Turn your rut into a groove.

6 Ran a loop around Santa Clara to my parents' house. Legs feeling alright. Still aches. I think I'll ice it some more tonight.

am--8 I ran down through the Sunbrook subdivisions. I wanted to get more miles, but my family was waiting to open presents for my youngest daughter's birthday. She's awesome. Happy Birthday, Biz. I'll try to get more miles in later before my team crushes Utah, hopefully.

pm--3.25 around Santa Clara w/ the wif. 

pm--10 up Lava Flow and the Parkway, through Padre, down to Lava Ridge and back home. My Achilles feels fine. My blister is gone. And I ran this at an 8:38/mi. pace--probably an AT for me. This year I'm shooting for 2,000 miles--roughly 39-40 miles a week. I'll get faster and my fitness will increase, and when that happens, I'll probably want to be piling on the miles.

pm--6.25 I ran down to Green Valley and looped around home. I took this at an easy pace and  it felt pretty good. One thing I'm going to try to do this week is get a morning run or two into the schedule. We'll see. It's been butt cold out.

pm--7.75 Reverse loop around clary. My legs were tired, but the rest felt good. It was a little warmer. I like that. I may try to run in the morning.

am--5 I geared up in my jogging suit and went out for a run this morning. I told myself I would. It was a chilly run but not as cold as expected. I had to get out. It's so much easier to get miles when you're running doubles.

pm--5 Second verse same as the first. 

pm--8.25 I went for a nice easy run over into Green Valley to Plant World and back. I hardly remember the run because I was zoned out, thinking about the BCS, not because I'm a fan of the little guy or like one Utah team better than the other or like either for that matter, but because I wish there was a way to eliminate all this conjecture about this team beating that team who beat this team who beat that team. Yeah, it's out of a lack of respect that Utah doesn't get a fair shake, there is also a lack of respect when Ute fans are claiming hands-down champs. If two guys run a race, but each is on a different course, is it fair to give the trophy to the guy with the best time? Is it fair to give the trophy to the other guy? It's a good thing that fairness is only relevant to sports. If not, oh man. 

pm--8.25 I ran up the parkway to the round-a-bout and stretched then ran back. I felt really good and was able to keep the pace around 8-minute miles on the way back. My fitness is definitely improving. Next week, I'm running the Painter's half. I have 3 goals for the race: 1) finish 2) finish in under 2 hours 3) finish in under 1: 50.

pm--8 I looped around old clary. The body was pretty beat at first, but I got going towards the end. 

am--5.25 A nice little morning run with U2 on the headphones.

pm--5.75 I call the run I did tonight the Hammer church loop. Pretty easy run. Getting miles in is so much easier running doubles. 

pm--8 It's my B-day. Yeah. I ran over by McDonald's, down into Green Valley, over to Plant World and back home. The pace was pretty good--8:30. Ever since I got the Garmin, I'm more pace-conscious. A good run. I could have taken it a little easier.

am--5 I looped up by SCHS with a little extra in the middle.

pm--I ran an easy 5 up the trail by SCMS and back. I'm a little nervous about the half. I need to remember to start easy and have fun.

am--13 My wife and I ran the half. It was perfect weather. We are both very pleased with our results. I kept the pace under 8'30" per mile for the whole race. Taking some advice from a Jeff Galloway book, I walked roughly 20 seconds per mile up to mile 11. It seemed to keep me pretty fresh. After the Bloomington loop, my legs were saying that they were done. But I was on pace to reach my ultimate goal for this race--1:50--so I just kept pushing. It's hard to finish off a race when you have no way of visualizing the finish. When I pulled around to the finish the time clock was clicking towards 1:50, so I gave the rest of what I had. The time clock was 1:50:05 when I crossed the line. My watch said 1:49:36, and my official time was somewhere in between.

am--5.25 A nice easy run to get the ache out. I put on the headphones and took off. Didn't take a watch. I just wanted to run. I helped with a block wall afterwards, so we'll see if I'm up to another run today or not.

pm--5.75 I just had to get out. The half got me pumped. I really feel like my running is improving. At the same time, I see how many runners are at a higher level, and it makes want to improve more. There is such a thing as over-training. Nonetheless, I justify these two runs on the heels of a half because I took it really easy and just enjoyed the run.  

pm--I just took it at a nice, easy pace up to the ball fields and around the barrio. I really love running, and if I'm never uber fast, I don't care.

pm--Loop around Clary w/ extension to the round-a-bout. The weather is near perfect. I wore my PVXC long-sleeve and got some yells. Must've been the Gillespies.

pm--6.25 So my in-laws got me some running shoes for Christmas. They were pretty sweet but heavy stability shoes. Me, I'm a neutral. So I returned them, and, lo and behold, the new Landreths were out. Needless to say, that's what I got in the exchange. So, having promised myself that I wouldn't run in them until I had 100 miles on my other shoes, lightweight trainers excluded, I broke them in tonight with an easy 6 and a quarter. I also thought it would be a good idea to give a top 5 list of running shoes I have experienced:

1. Nike Air Hayward (2 different pairs)-- Maybe it's because these were the first real running shoes I ran in, I'm partial to them. Real lightweight and flexible. 

2. Asics Gel Landreth 4--I really like these shoes. At first they seemed a little stiff but have become a ride that I love.

3. Asics Gel Cumulus 10--Similar to the Landreth but with a little more cushion. I can't really say why the Landreth edges out the Cumulus, but my feet can tell the difference.

4. Asics Gel Stratus 2.1--More flexible than the other Asics I've run in but a little less comfortable. Also, I'm slightly vain. So the yellow and black are almost too much.

5. Nike Air Skylon--The Haywards replaced the Skylons and so on and so forth. Similar feel to the Haywards but not near the durability. After about 350 miles these seemed shot.

