As we run, we become!

My lower calf is still bothering me. I think it is related to running on the treadmill, but that's just a guess. I took yesterday off, and today I ventured out into the cold. I ran around the lake including one lap on the island. The footing wasn't great but I took it easy. I really had a lot of fun, but I can't wait for the snow and ice to melt.

I needed to get my long run in today and I didn't want to run on icy paths, and I definitely wasn't going to get in the treadmill. So I headed down to the Olympic Oval. I had never been there before, and wouldn't you know I run into a couple of Olympic speedskaters working out. Pretty cool to see such talented athletes.

Anyways, The track is really pretty nice with nice wide turns and 4 lanes. There were probably a dozen runners out there, but everybody new how to run in a lane. The temperature was great too; only my hands got a little cold.

I took the first couple laps easy and then pushed pretty hard for 4 miles. I finished the first 5 miles in just over 35 minutes. I started to feel my calf so I eased up a bit. Still, I managed to run the second half in just over 36 minutes. Now for some RICE therapy.

I departed from my usual run to try and avoid the icy roads up City Creek Canyon. I went for a run around Liberty Park, which was beautiful, but just not the same.  I felt great, and despite the lack of any serious effort, I averaged 7:30 per mile.  The best news is that both my knee and my calf are feeling much better.

Today would fall into the category of very easy if there was one.  I did my usual four miles out-and-back up City Creek Canyon, but I ran very slowly.  I am hoping to put in a decent effort for my 10-miler tomorrow.  Hopefully today will leave me feeling loose and energized tomorrow.

Today was supposed to be a rest day, but I wasn't able to run yesterday. So today I ran 10 miles at a considerable effort. Hopefully, I don't pay for it on Saturday during my long run.

Anyway, I ran up City Creek Canyon for 5 miles. It took just under 40 minutes to get to the turnaround point. I took a slight breather before heading back down. And it only took 32 minutes to cover the same distance on the way back.

I'm going to need plenty of ice and ibuprofen tonight. Tomorrow will be a true recovery run.

Perfect recovery run.  I took it nice and easy up City Creek Canyon.  My legs warmed up and I felt great.  I could feel the strain on my quads on the way down; still a little sore from yesterday, but I should be good to go tomorrow.

Now if we could only get a strong weather system to come in and get rid of this nasty inversion.

I got to coach my son's Junior Jazz team this morning, but evidently the other team thought they were the real Jazz. They were sending 2 or 3 guys to attack our point guard at the half court line. Did I mention that these are 6 and 7 year olds? Anyway it was a frustrating experience. I should clarify, I was frustrated. I think the kids had fun even though it was 20 to 2.

So I had something to think about while I ran. I considered running in doors with all the bad air, but it looked fairly clear this morning so I did the Mountain View Corridor Loop. My plan was to run easy to start, then hard for a bit, and then back it off at the end.

I ran the first four miles in 32 minutes. Then I worked the next four miles in 28 minutes. Then I relaxed a bit and finished the final four miles in 30 minutes. It was a perfectly executed long run. Now I have a rest day to look forward to.

I really enjoy running in the rain. It reminds me of growing up in Northern California. Of course, running in the rain there didn't necessarily involve extra gear to keep warm.

Today, it was cold and wet, but the ice has melted so I headed out to run the "Virginia Loop" up City Creek Canyon and around to 11th Avenue down to Virginia Street and back to the office. My legs felt a little tight, but they loosened up quickly. There were a couple of faster miles, but it was still an easy pace - just some fast downhill running. The good news is that I am starting to notice that I can maintain a faster pace with less effort.

My plan for this week is to run 38 miles.  This is the third week of mileage gains, so next week will be a reduced workload. I hope to run 5 days with varying distances of 7, 4, 8, 7, and 12 miles. I don't intend to do anything fast, but I may do a few marathon pace miles. As I was planning for this year I thought I would only be able to fit 40 miles a week into my schedule, but I am rethinking that plan.  I would really like to get up to 60 miles a week before my first road race at the end of July.  My new plan is to increase mileage by 2 miles per week for 3 successive weeks, and then do a recovery week at about 75% of my average for the three weeks. I would welcome comments about this plan, especially from anybody that has experience going from a relatively light workload of 25-30 miles per week to 60+ miles per week.

