Turn your rut into a groove.

pm--7 I did a different variation of an out-and-back today. I ran on the tready @ 4% for 6 miles, increasing speed up to  8-min. pace. The last mile, I increased the pace and decreased the incline incrementally. Although the pace wasn't as fast as my previous out-and-backs, it was still a challenging run. 

 On another note, I found out yesterday that I ran more miles in 2011 than Tony K. He's injured, and I'm progressing. Watch out. 

pm--7 Got home after going back to work for the year and realized that I was a little beat from the anxiety of getting into a groove. I totally intended to run for over 2 hours today but defaulted to the tready. I hit a warm-up then 10 x 100 at 6-min. pace w/ equal distance rest and a cool-down. A run is usually inevitable if I give it a little time.

pm--11 Hit the Barrel Roll w/ Sidewinder and finished w/ the Barrel Roll to the Sidewinder trail junction and returned on Precipice. I didn't get out until almost 4:30, so by the time I was done, it was well into the gloaming.

pm--10.75 I'm not sure what it is, but I've felt downright beat when I get home and end up putting off the run for a while. Inevitably, this leads me to the tready. Tonight, I really became intimate w/ the tready and hit it for 90 minutes while watching Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell in their interviews about "The Power of Myth." It's quite fascinating really. Tickles my hippie bone. 

pm--5.25 Ran w/ the kids to the double churches and back. It was good to get out w/ them again.

pm--10.5 I didn't get out until this evening because of family stuff, and when I did get out, I was battling a constant headwind. All in all, it was good to get a medium-long run in to top off the week. 

pm--14 I felt like crudola heading out for this run but really ended up easing into something splendid. I ran up Lava Flow, made my way to The Canyons, and hit Snow Canyon Parkway. From there, I connected to the Spectrum 10k course until 200 E. And I flipped it. Really nice run at this end of things. 

am--6.75 Early morning run on the usual route w/ 10 x 100m strides mixed in. I was a bit tight at the beginning. 

pm--12.5 I headed out through Santa Clara on the highway to Main Street in Ivins. I went to the top and then over and down through Santa Clara. I'm enjoying this longer runs. 

am--5.5 A truncated version of the usual morning route. It was a tad bit cooler this morning. Nice. 

pm--5 Trail Thursday. Ran Mustang Pass loop w/ the great ones. I realized today that it's hard to run right behind someone on a trail. Oh and I saw the legendary Goold (sic).

pm--6.25 Had a hot date w/ my wife, so I didn't get a run in until later. Hit the tready for a progression run. I started @ 8:30 and built to 7:15. 

am--15.5 Went up Gila trail w/ Tom and met Turtle and Justin on the way up. Then cruised back down w/ Chad and the beardies. Overall, good run. I'm beat at the end. The accumulated elevation was ~2,000 ft. Some good climbing. The new shoes are also nice except in the sand. The porous upper is bad in the dunes. 

am--6 I intended on getting in my long run for the week today but ended up doing some exploring work w/ Matt G. for the Zion 100. We basically had to find our way off the lip of a mesa to follow a cow trail to the Kolob Terrace Road. I was going to add some farting around on Smith Mesa, but the time ran away from me today. 

am--6 Usual morning run w/ a little less pep. 

pm--13 I went out to the South Hills and hit Sidewinder and the full Rim loop w/ an extra loop on the top mesa. It was perfect out, and the pace was moderate for the trails. I also got to finally enjoy the 110s without oodles of sand. 

pm--12 I combined the usual morning run w/ the Green Valley loop for a nice longish run. I felt pretty beat by the end.

pm--7.25 A nice run w/ the great ones and then 10 x 100m on the track w/ equal rest in between. 

am--7 I warmed up on the back side of the course and did some dynamic stretches and striders and waited for the race to begin. It's been quite a while since I've really run a 5k, so I wasn't sure about pace from the beginning--I didn't put a chrono on this and just ran at what felt like a solid pace. For the 1st mile or so, I passed a few folks and was passed by some dude who just rocketed away. After that I was pretty much alone although i could hear a runner or 2 behind me somewhere--1 being a great high school runner. I was a bit fearful that she would burn by my the last .25 or so. But I just kept rolling as best I could. The last mile was definitely the slowest of the day. When I turned to head up the homestretch, I could hear someone right behind me, so I gave it all I had left and maintained my spot to the finish. Like I said, I didn't time myself, but the clock said 20:07 as I crossed the line. 

I would have liked to PR today--I was about 20 seconds off--but I also wanted to see where I am roughly as far as fitness goes. Although 5ks are 3 miles of just hanging on, I actually felt pretty good after the race. I cooled down around the finish area and cheered Baggs into the finish where he proceeded to take a small taste of anything offered to the athletes. Fun day. BTW, I think I finished in the top 10 overall. 

