Age is just a number.

Easy 6 miles today . No time, just around the neighborhood loop.

Medium pace 6 miler up and down Cottonwood Heights.   6:30-6:40ish pace.

Progressive short tempo.  Tough day today so I decided to relieve some stress on the road this evening.  3 miles at 5:20-5:30 pace.  

Well, at the last minute I was persuaded by family to race this weekend even after the crappy and exhausting week I was having not to mention the insane workout I did on Tuesday. I know better than to that on a race week.  What the heck, I could use the break from every day monotony.  So I hopped in the truck after work and went up to Eden to run in the snow, wind and muck.  No muck thankfully, just lots of cold, blustery wind!  Might be a nice place for a wind farm I was thinking..  This was the kind of race that will either break you or make you more fiercely determined than ever to come back stronger next time.  I choose not to break.  It's only one race..  My MVP award today goes not to Alexander Tomas today, although he did run incredibly well but instead  goes to Albert Wint.  Albert ran incredibly tough today and no matter what I did I just could not shake him and at the end it was like he shifted into a whole new gear.  Passed me like a Ferrari on the interstate going all out.  He has moved up to a new level now I believe.   Good job Albert.

Easy 12 miles after work. Legs felt stiff and tired. Big surprise there right? My body is telling me to back off and just jog for a while I think.  It feels like I'm recovering from a marathon this week.  

Easy jogging for 4 miles at 8-9 min pace.  Neighborhood loop.

Easy 5 miles jogging again at 8/min pace.  Neighborhood loop.  Still feeling pretty stiff and sore for some reason.

NO run today. Feeling overtired and just plain lousy on all fronts.  Maybe a day off will help..  Darkhorse out.

Easy 45 minutes in town out and back.

Easy run out on Potash road along side the river and some petroglyphs.  Wow!  Absolutely beautiful out here.  Passed by a mile long column of Jeeps headed out to the rim to do some serious climbing.  Man what a sight, its like an adult playground out here.   Definitely a rave run..   Darkhorse out. 

Feeling better today so I decided to do one hard workout for this week in order to keep blood volume up and to stay sharp. More mentally than anything with this now. 3 miles at MP and 3 miles at LT pace with one mile easy in between. Progressive run on the treadmill today with incline at 1.5%. Did not feel as tore up afterwards vs the road. I think I may have been underestimating and forgetting the impact of good cushioned shoes and softer surfaces in terms of damage done to muscles and length of recovery. Darkhorse out..

Easy to medium paced run today after work with 4 miles at MP pace.  Not feeling to bad today in the legs after yesterday. Went home and spent Easter with the kids and generally had a pleasant day.  Anybody in the mood to run 26.2 this weekend?  I know I am baby! Bring it on.   I just hope I don't hit the wall on the scarcity of training I undertook this year..   

Draper township out and back on 7th east.    

Easy six miles today.  No time taken, just jogged around the neighborhood.

Six miles with 3 miles at high LT pace.  5:15-5:38/mile.  Progressively moved into it. Easy cooldown mile with some stretching.  Feeling stressed out from some things along with only 5 hours of sleep a night so I am not sure how this taper will play out.   Darkhorse out..

Easy 3 mile jog at 8-9 min pace this evening.   Had some thoughts on the upcoming race which I was trying to reinforce.  Almost all marathons are raced best when the first 20 miles are done with the idea in mind of just running comfortably and then.. running as hard as possible in the last 10k. I love to run with the leaders and especially the Kenyans, but I have to be content with running alone again this year as almost everyone will surely take off like a shot cannon.  Maybe..

I say this and watch I bet I will have company this year!      Darkhorse out..

Easy jogging for 4 miles at 8-9/ min pace today.  7th east out and back. 

Easy 4 miles of jogging on the JRT today. 8-9/min pace. I had a day off before the race today and instead of getting up at 3 am, my body slept 8 plus hours for once! I woke up and felt really rested too. Resting pulse was a tad high but legs felt light and springy and I feel excited to just go out and run this race this year with no big expectations. Besides, I haven't trained to have big expectations anyway. And for some strange reason today feels like the time I ran my first marathon.  I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve you know?   Darkhorse out..

It was a good day to run and that is the tone I am taking for this one. But I did hold out with some hope that things might turn out well and through the first 14 miles it appeared that it might that is until I pulled to the side to get my Gatorade bottle I had planted earlier and thats when my race buddy Albert decided to take off and not play anymore. Oh well I thought to myself it was nice to have company for a time. Just as well because quite frankly I felt kind of sluggish at this point and at mile 17 slow turned to heavy and at 23 I felt like someone ran over me!

 Hung on for dear life and tucked behind a guy from out of state until after the end of that monster hill up State Street. After that we rolled down towards the finish with wheels starting to really fall off and so I just tried to relax and let gravity work for me. Apparently it worked and I never saw him after that. Surged to the finish line as best I possibly could for the crowd. Afterall they were there supporting us and we owe it to them to come in looking strong. Hey it was a nice run and a really good workout to boot!  But as I stumbled toward the medical tent with Barry I told myself the next one will be different and already I had begun to examine it and work on a plan.  Like the old saying goes; "You can't put a good horse down!" Something like that..

