Chasing my Dreams

My legs did feel somewhat tired, especially on some of the uphills, which is good. I can't wait to hit up the Cache Valley hills again here in a week. 6:39 average running a loop I've never done before. My breathing was also a little harder than I would have liked, but part of that may have also been the temperature. 

My bowels were not in cooperation this morning following a lot of beans consumed yesterday. The legs felt fine other than my stride seemed a little restricted. Did stop to try and poop and what not. 6:35 average. 

The running was harder than I would have liked today. I was mostly running by feel. The cold air was influencing my ability to breath, and I felt pretty depleted food/energy wise. 6:29 average. I wanted to get the segment record in Stillwater, but it ends up that the course record was set by a guy biking that didn't change it on Strava, so I'm second on the leaderboard. 

Tried something different to mix things up, a trail run in the winter. It was quite refreshing and a great way to force me to have a nice and easy day: 7:59 average. There were a few pretty bad icy spots that slowed me down a lot. I also didn't really try on any of the hills, which was also a factor. If the trails were strictly packed snow, it would have been awesome. I also had a seed and some rocks in my shoe that were annoying for the whole run. 

It's getting harder to breath with the stupid inversion that is infiltrating the air. I actually felt better the faster I ran. 6:40 average for a jaunt through Hooper.

Hipflexors/upperquads are a bit tight today after yesterdays trail adventures.

My legs were feeling fantastic for the first 6 miles or so, however I could tell that I probably needed to stop and poop. I hit up Rob's construction site and used that honey bucket, then was back on my way. After another mile or so I had my pace back where I wanted and it still felt pretty good, but I was still feeling some GI discomfort. Unfortunately this GI discomfort ended up staying with me the whole run. Right around mile 12 I felt my legs kind of give out, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to hammer out the last 6.5 miles. At that point I tried to be mentally tough and make that the focus of the last third of the run, because it's important to do that on runs like today. I tried to keep the legs going as fast as I could, and still held a decent pace for the rest of the run, mostly from the mental toughness. I also fought the wind for the majority of the run.

6:18 average

I had some minor pain on the left ball of my foot towards where the toes attach, but it wasn't a big issue that I felt the entire run.

I didn't actually sleep for 7 hours, but I did lay in bed for that long. I could not go to sleep last night.

This run was an interesting one. The roads were really slick, so there were moments where I was either having to run slow in order to stay on my feet, or else I was churning but not going anywhere. I also slipped and penguin slid once. Other than that the run wasn't too bad. I did have to poop though, partially because of my body not being used to this schedule. The outside of right achilles hurt a little. 6:47 average

Ran all the hills to work on getting the fitness back. They really get the heartrate up there. I had to poop, so I hit the one at the top of the long hill. The outside of my right achilles still bothered me, especially during the second half of my run. 6:47 average

I forgot to set my alarm, so I ended up running in the afternoon. Luckily I had time with it being the first week of school. I met up with Tom and did an easy 5 miles with him. It was refreshing to hae some conversation during a run. I kept going after that and was going to pcik it up, but I felt a poop coming on and started my search for somewhere to go. After quite a bit of running I found a porta-potty in a neighbourhood by Green Canyon. That didn't prove to help the pain I was experiencing too much. I then started running again and after a mile was really hurting again. I made it to a gas station, but that didn't really help. I really suffered through the last mile, and the last half mile I had to keep stopping and could barely maintain 10 minute pace. 7:10 average, my legs didn't give me any problems. 

I was a little nervous after yesterdays run, but today was much better. My legs felt pretty good and I was really enjoying my run today. 6:37 average, with no leg problems at all. I did have to stop and use a porta-potty, but it was a normal stop and wasn't bad at all. I also don't feel like the hills are killing me like they were a few days ago either. Saw a handful of runners this morning, which was weird.

I forgot to mention yesterday that at the beginning of the run my left toe connection was bothering me. It was the same this morning, but it goes away after I get going. I was feeling pretty good for a lot of the run. I did stop and poop again, but it wasn't a problem. Right after I hit 7 miles I felt my legs get tired, but slowing down was probably a good thing because I was running harder than I probably should have been anyways. 6:37 average

Initially I just wanted to enjoy the morning, but once I got moving there wasn't stopping me. I mostly focused on working the uphills hard and then having some decent miles on the downhill. I'd forgotten how hard all of those hills are. If anything my legs were just tired today. I took a safety poop in Smithfield just to ensure I didn't have problems. After mile 15 I backed off and ran 6:20s for the rest of the way. 6:25 average

Just wanted to mix things up a little and shake the weekend out of my legs. I weaved around for a while and then continued my loop. Nothing bothered me today. 6:42 average, faster than I thought I would run today.

