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Easy around Memory Grove and east on 11th Ave to Virginia from about 11:30-12:50. 79 degrees when I finished. 1:18:07 with 129 HR avg.

I went during Colin's nap after a big buffet breakfast at Oasis Cafe, so I was feeling a bit weighed down. Happy Mothers Day!

AM:

Rest day. I am already very anxious at 10 am.

I am also awaiting the St George marathon lottery results, so that has me additionally on edge. Also, I am awaiting results for my 5 yr old Charlie's ELP test to determine where he is going to kindergarten. These are promised by mid May. Also, there is a plumber going to my mom's today and I have yet to hear from them and I am feeeling anxious since she needs her AC to work. Also, a permanent crown and a haircut scheduled for this afternoon. I hate the waiting place.

Funny that I am on edge about St George five days before Ogden. Intended?

I currently plan to take most or all of next week off, but I am already guessing I will be bouncing off the walls.

PM: I got in to St George so I am super excited.

Another 15k. This time,  I ran an 8k warm-up, a 5k in 19:15 at West and a 2k cool. Low to mid 70s for the run. I am bouncing off the walls in here.

66:19 with 300+ ft of climb.

Early morning run from home around the West High track a few times. 39:45 total.

Rest day tomorrow.

This is what happens on rest days with marathon jitters.

I have not given a thought to what is coming next in running other than to register for the St. George lottery and go from there. If I had not made the St. George lottery, I am not sure I would train for another marathon this year. Like Collin Anderson, I am aware that I am building my foundation on a bad hip. The “hope for the best” strategy has been going well enough so far, but eventually I believe I will have to fix it or potentially be ruined by it.

This has made me think of the arc of an adult runner. Someone like Rob Murphy, Sasha or Fritz who has been doing this their entire adult lives has more insight than I do, but what are the reasons the rest of us get into running, obsess over PRs and then stay consistent or not? Can Rob, Sasha and Fritz see a one year blogger from a mile away (or perhaps miles behind them on a course)?

The primary motivator for getting back into running is usually health, but there are contributing factors. For me, I wanted some redemption. I feel I was a talented runner who didn’t appreciate the gift I was given and I wanted to prove to myself that I could stick with it and be good at it. I also have a social need, and I appreciate that bloggers acknowledge this aspect by putting their work out there for everyone to see and making an effort to meet one another. It is easy to live in isolation as an adult. You don’t really need to make friends if you have a family and a job that occupy most of your waking hours. But for me, the longing for community is always there.

Although PRs and winning may seem like an outward display of braggadocio, I think they are ultimately very personal things. It is part of a journey of the self toward fulfillment of some kind. Running is sexy because the measure of improvement is so concrete and the barriers to entry are so minimal.

Why do some stay with it and some quit? There are a number of ways to stay with it. You can keep obsessing over mileage and PRs, you can try to maintain as you age, you can move to other distances, you can reduce to a minimal volume to maintain fitness, you can make it a part of a fitness regime that includes other priorities or you can get fat again. You can also get on and off the hamster wheel from season to season and year to year. That’s what I am wrestling with now.

I stopped after five months of training last year because a knee injury started creeping up and I sort of fell off the wagon. Then it was hard to convince myself to get back on the wagon when it was 80+ degrees out there during the summer. That hiatus is not far behind me and is right in front of me – I have yet to prove I can run 50+ miles/wk during the summer months. Being a consistent early riser is probably the best solution (I have been persuaded by a comment from Jake K that I should avoid the treadmill if I have hip issues).

Clearly injuries are the one variable that is hardest to control. Is it worth it to see every doctor and spend vast amounts of money to be racing fast if you can trod along and stay healthy? This must be a very personal answer. I am guessing that those who love it and can’t live without it don’t even ask the question. I am definitely healthier and happier running and I am excited to be a part of this community, so do I continue on and at what cost?

Hopefully, I can push all of this off until after this autumn. I have to come up with a training plan and some races between now and then. After all, what better way is there to ignore the inevitable crossroads that each of us will face than tying your shoes (or slipping on your crocs) and getting out for a run?

1 up, 2 MP, 1 down. 6:22 for each of the marathon pace miles at the West High track. 28:50 total. Last run.

Good luck to everyone tomorrow!

Sad to see that that the Quantcast affliction has hit all runners now. That was a good thing while it lasted.

Not the best day for a marathon weather-wise, but I am satisfied with the result given the circumstances. I would rather have rain and wind than heat, so at least I stayed cool and never felt thirsty. I woke up at 3:50, made coffee and ate. I thought of a funny line for the body glide I used for the first time and copiously at that "Oh the places you'll go!"

I left at about 4:15 and parked near the buses. I got on an early bus and talked to a fast 56 year old from Montana. Once at the starting area, I made a pit stop and then tried to warm by the fire. It was cold but the rain was worse and I learned some good tips by watching others brave the rain like bagging shoes and bringing a poncho. I met up with James Clissold after my third bathroom break and we stayed together until the start. He gave me a blanket to stop the convulsive shivering and I think that was a big help.

I started with Chad Robinson with a half goal of 1:24. The first 8 were right on target at 6:22 but my Garmin was counting the miles a bit short. Chad was wearing Altras instead of Crocs and he had to tie them twice in the first 8 miles. I sympathize because mine are always coming loose. After the second time Chad stopped, I didn't see him again. This was when we were in the valley and the wind and rain let up for a few miles. I found myself running with Jason Blackham from that point on. We didn't really help each other, but he led some and I led some. The rain returned at some point between 13-17 (how some can give a mile by mile recap, I have no idea) and it continued for the rest of the race in varying degrees. At mile 15.5, my right quad started to stiffen. My right calf also noted its distress but that went away. At mile 18 or so, my left hamstring started to tighten. I was kind of waiting to fall apart, but I kept up ok with the downhill canyon miles. Around mile 22, Jason passed me and I held on to him for dear life. Without him, I wonder whether I would have slowed but I just tried to keep on his heels. At mile 25 on the turn from 18th to Grant, I tried to push it and caught Jason. Immediately, my left hamstring locked up. So I let up a bit and kept going. About 100 yards before the finish line, my family was there to cheer for me. I looked at my watch and realized I could still beat 2:52 if I pushed it. I sprinted to the end with their encouragement.

I am very excited that I didn't blow up in the last 6. I slowed, but I never had a sub 7 mile according to the Garmin.

I finally found my Garmin USB stick. Official splits and HR: 

1 6:19.8 141

2 6:25.0 151

3 6:21.3 149

4 6:17.4 148

5 6:21.8 148

6 6:19.8 150

7 6:27.5 149

8 6:25.3 148

9 6:36.8 149

10 6:28.2 149

11 6:38.7 150

12 6:37.7 151

13 6:36.4 155

14 6:39.4 154

15 6:45.5 155

16 6:26.8 153

17 6:35.6 155

18 6:23.6 153

19 6:34.8 152

20 6:41.8 151

21 6:37.5 153

22 6:35.6 153

23 6:29.7 154

24 6:43.7 158

25 6:51.7 158

26 6:53.8 158

27 1:42.2 162 (.27 on the Garmin for a 6:18 pace)

Official first half 1:25:00; official second half 1:26:56; average heart rate 152. 

I think I did well with nutrition pre-race and during. I had to go at about mile 6 but somehow held it until the end. 

First Boston qualification and a PR of 29 minutes 40 seconds. Had I thought of that, perhaps I could have pushed a bit more for a round 30 minutes. As always, this leaves me wanting more.