Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

December 22, 2024

15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

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

Mon, May 21, 2007

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Crosstraining miles	Total Miles
0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00

Day off. Quads as sore as yesterday, hammies are less tight. Usually it takes me two days to start feeling better after a marathon, so I expect tomorrow to be better. I've definitely felt worse, in any case.

*******************

I've posted an entry on my personal blog weighing the pros and cons of running St. George vs. Chicago vs. Twin Cities as my fall OQ attempt. Read, if interested, and input is welcome.

Comments

From Sasha Pachev on Tue, May 22, 2007 at 00:17:45

Paul - the question is whether you want a secure standard A (St. George), fairly secure standard B with a possibility of standard A if everything clicks (Chicago), or a very good chance of missing standard B (Twin Cities). My advice is by all means St. George. Hopefully Steve and I will be ready to give you some help at least in the first half if nobody else comes. But I think Neal and Joe will be there too trying to qualify.

From Andy on Tue, May 22, 2007 at 08:15:36

I would guess that there may be a few more people at St George than usual trying for the standard A because of it's reputation of being fast and it being the last chance to qualify.

From ashman on Tue, May 22, 2007 at 09:09:12

I vote St George Paul, You will have the support and the experience of having us around to get you where you want to go. You might get lost in the crowd in a marathon like Chicago or Twin Cities.

From David Nelson on Tue, May 22, 2007 at 11:25:03

Chicago is a crowded race, especially the first 6 miles or so. But it's an awfully flat course, and it goes through some parks and downtown blocks that are smooth and easy to get a pace working on. Maybe I'll meet you out there if you do it, I could redeem myself from the full-body cramp I got when I ran it in '01. Hard to argue with being surrounded by the support group SG would have.

From Chris Rogers on Tue, May 22, 2007 at 12:22:47

Paul,

I've run both Twin Cities and Chicago. Definitely do NOT bank on Twin Cities as a qualifier. There are a couple of tough uphills between 16 and 20 miles, and a gradual uphill from around 20 miles to 22/23 miles. Combined with the rolling hills throughout the race, I don't think it is an easy qualifier by any stretch.

I would highly recommend Chicago. Although it is a bit crowded the first few miles, there are always lots of quality people to work with throughout the marathon and the crowds are outstanding. If you're worried about trying to find people trying to hit the qualifier standard--I know plenty of people back in the midwest you could pair up with at Chicago who will be trying for the standard as well. I can honestly say the marathon I've felt the most fresh after is Chicago (maybe I should have pushed harder).

I've never run St. George (I'm planning to this year), but I'm not the greatest downhill runner in the world, so Chicago would be my choice.

From Dave Holt on Tue, May 22, 2007 at 13:34:17

I took your poll and answered St. George. I am biased as a Southern Utah runner; nonetheless, Clyde and I have discussed how this year we may lose a few places even with faster times because of more people coming to hit the standard. And I don't think you should feel you cheated to hit the standard by running St. George. Anybody that can hit a time like that deserves it.

From Superfly on Tue, May 22, 2007 at 20:49:30

St. George all the way. Let's say you bust out a sub 2:17 something or lower. Well then you'd hold the current couse record. Since they changed the couse in 06' everything started all over. This year James Lander won in a 2:17 but you could possibly go lower than that. Now you've qualified and hold a couse record. Thats not cheating your way in. Also worst case- you have a bad race. In STGM you still qualify where as you may not in Chicago and may have lost out.

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