8th actually. Although apparently 10 years younger and from Draper. Good times.

pm--7 I hit the tready for a "hill" workout. It was basically 3 x 200m of slow high knees @ 5% w/ 2-3 minutes recovery jog and 200m @ -2%, followed by 4 x 100m @ 7:30ish pace. I did this circuit twice. 

am--6 Usual morning route w/ 10 x 100m strides in the middle on a frozen, foggy morning. 

pm--7 A nice little run w/ miles anywhere from 8:00 to 7:40. It took me a while to get running this evening. 

pm--8 Another tready hill workout--each set was 3 x 200m incline followed by 400m recovery and 200m @ -2% and a few strides. The first set was @ 5%. The second @ 7%. And the third @ 10%. I felt pretty beat by the end. 

pm--10.25 For some reason, I've had trouble running until later in the evening. Tonight, it was the usual morning route w/ a few loops mixed in and an extension on the tail end. The pace was nice and smooth until the last mile or so. 

am--15 Hit the Rim trails w/ Tom. Extended to Barrel Roll and headed home. It was a beautiful day after the initial chill wore off. 

am--5.5 I didn't run last night because the stomach was showing what felt like precursors to a little gamboo. So far it hasn't hit me. I got out this morning for a nice run.

pm--9.25 Went over to Sidewinder and did a few long hills. The weather was perfect.

pm--8 A nice little tempo run in a progressive fashion. Averaged 7:45.

am--6.5 Early morning run on the same route as Tuesday w/ a little extension and 10 x 100m strides. It was almost "warm" this morning.  

pm--5 Temple Quarry w/ the great ones. It's fun to get out w/ them. They really dig and work hard. 

pm--9.25 Go-to tready hill workout. 3 sets of 3x (200m @ 10% followed by 400m recovery @ 1.5 then 200m @ -2%) followed by 4 x 100m. The plyometric stylings of high knees on the incline really feel good. 

am--14 I ran from home out through Anasazi Trail (Tempi'po'op) and back home. There's a bit of climbing in this run, so, after yesterday's hill workout, the uphills were tough. This was a solo run, and, every once in a while on a solo run, I take the ipod. The Black Crowes buoyed me up. 

pm--8 Small workout: 3 x 1 mile @ 7:00min. pace w/ 800m recovery. I added an 800 @ the same pace on the end. This felt surprisingly good. 

am--6 Usual morning run w/ the usual morning crowd. 

pm--7 A little workout--4 x 800m in 3:26, followed by 400m recovery. Then hit a 400 in 1:40 and a 200m in :48. Nothing super fast but stretched the legs a bit. 

am--6 Usual morning run w/ 10 x 100m mixed in to things. 

pm--10 Did the Rim Trails w/ a little farting around mixed in somewhere there to make an even 10. I also did something I don't ever do--I went shirtless for a few. It was a nice afternoon. 

am--3 Helping w/ a 5k. Today, life just required more time than normal, and running got the squeeze. Normally, I would fret about this. The trade-off was worth it today. 

pm--8.75 A nice little run w/ a 45-min. tempo--~7:30 pace. 

am--5.25 A truncated version of the usual morning run after my running buddy failed to show. 

pm--10 Intervals: 6 x 1000m. The splits were 4:19, 4:16, 4:13, 4:10, 4:07, and 4:04. It felt good overall. It's been hard to get out running lately, but it always feels worth it when I'm done. 

am--6 Usual morning run w/ some unusual morning fog. Good times. 

pm--10 Went on a run w/ the great ones on the Zen Trail and then added a few on the racetrack after. The Gap/Loop area could be interesting to explore in the future. 

am--12 Started the day w/ the 5k for Taleah. I ran w/ Sadie and we finished in roughly 32 minutes. Not much after that, I went w/ Tom and others out to hit BR and Sidewinder. The weather, pace, and conversation were all exceptional. I might starting getting out for a weekend night run on the trails. We'll see if that starts tonight or not. 

am--9 I went for a run on the Heights w/ a 5k time trial in the middle. I hit 20:58 for the time trial, which felt pretty decent. The goal wasn't to go all out but to go under 22:00. 

pm--7 I hit the Rim trails w/ a buddy. At first, the left hamstring felt a bit dead. Things worked themselves out eventually. 

am--5.5 A slightly truncated morning run. There is no acute fatigue from yesterday just overall fatigue. 

pm--6.5 I ran a mix of paces, from 7:30 to 6:00, in random pick-ups. In the middle, there was a 6:19 mile. I was inspired by the great ones' time trial after school, and, also, the plan called for a 1500m time trial @ 6:05. I did slightly better than that with a 5:53 1500m. 

pm--6.5 I initially set out to do a bit of a workout, but, between the howling wind and the still-dead legs from yesterday, I just got out for a run. Won't say much more than that. 

pm--7.5 Some good miles, singing Weezer out loud. 

am--12.25 I ran over to the Zen Trail head to run w/ some folks who had organized a 10k. When I got there, I waited and no one showed, so I headed up the trail. On top, streamers started to appear on bushes and rocks. I followed them, and they led me into Mo's Valley. The trail and the view were great. At the bottom of Mo's Valley, I ran past some folks, and someone tracked me down and asked me if I was the winner. I told him I was in my eyes but probably not for the race. In the end, I was able to follow quite a bit of the trail those good folks were running. I was just a bit in front of them. From there I ran back home. 

