Every Race is an Adventure!

2000 N hill route with Larry and Kevin. We cut it short because one of us had to get back to a bathroom.

Water tank hills with Larry. My legs felt no need for speed today. Another cold morning just trying to keep moving.

Cascade golf course loop with Larry and Wayne. The canyon wind made the cold even colder, and we were running a little late, so we cut off the far end of the loop that's exposed most to the canyon wind. I'm detecting a theme in my running of late...cold temps and slow running.

What a great run! I haven't enjoyed a run this much for quite a while.

Larry, Wayne and I started out with Larry's wife Jolene. We started up the canal road but then Jolene turn to head up the hill to Dry Creek Canyon. We decided to go with her. Neither Wayne nor I had ever been there before. It started with a long steep climb. Once we got to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail we followed it over to the water tank hills. I especially enjoyed the trail running along here. We then headed up the water tank hills (Jolene headed home) and kept going beyond the top for a mile or so. We then turned around and ran back down the water tank hills and our usual route home down 1600 North. It was a cold morning, but with sunny clear skies I was feeling pretty good and decided to push the last mile home. I felt good about running it at 7:13 pace. My hip only hurts me when I try to run fast, especially in the cold. It hurt some but wasn't too bad.

Larry, Wayne and I all commented about how we want to do more trail running. We want to get ready for the Squaw Peak 50, and trail running is just plain fun. Both Wayne and I had missteps but avoid injury. Wayne said running trails more often might help with our eye-foot coordination. I don't remember hearing that term before, but I agree.

Running down into the valley we commented once again on how lucky we are to live where we do. I'm sure others have different opinions, but I think it very well may be the best place to live on earth, at least for me. It's not just the beauty and opportunities available in the area, but the great people, too. And my running buddies are some of the cream of the crop. What a blessing they are to me.

A Snowy Morning's Run

My body awakes before the alarm,
But my bed and wife are soft and warm.
Outside the streets are dark and cold,
And this runner's body is getting old.

But there will be no regrets today,
So on with the layers, and on my way
To the runner's corner...a little moan.
No buddies there. I run alone.

As through neighborhood streets in snow I wander,
I observe and listen and think and ponder.
The lamp-lit snowflakes gently fall,
Weaving a blanket of white over all.

My cushioned steps yield a muffled crunch,
I'm now thinking of running again at lunch.
My legs feel strong and my breathing is steady.
When spring races come, I hope to be ready.

Of what do runners think as they roam
Through snowy streets 'til they get back home?
Thoughts may travel from work to Rome,
But today, the result was this runner's poem.

by Paul A. Thomas (8 Dec 2009)

I asked Larry on our run this morning if he wanted to be "Dumb" or "Dumber". It was 1° when we headed out. Larry refers to these temperatures as "stupid cold", inferring I think that only stupid people go out when it's this cold. He's probably right, but it's a paradox. If I'm right about Larry being right, then I'm not stupid, but if he's right then I am stupid because I went running when it was stupid cold. Either way I guess I'm partially stupid, because I've been sporadic with my running recently in the cold. I'm either stupid on the days I do run, or stupid on the days I don't.

I think I'll choose to think of myself as being free...free to run or not to run and still consider myself a rational and intelligent human being.

We had to get back early for a ward breakfast this morning so we only managed 5.4 miles. It felt like much longer as it seemed that we slipped backward with each step in the snow. Oh well, we had Larry, Wayne, Kent and me out this morning, the most in a long time. Kevin was a little late getting out and guessed the wrong route so we never met up, but it sounds like he ran quite a bit faster than us as he tried to catch up.

Solo morning run on the Orem library route. With Sunday's big snow storm there was no shoulder to run on so I alternated between dodging occasional cars and black ice on the road and risking rolled ankles on uneven frozen slush-covered sidewalks. I hope just getting out counts for something.

Wayne and I ran the Tuesday 2000 N route. With still no shoulders because of snow we had to share the road with the occasional car, but we managed okay. After coming back down 2000 N and heading north for a while we heard female voices gaining on us. Neither of us was much interested in getting passed I guess because our pace shifted from quite slow to not quite as slow. We managed to hold them off and even pull away a bit, but we were both quite tired at the end of the run. I guess that's a good thing.

The snow from Sunday's big storm still fills the shoulders of the road, and many of the sidewalks are in pretty poor condition. Nevertheless, Larry and I still headed up 1600 N and attempted the water tank hills this morning. The first big hill is dry, but by hill #2 the road conditions were frozen and slippery. We made it up hill #2 and part of #3, mostly walking, before we decided to head back. Going downhill was more treacherous than going up. It made the bad sidewalks down 1600 N more appealing.

The temperatures are above freezing this week, but not quite warm enough to melt all the snow already on the sidewalks and sides of the road. The good news is that it's only 5 days before the winter solstice when the sun starts moving north again and the days start getting longer.

Cascade route with Larry, Wayne and Nick. We left a little late. We had a comfortable conversational run until the golf course. Larry had to get back so he and Nick turned around there. Wayne and I picked up the pace and ran the full course. We actually managed a couple of 8:20-ish miles near the end.

I ran the Orem library route solo. I pushed a little harder than normal right from the start. I averaged 8:13/mi overall, with 8:02 and 7:49 for the last couple of miles. Considering how slowly I've been running this winter, I feel pretty good about the effort.

I got a little tired on the long run this morning, and it was great! I finally got in a 40 mile week. It's been a while.

Larry, Wayne, Kevin and I worked our way down to Wil's then back up to the mouth of the canyon. Wayne and I pushed ahead and went on up to the fountain. We both wanted to get in at least 12 miles so we could hit 40 miles for the week. The head wind up the canyon was pretty cold, but we endured and it felt good to turn around and head down.

Wayne and I were both feeling pretty tired at the end but we managed to hang on and finish relatively strong. The last 3/4 mile was at 7:53 pace. We averaged exactly 9:00/mi overall.

Lindon loop. It was so long ago now I don't remember who I ran with. I think it may have been Larry, Kevin and Kent. I vaguely remember saying something about getting four out on a Monday.

Tuesday run up the 2000 N hill. I think it was just me and Larry, with Kevin meeting us along the way.

Kent and I did Thursdays Cascade route today. Like Monday and Tuesday, I was just getting miles in...no speed to speak of.

Larry, Wayne and I ran a variant of Larry's "Never Ending Hills" route. We basically wandered around the hilly streets of Lindon and North Orem until we got in six miles. Average pace was a blistering 10:40/mi.

Larry and Wayne went for a Christmas Day run at 11:00am. I couldn't make it then, but was able to get out around 3:00pm for a solo run. I was surprised to see the temperature in the low 40's. I ran in shorts for the first time in a while, but still wore multiple layers on top, gloves and a head band for my ears.

I hoped to average around 8:00/mi pace, but I wasn't sure how all the food I'd eaten in the last 24 hours might affect me. I ended up averaging 7:55/mi, with the last mile in 7:22, and no digestive distractions. I really enjoyed the run.

My family was all taking a break (naps, personal activities, etc....poor Brittany had to go to work for 6 hours) from family fun. I got back well before we restarted our Wii Super Mario Brothers fun. I'm hearing the game noises and cheerful (sometimes frustrated) family banter as I type. There are more of us than there are controllers so I gave mine up for a while.

There were lots of great gifts this Christmas, but I've most enjoyed spending time with all our children, including our two young single adult sons, and our newly married daughter and her husband, who don't live at home. Our family is a game playing family, and we like to think we know how to have a good time. I'm amazed and extremely grateful for how blessed I am. Somewhere in my youth or childhood, or perhaps my pre-mortal life, I must have done something good.

Even though we waited until 9:00am to run, it was still only about 11° when Larry, Wayne, Kevin and I started our run. At least it was sunny and not windy. We weren't sure what route to run...which can at times lead to an adventure. We started out running our normal Lindon loop, a.k.a. the Tri-City loop as it passes through Orem, Lindon and Pleasant Grove. As we started north up 400 E in Lindon, Wayne had the bright idea to keep running up the hill. We ended up running well over a mile up some relentless incline all the way to Battle Creek park.

After a brief break to talk to some camo-dressed AirSoft gunners preparing to do a little human hunting, we started back down the hill. We followed Battle Creek Dr. all the way down to Locust Ave. which we then followed all the way to Lindon Park and back on our normal route to home.

The combination of approaching 40 miles again this week, pushing hard yesterday afternoon, and running the big uphill left my legs feeling like I was at mile 24 of a marathon. I went into survival mode and locked into a rhythm that got me home. We were talking that hill miles and winter miles somehow ought to count more. We also mutally shared our appreciation to each other and how much better running is when in the company of great running buddies...and I've some of the best.

I ran alone at lunch time today. I kept the pace a little quicker than normal and averaged 8:39/mi instead of the more common 9:30-10:00 of late.

I was out at 5:45am but I was alone again. I saw my son Andrew's car warming up to go to basketball so I opted for basketball with him and my old basketball buddies instead. Because of our family's morning routine I only have that option when school's out. I really enjoyed it.

I opted for basketball again this morning. We played for a couple of hours again. There were only 6 then 8 of us so their were no subs. It was great cross training. Even if that's not true, it was sure a lot of fun...and indoors and not icy or cold.