19 years and counting..,

7 mile power run in the middle of my long run.  38:10, 5:27 average.

Really happy with the workout.  Really hurting at the end.

10x1000 w/ 1:15 recovery. Worked out at Legacy Parkway Trail down in Centerville. Perfect weather, nice temperatures. Averaged 3:06 

Had to work so I didn't get much of a cool down.

8+Lifting at the gym 

6 miles in the evening.

8 mile aerobic builder in Syracuse.  42:40

This is some good progress in the last 6 weeks.  Happy to be healthy and enjoying the training.

Enjoyed an early morning run with the Ogden crew from 21st street pond.  Warmer than expected.

For the week, not the day.  I aced two tests and worked 20 hours plus full time school. Life just got in the way of my running for a week (And the weather too if I'm completely honest.  I don't run in freezing rain)

+ Lifting and strides

42:44 8 mile power run in Syracuse.  Didn't run much last week.  I wish I had done this after a 80+ mile week but I'm still really happy with it.  

2:06 - Big loop around Hill AFB.  I have wanted to try this out for a while.  It's a loop from my house that goes up along I-15 into Roy, across through Riverdale and onto South Weber Drive.  Then turns south on I-80 and I come home on 193.  It's not the greatest run since alot of the roads are quite busy and not really runner friendly but it was an adventure and it made for one big loop.  I carried some water and gels and felt good the whole time.

6x1mile in Syracuse- Flat as a pancake

5:04 avg, 3 minutes jogging recovery

Happy to be getting the work in.

Nice trail run in Ogden.  Loved to see the old neighborhood.

12x400 averaging :68 w/ 90 seconds recovery at northridge high

Stomach not feeling great for some reason.  

10 mile power run in Syracuse.  I wasn't sure how it would go after being just a touch sore from Mondays workout.  I got started kind of slow and thought I might be in for a average workout at best.  I hit 5 miles and told myself just to make it to 8.  I started feeling better and had a little wind at my back for the last 5 and didn't really start falling apart 'till the last mile.  It was really good progress from 2 weeks ago.

53:25 for 10.

Legs feel trashed.  Not sure why.

Haven't been feeling very well and school has kicked my butt this week.  I knew I'd have weeks like this so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  I'll just chalk it up to a good recovery week (my legs feel great) and keep on getting in the runs and workouts that I can.  Overall I'm still really happy with my fitness and hope to improve even more by May.

Another week of poor training.  I tried to be positive but it's hard to not be running as much as I'd like.  I decided to treat it like a taper for a big workout.  I ran 3 miles warm-up then 17 miles basically as hard as I could.  It was an out and back so the elevation and wind ended up averaging out.  I did 5:38 pace for the 17 miles.  I think that is great for how my training has been.  Hopefully (crossing my fingers) I can stay on top of school and work long enough to get another month of quality training in and then run that same pace for the whole marathon in May.  That's my goal.

I wasn't planning on racing but my dad had to drop out and Strider's was kind enough to switch his name with mine.  Even if my training hasn't been great I can't turn down a free race.  I went out conservatively and didn't want to push it early on.  I was quite a ways back from the main group at 6 miles and thought that is where I would finish for sure.  Slowly but surely I could see I was making up some distance and the group was splitting up at the front.  I think going out conservatively really helped today and I was able to catch a few guys by the end.  

I love these high quality local races.  It's a lot of fun to see so many friends before and after the race and hear about how guys are training through injuries or running PR's and everything else that happens with running and life.  Glad I decided to give it  a try today and happy with the result.  

Easy run + 17 mile ride with the wife.  Really nice day

5 miles am

8 miles pm

4 miles easy at the gym with McKenzie

4x1 mile with Bryant at Farmington station.  90 seconds recovery.  averaged around 5:06

Decided to give this race a try as they were giving out shoes to the winner.  I love my Pearl shoes so I win shoes, sell them, and buy some Pearls!

The race was great.  It was quite small- just around 120 people.  The course was difficul with 2 miles uphill at the start, 5 miles gradual down hill and then the last 7 or so were gradual uphill with a couple steep up and downs.  Not a walk in the park.  I wanted it to be a good effort but not over do it and it was a great race for that.  I met some really nice people and picked up my shoes on the way out of town.

