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

I spent the balance of this week sicker than I have been in years.  It started the day of our ski trip.  I have had fever, body aches, stomach cramps,...you name it.  I had to stop everything for several days.

I decided I felt good enough to try running again.  While not at 100% yet I know that exercise will make me feel better.

I ran 3.00 miles easy on the treadmill before church today.

I ran another 3.00 easy treadmill miles before dinner just to try and make it a fairly productive day.

It is 3-below outside so I am still on the treadmill.  I ran 5.00 easy miles this morning.  The only sickness effects are a slight cough and a stuffy head when I wake up.

I ran another 3.00 on the treadmill before dinner.

8.00 treadmill miles this morning.  Still feeling better every day!

4.00  Treadmill miles in the evening.

8.00 miles on the treadmill again this morning.  The weather is looking a bit warmer so I might actually get back outside this week.

I felt really crappy again this morning....lots of coughing and stuffy head.  Decided to bag the run to see if I could feel better.

I felt much better today.  Still some coughing but as soon as I had run for 3-4 minutes it subsided.  I was planning on running 6 but I was feeling so much better that I picked up the pace after 4 and then again after 6.  I ran 8.00 miles on the treadmill.

It was 24 degrees this morning with a wind chill of less than 15 at most times.  It wasn't too bad except when I ran directly in to the wind.  I ran 10.62 miles.  

It was 8 degrees this morning and there was a fresh layer of snow making it hard to see the slick spots so I opted for the treadmill instead.  I ran 10.00 miles while watching the last half of "Rudy" on the TV.  It was a nice, motivating movie to get me through the run.

It was 7 degrees with the roads still slick so I am still inside.  I ran 10.25 miles on the treadmill.

It was 1 degree with a frozen mix in the air so I stayed inside again because I wanted a longer run.  I ran 13.25 miles on the treadmill, my longest run of the new year so far.

I ran 10.25 on the treadmill this morning.  I am really excited about my mileage this week.  I feel like I am starting to get that drive back that went missing with my injuries last year!

I had an early conference call this morning so I ran on the treadmill again.  I ran 12.25 miles while watching "Spirit of the Marathon".  It showed up yesterday from Netflix.  I have never seen it before.  It sure made the run go by quickly.

It was really icy outside after the snowstorm last night so I am still inside.  I ran 10.25 miles on the treadmill.

It was 36 degrees with some cold wind, but actually a nice day for January.  I ran 15.28 nice, steady miles.

It was raining with winds over 30mph this morning so I stayed on the treadmill.  I ran 10.25 miles.

It was 35 degrees with some wind this morning.  I ran 15.34 miles easy on my ISU loop.

We got buried in heavy wet snow last night so it was a treadmill day again.  I ran 10.25 miles.

It is still VERY Icy outside after yesterdays snow and partial melting so treadmill again.  I ran 12.25 miles and picked the pace up just a bit.

Still pretty ICY so treadmill day again.  I ran 10.25 miles.

It was 29 degrees and windy this morning.  Not as nice as I had hoped.  I ran 15.37 miles.

We played hookey today and took Nicole skiing at Pomerelle.  It was a beautiful, sunny day with some cold winds but all-in-all a wonderful day to hit the slopes!

A nice, steady 10.25 miles on the treadmill with freezing fog outside.

We received about 6 inches of heavy, wet snow this morning so it was treacherous outside.  I ran 13.25 miles on the treadmill before clearing the snow.

Still really icy out...treadmill again.  10.25 miles.

Another treadmill run as my neighborhood is a sheet of ice.  I ran 10.25 miles on the treadmill.

Another 10.25 uneventful miles on the treadmill.......

It was 10 degrees and foggy this morning.  I ran 15.37 miles on my ISU loop.

Early run, fresh snow covering ice so I stayed indoors.  I ran 10.25 miles on the treadmill.

12.25 treadmill miles.  Wind chills are 20-30 below this morning.

10.25 treadmill miles.  Still way below zero wind chills outside.

10.25 treadmill miles.

8.25 treadmill miles.

It was 15 degrees with some cold winds this morning.  I ran 10.63 miles.

It was 16 degrees outside but the winds were light so it was pretty good after I got warmed up.  I ran 6.52 nice, easy miles.

8.25 treadmill miles.

10.25 treadmill miles.

8.25 treadmill miles.

10.25 treadmill miles.

8.25 treadmill miles.

Barry Smith and I ran the marathon route from Century High School to Inkom and back this morning.  It started out with a very cold wind but luckily it calmed down after we went around the gap.  We took it easy on the way out and picked it up on the way back with 1 tempo mile from 9-10.  Overall a nice, relaxing run on a cold (~20 degrees) morning.

It was 20 degrees but nice and calm this morning.  I ran 8.53 miles easy around my neighborhood.

It was 42 degrees this morning.  That was the good news.  The wind was blowing steady at 30+ mph gusting over 40mph.  I ran 13.11 miles with my pace all over the place depending on the wind direction.  Strong winds just wipe me out!

It was 40 degrees outside this morning......BUT with 30-40mph winds!  I ran 8.63 miles easy in a new pair of shoes.

The streets were VERY Icy this morning after the storm last night so I stayed on the treadmill.  I ran 10.25 miles.

8.25 treadmill miles this morning.

It was fairly chilly this morning. I ran 14.33 easy miles.

8.25 treadmill miles.

It was very icy out this morning,so still on the treadmill.  10.25 miles.

8.25 treadmill miles.

It snowed a little more last night so the streets were very slick.  I ran 10.25 treadmill miles.

We received several inches of snow last night so it was a treadmill day again.  I decided to shovel my driveway and sidewalks before my run so I wouldn't have to go outside all sweaty to shovel.  It seemed like a good idea.  I ran 8.25 miles, came back upstairs, and it snowed enough during my run and shower that I need to shovel again!!!

It was 10 degrees, but at least the winds were calm.  I ran 14.67 easy miles.

6.25 treadmill miles this morning.

The temperature wasn't too bad this morning, but it is still really icy in spots and the wind was blowing up to 30mph so I opted again for the treadmill.  I ran 8.25 miles.

10.25 treadmill miles.

8.25 treadmill miles.

10.25 treadmill miles.

Felt under the weather today and had to work early so I decided to take it easy today.

I picked up Barry Smith at 6:15 and we drove to the start of the marathon course.  The temperature was OK (32) but we had pretty strong headwinds the first 13 miles which made it feel colder and slowed our pace.  We ran 16.28 miles.

It was 30 degrees and calm this morning.  I ran 8.63 easy.

It snowed a bunch last night.  I ran 10.25 miles on the treadmill, then shoveled the walks.

It was 33 degrees but pretty windy.  I ran 8.56 miles.

It was about 40 degrees, which was good; but the winds were very strong out of the South-East at 25-30mph.  I ran 10.53 miles, slow against the wind, fast with the wind :)

I ran an easy 8.66 miles this morning in 30 degree temps but still very windy.

