A clydesdale no more!

Stroders 30K (Pacer)

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Location:

Woods Cross,UT,USA

Member Since:

May 01, 2006

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Age Division Winner

Running Accomplishments:

Current Running Life:
5k: 17:50 (2010 NSL)
10k: 38:20 (2007 Des News)
1/2 Marathon: 1:23:30 (2009 Provo Half)
Marathon: 2:53:46 (2007 St George)

Short-Term Running Goals:

 

Long-Term Running Goals:

 

Personal:

Daddy to 3 great kids - 16 year old son and 11 year old twin daughters

I do not know what tomorrow will bring but I do know it will start with a run.

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Saucony Grid A2 Lifetime Miles: 125.40
GoRun2 Lifetime Miles: 53.70
Adrenaline 2014 Blue (1) Lifetime Miles: 442.70
Adrenaline 2014 Red (1) Lifetime Miles: 429.20
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1062.8596.681159.53
Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 359.05Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 415.43GoRun2 Miles: 53.70Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 305.15Adrenaline 2013 14 Miles: 26.10
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

I'm running regularly again and actually feel like a runner so I may as well start blogging.  In January I matched my all time high in weight (220 pounds).  I saw a picture of myself at the St. George half marathon and was completely ashamed of what I looked like.  Decided right then to start working my way back to a decent weight.  Since then, I have lost 30 pounds and am back to the same weight I was last year at this time.  I would like to lose 5 more pounds.  My ideal racing weight is 15 pounds lighter than that but have been told that I don't look good that skinny.  I am up to 45 miles per week and average 7:45/mile during my runs.  Still a ways off from where I was but at least it is somewhat acceptable.

To jump start my comeback, I had to change up my routine.  I started using the cold as an excuse so started running on the treadmill at work during lunch.  Now that it is warmer, I have been running outside during lunch.  I have really come to enjoy splitting up the work day with a run.  I am going to miss it when it warms up and I can no longer run during the day. 

After a busy morning at work, I headed out for a lunchtime run.  It is exactly 1 mile from my office to the Jordan River Parkway Trail (5300 South).  Ran there then headed south on the trail for 3 miles then headed back.  I wanted the pace to be a bit of a push but not kill me.  Still not ready for the real hard stuff.  Averaged 7:14/mlie during the run and it felt very good.  It is kind of fun just enjoying running and not being a slave to a training plan.  I don't know if that will change and I will start to crave racing again.  For now, this is working for me.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 8.00
Comments
From fly on the Wall on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 08:26:16 from 168.180.63.58

You put my lunchtime strolls to shame. Well done!

Can you take lunch at 11 during the hot months? I've found I can run almost every day of summer at that time, so long as I slow the pace down and carry water. When the highs are near record level (say ~105) it is low to mid 90s at noon. I also watch the pollution (ozone) level. Of course when it is that hot the mornings are very nice.

From Teena Marie on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 08:31:29 from 67.2.100.133

This is an AWESOME post!!!! :)

GREAT NEWS!!!

From Jeff L on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 08:45:19 from 74.81.227.180

Nice to see you back.

From timp on Thu, Apr 25, 2013 at 14:06:17 from 159.63.144.194

nice to see you back Andy - glad you got things worked out.

I need to start putting in some lunch runs too...maybe I can use you as inspiration

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.000.007.00

Nice and comfortable lunch time run.  Ran from the office to the JRP then south to the FLSmidth building.  Didn't wear a watch but the pace was probably around 8:00/mile.  Felt a little clunky. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 7.00
Comments
From Teena Marie on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 08:32:48 from 67.2.100.133

I was out there around 1:00. Any chance you were wearing a blue shirt and black shorts?

From Andy on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 10:37:28 from 159.212.71.77

On Tuesday? I was out there between 12:30 and 1:30 and was wearing a blue shirt and black shorts.

From Teena Marie on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 11:08:00 from 208.54.4.185

I saw you from a distance!!! You looked good. I didn't know it was you but I thought to myself, "that guy looks like a serious runner." I promise!!!

From Andy on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 11:17:42 from 159.212.71.77

I'm guessing what you really thought to yourself was, "How did that elephant escape from the zoo?"

From Teena Marie on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 11:23:11 from 208.54.4.185

Whatever! Seriously, you looked fit!!!! Did you see me at all?

From Andy on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 11:28:09 from 159.212.71.77

I thought I saw somebody who looked like you on Monday but not on Tuesday.

From fly on the Wall on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 14:36:01 from 168.180.63.58

Teena was running so fast on Tuesday that you saw her on Monday!

From Teena Marie on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 18:18:28 from 67.2.100.133

Now that was funny!!! :)

From DaleG on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 18:32:02 from 152.216.11.5

She's so fast that she is already posting workouts for May 2nd.

From Teena Marie on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 20:28:53 from 67.2.100.133

Dale~

Laughing so hard!!! How did I do that??? Thanks for the catch. :)

From DaleG on Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 21:22:26 from 66.87.127.176

Good stuff!!!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Another lunchtime run from work to the JRP.  My intent was to keep it at a comfortable pace but I started a little quick.  Settled into 7:50/mile one I hit the JRP and kept it there for the rest of the run.  Form felt a little forced.  It was a little on the warm side.  When I was running into the wind, the temperature felt perfect. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 8.00
Comments
From Rachelle on Thu, Apr 25, 2013 at 14:36:26 from 159.212.71.77

Very happy to see an update from you Andy. Congrats on the weight loss and great job with the running.

It was nice to see you on Saturday. Sorry I looked like death and could barely muster a wave!

From Andy on Thu, Apr 25, 2013 at 22:37:09 from 159.212.71.200

You looked great. I don't expect much social interaction from people at mile 8 of a half marathon.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

I have been letting the first mile dictate my pace for each run.  If I feel good, I go with it.  One of the benefits of running with no real goal.  Started out at 7:25 and decided to go with it.  Maintained a steady pace the entire run.  Felt very good. Even though my fitness is still behind, I am running faster now than when I was training.  Ever since I started doing my lunchtime runs outside, I have noticed that it is windy every day.  I don't know if it is because of the time of day that I am running of if it is always windy on the JRP.  It also seems that I have a headwind regardless of the direction I am running.

Pacing the Striders 30K tomorrow.  Hoping that I can handle the distance.  I'm not worried about the pace (8:46/mile) but I haven't gone longer than 15 miles in a very long time.  If all goes well, I will add an extra 1.4 miles after my pacing duties to get to 20 miles for the day and 50 miles for the week.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 8.00
Comments
From allie on Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 15:40:21 from 97.117.82.92

great week, andy. have fun pacing tomorrow.

From fly on the Wall on Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 15:47:11 from 168.180.63.58

I'm confident you'll do just fine with 30k at 8:46/mile. Enjoy the run.

Race: Stroders 30K (Pacer) (18.62 Miles) 02:43:00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
20.000.0020.00

Paced the Striders 30K.  Was assigned the equivalent of a 1:55 half marathon (8:46/mile).  My only concern was the distance.  I haven't run more than 15 miles in a very long time.  Got to the start and it was colder than expected.  Knew that it would eventually warm up and should be good racing weather. If your not shivering at the start of the race, it is too warm.  Don decided to drop back and pace with me.  Turned out to be a blessing as my Garmin was dead.  Not a huge deal as I wear 2 watches when I pace but having the current pace certainly helps.  We stuck to paces on our pace bands pretty well.  Our cumulative time was matching the pace band to the second for the last 5 miles.  We had a good group stick with us much of the way which makes it a lot more fun. 

I felt great the entire run.  My legs felt better than they have in  a long time.  After finishing, I went back out to get an extra 1.4 to get me to 20 miles for the day.  Glad that my body still remembers how to run long distances. 

 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 20.00
Comments
From Kam on Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 09:19:58 from 68.66.163.179

Some things you never forget. Nice job, Andy. I wish I could have joined you.

From Rhett on Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 14:49:22 from 74.41.239.14

Andy, it is nice to see you blogging again. Looks like you are still in great running shape.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.000.006.00

Incredibly busy morning at work.  Didn't take a breath until 1:00 so considered skipping the run.  It was too hot, my legs are still tired from Saturday, I leave at 3:00 so would basically finish up before leaving for the day.  Always easy to find excuses not to run.  Convinced myself that I would feel a lot better about myself if I went out for a run.  It was too hot and my legs were still tired from Saturday but I'm glad I went. Felt very heavy while running.  Most likely due to fatigued legs not having enough power.  I don't wear watches on recovery days but the pace was probably around 8:20-8:30. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 6.00
Comments
From Clay on Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 22:13:04 from 67.182.216.41

Welcome back Andy! Glad your running good again!

From DaleG on Tue, Apr 30, 2013 at 10:09:39 from 98.202.43.67

Glad you decided to run.

From Kam on Wed, May 01, 2013 at 13:21:33 from 68.66.163.179

After 19 on Saturday, if you didn't have flat legs on Monday I would be worried.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
9.700.009.70

AM - 7.7 miles

Starting to shift to the morning runs now that it is warming up.  Problem is that it isn't warming up.  It was still quite cold and there were a few snow flurries while running.  1.5 miles into the run, mine and Becky's paths crossed.  She was putting in a few miles after her cross fit class so I ran a little over a mile with her.  Wasn't quite sure how many miles I wanted to run this morning so I just headed up to Orchard Drive and did my standard loop.  Legs still a little tired and I had some tibial soreness.

PM - 2 miles

There is a strength and toning class taught at my work every Wednesday that I have come to enjoy.  Not an overly hard workout but just enough to work some different muscles.  After the class I hit the treadmill just for fun.  Started at 7.5 mph and progressed to 11 mph to see how the pace felt.  9 mph was fast but felt good, 10 mph was a push but sustainable.  Biomechanically, I'm not sure my body could handle 11 mph for very long right now. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 9.70
Comments
From Rhett on Wed, May 01, 2013 at 14:58:29 from 74.41.239.14

Biomechanically not many people can handle 11 mph for very long. Nice workouts.

From Teena Marie on Thu, May 02, 2013 at 12:33:00 from 67.2.100.133

You crack me up!!

No wonder you looked crazy fit when I saw you from a distance last week. You ARE CRAZY FIT!!! :)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.000.006.00

Yesterday's bonus miles ended up being a mistake.  I didn't need the extra miles, the treadmill always causes problems for me and the pace was outside of where I should be running.  From my hip down to my ankle on my right side were bother me today.  I could tell while I was on the treamill yesterday that my right leg wasn't moving as well as the left.  Probably a muscle imbalance.

Took it slow today.  Just enjoyed being outside in perfect weather while I should have been working. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 6.00
Race: Dino Half Marathon (Pacer) (13.1 Miles) 01:59:57
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
13.100.0013.10

Had a great time pacing the 2 hour group at the Dino Half with Becky.  This is the first time that we have paced together and it went very well.  We work well together because she is a great cheerleader and I excel at being a task master. 

It's a small race (200 racers) so pacing the 2 hour group gave us the best crowd.  For the first half of the race we had about 10 runners around us including a 10 year old girl that was running her 4th half marathon.  We also ran with Tara who we found out was friends with Don and Adrian who I have paced a few races with.  The running world is such a small world.  We started out a little ahead of our targeted pace because the first 2 miles are steeper downhill than we expected.  We settled into a good pace and maintained a 30 second cushion for the first half of the race.  To spice things up, they added a Sprintasaurus award for the fastest half mile from 6.2 to 6.7.  As we approached it, we let our runners know that we were going to run it a little faster to help them push.  We started out at a decent pace.  I pushed a little harder to catch the runners ahead.  Half way into it, I caught up to Tara and ran along side of her to help her push to the end.  She ended up winning the Sprintasaurus Queen award.  After that, we took a little walking break to get back on pace.  The herd thinned out a little bit for the rest of the race.  We had a guy that was recovering from injury and hadn't run in a month and another who was targeting us after starting 3 minutes after us because he was waiting in the POP line at the start.  They both stuck with us until the last mile when we told them to push ahead.  We were 20 seconds ahead of pace at the 12 mile mark so we backed off the pace and encouraged the last couple of runners that were around us.  Crossed the finish line in 1:59:57. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 13.10
Comments
From fly on the Wall on Mon, May 06, 2013 at 09:11:29 from 168.180.63.58

Sounds like a great time.

From Rachelle on Mon, May 06, 2013 at 11:16:05 from 159.212.71.77

Sounds like such a fun race Andy! Great job with the pacing and I just laughed out loud at the "sprintasouras award". I love it!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
4.003.007.00

Last week was an unintentional recovery week.  I didn't plan on running fewer, slower paced miles but it just worked out that way.  It was a good thing as I think I needed a cut back week.  With an easy week behind me, I thought today would be a good time to introduce some "speed" work.  Of course, I started the day with a poor nutrition choice (Mt. Dew for breakfast).  I could feel it during my warm up mile to the JRP.  Once I hit the trail, I decided to go at a comfortably hard pace and see what the watch would say at the end of 1 mile.  I pushed a little more than I probably should have and finished in 6:30.  It was hard but sustainable.  Ran 1/2 mile at 8:30/mile pace then started the second mile.  The effort wasn't as hard but it was a lot less comfortable (if that makes sense).  Gave an extra little push at the end and finished in 6:26.  Wasn't sure that I wanted to do another.  After another 1/2 mile at 8:30 pace, figured I would take a shot at a 3rd mile at the same pace.  A little more difficult.  I was pretty worn out after 1/2 mile but I was able to push though know I only had 1/2 mile to go (along with some grunting and groaning).  Another little push with 0.1 to go brought me in at 6:25.  The pace is still somewhat slow but I am glad I was able to mentally sustain the effort.  I'm not quite ready for a sub-20 5k attempt as this took most of what I had, even with the 1/2 mile recoveries.  I am getting close.  Finished with 2 cool down miles.  Kept the pace close to 8:00/mile because I wanted to finish the run with an average pace below 7:30/mile. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 7.00
Comments
From timp on Tue, May 07, 2013 at 20:25:51 from 99.110.188.230

nice job Andy

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.000.007.00

Chilly morning run on the LPT.  My legs feel dead from the "speed" work on Monday.  I need to keep in mind that my fitness is still not very high and it is going to take more to recover from harder runs.  Absolutely perfect weather outside. Temperature was cool and it rained last night so the air felt clean. 

Strength and toning class at work this afternoon.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 7.00
Comments
From Kam on Wed, May 08, 2013 at 11:34:08 from 68.66.163.179

Glad you are back, Andy. The mileage is looking solid.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.000.007.00

Was too busy with work to run this morning so I packed my clothes hoping for a lunchtime run.  Was too busy at work too.  Finally got to a point where I could step away for a few minutes.  Ran the usual out and back on the JRP.  Kept it at a comfortable pace (7:55/mile).  Legs still a little fatigued.  I can't imagine they are still sore from Monday.  Temperature felt perfect when I was running into the wind but was too warm when the wind was at my back.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 7.00
Comments
From fly on the Wall on Fri, May 10, 2013 at 09:22:17 from 168.180.63.58

Way to sneak a run into your busy day!!!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.000.005.00

Last week was another throw away week.  Just too busy with work, home projects and kid's activities.  Becky signs up for a lot of virtual races.  I used to think it was silly but I now realize that is a way for her to get in speed work.  Today was her Mother's Day 7k.  We went to the LPT and I ran it with her.  Held a 7:30/mile pace for most of the run. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 5.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.000.007.00

Going to really make the effort to be consistent this week.  Absolute perfect running weather this morning.  Hoping I can lock into the routine of getting out every morning.  My right ankle is causing fits.  Couldn't get into a decent groove because it was bothering me. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 7.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.000.007.00

Another morning of perfect running weather.  Stumbled upon Becky at the 2.5 mile mark while she was putting in a few miles after her gym session.  Ran 1.5 with her then tacked on a few more.  Just kept it at a comfortable crusing pace. 

I'm going to start an 8 week boot camp at Becky's gym on Monday and am not sure how much running I will be able to get in.  Mentally, it is going to be hard letting the miles drop again but I will be gaining in overall fitness which is more important. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 7.00
Comments
From Shimelle on Wed, May 15, 2013 at 09:37:50 from 168.177.98.213

Ha ha, exactly what I'm doing. I've been building miles and have missed crosstraining and don't have enough hours in the day (or energy) to keep that many miles up and cross train.

