Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Sat, Nov 07, 2009

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:00:00

Today I ran the First Dam Run 5K. This is a local fun run, and I thought it would be...fun. It is a 5K or a 10K, and I elected to do the 5K because it is twice as easy as the 10K, plus I figured since my typical daily run is 6 miles, it wouldn't be wise to race that far.

It's a 10AM race, so I had time to sleep in (6:45AM), eat my typical breakfast (bacon, eggs, yogurt, and a grapefruit), read the paper, and prepare for teaching Sunday School tomorrow. Ah, Saturday, I love it. Then Stacy, Seth, and I headed out early into Logan, and had coffee/tea at Cafe Ibis, which used to be one of our favorite stomping grounds, but we haven't been there since we moved to Smithfield. Already the day was off to a good start.

Around 8:45AM we left the coffee shop and went to the start line. I registered, which was super-fast because there was hardly anyone there yet. Then I warmed up by running the 5K course. This is my favorite tempo workout course, so I know it very well from training on it so much. Warmed up the 5K in about 19:30, which I figured was a good sign. Also, this was a 5-star race, not sure if that was a good sign or not.

The weather was about perfect. Mild/cool and overcast, no wind. Temps about in the upper 40s, maybe low 50s. I wore shorts, a t-shirt, no gloves. My main goal was to run around 15:30, but anything under 16:00 would be acceptable. Obviously I was pretty laid back about this race, but it's a pretty fast course and a nice day, so I wanted to run a decently fast time to take advantage of the conditions. I figured there was a good chance it would just be a solo time trial, barring the presence of any high school super-stars.

They started the 10K race pretty close to on time. And 10 minutes later they started the 5K. I took it out pretty hard because I wanted to distance myself from all the high school runners. High schoolers, bless their hearts, tend to be zealous but inexperienced racers, and I didn't want to be caught up in any bad tangents, bumping, or name-calling. The first mile is all uphill, about 65 feet of very gradual climbing. After the mile marker, the course turns, and you lose that elevation (plus some) even more gradually over the next 1.75 miles, and then it's a slight uphill the last couple blocks to the finish.

After about 400m I was breathing way too hard, and feeling things in my legs I haven't felt for a few years (I haven't run a real 5K since summer of 2007). Oops, maybe out a bit too hard. But at least the high school kids were well behind me. I settled down a little bit and tried to find a rhythm. Went through the first mile in 5:00. Easily worth a 4:50 or 4:45 on flat terrain.

I made the first turn and started the flat/gentle downhill. I snuck a look to my side as I turned and noted that I already had about 100 yards on everyone. So I was definitely on my own to maintain this pace. During the 2nd mile, the course weaves through the Island neighborhood, and drops about 50 ft. I hit the 2nd mile marker at 9:57, so 4:57 for Mile 2. I was very pleased and encouraged by this. I was running hard, but not redlined or anything.

During the 3rd mile, the course drops another 30 feet, until the last turn, and then climbs about 15 ft to the finish (which is the same location as the start; it's a loop). Not much to say, other than I just tried to keep pushing. It's hard to run a good 5K when you haven't ran any for quite some time; it takes practice and repetition to be tenacious through the end. I don't have the flat speed I used to have, but I have much better endurance, so if anything my main problem is getting out hard enough in a 5K. Once I get in the groove, it's hard for me to go any faster or slower, and finishing a race as fast as I started is almost a given, whereas when I was a young buck it was much harder to hold back on the reins at the beginning, but I tended to fade a lot as well.

Anyway, I didn't fade this race. There was no Mile 3 marker, but based on my finish time, it must have been around 4:58 or maybe 4:57 or so. My official finish time was 15:25, and I had 15:24 on my watch, but I probably started it a little late. I had that burning in my chest afterward that I only get for distances 5K and shorter. I often forget that feeling; it's both a good and a bad feeling. I much prefer the feeling of finishing a half marathon, which is much easier on the lungs.

