Seeking a better country...

I cut it to 10k.  Temps were great, right around 60.  I'm excited for fall.

Hiked Wheeler Peak with my mom and daughter.  My daughter had a hard time keeping up, but we slowed things down, and made it up and back in under 6 hours.  She was very proud.  I was proud.  I tried to soak my feet in Lehman creek but it was too cold.  I settled for compression sleeves.  This was a great warmup for a 20 miler the next day...

Getting near the top...

I didn't get up very early to beat the heat, because I wrongly forecast the weather.  By the time I ate some Trix and cinnamon rolls, it was around 8.  I left Lower Lehman campground, then ran to the cave visitors center for a drink.  After that, I headed up the Baker Creek road, so I could have less running east straight into the rising sun.  This was a good move, as it cut 6 miles off the end of the run on a Nevada State road.  So I out and backed up to the final campground, and even found some single track between the upper and lower sites.  The extra long splits occurred when I picked my way to the creek to soak my shirt.  Evaporative cooling was my friend.  I got back to the downhill road out of the park and that's where the fast miles were.  I got to the bottom, and stopped at the park Visitor's center to soak the shirt, and did six out and back miles on the 478.  There were grasshoppers flying and lizards scurrying everywhere.  I saw no snakes.  The final miles were tough.  I was very wiped out from the hike on Friday.  Finally, I decided I was training for a marathon and needed to quit being such a baby; I held a reasonable focus, breathing every 4 steps and ceased with the walking every .7 miles.  

My mom picked me up.  I had a yoplait and Dew.  (the store didn't have choc. milk)  We got back to the campsite, and I crawled into the creek.  I gutted it out for those agonizing minutes before numbness sets in, then enjoyed a nice glacier bath for 15 more.  It took 30 minutes to feel my legs afterward, but the plunge definitely did it's job.  We dragged the littluns up to the Bristlecone Pines (3 miles) after lunch and a nap.   

For Trap, the splits.  7:31 7:21 9:37 9:24 10:20 12:29 (creek) 8:08 8:29 7:06 8:47 (creek)  6:45 7:26 6:53 7:02 8:51 (visitors center) 8:12 8:13 8:09 7:59 7:41

After doing flags and feeding some kids, I took Jack for a bit of a run.  What a nice day!  We went pretty slow;  I'm somewhat stiff from last week and all the car sitting yesterday.  It was good to stretch things out, though.  I feel great now.  It's only 10:42 and I have so much Labor Day left, I can hardly decide what to do next.  I guess laundry, and maybe Lagoon?

Another evening run with Jack.  It was windy.  Sometimes the wind would catch the stroller and noticeably slow it down.  Jack stayed awake the whole run, which is unusual.  I guess he was intrigued by the wind.  It was all the way dark by the time we got home.  I hate cars.  Having to stick to the road is a huge drawback to taking him along.

I got up super early (6:45) and did BST to Freedom Hills.  Ugh summarizes this run perfectly.  My legs were dead and the gusting winds didn't help.  By the time I reached pavement, things were more steady, around 7:20 pace, but the trail portion was a dusty walk-fest. 

I left with the little A girls at 6:45.  We went to the baseball complex (2 slow miles) where they played in the sand and on the swings.  I did 4 quick miles running laps around the park.  6:45, 6:46, 6:41 and 7:14.  The fourth one was slower cuz it was a mini cooldown mile.  The laps are flat/rolling like the last 8 of TOU.  By the time I finished, there was just enough time to get the girls gathered and home before dark.

I'm going to go hard next weekend.  I've been debating whether to ride the canyon fast, or shoot for a more even pacing plan throughout.  It may be a mistake, but I'm going to head out at 6:45 pace for the first 18 and then see how long I can hold on.   I've looked at splits from several bloggers, and they follow this pattern.  I think/hope the game plan is a solid one.  I think I'm physically capable, and the trick will be holding on mentally.

13 tomorrow morning with Spencer.  We'll hit legacy and run from mile 6 to Farmington,  then come back.  Ahh, taper.  My wife will be so happy. 

13 easy miles with Spence on Legacy and Main.  7 a.m. to 8:50.  Bring on the 6,4,3 then 26.2.

