Training

My first entry to the blog!  If all goes well, I plan on running the Ogden Marathon in May.

Today was 10 degrees with a cold north wind (wind chill - 3 degrees).  Ran the Idaho Falls greenbelt to Pancheri bridge.  Total time: 49:30

Ran inside today.

Cool and breezy with patchy ice on the path. 

Another chilly day!  26 degrees with a stiff breeze.  The recent skiff of granular snow has made the traction better, but it is still pretty sketchy to run on.  My time today was 39:00.  Hopefully we can get a few warmer days to clear the path.

Running was good today.  Temperature was 26 with no wind.  It has not snowed for the last 2 days and there are a few hopeful  patches of asphalt peeking up through the snowpacked green (white)belt path.  Total time = 50 minutes.  Since slow and fast miles are not much different for me - I only seem to have one speed - I will differentiate at 7.5 minute miles.  I tried to pick it up a little when traction was available and did well for short spurts.  Hopefully we will get sunshine and many miles later in the week!

Treadmill day. Grrr.  The forecast claimed it would be blowing 35 MPH+  with snow, so I did not bring any outside gear.  As I should have expected, it was a nice sunny day.   Ran 4.5 in the morning at 7.5 pace and 3.1 at noon at an average 6:50 pace. 

Ran on Treadmill in morning for 4.2 miles.  Time 30:00.  Slipped and slid around greenbelt for 4.8 at noon.  Very slick path today and light snow falling.  Where is that sun?   Temp is 12 F  with no wind..  Time  36:30.

Hit the treadmill in the morning.  7:30 pace.  This pace is getting somewhat painless on the treadmill, but it still seems tough outside.  Try for 10 outside tomorrow.

Took a nice slow run down Sunnyside road.  Started at the intersection of Ammon/Sunnyside and struggled with traffic and snow until Hitt road (plow your sidewalks Ammon!).  After Hitt road, the city of Idaho Falls does a fine job of clearing the path.  Ran the path all the way to Professional drive (near Yellowstone hwy), made a half mile loop around the Corporate Express warehouse and back.  The run was comfortable and felt that I could go further.  The next long run will have to be a faster pace.  Temp = 17,  no wind and a new skiff of snow on the path.  Still looking for the sun! 

Treadmill day.  Outside looked nice, but was around 0 with a breeze.  Ran 2 miles at 7:30 and 3 at a 7:00 pace. 

Below 0 outside with breeze = treadmill.  Wimpy (or smart) people may start moving away from here soon.......

Average 7.10 minues/mile. 

Cold run today!  Nice, sunny and 3 degrees below zero.  Made  a short 3 mile jaunt.  Ran the 1st half with Jeff at under 7:30.  I then encouraged Jeff to scout ahead so I could slow down before my lungs turned to frozen blocks.  Still managed to average 7:30

Ran on the treadmill  in the AM and again at noon for a total of 8 miles at a 7:15 average.  My miles are down this week but I hope to get a quick one in the morning.

Ran from home to top of hill, around the development, and back. Nice sunny day in the mid teens. 

AM - Ran a very poky 3 miles on the TM.  Since I was short on time, had to cut off at 3.   

Noon - The weather was quite windy so I ran another 4 TM miles at about a 7:20 pace.   

Treadmill run in the morning  - speeds were 7:30, 7:11, 6:58, 6:58. 

Between family, friends, work, and all the other unplanned stuff, it is constantly a struggle to find time for running.   I am becoming more impressed all the time with the serious runners on this blog that continually make 50 or more miles per week. 

Morning treadmill run.  Ran average of 7:30.

Took a slow mid-morning run out on the country roads from my home.  The temperature was in the mid-20s with light winds.  There is still a lot of snow and ice on the road, but I put sheet metal screws in the bottom of my old trail shoes and found traction problems were nearly eliminated.  Picked up a partner for 6 miles of the run.  A friendly young lab with a desire to follow runners fell in line with me and no amount of yelling, waving , or throwing snow would deter his good natured company.  After a mile, and several dirty looks from drivers who assumed this was my unrestrained dog, I decided he was mine for a while so for the next 5 miles I tried unsuccessfully to keep him out of traffic.  We looped back by his home just in time for his owner to come out looking for him.  My average speed was about 8:30.  

Ran the treadmill this morning.   I was definitely dragging today, but managed to get 4 miles.  I am redefining fast miles on a treadmill to sub 7 minute miles vice 7.:30.      1 -7:30, 2 - 7:18, 3&4 - 6:58. 

Went around the river at noon with Jeff (for a minute or so before he checked out on me...) and put in 5 miles.  Very slick today with the latest snow and , of course, my recently customized ice shoes were left at home.  Temp - 24, Wind 9 mph, Time 38:15

Finally, a great run in the sunshine.  The temp was mid 20's and light winds.   Jtshad cooled his heels and hung with me today for the long loop around the greenbelt.  The path had been cleared since last nights 7 in. of snow, but still had a lot of difficult sections where snow had not been fully removed.  It's really unusual to see all that snow around the path - easily 2 ft. on the level.    Time - 52:14

Due to the bad weather (every school in the valley is closed today), went to the gym for a short 4 mile TM run at noon.  Times were:  1 -7:30, 2&3 - 6:58, 4 - 6:53.  I plan to get outside and try to get a little more speed in the "real world."  Unfortunately, the stormy weather we are having is forecast to continue, so I will have to wait...

