Turn your rut into a groove.

pm--4.5 I took a little break to see if anything would heal or if I would mentally want to get back at it. The aches seemed to slumber for a few days, but they are tossing and turning now. I went up the big hill on the way to the turkey farm and flipped to make the run 35 minutes. Wanted to go farther, but it felt like I forgot how to run, and my legs never really loosened up. RHR--49. 

Last year, I kept track of the books I read and ended up with 62, a mixture of fiction and nonfiction. Since the turn of the new year, I've finished 4 more. 

Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi was a pretty quick read about a curious, fun-loving girl who gets expelled from school and the fantastic experience she had subsequently at a nontraditional school. Helped me see what can happen when we seek to understand others. 

Beartown by Fredrik Backman tells the tale of a desolate hockey-loving town and how people choose to handle a criminal act by the star player of the junior team. Made me think a lot about how we are more willing to make concessions for those we see as extraordinary. 

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare an Elizabethan hit. Proof that those who seem insane often have the sanest perspective. 

The Self-Made Olympian by Ron Daws recounts a self-admitted average runner's pursuit of Olympic glory. My favorite quote:

No runner is so untalented that he cannot improve vastly enough to beat the more talented ones whose approach is less intense. I'm not claiming that any runner with club feet and asthma can, by scheming and whipping himself in training, beat those of world-record caliber who combine great natural talent with stone-hard discipline, but that in fully extracting his innate capabilities he may venture into worlds never dreamed of. (9)

pm--4.25 Dino Tracks. I really got the sparkling new Christmas shoes dirty. But the trail is nice when some rain has fallen. I felt rough when we started but perked up a bit and really felt handsomely good when we finished. That's good. The frustration was high throughout the day. I even thought about things that go w/ spandex and zip shirts. Shame. RHR--58. 

pm—5.25 Varied pace work on the track. I went light with those coming back from injury. I felt better today, and the pick-ups were nice. RHR—57.

pm--6 Foremaster w/ the return on 2450. Nice run except for the fact that it felt like everyday before today was leg day. That's okay. I'm getting back into it. On another note, I'm excited to do some learning this weekend. RHR--57. (Sickness is hanging out in my head.)

pm—5.25 Some running around Boulder to see the sights before the 1st day of a sweet conference. My legs and lungs are still coming back.

am—4 Some miles along the Boulder Creek, followed by a big day of cool info. We had lunch with Doug Soles. That was pretty cool.

pm--5.25 Ran around the neighborhood w/ my neighbor. I missed the run this morning due to a weird crick in the back and the makings of a chest cold. Hope someone got an extra doughnut. Other than the labored breathing, I felt good tonight. 

I finished Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. It's a book about two young folks falling in love in a war-torn country and finding a way out through a mysterious dark doorway. Decent contemporary fiction w/ some magic thrown in. 

am--1.5 Harts. I didn't lift but did try to talk to every kid during weights. RHR--53.

pm--6 Hell Hole and back. Decent run. I'm working through the funk. Rylee and Jenessa ran really well today. Erged 1k when I got home.

pm--7 Pace work on the track. I got to run w/ the future again. Always a good time. Things feel like they're starting to come back. RHR--54. 

am--1.5 Light weights and a run into the neighborhood. Had a sister race between the Holts to finish off the run. RHR--53. 

pm--6 Jada's Choice. Felt crummy and beat on the way out and for a minute on the way back, but we were able to hit a steady, solid pace by the end. Freshman girls are stepping up. Also found out that roughly 1 in 4 people in St. George knows me. :) Erged 2k in 9:04 when I got home. 

pm--6.25 Tempo Intervals at PVMS w/ 30-sec. recovery. Decent workout. Something about a steady effort is difficult for younger runners, but they're working hard and doing great things. RHR--58. (Still kind of sick.)

pm—1.75 Just a few miles due to the tendinitis and sickness. I’m really at a nadir physically. Must’ve done too much too quickly. 

pm—3 A few miles to keep something rolling. The chest cold and a dire need to renew my driver’s license combined to snuff out a run w/ the kids. 

am--1.5 Harts + after a mini session of weights. This was probably one of the colder mornings all winter. RHR--53.

pm--4.5 Mustang Pass. Nothing to report other than feeling old and out of shape. Wheezing is an obstacle at the moment. 

pm--7 Pace work w/ the Future. I felt better on most fronts today. Yay for the win. RHR--51.

am--1.5 The nieghborhood whale and back after some light weights. RHR--51. 

pm--6 A nice run w/ one hill circuit thrown in. The crew was antsy on the pace. #highlights

pm—5.75 Ran around the grass while the kids did tempo at PV middle. RHR—54.

am—4.25 Chuckawalla w/ shorn Adam. Nice run to finish the week. I’m feeling a lot better than I did last Saturday. Perhaps a little perspective was gained.

No run. Doc-in-law says I have walking pneumonia, so I decided that I would play it safe and get better. I've been wheezing and having trouble feeling any fitness gain over the last 2 weeks. Perhaps there's a reason for that. 

I finished The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. It's a top candidate for Great American Novel. I wonder what percentage of my AP Lit kids have an educated opinion on that. Quiz? Should I? 

I biked around the 'hood a few times. The heart was pumping pretty hard after a so-so effort. The lungs are not firing on all cylinders. 

