Fly on the Wall

I'm trying to make up for lost sleep and taking the whole day off from everything.  I'll do my run tomorrow.  

Provo River Trail from the canyon mouth to up past Vivian Park in the cool of the late morning.

2 mile warm up, 12 at marathon pace, 1 mile cool down.  At least that's what the plan called for.  I ran up and then down hill so....  The uphill was slow but so was the downhill!  Trying to run fast made my ankle and lower leg stiff and sore which made me slower.  I didn't expect this run to go very well but it fell short of my low expectations.  This report sounds gloomy but I don't feel gloomy.  I'm just reporting how it went down. I've got 6 weeks to get healed and find some speed, then 3 weeks to taper.  Hmmmm. I don't know.

UPHILL

7:59 156 bpm

8:00  164 bpm

7:35  163 bpm

7:26  166 bpm

8:23  163 bpm (steepest uphill then turn around)

DOWNHILL

7:25  161 bpm

6:49 161 bpm

7:04  165 bpm

7:10  163 bpm

7:28  161 bpm

7:03  164 bpm

6:54  170 bpm

JRP.  It was hot. I ran slow.  94 degrees.  9:06 ave pace.  stiff and sore ankle and lower leg.  

JRP.  EZ. 90F.  Not great.  Not bad.

11 EZ on JRP. 11 miles. 8:55 ave pace.  Forgot my HR strap.  >95 degrees.  Ran slow.  Ankle and leg feeling much better but got a blister on one toe of the other foot, go figure.  Overall a good run though.

One stop at the library to wet my singlet and cool off.  A few whispy clouds blocked the sun a few times which made it feel cooler.  This hot weather is about to leave us.

JRP 8.5ish miles (Garmin operator error) with 6x600 intervals @ 5k effort.

92 degrees.  Wind guest >30mph.

Interval pace ranged from 6:15 to 6:33 but it was hot and windy so the pace is probably meaningless.

Out of the frying pan and into the freezer...  It is time to dig out my running tights, beenie, gloves, and thermal top.  Tomorrow I'm going camping in the Uinta Mountains where there is a 60% chance of snow for Friday night/ Saturday morning!  Predicted lows near freezing and highs in the mid 50s.

15 ez up City Creek.  Just slow get it done miles.

As it was just me and my 5 year old son (with his pre-school), I didn't get in a run while camping this weekend.  We did a few short hikes.  Saturday at about lunch time we hiked around Mirror Lake.  It was overcast and windy, and about 44 degrees with a few snow fluries.  Otherwise the weather was fine.  We had a wonderful weekend! 

I forgot my Garmin at home (at least I hope it is at home), which is probably good.  That way I did not know how slow I was going.  Even after 2 days off from running I felt tired and sluggish with slight lower left side pains. One thing, I should have fueled better before I headed out the door.

I hope to make this a big week.  Hopefully all goes well.

6 ez on JRP

JRP. 12 miles w/ 7 miles at 15k to 1/2 Mary effort.

94 "flippin" degrees.  20 "frigin" mph wind.  At least some dumb arse left the sprinklers on at the park!

After warming up, sheesh like I needed to warm up, for 2.5 miles, I soaked myself in some cool sprinklers then picked up the pace-

Downwind.

1-6:59 163bpm.

2-6:58 172bpm.

3-6:59 177bpm.

stopped and cooled off w/ water.

Upwind.

4-7:00 170bpm.

5-7:08 178bpm.

6-7:07 178bpm.

stopped and cooled off in the sprinklers.

Downwind.

7-6:40 175bpm.

AVE - 6:58  173bpm.

Goal pace should have been 6:35 to 6:43 without stopping.  Was 15 seconds off with as hot and windy as it was good enough?

5ez on JRP.  A bit sore, as to be expected.

Tired from not enough sleep.  Last night was the final movie under the stars at the state capitol.  We saw Iron Man.  It was a beautiful night to be out!

Downtown, Memory Grove, 11th Ave., City Creek Canyon, and back home.  A hilly course.  Probably about 70 degrees at the start and low 80s when I finished.

9:11, 145 bpm ave.  I didn't burn it up but I finished strong on the downhill home.

AM- 6 EZ, City Creek.

It was a bit like St. George last year- cold, rainy, and runners everywhere.  50 degrees.

I was a bit sore and stiff but not too bad considering yesterday's run and last night's hike with the family.

PM- 4 EZ, City Creek.

My training plan called for a 6&4 double this week.  I ran or rather nearly shuffled uphill.  Then as I was turning around I saw some guy cruizing down the canyon.  It turned out to be my smokin' fast neighbor.  He eased off a bit and I picked it up a lot and ran out of the canyon with him. It is amazing how you can feel so blah and then find some unexpected motivation and just start moving.  It sure made for a nice end of my run and end of my week.  May you all find some unexpected motivation when you need it!

9 miles w/ 5 x 600 meter intervals at 5k pace (<6:10) with 90 sec recovery.  JRP.  ~75 degrees.

3 mile warmup.

.37 mile, 5:50 pace, 163 bpm.

.39 mile, 5:57 pace, 170 bpm.

.40 mile, 6:03 pace, 170 bpm.

.37 mile, 5:59 pace, 170 bpm.

.38 mile, 6:03 pace, 169 bpm.

cooldown. 

I didn't much feel like getting out the door today but my run went well, not that the intervals weren't painful. 

I would like to run a 10k or so race this weekend but the only local one I can find that is not full says, "Women Only."  Anyone have a jog a bra I can borrow? 

