Kerry's Running Blog

St. George Marathon

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Location:

Cedar Hills,UT,USA

Member Since:

Apr 08, 2006

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Age Division Winner

Running Accomplishments:

5K: 21:39 (2006) Half marathon: 1:33:45 (2006) Marathon 3:31:49 (2006)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Lose some weight and get back into racing shape. Run more races this year.

 Next race: St. George Marathon

Long-Term Running Goals:

Stay healthy and in good enough shape that I can more or less keep up with my youngest daughter.

Personal:

My wife Laureen got me into running. She went into the St. George Marathon Ten Year Club last year and I should go in this year. I have two daughters (15 and 21).

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Cumulus12 Lifetime Miles: 10.65
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
67.4040.626.001.10115.12
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
2.003.240.000.005.24

Clear, beautiful morning although a little on the cold side (temperatures were probably in the low 40's). A half moon almost directly overhead. I was pleased with how good my legs are feeling with just a few days left before St. George. After a couple miles of warm-up, I ran the rest at marathon pace. I'm excited and ready to go. It'll be fun seeing everybody.

I guess there are some doubts about my preparation lingering somewhere in my subconscious as I had kind of a strange dream about the Wasatch Back Relay. I dreamed that I was in the off-van and we were in some nearly deserted little town looking at each other because we didn't know where our hotel was or whether we even had a hotel. We didn't have any food or water and nobody even seemed to know where or when we were supposed to meet the other van. I alternated between blaming myself and then blaming others for our total lack of preparation.

As the probability of us forgetting to plan for the relay is at close to zero as you can get, I must have been thinking about how I should have run more hills before St. George, how I've forgotten to pick up any eGel, how I don't know for sure what I'm going to wear, how I don't have any throw-away clothes to wear the first few miles and so on and so on. I've been through this enough times that I know that I'll get everything in plenty of time, but I guess there's just that fear of forgetting some critical item and suffering greatly as a result.  

Comments(5)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.400.000.000.003.40

Just got out this morning to loosen up and make sure everything was working. No surprises except for a sharp pain in my big toe that lasted for 30 seconds or so. Kind of weird. Stopped at the flag pole overlooking the pond to just  look at the stars for a minute. Stopped again to stretch just before turning onto 48th. Right now I'm planning on a short run tomorrow before leaving for St. George.

Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
1.000.000.001.002.00

Followed the carbo-load method outlined in the forum. Warmed up for a mile and then ran a mile at 5K race pace. Had waffle breakfast immediately after.

Comments(1)
Race: St. George Marathon (26.2 Miles) 03:37:59, Place overall: 1328
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.0026.200.000.0026.20

Arrived at the start about forty-five minutes before the start of the race. Had a chance to hit the POP and relax by the fire for a few minutes. It was cold enough that I elected to wear a long sleeve shirt over the top of my technical shirt along with my gloves. Started out with Wayne, dodging other runners and trying to find a little space by running along the edge of the road. I was a bit surprised to find that my ankles and lower shins were fairly tight right from the beginning and didn't seem to be loosening up. First mile in 7:56, second mile in 7:58. The crowd had broken up and we were feeling warmed up, so we started to pick up the pace a bit. Third mile in 7:21, but ankles were still tight and PF in right foot was starting to bother me a little. About half way into the next mile I had a sudden sharp pain in my right instep. After running for a few steps I started to think I was done for the day. I tried altering my stride so I didn't come right down on the sore spot, but I knew that I couldn't keep that up all day. I just kept going gradually put more weight on it. It hurt, but the pain didn't seem to be getting any worse. Fourth mile in 7:28. I was still thinking at that point that I probably going to have to take a DNF, but I just kept going anyway. By that time I'd lost sight of Wayne. I took a gel heading into the five mile waterstop, but it didn't go down very easy.  As there was a nice downhill the next couple of miles, I kept up a consistent effort with a 7:23 and 7:14 for miles six and seven. Starting up the hill at Veyo, the pain eased up a bit and I actually started feeling OK. The next three miles were not fast (8:43, 8:44 and 8:29), but my foot was feeling better. Took another gel approaching the 11 mile mark and then walked through the waterstop. Mile 11 in 8:50. As things started to level out a bit, Greg W. caught up with me and we ran together for a little while. He was looking pretty good, but my foot was getting sore again and I let him go. Mile 12 in 8:15, mile 13 in 8:01. I was happy that things weren't getting any worse and I was starting to feel pretty confident that I'd be able to finish. Mile 14 in 8:13. By the time the 3:30 pace group caught up with me and I ran with them for a while. Mile 15 in 7:42 and mile 16 in 7:59. At mile 17 I took a short POP stop (8:05) and struggled a bit with the uphill on 18 (8:15) and 19 (8:44). I was feeling pretty queasy at that point and was hoping that I could just barf and get it over with. Mile 20 in 8:58 and 21 in 8:26. I was pretty much just in survival mode the rest of the way. I really, really wanted to just stop and walk for a while, but I knew I wouldn't get going again. Mile 22 in 9:17 and mile 23 in 9:05. Even with the cool temperatures I was feeling overheated and I was breathing like I was running much faster. Mile 24 in 9:05 and mile 25 in 8:59. The last full mile was torture in some ways and exhilarating in others. I got a boost from some neighbors cheering me on and it was nice to run downhill in the shade. I got another boost from the band playing on the corner and then the excitement of the crowd at the finish just pulls you along to the finish. About two seconds after crossing the mat, I felt pretty wobbly and thought I might barf, but I managed to make my way through the misters and find a place to lay down. Wayne was there and we talked for a bit and somebody gave me a cup of ice to rub on my legs (that was so appreciated). After a few minutes I got up and shuffled to my car and drove back to the hotel to pick up my daughter so that we could go back to the finish and watch my wife come in. She looked strong and finished in her best time ever.

