Everything You Didn't Want to Know About My Runs

Treadmill.  Fun.  I feel big and slow.

Ran outside before it started to rain.  I should be running more now that I don't have anything to do all day.  I'm kind of mad about getting so out of shape.  I just feel like a big slow slug out there.  Nothing I can do about that except run more frequently.  

GPS Data

It was a bit colder today than yesterday.  Just took it easy--didn't do as much downhill and uphill.

Caught up with an old "friend" today--the Eastdell Hill.  I hadn't been in touch since September when I was tapering for the marathon.  I came around the corner and saw the magnificent beast rising magnificently in the hazy winter sun.  It was far more intimidating than I remembered, but I still beat it--just not as handily as I was doing after conquering it 5 consecutive times while preparing for my insane 3 mile run up to Snowbasin in last year's Ragnar.

 I like turning west and running down on this course.  It really breaks me out of my lazy strides.  I still feel slow and weak, but I don't feel like quitting after 1 mile anymore.  My legs are sore and my lungs need some work, but my legs were too weak to work my breath very hard until the downhill.

Five miles on the treadmill while watching "McClintock!"  Comcast's free on-demand movie selection isn't all that great.  I do find myself liking older movies now.  They used to bore me.  I'm more bored by most of what gets produced lately.  I think Hollywood is really good at making commercials (trailers) to make you want to watch a movie.  They aren't so good at making the actual movies.  But I guess that is how you make money.

How about the run?  My lame Hollywood rant was more interesting than the run.  I was on a treadmill for 50 minutes.  Slow, but I'm still out of shape.

 Oh, and I think I passed my background check and am about to get a formal job offer.

Got a quick four miles in before I had to take Lizzie to soccer.  I pushed it the whole time.  All my miles were under 10 minutes, but not by much.  I'm starting to get it back.  I think I'm going to be sore, though.

Six miles on the treadmill in 59 minutes.  I started slow to warm up.  I started at 5 for 5 minutes, and then worked my way up to 6.5 by increasing 0.1 mph every 75 seconds.  I held at 6.5 for 30 minutes and then gradually dropped down to 6.0 to finish.  I could only stay at 6.5 for 15 minutes a week ago.  6.5 is a 9:13 pace.  

 Next time I run on the treadmill, I'll work up to 6.7 (just under 9 mm) and see how long I can hold that.

 I was sore after my last run.  My shins/calves are tightening up again.  I think I need to start doing my stretching routine.  I'd gotten away from it because I wasn't having as much trouble when I got in the thick of marathon training.  I should keep it up.  It was working wonders on my hamstrings.  It would be nice to lengthen those things out a bit.

Treadmill.  My fast threshold is 9mm right now.  

 Still adjusting to new job and trying to figure out when to run.  Today was a holiday. 

Treadmill.  So much fun.  I need to lose weight.

First time running on a work day with my new job.  I got up at 5:45 so I could run at 6.  Didn't really get running until 6:15.  Still got to work by 8:30. 

 Still running on the treadmill.  I have to play games with the pace to keep it interesting.   

Treadmill.  While watching "Inner Space."  I loved that movie when it came out.  I was stupid when I was a teenager.  But I could run a whole lot faster than this.

 I'm calling anything faster than a 9 minute mile fast miles.  I warmed up at around 10mm for 10 minutes.  Then I increased the pace .1 mph every 2 minutes until I got to 6.7 mph, which is just under 9mm.  I held that for 3 minutes and went up .1 mph every 2:30 until I got to 7 mph and held that for five minutes then came down .1 mph every 70 seconds until I got to 6.1 mph.  I was planning to go down to 6, but I was feeling comfortable at 6.1 so I held that until I got to 60 minutes and then walked for 5.

Eight miles on the treadmill.  

I hate the clock on the treadmill.  After an hour the display goes from mm:ss to hh:mm.  In the rare cases when I last longer than an hour on the machine I can keep track of the hours in my head.   I just want it to show mm:ss at all times.  Maybe there is a user setting.  Somehow I doubt it.  Maybe I just need to run faster.

Watched the Jazz game while running on the treadmill.

Felt a little winded during 10mm warm-up.  Might be that I ate way too much yesterday and did not get enough sleep over the weekend.  Maybe it was the 8 miles I ran Saturday.

Easy 4 mile run with a quarter-mile walk at the end.  Just ran at a 10mm pace--which is starting to feel more like a fallback pace than almost as fast as I can run.  I'd like to get where 9mm is a comfortable pace.

Ran outside for the first time in a while.  I didn't get home in time to enjoy the warm temperature today, though.  I got out at about 6pm and it was dark by the time I finished.  I ran my tough but fun 6 miler including running up Eastdell hill and then down 98th South.   I ran well up the hill and went anaerobic after I got to the top.  I then was able to open up going down hill.  I love running down that hill.  Steep enough to get a good full stride yet not so steep that I come down too hard.

 I'm quite a bit stronger than the last time I ran outside which must have been about a month ago.

Tough run after yesterday.  My quads were sore.  But the weather was perfect--nice and sunny with a cool breeze.  I wanted to run something more flat after the hard run on hills yesterday, but my plans didn't work out.  I had a busy day and had to work in just under two hours of running where and when I could.  I had planned to go hit the south end of the JRP after dropping my daughter off at tumbling, but I wasn't able to get ready in time.  I had to go home and that meant running locally with hills.

 I combined two 5 mile courses into a sort of figure 8.  I ran the downhill loop to Falcon Park and then did the buffalo loop.  Hard stuff with sore legs.  I kept it slow because I needed to and couldn't go much faster if I wanted to.  I got home just in time to help drive some girl's to the ice rink for Sydney's birthday party.

I think this was my longest run since the marathon.   

Treadmill.  Was a little winded at first and still a bit sore from my big weekend (16 miles Friday and Saturday.)  After about three miles I started feeling pretty good.  

 Watched the Jazz beat Detroit as I ran.  They hit quite a few 3's late in the shot clock. 

Tempo run on the treadmill.  Warmed up for 20 minutes at 6 mph.  Then gradually increased up to 7.5 mph for 75 seconds then gradually down to 6.5 mph until I got to 6 miles.  Then a quarter mile walk.

 I'm no longer warming up at < 10mm pace.  My quads aren't sore any more, but my hips are getting tight.  I need to start stretching again.

I also need to work my aerobic fitness.  Maybe a slow eight mile run tomorrow and then another on Saturday?

It was nice to get outside for six miles.

Busy day.  Tried to go mountain biking before the storm hit, but wasn't able to get out until it was just starting to rain in corner canyon.  I decided to just go ride on the JRP.  There is some new stuff there around 114th south so I explored on my bike.  I ended up doing 12 miles.  Six with a strong tail wind and six with a strong head wind.

 It turned out to be a good thing to ride around on some flat pavement because my legs were burning right off the bat.  It is probably good to let my biking muscles ease into it. 

Got some new shoes.  I found some Ghost 3's on a sale rack for a little over half price, so I picked them up Saturday and decided to try them out today.  I didn't really notice much difference from my other shoes.  But then again, I don't really notice much difference between my Glyceryns and my Launches, so why would I expect the Ghosts to be any different?

More treadmill games.  Today I tried mile repeats at just under 9mm.  I did four of them.  It was hard, but I feel like I am starting to get somewhere.

Nice to run outside as the sun rose.  8 miles at an avg. pace of 9:33.  Not bad for the hills, including my old friend, Eastdell.  

Details

 11.25 mile bike ride up to Little Cottonwood and back.  Legs were by far the limiting factor.  My breathing didn't ever seem very heavy.  Legs were a little sore and heavy from yesterday's run, but a lot of it is just dormant biking muscles.  They started loosening up after a while and felt pretty good.