I ran my standard 4-miler up City Creek Canyon and back to my office. My legs felt pretty tired today. Hopefully, I feel a little more rested and loose for tomorrow.

I planned on running easy today, but my legs felt really good once I got out there. If I had a coach she would probably yell at me, but I guess that is one benefit to training on my own.  

Anyway, I headed up City Creek Canyon, and I kept getting making these surges.  I can't remember the last time I ran uphill so fast.  It was really fun.  I made the turn-around in a little over 31 minutes.  On the way down, I thought about taking it easy, but I have a rest day scheduled for tomorrow so I pushed it and made the return trip in about 25 minutes.  Now for some ice and ibuprofen.

I ran the Virginia Loop today. I took it nice and easy.  It's always nice when I get done with a run and my body, especially my legs, feel more loose and relaxed than when I started.

I ran the same course as last Saturday, but it was much warmer outside...until it got dark. We had a lot going on today so I didn't get out there until 4:30. The good news is that Junior Jazz went so much better this week. Brody used a ball fake in the game! And McKinley had a great birthday party.

So I thought I would run easy, but my legs felt loose, so I went for it. I ran the first 6 miles in about 43 minutes and I ran the back half in 40. Last week I ran the same course in 90 minutes as planned, but even though I ran hard I didn't believe I could run 7 minutes faster. Now it's time for some rest and relaxation.

I am going to treat this entire week as a recovery week and try to keep my pace in check for each run.  My plan is to run 28 miles in 5 segments of 5, 4, 7, 4 and 8 miles.  I hope that this will protect me from injury and allow me to build my mileage up to a weekly average of 60-70 miles.

Today was a really nice day.  I had the day off to celebrate Martin Luther King Day so I took Natalie to the movies.  We had a great time.

Then I headed out for a nice easy run around the lake.  It was relatively warm but very humid - so I got away without a jacket, but I definitely needed the gloves.  My average pace was 8:08, but this was about as easy as I could have run.  The first mile was a little slow and the third mile was a little fast, but the other three were within two seonds of my average pace.  A very good recovery run.

I stuck to my plan for the day and took it nice and easy up City Creek Canyon. I felt a little tight, but I'm sure that had something to do with Saturday's run. Or maybe it was the squats I did yesterday.

I ran the Virginia Loop today. It was cold but the air was clear and the skies were sunny. I have been dealing with a minor kidney stone on the lower left side, so I was concerned about running. I have been drinking a lot of water since the pain started and I haven't had any problems today.

Easy describes the pace, but not the effort today. My hope was that I would have a little more bounce in my step, but it was just the opposite. I realized about halfway through that my body still needs to adjust to the paleo diet that I started this weekend. To compound things, I got a very strong cramp in my upper right abdomen at mile 5 that took at least 5 minutes to relax. I don't think it has anything to do with my kidneys. I was just happy to finish my run.

I felt a lot better today. Sometimes a rest day makes a big difference. Today was just a short 4 mile run up City Creek Canyon.

I ran around the lake today and I put in a hard effort, finishing in just under 55 minutes. Last week's 12 miler was a much better run at about the same pace, but I am still adjusting to the paleo diet.  Also, l need to purchase a foam roller so I can do more therapy on my legs in the evening. 

On seond thought, today went better than I thought.  I did the same run just over two months ago on Nov. 15.  Back then my pace was 7:22 per mile.  Today my pace was 6:52 per mile.  I can't complain about a 30 second decrease in such a short period.

Next week I cross the 40 mile barrier.  Hopefully, the mileage increase continues to go smoothly.  I just ran 28 miles this week and I hardly feel like I ran at all.

I enjoyed some unusually warm weather (low 50's) during my run up City Creek Canyon. No gloves, jacket, or headgear needed - in January no less. My legs felt good after a hard effort Saturday, and I was able to run at a fairly rapid pace without much effort. 

It was a good way to start the week.  I am planning on running 40 miles in 5 stages of 6, 5, 10, 5 and 14 miles. Hopefully all goes well.  I mapped out my weekly mileage through the end of March.  I build slowly to 50 miles the last week of March with a couple of reduced mileage weeks in the middle of March.  That will lead up to my first race of the year at the Buffalo Run 25K.

Today was another easy run up City Creek Canyon.  My legs felt nice and loose, and I was able to sustain a good pace with very little effort.  My groin was a little tight for the second day in a row, but I stretched when I got back, so hopefully that doesn't become an issue.  The weather was perfect.  This has to be the mildest winter that I have spent in Utah.

