Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Treadmill, 13 miles. Started at 6:40/mile and ended at 6:00/mile. 

Acquired a head cold yesterday, so I used the opportunity to take a day off. I may run tomorrow, but maybe not.

Head cold is getting better, but I'll take today off for good measure. Very unmotivated to run right now.

Feeling healthy again.

AM - 4 miles, treadmill, 6:40/mile.

PM - 8 miles, treadmill

Medium workout, 11.5 miles with about 5 miles of light tempo. It was cold, and the air was nasty. It's hard to get motivated; I don't know how I'll be in any kind of shape for Boston. Ran 5:46, 5:49, 5:51, 5:50, 5:52 for the tempo portion. Did some strides on the cooldown. 6:26/mile average for the whole run.

AM - treadmill, 4 miles

PM - First Dam Run 10k route. Stinky air.

Ran up Smithfield Canyon at a brisk pace. Then did 4x1-mile on the way down, with 1-minute rest. Kind of cruised them, used the downhill, and just used the workout to give the legs an idea of turnover. An "intro to running fast", perhaps. Maybe next week I'll try "intro to running hard". Mile splits were 5:10, 5:08, 5:10, 5:40. On the last mile, the road got very snowy and uphill, so I kind of bagged it. 13.75 miles total.

AM - Forrester Acres. 5.5 miles, averaged 7:08/mile. Did a few strides.

PM -treadmill, 6.5 miles

AM1 - treadmill, 4 miles

AM2 - Smithfield Canyon, tempo, 8 miles, averaged 6:12/mile.

Smithfield Canyon. 7:05/mile average.

AM - Hyde Park out-and-back. 8 miles, 7:02/mile average pace.

PM - 4 miles, treadmill

AM - Summit to Smithfield Canyon, 8 miles, 7:03/mile. It snowed last night, so air is much cleaner today.

PM - ran from work, 4 miles, 7:16/mile.

Decently warm this morning, misting. I ran out to USU campus and back, and did a 7x3-minute fartlek during the first half, with 90 seconds recovery jog between intervals. The workout portion went well, but the last 5 miles of the cooldown was a death march for some reason, maybe fueling.

The faster splits were net downhill or flat. The slower splits were net uphill. #4 was the biggest uphill. 6:32/mile average for 15 miles.

Interval	Distance	Pace
1	0.59	5:05
2	0.59	5:04
3	0.57	5:15
4	0.53	5:43
5	0.58	5:12
6	0.59	5:09
7	0.59	5:06

 

AM - warm out! Dropped the car off for an oil change and then did and out-and-back to the north end of Smithfield. 7.75 miles, averaged 7:02/mile. Did a few strides in the middle.

PM - Smithfield Canyon. 6.25 miles, averaged 7:05/mile.

Saddleback out-and-back, 13 miles total with 6 miles of tempo. The tempo splits were 5:38, 5:38, 5:33, 5:36, 5:35, 5:29. 6:15/mile average for the whole run. Felt okay, but not great. But that's why I'm doing these workouts, I guess, to get faster and to feel better.

AM1 - got out of bed and hit the treadmill for 5 miles, pretty slow. Bleh.

AM2 - took the Volvo to Les Schaub to get the tires rotated and balanced, ran from there. I went up to North Logan and USU and back. 8 miles, 7:05/mile.

Smithfield Canyon, 8 miles, 6:55/mile.

Easy run in St George with Clyde. Lovely weather.

Ran the St George Half Marathon today. I was really happy with the effort and result, and with how my body felt the whole way. It was beautiful weather: sunny and upper 30s at the start, with little or no wind. Probably mid-40s by the finish.

We all drove down on Thursday, and stayed with Clyde and Mik'l. Hiked and lounged on Friday, and enjoyed the lovely sunshine. It was sooo nice.

Got up at about 6:30AM on Saturday, then drove over to Starbucks to grab some coffee. Had oatmeal and a banana for breakfast. Clyde and I drove to the start at about 8:10AM, then did a 4-mile warmup with Logan and Dave. After a few potty-stops and a few strides, I was all ready to go.

My training has been moderate to low thus far this winter, but I had been starting to ramp up mileage and workouts over the past 3 weeks or so. I hadn't tested myself and I didn't really know what kind of shape I'm in, so this race would be a good fitness indicator. Sub-1:10 was my main goal, and sub-1:09 would be even better, just depending on how my body responds. And more than anything, I just wanted to get my legs moving and compete a little bit to gain some extra motivation.

The race started on time (all-in-all, it was pretty well-organized). I wanted to ease into the race, and thankful the field allowed me to do so. By the end of the first mile, Jeff, Fritz, and I had separated ourselves out from the pack, but Mile 1 was just a 5:29. We sped up only slightly for Mile 2, which was 5:27.

Things got a little bit more interesting during the third mile, as we eased into a 5:14 split. This mile didn't feel a whole lot hard than the first two, so it was a good sign that I was warmed up.

During the 4th mile, we dropped Fritz, and it was now just Jeff and I for the remainder of the race. Mile 4 was 5:00, so a pretty nice surge. Jeff and I kept it moving for the next two miles, with splits of 5:12 and 5:10. Everything was feeling really good, and I was enjoying the course, including the rolling hills. Mile 7 slowed to 5:21 for whatever reason, perhaps because of a fairly steep hill up above the river?

Through 7 miles, Jeff and I were running side-by-side, and keeping intermittent conversation. However, I did not want this race to come down to a sprint with Jeff, and I was wanting to make a major push sometime during the second half to gain some separation.

Mile 8 was 5:00, and then Mile 9 was 5:15. Jeff was starting to run behind me, rather than to my side, and I thought that might be a sign that he might be tiring. (I still felt great). During the 10th mile, we were along the river bottom, which is pretty flat, and I started pressing pretty hard. I could feel Jeff drop back a little bit, which gave me encouragement to keep going with the surge.

Also during that mile, a race called "Rival Relay" was advertising along the course, and had signs up about "beating your rival" and stuff like that. It also had a "red vs. blue" rivalry theme with their signs. I thought those signs were kind of funny, since Jeff is my rival, and I was wearing red and he was wearing blue. Believe it or not, those signs actually motivated me to run harder and to try and seal the deal against Jeff. We have been pretty evenly matched over the last couple years, and have traded races at various distances. Beating Jeff is no easy task, and I enjoy running against him.

Mile 10 was 4:59. I followed it up with 5:08 on Mile 11, which included a substantial uphill. This opened up about a 15-second gap.

During Mile 11, the second loop merged with the first loop, meaning I was sharing the course with other runners. At first it was okay, because the pace cart was moving people to the left. But eventually the path narrowed and the cart had to stop, so then it was up to me to wade my way through the masses.

And here is where I had a pretty bad lapse that almost cost me the race. I thought Jeff was dropped, and combined with dodging all the people, I was lulled mentally to sleep. Mostly I was just trying to dodge people, and neglected to maintain the pace. I was surprised to hit Mile 12 in 5:27 (despite still feeling great), but figured Jeff was still back and didn't worry about it. But near the final bridge, without warning, Jeff suddenly whizzed right by me, at what appeared to be a dead sprint.

