It ain't Chinese algebra!

10 miles in Grants Pass. After a 2 week vacation, it's good to be home. But at the same time, I sure enjoyed running in Phoenix where I ran in a t-shirt and no gloves all week.  Good times.

10 miles around GP.  Felt pretty good but all the snacking the past two weeks have left me with a few extra lbs and I'm not loving that feeling as I run.

AM: 7 miles around GP before an early start to the day.

PM: 7 miles around Eugene after a day with the boss.  I was going to make it a bit longer but the rain was coming on strong and the treadmill was taken at the hotel.  So it goes... 

12 miles in Eugene; up Coburg and around Costco, back through Springfield and to the hotel past Autzen Stadium.  Amazing weather for a January morning.

10 miles around the middle school and into downtown, then back home with a quick stop at 7-11 for the bathroom.  The slushees looked good and I made a mental note to return tonight and get one.  Haha.

I ran along the highway west of town past the college for about 4 miles before returning on Redwood Rd.  Only made it 1/2 mile down the road when I was chased by 3 dogs so I turned around and returned home the same way.  Pace was easy for the first 8 miles and then I ran 5 miles of tempo (5:51, 5:38, 5:43, 5:34, 5:34) and then 1 mile cool down.  Felt good. 

AM: 4 miles.  Somehow I slept through both my alarms this morning.  I'm blaming the kids that kept me awake from 2 to 3 this morning.  What was that all about?

PM: 6 miles after work.  Chilly out tonight. 

9 miles after work.  I ran to Staples, then through town and up to the first freeway exit, then home.  I also busted out a new pair of Saucony Kinvara's and I love them.  I'm kicking myself for waiting this long to try them out.  I can tell why everyone loves them so much.  Here's to seeing if I can get 1000 miles out of them as well.

Coldest morning of the year so far.  20 degrees when I started out and 23 by the time I finished.  I ran to the west of town, then around the middle school and home.

6 miles for a warm up.  It was 24 degrees and I didn't love the idea of racing with it this cold.  I ran the course and by the 5th mile it warmed up to 26-27 degrees and felt pretty good.

Goal was to run a 10k race at a faster pace than Paul runs the marathon trials in Houston today.  I probably missed the goal because Paul is a BEAST and gonna tear it up this morning.  Anyway, race started and I took the lead from the gun.  The first mile was slight downhill (5:10), second mile was flat (5:16) and third mile was slight uphill (5:20).  I hit the turn around (forgot to look at my watch) and tried to stay somewhat consistent on the reverse course.  Missed mile 4 but fifth mile was (flat again in 5:24) and mile 6 (slight uphill in 5:15).  Final .2 in 37 seconds so the course was off somehow.  In fact, I think the course was long but who know.  Don't really care.  Just wanted a solid tempo-type workout and that's what I got.  Very pleased with the time given the time of year and the weather.  Hopefully I can put together a few more solid months before Pear Blossom and a spring marathon.

 2 mile cool down and then a large chocolate milk for a post-race refreshment.

10 miles this morning.  Felt a lingering soreness from Saturday but for the most part felt pretty good.

4 miles in Eugene with Jared and his buddies.

0 miles. Too busy with work. Sucks when that happens...

About 4 hours of sleep last night, then meeting from 8-5 in Eugene and not home until after 8pm.  LONG day...

0 miles.  But I did party with the kids for Miles birthday party after work.  Fun stuff!

It's not too often that I can double my weekly mileage with a simple Saturday run.  Pathetic week.  My job/lifestyle makes it pretty easy to run consistently so 95% of the time running is good.  Every once in a while work gets pretty busy and and simply can't make running fit into the schedule.  This was one of those weeks.  Long days and 4-5 hours of sleep a couple nights in a row.  Not pretty.  Next week I'll be back on the horse...

AM: 10 miles around GP, up to the NW freeway exit.  Felt much better than Saturday.  Over the weekend I felt stiff, sore and all sorts of out-of-shape.  Is that what happens to me now when I skip 3 days of running?  Here's to hoping this week is a good one.

PM: 3 miles after work. 

11 miles around GP.  A light rain but the temps were high-ish and I got a bit warm.  That's a good problem to have in January though.

5 miles for a warm up, then 2 tempo miles around the HS track (5:58, 5:28) and 3 miles home.  No gloves this morning.  In fact, I felt overdressed in a long sleeve shirt.  I'm loving this warm spell we're experiencing right now.

As always, I'm tired by Thursday and it's a struggle to get up.  Managed to do so anyway and glad I did.  Ran around the middle school, then to WalMart and home via Albertsons.  Awesome weather--I ran in a t-shirt and no gloves.  Simply awesome for January!

It was 20 degrees colder this morning than yesterday.  It makes getting out of bed so much harder...

Ran around town to the west to keep things flat-ish for the first time this week.  Back to the hills tomorrow. 

Ok run.  Just ok.  My right hammy has started bothering me.  Not sure where it came from.  Just lack of stretching and then long hours behind the wheel of the car.  I need to focus on better stretching after each run and hopefully get things turned in the right direction.

Ran around WalMart, HS and home with lots of hills in between.  Average pace was 6:50/mile.

11 miles around the middle school and across the bridges, then back home.  Tired for a Monday.  Not a good sign...

AM: 10 miles in GP

PM: 10 miles in Eugene.  The first 5 were on Pre's Trail.  So soft--wish I could run there more often.  Would have done the entire run there but it was getting dark and I wanted to get on roads where I could see.

AM: 10 miles in Eugene.  Past the mall, over to Costco and back to the hotel via Coburg Rd.

PM: 7 miles in Pre's Trail.  Felt very heavy and zero energy.  I didn't drink enough today and it caught up with me.

Only 6 miles this morning, still in Eugene.  After 37 miles in two days, mixed with horrible hotel sleep, I just couldn't muster much more today.  Home tonight and back to my own bed.  Looking forward to it.

AM: 4 miles.

PM: 4 miles.  Pretty boring. 

Solid run.  Very solid.  It was chilly--26 degrees but felt much colder with the humidity.  I warmed up with 5 easy miles and thought multiple times about quitting and going home until it was warmer.  I couldn't feel my fingers for the first 45 minutes.  I ran out Rogue River Highway and after 5 miles, turned around and began my tempo portion for the next 5 miles.  First mile in 6:11 and I don't think my garmin was working with the thick fog.  I'm certain I was sub-6 at least.  2nd mile (5:35); 3rd (5:41) 4th and 5th each ran in 5:27.  That brought me back to the hardware store past Albertsons.  I jogged for 800 meters and began the next temp portion; 3 miles in 5:24, 5:27, and 5:15.  Another 800 meter jog and then the final push of 2 miles.  Perfectly flat past Albertsons and the hospital and I hit 5:06 and 5:00.  Felt great, besides the cold.  None of the pick-ups felt unbearable and my hamstring pain from last week was absent. Good end to the week.  Highest mileage in a while.

In GP, across the river and around the HS, then home.  Nothing special.  My legs feel great after a weekend of rest.

Ran past Albertsons, the hospital and middle school.  Saw my first ever skunk.  I thought it was a cat slowly crossing in front of me.  As I got closer and and could see it under the street lights better, saw the black creature with a white stripe down its back.  It raised its tail and I dashed to the other side of the street and went on my way, thankfully, smell-free.

AM: 10 miles around GP.  Feeling good.

PM: 10 miles in Coos Bay.  I ran a 3 mile warm up, then hit the track for some mile repeats.  First mile in 5:06 followed by a 90 sec jog.  Second mile in 5:05 followed by the same break.  3rd mile in 5:03 and another 90 second jog.  Right as I started the 4th and final mile, my right hamstring siezed up on me and I quickly stopped.  It bothers me to not finish a workout but....injuries bother me worse and there's no sense in heading down that road.  4 mile cool down and a VERY easy pace.

Didn't sleep too hot because of my leg but felt fine enough to run this morning.  Started slow and eventually warmed up.  By the time I finished my leg felt good (not great, but good) so I'll take it.  I'll keep the rest of the week easy pace and go from there.

AM: 7 miles this morning.  Pretty warm out and I was over-dressed.  Hopefully a few more miles tonight but if not, no biggie. 

20 miles this morning.  First 20 mile run of 2012 and I hope the rest go as smoothly.  I kept the pace easy throughout--no tempos, no intervals, nothing but casual running on a perfect February morning.  So perfect that I ran in short sleeves and arm warmers/gloves.  First time I've used the arm sleeves and I like them.

Anyway, ran all around GP.  First the the west, then back and across the bridge.  From there to Sportsman Park and back to the north freeway.  Quick bathroom break at McDonalds and then home via the HS, the library, east Albertsons and the middle school.  Legs felt great.  Lungs felt even better.  Averaged 7:01/mile for 20.  Solid.

AM: 9 miles around GP in...SNOW.  Crazy.  The weather on Saturday was fantastic.  Spent all day outside washing cars, going for walks, kid-time at the park.  Lots of sun.  Woke up to snow this morning.  First time for everything...

PM: 11 miles in Eugene.  Ran from the hotel to Sheldon HS and ran 6 miles around the track.  Grabbed some Subway on the way back to the hotel.  I'm trying to eat better on the road and Subway seemed like a good place to start.

11 miles in Eugene.  I ran around the mall and along Good Pature Island Rd for 5.5 miles and then returned the same way.  Felt good despite the rough sleep.

14 miles tonight in Eugene.  It was a long day and I wasn't able to run this morning due to early appointments in Roseburg.  I had planned on just 10 miles but was feeling good and decided to extend it to 14.  Subway again tonight.  The veggie patty is pretty tasty!

10 miles in Eugene.  Slept like a baby last night in the hotel.  I think I've finally figured out the thermostat.  Hopefully that means more meaningful sleep in the road.

I ran around the mall and past the car dealerships, to Marist HS and then back to the motel. 

7 miles around GP in new shoes.  I don't like them, but that's how it worked with my last pair of these.  Took a while to break them in but after that it was smooth sailing to 500+ miles.

There was a 5k in Rogue River this morning.  The plan was to race but for a number of reasons, decided on a last minute change of plans.  I ran 13 miles for a warm up around the middle school, behind Fred Meyer and in front of Wal Mart to eventually end at the HS track.  I wanted to hit a solid tempo and figured a sub-16 would be good given the long-ish warm up and solo race.  Last time I did this I ran a 16:19 and I feel like I'm in much better shape this go around.  Maybe it's lame to count this as a race report--I figured the only difference was I didn't pay the $15 entry fee and I know that this was an accurate course length.

First mile in 5:00 flat with each quarter at exactly 75 seconds each.  The effort didn't feel too tough but by 6 laps I was looking forward to being done. :)  Second mile in 5:01.  Again, all laps at 75 seconds except the first (fifth lap total) which was 76.  I stopped looking at my watch as I fell apart on the last mile.  I didn't want to get too discouraged as I could feel the pace slowing but couldn't do anything about it.  Third mile in 5:06.  Decent finish in 35 seconds for a 15:43 total.  VERY pleased with the 'race' given that my PR is 15:40 and it was ran among tough competition at Lewis and Clark college in Portland in 2010.

Jogged a slow cool down of 4 miles back to my house and drank a big cup of chocolate milk and other breakfast items.  Pretty pumped for the race in 2 weeks at Willamette University.  I was planning on the 10k but after today, maybe I'll reconsider and run the 5k instead.  Either way, I'm looking to run a PR on a legit course. 

It was one year ago today that I had moved to GP, settled in, and was able to run for the first time in my new town.  I thought about running the same course as that day but I know better...  Haha.  I had to day off so I waited to run until it was warmer and then ran 9 miles to the west of town by the college.  Got home and put Ryan in the jogging stroller and pushed him around the middle school, hospital, and Albertson's for 6 miles.  Pretty tired by the time I finished.

AM: 10 miles around GP.  Pretty much the same run as yesterday.

PM: 5 miles with Ryan in the stroller.  He can be pretty talkative and it's always fun to have the one-on-one time. 

AM: 10 miles in Grants Pass.

PM: 12 miles in Coos Bay.  I ran 4 miles for a warm up before arriving at the HS track.  Decided to mix things up and ran 4x800, 2x400, 1x200 with a 400 meter jog between each.  Too much rest but that's ok.  Splits were 2:26, 2:23, 2:22, 2:20, 67, 64, 30.  Jogged a bit more and talked with the HS track coach and then left the track and ran 4 more miles for a cool down.  My form sure felt sloppy on the repeats so I'm glad I'm not a track guy anymore.

Not enough sleep last night due to hotel bed, AC that didn't work, and very early alarm clock so I could run before the hospital display.  Only time for 5 miles.  Better than nothing and probably fine to limit miles today or else my weekly mileage would be higher than I want.

10 miles around Home Depot, the HS, to freeway exit and then home.  Chilly this morning.  Very chilly.  Storm is coming to town and tomorrow might be rough.

6 miles with my Dad which I always love.  He's getting up there in age but still going strong.  If only I can do half as well as him...

Dropped him off at the house and ran another 9 miles.  I thought the pace would drop and I'd feel great...but it just didn't happen.  Felt like I was dragging and it was a long 9 miles.  Feeling a little beat down but rest the next few days will help I'm sure. 

8 miles as I ran south of town, around the neighborhoods near the golf course.  I haven't been out here in ages and it was good to mix things up a bit.

One thing I can't understand is people who warm up their cars in the morning when it's in the 40's.  I understand if it's in the 20's and snowing but not when it's 42 and blue skies.  Go figure.

AM: Longish run this morning.  I don't think I'll be able to run doubles this week when I hit the road.  Bringing the family with me which will be fun, but it makes running at night impossible.  So it goes.

PM: 7 miles after work on the Lonnon Loop.  The rain started just as I finished and now it's pouring buckets.  Snow tonight? 

13 miles in SNOW.  First time in a long time.  It made me miss Cedar City.  Haha.  Not at all.  The slippery footing is a nightmare and I didn't enjoy the run one bit.  Actually, the positive is that there was very little traffic.  Snow shuts down most of this state (anything west of Bend and Klamath Falls anyway) so I had the roads to myself for the most part.

10 miles in Eugene.  I ran around the mall and auto stores on Goodpasture Island Rd, then looped around past PF Changs and back to the hotel.  Didn't sleep well last night as I ended up on the hide-a-bed with my son from midnight until 5:15.  Hopefully a better sleep tonight.

AM: 4 miles on Pre's Trail in Eugene.  Slight change of plans for this weekend.  I went to sign up for the 10,000m @ Willamatte University last night and realized that I'd missed the entry deadline by 4 hours.  Woops.  I called the coach and left a voicemail asking if I could still enter.  I haven't heard back from him.  There is another collegiate track meet this weekend @ Linfield University (about 1 hour SW of Portland).  They run the 10k tonight at 8pm under the lights.  It was also closed but after calling the coach and explaining the situation, he agreed to let me run.  A farther drive for me but it could work out better.  This field is much deeper with athletes from University of Portland (excellent xc program), Bowerman Athletic Club, Team XO, etc.  Total field size for the men's 10k?  32.  Hopefully I'm not the 32nd slowest runner there!

PM: I'm on cloud 9.  So happy that it's going to be hard to sleep.  Just ran a 53 second PR in the 10k at Linfield College in McMinnville, OR.  I'll try and keep this brief...  The hardest part was knowing how/what to eat for a 8 PM race.  I ate a big-ish lunch and then half a bagel, yogurt and banana as a late afternoon snack.  Stomach felt fine going into the race.  Got to the college and ran 4.8 miles (why 4.8? cause I like round numbers for my daily total.  haha) and then stretched for the final 10 minutes before the start.  There were 30+ runners and I wasn't sure what was going to happen.  My goal was to run each lap at 77 seconds which would set a PR and I'd be happy enough.  I feel like I'm in good shape but when it comes right down to it, you just never know.

Laps/Miles were as follows

1st mile (1:15, 1:17, 1:17, 1:17 = 5:07)  I was a little anxious that first lap, but that's normal.  By the second lap I was soon in no-mans land.  There were 9 guys in front of me and by the 4th lap, they had 50 meters on me.  As for the rest of the field?  50 meters behind me.  Seriously, I was running by myself for the first 3 miles.  So it goes.

2nd mile (1:16, 1:17, 1:17, 1:17 = 5:08, 10:15 total) Perfect.  Right where I want to be.  The breeze is a little stronger than I would have liked on the homestretch, but it was manageable.  The slight drizzle let up and from this point on, the weather was perfect.

3rd mile (1:17, 1:16, 1:16, 1:16 = 5:06, 15:21 total) More perfect.  The pace feels fine and I don't feel bad anywhere.  Starting to lap the slower runners.  Come through the 5k in 15:59.  Just do that once more and I'm getting a PR by 30 seconds.

4th mile (1:16, 1:16, 1:17, 1:16 = 5:06, 20:27 total)  Right were I want to be.  Still in 10th place overall but all I care about is the even pacing that I keep hitting on each lap.

5th mile (1:16, 1:16, 1:16, 1:15 = 5:04, 25:31 total) Throughout the whole race, I'm getting my splits at each lap but not bothering to look at them.  I can tell it's going well but not sure how well.  A couple of the runners from the lead pack dropped out for what looked like injuries--bummer for them.  I pass one guy as well so I'm now running in 7th place or so...

6th mile (1:14, 1:14, 1:14, 1:12 = 4:54, 30:26 total) I start me 'kick' with 5 laps to go.  Not really a kick, but I'm confident that I can pick up the pace and not suffer as a result.  It's an AMAZING feeling to be able to ask your body to go just a bit faster....and then to have it respond.  I can't describe it, but it's then that you know your miles and miles and MILES of training are paying off.

Final lap (1:07 = 4:28 pace = Finish in 31:34)  I pass two guys on the final lap and feel fantastic.  I absolutely wish I would have picked up the pace with 2 miles to go.  That's my only regret.  I pushed the pace but I think I can push even harder.  I love it.  I LOVE IT!  I couldn't stop smiling for the next 2 hours.  

First 5K = 15:59.  Second 5K = 15:35.  Ran a 24 second negative split and PR'd in the 5k as well!

I ran one mile on the track and then another mile barefoot on the infield for a cool down.  Now it's time for sleep before a few miles in the morning and then a long drive home.  But the drive will be worth it. :) 

Felt pretty good this morning.  Just a touch sore in my left quad but nothing major.  Back in 2009 I used to work a bit in McMinnville and there were a few streets that I thought looked like fun to run down.  Now a few years later, I finally had my chance.  Ran from the hotel, through the downtown to the medical clinic on the west side of town, then returned to Linfield's campus and then back to the hotel.

After having a day to reflect on last night's race, I have to say that I think it was the best race of my life.  Maybe that statement is a bit strong, but regardless, I'll stick with it.  For one, it was a PR.  For another, it was a big chunk to knock off in just one race.  Would I have been happy with a 10 second PR?  Of course.  But 53 seconds is another level.  Thirdly, it was my most complete race I've ever run.  I have considered the Pear Blossom in 2009 as my best, most complete race up to this point because I was strong throughout and increased my pace on the final mile.  But with my half marathon PR, my last 2 miles were a struggle and I died at the end. Same for my marathon PR.  At TOU in 2011, I was walking during the 24th mile to get rid of a cramp that wouldn't subside.  After that, the final couple miles were a struggle to say the least.  But like I wrote in my race report, this was the rare race when I wanted to increase the pace in the final stages and was able to do so.  Such a different feeling compared to faltering at the end.

I keep thinking about the race.  I want another shot at going sub-31.  I'll try and make it fit into my schedule in the next couple months for a race in Salem or Portland.  We'll see. 

10 miles around GP.  Ran over to Wal Mart, found a penny, returned home.  Good stuff.

1 mile from the mechanic to the HS track, 8 miles around the track and 1 mile back to the mechanic.  They replaced my front passenger wheel bearing for $350.  Hopefully someone will buy my car now that the strange humming sound is gone.  Keeping my fingers crossed...

Long day yesterday.  From my place to Oakridge, then to Eugene for a display.  Left Eugene at 7:00, got to the hotel in Coos Bay at 9:30 and was asleep before 10.  Up this morning at 5 for a quick run before leaving for a 7:45 breakfast in Coquille.  Then back to Coos Bay for lunch and finally home tonight.  Yikes.  And I'm back in Coos Bay on Friday...  Too much windshield time!

AM: 10 disappointing miles this morning.  I was hoping for more like 13-14 but it didn't happen.  Hit snooze, ran into Nate Tanner and slowed down to run with him for a bit, then ran to the west of town.  About mile 6, I was needing a bathroom and needing it quick.  No such luck on this side of town.  Had to walk for a while to keep things in check.  Anyway...not how I planned things.  Hopefully time to run a bit more tonight to make up for it.

PM: First run of 2012 at the Cathedral Hills.  Always good to get off the roads and onto the singletrack.  7 miles. 

Solid run to the west of town before the long day of driving to Coos Bay and back.

First 10 miles in 6:58 average.  Next 10 miles in 5:54 average.  Last mile very sloooowww.  Felt great throughout the run.

10 miles today.  I ran west on Redwood Highway, then back on Redwood Ave.  Passed behind the bmx track (and found $1) and then crossed the river to the All Sport Park where the GP Half Marathon is.  I forgot how many wood chipped trails are there--I'll be going there regularly this summer hopefully to get back into the five finger routine.

Blah.  Just bad luck today.  Our youngest woke up sick at 3 am and I was up the rest of the night.  Got up to run at 5:15 for 4 miles in the snow before the early departure for Eugene.  Was planning on staying the night in Eugene and getting more miles there but the health of my son caused me to cancel my hotel room and return home for the night in order to give my wife a much needed break.  Priorities, right?  Hopefully tomorrow is better but I fear that the same routine is going to happen again.

It's been a rough week, running-wise.  Just very busy at work with early morning appointments and long days.  The weekend can't get here soon enough!

It was raining pretty hard after work tonight and I just didn't feel like battling the elements so I jumped on the treadmill.  After 3 miles, I couldn't take it anymore and decided to finish the run outside.  It was cold and wet but so it goes this time of year.  I ran west towards the college, then zig-zagged back on the flat roads.  I need to think of a name for this route as I'm running it at least twice a week, if not more. 

13 miles this morning.  Felt good and it was nice to run in dry weather with warm-ish temps.  It's Friday!!!!

Well, I've got to say, I'm pretty happy with the way this week turned out.  After just 4 miles on Tuesday and the hectic work schedule, I thought I'd be lucky to manage 40 miles.  Glad this week is in the past.

I ran similar to last Saturday; long warm up and long tempo.  9 miles warm up in 6:57/mile average around Wal-Mart and the HS.  Started the 10 mile tempo near Holiday Inn on D Street before climbing behind Anderson Dental in Dimick.  The first 3 miles were tough with 75% of it uphill.  Returned back into town past Club NW, the HS, Wal-Mart and then home.  Last week I felt great but today it was a struggle from the beginning.  My legs just didn't have much juice but all in all, it was an okay run.  Averaged 5:48/mile for the 10 miles and then a slow cool down to wrap things up.

Pretty cold and very rainy this morning.  Basically, not an enjoyable run but what are you going to do?  In fact, after reading through some of my entries from last year at this time, I should be feeling pretty lucky for how dry it's been relative to 12 months ago.

AM: 10 miles up to the North freeway exit and then home via the downtown.

PM: 6 miles around the HS and to the North freeway exit while my car was getting an oil change.  I've driven 62,000 miles in the past 13 months.  Is that a lot?  Haha...

11 miles to the west of town so that I could keep a flat course today.  Feeling tired.  Going to need to keep the rest of the week easy for sure.

11 miles around Coos Bay.  Thankfully, it was dry.  It rained ALL DAY yesterday while I was here; the news said the town received 2.75 inches in one day.  Wow.  And snow from Portland to Eugene.  Strange things happening in Oregon, that's for sure.  Anyway, I ran south to Fred Meyers and back, then out along the Prefontaine course.  I extended it into Charleston and then returned back to the hotel while running behind the college.  Good run.

AM: 8 miles around Albertsons, the hospital and the middle school.  More tonight...

PM: I pushed Ryan around for 3 miles and then grabbed my five fingers and went to All Sport Park to try out the wood chip trail.  It was no good.  Not as good as Tualatin anyway.  I ended up spending the majority of time on the school's soccer field. 

Felt really good today.  The last 2 Saturday's I've ran some solid tempo miles while on my long run.  Today I felt like keeping a comfortable pace throughout but I ran a very challenging course to keep things interesting.  I ran the Cloverlawn Dr loop to Merlin, then back home via New Hope Rd, around the middle school and hospital and finally home.  There were some seriously big hills on miles 3-5 while climbing Cloverlawn, then downhill on Jaynes and Williams Highway.  Steady climbing on New Hope Rd (miles 11-15) and of course the hill by the middle school.  When it was all said and done, I had climbed just under 1200 ft throughout the run but still managed to average 6:44/mile for the run.  Feeling good!

10 miles to the west of town.  I ate too much junk over the weekend and paid the price this morning.

11 miles up to the north freeway exit and back with some wandering on the side streets here and there.  46 degrees but rainy and breezy so just a touch chilly.  Off to Eugene today so hopefully more miles tonight.

PM: 11 miles with an attempt at some speed work.  Ran 4 miles from the hotel to Sheldon HS for some 1k repeats around the track.  Goal was (as always) to run consistent times.  My stomach, right hip, and body in general felt like junk.  The wind was brutal in the hometretch and got worse throught to run.  Springtime weather...

Anyway, I was shooting for 5 repeats but had to call it quits after 4.  I just felt like trash; dizzy and light headed during the rest periods, close to losing my lunch during the intervals, right hip pain and I just wasn't having fun.  No sense in pushing through it and ending up in a bad place.  Splits were 3:12, 3:05, 3:08, 3:07.  Ran a couple more miles on the astroturf football field very slowly, then jogged to Subway for dinner and finally back to the hotel.  You win some and lose some...

Ran past Autzen Stadium and north past Garden Valley Clinic into Springfield.  Quick stop at the Starbucks for a bathroom break and then around Costco before returning to the hotel.  Hip felt ok.  Body in general felt ok.  Overall felt....just ok.

8 miles in GP.  I ran south around the golf course and eventually to the parking lot of Cathedral Hills trail system.  Hip felt much better, I'm guessing because of the stretching last night.  Hopefully that's all I need to do in order to get back to feeling great.

PM: 9 miles on the hotel treadmill.  Just to rainy/windy to go outside tonight.

10 miles in Eugene.  I'm soaking wet.  Absolutely drenched.  And I've never seen the Willamette River running so high.  In fact, I started my run in Alton Baker Park and had to turn around due to the trails being submerged in water.  Eventually made it over to Hayward Field (still closed...what's the deal?) and then to South Eugene HS to run a few miles on the track.  One of the best HS tracks I've ran on.  Back to the hotel to make 10 miles for the day.

--

Once again, I didn't sign up before the deadline for the Willamette Invitational.  Sheesh.  You'd think I'd learn.  So no 5K for me tonight.  That's okay I suppose.  I wasn't looking forward to getting home around 1 AM. 

What a morning.  Ended up being a good run but I really had to force myself out the door.  It rained all night long and the wind was consistent at 15-20 MPH.  I just didn't feel like battling the elements for 2+ hours.  Eventually got out the door just after 7 and it rained for the first 60 minutes.  I was drenched within 5 minutes and just tried to keep a positive outlook for the first section (although truth be told, I was trying to decide if cutting the run short after 5 miles would be worth it...).

Anyway, I'll have to name this course '3 up 3 down' or something like that.  Tried to pound my legs a bit and I was successful. Ran up 7th street to Anderson dental (about 6 miles), then back into town via Highland Ave to the Farmers Market.  Quick bathroom stop and then back up again to Club NW and once again back into town to Expert Tire.  Final climb up 9th street (past the HS) to Hillcrest and back down on Beacon.  From the top of Beacon, I could barely see Fred Meyer/McDonalds.  I made me feel like I was hundreds of feet above them....and I guess I was.  It was a 300 ft drop in just under 1.5 miles.  Yikes.

Total climbing was 1133 ft for the run.  Ran 20 miles in 6:33/average and then 1 mile cool down in just under 9 minutes.  Feeling like I finished my week on a positive note. 

Ran to the east of town, then across the river and through the downtown before returning home.

AM: 11 miles to the west of town.  I added a bit by running around the community college.  Had to do it in order to find a bathroom (the first of 2 stops).  I shouldn't have eaten both cinnamon rolls last night... :)

PM: 14 miles in Coos Bay.  It was either run or sit in the hotel room; I decided to run.  I started with the Prefontaine course and then looped around the lake behind the college.  Jumped on the track for a couple miles and then made my way back to City Subs for dinner and then the hotel.  Little bit of a scare when my right calf cramped up out at 13 miles.  It came out of nowhere (wasn't going uphill, off a curb, uneven footing, etc) but I stretched a bit and made it to the finish with no major issues.

AM: 10 miles around Coos Bay.  Great weather and the wind was mild.  I kept the course flat today by running south and north along the downtown streets.  I wish the track wasn't locked up all the time.  No lingering effects with my right calf from last night.  Maybe Wintercrest really does work?

PM: 4 miles to break in a new pair of shoes and work off the horrible lunch I ate.  Never again will I eat the the Coquille Broiler  Pub.... 

10 miles.  Didn't sleep great and so it was tough to get out of bed this morning.  Excited to run the next couple of mornings in Vancouver.

11 miles in Vancouver.  Ran behind the hills from Joni's house, then across Mill Plain Rd and and eventually back to the Wells.  I felt like junk the first 7 miles, then good the last 4.  Not sure why I was dragging but it wasn't pretty.

Ran 9 miles for a warm up in 7:12/mile average.  Stopped a couple times to use the bathroom and get ready for a tempo section.  10 mile tempo section in 56:52 (5:41/mile).  Most miles were in the high 5:40's but the last mile, ran in 5:03, brought the average down.  My lungs felt just fine but my legs were getting a bit tight during the final couple miles.  My hip flexors and joints were the main ones to be tights.  Probably just from the bed the last couple nights.  Finished the run with a 2 mile cool down in 8:26/mile average.  Excited to race Pear Blossom next weekend!

10 miles around Grants Pass.

AM: 10 miles around Grants Pass.  Feeling good and I found 5 pennies so it was a good run.

PM: 10 miles on the hotel treadmill because I didn't want to fight the rain, then 2 miles to Subway and back for dinner.  Still raining...

11 miles from Eugene to Springfield via Pre's Trail.  I found $1 bill in Springfield.  Good times.

AM: 10 miles in Grants Pass.  Today I found a filled punch pass for Human Bean.  That means every day this week I've found something of value while running.  Monday= 5 pennies, Tuesday=5 pennies, Wed=$1, Thurs=$3 card for a free drink at the drive through coffee stand.  Been a productive week.

PM: 6 miles in Eugene.  I nearly didn't make it out.  Just like last year, I'm at my breaking point with the rain.  I don't mind it for the first 3 months by after a while, I just don't like it anymore.  Glad I made it out though because it (the rain) slowed down after 15 minutes or so.  And it loosened up my legs after a lot of driving so it was well worth it.

6 miles on Pre's Trail.  Very soft and squishy after all the rain yesterday.  And my streak of good fortune continued as I found.....1 penny!  Not the best day of the week, but better than nothing. ;-)

Pear Blossom tomorrow 

4 mile warm up before the race.  Felt fine and weather was perfect.  44 degrees, no wind, cloudy, a touch humid from the rain last night.

Start was much smoother than last year--no double gun/cannon chaos.  First mile in 5:11 and I'm sharing the lead with Max King, Tyler Davis and a couple other runners from out of town.  Second mile in 5:13 so just a touch off pace but still much better than last year.  Still in a pack of 5 for the lead.  Max is clearly toying with us (the guy was 19th at the Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston {2:14:36} and wins EVERYTHING from 5k to 100K, mostly on trails).  The last 2 years he's long gone by this point in the race...

Mile 3 Max and one of the out-of-towners create a small gap between Tyler and I as we run a 5:16.  Start to get a cramp in my gut but nothing major.  Mile 4 in 5:20 (Handly Hill) and mile 5 in 5:12 (down the other side of HH).  My cramp is gone by now and at the turn around I move 1-2 seconds ahead of Tyler--no real seperation but it's something.  I'm 14 seconds off my goal (was hoping for sub-26 at the 5 mile mark so I try to tell myself to run a negative split on the return and all is well.

Doesn't happen.  Mile 6 in 5:31, my slowest of the day and slowest mile ever on the course.  Last year it was 5:21.  What's the deal?!  Mile 7 in 5:24 and mile 8 in 5:19.  Just don't have 'it' today.  Keep telling myself to go faster and nothing happens.  Just like last year.  This year I just try to keep rolling and not get discouraged.  Mile 9 in 5:22 (Tyler had drifted back some but I can tell from the cheers, he's closing in on me).  I try and push the final mile.  Last year I did a 5 flat.  Today?  5:10.  That sums up the day, really.  Every mile was about 10 seconds slower than I wanted/felt like I was capable of.  Finishing time of 53:02, 50 seconds slower than last year.  Max won, but not in 49:10 like last year.  He ran a 51:23 and 2nd place ran 51:38, right where I wanted to be. Why couldn't I hang with them?

I wanted to average 5:10 for the race.  Didn't happen.  Not even close.  Frustrating how I could feel so amazing 5 weeks ago at the Linfield 10k and then today feel so flat.  I've got to reconsider future plans because I don't think I'm going to last until Newport in June, both physically and mentally.  Who knows.  Maybe just a bad day.

AM: 10 miles around GP. Just a bit sore from Saturday but not too bad.

PM: 11 miles on New Hope Rd south of my house.  Ran past New Hope Christian School, then on Hidden Valley Rd until it became a dead end.  I'd never been on this route and I was hoping it would meet up with Williams Highway but no such luck.  Back home the same route.  Felt great the second half of the run. 

10 miles in Grants Pass.  Ran out to the college and looped around a bit, then back home on the usual route.

10 miles in Grants Pass.

AM: 10 miles in GP.

PM: 11 miles in Coos Bay.  Ran 7 of it on the treadmill because of the 25 MPH winds blowing outside.  Then ran a couple to pick up dinner (City Subs!) and a couple back to the hotel.

10 miles around Coos Bay

Pretty good run.  Glad I got it in early because it was a busy day afterwards and I'm exhausted.

Ran a new route today which is always fun.  Started with the usual route to the North freeway exchange but rather than turn around, I kept heading North on the road which eventually brought me to the town of Merlin via the backroad.  Major hills both ways--mile 6 had 400 ft elevation gain!!  Looked at my watch at one point during that beast and saw my average pace at 10:19!  What goes up must come down and I made up for it on the backside.

Ran to Rays in Merlin (mile 9) to use the bathroom and drench my head (first hot day of the year and we made it into the 80's after months no hotter than high 50's/low 60's).  Came back via Anderson Dental and Midland Ave, then up Highland and down Beacon to Wal-Mart and eventually home after passing Albertsons.  Total climbing for the day was just under 1600 ft, my most ever, I think.

No miles were terribly fast or slow and I ended up with an average of 6:42 for the 21 miles.  Didn't feel like pushing a tempo section like I have the last 4-5 week--figured I'd just roll with it and come what may.  Good stuff... 

10 miles to the west of town.  Nothing special, as always, or so it seems.  Just getting it done...

AM: 10 miles

PM:  7 miles.

Exciting stuff! 

AM:  6 miles in GP.

PM:  6 more miles in Eugene.  Didn't feel like running but glad I did by the time I finished. 

8 miles in Eugene on Pre's Trail.

We drove throughout the night, leaving Oregon after work and arriving in Hurricane at 6 AM.  I slept for less than 30 minutes in the car.  Fell asleep for 2 hours once we arrived and was pretty tired the rest of the day.  Probably not the best thing to do one week before a marathon.  Oh yeah, and I chugged Wild Cherry Pepsi until 3 AM to stay awake.  The last time I drank pop was in Iraq when I had to stay awake all night.  The routine worked again!

Ran 5 miles with my Dad, then 5 more miles by myself.  VERY windy in Hurricane today.  Glad I skipped out on the Hurricane Half this morning.

13 miles in Blanding.  Got into town just after lunch but it was windy and I wanted to get the run over with.  Ran south through town to the armory and back, plus 2 miles on the HS track.  Very hot and dry--so different from Oregon.  Took my shirt off for the first 5 miles and I got fried.  Had to make 3 stops for water and I still was feeling the effects of 6000 ft elevation and dry air.

Ran to the HS and did 4 miles on the track, then ran home.

I drove to the track with Spencer and we both ran a mile, he took a break while I ran #2, then we both ran one more.  Finished off the morning by running back to the in-laws.  Lungs feeling the pinch of elevation...

Ran toward the lake for 1.5 miles, then turn around and picked up the pace on the return.  Not sure the pace but it felt fine.  More shirtless running= more burned skin.

Ran out and back along the in-laws street.  Heading to Provo soon...

I ran the Provo City Marathon this morning.  It was pretty windy yesterday and when I woke up at 4:30, my phone said 28 mph winds.  What a buzzkill.  I looked out the window and the trees weren't moving too bad though so that was good.  Hopefully it would work out to be a tail wind for most of the race.

Ate a bagel and banana for breakfast about 4:45 and then stood in line from 5:15 to 6:05 before finally enough buses showed up to take us to the starting line.  Got to the start and stood in line for the bathroom.  Guess that makes for less than an ideal warm up.

I didn't have much of a game plan for the race.  Wanted to keep things in check for the first 2 miles (fairly steep out of the canyon) and then base my pace off of that.  The gun went off and 4 guys zoomed to the lead.  The pace wasn't too bad but maybe a touch faster than I wanted.  Figured I better stick with them though because I wanted to work together in the wind and 26 miles is a long way to run by yourself.  2 of the lead guys a BYU singlets on so I figured they'd be tough competition.

We ran the first 4 miles as a group in 22:00 flat (5:30/pace).  Shortly after the 4 mile mark the eventual winner(s) broke off, leaving Jordan Perry and I to 'battle' for 3rd place.  We just chatted along for the next 15 miles.  It was fantastic.  The pace felt casual enough and the company made the miles fly by.  Mentally, it was one of the easiest marathons I've run and I was really enjoying myself.  We hit mile 8 in 44:51 (5:36/pace) and mile 12 in 1:06:23 (5:31/pace).  Again, it was great to run side-by-side with someone and talk about who knows what for over 2/3rd the race.

After making the turn West off of University around mile 14, the wind became a huge bother.  It must have been blowing from the NW because for the next 6 miles, it felt like a constant headwind.  The course ran west for a while, then north for a while, west again and north again.  With each turn in direction, I expected the wind to die down but it just didn't happen.  I couldn't wait to turn around and finally have it at my back.  Mile 16 in 1:30:37 (5:39/pace) and mile 21 in 2:00:27 (5:44/pace).  I couldn't hang with Jordan around the 19-20 mile mark.  My stomach was cramping up pretty good and I wasn't breathing well.  As a result....I slowed down.  Haha.  Mentally I was doing ok but I knew it was going to be a little rough to finish the final 5 miles alone.  So it goes though.

I saw my family at mile 22 and I walked about 6-7 seconds to grab a drink.  By no means did that break fix my situation, but I did feel better once I started running again.  I'm sure the pace didn't improve at all, but for the first time in 5 miles, my stomach felt better as my cramps subsided slightly.  Got to mile 23 in 2:13:19 (5:48/pace) and slowly made my way back to University Ave, up and down the overpass (rough way to finish) and across the finish line in 2:34:44 (5:54/pace).  Miles 19-21 were a little rough and that seems to be where things went south for me.  Oh well.  I felt fine once I finished and stopped running.  Not exhausted or overly tight/stiff/achy.  Just could't go any faster.

It was a pretty cool course--I especially enjoyed running down University Ave for 6 strait miles.  No complaints really.  Glad to get another one under my belt.  And as always, lunch at In-N-Out Burger makes the drive to Utah well worth it.  We'll see how things look for Newport in June.  I figure I'll run it regardless, but it may not be with a PR goal in mind.  We'll see how these next few weeks go.

I slept in.  In my own bed, I might add.  It's been 2 weeks since I could say that...

3 miles in Eugene.  My legs feel great.  By far the best I've felt post-marathon.

5 miles in Eugene on Pre's Trail.  Feeling better each day.  Just a touch tired still, but muscle pain/soreness is at zero.

I ran east towards Wal Mart and looped back behind Fruitdale neighborhood.  Nothing too exciting but my legs are feeling pretty good.  Keeping my fingers crossed...

I was shooting for 10 miles but ran out of time before a 3 hour teleconference began for work.

12 miles. I've felt tired all week.  No soreness or muscle pain, but just general fatigue.  Anyway, today that feeling was finally gone.  Hopefully I've turned a corner.  Either way, this is the best week I've ever had post-marathon.  Usually I don't feel ready to run until Friday or Saturday and it's usually just 2-3 miles.  Other than tired, I've felt great all week.  I'll try and get my miles up again next week.

8 miles around Grants Pass.  Limited time today and tomorrow.

AM: 6 miles in GP @ 5 am.  Now off to Coos Bay for a day with my manager.

PM: 12 miles in Coos Bay.  I ran a 6 mile warm up and found myself at the SWCC track.  It was VERY windy but I felt like running a few repeats so despite the nasty headwind, I ran 4x800m.  Splits were 2:35, 2:34, 2:33, 2:28 with 70 second jogs between each repeat.  Not the fastest splits but they were ok.  4 miles back to the hotel and then sushi for dinner.  Pretty good day.

10 miles in Coos Bay.  Felt a little rundown from last night--1st speed work in a while and then horrible sleep in the hotel.

I ran south towards Cathedral Hills this morning.  That wasn't the plan but I'm glad I ended up there.  Ran a couple miles on the trails which was a lot of fun, although I'll pay for it with allergies for the rest of the day.  I curse this time of year...

AM: 6 miles before work.  Ryan (my 3.5 year old) was awake when I left and was pretty sad he couldn't come with me.  Asked that I take him tonight after work.  Doesn't take much to twist my arm!

PM: 7 miles.  So....when Ryan said he wanted to run with me, he literally meant run, not just accompany me in the jogging stroller like every other time in the past.  Uh...  So I pushed him to the middle school track and said he could run with me there.  I wish I would have timed it!  He ran an entire lap and then said he wanted to run another.  I timed the second one (3:20 for 400 meters) which isn't too shabby for a little fella who won't turn 4 until August!  800 meters!  Crazy...  He was talking throughout both laps about how he wanted to run in a race and be cheered on by; Dad and Mom, both grandparents, all of his cousins, aunts, uncles, neighborhood friends, etc.  He was sure to list each and every one.  Pretty funny.

I put him back in the stroller and jogged a few more miles, then went home and got Miles and then he and I ran 2 more.  Fun afternoon with the boys.

Feeling pretty good (although very tired) after this mornings run.  I had no intentions of running any type of tempo portion as I've felt pretty tired the past two weeks (ever since the Provo Marathon) and the past couple days my left hip flexor has been very tight.  Anyway, I just wanted to get some time on my feet this morning and see that happened.

I ran west past the college and to Jerome Prarie to use the restroom (5 miles) and then looped back around on Applegate Rd for another 5 miles.  The pace felt comfortable the whole time and and I wasn't feeling too tight so win-win.  10 miles in 1:09:42 (6:59 pace)

At that point I decided to test my legs a little bit and increase the pace slightly for the next X miles.  The course was my usual back into town, to the fire station by the river and back home.  Flat basically the whole way and I felt solid.  Hit the next 10 miles in 59:45 (5:59 pace).  So roughly 6:29 for 20 miles.  Not great but not bad either.  I'll take it!

1 mile SLOW cool down 

Felt great for a Monday morning.  I ran past the hospital to All Sports Park and ran loops around the wood chip trail.  Every time I do this I wonder why I don't run here more.  With the sun coming up earlier and earlier I'll try to make it here at least once a week.

Only got 5.5 hours of sleep last night.  Sicks kids, work project until late, etc.  Surprisingly easy to get out of bed though...Strange.  I ran west of town and the usual route.  Kept the course flat and pace easy.

AM: 7 miles in GP

PM: 7 miles in Eugene on Pre's Trail. 

AM: 7 miles in Eugene.  I ran to Hayward Field but it's still closed to the public.  It's been a year since I last ran on this track.  Hopefully they open it back up to the public after state, Prefontaine and the Olympic Trials..

PM: 7 miles in Eugene.  I ran 3 miles to Sheldon HS, then 2 miles on the track (5:46, 5:26) and back to the hotel. 

6 miles on Pre's Trail.  My left leg (quad, hip, hamstring, calf) felt tight and rather painful for the first 2 miles.  Not sure why?  Felt better after I loosened up.  I need a massage...

I came down with something on Saturday night.  I thought it was just bad allergies but I guess not.  The plan was to run 10 miles when I woke up but after just a few minutes of running, I felt I'd be lucky to get in more than 1 mile.  After a few minutes I felt slightly better and decided to keep going.  Made it to 7 and felt TIRED by the time I finished.  Probably not the best time to get sick...

Still sick.  D.E.A.D. TIRED today.  This isn't the marathon taper I had in mind...

Sick again.  But I did go to the chiro and now I'm feeling better with regards to hip flexors and shoulder tightness.  Now if I could just get over this head cold...

5 miles around GP.  Ran around Allen Dale, Albertsons and the hospital.  Feeling 'off.'

Well, not too much to be disappointed with today.  Unlike every other marathon I've run, I really didn't have any plans for this race.  4 months ago it was my target race to finally run under 2:30; the course seemed ideal and I was hitting some solid times in my workouts.  But then I ran a marathon 4 weeks ago on a whim, was sick earlier this week, and have felt generally fatigued with running (both physically and mentally) the past month or so.  Probably not the best recipe for a PR...

The course was everything I was looking for and the race set-up was awesome.  It's the anti-Rock and Roll event; a small town that embraces the 900 runners that come to race--it made for a positive vibe, a very uplifting experience where it seemed like we were all one big family and we all wanted the best for each other.  That sounds cheesy, but there was just something different about this race from all the others I've run.  Hard to explain it exactly but whatever it was, it made for a very enjoyable atmosphere.

Andrea dropped me off at the starting line 10 minutes before the start.  That right there made for a good morning!  I walked 100 meters to the starting line, stretched for a few minutes and then we were lined up, ready to go.  I planned on starting out in a comfortable pace and see how my body felt.  Again, 4 weeks post marathon, I wasn't sure how my body would respond.  For the past 5 years, I've never ran more than 2 marathons a year, always spring/fall so plenty of time for recovery before the next one.  Anyway, a guy in green took the lead from the start but another guy and I passed him within 800 meters or so.  He and I ran side by side for the first 5.5 miles.  I was content to run his pace and carry the conversation (he said very little in return--some people just aren't talkers...).  First 6 miles in 5:53, 6:08, 6:02, 5:39 (downhill to the boardwalk), 6:07, 6:01.

The pace felt easy, my body felt fine, and seeing how the guy next to me didn't want to talk, I decided to pick up the pace.  From here until mile 25 the course was FLAT.  Mile 7-12 in 5:44, 5:43, 5:45, 5:45, 5:44, 5:43.  I saw my wife and boys at mile 12 but was unable to grab a drink from them due to passing traffic.  No biggie though.  I had taken water @ 6, Gu @ 7, and Gatorade at 8.  That's it (at Provo I was drinking at every aid station and by mile 19 my stomach was full and cramping--didn't want that to happen today).  Mile 13 in 5:46 (1:16:05, 5:52/mile) and then a couple more miles before the turnaround 5:46, 5:40. 5:40.  16 miles in 1:33:11 (5:50/mile) and then a quick pit stop on the side of the road (cost me 10 seconds tops, but it was worth it!).  Took my 2nd Gu around mile 15-16.

I was feeling really good at the turnaround and wanted to finish strong, unlike my past 3-4 marathons.  Next four mile in 23:09 (5:48/mile) and 20 miles in 1:56:21.  Now that I do the math, I ran the first 10 miles in 58:51 (5:54/mile) and next 10 miles in 57:30 (5:45/mile).  Second place was about 4 minutes back according to the lead vehicle.  I had been running solo for 14 miles but was enjoying every step of it.  It was 53 degrees, had been raining off and on and humidity was about 95%  The weather couldn't have been much better for an Oregon race.

Bummer--I don't have any more splits.  I saw Andrea at miles 18, 20, 22 and grabbed some Gatorade from her.  It was awesome to see my family so often on the course.  Andrea took some pictures, cheered my on and simply gave me something to look forward to every 15 minutes or so.  At one point, one of the lead bicyclist offered to take a photo of my family and I while I was running.  Not sure how he would have pulled that off, but it was nice of him to offer!  Again, I don't have any more splits but I recall running a low 5:40's for mile 21 and high 5:30's for 22.  I caught up to the 5 lead bicyclists and said something cheesy like I'm picking up the pace so they needed to as well (they had been 75 meters in front of me throughout the race other than this point).

Then I got tired. :)  Held it together through 23-24 but 25 was a battle.  I was still doing great mentally and secretly I was wishing I had someone to push the pace with but the final mile was a gradual uphill the whole way and I slowed considerably.  Final .2 was a steep downhill before crossing the finishline--that wasn't pleasant (the downhill that is--crossing the finish was very much pleasant).  Anyway, first 13 miles in 1:16:05 (5:52/mile) and final 13.2 miles in 1:16:51 (5:50/mile) so a negative split.  To be expected with the slower than normal start.  But I'll take it because I think today, that was the smart thing to do.

We hung out for a bit, then went back to the hotel for a swim in the pool with the kids, had a 'monster burger' at some old-school diner (possibly the highlight of the weekend--that sucker was GOOD), went to the beach and then to the awards ceremony at 2:30.  Surprise surpise--turns out Nike decided yesterday to donate a gift card to the male and female overall winner.  Totally unexpected!  The good day suddenly turned out even better.

So my first marathon win in my 3rd fastest time.  Couldn't be much happier with how things turned out today.  No regrets with anything whatsoever.  I'm still gunning for a sub-2:30.  Not sure where/when it's going to happen, but hopefully soon! 

Taking the week easy (off?) to recharge mentally/physically before picking things up for the rest of 2012.

Played ultimate frisbee with the YM tonight on the grass.  Felt good to run around barefoot until one of the guys landed on my left foot and crunched it pretty good.  Looks like I'm resting for a few more days just to be safe.  I'm good with that!

10 miles around GP.  Ran to the HS, then to Wal-Mart and back home.  Kept the pace slow and easy.  I had considered taking the entire week off but I was starting to miss running.  That means the break was good for me and I'm ready to get back in the groove.  Now I just need to figure out what my next target race is going to be.

7.5 miles to the west of town.  After the Newport marathon I bought the Nike/Tom-Tom gps watch.  I'm amazed at how accurate it is compared to the Garmin I've been running with the past 8 years.  I guess I shouldn't be too surprised--technology is just a little better in 2012 than it was in 2004. ;-)

Another easy run in GP.  Ran past the middle school into Fruitdale, then home via the hospital and Albertsons.  Final mile a little quicker than usual just because I was running short on time.

9 miles around GP before leaving for the coast.  Not much else to say, really.  I'll start doubling up a few times a week again next week.

10.5 miles around Coos Bay.  I ran back and forth on the downtown streets to keep it pretty flat but after 7 miles or so, I ran the first mile of Pre's course, then came back to the hotel via a road I've never been on.  One of the steepest inclines (and subsequent declines) I've ever ran.  I liked the uphill but was HATING the down.  Wasn't good on the knees...

I ran to Cathedral Hills to get some time on the trails.  As always, I had a lot of fun.  So much fun that I decided to sign up for the SOB 50k in Ashland next month.  It will me my first ultra race and only second trail race.  I'm in over my head...  Good thing I've got 3 weeks to prepare.  Plenty of time, right?  *sarcasm*

16 miles in Klamth Falls.  Here for youth conference and so we spent the majority of the day yesterday outside in the heat, then a less-than-stellar dinner, followed by a late night (for me anyway).  I wasn't able to get to sleep until nearly midnight but was awake needing a bathroom at 5:30 this morning.  I was planning on running @ 6 so it was actually a little nice to get a 30 minute jump-start on the day.  I ran into town via the bike path and stopped at Elmers for a bathroom and drink which turned out to be the 8 mile mark.  Ran back the same way and the final mile up to the house was a battle.  I was exhausted and it felt like I hit the wall.  The rest of the day was long....  We didn't leave K Falls until 10 and I didn't get home until just after midnight.  It was fun for the youth though and it was good to spend some time with them so I'll take it.

8.5 miles around GP.  I ran through All Sports Park and then home via Bridge St and the skate park.  Knee felt so-so.  Not sure what to do about it cause I don't want to rest. ;-)

6 miles.  I ran around the middle school, then hospital and then home.  Knee felt fine the whole time but that's to be expected because it usually starts to become bothersome after the first 5-6 miles.  More miles tonight in Eugene, hopefully.

PM: 10 miles in Eugene.  Track Town USA is alive and going to get even more busy the next few days.  I ran on Pre's Trail and it was packed.  And whom did I see?  First guy was Ian Dobson along with 2 other OTC Elite runners.  Then a few miles later I passed Meb Kefleszki (sp).  After we passed, I began to doubt that it was really him.  A couple miles later we passed each other again and I was beyond certain after the second passing.  I waved at him, he returned the greeting.  Seems like a nice guy.  Haha.

AM: 3 miles before work.  I ran into Jim at the hotel and we talked for a bit.  That cut into my time, although I was planning on less than 5 miles anyway so no biggie.

PM: 11.5 miles on the Ridgeline Trail system.  I got worked over.  Perhaps signing up for the 50k next month was a bit...overzealous on my part.  It didn't help that it was hot, I ran sans water and I was out there for just under 2 hours.  I climbed something like 1700 ft or so, right to the top of Spencer Butte (peak is just over 2000ft; it's the highest point in the Willamette Valley) and while most of it was in the shade, by the time I reached the top the sun was beating down something fierce.

Anyway, I made it back to my car and promptly chugged 32 oz of Powerade in less than 2 minutes.  My left knee (same one that's been bothering me since the marathon) was less than happy by the time I finished.  Hope I didn't over-do it today.... 

1 mile.  Yup, just one mile.  My left knee killed with every step and after 800 meters I finally convinced myself that it wasn't worth it.  Slowly walked/jogged back to the hotel.  As best as I can recall, this was the first run I've had to cut short due to injury since summer of 2009 (stress fracture in left foot).

Bummer doesn't begin to describe it... 

Zero.  Left knee hurts.

10 miles on downtown LA. Pretty much the most disgusting downtown I've ever ran in. Only 2 more days and then I can get back to Oregon.

Downtown Los Angeles is the worst city I've ever ran in. Period. What a complete dump. I ran around Dodger Stadium and through Chinatown. I smelled a lot of urine, saw a ton of trash and barred doors/windows and....other things that aren't appropriate to list here. Wow. Only one more day...

I ran around Staples Center and the LA convention center multiple times, then in some shaddy neighborhoods and then back downtown and to the hotel. If I wasn't clear enough the past two days, this place is the worst.

7 miles this morning around GP.  Over the river and looped through the park, then home and 1 mile with Jill.

3 miles tonight.  Ryan kept asking to go back to the track and run.  I took him there a month ago and he's been begging ever since.  I didn't time it again (keep forgetting my watch) but he ran, without stopping once, 3 consecutive laps.  Not too bad for a kid who isn't 4 until August....  Miles even got in on the action, although I carried him for most of the 2 laps he was around.  And now for the bad news; my left knee is jacked. 

Left knee hurt pretty much the entire way.  Lame.  Ran the last mile with Jill and told her about my trip.  Fun times...

Late night last night due to a concert so I slept in a bit today.  Finally made it to Cathedral Hills to get a little preparation for the SOB 50k in two weeks.  I'm in over my head but hopefully it's a fun experience.

I looped all around on multiple trails.  My knee felt fine on the uphill but the downhill was another story.  But....overall it seemed to feel better yesterday and even more so today.  Finally turning a corner?  Hope so.  I ran with a hand-held water bottle also.  That's going to take some getting used to.  Anyway, all in all it was a good run 

AM: 6 miles around GP

PM: 8 miles on the Ridgeline Trail in Eugene.  Still trying to get used to running while carrying water.  Had a lot of fun tonight. 

11 miles in Eugene along Pre's Trail.  Left knee felt like it took a step backward after last nights trail run.  Seemed to go away after the first few miles but never got to where it was 100%.

7 miles with Dad and Jill.  Nice and easy...

13 miles, 8 of which were on the trails @ Cathedral Hills.  Next week is the big race...

8 miles into Fruitdale and then back via the hospital and Albertsons.  Slow and sluggish after 4 days of family vacation; lots of time in the sun, physical activities, less sleep than normal.  Tired...

Ran to Cathedral Hills this morning.  Lots of cobwebs out on the trails today.  Sadly, I retired my favorite pair of running socks after returning home.  A hole had developed  in the left heel and rubbed non-stop on the past few runs.  They were good socks--if there was a mileage board for socks, these might be at the top!

9 miles into town, around the HS and Albertsons and then back home.  Nothing special.

Just 3 miles around the neighborhood.  Not really looking forward to tomorrow but at least when it's over, I'll be able to cross it off my bucket list.

Really just wanted to run an ultra to cross it off my bucket list.  It didn't necessarily sound fun, but I was looking forward to the sense of accomplishment that comes with going longer and farther than ever before.  And while I wouldn't be 'racing,' I felt like I could enjoy the experience/surroundings and give it an honest effort at the same time.

The starting line of the Siskiyou Out Back (S.O.B.) was Mt Ashland ski resort, sitting at 6500 ft, just sliiightly higher than the 900 ft that is my current hometown.  With over 4200 ft of climbing throughout the 31 miles, I planned on breaking the race up into 3 segments (per Jon's recommendation).  The race began at 7 and I started slowly.  It felt somewhat strange to be in 25-30th place after just a couple minutes of running.  So it goes...

After 1 short downhill mile of running on a gravel road, we jumped onto the single track, otherwise known as the Pacific Crest Trail.  The route climbed slightly but felt rather 'flat' and I tucked in behind a few runners who were friendly enough to humor me with conversation for a few miles.  Just a few miles into it and the views are already STUNNING.  We jumped over small creeks, ran among hundreds of wildflowers and saw glimpses of Mt. Shasta to the south.  After about 5 miles, I left the group that I had started with as they were shooting for closer to the 5 hour mark.  One guy I ran much of the first 10 miles together was a 18 year-old kid from Michigan who was doing an internship at Yosemite prior to heading of for college in the fall.  The college?  Harvard.  He was home-schooled and very intelligent to say the least.  One other interesting factoid about this guy; he was carrying his shoes while he ran barefoot.  And the shoes he was carrying?  This rubber soles with simple leather straps to keep them attached to the feet (ala Born to Run).  We separated after 10 miles but I saw him at the finish line with just one bloody toe and the report of only using his 'shoes' for just 5 minutes or so.  Fascinating.

I didn't stop at the first aid station around mile 5.  Still had plenty of water despite drinking from the start.  I took a Gu at mile 7, stopped for a quick bathroom break and then made my way down some hills to the aid station around mile 9.  I arrived and saw the spread of food items; m&m's, payday candybar, pretzels, fruit, gels, etc.  As I had my water refilled, I jokingly announced that this was my first ultra and asked what I should eat.  They said salt.  I grabbed some m&m's, pretzels, and payday.  I couldn't pass down the junk food mid race--when was I ever going to do that again?  The next 2 miles was seemingly an endless climb and eating junk foot while climbing into mid-7000 ft elevation proved to be somewhat difficult.  After 10 minutes of eating my stomach wasn't pleased with my selection but thankfully, after another 10-15 minutes of running, everything went back to normal.

I hit mile 10 in 1:22:45 (8:17 pace).  Slowest mile up to that point was mile 4 (9:24) when I was still running with my first group and quickest was mile 5 (7:23) after breaking away and closing the gap the next group ahead.  I continued to run essentially the entire time (minus aid stations) while many were walking up the hills.  Granted, my pace slowed, but running felt fine and I generally consider myself a strong up-hill runner.  On the flip side, I'm a horrible downhill runner and knew that I needed leverage my strength against my weakness if I was going to have a shot at a decent placing when the race was over.

After climbing for a couple miles, I teamed up with a former SOU runner from miles 12-19.  We were both shooting for similar times and were expecting to catch a few guys who had gone out a bit faster than us.  This guys worked at Rogue Valley Runners in Ashland so we talked about Tim Olsens recent CR at Western States, Hal Koerner's victory at Hardrock, the legend that is Max King, and all the other amazing running talent that is located in Southern Oregon.  Time moved quickly and after turning around at mile 15ish, we hit some of my best splits of the day.  The course is a figure 8 of sorts and so miles 1-9 (out) and miles 22-31 (back) are the same but the rest is only passed through once.  Again, the views were AMAZING.  SPECTACULAR.  BEAUTIFUL.  All those types of words that don't come close to describing the scenery.  Breathtaking, really.  At some point (mile 17?) I took a second Gu, stopped for a second bathroom stop and continued to slowly sip water.  I was loving every minute through mile 19 and continued to pass guys here and there.

I didn't stop loving it at mile 19, but the single-track turned to downhill running at this point and there were a few shots of pain in my legs, knees, and hips.  Nothing major but I found myself looking forward to the aid station at mile 21.  Ran the second 10 miles in 1:24:08 (8:25 pace), slightly slower than the first 10 but nothing to be too concerned over.  Got to the aid station in one piece, filled my water, grabbed a fig newton and something else (can't remember) and was off for the most challenging part of the course.  Basically constant uphill until mile 26 as the sun continues to climb and the legs start complaining a bit louder.  One of the guys I'd passed at mile 19 caught me around mile 22, just one mile into the climb.  I latched on with him for a mile or so but the process of taking my 3rd Gu slowed me down and he was soon out of sight.  I swallowed my pride and began to walk here and there while eating my 3rd Gu.  My water bottle emptied a bit more with each drink and soon enough, I was out of water and still 1.5 miles to the final aid station.  Not good.  And so I walked some more.  And then more.  By far the slowest miles of the day were on this section.  It was to be expected I suppose, given the course layout, but I was more concerned about the lack of water.  During this time, I found it interesting to reflect on road marathons I've run.  Usually towards the end, my mind goes a bit foggy and I can't do simple math, in terms of calculating pace needed for an expected finish time.  There was none of that here--my mind was clear as could be.  That was nice. :)  Basically, I was just tired and didn't want to force the issue given the lack of water.  So what did I do?  Threw in my earbuds and listened to some Jimmy Eat World and Grosse Point Blank soundtrack (random, right) as I slowly made my way along the course.  

Mile 23 (9:08) wasn't bad but mile 24 (11:20), mile 25 (13:40) and mile 26 (13:48)....um, not my finest running performance.  BUT, it was about mile 25.5 when I could see the aid station with my much needed refill.  I ran from that point on, but once I got there, I sat down to give my legs a much needed break (hence the slow mile 26).  HIGHLIGHT OF THE RACE: they filled my water bottle and I nearly drank the sports drink they had set up.  I had it up to my lips and then at the last moment, they said they also had Mt. Dew and Coca Cola.  I chucked the first drink aside and grabbed the Coke.  I can't remember the last time I drank soda; I just don't like it and figure my body doesn't need the sugar.  But at that moment, NOTHING sounded better.  It tasted SOOOOO good.  I grabbed another cup of the good stuff and with the station's encouragement, I was off and running again.  Not just running, but feeling great.  It was amazing.  After going around a couple bends in the trail, I came upon some hikers who said I was in 11th place and the 10th was just a couple minutes ahead of me.

Feeling so good, I kept the music going and cruised along relatively pain free until the finish.  Hit mile 27 in 8:01, followed by a 7:35 and 7:34 for miles 28-29.  I was getting a little discouraged because I still hadn't seen the 10th place runner and I thought for sure I was moving along at a quick enough pace to gain on him.  The first mile of the race that was downhill on a gravel road turned  into the final mile with a much steeper uphill that I remembered.  :)

As soon as I left the single track and made my way up the road, I caught my first glimpse of the guy I had been chasing for 4+ miles.  My uphill swagger came back (thanks again COCA-FREAKIN-COLA) and a chased him down with a vengeance.  Part of me thought maybe I was breaking some sort of ultra rule about 'racing' on the homestretch and to be honest, I felt like a bit of a punk doing it, but when it came right down to it, I wanted to finish in the top-10.  Surprisingly, I had a decent kick (got down to 5:18 pace according to my watch), passed him with about 200 meters to go and I finished my first ultra with a huge smile on my face.

Dude, it was awesome.  I loved it.  Finished a full hour behind Max King, a guy who beats me by 2 minutes at the Pear Blossom 10 mile road race.  He's a machine.  Finished 6th at the Trials in the steeplechase (4th in 2008) and yet can dominate the 50 and 100k races as well.  So basically he still runs Pear Blossom pace and I drop to 8:30s.  Haha.  Anyway, it was great.  I thought for the rest of the day that I enjoyed it enough that it was a good experience but not one I'd want to do again.  But.....now that it has settled in for a while (I'm writing this Sunday night), I could maybe, possibly, perhaps, run another one.  My wife is going to be ticked! :)

Sick.

Sick.

Still sick.

Sick.  Probably well enough to run though.  But then I slept in.  Run tomorrow?

AM: 10 miles around GP.  Felt great, despite the layoff and recent 31 mile jaunt...

PM: 4 miles while pushing the boys in the stroller.  Hot out. 

Decent run around GP.  Ran to Wal-Mart, then up Beacon St and back down 10th, up 9th past the HS.  Reached the top of Hillcrest and run north under the freeway to some random country store.  They were closed so I used their garden hose to wet my head, then returned home via 6th st and the hospital.  Very muggy out the past few days.  I drank 32 of Powerade as soon as I got home and still felt thirsty.

AM #2:  3 miles to return a Redbox movie.  Tried a new pair of shoes.  They feel ok. 

AM: 12 miles.  Ran through town to Anderson Dental, then home the long way.

PM: 4 miles total.  Ran 3 miles to the park and played with the little guys for a bit, then ran 1 mile barefoot in the grass.  I need to do that more often.  Felt good.

10 miles to the west of town.  Strange things I saw today; 1 guy wearing two shirts (the outer one being long-sleeved) and 2 separate cars that were running in the driveway.  I maybe understand that in Dec-Feb when it's cold out (maybe...it's still pretty stupid) but in July??  It couldn't have been below 57 degrees today.

I ran through town with the plan to run barefoot at the HS.  On my way there I could tell that one of my toenails had cut the toe next to it and my sock was bloody.  Figured that running barefoot wasn't the smartest idea given the cut toe.  Ran to the north freeway exit and then back home instead.

AM: 10 miles in GP.  I ran to the HS, then ran 2 miles barefoot on the football field, then ran home.  Felt good.  Coos Bay tonight.

PM:  8 miles in Coos Bay.  Felt great the whole time and considered running much longer but didn't want to overdue my weekly mileage after such a low amount last week. 

6 miles around Coos Bay.  Very muggy.

20.5 miles around GP.  I ran around Wal-Mart, then hit the hills.  Ran up Beacon, down 10th to the HS.  Then up 9th and down 6th to the farmers market.  Went back uphill once again on 4th to Club NW and Anderson Dental, then home via Highland Ave.

I take back the good things I said about the Nike+ watch.  It's crap.  Last weekend I ran 16 according to the watch, but when I came home to measure the route online it came out to 16.25.  Same thing today, only worse.  The watch said I ran 20 but the same route measured online comes out to 20.5.  I feel like I'm sprinting along and it's all I can do to get my watch to say sub-6.  That explains the slower times during my runs.  For today's run, it works out to be about 10 seconds/mile slower than it should be.  Anyway, hopefully whoever I talk with @ Nike isn't a tool and they take it back so I can go back to using a Garmin. 

I ran across the river to sportsman park with the idea to run laps on the wood chip trail.  Once I got there, it didn't sound so much fun so I kept to the roads.  Zig-zagged through some rougher parts of GP (but everyone was still sleeping) before returning to the park for 2 laps and then home.  Felt great for a Monday.  Zero aches and soreness which is a welcome change.

AM: 10 miles as I ran south on New Hope Rd to the Christian HS, then returned the same way.  Picked up the pace the last couple miles and felt good.  Eugene tonight.

PM:  In Eugene and I ran the 2 miles to Sheldon HS to run around the track.  4 miles around the track, then 3 miles barefoot around the football field, then back to the hotel.  Very hot out and I'm dehydrated as a result.  Drink up!

10 miles in Eugene.  I slept like a champ last night--that used to happen every night but those days are loooooong gone.  It made getting up pretty easy.  Anyway, 9 miles on Pre's trail and 1 more on the river trail before finishing at the hotel.

10 miles up Hillcrest to Club NW, then home via 6th St.  Basically flat for 2, climb for 3 miles, drop for 3 and then flat the final two.  Good times.

10 miles in GP. I was planning on going to the high school and running barefoot for a while but when I got there, people were working on it, getting it prepped for football season. Soooo, just ran around downtown and then back home after 10 miles.

Another Saturday...another day running hills.  Basically the same course as last week (and the week before) but today I ran it in reverse.  I ran Hillcrest to Anderson Dental first, then back into town to use a bathroom at the farmers market.  Back up the hill to Club NW and a return into town.  One final climb to to the 24 hour doughnut shop and across to Beacon before heading down the hill to Wal-Mart and home.  Makes sense, right?

10 miles in GP this morning.  Ran a new course; ran west of town and then sw on Demeray to RCC.  I kept going on Demeray until it crested a hill and hit Midway Ave, then turned around and returned the same way.  Good, honest course.

10 miles to the east, around Fruitdale.  Lots of hills which was unpleasant at first but I came around to the idea after a bit.  Tired this morning.

10 miles to the west of town on the flat, farmland area of GP. It was very pleasant out there today...basically zero traffic, the weather was crisp and the sunrise was fantastic. Great morning to be a runner.

PM: 12 miles in Coos Bay.  I ran north past the casino into North Bent, then west past the church and back to the college.  Then ran back into town on Pre's course before arriving at City Subs to grab some dinner to go, then back to the hotel.  Felt great. 

10 miles around Coos Bay.  Slept like junk and so it was rough getting up today.  I managed to make it 10 miles, although the first couple were a grind.  Eventually warmed up as I zig-zagged through town (per the usual) before passing the park/pool and hitting some hills as I ran straight north into North Bend and then back to the hotel via highway 101.

It's a busy weekend with the youth so I had to run my long run today. Basically the same run as usual for a Saturday, only there was more traffic on the roads. Only took 1 gu and didn't drink any water. Final mile was a little bit of a grind as a result.

Rough night of sleep in my van, out in the woods. I need a tent... But between the uncomfortable bed and the youth who never slept, I was glad when the sun came up in the morning. 4 miles out from the campground and then 4 miles back. I was only going to run 6 so I'm glad I talked myself into a bit more.

6 miles in GP. Felt ok but not great for a Monday. Could be from all the desert we ate last night.

AM: 11 miles in GP.

PM: 9 miles in Eugene. Very hot (for the pacific nw) and it was 92 when I ran. Not too enjoyable. I ran around the campus with a few laps on Hayward Field for good measure. Then around town some more before returning to the campus and running 1 mile barefoot and then to the hotel.

10 miles in Eugene. Similar course as last night, minus the barefoot running around the campus. Felt pretty good, although my right leg has been bothering me a bit the past couple days. Just really tight in the hamstring and doesn't seem to loosen up regardless of what I do or how much I stretch. I'm certain it's from all the driving I do. It's starting to catch up to me...

The AC went out in our house.  Therefore slept like junk and struggled to get up in the morning.  Only time for 7 miles.  Wanted to run again after work but too much going on to justify going out again.  So it goes.

10 miles in GP

20 miles around GP and it was an 'on again, off again' battle the whole way.  At times I felt great, other times not so much.  I ran a 9 mile warm up with a bathroom stop in the middle (Schroeder Park).  I ran west of town on Leonard and Applegate Rd which eventually looped back to Redwood Highway.  That was 9 miles exactly so I stopped, used the bathroom and began an 11 mile tempo portion.  It was good at times (first couple miles was a piece of cake) but then I'd have a flair up here and there (hamstring, achilies, arch pain, etc).  Seriously considered stopping after mile 3 of the tempo but the pain went away and I managed ok...

Back into town past Schroeder Park again, past the fairgrounds and Riverside Park before returning home around the hospital.  The first 10 miles were solid (59:30) but then I hit the wall on the 11th mile.  Thankfully I was close to home and jogged in the last 800 meters or so.  Lack of water (as in none) was the culprit.  And it was pushing 70 degrees from the start so plenty warm for the NW.  I tried a new Gu at mile 9 (peanut butter)--taste was very good but not the easiest to take without water. 

AM: 10 miles in GP.  Ran around Walmart and the HS before returning home.

PM: Staying in Bandon rather than Coos Bay.  Serves me right for not getting a reservation in advance.  Anyway, ran south on Highway 101 and then looped around and ran to the beach.  I decided to run along the shoreline which was fun for about 5 minutes.  The constant wind, water jumps and loose sand became horribly annoying for the next few miles.  Oh well--don't get these chances very often.  Left the beach and returned to Highway 101 and then back to the hotel.  I busted out some 3 inch shorts.  First time ever and I was feeling slightly under dressed.  That will take some getting used to... 

Humid run in Bandon, OR this morning.  I ran from the hotel north along the coastal road into Old Bandon, then north on 101 until I hit 5 miles.  Ran out in 36 and change, then returned in 31 and change.  Slept in just a bit so needed to pick up the pace on the return.

11 miles through town.  I ran up 6th street to Anderson Dental, then home after looping around past the middle and elementary schools.  Felt good, especially after rolling out my right hamstring last night.  I've got to do be more consistent with that as it makes a WORLD of difference.

Probably no run today. I think I'll join my wife at the hospital and have a baby instead.

10 miles around GP. Very erratic sleep last night. Never got more than 45 minutes in a row and my bed (should I even call it that?) was more of a wooden bench with a 2 inch mat. Not pleasant. Oh well...

14 miles around GP. I actually got some sleep last night which was nice. Woke up a lot but not nearly as bad as Thursday night. I ran 8 miles to Walmart and then the HS. Jumped on the track and ran a 5K in 16:28. Splits were 5:24, 5:19, 5:09 and 36 for the final 200 meters. Not too bad after a couple nights of limited sleep. 3 miles back to the hospital. Going home today!

Noon: 4 miles barefoot on the HS football field. 

AM: 8 miles while pushing Miles in the stroller.  Ran around Albertsons, Nate Tanner's office and to All Sports Park before returning home.  Averaged 7:14/mile.

Noon: 8 miles by myself on Lonon Loop, plus a little on New Hope Rd. Hot out and I hadn't eaten enough but I survived.

AM: 8.5 miles with Miles. Same loop as yesterday's second run. London loop in reverse with an extension on Redwood Highway and then home around Albertsons.

Noon: 4.5 miles with Ryan. I hit the wall. A small breakfast, as well as the last 5 nights being horrific sleep, took its toll on me. Ugh...

5 mile warm up along New Hope Road and then to Murphy Highway via Jaynes Rd.  At the intersection I stopped and stretched for a minute, then began a temp portion back into town via Cloverdawn Rd.  The first mile was just over 200 ft of elevation gain and I ran a 6:30.  The next 4 miles were either downhill or flat (mostly down).  Managed 5:39/mile for the 5 miles.  Slowly made my way back to the house for a 2 mile cool down.

One hour later, Ryan asked to go for a run so we ran through the 'forest' and then home via Allendale and the hospital.  3 miles pushing him in the stroller. 

10 miles pushing Miles towards RCC and around the flat roads west of town.  I got back and Ryan wanted to run as well.  Interestingly, I lost my shirt at some point along the run so I pushed Ryan around for 3 miles looking for it but with no luck.  Bummer because it was one of my favorite t-shirts--fit just right.

Got in the car after eating some food and I found the shirt on the roadside.  Glad it wasn't in an intersection getting run over again and again by passing cars.

6 easy miles into Redwood and back. I ran alone today which was a nice change. Now it's off to Medford and a few hours of pear picking. Not working is awesome...

21 miles around GP.  Started out a little rough--needed a bathroom stop after just one mile but I was nowhere near one and had to last until mile 2.  Quick stop at the jeep park, felt better and then I was on my way west of town and then returning back on Redwood Ave.  It was 7 miles by the time I made it to downtown and stopped a 2nd time for a bathroom break at the farmers market.  Continued up Highland Ave to Anderson Dental, then ANOTHER bathroom break (what's the deal?!) right at 10 miles.  First 10 in 1:09:45--6:59/average while running comfortably.  

Started a tempo with hopes of hitting around 6:00/mile for 10 miles.  3 separate climbs/drops (down Hawthorne and up 6th; down 7th and up 10th, down Beacon and home via Redwood Highway).  Pace felt comfortable although I had to push it a little on the uphills to keep within goal.  Miles were 5:59, 5:52, 6:02, 5:56, 5:49, 5:56, 5:50, 5:45, 5:41, 5:57.  10 miles in 58:51 (5:54/mile).  Decided to see how my body would respond with 1 final mile so I pushed the pace some to Albertson's and then home.  11th mile in 5:25 with a slight uphill on Allen Creek.  Felt really good throughout the run, minus the bathroom stops.  Hope that doesn't happen on race day...

Very tired after a busy morning.  I got up and headed for the pear orchard and picked for just over three hours.  Then headed home and went for a run with Ryan.  It was hot out and I was pretty tired/hungry when I started to it was a little bit of a struggle.  We ended up running 10 miles west of town with a couple stops along the way (bathroom, drinking fountain).  Another day in the books.

Ran through Fruitdale (6 miles) and then to the HS to run barefoot on the football field.  Managed to run 3 miles while watching all the Freshman be walked through high school orientation.  The all looked thrilled to be back in school...

Then I made my way home with a few detours in-between.  A car nearly ran me off the road while I was crossing Savage St in the crosswalk.  He called me 'names' so I changed course and followed him.  He got way ahead of me but I guess correctly which street he turned on--turns out he was dropping his kid off at a church daycare while sucking back on cigarettes the entire time.  Real winner, that one.  I stopped and asked him if he wanted to say anything else to me.  We exchanged a few ideas.  I complimented him on being father of the year and a few things of that nature, then we went our separate ways.  Probably shouldn't have but some mornings I can't help myself...

12 miles this morning with a 5 mile tempo to finish off the morning. I ran west to the intersection of Redwood Highway and Jerome Prarie which was 5 miles. I turned around and after 1 more mile, started a 5 mile tempo. 5:47, 5:52, 5:34, 5:28, and 5:10. Not as fast as Jake but not many people are. ;-) 1 more mile easy to the house and then called it a morning. Back to the grind tomorrow. These 2 weeks have been awesome being home. Pure awesomeness...

10 miles in Springfield.  I ran from the hotel to Costco, then looped back via Coburg Rd and the mall.  Felt good but it was a little rough running in the dark. :)  First time I've done that in a couple weeks.  And sadly, life is back to normal...

6 miles in Springfield, around the hospital and the mall.  Easy peazy...

13 miles around GP after dropping my car off to get serviced. I ran west to all sports park, then looped back past th HS and Walmart before returning to pick up my car. I discovered a new street/section of town behind Walmart and M street. I thought after living here for 19 months and running 5,000 miles, I had run on just about all of them. Pleasant surprise to find a new one.

As for the run, pretty much felt blah the whole way. Not tired, sore, hurt, painful, etc. Just blah.

10 miles in GP.  I ran west of town and zig-zagged my way home while all the poor high school kids stood around waiting for the bus.  Suckers...

AM: 7 miles around Fruitdale on a nice, crisp, dark morning. Slept good last night. Can't remember the last time I can say that happened. I had a dream last night that I ran a 2:28 this weekend. I'd take that.

PM: 3 miles on Pre's Trail in Eugene.

6 miles on Pre's Trail in Eugene. Had to wear gloves for the first time this year. After dreaming of running a 2:28 on Minday night, last night I dreamed that when I showed up for the marathon, it turned outto be a trail marathon instead. And then for some reason it took all day to run it, so much so that all participants had to camp out on the trail at night and finish the next day. Strange dream and strange to having running dreams 2 nights in a row. I never dream about running...

Nothing. Long day of driving for a breakfast display in Roseburg, then on to Eugene and eventually Boise.

Made it to Boise last night.  Slept ok and ran 3 miles around the hotel.  47 degrees here is WAY colder than 47 in Oregon.  Hope I brought the right clothes for tomorrow!

Worst. Race. Ever. :-)

------------

Cliff Notes version of TOU 2012.  It sucked.  Or more accurately, I sucked.

I suppose I could write a little more than that, but I'll try to keep it brief as there really isn't much to say.  No idea what I did to bring it on, but I had major stomach issues Thursday PM through Sunday night as I write this.  Many many many trips to the bathroom and no ability to eat as it made me nauseous.  Dinner on Thursday?  Carrot sticks.  Awesome.  Friday breakfast and lunch?  1/2 cup oatmeal and half a sandwich.  I tried to force myself to eat and it just wasn't happening.  Felt nauseous and if it didn't come out that end, it inevitably came out the other...  Not my finest moment and not ideal carbo-loading.

Friday night I started to feel better and put down some pancakes and a banana, but Saturday morning I felt sick again and forced down some oatmeal and a little banana.  I can count on one hand how many times I've thrown up in my life (4, if your curious, and the second time it was because I was choking on a Gobstopper but I'll save that for another entry).  On the bus ride to the start, I thought I was going to vomit for sure.  My stomach was jacked and even water was causing me issues.  It wasn't nerves--that's not how my body reacts to pre-race jitters.  Anyway, suffice it to say, I wasn't feeling 100%.

So what did I do?  Lined up to start the race thinking everything would be fine.  Figured I could work through it and eventually I'd get on track.  Not so much.  I struggled from the first mile and my stomach never cooperated.  I caught Sasha about mile 8 and we ran together in 7-8 place until mile 18 when he left me.  I hit 13.1 in 1:14:10, so a little slower than last year, but I hadn't been able to drink more than a sip or two and I'd taken in zero carbs.  Combo that with my lack of eating on Thursday/Friday and that spells disaster in a marathon.  The wall presented itself with authority at mile 18.5.  Honestly, I was surprised it took so long...

Lots of jogging, walking, even slower walking, and watching people pass me again and again.  Highlight of the run was when my dad jumped along side me and pulled me along from miles 21-24.  It was everything I could do to keep up with him as we set the street of Logan on fire, cruising along at 8:30/mile pace.  And I'm serious--prior to him running with me I ran a couple in the 9:00/mile range.  He really helped out or else I would have dropped to the 11-12:00/mile pace for sure.  It sucked.  But on the bright side, I loved the company and I wouldn't want help from anyone else.  We talked Utah football and how if the BYU was to beat Utah tonight and if In N Out screwed up my order (if I could handle eating any time soon) this weekend would be a TOTAL bust.

I hit main street and told myself to run the rest of the way.  That lasted about 3 city blocks.  2 more guys passed me.  Then the lead motorcycles with the 1st place female approached.  I ran again and tried to hang with her.  That lasted about 10 meters (probably more like 4-5) and then she was off.  The last mile was rough.

But....all good things come to an end.  Bad things too.  I finished.  I crossed the line and drank some chocolate milk.  Nearly threw up.  Everything hurt and it was my 2nd slowest marathon ever.  Nice.  I quickly grabbed my gear and headed for the exits so I could go shower and puke in privacy (if needed).

About 2pm I went to In N Out Burger and forced down a cheeseburger and fries just to show my body who was boss.  Then after a quick nap, I went to one of my favorite places on earth--Rice Eccles Stadium, and screamed for four straight hours.  All those false starts by BYU right before halftime that pushed them back into their own endzone?  That was b/c of me and the rest of that section.  Loudest I've ever heard that stadium.  That atmosphere was incredible.  So, moral of the story; don't run a marathon on an empty tank, In N Out is delicious even when you feel like puking, the holy war shouldn't die, and the drive from Utah to Oregon is painfully long.  If there is a next year, I'm flying for sure.

Nothing.  Still feeling sick and my legs are sore.  Not a good combination.

Zero

Nothing.  I'm loving sleeping in for a change.  

Nope

Early work

5 miles pushing Ryan in the stroller. My legs felt good for the first couple, then a little tired after that. I'll be ready to go by Monday I think, both physically and mentally.

6 miles around GP.  I ate too many cookies last night (and too much ice cream last week for that matter).  I think I'm 5 lbs heavier than 8-9 days ago.  Rough...

AM: 9 miles around GP to the west of town. Best my legs have felt since the disaster of TOU.

PM: 6 miles on Pre's Trail in Eugene, then sushi for dinner.  I enjoyed the sushi more than the run. 

AM: 6 miles around the streets of Eugene.  Got a little lost for a second off of Coburg Rd but it all worked out.  I ran past Fetlock Dr and a tear came to my eye for the Walkers (kidding about the tear, serious about thinking of the Walkers).

PM: 9 miles on Pre's Trail, then to Cafe Yumm for dinner.  Their customer service is lacking... 

3 miles in Eugene.  After two nights of sleeping like junk, it was all I could do to get out of bed this morning.  Better than nothing (I guess?).

7 miles around GP.  I ran into east and then back home.  Easy.

15 miles this morning when I ran to Walmart, then up Beacon and past Club NW, then home via 6th st.  Grabbed a drink and then went to clean the church, then ran a few more before coming home.

9 miles to the east of town with no real course in mind.  Just kind of ran all over and made turns at intersections in a random fashion.  It made the run feel even longer (not a good thing)...

I crossed the river and ran some laps on the trail @ All-Sports Park, then ran ~4 miles on the course of the GP Half Marathon.  Mixed in a little speed work when I was chased by a pit-bull on my way back to the park.  That's too bad because I'd really like to run the course a few times in the next couple weeks but I'm not a big fan of being chased by dogs that want to eat me.

11 miles this morning while running to the north freeway exit, then wandering various streets on my return.  I stopped to use the bathroom at McDonalds.  I guy was drinking a cup of soda from Carls Jr.  Strange things you see at 6am...

AM: 6 miles around GP.  Struggling to get up in the mornings...

PM: 14 miles in Coos Bay and North Bend.  Ran north past the casino, looped around North Bend, west towards the airport and church, then back to Walmart and into downtown via Prefontaine race course.  Ordered dinner at City Subs and ran another mile while I waited for my food, then back to the hotel for the night. 

6 miles in Coos Bay.  Fall is in the air.

I ran west of town and stayed pretty flat for most of the run.  Hit 8 miles and then stretched for a bit, then began a series of 2 mile repeats.  First 2 miles in 5:53, 5:30 followed by 1/2 mile jog.  Second set in 5:33 and 5:29 as I ran along Redwood Rd and into downtown across the river.  Jogged 1/2 mile, then final 2 mile push past the skate park and home to Walgreens in 5:19 and 5:19.  Felt pretty good throughout but the last mile was tough.  Not bad though, given it's my first 'workout' since TOU.

Grants Pass Half in 3 weeks.  Hope to hit a PR. 

10 miles on the Walmart loop. Easy

AM: 10 miles on the Walmart loop, just like yesterday, only in reverse.

PM: 10 miles in Eugene. The first seven were while watching 9.79, then ran three miles to subway for dinner.

AM: 6 miles around the mall in Eugene. Nearly scared to death when I stumbled upon 2 raccoons who hissed and didn't like me as much as I didn't like them.

PM: 9 miles past Costco, to the mall in Springfield and then back to the hotel after a stop at Trader Joes for some dinner.

10 miles on Pre's Trail in Eugene. Fall weather is here to stay...

5 miles with Ryan which included running 2 laps at the middle school track. Then 3 miles with Miles and then 2 more with Ryan to Redbox and Albertsons.

15.5 miles this morning with 8 of them on the GP Half Marathon course.  I tried to run fast and it didn't work.  I don't know what my issue is at the moment.  Frustrating.

9 miles in Coos Bay watching MNF, then to City Subs for dinner and back to the hotel.

14 miles around Coos Bay.  A little zig-zagging south of the hotel to start things off, then ran Prefontain's course and then back to Bayside Bakery to order lunch for work.  North to the HS, then back to the hotel past NBMC.  Perfect morning...

9 miles to the east of town.  Looped around Fruitdale and then made my way home past the middle school and Allendale.

Around GP. Chilly out this morning. I'm a slacker and slept in too long today...

AM: 8 miles around the hood. I'm not loving running these days. Just want to sleep in...

PM: 6 miles with the family. I pushed Miles to the middle school track and meet the rest of the herd. Andrea walked and I rotated pushing the boys individually and at the same time (redneck? Yes). Ryan ran his customary 2 laps. After leaving the track I pushed Ryan home via the hospital.

17 miles this morning. I started with 6 easy, then ran a 4 mile tempo along the highway to Rogue River. Splits were 5:55, 5:56, 5:48, 5:46. Jogged for 800 meters, then a 3 mile tempo in 5:32, 5:16, 5:25. Jogged another half mile and then final 2 mile tempo. 5:39 and 5:38 for the last two. Effort was there, it just so happened that the two largest up hills of the day came during these two miles. Final mile easy to the house and called it a day.