Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Planet Walk with Seth. I'm still sore, but not as bad as yesterday. My left leg is much sorer than the right. Maybe I need to get my shoes balanced and rotated. Or maybe my hips.

AM - Planet Walk, easy. Left leg is still a bit sore, but getting there.

PM - Landfill Loop with Jon and Seth. 7:42/mile average pace.

***Note: this last run bumped me up over last year's total mileage (1833). Always a good benchmark after an injury year! I'll definitely hit 2500 this year, but 3000 is a bit doubtful. I would need to average 65 mpw for the rest of the year to hit 3000...and that seems a bit ambitious for me this days. But you never know.

AM - Logan Loop. 8.25 miles averaging 6:24/mile. Feeling better, but still some soreness in my left quad and hammie.

PM - Planet Walk with Seth

AM - Providence Hill Loop, 9 miles averaging 6:40/mile.

21 grueling miles in the form of a Saturday long run. My legs are still fairly shot from last Saturday, but Cody made for good company and the time passed fairly well. We ran the last 10 miles on the TOU course, backward and then forward, plus some distance to and from my house. Very tired now. It was a good reminder of why I don't do marathons anymore, and why I shouldn't get nostalgic over them. Averaged 6:55/mile.

AM - Young Ward - ICON Loop, 12 miles averaging 5:54/mile. First half was good, second half was a struggle. Calves are sore.

PM - Planet Walk wit Seth. 4 miles.

Very easy miles on the Canal Loop.

***********

Fellow bloggers and lurkers - If anyone wants free lodging before the Top of Utah Marathon, let me know. I have couple extra full-sized beds, so can easily accommodate two individuals or two couples. You will have your own very quiet bedroom and bathroom. The only thing I ask in return is a ride to the busing area the morning of the race (we only have one car, so I'll need a ride so that my wife can watch the finish). We will be in Smithfield at that point, so about 10 minutes from the busing area.

Landfill Loop with Seth

North Logan Loop. 11 miles averaging 6:37/mile. Tried to keep things comfortable, but brisk. I think I'm over being sore from the half.

5 miles on the Planet Walk. Finally got some pop in my stride again, and it felt good.

We are finally moving for real this evening. Or at least we're loading up a truck, since we have to be out of our house by tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get a phone call this afternoon that we can also unload the truck. But I've been waiting for that phone call since Wednesday.

Yesterday we finally moved! With a crew fluctuating between 8 and 10 people (including super-bloggers Cody and Jon), we cranked out the whole move, port-to-port in 2.5 hours. That is definitely a PR, but I've only moved a couple times. In particular, I'd like to extend special kudos to Cody, who has special skills with a moving dolly, and can back up a 26-foot truck blindfolded. And his truck packing is simply art to watch. I told him to quit his day job and go full-time into moving. Jon was also stupendous, and his ultra-running skills really showed when he simply got stronger over time and showed no sign of fatigue. He did stop several times, though, to eat a whole baked potato and drink flat coke. Strange, those ultra-runners.

Anyway, we were done moving by 7:30PM, then we took the truck back, picked up Seth from Marci, and were all home by 8:30PM. Unpacked enough of the bedroom to get by, put the bed together, and were in bed by 10PM. Slept like a rock. Got up at 7AM, puttered around for a little while, got up on the roof to check out the leak in the swamp cooler, and then decided to do my long run.

Ran from our new house, down to Mack Park, and then up Canyon Road. Got to Smithfield Canyon Campground, and kept going up the dirt road for another mile. The road is similar to Green Canyon in steepness and in quality. Lot of campers up there, but not many vehicles. Turned around and started back down (got up to 5700') at my 7-mile mark. I was averaging about 7:10/mile at the turnaround, but had gained over 1000'. I saw 4 deer and 2 wild turkeys during the first 10 miles of my run.

I kept it slow on the dirt road coming down due to footing, but hit pavement again after a mile, and then sped up to 6:00/mile for the next 5 miles. Got back to Mack Park, and then headed up Summit Drive by the golf course. That was a climb. Then I eventually found my way onto the canal trail, and headed south on the dirt trail. Ran south past my house, and kept on the trail all the way to Hyde Park. It was very excellent. Very nice views, decent footing, and pretty flat (since it follows a canal). It is like the BST without hills. There were just a few other runners out on the trail, but not many. I kept the pace a little under 7:00/mile for the last few miles. Once I got to 17 miles, I turned around and headed back to my house. (could have kept going south on the trail, never saw the end). 19.75 miles total, averaging 6:49/mile for the entire run.

Now it's basically taper-time for TOU. In many ways, I'm running this marathon on a death-wish. My highest mileage week since June has been in the mid-60s, and my highest mileage week for the year was in the low-70s. So it could get ugly the last 6 miles. I didn't start doing any long runs until the last month, but the last 5 weeks I've gotten in runs of 18, 20, 20, 21, and 20 miles, so 5 pretty decent long runs, all averaging under 7:00/mile. In some ways, I'm as ready as I've ever been for any marathon, perhaps similar shape to Ogden 2007, just not as much total volume. So I really don't know what to expect next Saturday. Anyway, today is in the bag. Just one tempo next week, and then some easier mileage and a little bit of a taper.

Ran the canal trail from my house to North Logan. Still didn't get to the end of the trail, but I think it might go all the way to Green Canyon. Too bad I'm tapering right now, so I won't be able to find out for a little bit. Great views though; I love this trail.

PM - I was walking to the bank, when it started pouring on me. So I started running. Added another mile due to this cloudburst.

Ran around the west side of Smithfield, and did some MP miles in there. Averaged 6:05/mile for 9 miles. Feeling pretty snappy.

Ran with Seth out to Hyde Park. At first we took the canal trail, but Seth really didn't like the uneven dirt. So we then hit the roads. Coming back to Smithfield, I took 800N, and that was a pretty awful choice, as there was a lot of traffic and no shoulder or sidewalk. Definitely won't do any part of this run again with a stroller. Plus, it was WAY too hilly for a taper run or a stroller run. 8:30/mile average pace.

Ran north on the canal trail to the end, then hopped on Summit Dr., ran down to Center St., and then back to Main. Took a pit stop at 7-11, then ran back up 300 S, and added some distance by going on the lower canal trail behind Skyview to 600 S, then back up to my house. 7:10/mile average pace. Feeling good.

*****

Good article in the Herald Journal about Erika McFarland (Wade McFarland's daughter). She is 22 years old, and has rheumatoid arthritis. She takes methotrexate (MTX) and Humira injections (similar to Enbrel) to treat the RA, and still manages a 1:40:50 half marathon. This is particularly impressive to me, as I've heard MTX compared to "dropping an atom bomb on your immune system". I don't know anyone who takes MTX and runs, so kind of inspiring to me. Anyway, more proof that auto-immune arthritis does not mean the end of one's running career.

Canal trail, 6:59/mile.

I'm going to go all post-modern, and start with the end first, and then work my way backward to show how I got there:

Actually, that's about all there is to say.

...but I'll provide some details anyway, since this is a day I want to remember.

James (JD) and Steve (Ashbaker) stayed with us last night, and it was fun to meet James, and also to catch up with Steve. I got up at 4:20AM, and started a pot of coffee on my brand spankin' new coffee-maker. It's a small pot, but make enough for all three of us to have a cup. Ahhh. I ate a banana, a nectarine, and an apple for breakfast, and later ate another banana on the bus ride over. Hopefully that would top off the tank.

After breakfast, I was bit vexed to not be able to find my sports watch. I think Seth hid it somewhere. My choices were to wear my normal watch, which had a timer but could not take splits, or wear my garmin. I could not stand the thought of wearing the garmin, so I wore the normal watch, meaning I would essentially be running naked, with only a running time and some split clocks at 10K and the Half to give me pace feedback. So it goes. That will just make it more fun.

