Seeking a better country...

Ran home from dessert at my sisters, over by Lewis Park.  I wanted to get my legs moving and flush out the aftermath of Saturday.  I think this was a pretty harmless run.

Work is at a lull for now, so I'm getting in later and leaving earlier with no ill-effects.  Longer mornings and evenings at home are wonderful.  It makes it so much easier to get the requisite sleep when adding mileage.  

Baby Gaby was having a hard time, so we all went for a run to dinosaur park.  He sat quietly the whole time.  When we got home his mood was considerably improved.  The girls, however, were another story.  One even went to bed without dinner.  I hate when the day ends with an argument about toast.

After they all went to bed, we watched Dead Poets Society, in memorium.  

At 7:20, it started raining again.  Run #3 this year in deluge conditions.  The opening mile was pretty fast, but my shoes started getting heavy, and the cookie dough was sitting high in my stomach, so I slowed down a bit, even walked all the way up Old Haul Road.  One of my 18 year old neighbors was sitting at the park in the bowery "chatting" with a pretty girl...good way to spend a rain storm.  I ran up the switchbacks to BST.  By now the rain had stopped, but I could see it coming down in several locations in the valley.  I started playing the lightning game, but every interval between flash and thunder was over 20 seconds.  

There was an occupied car parked on the dirt road looking out over the valley, and momentarily it occurred to me to check on him to see if the occupant was all right.  Didn't do it.  Haven't heard about a suicide victim east of Centerville, so I'm glad I didn't knock on his window.  By the time I got back to Deuel Creek, it was raining hard again.  Lightning game interval was down to 5 seconds.  I got nervous and headed for home throught the graveyard.  Awesome run.

It was Jack's turn to need a run.  On the way home in the dark, I said "Choo Choo!" really loud.  He got mad and started to sob inconsolably, because I was "waking up the people."  I've never been able to ignore a reaction like that, so I did it a couple more times.  He wouldn't stop crying, until I told him I was sorry.  Immediately the flow of tears stopped,  "It's okay, Dad."  

What a weirdo.

From a running standpoint, this one was tough.  He's getting to be a lug in the stroller, and my legs are as tired as my appetite is revved up.

It didn't cool off overnight- 71 degrees @ 5:45 am.  Oh well.  I thought there would be some strong sprinklers to run through, but that was a fail, too.

I'm really grinding this week, struggling on these runs.  14 miler tomorrow, contemplating up and down City Creek Canyon.  I need to get some downhill miles.

Big Cottonwood Canyon with Andy.  Becky, Amy, and Chantall came along and shuttled with us.  

I got cold hands in August, although I had to drive to nearly 9000' in elevation.  I ran this route last year for the drop 13 half, but it was good to get some continuous downhill on the legs and reaccquaint myself.  I wish it felt easier; my cardio was fine, but after 10-12 miles, my back was starting to feel sore.  This isn't crazy steep, other than a couple short sections, but it's continuous downhill, other than one short, meadow stretch.  I need to get back to the mouth of the canyon and run the wasatch blvd section.  

I skipped compression sleeves on my calfs/calves, and they are sore compared to last week.  My lateral glutes hurt a bit, but not so bad. 

Big props to Andy for the course suggestion and logistical support. He even brought me my spectacles after I stupidly left them in his car.