A clydesdale no more!

Didn't feel particularly great this morning but I guess that is expected for a New Year's day run after staying up late.  My Garmin was dead this morning so I ran without a watch which was probably a good thing.  The cold temperature (6 degrees) certainly didn't help.  Despite all the negatives, it felt good to get out and put in a few miles to start the new year.

Brrrrr..... It felt so much colder this morning that it did yesterday but the temperature was higher.  Everything was frozen by the end of the run.  The run itself went pretty well.  I was a little concerned because I really didn't eat very much yesterday and I didn't think that I would have enough fuel for today.  

Total Time: 1:06:43 (7:25/mile) 

I was so sleepy this morning I had a real hard time just getting out of bed.  I decided that today would be a recovery run even though I have nothing to recover from.  Energy was low and I felt a little nauseous during the run.  I'm pretty sure that it is diet related.  As I was leaving the house, I saw the garbage truck coming down the street.  I had to loop around the block to take out the 2nd can.  Discovered that the inside loop around my neighborhood is exactly 0.5 miles.  This is good to know for future speed work.

Total Time: 50:25 (7:45/mile) 

Dressed for 10 degree weather but ran in 39 degrees.  I was a little warm to say the least.  Ran into a pretty stiff head wind for the first half of the run but enjoyed the tail wind on the return trip.  I still feel a little fatigued but better than I have the past couple of days.  

Total Time: 1:12:26 (7:47/mile) 

Finally broke down and bought a new pair of shoes last night.  What better way to break them in than run in a snowy slushy mess.  I probably shouldn't have worn them today but my other shoes were starting to cause problems (hips, hamstrings, knee, etc.).  I always find it funny that we should be pretty resilient because of what we put our bodies through but when we wear shoes too long or don't have the right pair then it wreaks havoc on our body.  

Started off in a light snow that only laid a thin layer of slush on the ground.  Met the South Davis Road Runners at the rec center and headed out for the 5.5 mile loop with them.  Was able to run with a few other runners which was nice.  The snow really started to fall and accumulate on the roads.  There was a couple of inches on the road by the time we were done.  Ran another 5 miles after the club run and it was treacherous.  I was soaked from head to toe and had at least 5 pound of water absorbed in my clothes.  Pace was slow because it was impossible to find a clean path to run on.

Total Time:  1:43:09 (7:56/mile)

Saturday's run did a little more damage than I thought.  I strained my calf while hurtling the snow banks.  It isn't horrible but it was talking to me during the entire run.  Because of the warmer temps yesterday and freezing temps this morning the roads were very icy.  Even though it felt like I was ice skating half the time, I decided to push the pace a little this morning.  After warming up after 3 miles I ran the next 4 miles at 6:45/mile.  I know that this is "junk mile" pace but I am starting to get tire of running the same pace all the time and didn't feel like the conditions were good enough for a true tempo run.

Total Time: 1:03:00 (7:00/mile)
 

Really couldn't get my legs to get going this morning.  I ran a route where the snow wasn't cleared from the sidewalks and the road was too narrow and busy to run on in some spots.  Because of this, the footing was really poor and I couldn't get into a groove even if I wanted to.  The last couple of miles were better.  I was just glad to get in the mileage this morning.  

Total Time: 1:10:52 (7:53/mile) 

Another one of those "just survive" runs.  It was snowing, windy, slippery and slushy but other than that it was a good run.  I ran the same route on Monday and this run took 10 minutes longer.  I guess there are only a few days each year like this so I shouldn't complain so much.

Total Time: 1:13:04 (8:07/mile)

I haven't been putting in the effort that I should be so I ran up to Mueller Park canyon for a good hilly run.  My hamstrings have been really tight and my legs really weren't responding the way I would have liked them to.  The effort felt good but my stride didn't feel very smooth.  My wife is going out of town for the next week so my running route is going to the neighborhood loop.  Hopefully, I will be able to get in the mileage that I need.

I was confined to the neighborhood loop this morning.  It is a 1.4 mile loop with a 100 yard climb and descent in the middle.  I did 5 laps then finished with 2 laps on the inside loop (1/2 mile each).  The ground was lightly dusted with snow and I noticed some odd things about my foot prints.  My right and left foot land in a perfectly straight line.  I'm not sure if this is normal.  I also noticed that a couple of the laps, my feet were hitting in the exact same spot.  I guess that this is a good thing since it means that I'm able to maintain a consistent stride.

 Total Time: 59:00 (7:23/mile)

Eleven laps around the neighborhood.  The first few were alright then I started to get bored.  The short climb on each loop got progressively harder.  I might need to run hills on the back end of my runs to get more used to running uphill on tired legs.  My runs are usually front loaded with hills so I hit them when I am fresh.  My left hamstring was bothering me most of the run but feels fine now so I'm not too concerned about it.  

Seven laps around the outside loop and once around the inside loop.  My left hamstring is really starting to bother me.  Not sure if it is one of those things that will work itself out.  I had a hard time staying focused on the run.  My mind was wandering which made the run go by quickly.

Total Time: 1:07:53 (7:33/mile) 

Finally got to go beyond the neighborhood loop but the run was not enjoyable because my legs feel dead.  My left hamstring is still causing issues and there was an overall feeling of fatigue in both legs (from top to bottom).  I tried pushing the pace a couple of times but I just couldn't do it.  Hopefully it is just one of those days.

Total Time: 1:04:13 (8:02/mile) 

My left hamstring is still sore and my legs still feel dead.  I'm going to hold back on the mileage until I can get this under control.  

Total Time: 51:34 (7:22/mile) 

Still taking it easy until my legs come around.  They feel better than yesterday but still not where I want them to be.  It was very cold this morning but not as bad as I thought it would be after watching the weather reports.  

