Every Race is an Adventure!

0.9 miles @ 10:33/mi

I only got as far as the intersection at 1600 N and 400 E. I had to wait for the light. When I started off the curb my right calf pulled. I slowly walked home. I decided to pick trash up along the way to not make it a total waste.

I played basketball on Tue and Fri mornings the past two weeks with my son Andrew and my old basketball buddies in Pleasant Grove. I felt some calf pain on Tue, but it felt better by Fri morning and didn't bother me. We played extra long on Friday. My calf felt a little tight on Saturday. That's one reason I decided to go for an easy run, to stretch it out a bit. I guess it was tighter than I thought.

For good or bad, this took me out of church basketball which started the next week. I'm entering this on Feb 1, and so far I think the team is undefeated without me.

3 easy miles on the treadmill.

I'm not sure this is the day I did this, but it might have been.

As bad as the air quality has been in January, I still couldn't bring myself to run on the treadmill in our basement more than this once.

2.5 miles @ 9:25/mi

Testing out the right calf. It felt okay.

6 miles @ 10:00/mi

I've got to get back to running regularly again. From what I hear it seem Wayne and Kevin have been running. I need to get back to where I can run with them without having to over exert myself or slow them down too much. Larry's working way down south and I think he said he was going to try to run while there.

I was only going to go 4 miles this morning, but at mile 2 I felt good and decided to go another half mile before turning around. At 2.5 I decide to go to 3. I told myself I could walk it in if my calf started hurting.

My calf was fine, but when I turned around a mile 3 I realized I had been running with a tail wind that was now a head wind. I was running on the Murdoch canal trail. It's mostly level, but definitely slight downhill going north and slight uphill going south (evidenced by the fact that the water flows north).

My average pace was 9:35 at mile 3, 9:37 at mile 4, then I slipped to running at about 11:00 pace. I was fine since I was going farther than planned. The average pace was over 10:00 when I started down from the trail to home. I pushed a little and managed to get the average pace to show 10:00 just a second or two before I reach 6.0 miles. Small victories.

Considering how very little I've run the past few months, I'm actually encouraged. If I were to run only 4 times that far, I would be at mile 24. From there I could finish the last 2.2 miles of a marathon.

I need to remember to roll my right calf before and after each run. I think it's my weak link at this point. I'm hoping the core excercises I've been doing for quite a while now will help overall. I've been doing lunges, push ups, jumping jacks, front and side crunches, side leg lifts, front and side planks, burpees (squat thrusts), risers (step ups), and tricep dips. I feel considerably stronger. For example, to illustrate the improvement, I've gone from 6 push ups to 26 push ups.

Now I just need to get mentally strong and get out and run regularly.

6 miles @ 10:27/mi

It's 2/22 and I'm logging the last few weeks of runs.

3 miles @ 9:53/mi

6.2 miles @ 9:41/mi

6.2 miles @ 9:33/mi

6 miles @ 9:49/mi

8.6 miles @ 9:28/mi

5.6 miles @ 9:19/mi

5.6 miles @ 10:04/mi

8 miles @ 9:27/mi

I've been running Tue/Thu/Sat the past few weeks, with Kevin most days. I've improved from 6 miles@10:27/mi to 8 miles@9:27/mi. I'll take it. The weather is also improving.

I ran with Kevin and Wayne today. It was great being together again.

6 miles @ 9:45/mi

6 miles @ 9:42/mi

9 @ 9 @ 9 (9.0 miles @ 9:00/mi @ 9:00am)

Thursday was 6 miles @ 9:42/mi. Last Saturday was 8 miles @ 9:27/mi. I'm pleased with my progress.

It really helped to not be in a jacket and long pants, with temps in the 40's instead of 20's. Mostly it helped to run with Kevin, who can idle at my current pace. Near the end his dog Dash stopped (again) to poop. When he caught up again a woman named April had joined him. We talked about her running Boston next month. I had to pick up my pace to not slow them too much. It helped me finish strong.

6 miles @ 9:22/mi
1.6 miles @ 11:34/mi

I had some extra time after my run with Kevin so I decided to take a slow ponderous, prayerful run around my extended neighborhood. I quite enjoyed it.

6 miles @ 9:33/mi

10 miles @ 9:16/mi

6 miles @ 9:36/mi

6 miles @ 9:16/mi

12 miles @ 9:24/mi

It was very windy as Wayne, Kevin, and I started out this morning. We wanted to run toward the canyon but feared the canyon winds so we headed north on the canal trail...straight into a very strong headwind. We hadn't gone far before we decided the canyon winds couldn't be worse so we turned around and ran with the tailwind.

The canyon winds ended up not being so bad, that is until we started back down. Even then the trees blocked some of the wind. But the last 3 miles from the mouth of the canyon to home were straight into a very strong headwind. It was very hard work, but very satisfying when it was finished.

I've been faithfully working on core exercises on alternate non-running days. I'm counting on that helping me avoid injuries.

I started with this 5-Minute High Intensity Circuit Training for Runners. I recently modified it with some exercises from Why Crunches and Other Ab Exercises Won't Help Your Running.

I've also started doing some chair-assisted pull ups and chin ups. It won't help my running, but I've never had good upper body strength. I can't do even 1 pull up. If my shoulder allows it, my goal is to be able to do a front-grip pull up, a side-grip pull up, and a chin up. If I can also meet my goal to drop my weight from 172+ to under 160, that will help.
 

2 miles @ 8:54/mi

I've been alternating core workout and running days for a few months, trying to ease back into running while avoiding injury. I decided to throw in a couple of miles after my core workout today. I need to start adding more miles each week, as well as some faster miles, prudently, if I'm ever going to get back anywhere near where I used to be. Running after working many muscles to exhaustion was hard.

6 miles @ 9:07/mi with Kevin on canal trail north. Quite cold again...low 20's.

2 miles @ 8:33/mi (8:46, 8:22). Today I only did a few of my core exercises before the 2 miles and the remainder after.

6 @ 9:16/mi

2 miles @ 8:25/mi

13.1 miles @ 9:30/mi With Wayne up to Bridal Veil and back home. We both felt pretty tired right from the start and mostly throughout the run, but I felt strong at the end, running the last (downgrade) mile in 8:16. The thought crossed my mind that maybe all that work on strengthening my core is beginning to pay off. This was also my first 30+ mile week this year.

I intended to run extra today since I was taking the day off for my birthday. I was going to wait and run when the sun was up but one thing led to another and I ended up not running.

It was okay though, I spent a good part of the day with my two year old granddaughter. She was born on my birthday two years ago. It was fun being together on our birthday. We took a walk around the neighborhood hand-in-hand with me telling her what different things were and her repeating what they were and telling me what color they were. She especially liked the red fire hydrant. We also sat in the grass in the front yard throwing tree fuzzies on each other and playing tag. She then went running errands with Karen and me, including the post office, clothes shopping, and grocery shopping.

Karen had made me a nice meal for my birthday on Sunday so on my real birthday on Monday I was allowed to make my first meatloaf. I think it turned out pretty good. There were no leftovers.

It was a good day. Since I ran hard on Saturday maybe an extra day of rest was good for this old body.

6 miles @ 9:53/mi. Kevin texted to say he wasn't running this morning, so rather than start on the trail by his house I headed up the Main street hill. As I turned and started up 2000 N I remembered the good old days when we would run that big hill twice a week. I grew nostalgic and decided to run it. I figured some hill miles will be good training for the Utah Valley marathon coming up in June. There's no better time to start than the present.

I was a bit surprised that it wasn't harder than it was. I haven't really run many hills in past months (or years really). Like on Saturday, the thought crossed my mind that maybe working on strengthening my core is beginning to pay off.

2 miles @ 8:06/mi  (8:21, 7:51)

Another uptempo run before my core exercises trying to teach my legs to run faster. I was quite excited to see 7:51 for the second mile, expecially since it felt pretty good and I never shifted to sprint mode.

I'm feeling pretty good about my training and progress so far,..knock on wood.

6 miles @ 9:42/mi

It was cold and humid this morning. My effort was pretty good, but I had a hard time getting up to speed.

2 miles @ 9:21/mi (10:01, 8:41)

It felt like winter was back running in the cold and lightly falling snow this morning. I decided to try to work my Altra shoes back into my training. Maybe with a stronger core this year I'll be successful in making the transition. I eased into the first mile and felt pretty good by the second mile.

14 miles @ 9:50/mi

I ran with Wayne and Kevin, but after the first several miles I couldn't keep up with either of them. My legs felt dead from the start.

Last week I averaged 9:30/mi for 13.1 miles. This week I only ran about a mile farther and only averaged 9:50/mi. I averaged 9:28/mi for 9 miles. The last 5 miles I was worried about the tightness in my right calf and really backed off the pace (9:43/mi for 2 miles then avg. 11:03/mi last 3 miles).

