Relentless

AM - 8.5 Twix/Sunrise. Took the dog on the old route. Not letting her off the leash for a very long time. (Riders 96.75)

7 - Bluff View/Sunrise. Slept in a little this morning. Was pretty tired (and uninspired) from the meet last night. Apparently so was a lot of the team, as most didn't make it to morning practice. (Peg 306)

morning - 11 Prospector. Slept in a lot and got out later in the morning. Achilles were so so - not as great as earlier in the week, but better throughout this week. Enjoyed the trail and the sun. No organized practice today. I think we all needed a break. Those that really care will get their long run in like they are supposed to. (VertK 429.5)

morning - 19.5 DC/Little Valley. Could haven sed more sleep (this break is hitting right when I needed it - too bad it's the last one of the year). But got up (around 7:30) and met Logan at the DC. He was thinking of a loop that was 15-16. What a liar! It was really good to run with him and my achilles (mostly just the right now) felt about like yesterday - okay, but could be better. The last few miles I was tired, but the last mile I started to feel really sick. I think I was just totally bonked out. Sick to my stomach and dehydrated. (Riders 116.25)

Both achilles saw improvement this week.

Goals for next week: continued improvement. Maybe two doubles would be nice. Earlier in the year I wanted a state q in the 1600 at the Panther Relays. Well, that is Tuesday, and that is not happening! A sub 5:00 would be nice.

morning - 8 track. Ran 2x1600 with the girls at just over six mins. Then we switched upto 1000's and two. More of those because they all seemed kinda flat this morning. Long weekend and Easter candy will do that to you. (Kinvara blue 228.25)

afternoon - 7 highland trail. After a long day of yard work, I went up to the trail on top of Highland and did a loop. Will miss the days off. Big push until the end of the year now. (Riders 123.25)

AM - 6.5 Twix/Sunrise. Took the dog a bit and then over to practice. Cooled off this week. (Riders 129.75)

afternoon - 4

Panther Relays 1600. 4:53

Was able to warm up a little in between timing the kids in all their races. I really wasn't looking forward to this race. It is just for fun, but earlier this year I had set some high goals; however, because of my bum achilles and coaching constraints, I hadn't been able to train like I had hoped. It was also super windy, so a sub 5 was the new goal. Went out in 1:15 behind Greg, Logan and one of his 8th graders. The second lap, I just kept chilling with a 1:16. I wasn't really into race gear. Third lap was another 1:16 and Logan pulled away from me by about 20 meters (I had passed the others going into the 2nd lap). In my mind I decided to give a push and see what happened on the final lap. It was a fun environment - all the kids were cheering and yelling for their coach and such. I started closing pretty quick on Logan onto the backstretch and I felt pretty confident I had him. He must have figured I was coming and he worked at 200 out. But I kept closing and ent ring the home stretch I knew I had him. I pulled even at 50 and the crowd was really rocking - kids were lining the inside and lane 3-4 of the track. I got a step up on him at about 20... Then like a monster Logan fought back and pulled so close to even (trying to stick his arm out to pass me at the line! That's track inexperience there!). We seriously were super close, but I would have to say I got him by probably .1 or so! The one good thing about it was that I closed in about a 66 or 67 off of no training. But my chest felt like it. I totally had (still have) the runners hack. Cooled for a little with Rylee at the end of the meet. (Mana 731.25)(didn't dare wear spikes with how bad my legs have been hurting)

AM - 7 Twix/Sunrise. Getting closer to waking up at the old usual time. I'll get back there eventually. (Peg 313)

afternoon - 8 Green Springs/Nissons. Up to the top of GS with the boys and then into Washington. Did 3x2/1/30 fartlek. I didn't have a lot of zest after yesterday's run, but it was good to try and push with the guys. Hopefully I can get out with them a little more now as I have basically decided that if the dang sprinters and such don't care to put in effort at track, I am not going to waste my time with them. Maybe an administrator will care enough to hire an actual sprint coach instead of the kind of show up once in awhile patchwork of coaches we got going now. (Kinvara white 403.75)

AM - 8 Twix/Sunrise. Still cool out in the mornings (like 40 today). I'll take it. (Riders 137.75)

afternoon - 6 Shoe. One of the most fun runs I have had in awhile. Sometimes I get frustrated with em, but I really do get to work with a great group of kids. Boys worked on handoffs while the girls and I worked through this week's race assignments. Then the guys and I went on the usual pre-race shoe run. We found a mine raft sword to drop at the Ell's, but that was only the beginning. The city was working on the trail and some bozo made get off the trail. So instead of turning back, we got into the river and started running up it when I found a dead beaver! It was truly cool. I thought it was a log at first then I noticed its tail and we all viewed for awhile until Nick grabbed its tail. It would have been the greatest Ell's drop ever, but no one dared drag it out of the river and up the hill. (Kinvara green 324.75)

AM - 4 Sunrise.  Somehow my alarm didn't go off this morning and I woke up just in time to get to practice.  It was really wierd I checked and rechecked it and it was totally set correctly.  Hmmm?  (Riders 141.75)

AM - 14 Sullivan.  Went and ran my tempo (attempt) early this morning before the meet.  Times weren't great, but I made it through and that was good.  Added a little with the dog before I had to leave.  A couple miles were sub 6 and the othere were just above or right at 6:00.  The hill was where I felt the lack of tempo the most.  Suprisingly, the last mile of the 6 tempo (with 2 progression before) was the best at 5:49.  (Adios 323.75)

My best week in awhile.  Got some doubles and workouts in; both achilles showed some progress.

