Old Man Still running

I've been plagued by peroneal tendonitis again (ankle), just like a year ago, but not quite as severe.   It doesn't bother me much on the smooth, mostly-flat surfaces, but kills me on the trails.  So I took three days off completely to see if it would help.  It did a little, but still, as I was standing at the start, trying to keep warm, the ankle was in some good pain.  Oh well.

The Provo City marathon runs mostly on roads in South Provo and out toward Utah Lake.  It is mostly flat and also runs about four miles on the Provo River paved trail.   I didn't enjoy this half marathon as much as last week's Thanksgiving Point marathon because this one has way too many cars going by, very bothersome.

A great feature of this race was the weather.  A squall of rain hovered over us and just stayed there.  Twice hail fell from the sky.  I enjoyed it, because I usually do better in poor weather compared to the competition.  It just doesn't bother me much because of all my early cold weather training.  But I did finish before the real downpour started.

I treated this race like a long training tempo run.  I wasn't very serious about it, but still did pretty well.   After two miles, I pretty much settled down into my place, not being passed by other runners but only catch a couple.   I got a little lazy going up the Provo River trail. But wow, during the last two miles, incredible energy kicked in and I was able to pass a couple runners and finish very strong.  That is a nice sign for the Ogden Marathon in a couple weeks.  It felt like I could continue sub-7 miles at that point for quite a few miles if the race was longer.  

My mile splits were: 6:27, 7:01, 6:58, 7:01, 7:09, 7:13, 7:12, 6:56, 7:50, 7:44, 7:37, 7:31, 6:40, and 1:07.   I finished in 1:34:26.  That was 27 seconds faster than last week.

I got second place in my age group, surprised that someone beat me because I never saw him.  But he beat me by five minutes, probably among the fastest in the state in my age group.  I've been getting accustomed to winning my age group in these short races.

I was 31st out of 669 starters. 4th place masters (age 40+) (74 starters).

This was a nice tune-up for Ogden.  That is three times this month that I've run a half marathon in 1:34.  If I do that in Ogden, that will beat my split from last year by 4 minutes. That would be sweet.

In San Francisco on business. Treadmill at 7:15 pace.  My son Ryan opened his mission call last night -- to Guatemala.  My grandfather was the first mission president there in 1952, going there with Spencer W. Kimball to open the mission. My grandfather built up the Church there and built the first meetinghouse (recently demolished). His son, my uncle, also served as a mission president there.  So, it really is a great inspired call for our family.

Tonight I went to dinner with my Bay-area sibblings.  Two sisters and a brother.  I don't see them very often.  It was a lot of fun.

12 on the treadmill in the morning.  In the late afternoon after my conference, I hit the pavement of San Francisco.  For some reason running on city streets just seems wrong and makes me feel uncomfortable, not safe.  All the people, all the cars, it just seems weird.  Pretty funny that I feel much more at home running in the mountains during the middle of the night with the moose and mountain lions.

I ran along the bay, from Bay Bridge to Golden Gate Bridge and back.   Lots of people running by 7 p.m.

No running today.  Me right hamstring is a little sore from the run yesterday.  No reason to push it.

Got up, ran a couple miles on the treadmill to test out the hamstring.  There was no pain so I decided to go do a 5K in Provo to get some speed work in.  It was a nice race with about 250 runners.  Runners Corner was a sponsor so many of the fast runners from the Sojourner's running club were there (I'm a member).  Michael Vick, probably one of the fastest runners in Utah County won for the third week in a row in the races I've been in. 

At check-in, the young guy asked my age (51) and commented, "boy, you don't look that old!"  That made my day. 

I took off just behind a pack of about 5 Sojourner's runner girls in pink.  I hung behind them pretty well for the first mile, clocked in 5:45.  I think that is my fastest unaided mile since age 18.  The girls pulled ahead except for a couple that I kept in my sights for the entire race. Mile 2 was clocked in about 6:39, and mile three in about 6:36.  

This is only the 8th 5K I've ever run and during the last mile I felt pretty good.  Usually it feels like I'm going to die.  I then knew that a PR and sub-20 was a real possibility.  I wasn't red-lining but kept the pedal down.  I almost reeled in a young Sojourner girl.

