Running for Sanity

The group cancelled our scheduled run up in East Canyon b/c of the snow. So I headed down to the JRP. The snow was packed so it wasn't too slick (except in isolated sections). I started at 4800 and went south until the trail ended, and then went back. I like running on tightly packed snow. It reminds me of trail running because you have to really focus to keep balance. Good luck to Flatlander this weekend!!

Today, Stockton and I ran with some of our fellow group members. Today was the longest he has ever run and he did great. There were two other dogs there, so he was in heaven.

We were there with some pretty fast people. We were doing about 8 minute miles once we got going. It was fun to run with my friends.

Slow run on the TM.  It was a tough run today.  I was feeling pretty run down and tired all day long, and it carried over to the run.  I figure I am going to have days (and weeks) like this one.   

Another easy run on the treadmill.  I felt okay today, but I had trouble falling asleep last night.  I am sure I will be toast this evening and will get to bed early.

Evening run with Stockton from the house to the park. 

13 x 200s @ 5k pace w/ 1:00 minute recoveries on the treadmill.  I'm looking forward to taking a day off from running tomorrow.  I've had a tough week. 

Wow, what a tough run we did yesterday.  We went about 3-4 miles easy.  Then we did 6 x 600.  Then we ran for another mile or so, and then we ran 3 x 1 mile tempos (with some light jogging in between).  I was going to go out this (Sunday) morning and do 6-7 miles, but I'm a little trashed from yesterday, so I thought I better rest.  I'll run next Friday instead. 

I start back to school this week, so I really need to get back on the early morning running train.  Stockton will appreciate that as well, I think.

I'm home with a couple of sick kids today. So during our afternoon tv break (which involved Finding Nemo), I ran on the TM. I also did some pushups and light barbell curls.

Easy morning run to the park and back.  Stockton joined me this morning and was really steady the whole way. 

The air sucks.  Bad.

Mellow morning run from the house to the park with Stockton.  He needed a few more pit stops this morning.  And I wasn't going to argue.  The air seemed a little bit better today, but its still not great.  I hope this storm pushes all this gunk out of here. 

16 x 200 on the treadmill @ 5k pace with 30-40 second recoveries.  I also did a one and a half mile warmup and cooldown.  The pace felt really easy.  I hope that I have a faster 5k pace after next weekend. 

I'm coming down with a little cold, probably from running in the bad air.  I'll have to get lots of sleep tonight.  I'll probably take a rest day tomorrow to try to recover from this cold. 

A nice 16 mile run up to the top of Emigration and back.  It felt good to get out of the bad air. 

Easy run on the JRP to stretch my legs after the long Emigration run yesterday.  Stockton joined me today and, once he got going, did a good job.

Nice hill run from the house to the Shoreline Trail and back home.

Six mile lunch time run to the park and back.  I felt a little tired today, so I took it easy.  It was so nice to run in the clean, fresh air.  It was a perfect day to run.

I did an easy run today with 5x200s at my projected race pace for the 5k this weekend.  I may be a little too optimistic, but we'll see.  I am hoping to hit 22:00 flat this weekend, which will put me at about 7:05 per mile.  My PR to this point is 22:37 and that was a few years ago.  But this is the most consistent I've ever trained.  We'll see how it goes.

I had a great race in St. George and I am encouraged by the results.  The weather was perfect: about mid to high 30s and no rain.  I could also tell an altitude difference.  It was nice, when I needed to suck air, that the air was there to suck.  I beat my previous 5k PR by more than 85 seconds!  Here are my splits:

Mile 1: 6:57  My goal was 22:00 even for the race, so I tried not to start out too fast.  I was running with Coach Bill and we tried to keep it right around a 7:00 minute per mile pace.  I was surprised at how comfortable it felt, so I was encouraged going into mile 2.  At this point of the race, I was confident that I was going to beat my goal, but I tried not to focus on this too much because I was afraid my brain would talk me into slowing down since I was ahead of my goal pace.

Mile 2: 6:53    I just tried to keep my pace smooth and consistent.  The pace started to get a little more challenging, but I felt like I could hold it.  Coach started to pull ahead of me at this point, but he held back to stay with me.  I started to tire a little bit towards mile 2, but he encouraged me to keep it going.  That helped a lot.

Mile 3: 6:45  We picked it up here.  My breathing picked up, but again, I never felt like I was running at a pace I couldn't hold.  At the same time, I didn't think I could go much faster either.  I got passed at the beginning of mile 3, but I did not get passed by anybody after that.  Some kid in hightops was right on my heels the whole way, but he never passed me.  There was no way I was going to get beat by a kid in high tops!!

We pushed the last .10 pretty good.  Coach stayed with me and let me finish just ahead of him.  I am thrilled with my race.  It feels like my more disciplined training is paying off.   

Slow, easy recovery run to the park and back. Stockton joined me. The weather was really nice this afternoon.

Easy evening run with the dog on the parkway. It was nice listening to the ducks and other water birds as the sun went down.

Morning treadmill run. My feet have been a little sore, so I've been stretching them out quite a bit lately.

I finished reading "Born To Run" yesterday. I'm having second thoughts about my shoes. I'm not ready to go barefoot, but wondering if I should go with more of a neutral shoe.

Easy run from my office to Liberty Park, twice around, and back.  I liked running on the soft surface at the park.  And I saved time by not driving over to the Parkway to run.  I think this will be my new lunchtime run. 

I averaged just over a 9:00 minute per mile pace.   

