Turn your rut into a groove.

pm--7 I did a different variation of an out-and-back today. I ran on the tready @ 4% for 6 miles, increasing speed up to  8-min. pace. The last mile, I increased the pace and decreased the incline incrementally. Although the pace wasn't as fast as my previous out-and-backs, it was still a challenging run. 

 On another note, I found out yesterday that I ran more miles in 2011 than Tony K. He's injured, and I'm progressing. Watch out. 

pm--7 Got home after going back to work for the year and realized that I was a little beat from the anxiety of getting into a groove. I totally intended to run for over 2 hours today but defaulted to the tready. I hit a warm-up then 10 x 100 at 6-min. pace w/ equal distance rest and a cool-down. A run is usually inevitable if I give it a little time.

pm--11 Hit the Barrel Roll w/ Sidewinder and finished w/ the Barrel Roll to the Sidewinder trail junction and returned on Precipice. I didn't get out until almost 4:30, so by the time I was done, it was well into the gloaming.

pm--10.75 I'm not sure what it is, but I've felt downright beat when I get home and end up putting off the run for a while. Inevitably, this leads me to the tready. Tonight, I really became intimate w/ the tready and hit it for 90 minutes while watching Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell in their interviews about "The Power of Myth." It's quite fascinating really. Tickles my hippie bone. 

pm--5.25 Ran w/ the kids to the double churches and back. It was good to get out w/ them again.

pm--10.5 I didn't get out until this evening because of family stuff, and when I did get out, I was battling a constant headwind. All in all, it was good to get a medium-long run in to top off the week. 

pm--14 I felt like crudola heading out for this run but really ended up easing into something splendid. I ran up Lava Flow, made my way to The Canyons, and hit Snow Canyon Parkway. From there, I connected to the Spectrum 10k course until 200 E. And I flipped it. Really nice run at this end of things. 

am--6.75 Early morning run on the usual route w/ 10 x 100m strides mixed in. I was a bit tight at the beginning. 

pm--12.5 I headed out through Santa Clara on the highway to Main Street in Ivins. I went to the top and then over and down through Santa Clara. I'm enjoying this longer runs. 

am--5.5 A truncated version of the usual morning route. It was a tad bit cooler this morning. Nice. 

pm--5 Trail Thursday. Ran Mustang Pass loop w/ the great ones. I realized today that it's hard to run right behind someone on a trail. Oh and I saw the legendary Goold (sic).

pm--6.25 Had a hot date w/ my wife, so I didn't get a run in until later. Hit the tready for a progression run. I started @ 8:30 and built to 7:15. 

am--15.5 Went up Gila trail w/ Tom and met Turtle and Justin on the way up. Then cruised back down w/ Chad and the beardies. Overall, good run. I'm beat at the end. The accumulated elevation was ~2,000 ft. Some good climbing. The new shoes are also nice except in the sand. The porous upper is bad in the dunes. 

am--6 I intended on getting in my long run for the week today but ended up doing some exploring work w/ Matt G. for the Zion 100. We basically had to find our way off the lip of a mesa to follow a cow trail to the Kolob Terrace Road. I was going to add some farting around on Smith Mesa, but the time ran away from me today. 

am--6 Usual morning run w/ a little less pep. 

pm--13 I went out to the South Hills and hit Sidewinder and the full Rim loop w/ an extra loop on the top mesa. It was perfect out, and the pace was moderate for the trails. I also got to finally enjoy the 110s without oodles of sand. 

pm--12 I combined the usual morning run w/ the Green Valley loop for a nice longish run. I felt pretty beat by the end.

pm--7.25 A nice run w/ the great ones and then 10 x 100m on the track w/ equal rest in between. 

am--7 I warmed up on the back side of the course and did some dynamic stretches and striders and waited for the race to begin. It's been quite a while since I've really run a 5k, so I wasn't sure about pace from the beginning--I didn't put a chrono on this and just ran at what felt like a solid pace. For the 1st mile or so, I passed a few folks and was passed by some dude who just rocketed away. After that I was pretty much alone although i could hear a runner or 2 behind me somewhere--1 being a great high school runner. I was a bit fearful that she would burn by my the last .25 or so. But I just kept rolling as best I could. The last mile was definitely the slowest of the day. When I turned to head up the homestretch, I could hear someone right behind me, so I gave it all I had left and maintained my spot to the finish. Like I said, I didn't time myself, but the clock said 20:07 as I crossed the line. 

I would have liked to PR today--I was about 20 seconds off--but I also wanted to see where I am roughly as far as fitness goes. Although 5ks are 3 miles of just hanging on, I actually felt pretty good after the race. I cooled down around the finish area and cheered Baggs into the finish where he proceeded to take a small taste of anything offered to the athletes. Fun day. BTW, I think I finished in the top 10 overall. 

8th actually. Although apparently 10 years younger and from Draper. Good times.

pm--7 I hit the tready for a "hill" workout. It was basically 3 x 200m of slow high knees @ 5% w/ 2-3 minutes recovery jog and 200m @ -2%, followed by 4 x 100m @ 7:30ish pace. I did this circuit twice. 

am--6 Usual morning route w/ 10 x 100m strides in the middle on a frozen, foggy morning. 

pm--7 A nice little run w/ miles anywhere from 8:00 to 7:40. It took me a while to get running this evening. 

pm--8 Another tready hill workout--each set was 3 x 200m incline followed by 400m recovery and 200m @ -2% and a few strides. The first set was @ 5%. The second @ 7%. And the third @ 10%. I felt pretty beat by the end. 

pm--10.25 For some reason, I've had trouble running until later in the evening. Tonight, it was the usual morning route w/ a few loops mixed in and an extension on the tail end. The pace was nice and smooth until the last mile or so. 

am--15 Hit the Rim trails w/ Tom. Extended to Barrel Roll and headed home. It was a beautiful day after the initial chill wore off. 

am--5.5 I didn't run last night because the stomach was showing what felt like precursors to a little gamboo. So far it hasn't hit me. I got out this morning for a nice run.

pm--9.25 Went over to Sidewinder and did a few long hills. The weather was perfect.