Tag Archives: Steamboat Springs Marathon

Half Full

06 Thursday Jun 2013

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Hahn PeakI look good in this pic.  This is in the first 10K of the Steamboat Springs Marathon, with Hahn Peak in the background.  The final 10K was a different picture.  I was broken.  Hobbling across the finish line.  My finish line pics all show me with my head down.  The event photos are published at Metrophoto.com.

Friends and family are advising me to abandon full marathons.  They tell me I should focus on half marathons.  I can understand why.  I’m extremely comfortable with the half.  My running is consistent enough that I’m nearly always in good enough condition to run a half on any given weekend.  I’m highly confident with that distance.  And I may never be totally confident with the full marathon distance, but that’s partly what makes marathons so special.  I’m rarely nervous lining up to the start of events.  Marathons though are a little scary and I like that.  Even elite athletes can’t say for sure exactly how a marathon will turn out for them.  I’m not ready to give up on marathons just yet.  They haven’t all turned out bad.  I’ve had a couple of good ones.  Ran a 3:36 in my first Denver Marathon.  Took 2nd in my division at the 2012 Boulder Marathon.  I still got game.

I’ve run five marathons now since I got back in shape and returned to road races in 2010.  I ran two as a kid that I won’t count, but I’ve run the Denver Marathon twice, the Boulder Marathon last fall, the Austin Marathon in 2011 and this recent Steamboat Springs event.  I should probably count the 25 mile Collegiate Peaks Trail Run – but that’s as different from a road marathon as the 17 mile Imogene Pass Run.  I’m not yet satisfied.  I’ve run some decent times but have yet to put together the perfect race.

I don’t feel that I’ve failed or lost necessarily, but it’s like that.  I want to keep doing it until I get it right.  Getting it right to me means running strong from start to finish.  I’m looking more for being able to maintain my pace in the final 10K than running a personal record, but there’s likely a strong correlation.  Figuring out how to do this is the challenge that keeps me interested.  I’m convinced the trick is taking in the proper nutrition during the run.  The two issues I’ve encountered are hitting the wall and cramping in the final 10K.  I’ve screwed up other ways too but I know how to fix those mistakes.  I’ve yet to master how to maintain energy and electrolytes.

I’m not obsessed about this enough to schedule marathons every month.  I can wait until September for the Boulder Marathon to take another run at it.  Marathons take a lot out of me.  They’re the Super Bowl of running.  I said earlier that I believe I can run a half marathon on any given weekend.  That suggests some decent consistency in my workouts.  But to maintain that level of conditioning for marathons would take its toll.  My knees have their limit.  This is the time of year I normally increase my miles but I need to ensure I do it on trails.  And while trails offer a softer surface; steep, rocky, mountain trails require a higher intensity than pavement so they have a way of taxing the legs too.

My schedule for the remainder of the year is another half in August – from Georgetown to Idaho Springs.  The Flaming Foliage Relay in September and the Boulder Marathon also in September.  I might add a 5K at some point, although I could wait until December for the Colder Bolder.  My Garmin stats currently show a faster pace for my 10K than 5K and that’s bugging me as much as running a decent marathon.

Steamboat Strategy

30 Thursday May 2013

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finsiher fotoYet another marathon Sunday.  This was Steve’s idea.  We were all supposed to sign up right after Moab to run with Steve in his first ever marathon.  So I did.  Eventually, much later, Jen was able to shame Steve to at least sign up for the half marathon by calling him a pussy.  Since then, Steve has bailed to run another half marathon trail race in New Mexico with his daughter Allison.  Keith is day-to-day with a wife-induced, gardening-related, back injury.  Jen is still committed, but to the half.  That leaves me alone running the full.  Hmm.

That’s okay.  I haven’t been putting in the requisite miles, but I’ve put in less before.  Although that particular marathon didn’t go very well.  I recall blaming my shoes in my first post-race blog, totally bashing the manufacturer before determining I went out too fast.  Sorry Asics, but I blamed my inserts too.  Despite not feeling totally prepared for a marathon, I’ve been running consistently.  My focus has been more on speed for the Bolder Boulder – which went well.  I did try to get in some distance too but tapered a couple of weeks ago when I began to feel fatigued and injured.  I totally psyched myself out, backing off my initial plans to run a 7 minute pace for Monday’s BB10K, thinking I would run more like 7:30.  Instead I ran my original goal I set over two months earlier.  I don’t know what my problem was.  Low T crossed my mind.  I probably just slowed down from the weather heating up.  But you don’t fall out of shape over night.  The Bolder Boulder turned out okay and I’ll be fine in Steamboat too.

That leaves me to strategerize my game plan for running Steamboat.  The plan begins with more tapering.  I ran 10 miles Tuesday, following my Memorial Day 10K, but only 3 on Wednesday.  I wore my minimalist Merrill Trail Gloves for that short distance.  I didn’t run at all today and probably won’t tomorrow since I’ll have to drive 3 hours to Steamboat immediately after work.  I’ll do a short run Saturday to acclimate to the 7,000 feet elevation.

I’ll begin the marathon fairly slow, maybe a 9 minute pace.  Certainly no faster than 8:30, because it launches from over 8100 feet and rises another 50 to the 2 mile point.  My 3rd mile might be fast since it’s entirely downhill but I’ll be loose by then.  The 4th mile rises another 100 feet so likely back to 9 minutes.  After those 4 miles, I’ll either try to keep my pace at 8:30 or run however I feel. I won’t purposely run super slow, but I have no plans to try to push myself Sunday.  This first marathon of the year is more about survival.  I think I might listen to music too.  I know many runners believe they run faster to music.  I sometimes feel like I’m running faster but experience suggests I run slower.  It takes the edge off.  Maybe I need an edgier playlist.

It’s difficult to predict an exact time for this marathon.  I don’t know the course well enough and know I won’t be pushing it hard.  Still, I would like to keep it under 4 hours.  Over 4 hours suggests some walking.  One goal I do have is to not fold like a cheap card table the final 10K.  My plan for that is to drink and eat at every aid station.  Assuming it’s about nutrition, that might help.  The pic above is the finisher’s photo with my girls at Monday’s Bolder Boulder.  We’re a running family.

Big Weekend

26 Friday Apr 2013

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Boulder Half Finish LineAm I the only one whose weekends are bigger than their week?  Some Sundays I can’t wait for Monday to roll around so I can recover.  We don’t have to be talking about running.  My weekend’s invariably are jam-packed with events or projects or something.  This weekend is about running though.  I only ran every other day during this week.  I’ll squeeze in twice as many miles in two days beginning tomorrow than I ran in the five preceding days.

I could only make time for a 3 mile run yesterday.  So I ran it fast in my minimalist flats.  Averaged a 7:14 mile, which quite frankly has me a bit concerned.  That is way fast for me but I don’t know if there’s enough time before the end of May to pare that down to 7:00 flat for a 10K.  I did run my 3rd mile in 6:58 but my first mile was in 7:30.  I’m not sure I can start out faster than that which means I’ll need to run much faster on subsequent miles.  And the second mile in the Bolder Boulder is uphill and can be quite challenging after running the first mile fast.  I might have to reset my expectations to a 7:10 minute mile pace.  Tomorrow’s Boulder Distance Classic 15K will provide more feedback on what I can expect for a 10K on Memorial Day.

I’m following up tomorrow’s 15K with a 15 miler on Sunday because I have a marathon planned a week after the Bolder Boulder.  I need distance training more than speed at this point in time.  Running that 10K fast would be nice, but I need to survive that marathon.  Priorities.  Speaking of which, this weekend isn’t even about me.  It’s Ellie’s birthday weekend.  Presumably I should be making some time for her.  I will.  Big party Saturday.  Meanwhile, my Garmin is attached to a power source charging for tomorrow.

Racing Shape

19 Tuesday Mar 2013

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moab 1I registered today for the Steamboat Springs Marathon.  Because I’m confident I’ll be in shape for it.  With two half marathons under my belt for the year, both my fastest ever, I’ve demonstrated I’m in racing shape now.  Prepping for the marathon will require longer runs during the week, but with DST that’s doable.

I discovered my stomach might not be up to speed with the rest of my body.  Not sure what to think about cramping toward the end of my run in Moab.  I didn’t have that issue in Austin in January and I ran even faster in that half marathon.  I researched dry heaves a bit and didn’t find any good advice on how to avoid it.  Seems to simply be from exceeding one’s limits.  I don’t care that it slowed me down so much because I was going to purposely slow down anyway.  I was waiting to reach the last street corner of the course and start to cool down the remaining distance – which I estimate between a quarter and half mile.  Instead I doubled over within a couple of steps of the corner.  My finish time might have been the same regardless.  My best guess is that I got excited from the cow bells or something and didn’t notice picking up the pace.  That elevated my heart rate and led to the stomach cramping up.

The Boulder Half is in 3 weeks and it finishes with an uphill just before entering into the Boulder Res.  There is maybe a quarter mile from the top of that hill to the finish line.  Assuming I run a similar pace, I’m going to slow down on that hill and cool down for the final quarter mile.  That’s actually my typical form and I need to return to that.  Better to maintain dignity than finish fast.  Not sure why but the blood tends to rush out of the face when vomiting and I don’t need a butt-white face for my finish line photo.

The Boulder Half will complete my winter racing schedule.  I guess the first week of April will be spring, but for me that event will mark the transition from winter maintenance to spring racing.  Besides Steamboat, all I have planned is the Bolder Boulder 10K at the end of May.  Given the registration cost of these events, that’ll be enough.  If I can maintain the shape I’m in currently, Steamboat could be my fastest ever marathon.  Considering it’s totally downhill.  And not counting the runs of my youth.  I haven’t run any fast 10Ks since my return to road runs.  It’ll would be nice to run fast in the Bolder Boulder.  I won’t be competitive for my age division, but just for myself it would be cool to rip one.  Feels good to run fast.  Except when it doesn’t.

How I would run it

03 Sunday Feb 2013

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twofriendsmarathonEven though Steamboat is four months out, I’ve already strategerized how I plan to run the course.  While this run begins downhill, the first 10K has two substantial hills.  Both look to be about 100 feet in elevation gain.  The first of the two ends higher than the start.  I haven’t found any detailed course descriptions so I’m relying on the low res elevation chart I posted on my previous blog.  I plan to run this section slow and likely with my buddies.  I’ll need them to agree to start slow too but that shouldn’t be difficult.  I believe it’s important to avoid starting out too fast on an otherwise fast course.  This pic is from a previous Steamboat Springs Marathon.

That second hill ends somewhere between 5 and 6 miles.  This is where I’ll take stock of my situational metrics.  Legs heavy or not?  Breathing under control?  Core feel strong?  Am I tired of running with these guys?  Assuming I get the responses I expect to those questions, I’ll unwind.  This looks to be a strong opportunity to PR in a marathon.  That makes it worthwhile to get in shape for.  I’m not where I want to be right now.  I couldn’t run a marathon at any speed today.  But if I can find the time to increase my distance again, this season appears promising.

I got in ten miles yesterday but felt tired and ran extremely slow.  I saw Kelly returning from his run and he looked to be running stronger than me.  Not sure how far he went but I had only run two miles at that point.  Right about where I should have begun to loosen up but I never did.  It was one of those long, slow runs.  That’s okay, at least I got in the miles.  Back to Steamboat.

Assuming I’m in shape and feeling good, I’ll accelerate after that second hill, around the 10K mark.  Experience suggests I could hold that pace for the next 10K but given this course’s continuous elevation drop, my hope is that I can continue for the next 20K.  Even if I dramatically slow down for the final 10K, which I always do, I might have locked in a nice finishing time if I run strong enough in the middle of the course.  Some hills do return to the last segment, but the elevation drop continues as well.  I’ll trust gravity to get me across the finish line.

2013 Season Plans

30 Wednesday Jan 2013

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gridI’m planning my first marathon of the year for June 2nd in Steamboat Springs.  I would tell you it’s to run with a buddy who will be running his first ever marathon, but really it’s because this puppy drops 1500 feet in elevation over the course of 26 miles.  Steve really knows how to pick a first marathon course.

I have a decent idea of my racing plans for the year.  Of course, I already completed one half marathon in January, so that’s part of the official race plan.  Here’s the list.  Austin 3M Half in January.  Moab Half in March.  Boulder Half in April.  Bolder Boulder 10K in May.  Steamboat Marathon in June.  Imogene Pass Run in early September.  Boulder Marathon in late September.

Sure, I’ll do more events as they come up but if not – this is enough.  At $75 each (a realistic average cost) that’s over $500 in registration fees.  Easily another $500 to buy the race pics for my blog.  And travel cost for some of them.  Going into my fourth year of road races, I’m fairly confident of my schedule.  The only new event will be Steamboat.  I’d like to get in a trail run like the CPTR.  I’ll ask Rob if he’s interested in running that again but now that he’s moved to Durango, I suspect he’ll want to run something down in the La Plata Mountains.  So hoping for a surprise on my schedule.