Turn your rut into a groove.

am--21 Tried to talk myself out of a run this morning but thought that I should set a good precedent for the year. I looped out on the Rim trails by myself and then hit Barrel Roll w/ Sidewinder w/ Tom. We were both dragging the last few miles. Nevertheless, this all builds towards my goals this year:

• Hit some steady state/marathon miles every week.
• Hit a 90+ minute run every week.
• Hit a day (hopefully a run) each month that is 27+ miles. 

pm--9 Sick of the cold, so I hit the tready for a workout. Ran @ 1.5% w/ 4 x mile @ 7:19 followed by .25 rest. Warmed-up for 2 and cooled-down for 2. Legs felt surprisingly good. 

pm--5 An easy run around the neighborhood and Green Valley and back. 

pm--8 Tready miles @1.5% w/ 4 warm-up, 3 @ 7:30/mile, and 1 cool-down. The stomach was feeling a bit sketchy in the quicker section, but it ended fine. 

am--5.75 Nice morning run over into Dixie Downs and back home. 

pm--6.25 Feeling slightly unmotivated, but I hit the tready anyway. Warm-up and cool-down w/ 2 x 2 @ 7:30 w/ .5 rest. Felt pretty steady and smooth. 

am--6 Chilly-to-the-bone morning run through Dixie Downs. 

pm--4 tready miles w/ incline from 1.5%-4%.

pm--3.75 mile of drudgery on the tready. 

am--6 Morning miles w/ a running buddy. Went into Dixie Downs and back home. 

pm--5 Shoe run w/ the girls. Twas fun to get out w/ them again. I need to try to run w/ the kids more often. 

pm--6.25 A nice run on Anasazi Trail to the Homestead and back. Sockless. 

am--11 Explored, ran, and bushwhacked through Snow Canyon on the trails. The views were always amazing although the running, was at times, closer to a slogging hike. Twas a nice run. Thanks, Matt. 

am--9 Hit the Barrel Roll and Sidewinder. Lots of bikers out. They're pretty good about sharing the trails except for the (take-themselves-too) serious(ly) db's that wouldn't yield to anyone, going up or down. 

am--5.75 Early morning run into DD w/ a buddy. Not too cold this morning. 

pm--4.25 Fartlek on the tready. 1 min. @ 7:00 min. pace x 5 w/ 30 sec. rest. Then 2 minutes rest follwed by 1 min. @ 6:40 min. pace x 5 w/ 30 sec. rest.  I was testing out the leg speed and sustainability @ these paces. Neither felt grueling. That's good.

pm--6 Webb Hill and some adjacent trails w/ Tom. Lots of climbing and some decent running. 

pm--6 Tready miles @ 1.5% w/ 3 slightly rigorous miles thrown in the middle. 

pm--5 Shoe run w/ the kids. Nice run. 

am--14 Twas a good time this morning. I warmed up from Hilton Dr. because the traffic was horrible. Today's race was my second race since STG 2009. I really wasn't sure what to expect. So I just went out and ran. 

The course seemed pretty honest, and I was able to hold my pace in the mid-7s. Judging by those who were in my general area, I dropped off slightly after mile 9. Nevertheless, this is a ~5 min. PR @ the distance. Too bad my time is in absentia on the Stride Racing site. At least, there is a fitness baseline to operate with going forward. Congratulations to all who ran. 

pm--3 Easy recovery miles on the tready. Legs are a bit tight.

am--4.25 A short little run. The legs are loosening up a bit. 

pm--5.75 Fell back on the tready miles again. Hit a 7:30 mile sandwiched by 2 7:40s w/ .5 recovery jog. It does the legs some good to pick it up a bit.

pm--6.25 Anasazi trail to Homestead and back. The wind was whipping. 

am--6 Nice little morning run around the neighborhood. 

pm--5.75 Ran the shoe run backwards w/ the girls. Beautiful day. 

am--20 Hit the Rim trails, Barrel Roll w/ Sidewinder extension, and Black Brush w/ Matt. Twas a beautiful run but difficult the last 3 or 4 miles. In between each, trail we refueled at the trail head. A 20-mile run in the hills is so much better and harder than a road 20-miler. Over the next few months I'll be trying to extend these a bit. 

pm--7 Tready workout. 2 x 2 @ 7:30 w/ 1 mile in between, sandwiched by a warm-up and cool-down. 

am--4.25 Short morning run, trying to fight the gamboo. 

pm--6.75 Easy tready miles, working through the gamboo. It's definitely waning. 

