Every Race is an Adventure!

I decided to put in a few miles at marathon pace this morning. I had to get out a little early so I could help the kids get off to school.

I warmed up for the half mile over to the school then ran the neighborhood 5K course. I average about 7:30/mi and felt pretty strong.

My left calf was still sore in one spot (lower calf, upper achilles) when I massaged it before the run. I wore the compression sleeve. I felt strong and felt no pain in the calf during the run. I'm looking forward to the 20 miler tomorrow morning.

It's taken me five days to actually get to logging this run. I guess I've been trying to forget it...although I've also been busy from dawn to dark (on my "vacation") working on projects and trying to run the household while Karen's been gone for a week. She got back last night so I'm back at work. Thank goodness.

Anyway, Saturday's planned 20 miler with Kerry and Verdon started off well, but didn't end so well. This is the third time I've done this run this season, so I wasn't too concerned about it, which may have contributed to my difficulties.

I managed to stay with Kerry the 10 miles up to Trefoil, but it felt much harder than I expected. By the time I reached the top I knew there was some pain ahead of me on the trip back down.

Part way down South Fork I realized there was no way I was going to stay with Kerry all the way back. I had two painful blisters on my left foot (little toe, and ball of foot) and my legs felt completely drained of energy. I decided to push down to Vivian and then allow (force) Kerry to go on without me, which I did.

After some water and a rest at Vivian I tried to continue on. It hurt too much to walk so I started running slowly. I stopped at Nunn's Park again for water. At that point I just wanted to go home. I didn't want to aggravate the blisters further and my legs felt like they were ready to start cramping. I decided to call my son who came and gave me a ride to my car at the mouth of the canyon.

It was pretty demoralizing. I've attributed my poor performance to two factors. First, I blame the blisters on a poor choice of socks. They felt a little rough and worn when I put them on, but I foolishly ignored the discomfort. The shoes are also pretty new and I may not have had the left one tightened properly.

As for the complete lack of energy, I attribute that to two days of hard labor in the sun going up and down ladders combined with inadequate nourishment. I also lost one of my eGel packets early in the run which could have helped me at Vivian. I had an eFuel waiting for me at the car and after drinking it I felt fine and even headed to do some quick shopping before heading home. I recovered pretty quickly as soon as I got some nourishment.

I guess we have good days and bad days running. This was definitely not a good one, but perhaps one I can learn from.

I almost ran this morning, but decided to give my blisters from Saturday one more day of healing.

I wasn't sure if the others were going out at 5:30 (for 8 miles) or 5:45am (for 6). I decided on 6 so I went out at 5:45am. It turns out Kent, Kurt, and Larry had left at 5:30am. Thursday's course is such that I was able to meet up with them and run the last few miles with them, which I very much enjoyed.

I didn't push real hard, but ran pretty strong. I didn't feel any pain from the blisters or from the calf that has been bothering me. I commented that it felt good to run pain-free again.

I ran the Wednesday hills with Kent, Kurt, and Larry. We left at 5:30am so I took my headlamp just in case. It was pretty dark in the hills so I ended up using it.

Like yesterday, I didn't try to push too hard but still ran pretty strong up the hills. I did push the pace coming down 1600 North. I think I averaged around 6:30 for the last 1/2 mile or so. It felt good. Again, no real pain to speak of (knock on wood).

Unlike Tuesday, today I opted to go out at 5:30am and do 8 miles instead of six. We all felt pretty tired this morning. The pace wasn't really quick, and the hills were hard. Nevertheless, for me it was three days in a row of pain-free running, so I'm satisfied.

I ran the neighborhood 5K course this morning. After a few days of running pain-free at a lesser pace, I wanted to push the pace a little, but I also didn't want to do too much before tomorrow's long run.

Without looking at my watch, I tried to run what felt like a marathon pace. It was not an all out 5K pace. I ran the downhill mile in 7:16, the level mile in 7:42, and the uphill mile in 7:39. I averaged 7:30/mi overall.

I don't know why the uphill mile is faster than the level mile, except that during the uphill mile I was thinking about how Jonathon passed me there in this year's neighborhood 5K race and how next year that wasn't going to happen. :-)

I regained a little confidence this morning. I felt strong, I was satisfied with the times, and wasn't really pushing all that hard.

Unbelievable! Yesterday I accidentally dropped our deck umbrella stand on my left big toe. I iced it right away. I'm pretty sure it is not broken (thank goodness), but it's a little swollen and kind of purple. I can walk on it without too much pain, but didn't dare run on it this morning. I'm hoping I'll be able to run Monday.

After overcoming rolled ankles, strained muscles, blisters, bonking badly, and smashed toes, the marathon will seem like a cake walk...if I last that long. :-)

Larry and I ran the Monday route. I taped my big toe and it didn't hurt too badly. I wasn't able to push the pace much, but it felt good to be able to run. I think it should be fine for TOU in two weeks.

Ran the extended Tuesday run with Larry and Kevin. I felt good except for the sore big toe, which kept me from pushing the pace much.

Ran the normal hill course with Larry. Again, I felt good but the sore toe kept me from pushing the pace.

Ran the extended Thursday course with Kent and Larry. Larry's hip was bothering him so we dropped off early so he didn't aggravate it for his 20 miler on Saturday.

Kevin and I were both a little tired, me more so than Kevin. He pushed ahead and stopped to wait for me a couple of times. I managed about a 6:45/mi pace down 2000 N, but the rest of the run was just at a moderate pace. My Garmin froze up before the run, so I don't have details.

I ran alone this morning. I warmed up for the 1/2 mile over to the school then ran the neighborhood 5K course. I planned to cool down the 1/2 mile back home but pretty much just kept the same pace.

My goal was to lock into what felt like marathon pace and then see how fast I was going. I pleasantly surprised that I averaged 7:15/mi for 3.7 miles. I felt like I could have gone farther at that pace, but I stuck to my plan for a lighter workout. I mostly wanted to test my sore toe at marathon pace. It hurt a little at first but by the end of the run I had forgotten about it.

Kevin and I ran the 10 miles from the top of South Fork to the mouth of Provo Canyon. At least that was the plan. Kevin overslept due to his broken alarm clock and we were about half an hour late getting off. We dropped off my car at the mouth of the canyon then drove his car to Trefoil.

Kevin needed to get back for a soccer game. As we neared Vivian Park he said he'd better turn and head back up to his car rather than run to the mouth and then have to drive all the way back up to get his car. He was going to turn around at Vivian but shortly before we got there we ran into Kent, Wayne, and Larry heading up on their 20 miler. He went back up with them and I went on to Vivian alone.

After a bathroom stop, eGel, and water at Vivian, I started down the canyon just behind Duane Newman. I didn't know him, but we started running together and talking. It turns out we had crossed paths at the Wasatch Back Relay (he was on an ultra team) and the Hobble Creek half marathon (we think he beat me there by 10 seconds).

Wayne was in the middle of a 22 mile long run and was running very strong. We ran together from Vivian to the mouth of the canyon. I pulled ahead a little as I kicked near the end, but it wasn't long before Wayne came along and continued his run on up the 800 N. hill. He looked very strong.

This run gave me confidence for TOU again. I averaged 7:17/mi for the 10 miles, and still felt pretty strong at the end.

As I was taking a mental scan of my body after the run, the only pain I felt was what felt like a hot spot on my left big toe. Then I remembered that was my sore toe. I had taken some Aleve before the run and the toe had not bothered me at all (except a tiny bit at the start before the pain reliever kicked in). It should cause me no trouble at TOU.

It was a cold dark frosty morning at 5:45am. I ran alone. I ran a mile to warm up then picked up the pace. I averaged 7:36/mi for the next five miles. It seemed harder to get moving in the cold. The fastest mile was 6:47 on a downhill stretch on mile 3 and the slowest was 8:05 for the last mile. I intentionally slowed a little the last mile as I felt some minor tightness in my right calf. I didn't want to risk an injury at this point.

My sore big toe hurt a little the first mile or two (probably due to the cold and Saturday's run) but the pain gradually faded as I continued running until it nearly disappeared. I continue to believe it won't bother me at TOU this Saturday.

Advice Request:

I was advised today by an experienced TOU runner to shoot for a negative or even split, even though all the uphill miles are in the second half of the race. My race plan has been based on expending a consistent effort over the entire race (downhill faster, uphill slower) which would mean the "all downhill" first half would be faster than the "downhill/uphill/level" second half.

My question is: For my 3:20 goal, do I run a 7:38/mi pace (or even slower) the first 18 miles (downhill) and try to conserve energy to push the pace later in the race, or do I take advantage of the downhill to run a little faster, knowing the same effort will yield a slower pace on the hills later in the race?

I ran four miles this morning, taking it easy as I warmed up then pushing up to marathon pace. My injured big toe was a little stiff and sore again as I started, but the discomfort was minimal and faded as I went.

I tried out the 99 cent pair of gloves I bought yesterday. My thought was to wear them for the first part of the run then discard them when I no longer needed them. However, they worked so well this morning I think I may attach my name to them and toss them in one of the clothes boxes along the way so I at least have a chance of getting them back.

I also did a test drive packing my eGels with me this morning. They fit well in the rear pockets of my running shorts and don't bother me as I run. I know I could use the gel the race provides and not have to pack my own, but I don't want to take any chances.

I ran 3.5 miles at an easy pace in a light rain. I ran about half the distance at an 8:15/mi to 8:30/mi pace and averaged about 9:00/mi overall.

I ran three easy miles with Kevin. I'm feeling pretty good.

The sore big toe isn't completely healed, but I can run on it with confidence and very little discomfort. The cold may make it a little worse, but I'm pretty sure an Aleve will take care of it.

Otherwise I'm feeling healthy, strong and optimistic. It may sound strange to non-runners, and maybe to some who are runners, but I'm more excited for this race than if I was going to the Final Four, a tropical cruise, or DisneyWorld. Effort + achievement + good people + beautiful scenery = happy Paul.

Top of Utah Marathon, Logan, UT

I finished the TOU Marathon in 03:28:42, 163rd overall (roughly top 10%), 23rd of 126 in Male 45-49 division (top 19%).

My mile splits were:

1- 7:26.65

2- 7:09.13

3- 7:23.32

4- 7:20.66

5- 7:32.22

6- 7:45.90

7- 7:35.30

8- 7:27.57

9- 7:30.06

10- 7:42.77

11- 7:34.36

12- 7:19.33

13- 7:30.31

14- 7:22.49

15- 7:26.00

16- 7:46.95

17- 8:01.92

18- 8:14.92

19- 8:39.95

20- 8:39.53

21- 8:24.46

22- 8:51.68

23- 9:17.73

24- 9:20.99

25- 8:55.10

26- 8:42.23

1st Half- 1:38:06 (7:29/mi avg)

2nd Half- 1:50:36 (8:27/mi avg)

Overall 3:28:42 (7:58/mi avg)

My first goal was 3:20, which I knew was a real stretch goal for me, but I decided to try that pace and see how it felt. At 13.1, I was 9 seconds ahead of my goal time for a 3:20 and still feeling pretty good.

However, about mile 14 my legs (mostly my thighs) were really beginning to feel the effects of all that downhill. By mile 15 I began to fade and the rest of the run was pretty hard. My average pace for the second half was nearly a full minute slower per mile (7:29/mi v. 8:27/mi), 12+ minutes slower.

It was a real mental battle to keep going. I'm pretty sure others were facing the same battle, as there were several of us that kept passing each other back and forth over those last 8-10 miles. I made it a point to stop for no more than a few seconds to drink at the aid stations, for fear I wouldn't be able to get going again. I also took to taking an orange wedge at the aid stations and sucking on it for a mile or so. It seemed to help.

