Age is just a number.

Just an easy 4 miles.   No time.   Enjoyed our sub-Saharan climate!

Got up early today with my son and took took out the telescopes. Both my 10 inch reflector and the apo chromat we went out with just before dawn at 4 AM.   No pictures this morning, just some casual observations of Jupiter and it's moons.   That was nice as we have not done this in a long time.  Got a good view of it's cloud bands and moons but not much else just too much light and turbulence to get good enough resolution and most especially in the reflector.  

Grabbed some breakfast and then took off for a very hilly 20 miler.  After warming up for an easy 5 miles it was then 5 miles at marathon pace through Dimple Dell and Old Danish road area.  Another easy 5 miles at 6:45-7:30/min pace and then I started a progressive downhill charge onto 9400 south down through Quarry bend  for 2.5 miles at 13:02, and then the last stretch home flattening out with the last 2 miles in 11:12.  Cooldown and an ice bath while sipping my favorite recovery slurpee.   Felt rather nipply this morning compared to what I'm used to.

AM2-Easy 6 miles jogging.  I know the "experts" say you should just rest after a long run.  And they are mostly right.  However I have other ideas on how that pattern should work and it comes with listening to my body over the years.    Off to church.  I love this afternoon schedule..

AM-3 miles of easy jogging to loosen up the legs before work.   55-60% mhr.  Early.. Not even the neighbor's crazy peacock was up and screaming yet.

PM- Medium pace effort at 6/min pace for 5 miles with 2 miles at 7:15-7:30/mile pace.  Noticed some slight form changes today with the footstrike feeling softer and bouncier.  Strange, but thats ok though because the effort felt slightly easier this afternoon even with the heat.   

  7 miles total in 44:45 100 degrees F/7th east and Quarry bend loop.   

AM-Out to Draper K-mart and back with last 6 miles at MP effort with a time of  34:32 with mostly flat terrain and some rolling hills at miles 5-8. Total time for the 14 mile run was 1:29:03. 85- 90 plus degrees farenheit.  A little out of gas from the mileage and busy workday yesterday.  Gotta eat more to compensate for this now.

PM-Easy-medium effort for 6 miles this afternoon. A little warm for a true recovery run so the indoor track tomorow I'm thinking may be the answer. Dripping everywhere so Kim is force marching me to the shower right as I get in the door! 

Easy 6 miles at 8min pace out coming back at 7/min with a brisk 1:20.4 quarter for some leg turnover at the end.  Some cooldown and then stretching.  Temperature was a 103 degrees the bank thermometer read today, so I'm guessing at least a 100 degrees anyway.  Felt easy even though heart rate was up there a bit, but at least it was short so I guess that gives it recovery status.

Nothing eventful other than a near Jon Allen type encounter. Woke up somebody's Bingo this afternoon and thought for sure this dog was going to clear the fence and take a chunk out of me! Luckily the owner had installed a higher fence than average.   I thought for sure the dog was suffering from the heat or something so I stopped to see if he/she was ok.  Bad move..

He was just taking a snooze in the noonday sun so to to speak and woke up to a big lurch staring over him.   Guess I would have been a bit cranky too.    

   6 miles total/8min out and 7:30-7:10/mile back home.   7th and 8800s 1300 east out and back. 

AM-Up to the east bench of  Draper and back with 2x4 miles at 10k-10mile pace effort.  First 4 miles were untimed because I missed my marks so I made an educated guess which is actually pretty close in most cases.  A recovery interval of marathon pace plus 10% slower effort for two miles.

 Coming back home I took Quarry bend route and ran the last 4 miles while setting a new PR again for the route.  Taking two easy lower mileage days before another quality session really did the trick.   Splits for the last two miles on the last section coming home were coming down at 1.5-2% decline; 1:17, 1:20,  Now it goes completely flat with some wind;  1:21, 1:20, 1:18, 1:18, now down 2% roughly; 1:16, 1:13 final quarter.   That one felt pretty good even with the slight cross wind.  Things felt a lot better with the lower temp today also.   Starting to feel like I can run a good marathon again..

 PM-4 miles easy recovery jogging after lunch. 8/min pace. 

Resting pulse-38 bpm, weight-142 lbs. 

