run, run, run

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:52

I overslept and then got ready to run in record time. Met Randy for 7 miles and then took the 3 mile loop on my own.

Grand Junction, CO 5:30 pm

Pace: 7:56

Got up really early for a flight and then had a weird day at work. I thought I was going to have to work late, but got off early so I went out for a 5-miler. I thought I would need to just slog it out, but felt pretty strong for the last few miles.

Grand Junction, CO 7:00 am

Pace: 8:13

Up the hill to the Monument and then back down.

Grand Junction, CO 8 am

Pace: 7:55

I took a different route today. Down the river, across and then through a park on the other side. Felt pretty good, stayed pretty warm, listened to the Rich Eisen podcast with Jim Brockmeyer.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:45

Ran 7 with Randy then three more. Started feeling really sluggish in the last mile. Felt really cold at the end too.

Boise, ID 10:45 am

Pace: 8:04

Slept in, ate a waffle with peanut butter and went running. Felt some of that end-of-the-week sluggishness part of the way, but the weather was great and it was really nice to be out there. I did a figure-8 Cloverdale, Joplin, Maple Grove, Edna to home.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:39

7 with Randy. 3 on my own.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:12

Started out really slow, but sped up gradually each mile. I went over to Cole and back.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:58

It's still cold.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:02

Ran to Cole and back. It was cold.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:46

7 with Randy 3 alone. I want to start running faster, but it seems like with the cold weather I'm just in survival mode. Maybe it will be warmer in Utah or Colorado. Or maybe monkeys will fly out of my butt.

Bountiful, UT 9:30 am

Pace: 9:06

I started at the Bountiful Shoreline trailhead in Bountiful and went towards Salt Lake. The same route I've taken before, but I turned up at the place with the satellite dishes and ran a few miles up the mountain from there. It was a really fun run. A lot of climbing. Lots of snow.

Bountiful, UT 7am

Pace: 8:22

The weather report called for snow, but it was dry when I left at 7am. Into my first mile it started snowing. By the time I got to the end of Davis Blvd I was putting on the Yak Trax. The snow falling into my eyes was annoying but it was pretty.

Grand Junction, CO 9:30 am

Pace: 7:54

I had a 15 mile route maped out, but then I didn't sleep very well last night so I just ran 5 miles across town and back. It was a cold morning, but running later I had the sun shining on me so it was quite pleasant.

Grand Junction, CO 9:30 am

Pace: 7:57

I went on the 15-miler that I was too sleepy to run yesterday. Went up towards the Monument and then along a canal path. There were a bunch of signs that said no trespassing. Those signs didn't bother me as much as the Beware of Dog signs, but I think they were referring to the property backing up to the canal. Either way, I didn't get bit.

I felt pretty good running today but I feel like I'm still in survive the winter mode. Pretty soon I need to start running harder more consistently.

Grand Junction, CO 9:45 am

Pace: 7:50

Had a nice run this morning. Went down to the river trail then back through some city streets. Felt pretty solid considering the medium-long run yesterday.

Grand Junction, CO 10:30 am

Pace: 8:03

So it begins. I had a free Saturday in Grand Juncton, so I went for my first long run for Boston. I started with my 10-mile loop up 1st ave, then I did the 10-mile out-and-back up Monument Road. I finished up with a 5-mile loop in town. The .5 was an accident.

I actually felt pretty good for the first long run of the season. It helped that I had nothing to do the rest of the day but lay around and recover.

Grand Junction, CO 10:15am

 Pace: 10:35

I went to a trailhead at the bottom of the Colorado National Monument and started running. Shortly my running turned into hiking. And then my hiking started to turn into mountaineering. When I found myself on a sheet of ice, sliding backwards, with a cliff to my right and a rock wall to my left, I decided that it was time to turn back.

Back at the trailhead I took another trail that went along the bottom of the monument. A good hard run after a recovery day. And and adventure.

Grand Junction, CO 10:00 am

Pace: 7:55

I went down the river, over the bridge and along the highway. Weather was cool and cloudy, a bit of snow leftover from last night. Didn't run too hard, but held a good pace.

Grand Junction, CO 10:15am

Pace: 8:37

Instead of running up Monument Road, I went over to Little Park Rd. It was a lot steeper, but the payoff was huge with some great views. When I was about 4 miles into it, I saw a trail heading off the road and I couldn't resist. It was a good climb along sand and rocks. I ended up at a hanging rock with a sign that said "Free Lunch" and a great view of the canyon. Not sure what the free lunch thing was about, but I turned around there and headed back down the hill to the hotel. One more day in this burgh before flying out for the last time.

Grand Junction, CO 10 am

Pace: 8:00

Took the loop along the river, up Broadway, across S. Camp Rd. and down Monument. My last run in Grand Junction. It's been a good town to run in. 41 runs, 391 miles. Ready to go home tomorrow.

Boise, ID 1:00 pm 

Pace: 7:34

Good Saturday run. Did a figure-8 loop up to Joplin. Ran strong the whole way. Good end to the week.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:49

The usual MWF 7 mile loop with three more added to the end. Good to be back home.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:54

I took the 10-mile loop to Cole. A bit colder this morning, but not as humid.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:45

Another day, another run. We talked about politics most of the way. That'll get your adrenaline going.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:03

Feeling kind of sore this morning. I started doing Insanity workout with my wife yesterday and I've been doing some core workouts with the TRX. Starting a new workout routine sucks.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 5:02

Yesterday I ran 10 miles, did Insanity, helped a friend move and painted the ceiling of my bedroom. Tomorrow I have a long run planned. That's my excuse for only running 5 miles today.

