Denouement

In the US!  Landed in LAX on Saturday, then drove up to St. G. on Sunday.  I stayed with AmberG in St. G.  Aren't I lucky?  Such a talented, sweet, and dedicated lady.   

Monday morning I ran with AmberG's lady group--there is such a strong group of ladies down in St. G.  Really neat. And they were discussing a great book as part of a book club as part of their group run.  I was trying to keep my hr mellow (sub 140).  I ran 16.13k then did some drills and three strides with Amber and another friend. St G is about half of the elevation jump of my eventual destination, but even so it was really hard to keep hr mellow, was fine first half but creeped up to 147 by the end.

Ran with a friend, HR in first 2k was crazy really, it was 190 1 min in, then 207, then dropped to 170 but by 2k was 135.  I think it wasn't picking up my pulse until I started to sweat? So my first 5k ave hr was screwy (160), then second was 145, last 5k was 147 (sorry those are too high, but I wasn't looking at it often, chatting instead) mellow up and down a gradual canyon (1-3% grade).

US miles: 21 

Ran with Josse, Mack, Rachelle, Aubrey and JenH. Josse and I slowed down to make our pace easier, net uphill up Payson canyon a bit, then net downhill, 13k, then had to run to the bathroom before I could start my strides. Pace/hr for 1st 5k: 8:25/131, 2nd: 8:29/135, last 3k: 8:02/139, then 6 x strides (5:20 pace ave).

US miles: 59 

I must do this race since it will be at least three years until I will next be in Provo for Independence Day.  I am not in 10k shape, so I thought I would run it a bit differently. I have run this race many times and I usually go out too fast (in the first uphill mile and the second blazing fast downhill mile, or the third .5% downhill mile) then the hills in the second half turn the race into a death march cum humility check, so since I know I am sucking wind because of the altitude and I am not in 10k shape, I thought I would try a different approach and run the first half conservatively.  However money was three deep and it appeared that Kassi was the only one who clearly outclassed me, so I thought I should keep the girl count in mind.  Paul and my three boys were also running.  Paul had gotten into Utah the day before so was suffering from jetlag but was going to muscle through the 10k and the boys were doing the 5k.  

3.6k warm up (120 ave hr), 2 strides, Paul and I chatted with Gary Lew from HK at the start, and I talked with Kassi, and Gary and I started together for the first half mile.  I wanted to keep my hr in the first half around 167 or lower then to try to push the second half and see if I could get my hr above 170, and even up past 175 by the finish (the uphills should help) (I didn't get my coach's email to not look at my hr until after the race).  So I switched my watch to miles that morning to match mile markers: mile 1: net uphill 6:27/158 5th pace in women, mile 2: fast downhill 6:02/166 4th place in women, mile 3: slight downhill 6:22/167 3rd woman, mile 4 slight uphill, started trying to close gap on #2 woman 6:21/170, mile 5 was slight net uphill but had an uphill then a downhill, 6:19/172, I passed #2 girl at about 4.5 miles, still alot of race to run, mile 6 all uphill, passed a couple more guys, but the uphill was hard b/c dodging lots and lots of slow 5kers 6:37/172, last .25: 5:38 pace despite dodging racers and 173 hr (I know my hr got higher than 172/173 but those were the averages for the splits recorded by my watch).

I was really happy with how I ran the race.  Ironically, I think this is the best race I have done on this course strategically, even though it is my worst time since 2007.  I know I ran it well for the shape I am in + altitude woes. 

US miles: 23 

Gentle up and down Provo canyon, 135 hr ave for whole run, Ran with Rachelle a few minutes since we both happened to be running on the trail at the same time.

Ran with Josse, MacK, Rachelle, AmberD, and others

US miles 21 

Now at West Yellowstone, about 6500 ft. It was cold when I started, too, it is about 40-45F at the start each morning. The area where we are staying is pretty flat, though. I carried a water for about 6k, where I would be 5k out on the way back. 5k paces/hr were: 5:15/111, 5:15/133, 5:15/136, 5:08/143, then started 5k of tempo, I thought it was a progression to HM (I didn't read well enough) but I was having a hard time getting into a really hard gear. After 1.53k, my watch died, and I had gotten to 4:20 pace/154 hr, then I tried to keep the effort increasing to the end, and I may have even gone a bit more than 5k, but no hr/pace info, core workout

12k, then 10 sec hill sprints, though I could only find a hill that is perhaps 3-4% grade, so they were a bit more like strides, 3:24 ave pace for fast bits

Had to switch Wed/Thurs workouts because of early whitewater check in. Started run at 5:28am, really not a safe time to run in Montana grizzly country, so ran with bear spray and around a 2k loop in the neighborhood, 6k warm up at 5:15 pace/133 hr, then did 30" on/off fartleks at 3:44 ave pace for the on bits, 5:41 pace for off bits, then cooled down at 5:18 pace/146 hr to get to 14k

still freaked out by bears so carrying spray and running a bit too fast, 5k paces/hr were 5:10/135, 5:10/147, 5:05/149, 5:05/151, core workout

Pace/hr per 5k: 5:22/125, 5:12/135, 5:07/139

Felt so much better in this run, like I have finally figured out how to breathe up here. Last run in Yellowstone so just in time. Pace/hr per 5k: 5:13/130, 4:59/138, 5:00/139, 4:54/147,4:44/152

I met Josse and a friend at the story telling park and we did a 10 mile trail run.  I thought I was used to altitude but I still felt like I was hanging on.  A preview of the Des News marathon. Nice to be running with friends again.  Then 10 x 15 sec hill sprints.