3 miles on the TM before work and outside for 5 more at noon.  Nice day today with about 30 degrees and light winds.  The path is beginning to melt, but is still mostly covered with snow and ice.  TM mile 1 - 7:30, 2 - 7:18, 3 - 6:58.  Outside pace was about 8:00.

Ran the greenbelt loop at noon.  Nice day with temp around 30 and light winds.  It was great to run in shorts and a baseball cap.  The path is still fairly icy, but the city was out today clearing it.  A snow event is predicted for tomorrow so this may be the best day for a while.  Pace - 8:00

Outside run from home

Nice day inthe mid 20's and sunny.  Ran the greenbelt with an extra loop around freeman.  I lost my watch, so my times are unknown. 

Since starting my marathon training program a little over a week ago, I and my entire family have been sick with colds and flu.  Unfortunately, my running mileage goal for the week suffered accordingly.  Hopefully there will not be any more major disasters, the weather will improve, and I can get the miles needed to prepare for Ogden.   Ran outside from home today.  The roads have been steadily improving and are now mostly clear.  However, there are stll giant walls of snow on both sides of the road, so running on the edge to avoid traffic is tough.  When I started out there was a rain/snow combination at about 34 F with a brisk head wind.   I figured the wet mess would get old quick and planned to head back home after 5 miles or so.   At 3 miles out the snow and wind ended and I found the conditions were nice for a longer run.  I timed myself to the half marathon point at 1:46 and then dogged it up the hill for the last half mile for a total time of 1:51

Took an easy run around the river at noon.  Weather was not great, about 33 F and foggy, but the path is gradually clearing.

Treadmill this morning for 4 miles.  The health club has really been letting their equipment maintenance slip lately since they are planning a major upgrade this summer.   Once again I had to switch treadmills during my run to get one that would hold its speed.  Ran 2 at 7:30 and 2 at 6:58.

Five miles outside at noon.  The weather is foggy and 30 F and the path still has a lot of slick spots, but is better each day.  Ran with jtshad  for about 2 miles at 7:30 pace (I know this is painfully slow for Jeff, but he is good company!) and 3 alone at 8:00.

Made a short run out on the desert today.   Before running, I had a strange pain in the lower back and down my leg.  It seemed to work out during the run and eventually went away.  So apparently running makes me feel better.    2 miles  at 7:30, 1.2 miles at 7:45

Greenbelt run today.  Weather was quite foggy, about 29 F, and light breezes.  My motivation was a little off so I ran mostly 8:00 miles.  I had a spurt of energy in the dry sections and picked up to about 7:30 for 1 mile.  It is supposed to be 45 and sunny tomorrow so it may be a good day for a longer run.

TM day with my son at the club.

2 miles at 7:15 and 2 at 6:58

Ran a progressive 4 on the TM in the morning.  1.5 at 7:30, 1.5 at 7:13, and 1 at 6:58.

5 miles on the greenbelt at noon.    The temperature was about 31 with moderate breezes.  Ran at a decent pace, but I am still waiting for my watch to rise from the snow in our backyard (Coco the dog will probably spot it first and eat it), so my time is unknown. 

TM in the morning.   5 miles at 7:30 and 1 at 7:13.

Ran a cool 5.1 around the greenbelt at noon with Jeff.  Weather was around 30 and breezy again, but the path is nearly clear.  Times were good (for me!) except the last mile I backed off for a side ache.

Outside run in the evening.  Clear and cool.  Made it back just as the sun set

TM in the morning for 3.1.

Greenbelt loop at noon for a pleasant run..  Clear and cold (11 F) again.  It's Hard to believe this is March.

I was short on time this morning, but managed 3.5 on the treadmill.  average time was 7:15.  I am planning a long run of about 15 for Saturday, so will not run at noon.  It may be snowing tomorrow, but unless it's terrible out I am going!.

Took a nice long progressive outside run with jtshad today.  The temperature was in the high 20's with little wind and a light cloud cover.  We planned to run at around 8:30 for 5 miles, then up to 8:15 for 5 and the last 5 at an 8 minute pace.  Jt was very good about letting me set the pace and we were a little faster for the entire run, finishing with an average speed of just under 8 minute miles.  This is my longest run so far and the first time for drinking water and eating GU.  That really seemed to help as I felt pretty decent at the end.  However, as I write this my legs are feeling the distance a bit.  Overall an excellent run.   Thanks  Jeff!

Ran the greenbelt at noon.  The time change combined with a motivational problem kept me from the TM this morning.  Nice easy pace about 7:50/mile.  The day is sunny, about 30 and light winds. 

