Old Man Still running

Treadmill and a couple outside pavement. Legs feel like they are getting more used to daily workouts.   I'm warming up faster, less pains.

Ran around Lake Mountain again but chose a much longer route.  Started at 4 a.m. from my house and ran down Redwood Road for about 16 miles, went about three miles past Soldier Pass road and ran a gental ascending road to the east for a few miles that linked up with the power lines that run on the east side of Cedar Valley.  At that point it became frigid.  My speed decreased like crazy because if I ran faster, the breeze would freeze my hands even though they were in mittens.   I was over-dressed for the 40-degree temps on the east side of the mountain, but under-dressed for the low 20s in Cedar Valley.  Amazing.  It was pretty painful and I was just pleading for the sun to rise.   Because there were no fences out there...nothing, no structures, just the powerlines, the road at times would be blocked by huge piles of tumbleweeds from the big wind storm earlier in the week.  At times there was no way through or around, so I had to just dive in and step on piles to get through.  I was glad I had long pants on to avoid the thorns.   I had to do this several times.  Finally dawn arrived but it was colder than ever.  I could see ice fog on the west side of the valley which means they probably were in the teens.  It is amazing how this valley traps the cold air.  Finally the sun crept up, but it still took another hour for it to warm up above freezing.  At mile 29, still on the straight dirt road on the west side of the mountain, I ran into Zac Case of Eagle Mountain who finished his first 100-miler a couple weeks ago at Pony Express.  We ran togther for a mile and then he took off.  I soon came to a tree where I had dropped off water last night.  I changed out of my warm clothes and then enjoyed running in the warmer morning.   I ran clear to Unity Pass, through the Ranches and then to home.  My legs felt much, much better than last week.  I must be getting back in shape.  I was so discouraged last week because it was so very hard. But this week it was easier and I completed this 41-mile loop faster than I ran the 33-mile loop last Saturday.  Great training for Across the Years.

Treadmill. Easing up the daily miles.

Treadmill.   Always interesting observing other people's workout.  Today a young lady came in and did some barefoot running on the treadmill.  You would think barefoot running helps improved running form.  Not in this case.  Her heel strikes were so hard they could be heard loudly even though I had ear phones one.  I wish I had the nerve to stop and give advise, but I'm just an old man on the treadmill next to her. 

Treadmill

Treadmill.  Today's runner to watch is a guy that comes in for about 20 mintues.   He runs about 8:00 pace for 30 seconds, checks his heart rate and then walks slowlly for about 4 minutes and then repeats, even has a water bottle to drink.  After 20 minutes, no sweat, done. I don't get it. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a heart condition.  I've seen him do this workout many times.  I don't get it.  I guess he thinks if he gets his heart rate up to a certain level that it is a workout.  Better than nothing, but I think he could do the same walking up and down his stairs about five times.

Out running about 3:30 a.m.  Ran down Redwood Road on the west side of Utah Lake for about 13 miles to Soldier Pass Road.  I enjoy running the road at night when there is very little traffic so I can usually run down the center line.   From there I ran the dirt road up and over the pass into chilly Cedar Pass.  I took a new route and took a straight dirt road directly west by a land fill. The sun peeked over the mountains to the east but didn't warm things up much.  My water bottle froze and it was funny to see one ended up containing ice cubes.  I made the turn north and ran into Fairfield.  I took a break at Camp Floyd and the famed heated bathroom, changing out of my warm clothes and filling my empty bottles.  The morning started to warm up and I kept a good pace on the Pony Express route across Cedar Valley to the new middle school.  Once on the paved trail to Unity Pass I picked up the pace nicely clocking some sub 9:00 miles.   I made a quick stop to fill up at the convenient store at the Ranches and then pressed the pace, returning home around noon.

Treadmill

Tough treadmill, some long tough fast runs with steep incline.   My buddies in the rec room who mostly do weight lifting commented, "All is good in the world, Dave is again killing the treadmill."  I think they work out year round and I just appear as it gets colder.  

Treadmill in the morning.

Five hours on the treadmill doing 34 miles.  Hit the 50K mark at about 4:31.  I did plenty of hills along the way.  For the first time I was able to turn over the vertical odometer past 10,000 feet.  It is rather generous.  I think I did closer to 5,000 feet.    After 5 hours I couldn't take it anymore and went out in the cold drizzle and ran four miles to wrap up the morning run. That is four straight Saturdays of at least 33 miles. I've now run about 250 runs over 26 miles or over in the past ten years.  200 of those are 30 miles and over.

Treadmill

Treadmill

Treadmill.  Still concerned about some minor shin pain on the problem leg, below my major facture area two years ago.  Has me spooked, but is so far minor and may be just my leg adjusting to my higher mileage.

Cold and windy.  Did four out in the cold but did the rest on treadmill.  No leg pain today so I'll stop worrying.

Tempo running at marathon pace.   Hamstring holding up.  5K on Thanksgiving and after turkey, heading to the Grand Canyon for running fun.

Treadmill tempo run.  Dialed it up to 6:15 pace for the first time in ten months since hamstring issue.

Ran a R2R2R starting at the North Rim.  Strange inversion conditions made the rims and upper canyon pretty chilly.  Started at 11 degrees at 5:00 a.m. and finished about 6 p.m. Leg pain, but it calmed down.  I was going to run a R2R2R2R2R (quad) but the chilly conditions made me give it up.  But my quads and calves were pretty trashed too.  Fun times. My 14th R2R2R and I've now logged more than 1,000 miles in the canyon.