Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

First Dam Run 5k

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Location:

Fort Collins,CO,

Member Since:

May 15, 2003

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Local Elite

Running Accomplishments:

Unaided PR's:
5K: 14:48 (Track - 2001)
10K: 30:45 (Track - 2001)
10K: 31:32 (Bolder Boulder - 2013)
Half Marathon: 1:06:09 (Duluth - 2013)
Marathon: 2:17:54 (Grandma's) - 2014)
Marathon: 2:19:47 (Indianapolis Monumental - 2013)
Marathon: 2:19:49 (Indianapolis Monumental - 2010)

Aided PR's:
10K: 29:38 (Des News - 2011)
Half Marathon: 1:05:30 (TOU Half - 2011)
Marathon: 2:18:09 (St George - 2007)
Marathon: 2:17:35 (Boston - 2011)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in June of 2008. Started taking Enbrel in March, 2009.

Run as much as I can, and race as well as I can. Make the most of however much time I have left as an able-bodied runner.

Training for the 2018 Colorado Marathon

Long-Term Running Goals:

  Run until I'm old, and then run some more. Stand tall.

Personal:

1 wife, 2 kids. 1 cat. Work as a GIS Specialist/Map Geek

Endure and persist; this pain will turn to your good. - Ovid

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. - Romans 5:1-5

 

 

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Saucony Trail Shoe Lifetime Miles: 247.50
Hoka Clifton Lifetime Miles: 491.50
Saucony Type A6 Lifetime Miles: 186.50
Saucony Zealot Lifetime Miles: 478.75
Saucony Kinvara 6 Lifetime Miles: 433.50
Saucony Kinvara 6-2 Lifetime Miles: 358.75
Brooks Pure Connect Blue Lifetime Miles: 337.25
New Balance Trainers Lifetime Miles: 314.50
New Balance 1400 Racers Lifetime Miles: 65.00
Brook Pureflow Lifetime Miles: 99.50
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
134.400.003.100.0037.00174.50
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.004.004.00

Went to gym, did 40 minutes hard on elliptical, lifted, and stretched.

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

Ran River Heights Loop with Cody. Ran about 7:10 pace. Then did 4x200m barefoot strides in grass (32, 31, 32, 32). Felt good today.

Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
4.000.000.000.003.007.00

Ran to gym (plus a little extra on the paved River Trail). Did elliptical for 30 minutes and 4-way hip machine. Ran home.

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Race: First Dam Run 5k (3.1 Miles) 00:18:18, Place overall: 3, Place in age division: 2
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
3.900.003.100.000.007.00

First Dam Run 5k. 18:18. This is a small local fun run that I've wanted to do for awhile and decided to run it this year for fun and and to see where I'm at. It was also symbolic in way, to be able to line up at a race again, even if it's not to be a "race effort". My goal coming in was to run around 19:30 or so, and just relax and have some fun with it. As usual, though, I got a little competitive, and bumped it up as the race went on. The 5k course is a loop with about the perfect amount of turns to keep it from being too boring, but not so many that you can't get a rhythm. My elevation profile showed 79 feet of gain and loss, so pretty fast topography. I ran with Dave for the first mile, and we got out easy and let all the rabbits go out hard, and most came back to us by the end of the first mile. Went through the mile in 6:20, in 9th place. Right on. At about 1.25 miles, I picked it up a little and Dave stayed at the same pace. I passed about 3 more people and got a mile split of 5:52. Oops, I didn't know that I could even run that fast. Oh well, it feels pretty good, and I'm not laboring at all, so I go with it. The third mile, more people ahead of me are dying off, and I increase my pace a little more in order to pick them off. Racing from behind is fun. Finally, with about a half mile left, there's just one guy just ahead of me. I'm not sure if he's the leader or not, but on the off-chance that he is, I decide to pick it up for the finish and pass him. He was hurting and coming back fast, and I passed him with about 300m left. As I crossed the finish I saw two other guys walking around, so that last guy apparently was not the leader. Oh well, 3rd is fine too. 18:18 overall (chip time was off two seconds), 5:33 pace the last 1.1 miles. 1st and 2nd place were about 16:40 and 17:10, respectively, which is why I never saw them; they were always one turn ahead. Cooled down afterwards, but legs still feel pretty fresh, like they just did a short tempo or mp run. Very good sign. No more races until 2007, though, nothing but steady base work for the next few months.

