Every Race is an Adventure!

Standard Monday morning run with Kevin, Kent, and Larry.

Medium pace. (Kevin says it was slow...for him it probably was.)

Standard Tuesday morning run with Kent and Larry.

Medium pace.

Standard Wednesday morning hill run with Kent and Larry.

Medium pace.

Standard Thursday morning run with Kent and Larry.

(We haven't seen Kevin since Monday. Maybe we're too slow for him.)

Medium pace.

Started in light, cold rain and ended with 1/2 inch of snow on my hat.

I ran into Will and Darin at the fitness center at noon. Will wasn't feeling well before we started and turned back a little early. Darin took me on a little excusion through the hills east of Novell, and stretched my 5 mile run into 7. (Thanks.)

Kevin and I ran the 10 mile loop down to Wil's Pit Stop and back. Our average pace was around 8:45.

Standard Monday morning run with Kevin, Kent, and Larry.

Average pace about 9:00.

We discussed that now that we have a pretty good base built up, we ought to start pushing the pace a little at least a couple of times per week, but no real decision on when or how fast.

When the alarm went off at 5:00am I heard rain and felt tired so I skipped the neighborhood run.

At lunch time I did a solo run of the hill course the Novell runners have named Eagle's View. I pushed pretty hard and ran it in 38:15, an average pace of about 7:40.

I'm not quite sure how to count the 100 feet or so I ran pushing a stalled car out of the intersection at State Street. :-)

Standard Wednesday morning hill run with Kevin, Kent and Larry.

Kevin and Kent pushed ahead.

Larry and I ran an easier pace. I didn't want to push the hills hard today after pushing hills hard yesterday.

Standard Thursday morning run with Kent and Larry.

I pushed hard up the first of the two hills. I pushed the second, longer hill up 2000 N, too, but the first hill had zapped my legs some so it wasn't quite as fast. I also pushed the pace down 2000 N to work on foot speed (5:45 pace).

I was planning to run at lunch time but I had some unexpected work, and the weather wasn't too good anyway.

We had planned a 12 mile run, but with the steady rain all morning we kept waiting...and then the day got too busy. I was very disappointed. I had really been looking forward to the long run.

I ran the normal Monday morning run with Larry. I then ran it again (with my golden retriever Skittles on a leash), and added a little more to add up to a half marathon distance (13.1 miles).

I averaged around a 9:10 pace the first 6 miles, 8:40 for the second 6 miles, and 8:10 for the last 1.1 miles. The overall time was 1:55:49, average pace 8:50.

Standard Tuesday morning run with Kevin. We were both a little tired from hard runs on Monday, and it was pretty cold. Average pace about 8:30.

Ran standard Wednesday morning hill run alone. My legs felt a little tired from Mon and Tue runs. It was cold (upper 20's).

5.29 miles, 50:22, avg pace 9:31

Details:

Home to 1st hill, gradual uphill, 1.25 mi, 12:18, 9:52 pace

1st hill, very steep uphill, .27 mi, 4:03, 15:11 pace

recovery, level, .19 mi, 1:40, 8:45 pace

2nd hill, moderate uphill, .22 mi, 2:40, 12:01 pace

recovery, level, .10 mi, 0:56, 9:23 pace

3rd hill, steep rocky uphill, .17 mi, 2:10, 12:40 pace

recovery, level, .12 mi, 1:15, 10:34 pace

4th hill, moderate rocky uphill, .19 mi, 1:59, 10:39 pace

recovery, level, 175 ft, 0:21, 10:44 pace

5th hill, steep rocky uphill, .12 mi, 1:14, 10:08 pace

TURN AROUND (DOWNHILL)

Top to 2nd hill, steep rocky downhill, .44 mi, 3:38, 8:17 pace

2nd hill, moderate downhill, .48 mi, 4:20, 8:57 pace

recovery, level, .19 mi, 1:31, 8:03 pace

1st hill, very steep downhill, .30 mi, 2:18, 7:34 pace

1st hill to 800 E, rolling hills, .59 mi, 4:53, 8:18 pace

800 E to home, gradual downhill, .62 mi, 4:56, 7:59 pace

Standard Thursday morning run with Larry. Easy pace. I got in a little extra work carrying a large puppy back a block or so and trying to keep it from following us.

I didn't really do track work today, but I did get some "speed work"...sort of. I played basketball for 1.5 hours in the morning and Ultimate Frisbee for an hour or so at a family gathering in the evening. It seems I ought to get some credit for all that running and for getting as tired as I did :-).

Kevin, Kent, Larry, Wayne, and I ran from the mouth of Provo Canyon to a little past Vivian Park and back this morning. It was a great run. There was a stiff head wind running up, but it made for a nice tail wind coming down.

I ran an 8:41 pace against the head wind up to the broken off mile 13 marker just above Bridal Veil Falls Park. I then increased to hold an 8:06 pace for the next 2 miles to Vivian Park. Having Kevin there pushing the pace really helped.

I had planned to push the pace the last couple of miles coming back down, but Kevin and Kent decided to push the pace as soon as we started down. I ended up averaging a 7:35 pace for 5 miles followed by a 7:20 pace for the last mile. I added another 1.1 miles of cool down just so I could say I ran two half marathon distances in the same week. The overall time for the 13.1 miles was 1:47:09, average pace 8:10.

I won't add any miles for it, but immediately after the run (before going home) I helped a friend move for 3 hours. All those trips up and down the stairs in the old house and the new have to count for something. I hope the benefit manifests itself as I'm struggling up Guardsmen Pass in June on my 3rd leg of the WBR, the "You Gotta Be Kidding Me" leg. I'll just imagine myself carrying one more 50 lb. bag of wheat up the stairs...and then one more.

I'm exhausted...but it feels so good!

Because of the morning rain, I chose to run at lunch. I ran the Eagle's View run with Cory, Nathan, Darin, and Will. I managed to stay with the group most of the way but Darin, Cory, and Nathan pulled away near the end. I finished in 39:09, average pace 7:50. The pace out and up was about 8:15, down and back was about 7:25.

Standard Tuesday morning run with Kevin and Kent. Kevin wanted to push more, but Kent and I were content with an easier run today. Average pace about 8:35.

Ran the standard Wednesday morning hill run with Kent and Larry at an easy pace.

At lunch time I ran the 5 mile Lake View run with Cory, Nathan, Darin, and Rod. Average pace was about 8:00.

Standard Thursday morning run with Kevin, Kent, and Larry. Easy pace (about 8:45 average I think).

We planned to leave at 5:30am so Kevin could get back for his kids' soccer games. He overslept so I rang his doorbell and got him up. I wasn't about to let him sleep in when we were leaving early for him. :-)

Kevin, Kent, Larry, Wayne, and I ran what turned out to be a "memory lane" sort of run to south Orem, and then a pleasant run back up Palisade in east Orem. It ended up being an enjoyable, easy pace (about 9:20), 13 mile run.

Standard Monday morning run with Kevin, Kent, and Larry. I forgot to set my alarm, but luckily I woke up about 5:38 (we leave at 5:45). I hustled to get ready but with my running clothes in the dryer, and the delay from a bathroom stop, I got outside just as they passed my house (we start half a block up at the corner). My GPS hadn't sync-ed so I decided to jog to the start corner, wait for the GPS, and see how long it took me to catch them. I started at about a 6:00 pace, slowed considerably as I went uphill, but managed to get back to a 6:00 pace until I caught them about one mile in. Starting so quickly really zapped me. I took the rest of the run fairly easy. Average pace about 8:30.

Standard Tuesday morning run with Kent and Larry. I decided to insert some speedwork in the form of fartlek. I pushed 6 different times: 3 short uphills, 1 longer downhill, and 2 flats. For the fartleks, I averaged just under a 6:00 pace (downhills faster than uphills, of course) for a total of about 1.1 miles. According to the GPS, I went sub-5:00 briefly (376 feet). I ran 2.3 miles at about 8:15 and averaged just under 9:00 overall, including some slow recovery jogging.

Standard Wednesday morning hill run with Kent and Larry. I didn't push real hard, but it's hard to say it was an "easy" pace...some of the hills wouldn't be easy even at a walking pace.

At lunch time I ran the Lake View 5 mile run with Darin, Cory, Nathan, Will, and another Paul. It wasn't easy, but I managed to stay with the lead group. My average pace was about 7:50.

Larry suggested to Kevin, Kent, and me that we run the "Never Ending Hills" course. It's a winding course through the hills of Northeast Orem and Lindon. I pushed a little a couple of times but mostly just ran along at a moderate pace.

Kevin and I ran the neighborhood 5K course, running about a half a mile to the park as warmup. It starts and ends at Northridge Park. It's roughly 1 mile gradual downhill, 1 mile level, 1 mile gradual uphill and then finishes with a lap around the track at Northridge Park.

My time was 21:21, just under a 7:00 minute average pace. I'm pleased...except Kevin beat me by 3 seconds. :-)

Larry and I ran the canal road up into American Fork and back, a little over 12 miles. Our average pace was about 9:00.

Standard Monday morning run with Kevin, Kent, and Larry. Kevin and I inserted a fartlek of around 0.6 miles at about a 6:30 pace, and Larry and I averaged about 7:30 for the last mile or so (Kent and Kevin were faster). The total overall average pace for me was about 8:30.

I found out last night that Kent made it into St. George, but Kevin, Kurt and I did not...bummer! Larry, of course, is in because of the 15 year club. It looks like Kerry and Tom and some of the other Novell runners are in, and some are not. I guess there is still a chance in the later lottery, but I'll have to start considering Top of Utah and maybe other options.

Standard Tuesday morning run with Larry with a slight variation. I overslept and was a few minutes late getting out. In my rush, I started up 180 W. to 2000 N. (Monday's course) instead of up Main St. I realized my error before I got to 2000 N. and then had to run a couple of extra blocks up 2000 N. I caught up with Larry near the top of the hill and found out I had started before him. Oh well, we had a nice easy run together. Average pace was about 9:00 for me.

I ran the normal Wednesday morning hill with a twist. I ran to and up and down the 5 hills alone, but at about hill 3 (I think) on the way down I passed Kevin on his way up. He had overslept and got a late start. When I got to the bottom of the hills I decided to run back up until I met up with Kevin. I was sure glad to see him as I started up hill 2 for the second time. Running hill 1 twice was enough. I was tired but we still managed to run the mile or so of gradual downhill back home from the base of the hills at about a 7:20 pace. I didn't really feel much like running when I started, but it ended up being a good workout that I quite enjoyed. Overall average pace was about 9:10.

At lunch time I ran the Lake View run (flat 5 miles out and back) with Nathan and Will. I managed to hang with Nathan and averaged a pace of about 8:00 out and 7:20 back, 7:40 overall.

Kevin and I started at 5:30am and ran a couple of quick miles (7:30 pace) before meeting up with Larry for the normal Thursday morning run. Larry and Kevin dropped off before the last climb up 2000 N (Larry for work, Kevin for biological reasons), so I ran it alone. As I neared home I passed Kevin, presumably heading back up to take on the hill after his bio break.

I gave my legs a rest yesterday because they told me to. My muscles were sore and tired. I think this was from the extra 1.5 miles of hills on Wed. and the extra 2 miles of tempo run on Thurs.

It was good I rested my legs, because this morning I ran about 12 miles in the hills with Kent, Larry, Wayne...and a group of Sojourners, including Hawk and Cheryl Harper. We started at the mouth of Provo Canyon and worked our way up to the road along the pipeline.

We then came to Grizzly, 3/4 mile up a very steep road. I think Hawk said the record is 4:15. Larry says if you can run up Grizzly without stopping you'll be able to run a 3:20 marathon or faster. I ran it in 6:57 without stopping. We'll have to see if Larry's prediction holds true.

We then ran back along the road to the top of Wednesday's big hill course (which they call the Steps). Some headed back down to the mouth of the canyon from there. Kent, Larry, Wayne and I decided to run down the Steps and on home. I then drove Kent and Wayne back to the mouth to pick up our cars.

I stepped on a rock and rolled my ankle about halfway into the run, but I ran through it and it's only a little sore now. The weather was good, the scenery was beautiful, it was fun running with some new people, and we kept up a pretty good pace. About 6 or 7 miles into the run I pushed hard for 3/4 mile or so to catch up with Wayne and it felt pretty good. Overall it was a very enjoyable and satisfying workout.

Normal Monday morning run with Kevin, Kent, and Larry. Kevin and I inserted a couple of fartlek runs, the first for about 3/4 mile and the second for about 1/2 mile. I ran about a 6:45 pace on each (Kevin was significantly faster). My overall average for the 6 miles was about an 8:45 pace.

I went out early to add a couple of miles before the normal Tuesday morning run. I ran just under an 8:00 minute pace for those two miles. My legs felt pretty heavy this morning. The rest of the run with Kevin and Larry was at an easier pace.

I started the day by running the normal Wednesday morning hill run with Kent and Larry. I didn't push real hard, trying to save my legs for 10K tempo run at noon.

At lunch time Tom Lee and I ran the Lake View 10K course I had mapped out. We both had run in the morning. With the temperature near 80 degrees, we knew we had a tough run ahead of us. We ran the first half in 23:06 (7:25/mi). The heat took its toll and we ran the second half in 24:49 (7:50/mi). My overall time was 47:56 (7:38/mi). Tom was about 7 seconds faster.

I feel good about the run. It was a good measure of where I am in my training, and I think pushing hard in the heat will pay dividends in the future, both mentally and physically.

I ran the neighborhood 5K course with Larry, Kent, and Kurt to prep for the race (fun run) this Saturday. My legs were still tired from yesterday's run so I took it a little easy (8:00+/mi.).