Short morning on the TM.  I spent half my time on a stair stepper waiting for a TM.

  The health club is preparing to remodel and has essentially quit maintaining their treadmills based on getting new ones "in the spring."  Until they get the new treadmills,  finding a funtional one is getting tough.  Six were not working right and the rest were full.   I complained to the desk person today - she was very sympathetic.

Noon - Went outside for a greenbelt run.  It was snowing heavily with about 2 inches of mashed potato quality snow on the path.  After falling twice, I settled into a slow pace and made the 5 mile loop.  I am very ready for spring, but suspect this will be one of those Idaho winter to summer transition years where the temperature goes from 45 to 86 one day in June.  Temp - 29 F

TM in the AM!

TM in the morning.

Outside for a quick (for me!) 4.5 miles at noon.  The day was breezy and in the high 20's.  The path is now all clear except under the overpass!  I unfortunately let other priorities  (friends - family - work) get in the way of running last week and really fell down on miles.  I hope for better performance this week.

Ran the TM in the morning for 4.5 miles.  Ran 3.5 miles at a 7:30 pace and 1 mile at 6:53.  

Outside for a 5.1 mile noon run around the greenbelt.  The day is gray with light winds and about 32 F.  It was a nice run and there are even a few places where I could run on the grass.  For the most part though, the path is still surrounded by 1- 2 ft of snow.  We just  have not had any warm weather yet to take the snow out.  Cmon spring! 

Running late again but managed to get 3.5 miles on the TM this morning. Pace was 7:30 then kicked it up to 6:58 for 1.5 miles.

Greenbelt run at noon.  Windy and mid 30's made for a lot of melting snow.  Hopefully it will be gone soon...  Ran the 6 mile loop around the river.  I will try for a 17 mile run this weekend!

Nice easy loop around the greenbelt with a coworker.  Our pace was about 8:45.  Temperature is 35 with 20+ mph winds.  Feel good and looking forward to a long run tomorrow 

Ran 18 miles on the country roads from the house today.  The weather was decent with sunny skies, light winds and about 30 F.  Ran an average of about 8:15 for the first 11 miles and then about 7:55 average for the last 7 miles for an overall average speed of 8:07.  I staged 3 water stops but decided, for my first run this long, I really did not want to make a big uphill in the last 3 miles.  So at mile 13, I changed the route for a little saner climb back to the house   Because of the change, I missed the last water.  Not sure if there is a relationship, but I felt a little rough for a while about an hour after the run,   It was a nice run and I felt like I could have kept going (as long as it wasn't up that steep hill!),  Now I need to do a 20 and maybe a 22 miler before Ogden.

Took my boys and dog out for a walk/run up the hill.  It was pretty laid back and I thing we spent more time breaking ice on the Blackhawk pond than actually running, but I'll claim the miles anyway.  Temp - 40ish, no wind. 

No morning run today.   I planned to go and have lots of excuses but basically lazyness dominated again!  Maybe tomorrow.  

Outside for a windy 5 mile run at noon.  The wind was almost too much today, but the temperature was mid 40's so I held onto my hat and went.  The times were pretty good and if the GPS had not lost signal, I may have ended up with 4 fast (under 7:30 is my outside fast) miles.  I am planning to take my daughter to northern Idaho later this week for a college tour, so my miles may be light again this week.  I will try to run while there, particulaly since it is a much lower elevation and warmer climate.  

Treadmill run in the morning for 4 miles.  2 @ 7:30 and 2 @6:58.

Another windy cool day.  Ran outside for 6 miles at noon.  Temp - 37

Spent the weekend in northern Idaho for parents weekend at the U of I.  I managed to get a hilly early morning run in the town of Lewiston (elevation 750 ft).  The climate is very mild compared to home, in fact these folks are already mowing lawns!  The I felt like superman since I usually run at 4700 ft.  The morning temp was 30 with no wind.

Went for an easy 8.5 from home this afternoon. I felt a little lazy after all that driving this weekend and went at about an 8:15 pace. The temp was 35 with light breezes.  I need a little motivation and a long run next weekend

Outside for a windy 5 miles with jtshad at noon.  The weather was not very inviting, but at least the new snow was melted off the path.  It is forecast to improve for the rest of the week and into the 50's for the long weekend run.   We'll see......

Treadmill run this AM.  It looks like a decent day for an outside run at noon.   3 miles - 7:30, 1 mile - 6:58

Noon - Sunny and 34 F.  Nice day for an easy run in shorts.  The next few days are forecast to be much warmer.       

Finally, a beautiful day for a run - or anything else besides work.  I did not get out in the morning, but had a good run around the river at noon.  Average pace - 7:24.  I even managed a couple of 7 minute miles.

