Fly me to the moon...

I've been lazy for the past month and haven't really done much running.  I had that nasty cold in mid-December and then Christmas break got the best of me.  I just need to bundle up and go for a run.

Short run from the car to the testing center.  More miles to follow...

It was my first official run of the new year. I felt pretty good, but I could definitely feel that I hadn't run much for over a month. The pace was decent at 7:45/mile.

Played basketball for an hour on the church basketball team.  It was fun even though we lost, and I couldn't shoot worth a darn. 

I haven't run since playing basketball last Thursday.  I was sore for a few days afterwards because I hadn't played in a year, and I messed up the big toe on my right foot.  The nail is all purple and red and sore.  I'm guessing that I will lose it eventually which will be a first for my big toe.  I've lost other toenails from running, but never one from basketball.  Now I remember why I never played basketball in college.  I always get all beat up and can't run.

It felt good to run today.  The toe wasn't a problem at all.  The ice under the bridges was difficult, but I didn't fall or anything.  It was an easy 3 along the trail at 7:53/mile.

About a half mile of running to and from the church for the basketball game.  We lost again, but I played much better.  Got some good running in going up and down the court.  I'm not nearly as sore today as I was last time.

Just three easy miles along the trail.  It was nice and warm today.  Pace was about 7:09/mile.  I just got a fancy new watch so my half mile splits were approximately 3:40, 3:42, 3:39, 3:34, 3:26, 3:24.

I've been really bad lately about getting out and running.  I just haven't made the time.  I'm going to change that next week.  I would like to do the Rex Lee Run here in Provo in March, so I need to get some base in before then.

Cold morning run with Sasha, Ted, and James?? on the trail.  I turned around at 2 miles and finished up with 4 at 30:19 for a pace of around 7:34/mile.  The extra 0.25 was from running to Sasha's house.

I felt pretty good except for the last mile or so.  I just run out of gas in the morning.

Easy, afternoon run along the trail.  Three miles at 7:06/mile pace.  It felt pretty good.  I was pushing the pace a little bit, but I should slow down a little since I am only trying to build base.  Splits were 3:42, 3:39, 3:35, 3:29, 3:26 and 3:25.

Evening run along the trail.  Pace was about 7:09/mile.  I felt pretty good.  I pushed the pace a little for the first two miles and then slowed down for the next half.  Splits 3:37, 3:32, 3:38, 3:28, 3:39, and 3:32.

Just 2 miles along the trail because I have a basketball game tonight.  I took it easier on the pace, and it felt good.  The pace was around 7:26/mile with splits of 3:49, 3:50, 3:40, and 3:32.

Wet, rainy, snowy 4 miles along the trail.  I saw a big group of runners on the way back.  They looked like a team of some kind.  I tried to keep the pace relaxed and controlled for a total time of 29:12, which equates to a pace of 7:18/mile.  I plan to go a little longer tomorrow.  Legs feel fine and that pace feels comfortable enough.  Splits were 3:47, 3:41, 3:37, 3:39, 3:43 (turnaround), 3:40, 3:40, and 3:25.  I think the last half is a little short because the time is always faster with what feels like the same amount of effort.

It was a beautiful day.  It's always nice to run without a hat.  There were a lot of people along the trail today taking advantage of the warmer weather.  It was an easy 5 at about 7:16/mile pace for a time of 36:21.  I felt pretty good.  I was starting to tire out towards the end, but it still felt good.  Splits were 3:50, 3:47, 3:40, 3:36, 3:34, 3:36, 3:35, 3:36, 3:36, and 3:28.

Five easy miles along the trail.  It was nice and sunny.  Great weather for running.  Time was 36:26 for about 7:17/mile pace.  Mile splits were 7:19, 7:17, 7:15, 7:20, and 7:14.

Four easy miles along the trail with 8x100m strides in the middle with 100m rest in between.  I had to do it in the evening so it was dark.  I don't like running on the trail in the dark.  I'm always afraid I will twist an ankle or fall, especially going under the bridges.  Pace was a little slower at 7:20/mile, but I attribute that to the dark.  Splits were 7:27, 7:09 (a little fast), 7:19, and 7:26.  I felt pretty good overall.

Easy 4 along the trail.  I felt tired and sluggish until about 1.5 and then felt okay.  Time was 29:30 for around 7:22/mile.  Splits were 7:33, 7:28, 7:21, and 7:06.

It was a beautiful sunny day here in Provo.  I started out with a long sleeve t-shirt over my short sleeve one, but took it off about halfway through.  I felt really good for the 6 miles, and it is the longest I have run in a long time.  The total time wa 44:20 for a pace of around 7:23/mile.  I tried to slow it down for the first few and then just ran by feel.  Splits were 3:48, 3:49, 3:45, 3:42, 3:39, 3:40, 3:46 (turn-around and taking off my shirt), 3:37, 3:38, 3:40, 3:42, and 3:30.

Just four easy miles along the trail in the afternoon.  It was pretty windy and cool, but not cool enough for a hat.  Total time was 29:36 for a 7:24/mile pace.  The first 2 were pretty slow, but I felt much better after that and the pace quickened.  Splits were 3:48, 3:52, 3:49, 3:51, 3:39, 3:32, 3:33, and 3:28.

Nice 5 mile run along the trail.  It was a nice day.  I tried going the other direction this time.  I used to live in some apartments over near the little wood and steel bridge that crosses the river just past Macey's.  I always ran towards the lake from there, and never ran the other direction.  I was curious to see what was past the bridge.  I'll have to go even farther some day.  I felt good during this run.  I decided to push the last mile a bit, and it felt pretty good.  Total time was 36:23 for around a 7:16/mile pace.  Splits were 7:38, 7:31, 7:26, 7:12, and 6:34.

It was windy and cloudy today, but the temperature wasn't that bad.  I just did 5 easy miles along the trail.  Total time was 36:36 for a 7:19/mile pace.  Splits were 7:33, 7:24, 7:15, 7:14, and 7:09.

Nice sunny day.  It was a little cooler, but it didn't feel like it without the strong wind of yesterday.  It was another 5 easy miles along the trail at 7:23/mile pace for a time of 36:55.  Splits were 7:42, 7:37, 7:18, 7:13, and 7:03.  It took a couple of miles to warm up and feel good, but the last three were nice.

Just 3 easy miles along the trail this morning because we have a basketball game tonight.  The pace was a little slower at around 7:41/mile for a time of 23:05.  The glutes were a little sore this morning and it took a little longer to get going.  I think the soreness had to do with my crazy dreams last night and not from running.  It happens every once in awhile.  I think I have dreams where I tense my muscles, and then they end up sore the next morning.  Splits were 7:53, 7:45, and 7:27.  I also saw a little beaver swimming down the river under the I-15 bridges.  I thought it was a leaf or something at first, but then it veared off towards the bank across the current.

Four easy miles along the trail.  The weather was nice and warm.  My legs felt tired though from running and playing basketball yesterday.  Total time was 30:03 for around 7:30/mile pace.  Splits were 7:40, 7:23, 7:24, and 7:35.  I tried adding a little extra to the last half mile since it is short, but I think I added about 8-10 seconds over.  I mapped out the route I take, and it shows that the first and last half mile are 0.03 miles short.  I mapped a slightly different route adding a little extra and it was right on.

It was another nice day.  There was more wind though.  I decided to do a 3 mile tempo run.  I started off with 1.47 miles in 11:34 (7:52/mile), and then started the tempo.  I wanted to go around 7:00/mile pace to get a little speed work but not fast enough to be uncomfortable.  The first mile was 6:35, followed by 6:45 (with a turnaround), and finally a 6:42.  It was a bit faster than I planned, but the pace felt good.  I finished with 1.5 in 11:16 (7:30/mile).  The legs are a little sore after this week, which is probably due to the increased mileage and the basketball game on Thursday.  I plan to do the same mileage next week with a 10K race on Saturday.

Early afternoon run along the trail in beautiful weather.  The pace was around 7:21/mile for a time of 36:45.  Splits were 7:41, 7:25, 7:13, 7:13, and 7:12.  My little extra for the first and last half mile seems to be right on considering my times.  The legs felt fine today.

Just 5 easy miles along the trail.  I felt good overall, but my knees were a little sore to begin with.  Total time was 37:04 with splits of 7:42, 7:31, 7:26, 7:13, and 7:12.

The legs still felt a bit tired and sore again today, but it just feels like normal training soreness when you increase your mileage and intensity.  I just did 4 along the trail this afternoon in a time of 29:55 for a 7:28/mile pace.  My splits were 7:52, 7:30, 7:24, and 7:08.  I didn't feel like I was going that fast for the last one, and it even included the extra 0.03.