By mile 15 or 16 I realized that 3:20 was out of the question, so I mentally switched to my second goal of 3:30, which is my Boston qualifying time. This goal helped keep me going. At mile 24 I was just a little over 3:09. Some quick math in my head figured 2 miles to go, 20 minutes left for 3:30, I need to run at least 10 minutes per mile, my slowest mile has been 9-something, I'm going to make 3:30 easily. Exhausted runners shouldn't attempt math. As I approached mile 26 I remembered the 0.2 miles. I thought of trying some quick recalculations but then decided to just push as hard as I could to the end.

As I approached the finish I realized I was going to make it under 3:30. Just as I was going to make my last kick through the chute to the finish, I noticed an older guy whose two young sons had joined him to run in with him. For a moment I thought about kicking on past him (he seemed to be struggling a little), but then I decided it wasn't that important, so I slowed down and let him finish in front of me. Wouldn't you know it? It turns out that "older guy" was in my age division. I gave away 22nd place in my division and had to settle for 23rd. I was right. It didn't really matter. Looking back, I'm glad I didn't detract from that father's moment of glory in the eyes of his family. I guess sometimes an exhausted runner's brain can still think clearly late in the race.

I thoroughly enjoyed the race (I can say that now that it's over). I thought the race was well organized (except the somewhat disorganized distribution of discarded-along-the-course clothing). I thought the volunteers and spectators were great. I enjoyed talking with various runners along the way. I enjoyed running down the canyon, along rural roads, and through residential neighborhoods.

It was quite cold at the start (around 26 degress I think), but I was well prepared and the cold never really bothered me. I dropped my vest and gloves in the clothing box at mile 15, they had served me very well, and I pulled up my long sleeves a few miles later. I kept my running tights on and they never got too warm. Temperature wise I was comfortable the whole race.

Besides the normal overall aching legs, I only got a minor blister on my left foot and felt a little tightness in right calf the last mile or so. My goal now is to recover quickly enough to run St. George in two weeks. This "two marathons in two weeks" experiment is going to be interesting. I'm looking forward to it.

Recovery. No running today.

Walking pretty well. I tried jogging just a bit. Right thigh and calf still a little sore.

I slowly jogged the stairs up to the 6th floor this morning and felt pretty good. My right thigh and calf are still a little sore, but are feeling quite a bit better. If I had my running stuff at work I'd be tempted to try a mile or two at lunch. I plan to try running a few easy miles tomorrow morning.

I ran just over 3.5 miles this morning and averaged around an 8:00/mi pace. I started out pretty slow for the first 1/2 mile. I felt pretty good so I pushed it up to just under 8:00/mi for 1.5 miles. There was some gradual downhill at that point and I easily pushed the pace a little more to around 7:15/mi which I held for the rest of the run (except for a block of uphill that was slower).

I could still feel a little soreness in my right thigh and calf, but overall I felt strong and energetic. I'm encouraged about being able to be fully recovered in time for St. George.

I'm not quite sure how to balance running with recovery between TOU and SG. I decided to go light today. I only ran 2.5 miles at an easy pace. There is still a little tightness in my right calf, but it doesn't bother me when I run.

I was lazy and took today off. I'm chosing to err on the side of too much recovery instead of too much running.

Kevin and I ran from the mouth of Provo canyon up to Bridal Veil Falls and back. We averaged 8:04/mi going up against a head wind. We took it easy and averaged 8:01/mi back down to the fountain at Nunn's Park where we stopped for a drink. We continued at an easy pace (8:18/mi) for the next couple of miles. We pushed the last mile a little and averaged around 7:20/mi.

A week after TOU and a week before St. George, we both just wanted to convince ourselves that we could still run at a decent pace. I feel pretty good about the run, and with a week still to go I feel pretty confident about being ready for another marathon.