Well another STG in the books. This makes 9 in a row. One more and my deal with the devil is over:). I'm happy the race turned out so positive, not only for me but most other runners as well today. It really wasn't very fun to be honest... kind of like punching the clock in a factory or something. I wasn't thrilled to wake up and get ready. The hip hurt at home right when I got out of bed at 4:00 a.m. I wasn't happy to be up at the start just kind of going through the motions. As I started to warm up in the staging area my hip had the same pain as at home. But I had put a heat patch on it in the port-a-potty about 20 min's before the race started and as I warmed up- the heat patch did too:) I had no idea what woud happen when the gun went off. Really. I didn't know how this race would turn out at all. Outside of my hip hurting. I hadn't ran much mileage over the summer. I had only did 2 tempo runs (the last two weeks) and this was my first regular running race in one year. There were just too many questions in my head to know or shoot for a time goal. Having said that I felt my fitness was fairly strong and my years of marathoning might carry me through the hard finishing miles... whenever they might show up.
So my baseline plan was to go out smooth but quick. Not redlineing but aggressive enough to pad a second half melt down. I thought if the hip would allow that I'd try to get to the half in 1:16 ish and then hang on to 6 min miles on the second half... for as long as I could at least.
And that's basically what happened. I hit the first mile in 5:45 or so right behind Dave, Logan, and Ben with Walter right by my side. I felt comfy but decided that sticking right with these guys wasnt totally smart. So on the second mile I relaxed a little and the three of them put like 10 seconds on me. So from mile 2 to Veyo I was about 10 seconds back and Walter was my wing man. With every mile going into Veyo I knew I was going pretty fast and banking some time but I really tried to run smooth and not upset the hip. Which at the time (and the whole race for that matter) hurt but only a shallow little sensation just saying "hey I'm here... don't go crazy you idiot". Once we hit Veyo at mile 7 and started the climb I knew I had some time to really take the Veyo hill easy and also the upcoming Dameron Valley climbs that finally end at mile 12. So Dave, Logan and Ben... put another 10-15 seconds on me up Veyo and by the time we got to the half I was back about 2 min's. As I made my way up Dameron I heard footsteps coming really fast and I knew it was too early for someone to be taking off. I thought it was Steve coming but finally Ben came up. I was like "what the heck dude". He explained he'd stopped in Veyo for a potty break. I wished him luck and he smoothly ran away from me. And looked so strong doing it (ended up hitting a PR of 2:26). People talk about having a little tail wind in 2007 when we all had fast times. But I really never remember it doing much. But today I really felt it. And when you needed it. It pushed me up Veyo hill and Dameron. I don't remember it anywhere else but it seriously helped up the hills and today I needed all the help I could get.
Came in to the half at 1:16:04- Wow right where I wanted to be. Didn't feel like I killed myself doing it either. So mathmaticly now I had to really blow up to not go sub 2:41 (which was my 8 year avg and mini goal). So I just told myself to run 6 min pace all the way home. Don't try and do anything more. And if it gets ugly in the end the faster miles on the first 7 should give me the breathing room I need. Well the pace stayed under 6 min's through the half. Down into Snow Canyon and Winchester. My quads were in trouble though. The other issue I knew would bother me today was my lack of downhill training. I started to feel it at mile 14! By mile 16 I was a bonafied problem. They hurt bad and I had 10 more miles... 10! But I just kept clipping away like 5:55 pace. Up the Winchester hill I slowed and the lead Japanese guy caught me. I worried about not being able to get going again. But as we crested the hill I again started hitting sub 6 min pace... even 5:30ish down the turns. I was almost in despair because of the quads as I come down onto Bluff at around mile 23. It hurt SO bad and by Red Hills golf course the 4th and last person of the day passed me. He told me to come on and finished it with him... but I couldn't. I was starting to fade. Now when I checked the pace it was 6:12-6:20 and felt like 10 min pace. I thought massive amounts of people where going to come blazing by and I was scared to look back as we turned on to Diagonal st. So I labored down it pushing out whatever pace it was. I was too scard to look at the watch from now on as well. But at the end of Diagonal St. I had to look back and see who was coming. Just needed to prepare myself for the beat down. But my mind was blown when there was no one. Nobody in sight... at all. Oh man did this make my day or what. I was like even 7 min miles for the last 2 or 1.5 and I'm in like flin. So I used everything I had left down into town. Pepi was only 10 seconds or less in front of me and I just couldn't close the gap. We passed the one mile to go clock and with even a 8 min mile I could still be faster than last year. So I again was like "ok Superfly don't die here" don't trip, don't do anything but keep it square and bring it on home. I'm sure I looked like death on the finshing 200 m as I watched the clock tick off closer to 2:34... I crossed the line in 2:33:59 and was in awe at what just happened. It was work. I had to go get it but Wow! What did I just do? The night before I would have taken a 2:40 if someone would have offered it to me. One of the hardest efforts of my life. I'll pay a big price too:) Quads are jacked into next month. Who know's what the long term damage is with the hip and all. But 2 years in a row I've come into this race with some serious pain and injury and walked away with a 2:35 and 2:33 respectively. Happy, happy, happy!
HoweverI'm making a packt with myself to change things... How about for next year. My 10th STG- lets come in with guns a blazing, healthy and ready to throw down one last time. I've got one year to get my life together:)
Temps were 50 F when I left the house this morning and dropped to around 47 F at sunup. Didn't get as cold as I thought it would and the sun warmed things up out on the course early. I had all my extra clothing off by Veyo and it was hot and sunny at the park/finish. Were as in 2007 I wore gloves the whole day and everyone had jackets on at awards. But probably the second best conditions I've had here.
10k -34:49 (5:37 pace)
13.1 -1:16:04 (5:49 pace)
30k -1:47:21 (5:46 pace)
26.2 - 2:33:59 (5:53 avg)
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