It ain't Chinese algebra!

No problems with today's tempo run. I felt pretty good and survived the cold. My feet felt like solid bricks after just 1 mile, but seemed to "thaw out" by mile 4. I ran north past the armory, so the route was flat most of the time. Started with 1 mile easy, 5 mile tempo, then 1 mile easy to finish. My time was 2 seconds faster than on December 19th (also a 5 mile tempo on a similar course) and today was much colder. On the 19th I had to finish with a 5:01 last mile for a decent time, but today I was much more "even" in my splits, so I was happy with that (goal was 5:30):

• 5:24
• 5:28
• 5:26
• 5:30 (slight uphill)
  
• 5:20 (slight downhill)
  

Total Tempo Time: 27:09

Pace: 5:26

Sinster (13)

Today was ROUGH!!!  One of my worst runs in months.  I like to think that I can generally handle unpleasant conditions.  I'll run in single digit temps, snow, rain, ice, etc.  I don't love it, but I survive.  I guess today I learned the one thing that gets to me though--wind.  It was horrible this morning.  Weather channel said the wind was blowing @ 28 mph with gusts up to 39 mph.  It was coming from the south, so I tried to run east to west and avoid it head-on, but it wasn't happening.  As usual with my long runs, I wanted to hit around 6 min/mile, or even 5:50 after the last 2 weeks, but I didn't even come close.  I did 1 mile easy, then started my garmin.  Course was to the canyon trail, south past old hospital, through Jill's old neighborhood and the motel frontage road.  Splits were:

• 6:46-Slight wind
• 6:47-Increased wind and uphill
• 7:21-Wind directly to my front, all uphill (at one point, garmin says 9:15 pace) :(
  
• 7:10-Wind straight on, all uphill
  
• 7:04-Wind off and on as I go through a neighborhood
  
• 7:29-Road now flat, but wind seems to pick up
• 7:36-DOWNHILL and I slow down even more.  What a joke.  Gusts were easily 35+ right about now.

At this point, I've ran 7 miles in 50:10 (7:10 min/mile) and feel trashed.  So I decide to turn around and run home:

• 5:41-Uphill the entire mile and it feels like I'm running DOWN an escalator!
• 5:44-Flat road, wind to my back
  
• 6:16-Wind off and on through neighborhood
• 5:47-Flat, wind off and on
• 6:21-Downhill-ish, but the wind picks up and nearly knocks me over multiple times
• 5:37-Finally flat and wind at my side
• 5:28-Same as above.

So my second 7 splits were all over the place, but my average was 5:51 per mile, so when it's all said and done, I'm okay with that.  I was happy that, after 13 miles, I was able to finish with 2 quick miles.  Overall though, it was just brutal today.  I was frustrated at how slow I was going even though I thought my effort felt as high as ever.  Whatever.....  I guess that's just the way it goes living in a windy city.  It makes me appreciate the runs in 10 mph winds!

Red (63)

An easy 4 miles after the dentist and before work. Winds were 25+ mph again this morning, so I stayed inside and ran on the treadmill. First 3 miles were at 5% incline, last mile was at 7%.

Sinster (17)

Lots of snow last night made for a very wet/slushy run, but it was fun anyway.  The plan was 5x1000m repeats on the track, so I started out with an easy 3 miles to warm up.  Just as I was starting my first interval.......I got kicked off by the track team.  Bummer.  I ran over to the high school to see if it was cleared off (it wasn't), so I called it a day and ran home.  I thought about doing hills instead, but I need to get these legs moving, so speed work is postponed until tomorrow.

Sinster (21)

I took the GRE today. Find out in 15 days how I did, then I can start applying to graduate school. After the test I just wanted to relax, but I talked myself into running anyway. 3 easy miles to start, then speed on the track, followed by 1.5 miles easy. Splits:

400	68
800	2:16
800	2:18
800	2:19
800	2:18

Between each repeat I jogged 400m. Usually when I do 800's, I shoot for 2:20 and miss it by a couple seconds, so I was happy they were all under my goal. Probably went a little too hard on the first 800.

Speedstar

5 miles easy to loosen things up on the Wal-Mart loop. Average was 6:49. I stretched for a couple minutes and then started my 3 mile tempo. Ran from Home Depot north to the high school, then through neighborhoods to the college. Splits:

Mile Split	Total Time	Course Layout
5:02	5:02	Slight downhill past the movies
5:14	10:16	Slight uphill towards the high school
5:01	15:17	Flat for .85, downhill for final .15

1 mile easy finish things up. I was shooting for splits between 5:15-5:20, so I'm very pleased with todays run. It seems that I've been hitting my times pretty consistently lately, so maybe it's time to recalculate and shoot for bigger goals?

Total Tempo Time: 15:17

Pace: 5:06

Sinster (30)

The workout was an 8 mile run, then 2 miles easy. I'm pleased with today's run. I had to run @ 5 in order to be at work at 7. That's probably no big deal to most of you, but that's early for me. I ran to the south of town, then north to the hospital, then back to the house. I had two cops tell me to get off the road! I figure I can run wherever I want @ 5 am when zero cars are on the road, so I was running in the turning lane..... I guess I learned my lesson after the second cop yelled at me.

Total Time: 45:51

Pace: 5:44

Red (73)

I started with 4 easy miles (6:45 pace), then went to the track for some speed.  I did 6x400m repeats with a 400m jog between each.  Splits were:

• 66
• 66
• 68
• 66
• 65
• 63

Finished up the run with 2 more easy miles.  Overall it was a good run and I'm very pleased with where I'm at right now.

Sinster (39)

I'm sure this entry is going to sound similar to all those running in Utah.....COLD! It was 4 degrees when I left my house, but with the wind chill it was negative 11. Freezing! I survived though. I didn't run with my garmin or any other watch, so I'm not sure about the pace. I'm guessing around 6:40/mile. The last mile I increased the pace, but I'm sure it wasn't faster than 5:35/mile.

Red (78)

Not sure it was even worth running today. I missed my alarm and by the time I got up, I only had 30 minutes to run. I got dressed and headed outside, realized it was 3 degrees (plus whatever the wind-chill made it), and was fine going only a few miles.

Sinster (42)

Here goes the report. To begin the day, I made sure to not make the same mistake as last year and run on an empty stomach. I ate a bagel and banana about 2 1/2 hours before the race began, got in the car and made my way to St. George. I warmed up with only 1 mile of light jogging. It was right around 30 degrees, so I ended up wearing a t-shirt, shorts, gloves and beanie. I wanted to run a PR, so anything under 1:13:36 would have made me happy.

The race started and I went out faster than I ever had for a half marathon. Right away I met up with Sasha, Dave, Nick, Logan and Karl. We ran as a group, taking turns with the lead every .25 miles. It was a lot of fun to share the workload and run as a group, something that is very foreign to me. I've pretty much ran solo my entire life, even while running in high school and college....just the way things worked out. Anyway, we ran together until mile 4 when I got left in the dust! I have always thought of myself as a strong hill runner, but these guys made me look like I was walking as we left the trail system and ran through a park. After the climb ended, and for the next 2 miles or so, I was able to keep the gap between the myself and the lead group to about 15-20 feet. By the time we I crossed the bridge and started towards Bloomington, the gap was easily 75 meters to Sasha and Dave. I was in no-mans land from here until the finish.

For me, the Bloomington loop is pure misery. Every time I run it, it feels as if it's twice the length it is. Back on the trail and heading towards the finish line, I was on pace for a great time. According to my garmin, I came through mile 10 @ 53:53, so I was confident I could hold on for a few more miles. I didn't feel as though I had slowed down, but I would look down at my watch and see my pace in the high 5's and even low 6's. I would re-commit and push harder, or so it felt, but nothing changed. I just fell apart and I'm not sure why. For the last 2 miles, right after leaving the golf course "net" area, my vision went haywire. I could see people's bodies, but none of their features. Everything was blurry. I'd blink and hope to clear things up, but nothing changed until I was walking through the finishers shoot and having my number scanned. I've never experienced anything like that, so who knows..... I'm sure it's nothing.

My garmin had me at 13.18, but I hear that the majority of people were more like 12.95-12.98, so who knows. I hesitate to put my splits as they must be in-accurate, but here they are anyway:

• 5:34
• 5:27
• 5:16
• 5:27
• 5:31 (27:18 @ 5)
• 5:05
• 5:00
• 5:46
• 5:24
• 5:19 (53:53 @ 10)
• 5:37 (slowing...)
  
• 5:47 (slowing even more....)
• 6:04 (WOW! I've fallen apart.....)
• 5:22 (for final .18 on my garmin)

Like I said, I'm sure it's not that my garmin is accurate and 100+ others are off. Mine is goofed up somehow. Does that make all my previous distances wrong? Who knows.... So when it's all said and done, I guess I can't say, with confidence, that I ran a PR given the short course. However, I will say that I'd take this time on this course any day over my current half pr on Bryce Canyon's downhill course.  Oh yeah, I guess I can't complain...last year I ran Painter's in 1:15:47, so short course or not, I improved by 3:26.

Anyway, I ran 2 miles to cool down. I raced in my Sinisters. Never again. I'll use them for tempo's under 10 miles. My right achillies was sore something fierce Saturday and Sunday.

Sinister (58)

Wal-Mart loop plus Lay Hill by way of Dell Taco. I need to do more hills after last Saturday. Nice and easy today, like all of this week is going to be.

Total Time: 59:57

Pace: 6:40

Red (87)

Ran to the north of town, through the golf course neighborhoods.  Nice run with a good mix of hills and flat.

Total Time:59:30

Pace 6:37

Rotterdam (50) 

4 easy miles this morning in the snow. No watch.

Sinister (62)

16 degrees when I began my run, with the wind chill bringing it down to 9 degrees. I'm SO ready for winter to be over. Regardless of the weather, really enjoyed my run. It was very quiet with just a couple cars on the road. It was nice to feel alone and seemingly have the roads to myself. I wanted to take it nice and easy this morning, with the pace somewhere around 6:40/mile. I started out going through town for a bit, around the college, then south on the hotel frontage road. After 7 miles I turned north and went around the Cedar Knoll until I reached Highway 56. I turned east, ran up the "cove" to tack on 1 more mile, then finished up right in my backyard. I'm going to title this route "Cedar Knoll" for future reference. I'm sure I'll be running it again, due to the lack of traffic and rolling hills.

Total Time: 1:38:19

Pace: 6:33

Red (102)

Winds this morning were at 30 mph, with gusts up to 36 mph. As a result, I stayed inside and ran on the treadmill. I'm not sure which choice is worse.... I loathe running on that thing, but I wasn't up for the wind either. I ran the first mile with at 6% incline, 2nd @ 7%, 3rd @ 8%, 4th @ 9% and final @ 10%. I was raining sweat, but that's normal for me and indoor running. I checked my heart rate a few times and it was generally between around 150, but up around 175-180 at the end. About 30 minutes after I finished, vision in my left eye went all sorts of haywire. It started out like when you look at a bright light and can't see what your directly looking at (ie, the sun, light bulb, flashlight). After about 15 minutes of that, everything went blurry (only in the left eye) and I couldn't focus on anything. It made driving to school.......interesting, and sitting through class.......unpleasant. 2 hours later, my vision has cleared and all I'm left with is a pounding headache. That's twice in 10 days that running has effected my vision. What gives?

Rotterdam (55)

There is snow and ice on every road in Cedar City. Hope it goes away today, but not likely. I went to the pool this morning and "ran" in the water. This won't make any sense, but I "ran" the length of the pool 22 times and swam the length 10 times. It took me between 90-110 seconds to "run" the length of the pool, with my total time just under 45 minutes, so I guess that's my standard for next time. I was beat by the end, but it was actually pretty enjoyable.

Interesting run this morning. I started out with an easy 5 miles, then tried to do a tempo run. It didn't happen. Too much ice, uneven footing, and cold temps. I was freezing this morning for some reason. I called it quits at 9 miles, went home to use the bathroom, then jumped on the treadmill for another 3. No headaches or vision issues. Good stuff.

Red (111)

Rotterdam (58)

I enjoyed the pool enough on Tuesday (and it was 2 degrees when I got up this morning) that I thought I'd go back. I "ran" the pool length 28 times and swam the length 10 times in 50:40. I had a good time once again.

4 is all I had time for.  Darn snooze button!

Sinister (66) 

A pretty good run today.  It had snowed throughout the night, so there was a layer on the ground when I started.  It snowed for the first 4 miles, but stopped after that and turned into a great run.  My first 4 miles were slow (7:22, 7:02, 6:49, 6:51), but then the clouds cleared somewhat, as well as the roads, and I was able to bring the pace to 6:20-6:30/mile.

I did the Wal Mart loop in reverse, then the Cedar Knoll loop in reverse as well.  When I got back to Wal Mart after climing the hotel frontage road I was at 14 miles, so I ran the Wal Mart loop once again and finished right at 18 miles.  January is over, so hopefully the winter-like conditions leave as well.

Total Time: 1:59:32

Pace: 6:38

Red (120)

Glad to be done. Hopefully last nights storm was the last one for a while. I ran through the back-roads to the north freeway exit, starting with 5 easy miles:

• 6:49
• 6:28
  
• 6:30
  
• 6:27
• 6:30 (32:44)
  

I then turned around and came back the same way and picked up the speed. It felt good to see my watch in the 5:##'s again. It's been a few weeks since I've done anything fast. Splits:

• 5:25
• 5:22
• 5:33
• 5:18
• 5:28 (27:05)

I felt really good on the second 5 miles. A little tired by the end, but nothing major. I walked a bit, then jogged 1 more mile very easy to finish off the run.