I also finished a book that was highly rated on Amazon. It's a graphic novel by Eleanor Davis called You & A Bike & A Road. The book chronicles the author's bike trip from Tucson, AZ to Athens, GA. She's on the road for around 2 months before her knees say uncle and force her to forgo the last 10 days and hitch a ride from her husband. It was a quick read and an interesting topic. If Spandex is optional, some bike tripping might be cool one day. 

pm--5 Back to running. I looped down onto the River Trail and back around by Maverick. I felt decent. My breathing was a bit heavy, but that is to be expected after some time off. RHR--54. 

pm--4 Ran around during the Root-Beer mile. Feeling. . . better? 

pm--5.25 Green Springs. I haven't run this in a while. It was good. There are a lot of girls who could do great things this track season. RHR--57. 

pm--7 Pace work w/ The Future. Good stuff from them today. We hit more CV pace than we have in past workouts. My lungs feel better other than the dip in fitness from being sick. 

pm--6.25 Ran around the neighborhood w/ some hill circuits in the run. I only jumped in on one of those because I'm nursing pretty much everything. Girls have a pretty positive group right now. 

pm—2.5 A “run” to finish the week. After the sickness, i’m Starting to bounce back, but the pace work and hill circuit from the last 2 days have triggered the behind-the-knee tendonitis. I’ve rolled with the foam roller and a softball. Healing.

I also finished Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. This book is on a lot of end-of-year lists. It was an interesting read about how we court problems when we seek to create perfection.

pm—9.5 Sugar Loaf+ out-and-back w/ some progressing tempo mixed in. This is the longest run for me in 3-4 months. It hurt so good. Good group of girls. 

pm—4.5 Beautiful run by the turtle road. Perfect temps and fun conversation. Plus, we saw a chihuahua disappear. RHR—51.

pm--6.5 Warmed and cooled w/ the girls and ran around w/ Sylvia while the others were running the workout. I'm feeling more and more on the mend each day. Also, I ate 2 live earthworms in the assembly today. RHR--53. 

pm--7.5 Loop through Washington and down to Sullivan before hitting 3x hill circuits. It's fun to see such ambitious freshmen, and the rest of the girls are working hard, as well. 

am—Reverse loop through Santa Clara. I love this run. The slight decline in the second half really encourages a negative split. This is a variation of the Saturday runs I was doing when things were really rolling. I’m slowly coming back.

I finished King Lear for The Who knows how manyth time. It’s a terrible and awesome play.

am—8 Hurricane Rim Trail. Nice run in the snowy weather with a tight group. Daring the elements as a runner is extremely rewarding. RHR—52.

am--Weights. RHR--51.

pm--5.25 Green Springs. Good run w/ a nice push to finish. When we crested the big hill, Jacey and I looked back, and the crew had disappeared. Not sure what happened with them. We had a nice chat. She's a great runner and a great person. 

am--2.5 The bank and back. I felt peppy this morning. It's good to gradually work my way into doubles again. Light group. 

pm--4 Warm and cool w/ the girls. I got some quicker running on the light tempo before the workout and after w/ Jacey, Rylee, and Jenessa after. The kids look solid today. 

am—Some weights. RHR—53.

pm—5.5 Target out-and-back. It’s chilly down here right now. Good run w/good folks.

am--2.5 Bank and back. Always fun. RHR--53. 

pm--4.5 Semi-annual hallway run due to lightning in the vicinity. My favorite part about these runs is the sing-along nature of the thing and the looks that everyone gives us. Did some defacto hill circuits on the choir ramp. 

pm—7.25 Good run w/ 3x 4 min. @ 7:30, 10 min. @ 7:15, and 5 min. @ 7:00-6:55 w/ 2-min. recovery between everything. The run was a bit tougher but felt great.

I also finished Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Caroline the Great recommended it to me. I enjoyed it. Action + Adventure + Nostalgia = a good read. Now, I’m a third of the way through Bob Schul’s book.

am--7.5 We looped around the turf farm for a nice run. The group was solid the whole time. Plus, I realized that I've missed these longer morning runs. RHR--51. 

pm—3.5 Easy 30. These runs are always rough on the dad bod, but it’s fun to hit a double-digit day. 

am--Weights. RHR--50.

pm--5.5 Looped over by the mall and finished with some hill circuits. OK day.

While proctoring the ACT, I finished Bob Schul's In The Long Run. I was most interested in the training he did with Mihaly Igloi, and, while the book didn't go into great detail about the training, it is apparent that Schul feels like he owes a lot of his success to the training Igloi introduced to him. On another note, there were a few quotes I enjoyed.

"Many things could have stopped me if I had looked on the downside of circumstances and perpetuated the negative. I would never have gotten to this point of running with the greatest athletes in the world. It is important, of course, for healthy thinking to feel and discuss injustices and disappointments, but the mind takes in as many thoughts as it is given and we must let the negatives go as quickly as possible.

