Welcome

Happy New Year! It seems to be resolution time. Mine are:

• Stay healthy and consistent
• Run 2500 miles
• PR at every distance and qualify for Boston with room to spare
• Ogden Marathon race weight of 165 and no alcohol between now and then

Emigration out and back from work in 60 minutes. 150 HR and 700 ft of climbing. Threw in 8x30 seconds at 5:50 pace with 60 seconds in between, half on the last mile up and half on the first mile down. Also did mile 7 in 6:05 trying to get to know a 6:15 pace. For me, I would call a 6:00 pace flat out running - not running fast or slow, just running. I'm interested to know whether what I perceive as running will change over time.

Runkeeper is super bogged down right now with all the resolution exercisers so my data may change a bit as I believe there may have been I slight bloop in distance on the way up.

From home to JRP and about 7th S and back. Runkeeper stopped in my pouch and it took me a while to figure it out but the time was about 53:45 total with 134 HR and 200+ ft of climb.

Treadmill tempo in 58:50 at 1 incline with 149 avg HR and 167 max. Faster miles were:

MPH Pace Dst Time

9 6.67 0.5 3.33

9.5 6.32 2 12.63

10 6 2 12

10.3 5.83 1 5.83

10 6 0.5 3

9.5 6.32 0.5 3.16

9 6.67 0.25 1.67

Started at 11th and B and went up through the U to 19th E then 27th S down to Liberty Park then Memory Grove back to the car. 1:55:03 with 900 ft of climbing and 148 HR. Felt good. Tired doing the hill at the end.

10.3 out and back to Main & 25th S and 4x8 sc hill blasts. 1:18 for the run with 138 HR and maybe 200 ft of climb.

My weekly Emigration out and back in the crocs with 8x30sc acceleration sub-6 (half up-hill half down). I felt lousy for the first mile and then it ended up, as usual, being one of my favorie runs. 700+ ft of climb, 146 HR and 58:24.

Yesterday after accelerating through an intersection on my run, I could feel pain in my left calf/achilles - where the one begins and the other ends so higher than AT I think. It felt a bit worse today on the downhill and I hope to get ahead of it.

.25 testing the Altras.

Treadmill at work in 35:45 with 129 HR. Tested out new Altras to get more shoes in my rotation (free 8th pair at SLRCo). My Road Gloves, which I wore when the pain arose, probably shouldn't be used longer than 6-7 miles or on softer surfaces. The first two miles were pain free but the pain came back in the third mile. I dialed back the intensity and it persisted so I decided 5 was enough.

Looks like a slow easy recovery week of treadmill runs. Probably for the best with this awful air.

Easy flat treadmill miles. No pain in left calf/achilles but I thought it might be tightening toward the end and I stopped. 31:18 with 119 HR. I did another 15 minutes of spinning with a 125 HR.

Put on some old shoes from 2010 that have good Montrail inserts and more cushioning. They felt very nice. I only did 167 miles in 2010 so they probably have some miles in them yet.

The smog was in the lower valley this morning but it has made its way back up to the bench. Glad I'm not out there. Snow storm can't come soon enough.

Another treadmill run at work - this time at 5 since I worked through lunch. I decided to give the left calf/achilles a go and after a 10 minute warm up ran 3 miles at 9.5 MPH, 2.22 miles at a 10.5, .5 miles at a 11 and then .5 miles at 12. All flat, total time 51 minutes. No HR monitor.

There was some tightening when I hit the 5:00 pace but no pain. Also a little irritation on the extensor tendons of the left foot. I already have some irritation on the right big toe extensor. 

Then a very scary drive home. Couldn't make it up the hill to my house in my little Prius. 

More boring treadmill miles. Not sure I would've braved the snow but the calf seems healed. 2 minutes at 8 MPH, 23 mts at 8.6 and 17 mts at 9.2. 42:00 total with a 1.5 incline. HR was 151.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Snowy miles from home to Liberty Park and around five times. Trying to exist where cars did not. Nice run. Heart rate was up a bit (146 avg) and I'm sure it was due to snow but thinking I was a bit sluggish going into the run. 2 hours exactly. 450 ft of climb

My right IT band said hello a few times with some slight burning and my right calf threatened to tighten a bit but then let up. Overall no real pain :) 

Another Liberty Park out and back but using different roads. Nice quicker run but sure hard to be fast this cold. I put on my HR gear but forgot the watch so no HR.  1:13:13 and 400 miles of climbing.

57:30 with 650+ ft of climb and 141HR. 10 degrees and snowy. I ran a snowy path through Matheson and that was a big mistake because the Altras take in snow and leave them between a net and a lining to sit on top of your toes. Oh well.

Emigration was too iffy so I turned back after .5 miles and went up Wasatch to 17th S. Nice run but hard to go very quickly on my 8x30 scs at 5:30 pace. My left achilles would speak up from time to time while running faster or slowing down.

Going to Houston tomorrow to run in some warm 40 degree weather! Inversions coming back to stay until February I hear :(

In The Woodlands for my own deposition. Ran from hotel around Lake Woodlands. Elevation just over 100 ft and 36 degrees out so a nice change. 1:17:53 with perhaps 400 ft of climb. No HR monitor. I brought it but forgot it.

Treadmill run at work. 3x1 at 5:30 at 1.5 incline. 2 mile warm-up at 1.5, .5 miles of rest between sets and 2 mile cool down flat. 51:18 and 160 HR

I will be running a bunch of races coming up, all of the SLC Track Club and Striders races I can. The idea is to train myself mentally at faster paces. I can run any pace 6:30 or below on cruise control but I have to concentrate to exceed that pace and stay on pace. I haven't trained enough in those paces to properly know what pace I am running at any given time. It is all a game of the mind until your legs give out from under you and my mind is weak. In the last mile of this workout, I was ready to stop early in the third mile but tried to put my mind at ease and coast. It didn't work but I kept with it anyway and that's some improvement. I need to do this workout outside somewhere flat between now and the first race next Saturday to gain race-specific confidence and familiarity with the pace. My heart rate was 175-180 during the intervals and that is maxing out as far as I can tell, so maybe faster than my 5k pace but we shall see.