Just 4 easy miles along the trail again.  The legs felt about the same as yesterday.  I always had similar aches and pains in college when I returned from summer vacation and increased my mileage.  I ran on grass a bit yesterday to give the legs a little break from pounding the pavement.  My total time for today was 29:34 for around a 7:23/mile pace.

I ran home from BYU today so my wife could have the car when she got off work.  I wound my way through campus and over to the trail and then followed it home.  I ended up with a time of 28:36 which I'm estimating at around 3.8 miles.  Tomorrow I'm doing the Rex Lee run here in Provo.  I'm not looking to set any records or anything.  I'm just going to enjoy the race and keep a decent pace throughout.

I started with about a 1.5 mile warm-up and then did some stretching.  The legs felt pretty good.  I did a few strides close to race time, and I was feeling pretty good.  I decided to go with just a t-shirt, shorts and a hat despite the cold temperature.  My plan for the race was to go out easy and pick it up the last few miles.  I wasn't trying to break any records or place high at all.  I just wanted to go out and have fun racing.  Given my mileage and training times recently, I thought 6:45-7 minute pace would be doable.

I lined up a little ways back from the starting line as I didn't want to go out too quick and get sucked into a sub-6 first mile or anything.  It was a bit crowded for the first half mile or so, but it thinned out after that, and the crowd kept my pace reasonable.  The pace felt comfortable and perhaps even a little slow, so I was waiting for the mile marker to see where I was at.  I passed 7 minutes and then 7:30 and no marker!  Finally I crossed it at 8:45!  I hate it when the first mile marker is off.  It throws off your entire focus.  I picked it up the second mile and hit it in 5:56 according to the marker, but I think it was a little short.  The next mile was in 6:27, which I think was correct.  Somewhere between 2.5 and 4 I developed a killer side stitch.  I finally got it loosened up a bit and picked it up between 3 and 4.  I passed most of the guys who passed me when I slowed down with the side stitch.  Miles 4, 5, and 6 felt pretty good.  I was just cruising.  I hit number 4 in 6:41 and number 5 in 6:54, and then the fun began.  Shortly after the 5th mile the 5K runners came down the hill on the south end of campus and merged with the 10K course into the finish.  They started the 5K 15 minutes after the 10K which meant that I met the bulk of the 5K pack filled with recreational runners and moms with strollers.  I spent the next mile weaving in and out of slower runners and finished the last 1.2 in 7:04.  My total time was 41:49 according to my watch or 41:46 according to the finish clock.  Both are right around 6:45/mile pace, but I'll have to wait for the official results to really tell.

Overall I was pleased with my race and the organization of the event.  The traffic control was superb and the course was clearly marked.  I didn't like the poorly marked miles and the merging of the two courses, but it was okay.  I enjoyed my race and didn't feel like I pushed it too hard.  I probably could have gone faster, but it gives me a good start to the year and the idea was not to kill myself.  It was my first race since October 2006, so I was pleased with the results.

Mile 1:  8:45 (long)

Mile 2:  5:56 (short)

Mile 3:  6:27

Mile 4:  6:41

Mile 5:  6:54 (maybe a little long)

Last 1.2:  7:04 (a little short?)

Just 5 easy miles along the trail in the early evening.  My total time was 36:05 for 7:13/mile pace.  Splits were 7:33, 7:17, 7:08, 7:09, and 6:56.  The legs were a little sore still from the race on Saturday, but overall felt good.

Just 5 easy miles along the trail at around 7:29/mile pace.  The legs felt a little tight still.  Total time was 37:27 with splits of 7:49, 7:43, 7:29, 7:12, and 7:12.

The legs felt better today.  I went 5 miles along the trail again.  The time was faster at 36:02 with splits of 7:31, 7:17, 7:09, 7:04, and 6:59 for a 7:12/mile pace.  I picked it up on the last one with about 100 meters to go to see if I could get under 7.

I had less time today, and I thought fewer miles would do the legs some good.  I just did 4 along the trail in a time of 28:55 for about a 7:13/mile pace.  Splits were 7:26, 7:13, 7:12, and 7:03.  The legs felt pretty good, and the soreness in the hips is almost gone.

The legs felt great today.  I did my usual 5 miles along the trail in a time of 35:52.  That translates to around 7:10/mile pace.  I did 6x100m strides in the middle with 100m rest in between.  Splits were 7:25, 7:21, 6:56, 7:11, and 6:56.

I decided to do a longer run today and ran 8 miles along the trail in 58:04.  That is just over 7:15/mile pace.  I felt good and strong until about the last mile to 1.5.  My legs were feeling a little fatigued at that point, but it wasn't bad.  It has probably been about 8 years since I ran that far at one time so I was pleased.  That makes 32 miles for the week, and I'm feeling great.  I'm slowly building my miles up.  I'm dreading the 100 degree weather of summer though.  I'm not a fan of hot weather and find it harder to run in the summer than in the winter.  My splits for today were 7:25, 7:19, 7:13, 7:20, 7:07, 7:11, 7:16, and 7:10.

Five easy miles along the trail in 36:08.  The legs felt good today.  Splits were 7:19, 7:13, 7:08, 7:13, and 7:12.

Six easy miles along the trail in a time of 43:22.  I ran towards Macey's today, and went farther along the trail than I ever have in that direction.  I didn't realize that the trail goes along the road on the sidewalk for awhile.  My splits were 7:26, 7:26, 7:23, 7:06, 7:06, and realizing that I could catch the 7:15 guy, the last split was 6:51.  It felt good for about 7:13/mile pace overall.

I ran towards Macey's again because I can run in the grass along the trail.  I find it relieving after pounding the pavement day after day.  The top of my foot was bothering me today a little as well.  It feels like the same thing I had in Nov/Dec.  It loosened up really nice after a couple of miles though.  I did 6x100m strides in the middle with 100m rest in between.  My total time for the 5 miles was 35:36 for a pace of 7:07/mile.  Splits were 7:22, 7:25, 6:58, 6:50, and 7:00.  I plan to take it easy tomorrow.

The foot still felt a little sore today.  I really didn't feel like running, but I got myself out the door.  I just did 4 easy miles along the trail in 29:19 for a 7:19/mile pace.  The splits were 7:25, 7:22, 7:21, and 7:09.

Nothing today.

Seven easy miles along the trail.  It was a lonely run today.  Recently on Saturdays there have been many people on the trail.  I guess they got scared away by the cold, windy weather.  I felt good overall, but my foot was still bothering me.  Total time was 51:05 for 7:17/mile pace.

Met Sasha and Hyrum in the morning and ran 4 miles along the trail with them in 36:55 for 9:13/mile pace.  Then ran another mile with Sasha in 8:43.  The extra half was from running to and from Sasha's house.  The foot felt surprisingly well.  I guess the easier pace helped.

Met at Sasha's house again with a group consisting of Brad and Josse.  We headed along the trail to pick up Jeff and then turned around and headed the usual direction.  I turned around at the usual 3 mile mark.  My total time was 54:27 which included the 6 miles, the jog to Sasha's house and the ~0.5 to get Jeff.  That is about 8:04/mile for the run.  The foot felt fine today too.  I think I should take it easier on the pace and give the foot some time to strengthen.

Five miles along the trail.  I tried to slow it down and take it easy.  I think I was fairly successful except for the mile where I did 8x100m strides with 100m rest.  Total time was 36:31 for a 7:18/mile pace with splits of 7:38, 7:35, 6:46, 7:29, and 7:01.  The foot felt fine.

Just 4 easy miles along the trail this morning.  The total time was 29:52 for a 7:28/mile pace.  The splits were 7:54, 7:41, 7:14, and 7:02.  The foot felt fine.

A total of 6 along the trail.  Total time was 43:02 for a pace of 7:10/mile.  I wanted to take it fairly easy for the first half and then push the pace for the next two and then slow it down for the last one.  My splits were 7:34, 7:22, 7:12, 7:05, 6:45, and 7:03.  The foot felt fine, and the legs were fresh.

It was a nice 8 miles along the trail today.  I felt pretty relaxed the whole time.  The wind was pretty strong, and I was glad I wasn't running a race.  Right around 2.75 miles out there was a trail of orange and lemon-lime sports beans along the trail.  There were also some sports gel wrappers and things.  I figured they must have had an aid station near there for the Provo Half.  My time was 57:57 for a 7:14/mile pace.  Splits were 7:27, 7:21, 7:13, 7:11, 7:07, 7:15, 7:14, and 7:06.

I really tried to take it easy today.  I did fairly well until I turned around and hit the downhill mile.  Then my legs just wanted to keep going.  My total time was 44:16 for a pace of 7:22/mile.  Splits were 7:32, 7:30, 7:25, 7:17, 7:19, and 7:11.

