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Marathon Photos

13 Saturday May 2017

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Tags

10K, BB10K, Bolder Boulder, Colorado Marathon

tunnel

I registered for the Bolder Boulder today.  I wanted to wait until after running the Colorado Marathon to be certain I would still be up for running a race at the end of May.  Marathons sometimes require a bit of recovery.  I felt fine this week though, ran 10 miles today.  These photos are gratis from the Colorado Marathon.  The one up top coming out of the tunnel is around two miles, which is about where I put away the ear buds.  I don’t always like music when I run.

SportsPhotos_BKS_7036

This photo above is somewhere in the first half.  The one below is around 16 miles.  I passed that lady behind me in the pink top, 32 year old Nele Lefeldt of Houston, after the first 10k.  Interesting to see she remained right behind me this far.  Ultimately she beat me by twenty minutes.  I passed other runners non-stop from the start to when I got sick in mile 22.  Probably should have stuck with the 3:30 pace sign which I caught around 3 miles, but I got irritated by the kid who commented on my age and surged past.

half

I bet not many of you promote yourself in races like I did with a shirt referencing my novel, Cyber War I.  I know a thing or two about marketing.  Not sure what throwing up through mile 22 will do for sales.

16 miles

Doesn’t look like I’ll be able to train much before the Bolder Boulder, but I’m in a good starting wave, BA – the 5th wave.  I suspect I’ll be able to match last year’s time of 44 minutes.  I like to run the second half of that race hard, from the high point at Casey Hill on 13th St., to the bridge over Boulder Creek on Folsom.  I don’t save anything for the final quarter mile into the stadium.  That hill isn’t worth racing up.  Two more weeks of training.  See you in Boulder on Memorial Day.

26 miles

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Marathon Nerves

22 Saturday Apr 2017

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Colorado Marathon, Marathon Training Program, Poudre Canyon

Banner13

Ever train for and run a marathon?  Since 2010, the upcoming Colorado Marathon will be my twelfth.  First time to run this particular event, although I did run the 10K associated with it last year.  It was a dream run in the May snowfall.  This photo above is of the marathon from last year running through Poudre Canyon.  If you have run a marathon, then you can likely appreciate my current state of mind.

A marathon on your calendar is like waiting for a hurricane to roll in from the sea.  Like being called into the principle’s office as a kid after ditching class.  Like prepping for a colonoscopy.  You know you’re going to get your ass kicked.  The closer I get to May 7th, the more completely preoccupied I am with thoughts of the final 10K.  Those last six miles when the legs attempt forward motion without the benefit of glycogen.  I know I can run twenty miles, I’ve reached that distance in my workouts.  Regardless of conditioning, completing 26.2 miles is never a sure thing.  Generally training builds confidence, but marathons don’t care.

Part of my nervousness likely stems from not having run a marathon in 18 months.  And knowing I’m ten pounds heavier than I was in my last four marathons.  My pace will be slower, I’m predicting 9 minute miles.  That doesn’t bother me.  Being able to hold that 9 minute pace after twenty miles is what I think about in all my recent training runs.  I expect the first half, the first thirteen miles, to be enjoyable.  The big question is at what mile running stops feeling comfortable.  And how I’ll deal with it.  I’ve never not finished a marathon.  I’ve had some go south and done my share of walking.

There’s a sizable hill after 18 miles.  That’s unfortunate placement because that’s right where runners typically hit the proverbial wall.  When there’s no more fuel to burn.  Cramps tend to occur around twenty miles too but like a flat tire, those can be fixed; whereas an empty tank can leave you stranded.  If I have to, I’ll walk that hill and try to fire the engines back up on the downward slope after the top.

Oh well.  I should stop thinking about it.  I’m committed.  I have one more week of decent training.  My taper starts Monday.  I probably won’t even run the final week.  I’ll be commuting to a job in Denver and don’t expect to have time.  Won’t matter.  Can’t fall out of shape in a single week.

