Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Ran the dog around the block. Later in the morning did the standard 8-mile tempo on the Millville Hill Loop. Warmed up for two miles in 6:36 and 6:28. Then started the tempo.

Mile	Split	Terrain
1	5:48	7/8 uphill, 1/8 downhill
2	5:41	rolling
3	5:48	1/2 downhill, 1/2 uphill
4	6:29	The Millville Hill
5	5:45	3/4 flat, 1/4 uphill
6	5:42	1/5 uphill, 4/5 downhill
7	5:12	all downhill
8	5:09	flat

 This was a pretty good workout. I need to work on the uphills some, but that will come with time. I pushed it pretty hard the last mile, but other than that it was mostly a marathon pace effort.

Today marks the first day of "real training" in preparation for the Seattle Half. The last four weeks after Indy have had the purpose of recovery and rebuilding base. Now I have four weeks of half marathon-specific training. If things go as planned, I'll do 8x1000m on the track later this week. Then an 8-mile tempo and 6x1mile next week, an 8-mile tempo and 8x1000m the following week, and then a good 6-mile tempo the week of the race. Saturdays will just be easy runs of about 16 miles, so shooting for no more than 75 mpw, plus or minus a few.

The only thing I need to watch right now is my left heel/arch. I've been feeling "somthing" there since last Wednesday, which always makes me paranoid of plantar fasciitis. So far it hasn't gotten any worse, and today was a bit less noticeable than previous days. I've been stretching it and massaging the calf for prevention, so hopefully I can snuff it out before it turns into anything. Not a road I want to go down. There is no pain, just the feeling of "something".

Ran the dog for a mile. Then ran the Logan Loop. Averaged 7:25/mile. It rains pretty soak on me, and I was soaked by the end. Still, better than snow.

AM - ran the dog for a block, then met up with Jon and Cody and ran all around Cache Valley at a stunningly slow pace. Then I ran to breakfast. 

noon - ran home, then grabbed Seth and did a couple stroller miles.

Did a workout today. Ran the dog around the block, then continued warming up by running the Planet Walk. 4 miles total for warmup. Then I grabbed my flats and jogged out to the LHS track, and did 8x1000m at CV pace. During the first one, my shoe came untied halfway through and about fell off, but other than that it was a smooth workout, and I felt pretty good.

Interval	Split
1	3:10
2	3:11
3	3:11
4	3:11
5	3:10
6	3:10
7	3:08
8	3:06

Cooled down for a couple miles.

AM - ran the dog around the block, then met Cody, Jon, and Joe. We did a Landfill Loop. Jon kept pushing the pace, but I don't know what it was because my garmin ran out of batteries. 8.5-ish miles total. 

PM - ran with Seth on planet walk. 3.5 miles

Easy long-ish run with Jon. We ran on the canal trail and the river trail.

Ran the dog around the block. Later in the morning, Stacy went to a chiro appointment, so I took Seth on the Landfill Loop (5.5 miles). Then I dropped Seth back off at the house (Stacy was back), and did a second Landfill Loop, as a tempo. Mile splits were 5:30, 5:32, 5:33, 5:38, 5:50. I felt okay at first, but felt flat on the second half. Still, a workout is a workout. 11.5 miles total.

Ran the dog around the block. The met up with Cody and Jon and ran around haphazardly. 9.5 miles total.

On Monday, Seth was puking and having diarrhea. On Tuesday, it was Stacy. On Wednesday, you guessed it, my turn! I started having chills on Tuesday and was shaking with cold despite adding every blanket in our house. The shaking thing got better by morning, so I tried drinking some apple juice. Went on to puke about 10 times, and when that was done, transitioned to diarrhea. When that was done, I transitioned to shaking violently and blacking out once or twice for a couple seconds. Eventually collected enough wits to army-crawl back to my bed, where I didn't leave until 5PM. So basically I was in bed for 20 hours, a little bit more than the usual sleep I get. I finally got up in the evening, and am feeling a bit hung-over from dehydration, so I drank my Ultima-EmergenC-orange juice blend. I'm rather hungry from the fast, but still don't really feel like eating. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Went back to work today, but did not run. I am still feeling weak, with poor appetite. However, in the evening I felt better and actually ate an almost-normal dinner.

Ran a mile with the dog. Then ran to First Dam and back. Felt pretty flat, to be expected, I guess. 7:37/mile.

Started out this morning for a longer run with Cody, but then my stomach and bowels disagreed with me strongly. Of course, every bathroom was locked, so I left presents for people to find at various places along the canal trail and at First Dam. Obviously, I cut run short and called it a day.

Went out and ran a few miles with Seth.

ran the dog around the block. Then did a small work, the First Dam 10K tempo, followed by 6x30s hill charges up the Boulevard. My legs were really heavy and not feeling well at first (probably from being sick plus working on the house all weekend), but once I got the downhill and the tailwind on the way back, I found  a good rhythm. All of the hill repeats felt good and snappy, so hopefully I worked the crud out of my legs. Mile splits for the tempo were: 6:00, 6:00, 5:54, 5:26, 5:25, 5:16.

Ran the dog for a mile, then ran the Logan loop. 7:05/mile.

Planet Walk to Landfill Loop in rainforest-like conditions. Averaged 6:38/mile.

Did a workout today, 6x1600m @ LT pace. Warmed up by running the dog for a mile, then another 2 miles on my own. Then grabbed my flats and jogged out to LHS track. Splits were 5:14, 5:14, 5:14, 5:14, 5:12, 5:08. Finished up by doing 4x200m strides in 34-35s. Ran home and called it a day.

Met Jon at the Planet Walk, and ran around in no apparent pattern. Dropped Jon off, and then ran into Cody, and did the same thing. Barely under 8:00/mile for the run.

Ran the dog around the block. Then ran up to Blacksmith Fork and back on the TOU course. Averaged 7:02/mile.

PM - ran a mile or so try to find my stupid dog, who had escaped from my stupid yard because I lef the stupid gate open. Stupid.

Celebrated Father's Day by running the Planet Walk with Seth. On the way back we stopped at Willow Park and played on the swings. Seth likes the swings.

Ran the dog around the block, then did the Landfill Loop. 7:20/mile average pace.

Last workout before Seattle. I'm quite excited about this fact too, not so much about the race, but about not having to do speed workouts for the indefinite future. Oh, and I am excited about the race too. I think I am in better shape than before Indy, as I have stayed healthy and consistent, minus a few isolated sick days.

I did my First Dam Run tempo. Warmed up for a mile, then started the tempo. Mile splits were 5:40, 5:36, 5:35, 5:13, 5:17, 5:09. I believe this is a substantial First Dam Run tempo PR, but I don't really keep track of stuff like that. Whatever it was, it felt really good.

Followed up the tempo with 6x30s hill charges on the Boulevard. Finished up by cooling down several miles. 12 miles total, averaging 6:06/mile for the whole deal.

Met Jon and Cody, and ran easy, around Providence and River Heights. Nice morning run.

Flew to Seattle this morning. I am staying at the Embassy Suites, which is really really nice (same hotel chain as where we stayed in PHX before Del Sol). Thanks much to the classy RnR people for flying me out, putting me up in the hotel, and even covering food. It's honestly too much for a 1:08 runner with no major race credentials, but I am grateful to be able to travel to a race like this.

There is a long urban trail right behind the hotel, so I ran on that for 6-ish miles. My garmin battery gave out in the middle (must have gotten turned on my accident), but the trail had mile markers. 6:20 pace was feeling like 7:00 pace. Man, I love sea level. Really looking forward to the race on Saturday, and am somewhat optimistic about breaking 1:08. I'll give it an honest try anyway. It will be nice and cool, temps projected in the 50s at race time.

Saw an elite list earlier today. Peter Gilmore was the only American I recognized by name. There is money for Top 5 overall and Top 3 Americans. Perhaps if the stars align I will carry something home. That will help decorate our new house once we buy one.

Ran for 30 minutes alone on the paved trail behind the hotel. Feeling pretty good and ready to go tomorrow.

Paul Tergat is a last-second cancellation. Bummer, I was looking forward to just standing at the same start line as a former world record  holder. My roommate at the hotel is Patrick Rizzo, a Hanson's runner and former D-III runner, so we know a lot of the same people and same races. He is running the half as well, but will be several minutes ahead of me. Peter Gilmore, it turns out, is running the full marathon. Perhaps Gilmore's marathon pace will be similar to my half marathon pace. The half and the full have the same start time, and are the same course for the first 9 miles, so that will give me more people to run with, I imagine. Had a nice long breakfast with Patrick and Peter. Talked about running and the economy (what else is there to talk about?). Nice guys. Aside from them, I have not seen any Americans that I know, and really not a ton of Africans either. I am hoping for good competition, but I won't really know until the gun goes off. Packet pickup is later today, followed by an info briefing, and then dinner. The races starts at 7AM, and they will shuttle the invited atheletes to the start (2 miles from the hotel) earlier in the morning. After the race, I will take off with blogger Dave Nelson back to Dave's house until my flight back on Sunday. I've also been able to meet with other friends originally from Logan or from college who are out here, so it's been a really good trip so far. Hopefully I will get a good race too, to put icing on the deal. I hope to break 1:08, but mostly I plan to go out there compete hard, mix it up, and have fun. If I err, it will be on the side of aggression, but that's what I mean by "having fun". A foolish move can be brilliant if it sticks, and the half marathon is certainly more forgiving than the full marathon. So we'll see what happens. I feel fit, but won't really know until the last hill at Mile 9.

