You get out what you put in

Place doesn't matter as we all ran the wrong course. Results here. This was a broad road up to the narrow path so played well into getting into the group one should run with. But even as we hit the track 1/2 mile in I was feeling it. This course, like Snowbird in general, is steep up and down, no breaks. Got into walking up the trails pretty quickly and consistently throughout. Talked to a few people, played tag, mentioned how glorious the downhill would be. Boy was I wrong. For starters, one mile in we had all started on the long course, so by the time we hit the downhill which was an open road, we were quite off course, and the open road was nice, except it was steep. Whatever the gradient is it's too steep for me to let go and feel comfortable (perhaps owing slightly to my fitness--that's a joke) but it's just over the level of being freely descendable. Becky the skinny girl passed me halfway thru the ups and while I opened up on the downhill, I really didn't/couldn't catch too many people. Felt like we descended for at least 2 miles. Had been playing tag with 2 younger girls, but by the time we got back onto a track, a few runners realized we were off course.

I thought maybe we were close to having missed the turn, and started back telling everyone we were wrong, saw 2 runners start to trek across the long meadowed open area with no discernible track so I did the same. One guy had said we were at 4.4 miles so I knew we were off. Unlike everyone else (nearly 50 people I saw) I wasn't willing to run the long course, particularly when I could see that we were way off, I could see that we were already far below the finish and the track kept going the wrong way. So I slopped thru the meadowed hillside, got my shoes wet, but found a roadway back.  'Course by that point there was hardly the motivation to walk fast, let alone jog. I came upon a path we apparently had run up, probably did at least 1.5 miles on the detour, but by the time I got to the road near the beginning I was pretty much done. Uphill finish, which was nice, but I was in no mood, so when I saw the kids, Robo and Phin, I was walking. Nate told me I was about 1:10, got the courage to run the last 50 and was ready to out.

All in all glad for the race, as I was walking back saw Becky finish, I probably wouldn't have kept up with her, by time and comparative runners I maybe saved 8 minutes (not to mention I hardly ran as I detoured). Good, hard workout. Wasn't as sore as I expected the next day. Plantar not as tight as last time. Getting into shape. Weight 198, so almost a Clydsdale. Do Clydsdales run on trails? No, they only pull beer wagons.

By God's grace and for His glory. "Christ in us the hope of glory."

I know racing reveals and training conceals (and builds) but I couldn't help myself. Late onset quad soreness from downhilling Wed, but biked early to this race and got out there. Asked Teren if he'd still win the race in his 50s, he ran 17:09 last year but got down to 16 again this year. He says he's only doing half the mileage he used to do, aerobic capacity still there, but less strength. I don't know what's more impressive, him or Emily. Felt pretty sluggish on the w/u, just got out slowly, getting into the crowd, after we got to the turns on the other side of the park, felt like I already couldn't find my pacing group. Was 6:50 getting out to the canal road, felt like I was warmed up but just jogging pace.

Got into the neighborhoods and knew the dreaded back and forth for my out-of-shape-ness was going to hurt. Passed by a Clydsdale somewhere in there, passed one guy and we were behind a youngun, told him we should catch him, I did, then later the 30s guy caught back up and said we were doing 7:10 pace (?), was trying to catch Clydsdale but ended up following 30s into the park and around, sprinted past him and enjoyed finishing 3 minutes slower than I figure I'd be if I were in shape.

But I'm learning to appreciate the joys, and also realize that knowing there's work to be done gives motivation. This will be one of the harder times for me to get back into shape, need to have muscular tone and eating right. Rode my bike back before the kids woke up. Before this if I'd done this much work I probably would have lost 5 pounds. But I think since building the fence and running more I'm down 12 pounds total.