A Runner at Heart.....Riding a Bike

It was 32 degrees this morning with more new snow.  The temperature made the snow very soft and the footing was terrible.  I ran 10.29 miles in a slow slog.  It would have been better if it was 20 degrees because the footing would have been better.  Oh what I would give for some dry pavement.......

It was still really icy from all the thawing and re-freezing so I did a treadmill run.  I ran 6.00 uneventful miles.

It was 18 degrees this morning.  The footing was a lot better today with the colder temperatures, only a few icy areas.  I ran 10.56 miles easy.

It was 30 degrees with some wind, but not too bad this morning.  We had a very light dusting of snow that hid some icy spots on un-plowed side streets, but once I dropped off the bench the streets were great.  I ran 12.31 miles

It was 31 degrees, a bit windy, and wet outside.  I guess I better enjoy it as it is supposed to be at least 30 degrees colder tomorrow morning!  I ran 10.57 miles in wet, soupy fog at times and was soaked when I got home.

It was below zero outside this morning and even worse with the wind chill so I opted for the treadmill.  I ran an easy 7.00 miles.  I may try to get in a few more tonight if I don't get home too late.

It was still cold so I did another treadmill run today.  8.00 miles.

It was 11 degrees this morning and I could run later so I ran outside.  I ran 10.58 miles easy.

It was 17 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.57 miles easy and early as I have a conference call at 8:00am.

The world is officially coming to an end!!!  I actually received a check from Devine racing for last April's Salt Lake marathon for my 3rd overall Masters placing.  Nothing like taking almost 9 months!!!!

It was 14 degrees this morning.  I ran 12.16 miles easy as my right shin is a bit sore.

It was 24 degrees this morning and a bit breezy but if felt fine because I was dressed right.  I ran 10.51 miles.

It was 32 degrees this morning with a bit of freezing rain.  It was slick in spots so I had to take it easy.  I ran 12.61 miles.

It was 17 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.21 miles early as I had to get to Rexburg.

No running today.  Our family left early for a wonderful day of skiing.  It was almost 40 degrees and sunny on the mountain.  It was spring skiing in January!!!

It was 29 degrees this morning with a fresh layer of snow.  I ran in to Barry Smith right after I started so I ran 2 miles with him before I set off on my own.  I ran 11.06 miles in the quiet morning snow.

It was wet and sloppy today with temps right at freezing.  I ran 10.53 miles.

No time for a run this morning.  I headed up to Idaho Falls first thing as I just replaced my General Manager in one of my restaurants up there and needed to be there for the first day of the new manager.  It was a busy, but good day and I think the new General Manager will do great.

It was 28 degrees and a bit windy.  I ran 10.26 miles.

It was 30 degrees and wet, sloppy, slushy this morning.  I ran 10.49 miles

It was 29 degrees this morning with fresh snow and it was VERY windy.  Winds steady at 20mph gusting over 30.  It was very slick and icy in spots and I "skated" more than just a few times but luckily I did not fall.  I ran 10.51 miles.

I made myself a deal that if I went for a run this afternoon, I could snack during the football games.  I went out at 12:30 and it was 32 degrees but the wind made it feel colder.  I ran 10.54 miles and got home in time to catch the end of the 2nd quarter of the Colts/Jets game.

It was 22 degrees with a slight breeze this morning.  I ran 12.51 miles easy as I will run faster on Tuesday.

It was 31 degrees with a fresh layer of snow and still snowing.  I wanted to run a bit faster today, but that was out the window with the slick roads.  I ran 15.48 miles nice and steady in some new shoes.

It was 30 degrees and relatively calm this morning.  The roads were much clearer today.  I ran 12.63 miles.  Feeling it a bit from the increased miles the last week....but it's all good.

It was 22 degrees and really foggy this morning.  I only ran 8.15 miles because I needed to be at work early.

It was 17 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.58 easy miles.

It was 14 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.67 easy miles....it has been a very busy week.  I will hit it hard next week.

It was a mess outside this morning and I needed to leave early so I did 10.25 on the treadmill.  Yippee fun.......NOT.

I did not have to work today so I was able to run in daylight today!!!  It was 23 degrees and icy in a few spots from yesterdays melting but I was able to navigate OK because of the light.  I ran 10.53 miles and actually had some decent miles because when you can see, you can push.  :-)

It was 18 degrees and calm this morning.  I ran 10.56 easy miles.

It was 28 degrees with a fresh layer of snow this morning.  I ran 10.52 miles.

10.66 easy miles.

10.26 easy miles.

It was 18 degrees this morning with light winds.  I ran 10.55 miles with 3 good miles early on and then eased up.  It is supposed to be an easy day anyway.

It was 14 degrees and felt very cold today.  I ran 15.58 miles in a pretty good pace.

It was 20 degrees with very light snow at times.  I ran 10.51 miles easy.

10.26 miles nice and slow.

10.63 miles in fresh snow and 28 degrees.  I haven't kept up on my blog very well this week.  Busy, busy, busy.

It was 28 degrees with fresh snow again this morning.  Wet and sloppy 10.66 miles.

It was sunny and 34 degrees this afternoon so I decided to go for a quick run.  I ran 10.52 miles and I actually wore shorts!!!  I still had to wear a jacket....but it was nice!!!

Fresh snow again this morning, kind of sloppy.  I ran 10.52 miles easy.

I ran 10.63 miles with 2 faster miles thrown in.

It was 28 degrees and gloomy this morning.  Some frozen fog areas.  I ran 10.58 miles and can't wait until spring!!!

It was 29 degrees with virtually no wind this morning.  I ran 10.58 easy miles and enjoyed what was a fairly nice morning.

It was colder this morning, 15 degrees, and I did not enjoy it as much as yesterday.  I ran 10.60 miles.  

It was 11 degrees this morning.....summer where art thou?  I ran 12.58 miles...it was cold.

It was 7 degrees this morning so I decided to do my run after church in the afternoon.  It was 24 degrees when I left and 29 when I got home.  There was a cold north wind that made it kind of nasty when I went that direction but at least it was a sunny day.  I ran 10.53 miles easy.

It was 5 degrees with a wind chill below zero so I opted for the treadmill this morning.  I ran 6.00 miles, kinda boring.  I will try to get more in tonight.

It was 7 degrees and cold again....GRRRR.  I ran 12.69 miles with some tempo miles.

It was 21 degrees this morning.  A little warmer, but the wind and intermittent snow flurries made it not as nice.  I ran 10.58 easy miles.

Icy Dog Encounter run..........  It was 30 degrees with a cold wind this morning.  It was very icy in spots from the freezing rain/snow combination we got last night so I was slow and careful.  Since I have not had a dog encounter for awhile, it was strange that I had 2 major and 1 minor ones this morning.

