Going Long (again) in 2024

Week starting May 20, 2018

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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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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
61.00
Brooks Ghost 7 Miles: 14.00Saucony ISO Triumph Miles: 8.00Mizuno Wave Sayonara 2 Miles: 10.00Saucony ISO Triumph 2 Miles: 25.00Brooks Glycerin 14 Miles: 4.00
Weight: 155.90
Total Distance
14.00

Gorgeous day.  20C/68F with full sun and just a gentle breeze.  I really need to get more training days like this, since it will be nothing but hot in Niagara Falls next month.

8:15 pace on the Radar Road Route.

Brooks Ghost 7 Miles: 14.00
Weight: 157.50
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Total Distance
8.00

Skead Road; 8:30 pace.

Saucony ISO Triumph Miles: 8.00
Weight: 155.00
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Total Distance
10.00

Some speedwork to spice up the week:  7 x 800 at 5k pace.

Mizuno Wave Sayonara 2 Miles: 10.00
Weight: 156.00
Comments(2)
Total Distance
25.00

Since I have a burial to do tomorrow, I switched my long run to today.  That had the added benefit of running in the heat of the day, since I couldn't leave until 10:30.  I am not a hot weather runner, nor an afternoon runner, but those are the realities of my next Ultra, so today was a small test for that.

Ended up running 3:45:35 for an average pace of 9:01/mile.  I know I went out too fast - I was averaging 8:44 at the halfway mark, and was still sitting at 8:46 at the 18 mile mark.  I really started feeling it there, however, and it was a real struggle to finish.  Step   ...   by   ...   step.  Lead in my legs.

They had called for rain with possible thunder showers, but at most it sprinkled - so little it basically evaporated as soon as it landed.  It was overcast most of the time, until the last hour or so anyway.  The temperature sat at around 21C/71F with humidity in the low 70s, so not nearly as hot as what I'll face in a few weeks, but a small taste of it.  

The take away for me is to slow down from the start.  I'm thinking I should aim for around 9:00 - 9:15/mile.  With the aid station stops, I'll be thrilled to finish the Ultra with an average of 10:00/mile, after all.  Just over 10 hours.   I have one more 20 miler next weekend, so I'll try that out then.  Realistically, if we get temps into the 80s, which is a high probability, even a 9:15/mile pace will be unsustainable for me.  In that case, my goal will be to simply finish.

Saucony ISO Triumph 2 Miles: 25.00
Weight: 156.00
Comments(1)
Total Distance
4.00

Well, that didn't go as planned.  12 miles scheduled to complete the back to back.  Ran 4.

Right quad.  Was sore after yesterday's run, and especially going up and down stairs.  Was still sore this morning, but I figured I could handle 12 slow miles.  Wrong.

I should have turned around at mile 2 when I knew I wasn't going to complete the distance.  But I pushed another half mile, hoping to get in 5.  But a mile from home, I was forced to walk the rest of the way.  I was only trudging at that point anyway, and the pain was starting to shoot into my hip.

Tomorrow is a scheduled rest day anyway; we'll see what Monday brings.  It's only muscle soreness, and not an injury, so at worst I might have to take one extra day off.

Brooks Glycerin 14 Miles: 4.00
Weight: 155.00
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Total Distance
61.00
Brooks Ghost 7 Miles: 14.00Saucony ISO Triumph Miles: 8.00Mizuno Wave Sayonara 2 Miles: 10.00Saucony ISO Triumph 2 Miles: 25.00Brooks Glycerin 14 Miles: 4.00
Weight: 155.90
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