Artichoke's Running Blog (Ken Spence)

5 miles with Tina this morning at 5:10 a.m.  I know it was slow for her, but a good clip for me in 44:00 flat.  Sub 9's for an out and back up along Skyline is about all that I can handle.  But, a good run still.

6 miles this evening at 6:15 p.m.  4 with Gina.  She did one more than the schedule, and was feeling pretty good.  Very slow tonight.  Nice, nice cool temperatures.   Felt great.  3 very easy tomorrow morning the day before the 5K.

Nice 5 mile run in the sun this morning.  3 easy with Gina.  Going to G-ville to pick up our race numbers tonight for the 5K tomorrow morning.

Ray Barrus Memorial 5K in 30:19 with Gina.  9:45 pace overall.  She did really great!  Gina took 2nd in the W45-49.  I took 4th in M50-54.  We did an additional 4 miles on the Mormon Trail Road afterwards for a total of 7 miles today.

7:30 a.m. trail run with Tina and Sonya along the Dark Trail in Settlement Canyon then on pavement to above the gate and back to the car.  Then a fast downhill mile and half home.  A nice run.

5 miles at 5:10 a.m. in 48:52 solo.  Felt a bit leg weary with no day off last week.  Didn't increase weekly mileage, but the trail run yesterday made me a bit sore.  Another 4 with Gina tonight at 8:00 p.m.  Sluggish at first, but each mile was progressively faster between 11:10 and down to 10:20 pace for final mile.  Pretty warm still, but a light wind in places.

4 miles with Gina and Matt.  6.45 total miles.  8:30 p.m. run.  Nice and cool the last couple of miles.  Gina struggled early, but ended okay.  She gets a day off tomorrow.

Yasso 800 workout.  3.5 total miles.  1/2 to and from track.  3x800's in 3:25, 3:22, and 3:21 with 400 recovery between.  Surprised that the times were where I needed them to be, but it was a struggle.  Hope I have legs to do 5 tomorrow morning and then 6 tomorrow night. 

5:10 a.m. run, solo.  4.6 miles.  Fairly easy with last mile decent.  Sore from Yasso's last night.  Nice temperature.  Saw Liz and Roland out.  6.25 miles tonight at 8:00 p.m., 4 with Gina.  Her confidences restored with a good run tonight feeling great.  Her splits were 11:02, 11:02, 10:47, and 9:36. 

Resting up today for long run tomorrow.

7:00 a.m. run in Erda with Matt2 and Gina.  Gina made 10 miles for the first time and was elated.  We had bumped her schedule up from 8 to 9, but she already had it in her head that she was going to get to that 10 mile hurdle and she did it!  I was really pleased!   I did 4.25 more on Erday Way and finishing with the 3 mile climb up Droubay Road.  Glad to be done.  I'm beat!

5 mile bike ride, very easy.  Decided to wait until next week for another trail run.

5 miles this morning at 5:10 a.m. at a 9:30 pace.  5 more tonight at 8:00 p.m.  4 with Gina very easy, except she tackled the Smelter Road hill 1/2 way up and really picked up the pace.  I was really pleasantly surprised!!  She's doing good!

5 miles very easy tonight.  Nice cool weather.  It will only be getting hotter.  3 very easy with Gina. 5 miles tomorrow in the morning and then to the track tomorrow night for some Yasso 800's.  All is going well right now.  New Adidas working well after 20 years in Asics.

Very slow 5 miler this morning at 5:10 a.m.  Didn't pust it at all.  49:00 minutes.  Saw Matt1 heading out as I was coming back.  Trackwork tonight at 8:00 p.m.  Yasso 800's.  4x800 in 3:25, 3:23, 3:24, and 3:26 w/ 400 recovery after each.  Then  3 easy miles (12 laps) on the track w/ Gina afterwards.  Very nice evening run.  11.25 total miles today.

6.35 miles at 8:30 p.m.  Mostly slow.  4 with Gina and she finished off with a 10:01 mile.  Strong finish for her.  She is improving weekly.

4:45 a.m. at the track.  4 miles, 3 with Gina.  Hard making transition from late Thursday night run to early Friday morning run.  Plan on adding addtional miles on Monday and Thursday so she can bag the Friday morning run.  Long run tomorrow.