The (17th?) annual neighborhood 5K fun run was today. Kurt won it with a time of 18:56, or something like that. Kurt, Justin, and Christian (all high schoolers) started out very quickly (5:30-ish for the first mile). I had decided to push the race hard so I foolishly allowed myself to run a 6:00 minute first mile (gradual downhill). I slowed to about 6:40 for the flat second mile. The last mile is a gradual uphill and I slowed a little more. Nevertheless, I was very pleased with my finishing time of 20:35 (6:38 average pace), a new PR for me for this course. I was just hoping to break 21:00.

My mileage was down this week, but the hard 10K in the heat on Wed., and the hard 5K today, give me confidence that the training I have been doing has been effective.

Normal Monday morning run with Kent and Larry. Most of the run was at an easy pace (averaged around 9:00/mi), but I did insert a 1/2 mile fartlek in the middle at a pace of about 6:38/mi.

I ran the extended Tuesday morning run with some variation. I ran the first two miles alone at a 7:59/mi pace. I then met up with Kevin, Kent and Larry for the normal run. I pushed down the hill on 2000 N to work on foot speed (0.7 miles @ 5:59/mi). Finally, I pushed the last mile or so at 6:45/mi. Overall, I ran 8 miles at an average pace of 8:19/mi.

I ran the extended Thursday morning run. I started early and ran 1.5 miles before joining up with Kevin, Kent, and Larry. I didn't run Wednesday because I had a bad cold. I still had it this morning but I couldn't miss another day running. I ran the first 1.5 miles at about 8:30/mi and the last 1.3 miles at about 8:00/mi. I ran the rest at a very easy pace and averaged about 9:05/mi overall.

Kevin, Kent, Larry and I ran 15 miles from the top of South Fork in Provo Canyon down into Provo. My overall pace was about 8:20/mi. About half way into the run Kevin and I doubled back for about a tenth of a mile and then pushed hard to catch back up with Kent and Larry. We averaged 6:58/mi for the mile (slight downhill) it took us to catch them.

I ran the extended Tuesday morning run. First 2.25 miles alone at 7:26/mi. Joined Kevin and Larry for normal run at a moderate pace. Overall average pace 8:33/mi. Last mile at 7:30/mi.

This morning I ran the normal Wednesday hills with Kevin and Larry. It was a beautiful morning and I enjoyed the conversation. Kevin and I did charge hill 3 pretty hard, but overall it was just a moderate effort.

At lunch time, I ran the 5 mile Lake View course with Tom, Cory, and Nathan. We averaged about 8:00/mi going out and 7:20/mi coming back, for an average of 7:40/mi.

Just Kevin and I got out this morning. We intended to do the extended Thursday morning run, but part way into the run I was feeling really tired so we decided to cut out the big hill at the end and extended the distance a little. Kevin went a mile or two farther, but my legs told me to cut off early.

My total run:

6.8 mi @ 7:39/mi

Breakdown:

1.6 mi @ 7:26/mi

0.6 mi @ 6:44/mi

1.9 mi @ 7:06/mi

0.4 mi @ 9:57/mi (uphill)

1.0 mi @ 8:17/mi

0.2 mi @ 9:11/mi (uphill)

0.5 mi @ 8:24/mi

0.6 mi @ 7:06/mi (downhill)

I ran from home to Bridal Veil Falls and back with Kevin and Wayne. Larry and Kurt were also there for the first part of the run back Larry had time constraints so they turned back early.

Interestingly enough, like last Saturday we ran 15 miles, and exactly like last Saturday I averaged 8:20/mi. A key difference was that last week's run was mostly all downhill, while today's run, being up and back, had plenty of uphill to balance the downhill.

We ran the first 4.5 miles at an easy 8:50/mi pace, and then pushed the last 3 miles up at 8:10/mi.

On the way back, we ran the first 1.7 miles at an easy 8:19/mi, pushed the next 1.7 miles at 7:40/mi, and then pushed the last 0.9 miles to the mouth at 7:27/mi. I ran the hill up from the mouth to the Cascade golf course at 9:04/mi, and then managed to average 7:51/mi the last 2.75 miles home. I feel good about this, except that the last 3 miles Kevin and Wayne gradually pulled away. Kevin finished well over 2 minutes ahead of me. I feel like I had a good run, but they had a great run.

I'm glad we left at 5am today (due to Larry's schedule). The weather was perfect and the morning was beautiful. A later start and I think it would have been too warm.

Kent, Larry, and I went to the track for our first official speed work this year. I wasn't aware that's what we were going to do, so it caught me by surprise. We ran four 1/2 mile repeats, with 1 lap rest in between. I ran 3:09, 3:17, 3:20, and 3:07. These are pretty good times for me, and I still feel like I probably could have pushed a little harder.

After we got home I decided to take my dog Skittles and she and I ran another 3 miles at an easy pace. It's nice having a little more time in the mornings now that I don't have to schedule around helping get the kids off to school.

I started by running 2.25 miles alone at 7:36/mi.

I then joined Kent and Larry for the normal Tuesday morning run. It was a beautiful morning run filled with good conversation. I pushed briefly a few times, but not very much. We roughly averaged 10:00/mi on the uphill, 8:00/mi on the downhill, 8:40/mi on the level, and 9:00/mi overall.

I ran the normal Wednesday hill run with Kent and Larry with a little variation.

We ran the 1.2 mi gradual uphill to the base of the hills at 9:41/mi.

I ran the five hills (1.5 mi total) in 15:13 (10:09/mi). This compares to 16:18 (10:52/mi) on April 19.

I had enough energy left that after resting a few seconds at the top, I ran back down and ran hill 5 (0.12 mi, steep) a second time. My pace was on hill 5 was 9:55/mi the first time, and 7:43/mi after the brief rest and short downhill run.

I opted to take the longer way home via 1200 N instead of 1600 N. I ran the 0.4 miles down to 1200 N at 7:24/mi, the flat mile from 800 E to Main at 7:49/mi, and the last 0.6 mi home at 7:26/mi.

At noon I ran the Lake View run with Tom, Nathan, and Will. The mile splits were 8:11, 8:05, 7:51, 7:46, and 7:43.

I overslept and missed getting out early at 5:30am but was at the corner by the normal 5:45am. I was the only one there. I waited a couple of minutes and then started up 1600 N. towards 200 W. As I made the turn onto 200 W I look ahead to see if maybe the others had started ahead of me. I missed seeing a golf-ball sized rock and rolled my left ankle. I turned back for home and iced it. I think I'll have to take it easy for a couple of days, but I can put weight on it and I should be back to full strength soon. My training had been going so well I was afraid I was due for a setback. Oh well, at least it isn't too serious. I'm sure I'll be back to full strength for the WBR in 2 weeks.

Kent, Larry, and I went to the track for speed work again. We stuck to four 1/2 mile repeats again, with 1 lap rest in between. I ran 3:14, 3:07, 3:13, and 3:00. I felt pretty good. The first three I tried to run fast but not overdo it. The 2nd repeat was a little faster because we passed the entire THS football team on the first lap (adrenaline I guess). The final repeat I pushed hard.

The left ankle I injured last Thursday morning didn't bother me at all. It is still a little stiff, with a little soreness, but the tenderness seems to be gone. I'm hopeful it will hold up well through tomorrow's longer run.

I ran the normal Tuesday morning run with Kevin, Kent, and Larry. I was very tempted to go out early with Kevin and put in a couple of extra miles, but I decided I'd better not abuse my ankle. The pace was steady but not too hard (about 8:50). The ankle held up pretty well, but I could feel a little stiffness and soreness.

I noticed this morning that yesterday's speed work had tightened up my calves, expecially the left one. I massaged them well with "The Stick" before this morning's run and plan to do so a few more times today.

After the speed work on Monday and the longer run on Tuesday I found that my left ankle was still sore (from rolling it last Thursday) and my left calf was tight and a little sore where there seemed to be knot in it. I received some wise counsel (thanks Kerry) to maybe consider taking some time to let things heal. It was hard, but I decided to take Wednesday off. I ended up deciding to take Thursday off, too.

Today I went out at lunch time to put in a few miles and see how things felt. I ran 3 miles at about 7:40/mi. My calves feel great (knock on wood). The ankle is still just a little stiff and sore, but it feels strong and doesn't seem to affect my running. My plan is to run the Strawberry Days 5K tomorrow, rest Sunday, and only do some short easy runs next Mon-Wed as I taper for the Wasatch Back Relay on Friday.

Wow! What a great morning!

I got up at my normal 5am and prepared to go to the Strawberry Days 5K in Pleasant Grove, which was scheduled to start at 8am. By 6-ish I was ready to go so I decided to go early and see if the Harpers could use some help setting up for the race. They accepted my offer and let me do a few things, including measuring the half mile kids race backwards from the finish line with the distance wheel to determine where the starting line should be.

I was surprised to see Larry, Kent, Kevin, and Wayne running up the street. They apparently decided to run from home to the 5K (7 miles) as part of their long run for the day. Only Kevin stayed to run the race, but it was good to see them.

Kevin and I also met up with Verdon and Kerry. It was great hanging out with them before and after the race.

There is a long downhill at the beginning of the race and I decided to run fast but under control. I left the others behind shortly after the start, so I was afraid I had started out too fast. Kevin had joked before the race that you know you've started too fast if you look around and everyone else is speaking Swahili. I looked around and saw a little 10 year old girl, and a guy running backwards to look for someone behind us, and other old people like me, so I figured I must be okay. I was shocked to look down at my split after the first mile and see 5:49.

I decided there wasn't much I could do about that now, and I was feeling pretty good, so I just decided to try and hang on.

I ran the second mile in 7:08, which had a long gradual uphill section. I ran the third mile in 6:52, which had some flat then a shorter uphill followed by the gradual downhill to the finish.

I feel like I ran within myself the whole race but still pushed hard and managed to set a new "old man" PR of 20:29. To my surprise, this was good enough to finish 1st in the Male 45-49 division. I've never won my division before so this was a cool new experience.

The highlight of the morning, however, was winning the drawing for the free entry into the 2006 St. George Marathon. The chance of winning my way into St. George was the main reason I had decided to run this race.

I left before the prize drawings were over because I was afraid of winning something else. I felt like I had already received far more than my share of blessings for one morning.

What made all of this special was being able to share it with Verdon, Kerry, and Kevin, who all seemed to be as happy for me as I was for myself. It was also cool to come home and have my family share in my happiness, too. Karen was especially excited because she now gets to go to St. George again, and because I brought home some beautiful hanging flowers I bought at the fair near where the race was held.

And I still have the Wasatch Back Relay to look forward to next weekend. Life is good right now.

Larry and I ran 5.5 miles at an easy (9:00/mi) pace. I'm not planning to push anything hard this week as I taper for the WBR on Friday. My legs and ankle are feeling pretty good.

I'm still feeling pretty up from Saturday. It was a good day. I had a great Father's Day, too.

Started the normal Tuesday run with Larry, but we shortened it to only 4 miles. Larry's wife Jolene met us at the top of the 2000 N hill and ran the last two miles with us. I ran at an easy pace. My legs were quite tired from working hard in my yard all day Monday.

Ran the Wednesday hill run with Larry at an easy pace, walking back down the dirt portions of the hills. It was a beautiful morning and I really enjoyed our conversation. This was my last run before the WBR on Friday.

The Wasatch Back Relay was awesome! This was my third year doing the relay, and it just seems to get better every year. Our efforts at planning bore fruit and I think the team, with a number of new members, really came together well.

I was in Van 2 and I thoroughly enjoyed spending all that time with my old running buddies Verdon, Kerry, and Tom, and getting to know Kevin and Scott. They were terrific additions to our team, not only as good hardworking runner, but as friends. I have a feeling they may have contracted that incurable WBR-itis condition that some of us have had for a couple of years now.

It was great having so many more teams this year. I love the feeling of comraderie and family that exists not only in the van and the team, but among all the participants. I feel a special kinship to my fellow runners that I can't explain.

About the running...I've trained harder than normal this year, and I think it paid off. I feel good about my performance.

My first leg was leg 9 which is rated "Hard" and climbs to the summit of Avon Pass. The race book said it was 3.8 miles. It climbs about 750 feet with an average grade of 3.7%. I began at 5:40 p.m. I was estimated to run it in 34:45. My actual time was 35:35, but my Garmin showed the distance as 3.97 miles. My target pace was 9:06/mi and my actual pace was 8:58/mi. It was hot but there was quite a bit of shade along the way. The heat and uphill lived up to the "Hard" rating, but the beauty of the scenery, the joy of finally getting to run, and the breaks provided by the shade make it quite enjoyable. I ran hard but within myself and recovered pretty quickly.

The Wasatch Back Relay continued...

After getting a spaghetti dinner and a couple of hours of sleep at East Canyon, I began my second leg at 3:07 am. Leg 21 overall is a gradual uphill of 6.2 miles rated as "Moderate". My target time was 49:40, at a pace of about 8:00/mi. My actual time was 46:10, at a pace of 7:27/mi. I truly believe having Kevin Jessop as a bike pacer made the difference on this leg. I could never have held that pace on a dark night without his bright light and companionship. Thanks again, Kevin.

After a shower and another couple of hours of sleep at our team room at the Yarrow Hotel in Park City, my third and final leg began just after noon. Leg 33, also known as "You Gotta Be Kidding Me", is a 3.6 mile "severe uphill climb through Wasatch Mountain State Park" (average grade 7.6%) rated "Very Hard". My target time was 38:45, at a pace of 10:46/mi. My actual time was 40:41, and a pace of 11:18/mi. My pace was 7:42 for about the first 0.6 miles. Once the steep climb began my pace slowed to an average of around 14:15/mi (not exact, lost GPS signal a little over 3 miles into it). Even though I ran Ragnar in 2004, I was still unprepared for how difficult the climb would be. There was a runner ahead of me that walk a lot of the way, but I still had a hard time gaining much ground on him (he had long legs and walked quickly) so for a short distance on a couple of the very steepest sections I walked instead of running because it seemed I could walk as fast or faster than I could run. The heat was intense, and there was not much shade. Get water every mile from my van mates helped me make it up the hill.

