18 miles @ 10:00/mi. Timpanogos Park up to the top of South Fork (Trefoil) and back.
I forgot my Garmin watch this morning, but I had my phone so I used the MapMyRun app. It was only my second time using it, and I messed up the starting and stopping a little, but overall it worked pretty well.
I was hoping to go at least 14 miles, maybe 16, and kept open the possibility of 18 if I felt up to it. I did, but I was sure ready to turn back downhill when I reached the Trefoil gate at the top of South Fork.
The weather was cool, perfect, all the way up. It warmed up some on the way back down when the sun hit me, but it wasn't too hot.
My legs felt good the entire run. I ran an easy pace. I didn't push, but I feel like I maintained good form and a strong, steady pace through to the finish. I didn't feel overly tired at the end, and recovered pretty quickly.
About mile 15 or 16 I saw runners who looked like they were racing but were not wearing bibs. One of them, a young boy, turned around at a duct tape line on the trail just after I crossed it. As he slowing passed me, I asked if he was in a race. He was. It was a famly reunion 5K. Pretty cool. He was running well, but didn't quite pull away away from me so we talked a little more. His name was Danny. (I learned this from family members who were cheering him as the passed in the other direction.) He was 8 years old and in 5th place...the others were all older than him. I asked if he liked running. He said he did. I complimented his form and how well he was running and encouraged him to continue throughout his life. I coached him a little as he ran the steep uphill out of Nunn's Park. I asked him if he knew how to sprint, and told him that when he saw the finish line he should run as fast as he can, that he could breath later. He didn't know the name of the park where he was to finish. As we came to Canyon Glen, he paused a little but then continued on. A young woman behind him, a fellow family member in the race whom he had been trying to stay ahead of, yelled and told him he should have turned. He hurried back but she was a little ahead of him by then. I felt bad for him, then wondered if he would remember what I said about sprinting to the finish. I hit a spot where I could see the finish through the trees so I stopped to watch. He caught her just before the line. It made me smile. I later realized that during that stretch I had sped up from about 10:00/mi to sub-8:30/mi. It didn't feel like. I guess I benefitted from a little race day magic, even though I wasn't racing.
It was a very enjoyable run. After a couple of almost 40 mile weeks, this was my first 40+ mile week. I've intentionally worked my legs hard these past few weeks, attempting to significantly step up my training (distance, hills, speed) while avoiding injury. I feel I've been pretty successful.
I plan to back off the intensity a little the next week couple of weeks and let my legs heal up for the Hobble Creek Half Marathon on August 16. I'll pick it up again after that in preparation for the St. George marathon in October.
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