pm--6 Barrel Roll backwards. The wind was really whipping on the edge of the mesa. 

pm--6 Sockless tready miles @ 1.5%. 2.5 warm-up w/ 3 miles @ 7:30 and .5 cool-down. Whenever the legs are feeling flat a few quicker miles help. 

pm--3 Just trying to get used to running after a few days apart. 

pm--5.5 Ditched the tready and got outside. I went for a little jaunt into Green Valley and back home. The pass was nice. 

am--6 First morning run in a while. The body's bouncing back. For some reason my hands were cold even w/ gloves. 

pm--5 Tempo w/ the kids. Warm-up and cool-down w/ 3 tempo miles in the middle. I hung w/ the lead pack @ ~ 6:40 for the first 2, but the stomach was issuing. I stopped at the park for a quick pit stop then caught up w/ the stragglers, ~ 7:20 for the last mile,  and finished it to the school.

pm--10.5 Rim trails w/ some extension loops on the top. The weather and vistas were tremendous. Hoping to get a double-digit run in tomorrow to salvage the week. 

am--14 Nice meditative run. Between the 5kish miles on Thursday and the 10 in the hills yesterday, I was running on tired legs this morning. Went from my house over Anasazi Trail to Anasazi Valley and back. Tried out some different gels and the 101s. The gels and smooth and thin--Honey Stingers--and the 101s feel like more shoe than the 100s. I love the feel of the 100s, but they tend to bring soft spots running on uneven trails. The 101s stabilize the foot a bit more, which is good. Nice run out of the box. Had some Iron & Wine, Joanna Newsom, and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. 

pm--6 Barrel roll w/ some mid 7s thrown in their somewhere. It took me a bit to loosen up. 

am--6 Easy miles full of complaining. Need to stop that. 

pm--4 I couldn't get out tonight like I would've liked, so I resorted to the tready for a few. 

pm--6.5 Braved the elements, which ended up being down right pleasant. The run felt light and smooth other than a few warm spots. I got some flats for Christmas and went sockless. 

am--6 Nice run around the neighborhood. Twas a bit warmer this morning. 

pm--5.5 Hammer-Church loop in the beautiful evening. 

pm--4 Tready miles. Longer day than I expected, but I needed to get the legs moving for a bit. I ran most of the run @ 2% then hit 6 strides towards the end. 

pm--9 I intended on hitting a long run on the trails, but the rain does bad things to the trails. So I decided to try something stupid--I went through 6 of the 9 terrain simulations on the tready. Although it took longer than I expected for 9 miles, I did get ~4500' of simulated climbing. That makes the legs a bit tired. I may get out for a few more this evening. 

am--28.5 Had the day off, so I decided to Please follow Fast Running Blog policy regarding vulgar language around in the hills. I parked at Jacob Hamblin and ran up to the Barrel Roll, hit it w/ the Sidewinder extension, then hit the Rim trails w/ 2 loops at the top. After that, I ran back to the car to restock the gels, refill the water, and use the facilities. Finally, I took off on the Anasazi Trail to the petroglyphs and back. I really wanted to see how the body felt w/ longer miles. It felt pretty good, and I wasn't totally death marching at the end. The key was a gel every 30-45 minutes and water. I had the ipod stocked w/ the hits, so the day ended up pretty great. BTW, this is all in preparation for a 50k in 2 weeks. 

pm--3.5 Shook it all out on the tready for a few. By the end, I actually felt like I was doing more than limping. 

pm--8 A decent run up past the high school and back down into Green Valley. The legs felt decent. No heavy residual pain. Just not a ton of pep. 

am--6 Regular easy morning run. It's warming up just a little in the mornings. 

pm--6.25 Set out fairly quickly after dinner because we have guests coming. I hit the run at a pretty steady moderate pace. The legs were feeling pretty peppy. 

pm--5.25 Had to sneak in a run today, so I hit the tready while watching the new-look Jazz. I'm a bit excited. 

pm--4.5 Tready miles. I wanted to do more today but decided against it because this week was already a huge jump in mileage. It's time for a slow build. 

pm--4 Just to run. 