Comments(6)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

Day off. Feel good after First Dam Run 5-k, no recovery needed. Today's Sunday Blog topic: Relays Relay races have been around for awhile, but they are gaining steam quickly and becoming some of the hottest and fastest-growing new races. New relays are springing up right and left. The Wasatch Back (Utah), Great River (Wisconsin), del Sol (Arizona), Wild West (Colorado), Green Mountain (Vermont), and Fall 50 (Wisconsin) are all new relays, less than a few years old. I'm assuming there's all sorts of new relays that I haven't heard about, but these are just the ones that have contracted me to make their course maps. :-) The point is that they are spring up and growing like wildfire. Why all growth and excitement in relays? Well, in a nutshell, they are just a riot to run. Combine a college road-trip with running and racing, and you get a relay. Most relays range in distance from 50-200 miles, have 6-12 person teams, and can last well over 24 hrs. The general process is 1)pile a bunch of runners into a van; 2)jump out and run 4-8 miles really fast (or slow if you like); 3) jump back in the van and drive for awhile; 4) repeat several times. Sleeping is optional, and is the exception more than the rule. Due to the non-standard leg distances, and often the harsh topography, getting a PR is not an option, which is actually a good thing because it lets you relax and actually enjoy running for running sake. Forget your time and mile splits, and just run hard! Relays make running how it was when you were a kid. Fun. No pressure. Combine that with the comradery and friendships that will develop from being in a van with the same people for 24-hours, and sharing the same adventures and supporting each other, relays give some of the best "bang for buck" for the "entry fee to enjoyment" ratio. I have ran the Wild West Relay once (2005), and the Wasatch Back Relay twice (once as a runner in 2005 and once as a driver in 2006). I've seen landscapes and visited places I never would have seen before and made friends with complete strangers that I would have never met otherwise. I recommend that anyone looking for a new aspect of running and racing try a relay. I'll be running the Relay del Sol this March 30-31. The 190-mile race starts in Wickenberg and ends near Phoenix, AZ, and will travel through some truly outstanding desert landscapes. Any bloggers who may be interested in running, let me know. I am trying to put together a competitve, but laid-back and fun team. Post-edit: Check out the new PC TV clip on You Tube about the Wasatch Back Relay. Pretty cool clip, with a few familiar faces in there!

Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.003.008.00

Went to gym and did 30 minutes on elliptical and some lifting. Afterwards, ran 5 miles easy from gym to Millville and back along TOU course.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.700.000.000.000.006.70

Ran the Canal Trail Loop with Cody. Averaged around 7:30 miles for whole run. Beautiful warm weather; soon it will be snowing, so I'm enjoying it while I can.

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.004.004.00

Crosstraining day. Did 40 minutes on the elliptical, lifted, and stretched. My gym got 6 brand new ellipticals. Joy.

Comments(5)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.000.000.000.000.006.00

Ran Landfill Loop backward. Averaged 6:45 pace, so a good brisk run. Ran around the block with the dog afterwards. Wet and snowy up here in Logan; winter is beginning. Maybe I will be skiing by the weekend...

Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.003.008.00

Ran Gym-to-Gym Loop easy. Stopped at gym in middle of run and did 30 minutes on the elliptical, plus lifting and stretching. Weighed in at 134 lbs after the elliptical. Closing in on old college racing weight.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
7.300.000.000.000.007.30

Ran easy on the Logan Canyon River Trail with Dave, from the parking gate to Third Dam and back. There was snow along some stretches, which made for slow careful footing in places. But most of the trail was clear, and we had it to ourselves. It took about an hour, and I'm going to call it 7.3 miles so that I can log exactly 30 miles for the week. 33 miles scheduled for next week. The slow steady progression continues, with no setbacks so far (but I am paranoid of every temporary ache or weird feeling I get anywhere in my body).