Run from work down to 23 E and 21 S then up Parley's to Foothill and the trailhead where Foothill ends. Back on Wasatch round the zoo up Arapeen and to work. One flat mile along Wasatch in 6:08 and the rest was on the moderate side of easy. 60 minutes, 147 HR and 650+ ft of climb.

From home up Memory Grove up to BST at City Creek and east from there. Stayed in the lower parts of the trail sometimes coming in to the upper aves. Came down at Sunnyside and did the last 7 miles of the Haunted Half and back home. 142 HR, 2000+ft of climbing and 2:36:55.

Felt great the whole time if not weary from a fast-paced week and a 500 ft climb in mile 4. 

Swedetown out and back with 3x1 mile on Warm Springs Rd (relatively flat) running by where that poor couple fell from I-215 yesterday. The intervals were not what I wanted but its a learning process. 5:56, 6:06, 6:07. Still a bit weary. 1:16:45 with 300+ft of climb. No HR monitor.

Another sluggish run - three days in a row. I'm going to start blaming the inversion and a stomach bug that I think has hit me (though mildly; hit my 4 yr old hard). I had to split the run in two with an hour in between. 3 miles at 24:11 and 5 more at 38:53. 129 and 137 HR respectively with 250 ft and 450 ft climbs respectively. Two hill runs back to work. Overall it stunk.

Stomach bug had me bad today but I still tried running inside. Original plan was 2 warm-up, 3 at 5:50 and 2 cool down. Turned into 2.5 warm-up, 1 at 5:50 and .5 cool down.  28:45 total. I will take the rest of the week a bit easier. 

Emigration out and back. Very warm and pretty when you get just a bit up the canyon. Felt much better today. Did eight strides and a few hill bursts. 56 mts; 143 HR and 700 ft climb.

Icy and treacherous roads but what can you do? It may increase the risk of injury from falling/pulling something or death from slipping and falling into traffic (am I the only one who day-nightmares about that?), but it sure is fun! Wasatch Blvd out and back with 4x1 mt sub 6 during mile 5. 57:22 with 550ft of climb and 144 HR.

Easy run near work on Sunnyside and therenearby. 46:53 with 500ft of climb. No HR monitor. Looking forward to the 5k tomorrow.

32 degrees and foggy. Pretty nice race conditions. I warmed up by running the course and doing a couple strides. Idea was 5:50, 5:45, 5:40 and 33 scds for last .1. Actual results were 5:51, 5:55, 6:02 and 35 scds for last .1. Cooled down by running the course once more and running to car and bldg.

While the goal is to break 18 minutes, I think this is ok for this time of the year. I saw a few bloggers I recognized and finished just behind Rob Murphy and shook his hand at the end but was too shy to introduce myself or talk to anyone else. 

Another 3.9 in 30 minutes at 2 to get my daily miles in. Outdoor Retailer Loop

I waited for the storm to hit to run at 2. 14 in the plans but I did 10 instead and it was stacking pretty deep on the way back. My runkeeeper went berzerk so I know I left at 2:02 and returned at 3:24 but nothing more. To Liberty Park around twice and home. 

Treadmill threshold run at work. 10k at 6:00 pace and 1 incline with warm and cool. 50:20 total

Snowy slushy winter run from work. I went into Harvard/Yale to avoid too many cars running on the roads. Feet got kind of wet but otherwise a nice run. 53:26 with 550 ft climb. No HR.

No time to run at lunch so I got in a quick 5 on the treadmill at 5. 

5:00@8.5, 5:00@9, 10:00@9.5, 10:00@10 and .33 miles@12 to finish off. 31:30 total 

Emigration out and back. 8x120 steps hard / 240 steps recover; four going up / four down. Felt great today - very warm and I was overdressed. 51:10 with 650ft climb.

For January, I ran 29 of 31 days and 254.77 miles, both highs. I am feeling stronger with the 60/wk average. Also, beginning to alternate four pairs of shoes and wear compression a lot may be helping me resist injury as I did not have any problem areas this month.

Another emigration out and back in the crocs. I did mile 5 in 5:20 as sort of a tune up for tomorrow; it was a 160 ft drop in elevation. 45:02 and 550 ft climb.

Cold morning. Low 20s I think. We stayed at my wife's parents in West Weber. We got home after midnight after watching Silver Linings Playbook (meh) and my 1 yr old was sleepless so it was a tough night.

I warmed up by running the course. My Garmin didn't charge so I had to use my iPhone to time the race and thus I was forced to run by feel (which inevitably leads me to not push myself). Splits were 6:15 with a net 80 ft climb, 6:33 with a net 50 ft climb (170 up, 120 down), 5:46 with a net 120 ft drop and 27 seconds to finish. My phone showed it to be 3.08 and the total climb is about 325. Then another 3.3 to cool.

I wanted to run a faster final mile, closer to the 5:20 I did yesterday, but it was a tough cold race and its hard to know exactly what to expect I suppose. 

18 miler with Jack Daniels type run from house S on JRP to about 3100 S and back.

• 2E (7:27avg)
• 4M (6:48avg)
• 1T(6:05)
• 2.85M(6:31avg - runkeeper special blip said I ran a 5:30 mile but it was .85 miles)
• 1T(6:11)
• 4M(6:45 avg)
• 1T (6:05)
• 2.05E (7:40 avg)

At mile 3, I ran into a puddle going down under I80 at 200 S and the JRP trailhead and had to inch my way back out on the cement railing so that was a slower 7:07 mile. I had a soggy left foot for a while.

I ran 13.1 in less than 87 mts during the run which would be an unofficial road PR.

6:49 avg, 2:01:56, 300+ climb. I wore my HR thing but it wasn't working so thats pretty great.

Overall, good run and I feel very strong. It felt colder than the 35 my iPhone weather underground claimed and I was a bit chilly along the way. 

Six easy miles to Wasatch &  17th and back. 48:33 with 400+ft of climb

Legs feeling ok but I definitely needed a nice easy run today.

