Clyde's Comeback!

Did the Utah Hill loop again- twice. It is 13.8 miles and I extended on the last one down the road to keep round numbers. I started at 6 p.m and it was still pretty warm 85ish. Did the first lap in 1:52 and my wife met me at the Jeep before I stared the second loop. On the second loop the garmin battery lost it's life so I don't have any time or splits. But I have to think it was as fast or faster than the first loop because on the downhill sections I let the legs go and was running pretty hard. The bad news is I'll be sore after this one where as I wasn't last time I did this workout. The action happened about 5 miles into the second lap when I came real close to getting slammed by a real rattle snake. I actually didn't see him until I was one step past but then I heard the rattle buzzing and I turned around and screamed. It did one of those movie things and lifted it's head off the ground about a foot and a half. Oh man the rest of the run my eyes were wide open scanning the trail for any of his buddies. I did have to do the last 7 or so in the dark with the head lamp. 

The hammy felt good until about 3 miles left and I tripped. I didn't go down to the road but "sufed" it out. However during the action I pulled the hammy pretty good and it was achy on the way back. Hopefully it won't be a major issue again....

Did a run from my house over to the in-laws this evening. Had a busy day with family stuff and had a really bad day with eating. Junk, junk and more junk. Heading out I was worried about how my legs would feel after last nights long run. But as I got into it the legs felt pretty good but the tummy hurt the entire run. I just wanted to barf. The hammy flet ok considering... it was a little sore and just tired. The rest of the legs were fine other that some soreness in the bones... hard to explain but it just felt like the bones hurt. I still ran pretty hard over here hitting 7:22 pace for the run.

Did the GS/ Overpass loop. I felt like #$#%$^&%& today. The hammy was sore and tight from last weeks mileage and when I tripped. But on top of that today everything else just was off. The legs felt like planks and I had little control over the neural drive. So to be ture- the pace was slow. Anyways I'm just glad I somehow got out because I could have wrote it off pretty easy today.

I don't have any big plans for the week. I'd like to get a 30+ mile run in but I'm not going to force it. We'll just see how the week boils out.

An uneventful half this morning with Wildbull and Mike around the Painters course. It was actually a really good run and even better morning. The pace was smooth and easy as we just took our time and enjoyed things. I kept trying to keep Billy tied down but he finally broke free and ran away from us. Hammy was pretty sore for the first 2 miles but it wasn't hurting in the end. Thats always a good thing and I'll take it. 

Did the "now" standard morning loop. It sucked. I guess I did more damage last Friday when  tripped and pulled the hammy than I realized. Last night it hurt all night in bed. I went out and the pain was back to around a 4.5 or so. I haven't felt like this for around 2 months!!! Hopefully it's not full blown. I was also battling a bad case of neural fatigue and that could have had something to do with why this mornings run sucked so bad. I guess for now I'm just listing myself as day-to-day and it's too late to cancel for Squaw so if I feel good that week or day of the race I'll do it. If not I'll pass.  

Standard loop tonight. I didn't get a chance to get out until 9:30 p.m tonight. It was dark but the moon was fuller and it made for a pretty relaxing run. My hammy felt a lot better than earlier this week only around a 2 on the pain scale. I'm looking forward to the day this doesn't hurt anymore but the kicker is- is I really don't know for sure what is wrong. Is it my hammy a tumor, tendonitis, neural fatigue, cramps, who know? I'm too stubborn and cheap to go spend money at the Dr. for it so I guess your guess is as good as mine. 

Got up early and went out for a longish run. I can't really call it a long run while training for this 50 miler but it still is longer than the regular run. I started at the DC and left on the Painters course but then ended up running through Bloomington Hills a few times looking at houses. Then I came back to the trail and dropped down into Bloomngton and looked at a few more houses before making my way back up to the Jeep. I had a feeling I'd run into Scott this morning and sure enough right by the freeway bridge I ran into him on the trail. We chatted and then once I started going again I was stiff... so instead of extending to 20 miles like I had planned I just ended back a the Jeep. 

I felt o.k but not amazing by any means. The hammy was really tight and forced me to just run nice and easy and to focus on really good form. As bad form really jackes me up now-a-days. Anyways I feel pretty good now and will plan on trying another longer run tomorrow to go back-to-back and see how that goes. 

Met up with the club at Brentwood out by Hurricane. They were going to do a loop out by Sand Hollow Res so I joined for the first little while. For some reason I was thinking I'd get in more with the guys but when they turned it was only out 3.8. I had done one mile before we all left to get the "bathroom" out of the way. So when I spit with those guys I didn't know where I was going to go. I ended up going over by the south side of the lake and taking the new paved road back over into Hurricane. The wind was a nightmare in the valley by the lake but when I dropped over into Hurricane it wasn't even blowing- I know that will blow your mind in it's self. Then I made my way down to the main drag and over to Micky D's to go to the restroom and take a GU. I was at 16 miles there so I went up the hill and down into Sky Mt then back around the bottom way to Brentwood and it ended up being exactly 20 mile from Jeep to Jeep on the loop. 

I felt pretty good today. The hammy wasn't as tight as yesterday and I was able to run a little faster. Not much as I purposely slow my self down all the time to minimize the wear and tear.

