Denouement

4:54/k ave pace

Core workout in pm  plus crossball (a game Ben made up.  All four of us play against Ben and haven't beat him yet). 

AM:  6.17k at 4:54 pace

PM: Aberdeen track workout: 2 x (8x400m @ 5k pace, with 100m running rest, no more than 35 sec). 400m jog between sets.  then 4 x 200m slow (45-50 sec) intent was to draw out lactic acid on these 400m. 

I thought I would try to hit 85-86, I knew it would start easy and get hard from there.  I warmed up just over 4k.

1 - 80-85? (didn't start watch) (33 rest), 2 - 85 (33), 3 - 87 (30), 4 - 85 (36), 5 - 86 (31), 6 - 85 (31), 7 - 84 (32), 8 - 82 (3:30 rest for 400m between sets), 1 - 84 (34), 2 - 83 (33), 3- 85 (33), 4 -85 (38), 5- 84 (34), 6 - 85 (37), 7 - 85 (37), 8 - 82, 

after the 400's jogged a 100, changed shoes to trainers, then did 4 x 200m slow.  I have never done these before, but Charlotte who was a big time runner in UK, says her UK team did it all the time to draw out lactic acid.  So did 50, 46, 46, 47.  Static 60 sec between each.  Then cooled down 5k. 

Met a girl for the first time for a run.  I have known her from the races but it was great to get to know her better.  She taught me how to count to ten in Cantonese: _ , eee, sam, sae, mmm, lok, ___, bat, ___,  sat.  Ok, it will tak me time, but I am at trying in some mild way.  I can also say good morning, good evening, hello (they answer the phone "whyyy"), and excuse me.  She taught me how to say "how much?" but that didn't stick.  Maybe next time.  12.4k in 5:08/k pace.

Ran 4.41k warm up, then 16 x 200m on the track.  I was all alone, so I did these slower than I would have if I had had company and/or witnesses.  Legs also felt rather dead, perhaps not fully recovered from Tuesday night's workout?  My goal was to not go slower than 37sec and to do a minimum of 12.  The sun came out and was beating on me and it got hotter as the workout progressed (I started my warm up at 7:15am).  Splits were 36, 37, 37, 36, 37, 36, 36, 36, 36, 37, 35, 35, 37, 34, 35, 35.  Rest was 200m jog, 1:30-2min.  Cooled down between 5-6k

10.06k in 49:06.  Hope my Sunday 10k is faster :D

5 miles easy on the treadmill, race tomorrow in the crazy 5:30pm heat 

Was lucky this race was not hotter than it was. This race is a rare cash prize race so I thought I would force a 10k tempo in the heat and get paid to do it :D  I wanted to do 3:55 pace and keep that pace all the way if possible.  The course is pretty flat, though I did notice it was slightly uphill out and slightly downhill back.  In the first 500m several ladies were around me (even one in front).  I didn't know any of them, but they started strong. For the first 2k I could feel/hear someone right behind and I guessed it was one of these ladies, but I was doing the pace I wanted to, and didn't feel like going faster, so just held steady.  Whoever was on me dropped off by 3.5k.  There was no water until 4.1k or so. Choked down a swig.  At the 180 turnaround I was 19:44, about 3:56 pace.  Ladies were 30-50 sec back, a comfortable lead but I couldn't totally dog it.  7-8k was 7:49, right on, next 1k was 3:56, and did the second half overall in 19:26, a nice negative split.  So ran a smarter race than the Chung Hing Cup (same course, my first race I ran in Hong Kong), though overall a bit slower.  I will do Chung Hing again after our Utah trip.  Excited to go to Vietnam today (I am writing this on Monday).

12.4k in 5:04pace

In Vietnam, 5.34k in 5:16 ave pace.  Air was aweful aweful

In Vietnam HCMC District 1 attempting a fartlek.  5.06 warm up in 5:16, then 25 x 30 sec on / 1 min off.  Almost got hit by a car/motorcycle several times. 3k cool down.

5:10 ave/k

Last day in Vietnam.  I have been sick and I think the polluted air gave me this funky sinus infection.  Paul and I decided we needed a real workout and the best way to do that would be to pay the $15 each to exercise in the Renaissance Marriott Hotel.  Their exercise facilities were awesome and it was worth every penny.  I wanted to do 6 x 2k at 6 min/mile pace, but after one 2k I felt awful and that perhaps I would have to just do a long run.  I had a bathroom break, then came back to the treadmill, and then decided to try #2.  I ended up doing all 6, with 3-5 min breaks between each.  I watched a tv on the treadmill, which was so great. So glad we did this.

