Philippians 4:13

10M on the TM at home this morning.  Got up early when my wife got up to get ready for work and finished off the full 10M as I watched a movie.  Ok run, for the home TM.

total time:  1:04:15  (Trigon - 281 miles)

13M on the TM at the gym this morning as it was snowing pretty good outside on top of lots of ice buildup over the past couple of days...man am I tired of this winter!  Overall a great run at an overall avg. sub-6:00 pace.  2M easy, then started bumping up the speed with a base pace of 6:07 and pickups in the 5:45 to 5:00 pace.  A couple of miles at 5:42 pace.  Felt great and would have probably gone a bit longer but the pressure was building at the gym to let others run as well.  Andrea McDowell was training next to me (running Ogden) and was trying to get in her 17 miler, so I thought I would get off the TM.

Followed up by little over an hour in the pool playing with my kids and 45 minutes at home shoveling snow.  Good workout day.

total time:  1:18:00 (Trigon - 294 miles)

9M on the TM at home early this morning watching "Eraser" on TV.  Was going to go outside but again it was somewhat windy with a fresh dusting of snow over the icy surfaces, so I didn't want to risk it (plus I was not motivated for the cold).  I may try to go outside after church and before heading to the neighbors for the Super Bowl. 

total time: 59:35  (Trigon - 303 miles)

4.1M outside in the late morning.  32 degrees, no wind but snowy and slick on the pathway with about 2 inches of fresh snow over the slick base of ice and snow.  Just easy to get some more mileage in, to get outside for fresh air and to work up an appetite for tonight at the neighbors.

total time: 31:51  (Fireblades - 76 miles)

7M on the TM at the gym this morning.  2M easy, then fartleks the rest of the way with a base pace of 6:05, pickups between 5:00-5:45 pace.  Overall an ok run.  Had a bit of a hip twing about 0.5M into the run, but it went away quickly.   Got home and had to shovel about 2-3 inches of snow off the driveway.

What a game last night...how Eli got out of that sack and then for Tyree to make such a fantastic catch.  The Giants put the hurt on the Patriots.

total time: 43:30 (Saucony Trigon - 310 miles)

6.1M at lunchtime around the greenbelt.  The city had plowed the pathway which was really nice, but is was still snowcovered and a bit slick at the temperature is warming up (32 degrees) with a pretty good wind from the south.  But, it was gloriously sunny and bright!  Good easy paced run.

total time:  43:47 (Saucony T2 - 305 miles)

8M on the TM at the gym doing my now standard morning run there...a couple of easy miles, followed by MP base miles (6:10ish pace) with some 5:00 to 5:45 pickups of varying length (.25M - 0.75M).  Overall a good run.  Windy and cold outside and am getting too tired of the cold to want to try and wake up in wind 10 degree weather.  I will try to get outside at lunch.

total time: 48:35  (Trigon - 318 miles)

5.3M at lunch time around the river pathway with Dan S at the start.  It was pretty slick out, so I wore my Ice Joggers at they worked pretty good.  Nice easy pace on a cold gray day, but it was nice to get fresh air.

total time: 39:09 (Saucony T2 - 310 miles)

8.5M at the gym this morning following my standard morning run format mostly.  1.5M slow (6:30), then 1.25M at 5:45, ~2M at  6:15 base pace with 5:27-5:42 pickups, mile 6 at 5:35 pace, mile 7 at 5:50 pace, then 1.5M at a 6:15 base pace with 0.25M pickup at 5:00, and some 5:30 pickups (0.5M). 

Overall a good morning run that had to be done inside as when I got up we had 4 inches of new snow on the ground and it was 9 degrees.  By the time I got home, antoher 2 inches had fallen when I started to shovel the drive.  My wife took off to hit the gym and came back less than 5 minutes later after watching several cars do 360's on the roads!  So she is doing the shoveling (and continuing to try and keep up with the snow) to augment her workouts today.   Supposed to head the site today...no way!  To top it off, another storm is supposed to roll in tonight and tomorrow and drop several more inches of snow!

total time: 50:50  (Trigons - 327 miles)

