Cool Runnings!

Slowly trying to get in shape for St. George, hoping to vastly improve on my time from 2004, where I totally bonked at the end and came in at 3:58. Ran 4-mile loop on asphalt, ended up running faster than I had planned on. I hit my first mile in 7:50, second mile in 7:30, third in 7:15 (whoops!), and then tried to slow down for my fourth mile, but ran it in 7:40. My marathon goal is 3:30, which equates to about 8:00/mile, so I was quite a bit too fast here.

I took this a little easier, managed to keep my pace right around 7:50/mile.

Went to the local HS track and ran 5 miles, kept an even pace of right around 7:55/mile. This is just about exactly the pace I want to run my marathon in. Felt good, could have done more, but had a lot more to do for the day, so I didn't want to burn myself out. I will bump this up next week by one or two miles.

Ran 4.5 miles in 36:56, first mile slow, around 8:30, second mile faster, 8:07, third mile picked it up, ran 7:15, fourth mile slowed it down, ran 7:40. The rest was cool-down. Felt really good.

Started easy again with a 1/2 mile warmup, ran the first mile in 8:26, second mile in 7:40, third mile in 7:15, fourth mile in 7:45. I felt OK during the run, but it wasn't until the fourth mile that I felt like I really had a rhythm that felt good. We'll see how Saturday goes - looking to run 6 miles. Total time: 36:56.

Ran the following mile splits: mile 1 - 7:59, mile 2 - 7:53, mile 3 - 7:55, mile 4 - 7:55, mile 5 - 7:42, mile 6 (cool down) - 8:12. Felt very good - could have run farther, but I am going to stick to my schedule in the hopes I don't get injured. Total time: 47:38.

Took it out nice and easy again - mile 1 in 8:15, mile 2 in 7:41, then kicked it up a notch - mile 3 in 6:45 (felt a bit hard), mile 4 in 7:39, then slowed down and ran the last 1/2 mile in 4:47. Total time: 35:09.

I ran in the afternoon instead of the morning today, and that may have contributed to a faster run - first mile was 7:47 instead of the usual 8:10 or so. Second mile was 6:50 (had to wait at a red light for 30 seconds). Third mile was 7:02. Fourth mile was approx. 8:00 (another darn red light, this one longer). Total estimated run time: 29:40. Next time I will try to keep away from routes involving lights . . . either that, or I gotta get me one of those Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS watches!

This was a tough run - I only had about 4 hours of sleep the night before because of a sick infant. Nevertheless, I did my 7 miles, and I am proud I didn't quit early. Here are my splits:

Mile 1 - 8:16

Mile 2 - 7:55

Mile 3 - 7:49

Mile 4 - 8:03

Mile 5 - 8:12

Mile 6 - 8:24

Mile 7 - 8:00

Total time - 56:30. I had a small break after the fifth mile to get a drink. All through the run, I just felt like I didn't have that spring in my step, and I couldn't quite find my rhythm. Hopefully with some extra sleep these next few days, the spring will return.

It was a little hard to get started this morning. My splits were: Mile 1 - 8:15, Mile 2 - 7:35, Mile 3 - 6:49, Mile 4 - 7:23, then 1/2 mile cooldown at 4:46. Total time: 34:49.

I took it a little easy today after having to lay low for the rest of last week. Splits were: Mile 1 - 8:24, Mile 2 - 8:03, Mile 3 - 7:04, Mile 4 - 7:18, cool down for last 1/2 mile in 4:41. Total time: 35:32. The run felt good, although for the first two miles I felt like I was running faster than I actually was, and was a bit surprised to see the splits that I had.

Another routine morning run, felt a little better than Tuesday. I tried to concentrate today on keeping my breathing relaxed and even.

Mile 1 - 8:14, Mile 2 - 7:43, Mile 3 - 7:08, Mile 4 - 7:32, 1/2 mile cool-down at 4:49. Total time - 35:27. I am actually finding it kind of hard to stick to my plan of only running 3 days a week until my long run gets to 10 miles, but since I want to avoid injury and run St. George, I will keep with it.

I decided to only do 7 miles today instead of 8, since I am taking Sasha's advice and am going to add some light easy runs this week on Monday and Wednesday, if possible. I also tried to hold back a bit more. Splits were:

Mile 1 - 8:26, Mile 2 - 8:08, Mile 3 - 8:07, Mile 4 - 8:06, Mile 5 - 8:10, Mile 6 - 8:28, Mile 7 - 8:28. Total time - 57:56.

I was able to maintain my same breathing rhythm throughout, and the miles actually went by pretty quickly. That could have been the music, or could have been that it was just a nice relaxing run. In any case, I will be putting in 1-2 miles on Monday at an easy pace.

Here we go - this is my first additional day of running. Total time: 18:10. I took it easy, and it felt good to get out this morning and run before going to work.

Felt good after my run yesterday. I felt like I had to try hard to hold back, and after my third mile, where I popped a 7:12, I found I couldn't slow back down as much as I wanted to. Splits:

Mile 1 - 8:14, Mile 2 - 8:12, Mile 3 - 7:12, Mile 4 - 7:39, last 1/2 mile was run in 4:44. Total time - 36:03. I am noticing it is also about time for me to get a new pair of shoes. That will happen within the next couple of weeks.

