Speed only kills if you don't have it!

Lava Day 1- Evening run with the kids.  We went up High Country and took the fork that used to take us around a big tree and back.  Now the tree is a big stump. It was hot and muggy and we were at around 8,000 feet and I was dying!  I had a cramp in my lower back that I couldn't shake the whole run.  7:21 ave. , but I felt like I worked hard for that.  I should have run on Saturday.

Camp Day 2- Run into Lava.   It drops from 7200 feet to 5200 feet in about 5.7 miles the drops another 100-200 feet in the next 3.4 miles and has a lot of rollers.  It was hot too, like usual.  Allison and Heather Hartley aided us several times with water stops.  I started off with a group and by the time we hit two miles and the water stop at the start of Big Bear it was down to me, Jesse, Rory, Chuk, and Connor.  Jesse, Rory, and I got out ahead of Chuk and Connor after that and didn't see them again until we got out of smith canyon.  Jesse and I lost Rory at about 4.5 and Jesse lost me by a about 10 seconds until we hit the water stop after he hit a 5:05 mile on mile 5.  Jesse was feeling too fast for me and ditched me after the golf course.  Chuk and Connor who we had waited for out of the canyon caught me just after the golf course when I stopped to tie my shoe.  I chased them into town and even on the mile that was all uphill ran a 7:02.  Jesse finished about 40 seconds ahead, Connor 20 sec behind and Chuk 15 behind him.  I was about 45 seconds behind Jesse.  The kids and I always have a hard time on this run because even though it is downhill for the most part it is brutal!   The kids this year finished way ahead of past years.  We ate lunch, soaked in the river, and played at the pool for 3 hours.  Everyone was hammered.  Last year I ran this in over an hour with some miles over 8 minutes, and two years ago I was around 58 minutes.  This year 57:45 with my slowest miles at 7:02 and a 6:18 ave.

Lava Day 3- Relay with the kids.  I warmed up for 1.2 miles and tried to shake out some of the soreness.  I wore my old tangents yesterday and ended up with a huge blister under my right big toe and it hurt the whole time today, but I duct taped it up and was able to run.  Leisl and Haag were with me and together we ran 1:03.00 even.   Last year that time might have won it, but this year we were 5th and the winning time was 58:25 for the 8.5 mile relay.  I ran my two legs in 9:12 and 9:17.  Cooled down with Haag for a mile afterward.

I ran an early morning run on the highway toward Perry from the in-laws and back.  I was super tight at first but started to loosen up and finished with a 6:10 mile.  7:23 ave.