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November 16, 2024

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Location:

Snoqualmie,WA,

Member Since:

Jan 31, 2008

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

Marathon PR: 4:17 at Portland Marathon, Oct. 2007

5K PR 24:37 2009

10K PR 52:58 2010

Have run 22 marathons to date.

No injuries, ever.   :)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Qualify for Boston (4:05 for my age/gender) - or, perhaps, to use my desire for a BQ as a way to get in the hated speed work so I don't just get slower and slower over the years.  This goal is "under (re)construction" right now, until I figure out whether it is truly what I want. :) 


Long-Term Running Goals:

To continue learning about myself and about running, and to enjoy being a fit, happy runner for life.   To always know why I am running and the best way to get the most (both mentally and physically) out of my runs.  To keep a sense of humor and remain optimistic about myself as a runner.  To enjoy running more and more with every passing year. 

Personal:

Baby boomer generation.  Jogged a little in my 20's and 30's.  Started running seriously in 2002.  Low-carb runner since January 2010. 

I love long runs and cold, cloudy weather.  I don't believe in "junk miles."  I am an optimist.  I adore dark chocolate, fog, my family, and knitting -- not necessarily in that order.  

"As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are."  -- Joan Benoit Samuelson 


Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Brooks ST3 Lifetime Miles: 891.35
Vibram Five Fingers KSO Lifetime Miles: 23.77
Brooks ST3 II Lifetime Miles: 965.17
Lunaracers II Lifetime Miles: 198.23
Mizuno Wave Universe 3 Lifetime Miles: 104.14
Asics Piranha Lifetime Miles: 536.83
RunAmocs (Softstar) Lifetime Miles: 16.23
Piranha II Lifetime Miles: 219.53
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.102.000.000.007.10

53F, breezy, light showers.  3.5 mi easy pace, 2 mi MP, remainder moderate pace. 

I had a depressing thought today.  (Right on schedule, marathon in less than 3 weeks.)   Let's just say that for any runner there are different effort levels that correspond to their paces.  "Very, very difficult" for 5K, "Fairly hard" for 10K pace, etc.  And let's say that marathon pace could be called "hard but sustainable."  

Now what if those effort levels are the same for a really fast runner as they are for a slower one?  (The ad with Ryan Hall's face is glaring at me this very moment.)  In other words, what if the effort I use maintaining a 9:15 pace is the same as Ryan's effort at, what, 5:10?  Or the same as a 2:50 marathoner (I'll call him George) churning out 6:30 pace miles.   

So, are we all running as fast as we can maintain for 26.2 miles or as fast as we can for the length of time we will spend running?  What if it's the former?  That would mean I have to work as hard as Ryan, or as George, but for 40% to 90% longer time!  I was trying to wrap my brain around this when Whitney Houston came on my iTunes singing "One Moment In Time."  I've laid the plan / Now lay the chance / here in my hand. Shut up Whitney. You have no idea. 

I don't know how I can verify this depressing theory, or more to the point, how I can nullify it.   I can't get inside Ryan's or Gloria's head and feel how hard they are working when they run "marathon pace."  And of course, I'm not talking about just some random pace that gets you across the finish line before they close the course. I'm talking about PRs and BQ's and such.  The best I can do is to tell myself that they are working harder than I am, because time matters and they don't have to keep it up for over 4 hours.  But there is something illogical about that, from a physics point of view.  26.2 miles, X mass....   Shut up, brain; sing on, Whitney. 

Brooks ST3 II Miles: 7.10
Comments
From nicole on Wed, Sep 08, 2010 at 12:48:40 from 128.208.244.70

Now I'm depressed! :-) And how come my 5k effort is sometimes a 7:30 pace and sometimes a 9:00 pace? That's how it felt today, I felt like I was working sooo hard and then the splits were depressing!

What marathon is up next?

