For Whom the Dogs Bark

April 28, 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

Sat, Jun 25, 2011

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
13.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	13.00

Missed my run yesterday because of work pressures, some days there is nothing you can do, so a couple of mishaps this week on the miles leaves me quite a bit short.

This morning was 80F, 98%, calm with a very old moon, barely a sliver in the sky. Wade and I met the "green" group at 4:30 down at the Y and I did 13.00 at a pretty good clip, 8:21 per mile, nothing faster than 8:07 and nothing slower than 8:36. Average heart rate was 161, max 177. I'm not sure what we are proving by running at 4:30 in the morning, hardly worth going to bed. I had to get up at 3:30 just to make sure my GI tract was in order for the run. There is one runner, Vivien, who needs to run early to meet other commitments, so I think that is why we are all doing it at that time. One problem is that it hasn't completely cooled off by 4:30. When we finished it was 75F, a 5 degree drop.

A little bit of competition in this group, unlike the slower group, who seem to thrive on not competing. I can see both points of view, but it is fun to push and be pushed by other runners once in a while. Eric is the fastest guy, has a 3:17 marathon under his belt, so at the turnaround he took off. I was running with Helmut and Viven and sure enough, they chased him. I had no choice but to go with them, since I was lost and I am afraid of the dark. Toward the end I peeled off at the bridge and went the long way back in so I could get in a full 13. The rest of them got about 12.8, in fact Eric faded with stomach issues. Wade said he was only going to do 8 and turned back early, then ended up doing 11.5, he should have just stayed with us. I felt strong in the legs but my stomach was bothering me to a certain extent. I was using the faster pace in the heat to train with EFS, which tastes a lot like GU but not so sticky. Managed to gag down two swigs, one at mile 4 mile and the second at about mile 9 -- probably 2 ounces altogether. I figured out that running hard in the heat simulates the end of a marathon for me at 10 o'clock in the morning with the sun up, at least as far as stomach issues go, so now I have something to do this summer.

Time to get back to work next week.

Comments

From seeaprilrun on Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at 12:06:17 from 174.70.177.86

Happy 4:30. I was right there with ya about 600 miles away. It wasn't quite as muggy as that 98% yuck!! Good run! Group dynamics are quite fun and can really help pull a long run along that you wouldn't do on your own! That's a sweet pace in those conditions....look like you are setting up for a PR. Marathon this fall?

From I Just Run on Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at 13:40:49 from 166.205.9.91

Good run in the heat and humidity! Go to be fun running with the group. What is the EFS? I've pretty much started just drinking water during my did...trying to teach my body to use fat for energy.

From derhammer on Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at 16:50:53 from 70.113.125.159

Afraid of the dark? Come on now, Flat! Nice run - it is good to push it now and then.

From allie on Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at 17:17:51 from 24.10.191.18

nice running today. how do you like EFS?

From flatlander on Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at 17:37:09 from 76.31.26.153

Thanks April. Yep, running SGM with my brothers and sisters. Hope it's good weather that day.

IJR, EFS is just a brand name, it is a calorie/electrolytes type drink. Kind of pricey but not too bad if you buy the big bottle.

DH, didn't think I could get that one past you!

Allie, thanks. I don't like EFS but it works. 400 calories (I don't think I can absorb much more) and every electrolyte in the books. I think it delays the bonk by 3 or 4 miles in a marathon. I'm trying to get used to it, didn't process it too well at UVM.

From SlowJoe on Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at 18:08:10 from 75.109.104.60

Solid running in the heat, Flat. Either push the pace or literally get lost, I like that!

From Smooth on Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at 23:54:54 from 67.2.109.45

NICELY done, Flat! WAY to run with the competitive group and assimilate the heat!

From Dan on Sun, Jun 26, 2011 at 00:32:44 from 24.209.83.20

Nice run, sorry about work but I certainly know what you mean when it gets in the way and we have to do what we have to do. I may try EFS, but I still like the cliff blocks alot. (GU is ok, just too sticky and I feel like I need water RIGHT AWAY).

From Steam8 on Sun, Jun 26, 2011 at 22:10:24 from 166.70.55.77

I hate getting up early to run too...it always means an hour early for me also! haha!! Nice 13!!

From flatlander on Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 12:13:42 from 198.207.244.102

Joe, the heat gives me someting to complain about and it keeps my muscles loose, so not all bad.

Thanks Smooth, is Park City your next race?

Dan, it's good for me, helps me remember my priorities. Other than maintaining my health (which can done with a lot fewer miles), running at my age is not a very important thing. On the other hand, lots of people depend on me having a job.

S8, thanks, hope your summer running is going well.

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