Running Buddies Rock at the St. George Marathon 2012

Going into St. George this year, I knew I was not in the condition I wanted to be - so plans to PR went totally out the door.  Instead I was willing to hang with several friends at the back and motivate them. 

Marcia and I drove down on Friday afternoon.  We ended up eating dinner with my nephew Jon, Janilee and Olivia Miles - my nephew and his family.  Visited with my former neighbors, Vic and Judy Mason for a while.  I sure miss them. 

After dinner we hit the expo and I picked up some Brooks shoes and a couple of pairs of cheap sunglasses.  (Good thing they were cheap because I have already left one pair on a plane).

Saturday morning, Marcia dropped me off at the finish and I met my friend, Leslie Peterson, and we rode the bus up.  Leslie ended up being the only runner that I hung with - and we had a great time (even though the stupid timing chips said she never made it past 10K).

It wasn't too cold up at Central that early in the morning, but colder than the previous years - so temperatures should be better.  We saw Smooth (Suzanna Lew) right before the start and visited with her until we all wandered across the start line (10 minutes after the race began).

I had my Gym Boss set for run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute.  Leslie hadn't done anything over 13.1 miles since last April - so we expected the day to be a challenge for her.  Good thing I love talking to her for hours on end since we were joined at the hip all day.

I always love the start of this race since you can often see runners spread out for miles.  We ended up both wearing pink bike shirts and became known to those around us as the pink pair.  Since we had no time expectations, we just enjoyed ourselves through aid stations, taking pictures, etc.

One thing new on the route this year - some unthinking cheer groups had painted encouragement signs on the road instead of just using signs on the side of the road.  This made me mad - because I knew that was semi-permanent and was going to be the responsibility of the race crew to clean it up. 

Marcia was waiting in Veyo with a sign and cheered us on.  She is always so good to come out and support me in races when she can. 

I don't know why it was - but I swear they put more uphills into the race this year.  I kept saying, "Yep. St. George is a downhill course."  It does have a lot of downhill - but there is also a lot more uphill than people who have not run it are aware of.

At mile 9 my left foot started hurting.  I thought I had bruised my heel a month earlier and figured the bruising was coming back.  This would hurt me the rest of the race.  Painful, but something I could handle.  It did slow me down some.

Then, at mile 14 - just when the race gets really beautiful and the serious downhill sections start up, the left IT Band began to flare up.  I was so annoyed with myself for not bringing an IT strap or KT taping it.  I knew I had to manage it or it would take me out of the race.  At mile 15 they found some tape and put as much pressure on the IT band as they could.  I also started running the downhills with a straight leg, which took pressure off the IT Band, but put more pressure on the sore heel.  No winning whichever way I looked at it.  I would occasionally feel the left knee starting to give on downhills which also concerned me.

The first half of the race, I was there to support Leslie and keep her moving.  The second half of the race, she kept me going.  I had to avoid thinking DNF several times and Leslie and I both slowed down significantly.

The race committee and citizens of St. George were much more prepared for heat after the previous two years.  We loved the ice water and ice in the last 6 miles. 

I saw Marcia a couple more times and Leslie's husband rode alongside us for several miles on his bike.  The slogfest continued and we finally finished at around 6 hours 20 minutes.  Leslie and I cracked me up because we would be debating if we should start running at the end. We finally agreed we would run after we got into the corral.  Luckily - they had taken down half of the finish chute - so we had to run even less.

St. George Marathon number 6 and marathon 20 were in the bag.  My second worst marathon ever (worst was my first SGM).

Pacing Big Cottonwood Half Marathon

On September 22, 2012 I had the privilege of pacing the 3 hour group at the inaugural Big Cottonwood Half Marathon.  This was an exceptionally great pacing experience and one of the reasons I opted to pace.

Met my pacing partner, Molly Bitton at the buses and got to know her. She is a kick and I had a great time pacing with her - a very positive person to be around.  (Luckily - most pacers are positive).

My initial impression of this race was that it was very organized for a first year run - and this was before it even started.  Bus loading and parking went well.  You could see they had race banners already designed - instead of something cheap for the first year.  When we got dropped at the starting line - they even had space blankets so we could pretend to be burritos and keep warm (wish St. George would consider this).

This race is basically downhill for 11+ miles, then two miles on paved trails to the finish.  We had two runners hang with us most of the race.  Amanda Bjarnson and Liz Wolfgramm.  Amanda is/was four months pregnant and running her second half marathon.  Liz is in her 60's and had never done over 6 miles.  They were celebrating the one year anniversary of her husband recovering from serious heart issues.