The body feels beat, and the legs feel like mush. The couple quicker days must have really got to me. Anyway, the week turned out pretty well. 

am--6 Usually morning route w/ a little drizzle from the middle on out. 

pm--7 A truncated tready Michigan. Started w/ a warm-up and then hit 1,000, 800, and 600 @ 6:40 pace, each separated by an 800 @ 7:05 pace. Finished w/ a 400 that progressed to 6:00 pace and a cool-down. 

pm--10 Got out a little later and farted around the neighborhood, first up toward the Canyons and then down into Green Valley. The night was beautiful. 

pm--8.5 I ran the usual morning route w/ an extension. There was an easy fartlek in the middle--1:30-2:00 then :30-:40 seconds. It's been harder to get out the door, but the payoff is fantastic. 

pm--8.5 A run @ varying paces while watching the Jazz beat the Heat. I sincerely hope that LeBron didn't bruise his thorax w/ all the false victory chest bumps.

pm--10 It took me a while to get out tonight. When I finally got out, I hit the same route as Wed. @ a leisurely pace. 

pm--7 A nice little run w/ a 3k time trial in the middle--11:50. The calves were a bit tight afterward. That's roughly the pace I hit for my mile a week or so ago. 

am--6 Usual morning route. 

pm--8 Tonight, I warmed up and ran a progressive tempo run, starting at a moderate pace and ending 2 ~7:00 min. pace. 

am--7 Usual morning run w/a small extension.

pm--12 Nice trail run w/ the head lamp out on Barrel Roll w/ Ben. First real night run, working into May. 

am--13 A nice little run in the Hurty Dirty Half. There was a decent turn out and a good vibe. The folks who put that on do a good job of spreading the joy of running. 

am--7.75 A nice little run w/ 12x sprint-&-float 100s @ the SC track. By the end of the 100s, it had turned into a struggle and shuffle, but it felt like a bit of a workout. 

pm--7.25  A nice little run w/ an 800 time trial--3:05. The plan called for a 3:07. This week has been a bit of a dud for me. I started behind the 8 ball w/ daylight savings and then have felt fuzzy since then. 

am--16 On the 16th. Went out for the Zion 100 group run on Gooseberry. It was a perfect day for a run. I may have almost salvaged the week. 

am--14 Accompanied Baggs on the Spectrum 10k. I warmed up for a little over a mile up the canyon, ran the race in an even hour, and then ran home via the parkway. 30 miles in 2 days, in 2 runs, make the legs a tiny bit fatigued. 

pm--6 A run. 

am--6 Usual morning run in the last of the winter weather. 

pm--9 A decent run w/ 2.5 @ inclines in .25 and .5 intervals from 5%-15% and 2 @ a moderate 7:40 pace. The intervals were tough near the end. 

am--4 A truncated morning run because I'm not sure whether or not I'll be able to get out later. 

pm--11 I'm trying to get out of a funk, so I hit the Barrel Roll w/ Sidewinder, tying into it from the single track down by the corrals. The run started w/ a good climb. Finally settled into some kind of a groove 4 or 5 miles in and ended up actually enjoying the run. 

am--5 AC w/ the kids + DI solo. Interestingly enough, I'm a little sore from yesterday. 

am--6 Usual morning run in a little warmer weather. 

pm--6 Ran from my daughter's soccer game @ Unity Park in Ivins back home along the Heights. The evening weather was perfect. 

pm--10 A nice run w/ 4-mile warm-up and 6 @ ~7:40ish. 

am--12 Ran from my house to Moe's and ran around in the dirt w/ Tom and Andy. Good running and nice chatting.  

pm--5 Monday has been my bogie day for the past few weeks, so even a 5 spot is good. 

am--6 Usual morning run. 

pm--7 A nice little progressive run that ended in the mid 7s. 

pm--5.75 Ran w/ the great ones to Starbucks and back via Harts.

am--31 Parked near the road to Diamond Ranch Academy and ran up the road, past Kokopeli Golf Course, and onto the highway through Apple Valley because we couldn't find the access to the front side of Little Creek Mesa. We accessed the mesa from the West and ran back the way we came w/ a little extension on Gould's Rim. Overall, a very good run. Got a chance to get out w/ a neighbor and try some fueling and pacing goals. Took ~ 6:15.

pm--3 I didn't get out until late--It's my wife's bday. When I did get out it was with her. We had a good time chatting and enjoying the weather. It doesn't seem like there's any residual fatigue from Saturday. I guess that's good. 

am--6 Usual morning route in shorts and a short-sleeve shirt. 

pm--7 A nice run w/ 5ish miles in the mid-7s. It feels good to stretch the legs a bit and run like I'm part of a Sketchers commercial. 

pm--9 Some miles w/ the girls after school and then a few  more after my daughter's softball game. 

pm--5 Easy miles while watching the 2011 Boston Marathon. Man, the new, taller Geb is smooth. And what can a guy say about the Kenyans? Compared to them Ryan Hall looks like Shaq. 

am--25 Woke up and ran a little neighborhood 5k fundraiser and then headed out into the hills--Anasazi Trail and Barrel Roll--before heading home. It seemed to drizzle the entire run. 

pm--5 Easy peasy. Quite the marathon today. 

pm--9.75 I ran to the softball game and then wandered around a bit before heading home. Somewhere in the middle, I helped an old lady up who had fallen. While I was in the act, an off-duty police man came to help and said the woman was drunk. He took over from there. 

pm--12 Ran Gould's Rim w/ Zion Matt. I'm marking this section of the course. It's about half dirt road and half single track. We saw a rattler on the way back down. 

am--5.5 A truncated version of the usual morning jaunt. 

pm--5 Sandburg's w/ the great ones. It was a warm one out. 

pm--3.25 A slow trudge. I guess all the time in the hot sun the last few days has zapped me a little. 

pm--5.5 A nice easy run at the end of a toasty day. 

am--6 Usual morning run w/ a discussion about the anaerobic/aerobic development split of the average soccer player. 

pm--6.5 A progressive run, never reaching a supah intense pace. I had a niggling ankle and foot the last few days, but it disappeared as I warmed up. The magic of running.

pm--5.25 A nice run to get back in the swing of things. I went out and ran an old route into Green Valley. This is my first run in a few days due to life and cruddy sleep. 

am--4.25 Mixed up the morning run a bit and threw in a couple hills and Lava Cove. It was a beautiful morning. 

pm--3 A little exploratory desert run w/ Matt and Ben to work out the last few kinks on the Z100 course. 

pm--5.5 A nice little run w/ a progressive pace. 

am--7.25 A nice little jaunt up by the little league fields to do some Ironman spectating. Then I went down into Green Valley and back. 

pm--7 Marked the Gould's Rim section of the course. I guess we'll see what Friday and Saturday have in store. 

pm--2 Ran a couple miles in street clothes to finish marking the course. It was fun to get out and run a bit. I'm getting kind of nervous. 