I got all the way up to the first bridge on the Little Cottonwood trail and that's when I got to the snow, so I turned around.  It was nice to get out, but I need to adjust my derailers and brakes. 

Details

Slow run.  My legs were pretty beat after running 8 miles on Thursday and the biking yesterday.  I was planning to do 12, but I didn't get out soon enough because I was tired and took a little afternoon nap.  It is always so hard to get started. 

Details

Nice 8 mile run with the sunrise.  It was cold, though.  I went out without a hat and gloves.  I did a mile loop and then went inside and got gloves and a hat.  They made a big difference.  I seem to be just running 8 miles all the time now so I am getting more creative in my routes.  I did something a little different on Saturday.  I did something totally different today.

Basically, I did my 5-mile buffalo with a mile tacked on the the beginning and two at the end.  (In C, we would call this ++buffalo + 2)  I altered the way home from the buffalo to go up a little higher and then come home through Falcon Park.  I got to Falcon just past 7 miles so I decided to see if I could do a lap around Falcon (just about 1 km) in under 5 minutes.  I did it in 4:49.

When I started running again a few years ago, I was training for the Wasatch Back relay.  I didn't know much, so I was following their suggested beginner training schedule, which is based on time.  I was also using an iPod with Nike+ because it was interesting to run with music and it was helpful to have it tell me milestones as I ran.  Some of my early routes involved running to a park and then doing a few laps and coming home.  Naturally, since a Falcon lap was 1K and I had my iPod set to tell me distance in kilometers and since I was seeing how far I could go in a given amount of time, and the time intervals on the iPod were 5 minutes, I was always trying to make a lap in 5 minutes, but never could.

It was nice to not only make it in 5 minutes, but to beat it after running 7 miles with a lot of sustained up-hill. 

Details 

Did 6 x 1 mile repeats this morning.  I was kind of sick of running hills and wanted to see what I could do off the treadmill.  It was pretty cool this morning--frost on the ground and I could see my breath up until I was done.  I haven't looked at the GPS data yet, but I will update this when I do.  I do know I was trying to beat 9 minutes for each split and I did.

I warmed up for a little over ten minutes first.  Then I just kept running around the mile block in my neighborhood.  I think I was around 8:30 for the first two and then 8:45 for the third.  I drank too much water in the break for this one and I could feel it slow me down.  My legs felt like rubber for the fourth.  I can't remember the time, but it was still under 9.  I decided to try for 8 on the fifth.  I was expecting it to be more difficult and I could really slow down if I didn't push it.  It went well and I ended up somewhere around 8:10.  I thought the last one would be super hard and I relaxed a bit but still came in under 9 and it wasn't as hard as I was expecting.  It was like my body was just saying, "OK, this is how fast we run now."

It is hard to focus for 1 mile.  It is just long enough for my mind to start to wander half way through, but it was good exercise.

I finished with a 1 mile easy jog. 

Eight miles in St. George.  Shins hurt.

Trail run in St. George.  My watch couldn't hook up with the satellites.  I based the distance on the time I was running.  Fun run, but I'm hurting.  Shins and left foot.  I need to take a break for a while.

Dropped Sydney off at tumbling and ran on the JRP for an hour.  I was good for three miles and then it all fell apart.  I've been sitting around because I pushed it too hard a month ago and started getting shin pain.  My left foot also hurts up front.  I thought getting off it for a while would help, but it just hurts all the time no matter what.

 Details

Lysa's Save the Day race.

 Let's face it, I'm out of shape.  So I used running with my kids as an excuse.  I started with Cami (7) and stayed with her until Stacie caught up--about 1 mile.  Then I decided to catch up to Sydney (10) so I ran until I caught up to her.  I then stayed with her until the finish.  After the aid station, I told her to start looking at people in front of her and think of nothing but passing them.  She caught several people and finished strong.

Mountain biking in corner canyon.  I went up to Coyote Hollow from the equestrian center.  Then I went up Clark's.  I came down on the Rush trail which was tough because I was looking into the sun often and my brakes need to be tightened.  I made it down OK until I got to the last turn which I did not make.  I went over the handlebars and into the brush.

I've lost a lot of fitness.  My lungs were burning almost from the beginning.  I was able to make it to the Clark's trail head without stopping, but I was well spent at that point.  I had to take a number of breaks up Clark's.  One day I would like to make it from the bottom to the top without stopping.  I think I might have been able to do that back in September.

 Details

Haven't run in a while.  Decided to take it easy on the distance.  Went four, but pushed it the whole way.  Ran at an average pace of 9:15, which was much better than I thought I would do.  Was a little sore from biking (and wrecking).  Biggest limitation was my air, though.  I really can't sit around for a month.  You lose it all very fast.

 Details

Got sick and haven't run for a couple of weeks.  It was good to get out.  I could run fast for only 1 mile.

I got sick so I have been walking a lot.  It has helped the foot.  I ran 10K this morning.  I basically ran a tighter version of my 8-mile loop.  I had to stop and walk just before 5 miles.  This was probably too much today.

Started slow and then picked it up after 1.33 miles.  I saw someone ahead of me running slow so I determined to catch him.  I caught him just as I had to turn off the road we were on.  Then it was all downhill so I kept up the faster pace.  Felt a lot better than Monday--but the course was shorter and much less hilly.

Easy four miles.  Quads and shins are a little sore.  Foot is feeling a lot better.  Ankle not nearly as bad as it used to be--it is just enough to let me know it is there.

Ran six miles.  Was easier than last week, but was a little difficult around the four mile mark.

I know I ran 6, but I don't remember it.

Nice run.  Did the extended buffalo route.  I think it was about 6 because I forgot to charge my GPS.  I ran the battery down using it as a watch after my phone died while camping with the scouts this weekend.

Ran with Stacie this morning.  I was planning to do 6 but since she was doing 8 I just figured I'd see if I could keep up.  I don't think we have run together since the marathon.  It was nice.  

I'm getting back in shape. All I need is more consistency--which I need to build gradually--and about 20-30 less lbs.  I'm sure I can drop 10 of those with more consistent running or other training.  (I was 11 lbs lighter when I ran the marathon.)  The rest will mean lighter lunches and a commitment to being hungry in the evenings.  Maybe some weight training.  All my upper body strength migrated to my legs.

Details 

10 miles mountain biking.  I found a new trail in Corner Canyon / South Mountain on my last ride down there.  I guess it was finished last year.  I did a 10 mile loop from Coyote Hollow behind the temple up to just below Suncrest and over towards the paragliding park then back on the Bonneville shoreline trail. It was a beautiful ride--up high with incredible views.  The only problem was that I was in a hurry to leave and left my camelback home so I did it all without water.

 Details 

Slow aerobic run on the JRP while Sydney was at tumbling.  I've decided I need to build up an aerobic base which means a lot of slower running.  We'll see how that goes.

Details 

 I'm trying to build aerobic fitness.  I've realized I've been running too fast most of the time.  I only have two speeds: sitting on the couch and as fast as I can go.  I need to develop some intermediate speeds.  I plan to get a  rate monitor and do most of my training in the aerobic zone.  For now, I'm just doing it by feel--trying to keep it at a conversational pace.

 I ran a little over 6 miles and kept it slow.  Towards the end I felt like I could go at that pace forever.  Afterwards, my legs felt fresh but my heart felt like it had been working hard.

Details

A longer slow run.  8 miles.  I focused only on keeping my heart rate low.  I even walked up the last third of Eastdell hill--which was hard to do because some guy was running up on the other side of the street.  I could have beat him, but I had to just let him go by.

 This is a whole new game.  It would be easier to play if I had a heart rate monitor.  The old game was seeing how far I could go in a given time or how fast I could finish a particular distance.  Now it is about a certain amount of time or distance at a certain level of effort.