I was very proud of all of my van mates. They all ran hard and did well. I was especially impressed with Kerry's long run in the scorching heat on leg 32, and Tom's powerful ascent up Ragnar (leg 34). I consider each of my van mates a true running buddy and brother.

The whole experience was awesome. A little less heat would have been nice, and maybe a little moonlight at night, but it was nice that the weather at East Canyon was relative mild at night, much more comfortable than previous years in the bone chilling cold wind. I have no complaints and consider myself blessed to have been able to participate.

Ran the normal Monday mornnig run with Larry at an easy pace, about 9:00/mi. A little to my surprise, I was feeling no pain from having run in the WBR on Friday and Saturday, but my legs were pretty tired.

Ran the normal Tuesday morning run with Kevin and Larry. My legs still felt a little tired so I didn't push too hard. We ran about 8:30/mi for most of the run; the uphill was about 10:30/mi.

Ran the normal Wednesday hill run with Kevin and Larry. My legs were still a little tired. I ran pretty strong but didn't push it. The first long uphill brought back some not too fond memories of the YGTBKM leg of the WBR last Saturday.

Later in the morning I cleaned out the cat's litter box upstairs. I was carrying the bag of old litter in one hand and a small vacuum in the other as I went downstairs. I avoided the bags from my daughter's recent trip that were at the bottom of the stairs, but didn't see her pair of shoes that were on the floor right in from of the bottom step. I stepped on one of them and rolled my right ankle. Fortunately, I managed to not spill any of the dirty litter as I fell to the floor. I would rate the sprain as mild (3 on a scale of 1 to 10). I can walk on it pretty well; I only feel minor pain if I step on it wrong. I still plan to run tomorrow, but will take it easy.

I mildly twisted my ankle Wednesday when I stepped on a shoe my daughter left at the bottom of the stairs. I was carrying a bag of dirty cat litter and a vacuum cleaner and didn't see the shoe. Luckily, I managed to not spill the cat litter and still not get injured too badly. Still, I took Thursday off to let the ankle heal a bit. Friday I put on my ankle support and played basketball with my two sons, Andrew and Adam, and my old buddies in PG I hadn't seen for a while. It was great, but it left some unused muscles a little sore.

This morning Kevin, Kent, Larry, Wayne, and I ran from our neighborhood up past Bridal Veil Falls and back, about 14.4 miles.

I ran a moderate pace and averaged about 8:57/mi on the way up.

On the way back, Kevin and Wayne pushed the pace and dragged me along. I averaged about 7:19/mi back to the mouth of the canyon. I hung with Kevin and Wayne for 3 of the 4 miles, but they surged ahead the last mile.

We waited for the rest of the group at the mouth then started to run the last 3 miles home. My legs were very tired and sore and were slow to respond. I struggled to average a 9:04/mi pace on the way home. Kevin and Wayne continued their fast pace and quickly left Kent, Larry, and me behind. Larry stayed with Kent and me. We were both struggling but he was running strong and dragging us along. With about a mile to go Larry left us behind and finished very strong.

Kent and I, having been the only two to run in the WBR the previous weekend, and not accustomed to working so hard to run a 9:00/mi pace, were left to deduce that the WBR had taken a harder toll on us than we thought. I hope next week feels better.

Due to the holiday weekend, I ended up running alone this morning. I ran the normal Monday morning course. Due to how slowly I ran, I classified the miles as easy miles, but they didn't feel all that easy. My legs aren't sore at all, but they still feel a little tired.

I ran 6 miles. The mile splits were 8:58, 8:24, 8:03, 8:21, 8:33, and 8:03. I ran pretty steady; the slower miles had some uphill and the faster miles some downhill. My overall average pace was 8:25/mi.

I plan to skip running tomorrow (4th of July) and play basketball again with my old bball buddies and my two sons Andrew and Adam.

Once again I ran alone this morning. It will be nice when everyone gets back to a regular schedule. I ran the normal Wednesday morning hill run.

I warmed up running to the hills. I ran the ascent pretty strong but did not push real hard. I took the descent easy watching my footing to avoid another ankle turn. I picked up the pace some when I reached the bottom and then more when I started the gradual downhill at 400 E. I still had to watch my footing as 1600 N is torn up for construction. Running near a 7:00/mi pace at the end felt good. I'm finally getting a little spring back in my legs after the WBR and the hard long run on Saturday.

I averaged 9:06/mi to the hills, 11:06/mi up the hills, 9:05/mi down the hills, 7:52/mi for the 1/2 mile from 800 E to 400 E, and 7:02/mi the last 0.6 miles home.

At lunch time I ran the Lake View run with Tom. Cory joined us for the return trip. It was about 80 degrees. We went out at a little over an 8 minute pace per mile and came back at a sub-8 minute pace per mile.

It was nice to not run alone this morning. I ran the normal Thursday morning run with Kurt, Kent, and Larry. It was overcast and a little humid.

I averaged about 8:33/mi for the entire run. I pushed the big hill on 2000 N enough (about 9:38/mi) to close a little on Kurt but I couldn't catch him. I averaged 7:34/mi for the first mile back down then pushed to 6:52/mi for the last 1/3 of a mile.

Kurt, Kevin, and I ran from home up Provo Canyon and back. We ran most of it between 8:30/mi and 8:45/mi. We pushed one section on the way down the canyon for about 2.2 miles at an average pace of 7:02/mi. Running from the mouth to home last week I labored to run around a 9:00/mi pace. I vowed to do better this week. I ran the last three 1/2 mile sections at 6:55/mi, 7:13/mi, and 7:22/mi. I felt much better than the previous week.

It took me a little over a week to get my legs back after the WBR, but less than two weeks. This is encouraging as my current plans are to run Top of Utah in 3:20 or better and then run St. George two weeks later and try to stay with Kerry and Larry as they try to qualify with a 3:35 or better.

Ran an easy 6 miles with Larry this morning. The weather was nice and the conversation enjoyable.

I ran a couple of miles alone then joined Larry for the normal Tuesday run.

After a half mile of warmup I pushed the next 1.5 miles at an average pace of 7:03/mi. Larry and I ran the rest of the run at a moderate pace.

Ran the Wednesday hills in the morning with Larry.

At noon I ran Lake View with Tom. We averaged about 8:08/mi until we hit the neighborhood streets and then dropped to 7:29/mi. On the way out I could feel some abnormal stomach activity and mentioned it to Tom.

We dropped slightly to 7:39/mi as we started back as I struggled with increased stomach discomfort. After a little more than a mile I knew I wasn't going to make it back to Novell, so I asked some friendly looking folks if I could use their bathroom. I sent Tom on ahead.

I felt better but only ran about 1/2 mile before my stomach was cramping again. I alternated walking and jogging my way back to Novell. Tom was waiting, worrying if I was okay. I made a beeline for the bathroom.

I'm entering this log on Saturday. It was very hot on Wednesday, and my problems may have been heat related, but I think I had a 24 hour bug. I felt bad all afternoon on Wednesday. I even had Karen come and pick me up because I felt nauseous and light headed and didn't feel well enough to ride my motorcycle home.

I stayed home Thursday and ended up sleeping most of the day. I felt better Friday morning and went to basketball.

Kent, Kurt, Larry and I ran from home up past Bridal Veil and back. We started at 5:30 am to try to beat the heat.

We were running too slow for Kurt so he took off early and we only saw him again briefly as he passed us on his way back home.

We ran up 7.5 miles. At that point Kent and Larry headed back, like I should have. Instead, I decided to go a half mile farther and then chase them home. I had felt pretty strong last week.

As it turns out, all I did was run about the same speed as them, just farther behind. I don't know if it was the heat, the longer distance, or being sick late in the week, but the run back was very hard.

I averaged 8:56/mi overall for the 16 miles, and only managed a couple of miles at a sub-8:00/mi pace. The last three 1/2 mile sections that I ran last week at 6:55/mi, 7:13/mi, and 7:22/mi I ran this week at 9:22/mi, 9:01/mi, and 8:34/mi.

I was beat after the run. I cooled my legs off and did some stretching in the kids pool in the backyard. I'm feeling better now. It's nice to get a long run behind me. Kent was talking about 18 miles for next week, and maybe 20 miles the week after that. It's that time of year. I hope I'm up for it.

Ran the normal Monday morning run with Kurt, Kent, and Larry. I ran most of the distance at an easy pace. I pushed the 0.75 miles before Lindon Park at 7:09/mi, and Larry and I ran the last mile home at 7:14/mi.

The weather was very nice and the run was very enjoyable. My right calf was a little stiff but felt pretty good. (I was playing with my family in the backyard pool Saturday afternoon. My legs were still pretty tired from that morning's 16 mile run and my right calf cramped up pretty hard and has been a little stiff and sore.)

I ran a couple of miles early then met up with Larry for the normal Tuesday morning run. Jolene ran with us part of the way. As I was walking the dog after the run I saw Kurt, who had overslept, heading out.

After a half mile warmup (8:37/mi) I averaged 7:08 for the next 1.5 miles.

It was very warm for so early in the morning. Nevertheless, Larry and I still had a relatively good run. Except for the uphill, we kept under 9:00/mi for most of the run and were closer to 8:00/mi for the last mile.

Ran the normal Wednesday morning hills with Larry. The skies were mostly overcast and the temperature was a little cooler than yesterday. It was a good run.

It was much warmer (near 90 degrees) when I ran (alone) the Lake View course at noon. After getting so sick last week on that run, I had to get back on the horse and try again. This week I decided to not push the pace as hard and to carry water. I averaged 8:15/mi for the 2.6 miles out and 8:06/mi back. It was a hard and very hot run, but I had no stomach problems whatsoever and recovered fairly quickly. I so much prefer running in the cool of the morning.

I was late leaving early so by the time I finished my 2 mile pre-run it was 5:49 instead of 5:45. There was nobody at the starting corner. I thought maybe Larry, Kevin and Kurt had already left so I headed for 200 West. I ended up running alone. When I wasn't there Larry went with Lee, and I guess the others didn't come out.

After a half mile warmup (8:40/mi) my legs still felt tired but I managed to average 7:12/mi for the next 1.5 miles, only slightly slower than the 7:08/mi on Tuesday.

After failing to meet up with the others, I averaged 7:55/mi for the next 1.6 miles, hoping to catch my phantom running buddies.

I then ran the first 0.5 mile hill at 11:02/mi, ran the 0.8 miles in between at 8:34/mi, then ran the 0.7 mile hill up 2000 N at 11:55/mi. My legs were so tired prior to, and especially after, the first hill that I was really dreading the second hill. I think I went ahead and ran it out of habit, and because I was too tired to change the planned run.

I averaged 7:04/mi the 1.2 miles back down 2000 N and down Main to the stop sign. I then surprised myself by pushing the last 0.15 miles at 6:27/mi.

This run showed me once again what the body is capable of when the mind doesn't give in when things get hard.

I ran the 18 mile Fort Utah run with Kurt, Kent, Larry, and Wayne. We started at 5:30am to try to beat the heat. It was about 70 degrees when we started. Most of the run was nice, but it was pretty hot near the end.

Wayne ran strong the whole run. The rest of us took turns running in the lead with him. In the end, Larry was the only one who could keep up with him. Larry had a great run and ran very strong at the end.

I averaged 8:45/mi overall for the 18 miles. I was pretty tired but managed to push my pace slightly the last couple of miles to 8:20/mi.

I was the only one to show up at the starting corner at 5:45am so I ran alone again. I felt like I wanted a few good tempo miles this morning, and the normal route wasn't appealing, so I decided to run the neighborhood 5K course. I didn't want to run all out, but a little faster than my goal marathon pace (7:38/mi = 3:20 finish time).

After a half mile warmup over to the starting line, I ran the first (mostly downhill) mile at 7:01/mi, the next (flat) mile at 7:30/mi, and the final (mostly uphill) mile or so at 7:28/mi. I then ran another couple of easy miles (8:29/mi).

I can't believe it. Once again I stepped on a rock in the dark and rolled my ankle. I was putting in my two extra miles before meeting up with Larry. I had warmed up for a half mile and then had run about another half mile at about a 7:45 pace. There was no moon and it was pretty dark between the street lights. I was cruising along thinking happy thoughts when I suddenly felt the pain. I tried to walk it off. I was able to put weight on it, and even managed to jog part of the way back home, but I could tell I was going to have to take a day or two off.

No running. Letting ankle heal.

I was going to try running on my ankle this morning but the only person at the corner was Lee, heading out for a walk. He said he had heard the guys were running 20 miles Friday morning instead of Saturday, due to conflicts, so they weren't running this morning. I decided to give my ankle another day.

The guys ran the 20 miler from Trefoil to the lake this morning. I love that run, but decided to give my ankle one more day.

I ran alone from Vivian Park up to the Trefoil gate at the top of South Fork. I averaged 9:24/mi for the 1.6 miles up to the park, and 8:52/mi for the 2.7 miles up to the gate. Coming back down I averaged 7:29/mi for the 2.7 miles to the park, and 7:07/mi for the 1.6 miles back to Vivian Park. I averaged 8:13/mi overall for the 8.6 miles. My ankle felt good. Even my left knee that had been bothering me for a couple of weeks felt better. It was a great run.

Instead of interval speed work at the track, Kurt, Kent, Larry and I decided to do the 6 mile Lindon loop and push the last 3 miles as a hard tempo run. We ended up pushing the first 3 miles a little, too.

We averaged 8:06/mi for the first 3 miles. We then kicked it up a little. I ran the next 0.6 miles at 6:43/mi. I slowed to 8:28/mi for 0.2 miles up the hill, picked back up to 7:14/mi for a 0.2 mile level stretch, then 8:35/mi for 0.15 miles through the big dip on Main St. next to Lindon Park. I averaged 7:52 for the last 1.75 miles, and 7:53/mi overall for the 6 miles. It was a good hard run. I nearly caught Kurt on 280 West, but then he saw me and finished a block or so ahead of me.

