Rosswog Running Blog

It was not raining this morning, but it was the coldest morning since I started going on my short pre-6:00 am runs; for example, this was the first day that I could see my breath as I ran.  Sporting my Vibram Five Fingers, I ran over to Big Cottonwood Park and completed two-and-a-quarter laps around the softball complex before heading back.  The neat thing about this 1.8-mile run was that the Wasatch Mountain Range was covered with snow; therefore, bringing a lit bit of light to the morning darkness.

Following work, I accomplished my first treadmill interval workout in almost a month (i.e., since September 2nd).  In regards to this speed training, I ran 6 miles of half-mile intervals (i.e., the slow halves at 8.7 miles per hour and the fast halves at 10.7) in a time of 37:17.  I followed this interval workout with a 0.2-mile cool-down run at marathon pace.  In addition, after I arrived at home, I went out for a nice one-mile evening jog around the neighborhood before deciding to call it a day.

For my non-running workout, I completed 200 sit-ups, 32 push-ups, 60 (50, 40, 30, 20, lbs) curls, and 10 (50 lbs) reverse curls.  

For my sub-6:00-am run in my Vibram Five Fingers, I headed over to Big Cottonwood Park and completed one-and-a-half laps around the softball complex before head back.  The total distance of this Friday-wakeup run was 1.5 miles at an easy pace.

After work, instead of the treadmill, I headed home in order to go for an evening run.  In regards to this run, I ran down to Granite High School to see if there was a Judge Memorial football game going on.  Since the Bulldogs were not hosting a game, I was able to complete a lap around the school’s track before jogging around the parameter of the school then heading back home.  The total distance of this evening run was 6.2 miles at an easy pace.

Having to work later than normal, I skipped the gym today; therefore, I was only able get in 200 sit-ups and 30 push-ups for my non-running workout.

This morning, it was perfect weather for running; that is, sunshine, cool temperatures, and little wind.  In order to taking advantage of the weather condition, I ran over to Liberty Park and completed two laps around the outside of the park before heading back home.  Overall, it was a pleasant 14.3-mile run at an easy pace.

Since my day mostly consisted of studying, it was a short non-running workout that consisted of 200 sit-ups and 31 push-ups.

I awoke to dark and rainy Sunday morning.  For a few minutes, I thought about sleeping in, but then I remembered that in a weird way, it is sort of fun to run in the rain.  As a result, I got out of the door just before 6:30 am and ran up to the Brickyard’s Smith-Kiln Chimney then over to Sugar House by way of 1300 East.  Once in Sugar House, I dropped off some material that needed returning at the Sprague Library before heading over to Liberty Park.  For a cool and wet Sunday morning, there were very few people in the park; however, there was a handful of walkers and joggers and a unit of Army Reserves doing calisthenics.  Consequently, the run around the parameter of the park was pretty quiet and peaceful as the sun started to provide some light as it rose above the Wasatch Mountain Range.  After completing a lap around the park, I head back home by way of 700 East then up to 900 East.   The total distance of this morning run was 13.3 miles at an easy pace.

For my non-running workout, it was another concise workout in that I completed just 200 sit-ups and 33 push-ups.

I set out all my running gear the night before in preparation for my sub-6:00-am run; however, I forgot to set my alarm.  Consequently, I slept in until 6:00 am and had to make a mad dash out the door just to get to work on time.  Needless to say, I did not get in my morning run.  Just a typical Monday morning!  Following work, however, I was able to run on treadmill for a total of 5.5 miles.  In regards to this distance, 4.2 miles were at marathon pace; whereas, 1.3 miles were at an easy pace.

In addition, after I go home, I finished up my running workout by jogging to Smith’s and back in order to pick up some groceries for a total distance of 1.1 miles.

Finally, for my non-running workout, I completed 200 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, 150 (50, 40, 30, 20, 16 lbs) curls, and 20 (50 lbs) reverse curls.

Unlike yesterday, I remembered to set my alarm in order to get out of the door on time for my sub-6:00-am workout.  Wearing my Vibram Five Fingers, I ran over to Big Cottonwood Park and completed three laps around the softball complex before heading back.  Today was the first morning that I noticed the frost covering the parked cars and the softball fields--it's getting cold outside.  Anyways, the total distance of this run was 2.1 miles at an easy pace.

