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Bacon Strip 10-miler

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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
Race: Bacon Strip 10-miler (10 Miles) 00:53:52, Place overall: 1
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.500.0010.000.000.0016.50

Bacon Strip 10-mile race today, which also served as a Big Workout. Last year I ran 54:31, so the primary goal was to beat that. Mike came out to run it too, so at least there would be some competition.

Nice temperature, upper 40s, but was a bit windy...a 15-20mph wind out of the NW, meaning we would have strong headwind from start to Mile 4, tailwind from 4-9, and then headwind into the finish. If I had to pick a wind direction, it's about the way I'd want it, as it makes the 2nd half of the race easier. Even though the last mile is into the wind, at least the last mile is virtually all downhill.

The Bacon Strip is a 10-mile loop on the dirt county roads northeast of Fort Collins. It's a well-known training course of the locals, and known especially for its non-stop, challenging hills. The first 4 miles are rolling hills with a net uphill, and the remainder is rolling hills with a net downhill. Most of the downhill is in the last mile though.

The race started, and Mike and I agreed to trade off leading on the first 4 miles, when we were going into the headwind. Mike took Miles 1 and 3, and I took 2 and 4. Neither of us are very good wind blocks though. Still, it was good to have someone to work with on these tougher miles. Miles 1-4 were 5:39 (long mile), 5:47, 5:38, and 5:44. The wind and the hills were a bear, but I felt pretty good.

We turned the corner and headed east for the next mile, now with a tailwind. Pace felt like we were jogging, and we were able to recover a bit. Mile 5 was 5:39.

Turned the corner and were now heading south for the next 4 miles, still with a net tailwind. Now it was time to really get rolling. These next 4 miles felt really good. I dropped Mike at about Mile 8. Splits for 6-9 were 5:17, 5:08, 5:11, and 5:08. Pace felt like a nice fast tempo, very sustainable.

Turned the last corner and headed west for the last mile to the finish. This was a downhill mile, but the headwind was very strong. I was thankful for the downhill, otherwise it would have been brutal, and my legs went from feeling very good to being pretty tired. It's amazing what wind can do. Last "mile" was 4:38, but was a bit short. I was just measuring mile markers from the county road intersections, but the first mile starts behind the intersection, so is "long", and thus the last mile increment is a bit short. This is a $10 race, so there are no mile markers, but they are not really needed if you are familiar with the course. Even with being short, the last mile was probably would have been sub-4:50, based on how close the finish line was to the intersection. So I can live with that.

Ended up about 25 seconds ahead of Mike, and we both beat my time from last year. I was 53:52, and was pretty happy to get under 54:00 on that course. It was a nice confidence-builder. Now just have two weeks of peak marathon training, and then the taper.

Saucony A5 Flat Miles: 10.50Saucony Cortana III Miles: 6.00
Comments
From Bonnie on Sat, Oct 05, 2013 at 15:06:44 from 64.119.33.134

Nice race, Paul, congratulations on the course PR, and the win. The name alone would make this a "must do" race :)

From Jon on Sat, Oct 05, 2013 at 16:02:02 from 107.203.52.135

Good job, Paul. Agree with Bonnie about the must-do name.

From Holt on Sat, Oct 05, 2013 at 21:00:50 from 67.2.227.78

Seriously... You always amaze!

From Jake K on Sun, Oct 06, 2013 at 20:33:55 from 67.177.11.154

Good run Paul. Seems like its clicking right now. Keep it rolling.

From Fritz on Sun, Oct 06, 2013 at 20:38:43 from 67.177.4.64

Nice race Paul and good improvement over last year. Have fun and good luck with your last weeks of training for Indy.

From RileyCook on Mon, Oct 07, 2013 at 14:06:20 from 132.3.57.81

Nice race Paul. I'm excited to see how you do in Indy.

From Superfly on Mon, Oct 07, 2013 at 20:18:22 from 74.211.21.81

Supa fast. I'm ready to sit back and watch your training and Indy race this fall while I hold down the couch. Good luck!

From josse on Thu, Oct 10, 2013 at 18:56:53 from 70.208.3.3

Great job and congrats on the win.

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