Enjoy the Journey

Dog-free run in decent weather, doesn't get any better than that.

Often after getting out the door is the hardest part. Nice run.

I'm glad you got out and did it when you didn't feel like it. I'm with Rhett, getting out the door is the hardest part. GOOD JOB!!!

Our gym is busting at the seems right now with the new year's resolution crowd. Enjoy the emptiness.

Sounds like a good plan to me. Hopeflly you will show up with fresh legs and ready for a great race. Are you shooting for a PR?

NICE hill intervals. Pron8 taught me this in running hills: pump your arms, somehow the legs will follow. Something I'm still learning to do.

Your taper plan sounds good to me!

Rhett- I think I have a reasonable chance at a pr, especially if the race is not too hilly, but mostly I just want to have fun and hopefully meet a few fellow forumites. Have you run it before? Is it hilly?

Smooth, Thanks for passing on the pron8er tip. I'll try it out on my next run with hills.

Mack, I ran it last year for my first time. To be honest I really did not like the course and swore I would not run it again, but the lure of seeing forum friends has brought me back. Yes there are a few big hills in the middle and some of the race is run through neighborhoods without the roads being closed so you are dodging cars as you are trying to run the tangents crossing back and forth on the road. It's probably not an ideal PR course, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.

Great job, Mack! These are the runs that pay off down the road. If you are used to running in the morning like I am, I find night runs to be entirely different, they are just harder, nothing to worry about in my opinion. Unfortunately, I haven't memorized enough scriptures to keep me going for more than a 400 I am afraid.

WOW! Mack!!! I agree with flatlander. Night runs are a whole different animal! WAY to get out there after a full day of chores & fam. responsibilities!!! Such mental toughness is gonna pay off come race time! SO PROUD of you in getting her done!

Mine was FUN b/c I had Teena to run with me! It'd be a drag to run solo at night. The HS dudes alone would scare the heck out of me!

I LOVE your song singing and scriptures quoting. When my legs cramp up bad at the last 5K of a marathon, I also sang Primary songs and prayed. Now you inspired me to memorize some scriptures! THANKS!!! :)

Mack, way to push through even when you didn't feel like it. Now you can start to taper a bit and Painter's half in 2 weeks is going to feel super easy. Great job!

Awesome job getting it done, Mack!!! I've done many midnight runs and it seems like there are always some shady characters lurking in the dark.

Nice night run! I too love the pleasant feeling after a good run!

Day time run will be that much sweeter for you!

Nice job getting it done, even while feeling tense.

Well Mack, we're one week out from Painter's. Are you ready? I sure hope it is warmer this year than it was last year. I hate being cold. Anyways, enjoy your last Satruday run today before the half.

What's up Mac? Are you in super taper mode or are you getting in a few runs here and there? Five days till the big race! It's going to be fun.

Rhett, Not quite super taper, but probably more taper than I should have. I did get a 7 miler in on Saturday. I just didn't get it posted until today.

I'm excited about Painters. I won't be able to make it to the forumite bash but I am going to look for you and other fellow forumites at the race. I have been kind of a recluse over the years so it will be fun to finally meet some of you.

Sounds like a good day. Good luck at Painters this week.

NICE weights workout!!! Wow! An hour! Must have flown by fast when you're having fun with your son!

NICE pm workouts! Runners are not normal!!!! :D Hope you get more than 6 hrs zzzz tonight! :)

Mack, how was your race? I hope you did well.

Dale, It was great! I missed my goal by 54 seconds but still got a PR. I came home to a mountain of work in my office so it will probably be a day or two before I find time to write a good detailed race report. I didn't get to meet any forum flyers but I did get to see Rhett fly by on his way to the finish. The man was flying!!! Were you there?

How did the race go? Anxiously waiting for your race report! Was bummed that I didn't get to meet you. Have a great week!

Mack, good report, good reading. I love your strategy for finding fellow bloggers, but if we ever run in the same race we'll figure out a more scientific method to make contact. My wife is from Susanville, I wonder if she knows your friend? Anyway, great race, great pacing, just a taste of things to come.

Great PR and you were so close to under 2 hours, you'll get it next time!

Mack, CONGRATS on the PR!!! I think mile 12 has a slight incline and that bridge gets me every time. You did AWESOME!!!

I have to chuckle about your trying to identify fellow forumites and bloggers. I did the same the first year calling every "mature" gentleman Kodi even though Kodi's real name is Mel. One year at Spectrum 10K, I stood at the start line next to a tall young man. He sheepishly asked if I was "smooth". I then called out "homer". You should have seen the reaction of those standing around us. Pretty funny! I'm glad you didn't ask that lady: "hey, are you smooth?" She might trip you! Haha!!! :)

Well, I regret that I didn't get to meet you. Next time! When's your next race? It is far away for you to travel to Utah.

GREAT JOB at Painter's. I predict many PRs coming your way! Keep it up!!!

