Boston Marathon 2013 Two Year Anniversary

The 2013 Boston Marathon is what re-kindled (no kids, that is not another type of tablet) my desire to run in the Boston Marathon.  So today I mark that day.  In the last two years I have run two Marathons in an attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  I failed in both attempts.  However, I improved my personal best in the marathon by five minutes and then by about 21 minutes the second time.  I also learned some valuable lessons as well.  I feel like I am learning that I need to take joy in the journey and learn as I go through the process.  That way the end result is much more significant because of the journey not solely based on the location.  I have not given up on my goal to run a Marathon in a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon.  Right now I am in the training process. 

Running Report 4/9/15 -- 4/15/15

4/9/15 THURSDAY
Ran four miles untimed.

Week 15 miles
Month 28 miles
Year 200 miles


4/10/15 FRIDAY
Ran three miles.  Goal was to run at an average of 7.30 per mile.

1. 3.46
2. 3.41
3. 3.50
4. 3.37
5. 3.34
6. 3.35

Total time 22.05 average of 7.22 per mile. 

Week 18 miles
Month 31 miles
Year 203 miles


4/11/15 SATURDAY
Ran six miles

1. 4.41
2. 4.19
3. 4.17
4. 4.36
5. 4.25
6. 4.38
7. 4.17
8. 4.35
9. 3.42
10. 4.01
11. 4.07
12. 4.06

Total time 51.52 and an average of 8.38 per mile.

Week 24 miles
Month 37 miles
Year 209 miles


4/13/15 MONDAY
Ran total of 3 miles in a modified Yasso 800 interval workout, distance includes slow jog inbetween repetitions and is only an approximation.  Ran three 800 meter repetitions at 3.25 minutes each with 3.25 slow jog inbetween.  Finished with a one mile run each half of the mile was timed, obviously no rest during the mile run.  The first half of the mile run was 3.28 and the second half the mile run was 3.15 for a total of 6.44 for the mile. 

Week 3 miles
Month 40 miles
Year 212 miles


4/14/15 TUESDAY
Ran three miles.

1. 4.37
2. 4.10
3. 4.25
4. 4.19
5. 4.31
6. 4..41

Total time of 26.45 and an average of 8.55 minutes per mile.

Week 6 miles
Month 43 miles
Year 215 miles


4/15/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran five miles today in a very strong wind.  Half miles 2 and 3 were directly into the wind, half miles 6 and 7 were a wonderful tailwind and all others were a crosswind. 

1. 4.13
2. 4.20
3. 4.33
4. 4.13
5. 4.05
6. 3.55
7. 3.59
8. 4.08
9. 3.55
10. 3.56

Total time of 41.21 and an average of 8.16 per mile.  128 heart rate about 45 seconds after finishing.

Week 11 miles
Month 48 miles
Year 220 miles

Running Report

4/8/15  WEDNESDAY

The plan was to run 6 miles on the treadmill at 8.15 pace.  However, after the first mile, I changed plans on the spur of the moment and decided to do a hill/incline workout.  I was on the treadmill.  That is what allowed me to change plans mid workout.  So after running about 8.45 for the first mile I put the treadmill incline as steep as it would go, to 15%.  I slowed the running pace to 13.00 min/mile and did about 200 meters.  Every 200 meters I would lessen the incline by 2% until I got to 1%.  At that point I was at 1.75 miles and so I did a slow recovery jog for .25 miles to take me to 2 miles.  Then I put the incline to 10% and increased the speed to 7 min/mile.  Then slowed the pace to 7.30 and then to 8.00.  I barely made it through that one.  Then did a recover jog at a slow pace for a quarter of a mile to 2.5 miles.  Then back up to 10% incline but this time only at a nine minute pace or something slower going to 2.75 miles. Then another recover jog to 3.0 miles.  At 3.0 miles I took the incline all the way back up to 15% but at a slower pace of 15 min/mile.  Every tenth of a mile I would lower the incline by 2 percent and increase the pace by 30-60 seconds.  Did this until 3.75 miles when I was at like a 9.00 min pace and 1% incline.  Last quarter of a mile was slow and easy to cool down for a total of 4 miles.  I wasn't concerned at all about the overall time because I pushed it pretty hard on the hard parts and then recovered on the easy parts. 