I finished in a 5K PR of 19:51.   I was 18th overall, finishing not far behind the fast young runners.  It looked like most, of the runners ahead were Sojourner club runners.  I placed first in my age group and won a $20 gift certificate.

Finally I broke 20.  I had a goal to break 20 before going to the grave, so now the grim reeper is after me.  Wait, not so fast, I still want to go sub-20 in a 100-mile race....that is sub-20 hours. 

Looks like all systems are go for Ogden Marathon.  I'll just do tune-up runs this week.  I'll be bold and state my goal.  I really hope to approach 3:15 at Ogden.  If I can do that, I can come very close to placing in my age group.

Ten treadmill miles 7:30 pace at 5%.   The tendon in the ankle continues to be a bad pain, but I think I've figured out some help for it.  On Sunday morning getting out of bed, I could hardly walk on it.  The worst pain is always first thing in the morning.  So, I've resorted the last to nights wearing theboot while sleeping which totally keeps pressure off the tendon and lets it rest.  Last two mornings it has almost been pain free.  Still pain while running, but it seemed to warm up after about 8 miles.  The danger seems to be favoring it, causing the other leg to work too much.  Oh well, at least I'm running and it isn't crippling.  I'm feeling the phantom taper pains coming, so its good to get some miles to chase those away.  I noticed in the rec room this morning that all but one New Years resolution person is sticking with it.  Most didn't last more than two months.

Continuing my taper before Ogden Marathon on Saturday.  Seven treadmill miles at 7:30 pace with 5% incline.  Ankle feeling somewhat better.

Zero Day.  Resting.

Focus now on Ogden Marathon.  My pace last year for the first 1/2 was very good.  My fade on the second half was poor because of major cramping.  Hopefully that can be avoided this year.  Second half should maintain a 7:43 pace average.

Stupid taper pains last night.  It will be good to run again.  I picked up my race packet, ready to go tomorrow bright and early.  Temps will be 34 degrees at the start, so I'll dress warm and then peel it off before the start.  I checked the entrants and the top 4 in my age group are running again this year.   I can't touch the top 2, they are way out of my striking distance, but 3 and 4 can be caught.   We shall see.

Check out my latest crazy project:  http://www.facebook.com/ruthcrockettjournal

I've linked together on facebook more than 200 cousins and am coordinating an effort to type in and publish the massive journal of my great-grandmother.

I ran in the Ogden Marathon, held in Ogden, Utah. It is a nice, mostly downhill, fast course that winds down Ogden canyon.  It starts at 5,400 feet and ends in downtown Ogden at 4,300 feet.   After my good Boston race, I had lofty goals, hoping to finish in 3:15.  Running that fast for 26.2 is pretty flaky, you never know what my happen along the way.  In my case today, I didn’t reach my goal but did set another marathon distance personal record (PR),and improved my Boston Qualifying time (BQ), so I really cannot complain. I was on pace to reach my goal through the first 17 miles, but the wheels then started to come off because of a new problem.

Last year I really felt like a road marathon rookie, despite my 60 or so ultramarathon finishes.  That day I was very uncomfortable at the start, trying to figure out what road marathons were all about.  Road races with thousands of runners are so much different than trail races.  But this year, with my Boston experience, I now felt more like a veteran.   This would be the third marathon I had run with serious desires for a good time.

At the start area with more than an hour to wait, after huddling around a fire barrel for awhile, I decided to ditch that activity filled with smoke.  Instead I went jogging up the canyon road, away from the crowds so I could focus and prepare.  B.J. Christenson was the only other runner doing the same.  I greeted him and wished him luck. B.J. is a very fast tiathlete and he led today’s marathon for at least the early miles.   It was so peaceful , quiet, and beautiful.  I was so glad to be away from the crowds.  I did about a two-mile warm up run.  It was about 35 degrees in the canyon. I was dressed nice and warm during this warm-up.

It was almost show time.  I lined up toward the front and was greeting by several friends.  It was fun to see them.   At 7:00 a.m., away we went!   The first mostly downhill miles are pretty fast.   I maintained a good pace, clocking miles 1-3 at 6:15, 6:45, and 6:39 for a 20:18 5K.  Not bad.  I was 30 seconds ahead of my goal pace. 

I set my sights on a runner who seemed to have a good consistent pace.  While I slowed down and sped up, I tried to keep that runner in my sights and was pretty successful.   I struggled a little because I wasn’t warmed up yet and various pains arose, shifting for one spot to another.  But by mile 6 I was feeling pretty strong and fast.   Miles 3-6 were 6:45, 6:48, and 6:49, very consistent.  My 10K time was 41:24 which would have shattered my 10K PR by almost two minutes if this was a 10k. (My 10K PR is pretty soft. It should be easy to break.  I haven’t run a 10K in almost a year).

After mile six, the course flattened out with some long straight-aways as it approached the Pineview Reservoir.  I did my best to keep my pace respectable.  Miles 7-9 were 6:54, 7:11, and 7:23 (short hill).  I was over a minute ahead of my goal pace. Sweet!  Things were going well.

A guy noticed my Boston shirt and asked me how I did.  It is funny how my Boston Marathon shirt generated much more respect and  comments in this race than when I wear an ultramarathon shirt during a marathon.  Someone who knew me commented to the guy, “Davy, tell him how many 100 milers you have finished. I replied, “31.”   The guy was confused and they went on ahead as his friend explained who I was.  Many people recognized me and were so kind and said hello.

I could feel my pace starting to slow a bit as other runners were passing me with more frequency on the gradual uphill.  Miles 10-12 were 7:21, 7:50 (aid station fill up), 7:31.  I was focusing to keep my mile splits below 7:45.  I hit the ½ marathon mark at 1:32:54.  I was still over a minute ahead off my goal pace for a 3:15 finish.

At times I would jump off the pavement and run along a dirt shoulder.  For some reason my legs would go much faster on the dirt and I would pass people. But those good dirt areas didn’t last long.  Next up was the only significant hill.  Miles 13-15 were 7:55, 7:49, 8:32 (hill and aid station fillup of my water bottle. A volunteer poured Poweraid on my hand.  Took time to wash it).  That hill split time was much better than last time.  I was right on my pace goal time.

I then started to struggle somewhat.  After the climb, my legs seemed to be slowing down.  Lots of people were passing me.  My breathing was hard. I also slowed down at this point at Boston.  I knew some good downhill was coming up so I just hung on for the next couple miles.   The downhill came during mile 18.   Miles 16-18 were 8:14, 8:03, and 7:46.  I hated seeing those splits above 8 minutes.  I had fallen to 45 seconds behind my goal pace.  

I knew it was now or never to push the pace to stay on goal.  But then the wheels started to fall off.  I started to feel terrible.  Fellow ultrarunner, Tom Remkes passed me around mile 19 moving well.  I did my best to keep him in my sights and it worked for awhile, but during mile 20, even though it was downhill, I had no speed.  My heart was pounding like crazy in my chest.  I knew I was red-lining even at a slow 8:30 pace and I was feeling horrible.   I had no other choice but to slow to a walk.   I walked for about a half minute and started to feel better as my heart rate dropped.  Running again, I decided that all I could do was to find a more comfortable pace and hang on. 8:30 pace could be managed.  I knew my 3:15 finish goal was gone.  I just couldn’t figure out what was wrong.  Altitude?  Age?   After I finished, it was more obvious.  I was becoming dehydrated.  It wasn’t very hot, but my stomach just wasn’t processing the fluid very fast and I wasn’t drinking enough.  This same thing happened during Bighorn 100 last year.  The heart rate went up and my speed dropped significantly for a long time until I recovered.  Miles 19-21 were 8:17, 8:45 (walking spell), and 8:20.

After mile 23 the course leaves the road and goes on a paved trail along the river.  It rolls up and down and winds back and forth.  I hate this section at this point in the race.   Chad Carson, in my age group passed me during mile 24, moving very well.   I wished him luck and watched him disappear ahead.  Shortly after that, my heart rate went back up and again I needed to walk for a quick recovery.  Miles 22-24 were 8:18, 8:27, and 9:25 (walk and aid station refill). 

Despite my challenges, I noticed that my 24-mile split time was still a PR, a minute and a half faster than Boston last month.   I focused to not lose the PR.  Finally we got off the paved trail and were back on the flat roads.  Now, it was all about hanging on and keeping the legs swinging.  I could hear the crowd, loud speaker and music roaring near the finish area.   I could see the finish a mile away.   Mile 26 was tough.  I pushed hard, but then felt cramping coming on.  I caught and passed another runner, but I woke him up and he started running faster and got the lead back.  (He thanked me after the race).   Miles 25 and 26 were 9:07 and 8:51.  Push, push, push!  Don’t give up.  I crossed the finish line at 3:23:43, and new personal record (PR). 32 seconds faster than Boston last month.

Craig Lloyd was near the finish line and congratulated me.   It was fun to see him. He commented that I looked more hammered than he had ever seen me.  I was in bad shape, but still on my feet and coherent.   I didn’t leave any effort back on the course, but my behind was kicked around mile 20.  After talking with him for about ten minutes, I checked my heart rate.  It was still pounding at 130 bpm.  Craig bid goodbye and I went to the runner area and discovered that I was really thirsty.   I had finished before the heat of the day, but still was dehydrated somewhat.   It was fun to talk to many of the finishers who I knew.  I lay down on the grass and tried to recover.  An hour later, my heart was still beating at 90 bpm but I felt much better.

For the next three hours I had fun talking to many other ultrarunners and some FRB (Fast Running Blog) runners, and watched thousands of runners finish.   The back of the pack really suffered because the day became quite hot.   I was hoping to see my buddy Jim Kern finish, but after the 5:45 mark, he still wasn’t there. I went out, retrieve my start bag and checked the results.  I finished 7^th in my 50-54 age group.  I was only 3.5 minutes out of the age-group award.  Oh well.  That is still pretty fast for an old man like me who started running just six years ago.

I walked up the course and at the 6:10 mark, saw Jim Kern walking toward the finish with a half mile to go.   I jumped in with him and we walked and ran to the finish.  He did a great job, finishing his second road marathon.  We had fun talking for quite awhile.

So, my marathon is done.   This is my last road marathon for the year.  I really think 3:15 is within my ability, but it would take a perfect race, or a race at sea-level.  That is hard to achieve because you never know what your body will really do.  I will run another ½ marathon next month.  I enjoy that distance much better at speed.  

Will I keep doing road marathons?  I don’t know.  I still don’t really buy into the concept of chasing minutes and seconds.  All that effort to make a minute improvement over last year’s Ogden Marathon.  It seems pretty funny.  But the end results were good.  I have no real soreness anywhere except my problem ankle.  It now is time to do trail and hill training.

mile	2009 Ogden	2010 Boston	2010 Ogden
3	0:20:10	0:20:35	0:19:39
6	0:40:17	0:41:41	0:40:02
9	1:02:28	1:03:26	1:01:31
12	1:25:22	1:25:48	1:24:13
Half	1:34:08	1:34:15	1:32:54
15	1:50:23	1:49:08	1:48:30
18	2:14:08	2:13:41	2:12:33
21	2:39:06	2:39:53	2:37:55
24	3:05:59	3:05:34	3:04:05
Full	3:24:49	3:24:15	3:23:43

Still bummed out about my Ogden performance.  That is silly because I PRed, and that further emphasizes to me why running marathons is kind of stupid.   Measuring an accomplishment solely by a clock seems wrong.  But what nags me about Saturday is that I didn't reach my goal because of a preventable mistake.  A missed opportunity.  Well, learn from it and move on.

I'm still convinced that it was a dehydration problem.  Some think I just went out too fast, but I discount that because I felt fine the first 14 miles and never cramped up even afterwards.   With the 70 or so races I've run in the past six years of marathon length or higher, I just haven't really seen much overall difference from going out slow vs. fast for me.  I still subscribe to running at the pace that feels good.   A couple times I have gone out too fast and cramped up later because of it. But other times I've gone out fast and later at mile 90 able to crank out the fastest splits of the race.  I think more importantly is managing intake.  I didn't do that well, thinking the marathon distance is just too short and fast.

I'm ready and motivated to start serious training for my summer 100s.  However, the marathon left my ankle in poorer shape.  I was going to hit the trails this morning, but really couldn't.  Discouraging, because this is exactly where I was one year ago from today with the exact same injury.   Well, wearing the boot for 12 hours seemed to help lots.  Otherwise, legs feel great, just a little soreness in the hamstrings.   I will run the new tough Timp Trail marathon on Saturday. 

Out running at 3:30 a.m.   I ran up to the top of Lake Mountain to the towers.  About 8.5 miles round trip with 2,600 feet elevation climb.   It is a tough climb with some pretty steep sections. and some rough footing with rocks.  It is great training for Squaw Peak.

The good news is that I felt fully recovered from the Saturday marathon, no fatique or muscle soreness.  I was also very surprised that I was able to keep a run (jog) going for the first three miles until the steep dark band (see above, 19%+ grade).  At that point I needed to stop and put on a jacket and gloves.  At the top the wind was howling like crazy.  I didn't stay around long.   I really took it easy going down because of the ankle.  At times I would twist it a little and let out a yipe.  But I'm going to try to keep using the ankle and resting it between runs.  I'm hopeful it will start getting better. 

I've been resisting urges to enter the Utah Valley Marathon to redeem myself from Saturday.  I'm instead entered in the half marathon.  That is wiser, because the following Friday I run in Big Horn 100.  I've never really raced hard a half marathon, so I should give it a go and try to break 1:30.  I have a list of the top-20 marathoners in my age class in the state who I compete with.  About half of them seem to only run St. George.  I noticed that four of them are running in the Utah Valley Marathon.  I probably couldn't beat them anyway.  None of them are in the half marathon, so that leaves the door open to a possible age group win.

It is all about hills.   Run up and down and up and down Granview Blvd (1-mile stretch climbing 300 feet) with the dog Reeses. She pooped out when half way up a third time so I brought her home and then did a fast 2-mile tempo run at marathon pace.   I felt very strong and fast.  Great feeling. Enjoyed the afterwork run.   I'll have to do more of those in the warmth.

Reflecting on the year so far, I guess it has been good, PRs at 5K, 1/2 marathon (twice), marathon (twice) and 100-mile. On top of that I ran the Ogden faster than all the runners in my city.  So feeling pretty good about things as I put away the road marathon hobby and start getting serious about the trail running season.

Ankle was a major pain today, so took the day off.  Looks like the Timp race will be a rainy mud fest.  That really makes me excited as long as I don't twist the ankle.  Love to get out there slogging hard against the elements in a race.

I ran the new Timp Trail Marathon. A trail race on these trails has been considered for several years and finally came together.  These trails run on the western face of Mount Timpanogos and go from 4,900 feet at the start to 7,681 at the highest point.

I decided to run this as a training run, not really racing hard, but giving it a good push to test out the ankle and get some climbing in to prepare for Squaw Peak 50 in two weeks.  The ankle was very painful on Thursday and Friday, but for some reason the pain went almost totally away Friday night.  Go figure.  It still felt good Saturday morning.  But it wasn't a miracle because the pain could be felt throughout the race and I had to be very careful with it. 

In summary, I had a great experience. The weather was terrible, but that made it challenging and very fun.  The rain was really coming down when I arrived at the start at 5:15 a.m.  My son was camping with scouts up on the course and he said it started snowing up there around 3 a.m.  I decided to still dress light, just adding a garbage bag and wearing tights because of all the mud and cold water that would be tossed up on them.

We started running at 6 a.m.   There were probably about 80 starters or so. For the first few miles I ran in 5th place.  We had some climbs but also some fairly flat dirt roads where we could turn up the speed.  I really tried to ignore all the slippery mud and instead try to run like it was a dry surface.  This seemed to work well. The faster I ran, it seemed easier to deal with the mud.  But my ankle was a big problem and just couldn't deal with any slipping.

There was an important intersection that wasn't marked very well at all and I think several took the wrong turn.  I may have jumped to 3rd place for awhile because Tom Remkes blundered and took that wrong turn.  Throughout the race, I think I saved five runners from taking significant wrong turns.  

The course to mile 14 was rolling and pretty flat trail and dirt road on the Bonneville Shoreline trail.  I kept the speed going pretty well, although backed off about mile 10 and was passed by four other runners.   I reached mile 14 at about 2:05.  Next up was a very, very tough and steep muddy climb.  It sapped my energy.  For awhile I saw no runners behind me, but I slowed big time on the climb and three others appeared and were on my tail.  