It was 27 degrees with light winds this morning.  Barry and I had hitched a ride to the top of Buckskin to run part of the marathon course with several other runners.  As we started, we realized we would be waiting for almost an hour at the drop car for the others to get there.  And...it wasn't our car anyway.  So we decided after 6 miles to turn around, run back up Buckskin, and then run down the Pocatello side back home.  We ran 17.26 miles, fast downhill, slow uphill.

It was 36 degrees, not too bad this morning.  I ran 8.56 miles.

It was 33 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.69 miles.

It was 33 degrees and raining this morning.  I ran 8.61 easy miles.

It was 31 degrees this morning with some VERY Cold wind.....  I ran 10.66 miles.

It was 30 degrees with cold winds again.  I ran 8.25 miles easy.

Barry sent me a text yesterday and asked me if I wanted to run 11 miles today with him and Dallin.  I said OK, not thinking who Dallin is.  When I ran over to Barry's house and saw it was Dallin Farnsworth, I knew it was going to be a long morning.  I have not been feeling great and speed has not been with me lately.  

For those of you who don't live around here, Dallin Farnsworth is a Junior in high school and one of the best cross-country and track runners in the country.  He raced last Friday in New York City in the New Balance Indoor Championships and finished 4th in the nation behind 3 seniors and missed the all-time record for a junior by 1.5 seconds.  He is racing again next week at another national meet at Stanford.  The kid is fast....

 When we started, Barry told him we would start slow and then run some tempo miles later on.  We ran up to Satterfield, down the hill, and back up to Monte Vista.  Then Barry said we would tempo the next 2 miles just past Syringa Elementary school.  We started picking up the pace and I could not keep up with them.  I ran a 6:30 mile and was lagging way behind.  Dallin didn't even break a sweat.

We even had him run an extra mile loop on the ISU campus while we headed back North, but he caught us before we got to Alameda Park. 

Overall, this was actually one of my better paced runs this year, but I felt like a slug next to this great runner.  It's actually pretty cool that he only lives a few blocks from me.  There must be some genetic thing going on in his family because all the state/course records that Dallin is breaking were held by his older brother Taylor, who runs for BYU now.

I feel old and tired...

It was 39 degrees with some light winds this morning.  I ran 8.54 miles fairly easy and mostly in the dark.

The plan was to run over to Kory's house this morning, run 5-6 miles with him, and then run home.....that was the plan.....

When I got up this morning we were in a blizzard.  There was 4+ inches of heavy wet snow with 30+mph winds.  I decided to just drive over to Kory's instead because the roads were so bad and it is always better by his house because he lives more on the valley floor.

Kory, Barry, and I ran 6 miles in the slop, slush and heavy winds but it wasn't too bad because we spent the whole time talking and catching up since it has been a long time since I have talked to either of them.  It was good to see Kory running again....

I am not too worried about the mileage today as I am going to spend all day outside loading a construction dumpster with stuff from my yard....it is such a lovely day (not) for it.

I was way too wiped-out this morning after all the outside work I did yesterday.  My back and shoulders are killing me, but at least I completed all the destruction and hauling away I wanted to finish!

It was 37 degrees with light winds this morning.  I actually ran without the windbreaker and stocking cap!  I ran 10.20 easy miles, the last couple with Lowell and Terry.

It was 27 degrees this morning.  I ran 8.63 miles easy.

It was 27 degrees this morning with some cold breezes on the back side of Buckskin.  Barry and I ran the marathon course all the way to Century High School without the out and back at mile 7.  We ran 20.21 miles and kept a good pace the whole way.  My pain level was lower than it has been in quite a while.

It was 31 degrees and snowing this morning.  Luckily, the winds were fairly mild.  I did my Tuesday run today because I have to be in Rexburg fairly early tomorrow and will not have as much time.  I ran a couple miles before I met up with a newer running group Barry Smith started on M-W-F.  I ran 3.5 with them with a couple faster miles thrown in.  I then ran another 6.7 on my own to finish with 12.23 for the morning.  It snowed the whole time.

It was 25 degrees this morning.  I ran 8.55 easy miles.

It was 36 degrees but very windy at times this morning.  I ran 2 miles before I met up with Barry's group, then I ran 4.5 with him.  After I dropped him off I ran another 4.2 on my own for a total of 10.74 miles.

It was 45 degrees but VERY Windy this morning.  I ran 8.61 easy miles as I was tired from working very late last night.

It was 45 degrees and sunny today.  I ran 10.66 miles easy.

It was 53 degrees and windy at the top of Buckskin this morning.  YAY....shorts weather!  Barry wanted to tempo the first part of our long run today.  I was tired after the week I have had at work but agreed to do my best.  I was able to tempo the first 11 miles and averaged a 6:56 until that point.  I spent the next 9 miles paying for it as I was really tired and worn out from lack of sleep this week.  I ran 20.68 miles in all.

It was 31 degrees with some wind this morning.  I ran 2.05 miles before I met up with the MWF group.  I ran almost 5 miles with them and then another 1.6 on my own.  Total of 8.61 miles with a couple fast miles thrown in.

It was 44 degrees this morning and VERY Windy.  I ran 10.58 easy as I did not want to fight the wind that much.

It was 31 degrees with light winds this morning.  I ran 2 miles then met up with the MWF group.  We had 13 runners this morning, a new record.  After running 1.35 with the beginners, Barry and I ran another 4.25, then I ran home.  Total miles 8.55

It was 34 degrees and very wet outside.  It stopped snowing/raining for the most part before I started.  I ran 6.51 miles easy before my long drive today.

It was 54 degrees in Moab this morning but winds were 25-30mph this morning.  I hope it calms down for tomorrow.  I ran 5.15 easy miles.

I ran this as strictly a training run as part of a road trip with my friend.  The conditions were great until we turned south at mile 16.5.  The next 9.7 miles were against winds steady at 30 and gusting even higher.  I actually felt great at the end and would have easily been under 3:30 if not for the wind.  My injury held up pretty well too.

It was 42 degrees with 10-15mph winds this morning.  After Saturday it felt like nothing!  I ran a couple miles before running 1.5 with our new runner group.  Then I ran a few miles with Barry before running home.  Total of 8.21 easy miles.

It was 37 degrees with light winds and a few rain sprinkles this morning.  I ran a couple warm-up miles before doing 3 fairly decent tempo miles.  Then I ran easy and did the last 2 with Lowell and Terry who are going to Boston this weekend.  GOOD LUCK GUYS!!!  I ran 11.22 total miles.

It was 35 degrees this morning with some wind.  I ran 2 miles before meeting up with our beginners group.  WE HAD 21 RUNNERS THIS MORNING!!!  A new record!!!  I think it helped that we bribed everyone with Free Taco coupons for running.  I gave double coupons to the first timers.  I ran 1.5 with the new group and then finished another 7 on my own for a total of 10.66 miles.

It was 31 degrees with really cold winds this morning.  Luckily the snow last night only stuck to the grass and the roads were clear.  I ran 10.63 miles easy.

It was 31 degrees this morning but the winds were much calmer.  I ran 2 miles up to our group run and then 1.5 with them.  We had around 20 again this morning.  The I ran 3 with Barry and Chad and then 3.5 on my own.  Total 10.03 miles.