Sinister (77)

Swimming Pool.  I ran 30 laps in 44:00.  Fun stuff.

I'm not sure how this weekend is going to turn out, so I did my long run this morning. It was 14 degrees when I started, but it felt fine. I began by zig-zagging through town for 7 miles so I could have the street-lights to guide me. I stopped at the college right at 7 miles for a bathroom break, so I stopped my watch as I took care of business.

Time: 45:59

Pace: 6:34

I grabbed a quick drink of water and from that point on felt much better. I ran the Wal Mart Loop, plus 2 miles on the west frontage road. Made my way back into town, past the high school and then home, finishing right at 13 miles for the second portion.

Time: 1:23:28

Pace: 6:25

I'm very pleased with the last 13 miles. There was a good mix of uphills and it was a challenging route. That Wal Mart Loop is a killer and returning back on the west frontage road is 2 miles of uphill as well. Anyway, another good run.

Total Time: 2:09:27

Total Pace: 6:30

Red(140)

Pool Running. Did 20 laps in 30 minutes. I love how good my legs feel after these workouts. Pain in my hips, knees, and hamstrings are completely gone when I'm done.

I had National Guard this weekend, but was able to get away from the armory for a quick race this morning.  I didn't get dinner until 10:30 last night because of playing army until 10pm.  Oh well.  I'm glad Montgomery was cool to let me leave for a bit and run this race.  I did 3 miles easy to loosen up before the race began.  Most of the quick SG guys skipped the race, but Nicholas McCombs was there, so I quickly kissed 1st place goodbye.  The gun went off and I hung with Nick for maybe 1000 meters, but by the end of mile 1, he was putting some major distance between us.  Each mile continued as the first and by the time I reached the dam, Nick was pretty much a speck in the distance.  I ended up taking 2nd to Nick by over 60 seconds. He averaged 5:08's and left me in the dust. I ran a P.R. though, so I can't complain. Last year I ran a 27:16 and won, this year a 26:48 and 2nd. I'm okay with that.  I wasn't wasted at the finish, so maybe I didn't go hard enough?  Either way, it was fun to race a shorter distance for the first time in 8 months.  I finished off the day by running back 1 mile to catch Jan, then ran the last mile along side her.  She did great given her limited training.  It was a very fun day.

2007	2008
5:12	5:18
5:25	5:22
5:33	5:29
5:36	5:24
5:28	5:15
27:16	26:48

It's interesting the difference between the 2 years.  The footing was firmer this year because of the rain/snow we received earlier this week.  That made a big difference, I'm sure.  I thought I went out faster this year, but I guess not.  Also, both years I developed a cramp in my gut around 3.5 miles, but I was able to push the discomfort away easier this year.  Or maybe it was worse last year?  Either way, a much better race this year.  I'll gladly take the more "even-ish" splits this year.

Total Time: 26:48

Pace: 5:23

Sinister (87)

Very easy run this morning. My legs didn't want to run any faster. I ran up the high school side of Lay Hill after mile 5, so that was good. Pace was right around 7:00/mile.

Rotterdam (65)

Pool running this morning.  So far, my best workout in the water.

• 10 laps in 14:59 (warm up)
• 10 laps in 13:15 (every other lap high intensity)
• 10 laps in 13:10 (2 laps easy, 2 laps high intensity until 8, then 9 easy and 10 hard)
• 4 laps in about 8 minutes (1 lap easy, 1 lap no arms) x 2

Good run this morning. I stared off with the Wal Mart loop for 4 easy miles (although uphill and into the wind made it harder than I expected. Pace was at 7:00/mile. I then turned south and ran the west-side frontage road 2 miles out and 2 miles back for a 4 mile tempo run. Splits were:

• 5:26
• 5:30
• 5:50
• 5:33

Total Time was 22:21, with an average pace of 5:35. I then slowed down and ran 4 easy miles to cool off. I ran up the high school side of Lay Hill twice, then looped around the college and back home. Pretty good run, although for the last couple miles, my right leg (directly in the front, right below the knee cap) was feeling funny. At first it was a slightly sharp pain, but the last 3/4 mile it felt like jello. Strange. In 12 years of running, I've never had knee issues. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.

Rotterdam (77)

Pool running this morning. I only went 35 minutes, but that's better than nothing. I had to get home to shovel snow before leaving for the day. Anyway, it went like this:

• 10 laps in 15:06 to warm up.
• 10 laps with 1st lap both legs and arms, 2nd lap just legs. 3rd lap both legs and arms, 4th lap just legs. I followed this pattern for 10 laps and it took 18:34.

3 easy miles on the treadmill.  I would have gone outside, but we've been spoiled with good weather the last week and it was only 5 degrees this morning.  Temps like that, for small mileage days, the treadmill works just fine.  I also began breaking in a new pair of Cumulus 9's.

White (3)
 

7 degrees when I started. I thought winter was over! Hopefully soon.... I put out some Gatorade this morning. I need to get used to drinking again while I run. I started out by running through town for 3 miles, took a drink, then did the Wal Mart Loop. I was at mile 9 and making my way back to my aid station and the urge to use the bathroom was intense. It was a rough final mile before I could get to a bathroom. None the less, I made it in time and all was well. First 10 miles were as such:

10 Miles:1:04:48

Pace: 6:29

I felt SO much better after my stop at the bathroom. Not sure if it was something I ate last night, but I hope this doesn't happen again. Anyway, took another drink of Gatorade, only by this time the drink was halfway frozen. The slush was tasty! Did the Wal Mart loop one more time, plus up past Cedar High to 300 W, north past the college to 200 N, then home on burger lane. When I got back to my drink it was frozen. First time I've had that happen to me.

8 Miles: 49:32

Pace: 6:12

All in all, a good run. My knee felt fine overall. I noticed it a time or two, but pain seemed to be everywhere today: side of right knee, bottom/front of right knee, right hip, left hamstring, right hamstring, right butt. My body is out of line or something...... I set up an appointment for the chiro on Tuesday. Hopefully he can fix me up and not empty my wallet.

Total Time: 1:54:20

Total Pace: 6:20

Red (158)

Great run today. Something about spring-like weather that makes me want to fly. It felt great to run in shorts and light gloves, rather than long-sleeves, beenie, and heavy gloves. Anyway, I started out wanting to just 6:00/mile pace, but I felt really good, so after a couple miles, I dropped the pace and turned it into a tempo run. I ran past the Coke plant, back roads to the hospital, past CVHS, then north on the main street to the northern freeway exit. That last 1.5 miles is all up-hill, but I seemed to maintain pace no problem. Good stuff. Anyway, back the same way, plus a little more. Such a fun run. The tempo distance ended up @ 10.2 miles, so I ran a bit more to make it an even 11.

Tempo Distance: 10.20

Total Time: 56:50

Pace: 5:34

Rotterdam (88)

Pool running.  I think I'm getting used to these workouts.  I need to figure out a way to make them harder.

• 10 laps in 14:55
• 10 laps in 13:10, hard every other one
• 10 laps in 17:12, no arms every other one
• 8 laps in 8 minutes? Mix of run (2), breast stroke (4) and freestyle (2)

So this is starting to get old. 3 miles into my run, I had a serious urge to use the bathroom. I found one, did my thing, and then was fine. Maybe I'm eating too much the night before these runs. This was the 3rd time I've had this happen in the past 6(?) runs. Just annoying, really. Oh well. After that, did another 8 miles. Route today was zig-zagging through every street in town, or so it seemed. Too many turns, but I didn't feel like running out into the farmlands. I also included the middle school hill, north of Del Taco.

Total Time: 1:10:12

Pace: 6:22

Red(169)

Pool this morning, and I actually swam most of it.

• 10 laps in 14:59, running each lap
• 10 laps in 13:14, freestyle 1 lap, running 1 lap, etc.
• 10 laps in 12:57, same as above
• 10 laps, freestyle and breaststroke

3 miles, very easy

Sinister (90)

I was going to run with the club in St. George this morning, but didn't have a car to get me there. Oh well--some other time. I ran around Hurricane and LaVerkin for a very solid run. After 6 miles in Hurricane, I went to the north side of LaVerkin and ran 1 mile up the S-Curve on the Hurricane Half Marathon course. I was pleased that my pace didn't drop slower than 6:45/mile on my way up. I came back through LaVerkin, past the Hurricane Middle School and south to the Hurricane Intermediate School, then back through my parents neighborhood to round it out to 20. I felt great the entire run, with zero knee or hip issues. Gatorade stops at 6 and 12. No cramps.

The pace was interesting today. The first 4 miles, I seemed to struggle to hit 6:45 pace, but from that point on, I struggled to go slower than 6:00/mile pace. I wanted to hit 6:15's or so, but I'd look down and see 5:45 or 5:50 with what seemed the same effort. It felt great to run so effortlessly.

Total Time: 2:01:57 (4 minute negative split from mile 10)

Pace: 6:05

Red(189)

I woke up with some serious pain in my right knee. Strange. My legs felt better on Saturday's long run then they have in 4 or 5 weeks. I had zero pain while running, zero pain for the rest of Saturday and zero pain Sunday. First step out of bed on Monday morning wasn't fun. I'll rest today and see how I feel tomorrow.

Knee felt okay, but not 100%.  Figured I'd do my usual pool routine and then run Wednesday.  I pushed it as hard as I could to get a good workout.

• 10 laps in 13:19, running
• 10 laps in 12:49, running
• 10 laps in 6:35, breast stroke
• 10 laps in 8:51, 4 laps running, 6 laps freestyle
• 4 laps cooldown with breaststroke and freestyle

Okay run this morning. Just okay. I started out with an easy 6 miles to see how my knee felt. It was fine, so I ran another 6 at more of a tempo pace. As soon as I finished, both of my knees felt strange, almost like they had a swollen sensation. I went home, stretched and took IB and now they feel fine. I'll see what tomorrow brings and may just run one more time this week.

Pace: 6:29

Red (202)

Pool running/swimming and I'm glad I went.  I considered studying for a test instead, but who needs to study?

• 20 laps in 20:50, run 1 lap, freestyle 1 lap, every other one
• 20 laps in 13:10, mix of freestyle and breaststroke, every other one
• 2 laps freestyle to cool down

5.5 easy miles, no watch. Course was airport road, to the cattle guard and back.

Sinister(96)

Decent run this morning in great spring weather--42 degrees. I ran the Cedar Knoll Loop, plus a little on the Kanarraville frontage road for 13 miles, finishing at the college track. Slight knee pain (right knee) just before 4 miles, but then nothing after that. I got a little carried away with spring fever and thought I'd try some barefoot jogging on the football field, but was only able to do 800m before my feet were numb. I guess the snow in the corner of the field should have given me a clue that it's still a little cold out. Another 800 meters to my house and now work for the rest of the day. This was my last "short" long run for 7 weeks, then I'll start to taper for Lincoln. I'm getting pumped, especially after last Saturday's workout.

Total Time: 1:20:57

Pace: 6:13

Mile 1 was 6:38, miles 2-13 none slower than 6:18

Rotterdam(102)

Bike 3 miles

Felt okay this morning. Was going to go 10, but my left leg didn't feel great. In fact, it hurt from mile 2 until I stopped. The area below my calf and above my achilles. I've never felt pain there before, so we'll see. It seemed to hurt worse on the downhills, even the minor declines. I swear, it seems like every entry I'm listing some body part that's not good. Hopefully it's nothing.....

Pace: 6:45

Red (210)

Bike 5 miles

Swimming this morning. I forgot my watch, so who knows on the "pace." I went 50 laps today, a new high for me. Within the 4 weeks, I'm going to go 1 mile. Won't that be fun........?

Chiropractor this afternoon with Dr. Workman. Thought I'd give him a try after I learned that's where Houle sends his runners. He did the same adjustments as Romney, but spent much more time explaining things and giving me some stretches to do. I'll go back to him for sure.

Swimming this morning. Left leg still doesn't feel ready to run.

• 10 laps in 13:05, running
• 10 laps in 12:17, running
• 20 laps breaststroke and freestyle, no watch
  

Swimming.  It's starting to get old.

• 40 laps.  38 I swam with a mix of freestyle, breaststroke, and even a little sidestroke.
• 10 laps, ran in 4-5 ft. water.  My leg felt okay, but not great.

Swimming yet again. I'm bored with swimming....good thing it's the weekend. So I set a pr of sorts--I swam 1 full mile. It took me 1:01:51, so clearly I'm not fast (and my form is horrible, but that's a whole other story), so as of now, I don't see the Ironman in my future. I'm counting todays workout on the mileage board. If I play my cards right, I may hit double digits this week. Sweet!

Bike 2 miles 

Army this weekend, but I finished early, so I thought I'd try to run a bit.  Problem was, I didn't have any running shoes/gear.  So I went to a park and ran around barefoot on the grass for 1 mile (?) to test out the leg.  Result: good.  I think my leg is close to 100%.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed....  Best of all--I hit 10 miles for the week.  Talk about quality marathon training!

Time: 10 minutes

Pace: 10 minutes

Barefeet (1)

Tested the leg today and the result was positive. It actually felt pretty good, although I went very slow and didn't push things at all. To keep the route flat, I ran north past the armory 3 miles and averaged 6:59/mile, then came directly back and averaged 6:50/mile. So with the 27 second negative split, I guess you could say I "dropped the hammer" the last 3 miles. Spring weather, which was great.