11th Ave out and back from work. Everything feels good. 600+ ft climb and 56:32.

Treadmill tempo at work. 1.5 warm, 5.75 at 6 and .25 at 5, 1.5 cool. Felt strong. 58:10 total

Guardsman, 15th&15th out and back. Ran down 580ft and then straight back up; did five or so uphill strides through Research Park. 56:34 or 7:33 avg. Feeling great. First time not wearing compression tights in a month and it was quite liberating.

Also, woke up to my lowest weight (other than after a long-run) in years.

Easy run staying near work because its busy. Went up Red Butte Canyon Road to the fence on snow and back, up around the U medical center and back. 500+ ft of climb and 48:59. Six strides in the last mile (60 strides fast, 120 slow), three going up good hills.

Looks like it may be a snowy race tomorrow. It will be my first 10k. My initial strategy was to stay at 6:00 as long as I can. Now I think I'll just hang on Rob's shoulder until I collapse.

Although it was not snowing downtown, I ran into a wall of snow around 80th W and I80. At least it didn't snow all night and it wasn't sticking. Weather was cooler than two weeks ago - mid 20s.

I warmed up 4 miles and noted the stark contrast of the back 5k. Wind and snow blowing in my face. I lined up closer to the front this time and was determined to maintain 6 minute miles. I ran the first half perfectly elbow to elbow with Devra. At the turnaround, she said she would draft behind me, but she fell off soon thereafter. I was able to catch a few other people and finished strong. Splits were 6:00, 5:59, 5:59, 6:14, 6:20, 6:08 and 6:00 for the last .214 (73 seconds).

I felt strong coming in and I am running the same strategy for the 15k to see again how close I can stay to 6 minutes. Cooled down running another 4 miles. 

In the afternoon, I went swimming at NW Rec with the two boys and I think that was some good therapy for my tired body.  

Out and back on 500/700 South to 5600 W. I yelled at some cows while running up to I80 and then again on my way back to 700 South. They took note but weren't overly concerned.

Despite the snowy first half, I was feeling terrific and decided to do some half miles in 3 minutes. After four of those with half mile rests in between from miles 11-14.5, I was done for. My feet were quite achy which is unusual and I was spent. I had an 8:30 mile 18 when there is a 80 foot climb and managed an 8:01 for mile 19 back home. 2:27:20 with 400 ft of climb perhaps.

 Life lesson of the day-  Altras suck on the long run.

Wasatch out and back easy in 53:06 with 550+ ft of climb. 25 degrees with a cold wind chill and I was underdressed and still feel chilly.

I was in no mood to run at all today. I almost turned in after realizing I was underdressed.

Treadmill at work in 60 minutes w/ 1 incline. 4x1 mile in 5:50 with .4 mile recovery between at 6:40. 2 mile warm/cool.  I felt great; not labored at all and surpisingly fresh afterward. These may not be outdoor equivalents, but they have given me confidence to push through in races.

Is anyone aware of studies regarding running economy at different paces. Is it possible that its easier for a runner to run at 5:45 than at 6:15 due to improved running economy or other factors? It must be relative to the person, but I kind of feel like its easier or as easy to run at a faster pace (up to a certain undefined point). Is this possible?

Another ho hum run. Ran up emigration and back to work. 600+ climb and 52:32. I did several strides. This is usually my favorite work week run but not today. Sad when my best run of the week was on the treadmill :(

To 11th & E via Federal Heights from work. Kept a more moderate pace. 58:15 with 650+ ft climbing.

I felt much better today and it seemed pretty clear in the hills.

Easy 4 at work with several strides. 28:32 and flat.

Looking forward to a brutal 10k tomorrow for Striders but better rest and good weather. I am thinking of aggressive targets so I will write them down to hold myself accountable.

1. 5:55; 2. 5:30, 3. 6:00, 4. 6:00, 5. 6:20, 6: 6:30, .21 70 seconds - goal approx 37:20.

Good weather. Warmed up 3 including the hill of tears from mile 4.5 to 5.5 of the race. Plan was 5:55, 5:30, 6, 6, 6:20, 6:30 and sub 70 to finish. Results were:

• 5:53 (90 up, 80 down);
• 5:29 (220 down);
• 6:06 (70 up, 100 down); 
• 6:19 (30 down, 70 up); 
• 7:01 (10 down, 160 up);
• 6:57 (180 up, 40 down); and 
• 70 to finish (5:27 pace; 60 down).

I don't know the term, but a guy strung me in, quietly sprinting by me in the last 100 meters and I couldn't catch him after I'd figured it out. It showed me I have a bigger sprint left that I should use regardless of whether I am battling.

Overall I'm satisfied and confident I'm headed in the right direction. 3.9 cool.

Idea was 1hr easy, 15x1mt @ marathon pace, 1mt recover, 30mts easy. I was pressed for time, so I modified to 7.5 miles moderate (7:00 pace) 4 miles at marathon pace (6:30 pace) and 3.5 miles moderate (7:00 pace). 

Averaged 6:52 and 1:43:05 total. 500ft climb. To Liberty Park and up 500E to 3300 S and back.

First day off since January 16 when I was traveling from Houston. This is a down week (goal is about 53 miles) and I thought a rest day would serve me better today than Friday.

I have some lingering soreness from the downhill quad thrashing on Saturday and some increasing left hip flexor pain (its minor and I am thinking it was acute rather than based on overuse).

Easy run from work to Foothill and about 25th S. Stayed on Foothill to keep it relatively flat with my hip/groin. The pain is most pronounced in the morning and it subsides throughout the day. No issues on the run; doesn't worsen uphill/downhill/faster/slower. 53:45 and 500ft of climb.

Treadmill "fartlek" where I put it on variable incline and went between 0 and 3.5. For the run, 3 miles warm, 12x30 seconds at 6:00-5:42 (10.0-10.5-10.0). 30 seconds of recovery. 56:36 total time.

Its pretty tough with the inclines, so I felt pretty good but not altogether strong finishing. Hip/groin still there but I think its improving.