US miles: 9 

Met six other people for a run, we drove up Provo canyon and south fork for some downhill training. The first 7k down was the steepest, then it was 1-3% until 16k, and I had to go out 1.5k further and back 1.5, which was flat. Workout was 14k easy then 4k at hm pace, then 1k cool down. Paces/hr per 5k were: 4:28/140 (trying to keep up with ladies for a couple of k, then let them go), 4:32/138, 4:43/142 (4k), 3:50/169 (4k hmp tempo, legs felt wobbly already at the start because of the downhill, I think I went a bit too fast, I felt in oxygen debt the last half k and I saw my hr had jumped to 184 by the end, though it was mostly in high 160's and averaged 169). 1k cool down

US Miles: 9 

 I met Mack, Aubrey, and AmberD at the mouth of Hobble Creek and went up and down easy (not as easy for me as for them--I was  sucking wind--still not adjusted to altitude like I think I should be).

Met Luz and Marion at the SF reservoir for a swim and visit.  Way fun. Swam slowly across the Res with Luz.  It got me a bit out of breath but didn't phase her.

Core workout. 

US Miles: 23 

Warmed up 5.65k 5:22 pace, then did a mellow tempo for 30 minutes, 6.44k, it had four hills and two downhills, 4:40 ave pace, ave hr was 157, but got up to 160's by the end. 3k cooldown

8:26/mile, 135 ave pace

8:11 pace, ran with Josse, Mack, Aubrey and Amber through good old SF riverbottoms

35 us miles

8:51 pace, slow through Cedar Hills, mini taper before marathon

Small easy run, 8:45 ave pace, 133 ave bpm

I decided to do this race because Josse was and my coach said the half or the full would be better than the 10k since I am trying to build my mileage at this early phase of training. So I came in mostly altitude adjusted (have been here since July 1^st) and a bit chubby and out of shape, as all my runs have attested (trying to hang on as the ladies chat, etc).  I wondered what it would feel like to be running a marathon knowing that it is my tenth marathon and virtually guaranteed to be my slowest (prior slowest was Ogden marathon 2008 at 3:02).  I hoped it would still be a positive experience and more “fun” even though I am undertrained, because I hoped to be able to run with Josse and Mack and Aubrey (the last ended up not being able to come) for much of the race. 

I rode up with Josse and her mom to Ericka’s house the night before (thanks Ericka again—nice pad!).  I took my ambien at 8:02pm and set my alarm for 3pm but we didn’t tuck in until 9:45pm or so, so my speech got slower and sentence construction got more and more difficult before bedtime :D  Woke up 5 til 3am, felt pretty chipper, but by the time we had got half way up the canyon in the bus I was feeling tired.  It felt so weird going into a marathon with little expectations and preparation (longest run was two 17.5 milers).  So I kept pinching myself.  No good success in the port a pots but I wasn’t worried.  It was just going to be a fast long run so no prob making pit stops along the way.  I saw and chatted with Allie who seemed excited and ready to go, and she helped lather me in glide (on my back only I should clarify, I could reach everything else). 

I have never run a marathon with a hr monitor or a hr plan, so here’s the plan.  My coach says that the ideal marathon racing level is about 85% hr for the middle of the race, with some creeping at the end.  Considering my condition and preparation, he advised 75% hr for first 5-6k then 80-82% for most of the race, with the option to creep up at the end.  Josse said she was on board to follow my watch and Mack said she would follow suit.  Mack’s brother also was with us and in a similar condition.  So we all started about 3-4 rows from the start of this very small marathon (500-600 people?)  Here’s how the race went:

 At the race food area someone asks if I was the third girl, and I said yes, and he said, “You are the gazelle!  You finished so strong!”  Wow, cool that the nickname I gave skinny hill-girl was applied to me.  Then when I picked up my bag, the guys there asked, “were you the third girl?  You are the gazelle!  You have some girls hatin’ you!  You passed them.”  That was cool. 

I am so happy with this race.  It is funny to have my worst performance in a race also be my best.  My overall time is the worst of all marathons, but I had no drop off in pace at all, so I ran it with the best effort distribution.  Over 24 hours later, I am also happy that I could feel pleased with a slower performance.  I may never be at my A game again, with Phd school starting in under two months, and I would still like to find joy and participate in races.  I am kind of a competitive person so I wasn’t sure if I could find pride in a slow time.  But I do, and that makes me happy :D  I feel like an old woman today but I feel like I have more roads to run, more races to run, more running buddies to make and to learn from.

55 min pool run with Josse.  Quite sore.

19 miles bike ride with Josse and MacK.  I was done by about 11 miles but unfortunately we had quiate a ways to get back to the car. Averaged 5:19/mile.  I was on a mountain bike but the ladies were on a road bike.  I was in flappy running shorts.  Bad call.

8:30 pace.  Legs feel sore.  Ran uphill then downhill in Corona CA.  Also feel fat :(  Too much rich American food.  Too little self control.

Went to Magic Mountain yesterday so I waited until evening to run today.  It felt really yucky.  I do not like evening runs.  So I ran shorter today and will run a bit longer tomorrow to get overall mileage right.  8:48 ave pace, 133 ave bpm

5:26 ave pace, felt better than yesterday because it was a morning run.