El Burro Blanco

15 miles in the morning.

5.25 miles in the early evening.

Happy New Year everyone.  I can't believe it is 2008.  I wanted to start the year out on a good note so I decided to go and do a longer run this morning.  It was beautiful weather.  It was nice and sunny and not to cold.  The roads were still snowy and slick with very few dry spots but I enjoyed this run a lot.  I did my North Ogden rolling hills out and back.  I hit about 2 miles of wind blowing in my face going uphill in quite a bit of snow.  It worked me but it was a good push.  I had to stop at my Grandma's house for a potty break.  My aunt opened the door and said, "Idiot!"  She told me I was crazy for running in this cold weather.  You got to love family!  I did the run at 6:42/mile pace overall.  Not bad considering the road conditions.  I did another 5.25 miles in the early evening to keep the legs loose and get 20 for the day.  Good start to 2008.  Good luck to everyone this year.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

Back to the early morning runs before I head off to work.  Felt good to get back on schedule and get back into the normal everyday routine.  I got home from work and was a little tired but had a good 12 miler.  I ran the first 11 miles at 6:39/mile pace and then finished with a 6:00/mile.  Not a bad push.  Sat in a cold bath afterwards to loosen up the muscles. 

6.50 miles in the morning.

14 miles in the evening.

I didn't go as far as I wanted to this morning due to sleeping in a touch.  It is nice to get a little extra sleep every now and then though.  We had our first indoor track practice today.  It went pretty good.  I have some great runners that hopefully will do well this year.  I am coaching the distance runners (800, 1600, 3200) so if anybody has any suggestions for workouts they did in high school or track, please let me know.  I am new to this coaching thing.  I came home late and hopped on the treadmill.  I did 14 miles while watching Prefontaine.  What a classic!  I did the run at 6:49/mile pace overall.  I am still building a base this week and will hopefully get some speed workouts in next week.

6.10 miles in the morning.

13.90 miles in the afternoon.

I have the greatest wife in the world.  She massaged my legs out last night and it helped them feel much better this morning.  I think we are going to get a massage on Saturday afternoon.  Yeah!  Nice easy run this morning.  I ran with the track team today.  We did 5.5 miles pretty easy.  I was running from the fast group back to some of the slower runners.  It was a nice little push going back and forth between the two.  I got home and did another 8.4 miles on the treadmill at 6:44/mile pace overall.

The weather was crazy last night and into this morning.  It rained and then turned into wet, slushy snow during the night.  I was planning on doing my run on the Ogden Marathon course but decided to stay around town.  I woke up and the roads were slushy and very wet.  I waited a little bit until the snow plows cleaned the roads but it didn't help to much.  I ran from the house up into North Ogden.  I ran all the way through North Ogden into Pleasant View and almost got the Highway 89.  I got sprayed with water and wet snow from a couple cars.  You got to love it.  When I started back at 10 miles, the sun came out a little bit and really cleaned up the roads.  I was carrying a little extra weight due to all the water in my pants and shoes.  It was still slushy and slippery but their was a lot of water on the road due to the snow melting.  Thanks global warming!  I saw a temperature gauge on the city offices and it said 41 degrees.  I couldn't believe how warm it was.  I nearly slipped twice but it was a nice run today.  I finished the run with a 6:39/mile pace overall.  I was happy with this due to the road conditions and the fact that 10 miles of this route is gradual uphill. 

I haven't done a 20 miler in a while now.  I forgot how much better it is to have other people to run with on the long runs.  I could have used some company to pass the time.  This week is a first on many levels.  It was my first time ever running 20 miles 5 days straight and it is also the first time I have hit the 110 mile mark.  Not a bad start to 2008.  I will do some more speed work next week.  I need to go and take a nap now!!!

8.10 miles in the morning.

12.10 miles in the afternoon.

The legs were feeling good this morning so I kept it nice and relaxed.  The weather is really cold with all of the new snow.  Need to have a good week and then slightly taper for the half next week.  I ran 6.05 miles with the track team.  We kept the pace honest and did 3x2:00 pickups.  I pushed the top runners right at 5:00/mile pace or just under.  I think the team is buying in to my idea of pushing themselves a little more to make themselves better.  I got home and ran another 6.05 on the treadmill just before the BCS game.  I did this at 6:40/mile pace overall.  The game was a joke at halftime so I ended up reading a bit of my book and going to bed.  

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the evening.

I woke a touch late today so I had to push the pace slightly.  I did the 8 miles at 6:49/mile overall.  I will have the same running schedule for the next little while due to coaching track.  I did 5.5 miles with the track team this afternoon.  Both the boys and girls pushed the pace today which made me happy.  Some of the slower runners are getting faster.  We averaged right around 7:30/mile overall.  I got home and did a half a mile warmup on the treadmill and then bumped up the pace to 5:30/mile for the next 5 miles and then finished with 1 mile at 5:21/mile pace.  I will slowly work up and increase my speed workouts over the next little bit.   

8.05 miles in the morning.

12.10 miles in the evening.

The legs were feeling good after yesterday's runs.  I kept the pace nice and easy this morning.  Track practice was cancelled due to all of the snow.  I got home finally and had to shovel for about an hour and a half just to get in my driveway!  I had about 2 feet of snow on the ground at the house.  I was mad at the snow because I can so I hopped on the treadmill and did 12.10 miles at 6:54/mile pace overall while watching Karate Kid.  Bonzai!!!!  I then went back outside and shoveled more snow for half an hour.  Fun stuff!

8 miles in the morning.

12.10 miles in the afternoon.

Another 8 miles in the morning.  I had to stop and take a PB but I survived and was able to finish my run.  I ran an easy 6 miles with the track team today.  We got splashed by a couple cars with snow.  It was fun discussing with them about how crazy runners are.  We are quite the crazy bunch.  I did another ab circuit with them and then came home to hit some faster miles.  I did a half mile warmup and then bumped the speed up to 5:30 pace for half a mile and then did 5+ miles at 5:21/mile.  It feels good to really get the legs moving.  I am getting excited for the race next week.

8.10 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

I got to bed early last night and ended up waking up at 2:00 AM.  I tried going to sleep but I couldn't.  I thought about running and then fell asleep quickly.  I guess sleep won out this time.  I did my nice and easy 8 miles this morning.  Nothing to exciting.  The track team was doing hall tag in the school so I went out for a 6 mile run before I needed to be back in order for them to use the weight room.  It took me just under 40 minutes.  I came home and did another easy 6 miles at 6:49/mile pace overall.

What a crazy day!  I woke up and was planning my long run but Katey's parents called and were coming down for breakfast.  They were going to take us out too Jeremiah's.  I had to cut the run short so I did one mile warm up and then hit 7 miles right around 5:20/mile pace and then finished up with just over 2 miles for the cooldown.  We went and at breakfast which was yummy.  Great pancakes and cheap prices.  They actually have a marathoner's breakfast!  It is pancakes with fresh fruit on top.  They will continue to get my business.  Katey and I then ran some errands around town.  We went and picked up tickets for "Spirit of the Marathon" movie for the 24th.  I asked the lady if they had any tickets left and she said that they have plenty.  213 to be exact!  We as runners need to really support this.  If anyone wants me to go and get tickets, let me know.  We should try and fill the place up.  It is at the Tinseltown theatres in Ogden.  I hurried home and did another 6 miles at 6:40/mile pace overall. 

I had to hurry because I went and talked with Paul Pilkington (four time Olympic Marathon trials qualifer, former world marathon champion, and current cross country coach at Weber State) at his house.  I got his number from one of his post collegiate athletes that he coaches.  We talked for over an hour about my current training and what my goals are for here in the near future.  He gave me a lot of great advise and I think I am going to have him start coaching me.  He is excited and I do my first workout with him on Monday night up on the indoor track at Weber State.  I haven't had a real coach before but I guess having him be my first can't hurt!  The guy knows his stuff.

I didn't get my long run in today but the 7 miles at marathon pace were a good push so I was happy with that.  Also, I was stoked to hit 116 miles with some good marathon pace miles thrown in there throughout the week.  The body is feeling good so I consider myself blessed right now to really be able to have some solid training.

8 miles in the morning.

13.75 miles in the evening.

I got my lovely 8 miler in this morning.  I have my workout with Paul Pilkington tonight.  I am excited and nervous at the same time.  I hurried home from work and did a brisk 6 miles at 6:40/mile pace overall.  I then went over to Weber State's indoor track and did my workout with Paul Pilkington.  I did an easy 3 mile warmup with a few strides thrown in there.  He had me do 6x 800m at about 85% effort.  I did them all about 2:25 pace.  He wanted to see about where my threshold pace is.  It was a good workout and wasn't to much.  I hope that he can help me increase my speed and get better as a runner.  I did a 1.75 mile cooldown jog and then called it a night.

8.10 miles in the morning.

12.50 miles in the afternoon.

I did my wonderful 8 miler this morning.  Exciting.  It is getting much easier to continually wake up at 5 AM in the morning and get my first run in.  That sounds really crazy.  I pushed the distance runners today.  I took 5 of the top runners and had them do about 5 miles at 6:00/mile pace.  I runner stayed with me the entire run and 4 others dropped a little.  It was slightly windy and we ended up averaging just over 6:05/mile pace overall for 5 miles and then did a slight cooldown.  We did 7.5 miles at 6:32/mile pace overall.  It was a good push for them.  The girls did 6 miles in just under 43 minutes.  The team is getting better and better each day.  I came home and did another 5 miles at 6:00/mile pace overall because I had to hurry out to the basketball game and help out.  Another big day.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

I had a tough time getting up this morning.  I had a weird dream last night that I was back playing basketball in high school.  I didn't do so well if I remember correctly.  I woke up and realized I am 5'9" and 1/4 and have about a 12 inch vertical.  That is why I run I guess!  It was a "steamy" 18 degrees this afternoon.  I gave the team the choice to run inside or outside.  Most of them chose to do half in and half out.  I only had one taker to run the entire time outside with me.  We kept the pace easy for the 5.5 miles.  I did an ab circuit with them afterwards and then came home and did another 6.5 miles right at 6:00/mile pace overall.  Paul Pilkington said that a lot of my slower runs should try and be at 6:00/mile pace.  It does seem a lot easier lately.  I will do 10-12 miles tomorrow and then 8 in the morning on Friday just to be ready for the race on Saturday. 

12 miles in the afternoon.

I did 6 miles with the track team this afternoon.  We did 35 minutes with 4x1:30 min. pickups.  I pushed the pace for the top runners where we were at 4:50/mile pace.  It was a good push for them.  We kept the pace honest in between each pickup.  I came home and did another 6 miles at 6:00/mile pace overall.  It was a nice day for running.  I am doing a slight taper while gearing up for the race on Saturday.  It should be lots of fun.

8.10 miles in the morning.

I woke and felt really good.  Katey was a sweetheart and did my pre-race ritual head shave.  It is much easier to comb!  I think this might be the only running I do because we are heading for St. George as soon as I get off work.  Hopefully it is a quick trip.  It can take forever sometimes.  I am really looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend.

I was not really sure what was going to happen with this race but I wanted to do well.  I guess I did alright because I surprisingly ended up taking first place.  The race started at 9:00 AM so I slept in on a race day!  I woke up and did a 3 mile warm-up around my parent's house with a few pickups to get the legs moving.  Katey, my dad, and me then headed over to the race.

I got there and it was fun seeing all the Fast Running Bloggers with all of the singlets and warm-up gear.  It got me really excited for the race.  Sasha, Nick McCombs, Dave Holt, Little Bad Legs, and Karl Wilcock (16 year old from Hurricane) went out and traded quarters for the first 5 miles.  I have never really done that before but everybody stayed relaxed and helped each other out.  Nick started to push the pace and I decided to go with him to see if I could stay with him.  We came upon the first bridge and it was still a little icy and Nick slipped bad and fell.  He hollered for me to slow down so I did but ended up slipping and falling on my hip.  It left a nasty raspberry.  We both got up and kept going.  It threw off our rhythm a little but we got back on track.  We talked a little bit and were pushing each other.  Nick threw in a couple surges and I think he was trying to drop me.  I kept right up with him and we were really moving.  We looped back around and got on the trail again.  I didn't like this part of the race because we were running in and out of people still coming out on their initial loop.  Runners were clapping and cheering but we both wanted them to get out of the way.  Nick slowed a little bit at about mile 10 and told me to go for it.  I wanted him to come with me because we were pushing it together.  I waited until about mile 12 and then really kicked it in.  I heard Katey and my dad cheering from on top of the mountiain and they told me to go for it.  I came around the corner and stayed on the trail but needed to continue going straight.  I had to stop and come back in order to finish.  I crossed the line and felt awesome.  Nick really pushed me this race and it was a huge confidence builder.  This was probably one of my best races ever.  The course is truly honest with hardly any downhill and a fair amount of slight uphill in it.  The problem was that it was a little short and the times were all off.  They had me running a 1:07:42 which was way off.  It is okay.  I did a cooldown of 2 miles with Dave and then another 1.5 miles with James and some of the other Fast Running Bloggers.