I ran two miles before meeting up with Kurt, Kent, and Larry. After a half mile warmup, I ran the next half mile at 7:56/mi. This was slower than normal so I picked up the pace and ran the next half mile at 6:53/mi. That was a little too fast. I ran the last half mile at 7:17/mi before meeting up with the others.

I was feeling tired as we started up the 2000 N hill and was going to take it easy, but Kent taunted me into pushing it pretty hard. I couldn't stay with Kurt, but averaged 9:38/mi for 1.4 miles up the hill, which is good for me on that hill. We recovered on the down hill; 8:21/mi on the level then 7:51/mi down the hill.

Everyone had pushed hard up the hill and we were pretty tired at this point. We averaged 8:57/mi for 0.85 miles over to the next 0.5 mile downhill, which we ran at 7:55/mi. The others began to slowly pull away at this point. I was very tired. I ran 8:38/mi for about a mile, then could only manage to speed up to 8:06/mi for the last mile or so.

My overall average pace for the 7.75 miles (about 2.5 miles of hills) was 8:21/mi. It was a good run.

I started the day by running the normal Wednesday hills with Kurt and Kent. Once we started up the hill Kurt took off. I think Kent and I pushed pretty good, but it was no PR. We took it easy back down. We had to watch our footing through the torn up road down 1600 N, but held a pretty good pace. I didn't kick too hard because I was planning to run again at noon.

At noon, I went out with Cory to do the Lake View run across the freeway from Novell. We saw several huge trees that had been uprooted by the storm yesterday. We then noticed the downed power pole laying near the gate at the end of the trail. We cut through a yard and discovered that there were quite a few down power lines and poles, with lots of crews working to repair them. The main street was blocked off so we had to weave through some side streets. Rather than come back that way, we went north and then east under the freeway and worked our way back to Novell. Cory's GPS said we went just over 5 miles. With all the stopping early on, it was hard to figure our average pace, but I think it was around 7:40/mi.

I started with a half mile warmup. My legs felt really tired so I started quite slowly and only ran the first half mile at about 10:38/mi. I picked up the pace and ran the next three half miles at 7:52/mi, 6:52/mi, and 7:18/mi.

I then met up with Kurt, Kent, Kevin, and Larry for the normal Thursday morning run.

We ran the first 2.17 miles at 9:03/mi, followed by 0.83 miles at 8:41/mi.

I averaged 10:19/mi for the mile up the hill at 2000 North. Coming back down, we ran 9:15/mi at the start, then sped up to 7:06/mi for 0.65 miles followed by 6:24/mi for 0.49 miles to end the fun.

It was a good hard run. It was nice having the whole group together again. It's been a while.

It was a great morning for running and I got to run with a great bunch of guys...the regulars of Kevin, Kent, Larry, and Wayne, and we were joined by Kerry Southworth and Greg Wrubell. We started at the mouth of Provo Canyon and ran up to South Fork. We all went as far as South Fork Park before turning around. Kevin, Wayne, and I went on up to Trefoil to get in a 20 mile run.

I forgot to lock in my Garmin before we started and never did get it going until we stopped at Trefoil before turning around. In my opinion we ran a pretty good pace for all that uphill, in a time of around 1:37 I think, including stops.

Kevin, Wayne, and I averaged around 7:50/mi on the way back down. The pattern seemed to be that Kevin would push the pace a little, then Wayne would take the bait and they would both push the pace even more. I just tried to hang on. We ran the 10 downhill miles in around 1:20, and I believe we ran the 20 miles in just under 3 hours. My goal was just to finish without bonking. I felt strong most of the time. I really only felt stressed the times Kevin and Wayne pushed the pace to around 7:00-7:20/mi. I felt good enough at the end to run the last 1/2 mile at 7:17/mi.

Kent, Kurt, Larry, and I went to the track this morning. Kevin ran some miles on his own then met us at the track as we were finishing up.

Larry and I did three 1-mile repeats while Kent and Kurt were doing 1/2-mile repeats. My legs were still a little sore from the long run on Saturday. I was trying to focus on form and mechanics more than on just speed. I felt strong and ran within myself, and my legs felt pretty good. My times for the mile repeats were 7:01, 6:59, and 6:39.

After 1/2 mile warmup I ran the next three 1/2 mile sections at 7:53/mi, 7:10/mi, and 7:24/mi. I then met up with Kurt and Larry. Kurt headed home after running the hill on 2000 N for bio-related reasons. My legs felt pretty tired this morning. Larry and I ran a fairly easy pace, but it didn't really feel all that easy.

In the morning I ran the normal Wednesday hill run with Larry. We didn't push really hard but the hills are never easy.

At noon I ran the Lake View run. It was pretty warm. I averaged 8:08/mi for the 2.5 miles out and 7:29/mi back.

My legs (muscles and joints) have seemed somewhat tired and sore this week. I haven't been getting enough sleep either. I decided to take today off to rest and recover a little.

I chose to cross train this morning and go to morning basketball with my son Andrew. I had a lot of fun seeing old friends again and getting my workout in a different way. Unfortunately, Andrew landed on someone's foot after shooting a 3 pointer and sprained his ankle (he made the shot). He walked it off and continued playing for a while, but it was pretty sore by the time we got home.

I would have really liked to have run the Provo River 1/2 marathon this morning. It was in one of my favorite places to run, and was a good distance for my training (and it turns out the weather was great), but my running budget didn't allow it this year.

Instead I decided to run repeats of 3 miles around the 1/2 mile loop (around the block) in front of my house. I warmed up for one lap and recovered one lap in between repeats. I planned to do at least 4 repeats, maybe 5. However, shortly into the 3rd repeat I felt serious blisters beginning to form on the balls of both feet. I kept going for a while, but decided to stop the damage after 2 miles into the 3rd repeat. I averaged 7:15/mi the first 3 miles, 7:41/mi the next 3 miles, and 7:33/mi the last 2 miles.

My goal today was to focus on form, not time. Each time I felt myself slowing or tiring I would refocus on running smoothly and efficiently. I was trying to get comfortable with how it would feel to run at my goal marathon pace for a long time.

I averaged just under 7:30/mi for the 8 miles I completed, and still felt pretty strong. I ran slightly faster than my target pace (7:38/mi), and the marathons have a lot of downhill where this course was level.

I'm a bit mystified by the blisters on the balls of my feet. I was running in the same Saucony Grid Tangent shoes I ran St. George in last year (I normally save them for races and ocassional speed work so they are not worn out yet), and was wearing similar socks. I normally put SportShield on most potential problem areas of my feet prior to long runs. I did this again this morning, but I think I missed the balls of my feet, probably because I haven't had any blister problems there for a long time. I also think maybe focusing on holding my form for such a long period of time may have had an impact. It increased my foot turnover rate and I think it affected my foot strike position slightly.

There was no one at the corner at 5:45am. I decided to head to the track and do some mile repeats. It was still pretty dark when I got there but I thought I saw a couple of runners that looked a lot like Kent and Kurt. I was right. They had to get home early so they went over at 5:30am. It was good to see Joel there running, too.

I ran five 1 mile repeats with a one lap recovery between each. My times were 6:56, 7:03, 7:03, 7:12, and 7:00. Like Saturday, my focus was on trying to maintain form to maintain speed, and I think it went pretty well.

Once again I was left to run alone this morning. I didn't feel like running the normal Tuesday course through Lindon so I headed south for a flatter, better lit run through Orem. I worked my way to 800 E, down to Center, then worked my way back over to Main as I headed north and back home.

I had decided to wear the same shoes I wore on Saturday when I got the blisters. I love those shoes and have never had trouble like that with them before (ran St. George in them last year, and set a PR and won my age division at Strawberry Days 5K in them this year).

As I warmed up and then ran the first mile or two I noticed my feet seemed to be slipping a little inside my shoes each time I planted my feet. I stopped and tightened the laces slightly (down near the toe box) on one shoe to see if it made a difference. It did. I eventually stopped and tightened the other as well.

It made a real difference. My foot plants felt much more stable. My pace quickened significantly and I was able to finish the seven miles strong with no blisters.

I ran the Wednesday hills alone, to begin with anyway. I warmed up the 1.2 miles to the base of the hills. I pushed fairly hard up the hills (1.4 miles) in 15:58 against a head wind.

On the way down I met Kevin coming up hill four. I turned around and slowly followed him back up hills four and five. I haven't run with Kevin for a while and I enjoyed running back down with him.

At the bottom of the hills we ran about 8:03/mi for 0.6 mi. At 400 E we sped up as we went down the gradual downhill. Part way down Kevin saw me glance at my Garmin and asked what our pace was. It was 7:10/mi at the time and we were both running pretty easy. Of course, whenever you tell Kevin the current pace it gets faster. We ended up averaging 6:44/mi the last 0.6 miles home.

At noon I ran the Lake View course with Cory, Nathan, and Tom. Nathan had to turn back early to get to a meeting.

We ran the 2.6 miles out in about 20:37 (7:56/mi) and ran the return trip in about 19:28 (7:29/mi). The overall time was around 40:05 (7:43/mi).

I ran the Thursday run alone this morning. I got to bed late so I didn't get out early for the two extra miles. That turned out to be okay because I really didn't feel very well this morning. I had periodic stomach cramps throughout the entire run, and I didn't have much energy. I maintained a moderate pace and didn't push the speed. I only averaged about 8:30/mi on the flat sections and only increased to about 7:45/mi on the big downhill. I still count the run as a success as I really didn't feel like running but completed the run anyway, including the big hill at the end.

I had a great 20 mile run this morning with Kerry and Tom. We ran from the mouth of Provo Canyon up to Trefoil at the top of South Fork and back.

We started about 6:00am and the weather was great. There were some clouds that kept it cool for most of the run.

I felt like we held a pretty strong pace for the entire run. My watch had some trouble picking up a GPS signal, but excluding the time for water/bathroom stops, I think we averaged around 9:20/mi for the 10 miles up and 7:50/mi back down. We finished in around 2:51:33 (8:35/mi).

It was great running with Kerry and Tom again. It brought back positive memories of running St. George together last year. I think we're all in better shape than last year. Tom and Kerry both did well in the Provo River half marathon last week. The Hobble Creek half this Saturday we'll be my first real test since the Wasatch Back Relay.

Kent, Kurt, Larry, and I decided to run the Monday course backwards this morning. It was good having Larry back from Alaska and the group back together. We averaged about 8:32/mi overall, and pushed the last half mile pretty hard. It was a good run.

I started the normal Tuesday run with Kevin, Kent, Kurt, and Larry. It was nice having everyone out again...or maybe not. I tried to chase Kurt at the end of yesterday's run and pushed harder than I probably should have. This morning I chased Kurt and Kevin up the big hill at 2000 North. I felt a little tightness in my left calf, but didn't really think too much of it. On the way back down, however, it began to hurt worse even though I was backing off the pace. By mile three I was getting concerned. I finally stopped at four miles and decided to walk home to avoid tearing something.

I iced my calf for quite a while after I got home. I'll lay off running this week and hope I'm able to run Hobble Creek on Saturday. What a bummer.

I couldn't resist the urge at lunchtime to go to the fitness center and try a few miles on the treadmill. I started very slowly and gradually worked up to about an 8:30/mi pace. It felt good, but I didn't risk pushing the pace any harder. I may try a couple of miles again tonight with the compression sleeve on to see how that feels.

My plan for now is to run the Hobble Creek half tomorrow wearing the calf sleeve. I'll start out easy and see how the calf feels after a few miles. What I still need to determine is what "easy" means. I was originally thinking about running 6:45/mi or faster on the initial downhills, so is "easy" 7:15/mi? 7:30/mi? 8:00/mi? or even slower? I guess I'll just have to listen to what my body is telling me at the time.

Today was the Hobble Creek 1/2 marathon. I don't know official results yet, but according to my watch my time was 1:32:40. I'm very satisfied with that time, especially since I wasn't sure if I would be able to run at all because of my calf strain injury. I wore the calf sleeve and my calf didn't bother me during the race. It was a little tight after the race, but feels pretty good.

I felt really good the first half of the race. I started feeling tired about halfway. I stopped to relieve my bladder and took an eGel and felt quite a bit better. I probably went out a little too fast, but I feel pretty good about the way I held on the 2nd half even though at times I felt very tired. I would just focus on my form and try to shorten my stride slightly and increase my turnover rate.

Here are my splits (I missed a few):

Miles 1-2: 13:24 (6:42/mi avg.)

Mile 3: 6:29

Mile 4: 6:08

Mile 5: 7:09

Mile 6: 6:44

Halfway: 44:34 (6:48/mi avg)

Mile 7-8: 13:56 (6:58/mi avg)

Mile 9-10: 15:00 (7:30/mi avg)

Mile 11-12: 14:44 (7:22/mi avg)

to 12.1: 0:58

Last mile: 7:21

1st half: 44:34 (6:48/mi avg)

2nd half: 48:06 (7:21/mi avg)

Overall: 1:32:40 (7:04/mi avg)

According to Sasha's Utah Race Time Predictor I should be able to run about a 3:30 at Top of Utah, or 3:24 at St. George.

I was hoping for a little faster, but that still puts me ahead of last year.

I was planning to run this morning, but when I got up my left calf was very stiff and sore. I tried to loosen it up a little, but finally decided to wait and see how I felt at noon and maybe do a few miles on the treadmill in the fitness center at work. I tried a little jogging in the hallway around noon. It was a tough call, but there was enough pain that I decided to hold off one more day.

I went out to run at the normal 5:45am this morning and found I was alone. I ran the first part of Monday's run and the last part of Tuesday's run for a total of 4 miles.

I wore the compression sleeve on my left calf. I've been gently massaging my calf multiple times a day and it's feeling better, but it is still sore.

It felt good to run this morning. I averaged about 8:00/mi for the 3.25 level miles and took the hill quite a bit slower.