Easy run along the trail.  Total time was 44:46 for the 6 miles for a 7:27/mile pace.  Splits were 7:46, 7:33, 7:23, 7:26, 7:20, and 7:16.  I felt good, and the foot felt fine.

I ran a 2 mile warm-up (7:55 and 7:43), and then did 4x800m along the trail with 3 minutes rest in between.  My times were 2:55, 2:52, 2:47, and 2:50.  I felt okay during the intervals but not great.  I was able to recover quickly though and felt like 2 minutes would have been sufficient.  That was encouraging.  I then finished with 2 miles cool-down.

Just 5 easy miles along the trail this evening in a total time of 36:25 for a pace 7:17/mile.  Splits were 7:30, 7:25, 7:13, 7:13, and 7:02.  I felt good and the legs were fine.  I just ran by feel and didn't look at my watch during the run.  I just hit the lap button at each mile.  I enjoyed not worrying about times.  I never used to run with a watch.

Nothing unfortunately.  It has been a busy, stressful couple of days.  I had meetings with my thesis advisors yesterday to discuss my project and graduation.  The general consensus was that it would be difficult to finish by August when I hope to begin my Ph.D at Arkansas.  We decided to meet together today as a committee to talk it over.  I spent the day trying to get a meeting together when everyone could be there.  It kept getting pushed back and finally started at 3:30pm.  My advisor and I decided we would call Arkansas again on Monday and see if they would defer my enrollment until January.  I had previously called today, and they weren't too enthusiastic or forthcoming about deferring or of my chances of getting in again should I choose to re-apply in the spring.  After the meeting I had to walk home (~2 miles) so I could be there to babysit at 5pm for a friend's baby.  Kathleen and I do it every Friday, and since she has her water aerobics class after work, I leave the car for her to drive home afterwards.  I didn't get a chance to run before the baby was dropped off, and it was 9:30pm before they came to pick him up.  I didn't feel like going for a run at 10pm at night, but I was bummed that I didn't get my run in.

Eight miles along the trail in the afternoon.  It was a warm, beautiful, sunny afternoon.  The wind was pretty strong, but it was nice to be able to run in shorts and t-shirt the entire time.  I think that was the first run of the year where I didn't at least start with a hat or long sleeved shirt.  I felt good and relaxed.  The legs were also fresh from not running the previous day.  I saw signs of the marathon from the morning with a few mile markers along the trail and even an aid station with water and Gatorade still out.  My total time was 56:45 for a 7:05/mile pace.  Around 5 miles I was feeling great and decided to beat the 7:10 guy so I picked it up a little.  My splits were 7:16, 7:13, 7:09, 7:10, 7:08, 6:58, 6:56, and 6:52.  The last three were probably a little fast, but it felt comfortable.

This run felt really smooth and relaxed.  The stride felt really smooth with no excess motions and mechanically excellent.  I love those days.  My total time for the 6 miles was 42:33 which is around 7:05/mile pace.  Splits were 7:11, 7:11, 7:06, 7:02, 7:05, and 6:54.  I didn't feel like I was pushing that hard.

Another 6 miles along the trail in the early evening.  Yesterday was a beautiful day and was even a little on the warm side at around 70 degrees.  Today was totally different with low 40s wind and snow.  I'm a little tired of the snow at this point.  As nice, easy and relaxed as yesterday was, today was totally different at least for the first 3 miles.  My legs just wouldn't go.  I felt like my effort was as much or more than yesterday, but I struggled with times in the 7:20s per mile.  Total time was 43:06 for 7:11 pace with splits of 7:22, 7:26, 7:25, 7:01 (downhill with a tailwind), 7:04, and 6:46.

Decided to do a tempo run today. I started with 1.5 warm-up in 11:14 and then started the tempo run with a goal of 6:15/mile. A few weeks ago (Mar. 8) I did one with a pace of about 6:40/mile.  I started out with a 5:58, then 6:07, and 6:11.  The middle mile was with a turnaround and was probably faster and felt okay.  The last mile was a little bit of a struggle to hold that pace.  Overall I am pleased with my progress.  I still need a lot more base though.  I finished with 1.5 cool-down.

The plan was to do 6 along the trail, but I felt good and had some extra time so I decided to go a little farther.  My total time for the 7 was 50:20 for a pace of 7:11/mile.  My splits were 7:20, 7:15, 7:10, 7:10, 7:10, 7:06, and 7:05.

Just 6 easy along the trail in the afternoon.  I wanted to go slower, but I felt worse going slower than at a little faster speed.  My quads were tired by about 3 miles and felt sore.  I don't know if it was from the long week or the increased foot strike of a slower pace, but they were tired.  Total time was 43:54 for a 7:19/mile pace.  My splits were 7:22, 7:20, 7:20, 7:20, 7:15, and 7:15.

It was warm and windy.  The first 4 miles were nice with predominantly a tailwind.  Then I turned around...  I tried going the opposite direction away from the lake today.  I didn't like it after about 3 miles when you turn on University.  It is completely open and right along the highway.  I ran out 4 that direction and then turned around and did a half in the other direction and headed home.  It was a nice run.  My legs felt sore and tired after about 3 again.  I think it is just fatigue and lactic acid build-up from my tempo run on Wednesday.  My time was 1:04:59 for 7:13/mile pace.  My splits were 7:33, 7:20, 7:19, 7:09, 7:06, 7:11, 7:08, 7:05, and 7:04.

7.5 with Sasha, Adam, and Jeff.

0.25 while walking to school.

6 in 42:54 with splits of 7:20, 7:12, 7:06, 7:01, 7:11, and 7:01.

Just 7 along the trail in 49:25. I did 4x800m strides in the middle with 100m jog rest in between. The pace was around 22-23s for each one. The fifth mile I pushed the pace a little to simulate a surge in a race. The splits were 7:30, 7:20, 6:34, 7:05, 6:42, 7:15, and 6:57.

Started with a quarter mile to Sasha's house.  Then ran about 6.75 with Sasha with varying amounts with Hyrum and Jeff.  Time was 59:15, but I'm not sure if that was for the entire 7 or the 6.75.  It was slow and comfortable with several stops.  We ran to BYU where Sasha and Jeff did a leg extension test.  I opted not to try.  I was curious to see if our estimates on the distance were accurate so I mapped out our entire route with all of the turns and backtracking.  Sasha estimated 6.7 for all of our run together, and I got slightly more than that.  Including the run from my house to Sasha's, and the run together, I mapped out 6.98 miles which I rounded up to 7.

Just 6 total along the trail in a time of 42:12 for a 7:02/mile pace.  Yesterday Sasha asked me what my fastest 1/4 mile was.  I told him 56 seconds.  Then he asked me if I could do it now.  I thought I could still do a 58.  That got me curious.  I wanted to see how fast I could go.  I started out just running my regular pace and decided to try it at a flat part of the trail.  I did the first mile in 7:14, then 7:09 for the second mile, and hit 3/4 mile at 5:10 for the third mile.  That was when I started the 1/4 mile.  It was a running start, and the final time was 66 seconds giving me 6:16 for the third mile.  It has been a while since I ran that fast, and it felt good.  I felt there was still something left in the tank, and that I could have gone faster.  At the same time though, I think my legs were a little surprised at the speed.  They aren't used to it.  I think I also have a bit of a mental block to that speed too.  I was having flashbacks to a particularly bad wipeout on my mission while running fast.  My mind was saying, "Don't go too fast now.  Remember what happened last time."  We were running home to our apartment (a typical occurrence with this particular missionary companion), and I had fallen a little behind.  I decided to pick up the pace and catch up.  I was running top speed when I stumbled, did a flip, landed on my back and skidded for about 10 feet.  It hurt.  I learned two things from that.  Don't try to run that fast while wearing a full suit and buttoned up trenchcoat or while running on uneven ground.  I wasn't making full strides due to the trenchcoat, and I think I hit a dip in the sidewalk and lost it. 

One thing I did notice today was that my form was better at that speed.  I was getting more of a midfoot strike rather than a heel strike.  I finished up the 3 miles with splits of 7:24, 7:04, and 7:03.

Nothing today unfortunately.  I went on our Ward's father-son camping trip this weekend.  I didn't get much sleep on Friday night and wasn't feeling good.  I had the start of a cold the day before and sleeping outside in the cold didn't help.  I had already committed to going and felt obligated to go though.  It's a shame because I had some good miles this week to this point.

I felt a little better than yesterday, but still not 100%.  I had breakfast this moring and then took a 4 hour nap.  That really helped.  I decided to try and run a little bit.  I got out and did 4 in a time of 29:07 (7:16/mile).  The legs felt fresh, but a bit of a headache and sinus pressure didn't feel good.  I was a bit light headed right after I finished, but I was glad to have gotten out and done something.