Details 

I decided to start doing hill sprints as a VO2 workout and to build leg strength and running form.  I am starting slow.  Two sprints.  I'll do this twice a week and add a sprint each week until I get up to 8 and then do it once a week.  I was just going to do a 10 minute warm-up, do the sprints, and then a 10-minute cool-down.

 After doing the sprints, I thought I should spend more time and just do a couple more miles at conversational pace.  So I went half way up Newcastle and back down.  I saw Stacie returning from her run on Newcastle just before I crossed Highland.

The sprints went well.  I focused on moving my arms in a straight line front-to-back and getting my hands up to eye level.  The running was very smooth.  It felt good. 

Details

Did another longer run.  This time with most of it in the aerobic zone, but with two miles pushing the anaerobic threshold towards the end.  I started running with Stacie, but she was running farther and was running too fast for me, so I sent her ahead and hung back at my conversational pace.  

Easy run with two hill sprints.

I wasn't sure how I'd do, but I figured I would be somewhere between 53 and 59 minutes.  I was just hoping to average between 9:00 and 9:30 pace.  I was at 9:17.  I think.  Some dude walked past me in the gate after the finish line before they scanned my bib.  I think he might have taken my time.

I don't have my own time because my GPS lost the satellites at the starting line and I didn't notice for a little while.  Now it won't download the data onto my computer.  I hate that stupid thing.

I decided to take it easy on the first lap and try to push it on the last lap.  I attacked the uphill and just relaxed on the downhill and let the hill take me down at a faster pace.  Other than that, I just concentrated on running easy, but with good form.  This left me plenty of wind for the second lap, but my legs got tired.

 I still felt pretty good on the second lap.  I saw my wife and kids near the finish line.  (Jane, Sydney, and Cami had just run the 5K.) They didn't see me, though, so I had to call out to them.  I decided to take it easy until the hill and then pick it up.  I attacked the uphill and then sped up going down and left the group I had been with for most of the first lap behind for good.  I then focused on catching people who were ahead of me.  At this point, my legs were getting sore and my feet were a little numb. When I caught myself thinking about that, I started concentrating on running form and the next person ahead of me.

I just kept on that way all around the mall.  As I made it around the far side of the mall, I caught up to a Ragnar teammate, Traci Clark.  She said something about the heat.  I said, "Let's finish fast before it gets hotter."  I just kept focusing on the next person and she stayed with me.  I wasn't sure if I had enough left to finish strong, but I kept gradually reeling in runners.  When I made the turn down the final stretch, I started to push it and wondered if it was too soon.  I kept pushing anyway and worked up to a full sprint as I entered the gate.  I made it.  It was a good run and I ran it about as well as I could. 

Data

Easy run with hill sprints. 

Data

Easy run at Island Park.  Did not get satellites until at least a mile into the run.

Data

This was the day after we went to Yellowstone and saw this. 

Easy run with three hill sprints.

Data 

Slow.  Recovery day.  Easy four miles.

Data 

1 mile warm-up and then I tried to run 3 miles at about 9:00 / mile.  I was a little over on the first mile--which was uphill.  I was under for the last two.  The second started a little uphill and then went downhill.  The last was downhill then leveled out.  Those were under 9:00.  I think I averaged right at 9.  I ran the first mile harder, though. 

Data

Easy recovery run.

Data 

Long slow run in the heat.  I drank two water bottles.  I've been trying to run in the aerobic zone by feel and it feels like I can run a little faster in that zone after three miles.  I was pushing the heart rate a little after I warmed up.  I decided to get a heart rate monitor so I know better where I am.  The weird thing is that after these slower runs, I feel it a lot more in my heart and lungs for the rest of the day. 

Data

 Easy run with 4 hill sprints.

 First time running with heart rate monitor.  I couldn't remember what the numbers were supposed to be.  I thought my maximum heart rate calculated by age was 180.  And then I thought I was supposed to be at 70% of that, which I figured was 126.  It turned out that was way too slow and I could not maintain a rate that low while jogging.  I decided I had it all wrong and needed to look at the numbers again after I got home.  I decided to just run like I had been and just see what my heart rate was.

Turns out I'm supposed to be at 70% of the way from my resting to my maximum heart rate.  Duh.   

Data

Easy four miler.  Tried to keep heart rate around 148.  Turns out that was a little high.  Should have been 146.  As suspected, the pace was a little higher than I had been running, but without monitoring my heart rate, I was erring on the side of not going too fast.  I'm learning.

Data

Today I did a longer run ~6 miles at 80%, or 158 bpm.  It took a little effort to get up in the 150's at first because my course started downhill.  The uphill portion--which was the middle 3 or so miles--required me to slow way down.  I kept creeping into the low 160's.  

These calculations are pretty close because I could actually feel a difference when crossing the threshold into anaerobia.  I don't know how far past the threshold you have to go before you feel it.  Is it immediate?  I think I felt a difference at about 161.  

 Data 

My shins were hurting a bit so I decided to take a break from running a go biking.  I tried staying at around 158 bpm, but once I got on the trail, it was difficult to stay below 160.  Road biking is probably better for aerobic training.

 Data 

 I was planning to do 10 Saturday, but didn't get out.  I didn't sleep very well at all the night before and was a zombie all day.  So I did 10 today.  I had to get up an hour early.  It was nice to be out running before the sun came up.

 I decided to do 8 with a 1 mile warm-up and a 1 mile cool-down.  I was trying to stay around 80% (158 bpm)  It is difficult to do that on the up-hill.  I really have to fight myself to stay that slow.  I think it is good--I felt like I could have kept going forever at that pace, but it got very difficult to keep it below 160 after 8 miles.  I stopped to walk a couple of times to reset things.  But once the ticker starts going, it is hard to slow it down--especially since it feels good to push it after a few miles. 

Data

Benchmark

 I've decided to do a mid-week speed benchmark every other week.  I warm up for 1 mile and then run as fast as I can for three miles.  This week I decided to add a 1 mile cool down.  I also altered my 3-mile course because I didn't want to have a stoplight in the middle of my last mile. It means more uphill mileage as the second mile is almost all uphill, but that is OK.  I probably should find a flatter course, but I don't really want to run around my block 5 times.

I'm trying to get the three miles in at under a 9mm pace.  Two weeks ago, I averaged 9 exactly. Today my splits were:: 9:16, 9:42, 7:58.  This was my first sub 8 mile in a long time--even though most of it was gravity-assisted.  The results today make me feel good about what I have been doing.

My heart rate got as high as 191.  This was, as expected, higher than the age-based estimate of 182 for my maximum heart rate.  This wasn't quite a proper stress test. but I'll use it.  My resting heart rate is down to 57 from 63.  I'll need to recalculate my zones after looking at the data, but at a range of 57-191, my anaerobic threshold should be about 163.  This validates my experience from Monday where I was feeling good at 161. 

I saw Lysa just after I finished my last fast mile and was starting to cool down.  She was on her way up Newcastle while I was on my way down.  I tried to tell her about my heart rate monitor, but she was not impressed.

3 mile Benchmark Today 

3 mile Benchmark July 18, 2012 

Recovery

Took it slow today on my standard 4 mile route.   Tried to stay under 150 bpm and was significantly lower most of the time.  My shins were a little sore from yesterday and I ran about as fast as they would let me go--which was pretty slow.  But that was the point today.

I think I'll bike tomorrow and then do another 10 miler on Saturday.  I'm dropping body fat, but not a lot of weight.  Maybe a few pounds.  I think I need to get up to about 40 miles a week before I start dropping below 200 lbs.   I'll be just below 30 this week plus 10 miles of mountain biking.

6.43 miles mountain biking up and down Little Cottonwood trail.

I haven't ridden all the way up to the ruin since before the trail was washed out last year.  The trail is different and it seems more difficult--more rocks.  However, my ability to ride it has increased.  I certainly didn't ever need to stop to catch my breath, I only stopped higher up when I wasn't able to keep my cadence up on the trickier steep parts of the trail.  I remember having to stop frequently to catch my breath, but that includes rides a long time ago when I didn't have my climbing (granny) gear.  Good ride, but my heart rate was through the roof. 

