For Whom the Dogs Bark

May 04, 2024

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Location:

Cypress,TX,

Member Since:

Oct 10, 2009

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

5K: 24:22 (March 2010); 22:33 (October 2010); 20:47 (May 2011); 21:05 (May 2012); 21:33 (September 2012); 21:23 (November, 2013); 22:31 (September 2014)

5M: 39:22 (November, 2012); 35:54 (November, 2013); 36:03 (March, 2015)

10K: 44:08 (November, 2010); 49:20 (July, 2013); 44:07 (April, 2015)

12K: 56:03 (December, 2013); 58:58 (December, 2014)

10M: 1:11:58 (October, 2012); 1:15:24 (October, 2014)

Half Marathon: 1:53:xx (London's Run 2010); 2:05:21 (Cowtown 2010); 1:37:04 (Gusher 2011); 1:42:19 (Huntsville 2011); 1:33:47 (Baytown Jailbreak 2012); 1:33:50 (The Woodlands 2012); 1:42:52 (Texas 2015); 1:49:17 (Jailbreak 2015); 1:38:34 (The Woodlands 2015)

25K: 2:01:47 (Fifth Third River Bank, May 2014)

Marathon: 5:51:35 (Texas Marathon 2009); 6:21:36 (Ogden 2009); 4:58:29 (St. George 2009); 4:13:45 (Texas Marathon 2010); 4:04:12 (Utah Valley Marathon, 2010); 5:11:14 (Hartford ING, 2010); 3:41:43 (Richmond SunTrust, 2010); 3:39:27 (Texas Marathon 2011); 3:41:46 (Utah Valley Marathon, 2011); 3:30:35 (St. George 2011); 3:41:51 (Richmond 2012); 3:49:15 (Texas 2013); 3:46:59 (Paavo Nurmi, 2013); 3:34:04 (St. George 2013); 3:49:51 (Texas 2014); 3:31:59 (Richmond 2014); 3:28:34 (Boston 2015)

Short-Term Running Goals:

3:20, 1:30, 0:20

Long-Term Running Goals:

I'm 60, there is no long term.

Personal:

I live, work and run in Houston, Texas. I have run 17 marathons, some good ones and some others. I prefer straight, flat, cold, sea-level marathons, still waiting for my first one. I feel like there are more PRs out there. When I have them, I am told it is time to dial it back, run for healthy reasons. I'm sure that's right, and I'm sure it won't happen.

My wife and I are from the mountains of the west. We have five kids, three granddaughters and three grandsons. The kids and grandkids are native Texans but we are not -- you have to be born here.

As for my blog title: I run most of my miles before sunrise, sometimes hours before. On the back road of my neighborhood two hours before daylight, I can depend on a pack of mutts behind the boundary fence lighting up when they hear my footsteps. I have wondered what they wanted; but according to Hemingway I needn't ask.

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Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00

Fri, Aug 19, 2011

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
17.43	0.00	0.00	0.00	17.43

80F, 80%, WSW 4 mph. A little bit better running weather with slightly lower humidity. I can't do a full long run tomorrow so decided to try today. The goal was to warm up for 1 mile and run 19 at 8:00 per mile. Happy to report that the warm-up mile was successful.

I picked out a 3.17 mile loop close to my hosue, set down 3 water bottles and decided to run it 6 times if possible. I also carried a 6-oz flask of EFS. Once I started in, I could tell by the feel of things that 8:00 was too ambitious. So I tried to stick to an 8:20 pace for the duration. I mostly succeeded, but by the time I finished 4 laps things were lagging. I had an 8:19 average for 4 but finished 5 (plus a little to get to 16 miles flat) with an 8:22 average. By then the sun was way up, I was almost out of water, and my sweat rate had diminished, so I called it quits. Was also gagging on the EFS, but I'm getting better at it. Despite falling short this was a pretty good run. No bonk, and no regrets for stoppping early. I have another high altitude adventure planned for Saturday a week, so my next shot at this run is in two weeks.

If I could get 6 laps at 8:00 per mile in the heat I think that would set me up for a good race in St. George. The last time I did St. George, 2 years ago, I got about 1:20 per mile boost over my best 20-mile time in the heat. On the other hand, that was for a 5-hour marathon (11:23 per mile versus 12:40 training) -- I don't expect to improve anywhere close to that much this time around, but 0:30 per mile would be fantastic if it actually happened.

It is now late afternoon and I can still feel the endorphins from this run, even though my legs ache and my right achilles is complaining. I think it was a good thing to do, although nobody I know recommends doing 20-mile time trials on a regular basis. Maybe I will feel worse when I hit 19 or 20, but for now I am happy.

Comments

From seeaprilrun on Fri, Aug 19, 2011 at 18:05:09 from 174.70.177.86

Wow this looks great! 20% less humidity and you took off! Great job!

From SlowJoe on Sat, Aug 20, 2011 at 11:11:33 from 75.109.104.60

Good solid running in miserable conditions. Can't risk going too long without enough water, probably a good call.

From Rye on Sat, Aug 20, 2011 at 21:39:02 from 174.27.104.121

I remember a run out here in Idaho with the temps in the 90's and we ran out of water and we still had six miles to get back to town. (country roads) I would have slammed down just about any kind of beverage that day. Not good when the little green men come out.

From Rye on Sat, Aug 20, 2011 at 21:40:15 from 174.27.104.121

What's your high altitude adventure?

From Dan on Sat, Aug 20, 2011 at 23:52:17 from 24.209.83.20

Nice run, and if you had that kind of result at St George before, I see no reason why you couldn't do even better knowing the course. I am going to have to fly out there and run that someday.

From JG on Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 10:27:18 from 66.168.206.98

Awesome run in 80 degree heat Flat! 50-60 degrees in St. George with low humidity will feel like heaven! Good job!

From I Just Run on Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 18:25:03 from 67.79.11.242

Good call in stoping when your body said to... I'm guilty of ignoring what my body is saying and pressing through and you see where it's gotten me.

From flatlander on Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 14:59:09 from 198.207.244.102

Thanks everybody. I ran again this morning after a long weekend, will post soon.

Rye, going to run/climb Kings Peak in Utah this weekend with my friend Wade. He just summited Elbert in Colorado yesterday, wants to get all 50 (substituting D.C. for Alaska), thought I would get in on one of them.

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