Relentless

AM - 5 Pine Lake. Travel day, so I didn't get much in. Last run at camp. I only got in 1 mile early, then we went up a new road that turned out to be quite a tough hilly run. Ten we packed up and headed home (eventually). It was a great camp and the kids did great. I wish somehow e could convince ever kid to do this; think they would really be hooked - but 40 kids in the mountains for 4 days is a pretty big chore as it is! (Connect 598.5)

Noon - 15.5 Pine Lake. As usual, I was pretty drained by this morning, and I just couldn't get out of bed. But I finally did get going just before noon. James and I ran up on top of the mountain to the Powell Point lookout at 10100 feet. It was a lot of fun running with him and the views were some of the best on earth - absolutely amazing stuff! Then I started running down the mountain and told them to pick me up on the way down. I thought I would get around 2-3, but as I picked up the pace, the goal became to get further and further. They finally caught me with 1 to go and I just ran it in. Time for the 10k down was right at 31 minutes. With miles between 4:50-5:20. Felt good to get a decent push in. (VertK 216)

AM - 5 Pine Lake. Not a whole lot this morning. Headed out across the dam and to the south. It has been good running up here and I really enjoyed the weather. (NB 101 662.75)

Week was pretty solid. Got a long run in and a pretty good push yesterday. Also got a few more miles than I thought I would which was nice.

Goals for next week - my 1/2 plans have probably changed. I will be up north for funeral on Friday, so i am going to try and get into the Provo River. Just have a solid week of running topped with a strong effort in a half.

AM - 13.75 Dirt Miles. Ran around DogTown for a little before practice. Then we went up and did 6xDirt Miles. Good solid Tinman pace from 5:50-6:05. I had planned on a little something else with my paces, but I have a supposed assistant (not Travis - he's the best) that says he will be there and then doesn't show - it throws off my plans. So I will sneak up there tomorrow morning and do my workout. (Hyper Speed 2 326.75)

afternoon - 6 GS/AC. Decent afternoon run with weights and plyos after. (Free 809.45)

AM - 12.25 BV/15x1/1. Got out for a five miler before practice into Buena Vista and then did a 1/1 workout. It was pretty killer. Abel ran me into the ground. But it was a great workout - hit .2 each minute until I was ready to puke at the end. (Mana 465)

afternoon - 4.25 PV. Ran the course and PV and measured it with the wheel. Then ran it again. (Zero 231.75)

AM - 13.5 Clyde's. slow easy run with Logan and Bill. Then I got a bit more running the warm up with the team and setting up the course before the time trial. (Kinvara Silver 156.25)

AM - 5.5 Parkway. Just a short run in my marathon racers to get the feel since I hadn't worn them for a long time. Did 2x mile pushes just to loosen up a bit. Feel tight and achy. (Adios 72.75)

Morning - 5 sego Lily. Ran the Sego Lily loop in Sandy. Still feeling tight. Other than that I feel real good and ready to race. (Mana 470)

Provo River 1/2 Marathon. 1:13:04

I get some weird injuries (sticks through shoes into my foot, bugs denting the top of my mouth, stepping on a broken laundry basket and cutting my foot), but this may go down as the strangest. Yesterday I drove my mother in laws sporty little Volvo from Sandy to Heber for my uncle's funeral. The car was very uncomfortable and I kept complaining to my wife. She was sick of it and thought that I was just ripping on everything mother in law, but it was really setting off the tightness I already had in my legs. By the time I had driven both ways, I had somehow injured my right hammy (way up high, by the butt attachment). In fact she wanted to stop at the store and by some stuff for dinner (which would take an extra 2 minutes of driving) and I refused - I really was in serious pain. I hoped that it would be fine for the race, but it really came back to bite me.

I got to Sasha's early in the morning and got the "elite" van ride up. It was good talking with him about a lot of stuff: school, running, etc... And I am very thankful for all he did to get me into the race on short notice (I would have been racing the Beaver 1/2 if my uncle hadn't passed away). Warmed up a little - maybe needed more (but not sure if that would have helped or hurt). The race started and it was just Sasha and I. This was the smallest version of this race I had ever seen, so everything was on time and smooth! (I'll come back and put splits in later). I felt very good going down the side-canyon. But just as we joined the trail at the park, my hammy started to really hurt. The next three miles were me trying to convince myself that i was fine - but I wasn't. Sometimes the pain was so bad it would shoot into my hip and I would let out a noise. Coming to Bridal Veil, I thought I might drop out. My parents were there so I could easily jump in the car. But then I thought that the uphill section MIT help loosen me up. It actually did. But it was hard and the wind was blowing and I was going very slow. I had no power in my push off and I was pretty down about it. After the turn around I felt a bit better and thought I vp could make it to the finish. But, by the time I hit the next park my leg was screaming in pain again. I was very worried that I might do some real damage. This was the most pain - not running tired pain or racing hurting, but rather injury pain that I had ever tried to push through. I had slowed considerably and lost chance for my PR. During mike 12 I stepped different somehow and the pain nearly dropped me. I just stopped right where I was at. I was resigned that I was going to need to walk in. So I walked for around a minute. I could feel where the pain was originating (like I said, way up high in the hamstring) and I just pushed on it to try and stop the pain. I finally decided it hurt just as much to walk as run and running would get me done sooner, so I started going again. I was waiting for Sasha to pass me, but I guess I had gapped a little more than I thought. I just kind of limped it in unceremoniously and crossed the line. Got my poster, shirt and watermelon and headed out. I wasn't sure what to do about a cool down, but I tried for a step and the pain was right there, so my parents drove me to Sasha's and I just drove back to Sandy. (Adios 89.25)

