Marathon stats: Part one

This information below is presented in conjunction with my "Guess my marathon time" contest. Click the link for more information on the contest, including prize info.

To enter for prizes, go to my Firstgiving page and make a donation of at least $2.62. Then make your marathon guess by posting a comment here, or emailing me, your guess in hours, minutes, and seconds: (H:MM:SS)

To enter for plain fun, just post your guess in the comments.

To assist with your guess, see below for some training and racing statistics. If needed, there's a link to a second page of stats. Good luck, and make sure to check out the list of prizes. All it takes is $2.62 to enter the prize pool.

Races:
I'm lightly raced this year, especially on roads. Only two recent races. The 4 mile was on a hot 80F day in direct sunlight. The 10 mile fared better weather: An overcast and drizzly morning that produced a nice result. For kicks, plug the 10 mile time into the McMillian calculator. It boggles my mind as to what it projects for my marathon time. See below for the list of my 2007 races:

8/19 - Perfect 10 Mile (1:03:56) PR

7/21 - Shot in the Dark 4M (25:01)

6/16 - Mohican Trail 100 mile (21:16)

5/6 - Flying Pig Marathon (3:08) PR

4/14 - Bull Run Run 50M (8:17) PR

3/5 - Youngstown Half (1:42)

2006 was a far busier race year.

My marathon goal:
I've been training all summer with the same core group of people from my local running store. After the Mohican race, we jumped right into a 16 week training plan designed for Steamtown. Based on my training paces and the 10 mile race result, I think I have a good shot at a 7 minute pace, or 3:03:40 for the race. Let this be my goal, but I will be happy just not to blow up. Any PR will do. If not cautious, the Steamtown course is known to chew you up and spit you out with aching quads. All before the halfway point.

With all the possibilities, I imagine I could post a result anywhere in the range of 3:00-3:20.


Not enough data to make a guess? Click here for Marathon Stats: Part two.

Entries are due by Saturday night. The race starts at 8am on Sunday morning.

Go to my Firstgiving page to get started. $2.62 gets you into the prize pool. 100% of all donations go directly to the Fisher House.

Marathon stats: Part two

This information below is presented in conjunction with my "Guess my marathon time" contest. Click the link for more information on the contest.

Okay, I'm warning you. This is information overload. Thoroughbred racing fans can think of this page as their Daily Racing Form for yours truly with all past performances posted here. Have at it!

Number of lifetime marathons: 17
Number of lifetimes ultramarathons: 10
Marathon PR: 3:08:25 (May 07)

Lifetime marathons, by finish time
3:08 - Flying Pig (May 07)
3:09 - Flying Pig (May 05)
3:13:13 - Cleveland (Apr 04)
3:13:50 - Columbus (Oct 03)
3:15 - Detroit (Oct 04)
3:16 - Boston (Apr 06)
3:19 - Portland OR (Oct 98)
3:19:50 - Towpath (Oct 05)
3:21 - Athens OH (Apr 05)
3:22 - Victoria BC (Oct 99)
3:28 - Flying Pig (May 06)
3:32 - Presque Isle (Sep 06)
3:40 - Akron (Sep 04)
3:40 - Akron (Sep 05)
3:40 - Detroit (Oct 05)
3:40 - Kentucky Derby (Apr 06)
3:40 - Akron (Sep 06)

(Note: I've been involved with a marathon pacer team, hence the slew of 3:40 marathons.)