We actually had to hold our pace back because of the downhill.  This was probably good for Liz because she knew it was going to be a struggle - but she gamely held on without complaints.  Aid stations were well run.  People did get a bit confused because we had marathon pacers passing us and they weren't sure if our pace time was for the half or full.  Beautiful colors in the canyon. Gorgeous day. Fun runners around us.  Helping people out.

It was a joy to help Liz and Amanda finish the race.  Liz was so thrilled to actually accomplish this major undertaking.  I wish I could have seen her face later when she got news that she actually won her age division.

I was very impressed with this race.  I'm thinking next year it would be a great race to try and PR at and maybe even break 2 hours in the half.

Race pacing is so fun.  And a great way to give back to the running community.

The dilemma of Sandy and the NYC Marathon

I am not a political creature - and I usually keep my opinions to myself.  However, there is one article in the news that is really annoying me.

With so much of the East coast being devastated by the effects of Sandy - I cannot believe that the city of New York and the race directors for the New York City Marathon are even considering trying to put on the marathon this Sunday.

Let's see - people are dead or missing, homes are destroyed, electricity and water are not fully restored, airports are still reopening, subways are not fully running, people are battling over gas, Staten Island is being ignored - and the concern is centered around the marathon? 

C'mon people - get realistic.  Yes, losing money is a pain for either the race or the runners.  Training for an event to not occur is frustrating.  What if you broke your foot today?  You would whine, but you would not run.  I cannot believe this is being considered.

The time being spent by the city of New York, the consideration of using the police, fire and medical support to work on a marathon when the city is in crisis...ridiculous. 

What are your thoughts?

Plantar Fasciosis

This has been a frustrating year for me with a lot of foot pain. I started experiencing Plantar Fasciitis in the left foot earlier this year, then the right foot.  Right foot no longer bothers me.  The left foot got a little better.

While running the Wasatch Crest with Leslie one day in September, I thought I had a bruise on the instep of my foot - near the heel.  Every once in a while, I would run over a rock that hit right on that spot and it would hurt for a little bit.  I picked up a pair of Hoka Stinson Evos for the extra cushioning hoping that would help.

Then came the St. George Marathon (blog post to follow later today).  Starting at mile nine, my left heel hurt at every step. I just figured the bruising was getting worse and hoped it wasn't a stress fracture.  Painful 17 miles - but I was able to finish.

I cut down on running for a couple of weeks and at the urging of Davy Crockett, went in to make sure I didn't have a stress fracture. 

Diagnosis - the Plantar Fasciitis was now a more annoying Plantar Fasciosis.  The podiatrist built up my left orthotic to put pressure on the Plantar Fascia and has me massaging with BioFreeze and icing the foot.  Hopefully this will help. 

I try not to whine, but it has been frustrating.  I can no longer wear my Vibram FiveFingers (an entire summer without them) and can't walk around barefoot any more.

I'm hoping by wearing the orthotics and losing weight this winter that I can get this into remission and run without pain again.

Downhill and Dogs

Labor Day was the second annual running of the Downhill and Dogs run for Leslie Peterson and me.  Shuttle transportation and aid station provided courtesy of Harold Peterson.

This is one of my favorite runs and days the last two years.  Early on Labor Day morning, we loaded up the Peterson SUV and headed up to the top of Guardsman Pass.  There, Harold drops us off and we start the long downhill run into Midway.  

Leslie and I then spent the next hour and a half running 9 miles down the back of Guardsman.  Beautiful run with mainly downhill, occasional flat and rare uphill sections.  The leaves were already turning and we enjoyed visiting and running together.  The last mile or so we pushed the pace - probably my fastest mile in a long time.  Great downhill training for St. George Marathon. 

At the end of 9 miles, our chauffeur dropped us off at Soldier Hollow to spend the rest of the day watching the Grand Championships of the Sheepdog Trials while he went off for a day of biking and naps.

Leslie and I had a grand time watching the incredible efforts of the sheepdogs and their handlers.  Makes Twilight look positively lazy in comparison. 

Plantar Fasciitis Fun

I've been struggling with a new injury all summer - plantar fasciitis. This first started in my left foot, then also started bothering my right foot, then decided it was happy enough just hurting the left foot.

