Training for Top of Utah 2011

Almost perfect running weather this morning...45 degrees and cloudy with not much wind and no rain at all.

Since I decided to do more running here at the ridge...that's what today was. Lot's of hills and I didn't avoid the tougher ones...My plan has me lowering the pace down to 8:40 and it came in at 8:36...

Something that I didn't think was a big deal turns out to be a Big Deal. When I was drinking Accelerade right after runs I recovered super quickly...but when I felt it was no big deal I have found myself hurting(muscles mostly) so I went back to Acclerade and am feeling much better. 

Another afternoon run....just don't seem to like those much...not enough sleep lately either which is kicking my butt. 1 warmup mile...8 tempo miles...1 cooldown mile.

Nice weather @ 60+ degrees with some wind on the way back. Started at Centennial park with 1 mile warmup. Then started at the edge of the park. I stopped at 2 miles for a quick drink at the North bend library then 2 miles out Sno. Valley trail and then turnaround and back to library for some more water and finally back to the park.

Not much wind going out but the wind coming back was tough at times. Worked way harder than I should have but that's how it goes.

Plan said 7:34 pace...well the plan didn't have to run against the wind.

Splits. 8:45, 7:34, 7:30, 7:35, 7:35, 7:32, 7:34, 7:34, 7:31, 9:33 and my buns were dragging at the end. went to the car and fueled with accelerade then finished my cooldown and stretched.

52 degrees sunny and partly cloudy during run with a little wind here and there. 

New route over to deer park(creek?) anywho...nice run on the ridge with 2 stops @ 3 miles and 6 miles. 

Thanks accelerade...after yesterdays long tempo run I figured I'd be pretty beat up...nope...felt a little sluggish but not bad at all.

Target pace was 8:45 and I hit 8:43...happy about that...now to prepare for the 20 miler on Saturday...looking to run from centennial park up to rattlesnack lake and back on the Sno Valley trail...there is some up hill there too.

The Beast has been tamed...well at least domesticated. That parkway hill did not get the best of me today even after having already run 17 miles...happy to be able to hang in there and not be dead at the top...had enough leftover to run a marathon pace mile to finish.

Legs felt very good to start and most of the run. Almost perfect day for a long run...rain overnight and 50 degrees with not too much wind. A few sprinkles here and there.

Started from home and hit the ridge for a couple miles, then down the parkway with a stop at the park @ 2.75. Then finished parkway down and through town over to riverview park @ 5.50 miles. Then up and around Kinghorns loop and back to riverview @ 8.75 mile and 1/3 powerbar. Then Mill pond rd to Centennial park @ 11.75(stretched). Then golf course and Sno Valley trail and back to park @ 15.3 miles(this is where I was feeling a little tired due to running that trail so cut it short). Saw John Milks there with his son Logan who had a baseball game and ended up chatting for about 5 minutes with him(nice break).

Finally headed back home and stopped at the parkway park @ 18.25. Was able to power up the rest of the hill and finish strong with a .5 mile walk to finish up. I didn't eat anything before this run and it felt great! Ate a power bar while running and that is it. I was STARVING when I got home. Drank a bunch of Accelerade when I got home and had a Large bowl of raising bran since it was the first thing I saw when I walked in the kitchen. 

Target Pace as per plan was 8:45

**edit**(pace was supposed to be 8:40) ended up being 8:44

Splits: 8:43, 8:45, 8:12, 8:21, 8:44, 8:45, 9:00, 8:36, 8:45, 8:43, 8:44, 8:42, 8:43, 8:42, 8:52, 8:48, 8:47, 9:16, 9:45, 8:00 Yeah Baby!