Turn your rut into a groove.

am--6.25 I think I found me a morning running partner a couple days a week. We keep a pretty steady pace and can do some chatting. It feels really good to start off a day with a run. I think the perfect day would start with a run.And end with one too?

pm--5.5 Felt beat today but kept a pretty good pace. It was one of those days you just have to run through. 

pm--7.5 Lower Graveyard/Cholla loop w/ Een 'oog extension.

pm--3.5 A cold, windy run to get my miles up a little before tomorrow's 17. The Landreth 5s are feeling better.

am--17 I packed a GU and some water in my amphipod and headed out to the hills for a long run. I hit the SCRR up the Barrel Roll trail w/ a detour on a new trail called the Sidewinder and finished off a few miles on the Black Brush trail. The vistas were great, and I think I've found my favorite shoes to run around in the dirt in--the Saucony Rides. The  temps were perfect. The only things that kept this run from being perfect were the headwinds and the dufuses shooting guns in the reserve, towards trails even. This is my longest run to date.

am--5 A nice little jaunt on the usual morning route. I want to try to hit a 70-mile week this month. We'll see what happens.

pm--6 Old Swiss Days course from my house and back. 8:33/mile pace. 

am--3 Easy 3 without the watch. Looped around the barrio.

pm--8 Reverse loop around Clary w/ 6x800s. Here are the times:

1--3:21.73

2--3:22.93 some uphill at the end.

3--3:16.69

4--3:20.06

5--3:20.94

6--3:17.88 

OK, not the fastest times but a pretty good pace for me and pretty consistent. Now for some ice so the legs won't hate me in the morning. 

am--6.25 Got out with my neighbor for a nice run through Sunbrook.

pm--4.25 I had to shake the legs out and get 10 for the day. That's my goal everyday this week. Ran up Lava Flow, down Lava Cove, and back through the barrio.

am--3 Got out for a watchless run on the barrio 5k route as the full moon hung just out of reach of the jaws of dawn.

pm--7 Headed out from the house, halfway up the parkway, and back with a tempo mile in there somewhere. 

pm--12.50 This is my long run for the week. I ran out on the SCRR and did the Barrel Roll clockwise. I'm not going to lie. It was hard. My legs are really, really knackered. Tomorrow, I'm going to try the Red Mountain Trail.

am--12.25 There is that common culture question: "What do they eat there?" Well, in Kiribati they eat fish and rice and the next day rice and fish. This thought kept coming to me this morning as I ran the Red Mountain trail because the terrain is rocks and sand then sand and rocks. And when I say rocks, I mean rocks covering the trail, being the trail. Not slick rock but ankle-breakers. And when I say sand, I mean sand like at the dunes. The stuff you sink into. So I realized early into the run that pace wouldn't be a consideration. I also realized that the low-land trails that I'm used to provide an opportunity to run on trails. This trail to day doesn't allow for a lot of running. Nevertheless, I enjoyed myself. As I reached the top, the rain started to really come down. The summit was wrapped in clouds, and the visibility was low. I realized how small I was then. It was God's country or, at least, not mine. I'm just grateful that I get a chance to play there. Even though the run this morning wasn't quality with a capital q, I worked the legs and enjoyed the solitude of a Southern Utah icon. I'll definitely hit this trail again but not with the pretense of running it. 

pm--19 I ran in the desert and around Santa Clara. It was hard. My toenail is blue. I think I've got a small glimpse of what a marathon is like. This is my longest run to date by 2 miles.

am--5 I skipped the run yesterday to let my blue/black toenail rest. Interestingly enough my legs weren't sore after the big mileage. I did, however, look into the toenail thing online and ended up drilling a tiny hole in the toenail to bleed it and, thereby, relieve some pressure. I'm actually a little squeamish, but I'd do it again. I'm thinking the toenail thing was from the loose run on the Red Mountain trail and, possibly, some quick bouts of downhill. It was good to run again.

pm--5 I met a buddy out at the Washington Parkway trailhead and ran the Grapevine round to a monolith and turned around. It was an easy run, listening to some info on traditional dietary habits. 

pm--4 Grueling miles on the treadmill. Treadmill>my will. With the long run, the black toenail, and a 10k this weekend, I'm not sweating the miles. So 40 is my goal this week.

am--7 The wif and I ran a little warm-up before the race and then listened to the Race Director crack a few jokes. My favorite was one about The National Parks Service guaranteeing a spot for every runner in the race in the next race, 100 years from now. The GPS didn't work super well in the canyon--this run went from Big Bend, down Zion Canyon, and finished at the end of Pa'rus trail. It was a steady down hill--400 ft. drop in elevation. I pushed and pushed and pushed, sticking in the top 10 throughout but running mostly by my lonesome. Just me and my mind. The legs felt great most of the way, but I was wheezing. The course was beautiful, the runners enjoyed themselves, and the breath was visible. Everything felt great until Pa'rus trail when the course went into the sun w/ some undulations. Nonetheless, the experience was positive. Everyone PRed. My overall pace was 6:47/mile. It's too bad this race isn't an annual event. 

am--6.25 Sunbrook loop w/ a neighbor and a family friend. Chatted about everything. They're running the rim-to-rim in a few weeks. 

pm--6.5 I took a run around Green Valley and down to Tonaquint and back. Saw Mrs. Sine speeding down the road. 

pm--10.5 It really smelled like baseball this evening. The temperature was in the mid 80s. it felt great. Tomorrow, I'll tough the 90s. I looped up through Green Valley, along the old Swiss Days course and back. The PV boys soccer team was playing Snow Canyon. Both times I ran by the game was tied, nil-nil. I'm hitting easy runs in the 8:30s, and it feels good. 

am--8 Apparently I'm part of a little running group on Monday and Wednesday morning. I like it. We got a little ambitious this morning and went a few miles longer than normal. The legs are really feeling. Calves are tight.

pm--5.25 crappy miles. The heat wasn't bad, but the side aches were.  

pm--6 Easy hour at the Relay for Life.

am--20.25 I worked my long run into the Relay for Life. I thought a long run on the track would be dreadful, but it ended being pretty relaxing. The Relay for Life has become an annual event for our family and friends. 

am--8.5 Went w/ the morning group around Santa Clara and along the parkway then down through Entrada. The run was a little longer than expected, but that's o.k. It was a beautiful morning, running w/ the breaking dawn. Oh, sparkly vampires.

pm--5.5 I waited until after dinner to run the Hammer/Church loop through Green Valley. The temperature was nearly perfect. I'm able to keep the pace in the low 8s, no problem.  

am--7 My neighbor and I drove up to Snow Canyon, ran up--3/4 of the way, back down, and drove home. We saw a few groups of runners. I've heard this is a pretty popular run. The uphill is difficult but makes a runner better I'm sure. 

pm--5.75 Just a nice little run to get myself used to the warmer temps, even though is was only 84 degrees. I ran my old morning route. 

pm--5.25 I just had to get out and run. After I ran last night, I went with the scouts on a mountain bike ride. It kicked my rear. So, the legs were a little fatigued today. I hit roughly 2 miles at what might be called marathon pace, or so say all the charts. My pace is 7:31/ mile. We'll see if I can hit it this weekend at Hurricane.