It was a questionable decision to run today, but I got out there and enjoyed myself anyways.  I've got a cold virus that kept me home yesterday.  I feel okay today, but I had to take cold medicine this morning.

About the run: I ran 5 miles up City Creek Canyon and turned around.  No watch.  No real interest in pushing the pace.  Just an enjoyable 10 miler in my favorite running spot.

I'm still not over my cold. In fact I went downstairs to run at lunch, but I felt dizzy after a long morning.  So I ate lunch and waited until the late afternoon to go.  My stomach was queasy, but other than that I felt okay.  I ran 2-1/2 miles up City Creek Canyon and turned around.  I felt okay, so I will probably just push through with my 14 miler tomorrow, and then take a couple days off if I'm still under the weather.

I was feeling much better today, but I didn't get enough to eat or drink before my run. I started out easy. Miles 6 thru 10 were pretty fast but I had a tailwind and a slight downhill, so it was not a strenuous effort. About 11 miles in, I started to cramp up and I struggled with a strong headwind. Not my best day but I still managed to finish in 1:45, which was my goal. I just would have liked to stronger at the finish.

Sometimes I need to appreciate hitting my goal despite feeling miserable. I'm sure when my first race rolls around I will look back at this week and remember that I pushed through instead of giving up.

I heard that the groundhog predicted a long winter today.  Obviously, s/he is an east coast groundhog. With how nice the weather has been lately, I don't care how long winter lasts.

Today I ran up City Creek Canyon.  I took it relatively easy, but I felt good so I just kept up a good pace.  I'm looking forward to an improvement over last week, now that I am feeling a little better.

Another warm, beautiful day.  I ran hard up to the bridge in City Creek Canyon, and then I took it easy on the way back down.

I went for a run on the trail up City Creek canyon today. I took it pretty easy for most of the run. Looking forward to a rest day tomorrow.

I ran my usual out-and-back up City Creek Canyon.  It was incredibly warm for winter. I still feel a little pain in my hip but I only noticed it twice during my run.

I was pretty dissatisfied with my run last week.   I felt great for 10 miles, but then I just ran out of energy.  So Jennifer  bought me some HEED and some energy gels to help me combat fatigue.

Today was a great training run. I was able to sustain a strong effort for the entire run.  I ran the same course as last week, but I finished 7 minutes faster.  I averaged 7 minutes per mile and finished in 1:38.  

I drank 36 ounces of fluid with 2 scoops of Heed and I sucked down two energy gels.  I started to feel tired aroung Mile 11 again, but I didn't lose any power or speed. Last week I really suffered on the last two hills, and this week I powered through both!

I completed my 200th mile this year during my run today.  I am a little (3 days) behind the pace to complete my goal of 2,00 miles this year, but I am sure I will catch up in the next couple of months.

I went for a nice run up City Creek Canyon. I am finally over the cold/flu that has made it difficult to breathe over the last couple of weeks.  My legs felt a little sore from my run on Saturday, but I had a lot of energy.  I kept a pretty fast pace without any real effort.

I really tried to pay attention to my form as I ran downhill. I am going to have to work really hard to prepare for the trail races that I have coming up.  I am also thinking ahead to the first couple of miles of the Deseret News Marathon.

My plan for this week is to run the following distances: 6, 4, 8, 4 and 8 miles. This will allow me to reach my weekly goal of 30 miles. 

Legs were still a little tight today.  I took it really easy on the way up, and tired to focus on my form coming back down. These easy weeks are becoming a little too easy.

I ran up City Creek Canyon today. My legs felt really tired. I was just happy to get through with this run, so that I can enjoy a rest day.

Just a short afternoon run up City Creek Canyon.  My legs felt tired despite the rest day yesterday. I need to get more sleep, I think.

I started out fast, but I had to make a pit stop around Mile 5.  That put a kink in my plans. It took me another mile to warm up again, but I still ran the entire distance under 56 minutes.  It was nice to see so many people out taking advantage of the lake and the surrounding parks.  Stunning weather for this time of year.