I was quite pleased with this time. I don't think this course is certified, but I've ran it enough to know that it's accurate. It's close enough anyway, and organized by the same people who put on the TOU races. My post-collegiate 5K PR is 15:23 from a competitive Draper Days race in 2007, which was an aided course. I almost beat that on a solo effort on a loop course with minimal training, so that's cool. Since I have to find a PR for everything, I'll call this my "Non-aided Utah 5K PR". And actually, my road PR on a loop course back in Michigan was only 15:22, so this was pretty close to being a road PR for any elevation. Good stuff.

Congrats to the Red Rooster and DaveS for running good races today. It was a great day to be running.

We went to Pounders afterward for lunch, where I ate large quantities of meat. The end.

Fri, Nov 06, 2009

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:00:00

A very easy 5 miles, Summit Dr. loop. 7:45/mile. Unseasonably warm this morning. I put on running pants and long-sleeved shirt out of habit, but probably could have gotten by with shorts, a t-shirt, and gloves.

Thu, Nov 05, 2009

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:00:00

Ran to the west side of town and up the lower canal trail. 6:55/mile average pace for 6.25 miles.

Wed, Nov 04, 2009

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:00:00

Ran from work and cruised the First Dam Run 10K route at a brisk pace. 6:06/mile average for 7.25 miles. Beautiful day, wore shorts and a t-shirt.

Tue, Nov 03, 2009

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:00

Had my bi-annual rheumatologist appointment today. It was short and sweet, as there was not much to discuss with the doctor. I've been on Enbrel 6 months now, have very little pain, very little stiffness, and no side effects yet. Basically I am doing well, and doctors generally only help the sick (and only sometimes at that), so he poke and prodded me a little bit and then sent me on my way. Got a blood test on the way out for liver, blood count, and CRP (under my request). I could have told them that based on my marathon time, my liver and blood count are just fine, but I humored them and gave them something to do. I had an ESR (inflammation) test way back in May, 2008, and it was perfectly normal, despite me being in a large amount of pain and stiffness at the time. I asked for CRP (c-reactive protein) today, because it is another way to measure inflammation, and I was merely curious as to what it would say. I asked my doctor if he thought such tests were useful, and he said they were useful for monitoring inflammation...if the person has an elevated count to begin with. However, many patients with active AS test perfectly normal for ESR and CRP (like I did), and so it's not useful for them at all. But for others it can be useful. As quoted by merck.com:

ESR and other acute-phase reactants (eg, C-reactive protein) are inconsistently elevated in patients with active AS. Tests for RF and antinuclear antibodies are negative. The HLA-B27 genetic marker is not of diagnostic value.

Yup, it's that easy. This is one reason why diagnoses can be so hard to get. Some people get sent away with the doctor saying "it's all in your head".

I had Stacy drop me off at the clinic, and I was in my running clothes, so I ran home after the appointment, with a slight detour at the Smithfield City offices to drop off the remainder of my new business license application. 8 miles total, averaging 6:24/mile.

Mon, Nov 02, 2009

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:00:00

Beautiful morning. Did 6 miles on the canal trail, 6:38/mile average pace. Felt great.

Sat, Oct 31, 2009

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Cody met me at my house, and we drove up to the Smithfield Canyon campground, parked, and started running up the dirt road. The dirt turned to mud, and then turned to snow (which is better than mud). After about 2 miles, we got to single-track, and kept going up that for a while. The snow was pretty shallow, only about an inch deep and crusty, so it slowed things down a little, but not much, and footing was decent. There were a few spots that were just beautiful, with the snow on the cliffs and trees, and a few fall colors still out there. Eventually, we turned a corner and the aspect changed, so the snow got deeper, so we pretty much gave up right there, and headed back down the trail. Going down the trail was quite fun, as the snow made it soft and covered up the little rocks. We made much better time. When we got back to the car, we added another mile or so on the road to get an even 10 miles.

Fri, Oct 30, 2009

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Did an out-and-back on the canal loop. A very grey and misty morning. Averaged 7:03/mile for 5.25 miles.

Thu, Oct 29, 2009

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Did a loop up to the north end of Smithfield. Ran hard to relieve some work-released stress.6:07/mile average pace.

Wed, Oct 28, 2009

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Did a little loop in town, and then ran the path in the cemetery to see how long the loop is (it is 0.6 miles, close to 1000m). It will be a great spot for intervals, if I ever get around to doing intervals again. 6:48/mile average pace.