And I ran with a police escort stopping all traffic throughout the whole city.  Everyone should be able to experience that.

My legs have been tired since the Strider's half but they feel like the hard work is paying off.  

9 miles plus lifting

9x800

I was looking for sub 2:30 average but it wasn't happening today.  Did 9 with about 2:33 average and 2:30 rest.  Not great.  My legs are tired and it was one of those days I am happy to have just got in a run.  

I had a great time running with some old teammates today but a little less fun racing in the rain.  It was miserable by the last few miles.  Jon and Brett had pulled away early and Steve had waited for me to catch up with him around mile 3.5 so that we could work together.  We ran together for a few miles and at some points were certain we were catching Jon but it just wasn't in the cards today.  By mile 9.5 he still had a good lead of around a minute I guess.  I had a very small gap on Steve and come to find out when I was pushing it to try to get even farther ahead, Steve was pushing it to keep it close and I think we kind of ended up making a move at the same time.  After that I slowed up a touch and struck a deal with Steve (We would finish together and split the 3rd place money)  It was a deal made out of fear and fatigue not out of confidence and determination that's for sure.  Then Steve outkicked me at the end which stung my pride a little but I did have a lot of fun running the last few miles with Steve.

That's 3 half marathons in 4 weeks for me and now I think it's time of a little break from the races until Ogden. Also, the Thanksgiving Point Half is fantastic.  It is one of my favorite courses and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't given it a try.

Trails at the VITA course. 

+4 miles with McKenzie in the afternoon

8 miles at 5:30 average.  Splits were all over the place with the wind.

5x 3 minute pickups at marathon pace.  Felt good for the first time since Thanksgiving Point.  Don't know why it takes so long to recover from those half marathons.

6 miles around 6:00 pace.  I get tired and sluggish if I start tapering early. Hope I still feel this good Saturday morning.

Now that I have had a good 24 hours to think things over I have come to a rather positive conclusion about the race.  For my first one it was a great learning experience.  Despite talking to around a dozen people who told me to not go out too fast- I did!  I ran through 18 miles feeling great and was thinking, "I feel so good.  How could this possibly end up bad."  But it did! After running 1:12:30 for the first half I ended up running 1:19:25 for the second half (And honestly, most of that time came in the last 4 miles where I was having a hard time just running a 7 minute mile.  Maybe it's one of those things I needed to learn the hard way.

I'm happy with my overall time and with my place.  I'm sure I made Justin's day when he looked up and saw me  practically walking the last mile.  I heard someone say, "You better get going or the other marathoner is going to catch you!".  I tried but not even million dollars was going get me moving.  I did have trouble with blisters and cramping in my calves but the real problem was just energy.  I took 2 gels and then when I planned on a third I just didn't have the stomach for it.  I guess that's pretty much how my training has been.  I have no problem with gels while running my 18 or 20 mile training runs.  It's after that distance that it was hard and my stomach was right on edge the whole time. 

Looking back I wish I had stuck with my plan better (obvsiously) and had taken more gel before the 20 mile mark while my stomach was good.  I am happy to have ran that well despite the few sets backs.  Also, next time I run I plan on collapsing at the finish so that I can get an IV like Steve! I was pretty messed up a the end.  Today though hasn't been too bad.  Some calf soreness and fatigue but overall pretty good.  Not nearly as bad as a few of those trail races last year. I'm already looking at plans for another marathon- not sure just yet.

30 minute bike ride and some stretching at the gym. No running.  Feel good but calves are still trashed.

Really nice hike up Adam's Canyon.  Half of Layton was up there but it was great weather and we had a nice time with all the families, teenagers and dogs.

6 mile power run.  Nothing fancy or fast for sure.  Been running just a couple times a week and feeling like I'm ready to gear up for something big again.  

Nice run with Brad Phippen out through Layton/Syracuse.  Fun times.

8 miles from 31st street trail. Felt good. Enjoyed a casual run by myself. Lots of people out for the holiday.

5 miles in the evening.  Ran in a little gulley that I like- it was so cold I almost needed gloves!

