Have a little faith

Ran up the Monster, down and back up to neff's, down and back up to the tanks at eastwood, then home in 1:11. Always a joy (not always). But always worth it.

Beautiful morning at 5:30, down past Highland HS, up 21st and across Parleys. 10.25 miles in 1:20:30. Burke and Erik were out on a loop when I returned. The drinking fountain at Parleys is turned on, in memorial of Christine Brimley who died at 37. Erik said she was a regular at the Black Sheep. Complained of stomach illness, and died shortly thereafter of colon cancer.

Ran to the snow gate and back, 1:26:00, but on the way down, Dan Sorenson was running up and I went another mile up the canyon with him. I don't really feel ready for Utah Valley Marathon next Saturday, but I'll try and psych myself up this week.

Easy 3 around the loop. Feeling fine ~ 21 minutes

Tempo up to the Eastwood Water Tanks, ~32 minutes. Getting psyched for Saturday in Rexburg. Planning to slow it down a little, looking for a 3:20 or 3:25. I guess under 3:30 is the real goal, but I'll hit it, I'm sure.

Nice cool morning, a little humid. Met Craig at his place. Ran out Holladay Blvd to the creek, exactly 2 miles. The second mile was timed @ 5:58:28.  Then after a rest we did a reverse split for mile 3 at 5:57:57.  Two six minute miles. That was a good wake-up run.

With a new race director, they've managed to increase the participation in the marathon from about 60 in 2008 to 128 in 2010. The route also changed, making  it a little easier by cutting out the 300' hill at mile 7, and running through Sugar City. This is a long-straight, slightly downhill run without any turns. You get into a nice rythym, but it's nice to have turns, because you can see the runners ahead. I held 5th place the entire way from mile 6 on. My half marathon split time was 1:30:45. I was feeling good and KNEW I could PR at 3:10. The wind was strong, out of the north-north east. We had a little help over our right shoulder running west. Not a lot but enough to stay cool. There were in total, about 4 miles north and 1 mile back east into a the head wind.  My 8 and 16 mile splits were 55 and 1:53. I was pleased, and KNEW 3:10 to 3:15 was possible, beating my 2008 time of 3:18 on a course that was a little easier. The race manual said Hammer Gel at 8, 12, 16, 20 mile marks, with electrolites at every other mile.  I started getting low on energy at 12 and asked for a Gel. "Sorry", they said. But they did have the drink.  As luck would have it, none of the tables had Gel, and none had anything but water to drink. Getting low on energy also made me a little angry at the race director. No one had any Gel. No one.  Twice I hate half a bananna, but I really wanted some quick sugar and there was none to be found.

The fellow who ran 200 yards ahead for 20 miles started to distance me until the hill at 17 miles. Then I started gaining on him. We finished 45 seconds a part. I know that if I had energy, I'd have knocked off a few minutes.  Rosalie and Teresa were at the finish line. I walked right past them and into the coral. I needed to eat. I ate 3 oranges and stuffed a piece of bread. Feeling life return, I then found the race director and expressed my disappointment about the Gel. He was incredulous, and said "I took it out to every station before the race started. They must not know what it was". He left immediately and went out to the stations and got it going for those behind.

I've never slowed down nearly 20 minutes on a second half before. I could have run a better time had things worked out. I should have carried at least one Gel.  I was grateful that I had a bagle and a banana for breakfast. Oh yes, for dinner I went to their expo and had the potato bar. This was a different pre-race meal than I'd had before, and it was good. It gave me a little gas during the night, making it hard to sleep, which may or may not have been related.  I really like this run and plan to do it again. I think they've got the right course, though I miss running by the Temple.

This is first time out since Teton Dam. Black Sheep Tuesday at East High. 4x300; 6x600 alternating with 6x400. Called the 400 appreciation workout, because after doing a 600, we're supposed to "appreciate" the 400. Legs stiff, but my 600's times kept going down, starting ~2:40, ending ~ 2:24. The 400's stayed about the same ~ 1:37. 

Amazingly cold morning for June 17th. I slipped back under the covers, and went this afternoon for a good 4 at 32:32 to the water towers at eastwood.

What a day to run up Millcreek Canyon to the top. No snow on the road, but patches of wet where it had just barely melted. Snow along the shoulders though. I reached the top before the sun, and it wasn't until back at the gate that I saw my shadow. Finished strong, with a time of 2:45:00 not counting about 10 minutes in water breaks and a short rest. Thought I'd hit Elbow by 1:00, but was 1:30 seconds after. It was a full 30 minutes to the top from Elbow, a 10 mpm pace. Overall 92 minutes up, 73 minutes down. Hooraw! 

First full day of summer, and there was a nice chill in the air this morning as I went out for 6 at 6:00 to the top of Gilead via Jupiter and Adonis. Then back and up to Neff's, running down and back twice on the little strip on Parkway.

A little slower ~1:20:56 with a sore right leg, from the knee to the hip. Typical pains to know and love. I guess the absence of pain might mean death, so be a good sport.  Anyway, I went out at 5:20 down to 17th E, through country club (where I saw two women bikers - Joanna?, Lisa?), then up 2100 S. to Wasatch, getting a drink from "Christine Brimley" fountain, and across a very windy (head wind) Parley's gulch.

Down in Cedar City for the Utah Summer Games where the boys are playing basketball. I went out along the benches and main road before sunrise and before the heat, for 1:10. Figured it was maybe 8 miles.

What a rave run! I went out again at 5:30 down main and to the golf course, looking back at the eclipsed full moon which was setting out in the western sky. It was a full moon last night, but was nearly 50-percent eclipsed as I saw it. Running where I went yesterday, I decided to continue on the path and see where it went. I climbed up a ridge where I saw the moon. I turned off my watch and totally admired its beauty. There wasn't any life, not a song bird, but I watched for snakes, scorpions, tarantulas, even cougars because they are in the area. Low and behold, I ran to the road that goes up to Navaho Lake. Wow. That was a run. Then I turned around and ran back. It was totally thrilling.  After that I just wound around through town, by the war memorial, past the university and to the hotel. It took me 2 hours, but I might have gone a little farther than 12. Either way, it was a highlight run for me.

Nice and easy 7 miler up to the Eastwood tanks via the mountain trail.

Black Sheep run from Poperton Park, down 11th ave, around memory grove, around capital, up the steps x 3, down into the grove, ran the stairs x 3, then the hills back to the park.

1:24 which is a little slower than normal, but having worked out on hills yesterday with black sheep, I cramped up some and struggled. This is good, however, as it tested my metel to push along. It's nice listening to KBYU classical music while running. This is the end of the first six months of the year, and exactly half of the total days in the year.  Today's run brings my year-to-date mileage at 941.