Tossed and turned last night while sleeping, so I didn't feel super rested when I woke up this morning. For the first half of my run my legs felt pretty dead/exhausted. This partially is probably due to playing foot twister last night at Home Evening. I did stop and poop at some newfound porta-potties. My legs didn't feel tired the second half of the run though. 6:38 average

6:41 average. I can't remember too much of this run, as I forgot to update this afterwards. I don't remember anything really hurting. Still trying to get my bowels used to this schedule and my new diet.

I wasn't confident with my prerun poop, so I ended up stopping moreso out of safety at the porta potty. I was trying to keep things a little easier today, but the second half ended up not really being relaxed. 6:45 average. My legs felt fairly good, but my IT bands felt a bit tight at the beginning.

My legs were very heavy today, and my breathing was harder than it normally is running how fast I was running, so that was an indicator that I was pretty tired. I also probably didn't sleep as much or drink as much as I needed to. 6:47 average. 

All the sitting I'm doing is killing my lower back and hips. I probably need to strengthen those areas.

Mentally I wasn't really ready to push hard, and with the weather I set out with the goal of enjoying the run. I experienceds all sorts of road conditions, including slushy and icy, so it wasn't exactly the best terrain for running fast anyways. During the last two and a half miles I really focused on driving my legs and keeping the form in my legs, which actually made a big difference in how well I was able to finish. 6:29 average.

6:43 average, my bowels were not happy today.. I felt some aching around my knees, but nothing major. It was in the single digits this morning, and I felt like I was running much faster than I actually was

I woke up a little stiff and tight from skiing last night and was going to take it nice and easy, but I can't seem to run slow by myself. My legs honestly felt fine once I got going. 6:47 average

It was another morning of not getting my bowels to cooperate. My legs still seemed a little tired, but that wasn't really slowing me down. It was another cool morning. 6:38 average. I'm wondering if the saltines I ate yesterday impacted my bowels today.. We'll see I guess.

The outside of my right foot at the ball (right below where the toe connects) felt pretty tender today. This may be a result of the shoes I've been wearing this week, as they are worn out right there. It also could be because my current trainers are beginning to get worn down right there.

My bowels played games on me today. I stopped at the porta potty to realize I didn't actually have to go, which was a kind of nice relief, but I was still stopped way longer than I would have liked. 6:36 average. The outside of my right foot almost feels bruised today, I think the shoes were a big factor.

Road conditions weren't ideal, so I didn't necessarily try to run fast. As a result I ran 6:55s, which was probably exactly what my body needed anyways. I stopped and pooped, but really got it all out after I was done with the run. 

I decided to stay in bed an extra hour and that made a big difference. I felt great getting out the door, and could tell it was going to be a good run when my first mile was a 6:25 with some uphill. I basically just let things keep rolling and got down to 6 flat pace by the time I was five miles in. I did stop and poop, but it was well needed and saved the rest of the run. Once I got to the long uphill in Smithfield I was really going and was able to really grind those hills, which didn't slow me down much. I then was able to put together around 5:40s for miles 12-15, then I ran 6:10ish for the final last bit of the run. 6:03 average. Definitely one of my best runs ever.

I had a hard time falling asleep last night, and then I feel like I tossed and turned most of the night. 

I got out the door this morning and felt kind of lethargic, but it got better the longer I was out. 6:44 average. I had to stop and poop because I couldn't beforehand. My feet were bothering me, probably because my shoes are about shot. My right quad felt especially tired, and the left ball of my foot into my toes hurt pretty good. 

It was a tough morning getting out the door and getting going. I much rather would have stayed in bed. I took things fairly easy the first couple of miles and then naturally picked things up after that. This run definitely helped me have a better attitude aboutt the day. My shoes actually treated me fairly well until 9 miles in, and then my left foot/toes started to hurt like they did yesterday. So I'll probably break out the new shoes tomorrow. It was pretty nice out this morning as well. 6:43 average

Unfortunately it was cloudy and I couldn't see the Super Blue Blood Moon. For the first like three miles my breathing felt like it was harder than normal, so I mentally knew I probably should run easier, but my legs didn't want to cooperate. However, once I hit like 6.5 miles, I could tell my legs were feeling pretty tired. 6:38 average.