Ran 12 miles with Stacie.  I was going to do 10, but Stacie wanted someone to run with so I went ahead and did 12.  I made up kind of a new route by combining my 6 and 8 milers.  It had a lot of climbing--which was good.

 This is the farthest I've run in the ghosts.  I don't like them very much.  Glad I only paid $60 for them. 

Short run with 4 x 10 sec hill sprints.

Slow easy run.  Did an extra mile because I'm not going to be able to run as far this weekend.

Mid-week long run.  8 miles.  Lower legs hurt.  I stopped stretching this week.  Need to start that up again.

Stretched last night.  It helped.  Easy run.  4.1 miles.  Saw Stacie coming down as I was going up.  High-fived her.  It was electric.

Did 18 miles on the bike last night.  Today, rode 50 miles around Bear Lake.

Missed my Saturday run.  I was planning to do 8, but wasn't sure I got up early enough and was still a little sore from the bike ride.  So, instead of sprints, I did a slow, but hilly six miler.

Five miles at recovery pace.  I was going to do four, but decided to throw an extra mile in there. Ran my standard four mile loop backwards, just for variety.  It reminded my why I go the way I usually do.  The north side of Newcastle is sloped too much and uncomfortable to run on. 

 Was excited to do another speed test today.  I wasn't sure what to expect since I missed my run Saturday and ran a little longer than usual the past two days without sprints on Monday.  I had to go earlier than usual because I had to get Lizzie to her soccer coach's house by 6:30.  That meant I had to get out before 5:30.  I don't know why, but I was slower on miles 1 and 3, while slightly faster on mile 2.

There are many variables to consider.  The time difference may have factored in.  There were less people out at that time so there weren't as many opportunities to chase--though I did have someone fairly fast to chase for most of mile 2 which is probably why I improved there.  Getting up earlier meant less rest and that probably contributed.  Maybe my last two days were more than I was used to doing.  It could be my lower back was sore from some heavy lifting in a service project on Saturday.  My legs were a bit sore as well--maybe from the 50 mile bike ride on Friday.  I think the biggest problem was not getting my long run in on Saturday.

Date	Mile 1	Mile 2	Mile 3	Total
8/15/12	9:32	9:36	8:24	27:32
8/1/12	9:16	9:42	7:58	26:56
7/18/12	9:20	8:56 *	8:46 *	27:02 *

* Different course with less uphill

I think it was about 5.4.  Apparently I forgot to hit start on my watch since I'm focusing on heart rate right now.  Easy run.

Ran in the afternoon heat.  95 degrees?  It got pretty tough after 3 miles.  I got down to Crestwood pool to get a drink from the water fountain and after that, the uphill started.  

I was trying to keep my heart rate at about 160 bpm.  It was hard to find a pace that would do this.  I ended up playing ping pong with my heart rate.  It was like some sort of stock market game where I controlled what direction the stock price went by running very slowly (up) or walking (down.)  I'd sell at 170 and buy at 150.  I just gave all control over to the heart rate monitor and kept alternating between barely running and walking until I got home.

 I had to start rationing my gatorade with two miles left.  I decided to save the last couple swallows until mile 9 and then press through to mile 10 when I would be home and could drink water.  Had I taken a camelback, I think I could have continued the ping-pong for 10 more miles.  It was easy on my legs, but my heart got a very long and intense workout.  It ended up taking my 2 hours. 

Easy running with 4x10 sec hill sprints.  I did some dynamic stretching after a 2 mile warm-up and before the sprints.  I felt good after the sprints.  I've been focusing on running with my whole body--not just my legs--during these slow runs.  I'm running with better form and keeping my hips engaged throughout my runs.  I think it is helping.  

I weighed in at 199 this morning.  That was after eating about 8 brownies yesterday.  This is the first time I've been under 200 for a while.  I might be able to stay here if I keep my mileage up. I'm planning to get up to at least 40 a week eventually.  I think I might get to the low 190's if I can do that.  Maybe I should keep doing some hot weather training while we still have hot weather.

8 miles.  Tried to stay around 160 bpm.  I thought I was running a little faster than usual for that heart rate.  Ended up averaging about 10 m/m. If that's 2 m/m slower than my race pace, I'm in good shape.  It probably means I ran a little too fast.  

I was planning to do 4.  But Stacie wasn't sure the charge in her Garmin would last and she wanted to do 8 and didn't want to do the normal 8 mile course.  So I ran with her.  We did the Crestwood loop that I did Saturday for 10 miles, but we shaved a couple miles off the end.  It is more difficult than the usual route because it drops more in elevation and then gains it all back more gradually.  It was nice to do this route in the morning and not have to stop and walk over and over again because of the heat.

Did 14 with Stacie.  Hard course.  Did a loop which involved lots of hills.  Ran easy, but was feeling good with a couple miles to go.  Went out fast at the end, but the last hill just about did me in.  Nice weather.  We went early--5:00 in the dark.  

Easy run with 5x10 sec hill sprints.  I also did some dynamic stretching before the sprints: high knees and butt kicks.  

Something like 5 miles at easy pace.  I forgot to hit the start button on the watch again.  Got out a little too late because Josie was awake when I got home from taking Jane to cheer at 5:45.

I was supposed to do my two week 3 mile benchmark today.  I was really excited about it because I had put in two solid weeks of training since my last somewhat disappointing benchmark.  But I was really sick.  Bummer.

Missed a bunch of miles this week because I was sick.  That stinks.  Was thinking about doing 16 miles because I did 14 last week and I thought of a crazy route that I'm excited to try.  But I didn't have any gel and it was later in the morning with the sun out and I'm recovering from being sick so I cut it and just widened my 10 mile loop from a couple of weeks ago.  

It was cooler this time so I didn't have to walk as much--which was nice.  But running up the hill on Creek Road to Wasatch was killer in the sun.  I really need to do flatter stuff when running in the sun and do these crazy hills early in the morning.  It is amazing what hills do to your heart rate.  It is amazing what heat does to your heart rated.  Hills + heat pretty much blow it through the roof. 

Easy 5 miles with 6 x 10 sec hill sprints.

Easy five miler.  I got out a little late, but at least I wasn't running past Albion Middle School while everyone was dropping their kids off this morning like I was a week ago.  However, I was running down Newcastle as they were on their way up.  Ingested lots of exhaust.

Somewhere near the end of my 5th mile, I noticed that I was feeling great.  Nothing hurt.  I felt like I could just keep going at that pace forever and feel fine.  The temperature was just about perfect as the sun had not quite risen over the mountains yet.  I almost turned around and did it again, but I have my benchmark tomorrow and this job where I have to show up occasionally. Maybe it was a carbon monoxide high.

3 Mile Benchmark.

I added about half a mile of warm-up with some dynamic stretching.  I wasn't sure how I'd do, since I missed a little last week from being sick.  I felt like I was running faster--I knew I was running hard, but wasn't sure how fast.  It's too dark to read my watch and see my pace--especially when trying to run fast.  I just figured I'd run as hard as I could and just see what that is when I was done.  I made significant improvement on every split.

Date	Mile 1	Mile 2	Mile 3	Total
9/5/12	8:50	9:04	7:50	25:44
8/15/12	9:32	9:36	8:24	27:32
8/1/12	9:16	9:42	7:58	26:56
7/18/12	9:20	8:56 *	8:46 *	27:02 *

 * Different course with less uphill

Usual eight mile route at recovery pace, which is between 10 and 11 min/mile, but more about 150 pbm.

