In search of old age PRs

Tucson Marathon

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Location:

Salt Lake City,UT,USA

Member Since:

Sep 25, 2007

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Marathon Finish

Running Accomplishments:

All running accomplishments are Post Teenage Years:

17:06 5K--Murray 2014

16:58 5K (aided)--Running of the Leopards 2010

34:41--10K Deseret News 2018 (aided)

1:16--(aided) Hobble Creek Half 2009

2:43--St. George Marathon 2012

Short-Term Running Goals:

Sub 2:50 Ogden Marathon

Sub 17:00 at Draper 5K

Long-Term Running Goals:

Sub 2:40 Marathon

 

Personal:

Married to Elizabeth (she got me running in 2003). We have three boys, Lucas (12) , Sam (8) and Ollie (5).

Many years ago, I read that the AVERAGE male is capable of a 2:40 marathon.  I decided to test that theory.  I began running in 2003 with Top of Utah as my first marathon (4:24).  I need 3 more minutes.

"Life is short...running makes it seem longer."--Baron Hansen

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Total Distance
27.50
Race: Tucson Marathon (26.2 Miles) 03:04:10, Place overall: 35, Place in age division: 6
Total Distance
27.50

Great marathon on a perfect, overcast day, but not the result I was looking for.  Below are my splits:

 

Mile 1: 6:15 Fast down hill start

Mile 2: 6:41 Settled into race pace

Mile 3: 6:51 Enjoyed the desert sights as the sun came up

Mile 4: 6:49 Hit some hills

Mile 5: 6:37 Rural road hits a major street

Mile 6: 6:24 Fast downhill

Mile 7: 6:25 More fast downhill

Mile 8: 6:28 Sun goes behind clouds and course hits another major road

Mile 9: 6:28 Steady downhill

Mile 10: 6:31 Steady downhill

Mile 11: 6:52 Turn toward Biosphere 2

Mile 12: 7:21 Challenging hills

Mile 13: 6:46 More challenging hills

Half split 1:27:00

Mile 14: 6:53 Up the hill and back out to the major road

Mile 15: 6:43 Tried to settle into race pace again

Mile 16: 6:44 Pace feeling OK

Mile 17: 6:44 Still feeling OK

Mile 18: 6:53 Road begins to intersect a 6 lane highway

Mile 19: 6:55 Legs starting to feel very heavy.  Began walking through water stops

Mile 20: 7:30 Doing the math in my head and worried

Mile 21: 7:42 I can fell it slipping away as I smell car exhaust

Mile 22: 7:34 Decent mile, but I need to pick it up

Mile 23: 7:47 More highway, will this ever end

Mile 24: 7:49 Getting ready for the last major climb

Mile 25: 8:39 Course runs through an alley way behind a grocery store with big uphill

Mile 26: 8:04 Course flattens out, but I’m done.

Mile 26.22: 1:36 One more major climb to finish line then a turn onto a dirt track

Total: 3:04:10

 

I didn’t have the training I wanted for November and it showed at mile 20.  I still wanted to give myself an opportunity and I felt strong at the ½ point.  My overall goal was 2:58:00, but at mile 20 I knew this was not going to happen.  I didn’t have any major cramping, but my legs felt like bricks at the 20-mile mark.  I felt well enough to run, but I’ve been trying to shake a nasty cold for the last four days.  If I would have hit my goal, I would have placed in my age division. 

 

The race organizers did a great job, but there is not very much crowd support.  The winner (Kenyan?) of the past years blew up with 5K to go and had to drop!  He was leading by over 5 minutes!

 

I would recommend this race.  The first ½ is incredible on rural roads.  The turn toward Biosphere 2 is challenging and last 7 miles are on a major 5/6 lane road open to traffic.

 Kudos to Bill.  I saw him at the finish and he had a great race:

http://mandlerwm.fastrunningblog.com/

Comments(6)
Total Distance
27.50
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