Speed only kills if you don't have it!

Very easy run this morning.  Bundled up good because there was frost on the ground!  My tendons behind both knees were tight and my left ankle was sore, but I know that is part of the taper blues, I'll be fine on race day.

 We stayed with Clyde and Mik'L this year which was fun for us.  I wasn't worried about this year because it had already sucked so bad that I figured anything decent would be a highlight.  My goal is always to break 2:30 which will happen next year, if I can get back to 100% health, but I knew there wasn't a shot this year.  I figured I was in enough shape with my 1000 mile year, no speedwork to speak of, and one little race that I could still run between 2:35 and 2:40.  I would have loved to run with Walter and Greg but I knew they were way ahead of me and I would only slow them down.  So I figured I would just go out and see how I felt and whatever happened happened.

I didn't do great with my splits but I'll show what I had just for future reference.

Mile 1-   6:02 

2-   6:10

3-4   11:43

5-6   11:38

7-8   12:42

9-10   12:54    1:01:11 at the 10 mile mark

11-12   13:08

13-13.1   6:56    1:21:16 at the half

13.1-14   5:14

15-16   11:22

17-18  11:49

19-20  12:19   2:02:03 at 20 miles

21-22   11:55

23   5:49

24-25.2  13:03

25.2- 26.2  6::05   Last 10k in 36:55

Not much to say really.  I was alone from mile 1 until I saw Dave drop at mile 18 or 19, then I caught 4 more guys in the last 10k.  I lost a lot of motivation to push just being out by myself the entire race, and you can see where I was lazy. 

The kicker for me was that I got screwed on planting my drinks on the elite tables which cost me time and more time because of not getting what I needed.  At mile 7 I stopped to get my first GU and they didn't have it at the table.  I could have used it too.  When I got to mile 11 to get my drink it wasn't there either, by this time I was mad and even said a few choice words I probably shouldn't have.  A little bit up the road I saw my bottle empty and on the road.  At mile 15 again no drink, empty bottle on the road.  Mile 19 no GU, packet empty on the road.  Finally I got one of my five plantings at mile 23, but by then it did me no good.  Some scum was taking my stuff ahead of me, probably some reject that didn't plant anything themselves.  I was so mad it was probably good I never found them.  I was hoping some volunteer would tell me what number was taking my stuff or that I would come up on somebody in the act but it never happened.  I let the race directors have several ear fulls when I got in.  I was and still am in the mood to drop the scum that was doing it.  That whole deal put a damper on the whole race for me.  I was counting on that stuff to help me out, and the thought that someone was taking it and didn't care how bad they screwed whoever's stuff it was made me furious. 

The good thing is I still drug myself across the line before 2:40.  It was a good day to run if I would have been in condition to race fast.  But there is always next year.  Seeing Walter, Greg, Marcie, and Josse do so well made me happy too.  It was fun to see Clyde and Logan drag Paul across before 3 hours too.  I still ended up 20th overall and 3rd in the age because of the weaker field, but I''ll take those places weak or not.

The weekend was good.  I saw a lot of good friends, had a nice time, and I finished with a respectable time and place for a rough year.  I am not going to hang it up and do ultras, I'll be back and faster than before.

I felt good today finally and decided to run with Will tonight.  He came over to my house about 9:00pm and we ran out to Butterfield Park and back for an easy 5 miler.  As soon as we started I knew I had started too soon.  My calves were trashed!  As we went along I got tighter and tighter.  By the time I got home, and all night afterward, my hamstrings and calves were like rocks.  I have never felt so tight.  I guess I needed a couple more days to recover.  I might not run again until Monday now.  

Easy run with the guys on the canal this afternoon.  Very windy from the South, big storm coming in.  The legs felt beat up still but mobile at least.  

Speed work today with my girls.  I am not quite ready to do speed with the boys yet, but I can handle the girls speed fine.  We did 15x300m repeats on grass at a park just North of the HS.  They were mostly around 1:10.  Beautiful day and a fun workout.  7.5 miles total

Easy run with the guys down to Riverton pool and back.  Legs are tired, but I'll start feeling better soon.  Beautiful day outside!

Last speed workout with my guys before State.  We met at the park by my house and did a 1.5 mile warm-up then fartleks.  We did 30 sec, 1 min, 2 min with the same recovery time as speed.  Then we did the same thing in a pyramid: :30, 1:00, 2:00, 2:00, 1:00, :30.  We cooled down for 1.5 miles at the end.  Then went to my house for a big Saturday morning breakfast.  Very nice morning for running!  I kept up with my guys until the last set of fartleks then my legs, especially the hamstrings, were like rocks.  I guess I am not quite ready to run fast like that yet, I need one more week.

Easy run with Alex today out to the little Res and back.  5x100 meter strides barefoot on football field at the end.  

Easy run around Herriman. 36:58

I ran over to Butterfield park and back.  It was very windy today.  I had a headache most of the day, but was able to still run okay.   I did about 5.5 miles withe the last mile at 5:56.  Then I grabbed the VFFs and headed down to Foothill park and did 6x150m strides on the grass.  7:20 ave for the run.

Four canal run with some of my guys and Ashlynn.  We averaged 7:35 pace in the snow and mud.  It snowed on us most of the run.  Feels like December out there today!

Ran with my team out to Riverton golf course and around it.  That golf course is huge!  It will be a good place to train for Foot Locker.  Good run today even on tired and sore legs. 7:50 pace.

Morning practice.  It was freezing cold with a stiff South wind this morning.  We did a Bluffdale loop with an 8 minute tempo in the middle.  5:50 ave for the tempo and 7:13 for the run.

Morning run with Chris, Stockton, Alex, Dillon, and Schiffman.  Jennica and her mom were there as well.  We met at Stockton's house and did a loop that started on Lovers Lane and took us backwards on the Riverton City half course.  We trailblazed a little on a dirt road that went off of the Parkway trail.  It was super cold out, but the run was fun and a nice change of scenery.  7:29 pace ave.