Outside for a nice 7.2 mile run at noon.  The weather is sunny, in the high 30's and light winds.   Ran the 1st mile with jtshad before he kicked in the afterburners.  My overall time was 55 minutes at a 7:37 pace

Ran a nice slow run with a coworker.   8:30-9:00 minute miles.  The best weather day yet -no wind low 40's and sunny,

Catch-up post.  Ran my 1st 20 miler with jtshad and Debra.  The day was typical of this years weather, cold, cloudy and windy with occasional episodes of sun or snow.  The run was enjoyable and I felt great for about 18 miles, but I definitely was feeling the distance at the end.  It seems that every long run is now a little easier than the previous one and having good company makes the time go by faster.  The overall time was 2:38 for a pace of  about 7:55.

Nice easy noon run around the greenbelt.  I feel good today and surprisingly have no muscle soreness from the 20 miler on Saturday.  Looks like another potentially stormy week so I need to get back to the club for morning runs.    Less than 6 weeks of training to go!

Ran 4 miles on the treadmill in the morning at a constant 7:30 pace.  Not real motivated, but it looks nice for an outside noon run. 

5 miles around the greenbelt at noon.  Ran the first half with Jeff F. who continued on down the river for a longer run.   Nice day - sun, high 30's and light wind.

Dropped my son off at soccer practice and went for a late afternoon run down the Sunnyside path.  Made a loop around the Corporate Exp bldg and came back through Waterford subdivision for a 5.5 mile run.  The temp was about 40 with stiff winds. 

Greenbelt run at noon.  It is a decent day and is supposed to get very good this weekend.  I am planning a long run tomorrow morning, possibly with Jeff F.  I have a slight cold and so have been going a little easier this week.  Pace - 8:00

Catch-up post

Ran 13.5 from home at an average 8:20 pace.  Temp in the high 30's with a north wind.  Still fighting a cold which is keeping the pace down, but felt good during the run. 

Ran up through Comore Loma in the late afternoon.. What a day!  65 sunny degrees with no wind.  Pace - 8:00 

5 miles on the greenbelt at noon.  Warm but windy day made for an inconsistent pace.  Still not feeling quite right. 

a shaky 4.2 mile TM run in the morning.  Then out to the desert for the day so no noon running.  I've been down with a cold this week and have run very little the last few days.  I guess it is better to get sick now and get it done so I can recover for the marathon.  

River run at noon for 6.1 miles.  I am still fighting a sore throat and stuffy head, but physically feel fine.  I made better time than expected -so I must be beating this crud.   I hope to get a long one in tomorrow before the weather turns bad.

Whatever bug I've had  went on the assault so last weekend was not good for running.  I am now on antibiotics and hope for the best.  Ran an easy 4.5 on the TM in the morning and a faster 4.6 outside on a windy cold day at noon.  

I was late to the gym this morning and only had time for 3.6 miles, but at least I went.  Since there are no street lights where I live. it needs to get light just a little earlier and I can run outside from home.  I will not miss the treadmill!

Ran 6.1 miles outside an noon on a nice, but windy day.  I am feeling more human now and ran at a better pace.  The overall run was at a 7:22 and the last 2.5 miles were at a 7:07 pace.

I was heading for the gym late again this morning and noticed that it was light enough to run outside so I bagged the club and ran 5.1 miles from home.  It was nice with about 40 f temp and no wind.  A storm is coming in and as I was heading home the wind started to pick up a little.  The timing was perfect - when I got home the wind really started blowing.

Ran the river to Pancheri at noon.  It is a nasty day outside with very gusty wind, clouds,  and about 39 degrees.  I really got to enjoy the full effect of the wind since my running pants and sunglasses were left at home.  I need to take a long run this weekend and, if the forecasts hold (always accurate around here!), we should have some nice running weather.  Average pace - 7:42

Went for a long run from home today.  The run out was not great since our spring winds were in full force and in my face for 8 miles.  Things were much better on the loop back home with the exception of an overprotective farm dog  Temperature was in the low 40s with mostly cloudy skies and one brief snow storm.  Average pace - 8:02

Nice slow morning run through Comore Loma.  The temperature was mid 30's with no wind. Going up that steep hill always kills my pace.  Pace - 8:22 

Out at noon for a beautiful run around the river. It was 65 with light winds and more people than I have seen on the path since last summer.   I did not take the GPS which gave me an excuse to go slow and enjoy the day!

Early morning - It was supposed to be windy this AM so I was not very excited to go out.  I grogily looked out the window and was pleasantly surprised to see a perfect morning.: 41 f and no wind.   Ran the York-Township loop.  Pace - 8:01 

Outside on a nice day for 6 miles around the greenbelt.  Ran the 1st 4.25  miles with jtshad and then slowed down a little.  Our good weather is about to end for a while so it may be back to the TM tomorrow.  Temp - 66 f  and breezy.  Pace - 7:14

Ran an easy 6 miles around the greenbelt on a cool windy day.  I saw several families of new goslings on the river bank for the first time this year and a huge tent is going up for the Cinco De Mayo celebration.  This all sems strangely early since there is still a 2 foot snowdrift on the north side of my office building....  Stopped in Freeman park for sit-ups and push-ups at the end of the run.  Temp - 39 f.  No GPS today.

