Denouement

7.75 miles in 7:45 ave pace

Met Josse at about mile 11 mark of the Hobbler Half, and we ran up and down the canyon.  Pace was really easy.  Wanted to make sure this run was easy because I get to run the Freedom Festival on Monday! 8:19 ave pace. Core workout in the PM Stadium of Fire at night.  Watch the fire burn higher and higher!

AM: Race.  Had bad sleep, woke up at 4:40.  Got kids up, then got out the door.  Had oatmeal and some immodium and earned some stars before getting out the door. Drank some emergency because felt a tad throaty (likely lack of sleep).  It was overcast and hot and humid (for Utah) early.  We got our packets (Ben did the 5k, and Mickie did his first ever 5k, the both just walked a bit and got 36 min times). I left jj with my niece who is with us for a couple of weeks and did my warm up.  3 miles nice and easy, lots of stretching.  Plan was to go out easier than last year and finish stronger than last year.  Well, at least I executed the first half of that directive.

Mile 1 - 6:14, less uphill than last year because of course change, couldn't go much faster and still feel as relaxed as I wanted to. Started out in about 10th place for girls but ended up in about 5th place at the mile mark.

Mile 2 - 5:55, downhill mile, wanted a 5:50 on this mile but went by feel

Mile 3 - 6:04, slight downhill mile, wanted a 5:55 but went by feel

Mile 4 - 6:09, this race is obviously not going how I want it to, but I pass the #3 girl at the end of this mile and am now #2, Kassi is not far ahead

Mile 5 - 6:18, the loop around the mental hospital throws me for a loop, getting hard to care

Mile 6 - 6:40, wow, that is a sucky split, regardless of the uphillness of the mile

.33 5:43 pace 

39:17, a bad time, but the course was about .1 long (people measured .11-.15 long), and the weather hot and humid, and I was closer to Kassi this year (she is also post marathon-UVM), so I guess it's a good workout and that's about all I can think about it. 3 mile cool down.

Got a small nap at home, then we went to my mom's cabin for a brief stay over. Did an afternoon run on dirt roads, with downhill then uphill (that's the worst). 3.59 in 9:09 ave pace 

Felt surprisingly good in the second half of this run, despite it being downhill, then uphill.  Did the paved road in Fairview.  Lives up to its name.  8.56 in 7:40 ave pace.  Core workout in the PM.

AM: 4.17 mile warm up, then 3x 300m, 200m, 100m at 5k, 3k, 1 mile pace, and 200m rest between all. first set was 61, (missed 200 split), 17, second was 61, 37, 17, third was 59, 38, 17. 8.15 total miles.  Jen H joined me on the track.  Nice to have her company. 

PM: 4.1 miles 

6.45 in 7:45 ave pace, core workout in PM, also 1.5 mile walk in afternoon.  Swimming with kids at the work party at night--it was too cold.  I did a flip off the diving board but was too chicken to do it again.  In a subsequent attempt did a nice back flop.  Legs unaffected so thumbs up!

5.13 miles in 7:50 ave pace.  Have Hobbler Half tomorrow.  stretching, rolling, etc.

