Rob Murphy

I ran a total of 3 miles on the track at school with my team. Today was the first day of practice and we had a lot of new kids out, so I took the group through some core exercises, striders, drills etc.

After practice, I went to the gully and ran 6.5 with Garrett. He's still getting over his sickness from last week, so I sent him back early.

Revovery day - running wise at least. I just did an easy four.

I also did a strength workout in the weight room at school. If we would get a couple high quality treadmills at Alta High School I could probably get rid of my 24 Hour Fitness membership and save some money.

Today I had a great run with three of my ace middle distance runners on the Alta High Track Team (Go Hawks!) - Garrett Jones, Ryan Fuller, and Chris Cutler. We ran a 60 minute fartlek alternating four minutes of easy running with one minute of mile race pace running. According to my garmin I reached a max pace of 4:11/mile. Did a total of 8.4 miles for the 60 minutes.

Barely managed to squeeze in the run today between work, track practice and a track team parent's meeting tonight. But managed to get in a run on the treadmill. Kept it at 8.1 mph, but jacked it up to a little over 9 mph for a couple miles. I think I'll do some cross training and lifting tomorrow.

Two easy miles.

Main workout today was a strength workout for about 45 minutes. Total of 125 push-ups. Lots of sit-ups and pull-ups. One set of dead lift with 155 lbs, back extensions, bent rows etc. Leg workout consisted of plyo jumps, leg press, leg extensions, leg curls, toe raises with 110 lbs.

I never lifted until about a year ago. I think it's a big reason why I've been able to increase the volume and intensity of my running without getting injured. It also makes me faster I think. I  think strength training is more important for over 40 runners like myself than it is for younger runners. I have to be careful though as I tend to be competitive with my lifting and have a tendency to overdo it.

I wanted to do some fast miles this morning and had to do them on the treadmill at the gym as they have child care. Ann worked last night and has to sleep today. Here's how it went down...

This was a continuous run that took about 1:15

1 mile easy - about 9 or 10 munute pace

1 mile in 8:30

4 x 1 mile in 5:30 with a .75 recovery (about 1:1)

1 x 1/2 mile in 2:40 with a shorter recovery

1 x 1/4 mile in 75 seconds

then an easy cool down at 8:30 pace

In case I haven't mentioned it before, I pretty much love treadmill running and consider myself an expert on devising fairly challenging runs. I don't listen to music while I run. The only entertainment I allow myself is watching the odd characters that populate my gym. I think this helps me develop the focus and concentration needed to race well. Plus, headphones, even I pod buds in my ears really bother me.

Probably 18 miles tomorrow.

The first 20 miler of the year so I feel like a real runner again. I finished in 2:31:33 (7:35 pace). I ran 13 to 15 in 12:40.

I only stopped at mIle 11 for some water and one GU.I travel light on my long runs - I carry a gel pack in my hand and look for spigots on the side of buildings. No cartrige belts loaded with gell and bottles that make it look like you're going to war! Ann was making waffles when I finished so I had two huge ones with strawberries. It doesn't get any better. With about a quarter stick of butter and a quart of syrup it's the perfect post run recovery meal. Right? She's at the gym now and we are going for a drive when she gets back. Probably to the Hill AFB museum up in Ogden. Andy has been wanting to go.

No running today. I had the courage to take a day off. I should be commended for that.

Two runs today. I was out the door at 5 am for an easy six. Then ran seven in the afternoon in the Dimple Dell gully in Sandy with some of my team - Ryan Fuller, Griffin Long, and Brandon Gardenhire. Very cold and rainy, changing to sleet, the whole way. Very hard core! We congratulated ourselves for our dedication when we finished.

One more thing... I recived in the mail today a book called "Be Fit or Be Damned" by the legendary Australian coach Percy Cerutty. It was written in 1967 and is out of print, so I paid a ridiculous amount for it on Amazon. But I'm a schoolteacher, so it's not a problem. Its cramed full of old school wisdom and Cerutty's "stotan" (stoic + spartan) philosophy.

AM Workout - One easy mile on the treadmill to warm-up. Weights - I did a circuit of eight exercises (push-ups, incline sit-ups, pull-ups, dead lift, plyo box jumps, bent rowing with dumbells, squats, deadlift) for about an hour. Really good workout.

PM Workout - 8.75 miles in 60 minutes - a little warm-up, a little cool-down, and a bunch in the middle at 6:25 pace. 

Easy 4.5 miles around the wood chip path at Liberty Park.

Excellent mental health run today. Did 9.25 miles in the gully after track practice. I wasn't able to run during practice as the kids were doing 400 meter intervals and I had to be the coach. So I went to the gully after. I really felt like running forever. It was warm and I felt great, but it was getting dark and I needed to get home and spend some time with the family.

Today I ran 10 miles. I generally wanted to do something that would give me a lot of confidence for a half marathon in a few weeks. Last year around this time I ran the Salt Lake Half in 1:18:06. I'm hoping to go at least a couple minutes faster this year. So here is what I did today...

all on the treadmill at 1.0% to 1.5% grade

1 mile in 9:30 - it was early, takes me a while to get rollin.

1 mile in 8:30

2 miles in 11:44 (10.2 mph)

1 mile in 8:30

2 miles in 11:44

1 mile in 8:30

1 mile in 5:38

1 mile in 8:30

Went to Great Harvest Bread Company after with Andy. Got a day-old loaf of 9 Grain bread, and a large coffee for $3.89. And they give you generous free samples, so Andy got a big chunk O chocolate chip cookie and I got some cinnamon raisin bread for free. Why would anyone go to Starbucks?

I ran 19.25 on the treadmill averaging about 8.2 mph (7:20). I wasn't able to run this morning, so the dilemma was how to get in a long run and still watch the basketball and "bracketology" on ESPN. The treadmill was the answer.

My weight is down to 145 now. Down 5 to 7 pounds from my racing weight last year. Hopefully it will translate into faster times.

My body is telling me to back off for a couple days. I'll probably rest tomorrow. Tuesday I will do 60 minutes of cross training in the morning and weights in the afternoon.

Rest and recovery day. Walked to Sugarhouse Park and back with Abby and Andy when I got home from work.

Best day of the year so far for a run. Left work for a while and squeezed in a 10 mile trail run at an easy pace (1:19). I 'll probably run a couple more miles with the team in track practice. 

One additional mile at practice warming up with the team. First meet tomorrow, so I had to issue uniforms, collect paperwork etc. Not the most rewarding aspect of coaching.

5 AM - six easy miles around Sugarhouse Park. Track meet this afternoon. I may not be able to get in more miles.

Just throwing this out there to put some pressure on myself. This afternoon I'm going to race the mile at the Alta vs. Pleasant Grove track meet. That's right, 45-year-old me against a bunch of high school tracksters. 

4:57 1600 on the track. That was really fun. I wore spikes and everything. It brought back a lot of memories.

Seven miles easy. Mostly a trail run, lots of hills. 

Very hard time getting a run in today. Managed 9.25 and got in the door just as Ann was leaving for work. Wierd weather (well, not really for Utah in March) Cold, windy, horizontally blowing snow when I left. Sunny, calm, nice when I finished.

AM - 7.5 around Sugarhouse Park. Would have gone longer, but I had to get Abby to gymnastics. Will try to add a few more miles this afternoon. Probably at Liberty. My legs could stand a break from the hills and pavement.

PM - 10 miles in 1:15. Ran from home along the Salt Lake Half Marathon to Liberty Park and then around the wood chip trail until I got to 10. Ann baby jogged with Andy (he's four but we still squeeze him in the thing) and Abby rode her bike. Met them at the playground when I was done. Went to Cafe Rio on the way home.

This next week I'll back the mileage down a bit, take a rest day or two, and focus on quality. I hope to run a really fast time at the Leopard run next Saturday - a 5k that is a gradual downhill pretty much the whole way with a finish on the East High track.

Took a complete day of rest. Long days this week. Last week of grading period, two track meets, region planning meeting for next year. I'll be lucky to see my family let alone get in many quality miles.

6.5 mile Best Buy loop with my team. 49:17. I have some good young 9th and 10th graders for the first time in a while. Makes me happy!

Unplanned day off. Worked 15 hours. Didn't get home from track meet until 9:00. Too beat to run then. 

Got in an eight mile run at the meet between the 1600 and the 800. Ran 8 miles around a .8 mile loop around the DATC behind Davis High School. Middle 5 in just over 30 minutes. Felt great.

Easy 6.5 on TM. Light strength/weight workout after.

6.5 miles easy with Garrett, Ryan, and Brandon on the Best Buy loop. Threw in a few hard 100 meter striders along the way.

Ran the East High Leopard Run this morning. This was the first race on the USATF LDR calendar for the year. I finished third among the masters. Steve Anderson was in his own world running 15:3? - setting a masters course record. Nathan Pollard, always tough in 5k's, passed me on the track at the finish. My splits were 5:24, 5:18, 5:24, and 31 seconds for the last tenth. I wasn't too happy with my place, but can't complain about the 16:37. I ran 18 seconds ahead of my time last year.

This was a big race this year. Maybe 800 runners. It's only in its second year, but is definitely one of Salt Lake's best run races. Bill Cobler, the race director, does a really good job.

PM Workout: Easy run plus some cross training. Ran to gym and back (2.5 miles). Three miles on the eliptical. Then did a moderate strength workout.

My right achilles tendon is bothering me. Iced it twice today.

I hate to waste a perfectly good Sunday, but I had to rest today. Mostly because of my slightly hurting achilles. I iced it three times and that seemed to help. I did an easy jog around the block in the afternoon and felt no pain.

Came up with a new and pretty damn challenging 13.06 mile route from Alta High today. I'll call it an even half-marathon. The run is a 50-50 mix of road and trail, and very hilly. Here are my splits... 1:34:28 (7:16 pace)

7:53, 7:21, 7:05, 7:02, 7:25, 6:53, 6:38, 8:05 (uphill, loose sand!) 7:44, 7:29, 5:48, 7:19, 7:36.

Garrett Jones joined me. I think it was good for him even if it's not ideal mile training this time of year. I meant to come up with a name for this run (we name our regular routes), but forgot. Maybe "extreme gully". I'll run it by Garrett.

AM Workout: One mile easy on TM. One mile on elliptical. Fairly intense strength workout at gym. 

PM Workout: 6 miles on TM in 45 minutes

Very good run today. I would call it a 60 minute fartlek on the treadmill. 10 miles in 65 minutes counting the cool down. Varied the pace every two to four minutes ranging from 8:30 pace down to the mid 5:30s.

This is a workout that I do often enough so that it's a good barometer on my fitness. I have been able to accomplish it before, but it felt significantly easier this time. So I'm pretty fired up. I'm on spring break now (one of the benefits of teaching - spring break your whole life!) and the family and I are going to hit the road for the next few days. So I'll be doing the Steve Anderson deal - running in a different town each day. I found a 5k in Durango, Colorado that I might try to do Saturday morning since I'll be missing the Striders Half.

I got a very good warm and fuzzy feeling today while on the treadmill. I'm very thankful for this sport and the way I'm able to run still and all the good people I've met through it over the last thirty-two years. I ran my first cross country race in 1977 and heve never stopped. Happy running everyone!