I enjoyed a nice rest day yesterday and I was definitely ready to have a better run than I did on Saturday.  After getting all of my projects finished, I headed out for a run around the lake. I was trying to take it easy, but each mile my pace got a little faster as my legs loosened up.  I have noticed that following a rest day I can run much faster with very little effort.  Hopefully, this is beneficial when it comes time to race.  I started off at 7:40 pace and dropped about 15-20 seconds per mile. I finished the run in 36 minutes, but even better than that I didn't feel like I had exerted myself.

This week I plan on running 44 miles with 5 days of running.  I think I am getting close to adding a 6th day, but I will try and hold off  until April when I reach 50 miles per week.  My plan for the week is to run the following distances: 5, 7, 10, 6,and 16

I ran the Virginia Loop today. I took it relatively easy but I threw in several brief surges in the lower Avenues.  I think it is referred to as an alphabet run.  I ran at maximum effort for 1 block and then jogged for 1 block.  I did this for 10 blocks.  Those 5 surges felt amazing.  I haven't run that fast in a really long time.  

I ran up to the beginning of the watershed area up City Creek Canyon. I felt pretty tight the first few miles, but I loosened up and ran fast the rest of the way, especially on the way down. My legs are definitely ready for a rest day tomorrow.

Usually I will get on the bike sometime during a rest day to keep loose, but yesterday I was lazy.  Of course my legs felt a little more tight today so I elected to take it easy.  I ran my usual route up City Creek Canyon.  My shoes are just about worn out in the forefoot so i will have to get a new pair. 

I planned to run 16 miles today and I thought I would run for a couple of hours, but with children's activities I had to break it up with an AM/PM run.  I decided to take my AM run easy.  I ran around the lake and finished 8 miles in just under 59 miles.  I don't feel like I exerted myself at all.  In fact, every time my body wanted to go faster I held back.  I will probably run marathon pace in the afternoon.  Now for 6 hours of resting and refueling.

This afternoon I went out and ran 6 mile in just under 40 minutes.  Given the hilly course and the short recovery time, I was pretty happy with my effort. When I got back to the house I took the dog on a two mile cool down.  The entire 16 miles ended up taking 1 hour 55 minutes.  It was a nice way to retire my Nike Pegasus 29.  Now for a relaxing rest day.

I forgot to bring a pair of socks with me to work, so I couldn't go for a run at lunch like I usually do.  And I thought about taking the day off and running on Thursday instead, but in the end, I decided that I needed to get out there after a nice, hard effort on Saturday.  So I went for a night run around the lake.  It was cold, but it was beautiful.  The sky was clear and the stars were out.  The lights from the homes and streets reflected off the lake.  There was only one other couple out there.  I enjoyed every minute of it.

I got back to my usual lunchtime routine today as I headed out for a run around the Virginia Loop. I ran at a pretty quick pace, but I didn't push myself.  Then, when I was running back towards the office on 3rd Avenue I focused on taking long quick strides.  I ran every other block like that and I rested in between by jogging.  I did that for 20 blocks.  It was a pretty good run.

I always struggle to classify trail runs. I doubt that I was anywhere near marathon pace while climbing but I was probably close to or ahead of it while descending.  Anyway, I will label this an easy run, but maybe that's just how it felt because I was having so much fun. I ran up City Creek Canyon to the bend in the road.  Then I took the trail on the south side of the road up behind the Avenues towards Black Mountain. I ran about 3 miles of that trail before turning around and heading back to the office.

I took it pretty easy on the way up, and I managed to do the same on the way down until this guy passed me.  For those of you who don't know me, I'm pretty competitive.  I followed him for a half mile and pushed the pace until he couldn't keep it up and then I passed him back.  It made the run a lot more interesting.

I had to squeeze this run in during Mac's rehearsal, so I took advantage of the Jordan River Parkway. I ran 8 miles out to the bridge at 2100 South and then returned following the same route.

I ran the first half in 59:38 but I felt pretty tired at the turnaround. Somehow I managed to run 58:54 on the way back. I used my amphipod belt to help me get about 600 calories in during the run. I felt great afterwards, but my left Achilles needs some work.

I ran up City Creek Canyon.  My legs were tight and my back didn't feel too good.

I ran up City Creek Canyon.  Didn't feel too great.

I don't know if my body is struggling to recover from last weekend's long run or not, but my back is still inflamed and my legs are really stiff.  I am going to have to start taking ibuprofen and aspirin to try and loosen up.  I am happy that I can still run, but I won't be happy if I don't get back to form for my race in 17 days.  Hopefully, things will get better soon.

