Only one run today! It was another perfect morning for running. I felt sluggish, but I am sure glad to be out and running. I ran into Providence and ran the TOU course towards Millville. I turned around once I hit the highway near Blacksmith Fork River.
Wheat and Beet 10K (6.2 Miles) 00:36:51, Place overall: 4, Place in age division: 3
Slow miles
Fast miles
Total Distance
16.50
6.20
22.70
Wheat and Beet 10K in Garland UT
Jon, Walter, Paul and myself drove to Garland (small town north of Brigham and near Tremonton) to run a 10K. $5 entry fee (non-competitive no shirt no awards). Pretty good turnout (250 or so) for the 5K/10K. I have been feeling lousy all week due to the recovery from the relay and the jump in mileage. I had high hopes of 36 min but didn't even get close.
The race started out rough. I was side by side with some ~15 year old girl running the 5K when she turned for the corner way too soon. She didn't do it very gracefully and cut me off horribly. The problem was that she did it so abruptly that I didn't have a chance to react and clipped her leg. She went flying face first into the asphalt (at 5:30 pace). I swear I couldn't do anything about it. I stopped to make sure she was alright and when she got up I took off too to get the places back I lost. There were 2 high school guys that took off and were in the lead, but Walter, Paul and Jon were close to them. By the mile marker (5:38), I was in 6th. The 2 guys soon turned around at the 5K turn and that left the bloggers in the first 4 places. I was feeling awful by mile 2 and was losing major chunks of time to the guys. Mile 2 had a hill and I never really got going after it. (6:14). Mile 3 had a headwind and I was all alone. (6:12). I was about 18:35 at the turn and had about a 15-20 sec lead on the 5th and 6th place guys. I tried to speed up with the wind now at my back. (5:53 and 5:58) for miles 4 and 5. I was feeling awful and there wasn't anything I could do to get the legs moving any faster. Mile 6 was (5:56) with the big down and big up for the underpass. The final kick was in :57
Bottom line. I did not run well. I kind of expected that due to my list of excuses, but it is always a let down when you just can't run fast. The plan is to keep up the intensity and miles and get into shape for the Top of Utah Half in three weeks. I will use that race to evaluate my St. George Marathon goals.
Props to Jon for winning, Walter for second, and Paul a close third. Top 4 places go to the bloggers! Bonus was the breakfast was free and we got entered into the raffle for prizes. I won a free bike tune up here in Logan ($30 value). Not a bad deal for $5. Well worth it.
T-36:51 (5:57) (174 ave) (Max 182)
3.5 warmup and 3 cooldown
PM: My 'OCD' behavior kicked in today big time and I went out late in the evening for another run. I was just not satisfied with my 12.7 miles today. Hi, my name is Cody and I am a mileage junkie....
I ran up to first dam and back eating gnats the whole way. It was a slow and easy pace. Major heartburn though. Tai food and running don't mix.
T-1:17:17 (7:43) 146
Oh, but I wasn't quite obsessed with my mileage enough to run an extra .55 to get an even 80 for the week.
Every time I run this loop I see this guy walking his dog by the Landfill. He always asks "How Far"? Today it was "6". I did some striders (8) every other power pole. They didn't feel so hot, but it did cause my pace to pick up for the rest of the run.
PM: Green Canyon with Jon (10 miles). Today was payback to Jon for all the times he has made me stop for him to take care of his business. I have had some serious problems brewing down under today and it got ugly. I will spare you the details, but 5 stops over 10 miles later we finished the run. Very good run otherwise. Enjoyed the new mile of single-track. Now only 1 mile exactly of road to run on. The rest is trail. About 48:30 up (9:30 pace) and 33:15 down (6:39 pace).
AM: Young Ward loop (10.1). Treated today's run as a steady state easy/medium effort. I was hitting 7:15's comfortably but decided to push the last mile (6:08). That got me working. The rumble down under has subsided and I had no issues today.