I broke out the new shoes today as well. My right ankle feels bruised almost I think from my worn out shoes.. It went away after a mile though

Today I was committed to controling my effort and making it a true easy day. I actually did a pretty good job, other than the last two miles were a little faster than they should have been. 7 flat average pace. My left hip was feeling pretty tight/sore this morning, and I felt it the majority of the run. About 9.5 miles in my left ball of the foot/toes started to hurt a little, but I think it's just lingering stuff from the old shoes and nothing to worry about.

More than anything I couldn't get my legs to work this morning. It was a struggle just to run the pace I was running. My life burdens may be influencing my recovery and may have also been that they were sluggish after yesterday's run. My right ankle and left foot bothered me slightly during the first mile, but felt great after that. They should go away here in a comple of days. 6:48 average.

Yesterday my legs apparently really were tired, as my quads especially were feeling it today. All of the uphills on todays route certainly didn't help that in any way. It did make me wonder if my legs don't respond well to foam rolling though. I ran by feel today (turned off the mile splits on my watch) and just tried to get in a good effort based on what my legs were giving me. Not an awful effort, 6:26 average, but the second half was actually decent. From miles 10-12 my left ball/toes area was hurting and it had me concerned, but I'm thinking the hills must aggravate it more than the flats, because it kind of went away after that. 

I wanted to take today easy just so that my body could gain the benefits of recovering. I would have hit up some dirt, but my headlight isn't very bright right now. My hips and quads were a little tight, but for the most part I felt good. 6:59 average.

I woke up feeling surprisingly rested and energetic for the day, which was nice. The weather was probably my favorite kind of running weather -- low to mid thirties. I hit up the Hyde Park Canal and then on my way back did a little bit on the Lundstrom Park trail. Changing things up with the dirt was fun, and my legs felt amazing after the first couple of miles. 6:38 average, but the last half was all sub 6:30s. 

The bowels weren't in cooperation initially this morning, so I got out the door later than I would have liked. I felt a little tired the first couple miles, but then I was able to pick it up. I also picked it up because I knew I didn't have a ton of time. Stopped at the 7 mile porta potty. 6:33 average. 

I was a little slow getting out the door with pooping, but felt fine once out the door. I probably ran the first mile a little harder than I should have, but I felt like I was running pretty easy the whole time. 6:53 average. Around mile 10 or 10.5 I felt my left ball/toes slightly, which is the first time I've felt it all week. Planning on another nice and easy run tomorrow.

It was an easy effort day today. I could feel my foot when I woke up, but after half a mile I felt fine. I hit up the Lundstrom Park trail and there were tons of deer out on the golf course. I felt great, but then at about 8.5 miles my foot started to hurt out of nowhere. I'll have to try and ice a lot today, because I think it's probably some inflamation more than anything. 7:03 average

Hit up Mantua for a number of reasons. The biggest was because it was on my way home, but the dirt and being at 5200 feet were some nice bonuses. The first 8 miles I unintentionally did as a progression down to 5:45, but then I didn't think I could keep that pace going, so I backed off and did the next 8 miles as a steady state around 6-6:10 pace. I felt much better in that zone, but by the end my legs were still getting tired. My left foot started hurting around 7.5 miles, but it never got really bad. I'm thinking I should probably have a lower mileage week and some cross training next week to try and get it back to 100 percent. The first half of this run was also really challenging mentally. 6:10 overall average, the last mile was a cooldown. 

Did some exploring in some efforts to find more soft surfaces to run on. It wasn't completely successful, but it was a fun way to mix things up. I did see three different bucks right in the middle of North Logan though, so that was pretty fun. I didn't feel my foot bother me, which is good news. Hopefully this down week will knock out those aches and what not. 6:46 average

Took it easy today, but it felt kind of hard aerobically. Hit up the Lundstrom Park trail and actually ran that twice so that I could have more soft surface time. During the last mile my left toes almost felt like there were small needles in them, but it wasn't the normal pain, which was kind of weird, but still nothing major. 8 miles feels like an extremely short run.. 6:52 average.

Took longer than I wanted to get out the door. Last night my foot was hurting, but not in the place it used to be. I iced it and slept in wool socks to get some added warmth and compression. My foot felt extremely good when I woke up. I was for some reason nervous throughout the whole run, but I didn't feel my foot at all. Nice and slow, 6:56 average. It's crazy that an 8 mile run now feels short. I've still been plenty tired this week, even though my mileage is down. Either way, this week will hopefully be a good break for the mind and hopefully get rid of the tendonitis for good.

