Each Day Is a Gift

Ran with Karen down and up rail trail.  My breathing sure was labored on the uphill.  Legs felt fine but the lungs aren't.  What's the elevation in Pocatello?

Still desperately looking for a place to sleep Fri night in Logan for TOU on 9/16.  In the process of asking around, another friend (a girl from Arizona) needs a place to sleep too.  So now I am looking for TWO of us.  Anyone cancelling their hotel room?!!!!

Met Karen and Carolyn at the bus stop (for Jr High kids) at 7:45.  It's so fun to talk with the kids in my Valiant 11 class, love them so much! :)  7th grade is tough time. 

Lori ran by us so I ran 2 fast (for me) miles with her.  Lotsa school traffic.  We need to go a different way tomorrow!

Met Karen, Wendy and Carolyn at the bus stop again.  We ran towards the elementary school where Lori would be running from.  Crazy school traffic.  We ran west thru a neighborhood west of 300 West to bypass school traffic; then north to Bull River.  

I really like running with Lori who's a 1:30 half-marathoner.  She runs like a gazelle with long slender legs.  We need to convert her and Carolyn to marathons. 

5 miles AP: 9:02

A quick shake down run with Karen, Wendy and Carolyn.

Got some nasty pricks from pruning rose bushes.  Right patella tendon squawked when bending down.

Travel day, no running.

Lowell, Terry and Sam met me at the packet pickup and Expo.  Got a nice duffle bag and two sack of potatoes! 

Then we drove to Lowell's house passing Terry's house.  Had a fun tour of Lowell's house, back patio adjacent to the golf course and Kelsey's playhouse and admired Susie's beautiful, exquisite prize-winning quilts. 

Then we drove to the courthouse to view the Liberty Bell and the two 5000 lbs rocks with the mounted plaques describing the bell.  Lowell is instrumental in moving the Liberty Bell, a 3 years process that finally took place this summer.  We got to ring the bell...very awesome! :)

Me, Susie, Lowell, Sam and Marilyn under the Liberty Bell

Then we went to Terry's house for a most delicious pasta dinner that Terry's wife, Marsha cooked for us.  Terry gave us a tour of his house which took a year to build and his beautiful Corvette! :)

Got back to the hotel at 9:30 last night after a nice dinner at Terry's.  Got my race gear ready, took a Tylenol PM and hit the sack around 10:30.  Woke up at 4:15 before the alarm.  Had a banana, yogurt, instant oatmeal, EmergenC and gatorade.  Went down to the lobby at 5:40 to meet up with Lowell's neighbor, Bill who shuttled us (Lowell, Terry, Sam, Kristen and Amy) to the start.  The ride only took 10 min.  Lowell and I helped a guy get onto his handcyle and pushed another guy up to the start.  We made a quick trip to the pop before dropping off our bags.  Temp was in the low 40s so Lowell convinced me to put on the long sleeve race shirt, gloves and carried my inhaler and cell phone but I forgot the gu.

We started near the back of the pack by the 4:30 pace group.  Since it was a training run, I have no time goal other than to help Lowell gets his BQ time of 4:15.  Had so much fun greeting fellow runners as we ran nice and easy on a beautiful morning in gorgeous mountain scenery.  First hill came just before mile 7 on an out-n-back.  SO fun cheering those ahead of us as they're running down and encourage those behind as they're running up! :)  Since I forgot my gu, I took a twizzler at the turn around and ate a tootsie roll at mile 9.  Had to stop and wait for the pop at mile 11 (a bit overhydrated! :D)

Got to the half where a guy at the timing mat said our time was 2:02.  I never looked at my watch as it was covered by the sleeve.  Hubby was waiting and cheering near the half so we stopped to shed our l/s shirts and posted for pictures.  I also took couple puff of the inhaler.

Once we were out of the hills into Inkom, the sun was in our back and a headwind started to whip up on the straight stretch along the old highway (glad I took the inhaler).  Started to pass lots of half-marathoners and gave them cheers.

Around mile 17ish, Lowell talked to yet another girl.  I looked down at my watch for the first time and saw that our pace has drifted to the high 9s.  So I picked up the pace a tad bit and fixed my eye on Ben who has been leap frogging with us since mile 3.  Ben was carrying his own fuel/fluid so he never stopped at the aid station.  It was a good move as Ben is a big fella and I could draft off him a little bit.  We ran side by side till mile 21, the big hill where Ben slowed some.  Felt good that I kept a steady effort and did not walk any of the uphills.

I stopped at every aid station to drink and sample their offerings of candy and gu.  I turned to look for Lowell who had gotten further and further behind.  At mile 23 I asked Ben what his goal was.  He said he'd like to finish around 4:20.  I looked at my watch for the third time and realized even if we ran at a 10mm pace we could easily finish under 4:15.  So I told him to stay with me hoping Lowell would chase after us as Ben has a red shirt on.  

For the last 5K, I kept repeating in my head my mantra:  "smooth, fast, strong", and with each mile marker told my self:  "just 20 more min...10 more...only 5 more."  I kept waiting for the dreaded cramps which usually comes during the last mile but it NEVER came!!! :)  The last 0.39 mile (I didn't do the tangent well) split was 8:28!!!  Ben came in a min. after me.  After getting my medal and chocolate milk, I walked back to wait for Lowell.  He finished in 4:15:06.  YES!!! He got his BQ!!!! :) :) :)

We lined up for their famous Idaho baked potato, BBQ pork sandwitch and ice cream bars.  I didn't stay for the award ceremony as I had to head back to the hotel to shower before the 12:30 check out.  But did see Rob Murphy get his award and congratulated him!  It was a fun fun fun day and great training run!!!

Terry, Lowell, Smooth and Sam.