It ain't Chinese algebra!

Grants Pass Half Marathon

Previous MonthRecent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesLittle Bad Legs's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageWeek ViewYear View
Graph View
Next Month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

Location:

Portland,OR,

Member Since:

Nov 02, 2005

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

5K: 15:41-Portland Track Festival 2010

10K: 31:34-Linfield College (Track) 2012

10 Mile: 51:57-Pear Blossom 2009

1/2 Marathon: 1:10:42-Foot Traffic Flat 2010

Marathon: 2:29:35-Newport 2013

50K: 3:48:06-Weiser River 50K 2021

Short-Term Running Goals:

Next Race:

12-hour race, sometime in 2021

100 mile race, sometime...

Long-Term Running Goals:

Sub 1:10 Half Marathon

Sub 2:30 Marathon

Favorite Blogs:

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Total Distance
291.00
Asics Cumulus 11 Miles: 49.00Adidas Mana (White) Miles: 60.00Nike Lunarglide (Black) Miles: 44.00Mizuno Ronin Miles: 31.00LunarRacer (Red) Miles: 48.00Asics Speedstar (red) Miles: 28.50Saucony Kinvara (Black) Miles: 15.50Adidas Mana (Blue) Miles: 15.00
Total Distance
9.00

9 miles to the east of town with no real course in mind.  Just kind of ran all over and made turns at intersections in a random fashion.  It made the run feel even longer (not a good thing)...

Asics Cumulus 11 Miles: 9.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
9.00

I crossed the river and ran some laps on the trail @ All-Sports Park, then ran ~4 miles on the course of the GP Half Marathon.  Mixed in a little speed work when I was chased by a pit-bull on my way back to the park.  That's too bad because I'd really like to run the course a few times in the next couple weeks but I'm not a big fan of being chased by dogs that want to eat me.

Adidas Mana (White) Miles: 9.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
11.00

11 miles this morning while running to the north freeway exit, then wandering various streets on my return.  I stopped to use the bathroom at McDonalds.  I guy was drinking a cup of soda from Carls Jr.  Strange things you see at 6am...

Nike Lunarglide (Black) Miles: 11.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
20.00

AM: 6 miles around GP.  Struggling to get up in the mornings...

PM: 14 miles in Coos Bay and North Bend.  Ran north past the casino, looped around North Bend, west towards the airport and church, then back to Walmart and into downtown via Prefontaine race course.  Ordered dinner at City Subs and ran another mile while I waited for my food, then back to the hotel for the night. 

Mizuno Ronin Miles: 6.00Adidas Mana (White) Miles: 14.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
6.00

6 miles in Coos Bay.  Fall is in the air.

Asics Cumulus 11 Miles: 6.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
16.00

I ran west of town and stayed pretty flat for most of the run.  Hit 8 miles and then stretched for a bit, then began a series of 2 mile repeats.  First 2 miles in 5:53, 5:30 followed by 1/2 mile jog.  Second set in 5:33 and 5:29 as I ran along Redwood Rd and into downtown across the river.  Jogged 1/2 mile, then final 2 mile push past the skate park and home to Walgreens in 5:19 and 5:19.  Felt pretty good throughout but the last mile was tough.  Not bad though, given it's my first 'workout' since TOU.

Grants Pass Half in 3 weeks.  Hope to hit a PR. 

LunarRacer (Red) Miles: 16.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
10.00

10 miles on the Walmart loop. Easy

Asics Speedstar (red) Miles: 10.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
20.00

AM: 10 miles on the Walmart loop, just like yesterday, only in reverse.

PM: 10 miles in Eugene. The first seven were while watching 9.79, then ran three miles to subway for dinner.

Asics Cumulus 11 Miles: 10.00Nike Lunarglide (Black) Miles: 10.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
15.00

AM: 6 miles around the mall in Eugene. Nearly scared to death when I stumbled upon 2 raccoons who hissed and didn't like me as much as I didn't like them.

PM: 9 miles past Costco, to the mall in Springfield and then back to the hotel after a stop at Trader Joes for some dinner.

Adidas Mana (White) Miles: 15.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
10.00

10 miles on Pre's Trail in Eugene. Fall weather is here to stay...

Asics Cumulus 11 Miles: 10.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
10.00

5 miles with Ryan which included running 2 laps at the middle school track. Then 3 miles with Miles and then 2 more with Ryan to Redbox and Albertsons.

Mizuno Ronin Miles: 10.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
15.50

15.5 miles this morning with 8 of them on the GP Half Marathon course.  I tried to run fast and it didn't work.  I don't know what my issue is at the moment.  Frustrating.

Saucony Kinvara (Black) Miles: 15.50
Add Comment
Total Distance
9.00

9 miles in Coos Bay watching MNF, then to City Subs for dinner and back to the hotel.

Nike Lunarglide (Black) Miles: 9.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
14.00

14 miles around Coos Bay.  A little zig-zagging south of the hotel to start things off, then ran Prefontain's course and then back to Bayside Bakery to order lunch for work.  North to the HS, then back to the hotel past NBMC.  Perfect morning...

Adidas Mana (White) Miles: 14.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
9.00

9 miles to the east of town.  Looped around Fruitdale and then made my way home past the middle school and Allendale.

Asics Speedstar (red) Miles: 9.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
7.00

Around GP. Chilly out this morning. I'm a slacker and slept in too long today...

Mizuno Ronin Miles: 7.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
14.00

AM: 8 miles around the hood. I'm not loving running these days. Just want to sleep in...

PM: 6 miles with the family. I pushed Miles to the middle school track and meet the rest of the herd. Andrea walked and I rotated pushing the boys individually and at the same time (redneck? Yes). Ryan ran his customary 2 laps. After leaving the track I pushed Ryan home via the hospital.