After work, I hit the treadmill for 2.5 miles on the treadmill mostly at marathon pace (i.e., 2.4 miles).  When I got home, I went out for another run around the neighborhood.  This one was a 1.5 mile run at an easy pace.

In regards to my non-running workout, I completed 200 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, 150 (50, 40, 30, 20, 16 lbs) curls, and 20 (50 lbs) reverse curls.

This morning, the slight head cold that has been bothering me over the past few weeks, was a little worse.  Consequently, I'm going to do my entire running workout at an easy pace today with the aim of getting a good night of sleep tonight.  My sub-6:00-am workout consisted of running over to Big Cottonwood Park in my Vibram Five Fingers and completing one-and-a-half laps around the softball complex before heading back.  The total distance of this wakeup run was 1.6 miles at an easy pace.

This morning, my persistent head cold went a little bit to my lungs; therefore, I’m suspending my sub-6:00-am runs until next week. This should not only help me avoid the cool morning air, but also give me the opportunity to get some much needed sleep.

Following work, I began to feel much better. Consequently, I hit the treadmill and knocked out an even 3.0 miles at marathon pace and 2.5 miles at an easy pace. I felt a little weak afterward, but not bad. In addition, on my way home from work, I completed a 1.7-mile evening jog around the neighborhood.

Finally, for my non-running workout, I completed 200 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, 30 (50, 40 lbs) curls, and 20 (50 lbs) reverse curls.

Thank goodness it’s Friday! I ready for my three-day weekend and the opportunity to catch up on my sleep. For my daily running workout, while waiting to catch my morning bus to work, I jogged 1.3 miles that mainly consisted of circling around the two-block course from 200 West to West Temple and from 400 to 600 South (i.e., around the Little America and the adjacent parking lot to the north). Following work, I hit the treadmill and completed 4.9 miles at marathon pace along with a 0.2-mile cool down at any easy pace.

My non-running workout was short and sweet today in that I accomplished 250 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

This morning was the day of the Baltimore Marathon and after having competed in it the past three years, this was the first time I missed out on it in four years. With that said, I’m looking forward to running the Philadelphia Marathon on the 22nd of November. It will be a good change, but I’m hoping it is not too cold.

For my Saturday run, after it warmed up a little bit outside, I went out for a mid-morning hill workout. I did my typical run up to the Mt Olympus trailhead, but added some extra mileage on to it by running down to 900 East before starting my ascent. At an easy pace, the total distance of this run was 13.3 miles. Also, even though it looked sunny outside, there was absolutely a chilly breeze along the base of Mt. Olympus. However, the orange, yellow, and brown autumn colors made for a picturesque run.

In the late afternoon, I got in 3.3 miles of downhill training (albeit at a slow and controlled pace) up at the University of Utah by running from Huntsman Center Trax Station down to the Marriott Library. Then after I spent a few hours studying for the CFA, I ran down from the library to 900 East to catch the bus home. One of the things that I truly love about running is meeting neat people (runners and non-runners) that I would not normally meet. Case in point, when I arrived at the 900 East bus stop, a gentleman shouted out “two down and twenty-four more to go!” He was amazingly accurate in regards to the distance that I had finished running; that it, it’s about 2.2 miles from the Marriott Library to the 900-East bus stop. While waiting for my bus (i.e., having beat it by a good five minutes), I discovered that this gentleman is an heroic Vietnam Vet and he shared with me a truly amazing story about how he ran away after being captured from the enemy through the jungle. I also learned that a “click” (a military term) is approximately 1.2 miles. This gentleman/hero informed he that he wished he could still run like he once could and for me it was really an honor to just meet up with someone that gave such brave and selfless service to our country.

Lastly, my daily non-running was concise in that it consisted of just 200 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

Since I was unable to get in some speed play on the treadmill this past week, I decided to do some Yasso 800s at the Olympus High School track.  However, since I was trying to catch up on my sleep (i.e., I slept in this morning) then having to jog 0.6 of a mile over to Smith’s to pick up some groceries, I did not head up to Olympus until early this afternoon.  Once I made it up to the track, I commenced running Yasso 800s (i.e., a fast 800 followed by a slow 400).  Without rounding up, I ran each of my first 800s in the exact same of time of 2:42.  My fifth and what turned to be my final 800, I completed in a time of 2:46.  Even though I was only a few seconds off my consistent pace, I was really feeling it after this fifth 800.  As a result, I disappointedly put an end to my 800-interval workout after completing half of a full Yasso workout (i.e., ten 800s).  When I try my next Yasso workout, I’ll make sure to get it in before breakfast.  Nevertheless, I continued on with my track workout by completing 12 more laps before heading back home.  The total distance of this run was 13.2 miles (all at an easy pace with the exception of ten laps of the track at a threshold pace).

Finally, while watching my Broncos go to 5-0 on the season with a hard fought overtime win over the Patriots, I got in 200 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

Happy Columbus Day!  This morning I ran down to Liberty Park to attend a two-hour Chi Running workshop.  As I stated before on this blog, I’m a big believer in Chi Running (i.e., I have read the book and watched the video) and I have found it to be the most effective program for improving my running form.  Consequently, I was extremely excited to attend this workshop.  Some of the many takeaways I had from this very informative workshop include the techniques of getting into the Wu-Chi stance by bring your forearms together (the “C” image), having various degrees (at least four) to your forward running lean, pealing your foot off the ground, lifting your foot up so it clears the opposite ankle, experiencing the y-chi sensation being pulled forward on the run, keeping your arms at a 90-degree angle and wrists straight, relaxing your shoulders and imagining they are headlights while running straight forward, and performing various T’ai-chi stretching exercises.  After the workshop, I took the long way home and ran by Westminster College in order to practice the Chi-Running concepts that I just learned.  The total distance of this run was 12.2 miles at an easy pace.

This afternoon, in order to get a couple of hours in studying for the CFA, I went on a second set of runs by jogging up to Westminster’s Library and back.  The total distance of these two easy-pace runs was 1.8 miles.

For my non-running workout, I completed 200 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, and 10 metronomes.

Having to finish packing for my business trip to Saint Louis, I did not have time to get in my sub-6:00 am run.  However, I did manage to get in 200 sit-ups and 30 push-ups before heading off to work.

Following my afternoon flight to Saint Louis, I could not wait to get out for an evening run.  Consequently, after checking into my hotel, I started my run from Union Station (this site is famous for the photograph of President Harry Truman holding up the Chicago Tribune with that headlined, “Dewey Defeats Truman” on November 4, 1948) down Main Street.  As I proceeded down Main toward the famous Gateway Arch, I ran by the old City Hall building which had a statue of General Ulysses S. Grant overlooking the grounds.

Before reaching the Old Court House building which is across the street from the Arch, I turned south and ran down a few side streets until I arrived at the new Busch Stadium which is the home of the Cardinals and hosted this year’s All-Star Game.  In short, what an amazing ballpark!  Due to the freeway, you could not run a lap around the stadium, but I ran around three sides of it and by the status of such legends as Dizzy Dean, Rodger Hornsby, Ozzie Smith, broadcaster Jack Buck (i.e., “The Voice of Summer”), and Stan “The Man” Musial.  The latter baseball legend had a second and an enormous statue towering over the ballpark’s west entrance.

After enjoy the scenery of Busch Stadium, I ran down past the old Saint Louis Cathedral (the first Catholic cathedral west of the Mississippi) to the Gateway Arch where I took a lap around the colossus structure before running down to the banks of the cobble stone shoreline of the Mississippi River.  For about a hundred yards I ran over the stony shoreline as the small waves from the Mississippi soaked through my Adidas running shoes.

Following the run along the great Mississippi I headed back up and through the Arch and over to the Old Courthouse where I discovered the infamous Dread Scott case was held.  Having taken both a Slavery and Civil Rights course in college, it was a neat experience to run around such an historical site.

From the Old Courthouse, I ran north over to the Four Seasons hotel and did a lap around the Edward Jones Dome (home of the Rams) before running back to my hotel room.  The total distance of the site-seeing workout was 6.3 miles.

This morning I scheduled a 5:00-am wakeup call in order to get in my sub-6:00-am run before work.  It was raining (i.e., a steady drizzle) and a little bit chilly in Saint Louis; however, after a mile or two I was able to get my body temperature up to a non-shivering level.  Starting out from Union Station, I ran eastward on Mark Street turning up on Jefferson Avenue.  I ran a couple blocks up to Olive Street then just headed east.  I ran by the University of Saint Louis, which has a really neat looking campus (i.e., old architecture--for example, the Saint Xavier of Francis church constructed in the 1840s--combined with new designs) in a nice area of town.

After passing the University, I ran down to northwest corner of Forest Park (this park hosted many of the athletic events during the 1904 Olympic Games) then ran up and past the Chase Park Plaza Hotel to Maryland Avenue.  Heading back by way of Maryland, I circled around the new Saint Louis Cathedral, which is a massive Basilica similar in design to the one that I have run by in Baltimore a few times.  I headed back to Union Station to complete my easy-pace morning run that equated to a total distance of 8.0 miles.

Following the completion of my workday, I headed out for a couple of short evening runs. For the first one, I jogged from Union Station over to the Central City Library to have a look around.  The Saint Louis Library has a classical Greek design to it with its expansive marble staircase and enormous white columns.  Also, the inside is pretty old looking; therefore, a big contrast to our main and modernly designed Salt Lake City Library.  From the library, I headed back to Union Station to pick up a few things before jogging down near the Mississippi River to the Burger Bar for diner.  The combined distance of these two runs was 2.5 miles.

In regards to my non-running workout, I completed 200 sit-ups and 40 push-ups (i.e., two sets of twenty).

For my final day in Saint Louis, I headed out for another sub-6:00-am run.  Again, it was an overcast, chilly, and raining morning.  However, after a mile or so of running, I warmed up and the weather conditions did not bother me.  Once again I started off my run from the historic Union Station.  My objective for this run was to find the Eads Bridge (the first bridge built across the Mississippi River) and run across it into East Saint Louis, which is in Illinois.  Consequently, I headed west down Market Street to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park (which is home to the Gateway Arch) and headed along the parameter walkway of the park which took me directly to the bike path that goes across the south side of the Eads Bridge.  Running through a number of puddles left behind by the continuous rain, I crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois.  In this particular part of the East Saint Louis shoreline there was not much to see but the Casino Queen which I ran around before heading back over the Eads Bridge and enjoyed the spectacular view of the Arch (i.e., the morning fog was just settling in around it).  I ran by a handful of other morning runners as I ran through the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park (and around the Arch before heading back home.  The total mileage of this wakeup run was 6.5 at an easy pace.

Before heading off to work then flying back to home to Salt Lake in the evening, I also completed 200 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

Since I did not get back until the early morning hours from Saint Louis, it was a short night of sleep.  As a result, I took a recovery day by going out on a late evening run up to the Smith-Klin Chimney and back. My right ankle was a little sore; therefore, I kept this 4.1 mile run at an easy and cautious pace.

Due to my sleep debt, I just got in 200 sit-ups and 30 push-ups before calling it day.

It sure felt great to be back in my own bed and sleep in this morning.  Also, I had a big breakfast this morning; therefore, I decided to break up my normal Saturday morning run into an afternoon and evening run.  For my first run, I jogged up to Harmon’s to pick up some groceries before heading back home for a total distance of 4.1 miles.

My second run consisted of running down 900 East to Fort Union Blvd where I watched the Utah football game (Utes 35, UNLV 15) before retuning to home by way of Smith’s to pick up some groceries.  The total distance of this second workout was 8.5 miles at an easy pace.

Lastly, in regards to my non-running workout, I was able to get in 200 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, and 10 metronomes.

Once again, I passed up my morning jog in order to get some deliverables completed for work (hopefully tomorrow I can back to getting out for my sub-6:00-am runs).  Consequently, I got out for a mid-afternoon run that I split in two; that is, half road and half trail.  Also, my Chi Running focuses for the run were lifting my shoes over my ankles, 90-degree elbows, and cadence (the latter, by conducting sample counts in my head feel between 81 and 83 strides per minute).

For the road part, I ran over to Murray-Holladay Road, up to Highland Drive, and down to an area just south of the vacant lot that use to house the Cottonwood Mall before heading back home.  The total distance of this run was 5.2 miles at an easy pace.

After I got home, I immediately slipped on my Brooks Cascadia trail running shoes and headed back out to Big Cottonwood Park.  Once at the park, I completed four laps around the trail that circles the park’s parameter before heading back home.  Again at an easy pace, this trail run was 5.1 miles long.

In regards to my non-running routine, I accomplished 200 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, an 80-second wall sit, and a 60-second plank on elbows and toes.

This morning I started out the workweek with a sub-6:00-am run.  For this workout, I ran over to Big Cottonwood Park in my Vibram Five Fingers and completed one lap around the softball complex before heading back for a total distance of 1.3 miles at an easy pace.

Since I got of work late today, I only had time to complete a single mile on the treadmill before heading home.  However, after I got home, I ventured out into the pouring rain and ran up to Mill Creek Elementary, then over to 1500 South, and back by way of Big Cottonwood Park.  The total distance of this damp evening run was 3.4 miles at an easy pace.

Finally, for my non-running workout, I completed 220 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, and 100 (16 lbs) curls.

Since I had some deliverables due for work, I unfortunately missed out on my sub-6:00-am run.  Also, after I go home from a busy day at work, I did not want to go out for a run at all.  Feeling sort of sluggish, I was trying real hard to convince myself not to run today because I was too tired, it was too late, and I was hungry.  However, I finally put these negative thoughts aside and just headed out the door.  It took me a few miles to warm up, but I finally got into rhythm and my 7.2-mile easy-pace run over to the Cottonwood Country Club and back felt great.

Since I did not have time to hit the gym at work, my non-running workout was short and sweet in that I got in just 220 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

In was another busy day at work; therefore, I saved my daily run for the evening. After I got home, I ran up to the Smith-Kiln Chimney at the Brickyard Shopping Plaza. Then I headed up to Harmon’s before heading back by way of 1300 and 1500 South then over to Big Cottonwood Park where I completed one-and-a-half laps around the softball complex before returning to home. The total distance of this run was 6.1 miles at an easy pace.

My non-running workout consisted of 250 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, 80 (50, 40, 30 lbs) curls, and 20 (50 lbs) reverse curls.

Continuing along with the busy workweek, once again I did not get off of work in time to hit the treadmill.  Consequently, after I got home I went out for another later evening run.  This run involved running over to the Cottonwood Country Club and back by way of Big Cottonwood Park for a total of 6.7 at an easy pace.  In addition, I received the metronome that I ordered at the beginning of the week in the mail today; that is, Chi Running recommends the use of a metronome in order to establish an optimal cadence. I set the metronome to 83 beats per minute, which was a challenge to maintain.  On the straight stretches, I could keep up with the 83 strides per minute, but it was difficult to maintain this pace through the twists and turns that you encounter when running through neighborhoods.  Overall, it was a good first workout with the metronome.

For my non-running workout, I completed 250 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, 80 (50, 40, 30 lbs) curls, and 30 (50 lbs) reverse curls.

Following busy week at work, I was finally able to get some mileage in on the treadmill.  In order to take full advantage of the treadmill, I decided to do some speed play by running 4 miles of half-mile intervals (i.e., the slow halves at 8.8 miles per hour and the fast halves at 10.8) in a time of 24:50.  I followed this interval workout with a 1.0-mile cool-down run at marathon pace.  In addition, I went out for an evening 1.4-mile jog around the neighborhood before deciding to call it a day.

In regards to my non-running workout, I completed 330 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, 130 (50, 40, 30, 20 lbs) curls, and 30 (50 lbs) reverse curls.

In order to recover from a busy work week and, most importantly, to catch up on my sleep debit, I slept in this Saturday morning.  However, after waking up and getting some breakfast, I did a short 1.5-mile warm-up run over to Smith’s to pick up some groceries before heading back.  Since I had tickets to the Utah game, I decided to run up to the University and really test out my new metronome.  After I watched the Utes defeat the Falcons in overtime (Utah 23, Air Force 16), I ran back home for a round-trip distance of 13.6 miles at an easy pace.  I mainly kept my metronome at 83 strides per minute and just tried to keep up with this pace; however, I did experiment with adjusting it up and down one stride per minute.  The result: I can keep up with 82 strides per minute without a lot of effort; whereas, I really have to focus to keep up with 83 and 84 is just plain fast (i.e., difficult to keep up with for any real distance). 

After I got home from the football game, I decided I was not finished running for the day.  Plus, I really wanted to get in my weekly trail run.  Consequently, I put on my Brooks Cascadia running shoes and immediately head back out.  This time over to Big Cottonwood Park where I completed four laps around the trail that circles the parameter of the park.  The total distance of this run was 5.1 miles and once again it was at an easy/comfortable pace (i.e., 7:44 minutes per mile and I was for the most part able to keep an 83-strides-per-minute cadence).

Finally, for my non-running workout, I completed 200 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

Following another great night of sleep, I headed out the door shortly after seven o’clock this Sunday morning.  In short, boy was it cold outside!  It took me quite a few miles just to begin to warm-up a little bit.  The morning breeze that persisted throughout my run prevented me from really ever getting warmed up.   Anyways, I ran down to Liberty Park by way of 900 East.  Once at the park, I was forced to dump my water because it was too cold to drink.   As a result, I immediately headed back home.  The total distance of this chilly run was 11.6 miles at an easy pace.  By the way, my metronome held up to the cold weather.  I set it and kept it at 83 strides per minute and trying to keep up with the rhythmic beeping sort of helped me distract my mind from the frigid conditions.

I mainly saved my non-running workout for game #6 of the ACLS between the Angels and the Yankees (the Yankees ended winning 5-2) in which I completed 200 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

This morning, I woke up just after 5:00 am and forced myself to get out the door for a short wakeup run.  Refusing to look at the temperature (i.e., if I knew exactly how cold it was, I would have absolutely used the frigid weather as an excuse to stay indoors), I slipped on my Vibram Five Fingers and ran over to Big Cottonwood Park where I completed a single lap around the softball complex before heading back.  The total distance of this run was 1.3 miles at an easy pace, but at 7:37 minutes per mile, this was my fastest pace while wearing Five Fingers.  In summary, this was by far my coldest morning run since the end of last winter.

After work, I headed home then outside for a nice evening run up to the Smith-Kiln Chimney at the Brickyard Shopping Plaza and back.  The total distance of this run was and even 5.0 miles at an easy pace.

For my non-running workout, I completed 200 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, 100 (50, 40, 30, 20 lbs) curls, and 20 (50 lbs) reverse curls.

Due to a pending snow storm that our weather forecasters have be warning us about for the past few days, it was much warmer for my sub-6:00-am relative to yesterday’s morning run. Taking advantage of the cool, but pleasant temperatures, I ran over to Big Cottonwood Park in my Vibram Five Fingers and completed two laps of the softball complex before heading back to home. The total distance of this morning ran was 1.7 miles at an easy pace.

After work, I hit the treadmill for a speed workout by running 4 miles of half-mile intervals (i.e., the slow halves at 8.8 miles per hour and the fast halves at 10.8) in a time of 24:38. I followed this interval workout with a 0.2-mile cool-down run at marathon pace. Also, I went out for an evening 1.2-mile, easy-pace run around the neighborhood before calling it a day.

In regards to my non-running workout, I completed 330 sit-ups, 32 push-ups, 80 (50, 40, 30 lbs) curls, and 20 (50 lbs) reverse curls.

With an inch of snow covering the ground from yesterday’s storm, I strapped on my Vibram Five Fingers and headed out just after 5:30 am for my morning workout.  Taking my typical wakeup course, I jogged over to Big Cottonwood Park and completed three-and-a-half loops around the softball complex.  On the way back, I decided that for fun I would run through the fresh snow on the park’s field to see how it would feel in the Five Fingers.  In short, it felt like running barefoot on a white, sandy, cold beach.  In total, I covered 2.4 miles on this morning run.

Following a busy and long day at work, using the bike paths, I ran from the International Center to the Salt Lake International Airport then from the Smith’s to home.  The combined distance of these two runs was 4.8 miles at an easy pace.

Finally, my non-running workout consisted of 220 sit-ups, 33 push-ups, 20 (50 lbs) curls, and 20 (50 lbs) reverse curls.

For my sub-6:00-am workout, I ran over to Big Cottonwood Park and completed a single lap around the softball complex before heading back.  The total distance of this wakeup run was 1.3 miles at an easy pace in my Vibram Five Fingers.

Following work, I jumped on the treadmill for a short 1.4-mile run (with a mile of this distance being at marathon pace) before heading home.  While waiting for the two buses that I catch to get home, I jogged up and down the street and around the block in order to get in an extra mile. 

After I got home, I headed back out.  Repeating the course that I took in the morning, I ran over to Big Cottonwood Park and this time completed four laps of the softball complex in my Vibram Five Fingers before heading back.  The total distance of this run was 2.5 miles at an easy pace.

Finally, my daily non-running workout consisted of 250 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, and 100 (16 lbs) curls.

Feeling the sluggish effects of being at the end of a busy workweek, I just repeated the same sub-6:00 workout that I did the previous morning; that is, I ran over to Big Cottonwood Park and after a lap around the softball complex, I headed back.  Again the total distance of this morning run was 1.3 miles at an easy pace in my Vibram Five Fingers.

Having to prepare for the weekend, I worked late; therefore, I missed out on my treadmill workout.  I was planning to do an interval workout on the treadmill; therefore, I’ll just have to make sure to hit the track on Sunday in order to makeup up for it.  Also, for the second day in a row, on the way home, I was able to sneak in a one-mile jog while waiting for the bus.

After I arrived at home, I immediately headed back out.  For this evening run, I ran down to Granite High School by way of 1100 East then heading west on 3300 South.  Once at the high school, I completed a lap around the track and since I was wearing my Vibram Five Fingers, I ran a couple of lengths on the soft grass of the football field, which for this season is home of the Judge Memorial Bulldogs.  The total distance of this run was 5.8 miles at an easy pace.  In addition, it’s the longest run that I have ever done while wearing my Five Fingers!

My non-running was a concise one in that I only completed 300 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

On this Halloween morning, I got out the door around 7:30 am and jogged 2.2 miles up to the Salt Lake Running Company on Highland Drive.  Having heard through e-mail that they were continuing the store’s Saturday-morning group training runs after the Nike 10k Human Race concluded last weekend, I decided to checkout and participate in at least one of these morning runs.  Also, the Salt Lake Running Company is hosting these group runs to help prepare for the Salt Lake Marathon in April.  Since I just signed up to run this marathon again, I’m counting on these group runs to help me keep my training on schedule.  Plus, I usually train alone; therefore, these group runs should be a nice change to my lonely training schedule.

Ten runners showed up for this kickoff-marathon-training run that was initially supposed to be a 10k.  However, since one of the streets was marked by its east-coordinate instead of its name, we missed a turn and ended up running all the way up 2100 South to Foothill Boulevard before running back to the store.  As a result, our total distance ended up being 7.7-miles; nevertheless, the entire group--even the beginning runners--survived the run.  Overall, it was a great experience and an enjoyable workout that I plan on participating in again.

After picking up a pair of Adidas Sequence (i.e., for my upcoming marathon) and running back home (an even 2.0 miles at an easy pace), I decided to tack on a few extra miles before calling it a day.  Consequently, I ran through Big Cottonwood Park, over to Murray Holladay road, up to Highland Drive, then just past the vacant lot that use to house the Cottonwood Mall before heading back.  As a result, I was able to add on an easy-pace, 4.8-mile run to my daily millage.

In regards to my non-running workout, I completed 200 sit-ups and 30 push-ups.

Happy Halloween!