Turn your rut into a groove.

pm--4 Easy miles, listening to some Madvillain. I'm starting the year how I start most runs just working into it. 
 

Last year was one of my lowest mileage years since I began tracking mileage. Nonetheless, I finished the year w/ my biggest month in 2 years. Also, way more trail running. Feels like that helps keep a body healthy. 

am--6 Anasazi but not quite to the homestead. I'm not sure what kind of running goals I have this year. Maybe, something like an average of 5 miles a day throughout the year. I'd also like to have over 100 days on the trails. I've loved the dirt these last 9 months.

pm--3 Just tried to keep the ball rolling today. 

pm--7 Anasazi, basically, from trailhead-to-trailhead. First day back w/ kids at school. ''Twas good.

pm--6 Barrel Roll w/ Elusion belt x 2. Good run w/ some okay climbing. My lower hammy has felt a bit funky the last few days, but the trails seem to mitigate any irritation.

pm--4 Some easy running in the evening.

am--6 Up past the high school and around by the old race track. Showing some motivation the last 2 days.

pm--5 Heights loop w/ my neighbor. He was nice enough to let me chat most of the time about Philip K. Dick and his short stories.

pm--6.25 Anasazi to the homestead. Decent run. Seems like my body handles climbing on the trails much better 2-3 days in a row than after a 4-5 day break.

pm--3.75 Some easy stuff in the evening. Sometimes, it seems like life doesn't want me running.

pm--7 Rim Trails. Hit up my fav trails on my bday. Solo run--decent company most days. Lots of folks asked me if I'd do anything special for the day, and I realized my life is pretty good when all I want to do for the day is work, run, read, and hang w/ the fam. 

pm--7 Anasazi to the mesquite tree and back. Have it a decent push--~8 effort--and felt pretty good. 

am--6 Early run around the neighborhood w/ about 15 minutes of easy tempo at the end. In another note, I've been in the mood for Neil Young lately.

pm--7.5 Anasazi w/ Chipmunk and Cholla excursions. I felt good today. Beautiful day all around.

pm--5 Anasazi to the creosote. Another trail run but on limited time. I remembered, while running, that I passed a group of kids--mountain bike team?--and overheard them speculating about my age. Made me chuckle. The bit I heard was "not 30, closer to 50." 

pm--6 Barrel Roll w/ elusion x 2. Good run.

pm--4.5 Had to talk myself into it this evening, but I ran. Life is coming around.

am--6.5 Caught up w/ Tom on Anasazi and chatted about the draw of music.

pm--3.5 Some easy miles to start off the week and keep the ball rolling slowly. 

pm--8.25 Anasazi w/ an extension here and there. 

I also finished The Great Gatsby again. Nice writing, but I'm crawling farther into the sci-fi rabbit hole. 

pm--6.25 Anasazi w/ the chipmunk extension. The cold makes the desert look so crisp.

pm--8 Barrel Roll from below. There's a pretty good amount of climbing on this run, and I wasn't necessarily feeling it today. Nonetheless, I persevered. 
 

I finished Paycheck and Other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick. The stories are thought-provoking with humanity at a premium. He's quickly becoming one of my favorites. Seems like I like sci-fi more than I ever thought.

pm--4.5 Just a run, experimenting w/ how I feel while exercising w/ the sniffles. 
 

I finished Vineland by Thomas Pynchon. His books are wacky and paranoid and full of conspiracies. This one was neither hit nor miss for me.

pm--6.5 Anasazi to the end of the river view trail w/ the cholla extension. Saw some horsemen on the trail. My running this trail multiple times a week feels like me stamping my name on this trail in the midst of out-of-state encroachment.

pm--5 Aerobic miles w/ Talking Heads. I have hair envy for David Byrne. 

pm--4 Some more aerobic miles. Back's a bit tight for whatever reason.

pm--6 Anasazi w/ the chipmunk extension. Back's feeling better.

am--5 Up past the high school. Last week was a weird one in terms of running, so I felt a little sluggish this morning. It is good to get out early, though.

pm--5 A run around the neighborhood w/ my neighbor. Trying to get back into the groove.

pm--6.25 Anasazi to the homestead and back. Getting back into the groove. The weather is unbelievably wonderful right now.

pm--7.5 Hit the hills--Anasazi w/ both Chipmunk and Cholla. Good sun, good run. As I drove around today, I wondered if it was a teacher workday because they needed parking at all of the local high schools for soccer tournaments.

pm--7 Rim Trails. The view was spectacular through my rose-tinted sunglasses.

pm--4 Sunbrook and back w/ my neighbor.

pm--6 Anasazi basically to the homestead and back. It was chilly and windy, maybe 1 of 5 or 6 days that have felt like winter this year. 
 