I opted for an "ice" bath after the run. At this time of the tap water is so cold that I thought I would get frostbite, but afterward my legs felt pretty good.

3 miles @ 9:28/mi

6 miles @ 9:37/mi

3 miles @ 9:12/mi

4.6 miles @ 9:13/mi

3 miles @ 8:28/mi

14.2 miles @ 9:07/mi

Two weeks ago was 13.1 @ 9:30/mi. Last week was 14 @ 9:50/mi. I felt much better this week. I even ran miles 9 and 10 (Nunn's to Timpanogos Park) in 7:53 and 7:52, and the last 3/4 miles @ 7:56/mi. Sure, there was some downgrade in those miles, but I still feel like two sub-8:00 miles that far into a long run, and finishing strong, is a pretty big step forward for me.

I finished UVM in June last year in 4:59:59, then St. George in 4:10. My goal for UVM this year is at least 1 hour faster than last year (3:59:59 or faster). That means I need to hold today's pace for an additional 12 miles.

I still have a ways to go, but I've still got 2 months of training left. Two months ago I was running 6 @ 10:00. I've more than doubled the distance and dropped the pace about a minute per mile. If I do that again in the next 2 months, I should be able to run 28.4 miles @ about 8:00/mi, or around a 3:30 marathon, right? (just kidding) I know my improvement rate will slow as I get in better shape. My "stars aligned" goal for UVM is closer to 3:45 (26.2 @ 8:35/mi), although I haven't ruled out a "stars aligned" St. George goal of 3:40 (Boston qualifying time). (Hey, a guy has to have a dream, right?)

9.4 miles @ 10:15/mi

Spring break for the girls, so my morning schedule was more flexible and I decided to a little farther than my 3 mile Monday run, or even my 6 miles Tuesday run. I guess I ended up running them both together on Monday. I decided to front load the weekly mileage because I plan to play basketball with my son on Tuesday and Friday mornings. My legs were a little tired from Saturday's run so I ran a very easy pace this morning.

I was only planning on 6-8 miles so I didn't lube my feet. I ended up with a moderate blister on my left instep. Not too painful. I hope it heals quickly.

I'm counting 3 easy miles for my hour of basketball this morning. I don't play much anymore, but I still enjoy it, and didn't stink (too bad).

3.3 miles @ 8:30/mi

My Altra's put the least pressure on my blister so I wore them this morning. I felt pretty good and managed to average 8:30 pace with medium effort as I ran laps around the block.

6 miles @ 9:12/mi

16 miles @ 9:28/mi

3 miles @ 8:23/mi

5.3 miles @ 8:51/mi

13.1 miles @ 9:07/mi

When I realized I would be running alone this morning I decided to run my own half marathon and try to run it at my target marathon pace for UVM in June. I ran 4:59:59 last year and my goal this year is 3:59:59 or faster, at least 1 hour faster than last year. So my goal was a sub-2:00 half marathon. I finished in 1:59:24. I'm encouraged, despite the fact that I will have to hold that pace for twice the distance in June.

6.2 miles @ 9:37/mi

6 miles @ 8:54/mi

13.1 miles @ 9:36/mi (2:05:54)

I was hoping to get in 16 miles this morning, but we had a neighborhood cleanup scheduled for 8:30am. It was raining, and rain was forecast for the rest of the day, so I decided to go at 6:30am and just try to get in 13.1 miles again like last week.

I ran north on the canal trail. It's slightly downhill that direction, and as usual there was a tail wind, which I didn't really notice until I turned around. About 3.5 miles into my run I heard two voices talking behind me. They were gaining quickly so I hoped they were on bikes. They were not. It turns out one of them was Ron Greenwood. A 3rd runner running with and slightly behind them, told me the other one has one St. George 2 or 3 times. I didn't feel so bad that they passed me so easily.

I noticed there was a high ratio of quality runners out in the rain this morning. The thought crossed my mind that it wasn't coincidence. Real runners aren't stopped by a little cold rain.

I averaged 9:14 pace out, and 9:58 pace coming back. On the return trip the cold headwind seemed to get progressively stronger, the rain heavier, and my legs colder. I finished 6 minutes (about 30 sec/mile) slower than last week, but feel like I worked just as hard or harder.

My wet clothes felt heavy. I decided to weigh myself with and without them. They weighed 7.2 lbs. I'll have to weigh them when they are dry to see the difference.

4x800 - 3:52, 3:53, 3:52, 3:56 (7:40/mi, 7:47/mi, 7:44/mi, 7:50/mi)
1 mile - 8:29

I've done some uptempo miles, but I decided to try my first "speed work" today. My goal is 3:59:59 or better at the Utah Valley marathon in June. If I understand Yasso 800's correctly, if you can run 8x800m repeats at x:xx (mm:ss) you should be able to run a marathon at x:xx (hh:mm). That means I need to get where I can run 8x800 at 3:59 or faster.

Today I started with try trying to 4x800 at that pace. Since I ran a 1:59 half marathon in my training a couple of weeks ago, I figured it should be possible. My splits ranged from 3:52 to 3:56. I'll take it.

I think pushed a mile trying to stay under 9:00 pace. I ran it in 8:29. Encouraging.

I'm feeling strong and healthy...knock on wood.

6.1 @ 9:08/mi

6.4 @ 8:52/mi

Kevin and I saw Lyle and ran with him a bit trying to convince him to do Ragnar again this year, then we headed up to our normal route on the canal trail north.

3 miles @ 7:59/mi

I did 4x800 Yasso 800's on Monday at my goal of 3:59 or better. I think I'll count today as 6x800 at 3:59 or better...I just did them without the rest in between. That's better, right?

16 miles @ 9:42/mi

My goal was just LSD (Long Slow Distance) today. My schedule had me doing 16 miles today. Kevin was out of town. Wayne had to be done by 8am so he ran with me until he had to turn back.

We started out very easy, due to it being a long run and also because Wayne had some leg pain during the week and wasn't sure how it would feel.

Mile splits were:
11:11 - uphill
10:06, 9:49, 9:51, 9:38 - with Wayne
9:45, 9:39 - first miles after Wayne turned back
9:08, 9:10 - mile before and mile after turn around
9:34, 9:40, 9:41, 9:32, 9:52, 9:47 - hangin' on, not feeling too bad
8:58 - downhill, home stretch

The weather was cool and beautiful. I saw lots of others on the trail. I felt pretty good at the end and recovered rather quickly. I started getting a little warm at the end. At mile 12.5 I really wanted a drink. I was happy to discover the fountain was turned on. The water was cool and clear and delicious.

3.1 miles @ 10:24/mi

Today turned into a social run and a chance to shake out my tired legs from Saturday's long run. I started out on a path that I thought might find Lyle. Instead I ran into Larry and Nick and ran and walked with them for a while. I was only at 1.4 miles when they reached home so I kept going. I bumped into John Gillespie and ran and talked with him briefly at the end of his run. I then headed home myself, passing Jeff McClellan and Cody Kearns.

6.3 miles @ 8:57/mi

6 miles @ 8:57/mi

3.2 miles @ 8:34/mi
0.8 miles easy

I ran the new route for our neighborhood 5K that is next Saturday. We're moving it from a loop through neighborhood streets to an out and back course on the new canal trail. It should be safer, especially for the younger kids on bikes. I also like it being an out and back so you get to see everyone else in the race at some point.

This is our first year on this new course. I ran it backwards from the finish line to try to help Larry figure out where the turn around point should be. 

I didn't run it at race pace today, but I pushed kinda hard. Last Friday I ran 3 miles at 7:59/mi. I hope to match or better that pace next Saturday...counting on some race day magic.

15.25 miles @ 9:29/mi

Mostly just a long run at easy pace. I pushed a couple of miles around miles 10/11 (Nunns to Timpagnogos) in 8:19  and 8:33, and the last half mile at 7:14/mi pace (downgrade).

Without speaking a word to each other, Wayne and I both dropped our pace from about 9:00/mi to about 8:00/mi when we saw a couple of runners ahead of us that were running about our pace but who looked catchable. I guess the old competitive race instincts are still active. Wayne went on to finish the last several miles well ahead of me. I slowed some, but manage to kick strong the last half mile, just as Mark, my neighbor and home teaching companion, was driving by. He said, "You're flying." I said, "Just finishing up 15." It felt good.

3.25 miles with Larry testing new neighborhood 5K route.

3.1 miles @ 7:53/mi
3.1 miles @ 9:43/mi

Test run on the new neighborhood 5K route plus some warm up and easy running. Neighborhood Fun Run is Saturday.

3.25 @ very easy pace 

5.6 miles @ 10:04/mi water tank hills with Kevin

9 miles @ 9:29/mi canal trail

3.1 miles @ 7:40/mi

I was actually pleased to take 6th place this year even though I've finish 2nd several times in years past (never won it). I was fearful that our neighborhood, with a strong running tradition, was beginning to lose interest. I was especially pleased that so many young people chose to run.