Total Time: 56:13 (7:48/mile) 

I was too busy with work this morning and by the time I could get out I didn't have enough time to get home and get my son to orchestra practice.  I guess that my hamstring needs a break anyway. I'm still trying to plan my schedule for this year.  I am leaning towards the Striders 5k, 10k and 1/2M.  I am debating between the Ogden 1/2 and full.  Planning on a few local 5ks and the Des News 10k during the summer.  Would like to finish the year with the Park City and Top of Utah marathons.  Now, I just need a kick in the back side to get my training back up to where it needs to be.

Ran kind of a hodge podge route today.  Ran up to the rec center to meet with the running club.  Only a couple of ladies showed up so I ran the designated route on my own.  After that I just kind of meandered through town trying to get up to 15 miles.  I was able to maintain a decent pace for the entire run without a huge effort.  My hamstring is still bothering me but feel as though it is on the mend.  Hope all the FRB'rs did really well at Painters.  I'm anxious to read all of the reports.

Total Time: 1:53:20 (7:33/mile)

I decided to get a few miles in today to get the weekly total above 50 miles.  My hamstring is a little more sore than it has been from yesterday's run.  I dropped the pace to 6:30/mile for the last 2 miles just to check if I have any speed left.  It felt good.  I need to come up with a training schedule because I have been slacking off too much the past couple of months.  After reading how well everybody did yesterday at Painters, I realized that I need to regain my focus and work harder.

Total Time: 51:30 (7:03/mile) 

Quite a bit of snow on the roads this morning.  I strained my hamstring while running during the last snow storm so I decided to take it super easy this morning.  The soreness in my hamstring is going up on the pain scale.  I guess going snowboarding wasn't the best thing to do while nursing a sore hamstring.  Even though it is not quality running, I really enjoy running during snow storms because it is so peaceful and clean.

Total Time: 1:07:14 (8:24/mile) 

It was very cold this morning.  As much as I like running during a snow storm, the day after is usually terrible.  The sidewalks weren't cleared and it was so cold that there were huge chunks of ice everywhere.  I contemplated pressing the pace for a few miles but there was no way that I could.  My left leg didn't feel like it was firing right.  The tender hamstring is starting to affect the way that I run.  Hopefully, it will force my right leg to become a little stronger because I tend to be a little lazy with the push off with my right leg.  Emotionally, this was a very difficult run and I nearly called it quits after 5 but am glad that I got the whole run in. 

Total Time: 1:08:42 (7:38/mile)

A mostly mundane run at a slow pace while battling the frigid temperatures and hamstring.  However, it will go down as one of my most memorable runs because after 4 years and over 9,000 miles on the road I finally got my first "Run, Forest, Run!" comment.  My first instinct was to flip her off but I was wearing mittens so it wouldn't have been very effective.

Total Time: 1:12:42 (8:05/mile)

I had to finish up a few projects for work this morning so I got a late start.  I didn't have time to get in as many miles as I would have liked.  There was a light dusting of snow on the ground so it was very slippery.  I just kept the pace nice and easy hoping that the hamstring will eventually start feeling better.

Total Time: 49:00 (8:10/mile) 

It was 16 degrees and it felt balmy compared the past few days.  Felt pretty good at the start of the run but was feeling fatigued for the last few miles.  I didn't have lunch or dinner yesterday so I think that I was probably low on fuel.  My hamstring is starting to frustrate me.  I feel like I am at a point in my training where I need to start increasing the mileage and intensity.  I know if I do this now, the leg will only get worse.  Hopefully, maintaining the mileage that I am now will be enough to build on in a couple of weeks.

I went to The Spirit of the Marathon last night.  I think that they did a good job showing the full spectrum of runners from the elites to the 6 hour marathoner.  It was a good movie but it didn't have that "wow" factor that I was expecting.  I have been waiting for this movie to come out for 2 years so I think that my expectations were a little high.

Total Time: 1:09:25 (7:43/mile)

Didn't get out until 5:00 tonight.  It was nice to run in warm weather.  It was 40 degrees and I was able to run in shorts and a long sleeve shirt.  After the sun went down it did start to get cold.  I always run in the morning so it is an adjustment to run in the evening.  I felt hypoglycemic for the first 3 miles but started to feel good once my body got going.  The hamstring let me know it was there but it didn't really hurt and it didn't feel like it was affecting the way that I run.  I threw in a few spicy miles (3 miles at 6:30/mile) at the end of the run and it felt really good.  As poorly as I've felt lately, it was nice to get in a good run.

Total Time: 1:11:40 (7:10/mile) 

The word of the day is WINDY.  I can't remember ever running in this much wind.  Of course, it was great when I was running with the wind but running against it was very difficult.  I just plugged through it and considered it extra resistance training.  The temperature was very pleasant which made tolerating the wind a lot easier.

Total Time:  1:08:56 (7:40/mile)

Typical day after storm run - sidewalks weren't cleared and the roads were very icy.  Ran without a watch and didn't worry about the pace at all.  I feel like I am almost ready to start getting the mileage back up again.
 

The roads were a slippery mess.  I dropped the pace during the 4th mile but that was short lived because I ran out of road with decent footing.  Tried again during the 6th mile but had even less clean road to run on. 

Total Time: 1:09:24 (7:43/mile)

Felt pretty lousy this morning.  I was nauseous and didn't feel very energetic.  Just stuck to my regular 9 mile route which I feel like I can run in my sleep now.  The last 2 miles were into a bitter cold wind but other than that the conditions weren't too bad.

Total Time: 1:12:00 (8:00/mile)