Turn your rut into a groove.

pm--7 Rim Circuit. I hit the trails on what was supposedly the hottest day of the year so far. Mitigated by a light breeze and cloud cover, the ~90-degree heat wasn't nearly as oppressive as you might expect. The run was great, a truly sensory experience. Yellows and purples and greens go well w/ the eternal brown and gray.

And then--I was in a truly meditative mood--it dawned on me that the body becomes a defacto drum kit, keeping time on the trails. The lungs keep the basic frame w/ the in-and-out of the breath. The crunch and slap of the feet are something akin to the hi-hat. And with my hippy-dippy jumiper-berry bracelet, the armswing mimics the soft rattle of the snare. 

Despite the greatness of the run, there were some jumpy moments. I just missed a snake crossing. (Don't worry, not a rattler.) Rabbits dive in and out of the bushes. And lizards randomly transect the trail throughout. All-in-all a good day. RHR--52.

am--7.5 Moe's w/ Tom. Nice, warm day. It was a good day to be on the trails because all of the bike freaks seem to be enjoying the Ironman in some way, shape, or form. Always good to go dirt cruising. RHR--55.

pm--5 Tready Fartlek. I did 12 x 1 min. from ~7:00 to 6:40. The legs felt nice. Right now, I have a nice vision of myself, and it allows me to act as if I'm one heck of a runner. Did some push-ups, sit-ups, and kettlebell stuff after. Happy Star Wars Day. RHR--54. 

pm--3 Green Springs w/ Carli and Maryann. Not many miles, but it was enough for my legs today. RHR--53.

pm--7 Nice run around the barrio w/ my neighbor. I really had to get some stuff off of my chest. Glad he was willing to commiserate. RHR--56.

pm--5 A quick and draggy run before taking my girls to the PV Dance concert. It was fun. 

pm--8 Kidney Loop via Lava Cove and back through Serendipity. It was splendid out tonight. I felt peppier and peppier as I ran. Maybe I was channeling the spirit of Matthew Maton except I'm not in high school as was no where near sub-4:00. RHR--52.

pm--8 Longish run w/ a 21-min. Tinman thrown in. I'm happy about my 2 longest runs of the week being equal and back-to-back. The Tinman section was 7:45-7:15. Then I hit a 1/2 a mile a bit faster. Weights and kettlebell after. I'm feeling swole already. 

pm--7 Freeflowing Fartlek on an impromptu Canyons route. 10 pickups ~ 1 min. in duration w/ a bit more recovery in between. The speedy sections were faster than last week--low 6's--fast enough to get the legs cheering and the lungs yelping. RHR--48.

pm--5 Some easy miles, watching the Dodgers torch the Marlins. RHR--54.

pm--6 Around the hood w/ some neighbors. I was the only one w/ sleeves. Felt like I was at Crossfit or something. I love running. RHR--54.

pm--3 Easy peasy before a hot date. 

pm--6 Back at it w/ a run through the hood. The weather, in the wake of the rain, was beautiful. 

pm--4 Just a run.

pm--5 A nice solo run sans music. Dinner laid a little heavy on the gut. 

pm--5 Nice little jaunt up Sidewinder on a perfectly overcast day. Glad I got out. It pulled me out of the end-of-the-school-year doldrums. 

pm--4 Sluggish run w/ a belly full of Memorial Day BBQ. Hope to get back on the running track this week after 2 crumby weeks. 

pm--5.5 Chuckwalla w/ my buddy from ID. It was a nice push in the afternoon heat. The heat actually didn't feel that atrocious. 

pm--5 Anasazi Trail just past the summit w/ my bro from Idaho. Not bad at all as the sun was setting.

pm--3.5 Nothing special unless you're into the treadmill. Got going late. 

am--5 Some Zen Trail w/ my buddy from Idaho. 3 days on the trails this week and some good climbing. Feels good. 

am--9 Shorter Ivins loop. The run today felt okay. It took a while to get a groove going, and I have to consciously keep myself in check because my body is used to shorter runs. It just wants to go and be done. In the end the run was a good one--hard after some good, climbing trails runs--and I finally got in more than 4 runs in a week. Nice.