A clydesdale no more!

My legs were very sore and unresponsive today.  I think the consistent mileage over the last 3 weeks is starting to catch up to me.  Just something that I need to push through.

Good run on the LPT.  I need to take advantage of running there while there is no snow.  The plan called for 14 but I cut it back to 12.  Trying to be smart and be realistic in what I should be running right now.  Hamstrings tightened up a few times but felt really good for the most part.  Felt like a good effort but I always feel that way when I don't wear a watch.  Pace felt like 7:45 but who knows. 

Nice and easy recovery run.

Hilly run.  I was short on time and wasn't sure if I was going to make it the full distance.  If I could hit mile 4 at a specific time then I could finish the run.  Otherwise, I would have to cut it short.  Got to the 4 mile marker 10 seconds ahead of my goal so I was able to run the full 9 miles.  Felt really good going up.  My breathing felt very strong and I never felt out of breath at all.  My downhill running form felt very fluid so I ran a little quicker than I usually do. 

Woke up and saw a foot of snow outside and it was still snowing.  I was already dreading this run and that didn't help.  Bundled up, headed out the door and put one foot in front of the other for a couple of hours.  Roads weren't horrible except in Centerville.  Very disappointed in Centerville's snow removal effots.  Of the 5 cities I ran through, that was the only one where I didn't have a clear lane to run in.  The pace was very slow.  It took 10 minutes longer to finish the run than what I planned.  Legs felt good for most of the run but started to get really heavy the last 2 miles.

Right calf is causing me trouble.  It is something I would normally run through but I am getting a little wimpy in my old age.

Three easy miles to start then 4 at LT pace then an easy 2 to cool down.  Plan was to keep the pace just below 6:40/mile.  Averaged 6:38 and it felt a little too easy.  I guess that is a good thing.  I was concerned about my right calf so I didn't push.  The only time that it did not hurt was during the tempo run.  It hurt during the warm up and cool down miles and hurts to walk.

Got too late of a start and couldn't get the entire run in.  Can't wait for Ashton to get his driver's license so I don't have to rush home to take him to school.  Felt decent during the run.  Kept the pace just under 8:00/mile.  

Felt good but very cold. 

Ran to the LPT and met Kam and Tara.  They had already put in a few miles by the time I got there.  Felt really good while running with them and the time flew by.  Tara had to leave after a few miles but I was able to stay with Kam until my mile 14.  The last 3 or 4 miles together we picked up the pace and ran 7:30's.  Felt really good.  As soon as he left, I really struggled.  The pace immediately slowed by a minute per mile and my achilles tendons started to ache really bad.  No reason why this should have happened other than mental fatigue.  Really need to work on that. 

Got hit with a snow storm just as my run started.  It was a fluffy snow so running through it wasn't too bad.  Physically, felt really good. Picked up the pace during the last mile and felt really strong.

Nice and easy.

Terrible run.  My knees and ankles were very sore because of the storm coming in and I just couldn't get the body to move right.  I also made the mistake of weighing myself before the run and it was much higher than it should have been. 

Still feeling a little lazy and not putting the effort in that I should.  Half way through my run, I was at Eagleridge Drive and decided to tackle it in an attempt to force myself to work hard.  I only went up a mile but it is very, very steep.  Effort felt really good going up.  Really fried my achilles tendons on the way down. 

Ran on the LPT with a good group.  Kam, Tara, Mark, Allie, James, Jake, Andrea, Cam and Emily.  I was definitely out of my league.  The plan was to run 8 miles then 2 at 6:45, 1 easy then another 2 at 6:45 and finish up with an easy mile.  Temperature was perfect but it was windy and threatening to rain.  Started into the wind wo we would have the wind at our backs for the faster miles.  Pace felt really good and the miles went by quickly.  Amazing how running in a group makes the time go by.  First set of quicker miles felt great.  Ran them both in 6:44.  The next set were a little quicker and felt harder than they should have.  My splits were 6:39 and 6:41 and I fell behind the group by a couple of seconds on the last mile.  During the cool down mile, the rain really started to come down.  I had a lot of fun during this run.  Definitely a lot better then slogging through a slow long run alone.

Started with 3 easy miles then 5 at LT then 2 easy to cool down.  Since the tempo miles took a little extra effort on Saturday I wasn't sure if I would be able to get through this run.  Started the tempo run and the pace felt very good.  Held steady at 6:38-6:40 throughout the run.  Effort felt solid and but never felt like I was pushing too hard.  Can't figure out why running less miles at the same pace 2 days ago felt like so much more work.

Had a very busy morning so I had to get up early to get the miles in.  Out the door at 4 and just plugged along.  The miles seemed to go by quickly.  I think it was because I was still asleep.  Other than feeling a little heavy, the legs felt good.

My left knee is causing me concern.  A little painful to walk down stairs.  It bothered me for the first couple of miles but started to feel alright as the run progressed.  Legs had an overall feeling of soreness which I think is a good thing at this point.  Hopefully it means that I am working an appropriate amount.

Had alot of excuses for not running this morning but I ignored all of them.  That is an improvemnet for me.  Left knee still achy and legs are sore.  The run went really well after the first couple of miles. 

Met Kam and Tara on the LPT.  We were all about 3.5 miles into the run.  We ran at a comfortable pace.  Just right for a long run.  Kam thought it would be fun to run up to Freedom Hills park and do a couple of laps aournd the park followed up with a run up the switch backs.  The run up to the park was bad enough and the run up the switch backs just about killed me.  I actually liked the change of pace and the use of different muscles seemed to help endure the long run.  Left Kam and Tara after 18 miles and I feared that my pace would plummet again like last time.  Focused on keeping it below 8:00/mile.  Felt surprisingly good.  I knew I was going to be a mile over my planned mileage for the day so I considered walking the last mile home.  Felt good enough to run the last mile and still felt really strong when I finished. One of the many marathon predictors out there says that the time it takes to run a 22 mile training run is a good indicator of how fast you can run a marathon.  Finished in 2:59 so that is a good sign.

Since I did not run yesterday I opted for the full run that was on the schedule today.  I have cut a couple of miles off of the MLR's on the plan because I don't think my body can handle it right now. Pretty uneventful run.  Couldn't keep the ear buds in my ears and got tired of fiddling around with them so most of the run was without music.  It made it really drag by.  Held a relatively steady pace although I let it slow too much on the minor uphills.  At mile 10, I fell on some ice.  Of course it happened right in front of somebody sitting in a parked car.  I can only imagine how cool I looked. 

Nice and easy.

Three easy, 5 at LT then 2 easy to finish.  Struggled to get into the run mentally. Had a hard time maintining a steady pace but the average was about what I wanted (6:44, 6:35, 6:38, 6:36, 6:38).  It didn't feel like a huge effort but I just couldn't get into it.

Easy recovery run.

Debated whether to make it a shorter run and do a mini taper for the 1/2 next week or stick with the plan and do the 20.  Decided that Boston is the goal so I needed to put the full run in.  Started out a bit slow but started feeling really good after a couple of miles.  Cruised along the LPT to State Street in Farmington.  Saw Kam and ran with him for a couple of miles.  Finished feeling really good.  Average pace for the entire run was 7:45.  Since the first few miles were 8:15 I felt good about the overall average pace.  Felt very good the entire run.  Finally starting to shake off some of the rust.

Only 3 hours of sleep and I was really, really tempted to not run today.  Felt completely wiped out.  As the run started I contemplated turning around and going back home but kept plugging along.  Started to feel good after the first mile.  The run definitely made me feel better.

Feel a little heavy and slow today.  Last two miles were great but the first 8 were slow.

10 miles in Huntington beach along the ocean.  Absolutely perfect run.  Nice to get away the cold and run in perfect running weather. 

Ran two laps around the outside of Disneyland then the rest of the day walking around the park.  It felt a little strange going to Disneyland without the kids but it was good way to enjoy it.  I usually spend all my time making sure the kids are having fun so it was nice to just do what we wanted to do.  My legs are pretty worn out which may cause my performance at the half on Sunday to suffer.  It's just for fun so I'm not overly concerned.

Just a few miles around the hotel to shake out the legs.  We drove the 1/2 marathon course and it is going to be brutal.  The first half is almost completely uphill.  It's going to be interesting. 

Becky has always wanted to run a race at sea level so for Christmas she got me a trip to San Diego to run a half marathon.  What she didn't realize was that she picked a race with a crazy amount of hills.  We flew in to Long Beach on Thursday morning and enjoyed a nice run along the beach.  On Friday we went to Disneyland and did an insane amount of walking.  We relaxed for the monst part on Saturday before driving the course.  It was shocking how much uphill there was.  We were both kind of psyched out. 

On the morning of the race, I warmed up with an easy mile.  Legs felt pretty good.  Original goal was under 1:30 but revised it to 1:35 after I saw all of the hills.  There were about 1,500 runners so it was very crowded at the start.  First 3/4 of a mile was downhill (meaning a nice uphill finish).  The race announcer proclaimed that what goes down must come up and I quickly realized we weren't in Utah anymore.  First mile came in at 6:30 thanks to the downhill and felt very comfortable.  I was holding back because I did not want to tear up my legs at the beginning.  Second mile climbed 75 feet then dropped 25 feet.  Split was 6:52 and I was surprised it was that fast and how good it felt.  Third mile was a fun one.  It was a 200 foot steady climb and I ran it in 7:34.  I was consistently passing people and felt really strong.  Everybody was breathing really heavy and my breathing was not labored at all.  I guess this is where living at altitude was an advantage.  The fouth mile started with a 25 foot climb then plummeted 124 feet.  The downhill felt great and came in at 6:36.  Mile 5 offered a little more variety with the ups and downs with a net 125 gain (6:50).  Dropped off a cliff during the first 3/4 of mile 6 (200 feet) before climbing 100 feet over the last 1/4 mile (6:58).  Seventh mile started with a 75 climb then it was flat for a couple of miles (6:56).  Hit the half in exactly 45 minutes and knew I could negative split and come in under 1:30.  Miles 8 and 9 were flat and came in at 6:30 and 6:33.  Felt really good about holding a 6:30 on the flat secitons.  Tenth had a 150 climb over 1/2 mile.  I started to really work the legs and moved past a couple of runners.  A real boost to the confidence.  I knew once I crested this hill, I would have a couple miles of extreme downhill that I could take advantage of.  Finished with a 7:11 and then put the roller skates on.  Ran mile 11 in 6:07 and 12 in 6:34 while passing a couple more runners.  Now it was time for the fun uphill finish.  I started up the hill and saw a runner ahead.  Shifted into my climbing gear (short, quick strides) and felt like I was floating up the hill.  Slowly moved past the runner and kept on moving.  Ran that one in 6:46 which I was thrilled with considering it had a 150 foot climb. Pushed hard through the finish and crossed in 1:28:30. 

Very happy with the result.  A bit surprised I was able to handle the hills as easily as I did.  Guess those runs up to Mueller Park are paying off.  Ran back to run Becky up the last hill.  She did really well, coming in at 1:44.  Of course, I had to re-learn the lesson that my "words of encouragement" are not received very well at the end of a race.  Who knew that telling somebody that this was not the time to relax when they are ready to puke would be taken negatively? 

It was a great weekend getaway topped off with a great race. Now it's time to really focus on the last few weeks of Boston training.

My legs are pretty tired.  Took it very easy this morning.  The run seemed like it took forever.

I can't figure out why my legs are so sore.  I guess I didn't realize that it takes old people longer to recover from races.  The run was slow and a bit of a struggle.  Fortunately, this was a planned recovery week so I can take it easy. 

I honestly think that Kam is trying to kill me.  Started with an enjoyable 9.5 mile warm up then repeats on the switch backs at Freedom Hills park.  It is a 280 foot climb over 1/2 mile.  He wanted to do 4 but I knew there was very little chance of me completing it.  I was alright on the first and stayed relatively close to Kam.  At the start of the second, I felt like I was pretty much done.  Kam floated up the hlil like it was nothing and I plodded along like an elephant.  I must have experienced some amnesia on the half mile back down because I decided to follow him up a 3rd time.  It was tough.  Once again, the trip down made me think that I had a chance to do another.  Quickly realized it wasn't going to happen.  Told Kam to not wait for me at the top.  I stopped half way up and waited for him to come back down.  I have no idea why I quit.  In hindsight, I probably could have gutted out another 1/4 mile but at the time it seemed like the right decision.  We then labored 3 miles back to his house.  I'm not sure how he felt but I really struggled.  If nothing else, this run was good practice running a few miles after hitting the wall.  My legs were trashed and I really wanted to walk but we plugged along at 8:00/mile.  Good to have a good hard run in the books after taking it a little too easy this week.

Got home and took my girls to play basketball.  They didn't have practice but the court was available so we played for an hour of 2 on 2 to get them used to making quicker decisions during games.  Finished up by rushing them to a soccer game.  Just sat down for the first time today and may not get back up.  Haven't eaten anything or had anything to drink yet.  Not exactly the best recovery method.

Nice and easy run on the LPT.  Left knee and both ankles were a little problematic.  This will be one of my higher mileage weeks so hoping that it is just temporary soreness.

As uneventful as a 2 hour run could be.  Out the door at 5 and it was too dark for most of the run to enjoy any of the scenery.  It's not like the scenery on the LPT is that great and I haven't seen it a million times already.  Legs felt a little heavy.  I felt really negative after the run.  I usually feel like I have accomplished something after a decent MLR but for some reason I was in a particularly bad mood.  I apologize in advance to anyone that I come in contact with today.

Just a few easy miles.  Perfect weather for running this morning.

Very disappointed with my run this morning.  The 7 mile tempo run is the one run in Pfitz's plan that I always have a problem with.  Warmed up with 3 super easy miles and felt good.  I was going to be running in to the wind for 4+ miles of the tempo miles.  I knew I had to focus on effort and not worry about my splits.  Unfortunately, I could not get my legs to move as fast as I wanted.  The entire run was a struggle even though it didn't feel like I was pushing as hard as I should.  Just couldn't get into the run at all.  The pace was 6:50-6:55 in to the wind and was hoping that the last 3 miles would be decent once I started running with the wind.  The pace got even slower which was a huge blow to my confidence.  I stopped after 5 miles to try and regroup.  Talked myself into finishing the tempo miles even though they were slow.  The last thing that I need is another workout cut short. 

Just a run.  Nothing more.

Windy, windy, windy.  Out the door at 3:30 so I could be home before 7:00.  Headed to the LPT and ran South so the first half would be into the wind and I would have a nice tail wind on the way home.  Couldn't believe how hard it was blowing.  It was a struggle and I started to question if I would be able to keep going.  Considered doing a few smaller loops to break up the time I had into the wind but decided to keep heading into the wind and get it out of the way.  The LPT turned into the JRP and I was going into unfamiliar territory. Since it was so dark I was getting a little spooked.  Hit a section that had street lights along the trail and that eased some of my fears.  At least until I realized that there must be a reason that they installed lights in this section.  It must really be a bad area.  Hit 1000 North and decided to jump off the trail and run a few miles through Rose Park.  Felt a little out of place being the only person running through Rose Park not carrying a TV.  Hit the half way point and headed back home.  Running with the wind felt great.  I usually struggle the last few miles but I felt like I was getting more energy as the run continued.  Felt better the last 3 miles than I did at any other part of the run.  Finished in 3 hours which was alright considering the wind. 

Started with a few easy miles then ran 4 X 1/2 mile @ 5K pace with 1/4 mile jog in between.  Taking baby steps into speed work.  Splits were 3:02, 2:58, 2:59 and 3:02.  Felt pretty good during the faster paced portions of the run.  The last one was harder but it inlcluded two 180 degree turns to avoid a stop light so it was a little faster than 3:02. 

Another uneventful MLR.  Why are these putting me in such bad moods?

Nice and easy recovery run.  Legs felt pretty tired so it was nice to have an easy run.  Another windy day.  Really hoping that all of this running in the wind isn't just a way to prepare us for a windy Boston.

The roads were a little icy this morning.  There was not a lot of snow but what did come down was frozen solid on the ground.  After 3 easy miles, I decided to run a few faster pace miles.  Ran 3 miles at 6:45-6:50 minutes/mile.  I ran an easy mile and then ran 2 more at the same pace.  Probably could be considered "junk miles" but felt good to move the legs at a little quicker pace. 

A little chilly to start but temps felt alight as the run progressed.  I felt very good from start to finish.  Legs never felt tired and breathing was never an issue.  Averaged 7:45 for the run.  It is interesting to me that I am running well on the long runs but am really struggling with the faster paced runs.  Maybe that is an indication that I am getting to a point in life where I should transition to ultra marathons.  Probably too much of a time commitment. 

Felt "off" this morning so I skipped the planned run.  Assumed I would end up with a goose egg for the day but had the chance to run right after work.  Becky left from her daughter's dance and I left from home with the plan of catching up to her (she had less than a mile head start).  Ran the first mile in 6:30 (slightly uphill) and felt light headed.  I am not used to running in the afternoon and it took a minute to get into a groove.  Got to the point where our path's met and couldn't see her in either direction.  Decided to continue going for another mile and would turn back if I didn't see her at that point.  Ran the second mile in 6:20 and felt really good.  Turned around and realized I had gotten ahead of her.  Waited for her to catch up and we ran 5 miles together at a comfortable pace.  Dropped her off and decided to ran the last mile at 5k pace.  The first 1/2 mile was slightly downhill which certainly made it easier.  Finished the last mile in 5:50.  These were all bonus miles and felt good to get them in.

Between running later yesterday and only getting a few hours of sleep, I was very tired and had little energy during the run this morning.  To top it off, the wind was really blowing making it difficult to maintain 9:00/mile.  Not a very enjoyable run but got the miles in.

Just an easy few miles.  Crazy that 2 days ago it was 60 degrees and I was running in shorts and a t-shirt and this morning I was basically ice skating.  Typical Utah shizophrenic spring weather.

Short on time so I had to cut a couple of miles out of the run.  Ran up to the mouth of Mueller Park canyon and back home.  Decided to change it up a bit and ran 0.25 miles hard and 0.15 easier while going up.  Felt very strong.  While coming back down, I couldn't get my legs to turnover very fast.  I really wanted to push hard on the last mile but the legs just wouldn't move.  I wasn't tired and felt like I could push a lot harder but my legs wouldn't respond.  Ended up running the last mile in 6:30.

Schedule said 17 with 14 at marathon pace.  I have been a little concerned about pacing the 1:35 group at the Riverton half so I decided to use this as a test run.  I wanted to run a little faster than the 7:15 average to account for course difficulty and the possibility of wind.  Ran 2 easy miles (7:55//mile) to the LPT then transitioned to 7:00/mile.  Pace felt very good.  I was able to lock in the pace and hold it for the entire run.  Had a little headwind on the way back which was good practice.  I started to feel glycogen depletion the last 2 miles which was a little disappointing.  I only had 12 oz of Gatorade and 1 GU so maybe with a little more fuel I could sustain the pace longer.  Splits for the MP miles were: 7:00, 7:04, 7:00, 6:56, 7:00, 7:00, 6:58, 7:02, 7:00, 6:57, 6:59, 6:58, 7:00, 6:57.  This definitely eased my concerns for pacing Riverton. 

Another very windy run.  Ran north on the LPT.  Haven't been that directioin in a while so it was a nice change.  Legs felt a little tight and my groin was especially sore. 

Another windy run.  Put in a decent effort.  Nothing spectacular.  Form felt a little strange and out of synch.

Hilly run to Bountiful Blvd.  Had the mindset of pushing hard but the body didn't agree.  It is a hard run regardless of the effort but I didn't push as hard as I should have.  I could definitely feel my extra weight this morning.

Just your basic run of the mill general aerobic run.  Yet another windy day.  Really getting tired of running in the wind.  Temperatures are great so maybe I should just enjoy being outside.  My legs are a little sore and felt heavy. 

Boston Bib #2670.  Was hoping I could sneak into corral 2.

I'm not going to complain about the wind because I didn't have to race in it like many did today.  It is much easier to tolerate when it is just a training run.  Headed to the LPT again.  Am starting to like it a little more.  I was very bored with it for a while but I now prefer it over running through town.  Started into the wind so I could finish running with the wind.  Pace was around 7:50/mile into the wind and it felt comfortable.  Turned around at Rose Park golf course and enjoyed the wind at my back.  At mile 11 I decided to break up the monotony of the run and alternate fast and slow miles.  Ran 6:34, 7:30, 6:30, 7:20, 6:23 for the next 5 miles and finished with 2 easy miles.  There was probably no physiological benefit in me doing that but it felt good.

AM

6 miles: This was supposed to be a big week of training but it is off to a really bad start.  Energy level is really low.  I think I can shift my runs around and still get a good week of running in.  Legs felt very tired and sore this morning.  One of those runs where you feel like you are wasting your time.  I am going to try to get out later this afternoon for a short and easy run.

PM

4 Miles: Just in case you were not aware of this, eating a smothered burrito with cheese before going on a run is not a good idea.  Slow and heavy does not even begin to explain how I felt.  Got the miles in and may still be able to salvage the week.

Epic fail.  Was supposed to be 6 X 3/4 mile at 5k pace.  I got through 3 and the pace was getting progressively slower so I gave up and just finished the miles at a general aerobic pace.  Can't explain what happened.  Just an awful run.  I think I have gotten to the point where I am losing my speed.  I am fine at certain paces but anything faster than 1/2 marathon pace is a real struggle. I think I will just coast into Boston and not worry about the lack of speed.

My body is rebelling against me.  Pace was slow and painful.  I didn't bother wearing my Garmin because I knew I would be disappointed in the feedback it provided.  Just plugged along and got the miles in.  Woke up at 2 am so that may have contributed to the difficulty.  When I left, I thought I had plenty of time to get home and get Ashton to school.  Apparently I ran so slow that we had to leave as soon as I got back.  I am just going to count these as miles in the bank and not worry about anything else.

Six easy miles on dead legs.  Really thought about taking a break today but want to get to 60 miles this week and needed the run today.  Really nice morning outside so I am glad I got out to "enjoy" it. 

Met Kam and Tara and MPJH so that we could do some downhill running.  We ended up running quite a varied terrain.  Started with 3/4 mile uphill just to wake up the lungs and legs.  Ran 5 miles down to the LPT then ran a few flat miles along the trail.  We then ran up to Tara's house to drop her off.  Had I known what it was going to take to get up to Tara's I may not have agreed to it.  It was quite the climb.  We were at 12 miles at her house and my Garmin died.  Fortunately, Kam has a built in GPS and knew where to run to get the extra eight miles.  I felt really good during the run.  I had the usual moments of soreness and tired legs but was able to fight through it.  Technically starting the taper but the next week still has a decent amount of miles. 

Legs were sore but I could feel strength behind the soreness.  Not sure if that makes any sense.  Absolutely perfect running weather.  Just what is needed to put my attitude in the right place.

It was colder than I expected it to bet his morning so I was a little underdressed. Legs felt a little sore.  Hoping that taking it easy for the next few weeks will take care of that. 

Just a run.  Nothing exciting.  A little windy and I tried to push a little harder going into the wind.  Trying to practice for the probable wind at the Riverton half on Saturday.

Easy paced run.  I cannot figure out why my legs are hurting right now.  It is not in a specific spot.  Both legs hurt from top to bottom.  I should be feeling really good with the reduced mileage. 

Riverton Half Marathon Pacer (1:35)

Never been more down in the dumps about my fitness level so I am going to keep this brief.  Otherwise, it is going to be very negative and serve no purpose.  Paced the 1:35 group with Craig and stuck to the pace very well.  Got to mile 11.5 and told Craig that I wasn't going to be able to hold the pace and set him on his way.  Pulled the pacer jersey off and jogged the rest of the way trying to cheer on others.  Didn't bother crossing the finish line because there was no point.  In hindsight, I could have finished in 1:35:30 but I felt like I had already failed my goal.  Craig finished in 1:35:03.  Glad he was there to bail me out.  Here are the splits including goal and actual pace:

Mile	Actual	Goal	Total Variance
1	7:07	7:06	0:01
2	7:06	7:10	(0:03)
3	7:00	7:02	(0:05)
4	7:29	7:32	(0:08)
5	7:13	7:10	(0:05)
6	7:04	7:06	(0:07)
7	7:19	7:15	(0:03)
8	7:18	7:15	0:00
9	7:23	7:19	0:04
10	7:09	7:19	(0:06)
11	7:30	7:32	(0:08)
12	??	7:19
13	??	7:10

In hindsight, I could view this as a success because I was able to help the group get through 11.5 miles right on pace.  On the other hand, I was hoping this was slower than marathon pace.  Don't even feel like Boston is worth the trip at this point.  See, I told you if I kept typing it would get very negative.

Trying to figure out how I got to where I am physically and mentally.  Not crossing the finish line on Saturday really took it's toll on me.  I could have finished within 30 seconds of my goal time but for some reason I felt like I had failed and didn't feel it was appropriate to cross the line.  I will blame it on a glycogen depleted state of mind.  Quitting had never crossed my mind in the past so I need to find out how I let it even be a possibility and learn how to combat it.  Seeing pictures of me running on Saturday did not help.  My weight has gotten to a point that is unacceptable.  I honestly look like an elephanet lumbering down the road.  While my miles per week is not very high, running 55-60 mpw should have brought my weight down. Perhaps it is the lack of intensity in my runs.  This would also explain the loss of mental toughness.  The biggest frustration is that Boston is only 2 weeks away and nothing can be done at this point to help that race.  It's hard to justify the expense of the trip knowing it could quite possible be one of my slowest marathons.  I need to take the last 6 months of training as a jumping off point and refocus on getting myself into better shape for a great fall marathon. 

Just needed to vent for a minute.  Time to stop feeling sorry for myself and come up with a plan to feel like a strong, healthy runner again.

A very cool, crisp morning.  Felt a little heavy while running.  Never felt fatigued but the body just wasn't moving right.

Relatively easy miles.  Trusting the taper plan.

Last real workout before Boston.  3 X 1 mile at 5K pace with 1/2 mile jog in between.  Couldn't find my Garmin so I decided to head to the LPT and use the mile markers there and time myself with the stop watch on my phone.  Probably good to do this without constantly checking on my pace.  Considering how I have been feeling lately I chose a realistic pace of 6:15/mile.  The warm up felt a little clunky but once I transitioned to 5k pace the form felt a lot better.  First mile was a good effort.  Didn't kill myself and expected the split to be slow.  Came in at 6:00.  A bit of a surprise.  Let's see if I can keep it up.  Second was more work (as it should be).  Expected it to be a little slower based on how I felt but ended up finishing in 5:53.  Only one more mile to go then all of my remaining runs are at whatever pace I want them to be.  First 1/2 mile was 2:55 then I started to fade a little.  Focused on leg turnover to get through the last 1/2 mile and finished at 6:00.  Very happy with how this run turned out.  I definitely needed this.  Hopefully this is the runner that shows up in Boston and not the one that struggled with 7:15/mile at Riverton.

While debating whether I should wear a long or short sleeve shirt, I happened to look out the window and noticed that it was snowing hard.  Definitely one of the worst snow storms this year.  Threw on a jacket and running pants and headed out.  The snow was coming down hard that it seemed like I was running through a solid sheet of snow.  Of course the roads were not cleared because the plows have been put away for the year.  I'm glad that I only had an easy 5 miler planned.  Just plugged away until the run was done.  Just out of curiosity, how many days does it take for the weather here to make it to the east coast? 

About as uneventful as it can get.  Went out six miles on the LPT turned around and ran home.  My legs felt very heavy and slow.  I guess it is all that wonderful training soaking in. 

AM

5 miles. Relaxed pace.  Lower legs (tibia, ankles, achilles) are bothering me a little. 

PM

4 miles while the girls were at soccer practice.  I'm going to make this part of my new routine while I try to build the mileage and get back into shape.  They practice twice a week and it should be a good way to get a few extra miles in.  First mile wasn't comfortable but the rest felt pretty good.

Perfect morning for a run.  Ideal temperature.  Started with an easy 3 then ran 2 miles at marathon pace.  Ran both miles in 6:50 which is a little faster than projected marathon pace but I wanted to see how it felt.  Felt very good.  Heart rate felt a little faster than MP so I know I could not sustain the pace for a full marathon.  With 1/2 mile to go I could see Becky ahead.  Slowly closed the gap until there was 0.2 miles left and I ran all out to catch up to her.  Surprised how good that fast pace felt.

Waited for the rain to stop and headed out for a quick run.  Temps felt good and the air was clean and crisp following the rain.  Wish I felt better but runs never feel the right way the week before a marathon.  Now it is off to the airport.  Hope to see some of you in Boston.

I'm now paying the price of taking a few days off of work.  Too much work to do this morning so I wasn't able to sneak a run in.  My legs feel heavy but not sore so I should be able to pick up the mileage next week.

I've been thinking a lot about what happened on Monday and unfortunately I think that I cannot simply blame it on the heat. While I was reviewing my training over the past couple of months I noticed a trend that I need to reverse.  I am becoming a quitter.  I often times take the easy way out instead of pushing hard in training to build mental toughness.  It started with the switch back repeats at Freedom Hills park that I didn't finish.  There was a tempo run that I abandoned followed by a few VO2 workouts that I completely skipped.  Then there was the disaster at the Riverton 1/2 (another hot race).  Have I completely lost what little mental edge I had?  I wonder if I can find the desire to rebuild what I have lost.

AM: 4 miles

Absolutely perfect morning for a run.  It started to rain a little towards the end but it felt really good.  Other than a little soreness in my achilles tendons everything feels good.  The plan is to get a few more miles in this afternoon while my girls are at soccer practice.  Let's see if I can stick to the plan.

PM: 5 miles

Nice and easy miles through Centerville while the girls had soccer practice.  Kept a steady 8:00/mile and felt very comfortable.  I need to make better luinch choices when I am planning on running in the afternoon.  For future reference, the Costco pizza/hot dog combo is not good pre-run food.

Nice and easy miles.  A little sore to start but felt better as the run progressed.  Not sure if I will be able to get a run in tomorrow as I will be supporting Becky at the Salt Lake half.  I will either need to get out super early or sneak one in during the day.

Can't imagine better weather.  Absolutely perfect.  Knees and ankles are still very sore.  Everything else feels good. 

AM - 8 miles

Another gorgeous morning.  Although, I could have gone without the smell of the dump.  My left knee is really bothering me.  Tried to keep my form as normal as possible but favoring the knee threw me off a little.  The pace felt a little more uptempo than I usually run but I have been running watchless lately so I really have no idea what the pace actually was.  Probably a little below 7:30/mile. 

PM - 5.5 miles

Dropped my girls off at soccer practice in Farmington and thought I would run by Farmington Bay.  My horrible sense of direction and awareness put me in the middle of a swamp.  After wading through some stinky mud and hopping a fence found my way on to a dirt road.  Followed it to the Legacy Trail in Centerville where I looped back to the soccer fields.  Crossed paths with JD and ran with him for a couple of miles.  I've said it a million times before but the effort when running with somebody seems so much easier than when you are alone.  JD and I had a good "runners" conversation.  No knee or ankle pain during the run.  Leads me to believe that the pain in the morning is just start up pains.

Left knee and right achilles tendon are very sore this morning.  Kept the pace relatively slow throughout the run. 

We are in Boise for my daughter's soccer tournament.  Looked at a map and had an idea of where I wanted to run.  Unfortunately, my sense of direction is so bad that I ended up running the opposite direction.  Meandered around town for awhile and eventually found myself by BSU and eventually in downtown Boise.  Found my way to a nice river trail next to the Snake River.  Wish I had discovered it earlier in the run.  It would have been a really nice place to run.  My knee was really bothering me yesterday but felt ok after 4 miles into the run.  Other than that, I felt really good.  Pace was 7:45 at the beginning of the run then dropped to low 7's at the end.  Last mile was 6:45.  Most interesting observation of the run was how many lingerie shops that I passed (at least 5).  Wasn't aware there was that much demand for that in Idaho.

Left knee is a real problem.  I'm going to wait until this afternoon and see if it feels better and attempt a run then.

Just out of curiosity, if I have a stabbing pain on the inside of my knee that makes it difficult to walk, is it alright if I don't run today?  Part of me thinks that it will warm up and feel good once I start running. 

Had real difficulty walking last night so a run was definitely out of the question.  My knee feels a little better this morning but still hurts too bad to run.  I really have no idea what happened.  Other than the one day last week when I ran a double, I feel I have been very conservative since the marathon.  It feels like an inflamed tendon so I am not overly concerned about it.  I should be back at it tomorrow.

I'm going to give the knee one more day to rest.  I feel like I could run on it but giving it a little extra rest is probably the smart thing to do.

Decided to test the knee.  Considered turning around after 1/4 mile but the discomfort wasn't increasing so I kept going.  It still hurts but I can manage the discomfort.  The true test is the rest of today and tomorrow morning.  If the pain does not increase then I will start running again and deal with the pain.

Knee felt weak but didn't hurt.  Definitely a step in the right direction.  It didn't feel normal but it is something I can run on.  I only missed 4 days of running but felt woefully out of shape.  So strange. 

Trying to salvage the week with a nice long run.  Headed to the LPT where I saw Kathie.  Actually, I was in a daze and would have missed her had she not said anything.  Glad to see her getting some good mileage in.  The miles on the LPT went well.  Kept the pace around 7:30-7:45.  Got off the LPT at Glover and headed to Main Street.  This is where the run got ugly.  My ankles were really bothering me and I was unable to get a decent push off.  Pace drifted above 8:00/mile for a few miles.  Stopped at Smoot park for a drink of water and a GU and that seemed to jump start my body.  Felt a lot better so I picked up the pace.  Ran the last mile in 7:13 just for fun.  It was a little more difficult than it should have been.  Wore a singlet so that I could do something about my farmer tan.  It rubbed my arms raw.  Very, very sore. 

My girls want to start running to build their fitness for soccer so we went out for a couple of miles.  I'm going to try to get them out on the days they don't have practice. 

AM - 6 miles

I could really feel my weight this morning.  Felt like it took a lot more work to get my body to move.  Not very fluid at all.  Hoping for a few miles this afternoon. 

AM - 7 miles

Five erratically paced miles while the girls were at soccer.  Headed west from their practice field to Farmington Bay.  First mile was 7:30 then the next couple were considerably slower.  Ran the last mile in 7:20.  Not sure what the run accomplished other than some bonus miles.  My thinking is that these extra little runs will help bring the weight down.  Gracie wanted to go for a run after dinner so we went for an easy 2 miler.  Pace was around 10:00/mile so the effort was relatively low.  More miles for the day than I planned.  Hope I feel alright in the morning.

I can feel some pulling in my knee so I am taking today off.  I don't wan't a repeat of last week.  It appears that I am not cut out for the two a days.  My intent was to keep the body going throughout the day.  Maybe I need to be lighter before I increase the number of runs per day.  The only issue is how do I get lighter without increasing the runs?

Ran 2 miles with Gracie in the evening.  Super easy pace but my legs felt like trash.

Really not feeling it right now.  My legs are not moving the way they should be.  Feel like I may need new shoes but there are not that many miles on them.  Will probably get another couple of miles tonight with Gracie. 

Two easy miles after work with Emma and Gracie.  Fun to get out with them and see how much they are enjoying it.

Quite a bit colder than I thought it would be.  Had to go back in the house to get a long sleeve shirt.  Should have grabbed some gloves, too.  Still having a hard time with my form.  Just don't feel fluid. My feet were a little too slappy.  Kept the pace around 7:30-7:40 which felt really good despite the poor form.

Started with 12 miles on the LPT.  Had very little energy.  It took all that I had to get out the door.  First couple of miles were 8:15 then transistioned into 7:45's for the rest of the run.  Legs didn't feel like they were working hard and my breathing wasn't labored but it felt like a lot of work.  I'm so tired of feeling this way. 

After the run, I took my girls to the Davis Dash 5k.  They have been excited about doing this race.  They did really well.  They didn't walk a single time during the run which is a first for both of them.  Gracie held a little lead on Emma most of the run.  The course was a bit long.  They hit 5k in 31:52 and 32:00.  They were shooting for 32:00 so they were happy to meet their goal.  Emma could have finished a lot sooner but she needs to figure out how to push herself harder. 

Just another run.  Ankles/achilles still bothering me a bit. 

Just a few miles to shake out the legs before tomorrow's half.  Kept the pace relatively easy.  I pushed the pace for a mile to make sure the legs could move at a decent pace.  I used a crossfit group that was out running as a target.  I wanted to pass them before they got to their turnaround point.  Still not feeling at the top of my game.  In fact, I cannot remember feeling this out of shape in a very long time.  It is not just while I am running.  I feel slothful and just blah througout the day.  Tomorrow will be a good barometer of where I really am.

The intent of this race was to be a gauge of my fitness.  If I couldn't come in under 1:30 I was going to have to do a serious assessment of what I am doing.  I can't believe that I have gotten to the point where breaking 1:30 is a stretch goal.  Really didn't give the race too much thought until 10 last night when I got home from my girl's soccer game.  Rummaged through my drawers to find something to wear.  I usually give considerable thought to my race attire.  After a restless night of sleeping due to a bird trapped in my chimney, I got up and headed to the Ogden.  Temps in the valley were perfect but it was freezing at the starting line.  Ideal for a race.  At the starting line I began to relace my shoe and suddenly heard the countdown for the start.  Wasn't expecting it so soon. 

Mile	Split	Note
1	6:52	Started out fast (6:10) but overall split was slow because of the hill during the second half of the mile.
2	6:48	Settled into a comfortable pace.
3	6:49	Locked in.  Holding it here so I don't blow up.
4	6:50
5	6:30	Really steep section right after the dam.  Got passed by a few people but I am opting to maintain a consistent effort.
6	6:50	Feeling a little light headed.  Took a GU at 5.5.
7	6:47
8	6:46	GU kicked in and my head is a little more clear.
9	6:40	A little steeper section at the bottom of the canyon.  Effort has not changed.
10	6:36	Calculate that 7 minute miles will give me sub 1:30.  Don't give in yet.
11	6:42
12	6:49
13	6:41	A couple of runners that I have followed for several miles start to come back to me.  As I am on the long boring stretch to the finish line I see another heavier runner.  I decide that I cannot be beat by him.  Push the pace a little and move by him.
13.1	1:30	My Garmin measured 0.25 so the pace is a little quicker.  Felt really good.

Satisfied with the results but would not consider it a complete success.  I was able to maintain a very consistent effort throughout the race and am happy with running a smart race.  I chose a time that was very realistic.  It's unfortunate that it is 5 minutes slower than I would like but considering that I was expecting a colossal failure today, I can live with it.  I am a little disappointed that I did not push harder.  I never pushed beyond comfortably hard.  I believe I did this because I was afraid of another terrible race.  Also, not doing any speedwork in a long time has made me forget what my true limits feel like.  Ended up placing 3rd in my age group which was a bit of a surprise. 

Finally got new shoes and they weren't the miracle cure I was hoping for.  My ankles are super sore.  It was great being out this morning but the run was difficult.  I don't have much post race soreness other than the ankles. 

Almost skipped the run completely.  Forced myself out for a few easy miles.  Felt better than yesterday so I am glad I got the run in.  Training for Huntsville starts on Monday and I am wondering if I should use a different training plan since it didn't work out very well last time.  I roughly follow something between Pfitz's 55 and 70 mpw 18 week plans.  They are more focused on mileage with only one high intensity run per week.  I wonder if I should back off the mileage and have a couple of faster runs.  Who knows?  Maybe the last training cycle was just a building block for a good fall marathon.

One of my less enjoyable runs.  Body just didn't feel right.  Didn't feel like I had a lot of strength in my legs.  A mile into the run I started having a pain that started in my achilles and moved up to my knee.  Stopped for a minute and considered heading back home but assumed it would work itself out if I kept going.  Felt better after a few minutes. 

Met Kam for a run on the BST.  Good climb during the first mile to get to the trail.  Pace was comfortable while we were on the trail.  My effort during the climbs was a little high but they were relatively short so I was able to keep up with Kam.  Got off the trail and dropped into Farmington.  Felt really good until we got to Main street and Icould start to feel my glucose levels getting low.  Typical symptoms: tingly fingers, foggy head.  Felt like we picked the pace up but it was probably the same effort as the trail.  We were just able to move faster on the road.  Last mile was a little tougher for me and I know I was holding Kam back.  We both ran watchless which made the run so much more enjoyable.  It was nice to be running for running's sake and not worried about pace or distance.  I realized that the best part of a good hard run like that is how good that first moment that you sit down feels.  Somewhat of a euphoric feeling when you are so physically spent and feel good about what you had just done.

Ran the Woods Cross Memorial Day 5k with Gracie.  She ran extremely well.  Held a steady pace the entire time and pushed very hard at the end (6:30/mile pace for the last 0.2 miles).  She finished 29:45 which was over a 2 minute improvement from 2 weeks ago. 

Feeling a lot better than I did last week.  Ankles are still sore but they are getting better. 

Absolutely perfect morning for a run.  Temps were perfect and the smell was my favorite.  I have no idea what it was but I love it when it smells like that.  Ran from home to the Bountiful temple then back home.  It was a good hilly run.  Decent effort going up but was a little lazy coming back down.  My ankles were too sore to push the pace coming down.  There were a lot of runners out this morning.  I assume they are all cramming for Ragnar. 

Ran to the LPT.  Ankles are a little extra sore.  Probably from Wednesday's downhill run. 

Stayed in Midway because we were running the dirty dash.  Woke up super early to get some miles in before the dash because I was sure there would be very little running during it.  Left the Homestead and headed towards Wasatch State Park.  Thought it would be fun to run a couple of miles up Guardsman Pass.  While the run up was really hard, I thought too much downhill running was going to cause problems for me so I turned and headed back.  Continued on towards Soldier Hollow and an incredibly comfortable pace.  Definitely took it way too easy but just getting miles in was all I was concerned about.  Ended up with 12 miles.  That is a really pretty area to run. 

"Ran" the dirty dash with my kids.  It really isn't much of a run because it is so crowded.  The kids had a ton of fun which was the important thing.  At the end of the course, I decided to dive into the too shallow pool of mud.  Hit a rock with my hand and opened up a big gash on my hand which required 7 stitches to close.

First official day of summer for the kids which means I don't have as much of a time crunch in the morning.  Didn't feel super at the beginning of the run.  After 2 miles, I saw Becky so ran with her at a leisurely pace for 2 miles.  Picked it up after leaving her but still kept it relatively slow.  Starting to worry that running will never feel comfortable again.

Felt much better today.  Body moved more naturally than it has in a while.  Started a little slow then naturally transitioned into 7:30/mile which I held for the last 8 miles.  Pace felt very comfortable.

It was almost 30 degrees cooler this morning than it was yesterday morning.  Had to break out a long sleeve running shirt.  Nice and easy recovery run to the LPT.  Felt kind of blah.  Guess that's why there was a recovery run on the schedule.

Nine uneventful miles.  This ankle/achilles thing is really starting to annoy me.  Second half felt al ot better than the first half.

Ran the first 10 with Becky through West Bountiful and the LPT.  Pace was easy (8:50/mile) but my achilles tendons were on fire.  At mile 10, she turned for home to finish her 12 miler and I continued on for a few miles.  Had a real hard time shifting into a faster gear.  Could only get the legs to turn over fast enough for an 8:00/mile pace.  Not the greatest run but it is all about time on your feet, right?

A run I would rather forget about.  Dropped my girls off at soccer then headed towards the LPT.  Plan was to start with 3 easy then do 4 at LT.  Started out too fast but felt really good.  After the first LT mile I was really struggling.  No explanation as to what happened.  Had a few unsuccessful restarts but could not get going again.  Stumbled back to CJH and wallowed in my misery.  This is not fun anymore.

More of a struggle than it should have been.  My weight was 5 pounds lower than it was yesterday morning.  Most likely a hyrdration issue which is probably why I do not have as much energy as I would like.  I am taking antibiotics for the cut on my hand.  I wonder if that could be a source for some of my issues? 

Good hilly run to the Bountiful temple.  Good push going up and held a good pace coming back down.  Form was a little clunky but that can't be helped with that much downhill. 

Nice and easy.

Decent long run to Farmington and back home  Maintained a relatively consistent 7:45-7:50 throughout the run.  Felt alright but the achilles tendons were bothering me a little bit.

Woke up feeling really run down for some reason.  Considered only putting in a few miles but felt better once I got to 3 so kept going.  Knees and ankles were especially unhappy this morning.  Hopefully everybody got their run in early this morning.  It was getting very hot towards the end of the run.

Temps were cool this morning.  Felt very good.  After a few easy miles, I ran 3 at 7:00 just to make sure my legs could move at the pace.  Surprisingly, it felt effortless.  There is definitely a correlation between the temps and my running performance. 

Horrible run.  My legs were very uncooperative.

Hot and windy.  Wow, do I struggle in those conditions.  Ran to the LPT where I spent most of my time dodging the infestation of Voles.  Pretty disgusting.  Hit a couple of miles at 7:00/mile while I was running with the wind.  All other miles were pretty slow.

I wasn't as confident going into this pacing job as I would have liked.  It was disheartening that running a 1:35 on an aided course was causing me concern.  Felt good this morning which eased a lot of my concerns.  Didn't get a chance to get any warm up miles in.  I think that I am going to skip the warm up miles for half marathons from now on.  Some of my best races have been when I have skipped the warm up.  Race started and I did my best to keep the pace in check.  The extreme donwhill at the start made this difficult.  Did my best to stick to the splits on the pace band.  I was within a few seconds every mile.  1:35 is kind of an odd time so I didn't have a lot of company.  Ran with Rachelle and her friend for the first 3 miles than with another guy until mile 10.  Other than that, I was on my own.  At the 12 mile marker I somehow found myself 7 seconds behind schedule.  Fortunately, the last mile had a cushion built into it.  I ended up running the last mile a little too fast and finished 12 seconds before 1:35.  Felt really good for the entire run (except for the hill on mile 11).  Ran 3 easy miles after the race just for some bonus miles. 

Loved the course.  Wonder if I will think the same thing next month when I run it finish to start to finish during the Sogonapmit Marathon.

My achilles were a little extra sore for the first few miles as a result of the race on Saturday.  Felt much better for the last few miles of the run. 

Had the brilliant idea to run up to the Bountiful temple then come back home along the Beautiful Bountiful half marathon course.  The extreme uphill followed by extreme downhill will help prepare me for Sogonapmit.  I also wanted to get a feel for the 1/2 marathon course.  I drove it over the weekend but it is really hard to gauge the extent of the downhill without running it.  Running uphill would force me to put some honest work in.  I felt very tired and lazy this morning and would have settled for an easy few miles if I didn't force myself to do this. 

Achilles tendons were sore to start but loosened up and felt better a couple of miles into the run. I felt better going uphill than I thought I would.  It was hard but I was in the right mindset so it went by quickly.  Once I got to the temple and started coming back down I shifted into relax mode and just coasted down the hill.  My legs were too beat up to push the pace coming down.  A lot more lazy than I should have been but still felt good to get in decent mileage for the day.

As far as the course goes, I only noticed 3 sections with super nasty downhill.  They put enough switchbacks into the course to minimize the grade coming down.  It is still too steep for a really good time and isn't "beautiful" like the name suggests.  There are also a lot of twists and turns and runners will get lost if they do not mark the course extremely well.  I'm not going to complain because the more races in the area, the better.

Probably not as many miles as I should have run.  My legs are tired but I centrainly could have pushed through it.  That's what recovery runs are for, I guess.

A very clunky run. 

Becky was running a 10k so I decided to put in some miles then run it with her.  Her 10k pace is close to my long run pace so it would be perfect.  Out the door at 5 am and headed to the LPT.  Temperature was perfect and it was very quiet.  Felt decent during the run but half way through I got an intense pain in my left big toe.  Couldn't push off at all.  Stopped and rubbed it out (if that is even possible) and it seemed to feel better.  Got to the 10k start having already put in 14 miles.  Took in a GU and hoped it would be enough fuel for the next 6 miles.  Felt surprisingly good during the race.  Started a little quick but settled into 8:00/mile pace and held that for most of the run.  Surprised at how good I felt at the end of the run.  Definitely had enough fuel in the tank to run a few more miles.  Of course, I didn't and called it good after 20.

Finished the first half of the year a little bit behind on my mileage goal.  Boston taper and recovery made April and May abnormally low mileage months. 

Slow and clunky.

Absolutely, completely and utterly burned out on running right now.  Considered running the Centerville 5k but decided that having a sub-par performance at a race would do me no good so I just went out and did the usual 8 mile loop.  Based on how I felt, I am glad I chose not to race.

My ankles are killing me.  Incredibly slow run because I couldn't get a decent push off. 

After a lazy week last week, I decided to jump back in.  Ran up and into Mueller Park canyon and back home.  My achilles tendons are killing me.  Effort was good going up but incredibly slow coming back down.  Didn't want to push too hard figuring that it would do too much damage.  Shocking how slow the pace was coming down the hill.

Ran to the LPT and headed south.  Kept the pace relatively easy because I am still fighting achilles pain.  Felt al ittle better on the way back but still very sore and hard to push off. 

New shoes should arrive today.  Hoping that will solve the achilles problems.  Did the usual recovery loop.  First 2 miles were a struggle.  Felt better for the last 3. 

Hot and smokey.  My body is still rebelling against me.  Got new shoes which I am hoping will be the miracle cure to all of my aches and pains. 

Got a little later start than I had hoped for so a few less miles than I planned.  Becky was running the Farmington Days 5k so I headed in that direction hoping to meet her at the start and run it with her.  I was a little slow andI knew I wasn't going to make it to the start in time so I headed up Glover Lane so I could meet her along the course.  Ran into her when she was 1/2 mile into the race (mile 8 for me).  Ran the rest of the race with her (she took 1st in her age group) then added a few miles after she finished.  Felt better than I have the past few days but the pace was too slow.  Was really gassed on a few of the uphills which has me worried with the upcoming race.