
3rd/32 my AG and 79/250 overall with a time of 43:31. I was also the 17th woman to finish.
My road PR is 42:27 (2010) but pretty hard to compare the two different races and the fact that I was only one
minute off that on a really hard course is a big deal for me and I think shows how much my speed has
improved since then..
My 5k split was 26:30 so I lost a little in the last 3k but the rolling hills in the 4th mile before returning to
the beach for the last mile are pretty relentless.
Hubby ran a good race also, 37:25 , 4th in 40-49 AG (he is 49) and 15th overall.
Now to the good part.
Today Hubby and i did our last longish run before the marathon , 15.65 miles. I was supposed to do
some marathon paced miles but really didn't plan on it when I set out today because of yesterday's race.
My left achilles and right knee were a tad sore from all the climbing with bad footing and running hard
on sand and gravel yesterday.
But after a slow 2.5 mile warm up today I decided that I wouldn't wimp out and I would try the run as
scheduled. Ended up running my fastest 13.1 mile split of my training cycle with miles 2.5-13.1
run at MP +10 seconds and the last 2.5 as a cool down . I hit the Half Marathon point at 2:07
(have normally been in the 2:12-2:15 range for my long runs over the last 6-7 weeks).
Told myself to slow down for the last bit and ended up with 25km in just under 2:30. Just beating my
25K race time personal best from 2005. And this was a training run!!!
Woot! Woot! I feel so ready for this marathon. Last time in Sept 2012 I had a 7 minute PR and I feel
much stronger and faster now and I think doing this training run so well after 3 consecutive days of
running with a race in the middle is great for my race day self-confidence.
So I write this for, like me, the older and slower folks. You can keep improving as you get older even
into your 50's. Last year at 50 I had an entire season of distance and course PR's (with the exception
of this race) I am hoping to do that again this year.
Wish me luck.
Thanks for reading!
That's a great confidence booster, Beth! You will totally rock your marathon!
And congrats on your 5 mile race! Awesome PR! It looked like a very tough course. Very beautiful though...
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Great job. Congrats!
Damaris
As part of the 2024 London Marathon, I am fundraising for VICTA, a charity that helps blind and visually impaired children. My mentor while in law school, Jim K (a blind attorney), has been a huge inspiration and an example of courage and perseverance. Please consider donating.
Fundraising Page
Jess runs for bacon
Nice work on both counts! Can't wait to see what you do in your marathon!
Beth, you are going to do well in the upcoming full. I loved the read, and the pic is really cool. As you know, I too, am in the old people group, so, chalk one up for us. You and your DH are quite the inspiration. I hope to complete my first full at age 52, lol.
Antipodean
Your achievements are always inspiring for an aging runner like myself (45 in a couple of weeks). Can't wait to read your RR for this marathon.
Julie
"It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."
~ Sir Edmund Hillary
No more marathons
Wow, sounds like you are peaking just right. Marathon training at its best. Go Beth.
Boston 2014 - a 33 year journey
Lordy, I hope there are tapes.
He's a leaker!
Congratulations on a great race and a great training run. Thanks for sharing your insights as well. I am just a few years younger than you and our HM and marathon PR's are almost identical so I am excited to see that you continue to improve. I look forward to seeing what you do with your marathon. Good luck!
Skirt Runner
Congrats on the PR! You are gonna kick this marathon's ass!
PRs: 5K- 28:16 (5/5/13) 10K- 1:00:13 (10/27/13) 4M- 41:43 (9/7/13) 15K- 1:34:25 (8/17/13) 10M- 1:56:30 (4/6/14) HM- 2:20:16 (4/13/14) Full- 5:55:33 (11/1/15)
I started a blog about running :) Check it out if you care to
Congrats Beth. You're going to have such a great race.
Go figure
Got ya in the other forum already, but great job. That car lined pic is kinda crazy. Think of all the exhaust if those were running ha. Well done by your dh too. You guys are part mountain goat after all that Canadian climbing I'm sure. I can't wait for your marathon.
Trying to find some more hay to restock the barn
running is bad for you
Awesome!
no one deserves all these rewards for your efforts more than you.
Awesome! no one deserves all these rewards for your efforts more than you.
Awww, thank MBC, that was a really really nice thing to say.
I do have to say with everything I have been thru "life related" during this training cycle there were many
days when I didn't think I could keep up the training but I'm very glad I did.
BTW, Buster is doing OK right now. I'm just worried how he will be when he comes off the meds and
painkillers again. Visited Auntie in the home last night and she is going gret.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment. I know it was just a 5 mile race but a 2 minute PR
at my age on any race distance is a big deal to me.
Congrats Beth on the PR. That part of the race looks great. I love when I see so much of a course in front of me.
What an awesome race, Beth!! The "hill" in that picture looks intimidating to me! I'm so happy that it's all coming together now just in time for your race!! You've trained well, and I cannot wait to read how you just totally OWN your upcoming marathon!!! Go, Beth, GO!!!
But The Smile That I Sent Out Returned With You.