Clyde's Comeback!

B-hills loop. A splendid morning with warm, calm temps. I tried to just use it as a recovery run and not push the pace what so ever. Looking forward to hanging the rest of the day and enjoying temps in the upper 80's. Forecast calls for 86 F. 

4.7 mile warm up

13.1 mile tempo in 1:14:53 or a 5:43 avg

1 mile cool down

Big workout this morning. Dave and I were the only ones who showed up. Our plan was to run the first half of the STG marathon course at tempo/ race pace. We drove two cars up. Parked Dave's car at the halfway point on the marathon course and then took mine up to Brookside (4.6  miles south of the starting line of the marathon). We got a good warm up in from my car up to the start. It was A LOT warmer than I anticipated as 2 miles into the warm up I was hot and needed to drop all the extra clothing. We ended up running most of the tempo shirtless and still being hot. From the start of the tempo down to Veyo I just tried to stay relaxed but take any fast miles I could. We ran pretty well up to the bridge right before the Veyo hill. Then Dave moved into the lead and I really struggled up the hill. Just couldn't get the legs to turn over. Ended up hitting a pathetic 6:36 mile 8 which is basically all up the Veyo hill. From there up through the hills of in Dameron Valley I was around 5:52ish pace and finally caught back up to Dave just past the 11 mile mark. From there to the finish we both basically ran shoulder to shoulder grunting it out. There was a pesky little head wind that slowed down any fast finish we were intending on using. We both pushed to the mark and were very glad to be done. It felt a little harder than it should have but on a positive note it was a PR in workout form. Since last time I did this as a workout I ran a 1:14:59. So just a little faster today and maybe not as trashed as I was last time I ran this workout back in November. Anywho glad to get a solid workout in the bank and most likely my last hard thing until the SLC marathon in a couple weeks.

B-hills loop. As suspected my legs were pretty sore and just overall lethargic this morning after Saturdays workout. It seems they are more sore today than yesterday. Kind of that delayed soreness action that seems to take a few good day to works it's self out of your system. So I just tried to run with smooth form and not injure anything. 

Middle B-hills loop this morning. Great morning for a run. Legs still felt semi heavy and I struggled to get any smooth turnover. 

8.1 miles this evening. Just the normal B-hills loop. 

Regular B-hills loop this morning. Legs and breath are kind of short. I understand the legs still having some drag in them from last Saturdays run but really have no idea why I was out of breath running EZ. My allergies are really bad right now and that's the only thing I can think of...

6.6 miles this afternoon. I golfed 18 today at Sunbrook. It was pretty fun. I played good for the middle 10 holes. But it took a few to warm up and then after about 13 holes I was pretty tired and started to struggle. Came straight home and ran after. Hadn't had any lunch yet (3pm) so I was kind of depleted. But the run was ok. 

Club run. It was pretty windy out and at time seemed to blow us right off the trail. But in the end I enjoyed the run and am glad I didn't bail because the thought crossed my mind before hand. 6:56 avg just EZ going. 

Had a trip to April tonight. She rocked my world but I think with in 3-4 days I should be right where I want to be coming into SLC. 

Hit the treadmill this morning. Wanted to only do one run today but I'll have to squeeze another in later on. Rain and colder temps today. 

4.3 around the Little Valley loop. Legs felt pretty good last night and so so this morning. But tonight they were logs. Glad I'm not racing tomorrow. 

Met in downtown STG today to run the first half of the Ironman course. Logan, Aaron, Amber, and a bunch of other people showed. (sorry for not getting more there... Dave- thought you had a meet). The course is very, very hilly and it was raining at around 38 F. My plan was to run EZ and relaxed but still keep it honest. We ended with a 6:46 avg for the entire run. Never ran hard but kept it uptempo most of the run. Legs felt really good for a change. I'll take it too.

Did one loop on my 20 mile freeway/ B-hills course. Legs felt fantastic for a Monday. Everything felt great... hopefully a sign of good things to come this weekend in SLC. 

Another great run on a beautiful morning. Legs and body felt fantastic. Weight is right where I want it to be going into a marathon. Now I just would like the weather to work out. The bad news is I have no control of that. I wish I could slip mother nature a $100 to cover things on Saturday. 

Normal B-hills loop. Not as glamorous as the last couple days. But not bad either. Just a regular old run.  My stomach was  kind of jacked from taking some cayenne pepper last night to fight off a cold. Trying to decide on what shoes to wear this weekend. Type A's, Launch, or some new Speedstars. 