There isn't a ton to say. Signing up for a race like this is scary, and the buildup is a real rollercoaster ride, but I made it to the starting line. I thought I had a fuel/hydration plan that would work--Clif shots, S-Caps, and water. It did work for about 18 miles. Then the heat came. My stomach, or more specifically my bowels, took a turn for the worse and backed up. I couldn't stay on top of my hydration. By mile 35, I had dropped from 170 pounds to 153. The EMT, or at least that's what she was supposed to be according to the highlighter tat on her shoulder, told me it wasn't a problem because I didn't gain weight. So I kept going. Things really started to fall apart between 35 and 42. I was barely holding on at 42. It felt so good to sit down for a while and dring some broth. The precursors to passing out happened a few more times before the aid station at 51. I had to sit down and gather myself a few times to get up the biggest climb on the course. By this time, it was getting dark, and thankfully my wife, who was "pacing" me to the next aid station, had my headlamp. Just before we reached station 6, someone yelled at us. He was without a light on the north rim of Gooseberry. So we went back to him and helped him in. When we made the aid station, I was cashed. 

Overall, my first attempt at a 100 was pretty surreal. I didn't ever really think about miles until I realized that I was overheating at halfway. I met some cool people--Eric, Cory, and Hector--and had some great conversation. Some learning happened. I don't know if there is another adventure like this in my future--it's too close to think about right now--but the take-away is much more positive than negative. Congrats to Matt for putting on a great inaugural event. 

pm--3.25 Went out for a little jaunt w/ the fam. The legs feel pretty normal. Not much residual fatigue at all. Not sure what that means, but I do know that it feels good to get out and run. 

am--5 Truncated morning run due to a meeting. Still feeling pretty good. 

pm--4.25 A nice little jaunt, alternating between 1.5%, 3%, & 5% incline. I like running. 

pm--3.5 A routine similar to yesterday, farting around @ different inclines. I'm just easing back into it. On a side note, stoner rock/jam bands sound really good right now--Allman Bros., Black Crowes, Derek and the Dominoes, etc. 

pm--5 Afternoon desert miles w/ Tom out by his new house and the airport. It felt good to be out in it today. 

pm--5 An easy run, working to a stouter pace. Just getting some zip back. 

am--6 Usual morning route. I'm going to try to jump the miles up a bit this week--40ish?

am--7 I ran a nice little run @ various inclines, mostly between 3% and 5%. I'm going to hit something in the afternoon because I didn't get out yesterday due to the business of life. 

pm--3 Easy tready miles followed by core routine--front planks, side planks, leg lowering, metronomes, crunches, Jane Fondas, and one-legged spelling. 

pm--6 A nice quicker pace run w/ 3 tempoish miles--mid 7's--in the middle. The legs feel a bit tight. 

am--16 Got out on the Barrel Roll w/ Sidewinder and the Rim Trails w/ Cory and Ben, my 100-miler buddies. The run was very nice, and the temps were excellent. In the end, I felt worked over. Go figure. 

pm--5.25 Feeling kinda funky in a bad way, but I still got a run in tonight. It actually capped quite a great day, traveling and decorating graves. On a side note, I'm not sure I'm ever allowed to live anywhere but Santa Clara. The interment of my mom's family on the hill above Santa Clara goes back 4 generations. 

am--7.25 Ran towards the already risen sun into Green Valley and back behind Sunbrook. This is a nice little route. I didn't get out until 8:30ish, but it was pleasant out. 

pm--7.5 I ran a few on the tready and then ran to the in-laws for some swimming. I had to give some blood today for work. It makes me feel a little off. 

am--9 Turned the usual morning run into a run on the Barrel Roll w/ Sidewinder extension. The desert is a good place to be in the morning. 

I also hit 1,000 miles for the year today. 

am--4 Just some running. 

pm--5.25 I did some quicker running--sub-8:00 for me--to get the legs moving. They need to be ready to keep up w/ the XC kids next week. I also had a thought or 2 about some races I would like to do this year or at least the kind of races I would like to do. 

am--3.5 First day of summer XC practice. We had quite a few new kids but were missing others. .5 Barefoot warm-up and a nice little run to the Hell's Hole trailhead. 

am--4 Turtle Creek and kids camp. 

Spent a long, long day at Disneyland--7:00am-10:30pm--walking constantly in the elements. I'll chalk it up as time on my feet. 

Another goose egg. This time in California adventures. There was a bit of running to fetch fast passes and what not, but I'm not counting it as anything but time on my feet. 

