Winning Back What I Lost

First run of the year.  Interval workout on TM (alternating 5min slow/5min fast) + usual leg workout.  Setting a goal of at least 5 days of running this week and transitioning to morning workouts. 

Easy run on the TM. Legs felt heavy and sore w/ some pain in the rear. Two steps forward and one step back.  PT appointment tomorrow.

OK, this is getting ridiculous!  Visited the PT again yesterday. Told him that my piriformis felt better but my PF/Achilles/Ankle pain felt worse. He preceded to try a few stretching exercises to break up some of the scar tissue/residual swelling from my ankle injury 2+ years ago.  I could really feel it and I remember thinking at the time, "This might not be a good thing to stretch my achilles so much while it was so tight?"  Turns out that I was right.  Now, not only does my piriformis still bother me, but my achilles and heel are screaming.  Not going back to that PT. I'm vowing to visit an actual orthopedist and get an MRI.  Sigh.    

AM: Starting a new regimen of morning workouts.  It's become too difficult to run in the evening due to numerous familial commitments. We'll see how it goes. Everything hinges upon whether I can get to bed at a decent hour. 

Very slow run. Just tried to keep chuggin regardless of the speed. Achilles/ankle felt better but the piriformis is ever-present. 

6AM: Ran to and from the Club; light lower body weight training + 30 min easy on TM w/ half dozen pickups.  Listening to Yale Professor David Blight's Civil War Lecture Series. One of the best things about iTunes is the free educational/news content. 

630AM: Very cold. Wanted to run outside but ended up running to the club, hitting the TM, and running home. Trying out a new iPhone running app (Digifit).  Haven't decided if I like it better than Runkeeper.  It does seem to have more free data. 

630AM: 16 degrees. Ran to/from the Club. 40 mins easy on TM w/ 4 faster pickups at 7:30/mi pace. 

12PM: 3+ miles to the gym; short strength training session (legs); couple of miles on the TM, then home. 

2PM: 5+ miles outside; light strength training (legs); 2M easy + pickups on TM. 

630AM:  5+ miles easy on TM w/ 5 pickups at 1/2 mara pace.  Developed a shin splint on my left leg. Probably the result of increasing my frequency of training the past week.  Need to figure out how to post text on this site from my iPad & iPhone. Safari won't let me type in this field.

630AM:  Short easy run on TM w/ some faster pickups/strides. Snowing outside so I drove to the gym. PT appointment later today. 

830PM: Light strength training (3 sets of single leg extensions, single leg press). TM: Easy + 5 x 1/4 mi @ 7:30/mi pace. Some days are better than others and today was better than most.  Visited PT again yesterday. Opted to discontinue visits until I get an MRI and ascertain whether there's some structural issue w/ my ankle/achilles that is affecting everything on my left side, including piriformis.  

9PM: Easy TM run w/ 6 x 100m @ 7:30/mi pace.

8PM: Nice run outside at easy/intermediate pace. Six days of running this week.  Will use a rest day tomorrow.  The plan is to continue to gradually increase base mileage by 10-20% per wk through February before I start a specific marathon training plan for UVM in June.   

630AM:  Easy TM run w/ 5 100-150M pickups @ 7:30/mi pace.  Felt a little winded and tired this morning but I got it done. Going to try to get in a couple of doubles this week to get over 40 miles.

830PM: Easy run outside in light rain.

640AM: 4.3M easy w/ 4 100M strides on TM.  Over 100 miles for the month for the first time since October. 

9PM: 4.3M easy on hotel TM in Seattle, WA.  One of the worst TM's ever. Lurched inexplicably every so often but it kept me on my toes.

Seattle, WA

7PM:  Easy + pickups on the TM.

Seattle, WA

6AM: Easy run on the hotel TM.  Still sore & tired from last night's run.

8PM: Easy intermediate long run. Longest single run since September I think. 

630AM:  Easy + 3 pickups + half mile intervals @ 7:30/mi pace. 

640AM: Easy progression run on the TM. Had a nice massage yesterday. Still a little bit sore but it always takes a few days to wring out the toxins. 

630AM: Easy run on the TM. Little bit of stomach pain. Got back on the scale again and I was horrified- 190 lbs!  That means I put on nearly 25 lbs since September. Obviously, I'll be starting a diet post haste. In the meantime, I guess I'll look on the bright side and view it as a training tool, i.e., running with a 25 lb backpack.

625AM: 6.04M on the TM; half mile intervals @ 730/mi w/ half mile jogs.  I could have pushed it harder but I'm just trying to acclimate myself to a quicker pace before I get too carried away. 

Noon: Lunchtime run on the GB from Municipal Park.  Good run. Just under tempo effort: 7:50/mi avg. 

630AM: Light weight training (3 sets single leg curls & single leg presses) then slow progressive run on TM topping out @ 8:00/mi. 

Noon: Sunny and cool (40 degrees). Extended the Saturday long run to almost 12 miles. Developed some mild hip/groin soreness midway through and one of toenails was cutting into another toe. That's always a problem with my Kinvara's.  The toe box is very constricted and I have to be religious about cutting down my toenails when I wear these shoes.  Felt pretty good and I think I'm making some fitness gains. Steady pace between 8:20/mi to 8:35/mi pace the whole way.   

630AM: 3 sets of single leg extensions; Easy + .5M intervals @ 7:30/mi.  Headphones bit the dust.  I also noticed that my right shoe (Saucony Tangent 4's) had a bit more room in the toe box and when I stopped I discovered why. I had busted a 3 inch hole through the outside edge. I was able to squeeze just under 500 miles out of this pair. I ordered another pair last week from Amazon for $35 (discontinued)- so not a bad investment actually.   

630AM: 5+ miles of hill intervals on the TM.

Noon: Easy recovery jog from Muncipal Park to Ann Morrison Trail and back. Broke in new pair of Tangent 4's. Very tight fit around the arches when I put them on but they stretched out nicely. By the end of the run they almost felt broken in. 

Packing my own lunch these days to cut down on the calories. I'm usually pretty good about getting salads and/or removing the bun when I get something from the drive thru but this just removes all temptation and saves me a ton of $ all at once.  Goal is to lose 10 lbs a month which will put me under 150 for UVM. Considering I've never been lower than 165, that's pretty ambitious. Getting to the 170 mark has been fairly easy for me in the past but once I get there I tend to get complacent and eat anything, and alot of it.  I'll try not to repeat that mistake. I figure that I may never be able to run like an elite but at least I can train like one.  

630AM: 3 sets of single leg ext., single leg press and calf raises + 5+ miles really slow on the TM. Felt extremely tired this morning. My heart rate was way up for the first couple of miles so I dialed it back.  Goal is to get the weekly mileage to 50 this week so I need to avg 7 miles/day M-F and then go long on Saturday. 

630AM: Easy run on TM w/ 5 strides of 150m @ 7:30/mi.  

Noon: Ann Morrison Park to Muni Park Out & Back. Easy/moderate progression run. Worked on standing tall and breathing deep.

630AM: Usual weight training circuit on legs; Progression run on TM starting very easy and topping out at 7:47/mi pace.  Increased mileage has caused a flairing up of my ankle/heel pain.  I spend quite a bit of time stretching at work and at home just to get to where I feel good enough to run.  I'm at about 85-90% healthy right now.  It would be nice to eventually get to where I feel 100% again.  I'm sure dropping weight will help but this may just be my new normal. 

330PM: Got a nice nap around noon and then went for a LSR. Gradually pushing out the long run and the weekly mileage. Very pleasant temps for running (mid 40's) w/ a slight breeze.  Good week of training and diet.

6AM: Starting Pfitzinger's 18 week 55-70 mpw training plan in week 17 (only 17 wks til UVM).  General Aerobic Run: 8M + 10x100m strides @ 10k pace. 3+ miles was outside (to and from the gym) w/ the rest on a TM. 3 sets of single leg extensions & single leg presses.  Broke in a new pair of LunaRacer's. I think these are my favorite all around shoes. Very light and still cushy enough to not wear me out from the pounding my joints take from all the running I typically do on cement sidewalks. 

545AM: Medium long run. Easy pace. It was supposed to be 12M but nature called and I took a shortcut home. Will try to get a couple more tonight & do some light weight training at the club. 

630AM: Easy recovery run on the TM.

550AM: General Aerobic Run: More stomach issues. Had an emergency stop at a Jack in the Box in mile 7 and felt much better afterward. In fact, that pit stop was equal to :15/mi increase in pace w/ no increase in effort.  Flare up of the PF on the left hammie made this run even more challenging.

Noon: Short recovery run on GB from FF Memorial past Vets Pkwy and back. Sunny and mild temps near 50.

230PM: LSR- lots of sidewalks & stoplights. Didn't have time to drive down to the GB where I like to do my long runs in order to avoid the same. Stopped once 4 powerade. Didn't have any stomach issues which was a small victory.

1PM: Snow mixed with rain forced me inside on the TM. First hard workout in a long time. LT run: 3M warm; 4M @ current HM pace (7:13/mi); 2M easy. HM pace was all I could handle. If I had to run a HM right now there's no way I could hold it for 13 miles. It felt comfortably hard which is how it's supposed to feel.

I tried unsuccessfully to register for Robie Creek. Got all the way to the checkout on active.com and the system booted me. Tried to go back and register again but it filled up in 9 mins. Probably a good thing. I'm coaching my son's t-ball team and this would have been a conflict. Robie would be just for fun. The goal race remains UVM in June.

