run, run, run

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:15

I decided that I was getting sick of that hip/leg thing I've got going, so I took three days off this week. It felt a lot better this morning, so I think if I'm smart about it I can be 100% soon.

A nice brisk run this morning. Weather was nice, 38 degrees. I'm anxious to get into my long runs gearing up for Seattle. I'm not very good at being patient.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:09

Well, I was still a little sore after Friday's run, so I decided to take Saturday off to give me a two day weekend to heal up a little more. But now, with a deadline looming, I'm done resting. If my hip/leg starts hurting again, I'm going to have to try to just run through it. I think I'll be ok though.

Felt good this morning. Randy kind of pulled me along as usual. I need to keep it steady this week and then go for a 20-miler on Saturday.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:22

Just a short, easy run this morning. I was a little stiff starting out, but felt a lot better as the run progressed. Keeping my mileage down earlier in the week so I have something left in the tank for a long run this weekend. Weather was nice, mid 50's mix of sun and clouds.

I hate stretching, but I've started doing more the past couple of weeks. I don't know if it is helping, but I do have some extra motivation. When I get back from running, about 7:30, Matchgame reruns from the 70's are on. Now that's some quality entertainment.

iPod song of the day: "Choppin' Wood" -- Van Morrison

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:05

Felt good today. Not sore at all starting out. Felt a little bit in my hip/butt, but not much at all. Hopefully I'm getting over this thing. Weather was nice. I thought I would get rained on, but it didn't start until after I was done.

Boise, ID 6:45am

Pace: 8:12

A nice run today. Tried to keep the pace close to what I run when I'm chasing down Randy. I went Cloverdale to Executive to Five Mile to Ustick. Feeling a lot better. I think I'm finally back on track.

iPod song of the day: "Hurts So Good" -- John Cougar

Boise, Id 6:30am

Pace: 8:12

Back to wearing long pants, hat and gloves. It was 35 degrees this morning. Too cold for May. Turned out to be a nice run though. Pretty uneventful. I felt a little stiff starting out, but part of that could be because I played softball last night and did some sprinting in the outfield.

Boise/Garden City/Eagle/Meridian, ID 8:00am

Pace: 8:50

Finally got my first long run of the year in, about two weeks too late. It worked out well though. I went down Edna/Goddard to Glenwood and got on the Greenbelt by the Boise Hawks stadium and took it to Eagle, up Eagle Rd. to Chinden to Meridian, to Ustick and home.

My prior nagging injury thing wasn't an issue. It appears to be over now. I bought a Gatorade at mile 13 and didn't really start to get tired until 17. The last mile and a half were rough, but that's what a long run is about. The only miles that really matter are the last four or five, you just have to spend the whole morning getting there.

iPod song of the day: "Eight Days A Week" -- The Beatles

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:07

A good morning run with no ill effects from Saturday's long run. Weather was 50 and very comfortable.

Boise, ID 6:45am

Pace: 7:58

Really good run this morning. I felt better than I've felt in a long time, so I decided to pick up the pace after a couple of miles. Weather was good, about 50 with a light breeze.

 iPod song of the day: "Dead Man's Party" -- Oingo Boingo

Boise, ID 6:30am

7.0 Miles

Pace: 7:57

Cold this morning. A beautiful day, but only 32 when I left the house. I really didn't mind though. Maybe because I knew it was likely the last real cold morning of the year.

Pace was faster this morning but it didn't feel like I was pushing it that hard. A good sign, I hope. I'm thinking about running to Nampa this afternoon. We'll see how that goes.

Meridian, ID 4:30pm

11.8 Miles

Pace: 8:32

I ran to my daughter's softball game in Nampa (she went 4 for 4, thank you very much). I felt pretty good the whole way except that I started getting a bit dehydrated. I dind't bring water and must not have had enough to drink during the day.

As I was running past a cow pasture, four of five calves started running along side me. The full grown cows just looked at me the way cows do -- thinking "people really are stupid."

iPod song of the day: "Can't Get No Satisfaction" -- Rolling Stones

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:04

Kind of a rough run this morning. It was supposed to be an easy tune-up for tomorrow's race, but I didn't get to sleep last night until well after 1am, so I was really struggling to keep up. But if I rest up today and get a decent nights sleep tonight, I think I'll be fine for the running of the potatoes (that's what they should call it, don't you think?)

When I synced my iPod I got a pleasant surprise: Click here! 

I went into this race looking at it as a training run to help prep for Seattle, so I put in a pretty heavy week of running beforehand. With that in mind, I don't feel bad at all about my time. It was only 1:05 behind my half marathon PR.

The starting line was freezing. The wind was blowing up at Lucky Peak and the start area stayed in the shaddows for a long time. But just before the start, I shed my sweatshirt and shivered for a few minutes until the gun went off. Then the weather, and I, warmed up quickly.

I kept it at a strenuously comfortable pace for the first 10 miles or so because the last thing I wanted to do is start out too fast and tank it. You see, I knew that there were a couple of women from the neighborhood somewhere behind me and I had to at least finish ahead of them.

I picked up the pace some (or at least increased my effort) for the last three miles or so. There was a young guy that was running near me from about mile 5. Near the end of the race we were still together, picking up the pace. I have no idea who he was, but he knew I was there too because we were trading off leading by a few steps. It worked out really well because I don't think I would have moved as fast at the end  if he wasn't pushing me.