Adidas Mana (White) Miles: 8.00Nike Lunarglide (Black) Miles: 6.00
Comments(2)
Total Distance
17.00

17 miles this morning. I started with 6 easy, then ran a 4 mile tempo along the highway to Rogue River. Splits were 5:55, 5:56, 5:48, 5:46. Jogged for 800 meters, then a 3 mile tempo in 5:32, 5:16, 5:25. Jogged another half mile and then final 2 mile tempo. 5:39 and 5:38 for the last two. Effort was there, it just so happened that the two largest up hills of the day came during these two miles. Final mile easy to the house and called it a day.

LunarRacer (Red) Miles: 17.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
10.00

10 miles.  I ran around Albertsons and then to the north freeway exit and back.  Rain the whole way.  And dark.  And slightly cold.  Bleh.

Asics Cumulus 11 Miles: 10.00
Comments(3)
Total Distance
10.00

10 miles in Eugene.  Ran from the hotel to the Springfield I-Hop, then back to the hotel after a stop at Albertsons.

Adidas Mana (Blue) Miles: 10.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
9.50

9.5 miles around the mall in Eugene.  Not many people at Cross Fit today.  Perhaps the fad is dying...

Asics Speedstar (red) Miles: 9.50
Add Comment
Total Distance
14.00

8 miles around GP.

Mizuno Ronin Miles: 8.00Nike Lunarglide (Black) Miles: 6.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
5.00

Adidas Mana (Blue) Miles: 5.00
Add Comment
Race: Grants Pass Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) 01:11:00, Place overall: 1
Total Distance
17.00

Not quite the raceI wanted, but you can't run a PR everyday. Slower than last years time by 19 seconds. I'll write more later.

I ran 2 miles for a warm up, from my house to the park.  Perfect morning for a race, just like last year.  It rained during the night so humidity was high, but it couldn't have been colder than 45 degrees.  Prior to my race there was a kids costume run which Ryan participated in--his first 'race.'  It was roughly 800 meters and Ryan killed it.  He ran the entire time and passed a ton of kids twice his size that had to walk every 10 yards.

Similar to last year, there wasn't a ton of competition although just before the start I saw Tyler (Phoenix, Linnfield College) who is a very talented runner who's getting better with each race, especially with the longer distances.  I took the lead from the start with Tyler and a 10k guy right on my heals.  We hit mile 1 in 5:26 (about 10 seconds slower than last year?) and by then, we were running along side each other. Mile 2 in 5:26 and mile 3 in 5:24.  I just was't feeling bad, but just not great.  Kinda in a funk without that racing 'edge' that often comes on race day.  Who knows.  Mile 2-4 I found myself in 3rd place (although 2nd place was a 10k runner) and as we came through mile 4 in 5:27, I was behind Tyler by about 10 seconds.

We passed the starting line and headed out into the country.  From this point on, this race is one of the absolute best I've run.  Flat and straight--SO easy to get into a groove and hit cruise control.  I took off 5 seconds of Tyler's lead in mile 5 (5:24) and by mile 6 (5:31) I had caught him.  We ran mile 7 (5:28) and 8 (5:30) together, talking too much about future races and who knows what.  I knew I wasn't hitting the splits I needed so I said my goodbyes and tried to pick up the pace for the final 5+ miles.

Mile 9 (5:22) was exactly what I wanted but then I hit the one big hill on mile 10 and it took a little too much effort.  I missed the split but it was 11:00 for the next mile so 5:30 average...  Mile 12 was 5:25 so I was holding together better than last year, although that was to be expected with the slower first few miles.  I wasn't bonking like last year so that was a plus.  Maybe I finally got my breakfast combo down to what works for me (oatmeal, banana 2 hours prior).  Mile 13 in 5:15 and final .1 in 19 seconds.

Anyway, all in all, not a bad race but I just feel like I missed a good opportunity to hit a PR.  The course, time of year, weather, fitness off a marathon, everything seems like a perfect chance to set a PR.   Not sure why I didn't have the race edge.  Seems like the last two races have been a bit of a bummer (Logan and today).  Running just isn't doing it for me at the moment and it's an increasing struggle to get up in the morning in the dark/cold.  Busy with work, 3 kids (one a newborn), church responsibilities....lots going on at the moment.  But that's the rough part--life is only going to get more hectic as kids grow, work responsibility increases, etc.  It's called life.  I get it.  I just want to hit the goal times listed on the left (sub 2:30, sub 1:10 on an honest course) and it feels like the window is closing on the opportunity.  And maybe that's not a bad thing...  I've been competitive with this running thing since 1996 so I suppose it can't go on forever.

2 mile cool down as I ran home.  I won a pair of shoes and the race shirt is BRIGHT orange so that's cool.  And with that, this novel is finished! 

Nike Lunarglide (Black) Miles: 2.00LunarRacer (Red) Miles: 15.00
Comments(4)
Total Distance
4.00

Felt like I needed to do something, although my urge to run is low.  Then as I got going, my legs felt trashed from Saturday so I called it a day after 4 measly miles.

Asics Cumulus 11 Miles: 4.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
291.00
Asics Cumulus 11 Miles: 49.00Adidas Mana (White) Miles: 60.00Nike Lunarglide (Black) Miles: 44.00Mizuno Ronin Miles: 31.00LunarRacer (Red) Miles: 48.00Asics Speedstar (red) Miles: 28.50Saucony Kinvara (Black) Miles: 15.50Adidas Mana (Blue) Miles: 15.00
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Lone Faithfuls
(need a comment):
Recent Comments: