Training in Montana

April 20, 2024

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Location:

Billings,MT,

Member Since:

Jan 10, 2011

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

~~Longest Ultra: Bighorn Trail Run: 12:19:00, 52 miles, Bighorn Mountains, WY, June 20, 2015

50K: Bighorn Trail Run: 5:52:13, 32 miles, Bighorn Mountains, WY, June 15, 2013

Marathon: 3:25:01, Deseret News Marathon, SLC, UT, July 24, 2013

Half-Marathon: 1:37:00 (downhill), Deseret News Marathon Split, SLC, UT, July 24, 2013

10K: 44:07, Big Sky State Games, Billings, MT, July 2012

5K: 20:25, Big Sky State Games, Billings, MT, July 2013

Short-Term Running Goals:

Get back into running shape.

Long-Term Running Goals:

Not get super fat, and qualify for Boston before I'm 50 (April 2023).

Personal:

Started running seriously in March 2010. Married 22 years to a hot momma and we have 3 boys, 1 sweet girl, 2 dogs, 3 2 0 1 cat, and 6 4 5 6 3 5 3 1 2 0 chickens (until Spring 2019 when we'll start over). As of September 2018 I'm looking for work... yay. I'm on the local School Board.

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00
Adrenaline 18 Lifetime Miles:						424.24
Cascadia 12 Lifetime Miles:						396.50
Adrenaline 18 #2 Lifetime Miles:						64.00
Altra Lifetime Miles:						50.50
Brooks 20 Lifetime Miles:						50.00
Cascadia Green/orange Lifetime Miles:						223.00

Tue, Mar 26, 2013

Total Distance

6.00

6 miles this fine cloudy morning. 30F with a slight breeze, so just chilly enough for the neck warmer the first couple miles, then took it off as I was overheating. Legs were a bit slow today after yesterday's harder effort. Kam's got me thinking about trying for a BQ at the Des News marathon in July. Hmm... I turn 40 this year so it's "only" a 7:28 average mile, and the DNews is a lot of downhill, and Kam will be pushing me after 15 miles, the hardest miles of the course. The howevers include that I've never even run a 1/2 marathon at that speed, the race is at the end of July and the course will heat up considerably during the hardest miles, and I'm not sure my base is there. If I can lose 10 pounds and be around 158 that should shave off 20 seconds per mile, and I've got time between now and then to ramp up my mileage more than I was planning on, and my 50K 5 weeks before is a killer downhill, so my quads will be properly destroyed and rebuilt by then to handle the beating the DNews will give them. I think I might give it a shot! It's kind of exciting to consider.

AP: 8:35

Salomon XT Wings 3 Miles: 6.00

Weight: 0.00

Comments

From Kam on Wed, Mar 27, 2013 at 12:09:44 from 68.66.163.179

So, your concerns are a 2 year old half marathon pr, base, and race day conditions.

I'll start with the half: Your pr is too old. It doesn't reflect 1.5 years worth of work you have put in.

Your base is not bad, give yourself some credt. Your last six weeks have been 30-35 mpw. That's a good starting point. You are mostly free of injury; just occasional niggles here and there. You have 4 months, or 20 weeks between now and the marathon. That's plenty of time for a nice, gentle ramp up into 50mpw land, where you should spend at least 7-8 weeks.

Race day conditions are out of your control. 90% chance it'll be hot at the end. But you can train in the heat to get ready for it.

On the other hand, part of me thinks it may make more sense to take your shot at a fall marathon, and use desnews as a sanity check- go run a 3:19 or something, then then get over the BQ hump at the next one. You do NOT need to wait to turn 45 for a BQ. You have it in you, Russ.

From Bam on Wed, Mar 27, 2013 at 14:04:11 from 89.126.28.24

Pretty much agree with Kam. I'd go for the Fall marathon and give yourself a better chance.

You've got huge scope for improvement. By just getting out more often and spicing it up a little you'll make huge gains.

Where I'd disagree, although not fervently, is DNews. I'd go for a half around that time and then, with confidence from a huge PR and not having smashed up legs from dowhill racing a marathon, move on towards a Fall marathon, where you could attack the BQ.

Running's not rocket science. It's simple enough. Like Kam said, ramp up into 50 mpw and Bob's your uncle or in your case, auntie:)

From Russ on Thu, Mar 28, 2013 at 17:26:33 from 74.211.29.224

Thanks both. Great things to ponder. My half time is old, no doubt, and I put no stock in that time, but not having a better PR doesn't give me much confidence. There's a chance I can run a 1/2 on April 20th and if so I'll go for a 7:15-7:20 to see how my legs do. If not, I'll just go for it. It's a ways off but right now I'm thinking of going for it at Des News because I'll have Kam as a pacer during the last miles. Having a chance to run with someone who's a 3:00 marathoner would be a huge feather in my cap and something that's hard for me to repeat being in isolated Montana.

I agree with you chaps, running isn't rocket science. Be in the 50 mpw on a steady basis and a BQ will come. Onward and upward. Thanks both of you.

From Bam on Fri, Mar 29, 2013 at 08:40:02 from 89.126.28.24

That's a good point - having Kam to pace you will make the world of difference. Go for DNews. Get the training in so that you can take full advantage of having Kam alongside you. This is a chance for you to move up a level...

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