AM-Medium-easy 15 miles listening to some Mozart.  Very relaxing.  7:00-30/out-6:40-6:30/back.  Weather is smokin awesome.. Took a nap afterwards and stretched some more.

Short recovery run tomorrow. 

PM- Feeling more recovered after a good nap and some lunch. Went out with the monitor and opened up at 6-6:25/mile for 5 miles on the hills keeping HR  at a sane but high aerobic level while constantly playing with running form and watching heart rate after.  I think a high forefoot landing is more efficient for my long legs as long as I keep my hips straight.  This is only a problem on the uphill towards the end of a longer and faster run.  I had very similar trouble on Veyo in 2007 but fortunately was able to make it up on the milder decline after Snow Canyon at St George.  I am trying very hard to correct this now. One thing is lifting at work for the last year has done wonders for my core section so hopefully I can translate that to a better time. Anyway,  I'm so glad to be done with this overload week  now so that I can step down the intensity and recover this week before another push.  

7 miles total/ with 5 miles in 31:16.  Altaview out and back. 

Easy 10 miles this morning.  No time, just ran comfortable.

Easy to medium effort 15 miler through the Draper foothills via 20th east and back down home. Undulating terrain zig zagging back north.   Easy, going out at 7:30-8/min pace and then coming home at 7/min pace slowly progressing to 5:50/mile pace at mile 13. Last half cruising in at 2:48.

Not feeling particularly speedy today, but not dead either and it's understandable considering the intensity and mileage of last week. Being the case I've got to bring down the amount of quality work this week to balance things out and regroup again.   As James Bond was fond of saying; "Speed kills my dear".  

AM-Easy 8 miles at 7:20-30ish pace.  Just logging easy mileage again.  No hills/ 7th east out and back.  79-80 degrees.  

A nice toasty jaunt jaunt through the asphalt jungle this afternoon.  Ran some fartlek at the end for 5 miles dropping just below LT pace then backing off for a minute or so.  No rigid splits, just applied effort.  80-90% mhr for the last 5 miles.   12 miles total with first 6 at 7:00-8/min pace to keep heart rate down.  12 miles total.   Thermometer showing a 101 degree reading at the school. 

AM-6 miles on 7th out and back with light fartlek. 10x2 min hard /1min easy.  Exactly 6/min pace avg for total time of 35:59.  Last 3 quarter splits in the 1:13-1:16 range.  Faster than expected on the flat, but was wind assisted however.  Legs felt really good today..

PM-Easy 6 miles recovery at 6:45-7:30/mile.   

PM2-3 miles jogging with my neighbor late evening. No time.  

AM- Ok,  I've got my 15 miler done today, my 5000 calories of Cafe Rio is down the hatch and beginning it's recovery job.  I'm now ready to blog and take a nap since it's my day off.  Started late this morning after getting much needed sleep last night and it made all the difference.  Finally a good solid 8 hours only interrupted once by a two year old rolling off the bed onto the floor.  Jeez.. our kids sleep like gorillas I swear!

Anyway, I have 15 miles with a progressive run at sub six  pace and then opening up again on the last 3 miles coming home between 5:06, 5:10, and then again for the last one in 5:10 also.  Had some tail wind there..   My fitness level seems to be really coming up on a endurance level now.  I don't feel as much fatigue and stiffness on these now and the heat does not bother me too much anymore.  A few more more weeks and then hopefully I'll start to peak by dropping the mileage and doing some short and fast VO2 work.

PM-5 miles easy on the recovery loop by trax and old Midvale.  No time, just went slow and easy to get some recirculation and aerobic backfill. 

Easy 6 miles on 7th no time today. Just kept it really easy to help recover from this week.

Very good workout with Adam this morning.  I like running with him because he runs well and he he is a scientist which makes for some very interesting conversations.  We talked about everything from training to Chinese politics to the mitochondrial structure of hummingbirds!

All in all it helps to shorten a long run up Emigration canyon.  After a brief silence for a period and some gatorade kicking in we just started to naturally pick things up just before Ruth's diner.  I would push things a bit feeling the pace then backing off to ask for Garmin results. Then Adam would surge again, and after hearing 4:58 I decided ok that's enough surging for me today!   We pushed the pace pretty hard at times but decided to not turn it into a race at the end.  Good thing thing for me today as I was feeling a little wrung out this morning.