From Kam on Wed, May 15, 2013 at 10:03:06 from 68.66.163.179

You'll be all right...Plus you will become buff and powerful.

From Rhett on Fri, May 17, 2013 at 10:29:42 from 74.41.239.14

I'm sure it will be nice for you body to mix it up some.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.000.007.00

My week of consistency didn't go so well.  Felt great during the run this morning.  Body seemed to be moving well.  My dilemna for tomorrow is that I have to weigh in at the crossfit gym before the 8 week boot camp starts on Monday.  I want to run 15 miles but don't want to have an artifically low weight during my weigh in.  Probably won't have time afterward because of soccer games.  Maybe it will have to be a late night run.  I never seem to be motivated enough to run long unless I do it first thing in the morning.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 7.00
Comments
From timp on Sat, May 18, 2013 at 15:21:17 from 99.110.188.230

how did day 1 go?

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
14.000.0014.00

Ended up going to a father and son's camp with Becky's son on Friday night.  It was a torrential downpour so I got no sleep at all.  Saturday was a busy day so by the time I got a chance to run I was too tired.  Put in a good run today.  Ran from home to Bountiful Blvd. then to Eaglewood and finished the loop home.  Lots of hill work.  Kept the pace/effort nice and easy and enjoyed being out on a perfect day.

Had my weigh in at the gym yesterday.  I'm down 30 pounds and 4% body fat since January.  This will help give me that extra little push for the last 10 pounds.  Hoping the body fat drops another 10%.  When the guy saw my abonormally high body fat %, he had a puzzled look on his face.  He gave my side a little pinch and said, "Oh, that makes sense".  Yes, I am a skinny fat guy.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 14.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.000.000.00

Day 1 at the crossfit gym.  It was HARD.  I've been going to the strength and toning class at work for the past few months.  That is nothing compared to this.  It is an hour long class going through different cycles.  Pushups, pullups, burpees, lifting tires, TRX, dumbbells, barbells, and a bunch of other things.  I struggled but made it through the workouts.  They require us to go 3 days per week so my plan for now is to go Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Will run decent mileage on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with recovery runs on the other days if I can fit them in. 

Comments
From Teena Marie on Tue, May 21, 2013 at 06:39:15 from 67.2.119.204

You are going to bei incredibly fit!!! Sounds insanely brutal! :-)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Good solid run on the Rec Center loop.  Arms, chest and quads are a bit sore from yesterday.  Not deabilitating sore but just enough to know I did something new.  I've been in such a bad place the last few months.  It feels good to be taking steps toward feeling better.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 8.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.800.000.80

Day 2 at Firehouse Fitness.  I felt less out of place but still struggled through the exercises.  8 cycles of the usual variety spending 6 minutes in each cycle.  I was encouraged that some of the things that I struggled with on Monday were not as hard today (the dumbell jumping jacks and dumbell punches).  Had a real hard time with burpees and the crab crawl.  One of the cycles was a 6 minute run that I was excited for.  Finally, something that I knew how to do. Unfortunately, it was the second to last cycle and I was exhausted and could only maintain 7:30/mile pace.  If nothing else, I am getting used to the feeling of pusuhing myself outside of the comfort range.  After running for a long time, I have gotten used to the feeling and never really pushed myself out of the comfort range.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 0.80
Comments
From fly on the Wall on Wed, May 22, 2013 at 10:32:49 from 168.180.63.58

What did you do? Cycles of punching a dumb bell? You've more motivation than I. Keep at it and I would guess it will all get easier.

Did you see this article?

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=25277925

I recognize that section of of the Legacy Parkway Trail with the crashed SUV on it. Glad no one was running or biking on it when the thing came to rest.

From Kam on Wed, May 22, 2013 at 10:33:47 from 68.66.163.179

That's the problem I need to solve, Andy. It no problem for me to stay in that steady state for 2 hours at a time, but I don't want to really push for much more than 30 seconds. We need to get together for weekly tempos or intervals on Thursday or Wednesday mornings. It could be a Legacy tradition. That said, I'm glad I wasn't trying to run 6:30 miles in a southerly direction today. It was very windy.

From Rachelle on Wed, May 22, 2013 at 11:00:43 from 159.212.71.77

Nice work Andy! I don't think I'd last 2 seconds...

Love the new picture!

From Andy on Thu, May 23, 2013 at 09:59:37 from 159.212.71.199

Fly - I saw the news story but didn't realize that the car ended up on the trail.

Kam - Tempo Thursday sounds like a good idea. I may need some time to get in good enough shape to keep up with you.

Rachelle - I like the picture because it shows our different pacing styles (the taskmaster and the cheerleader).

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
4.004.008.00

Woke up with a very sore right calf either from the sumo squats or mountain climbers.  With my reduced mileage, I am trying to be better about quality runs.  Opted for a 4 mile tempo run on the Legacy Trail (thanks for the idea Kam).  Warmed up for 2 miles from home to the trail and transitioned right into tempo pace.  Not really sure what that is right now so I targeted 7:00/mile.  Becky needed my Gramin for her long run this morning so I had to use my old school running watch.  Actually prefer to do it this way so I am not constantly looking at my pace.  It is better to pick the pace by feel than by what your watch says.  Unfortunately, my internal speedometer is not quite calibrated so the pace was all over the place (6:48, 6:55, 6:31, 6:48).  Mile 2 seemed to be the most difficult.  There is a very slight elevation gain on the trail (mile markers 3 to 2) but that wouldn't account for the slower, more difficult pace.  Maybe it was mental.  Over compensated during the 3rd mile and I also crossed paths with Becky so I probably felt the need to show off.  Felt good about the run.  Once I got into a groove, it was a good feeling to be moving at a decent clip.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 8.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.100.003.10

Shorter session of crossfit that ended with a 15 minute run.  I extended it and ran the 5k loop.  Kept the pace around 7:30/mile and it felt really good. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 3.10
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
17.000.0017.00

Very windy run.  Headed south on the LPT as I wanted to put in the work into the wind the first half of the run and half the wind at my back during the second half.  The wind was blowing much harder than I expected and it was tough.  Kept the pace around 8:15/mile and it took a lot of work.  Connected to the JRP and continued on to Rose Park golf course.  Turned around and couldn't believe how much easier it was.  Pace dropped to 7:40 and it felt very comfortable.  Overall, I felt great during the run.  I am slowly but surely making my way down the comeback trail.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 17.00
Comments
From JD on Sat, May 25, 2013 at 15:37:54 from 65.130.248.70

great run. one of things I appreciate most about turning around after running into the wind for a few miles is the instant reduction in noise.

Race: Memorial Day Classic (13.1 Miles) 01:31:11, Place overall: 4, Place in age division: 1
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.0013.1013.10

We decided late Friday night to run the Memorial Day Classic half marathon in Syracuse put on by Striders Running Store.  It has been a long time since I have been in race mode so the plan was to dip my toe in the racing waters.  Quite frankly, I have been afraid to race because I didn't want the discouragement of the results.  Didn't want to kill myself but wanted to give a good, solid effort.  My plan was to run 7:15/mile and see how it felt.  The course is pancake flat so would give me honest feedback on my fitness level.  The race started and nobody was interested in running fast.  I ended up leading for the first 3/4 mile which forced me to run a little faster than planned.  Modified my goal and locked in 7:00/mile pace and tried to maintain that the rest of the way.  At times, it felt a bit forced.  When it did, I would modify my stride to get in a more comfortable rythmn.  Focused on shorter quicker strides instead of my typical long, loping strides.  Every mile was between 6:56 and 7:01 until mile 12.  At that point, there were 2 runners that were slowly coming back to me that I wanted to catch.  Switched gears and started to lengthen my stride to pick up the pace.  Got by them, moved into fourth place and just tried to hold on to the end.  Last 2 miles were 6:40 and 6:45 and I finished in 1:31:11, missing 3rd place by 9 seconds.  I only had one low moment during the 11th mile.  I certainly had plenty in the tank at the end but the effort was solid the entire race and a good indication that I am moving in the right direction.  It's a strange feeling being happy with a 1:31 half but I'm accepting my place in my third running life.   

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 13.10
Comments
From AngieB on Mon, May 27, 2013 at 12:25:57 from 174.253.176.64

Hey Andy! I knew you looked familiar. Great job! You came in really strong. You will def run some fast times this yr. That race was my very first half ever a few years ago and I've since then shaved off 11 min from that race and your time there is way faster than mine. Keep it up! I see some huge PR's coming your way.

From AngieB on Mon, May 27, 2013 at 13:08:15 from 65.130.67.86

Hey Andy I just realized I think I was cheering the guy in ahead of you and were you the one that said hey don't let him know I'm coming? Aw man I'm sorry had I realized it was you I would of ram in w ya those last 2 miles and helped ya in. Sorry man.

From Clay on Mon, May 27, 2013 at 19:40:35 from 67.182.216.41

Nice race Andy! It is so good to see you running again and blogging! keep up the great work you are for sure on the right track!

From Teena Marie on Mon, May 27, 2013 at 21:09:25 from 67.2.119.204

I like it!!!! :) :) :)

Congrats.

From Andy on Tue, May 28, 2013 at 09:30:37 from 159.212.71.17

Not a problem, Angie. There wasn't enough time left for me to catch him.

From Rachelle on Tue, May 28, 2013 at 09:57:19 from 159.212.71.17

Nice work Andy! I am so glad you decided to jump in on this race. It should be a big confidence booster for you and I am excited to see you get back into the racing game.

From timp on Tue, May 28, 2013 at 10:17:41 from 159.63.144.194

well done Andy

From Tara on Tue, May 28, 2013 at 17:03:00 from 75.169.138.237

Very nice second gear in the last miles, Andy! You're back!!!!

From Rhett on Thu, May 30, 2013 at 10:13:28 from 184.10.148.68

Nice race Andy. You'll be back under 1:30 for a half soon if you keep up the consistency you have shown recently.

From Smooth on Fri, May 31, 2013 at 21:21:25 from 71.35.212.74

Huge smile on my face!!! Excellent job getting back in the racing game again, Andy!!! :) :) :)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.000.001.00

Crossfit session included a 7 minute run.  I went a few seconds longer to get in a full mile.  Feel completely exhausted today.  Why aren't holiday weekends more relaxing?

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 1.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.600.001.60

Crossfit:  Today was brutally hard.  A lot of repetitions of each exercise and I'm not experienced enough to accomplish all of them in the allotted time.  Fortunately, the workout included two 6 minute runs.  That is still the only thing that I can do well there.  Even though this is killing me, I am starting to feel better about myself which is what is important.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 1.60
Comments
From Rachelle on Wed, May 29, 2013 at 09:40:52 from 159.212.71.77

Glad to hear you are liking it Andy.

From AngieB on Wed, May 29, 2013 at 11:22:47 from 216.206.44.14

I totally want to start doing crossfit. I've been going back and forth on it for a couple yrs now. I really think it helps alot. I have a couple friends that don't run just do crossfit and do races and run competitive times just from crossfit. I may be taking it up soon.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Run up to Bountiful Blvd and back home.  Wanted to do a more difficult run today since I have only run a couple of times this week.  Decent effort going up and just kind of cruised coming back down.  Legs felt a little worn out and I couldn't get a good turnover on the downhill. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 8.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
2.700.002.70

Crossfit. A different type of workout today.  It was more focused on specific muscle groups.  Tweaked my neck on one of them and it is still killing me.  Included three 6 minute runs.  I got progressively slower on each one (1 mile, 0.9 miles, 0.8 miles).

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 2.70
Race: Superhero 5K (3.1 Miles) 00:19:33, Place overall: 4, Place in age division: 1
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
13.903.1017.00

My girls haven't done a race for a while so when I saw the South Davis Community Hospital Superhero 5k on the schedule I thought they would have fun with that.  Ordered them costumes (bat girl and black widow) and I just wore a superman shirt and red shorts.  Couldn't find a red cape.  They wanted to run this one on their own which forced me to actually race a 5k.  I told myself I wouldn't race one until I was ready to run it under 20 minutes.  Guess I had to give it a shot. The horn went off and a few high school kids jumped into the lead.  Another guy passed me but I could tell he wasn't going to last the entire race at that pace.  I wasn't wearing my Garmin so I wasn't sure how fast I was running but the pace felt hard.  Hit the first mile marker in 6:20 which is exactly what I needed on this course for a sub 20.  As we made the turn on to Porter Ln with a very gradual incline, I started moving up on 2 runners.  Continued to run controlled and past them close to the halfway point.  Tried to keep the pace to discourage them from staying with me.  It worked on the older guy but not on the high school kid.  He would catch up then drop back.  Continued this for a half mile then I started to gap him.  I knew that my only chance of beating him was to have a good enough lead before we made the final turn on to 400 north.  There was no way I was going to out kick his young legs.  Thought I had a good enough lead but heard him coming up fast with 0.2 to go.  He flew by, I offered words of encouragement and cruised to the finish.  Finished in 19:33 but I suspect the course may have been slightly short.  Still sub 20 even if I added the extra distance.  Ran back to find my girls.  Gracie was doing great (finished in 27 minutes - a 2 minute pr) but Emma was struggling.  Once I got to her, I just told her to run easy to the end.  No more stopping.  She was disappointed but still felt good about completing the race. 

Got home and felt good enough to put in a few more miles.  It was cool enough outside that it wasn't too punishing.  Ran down to the LPT and put in 12 additional miles.  Averaged 8:15/mile and felt great. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 17.00
Comments
From Kam on Sun, Jun 02, 2013 at 21:50:07 from 199.192.101.88

He's back! Nice job, Andy. Familiarity with the course is a nice thing. That first mile is always lightning quick.

From Rachelle on Mon, Jun 03, 2013 at 10:10:14 from 159.212.71.69

Back indeed. Nice work Andy. Did you get a picture of the girls in there costumes?

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.300.007.30

Absolutely no energy today.  Cut the run a little short because I just wasn't feeling it.  Felt the same way at the gym yesterday.  My weight dropped a few pounds over the weekend so I'm guessing that I am very dehydrated which is what is causing the lack of energy. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 7.30
Comments
From Kam on Tue, Jun 04, 2013 at 10:45:28 from 68.66.163.179

Ah, it must be time for a mtn dew.

From Andy on Tue, Jun 04, 2013 at 10:47:02 from 159.212.71.199

Once step ahead of you.

From Kam on Tue, Jun 04, 2013 at 10:47:40 from 68.66.163.179

Wash it down with equal parts water and you should be good to go.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
2.700.002.70

Crossfit:  All arms today mixed in with 3 six minute runs (cycle 1: dumb bell hammer curls, dumb bell shoulder presses, bar presses; cycle 3: TRX curls, TRX T's, TRX tricep presses; cycle 5: band curls, band rows, band presses).  While it was a workout, it was not nearly as hard as some of the other days.  I feel kind of dumb struggling through all of the regular exercises then blasting through the runs. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 2.70
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Started out with a couple of sluggish miles then picked it up.  Last 5 felt very good. I realized that running 2 races in one week after not racing in a year took more of a toll on me than I anticipated. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 8.00
Comments
From JD on Thu, Jun 06, 2013 at 15:43:51 from 70.96.78.188

nice crash course on racing! good to see you coming back to form.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
19.000.0019.00

Got a little later start than I planned and knew the heat could potentially be an issue.  My plan was to enjoy a Garminless 17 miler.  Didn't care what the pace was.  Just wanted to get in some miles.  First 2 miles to the LPT were a bit clunky but then was able run a little smoother once I hit the trail.  As I hit the turn around point and the wind was no longer blowing into my face, I realized how warm it was.  Got to mile 11 and realized how thirsty I was and took my last swig of Gatorade.  Got to 15 and felt fine so decided if I could make it 1.5 miles more to the park with the water fountain, I could get to 19 for the day.  Actually felt good for much of the run.  Not sure what kind of person puts in a 19 mile run with no race on the horizon.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 19.00
Comments
From Tara on Sat, Jun 08, 2013 at 12:01:29 from 199.190.170.24

Nice long run alone, and Garmin-less!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
4.000.004.00

Started the morning with a session at the gym.  Tough workout made much worse by the assessment by the trainer that I have absolutely no ab muscles.  He saw me struggling with one of the exercises and wanted to feel my abs.  After much poking and prodding, I don't think he could find them.  You would think that after running thousands and thousands of miles that I would have accidentally developed some ab muscles.  Got home and decided to run a few miles to clear my head and lift my spirits.  My legs were still tired from the workout and took a mile to get into a good rythmn. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 4.00
Comments
From Kam on Thu, Jun 13, 2013 at 18:26:53 from 68.66.163.179

Abs are overrated, but that's coming from a guy with an impeccable six-pack. (yeah right)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Hot and windy and I am very tired so the run kind of suffered.  Happy to get some miles. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 8.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
4.000.004.00

A little bit of everything at the gym today including a 7 minute run (1 mile).  After the gym, I went out for a few more super easy miles.  Not sure if it is really worth putting in these miles but I'm trying to make an effort maintain decent weekly mileage.  Checked my body fat % just for fun and it is down 3% in the last month and 7% since January.  Still have quite a ways to go. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 4.00
Comments
From DaleG on Wed, Jun 12, 2013 at 19:58:47 from 152.216.11.5

You're really kickin' butt with the workouts lately. I don't think I could handle crossfit. What is your goal weight?

