Like the canyon

Weather's been warm, trails are dry, I've been trying to be consistent about a once a week tempo run.  Lately that's been on the 'mill, with the conditions, I hit the BST instead. 

First 7 miles and 1130 vert at a 8:10 average pace, little different that 6 minute miles on the TM, but felt the effort for sure.  Cruised a slow 2 more miles in the dark.  Felt great!

9 miles, 1300 vert.

I had to drag myself out for this one.  I know it gets dark early in December, but with the thick clouds and gloom, people were driving with their headlights on at like 4:00, which is what time I was trying to pull myself out of a chair and into my running gear.  Driving to the trailhead it was pretty much dark and spitting rain, I sat in the truck for a while, kinda rolled out and started walking up the trail, then running, 5 minutes in I figured I'd turn around at 20 minutes, 15 minutes in I felt great and was rolling.  Funny how just getting going fires the jets.  Ended up doing just under 10 miles with 1650 vert on the North BST.  Felt great and managed an alright pace considering the last 2.5 were completely dark and my headlamp was low on batteries. 

9.85 miles, 1650 vert, 8:45 ave, easy to moderate effort. 

Ran 8 minutes faster tonight than I was averaging the same route last spring, and that was with a slow last couple of miles due to the dark.  Effort was much eaiser tonight than it felt last spring, even though it was faster. Huh, improvement, imagine that!

5.5 miles on a snowy BST.  Pretty much broke trail through 6-8 inches of fresh snow, which made 5 miles feel like 7.  Two weeks of dirt makes me forget how much more effort running in soft snow takes.   Got out with a buddy from my ward who wants to get into some longer running.  He did alright.  We got talking the last bit and he mentioned that he ran the 400 for Weber State a few years ago and has a PR of 47! I think he'd lap me in a 400.  He hasn't run much in the last couple years, but with his speed, add some edurance and climbing gears and he'll be scary.  

5.5 miles 800 vert.

Totally unremarkable 6 on the mill.  Felt like crap! Tired, legs heavy. Wanted to quit at 2 miles, plugged along for 6. 7:45 average.

23/4 Malan's in the wackey weather.  Ran, well ...shuffled, the first two laps, walked the last 3/4 lap.  Wanted three, but ran out of time.  First lap was tough, breaking trail up high in 7-8 inches of snow.  Second lap felt easier, packed trial.  Third lap, bluh!  Snowing hard the first bit, then warm, snow melting off the trees soaked me to the core, but it beats the heck out of  a long run on the treadmill!

11 miles, neighborhood of 5500 vert, give or take a hundred or two. 

42 miles, a bit over 9000 vert for the week.