Southern Utah 1/2 1:12:42 Not too shabby / not too great. That was basically my day here. Home town course on the roads and paved trails The Circle runs every week for workouts, so that was fun. Warmed up 3+ with Clyde up on Highland. My mind and body both kind of wondered what I was doing racing... What does this racing even mean? I have struggled even keeping my head into running lately - not that it seems like a chore (because i love it); it just seems like a lot of work. In retrospect I wish I would have had another half this summer to remind me a bit how to race, but I am definitely glad I ran this as to get some of that going before the marathon. It was nice that no one was really here, because it was nice to get some money for what was really a tempo run. But this was a great race, nice course which was quick but not blazing by any means, put on very well, etc... So Clyde and I started off and I felt great. But you should feel good during the easy part of a race - at first and downhill. Climbing out of the gully, Clyde gapped me a little, but I was closing it up when we took an unexpected (but welcome) turn which Clyde missed and I yelled at him to get to. Then down 300 we stayed together some more. Getting onto Mosquito just over mile 4, we had an average of 5:09. Then on Mosquito Clyde took off - or really I struggled. Getting off the trail, my average had dropped to 5:18 and Clyde put at least 20 seconds on me. So I probably ran like 5:40's for that 1.5 mile section. I tried to close up a bit on the road and the beginning of the next section of the River Trail, but Clyde was gone. Through Mosquito and on, I had a very hard time getting out of marathon pace and pretty much failed at doing so. Probably 535's from here on out, since slowly the overall ave just kept sneaking up a sec or two per mile. Tried to battle and tell myself that a sub 1:13 would make me feel like I still have a chance at sub 2:30 with a solid month left to go. But, like I said, I really couldn't do much to go quicker - no quicker stuff at all in my training this year... That will probably end up being my downfall. Getting to 12 at just over 1:07, I knew I had 6 minutes for 1.1 to hit my improve goal. I kind of dug finally and got moving. Heard the crowd cheer for Clyde and thought, "Dang! He killed it!" Figuring I finished at 1:12:42, I must have had a decent last 1.1 - probably about where I should have been the whole race. Cooled for 4 with Clyde at the end. Good to see him run so well, and good to see Logan's team do so well up north - even though I still hate them. So, cool for my bros. and James ran solid and seems to be prepped for a decent marathon after all he has been through. Also Al hit her a new PR, and saw good friends and such. As for myself, I feel a little antsy now. Maybe this will give the drive to finish up the last microcycle and end it all with another sub 2:30. But I have work to do. Do Work! (Adios 208) The week was what it was... Better tempo, not as good race. Also decided that need something different than my adios for St. George. Talking with Clyde, I think I will get a new pair of Kinvara 5's to race in. It is a little weird because I train in them all the time. I like them a lot, however, and a new pair with a few workouts in them will still make them feel like a race shoe and get me that mental sharpness hat putting on a race shoe does. Goals for next week: keep the focus on the marathon. So that means tempo good, running hard workouts with my team bad. | 