run, run, run

Once again I stayed up late, ate like crap for several straight weeks and then tried to run a 5k on New Year's morning. And each year I get a bit slower.

It is a fun race though. Hang out in the RAM till just before race time. Run fast. Go back inside the RAM to eat some really good soup, get warm and watch some football.

I have a really good excuse this time. The course was really slick in a few places and had a big puddle to run through at one point. But, that's not why I ran slower than last year. I'm just out of shape right now. Good motivation to go on a diet in January.

Boise, ID Noon

Pace: 8:27

A nice Saturday run. Just because I know I'll have to take a couple of days off this week. Felt good, weather was nice.

Pittsburgh, PA 5:30 pm

Pace: 8:45

Cold and snowy. Pittsburgh is a fun place to run. In just six miles I crossed five bridges and ran through downtown, along the three rivers and by two stadiums. Hard to keep a fast pace because it was either crowded streets or snow and ice. But it was fun.

Pittsburgh, PA 8:00 pm

Pace: 9:39

I wasn't going to run today. I haven't been sleeping well and was really tired all day today. But then I finished the work I needed to do and ran anyway. I went short and slow tonight. I even stopped off at a store and picked up some food and a Gatorade. I'm still thinking about running in the morning. It all depends how I sleep tonight.

Pittsburgh, PA 6:00 pm

Pace: 9:24

Even snowier today. I ran on the path along the North Shore and on Herrs Island before crossing the 31st Street Bridge and then down Penn Ave into downtown, around the convention center and back across the Clemente Bridge to the hotel. Early on in the run I saw this lady on what looked like a cross between one of those carts that old/disabled people ride in Walmart and a John Deere Gator. It had knobby tires and cruised along in the snow pretty well. But the reason I mention it is that she had two big dogs. One was a German Shepherd that was running loose and barking alot. It frightened me a bit, so I moved over on to the street that runs parallel to the path. When she passed me by she kept yelling "he won't hurtcha, he won't hurtcha" so I said "Thank You" and she kept yelling "he won't hurtcha." Then she turned around and headed back the way we came and said "bye bye." I said bye bye back and kept on running.

Meridian, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:50

No Randy today. He emailed this morning, said his family is all sick. Good to get back on solid ground after all of the snow in Pittsburgh. I had to take a long weekend off when I didn't run on Friday and then my flight was cancelled, so I flew back on Saturday.

Boise, ID 6:20 am

Pace: 9:05

I was feeling proud of myself for staying on my feet all winter so far. But then this morning I went down on dry pavement. I don't know what I tripped over, but I scraped up my hands and my knee a bit. I was having trouble seeing because of a car's headllights coming at me and the next thing I know I'm on the ground. So don't be surprised to hear on Coast To Coast radio tonight a caller from Idaho saying that "I saw this feller wearing an orange shirt and reflecters on his arms running at me in the dark. Then all of the sudden, poof, he just disappeared."

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:25

Rainy with temps in the high 30s. One of those days where you are either too hot or too cold. Zip up the jacket, unzip the jacket, zip it back up.

Today's run was kind of pathetic. I'm in lousy shape right now and Randy hasn't run in weeks, so we were both just trying to slog on through it.

Meridian, ID 6:00 am

Pace: 8:37

Felt better today. Kind of cold.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:25

Kind of cold this morning. Good run. Legs were kind of tired by the end, but I'm feeling a bit stronger.

Boise, ID 11:30 am

Pace: 7:57

I went out for five miles just to get my weekly total up to 40. When I got out there I figured if I'm only going five, I might as well keep the pace under 8 per minute.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:23

Good thing I ran with Randy this morning, because if I was alone, I'd've been running really slow.

Meridian, ID 6:00 am

Pace: 8:52

 So I'm at the light on Eagle and Ustick. I wait patiently for the light to change. It changes to the white walk guy and I'm about to cross. But at least six cars turn right without even looking. I'm waving my arms doing what I can because it is a really long light and I don't want to wait twice. Finally all of those very rude drivers finish their turns and I can cross the street.

 Other than that, the run was fine.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:29

Kind of rainy at the start, but it stopped and the weather was pretty good. Around 40 I think.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:48

This run was as uneventful as they come.

Two pairs of new shoes came in the mail today. Gotta keep that closet stocked.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:22

A decent Friday run in the rain. Randy almost ran into a kid on a bicycle. I think it was the same kid I almost ran into on Wednesday.

Boise, ID 10:30 am

Pace: 8:18

Tough weather to stay comfortable in. About a mile and a half into it I got really hot and shed a layer. About a mile and a half after that I was cold and put it back on and never really warmed up the rest of the run.

Felt good through most of the run, but was kind of dragging the rest of the day. It was nice to get a couple of back-to-back 40-mile weeks in January.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:20

About halfway through the run Randy said he was feeling tired. I just kept the same pace because I figure he runs tired faster than I run when I'm fresh.

Spanish Fork, UT 7:15 am

Pace: 8:18

Ran in to work this morning. Good run. Felt strong.

The Springville Stink was pungent this morning. It caught me by surprise. Didn't hit me till I was around the back of the plant.

Spanish Fork, UT 7:15 am

6.05 miles Pace: 8:20

Ran into work again this morning. I was listening to music on my iPod and for some reason one song had the volume setting in iTunes turned all the way up. So it all of the sudden started blasting in my ears. Scared the crap out of me. Damn you Lady GaGa!

Springville, UT Noon

4.68 miles Pace: 8:58

Matt wanted to run at lunch, so I went out again. About two miles out we had to stop for a train. When we started running again I was totallly out of gas. Then I rememberd that besides running six miles this morning, I had consumed one bottle of Gatorade, two cherry Pop Tarts and a can of Diet Mountain Dew. Not enough fuel in the tank for another run. But, with less than a mile left I started feeling a bit better and looked at my watch. Our cumulative pace was at 9:07. I told Matt that if we picked it up we could get it down below nine by the time we got back to the office. So we finished strong just in time for my wife to be returning from lunch with a delicious roast beef sandwich for me. And life was good again.

Spanish Fork, UT 7:30 am

Pace: 8:27

Ran in to work again. Took a litte bit different route. Last day dealing with the Springville stink.