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Tulsa Route 66 Marathon

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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
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.0026.3026.30
Saucony A5 Miles: 26.30
Weight: 0.00
Race: Tulsa Route 66 Marathon (26.22 Miles) 03:00:08, Place overall: 18, Place in age division: 4
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.0026.3026.30

I don't know how to start this report, so i'll just get into the details.

Weather - Start - 44F.  Finish 54F, S 12 mph.

Pre race - Mexican for dinner.  Early to the start line to meet Daniel, the only other blogger from Oklahoma.  I think that's 6 bloggers I've met now.  Daniel is a great guy, really friendly, and ran a big PR today so go congratulate him!  We got up a few rows back from the starting line and were off right on time.

The course - Basically a 2-loop course.  The first with the half-marathoners, to the south of downtown, and the second loop is to the north and east - just the marathoners obviously.  Definitely the hilliest course I've run, hillier than OKC.  So maybe not the best for a PR, as I had been warned, but not too unreasonable either.

Miles 1-5 - 6:46, 6:50, 6:43, 6:45, 6:51.  Daniel and I ran the first 2 miles together; a little faster that I was going to run, but basically on pace for 3 hours so no harm done.  Lots of ups and downs through this first 5 miles.  Everything was feeling good, way better than I was anticipating.  Lots of holding myself back.

Miles 6-10 - 6:42, 6:43, 6:48, 6:51, 6:54.  Ok, still feeling easy.  The course flattens out here as it starts to go along the river.  Split the 10k in 42:05, pretty reasonable.

Miles 11-15 - 6:41, 6:46, 6:46, 6:47, 6:54.  More flats from 11-13, nice and comfy.  Hit the half in 1:29:05, feeling really good.  I knew the second half was probably net uphill, so I was happy to have banked a minute.  After 13.5 or so, the course turns through downtown and we got some nice uphills.  I played it conservative on the ups, and stepped it out on the downs, which is what I usually do.

Miles 16-20 - 6:46, 6:52, 6:45, 7:15, 6:48.  I had to just kind of take what the hills gave me.  Mile 19 was one I had circled in my mind.  It goes due south, into the teeth of the wind, and climbs the entire time - just one long, stupid, hill.  I had been keeping track of where I stood against the 6:50 guy....pretty much 20-30 seconds ahead of him the whole time, but I gave it all back on 19.  Ok, no problem, still ahead of the 6:52 (sub-3) guy by about 40 seconds.

Miles 21-26.3 - 6:45, 6:52, 7:04, 7:05, 7:11, 7:08, 1:50 for 0.3 (6:08 pace).  So you can see where I lost it, right after 22.  The hills and the wind.  Ok, and my legs too.  At mile 20, I saw that I needed about a 43:10 on the last 10k.  That is sub-7 pace.  Why did it have to be so close?  I wanted to either be way behind or way ahead of sub-3, I did not want to have to fight for it.  But fight I did.  At mile 23, I saw I had about 22:30 left.  So still hanging on, and on pace.  But now the uphills were bringing me to a halt.  Mercifully the last few miles are net downhill, but everytime it went back uphill it felt like I was barely moving.  I felt my world slowing down - I was bonking, but still close.  My form was terrible and I was clomping loudly but still running as hard as possible.  Even so, I was mowing people down left and right.  I did not get passed by anyone, I don't think.  As I passed the mile 26 sign, the clock there said 2:58:50 or so.  Couldn't do the math.  Turned the corner and made a furious sprint.  I literally saw the finish line clock change from 2:59:59 to 3:00:00 and knew I had probably just missed it, based on where I was.  Crossed the line and yeah, I was about 10 sec slow by my watch.  3:00:08 officially.  6:51 AP on my watch, enough for sub-3, but oh, those pesky tangents, got me an extra tenth of a mile.

I don't know how to feel.  I mean my training was terrible.  It was the hardest course I've run.  But I still got a 1-minute PR.  After I crossed the finish line it was a mix of sadness, anger, happiness, disappointment, relief, and frusturation.  I can't even pick one.  Now that it's been a few hours, I'm just kinda "meh."  And if I had run 2:59:59, a completely arbitrary number as far as my body knows, I would probably be a lot happier.  Just to rub it in a little, I actually arrived back at home at 2:59pm, seriously.  But given all the circumstances, I will certainly take it.  It sucks that I will be a 3-hour marathoner for at least another 5 months, but just 1 month ago I could barely run an 8-minute pace so I guess I'm just glad I got back to normal.

Gonna take at least a week off and start ramping up (slowly) for Boston.  I need a gameplan.  I've kinda stalled out on my marathon progress at a most unfortunate place!

Thanks for reading everyone!

Saucony A5 Miles: 26.30
Weight: 0.00
Comments(26)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
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I think I've said all I have to say about the race, so please enjoy some copyrighted photos of my misery at the end.  I think it's a nice progression.

First one is in the 3rd mile; nice and upright.  Not sure what the weird face is all about, possible sniper in an adjacent building maybe.  You can see Daniel Brunson in the background!

 

Next one is somewhere in the first half, can't remember where - either 10k or 10 miles.  Danielle said it's my "Joe's Not Impressed" look.  I make a lot of weird faces when racing, I guess.  Still just out for a nice stroll though.

 

Let's skip ahead to just after the mile 25 marker.  Note the trademark balled up fist, flailing arms, and pained expression.

 

Aaaaand, I'm toast.

 

Easier to smile when it's over!

Weight: 0.00
Comments(15)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.0026.3026.30
Saucony A5 Miles: 26.30
Weight: 0.00
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