It felt good this morning to get out and run. I have to admit that I had a real hard time keeping a slow pace - in fact, the slower pace felt less comfortable and smooth. I actually picked up the pace during the second mile, and only then did my stride feel more natural and smooth. First mile split was 8:45, second 1.2 miles run in 9:30. Total exercise time: 18:15.

Today felt good - my calves have been kind of sore for a couple of days, and I had my wife massage them yesterday - much better today. No soreness at all. I tried to take it a little easier today (at least my first two miles were slower than 8:00!). Here are my splits:

Mile 1 - 8:24, Mile 2 - 8:18, Mile 3 - 7:45, Mile 4 - 7:53, last 1/2 mile cooldown - 4:52. Total time: 37:15.

I have actually felt good adding the extra days this week. I will leave it at 5 days for a few weeks at least, maybe more, but will gradually increase the miles on some of my easy runs during the week.

Instead of driving to the track and doing my long run at the track, I ran to the track (2.6 miles), ran 2 miles there, then ran back. It was refreshingly different, and definitely broke up the monotony quite nicely. Since I didn't know the actual distance to the track until after I ran, I just took my splits to and from the track, as well as my mile splits at the track. I kind of like this approach. Splits were:

To the track - 21:17. Mile 1 - 8:21. Mile 2 - 8:18. Back home - 21:04. Total time - 59 minutes flat.

I am going to continue with the 5 days per week for a couple more weeks before adding the 6th day, but am going to add a mile on to each of my two easy runs this week to increase my mileage. I also went ahead and bought a new pair of running shoes, and will plan on integrating them into my runs this week as soon as I get them.

OK, so I didn't time any splits today, just my total time, and I realized that after the first mile, I must have really turned it up (oops!). Total time for the 2.6 mile loop was 19:35, for an average of abuot 7:32/mile (I think that's right). Guess I need to work on holding myself back a bit more. Nevertheless, it still felt good to run this morning. The weight is coming off, but slower than I would like. I would like to drop another 8 pounds or so in the next 6 weeks - I hope I can do it. I have been eating healthier, and have only been drinking water at work for a change.

My run this morning was interrrupted by both a bathroom break and a stoplight. However, I did not measure my splits again, but rather the total time (minus the above breaks). Total time was 40:21 for a pace per mile of approximately 8:04/mile. At least the pace was slower than yesterday . . . :)

I managed to hold back a bit more today for a more relaxed and easier run. Total time: 20:39 for an average pace of about 8:15/mile. I will try to keep this same pace tomorrow on my run.

OK, so I just got my new shoes (Saucony Grid Hurricane 8's) and wanted to break them in. They felt good for being a whole 1.5 ounces heavier than my current shoes, but felt much more stable. I ran again today without splits. My run felt good today - I was able to continue to keep my same breathing rhythm throughout, and feel like my cardiovascular fitness is definitely improving. Total time: 39:42 for an average pace of 7:56/mile. Still need to work on holding back. As I will be taking my son to the AP commeration campout this weekend, I will have to do my long run on Saturday evening and hope it cools down enough for me to enjoy it.

Well, after not as much sleep as normal due to the Fathers-Sons campout (my son woke me up at 5:30 this morning), I went ahead and did my long run this evening, which is also not what I am used to. I have come to the conclusion that I don't like running in the evening as much as I do in the early morning. It was more difficult for me today and I also ran slower than I had expected. I ran the first 2.5 miles to the track in 20:43, then my first mile at the track was 8:27, and my second mile was also 8:27. I ran the 2.5 miles back home in 21:42. Total time: 59:22, for an average pace per mile of 8:31/mile. In any case, I'm glad I got my run in, and am looking forward to getting back to my normal routine of running early in the morning on Monday.

For some reason, today's run felt a little difficult. After my run was over, I measured the route I ran (this evening) and I realized why. Total time for my run this morning was 27:00 flat, for an average pace per mile of 7:42. A bit faster than I wanted to run. I think that in addition to running faster than I wanted to, my feet are also getting used to the extra weight of my new shoes. I am going to run in the older shoes tomorrow to see how it feels.

Another run which ended up being faster than I wanted. It seems I just can't keep a slower pace on my runs. I ran with my older shoes today (Brooks Adrenaline GTS 6's) and they definitely felt lighter. I will wear the hurricane's a few more times, but if they still feel too heavy, I am going to return them and get the Grid Omni's instead. Total time for today's run: 38:31 for an average pace per mile of 7:42/mile.

Yeah - I finally managed to slow down a bit! Total time for my 3.5 mile run this morning was 28:18, for an average pace of 8:05/mile. Better than 7:42. This run also felt more relaxed, and I was again able to keep my regular breathing rhythm. I felt a little stuffed up today and have had a little tickle in my throat, so I will have to see how I feel tomorrow morning to see if I feel better and can go ahead and do my 1 mile tempo run or just to an easy few miles.

Well, I went ahead and tried to do my first mile at 5 mile race pace, which was probably a mistake given how I was feeling this morning. I think that had I had enough energy and been feeling 100%, I would have been able to sustain the pace I ran. As it was, I had to stop for about 30 seconds and catch my breath, then treated the rest of the run like an easy run. First mile was in 7:02, total time was 25:07 for an average pace of 7:50/mile. However, the second 2.2 miles were run at an average of 8:12/mile, a bit better. I am going to hold off on my 3 mile time trial for another week, given my current state of health, and am instead going to do an easy run.

