How many miles did you run today?

Mess, COOL pics...looks like where Matt Damon lived in Good Will Hunting. I like apples.

Quick Race Report: Surf City USA Marathon

I got to the start line in Huntington Beach at around 5:45AM and was intimidated by the number of 'fast looking' people there. My goal going in was to finish, and try to hold a 7 minute pace all the way through to break 3:04:00, and I figured that would be good enough for an age group award.
From the start I jumped out to a moderate pace, near the back of what was initially a pretty large front pack. I got nervous as we turned inland from the coast highway because I pushed the pace to a sub-6:50 mile, and didn't want to burn out to soon. I really started to feel solid as soon as the course looped around HB's large park, although I didn't seem to be passing anyone, so I realized that it might not be the day to get a prize.
I came through the half in 1:31, which was about a minute faster than I was expecting/planning on, but I felt very comfortable. At around mile 14 people started to drop in a big way (I don't think I was passed during the second half of the run- even though I lost steam on the last few miles)
The course is an out and back x 2 and I knew from last year that the real tough stuff would crop up at mile 21 - with the one hill of the second half coming in between 23 and 24. As could be expected, that is when I started to lose the pace, although I knew I had some elbow room. I had some cramping issues as I came through mile 25, but smelling the finish line was a real incentive to keep it coming. I tried to pass the 3rd place woman during the uphill, but she hang on and ended up getting back in front of me, which was fine by me because she was announced as an elite athlete prior to the race. I was able to run hard for the final .2 miles, and get in in 3:03:57.
I qualify for boston with that time, and earned the 2nd spot in my age group so I get a plaque. All in all I would highly recommend Surf City as being a great, small, and well organized marathon where you do not have to deal with half marathon runners on the course (they start later and run a different stretch).
Hope that this is not obnoxiously long,
Sam

that's awesome samblackbones!

1:50:02 for the half. missed my goal time by 2 fuckin' seconds (it's a long story). but still a PR. perfect running conditions and a mostly flat course. i'm sure i'll be back.

-Jeff

Sam-----wow.

Nice Work!!

Originally Posted by kgmessier

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Crappy run this morning"”only 3.6 miles. I won't even post my pace. So much snow, ice, puddles, slush, blech. Still, it was a nice morning out there. I took a couple pics around town, but nothing particularly spectacular.

Listened to Bach's Art of the Fugue performed on harpsichord by Davitt Moroney. Perfect music for the run.

- K

WOW, Beautiful!
What did you take these pics with?

Originally Posted by NewYorkRanger

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Mess, COOL pics...looks like where Matt Damon lived in Good Will Hunting. I like apples.
"How you like them apples?" Yeah, this part of town is a lot like that"”lots of two-family homes built in the early 20th century. It's got a real pulse. Nothing as stunning at the Brooklyn Bridge"”I always love your snaps"”but hey, it's home.

Originally Posted by samblackbones

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<snip> crazy-awesome splits </snip> Wow, Sam! I'm envious. Great job, man.

Originally Posted by antirabbit

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WOW, Beautiful! What did you take these pics with?
Thanks, Rabbit! I used an iPhone 4, which has a much better camera than previous versions. I didn't use the native camera app; instead, I used Camera+, which has a boatload of filters. I actually didn't use any filters in the second pic, just a border, but the first pic has an edge-blurring filter applied. The sun and clouds were just right yesterday morning. - K

Originally Posted by kgmessier

Click to expand...

Crappy run this morning"”only 3.6 miles. I won't even post my pace. So much snow, ice, puddles, slush, blech. Still, it was a nice morning out there. I took a couple pics around town, but nothing particularly spectacular.

Listened to Bach's Art of the Fugue performed on harpsichord by Davitt Moroney. Perfect music for the run.


- K

Good choice of music! Nice pics

Originally Posted by clarinetplayer

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Good choice of music! Nice pics
Thanks. Been meaning to ask"”sorry for the OT question"”do you play organ? It's a bit of an obsession of mine. I'm particularly fond of Reger, Messiaen and, of course, Mr. Bach.