I finished Their Eyes Were Watching God. What a great book. I love rereads.

am--6 Canyons and back. I felt sluggish but got moving okay by the end.

am--4 Serenity and back. Took it easy and enjoyed the morning.

am--10-mile bike ride w/ a buddy.

pm--6.5 Anasazi w/ Cholla extension. 

pm--5 Anasazi to the creosote after my booster.

pm--3 Feeling just a bit off, so I went shorter. A run is a win today.

pm--6.25 Anasazi to the Homestead. I hit my 2k meters in elevation gain. That's a bright spot in a crumby running month.

pm--6.75 Anasazi w/ some chipmunk & cholla fun. Windy but awesome.

pm--6 Anasazi pert near to the homestead and back. Beautiful weather w/ James in the ears. 
 

I finished Night by Elie Wiesel. It's a heavy one. We're finishing this quarter w/ some short books.

pm--4 Tready run; tready fun.

pm--6.75 Anasazi w/ a yet-to-be-followed loop and Cholla extension. Windy but nice.

am--5 Ran this morning on the go-to neighborhood route because we had a big day at school. 
 

I finished The House on Mango Street today. Cisneros makes the mundane poetic.

pm--6 Barrel Roll figure 8. Nice run even though I never felt peppy. It's been a while since I've run up there because the access road has been closed. Not sure why. They have been digging up the road and, perhaps, "improving" it, but an already sketchy road for my hatchback is even sketchier, now. 

am--5.75 Chuckawalla w/ Tom and Micah. Nice chill run on a beautiful day. Looks like packed trailheads are something I'll have to get used to. Just when I thought everyone is in Florida or Hawaii.

am--8 Anasazi, basically from trailhead-to-trailhead w/ the Chola extension. It is getting warm, probably 70 when I finished.

I finished In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Mate. The book definitely has heartbreaking moments, but it taught me a lot about love. Mate is a guy to check out. He and Russell Brand had an interesting discussion on the later's podcast.

am--5.75 Got back to that tried-and-true institution that is barefoot grass running w/ striders. The morning was beautiful. I'm glad I got up and ran as opposed to leaving it until later.

I finished a sharp little Russian novel called A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov.

am--6 Anasazi w/ Chipmunk. I'm killing it w/ the "morning" runs.

pm--4.5 Tready because of the cold and the rain

pm--6.25 Anasazi to the homestead. Is there anything more beautiful than the desert after a rainstorm? Nice, chill run today.

pm--7.25 Anasazi/Chipmunk/Cholla. Decent stroll in the post-elements.

pm--5 Some easy miles w/ 8x striders to get the legs and the heart going. 

pm--4.5 Loop along the new road over the Santa Clara River w/ my neighbor. 

pm--6.25 Anasazi w/ the Chipmunk. I ended up pushing the pace a bit the last couple miles. Beautiful weather today.

pm--5.5 Anasazi w/ the shoulder trail. It's getting warmer.

am--6.5 Anasazi to just past the homestead w/ Tom. Got sprinkled on near the end. Lots of sightseers w/ questions about petroglyphs today.

pm--4 Anasazi exploration w/ my neighbor and his dog. Nice afternoon weather.

Yesterday, I finished The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick. It's an alternate history novel set in the wake of WWII. PKD is quickly joining Kurt Vonnegut as one of my fav authors.

pm--7 Anasazi exploration w/ Chipmunk and Cholla. Strong accompaniment by the capital-W Wind and bars from the extended-Wu universe. Mostly good times.

pm--5.75 Crestview to Canyon View. Nice run in a light breeze.

pm--6.25 Anasazi w/ some side trailage. Might hit 4K vert this month.

pm--6.5 Anasazi w/ Ben. Nice evening after hanging w/ my kid all day.

pm--7.5 Anasazi w/ Chipmunk and the shoulder ridge in 80-degree temps. Nice run still. I love the desert. 
 

