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Plan was 6 easy. Met up with White formerly of the blog at Sugarhouse Park and did four laps on the grassy perimeter out to 17th East. Very easy which I needed to absorb the week of training. 1:05:26

White just PRd at the UV Half yesterday and he looked fine the day after.

8 easy. I thought I should get one last trail run of some ok distance in before the race on Saturday in my new Cascadias. I went up Red Butte Canyon to the fence, north on BST a mile then south past my work almost a mile. Very hot - mid 90s - but the "breeziness" really helps; together with strategic Red Butte bubbler use.

I tried to keep my heart rate sub 140 unless I was climbing a hill. 65:40 total with 140 HR and 800+ ft of climb.. 

Tough morning. Got up ok for a 5:40 am run but I was feeling very slow. I had changed my workout to a tempo run, but I could barely manage a 9 minute mile for my first warm-up mile. I "pushed" it for a 7:30 second mile and knew it wasn't my day. I kept going for a bit and turned around early. Managed 6.75 in 56:14 and was really shuffling at the end.

My left glute has hurt since the marathon but it has only been a minor pain. I thought perhaps ischial bursitis. In the past several days, I have felt pain in the sacroilliac area also on the left side. This latter pain has made it difficult to sit down for more than a few minutes. I don't think it is sciatica because there is no pain in my legs or tingling of any kind.

I am wondering if the region is sort of shutting down. It could all be interrelated with my prior hip pain and my general bad hip, but I think the initial injury was based on tightness in the hamstring and a pull at the connection to the ischium. This morning, it felt like my left leg wasn't firing. Never more than a dull pain, just feeling weaker and weaker. Wondering if I need to rest it, but maybe some ice treatment today. 

I went to The Joint in Sugarhouse and got a $19 first timers adjustment. First ever chiropractic visit. It felt like six or seven pops in the left SI joint area including a big one at the source of the pain. No pops when he did the right side. Feels better - there is a slight muscular pain there now. Of course, they suggested six follow up visits (2 per week) and regular monthly visits thereafter.

I then ran on the treadmill to test my hamstring and my turnover. It went:

• .25@7.5 mph
• .25@8
• .25@8.5
• .25@9 
• .5@9.5
• .5@10
• .5@10.5
• .5@10
• .5@9.5
• .25@9
• .25@8.5

Wahsatch Steeplechase

My first trail run. I remember reading Fritz's report last year and thinking I would like to run this race. I was a little intimidated and it really didn't fit in with my training but I wanted to do it. I singed up maybe ten days ago.

This week, I was sidelined by a hamstring strain that was causing trouble in my left glute. After taking Wednesday and Thursday off, it really improved. Yesterday I got my first chiropractic adjustment because my SI joint just felt tweaked. It felt much better. Finally, I got a deep tissue massage to work out the muscles in my hamstring. She told me that she was going to "work out" my legs and they would feel fatigued afterward. She asked that I not go too hard in my race.

I warmed up by running from my home to memory grove via the steep hill on wall street. Just under a mile to the start line. It was a bit chilly so that was a good sign. I enjoyed people watching with the trail running crowd. They are a different breed than road racers but definitely runners.

The race started about ten minutes late as we waited for the restroom goers to finish up. I just tried to run at a comfortable pace and manage the hills the best I could. My legs weren't feeling strong and spry so I think the massage may have had an effect. After the first few miles, though, I never thought about it again and I think I just had to get some rust off.

It gets ridiculously steep starting in mile 6 and, of course, mile 7 which you simply should hike as quickly as possible. The crags were by far my favorite part. It is beautiful and engages you at a high level. I almost feel like there is some of the primitive man in the trail navigator. I feel like your body knows exactly what to do and your mind just has to go with it.

Mile 9, that of the 1,285 foot descent, really did a number on my knees and calves. I could feel them burning and, when my left foot kicked an exposed root, my left calf locked up and caused me to yell in agony. The calf improved but was tight throughout the remainder of the race. 

When I finally hit the road, my legs felt very wobbly. They recovered a bit but by the time I hit the trails on the northwest side of City Creek, I slowed down. My legs were destroyed and my calves hurt if I pushed it so I saw no reason to risk injury. I kind of hobbled to the finish, soaked myself in the creek, grabbed my shirt and decal and walked home with some intermittent jogging. Best morning ever.

Feel good now. Glute was a little tight but not sore and feels fine. 

Garmin:

Mile Split         Up Down  HR Max

1 7:08.9 233 0 162 175

2 9:48.5 617 79 165 175

3 9:10.4 399 89 162 168

4 9:39.6 445 92 160 170

5 10:15.5 446 97 164 173

6 11:44.2 534 36 160 167

7 20:19.7 1087 25 160 167

8 18:37.5 301 324 155 167

9 9:13.2 92 1285 155 161

10 8:07.6 20 656 155 161

11 5:55.2 0 375 157 161

12 6:16.3 0 200 159 162

13 7:13.2 21 179 158 162

14 7:20.4 30 233 156 163

15 7:28.9 0 202 162 168

16 6:55.9 0 271 159 162

17 3:03.7 6 78 159 164

2:38:18 4231 4220 159 175