T-1:11:47 (7:07) 151
PM: 5 miles pushing the stroller and the kids. We ran around Logan High and even around the track for a few laps. Jaxon ran a whole lap. He was pretty proud of himself. Paul and Jon lapped us a few times. My legs and in particular my IT band were pretty tight.
Well, at least I tried. It wasn't pretty, but I did my best I could today. I started out by running some warmup (7-7:15) miles to Merlin Olsen Park to the start of the First Dam 10K course. Once there, I jumped into 2 miles of Tinman tempo pace (effort at least) on the course. First 2 miles are slight uphill. (6:25, 6:37). Once I hit mile 2 I immediately tried to do a hard mile at CV pace (which I guess is about 5:55 pace right now). The problem is that this mile has a steep uphill then flat then back down the steep hill. It was ugly. 6:24. After that, I took a 1:30 recovery jogging in circles then another CV mile. 5:57. Better, but slightly downhill (opposite of mile 2). 1:30 rest jogging then 5:55. Better as this one is more flat. 1:00 rest (mistake not recovering all the way). 6:10 for mile 6. Just had lead legs again today. From that point, I ran easy 7-7:30 pace until I hit 13 miles total.
T- 1:30:37 (6:58) 155 ave 171 max
PM: Hiked the Crimson trail with the young men. It was hot, but not too bad of a hike. About 1000 feet of gain in 2 miles. (4 miles total). Long story short, I ended up running 1.5 miles of it looking for the rest of our group. I took it slow though.
Easy day very much needed. My tendonitis was acting up last night so I opted to take today really easy. I ran 2 with Beth and the kids then ran 4 more. Nice and easy except for some striders.
Long run with Paul. We ran the TOU half marathon course and then ran to Paul's house from the finish line. We wanted to get some faster stuff in, but not too terrible. It ended up being slower than I had imagined, but just right. We actually picked it as we went with the fastest stuff on Hollow road with no tailwind and in full sun. We ran mile 13 in 5:58 including a section of 5 min mile stuff. Easy pace the rest of the way home. Good finish to a tough week and is the longest run I have had since the Ogden Marathon.
I am still working up the Big workouts, but today was a step in the right direction. I ran my Young ward loop via landfill and willow park (12.5 miles). Ideal conditions (50 degrees and little wind). The goal was warmup then 8 miles of tinman tempo at 6:15-6:20 pace with 2.5 miles cool-down. I was able to hit a sub 7 for the second warmup mile and I knew today was the day I would actually feel good. I hit my times somewhat comfortably until the last 2 where I had to work pretty hard. I am happy with the results.
6:18, 6:17, 6:16, 6:12, 6:18, 6:18, 6:18, 6:14.
I wanted to finish the run strong so I kept it at a good tempo the rest of the way home (6:36, 6:35). Course PR for me today. Yeah. Now I should be trashed for a few days, but such is life right?
I ran 2 miles warmup then ran 2 at Tinman tempo pace (6:19 for both). I was hot an tired by that point, but had to do the workout. My goal was 5:40 pace for 1000m. I started out with Paul and that was a mistake. He was back to normal Paul shape, in other words, out of my league shape. I went:
3:23 (5:21) 181 max
3:26 (5:26) 185 max
3:36 (didn't even try and stay with him this one) (5:44) 184 max
3:31 (felt better due to a drink break before this one) (5:37) 185 max
3:37 (dying) (5:48) 184 max
3:31 (kicked the last 100m) 5:36) 185 max
So other than the VO2max stuff I did with Paul, I was able to settle into ~5:40 pace for the repeats. They were tough. It messed with my stomach and I was hungry/tired/thirsty for the few miles we ran after. I was grateful for the slow pace. It was a rough workout. Paul did awesome, I did ok, and Jon really had a bad day.
Easy 8 this morning on a new course. Young Ward Loop short (turn on 2200 W instead of 3200?). Legs are still toast, but I was able to manage sub 8 pace with minimal effort.
