Denouement

Slept in.  8.5 in 65 minutes

Can you say crappy workout?  Well, I was pretty disappointed with my Yasso attempt today. Was supposed to do 8-10 Yasso's, targeting 2:45 since McMillan says you actually need to add five to the formula (so 2:45 predicts 2:50).  I had the runs before and after the workout.  Didn't think much of it then (didn't go to the bathroom during the workout, a small victory).  After 3.5 mile warm up, stretching and a few strides, I was ready to start.  It was dark, and I fumbled with my watch and didn't even get the times on the first two intervals (couldn't see watch to get splits, and generally failed in attempts to turn on light and see the time and know the time from the prior 200m, etc).  Based off the other intervals I can guess the first one was about 2:47 and the second was about 2:49.  If you don't push the lap button just "so" on this new garmin, it doesn't go, so I was pushing it 3-4 times before it would record.  I was already upset and frustrated.  I decided to not rely on the lap button but to make sure I got the light on for splits and for the time from then on.  Worked reasonably ok. #3-2:45, #4 2:43 (felt too hard), #5 2:47 (I am not feeling the love), #6 2:48ish (didn't get split) decided at this point I was only going to do 8. #7 2:49, so hard! #8 2:51 -lame!  

I went to work and didn't have bathroom problems there, but developed a sore throat.  I did a 5 mile run this afternoon which started up the waterworks down there.  I've been diaheretic ever since, quite dehydrated now.  It's like post traumatic stress syndrome for the bowels.  It makes me feel better about my workout this morning.  I felt so out of the groove, and this must be why.  Also, I haven't done any true interval workout since April, so the speed this morning just felt foreign. I hope I get a chance to do this workout again in a month so I can get revenge.

I am supposed to do abs this evening but I am thinking to just chill with a water bottle. 

9.5 in 75 minutes.  Feeling foul.  Tried to pick up the pace to fast-easy one mile and got a bad 7:44.

10 miles in 75 min.  A 7:15 mile today felt the same as a 7:44 mile yesterday, so feeling better!

Today is the last day to sign up for early registration for Payson Onion Days 5k/10k ($15) but it's still a good deal at $20 after that.  It is a well-run, smaller race on Labor Day, well run, with a good drawing and a flat honest course.  Hope to see lots of you there!

 http://www.paysonutah.org/img/File/RECREATION/5k%2010k%20race/Labor%20Day%205K.pdf 

8.37 in 65 min.  Felt ok, but not great.

Well, this will go down as a decent race, but not up to potential.  In retrospect, I suspect my 22 miler on 3.75 hours of sleep last week probably ran down my immune system, making me susceptible to illness, then the mild illness this week (Montezuma's and sore throat), helped seal the deal on not-prime racing form.  Though look at the week Paul Petersen had, and the race he had, and my excuse feels weak.  Regardless, I pushed through a race that felt blah, and I got a good workout, so I'll have to take it!

Woke up at 4:30, got ready with Paul (my Paul, my husband ran the race and did great: 1:52, and he has lost 49 lbs over the last 4-5 months).  Got to the park at 5:25, got our packets and boarded the bus.  Earned 6 stars pre-race--is that a good thing or a bad thing.  Is there such a thing as too many new stars?  Given my stomach issues for the week, I took two imodium's last night and they worked perfectly--didn't prevent any prerace stars but did prevent any race issues.  Anyhow (that's the fullness of my bathroom talk for this blog), saw some bloggers, including Emily Jameson, we started together and chatted before the race.  It takes her having an infant for me to be able to compete with her, I'll take any handicap I can get.  I was hoping to ride the bus up the mountain with Emily and ask her to tell me the inspirational story of her falling in the NCAA National Championship and getting up and taking 2nd or 3rd after the fall (I can't remember the exact info).  I've heard about it and want to hear the story from her.  I guess it'll have to wait.  If you read Paul Petersen's blog, she's Teren's wife, and Paul's description of Teren matches Emily, full of talent and speed. She pointed out Stephanie Talley, who she said was good, I saw Marianne S, who could trip me up, and I saw another serious looking runner I didn't know (Carol Rowe, I found out later).  It seemed Emily and I might be going the same pace.  I wanted to try to hit the barely under 1:17 the race predictor predicted off my Provo River half, but start off conservatively (5:50 pace) and see if I had it in me.  I knew I'd be 1:17-1:20.  At the start, it's Stephanie, Emily, me and Marianne.  We stayed together through mile 1 ( 5:45).  I let them go a bit in the second mile, because the pace didn't seem conservative enough.  Mile 2 was 5:54, slower than I wanted, but felt right, I was a little off the other three.  Maryanne and I seem to be running tangents in more earnest than Stephanie and Emily.  In Mile 3 Stephanie and Emily are about together, Maryanne is behind a couple seconds, then me 5:56. I am not panicked, I know it is a long race and if I am feeling good, I could catch any of them.  I do catch Maryanne at about 5k, and don't see her again.  Mile 4 5:53, Stephanie is now ahead of Emily a bit, Mile 5 5:45, still in third, Mile 6 5:46, get gatorade, make some time on Emily in water stop. Surging to reel her in.  Over the next couple of miles we trade leads a bit. Mile 7 5:53, Mile 8 5:58 harder to keep sub 6. Mile 9 6:07, take a gu, pass Emily in this mile, Mile 10 6:14 wheels falling off, but throwing in surges, each one thinking "This is the surge that will break Emily".  There is nothing worse for me when I am surging to try to catch someone and see no progress because they are surging or just plain going faster.  It is pretty much a battle for second now.  I haven't been feeling the love at any point in the race, as my splits show, so I am running scared. Mile 11 starts the uphill 6:26, Mile 12 6:45 (that's just embarrassing) big uphill, not too steep but long and challenging because it's in a hard part in the race at the 12 mile mark I realize I won't likely hit 1:18:45, but I want a miracle for mile 13 and a sub 6:00 mile, or anything approaching it, to prevent the Emily Nay (I meant Jameson) fly by.  I do find some juice and actually hit a 5:59 (I didn't know this split until just now, THAT IS A HAPPY SURPRISE, maybe this race wasn't all bad ;D). .11 miles in 33.77 seconds, as I see that the clock is ever so close to 1:19 but I might slip under.  That's a decent kick, but reaps me a 1:19:02. 

Overall, this was a great workout, a decent race, and I am glad I didn't do any worse, and that I held off the field with the exception of Stephanie.