faster with age

I did a 9 mile run. The first halfpace was 8:27. Second half pace at 7:29. I was going to do a Pm 4 mile run but ended up working til after dark on a pipeline to replace our irrigation ditches. A lot of kneeling and up and down that my knees and legs aren't used to left my knees a little sore. With this hot weather we have got to get it finished quickly. I may have more days like that this week. didn't even get time to blog.

I did a mt. bike ride this morning. It was a very nice morning. Calm with temps in the 40s to start which felt good after being out in the sun all day yesterday. I went for 20 miles on dirt roads in 1:23. After I got back and got my son on the school bus I ran for 5 miles at an easy 9 min. plus pace.

PM  Did three more easy miles.

This morning it was 41 deg. with a light rain. I got 100 yards from home and realized I had misjudged the amount of both wind and rain and decided shorts weren't going to cut it. Went back for some long pants which was a good thing because the rain got a lot worse. I felt a little beat this morning, legs felt heavy. Some of it may have been the soaking wet running shoes or the 5 lb soaked sweat shirt, my shortage on sleep this week, or all of the above. I went 9 miles at an easy pace.

PM   Easy 4 mile run.

This morning it was in the 30s with a very strong north wind. I went on a 24 mile mt. bike ride. My first 5 miles were into the wind which was very slow going. I had to use a gear usually reserved for steep hills most of the way. It was fun cruising with the wind at my back those last miles. I didn't get into much rain but I hope it rains the rest of the day. We sure could use it. Total time 1:44

I had to travel down to salt lakeearly this morning and was there for the day. I ran 4.3 miles and felt a bit sluggish. It might have had something to do with the 3 1/2 hours of sleep I got last night. Overall pace 9:11

I hadn't planned on running this race until thursday when I realized I would be in salt lake friday. My wife and I decided instead of going home friday night that we'd stay the night at my parents house in sandy and hit the race in the morning.

I just ran my PR in the 5K last week in Ogden and I had heard this was a fast course so I thought maybe I could PR again. The first mile is a good downhill. The first 2/3 of the second mile is still down but not quite as much. Then you have a gradual 1 mile climb followed by a quick 200 meter downhill Then about 1/4 mi. flat to the finish. The first mile is the fast one and I did it in 5:35 The second mile I did in 5:58 I never got passed after the first 1/2 mile but I passed a few during this mostly uphill third mile and finished it in 6:06. My garmin had the race at 3.13 so my last .13 was 36 seconds [4:46 pace according to my garmin.] My official time was 18:18 but it was not chip timed and I started about a second back at the start line and they round up the finish time. My watch had 18:16. Last weeks time was 18:59 for a 41 second  PR. I beat last weeks PR by 43 seconds today but it is definatly a faster course. I was 2nd in my age group.

2 mi. warmup before race. 1/2 cooldown after. and 5.7  after I got home.