Easy Emigration up and down. 600 ft climb and 45:26 total. Did six strides in mile 5. Feeling a bit blah.

4 easy across U campus. 250+ft climb and 30:35. Feeling the need for some speed and looking forward to the 15k tomorrow. Hopefully the weather isn't awful.

The hip/groin isn't improving but its not getting worse. My greatest concern now is whether it will adversely affect my stride.

25 miles during the week - my fewest this cycle by 7 and I'm feeling fresh. Next week will be the most yet this cycle with 41 weekday and 34 weekend!

A memorable experience.

I was driving west on I80 at about 9:00 and all was clear but the western horizon was black. Then a flock of more than 100 seagulls flew east fleeing the storm and several more flocks followed. The wind picked up and the storm hit right after I arrived at Saltair. I warmed up 3 miles on the course and my face was frozen with the wind blowing from the west. Luckily I had a ski mask to cover my mouth and nose in my bag for the race.

There were fewer runners this time and the snow was more than an inch deep when we lined up. I decided to throw out any targets and just finish the race. Splits were 6:14, 6:18, 6:24, 6:20, 6:27, 6:47, 6:50, 6:45, 6:38 and about 2:01 for the last .321. I am not sure about the finish because I didn't have the wherewithall to stop my watch so I will have to update after I see the official stats. At the turnaround, the wind picked up considerably and the second half was miserable. I am happy to have done the race and the 6:31 pace is my target marathon pace so I can consider this a good marathon pace run.

I also feel fresh so my 17 miler tomorrow should be ok. I met Fritz and Adam from the blog. Fritz had to tell me that my Altras were the newer version. I think the girl at SLRunningCo in Foothill Village told me they weren't the newer version but obviously neither of us knew what was going on. I learned after the race that I ran a faster mile 7 than Fritz (6:50 to 6:52) so I am excited to have outpaced him for likely the only mile ever. Adam was also very nice.

No cool down as I was a popsicle at the end with a drenched shirt and a numb torso.

Went out for my run late - after 5:30 - and it was from my wife's parents in West Weber. Plan was to hit the Ogden River Parkway and run 17 total.

Immediately I could tell that the pain in my groin had spread and while the pain wasn't intense, it was disconcerting. Perhaps the race on snow yesterday jostled things a bit. I hit the parkway and it was snow covered from 19th West until it meets up with the Weber River Parkway and I was slogging through stale deep snow. The pain continued and while it didn't worsen, it worried me enough to call it. I called my wife and she picked me up at the pond on 21st St.

I think I have to rest it despite this being a planned 75 mile week and a big step forward in training. I am very frustrated but the marathon is still 12 weeks out so no reason to risk a more serious injury. I am on a new "consumer driven health plan" where I don't need primary care referrals, but I pay every dollar to a deductible of $3,750 from a Health Savings Account with the Aetna rate. I will have to figure out how best to tackle this, but I think starting with a general primary care doctor will not be worthwhile.

Still resting the groin. I am doing no activity of any kind because any cross training I have access to would stress the area and I don't want to wait any longer than I must. Unfortunately, it feels no different in the groin, though the radiating pain to other areas seems to be going away.

I got a pair of Brooks T7 racers in the mail today two sizes bigger than my feet in hopes of fitting my size 9EE feet. They were $52 at running warehouse. No luck. My toes scrunched and there is an edge in the sole that sets right on the ball of my foot since it is too short for the shoe. Big sigh. I hear the Mizuno Wave Universe 4 may be the answer but I find the flames and the purple and lime color scheme offensive.

I took Wednesday off to catch up on some pressing non-work stuff. I was able to do 35 minutes of yoga focusing on stretching my psoas muscle. I then went out in search of some racing shoes and went to the new New Balance store on South Temple. I really liked the MR 1400s so I got those. I could not help but test them with an easy run from my house to West High and back. The run felt ok not great.

My groin is feeling better though not pain free. With help from White, I decided it was my psoas muscle giving me fits, but I think its just minor tendonitis from overuse. So, I will focus on stretching it after runs and I am going to Joel at Tosh on March 11 to see if he can help me manage it.

I started easy on the treadmill and since I was feeling good, I decided to get in a marathon pace run. After 2 miles at marathon pace, my fresh legs were itching for speed so I went up to 12mph. I was .64 miles through a 5:00 mile when the treadmill at work overheated and flipped off. I went to the archaic treadmill next to it to finish the run. It maxes out at 10mph so I finished mile 5 at 6:00 pace and then a 2 mile cool. The faster I go, the less pain I feel. And after the run, its the best its felt all day.

Evening - did 35 minutes of yoga focusing on psoas elongation.

Plan was 1 hr easy, 30 mts marathon pace and 30 minutes moderate. I had to get up at 5:40 to do it because my son is having his birthday party today. Its a bit harder to warm up early but I felt better on this run than usual. First 8 miles at 7:30, next 4.66 at 6:26 and final 4.27 at 7:01. 

Felt strong to finish though it was probably nearly as hard to run the moderate pace after the marathon pace. Ran to Sugarhouse Park and around once down to Liberty Park and around 1.5 times and home. 500 ft of climb.

Hip/groin feels good but still there. I am glad I still managed 30 miles in this down week. 

JRP south to 21st S and back. Rainy. Was going to do moderate pace on the way back, but I wasn't really feeling that zippy and I was pretty wet head to toe. I would rather run in 10 degrees and snow than sloppy rain. 1:34:45 - 7:29 out and 7:04 back.

Treadmill run at work in 50 minutes. 15 mts up/ 10 mts down. 5x3 minutes at 6:30-6:00 with 4-5 incline and 3 minutes rest. Felt good - legs got dead toward the end of the last "hill." Ran later b/c work was busy.

35 minutes of yoga at 9:00 pm.

Moderate Wasatch out and back in 55:53 with 600 ft of climb. Felt great. Lots of runners out and a beautiful afternoon. Ran at 4:40 rather than lunch.