Middle B-hills run this morning while the sun was coming up. Kind of chilly but the temp said 47 F. Didn't wear a watch but just tried to really work on hitting good form. I feel my form is really off and I'd like to get something back before the race on Saturday. Planning some barefoot tomorrow in SLC. 

EZ 3 mile run in Draper by my wife's uncles house. Went to the park and did a little barefoot but the grass was wet.... so it was very cold on the bare feet. 

Pre Game

We drove up to SLC on Thursday evening so I didn't have to do it the day before the race and to try and get a little acclimated. So Friday morning after a short run Mik'L, Myler and I went and drove the course. I found this very helpful come race time. First, so I had a feel for the course and second because we picked out a couple spots where Mik'L would meet me and give me a drink and GU. Ended up picking around mile 9.3 by Olympus High and around mile 16 coming down Van Winkle. These turned out to be pretty good choices for me during the race and for Mik'L to navigate to.

The game

Road up to the start with my siter-in-law who was running the half. We ended up getting up there at about 6:15 or about 45 min's before the race started. It was nice for the first round of potty stops because there was no line but later on the masses showed and I wasn't so lucky. Talked to Walter for a while and then we did around a mile warm up and eventually picked up Steve A and jogged a little more... went potty behind a tree and then made it to the start. The weather was almost perfect. Just a little warm but with the overcast it made it so the sun never came out and then it didn't really get hot later on anyways. Plus NO WIND so that was a win too. Before the gun went off we spotted the Kenyans and decided "oh well for the win" and that we'd just run to have a good race and have fun. So the race started and I really just tried to run EZ and not get sucked in with the halfers who also started with us.That plan worked until Sugarhouse park where we split from the halfers and I found out that I was in 3rd behind the two kenyans... and I was only like 40 seconds back. So from here to mile 10 I talked myself into going to get them. I was totally convinced I could and so I just kept it smooth to the half. Hit the half around 1:15:10 and felt fantastic. Had never left my comfort zone and really thought negative splitting was doable. But this only lasted one mile. Just after mile 14 as we hit Van Winkle street or expressway I started to struggle. I was expecting to run 5:35ish pace through here all the way down and about died when I saw a 6:10 17th mile appear. I was working through a side ache at 14ish and had to slow down and from then on I just never could get the legs to turn over. I was kind of bummed to drop such a horrible second half and almost a 5 min positive split when I had planned while driving the course to run it equal  or a little negative. I kept my head above water until Liberty park but from there on in I really felt like I was sinking fast- well I actually was. But looking back though the splits it wasn't as bad as it felt. I was fully expecting to see a couple 8 min miles especially the 25 up State St to South Temple. That about did me in. But I was pumped to hear some of the crowed on State St say I was 2nd??? Didn't know or care where the other guy had gone. (later found out he was just a pacer and dropped at 18)

Happy about the race overall. Time suffered a second half blow but I didn't come to run a PR effort race. Just a good spring race/ workout to get a little confidence up for the upcoming race season. Hopefully in 8 weeks at UV I'll be able to pull out all the stops and run for blood.

Splits by the mile

1. 5:39

5:35

5:18- Never felt like I was running that fast... but it was some good downhill.

5:23

5:41

6. 5:52- Around Sugarhouse park kind of a fun mile!

5:53

5:51

9. 6:00- See my wifey here and get some Gatorade and GU (I actually had them mixed)

10. 5:41- I think I hit the 10 mile mark in around 55 mins

5:41

5:55

13. 6:06- Not sure officially but I think I hit the half in 1:15:10

5:36

15. 5:47- All three of these were downhill on Van Winkle. I expected more:)

16. 5:53

17. 6:10

5:56

5:52

6:03

6:06

6:03

23. 6:18- Around Liberty Park and now dodging all the half marathoners...

6:14

25. 6:38- Up State St and entirely uphill to South Temple. I really thought this was a 8 min mile so when I got home a 6:38 didn't look too bad.

26. 6:14

Final .2 in 1:10 or 6:04 pace.

 Happy to have spent my 32nd Birthday running a marathon. I got the positive race I needed so that was a good B-day gift. Not sure if I got any prizes as we jumped back on I-15 and came home... and being home is a nice gift too.

87 F here at our house in STG today. 

Inner B-hills loop. I've been way less sore than any other marathon... ever. I can feel soreness but more equal to a Saturday workout rather than a full marathon. Nonetheless I told myself last week that no matter what I'd take this week very EZ and try and recover smart. Too many time have I jumped back into training and have felt like I was in slump plus got sick for about the next month.