Race day! Got up at 4:10AM, after a great night of sleep (went to bed at 8:30PM, slept like a baby). I went down to the hospitality suite, grabbed a banana and had a cup of coffee, then we all loaded the bus at 5AM (about 20 invited athletes total). Shot the breeze and kept myself entertained by talking to Rik Ceulemans, a Belgian runner (1:02, 2:13 PR's). Very entertaining guy, great stories. Had another half cup of coffee. Thanks to coffee, this was a "5-star" race, and fortunately we had plenty of portapots in the VIP area, so 5 stars was very easy to accomodate. I can't say enough about the Rock and Roll franchise, and Elite Racing, who performed the hospitality. They really know how to do things right.

Warmed up for about a mile. Listened to some music. Finally, it was time to line up for the 7AM start. I took one more potty break, stashed my clothes, and did some strides. It was an absolutely perfect day. Low-50s for temperature, clear sky, and little to no wind. There is no other place to run this time of year.

The race started on time (yah!). My plan was to run aggressive from the gun; I had nothing to lose. Rizzo, Ceulemans, and Elija Nyabuti (an African) took off hard. I was with them for about 400m, but quickly dropped back to the next back when it became obvious they were intent on running 4:50 pace. I soon found the lead marathon pack, consisting of Peter Gilmore, several Kenyans, and Drew Polley (former Wash State runner who was debuting in the half marathon). It also meant some TV time, so I decided to stay with the lead marathoners as long as I could.

And they were out hard. First 3 mile splits were 5:07, 5:04, 5:03. 5K in 15:52 (23 seconds faster than Indy). I took water at Mile 3, and the marathoners dropped me because of that, and I could not catch up comfortably, so I had to let them go. Drat. No more TV time.

Now I was by myself, and we were going to come up on the first big hill. I hit 5:08 for Mile 4, and by then the hill was cranking. 5:44 for Mile 5. The hill was hard, but not THAT hard. Some downhill on Mile 6, and then flat again. 5:00 for Mile 6. It was fast, but not THAT fast. This was the first of several mile markers to be off, the only hiccup of the inaugural race.

I knew the next hill would be during Mile 10, so I wanted to reestablish a good rhythm. I saw my college buddy Pete on his road bike starting at Mile 5. We stayed in good legal compliance, as he did not aid me whatsoever, but it was comforting just knowing he was there, as I had no one to run with still. A Kenyan had fallen off the lead marathon pack, so I focused on trying to reel him in as well.

Mile 7 in 5:07. Good. 10K in 32:18 (7 seconds faster than Indy). We were now running on a curvy road along a very pretty lake. It was nice, although I was not paying attention much to the scenery. Still no real wind, which was good. Mile 8 in 5:23. Not good. Tried to pick it up. Mile 9 in 5:21. Cursed a G-rated expletive under my breath. What's the deal? At least the Kenyan was still coming back, and Peter my guardian angel lurking somewhere behind me on his bike on the paved trail near the road.

During Mile 10, the half and full split from each other. The half went left, and the marathon right. I made the left and entered a very long, dark tunnel. There was no longer a Kenyan ahead of me. Hmmn...must have been a marathoner. This was good in that I didn't have to worry about him, but bad in that there was now NO ONE in sight and I was truly alone in a dark, scary place. There were all sorts of weird noises in the tunnel. The Mile 10 sign came about 3 minutes too early, so I didn't even bother with the split. The noises got louder and loud and freakier and freakier. Eventually I saw that it was a live band playing in the mouth the the tunnel, not traffic, that was making the noise. The sound was reverberating off the walls and it was very psychodelic. It's a good thing I don't do drugs, otherwise I would have been very freaked out. Felt like I was just flying through the tunnel, felt like 4:30 pace because the dark really messed with perception. But in any case I was feeling great still, which was encouraging at this point in the race.

