The Renegade

Workout today was 8 x 1000m on the Stokes trail (Logan Canyon). I got there and did a ~2K warmup (had my watch on metrics) First four were with Logan's XC team. It was 2 uphill, 2 downhill, 2 uphill, 2 downhill. I messed up the 5th and 7th ones by stopping too early because I wasn't sure where the marker was. Rests were a 500m jog back (so ladders then starting right up again, a little over 3 minutes. Splits: 3:47, 3:45, 3:37, 3:12, 3:11 (.9k), 3:48, 2:19 (.7k), 3:08. Felt good running with the guys, but felt terrible for the second half! Oh well, still a decent workout. For my cooldown I actually jogged back up the trail crossed the highway, then ran down the highline trail where I connected with the main trail later, because I needed to get 10 miles. That was a exactly two, and I didn't have my watch running but it was probably like 9 minute pace. I need to do either 6xmile or 10xK sometime on flat terrain, I think that would be beneficial for racing a 10K. I am also planning on doing a 5-6 mile tempo later this week.

2 miles by myself, then 5 miles with a cool dude named Ben who I met on Strava (aka running tinder). This was all from Merlin-Olsen. The two were a seperate loop through Riverdale Avenue then I got back to the park and he was there so we did a loop going up the canal trail then up the water lab trail to Cliffside and down a sketchy single-track. Been a while since I hit up that general route and he had never seen them so it was fun. We'll probably run together like once a week so that'll be cool. Also I'll hopefully be running with Johnny at least once a week. The whole run was 7:14 ap. 

Decent day. Parked at Lundstrom and did a mile warmup on the canal trail. I wore my newly modified Zantes (crude sowing to somewhat fix the holes on the sides and I replaced the insoles with the ones from my Vomeros) to see how they felt and they were fine so I stayed in them. There's a two mile loop that USU XC uses for tempos and "power runs", and they just run around it multiple times because it's nice and flat so I decided to do a 6 mile tempo on it. Started out making sure to stay relaxed and my first mile was a 6:05. Then I eased into the ballpark 6:15 which I was happy to be at honestly, and held that pretty comfortably for 3 more miles, and I would have been fine for another two but I got a heart palpatation right after the four mile mark so I decided to tough it out for another mile and be done (managed a 6:20). Averaged 6:15. So this shows that I have the fitness to run at least 6 miles at that pace pretty relaxed as long as nothing disrupts it. I think I'll definitely try this again next week. either on the same course or at the xc course. Mile cooldown same place as warmup after. The week after next I'm looking at doing a 2 mile race and a 10k with one day to recover in between, so no huge workout then. 

AM: 3 miles 6:47 ap each one faster than the next. Felt pretty good. I did my typical three mile route running to Willow Park and back.

PM: Fun workout at the track with Johnny and Coach Strand! I came early and hung out with the team (shoutout to them for making it to state yesterday) then when they headed off on their run Johnny got there and we warmed up a mile around the school and then did drills. Strand got back and we started our 12x100 workout. We jogged 300m inbetween. Here's the splits: 16.01, 15.50, 15.23, 14.76, 14.67, 14.25, 14.35, 14.28, 13.73, 14.08, 13.44, 13.56. So not crazy fast and I couldn't really keep up with them on the last couple (those were the hard ones) but it was good to mix things up and do some anaerobic work. I felt pretty smooth for most of it then. But really these were like glorified strides so I still considered today an easy day. Cooled down a barefoot mile on the turf and to my shock I discovered there was blood on my sock, froma sharp toenail that was rubbing against my middle toe. We finished with hip drills. It was good to run with Johnny again, for the third or fourth time in like an entire year haha.

Met Johnny and Strand at the track at 5:45 am for a run! I don't think I've gotten up before 6 all summer except for a couple races. It was dark for the whole run but surprisingly warm; we went shirtless for more than half. We ran out to Providence and did a loop much like the Logan tempo loop and came back. 7:21 ap. Didn't feel that slow but I think it's harder to run at the usual pace that early in the morning. When we got back Johnny and I did strides on the turf. My lopsided legs felt really uneven the faster we went, hopefully that will get better the more strides I do. This was my only run today. I'll go 12 tomorrow even if it'll put me a tiny bit over.

      Great run today! I was supposed to run with Logan XC in the morning but slept in. So I headed to First Dam in the afternoon. Ran from there all the way to the other end of the trail 6 miles up in the Guinavah Campground. Kept the pace relaxed and the average was probably 7:15 to 7:20. (funny sidenote, I made sure to wave at everyone I crossed paths with, which is alot on a Saturday, and I most of them were unrequitted. Hmm, maybe it was the shorts) At that point I hadn't stopped (had no reason to) and I decided I wanted to complete the half marathon challenge with a decent time so I just turned around right away) Pushed it a little more on the way back, especially the last few miles on the trail where it was more like tempo pace but still felt good. When I hit the first gate my heart started giving me some problems but I just held on and when I got back to the park I added on one more grueling mile on the sidewalk and snagged a 1:31 which was 6:58 ap. Official PR is 1:33 downhill from TOU 2014. so I like to say I could crack 1:20, optimistically on a flat course but definitely aided. Didn't even get thirsty which is surprising because I wasn't that well hydrated, but it was a nice cool-ish afternoon. 

      I hope I can get in 12-13 miles every Saturday, all together usually but with doubles when there's a race. Also a 6 miles worth of tempo on one day, and another workout focusing on anything from speed to vo2max each week. All in a backwards order from that though. If I do this I'll probably have to back off a little on the easy runs but that's okay. Feeling tired from the run right now but not dead.