Easy run from work to Liberty and back.  I ran (for a while anyways) with a guy who works at the same place as me.  He took off after we warmed up, but it was nice to run with somebody for awhile.  It always makes the time go by faster. 

A fun run out in Sandy with the group.  We encountered a lot of rolling hills.  I had a lot of fun today, the group was especially chatty. 

I went to Highland High to do some 200s, but all the gates were locked.  So I hooked Stockton up to the fence and did 200s in the student driver lot.  I did 6x200s.  My garmin is not working well, so I'm not sure what my splits were.  It worked when I ran, but it won't turn on now.  Stupid gadgets.  

 After the run, we ran back home.  

Mellow lunch time run to Liberty Park and back.  I was tired from the tough weekend runs, so I took it easy today. 

It was a perfect day outside.  Sunny and warm.  I am starting to see the light at the end of the winter tunnel. 

Easy run to Liberty Park and back.  I didn't sleep well last night, and feel tired today. I'm sure I'll sleep like a rock tonight.

I didn't see my shadow during my run.  Does this mean Spring can come now?

I took Wednesday off.  I've been coughing and feel generally worn down.  So instead of running, I took two hours of sick leave and went home and took a nap.  It was really tempting to run and then take a nap, but I decided that it wouldn't kill me to miss one run.  I'm still torn about whether I did the right thing.   

If I feel better, I will replace the run I missed today with a run on Friday (my normal off day).  If I'm still not feeling well, I'll just miss a run this week.  I'm trying to find that balance between staying consistent and staying healthy.  It's harder than I thought. 

Mellow run from work to the park and back.  It was a beautiful day to run.  Forty-five degrees and sunshine.  I am feeling better today, but I still haven't decided if I am going to run tomorrow (my normal day off) of if I will make this an extra easy week with two days off.  We'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow.

Good run with the group out in Kearns.  We ran a couple of miles, did some indian files, then ran a couple of more miles and did six intervals with full recoveries (about 785 yards per), and then we did 3 x 1 mile tempos.  It totalled to about 12.5 miles.

During the cool down portion of the run a dog started running along side me.  She looked a lot like Stockton, but a little smaller and with green eyes instead of brown.  I tried to call animal control to come pick her up, but I couldn't get a hold of anybody.  I then tried to get her into my car so I could take her to the County Animal Control, but she wouldn't get in (go figure).  Oh well, I hope she is okay. 

All in all, a good group run.

Nice, mellow run with Johnny, Tracy C., Cindy, and Marie. We all had our dogs except Cindy. It was fun catching up with Johnny. I got my feet tangled up in Stockton's leash and down I went. I think it was Stockton's way of punishing me for not taking him out as much lately. I should really try to get him out in the mornings. He has lost some of his fitness.

Seven miles on the JRP at lunchtime. 

Still feeling my "Super Bowl" headache.  If I read this blog entry next year before the Super Bowl, please remember, just because it's the Super Bowl doesn't mean you have to eat that stuff.   In any event, way to go Saints!!   

Easy lunchtime run on the JRP.  I went to bed early last night, and I felt really strong and well rested today.  Funny how that works, isn't it? 

Today I ran up City Creek Canyon to the water treatment plant.  I wanted to get a tempo run in this week, but I thought I would combine it with some hill work.  I took it easy the first mile and then tried to hit it hard going uphill.  I then tried to keep a consistent pace coming back down.  I eased up the last half mile as well.  It was gorgeous up the canyon and the weather was great. 

Here were my splits today:

Mile 1: 9:21, Mile 2: 9:13, Mile 3: 9:07, Mile 4 (part uphill, part downhill): 8:01. Mile 5: 7:47, Mile 6: 7:31, last half mile: 4:17 (8:34 pace).  

Treadmill run during lunch.  Somebody put Fox News on the TV.  Fox spent 20 minutes on whether one of their own anchors rolled his eyes after the Sarah Palin interview.  It's not fun to throw up in your mouth while you are running.   

Easy, long run from the capitol to the zoo and back.

Easy run on the JRP w/ Johnny, Murphy, and Stockton.

No work today (for President's Day). So I thought I'd go a little longer. I ran with Bill and Tracy C for 8 miles and then I came home and Stockton was giving me the evil eye. So I decided to take him out and run three more. I'll probably need to take a nap later (if the kids will let me).

Nice morning run with the dog.  We ran to Sugarhouse Park, ran around twice, and then ran back home.  I tried to hit the hills a little harder today to make it a little bit of a "hill kill" workout.  But overall, we took it fairly easy.

I caught some nasty 24 hour bug and it knocked me out.  I thought it would be prudent to skip my run today.  I actually tried to get up and go, but quickly realized it wasn't going to happen.  So I stayed home from work and slept and watched a movie. 

I watched "A Serious Man," by the Coen Brothers.  It was dark and subtle.  My kind of movie. 

Easy lunchtime run from work to Liberty Park and back.  I'm feeling much better today.

I did a quick run on the treadmill to keep my legs moving before tomorrow's 19 miler.  I'm looking forward to it. 

Beautiful morning run up and down Emigration Canyon.  It started off a little cold and windy, but it really warmed up by the end. 

I'm really happy because this is my first 50 mile week.  I actually feel pretty good.  I'm going to shoot for another 50 mile week next week and then scale it back a little bit the week of the Lake to Lake Relay in St. George.

Rare evening run on the JRP with the dog. I was too busy at work to get a run in. The JRP gets a little bit creepy after dark. I was glad to have the dog with me.

Easy afternoon run on the JRP. I'm feeling a little tired. I may pull back on the mileage a little bit the rest of this week.

