AM - Got up early and headed down from Sandy with my in-laws to Provo to hit the craziness that is the Provo River 1/2. The logistics and busing are just a mess, but it is a fun race with solid competition - so I'll probably keep coming back. Got a 2.5 warm up in with Adam as we broke the law and went up into the private property, claimed ignorance, and then down the road a little. I was ready to go!
Very happy about how this race went - I just seem to run really well up here. Hit both my major goals (for time and position). Course was a little different than last year - started up higher (faster), hit the highway for a couple miles (slower), ran around the shops more (slower), last year read 13 this year 13.2 (obviously slower):
1-4:55, Started off well with Sasha, sharing quarters briefly, Jeff pulled away very quickly and was already gone; 2-5:08, pretty much running by myself by the end of this mile; 3-5:08, feeling very good and happy about the start, just trying to stay within myself; 4-5:03, thinking about plans to catch up to Jeff and maybe run together, but he was too far up; 5-5:21, first mile of the uphill on the highway; 6-5:33, second uphill mile on the highway, falls were very pretty from here; 7- 5:07, Timed Jeff's lead as we got back on the trail, he was up 53 seconds, Sasha was pretty much the same distance behind me, Gu and water; 8-5:16, Really trying to focus on the less than 10K left and hit each mile solid, this is the first time I know my splits (as I writing) since I didn't let myself look at my watch at each beep instead realizing I just need to keep pushing; 9-5:22, Feeling a bit of fatigue setting in, decided to hit the aid station around here for a quick water splash; 10-5:27, Kept doing little inventories from about mile 5 on every mile or so and just checking my legs (felt good), breathing (flowing well, but getting quicker in here), and mental strength (kept saying out loud, "You are doing great, your amazing." Dumb, but it actually helped. I felt way stronger than on any 1/2 I've done before; 11-5:19, Started the mile thinking just 5K left keep it hammered, I knew a sub 1:10 was very doable, even a sub 1:09 if I could keep on the gas; 12-5:46, Started to fall off a little, having a hard time through all the turns and stuff here at the bottom (plus it was poorly marked in places and Jeff was long gone with the lead bikes and I had to guess at a couple points); 13-5:43, The last two miles were a struggle, legs were heavy and I tried to tell myself to just keep it going and not lose it after working so hard; 13.2-4:50(pace), came around the final turn and just dug it as hard as I could, Finished very strong, need to put a little of that on the last two miles and bring those times down. I am way pleased with this run! I felt like I had stalled out and all the hard work I was putting in wasn't getting me anywhere more than last year, but this is brings it all back - things are paying off. If the race had been on mileage I would have been down around 1:09:20'ish I think. (1:10:06 pr coming in on a little short course/1:10:18 on an accurate course). (Ohana 105.25)
Great job to all the other bloggers (an amazing turnout and great runs) 3.25 Cool down with JeffMc and had a good talk getting to know him a little. (Stratus 560.7)
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