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) 

Another few inches of snow on the ground this morning.  It was still coming down pretty hard as I headed out the door.  I didn't bother taking my watch because I knew it wouldn't be very fast and the pace really didn't matter.  I decided to multi task during the run and stopped at the grocery store to pick up some medicine for one of my girls.  I am so tired of the snow.  It looks like we have a few more storms coming in during the next week.

Ran up to the rec center and met up with the running club.  They had a pretty hilly run mapped out and I wasn't sure how my hamstring would hold up.  On top of that, my right ankle has been really sore for some unknown reason.  After I warmed up, the ankle didn't bother me at all.  My form did feel kind of clunky, though.  

I went to Striders yesterday and registered for the 5k, 10k and 1/2 marathon.  I guess it's time to get serious about training again.

Total Time: 1:58:35 (7:45/mile) 

Enough already.  Another run in a snow storm.  The roads weren't quite as bad as they were during the last storms but there were some spots where it was difficult to run.  My legs were a little tight but they don't feel injured anymore.  I'm hoping to get in a couple of speed workouts during the next couple of weeks so my legs can get used to running fast again.

Total Time: 1:08:42 (7:38/mile) 

The temperature dropped again.  It was 10 degrees when I headed out the door this morning.  Legs are feeling better but it is hard to get them going when it is this cold.  I only had a few hours of sleep last night and I could really feel it.  I'm hoping to get in a nap later today if the kids will let me.

Total Time: 1:09:25 (7:43/mile -- too slow!) 

I decided to try something new today and run in a snow storm. The weather this winter has been crazy. Since I wasn't enjoying getting blasted in the face with snow I turned today's run into an easy "just get in some miles" run.

Total Time: 58:16 (8:06/mile)

No more excuses.  The roads were relatively clear, it wasn't too cold and there was only mild discomfort in my legs so I decided to start training again instead of just running.  I need to start out slowly so I only did a 3 mile tempo run.  I was really curious how my body would respond to faster paced miles after 3 months of slow running.  Warmed up with 3 easy miles then transitioned right into tempo pace.  Sometimes I will walk around for a few minutes before the tempo run but knew that if I did that I would talk myself out of the tempo run.  First mile was 6:24 and it felt alright but not great.  Next mile was 6:16 and I was starting to feel better (a little fast because there was a pony tail swishing ahead of me that gave me a little incentive to run faster).  Third mile came in at 6:16 and it was comfortably hard (just like a tempo run should be).  This run accomplished what I wanted.  I wanted to make sure that there was some speed left and get my body used to being pushed a little.  Finished the run with 3 easy miles.  

Nothing exciting about today's run. Just putting in some miles. I stopped to stretch my hamstrings after 7 miles and I couldn't believe how tight they were. I guess that I need to start working on them a little more.

Ran up to the rec center to run with the South Davis Road Runners.  Ran most of the same route as last week but cut a couple of miles out in the middle.  I felt really good this morning.  The warmer temperatures make it a lot easier to run.  Hopefully the weather will be this good next Saturday.  After suffering through the Jonas Brothers concert last night with my daughter standing on my lap for an hour I was worried that my legs would be a little sore.

I needed a head clearing run this morning.  Went out for a few honest paced miles.  Other than a little hamstring tightness, everything felt good.  The run was therapeutic as I was able to work through some things during the run and felt better afterwards.

It is starting to warm up and running is becoming a lot easier.  Started off with 3 easy miles then ran a 4 mile tempo run.  Averaged 6:24/mile and was pretty consistent each mile.  The pace was very comfortable.  I may need to start running my tempo runs a little faster.  I'm starting to get anxious for the race this weekend so that I can shake off some of this winter rust.

 Total Time: 1:04:26 (7:10/mile)
 

I will be confined to the neighborhood loop for the rest of the week.  Not quite as boring as I thought that it would be but I always say that on the first day.  We'll see how I feel about it on Friday after 4 days of running the same loop 6 times/day.  Other than a little soreness in my left hamstring (especially during the small climb) I felt really good.  

Total Time: 1:08:40 (7:23/mile) 

Just an easy run around the neighborhood.  I'm feeling a little worn out for some reason.  I probably need to get a little more sleep.

Total Time: 1:10:48 (7:52/mile) 

The weather has been so nice lately I actually thought that winter was winding down.  Reality hit hard this morning when I woke up to almost a foot of snow.  Fortunately, the Woods Cross snow plow drivers are the best and all the roads around my neighborhood were already cleared.  Did 6 laps around the neighborhood.  Every other lap I would extend the loop 1 extra block so that I could get to 9 miles.  My left hamstring is starting to get sore again.  

Total Time: 1:10:46 (7:42/mile) 

A little shorter run today because I wanted to be a little fresh for tomorrow's 5k.  It was quite a bit colder today which aggravates all my little aches and pains.  I threw in a few strides and my hamstring was not happy about it.  

Total Time: 52:40 (7:31/mile) 

Ran the Striders 5k this morning in the frigid cold. Met Cody and Jon at the packet pick up and ran the course with them before the race to warm up. I'm glad I ran the course first so I was prepared for what was in store. Lined up at the start in just shorts and a long sleeve which may have been a mistake. My legs were very cold for a lot of the race. I didn't have a lot of expectations for this race but was looking forward to it to see where my fitness is. I have a million excuses why I didn't feel race ready (poor night's sleep, kids are sick, hamstring injury, cold temps, going through a divorce) but I always say that once you toe the line, you have to give it all that you have. The pace was pretty slow for everybody from the start. I wasn't too far off the lead pack through the first mile (6:15) and didn't feel like I was really pushing it. It was definitely not 5k effort. I fell asleep during the second mile (6:35) and had a hard time finding the desire to make it hurt. I finally woke up during the third mile but still didn't put in the effort that I should have (5:55). Ran the last 0.1 at 5:24 pace and finished in 19:15 (unofficial). I have no idea what my place was but am guessing that it was around 15th. My finishing time is about what I expected based on the difficulty of the course but my effort was definitely lacking - I feel like I could have gone under 19:00 if I were more mentally prepared. I guess this is to be expected for the first race of the season and after not running any speed workouts in 3 months. Cooled down by running the course backwards with Cody, Jon and Chad.

Update:  Results are up and it has me finishing in 10th place overall and 3rd in my age group (beat by Chad and Walter - I guess that it's ok to lose to fellow bloggers).  They show my final time as 19:33.  I can understand my Garmin showing the wrong distance but how could the time be off by 15 seconds?

Felt good this morning.  Left hamstring started to tighten up half way through the run but it is nothing serious.  Now that I got my first race this year under my belt, I'm hoping that things will start to turn around and I can really start to improve.

Total Time: 1:06:29 (7:23/mile) 

I felt very tired this morning.  The run itself was alright.  Nothing exciting to report.

Total Time: 1:17:38 (7:41/mile) 

Today was a very blah run.  I just put it in cruise control and ran my regular 9 mile loop.  With 1 mile to go I was only 15 seconds behind the 7:30 guy so I picked up the pace a little during the last mile.  I was very tired again this morning.  I really need to get to bed a little earlier.  Five hours of sleep just isn't enough.

Total Time: 1:06:52 (7:26/mile) 

I decided to take it really easy this morning.  It was snowing and I didn't have a ton of energy so I just put in a few easy miles.  I guess that it's better than not running which is what I wanted to do.

Total Time: 47:25 (7:54/mile)
 

Ran 5 miles before having to take my son to orchestra practice.  I put in 4 more miles while he was at practice.  I really hate splitting runs up like this.  There was a 30 minute break between the 2 runs and I had a hard time getting back into a groove during the second run.  I had an intense craving for Cinnamon Toast Crunch during the last 4 miles for some reason.  Sometimes I get really random cravings during runs.  

Met up with the running club this morning.  The course they decided on has a pretty tough climb in the middle of it.  I guess that it is good practice for next week's Striders 10k.  The weather was a little dreary but it had somewhat of a calming effect.  I felt pretty good during the run except my hamstring started to tighten towards the end.  Still going with the 5 hours of sleep per night which is starting to take it's toll. 

Total Time: 1:46:17 (7:34/mile) 

Felt like I had to burn off some of the junk that I ate yesterday so I went for a little run this morning.  It was really windy.  I had a nasty head wind going out but a very nice tail wind on the way back.  

Total Time: 44:03 (7:20/mile) 

The weather at the start of today's run was nice.  It was a light drizzle and the temperature was comfortable.  The light drizzle turned into a heavier rain which eventually turned to snow.  The last 3 miles were less than comfortable.  Physically, I felt pretty good after warming up the first few miles.  It's almost time for me to get new shoes and I could feel it in my tibias.

Total Time: 1:06:26 (7:23/mile) 

Nothing exciting - just miles.

Starting to increase the mileage a little.  Instead of 9's everyday, I am going to add a 12-15 miler during the week in addition to the weekend long run.  Took it pretty slow because my legs were not cooperating.  My left hamstring is a little more sore today.

The backs of my legs feel really tight and sore.  My shoes are at the end of their life cycle so that could be the problem.  After 3 miles things started to feel better but my stride was still a little clunky.
 

Easy day in preparation for tomorrow's race.  Didn't wear a watch but pace was probably around 7:30-7:45.  Legs felt much better than yesterday with very minimal soreness.  Ended the month with 0.6 more miles than last month with 2 fewer days.  I guess that is an improvement.

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)

Warmed up with 3 easy miles then ran 3 miles at tempo pace (6:30/mile).  Finished with 3 more easy miles.  My left hamstring was more sore today than it has been for awhile.  I considered not doing the tempo miles but after the warm up it seemed to loosen up and felt alright.  The tempo miles were a little more work than I expected but I'm not too concerned.

Total Time: 1:07:35 (7:31/mile) 

I sure hope the weather clears up this weekend for the race.  Another morning run in the rain/snow.  I get to venture beyond the neighborhood loop on Wednesdays and it was a nice change of scenery.  I think that in the summer I am going to start running in the mountains on Wednesdays.  Got a little later start than I planned so I had to cut the run 1.5 miles short so I would be home in time for the kids.  Felt a little yucky at the start of the run (due to last night's dinner) but felt much better once I warmed up.  My left hamstring is still bothering me but feels better than it did yesterday.

Nothing exciting, just miles.  Considered just running 6 because I didn't feel great when I started.  After the first lap, I felt a lot better and decided to complete the run as planned.  There is a 50% chance of showers on Saturday.  Could be an interesting race.

Short and easy run. I was feeling peppy and the first 2 laps were at a decent clip. Decided to back off the pace for the last 2 laps. Ran the last 1/2 miles at 1/2 marathon pace just to get a feel for it and it didn't feel good. My legs felt a little heavy and it aggravated my hamstring.

Total Time: 51:28 (7:21/mile)

I just realized I have no idea how to get to the bus pickup for Striders.  Anybody willing to offer advice?  I think that Eden is just north of Pineview.  I plan on coming over Trappers Loop then heading east of Pineview.  If I continue to follow that road around the reservoir will I be able to the buses easily?

As I was leaving for the race I had the feeling that I was forgetting something.  Thought that as long as I had shoes, shorts and singlet I was fine.  As I pulled up to the bus pickup I realized that it was my watch that I forgot.  Oh well, what are you going to do.  I also realized that I didn't have a bag for the clothing drop.  I rummaged through my car and found my daughter's Hannah Montana back pack so at least I had something to put my clothes in (I'm sure I looked real cool).  I ran 1/2 mile before getting on the bus just to see how my legs felt.  After being dropped off at the starting line I ran 2 more miles with Cody, Jon, Logan and Clyde.  Met a lot of other bloggers at the start (Clay, Kim, Tom, Jossee).  I knew Tom and I were planning on running a similar pace so I was hoping to stay close to him so I could get mile splits.  First mile was in 6:00 and second mile was 6:13 (I think).  At this point my hamstring started to flare up and Tom started to pull away.  He was gaining about 2 seconds per mile on me.  After mile 5, Tom had a 14 second lead on me but I was starting to make up a little ground on him.  I think that I caught up to him somewhere around mile 7.  He said we were averaging 6:14/mile at that point.  This is also where the course gets ugly.  The downhill turned into rolling hills and we now had a pretty good headwind.  The headwind continued from here to the end of the race and was a real factor.  It also seemed to get colder at this point.  I wished that I would have kept the long sleeve shirt on.  My hamstring was getting worse and the taylor's bunion on my right foot was really bothering me.  I considered just backing off the pace and coasting in but decided to just keep plugging along until the end.  I was caught in no-mans land for the last half of the race which made the wind that much more difficult.  Ended up finishing in 1:24:10 (or something close to that).  Not too far off of a PR but considering the course and conditions, it was a PR effort.  There were times that I felt I could have pushed harder but there were also times that I felt really spent.  I guess that means that it was a good effort.  It was cool to see the huge group of bloggers cooling down.  I opted not to join them since my leg and foot were causing me grief and I have a marathon next week.

Took it very easy today just to get a feel where my legs are.  Everything feels really good except my hamstring.  It is not as sore as I thought it would be but it does bother me.  I'm still trying to decide how much running I want to do this week leading up to UVM.  I don't know if I should do a traditional taper or train through it (9 miler's everyday with one 12 miler).

Total Time: 55:30 (7:56/mile) 

It felt a little colder this morning.  Will it ever warm up?  Ran 3 comfortably paced miles then ran 2 miles at marathon pace.  Felt alright but the faster pace aggravated my hamstring.  Ran 4 more easy paced miles and felt good.  I have to try to convince myself that if my leg starts to be a problem on Saturday that it is alright to back off the pace and just put in the miles.  Ogden is the main goal this spring so I shouldn't compromise that race by being foolish this week.

My daughters turn 6 today.  Happy Birthday Emma and Gracie!  We are going to take them to dinner at Tepanyaki tonight.  Should be a lot of fun.

I've decided to run lower miles this week leading up to the marathon.  The original plan was to train through it but looking at things long term, it will be better for me to back off a little for the rest of the week.  Was hit with a little sleet during the run and it was painful.  

I got dressed to go running and started to walk out the door and something was telling me not to run today.  My leg was bothering me while I was sleeping so I decided to give it one complete day off.  Sometimes I get so caught up in how many miles I should be running, I forget to let my body rest.  I know that taking today off was the right decision.

I got a decent night's sleep which was the first in quite awhile. Ran 4+ laps around the neighborhood. I'm starting to get more used to it and it does not seem quite as boring as it used to. My hamstring ached during the run, especially on the hills. I think that it is a little bit better than it has been so taking yesterday off seemed to help. I decided to stay in Provo tonight because of the early start of the race tomorrow. I would have to leave my house at 3:30 a.m. to get there in time for the bus ride to the start and I don't want to wake up that early.

Total Time: 53:13 (7:30/mile)

Utah Valley Marathon

After finding out about this race and realizing that it came on the same day as a scheduled 21 miler, I decided to give it a try.  Since it was an inaugural event, I knew that you can expect some glitches.  The organization was great.  My only complaint would be that there were a few spots that the course was not marked as well as it should have been.  Even though I planned to run this as a training run, I have a real hard time not putting in a full effort.  There were only 100 people entered in the marathon so I thought that I had a good chance of placing in my age division so my main goal was to go home with a plaque.  I caught the first bus up to the start with 9 other people.  It was so much more comfortable than the usual bus ride to the start.  It was a lot colder than I thought it would be so I put on a long sleeve shirt under my singlet.  In last week’s half marathon, I opted to run with just a singlet under similar conditions and regretted it.  

The first part of the race is run down Provo canyon and I imagine it is very beautiful.  Unfortunately it was pitch black and I couldn’t see a thing.  Splits coming down the canyon were:
Mile 1: 6:17 – Ran the first quarter mile in front with Dane and knew that it was going to be too fast.  Was caught and passed by a couple of fast looking dudes (found out later that one of them was Steve).
Mile 2: 6:46 – Right were I want to be.  Settled into fifth place.
Mile 3: 6:42 – Passed by 4 more runners and was sitting in ninth.  I kept telling myself to run my own race and not to worry about the runners ahead of me.  Most of the guys ahead of me seemed like they were younger so my hopes of an age division place where still intact.
Mile 4: 6:38 – Just letting the terrain dictate the pace.
Mile 5: 6:48 – After exiting the canyon we came up on an intersection and two of the runners ahead of me stopped to try and figure out which way to go.  I started to worry that this was going to be an issue for the rest of the race.

The next section of the race is run through town.  This is the urban portion of the race:
Mile 6: 7:03 – A little climb here (I think) or I just fell asleep.  I was hanging behind a group of 3 runners.
Mile 7: 6:43 – Right on pace.  I surged a few times to wake up my legs and catch the runners ahead but every time that I caught them, they would pull away.  Decided to stop trying to play games and just run.
Mile 8: 6:44
Mile 9: 7:10
Mile 10: 7:06 – Somewhere during the tenth mile six runners ahead of me made a wrong turn.  It was on a loop section so running the wrong way didn’t have an impact on the distance, just the route that was run.  I think that they ran a tougher route because of a nasty uphill that they had to tackle.  Me and 2 other runners were pointed in the right direction.  These two guys decided to make a pit stop and I moved ahead of them.
Mile 11: 6:53 – This is where I passed the runners going the wrong way.  I’m not sure if they knew that they were going the wrong way.
Mile 12: 7:25 (but really 6:25) – Passed another runner and could tell that he was struggling.  Unfortunately at the end of this mile, I had to make a pit stop.  This was incredibly frustrating and it always hits me around mile 12 or 13.  I forgot to turn the auto pause off on my Garmin so I am guessing that it cost me 1 minute based on what my watch said at the end and what my official time was.
Mile 13: 6:37 – A little faster because of the frustration from the pit stop.  This also included a 5 second stop when I was trying to figure out if I was going the right way.

At this point we made our way onto the Provo River trail and started running along the river for several miles. There were a couple of drawbacks to this section.  First, the winding nature of the trail doesn’t allow you to see anybody ahead of you or behind you so you have no idea were you are or if you are on the right track.  The other problem that I had was that there were a few underpasses that I was too tall for and had to watch my head.  I also didn’t like the short but quick drops and rises.
Mile 14: 6:45
Mile 15: 6:54
Mile 16: 6:53
Mile 17: 6:19 – Not sure if this is right.  I don’t remember going faster here but I think that I remember my Garmin losing it’s signal.
Mile 18: 6:53 – This is another point in which I felt lost.  We dumped out of the trail and into a parking lot.  I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to continue on the trail or go on the road.  Luckily I guessed right.  As I approached the 18 mile marker I downed a GU a little too fast and started dry heaving.

The next portion of the race are on the worst section of any marathon that I have run. This section consists of running between Utah Lake and the Provo airport on a washed out dirt road with major ruts and exposed rocks.  Finding decent footing was impossible and easily cost 20 seconds per mile.
Mile 19: 7:10
Mile 20: 7:16
Mile 21: 7:17
Mile 22: 7:06

We are now back on the city streets and I have made the decision to just coast in to the finish.  I can’t see the runners ahead of me and there is nobody even close to me from behind.  Thinking that I am locked into sixth place and a decent placing in my age division, I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my preparation for the Ogden marathon.  The remaining miles are run through neighborhoods.  There were a lot of turns and looping around the neighborhoods to make up the distance.
Mile 23: 7:19
Mile 24: 7:10
Mile 25: 7:07
Mile 26: 7:07
Mile 26;2: 6:15/mile pace

Final time was 3:02:30.  I was hoping to get under 3 hours but considering my struggles on the dirt road and the pit stop, I’m not horribly disappointed.  I went back to the hotel to shower and check out and grab some breakfast.  Returned to the race to check out the results.  Much to my dismay, I was fourth in my age group.  I was so upset.  I took sixth overall which means that 3 of the 5 guys that beat me were in the 35-39 age division. Technically, I was the first runner to cross the finish line that ran the loop through miles 10 and 11 the right way so I will take that as my moral victory.

Aside from the terrible section by the lake and a couple points of confusion on the course I think that it was a great race and will be a great event for years to come.

I had to get out and see how my legs were doing. Took it extremely easy - definitely the slowest athat I have run in a very long. My hamstring was killing me at the start and I almost didn't make it to the top of the street. It felt a lot better after it warmed up and I was able to finish the run. I have very little soreness aside from the hamstring. It seems that mother nature finally looked at the calendar. I was able to run in shorts and a short sleeve shirt and stilled worked up a good sweat.

 I just heard that there was no double dipping in the awards yesterday so I think that I should have received a plaque.  I saw my name listed as fourth in my AG on the printout so made the assumption I wasn't going to get anything and didn't stick around for the ceremony.  I guess that I need to contact Hyrum and see if I can still pick it up.
 

Legs feel better today.  I'm still feeling the post marathon burn.  The hamstring feels a lot better today than it did yesterday.  It's still a little cool in the morning so I had to wear a long sleeve shirt but I think that I will be able to wear shorts from now on.  I'm going to keep all my runs easy this week then get in a couple of good weeks of training before Ogden.

Total Time: 59:49 (8:33/mile) 

Very windy this morning.  The good thing about running the neighborhood loop is that I was able to alternate from headwind to tailwind frequently.  The temperature was just right but started to cool down quite a bit towards the end of the run.  I guess a storm is making it's way in.  Legs are feeling a lot better and are almost back to normal.

Total Time: 1:11:55 (7:59/mile)
 

I thought that I was done with the winter running gear but it was 25 degrees this morning.  I ran the NSL/Orchard drive loop and it was nice to venture away from the neighborhood.  The pace is still slow.  My hamstring was a little more sore towards the end of the run but I think that it is getting better.

Total Time: 1:37:54 (8:09/mile) 

Legs are almost fully recovered.  A little soreness on the back of my left leg (from top to bottom) but nothing significant.  Temps are still cold but will hopefully be warming up.

Total Time: 1:12:21 (8:02/mile) 

I felt really good this morning.  I was up late so I didn't get as much sleep as  I would have liked but my legs felt especially snappy during the run.  I still held back because this week is all about recovery.  

Total Time: 1:08:22 (7:36/mile) 

Perfect temperature but it is windy.  I feel bad for everybody running the marathon today.  I guess they should be around the seventh mile right now.  I've decided to change the direction that I run the neighborhood loop every lap or every other lap.  This will break up the monotony and also help avoid injury.  I think that making so many left hand turns was starting to cause issues with my legs.  My plan was to go 15 miles this morning but one of my daughters is sick and she called me at mile 9.  I guess she needs her daddy more than her daddy needs the miles.  I'll try to get out tomorrow for the 15.

Total Time: 1:14:39 (7:51/mile) 

WINDY!  Not much else to say.  Mostly a crosswind but when I turned into the wind it felt like I wasn't moving at all.  Fortunately, I only had to run into the wind for a couple of 1/2 mile stretches.  I felt really good at the beginning of the run but my legs started to tighten up towards the end.  

Total Time: 1:57:11 (7:49/mile) 

All the wind that we've had blew in a lot of cold air.  Went outside then had to go back in to re-dress.  Felt pretty good during the run except my hamstring started to burn towards the end of the run.  I'm going to start icing it to see if that will help alleviate some of the pain.  I guess the approach of ignoring it and hoping it takes care of itself isn't really working.  I wore my FRB jacket during the run and when I got home and took it off a gallon of sweat came pouring out of the sleeves (I know, that is gross).  It is probably good for warm up and cool down but not for longer runs.

Total Time: 1:18:42 (7:43/mile) 

Warmed up with 3 miles then attempted 4 miles at tempo pace.  First 2 miles were painfully slow.  The effort was way too hard for how slow the pace was (6:42/mile).  The next 2 miles were a little under 6:30 and felt a lot better.  This pace is definitely hard on the hamstring.  Cooled down with a few miles at an easy pace.  

Total Time: 1:15:54 (7:35/mile) 

It was windy again.  Hopefully it will blow in some warm air.  Kept the pace easy and I felt good for the first 12 but started to wear down towards the end.  It was encouraging to feel that good for most of the run.

Total Time: 1:49:30 (7:49/mile) 

Felt like I was just going through the motions this morning.  I felt good physically but just couldn't get into the run mentally.  Finished the run in the freezing rain.  This weather is getting ridiculous.  

AM - 6 miles

Easy recovery run. I have a few aches and pains that I think taking it easy today will take care of. I will try to hit the treadmill for a few super easy miles this afternoon. Still cold but it is starting to smell like warmer weather. I can't explain it but it just had that warmer weather feel even though it was cold.

PM - 4 miles

My girls had a play date with a friend from school so I decided to take advantage of the free time and put in a few more easy miles.  I suffered from the usual side stitch that I get when I run in the afternoon.  My body just isn't used to running in the afternoon.  Pace felt a lot smoother than it has lately and my hamstring didn't hurt at all. 

I knew that there was no way that I would survive 20 miles around the neighborhood so I extended the loop a little.  I first started by running to 7-11 to get some Gatorade and the 1.5 mile return while holding 2 big bottles wasn't very comfortable.  I then ran a 4 mile loop that extended through the adjacent neighborhood and returned home for a drink and to check on the kids.  I ran another 3 or 4 mile loop in another direction.  I continued this pattern a few times running a loop that was 3-4 miles and returning home to make sure that everything was alright.  Fortunately, the kids were tired and stayed asleep the entire run.  I kept the pace pretty easy (7:40-8:00 / mile depending on the terrain).  I live near the Front Runner stop in Woods Cross and they are getting ready for the free ride day today.  They have a few port-o-potties set up and there is something about the smell of them that reminds me of races.  Every time that I would run by, memories of past races would come back.

I was only planning on 20 miles but extended it to 20.8 so that I would have 90 miles for the past 7 days.  This is a weekly pr for me even though it is artificially high because I had to move my long run last week from Saturday to Sunday. 

Total Time: 2:43:00 (7:50/mile) 

I was hoping to get in 10 miles this morning but I didn't get a chance to get out.  Instead of no running I took the kids to the park and ran around the park while they played.  I felt better during this run than I have in a very long time.  I was planning on keeping the pace slow but ended up running closes to 7:00 pace the entire run.  The effort was easy.

Total Time: 35:50 (7:10/mile) 

Of course I followed up yesterday's great run with a terrible run.  Seems like that's always the case.  My energy level was very low and I felt kind of yucky all over.  My feet are especially causing me concern.  They are really hurting and I'm not sure if it is just a normal ache or if it is something that I should be concerned about.

Very windy but at least it was warm.  During yesterday's run, both feet were bothering me but today it is just the left foot.  It is right on the ball of the foot and it is killing me.  It felt better as the run progressed so I'm not too concerned.  Because of this, I think that I'm going to back off the miles.  

As much as I hate to do this, I am taking today off.   My foot is really bothering me and it needs a rest.  I could run and push through the pain but I think taking today off is the best decision.

I didn't expect to be running in a snow storm on May 1st.  What crazy weather we have had this year.  I've extended my loops a little because I can't handle the short ones anymore.  I think that I will start running 5 mile loops.  I will never be more than 2 miles from home so I think that it will be alright.  My hamstring feels 90% and my foot is a little better.  It is still bothering me and I favor it but I can almost run normally.

My foot's almost feeling normal.  I can't figure out why I could barely walk the other day and it is feeling alright just a couple of days later.  My form felt awkward but at least the pain was minimal.  I ran the KMart loop twice.  I still can't decide if it is alright leaving the kids at home while running the longer loop.  I'm still within 2 miles of home and they are asleep.

Ran 6.4 miles with the club and another 9.7 on my own.  My Garmin has not able to grab any satellites for a few days so I may need to lay it to rest.  Nothing hurt today but nothing really felt right either.  My form was really clunky and my feet were hitting the ground funny.  This happens occasionally and I'm not sure what the cause is.  Maybe it's the extra 7 pounds that I'm carrying.  I really need to start eating a little better.

Drove up to the mouth of Mueller park canyon and ran up to elephant rock.  There was still a lot of snow towards the top and I had to walk for a portion of the run.  The trail is so narrow that if I would have lost my footing I would have slid down the side of the mountain. It was nice to get up there and get in a peaceful run.  I really need to do this more often.

I played soccer last night with my son's soccer team and my quads are thrashed.  It's interesting when you use a different group of muscles to see how muscle specific running is.  All of the starting, stopping and bursts of speed really took its toll on me.

I can't believe how sore my quads are.  The combination of the soccer game and the hilly run really took it's toll on me.  I pretty much cut out hill training while my hamstring has been causing me problems.  Because of this, I think that I lost a lot of my ability to run hills.  I kept the pace during the run relatively easy.

Easy recovery run.  Legs are still a little sore and I really couldn't get in the groove.  My form really feels out of whack. 

Warmed up with 3 easy miles then ran 4 miles at tempo pace. I've done very little speed work this year so I thought that I would throw one session in before the marathon. I felt very good during the tempo portion and was as consistent as I have ever been (6:23, 6:21, 6:22, 6:21). My hamstring did start to ache towards the end but nothing too serious. It was good to have a good run after so many lousy runs.

Another easy run this morning.  I feel like my legs are starting to recover through the taper.

Just putting in the miles. Nothing too exciting. It is starting to warm up and I fear that the marathon may be a little warmer than I would like.

I almost forgot that the SGM lottery results will be posted tonight. I registered at the last minute and am not even sure if I want to run it this year. Good luck to everyone without guaranteed entry.

Ran up to the rec center to meet with the club.  I don't know why I bother because I always end up running alone.  I guess I just like to have some connection with the local running scene.  I felt really good on the way up and for the first few miles.  I was running 7:00/mile and felt very comfortable.  I decided to back off the pace for the second half of the run since I am in the middle of the taper.

It was a nice morning for a run.  The air was crisp from the storm last night and it felt really good.  The cutback in mileage has been nice because I finally feel like my legs are healing.  The pace felt good and was very comfortable.  I've been in a weird place emotionally so it was nice to have a good run.

Started off with 5 easy miles then ran 2 miles at marathon pace.  I really wasn't feeling it today but the splits came in faster than I expected (6:36, 6:31).  This is a little faster than I plan on running so that is a good sign.

Just an easy 5 today.  I ran in new shoes and they didn't feel very comfortable.  It usually takes a few runs for shoes to form to my feet and start feeling right.  I think that I am going to run the marathon in my older shoes.  They only have 270 miles on them so they should be fine.

Another easy 5. Threw in a few downhill strides just for run. Other than my weight being higher than I would like, I feel ready for the race.

I just had a really foolish thought.  Even though I was planning on taking a break from marathons this year, I am contemplating running the Grand Slam.  I'm already running Ogden and SGM so I only need to run Park City and TOU.  I will already be in marathon shape so running these two wouldn't be a big deal.  The only real issue is accepting a slightly slower time at SGM from running TOU.  I've done it before and have done fine.  I was just looking at the list of people signed up in my age group and there is only one person faster than me (Walter) so I think that I would have a shot at an age group award.  At my level, I look for any small victory that I can find.  The only thing holding me back is that I'm not sure that I will be able to get in the mileage that I really want to with all the other junk going on in my life.  I am open to any and all opinions on this.

One final shake out run.  I'm not going to complain about all of the weird pains because I'm sure that they are just phantom pains.

Short Version: I'm very disappointed with the race today. I started a little too aggressive and basically quit at mile 19. I need to step back and reevaluate some things and figure out how to move forward. I will write more detail later once the disappointment wears off. If I write the report now, it will be very whiny and negative.

Long Version:

I think that I am in a better state of mind so here goes.

Started out the race with Jon which I knew would be at a slightly more aggressive pace than I was planning. I figured that if you don’t test your limits then you will never know what they are. From the get go, my lower legs did not feel right. They were burning but everything else felt good. We averaged 6:30 for the first 5 miles and it actually felt exactly as it should (other than the lower leg discomfort). At the 5 mile aid station I decided that I needed to back off and let Jon go ahead. I averaged 6:45 for the next 5 miles which is the pace that I was planning for the first 10. This pace felt a lot better and the burning sensation in my lower legs disappeared. I started to fear what the first 5 miles were going to end up doing to me. Slowed to a little over 7:00/mile pace going through the rollers which was 10 seconds/mile slower than I anticipated. Hit the half way point in 1:28:45 and was right on track. The only issue up to this point was that the taylor’s bunion on my right foot was absolutely killing me. This happened during the Striders ½ marathon during this same section of the course. I changed my stride a little to see if I could make the pain go away but nothing seemed to work. I soon realized that the camber on the right side of the road took some of the pressure off and it felt much better.

After the half marker, I was back down to 6:45/mile for the next 5 miles except the big climb during the 15th mile. I ran this mile in 7:24 which was a little slower than I wanted. I moved past the 1st place female runner while she hit the bushes for a potty break. Through 18 miles I was averaging 6:49/mile which was probably right on target. The only problem was that I was finished. My splits started to get slower and slower and I knew that I was in survival mode. My legs felt like they weighed a ton and the heat started becoming an issue. Despite being in the canyon, there wasn’t a lot of protection from the sun. I averaged 7:22/mile for miles 19 through 22. Despite the slow down, I was only passed by one marathoner and 2 relay runners and I moved ahead of a few guys that were struggling. The first place women passed me and I could hear the second place female not far behind. I was pretty sure who it was and sure enough here comes Michelle blowing by me. I got a little adrenaline rush and was able to pick up the pace so that I could run with her and we ran the 23rd mile in 6:57. This actually frustrated me a little because it made me realize that my slow down was more of a mental break down, not a physical one. My pace slowed to 7:05 for the 24th mile and Michelle started to pull away. She was really moving well - she is one tough chick. After Michelle was out of sight, I completely gave into the discomfort and finished the last 2.2 miles at 7:50 pace. Final time: 3:04:15.

I’m not sure if I have ever been more disappointed after a marathon. It’s not so much the time, it’s the fact that I gave up. Sasha talks about Quality X and it is apparent that I have very little. When Michelle passed me, I could tell that she had a very high level of discomfort but she didn’t let it discourage her. She kept at it and was able to tough it out. I really admire that and am envious of that ability. I was anxious for this race and was really looking forward to a more legitimate sub-3. I can look back and pick out a million things that I could have done differently during training and the race but I wonder if the lack of Quality X prevents me from being a quality marathoner.

I was able to meet a lot of bloggers at the start which was really nice. I also so Brent near the end taking pictures (thanks for getting my attention). I guess we learn more from our failures than our successes so I am going to really look at the things I did going into this race to see if I can make an effort to improve.

Update with results: I finished in 30th place overall and 6th in my age group.  Four of the 5 people who beat me in my age group are FRB'rs (Jeff, Chad, Kory, Walter).  Was chicked by 3 but one was an FRB so that doesn't count.  One was an old chick so maybe that should count as 2.

Got out for a super easy run to help clear the mind.  I almost fell over with my first step because my left hamstring did not want to cooperate.  It started to loosen up in the middle of the run so I am glad that I got out.  Towards the end of the run, the front of my lower left leg started to hurt as well.  The pace was around 10:00/mile.

Another super easy 5. I'm going to keep the mileage very low this week. There is a local 5k on Memorial day that I would like to run and I would like to allow for as much recovery as possible. My legs feel quite a bit better than yesterday. They are still sore and slow but they are heading in the right direction.

The FRB got some good press in the Standard examiner.
 

Another easy 5.  At least I am being consistent this week.  I was going to go a little longer but decided that this is the one week that I can (and should) take it really easy.  My right calf seized up on me at one point.  This has never happened to me before.  Stopped to stretch and massage it for a minute and it felt fine afterward.

Cold and rainy.  I guess this is the kind of weather that we are going to have for a few days.  My legs are still a little out of it but they are getting better.  No specific pain just an overall feeling of slowness.  I'm really hoping that I will be just a little ready for the 5k on Monday.  I know that I can't expect a top performance but I would like to at least feel a little fast.  I'm still running watchless but it was probably around 8:00/mile pace.
 

Another cool morning.  Fortunately the rain stopped shortly after I got going.  It actually felt nice out because of the crispness of the air.  Still letting my legs dictate the pace but it is picking up a little bit each day.  I ran the local 5k course just to get a feel for it. 
 

I felt really good at the first of the run but my legs started to feel dead towards the end.  This has been the slowest and least miles that I have run in a very long time.  I guess that is what recovery weeks are for.

Ran 4 miles around the neighborhood before driving up to the BST in Centerville to meet the South Davis Road Runners.  I didn't realize that this trail was even there.  It was a really great run.  There is some climbing but it is not relentless like the other trails that I have run.  At the turnaround point I realized that Lora (the club organizer) was right behind me so I waited for her and we ran most of the way back together.  Drove back home, checked on the kids and ran 2 more miles around the block.  The weather was absolutely perfect this morning.  It was a really good run.

I went to Wasatch Running Center yesterday to sign up for the Grand Slam.  While I was there I picked up a pair of Wright Socks and some Zensah compression sleeves for my lower legs.  My lower legs seem to fatigue quicker than anything else so I thought I would give them a try.  It is probably psychological but I really think they helped lessen the fatigue.  It will be interesting to see how they work long term.  I got the Wright Socks to see if they would help with my foot issues.  My feet didn't seem to hurt as much but since the majority of the run was on the trail it is hard to tell.  I also signed up for the Park City marathon and booked my flight for the Northwest Passage Relay (leaving Fri, July 25 on Delta at 8:20).  It was a busy (and expensive) day yesterday.

It certainly wasn't ideal race conditions.  Woke up to a torrential downpour.  I ran up to the starting line (1 mile) and was surprised to see how many people were still there to run the race.  Ran another mile to warm up then waited under a tent until it was time to start the race.  I didn't have high expectations because I wasn't sure how well my body would respond 1 week after the marathon.  I figured that I would just try to hold 6:00/mile pace throughout the run.  I knew that a PR would not be in the cards today.  The gun went off and we were off.  A group of about 8 high school XC runners were in the front but another runner and I moved past all of them in the first 1/4 mile.  Held onto second place until the mile marker when 4 of the young bucks moved past me.  First mile split was 6:04.  Stayed in 6th place until the second mile marker (6:02) when I passed another runner.  I could really start to feel the marathon halfway through the race and my legs were starting to burn.  I hung behind 4th place until there was 3/4 mile to go and I passed him.  I thought that he would drop off but he stayed with me.  He passed me then I passed him again.  We went back and forth a couple of times until I realized that his young legs were going to outlast mine.  The last 1.1 was at 5:56 pace and I finished in 18:48 and 5th place overall.  Last year I ran this race in 18:54 so it was a course PR.  I was a little surprised that my legs held up as well as they did.  It definitely was not 100% effort but it was a good solid effort.  Finished up  by running 3 easy miles to cool down.

Time to start building the mileage back up again.  A little residual soreness from yesterday but nothing too major.  The weather was absolutely perfect for a run.

One of the things lacking from my training is hill running.  I've been hesitant to really hit the hills because of my nagging pains.  Now that most things are feeling better I've decided to add the weekly hill run back into the mix.  I ran up to the entrance to Mueller Park canyon and back home.  Going up wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but coming down was a lot worse.  It took awhile to get used to running downhill and it felt really sloppy.  I had to stop a few times to rub my foot out because the tailor's bunion was really bothering me today.  On the bright side, I am loving the Zensah socks.  I highly recommend these to anybody who has lower leg issues.

My legs felt dead this morning so I kept the pace really easy.  It was a bit of a struggle but I was able to get the miles in.

My legs are a little sore but other than that I felt good this morning.  The weather has been perfect for running this week.  I had to stop and rub my foot a few times to lessen the discomfort from the bunion.  It's not really the bone that hurts but the skin and soft tissue around it so I am going to try taping it to see if it will help. 

AM 

Met the South Davis Road Runners at the BST and ran 7.5 miles with them. It was the same run as last week but I missed a turn at the end so it was a little shorter. I was able to run with a couple of runners most of the time so that was nice. I felt good and my downhill running was better than it has been. Drove back home, changed my shirt and shoes and grabbed a drink and went out for another 7.5. I should have left the other shoes on. My foot was killing me the entire run. I have to figure out how to minimize the discomfort.

PM

Kids were with their mom and I was very bored so instead of sitting around thinking how stupid it was that this was the first time I have had to myself in a long time and I couldn't think of anything to do, I decided to go for a run at 10:00.  I ran out to the Legacy Highway construction site and ran on the unfinished highway for a couple of miles.  I felt very good during the run and was able to get into a good rhythm.  I went about 8 miles, give or take.

My legs felt heavy and tired.  The run was a bit of a struggle.  My foot was more painful than it has been.  I think that when my legs are more tired, it force my feet to do more of the work which causes the higher discomfort.

I was very groggy when I got up this morning.  Not sure what is going on but it seems I feel this way every once in a while.  Kept the pace very slow and just put the miles in.

Just did a mini hill run today.  I took a pumice stone to my foot last night and it seemed to help.  It is still a little sore but I think that this will take care of the issue.  My legs are still a little on the tired side for some reason.

Cold and rainy.  The weather this year has been crazy.  Felt alright during the run.  Had to cut the run a mile short because I am going on a field trip to Wheeler farm with my girls.

Felt decent today.  My achilles tendons are a little tender.  I used to have chronic achilles pain but they haven't bothered me for a couple of years.  I had spurts of good running this morning.  It's weird how sometimes I feel real smooth and fluid when I run and other times I feel clunky and awkward.

What a cold and dreary morning.  Not your typical June weather.  I didn't feel particularly great to start the run so I decided to take the first loop easy.  Averaged 8:00/mile for the first 9 miles.  Stopped and got a drink and checked on the kids and headed out for the second 9.  I ran a different loop and it was a little hillier but I ran it 5 minutes faster.  I did have to stop a couple of times to rub my foot out but other than that I felt good.  I am going to make an appointment with a podiatrist to find out if there is anything that I can do about my foot.  Does anybody know a good "runner friendly" podiatrist?

Perfect morning for a run.  Ran down to the Legacy Parkway trail which is still under construction.  This should be a good place to run.  There were a few more bugs flying around than I would have liked.  Once I hit the trail, I kept the pace at 7:00/mile or faster.  Pace felt very comfortable.  It seems that running at a slightly faster pace forces me to have a little better form.

Warmed up with 3 miles then ran a 4 mile tempo run.  The tempo miles were very inconsistent.  The first 2 miles were gravity assisted and the last two were relatively flat.  Splits were: 6:19, 6:25, 6:13, 6:19.  I have no idea why the second mile was so slow and why the 3rd mile was fast.  Cooled down with 3 more miles.  

Very easy paced miles.  I should have run less miles because 10 miles is a little too long for a recovery run.  I'm not sure if it is better to run 10 a day or go 10, 12, 8, 12 , 8.  I guess the better solution is to run 2 shorter runs on the easy days but time constraints make that a little difficult.

It must be Wednesday because it is rainy and cold.  Ran up to the Bountiful temple and back home again.  The downhill form is starting to come around.  It is still a little sloppy but I am beginning to feel like I have control of myself coming down.  My legs are still feeling a little worn out but I guess that is an indication of decent training.

Felt good during the run this morning. It was supposed to be a 10 miler but I miscalculated the route and ended up a little short. My left knee and hamstring started to ache towards the end.

I thought that I was done for the day.  When I went to take my son to school I realized that I locked my keys in my car.  I didn't have time to look for the spare set of keys so we rode our bikes to his school.  I couldn't find the spare anywhere in the house and I had to get my daughter's to their end of year kindergarten testing so I put them in the stroller and ran them to the school.   I was in street clothes, non-running shoes and it was not a jogging stroller.  So I got an extra 3 miles for the day.
 

Ran out to the Legacy Highway trail and ran on it for a couple of miles.  My feet and ankles are a little sore from running in dress shoes yesterday. 

Ran to the Parish Lane trail head of the BST to meet the South Davis Road Runners. I underestimated how far it was and ended up missing them. I ran the trail and was able to see a couple of the guys as they were on their way back. This run had a lot of hill running in it. This was a good test for the legs that I have been assigned for the WBR. The uphill was slow and painful and it has me worried. The last couple of miles were a bit of a struggle because I pushed too hard on the hills. I would have liked to have felt a little stronger at the end but it was still a good run.  I saw a lot more runners on the road and trail today than I normally do.  It seemed like there were a lot of "running couples".  I'm not sure if this really was the case or it is just something that I noticed because of my state of mind.

Warmed up with 3 easy miles then ran a 4 mile tempo run.  Averaged 6:17/mile and was able to maintain a consistent pace throughout the run.  Effort felt good and I was happy with the workout.  Cooled down with 2 easy miles.  Mileage will be low this week because of WBR.

My legs are completely dead today.  Kept the pace very slow.  There seemed to be a lot more people out exercising today than usual.

My legs are still completely dead.  I cut the run short because I want them to be fresh this weekend.  After 4 miles they started to feel a little better but they still felt pretty heavy.

Had a little more pep in my legs this morning.  They still feel a little heavy but they are getting better.  Ran the first half carrying 3 curling irons (don't ask).

I hadn’t planned on running WBR this year (translation: I don’t have enough friends to put a team together) but a coworker had a couple of last minute dropouts from his team and asked if I would be interested in running with them.  Turns out that this was Cal and Marcie’s team which was a neat coincidence.  I was in van 2 but we drove up to the start to pick up the packets and see van 1 start the race at 10:20 a.m.  We pulled in right as the 10:20 runners were starting so we really didn’t get to see the runners off.   We went to the grocery store to pick up a few things then drove to exchange 6 to wait for our turn to run.  It was really hot while we were waiting at the park and I was really concerned because I’m not a very good hot weather runner.   After a couple of hours of hanging around the park, van 1 came in right when we were expecting them and we were off.  

My first leg was a 3.9 mile run from Pineview reservoir towards Snow Basin.  The first 3 miles climbed 900 feet and the last 0.9 miles dropped 350 feet.  My plan was just to bear down and plug along for the climb then let it rip once I hit the downhill.  I started at 5:10 p.m. and it was very hot.  I told the van to meet me at the 2 mile marker for some water.  I quickly realized that this was a mistake because I had a dry mouth immediately.  Fortunately, the crew also new this was a mistake and was waiting for me at mile 1 and gave me a water bottle.  For the first 3 miles I just focused on passing runners ahead of me or counting down until I got to the 3 mile marker where I would hit the downhill.  I think that I had a decent effort and was close to puke pace much of the climb.  I did hold back a little because I knew I had two more legs to run.  Once I hit the peak of the run and started the downhill, I opened up a lot and was able to push the pace coming down.  I was surprised at how well my downhill running was.  Averaged 5:27 pace for the last 0.9 miles and 7:25/mile for the entire run.  I ran the entire leg in 29:18 which was about 20 seconds faster than I planned so I was happy with the results (I passed 18 runners).

After runner 12 finished, we drove to East Canyon reservoir and crashed until it was our turn to run again.  I didn’t sleep at all but was able to relax for about an hour after eating before it was our turn to run again.

The entire time that our van was on for the second leg, I was very nauseous. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was so tired or if I was just getting car sick. It was probably a combination of the two. Every time that we would stop to support a runner, I would get out and walk around to see if I could shake the nausea but it didn’t seem to help. My second leg started at 1:15 a.m. and I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was 4.6 miles and had a net elevation gain of 112 feet (dropped 200 feet and climbed 312 feet). I took off a couple of seconds after another fastish runner. This turned out to be a good thing because my GPS didn’t grab a signal so I was able to use the other runner to push the pace. He would gap me during the slight down grades and I was able to gain on him during the uphill sections. We played this game for the first 2 miles until I was able to finally move past him. I used the fear of him passing me as motivation to maintain a decent pace for the entire run. I was able to estimate my distance based on my time and picked it up for the last mile. I ran this leg in 30:15 which was 1 minute faster than I predicted (passed 7 runners during this leg – the competition was really thinning out at this point).

We were lucky enough to spend our downtime between legs 2 and 3 at a cabin in Midway. I was able to get 2 hours of solid sleep until it was time to head to the final major exchange. Saw Logan and Adam here and was able to get an update on the FRB teams.
My last leg started at the top of Ragnar and was 6.9 miles of mostly downhill. The first mile had a slight elevation gain and I thought that the rest of the run was all downhill. My only goal for this leg was to avoid being passed by the FRB. I knew our projected finish times were close (even though they started 6.5 hours later) and I thought that they would catch us during the last 2 legs. Our runners that had to run up Guardsman Pass (legs 33 and 34) were incredible. In fact, they were too fast because as we were approaching the top of Ragnar, I knew that if I waited in the van I wasn’t going to have enough time to take care of business. I got out of the van and ran the last 1/4 mile to the exchange so I could spend some quality time in the Honey Bucket. As I exited the Honey Bucket, I could see Cal approaching the exchange. I ran down to get the bracelet and took off. I felt bad for blowing this exchange after Cal worked so hard powering up Ragnar. There was a decent climb to start and I was immediately at puke pace. This was way too early to feel this way. I was able to hold it off and was relieved to hit the downhill. As I started running downhill I was hit with a nasty side stitch from all of the jarring. This lasted until the 2 mile marker and was very frustrating because I could never get in a groove. Hit a good uphill section at mile 2.75 which I didn’t expect. It was very difficult to transition from the severe downhill to the steep uphill. I got nauseous as soon as the uphill started and wasn’t able to shake the feeling until I started going downhill again. My downhill pace wasn’t as fast as I hoped. At 3.5 miles I about died when I saw the hill that I had to climb. Once again I struggled with the transition from downhill to uphill running. I crested the last hill at mile 4 (picked off 2 runners during the climb) and was pretty sure that the rest was all downhill. I could see one runner a little ways ahead of me but wasn’t sure if I could catch him. I decided to use this as motivation to push the pace. Once I saw the 1 mile to go sign, I finally was able to open it up. I was closing the gap on the runner ahead but thought I was going to run out of road. Eventually got past him and kept the hammer down so he wouldn’t pass me again. Ran the last mile in 5:45. Unfortunately, the other 6 miles were quite a bit slower than I planned. Total time for the 6.9 miles (Garmin measured 7.1) was 45:39 which was 5 minutes slower than projected. I think that the projection was a little too aggressive and didn’t take into account the fatigue factor due to sleep deprivation.

I had a really good time and the team I was on was a lot of fun but I'm not sure that I really enjoy relays. After the Northwest Passage relay next month, I'm not sure if I will do another. The first FRB team came in just a few minutes after us and the second team was coming in as we were leaving and I'm glad I was able to see them finish.

I am so sore.  It's not the same kind of soreness as post-marathon soreness but my legs hurt all over.  I'm not sure if it is from the brutal downhill or poor post race diet.  I didn't eat until late Saturday and realized last night at 8 o'clock that I hadn't eaten anything all day.  Not the best way to recover from a race.  I was going to do 2 5k's in the next couple of weeks but have now decided to skip the 5k this weekend and only run the 4th of July 5k.  

I can not believe how sore my legs are. I was planning on getting back up to my 10 miles/day schedule but my legs refused.  I'm just going to take it easy this week so my legs can fully recover then hit the training hard.

Starting to feel a little better but my legs are still very sore.  I was able to get a lot of sleep yesterday/last night so I think that I am all caught up with sleep now.  Not it's just a matter of getting my legs recovered.  Ran along the LHT which is getting closer to being completed.

Still not feeling well.  Not as much leg soreness but felt yucky all over.

A little better every day.  My muscles aren't sore anymore but I do have some discomfort in my left knee and right tibia.  First 7 miles were good but I started to wear down towards the end.  At least I feel as though I am heading in the right direction.

Ran up to meet the running club and 400 North and Davis Blvd which is a bit of a climb from my house (4+ miles).  Ran along Davis Blvd with a few runners in the club.  It was nice to run with others as I'm sure I would have struggled if I were alone.  Averaged 7:30/mile for the 7+ miles.  Ran the 4 miles back home and started to really struggle during the last mile.  I had an insatiable hunger and felt hypoglycemic.  It was a real struggle but I plugged along and made it home.

It feels like I'm starting to loose my mojo (not sure that I had any to begin with).  My desire to run in waning.  I know this most likely stems from my feeling lost in general but I always hoped that running would be a good refuge. 

Drove up to the mouth of Mueller Park canyon and ran up to elephant rock.  This has always been a good therapeutic run for me and I was hoping that it would help clear my mind.  I felt really good going up.  I just wanted to run at a nice comfortable pace.  Got to the top and hung out for a little while and enjoyed the view.  On the way back down, I turned a corner and there was a huge moose right in the middle of the trail.  Fortunately, it was more scared than I was and it took off down the canyon.  Pace felt really good coming down also.  This was a lot less death defying than last time I run up to the rock because there was no snow.  A good run overall and I think it served it's purpose.

My legs were a little tired from running last night.  I decided to try a tempo run anyways.  Warmed up with 3 easy miles then ran 3 miles at tempo pace (6:23/mile).  I was planning on 4 but my left hamstring started to get really sore and I thought it would be ill advised to proceed.  Ran 4 more easy miles home.

Finished June with 268.9 miles and 1,645.5 for the first half of the year.  This is 235 miles more than last year.  I'm running more but don't really feel like I'm improving. I guess all of those miles are going somewhere and will pay off in the long run.

AM 

Started out feeling very worn out. The first loop was quite a struggle and I considered just running an easy 5 for the day. Started to feel better as I got going and was able to run the full10. It was a very slow paced run.

PM 

Had to get out so I drove up to the Parrish trail head of the BST.  Went out 4 miles then returned to the car.  It was hot but I don't feel like I struggled at all from the heat.  I really need to find a way out of this funk. 

Very, very tired this morning.  My legs are completely trashed.  Will take it easy tomorrow so I will be ready for the 5k on Friday.

Very easy recovery run because my legs feel like a ton of bricks. I'm not expecting anything spectacular tomorrow if my legs continue to feel this way.

I've been in quite a funk lately and was hoping for a big breakthrough race to help me snap out of it.  I ran 2 miles to warm up and was feeling pretty fatigued.  It was warm (80 degrees) but there was a nice cloud cover so the sun wasn't beating down on us.  As is always the case when I run 5k's I just want to hold 6:00/mile pace the entire race.  The first mile has a nice little climb so I expected the split to be around 6:15 then hoped to make up the difference the rest of the race.  Started out running with Jeremy Holt (Dave's cousin) and we stuck together for the first mile.  Started out in the top 10 (I think) and pretty much stayed in the same position the entire race.  First mile was 6:13 and felt decent.  The second mile has a nice little downhill section and I thought I would come in under 6:00.  It felt like I picked it up but the split was 6:03.  I just couldn't dig in and force myself to push the pace.  Averaged 5:58 over the last 1.1 but was passed by two runners.  One was early in the 3rd mile and the other was coming down the home stretch.  He was really moving and I knew that I didn't have the foot speed to beat him so I let him go.  Crossed the finish line in 18:50 - pretty much right on with what the course tool predicts for a 6:00/mile 5k.  I started dry heaving after I finished so I guess that means that it was a good effort.  I don't know my exact finishing place but I think it was around 10th.  I took first place for my age group (M35-39) which was a surprise because I thought a couple of the guys ahead of me were older.  I didn't stick around for the awards ceremony because I had to rush home to get the kids ready to go to the parade.  I seem to be stuck at 6:00/mile pace for 5k's.  I know that physically I have more but I just can not convince myself to deal with the discomfort.  This is most likely due to running so little at a faster pace.  So, it wasn't the break through that I was hoping for but it was still a decent run.

Started out by running 5 laps around the neighborhood totaling 10.5 miles. Pace was around 8:00/mile and I felt unmotivated. Decided that I would sneak off to meet the running club while the kids were still asleep. Ran with Jeremy and Jasmine which helped me push the pace. Averaged 7:20 for 6 miles and the last mile was in 7:00. It is amazing how much easier it is to run with others. When I am alone, I feel like I am just plugging along. When I get with others, the pace is so much more comfortable and I am able to hold a quicker pace. Came home, checked on the kids and ran 3.7 more miles around the neighborhood.

Warmed up with 3 easy miles then ran 4 miles at tempo pace.  First 2 miles felt very comfortable (6:28, 6:25) then my legs started to feel sore.  Probably from the race on Friday and 20 miler on Saturday.  Third mile was 6:27 and I started to really struggle during the 4th mile.  Kind of frustrating since I felt so good during the first 2 miles.  Fourth mile was 6:09 which explains why it felt so tough.  I guess that since it was the last mile, I subconsciously increased the effort.  Finished with 3 more miles at an easy pace.

Easy recovery run.

I just saw this commercial for New Balance and thought it was hilarious.  Some may not consider it family friendly but it is funny.
 

I am trying to fight off a cold.  It's more of an annoyance than anything else and I hope it doesn't get any worse.  I've been a little lazy about my pace lately so I tried to keep a little quicker pace today.  Felt good for the most part.

Too sick to run.  Hopefully I will be back at it tomorrow.

Still too sick to run.  

Still struggling with the sickness but wanted to get a few miles in anyway.  It was slow and painful.  I was really low on energy.  Hopefully I will feel well enough to get a long run in tomorrow.

Decided to take Josse's advice and take one more day off (she and my mom have the same name so I feel extra guilty if I don't do what she says).  I'm not sure if this illness has hit me harder or if I just lost some of my die-hardedness.

My energy level is still very low.  I just can't seem to shake this bug.  I did feel a little better than Saturday but the run was still a struggle.

I'm starting to feel a little better. Still not 100% but am getting there.

Very, very, very sleepy this morning.  I struggled during the run but it was a different kind of struggle than it has been the past week so I know that I am getting better.