Ran 6.  Have been reading about running form and decided to work of stride turnover rate.  Was counting strides per 30 seconds just to get a feel of where I was at.  It was probably about 120.  Ideal is supposed to be 180.  So, I tried getting up there.  What I read suggested increasing stride rate without increasing pace.  I felt like I was just shuffling along like an old man with no range of motion on amphetamines.

2 mile warm up.  

Dynamic stretching:

• High knees
• Butt kicks 

7x10 sec hill sprints.  Still working on stride rate.  10 seconds should be 30 strides, so I tried to count 15 left foot strikes while I was sprinting.  It was awkward, but by the third set, I started getting it.  I was pretty close.

~2 mile cool down.  Still trying to do 180 strides per minute. 

Timex 

Ran with a metronome on my phone set to 180 to see how close I was to the ideal stride rate.  I struggled to keep it up for very long.  I was listening to music and the metronome at the same time and was not able to stay at 180.  I thought maybe the music at a different tempo was confusing me, so I turned it off and kept the metronome going.  I just couldn't physically maintain that cadence.

It is going to take some practice to get there.  This isn't surprising, but I am wondering what the best approach is.  Do I set the metronome to what I can do and do that for a while and gradually work my way up?  Do I keep it at 180 and just keep striving for the ideal?  Do I ditch the metronome and just check in with the pace every once in a while?  I don't know.  But now is the time to work on this while I'm not really training for anything specific. 

I've mainly been running loops then end with me coming down Newcastle.  Lately, most of my loops have been going out to the north.  Today I went out to the south like I used to do.  It was nice change. 

Timex 

Ditched the metronome and just tried running at what I think 180 is.  I've noticed that I'm running at a faster pace for the same amount of effort.  I've also noticed that it is difficult to maintain the high cadence after a few miles and on sustained uphills.  I have to focus to maintain a high cadence.  If my mind wanders, my turnover rate drops.  I wonder how long I have to run like this before this just feels natural.

It was cold this morning.  I should have worn gloves.  Almost cold enough for long sleeves.  It was cool to see the moon over the mountains and under Venus with just the faintest glimpse of sunlight.  Is that Venus? It's too bright to by anything else.

Timex 

Ran a little easier this morning.  Still had a faster turnover rate, but lower than what I've been doing the last couple of days.  It was just too hard to go that fast this morning.  It is going to take some time to build up to this.

Timex 

Hill sprint day.  2 mile warm-up.  Dynamic stretching 8x10 second hill sprints.  2-3 mile cool-down.

 Missed Saturday.  My shins were really tight.  I haven't been stretching daily.  I also stopped wearing my calf sleeves because they are stretched out and I wondered if they were even helping anymore.  I suppose they were doing some good.  I think the biggest problem is that the slow pace with high turnover rate really worked my calves more than normal.  I think I need to ease into the higher cadence.  At any rate, I put the sleeves back on today and am wearing them post run for recovery.  I'm not expecting big things for my benchmark on Wednesday.

 Now that I've worked my way up to 8 hill sprints, I think I'll start doing 400m intervals on Mondays and see what that does.  My plan is to start with 5 and work my way up. 

I'm struggling to get to my goal of at least 40 miles a week for various reasons.  I will try to hit 37 this week and get to 40 the week after that.  I am down to 197 lbs and my pants are starting to fit, or rather, not fit, like they did a year ago when I was ready to run St. George.  I also have noticeably less body fat.  I still have a way to go, though.  I'd like to get down to 180, but have a hard time envisioning that.  I should give running 40 miles a week for 6 months a try and see what happens.  If I do that from here on out, I should be able to hit 1,000 miles for this year.

Timex 

I hurt my ankle yesterday.  It usually hurts in some way or another.  I've sprained it a few times in the past and there is a migrating sort of stiffness that comes and goes as I run.  Last year, it was there while I was running on the treadmill in the winter.  Then, one day, as I was running, there was a loud pop and the pain was gone.  It didn't bother me much during marathon training, but after I tapered, and spent less time on it, it was back again when I ran the marathon.

It really hadn't been bothering me much since I started up again this year.  But it has been getting more intense lately.  Yesterday it suddenly felt different when I started my 7th hill sprint.  There was a more intense pain on the side of my heel on the side of my leg that is inside.  Is that medial? It was like a bruise.  It made it impossible for my foot to pronate normally.   I ran through it--hoping for another big pop to bring it back to tolerable.

Today it was still there.  I almost stopped after about 100 yards, but decided to see if it got better after a mile or so.  It did get less painful, but there was a warm sensation there as I continued to go.  I'm not sure I'll be able to do my benchmark tomorrow. 

Timex 

I decided to do my warm-up for the benchmark and see where I was.  After a mile, I decided I needed to rest my ankle and get better so I stopped. 

I'll try biking for the rest of the week and try running again next week. I just can't quite get to 40, can I?

18 miles on my bike.  It was fun, but I have to pick a different route to get the same kind of effort as I get running.  There was too much downhill at first.

Timex 

Mountain biking at Big Water to the Wasatch Crest.  I hadn't been up there this year.  It was great, but I need new brake pads.  The ride down was more thrilling than I'd like.  I did make some pretty cool technical moves at high speed down some steep passages with blown-out front shocks.  It is good to be able to pull that off, but not necessarily the kind of thrill I'm seeking anymore.  I really need a new bike.

 I was able to do the first switchback on lower Big Water up to where it meets the trail in 3rd gear.  I made it most of the way to the first bridge in 3rd and sometimes 2nd gear.  I didn't use 1st gear until the switchback after the first mile.  I've never done that before.  In fact, I used to stop and rest at that switchback.  It is nice to be where I can rest in 1st gear while still climbing. 

 Didn't see any moose but I did see a pair of deer. 

Timex 

My ankle has still been a problem and I caught a cold, so I didn't do anything this week.  I was trying to get out yesterday, but it is really hard to start running again after stopping--especially when it is so dark in the morning.  I finally got out today.  My ankle was stiff, but the pain was not as intense.  It was difficult to run 4 miles, though.  I'm hopeful my ankle will still be OK Monday.

I left my gps watch on my bike.  When I got it from my bike, I noticed the front break cable was detached.  I had switched from my road tires to my mountain tires for the ride last week.  I noticed that my front wheel was on backwards as I was riding up the trail.  At the top, I flipped the wheel around.  I may have forgotten to reattach the break cable.  That may have been my problem with my breaks on the way down, but it seems odd because I was getting some resistance on my front break handle.  I think I may have been getting some contact on the rim from one pad while the other was disengaged. 

Timex 

It doesn't take long to lose cardio fitness.  I just tried to run easy and see how my ankle felt.  I naturally went out with a faster cadence than what was usual, but not quite 180.  There was still discomfort in the ankle, but not in the same location and not so that my foot strike was altered.  My heart rate was pretty high the whole time.  It really started to take off on the 4th mile.

 I am just going to try running 6 miles a day for a couple of weeks and then see where I'm at. 

Timex 

Did 6 miles on my favorite route.  I haven't run this one in a long time.  The ankle was there, but not in the way, if that makes sense.  It isn't having an impact on my foot movement.  It does tend to hurt a little more throughout the day after the run.  I'm still looking for that big pop that will fix it again.

The faster cadence just feels natural now.  I'm probably at 160 and need to keep working on getting it to 180.  It is tough to run at that cadence and not push the heart rate, though.  At what feels like a minimum effort with this cadence, I'm running a little under 10 min/mile.  With the faster cadence, it is easier to run tall and relax my shoulders.  I still have to think about it, but it is just easier.  I run uphill faster--pretty much the same rate because I'm focused on the turnover.  It does shoot my heart rate up there--especially after the little break. 

Timex 

Ran a little slower this morning.  My legs are a little sore.  I also have this weird pinch that goes from my right hamstring up to the middle of my gluteus maximus.

Did the reverse buffalo route. 

Timex 

Did the 8-mile open-toed boot route at night.   

