Denouement

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.