Clyde's Comeback!

DC loop extended through the Secret Street. A coolish 66 F when I started a little after 7 a.m and only warmed to 76 F by the end. Humidity was right around 70%. It's just heavenly running around town and having everything soaked from the rains of the past 5 days. What a blessing. 

Ankle was more sore today than it was on Saturday. I also wore the compression socks and I struggle running in them. So there was no flow this morning; rather just a grind. 7:07 avg for the run. 

DC loop. Another great morning. Kind of muggy but coming from the dry norm it feels refreshing. No watch but a consistent pace. Ankle is still sore. It looks deformed but running is working. 

DC loop here with Dave. Super temps this morning dropping to 64 F for the over night low. No matter how trashed you feel cool temps always help. Just conversational pace and ended the loop at a 6:58 avg. Feeling kind of achy all over and the ankle was and is sore. Wore a small brace today but it didn't seem to help. I'm guessing over the next few weeks I'm just going to have to get tough because this might be as good as it gets. We saw a skunk in B-hills at about mile 5.5 it crossed the road right in front of us and we slowed to avoid a spray. 

7 more miles a hour or so later. Mik'L did her run and I worked in the garden for an hour. Then once she got home at around 8 a.m I decided to try another run. B-hills loop extended through the secret street. Tried to do a few fartlek pick-ups throughout the run just to see how any faster pace felt. The verdict- not great. At about 6:15 pace I reach my pain threshold. Efficient form is out the door. So other muscles and bones hurt because of the compensation of the right side.  Hit miles of 6:38, 6:30, 6:18 and I was dragging by the end. 6:55 avg for this run.

DC loop then around Stone Cliff to finish. 7:02 avg. After hitting a 8:15 first mile and then a few 7:15's I buckled down on the last 6 miles to bring the avg back down but just couldn't close the gap on the 7 min guy. Ankle feels as good as it has so far. Still only about 50% of normal though. Don't know how I'll ever run fast again. 

Long Run....

77 F muggy and hot this morning at just after 5 a.m when I started. Between the conditions, my ankle and lack of efficiency, and choice of course. This run kicked my you know what. Ran like a nomad this morning without a real plan. Over to B-hills then down into Bloomington. Then decided to go look at Steve's new house, then around the Bloomington loop and back up the trail to River Road. Finally wondering through B-hills and back to River road trying to get the distance. That's just a bad way to try and do a 20 miler. It's much easier with a pre-determined route and a plan. Started to overheat by mile 9 and by mile 13 I couldn't believe there was still 7 miles to go. Just a tough day at the office. Ran into Dave and his team with about 2 miles to go. Kind of nice to see someone and chit chat. I was totally out of it by then and in no mans land:) Didn't try and kind of workout or first half, second half thing. But I did see the clock at mile 10 and it was just under 1:12 then ran the second 10 just over 1:07 to finish the 20 miles at a 6:57 avg and just under 2:20:00

Had to stop 3 times a long the way for drinks at warm drinking fountains. But once at a nice cooler on the golf course- it saved my life.

Run on Saturday evening in Orem. Headed out from Mik'L's aunts house that's right around the corner from Timpanogos high school. Ran from there up to the mouth of the canyon. That's mile 3 at the trailhead at the mouth of the canyon- then form there I just did another two miles up the canyon to go out 5 miles in 36 mins. Then flipped directions and came home in 32 min's for a 6:49 avg. Had a pretty consistent headwind all the way up- giving me a nice tailwind on the way down. Kept the pace fairly smooth. Miles 4 and 5 were at 7:04 pace then keeping the same effort on the way down with the wind I hit a comfortable 6:18 on both the 6 and 7th mile. 

Ankle started out feeling really tight and sore. But seemed to warm up in a couple miles. It still wont allow me to run hard. I wouldn't have wanted anything harder than about what I ran. Running on the right hand side of the roads slop seems to really hurt too. 

Anyways good run to end the week and follow up yesterdays longer run. Had a emotional day at the Huntsman cancer center visiting Mik'L's uncle Dirk. He's been given a couple months to live and it's just crazy to see him like this... only a few months ago he was down here during the holidays unknowing of any cancer and fully healthy. He's 55.