6.3M around the river at lunchtime with Dan S.  Slow run with some of the run through deeper snow (even though the pathway was plowed) including some "bounding" over snow piles.  Timed the run perfectly, the snow had stopped, beautiful sunny sky with just a light breeze until the end when the wind started to kick up.  After showering and changing, walked back to the truck and the sky was cloudy and it was windy and cold.

total time:  52:15  (Saucony T2 - 316 miles)

Standard 8M run on the gym TM again this morning...following same pattern as the rest of the week for an avg. pace of 5:59 for the run.  My lower back is a little stiff this morning, but it feels better when I am running than when I am just sitting around.  I will stretch a lot during the day today.

total time:  47:50  (Trigon - 335 miles)

4M easy on the TM at the gym on my lunch break as it is blizzard outside with 30 mph winds!  Kind of a crappy run as my intestines really started acting up at about 2M and they haven't settled down yet. 

total time: 26:00  (Saucony T3 - 426 miles)

7M on the TM at the gym in standard format (easy miles, 6:15 base with pickups for remainder).  Right hip a bit twingy at start but went away immediately and I felt better as I ran.  Overall a decent TM run (again, dang crappy weather). 

total time: 42:50  (Trigon - 342 miles)

Very crappy 5M around the river at lunch today.  Clear, sunny day with 30mph winds out of the west so I always buffetted by them (and blowing snow a lot of the time).  Worse than that, my gut started acting up again about 2.5M in and I barely made it back to the office/locker room in time.  Man my insides have been in turmoil the last couple of days.

total time:  37:14  (Saucony T2 - 321 miles)

15M at the gym this morning as the wind outside was still whipping around at about 25 mph and I just didn't want to deal with that and the slick roads/paths.  Overall a really good run at an avg. 6:10 pace.  Easy couple of miles, then mostly MP pace with some pickups at 5:45 - 5:00 thrown in.  Got the mileage in and feel really good afterwards (lower back was a bit still but after some stretching and ibuprofen it feels great).  Mileage high for me!

total time:  1:32:30  (Trigon - 357 miles)

Easy 4M run outside this morning in nice weather...warmer (30 degrees), no wind.  The pathway was a bit slushy at places and even some dry.  Nice easy run with about 1M at MP. 

After church, took the kids for about 3 hours of sledding in beautiful weather...no wind, sunshine, almost 40 degrees!   Great afternoon.

total time:  28:30  (Fireblades - 80 miles)

Standard run this morning at the gym on the TM...8.5M following similar pattern as my other runs except I did 1.5M straight at a 5:40 pace from 2-3.5M followed by pickups for the remainder of the run.

total time: 50:50  (Trigon - 365 miles)

6M at lunchtime around the river greenbelt on a beautifully sunny day.  The path is still very inconsistent...mostly slushy with some icy spots and a few dry spots.  Pace was easy and controlled with some increased pace sections on the dry areas.  Overall a good run.

total time: 41:10  (Saucony T2 - 327 miles)

8M on the TM at the gym in the same standard format at a overall good clip this morning (gym opened a bit late so I had to hustle to get my mileage in before heading back home).  Nothing particular to report.  Could have gone outside as the wind was light and the temp was warm (30 degrees) but just wasn't prepared/awake enough to get layered up a bit and to tackle the slick streets in the 4:30am dark.

total time: 47:30  (Trigon - 373 miles)

6.4M around the river pathway at lunch...nice warm day, pathway still very inconsistent (slush, dry, ice) combination that made it hard to keep any consistent speed.  So, overall just nice and easy. 

total time: 44:00  (Saucony T2 - 333 miles)

7M outside this morning in 14 degrees with no wind.  Ran down Sunnyside road (no traffic at 4am) on dry pavement so footing was great.  Tired this morning as I just couldn't get to sleep last night, so only about 5 hours of sleep and I had to run early as we are at the Site this morning.  Likely this is my only run for today due to work and family schedule issues.

total time:  48:45   (Fireblades - 87 miles)

8.1M on the TM at the gym, just didn't feel like dealing with the cold north wind this morning.  Pretty standard gym run, except more threshold miles.  Miles 3 and 4 at 5:35 pace, then pickups for rest of run.  Feel like I am coming down with a cold (as is everyone in my office area), so this was a good run considering how foggy my head is, luckily it is not in my chest.

total time:  48:00  (Trigon - 381 miles)

6M at lunchtime around the greenbelt pathway on a glorious day...fairly warm (27 degrees), sunshine, cold light wind out of the north, pathway getting clearer.  Overall a good run at and avg. 6:39 pace, but faster on much of the non-icy parts (6:00-6:30ish range).

total time:  40:54  (Saucony T2 - 339 miles)

10M early this morning, a combination of 6.75M outside in 15 degrees and 3.25M on the TM at home after my wife left for work.  Nothing special to report except my TM needs some maintenance work as the fuse keeps tripping (and frustrating the crap out of me!).

total time:  1:09:35  (Fireblades - 94 miles; Saucony T3 - 429 miles)

9M outside this afternoon in decent weather and clearing pathway.  Weather reported earlier that it was supposed to get sunny and near 40...nope, cloudy and only 27 degrees.  Only feeling about 70% (just can't seem to shake this cold) so took it mostly easy, but did get up to MP (6:20ish) pace for a couple of the miles with clear roads.  Almost didn't get out, but feel better after the run. 

total time: 1:01:16  (Fireblades - 103 miles)

10M outside this morning before church in cloudy and cool (21 degrees) weather, but no wind.  I am getting so tired of the cold, making it hard to get warmed up and to get up to speed.  I can only seem to do easy or slow MP outside in this chilly weather right now.  Just want some warmth!

total time:  1:09:40 (Trigon - 391 miles)

13M on the TM at the gym this morning, I just couldn't motivate myself to get outside in 17 degree weather.  Standard format, but felt good and decided to go longer as I have today off.  Hit the 10M mark at 59:40 then took the last 3M easy (6:25ish avg. pace) to cool down.

total time: 1:18:45 (Trigon - 404 miles)

Standard 8M at the gym this morning (5 degrees outside, no way) with warmup miles, fartleks, then a cool down mile.  Ran in new Brooks Adrenaline 7's this morning to try them out (bought them yesterday on sale) to see if I like them for trainers or if I will return them...jury is still out.  Not bad, but don't seem as comfortable as the Trigon Ride's.

total time: 48:56  (Adrenaline 7 - 8 miles)

4.75M at lunch on a clear and cold day.  Pathway is about 50/50 very slick/icy and dry.  Hard to get any real tempo or momentum going, so I just took it easy.

total time:  33:44 (Saucony T2 - 343 miles)

Standard 8M on the TM at the gym.  Started off easy, speed up to MP for base mileage, threw in a few pickups.  Also, ran two separate miles at 5:20-5:30 pace and finished off last .25M with a 5:00 paced kick.  Overall a good early morning run.

total time: 47:20  (Trigon - 412 miles)

4M at lunch in the clear but very cold weather in the desert.  Started off very cold and almost turned around at 1M, but started to warm up and get into a groove for a bit and finished off an easy run. 

total time: 26:45  (Saucony T3 - 433 miles)

7M on the gym TM this morning.  2M easy, then 5M at a steady 6:18 pace just to have an easier run this morning rather than harder speed work.  Will try to get out at lunch today as well.

total time:  44:20  (Trigon - 419 miles)

5.35M around the river pathway at lunch on a clear, cold and slick day.  Almost went down about 3 times and did take a slight spill once.  Just an easy run today. 

total time: 36:30  (Saucony T2 - 344 miles)

8M on the TM at the gym, same format as yesterday.  2M easier pace (6:30) then the remainder at MP (6:18 - 5:50 pace).  Had a hard time getting motivated and started today, lower back bit stiff but loosened up during the run and I ended up going 1M longer than planned when I started. 

total time:  50:00  (Trigon - 427 miles)

5.4M run around the river at lunch in warmer weather, but the pathway is still a mix of dry and very slick.   Overall a good run to end the work week.

total time:  36:40  (Saucony T3 - 439 miles)

11M run around the river pathway after dropping my son off at a science discovery class and while my wife and daughter had a "date" at a movie.  Overall a miserable run...sloppy/slushy and slick pathway, a bit windy which it feel a lot colder than 32 degrees.  My feet and shoes were absolutely soaked by the time I finished.  I never did get into the groove of this run, so ended it about 3-4 miles short of my starting goal. 

total time: 1:19:07  (Trigon - 438 miles)

5.25M early this morning in the warmer weather (32 degrees) but a good snow coming down in big flakes.  Luckily not much wind.  I am surprising tight after yesterday's crappy run, so this is just an easy run before getting ready for church.  The rest of the day is booked with church, swimming with the kids, working on taxes, cleaning the house, and having my folks over for dinner. 

Getting very excited to get out of here and heading to warmer AZ for the Del Sol relay and the fun with the Blog guys at the race.

total time: 38:23  (Fireblades 108 miles)

Standard 8M on the TM at the gym this morning.  Overall felt great, even running about 3M at a 5:45ish pace.  Getting ready for the relay this weekend. 

total time:  48:05  (Trigon - 447 miles)

5.65M around the river greenbelt on a fairly miserable morning with a freezing rain/mist.  My sunglasses would be completely covered with ice and would make it hard to see the somewhat slick path.  But I got 'er done.

total time: 39:00  (Saucony T2 - 350 miles)

7M on the TM at the gym again this morning (icy and slick outside this morning).  2M warmup at 6:30ish pace, then the remaining 5M at MP (~6:05).  Feeling good, no issues to speak of...excited to head out tomorrow for the relay!

total time:  43:40  (Trigon - 454 miles)    

 5.35M at lunchtime around the river pathway on a warmer but still overcast day.  First 3M with Dan S, then I picked it up to about a 6:35 for remainder of the run.  Feeling good, just nice and easy for this run.

total time: 37:30  (Saucony T3 - 444 miles)

8M outside this morning along Sunnyside Road.  Started off with easy warmup (7:30ish pace) for the first 2M, then bumped it up to a slow MP (6:30ish) for the next 5M, then 1M cooldown at about 6:45ish.  Lower back was stiff this morning and when I pushed the pace up, my left hamstring got really tight so I didn't push too hard and will instead save it for the relay this weekend.  Lots of stretching today, then I leave for Provo this afternoon.

total time:  54:14  (Trigon - 462 miles)

6.1M in Orem with Ted, Steve, Kory and Josse.  Nice hilly workout at an easy pace.  Heading out for Phoenix in a little while and will likely drop by the St. George Running Center on the way.  Look out Del Sol, here we come.

total time:  48 and change  (Tangents - 132 miles)

In downtown Phoenix, we wake up about 8am after staying up late to adjust our bodies to the test ahead.  Steve, Walter, Kory and I went out for a shake out run of about 4M (with 3 striders thrown in).  We then head to James and Lybi's to grab food and Sasha and make the 2 hour drive to Wickenburg to meet up with the rest of the team at the start. 

total time:  26:30  (Tangents - 136 miles)

Man this is getting exciting now with the whole team together.  We chat, decorate the vans and get ready for the start.  Once Dave heads out, we fly out to exchange 6 to await our turn.  As James hands off to Adam, we have about a 4 minute lead on second place and hear that they are confident that they will catch us as their 2 fastest runners are in the second van.  The pressure is on as everyone in the first van blew away their estimated times and we had no intention of letting the team down.

After the first four legs of our van, I take the hand off from Sasha around 11:15pm in complete dark.  This is the strangest and best running conditions that I have ever run in as you had no reference point, so you just ran hard and kept it up and only really knew what you were doing we the splits rang out on the GPS.  This 7.6M leg was amazing..rolling hills in the darkness.  I hit great splits and came in at 41:55, for a 5:30 avg. pace.  This run alone gave me a race PR in the 5K (16:50) and the 10K (34:10).  Splits were 5:15, 5:36, 5:28, 5:15, 5:30, 5:54, 5:44 and the last 0.62 in 5:11 pace.  On this leg I pass 7 runners.  During Steve's run, I talk to a gal who just finish my leg at 7:00 and she asks if I was the guy who flew past her, when I respond yes, she jokingly says "I hate you!".

This is the most intense athletic experience I have every had...pure adrenaline and rush to support the team in extreme conditions (sleep wise at least).  What a fantastic experience.

At the end of our vans second leg, we have open the lead to 7:30.  Way to go van 2!

Warm up and cool down for an additional mile or so.  Off the next major exchange point for some sleep, if possible.

total time:  41:55   (Tangents - 148 miles)