Blake Bennions running

Am- Muddy canal with Jake Kolten and Henry. Warmed up a few miles and then ran a 5 on 2 off fartlek workout until my calf started hurting. I got through 4 reps and then decided to call it because my calf was starting to complain a bit. I think I stopped at the perfect time, no limp and calf doesn't really even feel aggravated post run.

Pm- 4 miles with 6 20-30 second strides. Just trying to get my form feeling normal again, feels like I'm striking the ground with stilts or chopsticks.

25 minute sauna

Felt pretty good. 4 20-30 second strides, calf felt just a bit sore during the last one where I sped up pretty close to a sprint so I stopped there.

Hopefully last cold morning run of the year. Ran 5 miles and then did 3 miles in 18 minutes. Didn't feel great on the tempo, calf was a little irritated. To be honest for 28 miles with a fair amount of quality over the last 3 days it's doing pretty well. I won't do anything fast tomorrow and probably only run 8 miles and then Sunday will be a big test trying to do 15 miles with another 3 mile tempo. Quite the nagging injury.

Easy with Henry Kolten Jake and Joe. We did a 3 mile pickup at Kolten and joes half marathon pace towards the end at about 6:40/mile. Felt pretty good today.

9 miles and then 3 mile tempo at 5:25. Really smooth today, calf complained just a little at the end but the pace felt good. Ogdens going to be a really interesting test, I'm probably in about 70-71 shape but I'm the endorphin pros I think there's a chance I could get under 70.

Felt great today but started my run a little late and decided to cut it a bit short, big workout in the morning.

Warmed up 2 miles and then did 2x3 miles at goal half marathon pace. First was 16:19 (5:22, 5:27, 5:30) and second was 16:40 (5:31, 5:36, ,5:33).

Calf started hurting by the last mile of the first rep, not sure how much it effected my ability to hold goal pace. The 2nd rep my calf was at a pretty steady sore but not that bad level but I had to work on not limping, so it probably was causing some inefficiency. Definitely wasn't all out today, but calf was limiting my ability to throw in surges throughout the 2 reps so it felt more like steadily grinding slower as the reps wore on and I couldn't adjust faster as well as normal. Been a frustrating injury and makes it hard to know exactly where I'm at vs how much is the calf limiting me.

5:33 pace felt pretty good for the last rep even with my calf complaining. I think that's my floor for Ogden is 72 range, I think sub 70 is unlikely to happen so I should go ahead and enjoy the crossover half the week before as a workout but not all out race and then just go for sub 72.

4 weeks of dealing with my calf strain now, but there's been a clear trajectory in the right direction. 6 miles averaging 5:29 is not bad. I think I'll also adjust my salt lake 10k goal down slightly. Probably start at 5:25 pace and speed up if feeling good.

Pm- Mile and 20 minute sauna

Got out late for the 2nd time this week. Felt great today, I need to get back to doing more stroller runs- I think averaging over 60 miles per week is sustainable going forward as long as I limit myself to a reasonable volume of hard effort miles.

Morning- 1.2 miles dropping the car off

Afternoon- 3.9 miles to the park and then picking up the car

Ended up being busy and missing my run tonight so glad I got something in for the day. Every single solo day I had this week I was under mileage so that's rough, at least I'll still hit 50 total.

Also had an interior back knee tendon start bothering me today, AI said it's probably my semimembranosus. It doesn't hurt while running at all, but it does when I lean forward really far while only standing on my right leg. Which I hadn't noticed doing before, but apparently I do that a ton. I am mildly concerned it will bug me more at faster paces because my stride is super hamstring heavy. Hopefully it just disappears before I find out.

Whitney ran her first race at the Weber State Spring Classic today. There were a ton of kids and she fearlessly charged the full 100m without stopping. Her race review was very positive, she noted that she didn't run as fast as she could have because she was busy smiling. She got a medal at the end, not sure I've ever seen her more excited. She wants to do more races so I'll have to keep my eyes out for more of these, excited to introduce her to soccer in the fall as well.

Easy with Jake Kolten and Kyler in South Ogden. Pretty route!

Then went to baby animal days in Logan. It's beautiful up there and we had a great time. Watched a lady punch a horse in the kidneys to get keep it in line in the pony mill mill thing, not sure tbe animals enjoyed the event as much as the people did.

Long run with Jake, 3 mile tempo from 11-13. Watched Jackson Spencers 8:31 3200m at Arcadia before we ran, that kid is insane. I also dropped my hat off at the car after 6 miles of overcast and then the sun came out and burned me.

Tempo went pretty well, averaged 5:25 (5:23, 5:32, 5:20) in my new balance 1080 v12s, which are definitely harder to do tempos in than the endorphin speeds- which are several seconds per mile slower than the pros. The last mile in 5:20 felt better than the 5:32, really kinda felt better as the tempo went on. Definitely could have done another 2 miles at that pace. I think sub 5:20 on the downhill miles at Ogden is realistic, I'm just not sure I can keep the flat miles close enough to 5:20 to get under 70. Calf didn't start complaining today until the cool down.