We had a new course this year. We moved it from the neighborhood streets to the new Murdoch Canal trail. It was an out and back. It was nice to be able to see everyone along the way. We had people at the crossings to help manage traffic.

Breanna Andersen was running in the state track meet Friday and Saturday but came to the Fun Run on Saturday anyway, as a warm up I suppose. She told me she had to "be good", meaning not run too hard. She still won easily, way ahead of me and everyone else.

Jeff McClellan took 2nd and 1st for the men again. I ran with him for a couple of miles but then he pulled away. I was glad he managed to pass Aubrey Shaw on the final lap around the park. We've never had two women beat the first man before. She easily blew by us just after the turn around.

Jayson Andersen (Breanna's younger brother) took 4th. I had trashed talked teenagers Tryggvi Christianson and Carl Pinegar a little at the start. I told them they were going to start out too fast and that I was going to pass them at the end. I caught Carl at about 2 miles or so. I saw Tryggvi looking back as I slowly began to close the gap on him. When we hit the final loop around the park he looked back one last time, saw I was close, and kicked to the finish...about 20-30 yards ahead of me.

I was thrilled averaging 7:40 pace. I really enjoyed the run and the camaraderie...and the food. The Kneaders-like waffles and chocolate milk were delicious. What a great tradition.

Sick day

Sick day

3.75 miles @ easy pace. Still recovering from cold after 2 sick days. Ran 2000 N hill.

5.4 miles @ easy pace. Still recovering from cold. Ran water tank hills.

13.1 miles @ 9:27/mi.  Mt. Timpanogos park to South Fork park and back with Wayne.

Memorial Day. Worked on bathroom project from early morning until late night.

6 @ 8:34/mi on canal trail

5 miles @ 9:37/mi. 2000 N hill.

6.3 miles @ easy pace. Water tank hills with Kevin.

12 miles @ 9:42/mi with Wayne, Kevin, and Larry (on his new elliptical bike).

I started out feeling okay. Legs felt a little heavy. As the run progressed I got progressively more exhausted. I struggled to run mile 11 at 10:33 pace. There are good days and bad days. Today was not a good day. 

I tried to figure out the cause of my poor performance. Here are some possibilities: 1) I took Friday off work and was on my feet a lot working on a bathroom remodel, shopping, and taking graduation pictures. 2) We ate at a restaurant at 3:30pm and I don't think I ate anything after that on Friday or before the run on Saturday. 3) I spent some time in the sun on Friday and I don't remember hydrating very well before the run. 4) The sun came out and it got warm towards the end of the run.

I have to look for excuses. I ran half marathon distance at sub-9:00 pace several weeks ago, and I feel like I've been getting faster. To run 12 miles at 9:42...it has to be something besides decreased fitness.

The good news is that I set the goal several months ago to get my weight down to 165lbs before the Utah Valley Marathon. After the run I was at 165.2. I tried again after toweling off after my shower and was 165.0! Now I can feel okay about gaining weight as I begin to taper and then carbo load.

I dug out my old Saucony Tangents this morning to try some Yasso 800's at the THS track. My goal was to average sub-4:00 minutes for 8x800 repeats.

Results: 3:30, 3:40, 3:38, 3:51, 3:52, 3:51, 3:56, 3:47 (avg. 3:46)

With two weeks to the Utah Valley Marathon, where my goal is to break 4:00, I'll take it.

6.3 miles @ 10:05/mi.  2000 N hill and canal trail

6 miles @ 11:00/mi.  Water tank hills.

4 miles @ 10:20/mi.  Some easy miles with Larry on his elliptical bike.

3 easy miles @ 9:21/mi

2.8 easy miles @ 8:59/mi

This may be my last run before Saturday's marathon. I hope I'm ready. I know I'm more ready than I've been in the past few years. I wish I hadn't collided with my solid son playing basketball a couple of weeks ago. My ribs are still pretty sore, but they only hurt for the first mile or so on a run, so I hope I'll be okay. I've felt a little numbness in my bad left knee, but that happens sometimes. I don't feel any pain. I'm not too worried. I'll wear my knee strap as a precaution.

The hay's in the barn. I hope it's enough to get me through the winter.

I'm excited to run the Utah Valley marathon on Saturday. Every race is an adventure. Today the excitement is that my daughter Brittany returns from serving her 18 month mission to the Washington Tacoma Mission! We've been thrilled to have her serve. She's had difficult and wonderful experiences, her own marathon of sorts. She has blessed the lives of so many as she's loved and served them and invited and helped them to come unto Christ and partake of his mercy, love, and peace. Now we're excited to have her come home. Beginnings and endings and new beginnings. Every race, every life, is an adventure. There are good days and bad days. Today's a good day.

Race goals (updated from 2012 plan):

More details:

I'm so grateful for Hyrum and his organization, the volunteers, and the spectators that make it possible for me to run and assist and encourage me and so many others to do our best.

My niece Lindsay Jepperson finished her first marathon in 5:20:33. I saw her later in the afternoon at her sister's wedding reception and she was doing great. Congratulations!

I finished 718 of 1409 finishers (51%), and 40 of 71 in the M 50-54 division (56%). Last year I finished 1233 of 1471 (84%), and 79 of 87 (91%) in my division. I finished 13:18 faster than last year, and improved my average pace from 11:27/mi to 9:40/mi. I'm not back to my top level, and may never run a 2:52 or 3:07 or even sub-3:30 or a BQ (3:40) again, but I'm headed in the right direction. For now I intend to consistently improve until my body tells me to back off.

How do I feel about my marathon results? Happy...and that's a very good way to feel.

I walked/ran with Larry and Lyle this morning. This was my first run since the marathon last Saturday and just wanted to shake out the legs. We walked about a mile then ran for about 1.5 miles. I could still feel a little something in the quads, but not bad, and the rest of me felt pretty good.

It was great being with Larry and Lyle. It's good to have good friends, especially on beautiful mornings.

Thomas Family Reunion in Nephi, including the family golf tournament in the morning, lunch, then BB gun competition and Bingo later in the day. The weather was beautiful.

5.6 miles @ 9:10/mi

No lingering pain from the marathon. My legs feel recovered pretty much, except I felt a little sluggish. I didn't push hard this morning.

6.3 miles @ 8:50/mi.  I had predicted my Ragar Relay 10K pace at 8:45/mi, but hadn't really run a 10K at that pace. I also hadn't done a run in the heat, so I decided to do a 10K run in the heat (low 80's) and see how close I could get to 8:45/mi. It ended up being 6.3 miles @ 8:50/mi. Close enough. I gave myself a mental check mark on the success side.

Leg 12 - Trail run at Snowbasin Resort | 2.00 Miles | Hard

The weather was starting to get a little chilly. Matthew came flying into the exchange early. I quickly pulled off my jacket and took off uphill. Steep uphill is never easy, especially at altitude. My legs burned, and I quickly started breathing hard. I just kept my legs churning, waiting for the downhill. When it came, I made the most of it. I passed a runner or two and was cruising...then the trail kept going farther than I had expected. I began to wonder, and then was almost certain, I had missed a turn and was off course. I was trying to decide what to do when I finally saw a trail marker that confirmed I was still on course. With renewed vigor I headed up the last hill then took the brakes off on the final descent to the exchange. I felt strong. It felt good.

Leg 24 - Moderate climb into Oakley | 6.30 Miles (6.4 on watch)  | Hard

Once again Matthew came in early and fast. This time I was ready. It was a little after 3am. It was cold enough that I started with a jacket, headband, and knit gloves. The elevation climbed from a little over 6000' to a little over 6400'. I quickly got into a good pace and just kept motoring. I gradually passed 10 runners, and was quickly passed by 1. I like to greet runners I go by (who are generally pretty friendly) or who go by me (who are sometimes more focused and less friendly). I believe it was the second woman I passed who cheerfully said "Good morning!" It was so pleasant I had to turn and thank her for being the first to wish me a good morning. I then greeted the remaining runners with a cheerful "Good morning." I managed to average 9:18/mi for these moderately uphill miles and really enjoyed the run. I pushed hard to the exchange only to discover that our other van had not yet arrived. They were stuck in traffic and arrived about 15 minutes later. I walked back and forth for a while cooling down, then chatted with a female runner who was also waiting for her van. It was very pleasant. Eventually there were 4 or 5 of us waiting for our handoff runners. By the time I left the chute I was completely recovered from the run. As my teammate Greg says often, "It's all good."