Crocs are retired - I ran with a broken strap and it affected my form.  

35 minutes of yoga at 9pm. Two nights in a row with the wife.

I was looking forward to running in shorts and a T but got outside and felt the gusty winds. 2 mile warm up to Wasatch then 2x15 minutes in 6:26 and 6:10 respectively. One minute slow jog between. I had to run into the wind going south (15-25MPH with gusts). 2 warm 2.3 cool. 64:21 with 600ft climbing.

New shoes felt great though maybe a little snug on the left foot.

Emigration out and back easy with 8 striders. 700+ ft of climb and 58:54 total.

Easy down to McCarthy track (finally clear!) and around and around. With the Striders 10 miler tomorrow, I wanted to stay super easy. Other than the irresistable allure of a quick 5:45 mile 3, I stayed at 8 minute miles. 46:20 with 250+ ft climb.

Goal tomorrow, no matter how irrational, is to hit 60 minutes. That's splits of 5:45, 5:15, 5:50, 6:05, 6:40, 6:40, 6:50, 5:20, 5:40 and 5:55. If I go out agrressive and hang on, I hope to get a good time. Worst case goal is 62:30.

I have learned that if I set unrealistic goals, I get the time I want but if I target the time I want, I fall short. So, this race was right on target. I set a goal of 60 minutes so that I would break the needed goal of 6:15 miles, or 62:30. Goal was 5:45, 5:15, 5:50, 6:05, 6:40, 6:40, 6:50, 5:20, 5:40, 5:55. Warmed up 3.35 doing miles 6-9 of the course with the big hill in mile 7.

Splits were 5:57, 5:26, 6:06, 6:16, 6:52, 6:47, 7:38, 5:29, 5:51, 5:52. 62:16 total with 931 ft of climb and total elevation change of 1832.  The first two were slower than I would have done, but I was right on the heels of the leaders and I had no desire to pass them as they casually chatted and prepared for the grind.

The 7:38 was surprisingly slow, but it was a steep climb of 260 ft and I'd just run the first six 19 seconds faster than the 10k three weeks ago. Overall a positive step forward. I am confident I can target 78 minutes for the half coming up and at least break 80. Last year, I ran this as part of Salt Lake Marathon training in 1:11:11 and it felt way worse.

The shoes were great but I ended up feeling a seam on the outside middle of my left foot the last two miles and there is a blister there now. So, hopefully its a flaw and I can make another pair work. Right side was fine.

3.2 mile cool down at 11 before I got my day started. Everything feels good. 

Feeling a bit banged up today so though I needed to get 12 in, I did them very easy. 8:09 pace and ran about 5 on the Liberty Park wood chips. 1:37:50 with 400 ft of climb.

35 minutes of yoga with wife.

40 minutes on a stationary recumbent bicycle in the "gym" at work. We have two non-functioning stairmasters, so I can either spin or run. Or get a gym membership and start waking up at 5 am.

I had an appointment with Joel at Tosh this morning to assess my hip flexor pain. He figured out that I have zero external rotation of my left hip which was quite surprising to him. He is also concerned that my left foot lands to the right of my right foot when striking the ground (apparently I scissor excessively) and my left foot is not lifting very high toward my rear; it tops out about 6-8 inches lower than the right leg when kicking back. The resulting lack of power is causing my hip flexor to do all the work to bring my hip forward and causing the pain.

He gave me a routine to work on for the next four weeks to strengthen the area but he is afraid it may be something that would require further diagnosis and even potentially surgery if I want to fully resolve the source of the issue (not sure I would do that).  

I had hip pain in high school and I am generally aware of an imbalance in the flexibility of my hips, but I think the higher mileage has damaged the area and it is now weakened. I have been told to do my key runs and cross train for easy days. So, three runs and four cross training days to see this through.  I call it Fritzifying my routine.

Wasatch out and back. 2E, 6:34, 6:16, 5:59, 6:18 (120 up), 2E. 56:11 with 600ft uphill.

Hip is feeling better, but too soon for that to mean anything.

60 minutes on the stairstepper. My first workout of this kind. I did one on an old Precor at work that had a workout where I started at 6.5 floors per minute and then it was 7, 8, 9, 8, 7, 8, 9, 8, 7, etc. It left me more sweaty than any workout. 

Physical therapy on the hip for 30 minutes thereafter. I do not have time for 90 minute workouts 4x/wk. We'll see how I make it through the next few. 

I ran down to McCarthey track and did minute intervals - 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3 at 5:20, 5:40 and 6:00 respectively with equal revovery periods. I ran up to Red Butte and decided to extend the run with 3.5 miles on trails. Nice day if a bit warm!

1:19:43 total with 800ft of climb. The trail pace was nice and easy 9 minute miles.

60 minutes of stairmaster followed by physical therapy.

This time, I lessened the floors to where I was doing 6-7 per minute most the time but kept my hands off the bars. The effort was easier but still kept my HR above 140 for a good bit of it.

Out and back N on Jordan River Parkway/Legacy Parkway to Foxboro. Headwind mostly out and tailwind back. Plan was to do last 5 moderate. I decided to negative split the last 10 and the last 5 so it was 7:20 avg for first 10, then 6:56 for the next 5 and 6:44 for the last 5.

2:21:38 with minimal climbing maybe 200 ft.

I felt great. 

I got a 30 day membership to Northwest Rec. If I can get the family to swim there a few times, it pays for itself. I did 30 hard minutes on the stationary bike then 5000M in 24:18 on the rowing machine and then finished with elliptical - harder to get my heart rate up on elliptical. Overall it sucked.

Treadmill at work. 2.5 warm-up, 2x10 minute at 5:30 and 5:25 with 2 minutes at 7:00 in between, .5 cool all at 1 incline. It was supposed to be 2.5 cool but I had to get back to work.

I felt very strong.

Stairmaster at work for 50 minutes. 342 floors with an interval type routine.

2x10x400 at 5k-10k pace with 1 minute active recoveries and full recovery between sets. 