Long run with Jon, Paul and Jon's work running club. We ran through rural country roads with lots of smelly sections. The running club was kind enough to provide lots of drinks and even food at the end. It ended up being a pretty good run. I was super tired by the end. Longest run since April and the Striders 30K. We hit some just about every pace between 8:10 and 5:40 at some point in the run. Good overall effort. Jon and Paul united in leisurely waltzing away at 5:40 pace and making me really work to keep up. I might have a shot at breaking 1:16 (my PR) at TOU half next week after all. We'll just have to wait and see...
T-2:22:52 (6:58) 154 ave 177 max (during 5:40 mile)
(Slower than last year by 13 seconds a mile though we weren't really trying to beat it)
** This run concludes my 5th straight week of 80 miles a week! Still injury free! I feel worn out and dead, but I am finally approaching my fitness of last year at this time.
AM: Slow and easy 4. Tendonosis on my foot was irritated. Better keep an eye on it.
PM: Big workout with Paul and Jon. Jon picked me up then we ran and got Paul then did a few more warmup then got busy. Hit some major hills on this course. We ran the Millville hills loop (my way). I like this version because the uphills are shorter and brutal, but then the downhills are not overly steep. It made it really hard to tell what pace to go due to the terrain differences. I think I overdid it at first and it messed me up later. Goal pace was 6:20 for the flat miles. (8 miles of Tinman Tempo pace - 6:20)
Mile 1 - 7:04 250 feet net gain
Mile 2 - 6:17 136 up 122 down
Mile 3 - 6:08 76 up 119 down
Mile 4 - 5:51 15 up 237 down
Mile 5 - 6:23 97 up 88 down
Mile 6 - 6:24 140 up 143 down
Mile 7 - 6:23 114 up 152 down
Mile 8 - 6:26 114 up 114 down
Not real pleased with the run. I felt sluggish and wasn't able to hit my goal times. Doing a workout like this in 90 degree weather is tough, but I need to do better. Oh well, its in the books and now my main focus is recovering and resting for TOU half.
Top of Utah Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) 01:15:56, Place overall: 8, Place in age division: 3
Slow miles
Fast miles
Total Distance
4.90
13.10
18.00
Top of Utah Half Marathon
Goals for the race -
#1 See where I am fitness-wise compared to last year
#2 Break previous PR of 1:16 set on same course last year
#3 Go sub 1:15 (as this is a stepping stone to breaking 2:30 at St. George (eventually))
PR by 4 seconds officially, but missed goal #3.
The day started with a 2 mile jog to the finish line to catch a bus to the start. Felt good and ready. Weather was a tad warm, but nothing to complain about. This race has notoriously perfect weather. Did some more warmup at the start.
Lined up with Paul, Jon, Sasha, and Walter. I joined Jon, Paul and Walter for the first mile but let them go when they really got going.
Mile 1: 5:34 - HR 174
Felt good, right where I wanted to be, but I would have blown up if I stayed with the guys.
Mile 2: 5:42 - HR 176
All on my own now for the remainder of the race. The guys take off like bandits
Mile 3: 5:45 - 175
Just plugging away- Lost some time getting a drink
Mile 4: 5:46 - 176
Working hard to hold this pace
Mile 5: 5:35 - 175
Good downhill to work with here
Mile 6: 5:36 - 174
Last year, this section was super windy (tailwind), this year not as much
Mile 7: 5:38 - 174
Out of the canyon and onto hollow road. I can see the guys start to spread out. They are far out of reach and increasing the gap.
Mile 8: 5:49 - 174
No favorable wind anymore. I always struggle this section of hollow road.
Mile 9: 5:51 - 175
Gas pedal floored, but no go
Mile 10: 5:55 - 175 (57:12 at 10)
We had a headwind through here. Tough section.
Mile 11: 6:06 - 175
Last 1/2 mile was all climbing. Am I dead yet? I can see Walter ahead, but still out of reach, but coming back to me.
Mile 12: 6:22 - 174
Yep, now I am dead. Toughest uphill mile of the race. I have to run 6:15 or less for the 1.1 to PR. Its going to be close....
