Everything You Didn't Want to Know About My Runs

Decided just to take it easy and just accept that I'm going to be slow for a while.  I jogged 5 miles today.  It was supposed to be an easy run so I kept it slow until the last mile.  Then I decided to do hill sprints so I did 4 x 10 sec at the end.

12 miles at an easy pace most of the way and then fast at the end.  I am starting to feel a little stronger.  I was able to run a little bit harder than I have been.  I was able to run all the way up 'Handcart Hill.' I went up it last Friday and Saturday and had to stop and walk part of it each time.  If I didn't make it today, I was worried it was going to start being a mental thing.  I felt encouraged by my progress and hope that I'll be back in shape in four weeks.

I ran with Stacie.  I left her on the steep downhill section on Wasatch and onto the trail, but stopped and waited for her to catch up before getting to Durban Road.  I then left her again and was trying to run with a full stride.  It felt good to be able to do that.  I got lazy and then started hearing her coming up from behind.  That helped push me back into good form.  Then I took a turn and didn't hear her anymore.  Then I saw her pop out a bit in front of me.  She had taken a shortcut!  Then it was on.

I wasn't quite able to catch her before her Garmin beeped 12 miles, but I was close.  (My GPS has a different idea of what a mile is than hers does so I always end up running a bit farther.)  My last mile ended up being 8:22, which, after last week, was phenomenal.

 Data

I got out a little late today, since it was a holiday.  It was nice to sleep in a little.  It was overcast and nice outside.  I ran five miles alone.  I'm feeling a bit stronger, so that is good.  My splits were: 8:58, 9:48, 10:42 (uphill), 9:44, 9:30.  A little fast for a recovery run, but it felt good to go under 10 min/mile.

Data

Ten miles.  Stayed with Stacie for just over three.  Then I just couldn't keep up.  Most of the rest of the way she just kept getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller... I guess I ran too hard yesterday and didn't have much left today.

I really need to blog on the days that I run.  I don't even remember doing this, but I know it was 5.

Ran 10 miles with Stacie.  She got mad at me for leaving her behind on the long downhill section.

I found some KT Tape samples that I picked up at a Ragnar Relay a year or two ago and decided to try them for my right hip.  I looked up a video on YouTube for applying it for hip flexor support.  I just thought I'd give it a try.  I put it on and I could walk without pain.  The run was amazing.  It had always been hard to take the first two steps.  After I had some momentum, it didn't hurt so much.  With the tape, it wasn't a problem at all.  I don't get it, but it works.

Another 2-day marathon.  Got up early and ran at a little after 5 am.  We kept getting harassed by newspaper deliverers.  We just couldn't shake the guy in our neighborhood and then when we got towards the end of Dimple Dell Road, we picked up another one.

Saw a coyote at the Christmas tree farm on Dimple Dell.

I'm feeling a little stronger every week.  This twenty was much better than the last, but it was still hard. 

I was just going to take it easy, but I picked up someone to chase at Newcastle and Highland.  She came up the hill on the other side of Highland while I was waiting at the light and ended up running mostly the same route as me.  She was going pretty fast, so it was hard to catch her.  I was finally catching up at the top of the hill when she took a shortcut through the elementary school and headed down Newcastle.  I took the long way to Newcastle and started chasing again.  I finally passed her just before the light at Highland.  That was probably faster than I should have run, but it is always good to have someone to chase.

Eight miles chasing Stacie without being able to catch her.  She was booking it.  I'm not sure who is going to cross the finish line at St. George first.  Last mile was under 9 minutes.

It dawned on me towards the end of the run that my legs are not nearly as dead as they were the week after my first 20-miler.  

Slow, easy five miles.

4 miles in 35 minutes--which was my goal.  Pulled Stacie along for the first 2 miles and then, in a moment of weakness at the top of the hill, she flew by me and I had to chase her all the way down.  I might have caught her, but she stranded me at a red light.

A beautiful morning for a run.  I got out a little late this morning.  I picked up a cold last weekend after getting up so early to run.  It hasn't been that bad, but the effects are kind of still lingering around.  I tried to sleep in if I could.  Stacie didn't get out with me--she went later.  I could have used her at the end, but it was still a pretty good run.

 I've done this route, or something very similar, four times now and I thought it would be interesting to see how I did.  I guess I should go read the blog entries for these runs.  My fastest time was the first time I ran it: July 30.  Time was 1:57:36.  My second fastest time was 1:59:17 about a month ago: Aug 20.  Both of these were before the blood donation.

Today I ran it in 1:59:22, which beat my time from two weeks ago by 22 seconds.  Two weeks ago was the day Stacie and I raced the last couple of miles.  My 8:22 final mile is still the fastest mile from any of these runs.  This was good, because the run felt a little slower than two weeks ago--yet it wasn't.  I was thinking that I needed the race at the end, but it turned out I didn't.  This was also the day after a four mile pace run--which was the only one with a run day prior.  I went biking on the first run.  The other two followed rest days.  Bottom line, apart from the lower red blood cell count, I'm in better shape and might be ready to run this marathon in two weeks.  I'm looking forward to an easy week next week.

Four mile run at easy pace which turned out to be faster than I thought it was: 9:50.  It didn't really feel like I had run afterwards.  I am now getting that nervous feeling in my gut when I think about the marathon.  I'm guessing that won't go away until the gun goes off.

Started running in the dark under the stars and finished as the sun rose.  I did a mile loop around the neighborhood and then ran down to Peruvian Park and up to the Mammoth Springs buffalo and back home.  As I crossed Highland, there were two women running about the same pace.  One was wearing a TOU marathon shirt from a couple of years ago.  I sped up a little and passed them knowing that if they turned right where I was going to, it would be a long uphill mile at that pace.  Sure enough, they turned and pushed me up the hill. 

I just missed the light at Highland and had to wait there a while with just half a mile to go.  When the light finally changed, I tried to finish the last half mile in four minutes.  I think I made it.

Slow and easy.  I'm starting to feel like I'm not doing anything anymore--which is nice.  I get butterflies in my stomach every time I think about the marathon.  I know I'm well-prepared so I'm not nervous about being able to do it.  I'm just nervous about doing it.  I mean, all this time running and running and running some more and then the gun goes off and four, five, maybe six hours later it's all over.

Started slow, but then Stacie picked up the pace.  Ended fast.  Last mile was just under 8 minutes.  I'm starting to think that I'll be closer to 4:30:00 than 4:00:00.  I hope I can just stay with Stacie.

It is funny to do a medium run on a Saturday. One week until the marathon.  One week of fattening up for the race.  I've got to figure out where and when to gel and how many I'm going to need.  I think I'll start at the mile 5 aid station and then do every other aid station after that.  I am going to start this thing with pockets full of salty maltodextrin. 

--- Mmmmm.  Salty maltodextrin....

 Last time up Eastdell hill.  After recovering from it, I started feeling pretty good.  A mile after, Stacie asked why I was going so fast.  I didn't realize I was going that fast.  I stayed with her because I really need to relax and save it for the race.  After stopping and crossing 94th South, I had a little less than a mile left and decided to push it.  I'll have to look up my pace on that last mile later.

Marathon Week!  Not a lot of running to do until Saturday.  I can't remember the last time I only ran three miles.  It was nice.

I think I was supposed to take it easy today, but I just can't run slow in the Launches.  Up to Albion and back.  9:10 pace.  Not screaming fast, but that's where I am. 

Two miles at the speed of smell.  Just a warm-up.  Now off to St. George.