I was home and jogged to West High. I decided to do 80 seconds per since this was much easier to track on the watch. Went:

• 1:19.9
• 1:18.9
• 1:19.4
• 1:19.0
• 1:20.7
• 1:20.5
• 1:20.1
• 1:22.3
• 1:21.3
• 1:23.2

4 minute recover with walking, jogging, water 

• 1:20.9
• 1:19.6
• 1:19.3
• 1:20.4
• 1:22.8
• 1:19.9
• 1:22.4
• 1:19.9
• 1:19.2
• 1:17.6

Felt good. A little gassed on the last one. 3.3 mile warm, 1.2 cool then 12 minutes on the elliptical since it started raining. Light intermittent rain and a little wind during the work out.

Total of 96 minutes with warm and cool including elliptical. 

60 minutes on the stationary bike - did a variety course and kept the resistance above 14 for 75% of it. Then a 5k rowing in 23:45.

Physical therapy on the hip. It is feeling better but not healed. 

What happened to my Quantcast? How do I know whether I am relevant? 

Easy stairmaster for 45 minutes. HR in the 125-145 range. 266 floors.

It was very disappointing to see snow on the ground when I left the house. It was sticking to the roads and the East High Track. I met up with White from the blog just south of the track and we ran up to the start about 3.2 miles. We met up with his wife Ashley as well and they were both very nice. I am jealous that White has such a good running partner.

The roads were slippery and treacherous. The goal was to run sub 5:30 miles. I wasn't sure how it would go with the slippery icy roads, but it turned out ok. Splits were 5:26, 5:32, 5:25 and 30 seconds to finish. 

Cooled down with White and Ashley about 2.4 more.

The hip felt fine. I generally don't notice it during races. Looking forward to 22 miles tomorrow. 

This is the longest run I've done other than the marathon. I kept the pace easy and the idea was to run as long as I will during the marathon. 2:50 or so. My childhood home in Taylorsville is about 11 miles away so I decided to go there. I'm sure as a kid, I could never imagine running downtown and back.

It wasn't a great run. I think the slow pace is taxing and I felt worse at mile 20 of this than last week going 40 seconds a mile faster. I kept the pace even and steady: 2:50:57 total with 500 ft of climb or so. 

In google docs, I have green runs, yellow runs and red runs (did it and liked it, did it and hated it, didn't do it respectively). I have a remarkably good record of green runs, but this is my first yellow long run. 

30 minutes bike and 15 minutes stairmaster (105 floors) at work. Its nice not to have to run after a day like yesterday.

Specific endurance intervals. 6x800 at 5k pace with 2mt active recoveries. Did .5 miles on my iphone in average 2:45 (2:41 last/fastest, 2:48 slowest) and 2 minutes was .25 each time. 2.25 up, 2 down. Wasn't really feeling it but it worked out fine.

Some lingering quad soreness from Sunday's 22 miler.

75:39 with 1600+ ft of climb. Around Red Butte Gardens and up Dry Creek. I haven't done a true trail run since December 19 and I haven't been around Red Butte since September 19. Its probably still too muddy.

I planned on 60 minutes stairmaster but I had to go outside and I figured a lot of elevation change would be a similar workout and not too aggravating to the hip if I kept the pace super easy. I did a number of random acceleartions up hill. No hip pain :)

I absolutely love these runs.

Idea was treadmill tempo at work with 2 up, 8 at 6:02-5:50, 2.25 down. Unfortunately the treadmill shut down on me half way through and forced me to do the latter half outside.

Splits were 6:03, 5:52, 5:49, 5:49; (then some amount I don't know before it died); outside 6:02, 6:10, 6:04, 5:56. For the outside piece I ran to the Running of the Leopards start and ran the course.

This was a confidence booster for the Striders Half next Saturday. The idea was to run the 8 miles in the same splits as the first 8 miles of the course.

Satisfied, but wish I felt a bit stronger. Hip hasn't really hurt since Saturday (cross my fingers).

Goal - 60 minutes moderate, 30 at marathon pace, 30 easy.

In Bear Lake for Easter. I did 8.59 miles in 60 minutes, 4.65 in 30 minutes and 4.14 for the last 30. There were rolling hills throughout and runkeepr called it 822 ft of climb so I will say at least 500 ft.

Felt great.

I decided to run on the trails behind the cabin. It was still wet muddy and snowy so it made for a messy slower run. The Altras aren't made for trails and they tore in a few spots. 60 minutes total with more than 1100 ft of climb. 

Back home. I ran in the afternoon before the rain hit. I wasn't feeling it for the first 7 miles but felt strong toward the end as I climbed Capitol Hill. To Liberty Park and around on the wood chips. 600+ ft of climb and 56:28 total. Track intervals tomorrow.

5x1k at 5k pace wtih 2 minute active recoveries.

I went to McCarthey Track and did .63 intervals on the outside lap in 3:29-3:32 per (5:32-5:37 pace). 2 up, 2 down. Felt good - weather was nice.

58:11 total with 400 ft climb.

Easy around the Zoo and up Wasatch. 59:20 total with 600ft of climb. I did 8 murphys during the latter half.

The zoo was a mad house with all the Spring Break kids.

On BST to Sunnyside and up Emigration. 4 murphys, 2 up 2 down. 52:58 with 1000 ft of climb. Very windy going back down the canyon. Felt good.

On the bus up, it dawned on me that my Garmin was still in my bag. Despite all my best laid plans, I had to run by feel. The weather was perfect and the wind was a nonfactor; a slight headwind breeze. I did a short warm-up up the canyon and I have no idea how far I went.

I went out trailing Albert Wint who I trailed in the Striders 10 miler. That didn't last very long and soon I found myself behind the first ten and running by myself. In mile 7, Rob Murphy caught me and we crossed mile 8 together. I know I was at 47:20 or so at mile 8. Rob continued on and, knowing he was targeting 1:18, I tried to stay close. At about mile 10, my outer quads started to tighten. Its at this point in a race that my legs start to get heavier and I start to fear breaking down. I kept pace as best I could but I knew the miles were slower; its also a slower part of the course. At the main intersection in Eden close to mile 12.5 I am guessing, I picked up the pace and was surprised by how light my legs felt. I bounded to the end including a hard sprint to try to break 1:19 and felt strong finishing.