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.

pm--8.25 A semi-moderate progression run on the tready @ 1.5%. This was a last resort run because we ate late and the Jazz were on. I don't know why I keep letting them lead me on. 70 minutes.

am--15 Went out and ran around in the sun for a while w/ a buddy. ~150 minutes. Nearly 9 hours of running this week.

pm--10.25 It was a pretty nice day today, but I opted for the tready in order to watch Butler v. UConn. Probably should've run outside. What a low-scoring game. On another note, these long aerobic runs are bound to do me some good. 90 minutes. 

am--8.25 Fartlek miles around the neighborhood. It's warming up a bit in the mornings. This was a good run except the hamstrings are a tight, so that made the pick-ups a little choppy. 70 minutes. 

pm--11.75 I wasn't sure how the legs were going to respond today. I had a weird creak behind my knee yesterday. But I got out and went up the cemetery hill, into Ivins, back down by The Canyons, and home. I'm starting to love these long, meditative runs. 105 minutes.

pm--5.75 I had a tough tough time getting in a run tonight. First off, I not too fond of the wind. Second, it was just one of those evenings. I ended up in the basement running like my nephew's deceased hamster, Texas. The run ended w/ 6 strides @ a HM pace. 50 minutes.

pm--4 Don't they say every 3rd or 4th week should be a recovery week w/ lower miles? I wasn't necessarily planning on that, but life decided that's how it would be. A nice progressive run tonight. 34 minutes. 

pm--9.5 Went out to reacquaint myself w/ the trails and hit the Rim trails w/ the 2nd loop on top in reverse. 90 minutes. ~1300 ft. accumulated gain. 

pm--10.5 I didn't get out last night due to a family party and was a bit beat after school. It's okay. I need to learn how to get over missing a day mentally. Anyway, I braved the wind and headed out for a little longer run. Went up to The Canyons and down into Green Valley. Wore the Minimus Roads w/ no socks. I'm loving those shoes. 90 minutes. 

am--6 Usual morning route w/ some small gusting winds and decent conversation. The new kicks held up well. 60 minutes.

pm--6 Hit Green Valley loop w/ a little extension to make 6. This run was at a bit of a stouter pace because I was feeling it. I really like the MT10s. 60 minutes. 

pm--9.75 Ran from my parents' house up into Ivins and back down through the Heights up to The Canyons and back down Lava Flow to home. It was a nice evening. 80 minutes.

am--13.75 Ran w/ neighbor Ben out to the Rim trails and back. It was a nice day, but my leg were feeling the miles from this week. Getting the same amount of miles in fewer runs definitely has its benefits--weight loss and aerobic cashing--but the legs feel it a bit more than a week w/ more doubles and shorter runs. 155 minutes. 5 minutes shy of 9 hours for the week. 

pm--6 For some reason I didn't feel like double-digit run tonight, so I settled for a run around the barrio w/ a couple of extensions. I felt smooth and strong tonight. Thought a lot about the awesome race today at Boston. 50 Minutes. 

pm--6.5 Ran w/ the girls up to Green Springs and finished w/ barefoot striders. The 80-degree weather was surprisingly pleasant. 60 minutes.

pm--7 Rested a few hours and headed over to the In-laws to run w/ my sister-in-law. She's thinking about running xc next year. I did a few miles w/ her and then headed home. She runs pretty well and ought to do great if she decides to go all-in w/ xc. 60 minutes.

pm--5.5 My motivation took a nose dive this week. But tonight I hopped on the tready and pumped up the R.E.M. to see if that would work. It did okay. 45 minutes. 

am--10 What a week. I just haven't been feeling it, but the runs today helped. Early, Baggs and I went and ran the Ironman loop backwards. Then I went w/ Tom and a few other folks and ran the Padre Canyon loop. Both runs had some fair climbing. The PC loop is a blast but when you're done 3.5 miles later you look around and think out loud, "That wasn't even 4 miles?" 2 some odd hours. 

pm--9.75 Ran from my house up to Castle Rock and hooked into the Paradise Rim trail. I ran that to the summit and back, then followed Pioneer Parkway to my parents' house. 90 minutes and ~1000 ft. accumulated elevation gain. 

am--6.5 Slogged out an early morning run around the neighborhood. 60 minutes. 

pm--3.75 Moderately paced tready miles while watching the NBA playoffs. I don't know why, but I'm intrigued w/ the playoffs this year. 30 minutes.

pm--10.5 Hit a longer run up into Ivins and back home at a fair pace. 90 minutes.

pm--2.5 Blah. Not feeling it. 

pm--6.5 Ran w/ the girls after school. We created a new run because the girls have tough time reaching a consensus. I miss running w/ the kids. I need to get out w/ them more. 60 minutes and striders at the end.

am--16 Ran the Barrel Roll w/ Sidewinder and then the Rim Trails w/ Tom. We had some great discussion. 180 minutes and ~1700 ft of accumulated elevation. 