Timex 

Ran my north 8-mile loop backwards.  It is actually more fun this way because most of the way is downhill.  The problem is the uphill at the end.  I killed the hill from Creek Rd up to Macey's, but I think I won the battle and then lost the war.  It was all good up until there, though.  The last two miles after that hill were quite a slower..

 The good news is my ankle wasn't a problem.  The bruise-like pain on the side of my heel was there for a mile or two, but not that intense.  The stiffness and popping and cracking were all gone, though.  I'm not saying it was all better because this stuff just comes and goes.  It was nice having a day where it went. 

Timex 

4 miles on the treadmill with a .25 mile cool-down walk.  I just set it to 6 with a metronome set to 180 and worked on cadence.  I think the treadmill might be the key to getting my turnover up to speed.

I gave blood on Wednesday.  I wasn't going to do it, but it was an eagle project for one of my varsity scouts and he needed as many donors as he could get.  I didn't do a double red donation like last time, so I should be able to recover more quickly.  I figure this should help my fitness level eventually.  Shouldn't my muscles be sending more signals that they need more oxygen which, in turn, with continued consistent training, should result in building a more efficient delivery system by the time my red cell count is back to normal? 

Anyway, I was a bit slow today, but not much.  It certainly wasn't the full 1 minute per mile slower that I experienced last time.  I did have a higher heart rate and it was difficult to keep the tempo up after only two miles.

I ran a different route this time.  It was an old route with a little variation in the middle and end to stretch it out a little past 8 miles.  It included a drop at first, followed by a long steady climb and then finishing slightly downhill for the last two miles. 

Ankle was a little wonky today.  I also still have that long, straight pinch in my hamstring and butt. I think I did it stretching, but not sure.  It feels better to stretch it and it doesn't bother me much as I run, but it hurts the rest of the day and makes it difficult to get up out of a car.   Could it be high hamstring tendinopathy?

A car drove towards me and then swerved away at the last second.  I was just about to try to jump out the way while thinking I wouldn't make it.  This seems to happen every six months or so.  Last time it was some girl in a BMW suv who was laughing, though she didn't get mearly as close as this car did.  I didn't see the driver this time.  I don't know if it was intentional or if the driver was texting or dialing and then looked up just in time.  Really scary.  Is this criminal activity?  Isn't it the same thing as jokingly pointing a gun at someone?

Speaking of scary, this is the ad that is showing on my blog entry page right now:

 Timex

Very beautiful morning for a run.  The sun was out.  The leaves were colorful.  There were low cloud ribbons hugging the mountains.  And I was plodding along with a sore ankle, a sore hamstring/butt, and not enough red blood cells.  I had planned to do 10, but I didn't have enough time--which was probably better anyway given my current state.  There was still water at Buttercup park.  I don't know how much longer that will be so.  It is already off at Crestwood.

Timex 

Ankle was a little stiff during the run, but not painful.  I felt really good running this morning.  I'm still slow because of the blood donation, but at about 5 miles I was feeling like I could just keep it up forever.  I should be in the lower 9's but am just under 10m/m.  Heart rate is also high.

Need to get out a bit earlier on this route.  I was running down Newcastle as the Albion Middle School carpool caravan was at its peak moving the other way.  I was running slightly downhill yet felt a little like I was swimming upstream. 

Timex 

It has been a while since I did my last 3-mile benchmark.  I decided to do it again to see where I am at after the injury and blood donation.  Doesn't look good.

Date	Mile 1	Mile 2	Mile 3	Total
10/17/12 Strava	9:45	10:08	9:00	28:53
9/5/12	8:50	9:24	7:50	25:44
8/15/12	9:32	9:36	8:24	27:32
8/1/12	9:16	9:42	7:58	26:56
7/18/12	9:20	8:56*	8:46*	27:02*

 * Different course with less uphill 

Two days off helped the ankle.  I ran without issues, but I know they will be there after running.  I changed courses mid-route.  I decided to hit the trail above Albion out to Wasatch.  I ran to the top of Wasatch and then down to Buttercup Park.  There was no water at the house next to Paul Milsap's or at the park in Granite.  Doh!  Thankfully, the water is still on at Buttercup.  I probably need to take my own water from now on.  

 I felt fine going 10. The trail added some stress to my ankle that I hope is the kind of thing that will strengthen it in the long run.  It was a good run even though I'm still a little slow right now.

GPS Data 

I've decided to run a little less daily miles more frequently and start doing longer runs on the weekend.  Today I did six while trying to push my cadence with a lower effort level.  That means shorter strides more often.  It is difficult and takes all my concentration.  I can't really keep it up for six miles yet, but I'm trying.

My ankle was not really sore, but it was there (stiffness and popping) and the hamstring is getting better, but not completely.  I don't notice it much while running, especially after warming up. What kills it is sitting in the car for 30 minutes or so driving to work.  Getting out of the car is difficult.  The increased turnover rate is creating tightness in my shins, but I have been neglecting my stretching.  That should help the tight shins and help the hamstring. 

GPS Data 

It was raining a little.  I did the 6 mile Buffalo.  Focused on turnover rate.  It is going to take a lot of time to get that down.

GPS data (before the battery died) 

6 miles on the treadmill.

I wanted to try this route.  It was kind of a mash-up of a couple of routes I run.  I did the country club route which is a wide loop starting to the south and then up Falcon to Albion, down past Willow Creek Country Club and down Creek Road to Crestwood and then up to 13th by Macey's and home.  Only, instead of going home, I jumped onto the buffalo route at Forbush for another steady climb back up to Albion and then down to home.

I didn't get out in the morning because it was cold and I was tired and with a busy day, I ended up not getting out until just before sundown.  After a couple of days off, I could tell my ankle and hamstring were helped by the rest, but this run is going to undo all that, I can tell. 

I need to work on more frequent shorter runs.  It is getting too easy to miss a day here and there.  It all starts with going to bed on time. 

Timex

After my personal half marathon Saturday night, I woke up Sunday morning with a sore lower back.  I don't think it is caused by running--it is more about weak abs and sleeping.  I iced it for a while and that helped a little.  As it started getting a little numb, I started feeling my hamstring so I iced that as well--which really helped it.  I really had trouble moving around all day.  I pushed Cami around in a stroller (she broke her foot Friday) while trying to chase Josie around the neighborhood and I just couldn't go very fast at all.

I slept better last night--tried to stay in fetal position as long as possible.  The back wasn't as bad, but it was still difficult to get out of bed.  I decided to try running an see how bad it would be.  No problem at all while running.  I still had some stiffness from Saturday.  My right IT band was tight.  My shins were fine, though, and I didn't even feel my hamstring until the latter part of mile 4 and even then, it was only slight.

After the run, the back was stiff again.  It is crazy.  I felt almost great running.  I mean, after four miles, I feel like I can just go forever.  Then, after it is done, I can barely walk.  I probably need an ice bath.

Strava 

Timex 

Just ran easy.  I noticed that I was coming down too hard on my feet if I relaxed too much.  I tried to focus on being light on my feet whenever I noticed I was stomping.

Strava

Training Peaks 

3 Mile Benchmark

Felt stronger today.  I think I'm recovering from the blood donation, but not all the way back yet.  Endurance is an issue.  I was running out of gas towards the end of the third fast mile. I think I had a stronger 2nd mile compared to the rest--which is unusual because it is the most difficult.  It helped that I figured out the half-way point which helped me focus on intermediate goals since I just don't have as many rabbits out there to chase on these cold dark mornings.

