St. George Half. 1:11:30 morning - 21.75. Not going to label this a great race, or even a good one, but I won't beat myself up about it. I never had my head in it (a constant mental battle for me) and my body wasn't in it either. Warmed up just under 6 with Clyde and pretty much all rest of the good guys. I was just hoping my cough wouldn't act up, and I had really been trying to convince myself that it was only a cough and not in the rest of the body. I'll put today's split and commentary and then last year's and the total time difference for my own analysis. 1-5:13, pretty much always feel fine at first, and I did. No big deal. (5:17, -4). 2-5:24, just kind of let it relax a little and Clyde and I ran pretty tight together. (5:18, +2). 3-5:17, so I've managed to go out just a little slower than last year hoping to have a little stronger legs on the hills. (5:10, +9). 4-5:17, I've led our chase pack for the last two (although we weren't chasing Bryant, just letting him do his thing) and now Ben caught back up after a shoelace issue and Mike went with him. (5:15, +11). 5-5:22, I grabbed my drink that I had stashed on a wall at the beginning of this mile, but could barely get a couple gulps down. I had hoped that taking something around here would help me in the final miles, but it is just so tough to get something and hold it down in a half. Clyde passed me in here and I wanted to go with him. I knew I needed to be stronger on the hills, but my mind was struggling. (5:26, +7). 6-5:38, kept with Clyde for the most part on this mile and it was a little quicker than last year, so I tried to use that little victory. (5:42, +3). 7-5:36, again a touch better than last year, but Clyde regapped me and I should have gone with him. (5:42, -3). 8-5:13, knew I needed to push down the hill better than last year, and I did, but did Steve S. He must have had a killer split here. Note to self... The first part of this mile finishes up the hill for just a little, but that is why it isn't as fast as you want. (5:21, -11). 9-5:25, so I am just a little up on last year and in good position to go under 1:11, but getting back on the trail I was suddenly dead. I guess I would say that the cold just caught up to me here. The legs were dead and I just tried to keep pushing hoping I could make it through it. (5:15, -1). 10-5:33, just tired, really tired. (5:27, +4). 11-5:43, made it up to the bridge and the gaps between Ben to Steve to Mike to Clyde to me really hadn't grown that much, but I was hanging on by a thread as obvious by the slowing times. I had notice Matt gaining. But I really didn't care, I just wanted to be done. (5:38, +9). 12-5:37, knowing that I hadn't finished great last year, I thought I might still have a chance at sub 1:11, but my legs were really gone and mentally I knew it was over as well. (5:34, +12). 13-5:39, Matt got me on the final mile and I felt as flat as I ever remember. Just so tired and mentally hazy. (5:28, +23), 13.1- 5:57 pace, probably a little quicker since I stopped the watch late as I trotted across the line. My arms were so sore; that drained and painful feeling from being sick. Then my legs started feeling it big time. Then my cough went crazy and I haven't stopped. Cooled with Clyde for three and now plan on sleeping for the rest of the day...I am so tired. Wish I would have been feeling stronger 'cause I think I ran a little smarter this year and was ready to break 1:11, which would have made me pretty happy. A lot of good running today by everyone, though. That was one cool thing, having that big race atmosphere with all the good racers, just too bad I couldn't be in the mix the last 4-5. (F50 618)(Rocket 2 73.75) Obviously with the cold/cough and the race not being the best, the week was just kind of blah. Goals for next week: biggest thing is to get feeling better. I can't let this hang out in my lungs forever and get into something big. | 