Goals for next week: will be a bit busier again.  Try and use the time to keep the achilles going in the right direction.

AM - 9 Twix/Sunrise.  Got up and put in some miles with the dog.  Then over to practice.  Left achilles had basically no pain at all.  Right was also surprisingly okay.  Just a little residual pain throughout.  (Riders 150.75)

afternoon - 4.5 track.  Just ran around the track during practice.  (Kinvara lime 605)

AM - 9 Twix/Sunrise.  Another decent morning run.  It is all based upon how the achilles feel right now.  (Peg 322)

afternoon - 5 track.  Wasn't planning on running this afternoon, but the JV meet at Hurricane got cancelled because of very wretched wind.  So I just ran around the track as the team did their workouts.  (Peg 327)

AM - 10 Twix/track.  Got up just a little earlier with the dog because practice was a little earlier.  Got over there for the workout and ran Hart's and then the track.  It was still pretty windy this morning and a bit cool.  (Riders 160.75)

AM - 8.5 Twix/Sunrise.  Ran reverse with the dog to mix it up a little.  Still cool this morning.  A touch more tightness in the achilles the last day or two.  (Peg 335.5)

AM - 6 Twix/Sunrise. Let myself sleep in 20 mins and just took the dog a couple before practice. (Riders 166.75)

AM - 14 Sullivan. Hit them tempo before the meet like last week. Did a little better even though both achilles, especially the right, and I felt way flat. Didn't push much on the progression because I felt blah, so the first mile was slow at 6:02. Most of that was in the first half into Hells Hole. I didn't bring a light and I didn't want to die so I just chilled and came onto the loop section at just under a half in 6:30, so 2nd half was good. Then 5:52, 6:09, 6:02, 5:52, 5:47. The uphill really slowed me again. I was well under 6 on the first half of 3 and 2nd half of 4, the Dam Hill is really getting me right now. Sad that I am happy about sub 6:00's, but it's improving. (Adios 337.75)

Achilles didn't improve this week... Bummer.

Goals for next week: maybe back it off a little so that they can feel a little better. Wish I was in shape to, and had the time to, run the Southern Utah Half. Maybe next year I'll be there physically. Then I can make an assistant take the team and I'll run my race (if I have an asst.)

Nothing - sickness has hit the Holt household big time!  Happy b-day to my amazing Rylee.

Nothing today either.  I did eat a bowl of icecream for dinner - first food in two days!

AM - 4 Sunrise.  4 difficult and stomach wrenching miles.  Ate some more food today.  (Riders 170.75)

AM - 6 track.  Ran up to Harts and then around the track a bunch as the team did a workout.  Felt a bit better today.  Still super drained.  (Peg 341.5)

afternoon - 4 Sandberg's.  Kind of a modified loop.  Need more sleep.  Feeling improvingly better though.  (Lyte33 207)

AM - 4 Sunrise.  Had hoped the time off and easy miles would at least help the achilles... not as much as I had hoped.  (Riders 174.75)  Big news of the day - wait for it... I did actually sign up for the SGM.  I don't know how pretty it will be.  But I want one more shot at it.  We'll see if I say that come September, or any early morning or when I am trying to run a double in the 115 degree summer.  Whatevs... it is what it is.  It also showed all 10 of my SGM's and I have an ave. of 2:35:21 - not too shabs considering my 1st marathon was a 2:55; I was sick on one and paced my bro to a 2:47; and one was my first marathon back to running 11 months after a stroke at a 2:42.  4 sub 2:30's and 3 others within 4 mins of that.  2 top 5's, 1 other top 10, 3 top 15's, and a top 20 place. I would call myself a decent mid-level runner.  Wish I could have had taken it to that next level at some time in my life, but I truly gave it all I could to get where I was; so I really don't regret anything with my running other than I wish I would have gotten to it a little bit sooner.

Nothing today. Feel better physically, but I am so tired. So I used that as an excuse to sleep a little more before the meet.

Obviously a pretty junk week.

Goals for next week: get back in some sort of groove,

AM - 9.75 Twix/AC. Got up and took the beast out and then around DI before practice (moved it back to 6:30 as we taper). Then the team got almost to Arctic Circle. I felt good. Have been massaging my right achilles which is about the most painful thing I've experienced (not really, but pretty dang bad). Hopefully it can break up some crap and generate some blood flow to heal it up. (Riders 184.5)

AM - 9.75 Twix/AC.  The same as yesterday.  Glad I am making myself get back into the morningness.  (Peg 350.25)

AM - 9.75 Twix/AC.  Reversed the morning with the dog and DI.  So that was the big craziness of the day.  (Riders 194.25)

No afternoon again today.  What a very busy week.

AM - 9.75 Twix/AC. Pretty much the usual. (Peg 361)

afternoon - 5.25 Shoe. Pre-race run. Supa hot today. (Kinvara blue 233.5)