run, run, run

Boise, ID 8:00 pm

Pace: 8:09 Avg HR: 155

I should be used to it because it happens a lot, but it always surprises me when I go out thinking it's going to be a lousy run and then I'm able to really turn it on. Running after dinner tonight I felt like Michael Scott -- carb-loading on pasta just before the race. I had a gut full of spaghetti pie and was just hoping to make it through, but then after about three miles I got into a zone and really felt strong. My last mile was at a 7:35 pace. I rarely do that unless I'm racing.

iPod song of the day: "I Wanna Be Sedated" -- The Ramones

Boise, ID 4:30 pm

Pace: 8:10

I wasn't going to go running today, but the car was in the shop and I didn't want to have to bug anyone to give me a ride to get it. So I ran. It was hot. More than 90 degrees. I kept it at a managable pace and stopped for a Gatorade half way through. Turned out to be a good run.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:06 Avg HR: 149

Nice run on the MWF course.

Boise, Eagle, Garden City, ID 7:30 am

Pace: 8:46 Avg HR: 153

I planned on going out on a long run on Saturday, but didn't even get to the end of my block and was feeling some hip pain, so I called it off and rested for a couple of day.

I didn't want to push things with a 20-miler, so I kept it to 15. I went down Eagle to the greenbelt and then up Glenwood to Godard and Edna. The hip felt good and I had a nice run. I wanted to keep my pace between 8 and 9 the whole way and I did that. It's nice that the weather is cooling down a bit.

Now I start to taper a bit for Top of Utah. I only got in two 20-mile long runs this time, but my overall mileage is good. I hope I'm ready.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 5:52 Avg HR: 8:52

Wanted to really take things easy this morning, so I only did six and kept the pace down. Weather reallly cooling down, about 43 when I took off. I even wore gloves. Cool is nice. The only problem is that cold always follows -- and I'm supposed to go to Canada soon.

iPod song of the day: "One Way Or Another" -- Blondie

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:02 Avg HR: 145

Nice run on the MWF route. Kept it at a good pace the whole way. Air was nice and crisp and the sunrise was pretty.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

I must have left my Garmin on all day yesterday because when I turned it on the battery was about dead. It only lasted me about a half mile. So I just ran comfortably fast, pushing it a bit towards the end. A good run on a nice morning. About 10 degrees warmer than yesterday.

iPod song of the day: "Bad Company" -- Bad Company

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:06 Avg HR: 143

Getting out of bed was rough today. I couldn't sleep last night, so I got up and worked for a couple of hours. I had very low ambitions for this morning's run, but since I run with someone else on MWF just draggin it the whole way isn't very polite. So it ended up being a pretty good workout.

Meridian, ID 8:00 am

Pace: 8:19 Avg HR: 149

A good taper run this morning. Kept it near the pace I hope to maintain at the marathon. Now for a relaxing Saturday watching the Cougs beat up on the Green Wave.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:12 Avg HR: 146

I thought I'd do seven this morning and shorter runs on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was a pretty uneventful run on my usual MWF route. The only thing different is that we had to stop at about mile 4 because Randy swallowed a bug and my heart rate monitor slipped off in the sixth mile. Then, when I looked at my watch, my heart rate had spiked up to 180 and I realized I'd put it on backwards.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:12 Avg HR: 144

Went out to do a short 5 this morning. Just cruising through trying to not get injured before Saturday. I'll do a real short one tomorrow and then be done for the week.

iPod song of the day: "One Step Beyond" -- Madness

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:02 Avg HR: 143

I had a snack this morning. One day when I was going out for a run a neighbor lady asked me how far I was going. When I said 3 miles, she said "that's just a snack for you." So whenever I only run three miles, I call it a snack now.

Last run before TOU. I'll take tomorrow and Friday off and see what happens on Saturday. Ready or not ...