Boise, ID 9am

Pace: 8:06

Boston long run #2. Could have been worse. Held about an 8 minute pace until the last few miles. I think this is the longest run I've ever done for whatever that's worth.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:52

A 27-mile long run on Saturday was followed by two reasonable meals and a (almost) 24-hour fast, followed by 2 hours of Super Bowl-induced gluttony. This morning I was introduced to a whole new meaning to the words "recovery run."

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:08

Ran kind of slow the first half. I think it I'm still dragging from Insanity. Hopefully after a few more days I'll be getting used to it.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:46

Not as cold this morning. Held a decent pace for the first 5 then lagged a bit until miles 9 and 10.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:09

Same run as Tuesday. Ran kind of slow the first half and then picked it up a bit the last few miles. I got an email from the Boston Marathon today, it said the race is less than 70 days away -- yikes!

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:57

Decent morning run. Thermometer read 40. I felt colder than that. They've torn up Cloverdale and I almost killed myself running through the construction. Ok, not killed, but I went over a drop-off that I didn't see and almost went down. Then I stepped in some deep, soft mud getting back over to the sidewalk. 700+ miles and caked in mud. Time to break out a new pair of shoes.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:06

I had things to do today, so I got up at my usual weekday time and went for my run. That isn't as fun as it sounds.

I did my 10-mile loop to Cole, but took Maple Grove up to McMillan to ad a few more miles.

Broke in a new pair of shoes today. Had a pair of Ghost 2s on the shelf. I'll probably alternate them with the Ghost 3s until the race.

Spanish Fork, UT 7 am

Pace: 7:51

My pace was a little faster than 7:51. I stopped to adjust my iPod and didn't pause the watch.

Felt really good running this morning. Held a good pace in the 7:20s most of the way.

Spanish Fork, UT 7:00 am

Pace: 7:45

Another run into work. It was snowing lightly most of the way. I thought the snow would temper the Springville Stink, but that didn't happen.

A good solid run. Every mile except the first were under 8mpm. The last few were under 7:30.

Spanish Fork, UT 7am

Pace: 7:49

The Springville Stink was especially pungent today.

Spanish Fork, UT 7:00 am

Pace: 7:49

Same run, different day. It's a nice 10-mile route into work, so I don't really want to change it up. The only bad part is the Springville Stink, but there's no way around it.

Spanish Fork, UT 7:00 am

Pace: 7:46

My last day running in to work. It was about the same as the others, but a slight headwind wind as I was going toward Mapleton made me feel like my face was going to fall off.

Spanish Fork, UT 8:30 am

Pace: 7:52

I mapped out a route before I left. It headed toward the canyon and then back around the south end of town. Here's a tip: running toward Spanish Fork Canyon in February is a really dumb thing to do. The cold wind was horrible. After I turned back to town it was really nice. I ran through a few neighborhoods that seemed much less Spanish Forkian than most I've been to.

Boise, ID 7:30 am

Pace: 7:50

Boston long run #3. I ran the first leg with Randy and went a little faster than I probably should have for the first few miles of a long run, but that's the way we roll.

I ran well and felt pretty good until about mile 19. I started getting dizzy, so I turned up Mitchell instead of going all the way to Cole. I started feeling better, so I went up to Edna and down Shamrock. I was at 26.2 when I got to the house and that seemed like a good place to stop. I thought about going back out for 3 more miles, but changed my mind.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:39

I was going to go out for a 5 mile recovery run yesterday morning, but it was raining, so I got back in bed. What a wus.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 8:01

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:44

Meridian, ID 10:00  am

Pace: 8:11

The wind was blowing from the west this morning, so I ran toward Meridian. I didn't want to be running into the wind on my way back. The run out was pretty rough. The wind was strong and cold.

At one point, about mile 9, I started to bonk. I stopped for 5 minutes or so and it went away and i finished pretty strong.

Greensboro, NC 9pm

Pace: 7:40

Spent all day flying, so I needed to get out and move a bit. I made a wrong turn and ran through an industrial area. Felt pretty safe, but I forgot my iPod, so I heard every bark, creak and animal croak. Kind of made me jumpy. Afterward the only food I could find was Burger King. Kind of made me sick.

Greensboro, NC 6:30 pm

Pace: 7:51

Did a loop heading North of the hotel. Most of the roads were pretty good, but when the road crossed over the freeway, it didn't have any pedestrian access, so I had to run on the shoulder. That wasn't fun.

Greensboro, NC 6:45 am

Pace: 7:58

A nice loop this morning. About 2 miles were through a park on a dirt trail. Finally had a chance to run in the daylight here.

Greensboro, NC 7am

Pace: 7:58

Didn't feel like getting out of bed this morning. I took the same route as yesterday, but ran one the near side of the park, so I didn't go quite as far. Weather was a perfect 60 degrees. It's supposed to get up to 74 today.

Greensboro, NC 7:30 am

Pace: 7:52

Planned on going 5, but the loop I took ended up being 4, going long tomorrow, so I stopped.