It was 45 degrees and windy on the top of Buckskin this morning.  We actually saw 2 young moose on the side of the road about 3 1/2 miles in to the run.  They looked like they were about a year old.  We never saw their mom but we were really careful.  We had some strong winds off and on but I had a good solid run, especially considering I ran a marathon last week.  I ran some tempo miles the last 2 1/2 miles in to Inkom and felt really strong.  In total I ran 21.13 miles to finish the week just over 71.

It was 41 degrees with steady rain this morning.  My sister in law Kathy was in town so we came over this morning to run with us.  We ran the 2 miles to meet the MWF group.  We actually had 18 runners even with the rain today!  We ran 1.5 miles with them and then Kathy wanted some hill work because she is running a 5 mile section of a relay in June that is all uphill.  I took her down and then back up Satterfield.  Then I dropped her off at the house and did a bit more.  I ran 10.12 easy miles in total.

It was 28 degrees with a wind chill of 16 when I left this morning.  It didn't warm up hardly at all during the whole run.  I was cold whenever the sun was behind the clouds.  I ran 20.15 easy miles on my standard loop all around the town.

It was 23, yes 23 degrees this morning!!!  I ran a couple miles before meeting with our group.  We had 20 runners!  We have some of them up to 2 miles now.  Then I ran a few more with Barry and Chad throwing in 1 tempo mile in the middle.  I finished by myself for a total of 10.06.

It was 36 degrees this morning with very little wind.  I ran 10.71 easy miles.

It was 25 degrees this morning.  I wore shorts anyway....I am just defiant.  We had 23 show up for our group run this morning.  Everyone that showed up got a FREE case of Gatorade from our "anonymous" donor.  Our group is really starting to look good.  After the group run I ran another 3 with Barry and Chad, then finished on my own.  Barry is not going to run longer tomorrow so I am searching for a running partner or at least a ride for tomorrow's planned 22.

It was 28 degrees with cold winds this morning.  I didn't feel really great so I only went 10.62 today.

It was 31 degrees and sunny this morning.  I decided to run today because I felt like a slouch after only going 10 yesterday.  It was actually a beautiful morning for a run.  I ran 10.56 miles with 3 tempo miles that felt really easy.

It was 40 degrees but the cold winds made it feel a lot colder.  The wind chill was below 30.  I managed to get 5 miles in before running with our new runner group.  I ran 2 more with them, then another 3.5 with Barry and Chad.  Finished with another couple miles by myself for 13.15.  I already have a good start to my planned BIG mileage week.

It was 31 degrees, windy, and SNOWING this morning.  Isn't it almost May?  I did my loop around Pocatello and slogged-out my 20-miler.  Not exactly an enjoyable run.  I was soaked when I got home but it is done.

It was 31 degrees but WAY nicer than yesterday.  It was a clear morning and as soon as the sun came up the temperature felt fine.  I ran 4 miles before our group run this morning.  I went another 2 with the group then went 4 more with Barry and Chad.  We think we have figured out the course for our running group's 5K and BBQ this summer.  I finished with Chad and then ran a couple with Kristin.  Total miles 13.05.

It was 45 degrees and very windy this morning.  Besides the wind it was pretty nice.  I ran an easy 15.61 on my university loop.

It was 30 degrees and snowing when I left the house this morning.  Luckily the snow tapered off after a mile or so.  I ran 4 miles before our group run, then I did 2.3 with the faster group (we upped the mileage 10% today).  After that I ran 3.5 with Barry , Chad, and Kristin before running home.  I threw in 4 tempo miles which seemed fairly easy, especially with my mileage this week.  Total for the day 10.31.  Long run (22) tomorrow.

It was 25 degrees at the top of Buckskin this morning according to my car thermometer which normally reads a bit high.  I was in shorts because....I just was.  I ran a good tempo for the first 13 miles then I slowed when I hit the very cold headwinds coming out of Inkom.  I ran 22.06 miles and feel a bit tired from the week but definitely not dead.

It was 30 degrees and sunny this morning.  I ran 10.58 easy miles, quads a bit tight after the hills yesterday.

It was 32 degrees and calm this morning and it was actually getting light when I left at 5:30!  I ran 4 miles before our group run then ran 2.3 with them.  Then Chad and I ran another 5 before I ran home.  Total 13.16 miles on a beautiful, sunny morning.

It was 42 degrees but a bit windy this morning.  I did my nice, slow, long Tuesday run around the entire city this morning.  I just took my time as I have been pushing pretty hard the last couple of weeks.  Total 20.73 miles.

It was 33 degrees this morning.  I ran 3 miles before our group run.  Today we did strides for 30 seconds after we had warmed up.  Chad and I did 5 strides of 30 seconds at sub-5:00 pace.  The rest of the group did 4-5 or the new runners pushed their walk break deeper in to their run today.  Everyone did great.  Then I ran 3.5 miles with Chad and Lowell before finishing on my own.  Total 12.27 miles.

It was 33 degrees with some winds, but a pretty nice morning.  I ran 15.40 miles and really had trouble getting my pace up.....I just felt slow today.  My shins are a bit tender so I will need to keep an eye on them.

It was 50, yes 50 degrees this morning!!!  I ran in a short sleeve shirt...  YAY Spring!  I ran 3.7 miles before our group run.  Ran 2.3 with the group, then ran another 3.5 with Chad before running home.  Total 10.12 easy miles.  10K tomorrow in the middle of a longer run.

It was 50 degrees and drizzling off and on this morning.  Very Humid.  I ran over to Barry's house and we ran the 4.1 miles down to the race start.  I decided a couple days ago that I wanted to run this 10K with Kory so I found him at the start.

We started out nice and slow and picked up the pace a bit every mile.  Once Kory got warmed-up his form went from an uneven stride favoring his leg to his old, smooth stride.  By the time we were running up 2nd Ave on the last mile and a half he was looking great.....and pulling away from me!  Our splits were 7:45, 7:38, 7:20, 7:23 (uphill), 6:41, and 6:43.  He beat me by 10 seconds over the last .7 miles and was looking good doing it.  I could tell he was enjoying it as well and that was awesome.  It is good to see him run again.

We talked to a few people for a few minutes and got a drink and then I ran 3 miles with him back to his car.  Then I ran the rest of the way home with an extra loop just so I could break 100 again this week. 

It was 37 degrees with winds 15-20mph this morning.  It was also raining lightly when I left the house.  I ran 3 miles before our group run.  By the end of the group run it was a rain/snow mix.  Barry and Chad wanted to run the trail up the hill from Satterfield after the group left.  We headed up the hill and it was a muddy mess.  By the time we got to the top it was snowing pretty hard!  We headed back down the trail carefully as it was getting pretty slick from the mud.  After that I ran a couple with Chad and then headed home.  Total 10.11 miles.  I was wet and cold when I got home.

It was 39 degrees with light rain and generally dismal outside.  I ran my ISU loop nice and easy.  I ran 15.63 miles.

