Going Long (again) in 2024

Run Collingwood

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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
55.10
Brooks Glycerin Miles: 13.00Mizuno Wave Elixir 8 Miles: 11.00Brooks Ghost 5 Miles: 19.00Mizuno Wave Sayonara Miles: 12.00
Weight: 159.67
Total Distance
6.00

Pretty achy this morning, especially the right hip/glutes/hamstring.  Took almost a mile to work that out.  Ran at the slow end of my easy range:  9:17/mile.  Going to try an ice bath.  Haven't done that in a very long time - simply because I hate them.  But I think it might help in a big way at this point.

Brooks Glycerin Miles: 6.00
Weight: 160.00
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Total Distance
11.00

Strength run today:  2 x 3 miles at a pace of 8:35.

I ran my 1st three miles at 7:18  7:18  and 7:17  and my 2nd three miles at 7:36 (big hill)  7:25  and  7:22.

Too fast, I know.  I tried to slow it down for my second set, and succeeded a bit.   But I did finish it feeling strong, so I'm okay with running it a bit fast.

Still sore on the right side - have a massage booked for later this morning and hoping it helps loosen things up.

Mizuno Wave Elixir 8 Miles: 11.00
Weight: 163.00
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Total Distance
6.00

6 very easy miles (9:28 pace).  Cold and wet - miserable morning, actually.

Was a rest day for me, but I'm switching that to Friday, as I'm pacing a half marathon on Saturday and figure I can use the extra rest the day before.

As great as the massage was yesterday, I see that my right hamstring is still giving me problems.  More ice and ibuprofin!

Brooks Ghost 5 Miles: 6.00
Weight: 160.50
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Total Distance
12.00

Tempo Workout today ---- 9 miles at race pace (I'm aiming for 7:45/mile).  Since my tendency is to go out too fast, I decided to intentionally start slow and then to speed up.  My splits were:

7:57  7:45  7:46  7:41  7:32  7:46  7:42  7:43  and  7:38.

So, basically according to plan, except for a too fast mile 5.  I know I'll have to watch that during the marathon, as it would cost me later on.  My average pace was 7:45 for the workout, as planned.  I'll run an easy workout tomorrow, take Friday off, and then I'm pacing a half marathon on Saturday - my first time pacing.

Mizuno Wave Sayonara Miles: 12.00
Weight: 158.50
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Total Distance
7.00

7 easy paced miles.

Brooks Glycerin Miles: 7.00
Weight: 157.00
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Race: Run Collingwood (13.1 Miles) 01:54:14, Place overall: 61, Place in age division: 41
Total Distance
13.10

This was my chance to give back - my 1st experience as a pacer.  I had a lot of fun.  I was scheduled to run 10 miles today, so I adjusted my other training runs this week to give me the same weekly mileage, but allow me to run 13 miles today.

I drove to Collingwood Friday.  Collingwood is a 4 hour drive from my home.  Unfortunately, came across an accident scene with a fatality.  No emergency services had yet arrived.  Sad.

Stayed at a motel just a few minutes from the starting line.  I ran the inaugural Collingwood race last year (10km) and that was a PB for that distance for me.

The day started with rain and very cold wind.  Temperature was 10C or 50F, but the wind just cut through your clothes.  I kept a wind breaker on right until the start (ran in shorts and short sleeves, which ended up being a good choice, as the wind broke eventually and it warmed up a bit).  The sun even came out at the end.

So, I decided to play the part of the pace bunny.  Wore bunny ears.  They blew off at the 9.5 km marker, but someone picked them up and gave them back to me at the finish line.  I also drew a bunny face on my face (cute, I was told) and of course I carried the 1:55 sign.  In fact, it turned out that I was the ONLY pacer today.  Nobody else.  Last year there were more.  But it sure drew a lot of attention to me, which I enjoyed.

I was surprised, actually, at how many people used me to pace.  Good feeling.  To finish in 1:55, I had to run 5:27/km splits.  Although I've been training in miles, I decided to go with the km's today, since the course was marked only that way.  That pace works out to running around 8:46/mile, which is at the fast end of my 'easy pace' training runs.

Since I knew my GPS would show the distance differently, I decided to aim for a pace of 5:25/km.  Basically, it was impossible for me to run the tangents, as I had a crowd of runners around me the whole time, and they took the inside track on the turns.  By kilometer 6, I was already about 25 seconds 'off' in my distance.  I counted the seconds between the markers and my GPS every Kilometer, did the math in my head, and figured out where I was.  For most of the race, I was about 30 or so seconds ahead of goal pace, which I figured was pretty good.

The course is fairly flat.  Almost half of it runs in one very long straight stretch, which was tough for a few reasons:  6 miles in one direction, into the wind, and with one very significant hill (up).  That's where my bunny ears blew off.

I ran steady throughout, did not stop for any water along the way, and only made a few pacing mistakes (had to really resist the urge to speed up at the end!).

This pace was REALLY easy for me.  I could easily have run the course again (for a 3:50 marathon).  But I WAS sore in all those places that have been sore for my training, and the 4 hour drive home afterwards didn't help that.  Oh well.

Now, my actual splits were:

5:18 (oops, too fast - slow down!)

5:25 (better)     5:22     5:28     5:21     5:30     5:25     5:14     5:24     5:22     5:20     5:18     5:21     5:28     5:25     5:29     5:29     5:07 (drat, slow down)     5:15     5:31     and     5:33  

for a finish time of 1:54:14, just 46 seconds faster than my pace time, which I believe is within the bounds of what is acceptable.  Hey, for a 1st time, I happy.

I know at least 3 runners who ran a PB (told me) and had used me for that purpose.  I also ALMOST had a free trip to Las Vegas (don't think the runners behind me knew I could hear them talking about me!).  Apparently, I was cute and they wanted to take me with them.  Too bad they couldn't keep up.  ;)

So, pacing experience aside, I am now just 4 weeks away from the Hamilton Marathon.  My only concern is my hips/glutes/hamstrings, but if they don't get any worse, I can run through that pain right now.  This coming week, starting tomorrow, is my longest training week.  Then I can start to taper.

Brooks Ghost 5 Miles: 13.00
Weight: 159.00
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Total Distance
55.10
Brooks Glycerin Miles: 13.00Mizuno Wave Elixir 8 Miles: 11.00Brooks Ghost 5 Miles: 19.00Mizuno Wave Sayonara Miles: 12.00
Weight: 159.67
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