Boise, ID 9:30 am

Pace: 8:03

I did three loops. 11 miles, 10 miles and 7.5 miles. I held the pace under 8 until the last few miles which I thought was pretty good considering the travel day yesterday. My flight didn't arrive until 11:30pm.

Now I'm home for three straight week. Planning to use that time to really dial it up. Continuing with the 10-mile morning runs, insanity at noon and watching the diet.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:52

Felt a little sluggish but had a good run with Randy for 5.5 miles. We had to take a different route because Cloverdale is still torn up. After I went back out for the next 4 miles, I ran into another friend and ran with him for a while.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:25

Pretty slow this morning. Feeling sluggish. After my long run on Saturday, I fasted most of the day Sunday and started up insanity again on Monday. I don't think I've really recovered yet.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:55

Feeling better today but it was really cold out this morning.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 8:05

Started out pretty slow (8:33), but gradually sped up each mile until my final mile was 7:14.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:56

A pretty solid run. 6.5 with Randy, the rest on my own. Ran past Kneaders twice. That wonderful yeasty, cinnamony fresh-baked smell just about killed me.

Boise, ID 10:00 am

Pace: 7:50

I planned on running 12-15 for my Saturday morning run, but I didn't map out my course. Ended up being closer to 10, so I went around the block and called it good.

A solid run holding a good pace. Long run next week.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 8:01

Started out a little sluggish, but picked up the pace as I went on. Went back to the old course. Cloverdale is still torn up, but it's back to being relatively flat without any deep holes.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 8:08

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 8:16

The rain finally arrived. I planned on going ten this morning, but when Randy was done at 6.5, I just didn't have it in me. I'm a wus.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 8:11

Rain again this morning. But the weather wasn't as cold, only 50 degrees, so I wore shorts and a ball cap. I don't know if I had more energy than yesterday. I just took a route that didn't afford me an opportunity to cut the run short.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:41

Good run at a decent pace. I only did the first loop with Randy because I'm going long tomorrow.

Boise, ID 8:30 am

Pace: 8:22

Had a pretty good first lap, but wasn't really committed. I had some work to do at the house that had me debating whether to do a long run or not. So after the first ten, I went back out for another loop. I slowed down quite a bit and my breathing was kind of funny because of a little sore throat that came on. So I decided to call it done at 20.

Then, of course, I felt guilt for the rest of the day. But, I figure that if I consider a 20-miler to be phoning it in, I must be doing something right.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:54

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:29

Not feeling well at all. That sore throat I was feeling on Saturday has turned into a full-on head cold. Slogged through at a slow pace.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:55

Sick. The cold has gotten worse. My ears are plugged and I feel pressure in my head. I guess I'm starting the taper a little earlier than I had planned. I'm not running tomorrow.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:51

I took yesterday off to recover from the cold. Felt better this morning until about 2 miles into it and then I didn't feel so good anymore, so I cut it short and I'll give it another shot tomorrow.

Bountiful, UT 6:30 am

Pace: 8:14

Feeling better, but now I'm on vacation. After driving to Utah last night, I got up and ran to the end of Davis Blvd. and back before getting back in the car and heading down to Vegas.

Anaheim, CA 6:40 am

Pace: 7:39

Didn't run on Monday because we had to catch the 7:20 shuttle to Disneyland. Today we didn't go in until 9:20, so I was able to get a run in. I ran around Angel's Stadium and then along the Santa Ana River Trail. That is the ugliest river I've ever seen. The sides were paved and I was expecting to see some water, but it was dry.

Held a decent pace and got progressively faster each mile.

Anaheim, CA 8am

Pace: 7:27

I went the other way along the river trail. 12 miles at marathon pace. Not bad considering I spent the last two days on my feet for 12 hours straight. Such is life at the happiest place on earth.

Anaheim, CA 6:30am

Pace: 7:33

Last run in CA. I took yesterday off because we went back to the park. I went South down the river trail. At about the 4 mile mark, I approached an underpass and saw a shopping cart in the middle of the path with a homeless guy next to it. I didn't want to deal with him, so I went up and crossed the street. As I darted across the street, I hooked the iPod cord and it came off. So I'm standing on the other side of a busy street staring at my iPod in the middle of the road, expecting to see it destroyed any second now. When the traffic broke, I ran back across, scooping up the ipod along the way.

Other than that, the run was solid, but uneventful.

Ely, NV 8am

Pace: 7:57

6,600 feet elevation and windy. When I first went out, I realized that the wind was really cold, so I went in and put on another top layer. Then I got out and ran with the wind and got kind of hot. With the wind and downhill out, against the wind and uphill back. So it wasn't such a great run.

I read somewhere that Dean Karnazes can run and pee at the same time. I was on an empty road in the middle of nowhere, so I decided to give it a try. I'll just say it was a bad idea and leave it at that.

Boise, ID 6:15am

10.05 miles, Pace: 7:42

Did the usual MWF morning route with Randy. I wanted to get one last long run in, but it's not really fitting into the schedule of my life this week, so I decided to break it up today.

5pm

20 miles, Pace: 8:00

I did two 10-mile loops. The first was strong, holding my marathon goal pace of 7:30. The last 10 were rougher. I slowed down into the 8s after mile 12 and even had a 9 minute mile 18.