This was my second time running TOU. I ran it two years ago and finished in 4:08. So this time I had three goals. First was to come in under 3:49 to set a PR. If I couldn't do that I wanted to come in under 4 hours. If I couldn't to that I wanted to beat my 2007 time.
The starting line was cold but I found a place to sit in the tent and just stayed there most of the time. Just before the start I looked around for a guy I was going to run with, but never found him (My wife said she saw him cross the finish line about 30 seconds before I did).
Mile 1 9:00 - Working my way through the crowd. Could be worse.
Mile 2 8:24 - Good. Right where I want to be.
Mile 3 8:24 - I could do this all day.
Mile 4 8:23 - I'm getting warm. Time to ditch the long sleeved shirt.
Mile 5 8:20 - Take a shot of GU.
Mile 6 8:31 - Feeling good.
Mile 7 8:29 - Still feeling good.
Mile 8 8:23 - Coming out of the shadows. On with the sunglasses, off with the sunglasses.
Mile 9 8:25 - Good
Mile 10 8:36 - Listening to a couple of guys chat about their jobs. It's not a very interesting conversation.
Mile 11 8:37 - GU. Getting a little tired of the heart rate monitor.
Mile 12 8:36 - I think I have to pee.
Mile 13 8:34 - Getting ready to leave the canyon. Unless I want to pee in someone else's yard I better do it now ... less than 20 seconds woo hoo!
Mile 14 8:33 - Coming out of the canyon. A nice little crowd of spectators. Is my wife there? No, but I do see a guy named Ben from home. "Hi Ben, can you take my heart rate monitor for me? Thanks! Going to the BYU game tonight? Great! Have fun" (He won't)
Mile 15 8:20 - Why is my watch wiggin' out? Oh yeah, it's looking for a heart rate monitor.
Mile 16 8:20 - More GU
Mile 17 8:47 - Starting to slow down a bit. Just keep the pace under nine and I'll still be on track. Maybe some music will help. I'll put on the iPod.
Mile 18 8:53 - Folks cheering along the highway are nice. Still under nine. I'll be ok.
Mile 19 9:02 - A couple of little hills put my pace over nine, but I'm still ok.
Mile 20 9:50 - Whoa, starting to drag a bit. Gotta hold it together.
Mile 21 9:23 - A nice lady starts up a conversation. Do some quick math. I can still be under four hours if I keep the pace below 10:30. Piece of cake!
Mile 22 10:00 - OK, this is where it gets tough. Less than five miles left. You can do this.
Mile 23 10:50 - I grab a gatorade at an aid station. It's grape and too strong. I spit it out. "Yuk!" Did I say that out loud? This is where a lot of people are starting to walk. I'm not one of them. Keep going.
Mile 24 10:51 - This is getting really hard. Hey, there's my wife. Taking pictures of my. I hope I look better than I feel. She asks if I want her to run with me. She's keeping up, and she's wearing flip-flops. Not a good sign.
Mile 25 11:11 - My fingers are starting to tingle. I drink more at the aid station, but it's probably too late. Push it up this last hill.
Mile 26 11:58 - I'm really not feeling well now. Both hands are numb and the world is spinning around me. My feet are landing in a funny way. Flop, flop, flop. I can hear people yell "you're doing great!" I'm not. Down the hill gravity helps, but not much. OK, one more block and I'm in the home stretch.
The last .2 - Time to get this stupid thing over with. I pick up the pace reach the finish line and throw up my arms. It's over. Then I start to wobble.
"How are you doing?"
"Huh?"
"Uh oh, this one's going to need some help."
"Are you ok?"
"I dunno"
"Try to keep your head up"
"Umgph"
"OK, come with me. I'll just sit you down here in the shade and get you something to drink. Is Gatorade ok?"
Gatorade? What's Gatorade? "uh, sure"
So I sit for a while and then finally pick myself up and go in to the actual finisher's area. After about a half hour of just sitting there drinking water and chocolate milk I recovered enough to walk back to the hotel, clean up and live to run another day.
I didn't set a PR and didn't break four hours, but I did shave 5 minutes off of my TOU time from two years ago and it was a fun race (except for that last few miles. If those are fun, you aren't doing it right).

Boise, ID 6:10 am

Pace: 8:48

First run after resting up from Top Of Utah. I just ran at a comfortable pace. Didn't even look at my watch the whole way. Getting chilly out there. Soon it will be gloves and long pants weather.

iPod song of the day: "Man Has To Struggle" -- Van Morrison

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:03 Avg HR: 154

A really good run this morning. I increased my pace each mile, getting up to 7:21 for mile 7. Weather was perfect and I felt great.

iPod song of the day: "Welcome To The Jungle" -- Guns N Roses

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:15 Avg HR: 150

I must not be fully recovered from Saturday. I was doing pretty good this morning, but then started slowing down the last two miles. Legs were feeling kind of fatigued. Maybe I'll rest tomorrow. And maybe not.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:06 Avg HR: 153

I took Saturday off and felt good this morning. Ready to put a full week in now.

Boise, ID 6:00 am

Pace: 8:56 Avg HR: 141

Slow this morning. Not sure why. I think it's lack of sleep. Great weather this morning. It might be my last 60+ degree early morning run this year. Supposed to get cold this week.

iPod song of the day: "Big Bottom" -- Spinal Tap

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:13 Avg HR: 149