This was supposed to be an easy run.  It started out that way.  By mile 2 Jack was fussing a bit.  By the turnaround, he was all-out crying.  By mile 4 it was earsplitting screaming.  I sped up quite a bit in an effort to get him home quickly, the poor kid.  He's never had a bad run; usually he falls asleep during the third mile.  No such luck tonight.  Couple the screaming baby with all the stomach churning over the marathon this weekend, and I was plenty antsy!  No Garmin for this easy run, so it's anyone's guess on the pace.  

They were supposed to be slow miles, but once again, marathon mind took over and the pace probably crept up a bit.  I left the garmin home.  What a perfect night.  The moon wasn't out yet, so it was nice and dark.  I nearly tripped over a crack once.  Wouldn't that be perfect, a couple days from the marathon?  
I've been to the chiro twice this week getting my low back worked over.  Between that, ice and ibuprofen, things feel better than they did Monday.  At least the pain is no longer radiating into my left leg.  

After work I met up with my boys to finish up some lawns.  We finished one at the top of Bountiful, and I had stranded my car at Grandma's.  So I sent them onto the last one, and ran down to pick up my vehicle.  No more running till Saturday.  Easy pace.  I had on a beat up pair of 3 years ago running shoes, my jeans shorts and t-shirt.  I heard a deer snort.  For reals.

Huh.  I still have some work to do.  On one hand, it's a 3 minute PR; on the other hand it could have been a 6-7 minute PR if I wasn't so weak between the ears.  Or the training could have been a bit more solid, perhaps that would have shored things up in my head.  What a lovely prologue.    

After picking up packets and briefly chatting with some lonely pacers, my son and I made our way to Providence; a friend from work agreed to let us stay.  After getting a fixit ticket trying to find the place, we played a little foos and ping pong.   I retired at 10:45 after setting a 4:30 alarm.  I slept soundly until 4:17.  I had a couple bowls of oatmeal, hoping that would be enough to tide me over.  

We drove to the park to catch a bus.  I rode up with an avid marathoner & ultra runner; this was his 95th.  He spun yarns the whole way, which was fine.  Probably I should have found out his name.  The porta-potty line was long, and ours was definitely the slowest.  At one point, we watched the neighboring line move up 6 spots while we stood and waited for some guy to do a total wardrobe change, or something along those lines.  

After that, it started raining in earnest.  I stood under the eave of some shack, and stayed dry.  The start was getting close, and I just barely got my crap in the bus before they took off.  Between shedding the outer layers and the start, the rain really started coming down.  I ducked inside the elite tent and stayed dry, and took a gel and 5 hr energy.  When coming to the line, I ran into an old mission comp, Nate.  We chatted, and he gave me a bandaid for my chestal area.  I was concerned about the effects of a wet shirt, justifiably so.  Just for the record, things worked out fine.  

Cannon shot, and we are off.  I was 10 seconds behind gun time.  I enjoyed running down the canyon for the first time.  I was familiar with the last 14 miles of the course, but had never ventured up to the real start.  I caught up with Tara around mile 2.  We chatted a bit, but mostly focused on rolling down the hill.  We leapfrogged each other through the first 17 miles of the race.  I'd pull ahead a bit, but she'd catch me at every other aid station while I was choking down another gel, always at a dead stop.  Tara ran strong, like a machine.  She passed me approaching mile 20, and I couldn't keep her in sight, but that's getting ahead of myself.  

The canyon miles were not notable.  The water was pretty, but the fall colors haven't started at all yet.  I thought I'd be enjoying a rainbow of red and orange, but mostly it was moody and misty.  Except for the deluge at mile 7.  Another burst of weather at mile 14 made mile 7 look like a gentle sprinkle.  Hail was bouncing off the road, and within seconds we were soaked to the skin.  My shoes gained plenty of weight, as did my shirt and shorts which slapped against my thighs.  My son and parents met me at the Hyrum turn.  Max gave me 2 gels and a 5 hr energy.  I dropped a gel, and he had to bust a move to catch me and give it back.  I guess I was a little shaky.  I stuffed them in my waistband, but they weren't riding very well.  I ate one at mile 15 and carried the other for a while.  

