Bryce Canyon 1/2 Marathon - pretty frustrating and disappointing race. Got up to the start in the morning and saw Nick M., Mike V., and Seth W.; also Theo and Shaun Martin. I planned on going out with Mike (the last two years he held back a little on the downhill and got me around mile 6-7, so I thought I could hold back with him and see if it led to a stronger finishing 10K). Started off okay, the lead group was up about 20 meters, so I worked up to them about .75 into it. Went through mile 1 in pretty much the same as the last two years, but the pace seemed just too hot for me; so as Seth started to push the group, I just fell back (which put me all by myself for pretty much the whole race). I also fell off the pace significantly for this mile and most of the downhill miles. Here and there I would have a good section and then I would have plenty of bad ones. Some of them were so poor I don't even know what I was doing. I still had hopes of reeling people in as Seth continued to stretch out the group. I eventually caught the high school kid that had tried to lead and the 6th place guy was only a couple hundred meters ahead of me (around mile 7). Just then I come around a corner and see Vick coming out of a bathroom and now 5th and 6th are only barely up on me. Then I fade dramatically. Pass Vick as he hits another b-room break and start to try and real in 5th again only to have a major sick feeling hit me. My youngest had been sick the night before and I think it hit me a little. I felt way cold and flushed and just drained almost automatically. As soon as that happened (at 10'ish) I gave up and another guy passed me, and I just jogged in. Here are the splits from the last few years for comparison: Mile
| '07 | '08 | '09 | 1
| 5:38 | 5:24 | 5:23 | 2
| 5:32 | 5:24 | 5:33 (10:57)
| 3
| 4:47 | 4:46 | 4:44 (15:41)
| 4
| 5:03 | 4:54 | 5:25 (21:06)
| 5
| 5:06 | 4:57 | 5:23 (26:30)
| 6
| 5:08 | 5:03 | 4:54 (31:25)
| 7
| 5:18 | 5:18 | 5:20 (36:46)
| 8
| 5:31 | 5:27 | 5:33 (42:19)
| 9
| 5:48 | 5:44 | 5:26 (47:45)
| 10
| 5:33 | 5:39 | 5:49 (53:35)
| 11
| 5:39 | 5:46 | 5:43 (59:18)
| 12
| 5:51 | 5:58 | 5:56 (1:05:15)
| 13
| 5:38 | 5:35 | 5:57 (1:11:12)
| 13.1
| (1:10:46) | (5:05 pace) (1:10:18)
| :33 (1:11:45)
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I really don't know what to say. I thought I was in shape for a 1:08 (and if I would have gone after 5th that's what he got - I still think I could have got it but it just wasn't my day). Some days it just doesn't click. But I am pretty bummed about this. I have been working so hard and I don't know if I have gained anything. Is it even worth it? I could probably just go out and run 60 miles/week and have less hard workouts and run only a few minutes slower, so I am just not sure where I am at with my running. It is easy to tell others (friends, kids, etc..) to get back on and learn from the tough ones, but doing it yourself is a whole other story. I guess I'll just see what I want to do when Monday morning comes around.
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