pm--5.25 Miles in the mid-8s. I didn't go as far, but the legs felt great. 45 minutes. 

pm--7.5 Felt perky again once I talked myself into running. I ran 3 @ 7:30 and 2 @ 7:50. 60 minutes. 

pm--5 Ran from Tom's, up Webb Hill and looped back around on the bike path. 50 minutes. 

pm--10.25 4 w/ Haley and Abbie in the 90-degree weather. Then 6.25 more after dinner settled in the belly. 90 minutes. 

am--7 Went to volunteer for Ironman. I ran there and ran back. I was also the "runner" so I walked up and down the bike path, helping the other volunteers w/ anything they needed. 7 hours on my feet and, except for about an hour spelling other volunteers while they used the facilities, I was always moving forward. 

pm--10 With all that I've heard about the zero-drop shoes and some discretionary funds, I decided to give the Altras a try. Interesting. I went up to the Canyons and then back down through Green Valley. I couldn't have ordered better weather for an evening run. 90 minutes.

am--3 Easy sneezy. 

pm--5 Nice run w/ the varsity girls. Here goes some positive energy for Region tomorrow. 

pm--7.5 I didn't run yesterday because it was our anniversary. Chalk it up to life. But tonight I got out w/ a buddy and explored a new route over into Green Valley and behind Sunbrook. 

pm--5 Shoe run w/ the girls. It was pretty hot out by the end. 

am--5.5 Zen Trail w/ some neighbors. I'm going for a longer run this evening. 

pm--8 Eagle Crags, near Rockville, w/ Matt and Chad. Climbed ~1,000 ft. before the turnaround. I felt fairly sluggish today, but found a little reward in the 1st rattlesnake sighting of the year. 

pm--10 I ran up to the Canyons and over to the highway and back home through the Heights in the weird spring weather. 90 minutes. 

am--4 Nice, easy morning run. The weather was great, and the days are longer. 35 minutes.

pm--7 Ran from Green Valley to SCHS and back w/ my sis-in-law. 60 minutes.

pm--6 Just kept it steady. 

pm--5 Mile progressive run. 40 minutes.

pm--3 Easy little run around the neighborhood and through the golf course. I'm hoping for a big, long run tomorrow. 25 minutes. 

am--22.5 Took off into the hills w/ some water, trail mix, gels, and salt tabs. My goal was to hit something over 20 and try to practice what I'll use in an ultra I'm running next month. For most of the run, I used a 5:1 method of running and walking. This seemed helpful. I also tried to eat something every 30-40 minutes. Things sent great. 240 minutes. 

pm--11.75 I've had a tough time getting out the last few days w/ family birthdays and what not, but I finally got out tonight. Perhaps a little too quickly after dinner. I felt pretty sluggish and thought about taking the shortest route home, but I was able to talk myself into a few excursions. Never felt very good tonight. But kept pushing and got the run done. 105 minutes. 

am--6 Up to the Canyons and back. The hamstrings feel tight and fatigued. This seems to happen after the LSD runs. What's up w/ that?

pm--9 Barrel Roll and Sidewinder w/ Tom. Good chat and run. 

pm--5 Between family, sickness, and sheer lack of motivation, I've missed a few days in the last week or so. But I ran today. I'm pumped for the beginning of XC tomorrow. 

am--3.5 .5 barefoot warm-up and then a jaunt to Hell's Hole trail head and back. 

am--4 Mostly barefoot on the soccer field grass. 

pm--6 Barrel Roll w/ Tom. Today's run is what running is for me, a chance to get outside and move through nature.  

am--3.5 .5 Barefoot warm-up and an out-and-back w/ the kids. Got some soccer and tennis chat in on the run.

am--3.5 .5 Barefoot warm-up then ran w/ the girls up the Turtle road and back. Breathing was more strained than preferred. 

pm--4 Some tready miles while watching Star Wars IV w/ my girls. We're Star Wars freaks. 

am--4.5 .5 Warm-up and a run out to AHERN and back. On the way back, the front group pushed the pace. I'm a little out of shape. 

am--4.5 .5 Barefoot warm-up and then a few timed easy miles up by Maverick to internalize the feeling. 

am--4 Once again, mostly barefoot on the soccer field grass. I like days like this. 

pm--6.5 Anasazi w/ Tom to the homestead and back. Nice evening.  

am--4.5 Nice run up into Grapevine. Ran mostly w/ Kaylee and Laub and Curls. Pace was pretty stout for what I have been running. Felt good though. 

