This is the absolute funnest race of the season, so I knew I couldn't miss it inspite of a tendon issue, anyways how can you get injured running downhill anyways?
There was a lot of fun people at the start so the race was turning into a good time even before it started. There was a pretty good wind comming up the canyon we would have to run into so I was pretty sure times would be a bit off from last year. Also the starting line seemed to have been moved up the canyon higher. I had on my "Fat Man" shoes, 15 ounce Kayanos since this is so steep of a course. No way my calfs can handle any kind of flats this year in any race, let alone this one. We started off on a pretty good downhill and I was just looking for someone to use as a windblock for a mile or two but Moody is running so well this year he was just too fast. Also I knew Rob Murphy was going to be passing me soon since he beat me good at the Deseret News 10K so I had to get going. Nothing is like this race, you really just have to do all you can to slow down as you run. I felt like my arms were windmills on the sides of my body and my form was ridiculous.
The first mile was 4:31 and the second was about the same. I could not close the gap on Teren and Patric but was able to catch up to Moody and used him as a windblock for the third mile and rested a bit, which I'm sure annoyed him since I run like a three legged camel on this course. Mile 3 was a bit slower at around 4:37 and I thought I had about a mile and a half left. I tried to figure out the math on what an 8K would be, but only about three brain cells were functioning so I just guessed it would be about 5 miles so I better figure out how to breath. I just could not get any air about mile 4. But right then we came up to one of those downhill warning signs with a picture of a truck on it and a 9% grade! I knew I could survive a mile at that kind of downhill so I relaxed again and that was my fastest mile at about 4:27.
We had a great evening with the Murphys at the barbeque and I met a few fellow bloggers which is always fun. The kids and I splashed all the water out of the hot tubs. We went on a hike Sunday morning since we were all too sore to run one of those trails again and had just a great time.
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