Training

Missoula Marathon

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Location:

Idaho Falls,ID,

Member Since:

Jan 03, 2008

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

Missoula Marathon 3:27:50   2009

Boston Marathon 3:20:15    2010

Ogden Marathon 3:27:37    2014

 

Short-Term Running Goals:

Boston  2015

Long-Term Running Goals:

Run for fitnesss and participate in local marathons.

Continue to run as long as my old body can take it.

 

Personal:

Married with 1 teenager at home.

Born 1959

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
30.700.0030.70
Race: Missoula Marathon (26.2 Miles) 03:27:51, Place overall: 63, Place in age division: 4
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
26.200.0026.20

Great race and I even finished feeling good!   I beat my goal of 3:30 and got the BQ.    I even managed to get a third place award for my age group.  I will write a little more detailed report when I get back from Montana.  

 

The trip to Missoula was thankfully uneventful, though when we got there it was pretty hot and I was wondering how warm it would still be in the morning.  Fortunately, the clouds rolled in overnight and the day was ideal for a summer marathon.  The race started in the tiny suburb of Frenchtown at 6:00 AM (walkers went out at 5) and the temperature had dropped to 49 f.  On the advice of local experts’ jtshad and Pat B., I decided to go out at an even pace based on a 3:30 finish and fell in line behind the pacer.  The first seven miles or so were through farmland with plenty of heady smells from the dairy cattle.  This area is not heavily populated and I do not recall seeing a single car or non-race person for the first hour of running.  The only cowbells ringing were from a supportive college professor in a sombrero periodically riding up the line on a bicycle and a curious goat. 

 

Some distance after passing a paper mill, the course turned south and headed across the river and up the hill into the forest.   The hill started at about mile 14 and was not nearly as bad as I had feared, probably because I live on one that is steeper and so have no choice but to hill train.  Although not particularly tired, I decided to conserve energy and fell behind the pacer a little on the steepest part of the hill and then passed him on the rollers near the top.   The downhill was great to gain a little extra time and I started picking up the pace hoping that I could have a negative split.  After we merged with the half marathon course, the runner traffic picked up a little and I found myself behind a lady that was picking great lines and passing walkers/slower runners without changing her pace.  I ended up following that gal through town for about 8 miles and may not have caught her, but she began to slow down and I still had a little energy so I chatted with her for a while and moved on.

 

The race ended on the far side of a bridge in downtown.  I was still feeling decent and tried to sprint the last 0.2 to the finish.  I think it was only a sprint in my mind, but I seemed to go a bit faster.  The end was great!  They had cool showers and even a free beer for the runners (I had a few of these!)  My splits are below

 

1                    8:01

2                    7:59 

3                    7:59

4                    7:58

5                    8:02

6                    8:01

7                    7:57

8                    8:01

9                    8:00 The pacer was very good at holding around 8.

10                8:05

11                7:55

12                7:56

13                8:03

14                8:23 Course moved up the hill

15                7:38  Started down

16                7:25

17                7:42

18                7:54

19                7:56

20                8:01

21                8:06

22                8:00

23                8:01

24                7:54

25                7:55

26                7:43

0.2             unknown – forgot to stop GPS. 


Comments(5)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
4.500.004.50

Slow recovery run around Flathead lake.  What a beautiful place for a run.  I feel fine- my legs are a little sore but this is nothing like the recovery I needed from Ogden last year.  No GPS

Add Comment
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
30.700.0030.70
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