Going With The Flow

AM - 4.8 miles with Kevin and Jake on the Town Trail at Brian Head. Uphill all the way out, then nice cruise on the way back. Pace was slow but hard.

PM - Kanarraville Creek Slot Canyon hike...about 3.5 miles. Amazing - totally recommend this hike. After a break, we did some abs and general strength training.

AM - 3.5 miles out and back on the road at Brian Head, very slow. 

PM - Navajo Lake mountain biking 9 miles. Super fun! 

PM2 - Climbed 3 miles up to the top of Brian Head (hard climb) then cruised down.

AM - 4.5 miles on the dirt roads in Brian Head, slow. So hard to run up at this elevation. 

PM - Several very short hikes in Red Canyon...really enjoyed the Arches Trail. Probably 2 miles worth.

PM2 - Biking on the dirt roads from our place in Bryce Canyon to Fairyland Point. Very sandy and difficult for riding, took the road on the way back. 6.7 miles.

AM - 6.7 miles, Rim Trail at Bryce Canyon. The trail is deceivingly hard with lots of very steep inclines. Jake and I ran from Sunrise Point to Bryce Point for 6.7 miles. Average pace of 9:55!! I must be tired from Days 1-4 of vacation. 

PM - Hiked the Queens Garden - Peek-A-Boo Loop - Navajo Loop trails for 6.7 miles. It was one of the most beautiful hikes I' have been on. Not an easy hike but well worth the effort.

AM - Ahhhh....oxygen! Short run around the block. After 5 days running/hiking/biking/playing at high altitude, my body was ready for the "low" elevation of SLC. Exercising at 8000-11,000 ft is HARD! We had a great vacation in Southern Utah, and I'm so glad that Amiee and Kevin joined Jake and me. A favorite picture from each day (many more to come on the wasatch blog the next few days) - 

PM - Strength training class for 30 minutes. Feeling the need to be lazy so no more aerobic activity today.

Caught some sort of stomach virus yesterday and was miserable all night. Lots of pain and throwing up...so I took a sick day and slept until 10:30am. Feeling about 70% now. Hopefully this is just a 24 hour bug and I'll be good to go for the weekend.

PM - Went out to meet Jake on his way home from work. Ran 4.6 miles then proceeded to curl up in a ball for the next 15 minutes and pout about feeling terrible.

Jake put up a bunch of great posts from our vacation on Wasatch and Beyond.

AM - 8.5 miles at Jeremy Ranch with Jake. Still playing it safe with the hamstring and didn't want to go too far. Messed around with my new camera while Jake finished up his run.

PM - Bike ride on the PC rail trail (7 miles) with Jake while he was running.

AM - Jeremy Ranch Road again this morning, this time with Rob Murphy, Fritz, and Jake. Rode the mountain bike 2 miles out then ran 10.3 miles with the guys. Jumped back on the bike back to the car. Longest run since the half marathon! The past week of vacation exercise camp + stomach virus + more mileage = pretty worn out. Jake and I were going to do a mountain bike ride in Park City but settled on laying at the pool and planning the next vacation instead.

AM - Horsepark loop 4.4 miles. Not a great run - feeling lousy. I need to eat more but my stomach still hurts from the virus I got on Friday. 

PM - Weight training 30 minutes and hamstring eccentric exercises.

AM - 6.1 miles around Millcreek. Saw Fritz along the way and thought about joining him, but my 8 min pace was not getting any faster this morning. Although the stomach virus is still hanging on a bit, my appetite is back in full force!! :)

PM - 2 mile shake-out at Sugarhouse Park. Was going to try strides to get out of 8 min pace, but the hamstring didn't seem up to it. Save it for another day.

Interesting rules about social media for athletes from the International Olympic Committee.

 AM - Slightly extended horsepark loop. Ran 5 minutes at 6:19 pace (0.83 miles) just to see if I remembered how to move a little faster. It was actually pretty cool that my legs still know exactly what marathon pace is without looking at a watch.

PM - Strength training 30 minutes.

 7-11 Free Slurpee Day!!

