Grandma's 2011 - Breakthrough

The Reader’s Digest Version

My 7^th Marathon. Saw old friends in the Twin Cities. Met new ones in Duluth. The weather was predicted to be miserable, but ended up perfect. Tried a new race strategy. The result: 4:04:52: a seven minute PR – ran a pace 9 seconds faster than goal pace - picked off 45 runners in the last 1.2 miles – ran virtually even front/back splits. And…. I now dare speak in hushed tones of the possibility of a sub-4.



The Director’s Cut.

Grandma’s was my seventh marathon, and I can honestly say I didn’t know what to expect. The training cycle went well, but I was about 5 pounds above my ideal running weight. Grandma’s is flattish (net downhill actually with a few rollers and only one hill to worry much about), but the predicted weather rain all day. My only previous rainy marathon - Utah Valley in 2010 – was a PW - a full hour slower than my PR 8 months before. And finally I had decided to try a new (new for me) race strategy. My goal in my previous four marathons was to hold a 9:30 average pace for 26.2 miles, which would be a 4:08:xx. But I always lost it late sputtered in at 4:11 to 4:14 (notwithstanding the 5:15 crash and burn PW at Utah Valley ). I got into St. George later this year, so there’s opportunity for vindication in 2011, so why not experiment. So this was the plan: run 8:45 to 9:00 min/mi pace for 0.95 miles (using the Garmin) and then walk for 0.05. Repeat 25 times. See if I could get past 20 miles with some pop left in my legs. I did my last few 10 mile pace runs this way, and my last 20 miler as well (except at a 1 min/mi slower pace). I didn’t read Galloway or anything. I actually followed Hal’s Intermediate II with some speedwork thrown in. I just decided to try this strategy and see what happens.



We got Minneapolis Wednesday night, and met up with old college buddies for a few days. We caught a Twins game. Had Thai food. And generally had fun! Then up to Duluth on Friday. My wife and I stayed in an apartment on the campus of UM-Duluth with my sister in law and brother in law. If you ever run Grandma’s with four people in your party, it’s a great deal at a race with a reputation for hotel price gouging on race weekend. Plus they run shuttle buses from campus to the start and finish lines from there.



The weather was schizophrenic. It was gray and foggy and cold when we got to town and went to the expo. After checking into the apartment, I did an easy 2 miles with some strides on the UMD campus – and it was really warm and sunny. We then we went over to Sara Jane’s pasta party (along with Pete B and Matt W. and many of Sara’s Duluth friends and family). Here's a pic SJ posted on facebook.



(l-r Matt, Glenn, Pete, Sara Jane)



Also, I had made ribbon/patches with Rhondda’s initials to show support for her, and we each wore it in the race. You can see it in the pic above, but here's an image of the patch.



The pasta party was a great time. It was a great to meet new friends. Besides v/i-teamers - Sara Jane's family and friends are as cool as she is. It was a great time. But back to the schizophrenic weather - it had turned cloudy and cool again while at the pasta get-together. And the weather forecast for the race was for rain - all day. When we woke up Saturday at 4:00 am, it was raining - hard. I had no clue what I should wear, so I carried a not-so-modest wardrobe crammed into my drop bag to give me plenty of options at the starting line. My brother in law and I walked over to catch the shuttle to the starting line, and our socks were soaked before we even got on the bus (but yes I had brought a pair of dry socks). Then - we got to the starting line, and the rain let up. By the time the race started, conditions were perfect: ~50^o and cloudy, but no rain, and a SWEET tail wind. And, the rain pretty much held off for the entire race. Sometimes there's a fine line between miserable conditions and perfect conditions.



I found a spot between the 4:00 and 4:15 pace groups, and off we go. The race details are refreshingly boring. I followed the plan. Run 0.95 miles at a 9:00 pace or maybe a bit faster if it was a nice downhill stretch. Walk 0.05. Lather-Rinse-Repeat. Here are my splits:

Grandma's 2011
1	0:09:35
2	0:09:18
3	0:09:13
4	0:08:53
5	0:09:32
6	0:09:18
7	0:09:19
8	0:09:28
9	0:09:12
10	0:08:43
11	0:09:40
12	0:09:18
13	0:09:06
14	0:09:23
15	0:09:09
16	0:09:16
17	0:09:12
18	0:09:12
19	0:08:59
20	0:09:25
21	0:09:26
22	0:09:17
23	0:09:32
24	0:09:37
25	0:09:25
26	0:09:21
26.4	0:03:08 (8:22 pace)

A couple of times I missed the .95 mark on my Garmin, so I would walk early in the next mile. So (for example) the 8:43 split (mile 10) up against the 9:40 split (mile 11) is not really as spastic as it appears. The strategy worked beyond even what I had hoped for. I got to mile 20 and felt like I had plenty left in the tank. I held pace through lemondrop hill at about mile 21 or 22 (the only uphill to really speak of on this course). I did slow a bit after that, but not nearly what I had in previous marathons. I pulled it together and finished strong, picking up the pace in miles 25, 26, and on to the finish. The result: 4:04:52: a 7 minute PR – an average pace of 9:21/mi (9 seconds faster than goal pace). I picked off 45 runners in the last 1.2 miles. I ran virtually even front/back splits (2:02:19/2:02:33). It took me five marathons where I had trained for a 9:30 pace or better before I finally got it right. People have been telling to shoot for sub-4, but I didn’t even want to think about that until I could meet this modest goal. But now….I’ve got a three week reverse taper before I get back into St. George training. I think I’m going to target a 3:5x. It might take another perfect weather day - or it might take another 5 marathons - but it’s in the realm of possibility.



