posted Jun-02-2007 03:30 PM               

The rest of the story:

My goals for this race were:

- Gimme: (1:22) (10-mile PR)
- Realistic: 1:16
- Stretch: 1:15

The Salt Lake Valley 10 Miler runs through Emigration Canyon, which is so named because it is the route taken by the Mormon pioneers into the valley in the 1840s. For our trek through the canyon we had a paved road and aid stations, so we didn't have it nearly as tough as the pioneers.

The course description I had before the race said:

quote:

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At the start you have a wonderful warm up run going up hill for 3 miles to the top of Little Mountain, you then start floating down Emigration Canyon for 7 miles, then gently finishing on the beautiful grounds of This Is The Place Monument.

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A wonderful warm up followed by floating and gently finishing. It sounded like I wouldn't even break a sweat.

To make my goal of 1:16, I planned to take the first three miles at 8:00-8:20 pace, and then try to run the downhill miles at 7:25. If I felt strong at mile 5 I would pick up the pace a little. At the start I felt rested and springy, ready for a strong effort. It looked like there were about 300 runners.

Skies were sunny with about 65 F and a slight breeze at the start. The forecast called for a high of 90 F, so it was going to get warm soon. Fortunately the canyon is fairly narrow so a lot of the course is shaded.

The first mile was a fairly easy climb (+100'), and the second mile was quite a bit harder (+250'). I held back a little, not knowing what to expect in the third mile. Sixteen runners passed me on the hills.

Mile 1: 8:00
Mile 2: 9:24

Shortly after the 2-mile mark we reached the summit. So much for three uphill miles. Anyway, time to race. Since I had lost about a minute on the hills, I knew I would have to push the pace to make my goal.

Mile 3: 7:23, aid station
Mile 4: 6:54, too fast!
Mile 5: 7:08, aid station (split: 38:49)

I figured I had 37 minutes to run the last 5 miles, or 7:20 per mile. (It actually works out to 7:24 per mile, but arithmetic is such a challenge during a race. )

Mile 6: 7:09
Mile 7: 7:11, so far so good

A strong, smooth, floating runner came up beside me and we ran together for a bit. I thought, This is how those other guys on B&B must look when they run. He gestured for me to stay with him as he moved ahead but I couldn't do it. I appreciated the offer though, since I had run most of the race alone. Instead I focused on a runner who had passed me earlier, telling myself to keep him in sight. For the next two miles I gained slowly on him. I passed two other runners and was passed by a third.

Mile 8: 7:37, aid station
Mile 9: 7:23

I was struggling with the heat (probably 75 F) and the effects of my aggressive pace. I felt okay about this, because in some races I have finished feeling like I could have given more. Not this time.

Okay, finish strong!

I caught my target and the last runner who had passed me. As I was congratulating myself, a girl I had not seen since the start of the race zipped past, said "good job!", and left me in the dust. I couldn't do anything but smile.

Mile 10: 7:16 (split: 36:36)

Unofficial time: 1:15:25. Official results aren't up yet.

This is my first experience on a course with significant downhill stretches. I tried to maintain good form (quick turnover, quiet footfalls, no overstriding), but I have small blisters on a few toes, and I can tell my quads will be sore. I have another downhill race (HM) coming up, so any advice in this area is appreciated.

Not a fashion report: black & grey Under Armour sleeveless top, black Brooks compression shorts, black UA shorts, white & grey Asics socks, white & orange Asics DS Trainers. Spareribs, I hope the image doesn't hurt your sensibilities too severely.

Thanks for reading

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posted Jun-02-2007 03:55 PM               

Congratulations on a huge PR!

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posted Jun-02-2007 04:05 PM            

That's a nice PR.

Dark Horse

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I'm a dark horse, running on a dark race course

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posted Jun-02-2007 04:16 PM               

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"If you see a man running up a mountain trail in Montana with a fly pole attached to his back, you are probably lost. LDD

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posted Jun-02-2007 05:12 PM            

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posted Jun-02-2007 05:54 PM            

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"Everyone in life is looking for a certain rush. Running is where I get mine."

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posted Jun-02-2007 08:07 PM            

This sounds like a race that I would like to do sometime. Neat course. No comment on the fashion report...meh.

[This message has been edited by Labduck (edited Jun-02-2007).]

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posted Jun-02-2007 10:27 PM            

I'm always impressed by how you know your pace so well and what you need to do to achieve your goal. I wish I had your brain.

You're running very well. Congratulations on the PR. Seven minutes is phenomenal!

I'm not sure what to suggest about downhill running other than to make sure you're strengthening hamstrings and quads and doing a LOT of quad stretches.

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posted Jun-02-2007 11:43 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Sans Souci:
millbot, how in the world do you know sixteen people passed you on the hills?

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I counted! As people started to pass me, I decided to keep a tally and then try to pass at least that many runners by the end of the race. I finished the race down seven.

I like numbers.

[This message has been edited by millbot (edited Jun-02-2007).]

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posted Jun-03-2007 05:07 AM               

Very nice job! You ran a strong smart race. Congrats!

