Speed only kills if you don't have it!

AM- Easy 5 miler into River Heights and back. I got beat up last week a little worse than I thought I did. Saturdays long run probably got me the worst, and I was a little sore today. Plus, I was so tired that I could hardly get out of bed, and I didn't feel like running at all. I forced myself out the door for a crappy run. I did run into Paul on my way back, we were heading opposite directions, but stopped to chat for a minute. I never see anyone running for some reason, but the other guys will run into each other quite often. It could be that I am on the opposite side of town from them, but we do run a lot of the same loops and routes, so I don't know?     37:35

PM- I got home from work and Allison wanted me to run with her, so I put Jaren and some waters in the stroller and we went out. It was still really hot and I am used to it, but Allison isn't so I went prepared. She decided a couple of weeks ago that she wants to do the TOU 1/2 at the end of August, and she hasn't done much training. I want her to have a good experience doing it, if she is going to, so I have started to push her a little more to get out the door. She had run a 10k distance twice in the last week and was pretty excited about that. I figured if I were going to go out with her tonight I would make it worth both of our time. I talked her into going longer than 5 miles, but didn't tell her that we were going about 8.5 miles. It sounds mean but I think it helped her to not think about how far she was really going. She did very good and made it the whole way, averaging 10 minute miles. Hopefully I can continue to help her once in a while, and she can have a good experience in that race. She has never ran before other than two 5Ks that I signed her up for when we first got married. She is athletic, and played soccer in High School. She just hasn't done anything since our son was born, and she kept alot of baby weight on.  I am glad that she is interested in exercising again, and that she has a goal to shoot for. I never thought that I would see my wife run a half marathon, especially if she wasn't kicking a ball the whole way, so I am excited for her. 

It was a super slow pace for me, but with all the extra messing around I did with my son, and pushing the stroller, it wasn't a super easy run!  And miles are miles to me.

(Hurricane-400 miles)

I ran down to LHS to do a track workout with Paul.  Logan and Cody were there as well.  I didn't they were coming because I didn't get back on my blog late last night, so it was a pleasant surprise.  Logan stuck with Paul better than I have ever wanted to and I am sure Paul liked the company.  Between the four of us we were strung out for 200 meters doing the same type of workout.  I did 5x1000 meters with 200 meter recoveries, more of a "Paul workout" than a "James workout", but  not too bad today.  I am still a little sore from last week so speed wasn't something that I was looking forward to doing, but it was easier to do with those guys there.  I did a 3:19,  3:26, 3:26, 3:25, and 3:22.  I didn't want to run anymore than 5K of speed so I called it good, and Cody and I jogged and hung around while Paul and Logan did there 7X1000 meters.   I felt good, but had a hard time keeping consistant in my intervals.  Not a bad workout, and if added up is a 16:58 5k.

Cooled down around the track a few times and then Logan and Paul ran up to my place with me.  Total running was just over 10.5 miles.  It is always better to do a track workout with friends or teamates, for some reason it seems easy, probably mostly a mental thing.  1:19:25

(Adrenaline-281 miles)

Easy 10K run on a loop around canal trail, 1st Dam, Hillcrest, Lundstrom Park, and home.  I am pretty tired and my legs didn't want to move very fast.  I will probably go out for a few miles later on today.  45:42

(Hurricane-406 miles)

AM- Nice morning run today.  Logan met me at my place and we did a loop that goes on canal trail, onto the Bonneville Shoreline trail to Green canyon, down past Lundstrom park, around the University and back to my place.  We had a good chat along the way.  Not a fast pace, but it never is on that type of run.  It was good to get to know Logan a little better, and hopefully we can hook up for some more runs in the next couple of months.  8.5 miles. 1:05:35

PM-  I went out after work, about 2pm, on a 5 miler into River Heights and back.  It was raining and the air was fresh and clean, I couldn't pass up the chance.  I felt okay, but mainly just ran a comfortable pace and enjoyed getting rained on the whole way.  We need a lot more of these types of afternoons.  35:28

(Hurricane-420 miles)

Easy morning run over to River Heights elementary school and back.  I am a little sore from yesterday's runs and hopefully worked some of it out of my muscles today.   I did 4x100 meter striders toward the end of my run.  46:26

(Adrenaline-287 miles)

Well, another race today, and no better way to get a workout in.  My wife had never done a 10K before and she found out about this one, wanted to do it, and signed us both up.  I wasn't planning on doing another race before Provo Canyon, but like I said there is not an easier way to get a workout in.  We picked up Jon and drove over to Garland, I had never been there before, but found out the other day that I will be there a lot this fall.  I was assigned to student teach over there after USU had a bunch of problems placing us in the Logan district.  My plans have been to student teach at Logan High for the last year, but plans have now changed.   Bear River has some good potential with Cross Country kids and I might be able to help them out a bit, so that is exciting.

I warmed up with Jon before the race on the course.  We got attacked by a big black lab about the size of Gill, but a 1000 times more mean.  I even hit that thing right between the eyes with a rock the size of a golf ball and it still kept after us.  Finally the neighbor rescued us. 

My plan for the race was to stay with Jon and run a good hard training run/race, and hopefully 1,2 the race.  I have been really sore the last couple of days so I knew it wasn't a world record setting day anyways.  Besides, I wasn't planning on doing this race in the first place.  All the High Schoolers took off like crazy, usual start to a race.  Jon and I moved up into the lead at about 3/4 of a mile and Chris Brower ( a 17 year old who placed right between Jon and Cody at the Freedom run) came with us.  We ran together for the whole first half.  It was an out and back course on the highway.  I settled into a good pace with Jon and really didn't think that Chris would hang on since he was breathing so hard.  But Chris played us pretty good, and at the turn around he took off and put about 15- 20 seconds on us in the next half mile.  Jon went with him and I just couldn't seem to get the old sore legs to switch gears.  I finally caught back up to Jon, but he dropped back not too long after that.  I just couldn't get my body to go any faster, kind of like what Sasha had trouble with at Sandy 10K.  I also didn't really care about that race either, so my race mentality was turned off and I was in training mode. 

I kept waiting for Jon to come up on me, and maybe then I could have got more motivation to kick it down and catch that kid, but Jon never came up, although I could hear him just behind me.  I guess at one point in the last 1/4 mile Jon got on my heals, but I never saw him because we were weaving through 5Kers and walkers.  I finished in 36:12.  Chris never gained anymore time and ended up about 15 seconds ahead of me and Jon was about 4 seconds back.  We ran out in 18:30 and I was 17:42  coming back.  It was a good run, eventhough I couldn't kick it into that race gear.  If Jon would have come up on me I probably would have let him go, but who knows, maybe I wouldn't have let him beat me anyways.  The course wasn't super difficult, but it definitely isn't a PR course, times were slow.

I cooled down with Jon back to where Allison was and then ran in with her. She did really good for her first 10K and finished in 1:01: 34 .  I talked to Chris and the cross country coaches after and got to know them a little bit, I might get to know them quite well this fall.  We got a Chuck Wagon Breakfast with our entry, and all three of us got a decent prize.  We came away with a pass to a fun park and a free Chiropractic adjustment, not bad "winnings".  Plus we all got our awards.  It was a fun small town race, and they do a good job with it, not to mention you get your money's worth.

(Adrenaline-290 miles)  (Fastwitch -53 miles)