530AM:  Raining again, treadmill again. Very slow & easy medium long run.  This is week 2 of being back on the Pfitz plan and the mid-week medium long runs to supplement the weekend long runs are its hallmark.  It definitely helps build endurance and strength quickly. I've been pretty diligent about keeping a food diary this month. I've let myself partake of some of the V-day candy hanging around but the weight loss is starting to come at a rate of 2 lbs/week. I'd like to get it closer to 3 lbs/week as I ramp up the weekly mileage to 60-70 mpw.   

625AM: Easy recovery run. At the start of the run I felt pretty stiff and tired but ended the run w/ a couple of strong miles at or near 8:00/mi pace. 

530AM:  Easy Medium Long Run. Didn't notice that the GPS wasn't working until I was about 20 mins into the run so the Garmin summary doesn't match my total mileage.  Felt pretty strong today. Kept the HR down and concentrated on running tall and breathing easy. 

630AM: 3 sets of single leg extensions + single leg press + calf raises. Progression run on TM starting slow w/ the last 1M @ 7:30/mi pace.  I think I pulled something in my right hip during my stretching and strengthening routine at home last night. Feels like a sciatic nerve problem because its causing numbness down to my right calf.  Also, starting Day 3 of my detox from diet soda. So far I've refrained from tearing anyone's head off or kicking any small dogs. 

1230PM: Long Progression Run on the TM. I could have run outside but I didn't want to fight the gale force winds. 14M in 1hr 57 min then cool down. Finished strong with mile 14 at goal MP. First couple weeks of Pfitz program has me feeling much stronger than I did over the winter. Weight loss steady at 2lbs a week. Hopefully, at this rate I can be back to where I was fitness & weight-wise at UVM '11 by the end of March. That will give me April-May to improve over last years fitness.

6AM: General Aerobic Run w/ 10x 100m strides. Garmin Fit App inexplicably turned off during a half mile section.  Good run. Struggling to find the best combo of running gear in the cold. I always end up sweating which ends up chilling me but if I wear less clothing I'm just plain cold. I figure that I just need better moisture wicking underlayers.  200+ miles for February. First 200 mile month since August I think. 

530AM: Easy Medium Long Run. Cut it a mile short because I was pushing up against work.  Had one pit stop.  Almost didn't make it but thankfully the door to the public bathroom at a local park was open. Actually, when I got there it was closed but I looked at my iPhone and it said 5:58am. Took a flier and waited 2 mins and the time lock opened.  What a glorious sound that was. Like the opening of the giant vault at Fort Knox.

At the end of my run I followed my usual route along a paved walk/run path in my subdivision when I came across a German Shepherd w/ no leash.  Fortunately, I spotted him about 50 yds away and he spotted me.  I immediately froze hoping that its owner would come around the corner and sure enough she did.  The dog continued to stare me down as its owner hurried to put a leash on the animal.  The best part was as I resumed my run and continued past them, the owner tries to chat me up and play it off.  I gave her a polite hand wave and never took my eyes off the dog.  Memo to pet owners: No matter how well-behaved/trained you think your animal is, show some common courtesy and don't let your animal ramble about unleashed in public.

6AM: Easy Recovery Run on the TM + 3 sets of single leg extensions & single leg presses & calf raises. Hit last 1.5M at slow MP. Quick workout and now it's off to the airport. I'll be in Chicago the rest of the week.

Chicago, IL 630AM: My hotel is only a couple of blocks from Lake Michigan so I made my way down to the Lakefront Trail. Havent been to the Windy City since '05 which was a couple years before I caught the running bug. So glad I got to see so much of the city. Ran past Navy Pier, the Aqaurium, and Soldier Field. A moderate amount of traffic on the trail but not bad. I've got a pain in my right calf the past couple of days. It loosened up a little halfway through the run. I'll get some rest, stretch and do a shorter run tomorrow.

Chicago, IL 7AM: Easy recovery run. Headed north on the Lakefront Trail. Wind was blowing and Lake Michigan was crashing hard against the concrete "lake wall." Right calf is not getting better. Very tight & moderately painful but I can still run. I may have to forego my weekend long run unless it gets significantly better. Saw a girl out for a run with her pet pit bull. Fortunately, it had a leash. Unfortunately, for the dog, it had a pink sweater. Almost made me pity the animal.

I'm freaking out a little right now.  Made an aborted attempt at a run this morning.  Turned around after about 7 seconds.  Right calf is still very tight and sore. It seems to be located deep inside the mid-calf but its also sore to the touch. It feels like I have a huge cramp in it even when I'm not running.  Massaged it, iced it and rolled it out on a foam roller last night. Also, did some reading about my symptoms and it was enough to make me very wary of testing it and tearing something.  This is not good timing at all but at least I'm still 3 months out from my target race. 

6AM:  Back in the saddle again. I've been icing, massaging and resting like a mother trucker and decided to give it another try this morning. I resolved that if I felt any pain that I would turn around. Didn't feel any pain but the right calf was definitely tight.  I don't think I'm ready for any tempo or speedwork yet but at least I'm back running. 

Started slow on a cold morning, mid 20's w/ a chilly wind, sped up in miles 6-10 against the wind.  I think I'll add another short run during lunch to make sure I hold onto the base I've been methodically rebuilding since the beginning of this year.

1230PM: Easy recovery run on the GB from Muni Park.  Very stiff for about the first 1/4M but loosened up and enjoyed the cool weather & sunshine. 

535AM: Super slow medium long run. The pace was slow but I really labored through this run w/ tired legs and a sour stomach. Short run tomorrow then I'll try to long on Saturday.  I could say a little about my hammie, calf and foot issues but at this point it would just be redundant. 

Easy run on the TM. Going long tomorrow. How long will depend on a ton of variables and commitments.

Long Slow Run. Probably one of the longest and definitely one of the slowest I've run.  First 20+ miler of this training cycle. I won't/cant push the pace until I drop some more weight. Conditions were excellent (temp in the 50's w/ a 10-15 mph breeze).  I was able to run the first half in daylight but the last half I ended up on Ustick in the dark w/ no sidewalks and a lot of uneven ground.  I'll avoid Ustick from now on.  The really good news is that I felt pretty good apart from a sideache that developed in mile 19.  No calf pain and no PF issues. 

6AM: Lactate Threshold Run: 2M warm; 3.5M @ 7:10/mi; cool. This is a makeup run from the one I missed last week. I think there's a reason why Pfitz doesn't schedule a LT or VO2 max workout 36 hrs after a 20 miler because my legs were still a little sore.  I powered through most of it, the plan called for 4M @ 15k to HM pace.  I don't really know where my current fitness, much less my LT, is due to the extra weight I'm carrying and the fact that it has been so long since I've finished a 5k race.  I'm hopeful that I'll be back to where I was last summer in another 3-5 wks of training.  This will give me another 8 weeks to make marginal improvement.

530AM: Another really slow run. Avg HR was 136 bpm. Resting HR before I started was 42 bpm. This is not unusual for me. I've seen it as low as 38-40 bpm first thing in the morning. Very mild temps (mid 50's). I was actually able to run in shorts.  Not liking this daylight savings thing.  Just when it was starting to get light out in the morning we lose an hour.

6AM: Easy recovery run. Raining this morning so I hit the TM. Picked up the pace every mile with the last half mile @ goal MP.

540AM: Rain again. TM again. Boring easy slog of a run.

6AM: Weight training (3x single leg extensions, single leg press); Easy w/ 6 x 200m @ 7:00. 

430PM: Easy Medium Long Run. Good to run outside in the daytime with mild temps.

6AM: LT workout: 10M- 2M+ warm; 5M progressive (7:30, 7:22, 7:13, 7:05, 6:58 last half mile); 2M+ cool.  Worked into the pace this time rather than putting the pedal down and going right to 7:10 pace. It felt more comfortable to do it this way but still enough to get the HR to top out near 168ish bpm.

530AM: Easy Medium Long Run. Did the first half outside and the second half on the TM. Didn't plan to do it that way but I looked at the radar and a large mass of rain/snow was approaching and didn't want to get outside. As it turned out, the precip held off and still hasn't hit as of this writing(9AM). Got a hectic schedule this week that may infringe on my workout schedule: T-Ball practices, a funeral in Montpelier, ID and then driving to Mesa, AZ on Saturday-Sunday for Spring Break.

6AM: Super slow easy recovery run. Much warmer this morrning but it was tempered by a stiff breeze. Pretty tired these days. Need to get to bed earlier.

Easy Long Run. Had to get this one before all the traveling begins. Perfect temps and sunny but the wind was brisk, at east for half the run. Heading to Montpelier, ID and AZ. Running will be a tight squeeze in my upcoming itinerary but I'll try to make it work.

6AM: squeezed in a mediumish long run before my niece's baptism and a full day of travel. Staying in Ely, NV tonight. The long road beckons.

Mesa, AZ

8AM: Easy recovery run. Beautiful weather here- sunny with highs in the 70's-80's all week. Oranges in full bloom everywhere. Gonna try some trails tomorrow out in the desert nearby. Lots of options here- paved sidewalk, gravel canal banks to dirt trails.

730AM: Medium Long Run- Found a nice canal road that took a couple miles outside of Mesa city limits. Slight uphill grade and against the wind on the way out. Temps a little warmer but not what you would call hot, especially for AZ. Felt good to see some new geography/terrain and not run on pavement.

Mesa, AZ

7AM: Easy recovery run on a canal path through town. Temps are getting warmer by the day. I have a hard LT workout planned for tomorrow so I'm planning on getting up a little earlier to avoid the heat. Going to see Dodgers v. Giants at Scottsdale Stadium this afternoon w/ the boys. They've never been to a MLB game, spring training or otherwise, so it should be a blast.