22 minute sauna afterwards. Feel like I could go do another 8-10 miles. Taking a gu and drinking some water water mid run is life changing.

Met up with Jake at the dirt loop. Felt good today, getting close to 100% for the first time since like early February. Perfect timing with my first race next week.

Morning- Met with Kolten Henry and Jake. I had to start early to get home in time so I was on my own for besides for 1 rep with Jake. Workout was 5x 4 on, 2 off, 1 on, 2 off. Goal pace was sub 5:20 for ons and sub 6 for offs. If it had been a flat route I think I would have done it. Instead I averaged 5:15/5:55 on the rolling downhill section through the 3rd 4 minute rep and then when I got the 2.5% grade I dropped to like 5:45/6:45 for the rest. About 5:28/6:20 for the whole thing.

Feeling hopeful about going sub 33 at salt lake 10k, I think that's within reach on a good day.

Evening- 2 miles easy + 25 minute sauna. Run felt really good, kinda wanted to do 6 or 8 miles but decided to play it safe. On pace for 250 miles this month and the volume is feeling pretty light.

Easy with 6 strides, built up to about a sprint on the last one. Quads were sore from yesterday but overall felt good. I'd say my calf strain is healed, haven't felt any soleus soreness since Sunday, although my ankle right below that muscle has felt a bit weak/sore and it seems related. Seems like things are coming together just in time for race season- although that's like 6 weeks that were spent out of whack so that's kind of insane. Des news is in just 3 months so it's time to grind.

Warmed up 2 miles and then did an easy 10k effort workout to practice race pace for next week a bit. Did half mile slight uphill, mile slight downhill, half mile slight uphill with a minute rest between each. Paces were about 5:18, 5:08, 5:17. Felt good, no discomfort but maybe pushing a little harder than I would in an actual 10k.

Easy with Kolten and Henry and then straw market with Kolten. Very solid week of training and my body really doesn't feel like I'm at high mileage.

Easy with Jake, slight pick up at the end of about 6:30 for 2 miles on canal road. Was feeling really good and considered doing as 3 mile 5:25 pace run but thought better of it, I'm coming off 3 weeks averaging high 50s and ran 13 yesterday so I should take it easy. Between easy today and taper for salt lake 10k I should get a perfectly lined up solid down week/taper for that race.

Morning- stroller mile home from dropping car off

Afternoon- mile to go pick car up

Evening- nice easy run

Morning- Warmed up about 2 miles with Kolten and Henry and then did 2x2 at hmp, 2x1 at 10k pace. Rest was about 2-3 minutes. 2 miles were 10:49, 10:55 and miles were 5:18, 5:18. Garmin was really off on the last mile and I tried to stop and reset it but it didn't really go so it was more probably more like sub 5:10 pace but with a little break a quarter mile in.

I'm not fresh today and this certainly isn't an easy workout, but paces did not feel great today. I think 33:xx is quite likely for Saturday, will be very pleased if I'm under that on this course and would be an awful day if I can't average under 5:28 and break 34, though this course is apparently a bit long so I think I'll just go for the win and have fun and not worry too much about time.

Evening- Mile easy

Recovery day

Easy with 2 strides, didn't get out until after 9 tonight and I'm running early tomorrow so I just got a bit of a shakeout in. Hard to believe I went 5 months without racing, I'm definitely signing up for the Ogden Winter series next year.

Easy with Kolten and Henry + a couple 20-30 strides at race pace. Felt very good on the strides.

So much fun today, the only bad thing about races like this is that the day has to end. Getting free massages after winning a race is one of my favorite experiences in life. This race was incredibly packed though, credit to the people putting it on the only thing there wasn't a line to was the porta potties- that is huge.

I started out at 5:20 pace and it felt very easy and smooth, no one was going with my by the time we hit half a mile. Knowing the course is long kind of messed with me mentally a bit and I decided to prioritize winning over time so I ran conservatively the next few miles. Splits were 5:24, 5:28, 5:33, 5:28, 5:29, 5:14, last .3 at 5:10 pace. I could have run the last mile 10 seconds faster if there was someone to race. My strava 10k split was 33:42.

33:42 closing in 5:14 and on 3 hours of sleep is not bad, it felt more like half marathon pace for most of today and that was a big confidence builder for Ogden. Leaning towards running both crossover half and Ogden and going conservatively for sub 72 at Ogden for the free entries- crossover was too much fun last year to pass up the free entry they gave me.

Cold and rainy at around laws neighborhood loop in Colorado, the rain killed my phone which kinda sucks. Great trip to have remembered my laptop.

Easy day

Windy day, didn't have a great plan for what to do today so I just ran fast and did what I wanted to do. Ended up doing a 2 mile tempo in 10:49 and then some long pushes at sub 5 pace trying to get more relaxed at that pace.

Easy run around in laws neighborhood loop. Almost ran over a rattle snake. It's a nice loop, I think I'll be sick of it by the time I leave though.

Mountain in Boulder with Talon, lots of fun. Nice to get a break from the neighborhood loop. Next time I'm here I'll have to bring trail shoes so we can scramble the flatirons.