I ran the hills with Larry this morning. We didn't push real hard but maintained a good pace. My calf (in sleeve) felt okay, but it is still sore enough that I'm reluctant to push it very hard. I really enjoyed the run. On the last stretch toward home I was once again in my "happy place"...running strong on a beautiful morning in good company.

I had to take my wife to the airport in the morning so I couldn't run. I was hoping to get in a few miles in the evening, but with chores and playing Mr. Mom it didn't work out. I'm treating this as sort of a recovery week anyway. Maybe the day off will help my sore calf.

I decided to put in a few miles at marathon pace this morning. I had to get out a little early so I could help the kids get off to school.

I warmed up for the half mile over to the school then ran the neighborhood 5K course. I average about 7:30/mi and felt pretty strong.

My left calf was still sore in one spot (lower calf, upper achilles) when I massaged it before the run. I wore the compression sleeve. I felt strong and felt no pain in the calf during the run. I'm looking forward to the 20 miler tomorrow morning.

It's taken me five days to actually get to logging this run. I guess I've been trying to forget it...although I've also been busy from dawn to dark (on my "vacation") working on projects and trying to run the household while Karen's been gone for a week. She got back last night so I'm back at work. Thank goodness.

Anyway, Saturday's planned 20 miler with Kerry and Verdon started off well, but didn't end so well. This is the third time I've done this run this season, so I wasn't too concerned about it, which may have contributed to my difficulties.

I managed to stay with Kerry the 10 miles up to Trefoil, but it felt much harder than I expected. By the time I reached the top I knew there was some pain ahead of me on the trip back down.

Part way down South Fork I realized there was no way I was going to stay with Kerry all the way back. I had two painful blisters on my left foot (little toe, and ball of foot) and my legs felt completely drained of energy. I decided to push down to Vivian and then allow (force) Kerry to go on without me, which I did.

After some water and a rest at Vivian I tried to continue on. It hurt too much to walk so I started running slowly. I stopped at Nunn's Park again for water. At that point I just wanted to go home. I didn't want to aggravate the blisters further and my legs felt like they were ready to start cramping. I decided to call my son who came and gave me a ride to my car at the mouth of the canyon.

It was pretty demoralizing. I've attributed my poor performance to two factors. First, I blame the blisters on a poor choice of socks. They felt a little rough and worn when I put them on, but I foolishly ignored the discomfort. The shoes are also pretty new and I may not have had the left one tightened properly.

As for the complete lack of energy, I attribute that to two days of hard labor in the sun going up and down ladders combined with inadequate nourishment. I also lost one of my eGel packets early in the run which could have helped me at Vivian. I had an eFuel waiting for me at the car and after drinking it I felt fine and even headed to do some quick shopping before heading home. I recovered pretty quickly as soon as I got some nourishment.

I guess we have good days and bad days running. This was definitely not a good one, but perhaps one I can learn from.

I almost ran this morning, but decided to give my blisters from Saturday one more day of healing.

I wasn't sure if the others were going out at 5:30 (for 8 miles) or 5:45am (for 6). I decided on 6 so I went out at 5:45am. It turns out Kent, Kurt, and Larry had left at 5:30am. Thursday's course is such that I was able to meet up with them and run the last few miles with them, which I very much enjoyed.

I didn't push real hard, but ran pretty strong. I didn't feel any pain from the blisters or from the calf that has been bothering me. I commented that it felt good to run pain-free again.

I ran the Wednesday hills with Kent, Kurt, and Larry. We left at 5:30am so I took my headlamp just in case. It was pretty dark in the hills so I ended up using it.

Like yesterday, I didn't try to push too hard but still ran pretty strong up the hills. I did push the pace coming down 1600 North. I think I averaged around 6:30 for the last 1/2 mile or so. It felt good. Again, no real pain to speak of (knock on wood).

Unlike Tuesday, today I opted to go out at 5:30am and do 8 miles instead of six. We all felt pretty tired this morning. The pace wasn't really quick, and the hills were hard. Nevertheless, for me it was three days in a row of pain-free running, so I'm satisfied.

I ran the neighborhood 5K course this morning. After a few days of running pain-free at a lesser pace, I wanted to push the pace a little, but I also didn't want to do too much before tomorrow's long run.

Without looking at my watch, I tried to run what felt like a marathon pace. It was not an all out 5K pace. I ran the downhill mile in 7:16, the level mile in 7:42, and the uphill mile in 7:39. I averaged 7:30/mi overall.

I don't know why the uphill mile is faster than the level mile, except that during the uphill mile I was thinking about how Jonathon passed me there in this year's neighborhood 5K race and how next year that wasn't going to happen. :-)

I regained a little confidence this morning. I felt strong, I was satisfied with the times, and wasn't really pushing all that hard.

Unbelievable! Yesterday I accidentally dropped our deck umbrella stand on my left big toe. I iced it right away. I'm pretty sure it is not broken (thank goodness), but it's a little swollen and kind of purple. I can walk on it without too much pain, but didn't dare run on it this morning. I'm hoping I'll be able to run Monday.

After overcoming rolled ankles, strained muscles, blisters, bonking badly, and smashed toes, the marathon will seem like a cake walk...if I last that long. :-)

Larry and I ran the Monday route. I taped my big toe and it didn't hurt too badly. I wasn't able to push the pace much, but it felt good to be able to run. I think it should be fine for TOU in two weeks.

Ran the extended Tuesday run with Larry and Kevin. I felt good except for the sore big toe, which kept me from pushing the pace much.

Ran the normal hill course with Larry. Again, I felt good but the sore toe kept me from pushing the pace.

Ran the extended Thursday course with Kent and Larry. Larry's hip was bothering him so we dropped off early so he didn't aggravate it for his 20 miler on Saturday.

Kevin and I were both a little tired, me more so than Kevin. He pushed ahead and stopped to wait for me a couple of times. I managed about a 6:45/mi pace down 2000 N, but the rest of the run was just at a moderate pace. My Garmin froze up before the run, so I don't have details.

I ran alone this morning. I warmed up for the 1/2 mile over to the school then ran the neighborhood 5K course. I planned to cool down the 1/2 mile back home but pretty much just kept the same pace.

My goal was to lock into what felt like marathon pace and then see how fast I was going. I pleasantly surprised that I averaged 7:15/mi for 3.7 miles. I felt like I could have gone farther at that pace, but I stuck to my plan for a lighter workout. I mostly wanted to test my sore toe at marathon pace. It hurt a little at first but by the end of the run I had forgotten about it.

Kevin and I ran the 10 miles from the top of South Fork to the mouth of Provo Canyon. At least that was the plan. Kevin overslept due to his broken alarm clock and we were about half an hour late getting off. We dropped off my car at the mouth of the canyon then drove his car to Trefoil.

Kevin needed to get back for a soccer game. As we neared Vivian Park he said he'd better turn and head back up to his car rather than run to the mouth and then have to drive all the way back up to get his car. He was going to turn around at Vivian but shortly before we got there we ran into Kent, Wayne, and Larry heading up on their 20 miler. He went back up with them and I went on to Vivian alone.

After a bathroom stop, eGel, and water at Vivian, I started down the canyon just behind Duane Newman. I didn't know him, but we started running together and talking. It turns out we had crossed paths at the Wasatch Back Relay (he was on an ultra team) and the Hobble Creek half marathon (we think he beat me there by 10 seconds).

Wayne was in the middle of a 22 mile long run and was running very strong. We ran together from Vivian to the mouth of the canyon. I pulled ahead a little as I kicked near the end, but it wasn't long before Wayne came along and continued his run on up the 800 N. hill. He looked very strong.

This run gave me confidence for TOU again. I averaged 7:17/mi for the 10 miles, and still felt pretty strong at the end.

As I was taking a mental scan of my body after the run, the only pain I felt was what felt like a hot spot on my left big toe. Then I remembered that was my sore toe. I had taken some Aleve before the run and the toe had not bothered me at all (except a tiny bit at the start before the pain reliever kicked in). It should cause me no trouble at TOU.

It was a cold dark frosty morning at 5:45am. I ran alone. I ran a mile to warm up then picked up the pace. I averaged 7:36/mi for the next five miles. It seemed harder to get moving in the cold. The fastest mile was 6:47 on a downhill stretch on mile 3 and the slowest was 8:05 for the last mile. I intentionally slowed a little the last mile as I felt some minor tightness in my right calf. I didn't want to risk an injury at this point.

My sore big toe hurt a little the first mile or two (probably due to the cold and Saturday's run) but the pain gradually faded as I continued running until it nearly disappeared. I continue to believe it won't bother me at TOU this Saturday.

Advice Request:

I was advised today by an experienced TOU runner to shoot for a negative or even split, even though all the uphill miles are in the second half of the race. My race plan has been based on expending a consistent effort over the entire race (downhill faster, uphill slower) which would mean the "all downhill" first half would be faster than the "downhill/uphill/level" second half.

My question is: For my 3:20 goal, do I run a 7:38/mi pace (or even slower) the first 18 miles (downhill) and try to conserve energy to push the pace later in the race, or do I take advantage of the downhill to run a little faster, knowing the same effort will yield a slower pace on the hills later in the race?

I ran four miles this morning, taking it easy as I warmed up then pushing up to marathon pace. My injured big toe was a little stiff and sore again as I started, but the discomfort was minimal and faded as I went.

I tried out the 99 cent pair of gloves I bought yesterday. My thought was to wear them for the first part of the run then discard them when I no longer needed them. However, they worked so well this morning I think I may attach my name to them and toss them in one of the clothes boxes along the way so I at least have a chance of getting them back.

I also did a test drive packing my eGels with me this morning. They fit well in the rear pockets of my running shorts and don't bother me as I run. I know I could use the gel the race provides and not have to pack my own, but I don't want to take any chances.

I ran 3.5 miles at an easy pace in a light rain. I ran about half the distance at an 8:15/mi to 8:30/mi pace and averaged about 9:00/mi overall.

I ran three easy miles with Kevin. I'm feeling pretty good.

The sore big toe isn't completely healed, but I can run on it with confidence and very little discomfort. The cold may make it a little worse, but I'm pretty sure an Aleve will take care of it.

Otherwise I'm feeling healthy, strong and optimistic. It may sound strange to non-runners, and maybe to some who are runners, but I'm more excited for this race than if I was going to the Final Four, a tropical cruise, or DisneyWorld. Effort + achievement + good people + beautiful scenery = happy Paul.

Top of Utah Marathon, Logan, UT

I finished the TOU Marathon in 03:28:42, 163rd overall (roughly top 10%), 23rd of 126 in Male 45-49 division (top 19%).

My mile splits were:

1- 7:26.65

2- 7:09.13

3- 7:23.32

4- 7:20.66

5- 7:32.22

6- 7:45.90

7- 7:35.30

8- 7:27.57

9- 7:30.06

10- 7:42.77

11- 7:34.36

12- 7:19.33

13- 7:30.31

14- 7:22.49

15- 7:26.00

16- 7:46.95

17- 8:01.92

18- 8:14.92

19- 8:39.95

20- 8:39.53

21- 8:24.46

22- 8:51.68

23- 9:17.73

24- 9:20.99

25- 8:55.10

26- 8:42.23

1st Half- 1:38:06 (7:29/mi avg)

2nd Half- 1:50:36 (8:27/mi avg)

Overall 3:28:42 (7:58/mi avg)

My first goal was 3:20, which I knew was a real stretch goal for me, but I decided to try that pace and see how it felt. At 13.1, I was 9 seconds ahead of my goal time for a 3:20 and still feeling pretty good.

However, about mile 14 my legs (mostly my thighs) were really beginning to feel the effects of all that downhill. By mile 15 I began to fade and the rest of the run was pretty hard. My average pace for the second half was nearly a full minute slower per mile (7:29/mi v. 8:27/mi), 12+ minutes slower.

It was a real mental battle to keep going. I'm pretty sure others were facing the same battle, as there were several of us that kept passing each other back and forth over those last 8-10 miles. I made it a point to stop for no more than a few seconds to drink at the aid stations, for fear I wouldn't be able to get going again. I also took to taking an orange wedge at the aid stations and sucking on it for a mile or so. It seemed to help.

By mile 15 or 16 I realized that 3:20 was out of the question, so I mentally switched to my second goal of 3:30, which is my Boston qualifying time. This goal helped keep me going. At mile 24 I was just a little over 3:09. Some quick math in my head figured 2 miles to go, 20 minutes left for 3:30, I need to run at least 10 minutes per mile, my slowest mile has been 9-something, I'm going to make 3:30 easily. Exhausted runners shouldn't attempt math. As I approached mile 26 I remembered the 0.2 miles. I thought of trying some quick recalculations but then decided to just push as hard as I could to the end.

As I approached the finish I realized I was going to make it under 3:30. Just as I was going to make my last kick through the chute to the finish, I noticed an older guy whose two young sons had joined him to run in with him. For a moment I thought about kicking on past him (he seemed to be struggling a little), but then I decided it wasn't that important, so I slowed down and let him finish in front of me. Wouldn't you know it? It turns out that "older guy" was in my age division. I gave away 22nd place in my division and had to settle for 23rd. I was right. It didn't really matter. Looking back, I'm glad I didn't detract from that father's moment of glory in the eyes of his family. I guess sometimes an exhausted runner's brain can still think clearly late in the race.

I thoroughly enjoyed the race (I can say that now that it's over). I thought the race was well organized (except the somewhat disorganized distribution of discarded-along-the-course clothing). I thought the volunteers and spectators were great. I enjoyed talking with various runners along the way. I enjoyed running down the canyon, along rural roads, and through residential neighborhoods.

It was quite cold at the start (around 26 degress I think), but I was well prepared and the cold never really bothered me. I dropped my vest and gloves in the clothing box at mile 15, they had served me very well, and I pulled up my long sleeves a few miles later. I kept my running tights on and they never got too warm. Temperature wise I was comfortable the whole race.

Besides the normal overall aching legs, I only got a minor blister on my left foot and felt a little tightness in right calf the last mile or so. My goal now is to recover quickly enough to run St. George in two weeks. This "two marathons in two weeks" experiment is going to be interesting. I'm looking forward to it.