Regular loop this today. It was a nice peaceful morning out and I couldn't help but think that there isn't a better way to start the day. I passed Dave this morning after a little over a mile. He was most likely finishing his 25 for the day. I felt pretty good with very little pain in the hammy. I kept the pace super slow and didn't push anything out that would stimulate pain.

I'll try and catch the daily loop for most of the week with a long run (36-40 miles) planned on Saturday up in Zion.  

A family outing this morning. We went down to the river trail and I ran while Mik'L rode her bike while pulling the bike trailer with Myler inside. We found this really nice Burley bike trailer on Craigslist and it works great. Right now while Myler is small we can just put the car seat it's self in the trailer. Then when he gets a little bigger it will work the conventional way. It was a really nice morning out and we were able to move right along at 7:30 pace for the trek. Instead of going down to the DC we turned at the bridge at River Road and took the other trail down to the bottom of Bloomington Hills then back. The hammy was o.k and at a stable 2 for the pain scale. 

Regular loop. No hammy pain until mile 5 then it was around a 3 for the rest of the run. Nice morning. 

Did the Zen loop tonight on the bike. I haven't been on a good trail ride since the week before Myler was born so I was overdue for a ride. I was calling this 3 miles worth of running back around the first of the year so I'll just stick with that. It takes anywhere from an hour  and fifteen to an hour and thirty to do the loop.

I had a couple more encounters with some snakes... way too many lately. The first one was up at the top of the hill where you can look over Bloomington off the cliff and I saw this little green box that someone had obviously left under a big rock. So I went over to see what was inside. It had a rock on top of it and was kind of stashed so I thought there might be some loot... well I got closer and crouched down to grab it when I heard a rattle start and on the other side of the box was a little rattle snake all curled up. It scared the living daylights out of me. Another six inches and my had would have been slammed.  So I didn't look in the box- just got back on the bike and road off.

The next one was down on the southern side at the bottom I was going slow after coming through some rough stuff and saw this little (no bigger that a straw- wide or long) red and black ringed snake laying right in my way. So I just rolled the tire up to it slowly until he slithered away. Snakes are awful!

The ride was ok. I'm a little unpracticed and things weren't as smooth as when I've been riding a few times a week. But it was a nice little ride and curveball for the legs.  

7.2 miles this morning on the old GS loop. I haven't ran my good ol trail much in the last few weeks and was missing her. I had a nice run and the hammy pain was less than 2 so that is a nice start to the day. I'll try to catch a few more by my self or with the club tonight. 

Nice little morning run with Nate. We met up at the DC and did my "house shopping" loop from last week but extended it to hit an even 20. Beautiful morning for a run. We clipped along at a conversational 7:20 pace for the run and the hammy really never hurt. Smile! Now I'll use the stick good and rest up for tomorrows long run. 

Well we did the run of what I'll call The Last of the Mohicans run. It was so beautiful and at times while we were running a long the white ledges it totally felt like we were in that movie. 

The run started up in Kolob canyon and took at trail all the way down to where you climb up Angels Landing in Zion NP. There were 6 of us at the start but it was dark and Steve and I took off and really didn't see anyone after that. Steve's wife met us at around 14 for an aid station and then again at around 23. I between I packed water and GU. The first leg was the prettiest as we worked down two separate canyons crossing two different streams like 20 times. I stopped worrying about keeping things dry as it was not possible. There was about 10 miles of sand running and that sucked and really wore the legs out faster than they should have.

The second leg was around 8-10 miles long. I didn't keep track and it didn't have any sand thank goodness. However we did do around 2000 ft of climbing here but I ran well on this trail and ended up pushing ahead of Steve and the rest of them for good.

The third leg was basically the run down the West Rim that we all did together last November. By now it was hot out and it was around a 14 mile leg with only the water you could carry. I ended up rationing it out pretty good but got way hungry. Like way. Should have eaten more at the van... live and learn. I enjoyed everything until you start dropping. Unless you've been on the trail before you'd never understand but it drops, and drops, and drops and keeps dropping until your so sick of running down steep switch backs that you feel like just jumping off the cliff. After getting my feet wet on the first leg and then doing that kind of pounding I ended up with a good blister on my front toe.

My garmin lost a signal about 3 times so I don't have any real numbers. I was firmly at mile 30 in 5:05 before things went haywire. The distance was a little farther than we thought but then we did take a extra road on the first leg and then extended it down at the parking lot to be at 40.

It's a sweet run and we should get a big group from the blog to do it sometime or at least a portion... I was surprised to see so many people. There were camps and hikers from start to finish.

Anyways it's the longest run of my life to date. I'm thinking I could really easily leave it at that too and not do Squaw. But I'm sure I'll end up at least attempting it on race day. Steve also ran really good today. I was proud to see him finish within around 15 min's of me. I'm sure there are a few of the guys we started with today that are still up there running. Seriously they could have been a couple hours back. Oh it would be hot by now because it was hot when I finished.  