I'm finishing up Wenger: My Life and Lessons in Red and White. It's an autobiography from a legendary coach from my favorite European football team, Arsenal. He has passion and wisdom. It makes me want to coach again.

pm--3 I didn't get out until later. Hit the roundabout and back w/ my neighbor.

pm--6.5 Anasazi to just past the homestead. Felt warmer than Monday because there wasn't much of a breeze. I played some touch rugby w/ the youth afterwards. 
 

Also hit a milestone month w/ 4K of vert and got my 40th trail run of the year to boot.

am--5 Old morning route w/ about 10 minutes of tempo pace. Felt good once I got going.

pm--7 Anasazi w/ a loop and Cholla. I went in the afternoon when it was supposedly 89 degrees. It didn't feel too bad. There was a breeze. I was thinking that, other than the vaccine for some loved ones, running in the dirt has brought more peace of mind during this pandemic than anything else. I'm grateful for health and where I live and an encouraging wife. 

am--6.25 Anasazi w/ Tom. Nice chat about creative tension, fact psychics, and the Edge skiing at Sundance.

am--6 Barefoot on the grass w/ 8x striders. Perfect morning temperatures. 

pm--6 Anasazi w/ the Chipmunk. Just me and nature.

pm--4 Around the new river loop w/ my neighbor. Nice chat, nice night.

pm--7 Anasazi w/ Cholla. Dirt w/ The Pixies. Mid-80s isn't as bad as I remember.

pm--6 Anasazi from the bottom parking lot w/ Andrew. It was fun catching up w/ him.

am--6.25 Anasazi to the homestead w/ Tom. Decided that Sanskrit might be a language to learn. The weather was beautiful.

pm--8 Anasazi, basically from trailhead to trailhead, w/ Cholla extension. I took it easy and enjoyed the heat and the 1k of climbing.

pm--5.5 Anasazi w/ a mini-loop on Chipmunk. I saw an old runner from PVXC. That was fun.

pm--4.75 Some grass miles w/ 4x striders w/ my neighbor. My current eating habits have allowed me to run sooner after eating than I can ever remember.

pm--5 Grapevine/Prospector w/ Beattie. Fun to catch up. 

am--6.5 Anasazi w/ Tom. Beautiful morning for a chat about Sanskrit and music.

pm--6.25 Anasazi to the homestead via the lower trailhead. Nice run.

pm--4.75 Grass miles and striders w/ my neighbor.

pm--7 Anasazi w/ Cholla. Little slower today due to what I think is a bruised rib due to an awkward fall in a wiffle ball game last night. There is some ache at the edge of inhale and exhale.

pm--5 Mustang Pass w/ Beattie, talking about teaching and college running. My ribs are still pretty achy. This will probably be the norm for a few weeks. Running a bit slower seems to help.

am--5.75 City Creek from trailhead-to-trailhead w/ Grant. It was fun to catch up w/ him. We talked maths and philosophy. The rib felt a bit better.

pm--7.25 Anasazi w/ Chipmunk and Cholla on a perfect breezy, overcast afternoon. My rib is feeling a bit better, maybe 70%.

pm--6.5 Front half of the Rim Trails from the bottom. The vehicle access to the trailhead is closed, so I hoofed it from the road. I love the desert after a rain. Hit 4K of vert for the 2nd month in a row. Not going to lie, the quads were a little tired today.

pm--5.25 Grass run w/ my neighbor w/ 8x striders. 
 

I finished The Alchemist today w/ my sophomores. It's a cool read.

pm--5.25 Anasazi in the heat. Pretty empty on the trails today. Summer might become my favorite season if the tourists stay home.

pm--6.75 Anasazi w/Cholla via Fishhook. It was pretty hot--mid-90s--and my body is pretty beat after a somewhat stressful week at school.

am--6.25 Anasazi to the homestead w/ Tom. I don't remember all that we talked about, but it was great, nonetheless.

pm--5 Anasazi to the Chipmunk sign. It was a scorcher in the desert on what Dylan fans call Isis Day. 

pm--6 Grass miles w/ 10x striders. Watched the baseball game for a minute before heading home.

pm--5 Chuckwalla w/ Beattie. We did the loop via Beck Hill and Paradise Canyon. It was toasty, but the breeze was good.

pm--7.5 Anasazi w/ the full Chipmunk and Cholla. The creosote have bloomed, so the desert has a nice yellow tinge.

