Seeking a better country...

9 miles, 8-8:10 minute pace.  We set up all the kids around the treadmill and watched amazing race + cosmos.  Jack moved 20 throw pillows into a fort/stack around Ash, and Gabe lay on the floor soaking in all the noise.  Remarkably, he didn't get stepped on.  

This workout popped up on my training plan, and I wondered if I had any business attempting it.  4 mi 6:18 pace, 800m jogs in between.  I ran to Viewmont to warmup, and ducked inside for a drink of water to wash down a 5 hr energy.  First one was pretty relaxed.  I watched 200 m splits to be sure I was on track; 6:12.  Second was about the same, but I gave away too much time in the first lap, and overdid it trying to make up the difference; 6:16.  Third one is the toughest, because by now I'm a bit tired and know I still have one left, and can't give it all up; 6:14.  Last one; 6:15.  I got to the sidewalk that goes to the door of the puke zone.  Tami arrived after the 3rd one, so we ran together after the intervals and made our way home.  

Every time I finished the 3rd lap, I was right at 4:45, so the pacing was good.  I made a new blood blister on my left toe.  12 hours later, I'm still smiling about the workout.  I must be a runner of sorts.

Gorgeous, GC run.  Headwind out, tailwind back.  Turned around at Harmons; ate a bit of pizza, some grapes and had a drink.  The view of the entire valley from the rail trail was incredible, with lots of new green, backed by brooding cloudy grey skies.

Bonus miles!  I was running on ATV tracks behind green valley, and found a a bearclaw poppy trailhead.  The map indicated 2 miles to the next place, so I figured on an out and back.  The actual distance was 4, so my 8 miler became 12.  Luckily mtn bikers frequent the area, and there were abundant dropped water bottles for me to drink.

7 again, out and back from Green Valley.  I didn't want to get lost, but I tried.  The desert is formidable in its quietude.

After an eventful morning kept me from an a.m. run, the day's festivities finished by 8 pm.  I headed up Dixie Drive, and met a friend for 4-5 miles, then ran home alone.  It seems St. George has an incredible concentration of trails and paved paths.  

A few miles on the marathon course.  Okay, now I want to run St. George.  I started between Dammaron and Diamond valley, ran down the 18 to Snow Canyon, then took the paved path down the canyon to Snow Canyon Parkway, then home again on Dixie Downs.  The first half of the run was resplendent.  The rest was fine, but marred by car noises.  

All the downhill beat up my legs.  2:05 to complete the miles.  

Monday night run with 3 kids.  We stopped to see a bison, cow, peacock, duck, turkey, etc.  Then at Reading the girls wanted to spend some time on the playground.  I ran a couple laps around, and when I got back, Jack had no pants.  I guess he peed them, and was climbing around the equipment naked from the waist down, completely ignored by his big sisters.  It was below 50 degrees, so the poor kid was shivering with chattering teeth.  I wrapped him up in a blanket and got home as fast as possible for a warm bath and chocolate chip cookie.  

The girls got a stern lecture; parenting at its finest...

3 on the mill, then 5 outside.  I was waiting for the girls to come watch amazing race with me.  After 3 miles of no-show, I decided to take the run outside on such a beautiful day.  Late April can even make the BST look resplendent.  The valley of newly green trees in the declining light was a sight to appreciate.

I ran the last 16 miles of the SL Marathon with Russ.  He was holding on well until mile 17, when dizziness forced a slowdown.

I gotta be honest, I was a little bit glad, because it was a lot of work keeping the pace he was shooting for.  Hats off to Russ for trying to BQ on an honest, altitude course.

After following the marathon all morning, I was definitely in the mood for a run.  I didn't get out the door till after nine, though.  I've been in this 10k rut forever, so I went farther than usual, to skater park.  I hate running the frontage road sections.  There are parts with no shoulder, and the cars are so close by.  I didn't really light myself up very well, so it was a relief to climb the hill back to quiet Main Street to come home.  

Water is on at the parks in Centerville, glory be.  I'm sure it'll take Farmington until June to accomplish the same thing.

Thank God for nights like this.  It was cold and fragrant; mostly flowering plum.  No moon shone, so the stars were on full display.  The darkness figured into the run at about mile 5 in Farmington.  I tripped over an uneven patch on the sidewalk, and pulled something in my lower left back catching myself from falling.  3 90% effort fartleks; and this on a day when I ate cafe rio for lunch.  It might be a winning combination...

My back was sore right after the run, and hurts this morning.  I also wonder if it has to do with my shoes being cooked.  I haven't done a great job of tracking mileage on them since the marathon.  Currently, they only seem to be around 300, but it could be 400.  That might be a lot for kinvaras...

I got as far as the next door neighbor, and aborted.  Stabbing pain every step in my back.  Curse you, uneven sidewalk!  I'll try again tonight.

Saturday was pretty rainy.  My wife thought they would cancel the race.  I told her trail races don't get cancelled because of weather.  We showed up, along with 40 other people to run a 5k or 10k.  I hoped I could win, but didn't have any reason to think I would.  The race started.  I ran with Tami for a bit.  She said, what are you doing?  Get going!  Try to win!  I guess that first 20 seconds was my warmup.  So I started chasing people.  We climbed, then traversed.  A 13 year old kid was leading for the first 3 miles.  I kept wondering when he was going to tire.  Right around 3.5 I passed him and briefly led the race.  Then we had to climb to firebreak road, and then up to the v.  I relinquished the lead, and figured I'd sit on this guy and pass him in the end.  The descent was wet, so nobody was able to go too fast, me included, but I was hearing new footsteps.  Some 27 year old guy was just bombing down the hill.  Finally we got to a wider section, and he passed both of us.  I gave chase, but to no avail.  On the way back to the start, I smashed through every puddle in sight.  Why avoid them when you are 100% soaked?  

Anyhow, I ended up third.  My prize was a scraped WRC water bottle.  At free races, you get what you pay for.  

I should have pushed up the hills and tried to build a lead there, but I think that kid would have passed me no matter what.  I could have won the 5k.  Big fish in a little pond, quite literally.  

On a separate note, I wore a compression sleeve on my left leg only as an experiment.  The result is, my right calf is in knots and I'm limping on that leg, and my left calf is absolutely fine.  

4th sunday dinner at my moms.  I decided to run there.  I stashed clothes in the car so I could get a shower, and headed up the trails.  Skirted the gun club, worrying that some drunk redneck would take a shot at me.  Passed by unscathed.  Passed the B, and ran up the road to stone creek.  Tried to follow the creek for a while, but ran out of trail quickly.  Stepped in the creek, oops.  Got back to the blvd, and ran south to the end of the golf course, then turned around to be on time for dinner and a late easter egg hunt.  I found $24 in my easter eggs.  

My back is not bothering me on runs, but doesn't feel good for sitting by the end of the day.  I'm glad that tweak from wednesday is sorting itself out.

2 with my daughters,  one ran, the other roller-bladed.  We held hands.

9 pm.  2 on the treadmill, then 1.5 with my daughter, then 4 on my own.  It was nice and brisk outside.  My arms were freezing.