Speedwork at the track.  Had a good showing this morning.  Jeremy, JeffC and Eric all showed up for the workout.  Temps were perfect and no wind to speak of.  So was great for this workout.  Plan was to run (6 x 400) x 2.  Ended up changing it for the boys to (3 x 400) x 3 so got 9 400 in instead of the 12.  Just ran out of time really.  For my 3:30 i need to hit 1:33 but didn't hit those.  Still hitting a bit faster then the 3:15 paces on these of 1:27.  At first I thought I would fade by the end.  But I was still running strong and felt good.  So I think I still have that 3:15 there.  Just need to work on my tempos and long runs at the faster paces.  ARGHHHHH!!!  What to do.

Warm-up mile 1 9:56

Mile 2 11:09 with strides and walking.

1 1:23

2 1:23

3 1:26

4 1:26

5 1:27

6 1:26

7 1:25

8 1:25

9 1:23

Cool down mile 9:55

I feel that found my paces I wanted fast and easier on these intervals.  Which made it so much easier to maintain the pace the whole way around.  And as the time would say I was pretty close every time.  4 secs different between the fastest and slowest time.  And pretty consistant.  I was trying to teach the guys the ways of finding that pace as soon as possible and holding on to it.  Worked good for me.  But I messed up and they ran alot faster then they should of on the first 2 of the 9 and really paid for it later.:(  My bad.

Started week 1 of the push up challenge instead of week 3.  Week 3 kicked my butt or should I say chest for a few days.  So just going to start for the beginning.

10, 12, 7, 7, 16

Kind of had a late night.  So wasn't really feeling ready for this run.  Got out and ran a couple solo.  Aaron I guess is still nursing his knee.  No word from him for a while.  Temps were good just a wind from the South.  During the first couple miles my legs just weren't feeling to relaxed.  Got to the corner and Eric was there.  And would be the only one that showed up for the run.  Talked with the wife and came up with a good conclusion on what to do.  Do my warm ups with the guys and talk after the run.  With only Eric there for the run it was going to be.  Run first mile together then meet you at the end.  We went with the 4 mile loop.  Where the first mile is somewhat flat.  Then up 62 which is hilly.  Was going to shoot for sub 9 on that mile flat and headwind on this mile.  Was wanting to go 7:20ish or faster.  And shooting for a sub 7 coming down.  With a goal of running a sub 6 at one point in this training cycle on the downhill last mile.

After warming up for another mile with Eric my legs started to feel a bit better.  Felt like I have had a shin splint for the last few days from maybe the long run or playing ultimate frisbee on Sat.  But it did start to feel better on that 3rd mile.  Got to the corner and had the uphill.  Gave Eric a vote of confidence and assured him I would be at the end.  Started picking up the pace and just held that pace the whole way up.  Felt pretty good for the most part and came in right where I wanted to be.  The flat mile was a bit rougher.  Had the head wind and was struggling to keep my pace where I wanted it.  Just felt off and kind of was saving myself for that last mile too.  My miles were a bit off from running the earlier miles and so when I hit the corner I reset the lap so I would get that last mile right for it.  And right when I started heading down it.  It just felt good from the get go.  No headwind and I felt pretty relaxed.  And I just started pushing it and working on my fast downhill running.  Been a while since I have ran like that.  And it was feeling good.  Kept pushing it and when I was half way into it I was at the 6:10 pace.  WOOT and I was now hitting the flat part of it.  And just kept pushing it and focusing on that turnover and not slowing down.  .25 or so to go I had cut it down to 6:06 pace and was starting to feel the mile but still feeling relaxed.  Got closer to the church house and just started to let it go for the last 60 m or so.  And pulled in at a 5:58.  OH YEAH!!!  Felt really good and felt pretty good to run that so fast.  Yeah its with a downhill so not sure of the real pace for say for the mile.  But its the one I like to benchmark myself on all the time.  So hit that sub 6 and feeling good.  Not sure if I hit it last year.  And if I did I think it was just once.

Mile 1 9:05

Mile 2 8:21

Mile 3 10:28

Mile 4 8:58

Mile 5 7:47

Mile 6 5:58:)

