Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

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.

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.

Day off today.

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.

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.

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.

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!