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Coeur d’Alene Marathon: keep your head down, push through

May 30, 2017 by Brent

Coeur d'Alene Marathon

What do you do when everything goes wrong early in a race? I faced that question Sunday at the Coeur d’Alene Marathon in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. My plan fell apart immediately, and I was forced to fight multiple mental battles starting in the first few miles. I learned a lot about mental toughness, however, which led […]

Filed Under: Race reports Tagged With: BQ, Coeur d'Alene, Coeur d'Alene Marathon, fitness, goals, heat running, long run, marathon, marathon training, motivation, patience, race, race plan, race report, race weekend, run, runner, running, training, training plan

Carlsbad marathon: not my day, until it was

January 18, 2017 by Brent

Carlsbad marathon

My confidence took a nose dive in the few days leading up to the Carlsbad Marathon. I felt like I was pushing too hard to run any distance at goal race pace. My nutrition improved, but I was still far from perfect. So on race morning, I made a decision that reflected my mindset. I […]

Filed Under: Race reports Tagged With: Boston 2018, Boston Marathon, BQ, Carlsbad Marathon, fitness, hills, marathon, marathon training, motivation, race, race plan, race report, race weekend, run, runner, running, San Diego

Wrapping up 2016 with a PR in the San Diego Holiday Half Marathon

December 19, 2016 by Brent

San Diego Holiday Half Marathon

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Or so the radio stations in every store I enter tell me. So why not finish 2016 with one more PR? Sunday brought just that, as I set a new PR at the San Diego Holiday Half Marathon. It wasn’t expected, which is the best kind of personal […]

Filed Under: Race reports Tagged With: fitness, goals, Holiday Half Marathon, long run, marathon, marathon training, motivation, patience, race, race plan, race report, run, runner, running, San Diego, San Diego Holiday Half Marathon, Shreveport, training, training plan, workouts

Taper madness is real, and it’s terrifying

December 17, 2016 by Brent

taper madness

Typically, I don’t taper. I hate the mental craziness that comes along, the taper madness. I have read many blog posts from athletes tapering. Those stories normally curse the weeks directly preceding a big race. Taper madness, triggered by inactivity following weeks of intense training, includes wild food cravings, outbursts of misdirected frustration, and sometimes the […]

Filed Under: Running Tagged With: Boston Marathon, BQ, fitness, goals, long run, marathon, marathon training, motivation, patience, plan, race, race plan, run, runner, running, San Diego, taper, taper madness, track, track work, training, training plan, workouts

Portland Marathon: “keep the earth below my feet”

October 9, 2016 by Brent

portland marathon

I knew going into the Portland Marathon this morning that I wasn’t prepared for a good race. I was right. The words I repeated over and over in my head, spawned from the Mumford and Sons concert I attended on Thursday, were “keep the earth below my feet.” I should have realized while I was […]

Filed Under: Race reports Tagged With: fitness, goals, long run, marathon, marathon training, motivation, Oregon, Portland, Portland Marathon, race, race plan, race report, run, runner, running, training, training plan, west, west coast

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About me

Brent Shirley My name is Brent Shirley, and I'm a stay-at-home dad with experience writing and selling running shoes. Married to a surgeon (she's much smarter than me). Certified RRCA running coach and 11 time Boston Marathon qualifier (2015-25, although I missed the cut in 2015-16). 50 sub 4 finisher.

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