One more. Not quite as long a day but still no time for a run, as I was watching a sleeping child in the hotel room most of the night. 

pm--5 A nice little progressive run to remind the legs that they can run and to christen the new shoes that I broke in for a few days @ DLand. I had a lot of time on the way home to ogle the Mojave. 

am--4.5 Did a little barefoot warm-up--.5--on the grass and hit some of our first XC dirt miles on the tortoise road. XC pace will come slowly. 

pm--5.5 Got out on the trails this afternoon. The pace wasn't very stout, but I had to work. I hit the Sidewinder and the near loop of the Barrel Roll. 

am--5 .5 Barefoot warm-up, followed by 2 loops on the dirt mile. After, I got a bit in w/ the kids club. (I actually cooled down w/ each of my daughters.) Still transitioning into XC mode. 

am--4.5 Barefoot warm-up followed by a nice little run barely into Green Springs. After we had a meeting about summer camp. 

am--5 Lots of grass this morning. Most went 3, but Kaylee and I went 4. I enjoy grass miles. 

am--4.5 A nice run through the fields and around the hill, to and from Pine View park. Ran w/ Liz and Kaylie (sic). 

am--5 Ran on the dirt roads from Tonaquint to Green Valley. It was a hot morning. Nevertheless, the discussion w/ Tom was stimulating. 

am--5 Some extra barefoot before practice. We ran Maverick loop backwards, which was nice. Mia's back along w/ many others. The hill up to Maverick made me look silly. 

am--5.5 I ran an extra barefoot loop before the warm-up and then we headed up to do some dirt loops. I actually felt pretty good, and the girls were running a pretty good pace. Liz and Kaelie are really pushing. It's great. 

At kid's club, I ran a few loops to finish of the run w/ another group and to help set up cones. The young kids raced today. It was fun to watch. Some of those kids really bring it. 

am--6.5 Barefoot warm-up before heading out to Grapevine Springs. It was a good run w/ a good group. I added a mile w/ the Sadester when I got home. 

am--5.5 A few loops for the warm-up and then some nice grass miles. We had a nice little group today until Lady Boyer went into Beast Mode. 

 pm--4.5 A nice Summer Solstice run w/ Tom on some single track in Little Valley. He's got a great running playground out there near his new home. 

am--6.5 We ran a nice loop around Coral Canyon. The view from on top of the ridge is nice. We had a group that stuck together pretty well today. Nice. 

pm--6.5 Defaulted to the tready, increasing speed gradually, and hitting a few @ 3% and a couple @ 5%. Weekly mileage is moving back up. Now I need to focus on the long runs. 

pm--7 So every once in a while, I have one of those nights that I just toss and turn and never really get any restful sleep. Last night was one of those nights. There is no explanation for it, but it happened. Consequently, I wasn't able to answer the morning bell and get to practice, so I ended up getting in a late night run w/ some stouter pace mixed in. 

am--5.5 I got to practice a bit early and hit an extra barefoot loop. After a little chatter, we headed up to the dirt loop and did a few miles. We got back and enjoyed another day of kids club. I ran a few loops of warm-up and cool-down w/ my daughters. On another note, my feet/ankles are ghosting small pains. 

am--6.5 We had a nice run up to Grapevine and stopped by the clubhouse before heading back. This run is always enjoyable. The group today was strong. There are quite a few girls ready to take on the challenge this year. 

am--6 Lots of grass today, and it made me happy. I hit a few extra w/ Kaylee before finishing w/ striders. Felt a little sick this morning, but, as always, running made things better. I still have some weird phantom pain in my right leg. It goes away as I get warmed up. Not too worried about it. 

am--6.5 A nice run on Mustang Pass w/ the girls. I'll just say it's tougher to group up on the trails. 

am--14.5 Got up early and headed out w/ Fast Cory to the SCRR. We hit Barrel Roll backwards and then the other way w/ the Sidewinder extension. Neither of us felt on top of our game, so we cut the last loop. 

am--6 Some barefoot w/ a little extra. After we went into Hell's Hole and did some bounding. My ankle/lower leg was a little tender during the rest in the bounding bouts but has disappeared since. Nice. 

am--5.5 We ran the dirt mile today. 8:30 on the first loop and 8:00ish on the second loop. Added a bit @ kids club w/ my girls on warm-ups and cool downs. 

am--6.5 Scouted a route for Friday's practice w/ my wife. I added a bit at home. We didn't get out until 9ish and it was getting warm. 

am--7.5 Hiked, swam, and ran a bit on the Subway trail. This was my first time. It was quite enjoyable. I'm not a huge fan of swimming in dark waters but do love the adventure and the climb out of the canyon. I'm counting this on the blog because it plays somewhat into my end goal.

On a side note, I skipped one of the rope sections by scaling down a huge boulder and jumped into a pool that was more shallow and harder than expected. I felt the landing in my heel. When I got home, I had a swollen and discolored heel. I iced and elevated and wintercrested. We'll see what happens. 

am--5.5 Practice @ Tonaquint park. We ran up the trail, turned around on to the road, and, finally, went over the hill to the intermediate school. It was an enjoyable run. My foot felt fine. 

am--7 Went exploring on Santa Clara Hill w/ Tom. Last weekend when I ran up on Sidewinder, I noticed some fresh trail cut up the side of the mesa over. So Tom and I ran down into the wash to try to hook into it. We had to bushwhack and follow a small wash and scramble over some boulders until we finally spotted some ribbon and, eventually, came to a slightly groomed trail. It's obvious that someone has done some work w/ a shovel and maybe followed the trail on a bike. The trail leads onto the top of Santa Clara Hill, which is the tallest mesa in the River Reserve. We followed the trail about halfway across the top of the mesa before we turned around--Tom had to get back. On the way back we traversed the saddle between that mesa and the Sidewinder mesa only to stumble upon a partially cut trail leading to the top. Consequently, we hooked into Sidewinder and rode some familiar trail back. Great exploring. Next week, I would like to get out and finish exploring the trail to the end of the mesa and, perhaps, find a way to the top of Boomers. 

