It ain't Chinese algebra!

Cold today as I ran along the Tualatin River, through Cook park to Tigard HS.  I jumped on the track and ran just over 4 miles (6:29, 6:30, 6:28, 6:29) and then made my way back home.

10 miles on Ryan's loop.  I'm going to miss this route (as well as the others) after we move.  I never thought I'd say that when we first moved to Portland.  I really really really (REALLY!) liked the routes I had in Medford and these just didn't compare for the first 4-5 months.  But over the past year I've grown to enjoy the variety of the area and the good courses that I've created.

Not a fun run today.  It was cold last night and the rain made the sidewalks and roads icy/slushy.  Needless to say it was slow moving for a large portion of the run.  So it goes in January, right?

Good run this morning, made even better due to the warmer temperature, lack of wind and no rain/ice.  Very pleasant.  I ran the hospital loop and added on a bit to Avery street to hit 10 miles in 6:39/mile pace.  Finished the run from Hagen's to the country club (.75 miles) in 3:31 (4:42/mile pace).  It felt great to pick up the pace--I'm itching to race soon!

9 miles into Tigard and around the various trails. I felt an occasional pain in my right hip and the arch of my right foot. Who knows?

I'm ready for spring.  At least warmer weather anyway...

13 miles with a tempo portion thrown in for good measure.  I ran Ryan's loop and then around Tigard HS and Home Depot.  The first 8.2 miles I ran in 6:48/mile pace before stopping at the Tigard bathroom.  I began my tempo home which worked out to be 4.7 miles in 5:39/mile pace.  Final .1 mile was a slow cool down.

Decent week.  I hope I can keep the mileage at 55-65 mpw for the next few busy weeks.  We'll see... 

10 miles this morning on Ryan's loop.  A little cold but not too bad.  I'd like to try and get another run in later today.  It may happen...but probably not.

Turns out I was wrong...I was able to run again.  Pretty sweet.  It's been a long time since I've done a double.  6 easy miles through Tualatin and Tigard parks. 

10 miles around the THS track and XC course.  A little cold but manageable  for the first 50 minutes, then the last 20 minutes home were CHILLY as I ran north, directly into the wind.

Oregon is in a state of mourning after last nights game...  There's always next year, right? 

11 miles around Tigard HS loop, with 3 miles on the track.  Started with 6 miles to get to the track, then I ran some 400s and 800s to get the legs moving a little.

-400 in 1:25, 200 recovery in 53

-400 in 1:20, 200 recovery in 52

-800 in 2:41, 200 in 55

-800 in 2:39, 200 in 58

-400 in 1:19, 200 in 56

-400 in 1:13, then easy jog home

Things felt pretty good.  Obviously not the quickest workout but it was better than nothing I suppose.  Temps were nice but it was very wet and the 15mph wind was slightly annoying.

10 miles in the pouring rain on the hospital loop.  It sounds cliche, but I couldn't have gotten more wet if I was standing in my shower.  Having said that, todays run was a blast.  I felt great the entire time and my foot is getting better each day.

9 miles around the Desperate Housewives loop to Tualatin HS, then home via Boones Ferry.  Exciting stuff!

Strange run today.  It was raining (THAT isn't unusual/strange in the least bit) but a pretty warm 53 degrees so I left the house in t-shirt and shorts.  I ran into Lake Oswego via Boones Ferry Rd and then looped back toward I-5 on Kruze Way.  Along the way, near mile 5 and the business offices in Lake O, I ran past a brand new 10 dollar bill floating in a puddle.  Score!  Them rich folk must be throwing money away?!  Lake Oswego is to Portland what Park City is to Salt Lake.

I made my way past the temple and TJ's and by this point my chest (ie nipples) were killing!  The combination of constant rain, loose shirt and long run was causing some serious chaffing.  Seeing how the rain wasn't stopping anytime soon and I still had 8 miles to go, I ditched my shirt for the remainder of the run.  For some reason it was a warm-ish 53 degrees so it wasn't bad at all.  I can't remember the last time I ran in mid-January with no shirt.  I love living then the NW.

The last eventful occurrence was nearly getting run over by a lady who drove through a red light near Burgerville in Tigard as I was crossing in the crosswalk.  I was pretty fired up about nearly getting clipped so I chased her down, hoping she would get caught at a red light but to no avail.  Interesting day to say the least.

AM: 13 miles this morning around the hospital loop and then to the south freeway overpass behind Tualatin HS, finally home via Boones Ferry.  Lots of hills today but that's a good thing.  I'm going to try and run doubles today and tomorrow so I can have some flexibility later this week when baby #2 joins the family.

PM: 9 miles to Tualatin HS with 3 of them on the track.  As I was running around the track, I passed two mothers with their sets of kids and following the large group was a goat.  Yup, a goat.  It was smallish, maybe 15-18 lbs, and clearly the family's pet.  And here's the best part of all; the group was walking and the goat decided to stop and sit at the 50 yard-line.  After he fell behind by 20 or so yards (and the mom/owner finally noticed), I could hear members of the group calling "Billy....Billy, come here Billy."  He ignored them so a kid walked back and attached a leash to the goat before they left the track for the night.

Strange.  I'm 100% certain I've never seen a goat....walking on a leash....at the local HS track.  One of the mothers and one of the kids had BYU shirts on, so that explains a lot....  I'll leave it at that!

AM: 10 rainy miles around Ryan's loop.  I didn't eat/drink enough after yesterday's miles so I was dragging towards the end of today's run.  After purchasing arm sleeves last year and not wearing them, I finally gave them a try today.  They felt pretty good but I'm not sure how much I'll use them.

PM: No run.  Bummer.  But I did have lunch at PF Changs and then I bought a new pillow so the afternoon wasn't all bad. 

AM: 13 miles around Tigard HS and Home Depot.  Not much else to say...

PM: I didn't get a double in yesterday but today was better.  4 miles isn't great, but it's better than nothing.  Tomorrow's the big day! 

Ryan's loop this morning.  I was cold as soon as I got out of bed so subsequently, I over-dressed.  The first mile was pleasant, but for the 9 miles after that I was HOT.  I would occasionally take off my gloves and beanie to cool down, only for my ears and fingers to go numb minutes (seconds?) later.  The joys of winter running.

Zero running today, but I did get a new son so the day was a success.

7 miles this afternoon.  I ran my hospital loop but with a slight variation; since we've been in the hospital the past few days, I started at the hospital and ran towards my house, then returned to the hospital.  I was a little under dressed but I survived!

10 miles on Ryan's loop.  Sleep was minimal last night.  Oh the joys of having a new baby in the house!  Don't get me wrong; the pros FAR outweigh the cons but I love sleep.  I'm not talking 6 hours either.  I like a solid 7-8 with minimal interruptions. That makes all the difference on the next days run.  I'm sure I'll get used to this, right?

AM: 6 miles on Ryan's loop.  I was awake every hour last night.  So tired...

AM #2: Lunch was @ 9:30 due to online training for work (that's what happens when employed by a New Jersey based company) so I grabbed 4 more quick miles. Still tired. ;)

Zero miles today.  I'm sick.  It feels like my body is completely broken down.  Maybe 9 hours total of sleep the past 2 nights and to top it off, I've developed some sort of cold/sinus infection/flu.  Who knows?  All I can say is it feels like I've been hit by a truck and my head won't stop pounding.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a decent sleep tonight.  I think that's all it would take to kick this thing...

Still sick.  I'm not getting sleep at night so this sickness isn't going anywhere...

I felt slightly better, but only slightly.  Sheesh, this is getting pathetic.  I'm running tomorrow no matter what.

5 miles today.  Yup, 5 whole miles.  How cool is that?  I'll tell you....it wasn't cool at all.  I felt like I had been sick all week,  Probably because I have been.  Also judging by my energy level, it felt like I hadn't eaten in 3 days.  Needless to say, this run was miserable.

AM: 9 miles on Ryan's loop.  Felt great to get a decent run this morning for the first time in a week.

AM #2: 3 miles through the park and Starbucks. 

AM: 7 miles on Ryans loop. It was cold and the 15 mph wind made it frigid.

PM: 7 miles to Tualatin HS and 1 loop around the XC course.  It was slightly warmer but the wind was stronger so that canceled out any possible benefit there may have been.

3rd consecutive run that was bitter cold. It was cold enough to wear running pants for just the 2nd day this winter. Bring on spring!!

10 miles in Coos Bay, OR.  I ran from the hotel to Marshfied HS to run around Pre's track but the gates were all locked and  couldn't get inside.  I continued on the 10k course from last September and then ran into North Bend and looped back to the hotel.  I finished off the night with 2 miles on the treadill.

7 miles around Bush Park in Salem on my way home from Eugene.  I didn't get there until 5:45 and so it made for some dark running but was fun nonetheless.

Solid run today.  I slacked off a little and didn't run until 11:30 but that made for perfect weather so I'm glad I didn't run earlier.  I ran 7 miles around the desperate housewives loop to Tualatin HS, then ran 1 loop around the xc course before starting my tempo portion of the run.  Backing up....there was a 5K this morning but I missed the early sign up so if I ran it would have cost $30.  I decided to save my $ and try for a solid race-type workout instead.  I decided on 4x1600m repeats with 400m (2 min) rest in between.  My goal pace was around 5:45 but when I came through the first at exactly 5:20, I quickly adjusted.  The first mile felt EZ so if I could hit the next 3 the same, I'd be happy.  2nd mile in 5:18 and 3rd in 5:13.  Final mile felt great and I was really surprised when I crossed the line in 5:02.  Finished off the run with 3 easy miles home.

AM: 7 miles on Ryan's loop. Hopefully more tonight.

PM: 12 miles around Tigard HS and Home Depot.  After 9 miles I came across a man in a truck that had stalled on busy Tualatin-Sherwood Highway (near Fred Meyer, just before the free way on-ramp).  I asked if he needed help and we pushed his truck roughly 300 meters into the Starbucks/Subway parking lot.  Wow!  It zapped me of any juice I had left in me.  It reminded me of being in college and doing squats right after finishing a run.  Problem was I still had 3 miles to go.  Needless to say, it was a slow moving final 3 miles.  Karma, right? 

7 miles very early before flying to Vegas for 4 days of work. I hope to be able to keep the mileage up in addition to long meetings.

AM: 9 miles on the Las Vegas Strip. I was up @ 5:00 and ran the first 4 miles by myself, then the next 5 miles were with Jason, Jim, Jared & Saunders. We ran through a red light and next thing we hear is a siren from a cop car. What are the odds of getting stopped for jaywalking @ 5:30 in the morning?

PM: 5 miles with Jim. We stayed off the Strip as much as possible

6 miles with Jim & Jason. It's going to be a long day of meetings. Fun stuff!

I was up @ 5:00 to run 10 miles on the Strip. There was less traffic today & I was alone so it was a pretty efficient run. I went from end to end (Mandalay Bay to the Stratosphere) and then went 1 street east & eventually returned back to Mandalay Bay. My nose/lungs felt 'off' from all the smoke the past 3 days, one of the many downfalls of Vegas.