Tue, Oct 27, 2009

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Did a loop through Hyde Park. It had snowed overnight, but weather was fairly decent during the run, with lots of purdy trees and mountains to look at. 6:48/mile for 6 miles..

Mon, Oct 26, 2009

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Did a loop into the west side of Smithfield. Looks like snow tomorrow, so this might be my last run for a while...

Sat, Oct 24, 2009

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Ran up Smithfield Canyon. It was a fairly warm day, and kind of a misty rain at times. Very nice run, and I enjoyed it. 6:32/mile average pace.

Fri, Oct 23, 2009

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Feeling just slightly under the weather today, and legs were tired from yesterday, so I'm taking the day off. This is nice. Who knows, maybe I'll take the next few months off?

Thu, Oct 22, 2009

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Did some trail exploring today.Ran from my house up Dry Canyon Rd, to the trail head. Then I turned right, and started going up a trail up the ridge. This was an old 2-track road, and in decent shape, but pretty steep, so I hiked most of it. But I was greeted with plenty of good views, and got up to 6200' before starting to descend. Running down was okay (again, a 2-track jeep trail), but got very rocky in places, and rutted, so it was slow going. Eventually I dropped down into Hyde Park Canyon, which was surprisingly nice. It was a dirt road, and good for running. Ran down out of Hyde Park Canyon, and then down to the canal trail, and back home. 9:11/mile for the run/hike (8.25 miles). Not bad for a Thursday morning though.

Wed, Oct 21, 2009

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Didn't run today, but went for a walk with Stacy and Seth up Birch Creek.

Tue, Oct 20, 2009

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Did a loop to Summit Dr with Seth. Not much soreness from the race, and was feeling pretty good.

Sun, Oct 18, 2009

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Today was The Other Half near Moab, UT. I ran this race last year, loved it, and wanted to come back in better shape and in better health in order to really attack the course and see what I could do. I like this course because it is very beautiful, and it is also quite challenging, as there are lots of hills during the second half of the race. The first half of the race is along the Colorado River in a canyon, and just has some small rolling hills, so is fairly fast. In the second half, the landscape opens up into Castle Valley, and there are a series of large and rather unrelenting hills. Thankfully, there are also some nice downhills on the lee side of each uphill, so that makes it manageable. The final hill ends around Mile 11.5, and then it's a very fast downhill into the finish. Course profile is here.

Last year I won the race and ran 1:14:02, despite having a shin injury and not running for 2 or 3 weeks before the race. It was an excellent race given the circumstances, but it left me wondering how fast I could run the course if healthy. Also, the course record was a low 1:12, and I knew I could get that if things went well. So my goals for the 2009 race were (in ascending order of difficulty):

Win
Run faster than last year (sub-1:14)
Break the course record (sub-1:12)
Break 1:10:00
Set a PR (sub 1:08:12)
Break 1:08:00

I knew the first 3 goals were pretty likely to happen, goal #4 was also a good possibility if the hills didn't eat me up, and goals #5-6 were fairly unlikely, but why not dream a little?

My parents flew in from Indiana last week, and all 3 generations of Petersen piled into a rental SUV (Forester not big enough), and headed down to Moab on Thursday. We hiked around Arches and Canyonlands and generally ate terrible during Thursday - Saturday. So it was a fun time, but not the greatest pre-race activities (good for the mind and soul, but not the body).

Fortunately, Sunday (race-day) was a yet another beautiful day. Chilly in the morning, but not too cold, and not a cloud in the sky. No wind either. I got dropped off at the middle school in Moab, and then they bused us all out to Dewey Bridge, about 30 miles from Moab, along the Colorado River. Ate 2 bananas and 2 larabars for breakfast along the way, also had a couple cups of weak coffee. Did the usually pre-race things, like chit-chat, stay warm by the fire, and potty stops (2-star race). I warmed up intermittently about two miles along the main road, and also up a dirt road to the side. Did a couple strides, but nothing much.