Mile 13: 5:39 - 178
Mile 13.1: 30 - 183 (184 max)
So glad to be done. I was happy to finish and barely PR, rather than barely not PR. Effort was worth more this year as the wind was less favorable (30 seconds maybe?). Now I know I can PR at St. George if I can stay healthy and continue to train strong.
Cooled down and went home to shower/change/eat then return for the awards. I won 3rd in my age group (behind Jon and Paul). Good showing by bloggers today. 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th. Oh, and I must mention the chick score was 0 this time. I won't get my mug in the paper now though like last year....
PROVIDENCE
— Favored with overcast skies and chilly temperatures, the Cache Sun
& Snow Running Club Top of Utah Half Marathon kicked off Saturday
morning with a record turnout, beginning in Blacksmith Fork Canyon and
ending at Zollinger Park.
With the race up nearly 500 runners
from 2007, race director Kris Siddoway credited the jump in
registration to recent trends and Cache Sun & Snow’s reputation for
putting on good races.
“We went from 708 runners last year and
... we know that we had 1,195 runners cross the start line with their
chips (this year),” Siddoway said. “... We try really, really hard to
put on a good race and I think our reputation shows that.
“...
But I also think it’s a trend. There’s a trend of people wanting to run
half marathons. ... It partly has to do with time. The commitment to
train for a marathon is a little bit harder. You have to train and be
gone from your family and gone from your responsibilities, job,
whatever. When you do a half marathon, you still have to train, but
it’s not as strenuous as it is to do the whole marathon.”
Siddoway
was also impressed by the number of female runners in the field
Saturday. According to Siddoway, female runners made up three-quarters
of this year’s participants.
Finishing first among them was
former Logan High great Megan Call with a time of 1 hour, 21 minutes,
2.89 seconds. Call took advantage of the nice weather, large turnout
and speedy fellow runners to turn in a better-than-expected time.
“It
was a surprise. I was shooting for a 1:22 today, and ran a 1:21:02, so
I was really pleased with my time,” said Call, who is currently
attending graduate school at the University of Utah. “There were some
really good female runners from Salt Lake, so it was nice to see some
familiar faces and be able to chase after them and stay with them for a
while.
“There was a great crowd out today cheering you along, with nice weather.”
Teren
Jameson, of Taylorsville, took the top spot for the men overall,
winning the race with a time of 1:06:41.84. Jameson said he was
counting on coming away with the fastest time Saturday, which is no
surprise as he did so by nearly four minutes, crossing the finish line
with the second-place runner nowhere in sight.
“I don’t know how
much I won it by, but I was planning on winning,” Jameson said. “I just
went out and ran what I wanted to try and run.
“It was nice.
There was a little bit of a headwind is all, but otherwise perfect
weather. A lot of downhill, which makes for a fast race.”
That
second-place finisher just happened to be former USU cross country
standout and 2007 WAC cross country Athlete of the Year Seth Wold. Wold
finished the race with a time of 1:10:37.97. According to Wold,
Saturday’s run was more about training and less about competition.
“Teren
Jameson and I were running together,” Wold said. “I told him, ‘Hey, I’m
doing a workout today, so I’m not gonna go any faster.’ He wanted to
work out a little bit harder, so he took off. When we hit the bottom of
the canyon, he had about a minute lead right there.”
Wold, now
attending the University of Utah, had to end his collegiate running
career when he turned professional. Wold runs professionally for the
St. George running center and fastrunningblog.com.
Wold
won the Ogden Marathon in May of this year, setting the course record
with a time of 2:27:43.35. Wold explained that it has always been his
dream to run professionally, but he found out his times in the shorter
distances weren’t fast enough to make that happen. He would have to
move to the longer races to achieve his goals, and so far it has paid
off.
“In college, I wasn’t quite fast enough to make it to the
next level,” Wold said. “I decided to move up in distance and the
marathon was the way to do it.
“... I’m just trying to live the dream.”
Other top local finishers included John Allen of Logan. His 1:11:40 was good enough for fifth overall.
Paul
Peterson, also of Logan, came in right behind Allen with a 1:12:14.77.