What is plantar fasciitis? Not to go into a long technical explanation, but it ends up with the heel of your foot being very painful when the plantar fascia is contracted. First thing in the morning, starting up after sitting for a while, all seem to be the worst times. Treatment includes sleeping in a night splint (or stretching in the morning) that keeps the calf muscles stretched (instead of pointing your toes as most of us do when we sleep). Rolling your feet on a frozen bottle of water helps to keep inflammation down. I've also invested in some Birkenstock sandals with a high arch so I don't walk around barefoot, avoided my Vibram FiveFingers, using arch supports in shoes, and trying different arch supports to see what helps. You can also see me hanging my heels off stairs to keep the calves stretched. I have good days and bad days.

I was glad to get the right foot under control fairly quickly, but being slightly overweight, getting old, and not working on my flexibility enough means I go through phases when the left foot is hurting and other times when I think I have the PF under control. It has given me a new appreciation for people suffering from Plantar Fasciitis. I hope I can get it under control and lose the pain and not have to deal with this constantly. I guess we shall see.

Pacing Experience 1 - Bryce Canyon Half Marathon

Sorry that it has been so long since I have updated. Time to catch up on posts again.

I was invited to join the American Flyers Race Pacers group on Facebook organized by Walter Brown. The first pacing job I accepted was for the Bryce Canyon Half Marathon (surprisingly - down in Bryce Canyon). My daughter, Jenn, was going to be in town at that time and we thought it would be a fun experience. I don't remember ever going to Bryce Canyon before (and it doesn't count if I was too young to remember it) and Jenn thought the roadtrip would be fun.

We packed gear up for camping down in Bryce Canyon since we were given a tent spot as part of our volunteer bounty. However, on the drive down we were buffeted by some pretty bad winds and rain and decided that if we could find a cheap motel, it would be better to stay dry and not camp. Wuss out time! We enjoyed the drive down together. Especially exciting was to get the news that one of our Nook apps broke into the top five. Very exciting and signs that we are starting to make it into the big time.

As we neared Bryce Canyon, we drove through Red Canyon. That was spectacular. We kept stopping to take pictures and enjoy the sights. The colors and formations were incredible. Just the short drive through that canyon made the long trip worthwhile. We ended up staying in a hotel attached to the campground and spent the evening playing cards. I sure enjoy having my daughter in town. I miss having her around a lot.

I got up dark and early on Saturday morning and hopped on the bus to the starting line. Leslie Peterson was on the bus too and we visited as we went up to the start. I was one of three runners at the 3 hour pace group. We each had a pacing singlet, two of us had pace bands and one carried the pacing sign announcing our group I was teamed up with Walter's daughter and niece and they were fun teenagers to hang with for three hours. We didn't have any people particularly hanging with us during the race, but there were lots of people watching our sign to stay in front of us. Three hours was the official cutoff - but there were still quite a lot of people behind us. Leslie was not feeling well and ended up near by for the first half of the race and then she dropped out as she passed her hotel and called it a day.

Bryce Canyon has a lot of downhill and was very gorgeous. It was a bit chilly early on and sprinkling on and off, so we didn't know what to expect for the weather. We were staying in a town around 7 miles into the course, and Leslie DNF'd at the entrance to the town and Jenn was waiting near the end of the town and taking lots of pictures. We did some good jumps for entertainment and photo opportunities.

After we passed through town, it soon started raining and rained pretty heavily for the last five miles. The runners around us were starting to struggle and we entertained them by singing and dancing in the rain and getting all the vehicles that passed by to honk in support. Some of the runners said it was helping, so we kept it up. We finished within about 7 seconds of our goal and I immediately hopped on a bus full of wet, steamy, smelly half marathoners and got a ride back to town.

After cleaning up, Jenn and I loaded up the car and headed into Bryce Canyon itself. We weren't sure if we could see anything because of rain and mist - but wanted to see if we could see any of the beautiful sights. We decided to hike the Navajo Trail even though we couldn't see the bottom of the canyon. Once we got below the rim, things cleared up and we were in awe of the beautiful colors and intriguing formations and taking tons of pictures. We hiked down to the bottom and it was spectacular. As we were about to head up towards the rim on the other side of the loop, it started to rain. And then it started to pour. I was tired from running the half marathon that morning and Jenn was not used to altitude and was struggling with asthma. Add in being soaked and a trail full of slippery mud and it made for a challenging hike out.

We drove around for a while and saw some more of Bryce Canyon and then called it a day and decided to go home a day early. Great first experience as an actual race pacer and a fun trip with my daughter.