Going Long (again) in 2024

Week starting Jun 01, 2014

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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
45.00
Mizuno Wave Elixir 8 Miles: 23.00Brooks Glycerin Miles: 7.00Enigma Miles: 7.00Ghost 5 Miles: 8.00
Weight: 161.17
Total Distance
8.00

Okay, my first real hill workout.  I drove three miles up the road to park at a mall. From there, it's about a half mile to the bottom of a hill which forms part of the wall of the valley in which I live.

I jogged to the top and then ran down, repeating this five times.  The hill is just over 900 meters long, with two distinct sections.  The top portion is more gradual and is just over 400 meters long.  Then there is a flat section of about 100 meters.  Then a steep drop which is just under 400 meters long.  So, I ended up running about 3 miles of downhill.

Now I have to wait and see what I did to my quads.  My plan is to repeat this workout every Monday this month.  The Hamilton Marathon is relatively flat for the first 13 miles or so.  Then, the course drops 460 feet over 3 miles.  That makes it about a 3% grade.  Then the final 10 miles are relatively flat once again.

Everything I've read on downhill marathons is how critical it is to do downhill workouts - otherwise the quads get trashed.  So, we'll see how I handled today's workout and adjust my plans accordingly.  Right now, I feel great.

Mizuno Wave Elixir 8 Miles: 8.00
Weight: 161.00
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Total Distance
7.00

I ran this at a super easy pace (8:45/mile), following yesterday's hill work.  Surprisingly, I have NO pain issues at all ... I had expected my quads to feel the stress of those hills, but nothing.  Good!

A couple of things about the pace.  First, it's in the range of my Hanson's Marathon Training schedule for 'easy runs', and I really need to be aware of running those miles at the correct pace.  My tendency is to do them too fast.  So, I'm working on that now.

Second, it's the pace of a race in Collingwood in October that I'm going to be a "pace bunny" for in the Half Marathon.  I've always wanted to try pacing, and this is my chance.  For me, it will be a simple training run, but for others, hopefully, it will give them a chance to reach their goal.  I'm signed up for a 1:55 Half, corresponding to a pace of 8:47, which also corresponds to my easy running days.  So, lots of reasons to practice running at this pace on my easy days.

So, happy with the hills yesterday; my legs are tired today, but I'm ecstatic that my muscles seem to have handled them well.

Brooks Glycerin Miles: 7.00
Weight: 162.00
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Total Distance
8.00

Ran six Yasso 800's.  Aimed for 3:20 splits.  They came out at:

3:14  3:09  3:09  3:13  3:19  and  3:13.

So, faster than I meant to run.  I aimed for between 6 - 8 repeats.  Ended up at the six.  Had a 400 recovery between each one, except that I took 800 after the fifth split.  Legs were rubbery at that point, and I decided I had enough for today, so just finished off with some slow recovery miles.

 

Mizuno Wave Elixir 8 Miles: 8.00
Weight: 161.50
Comments(2)
Total Distance
7.00

Just an easy paced run.  Cold and strong wind out of the North.  And my allergies are pretty much at their worst these days, with all the Spring pollen coming at once.  So, a bit harder to breath with all the congestion.  

Enigma Miles: 7.00
Weight: 161.00
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Total Distance
8.00

Another easy run, with a consistent 8:42 pace.  A beautiful morning; cool at first, with the sun just coming up.  No wind.  I love running on these kinds of mornings.

Ghost 5 Miles: 8.00
Weight: 161.00
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Total Distance
7.00

Wanted to run this at a tempo pace, to start interiorizing what my marathon pace (7:38 - I am thinking of going for a 3:20 marathon) should feel like.  Need to work on that ... my actual pace was 7:24, so a little too fast.

My mile splits were all pretty even at that pace, and I just could not seem to reign back, even as I tried.  With my initial warm up mile included, those 1st 6 miles came in at a 7:36 pace.  So, I'll have to keep working on this.

Health wise, my allergies are killing me!  My throat feels like someone rubbed it with 80 grit sandpaper, I'm full of phlegm and finding it hard to breathe, my sinuses are burning and my eyes are constantly tearing.  Oh joy.  On top of that, with the phlegm building, I coughed up a lung at mile 4.  When your iliopsoas is sore at the best of times, the last thing you want to do is cough.  Ouch.

The good news is, by marathon day on November 2nd, all the things causing me to react should be dead.

 

Mizuno Wave Elixir 8 Miles: 7.00
Weight: 160.50
Add Comment
Total Distance
45.00
Mizuno Wave Elixir 8 Miles: 23.00Brooks Glycerin Miles: 7.00Enigma Miles: 7.00Ghost 5 Miles: 8.00
Weight: 161.17
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