Final Saturday run in Portland.  I'm gonna miss this place.  It took me a while to enjoy the routes but I do like them.  So it goes...

I ran into Lake Oswego and then returned home via South Shore Blvd.  I've still never heard why they've drained the lake?  It's been a number of months now so whatever is going on must be quite a process.

Averaged 6:41 for the 14 miles.  I pushed the pace the final 3.5 miles for a quick-ish finish (5:25 pace).  I'm feeling good and ready to jump into a race when I get the chance. 

Finally a run this week!  It's going to be a busy one with a move taking place on Saturday.  Anyway, I'm in Coos Bay for the night and with the winds in the 20 mph range, I opted for the treadmill.

I broke in a new pair of shoes--Adidas AdiZero Mana.  They felt pretty good for run #1. 

10 miles around Coos Bay.  My stomach wasn't happy with the amount of sushi I had for dinner last night.  Live and learn I suppose.

Final run in Tualatin (unless I can muster some energy before finishing loading the moving truck tommorrow morning.  Not likely.).

I ran the Tigard HS loop.  Good stuff.  I'm going to miss it here!!!

First run in Grants Pass.  I ran down a road called New Hope--it wasn't a highway but the speed limit was 45mph.  The shoulders are pretty wide so I'm sure I'll run there again.  I wasn't chased by any dogs so the run was a success.

7 miles around the neighborhood. Out past Albertsons and the behind the church & hospital.

I ran along the main one-way street to the north freeway exit and back.  It's exactly 4 miles to the caveman and I came home via Hawthorne St to add on the extra half mile.  It was a little chilly and we're supposed to get snow for the next two days.

First solid run in what seems like weeks.  I feel like my running has really suffered with everything that has gone on this month--new baby, new job, a move, new job, etc.  And I've been eating more.  More junk food that is...  Add that all up and I'm not feeling as fit as I did in January.  Anyway, tonight hit the spot and was just what I needed.  The pace wasn't anything to write home about, but I felt good for the first time in quite a while and I enjoyed running in the snow flurries.

7 miles this morning on an out/back course.  I ran around the middle school on Harbeck and then west past Albertsons.  It was 3.5 miles to the Co-op intersection, so 7 miles total.  Snow last night made for a cold run.  It's supposed to be even colder tomorrow... 

15 miles around Grants Pass.  Literally.  This town isn't the biggest and it's going to take some work to map out long runs.  I ran west to the community college (3 miles) and then back through the Redwood subdivision.  I came back into town, crossed the river and ran west again on Bridge st, then returned on G st.  I hit 12 miles exactly at Sears as I jumped back on the main highway and then it was a 3 mile tempo (5:20/mile pace) back to the hospital and home via Nebraska st.  Solid run.  I'm glad I went out and got this over with.  It was 19 degrees when I left the house and I've turned into a wuss since moving to Oregon.  19 degrees in Cedar City was a GREAT day in February but now I'm used to high 30's and low 40's all winter long.  So is life...

AM: 7 miles around Albertsons, New Hope Rd and Alder Creek Rd.

PM: 7 miles on the hotel treadmill.

10 miles around Coos Bay and North Bend.  Thankfully it wasn't too cold, the rain wasn't bad and the wind had slowed from yesterdays 35-45 gusts.  My hands were a little cold (I forgot my gloves) but no other complaints.  Finished off the run w/ 2 miles on the treadmill.

AM: 7 miles around the 'hood in GP.

PM: In Eugene for the night. I ran a couple miles to Hayward Field & then ran 1 mile around the track. I wanted to keep running but my hands were freezing due to poor clothing choices on my part (t-shirt & no gloves). 2 miles back to the hotel and then 3 miles on the treadmill to warm up. I love running in this town...

10 miles on the hotel treadmill. Once again, I didn't bring the proper gear to run outside. You'd think Id learn. Anyway, 5 miles easy and then 2 miles @ 6:00/mile pace. 9th mile was .25 @ 5:27 pace and .5 @ 5:00 pace before slowing down for the final 1.25. Feeling good.

7 miles around Albertsons and the hospital.

Just like last Saturday, I had to run some serious loops around Grants Pass to get in the mileage--and still only managed 12 miles.  Those 18-20 mile runs are going to be rough.

It was raining the entire time which made for a wet and coolish run.  My wrists and arms were pretty cold at times, other times not so much.  I'm ready for dryer weather.

AM: 9 miles around Grants Pass before leaving for the coast.  I felt good despite bad sleep during the night.

PM: 11 miles in Coos Bay.  I ran to the track to find the gate unlocked at Marshfield HS so I ran 26 laps around Steve Prefontaine's HS track, plus a few miles around town afterwards.  I took my shoes off during the middle of the run (mile 6) and ran 1 mile barefoot on the new astroturf field which felt great.

10 miles on the hotel treadmill in Coos Bay.

9 miles today.  The first 6 were with Ryan (finally some decent weather!) and then 3 more by myself.  After a day like today, I'm so ready for spring.

10 miles in the pouring rain. It didn't let up once the entire time. I'm glad I wore my vest & hat for once. Seems we've been getting more rain in So. Oregon the past month than we ever got in Portland.

6 miles in Elko, NV. Yuck.

2 mile warm up
10 mile race
3 mile cool down

I won.

I finally have time to write up a decent report--it takes too much effort to make a lengthy entry on my phone.  My grandparents live in Bountiful and this weekend they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.  As such, my wife and two kids loaded into the car on Thursday night and made the long drive to Utah for today's festivities.  A quick search on-line and this was the closest run I could find.

The weather was perfect for any race.  I wore a t-shirt and shorts but for the final 5 miles I was wishing I was wearing a singlet.  So it goes.  After looking over previous years race reports, it looks like we lucked out when it comes to weather.  I didn't know any of the other commpetitors, as expected, but I figured there would be some quick competition.  From the gun there were 4-5 guys that made a little group through 800 meters and then from there it was down to 3 of us.  I hung back in third, content to let the first couple miles play out as they may.  I didn't drive the course before the race so I was pretty clueless as to the layout.  I knew there would be some hills but I wasn't sure when, how long, steep, etc.  I realized at the first mile that I had forgotten to start my watch--bummer.  Oh well.

Through the first couple miles it remained a group of 3 for the lead.  It's the same story as always for me--I'm not a strong downhill runner so I just have to hang on and hope that the other guys don't get too far ahead and that I get a chance to catch up when the uphill comes.  At miles 3 and 4 (about where we turned back South) I was sitting well behind in 3rd place.  It's the furthest thing from a 'mindset of a champion' but at this point I began to think of all the reasons I belonged here and would do no better than 3rd; I hate downhill races & I'm already too far behind, I live at sea-level and this elevation would be too difficult to overcome, it's flat where I live with very few hills (up or down) to train on, etc.  Shortly after begining our climb around mile 4 I noticed that I was gaining on the 2nd place runner and yet I didn't feel like I had increased my pace.  On the flipside of being a weak downhill runner, I feel one of my greatest strengths is that of an uphill runner.  I moved into 2nd place and a short time later caught 1st place as well.

From mile 5 to the finish it was just me and the cop car as we continued to wind through the streets of Ogden.  Or at least I think it was Ogden.  Who knows?  All I know is that we kept climbing and climbing which was fine by me.  I figured the longer we did that, the better shot I had at staying in the lead.  I didn't love the downhill back to campus (is there a pattern with this post?  Uphill good, downhill bad...) but the flat section between 8-9 was enjoyable.  I thought before the race that a sub-58 would be ok by me, especially with running at altitude.  I was very surprised to see 56:XX as I approached the finish line.  Anyway I'll take a 56:21 on a very tough course, possibly one of the hardest races I've ever run.  I'm certain that I could have ran sub-56 if I would have focused a little better during that final 3-4 miles or been fighting for the lead.  So it goes.

In-N-Out burger for lunch.  Almost makes me want to move to Utah, but not quite. ;)

AM: 8 miles around GP.  It's good to be home.  The combination of tough course on Saturday, limited stretching afterwards and looooong drive Sunday made for stiff legs this morning.  They felt much better by the end of the run though.

PM: 5 miles after work.  Legs feeling better still.  I wore a new pair of shoes.  It's the first pair of Vomero's that I've worn and they feel pretty good.  A little clunky compared to the others I use but I bought them a year ago and they need to get used. 

AM: 8 miles around the hospital, Albertsons and the hospital again.  The rain just keeps coming and coming and.....

PM: 5 miles in Eugene on the hotel treadmill.  The rain is worse here (plus 20+ mph winds) so I kept it indoors tonight.

AM: In Eugene today. I left the hotel & ran to Autzan Stadium, then Pre's trail for a bit but it was very dark and the trail was super soggy from the rain. It was more mud-like than I wanted to deal with so I crossed the river & ran to Hayward Field for a couple miles & then back to the hotel for 9 miles total.

PM: Same story as yesterday.  5 miles on the treadmill is better than 5 miles in the rain/strong winds.

9 miles on the Cathedral Hills Trail, a very cool trail system 2 miles from my new house.  One of the perks of moving is discovering new routes and this one is a keeper.  The trails were pretty muddy at times from all of the rain we've been receiving, but this will be a fun trail system to run in the summer/fall months.  I drove there tonight but in the future I'll just jog there to get some easy miles in before/after.

"Rain, rain, go away. Come again another....year!"

I'm getting really tired of EVERY run being a wet one. I keep telling myself that its got to end soon...

5 miles around the Albertsons loop.

Excellent run today.  All week I've been planning on competing in a collegiate track meet this weekend (5000m) but after driving to Utah last weekend and then to Eugene twice this week for work, the thought of another 8 hours (round-trip) in the car on the weekend didn't sound appealing.  I figured I'd try for a quality workout in GP and hope for the best.

I started with 4 easy miles (7:28/mile) for a warm up, then set out for a 11 mile tempo run on the pancake flat roads in NW GP.  There was very little traffic (1 car through the first 6 miles) and the temps were perfect which was nice.  The goal was to keep things under 6:00 each mile and to feel good in the process. First 5 miles in 5:59, 5:59, 5:56, 5:49, and 5:48.  Perfect.  Pace felt comfortable and effortless.  I hit a pretty decent hill for the next couple miles which took some effort to maintain my pace (5:55, 5:46) and then it was back on the highway and returning to GP. My mind was wandering here and I was thinking about how if I was running in the 5k I'd be shooting for 5:00/mile for three straight miles.  For the 8th mile, seeing that there were no up or down hills in sight, I took off to see that I could do.... 4:58.  I was shocked to be able to hit that pace after 8 tempo miles and 12 miles total.  Final two tempo miles in 5:57 and 5:45.  FINISHED!  I was very happy, as well as exhausted, as I trudged along for 1 final mile for a cool down.

Averaged 6:21/mile for 16 miles total. 

AM: 5 miles.  Not a good start to the week.  I just couldn't get out of bed this morning which is typical on a Thurs/Fri but not on Monday.

PM:  12 miles on the standard Coos Bay/North Bend loop.  I felt great and wanted to keep going but also didn't want to eat dinner after 8 so I called it quits.

AM: Another bad morning.  What's my deal?!  5 miles on the treadmill watching the sunrise.

PM: 11 miles in Eugene, 9 of which was on Pre's Trail.  I didn't realize that the trail was so long.  Of course, I had to run two loops (I figure the entire loop is between 4-4.5 miles) but it was awesome.  It was still a little soggy in sections from the rain but the majority of it was perfect.

Nothing today.  My left achillies wasn't happy last night and for a 3rd morning in a row I struggled to get out of bed.  I'd rather take 1 rest day now rather than a week later.

Felt better today. Much better. I ran along Redwood Rd for the first 20 minutes or so, then back into town and up the one-way to the north exit, then home the same way.

Another morning where it was a struggle to get out of bed. Blah. Only time for 7 miles. I'd love to run some more tonight but I'm not holding my breath.

Decent run this morning.  I headed south on New Hope Rd to Murphy and then north on Highway 238 back go GP.  There were lots of hills which was good.  Lots of rain also which was not good.  I thought about calling it quits after 12 miles but the last 6 miles I felt great so I'm glad I stuck it out.

I really liked this course and will run it again for sure although next time clockwise.  Averaged 6:52 for the run.

6 miles this morning.  I don't know what the deal is but I'm REALLY struggling getting up in the mornings.  Something has got to change...

AM: 10 miles on the treadmill.  My right foot wasn't feeling too hot around mile 6.  I had to stop running because of the pain but it went away after a few minutes and I was able to finish my run pain free.  Not sure what it was but it gave me quite a scare--similar sensation to the stress fracture I had in 2009.  I'll be sure and watch it closely.

PM: 5 miles in spikes at the track.  I'm racing in the 10,000m this weekend and wanted to run a few laps in spikes beforehand, otherwise I'll be in 'blister-land' on Friday night!

10 miles in the morning! I slept like junk last night (the 2 prank calls at 3 AM didn't help) but managed to get up in time to run more than 6-7 miles. Good stuff!

10 miles in near perfect weather.  No rain, no gloves, short sleeves--it was awesome.  There were lots of people out this AM.  It's been 6 weeks here and I've only seen 1 other runner but today there were 8-10 walkers out for their morning stroll.  Maybe they all hibernate until spring?

After running the 5,000m at the Portland Track Classic last summer I've had the desire to run a 10,000m on a track.  They are few and far between but I was able to enter the meet at Willamette University this weekend.  There was to be a Distance Carnival starting at 7pm with the 10,000 run under the lights at 8:45.  When over 45 guys signed up for the 10,000 (I guess over 1,000 athletes entered the meet making it one of the largest spring track meets in the NW) they split the field into two heats and my heat (the slower of the two) was scheduled for 3:45.  No running under the lights for me, as well as temps a good 15 degrees warmer than it would have been (70 degrees at the start, 10 MPH winds--ugh!)  So it goes...

I ran 3 miles around Bush Park to warm up, grabbed my spikes and checked in with a few minutes to spare before they called us to the line.  My goal was to run even splits as best I could (78's) and if all went well, set a PR. 

1st Mile: 78, 74, 76, 76 (5:06).  Not sure why the 2nd lap was quicker but that's life.  I was running in 8th place through the first mile and drafting on the homestretch where the wind was the worst.

2nd Mile: 76, 76, 77, 78 (5:12, 10:18 total). I'm on pace but the heat is getting to me and the wind is starting to be annoying.  I'm not a fan of wind.  I'd rather race in 30 degrees and snow...

3rd Mile: 79, 79, 79, 79 (5:14, 15:32 total). Ugh...I was consistent.  That's good I guess but I was falling behind on the pace.  The challenge was wanting to stay on pace but also draft with the wind being strong-ish.  It was almost like 'pick your poison' between the two throughout much of the race.  I had passed a couple guys here and was now in 6th.

5k 16:12.  If I were to run the same 3.1 miles again I'd PR by only 6 seconds.  I tried to stay positive but again, the heat and wind was taking its toll and I began to doubt I could hang on for 12 more laps.

4th Mile: 79, 79, 80, 78 (5:18, 20:50). My slowest mile of the race.  The 80 second lap ticked up off so I started to pass guys and battle the wind solo.  Now in 4th.

5th Mile: 77, 77, 79, 81 (5:16, 26:06). Yikes, where did that 81 come from.  I can't remember...  But I do know that I'm in 3rd with 1 mile to go.

6th Mile: 82, 79, 78, 75 (5:14, 31:20).  It really started to be a race with 3 laps to go.  I moved into 2nd place at that point and when I saw to clock with 2 laps remaining (30:06) I thought my shot at a PR was gone.  I'd been struggling to hit 78's and if I did 2 more of those, I would be above 32:30.  I was gaining on the leader though and by the bell lap I was just 6-8 meters behind. 

.2 (68, 32:28). I gave it everything I had.  I passed the leader with 300 meters to go and kept digging deep to make sure he didn't pass me back.  That's what happened at state track my senior year of HS--I was in 2nd place in the 3200, passed the leader with 300 remaining but then lost the lead in the final 100m  It has stuck with me and now I try and finish each race with a strong push.

All in all, I'm pleased with how things went.  I'm pleased with the final 800m and setting a PR when at the time I thought it wasn't going to happen.  I still think I can go faster.  Some things you just can't control, but if the race was cooler and no wind, I'm certain I can go sub-32.  We'll see if I can find another 10,000 but if nothing else, today was a good tune-up for next weeks 10 mile race in Medford.

1 mile barefoot cool-down on the infield before driving home.

AM: 8 miles. For some reason I'm not the least bit sore from last nights race. Strange, seeing how I ran pretty hard & then 30 minutes later jumped in the car for a 3 hour drive home.

Noon: 11 more miles. I simply ran out of time this morning so had to get out a 2nd time to get the miles in. Good week. I can't wait to race again next Saturday.

10 miles this morning.  I ran to Wal-Mart and back, plus a little here and there to make it an even 10.

AM: 9 miles.  I ran out into the flatlands (north of Redwood Rd) before looping around to RCC and home via the highway.  Hopefully more miles tonight.

PM: 11.5 miles in Coos Bay.  The weather was nice out so I ran the standard North Bend/Coos Bay loop and then added on a bit more by running to Safeway to buy some chocolate milk.  I kept things nice and easy and will do so until Saturday.

7 miles in Coos Bay.  The first six were dry and enjoyable but the last mile was very wet and somewhat miserable.

10 miles this morning.  GP received a cold front last night and it was chilly this morning.  Low 30's, which is fine 1-2 months ago but a little cold for April.  Even saw a few cars driving around with snow on them.

4 miles tonight while watching 'Running Brave,' one of the best movies of all time. ;)

5 easy miles. My legs feel heavy and somewhat dead. Hopefully they can turn around before tomorrow.

Took 4th. Just didn't have 'it' today. Not sure what the deal was. More later...

Here is my Pear report from 2009

I'm not really sure where I'm going with running right now.  By that I mean I haven't got any other races on the books and so today's race was my spring race--the race that I've been focusing on for the past few months.  I had ran the Pear Blossom in 2009 as my final tune-up for the Eugene Marathon 3 weeks later.  I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, loved the course and ran a solid time.  I thought today would be just the same and that a 51:30 (or better) would easily be obtainable.  Not so much...

In the days leading up to most races I get pretty stoked.  The night before is full of anticipation for the race the following day, regardless of the race size and/or distance.  Race morning is exciting, especially once I arrive at the starting area for a warm-up and then the juices really start flowing.  I love to race.  Racing is what makes all the early mornings and countless miles worth it to me.  Running is fun but racing truly is the reward.

I write all of that because for whatever reason, this week, and this weekend, didn't pan out that way.  Not sure why.  I was happy to run, but the pre-race excitement wasn't there and the race-day magic was nowhere to be found.  Maybe I left it in Portland?

I ran three miles for a warm up and saw some familiar faces; Max King (6 time champion and course record holder who 3 weeks ago ran for USA cross country in Spain and was the 2nd place American), Eric Skaggs, and a number of other quick looking fellas with BAC, PR, and Foot Traffic (running clubs from Portland) running gear on.  After a couple pit stops and a change of clothes I was lined up at the starting line in perfect 38 degree weather.

The race director informed us there would be a 10 second countdown, followed by a gunshot to get the race underway.  He counted 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 and then we heard gunfire??  I was standing next to Max and Eric and we sort-of started, halfway running, halfway jogging.  Three seconds later there were two other gunshots so we slowed even more.  I think most of us quicker runners, being familiar with track meets and the procedure for false starts/bringing runners back to try again, were expecting a re-start.  So we stopped running but nothing was said about a re-do and a number of other runners kept charging away from the line.  Uh...I guess the race started?  So much for a quick first mile.  When the chase pack crossed the 1st mile (Max and the eventual 2nd place finisher had a decent lead) we kissed 5:10 out the window and saw 5:19 instead.  By no means did I loose 9 seconds in the confusion but easily 5-6.  I'm not trying to sound bitter--I'm really not.  Just explaining why the first mile was so off goal pace.  As for the second mile?  No clue why we were off on that one as well.  5:18's this year were feeling harder than 5:14's from two years ago. 

The eventual 3rd place finisher and I both picked up the pace after mile two and left the others from the chase pack.  We both commented on how we felt 'off' today and weren't hitting 5:10's like we'd hoped.  However after saying that we dialed the pace in pretty good and hit consecutive miles of 5:09, 5:10 and 5:09 until the turn-around.

Mile 5 included a slight incline and it did a number on me (5:21).  I lost ground on the 3rd place guy and couldn't seem to reel him in during the following miles.  As I reflect on my splits now, I wonder why I felt so defeated at this point?  The 5:21 was a slap in the face but subsequent back-to-back 5:16's aren't horrible.  I saw 42:00 through 8 miles and realized that a shot at a PR was going to be VERY hard (impossible?).

I just didn't feel like there was any race day magic to draw from.  I didn't feel bad--but I didn't feel good either.  I kept telling myself "this isn't a run, this is a race;" a mantra a college coach kept yelling at his athlete at last weekend's 10,000 but it didn't seem to help.  Again, I didn't feel bad but I was struggling to put up the fight I was telling myself to.  Two years ago I was able to catch Trevor Palmer during the final couple miles and I was trying to do the same again but it wasn't happening.  I hit 5:11 for 9 and 5:00 for my final mile but I only gained 5-10 meters on him at best.

Mile	2009 Splits	Total Time	2011 Splits	Total Time
1	5:11	--	5:19	--
2	5:14	10:25	5:18	10:37
3	5:14	15:39	5:09	15:46
4	5:15	20:54	5:10	20:56
5	5:06	26:00	5:10	26:06
6	5:15	31:15	5:21	31:27
7	5:11	36:26	5:16	36:44
8	5:17	41:43	5:16	42:00
9	5:11	46:54	5:11	47:11
10	5:03	51:57	5:00	52:11

When I crossed the line I still felt fine.  That was perplexing as well.  I wasn't disappointed, wasn't mad, wasn't....anything.  I'm not sure what to say?  There just seemed to be a lack of feeling with the whole experience.  I'll figure it out and hopefully get the body and mind on the same page for the next race.  I cooled down for 3 miles which included finishing the race with my sister who was completing her longest race to date.  (Way to go Jill!  I'm proud of ya!  You're going to do great in Seattle!)

Another day. Another zero.  It was an early morning and then a late night--just no time to run.  Hopefully tomorrow is better.

13 miles on the 13th of April.  Perhaps I'll do 14 tomorrow and 15 the following day?  Doubt it but it's a nice thought.

I ran Pre's trail in Eugene for 90 minutes.  I felt good and it was nice to just be alone with my thoughts for a while.

10 miles on the treadmill in Eugene.  For some reason I just can't stand to run in the rain in this city, which makes running outside this time of year awfully hard.

6 miles in GP. In the rain. Again.

20 miles in Medford.  Once again, this is my favorite city to run in, hands down.  It's the perfect size to where you can a large loop to hit 20 miles without feeling like you have to zig-zag and be extra creative to get some decent mileage.  And don't even get me started on the perfect weather...

I left the Walker's and ran south to Home Depot, crossed into Phoenix and ran north to the National Guard armory for 10 miles.  Average pace was 7:06/mile.  I used the bathroom, grabbed a drink and embarked on the second 10 mile portion--to the mall, to Costco and back to the Walker's.  This portion felt fantastic--better than last Saturday.  I averaged 6:15/mile and it just sorta happened.  It wasn't my intent to hit tempo pace but I felt good and my legs wanted to turn over so I let them.  Great finish to an otherwise pathetic week.

10 miles around GP.  The first 5 around the middle school to the fire station, the next couple up 7th Street to Midland Ave and then home via 6th street.  I ate too many Swedish Fish last night and paid for it this morning.

12 miles around GP.  I ran out along Redwood Rd and then back into town to the HS and Albertsons and home.  Finally a cloudless run in Oregon.  This week is supposed to be pretty good weather-wise so that will be nice for a change.

Not sure what to call today's loop.  I ran around Albertsons, then the middle school and hospital.  Basically I zigged and I zagged to eventually reach 10 miles.

11 miles in Coos Bay, OR.  Same as yesterday in terms of a course; lots of zig-zagging around the downtown portion of Coos Bay.  No rain!

12 miles in Portland.  I'm staying in Lake Oswego for the weekend so I was able to run one of my favorite old routes.  I ran the Tigard HS/Home Depot loop.  I loved it and didn't realize how much I missed this area.

16 miles in Lake Oswego.  I ran from the hotel into downtown LO and then the backroads to the Tualatin hospital (part of my old hospital loop).  I continued through Tualatin (McDonalds, Mashita's, the library) and then back past Home Depot to the hotel.  It was great to be back in the old stomping grounds the past few days.

7 miles with my dad in GP.  The wind was howling and rain came down intermittently but it wasn't too bad.  Typical Monday morning run when I eat poorly on Sunday night and pay for it later.  I dropped my dad off, changed my shoes to break in some new Lunar Elite's and ran a quick 5 miles to finish off the morning. 

AM: 6 miles on the hospital and middle school loop.

PM: 7 miles on Pre's Trail in Eugene.  I can cross an item off my bucket list.  I've ran on Pre's Trail a number of times but not in my Five Fingers....until tonight.  I picked a pretty good day to try it out; the earlier rain made the trail extra soft.  Pretty enjoyable but I fear I may have gone too far for my first fivefinger run of 2011.  We'll see how my legs feel tomorrow.

13 miles in Eugene.  I ran to Pre's Rock, then out to the Amazon trail (both east and west).  I circled back to the west and tried to find the Butte to Butte course from 2008 but never found it.  Eventually made it back to the hotel before too late.  One of those runs where I felt, both mentally and physically, like I could go forever.

10 miles along the Willamette River in Eugene. I ran along the south trail, crossed over to the north trail and then back to the University before returning to the hotel. Calf muscles are really sore from my fivefinger run on Tuesday. Really sore...

10 easy miles this morning.  A little cool but it felt nice.  The weather looks amazing for the Eugene marathon this weekend.  Wish I was running it...  But then again, I ran part of the course yesterday and remember how much I didn't care for the trail portions along the river so maybe I'm not missing out on much.

By far one of my best runs....ever.  I felt fantastic.  I'll write more tonight when I have more time but for now, the stats;

6 mile warm up in exactly 42:00 (7:00/mile pace).

12 mile tempo in 1:08:08 (5:41/mile pace).

1 mile cool down (7:41).

11 miles around Albetson's and then west to the RCC.  I found a trail behind the campus that I ran for a while but it ended pretty quickly which was a disappointment.  I felt pretty good for a Monday.

PM: 1 mile.  Yep, 1 mile.  I went to the school and Andrea ran 1 mile while Ryan and I hung out on the swings, then it was my turn to run.  Just one mile and then we were ready for dinner so we left.  Hardly worth blogging but I did anyway. :)

AM: 9 miles.  I ran south on Highway 238 past the golf course to the trail system.  Now that the rain is slowing down I'm going to try and run these trails every so often.

PM: 6 miles in Coos Bay.  I had wanted to run to the high school and run some repeats on the track.  When I got there a track meet was in progress.  I watched the girls and boys 800m; boys winner ran a 2:02--VERY impressive due to the 29 MPH winds that were blowing (according to weather.com).  I finished off my run and then filled my stomach with sushi for dinner.

7 miles in Coos Bay.  My phone' battery died last night = no alarm = slept in = less time to run.  Very frustrating.  Maybe I should start using the front desk wake-up call as a backup.  Only time for 7 miles around Coos Bay and North Bend.

No time for a run today.  I was up at 4:30 and driving to Eugene by 5.  Long day of meetings and then not home until 7.  We walked to the park and around the neighborhood in order to do something other than sit all day.  I jogged a little here and a little there...

Wow, what a morning.  After getting up at 4:30 on Thursday and 5:00 on Friday, I slept in until 6:30 before starting my run this morning.  I ran a similar route to last weekend (behind the HS) so I could get worked over by some hills again.  After a 6 mile warm up to Fred Meyer (which made for a great bathroom/drink stop), I picked up the pace.  Last week I really pushed it and hit a 12 mile tempo with each mile sub-6.  Today I was planning in running a few miles longer and I didn't feel like being as aggressive which was fine.

I ran behind the HS and up Beacon St to Hillcrest, then under the freeway to 10th St and back down the same elevation.  The second climb was on 7th St to the I-5 on-ramp, then back down again on 6th St.  The third climb (the final and longest) was up Washington St to the frontage rd before my final descent on Highland St.  That brought me back through town, across the river and around Albertsons and finally....home!  Solid run with 3 great climbs.  I had planned on only running 21 but there was a lot of traffic around Albertsons and so I kept going rather than stop at the light.  I kept the pace between 6:05-6:15 for most of the 13 mile tempo although a couple miles were faster; 5:50, 5:48 and 5:12 for the final push.

I was pretty beat by the time I stopped.  The only drink I had was at 6 miles although I had carried some Cliff Shot Bloks which I ate at three points during the run.  Average pace was 6:22 for the entire run.

AM: 9 miles in GP.  I found two quarters and a dime.  Pretty good haul if you ask me...

PM: 6 miles in Eugene.  Couple miles to campus, couple miles on the track, couple miles back.  I still think it's pretty cool that such a world famous track is open to anyone who wants to run there.

Had dinner at Track Town Pizza.  Not sure what has taken me so long to eat there  The food was good and the atmosphere was even better.  There where a TON of pictures on the wall which are signed by countless olympians.  A few other sports were represented but it was 95% track and field athletes.

AM: 9 miles along the river.

PM: 7 miles in Eugene.  FINALLY a great day of weather in this city to make the running all the more enjoyable.  There were people everywhere out getting exercise.  This city comes alive in the late spring and summer.  Oh yeah, and while I was running on campus I saw University of Oregon running back/sprinter LaMichael James working out at the track along with Kenyon Barner.  James in pretty small.  Not sure how he'll make it in the NFL.

AM: 11 miles in Eugene.  I ventured out and ran a new course; south through the hills and eventually to the start of the Butte to Butte 10k that I ran in 2008.  I've been wondering where that was and have been surprised that I haven't found it until now.

PM: Just 4 miles in the rain while breaking in a new pair of shoes; Mizuno Ronin.  I've never worn Mizunos before but they seem like they'll do just fine.

Not cool.  Work keeps getting in the way of my running. ;)

Only had time for a little jaunt with the family after getting home tonight. 

11 miles around GP.  I'm on a good streak for finding money this week.  Today I founds one quarter and two dimes.  That makes for over one dollar in the past few days and with it I can buy....1/4 tank of gas.  Sweet.

15 miles on the Cathedral Trail.  It was pretty sweet.  I busted out a new pair of trail shoes (my first) and wanted to see how they felt.  I ran a combination of loops; basically three out and backs with water stops between them each.  I felt great and thoroughly enjoyed being alone on the trails for nearly 2 hours.  It's hard to get into a rhythm on the ever-changing terrain but the trade off is well worth it.  I enjoyed it enough that I'm going to try and jump in the trail marathon in two weeks in Eugene.  Hopefully there are slots still available.

Finished the morning with 1 mile barefoot at the HS.  Fun morning! 

10 miles around the hospital and middle school.  My legs were pretty sore from Saturday's run but I managed to survive.

PM: 6 miles on Cathedral after work.  I've got to put some time in up here before next weekend or it will be a disaster.  Actually, it may be a disaster anyway... ;)

11 miles in the cold rain.  I ran across town, used the Wal Mart bathroom and then made my way back.  The last 4 miles I had to run shirtless to keep my nipples happy, otherwise I would have been in a world of hurt the rest of the day.

AM: 11 miles with some track repeats in the middle.  About 5 miles to the track, then I ran 4x600 with a 200m jog between each. Ran 1:52, 1:51, 1:49, and 1:51.  I then jogged one lap and finished off the track portion with a 400 (66) before running home.  It felt good to get the legs moving again--it's been a while.

PM: 10 miles on my standard Coos Bay-North Bend route.  I ventured off course a bit around mile 4 and ran around the local community college only to discover one of the nicest tracks I've ever seen.  It's no Hayward field, but it might be a close second.  What this little town/school is doing with such a nice track is beyond me...

Back to the run; I was dragging towards the end.  The last two miles were a bit of a death march.  I don't think I drank/ate enough today and I paid for it as a result.  Not enjoyable.  Oh yeah, and for some reason I had Garth Brooks "Friends in Low Places" stuck in my head which made the experience all the more miserable. Where did that come from??

10 miles in Coos Bay.  Pretty tired this morning.

6 miles this morning.  I'm ready for the weekend and a chance to catch up on some sleep.

So I may have bitten off more than I can chew with regards to next Saturday's marathon...  I'm in pretty good shape at the moment but I'm coming to realize that trail running is a whole different beast.  Similar to last Saturday, I ran 16 miles on the Cathedral Trails and then 1 mile barefoot for a cool down.  I was pretty tired around mile 10 and more tired around mile 13 but kept going to get the miles in.  I'm now exhausted.  This is my highest mileage week in 8+ months (but not by much) so perhaps that plays into things.  I'll just have to slow the pace WAY down next week and hope to survive.

10 miles on Pre's Trail in Eugene.  Runners and bikers were out in full effect tonight.  I'm guessing I saw over 100 people on the trail--no joke.  It was packed.  Which is pretty cool actually.  I can only imagine how insane it's going to be Wed-Sat with the NCAA West Regional taking place.  Should be fun.

11 miles around Eugene.  I looped around in one big circle and eventually made it to the U of O campus.  They are all set up for the track meet and as such, the track was closed to the public.  My right leg was tight all run.  Not pleasant.

10 miles in the rain.  Had to ditch the shirt one again to prevent chaffing/bleeding. Not fun.

8 miles around the hotel in Springfield.  Lots of excitement in the air for the athletes who will be running this weekend.  Staying at our hotel are runners from University of Northern Iowa, Minnesota, Stephan F. Austin, University of San Fransisco, UNLV as well as others, I'm sure.

3 miles for a mini-taper.  Hopefully tomorrow isn't a horrible experience. ;)

Pretty interesting morning.  But a lot of fun.  The course was beautiful and the two guys I ran with for the majority of the race made it all the more enjoyable.  Typical of Oregon this time of year, we dealt with rain off and on throughout but the course held up fine and there were only a few sloppy sections.  Also typical of trail races (so I hear) was the unclear course markings that made for a 24"ish" mile race.  I'm still not clear on how far I actually ran.  I'm pretty sure it was less than the required distance but I'd rather that than 29 or 30 miles.

I was in second, about 30 seconds behind the leader, when both of us found ourselves off course and turned around (maybe 5 miles into the race).  As we attempted to find the course, the 3rd place runner caught up and the three of us ran together to the turn around point (13 miles) and then the next 3 miles or so.  Due to the course confusion at mile 5, the run quickly changed from a "race" feel to simply a training run (which was fine with me).  If one of us needed a bathroom break, the other two waited.  My family was along the course at a couple points and the other two guys waited as I stopped to give my son a hug and wife a kiss.  About 17 miles into the race Chuck Engle (the eventual winner) took off, not content to have a three-way tie at the finish-line.

More course confusion around mile 20 (Chuck thought we had to run another loop section, the second runner said we'd already run it, I didn't have a clue as the course was blending into mush in my mind.  I mean, seriously, how can you tell one section different from another after 26 miles of singletrack and thick forest on both sides of the trail?).

In the end though, I think Chuck was right so that's why I'm guessing I only ran 24 miles or so.  Maybe 23?  Perhaps 25?  It's all good.  I just wanted to have fun and enjoy myself.  I doubt I'll convert to a trail runner (too many variables can mess up a race) but I did LOVE the beauty, killer hills, stream crossings, soft footing, low entry price, laid back mentality of most participants.  Good stuff!

12 miles.  I ran 7 miles to the HS, 2 miles barefoot on the football field and then 3 miles home.  Absolutely zero soreness from Saturday's marathon.  None whatsoever.  How awesome is that.  Maybe I will convert to trail marathons if that is the typical result?!!  After road marathon's I feel like I've been hit by a truck, it's a chore to walk for 3-4 days, and running is out of the question for a week.  I felt fine yesterday and even better today.  I'll take it!

12 miles in the rain.  Pouring rain.  I'm SO ready for for the rain to stop.  Is that too much to ask for?  Weather.com shows no end in sight.  Blah.

12 miles.  I wore my Garmin for the first time in a while just to check pace.  Never really pushed it and ended up with 6:49 average.  As always, I'll profess my love of these shoes.  I need to stock up on them so I'll have some for couple years down the road....

PM: 7 miles in Coos Bay.  Just banking extra miles on the road. 

10 miles from Coos Bay, through North Bend and across the huge bridge north of town.  The things had to have been at least 1 mile long.  Feeling pretty tired down but it's a crunchy groove Thursday so it's all good...

7 miles around the middle school, across to river to the Safeway for a bathroom stop and then home via the hospital.  Crisp morning but no rain so I'll take it.

Killer workout this morning. There were a couple local runs (well, one was 30 minutes away, the other 90 minutes away so maybe local isn't the right word...) but I wasn't sure how I'd do just 7 days removed from a marathon. Figured I'd play it safe and just do my own workout so if I didn't feel good I could bail and not feel obligated due to paying an entry fee.

Anyway, I copied Paul's BW from a few days ago (4-3-2-1 @ MP).  In my ignorance it sounded hard but do-able.  I started with 5 miles for a warm up (7:14 average) then jumped right in  for the first 4 miles (5:31, 5:17, 5:25, 5:17).  I had considered extending it to 5 miles but I just didn't think I had it in me...  I jogged for 1/4 mile in 2:41 then started the 3 mile set (5:17, 5:22, 5:19).  Dude, I'm getting tired!  Again jogged for 1/4 mile in 2:21 and then 2 miles (5:15, 5:12).  Sheesh, this workout is MUCH harder than I thought it would be... I kept telling myself 'just one more mile, just 5 more minutes' over and over again.  After a 3 minute jog I finally convinced myself to punish my body just one more time.  Final mile in 5:06 and I was exhausted!  I can see why this was called a Big Workout.

Nearly 3 miles in a death march home for 19 miles total.  Very tired but very happy I finished the workout.  Good week, especially since I ran a marathon last Saturday.  I've never recovered so quickly from a race, let alone a marathon.

AM: 5 miles in GP before an early departure for Eugene.

PM: 8 miles into Springfield and back to the hotel via Pre's Trail.  I saw a group of African runners on the trail--I'm certain it was the Kenyan and Ethiopian runners from the Pre Track Meet that took place last weekend.  Pretty cool what you see in Eugene.

AM: 12 miles around Eugene.  Nothing too exciting.

PM: 6 miles to Sheldon HS in hopes of running a few miles barefoot on the football field.  Didn't happen due to the field being ripped out during the off season.  I was pretty tired and thought about bailing but I'm glad I stuck it out, even if it was just 6 miles.

Ran in Eugene again this morning before work and then going home.  11 miles around the golf course, mall, Costco and back to the hotel.  Pretty good route I'll have to remember and run again in two weeks.

Crunchy Groove Thursday and my allergies are out of control.  It was only a matter of time...

Allergies are killing me.  Straight up killing me.  I was wiped out by the time I got home last night so I went to bed at 9 and still couldn't muster much effort to get out this morning.  Hopefully it passes quickly this year.

18 miles around GP.  The first 5-6 miles were flat as I ran west around Redwood Rd.  I then ran back into town and up to the homes above the old hospital as well as the Merlin overpass a few miles up the freeway.  There was a lot of climbing during these middle miles and subsequently, lots of downhill the last 4-5 miles.  After mapping my course on runingahead it looks like I climbed 1000 ft exactly (and ran more like 18.2 miles, but who's counting?). :-)

AM: 12 miles around GP.  I ran out past Albertsons, Wal-Mart and Fred Meyer.  Basically hit up all the stores on the east side of town.

Lunch: I worked local today and so during lunch I grabbed a few extra miles.  I ran New Hope Rd to Lennon Rd and home via Redwood Highway.  6 miles exactly with some decent hills so maybe I'll try and incorporate it more into my routine. 

Slept in just a bit so I didn't get the distance I wanted.  So it goes sometimes...  I ran into town and looped around on Hillcrest, Savage, and Martinazi St to get some hills under my legs.

I made it back to the Cathedral Trail system after a way too long of a break.  I ran there (just under 3 miles) and then did 8 miles of fantastic singletrack before returning home.  I ran a couple new routes and had some amazing views with the morning sunrise.  On the way back I ran past the elementary school and did 16 pull-ups to finish up the morning.  Hopefully a few more miles tonight.

No run tongight--there are 30mph winds going on outside and I just don't feel like running on the treadmill.

Solid run in Coos Bay.  I ran my normal North Bend/Coos Bay route and added a bit more beyond Safeway and the airport.  Lots of rollers and a few decent hills made for just under 800ft climbing throughout the run.  My legs felt fresh and my body finally feels rested.  Its been a few weeks since I've felt this good and not worn down each morning.

10 miles this morning.  I ran to the HS (3.5 miles) then ran 3 miles barefoot before returning home via the same route.  It was chilly this morning (around 43 degrees) so it made for some cold feet.  It felt good to run barefoot though.

21 miles in Medford, likely for the last time now that the Walkers are moving.  I ran down North Phoenix Highway to Home Depot and then North to Harry and David Field.  Took the first 10 miles easy (7:02/mile) and then ran tempo miles back home.  It made for a good workout as the first 10 miles were downhill and the returning 10 were uphill  Hit 5:59/mile pace on the return which was perfect.  I didn't have it in me to go much faster but it was a good enough workout that I was tired by the time I finished.  Ran around the neighborhood for 1 more mile to cool down.  Good week.

10 miles this morning.  I'm amazed I was able to get out of bed....  I wasn't in bed until 12:30 and then up at 5:30.  That's not nearly enough sleep!

12 miles in Eugene.  I ran the Ridgeline Trail, the same trail system that the marathon was on a few weeks ago.  I'll have to get here more often during these summer months--it was probably 15 degrees cooler under the shade of the trees as well as being much more peaceful and enjoyable.  I thought about going a bit more but my stomach, as well as my overal energy levels, were telling me it was time for dinner.

AM: 10 miles in Eugene.  My allergies are going bonkers! Not cool!!!

PM: 6 miles in the park in my FiveFingers.  I miss my old neighborhood were there were perfect trails for this type of running.  Laps around the park just aren't as fun. 

10 miles around GP.  I went up 7th street to the north freeway exit and then ran down 6th, across to Fred Meyer and home.

I'm pretty excited to be in Eugene tonight for the USATF Trials.  Should be a lot of fun, just like it was in 2008. 

10 miles in Eugene, from the hotel to Costco and around the local neighborhoods.  

Last night was a lot of fun watching the races @ Hayward.  Josh McAdams advanced in the steeple, Flannigan dominated the women's 10k and Galen Rupp did the same in the men's 10k (after ditching his allergy mask around lap 14--google the photo, it was pretty interesting).  I actually bumped into Adam Goucher and his young son as I rounded a corner, right after Kara took 2nd in the 10k.  I told him congrats on his wife's finish (as I tried not to sound like a complete weirdo) and then a few moments later Adam handed their son to Kara so she could carry him around the track on her top-3 victory lap.  Earlier in the day I was an arms reach away from Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin.  Only in track can the common man literally rub shoulders with the worlds best.  Very cool.

17 miles around GP.  I ran the first 13 by myself with mixed results.  I felt great through 10 and then all of the sudden I was scrambling for a bathroom.  I had to walk 3 different times before finding one about 10.5.  The the next couple miles felt MUCH better.  Returned to the house and picked up Ryan for 4 easy miles around the hospital, middle school and Albertsons.  Surprisingly hit sub-7 pace even with Ryan in the stroller.  Must have been because I pumped up the tires before leaving the house. ;)

Mini taper next week prior to the half marathon... 

10 miles in GP.  I had planned on running the cathedral trails this morning but I just couldn't get out of bed when my alarm went off.  Usually it's not a problem on Monday mornings but I was dead tired today for some reason.  That left only enough time to stay local and run around the hospital.

10 miles around town in GP.  Around the hospital, to the HS and then around WalMart before heading for home.  It rained last night and a bit this morning--it felt pretty good.  One month ago I wouldn't have said that!  Possibly more miles tonight in Coos Bay.

7 miles tonight in Coos Bay.  I drove to the local college and ran 3 miles around the track, then ditched the shoes and ran 4 miles barefoot.  Such a nice facility for such a small school!

AM: 8 miles around Coos Bay.  I felt great despite just 5 hours of pathetic hotel sleep. 

PM: 5 miles on the hotel treadmill while watching Sportscenter.  What a boring time of year for sports...

6 miles around GP.  Let the taper begin...

5 miles this morning.  My legs feel sluggish, which is to be expected.  I threw a few strides in at the end and my legs seemed to respond well.

3 miles for my final run before Monday.  I'm hoping it's not too hot at the race, but the forecast isn't looking good.

Anyone seen the movie "The Italian Job" that came out in 2003?  One of the most memorable quotes was from the guy who was deaf in one ear.  He was observing a gate and sees guard dogs, then proceeds to tell Mark Wahlberg ....'the dudes got dogs.  I don't do dogs.  I had a real bad experience.'  Wahlberg asks what happened and Left Ear replies very emphatically:

'I had.  A bad.  Experience.'

Pretty much sums up my race this morning.  Rather than setting a new PR, I came away with a PW (personal worst).  Ever.  All-time.  I felt good yesterday.  I felt good when I woke up.  Felt good on my 2 mile warm up.  Gun went off and it went downhill from there.  I was shooting for 5:15-5:20 pace throughout and thought that was doable.  First mile 5:17. Perfect.  Miles 2-4 were each 5:26 exactly.  Slower than I wanted but there was plenty of time to make up the difference.  Mile 5 in 5:21 and I'm through the first 5 miles in 26:59.  Mile 6 in 5:24 and now I'm wondering why I'm continually missing the mark.  What gives?  Could it be the stomach cramps I've got that are making things tough.  I know they're not helping, that's for sure.

The wheels start to come off the next two miles; 5:29, 5:36 and my stomach cramps are getting worse.  Blah.  Mile 8 was slightly better in 5:28 but nowhere near my goal.  All of my miles except the first have been off 10-15 seconds.  Double blah.  Mile 9 slows considerably once again to 5:37.  At the aid station between 9 and 10 I stopped for a quick walk to try and finally get rid of my stomach cramps.  It seemed to help, but as soon as I resumed running both of my calves cramped as well as the arch in my right foot.  Something was off today, that's for sure.  I slowly walked/jogged to mile 10 (8:47) and 11 (9:00!) before throwing in the towel.  Sort of...

My sister was running the half as well.  Her first ever half marathon was last weekend in Seattle.  After finishing slower than she would have liked and yet void of sore/tired muscles, she quickly signed up for this half marathon as a chance to quickly improve.  I turned around at mile 11 and ran back up the course to mile 9 and waited just a couple minutes before she arrived.  I ran the final 4 miles with her which was a lot of fun.  It was great to see her improve by over 9 minutes with only 7 days between her 1st and 2nd half-marathon.  (Awesome Jill!  Very proud of you.)

Now I'm home and my body feels trashed.  Absolutely trashed. Uh....?  I ran less than 10 miles at tempo pace and then the next 7 miles in the 9:00/min range and I feel completely worked over.  No clue why.  By the way--finishing time was 2:02:33.  Triple blah.

5 miles around the hospital.  I felt....exactly as expected after not running all week.  I'll try to get back on the horse starting Monday.

9 miles around the hospital and out to RCC and then home.  Feeling a little sick this morning for some reason.

10 miles to the NW corner of town.  Lots of climbing the first half, lots of downhill the second.  Perfect weather made for a nice run although I'm still feeling a little sick.

9 miles in GP.  My legs are finally starting to come around.

4 miles around Coos Bay and then 5 more at the hotel.

I finally made it back to Cathedral Hills to run some trails.  I've wanted to get back there all week and it just hasn't worked out.  It's very refreshing to get of the roads and mix things up.  After the last race I'm seriously considering making the full transition to exclusive trail running.  We'll see...

Back to the Cathedral Trails again today.  The first 45 minutes were easy and done in a blink of an eye.  The next 5 miles weren't as fun and the last 2 were brutal--thankfully I had Weezer keeping me company so I survived.  I was just beat down tired--guess I just needed some fuel!  1 more mile on the road to put me at 15 for the day.  Not the best week but at least I got out each day.  My motivation is faltering as of late...

AM: Last run on the trails for a few weeks.  As always, it was a lot of fun.  Minus the time I came around a corner to a group of wild turkeys.  We both startled each other pretty good and so I turned around and a couple of them decided to chase me.  What can I say...I'm a wuss.  No hard done though and the rest of the run was uneventful.

PM: 10 miles in Eugene.  2 miles were barefoot at the college.

11 miles in Eugene, mostly on Pre's Trail but the last couple were around the college.

10 miles in Reno, NV.  Got to the motel at 10:30 and asleep just before midnight, then up at 5 for a run.  Blah.  I'm tired.  I ran north into Sparks and found the Costco so we could fuel up once we were ready to hit the road again.

9 miles in Hurricane, UT.  Yowzers!  It was hot.  I'll have to get out earlier than 8:45 in the morning to beat the heat.  Despite three stops for water I was still overheating--my body is used to 45-50 degree weather year round, not 87 degrees first thing in the morning.

10 miles; the first 5 with my dad into LaVerkin and then 5 more by myself to the other side of Hurricane.  I went at 6 which was much better than yesterdays run around 9 am.  I was feeling the effects from the 90 minutes of pickleball that was played last night but my body responded after the first 15 minutes or so.

Although I've never ran the Enterprise 10K before, I knew that it was an extremely fast course due to the course layout (I had ran a high school xc race there that was nearly all downhill back in the day).  Not being a fan of fast downhill races, I dismissed the idea of running this race.  Friday evening I realized that the course had changed from previous years, making it a much more honest course, and with the cheap entry fee (16 bucks!) my dad and I decided to get up at 4:30 and head for the hills.

I jogged about 4 miles from the finish line to just past the starting line and my legs felt D.E.A.D.  Just like the last 3 days, it was much hotter than I'm used to and my mouth was terribly dry.  So it goes in Southern Utah in July!  You guys that run here are warriors for putting up with the heat each day.  Give me Oregon's 45-55 degree mornings year round anyday!

As for the start--I've met/talked with Dave Holt once or twice is all, but I'm not sure Clyde and I have ever officially met outside of this blog.  At first I thought about trying to lay low to throw these guys off but I also didn't want to look like a complete wanker.  My cover was blown when Clyde saw me and we talked for a bit before the gun went. ;-)

The 'gun' went off and it was Clyde, Dave and I running as a group through the first half mile or so before it was just Dave and I.  The course was great--even better than I expected.  The first 2 miles were very slight downhill with a few rollers mixed in for good measure.  Dave and I chit-chatted down the course making pretty good time in the process.  First 1.2 in 6:20 (5:16 pace) and second mile in 5:17.  We had to dodge a few 5k'ers but it wasn't too bad at all, really.  The next 2 miles were flat as can be with only 2 turns involved.  For some reason Dave and I got a little sloppy on mile 3 (5:28) and then after making a couple easy turns hit mile 4 in 5:16.  It was somewhere in here that Dave and I seperated a bit but I was sure it wasn't by much.

With Dave close behind I wanted to continue to run strong/even paced miles to the finish and if needed, have some fight left before the finish.  Mile 5 was a very slight uphill (5:17) and then an equally slight downhill to the finish.  Again, I figured Dave was right on my tail so I picked it up just a bit for a final mile in 5:07.  Total time: 32:48, just 21 seconds off my P.R.

The course was very fair, very honest.--an anomaly for this state/region.  Although there is a slight downhill, the rollers and elevation balance it out for a solid course.  Anyway, I quickly grabbed some water and then headed back up the course to find my dad and finish the race with him.  Ran a bit with him and then cooled down a bit with Dave and Clyde as well before heading back for the awards.  Had a lot of fun today and it made me want to possibly return for an October marathon.  We'll see...

14 miles from my parents home along 600 N past Wal Mart and nearly to Sand Hollow, then back.  There were 3-4 pretty decent hills that made for a challenge on the way back.  I beat the heat by running at 6 though so I won that battle at least.

It rained last night as well as this morning so it was nice and humid--my kind of running.  It was still a bit hot but it felt good.  I ran south through town and came out behind the church orchard, then north to Linns, the HS and north into LaVerkin before finally making it home.  Despite the heat, it's been good to run in Southern Utah again.  Vacations go way too fast...

4 miles tonight.  I just couldn't pass up the cool, rainy weather.  Plus, with a 4:30 (am!!) departure tomorrow morning, I needed to bank a few miles tonight.

8 miles in San Francisco. I'll be here for the next few days so hopefully I'll be able to see some cool stuff while I'm out running.  Tonight it was AT&T Park from the hotel, out and back four miles along the pier.

Today I ran to the pier again but took a left towards Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.  The fog was too thick and it was still pretty dark at 5 so I couldn't see much at all.  I ran through Chinatown on my way back though which was pretty cool.  I also ran up some of the steepest hills of my life.  Sheesh--I'm glad I don't live in downtown S.F.

I hit the jackpot today.  Similar run as yesterday morning, minus the fog.  First I ran to Lombard St and ran up the famous zig-zag street, then it was towards the bay for a much better view than 24 hours previous.  The Golden Gate Bridge was in clear view, as well as Alcatraz.  The wind was minimal so all in all, it was a very enjoyable run.  Home tonight--it feels like I've been gone forever!

Nothing.  What a terrible way to end a solid week.  I've been dizzy all day and as soon as I stand up I feel like I'm going to faint.  I thought as the day went on I'd eventually get well enough to run but no dice.  I didn't want to chance fainting on my run with my family out of town... :-0

I'm feeling a bit better.  Not 100% but well enough to run.  I hit up the trails for 12 miles and the first 2 were brutal.  It was 92 degrees and its been a few weeks since I've ran such steep hills so my lungs and legs were burning something fierce.

I was up and off for work by 6 so no time for a run this morning.  Instead, 13 miles in Eugene along the river trail.  Hot again this afternoon.  As always, a ton of people out and about in this town with 20-30 floating the river.  Looked like fun.

AM: 9 miles around Eugene.  I slept like junk last night and felt horrible this morning.  Just so tired...

PM: 11 miles with 2 of them barefoot.  I ran near South Eugene HS and the Amazon trail that's nearby.  Then I jumped over to the track and ran 9 laps, doing the second mile in 5:46.  Very hot out.  I stopped to wet my head 3 seperate times.

AM: 8 miles in Eugene.  I actually slept great last night, other than the weird dreams!  But I feel rested and that's all that matters.

AM: 10.5 miles this morning.  Yet another early morning.  The last two weeks have been brutal for sleep.  As a result, I'm dragging all day long.  Anyway, I ran past the hospital and up 6th St past Club Northwest on Vine St.  Basically uphill the first 5.25 and downhill on the return.  I ran out in 37:18 and back in 32:43.  I felt good and just rolled with it.

Noon: I finished work in time to grab 6 quick miles before catching a flight to SLC.

Back in Utah today. I flew into Salt Lake last night to meet back up with my family. We stayed in Bountiful and I ran along the bench near the temple. There were some nice rollers and one really big one. I managed to run 6:53/average pace and felt good throughout. Now a long drive home with a stop in Reno so we can eat In N Out.

Only had time for 9.5 miles due to an extended bathroom stop after the first 5 miles.  All the eating the past two days did me in.  But it was worth it.....I guess.

Same thing as yesterday.  10 miles with a bathroom stop in the middle.  Not much else to say...

AM: 13 miles.  I ran out past Club Northwest all the way to the freeway overpass (6.5 miles, 750ft climbing) and then returned the same route.  I was chased by a dog which is always an adventure I can live without.  In Coos Bay tonight and I should be able to get in a few more miles.

PM: 7 miles in Coos Bay.  I ran from the hotel to the college (3 miles) so I could run barefoot (just 1 mile) and then back to the hotel.  I found a couple of trails but they were both too short to ever return and run them again. 

I wasn't able to run until after work and by then it was hot.  Very hot.  I struggled through 5 miles by myself and then pushed Ryan (which for some reason was easier than solo) for 2 miles.  Yikes.  I didn't drink enough today and I paid for it.

10 miles on the Cathedral Trails.  Lots of horse riders out today, as well as a couple mountain bikers.  I wish I could run these routes more than once a week but it's just not happening as of late.

20 miles around GP.  It's been a while since I've gone this far and I wasn't looking forward to it.  In fact, this whole week has been a bit of a grind.  Running was feeling like a chore, something I had to do rather than something I wanted to do.  In fact, when I woke up I laid there and had to talk myself into getting out the door.  Thankfully it was a somewhat fleeting thought and I was out before too long.

I took it easy the first 5 miles around the hospital and WalMart and then I ran hills for the next 10 miles behind the HS.  Up Beacon st, down 10th, back up 9th and then down 7th.  One more trip up 6th St. before coming down by Sorweide's office (mile 14 and I picked up the pace for sub-6 the last 6 miles) and home via F st through town and past Fred Meyer.

I felt great through 19 miles and was just a little thirsty the last mile.  Average pace was 6:35 for the run which was surprising given the 1050 ft of climbing throughout the course.  I'm glad I made it out the door and had an enjoyable experience after a so-so week.

12 miles on the roads around Cathedral Hills Trails (Cloverdawn Rd?).  There were some pretty good hills, both up and down, with a total of 960 ft climbing in all.  I felt good this morning and fully recovered from Saturday.  Now it's off to Eugene.  No double today as my family is coming and we're going to hit up a baseball game instead.  Should be fun.

12 miles in Eugene.  I ran along Coburg Rd to Costco and then looped around to the mall in Springfield before returning to the motel and 2 more miles along the river trail.

The baseball game last night was....well, baseball.  Very very VERY boring.  We bailed after 5 innings because we couldn't stand it any longer.  For some reason my 3 year old is captivated by the game despite no one else in the house caring for it one bit.  Hopefully it's just a phase...  Haha

10 miles in Eugene.  I ran from the hotel past Autzen Stadium and into Springfield.  The road eventually looped around and I made my way back to Eugene and the University.  They're still working on Hayward Field so it's still closed for casual running.  Too bad...

10 miles to the west of town, nearly to RCC, and then looped around Albertsons and home.  It felt SO good to sleep in my own bed last night and it made the early rise even more difficult.

So tired.  Why am I always so tired on Friday mornings?  Just. Want. Sleep.

Managed to get out of bed with time for 10 miles.  I crossed the river and ran around the wood-chipped trails at the city park.  On the plus side, I found 35 cents so I guess it was worth getting out of bed. 

Solid run today.  This week was much better than last week--every run was fun and enjoyable.  I left the house at 6 and stumbled upon Nate Tanner just 2 minutes into my run.  He was just starting his workout so we ran 8 miles together along Redwood Highway and back to Albertsons.  He bailed and I ran a few more before using the bathroom at the farmers market.  At that point I had ran 11 miles and averaged 7:06/mile.  Perfect.  I then began the uphill/downhill routine (same as last week but in reverse order) and tried to get a solid tempo run in the process.

Mile 12 (6:18) and mile 13 (6:01) were uphill past the middle school to Vine St, followed by downhill for miles 14 & 15 (5:57, 5:55).  Ran up 6th street (miles 16 and 17 in 6:12, 6:13) and then down 7th street.  I went east on Savage until Beacon and then it was home via the main highway.  Mile 18 in 5:56, mile 19 in 5:49.  Final two miles in 5:51 and 5:45.  Final 10 miles in 60 minutes flat so 6:00/mile average.  Solid.  I never felt too tired or thirsty despite not drinking during the workout.  After today I'm thinking that I may just be ready for TOU after all.  Decision time...

AM: 12 miles around GP.  Feeling fine after Saturday's long run.  Should be able to get a few more miles in tonight in Eugene.

PM: 12 miles in Eugene.  It was hot out but I survived.  I ran east into Springfield, eventually reaching Winco before looping back around and to the hotel via the Gateway Mall and Autzen Stadium.

11 miles around Eugene.  From to hotel to the golf course, then up around Costco and back via Coburg Rd.  I slept great last night, which is pretty rare when it comes to hotel beds.

AM: 6 miles around Lonnon Loop behind Albertsons.  The sushi from yesterday didn't agree with my stomach and the run was a struggle.  More tonight.

PM: My family decided last minute to come with me to Coos Bay so I didn't run too much.  We all went to the college track and I ran 4 miles barefoot while the wife and kids messed around with the soccer goal and couple of balls that were roaming around.  City Subs for dinner so the day was pretty much the bomb.  Best. Sandwich. Ever. 

11 miles in Coos Bay.  I ran the Prefontaine route (first 3 miles from the downtown to the cemetery) to the college, stopped by the bakery to order my business lunch and then looped past the casino back to the hotel.  Good run and my legs felt fresh after the barefoot running last night.

7 miles in GP.  I had to get back for a conference call so I cut the run a little short.

Long run of 22 miles to finish off a solid week.  I broke it up into 3 sections (7x7x8) which helped the run not feel so daunting.  The first 7 miles were a warm up (7:13/mile) along Redwood Highway before coming back into town and using the bathroom at the park near Tanners dental office.  I picked up the pace slightly for the second 7 miles (6:38/mile) as I ran through town and up Hillcrest to Anderson's dental office and Club Northwest.  I ran the final 8 miles just shy of marathon pace (5:58/mile) but there were two big hills that really took it out of me.  I ran past the HS up 9th street and down Beacon to Albertsons and home.  Nearly 1100 ft of climbing throughout the run and no water--I was tired by the time I finished but felt pretty good overall.

11 miles this morning.  I ran around the middle school to the skate park, then to the HS and home via 6th street.  My legs felt pretty tired this morning so I tried to keep it easy and relaxed throughout.

AM: 7 miles around GP.  My body is worn out.  Today felt like a Friday morning, not Tuesday.  Needless to say, I slept in and only had time for a few miles.  I woke up real quick though when I was chased by a dog less than 2 minutes into my run.  Not a pleasant experience...

PM: 6 easy miles with the family.  Andrea rode her bike with Ryan on back and I pushed Miles in the jogging stroller for 4 miles, then Ryan and I did 2 more.  It was a little windy but all in all, an enjoyable run together. 

13 miles on the Cathedral Trails.  Hopefully I can get a few more runs in on these trails before the rains come and it turns too muddy.  All sorts of wildlife today--horse, deer, turkeys, squirrels, bear...  Okay, maybe not a bear but I was on the lookout!  I'm a little paranoid about animals these days...

Not cool.  Haha.  So I was two miles into my run and it was pitch black as I ran along Redwood Highway.  I thought to myself 'I miss being able to see when running at 5:30 in the morning like it was in June/July.'  Not more than 10 seconds later I clipped something with my foot and fell face first into the ground.  I still couldn't see that well but realized that I had ran into a construction zone and the sidewalk that I had been running along no longer existed.  I had hit some buildup of asphalt and fallen down into gravel, dirt, etc and a few minutes later blood was covering the palms of my hands, left forearm and left leg.  Not cool.

Anyway, I 'brushed myself off' so to speak and ran the next seven miles before taking a painful shower and pulling gravel out of my skin. 

10 miles in Eugene on Pre's Trail.  Pretty uneventful compared to yesterday.  The town was pretty quite this morning.  I wonder if they're all in Dallas for the Oregon-LSU game tomorrow?

22 miles around GP.  I didn't have much of a plan today--figured I'd just get out and see how I feel.  If nothing else I would run 20ish miles easy and call it a day but if I felt quick then I'd throw in some speed along the way.

I ran south along New Hope Rd (feels just like Flagstaff) and then looped around the Cathedral Hills on Cloverdawn Rd.  The first 4 miles were rolling, followed by 3 up and 3 down.  I felt good from the start and hit the first 7 miles in 6:42/mile average.

Started a tempo (thought I'd only go for 7 miles but ended up extending it for 12 miles).  Miles 8-10 were downhill (5:59, 5:36, 5:34) and then I ran to Walmart via N Street (5:49, 5:35, 5:38, 5:20).  I then looped around Fred Meyer to the south I-5 exit, passed the hotel and the HS and then ran up 7th street (5:41, 5:32, 5:47).  Final two miles of the tempo were south into downtown and the farmers market (5:54, 5:34).  Felt solid throughout and as always, felt stronger on the uphill and flat sections compared to the downhill portions.

Final 3 miles were slow across the river to the hospital and home (6:43, 6:57, 7:25).  Total running time for 22 miles was 2:16:10 for an average of 6:11/mile.  I think I'm ready to run TOU.  I guess I better sign up... 

11 miles around GP.  Felt pretty good, but not as well as I'd like for a Monday.

6 miles around GP.  I signed up for TOU last night.  I guess the decision has been made.

9 miles west of town, around the college.  Dinner from last night wasn't agreeing with my stomach one bit.  Rough morning.

9 miles through town, past the HS, to WalMart and then home.  I kept the pace easy and comfortable throughout.  For some reason I had "Jingle Bells" stuck in my head all run long.  Where did that come from??!

I ran to the HS and ran 2 miles barefoot, then ran home.  On my return, less than one mile from my house, I saw a 5 dollar bill out of the corner of my eye.  I picked it up and continued on my way, feeling pretty good about my find.  Ten steps later I found a $20 bill, then ten steps after that $20 more bucks.  I'm feeling pretty good about myself when ten steps later I find a third $20 and to top it off, a $1 bill ten steps after that.  SO....$66 bucks later I'm a happy guy and pleased with the course I ran for the day.  Do I turn in $$ found along a main street with literally dozens and dozens of stores along it?

I got a text from Nate last night, asking if I'd like to join him on a 2 hour run.  Figuring that the pace would be a bit slower and somewhere in the 15-16 mile range, I agreed to join him.  We were up at 5 and running together a few minutes later due to morning obligations.  It was an enjoyable run with good conversation.  We hit 16 miles on the dot but sadly didn't have any good finds like yesterday.

10 miles west of town so I could stay relatively flat the whole way.  I made it to the river at Schroeder Park and then came home via Redwood Highway.

Ran 9 miles in Eugene around the U of O campus.  After finding $66 last week I found 5 more today.  It was in the gutter across from South Eugene HS.  I'm on a roll!  Sign of good things to come?

In Eugene again. Working with some high-ups with the company.  Going to be a stressful day...

Long day.  Extremely long day.  I was up at 5:45 and left my house at 6:15,  Drove 90 minutes to Roseburg for a work breakfast, then drove to Eugene and worked there for a couple hours.  Got out of Eugene at 12:30 and I just pulled into Boise 8 hours later.  Basically I've been in the drivers seat of my car for 11 of the last 14 hours.  Yuck.  Pretty sure that's not a good way to taper for a marathon...

3 miles in Boise to loosen my legs after a long drive.

Pretty solid race today. I'll write more when I get home on Monday. I'm staying at my 90 year old grandparent's and they have no internet access... Do 90 year olds even know what the internet is?

----

Where to start?  I was hesitant to run this race as I don't enjoy downhill races of any distance, especially the marathon.  But as I kept trying to fit a marathon into my fall schedule, this was the only one that seemed like it would work for me.  Needless to say, I signed up about a month ago and felt great on my Saturday long runs leading up to today.  When I got to Logan on Friday I drove the course to get an idea of the layout and was pleasantly surprised that the majority of the downhill was of the gentle rolling kind mixed in with flat and even a few slight uphills.  The multiple turns during the last 6-7 miles didn't look too fun but I'm glad I knew the course before hand and was prepared for the course set up.  Lastly, I was was more than happy with the rain that fell Friday night and throughout the morning.  One of my only concerns was the dry air and possible heat the last few miles of the race but neither of those happened thankfully.

As we lined up to race I met Paul and James for the first time, Sasha for the second time.  None of us were any help to Paul today (wow, what a quick start) but James, Sasha and I made a good team for the first 13 miles, helping maintain pace and work together sharing the load.  When the gun when off, about a dozen people took off ahead of me--apparently I don't start as quick as most people but I still managed a 5:30 first mile.  After the first mile I had caught up to Sasha and James and we took turns leading our group and running 5:30, 5:33, and 5:33 for miles 2-4.  My lungs felt fine and I had no issue whatsoever being at altitude but even just 4 miles into the race, my quads were already feeling the affects of the downhill sections mixed with race pace.  At some point Sasha said he wasn't feeling 100% so James and I took turns leading, most of the time organically rather than 3 minute trade-offs like we had the first few miles.  Mile 5 and 6 were both 5:41 followed by a 5:44 for mile 7.

Not much to say during the next few miles.  Again, my legs didn't love the downhill but the rest of my body felt absolutely fine.  The canyon we were running in was visually stunning as the sun started to rise, the low clouds hung around the hills and the peaceful stream followed the same path on our left.  I took my first Gu at mile 8 (5:33) and continued down the canyon running 5:41, 5:49, 5:55 and 5:31 for miles 9-12.  There were a couple times when James pushed the pace on the downhill and I fell 1-2 seconds behind both he and Sasha and I wondered if they were leaving me for good, but I'd quickly catch up once the course flattened out.  

I missed getting water at mile 13 (5:36) and that seemed to fire me up a little bit.  It wasn't on purpose, but I subsequently picked up the pace as we left the canyon (mile 14 in 5:26, mile 15 in 5:27).  I think this happened for a couple reasons--there was a large group of supporters cheering as we entered Harlow Rd (including my best friend from high school), the rain started to come down even harder and it felt like I was still in Oregon, and the flat roads were heaven to my quads and hamstrings which were starting to tighten up as well.  Regardless, the pace felt comfortable and so I went with what felt good.  Miles 16-18 stayed pretty consistent (5:35, 5:36, 5:35) as I continued to love the rain, flat course and seeing family/friends spread out every mile or so (huge shout out to my amazing family/friends that traveled 7+ hours to watch me plod along in the rain--it was a great help knowing I had support along the final miles).

The turns began somewhere along here as we left the highway and looped through a few sections of residential areas.  The race organizers must have quickly fixed the course confusion from when Paul had passed through because there were cones and a lady in a mini-van directing my at the turn just past the bridge (thankfully! I'm not as mentally strong as Paul and wouldn't have loved the thoughts of adding more sections at the end and the possibility of a DQ).  Miles 19 and 20 (5:45, 5:50) must have had a little uphill and by then I was getting a little tired but I managed to pull it together on mile 21 (5:35).  Going through the aid stations were a blast as the volunteers were full of energy (probably because it had such a long gap between Paul and I...).  I slowed down on mile 22 but barely stayed under 6 min pace (5:59).  I wasn't so lucky on mile 23 (6:07).  Pretty typical reasons at the end of any marathon--I was tired, legs were cramping and starting to check out mentally (how do I fix this??  Seems to happen every time.  Frustrating.).

The cramp in my stomach was too much to handle after fighting it for the past 2 miles.  I gave in and walked for a brief section (maybe 20 seconds, 30 at most).  My pace was slowing considerably and I thought the break might rejuvenate me for the final push.  As a result, mile 24 was my worst (6:40).  The cramp subsided and I immediately felt better as I passed through mile 25 (6:04).  I felt like I was crawling during the last mile--I wasn't to the point of walking but I'm sure there are people who can walk faster.  Mile 26 in 6:24 and final .2 in 1:23. Total time in 2:30:54.  Perhaps the finish would have been different if I was fighting for 2nd place.  Probably not though...haha.  I need to figure out how to not die during the final few miles of a marathon.  And no more walking!  

I was 99% happy with today's race and how it all unfolded.  1% disappointed that I didn't go under 2:30 but I'll focus on the 99% instead.  I left the race soon-ish after finishing--I was cold and needed to take a long, hot shower.  Had Thai for lunch with family and friends (on me of course since I had cash to burn after taking 2nd), returned to the park for awards, then traveled south for lunch #2 at In-N-Out Burger.  The rest of the day was spent enjoying the company of family I don't see nearly enough.  The icing on the cake was the absolute beat-down Utah put on the team from Provo to finish off the day!  The day couldn't have turned out much better.  It was good to meet a number of fellow bloggers and congratulations to everyone that ran today.  Perhaps I'll return next year, especially if the forecast calls for rain!

No way.

Feels good to sleep in.

Giving it one more day...

I'm in Coos Bay.  One more day off won't hurt.

1 mile.  Pathetic.  Mentally I'm more than ready to go but apparently not so much physically.  My left quad screams in  pain when I run.  Feels fine otherwise, but once I start running it feels like the 26th mile of a marathon all over again.

Same story as yesterday.  I tried to make it longer but I just feel like I'm doing more damage the longer I run.  Not sure what to do.  I'm stretching all the time, using the stick and foam roller, ib, etc.  The rest of my body feels perfect but one isolated section of my left quad is all sorts of jacked up.  Hopefully by Monday I'll be good to go...

Pretty frustrating.  My legs still feel shot.  I was able to slowly run around the hospital and Albertsons but if I tried to pick up the pace at all, my left quad quickly disagreed with the change.  I'll just keep it easy all week and hope to work out the issues.

I ran in Eugene today and it was the best my legs have felt since the marathon.  I noticed some lingering fatigue in my left quad around the 6 mile mark but it seemed to go away after a minute or two.  Hopefully I'm making progress...

6 miles in Eugene.  Then weights.  I'm gonna be sore tomorrow...

5 miles on Pre's Trail in Eugene.  Gotta love to soft surface.  Wish I could run here more often, especially post marathon.

AM: 6 miles this morning.  I ran in the same shoes that I raced TOU in.  Bad idea.  They are done. D.O.N.E.  A few hours later my right knee ached pretty good, the same ache I get every time I try to extend the life of overused shoes.

PM: 4 miles around the park in five fingers.  Its been a while since I used these shoes.  Felt good. 

AM: 10 miles around GP.  I finally feel back to normal after TOU.  Now I just need to get my weekly mileage back where it needs to be.

AM #2: 2 hours and 3 pancakes later....I ran around the hospital and Albertsons with Ryan while breaking in a new pair of shoes.  They felt pretty good although there is no way I'd wear them for anything beyond a 10K.  Perhaps they'll grow on me. 

10 miles around GP.  The rain began last night and continued throughout my run.  In a way it was cool--I kinda like it, especially when it's light and misty with fog laying on the hills like it was this morning.  But in a way it's not cool--knowing that 95% of my runs for the next 8 months are going to be wet, cold, really wet, or a combination of the three is a miserable thought...

10 miles this morning.  I ran to the HS and then ran 4x800 with a lap jog between each.  The rest was too long but I figured for my first speed work in a while, I'd let it slide.  Times were 2:44, 2:44, 2:42, 2:40.  Not the quickest workout ever but it's a start.

PM: 3 miles with Ryan.  The rain increased, temperature dropped and both of us weren't dressed accordingly so we called it quits a little early.

AM: 11 miles in GP.  Up to the North freeway exit, past club nw and then back home via the HS and Fred Meyer.  I finished 'Ultramarathon Man' by Dean Karnazes last night.  I don't recommend it.  That pretty much sums up my book review.

PM: 8 miles around Coos Bay.  I ran past some tennis courts with 3 guys playing and apparently in need of a 4th.  They yelled out 'do you play tennis?' and when I said 'nope,' they offered 10 bucks if I'd join them. I kept running but said if they'd make it $20 I was in.  Sadly, no offer came so I kept on going.  I'd rather run anyway...

Nothing today.  My right foot has been bothering me the past week.  It's still been runnable but my stride has changed due to overcompensation so now my calf is tweeked.  I figured they both could use a rest although mentally it was a frustrating day--I don't like to miss a run!