I ran up City Creek Canyon today.  Most of the soreness was gone.

I have had a terrible week of training so far.  I haven't felt fast and loose the way I expect to.  I finally realized that I did 4 hard workouts last week, and I was probabaly just a lot more sore than I realized.

Today, I felt great.  I went out fast from the start. I considered running 12 miles at marathon pace, but I stopped when I got to 9 at just under an hour.  Then I took it easy for a couple of miles and took the dog for a run around the neighborhood.

I took it easy today.  My body felt a little tired, but I am feeling a lot better than I did a week ago.

City Creek 

City Creek

I have really struggled this week.  The inflammation in my back has died down somewhat, but the problem in my right hip has gotten worse.  I thought that cutting back on my mileage would help me to really loosen up and get energized for my upcoming race, but so far the result has been the exact opposite.  I believe that I am experiencing bursitis in my hip, so I need to really focus on stretching and strengthening my hamstrings and glutes. Anyway, today's run went okay, but I certainly hope that I am able to solve the problems that I am dealing with so that I can have a good race.

I absolutely love this race.  The island, the course, everything about it is just awesome.  Last year I ran the 50 miler as a personal challenge.  This year I wanted to see if I could race competitively.  

I did a 1 mile warm up and I felt great.  The race got under way and I think it's fair to say that I went out a little too fast. Then I settled in and went to work. I was right on pace at the halfway point despite some strategic walking breaks. I hit 8 miles in 62 minutes.  I took it easy going up the major climb from 7.5-9 miles, but I held it together until the last major hill at Mile 12.  My quads really started to tighten up after that and although the final miles weren't slow, I wasn't exactly racing to the finish, either.  Despite the finish I had a great time.  The most exciting moment of the race was when I saw my family near the finish and my son ran alongside me for the last 100 meters.

I had set a goal to run this race in 2:15 and I thought that I might be close to 2:00.  When I set my goal I was expecting to run approximately 15.5 miles.  Given the extra distance and my pace, I think I would have finished a 25K in about 2:09, so I'll have to be satisfied with that.  Also, with the numerous back and hip problems that I encountered the last couple of weeks, I was thrilled to run without any pain or stiffness. 

Thank you to the race director for hosting such an awesome event and thanks to my fellow competitors for taking part in this event with me. I can't wait for next year!

AM - I ran miles while Brody pedaled along on his new bike.  We had a lot fo fun together.

PM - I ran 8 miles at a faster clip, but I tried to relax and enjoy the warm weather.  It was very windy, so half the run felt effortless and the other half was a chore. 

I went for a run this morning.  It was nice and warm, and the wind had gone away.  Unfortunately, the lake is becoming infested with bugs.  It's definitely spring time.

I ran the Virginia Loop today.  It was warm and windy, but I kept a relatively quick pace.  Stil, I had plenty of energy when I finished.

I had a fun time running on the trails south of City Creek Canyon.  I wish I could have kept running all afternoon, but I had to return to work.  I consider myslef lucky to have such amazing trails so close to the office.

City Creek Run

Virginia Loop

I told myself I wouldn't look at my watch at all today.  My goal was to take it easy and enjoy the miles. I accomplished that part, but I did check out my watch while waiting at a light at 8.4 miles.  Considering the difficult headwind that I had encountered for the past 4 miles I was surprised that I was under 61 minutes.  I lengthened my stride and ran with a little more purpose until I arrived home at 11 miles.  Then I took the dog for a jaunt around the neighborhood.

Lake Loop

I called in sick today, but I was really just sick of work.  Fortunately, I don't have too much going on this week, so I didn't miss anything important.  We went to breakfast with the kids and then we visited the zoo.  It was an enjoyable day together.  Then I ran around the lake.  I tried to take it easy and just run nice and slow, but I ran about 7:10 pace anyway.  It was extremely windy for the third or fourth day in a row.  I think that makes it difficult to run easy since you are forced to combat the wind for half of the run and the other half you are practically gliding.

Lunchtime run up City Creek Canyon.  Pain in my left hip was worse after my run was over.  I need to ice it tonight.  Hopefully, I can enjoy my long trail run tomorrow.

I planned to do a long trail run yesterday, but it rained really hard and my hip was still hurting so I took the day off. I felt a little better today. I ran up City Creek,but I really took it easy on the way back.

