Artichoke's Running Blog (Ken Spence)

5:00 a.m. 5 miles easy with Pickles up Skyline to gate and back via Loma Vista and Upland loops.

6:15 p.m. 7 miles in Settlement Canyon to above upper gate about .25 miles and back home. 1:03:51.

5:00 a.m. 40 minutes at Gold's Gym. 25 minutes on upper body weights, 3x15x6 machines followed by 20 minutes recumbent cycling.

6:15 p.m. 5 miles in 44:20 on the Westland route. 2 to 3 miles at tempo pace. 8:52 AP.

5:00 a.m. 5 miles easy on the standard Skyline-Upland route.

6:00 p.m. 9 mile loop in 1:22:30. Up to SR36, Skyline, Upland, Vine up into Middle Canyon, down Droubay to 1000 North along Foxrun Drive. Home via 7th, 50 E. alley, to West Elementary and home.

5:00 a.m. 40 minutes at the gym with Sharon. 3x15x5 machines on upper body weights.

5:15 p.m. 5 miles in 44:55 along the 150 W. alleyway path over to Coleman and back via 1st West.

5:00 a.m. 4 easy miles with Pickles. He got hold of the deer scent this morning and did not want to let go. Headed to St. George this afternoon. 20 miler scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Ivins, UT. 7:00 a.m. 20 miles in 3:05:20. Nice morning run from our place along the Snow Canyon Parkway trail, then down the Halfway Wash trail to Dixie Drive, then along what's still in place on the Santa Clara trail through the new Confluence connection to the Virgin River trail over into Washinton and back to Gold's Gym via the Middleton Wash trail to meet Sharon. About the same as two weeks ago minus 36 seconds. Felt pretty good. 60 mile week. Time to taper for SGM. Starting to get excited for it. It''s been a long two years! The every other week extra long run seemed to work well and kept me healthier.