They all can't be "easy" runs.

Firecracker 5k

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Location:

Venice,FL,USA

Member Since:

Oct 31, 2012

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

5k:
21:01, (6:46 pace) 11-19-11.
20:08, (6:29 pace) 9-1-12 (Part of a Mini-Triathlon Relay).
19:17, (6:12 pace) 11-17-12.
19:19, (6:13 pace) 11-23-13.
19:30, (6:17 pace) 1-4-14.
20:34, (6:34 pace) 9-13-14
19:49, (6:23 pace) 10-25-14
19:32, (6:17 pace) 11-22-14
19:40, (6:19 pace) 12-19-14
19:49, (6:23 pace) 1-31-16

21:09. (6:48 pace) 7-4-26

8k:
34:42, (6:57 pace) 3-17-12.
32:11, (6:28 pace) 3-16-13.
32:32, (6:33 pace) 3-15-14. 

34:00, (6:50 pace) 3-14-15.

33:09, (6:40 pace) 3-11-17.

32:56, (6:38 pace) 3-17-18.

10k:
44:18, (7:08 pace) 4-14-12.
41:22, (6:39 pace) 12-15-12.
42:11, (6:47 pace) 4-13-13.
41:06, (6:37 pace) 12-8-13.

42:03, (6:46 pace) 3-5-16

44:35, (7:11 pace) 8-26-17
12k:
53:53, (7:14 pace) 3-24-12.
49:20, (6:37 pace) 3-1-14
15k:
1:18:16, (8:24 pace) 2-26-11.

1:04:37. (6:56 pace) 2-20-16

1:08:25 (7:18 pace) 2/22/20

Half Marathons:

1:37:57 (7:28 pace) 1-26-20. Fort Lauderdale - A1A 
15 Marathons:
1.  4:12:08, (9:37 pace) 1-9-11. Disney.
2.  4:18:18, (9:51 pace) 10-30-11. MCM.
3.  3:42:26, (8:29 pace) 1-14-12. Charleston.
4.  3:13:15, (7:22 pace) 10-7-12. Steamtown.
5*.  3:12:26, (7:20 pace) 1-19-14. Louisiana.
6*.  3:14:06, (7:24 pace) 4-21-14. Boston.
7*.  3:19:38, (7:37 pace) 7-19-14. U. of Okoboji.
8*.  3:16:27, (7:30 pace) 2-22-15. Mercedes-Benz
9*. 3:30:38 (8:03 pace) 5-15-16 Sugarloaf

10. 3:24:21 (7:48 pace) 11-5-16 Savannah RNR

11. 3:27:37 (7:56 pace) 5-12-18 Brookings

12. 3:46:02 (8:38 pace) 10-7-18 Towpath

13. 3:35:11 (8:13 pace) 9-12-21 Med City

14. 3:45:45 (8:37 pace) 4-16-23 Coastal Delaware

15. 3:41:35 (8:27 pace) 5-2-26 La Crosse WI 

* = These 5 races were run at 67.9 seconds per pound. If I want a PR, I need to weigh less than 170 pounds.

Other: 

Logged (on computer) 24,901 miles (circumference of the earth) in 5,744 days (11/20/25)

Short-Term Running Goals:

2026 GOALS:

to stop being a chicken, and run a race

La Crosse WI Marathon. May 2, 2026 - 3:41:35

Greenbrier River Trail Marathon WV. October 4, 2026

Long-Term Running Goals:

Continue running as often as I can, as far as I can, as fast as I can. Teaching my kids (by example) the rewards that come from putting in the work. Very slowly get to 50 states.

Personal:

I'm married, with two sons, 19, and 21. And as of January 18, 2025, one grandson. 

I started running because someone dared me to.

I ran my first race 3 days after my 40th birthday. (Disney)

My profile picture story: http://www.melissajill.com/blog.cfm?postID=1492&boston-marathon

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 24.31 Year: 1157.21
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
41.003.1144.11
Weight: 0.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.000.007.00

7 last miles on Chief Ladiga Trail in Jacksonville Alabama. 8:30 am start.

Last night's preview show was great. We're going to have lunch with Johnny, and then drive back to Venice. Should be 11ish hours drive.

Weight: 0.00
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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.000.006.00

7 am start. 2 miles to the track. (4) x 400m, w/ 400m AR, 1:32, 1:38, 1:39, 1:39, 2 miles home. Things were a struggle today. Maybe because of yesterday's car ride, Maybe because there is a lot of smoke in the air because of the fires at Carlton Preserve, maybe because of Florida summer. 

Weight: 0.00
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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.800.006.80

Venetian Waterway Park. 5:45 pm start. Florida Summer. 0.9 up, 2 @ 14:22, 1 easy, 2 @ 14:28, 0.9 down.

Good run. Tough day.

Weight: 0.00
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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.000.003.00

Trails

Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.800.006.80

Venetian Waterway Park. 9 am start. Florida Summer. 1.8 up, 2 @ 15:15, 1 easy, 2 @ ? I totally wilted in the heat on the way back.

I just found this video of this route on the youtubes:   https://youtu.be/Z8NrDp58hqE?si=l5XphqpvAzVJIhk_ 

I don't have a good feeling about Saturday's 5k race for a couple of reasons: 1. I have not handled the weather well on my last few runs. 2. They just released the course map, and there are many, many turns in this race, some 180 degree turns. This is going to feel like a series of sprints between turns, where you can never dial in a pace. 3. After talking with the people organizing the race, I get the sense that the race distance is something of a guess. 4. Home / work life has been crazy lately.  Anyway, I'm still going to run it at my best effort, and try not to embarrass myself out there.

Weight: 0.00
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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.400.006.40

1.5 on the trails, solo. Then the rest with the shirtless tire dragger, talking the whole time. He just got back from a big family vacation. His Garmin said we were running 9:20 pace. But that number seems a lot faster than the effort I thought we were running.

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Race: Firecracker 5k (3.11 Miles) 00:21:09, Place overall: 38, Place in age division: 1
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.003.118.11

Firecracker 5k in Wellen Park. Since the race course has many turns, I decided to jog most of the race course as a warm up. Talked with Noah for a bit during the 20 minute race announcement / national anthem pre-race. Fairly crowded first mile, with a lot of turns. 2nd and 3rd miles are much straighter, and I was able to dial in a pace. I never really pushed throughout the race, not even at the finish. It just felt like a decent run. I thought I would finish with about 22:30 or so, and was shocked at my result. Then I did a 2 mile cool down and got my AG medal. I think this means the intervals and the short stuff I've been doing is working. Noah knocked a minute off his first 5k from 2 weeks ago. 4th of July party at my brother's house next. 

Weight: 0.00
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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
41.003.1144.11
Weight: 0.00
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