I still wasn't feeling 100% today. I had planned on running 8 miles, but after my third mile, I could tell that I was not ready for that today, so I stopped at 4. I figure it is better to go easy today and be able to get back into my schedule next week, rather than run long today and still not feel good on Monday. Total time was 32:24 for a pace of 8:06/mile.

Well, I felt much better today, and it showed on my run. I don't know if I was just excited to get back to my schedule or not, but as my run progressed, I slowly picked up the pace. I also suspect that the first two miles of my run are each slightly more than a mile, the second two are about a mile, and the last is actually a bit less than a mile, so it is a good thing I am not timing my splits any more. Total time for today's run: 39:00, for an average pace of 7:48/mile. I intende to take Sasha's advice and build up to 6 miles, 5 days a week, with a long run on Saturdays. However, this is going to take me several weeks to build up so that I don't overdo it on the mileage. I am considering changing my MW runs to 5 miles this week, however, instead of 3.5, and then will do 7-8 on Saturday.

I was able to slow it down a little bit more today than yesterday. I have definitely come to the conclusion that my course is not 5 mile splits. Either that or I end up running much faster in the end than I do in the beginning, which I find hard to believe, since it doesn't feel more difficult for me. Total time today: 40:10 for an average pace of 8:02/mile.

I didn't get quite enough sleep last night and felt tired this morning, so I decided to cut this morning's run short and ran 3.5 instead of 5. I could tell that my body did not get enough sleep - my pace was slower than normal and it still felt a little difficult, although I was able to keep my normal breathing rhythm throughout. Total time was 28:45 for an average pace of 8:12/mile.

I felt like I was able to hold back more today. The run felt good, but I decided to stop at 4.5 miles to not overdo it. Total time was 37:49 for an average pace of 8:24/mile. Looking forward to a long run on Saturday.

Today was a total fiasco. I got started way too early, and the temperature when I started (at 7:30 am) was already 85 degrees. This did not bode well for me. I got to the track in good time, faster than I intended to, took a water break, ran a mile, had to take another water break, ran my second mile, took a third water break, then took off for home. After about a mile, I realized I was totally drained from the heat and shut it down. Luckily my wife was able to come pick me up as I was still 1 1/2 miles from home! Total time was 44:09 for an average of 8:01/mile. This coming week I need to make sure that I get my runs in much earlier before it gets hot out. The joys of living in sunny AZ . . .

Today's run felt good - I was able to keep my same breathing rhythm throughout, and felt like I could have gone further. Total time was 39:49 for an average pace of about 7:58/mile. If I can get all 4 of my 5-milers in this week, I will be ready next week to add my 6th day. Once I get up to 30 miles/week, I think it will be time to start increasing my long run on saturdays, as I now have 19 weeks left before St. George (where did all the time go?).

The run felt good this morning, decided to do a little less because I didn't want to stop for the stoplight that I run through to get my 5 miler in. Total time was 38:01 for an average pace of 8:15/mile.

Woohoo! This is the best first half of the week I have had yet. I was able to get all 5 miles in, and felt good today. I focused on breathing and trying to have good technique while running. Total time was 39:22 for an average pace of 7:52/mile.

I decided to pick up the pace after warming up, and ended up ripping off about a 7:15 and then a 7:04 mile in a row. Best news was that it felt good! Total time for my run was 36:02 for an average pace of 7:50/mile.

Longest run so far, felt good. I ran 2.5 miles to the track then ran 3 miles at the track, with my 3rd mile being a 7:52, took a water break then headed back home. Total time for my run was 1:05:20, for an average pace of 8:10/mile. I am excited - this was the most mileage for a week I have had so far, and I am feeling good. I am ready to increase my mileage next week - I think I am going to add Friday in this week - 2-3 miles, and also add another mile to my long run. I will also try to get in a time trial this week to give me an indication of my fitness.

My run this morning felt good, it was cooler out, and I think that my 8-miler on Saturday had a positive effect on me. Total time was 38:03, for an average pace of 7:36/mile. Faster than I wanted, but it sure felt good. I will make sure to take it easy on tomorrow's run, and still plan on adding in Friday this week.

It was a little hard to get started this morning, but I was able to complete the entire 5 miles. After the first mile or so, I was warmed up and the rest of the run felt good. I was able to hold back a bit, but still couldn't keep my pace slower than 8:00/mile. Total time was 39:34 for an average pace of 7:54/mile.

Tried to slow down some more today. Felt clunky at the beginning of my run again, but after I was warmed up, felt better. Total time was 40:41, for an average pace of 8:08/mile.

I woke up a little late this morning and had a bit of a scratchy throat, so I decided to not do my normal 5 miler. Did 3.5 miles instead, but ended up having to run it faster than planned because of the need to go to the bathroom. Total time was 27:22 for an average of 7:49/mile. I had planned on a nice easy run around 8:30/mile.

Wow, first time I have run all 5 weekdays. I decided to take it a little easier since I will have a long run tomorrow and I don't want to have my weekly mileage more than 31 miles or so. Total time was 25:00 for an average pace of 8:20/mile. Now if I can keep this same pace tomorrow on my long run . . .