Here are my splits:

1- 5:33

2- 5:33

3- 5:20

4- 5:22

5- 5:28

6- 5:08

7- 5:17

8- 5:15

9- 5:21

10- 5:06

11- 5:20

12- 5:21

.92- 5:30

I received a free pair of shoes at the St. George Running Center for my win (thanks Steve!)and also a cool diamond that glows in the dark.  Sweet!  This is a good confidence builder for me to really get rocking and rolling for the year.  Great job to all who ran and keep up the great work.  Thanks once again for all the support Katey.  You are the best!

15.35 miles in the morning.

I went out for my run and was a little nervous because of the clouds in the sky.  It looked like it was going to rain.  I forgot it was St. George and it just threatens a lot.  The sun came out and it was fine.  I went from my parent's house in Santa Clara out through Ivins and Kayenta and then back to their house.  I had to stop 2 miles in and take my sleeves off.  It was way to hot for them.  I also had to take a slight detour and go too the Ivin's Chevron.  It wasn't for hot chocolate by the way!  I kept the pace honest and was pushing at times because the wind was blowing slightly.  I ended up doing the run at 6:31/mile pace overall.  I felt fine and the legs were not very sore at all.  This was a good sign.  Now it is back up to the cold weather in Ogden.

   This was kind of a cool picture of the finish at the Painter's Half.

8.05 miles in the morning.

16 miles in the afternoon and evening.

I was going to run a little more last night but the long drive home led to being tired.  I also had to shovel about a foot of snow in our driveway.  Oh well!  I got to bed early and it was much needed.  I woke up this morning feeling refreshed and ready to go.  It was nother nice 8 miler.  Nothing to exciting. 

I did a mini tempo run with the distance runners today.  I had them do a 15 minute warmup and then 30 minutes right around 6:30/mile pace with a 8 minute cooldown.  The roads were not in that great of condition so I was pleased with the effort today.  Some of the team was really pushing each other which was nice to see.

I hurried up to the indoor track at Weber State for my second workout with Paul Pilkington.  I did a 3 mile warmup and then he had me do 16 x 400m @ 70 sec. with 1:30 recovery in between.  I jogged a minute and then walked 30 sec.  He had me run in lane 5 so their was tape on the track to show me exactly how far I needed to go.  On the first 9 400s I was killing myself to get under 70 sec.  I then realized that I was going an extra 20 meters!  The last 7 were not to bad since I really pushed myself the first 9.  Live and learn.  I then did a 1 mile cooldown and hustled home to get some grub in me.  I was hungry!  Today was a big workout day.  My legs are a little sore so I got to bed quick.

8.10 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

My legs were a touch sore this morning but after I started running they felt fine.  I need to make sure I get lots of fluids and keep stretching out real good.  My raspberry from the race is bruising quite nicely.  I hope I survive.

I ran 5 miles fairly easy with the girls distance runners today.  I wanted to see where they are at.  It was an easy day for them.  They pushed each other on the last mile which was nice to see.  I think the boys and girls will be good this year.  I came home and talked to Katey while on the couch and ended up falling asleep for about an hour.  It was a nice nap.  I then hopped on the treadmill and did a mile warmup with the last 6 miles at 6:00/mile pace overall.  I had to stop once due to stomach issues.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

I made sure I got plenty of sleep last night.  I did another 8 miles at 6:00/mile pace.  The runs in the morning are feeling much better now.  The update on the bruise from the race is that it is getting bigger.  Yeah!  I hope it isn't anything serious.  I can't wait for the Spirit of the Marathon movie tonight.  Katey is a trooper for going with me.  She is a great support!

I had the distance runners do plyometrics this afternoon due to the extremely cold weather.  They have been great for going out in the cold stuff everyday. 

I came home and found out much to my chagrin that we had no water.  I thought our pipes froze but came to find out a line in Ogden Canyon broke.  Yikes!  I did a 4 mile warm-up and then hit 4 miles at 5:19/mile pace with a 4 mile cooldown.  I ended up going to my cousin's house for a light "sprinkle" to get clean and then headed off to see "Spirit of the Marathon."  I absolutely loved it!  My favorite parts were when the old guy was talking and then when it showed Deena Kastor coming in and winning bronze at the 2004 Olympics.  She was crying and very emotional.  I will not lie.  I choked up a bit because I can only imagine how hard she worked to get to that point.  The whole movie really got me pumped up.

Our water is still not working so I decided just to do my run in the afternoon.  I get pretty smelly and stinky during my runs and I didn't want to frighten the students by not taking a shower this morning.  12 or 13 miles this afternoon and then hopefully 20 miles tomorrow.  I might have to do 15 in the morning and 5 or so in the evening because I will be at Weber State all day with the track team.

I ended up doing 4 easy miles with the track team and then another 10 miles at around 6:00/mile pace once I got home.  The legs felt fine today.

15 miles in the morning.

I woke up early to get some miles in before the indoor track meet at Weber State.  I did the first 10 miles at 6:00/mile pace and then hit the next 2 and a half miles at 5:19/mile pace and then did a half mile at around 5:00/mile pace.  Afterwards I did a 2 mile cooldown.  It was nice to push the pace for a couple miles this morning.  The indoor track meet went well today considering it was the first meet of the season.  Many of the boys hadn't broken 6:00 min. for the mile but many of them went low 5:30's or faster which was nice to see.  Also, the girls 4x 800m relay took second behind Davis.  I think with the base right now and then getting on the track to do interval work with help the runners get that much faster.

I got home and was a touch tired but the legs were needing a few easy miles to loosen up.  I did 5 miles and then called it a day.  I was happy with this week because it was the week after a half marathon and I had some big workouts without any continual soreness in my legs.  Glad to be done for the week though.

10 miles in the morning.

16 miles in the afternoon and evening.

I woke this morning and was feeling pretty good.  I went a little longer than the usual 8 miles.  I ended up getting 10 miles in right around 6:00/mile pace overall.  The body is responding well the faster paced runs.  This is a good sign.

We did a exercise circuit inside with the track team today due to all of the wind and snow outside.  It was really nasty.  We got done early so I came home and did 6 miles easy.  I then hurried over to Weber State for my workout with Paul Pilkington.  I warmed up with 3 miles and then did 5x 1 mile repeats @ 5:05 pace.  I did my first one a little fast - 4:56.  The second one was at 5:08.  My stomach was acting up on this one and then my third one was at 5:10.  I hurried to the bathroom and then the last two were at 5:12 and didn't feel that good.  It wasn't the best workout but I guess stomach issues will occur at times.  I was happy to have this done and finished with a 2 mile cooldown.  I came home, ate dinner, and went straight to bed.  What a day!

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

I woke up and felt much better than last night.  I think I might have a slight cold.  The 8 miles felt good.  It is amazing what a good nights sleep will do for you.

I did a fartlek workout between telephone poles with the distance runners today at the high school.  Some of the poles were far apart in good old Plain City.  It was a good push for them.  We did 5.5 miles of it and then did some abs.  I came home and did another easy 6.5 miles.  The rest of the week is supposed to be nasty with all of the snow.  Yeah!

8 miles in the morning.

12.10 miles in the afternoon.

Another eventful 8 miles in the morning with 30 minutes of shoveling snow this morning afterwards.  Can I count shoveling snow as crosstraining miles?  If I can, I should have a ton of crosstraining miles by the end of the week.

I decided to have the distance runners write down a personal running mission statement to go along with individual goals.  I then had them write down team goals.  I told them I would like these to be posted somewhere they can see them often.  I hope this keeps them motivated.  I had one of the distance runners send me a text message the other day saying that he doesn't mind that I am kicking their bu** with practices lately.  That is encouraging.  I came home and did just over 12 miles on my own.  I once again averaged right around 6:00/mile pace overall.  I then went outside and shoveled more snow.  Yeah!

8 miles in the morning.

19.10 miles in the afternoon and evening.

I did the 8 miles this morning a little slower than usual.  I have a good workout planned for the afternoon with a 5 mile tempo run (5:20/mile) included in it so I wanted to be safe and save some energy for later.

I ran with the distance runners this afternoon in wind and a little bit of snow.  I had them do a 20 minute mini-tempo run with a 10 minute warmup and cooldown.  They were troopers and did a great job.  We finished up just under 6 miles.  I stretched with them inside and then went back out to do my tempo run.  The only problem was the snow was thicker on the road and the wind was blowing a little more.  I started out and was going to see if I could do it but the roads were way to slick.  I tried pushing it when the roads were clear and be careful when it was slick.  I ended up doing just over 8 miles.  I know cars were thinking I was crazy being out it that kind of weather.  I averaged 6:42/mile overall which included running with the team.

I thought about calling it a day but got back home and hopped on the treadmill to do my tempo run.  I was mad at the snow but decided it wasn't going to deter me from finishing my tempo work.  I did 5 miles at 5:19/mile overall and then called it a day.  I know we need the snow for water in the spring but it is no fun to be in it.  Legs suprisingly felt fine tonight.

4 miles in 12 inches of snow this morning.

16 miles in the afternoon.

I was going to hop on the treadmill because it snowed a ton last night but it was sticking a bit.  I think it might need some more oil to lubricate it and make the belt glide easier.  I was frustrated but ended up going out in the snow and pulling a Sasha by running around my block for 4 miles.  I was dodging cars and snowplows.  I called it after 4 miles because I had to hurry to work.  I also did my 30 minutes of snow shoveling this morning and most likely will do more later.  Yeah!  I can't wait!

I was happy to look outside after school and see beautiful, sunny skies.  I ran an easy 6 miles with the distance runners and then did another 10 miles on my own.  It was pretty cold and the legs were a little heavy but I ended up hitting 6 of these miles under 6:00/mile pace.  My fastest mile was 5:33 which felt really good.  I ended up averaging 6:33/mile overall including running with the high school kids.  The weather got really cold once the sun went down.

I woke up feeling good and ready to go out for my long run.  It was a little cloudy but the weather was not bad.  I did my North Ogden run where the first 9 miles were uphill or rolling and then slightly downhill with some rollers on the way back.  The roads were a little slick due to some snow still on the ground.  I did the first half of the run with a little bit of snow on the ground which kept the pace a little slower.  The sun eventually came out for just a little bit and cleaned up roads quite nicely.  I took a quick potty break at 9 miles and then decided to kick it up a notch.  Paul Pilkington wanted me to do 3 miles at tempo pace (5:20) towards the end of the run.  I got to mile 13 feeling fine and then really got the legs moving.  I did the next 3 miles at 5:08, 5:03, and 5:18/mile pace.  The last one was a little slower due to some more snow on the road so I had to be careful.  I finished up the run with 2 miles of a cooldown.  I did some strides at the end of the run right before I got to the house.  I averaged 6:18/mile overall for the run. 

I hit 130 miles for the week which I never thought to be possible.  I don't think I will go much more than that.  My body suprisingly responded well to this week.  I wanted to see if I could run 130 miles in a week.  I think some factors that helped were getting lots of fluids and getting plenty of rest.  I am happy to be done for the week and also excited for this afternoon.  I am going to get my first massage.  Alright!  My body needs it.

8 miles in the cold, slippery snow.

12.25 miles in the early evening.

The treadmill needs to get some more oil so we are waiting on that to come.  Can I get any oil for a treadmill at any sporting goods store?  I did my Sasha type run today due to running around the block and then up around Ben Lomond in the snow.  One loop consisted of about 1 mile.  I don't mind running in the snow but it is slick and unpredictable on the legs.  That is why I usually do my runs in the morning on the treadmill.  I was going to push it on the dry parts of the road but their really wasn't to much of the dry stuff.  It is supposed to warm-up later this week so I happy about that.