Now it's time to taper. I'll probably do 7s and 5s for the next week and a half.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:47

Still feeling a little stiff after Monday's long double.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:36

Tapering. Easy run in the dark and cold.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:46

The usual MWF route. Cloverdale should be opening up again soon.

Boise, ID 10:30 am

Pace: 7:23

Tapering

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:40

Still tapering.

Boise, ID 7:15 am

Pace: 7:19

Still tapering.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:27

Last run at home. Leave for Boston tomorrow.

Boston, MA 9:30 am

Pace: 8:24

Slow jog across Boston Common with my wife then 3 faster miles on my own and then we met up and jogged back to the hotel. Last run before the race. Taking it easy on Saturday and Sunday, then it's time to Rock and Roll!

The Boston Marathon was a great experience and a brutal race. I followed the plan for the first half, but the heat got to me and it all fell apart.

I was nervous about the heat, but things started out great. I was in the last corral of Wave 1 and hung with the pack for the first few miles down the hills. Making sure I didn't go out too fast. I was really enjoying myself at a comfortable 7:30 pace, soaking it in, high-fiving the little kids along the route.

Water stations were placed every mile on the course and I made sure that I drank at least one cup of water or Gatorade at each station. Most of the time I drank a Gatorade and half of the water and then poured the rest of the water over my head. Seemed like a good plan.

I knew I was in trouble by the halfway point. That's the earliest I've ever started having problems (except for that Potato Marathon when I ran sick). I could tell that the heat was affecting me, but I felt like I was doing all that I could to deal with it shy of dropping out or walking.

Some time after mile 20 I did end up walking some. I ran all the way up heartbreak hill just because I'm stubborn and wanted to be able to tell myself that I did it. When I got past Newton the last few miles got really rough. I was feeling short of breath and my vision was kind of foggy. As I passed Fenway Park I was feeling pressure on my chest. I wanted to push through and just deal with it, but I was getting kind of scared. My thought was "suppose I drop dead and leave my kids without a dad just because I want to finish the Boston Marathon under 4 hours. How selfish is that?" So I walked a bit more. When I got to Boyleston Street I was really feeling crappy, but I only had a quarter mile left and I wasn't going to walk the final stretch of the Boston Marathon.

When I crossed the finish line, I held my hands up and smiled for the camera and then started staggering. One of the medical staff grabbed my arm and helped me along for a ways. Then I told him that I thought I was ok and walked further and got some water, my shiny blanket and medal. I'm walking further along and really feel like I need to sit down. So I drop down on the curb and shortly someone tells me that I need to keep walking, so I do ... about 25 yards to a trash can where I lean over expecting to puke. A medical guy comes by and asks me how I am. I tell him I think I need to throw up and that I'm having trouble breathing. So he calls over a wheelchair and they push me over to the medical tent. I keep my head down, partly because it feels a little better and partly because I'm feeling like a pathetic loser.

In the tent they lay me down and put a shiny blanket over me, check my vitals and call for an IV. The IV never arrived, but after 30 minutes or so I decide that I'm feeling better. They offer me Gatorade and I tell them that I've had so much warm Gatorade that I probably will throw up if I try to drink any more. So I drink some more water and try to walk around. I feel ok. The doctor checks me out and while he's asking me questions I say I think I need to sit down again. So I sit a little longer and then go through the walking around and talking to the doctor drill again. I tell him that now I feel like I usually do after a marathon, so he clears me and I leave, pick up my bag and call Paige, who has been waiting with my dad at the family waiting area this whole time.

Even though the race turned out to be a mess for me, there was a whole lot of good about it.

_ It was a great weekend. Expo on Friday, sightseeing and a trip to Hopkinton on Saturday, and a nice drive to Sharron, Vermont on Sunday to stay off of my feet.
_ The crowds were awesome. Spectators almost the whole way. The crowds downtown and the students at Welsley and BC were great, but I think I preferred the small towns with lots of little kids cheering along the way. Or, maybe I just liked that part better because I didn't feel like death yet.
_ Seeing my wife and my dad cheering me on at mile 25. They said I looked good. I think they were just being nice.
_ All of the volunteers were really nice, especially in the medical tent.
_ I qualified for and ran the Boston Marathon and have a cool little medal to prove it.

I'm feeling better now. I even had a double hamburger with bacon and cheese with fries for dinner. It has been a while since I've indulged like that. It was awesome.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:50

Good first run after the marathon. Legs still a little sore.

Boise, ID 10 am

Pace: 7:35

Feeling better. I tweaked my knee a bit in the race, but it doesn't hurt at all when I run. Just when I twist it a bit.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:34

Back to seven mile morning runs. Felt good to push the pace a bit. I'll probably keep the runs down to 7 this week and maybe go back to 10s next week.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:39

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:26

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:53

Rain

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:44

Boise, ID 9am

Pace: 7:49

Goshen, IN 6:15 pm

Pace: 7:33

Running through Amish country.

Goshen, IN 6:30 pm

Pace: 7:44

Ran 4 miles out and back on the Pumpkinvine trail. It was a good run through trees and farmland. Started raining a little towards the end.

Goshen, IN

Pace: 8:10

I went out in the morning and after a half-mile I started feeling pain in my left ankle, so I turned around and went back. After work I went back out and again turned back at a half a mile. I'm going to take some time off.