pm--6.5 Ran on the tready w/ .5 x 8.5%, .75 x 5%, and 1 x 3.5%. Oddly enough, I wore my old UVM shirt today and finished our 1st summer cycle of the Star Wars movies. 

am--5 Barefoot warm-up and headed out to the tortoise fence then ended up doubling back to run w/ Liz so she wasn't all alone. Nice morning in the desert. 

am--5 Parkway the Maverick route then ~ a mile w/ my girls to get some running club miles. 

am--5.5 Did some dirt miles--3 to be exact--at the following paces: 9:20, 9:00, and 8:40. We are trying to learn an easy pace. Somewhere between the last 2, closer to the last one, is probably about where they should be. 

am--4.5 Just chilling on the grass. Followed it up w/ some running at the kids club. 

pm--1.5 Ran from my wife's grandparents' house to my sis-in-law's apartment. This wasn't a good weekend for my running. 

am--4.5 Ran down into Hell's Hole w/ Kaylee and JP. The pace was good. I wish we could get more girls believing in themselves, so we could all run together. The boys are running in a pack. Awesome stuff. 

am--5.5 Barefoot warm-up then dirt miles--8:20, 8:10, and 7:58. Stuck w/ Kaylee the whole time. Stoner was with us the first 2 laps, and Megan hung w/ us the first and fell off just a bit the second 2. All the girls did well. 

pm--5 Fartlek w/ 1-mile warm-up and 1-mile cool-down. 1 @ 7:30 in 400 meter intervals w/ equal distance recovery. .5 @ 7:00 in 200 meter intervals w/ edr. .25 @ 6:45 in 200 meter intervals w/ edr. Felt good to open up the stride a little.  

am--7.5 A nice run up through Green Springs w/ Kaylee and Stoner. The pace still feels a bit brisk for me, maybe it's mental, maybe it's fitness, maybe it's both. Hit a mile of striders afterward. The run worked me but made me better. Looking forward to running on grass tomorrow. 

am--4.5 Mostly barefoot on the grass. I did put in a bit more playing around w/ the kids and doing a cool-down w/ my daughter. Nice day for running. 

am--4.5 Ran in the fields. It was kind of nice--all the flatness. 

pm--7 When I don't get up and run first thing on Saturdays, it becomes difficult to run. Nevertheless, I ran. In fact, I ran 4 of the 7 miles @ roughly 7:35 pace. Felt good. I watched a History Channel production about Star Wars and the many allusions therein. Fascinating. 

pm--6 Same workout as last Tuesday but didn't go up and down. I just doubled it all on the way up--4 x 400 @ 7:30, 4 x 200 @ 7:00, 4 x 100 @ 6:50, and 4 x 100 @ 6:40 all w/ equal distance rest in between. 

pm--5 Easy miles. I wanted to run this morning but woke up w/ a headache. Bumhair.

pm--8.5 Ran up into Dixie Downs and through Ivins and back into Santa Clara w/ some neighbors. 

pm--4.5 easy miles on the tready. I've been lazy about waking up this week. 

am--5.5 It was nice to be back running w/ the team. The girls are doing very well. We ran on the paths in Coral Canyon, and the nature of the trail--up and down, up and down--can be a soul crusher. But the girls hung tough and even pushed it up the hills. Run Like Hill!!!

am--11.25 Ran from the turf farm near Diamond Valley to the Egg & I. Then, when I got home, I ran another mile and a quarter w/ my daughter. 

am--5.5 at a leisurely pace on the Anasazi Trail w/ Tom and his siblings. 

am--5.5 Nice run up to Grapevine w/ the girls. 

am--7.5 Ran up into Green Springs area. The weather was overcast, and the weather was great. Fire station hill even bowed down to us as we pushed up it. Finished off the run w/ barefoot striders. 

am--5.5 Between warm-up, grass loops, and kids camp, the mileage turned out decent. We had a nice ultimate game in there somewhere. 

am--5.5 Ran out in the fields. It was fairly humid but overcast as well. We had 2 nice groups today--the girls and the boys. They stuck together really well. Of course, the numbers were few today. 

pm--6.5 We went to a play in Cedar last night, so the early morning thing didn't happen. The run tonight was decent w/ 3.5  in the middle at 7:30 pace. 

am--7.5 After the warm-up, we headed down into Hell's Hole to the end of the trail. The hill back out was pretty tough today. Finished w/ striders. 

am--5.5 Dirt miles--9:04, 8:50, and 8:39. Nice improvement w/ a good group. 