Did the GS loop backwards this morning. I wasn't going out when I got out of bed but then once I walked around the house a little things loosened up and I decided to go. I'm pretty sore though. I'm not sure the 40 miles was the big thing but it was the 40 miles with the steep downhill finishing 6 miles or so that really pounded me. As far as steep goes there really isn't anything that compares to those miles dropping off the top and much of it is a cement/ rock trail with no give. Very brutal to the legs. Any ways I'm kind of sore. 

No real plans at all for mileage or runs this week. I'll just take what comes and try to really heal up from Saturday.  

Normal loop. Like yesterday when I first rolled out of bed there was no way I was going to run today. But after a hour or so of moving around I felt like doing it. The run went ok. I'm still really sore in the quads. Not a sharp pain like after a marathon. It's more of a constant rumbling all throughout... also the hammy hurt a little 2.5 or so on the pain scale.  So I'm looking forward to working this soreness out of the legs this week so I can have one more solid week of training next week before the Squaw Peak 50 on June 6.  

Woke up feeling like crap so I decided to wait until the evening to run. Then all day long I was sore and the hammy was really sore so I just took a really hot bath and played Bejewled instead. I guess that counts in some circles. Kind of feel like a slacker today but I'm not going to risk getting really jacked up again- even if it means taking days off here or there. 

Woke up feeling a lot better than yesterday. So I got out early and did a little loop up by Grapevine and down through the chunnel under the freeway. Then around Washington and back to the house via the Middleton extension. The pace was scary slow but the run felt great. If things work out today I'll try and hit the club run this evening. 

Didn't go out this evening because I'd forgotten that Mik'L had a board meeting at 6:30 and I needed to stay home and watch the boy.  

Up at 3:40 a.m to get a rough run in before we head up to Orem today to watch the Dixie High baseball team play in the state finals. The run totally sucked. I ate like a pig last night so my tummy hurt. Then it was pitch black out on the dirt portions of the run and I was stumbling all over the place. Thats how bad I hate headlamps. I'd rather stumble around than have one squeezing my brain! Anyways got it in but it wasn't pretty. 

Well last week on Saturday I ran 40 miles. This week I pushed out 41... for the week. What a worthless pile of .... We were up for almost 24 hour straight on Friday doing the baseball game thing up at UVU and then coming back home all stressed and drained. So on Saturday I was just spent. I didn't really do anything until 3 p.m and then basically just ate and did nothing again until bed time. 

Glad to have this week over and glad that going in to it I had planned on it being a recover week. Steven only did like 25 miles this week so I feel  a little better about myself- not much though.  

Got together with Steve for a crazy holiday morning run. We drove up to Oakgrove campground and ran up the trail that goes up the face of Pine Valley Mt. So the run took us around 2:40 to do 7 miles... I've done marathons faster than that. I almost feel ripped off for only banking 7 skimpy miles out of one mutha of a workout. 

We started at 6,500 ft and climbed to 10k in around 3 miles. Then at the top we ran on the north side down in the trees for  a little ways but there was about 2 feet of crusted snow covering the ground so that kind of sucked too. We finally decided to flip around and go back down. I almost slipped and feel several times and it would have led to some serious injuries. Lots of rocks and a very vertical trail.

All in all it was a really good workout. The miles were not there but the time was and at elevation. The view from the top was spectacular to say the least. I decided after the run today that I'd better have some real trail shoes for Squaw.... the steep, loose trails are bad but the snow is even worse and rumor has it that we will have plenty of snow to run in on race day.... Why am I even doing this? 

No running yet today. I've had horrible allergies and last night the allergies turned into a sore throat, and head cold. It does that on occasion when I have so much drainage in my sinuses. I feel like pooh today so not sure I'll get out- if so it will be tonight. Right now it seems like I'm really struggling to get any consistent training going. Maybe it's a sign I should ditch out on Squaw?

I'm totally sick. Had a high fever, sore throat, and everything else that goes with it. I told Mik'L this is the second sickest I've felt since we were married 8 years ago. The worst time I was really bad- like I thought I really was dying. Anyways this time has been pretty bad too.  I'm feeling a little better today but still very much a sick little boy. 

Lots of liquids, rest and lame daytime T.V.  

Still sick but feeling a little better. We had to go up to Cedar today for some property inspections and I was wishing I could have ran up there. It was so nice. I guess I need to buy a trailer house up there to live in during summer. After we got home I was trashed from my efforts and that was that. I'm getting scared and may be backing out of Squaw. 

I finally got out again this week. I decided this morning I was well enough to try a little run. There was a lot of spitting up junk out of the lungs- but that was a good thing, and the legs and whole body feel very run down. However I'm glad to have gotten out. We've got a lot going on right now so I'm stressed and not really tuned into running. We've submitted offers on a few houses and it's been very exciting and like I said stressful. So far nothing is set in stone but we are on the way to getting a new house...

Well I finished off a crap-o-la week with a 2 mile walk with the family this evening. Although I have gotten over the sickness I'm still feeling the hangover effects. Way tired and not motivated at all to do much of anything. I've written off running Squaw Peak over and over again but then somehow I keep talking myself into it. So I'm going to do like 15-20 on Monday morning and see how I feel by mid-day and then make a final commitment one way or the other. What a roller coaster.