MJ Llamas ran the Harbor Lights Half Marathon in Norfolk, VA finishing this race in the time of 2:10:31 which is a PR of 15 minutes.
My 5th half marathon today pretty much told me exactly what I needed to know: I am getting faster and stronger! With a 15-minute PR, this race has validated that my RC training is incomparable to any training I have attempted in the past. I was a bit unsure going into the race since it’s only been 4 weeks since my first full marathon. But any doubt and fear was wiped away once I stood out there to wait for my corral to go. I figured what’s the point of reinventing anything when RC tells you how to race? So that’s what I did… Miles 1-4 was my “warmup.” Got comfy with a pace and stuck with it. Miles 4-11, tried to bump the pace a bit but somewhere around Mile 9, I started to feel some tiredness so I just stayed with what was comfortable. After Mile 11, I just pressed the pedal and went for it. Unfortunately, some of the mile markers were missing and I had no clue if I was getting closer to the finish line! I could already smell my PR! All that was left to do was cross the line and collect. Official time of: 2:10:31 — a full 15-minute PR from my 4 previous HM’s. I collected the huge medal and my training partner was waiting on me with a huge smile. And all I could do was cry… All those 4am treadmill runs finally paid off. All those speed workouts that sometimes I can nail the paces and other times I can barely execute. All the long runs spent away from family, logging m iles and miles on the road. All those times of self-doubt and hesitation and eventually your mind starts to play tricks on you… so when your journey ends with a huge accomplishment like I’ve done for myself today, it’s another validation why I fell in love with running. I feel like a new person with faster legs 🙂 Thank you RC Team for the support and motivation. And a big thank you to Coach Jamie and Coach Danny for your coaching and guidance.
Christopher Jones ran the Philadelphia Marathon in Philadelphia finishing this event in the time of 3.32.28 which was a PR of 1 minute and 30 seconds.
My second marathon and the first one I have taken more seriously. I feel I messed up the first part of the race as my speed was all over the place and was running too slow in the first couple of miles and then too fast, in the beginning (more Garmin problems even though I just bought a new one, well actually operator problems! not the best time to try out a new watch!!) I was very pleased with my mid section which was pretty consistent and super pleased with my finish which was strong and felt good all the way to the end, my calves were tight and some aches in the pelvis but as I saw the finish coming closer so put it out of my mind. I would have liked to have had a couple of minutes better finish time and thought I had them as the time between the gun and the chip time seemed much more that 2 min…. but whatever. I must say it was a great feeling to be passing everyone in the last miles and (as always) wonder if I couldn’t have put a bit gas. Being unfamiliar with the finish I always feel like I have to hold something back i n case there is a last incline to get up. Next year I will know better!!! Had a great race though and pleased thanks Coach and RC.
Tim Peoples ran his first marathon at the Philadelphia Marathon in Philadelphia finishing this race distance with a time of 4:38:17.
An amazing event for me since I had never run a FM. I was one of the first runners to the starting area so I had a chance to soak in everything. Had a chance to take a photo of the Rocky statue at 5:30 a.m. The weather was excellent at 40 degrees with a slight breeze. The race took us through the streets of downtown Philadelphia where the streets were packed with enthusiastic support. My wife and daughter were at mile 6 which was a great encouragement. There is a woman in Philadelphia with a very sore body as she decided to cross the street through 30,000 runners and got clobbered. The split for the half marathoners and full marathoners (or beasts as my daughter called me) was well done and we had an awesome 13 miles along the Schuylkill River with only a few stretches of small crowds. The last mile or so was packed with crowds again and the finish area amazing. The mayor of Philadelphia was in the finish line area and I even got a high five from him. I had a tear in my eye when my wife and daughter ran up to me with hug. I never felt bad, never hit any wall and any pains quickly passed. I was not as fast as Jamie and I planned but I am so happy and thankful to the RC team for geting me ready for my first FM…now off to San Francisco FM in July!!!!
David Bleeden raced the the Philadelphia half marathon in Philadelphia finishing in the time of 1:20:26.
I really enjoyed this race. The course is a bit hilly, so not a place to find a PR, but it is pretty and varied. My legs felt good and I really pushed up the hills and in the latter portion of the race. This is what I wanted, since one thing I wanted from this race was to gauge where I was in my preparation for the Miami Marathon. What I learned is that I am on track to accomplish my goal there.
Sergio Calvo ran the Clasica Los Mangos 10K in Alajuela, Costa Rica finishing this distance in the time of 52:29 which is PR by 11:53.
