Got my PR of 1:13:56 (nearly a minute improvement) in the Provo River half today. Ended up taking 2nd overall. This half was less miserable than any of my four previous halfs, with the possible exception of Utah Valley 2014. Unlike on Pioneer Day, I didn't experience any severe cardio problems and ran strong pretty much the entire way. The difference was most likely due to heat. However, I was more sore afterwards than I've been since Pheonix.
Warmed up a bit before the start. In the first mile a dark horse runner took off and me and my Dad followed him for about a half mile. at which point I realized I was working too hard for 5:30 pace and that we were actually doing 5:00. We slowed down, but still ran the first mile in 5:08.
I felt pretty good during the next couple miles, but with the horrors of Pioneer Day's Uneventful half fresh in my memory I was expecting a crash at anytime. The crash never came. Instead, I kept running strong untill the uphill mile. My dad dropped back a little before Bridal Veil falls. The uphill mile broke my rythym, and I had some difficulty regaining it.
To make matters worse, I began to feel a pressing need which I thought I could endure to the finish, but slowed me down somewhat. However, a little past Nun's park I realized a VPB stop was inevitable. After my 30 second VPB, my pace increased significantly, and I was doing 5:30 for some time. I gradually slowed down untill a mile to go when severe soreness set into my calves. I then limped into the finish in 1:13:56 -- much faster than I'd been expecting given the horrors of the Uneventful half, and cooled down another mile home.
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