As I look back on the race, I'm a disappointed with my time, but really feel like I gave my best effort under the circumstances. I don't know why my foot would start hurting so early in the race. I know I didn't get enough hill training in this year or enough tempo miles. I think it would also have helped a lot to have run more races during the summer. I was happy and grateful to finish with a BQ, however (mostly as a result of moving into an older age group :) 

Comments(9)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.250.000.000.003.25

Beautiful fall morning. Temperatures in the high 40's, low 50's. Plenty of sunshine. The quads and left calf have been sore the last couple of days, along with the PF in my right foot, but I was happily surprised that today's run went fairly well. Everything was still a bit sore starting out, but it all felt better than yesterday and didn't get any worse during the run. I was a bit surprised, however, by the effort it required to run at a fairly slow pace. I was breathing like marathon pace, but probably only running 9:30 to 10:00 pace. It's just so nice to get out again.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.250.000.000.003.25

Had a delightful late morning run with Laureen and Amelia (my youngest daughter -- we couldn't talk Brittany into going with us). The weather was just perfect. We ran down to the Highland Glen pond and back, stopping to explore along the way. We stopped to watch little trout jumping out of the water after the occasional insect and also jogged over to watch some boys practicing soccer. Amelia's starting to get the sense that she can run at a slower pace and it's still fun and good for you (up til now she seems to have had only one gear). We just had fun and Laureen found lots of lucky coins scattered around the school. My legs are starting to feel halfway normal.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
1.002.340.000.003.34

I succeeded in getting both daughter out this morning to go with me. They weren't up for a three mile run, but they were both up for a bike ride along side me. As I didn't want to hold them up too much, I pushed it a little harder than I had orignally planned, but the legs felt pretty good. The PF in my right foot bothered me starting out, but I was happy to find that it had pretty much faded after the first mile. Riding up the slight grade on the path behind the high school was a bit harder for the girls and I had to stop a couple of times to wait for them. It was fun to be out with them and challenge them to a bit of a race. As long as we were going uphill I had the advantage, but as soon as we started down the path along the creek, they started to pull ahead. I ran harder to keep up and was surprised at how good I felt. Average pace for the run was 8:06.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.240.000.000.005.24

Intended to sleep in this morning, but Laureen and I were both awake early, so we just decided to get up and go for a run. It was overcast when we left the house, but not raining. We ran the Highland Glen loop backwards and had fun kicking up the leaves along the creek path. By the time we were looping around the pond the wind had kicked up a bit and a light steady rain was falling. We stopped for a minute to watch a big balloon slowly descending into a field. It was apparently on a cord of some kind and was being reeled in by some guy in a pickup. We thought we'd jog over that way and see what he was doing, but he drove off before we even got close. The balloon was wider than the bed, so he had to drive kind of slow. We don't know what he was doing, but it was a nice distraction from the rain and wind. After he passed the high school and started south, the wind and rain started to let up and we made it home without getting completely drenched.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
2.200.004.000.006.20

