Just in case you are not aware, my favorite marathon was today, the Des News!!! It was my sixth time running it and I clearly remember in 2006 swearing that I would never, ever try it again. Consequently, do not believe anything I say, at least in regards to anything that inflicts such physical and mental anguish upon myself. With the exception of this toll, it’s an absolute blast!
Like clockwork, I was up at 2:00 am operating on very little sleep (i.e., the fireworks that people shot off through the night at Big Cottonwood Park just kept me up). My back was feeling much better today, that is, I just slept on it wrong, thus causing a weekend of discomfort. After packing all my gear, I headed up to the University to catch one of the middle buses up to the Big-Mountain starting line. This year the only eligible runners for prize money were residents of Utah; therefore, there was more local (but still really fast) talent competing in the race. After taking a nice hour-long nap under the stars, it was time to get the Pioneer Day started.
At 5:30 am, it was on. As usual I had very little patience, thus I took off fast and just enjoyed cruising the first three miles down Big Mountain at a ridiculously fast pace (a little headwind, but no big deal). It was nice to talk to Fritz a little bit (growing up in the same part of town and with almost all of my junior high friends going to Oly, it seems like I have always heard of him) and to meet Jon Kotter, a former BYU runner. They both dusted my just after mile marker two which was really impressive since last year the elite runners waited all the way to mile four to drop me. It was sure fun to feel really fast for a few minutes!
I kept trotting along and achieved my goal of a sub-7:00 pace all the way up Little Mountain which felt so great that I was almost hoping for a freak injury so I could leave the race on this high note. Seriously, I could not believe when my Garmin chimed in 6:49 on mile seven which has always been a greater than a 7:00 mile for me. Knowing that James (aka, Fiddy) was in this race, I absolutely had the feeling of being hunted. Maybe this pushed me a little harder up Little Mountain knowing how easy this guy flew up the Ultra Ragnar Leg (1:07 is sick). Not hearing or seeing him, I started my descent down the Emigration Canyon. Just when I began to think that I might be able to keep third place through the first ten miles, I heard light and fast footsteps and there was no doubt who was going to take ownership of third place very soon. It was great to talk to James for a half-mile or so because I knew this rest of my race was going to be pretty lonely for me. The nice thing is that there are a few straight stretches down the remaining part of the Canyon, thus seeing James slowly increase the lead ahead of me helped pull me along for a few miles. I reached the halfway mark in a time of 1:14:56 (which was really fast for me).
I felt pretty good going up Crestview Drive then down past the golf course, but then all of a sudden my legs became really heavy. I just kept the focus on my breathing and trying to pick up my legs at a relatively fast rhythm. By the ways, thank goodness UDOT stepping it up and finishing paving Foothill Drive because I was not looking forward to hyperventilating while trying to run through the dust and tar fumes. Thanks UDOT!
Trying to keep it together, I made it to the Wells Fargo Bank on 1300 East and between 200 and 300 South, which is appropriately my 4-miles-to-go marker. I looked down at my Garmin and the total time just changed to 2:14:00. I was really hoping this would be 2:12:00 to allow me to run a 7:00 pace to the finish line because taking into account the hills, my pace was really diminishing with each mile. Knowing a sub-6:30 pace for the final four miles would achieve my goal of a sub-2:40 marathon, I just gritted my teeth and went for it. I knew I might not be able to keep it together, but the Des-News only happens once a year, so why not? In short, it was an all out grind to the finish line, but I made it in with a time of 2:39:50 (6:06 pace and PR by 24 seconds)!!! I was completely depleted, but the sense of accomplishment made it all worth it. Also, it was great to see a number of FRBers at the Liberty-Park finish line (RAD and Allie just to name a few) and the Pioneer Day festivities made it all worth it.
A summary of my splits for the race are as follows: 4:43, 4:39, 4:51, 5:23, 5:45, 6:15, 6:49, 6:32, 5:38, 5:58, 5:53, 5:56, 5:56, 5:57, 6:00, 6:03, 6:12, 6:42, 6:37, 6:31, 6:57 (slowest mile, Sunnyside Incline), 6:13, 6:33, 6:27, 6:25, 6:33, and 2:22 (a 5:55 pace on this split for 0.40 of a mile).
Happy Pioneer Day and I am already looking forward to running it again next year! | 