Whew! My first 9 mile long run. I really need to get some Clif Shot or some other kind of gel - I could tell at the end of my run that my energy reserves were low. Total time was 1:14:40, for an average pace of 8:17/mile.

It was hot this morning - already about 80 degrees when I got up to run at 4:40 am. I tried to just take it easy, which for me meant I was able to keep my pace around 8:00/mile. Total time was 40:08 for an average pace of about 8:02/mile. Even though I was sweating a lot, the run felt good. I mapped out a 6-miler over the weekend, and am planning on running it tomorrow.

Ran my 6 mile loop today, felt sluggish starting out, about 3 miles in, I wasn't feeling so good due to the heat - about 83 degrees this morning at 4:40 am. However, I found my pace quickly, and the last 3 miles actually went by pretty quickly. Total time was 49:50 for an average pace of 8:18/mile.

Didn't get very much sleep last night, so I decided to do a shorter run today and will attempt to make it up on Friday. Wore my heart rate monitor for the first time in months and was very encouraged. Even thought it was kind of windy, My heart rate stayed below 160 for most of the run, which for me is very good. Total time was 28:41, with an average HR of 160, for an average pace of 8:11/mile. I felt very good about this run, especially since I only got about 5 1/2 hours of sleep last night. I will make a concerted attempt to get a full 8 hours tonight and will plan on either 5 or 6 miles tomorrow.

Ate a Clif Shot this morning before my run, seemed to help with my energy. To break up the monotony, I ran the third mile in about 7:10. Total time was 38:44, for an average pace of 7:44/mile. I will throw in another 5 or 6-miler tomorrow, and will have to see what I can do on Saturday, as we are going on vacation and will be traveling.

Ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill at Snowbird resort at 8:30/mile pace.

Ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill at Snowbird resort at 8:30/mile pace.

Ran 2.0 miles on the treadmill at Snowbird resort. Started at 8:30/mile pace, ended at 7:30/mile pace for the last 1/2 mile. Played 18 holes of golf later that day, ran all over on the course even though we had carts.

Ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill at Snowbird resort at 8:30/mile pace.

Ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill at Snowbird resort at 8:30/mile pace.

Ran approximately 5 miles (42:00). Ran down St. George Blvd to Bluff St., ran up Bluff St. to past Diagonal to get some hill work in, then turned around and ran down to 400 S and ran to the temple. My legs were fairly thrashed after the run. what with both uphills and downhills, but I was glad to be able to put in the run after a day of travel.

Ran my usual 5 mile loop this morning, felt good although I didn't get quite enough sleep last night. Total time was 39:00 for an average pace of 7:48/mile. I am planning on moving up to 6 miles for several of my runs this week.

Even though I didn't get enough sleep (again) last night, I was determined to go through with my 6 mile run this morning. Got up a little bleary-eyed, but once I took some energy gel, I was more awake and ready to go. Felt good enough to run negative splits on my run. First 3 miles was run in 24:53, for an average of 8:17/mile, the second 3 miles were in 23:41, for an average pace of 7:53/mile. Total time was 48:35, for an average pace of 8:05/mile. Felt good. I will plan on getting enough sleep tonight, and am looking forward to continuing with my daily 6 milers. I am also going to start working on hills for my long runs, as I don't really have the opportunity to do that during the week, and have to drive a short distance to get to any kind of uphill.

Ran 6 miles again, felt better afer a good night's sleep. First half of out and back was run in 24:39, for an average pace of 8:13/mile. Second half was run in 24:06 for an average pace of 8:02/mile. Total time was 48:45 for an average pace of 8:07/mile. I worked specifically on staying more consistent on this run and not running too fast towards the end. Was able to keep my same breathing rhythm throughout.

Started out a little too fast, and got tired towards the end of my run, so I decided to cut the last 1/2 mile off and just do 5 1/2 miles. Total time for my run was 44:32, for an average pace of 8:05/mile.

Ran approximately 8 miles (possibly a little more) - 4 miles uphill, then back down. The uphill was hard, being only the second run I have done that included an uphill. The split uphill was 35:13, the split downhill was 33:36. Total exercise time was 1:08:54, for an average pace of 8:36/mile.

I decided to mix things up a little bit today and ran 2 miles to warm up, then picked up the tempo for the 3rd mile. I ran the 3rd mile in 6:32, and felt like I had a ton left in my reserves - had I pushed it harder, I probably could have run a sub-6 minute mile. I felt relaxed during the entire up-tempo effort. Total time for the run this morning was 31:00 for an average pace of 7:45/mile. The next few days will be easy runs, and I may try to get in another faster run on Friday before my long run.

Decided today that I wanted to take it easy (well, easier than I have for my 6 milers). Ran the first half in 25:11 (8:23/mile pace), ran the second half in 24:18 (8:06/mile pace). Total time was 49:30, average pace was 8:15/mile.

