Other Sports Personal Bragging: My 50th Half-Marathon - Page 20

**Rain Man** · 01:17 AM

Last Saturday's race (in 42 degree temps in the rain, I might add) was my 50th half-marathon since I started my hobby in June of 2009.

My vital statistics are:

Completed races in 12 states so far (AK, HI, CA, NV, UT, WY, CO, TX, LA, FL, OH, and WI)

Median pace = 10:15 per mile
Median pace in flat, sea level races =9:37 per mile
Fastest pace = 9:04 per mile (Beaumont, TX - flat and sea level)
Slowest pace = 29:36 per mile (Pike's Peak Ascent - 7,800 foot climb from 6,300 ft to 14,100 ft and I was not good at it.)

14 have been at elevations between sea level and 3,000 feet (Median pace = 9:52)
21 have been at elevations of 3,000 to 6,000 feet (Median pace = 10:06)
9 have been at elevations of 6,000 to 9,000 feet (Median pace = 11:08)
9 have been at elevations of 9,000 feet or higher (Median pace = 15:29)

26 have been more or less flat with total hills < 300 ft (Median pace = 9:50). Three were net downhill.
12 have had moderate hills with total hills of 301-1,000 ft (Median pace = 10:43)
6 have had strong hills with total hills of 1,001-2,500 ft (Median pace = 12:10)
9 have had major hills with total hills of 2,500 ft or more (Median pace = 15:29)

The 9 with major hills are the same 9 that were over 9,000 feet in elevation.

3 races were run in the rain and 1 in snow.

I've only fallen once, and it wasn't in the rain or snow. (Tripped on a trail rock.)

24 were primarily on pavement or asphalt
6 were primarily on dirt roads
20 were primarily on trails

I've gone the wrong way on trails 4 times but only twice did it for more than 30 seconds. The worst mistake added 3/4 of a mile.

I've also had 2 10-mile races and a 10K in there, so that's 53 races in 54 months.

**Rain Man** · 12-05-2016, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Bunk

Looks brutal! Any pics of the course? What watch are you using? I love my Garmin.

Started training today for my next 10k in January after I'd taken a few months off. I've started to think about targeting my first half in the spring at some point.

Oh, what Garmin do you have? I have some questions for you.

The band broke on my Nike Sportswatch and it's an integral band that can't be replaced, so I just bought a Garmin Forerunner f235. I spliced my Nike band together with safety pins and wore them both on this run to see how well they matched up. I only had the f235 for four days so I wasn't confident that I could use it well.

They recorded the exact same finishing time, but the Nike showed a distance of 13.5 miles compared to the Garmin's 13.3, so the Nike showed a notably faster pace. The weird thing is that the Garmin showed a total elevation change of just over 3,500 feet, which seems way high given the course. However, even more oddly, the Nike didn't record any elevation change at all, which has never happened in the six years I've been running with that watch. The course was really unusual, going up a very narrow canyon with high walls most of the way, so maybe that caused a problem.

But anyway, my questions are:

How do I get a basic elevation change per mile reading on the Garmin? I can find a map that roughly shows it, but I can't find a nice table like I have on the Nike.

If I go to "running mode" on the Garmin, it automatically links up the GPS. I don't always want that if I'm just going to the "running history". Do you know how to tell the GPS to turn off in that situation? I'm just waiting for it to time out and turn itself off, which is kind of annoying since it keeps giving me warnings.

I didn't take any pictures because I don't take my phone along, but it's an out and back course, so the first and last two to three miles look like this (photos from the internet, not me):

It's just out in the open on a jeep trail. It doesn't look like it, but it's a pretty sustained hill.

Miles 3 through 11 or so look like this:

The whole way, it's a relatively rough gravel/scree jeep road that's not fast at all to run on.

It was actually one of the more intimidating looking runs I've done, because you get taken out on buses 30 miles from anything and start out in the middle of a big plain. The mountains look like they're a long way away and pretty tall, and usually you can't see that far on a run with a big elevation change. And then when you come back out of the canyon, you can see the light glinting off the buses at the finish line and they really seem a long way off.

