run, run, run

Provo, UT 7:00 am

Pace: 8:35

I ran to work this morning. I went a different way than I usually do when I'm in Provo. I went down the river parkway trail a few miles to Geneva Road. Then I went down to 6th South and across to University and along that road that cuts across over the railroad yard to State Street and then down the back way to the office in Springville.

Provo, UT 7:30 am

Pace: 8:35

Provo, UT 7:00 am

Pace: 8:46

I took the same route as Tuesday. It was much warmer today, about 38 but started raining the last 3 miles or so. I stopped at convenience stores to pee twice along the way. Some mornings  are just like that.

I wore three good layers on top, but just went with shorts on the bottom. The only time I got really cold along the way was running over that camel-humpy street that connects East Bay and S. State Street. Being up high and exposed like that, the wind and rain were pretty bad.

Last run in Provo for a while. I'm hoping to get a run in on Saturday morning in Bountiful, then it's off to Coeur D'Alene next week.

Bountiful, UT 9am

Pace: 8:46

I went up to Bountiful Blvd. for a short run before hitting the road for home. A nice brisk morning. I like running on that road. Good hill work.

Cour D'Alene, ID 5:00 pm

Pace: 8:29

My first run up here in northern Idaho. I wanted to run on the path by the lake, but it is a few miles from my hotel, so I did more running to the trail than on it. I think I will drive out there in the morning.

I was talking with a guy I work with about how making your stride longer is a good way to speed up, so I worked on that tonight. I think it worked somewhat. I think if I can get to where my stride is a bit longer and it becomes comfortable and I start running that way without thinking about it, my overall speed will improve.

Coeur D'Alene, ID 7:00am

Pace: 8:35

I didn't get out as early as I had hoped this morning, so I just ran through the neighborhoods. It was a pretty good run, kept it at an easy pace. It was kind of cold, about 18, but not bad at all. I was thinking about how I was in Houston last summer in the sweltering heat. It would be nice to have been able to switch that assignmnet with this one.

The neighborhoods I ran through were pretty quiet, but got a little busier as the morning progressed. The snow is a little cumbersome. It hasn't been falling much, but they have big berms along the side of the road from the accumulation all winter. I keep thinking that if a car came at me I would have to dive on to one of those snow banks, but they are so hard and icy I would probably just slide back down into traffic and die.

I got lost too. Well, I missed a turn and ended up adding about a half-mile to my run. Which I wouldn't have minded except that it started snowing pretty hard during that last half-mile. I don't mind running in the snow if I have a hat or visor on, but with just a stocking cap I get snow in my eyes. I don't like that.

Coeur d'Alene, ID 7:00am

Pace: 8:44

This morning was kind of a fiasco. I planned on going out to the path by the lake and getting a good 10-miler in. So I drove to the parking lot and realized that I didn't have my iPod. I don't care much about the music, but I like to track my pace on the Nike+. More importantly this morning, I wouldn't know how far or how long I had been running and I needed to get to work on time. So, I turned around and went back to the hotel, got my iPod and just ran from the hotel -- a similar route to what I took on Monday.

It was snowing most of the time during the run, but it was the small stuff that doesn't get in your eyes as much.

I passed up a snow plow today. OK, it was one of those 4-wheelers plowing the sidewalk, but I passed it.

Coeur d'Alene, ID 6:00am

Pace: 9:12

It was a rough one this morning. I went up something called French Gulch. It was a very nice loop through the mountains. Hilly, but not too bad. I saw the route on the USATF site. Whoever posted it must have run it in the summer. The road was snowpacked most of the way and on one of the steep downhill stretches, I fell on my ass. I fell kind of hard this time. Now my and my arm are sore.

I also got chased by a mean dog. Turns out it was just a collie and it was locked behind a fence, but I still screamed like a girl and ran away. It was kind of like that scene in The Lion King where the warthog screams "she's gonna eat me!"

