sub-3 or blow-up trying

Litchfield Hills Road Race

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Location:

Mooresville,NC,

Member Since:

May 01, 2008

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Local Elite

Running Accomplishments:

2007 Highlights: Litchfield Road Race (7.1) in 58:36

2008 Highlights: New Jersey Marathon in 4:12, Bay State Marathon in 3:10:30

2009 Highlights: Boston Marathon in 3:13:26, Litchfield Road Race in 49:30, New Haven 20k in 1:25:03, Bay State Marathon in 3:09:09

2010 Highlights: Bradley 10k in 39:58, Litchfield Road Race in 48:06, New Haven 20k in 1:23:59, Ghost Trail 1/2 Marathon in 1:29:12 (trail), Philadelphia Marathon in 3:06:59

2011 Highlights: Litchfield Road Race in 47:44, Ghost Trail 1/2 Marathon in 1:28:35, Goshen Turkey Trot in 40:46, Jingle Bell 5k in 19:05

2012 Highlights: Finished Boston Marathon in 3:41:59 in 89 degree heat, broke the top 100 in Litchfield Road Race (82nd), 1st Place (overall) in Solstice 5k, Hogsback 1/2 in 1:29:36, and bq'd in Bay State Marathon (3:14:20).

Personal Records

1-mile: 5:39/track (2008)

5k: 19:05/Jingle Bell (2011)

10k: 39:58/road race (2010)

20k: 1:23:59 (2010/New Haven)

1/2 marathon: 1:28:35 (2011/Ghost Trail)

marathon: 3:06:59 (2010/Philly)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Sub-3:05 marathon in Fall

Sub-1:23 in New Haven 20k

Sub-46 min in Litchfield RR

Sub-19 in 5k

Sub-5:30 in mile

Upcoming Races:

TBD

Long-Term Running Goals:

sub-3hr marathon

sub-5:15 min mile

become a competitive master's runner

win age division in smaller marathon

Personal:

Married w/six daughters (9 year age span)

Pastor a church in NC

Enjoy travel and recreation with family

Began running in November of 2007

Click to donate

to Ukraine's Armed Forces

Miles:	This week:	24.00	Month:	90.00	Year:	1425.00
Barefoot Lifetime Miles:						114.25
K12- Black Lifetime Miles:						401.00
Kinvara 13 (blue 1) Lifetime Miles:						341.00
Kinvara 13 (blue 2) Lifetime Miles:						366.00
Kinvara 14 Neon Lifetime Miles:						388.00
Kinvara 14/teal Lifetime Miles:						520.50
Kinvara Blue/red Lifetime Miles:						377.00
Kinvara 15 (blue/grey) Lifetime Miles:						238.50
Kinvara 14 Green Lifetime Miles:						280.00

Sun, Jun 14, 2009

Race: Litchfield Hills Road Race (7.1 Miles) 00:49:30, Place overall: 102

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
7.10	3.00	2.00	2.50	14.60

Mixed results about today's race. First, to put everything into perspective, this is my 4th time running Litchfield and I pr'd by 6 1/2 minutes. I've definitely had a great year of running. However, I have had several training runs in the past month on this course that have exceeded today's performance. For whatever reason, my legs are in the midst of a 2 week "dead zone".

I started the race among about 1,300-1,400 runners, including several elites. The temperature was good for a 1pm start (65 degrees), yet the sun was out and there was 78% humidity (non-factor). I started out with a firm pace, but then adjusted quickly towards a significantly slower pace...just didn't have 6:30 minute miles in me today. Here are the splits I was aware of...

Mile 2: 12:30 (steep downhill in mile 1 and modest uphill towards the end of mile 2)

5K: 20:02 (same time as my 5k from last week with 4 miles to go)

Mile 4: 27 minutes (significant uphill portion...mile 5 included some trail running for maybe 3/4 mile and then my pace got back to around 6:50 on the street...spent 1/4 mile or so running and talking with Rod Dixon- former Olympic runner from New Zealand)

Mile 6: 41 minutes (translates to 6:50 pace...ran to this point in just over 39:40 a few weeks ago...what's going on?)

Mile 7 begins with a hills with a 9% grade, so my goal was to finish things off within 50 minutes...held my place and finished strong in well under 50...I'm not sure the exact time so I'll make adjustments once official result are out. Finished in approx 49:30.

I don't feel as though I've lost fitness...I could probably go out right this minute and run the same course in the same time or faster...I'm not tired at all and will probably run again this evening. I'll just keep plugging away and hopefully start getting some zip back in the legs. Overall, still a fun experience today!

Legs still felt fresh so I did a 5-mile workout in the TM in our basement. 2 mile warm-up followed by some speedwork separated by .25 mile recovery- 1 mile (6min pace), recovery, 1 mile (6min), recovery, 1/2 mile (6min pace)...had to stop because I was sweating so bad the TM was getting dangerous. I'm realizing the need to get 1-mile repeats back into the circuit + TM helped discipline me to keep the legs moving (don't want to fall off).

Saucony Tangent III Miles: 14.60

Weight: 0.00

Comments

From rattletrap on Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 18:39:43 from 24.19.93.139

Congrats on a new PR! 6 minutes is huge for such a short race.

From RunnerAdam on Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 22:28:50 from 72.211.201.190

Way to go on the PR!!! Was this a tune up race or did you taper? I havent been running long enough to get into a dead zone so I am curious as to how it happened.

From rockness18 on Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 21:39:24 from 69.183.233.238

Mike thanks...last year was 95 degrees and before that I was about 25 lbs heavier.

Adam...I'm not really sure. I've not been running long enough to figure it out myself. I think it's just been a couple weeks of poor sleep and careless eating. I kind of tapered, but I'm now treating it as a launching pad for the summer. Hope to concentrate on speedwork to get faster.

From JimF on Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 21:57:05 from 98.214.104.51

Always good to get a PR. Congrats on that. Running with Ron Dixon is definitely a cool experience. Does he live in the area? Not sure what to tell you about the dead legs. I have went through simular times as well but don't know what snaps me out of it. Like you said keep plugging and everything will click.

From rockness18 on Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 22:38:18 from 69.183.233.238

thanks Jim...he doesn't live in the area, but is close friends with an elite runner who does live in the area.

From smally on Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 22:52:23 from 74.210.30.253

I like the launching pad comment. I want to get the miles up per week like you have which might take away my speed I had before Boston. I was a bit surprised the legs wanted to move that well today after my 5k race yesterday.

You keep improving and that is the best part, it was not your day for speed and you still did very well.

I love your determination, I feed off it.

Todd

From jtshad on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 13:20:20 from 204.134.132.225

Great job on the PR! The dead legs could just be the accumulation of miles and the increase in speed work that just hit you at this period. You are moving up the level of your training and your body is taking time to adjust. More improve will come.

From rockness18 on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 19:42:17 from 69.183.233.238

Todd...thanks, you help me to keep perspective. Let's keep feeding off each other this summer...sub 3 this Fall would be awesome!

Jeff, your insight is helpful. I'm trying not to overthink things, yet at times I play mind games with myself. I'll just keep logging in the miles and mixing in some speed.

From Robert on Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 19:05:54 from 71.32.163.35

Smashed the PR! Great work!

From Barry on Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 21:43:54 from 67.60.189.215

Great job on your PR that is awesome.

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