I ran on the trails up City Creek Canyon with Wojciech and Rich from the public defender's office. The route was described in terms that violate the "family friendly" policy of this blog and the description was accurate. For about 1.25 miles we climbed what felt like a stairway. It was a lot of fun. We ran the trail along the ridgeline back toward the mouth of the canyon and then dropped down behind The Cove above Capitol Hill. The loop that we ran together was 5.75 miles and it was a little more than 2 miles from my office to our starting point.

I was kind of dreading this run today. My legs were tired from a grueling trail run yesterday and I wasn't going to get out there until the late afternoon. To my surprise, I had a great run. It wasn't too fast, but I ran the first half in just over 54 minutes and I ran the back half in just over 54 minutes. I was expecting something closer to 60 minutes and when I started out fast I was worried about bonking. Fortunately, I kept getting stronger. My fastest mile was at Mile 14. I noticed that I wasn't breathing hard throughout the run which is a great sign that my increased miles are helping my endurance.

I felt really tight for the first mile, but I loosened up quickly. I ended up running faster than I planned, but I didn't strain myself. I ran one loop around the lake and another mile with the dog.

I was stuck in court all day yesterday and I met up with friends after work, so I burned a rest day. Not a big deal, since this week is a recovery weak. Still, I hate to skip a day.

I ran my usual lunchtime run up Çity Creek. I ran together with a guy named Shawn and we had a nice conversation. It has been really nice to run with other people, lately.

Lunchtime run up City Creek Canyon.

Lake loop.

The first 10 miles went great, but I really struggled to finish this long run. Ran an even split thanks to a fast couple of miles between 8 and 10. I don't think the pace was the problem. More than likely my caloric intake before my run was the problem.

Recovery run around the lake.

Monday is becoming my de facto rest day due to exhaustion from work. Yesterday,I was dealing with a cold too, so I just tried to rest so I would feel better today. I ran the Virginia Loop and I felt a little tired when I started, but it was so nice and warm outside that I loosened up quickly and my lungs cleared out. I felt better when I finished than when I started.

Ran to the top of the ridge above City Creek again. I had some trouble breathing and had to walk a little bit on the way up, but otherwise I had a great run. I think I will call this the Cove Loop.

Lunchtime run up Çity Creek Canyon.

Virginia Loop

AM (8 miles) - Went for a run early this morning around the lake.  Tried to take it easy, but I sped up after a couple of miles and pushed the pace until the last couple of miles.

PM (10 miles) - Ran in the rain.  Felt slow and tired the first couple of miles, but I warmed up quickly and kept a fast pace throughout the second half of the run.

Last night I consumed about as much food as one person can in one evening and I had plenty to drink. Still fet pretty tired this afternoon when I got out for a run.  Maintained a fairly even pace.  Sped up a little the last couple of miles with the help of a strong tailwind.

Lunchtime run up City Creek Canyon. It was so warm I had to take my shirt off and stop for a drink.

I went for a long trail run up City Creek Canyon. I ran up the trail on the south side of the Canyon that ends up behind the Avenues.  It was a beautiful, warm day full of sunshine.  I brought water and some nutrition along to keep from dehydrating and bonk. I wish I could run like this every single day of my life. Maybe someday...

Lunchtime run up City Creek Canyon.  I took it easy except for Mile 4 when a cyclist passed me and I decided to try and keep pace on the uphill.  Mission accomplished.

City Creek Canyon

Mountain View Corridor Loop.  Started before 9 to avoid the heat.  Started out with an easy mile and then realized I was feeling pretty loose, so I ran hard for the next ten miles.  Managed to run an even split, which was made easier by the amount of climbing and the punishing headwind in the first half of the run.  Still, I felt strong all the way through this run.  I realized it didn't matter whether I finished in 1:23 or 1:24, so I took it easy on the last mile.

Recovery run around the lake.

Ran the Cove Loop with Rich and Wojciech. The weather was perfect and I handled the initial climb much better than a couple of weeks ago. I started slower, it was cooler, and it helped to have some friendly competition. When we got back to the parking lot I ran with Richard Carling down to Memory Grove. I always like to see him and I really enjoy his stories.

City Creek Canyon

My quads were pretty sore today, but I was still able to run a good pace. The weather was beautiful and there were lots of people enjoying City Creek Canyon.