It was 36 degrees but no wind or rain so it was a nice morning.  I ran 3 miles before meeting with our group.  The we ran the group on the golf course to get some beginning hill work in with them.  The Barry, Chad, and I ran across Satterfield and turned down our normal route.  When we started down the loops, I picked up the pace a bit but today they held back.  So I did 3 tempo miles on my own before meeting up with them at the end of our normal run.  Then we ran 2 cool down miles.  Total 10.13 miles.  Legs are feeling pretty good for Ogden in 10 days!

It was a beautiful morning.  39 degrees, light winds, blue skies....  I ran 12.57 miles with 3 tempo miles in the middle.

It was 42 degrees and calm this morning.  Another great day.  I ran 3 before meeting with the group.  We had about 15 this morning because the high school runners are at district track or tennis.  I ran a few with Barry and Chad after the group run and then finished on my own.  Total 10.27 miles.

It was a beautiful morning.  45 degrees, sunny, and calm.  I ran 12.31 miles with 4 tempo miles.  Legs are feeling good for Ogden...

It was 39 degrees and felt a bit chilly with the humidity and wind.  I ran 2 miles to meet our group at 6:10.  Before the group run Barry challenged everyone to get as far as they could in the 22 minutes we are now having them run.  He paired me up with Eric, who is one of the faster new runners in our group.  I paced Eric and we finished 3.16 miles in the 22 minutes for a 6:58 average.  Then I ran 3 easy by myself.  Total 8.21 miles.  5 days to Ogden...

It was 34 degrees this morning.  I ran an easy 10.27 miles just to keep loose.

It was 36 degrees and felt cold with the high humidity after the rain last night.  I ran 2 miles to the group run.  It was speed-work day but I did not push really hard.  I did a couple 1/2 mile repeats with Barry and Chad but I am saving it for Saturday.  I ran a couple miles by myself home to finish up.  Total 7.22 miles.

It was 40 degrees this morning.  I ran 6.38 nice, easy miles.

It was 46 degrees with a light drizzle a couple of times.  I ran over to meet our group and we did something new today.  We all ran barefoot on the golf course.  It was a bit cold since the grass was wet but it was fun.  I have run over 23,000 miles in the last 10 years and have NEVER run barefoot!  I guess you are never too old to try something new.  Then Chad and I ran a couple more miles at a smooth pace.  I feel good for Ogden tomorrow.  This is not going to be a PR race for me but it will be a good measuring stick to see how I am progressing after my injuries the past 2 years.  The weather looks like upper 40's to low 50's with a chance of rain.  As long as the wind is light I think it will be fine.

I went in to this race with medium expectations and I pretty much hit what I thought.  My goals were: A 3:15, B 3:20, and C Under 3:30.

It was about 45 at the start and in the lower 60's when we finished.  When we were in the sun it felt a little warm, but not too bad.

I started off around a 7:00 pace and held that until we made the turn at mile 8.  I knew I was pushing a bit so I dialed it back until the half, wanting to handle the hill after 14 well because uphills still aggravate my bone spur.  I hit the half around 1:35.

The hill was not too bad, I took it easy and managed an 8:01 on mile 15.  I then settled back in to a 7:30ish pace wanting to do well in the canyon.  I got a stupid cramp under my right ribcage around 17 and felt it all the way down the canyon.  My best mile down the canyon was 7:19. 

And then I just ran out of gas the last 3 miles...  Still not where I need to be.

By my watch I was on 3:15 pace, but my watch had the course at 26.4 instead of 26.2 so I was off a minute and a half.  It didn't help that I ran the last 3 miles at 8:00-8:10 and watched my 3:15 bleed away...

On the plus side, I am happy since this is better than I have done in over a year and with some more work maybe I can start scaring 3:00 by the end of the season...

It was 50 degrees and calm this morning.  It rained last night so it was a bit humid.  I ran 2 slow, easy miles before our group run.  My quads are stiff from the marathon Saturday so it took a bit to loosen up.  I ran 2.5 with the group then finished with Barry and Chad.  Total 8.21 easy miles.

It was 40 degrees, raining, and windy this morning.  Not a nice day at all.  I ran 10.27 easy miles.  Still loosening up the legs.

It was 41 degrees and calm this morning.  Much nicer than yesterday.  I ran a couple miles before our group run.  Today was speedwork day.  We ran repeats of different distances based on our fitness.  Barry, Chad and I ran 1/2 mile repeats (6) and kept them all between 3:00 and 3:15.  I got a bit tired at the end of each one, probably still some fatigue from the marathon.  Then I ran a few miles by myself after.  Total 10.11 miles.

It was 34 degrees, windy, and just plain nasty this morning.  I ran 10.34 easy miles and was glad to be done.

It was 38 degrees and calm this morning.  Much nicer than yesterday.  I ran a few miles before our group run, then ran 3 with them.  Then I ran 3 more with Barry and Chad before running home.  Total 10.12 miles.

It was 38 degrees and calm this morning.  At the last minute, Barry found us a ride back from Inkom so we decided to run the back of Buckskin on the marathon course.  We started out slow but my legs kept wanting to go faster, so I would run ahead and then run back to meet the group every couple of miles.  I really didn't feel like I was pushing at all but was running just under 7:00.  Even with my slower sections when I ran with Barry and Todd my average was under 7:25 for the whole run.  I feel totally fine after Ogden and am rarin' to go for Utah Valley in 2 weeks.  I am planning a 20+ miler on Tuesday on my day off as my last long run before then.  Total today 15.74 miles.

It was 39 degrees and raining steadily this morning.  I ran up to the meeting spot for the group and 2 other brave souls showed up.  Way to go Jeff and Craig, 2 of our newer runners.  I ran with Jeff and Craig did his miles alone.

After the group run I decided to get at least 10 total by running the top of Satterfield a couple times.  I was just finishing the last loop when I ran in to Kristin who was going the other way.  I decided to run a longer loop with her to finish off.  I ended up with 12.52 rain-soaked miles.

It was 44 degrees and a bit windy this morning.  I did my loop around the city run today, nice and easy.  Total 22.38 miles.

It was 59 degrees and a bit windy this morning.  I ran 4 miles before our group run.  Wednesday is our speed-work day.  I did 8 1/4 mile repeats with slow running in between.  Then I ran a few more with Barry and Chad before running home.  Total 10.53 miles.

It was 39 degrees and windy this morning.  I ran 12.66 easy miles alone.

It was 34 degrees this morning.  I ran a couple miles before the group run.  We have them up to 27 minutes now.  Then I ran with Barry and Chad before finishing on my own.

It was 40 degrees and sunny....a beautiful morning.  I ran over to Barry's house and then Chad joined us later.  We decided to drop in a tempo mile after we had gone 5 miles and I managed a 5:56!!!  That is my best mile in a couple years.  I had a couple other really nice miles scattered in the run as well.  Total of 15.11 miles.  7 days til Utah Valley :)

It was a wonderful morning.....53 degrees and calm.  I ran a few miles before our group run.  We now have the group up to 29 minutes, so they should be ready for the 5K next month.  After that I ran a few with Barry and Chad.  Total 8.42 miles.

It was 46 degrees, but windy and raining this morning.  I ran 8.79 easy miles.

