Craig's Running Blog

I had the day off, which was great. It totally dumped about 5 inches overnight and another 7 or so during the day. So when I got up this morning to run, there was a good amount of accumulation on the roads. That's actually good news. While running on newly plowed roads or unplowed roads with tire tracks can be miserable, the paved trail is ideal under new snow conditions. It turns into something like a dirt trail run, but more cushioned. It was a serious workout because of the accumulation. I think something like 2 inches is ideal for running. 5 or more inches gets cumbersome because you have to work so hard to lift your legs out of the snow. After finishing up the run, I ate breafast, took a shower, and slept for an hour. That's my favorite kind of morning.

Took out on the paved trail, which is now covered with a foot of snow. Unfortunately, the snow was too deep and tracked for me to be able to run freely. So I got back on the roads and did a loop around east Draper. It's impossible to avoid hills in that area, so I got worked pretty well. Once I was totally warmed up, about mile 3, things felt right on. I think I'm finally starting to see a real fitness increase from the increased mileage. Moab will be a good sign. If I can break 1:20 there, I'll be satisfied and ready for Boston in April.

Due to the snow and ice, I had to run on the major roads. No problem. I took the big hill up Wasatch Blvd and then came back down through Pepperwood. I noticed a fitness increase since last time. Finished things up at marathon pace (6:00).

I had to keep to the main roads today, so I did a loop around the bluff first (1.5 miles), and then stretched things out a little back at my house. After that, I did my standard 5 mile loop, picking it up the last half. Things felt really good. Not surprisingly, I was the only runner out this morning.

I am trying to figure out how to eventually get my morning runs up to 10 miles. I have only been able to do that by splitting up the run twice a day so far. If I want to get my mileage up over 60, I'm going to have to increase weekly mileage to roughly 10 a day. I just don't have enough time in the morning right now to do that. Maybe I can adjust the sleep schedule and get up at 5:00 rather than 5:30.

I will be registering a WBR team and act as the captain for it this year. It looks like our group will be putting together 2 teams- one a mixed team and the other a girls-only team. I may need to put the word out on the blog if we need a couple more runners.

Looks like more snow in the forecast...

Ah yes- I was glad to see the paved trail plowed this morning. There was a light dusting on there from yesterday, which made it perfectly cushoined. Maybe half an inch of powder on the asphalt. I wore my trail shoes and worked it. My trail shoes are quite a bit heavier than my road shoes, so I try to use them strictly for more difficult terrain.

I got a little inspiration from the movie last night. It was interesting seeing athletes at all levels. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite relate to anyone that was highlighted in the movie. I am somewhere between the elites and the guy who was trying to qualify for Boston. It's just been so many years since I was in that guy's shoes (trying to qualify), that the things he was focusing on were a distant memory. I really got a kick out of the older guy. He was the typical veteran slower runner that we see in Salt Lake Fit. From his jovial attitude down to the massive amount of junk that he carries with him on the long runs and races- it just made me laugh.

We all met at Ruth's Diner up Emigration Canyon. There was a good turnout this morning- about 15 of us. This was supposed to be a distance run with no fast miles, but I picked it up about halfway through in order to get some tightness out and push myself.

Topics of the day: WBR teams, Ogden Marathon teams, stretching session (coming in February).

The weather was cold at first, but quickly warmed up when the sun came out. I was content with 2 layers and a simple hat.