Rotterdam (108)

Bike 7 miles

What in the...? For the first time since my freshmen year in college, I ran twice in one day and I have to say, it wasn't too bad. I hated it back in the day, but not so much today. Anyway, the reason -- daylight savings. My body still hasn't adjusted and I can't seem to get out of bed the past two mornings. Thus, I had limited time for a run this morning. I did 3 miles at 7:00/mile pace and my left leg felt fine.

Sinister (99)

Got done with class and it was such a nice day, I thought I'd run a few more miles before eating lunch. I ended up going 7 miles, nice and easy around town. The first 4 miles were 7:00/mile pace and the last 3 were around 6:40 pace. I finished at the college and ran 1 more mile barefoot on the grass. It felt great to run barefoot and for sure will work that into my weeks as it's starting to warm up.

Red(217)

I think I'll keep the next 3 days easy, then on Saturday I'll get back to my marathon training plan.

Bike 9 miles

Back in the pool this morning. Only had time for 30 laps, and I "ran" all of them. It wasn't enough, so hopefully I can make up for it with some miles on the bike today.

Bike 8 miles 

5 easy miles @ 7:00/pace. Nothing special.

Red(215)

Pretty fun morning. I'm in Medford, Oregon for a week and found a run in Ashland this morning. I wanted to get more then 6 miles today, so I started running down the highway and got 7 miles under my belt before my dad and sister picked me up. I averaged 6:15 for the 8 mile "warm-up." We got to the start of the race with a few minutes to spare, so I ran 1 more mile nice and easy to get familiar with the first part of the course.

The race was......unreal. I've never ran a race that was so tough. These weren't hills--it was like running mini-alps. The first 2 miles were gradual uphill on a wood-chip trail with a stream on the right and a few bridge crossings. I didn't want to get off course, so I just tucked in behind the leader and we clipped along nicely. After 2 miles, we ran up 10-12 flights of stairs in some guys backyard, then continued roaming the hills above Ashland. We dropped down some, then immediatly started climbing again on some switchbacks similar to hiking Angels Landing in Zion NP. I stayed with the leader through 4.5 miles, then we began decending on some switchbacks and the leader took off like he was on rails. He was a straight-up mountain goat and he completely left me in the dust. The last 1.5 miles were straight downhill, with one section twice as steep as decending Veyo hill. Throughout the race, my whole mindset was just "don't roll an ankle or twist a knee! This is just for fun and for an Oregon experience." There were portions of the trail that if one took a step 6 inches to the left, you would fall into a river or 6 inches to the right and one would fall 30 feet straight down.  We had to wind around trees and jump over big logs. I was hitting 4:30's the last mile and couldn't close the gap on the leader.  Anyway, we left the roads and decended 3 flights of stairs, ran 20 meters on a wood-chip trail and crossed the finishline. My quads are killing me!!!!  Not sure of my offical time--I'll post it when the results are posted online.

Anyway, so 2nd place overall in a time of 36:26. The leader was 35:35, so he trounced me. But it's all good. Oregon runs are a whole different ballgame.  It's not about speed, but about endurance and who can survive the wild terrain.  I visited with the winner after we finished and he said he's never ran a "road" race.  All he's ever done was trail runs.  To me, that's strange, but if I lived here, I'd be all over these trails.  It was like running on a sponge or a mattress and it feels great on the legs/ankles.  I got 4 more miles in when I went back up the course and found my dad and sister and ran to the finishline with them.  Fun stuff!  I was shooting for 20 today, but 18 will have to do.  20 next week?  We'll see.  Now it's off to Brookings and the Oregon Coast....

Rotterdam (120)

Sinister (105)

Brookings, Oregon. Went for a run with Jason, down to the beach and along the harbor. We hit some hills, both up and down, and my legs didn't like it one bit. Hopefully I can loosen up some and get some good workouts in this week. It's always fun to run with Jason--he's going to do well in Boston.

Pace: 6:45

Rotterdam (125)

It rained all night long, as well as this morning, so everything was wet and there was a dense fog all over town. I ran 3 easy miles at 7:00/mile pace to Brookings-Harbour High School so I could run some repeats. The workout was 6x800m with a 200m jog between each and I was shooting for times somewhere between 2:20 - 2:22 pace. I wasn't close:

• 2:29
• 2:26
• 2:23
• 2:23
• 2:23
• 2:20

I should have done better, especially with the low elevation. I've been super-slack on getting to the track and doing some speed during the past few months. Hopefully with the few weeks I have remaining before Lincoln I can be more consistent and get my legs moving. I ran back to the beach house for an additional 3 miles.

Sinister (114)

Final run in Brookings, Oregon. I won't miss running here--the rain was pouring down and I was soaked in seconds. We were going to run 7:00/mile pace, but the rain wasn't fun so we picked it up some and ran 6:36/mile pace.

Rotterdam (129)

So last week I ran my first "double" in years, and this week I've ran 4 days in a row. What gives? Today is my last day in Medford, Oregon before heading back to Utah. I did a 2.5 mile warm up, then set out for a 10 mile tempo. I don't have my splits in front of me, but I was shooting for anything under 6:00. After I finished, I jogged for .5 mile to cool down. I could tell I was running at lower elevation.

Total Time: 55:58

Pace: 5:35

Sinister (127)

Bike 16 miles

Very happy with todays run, although I wasn't loving life when I first got out of bed. It was 3am when I climbed in bed after getting back from Oregon Thursday night (Friday morning) and my body was craving more sleep this morning. I forced myself out and got a few miles in before work. I ate half a banana 10 minutes before running 1 mile for a warm up and it was all I could do to hit 7:15, so I began to think that today was going to be rough. I stretched some and then began my workout. I ran north through Enoch for 3 miles, then back to the house for Gatorade @ 6, an extended loop around the college and back to the house for Gu and water @ 9, then Wal-Mart frontage road and back to finish off with 15 miles. My stomach handled the water and Gu just fine--just 4 more long runs to get used to drinking liquids and taking gel. My pace was very consistent today: Other than my 2 water stops, 12 of my miles were all within 4 seconds of each other (6:10-6:14 pace) and I had 6 miles with back-to-back exact times (3 straight 6:10's during 2, 3, & 4 and then 3 straight 6:07's during 11, 12, & 13). Last mile in 5:55 because the bathroom was calling my name!

Total Time: 1:33:00

Pace: 6:12

Red (231)

Turns out this is my highest mileage week since college. Every time I've gone over 40 miles/week, I've gotten injured soon thereafter, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Bike 3 miles

Awesome weather in Cedar!!! Today's plan was speed, so I didn't run until 11. I started with 6 easy miles, trying to find a track to run around. Practice was taking place at SUU so I jogged to CHS, but as I was lacing up my spikes, a PE class came out and took up the track. So back to SUU and by then the team was gone and I could finally get started. The workout was 5x1000 and my program calculated each at 3:00. I can't remember ever doing 1k repeats and that sounded much too fast, but I gave it a shot anyway.

• 3:04
• 3:01
• 3:01
• 3:00
• 2:59

I jogged 400m between each repeat and when I finished, I was very pleased with how things went. The 3:04 seemed too easy, so I guess my program knew better than I. Last week was my first speed work in ages and I struggled to hit my times, but now I'm wondering if it was the humidity that got me last week. It felt effortless to come through the 800 mark at 2:25. I guess I'd much rather run @ 6000ft and dry air? Anyway, 2 easy miles to cool down, plus 1 mile barefoot on the grass. Body is feeling pretty good.

White (10)

Bike 5 miles

42 laps in the swimming pool. Haven't been in a while, but I felt good. 45 minutes total.

I really struggled this morning to get anything going. Not sure why? I didn't swim for a week while in Oregon, so I'm guessing I was a little tired from yesterdays swimming. Anyway, I started with 3 easy miles, then just stood there, not wanting to start a tempo workout. Not only was I lacking in energy, but I wasn't into it mentally either. Anyway, after 10 minutes of delayed stretching, I finally started. I ran the hotel frontage road out 2 miles, back 2 miles, then under the freeway and past the movie theater. I finished the 5 mile tempo and did 2 more easy miles, then called it a day. I'm tired.

Total Tempo Time: 28:04

Pace: 5:36

Sinister(137)

Bike 5 miles

Another good workout at the swimming pool. 46 laps in roughly 45 minutes.

Bike 5 miles

Ran 2 easy miles this morning. I forgot my gloves and had to call it quits when I couldn't feel my hands/fingers.

Y2(54)

Bike 2 miles

Amazing run this morning. I'm in Arizona for the weekend and I ran around Monument Valley as the sun rose behind the red cliffs. Very cool. My wife was following in the car and took some sweet pictures--I'll try and post them when we get back to Utah. Started with half of a bagel and banana 1 hour before running. It was a little windy this morning, so to avoid the wind head-on, I ran back and forth on a 3.5 mile strip of road. It got a little boring around 17 miles, but I survived the mental aspect of the run. It was basically 3 miles up-hill (1 very gradual, 2 &3 somewhat steep), then the opposite back down. I did 20 miles at a good pace, then did 1 more very slow mile to cool down. Gatorade @ 5, water @ 8, Gu @ 10, Gatorade @ 13, 16 and 18. No cramps--my gut is ready to race. Another week down....

Total Time: 2:02:07

Pace: 6:06

Red (252)

8 miles this morning, slow and easy. My right hip was killing me last night after the 5 hour drive home from the in-laws. I didn't sleep too great as a result, so I wasn't sure a run this morning would be wise. I ran north past the armory and into Enoch and it really loosened up my hip, so I'm glad I went. Pace was 7:20/mile, so very relaxing.

White (19)

Started with 4 easy miles to loosen things up. My right hip is still not right--guess I'll be going to the chiro soon for a "tune up." Speedwork today and the plan was 3x1600 with a 400m jog between each.

1:10	-
1:17	2:27
1:15	3:42
1:15	4:57

Very surprised with how easy these felt, thus the quick 1st quarter. The 70 didn't feel hard at all, but I eased off on the 2nd (a little too much), and then kept it consistent until the finish. 400m jog.

1:12	-
1:13	2:25
1:14	3:39
1:13	4:52

Again very surprised at the comfortable pace these were, especially with a slower first lap. 400m jog.

1:12	-
1:12	2:24
1:13	3:37
1:11	4:48

What the....? This was my Junior Year PR in HS--how funny is that? I just wanted to stay consistent through 1200m, then see how I felt on the last lap. I felt great, so picked it up slightly and finished the workout right as the wind started to pick up. To be honest, I figured the battery in my watch was on it's last leg and wasn't giving me accurate info. Who knows? I then ran 3.5 miles easy, plus 1 mile barefoot in the grass. I'm very pleased with everything at the moment and hope that I can stay that way for 32 more days.

Rotterdam (136)

Bike 2 miles

P.S. I checked my watch against 2 others I've got at home and it's equally accurate as the others, so I guess today's workout is legit. Good stuff.

Pool workout this morning. 46 laps, but no watch so no time. Felt good.

Bike 8 miles

Started the run with 2 easy miles to Cedar High School, followed by 5-10 minutes of stretching. The plan called for a 10 mile run at marathon pace, but I'm still not sure what that's going to be come May. I'm confident that I can run at 6:00/mile pace, but I want to go faster, but how much? Anyway, most of my tempo runs have been in the 5:30-5:40 range, so I decided I'd be happy with 5:45-5:50 pace with zero miles ran above 6:00/mile pace. I didn't reach my goal....

I ran about 3 miles through the streets of Cedar, between CHS and SUU, before heading west on HWY 56 to complete my WalMart Loop and get a few hills in the course. I felt very comfortable to start with (5:43, 5:44, 5:41) but then the loop/hills started and I slowed some (5:51, 5:51, 5:53), then mile 7 was 6:08 on the worst uphill. Ugh! Frustrating! Finished off the loop, plus up to CHS and back to SUU (5:35, 5:43, 5:21). I'm happy with the finish, but my pace was all over the place and that 6:08 ticked me off.

Finished the workout with 1 mile barefoot in the grass.

Total Time: 57:28

Pace: 5:45

Y2 (66)

2 easy miles, 1 of which was barefoot on grass.

Bike 4 miles

I wasn't feeling the run this morning. We ate dinner somewhat late last night at Texas Roadhouse and then didn't get into bed until late, so I didn't welcome the alarm this morning. I hit snooze and nearly missed out on the run, but my head cleared up and I realized I needed to leave or I wouldn't have time to run before work.

My body didn't feel like anything fast. Neither did my mind. I fear that I may be slipping like I did before St. George last year. I seem to get a little burned-out the final few weeks before a marathon and I may have begun my downward slope. Hope not. I'll try and relax and re-focus the next couple days.

Anyway, I started off with some 8:00 miles (which I was perfectly fine with) and gradually brought it down to 6:11, 6:01, and 5:56 for my last 3 miles. Overall, the pace was still slow though..... Oh well, at least I ran.

Total Time: 1:48:33

Pace: 7:14

Red (267)

My highest mileage week ever!

5 easy miles to warm up, ending at SUU's track for a speed workout. The plan was 10x400m with a 400m jog between each. The rest intervals seemed too much, so I cut them back to a 200m jog (between 90-100 seconds). Goal was 70 on each and splits were as follows:

• 71
• 69
• 69
• 68
• 68
• 68
• 67
• 70
• 69
• 68

I wanted to do some barefoot running but it was simply to cold, especially with the rain we got last night. Instead, did another easy 3 miles around town.

Sinister (149)

Bike 4 miles

No time for a run or swimming. 

Bike 5 miles

3 easy miles to warm up, followed by an 8 mile tempo and 1 mile cool down. The workout wasn't great this morning. I woke up to February and finished my last 3 miles in snow and wind. I couldn't feel my hands/fingers/legs/etc. You get the idea. Where did April go? I ran the WalMart Loop again, hoping to get the same as last weeks time (5:45/mile average), but it didn't happen. Oh well....

