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St. George Marathon

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Location:

St George,UT,

Member Since:

Feb 07, 2006

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Local Elite

Short-Term Running Goals:

Run below 2:30 in the Marathon.

Personal:

I currenty live in Southern Utah. My wife Kendra and I have 4 children and no pets. We also own/operate the St. George Running Center a specialty running shoe store in St. George UT.  We also head-up the St. George Running Club.

St. George Running Center

 

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Asics 2140 Lifetime Miles: 172.00
Asics 2140 2-17-09 Lifetime Miles: 36.00
Race: St. George Marathon (26.2 Miles) 02:39:34, Place overall: 22, Place in age division: 3
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
2.0026.200.000.0028.20

I can't believe the day has come and gone. I can't tell you how many times this year I thought about the race.  From the time of getting up this morning to the time I finished, I felt like I was in "robot mode".  Luckily I had Logan helping keep me focused, calm and on track. I really don't think I could have pulled off my time without his help, especially at the end of the race.

Based on my 1/2 marathon times this year and training times I was shooting to break my PR of 2:37:47 that has been standing since I was 25. I really felt like it was going to be a push, but wasn't unrealistic. My second goal, if the first wasn't working out, was to break the 2:40 mark. I was pretty confident about this goal and would have really been disappointed if I didn't hit it. Luckily I did!

Here's the race:

2 mile warm-up

1. 6:12 - I told Logan I wanted to start off nice and relaxed and just ease into it.

2. 6:13 - Still just nice and relaxed with a little hill.

3. 5:57 - Started picking it up a bit with a slight down. Ended up running the next few miles with Jody Benson and Aaron's friend (1st girl at the time) from TN.

4. 5:56

5. 6:02 - Little hill through Brookside.

6. 5:53 - picked it up a little going down into Veyo.

7. 5:53 - Logan was playing water boy and grabbed some Ultima from Kendra.

8. 6:46 - Took it really easy on Veyo Hill - so much so I remember thinking it was taking way to long to get up the dang thing. Let Jody go.

9. 6:25 - Kinda struggled for about 1/4 mile transitioning from the hill. I have the leg turnover, but no power.

10. 6:18 - Still not able to get the pace much lower and not very happy about it. Started the climb out of Dammeron.

11. 6:30 - Didn't look at the watch much through here - Luckily.  Logan was shooting threats to me for looking at my watch.

12. 6:05 - Got over the top of Dammeron and was able to get the legs going again. I think Logan was getting a little nervous about how long the last 4 miles had taken. I know I was going to be slow on mile 11 and had prepared for it.

13. 5:55 (1:20:11) - Starting to get going again. The amazing thing about this 13 mile time was - I was only 5 seconds off my projection: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArWxFDW4lD9EdE9LN1pxcUVEY2gxMDlUelVNNEFWZXc&hl=en_US

14. 5:58

15. 5:50

16. 5:48 -  Logan had to go pee, pulled off 4:50 pace to catch up and still grabbed water out of the ice chest!

17. 5:51

18. 5:51

19. 6:21 - Winchester! Got a good cramp on the inside of the leg and started to FREAK!!!

20. 5:55 - Was able to relax the legs a bit - no cramping. Logan just kept filling me up with Ultima.

21. 5:48 - Really started to feel good, but I was still nervous about the possibility of more cramps.

22. 6:06 - Started cramping more - really good in my R. Ham.

23. 6:02 - Trying to keep it under control and relax. Logan seriously was just dumping water and ultima on me like crazy - I think I just about drowned through here. Luckily he did - I had so much Ultima in me my stomach was just sloshing.  Looking back, If he wouldn't have forced me to down so much through here I would have been done for the last 2 miles.

24. 6:29 - Cramping so bad in the hams that it stopped me in my tracks. I was seriously so frustrated, I realized I had no way of hitting the 2:37. Logan kept yelling at me to start running.

25. 6:09 Legs started to relax a little more. However, my right arm (weird) was cramped so bad I had to let it drop limp or it would tighten up against my biceps. I think the only reason why I was able to get going again was the Ultima at mile 23.

26. 5:53 - Just started pushing as hard as I could. I was so tight and thought I was going to cramp up into a little ball at any second. I was also nervous I wasn't going to hit under 2:40. Logan just kept pushing me  - I can't remember what he was saying but I remember hearing him (Logan - The Running Whisper). I was so pumped that last mile.

26.2 - 5:21 - Sprinting - At least that's what it felt like.  I saw the video of me finishing and I wasn't going very fast and defanatly didn't look strong. But I did it! 2:39:34

 

 

 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Comments
From ACorn on Mon, Oct 03, 2011 at 15:59:36 from 68.66.168.22

Awesome job! Congrats on the sub 2:40

From Jake K on Mon, Oct 03, 2011 at 16:10:40 from 155.100.226.53

Great race Steve! Way to get that sub 240! That lifetime PR might have gone down too if it was cooler... congrats!

From Superfly on Mon, Oct 03, 2011 at 17:03:48 from 74.211.21.81

Nice job Steve. I'm pumped for you to have gone sub 2:40. With good conditions your PR would have fallen too. Just use this race as a good stepping stone and keep progressing from the fitness you've already earned.

From JamesH on Mon, Oct 03, 2011 at 21:40:53 from 208.117.127.7

Congrats Steve. Super happy for you!

From Ben on Wed, Oct 05, 2011 at 00:38:17 from 67.41.166.127

Great race report Steve. Sounds like I need some Ultima, whatever that is. I bonked the last three miles. Nothing left in me. Glad you made the sub 2:40 mark. Great job!

From James on Wed, Oct 05, 2011 at 01:08:52 from 174.23.146.222

Great job Steve!

From Paul on Sat, Oct 08, 2011 at 12:03:06 from 24.10.141.104

Great job Steve, congrats on sub-2:40!

From AmberG on Sat, Oct 22, 2011 at 01:41:14 from 67.2.217.173

Hey, finally got to read your report! So glad you had a great race and broke your 2:40 goal despite those dang cramps. You are an inspiration. . . . . GREAT JOB pushing through. You were scared I was behind you on diagonal right? ha ha, just kidding, , , don't worry i was sitting on a bus! ;) but someday . . .

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