The first one was after about 3.5 miles just as I was running South on the street behind Costco.  I saw 2 dogs, 1 large and 1 small, running towards me on the opposite side of the street.  When they spotted me they changed directions and the chase was on.  The larger dog looked pretty vicious and was snapping and barking right on my heels.  I had to yell and threaten him several times to get him to abate.

My second encounter was just as I was climbing lower Satterfield at about 7.3 miles.  This dog came running at me from this house way up on the hill on the right side.  He did not get as close to me but he almost got hit by a car.

Just a few minutes later, right before I got to the top of Satterfield at mile 8.1 this puny dog not much bigger than a rat started barking and following me for about 3 houses.  Luckily it never actually got on the road because a car would have smooshed it for sure.

Wow...between the black ice, the wind, and the dogs it was a crazy morning.  Oh yeah....I ran 10.57 miles somewhere in the middle of all that.

It was 22 degrees but the wind made it feel a LOT colder.  I ran 10.52 miles.

It was 25 degrees with that cold breeze again.  I ran 12.42 miles before I had to rush off to work.

It was 33 degrees and a bit misty this morning.  Spring must be on the way, I actually saw a little bit of mud on the shoulder of the road.  I ran 10.54 miles.

It was 22 degrees and overcast this morning.  I ran 12.66 miles.

It was 33 degrees with some rain sprinkles this morning.  I ran 10.51 easy.

It was 33 degrees and a bit misty.  I ran 12.66 miles.

It was raining/snowing and 33 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.52 miles easy.

It was 29 degrees, sunny, with a light breeze this morning.  The sun made it warm up nicely and it was almost 40 when I got home.  I ran 15.08 miles and really enjoyed the morning.

I had to work early today so I decided to throw my running gear in my car and see if maybe....

I was able to get a run in this afternoon at 4:15pm.  I was just passing Blackfoot so I got off the freeway and snuck in an afternoon run.  It was 45 degrees and sunny with some wind but I was able to run in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.  It was GREAT. I did the entire greenway up to the archery range and back around the lake and over past the airport to make it over 10.  I ran 10.23 miles.

It was 27 degrees with a rain/snow mix.  I ran 10.56 miles.

It was 23 degrees this morning.  Just an easy 10.66 miles.

It was 23 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.52 miles.

It was 22 degrees this morning with a cold breeze.  I ran 10.57 easy miles.  Long run tomorrow.

Had a long run planned for today.  We headed out early to try and beat the incoming bad weather.  I picked up Barry Smith at 5:45 and we drove to the top of Buckskin.  We started a little after 6:00 and it was fairly nice, 29 degrees and calm.  After about 6 miles or so it started to snow, but not really bad.  After another couple of miles the wind started blowing in our faces and it was snowing harder.  It was like getting sandblasted.  

We made the turn after mile 13 and the wind was not in our face as much and the snow was more of a sleet/snow mix.  I was getting pretty soaked by this point.  By the time our ride came to get us I was running fairly slow and was glad to see them.  We ran 18.49 miles and I was not really happy about my last couple of miles.  I need more longer runs.

It was 23 degrees this morning, a bit cool.  My quads were still a bit sore from all the hills on Saturday but they loosened up after a mile or so.  I ran 10.57 miles easy.

I had the day off so I decided to run when it was warmer.  It was 50 degrees when I left so it was shorts and a light shirt time.  I ran 10.66 miles and really enjoyed the weather.  I even went for a bike ride later in the day.

It was 27 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.53 miles easy.

It was 37 degrees but it felt a lot colder with the winds.  I ran 10.71 miles easy.  Really looking forward to running in warm temps next week in Maui.

It was 27 degrees this morning but the North wind felt cold when I went that direction.  I ran 10.56 miles.  Tomorrow morning will be my last cold run for over a week.....yeah.

It was 21 degrees with a wind chill of 14 degrees this morning.  I ran earlier than normal because we needed to leave for the airport by 8:15.  I ran 10.53 miles easy in the dark.

Maui here we come!!!!

It was 70 degrees and humid, but luckily there was a good breeze this morning.  I ran 10.06 miles and probably lost my body weight in sweat!!!  This sea-level running is awesome though!!!

It was 69 degrees this morning but did not feel quite as hot because of the clouds.  I ran 10.09 miles, dripping wet again.

Now off for a day of zip-lining through the rain forest.

WOW!!!  This was an incredible day.  We drove over to Makawao which is up in the Eastern mountains of Maui.  We spent the next 3 hours zipping through different sections of the rain forest on the Piiholo ranch.  The last line was over 1/2 mile long and you reached speeds in excess of 40 mph while flying 1000 ft over the valley floor!!!

It was 69 degrees and humid again.....surprise.  I left earlier than normal this morning.  I am not used to dodging school buses at 6:15am.....these Maui kids go to school early.  I ran up to Kapalua again but I caught the Coastal Trail after mile 4 and it was great.  There was a 1/2 mile section that was pretty technical because it was nothing but lava rock with markers so you knew where to go.  I had a great time.  I ran 10.13 miles.

Today we drove down to Wailea and went on a sailing canoe trip on the ocean.  We sailed out to a reef and went snorkeling for a while then sailed back.  The sailing was good because it was windy, but the rough water also made the snorkeling visibility marginal.

It was 72 degrees this morning.  It had rained last night so everything was wet and I knew it would get real muggy as soon as the sun broke through.  I stated off before the sun came up and had a good 7-8 miles in before the sun finally made an appearance.  I ran up the same direction as yesterday but went further, completing the trail and actually running another ridge trail that had switchbacks and climbed pretty good.  I got a great, hilly workout today and needed to stick my head under the water fountain around mile 9 just to keep my sanity.

I ran 14.02 miles with some very strong miles on the way back.  I felt awesome......sweaty, but awesome.

Today we drove up to the North shore just to explore a bit and walked a couple of miles while getting some awesome pictures of the huge waves.  Then we drove over to Iao valley to explore.  It is a tropical valley that is just incredible.

Tonight we went on a sunset dinner cruise out of Lahaina.  We saw several whales as we headed out and watched the sunset over Lana'i.  It was a great evening.

It was 73 degrees when this morning.  It started to rain lightly when I began my run, then it started raining harder.  By the end of mile 1 I was totally soaked like I had already run 10.  Luckily it slowed down.  I ran 10.03 miles easy.

We took a trip today to Waihe'e valley for a hike in the rainforest.  The climates on Maui are just amazing.  Where we were hiking they get almost 400" of rain per year and yet 7 miles away the leeward coast gets only 15".  We hiked about 5 miles roundtrip and had to cross 4 swinging suspension bridges and ford 4 creeks.  We got muddy and wet but had a great time spotting waterfalls and seeing some amazing plant life.

