The Long Run

Buffalo Marathon

Recent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesMark's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageWeek ViewMonth ViewYear View
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

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: 288.22
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: Buffalo Marathon (26.21 Miles) 03:56:15, Place overall: 358, Place in age division: 30
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTrainer 1 MilesTrainer 2 MilesRacer MilesTotal Distance
26.810.000.000.000.000.000.0026.81

Ran with Jamie for the Buffalo Marathon trying to help her get a BQ, but it was not quite BQ weather.  The course was nice and the race well organized.  They had pace groups so plan was to go with the 3:40 pace group and stick with them as long as possible and if we had to drop back I would do my best to stay on track for 3:43 or faster.

Cruising through the first half:

Race start had about 7,000 runners between the half and the full.  We stuck with the pacer with first mile going up a long gentle hill followed by the next few miles slightly downhill (this was pretty much the pattern throughout the race for the most part).

Just after three miles I kind of had to stop to use the POP although I knew I could probably hold it, but there was a row of 4 with no line.  I told Jamie I'd catch up but just missed getting into the last one before someone else grabbed the last one.  Had to wait maybe 20 seconds or so before my turn.  We were at a median near the end of an out and back section.  I briefly thought about cutting the course to catch back up because I was there to pace, however since I was officially registered and wearing a bib, quickly decided no way.  Caught back up right about the 4 mile mark.  I think I heard someone murmur about me making a "rookie mistake" as I darted past a bunch of runners trying to catch up - I'm sure I must have been quite the sight turning on the speed so early in the race.

Settling back in with the group after the little sprint I felt really good.  Sometime around mile 6 or 7 Jamie said something like "I hope this doesn't jinx things but the miles are going by pretty quickly".   Just after that we went over a short but steep arching bridge to get to the road that would run along the lake.  The next few miles were several degrees cooler and I wished we could have just run loops near the lake, that would have been nice.

In the 11 or 12 mile range, Jamie started mentioning about not feeling great, but she was still hanging on and we just followed along the pacer.  I asked the pacer how he got the pacing gig and said he was actually the pacing team captain.  For the marathon, they used two pacers.  At 12.75 miles the second half pacer would join us and then Jim would lead the half marathoners down the 1/2 finish chute while the rest of continued on.  The next pacer joined us, a little while later Jim split off and we went by the 1/2 way point pretty much exactly at 1:50 (although I did not see a 1/2 marathon marker - they did have good sized banner flags for each mile).

Not so good (but not horrible) second half:

Just before mile 14 Jamie took a short walk break and was starting to feel dizzy.  We still managed an 8:35 for that mile but soon after that she really wanted to quit.  I know that feeling but was going to do whatever I could to keep her going.   Also, she had mentioned about using a 3:50 to get into the London marathon so I thought that might help to bring that up, we'd just need to average 9:07 for the second half).  Mile 15 was right at 9:00 and then for the next two miles we somehow managed to stay under nine minute pace at 8:58 and 8:45 because between the walk breaks the actual running pace was in the low 8:20's.

But, it was tough going and soon the struggle would be to finish and to keep going fast enough that it didn't become a death march.

Going through Lafayette Park took its toll.  A lot more people were walking and it felt even warmer there - and it didn't help that an ambulance was being loaded up as we were leaving the park.  Maybe things got a little bit better after leaving the park, because segment-wise, we were heading into the final stretch.

The slowest miles were two miles (19 and 24) at 10:25, then mile 25 was right at 10:00.  Mile 26 is a long gentle slight downhill.  There were attempts at a couple small walk breaks but we kept moving for the most part and stayed right at 9:00.   We were running towards a traffic circle with an obelisk in the middle (you can see it in the picture below) that we could see for a while.  We went around the circle saw the 26 mile sign then a couple quick turns before seeing the finish clock.  My brother Jim was at one of the corners and got a few good pictures.

Jamie was a bit disappointed and I wished there was something I could have done to help her get a better time but I think it ended up being still a good time for a humid race with starting temperature of 70 degrees and ending at 82 degrees (not your typical Memorial Day weekend in Buffalo).  I did enjoy the course with the small ups and downs on a mostly flat two (different) loop course.  The race organizers asked the residents along the course to set up their sprinklers and hoses which many people came through and were out there cheerfully wetting us down.

The convention center had the AC turned down colder and they had plenty of great refreshments including pizza and a local craft beer "Mile 27".  We saw Jamie's family and friends several times on the course and was great that my brother could come out for the finish.  After the race (and a bite to eat at Jamie's parents house) we headed towards Rochester, stopped at Donut's Delite, then his house and then up to the Thousand Islands to see my parents. 

Launch 3 (titanium) Miles: 26.81
Comments
From jtshad on Tue, May 31, 2016 at 10:16:28 from 141.221.191.225

Nice job supporting your friend. Sorry about the heat affecting your ability to hit the goal.

From Mike M on Tue, May 31, 2016 at 11:44:14 from 168.213.5.107

Looks like you paced quite well- Great job getting her to the finish! Sounds like she needed you badly.

From Mark on Fri, Jun 03, 2016 at 09:42:16 from 24.129.132.75

Thanks Jeff and Mike! It was a lot of fun and I'm hoping for good conditions at Utah Valley coming up soon.

Add Your Comment.
  • Keep it family-safe. No vulgar or profane language. To discourage anonymous comments of cowardly nature, your IP address will be logged and posted next to your comment.
  • Do not respond to another person's comment out of context. If he made the original comment on another page/blog entry, go to that entry and respond there.
  • If all you want to do is contact the blogger and your comment is not connected with this entry and has no relevance to others, send a private message instead.
Only registered users with public blogs are allowed to post comments. Log in with your username and password or create an account and set up a blog.
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Lone Faithfuls
(need a comment):
Recent Comments: