Fly on the Wall

11 miles with 6x1000 meter intervals at 5k pace with 90 sec recovery.  

Goal pace was 6:10 but I was dragging today.

4 mile warmup.   Intervals- 6:05, 6:20, 6:15, 6:11, 6:26, 6:18.  Average 6:16 (I forgot me HR stap at home.)  Cool down.

Out and back on JRP.  9:23 ave pace out.  8:46 ave pace back.  ho hum. ho hum...

A.M. - Ran to work via a "scenic route" for 4.2 miles.  Good thing I took a scenic route because my legs felt like lead for the first 3.5 miles which is a greater distance than the direct route.  ho hum.

LUNCH - 6.1 miles recovery pace.  Legs a bit better than this morning.

Ran in the heat of the late afternoon (low 90s) but I ran up City Creek which is a lot better than out by the Jordan River.

 Ave pace up and down hill - 9:06 @ 139 bpm.  slowest uphill was 11:35.  fastest downhill was 7:22 (but so what?).  Today's run felt much better.

5 recovery. City Creek. Felt sluggish. 

I finished in 1:31:03.  Sasha's race time predictor says 3:04 for St. George.  But this comes at the end of a peak mileage week, 70 miles with speed work.  I wonder if I have a shot at sub 3 at St.George?

I've been reading other race reports and wanting a break from lonely long runs.  But my wife works every other Saturday, leaving our weekends together packed.  Fitting in a race is tough.  However, yesterday I found a sitter for my kids, so I signed up for the Legacy Parkway 1/2.  This race is a fund raiser for the Hess Cancer Foundation.  A cancer survivor and Mr. Hess both gave great heart felt words of encouragement and appreciation.  I felt my race dollars went to a GREAT cause.

This is a nearly flat out and back on the Legacy Parkway.  The weather was a bit warm (~75 w/ 35% humidity at my finish).  8 to 9 mph head winds on the way back. 

1 mile warm up, mainly to get my weekly miles in.  Then sat around waiting for the start.

1  6.56  166 bpm.  Speed is relative but, no fast runners showed up.  I was in 2nd.  Shins tight!

2  6.53  172  Mile 2 or 3 I was passed by the guy who I think went on to win.  Shins achy and tight!

3  6.54  174   About here I was chicked. Stayed with the chick till turn around.  Shins tight!

4  6.56  175  Shins starting to loosen up.

5  7.05  173  About here 2 more runners caught me and the chick.  Pack of 4 in 3rd place.  Shins getting better.

6  7.14  172  Overpass and sharp U turn around.  Lost the chick (she was the woman's winner)

7  7.09  172  3 of us ran astride for a few miles.

8  7.04  174  Finally could tuck in behind to draft a bit.

9  7.09  172  About here we dropped one of the 3 some. I was feeling strong thinking I could surge at mile 10 and maybe take 3rd.

10  7.08  172  Neck and neck, stride for stride two of us ran together.  Waiting to surge, starting to tire.

11  6.58  174  Still neck and neck.  Oscillating from ok, to pretty good, to I want to stop and take a nap.

12  6.57  175  Still neck and neck.  I can't pull away but I can keep up.  Legs beat!

13  6.36  180  Still stride for stride, neck and neck.  I really want to stop and lie down on the side of the road for a nice long nap.  I can see the finish, but I'm now running 5 to 10 seconds off my 5k PR pace in mile 13 of this race and mile 67 for the week.  My legs are tired and I am not enjoying myself.

13.?  180bpm.  With maybe 100 yards to go the bastard ;) next to me takes off like someone lit his shorts on fire.  There is no fire in my shorts and I can't find it in me to kick hard.  I'm kind of glad because now I give up any hope of 3rd and just finish. Course seemed almost .1 short.  1:31:03 (unofficial)

3.2 mile  cool down, 9.45 pace, 149 bpm.

1st in age group. Master's winner.  4th overall.