Flat, I agree, next time I have got to be more scientific about it. I got some really weird looks. Rich has lived in Susanville for about a year and a half. I assume your wife has been gone form there for several years?? He is the warden at the prison in Herlong(sp?). When he lived in Oregon we ran together every Saturday morning for years. We still get together from time to time for races. I can't get him interested in blogging here though. What is your next race?

Merri, Thanks for the encouraging words. I looked at your blog and see that you are very speedy and well under 2 hours for your half PR. Very impressive!

Smooth, Thanks for your kind words. The story about Homer is hilarious. Funny what you said about Mel too. I was looking for him at Painters thinking that statistically speaking he should be easier to find than anyone else. I was frustrated that I couldn't find him and then came to realize yesterday that he wasn't even there!!!

If he is associated with the LDS church, Rich might know my wife's parents, who are still there. Their name is Adams. A warden, huh? That's scary. My wife's sister actually worked at Herlong (she assures me she was not an inmate), but that was a long time ago.

Nice job, Mack!!! Glad you had a great time running the race. I think you're the only one that likes that loop.

Work was crazy here today as well. I'm just now getting around to checking the blog and I should be heading home.

Excercise is the best for reducing stress.

NICE xtrain and WAY to destress!!!

Everything OK? I know work at times can swallow up everything else for a while.

Thanks for checking in on me flat. It's helpful to have a gentle prod now and then!

I have been pretty busy and just haven't had time to blog my workouts.

NICE run! I haven't heard Bruce R. McConkie for years. Always nice to have inspiring messages when you work out!

That's a deep topic. I bet you almost forgot you were running.

Good run, also good use of your time!

Mack, that is a tough one. I can see a similar scenario at our house in a couple of years with our number 4 kid. We have learned with the older ones that most kids eventually work things out, but that doesn't make it any easier when something happens. Hoping for the best for you.

Thanks Flat. It's nice to know that we are not alone in these kind of things.

Oh Mack! I feel for you as a parent of 5 sons. With a Stake President husband, I get a glimpse of some of these heartbreaks. It's NEVER easy when it comes to watching our children make choices. Keep the faith and continue to love him unconditionally. EVERYONE needs to go through a spiritual conversion, a change of heart. I am 100% certain that the Lord hears and answers prayers and all things work out for those who are faithful and diligent in keeping their covenants. Never give up hope! Best wishes to you, your wife and son!

Thanks for the kind words Smooth!! I hesitated to even write this on here but figured when he has a change of heart and goes and serves an excellent mission it will be fun to come back here and read this.

How were the Peking acrobats?

Sorry about the news from your son. Not everyone decides to go right when they turn 19. Some just need a little extra time

Congrats on the ramp up. Spring is coming quickly.

Sounds like an awesome plan!!!

Great plan. The discipline of eating well is always the hardest part.

Sounds like a GREAT plan! SO HAPPY for you! I used the FIRST schedule training for SGM'09. It's a sound program. ENJOY!

Glad you got to run in the day light. Happy running!

Whoa! That's an OLD game! Yah, creepy w/ the whole OJ thing.

NICE run!

Yeah, it is old but that was a great season for the bears. I love buying these dvd's of old games and watching them during the cold winter months when there is nothing better to watch. The OJ thing was very creep! My wife walked into the room while I was watching it and said something like "gross, I can't even stand to listen to him." I agree. But it was sure a good game.

Sounds like a perfect running day. We have dreary cloudy day to be followed by stormy days.

NICE run!

Good running up there in Oregon, when you have a day like that you have to do it no matter how you feel.

Sounds beautiful. I'm loving our weather here a new too. Unfortunately I'm going to have to run inside on the TM tomorrow since my wife is out of town and I'll have the kids.

Treadmills can vary significantly. Nice job.

Good job! TMs can be finicky.

NICE way to get in a TM run, Mack!

Intervals at lunch. That probably woke you up a bit.

Did you get lunch too? I can't seem to do both and I like my lunch.

Smooth, Thanks. The weather is getting better so hopefully I will do less and less on the TM and more and more outside!

Rhett, Yep, it always does wake me up and keep me pumped up on endorphins for the rest of the afternoon.

Flat, I purposefully take a long lunch from noon to 130 and can always squeeze in a 3 miler and a bite to eat.

sounds like a perfect day for a run, yard work and dodging bullets! :)

Sounds like you guys are having great weather like we are.

A shot skunk doesn't smell too good, hope your property values didn't go down.

Nice run! I have a hard time sucking on candy while I run. It always goes to the back of my throat and then I choke on it.

And it gives you good breath for when you kiss your sweetie when you get home. :)

NICE xtrain! How lucky to have the whole place to yourself for half hour. Next time get there earlier before the hordes descend on ya!

good job, sounds like you have a little bit of winter left up there

Mack, that is funny, just think of it as an insight -- although I must say I would have thought a swimmer would have pretty toned arms and shoulders.

Nice cross training. Way to receive important inspiration while in the temple! :)

Nice job. You're funny

GOOD JOB with the xtrain! NICE "inspiration" from the temple to improve upon "your temple"! :)

Mack, long time no blog. How are you doing?