The mile 19 aid station was gel time.  I stopped and got it down, but had a hard time getting started again.  I figured things would improve within a mile, so I pressed on.  I guess there's a little hill I'd been dismissing in my mind.  I walked up it.  I recovered my wits for the next mile, but that was the first crack.  My strategy was to run around 6:45 pace for the first 18 and then hold on.  It worked flawlessly, except for the holding on part.  The last 5 miles were all in the 8:00 + range while I battled my left calf, Gu-gut, and softness in my head.  I was pretty out of it.  The 3:10 pacers went by just before mile 24.  Gamely I held on for about 3 blocks, and couldn't continue.  My groupies followed along and cheered 3-4 times after mile 14 but I only was aware of them one time.  That was at mile 25 when Max joined me for the last bit.  There's a bit of a hill, which I walked all the way up.  After heading turning south for the last time, I told him, "Don't let me stop."  I'm such a hero; I ran for the last .7 miles without stopping.  

After crossing the line, I wandered around, and managed to stay upright.  I'll always be grateful to that large pole I held onto.  I felt somewhat improved within 5 minutes, and grabbed some chocolate milk, and strangely enough, fish-shaped cat food.  I've never participated in a race where they served the finishers cat food.  It must have been in honor of the female winners pet menagerie.  

I left the runner area and went and sat in the gutter.  The small children who had been floating leaves looked at me jealously.  Their parents were fighting a losing fight to keep them dry, and here I was, casually lounging waist-deep.  5 minutes into my soak, Tara joined.  We chatted about the race, and her epic battle to finish in the money.  Alas, she was the 6th overall woman, but did take home a Large Moose as an age division winner.

After reaching a pre-hypothermic state, I got in line for my best post-race massage ever.  Next,  I changed into dry clothes.  I just missed Nate's finish, but he came in with a very solid time in the 3:40's; not bad for a 6 week training cycle.

Mom and Dad drove me home.  I slept thru the canyon, but woke up in Brigham when he stopped for gas.  I thought Prius's didn't need gas...By the time we reached Ogden, I was already plotting a Saturday marathon in November or December.  Sick, I know.

Splits:

6:39
6:45
6:35
6:39
6:41
7:02
6:49
6:43
6:44
7:20
6:54
6:50
6:44
6:49
6:51
7:14
7:03
7:49
7:25
8:33
7:12
8:35
8:10
8:16
7:59
8:36

I often joke with my wife that I'm running to prove that I'm "The Best There Ever Was."  Despite being over an hour slow,  my family continues to support me in this frivolous pursuit.  Running has given me something over the last 3.5 years that I never found anywhere else.   Also, I appreciate  this blog community.  I derive much inspiration reading race reports and workout descriptions.  Congratulations to all the runners today.  As Robert Plant was fond of saying, "Ramble on!"

4, nice and easy.  I wanted to shake loose some of the metabolic crud left over from Saturday.  Everything seems operational, except my left calf.  It's still knotty and sore, but runable.  One drawback to this marathon is having this running-bereft week after during the most perfect weather of the the year.   
I learned a lot last Saturday.  I've got a fairly steep climb ahead of me to run a sub 3.  

0 miles.  3+ hours of running in the rain followed by a 20 minute sit in the gutter pushed my immune system over the edge.  Sick, sick, sick.  I should be home sleeping and playing with little ones, but I'm at work.  I hope to run Saturday.  I'm jealous of every runner I see along Main Street.  

Regular route to Freedom Hills via BST.  VERY SLOW.  I still can't breathe well due to this cold, and while my legs aren't completely trashed, they are still pretty un-fresh.  What a perfect morning!  Being well enough to run is such a blessing.

After the sun went down, I ran to Freedom Hills.  8:20 pace.  I stopped there for a drink, and to lie/lay on the grass and look at the few visible stars.  Light pollution is a big problem for thoughtful people and navigating birds.  After that, I ran home.  Along church row, Vampire Weekend came on, followed by Evening with El Diabolo.  These songs demand a quicker pace, and it felt okay.  Breathing still isn't great, but my legs are coming back.

I got out in the morning for a change.  While I shivering in my bedroom, I debated over long or short sleeves.  Fortunately, I chose short.  It was cool out, but definitely not cold enough for long.  I ran to LPT via Parrish.  Nobody attempted to run me over for a change.  My legs felt pretty dead.  I gotta get rid of this cold all the way, I guess.  I got home in time to drop my daughter and her friends off at Liberty Park for the region tennis tournament.  I noted the new wood chips.  

Rocks in the crocs.   1 mile to drop off the truck for safety.  After getting the girls off to school I did the BST to Freedom Hills thing.  My legs are so dead.  I hope/figure in a couple weeks they'll be back to okay.  This run was an ordeal wrapped up in a great run.