Philippians 4:13

4:45am...3 easy miles on nice morning before an early flight. (Ride 3 2015)

7 miles from the hotel down Common Road and back then around the civic center (53 minutes).  Nice easy run after a day of travel.  Off to dinner (steak sandwich and a beer) to top off the day.  (Mirage Red)

5:30am...4 easy miles along Common Rd and back.  Short day of meetings today, so I will go for a long run this afternoon (hopefully at the Clinton River Trail) then we are planning on a Tigers game tonight.  (Mirage Red)

We finished our meetings around noon.  I ran a couple of easy miles around the hotel waiting for the guys then we drove to Dodge Park to run/walk.  The trail was still washed out from the recent rains.  After trying to traverse 2 mud patches and 2 flowing water sections, called it with only about 1/2 mile of running.  We drove to Lake St. Claire metro park to explore then on the way back the guys dropped me off at Freedom Hill and I ran the rest of the way back then around the civic center for a bit.  12 miles total at around 7:30 pace on a warmish afternoon.  (Mirage Red)

Had a couple of beers and some dinner at the hotel then we headed down to Comerica Park to watch the Tigers lose to the A's via a grand slam off the second pitch from the reliever.  Appears our credit card was hacked, had to spend two innings talking to the company cancelling our card and getting a new one ordered.

5:45am...5 easy miles down Common Rd before a long day of meetings/program review. 

After a long day of meetings and sitting, got out for a run along Common Road on a warm afternoon.  10K in about 7:00 AP, some about 7:30ish, some sub 6:30.  Good run.  Looking forward to being home soon.  (Mirage Red)

5:15am...6 easy miles along Common Rd.  Last day of meetings, heading home tomorrow.

Short day of boring meetings.  Drove to the hotel, ran 6.5 miles out on Wick Rd to Romulus Middle School and back.  6.5 miles in 47 minutes in 85 degree weather.  Hot and tired at the end.  Ate at Wheat and Rye and a few drinks...better but still tired. 

2.8 miles before bed to work off dinner and drinks. (Mirage Red)

5 miles early. (Mirage Red)

4 miles after getting home.  2.5 with both Katelyn and Justin, 1.5 faster miles with just Justin.  Great to be home!  (Ride 3 2015)

2.5 mile walk around the greenbelt with Kami on a beautiful evening.

6:15am...5 miles along Sunnyside with Moxie.  I ran with Lynette for about 2 miles and had a chance to catch up a bit. 

Went back out after dropping off Moxie with Justin for 4 miles, a bit harder pace.

Took Justin to work (his first day of his summer job at the running/bike store!) then came home and went out for a run with Katelyn and Kami.  3.1 miles with Katelyn, 1 mile with Kami before she turned home. (Launch 2)

Then Kami and I headed out for a 30 mile bike ride, averaging about 19.5 mph.  Fun time, Active morning.  

6:30am...10K with Moxie along Sunnyside on a nice morning.  I ran with Alana and Andrea for a stretch right at the end.  (Ride 3 2015)

3 miles with Kami and Justin on a beautiful evening!  (Bikila)

4:30am...4.5 easy miles with Moxie on a great morning.  (Ride 3 2015)

Hot day at lunch.  5 mile easy progression run around the greenbelt in 36:23 (7:16AP)...7:26, 7:25, 7:22, 7:09, 6:58.  (Mirage Red)

Took the kids to the track after dinner for the first summer workout. 4x200/400m with 200m recovery between intervals, full recovery between sets.  Kids did really good, Justin was running smooth and strong and we worked on Katelyn's form and she ran really well.  Good start! Broke in new Fastwitch.  (Fastwitch 6 2015) 

4:30am...5 easy untimed miles with Moxie.  Slow, tired, sore.  (Ride 3 2015)

My younger brother got married today, in Paris.  Nice ceremony.  Hope he and his wife have a long and blessed marriage.

4 miles with Erik T. (and some with Justin) in the late evening.  Nice to run with Erik and have a chance to catch up a bit. (Fastwitch 6)

4 miles with Erik and Moxie on a warmer and muggy morning. Nice and easy (Erik's first few outside runs in his recovery from a  stress fracture).  (Ride 3 2015)

First tempo effort on the Tiger Grizz course.  Met DanS and we warmed up to the start then did a run on the course to remember its landmarks and go easy, not as easy as we thought though.  Ended up at around 7:30 for the first lap.  I then went harder on the second lap and just ran out of juice on it so ran with the flow but still trying to push a bit, ended up with 6:40 AP.  At least it is a start. Overall 6.5 miles in 46 minutes.  (Mirage Red)

3 miles with Katelyn (and Kami for some of it) after work.  Started off with a storm approaching but thought we could beat it...not.  Pouring rain last mile...kinda fun.  Except I was carrying my phone in case Justin got home...now there are no sounds!  Hope the rice bag trick works. (Fastwitch 6)

I got up at 4:30 to run...too tired and sore (we stayed up late watching "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" about Budapest...my heritage!), so I went back to sleep for another hour.

