Rob Murphy

am: 7 miles in 55 minutes around Sugarhouse Park. Included a handful of hard 20 to 30 second efforts. I will try to get in another workout before the cross country meet this evening.

pm: Met up with Steve Ashbaker in the gully for the Alta Cross Country teams "gully long run". Actually only 6.5 miles, but a tough, hilly run.

At our pre region meet my girls nipped the American Fork girls 32-36 to finish first in our seven team region.. Looks like it's going to be a dogfight between our two teams all year. 

Rested today. Probably ran a half mile in the park in front of Crescent View Middle School while timing intervals at XC practice.

Ran 4 miles in 32 minutes with my cross country team at 5:45 am. Wanted them to get in a little more miles this morning since I'm basically giving them the afternoon off. The whole team is playing ultimate frisbee with my assistant coaches. I don't like to be present at "workouts" like that because I don't ever want my runners to associate me with fun and frivolity. Only pain and suffering.

I'll be bolting up I-15 to Pocatello as soon as school lets out at 2:30. Abby and Andy are really excited about going on vacation. I know it's Pocatello, but we are staying at a hotel with a pool. Also, their will be Fruit Loops at the continental breakfast and Ann never buys sugary cereal - so that's big excitement as well. Packet pickup tonight, probably spaghetti at the Olive Garden and race at 8 am tomorrow. 

It should be noted right off that I finished second overall in this race and second in the Masters division as Jeff Shadley is also an old guy and beat me by something like 25 seconds. They were nice enough to give me the Masters award since Jeff got the overall.

This was a GREAT race. They really go all out to make every runner feel appreciated. The race director and all the volunteers were really special. Free bags of Idaho potatos to every runner! They don't offer prize money so all the top Utah guys skip it even though it's a really nice race and an easy 2 1/2 hour drive from Salt Lake. That's ok though as it allows guys like me to dream about winning a legit race.

Met Jeff at the starting line before the 8 am start. First time meeting in person after lots of emails and phone conversations (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Jeff was able to get my family a free room at the Marriot Town Place Suites which was really, really nice of him). I have to admit that the opportunity to race Jeff was one of the big reasons I decided to go up to Idaho and run this race. Being out of Utah facing different competition was fun. I would say that I was not optimistic about winning the race, but I was hopeful. As I've mentioned before, my training, with injuries and such, has been really inconsistent lately. But I've also had some really great workouts in the last couple weeks that gave cause for some optimism. Honestly, nothing would have really surprised me today.

Mile splits: 5:28, 5:45, 6:01, 6:12, 5:51, 5:47, 5:52, 6:02, 6:22, 5:55, 5:52, 6:05, 5:55,

The course was fairly challenging after all the downhill Utah courses I'm used to. It required a lot of focus to maintain a fairly consistent pace on the gradual, but pretty long, uphills.

I stayed a few yards behind Jeff for the first three miles but I didn't like my breathing so I backed it down a bit and Jeff opened up a hundred yard lead or so (before that we passed Teena Marie from the blog who was running the marathon. She cheered us on with great enthusiasm which was great for someone fifteen or sixteen miles into a marathon).His lead on me stayed pretty much the same until about mile ten. At times I would feel like I was getting into a nice rhythm and was actually closing the gap. I told myself that maybe his legs would be a bit dead after his recent marathon and that maybe he'd drop back to me.

Then, coming out of the mile 10 water/gatorade stop area I couldn't see Jeff up ahead anymore. I thought "what the hell, did he throw in some kind of insane surge or something"? For about a mile I strained to see him up ahead. Then I glanced behind and saw him about 30 yards behind! Wierd, because I hadn't passed him. Turns out Jeff was suffering from some GI issues and had to duck into a potty at the aid station. Not enough issues to keep him from opening close to a 30 second lead over me over the last couple miles though.

Still, cool to finish second to such a tough runner. The finish line was great. Lots of games for the kids plus a great public swimming pool and zoo complex. Great food and bevereges at the end. Super nice trophy that weighs about 20 pounds and will look great above my fireplace.

Woke up this morning with a fair amount of soreness in my legs following yesterday's race. Definitely a sign of the lack of consistent mileage in my legs. By comparison, I ran the Salt Lake Half in April in 1:15 plus seven more miles after the race, and had no soreness the next day.

Ran 7.25 in 55 minutes around Sugarhouse Park.

Drove up Little Cottonwood Canyon with the family and did a lot of hiking in the mountains around Snowbird. It was unbelievably quiet and beautiful up there.