I did not have time for a run today.  We left our condo at 5:30am to head to Kihei to began our full day trip.  We got on a powered ocean raft that held about 20 people.  We cruised down around the South end of the island to explore volcanic ocean caves and see sights that a lot of people do not get to see because there are no roads in that area.  On the way down we saw a pod of spinner dolphins that cruised by our boat.  When we got on the south side the swells were at least 10 feet high and we were getting soaked.  It was well worth it as the sights were incredible.  Our driver was able to get us in and out of these huge caves even with the high surf.  It was amazing!

Our first snorkeling spot was at an underwater lava rock formation that was full of coral and really cool fish.  Then we headed out to Molikini, which is a partially submerged crater with only about 1/3 or the circle above the water.  It is a very popular snorkeling spot and there were several other boats there.  We snorkeled there for a while and it was great.  These huge fish would come right up to you.  Then we boated around to the back side of the crater where most of the other boats don't go.  The back side has a huge coral reef right next to a 300 foot drop-off.  There was one section right next to the wall they call the "elevator".  When you are in there you literally go up and down over 10 feet with the rise and fall of the surf and take a ride with the fish.  It was unbelievable. 

After Molikini we headed back to another bay and spotted some sea turtles.  Several of us were actually able to swim right up to this huge turtle and take his picture while we were in the water.  I can't wait to see how my pictures turned out.  The turtle swam with us a bit and then submerged slowly and out of sight.

On the way back in we saw some humpback whales so the driver turned off the motors and we watched them breach and blow water for a while.  There was a group of 3 of them, a mother, a baby, and an escort.  They come to Hawaii to have their young and then head to Alaska for the summer so we were lucky enough to catch them before their trip.  The driver then dropped an underwater microphone over the side and we could hear their whale songs even as they got farther and farther away.  He said you could hear the sounds underwater for up to 2 miles.

We had lunch on the boat so we were not very hungry when we got back to shore.  We decided to head over to a local beach before our almost 1 hour drive back to our condo.  We swam in some HUGE waves and got swept to shore a couple times and had to be careful to not get hurt. 

All in all it was an awesome and exhausting day.

It was 73 degrees and raining off and on this morning.  I was glad for the overcast and rain after my sunburn from yesterday.  I ran up to the Kapalua trail for the last time and ran to the end and came back.  It was beautiful again with the waves crashing on the shore and the wind keeping me cool.  I ran 10.36 miles.

We fly home tonight after a great trip.  We will definitely come back here again.....

It was 46 degrees and windy this morning.  I was glad it was this warm after last week.  I ran 10.59 miles easy.

It was 42 degrees this morning, but very windy.  I ran 10.56 miles easy.

It was 30 degrees and a bit slick in spots this morning.  I ran 10.63 miles.

It was cold this morning.  I ran 10.51 miles easy.

It was 25 degrees this morning....another cold one.  I ran 10.68 miles easy.  Not sure about my longer run tomorrow, we are supposed have a wicked wind storm all day.

The weather was nasty this morning, icy and really strong winds, and I don't feel good at all.  No run for the day.

I woke up with a nasty headache this morning and felt very tired.  I hate having a cold.

It was 34 degrees and windy this morning.  It was a little cool running directly in to the South wind but it was rather nice the rest of the time.  I saw Kory and Barry going up Satterfield a block or so ahead of me.  Kory looked as fast as ever.  I ran 10.54 miles easy after how crappy I felt yesterday.

It was 30 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.55 miles easy.

It was 27 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.62 miles easy.

I needed to work early today so I put off my run until after work.  It was 55 degrees and VERY windy (25-35mph) the entire run.  I actually had tumbleweeds slam in to my legs and my eyes were red when I got back from all the dust.  I did enjoy running in shorts so it was OK.  I ran 11.12 miles.

It was 24 degrees with a wind chill of 15 this morning.  I was a little tired after my wind-beating last night so I ran kinda slow today.  I ran 10.52 miles easy.  Longer run tomorrow.

It was 18 degrees this morning.  I know.....but at least the winds were calm.  Pretty cold for the 10th of April.  Today was one of the strangest long runs ever.  I had planned on running with Barry Smith today.  I ran the 1/2 mile over to his house to pick him up and he said someone else was coming with us.  He was a little late because he was pulled over on the way there and got a speeding ticket.  We decided to have him park where he was and we would run to him and then run a loop with him.  His name was Matt and he wanted to go 6 miles or so.  We figured after we dropped him off we would then do a longer loop to get 20.

Right before we finished the loop with Matt, Barry's cell phone rang and it was another person who was supposed to run with us.  So we met him where we dropped off Matt and started another loop.  I had about 7 miles in at this point.  We ran the loop again, this time the opposite direction.  The 2nd runner was a kid named Taylor.   Right before we got to the top of Satterfield, I found a car key, debit card, school ID, and a gift card sitting in the middle of the street.  I stopped to pick them up because I did not want the wrong person to find them.  I caught up to the other 2 and luckily they recognized the name so we ran the stuff over to their house.

We finished the 2nd loop and I now had 12.75 miles.  We decided to run down to Reed gym because they were running a sprint triathlon today and we knew a couple people competing in it.  Not a very good day for a bike ride as it was probably still only 20 degrees or so which is FREEZING cold on a bike ride.  The swimming had been completed the night before in the ISU pool.  We wished a few people good luck and headed back home.  I dropped Barry off at his house and ran back home getting in just over 20 miles........but a weird 20 miles at that.

It was 55 degrees and windy this morning.  The temperature was great as the wind and the clouds kept it from getting cold.  Nice to wear shorts again.  I ran 10.81 miles easy with a few good miles in the middle.  I also crossed paths with Kory and Barry and ran my last mile and a half with them.

It was 36 degrees with very strong, cold winds this morning.  I ran 10.66 miles and did not have the zip I expected today.

It was 35 degrees and not quite as windy today.  I ran 10.58 miles easy.

It was 25 degrees, a bit cold but no wind.  I ran 10.53 miles.

It was 42 degrees this morning.....not too bad.  I ran in to Bob after my first mile and ran 6 miles with him, mostly on some trails above Satterfield.  It was a nice morning for it.  I ran 10.61 miles easy.

It was 37 degrees at the top of Buckskin this morning but we knew it was going to warm up nice so we ran in shorts and short sleeves.  After about 5 miles it was just perfect.  I ran with Barry Smith this morning and we wanted another long run today.  We ran 22.13 miles with 12 really solid miles after we warmed up the first 2.  Barry had a tight hamstring so we were really slow the first 2 miles to get him warmed up.  It was 57 degrees when we finished just past Century high school.  What an AWESOME morning for a run!

It was 37 degrees and calm this morning.  I ran a nice easy 6.51 miles before church.