"This includes, most importantly, self-esteem. All those disappointments in life are just that--disappointments. They are not because 'I am a bad person and deserve bad things to happen,' but because that is the way life is." (103)

"I now fully believed in myself. It was a long, gradual process that came one small step at a time. It wasn't enough that I just mouthed the words. I had to believe, deep within my soul, completely. I dispersed all doubts and replaced them with the knowledge that what I had done to prepare myself had placed me in a position where I knew I could overcome any obstacle. I found ways to build a solid wall of knowledge, confidence, and self-esteem; and if that wall should become cracked within the final months of preparation, I could repair it quickly with my strongest block. That block, the one that I mention so often in this writing: the resurgence of positive thinking and its domination over self-doubt." (110)

"There is a big difference in the pain levels among athletes and while some are able to continue driving even when their bodies are hurting, others will succumb to the pain and slow down. In my training I brought my body to the pain threshold and forced it through time after time. In the process I conditioned my mind to handle more and more pain." (162).

am--2.5 Bank and back. Small pack broke a bit. :( RHR--51.

pm--4.5 Sandberg's w/ a little extension. Not my favorite. Prefer to play after all of the work is done. 

pm—3.5 Warm and cool around the Kosmin. Kids looked good today. RHR—52.

am--2.5 Good run to the bank and back w/ a nice group. We have some committed freshmen. RHR--52. 

pm--6.25 Green Springs past the churches. We got to hear Upsy's impressions. Pretty funny stuff. 

am--7.75 Zen to Moe's w/ Andy in some of my favorite shoes. (They are the envy of nearly every CrossFit dude.) The climbs had me beat today, but I still had something left as we finished. Getting fitter. Climbing on the trails would work wonders for me right now. RHR--52. 

am—10 Sugarloaf w/ a smattering of longer tempo reps at various paces. Felt good, and we had a nice group. Freshmen are crushing it. RHR—54.

am--1.75 Weights and Harts+. Chilly morning but decent run. RHR--51. 

pm--6.25 Telegraph out-and-back. Coach laid it on the line--you don't race if you don't do all your runs. Most of the girls like the idea because they do what they're supposed to do. It's fun to have motivated workers on the team. 2k on the erg when I got home, listening to Belle and Sebastian. 

am--2.5 Bank and back. Light crew w/out the freshmen. RHR--52

pm--5 Warm and cool and 2x hill circuits. Kids are getting excited for the meets this weekend. 

am--1.5 Weights and Harts+. Jada was there today. Yay. RHR--52. 

pm--5 Middleton. I love this run even though it always seems like a tough one to get into a groove. First meets tomorrow. 

am--5 Pizza/Bank/Running Center Loop. OK morning. I felt achey and old, and I'm out of the habit of being 15 minutes early. RHR--53. 

am—8 Kidney Loop around the barrio before the meet. Good way to end the week. A nice 8-miler is one of my favorite runs. RHR—54.

pm—5 A run. Spring Break brought many great things, but running suffered. 

I did finish The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. It’s a dystopian novel that is getting some buzz because of its serialization on Hulu and our current political climate. Not sure if it’s timing or what, but I didn’t love the book. The heaviness of the story and the way it affected my mood subsequently left me cynical.

pm—5 Another run. I did take my runs a little easier this week. That’s a part of training that I’m still formulating, the development of pace throughout a training cycle and its effect on aerobic fitness and injury prevention.

pm—3 A quick run before watching my nephew play soccer. He’s quite the player.

am—5.75 Barrel Roll w/ Adam. Always a good chat in the hills.

Finished The Great Gatsby again. 

am—10 Long run via the Parkway w/ some pickups. Holt came w/ is, so I was able to help those that were having a rough day. RHR—50.

am--1.75 Weights and Harts+. RHR--52.

pm--3.25 I didn't run w/ the kiddos because we're getting ready for the PV Invitational. I ran when I got home and added 1k on the erg (4:20). 

am—2.5 Bank and back. Varsity skeleton crew. RHR—52.

pm—3.75 Ran around before, during, and after the workout.

am--1.75 Weights and Harts+. Really nice morning. RHR--52. 

pm--4.75 Green Springs and barefoot striders. We had some visitors from Alaska run w/ us. It was fun to get to know them. 

am—6 Hart’s/bank/reverse DI. I tried to get a bit more this morning because we have the PV Invite this afternoon. 

pm--4.25 Jaunt around the 'hood w/ my neighbor after a long but fun track day. 

am—9.5 Sullivan for the tempo/long run. It went a lot better than last week, and the girls looked strong. Addi really brought her A game.

am--1.5 Weights and Harts+. Probably the last chilly morning for a while. RHR--53. 

pm--5.75 Telegraph to Trailers loop via Sandberg's w/ some extension near the school. My legs were feeling it today. 

am--5.25 Telegraph out-and-back w/ 6x striders. Fairly uneventful but had a nice chat w/ Caroline after. RHR--54. 

am--1.5 Weights/Past the Whale. Good pace and nice convo. RHR--54. 

pm--5 Trail to Nowhere and back through the PVMS neighborhood. It's a fun time to be a a Panther. Erged for 10 minutes.

am--6.25 Beautiful morning on the White Reef and Tipple trails near Harrisburg. I have never run out there before. The trails are very runnable w/ great views of the Red Cliffs Reserve and the Quail Lake area. Nice way to start the day. RHR--53. 

am--8 SC Parkway out-and-back. I try to get stronger throughout the run. That happened today. RHR--55. 

am--10 Long run w/ various tempo-style pickups. This is the type of run that I just have to get started, and things improve. Some folks are looking strong. RHR--53. 

am--1.5 Weights and Harts. RHR--52. 

pm--5.5 Green Springs w/ a good push on the way up. I felt the run from yesterday in my legs. 