Leg 36 - Climb the PC hill near Park City High School | 2.80 Miles (3.6 on watch) | Hard

Matthew (a soccer player for BYU-Hawaii, not a runner) finally ran out of juice. We expected him early, then his projected arrival time passed, then we waited quite a while for him to finish his 9.8 mile very hard run. All this time my teammates and many other runners were celebrating being done, including Kevin eating a Red Robin cheeseburger right in front of me. I was relieved to finally take the handoff and start the long climb up the PC mountain. My goal was to keep my legs moving up the hill and not walk. I had to take a step or two walking twice as I passed runners on steep turns, but give myself full credit for meeting my goal. I very much enjoyed the downhill on the single track trail. On the uphill into the paved neighborhood streets I passed a couple of more runners, then caught a few more as we approached the school and the finish line. I think I passed 10 or so in total, and was passed by one fast female runner near the beginning. As I approached my teammates at the finish I tried to slow down as planned. It is so hard when you are coming in hot. Kerry grabbed the back of my shirt to slow me down, but when I saw his and Kerry's daughters take off (to race me to the finish I supposed) I pulled his hand off and sprinted to catch them, which I believe I did. It felt so good to run strong and fast again. I only averaged 10:18/mi for the run, but with all that steep uphill, I felt very good about it.

I really enjoyed this relay. The weather was great, as were my vanmates. I knew Greg and Kevin were great vanmates, but Devin, Brian, and Matthew...complete strangers before the race...were also great. We had a really good time together, and everyone ran well.

3.5 miles @ 9:23/mi  Still recovering from Ragnar Relay.

7 miles @ 10:37/mi

Ran a bit up 2000 N with Larry & Jolene then headed back over for my planned run up the water tank hills (up in 18:50).

I went and played basketball with my son Andrew and the old PG gang at 6am. Because it was a holiday, we played for two hours. With no subs, I was pretty tired by the end.

I showered and headed to the Provo parade. It got hot, but my nephew had a great spot for us under a canopy. My two year old granddaughter made it fun. She respectfully held her and over her heart when the flag went by, stood and clapped for the veterans, and loved the princesses and the marching bands, especially the tubas.

We had some extended family at the house during the day for a barbecue then went back to Provo to watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks. After the fireworks five of my children and I played "Monkey in the Middle" soccer waiting for my niece (who performed in Stadium of Fire) and for the traffic to thin out. It was after midnight before we got home. It was a long but enjoyable day.

5 miles @ 9:22/mi  Canal trail north

A lot of basketball yesterday, being up late, then sleeping in until it was nearly 80 degrees made this a pretty difficult run. I couldn't decide if my legs felt like lead or jelly. All I knew was they didn't feel fast and it took a lot of effort to keep moving in the heat.

warmup + 4 x 1 mile repeats + cool down = 6.6 miles @ 9:08/mi

Mile splits:  7:53, 7:48, 7:52, 7:56  (at THS track)

My goal was sub-8:00 so I was pleased...but it wasn't easy.

With the Utah Valley Marathon and Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back behind me my plan is now to try to get faster. I don't have a detailed plan, but my general strategy is to make hard runs harder, easier runs easier, and do more hill work.

Today was a hard run harder.

5.7 miles @ 10:44/mi  2000 N hill / canal trail north

Yesterday was a hard day harder so today was supposed to be an easy day easier. I ran at an easy effort/pace, but running up the 2000 N hill is never really easy.

6 miles @ 9:39/mi  Canal trail north - steady easy pace.

5.4 miles @ 10:19/mi
1 mile @ 12:03/mi

I ran the water tank hills (up in 18:04). I pushed pretty hard. As I got back down to the bottom of the first hill and back onto 800 E my right calf complained a little. I instantly stopped to walk and did a mental scan. I had definitely stepped up my training this week and realized I was probably on the edge so I walked 1/4 mile or so then jogged in the last mile.

I decided my calves needed a rest so I skipped running this morning and went to the temple instead. A good choice.

9 miles or so at easy to moderate pace in 75-80 degree heat after hiking 4+ miles at Big Springs with my family. The hike was very enjoyable. We took a couple of hours and enjoyed the beautiful outdoors. My family then dropped me at Vivian Park and I ran home from there. It was early afternoon and pretty hot. I stopped at the water fountain at Timpanogos Park then walked up to the restroom. I sat at a shady table to fix my sock and ended up sitting there for a while watching squirrels, butterflies, and a hang glider briefly, and cooling off. That was nice. In contrast to the last 3 miles home from the canyon in the heat with little shade and some uphill mixed in. No regrets. It was still an enjoyable run and a good workout.

6.5 miles @ 9:38/mi

4 x 1 mile intervals at THS track.
Mile splits: 7:55, 7:57, 7:58, 7:54

My legs felt pretty heavy and tired for last weeks stepped up training. I had to work to stay under 8:00 per mile, especially the last two miles.

No pain. No gain. I actually don't mind the pain of effort, it's the risk of injury I could do without.

5.3 miles @ 9:47/mi 2000 N hill, loop into Lindon, back on canal trail.

Easy pace yet not easy.

6.2 miles @ 9:50/mi.  Old Lindon loop. Quite enjoyed it.

Today was an "easy day easier" day, where easy = not pushing hard, not easy = no effort. I'm still tired and sweating pretty good.

8.25 miles @ 11:02/mi

I started by running the water tank hills as planned (up in 18:12). As I was heading down I was pondering where to have my family hike that evening. We've been trying to get a few easy to moderate hikes in to prepare for our trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. I thought maybe the Bonneville Shoreline Trail over to Dry Canyon, but I hadn't been on it for a while. I decided to run it to refresh my memory.

As I was coming down 2000 N afterward, I bumped into Rich Lamoreaux and Colby Wight talking at the fountain. I stopped and we visited a while. It was a nice end to an enjoyable, if somewhat longer than planned, run.

In the evening we did hike from the Dry Canyon trailhead to the water tank hills. We then hiked up a very steep hill near the parking lot that my son and his friends named Frosty Point, from the time they carried a couch to the top and sat on it and ate Frosties from Wendy's as they looked over the valley.

13.1 miles @ 9:04/mi (1:58:40)

I headed out a little after 7am to run 12-13 miles on the Murdock Canal Trail north. I was surprised to see an aid station set up for a race. It turned out to be the Timp Marathon. I timed it just right. Just after I started on the trail I saw the lead runner coming south as I headed north. I cheered most of the runners as I passed them in the opposite direction. Shortly after I turned around near the Cedar Hills tunnel and headed south I saw the leader heading back north. It was the same leader, but he was walking. The 2nd place runner wasn't far behind and was running well. I suspect he caught him. I cheered most of the same runners as I headed back in the opposite direction. I felt a little of the race day magic even though I wasn't running the race.

I ran 13.1 miles (half marathon distance). I hoped to break 2 hours and was pleased to finish just under 1:59. I've been stepping up my training the past couple of weeks, and my calves have noticed, but I'm feeling pretty good.

Later in the morning we did a couple of short hikes, the Canyon Nature Trail in AF Canyon and Cascade Springs. They were short enough that my 2 year old granddaughter could walk most of it without being carried. She really enjoyed it, and so did we. We then went to Dairy Keen in Heber for lunch and shakes...far more calories I think than what we burned. It was a good time. We came home and most of us napped I think. I know I did.

6.4 miles @ 9:47/mi

After pushing pretty hard on Saturday in the heat, my legs didn't feel up to speed work today. I listened to their suggestion that to just run at easy pace this morning.

6 miles @ 9:35/mi.

I ran the 2000 N hill then did the traditional loop of years past up to the 400 N hill in Lindon. I've been working my legs pretty hard the past couple of weeks and my calves didn't feel like pushing too hard so I decided to push the downhills and work on my foot turnover speed. I ran the 0.64 miles down 2000 N at 6:18/mi and the 0.53 miles down 400 N at 6:10/mi. Even on downhills I haven't seen too many 6's in the minute position in recent years. I was a little surprised and very pleased. Averaging 9:35/mi even with the steep climb up 2000 N was nice, too.

3.3 miles @ 8:57/mi; 0.5 miles @ 17:01/mi

It was my daughter's birthday and I have the tradition of buying (those who want them) Daylight Donuts on birthdays. She wanted them. My son leaves for work about 5:45am so I wanted to get the donuts before he left. They open at 5am. I got the idea to run to PG to get the donuts (about 7 miles round trip) so I got up at a little after 4:00am. I was late getting out, and was worried about bouncing the donuts to bits, so I ended up just running the old neighborhood 5K course then going to get the donuts. I tried running some more after I got back, but my legs didn't want to so I only went 1/2 mile very easy.

The donuts were good, and my son got one before he left for work. My legs probably needed an easier day anyway.

10 miles @ 9:15/mi.  Provo River trail, Mt. Timpanogos park to Vivian park out and back.

I slept in and didn't start my run until about 8:50am. By the time I ended at about 10:30am it had gotten pretty warm.