That "woke" me up pretty quick, and I was instantly angry at myself, and tore off after Jeff and caught him quickly. We then ran "side-by-side" for a while (I put that in quotes, since we were constantly splitting in different directions to dodge people on the dirt).

I knew by my watch that the turn into the Dixie Center should be coming soon. I was a bit worried about missing it, since it was utter chaos on the course, so I was hoping it would be marked with a huge neon sign or something. We went by the dirt path that was the turn, and some people in red vests mumbled something at us, and I thought I heard the word "turn" and "second mile". But I didn't see any signage, I didn't know what "second mile" meant, and no one yelled at us after we had gone by. So we kept going, still side-by-side, but I had a nagging in the back of my mind that perhaps those people were making a feeble attempt to get us to turn. But it was so crowded, so chaotic, and rather loud, so it just wasn't registering for me. After Jeff and I had gone another 200m, I was looking hard for the Dixie Center, and finally found it...behind us!

At this point I knew we must turn around, and I told Jeff so. After a brief "are you sure?" "Yeah" dialog, we both turned around and headed back. I perhaps had a step on him. We made the turn, which was indeed the real turn, and then the next challenge was to find the final turn into the chute.

I figure out where the turn/chute was, and then started a kick. I had done too much work to lose this race in a sprint. I made the turn, could see the finish line, and let it all out with 250-300m to go. It was the longest and hardest I've kicked since probably college (10 years ago). But after getting out-kicked at almost every recent race where I've been close to people (Indy Mini, Utah Valley, Des News, ...), I was not going to let it happen this time. It was a good finish, and I held Jeff off by about 3 or 4 seconds.

Final time was 1:09:38. I had 6:56 for the last 1.1. Usually my last 1.1 is about 5:30-5:40, so perhaps we would have been around 1:08:20, which actually isn't too far off my PR. I had no goal of getting a PR today, so this was a pleasant surprise.

Aside from the mental lapse during Mile 12, and the missed turn at the end (I wished I had scoped out the finish better during warmup), this was almost a perfect early-season race for me. Every time I wanted to push, my body responded, and I felt great the whole way. It was great to win a sprint to the finish, and my confidence and motivation are up for the next month of training. It's hard to train in Logan during the winter, so I really needed this boost. This was a step in the right direction for hitting that sub-2:19 at Boston in April.

out-and-back, north end of Smithfield, 8 miles, 7:07/mile average. Not very sore from Saturday.

AM - Smithfield Canyon in the snow. 7 miles, 7:07/mile average.

PM - 6 miles, 6:45/mile.

Wanted to do a tempo today, but my legs would have none of it. Feeling very bleh, guess I need more recovery although I didn't feel bad yesterday. So I ran the Millville Hill Loop from work, and just tried to keep the pace steady. Averaged 6:49/mile for 13.25 miles.

AM - Smithfield Canyon, 7 miles, 6:59/mile.

PM - Forrester Acres, 6 miles, 7:18/mile average.

AM - North Logan out-and-back; 8 miles, 7:08/mile average. Did 6 strides on the way back.

PM - treadmill, 5 miles.

Blech, yucky air today. I wanted to drive up Blacksmith Fork Canyon to run, but I just did have time to take an hour hit in my day for travel time. I had a 20-miler scheduled today, and I broke it up into two portions. During the first part, I ran to Import Auto on 1400 N in Logan to pick up our car. Drove it home, ate a pear, and then ran up Smithfield Canyon to finished the run. I was hoping to hit clear skies at some point, but never got out of the fog, even at 5300'. I tried to keep a brisk pace for most of the run, and hit 5:50s for many of the downhill-ish miles. Averaged 6:19/mile overall for the 20 miles. So it was a pretty decent run, especially for my first 20-miler of the year, but not fun with the air quality. Also, I hit 80 miles for the first time ever in January. Hopefully next week I can keep the mileage, but add a little bit more quality.

AM - 8 miles easy on the county roads north of Smithfield. 7:09/mile average. Did some strides in the middle.

PM - Summit Dr out-and-back, 5 miles, 7:14/mile average.

AM - Smithfield Canyon, 8 miles. Did some strides on the way back. My garmin was out of juice, so I went watchless, but the pace felt decent. 

PM - treadmill, 5 miles.

Big Workout. Warmed up for two miles, and then did 6x1-mile with 2:00 recovery jog. I did them on the Young Ward - ICON Loop. Splits were 5:13, 5:14, 5:22, 5:15, 5:16, 5:19. The 5:22 split was because a large angry dog started chasing me, so I stopped and aggressively lunged at it while yelling. Probably cost me 10 seconds. 14 miles total, averaged 6:19/mile for the entire run. I was pretty pleased with the intervals given how cold it is and how many layers I was wearing.

AM - Smithfield Canyon, 8 miles, 6:40/mile average. Cold, but not too bad.

PM - treadmill. 4 miles.

AM - Hyde Park, 7 miles, 6:44/mile average.

PM - Forrester Acres, 6 miles, no watch.

Long run, with some MP tempo within. Didn't go great, but the miles matter more than speed at this point. 6 miles worth of tempo, and splits were 5:39, 5:29, 5:33, 5:30, 5:30, 5:34. And then I was pretty much done, but unfortunately I still had 11 more miles left in the run. Death march the rest of the way. 20 miles total, averaged 6:33/mile for the entire run. 85 miles for the week. 

AM - Smithfield Canyon, came back on Upper Canyon Rd and Summit. 8 miles, 7:14/mile.

PM - Forrester Acres. 7:10/mile average pace.

Bought my plane tickets for Boston today!

AM - north end of Smithfield and back. 8 miles, 7:11/mile average. Snowy roads, but a beautiful, clear morning.

PM - ran some route, don't remember. 5 miles, pace was about 7:05/mile.

Big Workout. Warmed up by taking Hillside and Summit down to the Smithfield Cemetery, then did 8x1000m on the cemetery loop at CV pace, with 60s recovery jog. It was cold, about 20 degrees out, but other than that a pretty nice day to run.

The workout went pretty well. My interval splits were 3:15, 3:12, 3:10, 3:10, 3:10, 3:08, 3:09, 3:07. About as good as I can hope expect for early February.

Cooled down for 6 miles. Averaged 6:24/mile for the entire 15 miles.

noon - 9 miles, Smithfield Canyon. 6:44/mile average pace.

PM - 4 miles, Hillside to Summit. No watch.

AM - Hyde Park and back. 7 miles, 7:04/mile average.

PM - Planet Walk & Willow Park, 6 miles, slow. Left shin/ankle hurts.

Took today off as a precaution to the pain in my shin (think it's an inflamed tendon or tendon sheath). I haven't missed any days lately due to sickness, so perhaps I'm due anyway. 