In truth, I've never had running shoes I didn't like. If anyone has suggestions for future reference, please let me know. 

pm--7.25 I ran in the light drizzle and noticed some smells: Syrup, not syrup on waffles, but syrup in the heating apparatus of a late '80s Volkswagen Golf and tennis balls, the smell of virgin tennis balls. Weird things to smell on a run. I know. But they made the run that much more enjoyable.

am--3.5 I intended to do a long run--10 or 12--and it was drizzling, so I set out with my beanie, my gloves, and my windbreaker. About a mile into the run the rain had stopped, the sun was out, and the temperature was going on 60. I was sweating. I had to ditch the cold-weather gear somewhere, so I decided to run to my parents. My mom's a runner. I thought, Maybe I'll ditch my stuff at her house, and she'll want to run 5 with me. But she wasn't there. My dad was, and we shot the bull. So much bull that I was nearly late for the snow activity with my religious affiliation. So I bagged the rest of the run.

 pm--6.5 I got back from the snow day and had to get some more running in. So I did. Next week I plan on work some hills or doing some speed work and begin strategically planning weekend long runs. We'll see how it goes. Peace. Oh and Austin, maybe I won't forget running stuff everyday next week.  

am--6 Just a nice little run through the wet streets on a cool morning.

pm--8.5 Wanted to go running with PVXC, but they were doing Sunrise Tire hills. I can't think of anything more fun. No, but seriously, hills are a hit to my self esteem. Instead of hills, I ran 8, pushing it a little--8:28 pace. It felt good. 

pm--6.5 Old Swiss Days course w/ extension. For half of this I had a headwind. It makes you feel like you're not going anywhere. On top of that, I was wearing new shoes that still have that slapping rubber on the tread. They just sound heavy. Overall, the run was blue bowls.

am--6 I got up this chilly winter morn and ran with some Greatest of U2 on the pod.

pm--4 I began w/ a purpose--hills--but a friend tracked me down on the road, and we shot the bull. Then I had to hustle home to an activity that fell through. I still got 10 in today and am feeling good about my week so far. 

am--4.25 I woke up and did some mini-hills by the little league fields. Hills, for me, are painful, and I know the only way this will change is for me to condition myself to run hills. So, here's the beginning of the the conditioning.

pm--5.75 This was a nice easy run. I'm loving the mileage this week and feeling great, except for the hill stuff. 

pm--4 Just a nice run with some sub-8 tempo through valle verde.

am--5 I've found that if I start off the week with a Monday morning run, things just go better. This was a quick out and back up Lava Flow.

pm--5 I ran with the PV kids after school. It was fun. A side note, even with all of my running the fitness of those kids makes me jealous. It's like they don't even have to try. And when they do try, look out. 

am--6 I know today will be a tough day for running, so I just had to drag myself out of bed and get in at least 6. Wore the new Landreths. The tongue rubs a little funny, but their starting to break in some.

pm--4.25 After PTs I ran up on the heights over to my parents and did some fire-station hills plus a little-league hill. I'm glad to have today over. 

pm--10 I decided to catch some new scenery, so I headed up Lava Flow toward the ball fields and Paradise Cove and down into Green Valley. It was a beautiful evening and cool by the river.

pm--10 Reverse loop around Clary w/ extension into Green Valley to pick up my girls. 

am--5.25 This was a nice morning run with temps in the 50s, and it feels like it's going to rain.

pm--6.5 On the old Swiss Days loop. I'm a little fatigued, but 60's the goal. 

am--8 I ran up toward Paradise Cove and back home. I think the Tennessee Lady Vols were practicing at The Canyons. The run felt good. I threw in 4 fartleks in the low 7s and hit 60 this week--a new high. I don't know if I'll consistently hit 60 but I'd like to stay between 45-60 most weeks unless my core hardens.

am--5 Starting off the week with a bang and finishing just as it began to rain, I ran a little out-and-back up Lava Flow.

pm--8.5 The pace was pretty slow, but I hardly felt the miles. The past two days I've been steaming about the injustices of the world. 

am--5.5 I had a nice little moonlit run w/ some James on the headphones--Morrissey raves about them, you know. And, oh, it's not spring yet. Phil was right.

pm--7 I went up around the heights with a little league hill and 4 fire station hills. I clocked those at about 150m. It's still chilly. 

pm--12 I ran up past the cemetery, up 400 E. in Ivins, to the Johnson's Arch trailhead, along the parkway, and back home. The fatigue sets in at the end of longer runs, but I feel so awesome afterwards. Miles are becoming an addiction.

am--6 Had to get out this morning because I'm not sure if I'll have running time after school. There was a 30% chance of precipitation this morning. The last 2 miles of the run the meteorologists predictions came to fruition in the form of a light drizzle. I was pretty fatigued this morning, but The Killers pulled me through. I used to be exclusively a headphone runner, but now it's only in the mornings.

pm--10 I got home from school and felt tired and a little weary to run. Then I looked at the running blog and just had to go. So, I strapped on the Landreth 5s and headed out for 10. I've felt better, but seldom do I regret running after I go.

am--6 I just wanted to get out and run 6 to put me up to 60 again. As I started running, I felt good and was under 9:00/mile the whole time. Now I did an out-and-back. After 3 I decided to do some fartlek. I didn't consciously go for 400s or anything like that. I said to myself, "From here to the next junction. From the truck to the sign." Stuff like that. I bet they were all between 200s and 400s though. The first 2, being downhill, got me under 6:00/mile speed. The other 3 on flatter ground had me in the 6:30/mile range. I was pushing pretty hard but still felt loose. I don't know what any of this means except that, now, I know I can run that fast. For how long, who knows? I may run this evening to try and hit 65. Of course it will have to be with my Valentine.

pm--5 A nice Valentine run with the wif(e). This is a new weekly high for mileage. Next week, I'll back off 5 or 10 miles. 

am--7 The In-Laws wanted to go to the track, so I thought it would be good to do some 800s. When we got to the track, however, there was a soccer game going on. So we ended up taking the trail around Santa Clara. It turned into a family rock, but it was saved with 4 Fartleks of 3 minutes at around a 7:00/mile pace. Wore the bright yellow Speedstars.

pm--5 I went to the Dentist, rushed home, and jumped into my running clothes. I can't lie. Tonight was all about getting some miles in. 

am--6 I had to get out for a run this morning. Yesterday, family, fatigue, and yard work kept me happily distracted from running, so I had to get out.

pm--6.25 My body is feeling fatigued. I wonder if I'm getting the gamboo or if the body's just sending me messages. BTW, I like the cushion of the cumulus. 

am--6.25 A pleasant and cold and lonely run.

pm--6.5 My body was feeling refreshed today, and I hit 3 or 4 of my miles at a nice easy cruise of about 8:00/mile. 

am--6 My fourth double this week. The mornings are still cold, but there seem to be more runners braving the elements in the wee hours of the morn.

am--11 I set out to do 8 but just kept going in the middle, so I kind of left myself out to dry. 11 was hard. This week, my body has been a little off. I still put in what I consider some good miles.

am--5.5 This morning was a beautiful run--damp ground, temps in the 50s, and some runners out. Felt good except a little calf/shin ache.

pm--7.5 A reverse loop around Clary. This was close to perfect weather. 

