Seeking a better country...

6:45 p.m.  I read enough motivational blog entries and old race reports to attempt a legit workout.  Mostly I was jealous of Britta's mile repeats.  I decided to double down my time trial from 2 weeks ago and run a 10k.  'Twas a perfect day; clear and cool.

Mile 1:  stepping out the door and heading north 6:48

Creek split:  (mile 2.1ish) 7:37

5k:  20:25.  I had run the headwind, downhill section, now I had to turn around and come home.  This time seemed a little fast; crash and burn coming right up.

5.2 miles:  13:26.  2 more 6:45 miles, with climbs, but tailwind.  I may have cut the course,angling across the soccer fields at Jennie P, rather than sticking to the roads.  I wish my garmin wasn't dead so I had real splits.

6.2 miles:  40:35.  Did I cut the course?  How did I come home (uphill) faster than I ran away?  I can't believe I pulled off the negative split by 15 seconds; I must have cheated.

Or did I?  That last mile was 6:43, faster than my first.

I've been thinking about this 10k for a couple months.  Using it as a fitness gauge, I concluded I wouldn't bother with signing up for a race until I could do it in 40 minutes.  Maybe I'm not as far away from being back in the groove as I thought.  I felt all right on the run.  I was definitely blowing hard, even groaning, but I managed to get it back under control, and stayed strong without a big crash and burn. 

.5 cool down 

8 p.m.  After mowing lawns with the boys for 3 hours, I ran from home to BST, over to the Davis Creek Reservoir, then down to Main, and south on home.  I felt all right, and the sunset was a keeper.  I got off the trails just as it was getting too dark to safely navigate, so good timing.  I didn't encounter many runners.  I guess they were all on dates.

zero running, but 6 hours of mowing lawns.  I gotta make excuses for following up a 45 mile week with a measly 23.

6 am  After dinner last night I fell asleep on the floor till 11:30.  The 4 hour nap meant waking up around 5:30 a.m. came naturally.  Ash was already rattling around the house, so I told her we were going for a run/ride.  Oddly, I was completely wiped out.  We stopped for a break at the creek, and once we made it to freedom hills, I sat on the bench and watched her play for 10 minutes instead of running laps around the park.  We came home a longer way, and by mile 6 I was awake and firing on most cylinders.  Despite the early start, I didn't make it to work until after 9.  Dragging, with a wonderful allergy induced headache and eyes I could rub for hours at a stretch.  Ahhh, spring.

8:30 pm  After 2 kids played and soloed in the choir concert, we drove home in pouring rain.  By the time I got changed, the rain dwindled to a sprinkle.  I wore my crocs for slipsliding around.  The sun was setting, beneath an opaque bowl of dark grey clouds, a magnificent, blaze orange orb.  By the time I reached my turnaround it was down, but as I came home,  the ambient light was greater than before the sun set.  The clouds were breaking up, and light was bounding about.

The birds really picked up the song after the rain ceased.  'Twas a nice frolic. 

7:45 pm    I asked if there were any takers for a run/ride, and my 17 yo daughter surprised me by coming along.  We enjoyed the clouds, sunset and conversation.  I threw in a little tempo at the end to show off.  I guess I'm a sucker for a pretty girl.

7 am  CrAsh came with to drop off bills on a circuitous route.  She's a good sport, and good company.  She pedaled up steep hills to Island View.  We also paid a brief visit to the graveyard.  I miss my garmin, but I found a good website or two detailing battery replacement.  I need to get one ordered and bring it to work where I can use the scopes and soldering irons.  If I could resurrect that thing I would feel a sense of accomplishment, as well as forgoing mapmyrun.com. 8 pm. 5.3 on the tm, just because. Which incidentally is a really good recent janes addiction song. Relatively recent, anyway. I shoulda gone outside.

Picking up the redbox after yard working 7 hours. Those should be x training miles. I ran to ricks creek, jumped in, the came home. Crocs were squeaky and shirt was muddy.