Ah. The Nike elevation uploaded. Must have been a glitch. Here's what the Nike watch recorded.

Mile 1 12:24 12'24" +243ft
Mile 2 26:18 13'54" +319ft
Mile 3 42:02 15'44" +467ft
Mile 4 54:42 12'40" +324ft
Mile 5 1:09:31 14'49" +202ft
Mile 6 1:24:25 14'54" +428ft
Mile 7 1:40:05 15'40" +335ft
Mile 8 1:49:14 9'09" -404ft
Mile 9 1:58:57 9'43" -394ft
Mile 10 2:08:59 10'02" -245ft
Mile 11 2:19:30 10'31" -391ft
Mile 12 2:30:21 10'51" -418ft
Mile 13 2:41:33 11'12" -309ft
(It doesn't show the last .5 miles.)

Marcellus · 12-05-2016, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

It's just out in the open on a jeep trail. It doesn't look like it, but it's a pretty sustained hill.

Miles 3 through 11 or so look like this:

The whole way, it's a relatively rough gravel/scree jeep road that's not fast at all to run on.

That course looks like a freaking blast. Minus the hills of course. Love the scenery.

I am doing a 20 mile trail run this Saturday in Bella Vista AR. It says its 2200ft of elevation over that distance.

I am going to get my ass kicked as I am not in shape for 20 miles of trail. Oh well.

**DaKCMan AP** · 12-05-2016, 01:56 PM

Rain Man, that race course looks cool - awesome scenery. I'm sure the elevation is killer, though.

I have a Ragnar Trail race this weekend, a Hot Chocolate 15K the weekend after, and then my next Half race is scheduled for mid-February.

**Rain Man** · 12-05-2016, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

That course looks like a freaking blast. Minus the hills of course. Love the scenery.

I am doing a 20 mile trail run this Saturday in Bella Vista AR. It says its 2200ft of elevation over that distance.

I am going to get my ass kicked as I am not in shape for 20 miles of trail. Oh well.

2,200 up, or 2,200 combined? I never know how to interpret that. Good luck!

The full marathon in Death Valley was really weird. It started at 3,400, climbed to 5,200 in the first 6 miles or so, and then had a 5,000 foot drop to the finish over 20 miles. I bet those people have some really sore quads today.

**Rain Man** · 12-05-2016, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

Rain Man, that race course looks cool - awesome scenery. I'm sure the elevation is killer, though.

I have a Ragnar Trail race this weekend, a Hot Chocolate 15K the weekend after, and then my next Half race is scheduled for mid-February.

What's the Ragnar race?

**DaKCMan AP** · 12-05-2016, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

What's the Ragnar race?

Ragnar Alafaya - it's the first Ragnar Trail race in FL.

https://www.runragnar.com/event-deta...lafia_river_fl

**Rain Man** · 12-05-2016, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

Ragnar Alafaya - it's the first Ragnar Trail race in FL.

https://www.runragnar.com/event-deta...lafia_river_fl

That looks pretty neat. Ragnar's been around here for at least a few years. I've never run any of their races, though.

**Rain Man** · 06-17-2017, 12:44 PM

25 states down on my half-marathon list, 25 to go.

Hog's Gone Fishin · 06-17-2017, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

25 states down on my half-marathon list, 25 to go.

Awesome , looks like you may have run by my house . Should have gave me a heads up and I could have been on the sideline to hand you a beer .

**Rain Man** · 06-17-2017, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

Awesome , looks like you may have run by my house . Should have gave me a heads up and I could have been on the sideline to hand you a beer .

Are you in Alaska? I may have, then.

Hog's Gone Fishin · 06-17-2017, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Are you in Alaska? I may have, then.

Wow, you did Alaska ! Did you have to out run a bear ?

**Rain Man** · 06-17-2017, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

Wow, you did Alaska ! Did you have to out run a bear ?

Not that day.

tmax63 · 06-17-2017, 09:57 PM

You don't have to outrun the bear, just 1 other person is enough.