I felt much better today and went 6 miles in 43:05 with splits of 7:21, 7:09, 7:08, 7:09, 7:10, and 7:06.

Eight miles along the trail in 56:59 for a 7:07/mile pace.  I took it easy the first 4 miles and then I hit the downhill section and started hitting sub-7 pace.  It kind of turned into an unplanned 4 mile pace run.  Once I get my legs going at that speed I just get into a comfortable groove and keep that pace.  I hit 14:56 for the first 2 miles, 14:21 for the second 2, and then picked it up.  My next 4 miles were 6:58, 6:56, 6:58, and 6:48.  Tomorrow is an easy day.  I felt almost 100%.

Eight miles easy along the trail in 57:59 (7:14/mile).  I felt pretty good, but I was getting a little tired by the end.  The plan for tomorrow is 6 with a 10 mile run on Saturday.  Splits were 7:27, 7:21, 7:13, 7:14, 7:09, 7:12, 7:12, and 7:07.

Easy 6 along the trail in 42:53 (7:08).  It was a nice day.  The wind was pretty strong, but the temperature was great.  I felt a bit sluggish today.  I think it was a lack of fuel problem because I had a small breakfast and went out in the early afternoon before lunch.  My splits were 7:26, 7:16, 7:08, 6:59 (way too fast), 7:05 (slower because I kept telling myself to slow down), and 6:56.

It was my long run of the week for 10 miles along the trail.  I ran 3.5 in one direction and 1.5 in the other for a total of 10 in 71:27 (7:08/mile).  I felt good for most of it.  The legs felt a little fatigued around 7-8 miles, but it passed, and I was able to finish well.  My splits were 7:19, 7:10, 7:02, 7:04, 7:09, 7:12, 7:10, 7:17, 7:07 and, 6:55.

I started with a quarter mile warm-up to Sasha's house.  Then I did some stretching while waiting.  Ran 3.5 with Sasha and Jeff, and then turned around.  It was a fairly easy pace for the first few miles and progressed into 7:20 pace for the 4th mile and ended up at around 7:09 pace for the last 2.  Total time for the 7 was 52:47 (7:32/mile).

I did a quarter mile warm-up to Sasha's again.  Had a good group of Sasha, me, Jeff, and Josse.  Josse wanted to do the 5 mile tempo run in around 7 minute pace, so we warmed up about 1.375 miles and then started it with the three of us as pacers.  Jeff and Sasha led the way with me either beside or behind Josse.  The final time was 34:10 with splits of 6:43, 6:39, 6:49, 6:54,  and 7:04.  That is the longest tempo I have run for awhile, and I was pleased that the pace felt easy and sustainable.  About 2 months or so ago, that would have been much more difficult.  In fact, I ran the Rex Lee run on March 15th and my pace for the 10K was only 6:45/mile.  I'm definitely making some progress.  I finished with another 1.375 to my house for a total of 8 for the day. My total time for 7.75 was 56:19 (7:16/mile).  It was also fun to see the Sasha treatment during the tempo as he was encouraging Josse and asking her to give him five.  That was the first time I have seen it.

I did 7 easy miles along the trail in 49:23 (7:03/mile).  I saw a couple of snakes on the trail, and I nearly stepped on one of them.  I'm not really a fan of them.  The extra 0.25 was running from my office to the testing center in the rain.  Splits were 7:13, 7:06, 6:59, 7:04, 7:01, 7:02, and 6:55.

Ran 0.25 to Sasha's house.  Did some stretching and then started with 2 laps around the block with Sasha and Jeff for 0.7 miles more as we waited for Hyrum.  He never showed so we headed for the trail.  I ran 2 and then turned around because I needed to get back home.  My wife and I have been cat sitting, and we feed the cats in the morning.  Total for the morning was 4.95 miles with 4.7 of it in 35:04 (7:27/mile).

Ran 4.05 in the evening in 29:01 (7:09/mile).  I had splits of 7:26, 7:18, 7:00, and 6:48.  I think this is the first time I have ever done 2 workouts in the same day.  It felt good.  The legs felt fine.

Quarter mile warmup to Sasha's again.  I got up late this morning and had to rush around.  I generally like to get up about a half hour before running and eat and drink something small.  I didn't have time this morning.  Ran with Sasha and Jeff out to the 4 mile mark and turned around while they continued.  It was an eventful run.  Sasha wanted to see if Jeff could still sing at 5:30 pace so we picked it up at about 1.3.  He sang the Star-Spangled Banner as we ran about 600 m in 2:03.  I was impressed.  He was a little off key in parts and out of air in a few, but not bad.  Then Sasha sang at around 8 minute pace.  Not being known for his singing ability, he was off key for most of it.  I didn't do any singing myself.  Total time was 62:41 (7:50/mile) for the 8 miles.

Nice long run of 10.25 in the early evening.  It was nice except for the bugs along the trail.  I went to the end of the trail and then added some extra on a the end.  My total time was 72:14 (7:02/mile).  I felt pretty good, but my legs were feeling a bit fatigued by the end.

Decided to do an easy 6 today.  It was cooler and wet.  It has been a cold spring to say the least.  My total time was 43:39 (7:16/mile).  My legs felt a little sore and tired still.  I think I will try to hit 50 again this week, but not more.  Splits were 7:34, 7:31, 7:28, 7:11, 6:58, and 6:55.

I started with about 1.2 miles warm-up and then started a tempo run.  I debated on what pace and mileage to do, but settled on 5:45 pace for 2 miles.  I did fairly well for the first mile and came in at 5:46.  The second mile was slower at 5:49.  The legs still feel a little sore from last week.  I plan to take it easy the rest of the week.  The river was high today.  As I came up on the interstate bridges there was water standing there.  I wondered what was going on.  Then I got to Geneva Road and saw a couple of people scrambling across the road on the bridge and wondered why.  There is a perfectly good tunnel under the road.  Then I ran down and around and found out.  The water was standing about 6 inches deep under the bridge.  I turned around and scrambled across the road as well.  I hadn't noticed the high water until that point, but it was quite high in the river.  Overall, today felt okay.  The legs were sore (right quad in particular), and I had a stomach cramp on the way back, but it was okay.  Total time was 50:23 (6:48/mile).

Tried to take it easy today and slow down the pace.  Total time for the 8 was 57:53 (7:14/mile).  A couple of the miles were a little short because the tunnel under Geneva road was still under water.  At least today they had cones and signs saying that the trail was closed due to high water.  Legs were still a little sore but felt better.  Splits were 7:20, 7:04, 7:20, 7:23, 7:16, 7:06, 7:22, and 7:00.

Another easy 8 miles along the trail.  It was the opposite direction today because I didn't want to mess with the high water under Geneva Road.  I wanted to go slow, but the last 4 miles ended up being sub-7.  It didn't help that as soon as I turned around I had a strong tailwind pushing me along.  My total time was 57:08 (7:08/mile).  Splits were 14:45 ( 2 miles), 7:15, 7:17, 6:56, 6:59, 6:58, and 6:57.  The legs still feel sore.  Miles 4 and 5 felt good and strong, but then the soreness set in more.  Nice and easy tomorrow.

Decided to go shorter today and ran 6.1 along the trail.  Total time was 42:59 (7:03/mile).  I kept it pretty slow until the turnaround with the downhill.  The 5th mile I saw a guy ahead of me running a pretty good pace and decided to catch him.  I caught him after about 1.2 miles.  His name was Mitch, and he is training for a marathon in September.   I turned off about a half mile later and finished.  Splits were 7:30, 7:20, 7:16, 7:05, 6:43, and 7:04 (1.1 miles 6:25/mile).

It was a long, tough day.  I wanted to go 10 for the day, but it was a struggle to even get 5 in.  I didn't feel like running most of the day, but I finally got out the door at around 9pm.  My total time was 36:42 (7:20/mile).  Splits were 7:32, 7:30, 7:22, 7:18, and 6:58.

Ran with Sasha, Jeff, and Hyrum this morning.  We ran 3 with Hyrum and then went out for more.  I turned around at 2.5 while Jeff and Sasha continued on.  By the end, my right quad was pretty sore.  I'm pretty sure I need new shoes.  Total time was around 63 minutes (7:52/mile).

It was Sasha, Jeff, and Josse this morning.  I ran 0.25 to Sasha's and then did 7 with the group.  I then ran home for another 0.25.  Total time was 61:11 (8:09/mile).  It was a nice easy run.  My legs felt better.

It was cooler and windy this morning.  Started out with 0.25 to Sasha's house.  We then did 3 with Hyrum and Jeff.  During the 3 miles Sasha started his 30x200m intervals he wanted to do to work on his form.  Dropped Hyrum off and continued on with Jeff while Sasha continued his intervals.  Finished with 0.25 to my house.  Total time was 67:34 (7:57/mile).  It was pretty windy when we started, but then the temperature dropped and it started sprinkling by the end.  It was getting cold by the end with just shorts and a tshirt.  The legs felt fine.  No soreness in the quads.