Huskydon

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posted Jun-03-2007 12:59 PM            

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posted Jun-03-2007 01:14 PM               

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posted Jun-03-2007 01:25 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Elaine3112:
A lot of British mormans made that passage and a good few of the pioneers safriced a great deal to get to the Salt Lake incuding their lives.

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I've been to the Salt Lake, and with all due respect I bet the British Mormons who survived the trip were on the phone to their travel agent with bitter complaints.

Dark Horse

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I'm a dark horse, running on a dark race course

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posted Jun-03-2007 04:13 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Dark Horse:
I've been to the Salt Lake, and with all due respect I bet the British Mormons who survived the trip were on the phone to their travel agent with bitter complaints.

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All due respect? I don't think that's very respectful, or funny. If you knew the history you might not be so flippant.

I'm willing to assume that your intent was not to be disrespectful and call it a poor attempt at humor.

Sorry, this is something I feel strongly about.

Okay, back to running.

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posted Jun-03-2007 04:24 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by millbot:
All due respect? I don't think that's very respectful, or funny. If you knew the history you might not be so flippant.

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millbot,

I'll be the judge of what I find risible.

Since you know the history of the British Mormons who traveled to Salt Lake, why don't you point me to a good reference so I may educate myself about their travails.

Edited to add:
I know a British Mormon who moved to Salt Lake last year. What are the odds?

Edited again to add:
I used to date a Mormon girl, stayed with her family in Salt Lake, and attended church services with them.

Dark Horse

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I'm a dark horse, running on a dark race course

[This message has been edited by Dark Horse (edited Jun-03-2007).]

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posted Jun-03-2007 05:00 PM            

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posted Jun-03-2007 05:39 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Dark Horse:
Since you know the history of the British Mormons who traveled to Salt Lake, why don't you point me to a good reference so I may educate myself about their travails.

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Here is a brief history of the Mormon pioneer trail, including some info on British pioneers.

For more personal accounts, here and here you can find some of the diaries and letters of several Mormon pioneers, some British. There are book sources I can suggest if you like.

Certainly, DH, you decide what is funny to you. And pioneer accounts are not all persecution, sacrifice, and death; humor was a part of their experience too.

Anyway, this is straying far from the charter of coolrunning.com. I would be glad to discuss this further via email if you like.

Your friend,
Mike

PS: Thanks again to you and your family for your service and sacrifice.

Um, edited to fix my busted bbcode.

[This message has been edited by millbot (edited Jun-03-2007).]

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posted Jun-03-2007 06:12 PM            

Thanks for the references. It seems I will have to comb through them to find out about British Mormons. The striking fact to me, is that there were any British Mormons so early: this is new information to me. I'm not so much interested in their pioneering experiences, as I am in how they came to be Mormons in Britain, so far away from the source in upstate New York, and so soon after the beginning.

My paternal grandfather grew up in Ogden, Utah, and told us stories about his Mormon neighbors. Many years later, after he became a history professor, he did research in the Mormon genealogical archives located, I believe, near Salt Lake City inside a mountain.

The archives existed, he told me, for the purpose of collecting the historical records of births and deaths all over the world, to posthumously convert people to Mormonism. I seem to remember he said it was located inside a mountain to safeguard the records from any catastrophe, including nuclear attack.

Be that as it may, he said it was a wonderful resource for scholars, Mormon and non-Mormon alike. My grandfather found a pamphlet with information on our family name dating back to the Middle Ages. According to the pamphlet, we were "members of the minor nobility." As my uncle cynically observed, "In those days, anyone who had a pair of shoes was minor nobility."

Dark Horse

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I'm a dark horse, running on a dark race course

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posted Jun-03-2007 06:33 PM               

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posted Jun-03-2007 06:54 PM               

TomS

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posted Jun-03-2007 06:56 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by millbot:
most of the 60K+ Mormons who emigrated to the Salt Lake Valley in the 1800s were European, and most of those were British.

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Mike,

I had no idea about the very strong European angle. I knew about the Missouri group, but that's it.

I also knew something about the religion's origins, because I lived as a boy in upstate New York, very near Palmyra where Joseph Smith lived.

Mark Twain supplied my small fund of information about the early Mormon church in Utah.

Dark Horse

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I'm a dark horse, running on a dark race course

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posted Jun-03-2007 08:38 PM               

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posted Jun-03-2007 09:06 PM               

This is what you call a breakthrough performance and a sure sign that more PR's are soon to follow.

Congratulations

[This message has been edited by Jim24315 (edited Jun-03-2007).]

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posted Jun-03-2007 10:01 PM            

[This message has been edited by FlyingFinn (edited Jun-03-2007).]

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posted Jun-04-2007 03:26 AM               

your ideas about quick, quiet steps and good form are key. i'm guessing your toe blisters are from push-offs rather than landing on your toes. my suggestion is to run more downhill stretches and get some callouses built up. good toe-off will help you on downhill races. pay attention to the altitude changes on each mile split, or get a hrm and keep an even effort. hilly courses (both up and down) are always tougher to judge and usually best run with an even effort (ie even heart rate).

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