Going Long (again) in 2024

Week starting Jun 25, 2017

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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  (25 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 (5 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

Haliburton Forest 100 mile Trail   September 7-8, 2019  26:46:27

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Pacing my sister in her 1st Half Marathon.

Short-Term Running Goals:

After a broken right foot in 2022 in the later stages of a marathon training cycle, then adjusting to a 1/2" heal lift in my right shoe to compensate for a leg length discrepancy, and then a left plank plate rupture in the late summer of 2023, I had to decide:  go fast or go long.  I opted for long, for this year at least.

May 2024:  Sulphur Springs 50 Mile Trail (revisiting it after 5 years)

July 2024:  Limberlost 54KM Trail

September 2024:  Haliburton 100 Mile Trail (also revisiting it after 5 years).

Everything this year is really focussed on the Haliburton 100 as my key event.  After that, and depending on how things go, I'll reevaluate.

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 30 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 13 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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Miles:This week: 28.00 Month: 189.50 Year: 588.50
Mizuno Wave Sayonara 2 Lifetime Miles: 412.40
Brooks Cascadia 11 Lifetime Miles: 302.00
Salomon Speedcross 4 Lifetime Miles: 160.25
Brooks Launch 8 Lifetime Miles: 153.00
Asics Metaspeed Sky Lifetime Miles: 32.20
Brooks Ghost 13 Lifetime Miles: 358.50
Saucony Triumph 18 Lifetime Miles: 372.50
Ghost 13 Blue Sole Lifetime Miles: 363.00
Hoka Bondi Lifetime Miles: 386.00
Triumph 18 Treadmill Lifetime Miles: 120.50
Hoka Bondi 8 Treadmill Lifetime Miles: 102.50
Total Distance
45.50
Brooks Cascadia 11 Miles: 14.00Brooks Ghost 7 Miles: 8.00Saucony ISO Triumph 2 Miles: 16.50Mizuno Wave Sayonara 2 Miles: 7.00
Weight: 162.50
Total Distance
14.00

Back to the Capreol Ski Trails for this 14 miler.  Took 2:25:30 to run at a pace of 10:22/mile.  Elevation gain of 850 feet.  Temperature was a perfect 11C/52F with humidity hovering around 85%.  There was a light rain for most of the first half, and then the sun broke through off and on.

I'm just glad I was able to run.  Moved a lot of heavy things on Saturday with helpers.  When carrying my half of a 90 gallon fish tank to the trailer, I felt my back do something weird.  It prevented me from carrying much of anything for the rest of the day - and no, I did NOT plan it that way!  One of my helpers is a health care practitioner, and she did a treatment on me that afternoon - my lower back is twisted and pulled.  It felt better after that, but she strongly urged me to not run that day.  I had planned my 10 miler later on.

So, I reluctantly listened to her, and even took Sunday off (was optional anyway).  So, just happy to be out there today.  The back is still achy, and I really had to pay attention to it (especially on the steep downhills), and when I finished, getting into and out of my truck was interesting, to say the least.  But I did it!

I did fall - nice little face plant, just after mile 8.  Tripped on a tree root.  Both hands took the brunt of it, and were numb for the next couple of miles.  Other than that, however, there was not much other damage --- a bit of blood on my left leg, and a lot of mud/dirt pretty much everywhere.  Sure glad it was on a flat section!

Brooks Cascadia 11 Miles: 14.00
Weight: 162.50
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Total Distance
8.00

1 hour tempo run.  7:36 pace.  Back is still pretty achy.  Doesn't seem to affect my running, but sure is stiff when I'm done.  I'm getting another treatment for it later today.

Brooks Ghost 7 Miles: 8.00
Weight: 162.50
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Total Distance
6.50

Rained all night.  Still raining pretty steady.  So, wet run.  Easy pace of 8:48.  

Saucony ISO Triumph 2 Miles: 6.50
Weight: 163.50
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Total Distance
7.00

Big move today, so it really threw my routine off.  I didn't have time to run this morning.  I did, however, just finish an early evening run at the track.  And it's literally across the street from me at my new place.  Way cool to have a track this close. 

So, I ended up running 4 x 1200 repeats with 400 recoveries.  Aimed for something around 5:00/repeat.  Came in pretty good at:  5:02  5:00  4:56  and  4:52.

Time to eat!

Mizuno Wave Sayonara 2 Miles: 7.00
Weight: 163.50
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Total Distance
10.00

First run on the streets and trails of Garson.  Well, the trail I tried turned out to be a bust.  Constant expanses of water across the trail to the point where I had to finally turn back.  First mile:  9:47.

I picked it up on the roads and finished the 10 miles with an average pace of 8:47.

This sure is not the Valley.  Hills!  Finally, I'll have hills to train on.

Saucony ISO Triumph 2 Miles: 10.00
Weight: 160.50
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Total Distance
45.50
Brooks Cascadia 11 Miles: 14.00Brooks Ghost 7 Miles: 8.00Saucony ISO Triumph 2 Miles: 16.50Mizuno Wave Sayonara 2 Miles: 7.00
Weight: 162.50
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