At the start line, I knew Bernie Boettcher but did not recognize anyone else. Due to its proximity to the fall marathons (TOU, StG, Denver, Chicago, etc), the lack of prize money, and also the fact that it's a Sunday race, this race is usually not the deepest in terms of competition, since most regional-class Utah runners do not run it (in fact, only 4 of the Top 10 were from Utah this year). I don't know the Colorado runners well, but I imagine most of them ran the Denver event, which is the same day. Interestingly, 2/3 of the participants this year were women. The point is, I expected to take out the race pretty hard, and not have anyone try to go with me.

The race started right on time (it's very well organized), and I took it out quickly, as I planned on doing. Sure enough, by 100m I was by myself and couldn't hear anyone behind me. Fortunately, I would have the beautiful landscape to keep me company the whole race. It was a beautiful Sunday morning in God's creation.

A side note: once again I was without a real sports watch. Seth had hidden my watch before TOU, and I couldn't find it, and then I forgot to look for it before leaving to Moab, so I ended up having to choose between my everyday watch than won't take splits, or my honkin' huge beast of a Garmin. Once again, I chose the split-less watch. I was able to remember my first 5 or 6 mile marker times, but after that it is foggy. I do not have the memory for numbers that Sasha does.

Anyway, I hit Mile 1 in 5:05, and was feeling great. This got me pretty excited and I thought maybe a PR was possible. After all, if one 5:05 mile felt this easy, why not 12 more? Obviously, that's kind of a silly thought, but it was my thought nonetheless.

Mile 2 was the reality check, and I went through in about 10:25 (5:20 split). That would be too much damage to recover from for sub-1:08, but sub-1:10 still looked okay. Mile 3 was at 15:37 (5:12). Mile 4 was 20:48 (5:11). Mile 5 was 25:57 (5:09). Mile 6 was 31:08 (5:11).

So after 6 miles I had established a really good rhythm, and was feeling strong too. I was averaging about 5:11/mile, which is pace for sub-1:08...but I knew I would have to spot myself more than that to account for all the hills in the second half. But maybe I could defy physics and physiology, and not slow down on the hills?

By Mile 6, the course opens up to the gorgeous scene of Castle Valley, and the hills begin. The first hill during Mile 7 is not too bad, with a downhill recovery, but then all of Mile 8 is uphill, and not an easy uphill at that. I lost track of my running time in here, so I can't remember Mile 7 at all, but it was probably in the 5:20-5:30 range. But Mile 8 was the deal-killer: 5:57 for the split. I remember that quite clearly, thinking that just a little bit slower and I would have been over 6:00. At this point I knew that I had lost all of my padding from Mile 1-6, and sub-1:10 was in serious jeopardy.

It was also getting a little warm by now, and I was dumping water on me at every aid station (and drinking water too). I don't remember what Mile 9 was for split. I don't know the Mile 10 split either, but my running time was 53:24. Doing the mental math, 53:20 is exactly 5:20/mile, and 5:20/mile is pretty much 1:10:00 for a half marathon, or slightly under. So I was on the cusp of keeping Goal #4, if I could just stop the bleeding.

Thankfully, the biggest hills were done, and if I could just keep 5:20 or faster for the last three miles, I could do it. Easier said than done, at that point in a half marathon. I don't remember my Mile 11 or 12 splits, but they were close enough to 5:20 to keep me encouraged. But definitely no faster. I was hitting the downhills as fast as I could at this point, to try to get back time. The final hill ended around Mile 11.5, and I was greeted by the drummers, who are always good for a boost. And then I hit the downhill, 1.5 miles and into the finish. I hit Mile 12 at around 1:04:25. I knew to get 1:10 at this point, I would basically need a 5-minute mile plus a sprint to the finish.

I was already flooring it at the 12-mile mark, but tried to floor it even more. It was a great downhill, perfect gradient. With about a half mile to go, I made the only turn on the course, into the Sorrel River Ranch, which serves as the finish line venue. The Sorrel driveway is still going toward the river, and is therefore downhill, but only slightly so. I tried to keep the pace as hard as I could go, ignoring the blisters, chaffing, and other discomforts associated with racing this distance. But my legs were responding, so I kept rolling. I turned the final corner and could see the finish line clock, and saw that I would get 1:10 pretty easily. I got to break the tape (always fun), and ended up at 1:09:50. So I met goals #1-4. 2nd place was about 1:17, and 3rd place was 1:19.

