Patience; the new endurance sport.

When I told Josse how thrashed my legs were yesterday, she said "you used different muscles trail running, so you should be fine by Saturday" (Utah Valley Marathon).  Ha! But I took that thought to heart as I eeked my way down the stairs today.  Yesterday Sasha and Sarah dropped by to say hi and when I told Sasha how much I hurt and where, he pointed to hipflexors.  So I tried to massage and stretch my hipflexors (which felt like hard rope), glutes, and IT band.  WOW is all I can say.  I may have used 'different' muscles getting up and down that mountain, but I am SORE--mostly those hips, IT band and the outside of my quads and lower, inner quad above my knees.   So when I got to the trail, I gingerly tried running and hobbled for about 100 feet.  It took .4 miles to warm up.  When I stopped to say hi to Marsha about 2 miles in,  I could hardley get going again once I'd stopped.  I am toast man, and I'm still in shock over how hard and scary running up and down a mountain is.  I made up like 7 new swear words that day.

Not bringing my Garmin.  Its not worth the reality check right now.  What can be done at this point?  I am loving the weather right now though.  All this rain and moisture in the air is making the trail fragrant and lush. 

Ran with Marsha this morning. She asked me to go 'slower'.  I'll take that as a good sign.  It was the first morning since Saturday that my feet and leg's didn't smart the second they hit the floor when I got out of bed. So I'm a little less sore.  The rest of the day I had to attend this motivational seminar where I saw Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Zig Zigler, Apollo Ohno, Sarah Palin and others.  We could not leave the premises for food so I'm going to count the pretzel, hot dog, and potato chips as 'carb loading'.  It was REALLY cool though, to hear Apollo Ohno talk about preparing for the olympics.  Really inspiring. 

We just learned of a terrible assault, rape, and near murder of a 19 year old student on the Provo Rivertrail by Branbury apartments.  They left her in the bushes for dead to the side of the trail. She is too non coherent to describe her assailant other than 'he had a tatoo'.   She was walking, as if going to BYU on a farily frecuented part of the trail. I'm the one always prepared for weirdness like that, but I'm stunned however, it happened--during the early afternoon--so near where there are hundreds of students who use the trail almost daily.  They said she will recover from the attack, but the bones in her face are badly fractured.   Makes me want to vigilante the trail packing heat. It makes me more furious than scared. 

No running.  Normally I throw in 2 miles the day before a marathon, but I've had so many hard core weekends in a row, I really did not get a healthy taper.  So many variables have left me without knowing how tomorrow will go. And what about that rain?  Really?  In 11 years, it has never rained on or near June 11th (I know because it's my son's birthday and we always do outdoor --stay out by the pool with that drink--kind of parties).  Anyway, in one way it's liberating just to have a totally unknown adventure lay before me tomorrow.  Catherine and I are both looking forward to seeing what a 5 hour marathon feels like.  We may have a picnic or stop for lunch on University Ave. before hitting the finish line....The 100% chance of rain should up the excitement factor.  It's nice to not have a lot vested in this race--just camaraderie and adventure.  Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Not sure on the official chip time yet.  Didn't care to look it up after the race since I was working hard to keep from hurling. There was no way I could have done better than I did. I did everything wrong there was to do between Boston and today.  I took days off when I needed to be doing 20's, I ran  low weekday miles and then torqued out the high miles three Saturdays in a row before the race, I didn't eat right, and I didn't taper.  I was pooped out to begin with and went into today knowing it was going to be a rough ride.  Also, because I really had nothing at stake in today's race, I didn't pump myself up sufficiently and ran on pure force of will, without the aid of any adreleline or excitement.  Catherine was determined to have an 'easy race' and to stay with me.  She wanted to see me through it in exchange for my 'helping her' BQ at Ogden by helping pace her the last 2 miles of her marathon.  Well, she paid me back allright, only sevenfold.  We enjoyed getting up on the busses, we were relaxed and we joked and chatted with other runners we met.  I ran into Marisa and chatted along until we made it to the STart. It was dark and raining while we waited.  Once the race started at 5:43 we took our sweet time crossing the start.  I was in love with the wide green valley there, the horses galloping around upset by the long 'stampeded of humans', the low dark clouds--even the rain.  I loved the rain dripping off my hat in rivulets, I loved how intensely green the mountains were, I was amazed by the flowers and the mist.  No one could have possibly reveled in being outside in that perfect cool running weather than I did.  I didn't even mind the rain and the soaked shoes and socks.  Interrupting the serenity of this running revelry was my very, very upset stomach and my dead-weight legs.  I had to stop 4 different times to use the bathrooms.  I started going from 8:30's to 10:00's by mile 10.  I picked off one mile at a time and did my best to just keep on going.  I had a secret plan to send Catherine on ahead, call someone to come get me around mile 20 and then drive to the finish to see Catherine finish.  She was so strong, and enjoying her 'slow' marathon, she just kept at it, encouraging me every step and letting me know we were going to do it.  I felt terrible for that.  I can be miserable and slow all by myself.  I never told her, that since about midweek, with how sore my legs had been from the Squaw Peak 50, I truly doubted that I would be able to finish.  When I admitted this at mile 23 she said "What?  You've been bluffing this whole time?".  I responded that 12 minute miles wasn't exactly 'bluffing'.  I actually took advil at mile 15 and then again at 21.  I rarely do that, and it probably added to my stomach issues (not to mentione pending kidney failure....).  Around mile 24, I saw Kelli running backwards, and to my surprize she joined us and offered to run me in.  I warned her she was joining my train wreck, but she was easy.  Kelli and Cath got me to the end, distracting me and encouraging me to get going a little faster for the end.  I just really wanted to finish and get it done, but truly didn't have the energy or the kick to finish with any pride.  I am looking forward to getting myself back in order.  I've felt put out and slightly obligated to run UVR--and I wanted to have more fun.  YOu'd think that a four-and-a-half marathon would be fun and easy breezy.  It made me appreciate how well I'd prepared for SG'09 and Boston '10.  When I run a sub 4, it is not an accident.  It takes an incredible about of preparation and focus--neither of which I have excersized since April.  It will be nice to get my weekday miles and good eating under control before I start even thinking about another race.  I still can't get over how beautiful the course was.  So fresh, so green.  I venture to say it's the prettiest course in Utah (now they changed the course to take you higher up the canyon).  I'm glad I did it, glad I finished, glad to give Catherine a reason to take it easy and support a friend.  It was humbling to be supported when I was feeling so weak, and unworthy.  I guess that's what friends do.