It was 37 degrees and calm this morning.  Another great day for a run.  I ran 10.61 miles easy.  Probably going to do a semi-longer run tomorrow.

It was another nice day and I have the day off so I decided to do a nice, easy long run.  It was 37 degrees when I left and 57 when I finished.  It was a great morning.  I ran 23.12 miles easy and took an ice bath after.  Now it's time for some yard work before the weather gets worse later this week.

It was 49 degrees with wet streets this morning.  Luckily I did not get rained on but it started getting nasty after I got home.  I ran 10.66 miles easy.

It was 44 degrees with some light rain this morning.  I ran 15.29 miles with some nice tempo miles after warm up.

It was 35 degrees, foggy, and I had a new layer of SNOW in my yard this morning.  The streets were just wet, luckily.  I ran 12.41 miles easy.  Longer run tomorrow.

It was 40 degrees and fairly calm this morning.  Barry was having problems with his hamstring again so we decided not to go too long.  We met up with a bunch of other runners in the first mile and ended up running with them and then the groups split again (Barry headed back home) and I was running with a new group.  I was back alone again after 13 and finished the last 4 miles strong.  I ran 17.61 miles and this was so far my best mileage week of the year.

It was 36 degrees with some cold wind this morning.  I ran 6.61 miles just to loosen up the old legs before church.

It was 32 degrees with some wind this morning.  It was chilly until the sun rose over the hill then it was OK.  I ran 12.61 miles with 3 good miles early on then I eased-off.  Longer run tomorrow.

It was 55 degrees this morning.  That was good.  Unfortunately the wind was blowing 25-35 mph so it was a tough go of it.  I ran 16.74 miles and was glad to be done.

It was 33 degrees with nasty cold winds this morning.  I ran 10.57 miles...BRRRR.

It was 32 degrees with a wind chill of 20 this morning.  COLD.  I ran 12.55 miles.

It was 34 degrees with that stinkin' cold wind again.  I ran 10.53 miles easy.

It was 35 degrees with that cold wind again.  Today was the first race of the City's fun run series so I decided to incorporate it into my longer run as some tempo miles or something like that.  I ran to Barry Smith's house and then we picked up 2 other people to run to the starting line.  I ran 4.11 miles down to the city building.  We got there in enough time to get a drink, use the bathroom, and keep warm before the 10K.  

I ran the 10K in 41:23, not really impressive but I did what I wanted and got some nice,steady pace miles in.  I hung around after the race for the prize drawing and actually got a  $10 certificate to a restaurant so that was kind of cool.  Speaking of cool, I got a really bad chill standing outside in the wind during the prize drawings.

Once we started running home it took me about 2 miles to finally start feeling warm again.  I ran part of the way back with Barry and Liza but they were getting tired and got a ride back after about 4 miles.  I ran the last several miles by myself and actually felt pretty good when I finished.

Total miles for the day was 20.80 so I ended up accomplishing just what I wanted today.

It was 45 degrees and breezy this morning.  I ran 10.59 miles easy.  Longer tomorrow.

It was 30 degrees and VERY WINDY today.  Winds were 30-40mph.  I ran 12.54 miles and just survived the conditions, nothing else.

It was 24 degrees this morning.  Very chilly, but at least the winds died down for a bit.  I ran 10.62 miles.

It was 30 degrees, very windy, and even started SNOWING this morning.  I ran 10.56 miles and it was NASTY!

It was 24 degrees, calm, and nice when the sun came up this morning.  Compared to the rest of the week it was great.  I ran 10.12 miles easy as I ran a mile with Terry Jensen and then several miles with Bob Fisher.

I just checked the website and I got in to ST GEORGE again!  That makes 8, only 2 more until I am a 10-yr guy and have an automatic entry!!!

It was 35 degrees and mostly calm this morning.  5 of us ran down Buckskin towards town this morning, then looped around on Hiline, back up Chubbuck Rd. and then climbed back up to Satterfield and then home.  We ran several good miles and 1 tempo mile (6:10) from mile 6-7.  I ended up running 13.21 total.

It was 44 degrees with a slight breeze this morning.  I ran 8.51 miles easy.

It was 44 degrees and raining this morning.  I ran 8.56 miles and got soaked.

It was 41 degrees and breezy this morning.  I ran a nice, easy 6.63 miles.

It was 39 degrees and humid this morning after last nights rain.  I ran 7.26 miles, 5 of them with Bob so they were nice and easy.

It was 38 degrees this morning.  I ran a nice, easy 4.21 just to stay loose for tomorrow.  I don't have any grand expectations for my finish time.  I have a master plan to peak in September/October so my time tomorrow will be fairly slow compared to last year.

It all started pretty well....

I stayed the night before the race with some friends at a condo at Wolf Creek so we did not have to catch the buses early because we were able to drive to the start.  That's the good news.

It was chilly at the start (32) but you could tell the day was going to get warm very quickly, and it did.  I started in a conservative pace as I did not have any aspirations of a PR today.  I was averaging 7:01 through 6 miles and was feeling good.  I took my gel after the 6 mile mark and made sure I focused to keep my pace while I ate as I sometimes slow a bit when I do this.  Mile 7 is fairly flat and I was feeling good so I pushed the pace ever so slightly.  I did mile 7 in 6:54 and was thinking I could be under a 3:10 with how I was feeling.

Then the pain started.  That stupid lower abdominal/upper groin issue that I have had problems with started to come back.  Mile 8 was a 7:03 and things went downhill from there.  By the time I got to the half in just under 1:36 I was in major pain.  I had a decision to make.  My friend Barry passed me just before the hill after 14 and he noticed how bad I looked.  I told him that I did not know if I would finish, and at that point I really did not know.

When I got to the crest of the hill at 14.3 I stopped at the aid station and tried to stretch for a minute.  That made the pain bearable (probably a 3 or 4) and I continued on.  I ended up having to do this for the rest of the run.  I stopped at each aid station and stretched for a minute.  When I would continue on the pain would be dull but would gradually increase to about a 7 or 8 by the next aid station.  I knew that this was now a training run and I stopped looking at my watch and headed for the finish slowly.

There are only 3 reasons I finished today:

1.  This is part of the Grand Slam.

2.  It is a downhill finish from 18-23 so I could stumble my way in.

3.  I am pig-headed and probably needed the miles anyway.

After how well I did last year this was not a fun day.  This stupid pain issue only bothers me when I try to run fast.  I can run slow all day long.

It was 48 degrees, a beautiful morning.  I ran 6.52 miles as my legs are not as beat-up as they usually are after a marathon because of how easy I had to take it yesterday.

It was 42 degrees this morning.  I ran an easy 6.55 miles.

It was 57 degrees and windy this morning.  I even had a couple of rain sprinkles, but nothing serious.  I ran an easy 8.52 miles and saw Kory coming down Satterfield while I was going up.