I didn't get a chance to run yesterday - it was our 9 year anniversary. Ran my usual 6-mile loop in 49:36 - average pace of 8:16/mile. I felt slow today, and it felt muggy out, even though for Arizona, muggy probably means 20% humidity :)

Today was a total disappointment. I went to do my standard 6-mile run, and about 2 miles into it, my right calf started getting pretty tight. I got kind of nervous, since calf problems caused me to have to miss out on St. George last year. So I stopped running and walked for a bit, then stretched out my soleus, turned around, walked some more, then slowly started jogging back home. The walking and stretching seemed to help, and my calf seems to have calmed down and I was able to continue running back home without any subsequent tightness, but I am now paranoid. I have been using AI stretching for the last 4 months and feel it has been helping me tremendously. However, I have been doing my stretching after my run, and using the beginning of the run to warm up and loosen up my muscles. When I get home, I am going to do a bit of massage and see how the calf feels tomorrow. I am hoping I will be able to get in my long run tomorrow, but will have to see. Needless to say, I was disappointed with the events that transpired today. I may do a little bit of jogging today on the treadmill to keep my calf loose, depending on how I feel.

I was originally hoping to run 12 miles today, but decided fairly early on that I was going to cut it short, to make sure I didn't do anything to my calf. Being able to run at St. George is my most important goal, and I don't want to do anything to jeopardize those chances. Ran 1/2 mile to warm up, then ran 6 miles in 50:20, for an average pace of 8:23/mile. My calf is a little tight, but it didn't cramp up like yesterday, so I take that as a positive.

I didn't run this morning, as I was recovering from some sort of virus, but felt good enough this evening to do something, so we took the kids to the track and they played around and ran a little bit while I did some 800 repeats. Did 4 repeats: 1 - 3:17 (too fast), 2 - 3:25 (better, but I was shooting for 3:30), 3 - 3:30, 4 - abt 3:15. On my last repeat, I picked up the pace the last 200 and ran it like an interval. In spite of the fact that it was still 100 degrees out, it felt good. I am going to soak my legs in the tub tonight and will see about doing a nice slow run tomorrow morning.

Happy Fourth of July! Afer my 800 repeats yesterday evening, I had planned on a nice slow run. Started out nice and slow, but then ended up picking it up, even though it didn't feel like it. Total time was 32:32, for an average pace of 8:08/mile. I am going to go out later and measure the course - somehow it seemed to be shorter than what I had thought. Otherwise this was a really good run for me.

Same route as yesterday - I am going to take it easier this week to try to get my leg back to normal. Ran the 4-mile loop in 33:00 today, for an average pace of 8:15/mile.

Ran 2 miles in the morning on the treadmill, at 8:34 pace. Ran 5 miles in the afternoon on the treadmill, started at 8:34 pace, then set the incline at 1 for the second mile, dropped back down to 0 for the third mile and bumped the speed up to 7:30/mile for the 3rd mile. Dropped back down to 8:34/mile for the 4th mile and increased the incline to 2. Dropped the incline back to 0 for the 5th mile and increased the speed to 7:00/mile for the last mile.

I took it easy today to avoid over-stressing my calf. I also have started to do some core strength training (crunches, leg lifts) and added calf exercises to that as well. Ran 6 miles in 50:00 for an average of 8:20/mile. I may add a bit of distance later this evening - if so, I will update my entry.

I am really getting irritated by this calf injury now - after a week of no problems, I went for a 6 mile run this morning, only to have my calf start to cramp up again after 4.5 miles. Luckily I wasn't that far from home, and was able to take a shortcut. I am afraid I am going to need to shut it down for a couple of weeks and do some cross-training to allow my calf to heal. I will plan on icing it several times a day, and will also start up on the ibuprofen. I am very disappointed, and can't figure out why this is happening to me again, but would rather get it taken care of now than have to pull out again.

So after deliberation and suggestions by some of the SGM forumites, I decided to go ahead and run today. There is a good chance that part of my troubles may be caused by lack of vitamins/minerals in my diet, so I went out and bought some multivitamins today. I also am continuing to take ibuprofen and icing my leg daily. Did 0.5 mile warmup on the treadmill at 6 miles/hr, then ran 4 miles at 7 miles/hr, then cooled down for 0.5 miles at 6 miles/hr. Felt good, no pain in my calf. I also hooked up my heart rate monitor on a whim, and was very encouraged. Average HR for the run was around 153-152, never got above 160. I am also continuing to do exercises to strengthen my core as well as the calf exercises. Will probably run again on the treadmill tomorrow, as it is too late for me to get up early and still get enough sleep.

After today's workout, I am beginning to think that perhaps I am running just slow enough that my stride on my slow runs may be part of the problem. That or maybe too much running on the roads. I did the following workout on the treadmill today:

0.5 mile warmup at 6 miles/hr

0.5 miles at 7 miles/hr (8:34 pace)

1.5 miles at 7.5 miles/hr (8:00 pace)

2 miles at 8.5 miles/hr (7:03 pace - and it felt good)

0.5 miles at 8 miles/hr (7:30 pace)

1 mile at 7 miles/hr

Boy did I feel good after this run. My stride felt the most efficient when I was doing my 2 mile interval in the middle of the run. I am continuing to do the other things - ibuprofen, icing, also putting absorbine jr on the area before I run. No calf pain today, no calf pain yesterday. Maybe some of it is in my head as well. I think this is about the time last year that I strained my calf . . . :)

I felt a little sluggish when I got up this morning, but I am getting used to that feeling. I am just not a real early morning person. I did run again on the treadmill instead of outside. 0.5 mile warmup at 6 miles/hr, then ran 4 miles at 7.5 miles/hr (8:00/mile). I made an observation today that may have had something to do with my calf - my normal stride running slower seems to have my pelvis tilted forward too much, which keeps me from using my stronger quads and hamstrings. When I consciously tilt my pelvis back, all of a sudden my stride is easier and I can feel my upper legs taking on more of the work. I think I am on to something here. Strengthening my core is going to definitely help with this - as my abs get stronger, they will be able to tilt my pelvis back automatically.

