Every Race is an Adventure!

Utah Valley Marathon

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Location:

Orem,UT,USA

Member Since:

Apr 03, 2006

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Age Division Winner

Running Accomplishments:

HS/COLLEGE:
mile: 4:56, 2 mile: 10:21 (1978)
marathon: 2:52 (St. George 1982)
OLD MAN (20+ years later):
5K: 19:53 (Nestle/Art City Days 5K 2007)
10K: 39:55 (Spectrum 10K 2008)
half marathon: 1:26 (Hobble Creek 2008)
marathon: 3:07 (St. George 2007)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Get back to a BQ marathon time (currently 3:40).

Long-Term Running Goals:

Have fun running, keep fit, and fight middle age spread. Run consistently and injury free. Maintain a healthy balance between running and other life priorities. Encourage my ever-aging running buddies to keep running so we can continue to share runs on the trail instead of rocking chairs.

Personal:

Blessed to be married to Karen for 30 years. We have six children (4 daughters/2 sons) ages 16 to 30, and one wonderful granddaughter.

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Altra Instinct 1.5 Lifetime Miles: 83.50
Altra Lone Peak 1.5 Lifetime Miles: 21.80
Saucony Guide 7 Blue 2 Lifetime Miles: 376.95
Saucony Fastwitch 6 Lifetime Miles: 200.05
Saucony Guide 7 Black 1 Lifetime Miles: 271.15
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.800.0026.200.000.0032.00
Saucony Guide 6 II Miles: 32.00
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
3.000.000.000.000.003.00

3 easy miles @ 9:21/mi

Saucony Guide 6 II Miles: 3.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
2.800.000.000.000.002.80

2.8 easy miles @ 8:59/mi

This may be my last run before Saturday's marathon. I hope I'm ready. I know I'm more ready than I've been in the past few years. I wish I hadn't collided with my solid son playing basketball a couple of weeks ago. My ribs are still pretty sore, but they only hurt for the first mile or so on a run, so I hope I'll be okay. I've felt a little numbness in my bad left knee, but that happens sometimes. I don't feel any pain. I'm not too worried. I'll wear my knee strap as a precaution.

The hay's in the barn. I hope it's enough to get me through the winter.

I'm excited to run the Utah Valley marathon on Saturday. Every race is an adventure. Today the excitement is that my daughter Brittany returns from serving her 18 month mission to the Washington Tacoma Mission! We've been thrilled to have her serve. She's had difficult and wonderful experiences, her own marathon of sorts. She has blessed the lives of so many as she's loved and served them and invited and helped them to come unto Christ and partake of his mercy, love, and peace. Now we're excited to have her come home. Beginnings and endings and new beginnings. Every race, every life, is an adventure. There are good days and bad days. Today's a good day.

Saucony Guide 6 II Miles: 2.80
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Race: Utah Valley Marathon (26.2 Miles) 04:13:17, Place overall: 718, Place in age division: 40
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
0.000.0026.200.000.0026.20

Race goals (updated from 2012 plan):

Goals Strategy Results
Finish uninjured in under 4 hours. Run a comfortable pace, but do not slog. Do not push any hills. Speed walk up hills, through aid stations, when winded, or when beginning to feel pain that may indicate a potential injury. I did not slog. I am not injured. I did not walk except briefly at aid stations. I missed my 4 hour goal by 13+ minutes. I attribute a chunk of it to the consistent headwind, which was very strong at times, and the rest to my fitness level, or lack thereof. I felt like I ran a smart race and was mentally strong. I pulled out all I had in me and left it all on the road.
Stay nourished and hydrated. 2 Clif Bloks with 4+ oz water per aid station.
Power Bar before and halfway through.
Eat bananas and oranges when available.
Take race-provided GU gels if “it feels right”.
I took the Shot Bloks on schedule and drank plenty of water. I urinated shortly after the race and it was a healthly lemonade color. I ate the Power Bar before the race, but I just can't get one down during the race while running. I didn't even try. I did not take gels. I did eat oranges and bananas twice, a bit of a frozen pop, a Red Vine (should have skipped that). I feel like I hydrated and had ample energy. Still, I pushed so hard the last several miles that I nearly collapsed just after I finished. I was so grateful for a volunteer and then my buddy Kevin who looked after me until I was able to safely walk unaided.

More details:

Miles Plan Actual Splits/Comments
1-7 Good downhill (8:00-9:00/mi) 8:32, 8:12, 8:16, 8:40, 8:51, 8:56, 9:01
I ran with Kevin. I feel like we did well, not too fast, not too slow.
8-9 Uphill (12:00-14:00/mi) 10:03, 10:05
Faster than planned, but I "coasted" the uphills...did not feel like I was pushing too hard.
10-12 Downhill/flat (8:30-9:30/mi) 9:57, 8:48, 9:25
Kevin and I stopped for some adjustments just after the 9 mile marker. He put a bandage on a bad toenail, and I made a portapotty stop and fixed a wrinkle in my left sock.
13 Uphill/steep downhill (9:00-10:00/mi) 9:05
Feeling good, but beginning to feel some tightness in my right quad, and some minor pain in my right hip. I took some Vitamin I (ibuprofen).
14-16 Mild downhill (8:30-9:30/mi) 9:23, 9:29, 10:14
Kevin and I realized about this point that sub-14 wasn't going to happen today. The head wind was beginning to take its toll, and our training level wasn't enough to overcome it.
17-18 Uphill/steep downhill (11:00-12:00/mi) 10:35, 9:46
Technically we may have still been on pace for 4 hours, but there was no way we were going to average 9:00-ish pace for the rest of the race. I could tell Kevin was feeling better than I was. He stopped to wait for me at an aid station. I told him to just go on ahead, which I was grateful he gradually did. He went on to finish about 6 minutes ahead of me.
19-26.2 Mild downhill (9:00-12:00/mi) 9:02, 9:53, 10:27, 10:31, 10:33, 11:18, 10:20, 10:36, 9:23/mi to the finish.
The wheels were coming off. I had reached the level of my physical training. The last miles were a mental challenge. I focused on maintaining good form and a consistent rhythm. Keep moving forward. I feel like I never quit mentally, as much as my body wanted to slog or walk.
Total 3:59:59 (9:10/mi) 4:13:17
I finished 13+ minutes slower than my goal, but I knew it was an optimistic stretch goal, and given the head wind, I'm very satisfied with my finish time. I was pleased by my execution of my race strategy, and my mental toughness in the late miles. I was thrilled by my lack of serious pain or injury. I was disappointed by my feeling so ill for a while after finishing, and so grateful for the help from the volunteers and from Kevin.

I'm so grateful for Hyrum and his organization, the volunteers, and the spectators that make it possible for me to run and assist and encourage me and so many others to do our best.

My niece Lindsay Jepperson finished her first marathon in 5:20:33. I saw her later in the afternoon at her sister's wedding reception and she was doing great. Congratulations!

I finished 718 of 1409 finishers (51%), and 40 of 71 in the M 50-54 division (56%). Last year I finished 1233 of 1471 (84%), and 79 of 87 (91%) in my division. I finished 13:18 faster than last year, and improved my average pace from 11:27/mi to 9:40/mi. I'm not back to my top level, and may never run a 2:52 or 3:07 or even sub-3:30 or a BQ (3:40) again, but I'm headed in the right direction. For now I intend to consistently improve until my body tells me to back off.

How do I feel about my marathon results? Happy...and that's a very good way to feel.

Saucony Guide 6 II Miles: 26.20
Comments(4)
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.800.0026.200.000.0032.00
Saucony Guide 6 II Miles: 32.00
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