Relentless

AM - 4 Twix.

morning - 3 Mt. SAC.  Ran the course with the girls.  (Peg black 668.75)

Nothing today.  Ran a bit cheering for the kids.

afternoon - 10.25 Parkway/DM.  Warmed up for about 5 with Twix around the Parkway.  Then up to the DM for some 800's.  Basically trying to decide where to start some workouts, but decided to do some 800's at 2:45 pace (for a CV type of workout).  Might be a bit out of range for me with the shape I'm in, but whatever.  The workout was good.  Gave me a little of that hard run burn without taking it too hard.  Ended up with 4x800 (well actually 1/2 miles) at 2:45.  'Cept the last one, I wasn't really paying attention and went for 3mins.  Did them with 3 min recovery.  Good start to trying to get in some sort of shape.  (Peg blue 366.75)

AM - 6 Parkway.  Ran the Parkway in reverse.  Wasn't sore or anything, but the run seemed to take forever.  Twix was happy to get some more miles in.  (Peg 31 784.25)

AM - 4 Twix.  Dragged myself out of bed and got a few miles in.  The winters are just the worst thing in the world for me physically and mentally.  (Riders 663.25)

AM - 4 Twix.  Ran the reverse loop of yesterday.  Set a goal of getting up and being okay with going just 4 this morning and actually did it without beating myself up.  So hooray for me.  (Peg Oly 191.5)

afternoon - 10 Parkway/tempo. Did the tempo loop. Felt strong and relaxed hitting 5:56, 6:05, 6:09 and 6:12. A little tired toward the end, but kept it relaxed and just finished it up. Goal was around 6:10, so hooray for me. (Peg black 688.75)

AM - 6 Parkway. Hit the reverse direction with Twix this morning. Got my cast off my finger yesterday and so I was able to wear a glove instead of a sock. (Peg grey 182.5) 

morning - 12 Bracken's Loop. Decided some trail time would treat me best today, so Twix and I went up into the desert and had an awesome run. Bracken's isn't a very traveled trail up at the top because of the sand, but it takes you past some of the most beautiful territory and rock formations in SoUtah. Just had a very nice run. Great way to end the week. (Sense 156.25)

Week was kind of up and down. I always struggle in the winter - the cold, the dark, the end of the quarter, having no team around. All this stuff kind of bums me out a bit. So I was kinda ehh for some of the week. But also had some good runs: today and my two workouts were good. Plus I made it through the week without hardly any killer achilles pain. 

Goals for next: try and wake up a little better and have another solid tempo and CV workout. 

AM - 5 Buena Vista.  Hit the old 5 mile BV run.  It was a good run.  Twix was her usual self.  Had a great sleep last night and it was a good start to the week.

afternoon - 9.75 DM. Warmed up on the shortened Parkway for 3 and then decided - because I was feeling super crappy and hoped it would open the legs up a bit, and also because it is actually just a good way to get a workout going - to do a mile at threshold (aka Tinman tempo - 6:30). This didn't really loosen me up at all, but whatever. Hit the 1/2 miles at 2:50, :44, :45, :44, :41. Good workout. Lungs felt stronger than last week. And I felt mentally stronger too. (Peg 31 795)

AM - 6 Parkway. A bit more pain in the achilles than I've had the past few weeks. Warmed up about a mile into it, though. (Peg Oly 197.5)

afternoon - weights. First time lifting in 7 weeks (since breaking the finger). Didn't hurt too much and was able to grip the weights enough. Will probably be a bit sore tomorrow. 

AM - 4.5 Twix. Chill morning run with the dog which finished with 4xstriders. On my striders, I have been really trying to work on a solid butt-kick. I can tell my back kick is solid when I feel a little tug on my quads. I have also been trying to work on having a little spring in my step in every hill I encounter. I think these two focuses will start to bring back a little more speed and pep in my step. (Peg black 684.25)

afternoon - 7 Highland. Took Twix up onto the Highland Trail. It was a decent run, but there were too many people with there dogs off of leashes. I ran into more dogs than I usually see if people in the whole run. (VertK 613)

AM - 4 Twix. Ran the reverse direction and added Bella Vista instead of Pine Valley. The sunrise on the way to work was absolutely inspiring. (Riders 672.25)

afternoon - 9 Parkway tempo. Weights at school and then home for the run. Felt super blah and wondered how much I would get out of this. Tried to just chill and let the pace come to me. Went 5:55, :46, :56 and 6:11. Thug actually went pretty good. Changed the third mile to go across 300N to 300W instead of just down Main and Telegraph to avoid traffic. Maybe a little harder, but actually ran it pretty well. Briefly considered going into a 5th mile, but the 4th was pretty tough, and I decided until I can bring it down to not force another. Cooled for about 1.75 up into the DM. (Peg grey 191.5)

afternoon - 9 Sullivan. After a long day of grading and getting ripped off by the door decorating officials at school, Twix and I looped down onto the river trail. It was a pretty good run with a beautiful sunset. (Pace 371.25)

morning - 7 ND. Slept in and eventually got out with Twix. Wasn't too stoked to run today, so any run was a win. Pretty cold out and I was dressed for the chill. Also Twix decided to take off like an idiot when I let her off her leash. But I like running up there and making some trails. I my dream life, it would've made into a desert park and an XC course would be made there. (Peg blue 373.75)

Week was pretty good. A few more miles and decent workouts. 