Greensboro, NC 6:15 am

Pace: 7:56

Good to get back out after 5 days off. I think it was smart to let my ankle heal and it fit my schedule too. I'm going to keep my mileage down this week and then dial it back up in Indiana next week.

Greensboro, NC 6:15 am

Pace: 7:57

I went out toward the airport this morning. Nice and cool, in the 60s, but very humid.

Greensboro, NC 6:30 am

Pace: 7:54

I need to keep up on the blog better because I don't remember one thing about this run.

Greensboro, NC 6:30 am

Pace: 7:49

I was going to run 10 miles, but I didn't get out in time, so I cut it short. But it didn't turn out to be as short as I though, so I had to really hurry to get to work on time.

I ran past a lady wearing a Boise State sweatshirt. What's up with that?

Boise, ID 11 am

Pace: 7:44

A good Saturday run with perfect weather.

Goshen, IN 6:15 pm

Pace: 7:50

I ran up the Pumpkin trail again past Butt Lake (seriously, that's what it's called). I ran past a couple of heterosexuals making out on the side of the trail. When I got to the end of the trail, I looped back on the country roads. It was actually more enjoyable. Lots of pretty Amish farms and tree-lined roads.

Goshen, IN 6:30am

Pace: 8:01

Just a recovery run after running the night before.

Goshen, IN 6:15 am

Pace: 7:57

Finally got my sorry butt out of bed in time to do a morning 10-miler.

Goshen, IN 6:15 am

Pace: 7:53

I only went 7 because I had to be to work a half hour earlier this morning. I could have woken up earlier, but I didn't. Then I got to work a half hour early -- and everyone else was late.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:37

My flight didn't get in until about 1am last night, but I got up and ran anyway. Mainly because I needed to talk business with Randy. But it turned out to be a good run at a decent pace. And I had a great nap afterward.

Boise, ID 10am

Pace: 7:42

Ran a movie back to the Red Box and then went off for a nice Saturday run. Weather was perfect and I got a few hills in.

Greensboro, NC 6:15am

Pace: 8:00

I was going to run when I got in on Monday, but my plane was delayed in Detroit. I was going to run yesterday morning, but I lost my iPod and spent so much time looking for it that it was too late to run (sort of). In other words, I am one pathetic loser.

But, I found my iPod and went for a run today. I went on a greenbelt path, but I turned the wrong way and ended up on some city streets through an industrial area with a lot of big tanks and a chemical smell in the air. The weather was cool but humid, so I was soaked by the time I finished.

Greensboro, NC 6:15am

Pace: 8:21

I ran on a great trail. It's called the Bicentenial trail. It is a greenbelt that feels like a state park. It ended up along a lake with mist coming off of the water. Very hilly but satisfying.

Greensboro, NC 6:15am

Pace: 8:20

Same route as yesterday, just a little shorter and a little slower.

Boise, ID 11:30am

Pace: 7:42

Had a rough night. My flight was late, so I didn't get to be until 1:30am, then I had to get up and drive my daughter to Nampa at 4am (we survived). So I went home and slept for a while longer and went running after 11. It was still raining when I left, but it stopped somewhere along the way.

I took the route down Joplin that I have been taking on Saturdays, but I ran it in reverse.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:39

Ran a little faster than I had been recently because I was running with Randy, so we picked it up a little. He needed to run early, so I went home and went back to sleep.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:04

Really dragging this morning. After running yesterday, I spend the rest of the day either on a bike with the kids or on my feet doing something.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:44

Meridian, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:01

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:42

Boise, ID 7:30 am

Pace: 8:01

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:51

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:58

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:44

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:02

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:48

Boise, ID 9am

Pace: 7:56

Haven't blogged the runs for a while. I was going to run ten this morning, but on my way up Joplin I was going up the hill and a truck was making one of those wide turns that hogs up the whole road. I moved over to the shoulder and whacked my foot on a traffic pylon and started bleeding. So I ran straight home. Because I'm a wus.

Greensboro, NC 7pm

Pace: 7:33

Travel day yesterday and was sleepy this morning, so I ran tonight. I went down the Bicentenial trail. I forgot my ipod, so I ran with my thoughts -- and the thunder. It got a little scary when the lightning got close, but It was nice.

I decided to run harder this time. I pushed it pretty well on a hilly course.

Greensboro, NC 6:30am

Pace: 7:57

Ran in town today. Left later than I'd hoped and had to cut it short.

Greensboro, NC 6:30 am

Pace: 8:11

Turned my ankle in the first quarter mile. Turned back towards the hotel, but then decided to run anyway. Ended up going 8 miles.

Greensboro, NC 6:20am

Pace: 8:40

Back on the Bicentennial Trail. Slower because the ankle was bugging me a bit.

Boise, ID 10:30am

Pace: 7:36

Boise, ID 6:15am

7 with Randy and then 3 more around the park before flying back to NC.

Greensboro, NC 6pm

Pace: 8:08

Remember that scene in the movie Glory where they are on a boat down to Mississippi and Denzel says "I forgot how hot it is down here." Well, that's how I felt tonight.

I ran through the Guilford Courthouse Battlefield. It is a Revolutionary War battlefield. Very pretty, but the weather was so hot, even in the shade, so I didn't run too far.

