For Whom the Dogs Bark

October 31, 2024

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Location:

Cypress,TX,

Member Since:

Oct 10, 2009

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

5K: 24:22 (March 2010); 22:33 (October 2010); 20:47 (May 2011); 21:05 (May 2012); 21:33 (September 2012); 21:23 (November, 2013); 22:31 (September 2014)

5M: 39:22 (November, 2012); 35:54 (November, 2013); 36:03 (March, 2015)

10K: 44:08 (November, 2010); 49:20 (July, 2013); 44:07 (April, 2015)

12K: 56:03 (December, 2013); 58:58 (December, 2014)

10M: 1:11:58 (October, 2012); 1:15:24 (October, 2014)

Half Marathon: 1:53:xx (London's Run 2010); 2:05:21 (Cowtown 2010); 1:37:04 (Gusher 2011); 1:42:19 (Huntsville 2011); 1:33:47 (Baytown Jailbreak 2012); 1:33:50 (The Woodlands 2012); 1:42:52 (Texas 2015); 1:49:17 (Jailbreak 2015); 1:38:34 (The Woodlands 2015)

25K: 2:01:47 (Fifth Third River Bank, May 2014)

Marathon: 5:51:35 (Texas Marathon 2009); 6:21:36 (Ogden 2009); 4:58:29 (St. George 2009); 4:13:45 (Texas Marathon 2010); 4:04:12 (Utah Valley Marathon, 2010); 5:11:14 (Hartford ING, 2010); 3:41:43 (Richmond SunTrust, 2010); 3:39:27 (Texas Marathon 2011); 3:41:46 (Utah Valley Marathon, 2011); 3:30:35 (St. George 2011); 3:41:51 (Richmond 2012); 3:49:15 (Texas 2013); 3:46:59 (Paavo Nurmi, 2013); 3:34:04 (St. George 2013); 3:49:51 (Texas 2014); 3:31:59 (Richmond 2014); 3:28:34 (Boston 2015)

Short-Term Running Goals:

3:20, 1:30, 0:20

Long-Term Running Goals:

I'm 60, there is no long term.

Personal:

I live, work and run in Houston, Texas. I have run 17 marathons, some good ones and some others. I prefer straight, flat, cold, sea-level marathons, still waiting for my first one. I feel like there are more PRs out there. When I have them, I am told it is time to dial it back, run for healthy reasons. I'm sure that's right, and I'm sure it won't happen.

My wife and I are from the mountains of the west. We have five kids, three granddaughters and three grandsons. The kids and grandkids are native Texans but we are not -- you have to be born here.

As for my blog title: I run most of my miles before sunrise, sometimes hours before. On the back road of my neighborhood two hours before daylight, I can depend on a pack of mutts behind the boundary fence lighting up when they hear my footsteps. I have wondered what they wanted; but according to Hemingway I needn't ask.

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Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00

Sat, May 08, 2010

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
20.28	0.00	0.00	0.00	20.28

71F, wind NE 3 mph, humidity 73%, wind picked up a little and temperature up a little during the run. It was a great morning for running, clear at first and then clouding over right about sunrise. I ran 20.28 in 3:47:02, average pace 11:12, regular shoes. I ran the first 10 at low heart rate, which was about a 12-minute pace, not sure why but I think it is the heat. Then I picked it up the next 10, intended to run low 11s, but ended up mid-10s. My last 6 splits were 10:30 (153), 10:26 (154), 10:40 (152), 10:22 (157), 10:20 (159) and 10:06 (162). So my heart rate was moving up gradually the whole time but it never broke 160 until mile 19.

Basically I had quite a bit in reserve, but my ankle was a little sore from running fast yesterday and I didn't want to dig myself a hole for Monday's session. The other good thing I did was manage hydration better. I have been a bad boy when it comes to drinking (don't get the wrong idea, we are only talking about water here), basically I don't bother. But a long run in the heat and humidity forces the issue. This time I started early and took a respectable drink every two miles or so, hauling a water bottle with me so I could do it. It wasn't enough water to make my stomach slosh but it staved off dehydration. I felt cramps coming on a couple of times and they might have been an issue if I had been running faster, but as it was I was able to control it by changing my stride a little to stretch my left hamstring. In order to control cramping I need to think about taking salt, but that stuff really sends my stomach into orbit.

Well, no St. George for me and my siblings this year. As a group we whiffed in the Lotto, and my brother who entered with my cousin also whiffed. We are just not good gamblers. One alternative is simply to do another fall marathon and I'll probably do that anyway. But I'm thinking about doing the Utah Valley Marathon on June 12. The course looks sweet, just not sure if it's too soon to BQ. According to the McMillan Calculator, I can BQ if I can run a 10K at a 7:47 pace. I have already done 7:53 for a 10K about a month ago, and I'm thinking that the course might be just fast enough to make up for the altitude. But I might be pushing my ankle injury too hard, and I am close enough to the magic pace that if anything goes wrong it will probably do me in. Lots to think about and not a lot of time to decide.

Comments

From vinh on Sat, May 08, 2010 at 15:00:10 from 24.211.101.133

Congrats on 1000 miles this year! Nice run flatlander. You are killing it on mileage. I'm sorry you didn't make it in SGM. It would have been cool to see you there with all the other FRBers. I'm sure you'll do awesome on whatever marathon you run.

From lightitup on Sat, May 08, 2010 at 17:04:05 from 67.185.20.107

1000 miles? Crikey, you need new shoes.

And don't worry about Utah Valley. Although I am registered and committed, my body is not. I am still doing Ring Around the Rosie trying to find where everything will land with the hernia stuff. They can't even decide which imaging to do.

From SlowJoe on Sun, May 09, 2010 at 10:21:54 from 184.79.24.255

Real nice 20-miler. Does Gatorade mess with your stomach too? The sugar and sweat replacement components do wonders for refueling me.

Bummer about the St. George race - I guess that must be a popular one. Sounds like all the races in Utah go downhill though so that's gotta help some if you end up trying next month. Then there are plenty of fall races in TX, just in case.

From Smooth on Sun, May 09, 2010 at 22:50:58 from 174.23.172.155

NICE run in that heat and humidity! Thanks for the reminder on hydration. I need to do better this week on hydrating.

So sorry you didn't make the SGM lottery. I say go for it at UVM.

From flatlander on Mon, May 10, 2010 at 09:33:32 from 75.223.5.38

Vinh, thanks, I'm sure we'll meet at some point, maybe at the finish line after you've already gotten your massage and a shower!

E, I do have new shoes, those Brazilian dancing flats! They look great, just not completely acclimated to them, and once I start wearing them all the time they are going to wear out quickly.

Joe, yeah, I gave up on Gatorade after my first marathon. I'm going to try to work in some nutrition this summer as well as hydrating, because I think there is a benefit to taking on calories, at least early in the race, just have to tell my stomach who is boss, and right now it isn't me.

Smooth, thanks, I'm still thinking about UVM, will probably decide in the next day or two. In addition to being a fast course (I hope), the timing works really well with my schedule for that month.

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