Houston, Texas.
Sunday, January 19, 2020.
It was my last shot to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Trials Marathon.
The standard was 2:19:00. Perhaps the closest I got was when I attempted it at the CIM Marathon in 2018, going through halfway in 1:08:41, and 20 miles in 1:45:09 (5:15/mile - 2:17 marathon pace)...these were the fastest 13.1/20 mile splits I ever have run during a marathon. After mile 20, all I needed was a 33:50 last 10K. After going through 68:41 for the first half....I even thought I could go close to negative splitting my 2nd half and running 2:16 or something, I felt so comfortable. I still do think I can run that fast on the right day. Something special was starting to show there. But it wasn't all there yet.
I had some really good races in 2018, finishing 6th in the world class Army Ten Miler race in Washington, DC.
Also, leading up to CIM 2018, I ran a new PR at the time of 1:06:37 at the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon (2 months later at Houston I would go on to drop 1 minute and 12 seconds off that).
Shortly after Mile 22, I began to really struggle and desperately try with all my strength to hang on to him, but he started to pull away. Kieran would go on to qualify for the Olympic Trials 23 minutes later. 23 minutes. That's all I needed. I would go on to finish the rest of the race in 29 minutes. I was 6 minutes, 5 seconds off qualifying....and I lost it all in the last 4 miles of the race. This race, I feel, is the closest I ever got. It was a big PR for me (2:25:05), and despite not qualifying, it actually seems as I age the marathon is slowly beginning to catch up to my other shorter distance race times. I've gone from 1:17, to 1:16, 1:15, 1:14, 1:13, 1:12, 1:11, 1:10, 1:09, 1:08, 1:07, 1:06, to now 1:05 in the half marathon. I've experienced morphing my body and mind to the transition of sub 6:00 pace running to sub 5:00 pace running. I used to race 10 miles in 52:30, I have now extended/doubled the distance of that pace to the full 20 miles in 1:45. Could I double a 1:07-1:08 half? I think so. But it takes time to develop.
After years of being at this sport, I ask myself: What is my potential? What am I really capable of? What am I really trying to do? Am I really trying to qualify for the trials? Is it about the trials? Or is there something else beyond that? Why do I keep going?
A BIG JUMP
7 weeks after running CIM 2018, I made a big breakthrough in the best race of my career so far. The Houston Half Marathon on January 20, 2019, was my first time averaging sub 5:00 pace for the half marathon distance, finishing in 1:05:25, at a 4:59/mile pace, at age 35. This was unbelievable, but at the same time believable to me. I could recall countless workouts of running sub 5:00 miles like clockwork, thinking why couldn't I average this pace one day in a distance of 10 or 13.1 miles? And then it happened. This race told me a lot more was there in the marathon. It was a big validation for me to keep going. I flew that day. It is the best race of my career thus far.
Following Houston in 2019, I ran some more good races that spring. I won the RRCA Club Challenge 10 Miler in miserable cold rainy conditions.
I placed 7th in a big elite field at the DC Rock and Roll Half Marathon, running 1:07:45 on the somewhat challenging course. Then in April, I ran Cherry Blossom in 50:26 (9.96 miles), and shortly after that I won the Pikes Peek 10K.
But after Pikes Peek, something was off. My right foot started to bother me. In May, I developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot, and had to withdraw from competing in the Ottawa Marathon. However, I got things going in the "right" direction with the help of my friend Tom Stott- he had helped me in late 2016 when I had the same injury in my left foot. The right foot wasn't nearly as bad, so I was able to recover pretty quickly. I made a smart decision not to race Ottawa. Tom and I then agreed to run the Grandmas Half Marathon, which I finished in 1:08 - a slow time for me, but a good confidence booster that I was able to race healthy again. I trained well over the summer. I won a few more low key races such as Riley's Rumble Half Marathon, and the Going Green Track Meet 2 Mile and 1 Mile. As I transitioned from summer to fall, I placed 2nd at the Annapolis 10 Miler.
The Fall of 2019
By the fall of 2019, I had returned to my form. I won the Parks Half Marathon.
After Parks Half, I competed in the stacked Clarendon Day 5K as well as the 10K double, only 45 minutes apart (from finishing the 5K to starting the 10K). I ran a road 5K PR of 14:41 to placed 5th, and came back in the 10K to place 3rd in 31:26.
Shortly after Clarendon Day, I won the DCRRC Capital 20 Miler on a hot and humid morning.
