Seeking a better country...

5 with my neighbor, and Jack in the stroller.  Neighbor just did his first ragnar and is pretty excited about relays and running right now.

The annual tradition continues.  

All evening the night before, I was going back and forth about racing this, or just supporting the kids.  During my provisional warmup at 6 am, I decided to go for it.  I need to get a workout in every week, so this week it would be a 3.1 mile tempo run.  I ran a couple before paying for my shirtless entry, and Anna's shirt included. $25

The gun went off.  I was off to the side and didn't get out very well.  As usual, little kids were bobbing, weaving and gasping all over the road, narrowly avoiding being trod upon.  After 2 turns that was all sorted out.  I passed a few people on the hill, Mile 1 6:40.  Okay.  I can live with 6:40 for that mile.  It's the most challenging mile.  But then I rolled along past the 2nd marker, and my split was identical.  Despite easier terrain, including downhill, I wasn't making up any time.  The third mile wasn't marked, but I pushed hard along main street.  I got passed once after the midpoint, but passed a dozen.  Ended up comfortably under 20 minutes.  

I grabbed my water bottle, and headed back to find Anna.  The warm temps and her lack of any training doomed her to a slow finish; she was much further back on the course than usual.  I told her you can't run your fastest every race.  It's too hot to run super fast on the 4th of July.  I was really proud that she wanted to run, regardless of her time.  

For my troubles, I got a safety and emissions at Big O tire, valued at $42.50.  Hooray for being barely fast enough to get a prize!  3 girls beat me; Jasmine, Cynthia and somebody else.

5:45 am

I'm giving 52 minutes of running 6 miles.  At 6 minute pace, that would be nine.  Ain't nobody got time for that.  6 minute pace, alas, I never knew thee.

But I ran a long and winding road/trail to the V.  To say it was cool and comfortable would be a lie, and I'm not going to lie.  

I was parched.  

Slow miles...fast miles... who can really say?  I'm going to log quality miles as fast miles.  The quality miles today were a unique form of torture, also known as hill repeats.  Glover Lane, Frontage to Main, 6x.  1st one 1:45.  2nd one 1:45.  Then the gapping/gasping started.   And the borderline hurling at the stopsign.  How silly of me to try and keep pace with Jasmine and Cynthia.  By the end, I'm sure I drifted to around 2 minutes.  The last rise is a steeper section that took me from 90% effort to 105%, at least it felt like it.  

If I'm going to be a runner, I need to act like one, at least occasionally.   Workouts instead of aimless meandering about.  This was another step in the right direction.

5:40 seemed way too early today.  Cloud cover kept temps in the 70's overnight.  I guess cool running is relative.  I ran my usual out on the 10k route, but came home the rollers route.  

New shoes arrived yesterday; that's usually good for a bump in enthusiasm.  I can't believe how many pair of lawnmowing shoes I have lying about now.  The ratio of shoes to lawns for mowing is extremely out of proportion.

p.m.  16 miles cycling with my daughter

6 am.  Tami and I ran together for 11, then she headed home, and I did three marathon pace miles, plus 1 cooldown.  

To what end?  I still haven't signed up for Big Cottonwood.  That's the drop-dead date to BQ.  I'm still trying to determine if I have a BQ in me this summer.  I suspect it's possible, but I'm not convinced it's feasible.  After UVM, I definitely have no interest in running another marathon unless I am 96% prepared.  

They say proper prior planning prevents possible problems.  Possibly.

5:30 am  BST to Freedom Hills, came home on Main with 3 marathon pace miles.  New pair of Mirage 3's felt pretty splashy.  They have glow in the dark substance in the shoe laces.  I've got flash, but no sizzle.

Gabriel was having a moment last night; didn't want a bottle, didn't want food, didn't want to play, didn't want to lay down.  So I put on my shorts and shoes and strapped him in the stroller.  He sat, silent and content for the 6.5 mile run.  

It was kinda hot, and the baby kept me out of the sprinklers.  That was the only drawback to having him along.  When we got home, he went to bed without a peep.

I crossed a dangerous threshold last night.  After I showered, I came out and fell asleep on the couch.  This has happened hundreds of times, but last night I hadn't brushed my teeth.  Yuck.  Just call me moss-mouth.

6 on thursday night.  I'm sure I went.  

15 miles, 3 hours.  It was pretty slow for my taste, but just right for Tami.  Last week worked out better with a faster finish.  We'll have to try that again next week.  Following the run, mowed a few lawns, cleaned out the garage, etc.  

I haven't tracked my shoes in months.  I have newer shoes, and I'm running in 2 pairs of mirage threes.  All my other footwear is cooked.  Today I wore my old kinvaras to work.  I haven't worn crocs on a run in over a year.  I don't know why...maybe I got sick of them coming off.  For one thing, my son left a pair in a hot car, and they kind of shrunk.

My annual desire to move to Flagstaff AZ is cresting.  I'm really sick of the heat.  

10 pm.  It was sultry.  Jack came in the stroller.  We took flags off the construction signs and used them to hit garbage cans.  He kept noticing all the diamonds (road and construction signs)  By mid-run, the tiredness took over and he stopped talking and hitting things.  Today my boy turns 3.  He's been a good running buddy since he was 3 days old.  I'm a very lucky dad.

I had to get up pretty early to get these miles in before a 7:20 t-time with my dad, mom and son.  The run was nice; it was actually reasonably cool in the shade of the mountains.  Either that, or I'm getting acclimated to the heat.

Golf didn't go well.  As someone once said, "a good walk spoiled."  Except I didn't walk.  Eaglewood begs for a cart.  Then my dad bait and switched me into a car-type project.  All's well that ends well, though.  He had cold Dew in the fridge, and made us pancakes for breakfast.  

It was strange to not spend a good part of the morning on the race course or at liberty park.  But sometimes a break with tradition is greater than continuing a tradition.  If you never let go of something, pretty soon you are tied down all the time.  At certain points, enough is enough.

Feasibility study for Cottonwood marathon.  I've been dancing around commitment like a nervous bachelor for months.  If this 20 miler went well, I would plan on doing the next one.  Price goes up for the race on August 15th, so that will give me one more look in a couple weeks.

I got up at 5 am, ate some toast and got out the door by 5:30.  I carried powerade and jellybeans to drop at the 2.5 mile area, and carried fruit strips for fuel.  My course was out and back to Farmington City Hall 2 times.  It is exactly 5 miles from my door to the drinking fountain in the park near the pool.  

Garmin A died 3 miles in.  The first 10 miles were around 8 minute pace, probably rarely dipping under.  The course is nonstop rollers, and with 20 miles to go, I didn't want to start out too crazy.  

I got home after 10, drank some powerade and grabbed a different garmin to try.  It held out for the remainder of the run, which was really the litmus test.  I ran the 5 miles to the fountain again, just over 8 minute pace.  

15 miles into a run is a great time to start some MP miles.  16-19 were 7:39, 7:02, 7:54, 6:59.  Cooled down for a 9 minute mile to wrap up the 20.

Signals are mixed from this workout.  Yeah, I got 20 in.  But only 20% of the miles averaged marathon pace, the rest were 40-60 seconds slower.  My pacing is horrible, but that's kind of understandable on a rolling course.  

In two weeks, I'll find a long canyon to run down.  That'll give me a better idea on comparable terrain.  

4 out and back on Legacy, with Gaby in the stroller and Ash on the bike.  I knew I should stay east to keep out of the sun, but stubbornly held to the plan.  Indeed, it became hot and sunny.

I tried to get Ash to sing "Working on the Railroad" like she used to when we'd go together.  No dice.  I guess 10 is some kind of a threshold for singing silly songs while riding a bike.

The rain showers beckoned me outside to the BST.  I was lazy and got dropped off, rather than make the climb.  The evening meal was sitting high; I should have planned better.  

I didn't go very fast, and it stopped raining within 2 miles.  Still, it was nice to get out in the evening and have temps in the high 60's instead of the 80's.

Walked in on a little kid at the restroom.  Somebody should learn to use a lock.  

Out and back to the bridge beyond elephant rock.  After that bridge, the trail starts heading west; that's where I turned around.  Tami came too.  We ran 2 miles up together, then down from the rock together.  Tough climbing.