November 2024: Marathon Age-Group Course Record at Indianapolis!

Running stats:

Miles run:  197.2

Elevation gain:  9,546'

Weekly miles (for weeks ended in month):  56, 47, 23, 37, 57

Sharp drop in both mileage and elevation in November.
Low mileage reflects marathon taper and recovery;
low elevation reflects training for and running a flat marathon (Indianapolis).

Primary running surfaces:  Roads (88 miles), trails (87)  Pretty much evenly split.

Primary running locations:  Charlestown (61 miles), Indianapolis (27), Stonington (20)  Obviously not a normal distribution, skewed by the marathon and lower mileage.

Other disciplines:

• Walk / hike:  16 miles

Quick synopsis:

• No long runs.
• Three races.
• Five states:  RI, CT, PA, OH, IN.

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Interesting runs:

• C-town MLR, Charlestown, November 1.  13 miles, with 4 of them at MP for my final pre-marathon workout.  Hit my targets with mid 6:20s.  
• Easy & Breezy, Narragansett, November 25.  12 miles.  Fun run on a mix of South County Bike Path and quiet roads.  

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Races:

Indianapolis Marathon (November 9):

Indianapolis, IN

This was my goal marathon race of the year.  Signed up back on New Year's Day to get "monumental" pricing, had a single goal of taking down the M60+ age group CR, and got it by more than 3 1/2 minutes!

Thrilled to get my name up on the leaderboard!

Coming in to the finish

Race report here

Li'l Rhody Runaround (November 17):

Charlestown, RI

In retrospect, I should have either run the shorter 4M course or better yet, just skipped this race.  I clearly wasn't recovered from the marathon a week earlier, and I paid for it as I was sore both during and after the race, which really shouldn't be the case for a relatively easy 8M trail race.  53:03, one of my slower times in recent years.

Finished well, but couldn't
make up for lost ground

Race report here

Pie Run (November 28):

Middletown, RI

Final race of the year.  My 4th and unfortunately slowest time running this fun Thanksgiving Day race in a 31:02.  Still won my age group, as everyone was penalized to some extent by the wind and rain.

Race report here

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Miscellaneous:

Nov 1:  Great post-run lunch and refuel after a workout
in Charlestown

Nov 9:  Toledo, Ohio, on way home from marathon.
Nice to stop for dinner with my cousin Bill and his wife Marsha.

Nov 15:  Beach Pond, Exeter.  Leading a WLT hike
on the Tippecansett and Pachaug trails.

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Looking ahead to December:

While I'm done with races for the year, my key adventure will be an 11-day cross-country trip from California back to Rhode Island.

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Monthly highlight: 

Indianapolis Marathon, and taking down the M60+ course record in a 2:53:26.

Monthly lowlight: 

Li'l Rhody Runaround:  live and learn that an 8-mile trail race is just too much for me a week post-marathon.