He was followed by Cody Draper, also of Logan. Draper finished eighth
with a time of 1:15:56.49.
Preston’s Nate Burnett finished 11th overall, turning in a time of 1:18:51.82.
Not
only was Saturday’s pleasant weather good for the runners, but the
overcast skies were also a huge relief for Siddoway as dehydration was
less likely in such conditions.
“It couldn’t have been a more
perfect day,” Siddoway said. “The tailwinds coming out of the canyon
were good. Talking to our elite runners, they said it kept fluctuating
from a headwind to a tailwind. It does that.
“The overcast skies
couldn’t have been better, especially for such a big race, when we were
scrambling to the last minute to be ready. But we were ready. It does
help me to not be so worried about people dehydrating.”
Cache Sun
& Snow will now get ready for their biggest race of the year on
Sept. 20 when runners will converge again in Cache Valley for the Top
of Utah Marathon.
AM: Easy miles on my easiest / flattest route. Young Ward loop. It was dark for the first 3 miles. If it weren't still 97 degrees in the afternoon, I would think that fall was coming. I am still a bit sore from Sat, especially right behind the knee (upper calf). Overall, not too bad though.
T-1:14:00 (7:20) 10.1 miles 147
PM: 5 Easy miles in the hot sun. Ran into Jon by the aquatic center and he followed me home. Still tired, but not very sore anymore.
AM: Providence Hills loop. Still taking it easy as a post-race recovery. Soreness is gone, but the fatigue is there. I will likely be fatigued through Thanksgiving so whatever...Warm and smoky out today.
T-62:27 (7:40) 8.15 miles 147
PM: Took advantage of Beth and the kids being gone for the evening (they are at my sister's bridal shower) and ran up Green Canyon after work. Pretty nice weather. It had cooled off pretty good by then. Nice and slow on the way up (1150 foot net gain). I ran 4 miles which put me just past the end of the road and up the single-track about a quarter mile. 4 miles in 38 min. Turned around and picked it up. Passed 2 bikers on the way down to a 26 min split for the way down. In all, it was 6 miles of singletrack and 2 miles of dirt road. Good run.
I looked back at my training last year and this week last year I did a big workout that I thought I would repeat today. It consisted of a 5 mile brisk warmup on the TOU marathon course to mile 18, then picked it up to Tinman Tempo pace for 2.5 miles more (on hollow road) before turning around and continuing all the way home (10 miles total) at TT pace. It went like this...
Warmup miles - 7:10, 6:57, 7:08, 6:54, 6:55
Tempo stuff - 6:30 up, 6:28 up, 6:20 up/down, 6:13 down, 6:16 down, 6:38 millville hill, 6:34 rest of the hill, 6:27 down, 6:26 flat, 6:17 flat
It went pretty well. That is other than being cold (below 40 outside), especially my hands. They were totally frozen. Must be time to break out the gloves. I was able to beat my total time from last year by 1:45. It was about 10 seconds a mile faster during the tempo miles.
I was lucky enough to get a waterskiing trip in last night. I got 2 great runs on some surprisingly calm and warm water. Not bad for Hyrum lake. I also got in some intense tubing. Needless to say, I worked muscles I didn't know I had. Today's run was more of a shuffle, but a recovery day was in order so no biggie. Landfill loop nice and easy.
Between 9.5 hours driving yesterday and waterskiing on wed, my back is tweaked. My form is all messed up but I was able to get it to loosen up a tad during the run. I got in 10 miles on a bike path at my Dad's house in Denver. Luckily he is a LMT and can fix me up...
South Platte river trail in Denver. I ran starting at 104th and made it most of the way to downtown (made it to I-70). Easy pace on the way out (7:00-7:30) and harder the way back (6:30-7:00). Caught and passed the 7 min guy at mile 15 and kept putting a bit of time on him every mile. Last mile in 6:28. I was hot, tired and glad to be done.
T-2:18:20 (6:55) 153 ave (low 160's at 6:40 pace) 171 max