Sam,
Awesome job! Based on the times you post here, and your marathon splits, I'm guessing you went out a little tentative and could have been faster--this was your 1st marathon right? You learn a lot, eh? Thinking about Boston 2012 now?

&quot;Just&quot; 4.5 miles for me this morning.

Mess, my gradfather grew up in Revere, so I know all about working class Boston neighborhoods! Was lucky enough to be able to get into the house that he spent much of his childhood in as it was for sale when I was in town 4 summers ago, so I called pretending to be an interested buyer. It was an absolute DUMP, with rotting floors, and they were asking over $300K if I recall correctly (on Mountain Ave.) Good to know NYC is not the only overpriced real estate market!

Originally Posted by NewYorkRanger

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Mess, my gradfather grew up in Revere, so I know all about working class Boston neighborhoods! Was lucky enough to be able to get into the house that he spent much of his childhood in as it was for sale when I was in town 4 summers ago, so I called pretending to be an interested buyer. It was an absolute DUMP, with rotting floors, and they were asking over $300K if I recall correctly (on Mountain Ave.) Good to know NYC is not the only overpriced real estate market!
Yeah, anything within 20 mins. of Boston proper is outrageously expensive irrespective of the condition. As the real estate agents like to say, "Location, location, location." Ever been to Kelly's Roast Beef in Revere (ruh-VEE-uh)?

Originally Posted by samblackbones

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Quick Race Report: Surf City USA Marathon

I got to the start line in Huntington Beach at around 5:45AM and was intimidated by the number of 'fast looking' people there. My goal going in was to finish, and try to hold a 7 minute pace all the way through to break 3:04:00, and I figured that would be good enough for an age group award.
From the start I jumped out to a moderate pace, near the back of what was initially a pretty large front pack. I got nervous as we turned inland from the coast highway because I pushed the pace to a sub-6:50 mile, and didn't want to burn out to soon. I really started to feel solid as soon as the course looped around HB's large park, although I didn't seem to be passing anyone, so I realized that it might not be the day to get a prize.
I came through the half in 1:31, which was about a minute faster than I was expecting/planning on, but I felt very comfortable. At around mile 14 people started to drop in a big way (I don't think I was passed during the second half of the run- even though I lost steam on the last few miles)
The course is an out and back x 2 and I knew from last year that the real tough stuff would crop up at mile 21 - with the one hill of the second half coming in between 23 and 24. As could be expected, that is when I started to lose the pace, although I knew I had some elbow room. I had some cramping issues as I came through mile 25, but smelling the finish line was a real incentive to keep it coming. I tried to pass the 3rd place woman during the uphill, but she hang on and ended up getting back in front of me, which was fine by me because she was announced as an elite athlete prior to the race. I was able to run hard for the final .2 miles, and get in in 3:03:57.
I qualify for boston with that time, and earned the 2nd spot in my age group so I get a plaque. All in all I would highly recommend Surf City as being a great, small, and well organized marathon where you do not have to deal with half marathon runners on the course (they start later and run a different stretch).
Hope that this is not obnoxiously long,
Sam

Sam, that is awesome! Congratulations on the strong race!

KGM, I love the first picture with the edge blurring.

...

so, back on the roads again this morning - 4 miles in 31:30 (-ish). I either avoided the cold from last week or it was the mildest one ever in the history of ever. The bounce hasn't returned but once I settled down this morning things felt okay.

Originally Posted by kgmessier

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Yeah, anything within 20 mins. of Boston proper is outrageously expensive irrespective of the condition. As the real estate agents like to say, "Location, location, location."

Ever been to Kelly's Roast Beef in Revere (ruh-VEE-uh)?

No but next time I'm up Severe way, I'll check it out!

Sore as sh*t today but riding a residual high.
here is a mediocre pic my girlfriend took of me at mile 25.5, after the wheels had come off a bit:

Not the best run. Maybe the dreadmill softened me up. 4.07 miles in 35:49 (avg. 8:49 min/mi) Today's playlist: Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" String Quartet, performed by the Quartetto Italiano