Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

March 28, 2024

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Location:

Fort Collins,CO,

Member Since:

May 15, 2003

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Local Elite

Running Accomplishments:

Unaided PR's:
5K: 14:48 (Track - 2001)
10K: 30:45 (Track - 2001)
10K: 31:32 (Bolder Boulder - 2013)
Half Marathon: 1:06:09 (Duluth - 2013)
Marathon: 2:17:54 (Grandma's) - 2014)
Marathon: 2:19:47 (Indianapolis Monumental - 2013)
Marathon: 2:19:49 (Indianapolis Monumental - 2010)

Aided PR's:
10K: 29:38 (Des News - 2011)
Half Marathon: 1:05:30 (TOU Half - 2011)
Marathon: 2:18:09 (St George - 2007)
Marathon: 2:17:35 (Boston - 2011)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in June of 2008. Started taking Enbrel in March, 2009.

Run as much as I can, and race as well as I can. Make the most of however much time I have left as an able-bodied runner.

Training for the 2018 Colorado Marathon

Long-Term Running Goals:

  Run until I'm old, and then run some more. Stand tall.

Personal:

1 wife, 2 kids. 1 cat. Work as a GIS Specialist/Map Geek

Endure and persist; this pain will turn to your good. - Ovid

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. - Romans 5:1-5

 

 

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Saucony Trail Shoe Lifetime Miles: 247.50
Hoka Clifton Lifetime Miles: 491.50
Saucony Type A6 Lifetime Miles: 186.50
Saucony Zealot Lifetime Miles: 478.75
Saucony Kinvara 6 Lifetime Miles: 433.50
Saucony Kinvara 6-2 Lifetime Miles: 358.75
Brooks Pure Connect Blue Lifetime Miles: 337.25
New Balance Trainers Lifetime Miles: 314.50
New Balance 1400 Racers Lifetime Miles: 65.00
Brook Pureflow Lifetime Miles: 99.50
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
18.000.000.000.000.0018.00

Today the plan was to drive out to the start of Hollow Rd, and run Hollow Rd to Blacksmith Fork, and then up to Blacksmith Fork to Lefthand Fork, where I would meet Cody (who was camping up there), and then we would run back down. This run can have a nasty headwind going up, and I wasn't looking forward to that. 

The good news was that there was absolutely no canyon wind today. The bad news was that the reason there was no wind was because it was pouring rain. By a few miles into the run I was completely soaked and angry at Cody since this was obviously somehow his fault. The only logical thing to do in this situation was to pick up the pace so that I could get to the turnaround point faster and begin verbally abusing Cody. However, by about 6 miles I was so soaked that I stopped caring and started enjoying the feeling of running hard up a canyon. After all, not so long ago I could barely walk, so I decided to be grateful for the opportunity to run in the rain. But I still kept the pace brisk.

At about 7 miles I saw Cody's Jeep coming down (assuming it was just Beth and the kids and Cody would be running a little behind it). The Jeep slows, window rolls down, Cody pokes his head out. "What? You're running in this?? I didn't think you'd show." At that point I went back to my plan of verbally abusing Cody, and chastised him to the point of getting out of the Jeep, putting on running clothes, and running with me. My punishment for his lack of faith was making him continue up the canyon with me at whatever pace I was going (turned out to be 6:20/mile). We finally got to my 9-mile point. My average up the canyon was 6:30/mile (splits were 6:47, 6:32, 6:31, 6:33, 6:25, 6:25, 6:25, 6:16, 6:35).

Then we turned around and started going downhill. The rain also started easing up. And my legs were starting to feel the work they did going up. Since I was no longer angry, I had less fuel to run fast, but we tried to keep the pace honest but conversational. Splits were 6:09, 6:08, 6:23, 6:13, 6:06, 6:08, 6:21, 6:18, 6:16. Halfway down the canyon the rain completely stopped, and my hands regained feeling. My legs were definitely worn out by the end, as this was the longest run I've done in quite some time, but overall legs and fueling weren't terrible, but on the other hand it was less than 2 hours. Again, no wind on the way down. Average pace for the entire run was 6:22/mile. Total time a little under 1:55. All in all, in good run, despite the rain it was a great day to be out.

Brooks Adrenaline 8 Blue Miles: 18.00
Comments
From Burt on Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 12:51:00 from 98.167.151.26

Curse that Cody Draper!

From Brent on Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 12:56:32 from 168.178.30.75

Paul, you should always get angry when running, nice workout. Are you sure it was not STG of 2008 you were running?

Stay Kool, B of BS Rools out

From Jon on Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 15:31:43 from 128.217.221.70

You guys are hilarious. Love the write up, especially all your verbal abuse of Cody. Sounds like he deserved it. I have to give you props on the long run, too- I was surprised to see you run this far in a single run. Nice work.

From Adam RW on Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 23:17:19 from 155.101.152.103

Glad to see you are fully over your cold from earlier this week!

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