So that's the story. Pretty bummed about not getting a PR. If I could have pushed out the end with how good the rest of me felt and how I felt at first even running ver controlled I think I really could have broken it - maybe flirted with breaking 1:09 today. Now I won't be able to run another 1/2 until probably st. George in Jan. hopefully the leg gets better very soon. Maybe it isn't too serious, just a short term pain. Hopefully. Shoes felt good though, and I ran great besides that. But I need a haircut. This is the longest Hair I've raced in in years and it was bad luck! Time to get rid of it.

morning - .5 PV.  Yes, a whole 1/2 mile!  Seemed like I had really worked the hammy/glute over the past 2 days and had maybe loosened it up.  Thought I would just go and warm up with the team today before their workout and if it felt okay I would cool with them too, but... Pain was intense and immediate.  (Landreth blue 989.65)

afternoon - 1 AC.  Not really Arctic Circle since I only got a mile, but that's the direction Abel and I went.  Hey, doubled this morning's workout!  (Kinvara 864.4) 

AM - 2 Dirt Mile.  Big day; doubled the miles!  At this rate, I will be running 64 milers in no time.  A small amount of progress, but at least it is progress.  (Connect 600.5)

I'll take the afternoon off since we have our first XC meet this evening up in Cedar - let the good times roll!

AM - 3 Maverick.  Pain was much less today, but there is a very noticeable weakness in the right leg.  Maybe I can turn the corner on this in the next couple days.  (F50 534.75)

AM - 4 AC.  Ran one before practice and then 3 with the team.  They went a little faster than I have been going so far this week and it was a little bit of a test of the leg.  Still very weak, some pain.  (Kinvara Lime 203.25)

AM - 5 DI/AC.  Woot! 5, eat that suckas.  About the same as yesterday - not a ton of pain, pretty weak.  (Kinvara silver 161.25)

AM - 8 Mall.  Ran from home over to the strip mall to try and have about as flat as run as possible.  Leg felt decent and held up okay over 8 miles.  It actually hurts worse when I am not running.  (F50 542.75)

Week was a bummer; but I should take something positive and say that at least I am running a bit and it is improving a little.

Goals for next week: get the leg healthy enough to actually run decent on.  I would love to get into some workouts, but I think that may be further off than I want to admit.

Ended up going in for a massage tonight.  It was one of the most painful experiences of my life.  April said that the hammy had basically flipped... who does that?  She thought she made a lot of progress on it - we'll see how much it helps.  I am going back in Wednesday evening.  I think I could have used about 5 more hours just on that spot.

AM - 4 AC.  Ran the warm up with the girls and was pretty bummed that there would be no chance I could do the workout with them.  So I left it to Travis and ran three with the boys.  Doesn't feel much different than last week.  (Mana 474)

afternoon - 4 2xDI.  Warmed and cooled with the boys around their workout.  First double on the leg and it didn't hurt worse.  (Kinvara 870.4)

AM - 3 AC.  Another short run.  I really don't know when I'll get to run hard again.  A lot of valuable workouts are passing by right now.  Time to probably reevaluate the goals...  (Landreth blue 992.65)

afternoon - 7 Fields.  Very hot run out into the Fields; kids were falling off left and right.  I felt bad, but they also need to take better care of themselves.  Finished the last mile with some of the JV girls to make sure they made it in.  (Kinvara lime 210.25)

AM - 7.5 Grass.  Ran loops around while the girls ran their workout.  I had hoped to run with them, but I didn't feel ready.  However, once we got running, I felt pretty good and decided to see how the hammy reacted at a little higher speed.  I pushed the pace down to about 6:30 for 4.5 miles on the grass and I was very happy with it.

afternoon - 6 Grass.  Ran a 1/1 workout.  Didn't plan on running it, but I just kind of got into it with some of the JV guys and kept moving along.  I actually felt pretty good (not as strong as a couple weeks ago with Abel, but good) and ran .18 each minute which is around 5:30 pace.  Ended with 8xbarefoot striders.  (Kinvara3 439)(Barefoot '13 89.5)