8AM: Moved up my easy long run because we'll be travelling on Saturday. Ran the canal road from Mesa to Gilbert and back. Had an emergency trying to find a public restroom at the ten mile mark but fortunately google maps helped me locate a youth baseball complex. It appeared like a beautiful oasis in the desert. Sweet relief!!! Got a little warm the last 10k and my hips were a bit sore. Luckily,my bro-in-law has a pool and the water is still cool this time of year. Felt pretty good, almost like taking a nice ice bath.

Mesa, AZ

8AM: Last full day in the desert. 2M warm; 6M @ tempo effort; cool. Went by effort v. strict pacing. First 3M were moderate uphill + wind. Felt good to stretch out the legs. Didn't think I would be able to do anything but a recovery run the way my heel & PF were barking at me the first mile. Started to feel better in mile 2. Lowlight was being scared sh&$less by a stray dog that was napping in a bush as I approached. The thing was some sort of boxer/ great Dane mix. Thought he was gonna charge but he let me back away and cross the street w/o giving chase.

6AM: Back in Boise. Temp in the 20's, welcome home. :(  Easy recovery run of 6+ miles.

Noon: Another easy recovery run at lunchtime from AM Park (4+ miles). Fitness seems to be improving weekly.  Even a couple of weeks ago, running a double was much more difficult during the first few miles of the second run. Today, the legs felt springy and strong from the outset. That's something I guess.

515AM: Easy Medium Long Run. This run felt too laborious for such a slow pace. I really struggled to find a groove.  Got to bed late because I was catching up on all my DVR recordings that had backed up during vacation (Mad Men, Game of Thrones, 30 Rock, Southland, Daily Show, etc.). I usually don't have problems following the prescribed workouts but sleep and proper nutrition are another matter.  They're so crucial and yet I continue to neglect them.

6AM:  Easy recovery run. Very mild temps this morning for a change. Ran in shorts and a light jacket w/ no gloves or hat. 

530AM: General Aerobic Run (10+miles). Sleepwalked through this run. I'm running on fumes this week from lack of sleep. Was supposed to go 13mi but my daughter missed the bus so I had to get her to school. I'll try to fit a short run in during lunch.

Noon: Easy 30 min run during lunch. Bright sunshine but still kind of brisk. 

630AM: Easy + speed (7 x 100m strides) TM run + 3 x single leg extensions & single leg press. 

Marathon pace workout: 1.5M warm; 12M @ goal MP (7:30/mi); 1.5M cool. Ran this workout on the Boise GB from Glenwood to Muni Park and back. 1st half was upwind and slight uphill. Felt pretty good until about mile 9. Tried fueling with sports beans this time but it didn't agree with me Had a total gut ache the last 4M. Not sure what I'm going to do if I can't fuel with beans or gels.

6AM: General Aerobic Run. Easy 8:30/mi pace. Left hamstring was a little tight but otherwise my legs felt strong and springy. Had a horrible sugar relapse over Easter weekend but I'll get back on track this week w/ a carb detox. 

6AM: Interval workout: Warm; 6 x 600m @ 6:39/mi w/ 90 sec jogs; cool. This felt fairly easy and for good reason. When I got home I looked at the Pfitz 18wk/55-70mpw plan and it turns out that I've been working off of the old Pftiz plan from 2001 and not the updated one included in the book. I have the book but for whatever reason I just googled the plan when I started this training cycle and got an article from Running Times w/ the old plan. The new plan calls for 800m intervals once you start transitioning into the speed mesocycle. Oh well. 

615AM: Easy recovery run. Got a sports massage yesterday so I was feeling a little off this morning. My left hip was way out of whack so the therapist did a fair amount of work getting it back in line. Already feeling the difference but it will take a couple of days to get re-acclimated.   

530AM: Medium Long Run. Still feeling the effects of the massage. Usually takes me 3-4 days to work out all of the lactate that is dislodged. This is a slight step down week, which in this case means that I'm running 5 miles less than last week instead of increasing my mpw.  Right in the heart of training and, as per usual, I need to get serious about my diet.  Weight loss is stagnating after a promising February and March.  Easter candy has nearly all been consumed so at least that temptation will go away soon. February has Valentines Day and April has easter so the kids' "candy" holidays are nearly over. 

6AM: General Aerobic + speed (8 x 20 sec strides). Left heel & PF flared up this morning. Soaked in some epsom salt when I got home. Not sure how or why that helps but it always seems to.

6PM: Easy Long Slow Run. This run was a little tougher than it had to be because I was running into a stiff wind on the last half.  Prior to the run, I was on my feet all day doing yardwork followed by a T-Ball game (coach). Nevertheless, I'm noticing that my easy pace has been slowly inching closer to where it was last spring/summer. When it comes to non-tempo/LT/speedwork runs, I just try to run strong and not elevate my HR above 145-150max. Sometimes this means 9:00/mi pace and other times, like today, it is 30 to 45 secs per mi faster. 

9PM: Transitioning to 7 days of running to build a larger base.. Easy short run to return a couple of Redbox movies and back home. A little bummed that another year has passed and I won't be running Boston. Heat warnings or not, I'd love to be there. Hope everybody on the blog runs strong and stays safe.

615AM: 6+ miles easy. 3 x single leg extension + single leg presses. Watching live streaming of Boston has got me pumped for running. Hope to be there next year but with all of the deferments due to heat it will be that much tougher to get in even if you qualify. I'm thinking it will take at least -5 mins under BQ time to assure a bib. 

NOON: 2.8M w/o a watch/iphone progressing from easy to moderate to marathon pace effort. Light rain and temps in the 50's. 

520AM: Easy Medium Long Run. No food or drink. Felt very weak by the end of this run. The obvious options would be to get up earlier to eat something beforehand or take something with me. I have a hard enough time getting up at 5AM and I generally don't want to upset my already sensitive stomach. So I guess I'm screwed. Also, nice to see that the morning sprinkler minefield is in full effect- watering everything but the grass!

620AM: Easy recovery run. Nice to see that its getting light out earlier in my runs.  Some warm weather coming for this weekend with temps in the 80's. Can't wait to be able to run in short sleeves in the daylight. 

530AM: Hard LT workout. Stepped outside and discovered it was raining. Since I'm a wuss when it comes to running in the rain, I head over to the club for some hard tempo work.  20 min warm; 35+ min @ 7:03/7:03/7:03/7:03/7:08 mi; 5 min recover; 10 min @ 7:03 mi; 15 cool.  I was supposed to go 7 mi @ threshold but I just couldn't hang. I believe I went out to fast as my HR was closer to 5k pace or VO2 max.  I should have run it closer to 7:11-7:16/mi until my fitness improves. Still a very good workout.

Weight is down to where it was when I ran 3:20 at UVM last year. Another month of 60-70 mpw + sensible diet should bring it down further.  Only need to lose 5 min to BQ, but each min under 3:15 improves my odds. Focus and discipline are the buzzwords the next 8 wks.  

630AM: Easy Recovery Run. Temp around 50 w/ only a slight breeze. Perfect weather for running and I even got to run in the sunlight for 2/3 of the run. Spring has arrived!

1030AM: Easy Long Run. Warmest day of the year so far. Temp not bad when I set out but it warmed up to mid 70s, with bright sunshine. Really concentrating on making my easy runs easy and saving the legs for tempo, speed work and marathon pace runs. Running these weekend long runs at about MP + 60-70 secs/mile. Faded a bit in the middle miles but recovered at the end, with my last mile+ being my quickest. Sorry that I had to break my 3 yr Robie streak but this long training run will end up helping me more with my goal marathon in June.

845PM: Easy Short Recovery Run on my new 7 days of running program. Very warm, 90+, today so I waited til dusk to make it tolerable. Started slow but once the legs warmed up I was able to finish the last 5+ mins at goal MP.

615AM: Headed over to the MVHS track for some aerobic + speedwork: 30 min warm; 5 x 800M @ 10k pace (6:40ish on the first 4 & 6:15ish on the last one); 20 min cool.  Could not get the legs to warm up but they started to feel better after the first 800M repeat.  I'm a little dubious as to whether this speedwork will transfer over to the marathon, but if nothing else I think it helps mentally to break up the monotony of long slow aerobic training. 

525AM: Easy Medium Long Run. Didn't get much sleep last night but it seemed like I had enough energy. Hips felt tight though, especially the right one. I've got a couple of easy days in a row so hopefully its not something that a couple of good nights sleep can't cure. 

620AM: Easy + 10 x 100M strides. Almost getting to the point where my shorter runs are completely in sunlight. Legs and hips bounced back today. Feeling much lighter and springy even though my weight loss has hit a plateau recently. Using the Lose It! Iphone App to track calories consumed and burned through exercise. I should be losing 2 lbs/week but it seems to come in spurts rather than gradual loss. A little frustrating to eat less than 2k calories per day & run 60-70 miles/week and still gain a couple of lbs. 

1230PM: Easy 4.7M on the GB. Partly sunny w/ a slight breeze and temps in the mid 70's.  Kept HR at 140 or below. Ran past Bronco Stadium. Exciting to see them moving earth and beginning the new construction on the North Side. It'll look a lot different this fall w/o the track and the North Side enclosed.

