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Denver Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon

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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: Denver Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon (13.109 Miles) 01:09:35, Place overall: 3
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
2.900.0013.100.000.0016.00

3 weeks out from Indianapolis, so I ran the Denver Rock 'n' Roll half as a tune-up and to see where I'm at. The race went really well. Got my goal of sub-1:10 (1:09:35), and surprisingly placed 3rd overall, good for $300.

Very nice morning, low-50s throughout the race, and no wind. The first few miles were down hill, and it felt easy enough to take it out with the leaders. First 2 miles were 5:07 and 5:04. After that, I decided it would be wise to back off through the hills, so I let the Top 5 go (Aaron Braun, Philip Schneider, Andy Wacker, Chris Siemers, and some Kenyan). Unfortunately, money was only 5 deep. Ran about 5:20 pace the rest of the race.

Wacker started coming back after 3 miles, and I passed him, suprisingly (found out later he had just run the U.S. Half Trail Championships yesterday, so that explains it). Caught Siemers around Mile 4, then started reeling in the Kenyan. Caught the Kenyan around mile 5 or 6 (don't remember), who surged to try to stay with me, but then quickly dropped (I don't think he finished race). Then Siemers goes by me, so I tucked in for a while and then let him go, about 10m ahead of me.

Around Mile 7, I started catching Siemers again, and then got by him. Spent the rest of the race trying to hold him off. Braun and Schneider were well ahead. I was feeling the fast early miles the rest of the way, and was stuck in 5:20-5:25 mode. We had a 180-degree turnaround just after Mile 10, and I saw that Siemers was still less than 10 seconds back, and Andy Wacker was right with him. Bad news. I spent the rest fo the race just trying to hold those two off and secure 3rd. The last mile was all downhill, which probably saved my position. I ended up about 7 seconds ahead of Siemers and 20 seconds ahead of Wacker. Braun was 1:07:15 for the win, which is pretty quick for a hilly loop course at altitude.

Splits: 5:07, 5:04, 5:20, 5:16, 5:18, 5:26, 5:23, 5:10, 5:24, 5:28, 5:24, 5:22, 5:20, 29s.

Funny thing, we were finishing with the 10k runners, and all of a sudden I see someone streaking to my side at a sprint. Since I knew Siemers was close, I went into an all-out sprint as well (worth $100 per spot, after all). Well, it turned out to just be a 10K runner sprinting for no reason, but it did chop about 5 seconds off my time.

Definitely feel good about this race, my best race of the season. I think this counts as a non-downhill-altitude PR. Makes me optimistic for sub-2:20 at Indianapolis.

Saucony Type A6 Miles: 16.00
Comments
From Jon on Sun, Oct 18, 2015 at 15:35:48 from 96.33.87.148

1:09 as a training race. Looks spot on for your next race.

Is Art Siemers around the Denver running scene at all? He was my coach at School of Mines for a few years.

From Paul on Sun, Oct 18, 2015 at 15:55:22 from 67.6.160.19

Well, make no mistake, I ran this all-out, but definitely not completely tapered (although a little bit tapered).

Yeah, Art is coach at CSU here in Fort Collins. I've talked to him a couple times after races.

From Rob Murphy on Sun, Oct 18, 2015 at 17:08:19 from 24.10.247.181

Nice race Paul. Impressive how you just keep bringing it year after year with no drama, just rock solid consistency.

From jtshad on Mon, Oct 19, 2015 at 07:50:18 from 141.221.191.225

Great race, congrats on the podium finish. You just keep running super strong!

From Cody on Mon, Oct 19, 2015 at 08:11:01 from 107.0.33.130

Solid, consistent, reliable as always, yet still impressive! Well done Paul

From Jason D on Mon, Oct 19, 2015 at 20:59:47 from 68.80.27.222

Well done, Paul. I have been meaning to ask you how you would approach Indy with the trials coming up. Guess I got my answer. I look forward to the results of your race in a few weeks.

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