| Author |
Topic: Estes Park - Tough course and a Special Time |
TomD
Cool Runner |
 posted Jun-18-2007 05:46 PM
   
Donna and I got to meet divechief and arf the night before the Estes Park Marathon. We went out to eat and had a great time. Estes Park was a beautiful place. Very scenic.The course was much tougher than I expected. There were a series of challenging hills in the first 6 miles. Between Mile 16 and Mile 20 there was a 3 mile hill that seemed like it would never end. The atitude was there to slow me down too. It was hot and sunny with some very strong gusts of wind throughout the marathon. I was told to adjust my expected time by 15 minutes, because of the atitude. So I altered my goal time from 4:35 to 4:50. It was around 60 degrees at the start and 80 at the finish. It was very sunny and windy too. It seemed like the wind was almost always in your face. My first two miles time was 18:44, then I slowed down to 11+ minutes miles the next 4 miles. At mile 6 I was at 1:04. Mile 7 was a little better at 10 minutes. Then I hit some nice down hill for the next 4 miles. I ran 8:37, 8:08, 8:52, and 9:15. In mile 8 a gust of wind blewing half way across the road. Luckily there was no cars coming. Then in mile 10 I see an elk crossing the road like he owned it. He just stood nearby with another elk and watched me run by. The next 5 miles had some hills and very strong gusts. My times were back to 11 minute miles again. In the Mile 17 I come upon a hill that seemed like it would never end. By the end of this hill I was near Mile 20 and a time of 3:35. Now it looks like I may have a tough time topping 4:50. In the next two mile there were some more rolling hills and still the wind to deal with. My Mile 22 I am at 3:59. Now I start picking it up and I am in my zone. I am now passing many runners that are now walkers or slow runners. It really makes me feel good about myself. The course now is flat with some hills here and there. It feels so great to me running strong late in a marathon again. I am now passing runners that left me behind many miles ago. Each mile feels stronger than the previous one. I know my time is slow, but I can just feel like a sub 4:00 is not far off. As I am coming onto the high school track to the finish there is Donna yelling, "Love that Man". Just before the finish I point at her and shout out "Love that Woman." I fiinish with a 4:40. I was 7th in the 50-59 AG and 47th overall of 120 finishers. I felt very good about my finish. Donna came in 3rd in her AG in her first 10k. She did the first half in 50 minutes and 45 minutes in the second half for a 1:35 finish. She was pretty excited about it. It was a last minute decision to try the 10k. Next is Swan Lake in Viborg, SD. I should have a big improvement there.
TomD
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tomwhite
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-18-2007 06:05 PM
..........tomD//............congratulations to you and Donna....................sounds like you're Picking Up Steam..........
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divechief
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-18-2007 06:47 PM
Tom:
It was great meeting you and Donna, Congrats to you and especially to Donna on a well run 10K. It's fantastic the way you were able to pick things up for the last half, we were fading a bit in the heat. Sorry we didn't see you at the finish, but I expect you were long gone by the time we rolled in. I'm sure you will slip under 4:00 on your next. looking forward to seeing you at another race some day
Dave
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Lil Engine
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-18-2007 06:51 PM
Nicely done! With those hills and the altitude, that's a great run!------------------
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"I think I can, I think I can"
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Fortunate One
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-18-2007 08:52 PM
Tom, you are amazing. "In the zone," indeed. Didn't anyone tell you there was very little oxygen at that altitude? I'm glad Donna enjoyed the 10k and that you got to meet more Boomers.
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Fortunate--a volleyballer with a running problem
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SkipAZ
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-18-2007 11:01 PM
Well done TomD! and a big congrats to Donna on her first 10K! EP is a beautiful place for sure.Skip
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mrpat
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-19-2007 07:50 AM
Tom, I always enjoy reading your reports. That sounded like a very tough race and I am sure that a sub-4 is just around the corner. I look forward to the part in the race around 20 miles where you get that second wind, must be a very special feeling. Something that I would like to experience someday.
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Ileneforward
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-19-2007 08:24 AM
TomD,
Hilly, at altitude, hot and windy; that sounds like a dream race. The kind of dream you wake up in a sweat from. 
But you got to meet some boomers and you finished strong (as usual) so it was an excellent adventure.
And woohooo for Donna's first race.  That is so great!
Congratulations to both of you.------------------
Ilene
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runrgrl1
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-19-2007 08:32 AM
Congratulations! That sounded like a very tough run to me. I've run out there before and can't imagine doing a marathon in altitude AND heat AND wind!