Finally got to the end of the trippy tunnel of doom and was now running on the freeway. Weird, but kind of cool, and certainly a fast surface to be on. Closed course, by the way, so not even a hint of cars. Only RnR can afford to close a freeway, I imagine. Finally saw the 11 Mile mark, and took my split. 10:16 for 10/11, meaning I was back on a great pace, and perhaps I truly was pushing air through that tunnel.

The course then took a nice downhill on a ramp and into downtown. I was still all alone; no one in sight ahead of me, and no one behind me that I could feel. Someone told me that I was in 5th! (great, because money is 5 deep). I also calculated I was probably the 3rd American, so I could get some U.S.-only prize money too. I was still feeling strong, and was determined that no one would catch me. If I could close with more 5:08 miles, surely I would retain my spot.

I split Mile 12 with a 4:44. Okaaaay. Kept pushing. Feeling great. Terrain is flat again. Sub-1:08 is looking possible. I passed the Mile 26 marathon mark with total time of 1:06-low. Only a quarter-mile to go, I should get sub-1:08! Right?

Turned the final corner, after a suspiciously long amount of time after Mile 26. Hit Mile 13 in 5:34. Okay, so Mile 11 was another wrong mile mark, and so is Mile 26. So a better way to look at it is that 11/12 was 10:18 for 2 miles, so 5:09 pace. Still a good split, but my goal of sub-1:08 is looking suspect at best.

I sprinted hard from Mile 13. I could see the clock, and it was saying "1:07:5x". Tried to bridge an impossibly long distance, but sure enough, it clicked over to 1:08:xx...like clockwork. Drat, I still had about 100 meters left. Eh. Eased up a little, but still finished strong, my watching reading 1:08:13 at the finish line, and the last 0.1 in 35s.

But even though I missed sub-1:08, I was still elated at the finish. It was a 20s PR, on a much harder course than Indy. Not only that, but I was indeed 5th overall and the 3rd American, which should be worth a total of $500 + $500 = $1000 for my effort. By far my best winnings in a half marathon, and close to my best winnings for any race. And since RnR paid all my expenses, and it actually real profit (and will help out our down payment on our new house). I don't run for money, but I felt that hitting a money spot helped validate RnR bringing me out, as I feel obligated to "perform" when I get accommodations like that. And the money symbolizes a coveted placing, and means that I competed well, so I am very pleased with that. And it was good redemption from Indy, where I could not finish the race well and kick myself into the coveted money spot.

The Kenyan won with 1:05:14, Rizzo 2nd with 1:05:34, the Belgian 3rd with 1:06:01, the WSU-alum 4th with 1:06:45, myself 5th with an official time of 1:08:15 (not sure why my watch was faster), 6th, 7th, and 8th coming in behind me with 1:08:52, 1:08:58, and 1:08:59. (Sean Sundall was the 7th place guy). Winning women's time was a low 1:11, which is smokin'.

****Update****Official time was updated to be 1:08:12. Sweet - another 3 seconds!

I liked the course. It was somewhat difficult with the hills, but still decently fast, since the roads where not crowned anywhere, and it had a good, fast surface throughout. None of the uphills were excruciatingly-long, and there were enough flat areas to get a good rhythm. Temp's were perfect the entire race. The only glitch were the various mile markers that were off, but the course as a whole was accurate, so the markers were not a big deal to me. Considering this was a first-year event with 25,000 total participants, it was VERY well-done.

Sean and I are now 1-1 this year. If he comes to the Freedom Run 15K next Saturday, we will have the tie-breaker showdown, ha ha. No, I plan to have fun at the 15K, I've been wanting to do this local race for a while.

I plan to go back to a base phase and dial things down a little for July and maybe August, depending how long it takes us to sell our house and move. I don't want to be training for anything while doing this move, and I don't want to deal with the stress of it all, plus being on Enbrel I just need to be careful with things like stress and overexertion. And if I've learned one thing over the last couple years, YOU GOTTA TAKE A BREAK SOMETIMES! But after this latest PR, I have to believe I have a good marathon in me, so perhaps Cal Int'l in December is still a possibility. But I need to get that fire back to train for it. Marathon training is very hard, and I need to make sure I can commit to it both physical and mentally before I give a Trials attempt an honest go. We shall see.

Ran the Planet Walk after dinner. I love summertime evening runs. Didn't wear a watch. No soreness to speak of from Saturday.

Ran with Jon on the Green Canyon single track. Lots of water crossings, and my left foot got wet, because I can't jump. But it was fun.