Easy run from the capitol to city creek canyon (up 1 mile) and then down to Memory Grove, back up state street and to the capitol again.  I had to cut the run a little short because I had to get home, but overall a good run.

Tough run with the group that included several line files, 6x800 intervals @ 6:40 pace, and one mile tempo @ 7:20 pace.

I learned of the earthquake in Chile this morning. My thoughts go out to them.

Nice run on the JRP with Johnny, Andrea and the gang. 
The dogs came also.  It was a pretty chill run a day after the tough workout in Kearns.

"Today's industrial run is brought to you by Quaker State and Turtle Wax.  Just because your lungs are dirty doesn't mean your car has to be."

I thought I would be clever and run down to the parkway from my office.  "It's only a couple of miles", I thought.  But it's not fun running in an industrial park with heavy traffic.  And it didn't help that it was hotter than expected and windy.  And when I finally did get on the parkway, the majority of it was under construction and I got diverted onto another neighborhood road.  This does illustrate one of the great things about running:  you can run just about anywhere.  Besides all the emissions, it was a decent run.

Very easy run from the office to Liberty Park and back.  My knee has been a little bit sore, so I took it easy.  I also finally broke down and bought an Ipod and listened to it while I ran.  It did distract me from my run, but I'm not sure that is a good thing.     

Easy lunchtime run.  Getting geared up for the Lake to Lake Relay this weekend.

Leg 5 (Man O' Warrior)

Mile 1: 7:04 I got off to a good start until I looked down and noticed I forgot to tie one of my shoes.  Oops.  I caught two runners during this mile though and was feeling good. 

Mile 2: 7:24  I realized I went out a little faster than I should have so I tried to reign it in a little bit during this mile so I could hit the big hill coming up in mile three. 

Mile 3: 7:35 I hit the hill pretty good.  I caught a runner, and then I heard footsteps.  Ah, suck, somebody was drafting off of me.  It was windy and hot, so I tried to slow down so he would pass me, but he kept right on my back.  I told him to pass me, but he just sat there behind me.  I need to learn how to play those mind games a little better.

Mile 4: 6:59: I hit the backside of the hill and at this point my drafter finally passed me.  I tried to keep up, but he took off and I couldn't hold the pace.  I also knew I had a tough leg in a couple of hours, so I thought I better back off a little bit. 

Mile 5: 7:20 I got into a good pace and just held onto it.  It was starting to warm up, but I didn't feel too bad.

Mile .49: 3:37 (7:19 pace)  I passed two ultra runners towards the end.  I heard one say to the other as I was passing him, "should we rein him back in?"  and the other replied, "nah, we'll catch 'em later."  That was humbling.

Leg 9 (The Dirty Climber)

Mile 1: 8:05  I hit the hill really hard (probably harder than I should have).  The first half mile was about a 5-6% grade, but the back side was pretty fast.  I was having trouble keeping my footing as well. 

Mile 2: 8:20  The second mile was a long gradual hill.  It was windy, it was dusty, and it was hot.  It sucked.  But I did pass two runners at this time and I had a third runner in my sights.

Mile 3:  8:20  I had a little down hill for about 1/2 mile, but the wind and dust was killing me.  And then the uphill came back again.  But at least I got off the dirt trail here.

Mile 4:  8:41 A long, steep hill highlighted this mile.  I passed another runner, but we were both trashed.  I felt like I was just a little bit less trashed than he was.  He was really struggling.

Mile 4.25:  1:59  I brought in the last mile as well as I could.  I saw my teammates and I was excited to be done.  But man, I was exhausted.  The wind, and dust, and heat really got the better of me. 

Leg 5:  39:59 (5.5 miles)

Leg 9:  35:25 (4.25 miles)

Our team took 22/94 overall and 9/52 in our division.  Pretty good considering one of our runners was sick and took it pretty easy.  Our other two teams did really well.  Our "fast" team took 5th overall and 1st in the mixed age group.  Our other team took 17th overall and 6th in our division.  And most importantly, a good time was had by all. 

An easy lunchtime run from the office to Liberty Park, twice around, and back.  I had to run around my office building a couple of times to get to 7 miles.  I should probably run around the park an extra time.  People were looking at me like I was an alien.  I'm not normally one to worry about what people think, but sometimes prudence dictates a certain amount of discretion.  There is no reason to be known as that crazy runner guy if it can otherwise be avoided.   

I did 6x200 on the treadmill today with full recoveries in between.  I did my splits as follows:

(1) @ 6:18 per mile pace.

(2) - (5) @ 6:15 per mile pace.

(6) @ 6:11 per mile pace.

They actually felt pretty easy, so I was encouraged by that.  Next week I'll bump it up to 8.  I'm planning on doing the race for the leopards at the end of the month, so I thought I better get used to a quicker turnover.  I would love to get under 21:00 minutes on that course since it is so fast.   

Easy run from the office, three times around Liberty, and back. 

Easy, uneventful run on the JRP with the dog.

Today our group did a 14 mile run on the Porter Rockwell Trail in Draper.  A lot of the group took off (at around my tempo pace), but I decided not to follow them.  I was tired from my run last night and from the race last weekend.  I tried to keep in the 8:45 to 9:00 minute pace range, but I often found myself running at an 8:00 to 8:15 mile pace just to group some members of the group in sight. 

Once we got going, I felt pretty good, but I felt really tired after the run.  I took a nice 2 hour nap when I got home.  Props to my wife for letting it happen. 