AM - the two inches of new snow combined with the wind convinced me that it would be a nice morning to run inside on the TM.   Ran 4.1 miles.  Pace 1 - 8:00, 2 - 7:30, 3&4 - 6:58.

Noon - Outside for a 5 miler around the thawing greenbelt.  Temp - 38 with variable wind.  Pace - 7:42

No morning run today.  I was sleeping well and justified myself  that extra rest was more important.    

Noon run around the greenbelt on a very nice day.  Started out with jtshad and ran a 7:00 minute mile before he went ahead for some more serious speedwork.  Since 7 minutes/mile outside (vice a treadmill) has always been my definition of terminal velocity, I decided to hold on to the pace a while and see how long it would last.  Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad and I held on to run 10K in 43:28.   This is a significant improvement over my current 10K race time from last fall.  Makes me want to run another 10K just to see if it was a fluke.   Pace - 7:01   Temp - 44, light wind. 

Catch up Post  Ran up the backside of Sunnyside hill and then down the front to Ammon road and home (6 - 7 miles of downhill).  Beautiful morning with light breezes and about 40 F.  I am guessing on my time since I had no watch or GPS.  My sore calves are telling me to run a little more downhill before the marathon!

Too many meetings today!  Had to make time for a short run around the greenbelt. Beautiful warm day with no wind.  My calves are still hurting from Saturday, but feel better after the run.  Pace - 7:54

AM - Nice slow morning run.  Light breezes and low 40's.  Ran to Cotton Road and back for a total of 4.8 miles.   Pace - 8:30.

Noon - Made a loop around the greenbelt for a total 5 mile run.  Planned for (and achieved!) a slow easy run and did not take the GPS.   My legs are still a little stiff from the downhill last weekend.  I probably should have done a few more training downhills since Ogden is a lot of downhill!  With a little over a week to go paranoia is setting in - everyone around me seems to have a cold right now and I am washing my hands like a fanatic. 

Temp - 49,  Windy.

No morning run today. 

Greenbelt run at noon.  Did progressives from 8:00  up to a 7:10 pace.  Added a loop around the SUB at University place to get the extra quarter mile.  My legs are finally recovered from the hill, may try it again tomorrow with jtshad.  Average pace - 7:24   Temp 51 and windy.

Ran up the backside and down Sunnyside hill to home with  jtshad.  The wind was blowing hard with temps in the high 40's.  It's a steep hill, particularly toward the top. I was slow going up into the wind (about 9:20 pace for 1.5 miles) but made decent times coming down: 6:36, 6:25, 6:36, 6:51, 6:55, 7:14(end of downhill), 7:41, 7:55, 8:30 (.5 mile includes uphill to home).   Jtshad cruised ahead (way ahead) a couple of times and then returned to finish with me.  The legs feel much better than after last weeks downhill run.  Average pace - 7:28.

Easy morning run from home.  Not very nice out.  Wet roads from last nights rain and cool with a good breeze. Ran to the hill above Cotton rd. and back.  The GPS batteries died but I guess about an 8:10 pace.

Noon.  At jtshads suggestion, I ran 3 fast loops around Freeman park for a last tempo run.  I guess the pace to be about 7:00.  Temp - 43 with light winds .

Easy run arount the greenbelt at noon.  Ran partway with  a coworker who is just getting into running and turned back after 1.5 miles.  Beautiful day with 50 f and light breeze.  Not much left to do now but hope I stay healthy for the next 4 days!  My daughter came down with the  flu yesterday....

I took a real easy 4.5 miler around the greenbelt at noon.  Very nice out with a light north wind.  It's hard to believe that this is my last run before the marathon.  I don't feel particularly ready to run it, but suppose I would never feel totally prepared for a marathon.  I am looking forward to the experience and hope to beat my original goal of 3:40 by 10 minutes. 

OK - I am going to write this up a third time and hopefully save it this time! 

Well, I finished the Ogden marathon and it was a very cool experience.   As an aging beginner, I had no idea how this would go. Most of the insight for my training came from Jeff (jtshad) and reading runner experiences on the fastrunning blogs.  My original goal was to finish in 3:40, so I was pleased with a 3:32. 

The day before the marathon was typical for us (though it would  be a very unpleasant day for wiser people who have no children and avoid their relatives). Between work issues and a very sick teenager we were quite late getting on the road, I was not sure we could even go.  My wife was still undecided about leaving a sick kid as we drove away.  Apparently, she made the right decision because as soon as parental oversight was gone my kid made a miraculous, though temporary, recovery and went out with friends that evening. 

We arrived at the expo shortly before it ended and then went on to our hotel in Layton.  My aunt, who is in her 70’s, joined us for a late dinner at Chili’s and headed home sometime after 11:00.  I lose track of time here, but my aunt got lost trying to get to the freeway (a couple of blocks away) and drove all over Layton and Ogden before ending up back at Chili’s in a total state of melt-down.  The waitress called us at the hotel for help and I found myself leading her to the freeway at midnight.  After getting a call that she made it home, I actually went to bed around 1AM with a spinning head.  When the alarm went off at 3:45, I was not a particularly motivated runner.

