Believe to Achieve

Very nice run with Josse and Melanie.  Troy drove us up to Deer Creek Reservoir at 540am for a 6am start for our 18 miler.  Melanie stayed a few paces in front of us.  Josse and I hung back and "strolled" our first miles, at least from all my speedwork this week it seemed that way.  I was happy to find that our  pace after the first mile of 8:24 stayed under 8s the rest of the miles. We stopped briefly at the usual water/potty spots down that canyon.  Josse knows a lot of runners but we only had to stop, of course, when we spotted her mother on the trail.  That's when Melanie pulled further ahead.  She waited for us at the mouth of the canyon.  Thanks Mel!!!  The canyon was so beautiful, the cool air, the changing leaves, the mountainsides.  This course only drops 700 feet.  With a nice hill up out of the canyon on 800 north (short though : D).  We then went thru the Foothill Elem.  neighborhood to the canal trail.  About six miles on the trail, so harder to keep marathon pace plus 30 seconds (7:30 goal for me).  We stayed up with Melanie, she started to tone it done, thankfully.  Ran on the trail until 1100 north then ran down 1100 to the light (by Grovecrest Elem) turned left then left again into Grovecrest Elem parking lot where we added on a loop.  Staying up with Melanie was my goal for the last few miles.  Felt strong but glad downhill came when it did.  So ready to be done.  Lower back/sciatic bugging me but ended up going numb-like so muscles in back and upper quads felt really tight.  No other major pains.  Needed more water less things with sugar.  We then cruised up the hill in Melanie's car to the top of 1100 north where there is the Grove Creek stream.  We did a 6 minute ice bath.  Melanie and Josse both verified that this creek is a lot colder than the ones they were soaking in.   Run off from Mt Timp.?   10 minutes is too long in that water.  Refreshing though.  1/2 way thru Amber's (6 year old) soccer game at 10am got a splitting migraine (I feel your pain now Josse).  Hydrated more and took some ibuprofen.  Still there but getting better.  Two more soccer games to go this afternoon.  Watch splits, some are averages because I wasn't always hitting my split button with Josse's or Mel's garmins (you can tell by the duplicates):  8:24/ 7:48/ 7:48/ 7:46/ 7:54 (water)/  7:25/ 7:28/ 7:17/ 7:13/ 7:30/ 7:31/ 7:31/ 7:31/ 7:28 /7:28/ 7:15/ 7:37/ 7:07  0.2 in 84 seconds (7:00 pace).  2hrs 17 minutes 33 seconds, Average pace= 7:33.