Marathons, chronologically: (17)
1998 - Portland OR (3:19)
1999 - Victoria BC (3:22)
2003 - Columbus OH (3:13)
2004 - Cleveland OH (3:13), Akron OH (3:40), Detroit MI (3:15)
2005 - Athens OH (3:21), Flying Pig OH (3:09), Akron (3:40), Towpath OH (3:19), Detroit (3:40)
2006 - Boston MA (3:16), Kentucky Derby KY (3:40), Flying Pig (3:28), Presque Isle PA (3:32), Akron (3:40)
2007 - Flying Pig (3:08)

Ultramarathons, chronologically (10)
2004 - Buckeye Trail 50km (5:36)
2005 - Buckeye Trail 50km (4:53), JFK 50 Mile (8:28)
2006 - Laurel Ultra 70 Mile (15:54), Buckeye Trail 50km (5:21), Punxsytawney PA Groundhog 50km (4:39), Youngstown 50km (5:18), Presque Isle 12 hour run (76 miles)
2007 - Bull Run Run 50 Mile (8:17), Mohican Trail 100 Mile (21:16)

Marathon splits, Flying Pig marathon (May 07)
1- 8:03
2- 7:30
3- 7:21
4+5- 14:35
6- 7:44
7- 7:49
8- 7:34
9- 7:13
10- 6:59
11- 6:57
12- 7:04
13- 7:01
14- 7:07
15- 7:09
16- 6:59
17- 7:11
18- 6:52
19- 6:57
20- 7:01
21- 7:01
22- 7:00
23- 6:58
24- 7:08
25- 7:22
26- 6:29 (woo hoo, flyin')
0.2- 1:23

1st half: 1:36:27
2nd half: 1:31:58
Last 6.2M: 43:22

Weekly milage, last 14 weeks (excluding 2 week taper) from July 1 through Sep 22:
53, 48, 60, 46, 21, 55, 43, 64, 53, 37, 39, 74, taper week, taper week

12 week average: 49.4 mpw

Not enough info? Then you've got real issues. :)

The entire purpose of the marathon game is to ask for your support for the Fisher House. The mission of the Fisher House is to helps families of injured military personnel. I'm asking you for $2.62. Guess my marathon time and you might even win a prize. 100% of your donation will go directly to the Fisher House.

Entries are due by Saturday night. The race starts at 8am on Sunday morning. Go to my Firstgiving page to get started. Don't forget to give me your guess.

Run log catch-up

Apparently, time is flying. I have some catching up to do with the run log. Now less than two weeks from Steamtown, here's what I did over the last three:

Week 5: Sep 1-8
Su: no run, Cycle 14
M: 7.5 easy on trails
Tu: 8.5, with 5 miles T-pace (2x 2.5 mi; with a 3 min rest), & Cycle 10
W: 4 easy
Th: rest
F: rest
Sa: 16.5 miles trails, with 13.5 in relay race

Totals: Run 36.5, Cycle 24

A light and erratic week. Not exactly what I wanted with 4 weeks to go, but not sweating it. Work got in the way for several days this week, but I don't think I lost much by getting the two quality workouts for the week.

Tue- Got to the group run late--so opted for my T-pace workout on the track. Though I ran solo, there was at least 45 runners on the track to provide a positive vibe. Five miles of T = 6:25.

Sat: Dances with Dirt trail 5-person relay (3 legs each.) Ran legs of 6.1, 3.25, and 4.1 miles (legs #4, 8, and 15.) Not used to this type of running. The effort was pretty much three separate tempo runs. Since I took Thursday and Friday off, I probably blasted though my first leg a bit too fast. Pinckney State Park (near Ann Arbor, MI) offered some nice single-track trail and I'm not used to racing faster than ultra-pace on such terrain. The quads are more sore than I want today, but I can and will deal with it.

Week 4: Sep 9-15
Su: 5 Easy
M: 4 E (6x strides)
Tu: 11, with 6.25 @ T-pace (8x 5min T; with 1 min rests)
W: 6 E
Th: 7 E
F: rest
Sa: 6 E (4x strides)

Average T-pace = 6:21

Totals: Run 39, Cycle 0

Total appears a little low (again) since I ran my weekend long run today -- today's 23 miler would have given me 55 for the week.

Came off last week's relay race a little more sore than expected, but rebounded well for this week's quality workout. Another 40 minutes of T in the books. I find I'm running stronger in the cooler temps and really look forward to sharpening up in the last few weeks.

