Today I ran 16 miles in technically 2:17:19 but it really would have been faster than that. Let me explain. During the week I debated about today's run because my second oldest daughter was running her first race, the Run for the Cure in SLC. A 5k. I really wanted to support her in it but I also knew I had to do my run since my race is just two weeks from today. I knew if I ran in SLC I would have to run on a lot of sidewalks and the best way to do it would be to start out at the Gateway and end there as well (where my daughter's race ended). I thought that running most of the SLC half-marathon course would be a good way to go, but that meant getting up to the UofU. That is uphill basically all the way. I could take TRAX up there and then start, but since my running distance is longer today than a half I decided to just run up to the Uof U. Of course, that also meant getting up far earlier than I usually would on a Saturday. I finally decided I have waken up early for myself before on race day and there is no reason I could not wake up for my beloved daughter early on a Saturday. So I started at the Gateway around 6:45, which was my target time if I was going to be there for my daughter. The run up to the UofU was actually quite nice. BTW, it is four miles, basically all uphill, to the starting point of the SLC half-marathon. But it felt good and I was able to average an 8:00 minute mile per pace except near the very end, which is the worst of the hills. But by the time I got to the starting point of the SLC half I was just a minute and a half off pace and since it was downhill for the next seven miles I thought I could make that up. It felt good to reach that point but I actually was a little more satisfied with my run up to the UofU than I expected. I did make up the time, and then some, and by the time I got to the 5k area I was averaging exactly what I wanted, which was an 8:00 minute mile. I got to the 5k point at my mile 14.5-14.75.
My plan was to go near the end of the race and run in the opposite direction of all the racers. I had done this before when looking for my loving Heidi in the halfs and it worked well. However, there were far more racers than I expected. Loretta told me later that they had expected 18,000 entrants. Almost everybody was walking by the time I got to that point, perhaps a lot out of necessity. They were coming down 300 West, which is a fairly wide street, and they were taking up the entire street with not a whole lot of room between racers. It was not wall-to-wall, but when you have people moving relatively fast, there is less room available. I was not sure if I was going to be able to find Loretta. So I slowed my pace and began scanning the immense throng of people. Because of all the people, I had to run on the sidewalk, which made scanning for Loretta over the parked cars all the more difficult. I passed literally thousands of people, trying to keep one eye in front of me and one eye on the crowd. After about .75 miles or so I spotted her. She was more than halfway across the street and did not see me. I ran in the opposite direction a little further then ran out with the racers. My plan was to come up behind her and surprise her. Something really interesting happened which I did not expect in the least. As I was within feet of her I became very choked up. I could not have been happier to be there to support my daughter and I knew I made the right choice. I came up just as I had planned and she was surprised. She expressed disappointment in herself but I and her running buddy kept encouraging her on. She finished in a very respectable 46 minutes, which was actually a minute faster than she had run her best while training. And considering she was having breathing problems, all the more admirable. Though it was not my race to run, nor did I run it, I know it made for a wonderful day, one I shall never forget and ever be grateful for that I obeyed the promptings of the spirit. Her expressions of gratitude for me being there only served to confirm this even more.
Later that afternoon I rode 35.95 miles on the bike. This time I incorporated two hills. It was a great ride and, I felt, wonderful preparation for my next half. But I was tired for the rest of the day.
Total running miles for the week = 48.75
Total cycling miles for the week = 51.25
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