Training for a Belt Buckle

Walking miles - not running. I had to study for a Microsoft Vista Certification I am taking on Tuesday, so after church I walked to my office, studied, and walked home.

I am struggling with the onset of fall depression. It always gets worse when the weather gets cool and days shorter.  Time to buckle down and get my spiritual life in order along with my physical life. Also time to crack out my 'daylight' lamp for at work.  This year is a little harder than last year because I have changed so many of the constants in my life with my move.  Thank heavens for Leslie, Harold & Odee and my work.  (oh yeah - and a little thing called running).

Going to try and do my run each morning this week. I think I am more successful if I can get it over with. Then I can lift weights after work - time to get back on a regular program.

I set the alarm 15 minutes earlier so I wouldn't be as rushed in the mornings.  

Today, I decided to do some hills and try another route.  My legs are really cold from running in shorts.

Mile 1 - 12:04

Mile 2 - 12:04 - found out the Sandy WW is 1.3 miles from my home

Mile 3 - 10:51 - ahhh - downhills

Mile 4 - 11:04 - love watching people run red lights. Can I make a citizen's arrest?

I was frustrated today from taking and failing a Microsoft Certification Test, so after work I headed out and ran the Queen's Penguin Trail.  Nary a penguin, quail or pigeon in sight (unless you count the dead pigeon at the side of the road).

Mile 1 - 11:39

Mile 2 - 11:42

Mile 3 - 11:29

Mile 4 - 10:51

Mile 5 - 11:10 (took a while to cross 106th South)

Mile 6 - 11:06

Today was a recovery run/zombie run.  Just putting one foot in front of the other. I woke up before my alarm, but just didn't have any leg energy.  I was entertainment for Trax Zombies heading to Salt Lake - looking like they were heading to prison.....

I decided one road I ran on is not a good choice.  All the school bus drivers heading out on their routes paid no attention to me in all my reflective/flashing thingies and I had to duck away from 2 of them that were about to hit me.

Clothing issues - I had on my arm warmers under my long sleeved running shirt and a running vest on (plus shorts, etc). About 2 miles in, I was getting too warm, so took the vest off for half a mile - but then my body started getting cold, so put it back on and ran without my gloves the last 1.5 miles.  Maybe if I put the arm warmers on over the shirt I could pull them off.  I'll have to think about it.

12:06, 12:43, 13:13, 12:46

Breakfast - sauteed some peppers, a can of mushrooms, two eggs. Throw in a thermos and I will add some whole wheat toast and a glass of milk at work.

Tarzan Kicks Some Serious Butt

Today was probably one of my toughest runs ever.  I guess it would qualify as a tempo run.

As I was sitting at work thinking of where I would run this afternoon, I decided I wanted to do a long downhill and remembered that 94th south from 1300 East was a nice downhill as it curved by the quarry.  (I haven't been by there in about 6 years).  So - in my mind, I thought, "I'll take a roundabout way up to the Sandy Ampitheater and then run down that hill."   Uh huh - yep - that's all I thought.

Mile 1:  11:39.  Not bad for a warmup mile.  The first half mile was flat, then it started into a gradual uphill and about .90 became a steep uphill.  Mile 2: 11:28  I was so excited near the half mile mark because I hit 1300 East and thought it would be flat or downhill.  No - Einstein.  It continued going uphill after turning on the road.  Mile 3: 9:42 - the uphills continued until I was at 2.6 miles and turned onto 9400 South.  My eyes were burning from sweat, but the legs felt good. I was able to speed up a lot on the dowhill - but I can't say I enjoyed it too much - I was tired from all the uphills.  And - surprise, surprise - I found a HUGE shopping center a mile from my house where the old quarry used to be. Mile 4: 11:04 - still able to push it. However, the long downhill wasn't as long as I remembered and became another uphill.  I would have been faster if I hadn't had to run around a stoplight for 2 minutes before it changed.  Last 3/4 mile: 8:00   Final time - 51:51

Nice, easy recovery run today to let my legs have a break between yesterday's hills and tomorrow's speed work.

Leslie and I held the first ever Millcreek Invitational 5K this morning.  Our goal was to break 30 minutes in a 5K and we thought the downhill course would be perfect for that.  I was trying a new setting on my Garmin - didn't get the one I planned on, but this one worked fine.

We found a starting line painted on the road and after a warmup, headed on down.  Leslie was a little bit feisty and we got stopped for directions and she said a naughty word. (Yikes - my ears). She didn't think she could break 30 minutes, but I knew she could on a downhill course, so I stayed with her to nag and motivate her.  I was very proud of my 'little grasshopper'.  When we got to the 3 mile mark I sprinted ahead and challenged her to pass me if she wanted to buy me breakfast. Luckily - we tied.

PR Time:  Total Race: 26:42/ Average: 8:36/ Best: 5:04

Mile 1 - 8:29, Mile 2 - 8:49, Mile 3 - 8:38

Leslie said this run was about a 9-9.5 on a scale of 10 for effort for her.  She did great.  I think my fitness has improved because I was probably at a 5-6 on a scale of 10 and didn't really have to push at all.

My previous 5K PR was 31:28 on a 'short course'.