I went out with the dog on the JRP.  It probably wasn't fair of me to take him on an 8 mile run, but he hung in there valiantly.  At around mile 6, he was on his last leg, but then we caught up with Lloyd and Marie, and that seemed to give him a second wind. 

It was an absolutely gorgeous day to go for a run.  I felt like I could've run even more, but I thought I better keep it under control. 

Easy run from work, to Liberty Park 3x around, and back.  I was tired and went a little slower than normal, but overall I had a good run.  I'm hoping to have another 50+ mile week this week.   

I will be too busy to run tomorrow during the day and after work, so I will have to do it in the morning.  We'll see if I can get it in.

Well, I didn't get in the full 7, but I did get up and I got a few miles in.  It was 5/7 of a victory I guess.  I really need to get back in the habit of doing morning runs.  I'm not going to be able to run at lunch time when it's 100 degrees in July.  I guess I better get back in the habit.

Nice hill run with the dog from my house, up to Bonneville Shoreline Trail, over to Foothill Drive and back down to my house.  My knee is feeling a little stiff and sore and I am feeling a little run down.  I hope its because I'm breaking through another plateau rather than a prelude to an injury. 

TM run while I watched March Madness during lunch.

Nice day for a run.  I ran up City Creek Canyon from the capitol building until I hit the unmelted snow.  Then I turned around and headed back down the canyon.  Then I headed out to 11th Ave. and ran down a couple of more miles.  I then turned around and I ran the last two miles at a tempo pace to see if I could hang on to it while fatigued.  My last two miles were both under 7:40 (my boston qualifying pace), so I felt pretty good about that.

Easy run on the parkway with Johnny, Andrea, Craig, Tracy C., Jeremy, and Coach Bill. 

Easy run on the parkway. Knee felt okay. Still a little sore.

TM run, including 8x200 @ 6:11 per mile pace. I'm feeling tired and worn down, but I'm excited for the 5k on Saturday. I think I'll take it a little easier next week, and then start training hard for the Ogden half.

Easy run with the dog the afternoon before the 5k.  I wanted to stretch out my legs.  Stockton's paw was bleeding at the end of the run.  It looked like he split a paw nail.  I clipped his nails, so I hope it won't happen again.

I had a pretty good race on a very fast course.  There is about a 320 foot drop on this course, so I figure my time was at least a minute faster than it would have been on a flat course.  That being said, I felt like I ran pretty well, if not too conservatively. 

Mile 1: 6:33  I wanted to start out conservatively, but still take advantage of the quick downhill.  The first .5 from the zoo to the post office was really downhill.  A lot of the young kids really took off and I didn't want to get caught up in their excitement.  I probably played it a little bit too conservatively, but I came in right around my goal time for the first mile. 

Mile 2:  6:30  I kept it pretty steady for the second mile also.  I pushed the hill down to 
Foothill Blvd pretty good, but I probably could have pushed it a little bit harder.  I felt like I was working pretty hard, but I also felt like I was in cruise control.  

Mile 3:  6:18  I really started to push it going down the hill towards the track.  I passed a bunch of people and didn't get passed by anyone until I hit the track.  Once I hit the track, a couple of younger kids passed by me like I wasn't even moving.  That's always a bit humbling.  As I hit corner around mile 3, I squinted to see the clock (I wasn't wearing my glasses or contacts, but could not tell where I was time wise).  I knew I was pretty close to 20:00 and thought I could get in under that time.  

Mile .11  .39 (5:54 pace)  As I turned the corner to the last straight away on the track, I could see the time at around 19:45.  I really picked it up and passed a couple of the kids that passed me.  I realized that if I was able to pick it up that fast, I probably didn't run hard enough earlier in the race.  I hit the finish line right as my Garmin hit 20:00 minutes.  I fell out of line to talk to my friends, and a couple of people moved ahead of me in line.  I think that accounts for the 4 seconds above 20:00, but I could be wrong.    

So while I think I ran a good race, my goals were probably more conservative than they needed to be.  I went in hoping for a 20:30, but I probably could have come in at around 19:45 if I would have run more aggresively.  I think I underestimated how fast the course really was.  There were a couple of stretches in the first two miles where I held back more than I need to hold back.  Overall, though, I am really happy with where I am.  I have exceeded my goals for all of my races so far this year. 

Now on to the Ogden Half Marathon in seven weeks.  I think I am going to shoot for a 1:36:59.  That would be around a 7:24 per mile pace.  If I can pull that off, then I think I would be in good enough shape to shoot for a BQ at St. George in October (3:20:59, a 7:39 per mile pace).  If I can't quite hold that pace in the half, then I will have to decide whether I want to train more conservatively this year to set things up for a BQ next year.  The line between knowing when to push and when to hold back is such a fine one.  If I am going to err, I want to err on the side of holding back.  I don't want a serious injury to ruin the whole season.   

Easy run on the JRP with Johnny, Tracy C., and the dogs.  Johnny and I talked about the race and how our training is going.  We ran right around the same time.  We are both really happy with where we are at this point in the season.  It felt good to stretch the legs after the run yesterday.

A warm afternoon run on the parkway. I overdressed and did not have any hydration. I need to start preparing better.

Easy run on the TM. I wanted to avoid the wind and dust. Good run.

4 x 1 mile intervals @ 6:58 pace on the TM.  It was a tough run, but I felt good when I was done.

Easy TM run at lunchtime.  My glutes felt pretty sore from yesterdays tempo workout.  Overall, though, I felt pretty strong.  I'm looking forward to my day off tomorrow and my long run on Saturday.  I may get to 55 this week. 

