Relentless

AM - 17.25 Parkway/Dirt Mile. Went up onto the Dirt Mile to see how muddy it was for today's run and the went around the Parkway. For practice we went back up to the Dirt Mile and ran a 40 min tempo (which was a good solid Tinman pace for me). All groups did well and the team is looking strong from a solid summer. Finished up with 8xbarefoot striders. Great temps, albeit a bit humid, after the rain all day yesterday. (barefoot '14 43.75)(Ronin 428.25)

afternoon - 8.5 Sand Hill. I love running up on a beautiful mountain trail in the trees, but I am a Desert Rat at heart and today was absolutely amazing. I hoped it would rain today - the weather was pretty sure it would, so I planned on running up on the Sand Hill. The trail should have been perfect with yesterday's rain and hopefully no horses had been up there today to ruin it. Around 1:30, a slight sprinkle started, so I hit the road over to the trail up Millcreek. By the time I got off the road, the rain had really picked up and just poured down on me for the next 30 minutes. The trail was amazing. The sand was compacted and soft; very runnable. Climbing the hill I was able to summit above two slot canyons and watch the flash floods start forming off the slick rock. The desert seemed to come alive with color - greens and sage; and the smell was amazing. The only thing missing was some wildlife. I hoped to see a tortoise, but worried I might step on a rattlesnake (since it was raining so hard I wouldn't have been able to hear it) - didn't see either. Amazing experience in the desert. (Kinvara3 740.5)

AM - 22 Tempo Loop/Parkway. Had a better tempo today - best of the cycle for me, so far. Ave was 5:38 for 7. Started with a :43 when I checked at the top of the Chipman Hill, then :41 at the bridge, :43 leaving Mosquito, :35 at the car wash, and :38 at the end obviously. Since my enter button doesn't work, my watch is stuck without laps, so this is how I'll monitor my progress in future weeks with these check points. I had ups and downs, but felt pretty solid from then end of mosquito to the end. I just wasn't quite brave enough to catch Clyde all the way, but all three of us were pretty close. Then at practice we ran 3xParkway hills. I was absolutely spent and ran with some of the JV guys. Finished off kids club today, which is great to have over. I had to run a relay and the cool down in some high heels because I lost a bet with the 3rd/4th girls and couldn't touch my toes by the end of the summer. It wasn't easy and killed my feet. But they sure showed off my fine calves! (Mana 623.5)

afternoon - 5.5 PV. Got out and hit DI before practice. Then ran the time trial course and an extension into the neighborhood below the school. Weights after. (Boston 1112.25)

AM - 8 PV.  Ran over to school and then around the neighborhoods before practice.  Team did a time trial today and ran very well.  First day of work for me today.  The only thing about starting school so early is that we can get down to business for XC.  Today will be a much easier day than the last two - and the legs are happy about that.  (Lyte33 96)

AM - 8.25 Green Springs.  Ran over to school via GS.  I was slightly disappointed with the sunrise this morning; then I looked up and it was like suddenly one of the most amazing sunrises ever.  Very cool.  Temps were amazing this morning.  Legs not up to a lot right now.  (Kinvara silver 457)

morning - 12.25 River Trail.  90 minutes on the River Trail with the team.  Didn't get as far as last week when we were up in the mountains and mud, but we held together a lot better as a team.  Felt a lot better than the last two days.  Wore a sleeve for my right calf and achilles.  (Kinvara3 752.75)

AM - 26.25 Gunlock. Had to start around Brookside and then we turned at Veyo and dropped down to Gunlock and down around to Ivins. Felt pretty crappy throughout the whole run. Hoped that the easy end to the week would liven the legs up, and it seemed to a bit yesterday. My achilles (right) really gave me a lot of trouble and hurt the whole time. Had one good section up around Kayenta, but that faded quickly as we climbed into Ivins. Happy to get a long run in though and have an enjoyable run with my buddies. Ave was 6:29 for a 2:50, so really not too shabby with nothing really quick. (Kinvara green 116.5)

Last big mileage week for me. I just don't see them happening with school starting and XC in full swing. Sometimes (often) I wonder how much I can keep balancing all of this. But I've done it in the past, and I'll probably keep doing it in the future.

Goals for next week: everything now will be to try and turn this base into some sort of marathon pace. So tempos and if I can ever feel strong enough some intervals. Mileage goals will be around 100. And, get the achilles feeling back to what it was at the beginning of the week.