It was snowing for basically the whole run, but that helped me to just relax and enjoy the run. During the first mile my left foot went in a crack in the road and it put some pressure where I've been trying to heal, and that made me a bit paranoid. It felt fine for the most part though. There was some very minor pain around 6 miles, but nothing like I was experiencing in previous weeks. 6:58 average. 

It was actually cold this morning for the first time in a while. That slowed my first mile down quite a bit. Hit up the Lundstrom Park trail twice and then just kind of ran around to get the distance. Still haven't had any major pain in my foot, which is good. Hopefully come Monday I'll be feeling 100% and be able to grind things out. 6:49 average. It felt good to run a little faster today.

I was really hopeful that I would feel 100 percent today, and I was really excited to have a solid run. I ran the Hyde Park Canal trail because I thought the softer surface would be good, but in all reality, it's pretty uneven and probably put a good amount of stress on my foot. I also think (and based on what I've read) the uphill running influences it as well. I honestly felt good until about 11 miles, when I was running on the USU cross country course. I obviously just haven't been running far enough or hard enough to aggravate it. I'm hoping a couple days off and then some easy running will get rid of it. 6:29 average.

Rest day, just a little core and strength.

Ran to the fieldhouse, spent 50 minutes trying to grind on the ellipticial. By the end I was fairly tired, I'm hoping that doesn't put the same amount of strain on my foot that running does. Then ran back home.

I've been able to fine point the little bit of tendonitis remaining in my middle toe, so I decided long term I would not run today to try and give it some good rest and hopefully be good to go next week. I really was hoping to run today though. 

Lots of rest again, but woke up with a sore throat. I think I've come down with a cold, which stinks.

I wanted to test things out today, but it still only felt like 90 percent when I woke up. The good thing is that my lungs weren't slowing me down at all, but I felt my legs were struggling. 6:55 average. I was going to do 8, but 3.5 miles in I felt it slightly and I decided to play it on the safe side. I also felt it at the very end when making a turn.. I'm thinking two more days off and then try again come Thursday.

I was excited to be out running, it feels so much better than biking or cross training. After I got going, I had to prove to myself that I hadn't completely lost my fitness, so I ran faster than I should have given the circumstances of my foot. 6:42 average, but a bunch of the miles in the middle were 6:30s. My legs lost a little bit, and aerobically I lost a little, but I know that will come back quickly. I felt some dull pain in my toe during the last mile, but part of that is just getting adjusted back I'm homing. I definitely need to strengthen other musicles to help me be able to consistently run strong and healthy though. 

Took it a little easier. 6:53 average. I can't remember much because I'm writing this a day late. 

6:26 average. I told myself I was going to run for 90 minutes of relaxation, because yesterday was a very stressful day. Luckily my foot held up, which is encouraging that I'm back to full health. About half way through the run I was feeling some pain in my left knee, which was kind of weird, but I don't think it's anything to be worried about. It was faster than I intended on running, but it felt great.

The knee bothered me for the whole run, but I didn't think it was as bad as it actually is. 6:44 average. 

Was going to try and run, but turned around at the corner because the knee still hurt. 

Ideally I was hoping I'd be able to do an easy four miles, but once I got going I could still feel my knee some. It wasn't nearly as bad as it was last week though. I slogged through a mile and called it a day. I'm thinking cross train tomorrow and then give it another go Wednesday..

Tried out biking this morning, but after like 10 minutes my knee started to hurt. I wish I would have been at the gym because then I could have stopped, but I had to bike home, so I think that made it worse. I also waited it out a little to try and see if it would remain, and it did. About 30 minutes on the bike.

50 minutes on the bike in some crazy weather. Knee wasn't bad, which shows that it's slowly making progress. I could feel dull pain at times, but nothing bad

Walked up to the fieldhouse and did 40 minutes on the bike. The knee felt great, granted I think it was a little easier on the legs than actual biking. I tried to jog home, and it felt okay if I didn't go through the range of motion, but if I tried to let my leg kick up and around then it hurt.

Still making progress, and it is only two weeks, and it could take another two more..

40 minutes on the bike, a couple overhead squats, RDLs, and calf raises. Continual slow progress

Between 40 and 45 minutes on the bike with a little bit of strength work mixed in between. I can tell I'm making progress even though I'm not running. I'm encouraged at the thought that I may be able to run next week. 

Forgot to set my alarm, so I settled for some core and hip work at home. It probably didn't hurt to give my knee a little break today.

While walking to the institute I realized that I got hurt coming out of winter, when I wasn't running trails. In the future I need to make sure I lift weights if I'm not able to run trails.

