Just Keep Runnin'

8.64 1:09:04 1:50/168 - LH Track

7.00 59:17 145/158 - LRT

3.67 29:49 148/172 - 8 strides

23.76 3:39:38 150/179 - Provo Canyon Marathon (sort of).  Ran this at 1:00 am to pace Carol and Stacy to a 3:40.  We got lost a few times (the trail wasn't well marked) and apparently missed a few miles, though we did get to the finish line just in time to catch the bus to the start...  This is a long, fun story that I'll have to finish some time!

4.07 33:09 157/173 - Canyon Rd

7.35 1:01:16 152/161 - LRT, 2nd Dam POP

12.21 1:34:51 155/179 - LH Track, 10 strides

7.03 59:06 145/157 - LRT 3.5+3.5

3.51 27:15 149/169 - Island

Bear Lake Marathon

26.2 3:22:19 168/176 - A decent run and a Bear Lake PR by 3 minutes.  I planned to get a good run in (instead of a great race - I find that if I decide my race plan the morning for the race, I sleep a lot better).  The night went as well as expected - I had 4 of my daughters in the room with me, with my bro-in-law in the next room with his two kids, etc...  The crying wasn't too bad, but the sleeping wasn't great.  By 4:00, I had slept around 4.5 hours, which is about as good as any pre-race sleep.

 The Bear Lake Marathon starts when the race director decides it's time (meaning that he thinks everyone is done using the pops).  I was getting rid of my drop bag when he said 'GO!'  Then I had to wait while my watch reset and acquired a gps signal.  As it did, I stood at the starting line waiting.  30 seconds after everyone else, I took off, slowly, like I had 50 miles ahead of me.  

Looking back at race reports, I realized that my heart rate in the last 6 miles seems highly dependent on my nutrition in the first 13 miles, so I had GU at 5, 9, 15, and 19.  I brought electrolyte pills just in case, and took 2 at miles 7, 17, and 21.  

The weather for the first half was scattered sprinkles with a nice head wind.  The next 8 miles, it was a little warmer and there was still a head wind.  Then it heated up more and the wind died off.  I tried to keep my HR around 166 for the first half, 169 for the next 1/4, then 172 to the end.  I executed my HR plan fairly well and ended up passing all but 4 runners.

The aid stations were well done (except the one at 23.2).  The volunteers would ask if you wanted gatorade or water, then hand you the cup as you ran by (as well as GU).  At mile 23.2, they moved out of the way so you could figure out which cups contained what.  But, at least this year, they used paper cups!  

The last 5 miles were tough.  I'm sure it's because they were the last 5 miles, but maybe I wasn't fully recovered from last weeks 'marathon' or maybe I didn't taper enough, but I did keep them all under 8:00.  My brother was running back along the course and found me around 24.7 miles and ran me in.  If he hadn't, I'm sure I would have let up and maybe hit 3:24-3:25.  I'm so glad he was there - this is my second fastest, but 3:24:04 was that close...

As I made the final turn into the park, my legs were finished.  If it had been a 27.2 mile race, I think the last mile would have easily been 10 minutes.  My oldest 2 girls ran across the finish line with me!

Just like last year, they still haven't figured out how do awards.  They did give out the 'overall' awards within an hour or so of knowing the winners, but by 12:20, the still hadn't started the age division awards.  I finished around 10:05 - there really wasn't much to do.  The only people still there were the ones waiting for awards.  Some had left and come back hoping they had missed it so they could just grab their award and go - they were flabbergasted that they still had to wait...