830PM: Horrible stomach pains kept me up last night so I put off the run to this evening. Rain finally let up & got in a short run. Still feeling queasy but not quite as bad as last night. Hoping it's just a 24 hr bug as I feel like I'm starting to make some breakthroughs in my fitness and I'd hate to take a step back now.

630AM: Cool (upper 30's) temps this morning. Perfect for a hard tempo run: .5M warm; 6M @6:58/mi avg (6:53;6:55;6:57;6:58;6:58;7:03(ugh!)); cool. Still battling stomach flu a bit. Felt like I was going to hurl the last quarter mile but I held it together. Any run that brings you to the edge of vomitting is a sign of comittment. Also, purchased some Balega Soft Tread running socks and they are awesome. That is all.

5PM: Legs a little bit trashed from yesterday's hard workout. That and I was on my feet all afternoon coaching my son's TBall team & team picture day. Got it done though. Very comfortable temps to run in but it was a little breezy. The most exciting development was that I tried a new fuel source for this long run and it didn't cause any stomach issues- Gummi Bears. They tasted good but it was hard to choke down more than 1 at a time. That could be a problem since it takes 10 of them just to get 90 calories.

My Sunday evening recovery run. This makes 21 straight days of at least some running. I'm positive that has to be a new personal record because until recently Sunday has always been a full rest day. This also puts me over the top for a monthly PR in mileage.

545AM: Interval workout: 3.5M warmup; 6 x 1000m @ 10k pace (7:00/mi) w/ 2 min jogs between; cooldown.  Interesting series of workouts that Pftiz/Douglas put together. Excluding the 3.5M recovery run I did last night, Friday: I subbed a 6M hard tempo @ 10k pace for the Pfitz recommended 8-15k tune-up race; Sat- 18M long run; Mon- 6 x 1000m @ 5k pace (I subbed 10k pace which I think is more transferable to the marathon w/ only 5+ weeks left).  These are all followed by the biggest workout of this cycle which is coming on Saturday (17M w/ 14M @ goal MP) and at the end of a 73 mi week.  In short, this is the biggest/most important week of this training cycle.

530AM: Easy Medium Long Run. A rather crisp but beautiful morning on the first day of May. Put a long sleeve shirt & gloves on but stuck w/ the shorts.  My legs weren't tired, my body was. Fortunately, my legs are getting conditioned to the point where they don't get that low-volume achiness during these mid-week and weekend longer runs. I was a little worried at the halfway point that my hammie would cramp up. I could feel just beginning to ball up. I somehow willed it to pipe down and get in line w/ the other muscles.  It complied and therefore I didn't have to 'turn the car around and go home.'

615AM: 6.1M Easy Recovery Run to and from the IAC. 3 sets x 12 (Single Leg Lifts + Single Leg Press + Calf Raises).

Noon: Another easy recovery run on the GB during lunch. Lots of water flooding the GB at nearly every tunnel. Gonna be costly to repair once the water recedes and it will be interesting to see what kind of course adjustment they'll be forced to make for the Great Potato Marathon in 2 1/2 weeks.

545AM:  Easy Medium Long Run. Easy pace (MP + 60 sec/mi) now fails to get my HR above 130-135 bpm. Aerobically speaking, I've probably never been in better shape. We'll see how much of a marginal improvement I can make in a little over a month. That's why I think body weight is going to be dispositive. Incremental increase in base mileage inevitably leads to improvement in running economy over time but I think the return on the loss of just 1 lb of body fat is equal to or greater than averaging 5 more miles per week over a single training cycle. 

615AM: Short, easy recovery run. Saving the legs for tomorrow's long marathon pace run.

930PM: Easy 50 min run. Super busy Saturday. T-Ball + Track Meet + B-Day party = no long run. Will try tomorrow. It's a key MP workout so no way I can blow it off. FWIW, felt really good tonight. Could have gone much harder but held back to save it for tomorrow.

130PM: Marathon Pace Run- 1M warm; 14M @ 7:28/mi avg pace; cool. This qualifies as a BFD! Been looking forward to this test run for a couple of weeks. Nice to know that I was able to complete this workout w/o redlining. I think my average HR was around 155, although it started to drift into the low 160's toward the end. This is encouraging because I often race at near 170 bpm. That sounds high but its fairly common for me. Ran an out and back on the Boise River Greenbelt. High water has flooded sections of the GB, especially in the tunnels. Knew this would be a challenge when I had to run through ankle deep water less than a mile in. All told, I had 4 "creek crossings" on the way out and 4 on the way back. This kept my feet nice and wet the entire run. Thought it would be a problem but the Balega socks I purchased really helped. Definitely one of the better running specific purchases I've made in quite a while. Highly recommend. Finally, I saw a hawk swoop down and grab a snake out of the grass near Ann Morrisson Park which was totally awesome!

615AM: Easy recovery run. My left piriformis muscle was extremely tight so I couldn't push off.  I'll monitor it and try some rehab and strengthening. Feel good otherwise. Very cool this morning. Temps are supposed to warm up this week but it felt like late fall this morning. 

530AM: Easy Medium Long Run.  Still a little sore from Sunday's workout but better. Picked up some healing rub called Blue Emu Oil w/ Glucosamine.  Seems to be really effective. Pain in my heel is gone and the piriformis pain is noticeably better after just one application. Even if its a placebo, I'll take it. 

615AM: Easy 6M to/from the gym + weight training (3 x single leg press & single leg lift). 

Noon: Beautiful day, temp in low 70s w/ light breeze. Jogged over to Fort Boise trails for some hill sprints. 10 x 15 sec hill sprints. This on the heels of this morning's weight session might leave my legs trashed for a couple of days.

615AM: Very windy outside so I headed to the gym for some easy TM running. Mixed in 7 x 100m strides. 

Headed to my oldest son's track meet tonight. He qualified for districts in the 400m. He's not expecting to move on to state.  He's only a sophmore, so the experience of running against good competition will hopefully push him to a big PR. 

615AM: Very cool this morning, mid 30's. Easy progression run, starting at slower than LR pace and finishing at current MP. 

My son ran the 400M at districts last night. He didn't run as well as he would like, much slower than he did last week, due to some windy conditions and a nagging hamstring issue. Still, he's only a sophmore and the experience will only serve him well when he returns next year.

1230PM: Last 20 miler of this cycle I think. Running a half next Saturday and don't want to run a 20 miler too close to my goal marathon 4 weeks from today. Weather was nice and sunny. Got a little warm, low to mid 70s. Ran a pretty even pace of goal MP + 60 secs/mi. Highest mileage week of my running career because I pushed last weeks long run to Sunday of this week due to time conflicts. Now it's off to get some late Mothers Day gifts with the kids.

9PM: Easy recovery run.

545AM: Speedwork on MVHS track- 3M warm; 6 x 1200m @ 6:55/mi w/ 2 min recovery; cool.  Left piriformis was sore and it took a while to get in a groove. Actually, felt worse once I slowed down. I'll keep it easy the rest of the week. Going to attempt a very steep mini taper after Wednesday for Saturday's half. 

615AM: Easy run. Perfect weather. Just cool enough to be great for running and not so cool that I had to go w/ gloves and/or long sleeve.  PF still flaring up on my right heel. I'll stretch it good this morning and hope it feels better by lunch because I'm planning another session of short hill sprints. 

Got my confirmation e-mail that I made it into Saint George Marathon on Oct. 6th. This puts a little more pressure on me to make UVM count because I doubt that I'll be running another marathon before the September Boston registration deadline. 

530AM:  Easy Medium Long Run. Really tired today. My 8 yr old woke me up saying she had a nightmare and never really got back to sleep. Don't think I woke up until around mile 7. Massaged and iced my left heel last night. Felt much better this morning. Thinking about making up the hill repeats I missed out on yesterday due to the PF issue.  We'll see how work goes and how I feel.  If I get enough caffeine in me it could happen. 

1230PM: Sunny and warm (mid 70's).  Felt good enough to try a short 10 x 15 sec hill sprint workout.  Extremely tired at the outset but the sprints actually woke me up and my legs starting feeling better. Could have done 10 or 20 more repeats but had to get back to work. Short, easy runs tomorrow and Friday in order to be as rested as possible for Saturday w/o the weekly mileage taking too much of a hit. 

615AM: Keeping it easy today and tomorrow. Mixed in a few 20 sec strides.  A little more rested this morning. Sleep is kind of important but totally unproductive. 

615AM: Hit the alarm at 545am and my wife says to me, "Don't you want to just sleep in one time?" That pretty much sums it all up. I didn't respond, just staggered to the bathroom to get ready.

Kept it short and easy for the most part: 2M warm; 1M @ goal HM pace (7:00/mi); 2M cool. Very windy and cool this morning. Right now the wind is blowing the wrong direction (WNW) for the race. We need it to turn around and blow from the East for a nice tailwind and according to the forecast its not likely to do that until late Saturday.  Oh well, at least the temps will be nice and cool (high 40's to mid 50's) at race time tomorrow (830am).

Very pleased with this race, especially off of zero taper. I was shooting for 1:29:59 and made a good push for it. I think I might have made it if I didn't put myself in too big of a hole in the middle miles. I actually ended the last 1.5M @ 6:46/mi pace.  I probably waited too long to make that push but then again maybe I would have crashed if I started the push w/ 3 miles left?

Picked up my buddy John at 615am. He lives one street over. We drove to the finish line at Ann Morrison Park, got on the bus and arrived at the starting line at the base of Lucky Peak Dam an hour and a half before the start.  Unlike Utah, they don't have fire barrels to huddle around in Idaho marathons. Next year I'm bringing kindling and kerosene. It was downright cold with people hiding behind every conceivable structure looking to get out of the wind, at least until the sun finally peaked over the top of the rock and earthen dam. Got in a half-mileish of warm-up looking for place to pee w/o lines and trying to get the GI system to evacuate. No dice. 

