Some friendly competition using Statman's PR lists

Sign me up for the marathon too. Although my position at the back of the letsrun pack offers me the most potential for improvement, my limited natural talent likely prevents the realization of significant improvement. I will be looking for new PRs at all distances this year (you gotta have dreams, no?), but figure I've got about 7 to 10 minutes in me for the marathon, and only partial minutes at best at the other distances.

me- 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 8k road, 10 miles road

Goals- 2:02, 4:10, 8:55, 15:35, 26:00, 55:30

current-2:06, 4:19, 9:25, n/a, 26:47, 1:00:56

I'll take you up on that challenge. No way I will get in shape to take down my shorter track PR's but i am willing to bet that i can take my 10 mile time (53:53) by 1:15. That is if the Army does not get too crazy.

JEH,

All of my PRs are out of range except for the marathon, but it is doubtful that I will have the time this year to make a serious go at it. Fortunately (or unfortunately) my marathon PR is slow enough that I should be able to make a serious attempt at it well into my 40s.

So, for this year anyway, I will bet on you JEH to break that miserable marathon PR (2:27) of yours. Just kidding about the miserable part.

When/where is your attempt? I understand if you don't want to divulge.

Hey Runna, are you a girl?

runna wrote:

me- 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 8k road, 10 miles road

Goals- 2:02, 4:10, 8:55, 15:35, 26:00, 55:30

current-2:06, 4:19, 9:25, n/a, 26:47, 1:00:56

I thought that few more would be looking at PRing this year... I guess Galloway's Biggest Fan would say that this is yet another example of the Galloway effect.

So, I commend you Pete, Runna, and Danwelsh for having the stones to simply say that you plan on PRing in 2003, and we'll see who "wins" at the end of the year. Amongst the 4 of us, it should be pretty easy to determine the winner, and I think we should be safe in using the honor system.

With that, I wish you all well not only in this friendly wager (who knows, maybe I'll personally spring for a beer for the winner - woohoo!), but also in the pursuit of reestablishing your personal bests.

hoping to run 1:54 indoors in the 800m and 1:51-52 outdoors...I'm a junior in college.

Cool.

A beer it is then.

Count me in:

Current PRs (not on Statman's list):

5k-15:45

10k-33:15

half marathon- 1:13:12

marathon-2:29:27

2003 goals:

5k-15:15

10k-31:40

half marathon-1:09:59

marathon-2:24 (though I want 2:21:59 of course!)

What about those of us in "the second stage"? ;-)

When I turned 40 I "erased" all of my PRs. All of the numbers on Statman's list are my master's PRs. If that's sufficient, then count me in. I'm planning on lowering my 5k to mid 16's and my 15k (Boilermaker) to 52's. Sizable jumps considering my injuries over the past 2 years, but I am reminded of Michelangelo's comment: The great tragedy of life is not in setting great goals and missing them, but in setting modest goals and achieving them.

For equivalence, we could always use Daniels' VDOT, i.e., the largest VDOT improvement wins. I managed to get a copy of Oxygen Power from Dr. Daniels the other day and I'm currently working on a Windows-based calculator (besides telling you your VDOT for a specific performance it'll also give equivalent times at some standard distances plus an arbitrary distance of your choosing, and Daniels' E, T, and I training paces for that VDOT). In case you haven't guessed, I'm a Daniels fan.

Why not? JEH, I'm in.

Put me down for the 'thon. On December 7 at Cal International or Orange County, let's see if the old and treacherous me can beat the young and skilled me (2:24:49).

At 38, this one's for old farts and geezers everywhere!

I really must be senile for throwing down with you whippersnappers, ?cause from what I can tell maybe only Scotth is as old as I am on this board. And yup, after a 25 year complete athletic layoff I need a totally new PR list for my after-50 career. OK, so far during my world comeback tour: a 17:49 cross 5k and a 17:47 road 5k. I wanna go sub-17 this year, but then, I want a million dollars, too. I also want to see how fast I can run a mile, but wanting that too much last year got me a ruptured hamstring when I jumped into some full-blast 200?s with the local college guys who were tapering for indoor nationals. Like I said, senile.

Now, about those beers. We true geezers on this board, (you 40-somethings, well, to paraphrase my 85-year-old second cousin: I?ve got news for you about your future running times, and it ain?t good. So run as fast as you can while you can!), we know we?re liable to up and croak any day and not see those beers after all. Since it?s too late to toast each other with a "long live ( soon-to-be-croaked geezer?s name here )," I?ll raise a pint of stout to all of us: live well and run hard (geezers and geezer wannabes names here)!"

What about aqua jogging? Biased against us invalids eh!? I'll whoop all you clowns in the pool...

I need a hobby.

Hmmm....maybe I'll see if I can take down that 1-hour running-in-place PR I referred to on another thread.

Good, I am glad a few more are joining in. Thanks. I was kind of disappointed with the initial demonstration of lack of competiveness (and positive goal setting). I like using Daniels' table to determine our winner (and I'm fine with a master using masters marks, esp since those are on Statman's listing). Sorry John P, I don't think that your running in place PR is going to work out.

Now, I understand that some would rather DO what they intend instead of TALKING about it. I support that. So, there's no need to talk about what you're going to do (but it's also fine to include your goals if you like).

Simply say "I'm in" and name your event(s), and we'll use Statman's list as your current PR unless it was bettered pre-2003. Then, at the end of the year, we'll see who won.

Seems like scores would sign up since there is now a free beer on the line.

Didn't Verran say something in that article about looking to PR? What about Wejo? Shay? Miles & Miles? Many others?

Let's use the board in this positive way... a way for the regular to compete with the elite - BUT with EVERYONE going for their best.

To end this last plea for participation - to show that I can market with the best, like Galloway - I just have one word.... FREE BEER.

i'll join in. i'm not on the list so here they are:

400- 49.87

500- 1:04.2h

800- 1:52.99

1500-4:05.78

JEH,

I've even thought that it might be fun to designate a future race (like Motorola '04 or Chicago '04) to serve as the first ever "Let's Run Marathon Challenge". Have a hospitality room where racers would "register" their numbers and poster names prior to the event. Use the age-grading tables for masters guys / gals and...voila! We can truly establish who's hot and who's not.

A pecking order based on performance to separate the performers from the poseurs. Props to those that race, disparagement to those who don't show.

Why '04? It gives everyone ample chance to get into 'thon shape (calling all of you "scared of big numbers" college punks!)

Ladies and Gentlemen, what say you? Put up or shut up is the name of the game. (Personally, I'd like to see side wagering on a Flagpole Willy vs. catman / gadfly / I / whatever he's going by match race.)

I wrote in the Galloway Effect thread that "the running's the thing," but I think Homer Simpson put it better:

"Mmmm, beer!"

I like the idea of a formal letsrun challenge race (a man's gotta see the world before he dies), but 2004 will be too late for me. I plan to peak sometime this year. Next year I plan to retire and cruise into old age (I'll hit 39 sometime in 04).

How about Chicago '03?

Hospitality room - I'm in for that! Plenty of carbs in beer, no?

BTW, I think Willy = catman ;-) ;-) (needed two winks there)

I'm in, all my PR's are on statman's list.