Recovery. No running today.

Walking pretty well. I tried jogging just a bit. Right thigh and calf still a little sore.

I slowly jogged the stairs up to the 6th floor this morning and felt pretty good. My right thigh and calf are still a little sore, but are feeling quite a bit better. If I had my running stuff at work I'd be tempted to try a mile or two at lunch. I plan to try running a few easy miles tomorrow morning.

I ran just over 3.5 miles this morning and averaged around an 8:00/mi pace. I started out pretty slow for the first 1/2 mile. I felt pretty good so I pushed it up to just under 8:00/mi for 1.5 miles. There was some gradual downhill at that point and I easily pushed the pace a little more to around 7:15/mi which I held for the rest of the run (except for a block of uphill that was slower).

I could still feel a little soreness in my right thigh and calf, but overall I felt strong and energetic. I'm encouraged about being able to be fully recovered in time for St. George.

I'm not quite sure how to balance running with recovery between TOU and SG. I decided to go light today. I only ran 2.5 miles at an easy pace. There is still a little tightness in my right calf, but it doesn't bother me when I run.

I was lazy and took today off. I'm chosing to err on the side of too much recovery instead of too much running.

Kevin and I ran from the mouth of Provo canyon up to Bridal Veil Falls and back. We averaged 8:04/mi going up against a head wind. We took it easy and averaged 8:01/mi back down to the fountain at Nunn's Park where we stopped for a drink. We continued at an easy pace (8:18/mi) for the next couple of miles. We pushed the last mile a little and averaged around 7:20/mi.

A week after TOU and a week before St. George, we both just wanted to convince ourselves that we could still run at a decent pace. I feel pretty good about the run, and with a week still to go I feel pretty confident about being ready for another marathon.

I ran 3.5 miles on my own this morning. Ran 9:09/mi for half mile warm up, 8:18/mi up a gradual hill for a little over a mile, 8:58/mi for half a mile up a steeper hill, then 7:29/mi for the 1.3 mi back home. I would classify this as a moderate effort run, as I ran steady but never really tried to press the pace. My legs are feeling pretty good.

I ran an easy 3.5 miles at an average pace of about 8:35/mi. I was hoping Kent and Larry would be out, but it turns out they got home from Europe pretty late last night, and Kent had to turn around and fly out again this morning.

Larry wanted to try some miles at marathon pace. He and I ran 5 miles at right around an 8:00/mi pace. It felt pretty good. Larry did well but expressed some doubt about being able to hold that pace for 26.2 miles. Now that he is back from vacation, he said he was going to work on his race plan for St. George and would email it to me.

Well, the results of my experiment of trying to run two marathons in two weeks are in. I finished St. George in 03:32:47. This was 4 minutes slower than TOU two weeks ago, and 5 minutes slower than SG last year. Nevertheless, I consider the whole experiment a success.

I know various people who ran TOU two weeks ago and still managed to run faster at St. George. One older guy I met while eating after the race ran SG 11 minutes faster than TOU this year. And I remember seeing Dean Karnazes, running his 21st marathon in 21 days, blow by me on his way to a 3:20 finish. It appears that there is a fitness level at which running multiple marathons with little time for recovery is not a problem.

I apparently have not yet reached that level of fitness. I felt great for at least the first 10 miles, but then my legs began to feel tired earlier than expected. By mile 16 I began to feel tightness in my right calf and upper right thigh, the exact areas that were hurting at the end of TOU. Those areas had apparently not fully recovered.

By mile 18 my right hip had started hurting me to the point that it was slowing me down. I had been runnning with Kerry the entire race up to that point. We were on pace for 3:30 and easily beating his qualifying time of 3:35. I didn't want to hold him back so I urged him to go ahead without me.

The next 4 miles my hip seemed to be getting worse. I dropped from running sub-8:00 miles to 9:32, 9:10, 8:34, and 8:47. My hip hurt badly with nearly every step, and every once in a while it felt as if it would give out completely. I was beginning to wonder if I would even be able to finish.

However, at mile 22 my hip began to feel a little better. I remember finally passing someone (instead of getting passed). I liked how that felt. I gradually pushed the pace back down to sub-8:00 and got so carried away I actually ran 7:13/mi for nearly a mile. Of course I couldn't hold that pace, but I did manage 7:43 for mile 25 and averaged 7:35/mi the last 1.2 miles. Luckily for me, my wife and three youngest daughters were watching along this last stretch. They said I looked good, and my 14 year old daughter actually told my wife she wished she were "as fit as Dad." For those of you with teenagers, you know that is a reward well worth the effort to train for and run a marathon.

The weather was perfect. I enjoyed seeing and running (at times) with so many of my friends along the way, and I really enjoyed spending the weekend with (part of) my family. I look forward to next year.

I ran a few easy miles at lunch today. I felt surprisingly good. I'm guessing the pace was around 8:00/mi.

I'm torn about whether to run Boston 2007. I qualified at SG last year, but decided to wait another year to see if some more of my running buddies could qualify. I qualified again at TOU this year, and some running buddies like Kerry, Tom, Nathan, and Kurt also qualified this year as I hoped. But other hopefuls, like Larry, Kevin, and Cory, did not.

And then there's the cost. Our finances have been a little tighter the past couple of years. I'm not quite sure where to place running Boston on my list of financial priorities. The hotels and airfare seem pretty expensive. Are there any experienced Boston runners out there that have some good money-saving tips?

My first preference would be to take my family, but that's not going to be feasible. My second preference would be to take just my wife Karen. While she would love the trip if we were going with family or friends she knew well, she doesn't want to go and be alone or with unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar (and crowded) place. She told me it would probably be better if I went alone. It would be cheaper, too. So I guess now I'm considering whether to go alone.

I know Tom and Kerry are looking into making Boston plans. I don't know yet whether Kent and Kurt might be going. It sounds like Nathan is considering waiting until Boston 2008 to wait for Cory to get qualified. Maybe I'll just wait and ponder a while longer and find out more about what plans others are making.

I was planning to run at lunch today but the overnight laundry service at the fitness center didn't have my clothes returned. Apparently their dryer is broken.

I ran the Lake View course at lunch today. The weather was great, cool and clear. I didn't push very hard and averaged 8:00/mi. I still feel a little lingering soreness and stiffness, but on the whole I feel pretty good.

I haven't played basketball all summer trying to avoid injuries that might have interfered with my marathon plans. Today I opted for morning basketball with my 19 year old son Andrew and the old gang. I'm a little rusty, but it was great. I was reminded again that running conditioning and basketball conditioning are not the same, and that being 5'7" is more of a disadvantage at basketball than it is at running. I had fun anyway.

Larry called me yesterday to plan a run for this morning. My body didn't feel up to it so I declined. It turns out I ended up staying up until about 2:00am trying to catch up on episodes of Lost from last season with my wife and teenage daughter so we can watch this season's episodes that we have recorded on our DVR. My two college-age children are all caught up, and my high school senior son is on a separate "catch up" schedule with a friend. It will be great when we're all finally caught up so we can talk openly about everything (and stop staying up late trying to get caught up).

I also helped a family move for a few hours. I helped load the moving truck three times, and unload it twice. With the old and new homes both being two stories with basements, I got a lot of stairs in along with my weight lifting. That will have to be my workout for today.

Larry and I got out for 4 easy miles. We we're planning to go longer, and push the pace a little today, but it was rainy and dark, and my legs didn't really feel up to it, so we backed off.

I ran on the treadmill in the fitness center at lunch today. I don't run on treadmills much, as evidenced by the fact that when I reached down to press Shift to check the distance I accidentally pushed Stop.

I warmed up for a 1/2 mile then ran a couple of miles at 8:00/mi. I then pushed to 7:30/mi for a mile. During this mile I noticed Jim Schnitter was walking on the treadmill next to me. I backed the pace down to around 7:45/mi for the next mile so I could talk with him a little easier. I ran a final 1/2 mile after that, most at 7:30/mi, but pushed it to 7:00/mi for a bit at the end.

I felt pretty comfortable and strong the whole time, but I was sweating quite a bit by the end (normal for me indoors). I could feel some residual pain in my right hip from St. George, but not too bad.

I ran solo this morning. It was cold, around 30 degrees, and dark. I opted for a course through Orem which has lighted streets.

It took a while to get moving because of the cold, but I dressed well for it and never got too cold or too hot.

The course I ran is mostly level (gradual downhill south/uphill north) and breaks easily into half mile segments (every four blocks). I may use it as a regular run during the winter. Here are my splits for today. I'm recording them to use as a reference point moving forward:

1.14 mi: 8:44/mi (down - warmup)

0.50 mi: 8:03/mi (down)

0.50 mi: 8:11/mi (level)

0.51 mi: 8:04/mi (down)

0.50 mi: 8:24/mi (level)

1.01 mi: 8:42/mi (up)

0.52 mi: 8:11/mi (up)

0.49 mi: 8:08/mi (level)

0.50 mi: 7:50/mi (level)

0.51 mi: 8:06/mi (up)

0.10 mi: 7:18/mi (level)

Total: 6:35 mi: 8:18/mi

I ran the Lake View run at lunch time. The weather was a little cold out but with just long sleeves and a cap it was a very comfortable and enjoyable run, much better than the treadmill.

I ran the 5.2 miles in 40:05 (7:43/mi). I ran a negative split, out in 20:13 (7:47/mi) and back in 19:52 (7:38/mi).

It was a very satisfying run for me. I ran steady, strong, and well within myself. In my mind I was targeting around an 8:00/mi pace. I was pleasantly surprised to find I averaged 7:43/mi. I've run faster, but it feels good to be getting my legs back under me after Top of Utah and St. George.

The only thing that would have made the run better would have been to have Kerry, Tom, and some of the other old regulars running with me.

I did some easy running while distributing flyers to remind people of our neighborhood cleanup project tomorrow, and then ran a little over a mile after just to stretch out my legs.

I decided at the last minute to run the BYU Homecoming Cougar Run 5K and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed it very much. It is very well managed, and running most of the course along the Homecoming Parade route was fun. I was thrilled with my results. With the St. George marathon just two weeks ago, I was happy running a 7:40/mi pace during a training run this week. Being able to average 6:39/mi today was a very satisfying surprise. The only minor disappointment was that last year the winning time in my division was 20:40, but this year my 20:42 only got me 4th place. Ah well, I still had a great time.

Larry and I had talked about running together this morning, but I was pleasantly surprised to see Kevin out as well. It was dark with the temperature in the low 30's. We ran south through the lighted streets of Orem rather than our traditional Monday run north through the less well lit streets of Lindon.

Most of the run was at a fairly easy pace (8:20/mi to 8:45/mi) as we socialized. Larry and Kevin hadn't run much since St. George and I was just enjoying running with them again.

Larry wanted to push the last mile a little harder. I ran the last 1.1 mi @ 7:15/mi, Larry @ 7:42/mi (I think). Kevin took quite a bit longer, as he had to stop at Gold's Gym for a somewhat urgent bio break.

I'm still feeling some occassional pain in my right hip (the one that hurt me so badly from mile 18 to 22 at St. George), but it isn't affecting my running too much. I think it just needs some stretching and a little more time to heal.

Larry and I repeated yesterday's course at a moderate pace. It wasn't quite as cold. It was an enjoyable run.

Larry, Kevin and I ran the same course as Monday and Tuesday, with a minor variation on the return trip.

Most of the run was at a moderate pace, but Kevin and I pushed from mile 2 to 2.5 at 6:58/mi and the final 1.1 miles at 6:32/mi. (Kevin was actually slightly quicker than this.) Overall average pace was 8:13/mi.

At lunch time I decide to run a few more miles on the treadmill in the fitness center. After a 1/2 mile warmup I pushed the pace to 6:58/mi (8.6 mph) for about 3 miles, pushing gradually to 6:27/mi (9.3 mph) during the last half mile.

I read an article recently (don't remember where) about running faster without expending more effort. That must be what's happening, because rather than feeling beat up by going faster (6:30-7:00/mi instead of 7:30-8:00/mi or 8:30-9:00/mi), I'm actually feeling energized. It seems almost easier to run faster. Maybe I run more efficiently at a faster pace. Maybe I'm beginning to reach the point where my muscle memory is time warping back to my high school/college days when I could run a sub-5 minute mile and a sub-3 hour marathon. I'd better be careful, however. I've felt like this way a few times during the past few years since I started running again, and I usually end up pushing too hard and getting injured. I need to remember, I'm 46...not 18...I'm 46...not 18...I'm 46...not 18...

Ran solo this morning, same course as the previous few days with a minor variation on the return trip.

It was in the 30's this morning, with some of last night's snow still on the lawns and windshields.

I was a little slow getting going in the cold this morning. I averaged about 8:00/mi overall for the 5.3 miles, running around a 7:30/mi pace for the last 1.5 miles.

This morning I chose to play basketball with my young adult son Andrew and the old bball gang instead of running. I think it was good to give the distance running muscles a break and use a different set. It was also very good for me mentally and socially. I had a great time.

I'm not sure how to log basketball in terms of miles. I decided to just put down a few easy miles so I get some credit for all that exercise.

I ran the canal road with Larry and Wayne at 8am. It was still dark and cold (low 30's) when we started, but the sun came up and it warmed up quite a bit. It was such an enjoyable run that we ended up going 13 miles, a few miles farther than planned.

Talking seemed to be our first priority, running our second. We averaged around 8:30/mi. I pushed the last 1/2 mile at about 6:45/mi. I really enjoyed the run.

Larry and I ran the Orem course at a moderate to easy pace. Average pace was about 8:38/mi.

Larry called last night to say he wasn't feeling well and would not be running this morning. Since it wasn't my turn to drive the junior high carpool, I decided to go to basketball again with my son Andrew this morning. It was a lot of fun.