Hobbler Half today. Had horrible sleep last night, just too much stress to sleep well.  Got 2.5 hours.  Woke up at 4:20.  Oatmeal, dressed, immodium, out the door.  Met Josse, Mack, Aub and Frank at the bottom and rode up.  It was great.  We got up to the top at about 5:45. The race apparently was late, started at 7:04, but I thought it was going to start at 7am, so it was on time for me :D  Given my monday race, I thought I am still not in peak condition, but that downhill races are fun, so I was going to soak up the experience, and hopefully bank enough seconds for the last uphill mile to still get a good time.  My A goal was 1:18:45, my B was to beat Stephanie Talley's time from last year (and course record) of 1:19:06, and my C was to break 1:20.  Ran 2.5 miles warm up, stretching, hanging out.  I see no women I recognize as threats.  I guess it's just me and Stephanie's record.  I wanted to be sub 6:00 through mile 10 then hang on best I could as it climbed in mile 12 and 13.  First miles I tried to keep effort easy yet still take advantage of the hills. The course through mile 11.5 is rolling downhill.  It was nice, not as steep ask Hobble Creek 1/2.  First mile measured .06 short, and all other miles were about .06-.08 off, but then it made up for it at the end since there was a way long (like .17 long) .1 mile at the end of the race.  So my splits are by my watch.  First four miles I was in lead with guys around.  Creamy white guy (cream shirt, white shorts, creamy white legs) was being very jerky with his pace, speeding up (passing like I am standing still), then slowing when in front of me, blocking me when I was on a turn.  There was one girl right behind me for 3-4 miles, but she was breathing too hard for this point in the race so I knew she'd be unlikely to challenge me. First 4 miles were 5:58, 5:56, 5:59, 6:04.  Creamy white guy falls back for good by mile 4, and so is the girl behind me.  I have a nice set of three guys just ahead of me that I hang onto for the next several miles.  The mile 6 water station was off the course and unmanned so I got no water, even though I had downed a gu in prep for the station.  Bummer.  No water until mile 9.  It started to get hot at around mile 6 too. Miles 5-8 were: 5:56, 6:02, 5:57, 6;07.  In the 8th mile I pass the two of the three guys, and another guy, looking really strong, passed me.  I know I need to hang onto him but easier said than done.  He creeps away.  Meanwhile, I am feeling fatigued, but I do successfully hang onto green shirt guy.  Miles 9-11 were 6:09, 6:03, 6:14.  Hanging on, but starting a gradual fade.  There is intermittent headwind and tailwind, just to keep me guessing. Mile 12 starts with a nice strong downhill but starts the ascent to the finish in the second half.  Mile 12 is 6:15.  Mile 13 is uphill for about .8, then flat for .2.  I struggled in this mile for sure.  At .7 my lap pace was 6:49, but started to pick it up for the finish and got a 6:36 for this mile. 5:20 pace for .1.  My watch measured 13.1, and I was very careful with my tangents going down the canyon.  There were just under 600 finishers in the half, I was 11th overall, first girl.  #2 was an athlete of Bill Cobler's, #3 was MacK and #4 was Aub.  South county representing :D  I did 2.4 cool down, then waited in line for a massage while waiting for the awards.  Wouldn't you know it they start the female awards when I am on the massage table, 2.5 minutes into the best 10 minute massage I never had after a race (the guy was great, but I jumped off the table to claim my prizes).  I was aware of the $250 cash and a watch (for sale if anyone wants it, it's a Red Clover sports watch with a heartrate monitor.  Model RC10005-A  MSRP is $65 on the box, can find online for $58.50, I'll sell it for best offer), but I didn't know that I also won a cool ladder.  It is a Little Giant Ladder Systems ladder, MSRP's at $359 and I would also need to sell the ladder as well http://www.littlegiantladdersystems.com/products/view/15.  For those who don't know, we are moving.  I will communicate details to my friends as I see them.  My only friends will be blog friends soon!  

After the race I was blessed to share my running experiences and lessons learned (some I relearn frequently!) with the Salem Hills High School cross country team which were up Hobble Creek for their running camp.  This provided me with the opportunity to reflect on the blessing running has been in my life.  I tried to communicate how your running career is alot like a marathon.  You can't obsess about mile 26 in mile 1, and you just need to be present and committed to the phase you are in.  I am in Phase 3 :D 

PM: 4 miles shake out run  in 8:12 ave pace in 97F at 3:20, also humidity still higher than normal, core workout

7.93 in 8:01 ave pace.

Met Ali, warmed up and stretched. 4.05 warm up in 8:16 ave pace.  Then 20 x 25 sec on/1 min off strides, with increasing effort.  Ave pace for first five was 5:38 (some downhill), second 5 was 5:39 (some uphill), third 5 was 5:25 (rolling up and down), last 5 were 5:06 (first three were downhill, fourth was uphill, fifth was flat). 3.52 cool down in 8:21 ave pace.

PT appt in morning: lots of exercises and stretching.  Worked right ham and calf

PM: 4.83 in 40 min, 8:17 ave pace, core workout 

9.63 in 7:47 ave pace.  Nostalgic as I ran through the tall trees on the north side of the SF river bottoms.

AM: slept in til 7am, then warmed up 3.47 miles and stretching.  Started tempo at Payson Onion Days 10k start (approx) and went along course for 2.5 miles.  Was going to do 5 miles but my assigned tempo was 4-5, so I ended up just doing 4.  I need to talk to my coach, because my steady state tempos seem too hard, maybe because I am going off San Diego RNR time and here we are at altitude?  Splits on the tempo were:6:25, 6:17, 6:19, 6:18, so 6:20 ave pace.  11.76 total miles.

PM: core workout and evening run. 5 miles in 7:41, way faster than recovery pace, but it was hot outside and just wanted to get it done.  Had a kid party at night where we played night games.  I ran so hard in capture the flag and kick the can.  I am surprised I didn't get myself injured.  It was great fun, though. 

Ran watchless.  Apparently it was 7.2 miles

Red Hot Pink Chicks 1/2 marathon fun run this morning.  I ran 16 with a relaxed pace 8:14.Alas, my rainbow rooster has flown away to greener pastures in SF.  At least I got to sign it's orange glitter butt to prove I won it once upon a time.  So nice to run with friends and to have an excuse to spray paint my hair pink.