From Andy on Wed, Jun 12, 2013 at 21:43:32 from 76.27.65.244

I don't really have a goal weight. Wherever it lands is fine as long as I feel good. I'm at 185 now and think it will probably settle around 180.

From DaleG on Wed, Jun 12, 2013 at 22:01:53 from 152.216.11.5

Sounds like a good weight. I really want to get back down to 175 or lower. I have 35 lbs to go. The older I get, the harder it is to get the weight off.

From Kam on Thu, Jun 13, 2013 at 18:28:02 from 68.66.163.179

You'll get there, Andy...You too, Dale. I'm getting wound up about the relay, Andy. I'm glad at least you won't be a stranger.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.000.006.00

Did not feel well at all this morning.  Skipped the gym because I am pacing the 1:35 group at the American Fork half tomorrow.  I was afraid that if it was a heavy day, I would be too wiped out to run well tomorrow.  Was hoping for a few spunky miles to get used to the 7:15/mile pace but never could get going.  The race is a downhill course so I will be fine but wished I felt better going into it.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 6.00
Race: American Fork Half Marathon (pacer) (13.1 Miles) 01:34:30
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
13.100.0013.10

Stumbled out of bed at 3:45 this morning - literally.  No idea what my problem was but I was light headed and couldn't stand up straight.  I imagine this is what being drunk feels like.  I had serious concerns about running this race.  Got ready, got to the busses and didn't feel any better.  Figured that I would give it what I had and hope for the best.  Pacing 1:35 is a little different.  The runners are a little more serious and it is too fast of a pace to hold a conversation.  My main focus is to maintain a good, even effort and just be a target for the other runners.  Becky had an aggressive goal of 1:35 as well so her plan was to stick with me as long as she could.  As the race started, I had a real hard time locking in the pace.  Becky had commented that it felt like we were going a little slow and sure enough we were 10 seconds/mile slower than we wanted.  I was finally able to find the right effort during the second mile and settled into a nice rythmn.  We built a 30 second cushion and maintained that. I walked the second aid station to give back a little time and Becky continued on.  That was the last I saw of her.  Actually, I was able to watch her the rest of the race from a minute behind her.  The rest of the race was pretty uneventful.  Was close to right on pace at every mile marker.  The hill during the 11th mile took a decent amount of effort but once you crest it, it is smooth sailing the rest of the way.  I was 10 seconds ahead of schedule at mile 12 and kept the pace even during the last mile.  Somehow ended up 30 seconds early. Finished a little too soon but it was close enough.  Becky ended up running 1:33:42 which was incredible.  She was worried about 1:35 and she absolutely destroyed her goal. 

After looking at the splits, it looks like it was mile 10 that did me in.  I don't think I gave the big drop at the end of the 10th mile enough credit when I developed the pace weights.  I am not going to adjust it because I don't want to take the seconds away from any of the other miles.   

 Mile  Actual  Target  Seconds Diff 
 1  7:10   7:15  -5
 2  7:05  7:17  -12
 3  7:19  7:19  0
 4  7:14  7:06  +8
 5  6:56  6:53  +3
 6  6:52  6:53  -1
 7  7:07  7:10  -3
 8  7:08  7:19  -11
 9  7:25  7:21  +4
 10  7:11  7:28  -17
 11  7:29  7:28  +1
 12  7:21  7:21  0
 13  7:26  7:28  -2
 13.1  0:49  0:48  +1

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 13.10
Comments
From Tara on Sat, Jun 15, 2013 at 16:43:26 from 75.169.137.185

Very nice, Andy! You are a great pacer. SUPER impressed with Becky!!

From Clay on Sat, Jun 15, 2013 at 17:33:02 from 67.182.216.41

Nice job Andy!

From Teena Marie on Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 06:42:49 from 65.130.20.158

Wahoo!!!! That is AWESOME!!! Tell Becky congrats for me. That is an incredible time!

So ... Did you ever figure out what your deal was with the whole dizziness thing-a-ma-bopper?

From Andy on Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 07:48:14 from 199.190.170.31

My best guess is that the dizziness was a blood pressure issue. Still feel a little funny but it is fine.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.500.001.50

Killer workout at Firehouse which included a couple of runs.  I didn't finish the other workouts in time to get to the last run so I had to stay after class to get it in. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 1.50
Comments
From Tara on Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 18:46:19 from 75.169.138.94

So are you doing Cross Fit? I've had that on my mind lately. We need to figure out a time to meet up with Kam at the track for some fast stuff.

From Andy on Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 21:25:26 from 76.27.65.244

I've been doing crossfit for the past month. I needed something a little different to get my body moving in the right direction. I am sacrificing my running for better overall fitness. Once I get to a good point physically, I can ramp the running back up again.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Very low energy during the run this morning.  I'm running Ragnar (ultra) on Friday and may be in trouble. Breaking in a new pair of shoes and they gave me blisters.  I love the cushioning of new shoes but it always takes a few runs for the insoles to feel right.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 8.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
2.000.002.00

Workout at Firehouse was geared towards legs which concerns me with Ragnar coming up.  My legs were already sore from a basketball tournament at work and this probably won't help.  I find it interesting how my legs get sore when I ask them to do something a little different than they are used to.  It goes to show how running targets specific muscles and neglects the others.  I struggle with the exercises that require balancing on one leg (cranes, lunges, etc.) because for the last 10 years I have trained my legs to focus solely on propelling my body forward in a straight line.  The workout this morning included a 0.5 mile run and a 1.5 mile run.  Couldn't finish all cycles in the allotted 40 minutes so I stayed after to finish them up.  After 4 weeks at the gym, I am feeling less like a misfit.  I can finally get through most of the exercises without asking what we are supposed to be doing.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 2.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.000.005.00

Skipped the gym this morning because I was worried it would trash my legs.  My calves are killing me from yesterday which will make running from Pineview to Snowbasin tomorrow a whole lot more interesting.  Went for a nice and easy run to flush out whatever garbage is hanging around in my legs.  Weather was nice and cool.  Hope it stays this way tomorrow. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 5.00
Comments
From allie on Thu, Jun 20, 2013 at 10:53:35 from 97.126.223.94

WB time. have fun.

From Andy on Thu, Jun 20, 2013 at 10:55:02 from 159.212.71.17

Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike Ragnar?

From allie on Thu, Jun 20, 2013 at 11:14:30 from 97.126.223.94

it's one of my least favorite activities...and yet i've done it three times. that is ragnar's genius -- somehow, they capture everyone.

it will be fun. :)

Race: Wasatch Back Legs 11 & 12 (9.25 Miles) 01:19:37
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
9.250.009.25

I'm not a real big fan of Ragnar but can't seem to say no when asked to join a team.  This year, I had an opportunity to run it ultra style again.  If you are going to do it, may as well make it as painful as possible.  I was the last runner covering legs 11, 12, 23, 24, 35 and 36. 

My first run started at 7:00 p.m. and was the lovely climb from Pineview to Snow Basin finishing up with 2 mile loop on the trails around the ski resort.  I actually really like the run up to Snow Basin.  I did it a few years ago when runner 11 only went up half way.  Started out a few seconds behind a runner and he steadily pulled away for the first mile.  Figured there was no need to be pushing too hard this early.  He gradually started coming back so I kept the effort higher than it should have been.  After passing him, I kept pushing because I didn't want him to pass me.  Ened up giving more of an effort than I should have but it felt really good.  Leg 12 started with an intense climb during the first 1/2 mile.  It about killed me.  Once it leveled out, it was kind of fun hitting the trails.  I'm glad it was still light out as running this in the dark would have been treacherous.  Weaved my way through the trails and finished up back at the resort. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 9.25
Race: Wasatch Back Legs 23, 24, 35 and 36 (23.6 Miles) 03:22:50
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
23.600.0023.60

After a full night of mixed up exchanges (sorry Kam!), concern about a possible missing runner and about 45 minutes of sleep, my 2nd set of legs started at 6:50 in the morning.  I did not have any night time runs this time which was strange for a relay.  During my run up to Snow Basin, I noticed my feet were slopping around in my shoes so I opted to wear a pair that only had one run in them.  There was a lot of slipping during that one run so making this decision was incredibly stupid (more on that later).  The run was 11.9 miles and was a gradual climb by Rockport and into Oakley.  Of course, I started out too fast again as I was drawn into the long string of runners I could start picking off.  Passed the guy in orange shorts that I battled with during my first leg.  He was wisely taking it easy (more on that later).  I felt great during leg 23.  Both legs were supposed to be unsupported so when my van passed, I told them to go on ahead to the last exchange.  Crusied through the chute at exchange 23 and was moving well.  A girl went flying by me shortly after the exchange and I think it took the wind out of my sails.  Felt like I lost all of my energy.  In reality, I was entering the section of the run that included a long slow climb.  Not steep by any means but enough to sap you of all of your energy.  I just beared down and plugged along to the end.  My pace slipped into the 8's for a couple of miles but I recovered and was able to finish the last 2 in the 7's.  After finishing, I grabbed breakfast at the Oakley fair grounds (always my favorite part of Wasatch Back) and we were on the road again.  I think I shut down at this point because I remember very little from here on out.

Did the typical relay thing for the next set of runners.  Holly ran 16 more miles (bringing her total to 42+), Jake ran, Jorge ran, Josh ran, Kam ran, we messed up another one of Kam's exchanges (sorry - I really tried to get him there), then Jorge charged up Guardsman Pass.  Now it was my turn for a 1 mile climb then 8 screaming downhill miles followed by a nice little jog around Park City.  Well, that was the plan.  Took off and loved the first uphill mile of my run.  Charged to the top of Guardsman and was ready for the fun.  Once I got to the downhill, it didn't take long for me to realize that my shoes were not tied tight enough.  My feet were slipping around .  The first mile was about the speed I wanted but my feet were getting major blisters and they were killing me.  A girl went flying by me and I just let her go.  Then I heard another runner approaching.  Looked back and it was the guy in orange shorts.  He blew by me and I had no chance of keeping up.  Tried to take some satisfaction in the fact that I beat him 2 out of 3 legs but he was crushing me on this one.  Tried to settle into a comfortable pace but could never find one.  Felt like my legs were run through a meat grinder and somebody took a cheese grater to my feet.  How was I going to finish this 11+ mile run?  Dropped into Park City and the elevation drop was more tolerable.  I was frustrated because I couldn't take advantage of it.  The section on the backside of Main Street was rough because I could smell all of the food that was being cooked.  All I had eaten in the last 2 days was a couple of protein drinks and a turkey sandwich.  I was hungry!  Closed in on the high school, went down a flight of stairs (seriously?) and cruised through the chute at exchange 35.  Thought all that was left was a comfortable 3 mile loop.  Ragnar had a different plan.  Had to climb up the side of a mountain that was too steep to run.  Thought I was being a baby but took some comfort in that everybody else was walking and they hadn't just run 8 miles.  My excitement of reaching the top was quickly squashed as I realized that I had to go back down something that only slightly resembled a trail.  Wasn't even wide enough to call it single track.  Roots and rocks were everywhere.  With the blisters on my feet, I had no ability to properly manuever down the hill.  I knew it was going to be a grind but I had to get through it.  Nothing like a couple of 13 minute miles to destroy your ego.  Got to the aid station at the end of the dirt road and sucked down as much water as I could.  All 6 of my legs were unsupported and I foolishly did not take water with me on the last run.  Once on the paved road, I had no energy left.  All I could do was focus on putting one foot in front of the other.  It was a little demoralizing thinking that I am a decent runner and I was struggling to keep up with the people around me.  With a half mile to go, I came across another runner struggling and walking.  Told her that it was only 1/2 mile to the end and she had to run the rest of the way with me.  She picked up the pace and finished well.  I bumbled and stumbled the last little bit and finally got across the finish line. 

While it was a good experience, doing 2 ultra Ragnars was enough for a lifetime. Nobody ask me to do it again because I do not have the ability to say no.  Two days later, my calves are completely trashed and I can barely walk. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 23.60
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.000.001.00

Debated whether or not to go to the gym today as I can barely walk.  Everything feels great except both of my calves are extremely sore.  Went to Firehouse and luckily the workouts were not heavy on the legs.  I actually felt better while I was there than I have all weekend.  Ran 1 very slow mile while I was there.  Still struggling to walk but know the pain will eventually subside.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 1.00
Comments
From Teena Marie on Mon, Jun 24, 2013 at 12:59:50 from 128.110.79.204

Glad things are starting to feel better.

Hey, while I have your attention I have been meaning to ask you something:

Any chance you wanna run an ultra ragnar with me sometime this or next year???? :) :) :)

(I'm just funnin' with you!!!)

You are AMAZING!!! :)

From Andy on Mon, Jun 24, 2013 at 13:11:58 from 159.212.71.199

For you, I might make an exception.

From AngieB on Mon, Jun 24, 2013 at 13:14:08 from 199.190.170.22

Nice Job on the ultra. I am amazed by the ultra ragnar runners. Thats some toughness right there. Good job!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.000.000.00

Still unable to walk/run correctly so I went to Firehouse so I could get some exercise in.  Hoped/prayed it would be easy on the legs and little to no running.  Was relieved when I saw the board and it was mostly geared towards upper body.  The sprints and jump rope concerned me but I actually had zero pain/discomfort while working out.  Walking around the rest of the day, on the other hand, has been quite interesting.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Nice run to elephant rock with Kam, Allie and Tara.  My calves are still problematic so I probably should not have run, let alone run hills.  Going up was fine until we got close to the rock.  I felt stabbing pains in both calves.  After a short break at the rock, we continued up the trail to extend the full run to 8 miles.  For future reference, the poop on the trail is the 4 mile mark.  Coming back down was fine until the last mile which was quite painful.  The other 3 decided to play in the river but I didn't want to go through the hassle of taking off my shoes and socks so I headed home.  Walking is quite painful so I may have to take tomorrow off. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 8.00
Comments
From Tara on Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 10:32:46 from 141.0.10.65

Ah! I had no idea your legs were in pain. Sorry, we really should of turned around at the rock. But you also should have really got in the river. Tisk, risk, risk! So glad you were able to make it Andy. Take it easy and rest your legs. Also, make Becky come next time.

From allie on Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 10:40:58 from 161.38.221.168

i forgot to mention the poop turnaround, and so did tara. i'm glad someone got that down.

sorry about the sore legs -- i would have never guessed based on how relaxed you looked, so there's that...

i think taking a day off is good idea. i also think staying out of the river is a good idea.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.000.000.00

Changed my mind about going to Firehouse 3 times this morning but eventually made my way to the gym.  Should have stayed home.  Pulled my left calf muscle during one of the exercises.  It was a tough overall workout so glad that I went, other than the strained calf.

Race: Provo Midnight Half Marathon (pacer) (13.1 Miles) 01:49:30
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
13.100.0013.10

When a spot opened up for this pacing gig, Becky volunteered me to join her.  Wasn't overly excited about it but felt better about it by calling it a date night.  Going into this, I had two big concerns. First, I was sitting in the blistering sun all day watching soccer games so was very concerned about being dehydrated - especially considering my propensity to wilt in the heat due to my size.  My biggest concern, however, was that my calves are still damaged from Ragnar.  Not sure if I'm ready to call it an injury yet but they are very painful.  Sometimes I think I just create potential issues just so I have things to worry about.  Pacing the 1:50 group should be just a comfortable long run but with the flat course and the race time temperature in the 90's, this is about 9 minutes slower than most races so I was not 100% confident I could hit the goal. 

