Category: marathon

That DAM Half Marathon Race Report…

The Dash likes. ~ Dash Parr

1:26:50, 8th Overall, 3rd in Age Group PR*

*Full disclosure, this was my first half marathon, so a PR was inevitable.

I had high hopes for this past week’s race (That DAM Half Marathon) and I really wanted to throw down a good time and solid effort. Fortunately, my bod cooperated and turned a tough course into a fantastic time (both clock and experience).

The day started with an early alarm to get to the Colorado House Rabbit Society for our monthly volunteer session. Rach was extra-special awesome and got up VERY early in order to facilitate an early exit by yours truly in order to get down to the race in a timely fashion. We cleaned bunny runs quickly and I changed into my race kit and scurried out the door at 8:30. This provided plenty of time to get down to the race, get in a short warm up and get ready to run my first official half marathon.

Cool temps, overcast skies and steady-but-mild winds greeted us on race day. The field wasn’t particularly deep but there appeared to be some decent talent on the starting line on Cherry Creek Reservoir Dam Road when they started us right at 10:00. The first 2.5 miles ran across the dam itself and featured flat terrain and a bit of a cross wind. Like most races, things started to split early with two runners breaking away very quickly (eventual winner and SUPER speedy Japeth Ng’ojoy 1:13:46 and runner-up Trent Joseph 1:18:04). Needless to say, I wasn’t keeping up with these fellas and settled in about 10 meters off the back of the main group. This proved to be a mixed group of runners and I had a feeling that the group would eventually break apart as those with more experience and fitness dropped those who had gone out a bit too fast.

I eventually grouped up with several other runners who were pacing about the same as my target and we took turns leading for a bit until the first major turn of the race. At this point the course dropped significantly and we broke up again. I ran with one of Colorado’s top Masters racers, Jay Survil for a bit until I dropped a glove and had to spin back briefly. After this foible, I ran just off the back of Jay and and Chris Smiley (I believe) until the turn at mile 6.55.

After the turn, I picked it up a bit and quickly fell into a good rhythm despite the uphill return into the wind. I was passed by Mark Bockmann at about mile 8 and fell in behind him for a bit until I feared blowing up and retreated to a more comfortable pace. Miles 9 and 10 were a bit of a trial through the steepest portion of the course but I managed to stick with low 7s pacing and hang in there to the return to the dam road. At this point, I knew I only had 2.5 miles to go, still felt relatively fresh and was still running with good form so I set out to chase down a couple of people still within reach.

I caught Michael Nothem with about 2 miles to go and after a brief battle of wills (he did NOT want me to go past), I managed to surge and drop him in the final minutes of the race. I finished strongly into the wind with a final mile of 6:28 and yoinked a sub 1:27 for the day. A solid effort all around.

This tees me up pretty well for Boston and was a definite confidence booster going into the final 6 weeks of training. I really need to get a couple more long runs under my belt before the big event and am guessing Mark has those on the schedule for the following few weeks. This also qualifies me for the New York Marathon and I am considering that as my fall race instead of doing Denver. Need to pull the trigger on that fairly quickly if I am going to do so. Guessing I’ll have another shot at it, however, if that seems like too many big events in a single year.

Good stuff.

~stubert.

Line up the ones…

You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can’t know what’s coming. ~ Frank Shorter

Time for a recap. Somehow I managed to end January 2011 just 5 miles shy of my digits for January 2010 (190+ miles for the month). That, was a bit of a surprise actually given that I didn’t log any marathon-ish distance running during the month. Kinda cool. I have definitely started working on quality and it seems to have paid off in relative speed out there. Good stuff.

Overall, this was a decent month of training and my one race went very well and gave me a lot of confidence going into the season (Frosty’s Frozen 10-mile: 1:04:48, 17th OA, 1st in AG). I have been working with the Gijima running group the past few months and have benefitted greatly from Mark Plaatjes’ tutelage and marathon-distance-focused training. Mixing up my standard routine has kept me from burning out (though there were a couple weeks in December that were a bit on the weak side). All in all, I have managed to stay consistent, relatively injury-free and have challenged myself with solid (yet attainable) racing goals. All of this has made me a better runner and we are only 1/12th of the way through the year!

The proverbial icing on the equally proverbial cake this month was getting a surprise invite to the Boston Marathon this Spring. I had just qualified for Boston last fall when they opened up registration for the event and I wanted to let my Denver finish (3:10:48) soak in a bit before signing up. Based on previous years’ patterns, I thought I would have at least a month to figure out my plan and I was amazed to see later that evening that the event had already sold out. Wow. Shortly thereafter, I started training with Mark and Gijima and discovered that they were going to Boston as a group. Needless to say, my initial slight disappointment for having missed the sign-up window turned to a bit more sour.

Then, a week or so into the new year, I was talking with Mark about Boston and he said he thought he could get me in. He placed 6th and was the first American to cross the line in 1993 on his way to a win at the World Championships later that year. So needless to say, he was able to pull a few strings and secure me an invite entry. I haven’t gotten official word back yet but sent it in that very day and am all teed up for the big race in April.

Boston certainly poses some challenges. Qualifying is the first hurdle and men my age need to run a sub-3:20 to get the opportunity to run. I managed to knock this out at Denver last October. The second challenge is training through an unpredictable Colorado winter to be ready to run in mid-April. So far, we have had conditions that haven’t posed too much in the way of problems on this front but one never really knows what will happen in the weeks leading up to the big event. In late 2006, for example, Denver had two massive snow storms in one week that made running (especially at pace) VERY difficult for a number of weeks. I know the Gijima group did Boston that year as well and found themselves training in a parking garage for several weeks leading up to the race. There are race-day hurdles as well: Navigating the crowds and long waits for start times, the 6-mile downhill to start the event, the Newton hills and a fast, downhill finish all combine to keep one on ones toes.