I went up to Weber State for my workout with Paul Pilkington.  I warmed up with a 3 mile jog.  He had me do 10x 1000m right around 5:00/mile pace with a 1:15 recovery jog in between each one.  The last time I did 1000's I was only able to do 8 and my fastest was at 3:07.  I did all 10 of these tonight under 3:06.  My fastest was 3:03.  He wanted me to try and stay consistent over each of the 1000's.  I felt really good after this workout.  I feel more comfortable going faster.  The body seems to be taking it well.  I made sure I got a good 3 mile cooldown in afterwards and then drank plenty of fluids.  Today is in the books.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

It was extra chilly this morning at 5:00 AM.  The roads were dry and that made me happy.  I did my little loop around Ben Lomond High School 8 times.  Everything felt good this morning.  On the way to work I noticed the temperature was -3 degrees Fahrenheit.  Sweet!  I need a vacation to someplace warm.

I had the distance runners do an hour long run today.  The weather was sunny and only a little cold.  I had them do a 3 mile tempo run in the middle of the run.  The boys hit 5:57, 6:08, and 5:53 for their 3 mile tempo run.  It was a good push for them.  We ended up hitting 9 miles for the run.  I then did another 3 easy miles to get me 20 miles for the day.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

I got outside and it started to snow very lightly.  The roads were not bad at all until about mile 6.5 or so.  I was glad to get the run finished before the heavier snow came.  I hope the forecast is correct for nice weather this weekend.

It was nice this afternoon running outside with the track team.  We did an easy 35 minutes.  I then went home and ran around the neighborhood looking for a couple new routes up along the mountain.  It was pretty crazy with a few really steep hills.  Nothing to exciting to report about today.  Sorry!

8 miles in the morning.

12.70 miles in the afternoon.

I did the same route as last night where I basically ran around the neighborhood along the mountain.  It was a little windy so it made things extra cold this morning.  I didn't worry to much about pace because the legs were stiff as a board due to the cold weather.  I seem to be complaining about the cold weather a lot lately.  I need to try and be more positive.  I am supposed to do a 5 mile tempo run but the snow is really coming down out there.  I will have to wait and see if I will do it or not.

I ran with the distance kids today for just over 5 miles at an easy pace.  I came back to the school and did an ab workout with them.  It felt good.  I then went outside and it was snowing little pellets all over the place.  The weird thing was their was sun on the horizon.  The wind was blowing which always makes me nervous when I set out to do a big workout.  I decided to do my 5 mile tempo run anyway.  My miles were: 5:29, 5:27, 5:24, 5:29, and 5:29.  This averaged out to 5:27/mile.  I planned on hitting under 5:20 for the tempo run but with it being cold and windy I guess it wasn't meant to happen today.  I will take this workout and call it a day.  I finished with a .70 cooldown and hurried home to get some food in me.

10 miles in the afternoon.

I woke up this morning and was not feeling very good.  I had a slight sore throat and the stomach wasn't feeling that great so I ended up getting a good breakfast with some extra sleep.  For track "practice" today we shoveled the track.  Yes, we shoveled the track.  We only got 200 meters shoveled and then called it a day.  The things we do in order to run.  I got home and felt much better so I went for a 10 mile run around the neighborhood.  It is really hilly but I felt good.  I averaged 6:18/mile overall with a couple miles under 6:00/mile pace.  Glad to get this run in.

My run today just may have trumped one of James Barnes' infamous runs.  I was looking forward to sunny skies with 45 degree weather.  It didn't happen.  It was overcast and not terribly warm.  Oh well.  I decided to go up to Ogden Valley and run part of the marathon course.  I got up there and couldn't believe how much snow they have up there.  I thought I did a lot of shoveling!  I turned on my Garmin and it didn't work.  I don't think it was charged completely.  Paul Pilkington wanted me to run 2 hours and 10 minutes and not worry to much about pace.  I was happy with this.  I started at the Huntsville Park and then went out towards the Monastery.  I looped back around and went towards Eden where you get some of the rollers in the Ogden Marathon.  On the rollers is where it gets interesting.  I saw a car going slow and something running down the middle of the road.  It was 40-50 yards in front of me and coming in my direction.  I thought it was a fellow runner just running down the street.  It turned sideways and ended up being a huge bull moose coming towards me!  I stopped and luckily it turned down a residential street.  I waited a second or two and then sprinted by to get away from the animal.  It was huge.  I went out and then turned around.  I came by the same spot and sure enough the moose was down in the river bottoms and looked up at me.  It slowly started walking in my direction and I sprinted again to get past.  I survived and don't want to have to deal with this again.  I was almost done with the run and then a dog came out of a house and started chasing after me.  It was not happy to see me.  I sprinted again and it stopped chasing me.  I was happy to have this run done.  I ended up doing just over 20 miles for the day.  Not a bad end to the week.  Good old running stories!

8 miles in the morning.

15.50 miles in the afternoon and early evening.

I was not feeling up to going outside so I hopped on the treadmill and did 8 easy miles at 6:18/mile pace overall.  I'm sure I will have a big workout tonight with Paul Pilkington up at Weber State.

I ran an easy 5.5 miles with the track team this afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The sun was hot and I actually had to many layers of clothes on.  I think this is the first time I have said that this year.  I then went up to Weber for the big workout.  I started with a 3 mile warm-up and then did 4x 1600m right at 5:00/mile pace.  I hit 4:57, 4:58, 4:58, and 5:01 for the miles and then did 4x 400m at :67, :68, :68, and :68 for the four of them.  I finished up with a 2 mile cooldown.  I was happy with the workout.  I thought it was going to be much longer but the body felt fine afterwards.  Just a little fatigued.

8 miles on the treadmill.

12 miles in the afternoon.

I hit the fun treadmill and did 8 miles at 6:00/mile pace overall.  I am looking forward to much warmer weather here in the near future.

Today was the first time in a long time where I didn't have to wear my tights or extra clothing. It was a balmy 43 degrees! My pasty white legs need the sun. I ran an easy 3 miles with the track team and then had them do 6x200m at a moderate pace. I could tell pretty quick that some of the them haven't done any interval work on a track for a while. Once the weather gets warmer it should help them out a lot. After practice, I ran another 9 miles around the wonderful city of Plain City. I averaged 6:30/mile overall. It felt great running in warm weather and hearing all the birds singing. Spring is just around the corner!!!

8 miles in the morning.

12.50 miles in the afternoon.

Same run as yesterday!  Nothing to exciting.

This afternoon was crazy with all of the wind and snow.  I walked out to my car before practice and almost got blown over.  Katey thinks I am too skinny and need to eat more so I don't fall over!  I had the track team do some running inside today.  They were grateful.  I went home and took an hour nap.  It was much needed.  I hopped on the treadmill due to all of the crazy weather outside.  I did 5 miles at 6:00/mile pace and then did a 5 mile tempo run (5:19/mile overall).  I then finished up with a 2.5 cooldown.  Please bring back the spring weather.

13.15 miles in the morning.

7.05 miles in the evening.

I got up a little earlier than usual and ran a half marathon on the old treadmill.  I averaged 6:00/mile pace overall.  I am heading up to Pocatello for the Simplot Games so I hope I can squeeze some runs in while I am up there.  It should be pretty fun.  Their will be some great athletes up there.

I drove up some kids to Pocatello for Simplot.  It was a pretty quick drive.  The track is sweet.  It has banked corners which makes running on it quite interesting.  I was going to do the coaches mile but was not able to get in.  Bummer!  We were there most of the afternoon but I had some time this evening to run just over 7 miles on the treadmill.  The weather is a little extra chilly with all of the wind.  I might go outside in the morning.  We shall see.

13.15 miles in the morning.

7.10 miles in the evening.

I woke up really early to get my run in this morning.  I was going to go outside but the weather was extremely cold and it was a touch windy still.  I jumped on the treadmill at the hotel and did just over a half marathon.  I slowed the pace down a little because I was a touch sore.  I had a guy come in and run on the other treadmill.  He flipped the TV to the Stock Market channel.  I am not into numbers or stocks so it was half an hour of torture.  Life goes on I guess. 

We were at the track meet for the entire day.  We had some runners, jumpers, and throwers make the finals tomorrow so that is exciting.  It was cool today because they had past Olympians come and wave to the crowd.  Billy Mills was there.  It was neat seeing him.  I had a break in the afternoon and spent it with Katey when she drove up from Logan.  I then did another 7.10 miles to be done for the day.  I am pretty tired tonight. 

6 miles in the morning.

I didn't have much time today due to the final day at Simplot.  I got an easy 6 miles in and was alright with late.  I ended up getting home later than expected so I didn't run in the afternoon.  I ended up taking a 3 hour nap.  I must have been tired!

15.40 miles in the morning.

3.6 miles in the evening.

I ran with Hayden this morning in sunny St. George.  We started out at my house and then went out towards the softball diamonds and then into Ivins.  We looped back around for just over 13.5 miles.  We got a couple good hills and the pace was good for a Monday morning.  We talked about the upcoming outdoor track season and other various running topics.  Hayden is in great shape.  He will do well this outdoor season.  I let him determine the pace.  We hit 6:09/mile overall.  It is nice to see high school runners that are willing to put in the work to be better.  I then did a little bit of a cooldown to hit 15.4 miles for the morning.  Now it is off to hike Angels Landing in Zion with the family.  It should be fun.

Angels Landing was fun except we didn't go all the way out due to snow on the back side of rock.  Walter's Wiggles was nothing but ice.  It was crazy!  I got a little sun burned.  It felt nice.  I got home and was not feeling good at all.  I got in the tub and sat in a warm bath for about 15 minutes.  I took some medicine and felt a little better.  I then went out for another 3.6 miles.  I made sure they were easy this evening. 

What a day!  I wasn't feeling very good yesterday and it carried over into today.  I woke up and my legs were numb and my body kept going cold and then hot.  I came down with the flu.  I drank plenty of fluids but I had my big interview this morning and was a little worried.  I felt okay and I felt the interview went very well.  I should know within the week if I have the job at Desert Hills or not.  My fingers are crossed!  Katey was kind enough to drive home while I slept the entire time.  It made the trip go by a lot quicker.  I came home, ate some soup, and then went to bed.  Not a fun day.

8 miles in the morning.

13 miles in the evening.

I felt much better this morning so I did an easy 8 miles.  I still have a little bit of congestion in my chest but it feels better.  I will drink a lot of fluids and hopefully get this sickness kicked.

I had parent teacher conference until 6:30 tonight.  It went well except that I was blowing my nose every 5 minutes.  I came home and took it nice and easy on the treadmill for 13 miles.  I am a little worried if I go outside right now it will make me more sick.  The air is terrible.  Felt a little bit better tonight.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

Another easy 8 miles in the morning on the treadmill.  Nose is still a little runny but the build up in the chest is almost gone I think.  I will just try and get the miles in this week and not worry to much about the pace.

We had our official opening track meeting to get ready for practice on Monday.  Their are a lot of kids coming out.  I am very excited.  I went home and did another 12 on the treadmill.  I think I might head back outside tomorrow.  I will wait and see.  Nothing to exciting to report.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

I had an interesting morning.  I woke up at 4:30 in the morning screaming due to having a cramp in my right calf.  Katey woke up and lot I was dreaming or falling of the bed.  It scared her to death.  I was a little sore but was fine after I got my run going.  It is kind of funny to think about now.  Sorry Katey!

Got home and the weather was really cruddy outside so I did a wonderful 12 miles on the treadmill.  Yeah!  This week has not been the best for running.  Flu is almost completely gone I think.

I found out yesterday that I got the job at Desert Hills as a SPED teacher!  I am also going to be coaching track and cross country.  Katey and I are really excited.  This should be a good move for both of us not only job wise but recreation wise as well.  Katey has a couple job opportunities hopefully and we both love doing things outside (i.e. running, biking, running, running, and running!)  As a result of the move, we have a free snow shovel for anyone that wants it.

I got up early this morning and did 20 miles.  I averaged just under 6:30/mile overall for the entire run.  I was glad to be done with this run because I hit 100 miles for the week while not feeling good at all, completely missing one day, and kicking this flu bug.  I will get some sleep today and tomorrow and should be back to 100% by Monday.  The beauty of running 20 miles in the morning allowed me to go get a hearty breakfast at Jeremiah's with the in-laws afterwards.  Yummy!  I am getting excited for Del Sol next week.  It should be a lot of fun. 

8 miles in the morning.

14.25 miles in the afternoon.

I did an easy 8 miles this morning just under 6:30/mile overall.  Happy to be heading down to Arizona this weekend though.

It was the first day of official track practice today.  I ran an easy 5 miles this afternoon with the track team.  I will have them do some tempo paced miles tomorrow.  I hurried up to Weber State for my big workout.  I did an easy 3 miles to warmup and then Paul had me do a 2000, 1600, 1200, 1000, and 800 for my workout.  My best times were 4:59 for the 1600 and 3:03 for the 1000.  The other times were not that pretty.  He wanted me to ease back into it after being sick for most of last week.  I did a 2 mile cooldown and then went up to eat my dinner.