Based on the 8 mile call out by Rob, I ran 5:55 average for the first 8 and 6:13 for the last 5.1. The goal was 1:18 with a 1:20 worst case. This was my fourth half and my previous PR was 1:28:08 officially, though that was the Haunted Half and the timing was off - it was about 1:27:30 on my watch. So an 8+ minute PR!

I am happy with the result but as usual, it leaves me wanting more. I have progressed faster than I anticipated and I am feeling confident that I will exceed my goals for Ogden.

I ran a bit of a cool down with my wife in the grass near her parents farm. 

To Liberty Park and around once. Quads are sore but I feel good otherwise. 1:09:23 total. Nice afternoon run.

When I got outside in the rain during lunch, my legs felt great. Instead of an easy 7, I decided to run a moderate 9. To the amphitheater in Memory Grove via the U, Fed Heights and 11th ave. Felt good throughout, though very cold. My legs are still hot and itchy from becoming numb; lesson - no spandex in rainstorms. I ran a little farther because I didn't hear the 4.5 mile call out to turn around.

65:40 with 800+ ft of climb.

A very hectic workout. Idea was 6x1 mile at 10k pace + 10 seconds - or 5:55 per mile. With the wind, I considered the treadmill but a coworker was using the only one that goes sub 6.

I had no cold gear but I went out anyway. The wind was brutal. I decided to go to Matheson Park and go around. I warmed up 1.5 and did my first mile in 6:07 with a nice headwind for half of it. I decided I wasn't going to get what I needed out of the workout and returned to work. Outside was 3.44 miles in 24:45 with 300 ft of climb.

For a similar effort on the now available treadmill, I decided to do 5 miles in 5:42 per (10.5). I felt great but the treadmill once again overheated on me at mile 3.75 or so and I had to do .4 on the old treadmill before returning to the newer one to finish the workout. I finished doing 1.44 including .5 at 5 minute pace. No cool down. Looked like this:

3.44	24:45
0.12	1:00	25:45
3.6	20:30	46:15
0.4	2:40	48:55
1.44	8:02	56:57

My mind and body were ready for a big workout but the gods were not cooperating today. The treadmill effort felt too easy and my HR corroborated at low 140s throughout.

9.1 easy around the Zoo, south on Wasatch to the BST. Faster than easy but slower than moderate. Felt good but not as strong as I expected. Winder is much better but still a good breeze coming from the west. 65:58 total with 700+ ft of climb.

Travel to Houston so I didn't run until 9:00 pm. I went to Memorial Park and did the 2.93 loop a few times. The idea was a 5 mile tempo at half marathon to 10k pace, but I had just gone to dinner with my attorney and finished off a Snapper Cheyenne complete with crab, shrimp and crawfish on top of linguine at Bayou City Seafood and Pasta with a couple of beers (if anyone saw my resolution not to drink during this marathon cycle, I have failed miserably at that) and I had a bowling ball in my stomach.

After a 2, make it 3 mile warm-up, I managed a mile in 6:23 before slowing again.  The next was 6:32 and the rest were above 7. 64:26 with more climb than I thought - 300+. I love Memorial Park and it is cool to see dozens of runners in the 9:00 hour.

This run was done a scant 9 hours after my late evening run Thursday. I was tight on time so went to the treadmill at the Marriott West Loop where I stayed. I wanted to get in four more tempo miles, so I did 2 up, 4 at 6:07, 6:03, 5:57, 5:49.

It was a life center treadmill and I always feel uncomfortable in the Houston humidity, so those two variables made the workout much more difficult than the treadmill at work.

Saturday - a 22 miler where I want to go 5 at 7:20, 5 at 7:05, 1 at 6:25, 5 at 6:55, 5 at 6:40 and the final mile at 6:25. We'll see if I can!!

22 mile out and back north on the Jordan River/Legacy Pwky. I left at about 3:30 and it was a little rainy and very windy going north. I think that took its toll.

1:18:55 out and 1:19:13 back for 2:38:08 total. I was going to do negative splits and two marathon pace miles but it wasn't my day. Just glad to average 7:11 and not slow down in the final miles. 75 miles is a peak week! I missed my last peak week due to hip problems so I am very glad those are behind me...for now.

Easy down through Harvard/Yale to Sugarhouse Park and back at lunch.  I didn't actually enter the park, but nearly entered the Pearly Gates when a driver at an intersection suddenly changed her mind to make a right turn and came barrelling toward me. I hopped to jump on her hood right as she stopped and about had a heart attack. It was a gray misty day but I was wearing a bright orange shirt. I was quite shaken for a bit. Threw in a few murphys on the way back.  

It was actually quite nice out after the storm had ended. 56:39 with 600 ft of climb.

Confused lost run. Plan was Yasso 800s but I wanted to execute them. I thought about not going and then ran down to East High but it says to keep out during school hours and there was someone mowing the lawn so I pushed the workout and went for a tempo. With the wind and hills, it wasn't ideal, but I went down 1500 E to Sugarhouse Park and around twice.

Tempo miles were 6:13, 5:59, 6:14, 6:16, 6:29 and 7:03. I coudn't decide whether to go 5 or 6 so I did mile 6 at a diminished yet still somewhat moderate effort given the 100ft climb during the mile. I will call this a 30k pace tempo prepping for my race next weekend, though the effort was probably slightly harder than that.

2.63 up, 2.37 down. 1:18:02 total with 800 ft of climb.

Another easy out and back up Wasatch this time. Eight eighty step murphys on the way back. One even got down to 3:45, so that's got to be about all out. 56:04 with 600ft of climb.

McCarthey track Yasso 8x800 in 2:45, 2:48, 2:50, 2:52, 2:50, 2:49, 2:48, 2:45. Shorter rest of 200 meters (about a minute) except a 400 after the fourth interval. Tough on shorter intervals. Track was empty. Felt good but I didn't appreciate the wind going north in particular. Pressed for time so warm-up was 1.65 and cool was 1.75.