Cold and windy run up Emigration Canyon with the group. The top of "Little Mountain" felt like an arctic blizzard. There was also a 10 mile run coming down the canyon -- I felt bad for them. Tough racing conditions. Drew and I pushed it a little bit at the end. I'm spent.

Easy morning run around the neighborhood.  I did one five mile loop with the dog.  He started to tire, so I dropped him off at the house, and did another three mile loop.  It felt good to get up early and run, but I was a little slower than I have been.  It will take me awhile to get back in the swing of things, but the only way I am going to be able to do 8-10 miles per day is if I run early.  So I figure if I want to BQ, I better start getting up early. 

I took Stockton to the vet this weekend.  They were really concerned about his massive weight loss.  He has lost 13 pounds since we've been running together.  I said that he is doing great, and that the weight loss is due to our running together.  The vet went on and on about how healthy he was and that I should definitely keep running with him.  That motivated me to get up early and start training in the morning again.  I need to get back in the habit.    

Slow, easy run in the snow with the dog.  The weather was actually great.  The air was as crisp and clean as it could be and most of the roadways were pretty clear. 

I did the same route I did yesterday.  A 5 mile neighborhood loop up by the kids' school, then back home to drop off the dog.  And then another three mile loop on my own.  I felt a little tired today, so I went a little slower than normal.  I think it's going to take me a little while to get used to these morning runs again. 

4 mile loop with the dog, and another 3.75 mile loop on my own.  I was tired this morning and I had a tough time getting out of bed.  And I never really woke up.  But I got my run in and it feels so good to get it out of the way in the morning. 

By the way, did anybody see the Jazz game last night?  That was one of the most epic games I have ever seen.  I just caught the last few minutes and the overtime.  Tough no call at the end for OKC, but we'll take it. 

I wanted to get a speed workout today, so I decided to hit the TM.  I don't think my body is ready for early morning speed workouts yet.  But I need to get there.  I ran as follows:

3x200 @ 6:15 pace

2x300 @ 6:15 pace

1x400 @ 6:15 pace

2x300 @ 6:15 pace

3x200 @ 6:15 pace

The pace actually felt pretty comfortable, so I could probably ramp it up a little bit more. 

I also watched the Masters while I ran.  Interesting.

Easy run with the dog around the neighborhood.  I got out a little later than usual, so I had to cut it about a mile and a half short.  My calf also tweaked up a little towards the end.  I've had calf tears in the past, so I need to make sure I stretch it out good this weekend.  I had a grade 2 calf tear a couple years ago that knocked me out 6-8 weeks, so I don't want that to happen again. 

Bad news.  I tried to run on the calf after RICEing all weekend, and it didn't go well.  I took it pretty easy, but my calf really started to hurt about mile 4.5.  When I hit 6 miles, I decided to walk the last .5.  I think I'll hit the elliptical machine for the rest of the week and see how it feels this weekend.  I'm disappointed, but that's what I get for doing lots of mileage and speed work in the same week.  I'll have to pull it back a bit once I heal up. 

Easy test run with the dog. My calf is still a little sore, but I think I'm good to start training again. I'm going to do 5 or 6 tomorrow and get back to 4-5 per day next week.

I'm trying to be extra conservative so I don't miss extended time (3 months) like the last time I tore my calf.

Nice, pleasant run on the parkway.  It feels good to be running again.  I feel like I'm getting right back on schedule. 

It was really warm today and I can tell I have lost a little bit of fitness, but I think overall the break probably did me some good. 

Easy run on the parkway. Calf pain flared up again. I don't know what to think or do. I thought I was over it.

Finally, a pain free run.  I did a 3.5 mile loop with  my dog.  The leg felt fine.  I'm going to get back on my daily running schedule.  I'm going to start tomorrow with 4.5 - 5 miles per day with no weekday speed work for awhile.  I'm tired of the elliptical machine, so it felt great to be out on the road again.  Stockton enjoyed it too.  I can tell I've lost some fitness, but I think it will come back quickly.  

I'm back baby!!

Five mile loop with Stockton.  I kept the pace pretty even and had a couple of good hills to climb.  Yesterday I didn't run far enough to sweat.  But today I got a good sweat going.  It feels so good to be out and running again.

The calf feels pretty good.  It feels a little bit weaker than my right (healthy) calf, but I think the tear has healed.  While I am really excited to be running again, I also feel like I was 80% up the mountain, and that I have fallen down to half way up the mountain.  I started to see all this progress and had all these PRs and I got carried away.  I need to remember to keep the big picture (St. George Marathon) in mind, and not push things so hard in April and May. As I see discussed so often on this board, the line between training hard and getting injured is so thin and fine.  I need to be more patient in the future.  Lesson learned.   

Easy lunchtime run to Liberty Park and back.

Easy morning run with the puppy.  We were both dragging today.  But it sure feels good to be out there. 

Five mile loop in the morning with the dog. We are starting to get back in the groove. 

Nice long run on thr JRP.

Easy Sunday afternoon run around the neighborhood with Stockton.  We both had a good run.

Nice evening run with Stockton from the house to Sugarhouse Park and back.  At 4.18 miles into the run, Stockton abruptly stopped.  I turned around and looked at him and he stared back at me as if to say, "I'm done."  I told him, "we have another mile to go."  He didn't seem to care.  So I let him rest for a bit.  He lifted his leg once or twice, walked around, and then he was ready to go.  I better start packing more water, even for these shorter runs.   

8 mile evening run up and down City Creek with some of my running group friends.  I probably went a little further than I should have, but I felt great and had no problems keeping up.  I'm glad I put in a solid week of running before I hooked up with my friends because I always push myself when I run with them.  I could get away with a tough run this week, but last week I would not have had that confidence. 