55 minutes of biking and some strength work mixed in. The knee hasn't bothered me at all over the last couple of days. I'm hopeful of being able to run come Monday.

It feels right to be back writing in here. I think it gives me an increased amount of accountability. I woke up and my allergies were bothering me a little, but it seemed to calm down once I was running. The legs didn't feel quite as good as I would have liked for a Monday, but that's probably a result of not getting the sleep and recovery I should have this weekend. 6:55 average isn't necessarily fast, but it's faster than a lot fo m running this summer has been. 

I woke up feeling just as tired as when I went to bed, which was frustrating. I should have worn my headlight for this run, but I wasn't really thinking that it would be dark at 5am. Both the legs and lungs didn't feel great, it was a grind. 6:53 average.

Was pretty tired in the morning and decided I was better off to get a little more sleep and then do a little bit of strength work. I decided on a whim to run in the evening, and I mostly realized how out of shape I am. Granted I had already worked all day. 6:39 average

Didn't feel great, but held a better pace than I have for a lot of the summer. 6:54 average.

I actually haven't been able to sleep super well yet since moving back to Logan, but I did lay in my bed "resting" for that amount of time. Ran about 3.75 miles alone and was reminded immediately how much harder it is to run in Logan. Then I met up with Erich and ran with him the rest of the way. 6:50 average for the whole run. Overall it felt harder aerobically more than anything else, although my legs did struggle on the uphill sections. I probably need to be a little cautious with bumping up the mileage too quickly.

Things didn't feel quite as hard as they did yesterday, but the hills are still a challenge. My legs aren't dead like they would be in the summer though. 6:47 average. Also, Cache Valley running is hard to beat.

Felt good other than the stomach for the most part. There were porta potties, but they hadn't been cleaned or restocked in a while. My left knee has been hurting slightly where it did in the spring, but it also feels like it did when I was initially coming back. I think it may just be an adjustment to the additional mileage. 6:46 average. 

Breathing was a challenge today and my legs felt really heavy. I pretty much just ran 7 minute pace the whole time, but it was harder than I would have liked. Not sure why I felt so poor. I did get a kick out of how many people I saw running in long-sleeves though. I was on the warm side of comfortable in a short-sleeve.

After two miles of sluggish running to start I realized that the reason my legs have felt so bad the last couple of days is because my shoes are shot. 6:51 average, I hit the big hill in North Logan today, but that was one of the best parts of the run.

I slept quite well, but woke up feeling the effects of a pretty crazy weekend, especially Saturday where my nutrition was poor and I spent a good part of the day on my feet. I felt better once I got going, but it wasn't anything crazy. 6:53 average. 

Can't remember anything about this run

Ran with Josh Ward and Alex White. It was a great morning and way to start the day. It was nice to run in the light, with people to talk to, on dirt, as well as at a relaxed pace. 7:35 average. Wish I would have been able to do 10 with Josh, but I had to get to class.

Legs didn't feel great, especially during the first half of the run. This is most likely a result of not stretching or anything yesterday because I was out of the usual routine. 6:50 average. Felt my left knee for a brief moment around mile 7, but it went away.

I woke up feeling pretty tired, to say the least. My legs felt better than they have most of the week though. 6:59 average. Got in a couple miles on the dirt to mix things up as well. I need to try and get some more sleep tonight before attacking trails in the morning.

Ran the trails in Logan Canyon. It wasn't exactly what I had planned due to some "trail closures". I did get to explore a little and get to know the canyon a little better though. It was a beautiful morning where the run was good for more than just the body and mind, but also for the soul itself, especially being alone on the trails. Legs felt good.

I would have liked to get in at least another mile, but I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning. I also had a reading assignment I had to do for Fluid Mechanics as well, so that cut into my running time a little as well. I ran the snake route today and enjoyed the process. Aerobically things felt pretty good today, but the legs were sluggish. Most of the run was around 7 minute pace, but I tried to push on the downhills and during the last half mile. 6:54 average. 

Ran with Erich, and he said he wanted to take it easy, but we ended up just rolling 6:30s once we got going. 6:42 average, our last couple miles were a bit slower after I had to stop to go to the bathroom and with the uphills as we climbed back home. 

I could barely function when I woke up this morning. I'm amazed at how exhausted I am this semester. I'm almost as tired as when I was working full-time, other than my legs are actually recovering now. My nutrition yesterday certainly didn't help as I ended up having pizza at the Freshman Mentorship event for dinner. 6:55 average, but I just wasn't feeling it for the most part.