City Creek Canyon.  Legs felt very sore and tight today.  I took it very easy.

I took my first Saturday off in a long time yesterday. It was rainy and it was a recovery week so I decided to bag it. I felt rested and the weather was much nicer today. I ran a nice even pace, around 7:15, for the first 9 miles and then I sped up and finished my run at 6:40 pace.

Lunchtime run up City Creek Canyon.

Afternoon run up City Creek Canyon.

Well, I've been anticipating a fall during each trail run for the last couple of months.  Sooner or later it was going to happen, and today it finally did.  I clipped my toe on an "invisible branch." It was really difficult to see coming downhill.  Of course I noticed it on the way back up the hill. Fortunately, I didn't sustain any deep cuts or lacerations.  However my palms are in rough shape.  Hopefully, that won't happen again for another couple of years.

I'm still a little banged up from yesterday's fall, but today was a fast-paced run up City Creek Canyon.

I intended to take it slow today, but I didn't stick to that plan. I thought I would run 2:08 but I finished in 1:56.  I ran the first four miles in just over 30 minutes with no real effort. Then I ran the next four miles in 29 minutes, which was a surprise since I had to run up the hill at 9000 South.  The third quarter was about 29 minutes too.  

And then, I decided to see what I could do to finish the run.  My new mantra has become "willing to suffer."  I repeat this saying to myself when things become difficult.  I knocked off 30 seconds per mile for the last four miles, finishing the last quarter in just under 27 minutes.  Those final four splits were 6:31, 6:42, 6:44, and 6:49.  Maybe not the most impressive numbers, but I was sure happy.

A couple of notes.  My iPod stopped working at Mile 5 and I was much more focused on my breathing. Also, I didn't take any fluids with me.  I ate a Larabar about halfway throught the run, but that means I only needed to consume 190 calories despite expending close to 2000.  I would have expected to feel terrible, but I recovered really quickly with a protein shake and lots of food throughout the rest of the day.

Lunchtime run around the lake.  Saw lots of beatiful ducks and some baby geese.

My legs were really sore today. The run helped things to loosen up. Got in some good stretching afterward too.

Lunchtime run up City Creek Canyon.  It looked like it might rain, but the weather was perfect aside from some mild humidity.  My legs felt a whole lot better today; my left knee is still sore and my hips are tight, but nothing unusual.  Just need to survive another 40 miles over the next 4 days.

Lunchtime run up City Creek Canyon.  Stuck to the roads this week. My hands have almost completely healed since my fall last week, but I didn't want to tempt fate. I ran hard on the uphill and kept it at or below 8:00 pace for each of the first 6 miles.  On the way down my left arch caused me some trouble on the steeper hills, but once I got past those, I was fine.  I only used my watch for 10 miles and I clocked in at just over 72 minutes, so about 1:27 for 12; not to shabby, given the amount of elevation change.

Lunchtime run up City Creek Canyon.

Quick afternoon run around the lake.  Really tight for the first mile, but then I loosened up and ran hard for several miles.  Just a long run tomorrow, and then I can relax a little.

Solid effort to end another great week of training.  My only goal, starting out, was to finish in 2 hours.  I ended up well under 1:54.  My knees and my hip felt great throughout the run, and I was really able to push the pace.  Now, I can relax and do some home remodeling.

Recovery run around the lake.  I was tired from all of the renovations we worked on today, but I knew I had to get out there.

Easy run around the Virginia Loop. The cemetery looked beautiful with all of the flowers out after Memorial Day.

Another easy run around the Virginia Loop.

Easy run up City Creek Canyon.  A cyclist passed me before the guard shack so I ran the last mile uphill at MP.  I passed him before the turnaround at the bridge.

I pushed the pace at the start, finishing the first 5 miles in 33 minutes, but I started to cramp up and the last 3 miles were much slower - 21:30.

I really need to get out on the track. I feel like I have reached a peak. I need to do more exercises at threshold and maximum effort. Fortunately, I have a good base to build off of.

We traveled to St. George yesterday and the temperature was near 100 degrees. I'm not an early riser, but I knew I would have to get my run in this morning. I found a couple of bike paths to get me from my sister's house to Bluff St. And then I ran up the hill. I was happy that I could keep my average pace under 8:00 all the way up. The entire run took 72 minutes which was alright. Most importantly, I beat the heat.

