| Location: Garson - Sudbury,ON,Canada Member Since: Apr 20, 2013 Gender: Male Goal Type: Other Running Accomplishments: I ran my first marathon in 1998: "The Friendly Marathon" in Massey, Ontario. I was 32. I had never raced in a shorter event, and I trained really poorly - ended up running it in 4:00:30. After that, I gave up running for the most part for 6 years. I got into karate a bit more seriously, until I got my knee kicked out and had ACL surgery. Then I became a 'fair weather runner' and started to run half marathons every so often. As a priest, entering weekend races always meant having to book a holiday, so it just didn't happen much. My holidays were primarily focussed on various canoe and kayak trips.
At some point, I started training more consistently, and started to think of myself as a runner. I guess doing that in your 40's is better than never doing it at all. I even started to wonder if I had it in me to qualify for Boston. Well, I did. First time didn't count, I suppose, since I didn't make the "cut". But the second time was a charm, and on my sixth Marathon, run in Chicago in 2015, I beat my BQ by almost 6 minutes. And now, running a BQ is routine for me, not that I have any desire to run Boston again.
Through it all, I've made tons of mistakes - and have had lots of injuries to show for it. Hopefully, now that I'm in my late 50's, I'm a bit wiser and can use that to my advantage to continue running for a very long time.
My PRs:
5k (12 run): Guelph, ON. October 10, 2016 (50 yrs.) 20:10
10k (10 run): Collingwood October 5, 2013 (47 yrs.) 43:37
Half Marathon (26 run): Cleveland May 18, 2014 (48 yrs) 1:33:08
Marathon (12 run): Ste-Jerome, QC October 3, 2021 (55 yrs.) 3:22:10
Ultras (8 run):
Run for the Toad 50k Trail September 30, 2017 (51 yrs.) 5:31:23
Niagara Falls 100k June 17, 2018 (52 yrs.) 12:26:30
That Dam Hill 24 hours September 15-16, 2018 Completed 100 Miles in 23:20:44
Sulphur Springs 50 mile Trail May 25, 2019 10:37:27
May 25, 2024 9:21:26
Limberlost 35 Mile Trail July 6, 2024 8:12:57
Haliburton Forest 100 mile Trail September 7-8, 2019 26:46:27
September 7-8, 2024 DNF after 65 miles/16 hours
Pacing my sister in her 1st Half Marathon. Short-Term Running Goals: I really want to take on the Haliburton 100 again, after it kicked my butt in 2024, but I'm going to wait until 2026 to take it on again, when I'm 60 years old.
For 2025, I want to try running a Backyard Ultra, just to see how far I can run.
So, a couple of fun runs: 30K Around the Bay in March, and Pick Your Poison 50K in April, followed by Coach D's Backyard in May. That one only runs for 24 hours, so I'm using it to see how I handle the format, in view of running my goal race for 2025: The Bush Bitches Backyard, here in my hometown of Sudbury, in October. Let the training begin! Long-Term Running Goals: Run until this old body of mine won't let me run any more. I was inspired in the Spring of 2016, watching the start of the Ottawa Marathon. Near the back of the pack was an 'old man', running with his walker. I loved it! I thought ... there's me in 20 years. Maybe.  Personal: I am a Roman Catholic priest of 31 years, ministering in the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. I spent 8 years ministering in the small town of Wawa (where I helped establish the annual Blackfly Run) and 9 years in Sault Ste. Marie. I have been in the Sudbury region now for 14 years. Currently I Pastor 2 small Parishes: St. John the Evangelist in Garson, and St. Bernardine of Siena in Skead, covering the area just Northeast of the city, surrounding the Sudbury Airport. |
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| Saucony Triumph 18 Miles: 20.00 | Hoka Bondi Miles: 84.00 | Triumph 18 Miles: 46.00 | Brooks Ghost 13 Miles: 6.00 | Hoka Bondi 8 Treadmill/outside Miles: 30.50 |
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| | Easy run at a 9:16 pace. A very light dusting of snow on the ground. Getting a bit colder though at -12C/11F.
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| Saucony Triumph 18 Miles: 4.00 |
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| | Easy run in a brisk wind. 9:26 pace | |
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| | Freezing rain this morning, and the roads were really slick, so I took to the treadmill instead. Two days in a row with no pain or tightness in the knee. Hurray! 9:31 pace.