I’ve booked travel and lodging for the weekend and will keep you posted throughout the next 10-weeks as I prepare for the race. Should be a good challenge and a lot of fun.

~stubert.

2010 Rearview…

Just keep swimming… ~ Dory

What can I say? It’s been a helluva year.

I started 2010 with one major goal: Finish the LT100. Through Rach’s unwavering support and encouragement, I was able to prepare adequately for the big event and adjust my goals accordingly. Suffice it to say, I logged a shit-ton of miles, had many learning experiences and grew exponentially as both a runner, and more importantly, a person.

Here are the digits:

  • Mileage: 2516
  • Days completely off: 77
  • PRs: 4 (100 miles, Marathon, 10K, 5K)
  • Goals achieved: 4/4
  • Best finish: 1st in Age Group – Golden Gate 1/2 Marathon
  • Most satisfying finish: 89th overall, 22nd in Age Group – Leadville Trail 100

I can say, in all honesty, that 2010 was an amazing year of running. I progressed throughout the season, learned a ton, logged 4 PRs at four different disciplines (100-miles: 24:42:40, marathon: 3:10:04, 10K: 39:16 and 5K: 18:54) and really grew as a runner as well as a person. Setting tough goals and beating those marks can really make a person feel good and well… I feel good. I couldn’t have done any of this without the consistent and ongoing love and support from my sweetie, Rach and definitely encourage anyone seeking to invest the amount of time it takes to focus on a full year of training and racing to try to find someone as amazing and patient (good luck with that). She cooked for me non-stop (quite literally), dealt with my gross gear, put up with my bullshit and kept me on the path to success at every turn. Thanks also to Patagonia for clothing support and nuun for helping with hydration this season. Two great companies you should definitely check out.

Leadville was definitely the highlight of the year. That long, difficult day teed me up for the success that followed in the Fall and early Winter races I completed on a whim and gave me the confidence to set difficult goals and hit those marks. I ran races of a wide variety of distances competitively in 2010 (5K to 100 miles – another, unwritten goal of mine) and intend to continue to run a variety of distances in 2011.

I learned a ton during my big year. One of the biggest lessons learned was to be patient and to roll with the punches. I suppose that is technically two lessons but they do go hand in hand. Allowing both training and racing to unfold and not getting too caught up in the little set-backs and hurdles along the way is imperative. During the last 12 months, I certainly had my fair share of marginal runs and races. Choosing to look at each as a learning experience and a stepping stone on the path to larger goals allowed me to move forward, build on my successes (and failures) and ultimately achieve my goals. Patience during every run and knowing when to relax during racing made for a successful, (mostly) injury-free season.

Another big lesson I learned is to never give up. This manifested itself both at the LT100 in a positive way and during the final miles of the Denver Marathon in a less positive manner. During Leadville, I was suffering badly on the climb back up Powerline at about mile 80. In fact, I convinced myself at one point that I could just drop out at the top of Sugarloaf. Fortunately, that opportunity did not arise and, though I spent a considerable amount of time walking both the up and downhill portions of this leg of the race, I soon gained new strength and was running solidly throughout the final 15 miles of the race. At the Denver Marathon, I allowed the clock to dictate my effort and, when in the final miles of the race with time statistically running out on the opportunity to run a sub 3:10 for the day, eased my effort because I couldn’t reach that mark. It turned out the course had been set up incorrectly and was long. The race organizers subtracted time from every finisher’s results leaving me 5 seconds shy of a sub-3:10 effort. Had I not relaxed in those final miles, I would have certainly finished under that mark. In short, keep going and don’t let up.

I was fortunate enough this year to have a plethora of amazing non-race experiences: Summiting Hope Pass in early June; stumbling across bears foraging for food; running with elk on multiple occasions; watching marmots frolic among high-alpine wildflowers; braving thunderstorms both above treeline and during a particularly violent storm on Boulder’s eastern plains; catching what would be Crested Butte’s biggest storm of the season for some amazing skiing in late February; seeing both my dad and friend, John get married; watching the Met Opera series in HD; the list goes on and on.

In short, 2010 will be fondly remembered. And here’s to an even better 2011.

~stubert.

Fall to winter…

Man imposes his own limitations, don’t set any. ~ Anthony Bailey

Been taking things a bit easy of late and work has been slammin’ so that has kept me very busy. Still managing to get in some decent running though my volume has been off of a bit. Still gunning for a 2500 mile year and need to step it up a bit in November/December to make that mark.

I have been nursing a calf/Achilles tendon goofiness for the past couple of weeks that seems to crop up after 5 miles or so of running. Definitely wanting to take care of this rather than allow it to become a chronic problem so my longer runs have not been particularly long. Spun 10 on Sunday on trails near my house that take me into Golden Gate Canyon State Park. Still not much snow in that area of the woods but one can sense that it is on its way. Probably not many weekends left of uninhibited high-country trail running so I am enjoying it while I am able.

Very excited about the addition of a Sole F85 Treadmill to the arsenal for this winter. Much more convenient than hitting the gym and it forced me to rearrange the office a bit and commit to a stand-up desk (which I built over the weekend). Still need to sort a few items out in there but it is coming together nicely.

I couldn’t find another good marathon to run this year so will focus my attention on running a sub-3 next season. I am planning to work in a 5K and 10K before the end of the year and hope to put together a couple more long-ish adventure runs before we get completely socked in with snow. We’ll see if those get done before it just becomes silly.

One race that is definitely on the schedule for ’11 is the San Francisco Marathon in late July. That isn’t really a PR kind of race but it should be a blast. Really looking forward to that one. Will have to sit down and figure out the rest of my schedule soon. As always, I’ll keep you posted.

~stubert.