AM - 7.75 DogPound/AC.  A little more pain this morning.  Don't know if it is from being brutalized by the massage last night (that was one of the most painful experiences of my life) or running harder yesterday.  (Free 817.2)
afternoon - 6.75 Old Mans. Went over and ran OM hills. I just jogged it and encouraged and ran the last two with the girls. (Oregon 666.75)

AM - 3 Grass. Barefoot run with the team this morning. It felt so great to be on the soft grass. My body loved it. (Barefoot '13 92.5)

afternoon - 5 Sandberg's. Ran the normal preface run, but I wasn't able to get in the pond - had to keep going and get home, but it looked so inviting. (1026.25)

AM - 18.5 Junction/Middleton. Up super early to get the run in before heading up to SUU XC. Pretty pleased with the run. Ran Junction just normal easy pace and then added in Middleton (so I could stop if the leg hurt) at tempo. The tempo was okay. I couldn't drop it below Tinman effort - so I was right around 6:00 throughout, but considering where I've been for two weeks I'll take it - plus I took it 9 miles which is a pretty solid tempo distance. The leg has improved and really only hurts for the first few miles, but it still aches throughout and feels plenty week. (Kinvara Lime 228.75)

Much better week than I would have thought going into it.

Goals for next week: continued progress. I don't know that I'll have time to get the leg worked over again this week, so maybe I'll bump it to early next week - but I do need to get in again before too long. Would like to try to get things moving a little quicker this week.

AM - 9.5 AC/DI. I can't remember where I went first, to get.a few miles, but then I went the regular morning stuff. Felt pretty good after the longer run and tempo Saturday. (Kinvara 877.9)

afternoon - 6.5 something. Tis was just yesterday and I don't remember at all what I did. So busy right now... Ran in a new pair of Mizuno Ronin5. (Ronin 6.5)

AM - 13.5 4x1600,2x800. Workout in a torrential downpour. Ran two up GS to warm and then the 2 back at Tinman pace. It seems so long since I've tried a quicker workout, so I was worried how I would do and how the hammy would hold up. Hit the miles (on the track now, because it is too dark for the dirt mile - and too wet today) at 5:34-5:41. So consistent, but not great. Then I switched to 8's because I want to get back to 6xmiles quick and figured I should still do 6 repeats even though I was pretty tired and not running great. Cooled for three on AC with Colton. Mixed feelings with the workout - not great, a long way to go; much better than I could have asked for a week ago, a step in the right direction. I have 4 weeks to get solid workouts in and where I want. I think my hammy will let me get there - I hope. (Rocket 690.5)

afternoon - 6 DogPound AT. Ran the DogPound loop with 2.75 at AT. Had to hold back the JV boys a bit because they wanted to roll. Hopefully a good learning experience for them. Ended with 8xbarefoot striders. (Barefoot '13 93.5)(connect 605.5)

AM - 6 AC/Lutheran.  Pretty wiped out from a long evening of church meetings, so I couldn't drag myself out of bed any earlier.  I need to get over myself and just get up.  Now isn't the time to be slacking (there are always excuses).  The run was okay, but I could tell I had run hard yesterday - twice.  (Ronin 12.5)

afternoon - 11 River Trail.  Practice was later today - time trial.  So I headed down to the River Trail and got my own run in.  I was definitely fatigued and tired from yesterday (workouts and lack of sleep) and felt it at times, but other times I found myself moving along quite nicely.  (Kinvara3 450)

AM - 11 Mall/Grass/Lutheran.  Finally got out to what should be the usual.  Nice morning out.  Enjoyed the barefoot session with the team.  (Barefoot '13 96.5)(Free 825.2)

afternoon - 5 Shoe Run.  Kind of the usual prerace run.  (F50 547.75)

AM - 5 AC/DI.  Hip was really giving me trouble last night.  That plus the drive to SLC today gave me enough ammo to sleep in.  On the run, the hip didn't give me to much of an issue though.  Hammy continuing to improve.  (Ronin 18)

AM - 18 Provo. Well, the iron-gut let me down a bit today. Up super early and ran with Logan from near UVU up into Provo and a little into the canyon. Felt good at first and the run up was good although a bit warm. Logan even tied to throw me to the predators on the trail - super funny! On the way back we worked into a tempo. The first few miles were good. Logan pulled away a little, but I just kind of hanged in there. Then the hill up to University Mall really wiped me out. At the top my stomach went nuts, hips tightened up and hammy started to get worse. S I just chilled the last three in. Not really a step in a great direction. (Mana 492)

More miles this week, so that is good.

Goals for next week: get faster.