am--5.5 Had a nice run to the green pole in Middleton w/ a nice little group. Even had Danny out this morning. We have some kids really stepping up this summer. I'm excited for the season. 

pm--3.5 Easy-peasy run after a nice evening at the Veyo Pool @ Crawdad Canyon. 

am--5 Barefoot, dirt mile, and kids club. We played car lot w/ the kids. 

am--6.5 Parkway w/ bounders. I really love the bounders. The Parkway slapped me around a bit. Stayed w/ the boys until they turned to add but just dragged after that. 

pm--3.5 A nice progressive run that ended in th mid 7s. Once I got started, I actually felt peppier tonight. 

am--5.5 Some nice grass stuff w/ striders. Taylor was w/ us the whole time. That was great. Didn't get a 2nd run in tonight. I'll hit it tomorrow. 

am--5.5 Nice run from VW park up the last few miles of the marathon course. The morning was beautiful--a bit overcast and cooler. 

pm--3 More as promised. Nothing spectacular. 

am--7 We had sick kids all weekend and, consequently, disturbances in the middle of the night. That really diminishes the restfulness of my sleep. So I ended up missing practice but still got in some good miles later. 

pm--3 A nice little jaunt w/ a buddy, catching up on the past. 

am--5 Dirt mile and kids club.

pm--3 An easy 3 while watching the kiddos. 

am--5.5 We've been sans internet for a few days, so I'm just catching up. We did some hill work today--3 x 1 min. and 4 x 30 sec.--then added to the gas station. The kids we're strong, and the girls made the most of their first "workout" of the season. 

am--5.5 A short jaunt followed by some grass. The temperatures were very nice. 

pm--3 Arctic Circle w/ the crew. Apparently, I was running too fast. Need to figure that out.

am--5.5 We had practice at the Bloomington North Park and hit some hill work on Webb Hill--2 x 30 sec. and 4 x 1 min. The hard part was that we recovered continuing up the hill. After the hill work, we dropped off the other side and finished w/ some grass loops at the park. It seems like running in deep grass works some of the same muscles that hills do. 

pm--8 Got in a nice run w/ 3 miles @ tinman pace, which for me is 7:30ish. For the first 3 miles or so, I had a little pf irritation. The pain hits in the back of the heel, and the Asics seem to exacerbate the problem. It has bugged me on-and-off for a while. Things worked back to normal. I've been thinking about my running a lot this week and have come to a decision or 2. Stay tuned. 

am--4.5 A nice run in the wonderful, humid weather after a summer storm. After, we headed off to Pine Lake for high-altitude camp.

pm--4 A shakeout run @ ~8,500 down the Pine Lake road. My body always feels slightly off up here. 

am--9 Long run on the Great American Trail. The varsity girls ran strong on this one.

pm--3 Easy run down the Pine Lake road. I ran w/ a few different groups.

am--5 Long hill run. This one is killer and really allows the "strength" runners to strut their stuff. Needless to say, Stoner killed it. 

am--4 Around Pine Lake to the campground. We might have pushed the hill on the way out a bit. Good week up in the altitude. The kids did great. 

pm--I didn't get out this morning, so I had to hit an evening run. Warmed up for 3 then went into a 2-mile tempo (14:43). For where I am with my fitness, this felt decent. After, I cooled down for 2.5. 

am--8 Ran from Kayenta to home @ a nice pace w/ the wife. My body feels a bit tired and achy. 

am--8.5 After the barefoot warm-up we headed toward Grapevine Springs and into Coral Canyon. On the way back we hit a 2.5-mile tempo. The girls did great even though a few of them weren't feeling well. Nice run today. 

am--5.5 Nice run w/ a good group on the dirt mile, followed by striders and kids club. I'm getting excited to see how the kids respond to racing next week. They'll do great. 

am--5.5 Ran down into Hell's Hole to do some rolling hill work--4 x 1 min. & 5 x 30 sec. The girls really dug deep on this workout. And I'm not going to lie; this is one of the tougher type of workouts for me. On another note, I need to get an evening run in today. I've been having some sciatic nerve pain the last few days, so I've taken it easy. It's starting to feel better. 

pm--4.5 A nice, easy run to recover from earlier running activities. 

am--6 A nice recovery run out on the Tortoise Road followed by striders. I added ~1.5 barefoot miles after the striders. I'm feeling kind of flat today and realize I need to work on top-end speed. 

am--6.5 We went to Little Valley Park and did some hill work--3 x 30 sec. & 5 x 1 min.--in a neighborhood near there. The hills felt extremely hard for me today. Maybe I'm getting old. We finished w/ ~3 miles barefoot @ the park. 

pm--3.5 A real easy recovery run. 

am--9.5 Tom & I finished a really cool loop that we discovered a few weeks back. It heads off from Sidewinder and climbs up Santa Clara Hill. It's a steady, if not fairly relaxing, climb to one of the highest points in the South Hills. It will be a go-to in the future. 

am--9 Ran w/ some the varsity girls on an 8-miler w/ 2.5 tempo. We went out through Middleton and back. We hit a decent pace on the tempo. The girls are working hard. I'm excited for the race on Wednesday. 