I knew from the half marathon a few weeks ago that I had the speed, economy, and general aerobic fitness to run a good marathon, but I was concerned about my fueling and the pounding. Half the point of marathon-specific training is to make the body accustomed to the fuel demands and adapted to the pounding, and I simply had not trained enough. Basically I just threw together 5 weeks decent running, with a long run each week, some lame workouts, and low total volume (55-65 miles/week). So I was very excited to run today, but also bit apprehensive.

But mostly I was excited, excited to be out there toeing the line on another marathon (#14 for me), excited to be on my home course, excited to mix it up with some Kenyans and with some good local runners, and excited for the mere experience of a marathon again. If I crashed and burned, so be it, but I was going to have fun doing it, try to put on a show for the locals, and make the out-of-towners earn their paychecks. I was loose and happy to be there. Ashbaker accused me of being too chatty.

We got to the start line with about an hour or so before the gun. Quickly found some other bloggers, and headed for the secret bathrooms, known today as "Oz". Off to see the wizard...Turns out I got a three-star race today, which is dandy.

The race started on time (as usual for TOU). I was not sure what to expect from the Kenyan runners. Would they pound it out early? Or would they run as slow as possible to still get the win? I thought the latter was more likely, and it proved to be true. Nobody went out hard, so I took the incentive to just take the lead right at the gun, while still keeping it well in control. Hit Mile 1 in 5:25, which was the only split I got the whole race. I led for the next two miles as well, with a pack of 5 or 6 right behind me, content to let me do the work. I got to the first aid station at Mile 3 and veered off for gatorade (I thought it would be hot, so wanted to take as much liquid as possible early on, and also to help with my fueling). I usually slow down more than average to take water, so a couple Kenyans passed me, and I tucked into the pack for a few miles.

A few miles into the race, I met Bryant Jensen, a former Weber runner, and we chatted a bit. I think marathons are a great way to meet people. I took my first Gu at Mile 6. One of the Kenyans gestured that he wanted some too, so we passed it around. A tight-knit pack, we were. I also chatted with the MarathonGuide.com Kenyan. He was a nice guy, spoke good English. Actually, they all did.

Again, I wasn't getting splits at any of the miles, just ran by feel, and tried to keep loose and relaxed. One-by-one, people dropped off the pack. This surprised me, as the pace seemed very conservative and easy. Two Kenyans dropped by Mile 8, and then eventually Bryant dropped around Mile 10 or so. That left mysef, the Spira Kenyan, and the MarathonGuide.com Kenyan. The marathonguide.com guy was breathing awfully hard, and sure enough, he was next to drop. I glanced at my watch at Mile 10, it was about 54:30, so a little under 5:30 pace so far, by my math.

By now, it was just me and the Spira Kenyan. I was still feeling good, and winning was on my mind. I still didn't know what would happen by Mile 20, but I knew I wanted to go for it. No local runner has ever won the men's overall at TOU, and I really wanted to represent.

We went through the half marathon at around 1:11:30 (not sure). My official 13-mile chip split was 1:10:49, so that sounds about right. At this point, we were at the fastest part of the course. It's the best downhill of the course, and the tailwind has picked up. I was getting antsy, and ready to make a move. Around Mile 14, I hit a good stretch of downhill, and dropped the hammer right there. Here it is, my one move for the race. I felt like I had an advantage in knowing the course well, and that this was the right time, right before things got harder. But would it be too early?

I put on about 5 or 10 meters early on Hollow Rd. I tried to keep a hard pace and increase the gap, although I had no idea how fast I was going. During the Hollow Rd stretch I made good friends with the two college kids on the scooter, who were shooting video for the TOU website. We bantered back and forth, and I hammed it up for them. It kept me loose and my mind off the upcoming pain, and hopefully they had a good time too. It was good to have a pacer, plus they were able to give me updates on 2nd place. ...and the gap was steadily increasing.

The course keeps a subtle but steady downhill through Mile 18, and then turns into Millville, where it starts a hard 2-mile climb. I was definitely laboring on the uphill, but did not feel like the Wall was looming, or that I was running low on fuel. The scooter pacers kept my spirits up, and the hill went pretty quick. Before I knew it I was at Mile 20. "I think I'll make it" I told the scooter folks. And I honestly believed that. I knew now that I had about two blocks (80 seconds) up from second, and the race was mine to lose. I just could not fall apart is all...but certainly possible in the marathon.