 But it's done and it's in the bank..

AM-4 miles easy right before work, wanted five but did not want to risk being late.  Dark and a bit chilly this morning..

PM--8 miles out to the Sandy Library and back.  8/min pace up. 6:40-7min/mi. on the way back.  Felt ok, no soreness.   Cooler this evening at 80 degrees.

AM-Aerobic resistance run up Quarry bend and back.  Last 3 miles in 17:28.  Felt really good on the run coming home.   Went and had Chinese after, after the fourth plate the help started circling and one quietly dropped the ticket.  Took that as my cue to cease and desist immediately.

It was just so good though..

PM-Took a few hours but it took a nap just to recover from lunch!  Got out the door finally for an easy 6 miler out and back to the Sandy parkway trail.   7/min pace.

Up to Little Cottonwood and then back around via Quarry bend  and 7th east.  16 miles total. First 8 miles at 7-7:30/mile up with a progression run in the middle starting at 6/min/mile down to 5:36,  5:24,  4:50,  5:22, 5:32, and 5:21 for the final mile home. Some headwind on the last 3 miles going home.  Cooldown for two miles after practicing pace sense at MP.  85 degrees.F.  Ahh.. pleasant exhaustion and time to hit the the Hi C orange.  I way prefer it over Gatorade as it's just easier on the gut and tastes way better! 

 I think I saw Maureen on Quarry bend coming up the hill but my eyes were so full of sweat I could not tell for sure.

PM-Debated on doing a light jog to help circulation and recovery but got sleepy while listening to my wife play Mozart's Lacrymosa from his requiem mass.  Not too bad for sight reading I have to say.  I once knew how to play like that, but marathon training is such a cruel master..

AM-Easy recovery run at 6:40ish-7/min/mile pace.  6 miles total.  Felt like I was jogging toward the end.  Just a little stiffness in the glute area and calves from all the hill work yesterday.  7th east out and back.

PM- No run.  Low monotony training schedule is best.. 

Marathon pace run this morning. Wanted to try a variation of a Canova style workout where I would run at High aerobic for a mile, then marathon pace for a mile and on up to 10 mile race effort before backing down to 6:45-7:30/min pace for a mile.  This hopefully will train the body to become more economical and more efficient with glycogen in the marathon.  It is accomplished mainly through training the muscles to not only buffer lactic acid better, but also to find a running style that is most economical. This is accomplished through long intervals and specific stamina training.    Couple more of these and then hopefully I can start the peaking process in a short window of time.

 18 miles total.  Temp-80s.  12 miles at MP/LT 5:50-5:20/mile pace range.

On a side note I had another dog ecounter of the ugliest kind.  This was some kind of cross between a spaniel and sheepdog. Anyway the yard was not fenced and so the dog came charging after me full bore not giving me much time to react let alone think about a course of action.  So instinctively I stopped suddenly, waved my arms and yelled wildly like a wildman at this animal.  He got the point..  But only after being about two feet shy of taking a chunk out of me.  The amazing part is that which really got me ticked off was that the dog's owner acted like I was the one with the problem!   She yelled at me asking me what was wrong with me.  I said; oh no lady, your the one that is going to have the problem about the time somebody decides to sue you for something like this.  She just kept yelling obscenities at me and telling me I was a jerk.  I just turned around, went home and shook my head in total disbelief at how dog owners always believe their little fido is innocent and we are the perpetrators! Freakin amazing I tell you!   Enough of the vitriolic comment, time to eat, take a nap and forget about this now I guess.   Out.. 

PM-6 miles easy to medium with last mile at sub six pace.  3 miles 7:30-8 min pace with last 3 at 6-6:30/mi.  7th east and trax connector route.

Easy-medium 10 miles this afternoon after work. 7-8/min pace.   How is anything done easy in a 100 degree environment?  It's not really.  But fall is just around the corner..   Jordan river trail out and back.

Easy 8 miles with first 4 at 8/min and last 4 miles at 7:10-7:20ish.    I keep thinking about NYC marathon for some reason.  One day.  Berlin is up there also at number 2 along with Fukuoka.  One day..

PM-4 miles jogging this evening.  I really like this time of the day with the breeze, the crickets and most of all,  no broiling sun! 