Date	Mile 1	Mile 2	Mile 3	Total
10/31/12	9:28	9:30	8:28	27:26
10/17/12	9:45	10:08	9:00	28:52
9/5/12	8:50	9:24	7:50	26:04
8/15/12	9:32	9:36	8:24	27:32
8/1/12	9:16	9:42	7:58	26:56
7/18/12	9:20	8:56*	8:46*	27:02*

* Different course with less uphill  

Strava 

Slow.  Recovery run on the 6 mile buffalo route which isn't really a recovery route, but then, none of my 6 mile loops are.  I suppose I could do 6 laps on the Cameo Park mile loop, but that is boring unless I'm seeing how fast I can make it around and that isn't recovery either.

I've been trying this app/online community called strava.  What I like is that after you log a run, you can take any part of it and record it as a segment.  Then you get a list of all the people who have run that segment using strava and their times and where you rank on the list.  It is a cool way to keep track of how you do on noteworthy segments, such as a brutal hill climb, that you run often.  Workouts can be logged through an app or from Garmin.  Unfortunately, I don't have a Garmin so I am recording my runs on my Timex and my phone right now. 

Strava

Training Peaks 

Quite a bit colder this morning.  I was slow getting going, but once I warmed up it was pretty good.  I ran my 6 mile route with the nice long downhill.  That usually gets me running well.  I hit the right cadence going down the hill and then kept it up on the next mile.  It all seemed to click and just felt right at that tempo.  I felt great.  Running down that hill just does that for me. 

Strava

Training Peaks 

Finally got to 40 for a week.  No going back now.  It was nice to run in the afternoon sunshine. I don't know how many days like this we have left this year.  I had a hard time with the cadence this time.  I just tried to run easy.  I thought I was going a bit slower than I really was.  This was a pretty good run.

I signed up for the Utah Valley Marathon in June.

Strava 

Training Peaks 

4 x 400m intervals.  I was hoping for just under two minutes--which was where I was at the last time I did this a few years ago.  After 3 or 4 weekly workouts doing laps in the 1:50's with a rest lap between, I ran a 5K in just under 24 minutes.  Here were my times today with a 2-minute rest interval:

 1:33; 133; 1:44; 1:44

 I guess I should make the rest interval the same as the lap time, but I was a little shocked at the times because I doubt I could run a 24 minute 5K today.  I did focus on fast turnover.  I think that made a real difference.  We'll have to see how this effects my next benchmark--which I plan to do four weeks from the one I did last Wednesday.

 My plan is to alternate 400m repeats with 800m repeats for a while.  Next week I'll do 2x800 then 5x400, then 3x800, then 7x400, then 4x800 etc and work my way up to 10x800. 

While configuring my watch to show heart rate and lap time on one screen, I discovered why my runs had been labeled as walking on Training Peaks.  I thought the training software was just mocking my slow speed--which I kind of liked.  It turns out it was a screen setting on the watch and my heart rate screen had been set to WALK.  I've been sitting on the heart rate screen mostly because I already know distance on most of my routes and I usually have a pretty good idea of pace.  I'm also starting to get a good feel of heart rate.  I mostly just wear the watch to record it all.

Strava 

Slow recovery run.  It is difficult to run with a high turnover rate and low amount of effort.

Strava 

Ran 8 this morning.  I left the music home.  I thought it would be easier to focus on turnover rate but I found my mind wandering more and focus difficult.

Strava 

Just enjoying the relatively warm dry mornings while we still have them.  6 miles on the nice downhill loop.  Shins are tight from Monday-I need to stretch.  It was kind of hard this morning so I was a bit slow. 

Strava

Almost didn't run this morning.  The fact that I did is somewhat of a victory.  I fell asleep after stretching while icing my hamstring on the couch.  Then I woke up early in the morning and had trouble getting back to sleep so I was tired.  I was thinking about trying to sleep as long as I could and running on the treadmill tonight.  But that plan never seems to work so I got myself on the treadmill and did 6 with a quarter mile cool down.

I hope the roads are clear tomorrow.  I need to do 8-10 and I don't know if I can handle doing that much on the treadmill. 

Missed Saturday's long run.  I was planning to do 8-10, but I left it for the afternoon and I was home watching Josie all day so it didn't happen.  I did shovel two driveways full of heavy snow, though and the break helped my hamstring pull.

2 x .5 mile repeats on the treadmill. With 3 miles of warm-up/cool-down and some sub 9mm filler to get to 6.25.  It is hard to know how fast to go on the treadmill.  Experience has taught me that I can set it faster than I would run on my own and let it pull me along.  Experience has also taught me that that is a good way to get new injuries.  I did my first 1/2 mile at 7.5 (8mm).  It was too easy.  I did my second one at 7.8.  It was about right, but I think I could do 8.  I was significantly faster on my 1/4 mile splits last week.

Now that the snow has fallen, it might be time to get out my mph/mpm conversion charts since I'll probably be spending more time on the treadmill. 

6 miles on the treadmill at recovery pace (6) with a .25 mile cool-down.  Shins were sore even after stretching last night and icing the hamstring.  The ankle has been better.  It was a little stiff today, but it is in a more comfortable phase.

8 miles on the treadmill.  I warmed up at 6 for a mile and then sped up to 6.5 and monitored my heart rate.  My goal was to stay around 160.  I was in the mid 150's for a while and was considering bumping up the speed.  After about 4 miles, the heart rate moved up into the low 160's so I kept it there until the end.  I wonder if the heat inside boosts my HR a bit.  1/4 mile cool-down.

Watched a couple episodes from season 3 of Arrested Development.  The whole godzilla thing had me laughing pretty hard.

I have 40 running days left this year.  I have to average 6.27 miles per day to get to 1,000. 

More Arrested Development on the treadmill.  Today I watched the one where they found out they were getting cancelled.

Ran outside this morning.  It was nice to get outside.  My shins are very tight.  Maybe I am over doing it a little bit.

I have 10 more miles planned for tomorrow and this is already my 3rd highest mileage week for the year.  Tomorrow it will be #1.  November is also currently my fourth highest month and we're only half way through.  Tomorrow it will be #3.

239 miles to go for 1,000. 

It was hard to run today.  My shins are starting to hurt.  I'm going to have to pull back a bit.  I'm going to stop doing the speed work on Mondays for now and ease up on the weekly mileage a bit and see if that helps.  I will also do more calf stretching.  Maybe after a couple of months of doing 40 mile weeks I can start working on the VO2 again.  I just want to get past the 9mm so bad.  I need to be patient.

Strava 

This morning was one of those times when it was difficult to get out.  I was a little worried about my shins and wondering if yesterday's rest was enough recovery.  I decided to do my easier 6 mile loop and just run easy.  Once I got out, I felt pretty good.  I tried to pick up the cadence and started feeling tightness in my shins after a mile.  I tried to keep it up, but when I wasn't concentrating on it, I'd fall off.  Still not as difficult as Saturday was, so the rest did do some good.  I'm just going to stick to 1 10K per day this week and maybe longer on Saturday if I feel like it.

It is time to retire my launches.  I knew I was pushing it with them because they have very high mileage on them for trainers.  Today I could feel that they were dead.  I'm looking forward to getting some pure connects to replace them.

222 miles to go. 

Strava 

I overdid it last week.  My shins were very sore the past two days so I rested.  It puts my 1,000 miles for the year in jeopardy, but I can still make it.  I certainly would not have made it if I kept going with that kind of pain.

I did 6.4 today in the sunshine.  My shins were a little tight at first, but after three miles they loosened up.  I think it had to do with running downhill.  All the uphill I do really works my calves and then they take it out on my shins.

Strava 

Another 10K in the sun.  It takes me a while to warm up, but when I do, I feel pretty good.  I think the two rest days were good.  Now I'm going to take it easy for the rest of the year.  I'll mostly do 6 mile easy runs most days while going a little longer on Saturdays.

Strava 

Bad week last week.  It was good to get some rest to recover from going overboard the previous week.  I meant to get out Saturday, but unexpectedly ended up helping someone move and had too much work to do outside the house before the sun went down to get out.  I'm not sure when I'll learn that if I don't get out early, I just don't get out, but I think the rest was good.  I had no trouble at all with my shins this morning, so it was probably the right thing to do.  It just puts my 1,000 year in jeopardy.