After I crested the Millville hill, I tried to pick it up again for one more hard surge. I figured if I could get to Mile 23 in relatively good shape, things would be looking good. I worked the 2 miles of downhill hard. By Mile 22, my hips were hurting, and the calves were starting to cramp occasionally. Fortunately, the calves never got too bad. I was afraid of a total lockup, but it didn't happen.

By now I was counting down miles and blocks, still hamming it for the scooter crew to keep all our spirits up, waving to spectators and trying to have as good of time as I good. After all, when would I have this chance again? I climbed up into River Heights, then back down into Logan. Hit the Mile 24. Two miles left! I knew now that the race was mine, as long as my calves didn't completely give out. But even a pair of 7:00 miles would still win, so the Wall was a non-issue now.

At Mile 24, I motioned for the scooter camera crew to come back to me. "Hey" I said, "I'm really concerned about you two. You've been on that scooter for well over 2 hours...you're probably cramped and dehydrated! Just be careful." We all had a good laugh, and I offered to get them water at the next aid station. Good times with good (new) friends.

Finally, I got to Main St and turned the corner. The course goes uphill for a few blocks here. It's not very big, but comes at a difficult time. I passed my boss at 100 S, and gave him a high-5. I was in celebration mode...as long as I didn't make any too sudden movements to cramp my calves. I'm definitely really hurting here, but knew the end was near and tried to keep smiling.

Turned the corner onto 300 N. There is another 1-block uphill, not too bad, but still unwelcome.  Then I turned onto 100 E, and it flattened out. I was really enjoying the moment at this point, just praising God and having fun with the spectators. Saw my boss again, and told him that I was tired (which was true). My body is really protesting badly by the Center St. crossing, but then I had the nice downhill...and then...finally, the turn onto 200 S. Then the 26-mile mark. Then the final turn to the finish line.

The approach to the finish is always something to savor, no matter where you place in a marathon. But to approach the finish in first place is truly special. And to approach the finish in first place in your home town marathon, ahead of a bunch of Kenyans, is beyond special. I enjoyed every moment, gave the appropriate amount of arm pumps, and broke the tape. This is something I've envisioned for a long time (to win TOU), and to actually do it was surreal. Final time was 2:23:07. Cool, even splits.

Funny story: at about Mile 25.5, I passed a woman who yelled at me, "Are you really winning??" "Yeah!" I said. "Heck yeah he's winning!" my scooter buddies said. "Oh sweet," said the woman, "I told the people around me that the little white guy was winning, but nobody believed me!"

Obviously, winning TOU was a thrill of a lifetime. Ogden in 2007 was a big deal for me, but winning the local marathon over great competition, and as a local underdog, was special. I give God all the glory, and thank Him for not just the ability to run fast, but for the ability to run at all. Each day I'm out there is a blessing.

Got a big hug from the 2nd place Kenyan afterward (Josphat CHEMJOR). What a classy guy. The 3rd place runner (Sammy NYAMONGO) was a good guy too, and we all chatted a bit before interviews.

I got my official 13-mile and 20-mile splits from milliseconds.com this evening. Like I mentioned earlier, 13-mile was 1:10:49 (5:27/mile). Miles 13-20 were covered in 37:02 (5:17/mile). Miles 20-26.2 were covered in 35:15 (5:40/mile). The the last 6 miles were a slow-down, but not terrible. I wonder what the last 5K was, but I guess I'll never know.

I'm not sure what the future holds. It seems that if I train decently, I might be able to hit the 2:19 mark. I think I can handle 80-90 mpw physically, but the hangup is more about whether I can handle it emotionally, or that if I will have the time or desire for it. But maybe I will down the road? For this fall, I'm definitely doing The Other Half in Moab in October, for fun. But I don't know after that. Maybe another attempt at a half PR. I wonder if I can hit the 1:05 half marathon qualifier mark. Then I wouldn't have to train for, or run, a marathon at all until Trials. We'll see. But today, I am happy with running, and I'll let it rest at that.