8 miles in the morning.

12.15 miles in the afternoon.

Same run as yesterday morning.  Just trying to keep the legs loose for this weekend.

I did 8.10 miles with the track team.   I ran just over 7 miles with the boys which included a 2 mile tempo run in the middle.  We did a 2 mile warmup and then a little bit of a cooldown afterwards.  It was a little windy so it was tough for a lot of them.  I have a sophomore on the team that ran a 5:00/mile in 7th grade and hasn't even really trained!  I am excited to work with him.  We should have a good team this year.  I ended up going back out and looking for one of the girls.  I found her and she was just moving along nice and relaxed.  She hasn't run much since cross country so she was taking it easy.  I was a little worried about her for a bit.  This tacked on just over a mile.  I came home and finished up the day with 4 miles at 6:00/mile overall.  Great day for running.  Temperatures were right in the mid-40s!

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

It was a nice relaxed run this morning.  I can't wait until Friday.  Arizona, 80 degrees, running a great relay, spending time in a smelly car with other guys!  This should be quite the event.

I ran with the girls distance runners to see how their workouts are going.  They are working hard which makes me very happy.  I did 6 miles with them and almost got eaten by 2 dogs!  Fun stuff.  I finished up with them and then did another 6 miles on my own around Plain City.  I almost got eaten by another dog on my 6 miler.  I just love animals!

8 miles in the morning.

8 miles at just under 6:30/mile overall.  I pick up Adam and James on our way down to St. George and then Arizona.  Look out warm weather, here I come.

No run this evening.  Drove down from Ogden to pick up Adam Wende and James.  We drove down to St. George and met up with the guys and then headed down to stay in a hotel in Las Vegas.  Smelled like smoke and didn't enjoy it that much.

5 miles in Las Vegas.

4.63 miles at Del Sol (Leg 2).

1.5 warm-up and cooldown.

Dave, Nick, Adam, Clyde, James, and me went out for an easy 5 miles this morning along the Las Vegas Strip.  It was fun running in and out of cars and trying not to get hit.  Great 60 degree weather.

We drove down and eventually made it to Wickenburg (where Del Sol starts) and had a little bit of time to relax.  We started had 6 PM so we had a couple of hours to kill.  It was going to be fun in Van 1 which included Dave, Nick, Clyde, Walter, James, Steve Hooper and me.  This was going to be a blast.  Google eventually showed up while we were waiting around along with another Running Store from Tucson who looked like they had a couple of ringers.  I got my gear on and did a 1 mile warmup with Clyde and Dave.  I had the 2nd leg in this relay so I was getting the little slap bracelet from good old Dave.  Dave started out well and dropped the Google guy pretty quick.  We hurried to the next exchange and waited for Dave.  He ended up coming in dead even with the Running Store from Tucson.  This was going to be close.  I started running at 6:30ish.  My 1st run had a gradual uphill climb for just over 4.6 miles.  Here were my splits:

1- 4:52 = feeling good and feeling a little antsy just to get going

2- 5:04 = finally relaxed

3- 5:27

4- 5:19

.63- 5:17

My time was 24:01 and I averaged 5:11/mile overall.  It had a decent headwind and never stopped the entire time.  I was happy with this start.  I ended up having to wear a reflective vest and headlamp.  Not my favorite things to wear.  I guess the guy I ran against from the Running Store was pretty upset about not keeping up with me.  He finished and was kicking dirt all over.  Sorry buddy!  I then did a .50 mile cooldown.  I could write more about everybody else and what happened in the race but I am sure Sasha will elaborate much more eloquently so I will let him do it.   

2nd run (14th leg) = 6.71 miles and 1 mile cooldown.

3rd run (26th leg) = 6.33 miles and 1 mile cooldown.

2nd run = I started my second run at 1 AM.  It showed a huge downhill section but once I got going their was a little bit of uphill all throughout.  I really wanted to get moving on this leg to see what I could do.  I knew it was going to be fast.  Here are my splits:

1- 4:43

2- 4:57

3- 4:52

4- 4:59

5- 4:57

6- 4:58

.71- 4:56

I ran 32:55 for 4:55/mile overall.  I was stoked about this run.  I finished and was screaming all over.  Their was probably over 100 people there and the guys from the team were hooting and hollering after they heard my overall pace.  People started cheering and it was a lot of fun.  I had personal bests in the 5k and 10k during this leg.  I hit just over 15 minutes for 5k and then 30:30 for the 10k.  I also dropped the guy from the Running Store by 4 and a half minutes.  This shocked me!  I was really pumped up after this leg.  I started feeling the effects of dinner at about mile 2 but just blocked it out.  I went on my cooldown and started to really cough.  I don't want to get that discriptive but I lost my dinner and all of the Gatorade I had been drinking.  It wasn't a pretty sight but I felt much better afterward.

3rd run = I got a total of maybe 30 minutes of sleep but got a decent warmup in and knew this was my last run.  The first 2 miles were downhill and then just over 4.3 miles was straight uphill.  I had a little bit of headwind on this one but I was used to it by know.  Here are my splits:

1- 4:56

2- 5:04

3- 5:16

4- 5:41 - My right quad started acting up.

5- 5:47

6- 5:51 - Dirt road and running on car divots.

.33- 5:36

I ran 34:24 for 5:26/mile overall.  It was not my best leg but I was happy to be done.  That 4.33 miles straight uphill really got me working and extremely tired.  I was done though.  Clyde was the 4th runner and eventually passed all of teams so we were in 1st place with two runners left in our van and then all of the runners in Van 2.  We were smoking everybody.  We hurried to the finish and hung out all by ourselves.  We waited for Steve Ashbaker to come in and then we all ran in together for the winning time of 17 hours 4 minutes.  Our entire team averaged 5:38/mile overall.  That is just mind boggling to me.  Their was no one in sight to watch us come in since all of the other teams were still out there.  We had a little bit of pressure from the Running Store in Tucson but Google was not a problem at all.

I had a blast on this relay team.  It was so much fun spending time will all of these great guys.  I would write down a lot of the crazy things we saw and talked about but when I talk with many of you in person, it will be that much better.  It was a great experience and I can't wait for Wasatch Back now.  I was thrilled with my times also.  It is making me very antsy and excited for the Ogden Marathon.  I will keep training hard to see how the marathon turns out.

8.10 miles in the morning.

12.05 miles in the afternoon.

My legs were a little sore this morning but it was nice to shake the legs out for 8 + miles.  I felt good after I was done.

I ran 4.5 miles with the guys on the track team and then put them through an interval workout.  I planned on going to do my speed workout with Paul Pilkington but decided it wouldn't be good to jump right into it again.  I will take it easy for the next couple days and might do a little speed workout on Thursday to get me ready for Moab this weekend.  I finished out the day with another 7.5 miles at an easy pace.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

The quads feel much better today.  I am really happy about that.  Really looking forward to seeing lots of people down in Moab.  It should be a lot of fun.

It was pretty cold this afternoon (32 degrees).  I did an easy 5.5 miles with the track team which included 1 mile tempo at 5:30 pace.  I then finished off the day by doing another 6.5 miles.  The legs are almost all the way back to normal.  I am not sure how I will do in Moab.  I am thinking at least sub-1:09.

8 miles in the morning.

12.5 miles in the afternoon.

It was chilly once again this morning.  I am glad that I survived this morning's run.

I ran with the girls today to see how they are doing.  They are pushing each other very well.  We did 4.5 miles today.  I then did another 8 miles to finish out the day.  I am still keeping the pace slower to help the legs recover from last weekend.  I talked with Paul Pilkington tonight and talked about Moab.  He wants me to do a speed workout tomorrow and then treat the race on Saturday as a training run.  I think that will be best.  I will see what I end up doing here very soon.

8 miles in the morning.

8 wonderful miles in the morning.  The legs aren't feeling too bad now.  Yeah!

I ran an easy 2 miles with the track team and then put them through a nice speed workout on the track.  I ran another 7 easy miles after practice and then did my track workout.  It was a little chilly but I wanted to get it done.  I did 12 x 400m on Fremont High's track.  I did them all between 68-70 seconds.  I did 90 second recovery jogs between each one.  My legs felt good afterwards which made me real happy.  Today was a good running day.

8 miles in the morning.

I ran another easy 8 miles this morning.  I have to confess something.  On the way to work I saw a thermometer showing 17 degrees!  I yelled in the car, "WARM-UP!"  It could happen.  We will have to wait and see.

I talked with Paul Pilkington and decided to do a training run today during the half marathon instead of racing it. I ran 5 miles before the race for a nice little warmup. I ran over to pick up my packet and just get the legs loosened up. My legs are still recovering from last week so I decided to do the first 9 miles at 5:40-5:50 pace and then throw in some tempo miles for the last 4. I started out with Cody and did a mile or so with him and then eventually caught up to Walter and ran with him until mile 9. I then kicked it in and ran the last 4 miles in: 5:09, 5:13, 5:20, and 5:11. I ended up doing the whole race in 5:33/mile overall. I felt fine after the race and was glad that I didn't race it. I saw the winning time and knew I could have hit that today. I ended up passing 6 guys in the last 4.10 miles so I got a little bit of "racing" in for the day. I am really shooting for my PR at the Strider's Half on April 5th. I did a 2.4 mile cooldown after the race while going back and running in with Nick Froerer from the blog. He had a good race today. The course today had a lot of uphill and it didn't bother my legs to much. I am very happy about that. It was good seeing some of the Fast Running Bloggers down here as well. Katey and I met up with Paul, Stacy, David Nelson, Cody, Bethany, Ben, and Anna to indulge on some brugers. I had some chicken and only got the leftovers of Paul's bruger but it was worth it. It was yummy! Nothing like eating a hamburger with a bratwurst at the same time.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the evening.

I am glad that I didn't race the half marathon on Saturday.  My legs felt great yesterday and even better this morning while I was doing my 8 miler.  Can't wait until the Striders Half!

I did .25 miles to hurry to track practice this afternoon.  I couldn't run with the distance runners because I was timing some of the sprinters.  I went up to Weber State and had my workout with Paul Pilkington.  We ran on the outdoor track today which still had a bunch of snow on it which made the track really wet.  I did a 3 mile warm-up and then he had me do 2000, 1600, 1200, 800, and a 400 with 2-4 minutes recovery jog in between each.  Here are the times as follows: 2000- 6:15, 1600- 5:00, 1200- 3:41, 800- 2:22, 400- 1:06.  The times were not as fast as I would have liked but their was a nice little headwind which probably slowed me done a touch.  The effort was their though.  I did a 5 mile cooldown afterwards and was happy to get home.  It was nice running at 7:30 at night when it is not completely dark.

8 miles in the morning.

12.25 miles in the afternoon.

The weather was a touch chilly this morning but it felt good to have the fresh air.  I could smell the trees which made the run that more enjoyable.  It was pretty dark so I wore my flourescent yellow shirts.  Sweet!

I ran in 56 degree weather for 6.25 miles with the track team.  It was not a good day because one of the runners got bit by a dog!  I guess the same dog bit a girl during cross country last year.  I don't like dogs at all.  I did another 6 miles fairly easy by myself.  Luckily I didn't get bit by a dog.

8 miles in the morning.

12.25 miles in the evening.

8 easy miles this morning.  My hip flexors were a little tight at first but loosened up during the run.  I will make sure I stretch them out really good.

I heard some great news from two of the girls I coach.  One of them is going to run at Utah State and the other is going to run at SUU.  They both got scholarships so it is going to be great for them.  I am very excited.  I ran 3.5 miles with the girls and then did another 8.75 miles around Plain City after practice.  The weather was quite nice.  We have our first track meet tomorrow against Box Elder and Weber.  It should be good.

10 miles in the morning.

10 miles in the afternoon.

I did a couple extra miles this morning due to the track meet.  I won't have as much time to run after the meet so I added 2 extra miles this morning.  I am thinking of running the Chicago Marathon instead of St. George this fall.  What does everyone think?

The meet got cancelled so I went home a little early today and got my run in.  I did a 4 mile warmup and then did a 4 mile tempo run.  The first 2 miles I averaged 5:20 and then about 5:15 for 1.5 miles and then kicked it in for the last 1/2 mile doing 5:00 pace.  The legs felt good and I made sure I did a 2 mile cooldown afterwards.  My dad came up to watch my brother play soccer so we all went out to dinner and got on a discussion about Chicago.  I guess it was kind of like everyone making comments on my blog.  Lots of things to think about.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

I did an easy 8 miles right at 6:20/mile overall.  The legs felt nice and fresh this morning.  Lots of fluids and a good night's sleep are helping out a lot.