I kind of have an overly active fear of dogs since I got bit on the in Harrisburg a year or two ago. Running is hard on my ass.

Coeur d'Alene, ID 6:20am

Pace: 8:46

I got it at about midnight last night, but still got out and ran. I ran along the lake road. It was a good run, but kind of slick.

Coeur d'Alene, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:55

I think my pace was a bit faster than 8:55. On my Nike+ graph it shows a dip at mile 8 down to 17 minutes per mile. I know I didn't slow down there, so it must have lost its signal at that point.

I ran along a lake that I think is called Fernman lake. It should be called Coldman lake because I was cold, man. The lake was frozen over. I threw a baseball sized rock to see if the ice was solid and it just bounced. Then later I saw some people ice fishing. Lots of deer out and about this morning too.

This was my first time doing back-to-back 10-milers in a while. It feels good to know I'm still up for it.

Coeur d'Alene, ID 5:00 pm

Pace: 8:36

I went off to the west of the hotel tonight. It was really nice, a path runs along the lake for several miles. I didn't want to go too far because I'm planning on going out again tomorrow. Five and a half miles was just about right. Felt real good.

Coeur d'Alene, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:59

I went back out Fernan (I found out that it's Fernan, not Fernman) Lake Road. It was a foggy day, but still a nice run aside the frozen lake. Along the way I thought I saw a dog in the road, but it had really big ears, so maybe it was a fox, or a dingo looking for a baby to steal.

 I think my iPod was wiggin' out a bit today. I'm pretty sure I ran faster than 8:59, but having run last night, maybe I didn't.

Coeur d'Alene, ID 6:45am

Pace: 8:56

Wasn't very motivated this morning. Just went out to get my miles up to 40 for the week, so I can take the weekend off guilt-free. I went along the lake on the greenbelt or whatever they call it.

I've seen a lot of deer during my runs here, but this morning there were two deer running along the path. They would run  a ways and then stop, look back at me for a bit and then take off again. I think they were taunting me. Wondering to each other how anything could run so slowly. Stupid deer.

Meridian, ID Noon

Pace: 8:26

I decided it was time to try some speedwork and can I just tell you that it kicked my butt. I went to the undeveloped end of my subdivision and started out with an easy 1/4 mile then a hard 1/4 then easy, then hard and so forth. I set my iPod for a five mile workout, so I would get in 10 hard quarters. I only made it thorough half of them. Then I did another easy two miles to finish up.

I'm going to plan on doing speedwork two days a week. Probably Tuesday and Thursday and use MWF to keep my mileage up.

Meridian, ID 11:30am

Pace: 8:49

The warmest day so far this year. It was 55 when I left, but windy. Going down Ustick to Linder I had the wind in my face. Kind of rough, but coming back down Pine St. it was nice with the wind pushing me along. My glutes were a little sore from the speedwork I did yesterday.

I signed up for the Rock n Roll Seattle Marathon today and also ordered a new pair of shoes. Then I reminded my wife again that running is still cheaper than golf.

Boise, ID 11:45am

Pace: 8:39

It was a nice day today, but I wished I had worn my gloves. But I'm not complaining because next week I'll be back up in the great white north running in the early mornings.

Felt good throughout the run. A little fatigued. Arm and shoulder muscles were sore because I decided to start lifting again the other day. At about 9.5 miles into it I had a chicken race with a street cleaner. It was one of those spots where you just can't get off the road, so I had to go past it much closer than I would have liked. I thought I was going to puke. But I didn't.

Meridian, ID 11:30am

Pace: 8:20

Pretty much duplicated Monday's workout alternating fast and slow miles for the first 2.5 then ran the second half at my usual pace.

Boise, ID 8:30am

Pace: 8:51

Kind of cold this morning. I had to go early and, of course, this was the coldest morning of the week -- about 24 when I left.

Kind of just plodding along to get my miles in this morning. Had a tough week with changing up my workouts and adding some weight lifting. I'm ready to take the weekend off.