Ran 18 miles down Provo Canyon with Melanie and Josse. Melanie and I planned to go 21 and Josse only wanted 18. My hamstring hurt the first several miles, but seemed to feel a little better when I got warmed up. We were going to do a "progression" run and get progressively faster, but I unfortunately got progressively slower. I realized at about mile 9 that I wasn't going to go any faster and would be lucky to just stay the same. After about mile 10 Melanie and Josse kept getting ahead of me but not so far we weren't together at the water stops. I was getting tired, but doing ok until about mile 14. Looking back I realize I should have fueled more. I drank some PowerAde, but only took one gu.
At about mile 16 I realized it wasn't going to be smart for me to run the whole 21 and decided to do something less. My legs were so tired I felt like I was going to be sore if I kept going much farther. Sore muscles lead to tight muscles and that's what's causing all my hamstring problems. I stopped to stretch at mile 16.5 which helped me feel better for a while. I was down on the trail by the river woods and would have just run home, but I was so far behind Melanie and Josse after stretching that I couldn't yell to them to tell them and didn't want them to wonder where I was.
I struggled the last two miles at a 7:15 pace and finished my 18 miles in an average 6:50 pace. Josse gave me a ride home and Melanie finished up the 21 miles. I don't remember ever cutting a long run short before but I know it was the right thing to do. I was tired from lack of sleep and didn't fuel enough, but the biggest problem is that I've lost conditioning. I have some serious work to do the next six weeks. With the spring I've had I'll just be glad to run Utah Valley and feel good. No time goal anymore.
I was a little frustrated my hamstring hurt later in the day. I had to remind myself it was hurting a whole lot less than it hurt after every Saturday runs for the last two months. I'm so exhausted with this problem. | 