Also, although not a traditional country artist, Bonnie Prince Billy writes some of the best country songs I've heard.

pm--Anasazi w/ some screwing around on Chipmunk and Fishhook. Decent weather today. 
 

I also finished The Old Man and the Sea for the 5th or 6th time. I love his writing, and, surprisingly, quite a few of the kids liked the book.

pm--5 Grass miles w/ 4x barefoot striders w/ my neighbor.

pm--4 Loop around the new Santa Clara River bridge w/ my neighbor. Decent pace for my current fitness level.

pm--6.75 Sidewinder w/out the lollipop from the bottom. 'Twas a bit of a scorcher today. Also, the quads go jelly, climbing nearly 900 feet in just over 3 miles.

pm--5 Some looping through the PV neighborhoods w/ Beattie. Hot afternoon and bit rough, but it was good.

am--4.75 Some Vegas miles. We came to some friends' anniversary party.

pm--6 Anasazi to the homestead and back. It was a bit overcast and cooler. Nice afternoon run. 
 

I finished The Pale King by David Foster Wallace. It has its interesting moments but is harder to appreciate overall because of how it was posthumously pieced together. Wallace has great insights when it comes to boredom. 

pm--6 Grass loops w/ 8x striders. Beautiful evening. 
 

I read Matt Baxter's book, Hurt Me If You Can: The Tales of a High School Runner, over the last 2 days. It's chronological but scattered. Nonetheless, it has some fun insights. 

pm--6.5 Anasazi w/ reverse Chipmunk loop. It was warm but decently breezy. 

pm--5 Another grass run w/ 8x striders. Although my legs felt tired, I was able to get a bit peppy.

pm--Anasazi w/ Chipmunk and Cholla. Not sure if it was the pressure or wind, but my elevation gain was inflated. 'Twas windy as.

pm--4.5 SC River Bridge loop by my lonesome. Got close to a light 10-minute tempo at the end. 

pm--6 Airport trails w/ Beattie. Nice run. It's also a trio of bdays: my sister's, Bob Dylan's, and Michael Chabon's, all great people. If you want a Dylan song for the day, listen to Visions of Johanna or Isis. 
 

I also finished a poetry collection by another great songwriter--Actual Air by David Berman. Check out Random Rules by The Silver Jews or The band Purple Mountains.

pm--4 Grass run w/ 8x striders. 

pm--6 Anasazi w/ Chipmunk w/ Andy. It's been a while since I've run w/ him, but it was good.

am--6 T-Bone Trail. Last run w/ Beattie before she heads bock to Illinois. Good run and chat.

pm--6 Grass miles w/ 8x striders. Decent run after my sedentary day wore off.

am--5.25 Anasazi w/ Tom. My foot is a bit achy except when I run.

pm--6.25 Anasazi to the homestead. Scorching run in the desert.

am--6 Grass loops w/ 8x striders. I felt beat for some reason. 
 

pm--4 Anasazi to the top. I listened to a mix of Kid Amnesiac and enjoyed the triple-digit-temperatures. 
 

I finished Circe by Madeline Miller. It's a retelling of the mythological witch's life. Enjoyable.

am--4.25 Chuckwalla w/ Josie and Scottie. It was great to catch up w/ them. We also had a tortoise sighting.

pm--5 Frontside of Barrel Roll from the bottom in the triple digits. You get used to the heat, and you don't. 
 

I finished a PD-type book--Writing with Mentors: How to Reach Every Writer in the room Using Current, Engaging Mentor Texts by Allison Marchetti and Rebekah O'Dell. It was actually an invigorating read. 

am--3.5 Church and back on the 1st day of practice w/ a new team. It'll be a second to adjust, but it's fun meeting new people.

am--4 Bike path in Beaver. What a nice, quiet place Beaver is. 

pm--5 Grass miles w/ my neighbor. I was about ready to phone it in when he texted.

am--2.5 Recovery run w/ the SC kids. I got to know a few more.

pm--5.5 Anasazi to roughly the petroglyphs. Felt decent, and the afternoon was nice.

am--3 Anasazi from the other trailhead to the petroglyphs w/ a tempo or quicker on the way back.

am--4.5 Toe trail. I met and chatted w/ a few girls on the team. It's fun to meet new people. 
 