Nickhead · 06-18-2017, 02:13 AM

so you are a glass half full type of person?

**DaKCMan AP** · 11-15-2017, 08:40 AM

Ran the St. Augustine Half last weekend and finished with my slowest time ever (by 20+ minutes) at 2:33. Poor training, IT band + shin splint issues, and hot weather contributed. I think my last mile was like 15 mins.

I have a 5K in 3 weeks and then a break until the Shamrock Half next March. Hopefully will be in better shape by then!

11-27-2013, 01:09 AM
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3048491 VARSITY	Personal Bragging: My 50th Half-Marathon Last Saturday's race (in 42 degree temps in the rain, I might add) was my 50th half-marathon since I started my hobby in June of 2009. My vital statistics are: Completed races in 12 states so far (AK, HI, CA, NV, UT, WY, CO, TX, LA, FL, OH, and WI) Median pace = 10:15 per mile Median pace in flat, sea level races =9:37 per mile Fastest pace = 9:04 per mile (Beaumont, TX - flat and sea level) Slowest pace = 29:36 per mile (Pike's Peak Ascent - 7,800 foot climb from 6,300 ft to 14,100 ft and I was not good at it.) 14 have been at elevations between sea level and 3,000 feet (Median pace = 9:52) 21 have been at elevations of 3,000 to 6,000 feet (Median pace = 10:06) 9 have been at elevations of 6,000 to 9,000 feet (Median pace = 11:08) 9 have been at elevations of 9,000 feet or higher (Median pace = 15:29) 26 have been more or less flat with total hills < 300 ft (Median pace = 9:50). Three were net downhill. 12 have had moderate hills with total hills of 301-1,000 ft (Median pace = 10:43) 6 have had strong hills with total hills of 1,001-2,500 ft (Median pace = 12:10) 9 have had major hills with total hills of 2,500 ft or more (Median pace = 15:29) The 9 with major hills are the same 9 that were over 9,000 feet in elevation. 3 races were run in the rain and 1 in snow. I've only fallen once, and it wasn't in the rain or snow. (Tripped on a trail rock.) 24 were primarily on pavement or asphalt 6 were primarily on dirt roads 20 were primarily on trails I've gone the wrong way on trails 4 times but only twice did it for more than 30 seconds. The worst mistake added 3/4 of a mile. I've also had 2 10-mile races and a 10K in there, so that's 53 races in 54 months. Last edited by Rain Man; 11-27-2013 at 01:17 AM..
Posts: 141,662

12-05-2016, 01:56 PM	#288
DaKCMan AP Beloved & Awesome CP Celebrity Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Florida Casino cash: $6714952	Rain Man, that race course looks cool - awesome scenery. I'm sure the elevation is killer, though. I have a Ragnar Trail race this weekend, a Hot Chocolate 15K the weekend after, and then my next Half race is scheduled for mid-February. __________________
Posts: 35,696

06-17-2017, 12:44 PM	#293
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3048491 VARSITY	25 states down on my half-marathon list, 25 to go. Attached Thumbnails __________________ I'm putting random letters here as a celebration of free speech: xigrakgrah misorojeq rkemeseit.
Posts: 141,662

06-17-2017, 09:57 PM	#298
tmax63 Veteran Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Colorado Casino cash: $3090400	You don't have to outrun the bear, just 1 other person is enough. __________________ An armed member of society is a citizen, an unarmed member is a subject.
Posts: 3,813

06-18-2017, 02:13 AM	#299
Nickhead EvOlVeD Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Blue Mountains, Australia Casino cash: $2389868	so you are a glass half full type of person?
Posts: 8,222

11-15-2017, 08:40 AM	#300
DaKCMan AP Beloved & Awesome CP Celebrity Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Florida Casino cash: $6714952	Ran the St. Augustine Half last weekend and finished with my slowest time ever (by 20+ minutes) at 2:33. Poor training, IT band + shin splint issues, and hot weather contributed. I think my last mile was like 15 mins. I have a 5K in 3 weeks and then a break until the Shamrock Half next March. Hopefully will be in better shape by then! __________________
Posts: 35,696