pm--3 An uneventful 3 for the double.  

am--6.5 Nice run into Middleton. It couldn't have been a nicer morning. Finished w/ barefoot striders on grass. The girls made me feel really old when they dusted me on the last one. 

am--4.5 Nice grass run and some running around during kids club and ultimate. 

am--6.5 Nice run up the course from the park. The girls stayed together well during the first half, and then we broke into smaller groups on the way back. It would be great to stay in one big group the whole time. 

pm--4 Chukawalla / Turtle Wall loop w/ Tom. It was hot but not too hot. I still carried a handheld. Chatted a bit about gardening and fantasy novels. Good times.  

am--10 From the top of Snow Canyon to my in-law's house, I ran w/ my sis-in-law. She's fast and going to run XC for Dixie. She'll do great. 

am--8.5 Ran out to Coral Canyon maintenance yard and back w/ 2 miles in the low 7s w/ Kaylee. No Garmin for exact pace. I just know that it was the pace that starts out slightly uncomfortable and makes you work to hold on at the end. The CC hill wasn't bad either way today. 

am--7.5 Ran into Green Springs w/ the girls and helped them w/ their tempo mile--7:30ish. Finished up w/ barefoot striders. This week has felt great. 

pm--3 Easy.  

am--6.5 Ran to Hell's Hole and did 3 x 1 min. and 2 x 30 sec. on the roller coaster hills. This was the toughest run of the week so far for me. The hills weren't big, other than the hill coming out of the hole, but the pace makes up for it. 

am-- 4.5 It was great running  on grass through the sprinklers, talking a hundred miles an hour. 

am--6.25 We met at the Larkspur park and ran up the back side of Webb Hill, down the front side, back up it, and back down, finishing at the park. Today's workout makes you look back and say, "I can do hard things."

pm--3 Arctic Circle easy w/ the girls. Triple-digit temps and a long-sleeve shirt.  

am--12 Down the course w/ the in-laws. Kept a pretty strong pace. 

am--6.5 Backwards Parkway w/ some of the varsity girls. Finished w/ barefoot striders. Monday's always seem a bit rough. Except today, we're off to Pine Lake. I wish I could say I'm growing a beard, but we know that's not true. I can't even get sideburns to stick to my face. Oh well. 

pm--3 Around the lake at high altitude camp.  

am--9 Long run w/ the girls, around the lake and down the Great Western Trail a bit then back. This run felt good, considering the miles at elevation in the pouring rain. We did do a little slipping and sliding.

pm--3 Straight down the road and back. For some reason, every afternoon run felt difficult.  It must be a bit harder to breathe at 8,000'. 

am--5 Ran up the road to Powell's Point. The climb was unrelenting--somewhere between 600' and 800' of climbing in about 2 miles. 

pm--3 A run around the lake again. All the sitting and snacking led to a rumbling stomach on the run. Had to make a pit stop. 

am--5 Ran straight down the road and back. Camp was great and hard. It's good to get back home to the family and take a shower once again. On a side note, my camping gear held up great in the elements. 

pm--6 Ran a hilly run w/ Tom, exploring Mo's Valley and then finished it off w/ a few on the tready. 

pm--4 I didn't wake up like I had planned and only got in minimal miles. My body felt beat down from the week. 

am--10.5 The long run out to the fields started off well, but by the time we climbed up to Telegraph again, the girls turned on the afterburners--well, maybe I was just losing it fast--and left me to limp in to the elementary. I'm not really sure why today was such a drudgefest. Let's chalk it up to Monday. 

am--7.5 Ran to Hell's Hole to do some hills--4 x 1 min. and 6 x 30 sec. The hills felt decent, and the climb out of the hole wasn't too bad. (We let Stoner and Kaylee do their thing up the hill.) Then we added a few up past the town homes to the school. The Boys and Girls teams are both running well right now. I can't wait for next week to see how we stack up at this point of the season. 

pm--3 Easy miles.  

am--5.5 Barefoot on the grass w/ striders at the end. Then I ran around at kid's camp, cheering for the kids. Awesome day. 

am--6 Run up through Dixie Downs--the old morning route--w/ my old morning running buddy. 

pm--3 Ran w/ the team through the Bloomington Hills North park to scope out a new, hopefully year-in-year-out, course for Region. The week has been a big old pile as far as running goes. 

am--4.5 My running buddy didn't show, so I just farted around the neighborhood a bit, piecing together parts of various routes to create a new route w/ some nice rolling hills. The run wasn't quite as long as I was expecting. 

