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9 mile progression. I started outside but the wind was chilly and I turned back just 1/3 of a mile into it. I went to the treadmill unfortunately. Last time was April 12. Some assistants were doing Zoomba in there so it was kind of awkward.

I went 8 mph for .31 miles, then miles in 8.2, 8.4, 8.6, 8.8, 9.0, 9.2, 9.5 and 10 all at an incline of 1. 56:13 on the treadmill and another 5:34 outside.

My hamstrings were sore from my 4x100 yesterday but otherwise feeling good. HR never exceeded 150.

Last Yassos. 10x800 with 400 jog rest. McCarthey track, 2 up 1.75 down. Idea was to do 21 seconds per 100 meters.

Splits were 2:43, 2:45, 2:48, 2:45, 2:48, 2:48, 2:48, 2:47, 2:48 and 2:41.

I had to push to get the splits but I never felt labored. I was quite thirsty. I should start bringing water on warmer days like today.

Easy out and back to Emigration canyon. I had a gut bomb of R&R pulled pork and smoked brisket for lunch and it didn't feel great. 46:32 total time. New Garmin 610 so I don't know elevation. HR 131

Easy from Sugar House Park up to Wasatch around the U and back down 15th E. Then another loop up to 2700 S and north to 1700 S. Ran with James from the blog and it was good to get to know him. 2:10:29 total with 139 HR. 

Garmin says 978 ft of climb so not sure how to translate that. I am thinking 750 or so.

Taper week. Schedule was 4 easy 1 hard. I decided to do the hard one in the middle at McCarthey track and got it in 5:26. It was harder than I expected. Overall, my body felt dormant after more than 48 hours off so this was a good jolt to the system. 39:53 overall.

I think its getting warm enough to start trying to get up early.

9 miles with 8x2 mts at 6 mt pace; 2 mt recovery. I did my Wasatch out and back from work. 65:24 total with 146 HR. Felt better than yesterday.

Based on a 9 mile run I did last month, this has about 700 ft of climb.

Emigration out and back. Did five sixty step Murphys on the way back. 37:33 with 500+ ft of climb.

Best I've felt all week. I wanted to go farther faster.

I just realized I've been putting my runs this week a day early. It took me four days to figure it out.

2x5k@ MP, 2k up, 2k down, 1k recovery between.

Last workout before the marathon. I wasn't sure if I should do MP only or add some HMP in there. I decided to do 2x5k and keep the 5ks under 20 minutes. This was my wasatch run, so the first 5k included 190 up and 170 down and 170 down,/190 up for the second 5k. So a bit harder than an aided MP effort.

I did the first 5k in 19:45 and the second in 19:47, so a bit fast at 6:21.7 avg. Felt good overall. Mid 60s and windy so this should be worst case for marathon day conditions toward the end of the race.

64:00 total with 700+ ft of climb. 150 HR

Easy from work up Red Butte road, back down and over to the JCC. 40 minutes total. 138 HR. No climb data.

Woke up at 5 am and couldn't go back to sleep. Left the house at about 5:30 and went to Liberty Park and around the wood chips twice. At 9.25 miles, I hit the West High track for a 5k in 19:20. It felt great. 1:36:00 total with 500 ft of climb.

Last long run before the marathon!

Easy around Memory Grove and east on 11th Ave to Virginia from about 11:30-12:50. 79 degrees when I finished. 1:18:07 with 129 HR avg.

I went during Colin's nap after a big buffet breakfast at Oasis Cafe, so I was feeling a bit weighed down. Happy Mothers Day!

AM:

Rest day. I am already very anxious at 10 am.

I am also awaiting the St George marathon lottery results, so that has me additionally on edge. Also, I am awaiting results for my 5 yr old Charlie's ELP test to determine where he is going to kindergarten. These are promised by mid May. Also, there is a plumber going to my mom's today and I have yet to hear from them and I am feeeling anxious since she needs her AC to work. Also, a permanent crown and a haircut scheduled for this afternoon. I hate the waiting place.

Funny that I am on edge about St George five days before Ogden. Intended?

I currently plan to take most or all of next week off, but I am already guessing I will be bouncing off the walls.

PM: I got in to St George so I am super excited.

Another 15k. This time,  I ran an 8k warm-up, a 5k in 19:15 at West and a 2k cool. Low to mid 70s for the run. I am bouncing off the walls in here.