AM - Another horsepark loop. I know I'm getting totally boring, but I'm still on downtime and this loop is my comfort run. Big dog crews today - 2 people and 9 dogs! It appeared that one of them just got a baby German Shepherd to add to their group. So cute. 

I can't believe it's not Friday yet...this week is dragging! I definitely live for the weekends. 

Also, I have a pair of green Saucony Hurricane 13 in womens size 10 (I know, big foot). They are a little too much support for me and I have plenty of other shoes to keep my occupied...so if anyone is interested and wants them, let me know. They have been worn once, maybe twice.

AM - Quick 3.1 miles around the block. Going to do a few more this afternoon with some strides.

I'm so glad my company does Half Day Fridays in the summer...probably the biggest perk of the job! Jake and I are heading down south to stay with Rachelle this evening and then the Lavender race tomorrow.

PM - 6.1 miles in the Dimple Dell gully with Devra. That run is never easy but we had fun catching up.

(IF the weather isn't bad) Sunday mid-morning Jake and I are planning a shortened Bullion Divide hike - from Cecret Lake to Sugarloaf, Baldy, Hidden Peak, and finally AF Twin Peaks....then head back to the Snowbird Tram and take that down. It's about 3500 ft of uphill and 6-7 miles of hiking. Best part is not having to beat up the legs on downhill! Let Jake or me know if you want to join!!

AM - Run Through Lavendar Half Marathon. I will admit that Jake and I "lavender-picked" this race because of the prize money. It turns out that many other top level athletes in the area had the same idea! At first, my plan was to just run with Rachelle for a nice workout, but my competitiveness got the best of me. I wasn't mentally or physically prepared for a true race this morning, but I did what I could :)

The race began on dirt with a short uphill. Kassi Harmon and I took the early lead. The course turns left to a nice downhill section for the rest of the first mile. We hit the road and then begins the long, boring road in the middle of nowhere. Kassi and I had a high school guy compliment on how fast we were (I don't think he's used to being chicked). We dropped him shortly after and were running a steady pace at about 10 seconds faster than what I was feeling comfortable with. At 5.5 miles, I made the conscious decision to let Kassi go and drop to marathon pace. That difference between 6:15 and 6:25 made a huge difference. I felt much more relaxed and just focused on keeping a steady effort.

The race seemed uphill from miles 6 to 11.5, just annoyingly steady and boring. I needed some music, people, something! The course went through the lavender fields on dirt for the last 3 miles with a pretty brutal hill from 10.5-11.5. Good training for TOU Half, I guess! After that slow mile, I was able to get my legs going a reasonable pace again for the last 2 miles or so. Finished in 1:24:16, right at marathon pace.

This course was not easy for me. It felt especially difficult because I haven't run much faster than 8-9 min pace for the last 4 weeks. Running in the low 6s was quite a shock to the system! It's amazing to me how quick you lose racing sharpness. It comes back quickly, but it just goes to show how important it is to incorporate a little bit of faster running even during base training.

The biggest success in the race today is that I had no problems with my hamstring! It must be healing well. I did have some awkwardness in my groin, but hopefully that's just a fluke. It's all about injury management for me! :)

Congrats to everyone that ran today - some great performances. The race was very well organized with no hiccups at all. Mile markers were right on...it was a fun morning. Cooled down with Kassi, Melody, Rachelle, Jen, and Jake for 2 miles.

AM - 3.6 miles, loop around Big Cottonwood Park and back home. Jake got the stomach virus I had last week :( No hiking for today...not very nice out and probably good to take it easy anyway. 

AM - 5.8 miles, up to Sugarhouse with Jake and back home. I'm starting to feel more motivated and energized. Taking the last 4 weeks pretty easy was definitely a good idea for me.

Rant of the day: One of my co-workers decided to clean out the fridge. I had some yogurt, turkey, and cheese that I always keep for snacks so I taped a big paper towel and wrote "DO NOT THROW AWAY" and she did anyways!!! What a jerk. Seriously, why would you do that?

PM - Hard weight training for 30 minutes. Then 3.6 miles around Sugarhouse Park during the thunderstorm. Fun!

