Going Long (again) in 2024

Week starting Sep 07, 2014

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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
61.00
Brooks Glycerin Miles: 31.00Mizuno Wave Sayonara Miles: 22.00Brooks Ghost 5 Miles: 8.00
Weight: 160.75
Total Distance
8.00

Ran in the middle range of my easy pace:  9:03/mile.  Felt the same as yesterday - hip pain that I was able to push through.  I sure hope it eases up soon, because I can't see how I can run fast like this.  Tomorrow I start the 'strength' part of my training program, so I'll get some idea of how I hold up at a faster pace.

Brooks Glycerin Miles: 8.00
Weight: 162.00
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Total Distance
11.00

I'm in the "strength" part of my marathon training, leaving behind the speed workouts (hurray!).  According to the Hanson's training program I'm using, strength workouts boil down to running repeats (from 1 mile to 3 miles) at a pace about 10 seconds faster than race pace.  The repeats all add up to 6 miles, and there is a 400 m recovery jog between each one.  So, the next 6 Mondays will all involve this.

Today's session required 6 x 1 mile repeats.  I've changed my marathon goal from a 3:20 finish to a 3:25 finish, since I've basically lost 3 weeks of training.  That would still give me 5 minutes better than my BQ.  That puts my strength training pace in the 7:35 - 7:40/mile range.

My actual splits were:  7:29  7:23  7:24  7:19  7:18  and  7:10

Aside from the fact that I ran them too fast, I'm ecstatic that I ran them all!  The pain in my hip was manageable - I believe was more like pressure in my bursitis and the pain I've had for some time in my iliospsoas.  The training session felt comfortable, and it's the 3rd day in a row in which I've run all my required paces.

I have tomorrow off, and then a tempo run Wednesday.  I think that will be revealing as to how this pain will affect me for the rest of my training program (8 more weeks).  If I can nail the tempo run, I'll be more confident in being able to manage the pain and run the marathon.

Oh, getting colder too!  It was 12C/53F - cool enough that I could have worn gloves (and didn't).  There is a stretch of cold weather ahead, so this is going to be the norm.  Then again, it will be close to freezing during the marathon, so not a bad idea to get used to it.

Mizuno Wave Sayonara Miles: 11.00
Weight: 161.00
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Total Distance
11.00

Nailed it!  Best tempo run yet - felt strong throughout.  Some pressure in the hip area, but no pain.  I'm icing it now.

Since the Hamilton marathon is going to be marked in kilometers rather than miles, I've decided to set my GPS watch for kilometers, and to run my tempo and long runs that way.  The real reason, though, is that I think I've finally figured out my nutrition strategy.  One honey stinger every kilometer, and one GU every 10 kilometers.  That would work out to just over 60 grams of carbs/hour, which is my goal.

I can chew and swallow the honey stingers a LOT more easier than those Power Blasts, and so far in training my stomach is holding up.  Taking a chew every time my GPS rings at the kilometer marks is just a neat convenience.

Anyway, my race goal works out to about 7:45/mile or 4:49/km.  Today, I ran 8 miles at exactly that pace.  My kilometer splits were:  4:50  4:51  4:50  4:44  4:48  4:44  4:49  5:02 (had to wait about 10 seconds for traffice at an intersection)  4:42  4:51  4:47  4:49  and  4:41

So, pretty consistent throughout.  As long as my hip behaves, I'm hopeful I can finish my training and run as planned.  I'm continuing with the stretching and strengthening work, and am taking the maximum amoung of ibuprofin allowed every day.

Mizuno Wave Sayonara Miles: 11.00
Weight: 159.50
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Total Distance
7.00

Ran easy at an 8:57/mile pace.  COLD morning, and with a strong North wind.  Just 6C/42F.

Some tightness in my right hamstring and my left iliopsoas is still acting up.  But no significant problems after yesterday's tempo run.

Brooks Glycerin Miles: 7.00
Weight: 162.00
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Total Distance
8.00

COLD morning.  Just 4C/39F.  Little wind though, so actually nice for running.  Kept a pace of 8:59/mile.  Same issues - iliopsoas on the left and hamstring on the right.  Just enough to be annoying, but not to keep me from running.  We'll see how it all pans out on my long run tomorrow.

Brooks Ghost 5 Miles: 8.00
Weight: 161.00
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Total Distance
16.00

Cold and wet - 6C/42F and a slow, steady rain throughout.  Wore what I will probably wear for the marathon, and used the same amount of chews (honey stingers) and gels (GU) that I will likely use in the race.  Carried and drank only water.  That combination seems to work well, as I didn't have any serious stomach  issues.

Ran a pretty steady pace throughout - averaged 8:22 for most of the run.  I picked up the speed at the end, running my final mile in 7:41, and finished the 16 miles with an average pace of 8:18 and a total running time of 2 hours and 13 minutes.

I was able to run through the iliopsoas pain in the left groin area, and the tugging in my still sore right hamstring insertion point.  I'm icing them now, and am hopeful that neither will be an issue.  We'll see when I attempt a recovery run tomorrow morning.

Overall, I'm happy with the run.  Just 2 more long runs to go before the race.

Brooks Glycerin Miles: 16.00
Weight: 159.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
61.00
Brooks Glycerin Miles: 31.00Mizuno Wave Sayonara Miles: 22.00Brooks Ghost 5 Miles: 8.00
Weight: 160.75
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