Maybe you aren't familiar with Big Sur. The wind in '23 was brutal with 2,200' of vert. Not the course for PB's, but a lot of photo ops
I would have tried a flat fall marathon if I were that guy and maybe a half in late may. Big Sur is a really slow course. I suppose he wasn't really chasing a pr though. The race is super scenic but hilly.
I ran low mileage for a good 20 years and during that time was very much middle-of-pack across all distances. Covid came and I took the opportunity to reflect on life. Among other things, I came to the realization that at 36 I had never really went all in on any dream.
So on a whim, I relocated from the East Coast to Durango and rented a house with a couple of trail runners (yes, I was the weird old guy there!!). It was supposed to be a 90 day stint but I absolutely fell in love with the town. I ended up staying there for two years, getting a local job, and building up to triple digits by the end of it, with some significant weekly vert to match. It's a magical thing watching your body change; lbs dropping, muscle and tendons sharpening, hardening, dropping big PB's mid-long run. It was incredible.
In early '23, feeling very confident in my fitness, I flew to California and ran the Big Sur marathon. Unfortunately it was unusually gusty that day, but I wasn't going to let a little wind stop me! I ran a massive negative split and in doing so took 32 minutes off my marathon PB, for a final time of 3:34.
The Boulder experience only lasted a few more months before I ended up moving back to the East Coast to try and salvage my relationship with the wife and kids. That ultimately didn't work out so the whole experience is still very bittersweet for me, but I'll take those running memories (along with that PB) to the grave...
Guessing the marriage was on the rocks and the training represented a way out? Would be curious to hear more there
The Boulder experience only lasted a few more months before I ended up moving back to the East Coast to try and salvage my relationship with the wife and kids. That ultimately didn't work out so the whole experience is still very bittersweet for me, but I'll take those running memories (along with that PB) to the grave...
Guessing the marriage was on the rocks and the training represented a way out? Would be curious to hear more there
I wish that were it. I also wish I could blame it on youth but I was not young, unfortunately. All I can say in hindsight is that I moved there with good intentions, but things just got out of control and before I knew it I was leading this double life.
I felt clear-headed and in control in the moment but in hindsight it's horrific, I cringe and recoil physically at the thought of what I did and how I destroyed what was a really quality life. I guess this post is in some sense catharsis, if that's a thing.
I am not a skeptic, I just need inspiration. I have been at the 30-40 miles a week range for a long time and am stuck at kind of 18:00 5k, 1:26 half. It would be a committment to bump up due to life demands, but I really want to get faster.
I want to hear from anyone who was maybe in a similar boat, bumped up to 60+ miles a week and saw some significant results!
30-40 miles per week is simply not enough to be good at a half marathon.
"It would be a commitment to bump up"
Uh....yeah dude. That's how commitment works. If you want to get better it takes sacrifice.