At lunch time I decided to head to the fitness center and put in a few miles on the treadmill:

0.5 mi @ 7.0 mph (8:34/mi)

1.0 mi @ 7.5 mph (8:00/mi)

2.0 mi @ 8.0 mph (7:30/mi)

0.5 mi @ 8.6 mph (6:59/mi)

0.5 mi @ 9.3 mph (6:27/mi)

It's feeling good to get some runs in where I'm beginning to push the pace a little. I worked hard today but I ran within myself, felt good, and recovered pretty quickly.

I'm registered for the Painter's Half Marathon in January, and the Spectrum 10K in March, but I haven't really set any goals for these races yet. My main goal is to get the guaranteed entry into the St. George Marathon for next year by participating in the Runner Series. I've also thought about running the Death Valley marathon in December with some buddies who are seriously considering it, but I'm still undecided.

I think my plan for the next while is going to be similar to the past few weeks, namely, "If you feel like it, do it." This will likely continue to include basketball on occasion, morning runs with my neighborhood buddies, and lunch time runs, both indoors (on the fitness center treadmills) and outdoors (weather permitting). The speed and distance of the workouts will likely depend on whom I'm with and how I feel that day. In other words, I plan to go with the flow and just experience the pure joy of running for a while, without the pressure of trying to achieve some preset goal. There will be plenty of time for that next spring.

It may seem odd, but I'm feeling the need to express my gratitude to God for the ability, desire, and opportunity to run; to be able to do it amid the natural beauty, good friends, and awesome running community here in Utah; and to be part of the greater running community (including the fastrunning bloggers here). Running has greatly contributed to who I am and my quality of life. I'm truly blessed.

Ran some easy miles with Larry in the cold this morning. Larry's thermometer said it was 22 degrees when he left his house. It was a little chilly at first, but we were dressed well for the weather and had an enjoyable run. My legs felt pretty good, but I did notice some minor effects from yesterday's speedier run.

Ran some easy miles with Larry again this morning. The weather was about 15 degrees warmer than yesterday morning.

I had decided to play basketball with Andrew and the guys again this morning. Last night I got the bright idea to run the 4.6 miles to the church in Pleasant Grove where we play.

I ran along the canal road. It was dark so I wore my headlamp. I saw three other runners and two walkers along the way.

I averaged 8:14/mi for most of the run, going a little slower on the big hills at the beginning and the end. Overall average was 8:24/mi.

Basketball was fun as usual, but I could definitely feel the effects of the run. I think the main issue was that I didn't eat a very big dinner last night. After a couple of games I felt like I was running on empty, which I probably was.

I had a hard yet very enjoyable run with Kevin, Wayne, and Larry this morning. We targeted 16 miles by running north on the canal road for 8 miles and then turning around and coming back.

Larry and I both have Garmin 201 watches, but they almost never register the same distances. Everyone likes to go by his watch because it tends to register more distance than mine. For example, this morning his registered 16 miles, but mine only had us at about 15.4. I marked and measured the course on Google Earth after the run and it measured at 7.62 miles (times 2 is 15.24), closer to my distance than Larry's. It doesn't really matter. We had a long hard run that was enjoyable because of the beautiful weather and scenery, and good company.

I averaged 8:29/mi overall by my watch. At about 9 miles into the run I stopped for a bio break and told the others to keep going. I averaged 7:26/mi while trying to catch up, which took me about one mile. I found out later that they were pushing the pace slightly trying to hold me off. I didn't mind; I enjoyed pushing hard.

A couple of miles before the end of the run 4 young elite-looking runners (probably from BYU) passed us. Kevin and I picked it up and followed them for a bit (at probably a 6:15 to 6:45 pace) and then slowed a little. I averaged 7:00/mi for the last 1/2 mile, which included going up and down the big hill on Main, south of 2000 North in Orem.

I really enjoyed the canal run. There are too many insects during the summer, but not now. I just wish it had water and restrooms like the Provo Canyon trail. I didn't carry water; I rarely do unless it is really hot. Fortunately the weather was cool, but I was still pretty thirsty when I got home.

I ran a little bit longer variation of the Orem route with Larry this morning. We were both still feeling the effects of Saturday's long run so we just ran at an easy pace.

I didn't run this morning but decided to do some mile intervals at lunch time today. The weather was awesome. Using Google Earth I identified a block about half a mile north of where I work that is just over a mile around (1.07 miles).

After a 1/2 mile warmup (8:49/mi) to get there I ran 4 x 1 mile intervals with a 1/2 mile recovery in between. My goal was to run around 7:00/mi for each of the intervals. I completed the four 1 mile intervals in 6:45, 6:55, 7:05, and 6:54.

During the last interval, I decided to try to count my steps to take my mind off of how tired I was and to keep me going. I think it helped. I incremented my count every breath, which was every 3 steps. I would count to 50 then start over at 1 again, using my thumb and fingers to keep track of how many sets of 50 breaths (150 steps). For the mile, it came out to be almost exactly 450 breaths (1350 steps). If my math is correct, my average stride length was about 47 inches (3 ft. 11 in.) and my turnover rate was about 3.25 steps/second.

I ran a little over 1.6 miles as a cool down (8:52/mi) for a total of about 7.6 miles.

Ran the Orem course at an easy pace with Larry. The workout was light, but the conversation was good.

I almost ran again at lunch time, but I decided to buy a new pair of Wave Riders instead. The weather was nice so I rode my motorcycle over to MVP Sports in Spanish Fork. I like the fact that their shoes are always 20% off (Wave Rider 9 list price $90, their price $72). They were out of my size, so they ordered them and will have them shipped to my house at no extra charge. The new Wave Rider 10's come out in January, but I didn't think I should wait that long.

Larry and I were a little later getting started this morning (trouble getting Garmins locked in). Because of this, we saw Kirk and Lyle run by. We decided to run with them for a bit. They started running just a couple of weeks ago and are both planning to run St. George next year. Kirk ran one marathon some time ago, and this will be Lyle's first. They run the neighborhood 5K course, stopping to walk a couple of times. We ran about 2.7 miles with them.

Larry and I then decided to run the 5K course backwards at 8:00/mi or faster. We averaged 7:53/mi.

I joined Larry and Wayne for a 20 mile run along the canal road (ended up being closer to 19.5 miles). They are both planning on doing the Death Valley Marathon on Dec. 2. Although I would really like to, I probably won't run it. But there's a slim chance, so I thought I'd do the long run with them anyway. Kevin started a few miles before the turn around point and met us on our way back and joined us for the run back home.

The weather was a little cold, but I never really got too cold or too warm. Since there is no water along the course, I decided to pack water. It was probably a good idea, especially to help get the gel down on the return trip, but I really don't like running with a water bottle around my waist.

I averaged about 8:49/mi overall, running out at an average pace of 9:01/mi and back at 8:37/mi. At about mile 11 I took a longer than average bio break and then averaged 7:48/mi for 1.28 miles while I caught back up.

The run out was very enjoyable. We covered some terrain none of us had ever seen before. The return trip was a better workout, but not quite as enjoyable for me. My legs were feeling a little tired even before I ran the 7:48 pace to catch back up. From about that point to the end I just tried to hang on behind the other three runners (who quickened the pace by about 20 sec/mi on the way back). The end of the run, and how tired I was after, felt far too much like the end of a marathon.

Larry and I went out this morning in spite of the falling snow. The snow and the wind picked up shortly after we started so we opted to cut the run short. I may try to put in a few miles at lunch time, but I'm leaving work early for my daughter's dance performance and I have a lot of work to do so it may not be possible.

With the wind gusting and rain beating on the windows, Larry and I decided to skip our run this morning. Instead I went with my son Andrew to basketball again. When the weather is bad it's nice to be able to exercise indoors. It was fun. I even took an assist from my son to hit the game winner in one of the games. I also dribbled off my toe to turn the ball over, and barely drew iron on a wide open 10 footer. It's all good. Being 5'7" and 46 years old, if I expect too much I'm almost certain to be disappointed.

Ran the Orem course with Larry. Temperature was in the mid 20's. Canyon breeze had a bit of an edge when we were running east on 400 North.

I ran about 6 miles with Larry this morning. We did the normal Orem route with a little extra at the beginning and end.

Larry has been reading about Jeff Galloway's run-walk approach to running and suggested we try some run-walk intervals of running about 4 minutes then walking for 30 seconds. It sounded interesting.

We warmed up for about half a mile then averaged the following paces/mi for the 10 roughly half mile intervals: 7:49, 7:49, 7:53, 8:02, 7:40, 7:24, 7:59, 7:48, 7:56, 7:22. With the walking included, we averaged about 8:20/mi overall.

Larry wants to try about 13 miles of this on Saturday. It should be an interesting experiment.

Basketball with my son Andrew again.

Larry, Wayne, and I tried something a little different. We alternated running for 3:52 (roughly half a mile) and walking for 30 seconds. We completed 25 intervals, at the paces below:

1 - 9:20 (warmup, uphill to canal road)

2 - 7:55

3 - 7:41

4 - 7:51

5 - 7:56

6 - 7:54

7 - 7:34

8 - 7:50

9 - 7:58

10 - 7:54

11 - 7:39

12 - 7:51

13 - 8:01

14 - 7:39

15 - 8:00

16 - 8:44

17 - 8:05

18 - 7:56

19 - 7:58

20 - 7:32

21 - 8:04

22 - 7:59

23 - 7:44

24 - 7:48

25 - 6:57

Total 12.72 miles 1:47:26 (8:27/mi)

I'm not sure what to make of the run. It was enjoyable running with Larry and Wayne, the weather was pretty good, and I feel like we got a pretty good workout. However, I don't think I would ever use the run-walk for a race. It was interesting only having to worry about holding the pace for half a mile at a time, and it allowed us to stay together even though we were running slightly different paces. For me, however, the frequent walking resulted in a disappointing overall pace.

Larry had told me he wasn't running this morning, so I opted to run at lunch time. It was a good decision because the weather was great for running, clear and cool but not cold.

I didn't feel like running my guts out doing intervals or something like that today. I felt more like doing a good tempo run. I decided to do the 10K version of the Lake View run that Tom Lee and I did once while training for the WBR this year. It's too bad I didn't check with Tom, because he was just coming in from a run as I was headed out.

I decided I wanted to try and run a pace somewhere between 7:45/mi and 8:00/mi. After about a 0.88 mile warmup to the start, I ran the first half in 24:44 (7:59/mi). I was hoping for closer to 7:45, but I realized shortly into the run that I should have made a bathroom stop before the run. I had intended to but didn't. Luckily there is a Walker's gas station at the half way point so I made a pit stop. It made quite a difference. This is a flat out and back course, and I ran back in 23:27 (7:34/mi), 25 secs/mile faster. The overall time for the 10K was 48:11 (7:46/mi). I pushed pretty hard, more so on the way back than on the way out, but this was not an all out 10K. It was a very enjoyable and satisfying tempo run.

No run today. :( I overslept this morning and worked through lunch.

Larry and I had a fun run this morning just running and talking and following no course in particular. A couple of times we weren't even exactly sure where we were for a minute. Larry had watched Da Vince Code with his sons yesterday so we started out talking about that and, as is customary, ended up solving a few of the world's mysteries during our run. :)

I started the day by playing a couple of hours of basketball with my son Andrew (19) and the other morning bball guys. After a brief recovery I then played Turkey Bowl football with my sons Andrew and Adam (17), some of their friends, and one other dad. I did okay with the running part, but the throwing and catching part left something to be desired. I later stuffed myself quite well with turkey et al. at my sister's house with my extended family.

I couldn't bring myself to get up and run or play basketball this morning, so I just enjoyed sleeping in.

Ran the old Monday route with Larry. He's tapering for the Death Valley Marathon next week so we didn't push real hard. It still seemed pretty hard, though. We attributed it to too much turkey.

I was on my own this morning, so I decided to run a few "fast miles" this morning. The weather phone said the temperature was 41 degrees, but it felt much colder to me. There was a cold breeze and a light snow falling.

I warmed up by running the mile or so up to the former WordPerfect buildings. The "fast mile" is from that corner down 1600 N. to 400 E. and then south to 1200 North. It has a little uphill section near the beginning, and is flat at the end, but overall it is mostly downhill. It is about a half mile jog back up the hill through the former WordPerfect buildings to get back to the start.

I ran two "fast miles" on this course. On the third, instead of turning on 400 E. I continued on 1600 N. all the way down to Main on my way back home. My times for these three "fast miles" were 6:36, 6:34, and 6:38. I haven't run this fast for a while, and it felt pretty good. However, my goal of a sub-20 minute 5K (6:27/mi pace) will require me to run just a little faster.

I played basketball again with Andrew and the bball guys this morning. I should probably have stayed in bed. My left knee was acting up (bad knee from football injury in my youth), I was sent flying on my back when I set a pick that wasn't noticed by an aggressive defender, and I rolled my right ankle when I stepped on someone's foot in a crowd. I didn't play all that well either, but that's pretty normal. Fortunately, nothing was too serious and I feel pretty good now.

Recovery day to let my old aching joints heal a little. I wasn't planning it that way, but it was too icy and cold (in the teens) for me this morning so I stayed in bed, and then I worked through lunch and didn't make it to the fitness center. After work my daughter has a dance performance at the Festival of Trees, and then I have band practice, so I won't be running tonight either.

For the curious, band practice is for a band that is being put together for my church congregation's Christmas party in a few weeks. Most of us in this band were in band in high school or college and haven't played for a decade or two. I will be playing my old (1914) silver tenor saxophone, which I've now polished most of the tarnish off. Our first practice is tonight...should be interesting.

Morning basketball with Andrew and the guys.

Tom Lee emailed during the week to see if I was interested in running the Nutcracker 5K at UVSC. Since Larry and Wayne would be running the Death Valley Marathon, I decided to run the 5K.

The registration materials state that each runner is required to wear a tutu (in honor of the Nutcracker Ballet), but it is not (thankfully) enforced, although most of the runners did wear them, even many of the men. I did not wear one.

