Training for a Belt Buckle

No serious training today.  I spent a lot of timing picking up supplies for our office picnic this weekend and going to pharmacies, so parked as far as I could from stores and then walked for a while tonight.

I went to the eye doctor today. My right eye has always been very dry since I had lasik surgery - but lately there have been times (particularly in the night or when I wake up) when I feel like someone is stabbing me in the eye.  It turns out that I have Recurrent Corneal Erosions  and also Blepharitis.  The pain is caused by my eye actually pulling off the top layer of skin on the eye.  I went to 5 pharmarcies before one pharmacist called around to find me the eye ointment that the doctor wants me to use.  I sure hope this helps - because there are days when I want to tear the eye out of its socket.....

Walked to work today and found a bit of a shortcut that gets me off of 9th East and onto less busy roads.

The plan is to run 2 miles at lunch, walk home, run to and from the gym.

Later - walked home from work. Took a detour along the way and stopped by a swimwear shop and bought a water running belt.

I ran for 45 minutes in the pool and was wiped out and then swam for 15 minutes.  I am not sure of how pool running converts to real running - so am assigning myself 3 miles for that portion.
 

Ran the pipeline trail tonight.  My goals were to run all but a few small stretches and do a negative split.  I accomplished both.

Mile 1: 13:05

Mile 2: 13:01

Mile 3: 12:19

Mile 4: 12:56

Mile 5: 12:55

Mile 6: 12:53

Mile 7: 12:08

I was pleased with the last 2 miles because I was really tired and had to jump off the path a lot to avoid bikers - but kept on pushing.  Of the 7+ miles, I only walked 2/10 of a mile total.

Really lousy run tonight.

I woke up around 5 with my stomach feeling like I had an ulcer, so ate some food and went back to bed.  Dragged all day - thinking I overdid the run last night and needed to taper for the Provo Half on Saturday.  

I ran to Wasatch Running tonight and about half way there had to make an emergency pit stop a 7-11 (before things got messy) and from there on it all went downhill. I started walking at 3 miles and thought I would never make it home.

Filled 200 water balloons for my office picnic tomorrow - but I'm ready to go to bed now. I'm hoping it is only a 24 hour flu - but if I feel like this tomorrow night - I won't even bother trying the half because it would probably do me more harm than good.

Taking my pitiful self off to wallow in bed in perfect misery......

PR Time!!!!!

I ran the Provo Half Marathon this morning.  I am very happy to have a new PR.  The previous half marathon PR was 2:41 in 2006 - so I was able to drop 12 minutes.

I have run the Provo Half 3 previous times and I was very disappointed in the organization of the run. I think they were scrambling to change the course because of the fires above Bridal Veil Falls - but after all these years I thought they could have done better.  They suggested you come early on Friday and pick up your number and get a free GU - and I came within an hour of them opening and they had run out of GU.  Not that I cared - its the principle of the thing.

Race started about 15 minutes late.  They decided they had to get the final buses out of the canyon - so tried to find ways to move them through 2500 runners. I finally went back and got in the port a potty line and decided to just run my watch time.

We started at the top of South Canyon and ran 4.5 miles down the hills to Vivian Park.  That was the first aid station.  My knees were a little twingy - but never got worse the entire race, so I was happy with that.  My goal was to run 8 minutes, walk 2 minutes the entire race and see how that felt. After Vivian Park, they put us on the highway for 2.5 miles.  A lot more uphills than the previous course and my knees were not too happy about the concrete.  Finally - another aid station at 7 miles.  From then on we were on paths or parking lot and that was a lot easier on the body.

Overall, I felt good maintaining that rhythm.  I dropped down to 1.5 minutes walking after 10 miles and ran the rest of the way in from 12 miles on.  My legs and body felt really good from 7-11 miles and so I know I am training in the right direction.  I could have pushed harder, but this was more a pace test and a knee test and I am satisfied.  It is really different this last year to finally be in a position where I am passing runners and surrounded by runners the entire race. My first years - I was usually in the back and alone the entire time.  I had a potty stop at mile 7.5 and was able to catch and pass the runners I had been with at about mile 10.5.  The last mile I was passing lots of people.  That sure is a motivator!

Overall - a good run. Average pace 11:14 (my goal was to average under 12:00). 1526  Calories burned.