I met up with Jeff at the busses and met several of the talented runners in the blue team jackets before the start.  The morning was in the 40’s with light breezes- very nice for running.  I started at the 8:00 pace sign and had the following times:

1) 8:34 Very hard to get around slower runners, but I wanted a slow start.  

2) 7:55 Still passing a lot of slower folks.  Maybe I should have gone to the 7:00 pace line.

3) 7:40 Finally started breaking out of the crowd.  My stomach, which had been bothering me for days, started to feel wrong.

4) 7:44

5) 8:22 I began to get cramps and made a quick stop at a porta john.

6) 7:39 Now a little behind my pace (In a fit of optimism, I had made a 3:29 paceband), I picked it up just a bit.

7) 7:39

8) 7:51 Back on pace and enjoying the scenery.

9) 7:59

10) 8:07

11) 8:00  I believe this is where the bonehead towing a boat plowed right up the lane we were all running in forcing everyone out of his way.  The other lane was open and clear. I guess he didn’t notice us.

12) 8:03 Started chatting with a fellow that was running his 55^th marathon.  He explained that in all those marathons, there had only been a few times he did not “hit the wall.”  He also noted that if he made it past mile 20 before this situation occurred; the end result was much better. If he had realized what a simple and gullible mind he was dealing with, I am sure he would not have given out this tidbit.  But of course, I begin to obsess over hitting the wall and wondering what mile it will get me.  

13) 8:06  The cramping, which had never gone away, gets worse.

14) 12:03 OK this is it! I got to the starting point for the half marathon and dove into one of the porta johns.  I was in there way too long which drove me crazy.  At least the live music was nice - too bad I could only hear them.  Was that Marshall Tucker?

15) 8:27 Moving kind of slow and then headed up the hill.  Passed the 55 marathon man but just said good luck and moved on.  No wall yet buddy.

16) 7:59 Actually feeling better now, I started recognizing runners that I passed earlier – the girls in the sisters shirts, the guy with a balloon and a guy doing a walk/run technique that seemed to work really well.  I checked the pace band and noted that I was 6 minutes behind.

17) 7:59

18) 7:40 At about 18.5 miles, I realized that I felt pretty good, was not drastically tired and had not hit any walls. Decided to try making up a couple of the lost minutes on the downhill through this nice canyon.

19) 7:33

20) 7:56

21) 7:53

22) 7:31

23) 6:52 This part is steep and pretty.  I was surprised to go sub 7.  Stopped taking water.

24) 7:37 Went on to the river walk and began to dodge walkers.  Starting to feel tired.

25) 7:59 Began to really feel the miles and general fatigue and wondered why I was doing this. 

26) 7:44 At a little before mile 26, I was beat and desperately looking down the road for the finish banner but could not see it.  Oh yeah – marathons are 26.2 miles.  This was not a happy revelation.

.2)  Time unknown   I Finally could see the banner and forced myself on.  I was rejuvenated when I saw Jeff (Clydesdale running) and Maria cheering me on and started searching the crowd for my wife.   Ironically, my family was standing right next to the finish line, but must have been distracted for a moment and missed my arrival. By the time we found each other they thought I had been hauled to the hospital.  

As soon as I sat down in the park, my legs turned to stone.  This proved to be a problem when I had to live up to an earlier promise to run with my 8 yr old in the kids k race.  Trying to keep my son in sight, I soon realized I was running like Jerry Lewis in a bad movie.  I gave up and walked.  

It is now several days later and my legs feel fine.  I am emphasizing the good parts over the painful ones and feel some frustration that I could have qualified for Boston if I had finished 90 seconds sooner.  I think I might have to run another one.

My first run since Ogden.  The legs are basically recovered but still a little stiff and my big toe looks pretty bad.  Overall feel very good.

Ran the greenbelt on a calm, beautiful day.  temp - 77

I have not been getting out much lately - my kids keep bringing home germs that we all seem to get sick with.

Greenbelt run today at noon.  It felt really good to get out running again  54 f and breezy.  Pace - 7:32

Catch up post.   Ran in Riverside, CA

Catch up - Ran on the Beach in San Clemente,  Awesome place to run.

San Clemente Beach run.  Another great day.

Catch-up post Ran 4.5 miles in  Riverside, CA.  Very warm day.

Short run at noon between meetings.  Made laps around Freeman Park.  Cloudy and 60 f with breezes.

Ran around the greenbelt at a moderate pace on a very windy day.  Hopefully the weather curse we have been enduring will end soon.  

Noon run around the greenbelt with an extra loop around Freeman park.  Breezy and cool (again) but overall a nice run.   

Greenbelt run at noon

Beautiful day.  Maybe summer will come!  4.5 miles arount the river at noon.

