Going Long (again) in 2024

Grimsby Half Marathon

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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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to Ukraine's Armed Forces
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
Race: Grimsby Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) 01:39:37, Place overall: 24, Place in age division: 3
Total Distance
13.00

I ran this event 2 years ago when it was incredibly cold.  One day earlier, and it would have been a repeat.  But on race day, it was all the way up to -8C/17F.  And the roads had virtually no snow and were mostly dry.

I did not plan on running this hard - wanted to use it as a training run, and planned on a pace around 8:00/mile.  Ended up running an official pace of 7:37/mile, and at no point did I feel like I was pushing it.  I felt great the whole time.

My splits were all around the same, and early on I was even making a concerted effort to slow down.  My body just fell into this groove and wanted to keep it there.  So, even though I ran it a bit harder than planned, I'm happy with the result.  It was a long drive down on Sunday (6 hours) for the Monday race and then back today (Tuesday) through a snow storm.

A tall runner passed me at about the 2 mile mark, and then seemed to slow down, as I followed him most of the rest of the way - about 40 paces behind him.  I didn't make an effort to keep up - he was just running my pace.  At the 8 mile mark, he passed 2 guys who were quite a bit ahead of us initially.  I passed one of them and could tell he was gassed.  His friend kept ahead of me and behind the tall guy, and the 3 of us kept close for the next 2 miles.  I really didn't want to race them or anyone, but it was just a natural pace for me.

At the 10 mile mark, the tall guy pulled up to a tree to take a leak, and at the 11 mile mark, I reluctantly passed the other guy and took the lead.  I didn't bother looking back, as I didn't care if he passed me again.  Turns out he faded.  The tall guy tried to pass me I found out later, but ended up coming in 23 seconds after me.  At the finish line he told me he tried to catch me, but couldn't make up the distance.

Anyway, what this race did do for me was to boost my confidence.  I wasn't happy with the way my Tempo runs were going on the treadmill.  Now I believe it's just a treadmill issue, as I had no problems on the road.  I still have 15 weeks of training to go, so if all goes well (no injuries), and if I can get to the roads in the next month or so, I'm thinking my Ottawa Half might even go as planned, and I might get under 1:30 after all.

 

Brooks Glycerin 12 Miles: 13.00
Weight: 159.00
Comments
From Tom K on Wed, Feb 17, 2016 at 08:55:33 from 66.87.149.215

23 seconds better than goal pace! That's Great! Well done, man. Imagine if you were actually pushing the effort.

Warmed up to 17 degrees? Priceless!

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