Every Race is an Adventure!

I ran a few mile repeats at the track. I didn't feel like pushing too hard so I didn't. I averaged about 8:10/mi for the splits. Overall 4.5 miles @ 9:41/mi.

Met Wayne @ 5:30am. Ran 2.25 miles. Nobody was waiting back at the corner at 5:50am so we continued on to the 4 mile Lindon Loop. We found out later that Kevin had come out at 5:45am and missed us. He probably ran a lot faster than he would have with us...I should say with me. Wayne could go faster but 9:30/mi is about all I can muster as yet for a 6 mile training run these days.

Later walked 2.5 miles with Karen at about 16:20/mi. 

I was a bit surprised that nobody showed up to run the hills with me. Last week there were 5 other runners. I managed to make it all the way up the 5 hills without walking this time, in 19:38...just slightly faster than last week's 20:02. Lyle was a little late getting out and had apparently chased me up 1600 N to the base of the hills then up the hills. I noticed him behind me as I started up hill 4. He was gaining quickly but I must have subconsciously pushed harder because he didn't catch me. I was just trying to stay focused to the top.

I'm still considerably slower than I'd like to be, but I've been seeing pretty steady progress and I'm feeling pretty good.

Same run as Tuesday with Wayne, at about the same pace, 9:27/mi. These are supposed to be easy days for me, but with Wayne being faster than me at this point, I feel bad slowing him down so I push at a pretty good effort.

I wish the effort was producing a better pace than 9:27/mi for 6.2 miles, but only a month ago it was only 11:26/mi for 3.5 miles. I feel good about going 75% farther at a pace 2 minutes per mile faster. If I improve that much in the next month I'll be going 7:27/mi for nearly 11 miles. That would be great...it's not very likely...but it would be great. I'm content with just being able to run again, and seeing pretty steady improvement while feeling stronger.

Wayne and I ran 12 miles from the mouth of Provo Canyon up to the Vivian Park cabins and back. The plan was to take it easy on the way up and push a little on the way back down. Wayne did this, staying back at 10 minute pace on the way up and pushing several miles at 7:35 pace on the way down. At this point running 9:30 pace for 6 miles on a weekday morning takes a pretty good effort from me. I would not classify my 6 miles run up the canyon at 10 minute pace as easy. It took a quite a bit of effort. I managed to average about 9 minute pace on the way down...no 7:35 pace for me...yet.

I ended up averaging 9:27/mi for the 12 miles. Two weeks ago up the canyon I averaged 9:49/mi for 10 miles. Two miles farther at 0:22/mi faster pace. My weekly mileage also went from 27.7 to 34.5 over those two week. Progress.