Another fantastic day.  They have been so rare this year, it's shocking to get a series of them,.  6 miles on the river at noon.  Average pace 7:30, Temp - 72, no wind. 

Still being a slacker.  My running mileage has fallen off and I have gained 9 lbs in a little over a month - I still eat like I run more.  I am going to have to get serious about another marathon to get motivated..  4.5 miles at noon.  73 f and light  winds. 

Ran the greenbelt on a perfect day.  The temp was about 71 with a light breeze coming off the river to keep you cool.  I wish every day was like this - but then 30 million people would live here!  pace - 7:40 

5 miles around the greenbelt at noon at about an 8 minute pace.  The warm weather and lack of wind is great, but also a little stifling. 

Warm greenbelt run at noon.  Ran a couple of miles with jtshad.  Slowed down as the heat got to me.

5 miles on Wildhorse Island.

5 miles on Wildhorse Island

Short run through Elmo with my son.

Back to work and the greenbelt.  5 easy miles at noon.

7 mile run on the greenbellt with jtshad at noon.  Perfect running weather today with 70 f , light breezes and good company.    

Another great day.  5 miles around the river at about 7:50 pace.

Greenbelt run at noon.  Temp - 73, no wind, and sunny.  Summers are too short...  Pace - 7:40

Easy 4.5 miles around on a windy day at the the greenbelt.  It was a somber day on the river, the Sheriff's dept. and search and rescue were all along the banks along with boats and a helicopter looking for a man the went missing in the river over the weekend.  Pace - 8:00 

Finally drug my lazy self out for a nice morning run up the hill and around Comore Loma.  I took a new route through the Falcon Ridge development which is just roads at this point.  Not sure on the distance, but I was running pretty slow and it took over 33 minutes, so I am guessing about 4 miles.

Noon 6.2 miles around the greenbelt.  Decent pace, but not fast 

Morning run up the hill on Crowley Road.  I have never run to the end before ( about 4.5 miles from home) and was surprised to find that, once you hit the hill,  it is ALL uphill.  The run back was much better.  Nice morning, could have used some wind to cool off!

4.5 mile run around the greenbelt on a perfect day.

Noon run on the greenbelt.  Started out too fast and ran out of steam at 4 miles. Ran back much slower.  Nice day 81 F and no wind.

Another summer day on the river.  Ran with jtshad for 1.5 before he went ahead.  Great day 79 and sunny, but felt warmer.

Ran around the river at noon,     Dodging kids at the annual youth jam along the greenbelt.  Score.. Kids 2, Me 0.  79 f and no wind.

A little cooler today with a light wind that felt good to run in.  Ran the 5 mile greenbelt loop and included sit ups/push ups on the grass.  time - 37:31.  Almost fast miles, maybe later in the week... 

Noon run down around the Snake River landing.  Another fine running day with temps in the low 70's and a light breeze. 

Greenbelt run at noon.  Easy pace about 8:00 min/mile.

Catch up post.  Took a nice 4+ mile morning run in Moscow while dropping off my daughter at college.  Very warm, but the low elevation (2500ft.) made it seem easier to run.

Noon on the river on another fine summer day.  82 f and no wind. 

6.5 mile run at noon on a breezy day.  I stopped under a tree for a few sit-ups/push-ups just as the sprinklers came on.  The cool water was refreshing, but not great for sit-ups.  I took it as  a sign that running was good enough today and headed back.

Breezy again today.  Ran around the snake river landing and let the wind push me back. 

Easy run on a cooler, windy day.  Ran a figure 8 around Freeman, accross the railroad bridge and around the old dog pound.  No sprinklers today, so I did push-ups/sit-ups.

Catch up - Quick run around the greenbelt before heading out on the desert.

5.2 miles around the river on a cool windy day.

A little less wind than yesterday.  Nice running temperature

6 miles at noon with jtshad and Pat.  Great day with light winds and 66 F.  Pace - about 7:30

Morning run in the foothills.  Cool and light breezes.  

A little unmotivated today.  Ran 5 miles at a fairly slow pace.  Nice day with cool etmps and light breezes. 

6 mile noon run around the river to Pancheri rd.  Nice day with cool temps and no wind. 

Easy run at noon with Bill H.  Overcast and 56 f with no wind.

Greenbelt run at noon. 

Another fantastic day for running.  Ran across the railroad bridge and down Lindsay Blvd (including a loop through the RV park) to the hotels.  Looped the greenbelt and came back on the river.  Took an easy pace to start out the week   

Ran the greenbelt on a beautiful day at noon.  Ran the first mile with a new coworker then picked it up a little for the rest of the run. 

Greenbelt run on a breezy day.  Ran at about 8:15 pace with a coworker. 

Nice 7 mile run around the river at noon.  Ran the first four with jtshad, then took a bathroom break while Jeff went on.  Temp -56 and breezy 

Ran a 5K course marked off in Freeman park for a high school meet last week.  Ran it at an average pace with jtshad (very slow for him) to figure out the course markings and then ran it alone a second time a little faster.  Jeff went his normal fast pace and was just a smoke trail.

