Artichoke's Running Blog (Ken Spence)

Gold's Gym at 7:00 a.m.  30 minutes elliptical and 30 minutes cycling (20 min. upright + 10 min. recumbent).  15 minutes upper body weights, light 3 sets of 15 at 5 machines.

Hospital at 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for cortisone injections.  A bit more painful this time than on June 3rd.  Not sure why.  Doc said I can start running again on Monday and don't have to wait a week this time, since I'm running fairly decently right now. 

Happy 4th of July.  5 mile easy run at 6:45 a.m.  Warm, but overcast.  Slow running but made 5 instead of 3.  Felt decent.  Opted not to run the local 5K race today.  We're headed to Tina's to watch the race, parade, and have breakfast.

Gold's Gym at 5:30 a.m.  40 minutes.  Felt sluggish today.  20 minutes on elliptical and 20 minutes on cycles.  Couldn't seem to get my HR up today even though I was maintaining same MPH/RPM and resistance levels as usual.  Legs just didn't want to go any harder.  Run later today hopefully, but my wife is going in for some surgery, so I'll have to see how things go.

5 miles in 46:45, or 9:21 average pace.  4:30 p.m.  Felt okay.  82 degrees.  Up Settlement Canyon to above Legion Park and back.  Warning signs posted for both rattle snakes and cougar sightings.  Nice!  Glad I wasn't on the Dark Trail today.  

Gym at 5:00 a.m.   40 minute workout.  20 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes cycling.

5 miles in 45:27, 9:05 average pace.  8:30 p.m. to mouth of Middle Canyon and back.  Pick ups to 7:30 pace parts of final mile.  Back was bothering me a bit early, but felt okay after half way. 

Gold's Gym at 5:30 to 7:00 a.m.  20 minutes elliptical, 20 minutes cycling (10 min. on upright and 10 on recumbent).  3 mile TM progression run, starting at 10:00 min. pace and finishing at 8:00 min. pace.  20 minutes light upper body weights.

 Registered for Deseret News 10K yesterday. 

4.3 mile run at 5:45 p.m. 80 degrees, overcast, and muggy.  Ran the paved alleys and back plus loop around the high school. 

40 minutes at Gold's Gym at 5:00 a.m.  20 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes cycling.

8 miles in 1:15:58.  Smelter Road up first hill and back home via Pinehurst.  Felt better after the first 4 miles.

Changed shirts and headed to the gym.  30 minutes elliptical.  30 minutes cycling, breaking it up with 10+ min. on upright, 10 min. on recumbent, and 10+ min. on spin cycle.  15 to 20 minutes of light weights. 

A 30 mile week with no real issues. 

Gold's Gym at 6:15 a.m.  20 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes cycling.  Then out for an easy 5+ mile run into Middle Canyon and back up along the canyon rim to Grimm's gate and back down to the gym.

5 mile trail run at 7:20 a.m. on the double track through the wig-wam, up behind Little Mountain and past the water tank up into Deer Hollow and back home.  Light rain coming back in the final mile felt very nice.  Easy running.

To the gym by 8:45 a.m. for 40 minutes.  20 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes cycling  (10 upright and 10 recumbent).   

5:15 a.m. spin class with Tina at Gold's Gym.  It kicked my butt pretty good for a full hour.

8:15 a.m. 4 mile uphill run from North Pointe Med Center, about 4,600 ft. to my house at 5,100 ft.  80 degrees already.  Slow and steady. 

At the gym; 30 min. elliptical, 15 min. recumbent cycle, 1 mile TM progression run from 10:00 min. to 8:00 min. pace.  Lt. weights upper body for 20 minutes.  Legs are still sore from that spin class yesterday.  I'm sore in places I've never been before.

5 mile trail run at 8:15 p.m.  Double track behind Little Mountain, past the water tank, and into upper Deer Hollow and back direct.  Easy running. 

Gym at 7:00 a.m.  20 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes cycling.  Then 5 mile run from gym to Angel's Grove in Middle Canyon and back.  47:15.  EZ running at about 8:00 a.m.