During the huge climb up Grove Creek we were met by several Scout troops coming down.  I didn't see my son's troop, I think they went to Battle Creek.  One troop stopped and let out big cheers as I ran by.  Twinkies caught up and passed me at about mile 15 or so during the climb.  I just didn't have to motivation or energy to really push it hard.  The rain/snow had finally stopped, but we entered into fog and soon were running through slush.  It then turned to snow, about four inches.  And by the time we reached the top, it was about 10 inches.  There were some shorter climbs that were horrible, very muddy and slippery, but I didn't let them bother me.

There were also totally fantastic downhill runs.  At times I really flew like crazy until I was scared that I would twist the ankle.  Eventually we merged in with the half marathon back of the pack.  The further I went, I would past faster half runners.   The final downhill was great fun, but the course wasn't marked as well as other places, so I was in a little doubt and slowed down somewhat.  Another runner who had been on my tail for several miles finally caught up and passed me.  I looked back and there were other runners coming on strong. I refused to let them catch up and pushed the last mile very hard.  

I reached the finish in 5:24:06.  Second in my age class to the usual dude, Leon.  He seems to just beat me in many races.  I felt fantastic at the finish.  The ankle held up pretty well.  I had no cramping and no sore muscles since I didn't push it very hard.  But still I finished well. 

I think this race compares and is similar to the difficulty of the BST held in Salt Lake.  Perhaps it is a little easier, especailly if conditions weren't so severe.  A nice race for its first year.  It is somewhat pricey for the distance, but you do get a nice running shirt, a custom finishing medal and some great hot food at the end.  It is just nice to have another challenging local trail race nearby.

The ankle was really bad Sunday, but after 17 hours in the boot felt much better.  Got to hit the hills.  Rain/snow out this morning.  Wow, it really must be dumping up on the Squaw Peak course.  Could be an interesting event this year, no PR likely.

Treadmill.  Tough incline workout, holding onto the front.  Pushed much of it between 20-30% incline.  After that for awhile, it was amazing how easy 15% felt and how 5% felt like downhill.  The right quad is a little sore because I can tell I used it more than the other Saturday, protecting the left ankle.

Tough hilll/speed/tempo run.  First hill repeats with the dog.  One mile up, 400 feet climb, one mile down and repeat.  8:53 (up), 6:26 (down), 8:40 (up), 6:12 (down) for 30:10 total.  The dog had enough so I took her home and then went out again for a 4 mile rolling tempo run.  7:55, 7:51, 8:05, 8:55.  Had to back off the last mile, the ankle was complaining too much.  Looks like eventually I'll need to get an MRI for the ankle to see if the tendon is torn.  But for now I'll grin and bare it, use it, rest it, and hope it gets better like last year.

Plan for the weekend is to run the Orem 10K to go get that PR that the Rex Lee 10K (really 9K) cheated me out of.  The hope is to bust my PR by about two minutes.   We shall see.  In the meantime, hills, hills, and more hills to get ready for the snow run at Squaw Peak 50.

Took  yesterday off.  The ankle was really in bad pain, very discouraging.  But with 12 hours in the boot when I got up early it felt much better.  Seems like the tendon wasn't as tight.  So, I played it safe and went to the treadmill where I could manage the even surface.  It went well and wasn't a problem as long as I kept the pace slower than 8:30.  The faster pace puts much more pressure on it.  Thats OK, I can train at a slower pace if thats what it will take.

But, I didn't take it easy.   I ran at 20-21% incline at 10:00 pace for most of the time.  The treadmill says I'm climbing a little more than 100 feet per minute.   I do hang on to the front, so it is like hanging on to a rope tow, but it is a great workout to get the legs pumping up the hill and the heart gets going. I can tell I'm making good hill training progress.  It is just a bummer to be on a treatmill when the weather is so fine.   The machine thinks I climbed 6,000 feet.   Once I backed off the incline to 10% and cranked up the pace, it was amazing how easy it felt.

More treadmill hills

My goal was to PR today. I reached my goal, but still wish I would have done better...never satisfied. I knew my former PR time of 43:08 was very soft.  At Ogden with downhill aid, my 10k split was 41:24, so I knew a big improvement was possible. 

