Second Wind

Not a great start to the new month but decided to take a needed day off today to rest some aching muscles.  May run this evening with the kids just to get a couple of miles.

Ran 1 mile with Cory and Michael tonight at a very slow pace.  We got Cory some new running shoes so I am going to have to start going more often with him in the evenings so he can start training toward a 5K or something.

Time:  9:50/mile

Rest.

Rest.

Stayed home this morning to watch the olympic marathon trials and after some trial and error was finally able to login and watch from about mile 7 to the end.  I was absolutely amazed at the young up and coming talents of Hall and Ritz.  Hall has the smoothest stride of any runner I have ever seen and looked so fresh at the end of the marathon.  I think he has a tremendous chance to medal at the the olympics if not win the gold.  Ritz is also right there as well and also has a great chance to medal.  I was stunned and shocked by the news of Ryan Shay going down around mile 5 and then later passing away on the way to the hospital.  He is another young talent that will be greatly missed in the elite running community.

Rest.

Finally put in a run after all the lay off last week.  Felt well rested this morning at the start of the run and the first few miles were effortless.  About mile 3 I started to feel my calfs tightening up a bit.  I'm not sure why that happened but as I write this they are still a little tight.  Maybe it is the extra few days off that caused them to tighten, I don't know.  Whatever the case it is not too bad and I feel like it's something I can just stretch out or roll out over the course of the day today.  We will see how it does in the morning.  Weather was nice with the temp at 61 and a breeze out of the north west, as usual.

Time:  8:26/mile

PM - Ran one mile with Cory and Jamie in 10:55 then dropped Jamie off at home and ran one more mile with Cory in about 10:45.  The kids are really starting to get excited about running with the upcoming kids marathon in association with the Las Vegas Marathon.  Over the cours of several weeks they run 25 miles on there own and then run the last 1.2 miles of the Las Vegas marathon course and cross the finish line and receive an official finishers medal.

Picked up the pace a little bit today on the last two miles trying to get a feel for maintaining a 7:30 pace for the upcoming Snow Canyon half marathon in less than two weeks.  Would like to shoot for sub 1:40 and I think it is very possible but this is the first year of this run so I am unsure of the course and the hill situation other than to say that there will be a lot of downhill coming down through Snow Canyon.  Weather continues to be perfect at 62 and light winds out of the north.  Everything felt really good today.  The super easy recovery run last night with the kids is probably a nice way to stimulate some faster recovery.

Time:  8:15/mile

Ran 6 very easy miles today.  Didn't feel like running this morning but once we got a mile into it things started to feel okay.  I have been really tired lately and running has become harder.  Hopefully I will break out of this trend soon but for now I will just keep plugging along.  Weather continues to be perfect down here and that helps make the runs a little less burdensome.

Time:  8:42/mile

Ran today at a bit faster pace than normal.  If I had gotten up at the usual time (20 minute earlier) I could have done 10 today but was happy to get at least the 8 miles.  I must have slept well because my back really wasn't bothering me at all this morning.  Usually have a dull ache that never goes away but this morning things felt really good.  I was able to do 4 miles under 8:00/mile pace and I think I did a couple under 7:50/pace.  I actually feel really good after a faster paced run most of the time, it seems like the next day's run is when the fatigue shows itself, we will see tomorrow.  The weather continues to be unbeleivable but for how much longer.....who knows.  I have been thinking about investin in a pair of running tights for the winter months but they are really expensive.  Since the cooler months are really only about 3 months of the year I will probably just suck it up and use the old sweat pants for another year.

