The Long Run

Tampa Lightning Bolt Run 5K

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Location:

FL,

Member Since:

Mar 20, 2007

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

PR's:

  • 1 mile : 5:43 (3/2017)
  • 5K : 18:34 (12/2011)
  • 5 mile : 32:03 (5/2010)
  • 10K : 39:29 (11/2013)
  • 11K: 46:47 (July 2008)
  • Half Marathon : 1:26:47 (11/2012)
  • Marathon : 3:06:34 (02/2010)
  • 50K Trail: 4:34 (01/2012)
  • 50 Mile: 8:34:48 (4/2012)
  • 100K: 11:06 (2/2012)
  • 100 Mile: 24:19:44 (1/2022)

Marathons:

  • Treasure Coast Marathon (FL) - 3:39:51, Mar 2021
  • Towpath Marathon (OH) - 3:35:26, Oct 2019
  • Jacksonville Marathon - 3:31:10, Dec 2018
  • NYC Marathon - 3:49:12, Nov 2017
  • Marine Corps Marathon - 3:27:00, Oct 2016
  • Utah Valley - Jun 2016
  • Marine Corps Marathon - 3:28:12, Oct 2015
  • Pocatello Marathon (ID) - 3:32:25, Sept 2015
  • Chasing The Unicorn (PA) - 3:31:20, Aug 2015
  • Run for The Red (Poconos) - 3:30:40, May 2015
  • Boston - 3:24:42, Apr 2015
  • Clearwater - 3:27:04, Jan 2015
  • Clearwater - 3:16:17, Jan 2014
  • Boston  - 3:27:00, Apr 2011
  • DesNews - 3:10:57, Jul 2010
  • Gasparilla  - 3:06:34, Feb 2010
  • Space Coast - 3:11:29, Nov 2009
  • Estes Park  (7500' and up) - 3:52:19, Jun 2009
  • Boston - 3:17:22, Apr 2009
  • Niagara Falls - 3:19:21, Oct 2008
  • San Diego RnR  - 3:24:18, Jun 2008
  • Jacksonville Marathon -3:21:24, Dec 2007
  • Chicago Marathon - 3:35:08, Oct 2007
  • Disney Marathon - 3:52:34, Jan 2007

 

 

 

 

Short-Term Running Goals:

 

  • Sub 40:00 10K
  • 2:59 Marathon
  • 1:25 Half Marathon
  • 18:30 5K

 

Long-Term Running Goals:

Maintain my health and continuously seek to improve my fitness. Maybe someday get under 3:00 for marathon. More importantly, I'd like to figure out what my maximum ability is and reach that.

I'd also like to find the right balance in life and use running to enhance and improve myself.

 

Personal:

Dad of  three (welcome Charlotte Dani on 8/10/20) awesome kids and stepdad to three almost as awesome as my own kids.

I have a brown dog named Stella, and three cats - Catty, Tortie, and Esperanza.

  (old lines that were a little out of date but couldn't quite bring myself to removing them completely:) Also, have one wonderful brown dog named Sammy and just added a grey tiger cat (Catty) whose life started out rough but now has a better home.

I've recently started another blog so I can easily add lots of pictures and so other non-FRB users can leave comments:

Forward Progress!

 Also, for 2012 I started a blog to write down each day one thing that I am grateful for

Grateful Blog

 

Love living in Florida but love to travel and see the country and rest of the world.

 

Favorite Blogs:

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 20.88 Month: 54.08 Year: 342.30
Brooks T7 Lifetime Miles: 202.78
Brooks ST5 Lifetime Miles: 403.91
GoMeb Speed3 Lifetime Miles: 483.77
Brooks Pure Flow Lifetime Miles: 160.60
Brooks Launch(lobster) Lifetime Miles: 782.98
GoMeb Razor Lifetime Miles: 468.00
Race: Tampa Lightning Bolt Run 5K (3.1 Miles) 00:20:35, Place in age division: 2
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTrainer 1 MilesTrainer 2 MilesRacer MilesTotal Distance
0.750.000.003.250.000.000.004.00

This was a pretty good race for a number of reasons, although I did fall short of my goal.

My 5K goal (for a while now) has been to break 20 minutes, and I might have been able to do it except for a number of reasons. Those reasons really aren't too important. More important were the lessons learned.

It wasn't until earlier this week that I decided I was going to run a 5K this weekend so it was a "come as you are" race, which is a pretty good way to gauge where you are at. The race started at 8:00, the drive was about 45 minutes and I needed to still sign up for it. We left a little bit late and I got slightly lost and ended up parking not very close (I don't do very well navigating in downtown Tampa). We got there about 7:30, signed up and had a little bit of time for a warm up. I usually like to run slowly for 1.5 to 2 miles as a warm up with a few strides thrown in. I think I ran about .75 miles altogether but I wasn't measuring it so that is just a guess. The temperature was fairly warm, about 75°, but with heavy humid air. Just before the race started the sun came out from behind the few clouds which made it feel warmer.