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Long Runs

18 Saturday Mar 2017

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Colorado Marathon, Marathon Training Program

long run

I’ve been going out on some long runs lately.  I trained once for a marathon averaging 3 miles a day.  It didn’t work out so well.  That’s what’s hard about training through the winter, and why end of summer marathons are so much better.  Most of my runs this winter have been a race against a sun setting low in the sky.  When you run by yourself, anything else that’s moving serves as a fine training partner.

The massive mileage is wearing me down.  My legs have been heavy and my pace slow.  I’m not recovering between workouts.  I could try supplements but I’ve never been a big fan.  Instead, I’m going to work shorter runs back into my weekly mileage plan.  I’m a big believer in the long run to prepare for the marathon, but there’s no reason I have to run long every day.  There’s nothing magical about super long weekly distance.

I’ll turn 55 years old two weeks before the Colorado Marathon.  There’s no rational reason for training like a kid.  Better to show up race day without injury and fresh than weak and tired.  Might run another long run Sunday but then I’m going to moderate.  I understand that there are no health benefits to exceeding 35 miles per week.  I do feel that I need to maintain at least 50 miles per week to prepare for the marathon, but my legs aren’t in the mood for 70 mile weeks.  I’m changing up my plan.  I’ll be ready.

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Know Your Limits

04 Saturday Mar 2017

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Colorado Marathon, Marathon Training Program

after-20

This is what I look like shortly after running twenty miles.  Thought I’d crowdsource for opinions on what I look like, because my family thinks I look near death after some of these big runs.  I think I look fine.  Felt near death though for awhile.  Probably more accurate to say I crawled twenty miles.  I didn’t wear a watch but figure I averaged an 8:30 minute pace the first ten miles, and maybe 9:30 on the return.

Part of the reason it was so tough was that I ran a fast ten miler Friday afternoon.  Felt like I averaged 8 minute miles yesterday, which is fast for me.  I seriously think I might have found my speed after teaching Ellie strides and sprints for three days.  Might lose it as I increase my mileage, but hopefully not.  I have enough recovery days in this marathon training plan, I hope to be able to maintain some speed on short mileage days.

I enjoy training for a marathon.  It’s an awesome project.  Days like today allow me to test my limits.  I learned today that I am not ready for a full marathon.  Not sure I could have taken one additional step past twenty miles.  Experience tells me that nine weeks from now, I’ll be able to tack on an additional six miles.  Only four more training runs twenty miles or longer.  There will be one super tough, high-mileage week; otherwise I’m starting to plateau.  Completed 68 miles this week.  Next week is 76.  That will be the most until another four weeks when I target 90.  I’m still on track with my plan.

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Ten Weeks Out

26 Sunday Feb 2017

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Tags

Colorado Marathon, Marathon Training Program

CO Marathon 10Kb

Last year’s Colorado Marathon was a bit snowy.  I ran the 10K and enjoyed the weather, while watching Chris Price qualify for Boston with his stellar performance.  This year I intend to run the whole enchilada, my first marathon since 2015.  I’m excited to be training for a full marathon again.  I forgot how intense the commitment is.

This last week was my first over 50 miles.  Ouch.  Hopefully my muscles will adapt because over the next ten weeks my legs will be running 688 miles.  They tell you to buy a new pair of shoes every 500 miles.  I’m following a personalized adaptation of a Hal Higdon plan, which is to say I’ll alternate weeks with high and low mileage.  This coming week I’ll run 68 miles, then 76, then 75, then I’ll drop down to 68 and finally to 51 miles in week five.  The fifth week will mostly be impacted by four days of snowboarding in Crested Butte.

If I survive that five week schedule, I’ll jump up to 90 miles in week six, followed by 75, then 81 and then I’ll start to taper with 64 miles for week nine and only 40 miles for the week of the marathon.  Hoping to feel fresh for the run on Sunday, May 7th.  The course runs through Poudre Canyon and will be gorgeous.  Hope it snows again.

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