Dare to be great!

Well my back is still pretty jacked up, was in pain pretty much all day yesterday and today.  Sitting 3 hours in church was torture on the back.  It was slightly better today than yesterday so hopefully it continues to loosen up.  I was at the park with the kids today letting them get the wiggles out and decided to jog around the park to see if it would loosen it up some.  Hurt pretty bad to run.  This week is one of the toughest on my marathon training schedule so it needs to hurry up and feel better.  I will head out in the morning and see how it feels.

Ever wish you could look into the future.  I got the chance to this morning on my run.  I know exactly how it will feel to run 50 years from now when I am 87.  After taking the last 2 days off due to back pain, I decided to try to run this morning.  Started really slow and easy, back was really tight to begin with.  I decided to stop every half mile and stretch out the back.  I wanted 10 today but put in the time it would take me to normally run 10 and just see how I was feeling.  Just kept running and stopping every .5 to stretch.  By the end of the run it was feeling much better, still painfull, but better.  I am optimistic in the next few days I will be back in action. 

PM: Went out with the kids on a 3 mile jaunt around the neighborhood.  They tell me everytime we go out running how much they love to run.  So much fun.

Went out with the kids for an afternoon run around the neighborhood.  All 3 went with us the first mile (it was the first time T.J.(5) came with us on a run.  He did great!  Our first mile was 11:17, then Spencer (9) and I went on for 3 more miles, 9:32,9:16,9:09.  It was the first time he went over 3, and he did great also.  My back is still in pain but less pain everyday.  Went another mile to see how it felt at base pace, felt ok 7:53, last .30 averaged 7:20. 

Tomorrow morning I am supposed to do a 8.5 mile tempo run at half-marathon pace with a 1.5 mile warm up and cool down.  This is supposed to be my high mileage week for the Ogden Marathon coming up, but this back strain is killing me.  I will see how tomorrow goes, maybe I will do 4 at half marathon pace, jog a half mile, then see how I feel for another 4.  Got to listen to the body and be smart this week.

Went out this morning for a tempo run on the JRP trail in Lehi.  Started at the iron bridge and headed south.  2 mile warm up, almost ran into a skunk the first mile,  that was TOO close for comfort, it's tail was up and everything, the sun wasn't up and I'm lucky I'm not very stinky right now.  Tempo miles were at 7:14.7:00,7:12.7:11,7:18,7:06,7:08,7:10,7:04,last .5 6:50 pace. 2 mile cool down. Felt really good, with my back acting up I just went out and ran by feel.  Tried to keep the pace between half and marathon pace.  My back was ok today still tight and felt like it would lock up for the first few miles then started to loosen up by the end.  It's getting better every day.  I have a 22 mile run this weekend so it better be good by then. Oh and I saw another skunk on my cool down, it is skunk alley out there. 

Uhhh, does mowing the lawn count for anything.  Wife is out of town so I have been on daddy duty all day.  Spent most of the day helping prep my sister's house to sell.  Hopefully all this scrubbing and painting does not lock my back up more.  I signed up my son for his own blog this afternoon.  He has been begging to be able to blog the miles he has been running.  22 miles bright and early in the morning.

Had a great run this morning with Chet.  Got out early and it was a bit chilly when we started.  Good thing Chet had an extra pair of gloves I could borrow. Did almost the same route I did a couple weeks ago to mimick the Ogden Marathon course. Started in Eagle Mountain at the maverick in the ranches.  Went south through the ranches and down past the high school, linked into the JRP trail and went north.  Cruised along past Thanksgiving point up past Camp Williams to the beginning of the trail, then headed back to the iron bridge where we left a vehicle earlier.  Got to see all the runners out for the Thanksgiving point half.  I was nervous the trail would be closed.  I swear I saw Walter flying by.  Miles were as follows:

8:03,8:02,7:56,7:55,7:59,7:52,7:51,7:53,7:56,7:52,7:47,7:59,7:39,7:53,7:48,8:00,7:42,7:42,7:31

,7:29,7:34,7:14

Run felt pretty good.  My back pain was minimal and I think it should be back to normal next week.  Overall another confidence booster for the marathon in a couple weeks.  AP 7:48.