am—2.5 Bank and back. Good to have NeNe with us. RHR—52.

pm—3.75 Some running around before and after the workout. The kids are looking good.

am--1.75 Weights and Harts+. Good run. RHR--52. 

pm--5.50 Tropical Smoothie and back w/ barefoot striders after. Beautiful afternoon. I had a nice chat w/ the cousins on the way back. 

am--5.5 DI/Bank/StG. Loop. Felt tired and achy and beat this morning. Meet later today. RHR--52. 

am--8.5 Foremaster and River Trail w/ a power run and 5x hills thrown in. Good run w/ a good group. I was in a better state of mind for this week's run than I have been the last few weeks. RHR--52. 

am—3.5 DI/Weights/Harts. Decent running. I wasn’t able to get out later because of the Panther Relays. RHR—52.

am—2.5 Bank and back. Had some good chat w/ Add and Jace. RHR—53.

pm—5.25 2450 and around, delivering flyers. It was hot for this time of year—90 degrees. Erged 10 minutes after.

I also finished Their Eyes Were Watching God again. A great American classic. 

am—1.5 Weights/Hart’s. Warm morning, shouting Nirvana. RHR—54.

pm—5.25 Dog Pound connection to the River Trail w/ 4x striders after. The group stuck together pretty well.

am--6.5 DI/Bank/Lutheran extension on reverse DI. The chilly morning was welcome. We had a nice group for the run. RHR--54. 

pm—7 Up to the Canyons and around. Between the run and mowing the lawn, I got a beautiful earful of Pink Floyd. Also witnessed some great stuff at the track meet. RHR—53.

am--8.25 Same run as last Monday w/ a power run and 5x hills. Good stuff from the group. RHR--52. 

pm--2.5 Bank and back. Short run isn't enough to fully resurrect the legs. 

am--1.75 Weights/BK. Beautiful morning. "About perfect weather," I said. RHR--52.

pm--6 Tour de Washington. One of those runs that never feels good, but it was a good time. The skeleton crew was jokey and goofy. 

am--6.75 Ran around during the workout. It was fun to hop into the last bit of each repeat to feel the pace. Cold morning. RHR--52. 

am--1.75 Weights/BK. Fun morning talking about iCarly, Dragon Tales, etc. RHR--52. 

pm--5.5 Sullivan Park out-and-back w/ 6x barefoot striders. I'm quicker on striders, but my heel is feeling the speed. Roastful run. 

am—4 Bank/Reverse Sandstone. Drizzly morning but good. RHR—53.

pm—7.5 Meandering neighborhood loop. A run like this is the perfect cap to a week. We had some good performances at the track meet, and I was able to chat w/ Mia Hart-Taylor. It’s been too long. RHR—53.

am—8.5 Sugar Loaf out-and-back w/ 1-, 2-, 3-, 2-, and 1-min. pickups. Folks looked strong. We have a handful of kids ready for a breakthrough. RHR—51.

pm—2.5 Tready. I didn’t run right after school but waited until I got home.

am--1.5 Weights/Reverse StG. Fun morning. RHR--53.

pm--5.25 Warm-up and some running around during the workout. 

am--2.5 Bank and back. RHR--51. 

pm--5.25 Loop down by Maverick and up by the mall. I loved the long, gradual climb. In the 90s today.  

It’s taken a while, but I finally finished The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. The narrator is a dog that loves Formula One racing and his owner. Favorite line from the book: “The car goes where the eyes go.”

am--1.5 Weights/Harts+. Nice morning w/ the crew. Mornings seem to be my wide awake time. RHR--51.

pm--6 Green Springs. Another smokin' hot run. My fave run w/ the climb up and fast back. 

am--6.5 Lutheran Loop/Bank-and-back/Reverse DI. Pretty good morning. I was sweaty at the end due to the 60-degree temperature. RHR--51. 

am—4.5 Quick Miles w/ Holt in Provo/Orem.

am--7.5 Turkey Farm Rd. w/ 6x striders after. The hill was rough today. Jess and I both kept running because we didn't want the other to win. I also got a glimpse of the girls that will be pusihng for varsity xc spots as they battled up the long hill. RHR--54. 

pm—3 A nice jaunt w/ my neighbor. Good talk.

am--1.5 Harts. I didn't do much w/ weights because I had a tight back over the weekend. RHR--54. 

pm--5 Warm and running around while the kids did their workout. It was rainy, and that made things fun and cold. My hands are still thawing. 

am—4 Some Miles because I didn’t plan on running after school. RHR—52.

am--4.75 Flipped the runs because of the youngster meet. Good run from the crew. XC meeting tonight. RHR--52. 

am--7 Harts/Bank/Meander. These runs always leave me feeling beat. I'm not sure if my pace picks up a bit or what. RHR--52. 

am--6.25 Sandy Run, so we hit up the Gully. No Rob sighting, though. We had some more cool things happen at the Herriman Meet yesterday. It's been a good T&F season so far. RHR--52. 

am--8.5 Ran around while the kids did their workout. Good chat w/ Holt. RHR--51. 

am—1.5 Weights/Harts. Decent morning. RHR—50.

pm—4 Ran mostly around the track while kids practiced handoffs. Triple-digit temperature today.

