Giddyup

Short bike ride this morning.  Probably won't run until Thurs or Fri this week so it's a good time to just keep myself active by riding...especially with Boise next week.

Went out for another 40 after work either I'm in better shape than I think or I had some very favorable tailwinds following me all over the place - I'm going with the latter.

Short Mtn. Bike ride up Corner Canyon.  Up Clark's, down Ghost.  So much fun.

Short, easy run this morning.  Looking back on this week I'm a little uneasy with my lack of mileage for Squaw tomorrow.  Nothing I can do about it now, just have to show up and try to have a good day.  Looks like the weather should cooperate.  50 miles sure sounds like a long way right now.

Almost impossible to sum up an entire 50 miler like Squaw in one race report.  My day was defined by my performance between Little Valley around 34 and Windy Pass around mile 40.  I don't know how long this section took me because my Garmin died around the top of the Windy Pass climb but it seemed like it took forever.  At the Hobble Creek Aid Station I threw up once after I drank too much Sprite.  I didn't think too much of it and after I left I felt ok.  I threw up one more time between Sheep Creek & Little Valley and again at the Little Valley Aid Station.  After Little Valley though, I was throwing up what seemed like every half hour or so (it's a 7 mile section including the most challenging section of the course).  After I finished the initial climb out of Little Valley, I knew it was going to be a long haul when I had a hard time running the downhill before "The Climb".  When the naseau became too unbearable, I was lying down on the trail to throw up because it took too much strength to stand.  It was dreadful.  I have to give so much respect to the excellent volunteers at the Windy Pass AS - they got me all taken care of and back on my feet (one of which I know was Jim Skaggs - RD for the Buffalo Runs).  I had some salt & Jim gave me a Ginger Chew and I got on my way.  I was a little shaky for a little while but then I started feeling my strength come back.  I could run pretty well - this is another 7 mile stretch to the next AS and it is all downhill on tight super technical single track.  The trail is covered in loose rocks the size of apples or grapefruits and it is so tricky to put your feet in just the right spots.  Once I got to the first parking lot I was so elated.  Adrenaline took over and I motored right through this long field to AS 10 where the wonderful volunteers refilled me with nice cool water, I got 2 cups of coke that was magical and a cold towel that I hung over my shoulders.  I felt so much better, I went running out of there and didn't stop once until this finish 3 or so miles later.  I was quite surprised at my ability to run at that point and I thought I was running quite well.  I turned the last corner and there was my boy to bring it in with me.  

 3 mintues faster than last year - I'll take it.  I was on track to be an hour or so better than last year but after my troubles between Little Valley & Windy I was just glad to have finished - as cliche as that sounds I really mean it - if it weren't for the fact that you cannot drop at Windy or if I had felt at LV the way I felt at Windy I really may have dropped.  

The rest of the race was fairly uneventful - just a perfect, ideal day otherwise.

Pool workout - letting the legs rest for this weekend.

Another pool workout.

Gym swim/run workout.  Run felt pretty good.

Easy morning run on shoreline trail down to aqueduct road & back.

This was my 2nd official half-Ironman.  My first was back in 2005 @ Oceanside and I finished around 5:52 so it is always nice to see some improvement.  I actually felt like I had a pretty good day. 

Race started at 2pm and my wave fired off at 2:15.  I do not like the swim and this swim proved to be no exception - winds kicked up just under halfway through and made my ability to breathe on only one side a little more of a problem than it normally is.  Finally over in 40 mins - wanted to be closer to 34 but I'm always glad when it's finally over.  Got on the bike really quick and took off.  Rain started at about 20 miles and only let up once or twice for the rest of the day.  Felt pretty good on the bike - computer stopped working about when the rain started so I had about 35 miles w/no computer.  Doesn't really bother me on race day - by then I'm really going off of how I feel more than anything anyway. 

Wrapped up the bike in 2:34 & got out running.  Really quite a pretty and enjoyable run course on the Boise Greenbelt running on either side of the river running through the middle of the city.  2 loops is always so cruel when they take you so close to the finish before making you turn around.  I guess they want you to have the spectator coverage but it still stings just a little.  Finished the run in 1:38 to tuck in overall time just under 5 hours.  Felt particularly to come in at my goal (under 5) even if by so little after missing it by so little at Ogden (18 seconds).

Great course, liked the race, would do it again.

Race was won by current Ironman World Champion Craig Alexander from Australia with a 2 second margin.

I guess I'll categorize this under race reports...

Looking at my calendar I cannot believe all of last week blew by and I didn't run once until Saturday evening.  I took a couple days after Boise then my wife took a few days and then boom - Ragnar was here.  I was runner 11 with legs of 3.8, 7.8 & 7.3 (ish).  First leg ran up toward the base of Snow Basin that I ran in my orange speedo that says "Da Bomb" on the butt for some moral degradation of those I passed.  2nd leg was from Wanship past Rockport res - beautiful running at 5:30am.  And my last leg was the short uphill after Ragnar then down through Deer Valley where I got rained on the whole time, got a blister under my left foot and my calves and quads took a real beating!

 Fun race - 2nd year, fun to hang out with good friends for a day or 2.

Really not sure how far this morning - due to the mudslides, we can't access the shoreline on the trail we used to.  The mudslide came right down the trail and it is washed out over 2 feet deep in some places.  So we went North into Little Willow on the shoreline instead of South into Corner Canyon.  Nice run, there has been some good trail maintenance and a new bridge put in.  Calves definitely still sore from Saturday's run down Deer Valley.

Had a great run tonight.  Took the baby out in the jogger planning on doing my nearby 5 mile loop or whatever he would let me do and he just let me keep going.  He was so good, didn't even make hardly a sound.  I was surprised too at how well I felt.  I extended my plan once then twice then a third time then I figured I'd just round it out at 10 miles.  The baby was fine so I just kept going - calves were still a little tight and I was/am concerned just a little hoping I don't setback my recover too much but I couldn't pass up how I felt.  I was running slower than normal pushing the jogger, that probably had much to do with feeling well.  Weather was somewhat windy threatening rain but it never did rain.

Great run.

Took the baby out again.  Went up 13th to 17th to 106th (Larkin Gardens) and turned around.  Felt really good again but the storm caught up with me and I had to call for a ride - I didn't want the baby so traumatized that he wouldn't go out with me again.

Early run @ 5am.  Hiked up Eagle for a couple miles then booked it back down.  Beautiful morning.

Went out on a ride, left at 12:15 - really got my butt handed to me.  Went over Suncrest to the top of the Alpine Loop & back down over Suncrest.  I really had nothing on the climbs.  Hoping it is a reflection of the past couple days running + the heat otherwise I've really lost some bike fitness!