pm--6.25 I went out for an easy run, focusing on short quick strides and ended up running at a pretty quick clip--for me. So I just kept steady and ran a 10k in 51:27. 

am--6.25 Nice morning for a run. I'm still wearing some of the winter garb. Ran into my mom and her running partner towards the end of the run. I really like the fact that the sun is coming up a little sooner these days.

pm--7.75 I ran over past Jacob Hamblin's home to explore the Santa Clara River Reserve trails. I ended up running a small loop on the upper graveyard trail and back home.  

am--9 I explored the SCRR some more and did a lower graveyard-cholla loop. Met a neighbor at the Jacob Hamblin home and chatted with her and her running partner on the way home.

pm--13.25 I slept in this morning, so no run. All day I was doubting my runnerness. I thought to myself, "I'll go home and do 9 or 10 and everything will be better. So I set out to do a little reverse loop around Clary but decided to test the SCRR trails again. I went exploring on the Tempi'po'op trail. Looking at the maps it seemed like it came out to the highway near Rider Auto, so, having a hair in my butt, I took  off. Well when I reached the end, I was at Anasazi Valley--we used to call it 3 mile--without any choice but to run back home. The run ended up being a little longer than a half. It took me 1:59:00. That's some fair ascents and decent trail running. Got home and I was overflowing with runnerness.

pm--6.75 I went on a nice little jaunt after a little yard work. The sun had just gone down and the weather was pert near perfect.

am--5.75 I haven't been out for a while in the morning but got out this morning.

pm--9.25 I went on a nice run in some new kicks--Mizuno WaveRiders. They have a good cadence and a cushy ride. The run was good except that I have some blisters left over from the trail run the other day. 

pm--6 I did some 800s today with 400s for rest in between. I was planning on doing 6, but I'm still not Garmin savvy. Here are the 5:

1--3:19:34

2--3:27:23

3--3:19:32

4--3:24:75

5--3:22:57

Overall, it felt pretty good. I did it on the road and was shooting for at least some 3:30s. If this is the beginning of speed work I think I can do it. 

pm--10 My father-in-law is a marathon guy. He's run a half dozen marathons and tries to get all of his kids to run too. The oldest three--my wife being the oldest--have all accomplished the feat. But sometimes it takes incentives to get them going. Anyway, this year he wanted to run the Utah Valley Marathon. Long story short, most of the family, including me, is signed up to run. Everyone that is running gets a new pair of running shoes. So I decided to try some Sauconys. I've heard great things. Well, this evening, I strapped them on and had my wife run me up to the Johnson's Arch trailhead. I ran the scout cave trail over to paradise cove, back to the canyons, and back home. It was quite a first run for these shoes. The trail is awesome--pretty steep and dangerous in some places, sandy in others. When you reach the summit--QUE BUENA VISTA! I'm getting into this trail thing. I just love being out in the desert.

pm--10 I ran out to the SCRR and did a Lower Graveyard/Cholla loop w/ a Cholla extension. I'm loving the trails.

pm--14 I was feeling pretty unmotivated when I got home, but I finally talked myself into a run. I intended on going anywhere from 3 to 8. That's what I told the wif. But, I just kept going and going, and, to the present, this is my longest run ever. 

pm--7 I wasn't feeling it today. My bowels were churning. My spirits were low. But I ended up lacing on the runners about 7:30 and headed out for an easy run. In the middle I felt pretty good, so I hit about a mile and a half at roughly 7:20 pace. I think I could push that for quite a while, hopefully 6.2 this Saturday.

pm--9.25 I ran a little lower graveyard/cholla loop w/ some exploration on the end and prepared for the Spectrum tomorrow in probably the best way possible--a 9 mile run and Marv's. My goal for the morning is under 50:00 and, ultimately, under 48:00. Good luck to the folks and the Panthers.

am--6.25 I woke up with tired legs, so I was a little nervous. The course is downhill at the beginning. I let it carry me to a pretty good pace. When mile 4 came around, I thought that I might as well keep it up. I'm really excited about my time. And it's awesome to see runners of all shapes and sizes and paces out there. Congratulations everybody.

pm--4 Talked my sister-in-law into running with me. She worked me. My body feels wasted, but I had to get 40 in this week.

am--8.5 Went w/ the fam up to Chuckawalla trail and looped around Beck Hill to Turtle Wall. It's a pretty cool run. Lots of people out today. Then I ran to Green Valley on the city trails. Legs are achy but felt good running.

pm--5.5 Took my mom for a run in the SCRR. I'm in the process of trying to kill my Nikes. 

pm--8.5 A nice, easy run to enjoy the weather. We're headed to Zion today to see how the running is up there.

am--10.5 Ran the East Rim Trail. It's quite the trail, full of switchbacks and snow, at least this time of year. The trail is not super conducive to running, but I ran as much as I could.

pm--7 Did an out-and-back on Pa'rus and Watchman's. Could've been more ambitious w/ the pace.

pm--10 I went out in the heat to the SCRR and explored another trail--Enepitsi. It runs along the river and leads to petroglyphs and monolithic vistas. The run was hard today.

pm--5 I had a real lazy day but still managed to get out and run the ol' morning route at close to an 8 min./mile clip.

pm--16 I did some health fairing/PLCing in the SCRR. I intended on going on a trail called Barrel Roll but ended up on some other dirt road through the South Hills. At 8 miles, I ended up on the rim of a wash with a great view of the South Hills and Utah Hill. This is my longest run by 2 miles. Legs were a little fatigued at the end. I found out the trail is called Cove Wash West.

pm--6 Got out and stretched the legs a little with some longer spurts under 7 min./miles. The weather was perfect this evening.

pm--12 I went for a big loop around Santa Clara and the parkway, down through the wash in Dixie Downs, and back home on Sunset. 

pm--8.5 Through Green Valley, to Plant World, and back home. A windy, chilly run. I don't mind the cold but have yet to find an appreciation for the wind.

am--5.75 After a long 3 days of no real running, I braved the elements with a neighbor this morning. We have a similar pace and the conversation is good. This is the first real morning--5ish amish--that I've done for a while. Forgot how it infuses my day with awesomeness.

 pm--7.5 Loop around Clary in the windy wind.

pm--7 I ran the old Swiss Days w/ some extension and roughly 3 miles of tempo in the middle--7:20/mile pace on the tempo miles.

