Turn your rut into a groove.

pm--7.25 Ran up to the Canyons and down around McDonald's and back home. The temperature was durn near perfect.

Note to self: Get to bed earlier. Lack of sleep is a soul crusher.

pm--9 Got home very late last night after watching a pack of wolves tear apart a bunch of cougars. I ended up getting a nice power nap after work and headed out for a jaunt. It felt good to loop around the neighborhood. 

pm--9 In the dirt on a balmy day. Hit the Barrel Roll w/ Sidewinder extension. ~950 feet of accumulated elevation. 

am--10.75 Ran Lake-to-Lake w/ a buddy and some of his family and friends. I did legs 3 and 7 w/ a little run in w/ the team at the finish. My legs totaled ~10 miles and averaged 7:18 throughout. The 2nd leg was more difficult due to the tired legs. I feel pretty good about 2 nice tempos in a day. 

pm--4 Tready miles, farting around w/ the incline @ 1.5-3.5%.

pm--4 Miles down to Dixie Dr. and back. 

pm--5.5 I'm loving the temperature right now. A nice run into Green Valley and back home. 

pm--3.5 Tready miles w/ 2 @ 5%. 

pm--3.25 Had to try out some new kicks and keep the legs in the habit of running for tomorrow.

am-pm--31 Well, I finished my first ultra, and rather than give all the excuses and explanations, I thought it could be nicely summed up in a top-10 list:

10. There's no such thing as an "easy" first ultra.

9. The shape of the body is no indicator of the size of the heart.

8. If you expect anything other than the time of your life in a trail ultra, stick to road racing.

7. You can make it home on a donut if you watch your speed.

6. Laying down on Mother Nature's dusty bosom might just save you from unconsciousness.

5. 4.8 is really 4.8 squared.

4. You might be dehydrated if the white granules encrusting your whole body are the best thing you've ever tasted.

3. 80 degrees is hot in March.

2. Edward Abbey is not the only one that will drag his body across the desert when a finisher's medal, shaped like a coyote's paw, is on the line. 

1. Salty Ruffles are really good.

Twas not the race I expected but the one I needed. Twas an experience.

pm--5 Easy recovery miles on the tready. New shoes are rocking. Phantom cramps are leaving, and my spirit is starting to repair itself. 

pm--6 Barrel Roll Backwards w/ Tom. Twas good to chat w/ him again. 

am--7.75 I went for a little longer run up to The Canyons and back down through Dixie Downs. Twas a little difficult. 

pm--9.5 Hit the Rim trails w/ my early morning running buddy. It was tank-top weather out today. 

am--14 I ran up to where the Spectrum 10k turns on to Tuacahn Drive to run w/ Baggs. It was fun to watch all the runners. When I met up w/ Baggs he was powering past people. I ran w/ him until the course turned on to the last straightaway then turned back home. The legs were pretty tired this morning, but it was good to finish out the week with a semi-long run.

pm--10 I'm following a Neo-Lydiard schedule that seems to call for fairly conservative paces. I'm excited to see how it works. 90 minutes. 

am--6.75 Fartleked around the neighborhood at various paces across various distances. It was good to get up and run after the time change. Hopefully, it will shift back into a routine. 60 minutes.

pm--11 I didn't know if I would get out tonight. The foot and head were both aching, and I knew I had a longer run on the docket. But once I started running things went well. I went up onto the Heights and up 400 in Ivins and back home. Yelled at Logan and probably took him out of his zone. It was a nice run tonight. 100 minutes. 

pm--4.25 The schedule called for an easy jog, and that's what the body was able to do tonight after a rough night of tossing and turning. 40 minutes.

pm--8 I helped w/ the PV Invitational today and got home a bit late. Ended up hitting the tready for a dimulated out-and-back at 11ish. The pace was a little stouter than the other runs this week. That felt nice. This run's for you, Grandpa Floyd. 70 minutes.

pm--13.25 After a day in the rain, I turned to the tready. This was my long run for the week. 120 minutes. I followed the schedule well but want to find a way to get off the treadmill. Although it does have its benefits. 

8 hours this week. 

am--10.5 No school for the next 2 days due to deaths in the family. So I got out this morning and hit Barrel Roll and Sidewinder w/ a little extension loop. Had fun leapfrogging the Biggest Loser resort folks. 95 minutes.

am--7.5 Fartlek run w/ a buddy around the neighborhood. The pick-ups weren't quite as fast as last week because the legs were a bit tight from yesterday. Nevertheless, that helped me to keep it smooth. 65 minutes.

pm--12 A nice aerobic run up on the heights and then back down into Green Valley w/ nearly every extension I could think of. 105 minutes.

am--4.75 A nice, easy jog this morning up to The Canyons and back home. 45 minutes.