Philippians 4:13

REST DAY with the family.  (Changed my run blog to Monday instead of Sunday!)

5 miles very easy this morning in between rain storms.  My left knee is a bit twingy and sore but nothing else hurts at all, good sign for the recovery and with plans to run Pocatello Half Marathon this Saturday fairly hard.  (Defyance)

5 miles at lunch on a nice cool day.  Just short and easy in 38 minutes...left knee still there but not bad.  (Ride Black)

4 easy miles on a chilly morning (38 degrees) before my wife had to go to work.  Everything felt good at first but at 1.5M started to feel my left knee again.  So instead of pushing it, I just went short (knee started feeling much better at the end) plus I needed a pit stop.  I will just wait and see if I get another run in today based on my knee and work.  (Defyance)y b

Very busy day at work today so no time to run at lunch.  5.1 miles around the loop at Community Park while my son had soccer practice after work on a pleasant evening.  No issues with my knee!  (Ride Black)

5 miles early on a cool, windy morning in 42 minutes.  Just nice and easy, the knee is continuing to feel better.  (Defyance)

Finally got the supplies for PowerBar for the Pocatello marathon yesterday, cutting it close!  PowerBar has been great in supporting several local races over the past year, including being the exclusive supplier of gels for Pocatello Marathon/Half marathon!

Very busy day so I had no time to get in a second run today.  OK with this to help rest the knee.

6 miles early on a cool day in 47:25.  Started slow and finished faster for a decent run with no knee issues what so ever.  Feeling good, hopefully work will be less stressful today.  (Defyance)

I have been working to start a fall running club at my kid's elementary school and ran into some issues on expectations with the PTO, but it appears we are on the same page again and I will be coaching some kids this fall.  PowerBar has been great and supplied nutritional products for the club as well.  Should be fun!

Bad News:  Stress and more stress at work, so very busy this morning and working through lunch.

Good news:  Have a break from the stress and see a window to run in the nice weather outside!!!  5M in 37 minutes just to try and relax.  (Black Ride)

More Bad news:  Had already eaten my lunch and ran 30 minutes after eating so my stomach was not all that happy!

More Bad news x 2:  Having major issues with our neighbors...their children are being mean to our kids and so our kids won't play with them, their parents are pissed at us for not including their kids in play and won't take accountability for their bad behavior.  So, we cut them off from playing with our kids.  Now they (kid and parents) are going around talking smack to others about our family and indicating we are being derogatory to other families...our neighbors are acting like there are still in junior high!  Grow up and take accountability for your actions and stop blaming us for your own issues!  DAMN more stress at home too over very stupid stuff!

Just tired this morning from a busy and stressful day yesterday, so much so that I almost didn't get up to run.  Maybe I shouldn't have because I was just flat and not motivated on a cold (37 degrees) morning to run, so I did a short 4 miles really slow and called it good for that run (plus nature was calling).  Maybe another short run at lunch today (stress relief at least) on hopefully a less stressful day. (Defyance)

Looking forward to the Poky half tomorrow and meeting a few FRB'ers that I have not had the pleasure yet to meet face to face. 

On a good note yesterday, my son had his first soccer game of the season and the all did great.  It was a fun game to watch between two good and respectful teams, with it resulting in a close 4-2 win for our team.  Way to play boys!

Another stressful day, a necessary easy run at lunch to cool off.  4.6M in 37 minutes easy in the Kinvara shoes I plan on wearing tomorrow...go to my happy place, go to my happy place..hey, where is the beer? (Kinvara)

My son had an activity at a friends house, so my daughter wanted to go roller skating.  She, my and I spent a couple of hours on a "date night" with our daugther having a ball at the local skating rink.  She did awesome!

1st overall in 1:17:29.  Rob Murphy pushed me the whole way and ran a great race.   I had stomach/intestinal issues starting about mile 6 and finally had to jump in a honeypot at mile 10 (not fun running 4 miles holding it back).  I Came out of the POP and Rob had passed me, but the relief from the intestinal pain helped and I was able to power through to the end.  Almost got hit by a car at 12.5 miles by a guy not looking right pulling out from the park.  I think that if it weren't for the GI issues, I would have been close to or under 1:16.  I had a similar start to 08, a slower middle section but a faster finish so this is still hopeful for a good training run for SGM.  At the start, I am wearing my Powerbar shirt and get recognized from several runners from last year and encourage them to run their best race.  Take a PowerBar Gel and am ready to go!

Splits:

1 - 5:26   Start off a bit fast but use the mild downhill to establish a groove for the run.

2- 5:43    Now just easing into my pace for the run.  Rob is right there with me running strong on a mostly flat mile.

3 - 5:58   Starting to hit the beginning of the rollers, we pass Teena and exchange hellos and encouragement, she is looking strong!

4 - 6:08  The biggest roller on the course (except the hill at 7-8), just maintaining steady effort for now instead of trying to kill the hills.  Rob has dropped back a bit but I know he is there running strong.

5 - 5:42  Over the big roller, now on flat and mild downhill.  My GI is starting to talk to me but nothing bad (yet).

6 - 5:50  Still mostly flat, but now I can tell my intestinal issues are getting more noticeable but not to the point of needing to stop, I figure I can run through this mild discomfort.

7 - 5:54 Flat mile before the hill.  Come into the aid station and try to grab a PowerBar Gel but the worker let's go before I can grab it.  So on I run but then I hear the pounding footsteps of one of the kids trying to catch me to hand me one...he chases me for about 0.25 mile but never gets to me and gives up with a "keep running fast!".  Looking back it is probably good I didn't get one with my GI issues which are still there and getting stronger.

8 - 6:02  The wind picks up and pushes us for a mile, up the hill!  Run a strong mile up the hill to Century high school.  GI issues are now starting to get me worried but I keep pushing to maintain momentum after the hill.

9 - 5:58  Slight uphill section on the worst part of the course for me.  GI issues now getting worse and nearly stop at the POP but they have kinda ebbed down and I didn't want to slow as I know Rob is out there ready to pounce.  I should have stopped here!

10 - 6:40  GI issues now very bad just past the aid station, nearly stop behind a wall to just relieve the pressure.  I make it to the aid station at 10 and have to wait about 10 seconds for someone to get out.  SO much relief after the stop!  Jump out and the workers say "There goes your guy!" and I see Rob about 20 seconds ahead.

11 - 5:36  Feeling much better and with someone to chase I put on the jets and catch Rob and keep on moving out fast.

12 - 5:51  Trying to keep moving strong but not wanting to burn out, so I scale it back to make sure I have a little left at the end in case Rob chases me down.

 13 - 5:42  Picking it up knowing the end is near.  I am nearly hit by a car at 12.5 as a guy fails to look both ways even though his passenger looks right at me. 

0.1 (0.17) - 1:00  Just roll into the finish praise God for the strength to run this race well.  Rob is running great and comes in right behind me.

After the race I talked to lots of other runners, local friends and FRB'er friends (including Teena, Smooth and Kathie...nice to put a face to the name). Saw my buddy Pat B who won the marathon in 2:44, running with cramps from mile 16 on and nearly dropping out at 24 miles but he pushed to the end.  Way to go, Pat!  Andrea did well finishing the half marathon in 1:40 for third overall and McKay finished the full in 3:35, great job!  Bill Mandler and Barry ran good as well.

Lots more intestinal issues at the finish and even after getting home.  I have never had this bad a case of cramps after a race of any distance!  I feel like #$%&!  Hope this goes away soon.  I loved the Kinvara as race shoes, hopefully they will work well for the marathon as well.