Time:  8:10/mile

Another 8 mostly recovery miles today but felt good on mile 6 and decided to make it a fast one at marathon pace.  Ran alone today as Meg and her friend went for a bike ride.  Did the Azure overpass loop today and felt pretty good most of the way.  Legs did show signs of some fatigue at the end but after yesterdays run I guess that is to be expected.  With a decent long run tomorrow I will log another week with 50 miles.  I can sure feel the fatigue of these 50 mile weeks but I am amazed that I have already done three since SGM and I never go one before SGM.  As time has gone on I have slowly been able to increase my mileage and feel less and less ill effects.  It is by no means pain free but then again I don't think running is supposed to be pain free.  Next week will be a bit of a mini taper in preparation for the Snow Canyon half and then it will be back to the 50 mile weeks until Painters half in January.

Time:  8:28/mile

Another successfull long run today.  Ran the first half just under a 9:00/mile pace and ran the second half at an 8:15 pace or better.  Felt pretty good the whole way.  With the half-marathon coming up I wasn't sure how far I should run today so at some point in the run before the halfway point I concluded that 16 would be a good number.  This caps off another great mileage week for me at 54 miles.  My body is doing amazingly well considering my history of injury and back problems.  I worry about pushing it too hard too soon so hopefully I am able to just maintain this amount of training through the colder months.  Weather is still great, it will be interesting to see how long I can still run in shorts and a long sleeve shirt.

Time: 8:29/mile

Rest.

Felt pretty good this morning and decided to log a faster paced run.  It's been awhile since I really deviated from my regular 8:30ish pace so I decided today would be the day.  After a relatively slow warm-up mile I pushed the pace to under 8:00/mile for the rest of the way and didn't have too much trouble maintaining the faster pace.  I probably could have pushed it faster but decided to be conservative with the upcoming race.

Time: 7:54/mile

Today I was in Manhattan Beach, CA as I am in town for a bean counter seminar on FAS 109 and FIN 48.  The hotel is about two miles from the beach so I decided to head out in that direction and see where it took me.  The road between the hotel and beach is pretty hilly and I really don't run much on hills so I struggled a bit.  Due to the traffic on the street I ran most of the way on the concrete sidewalk which I really don't enjoy much.  Once I got down to the beach there were an amazing number of runners, walkers and bikers out exercising.  Meg and I rarely see anyone out in the mornings around our neighborhood but the beach was crawling with health nuts.  It was quite nice to be out running with so many people, it lets you know you are not alone in your endeavors (kinda like coming on the blog everyday and reading about peoples challenges).  Anyway the run went pretty well.  I went a mile further than I had planned but I was having too much fun to stop at 8.

Time:  8:49/mile

Still in Manhattan Beach, CA today and the run was a bit harder today then yesterday.  Maybe the hills got to me.  During the run I was getting some soreness on the top of my feet, especially when going downhill.  Not sure what this is all about but I will do some research on it to see what I can find.  I have had it in the past but never to this extreme.  Took it pretty easy and walked for part of my run as well so as not to agravate the injury even worse.  Hopefully the pain will lessen before the race this Saturday.

Time:  8:45/mile

Finally back in Las Vegas and glad to sleep in my own bed again.  This run is part of a taper for the snow canyon half marathon this Saturday and I took it really easy.  The legs and body are still a little fatigued from the past two hilly runs and traveling but the tops of my feet did feel a little better today.  I think they are mostly agravated by the down hill running.  I know I am due for some new shoes and luckily they just came in the mail yesterday so I can start out with those on Monday, maybe that will help.

Time: 8:39/mile

Did an easy 3 this morning as the final taper day before tomorrows Snow Canyon half-marathon.  The tops of my feet felt a bit better today.  I think part of my problem was I was wearing my shoes to tight and as that area got more and more irritated it started to swell slightly.  Yesterday I kept my shoes untied most of the day at work and gave some releif to that area.  I don't think I will be at 100 percent tomorrow but I should be in pretty good shape for a decent race as long as my condition is not aggravated by the hills.  I do fine on the flats but the hills seem to cause irritation right now on the feet.