I also finished To Kill a Mockingbird again. This version of Atticus is something to shoot for.

am—5.5 Good run, mostly w/ Addi. These morning runs often leave me beat. The first day of region went well.

am—4 Harts/Bank-and-back. Decent morning and another toasty afternoon at region. RHR—53.

pm--5 Towards the Sugarloaf. Warm day again, but we managed. It was cool to see some Senior leadership today. RHR--53. 

am—8 The kids has a workout this morning. I ran to Harts beforehand and ran the warm and cool w/ the kiddos, even ran bits and pieces of the faster stuff. It was fun. RHR—53.

am—2.25 Harts/track while some of the girls did a 1600 time trial. RHR—51.

pm—3.25 Out-back to Dixie Dr. w/ my neighbor. It was good to get out again even though the mileage wasn’t much.

am--3.5 DI/Whale. Good morning. RHR--52. 

pm--5.5 Sullivan out-and-back. It was warmish and the pace was warmish as well. Good push by some girls at the end. Added 2k on the erg later.

I just finished A Clean Pair of Heels: The Murray Halberg Story by Garth Gilmour. Halberg was a Lydiard guy. I love reading about the Kiwi’s adventures and training, although as an insight to training the book would come up short. Nonetheless, the mentality of these guys was amazing.

am--6 Looped through the neighborhood. Nice, steady run. RHR--52. 

am—4.75 Ran around Provo before State Track. Some good-to-great performances today.

am—4.5 Pretty much the same loop as yesterday w/ the addition of Grant. Another good day at state.

No run. I did do some cleaning and mowed the lawn. I also finished A Sense of Where You Are by John McPhee. McPhee is an engaging writer who makes you interested in subjects you would’ve previously never pursued. This book is about Bill Bradley and his playing days at Princeton. What a phenomenal read! A few great passages follow. 

“After watching Bradley play several times, even when he was eighteen, it seemed to me that I had been watching all the possibilities of the game that I had ever imagined, and then some. His play was integral. There was nothing missing. He not only worked hard on defense, for example, he worked hard on defense when the other team was hopelessly beaten. He did all kinds of things he didn’t have to do simply because those were the dimensions of the game.” (7-8)

“One effect that Bradley has had on Princeton has been to widen noticeably the undergraduate body’s tolerance for people with high ethical standards. ‘He is a source of inspiration to anyone who comes in contact with him,’ one of his classmates says. ‘You look at yourself and you decide to do better.’” (41-42)

Light rowing in the morn and a 3.5 mile bike ride in the evening.

11-mile bike ride to the entrance of Snow Canyon and back, followed by 3.25k on the erg. By the time I was done, it felt like work.

pm--4 It was good to be back running after a 10-day break. I did do some biking and rowing in the interim. Ran to SCHS and did some grass loops on the softball field. I love the feel of that grass. Erged 2k in 8:55 after. That's a good pull for me lately. 

I finished When The Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka. It's historical fiction loosely based on her Japanese mother's experience in the USA during WWII. Took a while to get through this, but that says more about my life than the book. 

pm—3.25 Tready default after a long day of here and there.

pm--5 Green Valley Loop. I don't feel fluid at all, and my breathing is more labored than it should be. That being said, I'm back at it. 

pm—3.5 Tready Miles but felt better. The groove is coming back. On another note, I'm trying out the One-Punch-Man workout—100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and 10k of running. We’ll see what it does. I already feel stronger even though I didn’t quite hit the running numbers.

am—3.5 First day of practice. Quite a few kids out. Erged after. 

I also finished The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle. I thought it would be a par-for-the-course discussion about getting people to work together, but it was so much more. I recommend it for anyone trying to build something great with other people.

am—4.25 First Urie loop of the summer w/ some barefoot grass loops and 6x striders. Kids Club after. Great start to things.

am—5.25 Alton, UT. Good run w/ Mat. He kicked my rear. Between my lack of fitness and the elevation, I had some struggles. Elevation really hits me, not sure why.

am—4.5 Out-and-back towards Grapevine w/ 6x barefoot striders after. I felt much better in STG than on the mountain.

am—5.75 Nice run around Shinob Kibe w/ a small but great group of kids. Saw some very encouraging things. We had a nice push the last 2 miles.

pm—4.25 Run w/ 3x 3:00 pickups. Felt dece.

am--6 Dirt-Mile Tempo. Had some girls step up and others struggle w/ the tempo. Not sure how to help w/ that. It's fun to see the next group begin to fill in the gaps left by graduating seniors. 

am--4 Urie and grass loops w/ 6x barefoot striders. I had a nice chat w/ Macey (sic) today. 

am--5.5 Telegraph out-and-back, including the Coral Canyon Hill. For some reason, it was rough coming back. Jada ran well today. 

am—7.5 Green Springs-Telegraph loop. By the end, I was tired, and, somehow, I deleted the workout from my watch. We had a small group w/ youth conference and everything going on.

am—5 Nice, chill run in the desert above Middleton w/ 8x striders after.

pm—3 Didn’t have the means to get up and go this morning, so my run didn’t happen until later. Basically, just a run.

am—8 Nice run in the north desert w/ 4x 1-min. pickups. Light crew again.

am--4.75 Urie w/ grass after. The achilles heel was bugging a bit by the end. It's funny how it ebbs and flows. Weights after, but I didn't lift because I came out loser from my tangle w/ Decker and have some kind of kinked neck. 

am--6 Out-and-back on the Grapevine road. I love this run, and even though the crew was light again today, kids were doing cool things. 