Ran the extended temple route this morning with Laureen. Warmed up for two miles and then ran south to pick up an extra mile while Laureen ran east. As I pushed it down the the hill, my right heel was pretty sore, but it felt OK when the road flattened out and then started to climb. As I wanted to catch Laureen before she got to the top of the hill on 40th, I pushed it fairly hard. I really enjoyed putting in a harder effort, but couldn't catch her until just after she'd turned the corner onto Cedar Hills Drive.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.000.000.000.004.00

It didn't look too bad as we were leaving the house this morning, a few drops were falling and there was a light breeze out of the north, but Laureen and I hadn't gone more than half a mile before a cold rain started with strong gusts of wind (enough to make me a little nostalgic for Boston). We hurried north along the creek trail to find some shelter in the trees and found that when we got to the end the wind and rain had died off. That didn't last long, however, and within a few minutes a light rain started back up and more gusts from the north. We turned south at the trail south of the country club golf course and it almost seemed pleasant. When we turned north again to follow the trail into Highland Glen park, the wind and rain were right in our face and we decided to head back home. As usually happens, the clouds started to break up a bit by the time we got home.  My PF was a bit of a bother throughout the run, but it never got any worse.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.002.200.000.005.20

Ran the Highland Glen loop this morning. As it was a bit on the chilly side starting out, I ran a little faster than planned. As I felt great after the warm-up, I pushed it for the next couple of miles and pushed it even a little harder on the last 1.2 miles.

 Mile  Pace
 1  8:32
 2  7:59
 3  8:05
 4  8:06
 5  7:39
 .2  7:20

Overall average was 8:03 with a total elevation gain/loss of 424 feet.

Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Cross-training day. Worked out with weights and then went for a walk. PF bothering me a bit after yesterday's run. Beautiful warm fall day.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
1.004.240.000.005.24

Went out for a run after some taking care of some errands. A strong wind was blowing out of the northwest and the clouds were low and threatening. Temperatures were in the low 40's and dropping. For some reason I just loved today's run. There were times when I was running directly into the wind that I wasn't moving at all and other times when the wind was pushing me from behind so hard that I might have been running world record pace if I could have just spread a bit more sail. People would look at you like you were insane, but I've been out in a lot worse conditions. There's something just fun about being out when there's a real blow.

Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.500.000.000.005.50

Ran the duck pond loop with Laureen on a beautiful (if somewhat cool) fall day. Felt great to get out.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.000.000.000.005.00

Temple loop with Laureen.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.250.000.000.005.25

Laureen and I went exploring a bit as we wanted to look at the stone on different houses to decide what kind we want on the fireplace in our family room. We headed east on the canal and then wound our way up through the neighborhood on the east side of Canyon Road.

I've been a little pressed for time lately and haven't been very good at keeping the blog up. Hopefully that will change in the next week or so.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.540.700.000.005.24

Highland Glen loop. Bright, full moon in the west with temperatures in the low 40's. Just as I crossed 48th heading east I ran head-on into a herd of deer. The shadows near the orchard made it was dark enough  that I thought they were big dogs at first even though the closest one was no more than ten feet away. Eight of them gathered in a nearby yard and we looked at each other for a minute before the biggest doe lost interest and guided the rest across the highway. The run along the creek trail was a bit tricky as the shadows and leaves obscured the path. At one point I almost missed a turn that would have put me right in the creek. It was just fun to be out this morning.

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.100.000.000.006.10

Today Laureen and I just put the GPS on and ran whereever we felt like.  We ran along the creek and then down towards the high school before picking up the trail along the golf course. After climbing the hill on Canyon Road we took a right down into the subdivision to try to find a house that had the kind of brick we're looking at for our fireplace. After we found the house we jogged over to the golf course to get a drink in the club house. We then down along the trail past the driving range and wandered west until we picked up the creek trail again.

Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
1.431.702.000.105.23

Ran the Highland Glen loop. Hazy conditions, temperatures in the upper 40's. I felt pretty good so I pushed it a little harder today.

 Mile  Pace
 1  8:11
 2  7:41
 3  7:44
 4  7:53
 5  7:29
.23  6:51

I was also happy to see that I haven't gained any weight since the marathon (still at 148.6).

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.240.000.000.005.24

Highland Glen loop with Laureen. Generally pleasant temperatures on a beautiful fall day.

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.000.000.000.005.00

Temple loop with Laureen.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
67.4040.626.001.10115.12
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