Oh, and another highlight of the race: I almost stepped on a dead mouse on the greenbelt.

iPod song of the day: "I Want To Break Free" -- Queen

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 7:59

A good morning run. Warmest weather so far in the a.m. Didn't really feel any ill-effects from Saturday's race although Randy had to pull me along during the second half of the run.

Haven't settled in on a plan for this week yet. I would like to get in a long run, but I don't think that will work with my schedule. Probably just keep the mileage up around 50 for the week and get in the 20-miler next week.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:35

Very nice weather this morning. Mid 60s and overcast. I didn't really push myself at all. I think after the last few runs, I just didn't feel like it. I took a slightly diferent route this morning Cloverdale - Executive/Emerald - Cole - Ustick.

iPod song of the day: "Bad To The Bone" -- George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 7:59

Kind of chilly this morning. Not much to report on this run. No aches, pains, twitches or soreness -- and that's a good thing.

Boise, ID 6:45am

Pace: 8:33

A very nice morning. A little on the chilly side, but very comfortable. I took the same route as I ran on Tuesday Emerald - Cole - Ustick.

I'm feeling really good right now. Running strong without any pain. Hopefully I will hold up through my long runs into the marathon next month.

iPod song of the day: "Boogie Wonderland" -- Earth Wind & Fire

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 7:54

Another comfortable morning run. Felt sluggish at first, but by the second half of the run I was feeling good and ended with a pace under 8 minutes. Traffic was light this moning. Must be a lot of people getting an early starrt to the holliday weekend.

I was going to only run 15 tomorrow morning, but now I think I'll up it to 20. I'll be pushing it with so many miles already this week, but it will be good -- I hope.

Boise/Garden City/Eagle/Meridian, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:50

Another long run. I took the same route as two weeks ago. Felt really good. The last three miles sucked, as usual. But not as bad as it sucked last time, so I must be making progress.

This time I fueled up a bit more. I ate a banana before leaving and cut up a half of a Power Bar into four pieces. I ate them at miles 5, 10, 15 and 18. I bought a Gatorade at the Stinker station at Chinden and Eagle, mile 13 and nursed it for five miles.

Now off to my Saturday. I promised the kids I'd take them to climb that stupid hill at Camel's Back Park. We'll see how that goes.

 Looks like it's time to retire another pair of shoes.

iPod song of the day: "How Far We`ve Come" --  Matchbox 20

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:00

So, at the end of my run on Friday I said to Randy "Same time on Monday?" He said "sure." That seemed like such a good idea on Friday. At six a.m on Memorial Day, not so much. But I got up and went and was glad I did because I wouldn't have gotten a run in any other time today.

Halfway through this morning's run I felt a serious need to drop a deuce. But, since I was running through neighborhoods with no convenient stores or anyplace else to take care of business, I just kept running. I wonder how running with your butt cheeks clenched affects your gait.

Good times!

Meridian, ID 6:00 am

Pace: 8:18

I left a half hour earlier this morning. I wanted to do ten miles, but I really like having an hour to rest/nap/do nothing before starting work at 9. I'm not saying I need it, I just really like it.

Weather was great, run felt good. Went the Meridian direction today Ustick, Meridian, Pine, Cloverdale and a lap around the subdivision to get up to 10.

Broke out a new pair of shoes this morning. It's always nice to feel new shoes on your feet after going too long in the previous pair.

iPod song of the day: "Ain't That A Shame" -- Cheap Trick

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 7:56

I was really dragging this morning and, of course, I have some good excuses. I'm a little sore from playing softball yesterday (sprinting and running are two different things, you know) and I didn't sleep very well last night. Good thing I have a running partner or my pace would probably be around nine minutes per mile this morning.

Boise, ID 6:00 am

Pace: 8:44

An easy ten-miler to start the day. Weather was great, I felt good, just happy to be out there. I took the route from last week Emerald, Cole, Ustick. I like going that way because the sun is at my back on the home stretch.

iPod song of the day: "Never Did No Wandrin'" -- The Folksmen

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:02

Randy brought his brother along this morning, which made navigating the shoulders of Cloverdale a little more interesting, but it was nice to have someone different along for a change. We were only about 5 seconds per mile slower than usual, but it felt like we weren't pushing it as hard. Good thing because I'm planning on on going long again tomorrow morning.

Boise, Garden City, Eagle, ID

Pace: 8:56

I went out for a 20-mile long run this morning, but decided to stretch it out to 26.2. I was at 24.5 by the time I got back to my house and figured that if I ever want to try an unsupported marathon, now was the time to do it. So I went ahead and took another lap around the subdivision to go the full distance.

I hydrated better than I had in past long runs and it made a difference. I need to make sure I get that much water/gatorade when I run the real marathon. Usually I find myself just sipping a half a cup here and there because I don't want to get an upset stomach. Then I get dehydrated and life sucks.

I went a similar course as my previous long runs except I went down to the greenbelt from Maple Grove and instead of crossing the river and heading West at Glenwood, I kept going East for two miles and then turned around. That way I was able to avoid that 5 mile jog down Chinden and Meridian roads. With the heat I wanted to stay in more established neighborhoods with trees and shade.

When I got to Eagle and Chinden I decided to go over to Five Mile and down. That's why I was longer by the time I got home.

Now I'm feeling good. I don't think I did any damage that would be detrimental to the real marathon next month and it gave me a good boost of confidence.

iPod song of the day: "Rappers Delight" -- Sugar Hill Gang