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May 21, 2024

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Location:

San Antonio,TX,

Member Since:

Dec 13, 2009

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

5K PR - 18:01 - Nov '14

10K PR - 38:37 (workout) - Oct '14

Half-marathon - 1:22:43 - Jan '14

Marathon - 2:58:43 in Boston! - Apr '13

50 mile - 7:49:30 (2nd) - Nov '15

Short-Term Running Goals:

- Balance

- Run more trails, volunteer, more social running, run with a team

- Race a lot more. learn.

Race results / possible schedule:

Apr 2 - Hells Hills 25k trail - 4th

Apr 9 - Toughest 'n Texas 20-mile Trail - 2nd

May 7 - Paleface - Trail Marathon - 3rd

May 29 - American Hero road 25k - 2nd

Jun 25 - Pedernales Falls 30k nighttime Trail - 5th (sick)

Jul 16 - Muleshoe Bend 30k nighttime Trail - 3rd

Jul 23-24 - Fossil Valley 9-hour nighttime Trail - 2nd

Aug 6 - Colorado Bend 30k nighttime Trail - 4th

Aug 27 - Reveille Peak 30k nighttime Trail (entered)

Sep 10 - Franklin Mountains 50k (entered - not all-out effort...I hope)

Sep 17 - Lighthouse Hill 20-mile trail (entered)

Sep 24 - J&J 50 mile trail

Long-Term Running Goals:

Compete in a few more ultras without going off course (again)

Sub-18 in a 5k

One. Good. Marathon.

Personal:

I started running at age 30, in late 2009. I have 2 daughters (10 and 8 yrs old).

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Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00
Saucony A5 Lifetime Miles:						1054.70
Kinvara 2 - Gray/red Lifetime Miles:						1551.08
Kinvara 3 - Gray/red Lifetime Miles:						1244.23
1160s Lifetime Miles:						888.70
Saucony A5 Red Lifetime Miles:						565.10
Saucony A6 - Yellow Lifetime Miles:						214.00
Saucony A6 - Red/blue Lifetime Miles:						61.50
NB MT101 Trail Lifetime Miles:						302.00
Fastwitch 6 Red #1 Lifetime Miles:						286.50
Fastwitch 6 Red #2 Lifetime Miles:						267.00

Sun, Mar 27, 2011

Slow miles	Fast miles	Total Distance
14.00	6.00	20.00

Perfect weather: temps in the 40s, overcast, 10 mph wind. 7:32 AP for 20 miles. I did 8 easy, 12 at "MP". I was supposed to do a 10 + 10, but my plans changed; see below for the reason.

So I decided to go exploring a new route with this 20-miler. We'll call it the prison loop. Twice before, while running on isolated country roads, I've been stopped by shady-looking characters looking for directions to the prison. Now I'll be able to help them! Apparently there is a state prison just 7 or 8 miles from my front door...neat. Well, my watch just beeped mile 8, and a car pulls up next to me. I quickly glanced over and it says "Perimeter Security" on the side of the car. The guard obviously wants to talk, but he's nice enough to let me keep running during the conversation. We establish that I'm just out for a run and he says, "we were just wondering what you were doing running around a prison." I asked, "was that a bad idea?" He said, "well, our prisoners all wear white." Guess what color shirt I had on. I said, "Oh, so that WAS a bad idea." He just kinda chuckled and we talked for another minute or so, and he "let me go" once he figured out I wasn't a threat (or an escaped convict). Once he turned around I glanced at my watch and my pace had gone from 7:50s to 7:20s. Well, I figured I might as well start the MP portion right then. So I did 12 faster miles today. To make the 20-mile loop complete, I looped around the water treatment/sewage plant. Sometimes I just feel so lucky to have so many beautiful places to run.

First 8: AP 8:00. Splits 8:14, 8:03, 8:09, 8:06, 7:59, 7:48, 7:49, 7:50.

Last 12: AP 7:13. Splits 7:34, 7:32, 7:28, 7:27, 7:18, 7:23, 7:19, 7:24, 7:13, 6:54, 6:49, 6:20.

I averaged a faster pace on this 20-miler than I did on my HM race last weekend. In fact, my last 13.1 today was 1:35:17. What was I doing in Longview?? Am I just hyper-sensitive to warm weather? As excited as I am about this run, part of me considers it almost fake since I had nice weather today, and you never get nice weather for races. I'm particularly excited to pull off a 5K pace mile for mile 20. I wanted to empty the tank to see what I had left and there was plenty. With good temperatures at OKC, my time should be really, really good. I just wish I didn't fold so hard in the heat, because it's more likely to be warm there in May.

1150s Miles: 20.00

Weight: 0.00

Comments

From Tracy on Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 12:15:49 from 173.23.75.249

Heat is definitely a factor, but don't stress it too much. Probably as May approaches you'll be more conditioned to the heat anyway, so hopefully that'll help!