Greensboro, NC 6:30am

Pace: 8:18

Still feeling the ankle from last week and feeling tired after running last night.

Greensboro, NC 6:30am

Pace: 8:25

75 degrees at 7am. Felt like a rice cooker. I'm ready to go home.

Charlotte, NC 7pm

Pace: 7:47

I left Greensboro and stopped by the Old Man's place to visit with him for a few minutes. Then I drove down to Charlotte and stopped by UNC-Charlotte to a pathway I saw on Google. It was nice, mostly tree-covered and small rolling hills. The heat wasn't near as bad as it was the other night.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:45

7 miles with Randy then two laps around the park to get to 10.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 7:56

Went down Emerald to Cole. Started out too slow.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 8

Ran 7 with Randy and felt fine, but then as I went for 3 more, I started feeling really sluggish. So I phoned it in after 9. I think I was hungry.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:03

Didn't run very fast this morning. I need to dial it up pretty soon.

Meridian, ID 7am

Pace: 7:55

Ran through Meridian this morning. Felt ok. Finally getting a full week in.

Boise, ID 9am

Pace: 7:53

Had things to do today, so I didn't go long. Then I felt guilt.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:45

This week I'm ready to dial in on getting more fit -- eating better and working out at least twice a day.

Randy didn't show up this morning, so I ran it alone. kept an ok pace. I want to start averaging closer to 7:30 for the next few weeks.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 7:50

Ran the Cole route. A guy on a motorcycle revved his engine and sped past me. As he did, his briefcase fell off the back of his bike and he had to get off and get it. I laughed on the inside.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:59

Had a good run with Randy. For some reason he wanted to go at the usual time even though it's a holiday. After, I went out to do a few more. I went down Ustick toward Meridian and totally bonked. I had to stop and walk around a bit, then turned back and ran home slowly. I think I didn't have enough food in me.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:00

I ran 6.5 up Edna to McMillian, then I took the car in to the shop and ran home 3.5 more. Jumped in the pool afterward. Nice way to start the day.

Boise, ID 7am

Pace: 7:58

10-miler over to Cole.

Boise, ID 7:30am

Pace: 8:04

Wanted to get out before it got too warm. Went over to Maple Grove, across Joplin and back down Cloverdale.

South Bend, IN 4:15pm

Pace: 7:45

I flew into South Bend earlier in the day this time, so I decided to do a sight-see run. I've been to Notre Dame before, but it's always cool to stop by and kiss the ring of the football gods. I parked a couple of miles from campus ran over and took a loop and a half around the stadium, cut across campus past Touchdown Jesus and the Gold Dome, took two laps around a little lake and headed back to the car.

Turned out to be a solid run, especially for a hot day. About 85 out there.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/198237438

Goshen, IN 7:15pm

Pace: 8:18

Bonk. I was going to do 8 or so, but I got about 2 miles up the Pumpkinvine trail and got to feeling pretty bad. So I turned back. Got to stay on an am running schedule this time of year.

Goshen, IN 6:30am

Pace: 8:11

A nice morning run through the farmland. Didn't push the pace, kept it comfortable. Said hi to an old Amish man on a bicycle. Corn is getting about waist high.

Goshen, IN 7am

Pace: 8:11

Slow easy run through the countryside.

Goshen, IN 6:45am

Pace: 8:14

Last run in Indiana for a while. Decided to run through town and on the river trail.

Boise, ID 10am

Pace: 8:15

Planned on going 12 or so, but got to not feeling so good after about 8, so I went home.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:56

No Randy this morning. I must have not told him I would be back. Saw Ryan and Andy out running. Getting ready for the relay this weekend.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:08

I took the Cole route, but turned at Maple Grove. Construction on Ustick is kind of a pain these days.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:39

Randy ran this morning. It's good to run with someone faster than I am, picks the pace up.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 7:56

Started out slow but picked it up as I went. Didn't want to run too far before the relay this weekend.

Ponderosa Pine Relay leg 6 6.96 miles

12:41pm

Pace: 7:53

I was running the last leg for our van, so I was able to see the rest of the team dying in the heat. I was a little worried. We didn't manage that transition very well, arriving there very shortly before our runner, so I had to hurry to get myself ready and run to the handoff point. I took the wristband and took off. After a little ways I looked down and saw that my pace was 6:15. Way too fast for 95 degrees. I slowed down some but held a decent pace most of the way. There was a pretty big hill in the middle of the route and when I crested it I was at an even 8mpm. I was able to make up some time going back down, but it was dang hot. I carried a water bottle and had the guys in the van replenish it with cold water several times because it got warm so fast.

 leg 17 4.36 miles

11:16pm

Pace: 8:01

They changed the legs so that mine was shorter and Wil's was longer. But, since he was running double legs, we traded. This run was at night on a trail through the bear-infested forest, running toward the town of New Meadows. I had my headlamp pointed down and the spot of light started sending me into the twilight zone. Once I tilted it back up I started feeling better.

Ponderosa Pine Relay leg 30 7.18 miles

8:16am

Pace: 7:27

After running last night, sitting in the van all day and not sleeping on the tennis court at McCall High School, I wasn't sure how I'd do for my last leg. It turned out pretty good. I was pleased with my pace. Felt pretty strong and enjoyed the run. Finished up in Donnely and handed off the race to the other van. We then headed to a cabin to shower and nap before meeting up with the others at the finish line.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:46

Good to rest up on Sunday and get back at it this morning. Legs were a little tired, but felt good.

