A clydesdale no more!

Got to the Ogden ice sheet at about 7:00, picked up my number and warmed up with Cody and Jon. During the warm up my breathing didn't feel quite right. I was a little worried but decided to start the race running hard because the course is front loaded with downhills. The 2nd half is predominantly uphill and from mile 4.5 to 5.7 is a really nasty uphill. Started the race just behind the lead pack. After a little climb, there is a decent downhill. Hit the first mile in 6:00 and I was breathing harder than I should have. My legs always go before my lungs so I was concerned. Mile 2 has a good downhill. I was starting to drift behind the group that I was running with. As we hit the big downhill, I really opened it up and went by 3 runners. This must have reminded them that they could run fast downhill because they all responded and passed me. We went back and forth a few times until they ultimately had a few second lead on me when the course flattened out. Hit mile 2 in 5:33 and felt like I was right on pace. I usually do really well going uphill but knew I was in trouble when we hit the first significant climb and the other runners started gapping me. My breathing became more labored and I was already starting to feel pukey. Hit mile 3 in 6:24 and the 5k in 18:30. Felt alright about how the race was going and kept the runner ahead of me in sight. Fourth mile was 6:38 which included some climbing. Mile 5 is where the wheels completely fell off. We made our way back up the big hill and I was completely dead. There were times that I felt like walking and I would have been going faster. Despite the strong desire to walk, I didn't want to shame the singlet so I kept plugging along. The runners ahead of me were getting further away and I could hear somebody behind me. I was really pukey at this point. Hit mile 5 in 7:27. I knew that I just had to survive to 5.7 miles then it was downhill the rest of the way. Hit the downhill and tried opening it up again. Ran the 6th mile in 7:17. As we made the turn into the parking lot the runner behind me caught me. I surged and just about threw up. At that point I gave up and let him by me. This was probably the most disappointing part of the race. I didn't have the killer instinct to push through the end. Ran the last 0.2 in 5:14/mile pace and finished with 40:28. Finished 11th overall and 3rd in my age group. I have been feeling really light headed since the finish of the race. I guess that is a good sign that I pushed myself during the race. I just wish that it would have resulted in a little better time.

Started out with the intention of running a very slow 18 miler.  The kids were at grandmas and I had a few hours to kill.  The first couple of miles felt good.  At 2.5 miles, I got a call from my wife saying that she spun out of control on the freeway and totaled her car.  I turned back for home so I could go pick her up.  Running a couple of miles at 5k pace the day after a race wasn't what I was planning.  Ran the last 2.5 miles at 6:00/mile pace.  Went to pick her up and she was surprisingly unhurt.  Her car, on the other hand, is quite a mess.  I really wanted to get the mileage in today but sometimes you have to sacrifice the running for real issues.

Other than a little tightness in my left hamstring, I felt really good this morning.  The pace felt comfortable and I didn't feel as clunky as I normally do.  It kind of surprised me because I felt like garbage this morning after eating too much junk food yesterday.

Total Time: 1:06:00 (7:20/mile) 

Just the usual.  Nothing exciting.

I couldn't sleep again last night.  Woke up at 2:00 and worked for a little while.  Couldn't handle one more Brett Favre highlight on ESPN so I headed out the door a little earlier than usual.  My Garmin was acting up which is weird because it did the same exact thing last week when I ran this same route.  I kept the pace nice and easy and just enjoyed the run.  My mind was working a mile a minute so the run seemed to go by pretty quickly.

AM: 7.2 miles

Went out with the intention of running a few miles at tempo pace but the dry heaving as I walked out the door convinced me that today was going to be a recovery day. Kept the pace really slow. I'm hoping that the nausea doesn't turn into anything more serious.

PM: 5.0 miles

Since everybody seems to be running doubles I thought that I would give it a try.  I was home alone with my girls so I had to do it on the treadmill.  To break the monotony I made this a progression run.  Started at 8 mph then increased the speed 0.5 mph every mile until mile 3.5 where I went from 9.5 mph to 10 mph.  Ran the last mile at 7.5 mph to cool down.  The treadmill wasn't as bad as I feared and I only had to stop once to break up a fight.

My legs were sore from yesterday's double.  I feel like such a wimp but I guess my body just isn't used to it.  I've run this same route 3 times this week and I am getting progressively slower.

It was raining this morning which is actually a good thing because it means that it wasn't cold enough for it to snow.  I wanted to get in a good long run today just to see if I still had it in me.  I wasn't concerned about the pace, just about getting the miles in. I woke up at 3:30 at couldn't go back to sleep so I got ready and ran 9 miles before hooking up with the running club.  I figured that if there was a group running 5-7 miles at 8:00-8:30 pace I would run with them.  I was able to run a few miles with Lora at 7:45/mile.  After she turned back towards the rec center, I continued on at maintained about the same pace.  Around mile 16 my legs started to get tight and tired.  This is usually when my legs start to protest so I wasn't concerned.  I actually felt really good during the run and was surprised since I haven't run longer than 16 miles in a few months.

Total Time: 2:38:03 (7:47/mile) 

What a great day for a run.  Weather was absolutely perfect.  I felt a little clunky during the first half of the run but loosened up and felt really good during the second half.  The last 3 miles were at sub 7:00 pace and felt really comfortable.  Stopped by my dad's grave during the run.  I felt kind of bad because I forgot that yesterday was the 33 year anniversary of his plane crash.  

Total Time: 1:08:50 (7:24/mile) 

When I woke up this morning I was really light headed and couldn't keep my balance.  Felt better after awhile so I headed out the door.  Took it easy for the first 3 miles then thought I would give a tempo run a try.  First mile felt weird but was right on pace (6:29).  I decided that I felt good enough to finish the planned 4 miles at tempo pace.  I was able to hold the pace and the effort didn't feel that hard.  My left hamstring started to ache towards the end of the 3rd mile and I considered stopping but was able to complete the run without too much trouble.  Average pace for the 4 miles was 6:26/mile.  Cooled down with 2 easy miles. 

Total Time: 1:05:54 (7:19/mile) 

I just wanted to get the miles in this morning so my pace was very slow.  I may have ramped up the mileage a little too much the past couple of weeks because my legs feel trashed right now.  Tomorrow will definitely be a recovery run.

Total Time: 1:53:08 (8:05/mile) 

Took it very easy today to allow my legs to recharge and recover.

Total Time: 1:00:05 (8:35/mile)

Pretty uneventful run.  My legs feel much better than yesterday but they still have the fatigue associated with increased mileage.  Weather was nice except the wind started to pick up last 2 miles and it started to rain.

Total Time: 1:33:45 (7:49/mile) 

Woke up late and had to cut the run short so I could be home in time to take my son to orchestra (this seems to happen every week).  When I got home he told me that it was canceled so I headed out and added 2 more miles.  I felt really good this morning.  The pace felt very comfortable and smooth.

Total Time: 1:08:15 (7:20/mile) 

Woke up a little late so I had to drive to the rec center to meet the SDRR instead of running up.  Ran solo again but half-way through the first loop I saw a few runners from the club ahead that were running a shorter loop.  I sped up to catch up to them and ran a couple of miles under 7:00.  After the first loop, I stopped at my car and put on my fuel belt and headed out for the final 10.  Felt really good except the last couple of miles my groin started to hurt.  I finished up about the same time that I would have finished the WRC 10 miler this morning if I would have run it.  I was thinking how glad I was that I didn't run the race.

Total Time: 2:18:15 (7:41/mile) 

Woke up at 1 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep so I got dressed and was going to head out the door at 2 a.m. but got talked out of it.  I guess the only people on the road would have either been drunk or tired so it wouldn't have been a good idea.  I eventually dosed off and got a few more hours of sleep.  I just let my legs do what they wanted during the run.  The pace felt very comfortable.  My left hamstring is starting to flare up again.  I think that it is the same issue that Paul and Tom are having.

The results for the WRC 10 miler yesterday have me listed as DNF.  I didn't sign up for the race so I'm not sure why I am included in the results.  It's not a big deal but I hate having those letters next to my name.  I think I will call them to make sure that they didn't mistakenly sign me up for the 10 miler instead of the 1/2 marathon.

Total Time: 1:08:41 (7:38/mile) 

Warmed up with 3 easy miles then ran 5 miles at tempo pace.  Was hoping to hold 6:30/mile throughout the tempo run.  First three miles were 6:30, 6:29, 6:30.  The fourth mile is one of my least favorite stretches of anywhere that I run.  In the past I have always slowed down along this stretch.  I over compensated and ended up running 6:22.  My left hamstring started to get really sore so I stopped and stretched it for a second.  Started back up and ran the last mile in 6:11.  Cooled down with 2 easy miles.  Other than the hamstring, I felt really good about this run.  It was a good effort but it didn't kill me.

Total Time: 1:12:31 (7:15/mile) 

When I woke up I felt very groggy.  Actually, for the first 10 miles I felt like I was running in a fog.  I think that I was just really sleepy.  Made a pit stop at home after 10 miles then finished up with 5 more miles.  The last 5 felt really good and were at a much better pace.  My Garmin was dead so I'm not sure of my time but it was probably a little quicker than 8:00/mile pace for the entire run.

I felt tired at the start of the run so I took it easy for the first 3 miles.  Once I warmed up, I felt better and the pace felt a lot more comfortable.  I don't think that I'm getting enough sleep for the miles that I am running.  It may take a couple of weeks for my body to acclimate.

First day of spring and what wonderful spring weather it was.  It was windy, rainy and cold.  I was thinking that I would rather have it snow than rain because I was soaking wet and my clothes weighed a ton.  I got my wish as the rain turned to snow towards the end of the run.  The pace was slow because of the heavy clothes and wet shoes.  My jacket was rubbing against my neck so now I have a nice "hickey" that I hope goes away before I have to go into the office.

Total Time: 1:46:25 (8:00/mile) 

Felt good this morning. My legs are a little sore from playing tag with the scouts last night. Jumping and climbing through the play ground took its toll on my legs.

Total Time: 1:08:46 (7:38/mile)

I had a really good run today.  Started with 6 miles before meeting up with the South Davis Road Runners.  Was running with a guy named Jeremy who I found out is Dave Holt's cousin.  It is amazing how much easier it is to run and how much faster time goes by when you are running with somebody.  We kept the pace around 7:00-7:30 for 8+ miles with a couple of sub 7 miles and it was very comfortable.  Finished up with another 6 miles at around 7:15 pace and felt great.  I was happy to have such a good running day because things are going to become a little more difficult in the coming weeks.

Total Time: 2:29:12 (7:28/mile)

My legs were sore so I decided to run a few miles to shake them out.  After 2 miles I felt really good.  It was quicker than I planned but felt very comfortable.

Confined to the neighborhood loop this morning (1.45 miles per lap).  This is going to be my regular running route most mornings from now on.  My Garmin was dead so the most difficult part of the run was keeping track of the laps.  My legs are a little sore which is most likely due to the long run on Saturday and poor eating habits over the weekend not allowing my legs to properly recover.
 

I had to move my scheduled 15 miler to tomorrow because I had a meeting at work early this morning.  After the run I found out that the meeting was rescheduled for tomorrow.  I feel pretty wiped out so it's probably a good thing that I didn't put in the higher mileage.  The higher mileage over the past few weeks is starting to take it's toll.  I ran laps around the extended neighborhood loop (1.66 miles instead of 1.45 miles). 

I didn't sleep very well last night so I was very tired this morning.  I slept through the first 10 miles.  My legs felt fine but my head was groggy.  The intent of the run was just getting in the miles so the pace was slow.  The last two miles I seemed to wake up and I felt a lot better.

Total Time: 1:36:40 (8:03/mile) 

So much for spring.  It was a blizzard this morning.  Started off with 3 easy miles and tried to decide if I wanted to run the planned tempo run.  Since the tempo portion was going to be into the wind, I decided to only run at Tinman tempo pace.  It wasn't the workout that it should have been but it was still a good run.

Total Time: 1:13:29 (7:21/mile) 

AM

Friday's are becoming a problem for me. I just can't get out the door early enough to get a good run in before taking my son to orchestra. I only had time for 5 miles this morning but I'm hoping that I can get out for a few more miles this afternoon between when the kids get home from school and my son's soccer game.

PM

I actually hopped on the treadmill for an afternoon run.  Often times I say that I am going to put in a few miles in the afternoon but usually talk myself out of it.  After 1 mile I realized how stupid it was to be on the treadmill in the garage and facing the wall.  I stopped and turned the treadmill around so I could at least pretend I was running on the road.  I kept the pace really slow because I think that you are prone to injury if you are not used to running on a treadmill and push too hard.  I kind of felt like I was cheating because it is so much easier to run two 5 mile runs than one 10 miler.

Started the morning with 8 miles before meeting the SDRR.  It took exactly 1 hour.  The pace felt very nice and comfortable.  Drove to the rec center because I had to be home early and wouldn't have time to run from the rec center back home.  Ran 8 more miles solo.  I felt really good during the second 8.  Ran a couple of miles under 7:00/mile.

Total Time: 1:57:15 (7:20/mile) 

Another run in a blizzard. Of course it seems to snow the hardest while I am out running. It completely stopped as my run ended. Running 3 outside loops and 3 inside loops around the neighborhood gives me 9 miles and leaves 1/4 mile to walk and cool down. I'm going to have to come up with ways to keep things interesting during the laps. Other than a little hamstring pain, I feel pretty good physically. My goal for the week is to try to get to bed early so I will be well rested for Striders and UVM.

Finished the month with 329.7 miles which is a record month by far.  I have never gone over 300 miles (previous high was 285).  Yesterday was the only day of the month that I did not run.  There was not a lot of speed work but hopefully the miles will be good for me. 

Total Time: 1:07:20 ( 7:29/mile)