Rhett, Thanks for checking in with me. I'm not sure what happened. I just started feeling burned out on running so I decided to take an entire week off from any exercise. It was easy for the first couple of days and then I just started to feel like garbage. On Saturday I gave in and did 40 min of cross training and it felt soooo goood! I am now ready to be back and consistent.

Yay

I;m glad you're starting to feel better. Stinks when we lose our drive and get burned out. It happens to me too often. Hope you can get in a run soon.

Good to see you back at it. I know what you mean about not feeling right after taking too many days off. The first few days are nice and then the body starts to revolt.

Glad you are back at it.

Amen to that. I got into an argument with a woman the other morning about that. She thought that just because her dog "wouldn't hurt anyone" the leash law didn't apply to her.

Dogs scare me! Thanks for the reminder to carry pepper spray. My friend gave me one for Christmas, I have not taken it with me on runs. I'm going to take it with me on my long run this weekend.

Glad you got some nice weather for a pleasant run!

I bet if you would have let the dog have it with the pepper spray, the owner would keep it on a leash more often. Would have been kind of cool to see how the stuff works on dogs too. If you ever do unload it on a dog, give us a good report.

Nice job!!! How have you been?

Thanks for checking in with me Dale. I'm dong pretty good. I think what really got me down was the way I was eating. Bad, bad stuff! I have been eating a lot better lately and my enthusiasm for running has returned.

How have you been? Hanging in there I see.

yeah, I'm hanging in there and getting ready to run the Helvetia half in June.

Glad to hear you're doing a lot better.

Sounds like nice weather. Where is Helvetia?

Rhett, Helvetia is a small town just outside of Hillsboro which is just outside of Portland.

If you have ever seen the show "little people, big world" it is where they live. Never seen 'em though.

A friend and I have run the Helvetia half for the past several years. It's becoming a bit of a tradition for us. It draws about 4000 runners. It is beautiful scenery but very, very hilly. Despite that, I am going to try to finally go sub 2 on it. I came so close at Painters.

NICE 10 on TM especially the bonus mile for feeling so good! :)

Good run, you are getting back in the groove, but who plays football in April?

Football in April? Must be some teams spring game. Only 5 more months until real football starts again!!!

It's nice when you can go the extra mile! Nice job.

Smooth and DoG, Thanks!

Rhett and Flat, I have some vintage college football games on DVD that I break out from time to time. This one was the 1995 Orange Bowl national championship game between Nebraska and Miami. Nebraska won and it was the first national championship for their coach Tom Osborne. I am a huge husker fan and the miles just fly by when I'm watching them lay a beat down on a team like Miami.

NICE workouts!

How far on the intervals?

Rhett, I have been running my intervals on a preset program on the Landice pro sport treadmill. They are 1 minute intervals with 1 minute recovery for 30 minutes. Any suggestions on whether this is a good thing or not?

I did that workout myself this morning. I think it is a great way to do speed work.

Hey Tahnks for the welcome as far as what it takes to run at my masters level...I'm just happy to be on this side of the dirt nap and able to get out the front door.

Nice job on the intervals.

Nice job mixing it up with the inclines. I find that it really helps me, too. I've always been such a slacker on hills, so I made it one of my goals this year to conquer hills.

Glad to hear, you're going to stay on the blog though, right?

Flat, I am definitely going to stay here on the blog. In fact I don't plan to change my running at all (except to get better and faster). My plan is to just do a better job of being more consistent with my weight lifting and nutrition.

OK, good news. If I started lifting weights more diligently, maybe I could wear a singlet in some race :>)

I'm convince that you need all 3 of those to be a good runner. Over the past year I have not run more than 3 days a week, but I do a lot of x training with weights, cycling, etc. and I think I'm a decent runner. You just have to find what works for you.

Thanks for that perspective Rhett. You are right, a great runner has to have excellent nutrition, good cross/strength training and high quality running workouts. So really my objective is to be a great runner.

In the past I have sometimes foolishly thought that running was enough and I could eat whatever I want, whenever I want, and as much as I want and not bother to lift weights. That has made me a plump, slow runner. Time for that to change!

It's tough to keep that balance. I am nearly 15 lbs heavier now than I was last year. I need to start eating healthier and not so much.

Looks like you are mixing things up nicely. Well done.

Thanks Rhett. I really enjoy the cross training. Once again, congrats on your Boston PR!

Nice job. It always drives me crazy when sweat is dripping from my head. LOL

Thanks DoG. I must be kinda weird but I actually like the feeling of being drenched in sweat. Makes me feel like I really got a good workout.

Are you in the stk presidency? What's your topic? I recieved a phone call last night asking me to speak on Sunday. I usually write my talks during long runs, but no way I can do a long run right now. Maybe I'll have to get on the stationary bike tomorrow moring and ponder. Good luck with your talk.

Yeah, I am in the Stake Presidency so I get to speak in all three sessions of Conference. My three topics are: "Take time to be holy", "A law upon which all blessings are predicated" and "By this shall men know ye are my disciples".

Is your talk for Stk Conf or Sac Mtg? Whats your topic? I agree there is nothing like a long run for prep time (or in the case of a recovering Boston speedster a long bike ride!)