The course is fun, almost entirely on grass with a lot of twists and small hills.  My time on the second run was 22:51.  Now I have a time to beat before the markings fade away. 

Another beautiful day, possibly the last one for a while if the forecasts hold true.  Ran the standard geenbelt loop at an average pace and then picked it up for the last mile.  This weather is spoiling me, a mild winter is in order this year.

Catch up post.  Ran a mile around Freeman and then tried the 5K course again with confidence that I would make much better time than Tuesday.  I am now convinced that my body only has one speed no matter how much energy I exhert.  I thought I was hitting it hard and felt exhausted at the end.  MY time?  22:47 -  A measly 4 seconds faster than the last time I ran it at what I thought was an easy pace. At least it was a little faster. 

Ran to Pancheri on another nice day.  Easy pace and 72 f.

Catch up post - Felt like a Monday, I ran slow and easy around the greenbelt on a cool, windy day..   

A liitle more motivated today, probably from reading Jeffs race report.  Tried to pick it up and run under 7:30 pace, though I have no proof other than it seemed faster than normal.  I need a higher gear. 

Out at noon for a good run on another nice day.   Since discovering (actually I knew) that I have pathetic speed capability, I am trying to add some short speed runs (fartleks?) to my normal run.  I am probably not going any faster, but try to look like I am.  Temp - 64, no wind

Ran with a coworker down to Broadway at an easy pace.  I picked it up a little coming back and made an extra loop around Freeman Park   Too nice of a day - I really did not want to go back to work...

Made the greenbelt loop to Pancheri.  Ran 1 mile with Jeff (jtshad)and Jeff (Clydesdale Running), then another 4 with Jeff and the last mile without a Jeff.  Great day and Jeff(s)  are always good company. 

Ran the 5K cross country course at noon with JD at a very easy pace.  The markings have been fading and I lost the course a couple of times.  Guess I'll have to wait until next year to beat my course time.  I had been hoping that it would fade out....  

Ran down to Pancheri on another beautiful fall day.  Ran with jtshad to Broadway where he turned back as part of his marathon taper.  Ran about a 7:30 pace.

Out for a cool windy run around the river.  I did not get any runs the last several days and now the weather is supposed to turn bad - possible snow.  Gotta love Idaho!  Might have to check out the new treadmills at the club

Took a cool and windy 6 mile run down to Pancheri at noon.  The dropping temperature is chasing a lot of runners off and I had the greenbelt mostly to myself.  It is supposed to snow some over the next couple of days which is always interesting to run in.   Temp - 42

Catch- up post.  Easy noon river run.  Temp 42f

Ran greenbelt with Clydesdale Running on a cool day.  Nice run at about 7:42 pace, the breeze actually felt good after a few miles.   Temp - 39.  The weather is supposed to get nice again over the next several days. 

Catch up.  Noon around greenbelt.  Ran with jtshad until I had to make a pit stop. 

Ran the r.r. bridge and through the campground then across Broadway and an extra loop around the Northwind bldg.  Great day- wanted to keep going but back to work!  Temp - 55,  no wind

Greenbelt run at noon on a nice, cloudy day.  I felt like I was moving kind of slow but made an ok time.  Temp -54, light breeze. 

Ran on the desert at noon

Greenbelt run at noon with a coworker.

Great day for this time of year and the turnout was good.   Ran with my sons for about 3 of the miles so there were several walk breaks.   

Went for a greenbelt run at noon with jtshad, Ali, and John.  Nice run with great company though the weather was somewhat cool and grey.

Catch up post.  Noon run on a nice day.

Cooler with light rain.  Ran with coworker for a couple of miles and then picked it up for the loop around Panchary.  I am finally starting to get my legs back after slacking off in November.

Catch-up post.  Out on the desert today. Ran the trails following the fenceline and back on the gravelled road.  Good weather for running.

Greenbelt run with Bill H on a cool day with an annoying north wind.  Bill was in shorts and a t-shirt but did not appear to be affected the wind.   I used to be like that but am getting wimpier in my old age.... 

Catch-up   Ran the greenbelt after a light snow.

catch up  post

Catch up post.  Ran on the desert on a very nice, but cool day

Catch up post.  Greenbelt run on another nice, cool (23 f) day.

Ran the greenbelt at noon with jtshad on a cold and snowy day.  At least it wasn't windy and good company makes the weather less daunting. 

Back to running after a near 2 week break.  No (good) excuses other than a sore back.   Nice 40 f. day but messy out with all the melting snow.  Drove to the greenbelt since there were not any paths cleared and ran 5 miles with jtshad.  

Ran the greenbelt at noon with jtshad.  It would have been better if we had worn iceskates since yesterdays thaw turned the path into many sections of sheet ice.  Still a good run, I managed to stay upright, and the weather was decent.

Catch-up   Ran 4 miles on the treadmill at the eastside health club