TT 51:28 AP 8:28

Week 1 day 2 10, 12, 8, 8, 12-20

Long run with friends.  Ran with JeffR, Richard and Marty.  Haven't ran with Marty for a while so was good to run with him again.  Our plan was to run the first 16-7 miles of the SoJo marathon.  So Richard and Jeff dropped off water at a few spots along the way and picked up Marty and I by the Temple.  And drove up to Copperton park.  Along the route there is some mean hills at the first.  Mile 3-4 or so is the first one by the dump.  And then by Kenncott/Butterfield canyon is 2 more nasty hills.  Long but gradual.  We started to see alot of bikers at this point and was suprised since half had bibs and the other half didn't.  When we got down by Herriman HS there was a race there and ran into Baldmanrunning.  And chatted with him for a min and then ran off.  Saw Walter speed by shortly after that.  So there was about 300+ bikers all over that area.  I guess they were going to be biking that same roads we had just ran ealier.  Then we turned down to day break and then passed that and back down and around to the temple.  That was about mile 17.  Left Marty by the park and where my car was.  He was wanting 16-8 and that was 16.  Ran with Richard and Jeff to the temple and peeled off at 18.  They were going to run home to make it 20-22 I am thinking more like 23:).  After I finished my run went to the church and played some ultimate frisbee to cooldown for 40 mins.  And then went up to cascade springs with the wife.  She really wanted to get out in the mountains.  There was also a 100 mile ride going on in AF canyon.  Was cool to see so many people out and excercising.

TT 2:25:25 AP 8:05

Speedwork hmm nah hill workout.  Ran at the track this morning.  Was a stiff South wind and it took me the full 2 miles warm up to start feeling good.  Plan calls for a mean 8 mile workout.  1 mile then 2 miles then 2x 800 and I was just not into it at all.  Jeremy and Eric showed up for the workout.  And I decided lets do hill workout instead.  So we headed up 7000 S and found the meanest part of it and did our repeats.  Kept changing up the distances on it and also the durations.  Seemed to have been anywhere from 100m to 200+ running them at 23 secs the shortest to 63 the longest.  Was a pretty good workout really.  Just wasn't much on the distance.  This would be my first hill workout that I have done ever in my training of marathons.  Turned out good for me.  Lets see how my legs are.

Week 1 Day 3 11, 15, 9, 9, 20

Tempo run with the boys.  Eric and JeffC showed up for the run this time.  So after getting in my normal 2 mile runs before meeting them.  I did 1 mile warm up and then 2nd hit my tempo pace.  Ran with them to warm them up and then we headed down to the Church house and ran the course for the 5k we have coming up.  Last year when I ran it it seemed just a bit short.  And that the direction was wrong since we had to make alot of right hand turns and would be running on the wrong side of the road.  So this time we ran it reverse.  And changed up just a little more to get the distance right.  Suprisingly right where I started it and ended it was perfect 3.1.  So I think we figured it out.

Mile 1 8:58

Mile 2 7:10

Mile 3 10:06

TT 26:23 AP 8:46

Restarted the clock for the 5k for distance and time.

Mile 1 7:17

Mile 2 7:16

Mile 3 7:33

.1 :43

TT 22:51 AP 7:23

The 3rd mile was rather tough.  Half of it was gradual uphill and not sure if I just drifted mentally to much or what.  When I got to the top of the hill and halfway through that mile I was at 8:11 pace.  And tried to pick up the pace on the gradual downhill.  Also the first mile to mile and half is uphill.  I think I really like it going the other way so you get that downhill for 1.5 rather then another hill at 2 to 2.5.  Got to figure out a race plan if I am going to defend my title.:)

Ran with Marty, Richard and JeffR.  Goal was to run 20 miles today.  And wasn't really feeling it at all.  One of my worst feeling runs I had been on in a long time.  We started out warming up I guess with a hill climb.  That just got steeper as the run progressed.  At around mile 3-4 was the meanest parts going up 70th.  And I was trailing farther and farther behind the guys.  Then we headed out for the temple loop.  Which is like a 12-13 mile loop.  And I was really laboring to try and keep up with the guys.  They lost me around a corner once.  When I got to the top of a small hill my head was really pounding and I normally dont have that issue at all.  Took a quick walk and started the downhill trying to catch back up.  Just wasn't going to happen.  When we got to 40th W.  We decided to call it good and head back up home.  But then added in Glenmoor golf course hill.  Which is an extra mile to the club house.  Jeff decided to hang back with me as Marty and Richard blazed forward at a sub 7 for the next few miles.  We were hitting closer to 8:30ish pace.  I think the paces were just killing me today.

AP 8:30

Week 2 day 1 14, 14, 10, 10 20 Going to try and get all 3 days of push-ups this week. Mon Wen Fri

30 min bike ride with the wife.  Nice and easy pace.  Wife is recovering well.  And the temps were pretty good.  Sprinkled on us a tiny bit.

Body wasn't into this run at all this morning.  For the first time in a long time there was a debate about running.  And just having that debate made me stay home.  So rest day today.

Feeling really good about my decision to rest yesterday.  I am feeling alot better overall.  And not so worn out.  Still did my pushup this morning too.  My back was starting to feel sore and my left leg was bothering me from maybe over doing it some on Sat.  The field we play on is uneven.

Week 2 day 2 14, 16, 12, 12, 20

PM-  Ride with the wife.  She is recovering well still.  Picked up the pace a slight bit it seems.  Or the lights were just working with us.  Since we finished the ride about 2 mins faster then we did on Mon.  But the big thing is that she felt better at the end of the ride.