As I ran up the trail, similar to Saturday I started seeing aid stations and runners with bibs. It turned out to be the Pioneer Day Raft and Run. They raft 5 miles from just below Deer Creek Dam to Vivian Park then run a 5K down to Canyon Glen Park. Reading online later I learned that 100% of the proceeds fund Live Your Dream Scholarships, which go directly to single moms with college aspirations! It looked like everyone was having fun.

I encouraged the runners as I passed in the opposite direction. I've always believed that greeting other runners on my runs energizes me. That was evidenced today as my pace up the canyon increased from about 9:30/mi to 9:00/mi then 8:50/mi as I cheered on the runners.

I treated this as an easy/moderate run and still managed 9:15/mi overall, almost my target marathon pace of sub-4:00 (9:09/mi), and in the heat.

With the day off work, I went with Andrew to play basketball, probably my favorite form of cross training. It was very enjoyable. Early on my right knee nearly gave out a few times when I tried to start running, but whatever it was went away and I was able to play fine...well as fine as I ever do as a 54 year old 5'7" guy who doesn't play very often. I can't really play the old card at basketball, however. I found out that one of the guys just turned 62. He is still quick and strong and plays very well. I always assumed he was younger than me. I'm encouraged. I'm hopeful I can still be in good shape when I'm in my 60's and beyond.

10.4 miles @ ~13:00/mi

I slept in and decided to do another heat training run today. I had nothing planned for the day so I decided to head to the hills and do a trail run. It was hot from the start. It was good I wore my Nathan water pack. I started with it full and ended with it empty.

I parked my motorcycle near the Bonneville Shoreline trailhead at the top of water tank hill #1 near the police gun range. I ran up the remaining water tank hills then up the trail to Rock Pile.

From there I turned left and headed west on Trail 51 and over to the top of Dry Canyon. I was only at about 6 miles, so I decided to continue on towards Battle Creek. My plan was to run back from there on the Bonneville Shoreline trail to the Dry Canyon trailhead, then on the last couple of miles back to where I started.

There were many trails and not many trail markers so I eventually just started following my instincts and following trails that seemed to be heading the right direction and that seemed to be well traveled.

Before I reached the bottom of Battle Creek I decided to head back south toward Dry Canyon. I ended up down on a paved street near the Lindon City Horse Staging Area (there was a sign). There I got back on a trail heading south. It ended up crossing the paved road up to the Dry Canyon trailhead, but down a ways. I was planning to get a good drink there, but it was too steep, too far, and it was too hot. I still had water in my Nathan so I opted to continue on the last couple of miles to finished the loop back to where I started. When I got there I was very hot (temp was 89 degrees) and finished off the little water remaining.

I really enjoyed the cool breeze on my motorcycle as I rode the couple of miles home.

I wore my new Altra Lone Peak 1.5 trail shoes on this run. I've hiked in them a couple of times, but this was my first run in them. I like them a lot. They felt very comfortable. I was a little worried about the effect of the zero drop on my calves, especially with all the uphill. I've run up to 6 miles in my Altra Instinct 1.5 shoes over the past year or so, but sometimes when I did my calves would be sore afterward. I didn't feel I fully completed the transition to zero drop shoes.

This 10+ mile run, with hills, was by far my longest run in zero drop shoes. I was careful to walk the steeper uphills, and whenever my calves felt like they were being worked a little too hard. Time will tell, but I think it turned out well. I was able to run fine through the end, and my legs seemed to recover pretty quickly.

This run gave me confidence to hike, and maybe run/hike, in these shoes during our vacation to Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada next month. I think these tough heat and hill workouts will also make me stronger in my upcoming Hobble Creek half marathon and St. George marathon.

7 miles @ 9:15/mi.  4 x 1 mile interval at THS.

Mile splits: 7:50, 7:50, 7:48, 7:54

My legs felt very tired as I began, and throughout the intervals. I was surprised, and pleased, that I still managed to stay under 8:00/mi.

5.75 @ 10:02/mi. 2000 N Orem and 400 N Lindon hills.

Once again I took it easy uphill and pushed the downhills (0.67 @ 6:11/mi, 0.53 @ 6:09/mi).

6 miles @ 9:30/mi.  Murdock Canal trail north.

5.4 miles. Water tank hills.

I guess I messed up pushing buttons on my watch so I didn't correctly meausre the distance or my time up the hills this week.  I felt like I did okay, even though my legs felt pretty tired.

I only did core exercises today. I decided my legs needed a rest. They've felt tired and I would like to do a long run tomorrow.

18 miles @ 10:00/mi. Timpanogos Park up to the top of South Fork (Trefoil) and back.

I forgot my Garmin watch this morning, but I had my phone so I used the MapMyRun app. It was only my second time using it, and I messed up the starting and stopping a little, but overall it worked pretty well.

I was hoping to go at least 14 miles, maybe 16, and kept open the possibility of 18 if I felt up to it. I did, but I was sure ready to turn back downhill when I reached the Trefoil gate at the top of South Fork.

The weather was cool, perfect, all the way up. It warmed up some on the way back down when the sun hit me, but it wasn't too hot.

My legs felt good the entire run. I ran an easy pace. I didn't push, but I feel like I maintained good form and a strong, steady pace through to the finish. I didn't feel overly tired at the end, and recovered pretty quickly.

About mile 15 or 16 I saw runners who looked like they were racing but were not wearing bibs. One of them, a young boy, turned around at a duct tape line on the trail just after I crossed it. As he slowing passed me, I asked if he was in a race. He was. It was a famly reunion 5K. Pretty cool. He was running well, but didn't quite pull away away from me so we talked a little more. His name was Danny. (I learned this from family members who were cheering him as the passed in the other direction.) He was 8 years old and in 5th place...the others were all older than him. I asked if he liked running. He said he did. I complimented his form and how well he was running and encouraged him to continue throughout his life. I coached him a little as he ran the steep uphill out of Nunn's Park. I asked him if he knew how to sprint, and told him that when he saw the finish line he should run as fast as he can, that he could breath later. He didn't know the name of the park where he was to finish. As we came to Canyon Glen, he paused a little but then continued on. A young woman behind him, a fellow family member in the race whom he had been trying to stay ahead of, yelled and told him he should have turned. He hurried back but she was a little ahead of him by then. I felt bad for him, then wondered if he would remember what I said about sprinting to the finish. I hit a spot where I could see the finish through the trees so I stopped to watch. He caught her just before the line. It made me smile. I later realized that during that stretch I had sped up from about 10:00/mi to sub-8:30/mi. It didn't feel like. I guess I benefitted from a little race day magic, even though I wasn't racing.

It was a very enjoyable run. After a couple of almost 40 mile weeks, this was my first 40+ mile week. I've intentionally worked my legs hard these past few weeks, attempting to significantly step up my training (distance, hills, speed) while avoiding injury. I feel I've been pretty successful.

I plan to back off the intensity a little the next week couple of weeks and let my legs heal up for the Hobble Creek Half Marathon on August 16. I'll pick it up again after that in preparation for the St. George marathon in October.

6 miles @ easy pace (no watch)

After 18 miles on Saturday my legs didn't have a lot of zip this morning, but they didn't really feel heavy and I had no significant aches or pains. I'm satisfied with where I am in my training at this point this year.

Drive to Helena, MT.

Drive from Helena, MT to Mountain View, Alberta, Canada.

3.1 miles @ 9:34/mi with my niece Eroica. With not many choices of where to run, we ran on a rolling gravel road with no shade. I very much enjoyed the company, but the heat, the hills, and the gravel were less than ideal.

After we got back I ran another 1.4 miles doing loops around the property of the cabin where we were staying. The ground was a little uneven, but at least it was mostly grass with about half of it in shade.

Later in the day several dozen extended family members got together for a hike up Bear's Hump in Waterton Lakes National Park...one of the prettiest places on earth. Very steep ascent to a awe-inspiring overlook of the lake, park, and surrounding mountains. 1.8 miles round trip.

Family reunion breakfast. Very fun game of \Danish Ball with extended family. Family dinner followed by a very well attended Family History night. A total of about 105 people participated in the reunion at one point or another, from Canada, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington D.C. (I may have missed some). Most were there for at least several days. It was so enjoyable.

The reunion was planned for descendants of Ora and Vivian Nielson but also included descendants of Vivian's sister Althea and relatives of Philip Williams (my father-in-law, also from Cardston like my mother-in-law, Ora & Vivian's daugther).

7.25 miles @ 9:10/mi

This was a solo run from the cabin where we were staying in Mountain View, Alberta, Canada. It was earlier in the day than my last run, and much cooler...sunny with a nice cool breeze.

I ran north of Highway 5 this time. I learned that the roads are really just very long driveways. I followed one fork, and then another, that both ended at farm houses with barns and other outbuildings. The third road also led to a farm but also looped to the west and connected with a highway that I followed south back to Highway 5 and home.

