Welcome

I didn't wake up Halloween morning so yesterday turned out to be my off day. I was too busy today to run at lunch so I ran from my brother's home in Canyon Rim along 2300 East. No nagging pains today so that was encouraging. I ran north and south so hills were minimal - maybe 180 ft of climbing. 44:43

Got into the Ogden Marathon so that will be my Spring Marathon. I am not sure how I will progress through training. My threshold goal will be 3:00 but I am thinking I can hit 2:55. That will shave one minute off my average time from the Salt Lake Marathon and would be the same pace as my Haunted Half.

Ran from Foothill up the Parley's trail and to about 3500 S along BST then returned. A little deviation up a hill off Foothill. 48:43 600 ft of climbing

A little pain in my right arch! I am just starting to read up on it and obviously I don't want it to be plantar fasciitis. It is very dull right now so the first steps I will take will be icing, changing inserts and avoiding sprinting and steeper hills.

Rolled and iced the arch and there was no pain this morning. I did my run and felt spry so did a moderate pace. Felt fresh afterward and I could feel the arch but not as much as yesterday. From home to Jordan Parkway south to about 27th south/redwood bridge. 250 ft of climbing probably (I"ve taken to cutting runkeeper in half which gave me 506 ft) 1:39:11

Ran from home to liberty park, once around the wood chips and home. Felt a little flat but time was in range. The right arch feels like yesterday which is better than Friday but still there. Still rolling and icing. 225 ft of climbing and 65 minutes

Was going to do 1 warm, 6 @ 6:40, 1 cool. Felt zippy and made a tempo out of it. Miles were: 7:16, 6:40, 6:18, 6:00, 5:39, 6:18, 6:40, 7:34. 52:26 total

Incline of .5 due to arch pain. I felt it a bit but it seems to be improving by the day. Today it was painless but present.

During my marathon build-up, I averaged 32.25 miles per week and exceeded 40 only once. During the past ten weeks, I've averaged 36.8 and I've been over 40 three of the past four weeks with an average of just over 41 for the past six. 

The point of all of this is - I can really tell. I feel like I was just losing weight last time around whereas now I am strengthining my neuro-muscular system. The runs aren't as taxing on my body and I feel pretty fresh generally this time around. I am limiting myself due to time constraints and fear of injury, but I want to fly.

6 am run. I tripped less than a minute into it on an uneven sidewalk and came away with some scrapes and bruises. Ran up W Temple to 1100 S or so and back home. Felt flat after the fast lunch time run yesterday. Also, I have never been a morning runner - always takes so long to warm up. Maybe 200 ft of climbing 47:30

Six mile moderate out and back from work up to Blaine and Wasatch. Windy with about 400 ft of climbing 43:32

Then did 6x8 second hill sprints and jogged back up to office

Treadmill at work due to all the snow up here. I would've braved it if the snow wasn't sticking to the ground but I thought it too dangerous. I did the variable hill workout for 45 minutes with grades of 0-5 for 2.5 mt increments. I wasn't breathing hard but I think it was tough on my body because I was sweating more than normal...

My wife wanted to go to her parents in Ogden so I decided to check out some of the last 1/2 of the Ogden Marathon. I started at the turn-off in Eden toward Powder Mountain which looks like about mile 14 and went down Ogden Canyon and west along the parkway all the way to 1900 W. I continued west to my wife's parents in West Weber for a total just over 17 miles. Felt pretty good other than dodging cars in Ogden Canyon; probably kind of stupid with the snow and blind curves. 2:06:30 and no idea what the climb was

30 minute recovery run from home to 4th W and 2nd S

45 minute treadmill tempo. 9-11-9 mph. 9 for 1.12, 9.5 for 1.57, 10 for 2.5 miles,10.5 for 1.5 miles and 11 for .72 miles. Finished the first 10k in 37:20 (thus first 6.22 averaged an even 6 mts/mile).

I forgot my Kinvaras so I wore my trail shoes which have no support. My last run in them was September 19. My only socks were my compression socks which are probably too bulky for the shoes b/c I had four toenails crashing into the toe box. Lots of work on my calves too and they were burning. I was going to do 50 mts but decided to modify (read cut the 5:42 pace by a mile and a longer cool down) to not burn out my calves.

