I think I know the answer to this, but do you have to enter from GRB, or can you go straight to the corrals? Seems like a lot of unnecessary walking when my hotel is 3 blocks from the corral gate.
Houston Marathon
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Last: 2 yr ago by bert harbinson
You can go straight to the corrals. Gear check is in GRB, so would have to go there for that, assume not an issue for you if in a hotel, though.
Great, thanks!
Corral C always crosses the starting line around 7:30 if that helps.
Jackal99 said:
I struggle with this every year and I can never figure it out.
What time are y'all planning to get to the GRB in the morning? How much time to just hang out before going to the corrals? Starting in E on account of my son, if that makes a difference.
I just get there early, park on the other side of 59, take a leisurely stroll to GRB, hit gear check, hang out for 30-45 minutes, pee, and head to the corrals about 20 minutes before start.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
I had dinner tonight with a bunch of the wheelchair racers. They said they actually prefer warmer weather because of how much wind they generate, and because arms don't generate heat the same way that legs do. The guy at my table told me that he'll race the full in around 1:43, but he'll need to get to the low 1:30's to make paralympics.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
Let's do this!
Good luck everyone!
Good luck everyone!
PR today with 1:25 in the half. Weather turned out pretty nice. Hope everyone had an awesome time and came out injury free!!
Nice! Sub 2 for me. Wasn't my goal at all but just felt nice.
Wasn't planning on going for, it but got a PR in the full @ 3:18:33
A small PR at 3:39:18 (unofficial). Goal was 3:40 so pretty happy with that. Slight quad cramping began around 19-20, slowed the pace and walked through some water stations.
Unbelievably nice day, now I get to drive home where winter awaits.
Unbelievably nice day, now I get to drive home where winter awaits.
2:58:55, first BQ, and a considerable PR - still not sure what to say, it was a hell of a morning
Course records today, as predicted. Glad many of you found your own bliss in the perfect conditions.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
Took 10 min off my marathon PR for a 2:47 this morning and PR'd my half on the way! Awesome morning.
Little breezy from 13-18 but nothing to really complain about.
Little breezy from 13-18 but nothing to really complain about.
Perfect weather today!
I should have trained lol.
Got another mug.
I should have trained lol.
Got another mug.
3:05:31 and a BQ
BQ04 said:
3:05:31 and a BQ
Username checks out!
Congrats! You do anything different in this training cycle that led to the breakthrough performance?
Outstanding results today, congratulations guys.
Home and it's 14 deg. Bizarre that it's that big of difference.
Home and it's 14 deg. Bizarre that it's that big of difference.
Congrats to everyone! I cramped up half way through the full for some reason, so I was run/walking it in. The things you do for a mug.
TLDR - A long history of injuries led me to address my gait, replace speed with hills, focus on big picture mileage, and structure considerable time at marathon pace. All of that was to do my very best to get to the start line healthy yesterday.
Non-TLDR version:
I did a number of things differently this time, and I don't know that I can point to one of them more than others. They were all incremental things that combined to become a bigger outcome. My biggest thing is that I was bound and determined to stay healthy and get to the start line.
I had been in a bad cycle of getting fit and running 1:26 or 1:27 half-marathons as part of a marathon training cycle and then not staying healthy and getting to the marathon at the end of the line. I had a separate stress reaction and stress fracture in my right foot, piriformis/sciatic issues on my left side, and other issues that ultimately caused me to take a DNS in four marathons. Combining the injuries with the covid year, my last marathon before yesterday was January 2020.
The most important things that I can identify that got me to the start line fit and healthy yesterday were:
1) Having a high-speed running analysis done (shoutout to aggiederelict) in April 2023 when I was past my last injury and about to start building again. I did not make big changes as the result of that, but it made me very aware of a couple of more subtle gait issues with the landing of my right foot and my overall knee drive and foot lift. Seeing my gait in that way allowed me to feel it when I was falling into the bad habits and stay vigilant about the correction.