I took October off from racing. In November, I returned to Indianapolis, to place 21st in a very deep field at the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon, setting a course record for my age group 35-39 (66:18). In Indianapolis, Silvia and I had the awesome opportunity to meet Deena Kastor. Earlier in the year, Silvia found herself running alongside Deena during the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, where she ran 59:34 for the 9.96 mile course (59:48 converted for 10 miles). Deena helped push her that day so we got the opportunity to thank her for that in Indianapolis. In Indianapolis, Silvia ran her current best for the half marathon, 1:20:24.
So in December 2019, the plan was to go for 2:19:00 once again at CIM. But something wasn't quite the same this time as 2018. Unfortunately, it was not as good conditions as the year prior-the temperatures were a bit too high. I still went for it, going through halfway around 1:09:10, and 20 miles in 1:46, but fell off the pace quickly, and had to drop out at 24 miles. It just wasn't there, the conditions were too warm for me and my body wasn't ready to execute. Thankfully, I was at least able to cheer for Silvia as she finished in a strong 2:48 to match her PR in not as ideal conditions! I regained my thoughts after the race and decided I still had a marathon in my legs. So the last attempt I had was Houston 6 weeks later. It would be hard to bounce back so quickly, but I figured I'd go for it.
Chevron Houston Marathon
January 19, 2020
The weather in Houston, although windy, was thankfully much more ideal temperatures. I went out smart, building my pace throughout the race. I came through the halfway mark in 1:09:15. At 14-16 miles, I was unable to maintain my pace and had to adjust. I think it was a tall task to come back in 6 weeks to try to attain sub 2:19, and my body could only do so much to recover and bounce back. But despite falling off the pace and struggling with some strong headwind, I stayed steady at a bit slower pace. But I never really crashed. I just wasn't recovered or ready to run faster. At Mile 25, my favorite person in the world was cheering for me. I saw Silvia jumping up and down with so much energy and I tried to take some of that to put into the last mile. I did the best I could, and finished in a respectable 2:25 to match my PR. It was my second time crossing the line in 2:25. However, I noticed some differences. It was my fastest last 10K ever run in a marathon (38 minutes, which still needs a lot more work - I would like to get that down to somewhere around 32-35 min). But the wall wasn't as bad this time. It seems I am starting to be getting a better handle on the marathon, though it has taken time for me. I was also chasing a standard that had its own time frame...I also have my own time frame. What's exciting is that I ran a strong marathon that was not quite up to my potential, but gave me more experience to have a few 2:25s under my belt now. Not a stellar performance, but solid. I still have more work to do to get things to line up. At some point, the body adapts.
I didn't really think about going for the Olympic Trials until I started to get pretty fast during the year 2011. Back then I had set PR's of 1:08:39 in the half marathon, 31:26 in the 10K, and 15:13 in the 5K. I knew I had a long way to go though. I continued to focus on getting faster. I needed to get faster at the 5K, 10 Mile, and Half Marathon first. I also focused on attaining the 2016 half marathon olympic trials standard of 1:05:00. By 2016, I had run 1:06:50 for the half marathon. Interestingly, I now have run 1:05:25 in 2019, but the standard was moved to 1:04:00. Needless to say, I've gotten pretty damn fast at the half marathon, running 4:59 pace for the 13.1 mile distance. I think I can go 1:04, but I also notice a switch in my mentality of focusing more on the marathon now. I believe that as I age, the marathon has started to come more naturally my way. I am happy I have worked on my shorter distance times to help me have every tool necessary. And I think I can continue to improve in those still. But I am becoming more and more experienced at the marathon now, and really focusing on applying all my acquired skills and strengths to this distance. Houston 2020 was my last shot to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Trials Marathon. But it wasn't my last shot to qualify for the Olympic Trials. Perhaps there is another. At the end of the day, I just want to see how fast I can run, as I continue to improve each year. The real goal isn't the trials. It is to be the absolute best I can be. Whatever that ends up being. So far in my career, I stand with the PRs below.
PRs:
1 mile: 4:21 (2017)
5,000m Track: 14:39 (2017)
5K Road: 14:41 (2019)
10,000m Track: 30:55 (2018)
10K Road: 30:43 (2014)
10 Miles: 49:54 (2019 split)
Half Marathon: 65:25 (2019) top performance
Marathon: 2:25 (2019 & 2020)
As I look back to what I have run up through January 19, 2020, there are uncertain times ahead due to COVID-19. It makes me appreciate all the amazing races I have run so far in my career, and to look back at some awesome experiences and memories. These experiences are also what my athletes have achieved. Coming up, I will post about some athletes I've coached and their accomplishments. They deserve some shout outs and recognition!
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