run, run, run

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:00

Ended up being a good, solid run. Started out kind of slow. Didn't think I would be able to pick things up, but gradually the pace came up each mile.

Tried out a new pair of Ghost 2 shoes today. The last pair gave me a few problems, but I think these will be ok.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:58

Struggled a bit this morning. Part of it was a nasty headwind. Part of it was that I just sucked.

I tried out my new headlamp this morning. It worked well. Pretty comfortable.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:17

Not quite as far and not quite as fast as I had hoped for this morning, but I was feeling tired and needed an easy day.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:56

I'm planning on going on a long run tomorrow, so I decided to cut this one short by a couple of miles. Ran pretty hard though. Felt good throughout and got faster each mile.

When we got to Ustick, there were a couple of cars coming and I couldn't decide whether to go for it or to wait and let them pass. Just as I was pulling back, Randy took off. So I waited for the cars and caught up with him. I said something about letting him run out in traffic while I watch and said "that's what friends are for."

Then, towards the end of the run, I realized that I had that horrible Dion Warwick song stuck in my head the whole way. They always talk about the dangers of running with iPods. Well, that is one of the dangers of running without one.

Boise, ID 8:30 am

Pace: 8:28

First long run leading up to Ogden. Not bad for the first time out, I suppose. I kept the pace around 8:20 for the first 15 miles or so and then started to fade. Still finished with a pace under 8:30, so I'll take that for my first one. Something to improve upon.

I was going to go down into Boise on a long loop, but it was raining this morning and I wasn't sure how to dress. So, I decided to do a few loops so I can drop off or pick up clothes at the house -- and grab some fuel. I took my MWF loop once and then took the Meridian loop. When I stopped by the house to grab a drink, my wife suggested that I stop and do 20 next Saturday. Maybe the weather will be better. I told her she was crazy. Do 6.5 in the rain now, or start at zero and do 20 more next week? Easy decision.

I ate two waffles with PB before going out and drank a quart of Gatorade, some water and had part of a Power Bar during the run and still dropped 5 pounds. I've rehydrated and got some food in my, but now I'm starting a 24 hour fast. Tomorrow could be an interesting day.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:07

Running wasn't very fun this morning. Low 30's, rain mixed with snow. We did a good job of picking up the pace each mile, but I was just kind of cold and miserable the whole way.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:49

The rain/snow had stopped, but it was cold. A good run. I felt like I was recovered from Saturday's long run, so I pushed myself a bit. Felt good. Optimistic.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

7.1 miles

Pace: 7:53

I almost overslept this morning. Forgot to set the alarm last night and I woke up at 6:24. Still, I got up, threw on my clothes and took off. Luckily Randy was a couple minutes late too.

Felt really good running this morning. The new Ghost 2s are feeling good too. Maybe I should sleep in every day.

Boise, ID 6:50 pm

4.08 miles

Pace: 7:39

I had to run an errand. Wife had the car. So I ran.

I don't think my Ghost shoes and my SmartWool socks like each other.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:53

Nice and warm this morning. The wind was kind of nasty at times, but it was nice to run in shorts again. I thought I might be tired after running last night, but I was able to pick up the pace after the first mile or so.

149 pounds before my run this morning. I think I last weighed that low in the 9th grade.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:48

Cold again this morning. About 32. Good workout though. Only the first mile was above 8mpm (8:15). Ran pretty strong the whole way. Feeling good right now.

Meridian, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:42

A very solid training run this morning. Weather was nice and I felt really good. Kept up a comfortably strenuous pace the whole way with a final mile pace of 7:21. Not sure if these runs are confindece boosters or just adding fuel to a dilusional fantasy that I can do the impossible.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:47

Started off better than most mornings have been. Ran the first mile in 8:06 and gradually sped up to 7:43 in miles 4 and 5. Randy said he wasn't feeling well so we cut it short and took the 5-mile loop. I was feeling good, so I grabed the iPod and took off for 3 more miles keeping the pace on them down in the 7:30's.

The diet took a hit this weekend, but I'm back on track now. Hoping to get down and stay in the 140s by the end of the week.

Boise, ID 6:00 am

Pace: 7:48

Didn't feel as strong as yesteday, but still a good run. I got up a little earlier to go farther today. So it was dark the whole time. The time change last weekend was rough. Mornings were getting better, but then it feels like they moved the bar.

Boise, ID 6:15am

5.0 miles

Pace: 7:50

Wasn't really feeling it this morning. Felt tired from the start, but picked up the pace each mile and ended up with a decent time.

More running planned for later today.

1:45 pm

5.11 miles

Pace: 7:38

I needed to take the car in for a recall repair today. I thought it would be fun to drop it off and run back home. It wasn't.