Mack, if you're speaking in all 3 sessions, I'm guessing you are the stake Pres. I'm sure your stake will be enlightened by your talks. The topics sound interesting. I found out this morning that pondering works just as well on a long bike ride as it does running, and since it was a stationary bike, almost better since I could put my head down and close my eyes and really get into it. I'm speaking in sac. mtg. tomorrow. I'm going to speak on how the strength of our testimony in the atonement of Christ will determine our level of commitment to and what we do for Christ.

Mack ~ How did Stake Conference go? Ours is this coming weekend, May 1 & 2. I would have loved to hear your 3 talks. Sound like great topics. I'm glad I don't have to speak. Hubby, on the other hand always has to speak and preside.

Rhett ~ I would love to hear your sacrament talk. I loved your testimony at our little devotional in Boston. I could tell you have a strong testimony of the Savior and are living a Christlike life.

Just think the world of you two awesome brethren!

Nice job in windy conditions.

I'm training for the Utah Valley Marathon in June, what is your next race?

The wind has been a little rough lately, eh?

I see you're from Oregon. Where abouts? I live in Tualatin, just outside of Portland. Perhaps we'll see each other at future races.

Mack you are too tough to stop. I'm impressed that you were out running with such a busy weekend coming up.

I just wanted to share with you my experience in sacrament mtg on Sunday. During the sacrament I reached down and grabbed my scriptures and opened to Luke 22 to read about the Last Supper. I never read the scriptures during the sacrament but for some reason did. As I was reading I read the verse where the Savior says to Peter "When though art converted; Strenghten thy brotheren." It hit me pretty hard that Peter who was about to become the leader of the church and had probably spent more time with the Savior than anyone had to become even more converted. This became my topic for my talk (which was really close to what I wanted to talk about anyways). It was one of the experiences where the person giving the talk was taught more than anyone listening feeling like the words I spoke were not mine, but coming from the spirit. I testimony of the divinity of the Savior and His redeeming love for everyone was magnified a lot.

Anyways, I just wanted to share my experience and would love to hear any highlights about your stake conf.

Thanks for sharing your experience Rhett. It is really neat when the spirit works like that. Wow, and just minutes before your talk too. Nice that you were open to it and willing to alter your talk to follow the spirit.

Our Stake Conf was great! The spirit was there in rich abundance, especially at the Saturday evening session which always seems to be the case.

I always knew you were a great runner, now I'm starting to realize you are just as great spiritually too.

GOOD JOB putting in a long run before busy Stake Conference. I am happy to hear that it went well and the spirit was present and abundant. I agree that the Sat. evening session seems to be more special perhaps those who come are "cream of the crop". I always enjoy that session better. We have 15 units in our stake so we meet in different buildings with satelite feed from the Stake Center. But the Sat. one is less crowded and more intimate.

Have a GREAT week!

THAT is a great feeling! Keep at it. All the hard work pays off. Way to have a positive attitude!

NICE workout, Prez! Wish we could see your youthful pix! Keep up the good work!

I think now that you are no longer focused on just being running, your overall health is going to be better and in the end you are going to be a better runner.

Great workout. I love that feeling.

KP, Thanks for the kind words

Smooth, One of these days I'll put a picture up. Procrastination...

Rhett, Thanks. I have been eating a lot better lately and doing more cross training. You are right, it not only makes me feel better, it makes me a better runner. Do you have any eating tips on how to stay lean and mean?

Just so you know, the fountain if youth is really Diet Mountain Dew.

If you get in a weekly longer run like last Saturay's more consitantly, you will start recovering more quickly. Sounds like a great morning for a run.

Believe me, you are not getting old, we will have none of that on this blog. Way to hang in there. For me, the longer I run the faster I seem to recover from hard workouts. Crockett is the champion at fast recovery, but it seems to develop over time.

Less hills and no wind... sounds great!

NICE run! GREAT JOB!

Thanks for the attaboy, I need all the motivation I can get to keep up this training schedule. Speaking of training schedules, whats your next race and is your goal to BQ at it? Then the next question is,how can I help you meet your desired goal? By the way, where do you live, Utah? North or South or what?

Thanks Rhett, Smooth and Slick.

Slick, I live in Oregon (just outside of Portland) and am training for a half marathon called the Helvetia half. I don't think there is anything specific you can do for me. Just watching your example on your blog and over at the forum flyers site keeps me motivated and instructed. I'll ask you questions from time to time though. Thanks again!

Nice job!!!

I love it! Keep up the hard core cross training. You've been working it hard lately.

Yikes, June once seemed so far away. I have running stuff I wanted to get done by then, looks now like I will be behind schedule. Glad you're doing so well with the cross-training, sounds like a great approach with the TM. I feel like I am going to fall off once those things start spinning too fast.

Gotta love the hills!!!

NICE hill intervals. What is the Half you're running in June?

Smooth, I'm training for a race called the Helvetia half. It is in Hillsboro which is just outside of Portland Oregon. If you have ever seen the tv show "little people, big world", that is Helvetia. It is a very hilly race but I am determined to go sub two hours.

Rinse and repeat. Repetition leads to perfection. Btw, did you get into St. George?

Ditto flatlander!

Nice workout. That sounds a lot like the workout I do twice per week.

Some times having a nice little routine is the best way to train. Good job Mack.

so you ran 48 laps around the track? bless your heart...

Yep, 48 laps. I'm glad I had my Garmin so I didn't have to keep track of them. It wasn't really exciting but it was more interesting than the treadmill and I didn't have to worry about drunk drivers like I usually do at that late hour.

Nice workout!!! Now that my mileage is ramped up, I don't have much time for weights, but I still get in some light workouts here and there.

Getting ripped!

NICE workouts.

Is it swollen or discolored? Hurts when running or flexing the knee? Hope it goes away soon.

Smooth, No swelling, slightly tender when I ran today. No discoloration, only tender to touch if I find just the right spot and press firmly.

Ice is the magic cure-all. 20 minutes 3 times per day. I hope it isn't anything big. Sounds just like some minor inflamation.

For me, they always go away when I stop thinking about them. When I get a new injury the old one isn't interesting anymore.

Glad you had a good run, but I'm having a difficult time picturing you with a bad attitude.

I wish it was sunny and warm here. Nice run.

We all have those lame runs like you had Saturday every now and then. Those runs help us appreciate the good ones more. Way to get right back at it on Monday.

Great job Mack. So did you make it in to SG?? Dont know if I missed the post or not.

Got to love the 10 miler that feels "GREAT!"

Nice job on the run!!! Glad it felt good

Good job, that's a long TM session.

Can't beat feeling GREAT!!! NICE 10 miler. What did you watch?

Smooth, You will probably never guess this...I watched an old football game between Nebraska and Tennesee on DVD. I never tire of Nebraska football.

Good run, I must say most of them are nice though, just that some are kind of nice and others are perfect.

sounds like a perfectly timed run. Gotta love those dawn or dusk runs.

Do you just shower at the church and then start your meetings?

Hey Mack, how's it going?

Rhett, I never run before a church meeting but I have occasionally waited until everyone has gone home after a long night of meetings and then changed into my running clothes in my office and slipped out for a nice run. Great way to clear my mind and relax. This particular run (May 31) was just running from one church to another because it is a perfect 11 miles through absolutely gorgeous back road country scenery.

DoG, Thanks for checking in with me. I went through a bit of a slump and just didn't have much desire to run or blog about running. I'm feeling better now though. I'm ready to come back strong!! i better be ready because I have a half marathon I'm running on Saturday.

How 'bout you? Are you still doing UVM?

NICE workout!

Hey Mack, how's it goin'? Still looking for your mojo?

Hey DoG, Thanks for rattling my chain. I have somehow kind of lost the urge to blog lately. I guess I'm just taking a break right now. I have been running though. In fact I ran my half on Saturday. I just haven't had much enrgy/desire to blog. I think you have probably just given me the little kick I needed to get back into the swing of things.

Mack, I know exactly how you feel. I hope the half went well.

I'm trying to heal up my hammie so I can run again.

Awesome!!! I'm still waiting for a euphoric run. LOL

I assume you must be having great weather right now? I spent one summer in Portland many years ago and I still remember how beautiful it was.

Good job. I love cross training, but it's no fun when that's all you can do.

I love the World Cup. I wish I could skip work for a month and watch all the games. Nice speed work.

I'm starting to get into it too. I just learned what off-sides is, so that is progress, and as a result I already have a low opinion of the officiating.

Nicely done, Mack.

Rhett- You would have hordes of angry, visually impaired people on your doorstep demanding care...so resist the temptation.

Flat- I'm only getting into it a tiny bit. Not even enough to have a low opinion of the officiating yet.

DoG- Thanks for the encouragement. I need all I can get!

I am having the same experience with my kids.

Okay ... I have got to ask ... I have been trying to figure it out myself but have been completely unsuccessful: Are you a forum flyer? I see your posts on all the flyers' blog.

Nice 5K!

Yeah, I have been posting on the forum flyers site for about 5 years under the same name of "mack".

I don't post that often though so I only have about 400 or so posts (not much really, for 5 years).

I don't really feel like I fit in completely there. Everyone is cordial and all but I don't feel like one of the family. Probably because I'm kind of reclusive and don't meet up with everyone at races and get togethers and stuff. Although I did once do a run with Cougar when I was out at BYU for a professional conference. And I did see Rhett fly by in a blur at a Painters half. Other than that I'm pretty annonymous there. I just kind of like posting and such without really going to the next level I guess. Sorry to ramble.

How 'bout you? DO you post over there or just here?

Mack --

Yes, I have been on the forum flyers now for about 3 years I think. Love all them tremendously. I don't post as much as I'd like to though. My name over there is Gumpchump. :)

Cougar and Rhett are definintely great!!!

I'll watch for you on that forum as well now. :)

Glad to finally meet you (per se)! :) :) :)

NICE run with your daughter! I wish I had started running at a younger age and the opportunity to build relationships with my kids through running with them. It was my oldest son who got me into running. We both ran our first two marathons in ST George. we had run together a handful of times when he came to visit during the holidays...of course he had to slow down for me. My dream is to run Boston with him, not together but in the same race.

Happy running to you!

I love running with my kids. It's is amazing how they open up a little bit more when we are running. Great job Mack.

Teena- Wow. Cool. I had no idea you were "gump chump." I have always enjoyed your posts over on the Forum Flyers. Now I'll enjoy them even more.

Smooth- I didn't know that it was your son who got you into running. That would be neat to run Boston with him. He must be pretty fast for you to say that you would not be running side by side.

Rhett- You're right, it is so nice to run with the kids. I have learned that if I just stay quiet while we are running they open right up and talk like they never would in a different setting. Do you have teenagers yet?

DoG- I tried to send a private message but couldn't figure out how to do it. I agree that was really weird. I would have done the exact same thing you did.

Nice workout!

What is your next race?

Nice job!!!

Teena- I'm training for a local 5k in September. I'm following the FIRST training program. My goal is to go sub 24. Don't laugh. I know that not all that fast, but it's where I am at right now.

DoG- Thanks!

How's it goin' Mack? Are you in another funk? I've been getting in those way too much lately.

Mack, that's a great goal. I love the FIRST training plans. I really think they promote well balanced fitness. Just work as hard at the cross training as you do at the running and you will be in the best shape of your life.

How are things, Mack?

Thanks for checking in on me DoG and Teena. I have been with my family at a scout camp in New Mexico called "philmont" for the past week. Even got in some running while we were there. Going from running at sea level here in Oregon to 6200' there was interesting though.

Nice!

How are you?

Nice job!!!

So did you do 10 minutes of each or did you randomly jump around from machine to machine... that would be cool. :)

Rhett, 10 min of each. I was just in the mood for variety and it was kind of fun to jump from machine to machine. Almost like circuit weight training.

Teena, I'm doing good.

What a wonderful run with your daughter. Wish I could get my son to run with me! VERY SWEET workouts!

My youngest daughter is in middle school, would love to get her to run with me. She is into volleyball now but I am hoping she switches to running.

Looks like your running is starting to rub of on your daughter. Soon she'll be out running you.

Nicely done!!!

Barking is okay, I suppose! :)

Sounds like a beautiful day. Do you live out in the country?

Teena, Yep, barking is just fine. These guys are vicious looking. I run by them nearly every day and I usually bring my pepper spray. Even with it I'm not sure I could fend them both off. But at least I'd have a fighting chance. Fortunately the lady that owns them is a responsible pet owner and keeps them secure.

Rhett, Yeah I live in the country outside of a small town in the Willamette valley of Oregon. We live along a 3 mile long dirt road that dead ends. There are only about 15 homes spread out over that three miles. It make for a great place to run because there is so little traffic. But there are a few dogs as is always the case in the country. How 'bout you? Are you a city or country dweller?

Mack, sounds like an ideal place to run. I live in a small town in the middle of the desert on the Colorado River of about 50,000 with no other towns within 40 miles. If I run south I can be out of town in less than 3 miles, but there are no quiet lonely dirt roads nearby, so I'm usually running with the cars. But there aren't a ton like in a big city.

I don't know how I did it for so many years. In my teens and twenties I was always active playing tennis and lifting weights. Then in my thirties we had kids and I quit exercising until I was 37 or 38. I feel so much better now

Great question Mack. I am a much happier, better person when I work out... and even more so when I can run hard. Looks like you got in some good mile intervals.

Mack, life must be busy. Good to see you're still getting in some regular exercise though. Keep it up.

How's it goin', Mack? Hope everything is ok.

Hope all is going well. I have one friend that moved to Oregon already and another that might be headed there soon. Seems to be a trend around here, can certainly understand why.

Life gets crazy and a nice run for me is always the best therapy. Sounds like it works for you too. I can't wait until I can get out and run again. Hopefully next month.

Glad to have you back and that the run helped you de-stress a little.

Good run, hope all is well. Good to see you on the blog again.

Rhett, Dog and Flat, Thanks. It's great to be back. I have missed keeping up on all of your training. I sure admire the consistency you guys have. I'm working on developing that same consistency and getting away from the big peaks and valleys in my training.

Yeah, I think my highschool self was a lot stronger than I am now. Good job getting in a strong run and some weight training. You'll be doing your long slow runs at 7.0 before you know it.

Wow, that's pretty cool. Nice job to you and your daughter.

I agree with everything you said. A couple years ago before Boston for about 4 months I decided I would only eat "REAL" food... nothing packaged or processed. Basically it was mostly fruits, veggies, grains, rice, beans, organic dairy, and a little meat. I never ever felt better, but the first couple weeks were really tough. After that I didn't even want the bad stuff. Here's the bad part though. It only took a couple days of eating bad food after Boston and I was back craving the bad stuff again.

I think this principle applies to many good things. They say it takes 21 days to establish a good habbit and 1 day to break it.

Sounds like a great plan. Someday I will jump into the helthy eating lifestyle. I'm slowly working my way up to it.

Very much enjoyed this entry, good job on the diet. I have played around with that some and I certainly eat less meat than I used to. I suspect this diet is a scientifically sound, unlike most of what's out there. Can't wait to see your times start dropping!

Rhett, Thats inspiring to know that you have tried it and it works and also to know that even someone that puts up the kind of times that you do still sometimes struggles with wanting to eat the garbage.

DoG, It has taken me a while to work up to it too. Friday I ate nearly a whole bag of Oreo's by myself and just had one of those moments where I said to myself "I'm done living this way." So far it feels great.

Flat, The cool thing is that it really isn't a "diet", it's just a life long way of eating. Kind of like our running isn't an "exercise program" it's a lifestyle that we enjoy and plan to continue throughout our life.

Nice job!!!

It will happen. Keep up the great work. 6 lbs in one week is amzing.

I will probably join you eating super healthy after I get back from Olando a week from Mon. I'll have 4 weeks to get my body in beach shape before my Belize trip.

I've packed on some muscle over the last 4 months, now I need to shed the fat that is hiding it so my hard work can show.

That's really great progress on your new eating lifestyle. I really need to do something like that. Running takes a lot off naturally, but if I ate correctly I would be a better runner even at the same weight.

I like rowing.

Way to multi-task. You have obviously been very busy this week, all to the good.

Thanks Flat, Are you still in Portland? I thought about coming up to meet you and join you for a run but decided not to for a couple of reasons. One, it has been a VERY busy week and it would have been pretty tough to squeeze it in. Two, I seriously know that I couldn't run at a pace that would feel fast enough for you!

Hope you had a great visit though. You sure got some of our great fall weather.

No, I came back on an early flight yesterday. Interestingly enough, temperatures here right now are almost the same, very strange. If I make it up there again we can plan something and don't worry, nobody is too slow for me.

It's fun running on the TM while watching an exciting game.

I caught the end of that game while on vacation. It was a good one. What a crazy finish that was. Way to get in some miles while watching, I was sitting on my backside.

Mack, how's the new way of eating treating you? Is it getting easier?

Rhett, It has been so incredible. I love it. I have been doing it for 18 days and have lost 11 lbs. I really notice the difference in my runs too. I feel not only lighter but stronger.

How have you been doing? Did you come home from Orlando ready to go back to your healthy eating ways??

Wow Mack, that's great! You're really rockin' it. Yeah, I'm back on the healthy eating bandwagon. Today is day # 3, so I'm still going through the withdrawl from the bad foods, but I know I'll soon be feeling good like you are. Keep up the great work.

Nice run. You are a night owl, if I don't run in the morning it is a real struggle to get out there.

Well, at least you gave it the old college try. One for the Gipper.

Funny stuff Mack.

I love the fartleck work out the other night. I bet that was a fun run.

I think interval workouts are the best bang for your buck when you're on a time crunch. Nice job.

Awesome!!! Where is Rainbow Lake?

You have beautiful country to run in out there, don't know of many prettier places.

Was this some kind of organized running event. Sounds like a perfect day for a run.

DoG, Rainbow lake is a very small lake a few miles from my house in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. (about 30 miles southwest of Portland)

Flat, Thanks for the reminder. Sometimes I forget just how beautiful this place really is. It's easy to take for granted.

Rhett, Not an organized event. Just me. I set out to run 6 miles but it worked out on my Garmin to be exactly 6.2, making a perfect 10k.

I like late night runs, as long as I'm not too tired. Be careful with the leg.

Be careful with the nagging pain. You don't want it to become something more serious. I have never done fartleck runs before, but I'm thinking about trying it out. Sounds like you enjoy them.

How is the leg? Most of those little pains are just that, hopefully that is the case for this one.

That's awesome!!! Keep it up.

I feel the same way now about fruits and veggies.

I really need to do better. I had steak last night.

Graet job Mack. Do you eat nuts and seeds as well?

Rhett, Yes I do. I like a little bit of Adams natural peanut butter on a piece of whole wheat toast for breakfast. I also throw a small handful of peanuts or almonds on my salads from time to time. And instead of a powerbar before my late night runs I eat a handful of peanuts mixed with a handful of raisens.

Yum, your making me hungry Mack.

I know what you mean Mack. Since I'm HP group leader, I'm in charge of the temple prep class. On Tues. night I had our Stk.Pres. teach our class. I went running afterwards and had a lot to ponder. Running is my very best pondering time. I really miss it when I can't run.

I didn't realize you were HP Group leader. Now I feel kind of bad about calling you a fat boy. You deserve more respect.

Were you a councilor in a Bishopric somewhere along the line? You seem pretty young to be a HP let alone the group leader.

Yep, I a counselor in the bishopric for a while. I've been a HP for 10+ years now. I think they called my to be the group leader since I was the only one with enough energy to get anything done. :) I really like working with the old guys though. They seem to like the youthful spark and are very respectful to me even though they have 10x as much experience in the church than I do.

Breaking the trend and running before work instead of at lunch or late at night. You're going to get your body all confused. :)

Intervals are the best when you only have a little time to run. Great job.

I hate intervals. Now I am going to have to go do some.

I like intervals on the treadmill. Nice job.

I'm the same way. I like them on the TM but not so much on the track. I think it is nice that the TM forces you to keep up. Also, doing them on the TM helps break up the boredom.

Nice!!! Maybe youi just needed a week to recharge your batteries.

Slick decided to take a break from blogging and concentrate more on the forum.

That is the best running weather. Amazed you could get your daughter out in it, though. No hope for that on my end.

Hope you had a good week.

Glad you got in a run.

Thanks DoG! I have been pretty busy lately. Not to busy to squeeze in some runs though.

You're very busy and doing well to get the runs in at odd times. Most people in your situation don't bother.

Thanks Flat. I know the same could be said of you.

Wow Mack, I had no idea there was something wrong with your leg. Congratulations on the weight loss. That's awesome!!!

That's a lot of weight, how long did it take?

Flat, About 5 weeks. I know that's pretty fast but I feel good. I eat a ton of food every day but now instead of junk, its fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans etc.

After a huge drop the first couple of weeks it's currently dropping at a rate of about one pound per week. I now weigh 186 lbs. It'll be interesting to see when it finally stops. I'm hoping to eventually be as slim as you and some of these other people around here.

Congrats on getting your daughter to run. I'm still trying to inspire my kids!

Very fun! 5 miles is a good distance for a young person. I bet it was the highlight of your day.

Thanks Missee and Rhett. It really is a joy to run with her. She is 13 and just finished her first year of cross country in middle school. I haven't had to do much to prod her into running, she came to it on her own mostly by watching me get a lot of enjoyment out of it. The longer I work at this parenting thing the more I realize that most things we want our kids to do tend to work better that way.

Mack, I hope your having a great Thanksgiving weekend. Have you been able to sneak in any running?

That is great that you are logging so many miles with your daugter. Does she push you or do you guys run a similar pace?

Nice Thanksgiving day 5K.

Rhett, We pretty much run the same pace of about 9:30. It's kind of an interesting relationship though. She complains quite a bit about having a side ache for most of the run and then blows by me at the end and beats me by a block or two. What I'm working on is getting her talking about things while we run so she forgets about her aches and pains. All and all it is a great joy to run with her!

I have two daughters who run. Unfortunately neither one lives at home, so I don't get to do much with them.

Hey Mack. Nice workout. Sounds like that guy really wants to live.

I'm hanging I'm there. I think I have a case of runners knee, so I haven't been running much lately. Also, not many people have been posting on the blog lately, so I haven't been checking on it for a while.

It is nice to sit back and realize just how blessed we are to be able to run and play and be healthy. I love that you were able to look at the guy and see him in a positive light, instead of the negatives that most people would see.

Dale, I hope that knee heals up quickly. Strengthen your quads. That is the only long term solution to runners knee.

Interesting observations, that guy sounds like he is in serious trouble.

Happy Sunday Mack. Today has been a great Sabbath Day. I'm looking forward to the Christmas devotional tonight.

Rhett, I didn't make it to the devotional. How was it? Sounds like you had a pretty good day working with all those High Priests you are in charge of.

The devotional was great as usual. It always gets me in the Christmas spirit. It was just one of those weeks at church that was spiritually uplifting the whole way through. I wish I felt that way every week, but then maybe I wouldn't recongnize how great it is.

Nice job. How's the weather up your way.

The weather has been cloudy and cold. We usually get a ton of rain and a little snow throughout the winter. So far it has mostly just been cloudy and chilly. Perfect running weather!

Consistancy is the key. Glad you got in the usual.

Nice job, Mack. I've been slacking on the weights, too.

King of slackers here, it's been 6 months I think.

I think the Ducks have a good chance. It should be a great,high scoring affair.

That's right . . . good job!

Good job Mack.

Awesome!!! Glad she is willing to run with you.

Cold is not too bad when you are dry. I'm glad you two are still running together. That is great!

Slow lifting sounds intriguing. I haven't lifted any upper body weights since right before my Belize trip. It is amazing how fast muscle that isn't used is lost. On the good side (at least from a runner's view) I've lost 5 pounds, which I assume was mostly upper body muscle.

Mack, I used to be heavy into lifting weights in my younger days and I always read in the muscle magazines that ligting slowly is the better way. Keep it up. I really need to start lifting again. I was going pretty good for a couple of months and then I just stopped.

Merry Christmas Mack. I hope you and your family have a great time together.

Hope you and yours had a very merry Christmas, it is certainly a wonderful time of year.

DoG, Yeah lifting (especially slow) is great. I did a ton of it too back in my younger days.

Rhett and Flat, I hope you had a Merry Christmas too. Sorry I didn't respond sooner. With all the things I have had going on I have been a little AWOL from the board. Not from working out though. In fact I have actually got a lot of runs in but just haven't got around to posting them yet. Have a Happy New Year!

You must be pretty busy!!!

You still alive, Mack? Hope everything is ok.