So today's run was nice and EZ and the rest of the week will be similar.

Spent the rest of the morning watching the Boston Marathon. Mik'L had it going when I got home. She paid to have it stream on our computer. It was so fun to watch. Fun to see Ryan Hall do so well along with all the other super fast times. The woman's race was a thrilling finish in which we were yelling at the screen like a football game. The little American girl almost did it! Then most of all it was AWESOME to actually see Paul Peterson run the last 100m or so and finish his AMAZING 2:17 PR marathon. He was waving to the crowd and smiling all the way in. Good stuff for sure.

Inner B-hills run with Brother and Sister Harmer. Nice and EZ pace on a beautiful spring morning. One potty stop for me at the golf course. Legs feel pretty good too. 

5.5 miles this afternoon with my uncle around the inner b-hills loop. I pushed Myler as well.  I wasn't planning on going twice today but planned to go with Paul then after that Don asked me and I said yes before realizing about the other run. But both runs were really EZ. 

Pushed Myler around the middle B-hills loop. Felt pretty good too. Enjoying the recovery week just as much or more than the taper week. 

Club run. I did the mile down to the gas station and back waiting to see if anyone showed. While doing this Ty drove by. So it was just she and I. We hit a pretty honest pace against a good headwind over to above the river. Then she was having some chest issues and so she stopped and I kept going around the loop. Once I got down into Bloomington by the driving range she came back around the other way and was feeling better. We then ran back to the DC. I extended around the parking lot to hit an even 10 miles on that loop. Legs felt pretty good for a harder than EZ push tonight. I didn't have a watch but would estimate we were in the 6:45 avg range. 

Ran my tempo loop course this morning... but not in tempo gear. Still kept the pace a little faster than EZ. Legs are continuing to show signs of a good recovery. And I'll continue to milk out this nice recovery phase before stepping back into training.

I woke up Saturday morning with a spitting headache and basically had it all day. Just never found the desire to go out. I kept telling myself to just do 5 miles but then I was like it's 13 or nothing... ended up being nothing. But a great cap to the end of my recovery week. 

10 miles on the freeway/ tempo course. I just took it smooth and EZ. Although it was really hard to get anything going today. There is zero soreness in the legs but that doesn't mean they feel like running. It will most likely take a few days of the heavy legs to feel it again. 

7 miles this afternoon over in Hurricane with my uncle. Pace was slow but consistent. This was the longest I've gone with Don. He's doing great. 

Actually pre blogged that I ran my normal loop but then went out and ended up doing the DC/ River road loop. So a couple more miles than the original post. It was windy in almost every direction.

6.6 miles this afternoon but with the wind it was at least a 10 mile effort. Really had to work to keep the legs moving into a strong headwind for about 4 of the miles. The rest of the run was in kind of a crosswind. So it's hard to say how the legs really felt. 

River Road/ DC loop. It was fairly calm this morning. Thank heavens... I couldn't take another windy run right now. Kept the pace faster than EZ but not tempo. Legs are kind of tired from the sudden increase  back to training mileage after the last couple weeks of tapering and recovering. But I'm sure they'll work through it. I wore gloves because it was like 44 F when I left but by 5 miles with the sun out and beating down I was overheating. 

5.6 miles tonight around the inner B-hills loop. Legs felt kind of tired but they turned over well out on the street. Just trying to take it one run at a time. 

Middle B-hills loop this morning.

10 miles on the normal loop extended to 10 in in the parking lot. It was hot and my legs were tired. So by the halfway point I was close to cutting across the bridge and calling it. But I kind of pushed through. No watch but it was pretty slow. 

Out into the fields then across River Road around the trial and back home via the gas station on River Road. A pretty good little loop right around that 10 mile length. Legs felt heavy and slow but ended with a 7:04 avg 1:11 for the run. I guess the first 3 really were slow at just under 8 min pace. The headwind heading from the fields west down into B-hills kind of trashed me. Came home and was under 150 lbs so I'm pretty dehydrated... guess I'll put down a few Powerades today. 

4.4 miles this afternoon around the Little Valley loop. Windy and hard to run in. 

Planned on running 20 miles out at Little Black mountain with Logan. I set my alarm for 6 a.m and got up... Logan never showed. I guess he got home a lot later than expected. Once he wasn't coming I wasn't into doing it a lone. Mik'L and I had to go to Vegas for the whole day so I just decided to back off and rest as I've ran hard all week. Plus we got out of town a little earlier.