It was raining when I started running. By the time I finished running the temperature had dropped 10 degrees and the rain had turned to snow. I was really cold. I kept up a pretty good pace mainly because I wanted to get to my warm home quickly.

Boise, ID 7:00 am

Pace: 7:49

This morning was a mess. My phone is messed up, so I didn't get an alarm this morning. So, I got out late. Then my iPod battery died on me about a mile into the run. But is was a nice, crisp morning and I got more daylight because I went out later.

I didn't appreciate it at the time, but I did run down Shamrock street today. I'm saying that it was in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:52

Uneventful morning run. Long run tomorrow.

Boise, ID 9:00 am

Pace: 7:49

A good long run today. This is the first time I've ever held a 20 miles under an 8 minute pace on a training run (or any run for that matter). Everything went well except that I had some gut issues around miles 11-14. I took gel every 5 miles because that's my plan for the marathon. Not sure if it was the gel, the caffeine in the gel or something else. Next time I'll try gels without caffeine and see if it happens again. Either way, I think taking the gels helped because I didn't feel the bonk at the end. I was tired for sure, but I was able to keep a 7:40somethingish pace even through the last few miles.

This run was a real confidence booster.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:55

Didn't really have it this morning. Was kind of dragging. I think I was still recovering a bit from Saturday's long run.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

8.42 miles

Pace: 7:37

Good, strong run this morning. Better than yesterday. It was cold, in the low 30s, but no wind and felt good.

I weighed in at 145 this morning. That was my goal to be at for Ogden. When I told my wife, she said "I think the scale might be off." She can be so supportive sometimes. But, she also might be right. I need to find another scale to weigh myself on just to see.

Nampa, ID 6:30 pm

6.15 miles

Pace: 7:06

I took my daughter to softball practice in Nampa tonight, so I decided to go for a run while she practiced. I started out pretty fast and then decided to just keep on going fast (geeze, I sound like Forrest Gump). There were a few rolling hills this time, I needed to get some hill work in. Living on the bench, most of my runs are pretty flat.

Another good, solid run. Feeling really good right now.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:43

I was still kind of tired after last night's run, but this one didn't turn out too bad. I felt pretty good afte the first mile or so and kept up a decent pace. Now my legs are mush.

Boise, ID 5:50 am

Pace: 8:04

Kind of a rough on this morning. It was raining when I woke up, so I put on the rain gear. Then it stopped raining. Just a few sprinkles. Legs were feeling kind of tired from the beginning. Got the pace down below 8 for the last 3.5 miles or so.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:44

Good run for a Friday morning. A little chilly.

Boise, ID 9:30 am

Pace: 7:31

I ate a chocolate doughnut before running this morning. Just like John Belushi training for the decathlon. It's nice to run when the sun is up. Felt really good this morning.

Spanish Fork, UT 7:00 am

Pace: 7:29

I felt really crappy this morning. I ate a lot of sugar and bad food this weekend, then my wife and I drove to Utah at 7pm last night. The car we rented didn't have a very big gas tank. I discovered that when I was close to Tremonton. About 3 miles out of town I ran out of gas. Luckily, those 3 miles were all downhill. So we were able to coast all the way to the off ramp and then walked to the gas station and borrowed a gas can. It was the best case scenario for running out of gas, but at midnight, it still isn't very fun.

So we got in at about 1:30 and I got up to run at 6:30. Felt horrible, but was still able to run in to work at a 7:30 pace. The Springville Stink was sneaky this morning. It hit me on the back stretch after I thought I was past it.

Then, my Garmin watch band broke when I was taking it off. I ordered another one. I hope it arrives before the race on Saturday.

Spanish Fork, UT 6:30 am

Pace: 7:30

It was pretty cold this morning. I forgot to bring a hat with me, so I went to Target last night. They are out of them for the season, so my ears got cold. The worst part was running toward Mapleton from Spanish. Then just before Springville when the wind blows down Hobble Creek Canyon it was really cold too. By the time I got to the office my head was fine, but my fingers were frozen. Two pair of gloves on too.

Spanish Fork, UT 6:30am

Pace: 7:38

Same route as yesterday, up to Mapleton, over to Springville and down Center St. Weather was better, not as cold and windy but I was feeling more tired. The Springville Stink was pretty bad today too.

I'm going to taper a bit for the next two days to be ready for the race on Saturday.

Springville, UT 12:30pm

Pace: 7:41

Went for a lunchtime run with Matt. He had been sick, but held up a good pace until the last mile and a half or so, then he told me to just take off. Normally I would have hung with him, but I was in kind of a hurry to get to an appointment.