2011 Race Report

I don't run many races.  Why pay good money to do something I can do on my own?  The only purpose I see to signing up for a race is if it's at a heretofore not done distance, there's a steep discount, it's free, or it provides a unique experience.  In addition to the Utah Valley Marathon, I'll do three or four additional races in 2012.  That's more than I did in 2011.  Here's a recap.

Showdown at Sundown Intermediate Triathlon, Boulder City, Nevada, March 27, 2011

We all pretended to be upset that the swim portion of the triathlon was canceled due to too cold water temperatures.  Deep down inside we were happy because we could skip the swim and not feel like a quitter.  Truth be told--cancelling the swim was lame on the part of race sponsors. That's why we all had wet suits.  My message to the folks at Sunset Racing: You guys suck!  Looks like the 2012 edition has been moved to May and taken over by a new organizer.

The bike ride sucked.  The last nine miles were at a steep incline, against the wind.  It was gratifying seeing people walking their bikes up the hill.  It was a little less gratifying that they were walking as fast as I was pedaling.  Upon completion of the bike ride I wandered into a port-a-potty to talk myself into finishing the race.  I did.  It took me 73 minutes to run a 10-k. That's embarrassing. Having to stop every couple minutes to massage cramps out of my quadriceps didn't help my time much.  The guy at the finish line who stretched me out after I collapsed just might be the greatest person alive.

Ragnar Relay: Wasatch Back, Logan to Park City, Utah.  June 18-19, 2011

A couple of friends called me at the beginning of May and asked me if I wanted to participate on their relay team. I accepted and pulled a calf muscle on my first training run.  Sound familiar?  It was the same exact course I pulled a calf muscle on for my first marathon training run.  Maybe I should change courses?  I ran the race anyhow.  The first leg I ran was seven miles downhill.  A lot of fun.  The second leg was eight miles uphill.  Not a lot of fun.  The last leg was a flat 5-k.  I just wanted it to be over.

If you have the opportunity to do a Ragnar, I highly recommend it.

Family Reunion Rock to Pier Run, Morro Bay to Cayucos, California, July 18, 2011.

Great run.  I recommend you run the actual race if you're in the area in July. I've done this race five times.  The most recent run was my best time yet.  I finished second, destroying my brother-in-law but getting dusted by my nephew.  Looking forward to winning it in 2012.

Other than pulling a calf muscle and having to limp the last two miles, not being able to run again for another month, and severely diminishing what slim hopes I had for qualifying for Boston at the Utah Valley Marathon in June, it was an excellent start to my marathon training.

After the Showdown at Sundown Intermediate Triathlon in March, I spent from April until now getting in the best shape of my life.  3.85 miles into my first serious marathon training run I pulled everyone's favorite calf muscle, the soleus.

I am in good shape though.  I specifically chose a difficult six-mile run, the one I used to train for the triathlon and for Ragnar.  If I would have been able to continue--it was 2.1 miles downhill from the highest point of the run when I had to stop--I would have finished in about 50 minutes, not even close to qualifying standards, but about six minutes faster than my fastest time ever on that run.  Not bad.

I never felt tired.  When I stopped I wasn't really even breathing hard.  Not sure what to do from here.  I guess swimming and biking are an option, but what I really need to do is log some miles.