AM - 6.2 miles running around Millcreek, 8 min pace. Nice and cool out this morning.

PM - Ultimate frisbee practice. Yes, I got roped into being part of the team for the Corporate Games. The practice was actually quite a workout - one hour of jogging and sprinting back and forth on the field. I'd say at least 25x25 meter sprints. Turns out I'm not an awesome player but am really good at wearing out the person guarding me.

PM2 - Came home and ran easy around the block with Jake. Thirsty!

AM - Holladay loop to Sugarhouse and home for 9 miles. I felt very tight and was never able to loosen up. I think the weight training I did on Tuesday got me pretty sore.

PM - Boot camp class 30 minutes. 

The FDA approved a new prescription weight loss yesterday, called Qsymia. Side effects - increased heart rate, birth defects, metabolic acidosis, hyperventilation, anorexia, fatigue, etc. I have very mixed feelings about these drugs....I understand that they can be the first step to get someone motivated to lose weight and live healthier. However, it seems like the risks for adverse effects are so high (almost every weight loss drug has been pulled from the market to due major problems observed in the field). I guess I just hate how unnatural prescription drugs are when there is a much healthier solution if people can just take responsibility for their health. There are absolutely no adverse side effects to exercise and eating healthy.

AM - Horsepark loop 4.5 miles. One mile at marathon pace in 6:35 (slightly uphill).

Heading to Jackson Hole, WY today until next Wednesday...really excited! Lots of items on the agenda. 

PM - 4 miles in Jackson on the bike path in Jackson. Already totally sold on this place - we have an amazing place to stay, it's a reasonable 6300ft, there are places to run that are FLAT, and the mountains are unbelievable. Looking forward to the next 5 days.  

AM - In Teton National Park...we ran River Road - Tagggart Lake - Bradley Lake - Lupine Meadows, then hopped on the bike path and ran back to River Road. The trail was awesome! It had a couple climbs but a lot of fun flat portions and smooth trail. Once we got on the bike path, it was a flat, smooth run. Afterwards, we took some running shots and went to Mormon Row to visit with the buffalo! What an amazing morning. Taking a food break then we're back into the action with some mountain biking.

PM - Mountain biking (4.5 miles, ~750 feet of vertical). We struggle on "intermediate" trails, we like the green (easy) trails the best... but Jake had to walk his bike more than me, so I was the champion!

AM - 3 miles on the bike path in Jackson Hole. 

PM - Jake and I hiked the Paintbrush Canyon to Cascade Canyon Loop trail. It's about 19 miles and 5000 ft of vertical. It was absolutely beautiful for the first half of the hike until we got up to the mountain pass, then rained/hailed on us for the remaining 9-10 miles or so. It's always an adventure in the mountains! Too bad hiking miles don't count for anything on the running log :)

More photos on Jake's blog... 

AM - Misty and chilly 10 miles with Jake on the bike path in Jackson. Feeling pretty worn out this morning - can't say I was disappointed when the run was over. 

PM - The weather cleared up nice for a fun rafting trip down the Snake River. Then, I went on a shake-out 30 minute bike ride touring the millionaire homes near our condo.

AM - 10 miles on the trails in Teton National Park. We linked up Jenny Lake, String Lake, Leigh Lake, and Bearpaw Lake for a nice run. The surface was smooth and trails were flat. It was really fun....the only problem with running here is the bears! We only saw a small one but talked to others that saw much larger ones (which I'm sure that Jake and I just ran right by). My legs are feeling the fatigue of vacation day #4.

PM - We went kayaking on the Jackson Lake for a couple hours. It was my first time kayaking and I loved it! 

AM - Ran from Teton Village into the park for several miles and back. Saw two moose hanging out near the road and got about 5 feet away from a deer. Nice run! This must be my week of 10 miles :) 

PM - 14 miles of mountain biking, ~1400 ft of ascent. We parked at Snow King Resort and made our way up the Cache Creek trail then cruised down on the Putt-Putt trail. The Putt-Putt trail was a little challenging for me (beginner MTBer) but really fun. There are a lot of great trails in this area that I think would be equally as running as they are biking. 