Got to the starting line and geared up with all the different types of lights.  It was a super small race (120 runners - 20 of which were pacers) so we knew that we would most likely be running alone.  We had a few people start out with us to take advantage of my head lamp but were completely alone from miles 3 to 12.  Pretty uneventful run.  We were within 10 seconds of our goal time the entire race.  Realized at mile 5 that the Garmin was going to measure 0.1 short so we tried giving a few seconds back every mile towards the end to account for Garmin/course error.  At mile 12, we came upon a girl that was struggling.  Told her to stay with us and she was able to pick it up and finish ahead of us.  I guess helping one runner at the end makes it worth the effort we put in.  Ended up crossing the finish line 30 seconds early but the RD confirmed the course was short so I will consider it a success.  It definitely took more effort than a typical race but it was a fun experience because I got to spend an hour and fifty minutes with my favorite runner.

During the run, I had major pains in both calves.  They were especially painful on the little up and down sections going into and out of the underpasses.  It makes running a little less enjoyable but they will eventually heal.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 13.10
Comments
From Kam on Mon, Jul 01, 2013 at 12:41:46 from 68.66.163.179

I wonder what the muscular damage is. I'm sure you'll be back at 100% soon.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.000.000.00

I am terrible about hydrating properly on the weekends.  When I am working, I always have a cup of water that I drink throughout the day.  On the weekends, I rarely drink and usually drink more soda than I should.  I definitely paid the price for it today.  Blacked out a few times while at Firehouse today.  The workout wasn't overly difficult but being dehydrated took it's toll on me.  I have cut back on running more than I should have so I need to find a way to ramp the miles back up again.  I may have to get creative to find a way to squeeze a couple of extra runs in each week. 

Comments
From Kam on Tue, Jul 02, 2013 at 13:54:12 from 68.66.163.179

We need to get our weekly tempo thing going. That'll take care of one. Which morning? Wednesday at 6:30? 2-3 mile warmup and meet at the 1200 N. West Bountiful trailhead? Not tomorrow, though. I want to save up for the 5k on Thursday...

Hope your calfs feel better soon.

From Tara on Tue, Jul 02, 2013 at 14:20:23 from 75.169.140.80

Well what do we have here! Trying to be sneaky are we? Not sure if I should be offended. Is this a boys club? I must have misplaced that memo somewhere. Can I at least be the water "boy?" Andy could use one from the sound of it. I know it's lame to have a girl tag along. I didn't know you two became besties behind my back! Give me a day, I'll be okay.

From Kam on Tue, Jul 02, 2013 at 15:35:05 from 68.66.163.179

You also should come, Tara. I've been blabbing about doing some mid-week group workouts for months, and it's getting time for me to put up or shut up.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.000.0010.00

Ran 5 miles with Becky then 5 miles on my own.  Temperature is 78 but it felt a lot warmer for some reason.  The effort felt a lot harder than it should have.  Calvers are driving me crazy.  It's not really a hurty pain but they pull every time I take a step.  They really started to wear down towards the end of the run. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 10.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.000.001.00

No real running today.  Just a 7 minute run that was part of the workout at Firehouse.  Debating whether or not I should try something resembling a tempo run tomorrow.  Not sure if the calves are up to it and if there is really any benefit at this point.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 1.00
Comments
From DaleG on Wed, Jul 03, 2013 at 23:00:35 from 152.216.11.5

I have had a calf stain for some time now. It never seems to go away, even if I don't run. in other words, I have no advice for you. lol

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Felt pretty lousy at the start of the run.  Had absolutely no energy.  Didn't bother wearing a watch because I knew there was no way I could muster the energy for any speedwork.  Felt better as the run progressed.  Felt teh best during the last mile.  On the bright side, my calves only ached a little.  They are definitely towards the end of the healing process.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 8.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.000.001.00

Just a couple of short runs at Firehouse.  Nothing exciting.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 1.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
20.000.0020.00

Headed out the door for a long run of unknown length.  I haven't put in a real long run in quite awhile so I wanted to get a decent amount of distance.  Figured 18ish would be a good distance to target.  No Garmin so the Legacy trail was my only option if I wanted to know for sure how far I ran.  Also, couldn't find my fuel belt so I only had 16 oz of Gatorade.  This was going to be a good test for me.  Locked in a comfortable pace and just puttered along the trail.  At each potential turnaround point (17, 18, 19) I felt good enough to continue to the next.  Got to 10 miles, turned around and headed home.  Got to 15 miles before I started to feel the affects of glycogen depletion.  Was a little light headed but the rest of the body actually felt good.  Despite being incredibly thirsty, I felt very good.  Actually felt very strong during the last mile.  One thing that I noticed is that with the improved core strength, my running economy has improved and I do not get as fatigued on the long runs.  No idea what my average pace was.  Probably somewhere between 8:15 and 8:30.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 20.00
Comments
From Teena Marie on Sat, Jul 06, 2013 at 14:41:23 from 65.130.20.158

That is AWESOME!!!

I definitely need to get more core in. :)

From Andy on Sat, Jul 06, 2013 at 15:50:49 from 76.27.65.244

Don't get me wrong. My stomach is still a big tub of goo. It is just a little stronger than before and is helping a lot.

From Teena Marie on Sat, Jul 06, 2013 at 15:53:13 from 65.130.20.158

Stronger than before is good!!! Not goo (you missed the "d"). :) :) :)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.000.000.00

Maybe I am not supposed to work out on Mondays.  Lots of new exercises at Firehouse which is hard for me.  I spend half my time trying to figure out what I am supposed to do and usually do them wrong anyway.  After my struggles at the gym, I thought about putting in a few easy miles.  Got a few steps into it and started to black out and decided it was better to just throw in the towel. 

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.000.0010.00

Started with 5 miles with Becky.  It was supposed to be a recovery run for her but she still isn't convinced of how slow recovery runs are supposed to be (I think we averaged 8:30/mile)..  I think it takes a couple of marathon cycles to really appreciate slow recovery runs.   

After she was done, I went out to the golf course and back for another 5 miles.  Wanted to dial in the pace for my pacing duties at Bryce this weekend.  Averaged 7:30/mile (target was 7:38) and it felt very comfortable.  Didn't have my Garmin but I've run that route so many times I know where every quarter mile marker is so it was easy to stay on pace. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 10.00
Comments
From AngieB on Tue, Jul 09, 2013 at 13:38:20 from 174.251.16.82

Nice run Andy! Have fun pacing sat. That will be fun.

From Telly on Tue, Jul 16, 2013 at 11:48:37 from 63.248.64.205

I need to learn the meaning of recovery runs too! I don't want to burn out. I have got to slow down!!! You're a crazy strong steady runner!!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.300.001.30

Cross training at Firehouse included 2 runs (0.8 miles and 0.5 miles).  Actually felt decent at the gym today.  First time ever. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 1.30
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Eight miserable miles on the LPT.  Had no energy today.  Not sure if it is lack of sleep or if I have a little bug. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 8.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.700.006.70

Went out 23 minutes meandering through Logan and River Heights then turned around and headed back towards the hotel.  I took one wrong turn and ended up extending the run a little.  Ended up averaging 7:28/mile.  I really like the way that pace feels.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 6.70
Race: Bryce Canyon Half (pacer) (13.1 Miles) 01:39:55
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.0013.1019.10

Quick trip to Bryce Canyon to pace the 1:40 group at the half marathon.  We stayed at Ruby's Inn which is just up the street from the starting line.  The thought was that staying by the start line in a hotel would give us a better night's sleep then staying at the campgrounds in Tropic.  Didn't quite turn out that way because of a sick child in the room.  After a mostly sleepless night, we made our way down to the starting line 30 minutes prior to the start of the race.  I slept incredibly well the night before so was not concerned about the lack of sleep. 

Had a pacing partner today (Ben Ford) which makes things a little easier.  Seems to take some of the pressure off.  We worked well together in that he was very talkative and knew a lot of the people that were running with us and I was able to keep our pace honest.  We settled into a comfortable effort and just plugged away until the end.  I'm too tired to dig out my Garmin but we hit every mile within a couple of seconds of the target time.  The pace felt very natural and I never felt overly fatigued the entire race.  Made the last turn about 15 seconds too early so slowed up and crossed the finish line at 1:39:55.

After the race, Becky and Shantell thought it would be fun to add 6 more miles.  I tagged along as the third wheel as we worked our way backwards on the course for 3 miles then returned to the finish line.  The first 3 were uphill and were a little slower and more difficult than I would have liked.  I was starving so choked down a GU hoping it would satisfy my hunger (it didn't).  The last 3 felt great.  Never got the glycogen depletion feeling which was a nice surprise. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 19.00
Comments
From Kam on Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 16:14:26 from 68.66.163.179

Nice pacing, Andy. Wanna do some tempo miles on Wednesday morning? Meet at Pages lane, warmed up and ready to go?

From Andy on Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 18:47:43 from 76.27.65.244

A Wednesday morning tempo run should work. What time? No guarantee that I will spend much time with you.

From Teena Marie on Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 19:51:34 from 65.130.20.158

NICE!!!! Both you and Becky are freakishly fit!!! :) :) :)

Hey ... I'm embarrassed to ask this because I am sure that somewhere in my brain I already know the answer but: Are you doing SGM?

From Andy on Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 20:17:28 from 76.27.65.244

No SGM for me. I'm still too afraid to race right now.

From Teena Marie on Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 20:19:41 from 65.130.20.158

Stinky for me ... but I totally get it!! :)

From Teena Marie on Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 20:20:08 from 65.130.20.158

(Although you are crazy fit right now!!! Just sayin')

From Kam on Tue, Jul 16, 2013 at 09:53:45 from 68.66.163.179

Meet at 6:15 Wednesday morning, Andy.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.004.009.00

Started the morning with a 2.5 mile warm up to the LPT to meet Shantell, Tara and Kam for a tempo run.  We decided to started at a more comfortable pace and make it a progression run.  First 2 miles were into the wind and were 7:09 and 7:00.  Took more effort than it should have.  I could especially feel it towards the end of the second mile when the wind picked up.  With the wind at our backs, we picked the pace up a bit.  Ran mile 3 in 6:39 and Shantell and Tara started to pull away.  Sped up a bit to catch up and finished the 4th mile in 6:30.  Tara was showing off and finished 10 seconds ahead.  Good, solid effort.  It definitely helps to have company on these runs.  Finished with a comfortable 2.5 mile run home.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 9.00
Comments
From Telly on Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 10:59:58 from 63.248.64.205

I made a comment on this post under Tuesday, but you must have just deleted it. I will say it again... You are such a strong runner!! I didn't hear anyone even breathing as I was panting that last mile. Whew! Thanks for letting me run with you guys!

From Andy on Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 11:05:38 from 159.212.71.200

I can't keep track of what day it is so I moved the entry to the correct day after Teena pointed out my mistake. You looked very comfortable running. You have a very natural stride. I was definitely the most fatigued from the group.

From Tara on Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 12:19:58 from 159.212.71.25

Andy- I was totally showing off! Are you impressed? I hope so:)

Thanks for helping me fight off the wind and bugs. I agree, the second mile towards the end was where I started to think about digging deep for the next mile, but as soon as we turned, that 3rd mile was (for me) the easiest. Thanks for showing up. I'm very excited to have Tempo Tuesdays on the calendar with a group!

Hi Shantell:)

From AngieB on Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 13:16:12 from 159.212.71.77

Nice tempo Andy. You guys got a great group going on. Any plans for a fall marathon?

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.000.000.00

Terrible day at Firehouse.  Just the basic exercises but for some reason I really struggled.  It was a very humbling experience.

Comments
From Teena Marie on Thu, Jul 18, 2013 at 08:20:17 from 65.130.20.158

"Just the basic exercises but for some reason I really struggled."

No way it could be the wicked fast pace you ran yesterday!!!! :) :) :)

Perfect: Your body did just the right amount of damage yesterday to now have to adapt and repair making it even stronger!!! :) :) :)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.003.008.00

Five recovery miles with Becky in Garden City.  After I finished the run with her, I went out for a few quicker paced miles.  Ran 3 more at 7:00/mile.  The faster miles felt very good.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 8.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.000.006.00

Wasn't really in the mood to run but knew I would feel better if I did.  Ran 1.5 miles to Logan canyon then 1.5 up the canyon.  The only significant hill was less than a mile.  Kept the effort relatively easy.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 6.00
Comments
From Rhett on Sat, Jul 20, 2013 at 23:25:01 from 199.117.154.53

Good job doing it even when you weren't in the mood. So did you feel better having done it?

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.500.001.50

Focused on arms at Firehouse.  There were 3 half mile runs interspersed throughout the workout.  Amazing how hard it was to run with rubber arms. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 1.50
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
4.004.008.00

I knew that Tempo Tuesday was going to be put on hold this week because Shantell ran 20 yesterday and Tara is racing Des News tomorrow.  Still wanted to attempt some slightly quicker miles this morning so I stuck to the planned routine.  Drove to the LPT and warmed up 2 miles.  Wasn't positive if Kam was going to be there so I waited for a couple of minutes then started my tempo miles.  Decided that I wanted to run 4 miles at lactate threshold.  My plan was to hold 6:50/mile the entire run.  Not a punishing pace but definitely a good, solid effort.  Probably my true lactate threshold pace right now.  Hit every mile at 6:50.  Had to make some corrections during the second half of miles 3 and 4 as I started both of those a little too fast.  Cooled down with 2 easy miles.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 8.00
Comments
From Teena Marie on Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 11:48:31 from 65.130.28.159

That is an AWESOME run!!! :)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
13.100.0013.10

Becky wanted to run the Handcart Days 1/2 marathon as a supported long run.  She wanted to run 8:20/mile so I went along for the ride.  I didn't sign up so I guess I technically bandited the race.  I didn't take any of the fluids along the course so I consider it just coincidentally running the same course at the same time as the race.  At least that is what I am telling myself so that I can maintain some integrity.  We maintained a steady effort the entire run and finished in 1:48:56 (8:19/mile).  The last few miles took a little more effort but it was a good run.  Since it is a small race and it seems everybody ran the Des News half, the winning men's time was 1:31.  I could have won this race again had I actually raced it.  Running with Becky was much more satisfying. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 13.10
Comments
From Teena Marie on Thu, Jul 25, 2013 at 15:02:46 from 71.35.223.145

Very cool!!! :)

Next year how about both you and Becky bring home some hardware!! :) :) :)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.000.005.00

A few less miles than I had hoped because I was too busy with work this morning.  Just ran at a nice and easy pace.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 5.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.000.680.68

Level 1 testing at Firehouse.  Testing at this level is kind of a waste of time.  Included a one minute squat, one minute plank, demonstrated knowledge of the 3 arm combo on TRX, 20 medicine ball hop and reach, and a 0.6 mile run around the block.  Pushed it on the run and was very disappointed with my time (3:47 = 6:18/mile pace).  No way I was going that slow.  Mapped out the course on gmap-pedometer and it is actually 0.68 miles which would be a 5:34/mile pace.  Still not blazing speeds but at least it is reasonable for the effort I was putting in.  Not that it matters but at least I can feel a little better about myself. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 0.68
Comments
From Teena Marie on Fri, Jul 26, 2013 at 11:06:28 from 67.2.101.225

Love it!!! You are AWESOME!!!! :)

From Rhett on Fri, Jul 26, 2013 at 12:24:52 from 24.121.0.8

Sounds like you are more than fit to be a fireman.