66:19 with 300+ ft of climb.

Early morning run from home around the West High track a few times. 39:45 total.

Rest day tomorrow.

This is what happens on rest days with marathon jitters.

I have not given a thought to what is coming next in running other than to register for the St. George lottery and go from there. If I had not made the St. George lottery, I am not sure I would train for another marathon this year. Like Collin Anderson, I am aware that I am building my foundation on a bad hip. The “hope for the best” strategy has been going well enough so far, but eventually I believe I will have to fix it or potentially be ruined by it.

This has made me think of the arc of an adult runner. Someone like Rob Murphy, Sasha or Fritz who has been doing this their entire adult lives has more insight than I do, but what are the reasons the rest of us get into running, obsess over PRs and then stay consistent or not? Can Rob, Sasha and Fritz see a one year blogger from a mile away (or perhaps miles behind them on a course)?

The primary motivator for getting back into running is usually health, but there are contributing factors. For me, I wanted some redemption. I feel I was a talented runner who didn’t appreciate the gift I was given and I wanted to prove to myself that I could stick with it and be good at it. I also have a social need, and I appreciate that bloggers acknowledge this aspect by putting their work out there for everyone to see and making an effort to meet one another. It is easy to live in isolation as an adult. You don’t really need to make friends if you have a family and a job that occupy most of your waking hours. But for me, the longing for community is always there.

Although PRs and winning may seem like an outward display of braggadocio, I think they are ultimately very personal things. It is part of a journey of the self toward fulfillment of some kind. Running is sexy because the measure of improvement is so concrete and the barriers to entry are so minimal.

Why do some stay with it and some quit? There are a number of ways to stay with it. You can keep obsessing over mileage and PRs, you can try to maintain as you age, you can move to other distances, you can reduce to a minimal volume to maintain fitness, you can make it a part of a fitness regime that includes other priorities or you can get fat again. You can also get on and off the hamster wheel from season to season and year to year. That’s what I am wrestling with now.

I stopped after five months of training last year because a knee injury started creeping up and I sort of fell off the wagon. Then it was hard to convince myself to get back on the wagon when it was 80+ degrees out there during the summer. That hiatus is not far behind me and is right in front of me – I have yet to prove I can run 50+ miles/wk during the summer months. Being a consistent early riser is probably the best solution (I have been persuaded by a comment from Jake K that I should avoid the treadmill if I have hip issues).

Clearly injuries are the one variable that is hardest to control. Is it worth it to see every doctor and spend vast amounts of money to be racing fast if you can trod along and stay healthy? This must be a very personal answer. I am guessing that those who love it and can’t live without it don’t even ask the question. I am definitely healthier and happier running and I am excited to be a part of this community, so do I continue on and at what cost?

Hopefully, I can push all of this off until after this autumn. I have to come up with a training plan and some races between now and then. After all, what better way is there to ignore the inevitable crossroads that each of us will face than tying your shoes (or slipping on your crocs) and getting out for a run?

1 up, 2 MP, 1 down. 6:22 for each of the marathon pace miles at the West High track. 28:50 total. Last run.

Good luck to everyone tomorrow!

Sad to see that that the Quantcast affliction has hit all runners now. That was a good thing while it lasted.

Not the best day for a marathon weather-wise, but I am satisfied with the result given the circumstances. I would rather have rain and wind than heat, so at least I stayed cool and never felt thirsty. I woke up at 3:50, made coffee and ate. I thought of a funny line for the body glide I used for the first time and copiously at that "Oh the places you'll go!"

I left at about 4:15 and parked near the buses. I got on an early bus and talked to a fast 56 year old from Montana. Once at the starting area, I made a pit stop and then tried to warm by the fire. It was cold but the rain was worse and I learned some good tips by watching others brave the rain like bagging shoes and bringing a poncho. I met up with James Clissold after my third bathroom break and we stayed together until the start. He gave me a blanket to stop the convulsive shivering and I think that was a big help.

