Welcome

Jeremy ranch road with Rob, Jake and Nate. After about 10 miles we let Jake and Nate gap us a bit. We averaged a solid 7:20 but they were closet to 7. Cooler today and an absolutely wonderful run. Over 90 miles in the past seven days with two long runs.

AM

6.3 with Adam, James and Collin! Another perfect morning. I sprained my toe in the creek at Jeremy Ranch yesterday and it hurt pretty good all day but no pain on the run. No watch for me.

West High 12x400 at 5k pace (targeting 77s) with 200 active rest. Ran to the track and warmed up another mile with James. Another unusually warm morning at about 70 degrees but a cool breeze. The first one was ok but the pace felt hard. I was ready to quit after two but  perseveared. I was ready to quiit at 6 and James said two more. At 8, I stopped and took a few swigs of gatorade. By this time, Acorn had made his way to the track to do a few 200s. James was saying two more and I told him I knew what he was up to. We ran part of the 9th together and by 10 I was finally feeling strong. Ran with James and Adam intermittently. Splits were 77.1, 76.7, 75.2, 76.7, 78.4, 75.4, 79, 76.8, 78.4, 75.7, 77.2, 73.7. A bit all over the place but the right stimulus I think with a 76.7 average (5:08ish pace). Glad to get through this when I wasn't feeling it. After the 12th, I finished off with a 200 in 34.1 to get a full 5k of speed.

Thanks to James and Adam for helping get me through that one.

I have failed to mention that I started training for the Top of Utah Marathon officially on Sunday. I am equal parts excited for and dreading another long marathon build up. Presumably, I am getting closer to my plateau times but I think there are still things I can improve upon and a 2:29 at TOU seems like the right stretch goal to me.

AM

5:30 meet up with James and Adam. 8 total. I wanted to run 3 at about a 6 minute pace just for fun on the downhill portion of the 2nd ave - Virginia - 11th ave - memory grove loop. We ended up with 5:55, 5:59, 5:34 and 30 to finish for an 18 minute 5k. Nice to get that turnover. Another nice morning.

Lunch

Another 6.1 very slow in high 70s weather. I wanted to run on the treadmill but that is not conducive to running slow so I put on some very slow shoes and ran the BST down to he Sunnyside trailhead back up and over red butte gardens on the skyline trail and down the canyon back to my office. The 9:30 guy started out ahead of me. The 10:00 guy caught me on the sklyine trail descent and I passed him back up on the canyon descent. Never caught the 9:30 guy.

Wanted to do some fast downhill miles to get used to quicker turnover. Thought about maybe doing 6 downhill sub 5:20 at lunch but that didn't work out. I got out late (12:30) and was in a time crunch. In addition to mid 70s weather, there was a 10+ mph headwind down the canyon. I did four (5:32, 5:41, 5:49 (a south turn on Foothill and navigating across the street), 5:45) and called it quits. My miles back up to the office were 8:50 pace so that's abou as good as I was feeling. Calling them marathon pace because they were hard. Not worried about this work out as I am just having fun this week and next (after the Tuesday unfunness).

AM run with Collin and Adam. James had some fathering to do. City creek up and back.

Our team mascot has taken up residence in my front yard. Four babies found this morning. I don't know where mom is but I don't want to get between them!

Lunch

7 on the treadmill in my office (7.25 b/c it's off) in 45:30. I was super board. I hate the treadmill more and more these days.

From HHS with Kotter. Wasatch, Emigration, Research Park, U, JCC, Popperton, 11th, 1 mile up city creek, memory grove, 2nd ave, university ave to guardsman and back. My legs died in 15 but I was able to maintain pace with more effort. 6:50 average for the run with more than 1400 ft of hills. Left at 7 to avoid heat but it was 60-70 during the run. 

That's a 90 mile week but with 20 milers on both ends.