Welcome

AM

6 am wake up. I work today but my kids are home so I had some morning flexibility for a nice easy run not too early. Went out on 600 W/700 W to 1300 S and back. It's a nicer run in the dark but still not a nice run. I am also glad I couldn't see the icky sky.

Hold on to your hats for this pace. 8:29 - 8 in 1:07:48. Nice unintentional day off yesterday. Other than taking my boy to cc ski lessons, I stayed home and did nothing. I even watched NFL football for the first time in ages, family be darned. "Daddy - I wanna watch Doya." "Go play." I used to think I liked the 49ers but I haven't truly cared for about 20 years. Charlie cried because SF lost because he is a proud SF native, though he could care less about football. Good day.

Lunch

6 more on the treadmill. The air is looking gross even up here. I have had some congestion for the past few days and I've been running outside constantly so perhaps a correlation.

Started at 8.5 mph and a 1 incline and moved up .1mph and .5 degress every half mile. So mile 2.5-3 was at 9 mph and 3.5 degress and HR got into low 140s. Then back down but with the speed going up. After 5 miles of that, 1 mile doing 6x80 steps at 5:00 pace with a brief rest at 9.5 mph.Nice workout without getting into the moderate range much. 39:20 total. Then some stretching and pt.

Emigration out and back. Feeling good. Air no good. 60:30

AM

Another 5am wake up. I had real hesitation getting up and running hard with the air outsdie. I tossed and turned at night talking myself out of it in that wakeful sleeping mode. I woke up at 5 determined to figure something out at lunch but I was awake and I said ok let's do it. I wore a kitchen towel over my mouth and nose and set out. Last week's workouts were at 30 and mid 20s. Today was mid 15s. 3 miles into the run my quads were still cold but I proceeded. 

Idea was 1 mile, .75, .5 and three or so quartes. I ran the first mile unevenly starting out too fast and then slowing. I ended up tearing the towel off my face half way through to get a breath and the air was instantly irritating. I kept at it and did the mile in 5:22. I reached for my towel and it had frozen solid. For the .75, I ran about a half a mile in 2:46 and decided it wasn't working. In addition to the bad air, my legs were a bit heavy. I think Saturday's long run isn't completely out of them. I put the frozen towel back on my face and went home.

Trying to decide whether I take it easy until Saturday or do another run at lunch on the treadmill where I can get up to about 5:20-5:30 pace to get some turnover.

PM

No run. Lunch with my wife instead. I did a massage with Tim this evening. He moved away from the glutes and really worked the hamstrings and calves. Particularly the right leg. Ouch. Flipped me over and worked on the psoas muscles too. So some new developments in painful spots. I am trying to wrap my head around doing an ice bath.

Wasatch out and back. A few strides on the way back. A bit clearer today with some wind.

More miles than I wanted today but I barely beat the 9 minute guy. Snowy, slushy, icy, muddy run up dry creek and along the BST with Collin, James and Nate.

Excited for the 5k tomorrow. Strategy is to take the first mile out hard and hang on for dear life. 5:15 first mile then try to stay below 5:20. The A goal is to break my time of 18:24 last year by two minutes.

Goal today was 16:24 which was arbitrary but also a good goal for where I am. The process of getting faster is the process of being disappointed with increasingly faster times. The 5:22 I did on Wednesday proved prophetic as that was my pace here. Drove up with Collin to save one car with the bad air. Warmed up 2 and saw a bunch of guys. I thought top 20 was optimistic. My watch went off right before each mile marker. Splits were 5:14, 5:21, 5:26 and :39 for the last .13 on my watch. Sprinted at the end thanks to Andrea and Jake cheering me on. Much appreciated. Tells me I need to go faster a bit sooner. Still a good time and I am glad we had nice weather but I want to do better.  Cooled down 2.

Afterward, I ran to the capitol to do some Boston video with Walter and crew. That ended up being another 5.75 miles for me total. The rally was kind of funny. There was one crazy chick singing this air is your air and trying in vain to get the crowd into it.

Weighed in at 165 today which is a pound lower than St George. Been taking care of myself in 2014.