I started with Chad Robinson with a half goal of 1:24. The first 8 were right on target at 6:22 but my Garmin was counting the miles a bit short. Chad was wearing Altras instead of Crocs and he had to tie them twice in the first 8 miles. I sympathize because mine are always coming loose. After the second time Chad stopped, I didn't see him again. This was when we were in the valley and the wind and rain let up for a few miles. I found myself running with Jason Blackham from that point on. We didn't really help each other, but he led some and I led some. The rain returned at some point between 13-17 (how some can give a mile by mile recap, I have no idea) and it continued for the rest of the race in varying degrees. At mile 15.5, my right quad started to stiffen. My right calf also noted its distress but that went away. At mile 18 or so, my left hamstring started to tighten. I was kind of waiting to fall apart, but I kept up ok with the downhill canyon miles. Around mile 22, Jason passed me and I held on to him for dear life. Without him, I wonder whether I would have slowed but I just tried to keep on his heels. At mile 25 on the turn from 18th to Grant, I tried to push it and caught Jason. Immediately, my left hamstring locked up. So I let up a bit and kept going. About 100 yards before the finish line, my family was there to cheer for me. I looked at my watch and realized I could still beat 2:52 if I pushed it. I sprinted to the end with their encouragement.

I am very excited that I didn't blow up in the last 6. I slowed, but I never had a sub 7 mile according to the Garmin.

I finally found my Garmin USB stick. Official splits and HR: 

1 6:19.8 141

2 6:25.0 151

3 6:21.3 149

4 6:17.4 148

5 6:21.8 148

6 6:19.8 150

7 6:27.5 149

8 6:25.3 148

9 6:36.8 149

10 6:28.2 149

11 6:38.7 150

12 6:37.7 151

13 6:36.4 155

14 6:39.4 154

15 6:45.5 155

16 6:26.8 153

17 6:35.6 155

18 6:23.6 153

19 6:34.8 152

20 6:41.8 151

21 6:37.5 153

22 6:35.6 153

23 6:29.7 154

24 6:43.7 158

25 6:51.7 158

26 6:53.8 158

27 1:42.2 162 (.27 on the Garmin for a 6:18 pace)

Official first half 1:25:00; official second half 1:26:56; average heart rate 152. 

I think I did well with nutrition pre-race and during. I had to go at about mile 6 but somehow held it until the end. 

First Boston qualification and a PR of 29 minutes 40 seconds. Had I thought of that, perhaps I could have pushed a bit more for a round 30 minutes. As always, this leaves me wanting more. 

I have recovered three days. I was definitely sore but still mobile throughout. By yesterday, I felt good enough to run again but wanted to give it three full days off.

With St. George just over 19 weeks away, I will be commencing another cycle starting next week. In an attempt to build on the last cycle, I feel a need to review.

The good (reviewing beginning of year goals).

• Consistency - Over 140 days, I trained 129 days. 120 of those days were running and the rest were crosstraining while I was struggling with left hip pain in weeks 9, 11 and 12.  I never missed a scheduled run other than during the injury period and had only two workouts I considered failures.
• Mileage build - I successfully increased mileage to 60/wk and a 75 max without feeling overstressed. This really started in September 2012. From then, the four week average was 29.6, 38, 46, 38 (missed some key long runs in Dec and was sick a week), 57, 62.6, 53 (hip), 48.8 (hip; with 475mts cross @ 7mph that's 65.8), 66.6, then 50.6 (for final two taper weeks). I think this was a conservative increase generally.
• Racing - I may have raced too much with 9 races from 5k-30k. I PRd in every distance and gained a lot of confidence and knowledge, so I really think I needed it. I also qualified for Boston with room to spare. Now to decide whether to run it. Had I gone sub 2:50, I would have been in the first tier to sign up...
• Taper and week of/in race nutrition - I think this was spot on. I didn't carb load per se and I didn't hog out on Friday. I just watched what I was eating for the last week and consumed minimal alchohol. The pre-race meal of bagel with pb, banana and coffee with dark chocolate almond milk seemed to work well. I have no reason not to believe that nutrition in race was ok, but I did slow down over the last 8 miles so I need to consider this as a factor.

The bad.