I am kind of guessing on the distance. We are in Colorado Springs until Monday at a family reunin, and I ran this morning for 36 minutes. It was a killer. Elevation was around 6500 ft, and I had some hills to navigate, plus pushing my 18 month old in a jogging stroller. Lungs were burning at the end of this run, but my legs felt pretty good. I am planning on doing 10-12 tomorrow at a nice easy pace, which will put me at 34-36 for the week.

The distance is a fair guess - I ran for just over 1:20, and there was a good amount of downhills. I could still tell that I was at altitude, as my lungs were still burning. All in all, I am happy with this run - I was aiming for 10 miles, and thought this was pretty good. This puts me at 33 miles for the week - I think this is my most mileage ever. And my calf is still doing fine now!

Was unable to run on Monday due to travel, and did not run yesterday as I have been recovering from an eye infection. Ran 5 miles today - was planning on running 6, but took it out a little too hard, and decided to ease off. Total time was approx. 41:15. I am planning on running 7-8 miles tomorrow, and will also increase my long run this week. The one thing I have going against me is the heat - it continues to be hotter in the early morning - this morning it was 92 - and we are now in monsoon, which means the humidity is up as well. Probably time for me to slow down some more. Next week should be back to normal, and I should be able to get upwards of 35 miles in next week.

Ran approx. 5.5 miles this morning, felt very sluggish. It was hot and humid this morning. Total time was 44:30.

Ran approx. 7 miles this morning - felt good. I can tell that it is still hotter than I would like, but I feel I am getting used to the weather. Total time was 1 hour. Planning on 12-13 miles tomorrow for my long run to keep my weekly mileage over 30 miles. Calf still feels good. I am confident that I am past the stage where I need to keep worrying about it.

Well, I apparently did not eat enough this morning, as I was pretty drained of energy after 10 miles and decided it was in my best interest to stop. Not to mention the fact that it was already hot out, and we ended up getting up to 118 today. I will consider this week kind of a rest week, since I didn't get to run on Monday or Tuesday, and will get back into the rhythm of things this coming week. As I did almost 34 miles the week before last, I will plan on 37-38 miles this week. Getting closer to my weekly mileage goal of 50+ miles.

Ran 4 miles this morning, it was muggy again and hard to get going. My legs were still a bit dead after my 10 miler on Saturday. I started at about 8:30/mile, and I had a 7:40 mile without even realizing it for mile 3, while mile 4 was about the same. I'll see how I feel tomorrow - hopefully the weather starts to cool off soon, but I don't really expect much lower temperatures in the morning until September.

Ran 5.8 miles of a 6-miler this morning. The heat continues to affect me. I am also experiencing a bit of pain in my right hip flexor. Today was a nice easy run except for the pain I had when I first started my run.

So I didn't get a chance to run in the morning, so I did my run on the treadmill in the evening. My hip flexor was still hurting as I started, so after I got warmed up, I thought perhaps it would feel better if I was running more efficiently (i.e. faster). After the first mile, I put in a 6:40 mile, which honestly felt pretty good, then slowed back down for 1/2 mile at 8:30 pace, then did the next 1/2 at 6:00/mile pace. I dropped back down to 8:30/mile pace for the next 1/4 mile, then went back up to 6:40 pace for another 1/2 mile before finishing with the last .45 at 8:30 pace. I was amazed at how easy the faster portions were. However, my elation quickly turned to frustration as my hip flexor started to really hurt. I iced it last night and took some ibuprofen to help with the swelling, but I think now that I am going to have to take a couple days off - just when I was getting ready to have a breakout week with my mileage! I will take today and tomorrow off and keep icing in the hopes that I will be able to complete my long run. I am also thinking about breaking up my daily runs due to the heat - doing 3-4 miles in the morning, and another 2-3 in the afternoon on the treadmill. Any thoughts on this, Sasha? I am just finding it too difficult to run any longer in the morning when it is already 90 degrees out at 4:30 am, and occasionally overcast with the humidity higher than normal.

3 easy miles on the treadmill, 1st two miles nice and easy at 8:30/mile, last mile at 7:30/mile.

Well, I'm back training slowly - right now I am staying on the treadmill in an effort to keep a more steady pace. Ran 4 miles in the afternoon - first mile warmup at 8:30 pace, then 3 miles at 7:30 pace. It's good to know that my fitness hasn't been completely wiped out. At this point, if I can stay healthy, I am thinking more of doing a few shorter races later this year (5 and 10k) and then possibly doing the PF Changes Rock n' Roll 1/2 marathon in January. I will have to see how things go, but that is now my goal.

4 miles on the treadmill, started out at 8:30 pace for 1/2 mile, then increased the speed to 7:30 pace for a mile, followed by a mile at 6:40 pace, then slowed back down to 7:30 pace for a mile, and then back to 8:30 pace for the final 1/2 mile. The run felt good, but I am finding it extremely hard to get back into my normal training schedule again. I need to get to bed earlier.