14 on JRP @ 8:38 & 144bpm in 80 degrees.  Feeling a bit sluggish.

6 ez w/ 5 or 6 (I lost track) 100 meter strides.

Ran with a coworker and we ran back with the fast guy.  After a stride he'd be casually striking up a conversation. I wanted to tell him, "give me a second to catch my breath," but I was too winded to talk.  Geeze he looked like he was jogging.... and he had a chest cold.

A.M. Ran to work. Took the scenic route to make it 4 miles. EZ recovery pace.

 Lunch- 5 miles ez on JRP.  low 80s.  

10 miles downtown and up City Creek Road.  Legs felt like logs.... tired.... SLOW...  didn't want to get out of bed.... didn't want to get out the door....  battery went dead on my audio book.... blah, blah, blah...  whine, whine, whine...

7 miles.  Ran down City Creek Canyon road.  Just buckled down and did it.  6:43 ave pace.  167 bpm ave.  Didn't feel great but very do-able.

1.3 miles back home... (see above top)

EZ pace in the heat.

I ran by the capitol to find a great band playing for about a dozen people under the shade of a big tree by the Vietnam war memorial. I stopped and listened on the way back. A random and unexpected treat.

11 miles with 6x1000 meter intervals at 5k pace with 90 sec recovery.  

Goal pace was 6:10 but I was dragging today.

4 mile warmup.   Intervals- 6:05, 6:20, 6:15, 6:11, 6:26, 6:18.  Average 6:16 (I forgot me HR stap at home.)  Cool down.

Out and back on JRP.  9:23 ave pace out.  8:46 ave pace back.  ho hum. ho hum...

A.M. - Ran to work via a "scenic route" for 4.2 miles.  Good thing I took a scenic route because my legs felt like lead for the first 3.5 miles which is a greater distance than the direct route.  ho hum.

LUNCH - 6.1 miles recovery pace.  Legs a bit better than this morning.

Ran in the heat of the late afternoon (low 90s) but I ran up City Creek which is a lot better than out by the Jordan River.

 Ave pace up and down hill - 9:06 @ 139 bpm.  slowest uphill was 11:35.  fastest downhill was 7:22 (but so what?).  Today's run felt much better.

5 recovery. City Creek. Felt sluggish. 

I finished in 1:31:03.  Sasha's race time predictor says 3:04 for St. George.  But this comes at the end of a peak mileage week, 70 miles with speed work.  I wonder if I have a shot at sub 3 at St.George?

I've been reading other race reports and wanting a break from lonely long runs.  But my wife works every other Saturday, leaving our weekends together packed.  Fitting in a race is tough.  However, yesterday I found a sitter for my kids, so I signed up for the Legacy Parkway 1/2.  This race is a fund raiser for the Hess Cancer Foundation.  A cancer survivor and Mr. Hess both gave great heart felt words of encouragement and appreciation.  I felt my race dollars went to a GREAT cause.

This is a nearly flat out and back on the Legacy Parkway.  The weather was a bit warm (~75 w/ 35% humidity at my finish).  8 to 9 mph head winds on the way back. 

1 mile warm up, mainly to get my weekly miles in.  Then sat around waiting for the start.

1  6.56  166 bpm.  Speed is relative but, no fast runners showed up.  I was in 2nd.  Shins tight!

2  6.53  172  Mile 2 or 3 I was passed by the guy who I think went on to win.  Shins achy and tight!

3  6.54  174   About here I was chicked. Stayed with the chick till turn around.  Shins tight!

4  6.56  175  Shins starting to loosen up.

5  7.05  173  About here 2 more runners caught me and the chick.  Pack of 4 in 3rd place.  Shins getting better.

6  7.14  172  Overpass and sharp U turn around.  Lost the chick (she was the woman's winner)

7  7.09  172  3 of us ran astride for a few miles.

8  7.04  174  Finally could tuck in behind to draft a bit.

9  7.09  172  About here we dropped one of the 3 some. I was feeling strong thinking I could surge at mile 10 and maybe take 3rd.

10  7.08  172  Neck and neck, stride for stride two of us ran together.  Waiting to surge, starting to tire.

11  6.58  174  Still neck and neck.  Oscillating from ok, to pretty good, to I want to stop and take a nap.

12  6.57  175  Still neck and neck.  I can't pull away but I can keep up.  Legs beat!

13  6.36  180  Still stride for stride, neck and neck.  I really want to stop and lie down on the side of the road for a nice long nap.  I can see the finish, but I'm now running 5 to 10 seconds off my 5k PR pace in mile 13 of this race and mile 67 for the week.  My legs are tired and I am not enjoying myself.

13.?  180bpm.  With maybe 100 yards to go the bastard ;) next to me takes off like someone lit his shorts on fire.  There is no fire in my shorts and I can't find it in me to kick hard.  I'm kind of glad because now I give up any hope of 3rd and just finish. Course seemed almost .1 short.  1:31:03 (unofficial)

3.2 mile  cool down, 9.45 pace, 149 bpm.

1st in age group. Master's winner.  4th overall.

Left leg a bit sore and overall a bit fatigued.  So, I bagged the planned run (9 w/ intervals) and did 6 ez.  Forgot to start my Garmin til mile 2 but the last 4 miles averaged 8:27 at 140 bpm.  About 80 degrees and it felt humid for around here.

 Last Monday there was police tape on the ground of the JRP trail at 600 North.  I didn't think anything of it.  On today's run my we figured out it was left over from a body that had been pulled out of the river on Saturday (a week ago). I can't find any info on how the guy died or how his body ended up in the river.  Yikes.