Monday, September 30, 2013

Bring On 52.4 Miles!

Five days until the St. George Marathon. I'm very excited with a moderate dose of scared. I am madly in love with tapering.

Monday, September 23rd 2013: 4 miles @ 10:09 per mile
Tuesday, September 24th 2013: Nothing
Wednesday, September 25th 2013: 10 miles @ 13:18 per mile
Thursday, September 26th 2013: 4 miles @ 10:22 per mile
Friday, September 27th 2013:
Saturday, September 28th 2013: 5 miles @ 11:49 per mile

My favorite (and by far the hardest) run of the week was Wednesday's 10 miler. I ran sections of a bunch of trails including Paradise Rim, Turtle Wall, and the Gila Trail.

This is only my second time on these trails and I saw new things that I hadn't noticed last time including this cool little red rock arch. I angled my camera to get a plethora of sun flares. (I award myself 17 bonus points for working in the word "plethora").

 Setting moon over the red cliffs:

This week I drove the course of the St. George Marathon to get an idea of what it would be like to run it in reverse. Wow, I didn't realize how steep downhill the course was until I looked at the possibility of running up it. While I was checking out the course I saw this healthy fella on the road:

At this point I think I'll go for a double St. George Marathon on Saturday. I'll start running at the finish line around midnight, run all the way up to the starting line, and then the regular marathon with my wife and a large gaggle of other friends doing the race. (My friend called this "STG to the 2nd Power.) I'm nervous but I think I'd regret if I didn't give it a try. Then I'll have three weeks to recover for the big dance - 100 miles.

We got some Booyah shirts for the race to honor my friend Braydon Nielsen. I took mine for a test run when my wife and I went running on Saturday. There are going to be lots of these shirts out on the course on race day. Can't wait to see that. (Joining me is our dog following a bad haircut. That's what you get for stealing YET ANOTHER loaf of bread off the counter Jack!)

I'm really excited for Saturday. A few years ago I helped the St. George Marathon with voice over stuff for a cool video they were making. Here is that video. You can hear me saying things like "Running is the stupidest hobby ever!" This is a great taste of my hometown race and what it's like to run a marathon.


Bring on 52.4 miles!

14 comments:

  1. I love that video. It's what got me to sign up for my first STG, two years ago. Of course I then got heat stroke and threw up four times, so I totally agree with you that running is the stupidest hobby ever. :)

    Good luck on your STGx2! Hey, bonus! Maybe you'll catch those people who always paint on the road despite the many, many pleadings not to!

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  2. Ooh, I can't wait to hear about your double! You do the craziest things and make them sound fun. And your pictures, as always, are amazing!

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  3. If I had seen that "healthy fella" as you describe him I would have peed my pants, and then took off running in the other direction never to return. Just saying. Hope your Double George goes well! That climb will be tough, but you can do it!

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  4. I hope I get the chance to say "Hi!". The hills, both up and down, scare me. Big bugs in the dark while waiting for the start scare me. Going out to fast - scary, too.

    But won't it be fun!

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  5. I love that video! I can't count how many times I have watched it. I'll be there... but only running down the hill! If you could please scare those big hairy spiders away on the way up, I would appreciate it ;).

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  6. A double marathon gets a "DOUBLE WOW!!" You rock!

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  7. Great pictures, as always. that spider is terrifying.

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  8. I KNEW you would do it! Awesome awesome awesome. Sounds like it will be a blast!!!

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  9. Poor Jack. Imagine having to face all the other dogs with a hair cut like that. And his crime? Sympathy carb-loading. I guess he's lucky you didn't put him on a boat and send him to Australia like the Brits did to their bread thieves.

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  10. I think that's an AWESOME idea - I wish I lived close-by so I could do it with you!! Oh...except that spider, um...no. I ran that marathon in 2009 - had I known there were furry spiders on the course, I'm sure I'd have stayed home in bed.

    Excited for your doubler - yay!

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  11. That video made me cry a little. I'm not running SG, but I do have my FIRST marathon in three weeks.

    I'm scared out of my pants.

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  12. Wow, great stuff Cory! You are a running nut for sure! I love it! All the best for Saturday!

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  13. Take that Jack ! Sucka ! Good Luck Saturday , Cory !
    Danny Widerburg

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  14. Awesome that you're going for it! Enjoy!!

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