Tried a slightly different running technique today - ran leaning forward more than normal. This technique felt exceptionally good and also resulted in my running faster over the distance, while my legs felt good. My lungs felt the effects, but that can be remedied by training.

Ran approx 3.2 miles in 24:20. The run felt good. Not much else to report. I am going to slowly build back up. I got my exercise ball on Wednesday and will be using that to strengthen my core. After visits to my chiropracter, I also found that I had a pelvic torsion that was causing a leg length discrepancy. Possibly the root cause of my problems.

Ran approx. 3.5 miles in 26:00, felt good again. The run was still more of a workout for my lungs than it was for my legs, although I definitely felt like my legs got worked well.

Ran 4 miles on the treadmill this evening, felt good. Started off at 8:30 pace, then increased to 7:30 pace after 1/2 mile. Increased to 6:30 pace at 2 1/2 miles, kept that pace for a mile, then slowed back down to cool off. I feel good about the fact that I could have kept up the faster pace for longer.

Ran about 3.25 miles in 24:19. Started out too fast and was paying for it and the end of the run. I will get in another run tomorrow.

Did another 3.25 miles, did not time my run. Felt pretty good, but was a bit hot, as I ran in the afternoon. Although the temperature has dropped here, it was still about 90 degrees or so. Nevertheless, I feel like I am finally starting to get going again. Although I have no plans of doing a marathon for a while, I still want to get in some races. We have a Thanksgiving day 10-K, and I am planning on running the PF Changs 1/2 marathon in January, plus a few other races I can find.

Ran 4 miles this evening - felt pretty good. I warmed up over the first mile, then slowly increased my pace. I ran the third mile in 6:48, then walked for about 2 minutes and resumed my run. Total time was 30:10. Will take tomorrow off and then run on Wed.

Decided I couldn't wait until Wednesday to run again, and ran 3 miles on the treadmill. Warmed up for the first 1/2 mile at 8:30 pace, then slowly increased every 1/2 mile until I was at 6:30 pace. Ran this for a mile, then slowed back down. Total time was 22:10. The run felt good. I also feel like adding these tempo sessions in the middle of my runs will help my cardio fitness as well as train my legs to run faster.

biked about 10 miles this morning - felt good. My hip has started to hurt again with impact activities, so I am going to go see an orthopedic surgeon to figure out what is going on. In the meantime, I think that I will be able to continue biking - this didn't hurt at all.

Was planning on doing about 10 miles on the bike, only to run over a nail after about 4 miles and have my rear tire go completely flat. I alternated running and walking home - ran a total of about 2.5 miles. My hip felt good - I think it has something to do with the no-impact activity of bicycling.

Ran 3 miles this morning - total time of 23:00. Hip still felt good, but I need to get my bike tire repaired so that I can alternate running and biking.

walked 3.1 miles ar 4.5 mph on the treadmill.

Ran 3.25 miles early this morning at a brisk clip. I started out easy but picked it up. Second mile was in 6:45. Stretched out afterwards (which I have sometimes been neglecting) and my hip feels good. I have decided to alternate running, biking and walking on the treadmill, and am going to try to do this every day until my health and fitness are at 100%. Purchased a new inner tube for my bike yesterday that has slime in it to help prevent future flat tires. May go out for a bike ride later today (before or after priesthood session). Listening to general conference on the computer today, as we do not have television.

Total distance of 4.25 miles, time was 31:42. Middle two miles were each run in 7:17. It is still pretty hot outside in the evening. I am looking forward to when the weather cools down more to allow me to enjoy my runs more.

Walked 3.5 miles today at 4.5 miles/hr on the treadmill. As previously stated, I am going to keep up the rotation of running, walking and biking until I am 100%. I also read some information today to indicate that I may have a tight IT band on my left leg, so I have been more aggressively stretching my legs. I have never been an extremely flexible person, but I think I need to do more than I am currently doing, especially with my hip flexors and abductors and adductors.

Ran a total of 3 miles this morning. Started out nice and easy with the first mile about 8:20, then picked it up and ran the second mile in 7:09 (although it felt faster). I then walked for about 1/4 mile and ran the last mile in about 7:30. Perhaps the second mile felt harder effort-wise because I didn't quite get enough sleep.

Ran 4.25 miles this evening - warmed up the first mile, but still ran it in 7:58, faster than I wanted. I was hoping for about 8:30. Second mile was 8:05, felt pretty relaxed. Third mile I picked up, and ran 6:44.9. This mile felt much smoother and more relaxed than my 7:09 mile the other day. Last mile and a quarter was in 10:00, total time was 32:48. Good run. I will try to get in a bike ride tomorrow, as my hip flexor is hurting a bit again tonight. I will also try to not feel to envious of those who are running tomorrow, and will be rooting for Sasha.

Ran 4.0 mile loop this evening, the weather is finally cooling down. Decided to wear my HR monitor to see where my fitness was. Avg. HR was 174 - but that was really due to the 3rd mile, which I ran in 6:39. Overall. the run felt good I take the HR readings with a grain of salt, because I have always had a high exercise HR. Total time for the run was 31:04. Stretched out afterwards, which helped my hip to feel better.

walked 2.8 miles at 4.5 mph on the treadmill.