And to end on a high point, it was nice to finally meet Barry and his wife who graciously invited me to lunch with them. And man was it awesome! Good company with a big feast at Tucanos grill with meat, sliced pineapple, fried bananas with more meat, salad bar and then even more meat. If you have been there then you know what I'm talking about.  A really good recovery meal after a marathon.   Thanks again Barry,    Darkhorse out..

Easy six miles out and back at 7-8/min pace.  7th east south and back.  Felt pretty good considering I ran a marathon yesterday. 

AM-4 miles easy/8 min pace.  Dark at 3 am.  7th and 80th.  60-70% mhr.

PM-6 miles easy. 7:30-8/min.  What a difference, sunny and 70 plus degrees.  Dimple Dell trail. 65%-70% mhr.  AI stretching of various trouble spots.

Maybe I'll keep track of diet now for a while. 

B-Ugali and oranges/banana.

L-Peanut butter and honey on whole wheat/

L2-After wrkout-Oatmeal with brown sugar./glass of milk.

D-Tuna casserole with spinach.

AM-6 miles easy.  13th east loop course.  65-70%  mhr.

PM-6 miles easy.   JRT  out and back at lunchtime. 70-75% mhr.  Now for the feast!

B-Shredded wheat and bananas.

L-Salmon/rice /broccoli   bananas and strawberries with glaze.

D-Chicken soup with lots of bread.

Aerobic run of 6 miles with 3 at 7-7:15/mi and 3 miles at 6:00/average pace. 7th east up to 13th and the gas station out and back. MHR-70-80%.

B-Ugali/pear/banana.

L-Peanut butter on whole wheat with honey./banana.

D-Lentil and tomato stew over brown rice./spinach and carrot salad.

half loaf of cornbread.

Tough 20 miler in the heat today at lunchtime. Bell Canyon and Dimple Dell road out and back with one loop cooldown around the neighborhood. Miles 12-16 at 6 min to 5:32/mile progressing about 8 seconds faster or so each mile. AI stretching afterwards. 70-75% mhr for majority of the run with 4 miles at 80%-85% mhr.

B-Apple/Water

L-Cottage cheese/cayenne pepper sauce. Spinach and carrot salad. Banana. Cornbread/honey

D-Cajun chicken over rice./ Orange slices. Grape juice to cool the flames from the chicken.

AM-Easy 12 miles this morning on the JRT. Saw my old neighbor on his bike and said hi. Brought back memories of Des News when he would run up to mile 20 and pace my Dad into the finish line. I remember the massive blood blisters now just like I get on that same race. I was remembering his times and mileage levels and it struck me how amazing it was that he could run that course in 2:50 and some change on 30-40 miles a week. Dad always wanted to run more to run faster but he was always busy with career, kids, and helping Mom get the projects she needed done. I think with years of 100 mile weeks he would have easily broke 2:20. He was 5'8, 126 lbs with very quick turnover and a high forefoot stride. He had what it took mentally and physically to be so.

And in my mind he always will be. Darkhorse out.

PM-Easy-medium hard 10 miler up Wasatch blvd and back. Rolling hill terrain. 70-80% mhr. Body is starting to be in chronic glycogen depletion mode. Good.. That is exactly what I want in order to bring some adaptation in that area not to mention increased blood volune.

B-Wife brought home bacon! Huge weakness. Had bacon and eggs for breakfast. Grape juice and bananas on the side.

L-Peanut butter toast on whole wheat with milk.

Easy 9 miler.   Nice weather today!  Opted for the treadmill...

B-No breakfast. Not good but a hard early start with no time at work.

L-Beans and Tortillas with peppers. 2 bananas.

D-Ugali with honey.  Bean and carrot stew with Tabasco sauce. Milk.

D2-Milk and whole wheat bread and jam.

Steady state run after work of 15 miles with 4 miles at sub six minute pace.  Wasatch blvd. 70-85% mhr.  Not much else to say.  Does not feel like Sunday today only just another day. Gotta do something about that...

So called easy 6 miles on 7th and 13th.  The pace was sane enough at 7-8 min/mile, just so dang tired from no sleep and unloading freight for almost 10 hrs.  Hopefully tomorrow works out better..

  Darkhorse out..

AM-5 miles easy at 7-7:30/mile pace.

PM-5 miles easy  at 7-8/ min/mile pace. 

B-Banana, orange, grainbar.

B2-shredded wheat, banana, milk.

L-Peanut butter and honey sandwich/milk

L2-Cookies, made by friend. Yum../milk.

D-

Aerobic 15 miler today at 7/min pace effort. Dimple Dell and Bell canyon loop. 

Just putting miles in the bank.  Darkhorse out.

 B-Banana and Apple with granola./milk

  L-No lunch just a Powerbar and pear.

D-Pork chop and peas with juice.

AM-10 miles easy-medium effort up and down Emigration Canyon.  Getting a feel for the Des News course again.   Mhr-104-138/bpm. 

     PM-5 miles easy at 8/min pace. Neighborhood loop.

B-Banana/oats.    /  Morning pulse-38/ Weight-140/stable.

L-Sizzler salad bar-All veggies with melon and fresh pineapple. Baked potato and bread.

D-Beef brisquet with barbecue sauce and bread.  Banana and apple.