I also finished Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien. It's a Vietnam novel w/ a nice dose of Magical Realism. The basic premise of the novel is that Cacciato deserts and decides to walk from Vietnam to Paris. His squad goes after him. Near the end of the book, I found a great quote:

"Peace of mind is not a simple matter of pursuing one's own pleasure; rather, it is inextricably linked to the attitudes of other human beings, to what they want, to what they expect. The real issue is how to find felicity within limits. Within the context of our obligations to other people. We all want peace. We all want dignity and domestic tranquillity. But we want these to be honrable and lasting. We want a peace that endures. We want a peace we can be proud of. Even in imagination we must obey the logic of what we started. Even in imagination we must be true to our obligations, for, even in imagination, obligation cannot be outrun." (320-321)

pm--5.25 Got a run in later. Did some travelling over the last two days to see Belle and Sebastian at Sundance. It was a great time, but travelling kills my motivation. It's a win that I got a run in. 

I finished a book of essays, Maps and Lengends, by Michael Chabon. He's a good writer who uses lots of $100 words. This book tackles the underestimation by the literati of genre fiction--Sherlock Holmes, comic books, horror stories, etc. It also gave some insight into his writing process and research. Probably not a book for everyone. 

am—5.75 Nice run from Confluence Park to the park in Green Valley w/ barefoot striders after. Hopefully, next week will bring a bigger crew. Not that today’s crew was lacking anything.

I’m officially back on the reading wagon. Just wrapped up I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier. It’s quite a dark, interesting read.

am--7.75 A slow burner but just what the body needed. 

am--8.25 Sand Hill Run. This was the first for me. I really didn't know what to expect. It went pretty well. We have a decent pack of girls, but they're still the second pack. How to get it together? 

am—5 Urie Loop and grass w/ 8x barefoot striders.

am—7.25 Good dirt-mile tempo. We had a group of 7 that stayed compressed the whole time.

am—7 Green Springs out-and-back. Holt ran w/ us, so I used this run as an opportunity to run w/ some different girls today. It was nice.

pm—1.5 Obligatory run after weights to get used to the heat.

am--7 Coral Canyon to Walmart distribution and back w/ 6x striders after. Good run even though I feel bored out. 

pm—5.5 Decent run, progressively dialing in the pace. I sweated a lot, and it was glorious. 

I finished Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen. The book pulled me right along and stoked my desire to go to Alaska and live somewhere with mild summers. 

pm—8 A slow burner w/ 5x 1-min. pickups. I didn’t get out as soon as I wanted but did get my run in.

am—5 Got out at Superfly o’clock and did some barefooting on the softball field w/ some striders.

pm—1.5 Just a little treat after a nice nap.

pm—5.5 Good run, once I got going. Happy 4th!!!!

am--1.5 A few laps at the local elementary school. Nothing for the rest of the week. Sometimes, I find myself battling with purpose. 

I finished a fantasy tome--With Blood Upon the Sand by Bradley P. Beaulieu. It's a book with Middle-Eastern flair. Good but not for everyone. 

am--9 Sandhill Loop. I volunteered to lead the girls up. That thing is pretty tough when one is acting as sweeper. Made to the top on the heels of Jason and Gracie in 15:45--that's a watch stat--and down the other side in 10:16. I didn't really get into the downhill until I decided to break away from a group that was struggling a bit w/ the magnitude of the endeavor. Overall, good run. I feel beat as I type this. 

am—4.5 Urie and grass w/ barefoot striders after. Kids club was great.

pm—1.5 Hot run and weights.

am—6.5 Dirt-mile tempo. I jumped out of the group a time or two to let them work together on their own, and it gave me a chance to run w/ some other groups.

am—6.75 Grapevine our-and-back. Had a rattlesnake sighting. Luckily, it was in a docile mood.

I also finished Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Quite a read, survival, human nature, violence, and so on. 

am—5.75 BHNP and river trail w/ barefoot striders. Either I’m getting older or beat down by the humidity or something, but the runs have been slower lately.

am/pm--7 Nice sweat-drenched run w/ a push into the 7:00s for the last 10-12 minutes. Sometimes I think I like running. 

am--8.5 Sandhill. I was sweeper again. Many kids did great things. Awesome. 

am--4.25 Urie/Grass w/ 6x barefoot striders. The heel is aching. The sandhill always crushes it. 

pm--1.75 Weights and afternoon run. Hot one in StG. 

I finished The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. It's full of honey, black Mary, and female power. 

am--7.5 A good longish run into the Fields. It was warmer and the pace was pretty stout at the beginning, so finishing uphill was a gutcheck for many of us. Kids are working hard, though. 

am—5.5 Decent run into Grapevine. Saw some fight from some welcome sources. I skipped out on striders to do some form advisement.

pm—1.5 Weights and a heat run. 

am--6.5 Pace work at the elementary w/ Josh from MileSplit. The girls packed really well. Things are starting to come together. And I'm fairly enthused. 

am—6.5 Pace work again w/ the randomness of the cards. Good group w/ some new folks hanging tough.

am—7.5 Nice loop around Santa Clara w/ a few tempo miles thrown in. By the end I was beat. Nonetheless, I felt positive about the run.

pm—1.5 Afternoon heat run. I also got some nice notes from the girls.

am—4.75 Urie-Grass run w/ the last kids club of the season. It was a fun time on the grass. I love how the personalities play off of each other.

pm—2.25 I thought about taking the afternoon off because my lower extremities are achey, but, mentally, I needed a win.

am--6 Waltzed around the parking lot for 10 minutes, waiting for Jada. She never came. :( Finally, headed up the Grapevine road. I like that climb. Al Brown rocked it today. 

pm--1.5 Normal neighborhood heat run. 111 degrees today. Emma rocked it. 