Week 11 miles
Month 24 miles
Year 196 miles

Running Report

4/6/15 MONDAY
Did six Yasso 800's today.  This is my bread and butter interval workout.  I ran half a mile in 3 minutes and 30 seconds, then I did a slow jog for 3.30.  I repeated that 6 times.  The fifth half mile I ran in 3.20 and my heart rate about a minute after was 136 beats per minute.  The sixth and final half mile with only about two minutes rest was completed in 3.25 and my heart rate about a minute after finishing was 128 beats per minute.  I was planning on only doing five and then at the last second I just threw in that sixth one.  It was certainly difficult but I wasn't completely killing myself out there.  Eventually in preperation for a marathon I would like to do this workout about two or three weeks out from the marathon as a key workout to tell me where I am.  I would like to be able to be in shape enough to do 10 yasso 800's at three minutes flat.  That is the eventuall goal.  It may take me five to ten months to get there.  Consistency.  Small, incremental improvements over a long period of time.
Total of three miles at seven minute pace, approximately total 1 mile slow jog in between repetitions.

Week 4 miles
Month 17 miles
Year 189 miles

4/7/15 TUESDAY
Ran three miles as a recovery jog today.  Goal was to run it no slower than a nine minute mile.  Half mile spits were as follows:

1. 4.34
2. 4.16
3. 4.27
4. 4.29
5. 4.24
6. 4.29

Total time 26.42 average of 8.54 per mile.  A little breezy but the path I took made a cross wind the entire time. 

Week 7 miles
Month 20 miles
Year 192 miles

 

General Conference

I love listening to General Conference.  On an entertainment scale  it gets a low score. On a spirituality scale it is a perfect ten, especially if you are spiritually prepared. I also love the creativity of kids and how fun it is for a child to make a home built fort.

 

Put the two together and you get some great family time. It can't get any better than that!

Running Report

3/28/15 SATURDAY

10 kilometer race.  See race report.

Week: 23 miles
Month 69.5 miles
Year 166 miles

3/30/15 MONDAY

Three mile run.

1. 5.20
2. 5.11
3. 4.46
4. 4.49
5. 4.31
6. 4.33

Total time 29.12 average of 9.44 per mile

Week 3 miles
Month 72.5 miles
Year 169 miles

3/31/15 TUESDAY

Three mile run.

1.  4.06
2. 4.07
3. 4.15
4. 4.18
5. 4.02
6. 4.19

Total time of 25.10 average of 8.23 per mile

Week 6 miles
Month 75.5 miles
Year 172 miles

4/1/15 WEDNESDAY

Three mile run.

1. 4.14
2. 4.16
3. 4.14
4. 3.54
5. 4.09
6. 4.04

Total time of 24.54 average of 8.18 per mile.  Very strong head wind for half mile split two and three.

Week 9 miles
Month 3 miles
Year 175 miles

4/2/15 THURSDAY

No run today.  But I did hike at least six miles with a bunch of gear in the middle of the heat of the day and so I was pretty tired after that.  Good alternative workout. 

4/3/15 FRIDAY

Ran a total of four miles today.  The first three timed and the last mile as a cool down jog. 

1. 4.03
2. 3.53
3. 3.54
4. 3.57
5. 3.54
6. 3.46

Total time 23.29 average of 7.50 per mile.  Happy with this pace since this the week after the race so I didn't want to go out and push it real hard less than a week after a race.

Week 13 miles
Month 7 miles
Year 179 miles

4/4/15 SATURDAY

Ran six mile today.  This was my weekly long run and so I took it nice and easy.

1. 4.31
2. 4.09
3. 4.18
4. 4.31
5. 4.27
6. 4.27
7. 4.30
8. 4.21
9. 4.10
10. 4.09
11. 4.12
12. 4.21

Total time of 52.12 average of 8.42 minutes per mile.  I was happy with this long run pace.  I would like to keep my long run pace no slower than this from now on assuming no injury or illness. 

Week 19 miles
Month 13 miles
Year 185 miles

Texas Canyon 10K Trail Run

First of all, I forgot my watch.  What kind of rookie runner forgets their watch?  Consequently, I do not have mile splits to regale you with on this occasion.  I was glad to see a nice big digital clock at the finish line so I could see my time.