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.

pm--4 easy, easy miles on the Coral Canyon trails w/ a buddy. I've been feeling beat this week, so I'm a little scared about tomorrow and the Hurricane Half. Seeing all the other runners usually helps me to get up for a race. I'm shooting to better my last half time--1:49:40. Ideally, somewhere in the 1:3X:XXs would be great. We'll see. Maybe rain in the morning. 

am--14.5 My wife, sisters-in-law, father-in-law, and I did the Hurricane Half today. I had a bad week--I felt totally beat. On top of that, I had some major stomach issues this morning. My sister-in-law and I did a little warm-up. Then I did a cool down with my wife and my father-in-law. My wife has done this course before and swore that there wasn't a lot of incline. When we've made the drive back from Zion, however, I always seem to notice the incline and question her assessment of the course. Anyway, wanted to give it my best shot and try to finish in under 1:40:00. Here are the mile times from the Garmin--I finally figured out the Auto Lap. 

1--8:06

2--7:42

3--7:47

4--7:52

5--7:56

6--7:58

7--8:09

8--7:52

9--7:18

10--7:23 This and the previous mile were on the decline off of the plateau.

11--7:52

12--8:35 This was the incline into Hurricane. My stomach and mind were really shaky here.

13--7:26 The Garmin said this was .93. The course was around 13 if that long, and from mile 2 on the mile markers were about .50 off.

Overall, I was happy. I PRed by 8 minutes--would have still been around 6 minutes on a full 13. 1, but I know that I could've run stronger on a different day and am a little disappointed that I couldn't gut out something in the 1:30:00s. Also, congratulations to my sister-in-law, Ally--she placed first in her age division--and to my wife--she PRed  by a few minutes.  

am--6.25 A nice, little run with my neighbor to start off the week. I love the fact that it is light around 6:30 now. 

pm--6.75 I got out and stretched the legs a bit. It felt good. Probably had more in the legs on Saturday. Nonetheless, it was more than that. I need to get a better feel for longer races. Like anything else it'll take some miles.

pm--10 A nice easy reverse loop around Clary and into Green Valley. I'm hoping to make this a 70-mile week. Let's hope it isn't jinxed.

am--7.25 Ran w/ friends and neighbors and Dr. Hunter, chatted briefly about medical ethics when we saw an ambulance at the scene of an accident in the distance, and wondered, at least to myself, What would Hippocrates do?

pm--3.75 I went mountain biking with the scouts on Barrel Roll trail then had them transport my bike home while I ran. To all of you tri guys, biking and running, one right after the other, is tiring. Cheers to you. 

pm--11 A slow, hard run to Tonaquint and back. I'm looking at a short run tomorrow and 20 on Saturday. The body's feeling tired. So we'll see how it goes.

pm--5 Well, I did some anoraking and found out what Tinman Tempo is. So, needless to say, I strapped on some kicks and took off for a run. The body felt really good, despite the 90 degree temperature and the last few tired days. I ended up running 3 of the 5 miles in the 7:3Xs--Tinman Tempo. A good run.

am--20 Well I hit my 2nd 20 miler and, simultaneously, my 1st 70-mile week. With the long run I was shooting for a steady pace on a route that had some ups and downs built into it. I started the reverse loop around Clary then took off up 400 E. in Ivins. I went the length of the parkway w/ extensions up to Tuachan and up to the toll area in Snow Canyon. The last 5 I went down the length of Valley View and back home. The body felt good most of the time. Although after about 17, the mind and the body start to question themselves. My overall pace was 9:00/mile. According to all the charts, my long run pace should be between 8:30 and 9:30. So, realistically, I feel good about the run today. Next week, I'll back off a little. Paz.

am--6.25 Wasn't sure if I'd get any running in yesterday or today. Yesterday, I didn't wake up--had a sleepless night--and, then, spent the evening with a friend from out of town. Tonight will be a long night at school. However, I woke up this morning, and, perhaps, I'll make it out tonight. I'm so glad I woke up this morning. It was beautiful around 6.

pm--4.25 An old route w/ out Garmin. A nice end to a long day. 

am--8 A nice easy 8 w/ the wif, her running buddy, and Dr. Hunter.

am--12.5 An easy long run w/ Dr. Hunter. He's trying to decide whether or not to run the Utah Valley Marathon. He did great tonight. A real animal, I tell ya.

am--6.5 A grueling 6.5 w/ Dr. Hunter and his nurse.

am--4 My brother-in-law is a volunteer fireman like Eliot Rosewater. So the fam decided to be supportive and go run. I thought today would be a good chance to see exactly where I'm at in my running. Most people were just out to have a good time. As a matter of fact, the official clock didn't even have power, so my time is straight from the Garmin. I knew that I would have to hit about 6:30ish pace to break 20:00 in the 5K. That's what I was gunning for. I shot out in front--I had to pass my nephew who was really cruising--and tried to hold pace. Actually I tried to push the pace at the beginning. The mile splits are as follows:

1--6:29 I felt pretty good.

2--6:46 My mouth was drying out quickly, so I had to grab some water at the aid station and walk for just a second to get it down. This may have cost me in the end.

3--6:48 I must've sounded terrible. The huffing and puffing. There were times when my pace went above 7:00.

.1--26.17 I was able to push myself as I neared the finish line. Overall time 20:30.

 I was gunning for 20:00 but knew that somewhere between 20:00 and 21:00 was realistic. I'm starting to have a more accurate view of where I'm at as a runner. Perhaps without the water stop, maybe with a little more mental toughness, surely with some more speed work, today would have been my day. The course--which ran along the path between the new park in Green Valley and Tonaquint--was pretty honest. So this time will be helpful to me in my training. The 10Ks that I have run, although very pleasing, were probably faster courses. With the miles that I'm putting in, 20:00 is very realistic, maybe even 19:00 or 18:00 if I get more serious about doing weekly speed work. Anyway, good day. Maybe a few easy miles this evening. 

am--6.25 Well I hit 1000 miles last week. It's nothing new. I did last year--in October. I'm loving running. What an awesome way to enjoy life. Went out with Dr. Hunter and his nurse this beautiful morning and enjoyed the pace--she hits 8:00/mile pretty easy. Have a good week.

pm--.25 Played some ultimate today, trying to be a good sport and strained/sprained/pulled my groin/hip. There was never a snap, crackle, pop, but I was definitely dragging my leg around at the end of the game. Walking doesn't hurt. But, when I tried to run this evening, it just got worse and worse. So I called it quits. We'll ice, rest, and winter crest for the next few days and see if we can get it licked.