8 miles on a warm day at lunch at dead on 7:30 AP (last two miles pulled down the AP, was at sub 7:20 before that).  Easy pace, hot!  (Mirage Red)

2.3 miles from the gym to home after getting a massage.  Great evening for a run. (Fastwitch)

Slept in and went out for 3 miles with Moxie on a beautiful morning.  Dropped her off and went back out with Justin for 6 miles, focusing on his form and some 6:30ish paced miles.  Fun to run with him and he pushes me!

3 miles with Kami through the neighborhood.  (Fastwitch)

6am...I met Rex and DanS at the church below Blackhawk Estates for a run on the Iron Rim/Ammon Rd loop.  This time we did it the opposite way, running the rollers first, then the uphill on the dirt road and the 4 mile drop (fast) down on the paved section.  Nice morning for a run with good guys!  1:36 total time for 14 miles.

Got home and immediately went out with Katelyn for a 5K through the neighborhood.  She is doing great!  (Launch 2)

6am...out for a few miles with Moxie before planning on meeting a friend, who ended up not making it. So I picked up Moxie again and went back out to finish off a 10K (slow) on a cool morning.  

Back out for 4 moderate paced miles with Justin through the neighborhood.  We tried to chase down Kami who left a little earlier..did not catch her! (Ride 3 2015)

Out for an early run.  1 mile then I met up with Andrea for about 5 miles.  Ran solo for 2 more, then picked up Moxie for another couple to finish off 10 easy early miles. (Ride 3 2015)

I just registered to run with "Almost Dead Jocks" for the Hood to Coast Relay...fast Masters' team.  Should be fun!

Do not take a blacklight to your carpet to inspect for pet "spots" unless you really want to know! New carpet in the basement now in the plan...also figuring out ways to restrict pets..ugh!

4.25 miles in 32 at lunch on a nice day.  Legs felt really good.  Speedwork tonight with Justin and Katelyn.  (Mirage Red)

Speed/endurance workout with Justin at the track. 200/400/800/1200/400/200/100.  All pretty quick as a summer starting point.  Last 200m was 30 seconds.  Minimum recovery due to incoming storm.  Hard but good.  (Fastwitch 6)

5am...I was sore and tired this morning. I only went out to get Moxie out for a bit. I will try to get another run in after work if possible.  (Ride 3 2015)

Totally shredded.  Got home after work and had a hard time focusing and staying awake (even during dinner conversations).  Feel asleep at 8:30.

Woke up a bit late, still total fatigue.  Had a cup of coffee and some food and felt better.  Took Moxie on for 3 decent miles. (Ride 3 2015)

Meetings back to back all morning.  Went out at lunch on a hot day...legs were dead.  Just tried to keep moving. (Mirage Red)

4:45am...8 miles with Moxie.  Ran a little over 2.5 with Moxie, then we ran into Alana, Curt and Gamas so we ran most of the rest of the run with them.  Good to run together, first time in quite a while.  Nice morning.  (Ride 3 2015)

I met Jack D. for some coaching and we ran about 1.5 miles together in Freeman Park while I gave him some tips and form assessment/ideas.  I then took off into a tempo run around the greenbelt at about 6:25 pace for 3.5 miles.  1 mile cooldown (hot day!).  6 miles total in 43 minutes.  (Mirage Red)

9:30am...10 miles in 1:15:28 around the full greenbelt loop after dropping Justin off at work.  Nice and easy in a tough breeze today. (Fastwitch 6)

6 miles in the early evening with Justin and Moxie.  Hot, and the wind was terrible.  (Boost)

4:45am...5 easy miles with Moxie before a long day.  (Ride 3 2015)

Drove one of the Youth Mission Trip vans to Laramie, WY.  18 teenagers and 8 adults on our way to serve in the Denver, CO area for a week.  Talked to a couple heading to Washington to visit grandparents about our Mission trip.

Devotional theme for the day: Strong Foundation.

3 miles in Laramie and Denver today.  Went to Mass then drove to Littleton to our host church then walked around Five Points with Molly from Denver Urban Ministries (DenUM) area of downtown to learn and see more about the homeless and improvished in Denver.

Devtional theme for the day: Freedom.

5.5 miles early with Jade from the church to Ketring Park then down Littleton Blvd to the Dry Creek Trail (which was not dry).  Slow and easy, getting to know Jade better. (Launch 2)

Spent the day working with the Colfax Community Network helping mentor homeless and improvished children. Good organization doing impactful work...with just 3 20 year olds running this effort (Megan, Kelly, Zach)...wow!

Started off serving breakfast then the group split up for a while. My group was sent to help hand out free lunches to children in an improvished neighborhood with Ms. B.  We walked door to door for a block telling people about the service and then playing with the kids.  Gave out about 50 lunches. In the courtyard of the building a playground broke out and what was a group of building with no one outside turned into a community for two hours!  Kids running around laughing and smiling, parents and adults out watching and being part of something bigger for a short period.  Very rewarding to help and humbling to see how some people live.

Drove to Westlands Park and played with the group of kids for a couple of hours.  Our teens had a chance to bond with the kids and give them some fun and personal attention...something they may or may not get at "home".

Kami and Katelyn arrived at the same park 15 minutes after we left...just barely missed getting to see them!

Devotional theme for the day: Understanding

6 miles sole early down Littleton Blvd and on Dry Creek trail, futher than yesterday.  Flood damage on the trail.  (Launch 2)

Worked with Brothers Redevelopment and painted a house that belonged to a Air Force veteran.  Long day of working in 95 degree heat.  Nice man who needed the help.  Got to talk for a bit to Carl, the Foreman for the job, about faith and service.  Nice young guy.

Everyone very tired and a long trip back to the church in rush hour traffic.

Devotional theme for the day: Temperance.  Pretty emotional devotion time tonight.

6 miles through downtone Littleton to the Platt River trail.  Very nice run, beautiful.

Spent the day in downtown Denver with our host organization (DenUM) rep Molly.  Our group participated in the Game of Life where we "simulated" being families in need of services for a month.  Humbling to see how tight and difficult life can be.

Then we did a food stamp challenge for lunch.  Each person was given $1.20 to buy lunch (in one hour)...this is the amount that a person in need in CO gets per day for food assistance.  We had to buy healthy balance food, not fast food.  Another challenge to see how much stuff really costs when you don't have money.

We then spent 3 hours working in an ARC thrift store.  Monica, the store manager, was grateful for the help!

That evening, back at the church, a massive storm rolled in that created a tornado warning and flash flood warnings.  The location we were at earlier were flooded with almost 2 feet of water in the streets.

Devotional theme for the day: Humility

7 miles down to the Platt River Trail, beautiful morning for a run.  Some flooding damage on this trail too.  (Launch 2)

Spent the day at the Denver Zoo with the team.  Big place, lots of walking in about 6 hours.  Talked to a mom with two small children about our trip...she and her husband and kids are taking a group of 20+ kids on a mission trip shortly.  Also talked to Mitch about our efforts, a young culinary arts student working at the Zoo about our trip.

Devotional theme for the day: Relationship

 No run today, early departure from Denver to drive all the way back to Salt Lake City.

We had just turned off I 70 on Hwy 6 when the van I was driving suddenly shut down...in 105 degree heat.  Fortunately we found that is was just a loose battery cable so an easy fix and back on the road.  Only issue was the AC reset and it would blow cool air everywhere except the driver which was full heat for about 5 minutes...I was dying as I was the driver at the time!

Talked to Jeff S. from our host church about the trip and their upcoming trip next week.  Also discussed our trip with the guys at the restaurant where we purchased our dinner for the night.

Devotional theme for the day: Faithfulness

Got up early (well, earlier than everyone else) and ran 11 miles solo in about 1:20.  Up 8600 S to 1300 E then down to the gully and I ran up the rim trail to the park.  Back down 9600 S to 1300 E then back to the church.

Along the way helped rescue some ducklings on 1300 E and saw a buck in the gully.

Got back to the church and everyone was still asleep, so I got Justin up and we ran up 8600 S to a park and ran few loops then home for 5 miles.  Got some speed intervals in during this run.

Devotional theme:  Peace.

Made the drive home to IF.  Glad to be home. A rewarding and thought provoking trip to consider my place in this world and in our congregation and with our youth.   Still processing the whole experience.

Very tired, feel asleep early.

4 miles on a warm morning before church with Moxie.  Still tired from last week's trip!  (Ride 3 2015)

3 mile walk in the evening with Kami and Moxie.

7 easy miles on a warm morning with Moxie.  (Ride 3 2015)

Tempo workout at lunch...90 degrees outside and full sun!  Started good, nice in the middle, no mojo for tempo at the end.  10K in 40:27 (6:31 AP).  6:17, 6:21, 6:03, 6:33, 6:31, 7:05.  Still sweating after an ice cold shower and 20 minutes later.  (Mirage Red)

4:30am...6 easy miles with Moxie on a warm morning.  Tired.  (Ride 3 2015)

6 miles at lunch in 40:15 (6:42 AP, VERY easy MP).  Felt much easier than yesterday.  Though 85 degrees, it felt much better than the temps on Monday.  Please with how this went with little real effort.  (Mirage Red)

3 miles with Kami and Katelyn after dinner on a cooler evening.