It took me quite a while to catch my breath. After most half marathons, I can get my breath back pretty quickly, but this one felt more like a 5K. I worked really hard the last couple miles, and it was fun to push myself that hard. I love the feeling of being in shape, challenging my body to work hard, and having my body respond. There is no feeling quite like it. I'm quite happy with this race. Given the terrain, I feel that it was as good as some of my other half marathons this year. Not a breakthrough or anything, but I wasn't looking for that, just a good way to cap off my year. I suppose that I can say that it is a PR for non-aided altitude course, and the first time I've broken 1:10 on a non-aided course in Utah. So there you go.

Afterward, we hung out at the finish for the awards. It's a really nice spot, at Sorrel River Ranch, and it even had a playground for Seth. The first place prize was a really nice laptop bag with stuff embroidered on it, the bag also had some race merchandise in it, like a stocking cap, socks, water bottle, etc. I can always use socks.

We drove back home after the awards, with a stop in SLC to drop off my parents at a hotel near the airport (they fly out Monday morning). Seth only cried for a solid hour. Ha. Turned out he was sitting in a huge mess in his diaper, so I don't blame him. Car trips with babies are always fun like that.

As far as what's next, I expect to jump in a local 5K in a few weeks to see what I can do, and also do a local Turkey Trot 5K later in the month with Seth in the stroller, but I am pretty much through for formal training and races. Until next year.

Sat, Oct 17, 2009

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Ran down Pack Creek Rd from our cabin. Very very slow. Like yesterday, saw lots of deer, beautiful scenery, yada yada yada.

Fri, Oct 16, 2009

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Ran up Pack Creek Rd from the cabin to the picnic area and pack. Thankfully, there was a pit toilet at the picnic area, which I badly needed. Saw lots of deer during the run. The Fremont Cottonwood trees were all lit up bright yellow too, and I love the LaSalle Mnts.

Thu, Oct 15, 2009

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Canal trail. Leave to Moab today.

Wed, Oct 14, 2009

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:00:00

I forgot to blog this earlier, so now it's the next week and I'm struggling to remember. I think I ran birch creek with Cody. Fall colors were amazing, and we kept the pace slow, something like 7:30/mile average. 8 miles total.

Tue, Oct 13, 2009

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Did a bit of a tempo up Canyon Rd and back. Averaged about 6:15/mile on the up part and 5:25/mile on the down part. 5:50/mile overall for 8 miles. Fall colors were gorgeous today.

Mon, Oct 12, 2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Easy 6 miles on west side of town and lower canal trail.

Sat, Oct 10, 2009

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Was feeling kind of blah today in terms of energy, so kept it a little shorter than usual. 11 miles on the canal trail and in some North Logan neighborhoods, averaged about 7:15/mile.

Fri, Oct 09, 2009

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Ran up Birch Creek a little ways. Tired from yesterday. 7:12/mile average pace.

****

Man, I miss the old cross country days. Just found a really old XC result from 1999. I ran 25:15 for 8K on grass...good for 71st place at an invitational. Running balls-to-the-wall in a huge pack for 8K, clawing for every spot, was just so...FUN. I don't get that anymore at road races, and I miss it. On a side note, if you look a few spots below me, note that I beat Jim Spivey by a few seconds. (Spivey coached for U of Chicago and would jump in races as an open runner...despite being over 40 and retired, he still had a kick to recon with). :-)

https://www.athlinks.com/results/78269/112376/14616961/The-Notre-Dame-Invitational-1999.aspx

Thu, Oct 08, 2009

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Did a Amalga - Benson loop. I ended up on some road that I didn't know, and went about 3 miles farther than I wanted to. Did sort of a tempo for the first 9 miles, and then cruised in. Averaged 5:59/mile for 13 miles.

Wed, Oct 07, 2009

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 06:00:00

Ran from work, Planet Walk - Landfill Loop, 8 miles. No watch.