The Long Run

Gasparilla Half Marathon

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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  (old lines that were a little out of date but couldn't quite bring myself to removing them completely:) Also, have one wonderful brown dog named Sammy and just added a grey tiger cat (Catty) whose life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: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 188.22
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: Gasparilla Half Marathon (13.109 Miles) 01:32:42, Place overall: 116, Place in age division: 4
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTrainer 1 MilesTrainer 2 MilesRacer MilesTotal Distance
0.806.007.110.000.000.000.0013.91

Gasparilla Half Marathon

1:32:42, 4th Age Group (50-54)

(garmin distance 13.16, pretty close, not too many turns)

It was a pretty good race overall with ups and downs and a good ending.  The weather was perfect and that turned out to be one of the motivating factors when my pace dropped - don't waste perfect running conditions on giving up!

Rode down to the race with Renee, got there in plenty of time and made our way to the start and warmed up a bit running just past the starting line.  Got off to a pretty good start, holding the first three miles under 7:00 pace with each mile getting slightly faster by a few seconds.  But mile 4 somehow missed being under 7:00 but still pretty close (7:04).  I must have gotten too comfortable and slowed down more for mile 5 to 7:20 (which included picking up the last part of it heading down the bridge coming off of Davis Island).

It was around this time that a very fit guy covered with tattoos wearing nothing but running shoes and a red speedo came cruising past me.  Not too much faster so I think that helped me pick it up a little bit following such an interesting target (talked to him a bit after the race, really nice guy).   So, miles 6,7,8,9 I was feeling really good, enjoying the view on Bayshore and happy that mile 5 was the end of the race for me.  Mile 6 was back to a 7:01, and miles 7-9 were all back under 7:00.  At the beginning of Bayshore I caught up to the guy I saw earlier in the race that I ran with at the Holiday Half.  I ran with him a bit then pulled ahead.

So, I was feeling like I could really turn this race around, until we got to the turn around and hit the wind.  Mile 10 was not pretty - struggled to keep it under 8:00 and slowly brought pace down to7:37 (I was a little worried about slowing down too much and having the 1:35 pacer pass me - I was a little bit miffed at him because about a quarter mile into the race he kind of cut me off, weaving around and getting right in front of me even though I was going faster than 1:35 pace).  A few guys passed me, and although I didn't run too close to them the did block the wind just enough.  The road bended a little bit and the median had more trees so mile 11 was back to a reasonable pace (7:11), and mile 12 was back under 7:00 again.  I thought back to BDR where I just stopped pushing once I passed the 12 mile sign.  Managed a 7:01, then had a pretty decent kick for the last 0.1

I saw Anthony at the end.  He'd had a really good race.  Before the start he said that if everything went well was hoping for a 1:28 - he got 1:26:30, so really good day for him.  Then I went back to the start and waited for Renee, she just missed the time she wanted but was pretty close.  They had good post race food from the Columbia restaurant.  Race bib had a free beer coupon but they can't serve until 11:00, so did not stay for that.  We did pick up our top 10% finisher mug.

Meb also raced, came in third place with about a 1:03.  Joan Benoit at 59 years old ran a pretty decent 1:29.   Fun race today, about 5500 runners.

My splits: 6:59, 6:53, 6:52, 7:04, 7:20, 7:01, 6:55, 6:57, 6:53, 7:37, 7:10, 6:58, 7:01, 1:01 (0.16@6:32)

Comments
From jtshad on Mon, Feb 27, 2017 at 08:08:40 from 141.221.191.225

Great race, glad you had fun. Keep it up.

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