Ran a medium long run 18.31k at 4:41 ave pace.  Almost fainted on the MTR on the way home, it was too hot for that run.  I should have drank a pocari sweat right after stopping.

4:48/k ave pace, packing for US all day, ran this with Maggie Chan, all-american from BYU and Hong Kong Olympian.

4:50 pace in Corona, CA.

Ran 3 mile warm up, then 4 x 1 mile.  Started pretty late because we got home from Universal Studios after midnight.  It sure was bright!  I could not do the 6 x 1mile I was supposed to do.  Excuse #1--I had no help or friends.  Excuse #2--I am on vacation.  Excuse #3--It was hot and ow so bright (no fog or air pollution to cut out the sun).  #4--My motivation has been a bit lacking lately (ever since shingles--bleh).  Well, anyway.  I was lucky to do 4.  Splits were 5:51, 5:53, 5:50, 5:46.  I started on the 9 minutes, except I started #3 and pooped out after 150m, then I ran the rest of the lap and started it over again with success.   Short cool down because we needed to head out to Irvine to hang out with Paul's brother's family. 

I met Josse, Mack, Melody and Aubry this morning.  My first Utah run, my first run with my friends.  On the way there I was actually quite distraught.  Seeing my friends and being in Utah is a bit distressing because I am here and in a way it seems like the land of milk and honey, but I can't stay here.  Went 6.11 miles at 7:40/mi ave pace. 

I guess I am ready to write this race report now. 

I have been looking forward to this race while suffering through workouts in Hong Kong in the heat and humidity.  However, my enthusiasm waned after a stressful couple of weeks, from being sick while traveling in Vietnam, and lots of travel.  I was still happy to face the challenge of a course I have run a couple of times before and against a good group of competitive women.  

I wanted to try to break 36:00, so I looked at my splits from last year.  I switched my watch to miles so that I could match the course markings and splits from prior years.  I basically wanted to run by feel and be stronger during the flat and uphill.  I knew Emily Bates and Melody would be major competition, but there are always others I don't know who show up at the race, and that Kassi would be way ahead.  She is so strong.  

Josse, Melody and I stayed with Ericka the night before and had some fun girly time.

Race morning we got there with just under 40 minutes to prepare, enough for a race that starts at 6am.  We warmed up (2.26 miles for me), stretched, pottied, then a couple of strides.  It was nice to catch up with Emily in the morning and to see Kassi and congratulate her on coming back strong so fast after her baby.

Here's the race:

Mile 1: of course 15 or so girls were ahead of me by the mile 1 marker.  People go out so fast!  I go out a conservative 5:31 (5:23 last year)

Mile 2: still feeling good, got 5:34 (5:28 last year), picking off people

Mile 3: hate the bit of uphill, but regain momentum in the downhill part, 5:50 (5:46 last year), not in a panic that I am slower on all my splits from last year, I am going by feel and it doesn't feel right to go faster, Melody comes up to me, so glad she did.  Unfortunately feeling like I need a port a pot

Mile 4: catching some girls, surge to pass them at the 4 mile mark, Melody is with me, 5:47 (5:51 last year), hear from a guy that Emily B is ahead and #3 and is suffering.  We all are reeling her in

Mile 5: getting distracted by my intestines, realizing its a bush or bust with my need to go potty, make a quick stop but I lose the pack of three other girls (melody and two others) and and another girl passes during my quick stop.  Didn't get an individual split for this mile.  I start to reel in the girl who  passed during the bush break.  Right around the 5 mile mark there was a water stop that was not ready.  

Also right around the 5 mile mark a cop makes me turn, though all the runners, including the ladies I am trying to catch up to went straight.  I stop and have a mini-argument with him.  He tells me they are going the wrong way and that I need to turn and go on the right course.  This is such a bummer.  From what I can tell, there were guys that went the wrong way because there were not volunteers at the turn and all the top ladies followed.  Now I don't pretend that I would have caught up to Kassi and #2, but I did hope to catch the pack that gapped me when I stopped.  I likely would not have beat all of them for the #3 stop, but my race ended when I turned and they went straight.  Who was I to race at this point?  I will never know how strong I would have finished and that bums me out.  I don't have a split for mile 5

Mile 6:  running on my own on the parade route.  Was cheered on as the first girl and tried to play the part, though I was a bit deflated.  I did kick it in when a guy eventually came up on me.  We raced it in and he beat me by just under a second.  My split for the final 2.21 was 6:17.  A lame average, but it did include the quick potty break and running solo.