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

Beautiful, crisp Sunday morning. Ran around block with dog, then dropped off dog and did out-and-back along the paved Logan River Trail. Easy pace, no watch, enjoyable run.

In the afternoon, I did some backcountry skiing up at Tony Grove with some friends from church. It was my first time out this year, but my runs were solid as I shook the rust off, and no crashes to speak of; a promising start to the ski season. I could feel my groin at little on some of the turns, but nothing to worry about. I managed to fit my orthotics into my T2 boots, and that worked out well, although it was a little uncomforable. I may invest in another pair of PowerSteps instead that I can just leave in my boots, so that I don't have to always be taking my custom orthotics in and out.

It was a very enjoyable afternoon, and there is nothing more beautiful than winter scenery in the Utah mountains. This is a big reason I stay in Utah, it is not for the high-paying job, but for the quality of life and outdoor opportunities. I was surprised by the quality of the coverage (about 30 inches) and powder (good turns). It will only get better.

It's hard balancing skiing and running every winter. Skiing is very time-consuming, and a full ski day usually means no running for that day. While it's a powerful form of cross-training, there is no better training for running than running, so I want to make sure I get my runs in too and keep increasing my mileage over the winter. I hope to get out skiing a couple times a week this winter, and not skimp out on running either. It will be a challenge, but I have my running mapped out on paper for the next 4 months, and I aim to hold to it.

Comments(4)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

Ran modified Gym-to-Gym Loop. Part of the route is on the TOU course and I used the markings to get a mile split of 6:54 in the middle of the run. Other than that I didn't use my watch. Stopped at gym midway and lifted weights and stretched, before continuing the second half of the run. Did a half mile with the dog at the end.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

Day off today.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

Ski day. I got up early and drove up to Tony Grove with Ben, Dave, and Jon to do a few backcountry runs. The road to Tony Grove was a lot more rutted and in worse condition than on Sunday, and my Forester barely made it. My tires are worn and I don't have chains, but it managed to get the job done (with a little pushing help from my three passengers). Temperature of 7 degrees when we finally started skinning up, but it quickly warmed up to the point where I was sweating. It was a perfect bluebird day. We did a couple runs, and they generally went well, aside from an unneccesary tumble on my first run. The snow was inverted, in that a dense layer from Monday was on top of a lighter layer from Saturday. The cold last night wicked away the moisture in the top couple inches of snow, so the very top was powdery. The end result was riding very high in the snow, and overall fast skiing condititions. It took me a few turns to adjust to that. What makes skiing so interesting is that every day the snow is a little bit different, so the same run is always different on different days.

Made it back down the road afterwards without getting stuck or veering off a cliff. The road has about had for the year (it will close soon), and my tires have about had it too.

Back to running tomorrow.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

Ran the Canal Trail Loop and averaged about 7:10/mile pace. Jogged around the block with the dog afterward and was treated to a beautiful sunset.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.000.000.000.003.009.00

Did 30 minutes on elliptical and lifted at gym, then ran some easy distance from the gym out into Millville and back. Got a split on Mile 22 of the TOU course of 7:18, so probably around that pace for most of the run.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
8.000.000.000.000.008.00

Ran on River Trail to Spring Hollow campground and back with Dave, Ben, Jon, Cody, and Dan. Very easy pace. 33 miles running for the week, 36 scheduled for next week. ****** I have to brag here a little, because I'm proud...my Alma Mater, Calvin College, just won the NCAA D-III National XC title today with a team score of 37 points. That is very low. Second place had 92 points. The Calvin runners came in 2, 5, 12, 16, 17, (31), (51). This means that they had 6 All Americans (Top 35), and is probably one of the lowest team scores in D-III history. Amazing. I'm quite a proud alumnus. This is the 9th straight year the Calvin men have trophied at nationals (one 4th place, four 2nd places, and four championships). At Calvin they taught us to run as a pack, because teammates running together can achieve greater feats than individuals running for their own ends. That pack and running for team goals is what made the Calvin program great when I was there, and looking at these results, that concept is still running strong. I believe that one of the reasons of my own degradation of performance post-collegiately is that I lost my teammates, the people who pushed me, dreamed with me, and gave me a reason to be fast...for them. Running as an individual is tough because all you have is you; no one is there to pick you up, hold you accountable, and push you to new levels. Anyway, congrats to the Calvin men, and also the women's team, who pulled out a suprise 3rd-place team trophy! Way to keep the dynasty going!

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

Ran an easy 7 miles into Providence this morning. The Packers are getting crushed by the Pats, and Favre has an injury that may end his career. Rodgers is inept. I stopped watching in disgust. Today's Sunday Blog topic: TP Massage Ball review. Runners’ knee in both knees, lower back pain, SI joint pain, plantar fasciitis, and a groin strain had brought my running to a grind (literally) during 2005 and the first half of 2006. After months of not running, and enduring physical therapy, chiropractic, and massage therapy, I was finally back up and running by September of this year. I noticed that deep tissue massage was particularly effective in accelerating healing, but at $65/2-hr session, I could not afford to do it more than once or twice a month. I figured that the TP Massage set would be good investment, since I could use it every day at no cost after the initial purchase. If it holds to even half of the claims of the website and of other peoples' reviews, it would be worth the money by helping keep me injury-free and feeling good during and after runs. Other reviews of this self-massage toolset can be found by Linda Gallo, SNEWS, and active.com. Reviews such as these, plus the product's informative website, convinced me to shell out the $$ to buy it myself and add it to my arsenal of injury-prevention and running maintenance tools. I have been using the massage tools and techniques faithfully every day now for the last 4 weeks. The tools of the “Total Package” include the Ball, the Footballer and Block, and the Quadballer. The Ball is a little bigger than a tennis ball, and the Footballer and Quadballer are dumbbell-like contraptions that you can roll various body parts on. The Baller Block is just a foam block used to get leverage. I’m sure something else could be used if I ever lost the Block. The tools all have a hard core with a unique, patent-pending material that is neither hard nor soft (kind of like a very viscous gel), so it is more comfortable and effective than using things like a rolling pin (too hard) or a tennis ball (no core, can be pushed in). The website claims that the material will mold to the form of a human thumb after 5-7 seconds of direct pressure. It is kind of a dubious claim, but having experienced it myself, I have to say that it is true; it sure feels like a thumb and it sure gets deep into the muscles! The best part is that you can use your own body weight to control the location and amount of pressure, and you can massage a knot/trigger point to the duration and intensity of your heart’s content. Usually a few minutes is sufficient. The ball can be used for virtually any location and muscle group. If you only have $20 to spend, the ball can get it all done with a little effort. I tried replicating the feel of the TP Massage Ball with a softball and a tennis ball and couldn’t do it; the TP Ball is unique and does as advertised. I use it every day primarily for my neck, shoulders, and chest. After a minute or two on each muscle group, much of the tension built up during the day has been released. The neck is especially tender and sensitive to the ball, but it’s amazing how much better it feels afterward. The ball is supposedly effective in treating piriformis syndrome (sciatia). It was actually the reason the ball was invented. I have not used it much on my own piriformis muscles, as they have not given me any trouble. I use the Footballer for my lower calves (soleus) and the outside of my calves and shin area. Rolling the outside of the calves feels especially good after a longer run of pounding the pavement, and helps rejuvenate the achy muscles. The first week of using the Footballer on the calves was painful; it’s amazing how tender the muscles were. But after a week, my muscles were responding well, and instead of hurting while using the product, it just felt like a good massage. I took that as a sign that the product was helping repair muscle damage, and it was actually working. According to their website, the Footballer applied to the calves is the cure for plantar fasciitis, since treating the calves can release tension on the fascia. That falls in line with other things I’ve heard, but my own case of PF was already better before I started using the product, so I can’t give first-hand testimony. I’m a bit skeptical when anyone claims they’ve found a cure-all for PF, since every case is so unique, but I imagine the TP products can help certain cases. I use the Quadballer to roll out my quads and IT bands, and also my lower back and neck. Laying on top of the Quadballer was very painful for the first two weeks on the quads, but my muscles eventually adjusted and knots were released, and like my calves, it simply feels really good now. I was quite impressed with that. It took about three full weeks for me to lay on the Quadballer and roll out my IT band without pain (the IT band is VERY sensitive), but now I can apply my full body weight on the IT band without discomfort and can get a very good massage out of it. Both the quads and IT bands are very important for maintaining healthy knees, and my right knee, which I have had problems with and had been feeling rather weak before, is actually feeling very strong and durable now. I feel that the Quadballer has helped this, particularly in the IT band. The Quadballer will also get VERY deep into the lower back. I massage out my lower back at least once a day by lying on the Quadballer and rolling back-and-forth and side-to-side. I have had no lower back pain AT ALL in the last month, which is great, because that has been a problem for me over the last year and a half. So I’m very pleased with the Quadballer. Aside from injury prevention and maintenance, the TP Massage tools have helped my day-to-day running performance some, particularly in my calves. When I massage out my calves before a run, I feel a bit more bouncy. My runs have been feeling very good, and I have not had any little aches and pains that can get in the way of a good run. All TP products come with a 9-minute instructional DVD, with is only slightly helpful. It is not long enough, nor informative enough. It also comes with a small pamphlet that suffers from the same problem. Between the two, though, and by listening to my muscles, I could figure out most of the best techniques to use the tools. The website is pretty helpful, and contains some good articles diagrams, but you have to filter out all the jargon and marketing ploys. Read through the website and you will see what I mean. A few weeks ago they just released a small book called Ultimate 6 for Runners Guidebook, which is an instructional guide with step-by-step directions a full-color pictures that would be a great resource to maximize the utility of the product. But they are asking $20 for this 17-page book, which sounds like a bit of a rip-off to me. If I could get it for about half that price, I would consider buying it, because I think it would fill in the gaps of my knowledge and help me use the product better. If I end up buying it, I’ll be sure to give a full report on it. The TP products are rather pricey, due to the materials and development behind them (and I’m sure their mark-up is substantial as well). The Ball alone is $25, the “Starter Set” (ball, block and footballer) is $70, and “Total Package” (ball, block, footballer, and quadballer) is $130. All the products come with the DVD and instructional pamphlet. These prices on their website are high, and you can save a bit of money on them by shopping around the internet and running shoe stores. Don’t pay full price for anything. Cost and marketing ploys aside, these are great products and really simulate deep tissue massage (I have been to several massage therapists and can compare the difference). Since buying the “Total Package”, I have stopped going to my massage therapist completely, and have saved money and recouped cost that way, and I feel great! I have had my running buddies try it after Saturday runs, and they are all impressed as well. Anyone who has a history of injuries, or just wants to eliminate muscle knots and aches/pains should consider trying the TP Massage products. The Ball alone can get just above everything done, so it’s the cheapest place to start if you are money-strapped or skeptical, but the Footballer and Quadballer cover a lot more surface area and make the massage for certain muscle groups a lot easier than just using the Ball. Anyone’s experiences or questions regarding TP Massage products are welcome.

Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.500.000.000.003.009.50

Ran to gym, did 30 minutes on elliptical and lifted. Ran on the TOU course on my way home and hit 7:08 and 6:59 on miles 23 and 24, respectively, to give me an idea of my pace. Did a few blocks with the dog afterward.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

Rest day. Going to monthly chiropractor maintenance later this evening. Everything feels good this month as it is, which is a first.

*****

Update on my Sunday blog on TP Massage Ball:

From now until Dec 31 they are offering 20% off on holiday orders placed on their website. Just enter the discount code: HOLIDAYBALLS when making a purchase on their website. This discount will make their web store cheaper than most 3rd-party vendors.

Also, Trigger Point Technologies will be at the Outdoor Retailer Expo in Salt Lake City on Jan 27-30 if you actually want to talk to them and see their product in action. And finally, the friendly folks at the Wasatch Running Center in Sandy, UT are new retailers of Trigger Point products, so stop by there as well to check out the product and get the staff's opinion on it.

Sorry to sound like an advertisement, but I just got the TP newsletter. :-)

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.004.004.00

Cross-training day. Went to gym and did 40 minutes on elliptical, lifted, and stretched.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
9.500.000.000.000.009.50

Thanksgiving Day, probably my favorite holiday of all, and one of my favorite days to run on. Today was no exception, and I had a great run down the Logan Canyon River Trail to near Guineva Malibu Campground and back. Weather was surprisingly warm at first, but dropped substantially over the duration of the run; but it was nice to wear short sleeves. The run took 1:10:30, and I pushed the pace in a few places, so it was a good overall pace and a nice workout. It's great to get to the 10-mile point in my runs again!

****

I've been meditating on Thanksgiving a bit, and here a list of what I'm thankful for:

1) First and foremost, that God loves us unconditionally and gives the gift of grace, and that "...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).

2) For my wife, who also loves me despite my faults, and who has given me support and companionship through both good times and hard times.

3) My job, that I enjoy it and that it gives my wife and I provision that we can depend on.

4) Being injury free again!! It is so wonderful being able to run again after such a long layoff. I do not take any of it for granted and am happy for each day that I get to pursue my passion.

5) Daring to dream again. During injury I had lost hope of running competitively at times, and was simply focusing on and trying to live a pain-free existance again. Now I have my sights on racing again, and PR's in the future. I have hope that the lessons I've learned and tools I've found will enable me to run competitively for years.

6) Finally, I'm thankful for other runners, not only my running buddies here in Logan, but also all the other bloggers on this site, for your encouragement, accountability, insights, and inspiration. You all rock! Keep it up everyone, and happy Thanksgiving!!

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.000.000.000.000.006.00

Ran from my work to the gym during the lunch hour. I made a diversion to the paved River Trail on the way and did an out-and-back on the Golden Mile. Splits were 6:15 both ways, so 6:52/mile pace. Felt easy, which I was pleased with. Lifted weights for awhile, then ran back. I was planning on doing elliptical too, but I didn't have any shorts, so I will put that off until tomorrow. I weighed in at 136 today, so minimal Thanksgiving weight gain.

I have to start watching my right knee. Although there is no pain, it feels a little weak and displaying similar symptons to the beginnings of patellofemoral pain syndrome, which I've had twice before. I just ignored the pain in the past, but would like to address it and snuff it out before it begins this time around, if that's indeed what I'm feeling. I did some extra stretching today, and also some leg extensions and press to work on strengthening the quads more. This came around just today, so it may be a result of the longer trail run (with associated downhill stretches) yesterday, but hopefully it will go away just as fast. I'm overly paranoid about injuries now, so it may be nothing, but in anycase at least I know how to recognize and treat it.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
7.000.000.000.003.0010.00

Ran modified Gym-to-Gym Loop. Took a diversion to the paved river trail and clocked the Golden Mile splits at 6:06 and 6:08, which converts to around 6:42-6:44/mile pace. So my easy pace is getting a lot faster, which is a good sign for my training. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical in the gym and then stretched and did some core work. Ran home along the TOU course, slow pace. My knee feels okay, but the quad muscle itself is tender, from TP massage the previous night and this morning. 36 miles total this week, 40 planned for next week, as long as my knee feels good. Otherwise, I will back off.

Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
8.000.000.000.000.008.00

Nice easy Sunday morning run, modified Canal Trail Loop. Went up to First Dam to turn around, and battled a very cold canyon wind, but it got warmer on the way back. Jogged around the block with the dog afterward. Knee feels fine today.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
7.000.000.000.003.0010.00

Did 30 minutes on elliptical at gym, then lifted weights and stretched a little. Afterwards, ran 7 miles from the gym to Millville Elementary and back. It was windy, but at least I beat the snow.

Comments(4)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

Sat indoors all day. I try to plan my allotted days off for the worst weather.

Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.004.004.00

Crosstraining day. Did 40 minutes on elliptical, then lifted weights and stretched. Good day in the weight room.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
7.500.000.000.000.007.50

Ran down paved river trail and then hooked up with the Landfill Loop. I took a few mile splits to check my pace, and they were 6:40, 6:30, 6:38, 6:40. This kind of pace is feeling easier and easier, a good sign that my aerobic base is improving.

Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
134.400.003.100.0037.00174.50
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