Started with the usual 0.25 to Sasha's house.  Then headed out with Sasha, Hyrum, and Jeff.  Hyrum turned around after a mile because he had to get to work early.  Continued on and turned around at 4.  Jeff and Sasha continued on for another mile.  Total time for the 8.25 was 68:58 (8:21/mile).  Felt fine.  It was a lot cooler this morning.

Started with the usual 0.25 and then with the usual group.  We ran 4 with Hyrum.  Then I ran 4 more.  The total time for the 8.25 was 64:39 (7:50/mile).  I felt good.

Long run out to the end of the trail and back.  I felt good during this run.  My total time was 72:36 (7:11/mile).  Over 50 miles this week.  The goal is around 55 next week.

Raining and cold this morning.  Ran with Sasha, Jeff, Tyler, and Hyrum.  Hyrum turned around after 2.  Tyler was having some soreness from the race on Saturday and turned around after about 3.5.  We stopped for a few seconds on the trail because there was a skunk right about that time.  I was up front at that point, saw it and stopped.  It's a good thing I put my glasses back on.  About a mile before I had taken them off because they had water all over them making it hard to see.  About a half mile before the skunk I put them back on because I can't see a thing without them.  If I hadn't, we probably would have run right into the skunk and perhaps had an unfortunate accident.  I don't think Jeff or Sasha saw it until I said something.  Anyway, it was a nice run.  I felt good, but just a little cold.  Total time was 67:53 (7:59/mile).

Eight miles along the trail with the usual Tuesday suspects (Sasha, Josse, Jeff) plus Matt and the customary 0.25 warm-up and cool-down.  I felt tired for this one.  The legs didn't want to go.  Total time was 64:30 (7:35/mile).

Started with 0.25 to Sasha's as usual.  Today was the day we wanted to do a 5 mile tempo.  Sasha wanted to see if I could hold a 6 minute mile pace for the tempo and perhaps be an alternate on the second team for Wasatch Back.  I'm not sure I will be available at that time since my wife is due on June 16th, but we thought we would do it anyway.  We started out with about 2.5 warm-up in 9 minute pace with Hyrum.  He headed back, and we started the tempo.  We started out a little slow hitting 1:34 for the first 400, but ended up with a 5:59 first mile.  At the turnaround, we were at 14:57, and the pace felt fairly comfortable.  I think we came through the third mile in 5:57 and then started to pick it up a bit.  Mile 4 was 5:54 and mile 5 was 5:47 with 1:20 for the last quarter for a total time of 29:33.  The last half was 14:36.  I felt pretty good through 3.5 and then the pace picked up.  I still felt okay, but it was a little tougher.  We finished with about 1.5 cool-down to Sasha's.  Total time for the 9.5 was 69:38 (7:19/mile).

I was pleased with this tempo, and it shows some good improvement.  About a month ago, I did a 3 mile tempo in around 6:06-6:07 pace, and that was tough.  In March I did the Rex Lee run and ran 41:46 (6:44/mile).  The consistent training is paying off.

Eight miles along the trail today with 0.25 to Sasha's house.  Ran with Sasha and Jeff.  Matt joined us around 1.5.  Talked about "quality x" this morning during the run.  No real consensus on what it is.  My legs felt good this morning.  Yesterday they were a little sore during the day from the tempo.  In particular, my left calf and left hamstring were a little sore and tight, but this morning they felt fine.  By the end of the run, I could tell that I had run faster yesterday, but it wasn't bad.  Total time was 67:06 (8:08).

Nice easy run this morning with Sasha, Jeff, and Matt.  I finally caught the 8 minute mile guy by the end.  I felt fine.  I just need to get more sleep.  I haven't gotten more than 6 hours of sleep all week.  Total time was 65:15 (7:54/mile).

After a week of days with 6 or less hours of sleep, it was nice to sleep in and get 8 hours.  I could tell it in my legs too.  They felt fresh.  I ran in the early afternoon, but I only had time for 6.25.  I had done some shopping in the morning for our ward elder's quorum bbq in the evening, and I still had some preparation to do for it.  I did about 0.25 later while going from my car to various places getting stuff for the bbq.  The bbq was fun, and we had 22 people there.  I got out later in the evening around 9 for another 3 miles.  The original plan was to do 6, but after all of the running around in the afternoon and being out in the sun, I was tired.  The inside of my lower right leg was also hurting a little just above the ankle.  It was bothering me enough to not want to run any more than 3.  I will let it rest tomorrow and get back to it on Monday.  Total time was 66:30 for 9.25 (7:11/mile).

Eight miles along the trail in the late morning.  It was much hotter than I'm used to in the early mornings.  I didn't make it out to run with the gang this morning because I got to bed really late last night.  I figured sleep was more important.  The ankle felt fine, and I really only noticed it when going up and down hills.  I'm pretty sure I just strained it a bit carrying stuff up and down the hill at the park on Saturday afternoon.  Total time was 58:36 (7:19/mile).

Ran with the Tuesday gang plus one.  It was Sasha, Jeff, Josse, and Michelle.  Michelle wanted to do a tempo in 6 minute pace.  Sasha and Jeff were going to pace her for as fas as she could hold it up to 5 miles.  Neither Josse nor I wanted to go that fast this morning for various reasons.  I wasn't feeling very well last night and had a headache most of the day.  Josse wanted to be fresh for a 5K she is running this weekend.  We all ran about 2.5 warm-up and then started the tempo.  We stayed with them for the first mile and then backed off.  I came through in 5:58 for that mile, and Josse was somewhere around 6:10.  My head hurt a little after running that fast so I was glad for the slower pace.  We turned around after two more miles.  We kept thinking they would catch up to us, but they never did.  Total time was 68:42 (8:05/mile)

Ran to Sasha's house, but nobody was there.  Jeff's car was parked in the street, but no sign of him either.  I waited 5 minutes to see if they were looping the block or something, but they never showed up.  I figured they must have gone earlier and took off on my own.  Met Matt along the trail around Geneva road, and he had not seen Jeff and Sasha either.  About a half mile later we met them going the other direction.  Matt turned around at the 3 mile mark while I continued to the 4 mile mark.  It was a nice run.  Total time was 61:39 (7:28/mile).

Today was an interesting one.  I overslept and jumped out of bed a little after 6 to run to Sasha's house.  They were just heading out the door so I was glad I caught them.  Sasha wanted to run a 200m time trial.  We headed to the track and did some strides to warm-up.  It was 4x100m with 100m jog in between at around 15-17s pace.  Then we did our first 200m.  I came in around 29s right with Sasha.  Jeff was a couple of seconds ahead.  We jogged some more and then tried it again.  My time was 30.5s and once again right with Sasha and Jeff a little ahead.  The first one was from a jogging start and the second from a standing start.  I was surprised at how slow I was.  I have definitely lost some speed since university.  I used to run 28s back-to-back with no problem in training shoes like today.  Sasha and Jeff had racing flats, but it shouldn't make a significant difference.  I felt like I had another gear, but my legs just wouldn't go.  We did another 100m at the end to test timing between Jeff and Sasha.  Then it was back home with a little extra to make it 8 for the run with the gang.

Ran with Jeff, Sasha, and Matt.  Matt joined us on the trail after about 3/4 mile.  We got to the 4 mile mark, and I decided to do the full 10.1 for my long run of the week.  I don't know if I will have time tomorrow to do it.  I was getting tired towards the end, and my hamstrings and quads were a little sore from yesterday, but overall it went well.  It was quite slow though.  Total time was 1:25:27 (8:03/mile).

I went longer yesterday because I didn't think I would have time to do it today, and I was right.  We did some cleaning in the morning and shopping in the afternoon.  Then Kathleen had a baby shower with mission friends and former roommates.  After that we had birthday party/picnic with a family that used to be in our ward.  I was able to squeeze in 6 along the trail while she was at her shower.  I am still sore from the 100s and 200s on Thursday so it was slow going.  I've found that if I'm a bit sore from a hard workout like that it helps to do some faster miles.  It helps to work out the soreness.  I did 6x100m with 100 m rest followed by 2x200m with 200 m rest after a 2 mile warm-up.  The first 100 was 20.8s, and it hurt.  Next one in 21.31s, 20.97s, 19.72s, 18.62s, and 18.84s.  The first 200 was 38.32s followed by 38.59s.  I ran the rest of the way home and ended up with a total time of 43:43 (7:17/mile).  Looking forward to some rest tomorrow.

The usual 0.5 to Sasha's house and back with the 8 miles in between along the trail.  It was the usual gang this morning as well.  The pace was quite slow, but I didn't care because my legs are still a little sore.  Total time was 1:10:08 (8:15/mile).

I haven't run or blogged the last couple of days not because my wife had our baby, but because I was sick.  I had a fever Monday evening and all day Tuesday with some dizziness and fatigue.  I woke up this morning feeling fine, but I didn't want to push my luck and go for a run.  I plan on going tomorrow morning though.

It felt good to get out after a couple of days of inactivity.  I was surprised to find that my quads were still a little sore from the speed work.  Total time was 50:27 (7:12/mile).

Eight miles along the trail at about 7:16/mile pace overall.  I did 4x200m in the middle at 5:30 pace with 200m rest just to see how that pace felt.  It felt pretty good.  I met Sasha along the trail in the last mile and finished up with him.

Sasha called me up about 5 and wanted to know if I had run for the day.  I hadn't done my long run yet so I decided to do 11.5 with him.  We were planning to start about a quarter after, but it ended up being after 5:30.  Just before we started he said that he had a time constraint and needed to go a little faster.  He asked if 7 minute per mile pace would be acceptable.  I wasn't expecting to go so fast, but I said yes.  We ran anywhere from 6:38/mile up to around 7/mile.  I felt pretty good until about the last 2.5 to 3.  I hadn't had enough to drink and was getting pretty dehydrated.  It was tough at the end.  It was an eventful run with eating some of the numerous bugs along the trail, dodging little kids on bikes and fishermen, and jumping over snakes.  Total time was 1:19:32 (6:55/mile).

I intended on getting up this morning and running with Sasha, but my alarm didn't go off. I woke up and looked up at the window above our bed and noticed it was pretty bright out for this early in the morning. I then looked at my phone and saw that it was 6:18am. I checked and the alarm was set correctly and on. I never heard it go off and neither did my wife. I don't know what happened. I ran a little later, and it was already quite warm out. I only went 6 because I'm still feeling dehydrated and my quads are still a little sore. I don't think I've completely recovered from being sick last week. At the very least I don't think I've caught back up on fluids.  Total time was 45:06 (7:31/mile).

I felt better this morning.  I thought about getting up early this morning, but I woke up a little before my alarm and turned it off.  It was another late morning run.  The quads are still a little sore.  Total time was 58:32 (7:19/mile) for 8 miles.

Ran the out and back 10.1 on the trail with Sasha and Jeff.  Felt pretty good.  The pace was pretty slow for the first 7 and then picked up to 7:30 pace for the last 3.  The extra 0.5 was to and from Sasha's house.  Total time was 1:23:41 (7:53/mile).

An easy 8 along the trail with the usual 0.5 to and from Sasha's house.  We met another blogger along the trail and ran with her and her dogs back to Sasha's.  The legs felt pretty good today.  The soreness is almost all gone.  Total time was 70:39 (8:18/mile) so we were a little behind the 8 minute mile guy, but not bad.

It's a girl!  Symphany Amanda was born on Saturday at 3:05pm.  She is healthy and so cute.  I haven't gone running since last Thursday, but I think that is okay.  I'll get out really soon.

This was my first run back after 10 days off taking care of the baby.  Jeff was the guinea pig for some Sasha science data acquistion.  He had the heart monitor on during the run with various pick-ups to measure how it changed.  We ran out to the 8 mile turnaround on the trail while doing a couple of 100m sprints and varying paces.  Then we stopped at the gate to get Jeff's heart rate down as close to resting as possible.  He stood as still as possible while swarmed by mosquitoes while Sasha and I ran back and forth to avoid them.  That accounts for the extra 0.1.  Then Jeff ran an all out 100m from a standing start.  Then Sasha wanted to see how it would change while going 6 minute/mile pace.  They ended up hitting a mile in 5:50 and I was about 30 seconds behind.  I though that was pretty good for 10 days off and only 3 hours of sleep the night before.  I felt pretty good during the run except during the fast mile.

Ran 5 miles along the trail with each mile successively faster.  I wasn't planning it that way, but I felt fine.  Started off with 7:30, 7:22, 7:11, 7:09, and 7:01.  Total time was 36:15 (7:15/mile).  Still tired and not getting enough sleep.

Easy 8 along the trail with Jeff and Sasha.  It was hard to get up at 6 after finally going to bed at 4.  I felt fine during the run, but my knee was giving me trouble throughout the day.  It especially hurt going up and down stairs.  I'm not sure what the problem is.  Total time was 1:03:40 (7:57/mile) for the 8 miles.  I finally caught the 8 minute guy on the last mile.
 

This was not a good morning.  I woke up to my alarm clock, but then fell back asleep.  I woke up again later and was late getting out the door to meet Sasha.  I couldn't find my keys and had to borrow my wife's set.  I met Sasha and Jeff, but I wasn't sure how many I could do with my knee giving my troubles.  It felt okay for the first half mile or so, but then it started hurting again.  I thought about turning around after 2 and probably should have, but I kept going until 3.  There were a couple of times when it felt like my knee was going to give out.  It was a sharp pain on the side of my knee that caused pain up and down my leg.  Strangely though the knee felt a little better after each time.  I turned around at 3 and headed back.  It was doing okay until I hit the uphill spiral after the tunnel under Geneva Rd.  It really hurt to go up that.  I continued on to the 5 mile mark and then stopped.  I tried to run a little bit farther, but it hurt too bad.  I ended up walking back home from that point.  I've never done that before.  I've never had to cut a workout short and walk home.  I've never really had an injury like this, and I don't like it.  I'm not sure what the problem is, but it started after my day back on the 30th.  I had some pain after my run that day.  Perhaps it was too much or too fast after 10 days off.  I wouldn't think so, but I know my shoes aren't helping the situation.  I need a new pair.  I'll see how it feels tomorrow, but I don't think I will run on it.  I spent most of the day limping around on it.

The plan was to go about 4, but to take it easy and see how the knee felt. I also got a new pair of shoes to see if that would help. I got about a mile, and the knee started hurting a little. By the time I reached 1.5, I was done and turned around. It is very frustrating because after a day of rest it feels fine. I can go up and down stairs and walk on it with no problem.  It just hurts when I run on it.  Total time was 21:58 (7:19/mile).

I thought I would give it another try.  I ran the 0.25 to Sasha's house.  After about a half mile with Sasha and Jeff I could feel the pain again.  I turned around after 1.5 with them and headed home.  The knee felt a little better if I ran on my toes, but the pain is still there.  It is not so much knee pain as it is leg pain right next to the knee.  It is in that ligament or bone right along the side of the leg at the same height as the kneecap.  Total time was 27:07 (8:20/mile).

The leg started hurting earlier today, but I ran out to 1.5 with Sasha and Jeff.  I then turned around and headed back, but I had a detour.  I was taking care of some cats for a friend of Kathleen's who was out of town and ran there.  Then I walked home because the leg was hurting too bad.  Total time 23:09 (9:15/mile).

Same old story here only the knee started hurting sooner.  It seems to be getting worse even with the time off.  I'm going to try a bike.

I decided to give biking a try and Sasha offered his bike. I ran a little bit on the way to Sasha's house, but I could tell the knee wasn't liking it. I decided to try the regular 10.1 mile course along the trail. Sasha got out the bike and the back tire was completely flat. He aired it up, and we crossed our fingers hoping that it was a slow leak. I didn't want to get about 5 miles out and be flat again. I checked it at the halfway point, and it was losing air pretty quickly. It felt like it had lost about half of the air we put in. I made it to about 9 and it was getting too flat to ride so I walked it the rest of the way back. In total it was about 9 good miles on the bike and about 0.25 running. The knee hurt a little after the ride, but nothing like it does after running. It was a good quad workout though.

I gave the knee some time off to heal.  I would have liked to have been a bit more active over the past two weeks, but it didn't happen.  The knee felt fine as usual while walking, but it started hurting again after about 2 miles.  It didn't hurt as much so hopefully it is getting better.  I ran the 3.25 in 27:19 (8:24/mile).  The first 0.25 was to Sasha's house and then the first 1.5 with Sasha, Derrick(sp?), and Jared (I think).  It is a bit discouraging not being able to run without pain.

Decided to try the bike again today after my usual 0.25 warmup.  My knee was starting to hurt a bit after the quarter mile.  Did 10.1 in 43:03 (4:16/mile) on the bike.

The knee felt better today even on the 0.25 warmup, but I opted for the bike again.  Did 10.1 in 42:15 (4:11/mile).  The knee felt different during the day today.  It was a different pain than before and less so I hope that is a good sign.  I am wondering if it is a muscle imbalance problem because I have been using the quads a lot more the past two days on the bike and the knee feels better.  In high school and university I lifted weights a couple days a week to prevent injury.  Maybe that would help.

Started with 0.25 warmup and some stretching at Sasha's house.  Then we ran 2 miles on the trail in 16:55 (8:27/mile).  The knee was hurting a little, but it was the best it has felt while running since I injured it.  Then I hopped on the bike for the 10.1 mile course.  Sasha told me to try to go under 40 minutes, so I did.  I got 19:19 for the first half and 20:20 for the second half for a time of 39:39 (3:55/mile).

The usual warmup and 10.1 mile bike.  After riding every day so far this week, I really miss running.  My time was slower than yesterday, but okay.  The time was 43:20 (4:17/mile).

I couldn't drag myself out of bed in the morning after a late night with Symphany, so I ran in the evening.  I just ran 2 miles along the trail in 15:12 (7:36/mile).  The knee felt fine.  I only felt it at the very end with about 100m to go, and even then, it wasn't bad at all.

Another 2 miles along the trail in the evening in a time of 14:54 (7:27/mile).  It was the same as yesterday with the knee.  It only started hurting in the last 100m and only a little.

Warm-up to Sasha's and then 8 on the bike in 33:12 (4:09/mile).  It felt good, but I still prefer running.

I took a little different route this evening and estimated the distance at around 2.1 miles.  My total time was 15:23 (7:19/mile).  I felt great, and the best news is that my knee didn't hurt at all!  I'll try another short run tomorrow followed by some miles on the bike.

Ran with the group this morning and then biked alone.  We had Tyler, Jeff, Jeff's dad and Sasha.  I ran 1 with the group and then turned around.  Total time was 17:48 (8:54/mile).  Then I biked 8 miles in 33:00 (4:07/mile).  The knee started hurting a little before 1 mile, but not bad.  I attribute it to running twice in less than 12 hours.

Two miles in 15:20 (7:40/mile).  The knee didn't hurt at all.

Two miles again in 14:54 (7:27/mile). The knee starting hurting after a little over a mile.

Late evening run in the dark.  Just 2 miles in 14:25 (7:12/mile).  The knee didn't bother me today, but I didn't run yesterday.  I am loving the cooler weather though.

Late evening run along the roads.  It was nice and cool and the knee felt fine.  Just 2.5 in 17:44 (7:05/mile).

I was sick with a cold on Monday and Tuesday, but got out today in the early evening.  Planned on doing 3 and then met Sasha with Benjamin and Jenny on the trail and ran with them for a little.  Ended up with about 3.1 in 22:59 (7:24/mile).  Knee felt fine.

Three along the trail.  The knee was fine.  Time of 22:09 (7:23/mile).

Three along the trail again in 22:20 (7:27/mile).  I did a little pickup with about 3/4 mile to go for about 200m to test the knee.  It felt fine.

Ran a little with the jogging stroller on the way home from a barbecue with some friends.

Three miles along the trail in the afternoon.  Felt bad that I didn't make it in the morning to run with Sasha.  I think that is the 3rd time in a row that I haven't shown up.  I've never been a morning runner or a morning person for that matter.  The 3 miles felt fine on the knee, but I felt a little tired from lack of sleep and not enough water during the day.  Finished with a time of 21:48 (7:16/mile).

Just 3 miles again along the trail in 22:03 (7:21/mile).  The knee felt fine until the very end when I started to stop.  I could feel a little pain starting up.  Not sure what that means.

Three miles along the trail in the early evening.  I saw Sasha coming back with a couple of kids running and one or two in the jogging stroller.  I felt fine and the knee was fine.  Total time was 22:13 (7:24/mile).

Another 3 miles along the trail.  I started out with a 7:23 and then 7:16.  I was feeling good and wanted to push the pace to test the knee and to beat the 7:10 guy.  I finished the last mile in 6:08.  It felt good.

22:34 for 3 miles along the trail

25:12 for 3.5 along the trail.  Saw Matt just after Geneva road going the other direction.

Three miles in 21:40 along the trail.  Pushed the first half mile of the 3rd mile and got a 2:52.  The legs just wanted to go a little faster for awhile.

Ran to the church, did some clerk stuff on the computer and ran home.

Four miles along the trail in 29:36 (7:24/mile).  Picked it up the last 200m to try and get under 7 for the last mile.  Got a 7:01.

Three miles along the trail in 22:00 (7:20/mile).  I haven't had any knee trouble for several weeks now.  That is a good sign.  Now I just need to get back to more consistent training.

More miles along the river trail again.  There were a lot more people out today with the nicer weather, and I went a little earlier in the afternoon as well.  Total time was 26:07 (7:27/mile).  The first two were slower at 7:40 pace, but the third was a little faster at 7:09.  I was trying to keep up with some bikers.

I decided to run in the early morning because I wanted to get the blood pumping for my Physics GRE test at 9:00am.  I thought I would never have to take that foul test again, but my previous scores had expired.  I needed some new scores so I can apply to Ph.D programs that require it.  The run went great.  I did 2.5 in 20:20 (8:08/mile).  The test was another story.  Now I get to wait for my lousy score to show up.  I love standardized tests!

Three miles along the trail in 22:30 (7:30/mile).  I felt okay, but the legs felt flat.

Felt great today.  Did 4 miles along the trail in 28:27 (7:07/mile).  I needed to get back to the house so my wife could go to a meeting so I pushed the pace a bit.  It felt fine though.

Did 4 miles along the trail with 8x100m in the middle with 100m rest in between.  It felt good.  The 100s were around 19-21 seconds and the total time was 28:19 (7:05/mile).

Four miles along the trail in 29:50 (7:27/mile).  The first two were about 7:40 pace and the last two were around 7:20.  It felt good.

A few more miles along the trail.  I started at Sasha's house today because Kathleen wanted to visit a woman across the street, and I walked her there.  I did about 1.5 warmup and then 4x200m with 200m jog recovery.  The first two were in 43s and the last two were in 41s.  Not too fast, but I wanted to get the legs moving a little bit.  I finished the run in 28:50 (7:12/mile).  It felt good and no knee troubles.

It was a nice, warm day, and I ran in the early afternoon.  I warmed up about 1.5 and then did 8x200m in 42-40s with 100-200m rest in between (depending on if I noticed the marks on the trail or not).  It felt good.  I then finished the rest of the run and finished with a total time of 27:10 (6:47/mile).  I didn't run yesterday because my other knee was hurting a bit.  I usually get some aches after helping take down chairs and tables in the gym.  I decided to err on the side of caution yesterday, but the knee felt fine today.

Did a loop along the roads in the evening.  Would have gone longer, but it was getting late.  I'm just glad I got a run in.  Total time was 18:36 (7:26/mile).

Ran with Sasha, Tyler, and Derek.  It was pretty warm this morning, but I guess it is supposed to get colder and snow later.  Started with 0.25 to Sasha's and then ran 4 with the group.  Ended with a total time of 33:47 (7:57/mile).

Just 4 along the trail.  It was a bit cooler, but the sun made it nice.  Total time was 29:07 (7:17/mile).

Another 4 miles along the trail.  They usually keep the trail pretty clear of leaves, but not this year.  They are everywhere.  I don't mind them too much.  It makes it a little softer, but it is tough to see the marks.  Total time was 29:44 (7:26/mile).

The plan was to run 5 miles, but I decided to add the extra 0.25 at the end to make it 20 miles for the week.  That is a post-baby, post-injury high week.  I finished in 39:55 (7:36/mile).

Easy 4 along the trail in 29:44 (7:26/mile).

Easy 5 along the trail in 37:18 (7:27/mile).

Easy 4 along the trail.  It felt warmer out than the temperature said.  It probably had to do with me wearing a black shirt.  Total time was 29:37 (7:24/mile).

Four along the trail in 26:47 (6:41/mile).  I felt like going fast today.  I ran an 800m in the middle at 5:30 pace.  It felt okay, but it didn't really feel sustainable for much more than a mile or two.  I was at 13:50 at the turnaround.  I planned on slowing down after that, but decided to try and break 27:00 for the 4 miles.  Finished up with 12:57 for the last two miles.

Five miles along the trail in 37:11 (7:26/mile).

Another 5 miles along the trail in 36:21 (7:16/mile).

I hadn't run towards the lake along the trail for awhile and am able to report that the trail is indeed closed right before the KOA kampground. I turned around and finished off the 4 miles in the other direction. I don't remember my time and can't find where I wrote it down (if at all).

Turned out to be a bummer of a day.  We were getting ready for our trip to California, and needed to pick up a few things from the store.  I went out and the car wouldn't start.  We had been having some troubles with it and had changed the battery.  That seemed to work for a few days and then this happened.  I messed around with it for a little while (I've got the bruise to show for it) and couldn't figure anything wrong.  A neighbor tried to give me a jump to no avail.  He ended up towing me to the shop.  They fixed it right up and got it running just fine.  The terminals needed to be clipped and cleaned better than we had done apparently.  The starter wasn't getting enough power.  It makes me wonder if the guy who tested the original battery was completely truthful considering it was supposed to be good for another year and a half.  Anyway, I ran to the shop to pick it up and then drove it home.

No miles today. Just travel.  We left at 6 am and finally arrived at our destination at around 5:30pm Utah time.  The plane ride was nice and Symphany did great.  The 5+ hour car ride in horrible holiday traffic was another story.  I'm just glad I wasn't driving.

I ran today in Paradise.  In Paradise, California.  We are here visiting family for Thanksgiving.  Got a good workout on the hills and some trail running.  It was a beautiful area.  I enjoyed the lower elevation as well.  Ran for a total of 32:12 (7:09/mile).

Good way to start off the month.  Ran 4 miles along the trail in 29:39 (7:24/mile).  It was nice and warm today for Dec. 1st.  Shorts and t-shirt weather in the afternoon.

Four miles along the trail.  With the trail closed I've been going the same direction every day.  It gets old.  Total time was 30:53 (7:43/mile).  Felt a little tired, and the legs were a little sore.

A little different route today.  I ran down Independence Ave. and then headed back towards BYU instead of towards Geneva Rd.  I caught the trail under the 820 N bridge and added a little more before turning around and heading home to make it 4 for the day.  Total time was 29:36 (7:24/mile).

The usual 4 along the trail. Total time was 30:08 (7:32/mile).

Much different route today for the 4 miles.  Started off as usual and then headed down Independence to the north.  Made a loop and ended up back on Independence after going under I-15, crossing the overpass on Center, and going down some stairs.  It was an interesting route, but I didn't enjoy the cars flying by on nearly every stretch of it.  Total time was 30:00 (7:30/mile).

Got a call from Sasha the night before asking if I wanted to run in the morning.  I took him up on the offer and did 4 with Mary Ann and him.  It was fairly warm out, and I ended up taking off the hat and wishing I hadn't worn pants.  The extra 0.5 was from running to and from Sasha's house.  Total time was 38:20 (9:35/mile).  I think that is getting into boltushka (sp?) territory.

Another morning run with Sasha, Mary Ann and Jeff.  It was a blistering 45 degrees this morning!  Ran to Sasha's house and then did ~2 warm-up to the start of the Provo River 5 mile tempo course.  Sasha and Jeff were doing a 15 mile tempo.  I did the first mile with the group (5:50) and then turned around.  It felt good to go that fast.  It felt tough in the middle, but I settled into a nice pace and felt great at the end.  I felt like I could have kept that pace for at least another mile.  I thought that was pretty good considering my sporadic training over the past several months.  Finished with a total time of 45:40 (7:22/mile).

It was quite a change in temperature from Saturday at only 21 degrees. You know it's cold when Sasha wears pants and a hat. I ran 2 with Sasha and Dustin with Mary Ann joining us for about 400 m at the end. I then turned around and headed home for a total time of 33:59 (8:00/mile).

Let it snow!  There was about 3-4 inches of snow on the trail, and it was still coming down this morning.  I ran with Sasha, Jeff and Mary Ann.  Did my 2 and then turned around.  Total time was 34:30 (8:07/mile).

Seven miles along the snowy, icy trail in 1:00:39 (8:39/mile) with Sasha and Mary Ann.  This will be my long run for the week.  Tomorrow should be shorter.  Felt okay for the run, but the stomach was having issues.

Cold morning run with Sasha and Mary Ann.  We did 5 along the trail with a pit stop at Macey's.  Total time was around 44:54 (8:58/mile).  The extra 0.5 was from running to and from Sasha's house.

Ran 5 miles with Sasha and Mary Ann with the extra 0.5 for the warmup and cooldown to Sasha's house. Felt fine. It was a heat wave with temps in the 30s. Total time was 47:03 (8:33/mile) for the 5.5.

Five slow, difficult miles along the trail.  The trail wasn't plowed in most places so we had to run through about 6-7 inches of snow.  It felt like I was back in college running on the dunes up at Lake Michigan.  I ran with Sasha and Mary Ann as usual.  The total time was 46:05 (9:13/mile).

Five miles along the trail with Sasha and Mary Ann.  They plowed the trail so it was much easier today.  We even did some strides on the dry spots.  Total time was 44:50 (8:58/mile).

It was warmer this morning with very little signs of the large predicted snowfall.  There was about an inch of new snow, but nothing near what was predicted.  I ran 5 miles along the trail with Sasha with a bonus Christmas present from Provo city.  The trail was opened!  It has been closed for awhile now in one direction making it impossible to run towards the lake very far.  Total time was 46:13 (9:14/mile) for the 5 miles.

It was just Sasha and I again this morning.  We did 5 miles in 46:38 (9:19/mile).  The legs have been getting an extra workout this week with all of the snow on the trail, but it is probably a good thing to give some of those underused and stabilizing muscles a workout.  I prefer running on the trail to running on the roads where you have to fight the traffic.  It's not as relaxing to run when you have to worry about cars all the time.

It was a good end to a good, consistent week of training.  It was the usual 5 miles with Sasha along the trail, but it was much faster today.  The frigid (9 degrees) temp made for decent traction on the snow.  Total time was around 46:14 for 5.25 (8:48/mile).  We were going 8:30 pace for awhile.  I had some watch troubles so the time may be a little off.

It was another slow day along the trail, but there were dry spots in parts so that is encouraging.  With a few days of warmer temps and no snow this week, the trail should be in good shape soon.  It was the usual 5 along the trail with Sasha in 43:05 (8:37/mile).

Ran with a big group this morning.  We had Sasha, Mary Ann, Michelle, and Tyler.  I did the warmup with the group and then the first 500m or so with them on their speedwork.  Then I headed home.  Total time for the ~5.5 was 45:12 (8:13/mile).

I did 3.5 in the morning with Sasha and Mary Ann.  The time was 30:00 (8:34/mile) for the entire run.  I plan to do the New Year Run this afternoon so more on that later.

After the run in the morning at 9 degrees, I wasn't sure how warm it would be for the race.  I kept an eye on the temp and it still said 19 degrees at 12:30.  Then it jumped to 33 just before I left.  The sun was shining and it felt nice.  I drove over, registered and got my number.  After a quick wardrobe change, I set out for a bit of a warmup.  I ended up doing a little over a mile including a little bit with Sasha.  I did some stretching and some strides and got ready to race.  The start was a little bit delayed, but it wasn't too much of an inconvenience.  I just kept my warmups on and kept warm.  My goal for the race was to go somewhere around 5:50-6 minutes per mile.  The race started and Sasha took off.  I debated on whether to go with him and try to hang as long as possible, but decided against it since he was shooting for 5:20-5:30 pace.  Adam and Chauncy were right there so I thought maybe I could draft for awhile, but the pace was too slow so I took off.  Sasha was slowly pulling away, and I was building a small gap on Adam.  I hit the first mile in a respectable 5:45.  The course out to the turnaround was a headwind the whole time after about 600 meters.  It was a bit cold, but I kept pushing.  I was feeling good and passed Sasha going the other way.  I hit the turnaround and had about a 100 meter lead on Adam, but Chauncy was closing on Adam.  It was a little after the turnaround that I developed a nasty side cramp on my right side.  The same thing happened on my last race.  It was slowing me down and generally being annoying.  I didn't see the mark for the 2nd mile, but I got my split at the mile mark on the way back and figured my splits out that way.  The second mile was 6:24, so I slowed down considerably.  I expected Adam and Chauncy to go by any second, but there was no sign of them.  I finally got the cramp worked out a little bit with a half mile to go and tried to kick it in.  With about 400 meters to go, I could hear someone coming up behind me so I sped up a notch.  I didn't want to look behind me so with 200 to go I gave it all I had.  The last mile was 5:52 with the last 0.1 in 36 s for a total time of 18:37.  That is almost right on 6:00/mile pace, so I was pleased.  It is the fastest 5K I have run in quite awhile.  The last 5K I ran was the Cougar run in 2006 with a time of 19:28.  My training has been sporadic for the past couple of months and almost non-existent before that while working through an injury.  My time will drop as I get some more consistent training in.  I finished the day by running a cooldown with Adam.  We ran out to the turnaround of the course and drove his truck back while picking up the cones along the way.

I was pleased with the race overall.  It was small but adequate.  Having the registration, food and awards in a house nearby was nice.  Things didn't go as smoothly as they could have, but I enjoyed myself, and Mary Ann did a good job overall.  Things will improve as more people hear of the races, and the bugs in the system work themselves out.  I will definitely run more races in the series and will recommend it to my friends.