TT 29:10

Had to get up a bit ealier for this run to get it all in.  Started my run at 3:30am so I could get in 6 before meeting up with the guys.  This run called for 1 mile warm-up then 10 at 8:00(MP).  What ended up happening is the first mile was a bit faster then I thought it would be and then just tried hitting my paces.  Miles that were a bit fast were slight down and slower would be inclines.  After my first 6 I met up with Eric, Jeremy and JeffC.  The normal crowd.  And we headed out for a 4.7 loop.  First mile was warm-up for them rather slower.  Then picking up the pace to goal pace.  That 2nd mile of that or mile 8 was a down hill and mile 10 was the uphill.  Really was trying to keep that last mile at pace and it just didn't come in.  Feel really good about the run though.  And I just ran a bit farther to get my 11 and shortly after I finished the extra .3 and starting to stretch they were running up.  So turned out great this time.

Mile 1 8:24

Mile 2 8:00

Mile 3 8:12

Mile 4 7:45

Mile 5 7:59

Mile 6 7:52

Mile 7 12:09  Wow slow warm-up mile with the guys.

Mile 8 7:49

Mile 9 7:58

Mile 10 8:27

Mile 11 8:16

TT 1:32:58 AP 8:27

Decided to run this race the day before.  And wanted to see where I was basically.  Ran it with Marty Black.  This was the first year of the race.  So that made it a bit fun.  We ran part of the course 2 weeks ealier going the other way.  So kind of knew what we were up against.  Miles 1-3 are downhill coming out of Rose Canyon. 4th mile is a flat till about 4.25 and then its a gradual uphill till about 7.5 or so.  At the end up that climb is a mean hill outside of little butterfield canyon.  And then its downhill to Daybreak with a few hills in there.  And a strong crosswind.

Temps were warm at the start and even though it started in a canyon it really isnt much of a canyon.  Just get a downhill run for the first bit.  By the end of it I was getting dehydrated with my mouth being very dry.  I feel bad about having to stop so many times in this race.  And with a goal of 1:35-40 I sure did miss it.  That uphill just took to much out of me.  Also decided to run this one in my racing flats.  Hmm worked out ok I think.  But the ball of my right foot was really sore the rest of the day.

Mile 1 6:40

Mile 2 6:54

Mile 3 6:53

Mile 4 7:16

Mile 5 8:11

Mile 6 8:52

Mile 7 9:48

Mile 8 9:05

Mile 9 7:15

Mile 10 8:28

Mile 11 8:46

Mile 12 8:42

Mile 13 8:48

Mile 13.22 1:43 (7:55ap)

TT 1:47:52 AP 8:08

Took 6th in my AG and Marty finished 1:44ish and 7th in his AG.  JeffR ran Hobble creek this weekend with Richard and did well.  Jeff got his 1:25 again and Richard got a 2 min PR with a 1:28 taking 3rd in his AG.:)

Well made it around 1 lap on the track this morning.  After 2 walking breaks.  Been having shin splints for a while off and on.  Which seems to be affecting my knee.  Felt ok for the race on Sat.  But paying for it during the weekend.  So after running around the track and after about 200m it not really letting up.  Walked a bit and then started up again.  Thought nah rest it again.  I might ride or do elliptical tonight with the wife.  Will see how that goes.  And if it even goes.   Told MrsFit to take it easy for the next 2 weeks anyhow with her getting back into work here soon.  Which is a bit stressful.  Might take a bit off too.  To get this leg happy again.   Even thinking about changing up the early morning runs for something later in the day.  And maybe I wont feel so stinking tired all the time.  I use to only run on Thurs morning because I had too.  COME ON LEG!!!

Wore a compression sock all day yesterday.  At first it felt just fine from the excedrin I took in the morning.  Then I started feeling it when it wore off.  Iced it once and it felt good for an hr or so.  But then wore off.  I am wondering if I have a stress fracture now.  So I guess I will start looking for a doc to tell me what it is.  Will see what happens.......

Come on people show me some LOVE, today's my birthday!!!

Went to the doc and from what he can see from the xrays and the exam.  No stress fracture.  My leg has been feeling much better.  Yet I am sick.  Body was sore and achy on Sun and more so still today.  But got the green light to start running again.  So going to take it easier tomorrow.  He gave me a few excersices to work my shins to help get them stronger.  Will see how that goes.

Meet up with the boys at the track this morning.  No speedwork for me though.  Just ran around at thier paces and my leg felt good for the run.  And I am feeling much better today then I have all month.  So I am happy.  Wore a new pair of shoes today.  Hmmm  not sure if I like them yet.  They seem a bit tighter then the last few pairs that I have had.  Did a little sprint at the end of the run and it sure got hot in my arch.

TT 51:06