Melody did awesome and fought for 3rd place and beat out the other ladies.  It was a great race for her, and my disappointment in not being able to follow the leading ladies in no way means the ladies in the front did not deserve their win and prizes.  However, course snafoos do create disappointment and race directors should never minimize the importance of adequate course markings and volunteers.

Josse, Melody and I ran up the course backwards and got another 5 miles in.  We saw the top men and Allie as they finished up their marathons.  We were near delirium by the time we got to Josse's car.  

Easy run with the OP ladies, then icing in the river.  It was so great to ice in the river, I loved it.  My legs are sore but not as sore as they should be.  Feedback that I did not race as hard as I should have.   Dang.  

I went rafting down Provo River with Paul's family in three rafts.  We had a great time despite getting stuck and twirling around in unplanned 360's.  I got out and swam a bit in a mellow part.  It was partly cloudy and even rained a bit, so no one got burnt.  

Feels like old times!  Met Mack and TylerS at Loafer Elem and ran around pretty Little road, where we met Steve, then after 4.3 miles did 12 x 2 min on/1 min off fartlek.  Fast bits averaged 5:54/mi pace (I switched over my watch for the race).  I was sucking wind, could really feel the altitude, but loved how cool it was.  It was so pleasant.  I have to say I miss the toilets every two miles in HK, but the bushes around here still remembered me :D  About 18C with 37% humidity.

Core workout. 

Ran about 60 minutes, not counting a break to switch laundry.  Nice and easy, no watch at all since my garmin was unexpectedly dead :/

Meeting Josse at Vintage tomorrow at 6am for a run up and down the Provo Canyon, join if you can! 

Ran with Josse and Rebecca going up and down Provo Canyon.  Ran at 7:40/mi ave pace.  Icing in the river.  Legs still a bit tired from the Tuesday race.

Core workout while watching the Olympics.  

I ran from my mom's house in Cedar Hills.  Uphill to the mouth of AF canyon. then downhill to 5300S, stopped at Kohler's for potty/water, then down 5300S, did 8 x strides, then back home.  Unfortunate that the location of my mom's house forces me to do downhill first, but it is good to be in a naturally hilly place, but the hills involve no steps, mostly gradual.  I was sucking wind quite a bit. The altitude is hitting me (about 1500m).  4:48 pace overall.  I switched back to k's :D

Planned to meet EmilyB and Josse at 6am, but my phone died in the middle of the night.  I knew I was in trouble when I saw light coming through the window.  I woke up at 6am, got to Provo by 6:40, they were squarely in their hard workout.  So I was able to hang out with them for a bit, but I was on my own for the hard workout.  The plan was Fartlek: 3x4min-2mineasy-3x3min-1.30easy-3x2min-1mineasy-3x1min-30secseasy, all at 3:40 pace.  I did poorly on the 4 minute bits, probably equally a result of being half-out of shape and from feeling the altitude.  My paces for the four minute bits were 3:43, 3:55, 3:52.  The last one was uphill a bit from the river trail to Vintage park, a bit cross countryish, so I was feeling a bit better on that one.  The 3 minute bits were: 3:46, 3:36, 3:35.  So finally got down to the paces I needed.  It seemed 3:35 was easier to keep than 3:45, but perhaps that was just because the workout was now half over.  2 minute paces were: 3:35, 3:37, 3:39, then one minute bits were: 3:28, 3:43 (missed 5 or so seconds of the first of this, not sure how I missed my watch beeping), 3:24.  

For a cool down I ran around the Provo Temple.  That area is so pretty, I wish I had a camera, though the hill is just as daunting as I remember.   I started the workout poorly but am happy I stuck with it.  Will do a run in the afternoon.  

PM: ran 5 miles in the heat in Salem.  The two bank thermometers said 93F and 102F--meaning . . . those thermometers are inaccurate!  And it was stinking hot!  Got some chocolate milk at the end.  The US version tastes so much better than the HK version.