pm--3 Nice run to AC w/ a tiny bit of plyos after. I need to figure plyos and weights out. It can only make one better. 

am--4.5 Dirt mile @ a good pace in the low 8s. No miles during kids club. 

am--10.5 We did some running on grass today, which is always a treat. Followed that up w/ striders, and I added some at home. Nice morning of running. 

am--6 Old morning route before a meeting today. For some reason, I'm feeling a little beat but happy for the kids and their first race of season. 

pm--5 A later afternoon practice before team night @ St. George Running Center. I got a mile in before practice and a mile after on the warm-up loop. 

am--4 A nice short run on the DC trails w/ all the ornery bikers. 

pm--7 Headed out a bit before sundown for a nice run. It was still warm but tolerable. I ran up to the Canyons and then down Dixie Drive to my in-laws and arrived just in time to see the last 800 of the 5,000. I've decided to go with a couple of pairs of traditional trainers to see how it will affect my training and leg fatigue. Another side note, I had a chance encounter with Darrell Spencer, a great author. 

am--6.5 Ran up to the end of Lava Flow, back home, to the Dixie Drive junction, and back home. I started out feeling terrible but perked up when the rain came. 

pm--3 AC w/ the great ones. It was a bit of a scorcher out. 

am--6 Usual morning run, Han Solo. It was nice this morning. On another note, I feel like I'm on a fitness threshold. 

pm--3.5 A nice easy run after I got roasted on the after-school run.

am--5.25 I went out w/ the intention of throwing some faster work into the mix--3 x 2 min. w/ 1 min. recovery and 4 x 400 w/ 30 sec. recovery. I made it through the first set w/ a bit of extra recovery before the last but only made it through 2 of the last set. I haven't run a 5kish pace for such a long time that I think I might have nearly forgot. The faster sections today were a bit ambitious--I wasn't wearing any kind of pace-keeping mechanism--so I was toasted near the end. 

pm--3.5 An easy run to Greensprings w/ the varsity girls. It seemed hot, and I am beat. 

am--6 The usual morning run. I'm dragging this week for some reason. 

pm--4.5 Hot Nails w/ striders. It was a bit cooler out. 

am--4.5 I slept in a bit to see if that would help rejuvenate me. Alas, I felt much better this afternoon. A nice run into Green Springs and back, followed by 4 x 200 on the track. 

am--6.25 I had a real flat weekend after the meet. The whole family was a bit blah, so it's good to get back at it. Today, I joined the girls for a morning workout--my first this season. We did 6 x 3 min. @ a mid-to-low-6s pace. It was great to see the girls go for it. And, I won't lie, it's fun to get the legs going. We sandwiched the workout w/ a warm and cool to PH. Nice way to start the day and the week. 

pm--3.5 Nice run over to Sandburg's and through the desert. After did some weights and plyos. They were pretty fulfilling. 

am--3 An easy, easy run w/ lots of crudola to flush out of the legs after everything they went through yesterday. 

pm--6 A nice run out past the church on Telegraph for a warm-up before the PVXC time trial w/ a Harts cool-down after. We had the parent meeting afterward. The run this afternoon was pretty enjoyable. 

am--5 Rainy fartlek workout w/ the varsity girls. We had a pretty good turnout on what was an abnormal day for us. We ran to Target and back w/ all of our pick-ups near 7-min. pace except for the last one, which was speedy. Proud of the girls. 

pm--3.5 We went on a new 3-miler. Followed the AC route for a mile and then turned back on to Telegraph. We had to add a little detour around Sportsmans. It was nice, and it's not often that you get to rain runs in a day in sunny St. George. 

am--5.5 Nice and easy morning run Han-style. It was perhaps the best morning of the summer. Nearly, dare I say it, autumnal. 

pm--4.5 A nice run up into Green Springs w/ striders, weights, and plyos after. 

am--4 Nice AC run w/ many of the girls, followed by 4 x 200. I'm slow and old in that order. 

pm--3.5 Hot nails in a relative scorcher. We've been spoiled the last few days by the cooler rainy weather. We had a pretty good group of girls who all stuck together. 

am--6.25 A very early, very perspiring run on the usual morning route w/ a tiny extension. 

am--6.25 Nice, tough workout w/ the girls this morning--6 x 1000. We warmed up to Pizza Hut and jumped into the repeats. I seem to be fairly consistent w/ these. 3:40ish is a good effort for me. Last year, that put me right in the mix w/ the top girls. Now, it's just good enough to float off the back of them. They are getting so fast. The next pack of girls pushed themselves and came through w/ some solid times. We're working on closing the gap between the 2 groups. We had a fairly successful meet on Sat. and the tighter grouping will continue to help us push for a Region title. 

pm--3.5 We made up the run as we went, followed by weights and plyos. 

am--4 Morning run on an unusual route. This might become my go-to 4-miler. The mornings are starting to take on a crisp Fall feel. 

pm--6.5 Shoe run. As much as the mornings have a Fall feel, the afternoons still have a Summer feel. It was toasty today. We finished w/ striders. 

am--5.5 PH warm w/ 3 x 2min. and 4 x 400 w/ 1 min. and 30 sec. recovery respectively. We were able to pack up a bit more today. The girls ran well. We had a slightly bigger group than normal. It's good to see the girls out working hard. I left the girls at PH and extended to the DI loop. 

pm--3.5 Easy afternoon to Hot Nails w/ the crazy girls. 

pm--5.5 Slept an extra hour after I woke up w/ a killer head ache. It made for a bad morning. In the afternoon, did 4 up to Green Springs, followed by striders. Weights and plyos after. 

