Every Race is an Adventure!

I ran the Lake View course instead of the normal Eagles View course today. I think running the steep Eagles View hill last Monday after running Timp the previous Saturday (after two consecutive weeks of increased mileage) contributed to the minor calf strain that presented itself last Tuesday, and that let me know at about mile 18 this past Saturday that it wasn't completely healed. So, today I decided to skip the morning run and do the flatter Lake View run instead of Eagles View at lunch time. I want my legs to be as well rested and healed as they can be for the Hobble Creek Half Marathon this Saturday.

I decided to run a quick marathon pace today, which meant I tried to maintain good form and rhythm and push the pace a little, but not too hard. I finished the 5.2 miles in 40:22 (7:46/mi). I went out in 20:36 (7:55/mi) and back in 19:45 (7:36/mi). I felt pretty comfortable the whole run. I did feel a little tightness in my right calf, and a little soreness in my left ankle and left achilles tendon. None of these seem very serious, but I think I'll try not to overdue it this week and lean away from training hard and towards tapering for the half marathon Saturday.

I ran 1:32 last year at Hobble Creek and finished 14th in my division and 135th overall. My goal this year is to meet or beat Cory's performance last year. He finished in 1:29, 10th in our division and 99th overall. My goal is to break 1:30 and finish in the top 10 in my division and in the top 100 overall.

I ran 6 easy miles through Lindon with Larry and Wayne this morning. It was a little dark. When it's dark I'm always afraid of stepping on unseen objects or holes in the road. I've done it too many times. It may be time to move all of our early morning runs back to Orem's well-lit streets again. Dang! I'm going to miss the light in the mornings.

I went with Larry this morning over to the THS track. He wanted to try a couple of quick miles this morning prior to the half marathon this Saturday. His neuroma has hampered his training this year, but he's hanging in there.

After we warmed up for a mile or so I ran the first mile with him. I missed starting my watch but I think it was pretty close to 7:51. When he stopped to rest before his second mile I kept going for two more miles, both at exactly 7:01. They felt pretty good. I didn't feel like I was pushing too hard. I was wearing my lighter shoes that I plan to wear Saturday. They are getting old, but still felt pretty good. I'm looking forward to the half marathon on Saturday. It will be fun finding out where I am in my training. I hope I'm not disappointed.

Nathan and I ran the Lake View course at lunch time. We're both running the Hobble Creek half marathon in a couple of days so we took it at an easy conversational pace. The weather was cooler than it has been and was quite enjoyable. We averaged 7:55/mi for the 5.2 miles. I felt like it was closer to an 8:30 pace, and was pleasantly surprised that it was 7:55. That's about the pace for a 3:27 marathon. I felt like it was an "easy marathon pace" effort, so I'm encouraged that my St. George marathon goal of 3:20 may be within reach. But I guess I need to take it "one game at a time" and not look past Hobble Creek. I'm looking forward to it.

I ran the Hobble Creek Half Marathon this morning. I picked up Doug Eddy around 5:40 and we got an a bus a little after 6:00. I was a little concerned when the bus driver asked, "Does anybody know where we're going?" He was planning to just follow the other busses but the ones in front of him had all left. With some directions from us runners he made it up the canyon just fine.

After unloading from the bus, Doug and I decided to jog up the 3/4 mile or so to the start. One purpose was to loosen up our legs, the other was to make sure I had time to use a portapotty. It turns out we needn't have worried about the portapotty. I made it in time to get to the start line before the starting time, but the race ended up starting about 35 minutes late. The rumors were that a few of the scheduled buses didn't show up so they had to send some of the earlier buses back for a second trip.

I found Nathan near the start. Wayne was on one of the late busses and we all started together. We had what we thought was a good spot near the starting line, but with all the late arrivals a number of slower runners clogged the area a bit. With a little darting and weaving I eventually got through the congestion. Nathan joined me shortly. I guess Wayne chose not to follow us. I never saw him again until after the race.

Nathan and I were planning/hoping to average about a 6:30 pace for the first 6 downhill miles. Along the way Michael Nelson (a former neighbor of mine in his 20's) caught us and ran with us until the water station at mile 6 1/2. At that point he pulled away and ended up finishing in 1:25.

I noticed a short young woman in blue shorts ahead of us, as well as a runner that looked like Rich Lamereaux (basketball player from my stake, we both stayed in Kent Gassman's in-law's home in Cape Cod for the Boston Marathon this year), but I wasn't sure it was him.

Three times I passed the young woman in the blue shorts, and three times she passed me back. She ended up finishing just ahead of me.

We caught Rich when he stopped for water (at 6 1/2 I think). He caught back up and eventually pulled ahead a little, but I would always catch back up when he stopped for water. I kicked and caught him at mile 13, but when I shouted "Come on, Rich" he did, and pulled away at the end.

At mile 8, there was a water station just before the mile marker. Rich was a little ahead of Nathan and me. He took a cup of water but didn't stop to drink it until he had pushed his watch at the mile marker. He stopped pretty suddenly right at the point where we turn off the road onto the jogging path. I nearly collided with him, and Nathan did. The collision popped one of the pins on Nathan's Garmin so it was only hanging on the wrist band on one side. I had a velcro pocket so I put the loose pin in it for safe keeping. I offered to carry the Garmin in the large pocket on the back of my Race Ready shorts. Nathan initially declined, but eventually took me up on my offer. The watch must have been holding him back because shortly thereafter he starting pulling away and ended up finishing in 1:26.

The official clock said I finished in 1:28:03, but my watch said 1:27:02. My goals were to run sub-1:30, finish in the top 10 in my age division, and in the top 100 overall. I haven't seen official results yet, but I think I achieved all three goals. (1) Whether my time was 1:27 or 1:28, it was a new PR (was 1:29) and I beat 1:30. (2) I was very surprised when they called my name as the 3rd Place finisher in the Male 45-49 division. I was only 14th last year. (3) As for finishing in the top 100, I got an Elite 100 medal for finishing in the top 100 men. Wayne finished in 1:31 and he said they told him he was the 65th male runner to finish. I figure there's a good chance I was in the top 100 overall (including women). I'm thrilled with my performance. I think I prepared for and managed the race well. It was tough near the end, but I hung in there. I felt light headed a couple of times just after I finished, so I must have given just about all I had.

My mile splits were:

Mile 1 - 6:37
Mile 2 - 6:20
Mile 3-4 - 12:34 (6:17/mi)
Mile 5 - 6:28
Mile 6 - 6:20
Mile 7 - 6:33
Mile 8 - 6:30
Mile 9 - 6:44
Mile 10 - 6:59
Mile 11 - 7:14
Mile 12 - 7:10
Mile 13 - 6:53
Mile 13.1 - 0:41
Overall - 1:27:02

There don't seem to be any anomalies in my splits, so I'm going to claim a time of 1:27, instead of the 1:28:03 I saw on the finish line clock.

Even though the race was late starting, and we were all worried about it getting too hot, I never really felt too hot. We were in the sun more than we would have been had the race started on time, but even in the sun I felt a cool breeze for most of the race. It was a beautiful day, on a beautiful course. I had a good performance and was able to share it with good friends. It was awesome!

(Tom - Running on a treadmill in a hot, humid hotel fitness room in India might top this experience...but somehow I doubt it. Welcome back home!)