I did a 12 mile run after practice today.  It was pretty cold and a little windy but I ended up doing the run at 6:12/mile overall.  I went from the high school out past Smith and Edwards.  I was very happy with the time due to the elements.  The legs are feeling good lately.

Huge workout for me today.  I went with some of my students snowmobiling this morning and then hurried home to get my run in.  I left in the early afternoon and planned on doing 2 and 1/2 hours.  This is actually what Paul Pilkington wanted me to do.  It was cold outside so I got all my warm stuff on and went out.  I ended up dropping off my warm stuff and my cousin's house 2 miles in because it started to get really warm.  I went up into North Ogden and all the way out to Highway 89 going up towards Brigham City.  This is my long, rolling hill route that I do every so often.  I was at 12.15 miles at 1:15.  I did a quick potty break and then started heading back.  Katey was sweet enough to drop some water and GU off at Weber High for me.  I took that at 16.40 miles and it helped out a ton.  The weather got really hot for the next 3 or so miles and then got windy and cold again.  I kicked it in and finished up in 2:29:13 for 24.50 miles which turns out to be at 6:05/mile overall.  I was stoked after this run.  It was a nice push considering all of the elements.  This is one of the best workouts I have done in a long time.  I hurried home and got a lot of fluids and food in me.  I was happy with this workout because it was at the end of a huge week of running already.  I need to keep pushing and getting ready for Ogden.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the evening.

Pretty uneventful 8 miles except I had to stop 2 times in order to use the bathroom.  Yikes! 6:20/mile overall and no soreness in the legs from Saturday's long run.  This is a good sign.

I went up to Weber State and did my workout with Paul today.  I did a 2 mile warm-up and then 10 x 1000m at 3:07 or 5:00/mile pace.  The wind was blowing quite a bit and it was really chilly.  I hit all of them between 3:04-3:07.  I then did a 3.75 mile cooldown afterwards around Weber State.  This was a nice workout for me.  I am tired of the cold weather.  Please bring on the spring weather.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

8 easy miles in the morning.  Nothing to exciting except it is still cold.

I ran an easy 3 miles with the track team today in order to get them ready for the meet tomorrow.  I then went home and ran another 9 miles at 6:00/mile overall.  The legs felt fine.  Looking forward to warm weather tomorrow (61 degrees).  Fingers and toes are crossed.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the evening.

I was a little groggy this morning but managed to survive the 8 miles.  Their are days where I wish I could sleep in.  I guess that is what Sunday is for!

We had the first track meet of the season today.  All of the distance runners did very well.  In the boys 1600 Fremont took the first 4 spots and in the girls 1600 the winner was from Fremont.  I was running around trying to make sure everything was going smooth.  It was fun.  I didn't start my run until about 8:30 at night.  I managed 12 miles at an easy pace.  I was fairly tired so I don't remember much about it.  It is another run in the books though.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

My right calf was really tight this morning but it loosened up after I started running.  8 miles fairly easy.  Got to love the rain!  It washed my car for free!

Today was an easy day at track.  We played ultimate frisbee after practice.  They called me "Animal" because I would run down the field and catch the frisbee after someone threw it.  I felt kind of like a dog.  It was fun.  I've never played it before.  I had a big workout this evening.  I did a 4 mile warmup and then did a 5 mile tempo run.  I averaged 5:13/mile for the 5 miles and then did a 3 mile cooldown.  I felt it a little in my legs afterwards.  I made sure I stretched pretty good.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.
 

The legs were still a little sore from last night after the tempo run so I kept it nice and easy this morning.

 The power went out at the school so I got to leave a little early and get my run in.  It was windy and cold this afternoon on my 12 miler.  I once again went out towards Smith and Edwards and then back to Fremont.  My left hamstring was bothering me a bit so I slowed down a little.  6:36/mile overall for the run.  I will roll the hamstring out with a foam roller to see if it gets any better.
 

I woke up a little after 7:30 and ran from the in-laws down to Paul's house.  It was nice and chilly in Logan so I am glad I brought my warm stuff.  It was 3.5 miles to Paul's house.  I met up with Paul, Jon, and James to go for a nice 9 mile run out through Providence.  It was cold but the conversation was nice with all of those guys.  We got back to Paul's house and jabbered for a while and then I did another hour of running.  I kept it pretty easy today which was much needed.  I ended up hitting 21 miles for the day and am glad that I have the rest of the day and tomorrow to recuperate from all of the running lately.  I will be spending lots of time with The Stick and Ibuprofen to try and get everything feeling better.  Looking forward to the Striders Half in two weeks.

12.60 miles in the morning.

13.50 miles in the afternoon. 

I am still up in Logan so I once again ran from the in-laws down to meet up with Paul. Easter dinner wasn't sitting well so I had to stop at the Chevron on the way. It is almost 3.5 miles to his house. We did a nice and easy 5+ miles around Logan in the dark. It was good conversation and a pleasant run for a Monday morning. Paul seems to be getting better and better everyday. I then ran back up to the in-laws and got to deal with the nice canyon "breeze" to finish off the run. 12.60 miles total this morning.

 Nice afternoon weather for running while in Logan.  I ran with Paul, Cody + kids in stroller, and Jon.  It was nice chatting with everyone.  I was happy to go pretty slow today.  I realized that my hip was bothering me so I rolled it out and it feels much better.  I will do my speed workout tomorrow morning that Paul wanted me to do.  Fun to run with these guys again.  Only had to push Cody up the hill once!

12.30 miles in the morning.

7.75 miles in the afternoon.

I ran from the in-laws this morning down to meet Paul.  We did 5.3 miles on the landfill loop.  We did it backwards though.  I ended up doing 12.3 miles total this morning.  It was raining a little bit but it was still warm weather.

I hurried down to the high school for track practice and then went and did some mile repeats at Ben Lomond High School.  I did 4x 1600m with a 90 second recovery jog in between each one.  Here are the times: 4:55, 4:56, 5:03, 5:04.  I wasn't happy with the last two but the wind picked up quite a bit.  I guess you have to deal with what mother nature gives you. 

I got home after the girls track meet at Davis and did another easy 1.25 miles to put me over 20 for the day.  The hip is feeling better and the legs are not as heavy. 

8 miles in the morning.

12.05 miles in the late evening.

It was perfect weather this morning for a run except for the wind.  I almost had an encounter with a skunk this morning.  I am happy to report that I survived.

The boys took 2nd at the Davis Super Meet.  It was nice to see this.  I didn't start my run until about 8 PM tonight.  I did just over 12 miles at 6:19/mile overall.  I then took a cold bath to help the legs feel a little better.  My head hit the pillow and I was out.

8 miles in the morning.

The wind, rain, and snow were howling this morning so I decided to stay in on the treadmill for my morning run.  I did 8 miles at 6:20/mile overall.  Legs are feeling much better this morning.

Paul Pilkington had me do a power run that the runners do at Weber State.  It is a 2 mile warmup, 8 miles at 5:30/mile, and then a 2 mile cooldown.  The pace is about 10 seconds slower than my marathon pace.  This run felt very good.  I was happy to get it in.

8 miles in the morning.

6 miles in the afternoon.

8 wonderful miles in the morning.  Yeah!  I will only have time for about 6 miles this afternoon due to family activities and helping out with the dance at the high school.

I did a 2 mile warmup with the boys' distance team and then did a 3200m time trial.  Many of the runners just want to do the 1600 so I told them whoever goes under 10:40 I will buy them dinner.  I hit 5:16 and 5:10 for the 2 miles to try and keep them on pace.  I wanted to go under so they could have a little leeway.  I had one kid do it so I guess I won't be to broke now.  It was a nice push for many of them.  I then did another easy 2 miles to finish out the day.  I danced the night away at the dance and it was really weird being at another high school dance!

I woke up really early this morning (4:30) in order to get my run in.  Katey was doing a sprint triathlon in American Fork so I had to get the run done really early.  I did my North Ogden rolling hills out and back route.  The weather was so nice.  It was 46 degrees at 5:00 in the morning!  I kept the pace nice and steady throughout the entire run.  It was slightly windy but that is okay.  I had to stop and deal with 2 potty breaks.  It was not fun!  I survived the run and ended up doing 22 miles at 6:37/mile overall.  It was nice and relaxed today but I am happy to be done for the week.  I will taper a little bit next week in order to really go for a good PR next week at the Striders Half.  My body told me I need to taper a little bit for next week.

Katey did awesome at the mini triathlon.  It was a 5k run, 11 mile bike ride, and 300 meter swim.  They did it backwards and did the run first and swim last due to the colder weather.  She finished and I really enjoyed watching her.  I saw Walter who ended up doing really well and I think placed in the top 5.

8 miles in the morning.

12.10 miles in the afternoon.

8 easy miles this morning to get the week off on the right foot.  It should be fun seeing a bunch of Fast Running Bloggers this weekend at the Striders Half.

It was frigid this afternoon.  I could see my breath at track practice today.  I did 2.6 miles with the boys and then hurried home to get another 9.5 miles in.  I was supposed to work out at the Weber State track but their was snow on it so it didn't turn out to well.  I did the 9.5 miles right around 6:20/mile overall.  I just want to keep the legs loose for this weekend.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

Another 8 easy miles this morning.  Nothing to exciting to report.

I did 2.5 miles with the track team and then headed up to Weber State for my speed workout.  I did a 3 mile warmup and then did a breakdown type of workout.  1200- 3:42, 1000- 3:00, 800- 2:21, 600- 1:44, 400- :69, 400- :69.  I then did a 3.25 mile cooldown and called it a day.  It was a really cold day today with some slight wind.  It was nice and frigid. 

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the evening.

8 easy miles this morning.  The legs are still feeling really good.  Knock on wood.  When is spring supposed to start?

I got home late from the track meet but the weather was so nice so I went out for a nice 12 mile run up towards North Ogden.  It was perfect weather.  I didn't worry about pace to much.  I just enjoyed the run.  It was really funny when I ran by a police car and the officer got on the megaphone to tell me I was running at 9 miles per hour.  I waved and went on my way.  I am glad our government is making sure runners don't exceed the speed limit!

I decided to sleep in this morning.  I will plan on doing a few miles this evening. 

I ran over to Ben Lomond's track and did 6x 400m.  My splits were: :72, :71, :71, :71, :70, and :69.  I did these in my new Bandito racers.  I am breaking them in for Saturday.  3 miles total. 

4 more easy miles this morning in the Bandito racers.  Tomorrow we will be battling the elements.  Yeah!

Their were a lot of positives for this race.  There was no snow or no rain.  I had a big "positive" split, I won $50 for taking 3rd overall and finally my legs didn't hurt to bad afterwards.  Let me explain.  I got up and went to get my packet.  I did a nice 3 mile warmup and then hopped on the bus to go too the starting line.  I then did another 2 miles with Clyde, Andy, Jon, and Cody.  The weather was a little cold and slightly windy.  I saw Teren Jamesen at the starting line and decided how long I could stick with him.  I was hoping the wind didn't pick up.  I was wanting to hit 5:10 miles for the first little bit and then see what would happen.  Here are my splits for the race:

1- 5:11

2- 5:11

3- 5:05

4- 5:08

5- 5:08

6- 5:10

7- 5:21

8- 5:35

9- 5:40

10- 5:42

11- 5:54

12- 6:07

13- 5:55

.1- 5:39

As you can see, the wind picked up tremendously around mile 6.5.  I stuck with Teren for that long and was feeling fine until I took a right turn smack dap into the wind.  It was much worser wind than at the Trials last year plus the temperature was really cold.  Teren started to extend his lead and I let him go.  I tried to stay relaxed but my legs got a little tight.  At about mile 10, Alexander Tomas came up and passed me.  He pushed the pace and my body didn't respond that well.  I tried to keep everything going but the wind was a killer.  I ended up taking 3rd overall and averaged 5:27/mile overall.  I didn't get my PR but I figured it wouldn't happen with all of this wind.  I got my warm clothes on again and did a 2 mile cooldown with everyone.  I was a little disappointed that Tomas caught up to me and placed 2nd but I learned a lot from this race.  It is hard to race well with the wind conditions like they were.  Teren came in at about 1:10 something so it slowed everyone down.  Hopefully I can learn from this and get ready to do well at Ogden.  Remember, positive splits are bad and negative splits are good!

5 miles in the morning.

12 miles this afternoon.

