Blake Bennions running

Easy with Jake and Henry. Felt pretty good, quads were slightly sore. 3 races in 4 weeks makes for an awkward taper.

Sauna after the run.

Canal with Jake. Felt like poop the whole run, tried to do a 2 mile pick up and like immediately felt gassed. Could just be Friday travel day and bad night of sleep and a bunch of junk food. Not exactly sure what was wrong today. Oh well, tight lungs and low energy is better than perma-wrecked legs. Otherwise had fun.

Run cut short because I came across a duck in distress and after inspecting the scene for a moment realized her ducklings were trapped beneath a storm drain. I called non-emergency number for Harrisville and the police and fire department sent some people over an they opened it and scooped out 8 ducklings. It was like 9:30 and starting to rain after that so I just ran home and called it a day.

With Kolten and Henry, also met their friend Matt this morning and ran most of our warm up with him. Last workout before Ogden, I did 4xmile with 2 mins rest at goal hm pace. First couple I started out a bit fast but I evened out. Splits were 5:22, 5:19, 5:26, 5:26. Felt better towards the end. I think the first 4 miles of Ogden I'll probably go 5:30ish. Crossover will be really interesting, I think I should just win it if I can but with lowest possible effort. Excited for all the races I have this year:

Crossover this week

Ogden next week

Founders day in late June

Probably a 4th of July race

Des News Marathon July 24

Top of Utah half in late August

Peach days

So 7 races in the next 4 months. This fall I'll at least do cottonwood heights thanksgiving 5k and another half or full... might pace Kolten at St George assuming I've gotten free entry from my half time.

With Kolten and Henry, ran into Matt again. Ended up skipping yesterdays run because I got caught up with yard work and then just didn't want to go by the time it was 9pm and I knew I'd be running in the morning. An extra rest day isn't going to hurt me going into 2 half marathon races in the next 8 days. I'm very excited for both, although I might pull out tomorrow at mile 4/5 if it's going poorly and it looks like I'd have to truly wreck myself to achieve a desirable result. Part of me is dreaming about w world where I win both crossover and Ogden if no one like travis feeney or Kevin Kirk show up this year. 69-71 minutes could win it take 5th at Ogden.

Big confidence builder. I went out at about race effort as planned, my mentality was that if I can drop everyone on the way up I can cruise on the way down and stay pretty fresh for Ogden. I executed well but there happened to be a guy who took 84th at Boston last month in 2:21 who showed up and even at about race effort he was gapping me about 5 seconds per mile for the first 2 miles. I figured I either wasn't going to win or if I did I would be hosed for Ogden so I backed off 30ish seconds off the pace after mile 2. I think I could have maintained a 5-10 seconds/mile gap with the guy who won- hopefully that applies to road races too.

I kept my heart rate in the 150s and 160s the rest of the race and just enjoyed the run, I got passed by another guy at about mile 6 and then another guy on the way down around mile 8. Turns out it was former footlocker finalist and fast running blogger Conner Baller who passed me at mile 8. Always an impressive turnout of fast guys for this race.

Strava of the guy who ran 2:21 at Boston says his heart rate reached 180s on this run so seems like he went all out, I likely would have been within 1-2 minutes of him if I went gave max effort for this race. I think sub 70 is on the table for Ogden, even with any reduced freshness from this race a week before.

Overall I ran 30 seconds faster than last year despite running at 70-80% effort for the last 11 miles and I'm very close to being able to keep with a guy who ran 2:21 at Boston. I'm pretty thrilled!

Circling the track with Jake, getting kinda hot. Quads and glutes/hips are mild-moderately sore today.

Soreness mostly gone but feeling flat, stuffy, short of breath on today's run. At least partially do to bad air quality and either allergies or a minor but. 4x800m tomorrow and then nothing but easy and strides until the race.

With Jake Kolten and Henry. Warned up 2 miles and then did 3x800m at race pace plus a couple of strides. 2 of the 800ms were slightly downhill and the last was slightly uphill. Splits were 2:46, 2:43, 2:47. If I can do the first 4 at just under 5:30 and then cut down to 5:15 average for the downhill there's a small chance of sub 70.