Had a scary experience happen last night as my wife and I were coming home from Costco and makin a stop at Walgreens pharmacy on the way home.  As we made the turn to get to walgreens we noticed two cars facing each other in the oncoming lane and our first thought was either a wreck or car trouble.  We proceeded slowly to make sure everything was okay and noticed that everything seemed fine but the drivers seemed to be in some kind of stare down.  We continued on by and then I watched in my rearview as the cars started to move toward and around each other.  I figured maybe there was going to be a fight or words or something....well it turned out to be something as we heard about five gunshots come from one of the vehicles.  You talk about a panic as we pulled into the Walgreens and called 911.  Not knowing if one of the drivers would be coming toward us or after us for having witnessed the event I kept going around the parking lot and back onto the main road away from the action while my wife spoke with the 911 operator.  We eventually made our way back around the block slowly to see if either driver had been shot and found that both cars were gone.  So we went back to Walgreens to get our prescription and as we rounded the corner from the drive-thru the exit was blocked and the police had one of the drivers in custody.  We back tracked and eventually made it home but man what a scary experience and so close to home as well, less than a mile from our house.  Makes you think twice about how quickly stuff like this can happen and the kind of idiots that are out there.  It gives you a renewed appreciation for life and your blessings.

What a great day for a race!!  Took the buses to the starting line, waited in line for about 10 minutes for one of the 3 POPs available at the top. (not sure how you plan a race and have only 3 POPs for so many runners. Luckily we made it through the POPs before the start of the race and then we were off to the starting line.

My goal for the day was to go sub 1:40, but having never run the course I really didn't know what to expect. So we were off down through the canyon and man it was steep. That first mile was way way way too fast for me 5:45. I tried pulling back a bit but the second mile was still way fast at around 6:20. Close to mile three is when I started to feel like I was going to die with stomach cramps and side aches. When we got to the dirt section of the course I started to feel the effects of going way too fast in the early miles and had a hard time maintaining any sort of decent pace. My legs were already feeling fatigued by mile 5 and I was ready to give up and die right there on the road. But I kept going and eventually the cramps subsided but the fatigue never did and I just couldn't find the strength to pick up the pace. I don't know if it was the first two miles that killed me or the higher mileage training I have been doing lately that is causing me more fatigue. Whatever it was, it didn't help me enjoy this race today at all. I was able to hang on for a 1:45:12 finish and was able to hold off a late surging pack of runners closing on me quick. Missed my goal of 1:40 but I am still satisfied due to the toughness of this course with its steep downhills and steady uphills and my dumb strategy for the first 3 miles. I would like to attempt this race again with a different race strategy to see how it turns out.

Complaints:
No aid station at the 5.5 mile turnaround. (had my gel in hand just waiting for water to wash it down only to find there was no aid station)
Lack of adequate POPs at the starting line.

Compliments:
Great scenery.
Perfect weather and time of year for a half marathon.
Fair finishers medals and T-Shirts considering the cheap $35 entry fee.

Rest.

Nice easy recovery run today.  Quads, Hams, Gluts and Calfs are all farily sore this morning so I ran a nice easy pace and just took it easy.  Other than the sore muscles, everything feels pretty good for having raced on Saturday.  The weather is supposed to start cooling off this week down into the 40s for lows.  I know that is probably warm for those of you up north but for us desert rats, that is getting pretty chilly.

Time:  9:02/mile

Today's run felt 100% better than yesterday.  Still fighting a little soreness and fatigue but didn't take 2-3 miles to warm up to a decent pace.  Those Monday runs after hard Saturday race are killer.  Was able to squeak in a sub 8:00 mile on mile 6 and felt really good.  Next race on the calendar is Painters half marathon in St. George.  My son is talking about running the 5K so Meg or I or both of us will probably run it with him.  Since Meg really doesn't like this race she will probably run with him and I will run the half.  I am anxious to run Painter's for the second time, since this was my first half marathon ever last year, and I have a feeling I can really improve my time this year.  Weather was nice today but I think tomorrow is supposed to be in the 40s so I gotta break out the sweats tonight.  Running in the cold and wind is not one of my favorite things to do.