am--20 Woke up at 3 to do 20 with  the wif and sis-in-law. We went down THE COURSE. The first few miles were dark and slow, but the temperature was beautiful. I was just praying that my groin/hip would hold up. It did. In fact, I threw down a couple Tinman miles at 16 and 17. The body felt great, except for the runner's stomach--any remedies, anyone? Plus, I was able to hit my long run pace pretty easily. This is my third 20. I can see the benefits. 

am--6.5 The last few miles of the 20 yesterday felt great, better than I've ever felt at that distance, by far, but, today, the body is sorer than its felt after a long run. Not sure why that is. Maybe the downhill coming through Snow Canyon. Anyway, I got out this morning to hit a little recovery jog and keep the father-in-law company as he tried to squeeze as many miles out of 4 hours as he could. He really is inspirational. His body is broken, but his mind is willing, and he just keeps churning. 

pm--4 Recovery/Just 4 the miles of it run. Both runs today, I ran in ASICS. The last 2 weeks, I have run the crap out of the Brooks that I'm trying out, hoping to give some accurate feedback. I really like the pair of Brooks I've been running in. ASICS, I also like. I wouldn't say one of the brands is a step above the other, but I would say that I've found consistent happiness with the ASICS. Anyway, I'm a shoe nerd.  

am--6.5 Got home late last night from California. We did a baseball weekend which turned out pretty cool. We even ended up in the Torii Hunter highlight. Anyway, ended up sleeping in and not getting to the morning run until after 9:30--mild heat training I guess. 

pm--5.75 Life almost got in the way of the run tonight, but I got out, probably too quick after the Memorial Day BBQ. I had to make a few Hunter stops along the way. Luckily, the golf course was calling, and the facilities were available. Along the way, I saw a docile garter snake and a timid skunk. And the wind. 

pm--12 Not a great day for running. From the get go, I had a running belly and wasn't sure if I would even get out today. To top it off, I've discovered that I probably need to change some eating habits, so that I feel better on the run. Shooting for 70 this week, so about 12 a day is the aim. As I went out today, the stomach was heavy and the legs were tired. I made it. But it wasn't easy and it wasn't fun. 

am--9 Early morning run w/ Craig and Aubree. Running this week is hard. I feel like I'm getting slower. 

pm--4 Little scout activity. They had to run 3 miles in 30 minutes, so we ran. About 8:30 pace. Did some swimming then ran a mile home. 

am--8 Reverse loop around Clary w/ a cousin who's a triathlete. Felt better this morning running.

pm--8.75 I decided last night that 70 would not work this week. The legs are tired, and the gag reflex would kick in every time I thought of running longer miles. I'll hit 60 easy. Then a little taper before UVM. Tonight I went out for a nice run up the old Swiss Days course and down into Green Valley. I hit a tempo mile and a few tinman miles, intermittently. I realize that tempos are for conditioning the body to a certain pace, but I just wanted my body to remember it could hit a tempo pace. And it is bearable. Overall the run shall be called Hills and Headwinds. It's a descriptive name. 8:05 per mile. I feel like I can realistically hit that pace for the marathon. We'll see. As far as preparation goes, my weekly milleage and long runs are really coming along, but consistent speed work and tempo/marathon pace runs aren't. The training for this upcoming marathon is nearly done and dusted, but I'm wondering, for STG, if an increase in weekly mileage or an increase in quality runs each week is the answer to a better time. If anyone out there is reading and feels like he/she has the answer, please let me know. Anyway, the run tonight reminded me that I do love running. I am improving. This week has just been one of those rough patches. 

am--6 Ran the old morning route starting about 9 am. The luster is wearing off the Mizunos. The forefoot cushioning is lacking for my tastes.  But some people swear by them. Pretty good week even though the wheels nearly fell off a few times.

am--11.5 Sunbrook loop w/ some neighbors. A little later I went w/ a Gooblur relative out into SCRR, on the "Anasazi" trail, and shot the bull about cosmology, mythology, and language. I'm glad I got back on the trails again. I've been a little jumpy about snakes. 

am--5 Morning practice w/ the kids. Warm-up, core exercises, run, and stretch. I stayed with the lead pack and felt pretty good. In all honesty, the pace was probably a tempo pace for me. 

am--5.25 I have a little achilles ache, so I didn't run yesterday evening. I got out this morning and felt good.

pm--5 Ran a hill workout w/ the WBR teams. Probably not the best thing for my achilles, but oh well. I still feel all right. We ran up Webb Hill. I did it 1.5 times. Pretty killer. One thing I want to get better at in my running is hills. It's not the legs that dread them. It's the mind and the lungs. We'll see what we can do. It is cool to run w/ some awesome runners.  

pm--8.25 Set out for an easy 8--my long run this week--to see if the achilles would give me trouble. At first it did because the padded collar of my sock was sagging between my tendon and the back of the shoe. But I fixed that before I crossed Santa Clara Drive, and the tendon ache was very minimal for the rest of the run. I also tried to work a 10-second walk break into every mile. I'm going to go with that in the marathon to hopefully avoid an unscalable wall. Just as I went in and out of one of these breaks I think I passed Mike Warren out walking the dogs. The run felt great. 

am--8.25 Woke up and ran to the Speedster 5k/10k to help w/ the XC kids then ran home. On the way over, I was worried about getting to the course on time. On the way back, I was thinking about all the inspirational runners. Ironically, I ran faster on the way home even though it was hotter, and I was more tired. Was also hoping that Holt felt great today. 

pm--8 Ran Oak Grove w/ the WBR kids. Hard but good. 

am--5 Last run before the first marathon. I'm feeling pretty good. My primary goal is to finish. Secondary goal to get in under 4:00:00. Ideal goal to get in under 3:45:00. We'll see how it goes. I'm going to try and trust my body and run according to how it's feeling. The weather is supposed to be nice w/ some possible showers. Good luck to everybody else running. 

I didn't know what to expect, but 26.2 miles is a lot of miles. The course for the Utah Valley Marathon is beautiful--about 10 miles in the canyon, 10 miles on the Provo/Jordan river trail, and 6 or so on the roads through the neighborhood near Provo Towne Centre. Here's how the race went.

1--8:45.50

2--8:05.03

3--8:17.29

4--7:49.45

5--8:20.14

6--8:00.64

7--7:59.41

8--7:58.28

9--8:01.45

10--8:05.96

11--8:04.84

12--8:11.21

13--7:59.01

14--8:02.98

15--8:09.86

16--8:16.49

17--8:02.54

18--8:22.06

19--9:47.16

20--8:55.16

21--9:17.19

22--9:24.97

23--10:59.69

24--10:06.07

25--10:19.72

26--10:16.95

.2--3ish (I forgot to flip the switch when I crossed the line).

