Running

16.91 in 2:10:48.  Marathon pace run.

4 mile warm-up, 10 miles at MP pace (6:50-7:00), 3 mile cooldown.  All done in Provo Canyon.  Most of it with Mark.  The 10 mile tempo was tough, especially around miles 6-7.  Splits for the tempo:

7:16  6:59  7:19  7:01  6:29  7:18  7:04  6:56  6:52  6:27 

AM 8.16 in 1:02:30.

I'm modifying the training schedule this week because of the Provo River 1/2 on Saturday.  I will break the runs up between the am and pm.  I think this will help my legs.  Legs were dead this morning for the first 5 miles, and then I started feeling better.

PM 5.82 in 48:16.  It was hot.

AM 8.12 in 1:03:23.  Out towards Saratoga and back.

 PM 6.14 in around 48:00

AM No running yet.  I hope to get in an easy, slow 5 miles tonight.

PM 5 miles on the TM.  Boooooring.

6.71 slow and easy.  Not much in the legs right now.

4.0 in about 32 minutes.  Easy and slow.

Goals for the race: 

1:25 and run my own race (in control).  Hope and pray the achilles and feet come out of the race feeling ok.

It wouldn’t be the Provo River ½ if there wasn’t mass chaos and confusion at the start.  That being said, I always have really liked this race. 

Secretly, I was hoping I would be able to come in ahead of the first lady.  I believe I did so, but I had to hold her off at the end.  I had planned on trying to push it down South Fork pretty hard, and then try and hold 6:30 pace the rest of the way.  I wasn’t sure if the uphill section near Bridal Veil was going to be in play this year, but it was and I was fine with that. 

Met Tom Lee and talked with him for a second in the first few miles (if you’re reading this – nice job and I wish you were still blogging).  I ended up running a good portion of the race with Andy (from the blog).  I caught up to him around mile 5 and hung with him until about the 10 mile marker.  It really helps to run with people in a race.  There were certain sections where he carried me quite simply because I didn’t want to fall back.  Overall I felt pretty good.  Recently I’ve discovered that during these races I go in and out feeling bad.  It is just a matter of working through the bad times and then eventually I start to feel better.  Around mile 10, sunglasses guy caught up to Andy and I and started passing.  I started fading a bit and ended up running alone the rest of the way.  At the mile 11 water break I stopped for a bit, and really had to will myself to the finish for the last 2 miles.  I was surprised my splits were as good as they were for the last two. 

Overall, I was really happy with how consistent my splits were and this is certainly a good building block for the upcoming marathons.  I’m hoping I recover well from this and no pain/injuries linger.  Congrats to the other bloggers who ran so well.  I can’t believe how fast some of these people are.

Here are the splits:

1-6:13

2-6:11

3-6:18

4-6:05

5-6:23

6-6:22

7-6:39    Uphill

8-6:42    Uphill

9-6:16

10-6:24

11-6:23

12-6:48 holding on

13-6:45 holding on

.1-0:39

5.28 in 44:25.  Nice and slow out near Willow Park.  Felt better than expected.

8.21 in 1:03:26.  Felt pretty good, but still a little sore in the legs from the race.

6.31 in 47:13.  Legs feel dead right now.

9.16 in 1:12:50.

Went out towards Saratoga Springs.  It was a bit cold as I got closer to the lake.  Lots of nats on the way back.  Legs still feel tired.

5.12 in around 41:00. 

18.02 in 2:22:48.  Went up Provo Canyon.  I was pretty slow going up, but was able to get down to below 8:00 average for the entire run coming back down.  Great day to run and lots of people up the canyon.

AM 7.27 in about 57:23.  Felt like fall.  Went out towards the old church.  Could see my breath at times and my hands were freezing.  I will hit things hard Monday - Wednesday and then I will back off the rest of the week because of Hobble Creek 1/2.  Will get out and do some more tonight.

PM 6.06 out around the neighborhood in 46:16

AM 5.03 in 39:31.  Planned on going around 8 this morning, but the power went out while I was getting ready, so I had to wait for the sun to come up a little bit to give me just a little light.

PM 7.01 in the evening

AM 6.50 This was a bad run. Didn't feel great. Legs were a bit sore. I think the doubles the last two days are getting the best of me right now.

PM 4.50 on the TM after lifting very lightly.

5.43 in the evening around the neighborhood in around 41:30.  It was hot.

4.06 slow and easy.  Threw some strides in.

Goals for Hobble Creek tomorrow: 1:22ish and don't get hurt.

Goal was to finish in 1:22:00.  This race takes the cake for worst bus ride experience.  Started late as well.  Annoying, but I’m glad I’m not the person directing the race.  I was going to try and kill it coming out of the canyon, and then just hold on to the finish.  Lots of fast women in this race as well, especially compared to the Provo ½ a couple weeks ago.

1-5:51  I ran with two ladies for about the first 5-6 miles.  Mel (one of the crack o’ dawn girls and another lady who I see at the gym in Lehi).  I dropped them around the six mile mark.

2-6:15

3-6:29

4-5:34

5-6:27

6-6:14

7-6:11  Coming out of the canyon and feeling really good.  Concentrating on slowly reeling in the groups ahead of me.  Found a good rhythm in these middle miles.

8-6:07

9-6:22

10-6:06  I passed Mary Ann right around the end of this mile.  I had her in my sights for the last couple miles and slowly reeled her in.

11-6:52  This mile has the hill.  It’s not that long, but it worked me over pretty good.  After the hill, I was able to reel in about 3 other guys who were fading.

12-6:19

13-6:33  Right after the 12.5 mark I caught and passed the skinny guy in the black tights.  I told him to run with me, and he stuck with me for a bit, but then faded and finished a few seconds behind me.

.1-0:37

Overall, this was one of the best races that I’ve raced.  I didn’t get passed after about mile 6, and I was able to pass a descent number of people the rest of the way.  I finished pretty strong, and I think I’m learning how to race better in the fact that I’m able to work through the hard times in the race and recover and relax. 

In all honesty, I don’t know how I’m going to get faster than this.  Will the speed just come gradual as I put the miles in?  And how will these half marathon results translate to the St. George Marathon? 

AM 5.64 slow with some walking.  Felt better than I thought I was going to.

PM 4.36 on the TM.

9.50 with overall pace right under 8:00.

AM 5.06 at an ave. pace of about 7:50. Last 2 miles were below 7:10.

PM 2.50 on the TM after a little lifting.

8.69 at 7:40 overall pace.  One of the better training runs I've had in a while.  First mile was around 8:30, and then everything after that was pretty much in the 7:30s.

5.11 in a little over 41 minutes.  Slow and easy.

18.03 in around 2:25:40 up and down Provo Canyon.  Lots of runners in the canyon and pretty good weather.  Ended up with more miles than I anticipated this week, and I think I will try and hit the 70 mark next week.

10.04 in the morning

5.0 on the TM