Age is just a number.

AM-Got up today and went for a meditation run on the Jordan river trail. I felt very stiff from yesterdays VO2 max workout so just nice easy miles were in order today. Ran into Bill and Demetrio towards the end of my run. Talked about the trials yesterday etc. Nice to see you out there again Bill.  Felt better after the run. 13 miles total in 1:34:37 /7-8min/mile pace.

Went for ten easy miles today at 6:40-7/min/mi. Felt really easy. I can't believe that I'm already chomping at the bit to race again. Dark horse is jumping the corral again!

AM-This is one of those days where you wonder why we even bother with this obsession we call running.  It's cold, it's dark, and you feel like your still asleep as you trip over the doorway on your way out. But it's like Sasha says, it's faith, unshakeable faith that somehow this is really worthwhile and ultimately it will pay dividends someday.  My wife tells me 90% of the battle is won by those who just show up all the time. Wise woman.. /  4 miles easy at 60-70% mhr. More later.

PM-Easy 6 miles on the treadmill tonight with my son Ian. Got him set up on the treadmill after my run. He has really surprised me by showing a real willingness to run with his dad. He has begged me for an eternity to run with me so I took him to the clubhouse had him jog on the treadmill for half a mile. He has such rapid turnover! Short legs do that for you I guess. That whole principle of the lever you know.

6 miles progressive from warmup to finish. THR-138-142 bpm at 6/min/mi. 1.0% incline. and 5:32/mi 148-154bpm 1.0% incline.

AM-Went for an awesome Lactate threshold run that had me smiling at the end 2x10 min at 10k effort with 2 min of slower running at 7/min pace in between sets.  Ran into Penny after my run and she is going to let me borrow her Garmin to make sure the distance is accurate tomorrow.  8 miles total. 1 mile in 5:45 transitioning into cooldown.

PM-5 miles easy tonight around 7/min pace. No time. Felt pretty good considering todays LT workout. I think a few more runs like this and I should be able to have some fun at a couple of 5k's this holiday season. I'm hoping if I do this and keep the mileage moderate I will be able to go into the base period at a high level to begin with.

AM-Easy 6 miles this morning through the bench loop in Draper. I am trying to get in some good aerobic miles. 6:30-6:45/mi. avg range. Hilly route.

PM-No run, Surprise arrival.

Well, we got a special delivery from above last night as I was headed out. You see, my son Aaron made his appearance for the first time. He weighs in at a solid 7 lbs 13oz. Aaron is very calm and serene for a new baby and gives me a strong impression of being a noble spirit. For some reason Aaron of the Old Testament comes to mind when I hold him.  Aaron was not only Moses's spokesman but was a great peacemaker among the people of Israel. I pray that my son will aspire to be like him.  Needless to say there are things other than running that fill my time right now, and I love every minute.

AM-Thanks everybody for your congrats, that was really nice. Everything is going well. Mom and baby are doing really well and I am doing extremely well!

Got up early today and went for an AT run to Draper township and back. Started out at a quick but comfortable pace and after a mile began to really push the pace going down 7th east. 3x10 minutes at 10k-5k pace with 2 min in between at a good clip. This is one nasty but effective workout because the pace is faster than a standard tempo run but with slower breakups so that you don't build up too much lactic acid and defeat the purpose of the workout. Newer research says that the production of lactic acid actually fuels the muscles and prevents fatigue, to a point. In fact it's said now that there is no such thing as a threshold, only various proportions of aerobic and anaerobic energy production. This may be old news for some of you and if you want, feel free to elaborate on this subject with what you know. This newer research contradicts in a sense what I was taught about the cardiovascular model. But then again maybe not... Maybe the effect of LT running is not just to buffer but also enable the muscles to produce more power by consuming more and more lactate at higher intensity levels. Kind of like supercharging a car I suppose. I'm not sure because I'm not a scientist, but I believe the most optimal way now to achieve a high end steady state is to workout at the 10k intensity for as long as possible with short rest intervals between. But only after a solid phase of aerobic training however. Just a hunch I have after experimenting with various methods and patterns of training for a long time. After you have been at this for a while you get a pretty good sense of what is working and what isn't. Again, only more time will tell though. Slow cooldown afterwards. Light stretching and drills for 15 min.