Beautiful day though. i enjoyed my free time by sitting out on my deck in the sun.

AM - Smithfield Canyon, 8 miles, 6:56/mile. Glorious day, wore shorts and a t-shirt. After rest, icing, and NSAIDs all weekend, my shin/ankle had calmed down and I couldn't feel any pain, so I gave it a go this morning. Everything felt fine until I got just a little pain during the last mile. Will continue with ice and anti-inflammitories, and take it easy, will see what happens.

PM - Forrester Acres with Seth. 6 miles, no watch. Tendon felt okay.

AM - out-and-back to north end of Smithfield. 8 miles, 6:50/mile average. Another day for shorts and a t-shirt, even nicer than yesterday.

PM - Forrester Acres with Seth, 6 miles.

Big Workout. It was warm again today, but insanely windy. I wanted to do tempo intervals as a big workout, but it didn't go as planned. Still an okay workout, plus I got all the mileage in, which is important. Warmed up at a brisk pace (6:20-6:30) for two miles, then did a 4-mile tempo. Splits were about 5:20, 5:50 (into the wind), 5:15, 5:15 (with the wind). Jogged a 3-minute recovery, and then did another two miles, about 5:20-low and then a 5:30. The windy was really bugging me, and I was about to turn to go straight into it (had been a cross-wind for the past two miles), so I cut it short. While going straight into the wind, I could barely sustain 7:30 pace. Once I got the cross-wind again, I kept it brisk, around 6:30-6:40 for the last few miles. Averaged 6:25/mile for the 15-mile run. So not a waste of time, but not what I wanted either. Other than the half marathon race, all of my sustained workouts (non-intervals) have been sub-par.

AM - lots of new snow, but not too cold so the roads were fairly melted. Smithfield Canyon, 7 miles, 7:25/mile average.

PM - 6 miles, 7:20/mile average.

AM - North Logan out-and-back. 9 miles, 7:24/mile.

PM - ran to the bank and then looped around Smithfield. 5 miles, 7:15/mile average.

Drove out to Hollow Rd, and ran up Blacksmith Fork 10 miles, and back. Had a slight canyon wind the entire way up, but that just meant I had a tailwind for the downhill portion. Pretty good run, averaged about 6:25/mile going up the canyon, and maybe about 5:40/mile going down. 2:01 for the entire 20 miles, 6:04/mile average. Definitely ran out of gas the last three miles, but I needed to get a run like that in.

AM - 10 miles, Smithfield Canyon, 7:15/mile average. Very nice day, lots of new snow coating the trees, but the roads were pretty good.

PM - Hillside to Summit, back, 5 miles, 7:30/mile average.

AM - Big Workout. Ran up Smithfield Canyon at a brisk pace (6:35/mile for 5 miles), then started a workout of 6x1-mile with 2:00 recovery jog on the way down. The first three repeats were downhill, the 4th one was all uphill (going up Upper Canyon Rd), then 5th one was half up, half down, and the last one was downhill. Splits were 4:54, 4:50, 4:52, 5:22, 5:13, 4:59. Cooled down for three miles up Summit Dr to Hillside. 15 miles total, averaged 6:15/mile for the run.

PM - 5 miles on the Power Trail in Fort Collins, CO. 6:35/mile average. I flew out this afternoon. I have not mentioned it on this blog (since I haven't had time to write much lately), but I have recently picked up a new contract with a firm out here in Ft Collins, which has rounded out my home business (Marathon GIS, Inc) and allowed me to quit my day job. I'm out here to meet the new "bosses" and get oriented with what I will be doing for them (basically will be their in-house GIS staff). For now, I will work remotely from my home office in Smithfield, which is pretty nice.

Still in Fort Collins. Ran from the hotel down the entire length of the Power Trail, then headed west on the Spring Creek Trail. And back. 10 miles total, about 7:10/mile average.

Last day in Fort Collins. Similar to yesterday, I ran the length of the Power Trail, but this time headed east (instead of west) on the Spring Creek trail, which then terminated at the Poudre River Trail, so I headed west on Poudre for about a mile until it was time time to turn around. Nice trails. Other than having an excessive amount of traffic lights, Fort Collins is a pretty nice town.

AM - north Smithfield out-and-back, 9 miles, 6:57/mile average.

PM - treadmill, 6 miles

Lots of snow last night (again), plus I really didn't feel like running, especially after shoveling off the driveway. So went XC skiing instead. Drove up Smithfield Canyon, and then skied up almost to the single-track. Took about 75 minutes, so I'll call it 10 miles. Motivation for training is pretty low right now, but at least this was fairly enjoyable, and it was nice out in the mountains.

AM - north end of Smithfield out-and-back. 8 miles, 7:03/mile average. My quads were really sore from XC skiing on Saturday.

PM - Forrester Acres, 6 miles, no watch.

noon - out-and-back to North Logan, 9 miles, 6:59/mile average.

PM - Hillside to Summit and back. 5 miles, 7:14/mile average

Big Workout. Tinman tempo for 16 miles, Bear River Ranch out-and-back. Averaged 5:56/mile for 16 miles.

AM - snowing, so I ran on the treadmill, 7 miles.

PM - Smithfield Canyon, 7 miles, 7:07/mile average.

AM - Smithfield Canyon, 9 miles, 7:02/mile. Nice and sunny today...but still about of foot of snow on the ground.

PM - north Smithfield out-and-back, 5 miles, 7:28/mile. Very hungry during run.

Long Run / Big Workout. Ran the Airport/Benson/Bear River Loop, 20 miles. After 4 miles of warmup, I started a 4-3-2-1 workout. (4 miles at MP, followed by 4 minutes recovery jog, 3 miles at MP, 3 min recovery, 2 miles at LT, 2 min recovery, 1 mile at LT, then crawl home).

It went pretty well, definitely my best tempo pacing workout of the year. Splits:

4-mile (5:29, 5:24, 5:23, 5:19); 3-mile (5:18, 5:22, 5:18), 2-mile (5:05, 5:13), 1-mile (4:59).

This route is out in the middle of the valley, so terrain is pretty flat with a couple exceptions. I felt in control and good the whole workout, but as soon as I finished the last interval, my body was pretty much done, and then I had 4 miles of total death-march back home to cool down and finish the long run. But it was good. 6:17/mile average pace for 20 miles.

AM - Summit to Smithfield Canyon, 10 miles, 7:24/mile.

PM - random loop, 4 miles, 7:22/mile

AM - North Logan out-and-back, 8 miles, 7:06/mile average. About 3" of new snow last night, but the roads had already melted off and it was a lovely morning.

PM - Forrester Acres, 6 miles, no watch

Big Workout. Warmed up Hillside to Summit (about 2 miles) to the cemetery. Then did 10x1000m @ CV pace with 60s recovery jog between intervals. Splits were 3:15, 3:12, 3:09, 3:05, 3:06, 3:07, 3:07, 3:05, 3:06, 3:03. 

Cooled down for 6 miles. Good workout. 

