Cool Runnings!

AM - 6.5 miles total at about 8:08 pace. First ran 3 miles by myself at 7:56 pace (including the first 1/2 mile being at about 8:30 pace), then ran 3.5 miles with Sparky at around 8:15-8:20 pace. Felt good, my calf feels better today (after having gotten tortured on Saturday by Lybi), and I still feel nice and fresh after my first 50-mile week this year. I am planning on adding a couple more miles this week, probably make my long run 12 miles, but nothing much more. Perhaps I will do a bit of tempo miles, depending on how I feel, but that's about it.

PM - 1 mile with Samuel in about 11:00, all of us unshod (look how Lybi has corrupted me!).  Actually, my theory was that perhaps running barefoot might help me to deal with the PF I have been experiencing by strengthening the arch and the muscles around the foot.  It certainly didn't feel bad at all.  I might try continuing this experiment the rest of the week.  Sam also ran barefoot (at his own insistence) and did very well.  We ran slower to help him learn about running barefoot and to pay closer attention to the surface and avoid stepping on rocks.  As it was, he still stepped on a few.  After Samuel, ran another 0.65 with Joey, also barefoot (and him too - same reason).  He also did very well.  I stepped on a pretty big rock this time, with it landing right in the middle of my arch - that kind of stung for a while, but went away after about 30 seconds.  We will see how this experiment works out.  I am excited, and if it helps me to run faster and stay healthy, then I am all for it.

On a side note, we are still trying to decide what to do about a 1/2 marathon for Lybi and one for me.  We are leaning towards one of us coming up for the Provo River 1/2 - either Lybi will fly up, or I will drive up.  Then one of us will either do the St. George 1/2 or there is also a 1/2 marathon up in Prescott (about 5100' elevation) that is actually fairly flat.  Sasha has already indicated he thought the Provo River 1/2 would be a good PR course for Lybi - gentle downhill for most of it.  And to tell the truth, I'm not too fussed either way - I am certain that I will be able to get a PR on either course, weather permitting.

Ran 5 miles outside this morning, without Sparky (Lybi got to run with the doggy today). I had decided last night that I was going to get in some MP effort on my run today. I had two goals going into the run: 1) maintain MP, which for me is currently 6:50 pace, and 2) be able to maintain proper form and good breathing. I think I was able to achieve both goals, although my second two miles were a bit too fast. Warmed up for the first mile in abouot 8:22, then started the tempo run. Below are my splits:

Mile	Time	Comment
1	6:52	This was absolutely perfect, exactly where I wanted to be. 1/2 mile splits were 3:27 and 3:25.
2	6:33	Oops - I didn't mean too run this fast, although it still felt good. It's almost as if I was getting warmed up the first mile, and then continued to speed up as I got into a groove. 1/2 mile splits were 3:17 and 3:16.
3	6:36	This would have been even faster than the second mile, had I not slowed down the last 1/2 mile (purposefully). First 1/2 split was 3:15, second 1/2 split was 3:21.

Cooled down the last mile in 7:41 (I thought I was running much slower), then came inside and finished with 2 nice easy miles on the treadmill at 8:30 pace.

So the good news is that it felt very good and sustainable. My breathing was good throughout, and I felt like I was able to maintain good form. This is a good sign to me that my fitness is greatly improved, as is my resting HR - have I mentioned before that my resting HR is now somewhere in the vicinity of 50 bpm (if not a little lower)? I am totally jacked about that. I don't remember the last time it was that low. My next race will be the Arizona Road Racers Summer Race Series #3 (another 5K) in July, and I am excited to see what I might be able to do at that race. I think I will be able to hit another PR, maybe dip under 18:00.

PM - ran 1 mile with Samuel, barefoot, he ran barefoot too, but didn't do as well today.  It turns out he ended up giving himself a blister.  We will have him run with shoes for a while.  Ran another 0.65 with Joey, he did good.

