It has been a slow recovery from running the Wasatch 100 last month, and the longest run I have completed since then has been just over nine miles. My right hamstring, knee and calf have been tight and sore. I backed off my weekly mileage and have tread lightly with the fear of only aggravating the trouble areas further. It was frustrating to have the desire to run, but doing very little.
I have had a decent year with consistent improvements in races I have participated in years prior. I set my sights on continuing the trend with St. George, and had confidence of setting a new pr. I once again, signed up for the Wasatch Running Center’s Grand Slam, and had been doing well with the overall placement after having completed Ogden, Utah Valley, and Park City. My focus over the past few weeks however, changed to taking things day-by-day, and gauging if I would even arrive at the St. George Marathon start line.
Over the last week, I saw some improvements in my flexibility and a waning soreness. With the desire to complete this race, the Grand Slam, and to check off another year towards reaching the 10 year status, (I still have 3 more to go) I accepted what would become of today’s event.
I arrived at the windy and slightly chilly start area with about 45 minutes until gun time. I really didn’t have the desire to take one of the early busses with the remote chance of winning one of the early bird prizes. Extending my night’s slumber as much as possible was much more appealing to me. I ended up with ample time to mingle around the fires, use the pop’s a couple times, and to relax all layered up to keep the morning chills at bay. It was a nice change in several prior years to feel somewhat cold as the race began. I knew that once the sun came up, and I had put a few miles behind me that the temperature would be just right.
At the starting line, I stood next to a runner I had been competing against in the Grand Slam. His cumulative overall time after three prior marathons was only 27 seconds lesser than mine. That’s over the total of 78.6 total miles! Usually competitors might refrain from showing their competition any advantages or dispositions, but I felt no harm in wishing him well and explained my troubled leg. I set my gps a little too early, and when we began, it had gone back to home setting and had to gather a signal once again. It did not start tracking my running until about a minute and a half later. Dang!
I chatted with an acquaintance for the first few miles while coasting along in the early morning darkness. I believe we parted ways after 4 miles and I really don’t know if he fell behind or surged ahead. Shortly thereafter, a chatty runner named Kyle Larson struck up conversation that would last clear up until the 21st mile. I usually prefer to save my breath and concentration during running events, but this time it provided an excellent distraction and I didn’t believe I would be completing a pr today. I learned that he is a dentist, 7 time Ironman competitor and had just completed the LOTOJA cycle race. He is from Boulder City Nevada and had flown into St. George with his Sandpiper airplane. Now that would be an awesome way to travel to races!
The miles seemed to go quickly (In frame of mind, but not actual pace!) and I truly enjoyed just being part of the event. I asserted to Kyle that I didn’t want to determine his race with him hanging back with me, as I could see that his legs had much more strength and speed than mine. He was perfectly content just making conversation. With just over five miles to go, he finally wished me well and sped on ahead to take a stab at running a sub-3 finish. He would eventually complete with a time of 2:58:56.
I plugged away the final miles at a steady rhythm, feeling surprisingly well. Though my legs seemed to be missing a top end gear, my breathing, heart rate and energy levels felt linear. My final time was 3:03:02, which is within a couple minutes of my times over the last couple years. I am content with that time with consideration to the recovery from last month’s ultra race. At Wasatch, I shaved over 4 hours off my time from last year. I suppose that’s a greater accomplishment than if I had achieved a pr of just a few minutes here in St. George.
The other Grand Slam runner I had bid well at the start line finished with a time of 2:53:48. His cumulative time placed him at second place overall for the competition. To my surprise; I finished third overall, though I felt my position was going to be an age group award at best. I received an awesome engraved thermos, a $50 gift card, a tech shirt, and a finisher’s medal.
Today turned out better than my pessimistic self had forecasted. I had fun, enjoyed my involvement, and lacked the soreness I had envisioned to be throughout the race. Now I will take things easy in preparation for the SOJO Marathon in two weeks.
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