Race: Timpanogos Half Marathon (pacer) (13.1 Miles) 01:40:02
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
16.100.0016.10

Paced the 1:40 group at Timpanogos along with Colin.  They made a last minute course change which made the course about 45 seconds slower.  The course is still 3 minutes faster than a flat course so 7:38/mile was a comfortable pace.  It was very warm at the bus loading area but nice and cool at the starting line.  I knew that the last few miles would be more work because of the heat.  It’s times like this that make me glad to be pacing and not racing.  The race started and it was incredibly congested.  Fought through the crowd for the first mile then settled in with a good group.  The pace felt good but I had a hard time locking into the right effort.  My body wanted to run slower so it took more concentration to hit the right pace.  We kept no more than a 20 second lead on our target pace for the first 9 miles.  From here to the end, we were right on target.  We had one runner from Houston that stayed with us the entire race.  She is preparing for the Pocatello marathon and wanted a good practice run on a course with similar elevation change and altitude.  Just before mile 10 we passed a guy who told us we were way ahead of 1:40 pace.  I told him that we were right on target and he disagreed again.  I tried to explain that we were 60 seconds ahead of even pace but that was intentional and were going to give that back on the flat section of the course.  Shouldn’t have bothered me because I understand his state of mind but I make it a point to stay very close to target pace from start to finish and knew we were pacing perfect.  It was warm and 8:00/mile pace started to be a lot of work.  We missed the tunnel at Country Road at mile 12 and ended up crossing a very busy street with no traffic control.    Looked at my watch and we were 2 seconds behind schedule.  Ended up having to push a little more during the last mile than I would have liked.  Ran stride for stride with the lady from Houston for the last 3 miles (I even asked her to carry the pacing sign since she was doing all the work) and crossed the finish line 2 seconds late (crap).   After the race, there were a lot of complaints about the course change.  While it was slower, I think the bigger issue was the heat and humidity we experienced once outside of the canyon. 

After the race, Becky wanted to get in a few more miles so she would be over 50 for the week.  We ran a nice and easy 3 miles.

 Mile  Split  Target
 1 7:31  7:42 
 2 7:35 7:40 
 3 7:36  7:40 
 4 7:17  7:33 
 5 7:06  7:15 
 6 7:38 7:10 
 7 7:12  7:29 
 8 7:32 7:19 
 9 7:46  7:47 
 10 7:44  7:42 
 11 7:57  7:56 
 12 8:04  7:56 
 13 8:00  8:01 
 13.1 1:02  0:50 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 16.10
Comments
From allie on Sat, Jul 27, 2013 at 20:29:45 from 97.126.223.134

way to pace, andy. always reliable.

From Toby on Sat, Jul 27, 2013 at 21:34:14 from 199.101.229.6

Nicely done Andy! I was the crazy spectator at mile 9 and 12 (waiting for my friend) - you guys waved a few times! I was shocked they didn't have an officer on N County Blvd or a volunteer directing people to the tunnel. That is such a crazy intersection. Way to go!

From Pron8r on Sun, Jul 28, 2013 at 17:33:57 from 174.52.242.65

Good to see you, as always. A really nice job pacing, particularly considering the course change and humidity at the end.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.500.003.50

Got a pair of Skechers over the weekend and I was anxious to try them out so I went for a quick run before heading to the gym.  While walking around in them, they are incredibly comfortable.  During the run, I could tell that I will need to make some adjustments to my running form.  It is interesting how the shoes encourages the mid-foot strike.  They definitely have potential.  It's the first pair of minimalist shoes that have felt good. 

For the first time, Becky and I went to Firehouse together.  I have avoided this as I think it is a bad idea for her to see me in such a poor light.  I don't mind it when strangers see me make a fool of myself but it is a little embarassing when somebody who I would like to be impressed with me watches as I stumble through the exercises. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 0.50GoRun2 Miles: 3.00
Comments
From Telly on Tue, Jul 30, 2013 at 08:06:44 from 63.248.64.205

I don't think Becky would ever not be impressed with you. She is always praising you on our runs. I bet you killed it in firehouse anyway!

From Rhett on Tue, Jul 30, 2013 at 17:44:26 from 24.121.0.8

Glad to hear your first run in the Sketchers went well. I'm sure they aren't for everyone, but I really love them.

From Clay on Thu, Aug 01, 2013 at 12:15:16 from 63.248.224.55

You make me laugh Andy???!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.004.0011.00

Ended up running a few more miles than expected.  Started with 2.5 miles to the LPT to meet the tempo crew (Shantell, Tara, Jasmine and Kam).  We started with a little less than a mile at an easier pace for everybody to get warmed up then transitioned into tempo pace.  First mile inclued the tunnel which wreaks havoc with my Garmin.  My distance, pace and time were all askew so I didn't trust any of the readings for the rest of the run.  Pretty sure we ran 6:50ish pace.  I was content with the effort.  If I were really training for something, I would need to push a little more but this pace accomplishes what I want for right now.  Ran another mile to the trail head with the group then 2.5 more home. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 11.00
Comments
From Telly on Tue, Jul 30, 2013 at 13:34:19 from 63.248.64.205

You're such a strong runner Andy! You really make it look too easy. ;)

From Tara on Tue, Jul 30, 2013 at 13:52:41 from 159.212.71.69

Thanks for pushing me today. I was TIEEERRD! and tired.

From Teena Marie on Wed, Jul 31, 2013 at 11:17:41 from 65.130.8.28

WOW!!! Very nice. :)

(Wishing you were running SGM)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.000.0010.00

Run from home to the Bountiful Temple and back.  Got a late start so it was a bit warm.  Had a nice little head wind while going up the hill which made it a lot more fun.  I regretted my decision about 10 feet after I made the turn from Orchard on to 1800 S. when the real hills started.  I felt very sleepy for some reason.  I pushed through the negative thoughts and just focused on one step at a time and maintained a good effort going up.  Form was not as smooth as I wanted coming back down.  I have a real hard time getting my legs to turnover as quickly as they need to on big downhills.  My natural turnover is slower than average (165/minute) which is not conducive to downhill running. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 10.00
Comments
From Teena Marie on Thu, Aug 01, 2013 at 11:06:11 from 65.130.8.28

Hey ... you and Ry have about the same cadence!! We worked on shortening his, even bought a metronome for him to run with. But alas, he prefers his 160-165 spm. :) :) :)

You are having a GREAT week!! :)

From Andy on Thu, Aug 01, 2013 at 11:12:56 from 199.190.170.24

I've run with a metronome but didn't like how much I had to shorten my stride to hit 180. It seems intuitive that somebody with longer legs would have a slower turnover. Since you are the physiology expert, you would know better. Is 180 truly the magic number we should all work towards?

From Teena Marie on Thu, Aug 01, 2013 at 11:21:11 from 65.130.8.28

So, here's the thing: 180+ spm will definitely keep runners from overstriding. With that said, it has been the number taught do runners for quite some time now. HOWEVER, it is not a perfect number. I saw some new research while I was looking at plyometric research that I book marked to look at later regarding cadence and the efficiency of running. I'll hurry at take a gander at it and get right back to you.

Btw, I am short and my cadence is roughly 185 for medium paces and closer to 200 when I am pushing it. I personally feel that the shorter contact time of my feet when I do this allows for more of the coil/recoil energy built up in my muscles to be used to propel me forward rather than being dissipated other places. I think physiologically that makes sense.

Okay ... I'll be back in a second. :)

From Andy on Thu, Aug 01, 2013 at 11:46:19 from 199.190.170.24

Don't do any extra research on my account. I was just trying to justify my deficiencies.

From Teena Marie on Thu, Aug 01, 2013 at 11:55:36 from 65.130.8.28

Okay ... I couldn't find it. I thought I bookmarked it but I must not have. I will look for it later when I get some time because it is something I am very interested in and it appeared to be new research. All I know is that to increase your speed you have to either increase your stride length or your frequency. For whatever reason, in my mind, I decided that frequency was the way to go due to reduced contact times and less chance of injury. But like I said, I am not exactly sure why I came up to that conclusion. I also remember Ryan saying the same thing to me, "But I am tall and you are short and so naturally I will take longer steps." This is true ... but should it really affect frequency? I also remember looking up some article that showed the frequency and step length of various elite runners. It was interesting. Sometimes the taller runners would actually have a higher frequency than the shorter runners. But they all seemed to have at least 180 spm.

Am I making any sense? Probably not ... I have been doing a lot of rambling. :)

The one thing I know for sure is:

RUNNING SPEED = STEP LENGTH X STEP FREQUENCY!! :)

:) :) :) :)

Maybe more later ... maybe not. :)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
16.500.0016.50

After a few hectic days at the end of a few super busy months, I finally crashed last night.  Fell asleep at 7 and woke up at 6.  Can't remember the last time I got that much sleep.  No time for a long run yesterday so I went out early this morning to get some miles in.  I was hoping for 20.  Started out and felt really good (11 hours of sleep will do that to you).  Headed to the LPT then ran south.  Got off the trail at Center Street and ran towards the airport.  Kind of cool watching the airplanes land.  The exhaust was not so cool.  Held 8:00/mile for the first 10 miles and felt very good.  As soon as I turned for home, my energy level dropped.  The pace was harder and I was starting to sweat a lot.  Slowed down a bit and just hoped to make it the rest of the way.  My goal was to make it to Legacy Park where I could get a drink of water and hopefully have enough energy to get home.  A mile away from the park, I knew I was done so I sent the distress signal to Becky for her to pick me up at the park.  My pace was holding steady at 8:15/mile but I didn't want to continue.  Could have, just didn't want to.  Not the best confidence building run.  I realized that I only drank 40 oz of Mt. Dew yesterday which is not the best hydration practice.  I also remembered half way into the run that the first long run in August has always been cursed for me.  This is the 3rd time that I have had to call to be picked up on the first long run in August.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 16.50
Comments
From Tara on Sun, Aug 04, 2013 at 16:55:39 from 141.0.10.204

There was nothing wrong with the run at all. You feeling weaker at the end it's just a sign of poor fueling, nothing to do with your fitness. That's all. Don't let it represent anything else for you. You're doing great!

From Telly on Mon, Aug 05, 2013 at 07:55:37 from 63.248.64.205

I think you're awesome to hold such a pace for not hydrating good enough. Don't you love that lonesome road though? It's my favorite road to run on. I always tell my husband that I'll be running out there just in case some creeper decides to knock me over the head with a brick. They'll at least know where to start looking for me.Good job on those miles!!

From Andy on Mon, Aug 05, 2013 at 09:58:49 from 199.190.170.24

After Becky told me you took her for a run on "Raper Road" I thought I should check it out. Probably a little too secluded for you to run on your own.

From Rachelle on Mon, Aug 05, 2013 at 10:18:28 from 159.212.71.77

I definitely think this was just a fueling/hydration issue Andy. Still a good run. Are you planning a fall marathon?

From Andy on Mon, Aug 05, 2013 at 10:21:46 from 199.190.170.24

I'm taking a break from racing. I'm pacing the Big Cottonwood Marathon so am trying to get in a few longer runs.

From Kam on Mon, Aug 05, 2013 at 10:29:25 from 68.66.163.179

Only 40 oz Mtn Dew? That's the problem. You should be having more like 80-100 oz to prep for a long run. If you need any other tips, send me your fax number.

From Telly on Mon, Aug 05, 2013 at 14:37:05 from 63.248.64.205

"raper road". lol! That's a good name for it!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.003.009.00

Warmed up with 2 easy miles on the LPT then met Tara for some fast stuff.  We decided to mix it up and ran 3 minutes on and 3 minutes off times 6.  We averaged 6:00/mile for the "on" minutes.  It was a good, solid effort for me.  The last 2 were tough towards the end of each one and I started to get a little nauseous at the end of the last one.  A good indication that it was the right effort.  It felt good to get some 5k pace work in.  Cooled down with a couple of easy miles.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 9.00
Comments
From Kam on Tue, Aug 06, 2013 at 12:03:46 from 68.66.163.179

Good workout, Andy. I wish I hadn't slept in; alone was less fun.

From Tara on Tue, Aug 06, 2013 at 18:19:00 from 141.0.11.221

Nice work Andy. Btw Kam, Andy talks!

From DaleG on Tue, Aug 06, 2013 at 18:28:34 from 152.216.11.5

Nice work, Andy.

Tara, people always say that about me, too. They call me Mr. Quiet. LOL. I'm just not comfortable talking when there are more than one person around.

From Telly on Tue, Aug 06, 2013 at 20:57:54 from 63.248.64.205

I'm feeling good about my decision of staying in bed today. ;)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.500.006.50

Reminded of why I do not run at night.  Super busy with work this morning so I didn't get a chance to run or go to the gym.  Went out for a few miles tonight on the Orchard loop.  Didn't feel right from the beginning.  At least I was able to get some miles in.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 6.50
Comments
From Telly on Thu, Aug 08, 2013 at 21:30:49 from 63.248.64.205

I feel so bad that we didn't run into each other! I hate night running as well, although I do feel like my legs are better warmed up for the running.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
9.503.0012.50

AM

8 Miles: I'm still waiting for verification but I'm pretty sure I broke the world record for sugar consumption yesterday.  I have no idea what the deal was but I just couldn't get enough.  Felt like I needed a run more than a trip to the gym today to help flush it out of my system.  Saw the gym folk on an extended run.  I'm curious what kind of adventure they were on.  Effort felt very good and the body was moving well.  Second run with the GoRun 2's and I really like them.  Six miles is probably my limit until my achilles tendons become more acclimated to the lower heels. 

PM

4.5 Miles: Becky signed us up for a cupcake challenge 5k in Eagle Mountain where your time is reduced by 2 minutes for every cupcake you eat halfway through the race.  When we got there we realized that we didn't register correctly so we were just running the 5k.  Since it was a super small fund raiser it really wasn't much of a race.  She walked with her kids and I decided I would just run it at 1/2 marathon pace.  Started the race at a very comfortable pace and was easily in the lead.  The only problem with this was that I had no idea where I was going.  I missed one of the first turns and didn't realize it for a couple of minutes.  Most of the people that I led the wrong way turned back on the right course.  Some guy told me that if we continued on it would hook back up with the course.  I looked back, saw the droves of people that I would have to pass again and decided to take his advice.  After 1/4 mile we were back on the correct course and way ahead of everybody.  At that point I decided that I would just continue on and have them take me out of the results because I probably cut the course.  Continued on at 1/2 marathon pace and felt very good.  Just cruised along enjoying the run.  Crossed the finish line (20:45) and told them what happened and to not count my time.  I probably only cut 0.05 out of the race and won by a few minutes but I didn't feel right claiming the "win".  In hindsight, I should have back tracked and run the correct course.  I have a hard time making the right decision during races.

GoRun2 Miles: 12.50
Comments
From Teena Marie on Fri, Aug 09, 2013 at 13:26:15 from 65.130.8.28

I am having the same issues with sugar!!! I actually cleansed my closet (that was full of my secret stashes) THIS morning. For whatever dumb reason I have been downing those freakishly addicting alpine mints. I knew I had a problem that I needed to fix when I caught myself looking on ebay for a 50 lb box of them to save some cash last night. WHAT WHAT????

Let me know if you find any yummy substitutes. Right now the bowl full of assorted fruits and veggies in front of me is just not cutting it! STINK!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
17.000.0017.00

In preparation for the Big Cottonwood marathon, Becky and Shantell wanted to run the last 9 miles of the course after a few of the downhill miles.  We ended up a little higher up the canyon than we planned which turned the run into a 17 miler.  I didn't mind because I wanted more miles today.  I was shocked how good the downhill miles felt.  Our pace coming down the canyou was a little faster than it should have been.  I hope it wasn't my fault.  The first couple of miles out of the canyon weren't too bad.  Once we turned onto Holladay Blvd. it started to get a little tougher.  There is one good climb right before mile 20 of the marathon course and another nasty one around mile 23 before turning down 4500 South.  The toughest part is going to be on Highland Drive.  It is a long stretch that is slightly uphill and is going to be a killer.  It is also visually unappealing which makes the suffering that much worse.  I think we all got a little dehydrated which made the run tougher.  Good practice for race day. 

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 17.00
Comments
From Rhett on Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 19:16:02 from 199.117.154.53

Sounds like good race prep.

From Teena Marie on Mon, Aug 12, 2013 at 15:34:45 from 65.130.8.28

Sounds fantastic!!! :)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
11.000.0011.00

Drove to the LPT and got in a couple of warm up miles before Kam and Tara arrived.  I don't think any of us where in the mood for anything too hard.  We started out with a few easy miles while we decided what we wanted to do.  After 4.5 miles at 8:30/mile we started to pick up the pace.  Ran 7:30, 7:00 and 6:30 for the next 3 miles.  The faster paces felt good.  I wasn't feeling great when I started the run and didn't think I could muster anything faster than 8:00.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 11.00
Comments
From Tara on Tue, Aug 13, 2013 at 09:14:08 from 75.169.143.33

Yes, today felt really nice. Maybe one of these days we'll meet for a long run on a Tempo Tuesday and do some tempo miles in the last miles back so we can free up a Saturday or pace a race. Today felt like a nice morning to go long.

From Telly on Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 21:41:29 from 63.248.64.205

I like what Tara said. The run you did here seems like something I could've actually kept up with. Although, I do believe I pulled something in my leg on our 17 miler, because my right quad is quite a bother.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

The mornings are cooling which makes running so much more enjoyable.  Felt better this morning than I have in a very long time.  Started with an easy mile then comfortably ran 7:15's the rest of the way.  Effort felt great and the body was moving very well. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 8.00
Comments
From AngieB on Thu, Aug 15, 2013 at 11:09:25 from 199.190.170.31

Nice running Andy! Is huntsville marathon on your radar this year?

From Andy on Thu, Aug 15, 2013 at 11:13:25 from 159.212.71.69

I'm not racing any marathons this year. I am going to pace the Big Cottonwood marathon then race a couple next year. This year has been all about slowly getting back into shape.

From Teena Marie on Thu, Aug 15, 2013 at 13:29:29 from 65.130.8.28

AWESOME! :)

Can't beat those type of runs. :)

From Rhett on Fri, Aug 16, 2013 at 14:52:31 from 24.121.0.8

Andy, that's a great pace to maintain for 8 miles. You must be getting back to your old self again.

From Tara on Mon, Aug 19, 2013 at 18:54:32 from 75.169.138.107

Looks like I've been holding you back on Tuesdays. Nice run!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
18.000.0018.00

I didn't want to venture too far from home in case I was needed so I made sure I was always within 30 minutes of the house.  I was able to run a route that kept me close to home but didn't feel like I was running the same loop for 2 1/2 hours.  Run felt great.  Averaged 8:05/mile and it felt incredibly comfortable.  The body was moving well.

I only got in 3 runs this week but they were all quality runs.  I'm not sure if I should be disappointed about the low miles or be happy with how good they all felt.  I wonder if I should stick to the 3 days running and 3 days at the gym schedule.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 18.00
Comments
From Teena Marie on Sat, Aug 17, 2013 at 15:02:29 from 70.208.6.228

Choose HAPPY!!! :)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.004.009.00

Ran an easy mile on the LPT before the group run.  We ran an easy 4 to start then did a 4 mile progressive tempo run.  Splits were 7:11, 6:45, 6:35, 6:25.  Kam and Tara took off the last 0.1 and I was content with my effort so just lolly gagged to the end.  I guess I have no killer instinct.  The effort felt good although I started to get uncomfortable during the last mile. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 9.00
Comments
From AngieB on Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 21:30:49 from 174.239.100.207

Nice workout Andy! I am going to join tempo Tuesday one of these days:)

From Tara on Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 22:38:32 from 75.169.142.107

Lolli gagging is allowed. I can so see you saying that to your kids.

From Telly on Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 15:28:55 from 63.248.64.205

Very nice!!!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.000.0010.00

Run from home to the mouth of Mueller Park canyon and back home again.  Mind is in a bad place which means that the body is not performing well.  I like to run this when I'm not in the mood to run because going up the hill forces me to work.  Got caught in a rain storm for 1 mile which was just enough to make my shirt wet, heavy, and annoying. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 10.00
Race: Top of Utah Half (Pacer) (13.1 Miles) 01:54:32
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
20.100.0020.10

We did a lot of dead lifts at the gym yesterday focusing on strengthening the back.  I don't think that I have ever taxed my back muscles before so they were completely trashed.  Wasn't even sure I would be able to run today.  My hope was that my back would loosen up once I started running. 

Race started and it was incredibly congested.  We had a hard time hitting our target for the first mile because of the congestion.  Still only a few seconds slow.  We maintained a good pace all the way down the canyon and along Hollow Road.  We were within a few seconds of our goal time up until mle 9 or 10.  Once we dumped out to the highway, we didn't back off as much as we should have.  That is one of the hardest things about pacing.  The slow down on the last 5k of this course is a little more than other races because of the gradual uphill.  When you are pacing, you are still relatively fresh and are able to maintian a good effort, putting you ahead of your goal time.  Ended up getting ahead by 45 seconds going into mile 12 where I thought we would be able to give back some time because of the hill.  Hit that mile in exactly what the paceband said so still had too much of a cushion going into the last mile.  Slowed it down to 9:00/mile and gave back 15 seconds and came in 30 seconds early.  Not too bad but further off than what I would have liked.  My justification for coming in early is that with this big of a race, it is better to come in a little early in case other runners chip times are not in sync with ours. 

After finishing, I put in another 7 to get to 20 for the day.  The back held up really well while running.  Now that I'm done, it is killing me and I can barely walk. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 20.10
Comments
From Teena Marie on Sat, Aug 24, 2013 at 14:46:57 from 70.211.7.135

You are an amazing pacer!!!

From Telly on Tue, Aug 27, 2013 at 07:35:57 from 174.27.210.65

Good job Andy!! I'm sorry about your back! It really does suck running with a strain like that.

From Kam on Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 14:48:44 from 68.66.163.179

How's the back by now? With the yard work, mine is frequently sore, but I find the running actually helps.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.500.008.50

Got in a mile at the LPT before the group run.  Started with a 4.5 mile tour of the local POP's.  Finished with a progressive tempo run: 7:23, 6:57, 6:32.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 8.50
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.000.0010.00

Nice and easy run on the LPT.  Lots of bugs and unpleasant smells.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 10.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.400.001.40

Hesitated going to the gym today because I am pacing the Layton Marathon tomorrow.  If there was anything like last week's back workout I would be in trouble.  Fortunately nothing too crazy on the board.  The workout included two 0.7 mile runs.  After all of the other exercises, these short runs are really tough.  I am trying to figure out why they are so difficult when I have a relatively high level of endurance.  I believe that the cardio exercises at the gym are really geared toward taxing your VO2max.  If this is the case, I should see improvement in my 5k times.  Maybe I should run one to see if this is true. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 1.40
Comments
From Teena Marie on Sat, Aug 31, 2013 at 08:54:10 from 65.130.8.28

Can't wait to read about your perfect racing time today!!! :)

Race: Layton Marathon (pacer) (26.2 Miles) 04:14:56
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
26.200.0026.20

Decided at the last minute to pace the Layton marathon.  My preference would have been a 3:45 to 4:00 time but 4:15 was all that was left.  9:44/mile is a little bit on the slow side but I figured that pacing the slower time would allow me to recover quick enough to pace 3:35 at Big Cottonwood in 2 weeks.

Once the race started, it was very hard to lock into the right pace.  The 4 hour pacer went out very slow and I was right on his heels for the first 2 miles which made me worry that I was going too fast.  My Garmin was telling me that I was fine so I just stuck with the pace letting the runners around me know not to worry, that we were right on pace.  Held a good, consistent pace and had a good group of guys around me for the first 16 miles.  The crowd started to thin out once we got off the causeway and I was all alone the rest of the way.  I had a real hard time keeping the pace slow enough for the last 10 miles.  My body just wanted to be done and would naturally speed up. I got a few seconds ahead each mile but gave that time back at the aid stations.  Since it was getting hot, I walked each aid station at took in extra fluids. Was about 20 seconds ahead at mile 25 so backed the pace off to 10:00/mile and crossed the finish line in 4:14:56.

With the slow pace and flat course, I really am not sore at all.  It was a good way to remind me how far a marathon is before the more aggressive pacing job at Big Cottonwood.  Was happy to see Tom Slick get his BQ minus 5 minutes.  Impressive considering the honest course and the heat.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 26.20
Comments
From Julie on Sun, Sep 01, 2013 at 09:42:23 from 75.169.9.80

Nice job pacing!! I'm hoping to run with you, Josh and the 3:35 group at Big Cottonwood. It should be fun.

From Teena Marie on Sun, Sep 01, 2013 at 09:46:20 from 65.130.8.28

Nice!!! :)

I run with Josh quite a bit. You two will do EXCELLENT at Big Cottonwood! :)

From Andy on Sun, Sep 01, 2013 at 17:26:00 from 208.54.5.199

Julie-I have a feeling you will be way ahead of us. Hope it cools down a little in the next 2 weeks.

Teena-He better be a strong runner because this race reminded me how hard a marathon is. 3:35 is pretty fast.

From Tara on Sun, Sep 01, 2013 at 18:24:43 from 75.169.141.151

I would be scared to pace a 335 marathon. The mileage alone is quite the feat. Let's do some fast stuff on Tempo Tuesday. Im racing the classic 10k on Saturday!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.700.000.70

Exercises at the gym included a 0.7 mile run.  Boy, did I struggle this morning.  I don't think the exercises were particularly difficult but they really kicked my butt.  Collapses in a sweaty heap a couple of times.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 0.70
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.503.008.50

Today's edition of tempo Tuesday was a good, hard run.  Tara wanted to some faster stuff and my goal was to attempt to keep up as long as I could.  Wamred up with 4 easy miles then ran 6X800 at 6:00/mile with a 2 minute active recovery.  Splits were: 3:00, 2:55, 2:57, 2:57, 2:57, 3:00.  Tara finished a few seconds ahed of me on the last one.  The 5th and 6th were tough.  I gave up on the last one and just wanted to keep it at 6:00/mile.  Even though I lagged behind on the last one, it felt good to get in a hard, fast run.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 8.50
Comments
From Tara on Tue, Sep 03, 2013 at 11:10:39 from 199.190.170.28

Thanks for coming:) We're making improvements. This one was not as hard as it was last month, huh.

From Andy on Tue, Sep 03, 2013 at 11:18:02 from 159.212.71.25

There has definitely been improvemnt since last month. I would say it was a slightly tougher workout than last time because of the shorter recovery time. I think cutting back to a 2 minute reoovery was a good decision.

From allie on Thu, Sep 05, 2013 at 10:08:42 from 161.38.221.168

nice workout, andy.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.500.006.50

Talked myself out of running several times this morning.  Evenutally got out the door and got in a few miles.  Almost turned back for home after getting to the top of the street.  Just one of those mornings.  Ran the Orchard Dr. loop at an easy pace.  Keeping the mileage low this week so that I am ready for Big Cottonwood next week.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 6.50
Comments
From Rachelle on Thu, Sep 05, 2013 at 10:38:52 from 159.212.71.199

Good job Andy! Are you pacing or racing BC?

From Andy on Thu, Sep 05, 2013 at 10:44:07 from 199.190.170.24

I'm pacing the 3:35 at BC. That was supposed to be the time that Becky was going to run it in but she has trained so well, she will be finishing way ahead of me. Trying to decide if I should move up to the 3:25 to run with her.

I have been trying to get my body to the point where I can properly train for a marathon before I race another one. I'm getting close and will probably race a couple next year.

From Rachelle on Thu, Sep 05, 2013 at 10:46:32 from 159.212.71.199

Very cool. I have a friend that is hoping for 3:20 so I was curious as to if anyone is pacing that time. I think it is awesome how well Becky and Shantell have been training...you should definitely try and switch.

Also you will absolutely be ready to roll for some fast times next year. :)

From Andy on Thu, Sep 05, 2013 at 10:51:02 from 199.190.170.24

They are only doing pacers for the popular BQ times so there is not a 3:20 pacer.

From Rhett on Fri, Sep 06, 2013 at 15:24:13 from 24.121.0.8

Have fun pacing at BC. The few times I've been a pacer were a lot of fun.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.500.0010.50

I may have been bumped up to the 3:25 pacer for Big Cottonwood.  Makes me a little nervous.  Today's run made me absolutely terrified.  I waited for the storm to move through before I went running which ended up being a mistake.  It was a little warmer than I thought and the run was a struggle.  First 6 miles felt fine.  Averaged 7:40/mile and the effort felt good.  When I turned for home, I immediatley lost all of my energy.  No explanation for it.  Just felt super light headed and my body did not want to move.  Ended up taking a short cut home and even walked 1/2 mile because I just wasn't feeling it.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 10.50
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.000.005.00

I think that I will skip the gym this week so I don't do any unwanted damage before the marathon.  Ran an easy 5 in perfect running weather.  Still felt a little of whatever was going on with me yesterday.  Pretty sure it is dehydration as my weight has dropped a few pounds in the last couple of days.

GoRun2 Miles: 5.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
9.000.009.00

Kam and Tara were nice enough to make today's run an easy one.  Nice, relaxing run on the LPT.  Still don't feel great but am a little better than the last couple of days. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 9.00
Comments
From Tara on Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 12:33:14 from 75.169.141.34

I wasn't feeling it anyway. Glad we are an easy going group:)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.500.003.50

Bought a new pair of shoes figuring that 3 short runs should be enough to break them in.  Stepped out the door and it was a torrential down pour so put the shoes back in the box.  I can't remember the last time it rained this hard.  Considered not running at all but had to return a redbox dvd that was alreayd late and if I didn't do it while I was thinking about it, I would wait another week or two to return it.  Run felt good.  Legs are starting to come back.  Now the debate is whether or not I should wear the new shoes for the marathon on Saturday with only 2 runs in them.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 3.50
Comments
From Kam on Wed, Sep 11, 2013 at 15:55:18 from 68.66.163.179

Three should be enough, Andy. I think you definitely want to have the new cushioning for all those downhill miles.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.000.003.00

Nice and easy taper run.  The new shoes felt good.  They fit a lot better than the last pair of Adrenalines.  My heels started to feel a little warm towards the end of the run so my feet are moving around in them a little too much right now.  One more run should mold the insoles to my foot a little better and get the laces where I want them to be so there will be less friction.  There was the slightest hint of snap in my legs during the run.  That helps ease my nerves a little bit.  Still not 100% confident with the 3:25 pacing duty.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 3.00
Comments
From Kam on Fri, Sep 13, 2013 at 11:47:40 from 68.66.163.179

You will nail it, Andy. I know the respect you have for the marathon, and yes, anything can happen, but you are more than ready. Put some glide on your feet, and those shoes should work out fine.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
2.000.002.00

Just a short, quick 2 miler to shake out the legs.  Spent the day at the Big Cottonwood marathon expo selling pacebands.  We got a booth to see if there was any interest.  People really seemed to like the idea of the bands and really liked the elevation maps and course analysis we provided.  Still trying to decide if it is really worth the time and stress it takes.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 2.00
Race: Big Cottonwood Marathon (pacer) (26.2 Miles) 03:25:40
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.0026.2027.20

Originally volunteered as the 3:35 pacer because that was Becky's goal time for her first marathon.  Her training went so incredibly well that she changed her goal time to 3:25.  When I saw the 3:25 spot available I asked to move up to that time (actually talked into moving up).  This made me very nervous.  Hitting that time on this fast of a course was not a big concern physically but I haven't run a fast marathon in almost 3 years so I had a bit of a mental barrier I needed to get past.  My other concern was that I haven't been through a proper marathon training cycle.  The last few months have mostly been 3 days of boot camp and 3-4 days of running.  I have had plenty of long runs (four 20+ mile runs) but my weekly mileage has been lacking.  Logically, I knew I could easilty do it but there is always that irrational fear the you have to overcome.

Had a very adventurous bus ride to the start.  Three miles from the start line, a bus took a hair pin turn to tight and got stuck and was completely blocking the road.  Panic started to set in as we thought it would take at least an hour to clear the road.  After 20 minutes of waiting around, they said to walk up the hill 1/2 mile and the 3 buses that had already made it to the start would shuttle us the rest of the way. Made it to the start line and being there alleviated a lot of the stress.  Still had no idea when the race was going to start but at least we were where we needed to be.  The race only started 30 minutes lates which was incredible considering what they had to deal with.  As we were preparing to start the race, I stripped off my outer layer of clothes and threw the drop bag in the bus.  About a minute later, I realized I left my GU belt in my bag.  Had no idea what I was going to do.  Wasn't about to rummage through 1,000 identical orange bags and there was no way I was getting through the race without GU.  Becky had extra so I could take some from her but I really didn't want to take hers.  Just hoping they would have some along the way.

Thought I was pacing alone so was happy to see Matt with the 3:25 sign.  Pacing a marathon solo is stressful because so many things can go wrong along the way.  Becky's plan was to stick with us for the first few miles so she wouldn't be tempted to go out too fast.  We maintained a good, steady pace coming down the canyon.  I could feel the downhill in my quads early in the race which caused a little concern.  Even thought it is a severe downhill race, there were a few sections that flattened out that gave the downhill running muscles a break.  After 9 miles, I could tell Becky was itching to go so I told her that she had done the smart thing by starting conservatively and if the effort felt easy that should could start easing forward but to not go more than 10-15 seconds per mile faster.  She started to edge forward.  I was excited for her.  There was a good group that stuck with us for the first 16 miles of the race.  A lot of them were trying to get their last minute Boston qualifying time.  After exiting the canyon at mile 17 and a couple more miles of gradual downhill we turned onto Holladay Boulevard for the real work.  Kept the same effort and let the pace slow.  Our group of runners started to thin out.  We had one girl from Texas that was with us stride for stride since the start and a couple of other guys still hanging on.  As we got to the end of Holladay Blvd., at mile 22, I heard somebody say "I'm struggling".  Looked up and it was Becky.  Took me by surprise because I really didn't expect to see her.  Started the internal battle of whether I should stay with her or stick with the 3:25 group.  I really wanted this to be her thing and thought if I stayed with her it would take away from her accomplishment so I continued on.  I'm sure it was the wrong decision and I regret it a little.  We lost contact with the guys that were hanging on and just had the Texas girl with us.  Matt and I continued on pace for the next few miles down 4500 S. and onto Highland drive.  We were 45 seconds ahead of goal time which is ideal.  At mile 24.5 I could tell we were holding the Texas girl back so I told Matt to run her in and I would stick to our pace.  Shortly after this, I came across a former neighbor who was having issues with her piriformis.  Talked to her for a second and she decided to stick with me the rest of the way.  It was nice to be running with somebody I knew for the last stretch.  Picked up another guy along the way and we stuck together the rest of the way.  Hit the mlie 26 marker 40 seconds ahead of pace and was happy I was coming in so close to my goal time.  The only problem was that the distance from the marker to the finish line was 0.4 miles.  I ended up coming in 40 seconds late.  Really glad I didn't have any Boston hopefuls with me.  My best guess is that the total distance was correct but the mile markers were off.  Either way, it really made hitting my goal time difficult.

Immediately after crossing the finish line I ditched my pacer sign and started running back to find Becky.  Was so surprised to see her less than 1/2 mile from the finish line. Ran the last little bit with her and Tara.  Hit the last turn and let her go so should could enjoy the last stretch on her own.  Although she missed her "B" goal by a couple of minutes, she BQ'd by more than 7 minutes which is quite an accomplishment for her first marathon.

GoRun2 Miles: 27.20
Comments
From Mattrow on Tue, Sep 17, 2013 at 08:37:27 from 132.3.57.80

I was glad that I wasn't pacing alone. I had never paced a marathon so when I heard that you would be pacing with me I was glad. Nice running with you.

From Smooth on Thu, Sep 19, 2013 at 01:21:41 from 121.44.5.17

AWESOME pacing!!! Please tell Becky CONGRATULATIONS and give her a BIG HUG from me!!! Love you guys!!! :) :) :)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.800.000.80

Was able to walk down the stairs so decided it would be good to go to the gym.  The workout was perfect for my recovery.  I haven't been for 2 weeks and I could start to feel and see it.  The workout inclued an 0.8 mile run.  IMy calves are the only thing that are sore.

GoRun2 Miles: 0.80
Comments
From Tara on Tue, Sep 17, 2013 at 22:55:00 from 75.169.141.151

You're recovering well, it seems. My runs have been just silly.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.000.005.00

Nice and easy run to help the legs recover.  Other than some tightness in my calves, everything feels good.  Just the usual post marathon dead legs.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 5.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.500.000.50

Workout at Firehouse included a 0.5 mile run.  The workout was a little tougher this morning.  There were a lot of the exercises that I hate (v-hops, straight hops, mountain lunges).  I guess it is important to focus on the things that we are not good at doing so that we can improve.  Other than a little pain in the left calf, I feel completely recovered.

GoRun2 Miles: 0.50
Comments
From Teena Marie on Sat, Sep 21, 2013 at 11:32:44 from 63.248.172.251

NICE!!!! :)

From Tara on Sat, Sep 21, 2013 at 11:59:35 from 75.169.141.151

Are you still showing up for Tempo Tuesday's?

From Andy on Sat, Sep 21, 2013 at 21:46:25 from 208.54.5.251

I should be good to go on Tuesday. Are you and Kam tapering or do you want to get one more good workout in?

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.800.0010.80

My calves are hammered from too many calf raises at the gym on Thursday.  Running up to the temple probably wasn't the greatest idea.  It was hot and windy and the hills were a killer.  Still enjoyed the run.  My right ankle is killing me now.  Running down the hill may have caused a little more damage than I would have liked.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 10.80
Comments
From Tara on Mon, Sep 23, 2013 at 22:42:03 from 75.169.139.89

I'll be scared if you're not on the trail tomorrow morning. You've never let me down, unlike someone we know whose name will not be disclosed, but starts with a KA and ends with a M;)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
4.505.5010.00

Tempo Tuesday on the LPT. Just Tara and me as Kam is prepping for Huntsville.  Started with 4 easy miles to warm up.  The plan was to run a 10K at sub 6:45 pace.  Started out right on target then we got a little faster.  Felt fine for the first 4 miles but then I started to struggle.  I let Tara go after 5 miles and ran 7:30 pace for a 1/2 mile to recover a little.  Finished the last 1/2 mile at 6:30 pace.  Splits were: 6:39, 6:29, 6:34, 6:36, 6:35, 7:00.  A little disappointed that I couldn't finish but knew it was a more aggressive pace than what I am ready for right now.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 10.00
Comments
From Telly on Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 10:02:53 from 174.23.160.216

That all just looks incredibly speedy! Very impressive!

From Tara on Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 11:04:50 from 75.169.139.89

Thanks for doing this today. You could have kept going, but for what really? I think without a goal race, tempos seem...well, just for fun until they are no longer fun- then why push beyond comfort? I'm glad you came!

From Kam on Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 12:53:07 from 68.66.163.179

Awesome job, Andy. Tara was hopped up on caffeine; that's why she left you behind.

From Tara on Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 21:44:50 from 75.169.139.89

It's true. Hopped up on goof balls.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.000.001.00

Workout at Firehouse included 2 short runs.  Four minutes each which I am guessing was close to 1/2 mile each (probably a little more).  Getting back into the routine of 3 days gym and 3 days running feels good.  Felt like I was starting to soften a little when I backed off the gym days.

GoRun2 Miles: 1.00
Comments
From Kam on Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 12:56:31 from 68.66.163.179

Good job sticking with the gym days, Andy.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Brrrr it was cold this morning and I absolutely loved it.  Ran my usual 8 mile loop and felt better than I have in a long time.  Had a hard time deciding between the gym and running this morning.  Definitely made the right decision to run. 

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 8.00
Comments
From Kam on Fri, Sep 27, 2013 at 09:26:43 from 68.66.163.179

deciding to run is almost always the right decision.

Thanks for bringing by those pace bands. I'll be sure to get them to Angie. I can't believe I missed you; me and the a-girls were doing the clipper paper route.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
15.000.0015.00

Followed up yesterday's great run with a horrible run. That's the way it always seems to go. Headed out to the LPT sans watch. Probably good that I didn't have any pace feedback as I certainly would have been disappointed. Have to remember to eat of I go on later runs. Right ankle is super sore. 

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 15.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
2.300.002.30

The workout at Firehouse included 3 runs.  It was our choice for how long each run was but each cycle was 7:45 and we had an additional ab exercises after each run.  I ran 0.8 mile, 0.8 miles and 0.7 miles and had a few minutes for the ab exercises.  If I were responsible, I would run less and spend extra time on the abs since I get enough running throughout the week.  My shoulder tenonitis is flaring up which makes some of the weight exercises tough.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 2.30
Comments
From Kim on Mon, Sep 30, 2013 at 11:40:44 from 160.7.247.191

Are you going to be selling your pace bracelets at SGM?

From Andy on Mon, Sep 30, 2013 at 11:45:44 from 159.212.71.25

A booth at the expo was too expensive so we aren't going to make it down there this year. If you and Tom would like them, I can mail them to you. You can send me an email at andy.browning262@gmail.com with the times you want and your address and I will drop them in the mail today. If you just want to look at the splits, go to www.racesmartpacebands.com.

From Rachelle on Mon, Sep 30, 2013 at 12:00:05 from 199.190.170.24

Quite the workout today Andy. Good job.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.000.006.00

Nice and easy run on the LPT with Becky and Tara.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 6.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.000.001.00

My poor eating over the last couple of months is finally catching up to me.  I feel so ridiculously out of shape right now.  Knew that if I went running today it would be slow and lazy miles so I decided to go to the gym so that I would put in an honest effort.  Didn't feel great but at least it was something.  One of the cycles included a run that I extended to get a full mile in.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 1.00
Comments
From Tara on Thu, Oct 03, 2013 at 19:44:46 from 75.169.141.214

Andy, you are in great shape!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.500.0010.50

Should have put more miles in but was content with 10.  I've been thinking about following the FIRST marathon training program for Salt Lake.  Basically 3 hard runs and 3 days of hard cross training.  My thought is that my body has gotten used to the miles over the years and a little change of pace would be nice.  As I read a lot of fall marathon race reports, I noticed that most of the people that had break through races attributed it to increased training volume.  I'm now questioning what the best approach is.  Running high mileage with 3 good days at the gym would be ideal but I simply can't justify dedicating that much time to fitness.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 10.50
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.500.008.50

Ran to the LPT to get in a few quickish miles.  Poor planning on my part meant I ran 3 of the 4 tempo paced miles into the wind.  I was really struggling to hold 6:45/mile pace.  I stopped at each mile marker for a short break because I was struggling so much.  Spent the entire run trying to figure out why it was taking so much effort.  Running the last mile with the wind made me realize how much the headwind had affected my pace.  With less of an effort, I was able to run the last mile in 6:30.  That was more in line with what I was expecting.

The pain in my right ankle is getting worse.  This may be something more than just joint soreness. 

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 8.50
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.700.001.70

Workout at Firehouse included two runs (1 mile and 0.7 miles).  Really didn't have much to offer today.  Energy level is super low.  Felt like I was just going through the motions but still enough effort that I felt like passing out.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 1.70
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

A very cool, crisp morning.  Perfect running conditions. I was moving pretty well until mile 6 when my entire right side decided to rebel against me.  Ankle, hip and groin started to hurt and altered my gait.  Hoping it is the cold weather moving in that is causing the aches and pains.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 8.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.800.000.80

Level testing at FireHouse.  I'm only on level 2 so the test was: 3 minute squat, 0.8 mile run, 15 burpees, 15 pushups and 10 tire lunges on each leg.  My only concern was the squat.  For some reason, I am unable to sustain a squat for more than a couple of minutes.  Got to 2 minutes without much of a problem then was able to gut out the last minute.  My legs were shaking uncontrollably but I made it.  I set a goal for 4:30 (5:37/mile) for the 0.8 mile run and failed miserably.  Hit the halfway point at 2:15 then was unable to embrace the pain and limped in at 4:45 (5:56/mile).  I felt fine but was just unable to push through the discomfort.  Very disappointed but my mental toughness has always been a weakness.  The last month has been a really unhealth month for me which probably contributed to the slow time.  I completed the other tests so now it is off to level 3 - whatever that means.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 0.80
Comments
From Tara on Sat, Oct 12, 2013 at 14:34:49 from 75.169.140.147

..."level 3 whatever that means." Lol! Well done. That kind of training is no joke! I'm going to do it more this winter. So, I'm reading backwards, but did you hurt your ankle?

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
13.100.0013.10

Seems like the only way I can get myself out the door on Saturday morning is to tell myself that I can run as slow as I want.  Got out the door at 8 am and the body was moving much better than I thought it would.  Was averaging 7:40/mile and felt very comfortable.  Kind of surprised how easy the pace felt so I just went with it.  Made a loop through town then made my way to the LPT in Centerville.  Ran into Becky with about 4.5 miles to go so I finished the run with her (avg 8:15/mile with her).  My right ankle is still problematic but I think I can deal with it.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 13.10
Comments
From Tara on Sat, Oct 12, 2013 at 14:36:51 from 75.169.140.147

Wow, that's great you have been feeling so good! What is the trail like in the winter. Is it possible to still train on it?

From Andy on Sat, Oct 12, 2013 at 20:59:27 from 208.54.5.221

The trail is fine as long as it doesn't snow. They don't maintain the trail during the winter so it is unrunnable when there is snow on the ground.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.300.001.30

Went to Firehouse with Becky (we rarely go together).  She really put me in my place.  It was a truly humbling experience.  She blew through the workout while I lolly gagged through each exercise.  While I'm proud of her for doing as well as she is doing, there is that little bit of machismo in me that struggles with it.

GoRun2 Miles: 1.30
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.100.008.10

Ran on the LPT with Becky, Kam and Tara.  Becky was short on time so she had to turn back after 2.5 miles.  I ran back to the car with her because it was too dark for her to run on the trail alone..  After dropping her off, I headed back to the group.  Picked up the pace and made it almost 2 miles before meeting up with them (averaged 6:50/mile for these 2 miles). 

Kam: Here is the elevation comparison of Veyo to 1800 South.  I know you have been waiting all day with bated breath.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 8.10
Comments
From Tara on Tue, Oct 15, 2013 at 21:24:58 from 75.169.138.247

Good job Andy and good seeing you today. Veyo is nothing compared to 1800!

BTW, I have the extra pace bands that I didn't use that I will bring on our next run. Let me know if you are interested in meeting up on the Friday run at MP.

From Andy on Wed, Oct 16, 2013 at 10:55:05 from 159.212.71.200

You can throw the extra pacebands away. There is no way I will able to keep track of them until next year.

From Kam on Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 13:08:36 from 68.66.163.179

Neither hill is anything to sniff at, though. See you next Tuesday for sure, Andy/Tara. I can't let baby Gaby ruin group runs.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.000.000.00

Absolute killer workout at Firehouse.  One of those that leaves you laying on the ground in a pool of sweat unable to move.  Until I can take control of the amount of sugar I put into my body, it is probably a complete waste of time for me to do any sort of exercise.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Went out hoping for this to be a good head clearing run.  Came away mostly unsuccessful.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 8.00
Race: SoJo Half Marathon (pacer) (13.5 Miles) 01:56:30
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
13.500.0013.50

Becky and I paced the 1:55 group at the South Jordan half marathon.  About half way into the race we realized that the course was going to measure very long.  We were hitting the miles about 0.2 before the marathon mile markers, putting the course 0.3 miles long.  We debated whether or not to speed up to hit the time goal or maintain the correct average pace.  Didn't really decide on either and ended up somewhere in between the two.  Our average pace was right on until mile 10 when we sped up to get closer to 1:55.  Kind of a disappointing experience.  I was not as impressed with the race as I hoped I would be.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 13.50
Comments
From NatalieK on Sat, Oct 19, 2013 at 22:35:32 from 98.202.32.58

I'm relieved to read that your miles were off too. My garmin was also beeping before the mile markers. I thought maybe I just started my watch too early.

From TBean on Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 13:39:22 from 63.241.173.64

The course was suppose to go down 104th not 102nd for the half marathon. Me and the runners in the front ran down 104th and the course measured just a little short.

There was confusion around that intersection but I headed the front group down 104th where they had it marked with the orange cones.

From Tara on Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 09:41:59 from 75.169.137.75

Geeze, that's the hardest part of pacing...making up for long and short courses! Nice work, I would have ran it in the same. How fun you get to pace with Becky, too.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.100.001.10

Workout at Firehouse included a 7 minute run.  I did the mile loop and then a little bit more.  Luckily the run was at the beginning of the workout because I struggled the rest of the morning.  I can't expect to eat junk all weekend then perform well on Monday.  I've been down in the dumps also which certainly doesn't help physically.

Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 1.10
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
9.000.009.00

Met Tara at the LPT.  We kept it at a good general aerobic pace (7:45/mile I think).

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 9.00
Comments
From Tara on Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 12:34:12 from 75.169.137.75

Thanks for running.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Nice, brisk run on my usual 8 mile loop.  Went watchless but pace felt between 7:30 and 7:45.  Had to convince my body to pick it up a few times because I got lulled into a relaxed pace. 