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| | My headlamp went out at mile 2 (forgot to charge it), and so the next 2 miles were run in the dark. The last 2 were in twilight, so not too bad. Not much traffic yet, with school still out, so I managed. We had a few centimeters of snow the other day, and the traffic packing it made it pretty slippery, so I had to watch. 9:09 pace.
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| Brooks Ghost 13 Miles: 6.00 |
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| | Cold morning with a stiff wind. -10C/14F, but the windchill made it -18C/0F. A stoat ran across the road just in front of me at around mile 4 on Goodwill Drive. Hips really tightened up on the last mile. I'm really looking forward to a hot shower! 9:25 pace.
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| | Snow covered roads. Packed in places, and loose in others. Big storm coming tomorrow, so we may finally get our heavy snow. Registration for the Haliburton 100 Trail Ultra opened yesterday. Yes. I am registered. So 50 miles in May and 100 miles in September. 9:10 pace today. I had a massage first thing, so a late morning run. | |
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| | Got it done before the coming storm hit. Stiff East wind. 9:22 pace. | |
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| | We got hit pretty hard with our first major snow storm of the season. It started yesterday early afternoon and is still going. So, hit the treadmill today. 9:31 pace.
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| | I have a funeral Mass tomorrow, so decided to run my 16 miler today. That, plus another big storm will hit us tonight, and I didn't want to run 16 miles on the treadmill if it was avoidable. I was up early anyway, and so was out the door at 5:30 this morning.
Cold. It was -18C/0F and it snowed lightly the whole time. I was dressed for it, but was still chilled by the end after being out there for 2 1/2 hours. Every facial hair was covered with thick frost when I was done; my eyes were blocked by little icicles hanging from my lashes.
The road was well packed and traffic was relatively light; I managed a pretty decent 9:10 pace.
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| Saucony Triumph 18 Miles: 16.00 |
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| | Big storm outside; I ran inside. 5 treadmill miles at 9:22 pace. Left shin a bit sore today; will have to work that out.
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| | Cold morning, but bright once the sun rose. 9:03 pace. Ski trails opened yesterday, so I bought my season pass and skied 5K. Will go for another 10K today. | |
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| | Cold,and a touch windy early this morning. 9:19 pace. Skied 5K later in the morning. | |
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| | Going to be doing speedwork on the treadmill on Wednesdays from now on. Today was 4 x 800 repeats @ 7:03 pace with 400 recoveries.
The good news is, no pain. Shin cleared up, as did the knee, and no further hamstring issues. The only lingering 'thing' is the numbness under my toes from the plank plate rupture, but my doctor told me that is just nerve damage. I can live with that, if need be.
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| | Long run on the treadmill early this morning. 9:31 pace throughout.
At mile 12, a couple toes on my left foot were screaming at me. Too much pressure, I think, from the orthotics. So, I switched to the Hokas and didn't bother with the orthotics. Instant relief.
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| Triumph 18 Miles: 12.00 | Hoka Bondi 8 Treadmill/outside Miles: 6.00 |
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| | Back to the treadmill; 9:31 pace. It's warming up a bit next week, so am hoping to take it back outside.
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| Hoka Bondi 8 Treadmill/outside Miles: 6.50 |
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| | Warmed up a bit, so took it outside. Roads in decent shape, with a bit of slushy snow in places. 9:06 pace for a 91 minute run. | |
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| | Easy 9:52 pace today. Stiff North wind. | |
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| | Speedwork on the treadmill.
5 x 800 repeats @ 7:03 pace with 400 recoveries.
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| | Back to the treadmill for this long run. Even 9:31 pace. Nothing hurting, so things look hopeful in that regard. I think running 3 hours on the treadmill is good training for the mind more than anything. You really have to push through that urge to stop.
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| Hoka Bondi 8 Treadmill/outside Miles: 18.00 |
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| | Relaxed run at 9:30 pace. Warm weather means closed ski trails, but also bare roads. Just below the freezing mark this morning with no wind. | |
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| | Mileage cut back week. Hovering just below freezing and no wind. 9:07 pace. | |
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| | Easy run on a slush covered road. 9:05 pace. | |
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| | Speedwork Wednesdays on the treadmill. 2 miles Tempo pace 7:35.
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| Saucony Triumph 18 Miles: 20.00 | Hoka Bondi Miles: 84.00 | Triumph 18 Miles: 46.00 | Brooks Ghost 13 Miles: 6.00 | Hoka Bondi 8 Treadmill/outside Miles: 30.50 |
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