What ever it takes!

31 laps on the track

Good run on the track today, I decided I needed to step up my game and get a new Garmin, my old one died sometime back and I've been running aimlessly for about 4 months now.  It was nice to have something to track my laps instead of trying to remember them.  I can't get my new watch to sync up with my Mac yet but average lap time was about 1:22 which on this track is 8:30 pace.  So I'm obviously still way out of shape but at least now I have a way to see how fast I'm going on the track.

My wife and I run a Lego Robot team for Traverse Mountain Elementry school.  This is our first year and our kids took 3rd Place and get to go to the U for the State Championship on the 25th.  Pretty awesome.  Here is the awesome Robot that got us there.

Another 37 laps on the track, 1:19 average lap = 8:10 avg pace.  Last lap in :58

I'm feeling a bit icky today but still managed to force myself through another 37 laps, I found my lost ipod shuffle last night so I finally got to run to music again, I think that helped me get through it. 

1:19 avg lap = 8:10 avg pace.  Last lap in :57.

37 laps, 1:17 avg lap = 8:00 avg pace.

I wasn't really even thinking about it but Britt wanted to go run the BigHorn 30K again in June, it was sold out but yesterday they opened a wait list.  I signed both Britt and I up for the 30K, it came back and said we are in but I'm not sure if we are just on a waiting list or not.  I considered signing up for the 50M again to try and go get revenge, but I think being ready for that by then is a bit optomistic.

Just not feeling well this morning.  It was my son's birthday yesterday so we went to Hangtime and jumped around on Trampolines for 2 hours which kicked my butt, I'm to old to be doing back flips in to foam pits but I did it anyway.  Then we ate Pizza Pie Cafe and birthday cake so I was just trashed this morning.  Gave up on my run after 2 miles and settled for 30 minutes of elliptical and weights.

Feeling a little bit sick today, head cold or something so I just kind of ran at a slow cruise control to try and get feeling better. 

31 laps 1:24 avg lap = 8:40 pace

I finally got in to Dr. Albano today, he went in with his little ultra sound machine (turnes out I'm having a boy) but he said for the most part it looks like the torn muscle is pretty much healed but found a lot of scare tissue and calcium deposits that he suspects are the problem.  He went in with some saline solution to disove the deposits and gave me a local anasthetic to test if that's really the problem.  Miraculously I was instantly healed as soon as I jumped off the table, it's so weird after 7 months of pain to all of a sudden be completely pain free.  I know the anasthetic will wear off in a few hours but there is hope.  He said I definately don't need surgery.

I don't want to get too excited here but that was a really good run this morning.  Some pain but I think that may have been from having 4 huge needles stuck in my butt yesterday.  I think just having the doctor give me the OK to run as long as it doesn't hurt really helped mentally.

37 laps 1:17 avg lap = 8:00 avg pace

37 laps, 1:18 avg lap = 8:05 avg pace.  Leg is feeling really good, I might take it out on the road this weekend and see how it holds up.  A bit of a head cold going on that made it hard to push myself at all but I'm seeing progress for sure.

Still stuffy head, 37 laps at 1:21 avg lap 8:20 pace.  The pain in my hamstring was kind of back today.  Not un-barable but back.

38 laps today in 49:35 - 1:18 avg lap = 8:05 avg pace.  Last few laps were at a decent clip.  When I got done some older lady told me I was amazing, that made me feel good but I don't feel amazing.  I want to get back to 12 miles per day at 7:05 avg pace.

Discussion point!

I got into a Facebook arguement over the Alta Snowboard thing, I only know how to snowboard and have been doing it since I was 13.  I totally get that a business can refuse service to anyone they choose, and I 'm fine with that.  I think they will probably loose this case since they have signed a lease aggreement with the Forest Service that they can't deny anyone access to public land.  But the question I really want to know is why do skiers really not want snowboards so bad?  There is documentation showing that skiers are actually more prone to critical injuries than snowboarders.  I've heard the argument that snowboarders are just big jerks but I find it hard to beleive that if you put those same people on a pair of skis they turn into nice respectible human beings.  So chime in, why do skiers and snowboarders hate each other?

37 laps, 1:22 avg lap = 8:30 avg pace.  I got a slow start today, just had a hard time getting moving.  Also there was hardly anyone on the track this morning.  I think when there are more people I am motivated to run faster.

I've decided that my running stride has been motified quite a bit to compensate for my injured hamstring.  Much shorter strides and hardly any knee movement.  My doctor told me to go see a physical theripist, I really don't have time to be driving to Salt Lake once a week but maybe if I ever want to run normal again I should concider it.

Felt really good today so I decided to take advantage of it.  44 laps 1:14 avg lap = 7:40 avg pace.  Took the last mile easier around 1:20/lap but then finished with a 1:02 to even it out.

Someone in my department quit last week so I got upgraded to an office with a window.  Lucky day!

37 laps, 1:15 avg lap = 7:45 avg pace.  Last lap in :58.

Yesterday I went snowboarding at Brighton with 90 6th graders for the school ski day.  Tons of fun, beautiful day it makes me want to sluff work every Wednesday to go up out of the smog.  After I tied about 30 pairs of boots onto the kids and got them off to ski school I was able to get about 5 good runs in.  Pretty much stayed on the groomed trails to keep from getting hurt but I had the entire north half of the mountain to myself, it was pretty amazing.  I've never been before where I could make an entire run and not see a single other person.

Longer than normal run today, just because.  50 laps = 8 miles in 1:06:00 = 8:15 avg pace.

I went to the physical theripist yesterday.  I'm so glad I could pay someone to tell me not to do stuff that makes me hurt.  Really, duh!!.  I don't need someone with a doctors degree to tell me that.  He did measure my strength equality from left to right, and with the exception of my weak hamstring I'm within 98% from left to right.  Which I guess is a good thing so I don't run in circles.  Wait I do run in circles.   I wasn't able to run on the super expensve treadmill, I have to make a special Saturday apointment to run with LED lights on my legs.

I thought I was feeling good today until I started running, then I found out I wasn't quite as good as I'd thought.

37 laps, 1:17 avg lap - 8:00 avg pace.

Our Lego Robot team competed in the Lego League State Championship at the University of Utah on Saturday, we did awesome.  6th Place out of 48 teams in the entire state.  What a great experience for kids, they have to present a project in front of judges, no adults allowed in the judging room, they have to design and program robots to comptete against other robots, and our team volunteered to go up in front of at least 1000 people to present their project.  It was a very long day but really fun.

Bradin is the one programing the robot.

37 laps. 1:17 avg lap = 8:00 pace.  My lap times were all over the place today, usually I'm within a second or 2 of my average but today I was ranging from 1:14 - 1:22.  There were a few people there that seemed to be trying to race me so thats probably what the difference was.  I try to just run steady but when someone sprints past I think mentally it makes me speed up.

Today I followed my PT's ordered and didn't do it if it made it hurt.  For some reason my hamstring has been acting up again so I opted to elliptical today.

I'm not sure what my problem is, just achy and sore with no energy.  I tried to run laps and thought I'd loosen up but after 1 mile just gave up.

This has nothing to do with running, but worth watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u96-1ts_f7o&

Still not feeling great but I forced myself to run 31 laps at 8:40 pace.

5 miles on the track, now I'm on my way to Dallas.

First time on a treadmill this year.  5 miles on hotel treadmill, then I decided to do 5 X intervals for the last mile but the treadmill blew up at 10.2mph.

5 miles in the hot stufyf hotel gym.

Back home and another 31 laps at the Rec Center. 

You know what hurts my glut/hamstring the worst?  Not running, not walking up stairs, but sitting!  My plane was 1 1/2 hours snow delayed in Dallas yesterday and then another 2 1/2 hour flight, 4 hours of sitting was really quite painful, even in first class.  I can't even imagine how crazy I would have gone in coach.
 

My leg just wasn't moving correctly this morning and my shin started hurting so I gave up and went back to the elliptical and then weights.  I really wanted to run on the treadmill this morning instead of the track but there seriously isn't a single good treadmill at the rec-center, every single one I've tried has a loose belt which just drives me crazy/

37 laps, my legs both felt really tight this morning, I hope it's just because I did squats yesterday but usually that kind of soreness works its way out after a few miles.

I watched this video about Planter Fasciitis and found it interesting, but I swear by the sleeping boot, I delt with this for a long time and finally broke down and started wearing the boot to bed and that was the only thing that helped me.

Does embeding video not work with FRB any more?

Better run today, 37 laps in 46:12 = 7:45 pace.  Last lap in :57.  My right hip was a little tight for some reason but other than that I felt good.

I think the track is messing my hip up so I woke up early so I could be sure and get the only decent treadmill at the gym today.  Pretty slow run, but it definatley was easier on the hip.  Man I suck.

One hour on the elliptical to give my hip a rest.  I am awesome!!!

I ran outside today, it was amazing.  I just took Nellie (dog) and went for a really nice run on the dirt road.  I have actually been walking that route with Nellie all winter on Saturdays and Sundays but I just never logged it cause it wasn't running.  Today though, I ran.  Nellie is way more out of shape than me,  I would have gone 6 but she told me she was done. 

Dogs are cool!

Went to the Rec center and there was a sign on the door that said closed until March, not sure how I missed that notice.  So I went to the office and ran on the treadmill there, truthfully it's a nicer treadmill than the Rec Centers which isn't saying much.  I guess I need to rethink my morning routine.

Wow!  I did a lunch run.  I've told myself I'd start doing them a number of times but kept slacking off.  It was a lot easier to convince myself to only run 3 miles.

I don't know what my freakin problem is.  Right hip isn't even on my list of injured body parts but for some reason it's causing the most problems.  Started running, I'm sure I could have worked through it but it wasn't worth it so I went to the elliptical.

Pretty good run today, still stiff in the hips but it worked itself out.  Actually felt pretty smooth and controled, it seems my fitness is coming back slowly, now I just need to work on getting rid of all the extra weight.

I found this video to be very inspiring!

5 miles on the dirt road with Nellie.

6 miles on the office treadmill, now I'm off to Boston.  I wish I was off to Boston 7 weeks from now instead.

I Guess I need to be careful running in Austin next month.  It's clear to me that this lady was arrested for a wardrobe infringement more than jay walking.

Very frustrating, I wanted to go run the freedom trail this morning but I woke up hurting pretty bad.  I tell you those long plane rides are killing me.

Well, I got done with work early and booked a flight home.  Normally I would have just stayed and enjoyed Boston, but it's freakin' cold and I didn't pack my super cold weather clothes so I'd just sit in my hotel room anyway.

3 miles on the hotel treadmill now off to the airport.

Long aweful flight home yesterday.  I should have just waited and taken my normally scheduled direct flight home today.  Obama was in Miniapolis and screwed up all the flights.  We sat on the tarmak for 2 hours waiting for AirForce One to finally take off.  That guy just messes things up everywhere he goes.

So, I was pretty sore after sitting on the plane all day yesterday, but I was already on East coast time and up at 3:30 this morning so I just did a longer than normal elliptical session.

5 miles, hip was pretty sore, I probably shouldn't have ran but I've had such a slacker week I felt I had too.  It's a never ending battle between staying active and becoming more injured.  I'm excited for biking season.

Another bad hip day, I did 3 miles on the treadmill and gave it up for the elliptical.

So out of the blue (kind of) a company that I interviewed with over a year ago called and offered me a job last Friday, and they offered me a rediculous amount of money to do it, like more than I ever thought anyone would be willing to give me without a Phd or something, yet strangely it's a very hard decision because it means I'd go back on the road. So my stomach is all in knots, I haven't slept all weekend, not sure what I'll end up doing.  Most likely I'll take it though.

The Rec center is back open so I went there, 1 hour on the elliptical followed by weights.  I actually think doing weights is the key, my legs and hip feel so much better after just doing light weight reps.

1 hour on the office elliptical.  I actaully like the office better than the rec center now cause I can turn the fans directly on me.  No weights or TV's at the office though.

I ordered replacement shoes for my worn out Nike Free's.  I was going to retire them when they hit 1000 miles but I'll never get there on the elliptical.  If I counted elliptical miles on my shoes they probably have 2000 on them, they are the same ones I ran Boston in last year so maybe I should keep them and hang them on my wall with my medal :)

1 hour on the elliptical, 20 minutes of weights.

1 hour on the elliptical, 15 minutes of weights.

It's official, I am now a Systems Engineer for Ruckus Wireless.  I know pretty exciting huh?  I'm am actually so excited I can't stand myself, I have been trying to get on with them for over a year.  I thought they just hated me but yesterday they finally came through with an offer too good to turn down.

1 hour on the elliptical, 20 minutes of weights. 

I started a gung ho loose weight fast diet this weekend and I'm really grouchy.  I'm not good at the healthy loose weight over time by living a healthy life style type of guys, I tend to be all or nothing.

1 hour on the elliptical 20 minutes of weights.

I went to schedule a follow up appointment with Dr. Albano since he cancelled on my last one and he isn't available until April 18th, when the lady asked me if it was a re-visit or a new issue I told her both, she told me there is a 1 injury maximum allowance and he can only look at one thing.  So I picked my hip.  I'm pretty much screwed if I'm only allowed one injury at a time, I could have a totally different broken body part by April 18th.

I attemted to run but could instantly tell I wasn't ready.

I'm so excited for my new job I can hardly stand it, I've been finishing an office/lab in my basement for the last couple days.  My wife told me my office had to be in the utility room since my equipment is so noisy, and she has already occupied every other spare room in our house.

I slept in all the way until my alarm went off this morning (4:30) which I haven't done in a while. So mentally I was feeling behind schedule and cut my workout short.  In retrospect I obviously just have issues cuase there is no reason for me to keep a schedule, I'm quiting this job in a week, and I just sit here for 2 hours before anyone else shows up anyway.

I had to stay home to make green shamrock pancakes for breakfast this monring so I decided to try running outside on the dirt road,  I didn't actaully run the entire 4 miles but I had running shoes on for 4 miles so I counted it anyway.

1 hour on the elliptical, 15 minutes of weights.  I've decided with my new job I'm going to start going back to Lifetime.  I love that gym and seem to do much better at keeping in shape there.

1 hour on the elliptical 15 minutes of weights.

Last day on this job, it seems pretty strange sitting here in a bare office with nothing to do.

Started back at Lifetime today, was great except I got the first speeding ticket I've had in 15 years.  Made me mad, why are police setting up speed traps at 4:30 in the morning just for people going to the gym?  What do they have against gym people?

The whole reason I decided to go back to Lifetime was for the pool, I could have gone to much closer gyms but I think swimming is going to be my answer back to running again.  First 3-4 laps were pretty rough but then I remembered how to swim and managed 32 lap for 1 mile total.

Wow! I really haven't posted in that long.  Where have I been? 

OK, I need to somehow get better.  I ended up in Punta Cana this week, I've never heard of this place until about a week ago and it is amazing.  I love barefoot beach running in the morning, so I couldn't resist at least trying.  Maybe went about 4 miles total but only managed running for maybe half of that.  I was really tired this morning after a long aweful day of flying and working yesturday so tomorrow I'll try and get out earlier.

Just a walk on the beach! 

Maybe I should add a beach walk shoe to my list.

My legs decided to cooporate with me this morning and let me do some real running, I wanted to get up early enough to see the sun come up over the Atlantic Ocean, pretty much just an amazing morning out for a run on the beach.  I'm sad to be leaving this place today, I really want to come back and actually have a vacation with the family here now.

I tend to get on East Coast time really easy so I was up early and just went to the gym this morning.  Saturday mornings are the best, pretty much have the entire gym to myself.  Really good run, and then weights after.

I have a confession, I went to Dr. Albano yesterday, he took some x-rays and said everything looks "OK" and told me to keep up with my physical therapy.  I wasn't going to let him get off that easy and forced him to give me a steroid shot.  I know the purists out there will think I'm just an aweful person but I just can't handle the pain any longer, I need to get back running again before I go insane.  Felt great running today, my hamstring doesn't bother me at all running any more.  Sitting on a plane for 8 hours is a different story.

Anyway, I'm happy to be pain free for a while, I'll just take it easy and see what happens.

Another treadmill run, feels good to run again.  Hopefully I can keep it up for a while.

Hip was a little tight today, 30 minutes on the elliptical, 30 minutes on the stair stepper, 30 minutes of weights.  I used to make fun of the people on the stair stepper cause it looked so easy but that is the only thing that gets my HR even close to running.

I really just have no idea what's wrong with me, running just hurts, all over.  I can't just pinpoint one area, I'm not sure if it's mental or something is just wrong.  I wake up in the morning hurting, running hurts, sitting hurts. 

Elliptical doesn't hurt, so 30 minutes of elliptical, 3 miles on the treadmill, 30 minutes of weights.

Yep, same story!!  30 minutes of uphill treadmill walking/jogging 15 minutes of elliptical followed by PT weight stuff.

Well that was weird, I woke up this morning for the most part pain free.  Not sure what I did different than what ever I've done for the past few months but I felt good so I decided to take advantage of it.  I told myself I'd stop if it ever started hurting at all but it never did.

6 miles in 51 minutes.  pretty happy about it.

30 minutes on the elliptical, 20 minutes stair stepper, 30 minutes of weights.
 

I can only assume that it's the steroid shot that is finally allowing me to run without pain.  I'm grateful to be kind of running but how long will it last?

Weird that it took a week to kick in.

36 laps in the pool, 20 minutes on the stair stepper, 20 minutes of weights.

This has been a good week, I feel like I've been getting some good workouts in.

Wow, what a nice morning.  I woke up at my normal gym time but decided I'd rather run outside so I went back and laid in bed for 45 minutes.  5 miles with Nellie on the dirt trail, dogs are so weird, somehow she knows the difference between me going to the gym and not, while I was getting ready she was going crazy at the door so I can't really not take her with me, anyone that excited to go on a run deserves to go. 

7 miles along Bull river trail.

30 minutes at Lifetime before heading to the airport

30 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes of weights.

I'm in LA this week, but I'm staying at the LAX Hilton and don't have a car so it's not really great at all.  Leg felt good this morning so I hit the hotel treadmill for 5.  It was really hot and suffy and made me feel pretty sick.  But the actual running felt good.

Good run this morning, a constant progressive run on the treadmill before heading up to Calgary.  I'm pretty excited about today's run, if I can start running like this consistantly I'll be back in shape in no time.

6 miles on the hotel treadmill in Calgary.  I got on expecting the treadmill to be in km, I quickly learned that it was an American treadmill when I started off at 10.0.

Another good run, my hip really is only sore for about 1/2 a mile and then everything starts funtioning pretty normal.  It's nice to feel good running again.

Hotel treadmill again.

Decided to not run today and get a nice out side run in tomorrow.  Stuck in Calgary for the day, I tried to get an early flight but all were sold out.

6 miles on the dirt trail trying to recruit pacers for the upcoming Running of the Tigers 5K.  I got 1 recruit but I wasn't able to catch up to the faster girls cause my dog and their dog didn't want to get along.

5 miles with Nellie on the Dirt road

6 miles with Nellie, I'm loving running again.  Speed is getting better too.

Ran the Traverse Mountain 5K route today marking and clearing the course, it's going to be really hot for those kids today.

I don't think I every want to plan a race again.  I used Race Splitter on the iPad for timing last year and it was a mess, this year I built my own timing program, I hope it works better.

6 miles on the dirt trail.

5K went really well yesterday, by timing system was slightly better than race splitter.  RFID for sure next year.

I think it's amazing to show kids they can actually run a 5K, so many kids and so many parents said "I cant run that far" or "my kid can't run that far" but guess what, they can and now they will never again say they can't again.

6 miles on the dirt road with Nellie. On my way to Banff Canada now. I'm hoping for some good running.

I'm staying at the famous Banff Springs Hotel in Banff Alberta, I really wish I was in 20 miles shape for places like this but I had a really great run this morning anyway.  I just followed the river trail downtown, found a little single track path into the woods and followed it.  Pretty much just aimlessly ran around looking for cool places to run.  A little bit cool this morning, but a light jacket was perfect.  This is the kind of place you think "I could retire here"

It was cold and rainy so I wimped out and went to the hotel gym. What a waste, o'well.

I told myself I'd go running outside rain or shine this morning, well it turned out being sleet, I went out anyway.  Headed out on the Banff Springs Golf Course maintenance road, after about 1 mile I passed the club house and just headed off into the forest without another person anywhere to be seen.  At first I was thinking about bears, then I realized Wolves were probably a real possibility here too.  I really started psyching myself out and turned back around, I don't have the confidence that I have the speed to outrun animals like I used to.

Anyway, it was a nice run.  I saw lots of Elk and Deer, no Bears or Wolves.

Good run on the lifetime treadmill. Felt really smooth actually. On my way to Florida now, probably more treadmill runs cause I hate alligators, and humidity.

The time change made me sleep in too long so I just had time for a quick workout on the gym elliptical, then a quick jog on a boardwalk through the everglades.  No Alligators.

Nice run around the hotel property, out a long walking path and back and then around to the boat docks and back along the wooden boardwalk.  It's pretty cool in the morning and the humidity reminds me of when I lived in Mississippi, I can see why people would retire here.

Flew home yesterday woke up on East Coast time so I went to the gym.  8 really good miles, longest run I've had since Novemeber of last year.  I promised an old High School friend I would get him to Boston next year, so we are signed up to run Big Cottonwood this fall.  I think the hardest thing about this promise will be getting myself back into BQ shape over the next 4 months.  the one thing I have going for me is mentally I know I can do it, he still has to get over that hurdle.

7 miles on the treadmill.  I think I need to try and get in at least 3 good treadmill runs in per week.  I just can't push myself outside as hard as I can on the treadmill.

6 miles on the gym treadmill, now I'm at the Airport on my way to SanJose to my corporate offices for training.  Should be a good week, I get to meet all the people I work with but never actaully see.

I am so pissed off at Nike for taking the best running shoe ever and turning it into this

That I decided to follow allie's lead and went and got some Sketcher GoRuns.  I'll say right off I don't like them as much as the original free's, my feet feel kind of claustrophobic but I like the price and I'm willing to give them a shot.

Hip was hurting this morning so I went to the hotel gym, it was a really aweful gym and the elliptical went "clank, clank, clank" so after it got light out I went running anyway.  Found a canal trail and followed it for 3 miles and then back.  Glad I did, it was perfect running weather.

6 miles on the Canal trail.

Pretty windy out this morning. Yuck.

8 miles on the Lifetime treadmill before heading to the Airport.  I did 5 x intervals the last mile at sub 6:00 pace.  Which felt good.

Now I'm off to my favorite place to run, San Francisco I'm planning on haveing a real good week of running, hopefully the body holds up.

Really nice run in San Francisco this morning, the only problem was I started too late, it was already light at 5:30 and to many people were out, and when I say people, I mean crazy people.

For some reason it is just easier to run here than any other place, sea level, nice cool breeze and lots of people to try and catch up too.  I really want to make it all the way to the Golden Gate bridge this week, maybe I'll try and get a 4:30 start tomorrow and see what happens.  It's about a 14 mile round trip which is kind of far for me right now but I really love doing it.

I think I'm really going to pay for this one tomorrow.  got out early as planned, ran out to the GoldenGate bridge as planned but by the time I got there I realized I was going to be lucky to make it back, hip was hurting, legs were just sore so instead of climbing the hill to the bridge I turned around and came back.  Good run but I think jumping from 8 miles as my long run to 12 was too much.

I remember when this used to be my daily run and would only take me about 1:20 to complete.  Today it just about killed me and took almost 2 hours.  With a site seeing break and bathroom break.

I got on the early flight home yesterday, but my bag didn't.  It came home on my original flight last night so this morning I went to the gym and then to the Airport to get my bag.

Started my progressive run .2 mph faster than normal, increase .1 mph every 1/2 mile.  I't slowly starting to come around.

The Ol' 10 mile loop around Smiths on Murdock trail,  it really bothers me that I just can't physically make my legs move me faster but I should stop complaining and just be glad I'm running.

Today is the BigHorn 50, the race that destoryed me but somehow I was wishing I could be at the start line this morning.

8 treadmill miles at the gym before coming to the airport. Los Angeles this week.

After flying into LA yesterday morning I went straight to a best ball golf tournament, I'm not a very good golfer any more but I'd have to say I held our group together nicely.   Anyway, the point is it was very hot and I think I was a bit heat exhausted, then we had a party to go to, (with camels, and belly dancers)  so this morning I just wasn't really feeling it.  30 minutes on the elliptical, 3 miles on the treadmill.

7 Treadmill miles at the Gym

Back home, 5 miles with Nellie

3 with Nellie

First Bike ride of the year.  I've just been so busy and lazy I forgot to get my bike down.  Went with my old work buddies up SouthFork.  I can still beat them to the top but my legs were pretty Jelloy twards the end.

I'm staying at probably the most expensive yuppy hotel I've ever stayed, The Peninsula Hotel Beverly Hills.  I feel really out of place here, the people here are actually really rich, not just make believe rich.  I went up to the gym and Anthony Hopkins was there working his triceps.   There are people here that have been staying here for 30 days at $5000 per night, plus they rent out normal $500 a night rooms like mine just to put all the clothes they buy in.

Anyway, this morning I decided to go run the hills, I ran up Wilsire made my way up to the most famous mansion in Beverly Hills,  got lost running around all the mansions until I finally found Sunset Blvd, ran Sunset for a couple of miles just enjoying the perfect temps.  I really wish I had a better idea of where I should be running, eventually I turned around and ran back to Rodeo Dr. (didn't see a single horse on Rodeo Dr.) ran down to SantaMonica Blvd and back to the hotel.  I forgot my Garmin and didn't have any idea how far it was until I mapped it just now.  It was guessing more like 8 miles but I guess all the hills just made it feel longer. 

Great run, I wish I was here another day to go explore some more.

Bike ride up a little past Timp Cave trail head and back.

I went running with Nellie this morning, same as I do all the time, difference was people were lighting off fireworks at 6:00am and Nellie was very scared and upset about the whole thing.  She kept running right in front of me and stopping making running very difficult.  On the way home she was with me and then dropped behind as dogs sometimes do, after about a minute I looked back and she was gone, like disapeared gone.  I jogged back and forth calling for her and looking for her in every bush and hole I could think she could be laying in.  I looked for about 45 minutes and finally decided to run home and get the car.  When I got home she was already home,  I asked my wife and she said she came home about 30 minutes ago.  Apparently she had just had enough of running and fireworks and took the shortcut home.  Very strange, she has never done anything like that before.  Kind of ruined my run though.

Bike ride up to Tiblefork Resivoir and back,  pretty chilly up top, and too hot coming home.  Good ride but it really took alot out of me.

4 miles with Nellie on the trail.

Great treadmill run this morning, for some reason my legs felt completely pain free and fluid, I think the alternating bike riding is really paying off.

Now I'm at the airport on my way to Vegas for the day, Vegas is hard cause I can almost drive there in the same time it takes me to get to the airport, wait for my plane, wait for my bags and get a ride to the hotel.  But then I would have missed my run.

Bike ride up Tible Fork and back. 

Felt good until I got passed like I was standing still by a group of about 8 other cyclists.

80 is too freakin' hot at 5:00am.  I really wanted to get 10 miles in, had a head wind for the first 5 miles going out which I was complaining about the whole way, until I turned around and didn't have a headwind and about died of heat exhaustion.

Out along the Murdock trail to Smiths and back, I was really thankful for the drinking fountain they put in there, I've never actually used it before today.

Went out with the intent of doing a completely different than normal bike ride but somehow still ended up riding up AF canyon again.  Took the sceinic route through Highland and Alpine on a much nicer/cooler morning than yesterday.

Yesterdays run was a total disaster, I got 2 miles into it and just couldnt run anymore, no pain just felt sick.  So today I woke up feeling better, ran 1.2 miles with Nellie but she wasn't cooperating and I could tell a long run with her would not work so I treked back up the hill home and droped her off and headed out on the Murdock trail for 9 more.  Really nice morning, I love running with a full moon.

5 miles with Nellie on the trail, now off to Kona