4x1mile averaging 5:21 with a 1 min rest. It was hot so I knew it would be challenging and I didn't have much time so I needed intensity rather than duration.

I read an online interview about the world champ in the marathon. They asked what training runs he liked. He liked them all. Then they asked what he didn't like. He said he liked them all.

I didn't like my run today. Hot. Tired. Unmotivated.

39:27 through Layton down 193.

Day 3 of the Whole30 with my wife.  It's kicking my butt so far and I'm trying to do a good job eating plenty of carbs but its tough the body.  I'm going to try a quality run tomorrow and see how it goes.

5 miles in 22:40.  Not my best day.  I wanted to do 7 or even 8 like I had on saturday (39:25 for 7) but it wasn't in the cards.  I've been doing Whole30 with my wife and while some aspects of it are interesting it doesn't seem to be the best for my running. I think I've narrowed it down to a couple problems; the first being that I don't get any many calories as I did before.  I feel like I have energy but it's never alot.  The run was great through 3 miles- averaging 5:33- but went bad pretty fast.  I guess I'll keep trying and experiementing.  Hopefully I can make it 30 days and have had a good, positive experience.

10 am

4 pm

38:49 for 7 miles

Ran down highway 193.  Wanted to go out to Syracuse but my wife's car woudn't start. She took mine to work and I had to run from home. Life is just so hard... ;)

Best quality run in months- probably since the Ogden Marathon.

7x1000m at 5:15 pace. 2 min recovery

Feeling tired but gaining strength. Not sure if that makes much sense but that's how it feels when I run lately. This whole 30 has been really difficult at times but it's not so hard now. I have lost 5 pounds- not sure if that's helping or hurting. One more week to go and I can have my pasta and dairy again. And probably ice cream and desserts too!

Run through S. Weber

8 miles in 43:52.  (5:29) Still moving in the right direction.  That's 1 mile farther and 3 seconds/mile faster than my last power run. 

Long trail run. 110 minutes.

12x400 averaging 74 per 400. One to one rest (conservative jog).

Not what I wanted but didn't have time for more.

What a great race!!  It was put on by Runner's Corner of Orem.  They did a great job communicating with the registered runners about logistics and really made themselves available to help.  The race was well marked and a beautiful, tough course.  The post race food was better than the Ogden marathon....

The course is a big loop- long climb at first and long descent to finish it off.  Finish had good food (chocolate milk which is a personal favorite) and a prize drawing where I think almost everyone won something.  Nice day to see some old friends and enjoy the fall weather.

Had a nice time with my parents at the race this morning.  McKenzie was home getting a couple hours sleep after working all night and having to wake up early for the holiday activities. 

The race is always well done and family friendly- they encourage people to grab some food after but no long wait for prizes or results- just get in and race and get home which I have always liked about this event.  Logan Petty came to remind me what it's like to be in shape and he took home the easy win.

Trails from 31 street w/ Brett. Got so warm this morning I even took my shirt off.  Can't believe it's the end of November.

20:58 for 4 mile tempo on highway 193

Nice time with John Coyle and Tip Worob- from WSU stadium.

43:44 for 8 miles on the Syracuse trail.  I think the cool weather does miracles for my hard effort runs.  There was just something about some of my training over the summer that was miserable.  Maybe the fact that I was out of shape...

Had a nice time with Brett this morning. Timed it perfectly right in between the rain. 9 miles into the run we did a 4 mile tempo in 21:06.  Finished up with a few more miles to make it 15. Just a touch slower than my tempo last week but felt good about it since I was a little more fatigued when I started. Overall a great week of training.

9 in the morning 4 in the afternoon Maybe my first double of 2014. Better late than never...

Nice hour and 25 min run in the evening. Explored some new roads.

The only thing that can make freezing rain even slightly bearable is having a good friend and some fun stories to share the entire way.

8 in the morning

4 in the evening

Nice, cold morning with Brett and Jon Kotter! Glad to have the extra company. They talked while I worked but it was enjoyable listening to the conversation. 5:25 pace for 8 miles in syracuse on the trail. 43:20

7 and then 8 in the afternoon