pm--6 Nice existential discussion w/ Tom while traversing the monocline south of Santa Clara.  

pm--7.5 A hot afternoon run w/ about a million water breaks. The acclimation will come soon enough. Frida ran strong w/ the leaders the whole time. The team's coming together nicely. 

am--6 Morning route.

pm--.5 (Should I even blog it) before the time trial and the parent meeting. It was a long day, and I was too beat when I got home to drag my butt out the door.  

am--5 Early morning Target run w/ the varsity girls. Mornings are so nice right now, perhaps smelling almost autumnal. 

pm--4 Up past the Green Springs clubhouse and back.  

pm--3 Warm-up and cool-down w/ the kids sandwiched around their 1000s. Felt hotter today.

am--3 Early morning AC run w/ the girls. It was a bit toasty out, but the girls were out in numbers, and we kept a pretty good pack on the way back. 

pm--6.5 Over Foremaster w/ a 15-minute tempo starting at the top of the Sunrise Tire hill and extending to the park just past the Dinosaur Farm. It was actually pretty decent. 

am--10 Spent a wonderful morning wandering through Washington w/ Baggs and then went to Hurricane to watch the kids run very well. 

am--6 Warm-up and cool-down to Harts w/ 4 x 1000 thrown in the middle. The splits were 3:39, 3:38, 3:36, and 3:45. On the last one I was helping Liz. Felt nice to run a little harder this morning. 

pm--4.5 A nice easy run out to the bridge (almost) and back, then added a bit to Harts.  

am--6 Morning route at a moderate pace. 

pm--3 Warm-up and cool-down w/ the kids sandwiched around their 1000s. It was a hot one.  

am--7.25 Harts warm-up and cool-down w/ 3 x 1200 (5:32, 5:21, and 5:14) and 4 x 200 (The only 1 I timed was the last 1--:41--and I was way behind the girls.) sandwiched in between. Running a little faster seems to make me feel better about everything. Oh and the girls ran really well this morning. They were able to run in a pack for the 1200s and pushed the 200s. Go things are ahead. 

pm--3.5 We decided to brave the construction on Telegraph and ended up detouring a few times. Took us longer than it should have.

am--6 Regular morning run on a toasty morn. 

pm--4.5 Barefoot on grass at 2450. Hot hot heat. 

am--3 Arctic Circle w/ everyone. The run was decent. A few of the girls really worked hard this morning. This morning was about the warmest morning of the year. Bodes well for the afternoon. 

pm--5 Ran w/ the girls to Target. I know it sounds goofy, but it almost felt hotter this morning. On another note, I'm really excited about the meet tomorrow. 

pm--6 Barrel Roll w/ Tom. It was hot, but the conversation kept it out of mind. The run topped off a great day, as the kids really ran well at the SUU Invite. 

am--7 6 x 1000 w/ the girls. Most of the repeats were right about 3:50 for me. The girls did great. It was a gut-check workout for me. 

pm--3.75 Warm-up and then Dog Pound backwards w/ a Sandburg's shortcut.  

am--6 Regular morning route. Spent most of my time trying to make excuses for the Arsenal v. Manchester United match over the weekend. 

am--3.5 Warm-ups and cool-down w/ the kids. 

am--6.5 Morning workout w/ the girls--2 x 800, 2 x 400, and 8 x 200 w/ 200 recovery after each. I timed the 400s and 800s and ended up cutting mine short to run across the field and get the girls their times. They work hard and are running well. 

am--6 Morning route at a good pace. And the weather was truly autumnal, Baggs. It's apropo since college football starts this evening. On Wisconsin. 

pm--5.25 Ran to 2450 and ran barefoot on grass.  

am--3 By myself to the Dixie Dr. stop sign and back. I'm loving the morning temperatures. 

pm--6 Went to the region course and did 1 x mile and 2 x 1200 at a tempoish pace. The mile was just over 7 and the 1200s were mid 5s. It was a little hot, but the girls really pushed. And that's saying something in the ankle-deep grass. I missed a good portion of the cool-down. It is my nephew's birthday. Now for a little snooze before the run-a-thon.  

am--10 Early morning miles at the run-a-thon. It was a really fun time, running and playing soccer and farting around on Rock Band. 

pm--5 Ran the Anasazi Trail in some beautiful weather. I should have ran more today, but catching up on sleep and hanging w/ the fam was more important. I'll have to try to squeeze some miles out of thin air w/ 2 meets this week. 