Hmmm...maybe not. I just checked my blog from April and apparently I was sore the day after Salt Lake. I guess I'm just old. Or maybe half marathons run hard are simply hard?

am: About two miles at cross country practice in Murray Park. Mostly measuring a course with my Garmin and timing intervals.

pm: Three miles on the elliptical plus some fairly hard lifting and plyos. Good workout.

After the gym I went to Maggie Moos with Abby and Andy for ice cream and then to the playground at Fairmont Park. Grillin outside tonight with some of the neighbors.

Managed to get my favorite run in one more time. Met my varsity girls team up at Alta Ski Area after school. As usual, ran up the Summer road to Albion Basin and around the campground seven times.

Ran the first 9 miles in 1:14:35 (8:17 pace)

Mile 10 - 6:17

Mile 11 - 6:37

11.25 miles in 1:29:18

I really appreciate this run at this time of year. The snow can fly at any time burying my favorite run in 500 inches of powder until June.

am: Easy three miles with varsity runners.

105 push-ups, 120 crunches, core strengthening exercises. 

am: 4 mile run with cross country team. Very windy. And dark.

Seven easy miles with some fast striders at the end.

It was a great night for the Alta cross country girls. They finished 3rd out of 37 teams at the Murray Invitational. 4A Ogden and 5A Davis beat us, but we are closing the gap.

I had only a 21 second gap between my #1 and #5 runners. My 1, 2, and 3 ran 19:03, 19:04, and 19:05 on the 3 mile course. How's that for a tight grouping?

Got in a wreck on my way home from the meet at about 8 pm last night. Rear ended as I stopped for pedestrians in a cross walk. My 1994 Accord might be totaled though. Sad. Ann and the kids came and got me as the wrecker was towing my car - both kids were crying over the death of the "put-put" as they call my car.

It was a car load of teenage girls who hit me. My own students no less! I knew they hated me but...

I had a great time at the Alta Peruvian Downhill Dash and Bar-B-Q Bash.Woke up this morning feeling like I ran a marathon instead of an 8k. As usual, we had a great time afterwards socializing with the rest of the runners who were staying over night at the lodge.

We met Steve Anderson and his two daughters who are the same age as my kids. Ann watched the kids as Steve and I raced. "Your dad is faster than our dad", my daughter Abby said to Steve's kids as we passed them on the side of the road at the first mile. Ouch! Here are my splits as they popped up on my Garmin...

1.02 - 4:47 (Steve ran a 4:32 I think - what can you do?)

.99 - 5:01

.98 - 4:58

.98 - 5:06

1.07 - 4:42

I was hitting the split button every time I hit a mile marker and then at the finish. I attribute all the .98's to my efficiency at hitting the tangents on the way down the mountain. I'm pretty psyched about the 4:42 for the final 1.07. Although I can't say I was at the time. I was actually hoping to sort of cruise the last mile, but the races first woman was closing fast. She forced me to suffer greatly the last mile to beat her. Finished 6th just like last year and second to Steve in the Masters division just like last year. Won a free night this ski season at the Peruvian along with dinner and breakfast plus $100.00. Pretty cool.

This morning (Sunday) we went for a couple mile hike through Albion Basin to Cecret Lake with Steve and his family. Lots of fun. Did some rock climbing along the way and tried unsuccesfully to keep the kids, especially Andy, from falling into the lake. Didn't check out of the Peruvian until around noon today.

I never can figure out why only about a hundred people do this race. Probably the downhill pounding that reduces your quads to mush.Everything about the race is first rate though - it's so much more than just another road race.

5:45 am with the cross country team. 4 easy miles, 4x100 meter striders, skipping and bounding, push-ups and sit-ups.

5:45 am: Best Buy Loop (6.5 miles in 49:47) during cross country practice.

I only had the team run four. Provo Invitational tomorrow night. 

Seven miles easy at 7 am. We're having a late Summer heat wave - 94 tomorrow! Wierd.

Andy's 5th birthday party today. A pile of pre-schoolers are set to show up in an hour or so. Not much football today for me.

I'm pretty fired up about my Furman Paladins taking on the old ball coach and his Gamecocks (13th ranked) this afternoon. The last time Furman played South Carolina was 1982 - Furman won 28-23. It could happen.

10.25 miles in 1:14:30. I managed to get out early which I love to do on Sunday mornings. No traffic, very quiet. With no immediate race on the horizon, I'm enjoying the easy runs with no real purpose other than my own enjoyment and to keep from getting fat.

After church this morning I'll probably take the kids up to Park City to escape the heat.

Furman lost to South Carolina 39-19. Managed to keep it fairly respectable I think. On the bright side, the Utes crushed New Mexico and Florida State crushed BYU.

There aren't any BYU fans on this blog are there?

Another 10.25 miles today. Nice run in the mountains at Alta.

Went to Big Apple Pizzaria on 33rd South for Andy's birthday. The do these little free pizzas for kids.

Rough day so far today. Woke up this morning not feeling good at all. Barely got myself dressed and out the door for cross country practice at 5:45. As soon as I got out of the car I spent about five minutes throwing up in the parking lot here at school (good thing I keep a toothbrush and toothpaste in my desk drawer!). Decided to bag the morning run. Skipped the am faculty meeting too. Instead, I went into the school nurses office (actually, the room where the school nurse would be if we had one here in Utah, which we don't. Expensive you know). There is a cot in there and I fell asleep for about an hour and a half. Woke up feeling much better, but unsure of my surroundings. Drove to a convenience store and got some gatorade and managed to keep it down along with a banana.

Feeling a little better now. Gave the kids and essay to write so I don't have to exert myself.

Topic: "George Washington was our most pear-shaped founder. Discuss the significance of this fact."

Sick

Still not feeling so good. Managed three miles with the team this morning though. It was in the high 40s this morning but I was still clammy and sweaty. Just generally lethargic. I really hope to feel better this afternoon.

Oh, and something I have to share. I got a new car last night - a HYBRID Honda Insight. Did I mention it's a HYBRID? Part of owning a HYBRID is feeling superior about it. My new HYBRID really contributes to my feeling of self worth because it just says awesome things about me as a person and places me on a higher moral plane.

PM: went to gym after a short cross country practice. 1.25 mile warm-up on the treadmill. Weights

7.75 miles in 58 minutes while Abby was at swim practice. I really wanted to get 12 or 13 in today, but time just got away from me today.

Up at 2 am tomorrow to take my team to Boise for the Bob Firman Invitational. We are sharing a charter bus with Bill Cobler's East High team. Should be a long day, but fun.

Four  miles between races in Boise.

16.25 miles in 2:02:37 (7:33). First 10 miles was on the roads around Sugarhouse Park and East Salt Lake. Last six on the wood chip path at Liberty Park. Saw Utah Jazz center Mehmet Okur running at the park as well rehabbing his ruptured achilles. Jogged with him for about 50 yards and wished him luck.

My girls did a good job at Bob Firman considering the circumstances. They were up at 2 am for the six hour bus ride to Boise. Barely got the the meet in time to pick up packets, hand out numbers and chips and get in a short warm-up. No time to check out the course. Meanwhile, our chief competition all traveled up the night before, lounged around the hotel until 9am, had a good breakfast, and were at the course in plenty of time to relax beforehand. Still, the girls finished 5th out of 18 teams in the Varsity Elite race. Counting the teams in the two other varsity races, they were 5th out of 84 teams. Ryan Fuller ran a 17:04 in the boys elite race after a week of battling bronchitis.

It occurs to me that some people might think "what kind of stupid coach gets his team up at 2 am for a 300 mile bus ride to compete against some of the best teams in the country when those teams went up the night before and are rested"? See, the thing is, our school district allows each team only one overnight trip per year. We are using ours for the Nike Southwest meet in Tempe, Arizona in November. Other districts (Davis, Park City, Ogden) don't have those restrictions.So, if I want my team to race the best teams from out of state, I have to deal with these restrictions and hope for the best.

We didn't get home from Boise until 1 am this morning. Very tired today. Now, to enjoy my one day weekend.

10.5 miles in 1:17:08 (7:21) out and back on the Porter Rockwell Trail with Ryan Fuller, Tyler Ross, Brandon Gardenhire, and Brad Biggs - my top four guys.

88 degrees!

Two easy miles on the treadmill plus some really hard lifting. Lots of plyo box jumps. Legs are rubbery now.

Off to parent-teacher conferences until 9 pm. Fun. 

Early in the morning. Seven miles in 55:27 around Sugarhouse Park. More p-t conferences tonight, so won't see my kids for the second day in a row. Bummer.

Pretty sore from the weights yesterday which is a good thing. 

It was a beautiful day today an I hated being confined to my classroom so I busted out. Ran 6.5 miles in the gully between my 2nd and 4th period classes. I'll probably run a few more tonight at cross practice.

Mostly timing intervals on the state meet course at Sugarhouse Park in the pm.

I'm a little cranky with the new Powerade Fab 50 national cross country rankings that came out yesterday. The Park City girls got ranked (32nd in the US I believe) and we did not. We've had a really close rivalry with them all year and have beaten them twice. Yet we didn't get a mention.

Oh well, we're going to the Park City Invitational on Saturday and I assume they will be there. We can put up or shut up.