It was a great day for me. Cold at the start, but great running weather. Goal was 4:21 (sub-10 pace), finished in 4:10 (9:33/mi). I took it easy on the uphills, walking some of them, because I didn't have the long runs to be confident I could last (only a couple of 15 milers). I also had 4-5 bathroom stops. You can tell where the hills and bathroom stops were in the splits listed below.
Larry's wife Jolene and I ended up running about the same pace and ran much of the first 16 miles together. Kevin and his sister Melanie ran with us for some of those miles, and we bumped into Kris and her daughter Jessie a few times (at porta pottys). Jolene had slowed due to a calf issue and was just catching me when I made a bathroom stop. I was then chasing to try to catch her before Snow Canyon (about mile 16) and she stepped into a porta potty just as I caught her.
It was feeling pretty good to run uptempo a bit. It almost felt like past years when I was much faster. I decided to go for it and try to keep that pace as long as I could. I kept my strategy of taking it easy on the few uphill sections that remained, but took the brakes off on the abundant downhill sections. Jolene had told Kevin and Melanie earlier what Keri Skousen had taught her about running downhills...to lower your arms and lean forward at the hips. Ironically, I focused on that on the downhills and use Jolene's own tip to pull away from her...and pass a lot of runners. My first half average pace was 9:40, second half was 9:20. It was starting to get hard when I hit town, but the spectators were great and their cheering, and high fives, kept me energized. I manage sub-9 pace the last 3 miles and finished strong despite my lack of training miles. According to RunPix, in the last 7 miles I passed 338 runners and was only passed by 15.
Back before the Hobble Creek half marathon I blogged that I had a calf strain and bought some calf sleeves that worked wonders and helped me do well at that race. I've worn them almost every run since, and wore them for the first time for a marathon. I'm writing this on Sunday night after getting back home and I realize that after running 20 previous marathons, this is the first one where I have little to no calf pain afterward. My quads hurt when I go up or down stairs, but I can walk around pretty normally. I can't say for sure it was the calf sleeves, but I don't know what else to attibute it to, unless it was the 4-5 quick stops for Icy Hot in the later miles (mostly as a precaution). (No, I don't sell calf sleeves or Icy Hot.)
I feel great about my run. It gives me confidence in my goal to return to my former levels of running (as much as life and age allow). The best part of the weekend, however, was the opportunity to visit with and bump into so many wonderful running friends, and meet some new ones. Running has clearly been, and continues to be, a prolific source of good friends for me.
As always, I very much enjoyed the LDS General Conference sessions I was able to listen to (all but the first one during the marathon). When I was 12 I remember being overwhelmed with the idea of someday providing for a wife and family. Life was so big and I was so small and weak and simple. When I was about 14 years old (9th grade) I was studying the Book of Mormon in seminary and read Jacob 2:18-19 "But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good..." The Spirit bore witness to my heart that this was the path I should follow. I made the decision to put my trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ and do my best to follow the path God pointed out to me. Through a lifetime of striving, and falling short, and trying again, and testing God's promises, I have my own certain witness that Christ's church has been restored, there are living prophets and apostles on the earth today, and that following them as they lead us to follow Jesus Christ, even in times of pain and trial, is a sure path to peace, love, and joy. I'm still weak and simple, and so grateful for Heaven's Help everyday, and especially twice a year at conference. I look forward to reading each talk again. I love hearing the voice of God speak to me through his servants.
What a great weekend! I am so blessed!
Splits:
1- 9:02
2- 9:23
3- 8:52
4- 8:30
5- 11:55 (group pit stop)
6- 8:21
7- 8:23
8- 10:58 (Veyo)
9- 9:59
10- 11:53
11- 11:21
12- 11:50
13- 8:43
14- 9:48
15- 8:27
16- 7:57
17- 8:47
18- 8:55
19- 10:24
20- 9:44
21- 8:25
22- 9:35
23- 9:49
24- 8:23
25- 8:58
26- 8:54
0.2- 8:28 (pace)
4:10:03 (9:33/mi)
Overall: 3016 of 5819 (2803 finishers behind, 52% ahead)
Men: 1866 of 3163 (1297 finishers behind, 59% ahead)
Men 50-54: 196 of 298 (102 finisher behind, 65% ahead)
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