Boise, ID 6:45am

Pace: 7:57

Legs felt a little better than yesterday. Weather was a bit cooler too.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 7:45

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:21

Meridian, ID 6:45am

Pace: 8:07

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:35

Boise, ID 6am

5.57 miles

Pace: 7:21

Somebody scheduled a 7am meeting this morning, so I got up early and ran a 5-miler.

8am

5.58 miles

Pace: 7:19

Went the same route after the meeting. Ran it a little faster. That was good.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 7:39

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 7:53

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:38

Idaho Falls, ID 6:30am

Pace: 7:49

Ran down to the river and back. A little chilly this morning. Nice for a change.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:42

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 7:57

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:45

Boise, ID 6:45am

Pace: 8:07

Ran up to Overland and back down Maple Grove.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:05

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:35

7 with Randy + 3 more.

Boise, ID 7am

Pace: 7:54

Shouldn't even have been out there. Too smokey.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:49

Boise, ID 7am

Pace: 7:58

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:47

Bonked at 8 miles. Just lost all energy. Good thing I was close to home.

Boise, ID 7am

Pace: 7:52

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:45

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:10

Ran slow and then got really tired.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:49

Boise, ID 6am

Pace: 8:12

Ran up to Overland and ran a few miles with Neil. He's still alive.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:45

Boise, ID 9am

Pace: 7:56

I ran through wet cement again. You'd think that would be one of those things that you do once in your life, learn your lesson and never do it again. You'd think that.

Greensboro, NC 7:45pm

Pace: 7:39

Flew in and went out for a run to clear my head. Ended up pushing it pretty well on a hilly route.

Greensboro, NC 6:45am

Pace: 8:05

Same route, just slower.

Greensboro, NC 6:45am

Pace: 7:54

Overslept. Not sure if the alarm didn't go off or if I just kept on sleeping, but I almost didn't run. Ended up going short again because I knew I wouldn't run in the evening.

Greensboro, NC 6:15am

Pace: 8:01

Finally ran a little longer this morning. The air is so humid, it's really gross. I just end up soaking wet and slimey.

Boise, ID 10:30 am

Pace: 7:47

Boise, ID 7am

Pace: 7:34

Boise, ID 6:30am

I decided I need to mix things up. I've been just putting in a lot of junk miles. So, on Tuesday and Thursdays I'm going to run laps around Kleiner Park. 1/4 mile fast followed by 1/4 mile jog for 6 miles.

It was a good workout. Running the fast quarters under 6 for at least the first half. Felt pooped at the end.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:47

Boise, ID 6:30am

Same workout as Tuesday.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:40

Boise, ID 8am

Pace: 8:05

Ran down Joplin. This is becoming my usual Saturday route.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:48

Boise, ID 6:30am

Quarters in the park.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:50

Boise, ID 6:30am

Quarters in the park.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:58

Boise, ID 10am

Pace: 8:04

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:48

Boise, ID 6:45am

Quarters in the park.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:54

Boise, ID 7:30am

Quarters in the park.

Boise, ID 11:45am

Pace: 7:56

After staying up late at that horrible football game where the bad guys won, I messed up my alarm and overslept. So I apologized to Randy and ran at lunchtime instead.

New shoes. I love running in new shoes.

Boise, ID 9am

Pace: 7:54

Slept in, got up, ate a waffle and ran. The run was fine. The waffle was awesome.

Northampton, MA 9am

Pace: 7:48

In Mass for a week and a half. There's a nice rail trail next to the hotel. Long and straight. I'll have to go out and explore later in the week.

Northampton, MA 10:30am

Pace: 7:25

Worked 14 hours yesterday and got off after midnight. I did my quarter mile sets on the rail trail. I felt like crap starting out, but it turned out to be one of my best workouts so far.

Northampton, MA 9:30am

Pace: 7:56

I couldn't run yesterday because they needed me to come in early. I'm just in survival mode this week working 12-16 hour days ending at 1am.

This morning I drove to the point on the rail trail that I finished at Monday and Tuesday and kept going past Amherst.

Northampton, MA 10am

Pace: 7:58

I wanted to put in a 10-miler this morning, but the hotel said I have to check out an hour earlier than I had planned. So I ran 8 in the pouring rain. I went on the train through Northampton this time, over the river. It had a little detour on some surface streets, but well marked. A decent run even in the rain.

Milford, CT 9:45am

Pace: 7:51

Ok, so my wife and I are big Dan Patrick Show fans. We both work at home and have it on the TV every morning. So, since I was in the area, I thought I'd make my pilgrimage to the town where the make the DP show. I worked late again Friday night and then drove down to CT and checked into the hotel at about 3am. Even though I didn't get a whole lot of sleep, I felt pretty good and had a great run. I went down to the ocean and ran along the boardwalk by the beach then through the streets of the town. Very nice and quaint. Then on the Main street I stopped and took some photos of the DP studio building and ran back through town to the hotel.

Afterward I went to the Yale Bowl and watched them get beat by Colgate.