2) I replaced a lot of speed training with hills all the way through the cycle. In the past, I would run hills as part of the latter half of the base phase and then not run them through the race-specific phase. Where in the past I would run two workouts in a week consisting of one track/threshold and one tempo, I replaced the track/threshold with hill repeats. The hills seem to be better for me biomechanically and also beat me up less than flat surface, fast workouts. I grew to really love my big hill workout mornings.
3) I focused more on consistent monthly mileage and keeping the big picture in mind. In the past, I would have a really big week of 70+ miles, including workouts, and then have a trash week or ten days after. Or, I would have a 300-mile month and then be on the bad side of recovery for too long. From May through December, I averaged 220 miles a month with the only outlier being June at 135 miles due to a long vacation and lots of cycling. From September through December, I averaged 240 miles per month (low of 225, high of 255). Overall, there were no "hero" weeks or months and just a lot of consistent mileage.
4) Finally, I think that the structure of my workouts was an important factor. I focused on spending a considerable amount of time at marathon pace in training. I did a lot of push and float type workouts (such as alternating K's, 5:00/2:30, and 10:00/5:00) where I would be at half-marathon pace for the push and marathon pace for the float. The structure of the workouts works for me because it is "broken" and more stimulating than "run 30, 45, or 60 minutes at marathon pace". It also translated into me being able to tell myself "this pace is just a float, just a float" when I got to bad points yesterday.
Non-TLDR version:
I did a number of things differently this time, and I don't know that I can point to one of them more than others. They were all incremental things that combined to become a bigger outcome. My biggest thing is that I was bound and determined to stay healthy and get to the start line.
I had been in a bad cycle of getting fit and running 1:26 or 1:27 half-marathons as part of a marathon training cycle and then not staying healthy and getting to the marathon at the end of the line. I had a separate stress reaction and stress fracture in my right foot, piriformis/sciatic issues on my left side, and other issues that ultimately caused me to take a DNS in four marathons. Combining the injuries with the covid year, my last marathon before yesterday was January 2020.
The most important things that I can identify that got me to the start line fit and healthy yesterday were:
1) Having a high-speed running analysis done (shoutout to aggiederelict) in April 2023 when I was past my last injury and about to start building again. I did not make big changes as the result of that, but it made me very aware of a couple of more subtle gait issues with the landing of my right foot and my overall knee drive and foot lift. Seeing my gait in that way allowed me to feel it when I was falling into the bad habits and stay vigilant about the correction.
2) I replaced a lot of speed training with hills all the way through the cycle. In the past, I would run hills as part of the latter half of the base phase and then not run them through the race-specific phase. Where in the past I would run two workouts in a week consisting of one track/threshold and one tempo, I replaced the track/threshold with hill repeats. The hills seem to be better for me biomechanically and also beat me up less than flat surface, fast workouts. I grew to really love my big hill workout mornings.
3) I focused more on consistent monthly mileage and keeping the big picture in mind. In the past, I would have a really big week of 70+ miles, including workouts, and then have a trash week or ten days after. Or, I would have a 300-mile month and then be on the bad side of recovery for too long. From May through December, I averaged 220 miles a month with the only outlier being June at 135 miles due to a long vacation and lots of cycling. From September through December, I averaged 240 miles per month (low of 225, high of 255). Overall, there were no "hero" weeks or months and just a lot of consistent mileage.
4) Finally, I think that the structure of my workouts was an important factor. I focused on spending a considerable amount of time at marathon pace in training. I did a lot of push and float type workouts (such as alternating K's, 5:00/2:30, and 10:00/5:00) where I would be at half-marathon pace for the push and marathon pace for the float. The structure of the workouts works for me because it is "broken" and more stimulating than "run 30, 45, or 60 minutes at marathon pace". It also translated into me being able to tell myself "this pace is just a float, just a float" when I got to bad points yesterday.
I like many of the things PTO said.
I just PR'd by 23 minutes doing the following:
1) Swallowed my pride last April and started training MAF. I would dribble a tennis ball as I ran to slow down.
2) Increased mileage to a consistent 65-70mi/wk for the last 6 weeks of the build.