I was cruising at roughly a 3:30:00 marathon until mile 18, and then it all fell apart. I was still on track for 3:45:00 with 3.2 to go and only had to hit a 30:00 5K but couldn't quite do it. I'm thankful for the marathon experience and am glad that it's over. But mostly I'm thankful for Jerry--a guy I met running on the shoulder--and his pacing skills. We kept each other going, and I never got a chance to thank him after the race. Thanks, Jerry. After mile 18, it was all about gutting it out. Overall, I'm very pleased. I hit 2 of my goals and nearly licked the 3rd one. Now I know what to expect, somewhat. It's the legs that were giving out today, not the mind or the lungs, which is different than other days. BTW there were quite a few STG runners and bloggers who ran great races today. Way to run.

am--5 Back at it today w/ the XC kids. I got there early and did an extra barefoot lap before core exercises and a 4-mile run. The legs are fatigued, and the IT on my right leg is achy. But, overall, a nice recovery run. It's good to get back at it. 

pm--5 w/ the WBR kids. The body feels good up to 3 miles, and then the aches come--tight hammy, IT band. I'm just going to continue to keep it slow and low this week. 

pm--recovery 5. Same aches and pains as the last two days but near the end of the run. A few more slow and lows and then I'll step it up a tiny bit next week and hit the training hard come the 29th.

am--5 Last easy recovery 5 w/ Dr. Hunter before he heads out to conquer the world.

am--6.5 Barefoot warm up, core exercises, and 6 w/ XC kids. Stuck right behind the varsity boys, pushing the pace a little for me, but it felt good. No hammy tightness. A minor ache in the IT. 

am--5 a mile barefoot, core exercises, and a run into Green Springs. Extra pain in the IT today. I'm going to ice the crap out of it. 

am--5.5 XC practice. Barefoot warm up, core exercises, and an easy 5 along the parkway.

am--4.5 barefoot warm up, core exercises, run towards Green Springs, and barefoot striders. Still having some IT issues. Hope to ease those out. 

pm--3.5 An easy run w/ Nate on the Temple Quarry Trail. 

pm--5.75 I flaked out on the XC kids, so I had to redeem myself. The body felt good and pushed the lungs a bit. I made it through the run w/ only minor aches in the IT and overcame that w/ visualization. I saw myself breathing through my IT band. How's that, Kabat-Zinn?

am--6 XC practice. A mile barefoot, core exercises, and a run out on Telegraph to the river trail. 

pm--Easy 4. My first double-digit mileage day since the marathon. The IT's a little sore. It was aching about a mile in and then mellowed out when I started to hit it with the Jedi mind tricks. Like a greased piston, in and out w/ the breath. I'm going to try to up my miles this week but hold off another week or two until I hit some quality workouts.

am--5.25 XC practice w/ the kids. Barefoot warm up, core exercises, parkway. The IT was a constant nuisance. Every time I give it a little extra--distance or speed--the next day is a killer. I'm to the point that I just want to be done w/ it, even if I have to really just not run for a week or so. 

am--6 XC practice. I'm a little bummed. I took 5 days off, and the IT pain seemed to go away. But, it came creeping back today. Oh what to do? I'm going to take it real easy and probably do a lot of cross training instead of running. I did find some new stretches and a massage technique to help. Paz.

pm--4 Oh happy day. I ran tonight w/ the wif and felt pretty dang good. I've been stretching the crap out of the band and have been reading everything I can about it. I'm going to hit 3 miles here and there and stretch and ice and stretch, and I know things will start coming back. After the run w/ the wif, I ran w/ my daughter for a mile.  

am--5.5 XC practice. BF warm up, Core stuff, and some kind of dog pound run. The kids are doing great. So is the IT. The pain wanted to come back but it didn't. I was honestly worried about going 5, but it worked out all right. 

pm--painless 4.5. By far the best I've felt post-marathon. I've decided to be proactive w/ the IT and changed up a few things. First, I've found some stretches that really help. Second, I'm icing twice a day. Third, I took the hit in the wallet and bought an IT band wrap. Fourth, I've decided, since the opinions seem to be split how exactly to rest w/ ITBS, to keep on keeping on w/ the easy training. I mean if all I get in is a few miles, so be it. I'm not going to sweat the small miles. Last--you may want to stop here unless you're a shoe geek--I purchased some guidance--light stability--shoes. Since I, like many of you, am not bio-mechanically symetrical--I'm a mild pronator on my right side--I've decided to give my goofy foot a little TLC. So there it is. I'm cautiously happy right now. 

Side note--Brooks feel great. A little over 100 miles and a marathon in one pair. Minimal miles in the other pair. But they're awesome. The comfort and cushion are excellent. The transition is divine. I've been very pleased. I say all this because Brooks totally caught me off guard. I'm an aesthetic kinda guy, and, generally speaking, Brooks are the ugliest, clunkiest looking shoes around. Once you slip them on and run in them, however, it's like the looks follow the personality and Voila! they're the most beautiful pair of shoes that you've ever set your eyes on. Maybe the relationship will fade like it did w/ the Mizunos. Hope not. Shoe Geek out.

am--4 Slept through the alarm. Sorry, PVXC. I ran w/ you, just 10 or 12 miles away. The leg felt good. A little phantom pain. Hopefully a physiological reaction similar to tossing the hair the day or 2 after getting the summer bulldog (buzzcut). 

am--4 A nice, easy run along the lakeshore path at UW-Madison. 

pm--6 Another nice run along the lakshore path w/ a little exploration added on. The trails out here are single track paths through the woods. The dense foliage messes w/ the signal on the garmin. Oh, BTW, the weather is perfect. I'm going to cherish 2 weeks of training in the fall-like temps while it's triple digits back home. 

pm--7 I got out on the lakeshore path and took it through the forest and back. Fun run. I believe that this is the longest single run that I've done post marathon, and guess what? The IT is feeling great. But now the top of my left foot is sore, almost like I tied my shoes too tight sometime last week. I'm going to ice it tonight. I wonder if the pain could be coming from the light stability shoes that I'm wearing everyday to school. I end up putting 2-3 miles a day on those. It's fun hoofing it around Madison, the perfect college town. Don't pass up the chance to come here. As Yo Gabba Gabba says, "Try it. You'll like it."

pm--6 A brisk, windy day, even for the Madisonians, w/ a little rain. But I got out on the trails again. The legs are starting to feel good again, and 6 or 7 doesn't feel too bad. The foot's still a little sore. Nonetheless, I'm feeling good about running again. Yeah.