That said, conditions were near perfect for running early on, w/ a slight tailwind and very cool temps (40's) through the Canyon at Lucky Peak to Barber Park.  At the starting line I told John that I would try to keep him in sight for as long as possible (he ran a 1:24 PR) and we were off.

Paced the first few miles very effectively.  Started at 7:00/mi pace and tried to increase it from there.  Unfortunately, I think all the speedwork and tempo work @ 7:00/mi pace has trained my legs to lock in that pace. I stayed right near there all race, but for a couple of blips navigating the neighborhoods and the slow 10kers near Park Center.  Then, around mile 10.5ish (near the zoo), I realized that I would have to pick it up significantly to get in under 1:30. Shortly thereafter, I was passing a youngster and he started chatting me up asking if I was a half marathoner (at this point there were tons of slow 10kers and really slow marathoners everywhere).  I responded in the affirmative and asked him what his goal time was. He was shooting for 90 mins too. I said, "Giddyup, let's do it."  We picked it up a bit. When we got to the aid station at 12 I told him that there was no reason or time to stop for water/gatorade, just run through it.  I could sense his disappointment and about a half mile later he stopped, stated "I'm going to throw up. Good luck." 

Apparently, I'm not above leaving a man behind and continued my push.  I think I already knew that the math wouldn't work but I pushed forward anyway, leaving it all out there. I ended with my last mile being my quickest (6:46/mi).  Had my usual stomach issues around mile 9-10 but I was able to hold them off until after the race.  All that translated to almost a 4 minute PR off of what I ran in this race last year.

Returned home in time to get showered, dressed and coach my son's T-Ball team to another great performance- we're doing coach pitch now and the kids are raking. After that, Quin and I went to DQ. I got a PB Parfait and he got an M&M Blizzard that was way too big for a 6 yr old. I graciously offered to finish what he started. :) A pretty damn good day. 

Splits: 7:00; 6:55; 6:49; 6:56; 7:00; 6:55; 7:02; 6:59; 6:59; 7:05; 7:11; 6:58; 6:46.

830PM: Easy Recovery Run to work out some of the lactate from yesterday's hard effort. Ideally I should have cooled down w/ some post race mileage yesterday but the schedule was too packed. A little sore in the hips & glutes at the beginning. Felt better by the end. One more week until the taper!

615AM: Easy + Speed: 10 x 100m strides. Ran a few miles last night and my old body does not like the back to backs.  Good thing I only do that once a week. Left piriformis muscle still barking at me and beggin for some treatment. It's not an injury, just bothersome.

In other bad news, just found out that Lance Berkman is likely out for the year. Cards have a lot of depth at 1st base (Matt Adams was raking before he was called up from AAA and Allen Craig is an All Star in waiting once he comes off the DL) but he was definitely the leader in the clubhouse.   

545AM: Raining so I headed over to the club for some TM miles. This was supposed to be my Medium Long Run but my left heel was hurting and I can only tolerate the TM for so long.  May get in a couple of miles tonight, maybe not. 

Last T-Ball game tonight. Kids have asked that we go without the tee for the last game.  I guess that means this season has been a success. Gonna be sad to see it end so quickly.

615AM: 5M easy then last two miles just under goal MP (7:25; 7:21).  

Nearly tore an ACL after a careless dog owner let her golden retriever run off leash.  I didn't see or hear (headphones) the thing until it came up from behind me and jumped on the back of my legs. Almost made me eat it hard on the asphalt but my superior old man reflexes saved me. I kept on truckin and the dog's owner comes around the corner totally oblivious.  I tell the lady she might want to put that leash she was holding to good use and she just gives me a blank stare.  Nice.

Noon: Easy + hills: .75M warm; 8 x 15 sec, 2 x 20 sec hill sprints; cool.  Very mild temps and a strong breeze today. The rest of the week is supposed to be like this and then a warm up for next week. Now is when I start looking at the long term forecast for the marathon. So long as we don't get overnight lows in the 60's, it should be pretty cool at 6k feet on June 9th.   

6AM: Easy aerobic run. Did half of this run on the MVHS track. I think I'm still dizzy from running all those ovals. Distance running on a track is one small step up from a treadmill. 

6AM: Easy recovery run. Wasn't raining when I left the house but it was pouring by the time I returned. Sped up the last mile because I was terrified that the rain would soak threw my pocket and damage my iPhone.  

Tomorrow is my last long run (17M) as I'll begin a 2 week taper for UVM.  The Pfitz Plan calls for a 3 week taper but I'll log 65M this week v. the 53-55mpw he recommends. I find that a 2 week taper is more than enough.  Actually, I think a 1 week taper would probably be enough.  

430PM: Easy + fast finish. Progression on last 4+ miles, shaving 10 secs mi on each successive mile. Began @ 8:00ish mi and finished @ goal MP (7:25 mi). My fitness felt great but my legs felt below avg. Good practice for being able to push when the legs feel like anvils the last 10 k of the Mary. I think I'll get a massage next week to work out the calves, PF and hammies.

Last longish run of this cycle. Goal from here on out is to sleep well, eat well and fine tune.

7PM: 3 super easy miles with the girls on their bikes to get some Redbox and back. Left piriformis is starting to flare up again. I've been massaging and icing for two days to no avail. Actually feels better after I warmup but until then it really nags. Someday I'll have a full training cycle with no aches or pains.......nah, probably not.

1130AM: Easy + 10 x 100m strides. Achilles sore. I just keep getting new dings and dents every day. Going fishing tomorrow and Wednesday so maybe some rest will help.

6AM: Easy Recovery Run. Now I'm off for 2 days to chase big brown trout on the Owyhee River!

615AM: Didn't run yesterday for the first time in over a month. Spent 2 days on the Owyhee River w/ my dad. Caught a bunch of fish and, more importantly, rested the mind and legs. Made some memories w/ the old man.  My dad's 70 so I'm not sure how many more of these overnight outings he'll be up for.  

The rest really helped my legs get some life again. Ran an easy 3M warmup over to the MVHS track then 3 x 1600m w/ 400m jogs between (6:38; 6:31; 6:30). Based off of my recent 1/2 mara PR, this is probably close to 10k pace.  Also, new PR for most mile in a month.  

615AM: Easy + speed (7 x 100m strides). Didn't think that my legs would be this lifeless. I didn't feel any more tired than usual but I just couldn't get any rhythm going. I noticed that my HR was a bit elevated (up 5-10 bpm) too. I'll chalk it up to poor sleep this week and try to get more rest this coming week. I think my #1 goal is to get at least 7 hrs sleep every night.

130PM: Easy medium long run on a hot (80's), windy afternoon. Last longish run of this cycle. Tried a new route that goes through a local city park thinking it would have a water fountain. Turns out its the only park in the Treasure Valley without a drinking fountain. Who designs a park & leaves out a drinking fountain?!? Got through it and found water at mile 8. In hindsight it was probably good practice for pushing through fatigue and persevering.

10PM: Easy recovery run. Felt pretty good, much better than Lebron & Co. tonight.

6AM: Super easy short run. Didn't even get the HR to 130.  

930PM: Slept in this morning and got some good rest. Dress rehearsal workout tonight. Last non-easy workout before the race. Weather was super crappy so I ran this one on the TM at the club. 2M warm; 3M progression under marathon goal pace (7:18, 7:13, 7:08); 1.54M cool. Pulse and breathing were under control. 3 strides to every breath. Feel really good right now. None of the phantom pains and sluggishness I usually get during taper madness.

Noon: Happy National Running Day! 5 easy out and back miles on the GB from Ann Morrison Park.  Stopped to gaze at all the construction going on at Bronco Stadium. Football less than 90 days away.

1230PM: Easy + 6 x 10 secs strides on the GB from Muni Park to Barber and back.  Very windy today and I'm a little worried about the forecast for Saturday near Wallsburg, UT (start). Temps look near ideal but they're calling for 20-25 mph winds out of the SW.  That would mean the Provo River Canyon section and the last 10k down University Blvd will be a headwind. [/bangs head].

Is this why I got up at 0'dark thirty on so many cold winter mornings?  Is this why I ran all those long runs, tempo and speed workouts?

Headwinds, GI distress, and a lack of mental toughness. Those were the themes of the day. Started out strong, then the GI distress and headwinds began once we made the turn and hit the hills around the reservoir. Never recovered and hit the POPs 4 times between miles 11 and 16. Started walking for good after that last POP trip and even threw up once at mile 18.  I really wanted to drop but my son was gracious enough to get up early and run out to meet me at mile 21 w/ a gatorade bottle. We walked for a few miles together and then he convinced me to jog it in the last 5k. He's a good kid. Really proud of him. Saw the rest of the family at mile 25 and my little 6 yo was so excited. Hard to be too disappointed when he thinks I'm some combination of Ryan Hall and Usain Bolt.

On the upside, I met a bunch of fellow bloggers and even got to hang out and run w/ Marlin. Good guy and a real tough runner (he ran a PR today into that horrible headwind). Very happy for him.

No splits, because really what's the point? I'll be back, just a little down right now.

530PM: First easy post-marathon run. A benefit of not actually running a marathon is that you don't have a recovery period with all of the typical soreness. Kept it slow. Temp was 85 degrees which made any effort seem like a tempo.

Couple of days out from the UVM debacle and I'm still kinda shocked that it all went down like it did. I have to take th lion's share of the blame. The conditions were horrible and my body didn't do me any favors but I threw in the towel once my goal seemed out of reach. I think I can eventually resolve the physical problems, the mental aspect might be even more challenging.

1230PM: Mid 70's w/ lots of sunshine. Took yesterday off to take my two youngest fishing. Consequently, felt really strong today and ended up doing an unplanned 6M out/back progression run on the GB from the Firefighters Memorial (8:17; 8:00; 7:49; 7:39; 7:26; 7:11) cool. 

Did a little research this morning and found a company, PREV, that markets an herbal extract that supposedly aids runners dealing w/ diarrhea/upset stomach/nausea.  I figure its worth a couple of bucks just on the off-chance that it might help.  I'll try it on my next long run and report on the results.

615AM: Easy run. First morning run this week. Haven't begun a formal training program yet. I always find it a little more difficult to get up in the morning if I don't have a written training plan to adhere to. Getting out of bed and running just for the joy of running is something I need to do more of.  

1230PM: Another out-back easy run on the GB from AM Park  We're right in the sweet spot in terms of weather, mid to upper 70's w/ a slight breeze and abundant sunshine. It won't be long before we're pushing triple digits. Little surprised that we haven't done so already.  

2PM: Easy Medium Long Run. Julia Davis Park to Glenwood and back. Pretty warm, 80 with sunshine. Encouraged that I was able to get in a longish run only a week out from the marathon. In the past, I've neglected my training for a couple weeks post-marathon and was thus unable to build off of it like you would want. I'll ramp the mileage back up to 50+ next week and begin the next marathon training plan the week after that.

615AM: Easy + speed (6 x 100m strides). Felt really good this morning after taking Sunday off. Need to get back to running, at least a little bit, every day. I think the short easy run on Sundays really supports the fitness benefits derived from the Saturday long run.  I'd rank it a close second to the mid-week long runs in importance for marathon training.

Noon: Easy progression run on the GB from Muni Park.  Concentrated on a couple of form improvements that I've been trying to introduce- slight lean forward, better toe off, knee lift and backleg extension. I've always been troubled by the race pics that I see because in nearly every one of them I have both feet on the ground simultaneously, suggesting that my running form is more of a shuffle. 

6AM: Easy run. Gradually stretching out the midweek runs.  Very cool temps this morning after a dry cold front pushed through last night w/ high winds. Supposed to warm up quickly on the backside w/ temps near 100 by Thursday or Friday. Summer in the high SW Idaho desert has begun.

Audiobook of the Month: Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn.  A story about a late thirty something Brit who uproots his family to go live and run with elite Kenyan runners for 6 months.

NYT article on endurance athlete Jure Robic.  Very informative article about a Slovenian utltra-bicyclist who literally goes mad during races and, more generally, how the brain acts as a central governor to limit athletic performance.  

620AM: Speed day! Warm; 3 x 1600m (6:31; 6:33;6:32) w/ 400m jogs; cool. This was harder than I thought it would be and more difficult than the last time I did mile repeats, approx. 3 wks ago. That's not a good indicator for how I'll run in my 10k this Saturday. I was planning on going out at 6:30/mi pace and trying to hang on from there. Considering how difficult this workout was that might be ill advised.  

615AM: Easy Run. Had to make a mad dash into Jack in the Box for a pit stop. This may be the first time anyone has ever had an explosive bowel movement at one of their restaurants who didn't actually eat their food.

1230PM: Easy 30 mins on the GB. Very warm today but a nice breeze made it tolerable. Saw perhaps a dozen people rollerblading.  Apparently, that's still a thing. 

630AM: Short, easy run. Just one run today. This is how I taper for a local 10k.  

Very flat and fast course that I ran my previous PR on last year. Later start so it was already above 70 when we started at 9am. I thought I was capable of running a little faster but I just couldn't get any power out of my legs. Never felt like I was maxed out cardiovascularly. I tried to surge numerous times in the last couple miles but it was not happening. I went out at 6:30 for the first mile and gradually drifted towards the 7:00 pace in each successive mile. Felt like I had more power at the end of my half Mara in May than I had at the end today. Did a 3m easy warmup early this morning, mostly to get the GI system moving, so that may have sapped the legs a bit before the race started. I don't usually do any warmup. Not elated but somewhat pleased with the 25 sec PR.

6AM: Short, easy run. Had to turn around halfway through due to stomach issues. Took PREV before my race on Saturday and it worked a little too good. This morning the dam finally broke, which was a rather inconvenient relief.  

1230PM: Short out-back progression run on the GB from Muni Park. Started slow and ended at 7:15 for the last mile.  

6AM: Easy run. Very windy w/ a storm brewing. Thankfully, only a light rain w/ the hard stuff never quite materializing. Felt much stronger today. Toyed w/ the idea of a tempo but opted for a steady pace and saving the legs for tomorrow. This is sort of a dead time in my racing schedule. I'm not locked into anything except SGM in October. I'll probably do Fit 4 Life in a few weeks and possible Pocatello Marathon the first weekend of September. That said, I could decide to use the weekends for hitting the backcountry. 

6AM: Easy run. Wanted to do some track work but the local HS has inexplicably chained all of the gates and I didn't think it wise to disregard the obvious message ("KEEP OUT!") and jump the fence.

The big story this morning is that I was hit by a truck. Really not as bad as it sounds. It was a pickup belonging to the Irrigation Dist. riding the canal path. I had my earphones in and didn't hear him approaching. I came around a blind curve w/ overhanging bushes so I didn't see him til the last moment. Luckily, he wasn't going very fast and I was able to put my hands on the corner of the hood and sort of push off to avoid direct impact. No injuries but it scared the crap out of me.  

1230PM: Hill workout on Military Reserve Trails. 700' vert. Very steep on the way down. I need to re-learn how to run fast down very steep downhills. Plan is to do at least 1 short hill workout per week and a long hill workout every other weekend. Temp was very mild (70ish) for late June.   

615AM: Easy run. Let the record reflect that I didn't bounce off any cars today. Also, I heard something about there being a very important opinion to be released by the SCOTUS today. Hmm, probably nothing to be concerned about. 

630AM: Easy run + speed (6 x 100m strides) before heading out to McCall for a long weekend of camping with my boys and my dad. 

7AM: Ran up from our camp at Hazard Lake near McCall to Upper Hazard Lake. Beautiful scenery but there's still a ton of snow, deadfall, several creek crossings and water running down the trail. Should be in great condition in another month but this is pretty much the first weekend that any hikers or campers have been able to get in there. Camp is at 7k feet and the trail gains about 500 feet w/ the last half mile being the steepest over the ridge to the lake over huge snowdrifts. I'll definitely have to revisit these trails in August when they're in better shape.

6AM: Easy run. Getting back into the groove. I think the trail running and hiking on Saturday aggravated my left piriformis again. I just can't seem to get rid of it. It's like herpes, always lying in wait.  

1230PM: Easy run on the Bethine Church Trail at lunch. Very warm, near 80.  

615AM: Easy + speed: 1600M @ 6:35; 1200 @ 5:03; 800 @ 3:20; & 400M @ 1:35. I just sort of fell into this workout. The gates weren't locked at the track and I hadn't done any speed workouts since the 10k on June 23rd. Didn't really put out an honest effort. I was more focused on breaking up the monotony of easy running. Mission accomplished.

830AM: Easy run. Got to sleep in on this our nation's pretend b-day (Declaration wasn't signed until August 2nd). Felt great to run in the sunshine and not have to go to work right after. Now it's time for some artery clogging sustenance and later on we'll blow a bunch of stuff up. Go America!

615AM: Easy run. Extremely fatigued this morning. Had a late night of fireworks and slept horribly.  

NOON: Hill Workout. Military Reserve Trails. Same trail as last week, only I was feeling a lot more lethargic. Worked through a stiff wind that seemed to turn around and hit me in the face on the way out and back. The trend seems to be a lot more wind this year than most years.

630AM: Easy run. Very warm this morning, 70+ degrees. Temps climbing into the triple digits this weekend and into next week should make tomorrow's long run interesting. Still better than running in the dark and cold during the winter.

930PM: Easy Medium Long Run. High today of 100. Temp in the upper 80's but didn't feel that hot once the sun went down. Been a while since I've run in the evening. Got a nice long nap this afternoon so my legs felt very energetic and springy.

930PM: Easy late night run. Dropped the truck off at the mechanic so they could get started early on fixing my AC. I've gone 1 1/2 summers w/o it and this week's forecast finally forced my hand.

930PM: HOT! Record high of 108 today, 97 when I left the house. Didn't feel that bad once the sun went below the horizon. Still, I'm gonna try to get back to running early mornings again. I like getting at least one run in before work to minimize the risk of my "habit" being derailed at some point during the day.

630AM: 2M warm; 5M @ slow MP. Fires/smoke to the east provided "cloud cover" and made the sunrise rather eerie. Very warm for this early, mid 70s. Today's audiobook tidbit from 'Running with the Kenyans': In 1975, US runners ran 34 sub 2:20 marathons. In 2005, with all the benefit of better training and nutrition as well as increased monetary incentives, US runners ran 22 sub 2:20 marathons. The US isn't treading water in distance running, it's going backwards. 

615AM: Another smoky morning w/ the fires still burning to the east. While this makes for a very cool sunrise it is not conducive to breathing. Something that I find to be an indispensable part of running and, more generally, life. Easy pace w/ 10 x 20 sec strides over the last 2.5M. 

I have been confronted by a rogue gaggle of geese lately. Yesterday, 3 or 4 of them tried to force me off the canal path- charging at me w/ heads lowered and hissing. I thought I might teach them a lesson this morning but instead I chose another route. I'm a coward.   

615AM: Barely made it out of bed. I'm working on very little sleep these days. HR never got above 130. Left hamstring is very tight. It's been cranky for awhile now so I decided to forego the Fit 4 Life Half that I had planned for Saturday. Better to build up my base mileage and get healthy. 

No running. Left hamstring and glute very sore. Actually hurts to sit. Time to start doing my phys therapy exercises again.

6AM: Easy run. Took Fri-Sun off to rest and strengthen my left hammie. Tried to fish on Saturday but the wind and rain blew us off the water.

Hammie/glute felt better than it did last week but still not 100%. As if that weren't enough, I developed my recurring vertigo symptoms over the weekend. Not enough where I can't drive, but just enough where I feel nauseous most of the time. I may have to forego any speedwork and focus exclusively on base building for a while unless things change. I don't have any races planned between now and SGM. I had it in my mind to do 40 miles on my 40th birthday, August 1st, but I'm probably not in a position to do that now. Running that far would probably be reckless, which is to say that it might be something that I'll attempt to pull off. 

930PM: 3M Easy to return Redbox DVD.

615AM: Easy 6.85M. Vertigo has dissipated but now my PF is back in my left heel. Don't know why I obsess about these things. Maybe its to leave a record of excuses for my posterity to ponder over and study?

NOON: Hill workout: 3+ miles on the Mil. Reserve Trails. Very hot, mid-80s w/ no breeze. Struggled a bit on the downhill w/ my weak left ankle. Still not very good running fast downhill. The uphill was a great workout. 500' vertical.   

615AM: Easy. Work has been crazy and I've been just as busy at home. Fit a run in this morning just to feel normal. Feels so good to be actively working on my fitness. Another example of not fully appreciating something until it goes away. 

Noon: Easy lunchtime run from Muni Park through Bethine Church Trail. Very hot w/ no breeze. Extended this run a bit because I didn't get out of bed this morning. 

6AM: Easy run. Took the weekend off again to float/fish the S Fork of the Boise w/ my boys and dad. Didn't sleep very well but got a good nap yesterday which helped.  I've had some down time and now I need to start focusing again by incorporating some speed/tempo. Probably start w/ that tomorrow or Wednesday.

630AM: Progression run. 1M warmup then steadily pushed the pace. Mile 6 at MP and last .5M at HMP. Finally, some non-easy running. Time to start picking things up and get in some specific/targeted workouts. 

NOON: 75 degrees w/ slight breeze. Hill Workout on Military Reserve Trails. Ran the usual route in reverse. It felt more challenging than the other direction even though its the same elevation gain (429ft over 1.5M). Much steeper at the very top.  

6AM: After years of cyber conversations and a brief "hey" at Pocatello as I ran by him at the starting line of last year's Half Marathon, I finally got to meet and run w/ the Mr. Jeff Shadley. We met at Tuscany Park where his brother lives and Jeff was kind enough to let me set the pace. We had a great conversation about a host of topics. More accurately, I pretty much just spat out short 3-word sentences in between gasps for air. I warmed up for a mile+ over to the Park from my house. From there we ran around the neighborhood on my usual MVHS loop. I even took him through the canal to confront the killer geese that haunt my dreams. I cowered behind him as we approached and sure enough, nothing happened. I think its part of their plan to slowly drive me insane. I guarantee that if I go back there tomorrow I will be attacked and most likely forced to commit a goose homicide.

Anyway, it was a really fun run. I learned a lot just watching and listening to Jeff. The pace probably felt super slow to him but I was going about 45 secs per mile faster (7:30-7:40/mi) than my usual easy pace. Not a tempo, but definitely not easy. That's OK. I need to stop being so lazy and start stretching out the legs and running strong.     

630AM: Easy run. Feeling very lethargic and sleep deprived these days. Alarm went off at 530AM and I didn't roll out of bed until after 6. Dozing off at the cpu at work as I write this. More rowing and fishing this afternoon/evening so not much chance that I'll get to bed at a decent hour tonight. 

NOON: 88 degrees, partly cloudy. Progression Run- Out & Back from Muni Park through BC Trail. Mile 7 @ 7:18. Ran strong and felt great. 

9PM: Easy run. Waited til near sundown but it was still ridiculously hot, mid 90's. Kept it slow and stopped once for bathroom and once for a Gatorade. Decent week of training. Hopefully I can build on it. SGM is only 10 wks away.

9PM: Mid-90's temp makes even the easiest runs not so easy. Motivation to get up early in the morning.

6AM: 66 degrees. That's more like it. Easy run. Legs were very heavy but it felt good to run in relatively "cool" weather. Just found out that my wife wants to go to Lake Powell after work tomorrow. My in-laws have a houseboat we'll be staying on. Not sure how much time I'll be able to steal on shore for a run so I better get some good mileage in today and tomorrow. Seems like I get some momentum in my training and then something come along to set me back. Oh well, I can think of worse reasons to miss a few days of workouts.

620AM: Temp mid 60's. I must be coming down w/ something because I feel like I've given two pints of blood for 7 days straight. Trudged and slogged through 7 very slow miles. I need sleep but unfortunately its probably not going to happen anytime soon. Headed out after work on a long drive to Lake Powell, UT for a family reunion. I'm bringing my shoes and hoping to squeeze in a few miles here and there. 

Lake Powell, UT

Back late Sunday night, 8/5, from 5 days on a house boat in Southern Utah. A couple of observations: 1) The scenery was absolutely breathtaking; and 2) Great scenery doesn't necessarily make for great running terrain.  I brought my shoes so naturally I felt compelled to sneak away and do some running. Temp was near 90 degrees when I left and it felt much hotter. The running surface was a mixture of sand and clay w/ some hard red rock mesas mixed in. Lots of sage brush and stickers to make it even more challenging. Actually got a little bit stranded on the way back to the houseboat, coming up against a sheer wall. I could have backtracked but I decided to turn the run into a biathlon and swim across a cove. It cooled me off and gave me another story to tell. Wanted to run a bit more but this vacation was more about family and making sure the kids didn't drown. Looking forward to getting back into it this week. 

930PM: Back late last night from vacation. Incredibly sore from my initial wake-boarding experience. I turned 40 last week which is probably 10 yrs too late to take up that hobby. Moderate easy run on a very warm evening. Supposed to reach near 106 degrees tomorrow so I'll have to make sure that I run early.

630AM: Easy run. Temp 75 degrees. 

Noon: Easy run. 93 degrees. Ran O & B from Muni Park to Barber Park. Super hot. No really, it was hot. It was so hot that I burned myself trying to get a drink from the stainless steel drinking fountain.  

6AM: Easy + speed (10 x 100m strides). Hips & left hammie are incredibly stiff and sore. Could not get going at all this morning. I attribute most of that to the double yesterday but my recent weight gain can't be helping either. I've definitely been consuming anything I wanted this past month.....and then some. No ice cream or candy for the next couple of months. 

Noon: 85 degrees; Hill workout on MR trails. Tried some different trails today. Hips/hammie felt much better after a good night's sleep and some stretching. I was able to go a bit faster on the downhill today. Quads are starting to come into shape. Almost went too fast on a really steep and rocky section. Stumbled forward for a bit and almost ended up doing a front somersault. I was able to catch my footing right before going off a ledge. Had a run in w/ another mt biker that refused to yield on the single track trail as required. I wanted to give him a hip check but I settled for wishing him a horrible syphillitic death.

630AM: Awful run that I cut short. Felt drained and sore in the hips. I feel like sleeping for two days and wiping the slate clean. Gotta work through this because time is getting short. 

9pm: 85 degrees & no wind. Started off pretty good but my hips / groin really started aching after mile 7. Not a good run at all. Don't know what to do other than keep doing what I'm doing. I'm not overtrained just weak. Maybe I need to get back to a couple days of weight training?

9PM: Easy run over to the Church and back. I've been put in charge of making sure the building is secure every evening this week. No big deal, just doing the Lord's work.

630AM: Easy run on a pleasantly cool morning, high 60's. Still have very poor air quality, orange alert, from the fires and dust blowing around. More hip and hamstring/glute pain. Not an intense pain but more of a radiating pain. I've gone through this before and it got better after a few weeks of doing some strengthening exercises. Hoping for the same this time around.

930PM: Another easy run. Looking into going gluten free. It was my wifes idea but I thought what the heck, maybe it will help me with my GI issues?

Noon: Easy progression run- Muni Park & BC River Trail. 85 degrees and the air quality is still on orange alert due to the fires. Felt like I was breathing through a straw. We need a nice rain storm to move all of this smoke out but the long range forecast doesn't look promising. 

930PM: Easy.  

9PM: 88 degrees and less smoky. 2M warm; 45 min. @ tempo effort; cool. Couldn't run this at a strict tempo pace so I focused on effort, i.e. comfortably hard. Legs just wouldn't go any faster than 7:20 to 7:30 mi pace. Nevertheless, it felt good to do some non-easy running.

Noon: 84 degrees. Easy recovery run on GB from FF Memorial to Willow Lane. Left hammie/piriformis really acting up. I could feel twinges of pain on even the slightest incline. I'm going to lay off the trail running for a while. I think the uneven surface (sand) I ran on at Lake Powell brought it back with a vengeance and it just got progressively worse since. 

630AM: Easy run. Cool temps, upper 60's. Piriformis/hips felt a little better this morning after a hardcore stretching and strengthening session last night before bed. I've also tried to concentrate on staying in the road or path v. running on the sidewalk. Asphalt is a little more forgiving than the concrete sidewalks. I think there's a cumulative impact to running so many miles on concrete that should be avoided if at all possible. Going long, 20-22 mi, tomorrow!

930am: Easy long run on GB from Glenwood to almost Barber Park and back. Wish I would have gotten out of bed earlier. It was 90 degrees by the time I finished. Smoke was thick and the whole valley smells like a campfire. Hips and left hammie still barking. Scared myself a couple of times pushing off on a couple of small inclines. Had to make a conscious effort to shift my weight to rt side and not push off hard. Not exactly conducive to running hard but at least I'm running.

900PM: Easy progression run. Finding it hard to get up in the morning these days. Watching multiple DVRed episodes of Sons of Anarchy and Homeland til 1am probably have something to do with it. Hamstring is not as painful but very tight which is limiting my range of motion. Need to be more consistent about my strength exercises and stretching routine. 

4PM: Easy run on the River Pkwy in Idaho Falls, ID. Ran out and back on the path along the Snake River, past the Falls and Snake River Landing.

9PM: Easy run. Back home after a day in Idaho Falls, ID. I was supposed to run w/ Marlin in the morning before my meetings but I overslept (I guess I didn't set the alarm correctly). Sorry Marlin. 

6AM: Easy run w/ Court. Caught up on each other's training/racing and talked a little bit of football. We're both looking forward to Sept 20th, BSU v. BYU in Boise, and we made tentative plans to tailgate before the game.  

Backpacking (75 lb pack) into Baptie Lake (10k+) via the Jarvis and Broad Canyon Trail in Pioneer Mts. 3k vertical climb.

Hike from Baptie Lake to Goat Lake. Light pack w/ just the flyrod and food.  

Hike into Goat Lake and Betty Lake. 700 ft vertical. 

Baptie Lake to Trailhead. 3k descent.

1230PM: Easy to moderate run from Muni Park along BC River Trail. Much cooler temps this week. Beautiful day to get back into running. Hammie and hips are sore from the backpacking the last 4 days. This is a make or break week in terms of training. I can't hope to PR at SGM unless I ramp my mileage back up and stay focused in my training and at the dinner table. The wife has gone gluten free w/ good results so far but I just can't seem to pull the trigger.

9PM: Easy run. Doubles the rest of this week.

1230PM: Easy. FF Memorial to Willow Lane on GB. This run was pure evil. 

1230PM: Easy run. Muni Park to Barber Park. Overcast w/ cooler temps. Very nice run but for the stomach ache. No double tonight due to BSU v. Mich State on ESPN. 

Noon: Sunny, 80 degrees. Medium long run. 5.5M at goal MP. Felt very nauseous but hammie didn't bother me for a change- a very nice development.

9PM: easy run. No aches, no pains. Nearly attacked by a German shepherd that bolted from an open garage. I saw him running at me and just held my ground til the owner caught up and chased him away. The wife just stood by and said nothing. She's the same gal who likes to walk the animal off leash on our subdivision's walking/running path.

8PM: Easy + 8 x 100m strides at the end.

1230PM: Very slow recovery run. Muni Park to Barber Park. Temps, mid 70s, were glorious. 

545AM: Cool temps, mid 50's, and easy running. Fall evenings are here. Temps still rising to near 90 degrees in the afternoon but the evenings are cooling off nicely. 

630AM: Slow marathon pace run. Last mile at goal MP (7:25/mi).

Noon: Back on the MR Foothill Trails. Very mild temps, 70's, and cloud cover. Great day for running some trails. Lots of good climbing and downhill. Hips and hammie were tight at the outset but loosened up after a mile or two. Feel pretty good right now and encouraged by my HR going uphill. I wasn't pushing it but its nice to be able to climb relatively steep sections and not redline.  

630AM: Easy recovery run. Cool temps and no wind. Beautiful morning. 

2PM: 90+ degrees. 10+ miles on the Boise Foothils trail system. A lot of fun except for the mt bikers who consistently don't yield. It was so hot that my iPhone shut down due to the temperature. It's only ever done that when I leave it on the dash of my car. Not a long run but good heat and hill training for SGM. 1500' vertical.

8PM: Easy like Sunday morning, in the evening.

615AM: General Aerobic Run. Dark and cool these days.I love running in the cooler weather but I'm already starting to miss the daylight. 

Noon: Temp upper 60's, breezy w/ sunshine. GB from FF Memorial to Les Bois Park. Tempo run-15 min w/u; 30 min @ threshold (6:53, 6:55, 7:02, 6:59, +); 10 min c/d. This felt harder than usual but I haven't done any non-easy running in a while. Hammie felt good but it's a little twingy as I type this. Note: It's raining in Saint George today. Maybe this will usher in a cooling trend and some fall weather in the desert?

4 x 25=100 pushups. Been doing this for a week. Next week I'll increase to 5 sets.

615AM: Easy recovery run. Chilly, mid 40's. Broke out the gloves for the first time this fall. I hope this is a sign of sustained cooler temps and that we don't revert back to an Indian summer. A little bit of hammie/glute soreness from yesterday's workout but not bad. I think this might be the last run for these Lunaracers. 

5 x 25 pushups. 

8PM: Easy + fast finish, last mile @ 7:22/mi. Spent three hours standing in the sun watching my son's JV football game so I was a little drained. First run in my new Saucony Kinvara 3's. Love the new feel. More room and cushioning in the forefoot.

4x 25 pushups

Noon: Short hill workout on MR Trails. Pushed the downhill harder this time. Starting to get more comfortable and not braking so much. Only workout for today as I'm going 20 mi tomorrow.

630AM: Long run on Boise River GB from Glenwood to Barber and back. Battled stomach issues throughout which forced me to take 2 urgent pit stops at miles 8 and 18. I thought about taking PREV but it always leaves me constipated I can live with that following a goal race but not during training. Anyway, I fought through it and followed through with my plan to finish the last 1.5M @ 7:30 pace. This is good mental training for fighting through fatigue late in a race and still being able to increase turnover. Probably, my last 20 miler in this mini-marathon cycle. I usually do 4-5 in a longer cycle. We'll see if 2 is enough. SGM in 3 weeks. One more good week to 10 days of harder training before I start to taper. Don't feel like my decreased mileage this summer/fall warrants a longer taper.

630AM: Gen Aerobic + speed (8 x 20 sec strides in mile 7). Cool fall weather continues. 

4 x 25 pushups 

8PM: Medium long run. Left glute/hammy was tight and achy. Felt strong otherwise. This is a recurring theme and frankly I should probably stop mentioning it unless/until it gets better or worse. 

4 x 25 pushups 

1230PM: Easy + speed (7 x 20 secs strides) in last mile. Ran on GB from AM Park to Willow Lane and back. More fires are suffocating the valley. If it gets worse I may start running on the dreadmill at the club. Haven't done that since the spring. 

4 x 25 pushups

630AM: Easy recovery run. Most of the run was in the dark but even after the sun was up it was still pretty dark. We really need some rain to get rid of all this smoke. 

BSU v. BYU @ Bronco Stadium tonight!

 4 x 25 pushups

1230PM: Greenbelt from AM Park to Willow Lane. 5 min w/u; 30 min tempo (effort not pace :( ); easy 5 min; 5 min tempo; c/d. Just didn't have it today. Ran it at slightly above HM pace. Maybe its because I didn't get a lot of sleep last night after getting home late from the offensive crapfest that took place at Bronco Stadium last night. BSU won but I think the rules is that anytime your 300+ nose tackle provides ALL of your offense it should count as a loss. Lotta smoke too. It's literally overcast from all the smoke from all the forest fires. 

4 x 25 pushups. 

2PM: easy long run. Cloudy/smoky and humid. Last long run of this cycle. Hard to believe SGM is only 2 weeks away. Focus from here on out is healing, strengthening and eating right. I don't feel anywhere near as fit as I was for UVM in June but it ended up not mattering. So much of marathoning comes down to environmental factors and mental preparation/toughness. I think I can make some incremental improvement by not repeating the mistakes of the past and hopefully taking advantage of better course conditions this time around.

4 x 25 pushups.

630AM: Easy + speed (8 x 20 sec strides in last mile). Temp very cool, mid 40s. Broke out the gloves and headband. We're about 5 degrees away from wearing pants/tights. 

4 x 25 pushups. 

*sick*

*sick*

830PM: Took 2 days off with flu like symptoms. Took it easy the first half and then sped up 30 secs per mile in the last 4 miles. Felt ok but a little light headed. I guess it's better that I went through this now v. next week. All the fitness gains are there or they're not. Now it's time to maintain whatever I have and peak on race day.

630AM: Easy recovery run. Very little sleep again. I'm going to make up for it this weekend.

7AM: Boise River GB from Glenwood to JD Park and back. Started easy and finished w/ 2+ miles at slightly above HM pace (7:01, 7:03).

630AM: Easy recovery run. I've got one eye on this weekend's forecast temps in St. George. Looks much better than '10 or '11. [/knock on wood]

830PM: Dress rehearsal- 2M w/u, 2M @ goal MP, c/d. Horrible gut ache the entire run but I got through it. Couple more easy runs, travel day then race day.

Got my usual pre-race massage today and it totally released my piriformis pain. Hope it holds up through the race. Also, hit the 2k mile mark!