3) Alternating weeks of threshold workouts like PTO described and track work 200's, 400's, 800's up to 1200's.
4) Long runs with workouts built inside. ex: 2mi @ half marathon pace, 1 mi float, 2mi @ marathon pace, etc
5) Easy days easy at a pace that is about 2 mins slower than marathon pace or MAF.
6) Save the legs for workout days and long run days.
7) Nutrition.
I just PR'd by 23 minutes doing the following:
1) Swallowed my pride last April and started training MAF. I would dribble a tennis ball as I ran to slow down.
2) Increased mileage to a consistent 65-70mi/wk for the last 6 weeks of the build.
3) Alternating weeks of threshold workouts like PTO described and track work 200's, 400's, 800's up to 1200's.
4) Long runs with workouts built inside. ex: 2mi @ half marathon pace, 1 mi float, 2mi @ marathon pace, etc
5) Easy days easy at a pace that is about 2 mins slower than marathon pace or MAF.
6) Save the legs for workout days and long run days.
7) Nutrition.
Y'all are some fast running mo'fos.
Great job!
Great job!
"Gimme a diablo sandwhich and a dr. pepper...to go"
Hills are the cheat button for older runners. In summer I took my intervals to the treadmill, and replaced every other interval workout with treadmill hill repeats. Much easier recovery and even better muscle response than outdoor intervals in heat. That's how I got my 5:54 mile at age 50, and 6:02 a few months ago.
Older runners recover more slowly, so we provide an accelerated fouling model for younger runners. They experience the same effects, but not as obviously. If I stack speed workouts, I risk injury and my kids can see me struggling. If they stack speed workouts, they wonder why they can't hit their intervals, and the old guy gives them an aha moment.
Edit to add that I learned this stuff from a 70 YO marathoner. I wonder if a 90 YO runner taught him, lol.
Older runners recover more slowly, so we provide an accelerated fouling model for younger runners. They experience the same effects, but not as obviously. If I stack speed workouts, I risk injury and my kids can see me struggling. If they stack speed workouts, they wonder why they can't hit their intervals, and the old guy gives them an aha moment.
Edit to add that I learned this stuff from a 70 YO marathoner. I wonder if a 90 YO runner taught him, lol.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
Great times. The Houston course is perfect if the weather cooperates.
Ran the half with my 10-year old son, who finished fifth in his age group, ~3 minutes out of third. I let him dictate walk breaks, etc, and he did a great job managing those. He finished hard and has already said he wants to do it again next year. I consider that a success.
Sounds like a future cross country star. It's a great sport for parents. No travel, inexpensive, and shortJackal99 said:
Ran the half with my 10-year old son, who finished fifth in his age group, ~3 minutes out of third. I let him dictate walk breaks, etc, and he did a great job managing those. He finished hard and has already said he wants to do it again next year. I consider that a success.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
Yep. He's already mentioned wanting to try it in middle school.94chem said:Sounds like a future cross country star. It's a great sport for parents. No travel, inexpensive, and shortJackal99 said:
Ran the half with my 10-year old son, who finished fifth in his age group, ~3 minutes out of third. I let him dictate walk breaks, etc, and he did a great job managing those. He finished hard and has already said he wants to do it again next year. I consider that a success.
Here you go! Full is $150, HM is $130fc2112 said:
Thanks - I will keep an eye on it. Ran the full a while back and really enjoyed it.
I've run the Cowtown like 6 years in a row and am looking for a winter race a little bit further away from the Texas Independence Relay.
January 19, 2025
"Registration will close at midnight January 31st and will reopen on June 5, Global Running Day!
Share this with anyone you know who missed out on running with us"
Thanks, was going to post this this morning but have been busy at work.
Think it's also open registration, not tied to having run before. Not sure if I made that up or if it's changed.
Think it's also open registration, not tied to having run before. Not sure if I made that up or if it's changed.
I think they started with the open registration last year or in 2022. Pretty sure the lower rate was only to the current year's runner pre-COVID.
Yes, it's open registration, the part in quotes above is from the website.
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