5 easy miles this morning.  The quads were a little sore from last Saturday.  I will treat this week as a recovery week.  I will probably hit around 100 miles this week. 

I got home from practice and it was nice and chilly (39 degrees!)  I did my North Ogden rolling hills out and back route.  I didn't take my watch but just tried to enjoy running in nice snow flurries while watching some people mow their lawn.  Yikes!

5 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

Another nice and chilly 5 easy miles this morning.  Quads feel much better.

Another chilly and windy 12 mile run up into North Ogden.  The weekend weather shows that it is supposed to be about 65 degrees.  My fingers and toes are crossed!

5 miles in the morning.

12.10 miles in the afternoon.

Slept in a little but still got the 5 easy miles in.

You got to love it when it is hailing outside in April.  I did just over 12 miles at 6:19/mile overall.  Glad to have this run in the books.  Speed workout on the track tomorrow.

5 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the evening.

Easy 5 miles this morning.  Looking forward to that weekend weather.

I had planned on doing a speed workout on the track but the wind and hail deterred me from it.  I just did an easy 12 miles this evening.  If it is good weather I will do my speed workout tomorrow.

5 easy miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

Everything is about the same for my morning runs lately.

I got home and did a nice 3.25 mile warmup and then hurried over to Ben Lomond's track for my speed workout.  It was quite windy and a little chilly but it was clear blue skies and I knew I needed to get this workout in.  I did 8x1000m with 1:15 recovery in between each one.  Paul wanted me to hit about 3:07 for each one.  I hit 3:07 for the first one, 3:06 for the next 4, 3:05 for the next 2 and finally 3:04 for the last one.  I did a 2.75 mile cooldown and called it a day.  This was a nice push considering the wind was blowing pretty good.  It made me focus on my form and really fight through the wind.

I got to sleep in a little since the track meet got moved for a little later in the day.  I woke up at 6:00 and had my 2 1/2 hour run to look forward.  I decided to try and different route instead of the North Ogden rolling hills one.  I went out to Fremont High school and back.  Paul told me to keep the pace steady so I was thinking low 6:00 miles.  It was a cold 25 degrees that early but I warmed up pretty quick once the sun came up.  I got out to Fremont and was feeling good.  I decided to push it a little bit more for the trip back to the house.  At about mile 18 or 19 my body started to get a little tired but I surprisingly kept pushing and consistently hit low 6:00's.  I finished the 24 miles in 2:27:44.  I averaged 6:09/mile overall for the entire run.  This run was almost as good as the 24 miler I did a couple of weeks ago.  I know these 2 1/2 hour long runs are really getting my body primed and ready for Ogden.

8 miles in the morning.

13 miles in the afternoon.

This morning's run was a little rough.  I had 2 VRPB's (very real potty breaks) and barely survived the run.  I think I was getting rid of some junk from over the weekend.  Looking for another big week of training though.

80 degrees today!  Oh yeah!  I went up and had my workout with Paul at the Weber State track.  It was a short workout.  I warmed up for 3 miles and then I did 2x1600, 1x1200, and 1x800.  I hit mostly 74 quarters for each of the intervals.  I hit the 1600's at 5:00 and 5:03.  The wind was horrendous but it made me push that much more.  Paul noticed that I might have been a little dehydrated tonight.  He also said I was still probably recovering from the long run on Saturday.  I need to make sure I drink plenty of fluids now that the weather is getting a little warmer.  I did a 6 mile cooldown out towards South Ogden afterwards.  Not a bad start considering it is Monday.

8 miles in the morning.

12.10 miles in the afternoon.

Huge drop in temperature this morning.  Really windy as well.  Kept the pace nice and easy.

The snow and crazy wind deterred me from running outside today.  I hopped on the treadmill and did 12.10 miles pretty easy.  Where is the warm weather?

8 miles in the morning.

12.10 miles in the evening.

Another 8 easy miles in the morning.  Yeah!

We didn't get done with the track meet until 7:00 so I didn't start my run until after 7:30.  It was a little cold but it felt kind of nice and relaxing just to go out at this time of day.  I beat the 7:00/mile guy this evening.  I did just over 12 miles and kept the pace nice and easy.  I enjoy running later at night for some reason.  It just seems more quiet and peaceful.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

Another cold morning run. I had to pull out all the cold running gear again. Yikes! Looking forward to this weekend though. Hopefully it is good weather for my tempo run this afternoon.

The weather was almost to good to be true so I hurried home and went for my run.  I was planning on 4 miles of tempo and wanted to keep the rest of the miles really easy.  I went up towards North Ogden for my rolling hills route.  I did the first 7 miles really easy, stopped and stretched really good and then got into my tempo miles.   I hit 5:09, 5:08, 5:15, and 5:36.  Yes, the last one is a little scary but it was all uphill with the wind blowing pretty hard into my face.  Everything was going great in the run up until that point.  Oh well!  Everything can't be perfect.  The effort was there though.  I finished off with a nice and easy last mile to give me 12 miles for the run.  It was a beautiful day for running.

12.20 miles in the afternoon.

My body got after me and told me to sleep in this morning.  It was a long night last night so I listened and was grateful that I did.  I did a couple miles with the boys on the track team and then did another 8 or so pretty easy.  It was nice and hot outside.  The run was very enjoyable.  Once again I barely beat the 7:00/mile guy today.  On a side note, one of the other coaches and myself are doing all the track and field running/field events in a little competition.  I beat him in the shot put, javelin, and discus yesterday.  He got me in the high jump, 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles.  We are dead even after 6 events.  I will not ever do the hurdles for real life.  I am pathetic.  I enjoy the longer stuff anyways.   

I got up nice and early for a 20 mile run with Cody.  We went up Blacksmith Fork Canyon 10 miles and then came back down.  Jon met up with us about 5 miles up the canyon.  I forgot how crazy the headwind is going up the first 10 miles.  It was fun talking with these two about Wasatch Back and a bunch of other running related topics.  The weather was perfect so it made the run that much better.  At mile 16, I started my 4 mile tempo run to finish out the long workout.  I hit 5:04, 5:04, 5:02, and 5:01 for the miles.  I was very happy about this.  This was a nice way to finish out the week.  I had to hurry afterwards in order to get to the track meet at Logan High which lasted all day.  

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the evening.

It was a nice morning for a run.  The birds were chirping and the legs felt great.  I must have been working pretty hard because after I was done steam was coming from all parts of my body.

I did my workout with Paul tonight.  I did 8x1000m repeats with only 60 second recovery.  He wanted me at 3:07 or 5:00/mile pace for these.  I hit 3:00 for the first one and knew it was a little fast.  I balanced out the next 5 to be at 3:06ish, hit 3:08 for the 7th, and hit 3:10 for the last.  I was pretty tired for the last two.  I had to deal with the elements again.  It was windy.  I don't think their has been a clear day on any of my speed workouts on the track.  That is life.  I then did a 6 mile cooldown run.  I was overall pleased with the workout though.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

The morning runs are not as cold as they used to be.  This is a good sign.  Just kept it nice and easy again.

It was a nice and relaxed 12 mile without the Garmin tonight.  It was a little windy but it felt good because the temperature was pretty hot. 

This is unfortunately so true!

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

Another enjoyable easy 8 miler this morning.

What a day for a run!  It was raining for most of the day and then the heavens opened up with the sun shining brightly down upon me for my run.  This was a great day.  I did 12 miles around Plain City.  I only had 2 DE's (Dog Encounters) today.  The lovely dog owners kept saying, "They are nice and won't bite you."  Thanks for letting me know as your pet is about to bite into my flesh.  I survived and ended up averaging 6:21/mile overall. 

8 miles in the morning.

12.25 miles in the afternoon.

We got plenty of rain and wind last night.  Kept the pace easy this morning.  Plan on doing repeats on the track this afternoon.

It was rainy, snowy and windy all day today and then it cleared it up a little bit in the afternoon.  I started out with a 6.75 warmup run right after track practice and then went over to Ben Lomond's track for repeats.  I ended up doing 17 x 400m at 70 seconds or faster with 60 second recovery in between each one.  I hit all of them between 65-69 except for one.  The wind determined some of the times.  A family from our neighborhood was walking at the track.  One of the 7-year-old boys wanted to race a 400 with me.  We hit 1:47 for the 400.  He is a fast little guy.  It was funny because with about 100 meters to go he said that I looked like a "machine" running around the track.  What a kid!  I hope I can have a cool kid like this someday.  I ended up doing my cooldown with Katey.  She came over and did 3 miles around the track.  This was the most 400's I have ever done.  It was a great workout but I was pretty tired afterwards.

8 miles in the morning.

6 miles in the evening. 

My legs were still very tired from last night. I kept it really slow this morning. Another gorgeous morning for a run.

I got my run in later than usual do to hosting a junior high track meet.  We basically had to explain to the kids what to do for each race so we got done really late.  I ran an easy 6 miles and then hurried home to my beautiful wife.  Dinner was yummy! 

I woke up early and went for my long run. I did my run in cold and windy weather. It wasn't the most enjoyable run I've ever had but it is in the books. I went up towards North Ogden and then west of town a little bit out towards the BDO. I had to stop for a VRPB (very real potty break) about 6 miles into the run. I didn't worry to much about pace today but just wanted to make sure everything was nice and steady. I then went to Davis High for a track meet that lasted 9 hours! I saw James there so we talked about Wasatch Back and running in general. Always fun! I am happy to have the week over so now I can start to taper for Ogden. I can't believe it is only 3 weeks away!

6 miles in the morning.

11 miles in the afternoon.

A great run this morning to get the week started off on the right foot.  It was blue skies and not that cold.  Alright!

It was really hot this afternoon.  Almost 80 degrees!  I got up to Weber State and did a 2 mile warm-up and then did 4x1600m at 5:00/mile.  I hit 4:59, 4:58, 4:57, and 4:57 for the miles.  I then went with two guys that are also training with Paul to run 5 miles on the Ogden River Parkway.  It was perfect running conditions today and was happy to once again start out the week on a good note.

6 miles in the morning.

10.50 miles in the afternoon.

It is nice sleeping in just a touch longer than usual.  I kept the pace easy this morning.  I wore a long sleeve tech shirt and it was almost to hot for that.

It was warm this afternoon and extremely windy.  I pushed the pace every once in a while and ended up at 6:27/mile overall.  I think the reason why I pushed the pace a little today was because I found out something at track practice that upset me.  One of my top girls has been talking with her sister about what she should be running and apparently hasn't listened to me for most of the year.  I tell her to do one thing and I guess she checks with her sister before she decides on it.  I probably shouldn't be making a big deal about this but I have put a lot of time and effort into track and it seems like some of the kids don't care to work hard enough.  Oh well!

6 miles in the morning.

8 miles in the morning.

A little colder than yesterday morning but it was still nice outside. This is a great time of year for running.

8 easy miles this afternoon.  I have a tempo run planned for tomorrow afternoon so I am just trying to keep everything relaxed.  My body needs the extra rest for Ogden.

13.50 miles in the afternoon.

I slept in this morning and did all of my running in the afternoon.  I ran 6.5 miles with the track team which include 15 minutes of sub-5:45/mile running.  I then raced one of the other coaches on the track team in the mile.  I didn't run terrible fast and ended up doing 4:57.  I almost lapped him though!  He can beat me on all the short, fast stuff though.  I then ran another 6 miles which consisted of 3 mile tempo.  The tempo miles were: 5:15, 5:18, and 5:10.  I was happy with the times due to all of the crazy wind.  It was a good afternoon of running.

Fast Running Bloggers,

Katey and I have decided to host a pasta party for everyone running the Ogden Marathon. Katey is an angel for letting us do this. It will be on Friday, May 16th from 5:30 – 7:30. Our address is 1075 9th Street in Ogden. It is right across the street from Ben Lomond High School. We have a small, older home which doesn’t hold very many people so we are planning on doing it outside. We have a fenced off yard so kids can run around and you parents won’t have to worry about them much. Please call Katey (435-770-6055) or me (801-391-7859) if you can help bring some food or drinks. Also, call either one of us if you have any questions. Hopefully many of you will be able to come. Keep up the great training.

Thanks,

Logan Fielding

Going Northbound on I-15

1: Go northbound on I-15 N.

2: Take the 12TH ST./ UT-39 exit, EXIT 344.
0.3 mi

3: Turn LEFT onto UT-39/ W 12TH ST/ W 1200 S. Continue to follow UT-39/ W 12TH ST.
3.2 mi

4: Turn LEFT onto MONROE BLVD.
0.3 mi

5: Turn RIGHT onto 9TH ST.
0.2 mi

6: End at 1075 9th St Ogden, UT 84404-5116


Going Southbound on I-15

1: Go southbound on I-15 S.