Did you have to travel far or are you lucky enough to live nearby?------------------
"It's never too late to be what you might have been."
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tnally
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-19-2007 08:41 AM
Tom,Well done to both you and Donna. You are still the ultimate running machine. Tom
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breger1
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-19-2007 08:59 AM
I've visited Estes Park and it is truly heavenly. But I cannot imagine running a marathon there. Too much altitude, too many hills/mountains, and not enough oxygen! Nice run in tough conditions Tom. Congrats to your beautiful bride as well on her nice 10K.Bill ------------------
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Barefoot Rick
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-19-2007 09:59 AM
Nice race Tom. I have been to Estes Park dozens of time and actually lived up there for 6 months going to a bible college. I keep saying I need to get out there for the marathon. Oh well, I will be out there with the family next month.Congrats to both you an Donna! Her first 10K! Woo Hoo! Rick ------------------
Barefoot Running ... So easy, a caveman could do it!" - Barefoot Rick @ www.barefootrunner.org
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ksrunr
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-19-2007 10:08 AM
Tom and Donna.Can't add anything that hasn't been said. Congratulations on what seems to be a brutal race/s. I enjoyed your report. ksrunr
lookin for air in all the wrong places
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Nordic Berserker
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-19-2007 11:04 AM
Estes is my former back yard and I know how tough it is to run there. You guys did very well in the altitude.
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wildchild
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-19-2007 11:17 AM
Nice report! I live about an hour south of Estes Park, and I ran a local 10K in Rollinsville the same day as the Estes Park marathon. It was definitely hot and windy! But I can't blame my slow time on the altitude - I live higher than I was racing! But I know the altitude can be hard for "flatlanders" - way to go! And imagine how hot it was in the flatlands if it was 80 in the high country.
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DFMAR50
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-19-2007 11:36 AM
Yes, congrats to you and Donna. Looks like there were quite a few of us there. I did the 10K also - and we had the big time head wind for that four or five K going along the north shore of the lake. Then, heading back across the south shore toward the finish, the tail wind I was expecting didn't seem to be there  Anyway, it's always a fun run and lots of great food afterward.
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tselbs
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-19-2007 02:24 PM
It's another great marathon with a strong finish for you, Tom, and a first 10K for Donna. Congratulations to both of you.TomS ------------------
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TomD
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-19-2007 05:40 PM
runrgrl1,No, it was not in our backyard. We left Kansas City at 4:20am and arrived 12 hours later. We left shortly after I finished and got home at 1:15am Monday. I got up for work at 6:00am. I am still kind of tired for we had dinner guests Monday evening. I am off tomorrow, so I will put some miles in tomorrow. Donna is so very proud of finishing her first 10k. I never know when she will decide to run at my marathons.
TomD
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smpankowski
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-20-2007 04:56 AM
TomD, It sounds like you had a nice run. Very nice job on the hills. Thanks for sharing your event.------------------
Never regret anything that made you smile, SteveP My User Profile
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Coastwalker
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-20-2007 07:46 AM
Hi Tom,It was really easy to pick up on your excitement when you got into your zone after mile 22. What a great feeling that must have been! And what greta satisfaction to go cruising by the spent runners who had passed you much earlier in the race! Congratulations on battling the elements, finishing very strong, and almost hitting your original goal time. Congrats too to Donna on an excellent run and negative splits in her first 10K! What a team!!! Jay
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Karl Rysted
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-20-2007 10:31 AM
Congrats to you and Donna. You both took on a huge challenge and overcame it very well!------------------
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littlerockgm
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-20-2007 02:42 PM
Way to go Donna! Now we are looking for you to do a half at Wynne.... Tom, another nice effort and great job. Nice that you are getting back in the groove, I know how you longed for the opportunity to run daily but were inhibited by work....way to go guy, way to go.Good running all,
Jim
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arf 1
Cool Runner |
posted Jun-21-2007 02:16 AM
Tom - it was SO great to meet you and Donna, you are very special people! Congrats on feeling so strong towards the end of the race, the heat and altitude absolutely did me in. http://www.eventpictures.com/app/event/zoomPictures?eventInstanceId=8688&picture=1937068#start not sure if that will work, but it's a great pic of the 3 of us, very early in the race. Tell Donna she's a super star! What a difficult race to attempt her first 10 K, and she finished in style! I hope to meet up with you 2 again real soon! Good luck at your races this year! arf
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