I had about 1.5 miles to go when I left the gravel road and got on the highway going south. I climbed a steady hill for about 3/4 mile then was rewarded with about another 3/4 mile of steady downhill. I decided to push the pace downhill to the stop sign at the junction with Highway 5. I averaged 7:52/mi.

As I approached the junction I noticed a cow on the shoulder on my side of the highway, on the wrong side of the fence. I had seen another juvenile cow on the road near the beginning of my run. Since the shoulder was small, I decided to yell and make some noise as I approached, hoping it would walk off the road before I got there. As I approached I realized this wasn't a small cow. In fact, it was pretty big and musculuar. As I got nearer, and it heard me and turned to face me, I realized it also had horn. I suddenly stopped maybe 30-40 yards away. It stared unwaveringly at me, lowered its head a bit, and raised its right hoof slightly. I recognized the stance from movies I've seen and the bull fight I attended in Spain. I quickly decided my best option was to climb the barbed wire fence into the empty field next to me. I then walked slowly past the bull, who turned to follow me with his gaze. Once I passed he returned to his grazing. I climbed the fence onto Highway 5 then finished the last 3/4 miles back to the cabin at about 7:30/mi pace. I think the adrenalin helped.

Our family + Wendy hiked Red Rock and to Blackiston Falls then skipped rocks on the north shore of Waterton Lake and ate pizza. In the evening we invited others to the large fire pit at our cabin for s'mores. Some of us played a little soccer with my sons portable goal in the large grass field next to the cabin. We later played Catch Phrase around the fire in the darkness. Very enjoyable.

Attended sacrament meeting at Waterton branch. Returned for extended family luncheon. We then went to the townsite campground where a few dozen of the remaining family members (some headed home Sunday morning) gathered in the shade of some trees and played "Heads Up" followed by a large game of Psychiatrist. Very fun. More good-byes.

Packed up to leave the cabin. The cabin was a great choice. It was rustic (no air conditioning, a little rough around the edges, only 2 bathrooms), but the 10 from our family and 5 from my wife's brother's family fit comfortably and got along very well.

We befriended a scrawny but very cute kitten who apparently lived around the cabin. She was afraid of us at first but we gave her a little bacon and she soon lost all fear of us and befriended us right back. We named her Bacon, and we all bonded with her. She became part of our family for several days. It was so hard to leave her behind. I think most of us were sorely tempted to smuggle her home. One of the maids who came to clean as we were leaving was a cat person. They weren't aware of cats living there, but she seemed to instantly bond with Bacon so we think she will be well cared for.

We stopped by the home of my mother-in-law's brother who lives in Mountain View and met other family members who were heading out. More good-byes.

My wife's brother and his wife decided to drive along with us through Glacier National Park. The drive along the Going to the Sun Road and Logan's Pass was beautiful. We stopped to skip rocks at Lake McDonald, also very beautiful, then drove on to Missoula, MT. That drive was also beautiful. Arrived at the motel about 10pm.

Said final good-byes as my wife's brother and sister-in-law were heading west on I-90 to Washington while we were heading east to I-15 and home to Utah.

The 8 hour drive seemed long, as end-of-vacation drives often do, but it went pretty smoothly. We stumbled into a small pizza/subs place in Pocatello where we had delicious hot sandwiches. We managed to dodge the bad thunderstorms north of Salt Lake, as well as rush hour slowdowns. We arrived home to find all well, and everyone pitched in to get everything unloaded quickly.

This was another wonderful family vacation. I'm so grateful for Karen, our children, and our precious granddaughter. I so much enjoyed my time with them. I equally enjoyed the family reunion in Waterton. So many beautiful people and beautiful times in such a beautiful place. It was truly a tender mercy from a loving Heavenly Father.

6 miles @ 8:36/mi  Canal trail north.

My goal was to run at my previous ~9:00 pace effort and see what pace that effort now produces after 3 weeks of strenuous training (including increased miles, more hills, and faster pace) followed by 1+ weeks of recovery (while on vacation). The result: 8:36/mi. This is very satisfying, to see my hard work pay off. It gives me confidence going into the Hobble Creek half marathon on Saturday.

I was recently thinking of the quote attributed to Steve Prefontaine, "The only good pace is suicide pace, and today's a good day to die." That was sort of my approach to today's race. I knew the first 6 miles or so were mostly downhill, and then the race got harder after that. I decided to "cruise" those first 6 miles or so until the hill that climbs out of right hand fork up to the golf course. I would then just have to trust in my mental strength and physical training to hold on and run as strong as I could the rest of the race. My good 18 miler a couple of weeks ago gave me confidence that I could run the 13.1 mile distance with little risk of bonking.

I was sitting in the portapotty (for the 3rd time this morning) when Hawk announced 30 seconds before the start. With chip timing, I wasn't too worried, but I didn't want to get stuck behind a wall of slower runners. I hustled and climbed the fence 10-20 yards behind the start line just as the race began and started in about the perfect spot for me. Some runners were faster, some slower, and it never got too congested. Within the first mile or two most runners had settled into their race pace.

My first six mile splits were: 6:52, 7:21, 7:30, 7:32, 7:36, 7:43 (7:26/mi avg). I was still at about 7:30/mi avg pace at the midpoint of the race. I was very pleased, but I knew the struggle was just beginning as I headed up the hill to the golf course. I took a few shot blocks, a good drink of water at the aid station, and faced the coming challenge head on.

My pace varied quite a bit over the next 5 miles, taking it easy on the uphills, and taking off the brakes on the downhills. Splits: 8:08, 7:47, 8:27, 8:58, 8:52. I was working hard and was tiring, but still felt pain free and confident. The course had been shaded with perfect cool breezes the first 6 miles. It began to get warmer during these miles, especially in the unshaded sections.

Once I had climbed up the last big hill and was headed west on the long straightaway I focused on my form and maintaining a steady pace as I focused on a couple of older runners ahead of me (about my age) and aimed to maintain or close the gap. I managed to finally catch and pass one of them, but not the other.

I kept telling myself to maintain the steady effort, and that I was mentally tough enough that I would be able to muster a decent sprint at the end. As it turns out, my final sprint was only minimal. I later realized I had kind of been sprinting the entire last couple of miles: My paces for the last two miles were 8:17, 8:06. I've been training at around 9:00 pace, so low 8:00's was pretty much sprinting for me.

I finished 200 of 855 runners overall (men & women). It felt very good to be in the top 25% again instead of the bottom 25%. My finish time of 1:42 was 15 minutes (>1:00min/mi) faster than my time of 1:57 last year.

I'm very satisfied with my training at this point, and with my performance at this race.

5.5 miles @ 9:09/mi. 

3.1 miles @ 8:58/mi.  Laps around the block in steady rain. I could only stand it for about 3 miles.

6 miles @ 8:53/mi.  North on canal trail.

3.9 @ 9:27/mi  Up 2000 N to Dry Canyon trailhead. First run with Jeff McClellan.
2.6 @ 9:04/mi  Neighborhood streets

I stayed up too late. At 8am I helped my neighbors move followed by an Eagle Scout breakfast. I never found an opportunity later in the day to run. It's okay, some recovery is probably good after the hard run (1/2 marathon race) last weekend.

6.1 @ 8:28/mi  4x1 miles repeats at THS.

Mile splits: 7:32, 7:39, 7:44, 7:35

A good bump in speed that I attribute to the 3 weeks of stepped up training followed by recovery while on vacation in Canada. My previous splits had been around to 7:50-7:55.

6 @ 8:59/mi

6 @ 9:49/mi  2000 N hill then up to Dry Canyon trailhead with two level miles on trail

After running up to Dry Canyon with Jeff last week, I decided this might be a hill run I want to work into my training. It's dark going up the road, but it's a great hill. I saw (barely) 3 other runners coming down. I said "Good morning" early enough that they knew I was there and we could avoid colliding. I think I spooked the female runner who was directly ahead of me.

20 miles @ 10:11/mi.  Murdock Canal trail north.

I was only thinking maybe 14-18 miles when I started, but had 20 in the back of my mind if I felt up to it. The sun didn't rise over Mt. Timpanogos until about mile 8. Even then it was overcast so it never really got too warm.

I discovered the Murdock half marathon was on the trail this morning. I had a good head start on them. The first 8 runners eventually passed me, but the last few of them took a while to pull away. I don't think this was a very big field, at least not many elite runners.

The race turned south of the trail with a few miles to go. I stayed on the trail. I wanted to explore. I had never been this far north on the trail before. The part up to Highland Glen park was nice, but I didn't like the 1.5 or so miles after that until the 10 mile turn around. Maybe next time I'll run loops around the Highland Park trail to get to 10 miles before turning back.

