Well I didn't think I'd make it this far....

I was going to do a small run like I do every Sunday, but taking into consideration yesterday's run, I thought I deserved a break. So no running today. I took a fifteen minute ice bath because I didn't get the chance yesterday. It was semi-cold, although it was no where near as cold as the ice baths that we do at the track. I did core right after.

Today we met at Sugarhouse park. We did the cemetery run with two loops and then a big grass loop once we get back to Sugarhouse park. As always, this run seems like an eternity. When your just getting back to Sugarhouse park you feel like it was ten, but then you still need a big grass loop. Anyway I started out with Natalie and we were going at a pretty fast pace to try and catch Ben who was ahead of us. We weren't catching up so I surged to Ben and Nat fell behind. When I caught Ben I looked back and Nat had made up a lot of ground but she never caught us. From there Ben and I ran to the cemetery and we did the two loops. Ben got ahead of me close to the end of the second lap and I never caught him. From there I just tried to maintain a steady pace, which I guess I did. 6:51 average for ten miles is not bad, especially coming off of a fifteen miler on Saturday. It was sopping wet the entire run, which sucked. Terrible weather today. I will do my core right after I finish blogging. Here is my Garmin link:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/103394964 

AM: Today we met at Wheeler farm for a killer interval workout. Two miles warm up then  three sets of 1-2-3 with 1-2-2 recovery. Then a cool down to make it ten for the day. All my splits and stuff are on Garmin connect, but they are really confusing cause there are like forty of them. I counted thirteen laps around the loop thing. I hit 5.11 miles during the intervals. My right hip was killing me in the last mile in the cool down. I will do the massage stuff Bill told me to do. I did my core when I got home and I will massage my hip a little later. Here is my Garmin link: 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/103648169 

PM: So I needed some more mileage today in order to hit my 60 this week. I was planning on four but I was still about half a mile away from my house when I hit four so I went to 4.5. My hips had been hurting a bit and my foot has felt better so I decided to take a chance and run in my Nikes. Before I put them on, I slipped the soles from my Mizunos into the Nikes to see what that would do...... They felt amazing. Better than my Mizunos. I think they actually helped my foot feel better. I will do that and take them to the run tomorrow and see what happens. Anyway, nice run. I was doing a quick pace, but nothing that requires real pushing. Here is my Garmin link:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/103737120 

Today we met at Shoreline trail right across from the zoo. Today was more of a recovery day for me.  Easy seven miles, but on the way back Ben and I pushed it, especially on the uphills. To make it seven we went up the little trail by the surveillance gate until we hit 3.5, then back the same way. Did core, wall sits, step ups, and arm swings after we finished the run by the drinking fountain. My Nikes felt great today. Looks like it was the soles that were giving me trouble. Great run, I'm not tired at all. I really used it to recover. I will have to run later tonight as well. Here is my Garmin link:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/103868665 

PM: Needed some more miles for the day so i did 3.5 to put myself at an even 35. Easy, boring run. It was a bit too dark, but it was the earliest I had the chance. Here is my Garmin link:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/103927647 

Today was our annual bike and run. This year the Brighton team joined us. I was paired up with Maggie this year. We did really well! We were ahead up until the turn around, and we made a lot of ground on the people who were ahead of us. We were third overall, and second from East. Hooray for Chic-Fil-A gift cards! Next year if we are paired together, we are gonna win no doubt. Afterwards we had a group breakfast and I almost got Ben to puke! JUST A FEW MORE PUKING SOUNDS! It was a huge success and I had a blast. I can't wait until next year's Bike and Run. Here is my messed up Garmin link because I was unknowingly stopping it and forgetting to start it:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/104110843 

PM: Needed some more mileage for today so ran an easy three miles. Boring run, but really hot. I did it in the heat of the afternoon, but despite that I was going a good pace. Here is my Garmin link:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/104143759 

Today we met at Liberty for some easy speed. One lap warm up, then a lap fireman, then two laps cool down and a little extra to make six. Easy workout. Now to rest for the race tomorrow. Here is my Garmin link:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/104262755 

Well today was the Minuteman 5k. I went into the race not really having a goal. I honestly didn't know how fast... or slow... I could run, considering my previous races. But I was happy with my race today. I had planned to run a two mile warm up, but I had hit above 2.5 by the time I got back to the race area, so I ended up doing three. Then a few drills with the team and some light stretching and strides by myself. I had a nice, open spot at the line. Dakota warned me that they start the race without a countdown so I made sure to be ready for the cannon fire. That was a loud cannon. I not only heard the enormous boom, but I felt it. I got out really fast. Right before the first uphill onto State St I found myself among the elite men. I was worried that I had gone out way too fast and considered slowing down a bit, but I was in a good position and I just went with the pace. At this point in the race I just didn't want to die, like I had the past two races. I felt good at the one mile, so I continued on with the fast pace. When I had turned by the Forever 21, on the opposite side of the island I heard Bill scream something, I'm not sure what, and I saw where he was and I looked behind me and Ben was about 60 meters behind. The stretch from that point to the last big hill was where I should have picked it up and tried to pass some people, had I known it was the last stretch. Anyway, I held on along this part of the race well enough, there was one guy that passed me, but I passed him going up the last hill. About halfway up the hill Ben caught me and he was booking it. I hadn't quite pieced it together yet that this was practically the end of the race, or else I would have tried to match Ben's pace, so I kept along my pace and once I reached the top of the hill I saw the flags which meant the finish, so I sprinted until the end. Overall I did well, I could have run faster that's for sure, but over a one minute PR is good enough for today. Next year I will have more experience on this course and I will know exactly how to race it. Afterwards I cooled down to hit 9.5 for the day.......I guess pushing to stick with Ben on all those long runs did pay off.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/10453148