2: Merge onto UT-39/ W 12TH ST via EXIT 344.
3.8 mi

3: Turn LEFT onto MONROE BLVD.
0.3 mi

4: Turn RIGHT onto 9TH ST.
0.2 mi

5: End at 1075 9th St Ogden, UT 84404-5116

6 miles in the morning.

10 miles in the afternoon. 

I had steam coming from the top of my head after this run. It was a nice morning for running though.

I ran 4 miles with the boys track team and then tacked on another 6 by myself.  Kept everything nice and slow.  I averaged 6:46/mile overall.  The body is feeling good with the reduced mileage. 

14 miles this morning up in Logan with Jon and Paul.  I ran the first 8 miles with Jon on the first leg of Wasatch Back.  I don't want to get lost when I start the race out!  We then met up with Paul and did 6 miles on his Logan High grass loop.  It was interesting listening to Paul and Jon talk computers and numbers.  I was lost.  They were discussing the percent of uphill and downhill and how fast someone should go.  My thought process is if you start going uphill you will be slower and when you go down you will go slower.  Who knows?  I am not a numbers guy like those two.  It was fun running with them though.  I didn't go very far because Katey is graduating today.  Alright!  2 weeks until the marathon.

6 miles in the morning.

6 miles in the afternoon.

I had a fever all day yesterday and was asleep in bed.  I couldn't keep much food down but drank plenty of fluids.  Suprisingly, I felt pretty good this morning.  I kept the pace real easy.  I need to keep drinking lots of fluids.

I felt really good at practice.  I don't know where that spell of sickness came from.  I did 3 miles with the track team with a couple 400s at their mile race pace.  I then went and did another 6 miles right after practice.  It was a nice day for running.

I did an interval breakdown on the track right after practice today.  I did a 2000, 1600, 1200, 800, and 400.  I was supposed to drop a second per lap on each interval.  My times went as follows: 6:14, 4:58, 3:44, 2:27, and 1:08.  It felt good to get the legs moving but I ended up getting rid of some of my sickness after the 1600.  I felt better after this occurred though.  I then went up to Eden and ran with a buddy for 10 easy miles on part of the marathon course.  He is only doing the half so it was good for him to get some miles in.  I am planning on doing my 4 mile tempo run on Thursday on this same part of the course.  It will be good to get me mentally ready for next week.

6 miles in the morning.

6 miles in the evening.

An easy 6 with of little bit of it in the rain.  It felt really nice.

I got home late from the region track meet and did another easy 6 miles around town.  I was able to avoid the rain which was nice.

6 miles in the morning.

8 miles in the evening.

I love the smell of fresh rain once it hits the ground. I was in rainy heaven this morning. Should be good weather for my tempo run later this evening.

I got home late from the track meet but hurried up to run on part of the marathon course.  I knew the section I would run on (mile 13.5 - 17.5) is not the easiest section of the course but I wanted to do it anyways.  I did a 2.5 mile warmup and then went for it.  Here are the splits as follows: 5:22, 5:26, 5:30, and 5:33.  I was happy with the first mile going up the hill right after the halfway mark but the wind really picked up for the next 3 miles.  I had a headwind for the rest of the tempo run.  I did a 1.5 mile cooldown to give me 8 for the evening.  I realized that I need to be patient through this section of the course and really let it loose at about mile 18.  It seems like it is mostly downhill but their is a fair amount of gradual uphill.

6 miles in the morning.

6 miles in the early evening. 

I avoided the rain this morning and the run was actually pretty warm.  I was happy with that.  I am getting really excited for the Pasta Party!

I did an easy 6 miles after we ran the junior high meet.  It was a little cool even with the sun beating down on me.  Nothing that exciting to report.

I did the last half of the Ogden Marathon  really early this morning with a couple guys who are also training with Paul Pilkington.  It was really good to run the last half to see where I can push it and also where I need to be more patient.  The canyon is absolutely beautiful!  The temperature was a little cold but it was perfect running conditions.  I hope we luck out next week and have great conditions.  I cannot believe the marathon is next week.  It is crazy to sit back and say that it is in only one week.  I feel like I have trained the smartest and hardest for this marathon more so than my 10+ previous marathons combined.  I know I am ready and prepared to go out and run a good race.  I need to just go out and do it. 

9.5 miles in the evening.

I did a 3.5 mile warmup before my workout with Paul. I did 8x400m at 73-74 sec. per lap. It wasn't bad at all. It felt good to get the legs moving. I then ran from Weber State down to MTC park which is right next to the parkway on the marathon course. Saturday is almost here. I need to run a smart race with the heat possibly being a factor.

7.5 miles in the evening.

We had another track meet to run today so I ended up doing my easy 7.5 miles later in the evening.  The weather was a little hot.  It felt alright.

6.25 miles in the morning.

I did an easy 5 miles and then 4x400m on Ben Lomond's track.  I got wet nice and early this morning due to the sprinklers being on.  Usually I would be refreshed but that wasn't the case at 6 AM in the morning!

4.30 miles in the morning.

Another nice and easy stroll around the wonderful streets of Ogden this morning. 

3 easy miles this morning in Lehi.  I then went to the track meet and watched a ton of great performances. 

Today was an interesting race.  I didn't want to go out and do anything crazy but run a nice race and see what would happen.  I did an easy 1 mile warmup with some strides and went to the starting line.  I saw Seth Wold and knew this was his first marathon.  He told me that he was going to pace off of me.  Sasha, Seth, Clyde, and me went out and were very conservative for the first couple of miles.  At a mile 4, Seth and I started to move out a little bit.  Seth kept right behind the entire race up except for his potty break at the half and then until mile 21.  We hit the half at 1:12:30 and both were feeling fine.  We kept it nice and easy up the big hill and then I started to get a side stitch at about mile 16.  I worked it out a little bit but it didn't want to go away.  I knew Seth was quick on the track but he was right behind until mile 21.  I felt great and then all of a sudden my right hamstring tightened up and it shot down into my calf.  I knew it was bad.  It felt like it almost popped.  I had to stop and stretch it out even to get going again.  Seth took off and I knew my chances of taking 1st were gone.  My leg hurt really bad.  Our pace was close to Paul's 2:26 performance last year so I was really disappointed.  I had to stop about 10-15 times the last 5 miles in order to try and keep my hamstring loose.  Sasha caught me with just under 2 miles to go.  I was excited for Sasha because he ran a great race.  I basically hobbled to the finish line and then they had to rush me to the medical tent.  I couldn't believe how tight my right hamstring was.  I was happy with the 3rd place finish but disappointed with my time because I knew I was there.  I led the entire race up until mile 21.  Bummer!  I don't know if it was attributed to the hot weather or if I didn't stretch out enough but the hamstring went to pot the last couple miles.  I drank water and Powerade at each aide station.  I was happy for Seth and he came up to me afterwards and thanked me for pacing for the race.  That felt good but I was still a little disappointed.  Seth will be an OT guy for sure.  I'm just glad he is on my Wasatch Back team and nobody elses.  I am going to go to a doctor and get a lipid analysis to see if I need more potassium or anything else.  I will take this race just like last year's Ogden and use it for motivation to rock and roll for the rest of the year.  I am doing Twin Cities this fall and will be focused on that for the rest of the year.  You can't have a great race everyday.  Oh well!  You have to love the learning experiences we go through.  Fast Running Bloggers did very well today.  10 out of the top 12 were from the blog.  Sweet!  Here is the rundown of my mile splits:

1-5:41

2-5:42

3-5:23

4-5:26

5-5:22

6-5:25

7-5:27

8-5:27

9-5:31

10-5:36

11-5:32

12-5:30

13-5:34

14-5:31

15-5:58

16-5:50

17-5:45

18-5:32

19-5:40

20-5:40

21-5:59

22-5:59

23-6:00

24-7:13

25-7:08

26-7:55

.2-7:26

I will be back for sure!

I just rested today and didn't worry about running.  It is funny because I haven't had a day like this for a while.  I will not run tomorrow but do some yoga and then run easy for the rest of the week.  I need to get myself mentally and physically ready to start training really hard again.  I am tentatively planning on going to the doctor Friday to see if I am depleted in any areas. 

My quads were really tight today so I did 30 minutes of yoga with Katey tonight.  I have never done it before so it was a little different.  It felt great and I will continue to do this.  I will start back running tomorrow and keep it nice and easy.

6 miles this afternoon in the rain and wind.  My legs were a little tight but they loosened up after a while.  It wasn't to bad.  It felt great to be out running again.  I will keep it easy the rest of the week and then revamp next week.  The move down to St. George will tiring in and of itself.

8 miles around Ogden this afternoon.  Their was a break in the clouds so I didn't have any wind or rain the entire time.  The temperatures were perfect and once again it felt great to just get out and run.  I only have 2 more runs left in Ogden for a while since the big move down to St. George.  We are packing up the trailer tomorrow evening and then driving down Saturday morning.  Katey called me this afternoon and said it was beautiful down in St. George.  It was raining pretty good up here at the time of the call!  I am excited to get down there and get things ready for the new school as well as the cross country team.  This will be a great opportunity for both Katey and I.

I got my plane tickets today for Twin Cities.  I am looking forward to running this race.  Katey has been a great support since Ogden didn't turn out the way I would have liked.  I was bummed out for a couple of days but she said things always happen for a reason.  She is so wise!  She told me just to go and have fun and not worry so much about the glamour of such a big marathon and all of the implications that might go along with it.  She basically has said that I need to remember that I truly do enjoy running and to just go and have fun.  That will be the plan and I hope to run well.  This summer should be great for training.  I can't wait!

8 miles up towards North Ogden today.  This was my last run up in the Ogden area for a while.  I got rained on and dealt with some of the wind throughout the run but it was very relaxing.  The recovery has gone well and I am ready to roll again next week.  I packed up Katey and my life into the back of a truck tonight in order to get ready for the trip down to St. George tomorrow.  I am excited to get down there!

I drove down to St. George with my cousin in the big moving truck.  6 hours of joy and pleasure!  I saw clouds in the sky but I decided to loosen up the legs and go introduce myself to the St. George asphalt once again.  I went from my parent's house in Santa Clara out towards Tuacahn and then back around to their place.  I did 9.20 miles in about 56 minutes and change.  I am really excited to be down here.  It is a great opportunity for Katey and me.  I am thrilled to be down here close to family.  I am going to go and hop in the pool to try and help the muscles relax. 

15.20 miles in the morning.

5 miles in the afternoon.

I slept in a bit and really was glad I did it.  I started at my parent's house and then went out to Ivins and then into Kayenta.  I actually stopped once I got into Kayenta.  I forgot how beautiful it is out there.  It was quiet and so serene.  It was just me, mother earth, and multi-million homes!  I felt really good this morning and ended up doing the run at 6:13/mile overall.  It feels good to really get the legs moving again.  I will do some more this afternoon.  I did another 5 miles this afternoon.  It was nice but a little hot.  I had to hurry out because my dad made chicken and rice for dinner.  My favorite!

15 miles in the morning.

5 miles in the early evening.

I went out 7.5 towards Gunlock on Highway 91.  I made it to the turnoff to go towards Gunlock and then came back.  It was a nice run because their was not a lot of traffic.  Also, under the bridge out there I saw two deer.  I think I scared them because they took off down the river.  It was a little hot and it reminded me that I will have to get up earlier to make sure I do not dehydrate.  Kept the pace nice and easy.

I did another 5 miles this evening.  Katey and my dad rode their bikes alongside me.  It was a lot of fun.  Slight wind made it really nice.

8 miles in the morning.

14.30 miles in the early evening.

Nice little breeze helped make the run quite enjoyable.  I need to make sure I drink plenty of fluids throughout the day.  That is for sure.

Katey and I went and looked at lots of houses today.  I was beat.  Hopefully we will be able to find something.  Their seems to be a lot of options though.  I ran over to the running store and met up with Hayden after he was done with work.  We ran down to Vernon Worthen Park and back.  Afterwards I ran back to my parent's house.  It was a nice run this evening.  I am truly loving this weather.  I averaged 6:21/mile overall.  This was one of the better days for me of running.

8 miles in the afternoon.

10.15 miles in the evening.

I felt really good this morning.  I kept the pace easy for the first 4 miles and then pushed it a little on the way back.  Perfect temperature with a slight breeze.  Looking forward to the club run tonight.