I went for a run along the Virgin River with my wife and dad. We ran really easy for the first 3 miles and then I took off. I ran the next 3 miles at about 6:30 pace with some variation but a consistent effort. Then I decided to run as hard as I could for the last mile. I was really excited to clock in at 5:45. That was the fastest mile that I have run in several years!

Recovery run around Coral Canyon. My legs were tired and tight from yesterday's run. It was difficult just to make it through the run. I was so happy just to be done.

Late afternoon run up Çity Creek Canyon. My legs felt so much better today than they did yesterday. Hopefully I can get another 30 miles in before the end of the week.

Lunchtime run up City Creek Canyon.  Legs are back to normal.  Hopefully I can make it through a 20-miler tomorrow morning.

Long run on the Mountain View Corridor.  I concentrated on running four different quarters within the long run.  My goal was to keep an even pace for all four quarters and finish in about 2:30.  

The first quarter was right on pace.  The second quarter I picked up the pace a little, as I hit a long downhill with a good tailwind.  Of course the third quarter was the most difficult as I faced the opposing forces that had only recently been in my favor.  

The best part of my run happened at Mile 16 when I crested the final hill and knew I had the energy to pick up the pace.  I felt the euphoria that comes every once in a while, and just as I started to feel it spread throughout my body I saw a baby antelope (I am a sucker for animals).

I started my final push on my favorite part of the run and ran my fastest four miles of the run, each one faster than the last.  I posted a 6:28 for my final mile and clocked a 2:26 for the run.  It was a great run, but the best thing was I felt like I could have run farther.  Hopefully, I can replicate this run when I attempt the marathon in seven weeks.

I felt really good after my long run yesterday, but I wasn't sure what to expect today. The first mile was pretty difficult, but after that I ran at 7:15 pace for the next 7 miles. Now I just have to get another 54 miles over the next 6 days.

Really fast run around the lake.  I was surprised how quick the run was given the long run on Saturday.

Went to Brody's track meet tonight.  He won his heat in the 50 m and came in third in the 400 m.  He also competed in the "softball throw."  He made the first two throws with his right hand and then switched to his left hand.  Between the 50 m and the 400 m, I went for a quick 5 mile run.  After the meet, I ran another 5 miles at a much easier pace. Legs felt really  tired and I had some issues with my feet too,  A little surprised because yesterday was a rest day after a really difficult stretch.

Legs felt a little better today, but I really had to work hard. Ran at a good clip up City Creek Canyon and kept a really fast pace on the way back down.

Legs felt really tired today.  Can't wait to finish this week.  Nice easy pace up City Creek Canyon. Luckily, no one saw me when I totally freaked out about a large snake right next to me along the side of the road.  I was a little nervous the rest of the run.  Of course as soon as I stopped paying attention, and moved over to avoid some walkers, I almost stepped on another snake.  I mentioned that I like animals in a post the other day.  We even own a reptile, but snakes in the wild are not my favorite.  

My pace was easy but it took a lot of effort to complete this run. It was really warm in the morning and my body was tired from the last two weeks. I suffered a lot, but I survived.

I took two days off to rest, and my legs felt much better following a couple of long weeks.  It was the first time since March that I have taken two days off in a row. Today was hot, but I enjoyed my run up City Creek Canyon.

Planned to run 8 up City Creek Canyon.  Ran into Richard and was introduced to his friend Stewart.  We walked for about 1/2 mile together.  Then I took off and finished my run.

Another hot, lunchtime run up City Creek Canyon.

Finally starting to get used to running in the heat. I just have to avoid checking the weather before heading out to run. My hip and knee were bugging me last night, but I loosened up during the run and did a lot of stretching afterwards. I really need to get more sleep. Also, I came up with a pace chart for the Deseret News to help me achieve my goal of 3:10.

Warm-up mile with the dog. Then 7 easy miles around the lake.

I broke 1,000 miles today. Halfway to my goal! Lunchtime run up City Creek Canyon. Pushed it a little on the way up, but took it pretty easy on the way down. My right hip is bothering me a bit, and so is the front of my left knee. I think it's about time for some new shoes.

Lunchtime run up City Creek Canyon. Utilized the trails on the north side of the canyon for approximately 3.5 miles. Stuck to the road on the way back down.