59:28 total with 400 ft up on the way back.

Easy out and back up Emigration. Had the urge to throw in a fast mile going down the canyon and did mile 4 in 5:14 with 150 ft descent (though into the wind). 49:19 with 800 ft of climb. My legs haven't felt heavy with the recent high mileage.

I didn't have the idea to run the SL Marathon until yesterday as part of my training run. Looking at the weather, I had rain in the morning or wind in the afternoon so I chose the rain.

I started at Liberty Park and met up with the runners at Sugarhouse Park. I found myself right in the 7:20 pace crowd and stuck with that. I ran on the course from all the way to about 600 E and 1400 S before splitting off back to my car. It was very fun though I felt guilty getting encouragement from the crowd and having legs with almost 3 miles less on them than the runners I picked off throughout. Nice steady pace.

Garmin splits: 8:00, 7:41, 7:29, 7:23, 7:26, 7:41, 6:49, 6:50, 7:11, 7:26, 7:21, 5:33 (.79 split or 7:02 pace), 7:18, 7:11, 7:20, 7:34, 7:17, 7:18, 7:07, 7:14, 7:16, 7:17, 7:01, 7:32 for the last .45. 2:50:03 total.

The course has more climb, but I actually really liked the modified second half. Not that long boring 500 E route. There is also something to not being in the race that made it incredibly serene; almost surreal. The course wasn't an enemy to conquer and I had a sunny disposition throughout.

Soaked and cold but satisfied and confident about my race in a month!

Easy run up City Creek Canyon from the Avenues with White. We did 3 quick miles down the canyon - 6:14, 6:08 and 5:54 with 190 descent avg. 1:31:08 total with 1000+ft of climb.

Beautiful morning. I am encouraged by how good my legs feel today after the long run yesterday.

2 up, 5 mile tempo, 2 down. Ran up to Wasatch and out to the mouth of Parleys. Tempo splits were 6:06 (net 62ft down), 6:09, 6:09, 6:13, 6:25 (net 63 ft up). Pretty good headwind going north.

I am starting to get comfortable running in the low 6s. Easy to do in the crocs. Calves a bit sore today. 61:37 total with 700 ft of climb.

Easy run on the BST behind work. Kind of easy - included 1200+ ft of climb (1539 on the runkeeper). There is a 250 ft climb over .39 miles just north of Red Butte road that was a blast. 59:28 total. Tired of the cold wind.

I ran in my Brooks shoes which are my most supportive shoe. I usually run these with no support in my Merrell Trail Gloves so this was an experiment in extremes. I really prefer no support and I felt wobbly navigating the rocky trails with the foam underfoot.

4x2 miles at half marathon pace with 400 jog recoveries. Went to McCarthey track at the U. Splits were 12:14 (6:05, 6:09); 12:14 (6:04, 6:10); 12:15 (6:08, 6:07) and 12:15 (6:10, 6:05). 1.75 up, 1.5 down. 1:22:04 total.

Felt good. A little tired on the last one. 10 mph wind wasn't fun but served to cool me down.

For those interested in what happened to quantcast for the little guys:

Our system is currently set to stop filter data for any subdomains that have not shown 100+ uniques in a rolling previous 30 day period. However, if they get to the point where there is a trailing 30 day period where they have less than 100 uniques, their traffic will no longer be visible through Quantcast. This is an automatic filter recently implemented in our system and we do not have the capability to override it.

Very easy miles down to Guardsman and around that block twice. 57:33 with 600ft of climb. Everything is good.

Up at 6! Easy 4 miler with 1 at goal race pace tomorrow. Went to West High and ran 9 laps with about 30-40 girls. Not sure if they are all West affiliated or what but they weren't the track team...29:53 total with 150ft of climb.

Beautiful morning for a race. I got there at 7:25 (started at 7:30), so no warm-up; a short jog and some jostling about. Unfortunately, the big three were there, so no chance at a top three finish. The goal was sub 1:58 and must have goal was 2:00.

I've never run this far this fast, so it was a perfect tune up for running the Ogden Marathon. I didn't have any leg pain so I think the pace was righ. This is an out and back course with rolling hills and a slight incline from miles 7-10 of 150-200 ft. Total climb of 386. Splits were: 

1. 6:10
2. 6:20
3. 6:17
4. 6:22
5. 6:18
6. 6:29
7. 6:39
8. 6:31
9. 6:27
10. 6:26
11. 6:14
12. 6:22
13. 6:40
14. 6:24
15. 6:28
16. 6:25
17. 6:34
18. 6:25
19. 4:11 (.64; 6:32 pace)

45 minutes recovery from home through Marmalade, down N Temple/2nd Ave, north on B to Bonneville road, round and down Memory Grove back to N Temple and home. No soreness. I picked up the pace for a moment and my legs announced they were fatigued. 72 degrees when I finished. 650ft of climb.

Marathon pace tempo; averaged 6:23.6 for the tempo.

From work around Hogle Zoo south on Wasatch to "Graffiti Rock" or whatever it's called in Parleys along the BST and back. Looked like this on runkeeper (third column net chg in elevation):

1	7:23	-155
2	6:16	-72
3	6:25	32
4	6:19	-9
5	6:18	-49
6	6:28	44
7	6:24	14
8	6:25	-31
9	6:34	61
10	8:28	182

950 ft total climb including about 700 ft during the tempo with rolling hills. 66:57 total time.

It was a tough workout, but I never felt like I was pushing it hard to hit the splits. Feeling strong, confident and ready.

I had no time to run during lunch today so I ran after I got home. I felt pretty lethargic and dragged myself to the West High track. It was windy and my legs were feeling some cumulative fatigue. For some reason, I felt like running 100s which I never do. I did four of them with 300m rest in between in 14.5-15.5. I felt a little pain in my right knee so I stopped messing around and slowly finished the run. 47:06. 

I am getting a Garmin 610 refurb this week. I am tired of my 205.

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.