Joe's Running Blog

Ran with Taylor Monson this morning in Ogden, we were down there to show our home to some potential renters. We've been trying to sell our home in North Ogden for almost 5 months, and since it hasn't sold, we decided to rent it out. So we met with a couple families, and it worked out where Taylor and I could hook up for a run. I'm WAY outta shape, but it felt good to get a few miles under my belt. Taylor is still wrestling with whether he wants to walk on at Weber State or not--I basically outlined to him that if he has any inkling of giving it a try, he'll regret it if he doesn't give it a shot. Time will tell.

Great way to start off the New Year. Got on the treadmill--it was 23 degrees below zero this morning, so I figured the treadmill would have to suffice. Only 6 miles, but I'm pleased with it and it's much better than what I've been doing lately. Got on the bathroom scale this morning also, and though I'm definitely not pleased with the numbers, it's a starting point and that's all I needed. I don't necessarily believe in resolutions, but rather goals, and one of them definitely is to get under 135 lbs. I know I'll race and feel better if that's where I'm at or under. The soft plan right now is to shoot for a spring/summer marathon, possibly Des News, and see what happens. I'm helping a friend Nate Wilcox break 3:30 in the marathon at Ogden, and I'll be running that with him to help him reach his goal. Best to all for a great 2008!

Good run today. Nothing special, just got in a decent run on the treadmill while watching "Coach Carter". As I was getting my shoes on, I noticed the incline on the treadmill was set at 2%. AnnMarie indicated to me she had to raise it to get some of Myles' cars from underneath. No problem. However, when I began running, I forgot the incline was set, and I thought to myself "I'm not surprised I feel a little sluggish, but this is crazy!" Usually I run one minue at 7:30/mile pace, then pick it up to somewhere in the 6:50 to 6:40 range for a mile or two. Anyhow, I felt so "sluggish" that I left it at 7:30 for over 6 minutes, before I remembered the incline was set! So I dropped the incline to zero, and at every mile thereafter I would increase the speed. Finally on the last mile I increased the incline at 1/4 mile increments, finishing at 4%. I was working a little, but it was one of those good feelings of hard work. Three days in a row of running, and 4 out of the 5 days. Played basketball this morning at 6 a.m, in what was possibly my worst game ever on record--which would mean it was pretty bad, since not many of my games are on record. I think I shot 1 for 10, and would probably have trouble hitting water if I fell outta boat. Oh well, it was some decent sprint cardio early in the morning. I'll try to go again tomorrow morning. out.

First semi-hard workout of the new year. AnnMarie is down in Ogden for a doctor check-up, so I figured I'd feed Myles breakfast then hop on the treadmill while he played with his cars and/or watched a video--"Signing Times w/Alex & Leah". I'm certain I'll have those videos memorized in their entirety if I put enough miles in on the treadmill. Anyhow, I wanted to do something with some hill intervals in it, and I wanted to get between 6-10 miles. Started out at 7:30 pace for a couple minutes, then down to 6:55. I realize that isn't too fast, but considering I'm at 6300 feet elevation, and the treadmill is in the same room as our fireplace, I can tell my body is working hard to keep cool, and not to mention I'm packing around a couple extra pounds. Anyhow, down to 6:40 after 2 miles, then 6:30 after 4. So at 6 miles, I start playing with the incline. One minute at 1%, one minute level. One minute at 2%, one minute level. So on, up to 6%. And I cranked the speed to 6:25-6:22/mile. Then finished up with one last mile at 6:15 pace. Good workout, my lungs and legs were feeling it, but it felt good to work hard for over 50 minutes. If I'm lucky enough, I'll maybe get in 3 more miles tonight. 

Another good tm run this morning. At first I thought it might be a short run, as my hamstrings were quite sore/tight, probably from yesterday's incline workout and also playing basketball yesterday afternoon. Anyhow, after a 2 minute warm up at 7:30 pace, I put the pace at 6:50 for a few miles, then began what I suppose is a "step-down" run. Every mile, I increased the pace 8 seconds per mile. I finished at 6 minute pace for the last mile, which in and of itself isn't that tough, but in the boiler room of a den in which the treadmill is in, I found myself working quite hard to not only keep cool but keep the pace. At exactly 10 miles, I hit stop and straddled the belt of the tm. No cool down, no jogging. It felt great. Wife made waffles, eggs, and bacon for "brunch" since it's after 11 a.m. Tomorrow will definitely be a recovery day.

Every tree, shrub and vertical structure is frosted and coated with snow, we had snow and wind all through the night. However, it's surprisingly warm for January in Cokeville, so I may even venture out for tomorrow's run.