Quick 5 miles on the treadmill. Felt good.

Easy, soggy run on the JRP with Stockton. Good run.

Hilly run in Bountiful with the group. Ran the last leg of the run with Shelah, and we brought in the last two miles at a pretty good pace. We'll call it marathon pace for kicks.

I feel like I'm back. I felt strong today.

Great run in Kearns with the running group. We did some sprint files, then 6 x 380 meters, and then a one mile tempo. About ten of us showed up. It felt good to push the pace a bit. I feel relieved that I was able to keep up.

Really easy recovery run with the dog.  After the tough workouts on Saturday and on Monday, it took a lot for me to get out of bed for this one, but I thought I better get up and stretch the legs out a little bit.  Once I got going, it wasn't too bad.  I ran about one minute per mile slower than usual, but overall, it felt good to get out.

I had an easy morning run to Sugarhouse Park and back with Stockton.  We're still lacking that little pick-me-up that we ran with before my injury, but it feels like we're getting back in the habit of running. 

I ate a yogurt and drank some water before the run, and that seemed to give me enough energy.  I'm going to experiment a little bit and see how my eating affects my running.  The temperature was perfect this morning (about low 50s and overcast). 

After my run, I stretched and did some core exercises. 

Hot, windy run from the office to Liberty Park (2x around) and back.  I am amazed at how hot it has been.  I felt a little sluggish today because of the heat and the long run yesterday.  But overall, I am feeling pretty good.

I ate some quinoa (sp?) salad, some yogurt and a cliff bar before my run.  I probably could have hydrated a little better. 

Crazy hard run in Bountiful.  We started at the bottom of the hill by the freeway and ended up in the mountains at the water tower.  I don't know how many feet in elevation we raised, but it was intense.  Coming down was no picnic either because it was steep in places.  But we had a good time.  I hate doing hills, but I like gettin a lot of bang for my buck. 

I think I'm going to take a day off.  I'm looking forward to the summer games this weekend. 

Splits:

1: 6:23

2. 6:43

3. 6:59

4. 6:59

5: 6:58

6: 6:59

.2:  1:21

The race was well organized.  As shown by my times, the first two miles included a lot of downhill.  I felt good about my effort (PR by far) and that I was able to keep my pace consistent throughout.  I was happy with the results. 

Easy treadmill run.

Early morning run up and down Millcreek canyon with Mark Payne.  Good run.

Early run with Mark P. up City Creek Canyon.  We hit the trail for a couple of miles at the top.  I was tired at the end, but pushed it pretty good for the last couple of miles.

Easy run from the office to Liberty Park (2x around) and back.  It is getting hotter. 

I did a hill workout on the treadmill.  I put it at a 10 minute pace and it would go on a 1.5 incline for one minute, and then it would go progressively up for a minute (4.5, 5.5, 6.5, 7.8) and then back to 1.5 for a minute.  The TM said I climbed 950 feet in a 50 minute run.  It was a good workout that was easy on the joints.  I think I may work that one into my weekly schedule.

Tough lunchtime run in the heat (it was between 80-85).  Felt pretty good, but started to feel a little bit zapped at the end of it.  I'm hoping that running in the heat will help me prepare for St. George if it ends up being a warm day.

Another warm lunchtime run to the Liberty Park and back.  I am feeling good and looking forward to my 5k on the 3rd of July.  It should be a fun race season. 

Of note, the trucks are still surrounding Liberty Park trying to clean up all the oil from the Cheveron pipe spill.  It looks like they are funneling all the oil to the pond in the park and then cleaning it up from there.  What a mess! 

I did 12 in the morning (5 with the dog).  Then we had my daughter's 3rd birthday party.  Then after the festivities, I did 6 more (again with the dog).  I was impressed with Stockton.  That is by far the most he has done in one day and he held on well. 

Sluggish morning run with the dog.  I didn't eat well over the weekend due to my wife's wonderful cake baking skills.  I hate to love you coconut cake.  I hate to love you. 

I may try to get 3-4 more miles in this evening.     

Easy morning run with the pup.  I'm still feeling a little sluggish.  I ate half a banana and a glass of water before my run and that seemed to be enough to get me through for an hour.  The weather is beautiful right now (in the morning).  Mid-60s, sunny, no wind.  It feels good to get out. 

Good run with the dog around the neighborhood.  I'm still feeling a little bit sluggish, but perhaps its just one of those plateaus that MarkP always tells me about.  I got to fight through it I guess.

I'm really looking forward to the Murray 5k on Saturday.  It's one of my favorites. 

Early morning trail run in Millcreek Canyon up to Pipeline Trail with Mark P.  It was tough getting up to the Pipeline part of the trail, but once we got up there, there were some beautiful views.  I really struggled on some of the steep parts and had to stop and walk, but the heart was still pumping, so I figure it was still a pretty good workout.  My calves are a little sore from the downhill as well. 

Stockton was mad I didn't bring him a long.  Maybe next week he and I will hit one of the trails up there. 

Murray Fun Days 5k:  I beat my course record by over a minute, so I am really happy about that.  Otherwise, though, it really wasn't my day.  I couldn't hold my pace after the first mile so I didn't quite get in under my goal time for the race (sub 21:00).  Overall, though, how can I be disappointed with a course record on a tough course? 

Mile 1:  6:45  I started off strong up the hill, but I knew the pace was a little too quick for the course and the conditions.  But it's a 5k, right?  I felt like I had to go for it in case it was my day.