I finished a book on songwriting--Writing Better Lyrics: The Essential Guide to Powerful Songwriting--by Pat Pattison. The author is a professor at Berklee College of Music and taught people like Gillian Welch and John Mayer. I heard about the book in an interview w/ David Bazan, an artist I appreciate a lot.

am--3.5 Progression run w/ a new group. I'm starting to get some names and faces down.

am--3 Vineyard w/ a good group w/ some cross training afterwards. Also went to a girls' team gathering, so I could learn people's names.

am--5 Grass run w/ 10x 1-min. pickups. It was fun to get peppy. Kids looked good.

am--3.75 Canyons and back w/ some cool dudes. AG yoga after. I went a little harder than expected but nothing crazy.

am--5 West Canyon in Snow Canyon. What a beautiful place to run! I'll probably take a nap today.:)

am--5.75 Virgin River Trail w/ Coach Jandee and a group of girls. It's fun to run w/ them and get to know them better.

am--5.75 Chill run w/ Tom on Anasazi. Good chat in the growing heat.

am--5.75 Santa Clara Dr. out-and-back. Picked it up a little on the way back. 
 

I finished an interesting book on Bill Squires--Born to Coach by Paul C. Clerici. Squires has a book about training--SWEP--that is fantastic. He's one of my favorite coaches.

am--3 Easy run to SC Elementary after wickets and striders and... 

am--4.5 800 repeats at SC Elementary. I hopped in w/ different groups to encourage.

pm--5.5 Anasazi w/ the Chipmunk lollipop because the weather was cooler, and the sky was overcast. Good to get into the dirt again.

am--4.25 Lava Fields bike path w/ Danielle. She speaks so quietly I could hardly hear her, but she keeps a quick pace. 4x short, quick hills.

am--3.25 Mini-Tuweap w/ 2x 5-min. tempo w/ a fun group. I'm having fun.

am--5.25 SC River Trail. Interesting landscape beyond the river. Good chat w/ some of the girls' team.

am--5 SC Elementary grass work. I jumped in some intervals w/ the kids.

am--3 Vineyard w/ kids camp after. 
 

I finished another installment of Andrea Camilleri's Montalbano series, August Heat. Now, I want to go to the city library and check out 2-3 more.

am--4 Jaunt around the park w/ a good crew. 
 

I finished 2 books today: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson and A Beam of Light by Andrea Camilleri. The first is a beautifully written book about the coming together of a few generations of women in an isolated town. One of the themes is that comfort comes from how we choose to organize our living space. The second book is a sign that I'm in the middle of an Inspector Montalbano kick. On to the next one.

am--6 Good run on the SC Parkway, chatting w/ Zac. It's great getting to know people better.

pm--4 Anasazi to the top and back in the 108-degree temperature. Callousing.

am--4.75 Confluence Park towards Green Valley. I felt pretty blah, even after. 
 

I finished another Montalbano this morning, A Nest of Vipers. I'm going to take a book or 2 off before I come back just so I don't seem so obsessed.

pm--5 Ran on a mostly full stomach. I did a ladder of 1, 2, 3, 2, 1 at a quicker pace on the grass w/ equal recovery. 

am--5 Anasazi to the chipmunk sign. I'm feeling a bit funky w/ a bit of snufflitis going on. Good run despite. I listened to an old podcast w/ Mike Smith from NAU. It was very good.

pm--5 Grass run w/ my neighbor. The heat doesn't go away at night nowadays. Although, it feels better after dusk.

I finished an interesting book about relationships and religion--Southernmost by Silas House. Makes me want to visit Key West.

am--6 Anasazi to the homestead. I got out a bit earlier and am grateful for the slight cloud cover and breeze. 
 

I wrapped up Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Fun, quick read. Now, off to watch the Studio Ghibli interpretation w/ my kiddos.

am--5.25 Jaunt on Anasazi w/ Tom. Was getting warm near the end. This summer has been a real scorcher. 
 