It was 39 degrees this morning, but it was clear and calm.  I ran 1.5 miles before our group run.  I took it easy on the speedwork today and only pushed the 7th (last) intervalto save myself for Saturday.  Then I ran with Barry, Chad, Tracy, and Zack (He is 13 and did his first 5 miler today!).  Total 7.23 miles.

It was 40 degrees this morning.  I ran 6.84 easy miles.

It was 34 degrees this morning, but the clear sunny skies made it OK.  I ran a mile before our group run and ran easy with them.  Then I finished with Chad throwing in a good pick-up in mile mile just to get the juices flowing.  I head to Provo today :)

I set my alarm for 2:30 because the buses started loading at 3:30.  I had thought quite a bit about my "bonk" the last 3 miles of Ogden 3 weeks ago.  I attributed it to poor fueling the morning of the race.  I overate the night before and still felt full in the morning so I ate nothing except a gel 15 minutes before the start and 4 more during as I normally do.  Today I ate a serving of Rockit Fuel at 3:00am and I think it made the difference in the last miles.

When the race started I was on the side road towards the clothing truck so I had to work quite a bit the first mile through the crowd just to get going.  I ran a 7:43 first mile and it really aggravated me.  I ran the next 2 miles in 6:46 and 6:45 (which is too fast) before I dialed in a reasonable 7:10-7:15 pace out to the highway at mile 8.

When we hit the first uphill around Deer Creek reservoir I began to struggle.  I still have issues with my bone spur on uphills so I have to back WAY off or I am in trouble.  So I struggled on the couple of rolling miles around the lake.

When we hit some better downhill after 10 I did better, but I couldn't get back to my 7:15 again.  I basically struggled to get to the 1/2 in 1:35:36.  I was a bit behind where I wanted to be but I didn't panic.  I knew we had one more climb before 16 so I wanted to stay loose and just see what I could do after the last uphill.

After 16 I settled back in to a 7:20ish pace and started to feel better.  When the course flattened out after 20 I started feeling stronger (just like last year).  I calculated that I was on a 3:16-3:17 finish track.  I told myself I would be OK with that, as I secretly told myself that I WASN'T OK with that.  Please don't ask me how I can keep a secret from myself but when you have been running for 20 miles it is possible.

I picked up the pace and finished the last 6 miles REALLY strong!  I passed dozens of other runners and made up 2 minutes in those miles.  I finished just over 3:14 and finally got an age-group award again.  It has been almost 2 years since I did that.  Coincidentally (or not), 2 years ago is when I started having the bone spur issue.

I talked to lots of other bloggers after the race and many people had awesome days out there!  GREAT JOB EVERYONE!!!

It was 50 degrees and calm this morning.  It took most of the 3.6 miles I ran before our group run to finally loosen up from Saturday.  We stood around for 2 minutes before we started our run and my quads got tight again.  I ran another 3.7 with the group before finishing with Barry.  Total 10.12 somewhat slow miles.

It was 48 degrees and sunny this morning.  I ran 8.15 easy miles in my new shoes I picked up at Wasatch on Friday.  I ran the last few with Lowell and Terry.

It was 48 degrees this morning.  I Love Summer!  I ran 3.75 miles before our group run.  We then ran a half mile warm-up with them before doing 6 sets of hill charges.  Everyone did pretty good although I am sure some of them used parts of their lungs that were previously undiscovered.

After that I ran several easy cool-down miles with Barry and Chad.  Total 10.41 miles.

It was 47 degrees, overcast, and windy this morning.  I was worried it was going to rain but it held off.  I ran 13.14 miles by myself with 4 tempo miles in the first half and then 2 more tempo miles after I crested Satterfield.  My quads felt yesterday's hill work after the first tempo set but I recovered nicely. 

It was 36 degrees with a cold breeze this morning.  Summer?  I ran a couple miles before the group run.  Barry, Chad, and I set a good pace on the group run and did 4.25 miles in just under 32 minutes.  Then we ran a few more together before I headed home.  Total 10.27 miles.

It was a beautiful morning, low 40's and light winds.  I picked up Barry, Chad, and Seth at 5:40 to drive up to the marathon start.  Seth has never run with us before.  He is training for the Pocatello marathon so this was his longest run ever.  

We needed to keep on pace because Chad wanted 15 and he was being picked up in Inkom to do an eagle project in Lava.  And keep pace we did!  Without really meaning to, we ran all but 1 mile in to Inkom under 7:20 and had a 7:13 average.  And that mile was the uphill out and back at mile 7.  

We dropped Chad off at 15 and kept running the course.  I kept thinking "how is Seth holding on with us?"  Granted, he is young (30), but Barry and I have a lot more miles under us.  During the 16th mile Barry dropped back but Seth stayed with me.  He finished strong and should do great in September.

During our cool down I found out why he is so tough.  He is a Federal Marshall and he told us about some of the training camps he has attended where they basically try to work you to death to weed you out.  He definitely has the mental toughness for the marathon!  He is going to join us a lot this summer on long runs...it should be great for all of us.

I ran a total of 19.30 miles at a 7:29 average...not bad 7 days after a marathon!

It was 50 degrees, but a bit humid this morning after rain last night.  I ran 4.7 miles before our group run.  We did 4.3 miles together, then I did another 2 with Barry and Chad.  Total 11.13 easy miles.

It was 55 degrees with some wind this morning.  It was a good thing since it was very humid (70-80%) and I was soaked when I got home.  I ran 15.22 easy miles.

It was 62 degrees with a nice breeze this morning.  I ran a few miles with Jedd before our group run.  I worked in the yard all day yesterday so I was really sluggish today.  It was our speed-work day to boot.  We did 8 repeats and then a cool down.  Then I ran home by myself.  Total 10.19 miles.

It was 55 degrees and breezy this morning.  I ran 10.38 easy miles.

It was 60 degrees this morning.  I ran 1.5 before the group run, then ran 4.3 with the group.  I ran back home with Barry most of the way.  Total 8.67 miles.

OK.....

So after I had to pull out at the 30 mile mark last year due to my bone spur, I felt I owed this course some payback.  In 2007, I finished in 6:25 and was 2nd overall.  The winner was around 6:15.  Last year the winner was in 6:25.

This course features 2995' of climbing and has a hard climb from 5-10 and 28-30.  My injury held up during the climbs and I didn't have to take any un-planned walk breaks during them.

The Good

• I totally shattered my goal of 6:20-6:30, which was where I thought I was going to finish.
• I came within less than 10 minutes of the old course record.
• I ran EXACTLY to my plan.  I didn't chase anyone and took breaks when I scheduled.

The Unfortunate

• There was someone faster......  A 26 yr old from Cedar City broke the course record BIG TIME and ran a 5:52 and change.  My time was fast enough to win this like 8 of the last 10 years.  Oh well.

Honestly, I am totally STOKED about my performance today.  I was running 7:45-8:00 minute miles from 30-36 and feeling OK.  I get a HUGE trophy for this and for that I am greatful.  Still don't have that elusive race win yet....

It was 49 degrees with a nice breeze this morning.  I ran 4 miles before our group run and the first 2 were pretty slow, just trying to keep the legs moving after Saturday.  After I warmed up I was fine.  I ran 4.3 with the group before finishing alone.  Total 10.22 miles.

It was 50 degrees and breezy this morning.  I ran 10.68 easy miles alone.

It was 56 degrees this morning.  I ran 4 miles before our group run.  We did speedwork today, 7 sets.  Then I finished with Chad.  Total 10.90 miles.

It was 50 degrees this morning and breezy.  I ran 12.35 miles easy by myself.

It was 49 degrees this morning....just beautiful.  I ran a couple miles before our group run.  My left knee has been taking a couple of miles to loosen up anyway.  Just some residual stuff from last weekend.  I ran a little over 4 miles with our group then 3 more with Barry before running home.  Total 10.63 miles.

I went to the marathon course with Jedd this morning.  He is a little slower than me so that was just perfect as I did not need a hard push run today.  It was a great morning, it only got hot the last 2 miles coming in to Inkom.  Total 15.30 miles.

It was 70 degrees and humid this morning.  I ran over to meet our group and we did a barefoot run on the golf course of about 1.5 miles.  The I ran a couple more with Lowell.  Then I ran down to Winco to meet with another running group and did 8 more with them before I broke away and ran home.  Total 16.39 miles.  Happy 4th of July!

It was 65 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.32 slow miles by myself, late night last night after fireworks.

It was 55 degrees..but a bit muggy with 85% humidity this morning.  I ran a few miles before the group run today.  We did speed-work (7 sets) today.  My average pace on the sets was 5:39.  Then I finished with a few miles with Barry.  Total 10.13 miles.

It was 55 degrees and muggy this morning.  I did my ISU loop by myself and did not push hard due to stiffness still in my left knee.  Total 15.23 miles.

It was 55 degrees and a bit muggy again this morning.  I ran a few miles before our group run and then we had them run the 5K course before the actual "race" on Monday.  We are doing the race at 6:00pm with a BBQ afterwards with awards, shirts, give-aways, the whole works.  We have several sponsors so all new runners will have no cost at all for a race and dinner!  We have shirts for about 75 runners and we hope to use all of them.  I ran home by myself at a quicker pace to finish up with 10.19 for the day.  Long run tomorrow.

It was 47 degrees on the top of Buckskin this morning....sweet.  I picked up Barry and Seth and we took off down the marathon course.  We started fairly slow, this was going to be Seth's longest run ever.  Around mile 9 I started pulling away from them, not meaning too but I felt really comfortable running a 7-7:10 pace.  I would work my way back to them every 2 miles and we took a short break just after mile 13.

Well, after that break I got a HUGE 2nd wind and just took off coming out of Inkom.  I was running very smoothly and turned around after 16 and had to go back quite a ways to meet with the other 2.  Then Barry said he wanted to run 2 MP miles from 16-18.  I think he thought he would smoke me because he had run the last 5-6 miles a lot slower than me.  We started off and I slowly pulled away from him and did the 2 miles in 13 minutes.  We finished the last couple nice and easy.  I felt like I could have easily run the whole 26 today and felt very strong.  Total 20.05 miles.

It was 62 degrees and a bit humid this morning.  I ran 3 really easy before our group run.  We ran easy this morning as we have their 5K/BBQ tonight.  I ran the 5K course with Barry and Chad after the group run.  They marked it Saturday afternoon with lots of humorous words of encouragement along the way.  Tonight should be fun.

It was in the low 80's tonight with some wind and clouds.  It looked like it might rain, but it didn't.  I ran 1.05 miles to the start of our group 5K.  We had 78....YES 78 runners tonight for our race.  Everyone got a free microfiber shirt with our group name on it and almost everyone wore it for the race.  I went out with the first slower first group so I could man the water station at my house just before the 2 mile mark.  That was a ton of fun.  I got to encourage everyone and see all of them run.  When the last group came through, I left as well and finished the course.

We had a great free BBQ of steak and baked potatoes and everyone brought salads and desserts.  We had trophies for top 3 in men's and women's categories.  The winners were based on how close they came to their prediction times and they were not allowed to wear their watches.  Almost everyone came in faster than they had predicted.  We had tons of draw prizes ranging from gift certificates for food, massages, running apparel and so on.  Everyone had a GREAT time and for a many of them, this was their first race experience.  I would definitely call this a SUCCESS!

It was 62 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.23 slow miles by myself.

It was 70 degrees and muggy this morning.  I ran a few miles before our group run.  We still had 15-20 people at the run even though the race is over.  I ran 4 miles with the group before finishing with Barry and Chad.  Total 10.06 miles.

Lowell called me tonight and confirmed our "midnight moonlight" run this Friday night.  We are going to run from our neighborhood at midnight up to the marathon start (7ish miles), then run the entire marathon course, then back in to town.  A total of 34 miles.  We will even be back in time for the 10K fun run Saturday morning, which most of us are running, so we will get in over 40 miles.  FUN, FUN, FUN!!!

I really worked my IT band tonight with stretches and a foam roller (pain!).  It has been getting tight around my knee lately.

It was 60 degrees, but the humidity was over 80% again.  I ran over to Barry's house to pick up him and Chad.  We ran a nice, steady 10-mile loop.  Then I ran home.  Total 11.12 miles.  Last night's IT band work seemed to help, knee pain was better today.

It was 55 degrees this morning.  I ran up to meet our group and did a few miles with them, then ran home.  Total 6.53 miles.  Didn't want to go too far with our big run tonight.

OK...so when you first see the race report you may have a question or 2.

Let me start how I normally do....It was 64 degrees when I left the house.  It was, however, a few minutes before midnight.  I was able to sleep for 3 hours from 8-11pm.  We met at Lowell's house and put our stuff in the support car.  We left at 12:23am.  There were 6 of us running: Myself, Lowell, Terry, Barry, Holly, and Suzette.  Lowell convinced his awesome wife to drive our support vehicle for our "midnight moonlight" run.

We ran up Buckskin to the marathon start area.  This was about 7.5 miles with an elevation gain of about 1300 feet.  We ran the first 3 miles of the course but headed left instead of turning on Hoot Owl road like the marathon runs.  We then ran up another big hill and came down the other side to the McNabb area.  By the time we hit the top it was 45 degrees with a breeze.  Several people put on another shirt but I was just fine in my sleeveless shirt because I did have gloves on.

We then re-joined the marathon course after we had covered about 15 miles.  We ran down in to Inkom and around, following the course.  While we were running towards the gap, it started to get light.  Terry stopped running after 26 miles and drove the support car the rest of the way.  He is still recovering from his pacemaker install a couple months back so I was glad he stopped at that time.

Most of the group wanted to eat breakfast at Elmer's at 7:00ish before tackling the fun run but they were not going to make the 34+ miles in time to do that.  I knew there was no way my stomach could handle eating breakfast and then running 30 minutes later.  The rest of the group decided to cut the run short at 30 miles and ride in to the restaurant.  I told them I would run it in to the restaurant and grab my bag of stuff when I got there. 

I bumped in to Josie and she ran mile 33 with me on the South end of town.  She was out running her daily run.  When I got to the restaurant I had 34.58 miles.  I grabbed my bag and ran/walked to the start of the 10K at Bonneville Park.  By the time I got to the starting line I had 35.82 miles and a little more than a half hour to stiffen up nicely before the 10K.

When the gun went off I shuffled in to a run and my goal was to just keep it under an hour.  I finished in 55:13 and I have never been so happy to see a 10K finish line.  This will count as my 10K PR after a 35+ mile warm up.  I hung around for the prize drawings (I didn't win anything) and caught my pre-arranged ride home with Doug Lenio.  Barry was the only other one to run the full 10K, so he got 36.2 miles for the day which is a new daily mileage record for him.  Lowell and Holly walked the 5K.  Terry and Suzette did not register for the fun run.

To sum it up, I had a GREAT time running with the group and uphill climbs aren't as bad when your only light is the moon.  I covered a total of 42.02 miles before 9:00am this morning.

It was 78 degrees this morning (yuck).  It did not cool off much during the night and it is supposed to be another hot one today.  I ran a few miles before our group run at a slow pace.  My legs were a bit sluggish after Saturday.  I ran 3.5 with the group and then ran a few more with Jedd before heading home.  Total 10.47 slow miles.

It was 80 degrees, warm again this morning.  I ran 10.33 miles by myself.

It was 59 degrees this morning.  It felt wonderful.  I ran a few miles before our speedwork this morning.  We did 7 sets.  Then I ran 3 more with Barry, Shannon, and Penny before heading home.  Total 10.84 miles.

It was 55 degrees this morning.  I ran 10.65 miles by myself.  Barry was going to go with me but had to bail because his PF was acting up again.

Leaving today for a camping trip with the family in Island Park/Yellowstone.  Should be fun!

It was 75 degrees when I left the house this morning, 67 when I got back....weird.  I ran almost 4 miles before our group run, then ran almost 4 with them.  Finished with Barry and Chad throwing in a nice tempo mile.

It was in the mid 70's at the start of my run; in the mid 60's at the finish.  I ran 3/4 of a mile over to Chad's house, then we ran a solid 10 miles together.  After I dropped him off I looped around the neighborhood for another 5.  Total 15.81 miles.

It was 60 degrees this morning.  I had to run earlier due to work conflicts, so no group run forme today.  I ran 10.57 easy miles.

It was 55 degrees this morning.  I ran my ISU loop easy.  15.49 miles.

It was 55 again this morning.  I ran 3 miles before our group run.  We had a new runner this morning so Jedd and I ran 3 easy miles with her.  Then we ran a few more together before I ran home.  Total 10.68 miles.

It was 55 degrees this morning.  It was only going to be Seth and I so I decided to stay in town to make it easier instead of trying to find rides home if we ran the marathon course.  I ran 3 miles over to meet Seth in Chubbuck and we ran the loop around town that I run if I go 20+ on Tuesday's.  I ran 22.10 nice steady miles.  This was also Seth's longest run ever.  He should be ready for his first marathon in 5 weeks.

My IT band and groin area were a bit tight after yesterdays run so I opted for a bike ride this morning.  I rode for an hour and it really seemed to help.  Nice morning for it too.

It was 61 degrees this morning and, of course, dark.  I didn't see all the clouds.  I noticed the first raindrops during the first mile.  By the time I met up with the running group, I had run 3 miles and was soaked to the skin.  It was raining hard by then.  Jedd and I ran 4 with the group and a couple more after that.  Almost all the intersections had small rivers of water going across and it was like being a kid running through puddles.  I even stopped once with 2 miles to go to unclog a storm drain on Satterfield Drive because it was causing a street to flood due to all the leaves/debris stuck in it.  Overall I ran 10.51 slow, but interesting miles.  Jedd and I planned a 20 miler for tomorrow morning.  Hopefully it will be drier.

It was about 55 degrees at 5:15am when Jedd came by for our scheduled 20 miler.  We were about 3 miles in when he mentioned that this was his first 20-miler of the year.  Didn't I just do this on Saturday with someone else?  Anyway, I told him that I would run his pace and he was grateful for that.  We kept a very steady pace the whole way.  We even saw 2 bucks o the South Bannock Highway.  One was a 4-point, the other one a 6-point and they were still fuzzy.  They kind of looked at us for a second and then scampered up the hill.

As we were finishing up we decided to run up the Satterfield hill and make the run over 21 miles.  Jedd pushed all the way up the hill even though I could tell it was killing him.  I told him that it was his idea to do the hill so he wasn't getting any sympathy from me.  I dropped him off and ran home for a total of 21.31 miles.

I have been having major hip/groin area issues for over a week so I am just going to ride my bike for a few days.

It was 62 degrees with a light breeze this morning.  I ran slow at first and it took until after mile 5 for my hip to loosen up.  After that I felt stronger and was able to tempo the last 3+ miles.  Total 10.61 miles.

It was 56 degrees this morning.  I ran 3 miles before our group run then I ran 4 miles with the group.  Then Barry and I ran another 3 before I finished a couple more on my own.  It took about 5 miles again for everything to loosen up.  Total 12.22 miles.

It was 52 degrees this morning.  Jedd had to bail on our run today because he pulled a calf muscle yesterday.  I ran 22.36 easy miles alone on a very nice morning.

It was 49 degrees this morning....it felt great.  I ran 2 miles before our group speedwork.  We did 7 sets.  I took it really easy the first few sets and gradually worked up to about 70% effort so as not to aggravate my right hip area.  Then I ran a few miles afterwords with 2 new runners in our group.  Total 10.79 miles.

It was 49 degrees this morning.  I ran my ISU loop alone, 15.63 easy miles.

It was 50 degrees this morning.  I ran 3 miles before our group run.  I ran another 3.5 with the group before finishing by myself.  10.54 easy miles.   I am running a 10K tomorrow in the middle of a 20+ mile day.

It was 50 degrees when Barry ran over to my house this morning.  We planned to run 15-16 miles before the 10K today because he had a tennis match at 10am.  We picked up Seth and Penny as we headed in to Chubbuck.  My pace was awful the first 4 miles until my hip got warmed up.  After that I ran great.  I basically tempo'd the next 8 miles because I did not care about my 10K time.  I kept running back for the others until Seth and Penny left Barry behind and kept pace with me until the park.  I had 15.68 miles in before the 10K started.

When the 10K started I was doing pretty good and then I ran out of gas the last 3 miles.  I ended up with 21.88 miles for the day and finished a pretty good mileage week.  Next week is the Park City marathon, which I will run easy, then Pocatello is in 3 weeks.

It was 73 degrees and windy this morning.  It did not cool off much last night.  I ran a couple miles before our group run, then ran a few with them.  This is a lighter mileage week with the marathon Saturday.  Total 7.08 miles.

It was 50 degrees and calm this morning.  I ran 10.48 easy miles by myself.

It was 49 degrees this morning.  I ran about a mile before our group run, then I ran 4 with Jedd and Tracy.  Then Tracy and I ran another 2 together.  He is getting ready for the half marathon in 3 weeks.

It was 48 degrees this morning.....very comfortable.  I ran 6.53 very easy miles by myself.

It was 51 degrees this morning.  I ran a couple miles before the group run and then cut out at my house before it was over.  Total 5.03 easy miles.  Travel to Park City later today.

My right hip has been having lots of issues lately so I knew I would take it really easy today.  It was in the mid 50's at start time and felt fairly comfortable most of the way.  We got headwinds along the rail trail and especially miles 11-14 coming back in to town.  I walked through the aid stations to make sure I didn't push too hard.

Teena caught up to me at mile 23 but didn't recognize me at first.  We exchanged small talk and then I asked her how her vacation was and she suddenly realized who I was.  We ran mile 23 together before she finally pulled away from me.  

My left knee tightened up pretty bad in the afternoon.  Probably over-compensated for other issues.  I need to try and heal up if I want to do well in Pocatello in 2 weeks. 

Marathon #84 is in the books.

It was in the low 50's this morning, but there were pockets of much warmer air in the neighborhood.  I ran about a mile and a half before our group run.  I ran a few with them and then ran 3 more with Bob Fisher.  I haven't run with him in a couple months so it was nice to chat with him for a while.  I ran 7.52 nice and slow recovery miles.

It was 56 degrees this morning.  I ran 8.46 easy miles alone.

It was 53 degrees this morning.  I ran 1.25 easy miles to meet with our group.  Barry talked me in to a 3 mile tempo run with him.  I was barely able to run 7:00/mile pace for the whole thing.  Then I finished on my own.  Total 7.21 miles.

It was 70 degrees this morning....yuck.  I ran 8.78 easy miles by myself.

It was 65 degrees this morning.  I ran a mile before our group run then ran 3.5 with Jedd before running a few more with Barry and Chad.  Total 7.52 miles.

It was 71 degrees this morning, it never really cooled off much.  My sister-in-law Kathy was in town so I agreed to run 6 with her.  She is coming back next week to run the half-marathon.  We ran 6 together and then I ran another 4+ by myself.  Total 10.56 miles.  This was a nice, easy mileage week for me in hopes of being fresher for the marathon next week.

It was 62 degrees and windy this morning.  I ran 2.5 before our group run.  Then Barry, Chad, and I did a 3 mile tempo run.  I then ran home easy.  Total 6.53 miles.

It was 52 degrees this morning.  I ran 8.68 easy miles by myself.

It was 70 degrees with a breeze this morning.  I ran a mile before our group run, then ran 3.5 easy with Jedd before running home.  Total 6.11 miles.

Marathon in 3 days...not sure how I will do with my IT Band and hip issues but I will try my best.

It was 55 degrees this morning.  I ran 6.54 easy miles by myself.

It was 48 degrees this morning.  It felt wonderful.  I ran up to our group run and ran an easy couple miles with Jedd.  His hamstring is bad so he cannot run the marathon tomorrow.  We even had to stop and walk for awhile because it tightened up on him.  Then I ran home nice and easy.  4.23 miles.  Marathon tomorrow.

It was probably around 45 degrees at the race start this morning.  I was on one of the earlier buses but the porta-potty lines were still a bit long.  So I wandered up the dark road about .1 mile and make a wonderful discovery.  There were about a dozen unused lovely blue POP's sitting in the pitch dark on the side of the road.  They must have been placed incorrectly and nobody could see them.  Only about 20 of us figured this out so we talked and stretched and had pretty much our own personal bathrooms.  I believe Paul calls this Narnia :)

I knew I could be in for a long day if my IT band did not stay in check.  I decided to just run by feel and see what happened.  The gun went off and I rolled in to a pretty good pace in the dark.  My IT band does not like downhills and this course is downhill for about the first 12 miles.  I stayed around a 7:15-7:20 pace through the half, but my IT band was right on the edge so I did not push it.

 I hit the half in 1:35 and change but unfortunately since we started late that was only 3 minutes before the half would start instead of the 10 minutes it should have been.  So I was soon inundated by a sea of fresh half-marathon runners passing me about 2-3 miles later.

I kept leapfrogging several runners throughout the day.  On the downhills they would pull ahead and I would catch them on the flats and uphills because that didn't seem to bother me as much.  I ran through the 18-mile mark with Barry, Seth, Caesar, and Angela.  It was weird to run with a bunch of runners that I know that late in a race.  I even commented to Barry how strange this was.  We kept passing each other off and on until the uphill around mile 21.  I kept pressing up the hill to put some space between us.  The only one ahead of me still was Caesar. 

Chad Anderson, who was running the half-marathon passed me in front of Century high school and wished me luck.  He pulled a bit in front of me and settled in about 50 yards ahead.

Somewhere between mile 22 and 23 Seth appeared next to me.  He was running his first ever marathon and was hanging on great.  I had calculated that I was on pace for a 3:23 or so and was OK with that.  But Seth was going a bit faster so I latched on to him and it felt OK.  At the 24 mile mark I decided to throw caution to the wind and press the pace.  I pulled away from Seth and focused on Chad.  I blew by Chad around 24.5 and caught Caesar at 25.  I ran the last 3 miles at a 7:15-7:30 pace and managed to get a 3:20.  Seth came in about 25 seconds behind me for an awesome first marathon finish.

I felt good about the fairly even effort today and if I can improve my IT band before St. George maybe I can have a better day there in 4 weeks.

We went to the hospital first thing this morning.....ended up staying until 7pm.

But....the GREAT news is that I now have a wonderful GRAND-DAUGHTER who was born at 4:29pm!!!

 If I can figure out how to put a picture on here I will.  Can't seem to figure it out.....

HELP???

It was 48 degrees this morning.  I ran an easy 5.28 miles alone.

It was 50 degrees this morning.  I ran a mile to our group run.  I ran a few miles with them before finishing with a couple miles with Bob Fisher.  Total 6.14 miles.  

This will be our last group run this year since the local marathon is over.  Guess I am back to running by myself again...

It was 47 degrees this morning.  When I walked out my door, Lowell and Terry were running by so I ran my first mile with them before they turned at the fairgrounds and I kept going down Chubbuck Road.  I ran my standard 10 mile loop nice and steady.  My quads are still not fresh after the marathon but the IT band seems to be better....strange.  Total 10.41 miles.

It was 48 degrees this morning.  I ran 8.68 easy miles.

I ran 10.88 miles in new shoes this morning.

It was 50 degrees this morning.  I ran 8.68 easy miles.

It was 48 degrees this morning.  I ran 13.79 easy miles as my right hip area started out with a "catch" in it.

No run this morning due to poor sleep last night.  I had to go in at 11:30pm last night to replace a power supply in a computer in a restaurant.  Of course when I got back home I couldn't fall asleep until after 1:00am and felt like crap this morning when the alarm went off at 4:30 :(

It was 45 degrees and calm this morning.....perfect running weather.  I got a great nights sleep last night and it showed today.  I ran 10.51 miles with 5 tempo miles.

8.59 easy miles.

10.89 easy miles.

It was 48 degrees this morning with no wind.  I ran 8.32 easy miles in the dark as I had to be finished early.

It was 45 degrees and breezy this morning.  I ran 10.77 easy miles.