The first 9 miles felt pretty good. As I mentioned, I didn't like the 10th mile much running along the shoulder of the road. The return trip went from hard, to harder, to hang on. I ran out of gas (felt pretty tired, breathing hard), then the wheels came off (my legs started feeling dead). My pace gradually dropped about 2 min/mile. I took 3 shot bloks twice on the way back, and drank plenty of water, but still the last 3-4 miles I was just willing myself forward. I kept thinking this was good mental training, as well as physical end-or-marathon training.

The bright spot is that I had no injury-related pain after the run. I was beat, and took a while to catch my breath and feel enough energy to do other things, but I don't feel like I did myself any damage.

My Hobble Creek half time last week was 1:42. I remember thinking if I were to hold that pace for a marathon it would be 3:24 (2 x 1:42). My time today was 3:24. It doesn't mean anything. Just interesting.

6.2 mi @ 8:44/mi  4x1 miles repeats

Mile splits: 7:43, 7:40, 7:38, 7:34

6.2 mi @ 9:24

6 mi @ 9:48/mi  Climb up 2000 N then up to Dry Canyon trailhead.

Felt strong up the hills. Some 6:30-ish pace down 2000 N.

0.5 miles @ 8:35/mi.  As I started my run I noticed bright lightning, rumbling, and dark skies to the west. I decided to stay close to home and just run laps around the block. After a single lap the wind picked up considerably, the lightning got closer, and the thunder was very loud and rocked the neighborhood. I wisely went inside. Simultaneous lighting/thunder rattled the house a few times.

18,2 mi @ 9:28/mi  Timpanogos Park to top of South Fork up/down.

I averaged about 10:15/mi up with a considerable head wind.

I had a couple of sub-8:00 miles down South Fork and a few sub-9:00 miles near the end.

I felt strong. The weather was awesome. The only hiccup was about mile 17. A large group of elite BYU runners were coming up the trail. They were clumpted together covering the running lane and both bike lanes. I chose to step off down to the gravel along the side. When I stepped back up I guess I was tired and misstepped and rolled my left ankle. I was able to run it off and thank I'll be okay, but it was a little frustrating. The most disappointing thing was that I said "Good moring!" as they passed and not a single one of them returned my greeting. I greet nearly everyone I pass and the vast majority greet me back, but not these guys today.

6 miles @ 9:57/mi.  Murdock trail north.

Legs still a little tired from Saturday's long run I think. Easy day easier.

6.4 @ 8:59/mi  4x1 mile repeats at THS

Splits: 7:28, 7:26, 7:38, 7:35

6 miles @ 9:02/mi 

4 miles @ 9:37/mi  2000 N to Dry Canyon Trailhead hills

9.25 miles @ 10:07/mi  Timpanogos Park to Vivian with Wayne
11.75 miles @ 10:08/mi  Timpanogos Park to 1 mile up South Fork solo

It was great to run with Wayne again. He's been out with sciatic pain. I've had that; it's no fun.

6 miles @ 9:37/mi  Murdock trail north

It was great to run with Kevin again after him being out with rib injuries for a while.

7.3 miles @ 8:49/mi  4 x 1 mile, 2 x 0.5 mile intervals at THS track.

Mile splits: 7:24, 7:25, 7:26, 7:30
1/2 mile splits: 3:36, 3:38

Avg. 1/2 mile (800m) time: 3:42

If I understand correctly, based on the Yasso 800 marathon time predictor, this means I should be able to a 3:42 marathon.

I figure I have a shot at a BQ 3:40 at St. George because:

• I live at an elevation of about 4800 feet; the marathon goes from 5240 to 2680 feet.
• The track is flat; the marathon drops 2500 feet.
• My last two 800s were 3:36 and 3:38. The earlier mile intervals were essentially two 800s with no rest in between.
• Taper and race day magic.

I feel confident, and a little excited, definitely satisfied and grateful.

6 miles @ 9:52/mi.  Murdock trail north.

6.4 @ 9:57/mi.  2000 N hill to Dry Canyon trailhead

Good hill work out with a couple of level miles at the end.

Fartlek:
0.7 miles @ 6:24/mi downhill
0.5 miles @ 7:35/mi level

4 miles @ 10:01/mi,  A variation on the Neighborhood 5K route.

Bought new Saucony Guide 7 shoes at Runner's Corner ($119). The owners, Hawk and Cheryl Harper, have done a lot for the local running community and for me. I like to buy a pair of shoes there now and again to support them. The rest of the time I try to buy them wherever I can get them at the best price.

I'm getting lots of miles on my old shoes. Time for new ones to prevent injuries and to wear in the St. George marathon in a couple of weeks.

14 miles @ 10:09/mi.  Mt. Timpanogos park up South Fork and back.

It was great running with Wayne and Jolene. We missed Kevin. I just ran easy with them for most of the run. I pushed a couple of miles down South Fork with mile splits of 7:35 and 7:31.

6 @ 9:35/mi  Murdock trail north with Kevin.

6 @ 8:53/mi  Murdock trail north.

6 @ 9:49/mi  Murdock trail north easy.

6 miles @ 9:20/mi  Murdock canal north.

I'm tapering for the marathon so I didn't do the hill run up to Dry Canyon. I did try to do some miles at marathon pace just to remind myself what that felt like.

I ran miles 2 and 3 in 8:28 and 8:54. The 8:28 was probably a little fast, the 8:54 effort felt more like a maintainable marathon pace effort. I maintained that effort for miles 4 and 5, maybe backing off slightly, and ran them in 9:33 and 9:35 on a slight upgrade with a headwind.

My stretch goal pace, for a 3:40 BQ time, is 8:24/mi. I was a little discouraged as I slowed to a cool down pace for mile 6. I then reminded myself about downhill, tapering, lower elevation, and race day magic. The last half mile was mostly downhill so I decided to maintain a comfortable effort and see what my pace was for that half mile. It was 8:18/mi. This boosted my confidence.

After I got home I reviewed my recent Hobble Creek half marathon results. I averaged 7:54/mi on a course similar to what St. George will be. I know I'm in better shape now that I was then. If I were to run that pace for half of St. George, that would leave me needing to run 8:54/mi for the other half. I think it may still be within the realm of possibility.

4 miles @ 10:40/mi.  An easy jaunt around local streets.

6 miles @ 9:13/mi  Murdock trail north with Kevin in the dark in a light rain.

This was just an easy pace run. I enjoyed the conversation and the run despite the dark and the rain. It wasn't cold, but that may be the last time for a while. It sounds like cooler weather is moving in.

Again today I checked my pace coming down the last half mile from Kevin's house to mine as I ran at a smotth, easy pace. I was pleased to see it at around 8:30/mi, right around my target marathon pace for next week.

4 miles @ 9:06/mi  Murdock trail north.

I warmed up for a mile then ran marathon pace effort for a couple of miles. I backed off for a half mile then went marathon pace effort down the last half mile. I recently did that stretch at easy pace at about 8:30/mi. I was pleased to see that marathon pace effort resulted in about 7:30/mi.

I think I have a pretty good feel for what my marathon pace effort should feel like this year. On Saturday I worked out some race goals for the different sections of the marathon. At this point I'm pretty confident I have a chance of reaching even my stretch goal of a BQ 3:40. I'm just excited to go into a marathon healhy and adequately trained again. It feels good.

3 miles @ 9:41/mi  Neighborhood 5K route.

I mostly ran easy, but I slipped in some marathon pace effort a couple of times. The first was 0.18 miles @ 6:59/mi on the good downhill by Northridge park. The second was 0.15 miles @ 8:02/mi on level road at the end. I'm still excited and feeling optimistic about the marathon on Saturday.

3 miles @ 9:15/mi  Neighborhood 5K route.

Easy pace with a few strides.

I read an article that recommended running 10-20 minutes at easy pace the day before the marathon. It felt right to me, so I gave it a try. I think I liked it and will probably continue to do it in the future.

Race goals:

More details:

RESTART PLACE FINISH MAP Info Email  0		NAME: Paul Thomas EVENT: Marathon DATE: 4 October, 2014 BIB/DIV:   2746 / MENS 50-54 TIME: 3:50:02 (gun) / 3:47:47 (net)

Result in Entire Field - 1694th place 4105 finishers behind. 29% of finishers ahead.   Result in Gender (Men) - 1131st place 1943 finishers behind. 37% of finishers ahead.   Result in Division (MENS 50-54) - 152nd place 173 finishers behind. 46% of finishers ahead.

LEGEND The location of the figure on the line shows your position in the finish order of the race. The closer the figure is to the right, the closer you were to the winner. FACTS Who's who Of the 5799 who finished, 47% were Women and 53% were Men.   Opposite Sex For the record, you were ahead of about 79% of women runners.   Timing Info Your start delay: 2m 15s. This page based on NET  times.   Click images for GUN times.   Over Final 7mi You passed 190 runners And 39 passed you

 View your MarathonFoto Race Day Photos

3 miles @ 10:59/mi.