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 8.00
Race: Haunted Half Marathon (Pacer) (13.1 Miles) 01:49:48
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
13.100.0013.10

Another week, another race to pace.  Without the desire to competge, I like to use pacing to still experience race day.  I would like to find a way to get back the competitive spirit.  Becky and I paced this together and dressed up as Frankenstein and the bride of Frankenstein.  Tried to convince her that it would be a good opportunity for us to make things official but she wouldn't go for it.  Bus loading started at 6:15 which was way too early for a 9 a.m. race start.  We had to wait in the freezing cold for way too long.  Once the race started, the temps felt great.  It was absolutely perfect racing weather.  We hit our 1:50 groove very early in the race.  We were within a few seconds of every mile the entire race.  It's not very often that we are able to hit our splits so easily.  The first 7 miles of downhill felt great. The uphill sections through the U were a little more effort but it was a nice change of pace.  Had a girl join up with us for the last 5 miles.  It was kiind of nice having somebody stick with us for so long.  Hit mile twelve with our total elapsed time 7 seconds fast.  Ran the last mile down City Creek a little fast but still came in at a good time.

One more race to pace next weekend then it is time to reevaluate my running.  Not sure if I am ready to start intense training again or just enjoy the way I am running now.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 13.10
Comments
From Rhett on Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 12:40:07 from 24.121.0.8

Sounds like you are really enjoying doing what you are doing and you almost got your bride in the process. :) I hope next week's pacing goes as well.

From Kam on Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 14:47:58 from 68.66.163.179

It's not easy to sort out. The desire to train hard and race hard can be elusive. When you find it, tell me what you did, so I can apply it to myself. Or perhaps is it time to fake it till you make it?

From Andy on Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 14:50:11 from 159.212.71.173

I've got the "faking it" part down. It's the "making it" part that I am tired of waiting for.

From Kam on Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 15:00:45 from 68.66.163.179

Well, I guess it depends on what you are talking about as far as competing goes. If you want to recapture 2:50 glory, there's certainly work to do. But I figure you are a 3:0x/1:25/40/19:20 guy right now. That's nothing to sniff at.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.800.000.80

Workout at Firehouse included 2 short (0.4 miles) runs.  It was a good total body workout.  Kind of hit a little bit of everything.  I think I like those better than the workouts that focus on one area. 

GoRun2 Miles: 0.80
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.200.008.20

A chilly and soggy run on the LPT with Tara.  The first 3 miles were pretty rough.  Lots of rain and a little bit of a hail but it less than comfortable.  The rain stopped after a few miles and the run was much more enjoyable.  The second half of the run turned into a bit of a therapy session for me.  I'm sure Tara misses the good old days when I kept my mouth shut.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 8.20
Comments
From Tara on Tue, Oct 29, 2013 at 10:04:51 from 75.169.139.66

Wait, I thought you were giving me therapy? Huh. I prefer the Andy that talks. Now a talking AND breathing Andy is unheard of. I still never hear you breath.

Thanks for showing up. I like the accountability Tempo Tuesday's provide, even if our efforts are less than tempo-like in nature:)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.600.001.60

Two 0.8 mile runs during the workout at Firehouse.  There didn't seem to be as much cardio as other days.  I guess most people consider the running a good cardio workout but that short of a run just feels like a nice little rest from the other exercises. 

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 1.60
Comments
From Tara on Thu, Oct 31, 2013 at 17:14:13 from 75.169.139.66

mmmmhummmm.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.000.006.00

Just a nice and easy run before heading to St. George to pace the Snow Canyon half.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 6.00
Race: Snow Canyon 1/2 (pacer) (13.1 Miles) 01:39:56
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
13.100.0013.10

Paced the 1:40 group at Snow Canyon.  This is an ideal time for me because most of my runs are around theis pace and it is very natural.  Freezing while waiting at the start but the temps were perfect while we ran.  I was able to lock in 7:38 effort right from the beginning and the pace never felt forced.  Was within 10 seconds of the total elapsed time at every mile marker which was great but added a little extra stress towards the end.  I usually like to have a 30 second cushion.  We probably pushed  a little more than the runners around us wanted to on the rollers through Entrada but they all stuck with us.  A 14 year old kid ran with us from start to finish which was pretty cool.  Ended up crossing the ffinish line 4 seconds early without any slowing or speeding up the last little bit  Feel like I ran this as close to perfect as I could get. 

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 13.10
Comments
From Kam on Sun, Nov 03, 2013 at 12:00:29 from 199.192.101.88

Smooth like butter, Andy. You are a great runner.

From Rhett on Mon, Nov 04, 2013 at 09:57:55 from 24.121.26.213

You nailed that pace. Great job.

From timp on Tue, Nov 05, 2013 at 12:25:30 from 99.110.188.230

well done Andy!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.100.007.10

Becky and I decided to put in a quick run in the nice St. George weather before heading home to the snow.  We intended to go 5 miles but the trail didn't turn where we thought it did so the run ended up being 7 miles.  The big toe on my right foot is killing me.  It is probably bruised from the severe downhill in yesterday's race.  Both of Becky's ITB's are bothering her so we finished the run limping and wondering why we do this to ourselves.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 7.10
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Drove to the LPT just in case the group showed up.  It was snowing a little so didn't think Kam or Tara would be there but went anyway.  Waited a few minutes then started my run.  It actually wasn't bad once I started going.  The snow had stopped and the trail was only lightly covered in snow.  My motivation was low so I had a hard time getting into the run.  Ran the first 5 miles in the 7:40's then picked it up to 7:30 and 7:15 for the next 2 miles.  Decided to get at least one tempo mile in so ran the last mile in 6:45.  I picked the wrong mile to run quicker because the trail had gotten very slippery and it was hard to maintain my footing.  I am not looking forward to winter training.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 8.00
Comments
From Rhett on Tue, Nov 05, 2013 at 11:11:10 from 24.121.0.8

Snow already! Yikes. This is definitely the time of year to be a desert rat. Glad you didn't wipe out on the slippery trail.

From Tara on Wed, Nov 06, 2013 at 11:21:25 from 75.169.139.35

Good job! You pushed it harder than I would have:) Sorry I sent my text late, wasn't sure you were going to get it. Honestly, I 'm not going to be able to do much tomorrow either. Let's just scrap it, and I'll, meet you for the upcoming Tempo Tuesday.

I was also planning on going to Fire House this morning, but had a last minute change of plans. I figured it would be more gentle on my sore legs but I can now see that either option would have left my legs sore! I'm scared to go to FireHouse without you or Becky there..

From Andy on Wed, Nov 06, 2013 at 11:26:02 from 199.190.170.22

My phone was dead and I didn't have a charger which is why I didn't get your text. I was pretty sure you were not going to be there but I needed to pretend that I was expected to be there otherwise I wouldn't have run.

From Kam on Wed, Nov 06, 2013 at 12:22:14 from 68.66.163.179

Sorry, guys. Baby Gabey is giving me lots of excuses to stay inside on snowy mornings. I will be there next week!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.750.000.75

All legs at Firehouse today.  The last cycle was a 6 minute run.  After 36 minutes of leg exercises, I was only able to muster 0.75 wobbly miles.  It was quite a sight.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 0.75
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

8 miles on the LPT with Tara at 8:00/mile.  This run took 4 minutes longer than the same run on Tuesday but felt like it took half the time.  Running with others certainly makes runs seem like less of a chore.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 8.00
Comments
From Tara on Thu, Nov 07, 2013 at 13:37:36 from 75.169.140.158

Yeah, I knew the pace was slower today. It's about all I could handle:) Maybe on Tuesday we can add some tempo miles or something faster at the end. Nothing too crazy.

From Andy on Thu, Nov 07, 2013 at 13:39:47 from 199.190.170.31

I wasn't complaining about the pace at all. It felt just right. The point I was trying to make was that I spent more time on my feet this time but it felt like it went by a lot faster.

From Tara on Thu, Nov 07, 2013 at 15:06:50 from 75.169.140.158

All I'm saying is that you really held me back today and you were breathing like a maniac! :)

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.700.001.70

Workout at Firehouse.  It was a pretty good total body workout.  Didn't focus on one specific area.  There were two 6 minute runs.  Made it 0.9 miles on the first and 0.8 miles on the second. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 1.70
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
15.000.0015.00

After 3 weeks in a row of pacing half marathons it was nice to have just a long run. What little I ate yesterday was junk food so I was expecting a slow run. I felt very good as the run started so I just went with it. Ran down to the LPT and headed south. Averaged 7:30/mile for the first half and 7:20 for the second half. Was surprised at the energy that I had at the end of the run. 

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 15.00
Comments
From Fritz on Sun, Nov 10, 2013 at 21:26:55 from 67.177.4.64

Nice run. We probably started around where you turned around and vice versa. Maybe the junk food helped...or at least it didn't hurt.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.600.001.60

Relatively light day at Firehouse.  Just your basic cross training exercises.  Nothing too crazy. There were two 6 minute runs plus a few short sprints.

GoRun2 Miles: 1.60
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Met Tara at the LPT for an 8 miler.  Started out at a comfortable pace.  The pace naturally got faster as we warmed up.  Averaged 7:45 for the run with the last mile under 7:00.  I was feeling pretty wiped out before the run but felt good once we got going. 

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 8.00
Comments
From Rachelle on Tue, Nov 12, 2013 at 10:08:51 from 199.190.170.30

Speedy! Are you going to come down and run the thankful half course with us Saturday?

From Andy on Tue, Nov 12, 2013 at 10:10:46 from 159.212.71.200

Definitely considering it. I will check with Becky to see if she wants to go down.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.750.000.75

Workout at Firehouse.  I'm either coming down with something, need to get some serious sleep or need to stop poisoning my body with all of this sugar.  Didn't feel great but still glad I went.  Include one 6 minute run.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 0.75
Comments
From Rhett on Wed, Nov 13, 2013 at 15:29:44 from 24.121.0.8

Or maybe all of the above. I hope it's nothing.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Eight uneventful miles.  Did my usual loop which I haven't done in a long time so maybe I shouldn't call it my usual loop. 

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 8.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
2.250.002.25

Workout at Firehouse.  Included 2 runs (7 minutes, 10 minutes).  I know the first run was 1 mile and am guessing on the time. The second run was 10 minutes and I am guessing on the distance. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 2.25
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
12.250.0012.25

Becky and I met a group of pacers at Thanksgiving Point to preview the Thankful 13 course.  Kept it at an easy pace throughout the run.  We took a few wrong turns and cut out a loop in the middle because we couldn't figure out where we were supposed to go.  Becky and I were short on time so had to head back.  Turned out to be a fun run in the snow with a good group of people.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 12.25
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Eight miles on the LPT with the full crew (all 3 of us).  Nice and easy pace on a surprisingly warm morning. 

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 8.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1.000.001.00

Not a good start to the day.  Went to Firehouse and had the urge to leave several times.  Nothing too tough, just wasn't in the mood to be there.  Have somewhat of a defeatist attitude right now which is not a good place to be.  Ran 1 super slow mile after the exercises.

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 1.00
Comments
From Tara on Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 16:23:41 from 199.190.170.29

I felt the same way for some reason. I was tempted to go to Gold's and mindlessly put in a couple miles on the elliptical. Not feeling it today. Huh.

From Rhett on Thu, Nov 21, 2013 at 09:39:31 from 24.121.0.8

Buck up little camper. At least you conquered and did your workout.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
2.000.002.00

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 2.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.000.008.00

Eight miles on the LPT with Tara.  Feeling a little off but need to keep at it.  I don't want to fall into the same trap I did last year. 

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 8.00
Comments
From Rachelle on Tue, Nov 26, 2013 at 10:12:28 from 199.190.170.30

I think it is just that time of year when running feels a litte off and kind of forced. The weather kinda sucks, there is nothing to train for, ect... Just put the miles in and remember that you will always feel better afterwards. :) Thats what I tell myself every morning and it is true - I do always feel better after a run.

From Rhett on Tue, Nov 26, 2013 at 10:31:51 from 24.121.0.8

Sure don't. You have had such a good year bouncing back.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.800.000.80

Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 0.80
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.200.006.20

Ran the 10k race at the South Davis Rec Center with Gracie.  Emma ran the 5K so I ran with her for the first mile then sent her on her way where the 10K split off and waited for Gracie.  I figured it would take us about 70 minutes, assuming there would be some walking.  She ran the ntire way and finished in 62 minutes. 

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 6.20
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.000.007.00

Regular 7 mile loop.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 7.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
13.000.0013.00

Thirteen miles on the LPT.  Probably the last long run with decent weather for awhile.  I didn't drink nearly enough yesterday and I could feel it diurng the last mile.  Glad I decided to only do 13.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 13.00
Comments
From Tom Slick on Mon, Dec 09, 2013 at 10:19:02 from 69.171.160.19

Hey Andy, Got any running resolutions for the 2014 running season?

From Tara on Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 14:33:40 from 75.169.136.204

We need to figure out Tempo Tuesday's now that there is snow on the ground. Change the day to Saturday morning runs, wear spikes, change location, indoor track (ahh!) or....Up for discussion. I like meeting up, it keeps me accountable for some training during the cold season, but we can do our own thing too if you want, but let's not.

From Andy on Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 14:38:18 from 199.190.170.21

Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday works best for me but I'm open to whatever you and Kam come up with.

From Tara on Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 14:45:17 from 75.169.136.204

Well, Tuesday sill works for me. I'm just not sure where to go. I can do Saturday's too. We can go out on the roads or try BST. It should be packed out for the most part, unless there is a storm. What are your preferences?

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.000.007.00

First run of December.  How did that happen?  I have been going to the gym and walked 6,000 miles in Disneyland so that should count for something.  I've been using every excuse that I used to ignore (too cold, bad air, etc.) so apparently I am getting soft in my old age.  Convinced myself at the last minute to pack clothes so I could run on the treadmill at the gym at work.  Started at 7:30/mile and gradually sped up to low 7's.  Felt pretty good during the run although my legs have felt a little off the rest of the day.  Not sure if it is from shock of actually running or getting used to the treadmill.

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 7.00
Comments
From Tara on Sat, Dec 14, 2013 at 13:38:06 from 70.208.1.153

Very nice!

Kam says Saturdays work best for him. Does 7:30 work? We need to decide where to meet. I can still meet up Tuesday, this coming week same time, but where? Then I can meet up on Saturday the 21st for our fist (tempo/non-tempo Saturday) to run at 730. What do you think?

From Kam on Wed, Dec 18, 2013 at 12:40:04 from 68.66.163.179

6000 miles at disneyland will put you at the top of the leaderboard. You definitely should count them. Add bonus miles for churros consumed.

From timp on Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 08:46:48 from 99.110.188.230

Andy - I what you mean about excuses. I am having a really hard time with any sort of motivation st this point. I just don't as much about this as I used to. Not sure what to do. I keep trying but i haven't had two consistent weeks in a row in some time.

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.000.005.00

I have been so sick the last 2 weeks.  Finally had enough energy to go out for a run.  Felt like an elephant was standing on my chest but was happy that I was able to get out.
 

Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 5.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
4.000.004.00

Just a quick little run with Becky in between Christmas activities.

Adrenaline 2013 14 Miles: 4.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.000.005.00

Five miles on the treadmill at work.  First 2 miles at 8:00/mile, next 2 at 7:30/mile and last mile at 6:40 with 1.5% grade the entire time.  Last mile was tougher than it should have been but understandable considering how little I have run this month. 
 

Adrenaline 2013 14 Miles: 5.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.000.0010.00

It took until 1 pm before I could convince myself to head out for a run. Kept the pace super slow and just plugged away. Trying to build back up slowly. 

Adrenaline 2013 14 Miles: 10.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.100.007.10

Treadmill run at work.  Really had to fight the boredom today.  Becky and I are running the beat the new year 5k at Sugarhouse tonight so I convinced myself 4 miles was fine for today.  Anxious to finish the run so I bumped the speed up to 9 mph, then 10 mph and finished at 11 mph.

PM

Finished off my lowest mileage year by running the beat the new year 5k at Sugarhouse park with Becky.  We at too much before the run so we took it super easy.  I felt fine but Becky felt like she had to puke the entire time. 

Adrenaline 2013 14 Miles: 7.10
Comments
From allie on Tue, Dec 31, 2013 at 12:50:06 from 174.27.212.73

nice warm up run for tonight. i'll be there hanging out at the registration table, so i'm sure i'll see you guys at some point. remember to kick on the uphill finish!

Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
1062.8596.681159.53
Adrenaline 2013 1 Miles: 359.05Adrenaline 2013 2 Miles: 415.43GoRun2 Miles: 53.70Adrenaline 2013 3 Miles: 305.15Adrenaline 2013 14 Miles: 26.10
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