Week 3: Sep 16-22
Sun: 23 on hilly roads. (3:05) Solid run. No fast finish. Managed hydration and energy just fine.
Mon: 4 E
Tue: 9.5 E; Cycle 10
Wed: 4 E (4x strides)
Thur: 13, with 3 @ T-pace (2x 1.5mi)
Fri: rest
Sat AM: 13 E, with 6 downhill (980' elevation loss)
Sat PM: 7.5 E on trails (hike/run 50km trail sweep)

Run: 74 miles, Cycle 10

The entire week got off course because moved last week's long run to this week. Had 30 min T-pace workout planned this week, but not placing too much stock in missing it. Also, the weekly total skewed due to adding a second run yesterday on trails. It felt more like 55 mile week.

Two weeks to go to race day. Mostly easy runs and rest this week. Keying 3x1600 I-pace workout on Thursday.

YUT-C update

It was a clear and gorgeous, albeit warm, weather day at the YUT-C 50k.

Mike Schuster of Virginia set a new course record, winning the 50km race in 4:25. Jay Layshock bettered last year's 3rd place, finishing as runner-up in 4:55. Bonnie Hartmann finished as first woman (5th overall) in 5:40.

60 starters
51 finishers

Click here for results.

YUT-C this weekend

What is YUT-C?

Its the Youngstown Ultra Trail - Classic 50km race, taking place this Saturday morning at Mill Creek Park.

I'm not running this year, but I have to put in a good word for the work of the Northeast Ohio Trail Club (aka NEO Trail.) Now in its 3rd year, YUT-C has earned a reputation for a fun, scenic, and challenging trail run. All within an urban park. The course is a good mix of dirt and rocky trails, with a couple short road sections. Difficulty-wise, race times indicate that YUT-C is equal to, or a bit tougher than BT50km. With only two years of history behind it, no doubt that this weekend's race will bring new records.

Click here for my race report from last year's YUT-C.

This week is the notable anniversary of blogger E-speed as last year's YUT-C 50km was the site of her first ultra. In the year since then, she's caught the ultra bug and has run some impressive times at races such as JFK 50 Mile, Buckeye Trail 50km, and the Groundhog 50km. Well done, E-speed!

I'm heading down the homestretch towards my goal marathon now less than three weeks away. After diligent marathon-specific training over the summer, I've once again concluded that road marathoning is harder on the body than is trail ultrarunning. Only a few more weeks to go and after the marathon the plan is to get dirty as often as possible.

I'm signed up for no other races than Steamtown. As the ideas come to me, I'll add to the sidebar.

Good luck, YUT-C'ers.

What now?

53 miles last week. A long run. A tempo run. Easy runs. Blah, blah, blah.

Is this what this blog has come to, a boring weekly run log?

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to train and coach others to race the marathon. Its my current running passion and we're but 4 weeks away. We're getting close to peaking, and I'm excited to see how the group prevails. Race day looms.

Yesterday I ran the Buckeye Trail from Ottawa Point and its been some time. It suddenly dawned on me how much I already miss the adventure of the trails and of ultramarathons. I've committed to racing a marathon in October, and I'm wondering now if I can run the YUT-C 50km without compromising my goal marathon race two weeks later.

Reflecting back, this time last year I was dreaming of running further than ever before. As training for the 12 hour run, in the month of September I ran four races of marathon or longer. This weekend is the anniversary of the back-to-back runs at Punxsatawney 50km and Erie Marathon--both fine races that I wish to run again someday.

I'm just not in the same space that I was at this time last year. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. But I admit I'm somewhat missing the adventure that ultras have provided to my life.

The good news is that this weekend is the Dances with Dirt 100km relay. Looking forward to getting dirty with my team.

Come October, if the marathon goes well, I've been talking up the Presque Isle 12 hour again. I'm not sure what kind of shape I will be in, compared to last year, but perhaps the 12 hour is just the type of adventure I need. We'll see.