Met Gina to set water out at 5:15 a.m. for run to Stansbury.  6:00 a.m. I first did 4 miles in the canyon and then we went to the top of Smelter Road to start her 10 mile downhill run through Erda to Stansbury.  She did well, then faded in the last 2 miles, but it was way hot!!   I think she still did well, but she felt disappointed in the fade.  But I figure it's the first week she's run every day, legs a bit tired.  Then the heat.  But, hey consecutive Saturdays with 10 milers is good.  Still on track for the TOU 1/2.  My first 4 splits: 9:30, 10:01, up the canyon and then an easy 8:54 and 8:50 coming down and I then began feeling a little pull in my left calf muscle.  I have never had calf issues, even with the Yasso's at the track, but it got progressively worse through the entire 14 mile run.  I've iced and elevated and applied heat and stretched, and it is already starting to feel better, so I hope it's nothing serious.  Gina's splits for her 10 miles were:  10:33, 10:46, 10:28, 10:14, 10:04, 10:17, 10:24, 10:56, 11:24, and 12:09.  So, faded the last two or three, but she held on like a trooper and I'm very proud of her effort today.  She's ready for that downhill Deseret News 10K on Friday.

A great 7 mile run with Tina on the Dark Trail and in Settlement Canyon.  7:30 a.m.  Nice and cool along the trail, but very warm at the end.  Tina can still rip those downhills and is a great trail runner.  She ran 20:48 for the 5K on the 4th and took 3rd Overall in the Women's Open category.  Not bad for 48 years old!

8:00 p.m. run.  1 mile to meet Gina, then another 5 miles with her.  Gina did the Smelter Hill all the way to the top for the first time.  No stopping her.  She really dug in and did it.  Slowest mile was 11:40 even with the steep hill.  We were both very excited and what a sunset to view when we got up to the top and turned around.  That was a run to remember!  Another run tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m.

6:00 a.m. Very slow recovery run wtih Gina for 3 miles. 1 mile to and from, also very easy. Cemetery Loop and 7th down to 400 N. Nice morning. Headed to Arizona for a couple of days for a wedding. Back tomorrow night. 10K on Friday, Deseret Peak hike on Saturday.

Arrived home from Arizona.  Didn't run in 111 degree temperatures.  Good thing.  Went for 9:00 p.m. run with Gina for 2.75.  Very warm evening, but an enjoyable run still.  A few runners and walkers out late tonight.  Rest tomorrow.  10K on Saturday with Gina.

Resting today prior to 10K tomorrow morning and Deseret Peak hike on Saturday.  Maybe I'll walk the dog..........when it cools down..........if she's good..............we'll see.  Went to pick up our race numbers at noon.  Ugly black shirts.  Doesn't anybody do white anymore now that we're going with tech fabric?

Deseret News 10k this morning.  1:01:58 with Gina and Matt2.  Gina did great!  I'm really pleased.  I know she wanted to get under 1 hour, but I still think she did very well.  Nearly the same pace as her 5k on July 4th.  Splits: 9:26, 9:26, 10:05, 9:58, 9:45, 10:37.  Clock time will be in the 1:04 or 1:05 range and will be posted that way by the Deseret News, which is lame.  Nobody manning the first waterstop.  What a joke this race is!  They definitely need to get their act together.  I have had some kind of issue every year with this event.  Short course, one year, on a "certified" course.  Late starts, etc.  Lousy aid stations.  They need to learn from some of the better races, in my opinion.  I hope the marathon runners received better than what I saw with the 10k.  Why I continue to support this race is beyond me!

Hiked Deseret Peak.  9+ mile hike turned into about 12 with the road into the upper campground being closed.  8:30 a.m. start.  4:30 p.m. finish.  Took it slow and enjoyed the day.  Took in some great views as well.  Few people along the trail. 

Sunday morning trail run.  Nice run on very tired legs from the hike.  Turned around at the gate.  Miles uphill were at: 9:52, 9:35, 10:11;  miles downhill were at 8:25, 8:17, 7:36.  Pushed the last mile home once off the trail.  Good run.

3 easy miles with Gina.  Plus one at average pace.  Still sore from hike mostly.  Easy running this week to finish with a strong 10 miler on Saturday, hopefully.

6 miles tonight at 8:10 p.m.  5 with Gina.  We just took it really easy, until the last mile and she began to pick it up to 10:20's and then by the last 1/4 to 1/2 mile was finishing out at 9:15's.  She was amazingly strong tonight.  I was way impressed.  You never really know just how you're going to feel until you get out there doing it.  Our legs still a bit sore from the 10k on Friday followed by the hike on Saturday, but getting back to normal little by little.  Nice night for a run.  Great sunset to the west.

5 very slow and easy miles tonight. We were both very sluggish. 4 with Gina on the standard route.

4 miles with Gina, downhill running on Smelter Road into town.  Still fairly easy running.  Resting tomorrow before the long run on Saturday.

Took the day off to recover.  Legs feeling a bit beat up right now.  My wife passed out when I told her I actually took a day off from running.