Relentless

AM - 11.75 Target Loop. Getting wasn't bad this morning! Running was. Could feel Saturday's run in my legs - sore and tired. I am not anywhere near 100% yet, and I may just have to accept the fact that I won't be at the race. (Landreth 60.05)

Checked my resting heart rate yesterday. It was a bit high, 55. Although I haven't taken it in a long time to have a solid base to judge by, I would say that it was high because of continued fatigue from Saturday's hard workout and my body still feeling the effects of the sickness.

Goals for the week: Get everything on track as best as possible. I would like to push toward 100 miles (that sounds weird for the week before a marathon, but I feel like it would do a lot of good for me to bring my miles up and try to keep fitness strong after the stages of not running and recovering); also I need to get a solid speed workout in (800's tomorrow -kind of scary, I don't know how good they'll be); and most importantly a good long run/tempo finish on Saturday. Then next week I'll get decent mileage in on Monday and Tuesday and then set into whatever kind of taper I can get.

afternoon - 7.4 Shnobe Kibe Trail. Went out with team to hit a 7 miler to Shnobe Kibe by way of the new road to the bridge, but we were just short on mileage before the turn around. So Ruth found a sweet trail which we just extended around the mountain. It had vicious little rollers and was just a lot of fun. Fun running with the kids even though they had to slow down for the old man. (Cumulus blue 131.05)

AM - 10x800's. 2.7 mile warmup from home to PVHS. Then 10x800's. I really didn't know what to expect from this workout. I hoped it would show signs of improvement, but I realize I haven't done a workout like this in a month. They were slower than I thought. The first 5 were right around 2:55 give or take a second. Then my right hammy really tightened up and I had to stretch it a lot. 6 was 2:53, but at 7 it tightened up again and I slowed to a 2:58. Stretched really good again then 8,9, and 10 all slowed to over 3:00. Then cooled down with a mile. I was pretty disappointed about it all. (Stratus red 258.8)

When I was trying to decide whether or not to still do SLC I mentioned I didn't want any 2:35 is okay comments. Now I am pleading for a 2:35! Actually, I have decided (at least for today - and I hope I can change this later) that my realistic goal for SLC is going to be 2:50. What a bummer after such a strong winter.

evening - 3.5 Ran home from school after the track meet by way of Cottonmill East to extend it a little. (Stratus red 262.3)

afternoon - 13.25 River Trail and Fire Station desert. Went out for 8 by myself at the end of the school day and then got back and ran with the boys team out to the Fire Station and the desert around there. 1st part of the run was iffy, 2nd part was a bit better. (Stratus 377)

AM - 12 Target Loop. Hard to get out of bed, but once I did, the run was okay. Maybe just a little bit better than Monday when I did this. Happy I didn't run twice yesterday, even though this will be my only run today too (track meet). I think my legs are just waiting to come back - right there, just waiting to break through. (Cumulus blue 143.05)

AM - 10 morning practice. Had trouble getting up, since I had just barely gone to bed (dirty track meets!). Then my Jeep wouldn't start. So I barely made it to practice before Ruth had to run alone. We did AC. Then I did 2450 and 2 laps while waiting for Kimz and Austin. Then the three of us did AC. Isn't it interesting that the three that show up to practice in the morning are also the three that are actually hitting PR's and BYU and State times. (Stratus red 272.3)

Jumped on the scale this morning and was 145.8 without shoes. A bit low still - granted that was after my run, but I didn't sweat much in the chill this morning. I have always run my best races at a race weight of 150. But I think somewhere around 148 will still bring me back enough strength to run solid.

afternoon - 6 Green Springs. Ran with the boys and Ruth. Just a nice easy run to help us all try and get our legs back. (Cumulus silver 450.15)

morning - I decided to do this race for my hard workout for the day since the Steves got me in free and it was hard to workout the ride up to Central for 20 on the course. My goal was to just make it a solid workout, whatever that meant - and hopefully get a continued better feel as I approach SL in a week (yikes!)

Met up with Steve, Bill, and Clyde for a run on the course before the race. It was going to be a hard, hilly bugger. In a way I was kind of happy for that because I don't feel I can run that fast right now anyway. (Landreth 66.45)

Got back just in time to do the quick last minute race adjustments and then we were off. 1-5:25, Clyde established early control, and it seemed as if I felt okay and would just run in 2nd throughout (which is apparently just my destiny!), but this was the first solid under 6:00 minute pace I had had since being sick. 2-5:21 included the 2nd climb of the race (the first was up around the elem.) This was a tough hill up past the park, but then a great downhill which I would have loved to burn up. 3-5:36 A bit of fatigue, but nothing major. The flattest mile of the race. Worried a little about being caught. 4-5:40 Still running pretty good as we turned onto the highway. My form felt pretty good throughout the race. 5-6:22 A mother of a section. Uphill throughout with a big hill by the golf course maintenance yard. I run this section all the time on Junction, but this was the first time I raced it. At one point I looked at my watch and my pace was 7:23; I thought, "I am in a RACE and am going 7:23 pace. Oh boy..." 6-6:02 Tried to get back on pace as I topped out on the hill, but the wind held me to just 5:40 for the last .5 of this mile and I could quite bring it back under 6. .2-(.16 on watch)52 secs. (5:24 pace) Just finished it on in at a solid pace. (Ohana 6.2)(new pair - felt great)

Grabbed a drink and talked at the line for a minute and then Steve, Clyde, James, and I ran the course again and 7:30 pace and then finished it off with another 1.2 to hit the 20 mark. (Landreth 73.95)

Felt good enough about the race that I will make an adjustment to my goal for SLC. I am going to set it at 2:40; maybe a little ambitious, but today's run was solid and it made me happy to run a little better.