Recovery is going pretty well from the marathon. I've was pretty sore on Sunday, but still able to climb a ladder and play with the swamp cooler on the roof without giving it a second thought. Had a slight (passing) urge to run yesterday, but that was mainly due to beautiful weather. Also, had a slight sore throat and congestion yesterday and today, mainly in the morning, and it clears up in a couple hours. Since marathons pretty much wipe out my immune system, I tend to get sick as it is, and with Enbrel I truly expected a cold. But I've been loading up on Emergen-C since Saturday, and so far it hasn't been too bad. Today I still have a little bit of soreness, but it might be gone by tomorrow. All-in-all, above average recovery, a little surprising giving my mileage base, but I'll take it.

Helped Cody mark the Bear 100 course, from Logan Peak aid station to Leatham Hollow aid station, plus a nasty hike to the top of Providence Canyon from the rock quarry to get on the trail. It was pretty poor running, but good scenery and a nice day. I was pretty much "gone" by the end of the run, not thinking straight, walking a lot of downhill. But we made it. I did not have any soreness lingering from the marathon, which is great, but definitely had a lot of fatigue, so we did a lot of walking.

My week of running penance continues. To recap, Cody and I marked 10 miles on the Bear 100 course. Which made me very sore. Yesterday, Jon, Cody, and I drove out to Leland's trout farm, picked up aid station supplies, sorted them out, and then came back to my house and chopped/cooked potatoes, and filled water jugs. And this morning was showtime: the actual aid station at Leatham Hollow, mile 20 of the course. We set up at 8AM (once again, MVP points to Cody for camping at the spot and having the tent and tables already set up when we got there). Then we chopped melon, arranged food and drink, rearranged food and drink, set up chairs, and did anything else we could think of that the runners would need or like. The two race directors (who started an hour early) came through around 8:40AM, and then the top runners around 9AM. It was a steady stream, especially froim 10:30-11:30 (or so), when what must have been 100 runners came through. Busy, busy, but they all got aided. The last person came through around 12:45, and then we could finally tear down and leave. It's tiring, but fun, and it feels good to give a little back to running (after taking so so much over the year). Still have more to do tomorrow: drive out to Bear Lake to the finish and drop off gear bags, and then drop the rest of the materials back at the trout farm. And then my week of running penance is over.

I did not run today. I'm still too sore from Wednesday. Maybe tomorrow.

My right quad is still tender to the touch. The left one is okay, and everything else is okay. I didn't run today, since it would not have been enjoyable. It's funny how marking a trail set me back further than a road marathon. Maybe it's a sign that I should stay off of them, like I'm being rejected or vomited out from the trail system.

Stacy, Seth, and I went for an afternoon hike up Smithfield Dry Canyon. It was short, because Seth was being fussy. But the physical exertion felt good, so I did a run afterward, 4 miles on the canal trail. The right quad is still sore, but on the upswing.

Canal trail, finally found the "end" of it: a big gate and fence with a "no trespassing" sign. Apparently the rich folks don't like us poor folks going near their back yard...even though the canal access road is an easement. Supposedly these fences are illegal, but people do it anyway. But the dirt path does give me a run of 7.5 miles, completely free of traffic and with no hills, so I'll have to take it for what it is (even though I want more). 7:00/mile average pace. Soreness is quad is finally gone.

Canal trail to Summit Dr., down to Canyon Rd to Birch Creek Rd, then trail back out to Foothill, then back home with some extra canal trail thrown in for distance. 6:52/mile average pace.

A delightful evening of running. I ran along the golf course to Summit Dr., down to the center of town, and then out the north end on the lower canal trail. Great views of the snowy Wellsvilles from all angle. Weather was perfect: brisk, some wind, and a few snow flakes, but then it cleared up. Beautiful fall weather. Finally. 6:30/mile average pace for 8 miles.