Running on Twinkies

Last night my toenail fail off. I have been a runner all my life and this is the first time that I have lost a toenail. The results for the 50k were posted and I came in fifth out of eleven finishers. Today I ran 5 easy miles on the treadmill. My right achilles is very tender. I can run on it, but it let's me know it's there and tell's me not to run too fast or too far. As few more days of taking it easy, then I can hit it hard again.

Eight miles before the sun came up.

I ran the Mueller Park trail today. The snow was very deceptive causing me to face plant four times. Once on the way up and three times on the way down. One of the times on the way down, I landed on my chest in the snow and slid about six feet. KerSpalsh!! 

Yesterday, for a Valentine's/Early Birthday gift my sweet wife gave me a pair of snowshoes. So this morning I tried them out. I drove up to Wild Rose Canyon. The snowshoes worked great, but I had forgotten how steep the trail is. It climbs 1000 ft in the first 1.5 miles. After that it levels off and I was able to run comfortably. I turned around at a trail intersection that is two miles up the trail. The uphill took me 35 minutes. Running downhill on the snowshoes felt great. the snow was choppy and uneven, but I was able to keep a good rhythm going. The downhill took me 21 minutes. My right achilles is still sore from the 50k. Hopefully it will heal soon, because I am ready to run.

I wanted to do another snowshoe run today, but thought I should give my legs a rest. So instead I did 8 miles on the treadmillwhile my wife was watching olympic figure skating. Tomorrow I might head out on the snowshoes again.

I took the snowshoes out again. I ran the Bonneville shoreline trail to the radio towers. Unfortunately the trail was 50% snow and 50 % dirt. I ended up taking the snowshoes off and carrying them for part of the run. When I got above the second set of radio towrs there was enough snow again. I wore the snowshoes up the the third set of radio towers and back down to the second set (1.5 miles).  After that, I took off the snowshoes and carried them for the rest of the run. My arms got a good workout.

6.5 miles on the treadmill while watching women's snowboarding at the olympics.

I did some miles at marathon pace today to remember what it feels like to run fast.

It's a girl!!!!!!

There is a new addition to the Twinkies' family. Last night at 6:15 p.m. Eliza Anne Ricks was born. She came weighing 9 lbs 11 oz and was 21.5 inches long. 

I managed to squeeze in 4 miles.

I took today off from work because of the new baby. My mother came down to help out, so this afternoon I was able to head out for a run. I ran the Mueller Park Trail. Today was a day for settings records. I set a new personal best for my fastest ascent to Elephant Rock in the Winter. I made it up in 35:16 (10:22 per mile). That is normally a great time during the Summer. I also made it down in record time. Only 23:37 (6:56 per mile). I'm not sure what it was that made me run so fast today, but I liked it.  

Fresh snow. I had to take advantage of it. I grabbed my snowshoes and hit the trail. The was only a skiff of snow at my house, but at the Mueller park trail there was lots of snow. There was about 2 inches at the base and 4 to 6 inches as I got up higher. The snowshoes worked great on the fresh powder. It is a killer workout. I was short on time and it started snowing really hard, so I only made it up two miles. This Saturday I am going to do it again and go all the way to elephant rock on snowshoes.