Time:  8:21/mile

Can you say WINDY!!  Wow, it was probably the coldest day of the year so far at a balmy 48 degrees but the wind was the killer today.  Everytime I would turn a corner heading into the wind it would almost take my breath away.  Despite the wind I was still able to maintain a good pace for me today.  I may have had some sub 8:00/mile splits but I didn't check the splits when I got done.  Meg didn't go out with me today as she is still fighting off a cold and I doubt the wind and cold would have helped matters.  I am looking forward to doing some longer runs over the next few days with the days off work, the only thing that will get in the way is the weather.  But after todays run in the windy conditions I think I could handle much worse.

Time:  8:09/mile

Ran a nice Turkey trot today and it felt pretty good.  It was a little breezy but other than that it was a nice day of running.  By the time I finally got up Meg was already out running so I ran a mile or two with her but most of the miles on my own.  We have company in town all weekend and we always go out on Black Friday to look for the best Christmas deals so I don't know what my running will look like over the next couple of days.

Ran two miles with Cory this morning after we got back from the Black Friday events at Wal-Mart and Target.  It was windy and cold this morning and luckily Wal-Mart let us into the building at 4:00 but we couldn't buy any of their deals until five, at least we were warm.  After Wal-Mart we went to Target were Meg and her sister stood outside in the huge line and cold weather for 45 minutes and luckily came away with the item we were looking for.  We thought we were out of luck at first but a woman who had two of the item we were looking for graciously gave us one since the store had run out of stock.  Beleive it or not there are some kind shoppers this time of year.  Cory is planning on running the Painter's 5K this year so we are going to try to run together as often as possible over the next few weeks to get him ready.

Didn't run today.  Calf and knee have been bothering me and decided to just take a day off.

Rest.

Spent all last knight hugging the porcelin bowl and was too week come morning to even think about running.  Stayed home from work today and just recouperated.

Planned on doing a few more miles than just 3 today but didn't get up in time.  Maybe I will do a couple of miles with Cory tonight to help witht the daily total.  Everything felt good this morning and the stomach seems to be feeling better today so here I am at work.  I need to get some kind of training plan going for Painter's which is coming up sooner than I want.

Time:  8:37/mile

Windy and cold so I wimped out today.

Finally a nice calm morning with moderate temps.  At 42 degrees it was a little chilly but I was still able to run in shorts and a sweatshirt with some gloves.  Finally able to put in a decent run for the week even though it is now Thursday.  I have pretty much written off this week for getting some good mileage, but I still hope to get it in the 30 mile range after Saturday's run.  Everything felt pretty good this morning except my chest which still seems a bit tight from my Sunday night throw-up party (at least I think that's what it is from).  With about seven weeks to go until painters I am looking to put in some long high quality miles and crush my course record which shouldn't be too hard since it is around 1:54.  Hopefully the weather is a bit warmer this year than last years 19 degree start.

Since my laziness left me with less time than I needed to run 10 miles today I decided to do 7 and pick up the pace a bit.  The first couple of miles I ran with Meg and we were clipping along at about an 8:30 pace, she pulled out and wanted to shake out her knee a bit and she told me to keep going so I decided to break into my sub 8 miles for the remainder of the run.  The pace felt pretty good so I continued to pick it up a little each mile until I hit 7:15 on the last mile.  I really need to do at least one of these quicker runs each week if I am going to see some improvement in my fitness and times.  I tend to just go out each day determined to just set the bar at a height I know I can clear instead of raising the bar from time to time to get stronger.  I was doing this (raising the bar) much more during the summer months when training for the SGM but ever since getting injured last August I have been a little wary to really push much beyond a comfortable pace.  With Ogden coming up in April another training cycle will begin so there will be some opportunity to do more running at marathon pace and faster.  I am looking forward to the challenge.  Hopefully this time my body will handle the training a little better and I will get through it injury free.

Time: 7:58/mile