The weather was great.  I did a nice warm up and felt ready.  The ankle was behaving.  I saw two in my age group that I knew I couldn't beat, oh well.  Off we went.  I fell in behind Maryann and Michelle.   It was fun to watch them duel for a little while.  Maryann led first, then Michelle past her.  By mile 1 they started to disappear from my ability to watch. 

Mile 1: 6:14.  Good start.

Mile2: 7:05.  Bad mile.  Slight uphill and I could feel the quads complaining from all my hill work this week.  But after a turn and slight downhill came and I felt better.

Mile 3: 6:25  Finally warming up

Mile 4: 6:47  Still OK

Mile 5: 6:35  I think this mile was short.  I thought things were going great and I just started to get lazy coming in

Mile 6: 7:28   Lazy, lazy.   I had plenty in the tank for a fast sprint for the last tenth.  Almost plowed over a teenager (finished the 5K) crossing the course not looking.  I had to let out a scream in order to not collide with him.

Finish time: 42:04.   I PRed by 1:04.   Not bad.  But the PR still feels soft.  One more chance July 5th and the Freedom Run on a tougher course.  But I think more hills actually help me.  My legs just get lazy on the flats.  They need something to wake them up using different muscles.

4th in my age group, but the age groups were messed up, non-standard.  46-54.  They let the youngsters in.  Still, with 11th overall, that means there were four old guys in the top 11.  Pretty competitive. 161 finishers.

So, for 2010, so far I have PRed at 5K, 10K, 1/2 marathon (twice), full marathon (twice), and 100 miles.

Next up.  Squaw Peak 50 next Saturday in probably about 5 miles of snow.  Should be fun. No PR there, too tough.  Course PR is also unlikely wth the snow and gimpy ankle.  It will be a nice training run for Bighorn 100 in a few weeks.  Oh, also Utah Valley half thrown in before Bighorn....a quest for sub 1:30.

After returning home, I didn't rest, I went and hit the hills.  Took the dog.  At a steep hill with some ground cover, half way up, she refused to follow me.  She just turned around and started to head for home.  I've never seen her do that before.  I called for her to wait, picked her up and carried her up the steep hill.  Once on a bare dirt road she was fine.  Pretty funny.

A non-running interesting experience after the run.  I've been working on an time-intensive family history project.  15 years ago a very distant relative (now dead) sent me rare pictures of some ancestors.  Somehow those pictures got misplaced during our move to Utah 11 years ago.  I've searched many times for them.  Finally last night I did a two hour search of the house and came up empty. I was ready to give up and conclude that they were thrown out by mistake. Then, last night I had a dream reminding me of what the envelope was like that the pictures were in.  It was so clear that I woke up, now remembering clearly what I was looking for.   After my run, I searched in a couple new places that I hadn't checked.  Within ten minutes, I found the treasures!  Amazing! 

And, even more thilling, near these treasures, I found another missing treasure that has bothered me for years.  I thought I gave away this treasure by mistake 11 years ago.  But I found it!  It was a copy of a book on the pioneers I wrote.  This copy traveled on the Mormon Pioneer trek reinactment on the wagon train in 1997.  It is signed by Elders Ballard, Huntsman, Christensen, Holland, Pinnock and other digitaries who visited the wagon train.  I was thrilled to find it again.  It has been a wonderful day!

Intended to do more miles, but the ankle was a pain.  Did hill repeats on a soft desert bushwack above Saratotga Shores school.  Up and down a ridge, a 66 foot climb over 0.15 miles, so an incline of about 440 feet per mile.  Can blast down pretty fast because the surface is nice and soft.  Did it ten times and by that time I was pounding out a distinct trail in the desert floor.  Times for the 0.31 laps were: 3:13. 3:08, 2:58, 3:02, 2:58, 3:01, 3:02, 3:35,3:22, and 3:33.  Nice tough short workout.  Then did some cross country and road running.

This week it is all about hills and heat.  Squaw Peak 50 will be hot this year and I need to get a little used to the heat or I'll suffer in Hobble Creek Canyon.  I don't need a bunch of miles this week.

Thinking about running some of the course on Thursday, the section from the top of Hobble Creek road to Little Valley.  I usually crumble on that section and get lazy.  I would like to run it on fresh legs to inform my mind how easy it really is.  If I could stay strong on that section, that could carry me to the finish better.