Respectfully submitted,

Glenn

Great race, great race report, great strategy, and great results - can't argue with that - onward to a sub-4 hour finish!

It was nice meeting you and your wife, Matt W., and Sara Jane and talking running and life. The Rhondda H. tribute ribbon patches were also a great touch - I think you are going to have to have a hundred or so of them produced for the rest of the 365Runners.

Congrats again on the PR!!

Way to grab that PR!! Awesome!

Congrats on an excellent run, Gleen - beautiful splits that are a thing of consistency!

About those Rhondda H patches - when can we get one? I have some race coming up (a large one on July 9th - the Boilermaker which just now happens to be one of the toughest and largest 15Ks in the US)

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Congrats on an excellent run, Gleen - beautiful splits that are a thing of consistency!

About those Rhondda H patches - when can we get one? I have some race coming up (a large one on July 9th - the Boilermaker which just now happens to be one of the toughest and largest 15Ks in the US)

Thanks all. Just PM me (1L or anybody else) and I'll snail mail one of the extras I made. Or if/when I run out, they're pretty easy to make - Go to Staples, Office Depot etc. and get Avery iron-on t-shirt transfers for ink jet printers (I used 4x6 dark t-shirt transfers - Avery Product #4385 - which I actually already had in the house). Go by fabric store and get smallest amount of of dark broadcloth they will sell (shoul be ~$0.69). Copy/download the jpeg of the patch from my race report. Download Avery template (an MS Word file) for corresponding product off of their website and import jpeg into template. Follow instruction on Avery package for printing and ironing. Trim with scissors.

Yep Glen also race report but even better was the awesome race you ran! Looking at your splits just makes my heart go "yeah buddy" they are a thing of beauty and something I strive for when racing a marathon.

I also like how you went about your goals. There is no doubt that you could have given sub 4 a shoot but I liked what you did shooting for the goal that you did and it worked. By running this race not only did you grab a PR you build confidence in yourself for the next race that sub 4 is doable. That is what I did when I was on my quest to run a sub 3 marathon take in little chunks and build confidence. There is no doubt in my mind that you are ready and that you will go under 4 this fall. Again congrats

Oh also what a wonderful thing you did with the ribbons for Rhondda just awesome and from the heart. God Bless you Glenn

Great job, I am reading your race report getting ideas for my fall marathon with about the same time goal in mind (4:11 is my PR). So, how did it work between 2 pace groups? Did you try to keep the one in sight or was it more just looking at your watch for your goal pace? Also, did you try to have each mile the same or say this mile is hilly so I plan for it to take longer? Congrats!

Julie wrote:Great job, I am reading your race report getting ideas for my fall marathon with about the same time goal in mind (4:11 is my PR). So, how did it work between 2 pace groups? Did you try to keep the one in sight or was it more just looking at your watch for your goal pace? Also, did you try to have each mile the same or say this mile is hilly so I plan for it to take longer? Congrats!

It was all off of my Garmin pace/odometer. I only used the two pace groups to get lined up in about the right spot at the start - so I wouldn't have to dodge and weave through slower runners - or get run over by faster ones. Once I hit the mat, the pace groups weren't even on my radar. Also Grandma's is flat enough compared to typical runs in Utah, that I tried to hold a steady pace on the rolling hills - and even on Lemondrop hill. I will NOT do that at St. George: it has a reputation for being a toboggan ride- and in places it is - but there are some significant uphills where you have use a bit more strategy.

Glenn, congratulations on a great PR, and doing with it a really unique marathon strategy! I hope you set sub-4:00 as your goal.
The Rhondda patch is an amazingly thoughtful touch.

Yay Glenn! Congrats on YOUR huge PR. My family loved you and Susie too...even though you stopped by on Sunday while we were all unwashed and in our pajamas! No worries...I am glad you got your lucky poncho.

I hope our paths cross again in the near future.

Great job Glenn! That was a well run race and quite an impressive PR. Hopefully we get great weather again in St. George and you can get that sub-4 that's within your reach.

Thanks for putting together the Rhondda patches as well. That was such a cool and thoughtful idea.

Congrats!!!! I find your race strategy interesting. I was thinking of trying something similar at some point since I find that if I walk even just a little, I hold my endurance better and can bounce back after the break and run a bit faster pace. I am doing both Milwaukee and MCM this fall 4 weeks apart and was considering testing a very similar run walk plan at MCM just to see what it felt like for a whole race. But I'm also kind of planning on just goofing off at MCM, so I don't know how good of a test it will be.

Congrats on the 7min PR. Great job.

Great job on the nice PR, Glenn!

Great race and report, Glenn!