A.M. Jeff and Kimia McClellan came over for a visit on their way to Ames, Iowa where Jeff will be doing a PhD program in exercise physiology. Jeff asked me if I would pace him through the 3 mile tempo run on my Provo Canyon course. Jeff has had some health struggles since the end of last year, and got out of shape. However, in the last couple of weeks he resumed more or less normal training, and wanted to test where it got him. I assumed he wanted me to pace him at 5:30 pace or so. However, his plans were to run sub-5:20. Now at that this would be more of a push each other, as the fastest I've run this course this year is 15:49, and I had just run a marathon. We started with 2 miles with the kids - Jacob did 1, Joseph, Julia, and Jenny did 2. Then we ran easy for another 5.3 or so to get to the start of the tempo. We ran the first quarter in 80, and it was Jeff's last quarter in 80 or slower. After that it was 77, 75, 75 (5:07). I felt that I did not have the strength to hold this pace for much longer, so I backed off, while Jeff continued. My next quarter was 77, after than I coasted at 5:30 pace more or less to the finish. Second mile was 5:24, and the last one 5:27, total time 15:58.3. Jeff did 15:17. This is not quite his top shape level, of course, but he is getting into shape fast. We jogged some more to make the total 14 miles. We also did a speed test running 100 meters all out twice. Jeff did 14.2 and around 14.5. I did 15.2 and then 14.7. So my top speed was actually quite good today, but after a 5:07 I felt like I lacked the strength for sub-5:20 pace the rest of the way. Benjamin ran 4 miles at the Youth Conference. | 