Northampton, MA 8:30am

Pace: 7:48

Decided to get off of the greenbelt and run around town. Got a nice taste of Mass. -- old farmhouses, a 1660s cemetery and a bunch of Elizabeth Warren campaign signs.

Northampton, MA 8:30 am

Pace: 7:52

Another nice run through town on my last day in Mass.

Boise, ID 9:30am

Pace: 7:45

Bad news. So, I'm running along feeling good. Trying to get a few miles in before Saturday's race and at about 7 miles BAM my right calf starts to hurt really badly. Unfortunately I was 2 miles from home, so I walked the rest of the way. This doesn't look good.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 8:17

I got up and got ready for the race two Saturdays ago and ran around the block. The calf started hurt really bad after a few hundred yards. So I didn't race and didn't run for over a week.

This morning I decided to give it a try. It started hurting a little bit after about a quarter mile, but didn't get much worse so I kept running. Came home and iced it. Hope it heals soon.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 8:08

I took yesterday off and went out again today. I still felt it in the calf, but never felt pain. Did 7 miles and didn't feel bad. I think I'm back. I hope I'm back.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:08

Calf felt good. Nice to be back running again. Next week I'll work on speeding up a bit.

Boise, ID 6:15am

The battery on my Garmin watch went out this morning. Hope it isn't dying.

Boise, ID 8:30am

Shorter than usual for a Saturday, but I still don't want to push it.

Boise, ID 6:15am

dark

Boise, ID 6:30am

dark and cold

Boise, ID 6:15am

dark, cold and slow. I need to pick up the pace.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Boise, ID 6:15am

Boise, ID 10am

Pace: 7:58

Needed to run more than 7 miles at least once this week.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Boise, ID 6:15am

Boise, ID 6:30am

Boise, ID 5pm

Boise, ID 7:13am

Achiles started hurting bad. So I had to walk home.

Boise, ID 6:20am

Pace: 8:06

Took it easy on the ankle. Started feeling it at the end of the run. I'll take another day off.

Boise, ID noon

Pace: 7:35

Felt great, ran hard. If I had run 5 miles, I would be saying I'm cured. But I ran 7 and my achiles started hurting during the last mile.

Boise, ID 6:20am

Pace: 8:07

Another easy run trying to heal up. Only felt the ankle a bit.

Boise, ID 10am

Pace: 7:22

Easy 5k. Achiles felt pretty good.

Greensboro, NC 12:51am

Couldn't sleep, so I decided to go out for a run. Felt really good for about 5 miles. I should have only done the 6 mile loop. Stretched it out to 8 and had to walk a mile and a half back to the hotel. It was a really cold walk. It appears that I will need to be taking more time off and my streak of 100-mile months will end at 58.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Took a week off to let my achiles heal. Went out for 5 miles. Walked the last mile. grrr

Greensboro, NC 7:30am

Three miles, ankle felt ok.

Greensboro, NC 9am

Still taking it easy. Felt sore afterward.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Another week off. Trying again. Feeling pretty good.

Boise, ID 8am

Ran five miles and the achiles felt good. I'll be back soon.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Leaving for Maui today. Randy only wanted to run 3.

Maui, HI 8am

Ran slow with Paige for three of the miles. Along the beach was pretty crowded, so we took it easy and chatted.

Maui, HI 7:45am

Longest run in a long time. I took off down the beach path and passed a few slow runners. Glanced back and this guy I had passed a while back was still on my butt. Dang, I didn't know we were racing. So I picked up the pace and pushed it until he turned off. I went down the road almost to Big Beach and turned back.

Maui, HI 7:15am

Paige got sick last night, so she didn't run. I just did 5 on the same route I'd been running before.

Boise, ID 10:30am

I got sick in Hawaii and didn't run the rest of the time there. I'm feeling better, so I thought I would give it another shot. Bad idea.

I cut the run short and by the time I got home I felt like I had sprinted a mile. My chest was burning. I guess I'm not well yet.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Thought I'd give it another shot this morning. Only went three. Didn't feel as horrible as I did on Saturday, but didn't feel good either.

At this point, with the two injuries and then the flu, I think I'm in the worst shape I've been in over 5 years. As soon as my health is 100% I've got a lot of work to do.

Or, maybe I should just find a new hobby. Maybe something like watching tv.

Grand Junction, CO 7am

Still not feeling great but I just need to keep sloggin it out until I can shake this cold for good.

Grand Junction, CO 7am

3.01 miles

GJ got lots of snow last night and I forgot to bring my Yak Traks. I took it easy and only fell once. I'm thinking about running again tonight. I need to up my mileage, but haven't felt up to running very far at once yet. Still hacking stuff up every run.

6pm

5.66 miles

I decided to go out again, mainly because it was 18 degrees and that sounded a lot better than the 1-degree predicted for the morning. I got a little lost, but only went about a half-mile out of my way.

Grand Junction, CO 4:30pm

Left work an hour early and got a few miles in before the bitter cold set in. Same route as last night except I didn't get lost this time.

Had to finish in time to watch the Cougars put the hurt on San Diego State.

Boise, ID 4:30pm

Flew home this morning. Kind of tired.

Boise, ID 11am

Took the usual 7-mile route in reverse direction. I thought about taking a loop around the park to get up to 7 miles, but I got tired.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 8:23

5 miles with Randy then a loop around the park.