I ran with the club tonight.  It was lots of fun.  We started at the store and then went out on the parkway and then down towards Sunbrook Golf Course.  Their was a nice little paved trail that we went on.  It was a fun run.  I am going to enjoy running with all the St. George guys again.  Another solid day in the books.

8 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the evening.

I went out towards Ivins again this morning.  There has been a slight breeze every morning this week while I've ran.  I can't believe how nice it is has been.  Oops, I forgot!  It will be much hotter later.  Kept it nice and relaxed.

I went out just as the sun was going down.  It really is the perfect time to go running.  I know I won't be able to do this all the time though.  Since we have moved down here I have been looking for good runs and I think I found my favorite run tonight.  I went out towards Tuacahn and went up into Snow Canyon State Park.  It was absolutely breathtaking.  It was a good run.  My legs finally are coming around since the marathon.  I think I will be starting up the speed workouts again here really soon.  Averaged 6:22/mile for the entire run. 

I ran with Steve, Dave, Wildbull, and Marcie today.  We started at the store and run up all the way through Snow Canyon and then back down the marathon course.  The uphill was quite brutal but on the way down it made things nice.  A slight breeze and cooler temperatures made it a very enjoyable run.  Good conversation with everyone.  Great way to end the week.

14.10 miles in the morning.

6.10 miles in the evening.

I woke up early and the weather was perfect again.  I went from my parent's house out towards Kayenta and back.  I ran into Mike Warren and Ken Carlson on my run.  It is nice to see so many people running out and about.  I kept the pace nice and easy for a Monday morning.  I then had my cross country meeting for Desert Hills.  There were about 12 kids with 5 parents in attendance.  Most of them are 9th and 10th graders so I will have a couple of years to groom them.  It is exciting.  Hopefully good things will happen this year for the team.

Katey and I drove to Scottsdale, Arizona today.  We are meeting up with some friends and spending a couple days with them.  I am also seeing one of my good buddies and wife while he goes to medical school.  It should be a nice little break.  My legs were a little restless so I went out at about 10:30pm.  I found a neat little park with some trails and then I found the International Players Club golf course where they have PGA Tour events.  I ran on the cart path and it was pretty fun.  I was just exploring the area and it turned out to be a fun little run.  Hopefully I can handle the heat.

14.10 miles in the morning.

What a beautiful morning in Scottsdale!  I once again went out and explored the area.  I ended up going out and staying in the town for the most of the run.  Arizona is an hour behind Utah so I could sort of sleep in and still get out when the roads were not to busy.  I was lucky enough to have the stoplights cooperate with me this morning.  I felt great and surprisingly averaged 6:19/mile overall.  I am not going to worry about to much speed work this week but rather just get the miles in.  I need a nap now!

We spent most of the day at the Phoenix Zoo.  Katey and I hadn't been to a zoo in a long time and we were not disappointed.  The animals were a lot of fun and we got some great pictures.  It was a very nice layout for the entire zoo.  I ended up walking close to probably 3 miles.  I was naked and wore my $20 Timex instead of my expensive Garmin.  It might have been 3.02 miles!  We went to dinner with some friends that live down here and then we ended up playing games pretty late.  I was wiped out and went straight to bed.  I needed the sleep.

16 miles in the morning.

4 miles in the evening.

I did the same loop as yesterday morning but just extended it for one mile.  I decided to just stay relaxed.  The traffic wasn't too bad so it was another great run.  I averaged 6:26/mile overall.  I got back to the room and then headed straight to the sauna and stretched for about 20 minutes.  It loosened everything up.  Another exciting day ahead of us.

The wind was blowing tonight and it made the 4 miler really enjoyable.  The weather hasn't been as hot as I thought it would be.  Alright!

14 miles in the morning.

5.15 miles in the evening.

I ran up towards the mountains this morning and I was really glad I did.  They had a bike lane on the road where it gave me plenty of room to run.  I only had to deal with the construction workers who were building some really big houses.  On the way back a coyote came about 20 feet in front of me.  It looked at me and then went back into the bushes.  It was kind of cool to see that.  I ended up doing 11 miles and then I got back to the room and did a 3 mile cooldown with Katey for her run.

We went to a great little breakfast joint this morning and then was at the waterpark for most of the day.  It was nice and relaxing but I got a little sick on the wave pool.  I am such a wuss!  I went back up towards the mountains tonight for a nice little shakeout of the legs.

12 miles in the morning.

5 miles in the evening.

One last beautiful morning run here in Scottsdale.  It has been a fun and relaxing trip for Katey and me.  We had great friends to spend time with and it was very worthwhile.  I am happy to get back to St. George in order to get back in the groove of things.

Katey and I got back from Phoenix today after a long drive.  I got home and did a 5 mile shakeout of the legs.  Glad to be back on the home front.

I woke up at 4:30 this morning and did 13 miles.  I ran up into Snow Canyon and then back to my parent's house.  It was a little weird running that early in the dark but I had to get up early because I was helping Steve volunteer at a local 5k/10k run.  I kept the pace nice and relaxed today.  I think I will be able to get more speed workouts in next week since I will be in town.  I saw lots of rabbits this morning.  I ended up be a course guide for the race this morning.  I told people to turn left and then loop around.  It was "hard" work but I was able to manage it.  I cleaned some of the tables and ran the last mile of the course in street clothes.  I do prefer the shorty shorts when I run!  14 miles total for the day.

I got in a good nap this afternoon after church.  It was much needed.  I don't usually write on Sundays but I thought today might be worth it.  I haven't wanted to complain but after the Ogden Marathon muscle cramp incident my right hamstring has been really tight and it was a problem to really lengthen my stride.  I was thinking of getting a massage to see if it would help but I am too "cheap" to go and pay for one.  I finally gave in yesterday and by recommendation of all the St. George folk, I went too April here in town and was curious to see if she could help my leg out.  Wow!  She spent about half an hour on my hamstring and really dug the muscles out.  I could feel my muscles actually loosen up while she was digging into me.  She said it was the worst hamstring muscle cramp she has ever seen.  That is not what I wanted to hear.  Oh well!  She recommended going to see a chiropractor twice a year and then getting a massage at least once a month.  She said my leg could have much worse if I hadn't come in to see her.  The main reason I am writing today is to say I am a believer in the monthly massage now.  It was hard for me to swallow shelling out money each month to get a massage.  I am planning on doing it now and always going to April.  She is a runner and knows exactly what runners need taken care of.  If anyone is contemplating getting the monthly massage, go and do it.  It made me realize that the hamstring cramp could have been a lot worse at Ogden.  It was an high opener for me that I need to get the monthly massage as well as really focus on stretching more.  I didn't realize I was so tight. 

10 miles in the morning.

12 miles in the afternoon.

A great run in cooler temperatures.  I wanted to be safe with the hamstring so I took it nice and easy.  No real tightness in the leg.  It felt really good.  I went out towards Tuacahn and then back to the parent's house.  15 minutes of stretching afterwards.

I went and did an easy 7 miles out towards Ivins.  It wasn't too hot because of the slight breeze.  I hurried back and went over to DSC's track and did 8x200 with 200m recovery with Clyde.  It was really hot but we pushed each other.  We did a 2 mile warmup and then a 1 mile cooldown afterwards.  I hit between 29-31 sec. for each one.  The hamstring felt fine and it was nice to get this in.  Happy to start the week off with this kind of day. 

8 miles in the morning.

8 miles in the afternoon.

Another beautiful morning run.  I kept it nice and easy again.  Did 15 minutes of stretching afterwards.  That helps out so much.

I went out this afternoon and it was pretty darn hot.  The wind was blowing quite a bit also.  I had an alright run.  I didn't feel the hamstring at all today.  That is nice and encouraging.  Some kids were selling lemonade on the side of the road and hollered at me to stop.  They said I looked like I needed some lemonade.  I didn't have any money but they said business was slow so they gave me 2 cups for free.  It was very nice of them.  I asked them how much they had made today and they told me about $10.00.  Future millionaires!  Wanted to keep it fairly relaxed today.  My body needed it.

10 miles in the morning.

6 miles in the afternoon.

Nice run out along the Snow Canyon Parkway towards Red Mountain Spa and back.  I ran into Hayden and ran with him for a little bit.  Little windy but that is okay.  It keeps the temperature cooler.

I went out for a 6 miler this afternoon.  I did the first 3.5 fairly conservative and then did the last 2.5 with 30 second surges within it.  I would do 30 seconds at about 5:00/mile pace and then recover for 30 seconds.  I just wanted to see how the hamstring would hold up with the fast leg turnover.  It wasn't that bad.  I got home and then went on a nice walk with Katey up into Snow Canyon.  It was pretty just when the sun was going down.

8 miles in the morning.

The legs keep feeling better and better each day.  I went out along the parkway again.  I really need to find other routes to run.  I think the club run is on tonight?

My hamstring was still a little tight so I called April and went in to see her.  It was supposed to only be for a 15 minute ordeal but ended up being about and hour and 15 minutes.  She dug into the hamstring and really got into the muscles again.  She said this should take care of it.  I iced it and just went on a walk this evening with Katey in order to loosen it up.  I want to be cautious and not make it worse so I didn't do a second run this evening. 

6 miles in the morning.

I kept everything nice and easy today.  April said to jog on it just to loosen up the muscles in my leg.  No pain at all but it just trying to loosen it up.  I will be fine for Wasatch Back but I just want to be careful so I don't pull it again.  The leg felt good this morning though.  Stretching took place afterwards.  I will take it kind of easy tomorrow during the biathlon.  I was only planning on doing the run as a 5 mile tempo run.  I will see how my leg feels though.

I did the Cache Valley Biathlon with my father-in-law again.  I wanted to do at least 3 miles of the race at tempo pace and then see how my hamstring would feel.  I did a 2 mile warm-up to get everything going.  I went out with Neal Ferrin, Carson Campbell, and Mitch Zundel.  We stuck together for the first 3 miles and then we separated a little bit.  Here are the splits: 5:24, 5:16, 5:23, 6:08, 6:03.  My hamstring felt good but I didn't want to overdo it today because this wasn't the biggest race in the world.  I am saving a lot for next week.  I felt good the first 3 miles and then decided to slow down a bit because I was locked in for 3rd place on the running section and I also knew I was running back too Logan afterwards.  I came in and then my father-in-law took off on his recumbent bike.  We placed in the top 20 and took 1st place in our age division.  We were the only team in our age division but it doesn't matter.  I wanted my little blue ribbon!

I did a mile cooldown and then got some fluids in me and headed from Wellsville back into Logan too my in-laws' house.  I did 11.5 miles at 6:27/mile overall and then did a little bit of a cooldown in order to reach 20 miles for the day.  There were a couple nice uphills that hopefully will get me ready for next week.  My hamstring feels much better and didn't bother me at all today.  I wasn't down and out this week but I wanted to be cautious just to make sure the hamstring was okay.  Next week should be tons of fun!

Look out BYU! 

10 miles this morning.

10 miles in the evening.

I went out on the Snow Canyon Parkway this morning.  I kept it nice and easy this morning.  I want to make sure I am fresh for this weekend.

I met up with everyone at the Dixie Center and ran along the trail.  I did a mile warmup before everyone showed up.  We did a 5 mile run and then stretched out before we started the 2 mile tempo run.  I hit 5:07 and 5:15 for the 2 miles.  It felt really good.  I felt really loose and the legs were extending better than they have for a while.  I owe it all to the massages and the stretching I have been doing lately.  I then did a 2 mile cooldown.  It was fun running with all the guys this evening.  It was quite a group.

11 miles in the morning.

9 miles in the evening.

I woke up and was feeling really good.  I went into Entrada and it was really beautiful once again.  The weather was great which made for an enjoyable run.  I averaged 6:50/mile overall. 

The Celtics were smashing the Lakers so I went out for my run at halftime of the game.  I went out along the Snow Canyon Parkway.  I swallowed some bugs and got my protein for the day.  Kept it nice and relaxed.

 8 miles in the morning.

6 miles in the evening.

I went down around the high school into the Santa Clara valley.  It was a nice morning for a run.  I am going to keep the miles relaxed and easy for the next day or two with a slight taper in order to be ready for Wasatch Back.

I went out for another easy 6 miles.  I went out into Ivins.  It was a little hot but not that bad.  Good spaghetti dinner afterwards.

On a side note, I decided to shave my beard into a Brian Sell 'stache.  I am no Brian Sell but I figured I should do something to spice up Wasatch Back.  I will try and get a picture up.  Nobody in my family thinks it looks good.  Oh well!

6 miles in the morning.

5 miles in the evening.