Earlier this week, I finished A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It's the first Sherlock novel and includes a lengthy middle section about Utah and the Mormons. Everything ties in at the end. I promise. 

I am also just wrapping up Candide by Voltaire. Lots of terrible things happen, but Candide has trouble shaking the philosophy of his first teacher--"It all works out for the best." Like I read somewhere, you laugh out loud as you read it, not because it's funny but beacuse you don't know what to do when more terrible things come to pass. 

am—10.5 Long run from the fields to Warner Valley and back. Like everyone else, I thought the run turned out to be quite a pleasant jaunt. We had a good crew that stuck together the whole run.

pm—3.5 A shorty for the lower limbs. 

am—6.5 Intervals at 8k pace on the dirt mile. The groups are looking pretty good. I jumped from one group to the other.

pm—2.5 A nice run around Pine Lake. First day of high-altitude camp.

am—5 Out-and-back on the road to Pine Lake. I was able to run and chat w/ some kids I don’t often see on runs.

pm—2.5 Up-and-back on the hill we use for our hill run.

am—9 Long run on the Great Western Trail. This section is more like a Jeep road.

am—6 Grinding hill run. I looked back a bit for some kids. The first had to tie her shoe—let’s get some Velcro for this one—and the second is a newcomer w/ lots of heart. High-altitude camp was a great success. Lots of lessons, volleyball, fun, and tears.

I finished The Sign of Four, the second Sherlock novel, this evening. These stories are decent detective novels. The genre is a favorite of mine.

am—5 A good run w/ 8x striders. 

am--7.5 Looped up by The Canyons. The going was tough at first, but I was able to get the last 3 miles under 8-min. pace. That was fun. I've got some work to do in the fitness department. 

am—4 I’m not sure how many miles exactly, but I did circumnavigate the park a handful of times. The time trial was promising. The weather was beautiful.

pm—1.5 An easy shakeout.

am—4.5 SC grass run w/ 6x barefoot striders. Worked on the good, fresh, fast stuff.

pm—1.5 Weights and neighborhood run.

am—7.25 Pace work on the grass field at the side of the school. Nice group w/ some new explorers.

am—5.25 Explored some places to do some hill circuits. Decent run.

pm—1.75 I felt a little beat down this afternoon. I might be able to get some decent sleep tomorrow.

am--5.25 A nice run into Green Springs. I poted out of striders because I'm sore and old. Yesterday, my knee started feeling tight and looks a little swollen. There is no pain, so I'm hoping it's just adjusting to my more active lifestyle during the school year. 

am—6.5 Warmed and ran around during the workout. Good things are happening w/ many folks. Others need some motivation.

I finished another Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Fun, haunting read.

am—1.75 To the Whale and back.

pm—4.25 In and around Washington. Pretty good run in the heat.

am--2.5 Bank and back w/ the Wednesday skeleton crew. 

pm--3.5 Nice run around the middle school w/ a good push at the end. Things are coming together. 

am—3.5 DI/weights/Hart’s. Decent run but short because of the meet this evening.

am--2.5 Bank and back. Hot pace. Perhaps, some folks are fired up after yesterday evening. 

pm--5 Green Springs. Good run w/ a small crew. We had to swing by the Hills', so Jess could say bye to Nick. :)

am--10 Suicidal Tendencies w/ a good group of girls. It was fun to tackle something gnarly like this. Although, I feel practically crippled after the car ride home. 

am--9.5 Turkey Farm Run w/ various tempo sections. I'm ready to see some kids decide they want to take the next step. 

am—1.5 Harts and weights. Nice push by some folks at the end.

pm—5.5 Sullivan out-and-back. Good group at a stout pace.

am--2 Ran around the halls of PVHS because of the lightning this morning. 

pm--5.5 Warm-up and around the grass while the kids did their workout. Folks are looking good. 

am--1.5 Harts and Weights. Nicer morning temperatures.

pm--5.5 Green Springs w/ some of the girls going to Sandberg's after. It felt warm even though it was supposed to be in the double digits. 

am--2.5 Bank and back. Jess was on a tear. 

pm--2.5 Photo scavenger hunt. Merry Christmas, Santa Holt!!!

pm--5 I had a rough night so wasn't able to run before the meet. Our teams represented well. We do have some work to do, but things are trending in the right way. The run was one of those good ones when I keep each mile a bit faster. Good week w/ some good learning experiences. 

am--9 Sugar Loaf out-and-back w/ some pickups in the 2nd half. Good group and good push this morning. This route is one of my favs before dawn. 

am--1.5 Weights/Harts. Good run in the nice morning weather. 

pm--6.5 River Trail. Nice group today. I ended up finishing w/ Emma, Jenessa, and Jada. 

pm--5.5 So my alarm didn't go off this morning, and I ended up missing morning practice. The run this afternoon was nice, though--some grass loops around BHNP. The crew looked good. 