Nice run this morning in the frozen air.  I did the 6 mile buffalo, which has two strava segments on it that I own and set new PRs on.  It was nice and I was able to run a bit faster than usual and keep up the cadence. 

I also picked up a replacement for my dead launches.  I got some Pure Flows, which are going to be a Christmas present, but I think I'll have to break them in before then.  I tried Pure Connects, but they have a super narrow arch.  It felt like there was a big rock across the mid-sole.  It forced me to land on the fronts of my feet.  I wondered if I could get used to it, but decided to try the Flows and they were much better.  They are so light, it is like they are not even there.

203 miles to go.  I can still make it.  Can I make it with my shins intact? 

Easy run today.  Passed 800 miles for the year.   Less than 200 to go.

Strava 

3 Mile Benchmark

Well,  it had been four weeks since my last benchmark and at that point, I was planning to do some speed work and see some significant gains.  However, that was too ambitious and I with the time off last week to recover, I wasn't sure what to expect.  I figured I'd show improvement and was hoping for 25 minutes.  I got close to my September numbers which were before the blood donation.  I think I've recovered from that now.  I did record my fastest second mile--which is the most difficult of the three.  Overall, I'm happy with the progress.  I can get to 25 minutes by cutting 23 seconds from each mile.

Date	Mile 1	Mile 2	Mile 3	Total
11/28/12	8:58	9:14	7:55	26:07
10/31/12	9:28	9:30	8:28	27:26
10/17/12	9:45	10:08	9:00	28:53
9/5/12	8:50	9:24	7:50	26:04
8/15/12	9:32	9:36	8:24	27:32
8/1/12	9:16	9:42	7:58	26:56
7/18/12	9:20	8:56*	8:46*	27:02*

 * Different course with less uphill

There is this trend in my neighborhood for people to replace their normal exterior light bulbs for red and green ones.  These large bulbs give softer light than the strands of smaller Christmas lights that run the length of rooftops or wrap around tree branches.  The green lights kind of look Grinchy and the red lights suggest something altogether different.  I don't find the look festive at all in the dark morning just before sunrise.  It actually looks kind of creepy. 

Strava 

Recovery run.  Tried to keep my heart rate around 150.  It was a little warmer this morning.  My plan was to try my new shoes on the treadmill, but Stacie grabbed the treadmill before I got up and ready, so I ran outside again in my stinky clothes.  Maybe I'll get a chance tomorrow.

 As of yesterday, November became my top mileage month of the year, just passing October.  I'm looking to top that in December. 

Strava 

Well, I'm not going to hit 1,000 miles this year.  I've decided I need to rest to let my hamstring recover.  It is just getting worse.  I think I have high hamstring tendinopathy.  I only base that on what I've read on the internet, but everything about it is almost exactly how people describe it.  It was just there one day.  Not while I was running, but a while after.  It felt like there was this thin metal rod in the back of my leg all the way up from somewhere above the knee to deep inside the middle of the right half of my butt--right where the hamstrings attach to the pelvis.  Over time, the pain left my leg and just settled  where the hamstrings attach.  It feels like a very hard pinch.

I've been looking for any information I can find about it.  I wondered if I did it running or stretching--I thought stretching, but something I read said that it only occurs in runners, so I guess it was the running.  I don't remember when it started.  It has been a couple of months.  I can run with it and it hasn't been bothering me after warming up until lately.  I tried stretching it because I thought it would help and that only aggravated it. Later I read that stretching is bad for it.

What is good for it is not running and strengthening the glutes and abs.  So I am going to take some time and strengthen my glutes, abs, and shins (might as well try to solve that problem, too.)  I will also try to work on upper body strength, because, while my legs are probably as strong and tight as they have ever been, my upper body is way too soft.  I don't know how long it will take, but I think the pain should go away after a few days of not running.  But that won't be time to start again.  I'm sure it will come back if I run too soon.  So I will give it 2-4 weeks.  In the mean time, I need a way to maintain cardio.  I've read that biking is fine, but this isn't exactly the time of year for it--not when I have to work during all the daylight hours.  I've got to do something, though.  I want to build on where I am and not lose it. 

13.74 miles of mountain biking.

The weather was so nice today.  I had to get out on my bike since I can't run.  I don't think I've gone mountain biking in December before.  At least, not on trails.  I rode a big loop that I have never done before because some of it was on some pretty new trails.  I rode up Oak Hollow from the Draper pool to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.  I left the BST to ride Ann's trail--which I rode once from the other direction.  I took that all the way over to Corner Canyon Road--which I attempted to ride down to ghost falls, but upper CC road is made of clay that gathers like a snowball on your tires when it is damp.  Pretty soon, I had so much caked on that my wheels stopped turning.  I had to turn around an walk back up the road and take the Rush trail down.  Then I took the Shoreline Trail back over along Mike Weir drive and then descended on Spring Hollow and took Vestry Road back to the pool.

I made it all the way up and around without stopping to catch my breath.  I stopped a couple of times from technical mistakes or to let oncoming riders pass, but I never stopped from fatigue.  That has never happened before.  And that is exactly why I can't afford to stop cardio training.  That will go very fast and I don't want to lose that.  I guess I need to ride stationary bikes at a gym or do a rowing machine if that doesn't put too much stress on my hamstring. 

It was a tough ride and I feel a little beat up, but it was great to get on the bike again.  Lots of fun. 

Training Peaks 

Finally got around to joining a gym where I can start doing strength training that I need.

Tonight I did an hour on a bike in the cardio cinema while watching Tommy Boy.  It is dark in there, so I couldn't figure out all the controls, but I tried to get my HR into the low 150's while maintaining a cadence of 90.  I did that for an hour.  I think it ended up being something like 17 miles or something.  My biking legs make it impossible for me to get the same kind of workout I can get running, but I need more lower HR workouts anyway. 

Another hour on the bike in the cardio cinema.  The movie tonight was The Nutty Professor.  I guess they like to show fat movies in there.

It used to be that my hamstring problem would go completely away on days I didn't run.  It wasn't going away this week.  It might be because I played a little basketball Tuesday night, but tried not to run too much.  It was pretty sore yesterday.  Not so sore today.  I think I just need to avoid running at all costs.  It also helps to avoid sitting.  Not sure how to do that yet.

Weighed in at 191 this morning. 

Another hour on a stationary bike.  Half-way through, I pushed the effort level up to 14 which got my heart rate just under 160 and into the low 160's.  Ended up with just under 20 miles.

 Hamstring is still a problem, but getting better. 

Another hour on the stationary bike.  I pushed the effort level up to 14 after a 10 minute warm-up.  I then broke it up by alternating between forward and upright positions for 10 minute and then 5 minute segments.  When I got home, my hamstrings had almost seized up, so I did my stretching routine.

I'm not currently feeling the tendonopathy.   That could change after I drive to work tomorrow. We'll see.

1 hr on stationary bike.

Lower body workout.

 Leg presses, fast squats, hamstring curls, leg lifts, lateral steps with a long rubber band, step overs, exercise ball crunches, 30 min plank. 

Really sore from yesterday.  Still did 1 hr on stationary bike.

1 hr on stationary bike.  Went a little faster.  Almost got 20 miles in 1 hour.

1 hr on stationary bike.  Tried to keep HR between 140 and 150.

Upper body workout.

Lower body workout.

 30 min on stationary bike.

Hamstring is getting better.  I still feel it a bit after driving, though.  I'm not sure how long to give it after it goes completely away before I start running again.  I think I'll also need to ease my way into running while still doing a lot of cardio on the bike.  I am missing too many days, though.  I need to make sure to get back on track next week.