AM - Horsepark loop, easy morning. Back to work today - glad it's only a two day week! 

Time to catch up on all the race reports now...

PM -  Frisbee golf practice for 30 minutes which turned out to be 2.5 miles. I was jogging, sprinting, walking through all that so I'm going to count it as 1.5 miles of running. Hopefully that's not considered to be padding the mileage! Then went out for a 3.2 mile run. HOT!

AM - Easy 3.1 miles around the block. Hamstring felt a little irritated again. 

PM - 5.1 miles with Devra on the roads. Hard to run at 2pm in the summertime!

I got roped into doing a cross country 5K tomorrow morning as part of the Corporate Games for work. I would rather do a long run tomorrow, but I'm kinda the advocate for running at work so I feel like it's important for me to participate. It'll be fun, I just can't run fast and risk irritating any injuries right now! Anyone else doing this event?

Corporate Games Cross Country 5K! Whew - that was hard. Running on the grass with steep rolling hills really takes the energy out of me quick. Great workout and no pains except fatigue :) Ran about 4 miles before the race.

The course was at the Cottonwood Complex at 4400S and 1300E (same place as high school regionals XC I think). It was three loops of about 1.1 miles. Distance was a little long but time is irrelevant compared to the roads anyway. My breathing was very labored and I felt like I was pushing hard....so the right effort for a 5K. The first lap was the fastest and the last two were about the same.

I was a little disappointed as to how many guys beat me (8), but I'm just getting back into shape and much stronger on the roads. It's been a tough training week with the ultimate exercise vacation + 70 miles for the week....I know, I know, lots of excuses! I do think there is a lot of value in doing something different like this every once in a while.

The rest of the BD Medical team did great - I was very proud and excited to have them come out for the event as well. Unfortunately, we didn't realize that we had to have two girls for scoring, so I think we were disqualified for points. Oh well! Maybe next year I can be in charge and sucker a lot more people (especially girls) into doing it!

Afterwards I got to talk to Emily and Teren Jameson (who won). Nice to see them again! There was quite a bit of activity too with lots of free food, games, activities, etc.  I took about an hour break socializing and walking around. On my run home, I decided to pick it up for a mile at marathon pace (6:21) then jogged the rest of the way. Total of 10.5 miles for the morning.

Jake was nice enough to come over and take a few pics before he went off for his Jeremy Ranch run - 

My happy pose, Rachelle-style :)

PM - 3.5 miles easy with Jake before BBQ time!

AM - 10 miles with Jake, Kevin, and Fritz. Amiee rode the bike with us for a few miles. Nice Sunday morning run as usual in SLC. 

PM - 9 mile bike ride while Jake ran. Hamstring acting up a little. 

AM - 4.8 miles, extended horsepark loop. Ran 1 mile slightly uphill in 6:04.

I need to figure out a workout plan for the next few weeks before TOU Half. Since I'm still not comfortable with track intervals and my usual training routine b/c I don't want to take any risks with my hamstring, I'm thinking about trying some new stuff - hill repeats, cross training workouts, tempo runs on rolling terrain...My motivation seems to be up and down lately so maybe mixing it up will keep me engaged.

FYI - Salt Lake Running Company is showing the Unbreakable movie this Friday at 7pm if anyone is interested. I have heard that it is really good!

PM - 5 miles around Sugarhouse park with Jake. 

AM - 2.2 mile warm-up then 6 miles at marathon pace with splits of 6:27, 6:23, 6:24, 6:24, 6:25, 6:24. Aerobically, this workout was not challenging - my breathing was under control and I felt very comfortable. At about 5.5 miles, I could feel a little strain in my hamstring and psoas muscle. So it seems that 30 minutes of tempo effort is about the limit for now. I'll take it for now!

Did yoga for the first time in about 3 weeks and it was tiring! Stretching is hard. Need to get back on the every day plan again. 

So sad that Paula Radcliffe had to withdraw from the Olympic marathon. Her statement is worth a read.  

PM - Ultimate frisbee practice...Garmin had it at 3 miles worth of walking, jogging, and running so I'll count it as 1.5 miles.