Total Tempo Time: 47:02

Pace: 5:53

Rotterdam (148)

Morning in the pool. 50 laps, half freestyle, half "running."

A.M. 8 miles this morning, nice and easy. I wanted to do 20-22 today because I've got to play Army this weekend and won't be able to run tomorrow, but the weather didn't cooperate. We had 20 mph winds blowing through town and I just didn't want to fight them for 2+ hours.

This week has been pretty worthless, mileage-wise. Oh well. That's the way it works sometimes... I should be able to get a long run in on Monday morning.

Pace: 7:15

Red (278)

P.M. 3 miles before going to work. I ran to the football field and ran 2 miles barefoot, then back home.

Army pt test this morning. I tried to jog slow so I'll be fresh tomorrow, but I also wanted to run with Larson. We ran in 13:20, so it wasn't too bad. My last army pt test? Hope so....

Rotterdam (150)

I'm at the top of the mileage board with this run. The first (and last) time that will ever happen. Great run this morning. I'll write more later.

So the view from the top didn't last long. Oh well. About today's run! It rocked! I wasn't able to get a long run in on Saturday because I had to play Army, begining at 7:00 am, so I pushed back the workout until Monday morning. I was fine with that because it was 41 degrees this morning--my favorite temp for a long run.

Got up at 4:50 and ate 1/2 banana and 1/4 bagel and water, then 30 minutes more sleep. I was out the door at 5:50 and under way. I ran 5 miles around town, then did my 14 mile Cedar Knoll loop with Andrea following along in the car with water/gatorade, followed by another 5 miles around town. Here are my splits, followed by some thoughts:

Mile split	Total Time
1) 6:41	-
2) 6:21	13:02
3) 6:11	19:13
4) 6:08	25:21	Bathroom stop
5) 6:12	31:33	Gatorade
6) 6:11	37:44
7) 6:01	43:45
8) 6:17	50:02	Water/Vanilla Gu
9) 6:05	56:07
10) 6:14	1:02:21	Bathroom again?!
11) 6:04	1:08:25
12) 6:02	1:14:27
13) 6:16	1:20:43	Gatorade
14) 6:09	1:26:52
15) 6:07	1:32:59	Gatorade
16) 5:57	1:38:56
17) 6:04	1:45:00
18) 6:06	1:51:06	Water/Powergel
19) 5:58	1:57:04
20) 6:02	2:03:06
21) 6:01	2:09:07
22) 6:02	2:15:09
23) 6:11	2:21:20	Getting tired
24) 6:24	2:27:44	Need a drink, bad!

I started nice and easy, but by mile 3 I could tell that yesterday's Pizza Hut wasn't going to last the whole workout (it's so lame that the Army feeds us such crap for lunch, but that's a whole other issue). I found a bathroom just before mile 5 and felt much better from that point on. Miles 6 and 7 were downhill heading west on HWY 56 before turning south to loop around Cedar Knoll. Miles 8 through 11 were on the rolling hills around the Knoll, plus another bathroom stop right at 10. The uphill started about 11.5 and continued to mile 15 (hotel frontage road). I'm very pleased that I didn't fall apart here like I have in the past! I grabbed some Powergel (plain) and water just before mile 18, then took off for a couple more. The plan was to go 20, but I felt so good that I wanted to see how long I could hold this pace. I needed another drink all sorts of bad around 22, but I was in no-mans land, so I turned around and headed home to call it a day.

All in all, I felt great. This run was such a confidence-booster for Lincoln. My fitness wasn't even in this ball-park last year before SG. My runs were complete junk the final weeks in September. I can only hope that the temps in Nebraska are low-40's and that the humidity won't be out of control. I ran in my singlet and felt fine, but could have used some gloves until mile 14 or so. I ran in Asics Speedstars and feel really good about using them in Lincoln, much better than I did last year training for SG when anything over 14 was too much for me in such a light shoe. I think the gut issues were a combination of yesterday's Pizza Hut lunch and 64 ounces of Gatorade while at drill. Obviously, I would never eat like that before a race, but good learning experience to scale back the Gatorade as well and stick with water instead. I think that's about it. I'm pumped!!!!!

Total Time: 2:27:44

Pace: 6:09

Y2 (90)

Swimming pool this morning.  I debated sleeping instead, but I'm glad I went.  My legs were tight this morning (but not sore), so the water workout really loosened things up.  I "ran" 20 laps (10 in 13:02, 10 in 12:28), then did 26 more laps in 23:16.  In all, just under 50 minutes.  

Where has the nice weather gone? I ran in low-20's this morning and the wind made it feel colder than that. Ugh! Nice and easy today. Pace never went faster than 7:00/mile and sometime dropped around 8:20/mile. The body feels pretty good.

Pace: 7:52

Red (289)

Bike 2 miles 

Running a long run on Monday seems to have thrown off my week. I keep forgetting what day it is, and as a result, what type of workout I should do. Strange how dependent I've become to a scheduled running routine (i.e. speed on Tuesday, tempo on Thursday, long on Saturday). Anyway, normally I would have done a tempo today, but instead ran some hills throughout "the cove." About 5 miles of constant up and down, then 3 miles to SUU's football field to run barefoot. 2 miles barefoot running--feels so good.

Pace: 7:34

Red (297)

Bike 5 miles

Bike 6 miles

3 easy miles for a warm up, followed by a 5-mile "tempo" and 1 mile cool down. It was a rough one this morning..... I'm feeling pretty tired (fatigue from Monday?) plus the wind was unforgiving. Anyway, it turned out to be a challenge just to stay below 6:00/pace. Oh well.

Total Tempo Time: 29:01

Pace: 5:48

Sinister (158)

Highest mileage week ever!

Bike 3 miles

Pretty good morning, although cold as can be. Weather.com said 20 when I left, 21 when I got back, which seems about right because I couldn't feel my fingers. You'd think I'd learn...

My plan called for a 13 mile run, but I wanted to make it 15 so I could compare it to last years training before SGM. 2 weeks prior to running the SGM I ran 15 miles (on a very aided course down Cedar Canyon, starting at Woods Ranch), then ended at SUU's track and did an 800 to see what kind of speed I had after a long run. Anyway, today I ran a much tougher course around Cedar Knoll, then did an 800 as well. I'm happy to say that I'm feeling much stronger this time around and can't wait for Lincoln!!!

Disclaimer: This time I ran 1 mile to warm up, then 14 miles, thus the discrepancy in time.

	Pre-SGM	Pre-Lincoln
Total Time	1:32:50	1:24:57
Pace	6:11	6:04
800	2:38	2:30

Anyway, so I'm feeling pretty good. I actually think I could have ran a faster 800, but a 2:30 is fine. I ran my first lap and realized I hadn't started my watch, so I stopped, rested for 30 seconds, then ran 2 more laps in 2:30. If I'd started my watch correctly the first time, I'm sure my time would have been similar to 2:30 anyway, so no big deal/

Rotterdam (165)

Bike 6 miles

Very busy day. No run.

Bike 2 miles

Nice and easy today. I ran north past the armory 4 miles, then back the same direction. I finished at the SUU football field and ran 1 mile barefoot, then .5 mile home. Nothing special, just relaxing for the next ten days. I might throw in one more speed workout Saturday or Monday, but other than that, no hard runs.

Total Time: 1:16:05

Pace: 7:36

Red (306)

Bike 2 miles 

30 minutes in the swimming pool. I "ran" 20 laps in 25:04, then another 4 laps to reach 30 minutes.

Bike 8 miles

Nothing special this morning. I tried to keep things slow, but my legs are itching to race. Just one more week of relaxed running and I think I'll be good to go!

Pace: 7:14

Rotterdam (170)

Bike 2 miles

Another okay run. I didn't feel great, but I didn't feel horrible either, so I'll take it as a positive. Windy again today, so it was extra-rough on the uphills but not bad on the down. From my house I ran 3 miles up Cedar Canyon to warm up, then turned around and came back in the same general direction but with a few turns here and there to add on some miles. Ended up doing 5 miles at tempo speed because of the downhill and wind at my back. I looked down at my watch once and saw 5:02, then immediately slowed down because that's not at all what I wanted to be doing today. Anyway, finished at the football field and ran 1.5 miles barefoot and another .5 home.

Tempo Time: 28:16

Pace: 5:39

Sinister (167)

Great weather today, which made for a nice run. 2 miles easy to warm up, then to the track for my last speed workout. I did 6x400 with a 400m jog between each. My times were all over the place, but my average was 71, which I'll take. Finished with 1 mile barefoot on the grass and then 1 mile home.

Sinister (173)

50 degrees at 7 am! It's a heatwave! Nice for a training run, but I hope it's nothing like this in Lincoln--the weather report right now is saying rain and temps in the high 30's at the start. Sweet!

Y2 (93)

Bike 6 miles 

Finals week with school.  Good that I'm nearly done, bad that I spend too much time studying and bad that it creates stress the final 5 days before a race.  No time for a run today.  Hopefully tomorrow. 

Bike 4 miles

3 miles easy, 1 of which was barefoot. I feel a bit sluggish today.....dare I say, even a little sick. I never get sick. Maybe once every 3 years, so if I'm coming down with something 3 days before my second marathon, I'm going to be ticked. Early to bed tonight to get as much sleep as possible before flying tomorrow. Now that finals are over, I'm starting to get excited!

Red (308)

No run today--traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska via St. George, Salt Lake City, Omaha and finally Lincoln. Long day, but we made it. The weather is all sorts of nasty right now, but it's looking up for Sunday. Actually, near perfect with the temp at 7:00: 36 degrees. Now if the wind stops I'll be happy as can be. I'll drive the course in the morning and hatch a gameplan....

Woke up at 5:00 (4:00 Utah) and couldn't sleep anymore. Went for a 2 mile jog to see the starting line and first part of the course. The wind was rough and very cold. Hope it dies down soon....

Rotterdam (172)

Be warned; this is probably my longest entry yet. I wrote it Sunday night while the thoughts were still somewhat fresh, but now (Monday afternoon) I'm on a computer for the first time in 4 days. Here goes:

So I'm hoping this is therapeutic, or something like that anyway :)

I'm pretty disappointed right now. I just finished my second marathon in Lincoln, Nebraska and needless to say, it didn't go as planned. First, a little background; just after returning from my first army deployment in September 2003 I ran in the Santa Clara Swiss Days 5K and won the race in 16:20 or so. As I was standing around waiting for the awards I was approached by Santa Clara Heights resident George Graff. We discovered we were both in the Army Guard and he told me about the 'All Guard Marathon Team'� and said I should look into running with him and the state of Utah on their marathon team. At the time I was more interested in returning to SUU and running another year of cross country and track, so I passed on the opportunity.

While on my second deployment from 2005 to 2006, my running focus changed to the marathon distance as I ran loops around the base in Ramadi. Injury prevented me from running the 2006 St. George marathon, but I ran a number of half marathons in 2006 and 2007, all between 1:13 and 1:15. I figured I could handle a marathon pretty well and was very pleased with a 2:44 at the St. George marathon in 2007. Training had been off and on throughout the summer of 2007 and most weeks I ran only 25 miles (I ran something like 10 miles in June 2007). During the St. George Marathon I ran very casually the first 10 miles, then sub-6 the last 16 and ran an 8 minute negative split and it felt so easy doing so. Anyway, I figured with some disciplined training and slightly faster opening miles I could easily run in the 2:30's in Lincoln.

After finishing SGM, I was reminded about the opportunity that had presented itself with running for the Guard. I made a few calls and the Utah team captain was happy to sign me up with the team. I continued to train with a May marathon in Lincoln as my focus. I had some great training runs. Twice I ran 20 miles at a faster pace than my first 20 @ St. George. 3 weeks before Lincoln I ran 24 miles in Cedar City (elevation 5900 ft) in 2:27, which was 6:09 pace. I thought for sure going to Nebraska, with an elevation around 1300 ft, I would run fast and it would feel easy. After a long opening, that leads me to today where I ran like garbage. Pure garbage.

I slept horrible for the 2nd straight night. After a restless night I was wide awake at 4am (3am Utah). I laid there for 30 minutes, realized sleep was hopeless, and got up for breakfast at 4:40. Then pretty much just sat there waiting for the clock to tick by and get started.

I jogged the quarter mile to the starting line around 6:30 and saw my wife. The weather, after the previous 3 days of 30 mph winds and very cold, was perfect at the start. No breeze and 39 degrees. There were 6000 runner's lined up, but probably less than 2,000 were going the full 26.2. The majority ran the half marathon. Anyway, my goal was to run the first 8-10 miles right above 6:00/mile, then the rest all sub-6 with a finishing time 2:35-2:37. These splits are coming off my garmin, so like always, they are off slightly. I'm going to just run with a $10 watch from now on :)

I started out by drafting off people for the first 4 miles. 1) 6:10, 2) 6:15 on a very slight uphill, 3) 6:34 slower, but I was drafting, so I kind of took what the group was doing, 4) 6:00, 5) 6:07 on one of the steepest hills, so I was happy my time didn't get out of control.

Mile 6) 5:39, I'm sure not this fast, but it was downhill, so easily sub 6. My official 10K split was 38:18, so I figured I was moving along nicely. Right after mile 6 we made a hard right turn and got on a bike trail for the next 3 miles. I moved up to the next group during this mile 7) 5:48, 8) 6:09 on a pretty good incline, 9) 6:04 on another climb and 10) 5:56 and feeling really good. There was some confusion at the aid station at mile 10 and I didn't get any fluids, but figured I'd be okay. This time doesn't add up from the previous one's listed, but I remember them calling out 1:01:14 @ 10 miles, so I felt like I was right on goal.

Miles 11 and 12 were both 5:58 and then the half marathoner's peeled off and the full marathoner's had another loop to go. I asked my place at the next aid station and was told 12th, so I was looking forward to moving up to a top-10 place overall. From mile 12 to 17 I ran in no-man's land, completely by myself. I could see a group of 3 guys ahead, but they were a solid 600 meters ahead of me. Again at mile 14 there was confusion and I didn't get any fluids. Here I started to get worried that the lack of water/Gatorade twice was going to cause a negative effect on my performance. Mile 13) 5:50, (Official split @ 13.1 was 1:20:26). 14) 5:26 (again, nowhere near this fast--I'm done with my Garmin on race day). The wind had really picked up at this point and from 14 to 21 we were running into a mix of headwind/crosswind, easily 15-20 mph. Mile 15) 5:49, 16) 5:49, 17) 6:00 uphill and finally caught a guy from Alabama.

The two of us ran together for 3 miles and picked off a guy, so I was sitting tied for 10th, ready to collect prize money, set a pr and cross the finish line around 2:36 and a sub-6 average. 18) 5:59, 19) 6:01 and really fighting the wind, but feeling pretty good and still joking with spectators and other runners. The pace still felt easy and very doable. Mile 20) 5:51 and a total time of 2:01:07. I was right on pace and thinking that a sub 2:40 was going to be no problem. Mile 21) 6:01, Mile 22) 6:05 and I start to get a little winded. Both of my calves were feeling like they were going to cramp and I could tell that both of my big toes had been bleeding for a few miles already.

Mile 23) 6:11 and people are passing me occasionally, guys that I had passed back around miles 8-12. Mile 24) 6:31 and I can tell I'm falling apart, but can't figure out why? I had missed a couple water stops and it was slightly windy, but I have had training runs at 6,000 ft where I have maintained 6:00/mile pace with zero issues. Oh yeah, and my nipples hurt something fierce :). So I'm bleeding out of my toes and blood blisters have developed on my nipples. Good stuff. At some point I say 'screw it'� and walk for a few steps during mile 25) 7:13. When I start walking, my vision goes blurry and I start to feel woozy. I realize I can't even compute simple digits and figure out a new goal to shoot for. On a strange note, from this point on, I was craving an ice-cream sandwich something fierce! Nothing sounded more appetizing, so very strange.

Mile 26) 10:10. Yup, that says 10:10. I walked multiple times through here and people kept yelling "looking good" and other such nonsense. I had nothing. I guess I experienced 'hitting the wall' only I think I hit more like 3 or 4 walls. I was fine to walk the remainder of the race, only to realize that if I ran, I could finish the misery sooner, so I jogged it in to the finish. I could see the clock at about 2:46:47 and could have easily made it under 2:47 but I was ticked/disappointed and couldn't be bothered to exhort the effort necessary and basically walked/jogged across the line in 2:27:08. Pure garbage :)

So that was my Lincoln experience. I just couldn't figure out what went wrong, what I didn't do or what I should have done instead. Still don't know. The group I'm with (most of whom run here each year for the past 10+ years) rattled off 20+ individuals who ran slower than they usually do at this race each year, so for whatever reason times were a little slower, although I'm sure there were plenty that pr'd as well.

I took 2 hours or so to feel bad for myself, but I'm feeling better now. I was still able to qualify for the "All-Guard Team" and will have the chance to run in Detroit, Memphis, Dayton, Washington D.C. and New Orleans during the next 12 months, so that should be fun. And if I'm still in the Guard, I'm sure I'll come back next year and try and redeem myself in Nebraska.

These are my official splits:

• 10K - 38:18
• 13.1 - 1:20:26
• 20 Mile - 2:01:07
• Final 10K - 46:01 How freakin sweet is that bad boy?!?!!
• Total Time 2:47:09
• 6:23 Average pace

When it's all said and done, I guess it's not so bad to come here and run slow. If I hadn't, I would have spent the weekend playing Army in Dugway, Utah. This was better.

Y2 (120)

No running miles, but if I counted traveling miles, for sure I'd be at the top of the mileage board!  60 miles from Lincoln to Omaha, 1,000 miles (?) from Omaha to SLC, 300 miles from SLC to SG.  Got in the car and drove 50 miles to Cedar to unpack and repack, then back in the car to drive to Ogden for 300 more miles.  Now it's 10 and all I want is SLEEP!!!!

Anyway, so lots of travel gives one plenty of time to think.  I'm fine with the race and everything that happened.  It's unrealistic, but ever since high school I expect to achieve a pr in every race I run.  Again, I realize this simply can't happen, but that's the way I begin every race.  So....whatever, no big deal.  Not sure where to go from here.....

Another day of nothing.  I'm doing some training for work and it's pretty much all day long.  We start early and end late.  Not that I really care--my legs wouldn't take kindly to running at the moment.

Last full day in Ogden.  I was working until midnight last night, followed by an early morning today.  I don't feel like I've ever caught up on sleep after the marathon.  Hopefully tonight I can get some good sleep.  My legs feel much better today.

So it really wasn't my plan to take a week off of running after Lincoln.  I feel like I've gone non-stop ever since I returned to Utah, with work training in Ogden, then some very long days of work yesterday and today.  I hope I can get on a routine come Monday and get back to some consistency.

Easy miles this morning. Felt okay, but not great.

Red (314)

Better than yesterday. My left quad isn't feeling 100 percent, but the slight pain went away after 4 miles. Averaged 7:18/mile. No run tomorrow as I'll be @ the Portland airport from 7 am until 5 pm, followed by a flight and a 3 hour drive home, arriving sometime after midnight. Fun stuff.

Rotterdam (183)

Portland was a quick/rough/rewarding trip.  I got sick Tuesday night (food poisoning or flu?) and could hardly eat Wednesday.  Didn't get home until 1 Thursday morning, so run didn't happen that day either.  Which brings me to today......10 miles this morning. My best run since the marathon in terms of zero body pain. It was slow, but for a while I'm trying to keep all my runs above 7:00/mile. Anyway, ran the Wal-Mart loop plus the dirt trail to the shooting range for drunks. It's been a while since I ran that trail--good to see that it's still there and new homes haven't taken over the area.

Pace: 7:11

Red (324)

I slept in and went out around 8:30. That was a mistake. It's officially hot in Cedar City. I ran nice and easy through the backroads to the north freeway exit, south to the golf course and around the new homes there, then back home. I averaged 7:30/mile for the first 10 miles, then ran a 5:24 for my last mile. It felt good to pick up the pace for the first time in a while. I had wanted to get in 15 this morning but ran out of time, so I may go back out tonight. Not likely, but who knows....

Rotterdam (194)

I actually did it--6 more miles tonight. My stomach was still full from a late lunch, so it wasn't pretty. Averaged 7:38/mile.

Sinister (179)

10 miles in awesome weather. Not much to talk about with regards to the run--pretty simple Monday morning.

Average Pace: 7:22

Red (334)

Pretty fun run this morning. I got lost running in a new area, which I actually like because it's just so boring to run the same streets every day. I ran north through the fields of Enoch and ended up on some dirt road that I'd never ran on. It connected with a main road back to Highway 56, so really I wasn't "lost" for all that long.... Good stuff.

Average Pace: 7:18

Rotterdam (204)

Pretty simple today. Was planning on staying under 6 miles, but called it good at 4 because of the wind and rain. I was freezing and was quickly loosing feeling in my hands/fingers. No watch

Red (338)

Enjoyable run this morning.  The temps were perfect and I enjoyed watching the sunrise as I emerged from Cedar Canyon.  From my house I ran 2 miles to Cedar Canyon, plus an additional 4 miles up the canyon.  I stayed right at 7:00/mile pace, but returning was a different story with the downhill.  I kept things on the "slow" side until I got back into town, then I wanted to see what kind of leg turnover I had.  Mile 9 was 5:37, mile 10 in 4:57.  It felt great to open up the stride a bit.  Couple more easy miles to end the run.

Rotterdam (216)

I'm guessing I ran a full 10 this morning.  I'm in Medford, Oregon for the weekend so I ran a route I was unfamilar with.  My Garmin's battery was low and died on me after 7.5 miles, but I'm sure I went another 2-3 miles before I finished up.  I feel the lower elevation, but there was a bunch of hills to make up for it.  Again, average pace was just under 7:00/mile. 

Red (348)

8 miles in Medford, OR. I didn't have a watch, so no clue about the pace, but it felt easy. 2 miles were done on the high school track, but with a soccer tournament going on, I decided to finish my run elsewhere.

Red (356)

Pretty nice run today. I ran south past the high school, then along the eastern bench to the golf course to get some water, then to the northern freeway exit and finally home. I picked the speed up on mile 12 and ran a 5:12 mile, but the rest were all above 7:00/mile. Workouts may be hard to get this week, but right now I'm feeling pretty good.

Average pace: 7:04

Rotterdam (230)

When I started this morning I thought I'd run no more than 5 miles, but after 3 things loosened up and I felt quite good. Nothing special this morning.

Pace: 7:51 

Red (365)

Not enough time for anything more.

Pace: 7:16

Rotterdam (234)

No running today, but plenty of exercise as we loaded a moving truck and headed across Nevada.  I'll soon go to bed in Fallon, Nevada and get some sleep before another long day tomorrow....

Second day of zero miles.  I was behind the wheel of the moving truck at 7:00, then not to Medford until 3:30, then it was off to look for a house.  No time for a run.  By 8:00 I was beat and just wanted to go to sleep.  I'll get back into a groove with consistent running on Monday in my new home of Medford, Oregon!

11 miles this morning, between Jill's house and my new home. It's 3.75 miles from front door to front door. That will be nice to know for future runs. A lot of the streets I ran didn't have a sidewalk and very limited space on the shoulder. I'll have to find some better routes.... After the 11 miles I ran 1 mile with the dog. I should do that more often....

Average Pace: 7:05

Rotterdam (246)

My first of many rainy runs this morning.  I'll have to get some appropriate attire....  I ran from Jill's to East McAndrews, then due east for 4 miles up into the hills.  There were some rollers in there, but it was mostly up.  Consequently, the 4 home was lots of downhill.  I felt pretty good, but the pizza from last night wasn't enjoying the run one bit.

Pace: 7:19 

Rotterdam (254)

4 miles around my new neighborhood, then 1 mile with the dog. It rained again. It's rained every day since we moved here but locals are saying that such a wet May/June is unusual. No watch.

Sinister (184)

I did 4.5 miles this morning around Albertsons and St. Mary's High School, then 1 more mile with the dog. My pace was right at 7:00/mile. Blue skies this morning, so maybe we'll have some good weather finally.

Rotterdam (260)

First 10K since 2004. It was a blast! New pr by 50 seconds with a 32:30 on the most honest course I've ever ran. 1st overall and new course record. I'll write more later...

First weekend in Oregon and I found a 10K/5K in the town of Gold Hill, 10 miles up I-5 from Medford. It seems like there is a race nearly every weekend here, so I'm excited about that. Anyway, I got to Gold Hill and wasn't sure about the race--it seemed less than 100 people were going to be participating, but I signed up anyway. I ran the first 2 miles of the course and then returned for a 4 mile warm up.

We lined up and there were a few ex-SOU runners, so I figured there would be a few of us pushing the pace. From the gun it was just JJ and I. JJ led for the first mile, then 2 and 3 we ran at each others side. I ran with a Nike watch (after Lincoln, I'm done with the garmin on race day) and so I was a little unsure about the pace. It didn't feel too rough, so I figured we'd be okay. We went through 5K @ 16:15 and I began to wish I would have ran the shorter race to get a new pr in that distance. Oh well--too late for that now. There was a slight rise from 3 to 4 and I opened the gap between us by just a few feet. From mile 4 to the finish it was a straight shot on a perfectly flat road. I crossed the line in 32:30, meaning I ran my 2nd 5K in the exact same time as my 1st.

I'm very pleased with the race outcome. My training has been awful since Lincoln, especially with last weeks move. This is a big confidence booster for upcoming races. 2.3 mile cool-down.

• 1. 5:15
• 2. 5:17 (10:32)
  
• 3. 5:14 (15:46)
• 5K       (16:15)
• 4. 5:12 (20:58)
• 5. 5:12 (26:10)
• 6. 5:26 (31:36)
  
• .2            (.54)
• 10K     (32:30)

Sinister (196)

6 miles, nice and easy. I really didn't feel like running this morning, but somehow I got up and did a few before starting the day.

Red (371)

I actually got up this morning.  Crazy!  The move, new job, new routines, etc have taken its toll and I feel worn out every morning.  Somehow I need to get over it.....  8 easy miles around the new neighborhood.

Red (379)

Wasn't able to run until after work because I slept in again. I've never struggled getting up like this before. Maybe it's the water? :) Anyway, I found a pretty good course to run in the future. From my house I ran south on Phoenix Hwy, across the freeway and then north along the trail to Barnett rd, then back to my house. Basically a big square, but it was exactly 8.75 miles so with a few more turns it will be an even 10 miles. I took the dog for a quick 1.25 miles to get to 10 miles for the day.

Pace: 6:51

Rotterdam (270)

4 miles this morning around Ashland. What an awesome town!! I'll try and get a few more this afternoon.

2 more this afternoon.

I didn't really feel like racing today, but I had already signed up for the race, so I went anyway. I ran an easy 5 miles to get to Bear Creek Park and the race starting line. I still don't know many runners here (obviously), so I had no clue what type of competition there would be. It looked like there were a few high schoolers that might be quick.

We started out quick and it was my and a high-schooler to the lead. We went together through the first mile, then he faded pretty quickly. The course was an out and back course on the river trail system. I tried to push it through to the end, but I didn't have a watch and so had no clue on my time. It didn't feel as fast as last weeks 10k though, but I wasn't sure. Anyway, I finished up the race in first, crossing the line in 16:14. Pretty sad that I was only 1 second faster today on a 5k than I was last week on a 10K. I wish it hadn't been an out and back course--that may have helped keep the time down by a second or two.

2 mile cool-down and then back for awards. I got some lizard that was carved out of wood and painted in Oaxaca, Mexico. Oh yeah, and I also won a $25 gift certificate to a Mexican restaurant in town. Not bad for a race that only cost 5 bucks! Finished the day off with 4 more miles back to my house.

Red (384)

Sinister (205)

I found a pretty sweet out and back course from my house that's exactly 5 miles. It took me up a dirt road into the hills above East Medford and when I turned around to come back down I could see the whole valley. Anyway, I didn't run until after work today and I don't know if that was so wise. It was very hot and I don't enjoy it nearly as much as a morning run.

Red (390)

Nice and easy around town, including 2 miles around St. Mary's track. Enjoyable morning.

Pace: 7:03

Rotterdam (277)

5 very easy miles on the treadmill while I studied flashcards.  It wasn't too bad-- I might have to do that again during the next couple weeks.  Also broke in a new pair of Adidas Supernova's.  It's the first time I've ever tried this model and after the first run, they feel very good.

Adidas (5)

4 miles around the subdivision and then 2 more on the treadmill after I got home so I could study for a bit. I feel like anytime I'm not studying, I'm wasting time. That makes getting a good run in hard to do.

Pace: 7:14

Red (396)

All around Medford this morning. Started by going west across the freeway, then north past the mall and nearly to Central Point. I crossed back over the freeway and ran the last 10 miles or so around East Medford. For the first time in what feels like ages, I felt REALLY good today. It was nice to finally have a Saturday to go out and relax for a couple hours and not worry about a race, moving, job, etc.

Pace: 7:11

Rotterdam (293)

I finally managed to get up early enough to get in some decent miles. I ran down North Phoenix Highway to exit 24 and kept on going down to Talent, staying on the east-side of the freeway the whole time. It made for a nice course with plenty of rolling hills and very little traffic. I made it out 6 miles in 7:10 pace and back 6 miles in 6:45 pace, so a pretty good negative split.

Pace: 6:58

Red (408)

That's all I had time for. It's going to be busy the next few days.......

Sinister (208)

Yup, 2 miles on the treadmill. That's it. How sweet is that?!

Red (410)

3 by myself and 1 with the dog.  I need to get to bed earlier so I don't struggle to get up early.  Thank goodness for Saturday's and free-time in the morning to get some miles in...

Red (414)

It was kind of a rough one this morning. I'm fully captivated with the Olympics right now, so I stayed up until 1am to watch a portion of the trials. I was glad I did though because for once, they actually showed quite a bit of the distance events. I was able to watch the 2nd heat of the mens 5000m semi and the final for the women's 10000m. Pretty sweet races! I'm STOKED for next weekend!

Anyway, the late night made for a rough time getting out of bed. I didn't run until 8 and by then it was pretty hot. It's supposed to be 103 here today along with some humidity, so it makes for a hot run even in the morning hours. I ran north to Lone Pine Rd and ran some loops around Jill's neighborhood to get in some hills, then back home. 13 miles in total at a fairly easy pace. The last 2 miles were a little quicker just so I could get home before too late. It's going to be a busy day again....

Pace: 6:59

Rotterdam (306)

I wasn't sure about going out this morning, but I did anyway. Our area is all sorts of smoky from the fires that are burning in California. Visibility is low and I'm sure it's not that great for ones lungs. Oh well. Nice and easy down Barnett, south on the trail to Harry & David Field, then north on the highway past the armory and back home. Felt really good.

Pace: 7:07

Red (422)

I didn't get up and run this morning but I was able to squeeze it into lunch.  I stayed up until 1 last night so I could watch the 5000m and 800m races from the trials.  Lame that I'm 2 hours south of where it's happening yet it doesn't come on t.v. until 11 pm.  Oh well, it was very worth the late night.  The men's 800 was one of the best races I've ever seen!  I can't wait until Friday night to see the 10,000m live and in person!!!!!  I was online this morning and found out that Brian Sell and Ryan Hall are in town and running with the Eugene Running Club today and tomorrow.  I wish I was able to go up a day early, but Thursday will have to do.  It's going to be awesome.

Anyway, back to todays run--it was good.  Nice and easy to St. Mary's High School, around the track for a couple miles, then home.  Fun stuff.

Average Pace: 6:48

Rotterdam (312)

Nice and easy this morning.  I'm not sure if I should be running outside--the smoke from N. California fires is fairly bad.  I'm not a big fan of treadmills though so out I went to run the Albertsons loop twice, plus Golf View Drive up and back.

Average Pace: 7:34 

Red (427)

No run--just work and then drive to Eugene for the trials.  Best race of the night was the women's steeple and Lindsey Anderson finishing 2nd to qualify for Beijing.  9:30-WOW!

I ran the Butte to Butte 10k this morning and it was a pretty cool experience. There were 4600 runners last year (most all time) and they were prepared for 10,000 runners this year with the trials in town. Race organizers were over-prepared when only 5900 runners showed up. Not too bad for a 10k.

There were a bunch of fast-like runners warming up before the start. Many Hanson-Brooks tank tops, university tanks, etc. I figured I would go hard, but just enjoy the experience. The start was a bit of a joke and frankly I was expecting better from a race in Tracktown USA. We were crammed in at the starting line--most people belonged there but there was a large amount of 60 year old men, 50 year old women, boys and girls below 10 and, I'm completely serious, a 75-80 year old lady right next to me on the third line. What's going on here?! Do these people seriously think they're going to run there first mile at the same pace as the people surrounding them?

Needless to say, the first half-mile was a lot of bumping, grabbing and tripping as I passed people that had no business being among the first 3000 runners. Add to the fact that every single step of the first mile was uphill. I passed a bunch of people going up and still only managed a 6:09. Immediately after the first mile mark we turned and cruised downhill. It wasn't gradual either--it was steep as could be. I don't do well on that type of layout. I hold back and my stride doesn't open up as it should. Always been that way, always will be that way. Anyway, mile 2 in 5:05. 3rd mile flattens out (basically flat until the finish) and I only manage a 5:12. The first mile killed any shot at a P.R. so from that point on it was just hold on and reel people in and don't get passed from behind. I managed to pick off 2-4 people per mile and not get passed from 2 until the finish, so I was happy about that.

Mile 4 slowed to 5:23, followed by a slower 5:24 mile 5. By this time we're running through downtown Eugene and there are people everywhere. The entire course was lined with supporters which kept spirits high throughout the race. Mile 6 improved slightly for a 5:15 and the last .2 in 1:18. I was pretty beat at the end. Glad I ran and was apart of the whole Eugene experience. Tomorrow's run will be sweet as Jason and I will run the sights of Eugene--Pre's rock, Hayward Field, Pre's Trail and everything between! Good stuff.

Sinister (216) These shoes are worthless.......

Trials are going to be sweet tonight! The 1500 was great last night and it continues with Semis tonight. Alan Webb looked dominant in his heat..... I'm most excited for the mens 10k though. Josh Rohatinsky is going to fly

Very fun run this morning with Jason around Eugene.  We left the hotel and ran just over 2 miles to Pre's Rock.  Paused there for a bit, then headed downtown and looped around Hayward Field and the rest of the campus.  After that we got on a bike path that headed east and crossed the river and hopped on Pre's Trail.  It was fun to run on wood-chips, but I didn't realize how many tiny pieces of wood and other foreign objects get trapped in ones socks.  Not very comfortable, but the path was smooth and soft, so very nice.  Anyway, from that point it was just a couple miles back to the hotel.  I would have liked to have got a few more miles in but I ran out of time before the hotel's breakfast finished.  Fun to run with Jason as always....

Average Pace: 7:24 

Rotterdam (321)

13 miles around town. West on Barnett, south on the river trail system to Phoenix and then north on the highway. I added a loop around a subdivision in Phoenix and also an out-and-back on a dirt road off of the highway. Felt pretty good after a restful sleep last night.

Pace: 7:00

Red (440)

6 miles in Portland. I think so anyway....my garmin was out of service for most of the run. I ran up and down both sides of the Willamette River that flows right through downtown Portland. What a cool city. I think, in the 40 minutes I was running, that I saw at least 500 bikers as they made their way home from work. They were all over the path I was on. Fun stuff.

Adidas (11)

5 miles on the hotel treadmill. One mile @ 5:25, one @ 5:40 and one slower but @ 5% incline. The other two were around 7:00mile pace.

Adidas (16)

Nice and easy around Medford. I ran west to South High School to run around their track but the gates were locked. I then ran north and went through the downtown and continued to McAndrews. Then it was east to north Phoenix Highway and south to my house. Basically just one big loop so there was a good mix of hills and scenery.

Average Pace: 6:57

Red (451)

When I woke up I had zero desire to run. Not sure what's going on....I'm just not into it right now. I think it's because I don't have any races I'm shooting for in the immediate future and the fact that my training is going to completely fall apart in August when I'm in New Jersey for 3 weeks. It makes it hard to train when I know what the future holds, so to speak.

Anyway, after doing some errands and getting my 3rd car in just over 1 month (hopefully this one hold up-it's a Dodge Avenger and I really like it so far) I was mentally ready to run. When I left the house I didn't know if I was going to run 3 miles or 16 miles. I felt really good and found myself enjoying every aspect of the jog. I ran up into the East Medford hills which made for a 600 ft climb in 3 miles, followed by the same drop in 3 more miles. That type of course will be great for 2009 SG training.

Average Pace: 6:47

Rotterdam (331)

A simple 3 before leaving for Portland.  Better than nothing I suppose.

Red (454)

10 miles by myself and 1 more with the dog to cool down.  That's the idea anyway, although she loves to run and sometimes ends up pulling me along as she sprints down the sidewalk.  I ran an extended loop to Jill's home and then back and tried to keep the pace steady the whole way.

Red (465)

9 miles alone and 1.5 with the dog. I ran south on North Phoenix Highway to Exit 24 the back up to Barnett Rd via the trail system. I added the retirement hill, then continued home. That's a killer hill and one I should try and run more often. I felt okay, although my right hip was tight when I started and stayed that way for the first 4 miles or so.

Rotterdam (341)

Around Medford, but way too many turns to describe the route.  My right hip was tight and never loosened up.  Time to see the chiro again....  I picked up the pace twice for 800m each and felt pretty good doing so.

Sinister (222)

Very enjoyable 15-miler this morning on a route that I'll run often in the future. I ran south on Phoenix Highway to exit 24 and then ran east on the back-roads to Talent. It was exactly 7 miles to the bridge that crossed I-5 and I considered turning around there, but instead continued on to Talent and then ran north on Highway 99 to exit 24 in Phoenix. Anyway, the first half had some great hills throughout and the second half was much more flat so in the future I'd probably run it in reverse. 1 more with the dog after I finished.

Average Pace: 6:52

Red (481)

9.5 miles all around Disneyland. Not within the park, but actually on the roads around the park. Got into a few areas where there were lots of bars on windows and doors so I made promt u-turns. Fun run.

Adidas (26)

2nd run in California. This time I ran to the Angels baseball stadium and back. Home to Medford tonight after completing my first POA.

Adidas (30)

1 mile with the dog.

Same loop as last weekend except this time I ran it in reverse. I ran west on Barnett and then south on Hwy 99 until Talent, then crossed over the bridge (8 miles at the bridge) and ran north through the rolling hills on the east side of the freeway. Great hills to finish off the run. It was 15 miles back to my house but I added 2 more with the Albertsons loop. I came back to the house, drank some powerade and then took the dog for 2 miles. Pretty good morning, perfect weather and relatively pain-free running. Good stuff.

Average Pace: 6:54

Red (500)

4 miles after work. Nothing special.

Red (504)

Another pretty easy morning. I need more time to run but it's just not happening right now.

Rotterdam (346)

1 mile with the dog....

Another 1 with the dog.

9 alone this morning and then 1 with the dog.  I ran the parkway trail just past McAndrew's and back.  Not sure about pace as I ran without the garmin.  I think this week qualifies as my worst of 2008.  Sweet!

Red (514)

I actually ran this morning!  And more than 3 miles!  Sure hope this week can be a good one because for the rest of August, training might be hard to come by.

Average Pace: 6:25

Red (521)

Ran out Stewart Highway for 4.5 miles and back.  Lots of traffic and too may stop lights.  Feeling pretty good.

Rotterdam (355)

4 more miles tonight as I won"t be able to run Wednesday morning before boarding a plane for Portland

Sinister (226)

10 miles around Lake Oswego, Oregon. This was much better than the last 2 times I've been in Portland for work and had to run downtown.  I ran around the actual lake and saw some amazing houses.  The entire run was very green, very pretty and very peaceful.  I'm glad I got out this morning.  I headed back to the hotel and used the bathroom and then did 2 more on the treadmill, 1 @ 7:02/mile and the last @ 6:00/mile pace. 

Adidas (40) 

5 miles to Saint Mary's HS track and back, plus 2 with the dog.  I'm in need of a chiro visit, so hopefully that can be taken care of soon.

Pace: 7:07

Sinister (233)

Out and back on the backroads to Talent.  This is quickly becoming my favorite run in the Medford area.  I looped around Albertsons and then went south on the rolling route east of the freeway 7 miles.  Average pace there was 6:49.  I turned around and made my way back in a bit of a hurry to get home (lots to do today) and ended up pushing the pace a bit.  7 miles back in 5:52/mile pace.  It felt good to drop the speed again--its been a while.  1 more mile with the dog after getting home.

Rotterdam (370)

I'm in New Jersey for the next 3 weeks.  There doesn't seem to be many places to run around the hotel but there is a mall across the street so that's where I ran today.  I did 6 laps and each one took between 7:00 and 7:15 on each, so I'm thinking it's very close to 1 complete mile.  Good stuff....

Adidas (46)

Another 8 laps around the mall.  It's getting pretty boring already....  But it provides a good mix of uphill and downhill with no traffic.

Adidas (54)

11 miles in the pouring rain of New Jersey.  I was completely drenched within 3 minutes but it was a lot of fun anyway.  I avoided the mall and made my way to a high school track instead.  I ran 6 miles around the track, the last 2 in 5:50 and 5:40.  Felt pretty good and I'm glad I didn't get struck by the lightning that was all over the skies.

Adidas (65)

Treadmill miles before going out for the night.  Average pace was 7:15/mile.  I could really use a break from the hotel...

Adidas (69)

I didn't run this morning.  Ugh!  Oh well.  You're in New York only so often so I figured I'd take advantage of it and skip my run.  We walked a TON though.....

Times Square, Central Park, China Town, Yankees Stadium to watch them play KC, Chrysler Building, Madison Square Garden, Trump Towers, Grand Central Station, and then back of the train to NJ.  Fun day.... 

8 laps around the mall and just a bit more to get 9 miles this morning.  Fun stuff...

Adidas (78)

Fun run around the homes past the corporate offices.  There are some big places back up there.  I was startled a few times by deer--I saw 6 in total.

Adidas (84)

5 miles.  This New Jersey running is getting old...

Adidas (89)

7 miles around Roseburg, Oregon.  It's been over a week since I've been able to run.  That's what having a kid has done to me.  My sleep has been totally jacked up since Thursday....

Rotterdam (377)

13 miles by myself and then 2 with the dog.  I went way too far after having not run much the past few weeks.  I was pretty tired by the end.  Oh well....  It felt good to get out and get some exercise again.

Red (536)

8 miles by myself and 2 more with the dog.  I ran quite a few new streets this morning, so that made things interesting.  I also ran up to the Manor on the hill, so quite a good workout.

Red (546)

I didn't have much time today so I picked up the pace for the first time in nearly 2 months, or so it seems. I ran to St. Mary's HS to run some quick laps and then call it good. First mile in 7 minutes to warm up, then a 5:50 and 5:15 around the track while football practice was going on. Football coaches are lame. The guy tonight couldn't yell loud enough or often enough to get his point across to his players I guess. Finished off the run with 2x800, each run in 2:30. So not my best workout, but not bad for it being so long since I've done anything like this...

Sinister (238)

7 miles this morning before heading off to work.  I don't know why I'm so tired these days and struggle to get up to run.  Maybe it's having a newborn that wakes up every 2 hours during the night....?  

Red (553) These shoes are officially done!

I slept in until 9:15 today and it was AWESOME!  As nice as it was to sleep in, it did make for a pretty hot run.  I ran into town and then up Lone Pine and back home via foothill drive.  I pushed the pace on 3 of the miles and hit sub-6, but otherwise I was running 6:48/mile pace.  Felt okay, but I've lost a lot since June/July when I was running more consistent miles.  10 miles by myself and 2 with the dog.

Adidas (99)

7 miles tonight after dinner.  Better than nothing I suppose.  I'm not doing such a good job combining running with work and a newborn.  Oh well--running just isn't as important to me these days.  Hopefully soon I can find a better balance with everything going on in my life.

Adidas (106)

7 miles after dinner and I felt much better than Saturday night.  I'm officially out of shape!  Good stuff....

White (26)

7 by myself and 1 with the dog.  I ran from my house and south on North Phoenix Highway past Home Depot, straight through the light and to the dirt road dead end.  3.5 miles out, same coming back.  100 degrees when I left the house and I was SO thirsty by the time I got back.

Rotterdam (385)

Another hot run tonight.  100 degrees again when I left the house.  The worst part is the burning on the neck when sweat meets a neck that was shaved 10 hours prior.  Felt pretty good though--each day feels better since Saturday's awful run.  And I scored 4 free tomatoes so I'd say it was a good run.

Adidas (112)

4 miles on the treadmill and 1 more with the dog.  I'm not a fan of treadmills.  Not one bit...

White (31)

Pretty good run this morning on what has become my favorite run in Medford.  I'll call it Phoenix East-I run south on North Phoenix Highway, left @ Home Depot and then it's rolling hills on the back roads to Talent.  7.5 miles out in 7:00/mile average and then back in 6:27/mile average.  Returning I tried to have each mile be faster than the one previously: 7:01, 6:49, 6:41, 6:32, 6:11, 5:59, 5:38 and then .5 easy to my house.  Then 1 mile with the dog.  Happy that I felt so good and that my legs still have some speed in them despite such horrible training the past while...

Rotterdom (401)

1st run in Coos Bay, Oregon.  I've been here 3 other times with work but I've slacked off and not ran when I've been here.  Today I was determined to not let it happen again.  I ran north from my hotel past the mill and casino and into the old downtown, then east past the airport and church and to end up at the beach.  4.75 miles out, same back, plus 1 on the hotels treadmill to cool down.  It's an awesome treadmill, so that's good when I'm here in the winter months.

For me it's always fun to run in a new city for the first time.  This time it was even better knowing that it was Steve Prefontaines hometown.  Hopefully I can plan a work trip here next year and run the Prefontaine 10K that was held last Saturday.  I hear it's a fun one...

Adidas (123)

Roseburg tonight.  Less windy than Coos Bay but very smokey.  I seemed to run all over town but only ended up with 10 miles....

Adidas (133)

Pretty good run tonight.  I ran 3 miles to South High School, followed by 2 miles around the track.  800m "warm-up," 1600m in 5:32, 1 lap easy and 1 lap in 70 seconds.  Not my fastest workout ever, but not bad for a starting point.  3 miles back home, then 1.5 miles with the dog.

After 12 years of running, I finally ran with my ipod for the first time.  I thought it would be sacrilegious or something, but I actually kind of liked it.  I won't use it everyday, not in races and not for anything over 10 miles, but for these shorter jogs it made for a nice change of pace (no pun intended).

Rotterdam (411)

Similar course as last week, just extended from 7.5 to 8 miles, then return.  Rolling hills to Talent, then back the same way.  It's perfect weather right now--cool enough that I consider gloves (before leaving them home) before leaving the house in a short sleeve shirt and shorts.  Last nights Tim Tam Slam wasn't feeling too good around mile 8 but I found a bathroom and it was smooth sailing after that.  1st 8 miles in 6:50/mile average, then return in 6:17/mile average.  I'm out of shape...  I had to work to keep my pace under 6:30 throughout most of the run.  Blah.  Oh well, it'll come back and if it doesn't then who cares.

Rotterdam (427)

Not much time this morning.  This week is going to be a challege to stay consistent and get some miles in.

Rotterdam (434)

Back in New Jersey.  This time for only 1 week, so not too bad.  I went back to the mall and did laps again.  I brought my garmin this time and found out that each lap is 1.1 mile and .25 mile from the hotel to the mall.  Anyway, not sure how many laps, but I ended up with 9 miles.  It gets old but it's no worse than a track and much safer than running on these roads where there's no sidewalks.

White (40)

5 miles around the mall. I ran them in reverse this time which made things....pretty much the same as yesterday. Glad I got some miles in before some long meetings.

4 more miles tonight. Nice and easy as I ran with a co-worker and we were lucky to go sub-10.  Oh well-it was nice to have some conversation for a change.

White (49)

10 miles this morning, some around the homes behind the hotel, some around the mall again.  I struggle with the pace this morning and figured I'd be lucky to run under 8:00/mile, but htings turned out okay.  I even picked up the pace on 7 and 8 and ran a 5:12 and 5:34 before slowing down for the last two.  I'm pleased with how things are going right now.  I feel like I've rebounded from the few weeks back where I didn't get much running in.

Average Pace: 6:36

White (59)

Long day.  Got up @ 5 Eastern and worked until noon.  Then off to the Newark airport, only to then get redirected to JFK.  It worked out though as I scored 1st class in the process.  We were 70 minuted delayed in leaving New York so I got to SLC with minutes between my connection to Medford.  I ran, in shirt/tie/dress shoes/carrying briefcase from gate C13 to E 71 just as they were calling my name for a final call.  That had to be worth .5 miles, right?  I'm sure the guy in the seat next to me for the next 90 minutes appreciated my sweat/smell as a result.  Finally got to my home about 10:30 Pacific with no luggage.  Hopefully it makes it tommorow....

Dockers (.5)

Phoenix East run again this morning.  I was pretty tired this morning after such a long day yesterday, so I wasn't really 'feeling' this run.  I didn't have my garmin or my watch as both were in my luggage that didn't make it home with me last night.  1st time in ages that I ran in the blind with regards to pace/time/distance.  It was nice though....  Got some heavy rain about mile 9 that lasted for 3 miles but then cleared up nicely.  I was dead tired the last mile, badly in need of a drink.  Finished off the run though.  Time to incorporate drinks into my runs if I'm serious about a winter marathon.

Rotterdam (451)

Nice and easy 8.5 miles this morning.  Nothing too exciting, although I did wear gloves for the first time.  I didn't really need them after I got going, but that's okay.  No effects from Saturday's run.

Rotterdam (459)

9 more miles tonight after work.  I was going to get up at 4 tomorrow and run, but that sucks.  Running twice in 1 day just sucks less, so that's the plan I went with.  Nice and easy, with the ipod, right at 7:00/mile pace.  Pacing was even; there was only a 15 second difference between the first half and the second half.

Adidas (142)

6.5 miles this morning around Vancouver, WA. Great place to run as there are plenty of sidewalks, wide streets and bright street lights in the early mornings.

White (65)

9 miles today in the hills above East Medford.  Felt pretty good and got a great workout.  My right calf felt a little tight with only 1 mile remaining, but seemed to go away by the time I got home.

Adidas (151)

There was a 10K in Jacksonville this morning, but I decided to just stick around in town and go for a long run instead.  I'd like to race more often, but it's not working out lately.  32 degrees when I left my house--winter is fast approaching.  I started with 5 miles in 6:52/mile average and then got some Powerade.  Another 4 miles to Jill's house in 6:37/mile and then some water.  Started the tempo portion from there--ran north to Olive Garden, then south on Crater Lake and south on Biddle, then east on Jackson.  I was shooting for anything under 6:00/mile.  Splits were: 5:47, 5:26, 5:40, 5:37, 5:42, 5:46.  The last mile was rough as most of it was uphill, so I'm pleased I was able to stay within goal.  5 more miles to finish off the run in 7:00/mile.  Long run which feels good to have in the books.

Rotterdam (479)

Brisk morning which felt great. Just gloves as I ran around Providence hospital and ran up Jackson St. hill twice.  Felt good, although a little rushed near the end in order to get back in time for work.

Adidas (162)

10 miles tonight after work.  I ran my usual Phoenix East route to the first stop sign prior to turning south.  I didn't push too hard, but the pace was a little faster than normal.  It took me 33:53 to run out, then 32:30 to return.  Good stuff.

Rotterdam (489)

Another decent run after work.  Ran up Foothill rd and then east to Providence Hospital, then same route in return.  I was able to help push a car for a lady after it stalled in an intersection.  It's all about the karma...

White (76)

So tired this morning--it was a struggle to get out of bed. I managed to get in 6 miles at a pedestrian-like pace, or so it felt. I don't know how other new dads manage so well, but the interrupted sleep during the night is a struggle to adjust to.

Sinister (244)

Pretty good run this morning.  I ran up in the east Medford hills for 4 miles, then west past Red Robin and to the west side of the freeway.  South until Barnett, then east to North Phoenix rd.  I was at 10 miles at that point, so I ran south to Home Depot and back to finish off the run at 15 miles.  After the first 5 miles I decided to push the pace every-other mile.  First 5 miles were right @ 7:00/mile average, then splits were as follows (hard mile / easy mile recovery):

• Miles 6 & 7 (5:28 / 6:41)
• Miles 8 & 9 (5:27 / 6:57)
• Miles 10 & 11 (5:19 / 6:57)
• Miles 12 & 13 (5:18 / 7:07)
• Miles 14 & 15 (5:26 / 6:48)

I was able to work the karma angle again today.  As I was passing Hope Depot, a guys load of particle boards had slid out of his truck and despite being right in the middle of the intersection, no one stopped to help (I saw at least 10 vehicles pass right by).  I ran over to him and helped load them back into his truck and he went on his way.  Good stuff.

Rotterdam (504)

6 miles that were okay run this morning.  Just okay.  I ran to South Medford HS and back and could have really used some gloves.

Adidas (168)

4 more miles tonight.  This time to St. Mary's HS, 2 miles around the track, then back.  First run in new shoes--Saucony Type A.  Didn't love them, didn't hate them.  Seem to have a bit more cushion than the Sinisters, but I doubt enough for a marathon.

Type A (4)

Not a bad morning.  Wore a long sleeve shirt for the first time this fall...  I was glad I did as it was 40 degrees when I left the house at 5:45.  Felt pretty good, although at about 8 miles my right thigh felt a little off.  I think it was from the uneven road surface that I was running over at the time.  I'll keep an eye on it.

Adidas (178)

Nice and easy this morning.  I ran loops around the neighborhood; 1 lap around Albertsons, 1 lap around St. Mary's HS, then 2 more laps around Albertsons.  My leg felt better than yesterday, but not 100% better.  I hope this doesn't turn into something worse...

Rotterdam (512)

I worked in Klamath Falls today and didn't run before my early departure.  On my way back tonight, I stopped at the Running Y Resort and ran 8 miles, mostly on bike paths and dirt trails.  It was pretty fun to run somewhere new, but I was hungry, had a headache, and the elevation (4100 ft) made it a tough workout.  Probably the only chance I'll have to run here as it will soon be covered in multiple feet of snow.

Adidas (186)

Figure 8 run this morning as I looped around Albertsons first and then St. Mary's HS second.  I slowed down as much as my mind would let me and ran without a watch for a change.  A little stiff after last nights 8 miles followed by 1 hour drive home.

Sinister (248)

Officially my highest week ever!  I never thought I'd hit 60 in one week, mostly because I have had no desire to.  But that's just the way things worked out this week, so I'll take it.  I was out the door at 6:15, planning on 20 miles.  I ran Foothill the the winery and back (5 miles in 7:24/mile pace) then south on North Phoenix Highway past Home Depot and into the neighborhood then back (9 miles in 6:47/mile pace).  Then to finish things off, I ran on Foothill past the winery to McAndrews and back (6 miles in 5:54/mile pace).  In total, ran for 2:12:38, and average pace of 6:37/mile.  Overall it was just an ok run, but that's fine--they're not all great.

Ate 1/2 banana and water as I was walking out the door, water @ 5 miles, Powerade @ 14 miles.  Stomach handled it well.

White (96)

Great run in Coos Bay tonight.  I learned that Marshfield HS was only 1 mile from my hotel so I ran there to begin.  I then realized that the streets around the HS made a 1 mile loop with some decent hills throughout, so I thought I'd simply run laps around the school.  3/4 around my first lap I passed a yard with 4 dogs which darted out from behind the fence and sounded like they wanted to eat me for dinner.  I took off and sprinted for 150 meters or so and escaped without incident.  So that's when I learned how Steve Prefontaine became so fast--it wasn't the hills around town, the inner-drive to excel, or the strong work ethic.  He gained his speed by fleeing rabid dogs.  That's my theory anyway....

I was concerned that I might have overdone it with my escape.  My legs were still feeling the 20-miler from Saturday and I wasn't fully warmed up when I ran from the dogs, so for the next 2-3 miles I took things nice and easy.  I ran to the hospital, north to North Bend HS, to downtown North Bend, then back to Marshfield HS.  I then jumped on the track and ran 1 mile, noticed a Prefontaine memorial for the American record he set in the 2000m on his HS track (pretty sweet), then back to the hotel.  Decided I felt so good that I'd do 1 more on the treadmill for good measure.  I'm feeling really good right now.  Hopefully my legs agree in the morning.

White (109)

Another 6 around Coos Bay this morning.  Nothing special, just up and down the streets around the hotel.  I tried to run on the Marshfield track again, but it was locked and I couldn't get inside.  Oh well.  No issues in my legs from yesterdays run.

White (115)

4 junk miles tonight.  Sitting in the car all day made my legs pretty tight, so it felt good to loosen up.  Hope I'm not overdoing it.

Adidas (190)

Decent run tonight.  I was hoping to pick up the pace for 5-6 miles for a tempo workout, but it didn't really happen.  5 miles nice and easy heading west from my hotel in Roseburg where I saw a total of 9 deer, all of which were no more than 25 meters off the road.  I turned around and started to pick up the pace on my return and was pleased when 5:40 felt comfortable.  It didn't feel like I was jogging, but I didn't feel like I was pressing either.  Did this for 3.5 miles and then learned that I was lost.  At one point I was running on a bridge that crossed over a river but was under I-5.  Shortly after that I wound up in the cemetary...  Weird.  Anyway, eventually made it back to the hotel but the last 2 miles were slower as I made my way back to the streets and stopped at a few lights.

White (126)

Nothing special on the treadmill tonight.  4 miles is about all I can take...

Type A (8)

6 miles, nice and easy around the neighborhood.  I overdressed BIG-TIME so that wasn't too fun.  It's supposed to get cold here, but I guess not yet...

Rotterdam (518)

14 miles this morning in rather warm weather.  It rained some last night but was mid-50's and muggy.  I'll take that over snow and wind though....  Just couldn't get going today and I'm not sure why.  I figured after 3-4 miles I would be able to pick up the pace but it just didn't happen.  I accepted the sloggy feeling and just rolled with it to the end.  Drank @ 7 and 13 and my stomach was fine so that's 1 positive thing that came from today's run.  Average pace was a measly 6:53.  Oh well.

Adidas (204)

Interesting run tonight.  I worked Klamath Falls this morning and because of the early departure, a run just wasn't in the cards.  I got home about 6 and it was all sorts of rainy and windy, so I jumped on the treadmill.  3 miles later I was getting dizzy, couldn't breath very well and was very hot.  I left the house and did the 2 mile Albertsons loop in my shorts and t-shirt which wasn't enough clothing.  So back home and 1 more mile on the treadmill.  Ugh!  Oh well--at least I was able to get some miles in.

Type A (14)

Nice and chilly this morning, but that's okay.  I ran a 5 mile route around Albertsons, north on Foothill dr, around the golf course, south past Medford Medical and west on Barnett to the dog park.  5 miles exactly in 33:39 out, 30:00 back.  10 miles total on a rolling course with a few decent hills.  Feel pretty good.

Rotterdam (528)

I love these shoes.  It's time to chuck them but I just can't bring myself to do it.  Prehaps my all-time favorite...

9 miles this morning.  Similar route to yesterday.  Hopefully I can get a few more in tonight.

Adidas (213)

5 more miles tonight after getting home from work.  The rains had softened some, so it made for a pleasant run.  Except for the part when I was nearly hit by a car.  I'm sure the bumper was within 6 inches of my right knee as he accelerated out of Medford Medical Clinic without looking any direction other than left.  What an idiot.  I jumped out of the way, yelled at him and sprinted after his vehicle as he sped away.  Morning runs are so much better when one basically owns the roads because of virtually no traffic.  Not the same at night.

White (131)

10  mile route, same as Tuesday.  It makes for some nice rolling hills the first and last 3 miles, as well as a steep hill around mile 4 and mile 6.  Anyway, a misty rain this morning which made things nice.  Legs felt pretty good after the first 2 miles.

Rotterdam (538)

Easy run this morning without a watch.  Tried to keep things as slow and simple as I could.  Hopefully I can get in 20-22 on Saturday and have a new weekly high in mileage.

Adidas (218)

Started the morning off running from Jill's house to Phoenix HS for the Phoenix Pioneer Run.  Added 1 more mile at the track while I was waiting for the race to start.  I wasn't sure how the race was going to turn out, so my only goal was to run sub-6 on each mile. 

1- 5:45 as we started off and I just went out with whatever pace the others set.

2- 5:56 with a turn-around and slight uphill.  By this point it's a senior in HS and myself.  Come to find out he was pretty quick (3rd @ state, school record in 800, 1500, 3000, and 5k).

3 & 4- 11:34.  Missed the 3rd mile so not sure how these 2 miles went.  Both were basically rolling up-hill with 1 semi-large hill.

5- 5:46 with more rolling hillls and slight downhill.  Still just the 2 of us with a big lead over everyone else.

6- 5:11.  At this point the HS guy makes a break around a corner and gaps me by 3-4 seconds but I quickly closed it and caught back up.  I felt fine with the increased pace so I figured to roll with it and see how long I could maintain it.  I also figured that if I stood a chance at beating this guy, I'd have to break him with over 3 miles left.  His leg speed would tear me up if I waited too long and we were together at 8 miles.

7- 5:26 with some gradual uphill but the HS is slowing down, or at least not hanging with me like before.

8 & 9- 10:22.  I really wish I hadn't missed the 8 mile mark.  I was cruising and trying to keep some distance between myself and the HS in second.  Either way, the last 2 miles make for a 5:11 average, so I can't complain.

Took 1st and just barely caught my sister who was crossing the finishline for her 5K that had started 30 minutes after my race.  Made it fun to finish at the same time.

Had some time to kill so I ran 2 more miles for a cool down while I waited for awards.  Or at least that's what I thought I was waiting for.  After 90 minutes of waiting, I got jack.  Not even a "and our overall winner in the 9 mile run was...."  Rather, I got a lame blue ribbon for winning my age group.  SWEET!

By this time it was 11 in the morning and I had to get going so I ran the 4 miles it took to return home after a very long morning.

White (143), Type A (25)

Highest mileage week ever.  I'll hit somewhere around 60 next week...

7.5 miles this morning in Roseburg.  Ran from the Sleep Inn to Troost St, then south through the neighborhoods behind Dr. Black & Jorgensen's office.  I ran nice and easy with all the miles in the 7:00+ range, which felt good after Saturday's miles.  Legs feel pretty good.

White (150)

7.5 more miles tonight, still in Roseburg.  Ran east from the Comfort Inn on Garden Valley Rd to Pomona Rd on Diamond Lake Highway.  I'm glad I got back when I did.  Not much fun running in the dark on a fairly busy highway.  Lost of logging trucks tonight.

Adidas (225)

I overslept this morning.  Ugh!  Only had time for 5 miles as I ran west to the movie theater and up the hill behind it until the city road ends and county road begins.  Good hills!  Hopefully I can find time for some more tonight.

White (155)

Coos Bay tonight and it was very windy and rainy.  Made for an interesting run, but it was fun.  I ran to North Bend HS in hopes of running around the track but the fence was locked.  Ran to Big Town Hero and then west to Wal-Mart, then back.  I was SOAKED when I finished.  6 miles total.

Adidas (231)

Long day of driving.  I worked Coos Bay this morning, leaving around 11 with stops in Coquille, Bandon, Gold Beach, and Brookings.  I didn't get home unil 6 and I was dying for a run.  Ran my 5 mile loop around the golf course and Foothill dr, followed by the St. Mary's loop, Albertsons loop and St. Mary's again.  Last 2 I pushed a bit and ran in 6:30 pace but the first 9 were all around 7:00/mile.

Rotterdam (549)

2 laps around the golf course/footill drive loop.  I tried to keep the pace as slow as my mond would allow, but I didn't have much energy so it worked out well.  5 hours of sleep last night, up at 5:00 this morning and working within 10 minutes, only a banana for breakfast and sandwhich for lunch.  Needless to say I was a little drained by the time I got home from work.  First 5 miles were rough, 2nd 5 were better.  All were between 7:30-8:00/mile pace.

Sinister (258)

Quick one this morning.  Down Barnett to the freeway, then back and 1 loop around Albertsons.  Nothing special to report.  Tomorrow should be interesting.  My plan is to run as slow as possible and still win.  Hopefully that can happen at around 6:00 pace.

Adidas (236)

Another weekend, another race, and another good experience.  My confidence for a decent marathon in December is growing, which is the best thing to take away from this morning.  This morning was the 1st Grants Pass Half Marathon, 10K, 5K and when I heard the winner received winter running gear, as well as a tech shirt and gloves to every participant, I figured the price was right to race.

It was fairly cool this morning in GP, around high 30's-low 40's with just a bit of moisture in the air.  I couldn't decide what to wear, but went with a long-sleeve shirt and gloves which was about right.  After a 2 mile warm-up, we lined up to start the race.  I had 3 goals before the race; 1) win, 2) in the slowest time possible, 3) with each mile under 6:00/pace.  The first 2.2 miles were like a typical HS cross country course on grass, wood-chip trails, bike trails, wooden bridges and around many tight corners.  From that point on we ran on a highway that consisted of rolling hills and stretches of pancake flat roads.

I ran with another guy through the first 3 miles at a comfortable pace.  For the next 3 miles, once per mile I would surge for 30 seconds and increase the gap between the two of us.  The pick-ups felt pretty good and it broke up the miles mentally.  I thought if nothing else it would mess with the other guys head a bit.... :)  Around mile 8 both of my hamstrings felt rather tight and possibly strained?  I didn't want to push the pace any harder, but at least maintain and finish off the run without a hint of an injury.  I pushed my last mile to see what I had left and was able to hit a 5:09, so that built the confidence a bit. The final .1 took us back onto the grass and across the start/finish line where they had chocolate milk waiting for the finishers (why don't all races provide this?  It was awesome!).

Anyway, so I pushed it harder than I originally planned but that seems to happen to me every time I race.  It's hard for me to slow down when I get caught up in the 'excitement' of the race.  At the same time, I don't think I 'gave it everything I had,' but that's okay.  I ran faster @ the Bryce Canyon Half Marathon in 2006 by 7 seconds, but I think I'll count this as a PR for a couple reasons.  It wasn't a blazing downhill; it was a loop course that started and finished at the same spot so no net elevation gain/loss.  Perhaps I could have gone a bit faster had I tapered some or if I hadn't ran 70 miles this week (my highest ever).  Not a big deal though....  I just looked at this as a training run for Sacramento.  2.5 miles to cool down and my hamstrings feel better now, so hopefully it's nothing, but I'll keep my eye on them.  So I met 2 out of 3 goals.  I won and kept each mile under 6:00/pace, but I could have slowed down some, but again, I get caught up in the race and have a problem not racing.

Type A (40)  Shoes feel good enough that I'll consider them for the full 26.2

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