Easy 10 miles after work.  6:20-45/mile avg.  Dimple dell and Bell Canyon loop. 

Ok, lately my boy is obssesed with getting a new Lego set so I told him for every day you run a mile with me you get a dollar.  And when it's time, five dollars for a race with twenty dollars if you win.  Sweet deal eh?  He was pretty dang enthusiastic about this cash for jogging program I proposed to him.  Why not?  It was a huge motivator for me at the end of a few races.  I believe my boy if he chooses...    can be much better than I ever was. My reasoning?  Well,  his uncle on his mom's side has 51 sec 400 meter speed for one and  he was also the top decathlon competitor for the Y.  So there just might be some potential for him especially in middle distance.  I hope so because I am not going to be able to afford my classes let alone his!   And especially the way costs are going up at even the state universities.  

 Sorry if I sound like I'm tooting a horn, it's just been on my mind after seeing him run at his soccer game.  Out..

Easy 5 miles today at 7-8/min/mile pace.  Taking a step back on the mileage this week to recover.

No planned run today.  Just read and ate.   A lot..

Progressive tempo run with 3x15 min at high aerobic- MP effort with the last 5 min of the set at 10k pace effort. 80-95% mhr.  One mile easy in between.  Aerobic fitness is looking good and hopefully I'll be ready to race soon.  14 miles total on the Draper loop. 90-92 F.  Was going to do a mile cooldown to make 15 but in a hurry to get somewhere.  Pay for that one later I suppose..  Out.

AM-Easy recovery with 7 miles at 7-7:30/mile pace. JRT loop and around 90th.  82-85 F again.  Man I wish for once I could run in some cooler weather.. Even so heart rate was lower than usual for a recovery even with the warm temp comparison.

PM-Nah... don't need it anyway. 

Busy at work and with family so only 5 miles today at 7-8/min pace.  But.. there is tomorrow and it's just as well because it was a recovery week anyway.  7th out and back.

Long run today by going from the old neighborhood up North Temple and all the way to the top of City Creek canyon and then back through the aves.  Connected some additional mileage to an old course route of my Dad's.  He claimed this made him strong before Des News.  I can see why now..  Cranked out 12x1 min hard as possible with 2 min jog recovery coming back down.  What an amazing route! It was cool, very green and pristine especially at the top.  Also surprised a rattler on the way up,  yikes!!  That was kind of cool I thought to myself even in spite of the nerve racking nature of the encounter.  However I do prefer my wildlife encounters at the zoo thank you very much!   I passed only a few runners on the way up and kept wondering where they all were?  

 As I drove home past Liberty Park I got my answer.   There was what seemed like a numerous host of runners, joggers , and all sorts of weekend warriors decked out in the latest gear and hydration crap you could imagine.  And some in almost nothing at all!  And in that mass of sweating humanity I saw this one guy in black shorts moving at a pretty respectable pace so I slowed and attempted to get his attention.  It was James Moore, AKA Fiddy on the blog.   But it was to no avail..  I thought about getting out and saying hi but I remembered I was due for home and church soon.   These weekend mornings just go by way too fast I was thinking and especially this morning.  But on the bright side for the first time in a while I felt like a runner and not a competitor out for his daily training slog.   And that was needed so much today you know..  

PM-I knew this afternoon by the way my energy level and weight had come back up I was in good shape to pull a double hard workout.   Nothing overly taxing like 800s or mile repeats but a good warmup followed by some fast miles on the way home going as my body and legs felt.  It really surprised me how I was feeling this afternoon after yesterday's long run.   But then again I was pretty good in my recovery and rehydration efforts.  I drank juice, water, and milk often, ate every two hours and took a nap afterwards.   It made a huge difference.  I had too good of a recovery week last week also with a little less mileage than I wanted.  Oh well nothing lost though.  On second thought it may have made the difference?

 /  10 miles in 1:01:14 on 13th loop./  First 5 in 33:46 with the last 5 in 27:41./ 88-90 F./  Quick walk jog cooldown with some static stretching after.  A little stiff at first in the ankle and lower calf area but went away as I warmed up slowly.   Out..

PM2-Easy 4 mile jog at 8-9/min mile to flush the junk out of the muscles.  Took an ice bath and then soaked in warm water several times right after the 10 miler.  Not sure how much this works but I'll give it a shot for a while.