"Sorrow is part of the game". Pat Riley Normally I'd say this race was a bummer but it wasn't. My week leading up to this race was a bummer and caused me not to be able to bring the "A" game. So under the circumstances I ran ok to good up til mile 24... then the levy broke. Recap on the week. Bad sleep every night. No naps. Lots/ LOADS of extra stress (none running related). Then my little Chlorimine gas incident where I damaged the lungs on Thursday. Honestly the week sucked. And I only got 2.5 hours of sleep Friday night. I've been so tired all week but just can not fall asleep when it time to do so. However through it all we drove up on Friday, had dinner with some friends and I found myself on the bus at the right time Saturday morning on the way up the the start of the race. Had to wake at 2:30 a.m to do so. Got a little warm up in, hit the porta potty, and chatted... then it was time to race. Before the race I was freezing. After the race started I was hot the entire way down. Mile splits- I took mine off the garmin. I noticed on some of the guys reports that their watch spits were a little off mine. I also recorded the course long at 26.27
1. 5:52- Slow but good mile to warm up into the race. 2. 5:26- In a group with Sasha, Dave, Jake and the likes of Mr. Paul Peterson 3. 5:14- I had no idea this mile was this fast. Didn't feel that way. 4. 5:34- By now Jake and Paul have moved up and even Dave had pulled ahead. So it was just Sasha and I for a while. 5. 5:27- Having Sasha right behind you has it's perks. Like you can turn your brain off and let him handle the math. So he'd verbally post split times. Kind of nice. 6. 5:34- Same as the last couple miles 7. 5:33- Last mile down to the turn. Now to get ready for the hills. 8. 6:07- I decided a month ago that when I got to these hills I'd just back off and run them EZ. Hills at altitude for a guy who lives at 2480 ft just kill you. 9. 6:13- Despite relaxing we run them pretty good and pick off a Kenyan who had passed up earlier. Plus once on top I was ready to roll again. 10. 5:27- I wish more of the course was like this mile. No rollers... just smooth good downhill. 11. 5:35- My wife her sister and Kendra Hooper were here. Mik'L gives me a water and a GU but I'd a ready taken a GU back at the top of the hill. 12. 5:54- Sasha and I catch and go by Dave. I didn't remember any of these uphill sections from when I ran this race last year. I thought it was a free fall to the tunnel.... I wish. 13. 5:49- Trying to use any downhill and survive any uphill. Hit the half in 1:14:40 I think. Sasha goes potty right here and I go ahead of him.
14. 5:41- I knew that from the end of the tunnel to about mile 16 it was kind of hilly and slow. So I'm not pushing here just trying to get up all the hills for once and for all. 15. 5:47- At the half I really think I can break 2:30 still. I'd just need to hit a 5:45 avg to do it. Body never felt horrible (until the end of the race) but never felt great. So I just tell myself "your doing it, so keep going". 16. 6:03- The hills are really getting to me. 17. 6:04- There was some downhill on this mile but some uphill too. And it slowed me! 18. 5:45- Finally I think it's time to kind of get into a little groove and try to just work on tempo and being smooth. 19. 5:30- Same effort as the last mile just more downhill. 20. 5:55- I still think I can get things going and break 2:30 but I can't have any more slow miles.... 21. 5:57- As I leave the canyon I decide to JUST hit 6 min pace in and you'll run a pretty good race. 22. 6:02- Doing it! 23. 6:04- Still doing it... 24. 6:27- NOT doing it. The wheels really start to fall off here and I kind of just decide to "jogg" it in not knowing where anyone else is behind me. But then I think Ben passes me like I'm standing still on this mile. And there's no desire or physical way to go with him. I was DONE. 25. 6:24- Death march. 26. 6:43- With about a mile left in the race Sasha shows up. For about three strides I try to go with him and then fold. I was marching to a slow, painful death.
last .27 in 1:56 or 7:03 pace. My wife says she's never seen me look that trashed at the end of any race. Boy did I feel it too. So why the blow up... I really don't know. We started out fairly slow. After my workout two weeks ago where I ran the first half of STG in 1:12:20 and it felt good. I thought being under 1:13 for the first half of this race would be doable. But that was on a good day... this wasn't. I got really hot today. At every water station I took a cup and dumped it on my head. My wife gave me water bottles at mile 11 and 17ish and I basically dumped both of them on my head. And I was still burning up. I don't know. Pretty happy about how the first 23 miles went and pretty bummed about the last 3. I ran a 2:34 at SLC marathon in April and I'm in better shape now. Today should have been faster.
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