It was 49 degrees this morning.  I ran 8.67 miles easy.

It was 46 degrees, windy, and raining this morning.  During most of the run it was a steady rain and the winds were anywhere from 10-20mph.  I ran 8.32 miles, some of them slow with Bob.

It was 33 degrees with a cold breeze this morning.  I ran 8.56 miles with 3 good miles at the end.

It was 39 degrees with really cold winds this morning.  Wind chill in the mid 20's.  I ran 10.61 miles.

It was 37 degrees, windy, raining, and generally miserable out today.  I ran 8.61 miles.

I have the day off so I decided to sleep in a bit and run later.  When I left it was 45 degrees, sunny, with some wind but overall a gorgeous morning.  I wasn't sure on how far I was running either.  I figured at least 10 but I decided to run by feel and just enjoy the day since I was in no hurry.  I stopped by the sub at ISU to get a quick drink of water after a little over 8 miles and was still feeling pretty good.  The only issue I had was my glutes hurt the entire way from last nights plyo workout.  

I headed home nice and easy and finished with 16.12 miles, my longest run since Ogden.  What a Nice Day!!!

It was 39 degrees with a light breeze and overcast this morning.  I ran 12.61 miles and really had a good pace the first 4 miles.  I had to back off because this is supposed to be a recovery day.

It was 46 degrees, overcast, and calm this morning.  I ran 15.63 miles with 7 good tempo miles in the middle.

It was 46 degrees, overcast, and calm this morning.  I ran 10.67 miles easy.  Long run tomorrow.

It was 34 degrees, windy, and rainy.....not very nice at all.  I decided to push back my long run until the weather was better, maybe Monday or Tuesday.  I ran 10.68 miles.

It was 40 degrees and sunny this morning.  I ran 6.62 miles easy.

It was 46 degrees and a bit windy this morning.  But with the sunshine it was a fabulous run.  I ran 12.51 miles with a few pick-ups thrown in.  I love running on holiday mornings....hardly any traffic.

It was 50 degrees and cloudy when I left.  Before I had even finished 1 mile it started to rain.  It was a fairly steady drizzle so it wasn't too bad until miles 9-12 when I was battling a headwind on the South Bannock Highway.  

When I made the turn at the 12 mile mark it got considerably better.  It was still raining, but now the wind was at my back.  Miles 13-16 I had a very strong pace as it was nice to not have the rain pelting my face and a tailwind.

It actually stopped raining for a while and did not start up until I had 1.5 miles to go.  I ran 23.14 wet miles.  The backs of my legs are a muddy mess.

It was 51 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.63 miles easy.

It was 54 degrees this morning.  I ran 12.58 miles.

It was 56 degrees and humid this morning.  It looks like it had just finished raining.  I ran 8.67 easy miles.

It was 55 degrees with some raindrops this morning, but nothing serious.  Today was the 2nd race of the Summer Fun run series.  The course is very hilly and has a 1.5 mile uphill finish....

I ran some warm-up miles at home before I drove over.  I did not have the time to run home after the race so I needed to drive.

I felt pretty good through the first 4 miles and I tested the groin pretty good, but struggled a little the last 2 miles with the uphill and did not want to push it too hard with Utah Valley next Saturday.

Overall, I had some good miles and hopefully I will be OK for Provo in 7 days.

It was 55 degrees with some rain this morning.  I ran 8.62 miles easy.

It was 50 degrees and sunny this morning, very nice.  I ran 8.52 miles with all but 2 at MP as a tune up for Saturday.  I hope the groin/hip holds up this time around.

It was 54 degrees this morning.  I ran 8.63 miles easy.

It was 52 degrees and breezy this morning.  I ran 6.57 miles easy.

AM:  It was 67 degrees this morning.  Definitely warmer than I am used to.  I ran 6.65 miles.  Long run tomorrow.

Let's just say it rained.....

I got to the start of a 5:30 race at 5:15 because the driver of the bus I was on did not know where he was going and missed the turn at the top and kept heading to Park City.  It was OK though because he wasn't the only one to do it and the race started 15 minutes late.  It started raining pretty good about 5 minutes before we started so we were all pretty wet.

I decided to start farther back in the pack so I wouldn't start out too fast.  I did not want a repeat of Ogden as I am still battling the same hip/groin issue.  I jumped in about 1 or so minutes after the gun and ran with the crowd.

My goal was originally to try for something between 3:15 and 3:20 depending on how the day went.

1.  7:14  Right where I wanted to be.

2.  6:57  Probably got a little carried away.

3.  7:09  Better pacing, starting to feel the pain already in the hip/groin area.

4.  7:10  Staying steady.

5.  7:08  Good.

6.  7:14  Starting to rain harder.

7.  7:52  Lots of uphill and rollers, injury hurting worse.

8.  7:59  More of the same

At this point it was decision time.  Do I stop and stretch like I did in Ogden or just soldier on?  Based on my runs the last 2 weeks, the stretching feels good but doesn't really help so my new goal was to see if I could just run the whole way without stopping no matter what the time ended up.

9.  7:17  We are back downhill again.

10.  7:29  Not too bad.  We passed last year's start line in this mile.

11.  7:45  This mile had a good portion of uphill again.  It hurt but I survived.

12.  7:28  A little better.

13.  7:36  Really raining again.  The tunnel was a nice break.

Half Split 1:37:30  I am 2 minutes behind Ogden pace, but I am determined to run a better 2nd half than I did 4 weeks ago.  I figure that if I hold a decent pace until the bottom of the canyon I will be in the 3:25 range when I slow down on the flat the last 6+ miles.

14.  7:38  I can live with this.

15.  7:53  Our last real uphill mile.

16.  7:30  Hips really not liking the downhill.

17.  7:27  Still OK.

18.  7:32  Worrying about how bad I will slow down on the flat.  I figure that if I run 8 flat through town I will be at 3:22.

19.  7:40  Last real downhill mile.

20.  7:33  I actually felt better as the course flattened out.

21.  7:31  Feeling pretty good.  Passing a lot of people now that the downhill is done.

22.  7:24  I am feeling really good now and reeling runners in like crazy.

23.  7:24  There was an uphill in this mile.....didn't seem to matter to me.

24.  7:23  Still cruising.  Hoping I can hold it.  I know I will be under 3:20 now.

25.  7:20  I can smell the finish line.

26.  7:30  Slowed by the overpass but still moving.

26.2  7:09  Tried to get it under 3:16.  Didn't quite make it.

I feel VERY GOOD about how strong I felt the last 7 miles on the flatter course.  I was able to push a better pace.  I am still not as fast as last year, but you have to train fast to run fast and I have not done that yet.  I feel VERY confident that I will be sub-3 by late summer-early fall.

It stopped raining when we got out of the canyon, so the last 6-7 miles were a bit drier.  When I took off my shoes back at the motel, however, my feet were wrinkled and pruny from how wet they were but at least blister-wise I am OK.

Still need to improve the injury issue, but I feel much better than I did after Ogden.

AM  No Run today.  Quads very stiff from downhill pounding yesterday.

PM  Chest & Back, Ab Ripper

My quads were still extremely tight from Saturday, so I decided to take it slow and work my way up on the treadmill this morning.  I started at a brisk walk pace and gradually worked up to running.  It took almost 2 miles for the legs to finally feel a little better.  The first mile felt really hard until I looked down and realized the t-mill was set on a 2% incline....DOH!

I ran 6 miles easy and the legs are a bit better.

PM:  Plyometrics

AM:  It was warm (61) and windy this morning.  I ran in a new pair of shoes this morning and I think I tied them too tight.  My left foot was getting hot and tight and I had to loosen the laces.  I ran 8.62 miles easy.  Last nights plyo workout really helped the quad tightness.  Much better today.

PM:  Shoulders/Arms, Ab Ripper

AM:  It was 52 degrees with some rain sprinkles here and there and some wind.  I ran 8.33 miles easy, 4 of it with Bob.

PM:  Yoga X, which I suck at :(

AM:  It was 39 degrees with a wind chill under 30 this morning.  Is it really June?  I tried running today with compression shorts on underneath to see if it would help with my issues lately.  It did seem to help and I was able to run 5 tempo miles without a ton of pain.  I still could feel it, but it was manageable.  I ran 8.62 miles total.  The Nirvana shoes feel great.

PM:  Legs & Back, Ab Ripper

AM:  It was 32 degrees and calm this morning.  It felt better than yesterday with the lighter winds.  I ran 8.56 miles easy.  Groin hurt more today than yesterday.

PM:  Kenpo X

AM:  It was 55 degrees this morning....beautiful!  I picked up Kory at 6:00am and we drove to the marathon course start.  We ran nice and easy down the course and I kept with him through 16 but I was getting a "hot spot" on my left foot.  Go figure?  I can run a marathon with completely wet feet last week and be fine and I get a nasty blister today?  I ended up running the last 5 miles on the side of the road as much as I could because it hurt a lot less. 

I ran 22.05 miles and it didn't get too hot until the last 5 miles, it was a great run.  Thanks Kory!

PM:  Chest & Shoulders, Ab Ripper

AM:  It was 48 degrees with light winds this morning.  I ran 12.56 miles easy.

AM:  Another nice morning.  I ran 10.59 miles easy.

I spent the rest of the day working in my daughters new house scraping walls, plastering, priming painting, etc.  Got home late and tired.

AM:  Easy 8.68 miles on a nice morning.

PM:  After work I helped move furniture and fix some other problems at Jenny's new house.  Got home late again.....tired.

AM:  It was 50 degrees this morning....very nice.  I ran 8.64 miles easy.

AM:  It was warm this morning....almost 70 and muggy.  I ran 6.65 miles easy.

This was supposed to be a race report, but it ended up a DNF report.  

I decided to run the Bone and Back 40 mile Ultra today.  I was doing well until that stupid groin issue I had in Ogden came back with a vengeance.

I was actually in first place overall at the 20-mile turnaround by about 20-30 seconds.  I passed the leader on an uphill at 18.5 and was feeling pretty good.  I stopped for a minute at the aid station and he just kept motoring on.  We had been doing this for several hours, I would stop each 5 miles and he would move ahead.  Then I would catch back up.

I started the 2nd half and the pain started getting worse.  I was still within striking distance of the leader at mile 25, when it got worse.  Even when I walked I was in pain.  I decided the better option would be to pull out of the race when I had an opportunity to make sure I did not make the injury worse. 

I made it 30.02 miles.

I need to see a doctor......this is ridiculous.

I finally got in to the doctor today.  I have been afraid to run the past few days because I was pretty sure I had a hernia and kept picturing myself running and then all of a sudden ending up in a heap on the side of the road because it strangulated and I passed out.

The doctor said it was not a regular hernia but he said it could be a "sports" hernia which is a bit different.  He has referred me to a sports medicine specialist and they are probably going to do what he called a dynamic CT scan so they could see what was going on.  

The best part of the appointment was the look on the doctors face when I told him I had to pull out of my race Saturday after ONLY 30 miles!!!  It was priceless!!!

He gave me the usual rest, ice, ibuprofen speech......as I expected.  The big worry is that I have been dealing with this off and on since last fall.  Rest has not made it go away so I think it might be the sports hernia, which is hard to diagnose and DOES require surgery.

It will probably be more time before I know....GRRR.

It was 60 degrees this morning.  I decided to run easy and see how it felt.  I feel pretty much the same as I have the last few weeks.  Nagging groin pain.....but manageable.  I ran 6.61 miles easy.

It felt good to run again....even if it was slow.

It was 64 degrees and windy this morning.  I ran 6.55 easy miles.  Pain level still the same.

It was 45 degrees with cold winds this morning.  I ran 8.68 miles easy.  Pain still about the same.

It was 50 degrees with light winds this morning.  It was very nice.  I ran 6.63 miles with 3 faster miles and the discomfort did not start until I was 5 miles in.

AM:  It was 58 degrees with a light breeze at 5:30.  I ran a little earlier as we have a long drive today.  I ran 8.65 miles.

AM:  It was 42 degrees and humid from the rain yesterday.  We are in Seeley Lake, Montana at my parents house for a visit.  I always like running up here because it is gently rolling empty roads through the forest.  I ran 11.34 miles and the injury was not too bad due to the lack of hills.

NOON:  We drove to the Morrell Falls trailhead and the entire family hiked to the falls.  It is a 5+ mile roundtrip hike.  We stopped for a while at the falls and hiked back out.  I started picking up the hiking pace with 1.5 miles to go so I could change shoes because I had a plan.

3:20PM:  I packed my running gear in the car so I could run back to town if I wanted to, and I did.  I ran back to my parents house.  The first 7.58 miles are a rolling dirt road through the forest.  After how good I felt the first mile I decided to tempo run until I hit the pavement.  I had some incentive too.  When I started running, not everyone was back off the hiking trail yet so I wanted to see how far I could get before the cars passed me.  It was about 65 degrees with some nice winds that felt good.  I kept all the 7.58 miles between 6:58 and 7:12 and was having a blast.  My legs REALLY liked the softness of the dirt road.

By the time the cars passed me I had flown through 6 miles and was almost done with the tempo.  I ran 9.72 miles.

Not a bad day.....I ran over 21 miles and hiked a bit more than 5.  I love vacation.

AM:  It was 42 degrees and sunny/clear this morning.  I ran 8.47 miles easy after my big day yesterday.  I was, however, keeping a close eye on wildlife this morning.  I normally see lots of deer running around but last night we had a Black Bear wander through the property so I was extra careful.

Spent the day at the lake swimming with the family.  In the evening we golfed 9 holes on a beautiful course.  I am a horrible golfer but it was a lot of fun.

It was 46 degrees, another nice morning in the forest.  I ran 10.38 miles easy.

Today we rented a pair of WaveRunners and spent the entire day on the water.  Temps were in the mid 80's and we had a blast.

It was 48 degrees this morning and beautiful sunshine again.  I ran 10.42 miles with some good tempo in the middle.  Now off to another day at the lake before we go home tomorrow.

AM:  It was 58 degrees with a light breeze this morning.  I ran 10.62 miles with 3 really surprising miles in the middle that were of little effort.  It was probably because of the 2 days off due to travel both days.  

It was 66 degrees and windy this morning.  It did not cool off much last night.  I ran 12.66 miles with 6 good tempo miles.

It was 49 degrees today , but at least the winds are lighter.  I ran 10.58 miles easy.

It was 47 degrees with light winds today.  I am enjoying these cooler mornings.  I ran 10.71 miles.

It was 48 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.67 miles easy.

It was 71 degrees and muggy at 5:30 this morning.  Barry Smith picked me up and we drove to the top of Buckskin to run some of the marathon course.  It was 67 at the top and a bit cooler down the back side.  Luckily the cloud cover held up so it did not get overly hot.  We hit 101 yesterday so it was a concern.

We ran 19.05 miles with some decent speedplay from mile 14 on.  I ran a couple 6:40's while Barry chased and he ran some 7:00's while I chased.

It was 66 degrees and a bit windy this morning.  It felt a bit warm to me.  I ran 10.61 miles with a few pick-ups.

It was 53 degrees and breezy this morning.  It felt great.  It did, however, warm up quickly after the sun came up.  I ran 16.11 miles in a new pair of 2140's.  Nice, mid-distance run.

It was 56 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.57 sluggish miles after all the work I did at my daughter's house yesterday.

It was 58 degrees this morning.  I ran 12.68 miles.

It was 53 degrees and windy this morning.  Pretty comfortable.  I ran 10.59 miles easy.

It was 50 degrees this morning, nice and cool.  I ran 15.86 miles easy.

It was 63 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.62 miles easy, 2.5 of them with Bob.

It was 62 degrees when I left this morning and 72 when I got home.  The humidity must have been high because I was sweating buckets today.  I ran 15.51 miles.

WELL......I finally got a diagnosis on my groin/abdominal issue that has been plaguing me for months now.  I got in to see the sports-med doctor today.  After talking to him and doing some initial testing he was sure I had a sports hernia.  He did an ultra-sound and said that it was NOT a sports hernia because the muscle was still attached.  The he found something else just adjacent to that area.  My tendon has pulled away from the pubus bone and I have a bone spur there and the gap has filled-in with the wrong stuff.  Officially it is called Abdominus Rectus Tendonosis.  It is an overuse/imbalance injury that he has seen before.  

The good news is that it can be healed without surgery and I do NOT have to stop running.  He said if I was younger, say 25 or so, my body would have flooded the area with blood to heal it but because I am 46 the blood flow is not as good so my body did not recognize the actual injury very well.  I was very impressed with his knowledge on the subject and his expertise with the ultrasound.  From what I have read, not very many doctors are that proficient in ultrasound diagnosis of this kind.  Luckily, he is the doctor that all the university track and cross-country runners go to in this area.  If there is an expert....he is it!!!

He has prescribed a nitroglycerin patch that I will wear while sleeping to increase the blood flow to the area to facilitate the healing.  He said the only reason it will work is because I am thin enough because the patch has to be within about 1 1/2 inches from the injury.  Thank goodness for being thinner due to running.  I also have to do specific exercises to strengthen other muscles.  I will see him again in 3 weeks to check my progress.

Needless to say I am OVERJOYED to have a specific diagnosis and a plan to heal.  I can still run although I may not be very fast as intensity does cause it to flare-up more.

Did not run today....

Left early this morning to take my son to the MTC in Provo.  He will be there for 2 months and then he is off to El Salvador to serve his mission.  I cannot put in to words the different emotions I have felt this week.  Those of you who have experienced this know what I mean.  I will miss him terribly but I am so proud of him and I know he will bless the lives of the people he will serve.

It was 53 degrees this morning and the air was really fresh from all the rain last night.  I ran 10.63 miles, 4 of them with Bob, in a fairly easy pace.

It was 53 degrees with a nice breeze this morning.  I ran 10.44 miles with some really nice pick-up miles towards the end.

It was 53 degrees at the top of Buckskin this morning.  I ran the marathon course by myself because my normal Saturday partner is running the Spudman triathlon in Burley today.  It seemed like a longer run by myself.  I ran 22.11 miles and felt pretty good.

10.68 miles.

It was 60 degrees and humid this morning.  I ran 12.59 miles.

It was 55 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.29 miles, 6 of them with Jed, who I have not run with in a long time.

It was 65 this morning....felt warm. I ran 10.52 miles easy.

Warm morning.  I ran 10.67 miles.

It was nice this morning, 55 degrees.  I ran 12.58 miles.

It was 65 degrees and overcast this morning.  I ran 2.50 miles over to my mother-in-laws house to run with my sister-in-law who is visiting from Kimberly.  She is training for her first half-marathon here in Pocatello in a month.  We ran together for 5 miles at a 9:12 avg which she said was the best she has ever run.  Then I ran 2.50 miles home.  I am going to run the entire half-marathon course with her tomorrow.  This will be her longest run.

It was about 55 degrees at the top of Buckskin this morning.  OK.....here was the plan.  I was going to start at 5:30am at the marathon start and my sister-in-law was going to start at 7:00am at the half start.  The plan was I would catch up to her and run most of the half course with her.

That was the plan....

I got a late start and did not start running until 5:50.  By the time I was closing in on Inkom I was behind schedule and was probably 1-2 miles behind her, so I cut straight in to Inkom at mile 12 so I could catch her.  When I hit the main road she was nowhere to be found.  I looked back towards the start and could not see her and figured she HAS to be in front of me.  She probably got an early start so I needed to push it to catch her.  So I did.

After mile 20 I still did not see her and was asking passing bicyclists and runners if they had seen anyone and nobody had.  I figured if she started at 6:45 instead of 7:00 she was still in front of me so I pushed all the way in to Ross Park hoping she was there.  She wasn't.

My wife drove up about 15 minutes later to pick us up and used her phone to call and she was about 1.25 miles from the finish.  As it turns out, she got started LATE and took a wrong turn in Inkom, even though we drove the course last night.  She also stopped a couple times to take pictures because she said the Inkom area was so pretty?  Never heard anyone say that before...

The good news is she ran the entire half course plus some extra, by herself, and feels GREAT.  She will have a very fun first race in 3 1/2 weeks.

I also got a good workout with a solid 24.26 miles in about 2:57 so all is good.

It was 53 degrees this morning.  I ran a nice easy 8.47 miles.  I was tired after my run yesterday morning and then I spent the rest of the day helping my next door neighbors daughter/son in law move in to their new house.  I then got a 2 hour massage last night so my body is beat up.

It was 53 degrees with some rain this morning.  I ran an easy 10.66 miles.

It was 49 degrees, nice and cool this morning. I ran 8.64 miles easy.

It was 45 degrees this morning.  I ran just over 4 miles to the race start picking up Barry Smith on the way.  I ran the race at a steady, but not too hard pace to test where I am injury-wise.  It hurt a bit, but it was manageable.  I finished in 42:52, which is where I thought I would be.  Just for comparison, last year I was 2nd overall in about 38:30.

It was 52 degrees, but it felt a bit cool.  I must be used to warmer temps.  I ran 8.16 miles easy, 4 of them with Bob.  Nice, easy recovery run.

It was 52 degrees this morning.  I ran a nice, easy 8.64 miles before spending the day with Sue setting up her classroom for the year.

It was 70 degrees this morning.....UGH.  I ran 6.62 miles easy.  My left IT band is bothering me and it is taking 3 miles or so to loosen up each day.

It was warm (69) and windy this morning.  I ran 5.80 miles easy with a couple pick-ups just to check the injury.  Park City will just be a fun run for me.  Hoping for a better recovery by St. George.

This is NOT a race report.  I completed the Park City marathon, but I did it like an ultra with lots of walk breaks.  I met lots of nice people and talked to a bunch of new people.  I kept my injury issue fairly calm so it was mission accomplished.  And yes, it took me just over 4 hours :(

I haven't been able to run the last couple days.  My left knee is killing me, especially first thing in the morning.  I think it is my IT band.  I managed to get  some miles in today, but they were slow and painful.

As I ran in pain, I thought about what Kory and his family are going through.  He had surgery yesterday and they put a rod in his leg for his broken femur.  He is supposed to be in the ICU for a while so I can't visit him yet.

It was 65 degrees and windy this morning.  I was able to manage 6.53 miles and the IT Band was bearable.  I am still up in the air about the Pocatello Marathon in 8 days.....

It was 56 degrees and muggy since it just rained.  I ran 5.76 miles easy, the IT Band still hurting.

It was 43 degrees, windy and raining lightly this morning.  It felt more like late September, early October than late August.  I started working with a foam roller Saturday night to try and work out this IT Band issue.  Kory had Barry bring it over so I could try it out.  It hurts but I think it will help.  I also noticed Friday night that my knee feels really good after I do a weight workout.  So I tried something this morning.  I did a modified leg workout before my run this morning.  It seemed to help except my calves hurt when running because the workout really pumps them up.

I ran 6.52 miles easy in the light rain and the IT Band was a bit better.

The marathon is in 5 days......still don't know.....

OH.......If anyone is coming to Pocatello this weekend for the marathon/half and needs a place to crash I have extra room.

Just a nice, easy 6.68 miles to keep as loose as possible.  IT Band still hurts, but manageable.

It was 54 degrees and windy this morning.  I ran 5.75 miles easy.  The IT Band started tight but loosened up a bit as I went farther.

It was 44 degrees with a cool breeze this morning.  I ran 5.79 easy miles.  IT Band still the same...tight at first, then a bit better.  I don't know what it will do over a long distance.

It was tough...but I finished.....

I have been battling IT Band issues for about 2 weeks now.  I cut back my miles and did my best to heal it....

I felt the same in the morning as I have been feeling.  My left IT Band was tight so I knew it would be a long day.  My goal was to finish and I was unsure if I would.  I had a good talk with Kory Friday night and between some wonderful prayers and positive thoughts I made it through.  I was sitting alone on the bus and said one last prayer on the way up.

I started out about mid-pack after the first half-mile and just settled in to my pace.  Barry Smith passed me in the first mile and told me my running looked funny, like I was in pain.  I knew my stride was going to look bad as I was favoring the left knee.  I told him good luck and just soldiered on.

As the sun cam up I looked at my Garmin and my pace wasn't too bad.  I was averaging a 7:12 by the time I started the out-and-back at mile 7/8.  I saw a few familiar faces as I headed up and back and that helped as well.  I was thinking if I could have a 7:30 average at the half I could limp in an 8:30 average in the 2nd half and still be around 3:30.

I hit the half in 1:36, a bit ahead of schedule.  Unfortunately, my abdominal tendonosis started to hurt so I had decisions to make.  I was heading in to the classic Catch-22.  I have been dealing with this abdominal issue for months and while it is improving, I last a lot longer if I take a few walk breaks to keep the pain at bay.  Here is where the Catch-22 comes in to play.  I also knew that if I stopped to walk, my IT Band would tighten up and I would have a hard time getting going again.  To add to that, I was beginning to need a bathroom stop.

I decided to push as far as I could before my first stop because I did not want to deal with the IT Band getting worse.  It was hurting, but I could deal with it.  The miles coming through Inkom and on the old highway were starting to get a bit ugly.  I saw Sue and Nicole around mile 17 and they helped my spirits.  Sue later told me that I looked like my hands were clenched and my face was in a severe grimace.  I was indeed running through pain, but to be honest I was not feeling that bad or I was ignoring it pretty well.  As I passed each mile marker I just said "Kory" under my breath.  I knew he was praying for me and I cannot thank him enough as I felt that strength carry me through.

By the time I hit the 20 mile mark, I knew I had to stop for a minute.  I used the porta-potty and when I stepped out, the 10K race started right in front of me.  I spent the last 6 miles weaving my way through 10K walkers, then 10k slower runners, then 5K walkers, and so on.  It was a bit exhausting.  I stopped and walked at mile 23 and again at mile 25. 

When I was getting ready to run again at the mile 25 aid station I saw Teena getting a drink.  I asked her how she was doing and she asked me to push her in for a PR.  This was all I needed to finish with a decent mile.  We worked our way around the slower runners and walkers and finished strong.  She got her PR by a minute and I was honored to be a small part of it.

This was my 10th Pocatello Marathon and it was my slowest (3:32).  But I will take it as an injury PR and to be honest I was just happy to finish.  I got to talk to lots of great people in the shady finish area.  Jeff won the half, Dan Bruner got a 2:50, Teena got a PR.  I met Smooth and her husband, they are GREAT people.

I want to thank Kory again....he helped me a ton this day!  He knows what I mean.

I am hoping to be a lot healthier by St.George.