I was prepared for a very cold run, but with sunshine and the temperature in the high 20's it wasn't really too cold. I was glad I decided to not wear my fleece vest.

I ran the first mile with Tom in 6:23. He then began to fall back slightly. I tried to hold the same pace and managed to run the second mile in 6:23, too. Both of these miles had some pretty good downhill portions in them. The third mile had some gradual uphill. The 3rd mile marker must have been misplaced (too short), because I ran the third "mile" in 6:21, yet the last "0.1" took me 1:06. I'm pretty sure I didn't slow from a 6:21 pace to an 11:00 pace during my kick. I think it is more likely I averaged 6:46/mi (6:21 + 1:06) over the last 1.1 miles with the gradual uphill.

I finished in 20:13, a new PR (previous was 20:29), and finished 1st in the 45-49 division and 10th place overall. I received a blue ribbon and a small wooden nutcracker. I was very pleased with my performance.

Tom finished in 20:59. It wasn't a PR for him but he did meet his goal of breaking 21 minutes and he won the 40-44 division and also received a nutcracker.

Scott Blake (another WBR teammate) also ran. His goal was sub-24 but he finished in around 22:30, another new PR for him. He also won a nice pair of running shorts from Runner's Corner in the raffle.

We all left winners. It was a great morning.

I decided to run outside at lunch time today. It was sunny, with the temperature in the high 20's. With long sleeves, a fleece vest, knit gloves, and a hat I never got too cold.

I haven't run hills much since St. George in early October, so I decided to run the Eagles View course. I didn't push too hard and averaged about 8:37/mi for the 5 miles.

Basketball again this morning. I like being able to spend time with my young adult son who no longer lives at home, and I like to play basketball. I even made some shots this morning.

I also like not being cold, and not having to breath the icky air caused by the inversion that is upon us.

I talked with Kevin and Scott in the fitness center before my run. They had both just finished some pretty good workouts. Scott had run on Kuhni Rd. After talking with him I decided that seemed like a good place to run today. It must have been, because I ran into Tom while out there and ran in the last mile or so with him.

My training plan this winter is basically "run whatever I feel like" and enjoy myself, with an eye to increasing my short distance speed (5K/10K). Today I felt like running four one-mile intervals with 1/4 mile jogs in between. I thought I'd run the first one pretty hard (not all out) and then see if I could run the other three pretty close to the same pace.

I warmed up running 0.91 mi to Kuhni Rd. @ about 8:21/mi. Like I usually do, I started out too fast on the 1st mile interval (around 6:38/mi) and slowed a little to finish it in 7:01. The 2nd mile I decided to not look at my watch and just try to match my effort for the first mile. The result was 7:28 for that mile. I returned to checking my watch periodically on the 3rd mile and ran it in 7:15. I started out the 4th mile at about the same pace but about midway through I noticed my pace had slowed to 7:37/mi. I pushed it back up and finished in 7:13. I saw Tom just after I finished this last interval. He was just finishing his tempo run so we ran the 1.16 mi back in together @ about 8:31/mi.

Tom and I commented on the way back in that we both felt a little sluggish today. We thought it might be lingering effects from Saturday's 5K, the cold, or both. But Scott ran the same 5K Saturday, and ran in the same conditions on the same road today, and he ran great. Maybe age has something to do with it?

I ran the neighborhood 5K course (in the reverse direction) with Larry and his wife Jolene this morning. The temperature was in the low 30's with a bit of a cold wind and light snow falling. It was my first time running with Larry since he and Wayne ran the Death Valley Marathon on Dec. 2 so we just enjoyed an easy social run.

I then let my dog out to play with Larry's dog and we walked around the block and talked some more back to their house. It was an enjoyable morning.

I didn't run after Wednesday last week. On Thursday I found out my father had a stroke. I spent most of the day with him and my mother on Friday. Luckily the effects of the stroke were limited to the area of his brain that control balance and coordination. He now falls to the left when he tries to walk, and throws up when he stands up. The nausea should only last a few days. He can walk with a walker and the doctors say that within several months his brain should be able to rewire itself and he should be able to walk without the walker.

My father has already had two heart attacks, and his older siblings seem to have all had heart trouble. My dad has always been very fit and eats a healthy diet. Even in his 70's he's been doing 100 pushups and jumping jacks every morning. He was still breaking horses up until a few years ago. His cholestorol has never been a problem. It looks like it's simply genetics.

I'm hoping that if I stay fit through running it may delay what seems to be the inevitable, but I'm not going to waste much time worrying about it. I could be abducted by aliens this afternoon.

I ran alone this morning. The weather was in the low 30's and the roads were dry.

I ran the extended Orem course. This course is along well lit streets and breaks nicely into 1/2 mile segments every 4 blocks. It is level-ish, with gradual downhills when running away from the mountains (S and W) and (logically) gradual uphills when running towards the mountains (N and E).

I mention the grade only to try to explain the variance in my pace for this moderate-effort tempo run. Although my mind didn't really notice the uphills and downhills, my body must have. While I tried to maintain the same effort throughout the run, and feel I did pretty well, the average paces for each 1/2 mile were as follows: 7:47(S), 7:39(S), 7:57(E), 7:36(S), 8:12(E), 8:25(N), 8:05(N), 7:47(N), 7:23(W), 7:27 (W), 7:14(N w/kick).

Overall average for the 5.5 miles was 7:47/mi. I also ran a little over a mile total for warmup and cooldown.

The weather was a little warmer than yesterday, in the upper 30's. I repeated yesterday's run, adding an additional half mile to the beginning of the tempo run. The average paces for each 1/2 mile were as follows:

(+/-nn) = difference from yesterday, (u) = gradual uphill, (d) = gradual downhill

7:49(d), 8:04(+17 d), 7:51(+12 d), 8:16(+19 u), 7:49(+13 d), 8:23(+11 u), 8:22(-3 u), 8:14(+9 u), 8:02(+15 u), 7:28(+5 d), 7:37(+10 d), 7:35(+21 u).

I also ran about a mile total for warmup and cooldown.

My legs were not as fresh today as yesterday. My overall average pace for the 6 miles was 7:57, compared to 7:47 yesterday. Nevertheless, I'm satisfied with the run. My primary goal was just to get some more tempo miles in.

The weather was around 40 degrees. I ran our traditional Thursday run this morning, although I don't think I've run it for at least a couple of months now (since before St. George).

This course starts with the short steep climb up Main Street followed by the long steep climb up 2000 North (about a mile). To illustrate the steepness up 2000 North, I averaged around 11:00/mi going up, and 6:35/mi going down.

These hills are followed by rolling hills for a little less than a mile. I averaged 8:19/mi for this section.

Next is a half mile downhill section. I averaged 6:42/mi here.

The roughly two miles back in are mostly level. I averaged 8:20/mi for about a mile then dropped down to 7:54/mi for the last 0.9 miles.

I averaged 8:26/mi overall for the 5.7 miles. I gave a good effort, but didn't push it real hard. My left knee and right hip are feeling a little better, but I don't want to risk injury. I just want to be able to run strong at the Painter's half marathon in January.

What an adventure!

With the temperature around 50 degrees today, and a forecasted high of 30 and snow tomorrow, I decided to run long today.

I was up for a little bit of an adventure so I decided to run the Bonneville Shoreline trail over to the base of the trail to the "Y" on Y Mountain. I had the notion to maybe actually run up the Y trail.

I've been wanting to do it for a while. One of my most memorable long runs was in 1982 (I was 22) when I ran from my hometown of Springville to Provo, up the trail to the "Y", and then back home. That was my peak marathon year, when I ran St. George in 2:52.

Today I started by running the 1.5 miles from work to State St. at about 8:00/mi. I then slowed as I climbed up to the Bonneville Shoreline trail. The trail was in good shape and I moved easily along at an easy long run pace. There were a couple of forks along the way where I wasn't sure which way to go, but I ended up at the parking lot at the base of the Y trail. It turns out it's about 4.6 miles from work, pretty close to what I measured on Google Earth.

There are permanent restrooms there so I decided to make a pit stop. The toilet flushed, but the water to the outside fountain had apparently been turned off for the winter. I read the history of the "Y" on a monument, and then decided to go for it.

The trail is very steep. There are a series of 6 switch backs of varying length that climb about 1100 feet in just over a mile. I was quickly reminded of the Ragnar and "You Gotta Be Kidding Me" legs of the Wasatch Back Relay, but this was maybe even harder. I soon realized I would not be able to run to the top without stopping. I stopped various times on my way to the top. I didn't walk. I would stop, catch my breath, enjoy the beautiful views of Utah Valley, and then press on. I think the thinner air made it more difficult to catch my breath, but maybe it was simply exhaustion. Nearer the top I ran into a little snow and mud, but it was passable. The last little bit was especially steep, but I finally made it to the top. I stood exultant with arms raised in victory at the top of the "Y".

I quickly discovered the trip down wasn't going to be all that easy. I had to step carefully to not slip on the mud, snow, rocks, or steep inclines.

My average pace going up was 15:11/mi (not counting the stops), and going down it was 14:26/mi (no stops).

It felt good to be back running on the relative flatness of the Bonneville Shoreline trail again, for a couple of miles at least. At that point I apparently took the high road when I should have taken the low road and ended up on a very narrow, and then steep, deer trail. I eventually made it back down to the main trail, but not without some hill sliding and filling my shoes (and one of my socks) with dirt and tiny gravel.

After cleaning out my shoes and sock I continued the run back to work. It was hard getting going again. My legs were very heavy. I had to stop at the light at State Street. While waiting, I decided I wanted to finish as strongly as I could. I set my goal at an 8:00/mi pace for the last 1.5 miles, the first half of which involved crossing too railroad overpasses. When the light changed I started off with focus and determination. As I was crossing one of the overpasses I heard a brief honk but I was too tired to look so I pressed on. As I reached the base of the second overpass my average pace was exactly 8:00/mi with 3/4 of a mile of level road to the finish. I decided not to look at my watch again. I would simply try to focus and maintain form to the finish, trying to hang on. When I finished I was pleased to see that I had averaged 7:57/mi for the last 1.5 miles, 3 seconds faster than my goal. It was a minor victory, but a victory nonetheless.

One reason we run is because it feels so good when we stop. It sure felt good today! My run lasted 2.5 hours, and I only went about 11.5 miles, but it was still a great run. Who would have thought I would finally achieve my goal of running to the top of the "Y" again in the middle of December during my (rather long) lunch hour.

What made it even better, was that the honk I had heard was from Larry, my neighborhood running buddy. He called me just after I got back to my office to say he had seen me, and that it looked like I was running strong. That gave me the opportunity to tell him all about my recent adventure.

It was a little cold and icy out, so I decided to run on a treadmill at the fitness center today. I thought it might be crowded, so I went down a little early.

I found Tom Lee, Kevin White, and Scott Blake already running hard. I changed my clothes and got on one of the older treadmills next to Scott. I wasn't sure what I wanted to run today, so I asked for a suggestion. I thought Scott was kidding when he suggested 8 mph for an hour, but when I realized he was serious I figured why not give it a try?

One of the newer treadmills opened up so I moved over between Tom and Kevin to do my run. Like Scott, they were working hard and were inspiring.

I started out at around 7.5 mph for a little less than half a mile then went to 8 mph. "Da Vinci Code" was playing so that helped distract me, but it was still hard work holding the 7:30/mi pace for 8 miles. After several miles I was sweating and breathing heavily. Since I had started at 7.5 mph, I knew I had to run faster than 8 mph at some point to average 8 mph overall. I pushed to 8.5 mph with a mile to go, 9 mph with 1/2 mile to go, 9.5 mph with 1/4 to go, then 10 mph for the last 1/10 mile.

I finished at around 59:30 and averaged about 8.07 mph (7:26/mi). Tom, Kevin, and Scott had long since showered and gone...but at least I get to blog my success. Thanks for the recommendation, Scott, it was a tough but satisfying workout.

Basketball today. We had 12 (one sub per team) and played for about 1.5 hours. It was great fun. My son Andrew was on fire. I was not, but my basketball conditioning seems to have improved. Now if I can only figure out how to get taller than 5'7". If I could get the additional height in my legs, it might improve my running as well my basketball. :)

The temperature was in the low teens this morning so I ran in the early afternoon in the fitness center. I saw both Cory and Nathan there. Nathan was running but Cory was doing some other exercises. I think he is still nursing PF in his foot.

I ran 4.5 miles at 7:30/mi then slowly increased to 6:30/mi during the last 1/2 mile, plus a little warmup and cooldown.

I ran with Larry this morning. The temperature was very cold (around 14 degrees) and there were little ice crystals floating in the air, reflecting the light from the street lights. We took it easy and only went about four miles, but we had a lot of great conversation.

Basketball again.

I found out Friday night that my wife and I had choir practice at 9:00am on Saturday for our performance on Sunday. I was planning to run with Larry and the guys at 8:00am. I decided to start at 7:30am and put it a few miles before I joined up with them, and then break off early. I ended up going the entire distance with them and being a little late for choir practice.

Basketball during the holiday break.

I was going to run this morning and dressed for it but it started snowing hard pretty hard so I switch to plan B - basketball. We went for 2.5 hours this morning, with no subs. I was beat by the end.

An interesting thing happened this morning. I had applied some SportShield (anti-friction blister protection) in preparation for running. I apparently got some on my right hand, because I had difficulty all morning gripping the basketball with my right hand. Most of my (limited) scoring was with my left hand.

Andrew and I went to play basketball, but only Danny (the guy with the key who sprained his ankle yesterday) and his son showed up. We shot around and talked for a while then went home. I should have went running at that point, but I didn't.

Larry, Wayne, Kevin, and I ran to the mouth of Battle Creek Canyon. The temperature was in the mid-20's I think. It was great once the sun came up. Kevin and I ran a few spurts up some hills, but overall we didn't push very hard. We had good conversation and had a good time.