Mile 2:  7:08  Oops, I guess it wasn't my day.  I just couldn't get my legs going.  They felt heavy and tired. 

Mile 3: 7:02  I made up a little time on the down hill part of the course, but still not as fast as I was hoping.  I did manage to pass a couple of people here without getting passed, so there is another positive.  I looked at the results, and both of the people I passed were younger than I am.  So I can take that as a positive.

.11  43 seconds (6:13 avg. pace for the final kick)  I finished strong and heaved at the finished.  It's not like I felt like I left anything on the course.  It just wasn't my day.  It happens. 

MarkP and I had an adventurous run up City Creek Canyon.  We decided to do a little bit of exploring today, so we started at the gate and ran up to the top of the road, and then hit the trail above the road.  There is an old mine up there that we wanted to find as well as a couple of lakes.  Parts of the trail are covered with wet, green cover.  When we stopped at the top, we could ring water out of our socks and shorts.  Next time, I'm bringing extra socks (and maybe even shoes).  It was really wet and, in some areas, muddy. 

At the top, when we sat down to dry out our socks, there was a woodpecker just going nuts.  It would fly back and forth between the trees and squawk like crazy.  It must not have been used to seeing people.  It probably had a nest or something it was nervous about.  On the way down, Mark took a couple of detours to find the trail to the mine.  While he was looking for the trail to the mine, I found a colony of ants on a plant.  I have never seen ants like this in Utah.  They were probably as long as my fingernails, with red heads and midsections and black abdomens.   

The run down went pretty well the road went pretty well.  We saw three mule deer (does) on the way down.  It was a really fun run.  That evening, Mark showed me the map of our run in satellite view.  We found the trail to the mine, and I suspect we'll be running up that way in the next few weeks.  We also discovered that we were only about 1/2 mile away from a couple of small lakes up there.  I'm sure we'll be running up there sometime this summer as well (if we don't get eaten by mountain lions first).           

Easy run with the dog around the neighborhood. The legs are still feeling a little heavy. 

Easy TM run @ lunchtime.

Pipeline trail run with Mark.  I would hardly call them easy miles, especially getting up to the trail.  But the views and the flat pipeline part of the trail offer a nice reward after a tough climb. 

Run with the group out in Copper Hills. We threw in 3 tempos of 1.75 each. Good run.

Nice run up to pipeline trail in Millcreek Canyon with Mark.  Beautiful up there.  While it's still a tough climb, it is getting easier. 

Easy TM run to stretch the legs before Saturday's 20 miler.

Long run with Mark in City Creek Canyon. We were looking for some lakes we saw on a map, but they were all dried up. We tried to get up 10 miles to make it a 20 mile run, but we ran out of trail. The trail was a lot drier than it was 2 weeks ago, but my legs were pretty scratched up from all the vegetation. I love these trail runs. Good times.

Easy, but warm, lunchtime run around Liberty Park.  It looks like it is getting cleaned up from the oil spill. 

I was happy with the 10k today.  I wanted to get under 44:00 and I did that without much trouble.  I ran with Coach Bill and Phaedra for most of the way. 

Mile 1:  6:22  We wanted to get out ahead of the masses, but we went a little faster than we should have.  But after the initial start, we pulled back a little bit and let the hill take us down. 

Mile 2:  6:45  Still going down hill (for the most part).  Still trying to get into a groove.

Mile 3:  7:16  Settled into a more reasonable pace.  Probably a little slower than it could have been if we hadn't started off so quick.  But not bad.  My shoelace came untied about this time.  I wasn't about to tie it.  We were just over 21:00 for the 5k (that would have been my second best time as a 5k). 

Mile 4:  7:14  I'm feeling pretty good at this point.  Still settled into my pace, and trying not to trip over my shoelace.

Mile 5:  7:12  Getting ready for the finish.  Feeling good about where I am.

Mile 6:  7:15  Still maintaining my pace.  I see friends from the running group.  My good pal Johnny and his dog Murphy run with me towards the finish.

mile .22:  1:30  I had a couple of people try to pass me during the last quarter mile.  I really picked it up and didn't get passed.  I felt good about that.

Overall, I felt really good.  I started off too fast, but I settled into a pretty reasonable pace.  I didn't kill myself so I can get in some mileage this week in preparation for HC 1/2 and St. George.  I like where I am at this point of the season.  We'll see after HC if I have a BQ in me for St. George.     

Easy recovery run on the JRP with Johnny and the dogs.

Easy morning run with the dog to Sugarhouse Park and back. 

I ran 5.50 with the dog, but he was really laboring.  So I dropped him off home and did another 1.5 alone.  I felt really good today.  I ate half a power bar and some water before the run.  I think part of the reason I felt so strong is because it was cooler today than it has been.  The rain last night really cleaned up the air as well.  It was a refreshing run.

Mellow lunch time run to the park and back.

12x12 tempos at 8700 feet with a warmup and a cooldown lap.  Gotta love those Brighton Loops.

Easy lunchtime run on the TM.  Not that any run on the TM is easy, especially one that lasts over an hour.   But, dear reader, you know what I mean.  

Mile repeats at lunchtime. 

1.5 miles easy

4x1 mile @ 7:13 w/ 4 minute cooldowns

1.25 miles cool down.

Fun, fun, fun. 

Really nice evening run with the dog.  We had to dodge a little lightning, but it was otherwise perfect weather for a run.

Hot, windy run on the parkway. Looking forward to a 20 miler tomorrow.

Easy run on the pkwy with Johnny and the dogs.