Pete recommended a book to me--Love That Dog by Sharon Creech--so I took the necessary 20 minutes and knocked it out. The book is the diary in verse of a boy's introduction to reading and writing poetry. 

am--1.5 Weights/Harts. Pretty quick pace this morning. 

pm--5 Foremaster out-and-back. That hill is always a good challenge. 

I just finished a fascinating read. Moonwalking With Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer is the author's account of his year in memory training, commencing with his coverage of the US Memory Championships and culminating in his winning the US Memory Championships. I need to develop some memory palaces and create some mnemonics with the PAO method. Memorization is a skill I'd love to learn. 

am--5 Some running up and down and around while the kids did their hill circuits. Nice workout to bust out of the cocoon. 

am--6 Some laps around the track at the run-a-thon. I switched directions every miles. That helped because the kids were hitting 400s for the dash for cash. It's lame to get passed relentlessly. An interesting data point: my against-the-grain miles were noticeably faster than my go-with-the-flow miles. 

I finished “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles. This is the 4th or 5th time. How cruel is fate?

am--9.5 PV to Grass Valley and back. There is a hefty climb into Grass Valley, but that makes for a nice cruise on the way back. The morning weather was so beautiful. 

am--1.5 Weights and Harts.

pm--5 Cone pace and some running in between at the Dixie Invite. Mild afternoon weather wise. 

am--2.50 Bank and back. I like the skeleton crew. 

pm--6 Around the residential area near the high school, just a big loop. Felt beat. 

am--1.75 Weights and some pacey work past Hart's. 

pm--5.25 I thought we had seen the last of the triple-digits, but no. Fire station out-and-back. 

am—5 DI/bank/biolife loop. I knew I wouldn’t run this afternoon, so I did a little more this morning. The kids ran well at Murray. 

am—5.5 Ran around Sugar House Park while the kids did some hill circuits. Creaky morning.

am--8 Parkway w/ pickups. I didn't feel great this morning, and my stomach was rumbling. I had to make a pit stop. That hasn't happened for a long time. 

I finished Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman. Great suspenseful read w/ Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn. Detective novels are a fav of mine, and Hillerman is near the top of the list. Plus, a book like this checks off another box as a book of the American West. 

am--1.5 Weights and a run. Still not cool in the mornings.

pm--5.5 Sullivan Trail. Little hot on the way out and helped some stragglers on the way back. Still triple digits. 

am—4 Harts and the bank. I ran a bit more because I wasn’t sure if I would get out later with various things going on.

am--1.75 Weights/Harts+. More pleasant morning w/ some smiling faces after some folks solidified a spot for Bob Firman. 

pm--4.75 Green Springs. Had some nice chats about spirit animals and the characteristics they possess. 

am--4 Harts/Bank. Nice run this morn. For some reason, there's always a group that's willing to push a little in the morn, and I'm good w/ that. 

pm--5.75 Ran around while kids did hill circuits. I'm excited to see how these workouts affect the scheme of things. Hopefully, these kids will feel some real strength come next weekend. 

am—6.25 Nice run on the old morning route before trekking to CV for a meet.

am--10 Sugar Loaf out-and-back w/ some light tempo towards the end. It was fun to see kids will themselves back to the pack. 

am--1.75 Weights/BK. Made it to the state turnaround. 

pm--6 Middleton Trail. Nice relaxed run into the desert. The heat is hanging on. 

am--2.5 Bank and back. Nice run w/ some frisbee talk. The morning was gorgeous. 

pm--1.75 Some running around BHNP during the workout. 

am—5 Old morning route. The morning felt great.

pm—5.75 Run and strides on the state course.

am—2.25 A few miles around Woods Cross.

pm—3 Ran the course at Bob Firman.

am--6 Cool run through Downtown Boise w/ Dave and Decker. Lang day after, with the meet and the drive home. I actually enjoyed spending time w/ the kids. Grateful to be a part of something. 

am—8.5 Turkey Farm out-and-back w/ pickups. Was a bit of a rough start but got rolling by the end.

am--1.5 Weights/Harts+. Fun jaunt to start off the day. 

pm--6 Fire Station into the desert just long enough for Pyper to tell the small-dog-through-the-cattle-guard story. MauBea and I added a mile at the school. 

am—2.5 Bank and back in the autumnal weather.

pm—4 Warm and cool w/ some running during the workout.

am--1.5 Weights/Harts. Some good chatter. 

pm--6 Sullivan. Tried roll call a few times. Still a work in progress. We were all over the place today, but the girls seem to be having more fun together. 

am—5 DI/Bank/Costco PL. Really nice morning. Later, the Cedar Invitational went very well for the Panthers.

am--6.5 Kidney Loop. I felt pretty sluggish to begin but picked up as I went. I haven't seen my coyote buddy in a while. Wonder what happened to him. 

am--9 Sugar Loaf w/ pickups. It felt good to get moving this morning. The kids are looking good and feeling hungry. 

am--1.5 Weights/Harts+. We had a little drizzle this morning, but that's all that's come of the foretold storm. 

pm--5.5 Green Springs. We had a good group and an interesting vernacular. 

The past few days, I also finished Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. Both were for classes. Nevertheless, I enjoy revisiting novels and the feelings they evoke.