Kerry's Running Blog

Nice easy run this morning on a clear, cool Spring morning. Legs felt good. Saw Kim R. as I was running up the hill on Redwood Drive. I turned around at the top and caught him along the creek trail. We chatted for a bit and then I asked him if he was planning on doing any races. He said he'd done one in the past, but was reluctant to do any more because he was so slow. He'd heard about the Provo River Half from a colleague, so I encouraged him to sign up and assured him that he'd be far from the last to finish. He sounded like he was seriously considering it. I have to remember to follow up with him on Sunday to see if he was able to find the web site.

Ran Temple/Canyon Road loop. It's been a while since I ran the long hill up 40th and Canyon Road, but it felt OK. On the steeper sections my legs felt heavy, but it wasn't killing me. I do think that I need to run that course a little more often. I'd hoped to take my youngest daughter out for a run when I got back, but she was still asleep (extra tired after a sleepover the previous night). When she finally got up it was time to get ready for a Primary activity so I just went over to the church a little early to help set up. I should have run an extra three while I had the chance :)

Highland Glen loop this morning. Fairly warm this morning with no wind. Clear with some high clouds. After a one mile warmup, my legs felt quite fresh. Pushed the pace at times just for fun. Ran up the hill at the end of Redwood Drive and then down the trail. The tempo runs and increased mileage seem to be paying off as my resting heart rate has dropped to around 40 and my legs feel strong. I'll try to add a few more tempo miles this week.

Kohlers/Highland loop. Very warm with temperatures in the mid-60's at 5:30 a.m. A bit of a canyon breeze. Everthing's feeling good at this point in my training. As I was getting close to home, I saw a guy leisurely riding his bike up ahead of me. Since I take some perverse pleasure in passing people on bikes, I pushed the pace until I caught up with him. I could tell he was a little embarrassed as he briefly started going faster, but I just started pushing it faster as well. Sometimes in the morning it's too easy to just run the whole way at a comfortable pace, just lost in my thoughts, unless I spot somebody up ahead. I guess it's a good thing as it makes me work harder than I might otherwise.

Minutes before my alarm went off this morning, a storm front hit with high winds and pounding rain. I had planned a seven mile run this morning (four at threshold pace), but I just laid in bed and laughed when my wife reminded me it was time to head out. After fifteen minutes I got dressed and hopped on the dreadmill. It's been a while since I've run inside so every mile seemed to go by very slowly. I gradually increased the pace until I was running 7:30 by the end (which didn't cause much cardiovascular distress). The time seemed to go by faster as I was watching an interesting show on the History Channel about the D-Day invasion.

Kohler's loop on a cold, clear Spring morning. The clouds and rain of the last couple of days moved out and left everything smelling fresh and invigorating. I was surprised to find that I was a little bit stiff starting out and that my left ankle was a little sore during the middle part of the run. Whenever I get that soreness on the top of my ankle, it's usually followed later by knee soreness, calf cramping or other ailments -- usually in the other leg! The soreness might be a result of having run on the treadmill on Wednesday. I'll have to try further experiments to find out. Average pace was 8:17.

Ran again this evening when I got home. Highland Glen loop at easy pace, but steady pace. Hip flexor was sore for the first half mile or so and my legs felt a bit heavy, but felt OK the farther I went (except for a touch of bowel distress the last half mile or so).

There was some confusion this morning about what time we were supposed to pick up our daughter from trek. We asked our neighbor on Friday if he knew what time we were supposed to be there and he sent his daughter in to ask his wife. She came back out and said 7:30 a.m. That sounded kind of strange, but his wife had been one of the drivers that took the kids up to Cascade Springs. I figured that I would try to get in a run sometime in the late afternoon or evening as we'd have to leave around 6:30.

As I was eating breakfast around 6:15, my neighbor called and said that his daughter had gotten things mixed up and that we weren't supposed to be there until 10:30. Since Laureen was already up, we decided that we'd go for a run together. It was a beautiful, slightly cool morning along the creek trail. He then worked our way down to 48th and ran north to the light. Laureen's been struggling with a pulled muscle, but she was running well today. We ran west to Kohlers, south past the Highland Park and then worked our way back east. When we got home I thought about taking Amelia for a run, but she wasn't up yet. I didn't get that many miles in for the day, but it was nice to run and talk with Laureen. I've missed that the last couple of months.

Highland Glen loop this morning with a run to the top of Redwood Drive. I would have liked to have run a seven, but I was tired and wanted to sleep as long as I could. Yesterday I was on the go from 5:00 a.m. until well after nine (four stake meetings, plus our regular block schedule) -- then we never seem to get the lights out before 11:00 p.m. Once I got out the door this morning, I felt great. My legs felt light and springy and the miles seemed just flew by. I didn't wear my watch, but I know that I was easily under marathon pace the last mile or so. Now if I can just get a nap in and get to bed earlier tonight :)

Kohler's loop at 5:30 a.m. Felt a lot more rested this morning and was actually semi-conscious during the first mile. My legs didn't feel as fresh as yesterday, but they still felt pretty good. Ran a pretty steady pace through the first four and then picked it up a bit, just because I was feeling good. Ran 8:02 on the slight uphill from Kohlers and 7:17 on the slight downhill towards the high school. Averaged 8:02 over all, without feeling like I was pushing it. Tomorrow, I'll do a tempo run on the same route, probably going a little slower the first couple to warm up and then pushing it harder during the middle four.

Tempo run on Kohler's loop. Two and a half mile warm-up. Four miles threshold pace and a half mile cool-down. I didn't feel like I was in great distress at any time, but I was glad when the tempo stretch was over. I'd like to be able to stretch that part out to six miles or so by the end of next month. The inside of my right ankle was sore when I got out of bed and I briefly considered skipping today's run to rest it, but like most aches and pains it went away after a few minutes. It briefly came back a couple of more times along with a sore big toe, but right now none of those things look like anything to worry about. I know It's normal for me to be kind of a hypochondriac just before the relay, out of fear that I'm going to get injured and let the team down. I certainly worried about that last night as I was cutting one of our bigger (diseased) trees down with a chain saw. I kept imagining that I was going to slip and cut my foot off.

Distance	Avg Pace	Avg HR
2.50	8:40	133
4.00	7:22	164
0.53	8:24	160

My heart rate zone 4 (threshold) is from 155 to 169. Maximum HR is 183. I was happy with the 7:22 as it included a couple of good uphills and then a long gradual climb, before flattening out, dipping and finishing with a mostly gradual downhill.

Kohler's loop. Left the watch home and just ran for the fun of it. Enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells of the early morning. Legs felt pretty good. Still have some bounce in them after yesterday's harder workout.

Here is a map of the Kohler's loop:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1046961

Highland Glen loop. I thought about going longer today, but I thought the extra sleep would probably do me as much good at this point. My legs have been really great, but I occasionally have fleeting aches and pains that make me think I might be on the verge of an injury. No reason to risk that right now. I'll start increasing mileage again after the WBR.

Great run this morning with many friends (old and new). I hadn't seen Verdon for a long time so I ran and chatted with him for the first mile and a half or so. He was having a hard time talking and breathing so he kept encouraging me to catch up with the others (who by that time were no longer in sight). I caught up with Larry and Wayne after a few minutes and chatted with them briefly, before trying to catch the others. After a couple of minutes I caught sight of them on some of the longer stretches and started to slowly close the distance, but the closer they got to Vivian, the more the seemed to pick up the pace. Even though I never caught them until they stopped to head back down, I still got a great workout in nonetheless. I ran back down with Paul (as he relates in his blog entry) and Martin, who joined us about a third of the way down. It was fun seeing everybody and getting in a good workout besides.

Broke in a new pair of shoes this morning. Picked up a couple of Asics Cumulus VIII's for Father's Day, which means I can take retire a pair that's been in the rotation since just before the SGM. The shoes performed just as expected -- which probably isn't too surprising since I've been buying the Cumulus (through the yearly iterations) for the last five years or so.

I saw Bruce M. for a minute this morning (he's the one I tried to recruit for our relay team at one point). He was running hard just as I was starting out, so we only chatted for a minute. He's on a sub-master's male team (Team Sonic) that's starting at 10 am, which is kind of odd since their projected pace is 7:50. It'll be fun to be competing against them and even more fun competing against the sub-master's team that's starting at the same time that we are.

(C3 5.24)

Decided to take a rest day today as my legs weren't exactly feeling fresh yesterday and I've been tired enough that I start to doze off anytime I just sit down for a few quiet minutes. I read somewhere that the more miles you run, the more sleep you should get. With the longer days and the kids being out of school, we don't even start thinking about going to bed until it's quite late. I'd like to get in a good run tomorrow and then get as much sleep as possible Wednesday and Thursday night in preparation for the relay.

Highland Glen loop. As light as it ever get at 5:45 in the morning. An amazing number of people out running, jogging, walking and biking this morning. Legs felt pretty well rested and springy. No aches or pains to speak of. I have to admit to being a bit nervous about the heat that's predicted for this weekend, as almost all of my training is in the early morning. Some cold water every mile or two should help :) 

Broke in another new pair of Asics Cumulus VIII's this morning. (C4 5.24)

Rest day prior to the relay. My legs feel great. I was hoping to get some extra sleep in last night, but it was even later than usual when we finally turned the lights out. Oh well, maybe a little nap at lunch will help :)

Leg 3 of the WBR from Hyrum to Paradise. Took the handoff from Nathan who came flying into the exchange, and started heading south up a small hill. I felt like I was holding back a bit so that I could get somewhat acclimated to the heat (it was upper 90's at that time). As I made it up the hill and headed east, my mouth felt unusually dry and I could feel myself heating up. Finished the first mile in 7:40 and was happy to see my vanmates waiting with water. I stopped and gulped some down and then poured a cup on my head before taking off again. I was surprised that my mouth was dry again after about a quarter of a mile, as was my shirt and hat. It was HOT! Finished the second mile in 8:00, feeling somewhat nauseated. Heading out of Hyrum there is a long, straight open stretch with open fields on both sides. It seemed to go on forever. Fortunately, my teammates were waiting with water every mile or so which would give me an immediate burst of energy, but I'd dry out and heat up again in about a quarter of a mile. I got slower and slower as the leg progressed, averaging about 8:11 over all. I knew that one would be rough and I was very glad to get it out of the way. It took a while for me to cool down afterwards walking around under the big shade trees at the exchange.

Leg 15 is 4.9 miles and passes through a quiet residential area in the Morgan Valley. Tyler was my bike pacer and kept me entertained with stories from his mission in Bolivia. It was a beautiful night for a run and the temperature was almost perfect. The course was rolling and we passed a few other runners along the way, but I was listening so intently to Tyler that I hardly noticed the distance. I was surprised when he hit the one mile marker and although I was running at what I felt was a good pace, I began to pick it up as we got closer to the finish. I was confused by a car with its park lights on and thought for a minute that it was the exchange. When I realized it was a car instead, I almost didn't know where to go from there until I heard my teammates shouting. My average pace was around 7:30. 

Leg 27 starts in Kamas about 200 N Main and heads south into Francis and then follows Highway 32 west along the Provo River. I took the handoff from Nathan who came in fast and looking very strong. I started out fairly conservatively for the first half mile and then began to pick up the pace. There was as steady headwind from the south that blew alternatively hot and cold. Other runners were strung out in front of me as far in the distance as I could see. Since I hadn't seen any other runners my first leg and only passed three or four the second leg, it was motivating to see others ahead of me that I try to catch. By the time I got to the turn I'd passed six. The van was waiting for me with water, but it was still cool enough that I really wasn't thirsty. As I slowed to grab a sip, a girl passed me on the inside corner, the first time I'd been passed. She seemed to be running strong so I started after down the hill. I kept her pretty close and even started to gain on her down the steeper part of the hill, but she started to pull away when we got to the bottom. I was feeling pretty strong over all, but I didn't feel like I could push it any harder than I was. I passed three more on the way to the exchange and was close to passing the 10th, but she started to pick up the pace and I didn't have enough gas in the tank to catch her (it wasn't the girl that passed me earlier). It felt great to be finished and I knew that I'd given it my best effort. Average pace was 7:31.

1st mile: 7:44, 2nd mile: 8:02, 3rd mile: 7:10, 4th mile: 7:18, 5th mile: 7:27, last .12 6:51 pace.

My legs felt good this morning, but I decided that I needed to make sure that I was all caught up on sleep. Church meetings started at 6:00 a.m. yesterday morning and even though I was able to get in a nap before our block started, there were times during the day that I felt quite drowsy. Sleeping in this morning, put me a little bit late for work and some heavier than normal traffic. Just a few minutes after clearing the congestion by turning onto I-215, a black SUV cut in front of me driving around 100 mph. There was a UHP officer giving a ticket to someone on the side of the road and when he saw that guy go by, he just ran to his car and jumped in. About two seconds later, another UHP car goes screaming by on my left, followed a few seconds later by another and then all heck (family-safe term substituted) broke loose as more than a dozen police cars flew by in a couple of seconds. For at least another minute or two, the police cars kept coming. When I turned on the radio to KSL they said the guy they were after had apparently killed a guard up at the University Medical Center and had carjacked the SUV. By the time I was ready to turn off the freeway on 35th south, they said that they had caught up with him at an Arby's on 17th South and Redwood (that was a lot of ground to cover in just such a short amount of time). This is the KSL link to the story:

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=1393844

I still need to add an entry for the WBR, but I wanted to look over my Garmin log before doing so.

Highland Glen loop. Pleasant temperatures, no wind to speak of. My calves felt a little tight from the relay, but seemed to be getting their spring back. I should be able to go back to seven miles starting tomorrow. Pushed it a little harder on the home stretch without any problems.

Kohler's loop. Pleasant temperatures. Cool canyon wind especially on the Highland Highway segment. Still feeling a little tightness in my calves, but no aches or pains to speak of. For some reason, I hardly saw anyone out this morning.

Kohler's Loop. I was definitely on auto-pilot this morning. Just woke up at 5:18 without the alarm, got dressed, headed out the door and was at least a mile into my run before I was fully conscious. I was running a pretty good warm-up pace, but as always, I picked it up when I saw a runner ahead of me. He was kind of plodding along so it didn't take too long to catch him, but I guess I was hoping that he was going my way and we could chat for a minute. On mornings when I'm more rested, I think about lessons I need to prepare or programming challenges at work or just enjoy the birds and other sounds of the morning, but there are times when I'm tired that apart from my eyes being open, I'm effectively asleep (even though I'm running an eight minute pace or so). I can understand how Dean Karnazes would fall asleep running during one of his 300 mile adventures. The brain can disassociate itself from the body and rest even when the heart, lungs and legs are still working pretty hard.

Easy run with Laureen through the golf course, up Canyon Road, along the foothills and down along the canal. Great morning for a run. Although there was a time or two when I felt tired, towards the end I felt like I could keep going forever. Laureen was running well and seems to be on track with her training for St. George. This next week I'm planning to bump up my mileage to around 50.