• Weight - I lost 18 pounds from September - December 2012 but did not lose any weight during the cycle. I stayed steady at 170-172. While I think I eat very well and avoid soda and fastfood, I eat very little for breakfast and snack too much after dinner. I also did not reduce my alcohol consumption which is more evening calories I simply don't need.
• Health  - I am not a stretcher. I am inflexible generally and I do nothing to work on flexibility. I was only doing it regularly as a part of physical therapy for 2-3 weeks when I was resting my hip.  I also don't do much other than run.
• Endurance - Like my first marathon, I slowed over the last 8. My legs were heavy and cramping. The variable of weather makes the reasons difficult to isolate, but I am going to work with fast finishes to long runs and in race nutrition to gain a better understanding of how this affects me.

The goals.

• Consistency - It is TBD whether I can be consistent in the summer. I have ambitious goals, but I need to find time to work out other than the heat of the day during lunch. The key here is getting a few partners to do a.m. runs and I have been doing that.
• Mileage build - Looking for an average of 70 and a peak of 85. I may do my first ever double. This should be doable if I can get the am run in and then do some easy jogging at lunch a couple times in heavier volume weeks. Starting June 2, the four week average is scheduled as 67, 74, 75, 77 and taper of 53 for two weeks.
• Racing - More minimal this time. Des News 10k and Timp Half are the only ones for sure. I put a lot of stress on my body by racing on Saturday and doing long runs on Sunday. I am going to try to make Sunday shakeout day rather than missed Saturday run day.
• Weight/Health - Down into the 160s. Sub 165 by race day. This is a combination of diet and taking care of my body during recovery with stretching and core strengthening. Reducing alcohol intake is a high priority.
• St George Marathon - Run this race in 2:39:59. It is an ambitious goal, but I think there are enough variables that could be tweaked to allow me to pop out a good one if I can stick to my goals and the weather cooperates. I want to do the 10k in sub 34 and the half in sub 1:13. Downhill dash delights all of these.

Your thoughts are welcome. Happy running!

PM: 2 miles on the treadmill in 17; 17 minutes of spinning; 15 minutes on the stairmaster at 8 (120 floors). A dull ache in my upper left hamstring. I reduced the run from 4 to 2 and kept it inside to monitor. I also put the incline all the way up to 15 and it hurt more as the incline increased. I am going to ease back into it with some cross training.

2 super easy in the hills behind work in 20 minutes. I was seeking a spot for some clandestine hill blasts and I think I found a good one. Back at work, I did another 15 minutes on the bike and 10 minutes of targeted stretching.

The hamstring feels the same as yesterday and hurts worst when I am running uphill at a faster pace. I am not worried about it. 

I was at 167 this morning on the digital scale in my bathroom. That's a low outside of after a super long run. Interesting it came during recovery - does anyone know why? 

Three very easy from home to West High and back. I did a mile barefoot on the grass there. The cold wet grass made my feet tingly. 25:48 total. Everything is feeling good.

We took a trip to Sun Valley as a family. We were upgraded to a cottage right by the main lodge and it was lovely. I brought my running gear but didn't run. 

This morning, I ran to Liberty Park, around the wood chips once and back home. Did a marathon pace mile in 6:10 starting after the drinking fountain at the park just to check things out. It's harder to go fast on those chips with all the runners out today. My legs definitely felt less spry than I thought they would, so this is still a recovery week. 59:00 total

I've decided that the hamstring pain is probably ischial bursitis or perhaps some more minor irritation. A literal pain in the butt. Less today but not gone.

Plan was 5 easy and I barely got this in.

Warmed up ten minutes on the stationary bike. I saw the nice weather turn to storm toward the end of the warm-up. It started running at about mile 1.5 going up Wasatch around the zoo. When I turned around, it really started pouring. I had a hard time getting in my 4x80 step Murphys. The pace was a bit quick because of the coming and then present storm. 33:55 total with 450+ft of climb.

Felt much stronger today than yesterday. 

Did 5 laps easy around Matheson Park. 38:38

Stretching afterward!

8 easy to 11th Ave via Fed Heights and the U. I am still feeling a step slow. 1:00:40 total with 700 ft of climb.

Listening to A Short History of Nearly Everything and the time flies because I am transfixed by it. 

5 easy - decided to do a 7 mile trail run. I kept the pace brisk going north from work up Dry Creek. I could feel the La Frontera Chicken Cheese Chile Colorado Chimchanga in my gut from lunch. The True Gloves feel better than the Altras, but I ran this six minutes faster than I did in December at what felt like a pretty moderate effort. 54:04 with more than 1000 ft of climb.

It's Friday night and the weekend's here.