Easy run to shake out the legs after the marathon. A few minor aches and pains, but mostly felt pretty good.

4 miles @ 9:00/mi.  Legs feeling pretty much back to normal.

4.1 miles @ 8:53/mi
6.1 miles @ 10:14/mi

Kevin had to get out early so I ran 4 miles with him then met Lyle and ran another 6 miles. I enjoyed both runs. Even though the second run was slower, by the end of it I was pretty tired. Still recovering from the marathon I suspect.

6.5 miles @ 10:18/mi.  Murdock/Lindon loop with Lyle.

3 miles @ 9:55/mi.  Short loop with Lyle. I had to be in Salt Lake early. Lyle had a four wheeler roll over on him the day before. His back was a little sore but he said he felt better by the end of the run.

5 miles @ 8:33/mi. Solo run on Murdock trail. Tried some up tempo today. It felt pretty good.

7.5 miles @ easy pace
2 miles @ marathon pace
1 miles @ 6:58/mi

Wayne and I ran from Vivian Park up to Big Springs park (3 miles), around the Big Springs loop (4 miles), then back down to Vivian. Kevin didn't have time for the whole run so he parked at Big Springs then ran down to meet us coming up. That way he could head out after the Big Springs loop. Larry and Jo had said they weren't coming. We were pleased when they surprised us as they drove by while we were running up to Big Springs. They just hiked/jogged the Big Springs loop. It worked out that we met them right at the spring. We talked a while then ran with them a bit. Eventually Kevin, Wayne, and I went on ahead.

I felt the need to go the bathroom coming on so I pulled ahead on the downhill dirt road and ran ahead to the bathroom. The downhill felt good so I took the brakes off. I was at 6:45 pace at one point and ended up averaging 6:58 pace for a mile or so. I very much enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the whole run. The fall weather was great. The autumn leaves were past their prime, but the mountains were still beautiful. Kevin said he loves the smell of the fallen leaves. I hadn't really thought about it before, but I enjoyed it as well. Mostly I enjoyed being with my running buddies.

By the end of the run Wayne and I were feeling a little like the end of the marathon, but that's not a bad thing. We both commented during the run how much we simply enjoy running. Some people don't get it, but I suspect if you're reading this you maybe do.

6 miles @ 8:53/mi.  Murdock/Lindon loop.

I was expecting to meet Lyle and Kevin this morning. Due to a lengthy bathroom visit, I was a tiny bit late getting out the door. I ran towards the direction Lyle comes from, but after a block or two I began to fear he had already gone by. I turned and headed towards Kevin's house. I picked up the pace and held it for most of the 6 miles, but I never did see Lyle or Kevin. I don't know if I missed them or they didn't get out. Oh well. It was a good run anyway.

6.1 miles @ 9:58/mi.  Murdock trail south to Wil's Canyon Stop.

6.2 miles @ 9:21/mi. Murdock trail north with Kevin and Lyle.

6.2 miles @ 9:08/mi.  Murdock trail north solo.

6.5 miles @ 10:27/mi
3.25 miles @ ? (watch error)

I ran with Wayne and Kevin from Timpanogos Park to Vivian Park and back. Our watches had trouble connecting with the satellites at times.

We stayed together on the way up. Kevin had to get back so he pushed a little faster on the way back and Wayne told me to go with him. We ran 8:15-8:30-ish pace until Nunn's Park. I sent Kevin ahead and stopped at the bathroom. I then waited for my watch to lock back in. I wanted to push the two miles from Nunn's to Timpanogos and wanted to know my pace.

The Army soldiers were there again today. They do some fitness tests that include that 2 mile run. I ran the first mile in 7:11, very good for me. I had slowed to around 7:30 the second mile but then the first Army runner passed me. I hung onto him from behind (not literally) and ran 7:06 pace the second mile, passing Wayne with about 1/4 mile to go.

Very enjoyable morning.

6.3 miles @ 8:59/mi.  Murdock trail north with Kevin.

5.6 miles @ 10:21/mi.  Dry Canyon trailhead solo. Easy hill work in the dark.

6 miles @ 9:06/mi.  Murdock trail north with Kevin.

I started out intending to do an easy run (10:22 first mile with some uphill). We sped up a little when I picked Kevin up 0.6 miles into the run. He said he had to be back at 6:20 so when we turned around at 6:00 we picked up the pace. We were at 8:15 pace for a bit but averaged 8:30-ish pace for a couple of miles. I dropped to 9:30-ish pace after I dropped him off for about a mile then dropped back down to 8:35 pace for the last 1/4 mile.

Since I didn't push really hard yesterday, I think this mixed easy/hard day was probably okay. However, I need to be careful to keep my easy days easy.

6 miles @ 9:32/mi.  Murdock trail north with Kevin. Easy day easy.

10.75 miles - mostly slow with a few fast miles

Kevin, Wayne, and I ran up to Rock Pile then looped east on the Middle Earth trail which comes back along the fire road to the top of the water tank hills. We were just out to enjoy a trail hike/run together. We walked a lot of the uphill and ran the downhills easy. I think we all very much enjoyed the run, especially doing it together. With injuries, we've had fewer group runs than previous years.

Near the end, as we were coming back on the mostly level fire road, I decided to push the pace for a couple of miles. Wayne sent us ahead and Kevin came with me. The first mile was only at about 8:45 pace. After emptying my bladder, and my water bottle, and tying my long sleeve shirt around my waist, I felt much more comfortable and we ran the second mile in 8:07. My legs were aching from all the uphill and downhill earlier, but I decided to push for a third mile. Kevin had been hanging with me regardless of my pace. He stopped a couple of times briefly during the 3rd mile but caught me again both times. Finally I broke him (not my intention) and he let me go. I ran the last mile in 8:05.

It feels so good to be able to run hard again and push through exhaustion. I'm not quite sure why I enjoy that so much, it's kind of uncomfortable. I especially enjoyed being out with Kevin and Wayne. I missed Larry and Jo, who normally would have been with us. The weather was a little windy and, surprisingly for November, a little warm at times. It felt good to run in the mountains with my buddies. It felt good to stop. It was a great morning.

6.3 miles @ 10:00/mi.  Easy day easy.

6 miles @ 9:04/mi.  Murdock/Lindon loop.

The "feels like" temp was 18, and it was pretty dark even with the DST change. The extra clothing slowed me down but kept me warm. I enjoyed the uptempo running in the cold and dark. I averaged 8:48/mi for the middle 4 marathon pace miles. Not spectacular, but acceptable under the conditions.

6.1 miles @ 9:44/mi.  Orem library loop. Easy day easy.

1.6 miles @ 9:56/mi  2000 N uphill
8.5 miles @ 10:48/mi  Dry Canyon trailhead, foothills, Timpanogos park, Murdock trail, steep hill back to Dry Canyon road
2.0 miles @ 8:29/mi  2000 N downhill

Kevin and I didn't really know where we were headed when we started, but we were both okay with that. There seemed to be a lot of uphill today, but I enjoyed the whole run. The single track trail running portion was most enjoyable. It was a little chilly at times, but I was dressed well for it. I know we need the moisture from the snow, but I've enjoyed the sunny, chilly, autumn days.

Near the end of our run Kevin was telling me some interesting things about Steve Young he'd read recently. He mentioned that as a freshman Steve Young was 8th on the QB depth chart behind, among others, Royce Bybee, a neighbor and fellow runner. As Kevin and I started the climb back up to Dry Canyon, we saw Jo Marshall driving down. Kevin's knee was bothering him so she drove him back up to his car. I decided to run down 2000 N back home. At the Murdock trail I happened to cross paths with Martin Wright and Royce Bybee and got to hear Royce's view of those days. Very interesting and enjoyable. So many blessings from running.

6.1 miles @ 10:11/mi  Ye old Lindon loop through Lindon Park solo.

The angels had their leaf blowers out this morning. There was a strong wind from the NW. It was nice at 3 miles out when I hit the NW corner of my route and then had the wind to my back. At one point some leaves ran right along with me for a bit. There was a bright moon out. It was enjoyable.

I think my legs were still a little tired from all those uphills on Saturday.

6 miles @ 9:25/mi.  Murdock trail north with Kevin.

I was sure glad Kevin was out this morning. My legs felt dead as I started out into the cold and dark. I briefly considered turning back and not running, and seriously considered cutting the run in half. Fortunately, I didn't and endured far enough to meet up with Kevin. From then on I enjoyed the run.

6 miles @ 9:16/mi.  Murdock trail north with Kevin.

I've been feeling slow in the cold. After dropping off Kevin I decided to push the last 0.6 miles home, a mix of moderate downhill and flat. I averaged 7:10/.mi. I'll take it.