Run for your life!

Hit the treadmill for maybe the last time this morning as it's getting lighter and warmer outside. I felt good today. Lunch run later.

Ran 9.5 this morning with 4 at MP (.5 recovery in between) at slow MP of 7:30. The final .5 at 6:40. Treadmill run.

Fun lunch run on the Ogden parkway. Started at the Ogden arch over Washington Blvd. and ran to the canyon. Then I ran up the Bonneville Shoreline Trail about 1.25 miles taking on about 400 feet. Then I turned around and ran back. All easy miles except the final mile which was 7:12. Very stress relieving after working a long day yesterday.

Eight easy miles on the treadmill this morning and then four more after work. Feeling fatigued.

3 easy speedwalk and jog type miles with Lisa on a beautiful morning. Finally Spring is here!

First time on the road this year. I rode back and forth from work, 23 miles each way. Averaged 20.1 mph on the way in and 19.2 into a headwind on the way back. It was great to be back in the saddle. I love to ride the bike. I need to find a good balance if possible for the summer.

Did the local Jr. High 5k with my son Nathaniel today. We warmed up for a mile and then ran the race in 25:55. I was proud of him. He never walked! And I didn't make him throw up this time. Then we came home and ran 2.1 more at 10:05 average for a total 10k for Nate today. His longest run ever. Then I took off and ran up to the mountain road about 400 foot climb at average 8:28. The next three miles were downhill so I put in some pace or faster than pace miles at 6:47, 6:59, and 6:55. I was gassed and generally tired from my long bike ride yesterday, but I jogged the next two and then ran mile 10 at 6:58. Then I did a cool down of .8 to make it an even 17. A good final run before the Ogden Marathon in two weeks. I did feel a few twinges from the hammy however. But I'm going to try to do the right things over the next two weeks so I have a good race.

6.2 easy miles in the morning and 5 more in the evening.

Took the day off to rest.

Pretty good speedwork session. The last significant one before Ogden. Did two sets of 3 miles each at 7:03, 6:58 and 6:53 and tacked on a final .65 miles at 6:40 to get to 8.15 miles in the hour. Jogged out the remaining up to 10 total. Felt good. Hammy a little stiff at the beginning, but loosened up and feels good now. Trying to do a lot of stretching.

Early company golf tournament and then an early baseball game after work. I called it a rest day.

Six miles this morning. Two miles at MP 7:18 and 7:13. Four very easy miles at lunch.

Lisa had a race today so we went up to Bear Lake and she raced around the lake while I rode 28 miles at an easy pace. Hamstring still bugging me. Going to take it really easy this week before Ogden.

Four easy miles in the morning and four more at lunch.

Six easy miles this morning on the treadmill.

Four easy miles. Last run in taper to give time for the hammy and everything else to rest.

Well this was an interesting race.I enjoyed a good ride and the company of my friends Troy, Rick and Terry on the way to Ogden, on the bus ride to the start and by the pre-race fireside. I ran into other friends in the pre-race area and it was fun.

I never know quite how to race the Ogden Marathon because I don't trust the concept of negative or even splits. For anyone not familiar with the race, it starts with about a 400' descent over the first 8 miles. Then you have rollers for the next 10 miles, then down a canyon for 4.5 miles and mostly flat for the last 5k. I can't stand not to take advantage of the downhill in the beginning section and bank some time against the rollers. However, by mile 10 I was surprised at how tired I already was. I averaged 7:08 through the first 7 miles and was at 7:15 over the next 6. The first 1/2 I ran at 1:34:55. I was tired and made a comment to a passing runner that I probably should have calculated my splits differently. The next section is always tough for me with about 5 miles with a two long uphill climbs and a few rollers. I ran this section averaging 7:42 and finally arrived at the mouth of Ogden Canyon. This is my fourth time running this marathon and the first time was a disaster with calf cramps that forced me to walk the last 7 miles. Today I felt a little popping in the calves about mile 21 and knew that if I forced them to go faster, I was in for trouble. So I maintained a comfortable pace and tried to relax my body, thinking that releasing tension would help the calves to relax and do what they've been trained to do...endure.

As I ran down the canyon I recalled another memory from that first marathon. I remembered hearing one runner say to his friend that this was the section where the carnage happens. It's true. Runners are stopping to stretch out problems or walking because they've already given it all they had. Remembering that, I motivated myself by repeating in my mind, "run through the carnage." It was a great theme, and while I don't like to see anyone suffer, passing struggling runners made it a reality to me that I was running through the carnage. I ran down the canyon averaging 7:37 and made it to the parkway where there's just 5k left. By this time I was truly tired and the calves were threatening even more, but I told them, not today. I weaved along the path  and knew that if I just ran to the finish, no matter the speed, just run as best as possible, it would be a PR at the least. I exited the path and ran across Washington Avenue because the river is running too high for the runners to continue on the path. I ran down a short length of road and turned left onto Grant and the finish line was in sight, although it looked like it was 5 miles away. I knew my family was about 1/2 way between this point and the finish and I kept running. Finally I saw Lisa and they cheered and Nathan (who ran a 24:33 in the 5k!) joined me on the course. It was wonderful to have Nathan by my side. He was so encouraging and kept telling me to just keep going. That I could do it. He was awesome. He dropped me off at the chute and I ran to the finish with a 3:24 on the clock. It was a PR by only 49 seconds, but given the way I felt early on in the race and the cramp threats I'll take it.

After the race, I was spent. I got a massage which was wonderful. Then I sat in the shade of my wife's umbrella and tried to recover. When I went to watch my son Peter run the kids K I had to lay down again as I neared the exit to the corral. After another 10 minutes of laying in the shade, I was able to get up and see the kids K and felt pretty good from then on. Peter did great. I came home and took Peter to the pool to relax and had to fight numerous charlie horses the rest of the day.

My goal was 3:15 which is about 7:25 average. My question is, would I have had a more successful race if my goal had been to run 7:25 from the beginning? I can understand even splits on a course that is flat or a loop (net 0 elevation change), but does the negative or even split concept apply to a race that has both downhill and flat or rolling sections? I'd really like to know.

Pathetic. Feeling sore, tired and sorry for myself.

Rode my bike a total of 45 miles to work and back. Avg. 18.5 on the way out and 16.5 on the way back into a headwind.

Legs feel like leather. Eating too much and wondering why I didn't run faster at Ogden. I think there were two factors. I must have been fatigued and my race strategy stunk. I should have set a realistic goal of 3:20 and attempted to run negative splits. As it was, I went out too fast and was tired by the 10th mile. Now I want revenge on the marathon. I want to train smarter and race smarter. But I have this thing called biking that I love to do and really enjoy doing with my wife. Somehow I've got to figure out the magic formula for being good at both. Triathaletes figure out three sports. I am going to try and figure out two. I only have to be a pretty good biker while I figure out how to improve as a runner.

Went on a 55 mile ride with Lisa. It was really fun. A little chilly. Rode from Mountain Green to the East Canyon Resort and averaged 17.5mph on an easy day. Good climbs though. We had a blast together.She is awesome.

10 easy miles still recovering from Ogden marathon and preparing for the Squaw Peak 50 this Saturday.

2 miles at different times today just trying to stay loose and taper as best as possible for the SP 50 on Saturday.