The Long Run

Clearwater 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  (old lines that were a little out of date but couldn't quite bring myself to removing them completely:) Also, have one wonderful brown dog named Sammy and just added a grey tiger cat (Catty) whose life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: 10.65 Month: 80.66 Year: 435.51
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: Clearwater Marathon (26.219 Miles) 03:27:04, Place overall: 16, Place in age division: 3
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTrainer 1 MilesTrainer 2 MilesRacer MilesTotal Distance
0.0026.220.000.000.000.000.0026.22

Clearwater Marathon Race Report

(better late than never)

(Garmin stats: 26.46 mi, 03:27:06, 07:49 pace)

Miles 0-5: 7:50, 7:20, 7:27, 7:30, 7:09

Last year I ran the first mile too fast, so this year I was hoping that if I ran the first mile a little slower I might have a better overall race.  I also had a goal to make the first mile the slowest mile of the race.  Other problem I had last year was cramping in my calves starting about mile 17, goal was to avoid that also.  First goal was easy enough except I had to run a little faster than I wanted after stopping to retie one of my shoes.  First mile finishes at the top of the Clearwater memorial bridge and then has about a 1/3 mile downhill for the start of the second mile, so it felt easy to get onto a faster pace.  Third mile was flat and fourth mile was mostly flat except for the end where it finishes part of the way up the Sand Key bridge.  Fifth mile had a good section of downhill on the bridge followed by the big group of Striders manning the Sand Key water stop, loudest cheering second only to Boston near Wellesley College.

Miles 6-16: 7:24, 7:26, 7:25, 7:20, 7:27, 7:32, 7:32, 7:16, 7:26, 7:29, 7:48

These were all pretty good miles.  I was running behind a pack and feeling pretty good, eventually caught up to many of them.  I went over the Park Blvd bridge back to the mainland and new there were a few slightly uphill miles ahead but was feeling pretty good. 

Miles 17-26: 8:21, 8:16, 8:18, 8:43, 8:31, 8:31, 8:46, 8:30, 8:24, 7:59, 0.35 @7:13

My pace dropped and I couldn't seem to get it back as I approached the Pinellas trail.  Honestly, it was a nice day out and I was overcome with the urge to enjoy the day and just take it easy.  But only half of me thought that, the other half wanted to continue on.  At about mile 20 I heard a voice from behind, "are you ok buddy?" - it was Joe, cruising by on his way to a big PR.  I was also playing tag team with a guy doing a run walk, which helped.  Everytime I thought I was way ahead and come back and pass me up.  And then there was Oliver, who has been beeting me throughout the year at various races.  But really no nicer guy out there.  When he passed me I managed to stop slowing down after I hit my slowest at 8:46.  Towards the end of the last mile it felt like a real race.  Running up the street, getting close to the helix back down toward the finish line:

 

Summary notes:

Great conditions, started out reasonable (7:50 pace), then picked it up. Got faster during the mid miles, until about mile 17. My pace dropped and it became hard to hold the new pace. Finally, at about mile 21 I actually used my math brain which said keep it under 9:00 for the rest and I'll stay under 3:30 which became my new goal. I tagged team with a guy doing run-walk for the last 10 miles and eventually stayed ahead of him but he later thanked me for helping him speed up each time I past him.

Great to see Joe breezing by me about mile 20 and finishing 4 minutes faster than me. Cheering support was awesome with the Striders water stop on Sand Key, the mobile cheering squad who intercepted me about 5 times with two little ones along to help. Boosted by seeing Chris Coffin at mile 22 who I was too dazed to see and finally Jamie and Cynthia at mile 24.

Late in the 20's Ollie passed me and I managed to keep him in sights until the end - it was a good tow to the finish with last mile at 7:58.
Also, I didn't cramp up this time, just 11 minutes slower than last year.

Comments
From Rob Murphy on Sun, Feb 15, 2015 at 19:18:32 from 24.10.247.181

January 18th!

Good to see you're still at it Mark.

From Mark on Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 06:00:23 from 96.252.190.179

Thanks Rob! Still at it, just haven't been very organized.

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