catherine's running efforts

Top of Utah Half-Marathon

Previous MonthRecent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesCatherine's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageWeek ViewYear View
Graph View
Next Month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
20062007200820092010201120122013201420152016
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

Location:

Provo,UT,USA

Member Since:

May 06, 2009

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

5K: 21:01, 9/11/2010

10K: 43:49, 7/24/2010

15K: 1:21:00, 5/22/2010

Half-marathon: 1:41:41, 8/28/2010

Short-Term Running Goals:

Now that I'm (almost for sure) done having all the babies, I'm working on building consistency and seeing how fast I can get in my old age. ;)

Long-Term Running Goals:

I'd like to be a healthy and relatively injury-free runner for the rest of my life.  

Personal:

I'm married to Eric (Faceless Ghost on the blog) and we have very active daughters and one dog. I have a PhD in sociology and demography, and I'm incredibly grateful to have work that is meaningful and that builds on my academic experience. I run because it makes me feel strong and it helps to keep the crazy away (there is a long history of abuse and mental illness in my extended family).

Favorite Blogs:

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Brooks Cascadia Lifetime Miles: 73.39
Saucony Kinvara Lifetime Miles: 372.79
Girly Altra Lifetime Miles: 366.08
Kinvara 3 Lifetime Miles: 175.92
NB Orange Lifetime Miles: 13.50
Total Distance
93.73
Brooks Launch Miles: 86.98Nike Free Miles: 3.00
Weight: 107.13
Total Distance
0.00

A little longer ride today - 26 miles. I think I'm starting to like being on a bike a little bit more. At least today I didn't have any oh-my-gosh-I-think-I'm-going-to-crash-and-die moments. 

We're moving to Provo on Friday. I completely freaked out about it (again) this morning. I lived there for 2 years during my master's program, and I remember thinking it was a really young town. That was five years ago. And the people living upstairs are 19 and 23 and about to get married (and when we were there earlier today we could hear everything they were saying), and there are 3 nurseries in the ward we'll be in. But probably everything will be okay and I'm just going through my I-hate-change phase.

Weight: 107.00
Comments(5)
Total Distance
5.00

Liberty Park loop with Eric. My legs were kind of heavy - probably because of yesterday's bike ride. 

Brooks Launch Miles: 5.00
Weight: 107.40
Add Comment
Total Distance
3.00

Up to Virginia and back (ish). 

Brooks Launch Miles: 3.00
Weight: 107.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
1.20

Faux Thursday. 

I spent a bunch of time today trying to find out about gym memberships in Provo (mostly Gold's and 24 Hour Fitness). I decided that gyms (or at least the people you get on the phone when you're trying to find out about prices) are evil. I'm pretty sure they all get off on being withholding. 

Brooks Launch Miles: 1.20
Weight: 0.00
Comments(2)
Total Distance
9.20

Pipeline trail with Eric. Better than last time, but I still had to poop twice. I only had enough toilet paper for the first incident, so I had to sacrifice my underwear for the second. Fortunately, even though the trail was pretty busy, I don't think anyone saw my nakedness.  Eric is an excellent lookout.

I've about had it with this particular problem, though. It's really really frustrating. For awhile I thought it was because I was trying to go farther/do more than my body was ready, but at this point there is absolutely no reason I shouldn't be able to run 9 miles (and really it doesn't feel that different from 4 or 5). It doesn't seem to matter if it's morning, afternoon, or evening, or whether I've eaten before or during the run. Maybe today it was the little sips of water? But it seems like that's not something I should cut out. I think it's part of why I've been avoiding long runs even though I know I should be doing them (the other reason is that I procrastinate and run out of time).

Oh - there was a rattlesnake near the trail. I didn't see it, but I was scared. 

Brooks Launch Miles: 9.20
Weight: 0.00
Comments(3)
Total Distance
1.00

Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
0.00

Once upon a time my goals included running a marathon and riding a century before I turned 30. Then the goals were to do those things *while* I was 30. Now I'm about to turn 31, and I still haven't done either. But at least now I've done a "metric century." Eric and I joined his parents at the ULCER this morning to do the shorter option (60 miles instead of 111).

Some highlights: 

- I probably consumed more calories at the feed zone than I burned over the four-hour ride.

- Eric was serious when he (I thought) joked that I couldn't knock him off his bike even if I tried. It was nice of him to keep me from crashing when I started to tip over because of the effort. 

- It's *so* *way* easier to ride in a pack than by yourself or with just one other person. 

- It probably wasn't the best idea to try a different kind of clipless pedals for the first time on a big group ride. It was über embarrassing to beat people to the top of a hill (I know, it wasn't a race) only to later stop at a light and then have them all pass me while I kept trying to figure out how to flip the pedals over and clip in.

- People in a bike ride talk a lot more than people in a running race. A lot of it is really annoying. 

- If I've recently gone on 3 or 4 rides, with the longest being 26 miles, I can ride happily for 50 miles. After about 50 I get cranky and want to quit.

In other news, we moved probably 85% of our stuff to our apartment in Provo on Friday and Saturday. So far it's not so bad.


Weight: 0.00
Comments(1)
Total Distance
1.95

Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
4.15

Brooks Launch Miles: 4.15
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
6.00

Brooks Launch Miles: 6.00
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
8.69

Brooks Launch Miles: 8.69
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
2.24

To the mall and back with Eric. 

Brooks Launch Miles: 2.24
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
5.45

Loop up and around campus. 

Brooks Launch Miles: 5.45
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
4.00

Mall loops. 8:19 average pace. 

Brooks Launch Miles: 4.00
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
11.10

Was going to be a 13-mile loop, but cut it short because of the heat. Note to self: Don't leave for a long run at 10:40 am. 

Brooks Launch Miles: 11.10
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
3.00

With the sickness.

Brooks Launch Miles: 3.00
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
3.30

Brooks Launch Miles: 3.30
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
4.00

Mall loops with Eric. 

Brooks Launch Miles: 4.00
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
0.80

Took the wrong keys this morning so had to run to a friend's house so she could take them with her to work in Provo. 

Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Race: Top of Utah Half-Marathon (13.1 Miles) 01:41:41, Place overall: 55, Place in age division: 21
Total Distance
13.10

*Loved* the canyon with the tailwind. The last three miles were less fun.

I was glad to be able to exchange my XS shirt for a small (kudos to the race directors (and/or the shirt manufacturers) for having shirt sizes not based on the assumption that people in the race would be bigger than average).

I attribute the 10-minute PR almost entirely to not having to visit a port-a-potty once during the race (first time ever for a half-marathon).

Splits: 7:18, 7:29, 7:30, 7:55, 7:31, 7:34, 7:32, 7:23, 7:38 (thank you, girl in orange shirt, for being so consistent through miles 5-9 and not seeming to mind that I was matching your steps (though maybe you did mind, and you slowed down to lose me)), 8:06, 8:51 (I lost the mental game for a bit here), 7:49, 7:21 (0.1-ish).

Brooks Launch Miles: 13.10
Weight: 0.00
Comments(12)
Total Distance
3.00

With Eric, mall loop. 

Nike Free Miles: 3.00
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
3.55

With Eric, not the mall loop. 

Brooks Launch Miles: 3.55
Weight: 0.00
Add Comment
Total Distance
93.73
Brooks Launch Miles: 86.98Nike Free Miles: 3.00
Weight: 107.13
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Lone Faithfuls
(need a comment):
Recent Comments: