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Gasparilla 15k

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Location:

St. Petersburg,FL,

Member Since:

Dec 30, 2014

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

  • 5k - 3/8/14 - Armadillo Run - 15:58
  • 10k - 2/7/15 - BDR, Safety Harbor - 33:17
  • 15k - 2/21/15 - Gasparilla - 51:05
  • 1/2 - 12/14/14 - Holiday Halfathon - 1:13:31
  • Marathon - 10/04/15 - Twin Cities - 2:38:46

Short-Term Running Goals:

2016 Races

Clearwater Halfathon - Jan 11
Donna Hicken Marathon - Feb 14
Gasparilla 15k - Feb 20
Florida Beach Halfathon - Mar 6
??? Chicago Marathon ???

Long-Term Running Goals:

Find balance. Run with my girls. Break 15 in the 5k.

Personal:

Born in 1973 in Southern California.

Ran in high school for Arcadia. They have a famous cross-country team now. In my day, we were famous for dodging our coach during runs.

Over the next 15 years I ran very little, but life was awesome. I lived mostly in Northern California, where I met my wife. We moved back to her native state of Florida in 2005, where I gradually started running more seriously.

 

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Race: Gasparilla 15k (9.321 Miles) 00:53:42, Place overall: 15, Place in age division: 2
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.700.009.300.0017.00

Gasparilla! It went well today. If you told me a year ago I'd be happy to run 53:42, I'd be "unhappy". But it's this year, and I'm good with the result.

I met Charles and Mike ahead of the race and we ran about 3 miles to warmup. A bit more than intended, but those guys are so awesome to run with I didn't notice our mileage until the race was about to start.

Mike and I planned to run 5:45 miles. For Mike, injury not withstanding, that is no big shakes, but he was sick and I was glad for the company.

We clicked off the first couple miles right on pace. It felt pretty easy and I wondered if I was sandbagging the race (spoiler-not!). I heard we were in 30th place, and there were definitely a lot of people up there. It's a Gasparilla tradition to go out too fast, so I knew a lot of them would be coming back. Still, it felt a little weird to see so many people in front. After the first mile, I didn't get passed again.

That said, a lot of people ran well today. Best weather for Gasparilla in years, neither humid nor windy. Just 55-60 temps, really nothing to hold you back.

By mile 3, 5:45 pace no longer felt easy. At the mile 5 turnaround I was really starting to work. Mile 8 I slipped off, but on the 9th mile I came back. Still, the last .3 I could literally not breathe, and I crossed the finish line and began dry-heaving. A race official approached me with an slinky bag, anticipating actual vomit action. That was an interesting first experience. I think I ran today as hard as I ever have.

I've tinkered with the idea that lower miles might be an interesting recipe to experiment with. I think this race definitively answered that question.

I can run 30-32 200s on 10 miles a week or 100. But for distance events, after the initial miles, the difference is the mileage base. I came up against the limits of my training at mile 7.5 today, and it was not pretty.

If I choose to put on a certain set of goggles, I could feel bad, running a lot slower than last year. But more realistically, this is the best I have run in months, and I was able to match my pace against my goal and stay in control. Now I need to take this momentum and roll it forward.

I'm really grateful for my teammates that help break down the race pressure and mindless mileage in our weekly training. I got to spend time hanging with them post-race and that community is my second family.

It was very cool to meet Tom K from the blog on the bridge post-race. The sense of humor and camaraderie in his writing transfer in person. West Coast! Florida yeah!

I have a nagging question to answer: at 42, have I ran my fastest times? Nothing happened today to put off the Grim Reaper, but I don't think I lost ground either.

I think I still stand at a point where my fate is in my own hands.

Comments
From Bret on Sun, Feb 21, 2016 at 14:17:52 from 99.1.220.106

Nice job Drew - you finished right where you had planned - and seem pleased with the result and the effort. I sure do miss Gasparilla.

Regarding your question of having seen your fastest times - I think it all depends on your effort/motivation; the work you put in, and how healthy you can remain. If you really have a PR or milestone you are chasing - and you put in the training - I think you have faster races in you. No doubt the older that you get, the harder and smarter you have to work - but you've already proven you are up to that challenge with the kind effort you put in and with the kinds of times you post. As you aptly stated - your running fate is in your hands - at least as far as I can see.

I will leave you with this thought - my best marathon and half marathon times came when I was 46.

You've got time.

Go get em.

From jtshad on Sun, Feb 21, 2016 at 14:24:48 from 173.198.176.201

Great run. I echo what Bret said.

Enjoy the nice weather!

From Glory in the long run on Mon, Feb 22, 2016 at 10:25:11 from 75.162.143.202

Inspirational, nice job. Father time always wins, but you still have quite a few rounds to go.

From Jason D on Mon, Feb 22, 2016 at 10:35:27 from 68.80.27.222

Well done, Drew. Finishing as hard as you can on a given day. There's something to that.

Mileage does make a difference in the way that you say. You also get less margin of error between workouts and races I think.

I am still looking for the magic number but I don't think it's few than 70-80 miles but I doubt it needs to be much higher than 100-110 in peak marathon training unless you are trying to peak in the marathon in maybe your thirties but I hate to say that because I look at the number of people running well in (and well into) their 40s. There are many fine examples on this blog too. Guys (and gals) that will still be kicking the tar out of me at least for a few more years :)

From Drew on Mon, Feb 22, 2016 at 10:46:53 from 24.73.66.122

Thanks guys. My head is still spinning slightly from that last mile.

Bret - thanks for the thoughtful perspective. A lot to consider there.

Jason - I've personally found that range you are describing to be about right for me too. I think I've seen positive results with higher mileage in a distinct base phase, but I don't know that I've done enough of it to be sure yet.

From Jake K on Mon, Feb 22, 2016 at 12:22:08 from 159.212.71.17

Good race Drew. I bet that if you keep the attitude you seem to have right now (not getting caught up in comparing you current self/fitness to your past/peak self) and run/train "in the moment" - you might find that you get to the point where you won't be far off your old levels, and perhaps even be in a place where you can surpass them, without putting the pedal to the metal all year round.

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