Going Long (again) in 2024

Week starting Mar 11, 2018

Previous WeekRecent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesMichael's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageMonth ViewYear View
Graph View
Next Week
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

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

Click for Options

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.

Click to donate
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
Total Distance
60.00
Saucony ISO Triumph Miles: 36.00Brooks Ghost 7 Miles: 6.00Saucony ISO Triumph 2 Miles: 18.00
Weight: 153.80
Total Distance
14.00

I finally got off the treadmill!  Wonderful feeling.

Up Radar Road, just past the radar base and back again.  8:50/mile pace up; 8:36/mile pace back; average 8:43 for a run time of just over 2 hours.

-9C/16F with little wind.  And best of all ... no pain.

I want to ease back into the road running, and so won't be putting the treadmill away for a while.  Still - a good step towards Spring.

Saucony ISO Triumph Miles: 14.00
Weight: 155.50
Add Comment
Total Distance
6.00

Two days in a row outside.  Nice.  Goodwill Route.  8:46 pace.

Brooks Ghost 7 Miles: 6.00
Weight: 154.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
8.00

Speedwork on the treadmill. 6x 1/2 mile repeats at 7:00/mile pace with a very generous 1/2 mile recovery jog in between.  21 minutes at speed, and no pain issues at all.

Saucony ISO Triumph 2 Miles: 8.00
Weight: 153.50
Add Comment
Total Distance
10.00

Slow and steady on the treadmill; 9:00/mile for a 90 minute run.  Will hit the road for 22 tomorrow.

Saucony ISO Triumph 2 Miles: 10.00
Weight: 153.50
Comments(1)
Total Distance
22.00

22 miles at a pretty even 8:47 pace for a run time of just over 193 minutes.

But it didn't go as planned.  I had hoped to run the Radar Base Loop - out to the Capreol Road Turnoff and back.  I loaded 900 calories worth of tailwind in my hydration pack, figuring on just over 3 hours of running.  I didn't anticipate the trailwind freezing up on me.

It was a somewhat reasonable -11C/13F, but with a stiff 15-20 mph wind, the real feel temperature was more like -19C/-2F.  By mile one, the valve on my camelback was frozen and nothing was moving.  I worked on it, put it inside my jacket, and kept trying - no go.  So, I didn't have a lot of options.  Can't run that far without hydration/nutrition.  I hit the 8 mile mark when I got back home, and I was feeling it already.

So, I decided to do some shorter loops with my handheld, allowing me to re-fill it as needed.  I ended up needing just 2 loops --- first, a 6 mile section on the Goodwill Route, and then an 8 mile section on the Garson-Coniston highway.  

A little adversity - that wind was pretty intense at times - but I'm glad to have stuck it out and finished the miles outside.  I'm now officially back on schedule - where I would have been without the injury.

 

Saucony ISO Triumph Miles: 22.00
Weight: 152.50
Comments(1)
Total Distance
60.00
Saucony ISO Triumph Miles: 36.00Brooks Ghost 7 Miles: 6.00Saucony ISO Triumph 2 Miles: 18.00
Weight: 153.80
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Lone Faithfuls
(need a comment):
Recent Comments: