Turn your rut into a groove.

am--8 Zen Playground w/ Andy. Started out bitterly cold and ornery but concluded on a high note w/ discussion about 2016 and the future present. I struggled mightily climbing today. 

am--6.5 Short SC Parkway loop w/ neighborhood extension. Boy was I huffing and puffing this morning. Maybe the break was worse for me than I thought. But, I didn't die and enjoyed the warmer morning. Seems like a storm is pending. RHR--53. 

pm--7.5 Easy miles w/ 6x 100 striders. I'm feeling a bit off, maybe getting my annual illness, but finally worked into a semblance of goodness. 

pm--4 Some miles to knock off the dust after being sick. It was difficult but felt good. Maybe, my body was ensuring a break. RHR--53.

pm--5 Prospector from Maverick w/ the girls. It was a nice run. Thankfully, the kids ran a workout yesterday, so I was able to keep up. RHR--56. 

pm--6 Barrel Roll figure 8 (counterclockwise). Really nice run all by my lonesome. NOt sure why, but the last few times I've run in the SCRR it has been overcast. RHR--53. 

am--5 Truncated morning run. I wanted to get out and start my day w/ a run. It was pleasantly chill and thoroughly enjoyable. Maybe I'll hit another later. RHR--59. 

pm--6.75 River Trail w/ striders. It was a fun run w/ the girls, chatting about medical terminology and history vocab., among other nerdy things. I really love running w/ the girls--some of my favorite people in the world. RHR--58.

am--7.25 Lower Zen w/ water tank extension w/ Tom. Had some good running and good convo. The place was crawling w/ campers and RC truck folks. It's fun to see people out and about. 

pm--7.5 TM Tempo. I didn't get out w/ the high school kids because the fam went to PV. We haven't been up there in a long time. Nevertheless, I still feel like we're trying to find a way to really enjoy the place. Maybe we need to get up there with just our little family and not the cousins. Anyway, back to the run. I pushed the pace into the Tinman zone for 30 minutes, ~ 4 miles. It felt comfortably hard. I love getting a run like this. Maybe if I did something like this 2-3 times a week, I might really get faster. 

am--4.5 Fiddled around w/ a mutation of the morning route. It wasn't quote as long as I would've thought. So it goes. RHR--54. 

pm--3 A few miles in the evening, trying to break the mold developed from that sickness a few weeks back. It's funny how you can feel the ebbs and flows of fitness. 

pm--3 Had a busy afternoon and evening, so I didn't get to run until late. I roped my neighbor into a quick run. It was nice catching up. 

am--4 I haven't been able to get out in the afternoons this week. At some point, I have to decide I'm not taking a 0.

pm--5.5 Middleton and 8x Striders. Decent run in perfect weather. I'm thankful that PVHS has such great kids. RHR--55. 

pm--10 SC Mountain (Suicidal Tendencies). Nice end to the week w/ a space run in the desert. The temps couldn't have been more perfect. Cruised w/ Ed Sharpe and Panda, 2 groups that are really close to a definition of me. On another note, the lower abdomen is a bit sore, especially w/ the faster downhill running. Man, I'm getting old. 

pm--7.5 Anasazi from the cemetery to the homestead. Very joyful run. Had a breeze that was just cool enough to remind me that I was alive. I love the view of the river from the jeep trail on top. Often animals chase around the river bottom but not today. 

am--5 Looped through Serenity to Tuweap and back. Felt decent. It was good to enjoy some cold again. RHR--52.

pm--3 Ran numerous small laps around the neighborhood park while my 2 youngest swung & played on the playground. I felt weak. Not sure why.

am--6.5 What a clear, crisp morning. Waxing Wolf Moon standing sentinel over the earth. It must have been the moon. (There's no other explanation.) For nature was afoot in the neighborhood. I saw a coyote take to the gully from SCHS and smelled a skunk. Later in the run, my path converged w/ that of 2 women and a lab. They were a bit ahead of me, but I eventually caught up to them and heard, "Oh, there's an extra shadow!" I think I startled them. I can't help but wonder if, just for a split second, they thought I was one of the 3 Nephites, protecting them on their early morning run. The run was uneventful other than that. RHR--52. 

pm--8 Rim Circuit w/ extra mesa loop and short extension to even out the mileage. The afternoon was perfect. Over the last week or so, I have been worried that the current temperatures portend a face-melting summer and maybe let it grizzle my do a bit. But I decided to enjoy the weather right now and take what comes when it comes. That decision made today's run fabulous. Also saw an old mountain biking neighbor. RHR--54. 

Another great thing about today's run--my watch tracks climbing, both ascent and descent--was that the total descent for the run was 666 ft., the only thing that wasn't heavenly about the jaunt. 

pm--8 Foremaster Loop w/ 1, 2, 3, 2, 1 pickups w/ equal recovery. Striders after. Felt pretty good the whole time until the striders, then my groin/thigh started to twinge a little. On another note, Macey had a great run. Her watch was yelling all kinds of PR's at her. 

pm--4 It took 2 attempts, but I finally got a run in. My thigh/groin pain was too much the first attempt. The second, I was more determined & eased into it. Felt better as I got going. That's what I love about running, it makes most problems go away.