am--6.5 Warmed-up to Harts before the kids came. Did AC, followed by 4 x 200, which actually felt pretty good, at least in the legs. I feel like I'm getting a bit quicker. Last year, a good split was 39 seconds, and that was with a push at the very end. This year, I'm hitting 38 seconds every time. Finished off w/ PH cool-down. Seemed a tad bit overcast as I was finishing. 

pm--7 A nice little run w/ some tempo in the middle--~7:40 pace. I wanted to go a few more miles, but I was as drained as drained can be. I'll get some more miles at the run-a-thon. 

am--4.75 Ran a few laps around the track during the run-a-thon then finished up to Harts and back. The run-a-thon was a blast, but now I'm paying for it. So tired. 

am--4 Woke up uber-congested, so I let the body rest for a while longer before I went out on a short trail run. Was a grind. So it goes when you're only able to breathe through half a nostril and an eyeball. I hope the kids' workout went well today. 

pm--6 Some good miles helping put the course together in Bloomington Hills. It's always fun to watch the kids go for it in races. 

am--5 Nice morning run to AC w/ a little extra accompanying the tardies followed by striders. JP forgot the doughnuts. 

pm--3.5 Easy run full of unrest and circle @ the park. 

am--4 A nice little run up the road and back. 

pm--3 Nice and easy to Sandburg's to make up for yesterday. No warm-up for me because I was on roll call.

am--5.5 Changed up the route a tiny bit on this morning's run. During the middle miles, I felt like I got into a nice groove. 

am--7 Did a tough workout--4 x 30 sec. w/ 1 min. recovery, 3 x 800 w/ 2 min. recovery, and 3 x 1000 w/ 1 min. recovery. The progression through the intervals was unexpected and difficult. The 800s may have been a bit slack, but the 1000s were very honest. All of this was sandwiched between PH warm and cool. 

pm--3.25 Nice easy miles to loosen up the legs. 

pm--5 Warm-up and cool-down w/ the girls at the time trial. I added a mile after that. I fully intended to add a few more when I got home, but I ended up carry alcohol out of a gas station. 

am--6 Nice Starbucks run w/ the girls w/ PH before and after. We had a Mrs. Threet sighting. It was eerie. 

pm--3.5 Hot nails w/ the girls. I'm getting pumped for Friday's race. 

am--5.25 Truncated usual morning run. It was very nice out. I'm not complaining when I say that it was almost chilly. The other interesting part of the run was a bright bit of smoke or exhaust in the air shaped like the diminishing zig-zags we all used to put under important words in our middle-school years. Not sure what it was. 

pm--4 Run to Sandberg's pond--that's for  you Baggs--and finished off w/ 4 x 200. I was flat as flat can be today on the 200s. 

am--6 The usual morning run on a beautiful autumn day. Nothing more really to say. 

am--10 I got out a little later, and it wasn't too hot. Went w/ a buddy on a little trail run up Santa Clara Hill--the new trail off of Barrel Roll. 

am--6 Ran to Target and back w/ the girls. The last 2 miles of the run we did Indian style, which ended up being pretty fun. We finished w/ 4 x 200 on the track. 

pm--4 Easy 3 into Green Springs followed by hill sprints and 4 x 100. 

pm--5 An easy run to Hot Nails, followed by striders and some farting around on the warm-up loop. Nada en la manyana. 

am--5 PH x 2 w/ some running in the middle while the girls did Michigans and DI after it all was over. Nice morning. 

pm--4 We made up a run that purty much went up and down 2450 and finished w/ 2 x 400--1:28 and 1:25. It's still fairly warm out in the afternoons, but the mornings promise something different. 

am--6 A nice little 5-miler w/ 4 x 200 around the block near my house. 

pm--3 Nice, easy run to Sandbergs, hablaing some espanyol. 

am--6.75 Usual morning run w/ an extension. 

am--5.25 I ran around the Wahsatch Rendezvous course a few times and then a bit more to spectate. We had a great weekend @ the races. The season is working toward the fun stuff--region and state. 

am--6.25 The beastly track workout--4 x 30 sec., 3 x 800, and 2 x 1,000. The 4 x 30 sec. felt ok. I was able to stretch the legs a bit. The 800s were blah--all around 3:10ish. The 1,000s were bad and decent--4:15 and 3:58. PH warm and cool. On the coaching tip, the girls ran well. They seem to all be improving. It's going to be a throw-down at region in 2 weeks. 

pm--4.5 Green Springs at a suprisingly good pace, followed by 4 x stadium hills and 4 x 100. Good day in the end. 

pm--10 We ran to Hot Nails and back @ a good pace. Taylor and I did striders and chatted about her Nebo race. Finally, after dinner, I got out for a good run on an old friend of a loop into Green Valley. 

am--4.25 PH warm and cool w/ the kids. After, I hit the DI loop and a 400. The kids rocked their Michigans. 

pm--4.5 Secret rainy route w/ 2 x 400 after. I'm feeling pretty beat. 

pm--4.5 Last night, I went to bed at 8:30, was a little restless, and hit the snooze one too many times. I didn't wake up for a run. So, I'll be hitting something short later. This afternoon we did the traditional Sandbergs, followed by 4 x 200--39, 39, 37, 38. I actually kind of like these. 

pm2--3 For Jake T, listening to my favorite Canadian Americana band, The Band. 

am--6 PH/AC/DI in that order. Running on tired legs. I'm old.