Good pace. Is it any surprise that getting mistaken for a prisoner would make you run faster? Must be subliminal. Next time wear your racing shirt.

From SlowJoe on Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 12:29:54 from 184.79.24.255

See I would've thought the prisoners wore orange...next time, racing shirt.

From DaleG on Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 14:10:06 from 173.147.96.28

Wow, what an adventure. good thing the guard didn't tackle you. LOl. NIce job on the run. It would be so hard to focus on the run with so much beautiful scenery.

From derhammer on Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 14:29:09 from 70.113.116.112

Great job - nice strong finish - that will pay dividends come race day. I am going to post something here that came from a runner in our group that ran 2:40's in his last 2 marathons, one was San Antonio in 09 - which was a disaster heat wise, and this year in Houston, which was warm and 100% humidity. I hope it helps.

Here you go: (Sorry, it's kinda long)

My most important piece of advice would be this: put the weather completely out of your mind. Don't think about it, don't worry about it, don't talk about it, try your best to forget about it entirely. You can't change it, you can't control it, so don't waste any mental energy on it. I believe that while marathon training is a physical undertaking, the marathon itself is mostly a mental endeavor. You need all of your mental focus on what you can control, on the task at hand. Giving yourself a weather excuse or letting the weather steal focus from your plan can only detract from you reaching your goal.

Racing a marathon is about belief ... belief in your training, belief in your ability and belief you can reach your goal. If you believe you can do it, you just might. If you believe the weather will hurt you, it probably will.

As for the physical side, my plan in the two humid marathons I've run has been to take 1 gatorade and 1 water at each water stop. In S.A. I switched to no gatorade and 2 waters on the second half, dumping the second one over my head. In Houston I stayed with the 1/1 plan the whole race. What I didn't do was stress about getting enough "hydration". I took what I could and kept racing. Don't waste energy because you only got 4 ounces instead of 8 ounces.

As for nutrition, in SA I took a Gu every 5 miles, but in Houston I only took 1 Gu at mile 18. Again, I didn't stress about it. Mental focus needs to go into the race, not the water, the Gu, the weather.

I don't know if any of this helps, but I can't stress enough how important I think the mental side of the marathon is. For such an intensely physical thing, your thoughts are what matter and what will actually determine your experience. Not the weather.

Best of luck.

From flatlander on Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 16:17:29 from 76.31.26.153

That is truly a great run and a funny report. I think you are bullet-proof for a PR in OKC no matter the weather, unless it is 100+ or something crazy dangerous like that, and you have a major PR lined up even if the weather is imperfect but at least a little bit reasonable. Like DH says, think positive and don't worry about it.

From SlowJoe on Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 18:06:22 from 184.79.24.255

DG - yeah, glad I escaped that one. Fortunately the sewage plant didn't smell too bad.

DH - thanks for posting that - it sounds like good advice to me. I've found myself wondering if I mentally defeated myself in the Houston marathon the last 10K. Could I have just sped up? Not sure... Pretty sure I quit trying in Longview last weekend.

FL - thanks, I'm hoping with my improvements I've created enough of a buffer where 3:20 will be possible on a warmer day (or a PR at least, like you said). I think the other piece for me is that I need to negative split my effort better in a race since that's what I do in training and is more comfortable to me.

From TexasLindsey on Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 19:15:02 from 70.253.136.27

That's hilarious! I even read that outloud to my husband so he could laugh!

It was great weather for running today in north Texas! You had an awesome run today! I'm sure you'll hit your goal at your marathon!

From I Just Run on Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 23:08:22 from 71.41.149.142

Whooo...Hoooo great run Turbo Joe... I'm trying my best to catch up to you so we can run together in OKC but the way you're improving I don't think it's going to happen.

BTW...notice how I didn't say anything about how I hope the weather is good in OKC this time... :)

From seeaprilrun on Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 08:46:46 from 72.205.227.203

Joe, I love what flatlander posted. Nothing is going to stop you from sub 3:20 but your mind--you are in fantastic shape and are going to pull off a massive, massive pr!

From SlowJoe on Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 10:44:09 from 131.59.200.80

Lindsey - thanks, it was definitely a great day for a run. Usually the most exciting thing that happens to me is a staredown with a bunch of cows.

IJR - thanks, I'll do my best too. Save my excuses for after the race!

Thanks April, I'll definitely be happy with any improvement over Houston since that was a great race for me.

From Burt on Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 23:15:33 from 72.223.90.79

This is your best entry ever. And even if you were an escaped convict, I don't think you would have been much of a threat. No hard feelings, eh?

From SlowJoe on Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 20:05:42 from 184.79.24.255

Burt...I'm gonna shank you in your sleep.

From Burt on Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 20:12:11 from 206.19.214.144

yawn.

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