PM: core workout.  Ran with Mack in the evening 5 miles. We were both watchless! 

7.75 in 7:45 ave pace.  PT exercises

3.72 mile warm up, then 3 this set: 300m (200m rest), 200m (200m rest), 100M (200m) rest.  They were supposed to be 5k, 3k, 1 mile pace each. First set was 65, 41, (missing-watch malfunction :D ), 2nd set was 61, 40, 15, 3rd set was 56 (oops), 39, 16.  Then 2.7 mile cool down.  PM: 4.97 miles in 8:03 ave pace, core workout

10.14 in 7:24 ave pace, massage, pt exercises, JJ's bday party (I ate none of the monster volcano cake, yeah me!).

11.72 in 7:41 ave pace, PM: Met Mack and her bro late in Payson, 4.96 in 8:17 ave pace.

7.65 in 7:51 ave pace, PT appt and exercises, PM: 5 miles in 7:59 ave pace at 8pm

Met Josse and Mack for our long run. Started way slow, I was tired, probably from some shortened sleep and from run last night.  First mile was about 9mm, but got down to I think a 7:22 in the last mile.  Gradually woke up during run. 8:03 ave pace total.

Quick race report.  So busy!  

Stayed in a hotel Sunday night because of early race time. 3.06 warm up, saw Emily J and EmilyB and Cassie at the start.  Wanted to be about 5 seconds behind each of my splits from 2008, the last time I ran this race and got a 35:02.  Splits are (in parenthesis are 2008 splits if I remember them 5:23 (5:18), 5:28 (5:23), 5:46, 5:51, 5:54, 6:23, not sure the pace for the last .2.  I didn't know it, but I was in the money at the mile 5 mark, in third place.  I thought I was about 5th.  Then I got passed by a masters woman and with about .5 to go by Cassie.  I did about as well as I thought I would in this race but I was so close to the top 4 ahead of me, I wish I could have made myself care more in the last mile (see my long run this week for practicing this).  I know I could have done better in this last mile! 3.4 mile cool down with EmilyB going back to the cars.  My bro was in town to visit me before I move, so we went to Willard bay. Too choppy for the planned boat, so we rented a seedoo and a water playground.  Was way fun.  On the way through SLC we did RaceKarts, since I won a gc three years ago, and it was our last opportunity to do it. Check!  Home at 10:20. 

Last day of work.  Ran afterward in the rain.  Dizzy in the middle third, felt better in the last third. 7:57 ave pace.

10:04 in 7:27 ave pace.  Felt pretty good. Last massage.  Dinner with friends at KellieS and TylerS'.  Thanks for the get together, guys :D

Met EmilyB and Travis for a tempo run in the river bottoms.  5-6 mile steady state.  Coach advised to take these tempos a bit easier.  Knowing I could go 6:30 went a long way in my psyche.  3.13 warm up, then stretching. Tempo was miles 5-10 of SF half.  So hilly.  Splits were 6:17 (gradual down), 6:27 (flat), 6:28 (uphill), 6:07 (downhill), 6:22 (mostly flat, gradual uphill at end), 6:14 (gradual up and down).  About 6.19 pace, felt good. Emily stopped at 5.15, but was ahead of me about 6 sec when she stopped.  Travis stopped with her, walked, then caught up to me and passed me, all in the last mile.

Spent all day sorting through the house.  Everything is suicase, DI or trash.  Got to Mack's house at 11:40. 

Met Ali.  Ran 7.93 in 7:55 ave pace.

Ran a thirds progression run with JenH and Travis.  Tyler joined for first four miles.  120 min with first third easy, second third medium, third third moderately hard (abt marathon pace).  I cleaned all day on Friday and have been working myself ragged so I came into this tired from the start.  Gave myself two gus in the run for that reason.  First third pace was about 7:40ish pace.  Second third was about 7:08 ave pace.  Third third was 6 miles, and splits were 6:46, 6:38, 6:32, 6:32, 6:31, 6:25.  I was hurting so bad the last two miles. I was forcing myself to practice caring (see my sixth mile of my race this monday).  I wanted to give up so bad, but in the second to last mile I just kept surging.  In the sixth mile I was moaning and close to giving up, but told myself, if you had to run a 6:25 to get the OTQ in the last mile of a marathon, could you do it, so that's what I did.  The end of this run seriously felt like a marathon.  After the run I iced and got to my house at 10am.  Except for a stint to the dentist to get my crown put back in, I was at my house until 12:10, just after midnight cleaning.  The RS came two days, and Mack was there, probably cleaned 10 hours or more beside me.  My mom and my friend from work Erica also came.  So grateful for all the help.  And yes, in retrospect, I should have hired professional cleaners.