I'm not going to log any distance today, but I sure did get in some speed work. I decided to play basketball with our ward team tonight, and played for about 45 minutes straight - full court. After the game, in addition to my quads being sore from all the jumping, all of my sprinting muscles were extremely sore, but it sure felt good to get in that kind of workout.

Ran 3.25 mile loop this evening. Glad to be able to get out and run - had an extremely difficult day. I had to stay home from work today because my wife had sprained her back (we're hoping that's all it is). In addition, our oldest did not have school today (October break), and the kids were bouncing off the wall. Took them to the park and let them run around, but that only calmed them down for a while. My run tonight was part stress relief, part shaking out the sore muscles from last night. It felt good, and I think I actually ran more efficiently as a result of the speed work. In addition to trying to get in some 10-K's before the end of the year, my other goal is to get my weight down, which I know will also help out both my posture and my running technique. I think my ideal weight would be between 165-170. As tonight was our fruit smoothie night, I also wanted to pass on a good (and pretty healthy) recipe for smoothies:

1 cup rolled oats

1 banana, ripe

approx. 2 cups milk

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup frozen strawberries

orange or lemon juice - abt 2-3 tbsp

4-6 ice cubes (or more, to achieve desired consistency)

sugar (to taste, can also be substituted with splenda or other sweetener)

blend the oatmeal in the blender until it is the consistency of coarse flour, add milk, banana, blueberries, strawberries and ice cubes. blend until the desired consistency is achieved (we have all had smoothies before right?). Add sugar or other sweetener until smoothie is desired level of sweetness. Pour and enjoy. Makes about 4 full cups. Yummy!

Today's run was at a slow, relaxed pace. I deliberately slowed down to give my legs a break. First mile in 8:52, average HR 152. Second mile in 8:52, average HR 160. 3rd mile in about 8:00 (thought I hit the lap button, but didn't), average HR 166 (high was only 173). 4th mile in about 8:20, average HR 168. last .6 in 5:57, average HR 167. Total time was 40:00 even. Average HR for the total run was 162. This run felt very good, and I was happy to see a lower HR than the other day. I anticipate this will continue to drop as my fitness increases and my weight goes down. My muscles were still a little bit sore at the beginning of the run, but the soreness went away as my muscles got warmed up.

This morning's run was extremely difficult - not because it was fast, but because my body was stiff and still a bit sore. It was really hard to get going - even after I warmed up, my legs just didn't have the higher gears today. First mile in 8:46, second mile in 7:45 (I couldn't go any faster), last segment in 9:01. Total time was 25:33. Stretched out good afterwards, but my left calf is still tight. I have been following the AI stretching method, but in general have not be stretching before my run, but after, and have just been warming up before getting going. I think that I am going to start to incorporate some stretching before my run as well, in the hopes that this will help to limber me up more.

Rode the bike this morning for approximately 8-9 miles (not sure on the distance). Quads and hamstrings were both burning (good sign) by the end of the ride, and the absence of pounding felt good to my legs. Talked to a sports chiropractor about my hip flexor and got some good advice - I may start to see him to help me get back to 100%. On his advice I am going to put a hot pad on my hip flexor prior to running and ice it down afterward. This is probably also going to put a halt on my early morning runs, as it would take too much time to complete this ritual and still be one time for work. But it has cooled off here, so I will enjoy running in the afternoon now and be able to run in the daylight.

Had a good run this afternoon. Beautiful weather, about 75 degrees. Put the heating pad on my hip flexor before running to get it nice and warm - seems to have helped. Ran the first mile in 7:48 - this was faster than I had anticipated and was also into a headwind. Second mile was 7:23, also into the wind. Felt a little strained because of the wind, but overall not too difficult. I pushed the next 1/2 mile, and ran it in 3:30 - this felt extremely easy, but I also had the wind at my back - then slowed a bit, but not very much, and ran the last mile in 7:18. This also felt easy because of the wind at my back. Total time was 26:00. Overall a very good run. Will probably ride the bike again tomorrow.

Wow, this run felt hard. I really wanted to go for a run today, but I had a lot going on - make dinner, go to cub scouts (I am one of the wolf/bear den leaders now), do some work from home, make cupcakes for my 6-year old's birthday party tomorrow - next thing I knew it was 9:30. But I decided to run anyways. I could really tell that my feet and legs had taken a pounding today. My stride was choppy and inefficient, although the breathing was not bad. Nevertheless, I plodded on. First mile in 8:27, not feeling too bad, although I can't get into a good rhythm. Second mile in 8:02, felt faster than it was, this was when I knew the run was going to be hard. Turned around, third mile in 7:40. Wow, I thought this mile was quite a bit faster - I was expecting around 7:00. Nevertheless, only a mile to go. Last mile in 8:04. Total time was 32:14, only slightly more than 8:00/mile. I will probably not be able to run tomorrow, but will try to get in 5 or so nice, easy miles on Saturday.

I was planning on doing 6 miles, but felt bad enough to cut it short. Just like Thursday, my stride felt choppy and inefficient. I slogged through the run, and at the end, felt bone-weary. I'll have to see how I feel on Monday - if I continue to feel this bad on my run, I may need to see if there is something that is causing the tiredness.