Chill run at lunch time.  I felt pretty good today.  12 more days until the Hobble Creek Half.  I'm really excited for it as I've never run it before. 

Easy lunchtime run from work to Liberty Park and back.  I feel really tired and a little queasy today.  I think after 9 straight days of running I'm due for a day off.  So tomorrow shall be a rest day. 

If I stay on track this week, I'll get in 55+ miles.  Then I'll take it easy next week in preparation for Hobble Creek.  I'm hoping to get a couple of 60+ mile weeks in before St. George.  We'll have to see how my body takes the pounding after this week.  I'm in unchartered territory (for myself anyways).  Only about seven more weeks to go.   

Nice early morning run with MarkP up Millcreek Canyon on Pipeline trail.  We slowed it down a bit today, but still got the heartbeat pumping pretty good on the climb.  I felt really good when we were done. 

Good group run up Emigration today. Some of the bikers and runners got into it a little bit, but overall, a good run.

Taking it easy before the 1/2 marathon this weekend.  I ran 1.5 easy, did 4x200 @ 45 seconds (6:00 minute pace) with full recoveries and a 1.75 cool down.  Felt great.

1.5 easy.

3x200 @ 45 seconds

1.5 easy.

Getting excited for Saturday.

1.5 easy, 2x200 @ 45 seconds with full recovery, 1.5 easy.  Should be fun.

I am disappointed with my performance in this race.  I didn't run a smart race, I left my gel pack in my bag, and I did not finish well.  Oh well, live and learn.  Even with all that, it was a PR, so I can't complain too much I guess.  Here are the splits:

1)  6:46 Ran out way too fast.  Even with the hill, I should have been in the 7:05-7:10 range here.  The seduction of the early hill really caught up with me at the end of the race.  At the end of the first mile, I felt my right ham string tweak.  Uh oh.

2)  7:02  This is a little more in line with my goal, but still a little fast.  I tried to stretch my ham string out a little bit here, but it still hurt.

3)  7:00 

4)  7:01

5)  7:16  I knew I was in trouble at this point.  My ham string was really starting to hurt, and I reached for a gel pack and realized I left it in my bag.  Damn it.  I tried to choke down a gu, but I couldn't get down nearly as much as I can with the chomps.

6)  7:09  Not even half way, and I could feel that things were starting to fall apart. 

7)  7:32  My goal at this point was to try to maintain a 7:30-7:40 pace.  My hammy was tugging at me with every step, but I thought it was warmed up enough that I could hold on.

8)  7:30  Holding steady. 

9)  7:44  This is where the lack of nutrition and hamstring really started to slow me down.  I just had to gut it out to the finish at this point.

10)  8:13  I started to get passed here by a lot of people.  I was in "one step at a time" mode.

11)  8:12  Same as mile 10.  I knew I was close and that helped me keep going.

12)  8:35  Travis met me here and tried to bring me home.  I couldn't even talk to him at this point.  I was mentally spent.

13)  7:44  My watch showed only 12.92 for the race (the course was either short, or my garmin lost some time up the canyon.  In any event, I was just glad to be done and have this race behind me.  I was sure I had a sub 1:34:00 in me, but I didn't run smart and it wasn't my day because of it.  Maybe next year. 

Now it is time to be happy I got a PR and try to figure out my goals for St. George.  I'm not optimistic that I have a BQ in me this year.  If I run a 3:27:00, that would be a 30 minute improvement over the last time I ran it.  Maybe that is a more realistic goal for this year. 

Short little walk/jog with dog.  I'll be ready to run again tomorrow. 

Nice early morning run with the dog.  My hamstring feels fine, but my calves are still a little sore from Saturday's race.  The plan is to take it easy for the rest of this week, and then hit it hard for the next 3 weeks before the taper.  We're in the home stretch now and I'm feeling good.

Easy morning run with the puppy. Feeling pretty good.

10 x. .75 mile tempos @ 8700 feet (Brighton Loops).  I had one warm up lap and a mile + cool down.  

 Good run.  

Early morning group run from the Mountain Dell GC (I think), over to Emigration Canyon, and down to Westminster College.  I felt pretty good once I warmed up.  It was chilly at first.  

Early morning run with Stockton.  Felt sluggish after the weekend mileage.  Two more weeks until the taper starts.

Morning run up Millcreek with MarkP. Also ran in the evening with Stockton. Good runs.

Easy TM run to stretch the legs before the tough workout tomorrow.  I was hoping to get in a few more miles, but ran out of time.

20 miler with the group including 3 1.75 mile tempos.  I have never felt so good after a 20 mile run.  I hope that bodes well for St. George.

Easy run on the parkway.

Five mile run/hike up Millcreek canyon. 

Easy run with the dog.  Wanted to stretch the legs before the long run.

Long run up Emigration and back with the group.  

I felt great at the end and ran it in a little harder.  No problems at all.  Life has been especially busy right now.  I am feeling great about my running, but will be glad to get a little break after the marathon.  

Easy run on the JRP.  Feeling good.  

Easy lunchtime run on the Parkway. 

Easy three miler.

Easy run with the group in the Avenues.  Afterwards we had a nice breakfast thanks to a really nice couple in our group.  Coach Bill talked about St. George and gave us some last minute advice. 

This last week he told us to count down from 5x 200s - 1x200 (from Sunday to Thursday) with a mile warm up and cool down.  

I'm looking forward to the marathon.  I think I'm in the best running shape of my life.  We'll see how it goes. 

Easy run to Highland High, 5x200s, easy run back.