Every Race is an Adventure!

November 05, 2024

Recent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesPaul Thomas's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageWeek ViewMonth ViewYear View
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

Location:

Orem,UT,USA

Member Since:

Apr 03, 2006

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Age Division Winner

Running Accomplishments:

HS/COLLEGE:
mile: 4:56, 2 mile: 10:21 (1978)
marathon: 2:52 (St. George 1982)
OLD MAN (20+ years later):
5K: 19:53 (Nestle/Art City Days 5K 2007)
10K: 39:55 (Spectrum 10K 2008)
half marathon: 1:26 (Hobble Creek 2008)
marathon: 3:07 (St. George 2007)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Get back to a BQ marathon time (currently 3:40).

Long-Term Running Goals:

Have fun running, keep fit, and fight middle age spread. Run consistently and injury free. Maintain a healthy balance between running and other life priorities. Encourage my ever-aging running buddies to keep running so we can continue to share runs on the trail instead of rocking chairs.

Personal:

Blessed to be married to Karen for 30 years. We have six children (4 daughters/2 sons) ages 16 to 30, and one wonderful granddaughter.

Favorite Blogs:

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Altra Instinct 1.5 Lifetime Miles: 83.50
Altra Lone Peak 1.5 Lifetime Miles: 21.80
Saucony Guide 7 Blue 2 Lifetime Miles: 376.95
Saucony Fastwitch 6 Lifetime Miles: 200.05
Saucony Guide 7 Black 1 Lifetime Miles: 271.15
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
6.000.000.000.000.006.00

I ran 6 easy miles solo on my serpentine course this morning. I don't know where Larry was this morning.

There was a light covering of powdery snow. It squeaked with each step in the quiet morning, and also seemed to cushion each step. It actually seemed to provide pretty good traction, too.

I was thinking this morning about how slow my training pace has been this winter, and how I have still managed to maintain fitness well enough to run Painter's pretty well a couple of weeks ago. One thought that crossed my mind was that at a slower pace I'm actually spending more time training per mile. For example, at a 7:00 minute pace I run six miles in 42:00 minutes, while at a 10:00 pace I run six miles in 60:00 minutes. That's 18:00 additional minutes of training. So while my mileage and pace have been down, my overall training time has held pretty steady. (I think this is what is known as rationalizing.)

Comments
From Kim on Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 18:04:45

Hey Paul! I have always said that I am working harder running a two plus hour 1/2 marathon than the winners! I am still out there pushing along when they, (including you!), are back sipping on cold water, eating and chatting! (I'm pretty good at rationalizing too!)

Sounds like we'll be seeing you and Karen tomorrow night. Tom and I are looking forward to it!

From Paul T on Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 18:21:12

You are absolutely right, you are working harder. The hardest marathon I ever ran, and that required the most endurance, was that 5:00 hour Boston marathon last year.

I clearly remember one year at St. George. I had finished, recovered, talked with friends and family for a long time, and we were walking to the car to return to the hotel. We walked along the street where many runners were still slowly approaching the finish line. As I looked at their faces, most showing considerable discomfort, some smiling nonetheless, I was deeply moved and inspired. Tears came to my eyes, as they do now remembering that moment. I have tremendous respect and admiration for those who slowly endure for such a long time.

There is a great lesson to learn from this: It's easier to go faster than slower! I'm sure Tom will back me up on that.

Karen and I are also looking forward to seeing you and Tom tomorrow night.

Add Your Comment.
  • Keep it family-safe. No vulgar or profane language. To discourage anonymous comments of cowardly nature, your IP address will be logged and posted next to your comment.
  • Do not respond to another person's comment out of context. If he made the original comment on another page/blog entry, go to that entry and respond there.
  • If all you want to do is contact the blogger and your comment is not connected with this entry and has no relevance to others, send a private message instead.
Only registered users with public blogs are allowed to post comments. Log in with your username and password or create an account and set up a blog.
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Lone Faithfuls
(need a comment):