Fund raiser 5k with my girls.

The race started at 8, so I assumed if I got up at 7, we'd be fine.  What I should have done was got their stuff put together on Friday night.  As it was, we frantically ran around the house looking for shoes, socks, suitable shorts, and left around 7:45 for the starting line.  The girls rode their bikes so their legs wouldn't get too tired.  Ash sported an extra small shirt from Hobble 1/2 last year; Anna found something suitable to wear.  Nena also dressed to run.  She's been threatening to train for a half marathon at the end of the summer, but with a challenging academic schedule, she just hasn't found the time.  This race was to be her kick-off.

I lined up with the little ones at the back.  We planned to Galloway the 5k, with 4 minutes of easy running and 1 minute of walking, repeat as necessary.  

Everything went smoothly until Anna tripped on a crack on the sidewalk just before mile two.  Of course she splattered on her hands and knees, scraping them but not drawing any blood.  She cried for a couple minutes, but got right back to work despite her mishap.

With .5 to go, Anna was very tired.  I sent Ash ahead to finish at her desired pace; Anna stuck with me.  By now the run to walk ratio was down to 2:1.  She didn't believe that we were getting closer until we turned the corner and the finish line was in sight.  In a mad sprint, she dashed ahead, finishing in 38:11.  I came in a few seconds later, glad she hadn't tripped in her exuberance.  Ash finished in 36 minutes, Nena in 28.

I had no idea how they would do, but I'm impressed with their effort and determination.   

(recovery chocolate shakes pictured above) 

Both the little ones want to run a Memorial day 5k.  Woods Cross sponsors a free event, with pancakes afterward. Thus begins a dynasty of mid-packery.  

7 am  Legacy to Glover, Back on Main.

It was a day out of Oklahoma!  Oh, what a beautiful morning....

The LPT section that is set back from the road was particularly transcendent.  I counted a dozen different calls from birds, plus frogs.  The sun was up, but not hot.  The company was great; Ash pedaled with me.  Fartleks over the wood bridge section, with a little girl dusting me off on her bike every so often.  If I happened to beat her to an imaginary finish line, she would say, "I'm not racing, Dad."  By the turnaround we were thirsty, but needed a mile or so to make it to the skate park.  One water fountain was flowing, thank goodness.  

In the last couple miles, I picked it up, but left my partner far behind.  She was calling out for me to wait, so I did, and ran the last mile in slow.   

Mountain Dew recovery, and Happy Mother's Day.  

7 am  Ricks Creek and back with a Parrish Lane kicker.  Ash came along.

7 am  Yesterday I pried apart the garmin.  The battery looked fine, but there were corroded contacts.  I removed all the powder, cleaned things up and soldered a jumper between the posts.  I added a couple rubber bands to hold the two halves of the garmin together, and charged it.  It seemed to charge normally.  This morning I took it on the run/ride with Ash.  Everything worked fine.  I guess some water or sweat got in and caused some trouble.  The mode button still doesn't work, but I can at least see pace, distance, time and elevation.  I need to glue the halves back together with some bathroom silicone, just in case I need to get in there again.  That, and stay out of the water.  I like the sprinklers and hoses and whatnot, but with that garmin, it's a no-no any more.  So anyway, it was good for a run-time up to an hour.  I wouldn't trust it for a marathon just yet.  

 The bad news about having it is now I know for certain how slow I'm going.

I spent an hour looking at stuff on the blog last night, and at this point I a flabbergasted I ran a 3:00 marathon at huntsville last fall.  I have an idea what I need to do to run a 2:52-2:58 marathon, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to pay the price.  I think it's as simple as miles per week.  If I was consistently in the 55-65 mpw range during July and August, that would be a good portent for a sub 3 marathon in September.  

Currently, 7 mile runs are no problem.  I would need to do 9-10 mile runs 6 days a week.  It doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but it stacks up.  With family, church, work and a broad lack of discipline,  it's easy to miss a day or two a week.  We've got a few major things on the horizon, and I don't know if it will be worth the sacrifice during those months.  I read so many motivating entries from runners of all stripes on here, and I know there are dozens and dozens of people who are equivalently busy that work harder.  Still sussing this out.

That stupid bird started again this morning at 5:15.  I resisted getting up until much later.  Close the window, lose the cool, fresh air, also lose the bird noise.  Quite a conundrum.

I finally rolled out with Ash at 7.  I made her run a mile, then she rode along with me.  I wore the crocs w/out socks, and was BETRAYED!!  By mile 3, a blister was rubbing on the rivet, so off came the crocs.  I tentatively made my way home barefoot.  Shoes tomorrow, and maybe an earlier start. 

6:45 am  After the blisters yesterday, I went back to the tried and true, 675 mile Mirages.  They smell like an old running shoe, but they lovingly envelop my feet.  Ash came with to Freedom Hills.  Ah, Freedom Hills, tucked up close to the foothills, granting shade until 9 a.m.  Ash played a bit while I ran a couple laps.  Fearing she would be late for school, and knowing a donut stop remained on the itinerary, I pried her off the playground equipment.  For the 2 miles to the store I ran hard; sweat even made an appearance.  Not the damp kind, but the droplets that run off your face kind.  

Then we came home.  Ash ate her donut in the driveway so she wouldn't have to share.  Then she asked me if there was any on her face.  It was pretty funny. 

7 am  Another morning meander with Ash.  57 degrees.  Plants like May.

The peacock and donkey we ran past make the bird outside my window pale in comparison.  I'm glad they aren't my neighbors. 

7:15 am.  I spent the week jealous of everyone running Ogden.  I wasn't ready for a marathon, but kind of wished to be there anyway.  Running events, especially the big ones, are a lot of fun.  I left right at the marathon start time.  I headed to BST, and when I looked up at the hills, I decided to run the zigzag trail up to the clouds.  There was a fair bit of walking.  I reached the clouds, and watched them funneling up the canyon.  Soon after, it started raining earnestly.  Within minutes I was soaked.  I only made it to the greasewoods before it seemed prudent to turn around.  Temps had dropped into the 40's and the rain was unrelenting.  Incidentally, did you know that trails become small streams in heavy rain?  My feet were completely soaked, and I began to notice my damp shirt.  I quickly removed it, hoping no damage was done.  Alas, I left it on too long.  I was gone 80 minutes, and the mileage is a bit of a guess.  I definitely wasn't doing 10 minute miles on the up, but it probably averaged out.  By the time I made it back to the road, I splashed through every puddle and gutter in sight.  Once you are soaked, you are soaked.  By the end my jealousy had morphed into pity for everybody slogging through 26 miles of wet roads and clothes.  Fun times.  

8 pm  Mood enhancement/streak preservation run.  100% successful.  If I don't get to run every 36 hours, I start feeling a bit dark.

6:30 am.  Typical out and back to Farmington, this time with my neighbor Dave.  If I ran all my easy runs with him, I would probably become a 2:50 marathoner.

7 am.  Ash came with despite the 48 degree start.  She spent the last half of the run telling me 9 year old girl ghost stories.  "I've got you where I want you and now I'm going to eat you..."

One of them about an evil doll was pretty creepy, though.

 pm  #1 was supposed to run 3, but she wimped out.  I decided to play with the foam roller, and got a lot of stuff moved around in my quads, glutes and hamstrings.  It wasn't pretty, and I was yelling, it hurt so good.  

7 am  Out and back to a little canyon south of the B.  It was my first time to this pretty spot.  I was going to run to the temple, but turned east instead.  There is a vehicle excluded road that runs up from the B for .75 miles before it ends.  One of the irrigation districts diverts nearly all the water from Stone Creek.  Anyway, it's quite a creek before the diversion.  I want to head up there with the girls to play sometime.  15 degrees warmer than yesterday, and Ash wouldn't come because she was re-watching those accursed My Little Pony videos.  She couldn't have made it up the hills anyway.  I got the average pace under 10 mm thanks to the return trip.  I was dragging on the uphills.  

7:15 am.  Got a late start, and Ash wanted to come, despite the 44 degree cold.  I brought knit gloves that she refused initially.  2 minutes later she happily put them on.  We ran to Ricks Creek and back, adding in some hills, despite her protestations.  She dusts me off on the flats and downhills, but I can kick her trash on any hill that's longer than .05 miles.  I lurve running.

6:45 am.  Lousy sleep, but Ash was ready to go.  We decided to visit the Bntfl. graveyard in light of Memorial Day.  We ran over there pretty easy; I don't like heading south.  There is a lot more traffic and dangerous crossings.  Paid a visit to my uncle, WW2 vet who died a few weeks after 9/11.  We had to negative split to get her home on time for school.  The course was in our favor, as most of the miles back were slightly downhill.  No time to stop for a donut.  She kept the dollar.

7 am.  Ash preferred staying home to play Hay Day, so I went a bit longer.  Home, to Farmington pond, easy.  I got to the pond, and decided to run around it.  I came to the stream, and attempted to cross.  Halfway across, I realized chances were slim of making it without stepping in, so I turned back.  Of course I stepped on a wobbly rock and soaked both my feet.  Since I was already wet, I ran through the stream and did in fact circle the pond.  When I got to 3 miles from home, my shoes were mostly dry, and I did 3 MP, hard miles.  Pace for the last three miles was 6:50ish.

At long last, a worthwhile workout.  I've been logging a lot of mindless miles, enjoying each one, but this felt like it had some teeth.  No music, but the sound of birdsong, shoe-slapping and ragged breathing.  

The nicest thing is, I wasn't totally wiped out for the rest of the day. 

9:30 pm  I got dressed to go for this streak preserving run.  We were waiting for my son to conclude a treasure hunt for his birthday presents.  9:30 became 10:30 before he was done, and it stopped making sense to go just for the sake of going, when a 5k was starting 8 hours later.  I took of my clothes and went to bed, thus ending my longest (meager) consecutive running days streak at 20.  The moral of the story is:  run in the morning.

It's actually a bit of a relief to nip it in the bud.   

7 am   5 of the kids signed up for the WX Mario Kart 5k.  When it was time to leave, only one came.  I lost Anna to a lack of finisher medals, Ash to pukes, Jens&Nena to laziness.  Grace toed the line, but couldn't finish.  Oops.

I didn't wear a watch, but ran hard.  I came in at 19:34.  I couldn't make a move on the guy in front of me, even though I saw him walking briefly.  On the bright side, nobody passed me.  I love how races string out.  I was trying not to suffer ill-effects of the flu, and felt glad to hold things together.  Grace got feeling bad about halfway through, and cut back to the park.  I didn't know this, and back-tracked the course for over a mile looking for her.  When I got to a family pushing a guy in a wheelchair, I concluded she was no longer attempting the race.  I finally found her wandering around the park at 7:50, so a half hour of fruitless searching.  I wish I could have found her in time to help her to the finish.   

No part of a 5k ever feels good, except later in the day when the pukey feeling has subsided.  Today I feel a bit more profoundly appreciative of having the capacity to run.  On Sunday I visited a fellow in the hospital.  He has spent the last quarter century paralyzed from the neck down, and when I left his room, I was just awestruck and uplifted having met him.  We visited for over an hour, and he never once complained.   We don't know how lucky we are.

7 am   Typical 10k, but with a bit of rain tossed in for variety.  Ash rejoined for the first time since Friday.  She's had the pukes, but is on the mend.  Still, her energy level is a bit low, so these miles were slower than usual.

7 am  Falling behind on blogging...

7 am