Elite Jogging For Dummies

Parked at Steiner with the plan of swimming after my run.  I ran a short south loop, returned to Steiner, and swam for a few minutes.  I'm a terrible swimmer, the equivalent of an out-of-shape, duck-footed, back of the pack runner, but it felt great. Then I rode my bike to work, completing the trifecta. 

Workout with the Black Sheep at Highland track. After warming up around Sugarhouse park, we went to the track.  Before beginning the workout, we had a moment of silence for our friend and fellow Black Sheep Christine Brimley, who died this past Friday just 10 months after being diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. She was a fighter to the end and was out running with her friends until barely two months ago. She came to a baby shower that the Black Sheep/Radda crew folks threw for Heather and me at the end of March and she looked great. It is overwhelming how that disease can ravage otherwise healthy bodies in such a short time. In addition to being a great athlete, Christine was also involved in the organization behind the Ragnar Relay series. She was great fun to be around and she will be missed greatly by all who knew her. 

 It seems trite to describe the rest of the workout now, but here goes.  We ran 800m of speed changes and then 10 x 800m.  I wanted to do these at 2:40 steady throughought. It took me a few to get warmed up, but it finally clicked.  2:42/2:43/2:44/2:40/2:39/2:39/2:39/2:39/2:40/2:37.  Cooled down a mile on the track after. Ankle pain at 2-2.5. I put the PowerStep insoles back in my shoes and that may have helped control the foot movement slightly.

Swimming at Steiner. When are as inefficient as I am, it feels like a good workout. Back to running tomorrow.

 Last night, Heather and I were out for a walk at about 10pm.  We stopped and chatted with another couple from the neighborhood who had stopped at the top of the street to try to catch a glimpse of the space shuttle and the international space station crossing through the sky.  After a couple of minutes of sky-gazing, along came these space travelers, moving quickly from the northwest sky, heading east. It was a cool sight.
 

The Black Sheep group assembled at Foothill Village this morning for a memorial run for Christine Brimley.  We ran the H-Rock loop, a route I ran with her several times in years past.  It was very cool, there were at least 30 or more runners out--most all of the folks I have run with regularly for the past six or seven years.  Lots of different fitness levels, so something for everybody.  The loop most of the group ran is just under 6 miles, Sam and Aimee and I added an extension over by the zoo to get a little more.  Afterward, we all congregated over a beverage and tried to make sense of it all.

Parked at Steiner acquatic center and ran a loop through the U, Fort Douglas, This is The Place, Golf Course, etc.  So, much like my typical routes, but with a different starting point.  Ankle pain not so bad during the run, but bothering me since a little bit.  I went for a quick swim after the run.

Even though I was cutting my mileage back this week, I decided I could handle a 5k.  After all, I was going to run 10-12 miles anyway, so why not throw in a little tempo? I didn't have high hopes for a great time, but I did want to run hard nevertheless.

Got to the start early, ran a 5 mile warm up from the start and around Liberty Park a couple of times.  The race has an aid station in the park and the volunteers had set it up past the turnaround point.  I persuaded them that it might be better to have the aid station before the turnaround point and helped them move the table and water.

Today was a new course for this event and it was good.  Started on the east side of Library Square, running south from 500 So. to 900 So., then up 900 So. to Liberty Park. Those that have run the Des News races know that 900 So. section as the last .5 miles of the race. It's much harder at the end of a 10k or marathon than in mile 1 of a 5k.  Anyway, at Liberty Park, the course makes a little out and back loop along the west side of the park.  Then it's just back to the start, same route.  More or less completely flat when it's all said and done. 

At the start I saw Neal Gassman and knew that he would be tough to hang with, let alone beat, given the awesome season he's having. He's also won here before at least once or twice.  Anyway, from the start, Jose Martinez was out in front through the first .75, but then Neal caught him and I caught him.  Another runner was with me through the turnaround, but I managed to pull away at about mile 2.  Neal was long gone by that point, and building a lead. I also didn't have anyone too close to me so I wasn't pushing very hard in the last mile--at least not as hard as I could have pushed with some external motivation.  Neal was first in 15:56, I was second--a full minute back in 16:55.

After the race, I cooled down with Neal and a few others, another trip on the course.  Also got to meet Brent and Syliva. Great to put faces with blogs.

The ankle was pretty much talking to me all morning.  Pain at level of 2-3. It is difficult to describe how conflicted I feel about running on it.  It is slightly better, but not much.  I don't much like the very idea of not being able to run and compete right now.  I'll keep trying to manage it as best as I can--and try to be fairly intelligent about it. Hard to know if I'm better off in the long run by taking time off completely or by cutting back to 40-50 miles for several more weeks. The ankle has not yet provided a great answer to this question.