| 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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| Brooks Ghost 11 Miles: 83.00 | Nike Zoom Vomero 13 Miles: 40.00 | Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 33.00 | Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 72.00 |
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| | Beautiful morning to take it outside again.
Radar Road; 8:40 pace.
-3C/26F with little wind.
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| Brooks Ghost 11 Miles: 10.00 |
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| | Goodwill Drive; 8:20 pace.
Beautiful sunrise, but cold running. -7C/19F
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| Nike Zoom Vomero 13 Miles: 6.00 |
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| | Speedwork on the treadmill.
6 x 800 @ 6:58 with 400 recoveries.
Firing on all cylinders.
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| Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 8.00 |
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| | Lots of snow last night and the highway was a mess, so I did the same long run route as last week: 3 laps on Goodwill Drive. An afternoon run, so the sun was shining and it was reasonably warm at -4C/25F. Strong and gusty wind, however.
The road was snow covered and icy for lap one, at which point the snow plow made a pass. After that, it was just snow packed and icy.
All the dogs came out to run with me on lap 2. Five different ones. Picked up my pepper spray for lap 3, just in case, and didn't see a single pooch.
8:53 average pace.
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| Brooks Ghost 11 Miles: 20.00 |
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| | Back to the treadmill for this Back to Back. 9:31 pace.
It was only 14 hours since I ran the 20 miles, so my legs were still heavy and a bit rubbery. I actually stopped after just 2.5 miles to eat a banana because of that. Finished the rest no problem.
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| Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 10.00 |
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| | Goodwill Drive; 8:50 pace. The road was mostly bare, with some icy patches. Hovering just above freezing at 34 degrees. Nice morning for running.
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| Nike Zoom Vomero 13 Miles: 8.00 |
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| | Goodwill Drive; 8:41 pace.
Driving snow, ice pellets, freezing rain, strong North wind - miserable. But it was only 5 miles, so I took it out into the storm.
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| Brooks Ghost 11 Miles: 5.00 |
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| | Speedwork on the treadmill.
4 x 800 @ 6:58 with 400 recoveries.
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| Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 7.00 |
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| | Easy run on Goodwill Drive; 8:42 pace.
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| Brooks Ghost 11 Miles: 6.00 |
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| | Radar Road; 8:45 pace. Beautiful morning. Sitting around -2C/28F, and the sun came out around mile 5.
I left a bit late, ate a bit more than normal beforehand because of that, and paid for it with runner's trots at the end. Made it home though!
So, the Bishop of our Diocese ordered the cancellation of everything, effective immediately, because of the Covid-19 Virus. The only 'maybe' exception will be funerals. So, now I have a lot of free time on my hands - including weekends - and there are no races to run (they have all been cancelled), no sports to watch (all cancelled), and no way I can increase the amount of running that I'm already doing. Kinda sucks.
Got a notice that my Sinister 7 Ultra in July might be cancelled ... pending how things progress. Likely will also see the cancellation of my May Ultra, and my May and June Half Marathons. Ah well. Out of my hands, so I'll just keep running.
Keep well everyone!
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| Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 14.00 |
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| | Radar Road; 9:00 pace. Cool running; -12C/11F.
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| Brooks Ghost 11 Miles: 10.00 |
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| | Goodwill Drive; 9:00 pace.
A very gentle snow falling, with huge flakes. Kinda magical.
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| Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 6.00 |
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| | Speedwork on the treadmill.
6 x 800 @ 6:58 pace with 400 recoveries.
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| Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 8.00 |
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| | Radar Road; 8:36 pace.
Going out the first 6 miles was miserable. Driving sleet/snow right into my face. Stinging eyes and close to zero visibility.
Coming back the final 6 miles was an absolute delight!
First of my races was postponed until October. Sudbury Rocks Half Marathon that was orginally scheduled for the last weekend of May.
Still waiting to hear about my two Ultras. The organizers of the Sinister 7 100 Miler won't decide for sure until the first week of May, so my training continues at least until then.
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| Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 12.00 |
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| | Radar Road; 8:47 pace. Blue sky and glorious sunshine, but real cold. Just -18C/0F when I started and up to -9C/16F when I finished 3 hours later.
Still, after yesterday's little blizzard, it was great to be out in the sun.
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| Nike Zoom Vomero 13 Miles: 20.00 |
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| | Radar Road; 8:53 pace.
Beautiful morning for running. -5C/23F.
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| Brooks Ghost 11 Miles: 12.00 |
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| | Goodwill Drive; 8:44 pace.
So, yesterday the Premier of Ontario declared that all non-essential services and businesses must close by Midnight today. This morning, they released the list of what are considered essential services and businesses that can stay open. Honestly, it would have been easier to list the non-essential ones. It looks to me like EVERYTHING is essential, according to that list.
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| Nike Zoom Vomero 13 Miles: 6.00 |
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| | First outside speedwork in a long while. Temperature right around the freezing mark and little wind. Plus, it was just so nice to get out. Radar Road.
5 x 1200 repeats with 400 recoveries.
Paces/mile were: 6:48 6:46 6:42 6:47 and 6:42. Pretty consistent - made me happy.
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| Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 10.00 |
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| | Radar Road; 8:46 pace.
Gorgeous day with brilliant sunshine; -4C/26F and very little wind.
Got an e-mail from the Sinister 7 race director. They are still hoping for the first weekend of July, but have an alternative date set for the 4th weekend of August, just in case. That's 7 weeks later - sure hope they decide soon, as it will alter my training quite a bit.
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| Brooks Ghost 11 Miles: 14.00 |
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| | Radar Road; 8:44 pace.
It was a slog from the get go. Just didn't have any mojo in my legs, and so had to just will myself forward.
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| Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 16.00 |
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| | Radar Road; 8:31 pace.
I had no 'blah' issues for this run. Amazing what a day off running and a couple of good night's sleep does for one's energy level.
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| Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 14.00 |
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| | Goodwill Drive; 8:25 pace.
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| Brooks Ghost 11 Miles: 6.00 |
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| Brooks Ghost 11 Miles: 83.00 | Nike Zoom Vomero 13 Miles: 40.00 | Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 33.00 | Saucony ISO Triumph 4 Miles: 72.00 |
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