Goals for next week: need to make sure I get up and run because if I sleep in too much, I don't want to really go. 

afternoon - 7.5 DogTown/AC.  No run this morning.  Got a head cold over the weekend and it is beating me up.  First day back for practice this afternoon.  Trev and Mike showed up, so it was fun catching up with them.  Ran into Washington for 30 and then we extended around the AC and such.  Pace was actually pretty solid throughout.  (Peg Oly 205)

AM - 4 Twix. A bit with the dog. (Riders 676.25)

afternoon - 7.5 PVMS. Over to the MS with the team and some grass running. Ended with some striders. Then finished up with DI with Mike. (Pace 378.75)

morning - 4.75 Runway. Ran out on the runway and looped it to King's Row with Ry and Twix. Achilles hurting a bit. (Peg blue 378.5)

planned on running a tempo with Mike and Trevor,but I stepped on a nail while helping James move some stuff today and that kinda took me out of it. On he plus side, I just had a tetanus shot with my finger, so I didn't need another one.  

morning - 9.5 DogTown/Parkway. Ran around town with Ry and the dog. Then went to try and do sort of tempo. Felt okay at first, but looking back I could tell I was off (still sickish, tired, leg hurting, little motivation, soaked and cold).  First mile was 6:00 and then a bit better for 2 at 5:50. Instead of just going the normal four, I wanted to start working on more and thought 2x3 would be a good way to stretch myself. So because of the rain, I decided to stay off the DM and try to loops of the 3. This meant a super hard mile 3 and I was sucking big time. Only hit 6:30, so I just cut it and called it life. One good thing, my toe didn't hurt. (Peg grey 201)

morning - 5 Parkway. Hit the reverse route with Ry (and Twix, of course). Just a decent run with the dog being a pain as usual. A little drizzly. (Peg black 688.25)

morning - 5 Twix. Ry and I finished off the week with an extended Twix route. Raining solid throughout the whole run again. We threw in 3x3min tempo fartlek. Ave pace was 7:50 and Ry is handling these quicker runs easy. I think I'll chat with Vis and see what he thinks about having the V girls work their ave E run to that 8:10-:15 area. Achilles still hurting pretty bad. (Peg 31 799)

Week wasn't great (sick, slow, achilles) but it has been fun running with Ry. 

Goals for next week: just try and get back on track a bit. 

morning - 5 Bonneville Shoreline. I thought Ry would enjoy some awesome snow trail running... I was wrong. Snow was pretty deep and she was worried about falling the whole time. The snow was deep and it was cold, but it was so pretty. There's this new (to me) awesome suspension bridge. Was really bummed that the phone froze up and I couldn't take pices - should have taken the GoPro. Twix, of course, loved the snow. (VertK 618)

morning - 4.5 Sego Lily. Just kind of an easy run with Ry and the dog. Very cold, below 10. (Peg blue 383)

morning - 7 Sego Lily. Ry hit her head tubing yesterday and 2 was about all she could take with her head pounding. Twix and I kept going to get 7. Not nearly as cold. Hit a good throughout, especially up Sego Lily. (Peg blue 390)

morning - 8.25 Fields. 60 mins with Ry down Hells Hole and out into the Fields. Ran Ry's tempo because we didn't get it in earlier in the week. She did well... a couple rough patches, but she's usually a fighter. Went 7:17, :15, :02. (Peg oly 213.25)

morning - 15 DogTown/Parkway Tempo/Chuckwalla. Took Twix out first for 3 miles. Then dropped her off and headed to the top of the Parkway for a tempo. I felt so crappy, flat and heavy going into it... and it was all true.  Mile one was the slowest I have hit it in the 4 tempos I've done this month at 6:05, then 5:54, 6:03, and then it got ugly on 4 (but I promised myself I would push through no matter what) and it was 6:35.  I then figured since I was sucking big time anyway, might as well push the distance a bit more and have something to build on next week.  So did another .5 at 6:44 pace. Ahh... what a junker. Got home just in time to drive over to the trail to run with the team. I was way too tired to stay with them, though, and I was on my own most of the time. 15 miles, though, that's a lot for me. (Peg grey 216)

morning - 11 Prospector. Ran with Trev, Mike, Ry (who flipped early) and Twix. It rained last night, so the trail was in awesome condition. Although I was tired, the run was great. Such great guys; glad I have been able to be part of their lives. It's fun watching grow up. I've learned a lot from them (and the many other kids I've had the privilege of coaching), I hope hat in some way I have influenced them for the positive. (Sense 167.25)

Big ending to an otherwise unimpressive week. But I did attempt a tempo. Also had a lot of fun running with Rylee. 

Goals for next week: start the new year off in a positive way. This year was my worse running year in probably 14-15 years. Battled injuries and fatigue. Still battling both; but would like to bring in a good positive attitude to all aspects of life and keep on keeping on.