AM - lower North Loga out-and-back. 9 miles, 6:50/mile average. Nice morning.

PM - Forrester Acres with Seth. 5.75 miles, no watch.

AM - Smithfield Canyon, 9.75 miles, 6:56/mile average.

PM - north Smithfield loop with Seth. 4.75 miles

Long Run / Big Workout. Warmed up for 2.5 miles down to Forrester Acres, and then did 2x5-mile loops at marathon pace, with about 6 minutes recovery jog between the two sets. The loop is a net drop for the first 2.5 miles and net climb for the remaining 2.5...but nothing real big or hard.

Splits were (5:25, 5:23, 5:28, 5:25, 5:23) for the first set, and (5:19, 5:19, 5:22, 5:21, 5:20) for the second set. All-in-all, a good workout, and a nice day to run. Feel like I'm finally hitting on most cylinders for workouts and training. Now just need to get it going and turn it into a race.

Cooled down for 6 miles. 20.25 miles total for the 6:15/mile average. 94 miles for the week.

Forrester Acres with Seth, 5.75 miles, no watch. We stopped to play at the park on the way back and Seth had fun jumping in all puddles.

AM - Smithfield Canyon, light rain. 10 miles, 7:03/mile average.

PM - Ran to Wells Fargo and then to Zions in Smithfield for my weekly banking errands. Then tacked on some misc mileage for 6 miles total. About 7:35/mile average. The rain finally let up, and it was fairly nice out.

AM - medium workout, did a 10-mile tinman tempo on the Bear River Loop. First three miles were around 6:00-6:05, and then the last seven were 5:30-5:40. Cooled down for about three miles. 13.5 miles total, 6:06/mile average pace. Felt okay, about what I needed out of the workout.

PM - north Smithfield out-and-back with Seth, 4.5 miles, 8:05/mile average.

10 miles in the rain. Thoroughly soaked and unhappy. 6:45/mile average.

North Logan out-and-back, 8 miles, 7:03/mile average

5 miles with Walter. 6:57/mile average. Off to Moab!

Canyonlands Half Marathon. This was my 6th stab at this race. My previous results were 1:16:59 ('03), 1:17:35 ('04), 1:16:21 ('05), 1:18:14 ('06), and DNS ('08). Interestingly, these are my 5 worst-ever half marathon results. So my history with this race is a little cursed. I wanted to bust out a big one this year, as I was actually healthy and in shape (2 of the 3 things that kept me from running well the other years). However, this year ended up being cursed again, largely due to weather (the 3rd thing that tends to blow up this race). But at least I am in shape enough to get a 4-minute course best and 4-position placing best, so I need to count my blessings. And I can honestly say it was my best Canyonlands Half in 6 attempts!

I'll try to keep this short, as I have better things to do than waste time on the computer (ie - my family loves me, and I love them). Temps for this race were good, upper 50s, low 60s and overcast. However, we were pummeled by a headwind for most of the race. At times in the canyon it would swirl or temporarily go away, but it was present for most of the canyon, and of course the last two miles in town were sheer hell. It was very very similar to 2006.

I had wanted to try to run a PR, but threw that out when I saw (and felt) the wind. I think that was my mistake. I should have just shrugged my shoulders and put the pedal to the medal anyway. Yeah, it wouldn't have turned out great, but at least I would have been in a racing mindset. The problem was that I just tucked in for a few miles (about a pack of 6 of us), and dinked around with 5:30-5:40 for most of the first half. It was easy and kind of fun, but was feeling more like a workout than anything. It was running strategic without a strategy.

Eventually everyone dropped off the pack except for myself, Josh Stephen, and Bryant Jensen. We then dropped Josh...temporarily...as he always seemed to find his way back. But the pace was pretty easy and we were keeping conversation. Finally dropped Josh for good around Mile 9 or so.

During the 10th mile is the only real hill of the course. Bryant and I went up it, and it didn't feel too bad, the pace was still easy. But then Bryant pushed the downhill and dropped me a little. I wasn't in the mood to run real hard (kind of the problem for the race), and figured I'd catch him on the flat. The problem was that he kept pushing, the wind kept blowing, and I couldn't shift gears into race mode. Instead, after 10 miles was feeling pretty easy, my legs got really heavy feeling, and I couldn't get out of my pace. And suddenly everything went from feeling easy to feeling hard.

I held a somewhat close 20m gap to him for over a mile, but on the US-191 section during Mile 12, he increased the gap to about 100m. I ended up finishing 22s back from Bryant, with a 1:12:10.

I was right in thinking before the race that it would be tactical, and would require a slow start, but where I erred was in not having any actual tactics to play. I realized that when I got to Mile 7 or so, when it was just down to Bryant and I. We had dropped everyone else just by continuing a set pace, no moves needed. But I knew that Bryant was too good of a runner to beat with a bunch of 5:30s into the wind; it would require some sort of decisive move. And I hadn't really considered or visualized what move to make, and was feeling to lazy and lethargic to actually make one on the fly. So it was Bryant who made the move, and kudos to him since he actually showed up to race and did what was needed to win. I give credit where credit is due. Definitely not my best race, either physically (legs of lead at the end) or emotionally (too loose, no edge).

Oh well. I try to find the good in everything. Again, the conditions were very similar in 2006, when I ran 1:18:14 and finished something like 11th. Today, on the same course and same weather, I ran 1:12:10 and was runner-up. It was a Canyonlands-best for me, and raises the benchmark a little bit. I'll just have to come back another year!

Mile splits were 5:34, 5:35, 5:32, 5:39, 5:20, 11:07 (2-mile), 5:26, 5:17, 5:22, 5:24, 5:44, 5:33, 0:32.

Our whole family had a lot of fun in Moab. Got to hike around, enjoy warmer weather, and eat too much food. It's always a fun trip out here, and a nice mini-vacation.

AM - Smithfield Canyon, 9 miles, 7:14/mile average. Legs were a bit flat from the race Saturday, but other than that felt fine. Did a few strides on the way back to hopefully get some spunk back.

PM - Hillside to Summit to Smithfield Canyon. 6 miles, 7:09/mile average.

AM - Hyde Park Canyon out-and-back. 8 miles, 7:15/mile average. Did a few strides on the way back.

PM - Forrester Acres and back on Summit. 7 miles, 7:15/mile average.

Did a longer run today, with a short fartlek workout at the end. Even though the race didn't leave me sore, I didn't want to push the mid-week workout too hard, and just get in some miles with some faster running.

I met Carson at Forrester Acres and we did a little out-and-back to the north end of Smithfield, and then some laps at Forrester Acres. At about 10 miles I dropped Carson off, and headed up Smithfield Canyon to finish the run with a 10x2-minute fartlek (1 minute recovery jog). Did 6 of the reps on the uphill, then the next 3 on the downhill, and the final one on mixed terrain. Kept it at about 5:25-5:30 pace on the uphill portions, 4:55-5:00 on the downhill portions, and 5:10 on the final one on mixed gradient. Felt decent, but wasn't working it too hard. But it seemed good to get the legs turning over a little bit within a longer run. 16.25 miles total, averaged 6:45/mile overall.

AM - Smithfield Canyon with Carson. 8.75 miles, 7:55/mile average.

PM - Hyde Park out-and-back. 6.25 miles, 7:07/mile average.

AM - loop out on the county roads outside of Smithfield. 10 miles, 7:15/mile average.

PM - canal trail, 5 miles, 7:45/mile. Muddy, but not as bad as I thought.

Did a long run today, the last formal long run before Boston! (I am doing race next weekend). My legs were feeling fatigued this morning from the week, and it was foggy and cold outside, with an inch of new snow everywhere. I was not looking forward to hammering out a long run. I finally got enough inertia to get in my car at about 11AM and drive out to Hollow Rd, to do an out-and-back up Blacksmith Fork Canyon. Mysteriously, the fog stopped at about Providence, and it was beautiful in Hyrum and Nibley with no snow. When I looked back, there was just a black cloud over the northern half of the valley. It was kind of like looking at Mordor from the Shire.

I had a light canyon headwind for the first 8 miles, and then it shifted (as it often does by mid-day), and gave me a tailwind for the last 3 miles of uphill. Then I had a headwind for most of the way down. But it was fairly mild, thankfully.

It ended up being an awesome run, despite how bad I felt earlier on, and despite dealing with a headwind in both directions. My legs started feeling decent once I got going, then just got in a rhythm on the 11 miles of uphill and kept increasing the pace. By Mile 8, I was hitting sub-6. Coming back down for the final 11 miles, I just tried to keep it solid. Nothing too crazy, but hold a brisk pace. I made a potty stop at Mile 13, and also took some shot blocks there. From a fueling standpoint, the whole 22 miles felt great, much improvement in my long runs over the last month.

I ended up dong the 22 miles in 2:10:24 (5:55/mile average). Averaged 6:15/mile on the uphill, and 5:40/mile on the downhill. Hit a few under 5:30 here and there.

Splits were 6:42, 6:24, 6:33, 6:39, 6:20, 6:20, 6:04, 5:59, 5:57, 6:02, 5:44, (turnaround), 5:50, 5:36, 5:42, 5:28, 5:46, 5:31, 5:19, 5:22, 5:40, 5:39, 5:26.

98 miles for the week, my peak for training. Next week will still be hard (low 90s), and then the two-week taper.

AM - north Smithfield out-and-back, 9 miles, 7:13/mile average.

PM - 5 miles with Tim. Went a little ways up Birch Creek Canyon. About 8:30/mile average.

AM - ran some errands, and then looped out to Hyde Park. 7.5 miles, averaged 7:12/mile.

PM - Smithfield Canyon with Seth. 6.5 miles, 8:00/mile average.

Did a workout today. Warmed up for 3 miles, and then did 3x2-mile at marathon pace, with 3 minutes recovery jog between sets. Splits were 10:26 (5:11, 5:15), 10:34 (5:11, 5:23), and 10:30 (5:12, 5:18). Had a little bit of wind, so the faster splits were with a tailwind, and the slower splits with a headwind. Cooled down for 6 miles. Averaged 6:22/mile for 16 miles.

noon - Birch Creek Canyon. A little snowy and a little muddy, but it's a start. 8.25 miles, 7:24/mile average pace.

PM - Forrester Acres with Seth. 5.75 miles, no watch.

noon - canal trail, 8 miles, 7:30/mile. Did a few strides too.

PM - Forrester Acres with Seth. 6 miles, no watch.

Striders Half Marathon. As a rare treat, we had great weather this year: overcast, little to no wind, and temps in the low 40s.

This race was to be my last big workout before Boston. Since I had a shorter buildup for this marathon, I wanted to race a bit more frequently, so I did the St George Half in late January, then the Moab Half in mid-March, and the Striders Half today. My main goal was just to run well and get my confidence back up after a rather rocky Moab race a couple weeks ago, and to stay in control and not tap the well at all in doing so. (no need to get too tired or sore this close to Boston). It ended up being a really positive effort today, and I accomplished all that I set out to do. I felt sharp both physically and mentally.

When the race started, I got out to a quick start, but the first three miles were all pretty conversational. Bryant Jensen, who I figured would be my main competition, and Riley Cook went with me. The first three miles were 5:10, 5:11, and 5:06 (all mild downhill). Riley dropped back after 3, and then it was just Bryant and I.

I felt good at this pace, and wanted to keep it going for the 3 remaining downhill miles. Miles 4-6 were 5:00, 4:59, and 5:01. It was not a conscious surge, kind of happened organically, but I liked it and went with it. Was definitely breathing harder (no longer conversational pace), but still felt very controlled and loose. Bryant dropped a couple steps behind me, but kept close contact, and then dropped further back after Mile 6.

With Bryant dropping back a little, I pressed the pace as the course exited the canyon and started on the rolling hills around the lake. Mile 7 was another 5:00, and then 5:05 for Mile 8. The pace was now feeling pretty hard, but I was actually enjoying the hills a little bit after the long downhill.

Miles 9 and 10 were 5:14 and 5:08, respectively. Just 5K to go, and I felt like the race was pretty much sealed. The long uphill incline to the finish was coming up, and I didn't want to push too hard for this race, so I just tried to keep the pace honest and steady, but also cruise a little bit. 5:16, 5:19, and 5:19 for Miles 11, 12, and 13. Coasted into the finish in 37s for the 0.1, and finished with a time of 1:07:29.

This was almost 2 minutes faster than what I ran in 2007, and I also recaptured my old course record, which had been broken by Alex Tomas in 2009. So that was good. The course is a net downhill, but still somewhat challenging with the rolling hills and high altitude, so I feel pretty good about the time. And I feel good about starting my taper next week, and about what I need to do in Boston in 16 days.

Cooled down for about 4 miles afterward with a whole crew of folks.

AM - 8 miles, 7:30/mile average. Feel okay after the race. It was definitely a hard effort on the legs, but I think recovery will go well.

PM - 5 miles, canal trail. Felt better than I did this morning. Averaged 7:30/mile.

AM - Birch Creek Canyon with Carson. 8.25 miles, averaged 8:01/mile.

PM - 4 miles around town. 7:05/mile average.

Smithfield Canyon with Carson. 10 miles, 7:05/mile average.

PM1 - hammering snow all day. I ended up on the treadmill after work. 8 miles.

PM2 - treadmill, 4 miles.

AM - Saddleback out-and-back, 8 miles, 7:10/mile average. Did strides on the way back

PM - Summit out-and-back, 3.75 miles. No watch.

Finally got in a workout this week. It's been a crazy week, as I spent the last half balancing a conference for work, plus work itself, sneaking in running where I could. And the weather did not make things easier either. This morning was a bit busy too, as I had a men's breakfast at 8AM, and I wanted to get my run done and be showered before then, so that I would have to deal with it later in the day. I got up at 5:30AM, ate some fruit, and then warmed up 2 miles on the treadmill. Then, a little bit after 6AM, I started my real run, as it was starting to get light out.

Warmed up on the roads for two more miles, 6:21 and 6:32. Then did 5x1-mile at LT pace with 2:00 recovery jog. Splits were 5:34, 5:15, 5:22, 5:11, 5:14. The first one was way slow because it was still dark and I could gauge pace, plus my body was still feeling grumpy about workout out this early. The third one was a little bit slower because it was mostly uphill. The set as a whole was just okay. Not terrible, but not great either. I think I am still recovering a bit from the race last Saturday, and from a more stressful than usual work week.

13.5 miles total for the run.

Treated today like a Saturday, since I'm now one week out. Did 14 miles, kept a nice pace, but nothing too fast. Did a few strides near the end. Averaged 6:40/mile.

AM - Smithfield Canyon, 6 miles, 7:05/mile average.

PM - 4 miles with Zoe.

Last little mini-workout before Boston. Warmed up for three miles, and then did 2 miles at MP. Splits were 5:11 (downhill) and 5:14 (rolling). Cooled down for 5 miles. Averaged 6:15/mile for 10 miles. Feelin' fine.

AM - 5 miles, Smithfield Canyon. Did strides on the way back. 6:44/mile average pace.

PM - Forrester Acres with Seth, 5 miles.

Finally getting to the run part of the taper (single-digit days). Canal Trail, 5 miles, easy. Part of the canal had been widened and deepened, and the trail had been destroyed (covered) for a bit, so I had to run in the canal channel. Very muddy and annoying. Other than that, a beautiful run.

Tomorrow morning I fly out to Boston, and will take the day off from running. Then maybe 2-3 miles on Sunday. I'm not taking a laptop, and I'm too stupid to own a smart phone, so I probably won't blog again until I get back, on Tuesday. Yes, I will be reading books on the airplane. They are still around.

My bib number is 35 for anyone who cares to sign up for tracking.

Life has been really busy the past couple months, which is why I haven't blogged much. I'm looking forward to experiencing Boston, and hopefully qualifying for Trials, but I will also be relieved when it's over. It was hard work getting in the proper training, just due to time and other obligations. Hopefully the sacrifice will be worth it.

Wow, what a day. Up at 3:30AM for the airport shuttle, then flight to DC, 3 hour layover, 1 hour delay due to heinous rain and lightening. And then finally got to Boston. No one was here to pick me up. Drat, my worst fear. Couldn't get ahold of the BAA, so started triangulating with the FastRunningBlog. Called several people, but in the end it was WALTER BROWN who saved my butt. I owe Walter dinner or something, what a guy. He somehow found and "emergency contact number" which actually put me in touch with the exact person I needed to talk to. They thought I was arriving yesterday, even though I emailed my itinerary on two separate occasions. But it's all good now, right? Took a taxi to Radison downtown...where I found out that they had given my room away when I didn't show yesterday. The manager was in a vehement phone conversation with the runner rep about it...told me to come back in a bit. I went and finally got dinner (at 9:30PM...it was delicious seafood though, and a wonderful IPA, worth the wait). Came back to the hotel and praise God they had a room for me. Don't know who they had to kill to get it, since the whole town is sold out. Anyway. I am finally here. In Boston. In a hotel. With a full belly. At a decent computer with internet (so I will be bloggin after all). Tomorrow, I'll do the expo, get the bib, etc, but other than that am just going to rest from day, maybe see some friends that are here. Out.

Slept in, had a nice breakfast, then jogged over to the Fairmont to find the elite suite. Got my bib and other info, then kept jogging to the expo. The expo is massive, way too crowded for my taste. I did an obligitory walk-through, handed out some cards, bought some trinkets for the family and then jogged back to the hotel, about 2 miles for the whole trip, I'm guessing.

Everything feels pretty good. I'm healthy, and the weather looks like it might be decent tomorrow. Perhaps a tail-wind? One can't depend on such forecasts, but I wouldn't turn it down. Regardless of the weather, it's Boston, and it will be a race. I'll make the best of whatever I'm given.

Have an elite meeting at 1PM, and then will spend the rest of the day relaxing.

I'm in a hotel with limited time, so will try to keep this short and do it justice at the same time. Today was a great day to run, and a wonderful race, and I cherished every moment of it. And my legs hurt more than after any other race (even St. George or Des News), so I know I ran it right. :-)

Got up at 5:30AM. I slept decent, but was wired and ready to get up at 5:15. Had oatmeal, a banana, and coffee for breakfast, then a larabar and another banana later on.

Dropped off my one water bottle (with Gu) at the water drop, then got on the elite bus to the church in Hopkington. Sat next to Nan and passed the time well by chatting.

The church was a cool staging area, and it was sweet just being there with everyone else. Met a few new people, learned a few new course tips, and generally passed the time. The best part was that we had ample toilets to use, so no lines. Used that priviledge about 5-6 times.

The day looked perfect. Cool weather, but not cold. Clear conditions, and a strong tailwind. I knew this tailwind would make today crazy. It was a perfect storm (if you will) of temperature, no precipitation, and favorable wind. This is rare, in Boston, or anywhere. St George is 2007 was the last "perfect storm" I ran, and we all know how that turned out (we all ran sick times).

But I didn't want to be deceived by the wind, and run faster than what I'm trainined to do for 26.2. True, 5:15 pace becomes 5:05 pace with that kind of tailwind...but the body cannot withstand the pounding for the full race. For a half marathon yes, but not for the marathon distance. This race had potential to be fast, and also potential to create many casualities. We saw both today.

The women started, and then soon enough it was our turn. The men funneled out of the church and too the start line. Did a few strides, and soaked in the scene (not having seen the start yet). I was excited and enjoying myself.

The race started, and I tried to control myself and tuck back. Got behind the two Hanson runners, because I figured they'd be coached up and running smart. Still, we went through 1K in 3:05, and 1 mile in 5:07. This is definitely a strong downhill. Tried to scale things back, but went back too far to 5:20 for mile 2. And then Mile 3 was 5:12. Still too fast (I wanted 5:15), but better. Passed through 5K in 16:14.

The lead pack was, of course, gone from the get-go, but I wasn't really thinking about them. The two Hanson guys and one other guy dropped our pack after a mile or so, but then we had a nice pack of 6-8 through Mile 10. We all had similar bib numbers (30s and 40s), so I figured it was the right pack. And it felt like I was holding back, so I figured it was the right pace.

Hit Mile 4 in 5:10, and that was the end of the biggest downhill portion of the course. Mile 5 was 5:19, so a bit of a drop-off, and then I adjusted too hard for a Mile 6 in 5:07. 10K split was 32:25, so 16:11 for the 5K. Pace felt pedestrian...but doesn't it need to at this point in any marathon? Oh, and the tailwind was surely helping. Couldn't always feel it, but I could see it. (flags, etc). Once in a while, the wind would swirl and become a headwind, but never for long.

Although the tailwind was helping the pace be easier, it did have one unexpect (but logical) consquence: I was getting hot. Despite being in the 50s, I was already overheating, as there was no breeze in the face to cool off with. Around Mile 5 or 6, I started dousing myself with water at every aid station. I was completely drenched by the end. But I needed to do this, not sure what would have happened if I didn't (I'm used to 40-degree days in Cache Valley!).

Miles 7-16 were good for me, as my pace finally stopped yo-yoing, the hills settled down and were more flat. Mile 7 was 5:11. I took my first Gu at this point. Mile 8 was 5:08, and Mile 9 was 5:15. 15K was right around 48:35, so another 16:10 5K split. This was definitely faster than my plan (5:15/mile), but I knew it to be the result of the tailwind more than being excited. And I felt like I was still holding back, so kept going with it.

I mentioned this earlier in the entry, but our pack broke up at Mile 10 or so, and I was solo for the last 16 miles, other than passing the back end of the women's group, and passing elite men who were put through the meat grinder and dying off. But despite not having people to run with, the crowds still energized me, and of course so did the tailwind.

Mile 10 was another 5:15. 10 miles in 52:08. Mile 11 was 5:13, and Mile 12 was 5:10. The splits were definitely getting a lot more consistent. It was still feeling easy with the half point coming up (breathing was super-easy), although I could feel some fatigue in my quads. But all other systems were perfect (calves, hammies, etc). Still trying to drink and douse at every aid station. 20K was 1:04:49, so 16:14 for the last 5K (staying consistent!)

During Mile 13 (I think) we came past Wellesey and the mob of screaming women. Definitely a remarkable part of the race (hence me remarking on it), as it was very loud and a big boost. I had heard much about this spot, and was not disappointed. Mile 13 was 5:12, and then 1:08:18 for the half. Yikes, fast! But I maybe today was the day to run 2:16? I was feelin' it...

I knew I had easy-going until Mile 16, when the first of the Newton Hills would loom. Hit 5:08 for Mile 14, and then 5:20 for Mile 15. 25K in 1:21:03 (probably a PR), so another 16:14 5K split.

Mile 16 we had the big downhill into Newton, and I hit 5:10 on that...and then the climbing began!

When I looked at the Boston elevation profile, I thought "those hills don't look so big". And there're not. They are really not that bad, even Heartbreak. It's the timing that is bad. After 16 miles of downhill, the uphills hit at a bad time, and each uphill has a downhill on the other side, which really hurts the quads at this point!

But the first Newton hill was a pushover. Hit 5:17 for Mile 17. Then 5:26 on the following mile (I think the second hill was this mile?). Split 1:37:33 for 30K, so 16:30 for the 5K. I had took my lone elite bottle at this station, which was just a water bottle with a Gu taped to it. Tore off the Gu top from the duct-taped bottle like a hand grenade and tossed the full bottle (it was serving as just a paper-weight for the Gu). So I took my second and last Gu here.

Hit some downhill on Mile 19 and split a 5:17. I still have bounce in my step, but my quads were feeling curiously hammered. What's the deal? After all, I've done St George, Des News, TOU, Ogden, UVM Half, Alta Peruvian Downhill Dash, etc...shouldn't my quads be able to handle a mere 450ft of measley drop? But they were definitely getting into a bad way after Mile 18, and steadily worsened over the rest of the race.

Did the 3rd Newton Hill during Mile 20, and split a 5:21. Not bad, but my quads are unhappy with me. Wondering if I'm going to fall apart the last 10K. But just one mile at a time, and the next mile was the 4th and last Newton hill: Hearbreak Hill.

Not sound cocky, but Heartbreak was lame. Managed a 5:25 on Mile 21, and then plummeted a 5:07 on Mile 22. 35K in 1:53:58 (16:25). A lot of things were going through my mind here: 1) Boston is awesome; 2) I really think I'm going to Qualify; 3) My quads are really really killing me; 4) Let's see if I can get these crowds to cheer louder.

During the last 5 miles, I was egging on the crowds big-time. Hey, I'm in Boston, the race of races, let's milk it! Shouting at them and gesturing at them about every half mile mile, I would turn a dull roar into an ear-splitting crescendo. It was pretty awesome. Maybe I'm a tool for egging on the crowd, but I loved it, and it gave me such an energy boost each time. Really key for my last 8K or so, when my quads were about gone, and all I had left was the crowd energy and andrenaline.

Hey, 4 miles left, if I don't fall apart, and just do something respectable (like 5:45/mile), I'll make it! But it was a battle, because my quads wanted none of it. But the crowds encouraged me, and each passing mile encouraged me to do another just like it! Mile 23 was 5:14! Keep it going! Egg on the crowd...and...5:11 for Mile 24. Big downhill on this mile that killed, but I forced it to keep moving. Can't hold back anything at this point.

Now I know it's in the bag, provided that I don't have an epic failure in the last 2.2 miles. Mile 25 was 5:18, which again, was a huge boost of encouragement. Even though I felt completely shredded, I wasn't slowing down. And the crowd urged me to keep hammering, and I urged them to keep cheering.

I had been passing people most of the second half, and passed a few more during the last mile. Someone in the previous mile told me that I was in 21st, and I knew I was in the top 20 a few passes later, although I wasn't keeping track (I was too busy yelling at the crowd to pay much attention). But picking off the elite men really helped too.

There are 5 turns in the whole course, and most of them are in the last mile. I made the last turn and was soon staring down the finish line from a distance. Mile 26 in 5:23. The last 0.2 were the most exhilerating and also the most painful I've run, but as the story of the day, the crowds brought me in and I enjoyed the moment. Crossed the finish line in 2:17:35, a new PR, and more importantly, over a minute under the Trials standard. So I will be returning to my second Trials in January 2012, and that's a pretty sweet taste.

Went to the recovery tent, and texts started coming in (oh, what a day and age we live in). Clyde informed me that I was 17th, and 3rd American. I am very proud of both of those stats. I knew Top 20 was achievable on a great day, but 3rd American is pretty cool. I missed money by two spots, but who cares at this point. It wasn't really on my radar to begin with.

Yes, this Boston was definitely wind-aided. The wind was a huge boost. But it came at a price for many, including me to a degree. Basically it allowed me to run close to half marathon pace...at the expense of my quads. Call it overstriding or overracing or something like that, but I think it caused a lot of DNFs and blowups. It also caused some amazing, truly aided times. But any race you have to take what you're giving, and this race we happened to have a "perfect storm" of speed-inducing weather. For some people, it was too much, like having too much nitrous, and they blew up, but for others it led to huge PRs. It's aided for sure, but I'll take it. Do I have a choice?

But regardless of wind, it was a great race. I felt like I ran smart, ran within myself, ran within the weather, ran the hills strong, competed to my utmost, and enjoyed the experience, aura, and crowds of Boston at the same time. In other words, I had the experience I was looking for. I'm grateful to God for having the physical ability to run, and I give Him the glory. Thanks everyone for your support and good wishes over the last several days and months.

Back in the saddle today, sort of. Ended up doing four miles, Smithfield Canyon. My quads really started hurting after about half a mile, so I guess I'm not as recovered as I thought. Glad that I don't have to run the Trials in three weeks, like last time.

Smithfield Loop. 5 miles, 7:16/mile average. Snowing. Legs still feel rubbery, but a little better than yesterday.

Birch Creek, 6 miles, 7:06/mile. Almost feeling normal again.

Canal trail, 7 miles, 7:26/mile average.

Took it easy today. Did Hillside to Summit and back, 3.75 miles, no watch. 

Smithfield Canyon, 8 miles, 6:56/mile average.

Smithfield Canyon, 7 miles, 6:24/mile average. Felt good today, and it was a nice day to run.

Birch Creek Canyon with Carson, 8.25 miles, 7:40/mile average

Ran from Logan to Smithfield. 7 miles, 6:50/mile average.

Ran to the doctor. Had my 6-month rheumatologist appointment. Ran home. 12.25 miles total, averaged 6:45/mile.

Smithfield Canyon with Carson. 7:20/mile average

Smithfield Canyon, 14.75 miles. Ran until the dirt road turned into a river, and then turned around. Ran hard. Averaged 6:18/mile for the run.

Raining and yucky today. I made myself get some miles in, and did my banking errands during the run. 7.75 miles, averaged 6:32/mile.

Ready lacking motivation to run in the rain. Dropped the car off to get a safety inspection and managed to get 6.25 miles before I was sick of it, then picked up the car. Averaged 6:45/mile.

Did the Bear River Loop to check out the flooding. Beautiful day today. I ran brisk/tinman tempo pace the whole way. Averaged 6:07/mile for 11.5 miles.

I'm getting Lasik surgery this afternoon, so no running the rest of the week, as I recover. So I did my long run this morning. 19.75 miles, ran out to the Logan River trail, up to the start of the single-track, and back. Beautiful day, but the last 3 miles was a death-march. I really needed that run though.6:37/mile average pace.

Ran my banking errands, then ran up Smithfield Canyon and Birch Creek a little ways to look at the rivers. No flooding, but very close, especially at some of the lower road culverts. 8.25 miles, 7:16/mile average.

Smithfield Canyon, until the road turned into a river channel. Turned around at the sandbags. Then added on some mileage by going up Summit to Hillside and back on the canal trail. 8 miles, 6:35/mile average.

Bear River Ranch out-and-back, 13 miles, tinman tempo pace. Averaged 5:56/mile.

Figured out my racing schedule a little bit more. I'll be running the TOU Half and TOU Marathon. They are both great races, and I don't have to go anywhere. Maybe if I can get in good shape, I can take a stab at Hobie Call's record. I thought about doing St George this year, but think I will do it next year instead. I do have a little bit of unfinished business there.

Birch Creek. Muddy. 8 miles, averaged 6:59/mile.

Upper Smithfield Canyon Rd to Smithfield Canyon. 10 miles, 6:52/mile average.

Wonderful day to run today. I did my favorite long run workout: 10 miles up Hollow Rd and Blacksmith Fork, and then 10 miles back down. I actually like the uphill more than the downhill. Got a workout PR today, 20 miles in 1:55:40 (5:46/mile). Averaged 5:58/mile on the uphill portion (had a tailwind), and then 5:36 on the downhill, into the headwind. Splits were 6:14, 6:08, 5:58, 6:10, 6:08, 5:57, 5:52, 5:38, 5:41, 5:51, (turnaround), 5:37, 5:50, 5:45, 5:42, 5:40, 5:28, 5:35, 5:29, 5:22, 5:26. Bumped into Scott during Mile 18, and he turned around and pushed me a bit that mile. Great workout, good confidence-booster three weeks out from UVM. My mileage has no been there, but I think I still have most of the fitness. A couple 70-mile weeks will help as well.

North Smithfield out-and-back. 9 miles, 7:25/mile average.

Did a workout today. Ran up Smithfield Canyon at a brisk pace (6:30-6:40/mile), then did 2x2-mile with 2-minutes recovery coming back on the downhill. Hit 9:38 (4:55, 4:43) and 9:27 (4:45, 4:42) for the splits. Good workout, lots of good downhill pounding. 14 miles total, averaged 6:22/mile.

Met some people for coffee in Logan, and then ran home from there. 9 miles, averaged 7:02/mile.

Canal trail to 1600 E, down into North Logan, and back. 9 miles, 6:51/mile. Felt really good.

Birch Creek Canyon, 9 miles, 7:05/mile average. Great day to run.

Long run. Ran the new Smithfield "Not Yo Mama's" Half Marathon course. As advertised, it is very hard, lot of hills, not your traditional Utah half marathon where you just shoot people straight down a canyon. Should be a fun race (in July). With some extra miles, ended up with 20.25 miles, averaged 6:18/mile for the run.

Forrester Acres plus some random mileage. It rained off and on the whole run. Averaged 6:50/mile for 9 miles.

Big Workout today. Kind of a mixed bag. The first 3/4 of the workout was really good, and the last bit fell apart, and I ended up cutting it short by a little. I think it was a combination of warmer temps + hitting my early intervals a bit too fast, and the combination did me in.

The workout was 4-3-2-1 at MP, with 2-3 minutes recovery jog. The 4-mile set was 5:17, 5:16, 5:22, 5:22. The 3-mile set was 5:19, 5:16, 5:19. Was still feeling pretty good. Then the 2-mile set I hit the first mile in 5:11 (with a slight tailwind), then turned to go uphill and into crosswind and just lost it. My pace was slowing pretty rapidly, so I bailed abut 0.75 into the last mile of the set (5:28-pace), and then skipped the last mile interval. I think if I had either backed off my pace to 5:25/mile in the early miles, or had ran earlier in the day (rather than at noon), I probably would have been okay. Oh well, still a decent workout. Live and learn. But it's too close to Utah Valley to go into the tank for a workout.

Ran the Logan River Trail past Spring Hollow and back. About 9 miles. Very nice, warm day.

Ran with Carson, canal trail. 9 miles, averaged about 7:25/mile.

Smithfield Canyon, 9 miles, 6:50/mile average.

Ran with Jeff Shadley this morning, who was in town for his wife's bike century event. We ran the Logan River Trail, about 10 miles. I ran a couple more miles afterward, but ended up cutting short, as I just didn't feel like running long today. 12.25 miles total.

Last little workout before the marathon. Ran up Smithfield Canyonat a decent clip. Turned around a little past the campground (averaged 6:35/mile on the way up). Did some marathon-pace miles on the downhill and was hitting 5:10-5:20 or so. Felt pretty good. Hot out, but felt nice. 13 miles, averaged 6:12/mile for the run.

Birch Creek Canyon, 8 miles, easy. 7:50/mile average.