8 miles in 1:10:36. 5 @ tempo pace with Tina in 42:17 at 6:00 a.m.  Slow for her, but tempo effort for me.  Felt decent, but pretty slow for the final two miles after leaving her.  33 miles this week.

4:30 p.m. at the gym.  30 minutes elliptical and 30 minutes cycling (15 on recumbent).  20 minutes upper body light weights.   

5:00 a.m. at Gold's Gym for 40 minutes.  20 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes cycling.

5 mile hill run at 7:15 p.m.  Settlement Canyon up Left Hand Fork to Camp Wapiti by Bench trail head and back.  Pretty slow. 

Gym this morning for 40 minutes at 5:00 a.m.  20 min. elliptical and 20 min. cycling.

5 mile trail run at 5:15 p.m.  Quite warm.  Double track behind Little Mountain and by the Water Tank up into Deer Hollow and back direct. 

Gym routine at 5:00 a.m. for 40 minutes before work.  20 min. elliptical, 20 cycling.

5 mile run at 8:15 p.m. into Middle Canyon and back.  46:12.  Final mile at tempo effort.  Felt pretty good tonight.  Temperatures down a bit. 

5:00 a.m. 40 minute gym session.  Cancelled my gym month to month membership and went on 2 year contract with corporate rate at $17 per month.  20 minutes on elliptical and 20 minutes cycling.

5 mile run at 6:30 p.m.  Quite warm.  Double track trail behind Little Mountain to upper Deer Hollow back down to Skyline and home via Mountaineer Drive loop and 400 S. loop.  Forgot to wear my trail shoes.  I can't believe the difference with traction.  I also seem to stub my toe a lot on rocky trails in regular running shoes and have been known to trip and fall down fairly often wearing those.  Not a good thing for an old man.  I haven't fallen once in my trail shoes (knock on wood). 

A slow and sluggish 4 miler at 5:00 a.m. on Skyline Ave. and back via Upland loop, I think.  Didn't wake up until about mile 3.

An hour at the gym at 9:00 a.m. after an hour cleaning at the church.  20 min. ellipticlal, 20 min. cycling, and 20 min. light weight reps.

5 miles running into Middle Canyon and back t the gym.  EZ running. 

Deseret News 10K.  6:00 a.m.  49:18, about 7:55 overall pace.  Felt pretty good throughout. Held back first mile and tried to pick it up some through the end.  Splits: 8:06, 7:46, 8:04, 7:50, 7:53, 7:58.   Plenty left in the tank at the finish.  Michelle ran her first 10K and got in under an hour.  Pat ran 3:50 in the marathon.  His third sub 4 this year.  I was 13th place of 59 in AG, Tina was 1st place of 54 in hers, but she would have been 1st in the AG below as well.  Way to go!  Overcast skies.  Happy 24th of July!

40 minutes on bicycle this morning on the flatland at Stansbury Park.  Then to the gym with 30 minutes elliptical, 20 minute progression run on the TM, 10 minutes on the Stairmaster for 51 floors and 15 minutes of upper body lt. body weight reps.  Feeling pretty good.

5:00 a.m. at gym for 40 minutes.  20 min. elliptical and 20 min. on cycles,

5 easy miles in 47:18 at 6:15 p.m.  Through town to mouth of Middle Canyon and back direct.  Feeling okay. 

Gym at 6:45 a.m. for 40 minutes.  20 min. on elliptical and 20 min. cycling.

9:00 a.m. appointment with the spine doctor.  All clear for trying to pick up my mileage beyond 30.  Recommends a 3rd injection in 3 months if it worsens.  Right now it's been pretty tolerable.

6:00 p.m. 6 mile run easy into Middle Canyon to water storage tank below Angel's Grove and back. 

4 mile run at 5:00 a.m.  Pretty easy up Skyline to end of asphalt and home.  Back not feeling the best this morning even after stretching routine.  Too much lifting moving some furniture last night.

Gym at 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday?  Are you kidding me?  Lot's to do today.  40 minutes of elliptical.  

8 mile run at 7:30 p.m.  Muggy but overcast.  Smelter Road hill and back via Droubay, Vine, Highland, and 200 W.  Felt pretty good especially the last 2 to 3 miles.  Didn't push it too much until then.  A good week.