Legs felt better today, felt my quads a little bit on the 800ms and strides but not too bad. I think 72 more hours with a couple easy 3-4 milers and I'll feel great for race day.

Easy run. Legs are feeling mostly recovered from crossover but I am dealing with some sort of minor bug/allergies. I'll do 2-3 easy in the morning and then try to stay off my feet the rest of tomorrow.

Easy + 2 strides with Henry

Rough day on the roads, I'm definitely sick. My head and lungs felt like trash, my legs felt pretty good. I tried going out properly but 5:37 pace was feeling worse than 5:25 pace was at salt lake 10K, and then around mile 4/5 once we got to the downhill I just felt like crawling under a rock and falling asleep. Just kept the legs moving until I got to the finish line.

Still a fun morning but hampered by generally feeling kinda crappy. Legs feel pretty fresh though, once this bug clears up I'll be able to get back to training. Part of me feels a blow to my confidence because this is two road half marathons where I've become physically ill and had crap races in a row, but I think I've just gotten super unlucky.

It does make me either want to add another half marathon before Des news or maybe just so the 10k/half at des news because I feel like I should execute a good road half before I move up to the full... I also still don't understand how people get down enough liquid during marathons- when I grab cups during these races I'm lucky if a 3rd of the liquid gets into my mouth and the rest splatters all over my jersey. And it's not like amateur marathoners get the personal bottles. Maybe I'll become a camel back guy.

25 minute sauna, lungs have been wrecked since the race, but I think I'm over the bug and my lungs are starting to feel better.

Very frustrating that I was sick for Ogden, and I probably should have scratched it. From wasted tapering, not going all out at crossover, and training for the half instead of the full, plus no time to get elite entries with. But most of all just sucks to be suffering while running 20-30 seconds slower per mile than what you know should feel good. Kinda sucks, but time to look forward to the next thing.

Des news is the next big race and I need to decide which distance to run.

Am- 5.25Easy, with Jake for a mile or so. Lungs and throat feeling rough. Leaning towards just going for the marathon in July.

Pm- 2 easy miles with 1 short stride +20 minute sauna. Signed up for the Des news marathon. I figure I have time for 3 20+ mile long runs before then and will be able to peak around 70 miles in a week. My long runs going forward are going to be less about a specific pace and more like progression runs where I don't worry about pace so much and just send it the last several miles at what feels like marathon pace.

Watch died at mile 4 on a route that's about 6 miles. Lungs are improving. I'll keep it easy the rest of the week, maybe I'll do some faster miles during my long run but nothing crazy. Next weekend I'll do a 20-22 miler.

Ran over to the thanksgiving 5k course and ran that, then ran a little in field behind the rec center. It was 74° but it felt hot.

Muggy morning. Need to go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier. 4 strides at the end. Tendon in front of my right ankle is feeling off so I'll have to look into what I can do for that.

Tendon on the front interior side of my right ankle was flaring up Saturday and yesterday. Mostly better today so I ran a bit, felt fine. I signed up to be a pacer at the Utah valley marathon for the 3:05 group, figured that'll be great experience about 7 weeks out from Des News.

Windy 7 miles + 20 minute sauna. The guy pacing the 3:00 wanted to change to 3:05, so I swapped with him which is awesome. It'll be very good experience ahead of Des news.

More wind and a couple more strides

20 minute hike with Whitney and Becca and then a nice run in pleasant view. First day since Saturday with no tendon complaints.

Nvm, tendon started complaining after I showered.

Ran home after 1-2 mile walk with Becca and Whitney. Tried to practice running at the pace I'll be pacing at Utah Valley Marathon. Felt pretty good.

Rainy with Kolten and Jake, straw market after. Felt good.

Afternoon- Hot today, did a few miles at marathon effort. Time to commit to an earlier bed time and morning runs. Also did 6 strides.

Evening- Couple miles and 20 minute sauna