At this point I was feeling pretty warmed up and ready despite the less then smooth pre-race rituals. At the starting line, I looked down and noticed that my right shoe was not double knotted, so I quickly fixed that. We were lined up near the start as there were no chips for timing. I was with my brother Jim who was shooting for a 24:30. The race started and the first thing I realized was that although I had double knotted my shoe it was very loose. Oh, well not much to do about it, just try and be careful. I took off at what felt like my usual 5K pace but it was faster than normal. In fact this would be both good and bad. I finished the first mile in 5:55. This was a new record for me, I had never finished a mile in less than 6:00. The bad part was that it was too fast. The second mile quickly became tough. Now I was hot and the sun was hitting me hard. I was hanging onto a 6:40 pace but just barely. I was thinking that wasn't so bad for the second mile, I could get back on pace for the third mile and still make my goal.

At the start of the third mile my legs were starting to burn, this is the first time I had felt this in a 5K. It wasn't terrible but made it even harder to hold onto the 6:40 pace. As I approached what I thought was the finish line I realized that it was not the finish line. The 5 mile race had a finish line at the entrance to a tunnel. The 5K finish had been moved to the other side of the tunnel. I gave it all I had and could soon see the finish clock. I could see that the first number was a 2. And maybe for that reason I didn't quite go completely all out for the last 100 feet or so. I went through the chute and saw a time of 20:35. Shortly after I realized I had not stopped my Garmin. I stopped the timer and it said 20:53 with a distance of 3.25 miles giving me an average pace of 6:26 which would have been fine if the distance was correct. I looked at a couple other people's garmins and they all measured what I had. The course is not certified, but that doesn't really matter I suppose.

I filled out my race card and dropped it into the male 40-44 box, my card was the first one in so I had some hope of getting 1st for my age group - later I found that I actually got 2nd. Not sure yet of my overall place or what my "official" time was.

This was the first 5K out of the last 5 where I did not get a PR. I knew this day would come as it is nearly impossible to always get a PR (short of never running again after getting a PR).

This was the first 5K where I went out too fast and paid a price for it. I had been meaning to do this at some point (although didn't specifically plan on it today) to see what it would feel like. I usually can't go out too fast, it just seems to take me longer to build up a good head of steam or to fight my way through a crowd or something like that.

This was my first ever sub 6:00 mile. When I saw that my first mile was going to be under 6:00 part of me thought maybe a could get a huge PR today, I just needed to hang on. This was probably just being greedy, but part of me was glad that I tried.

The entry fee included a free ticked to the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game that night against the Boston Bruins. I'm not a big hockey fan but thought it would be fun. My brother was heading back up north so he gave his ticket to my Dad and we saw the game together.

Jim got about a 25:20 something. Not a PR for him either and short of his goal but still a good effort for him.

Jenny's friend Kathryn was also there with her whole family. She just missed 3rd place for her age group and should have gotten up except for a mix up with how they handed out the race cards.

Shortly after the race it rained, pouring down.  Now it made sense, the air had that oppressive feeling that it gets just before the rain comes down and cools everything off. 

If nothing else, this was a good speed workout in preparation for my 10K coming up in 2 weeks. Hopefully we'll have better weather for that. It is a known course for me which makes it easier and it is even flatter than this race was (mostly flat except for some bridges).

Comments
From Kathryn on Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 23:01:30

One of your accomplishments on Saturday was inspiring my boys, so I am SO grateful for that!!

I was so surprised by the rain that plagued us on the way home and you were right - it was that humid, "deep breath" feeling that pervaded throughout the race and made it much more humid-feeling than the meteorologists would have said it was.

We are SO impressed with your 5:55 mile - incredible!!!

I hope Jim made it home safe and sound... I think he did an awesome job. I think somehow his time translates to a PR because - after all! - it's FLORIDA and the heat and humidity are not the same as cool dry conditions for running.

Congratulations again, but most of all, thank you for serving as an example to my boys for what talent PLUS perseverance can accomplish. I think you gave them inspiration in ways I haven't been able to yet. :)

From JeffC on Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 11:29:06

Nice run today Mark. Way to take a chance on that first mile, that is quick. I have read about that philosophy of going out fast in a 5K and hanging on to the end. I have been wanting to try it too because I tend to be to cautious in the early stages of 5K's. I bet with cooler temps, a better warm up and a certified course you would have had that sub 20. Great effort!

From Mark on Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 22:15:14

Thanks Kathryn and Jeff.

Kathryn, I'm glad to see that my running has a positive effect on other people as sometimes running can feel like a selfish pastime.

Jeff, I can't wait for my next 5K. My next race is a 10K but I hope to do another 5K soon after that.

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