Utah Countdown Has Started

 Week 15 - Phase I - Build up - Core Workout: Hills
 07/02/12 - 07/08/12
 Week Total: 39.3

The week was still a "playful" week. I had three Half Marathons scheduled in the chase of Mercury. So the only way to add the required workouts was embedding them in the races.

The Half Marathon on the Fourth, Firecracker Half, was going to be a simple out and back without any work out added. The course was a screwed up course. A handful of runners, including myself got wrong directions. I got my HR all messed up as I was going back and forth trying to make sense of the race course. When we were supposed to have half of the run we already had about 8 miles. I went back and completed the distance to finish it in 1:57:42.

On Saturday 07/07 I ran the Moon Half Marathon organized by Guerrilla Running. The race was scheduled at the hottest time of day, 4pm. Temperature was 82F. For us, that is HOT. I don't think I have ever ran a Half Marathon at that temperature, not even Miami. Strategy was to go slow, and as my daughter in law suggested "Don't try to break any records". I calculated that at mile one I had 50 women ahead of me. Following good running advices, I had a damped bandana around my neck and poured water on my head every time I could. I drank water very often and to avoid my "sodium wash" I had a salt stick with me. At mile 4 some women started walking, some pulled on the side, some were dizzy. I started passing. My game plan was how many road kills I would have. I started counting: 1, 2, 6, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 27, 30, and 32. I was feeling so good that I knew it was going to be a heck of a race. I was ripping the benefits of my initial slow golden miles. When I saw the first runner after the turn around, I counted now how many did the TA ahead of me: 25. After I turned around my count down started: 24, 21, 18, 15, 14. About mile 12 I passed #12, and saw the other runners out of my reach. I settled in being in 12th place, not bad at all. ½ mile to go and # 11 started walking. I moved to 11. I finished super strong with 2:06:12. Best run I've ever run, not in clocked time, but strategically speaking! Without knowing I had a great tempo workout.

 

Mile - Pace - HR

1- 10:15 - 79%

2- 9:43 - 80%

3- 10:07 - 83%

4- 10:13 - 84%

5- 10:06 - 84%

6- 9:42 - 83%

7- 9:14 - 87%

8- 9:37 - 86%

9- 9:36 - 86%

10- 9:04 - 90%

11- 9:13- 90%

12- 9:38- 90%

13-9:40 - 95%

On Sunday 07/08 the race ahead of me, Langley, was on a very respectable hilly course. I know and love this course (I dislike flats). During the whole race my heart was saying like "common I am only at 64%"... but the legs said "no way". They were definitely TIRED!!! I couldn't do much in this very hilly course after a hot race ran only 14 hours ago and another Half on Wed. I ran the uphills the best I could and blasted the downhills. I did 2:08. Got 2nd in the division, and shared podium with my good buddy Bob who also won 2nd Masters overall. This was the hills' workout of the week. 

 

 

I am very excited with the training ahead of me. More excited that Utah Countdown Has Started.