A race that framed my marathon training journey which began shortly after I finished this one about a year ago. I am thrilled with a course PR by 11 min and 53 secs! This alone speaks a lot about where I was before my marathon journey (and before RC) and where I am now. Plus it is also my 3rd best time on the 10K distance. A big plus is the fact that it also marked the first run ever for my baby boy José Daniel. 150 meters side by side with Daddy at 2yrs 8mo. It was an amazing experience for him. Now, I must recognize that despite my improvements I’ve been neglecting my training schedule a lot in the past few weeks. So I want to use this result to re-bounce my motivation and get back on track on my weekly miles. This probably would help me to get past the 50 min threshold for 10K.
Mark Quebedeaux ran the Golden fliers 10 miler in Baton Rouge, Louisiana finishing with a time of 1:30:50.
This is a 5 / 10 mile race that is held on the LSU campus. This is the second year that I have run the race. I had a time of 1:28:00 last year. This year I basically used this run as a training run for my upcoming marathon. Was not out to set a PR.
Dennis Moore ran the Turkey Trails 10K in Independence, MO finishing in the time of 51:59 which is a PR by 28 seconds.
Had a pipe dream of breaking 50 minutes, but considering this was just a tune up for which I didn’t train, and I was still feeling this week’s speed work, I’m pretty happy. It showed moderate improvement, and also some weak spots to work on. Tried to average around an 8:00 pace, but got a nice little hamstring cramp at the midpoint and didn’t loosen back up until the final mile. Still chasing that negative split race, but overall I came away encouraged this early in a new training cycle.
Morgan Mak ran the Mews Gear and Beer 6.9K in Wakefield, RI coming across the finish line with a time of 32:05 which was PR as it was his first time running this distance.
This race changed from a 5k to 6.9k this year and is one of my all time favorite races. Not a great day for me, showed up a little late, no warm up, and had tired legs right in the first half mile. The celebration makes up for it with a great food and beer banquet with 50+ raffles, but didn’t walk away with any prizes. Couldn’t beat the weather though, sunny and 50’s after a week with 30* and below, so definitely focused more on enjoying a fabulous day with good company!
Sara Ham ran the EX2 Fall Backyard Burn 10 miler in Prince William Forest Park, Triangle, VA finishing this event in the time of 1:55:57.
I love being outside, in the woods and on the trails. I love my cohort that runs them with me–we always have fun chatting the whole way. This was by no means a representation of what I can do as a runner. I started my watch and stopped it and never looked at it in between. I love to push myself on a road race, but on the trail–I love to stop and “smell the (proverbial) roses! The views were beautiful and sound of the brooks was serene! It was a hilly course with lots of ground cover to hide the roots and rocks–I came very close to eating it–but I managed to catch myself. It was a great race!!
Jeff McLinden raced the Wolf Hollow half marathon in Nashua, MH finishing in the time of 1:40:00 which was a PR by 15 minutes.
First half I’ve run in 14 years. A lot different than the full marathon that’s for sure. A lot of the race was on trails which I’m not use to at all but it was a lot of fun.
Russ Shupe raced the Dakotah Sport & Fitness Turkey Trot 5K in Prior Lake, MN coming across the finish line with a time of 24:34 which is a PR of 1 minute and 2 seconds.
I decided to do this race mostly because is is very close to my home and they do a decent job for the small field. It is run on a golf course cart path, so I learned after last year to line up closer to the starting line and avoid having to work around the other runners. This PR was special simply because I just signed up for the fun of running with my neighbors and due to some crazy winter weather and busy work schedule my training the past two weeks has been ‘ifffy’. So to be able to knock a full minute off my PR for the 5K distance was pretty cool. I was also very happy with my negative splits as I was able to reel in and pass a number of runners in that last 1.1 miles. However, one guy in my age group I had passed and ‘thought’ I’d put away; put on a super kick and tagged me at the finish line, LOL. I congratulated him and and bought him a Clif bar for his win.
Greg Ginting ran the Standard Chartered Half Marathon Indonesia in Bumi Serpong Damai, Tangerang, Indonesia finishing with a time of 2:51:45.
This was my first HM race. When I joined Runnersconnect 6 months ago, the longest I have ran is 10K and I have just recovered from my shin splint. Coach Danny encourage me to take on this one, and the training in the past 2-3 months really pays off. I managed to finish the race below the cutoff time, and best of all, stay out of any injury.
Jaron Brown ran the Hill Country Trail Race at Serenbe 15K in Palmetto, GA finishing with a time of 1:16:56.
I ran this race last year and had a good time running it. This year, I used it as a training run since I’m running a half marathon on Thanksgiving Day. My goal for this race was to run it truly as a an easy-paced long run to replace my scheduled 8 mile long run for that day. I was successful in doing so, as I stayed aerobic the entire time. I chalk that up as a victory, as I didn’t let the excitment of the race get to me. I ran it with a few friends and enjoyed some post-race beers afterward. It was a good day!
David Balassiano ran the Race to Deliver 4 miler in Central Park, NYC finishing this race with the time of 39:19.
Central Park is always great.