From Dale on Wed, Sep 08, 2010 at 12:51:58 from 69.10.215.11

This is completely unscientific, but I think that the total effort is (should?) be about the same, where total effort = instantaneous effort * duration.

So Ryan's instantaneous effort is higher because the duration is shorter, similar to running harder on a 5K than a marathon.

Training helps reduce the instantaneous effort required for a certain pace *and* helps you generate (suffer through?) a higher instantaneous effort over a longer period of time.

All of which is immaterial. You'll run the race that you can run on race-day. You'll never run like Ryan (sorry!). But you can run better than previous incarnations of yourself. After all, you've got more training in your legs now than you did at your last race, right?

From auntieem on Wed, Sep 08, 2010 at 13:20:48 from 71.197.249.174

Well, thanks for that. I think we are all running the pace we can sustain for 26.2 miles. That is the whole idea of the pace calculator and pacing practice. So, whether we are 17 years old or 53 years old or Ryan Hall or Sno, we are all working equally hard for the distance. Time is irrelevant. That is why there are formulas to compare you and I to younger athletes in age graded fashion, right?

I don't find this particularly depressing, unless of course you consider the time it takes you or I to make the same effort that Ryan Hall can do in 1/2 the time!

The question that torments me is this: if I practice my marathon pace for relatively short bursts, how can I be sure that I can sustain that pace for 26.2. And, maybe even more relevantly, how can I make sure that I don't run FASTER than that pace early in the marathon?

From allie on Wed, Sep 08, 2010 at 14:59:59 from 174.23.163.253

very interesting thoughts going on here. i have discussed this several times with various people and everyone seems to have a different answer. what i do know is that it is much too complicated for my simple mind. but the whitney houston part -- now that makes sense to me.

good luck with your marathon. no depressing thoughts. you will do great! and so will ryan, george and whitney.

From april27 on Wed, Sep 08, 2010 at 15:51:16 from 165.138.243.1

this is interesting thoughts. I'm not sure I ever thought much passed, "Well it is totally not fair that so-in-so can run a 1/2 in a hour and it takes me 2!" Not cool!

but stop stressing. You will do just fine. Fall races are the best!

From Snoqualmie on Thu, Sep 09, 2010 at 11:56:41 from 24.18.192.33

Thanks, everyone. I've decided to try not to think about it. ;)

Nicole - Winthrop Marathon. It's a new one.

From rAtTLeTrAp on Thu, Sep 09, 2010 at 12:11:13 from 69.96.145.221

Oooo! Winthrop! That looks like a fast course and it's a qualifier. Sophia was talking about that one on our trail run last weekend. If I had heard about it a month sooner I probably would have registered. Is this going to be "the one" for you?

From Snoqualmie on Thu, Sep 09, 2010 at 12:59:58 from 24.18.192.33

I no longer call any marathon "the one." It leads to nothing but heartbreak. My training has been fairly good but not, imo, as good as last summer. We'll see. I do think it would be nice to at least get a marathon PR, something I haven't done for 3 years.

Goal #1: have a good time.

Goal #2: finish strong.

#3: get a PR.

Fantasy goal #1: BQ.

#2: AG award (good news, less than 5 women in my AG last time I checked - bad news, only 1st place gets an award).

From rAtTLeTrAp on Thu, Sep 09, 2010 at 13:37:09 from 69.96.145.221

It's ok to think positive about "the one", eventually it will lead to "heartbreak hill" :)

I'm excited for you. Inaugural marathons are fun and this looks like a great course. I'm sure you will love it.

From auntieem on Thu, Sep 09, 2010 at 17:32:01 from 71.197.249.174

Oooh, I'm itchy to do that one too! We stayed at the Mazama Country Inn, and LOVED it, if you don't have a place to stay yet.

From Snoqualmie on Thu, Sep 09, 2010 at 18:28:23 from 166.205.140.114

Rattletrap- lol!

AEm- I'm really looking forward to being out there!

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