am--7 The last 2 days have been in the low 60s w/ some humidity. Perfect running weather. Today I branched out a little and ran down to the UW Arboretum to do some exploring and then back up Bascom Hill to the dorm. The first week I have hit 30 miles in probably a month. Feeling better everyday. 

am--4 Wanted to wake up and get the week off to a good start. I headed out w/ no preconceived notions. We'll call what resulted a predator run. Started at a moderate pace, worked up to close to a Tinman, and hit a pretty good tempo mile the last mile. The body is feeling pretty good. Maybe I'm getting my mojo back. I didn't type that last sentence out loud, I promise. 

am--6 Well I got back out again after 2 busy days w/ school. Just an easy run on the trail.

pm--8.25 I finished the residency portion of my class today. Went for a run to celebrate. It was a beautiful day today as I went stomping  through the woods. I'm definitely getting my running self back little-by-little. Also decided to run the Waunafest 5K on Saturday. I think I'll use it as a tempo run. 

am--10 Very easy. These last 2 runs have been longer than what I've been doing lately. I'm trying to build up my endurance. Today, my body gave me a little feedback. About 6 miles into the 10, I got marathon legs. Overall, I'm feeling a lot better. Now, just need to acclimate the body.

am--3.25 Ran the Waunafest 5K w/ my classmate, Shad. I thought I would use this as a tempo run and was able to hit a 7:20/mile pace. I felt pretty good. Yeah.

am--6.25 Barefoot warm up, core drills, and 6X1 min., 8X30 sec. fartleks. Felt really good. Nice hard workout. 

am--7.75 It's been a long time, but I was glad to get back to the reverse loop around Clary. The sun was up. Temps were nice. And I forgot my IT wrap. The leg felt great anyway. I'll probably wear the strap on every other run this week. I'm shooting for 40-45 miles this week. We'll see how it goes. 

pm--3.5 Ran from my parents up over the heights and back to my house. I'm loving the running this week. I'm confused though. Supposedly, it was in the 80s this morning at 8:30 and high 90s tonight at 8:30. But they didn't feel that much different. 

am--5.5 Barefoot warm-up, core exercises, and 6X1min., 8X30sec. hills. Tough workout. The girls on the team really helped me through this. They're super tough.

am--8 This was a hard run. My whole body was fatigued, and I had a little marathon mind when you have to really try to struggle through things. I'm not sure why I'm feeling like this on what used to be a pretty routine run for me. Maybe it's just building up after some down time. 

am--6.25 barefoot warm-up, core drills, and a hill workout disguised as an easy run on the trails in Coral Canyon. Then Manu and I ran a few barefoot on the grass. Felt better about life today. 

am--6 I took the old Swiss Days course backwards at a moderate pace--low 8:0Xs--from my house and back. This week has ended up being a pretty good week as I start to build miles again. It's also nice to get in some quality workouts w/ the XCers. 

pm--8 Did a bad job of waking up this morning. (I had a headache). So I took it easy today if taking it easy means finishing up a 5-7 page paper and starting a 10-15 pager. Anyway, I finally got out and ran up over the heights and back down through Green Valley to the in-laws'. The easy pace felt good. 

pm--7 Being the dumb guy that I am, I apparently haven't noticed that running and I have been on the outs. Nonetheless, it seems we both want to save the relationship. We've got to find ways to rekindle our love. And the best way to do that is to spend lots of time together, taking it particularly slow, focusing on cultivating those commonalities like the spectacular view of the Red Mountain and Snow Canyon that we shared this evening. As great as it went tonight, I bet we'll have to start over tomorrow. Here's to running and the eternities that we'll spend together. 

am--7.25 Barefoot warm-up, core exercises, and 6X1min, 8X30sec hills w/ warm-up and cool-down. Hard but awesome when it was over. Ran w/ the girls. They pushed and were awesome. 

am--8 w/ my cousin. Up to the Canyons and down through Green Valley and home. Pretty decent 8 for the day after hills. 

am--3.5 Run at region course w/ some clean up after.

am--13 My wife and the in-laws were running 12 this morning, so I thought, What the heck. We ran from the top of Snow Canyon, got hassled by a ranger at the bottom--BTW it's only $21 for an annual pedestrian/biker pass--and ran on into Green Valley. I hit the last 3 miles at 7:44, 7:30, and 7:18. After that the marathon seems a little more doable. When I finished I walked back a mile or so to meet my wife and brother-in-law as they finished and ran a mile on in w/ them. Great run. Maybe I'll get out this evening to make it an even 50 for the week. 

pm--4 Cruised out for a few easy miles w/  out the Garmin. This is my first 50-mile week in a  heck of a long time, and it felt pretty good.

am--6 A nice easy run. Body's a little tight from Saturday. It was nice weather out and a fun jaunt. Saw the SCXC team out to practice. They've got quite a few kids. It oughta be fun this year. 

pm--7.5 It was hard to get out and run tonight. Not only had I consumed gluttonous amounts of Mexican food tonight--I'm doing whatever I can to remember Spanish--I also poorly balanced my intake of life-giving water w/ my favorite diuretic. In the end I got out but felt the crappy fueling of the day. I'm sure my next running breakthrough will come w/ diet more than anything else. Paz. There's some more Spanish for you. 

am--6.5 Got up early to run down into the golf course and back home. I love running when the last run's still in the legs. Positive affirmation. 

pm--4 Got hung up in a meeting and missed the afternoon XC run. Apparently, I wasn't the only one. Shame on us. Anyway, I talked my marine neighbor into 4. We ran a pretty good pace and sped up to a Tinman mile at the end. He's signed up for the marathon. I think he'll do well if he can build up his single-run mileage. 

pm--4.5 Warm-up and some hot miles. I'll get used to it just as it cools down. The stomach was a little funny today. Maybe it was that PBH that I ate around 1:30. 

am--5 A nice little run up to The Canyons and back home.

pm--4.5 Another hot afternoon run. Half mile warm-up w/ 8 barefoot striders after. I'm growing to love striders. I'm excited to see how the kids run tomorrow. 

pm--5.25 I had what seemed like a long day. Went early to help w/ pre-region and then watched the PVXC kids run well, along w/ kids from all over. I have such an admiration for people who find running so early in life. After that, came home and watched my soccer team whip  up on Everton, ate a nice supper, and contemplated running. When I saw that the temperature was in the 80s, I knew I had to get out.