am--6 Usual morning route at a stout pace in the cool temps. Seems like football brings Fall w/ it. 

am--6.5 Hart's warm-up w/ 4 x 30 sec., 2 x 1000 @ 3:40ish, 2 x 800 @ 3:10ish (although the 2nd time, 3 girls hit sub 3, and cool-down.

pm--3.5 Warm-up and then off to Green Springs club house and back. It was good to mix with a different crowd today. 

am--6 Morning route at a decent pace in the nice weather. 

pm--5.5 Starbucks w/ striders. Felt a bit sluggish/tight during striders.  

am--3 Old solo morning route. I was planning on going a little farther, but the sleep was just too enticing.

am--18.5 Early-morning course run w/ Baggs. I dropped the car at the top of Veyo Hill and ran down and back up then proceeded down the course. The first few miles and the last few were at a decent clip. Just took it easy in the middle. It was a beautiful morning. And it was good to get a longer run in. 

am--6.75 2-set Michigan w/ the varsity girls. 800 on the track @ 5k pace and 1.5 miles @ 10k pace x 2 w/ a fast 400 to finish. The girls did very well. It's a tough workout. I ended up at 30:40 for the 4.25 then cooled down. 

pm--3 Warm-up and cool-down w/ the girls.  

am--5.5 Solo morning around the barrio.

pm--4.5 To Hot Nails and finished up w/ 6 x 200--these are always hard for me. The weather was unbelievable today.  

am--6.5 Ran 4 x 30 sec., 2 x 800, and 2 x 1000 w/ 2 min. recovery sandwiched between a warm-up and cool-down. 

pm--3.75 Due to the cancellation of practice--lightning scare--I went home a bit early and hit a few tready miles while watching some Champion's League soccer. 

am--6 Nice and easy morning run. The was pleasantly crisp this morning. An LED sign at JP & G said the temps this morning were 57 degrees. Nice. 

pm--6 Warm-up and then workout w/ the JV girls. It was the same workout as the Varsity girls minus an 800. The girls did really well.  

am--6.5 Nice solo run. After a week w/ a few workouts, the legs had to work a little harder this morning. 

am--13 Got home pretty late after the Bulldog Invitational but knew I had to get up and out or I probably wouldn't run today. I ran down the course with my wife and the in-laws at their pace. It was enjoyable. The morning was perfect with the people, the weather, and the running..

am--7 Workout w/ the girls--4 x 30 sec., 3 x 800, and 2 x 1000. The paces were all very stout--3:02, 3:05, 3:05, 3:40, and 3:35. It was a workout that gives you a sense of accomplishment. 

pm--3.5 Easy run in the warmer temperature.  

am--6 Nice regular morning run around the neighborhood. 

pm--3 Warm and cool w/ the JV girls. They are running well. I'm excited to see them race this weekend.  

am--5.75 Green Valley run w/ 6 x 200 towards the end. The 6 x 200 was actually 6 x 45 sec. because I forgot a watch and was counting in my head. Nice morning. 

pm--3.5 Easy run down 2450 and back. The pace wasn't super easy, and it's still a bit hot in the afternoons. Nevertheless, I'm feeling pretty good right now.  

am--6.25 Another solo morning run w/ a little extension. The back of my lower leg has been a bit sore since yesterday morning, but it didn't bug on the run. We'll see how that goes. 

pm--7 I ran a little after school, sandwiched around the youngsters' race then ran with my wife and brother-in-law for part of their run. (They went 10.) I turned around before they did and hurried home to spell the babysitter.  

am--8 We have a meet today, so I slept in just a little bit before I took off for a run. I ran up onto Snow Canyon Parkway and back home w/ 3 tempo miles at miles 5, 6, and 7. The tempo miles went well--7:04, 6:57, and 6:54--and I figured out a way to relax a bit and find a steadier breath. On another note, I seem to be losing some weight. That's nice. All weights are reflective of a morning weighing. Now off to the races. 

pm--3 Down to Dixie Dr. w/ my wife and back. It's good to be able to spend some time w/ her and get a run in at the same time. It ended up being a pretty good weekend w/ the meets that we had. 

am--3 Warm-up and cool-down w/ the girls after they ran their Michigan workout. They keep working hard. It's great. 

pm--4 Ran to Hot Nails w/ the girls. We had a nice group going today. Then finished w/ striders.  

am--3 To the stop sign and back. It seemed like a short run because it was. 

pm--1.5 Just warmed-up w/ the JV girls and timed them for their workout. 

am--3 Arctic Circle w/ the girls, practically all of them.