I missed yesterday for three reasons - first, I forgot my shoes again; second, my calves were extremely sore after the treadmill minimal shoe run; and third I started to come down with aches and chills at lunch time. It's funny how easy it is for the whole routine to get derailed. Its as simple as hurrying out the door without a minute of planning.

Luckily, I don't have a flu and my calves are a bit better, though still sore, today. I wore my cold gear and I was really hot in the 40+ weather. Run up Emigration Canyon and back to work. 46:06 and 550 ft of climbing

Ran to the Red Butte fence but that was wetter and snowier than I wanted. I wandered around Research Park and Matheson State Park and cut it short at 5 miles with 550 ft of climbing - 39:02. Wore shorts and a short sleeve shirt and I was a bit cold.

After I got back to the office, I finished the 10k on the treadmill running 1.21 in 8:10 at a 2 elevation with four accelerations to 12 MPH for .07 miles.

Emigration out and back from work. Felt strong.  51:45 with 650 ft of climbing

Calves still sore from Monday run. Wow. But much better.

Morning 20k. I felt really flat but made it through the run. Jordan Pkwy out and back. 1:37:15

Bought the roadnoise vest (http://www.roadnoise.com/products) and was very excited to try it out. The left speaker wasn't working well so that was a big disappointment. Also, the speakers are bulkier than I expected and I'm guessing they aren't waterproof. I like the jacket for the reflectors and to carry my iphone - I never liked the armband.

Round-about West Weber/Marriott. Ran about a mile w/ my brother in law who is just starting to run. minimal climbing maybe 100 ft 59:04

Ran four liberty laps on wood chips and to/from car. Paused it accidentally for .62 miles or so, so not certain of time but it was between 48-49 minutes. 160 ft of climbing

50 minute treadmill tempo at work. 1 mile warm up; .5 miles at 9.5, 2.5 miles at 10.0, 2.5 miles at 10.5 and 1 mile at 11.5 (5:13 mile!) with a .71 mile cool down at 9.0.

I am feeling fast. I don't have a heart rate monitor but I am considering getting myself something for Christmas. My informal pulse check put me somewhere in the mid 160s. I have no idea what my VO2 max is and I don't know where to put my threshold pace any more. All I know is 6:40 is now feeling pretty easy and I don't get winded running in the 5s.

I believe I might have a case of ITBS starting up so I am trying to fend it off. I was at an incline of 1 for the first 4 miles and then the dull pain came. I went down to 0 and it was fine thereafter so maybe I avoid running up and down hills and try to strengthen my core and stretch a bit more. I just got a foam roller so I am going to try to figure out how to use it.

10 alone in 1:12:06 in Bear Lake along the pathway in Garden City. Another one and change with a few in laws I will count as one. Minimal climbing; perhaps 300 ft.

More Bear Lake miles - out and back to marina. 44:47 w perhaps 300 ft climb

Final Bear Lake run - along the pathway back and forth and back and forth. No internet out there and I can't write in the blog in my iphone. Long run in 1:59:09 with perhaps 500 ft climbing

From home to Memory Grove/City Creek, about a mile at West High striding the straights then home. 60:19 600 ft climb

Knee is feeling 'balky' but minimal pain during run and its tightest in the morning. I don't know if its ITBS since its not tender and its a bit lower than the knee cap. I've been running flatter runs for fear of it but it didn't really act up today on the uphill or downhill. 

A tale of two runs. I had ambitious goals of doing a 2x5k within a 50 minute tempo but the work treadmill died on me when I was about 2.25 in. Warm up mile of 7:08 then 1.25 at 5:27. I then went outside and my legs were not having it so I did a slow meander through Research Park and around Red Butte in 32:50 with 400+ ft of climing. Total of about 47 minutes. 

I was also sluggish last Monday after the six straight days and two longer weekend runs so that's noteworthy. Perhaps I need to run slower on Sunday. I did 55.46 miles in my six on days which is a high for me (last week was 45.97 in the six days of running). Considering upping to 7 days on/one off but I may hold off until January when marathon training begins. Knee feels good.

I have had a nasty cold the past four days. Good down time to let my body heal and take in the increased running load. Down to a new low weight and I don't think it is related to being sick as my appetite is normal.