I read another Montalbano book, The Other End of the Line. Another case solved. Not sure there are any detective books that provide the same feel as these, and I'm running out. Father Brown next?

am--7.25 Longer run out to Green Valley and back. I was able to run w/ Avrie. She showed some toughness. 

am--4 Canyons and back w/ some of the boys crew. Kids camp after. 
 

pm--2 Acclimation run around the school. Not too hot.

am--4 Lava Flow out-and-back w/ a barefoot mile on the turf after.

am--5.75 Contender workout on the SC Parkway bike path. Basically, we did some timed pickups. I was supposed to keep the pace between 6:45-7:00 on the pickups. Went fairly well other than the fact that the group was all over the place so not together throughout. 

pm--1.75 Bike path out-and-back w/ some strength training after.

I finished a meta book today--The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop. by Robert Coover. It's about a man who essentially starts and runs his own fantasy baseball league as the sole participant. He goes to the extent of keeping stats throughout the seasons, dreaming up backstories, writing newspaper articles. Needless to say, his real life spirals out of control. Interesting read.

am--3.5 nice recovery run w/ a good group w/ 6x striders after. The rain last night was needed.

am--5.25 PV run on the Santa Clara River Trail w/ a fast finish. Saw some good things from the kiddos. The watch took a minute to start.

am--4.5 Nice out-and-back on SC Drive. Jumped a bit between groups. 

am--5.5 SC Elementary loops. I jumped in for most of the workout w/ level 2s but didn't stop my watch when I gave them times, so my pace looks tortoise-style. 
 

pm--1.75 Easy afternoon run w/ strength training afterwards. Doubles bring a skeleton crew. That's always fun for me.

am--3.5 Nice run, chatting w/ Moss about anime and various tasty toast toppers. 

pm--4.25 Anasazi to the top to complete some climbing for a challenge in which I have no eligibility. Nice heat work regardless.

I finished a Brunetti mystery, Death in a Strange Country, by Donna Leon. Good but not quite Montalbano level.

am--5.75 Tuweap Tempo w/ hill sprints to finish. The level 2s packed nicely today. Nice progress. 

pm--1.5 Afternoon shakeout on the grass w/ strength after.
 

Finished another Montalbano novel, The Pyramid of Mud. It's a nice one about the mixed corruption of Mafia and government in Southern Italy.

am(1): 3.5 Up the Harmon's path w/ what has become my crew most days. Had a good chat about books.

am(2): Precipice from the bottom w/ Ellie and Josie. First time I've seen Ellie since her mission. I'm happy that they reach out for a run so we can catch up once in a while. Great people.

pm--5.75 Anasazi w/ Chipmunk loop. The youngest has been a bit sick from his shots, so I didn't get out w/ anyone and not until later. I was rewarded, however, w/ one of the nicest runs of the year. There was a drizzle the whole time, coupled w/ the excitement of looming thunder and lightning while I ran on exposed ridges and shoulders. I need to remember this one.

I read a scholarly book--Situated Learning by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger--today. There was some fascinating stuff about learning in apprenticeships. Nice to read stuff like this once in a while.

am--5.75 Helped w/ intervals. It's been fun to help kids work together. Nice morning.

am--3.5 Down Lava Flow and back. This little piece of road is real close to hone, but I've never explored it. Glad for that. I also got to chat w/ Hailee about various things. She's going to do some great things this year.

am--3.5 Warm-up and cool-down w/ the kids and some running around during the time trial. Nice of Spencer to let me tempo w/ him while he cooled down.

pm--2.5 Lava Flow out-and-back for another good chat w/ Hailee. A bit hot again this afternoon.

am--3.5 A nice run on the bike path w/ one of the crews.

am--6 Out-and-back on the SC Parkway. I worked into the run and ended up w/ something like 15-minute tempo for me. Chatted w/ Brea, as well. It'll be fun to see how she does with running in the future.

am--4 Ran down and up a hill in Beaver. Wasn't as gnarly as expected. We had a good time at xc camp. It's fun getting to know new kids.

am--4 SC Drive easy run w/ a long day of PD after. Nice group on the run because Jandee got them going w/ 2 truths and a lie.