It was hard though. It seems like I'm going through a real slump. I notice a few others are as well, for various reasons, and it makes me wonder if the sport of running is switching over to a form of cloud computing, where everyone is hooked in together, so any ripple that goes through the runnersphere affects runners everywhere. Anyway, back from the cosmic. I knew I had to get out today. I went for a moderate run but feel like I could do more good w/ some 800s or a long run. I'm signed up for the marathon and don't know if I'll be in very good shape when it comes around.

After Utah Valley, I had roughy 6 down weeks. Getting back into it I have yet to build up the long runs. Nevertheless, I have been hitting a few good workouts w/ the XC kids. 6 weeks out from the big day, I'm wondering how I should handle things. I'm too OCD to jump into a training program somewhere in the middle. I don't seem to have very much time for long runs and the hard speed and tempo workouts have sharp teeth and just seem too big for me right now. What should I focus on? How can I use the next month and a half most efficiently to have a good STG? Or am I asking the wrong questions all together? Chime in anyone who knows. 

am--6 Got out w/ neighbor Greg and ran through Sunbrook. I actually felt pretty good this morning. 

pm--6.25 .5 warm-up before the kids ran pyramids then a 1.5 mile cooldown w/ Cass and Sierra. Went home, ate, let it digest and then out for 4.25 w/ AC on the iPod. I haven't listened to music on a run in a long time. It was actually kind of relaxing. 

pm--5.5  Short warm-up and 5-mile mall run w/ Cass and Stefani. The run felt pretty good today. 

am--7 Went 3.5 up Snow Canyon and then back down w/ neighbor Greg. This workout felt like it meant something.

pm--7 Hot run w/ warm-up and core exercises. We ran up into Green Springs and back to the school.

am--6 Just a nice run in the 70s w/ a few moderate miles thrown in. 

pm--4 .5 Warm-up, .5 barefoot striders, 3-mile ice cream run to AC. Another smoker today. 

am--6 w/ neighbor Greg. We threw in some faster pace, and it felt good. The temperature was awesome.

pm--5 2.5 warm-up, a few 800s w/ the kids--I need to suck it up and do more of these--and a 1.5 cool-down. 

pm--5 .5 mile warm-up and then core exercises. After we went out for 4.5 mile tempo run with approximately 2 miles at a comfortably hard pace. Towards the end of the tempo, I dragged a little, but overall the feeling was good. 

6 3 slow miles up the West Canyon Trail in Snow Canyon and 3 quick miles down. 

pm--6.75 I blew off my morning run then ended up running most of the long run w/ the kids after our standard warm-up and core routine. It was one of those days that I wasn't feeling it, but running anyway made it all better. 

am--10.5 w/ neighbor Greg around Santa Clara and up on Snow Canyon Parkway. It's nice to get in a double-digit run once in a while. 

pm--4.5 .5 Warm-up and 4 w/ the boys. It was fun running w/ those guys, great runners. 

pm--10.5 Did the reverse loop around Santa Clara w/ a neighbor who is training for the marathon. My stomach was funny and I had to make a pit stop at the Canyons. I'm glad I got out tonight. I've struggled to get long runs in, but I did manage to get 2 90-minute runs in this week, which makes me happy. Next week I would like to hit 60 miles and get a run of 16-20 miles. We'll see if life makes room. 

am--8 Up to the Canyons and down to the orchard and home again. Borrowed my wife's iPod and just enjoyed the relaxed running and the tunes. It was a bit smoky out. 

pm--3.5 Core exercises, 2-mile warm-up, and 1.5-mile cool down situated around timing the kids on their 800s. They ran awesome today.  

pm--8 .5 warm-up and then down to the river trail to do some 2/jog/1 AT miles w/ the varsity girls and Coach. We hit the 3 miles, hovering around 7:00/mile, which is :20-:30 faster than tempo for me. It felt good. It was nice to do a more intense workout w/ a group. The girls are super tough and awesome runners. 

3 More w/ the wif. She's getting faster. 

am--6.25 A moderate morning run w/ neighbor Greg. It took a minute to flush the legs but felt great after that. We went down into Sunbrook and back home.

pm--8 .5 warm-up and long, grueling run in the hot, hot sun. I was really dragging today.

pm--5 From the school to the church on Telegraph and back then 8X100-meter barefoot striders. I actually like striders. 

am--17.5 Ran w/ Bags from above Veyo to the N. Bluff chapel. It felt pretty good to get a long run in. Even though I don't always look forward to long runs, after I feel like poking my chest out and just nodding and saying, "I just ran 17.5 miles, suckas." I picked up the pace the last mile thanks to the little bottle of something special at mile 13ish. Oh and it was beautiful out. 

pm--2 more w/ the kids in Provo. 

pm--3.75 I chose to sleep in a little this morning and chaperon breakfast at the hotel. Spent a long day watching the team run well. Got home and went out for an steady, easy run up Lava Flow to Sunset, down Dixie Drive and back home on Country Lane. This was a good week and gives me a lot of confidence in my running going forward. 

am--14 I ran 3 or 4 times at the PVXC run-a-thon at 3 or 4 miles a pop. Each chunk, except for the last 1 that I ran w/ my daughter--she ran a mile straight and is awesome--I hit 8:00/mile or below, and it felt comfy. It was a fun day, especially when friends and fam came to put in the miles in the midday sun. 

am--4 Easy miles to run the tired out of my legs. It really feels like Fall is coming, temperature-wise.

pm--6 Warm-up and run over to Sunrise Tire hill. Up and down 4 times and back to the school. This is the first time that I have ever finished one of these big hill workouts. It actually felt pretty good.  

am--6.25 A good run w/ neighbor Greg. We pushed it up some hills and took it easy on some flatland. We saw 2 skunks, and I had to take a pit stop. 

pm--.5 Warm-up, core and drills, and a long run in what still seems like the heat. The body was really feeling the miles this afternoon.

pm--5.5 Warm-up, core and drills w/ 4-mile run, and then barefoot striders. I still love striders. Hope the boys do well tomorrow. 

am--6.25 Had a tough time waking up but was all right once I got going. Once again, it felt like a Fall morning. I wish the afternoons would catch up. At first, the run felt labored, but then I was able to hit 2 nice tempo miles--7:3Xs--and bring it on home. 

pm--4 Warm-up and cool-down w/ the kids. On top of that the varsity boys made my day with a call saying, "We won! We won!" Coach and I have to be some of the luckiest guys ever to interact w/ these kids on a daily basis. What smart, hard-working, tough kids they are. Congratulations, guys.