Joe's Running Blog

66 minutes in Cokeville on the sheep trail--no jokes about the name of the trail, please. Gracy the dog went with me and did quite well the entire time. 4x120 strides on the grass at Cokeville High's football field. Felt pretty good the entire time. Myles is going with Grandpa & Grandma Wilson until Wednesday or Thursday, so I can finish the bloody kitchen tile while AnnMarie is at Girls Camp Tues-Fri.

Ran on the streets and trails of North Ogden, finished up with 1.5 miles at roughly marathon pace coming from the trail east of home. Nothing special, felt pretty good. Will do the Daniels "T" workout tomorrow.

Daniels "T" workout on the track with Casey Snider. Jogged there via the bathroom at Barker Parker in Pleasant View. The plan was 15-20 minutes at "T" pace, 10 minute jog, then 15-20 at "T" pace. First set was 13 laps (3.25 miles), switching off leads with Casey. He had the option to sit out any given lap, then run 1, 2, or 3 with me. Anyhow, so here's how it went: 1st mile 5:20, 2 miles 10:37, 3 miles 15:51, 17:08 for 3.25. Took off on a jog, and decided to do 3.5 for the final set. 1st lap: 82! I thought for sure it was faster than that, but I realize as well I'm just flat-out getting old and it takes a couple laps to warm up. 1600 in 5:19, 10:33 for 2 miles, 16:26 for 5K (didn't get 3 miles), but 18:14 for total, last mile in 5:03, last lap in 70. Yes, I was a little anaerobic on the last lap, but I didn't really care. I could smell the barn and wanted to blow out a little of the cobwebs. Today was a good confidence builder, I can't help but think this pace will feel like cake when Chicago rolls around. AnnMarie's gone to girls camp, Myles is with his grandparents, heck I have the entire house to myself...and the tile that needs grouted, and the doors that need hung/painted, lawn that needs mowed, etc. Yeah, I've got plenty to do.

40 minutes in Pleasant View and North Ogden. Definitely feeling yesterday's workout AND kneeling for 4 1/2 hours grouting and cleaning grout on the tile in the kitchen. My knees are hammered. Will plan on getting some more miles in this evening.

Trail run with Nick Fisher and Casey Snider. We started on the new Snowbasin road, and headed uphill toward Snowbasin resort. Once we got near the resort, we were a little above it and worked our way over to Green Pond trail, then down icebox to Wheeler canyon trailhead. Probably one of the most scenic and flat-out beautiful trails I've ever been on, even if it was fairly rocky in places. Saw two skunks, nearly ran over one about 15 minutes into the run, then we must have seen his cousin or something a few minutes later. Needless to say, we surged at those points, as they were fairly close to the trail. Really close. After the run, I drove to Rawlins, WY to meet my parents and pick up Myles. Had a heck of a time staying awake and alert, but made it home and even have some time to put some finishing touches on the kitchen before the vice-president returns from girls' camp. Planning on 20 miles on saturday, I need this run.

Easy 6 on the treadmill. One mile at 7:30 pace, 4 at 7:00 pace, the last one at 6:40 pace. Watched 42 minutes of "Open Season". Too hot to go outside, but I couldn't go this morning, with AnnMarie still at girls camp and just me/Myles at home. Hope I feel good for tomorrow's run.

Great run this morning, I was hoping to get a good distance run in, and I felt like I got it. Met with Nick, Casey, Corbin Talley and his davis high cross country team at Causey Reservoir. The plan was to run the trail at Causey, which would be 5 miles, then Casey and I would run back to our cars parked at Eden Park, which would give us between 21 and 22 miles. Nick would only be running the trail part with us, as he's only been training a month. I don't know exactly how long the trail is, people say it's 2.5 miles, but it took us 21-plus minutes to get to the end of it, and no way were we going 8 minute pace. Interesting side note about the trail, if you ever want to see one of nature's finest displays, hike or run this trail the last two weeks in September or first week in October. Kokanee salmon migrate up the tributary which feeds causey reservoir to spawn (that means give birth and die to city folks), and there are literally thousands of salmon. the trail naturally meets up with the stream, and a blind person could see all the salmon. It's quite a sight. Anyhow...

So 40 minutes with the Davis High crew and Nick, then Casey and I took off for the rest of the run. Casey admitted to staying out late the previous couple nights, and unfortunately I wasn't in a very charitable mood, and had been good-naturedly ribbing him on the ride up to causey and on the trail portion that I was going to abuse him on the remaining part of the run. Well, his week and the pace finally caught up to him about 1 hour 25 minutes into the run, so I told him I'd see him back in Eden. I wanted to push myself into that zone where we all get to the last few miles of a marathon. Where our mind and body alike say "enough already". I got there with about 15 minutes to go, and attempted to keep 6 minute pace and a decent stride going. It hurt for sure, but it was one of my goals for the run, and I was fortunate to get the last 5 miles just under 6 minute pace. 2:17 for the entire run, came home, ate and slept for a couple hours. I feel okay now, will try to get to bed tonight at a decent time. Casey struggled home the last 10 miles, and admitted afterword that he needs to treat his body better if he's going to push it like we did. He'll be just fine at Utah State, I don't know if I've met a harder worker than this guy.