(ProGrid Guide - 176.55)

AM - ran 3 easy miles by myself at 8:05 pace, including the first 1/2 mile at 8:30 pace. Then ran 3.5 miles with Sparky at 8:18 pace (after a bit of calculation, since Lybi is using the Garmin right now). Total time for the run was something like 53:18, right around there. Lower legs were a bit sore today, probably a combination of the tempo run and the barefoot running. Otherwise I am feeling good.

PM - ran 1 mile with Samuel in 10:33, he was shod, we were not.  Then 0.75 with Joey, don't remember the time, but he ran barefoot as well.  Found a couple of slight blisters on the balls of my feet this evening, so no more barefoot running until they heal. 

AM - 5 mile easy run by myself in 39:33, then 2 more easy miles on the treadmill in 16:00. The pace on the outside portion felt nice and easy, although I could at times feel the blisters on the balls of my feet. Not very much discomfort - just enough to know that they were there. On the treadmill run, I started out at 8:30 pace for .25 miles, then increased the speed to 8:00 pace. I will admit that for the second mile, I bumped up the speed a little bit more just so I could average 8:00/mile on the treadmill :)

Another 1.65 or so planned with the boys this evening, but not barefoot. If I don't get to run with the boys because of Webelos Scouts (we have pack meeting today), I will just run a couple more miles, nice and easy.

PM - did not get the chance to run with the boys - we all went to pack meeting and didn't get back until about 7:30, which was time to read scriptures and get the boys to bed.  After the boys were down, I ran another 2 miles on my own at 8:00 pace.  Felt good, but my calves are both a bit tight, probably from the barefoot running.  I will abstain for a few days (I have to let the blisters heal anyways). 

(ProGrid Guide - 185.55)

AM - 3 easy miles by myself in 8:10 pace, then another 3.35 with Sparky at 8:16 pace.

PM - 1.65 miles by myself (I was asked by one of our friends to come help him move a piano they had just bought, and that consumed a fair amount of time, so I didn't get to run with the boys).  Helped to loosen up the legs.  Planning on 12 tomorrow morning (8 outside and then another 4 on the treadmill so that Lybi can run outside), then the normal run with the boys. 

AM - long run, 13 miles. Got up early, ran to the store to get some gels, on the way back had to stop at the gas station for a pit stop, then headed out. I had a small bottle full of gatorade with me, and one extra gel (I had eaten the other one as soon as I got out of the store). Got going, and got into a nice groove. I was running somewhere between 7:50-8:00 pace. Stopped halfway and took my other gel, finished most of the gatorade. I decided I don't like running with a bottle in my hand - it made my shoulders tense up and get kind of tight. I felt very good throughout the run. At 10 miles, I was starting to get kind of bored, so I decided I would do some MP miles to see how I could handle it at the end of a long run. I was originally thinking I would do the last 3 miles at MP, but after the first, two, I was pretty tired and decided to just cool down the last mile. First MP mile was in 7:10 - a little slow, but I was getting into a rhythm. Second MP mile was in 6:45 - more along the lines of what I was shooting for. Total time of 1:40, average pace of 7:41/mile. The Garmin was off because I didn't push the start/stop button when I stopped at the 1/2 way mark, so it kept recording. I took a minute off the total Garmin time, which is about how long I stopped.

When I got home, I found myself feeling absolutely ravenous. I went to the store and picked up some breakfast (protein drink, odwalla bar and gatorade). I also weighed myself, and was only 162.6, which is the lowest I have been since Lybi and I got married. Sasha and I had previously agreed that 50 mpw seemed to be the magic number for me, and I have really seen the pounds start to come off. I am so excited - I know that every pound I lose will make it that much easier for me to achieve my goal at St. George. I am very optimistic that I will be able to reach my goal of 155 by the time SGM rolls around.

This is also the highest mileage week I have had since I started running again, period.  I am feeling very good, will plan on maintaining this mileage next week, and then increasing a few more the week after that.  It also looks like we have made a decision on my 1/2 marathon - we will be going to Colorado Springs over Labor Day weekend and I will plan on running the ADT 1/2 marathon.  Although it is at altitude (6100 ft), it is a pretty flat course, out and back, so it should give me a pretty good indication of my fitness.

(ProGrid Guide - 198.55)