This run did not start until 9 a.m.  It was very obvious at 8 a.m. that a 9 a.m. start time was going to be to late.  It was already plenty warm by 8 a.m.  I would have preferred an 8 a.m. start personally.  I am not sure why they scheduled such a late start. 


Before the race started there was a group of Native Americans singing and then one of them gave blessing on the race.  The blessing appeared to consist of a burning substance in some sort of sea shell or conch, producing smoke, held by a tribe member.  Then with a feather he motioned to the smoke in the four cardinal points of the compass.  No verbal words were spoken at that time. 


The first mile or so was all up hill and I knew that most of the people in front of me started out way, way to fast, as is typical for running neophytes.  I did my best to be patient and reminded myself that most of them would come back to me.  A few of them actually kept up the pace into the second mile which surprised me.  After the second mile though they were dropping like flies.  It was a very beautiful area to run in, although the title "trail run" is a little misleading.  I would describe it more as a ranch road or a dirt road.  At no point did we run on an actual trail.


My goal was to negative split.  So, for the first three miles I did not push the pace to hard.  I just tried to maintain a good steady pace without tiring myself out.  At mile three I tried to pick it up a little bit and in the next mile I was able to pass a group of about four or so that I had been working on for the last two miles.  They were all spread about be about 15-25 yards.  As I passed each one I made some comment or another as is customary.  "Looking good Mr. Loco" I said to one, because his shirt had the word loco on it.  "You are doing great beard man" I said to another as I passed him.  He looked younger and like he had spent a long time growing his beard out that I am sure he was proud of.  As we were going uphill I said to one guy, "we just passed the 3 mile mark so it's all down here from here right?"  These comments serve various purposes.  It lightens the mood and builds camaraderie.  There is also a pscychological gamesmanship undertone to them.  If some guy comes up behind you and is all happy and chipper, and you are struggling to keep his pace, he has the mental edge on you.  If you can match his demeanor and his pace then you are right there with him/her mentally and that pass they are trying to complete won't be so easy.  I also tried to make my comments vociferous so that the person in front knew I was coming.  They knew they were next to get passed. 


Right after mile four I caught sight of a male and female runner with matching red shirts on up ahead of me.  I was not sure if I had it in me to catch them or not.  The female was taking long bouncy steps like steps like she was not a true runner.  Maybe and aerobics or yoga instructor or something out for a weekend run to diversify the training a tad.  Not the shorter more efficient gait of a true distance runner.  They were both keeping a good pace though.  I was at the top of a hill and they were at the bottom and the male runner of the pair turned around to wave at me.  I waved at him just as a joke thinking he was waving to someone else.  Then he motioned down to the road and yelled that there was a snake there.  As I approached his location I expected to see nothing as the snake should have been in the grass by now.  However I did see what he was talking about.  It was a rattle snake coiled up in the middle of the road.  I grabbed a big rock to throw at its head.  At the last second, I thought that there might be some city folk in the race that would turn me in for animal cruelty or something for killing a snake, so I just threw it right next to its head.  It did not move or make a sound, so I think someone ahead of me killed it.  Just to be safe I waved and yelled to the people behind me about the snake. 

I would go back and forth about passing the red t-shirt couple. "I can do it" and then "it is to hard, I don't want to put myself through the paid to catch and pass them." And then, "just keep up this pace and see if it gets me any closer" etc etc etc. On the uphills I tried to swing my arms a lot to try and help my legs and on the downhills I would open up my stride and let the hill take me. I was difficult but my pace was slowly reeling them in. Eventually I was able to pass them at about mile five and three quarters or so. I was desperately looking for that sixth mile marker because I was getting completely worn out. The last point 2 of the 6.2 miles was a very steep up hill with about 30 meters of down hill. I finished in 47.19 for an average of 7.37 minutes per mile pace. I was first in my age group and 8th place overall. I was surprise at the comparison of 8th overall and 1st in age group because normally my age group is the most competetive and has the most entrants. I met my goal have having a pace less than 8 minutes per mile, and it was fun to run a 10K and one not on city streets. I would like to do some more trails runs.

Below are pictures of the front and back of the age group medal and then the finishers medal.