Journey from 238.5 lbs to 2:38:30

Ran with Scott in Alpint/highland.  Hip was mostly feeling better today.  Had a calf muscle turned on in each leg and started to feel some bounce in my step.  The left psoas was turned on as well, which isn't the one that hurts.  Will see how things progress.  Felt pretty good through this run, did stretch a couple of times.

Ran in Orem with Scott, Matt and Reid.  Using a headlamp going up a few of us were dizzy, possibly from the odd light patterns from the lights.  On the way back down coming up out of Nunns was feeling decent so picked up the pace up the hill.  Scott joined me and we headed down the great grade for a pickup.  We did a mile in 5:18, I hit oxygen deprivation and slowed down, Scott did 2 more miles of tempo.  Hip was a little tight, but not too bad.  Hopefully stretching the psoas will continue to help it improve.  

Ran Big Springs with Wes.  Love this  run!

Ran with Scott, Jake, Fritz, Andrea, Devra, Justin and Annie at Jeremy Ranch.  Great road to run on.  Hip tightened up the last few miles.  

Ran in Alpine

South on JRT

Orem, up Provo Canyon with the boys

i was able to get my psoas to release last night around 10:30 so i decided to jump in the race and see where i am since i have not been able to do the mileage or speedwork for months, so this was a push it some to see where i am and what other body parts are still having issues.

i parked a couple of miles from the start and ran up to the start, hoping to feel good enough to run back as i am in dire need of a good long run with tempo miles.  the less tightpsoas  was definately an improvement from the last few weeks or months, though it is till inflammed and tight, just not as tight. 

the first couple of miles i ran with jon kotter, toni and a couple of other fast guys as we warmed up down the hill.  we were behind sasha and the leader a ways, but i was happy to not push and just enjoy some good feeling miles.

after about mile 2 jon and his friends took off and i stuck with toni for another 4 miles or so.  my right hamstring was getting tighter so i slowed a bit, have tightness around the entire top of my right leg, just not as severe as it has been.  was able to keep a good pace with a fairly low heart rate for the speed.  endurance is way down from where it once was, but not unexpected.    if i had been registered i would have come in 5th and 1st in masters.  hoping i can get thing loosened back up for hobble creek next week.  psoas seemed to be tight once again which causes a severe limp when i stop running.  had wes drive me back up since leg wasnt cooperating.

south on JRT, hip locking up

Forgot watch today.  Ran up provo canyon at lunch in 95 degrees

south on JRT

Ran the Hobble creek half marathon today.  After last weeks tempo run of provo river half I knew I could still put up a decent time even with all the hip issues I have had recently, if I could get the sacrum back where it is supposed to go beforehand so the muscles wouldn't all lock up during the race.  If I can get this thing figured out, eventually, I will be a much happier runner.  

Caught a ride with Scott Keate, Matt Poulsen and his wife Elaina, to the buses.  Scott and I caught a bus and did a warm up from where the buses dropped us of up to the start.  I could tell the hip would probably hold up during the race, but not sure after.  We did another mile or so warm up, and hung out with a bunch of friends at the start.  It was great to see a lot of my early morning running friends all gathered for one race.  I saw David Taylor whom I have beat in a couple of races this past year, Nebo and Timp Trail half, and knew he would probably be my biggest competition for winning masters, either him or Curtis Eppley.  With my lack of base I was pretty sure I wouldn't have the stamina towards the end of the race, but nothing like running the race to find out.  The race actually started on time, which was really nice, and we took off down the canyon.

  David took off to a screaming start the first mile, I think he said it was like a 4:55 mile, with Scott on his heels.  My first mile was a 5:19 and felt pretty good.  I had bought some new Kinvara 3's the night before that I was wearing, hoping to find a replacement shoe before the end of the year and my launches are discontinued. They performed great through the downhill and the race.  My heart rate through the race never got too crazy, but I also didn't feel like I could push it any faster either.  I usually gu before the race and  halfway through a half marathon but elected not to take one half way through this time and see what happens.  I think I would rather have taken one so the last couple of miles may have felt a bit better.  

I kept David in sight most of the race, though probably at least a minute behind him.  Matt passed me at mile 7, Toni passed me a couple of times, he had to stop to retie his shoe after his chip started falling off.  Brandon blew by me around 11 or so.  I got chicked with .5 to go, but just had nothing left in the tank to do anything about it.  I ran a few miles with Curtis who caught up to me during the middle miles.  After pushing through the hilly trail miles he had to slow down for a little recovery and never caught back up.  We had reeled David in a little bit here and there, but eventually we had nothing left to catch him.  It was fun to see our early morning running group take 5 of the top 12 spots.  

The hip really tightened up the last mile or so as the energy waned, and after I crossed the line I was in full limp mode with the tight psoas, or maybe illiacus. I eventually got it stretched out so I could walk normally again.  Will be fun to see how things go if I can get the body to hold up for longer periods of time.  Since David won masters I got the 40-44 age group award.  

 1 5:19 157 avg. HR

2 5:30 168

3 5:39 167

4 5:38 168

5 5:40 170

6 5:42 172

7 6:00 173

8 5:50 173

9 6:06 174

 10 6:06 175

11 6:14 175

12 6:10 175

.87 5:32 176 

South on JRT with Reed, Scott and Matt.  

Ran from Matt's with Matt and Scott.  

Went to Mumford & Sons concert at Salt Air last night.  Awesome concert.  While standing there for several hours I started to notice a bunch of tightness in the SI joint on the right hand side, so moved and flexed enough stuff down there and eventually moved it back where it belongs, at least most of the way.  Muscles immediately started feeling better and strength returned to my right leg.  

Got up and ran a 2 mile warm up, then did some 800's around my block.

2:58, 2:55, 2:50, 2:46, 2:44 

Ran out of time to do more since I got a late start, but they felt good.  Nice to do some actual speedish work for once.   

Ran to Stewart Falls with Wes.  Very fun trail, short, but fun.   (Hip messed up again, arg)

Ran With Scott.  Had to take the shortcut due to right hip shutting down and tightening up.

Hope to Hobble.  Been wanting to run this for years.  Wish I had felt better.  Stomach issues, hip issues, but great run.  Looking forward to doing it again next year.

North on JRT

Orem with the guys

Hip issues