Nearly. I snuck under 3:00 my first one. I was suitably cratered, but thought I could really buckle down and improve. My trajectory was as follows:
1. 2:59:23 White Rock
2. 3:07 San Antonio
3. DNF White Rock
4. 2:57:55 White Rock
5. 3:07 Boston
6. 3:09 Houston
7. 3:10:59 OK City
8. 3:18 Phoenix
I thought I'd always improve. Didn't happen. Now I'm too old to PR, but I still think around 3:10 is possible.
Nope...first was my slowest. Improved by a whopping 40 seconds in my second marathon, then upped the mileage and improved by another 8 minutes.
Right out of college I ran a marathon off of 5k speed, my fastest by nearly 12 min. I suffered so badly that I lost my desire to run for years afterward. Oh well.
First: 2:29:10, 20 mile split: 1:50:30, '79
Second: 2:28:56, 20 mile split: 1:53:30, '80
The lesson learned between #1 & #2; don't go too fast, too early. Somehow, I got dumb again before #3 & #4.
Third: 2:57, half split: 1:15
Fourth: 2:53, half split: 1:20
Both times left my race on training runs that were too fast and too close to marathon day.
I did that before my DNF. Ran a solo midweek midday 18 miler at 6:32s. Don't know what that would have equated to, but surely a PR. Killed my legs and desire. There's a word for that - hubris.
Hedgehog wrote:
I thought I'd always improve. Didn't happen. Now I'm too old to PR...
2 words: Ed Whitlock
I've done 7.
First one was 3:58.
Second one was 3:20.
Third one was 2:55.
Then all the rest are way worse than that 2:55 including a 5:07 I ran in 1998 with someone else to help them finish their first - THAT I will never do again. Being out there for 5 hours is brutal.
But NO, my first was not my PR.
Hedgehog wrote:
Ran a solo midweek midday 18 miler at 6:32s. Killed my legs and desire. There's a word for that - hubris.
Ah yes, my friend Hedgehog, that most appropriate Greek term, hubris, has caused the meltdown of more than its share of marathoners.
Nope. Was totally unprepared and not respectful of the marathon the first one out.
3:04 Raleigh '00
2:55 Boston '01
2:44 Chicago '03
2:58 Boston '04
I was definitely in PR shape at Boston, just had a bad day. The weather did not help either.
1st 3:14:20 KU Relays 1975
2nd 2:57:14 USTFF 1977
PR 2:39:24 St. George 1990
Last one 3:16:15 Tucson 2002 slowest one ever
3:52 - Baltimore 2001
3:29 - Sao Paulo 2002
3:09 - Chicago 2002
4:00 - London 2003 (bonked, totally flat, walk/jog second half)
? - NYC 2004
1st one - DNF
2nd one - 2:35
3rd one - DNF
I give myself a loud BOO!
I'm curious to what you believe is too old?? I'm hoping to PR as a 40+
I'm 43. I do not mean to imply it's a physical impossibility; rather, I probably can't muster the necessary will to do it.
First was slower, but not significantly.
1992 - Long Beach - 2:44
1993 - New York - 2:42 (despite the crappy corral start)**
Running Austin in 05. Want to run 2:37, but I'm sure 2:59 is more like it.
**As ABC was concluding the telecast and running the credits, a cameraman zeroed in on my struggling ass as I was running through Central Park. I had ten seconds of on-air time!
I'm giving some serious thought to Austin 05. A bevy of other posters too, I think.
I was able to match my best for several years but what is interesting is that my placings followed the rapid improvement of US marathon running.
1. 9/03/61 3:01 in the Canadian Championship. Second to Young John Kelly in Ste Hyacinthe in a humid 92 degrees.
2. 3/11/62 2:31:16.8 First in the first Chicago Wwindy City marathon in 42 degrees with a couple patches of snow
3. 4/19/62 2:31:49 Fifth in Boston
11. 4/19/67 2:30:26 23th in Boston
15 4/21/07 2:31:07 25th in Boston
16. 6/6/71 2:31:30 21st in US Champioship in Eugene
17. 6/22/71 2:31:26.6 First in the Sports International over 35 Championship
1) 2:43:10 - 83.njcaa champs in MI
2) 2:46:30 - 84.njcaa champs in MI
3) 2:42:58 - 88.ny empire state games
I registered so I won't be tempted to wuss out. I'm only doing about 50mpw, with a 12'er on Sundays. Plan to pick it up in mid-November. I don't see a problem with sub-3, but would love to nail 2:37 (6-oh pace). We'll see how the training comes along...
Well here is the scoop......3:01:30 Berlin ( before the wall fell, historic race)....Threw up afterwards ICKFrankfurt ; 3:01;00 IV after this one more ICKHamburg 3:01 again grrrrrrFrankfurt 2:57 and some change wow the Holy Grail I broke 3hrs....Back to the US from Germanyand... Hunstville Rocket City Big PR 2:51:23 1995Houston Bigger PR and Oly Trials Qualifier 1996 2:46:35Oly Trials Columbia SC 74th (20days after Houston) 2:50:28Nationals back in Columbia SC 12th in 2:48 :26 1997Houston crash and burn more Ivs 1998 2:57 ICKPensacola Florida Blue Angel Marathon my only career win1999 2:56 and change :O( HUMID more IVs and more ICKChicago 2:56 and change... Locked up IT band :O( 2002Austin, Texas 2:49:23 Age group PR wheee Yeah but missed the Trials standard.... bitter sweet!St.George, Utah...2:56 belly up at the finish line more Iv's ICK 2003Cal International DNF, the only race I have not completed in 30 years of racing..... 2003Austin, Texas sick at the start of the race blah! 2:57 did not make the Trials 2004And the beat goes on..........2008 or bust!:O)
Hedgehog wrote:
Nearly. I snuck under 3:00 my first one. I was suitably cratered, but thought I could really buckle down and improve. My trajectory was as follows:
1. 2:59:23 White Rock
2. 3:07 San Antonio
3. DNF White Rock
4. 2:57:55 White Rock
5. 3:07 Boston
6. 3:09 Houston
7. 3:10:59 OK City
8. 3:18 Phoenix
I thought I'd always improve. Didn't happen. Now I'm too old to PR, but I still think around 3:10 is possible.