run, run, run

2011 has been a good year so far. I ran a pretty good race here three years ago, but have been slower each year since. So this year I really wanted to pick it up.

I was hoping to hold a pace anywhere under 7 minutes per mile. After about a tenth of a mile, I looked down at my watch and saw that I was going close to 6. Too fast, but I felt pretty good, so I didn't back off too much. After about a half mile I settled in to a pace between 6:45 and 7.

Most of the race I was running alone. I had music on my iPod, which I usually don't do during a 5k.

After the race I stuck around to see if I wold get a ribbon. When they go to my age group and called out the third-place name and then the second, I thought oh well, it was fun. Then they said the winner of my age group had a time of 21:33 I thought "Hey, that's my time." Then they called my name. I've never won my age group before. That was kind of cool.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:55

Cold again. 13 degrees. We cut it a bit short this morning, but kept up a good pace.

Meridian, ID 7:30 am

Pace: 8:05

I was going to run 10 miles this morning, but got out too late. It's probably a good thing anyway because it was really cold. I was fine until about mile 5, then my hands and face were getting really cold. I listened to talk podcasts. That usually slows my pace down a bit.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:53

We went the whole way this morning. The weather had warmed up to 19 and I think we were tired of cutting the runs short. It didn't seem as cold starting out, but I was pretty chilled by the end. Good strong pace.

As expected, I added a few lbs over the holidays. Ready to get back on the diet wagon now.

Boise, ID 6:45 am

Pace: 8:11

The temerature is still hanging in at 19 degrees. I went all the way down Edna to Maple Grove and then back on McMillian and Cloverdale. Listened to a podcast for the first half, then music. Picked up the pace, but didn't get real fast. Just cold.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:58

It's like Groundhog Day. Every morning I wake up and it's 19 degrees out. Run was about the same as the others this week. Started out cold and felt even colder by the end.

Meridian, ID 11:00 am

Pace: 7:51

Good run today. I didn't have any family commitments, so I slept in, made me some waffles for breakfast and then went out running. It was nice to run in the sunshine and a little bit warmer weather. It was up close to 30 by the time I left.

One thing that was nice about this run was that my pace was under 8 minutes on every mile. Mile 11 was in 7:59 -- close one.

I dressed well for the elemets. Didn't get too warm, but didn't freeze either.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:57

Surprised by a light dusting of snow this morning. Wasn't really slick though. But I did fall down once when I saw a school bus coming and kind of freaked out and slipped turning a corner.

Today is my New Year's Day. I extended the holidays a week. Now, I'm sick of eating bad and ready to start lifting again.

Boise, ID 6:45 am

Pace: 8:40

Cold and slow. 15 degrees. Couldn't really even get it going this morning. At one point I caught myself closing my eyes. I must have been hoping I could sleep-run or something.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8.08

 Had trouble getting the pace down again today. Started out ok, but then on the return trip I had a head-wind that seemed to be dragging me back. Plus I had a pretty light dinner last night. And I had trouble with the temperature -- too warm with the wind at my back, too cold when I ran into the wind. Is that enough excuses? If not, I'm sure I could come up with a few more.

Boise, ID 6:20 am

Pace: 8:26

Don't know what the problem is right now. I'm not motivated and when I do get out there I can't get the pace up. I think part of it is the cold and that I've been trying to reduce my calorie intake. The temperature was warmer today, around 30, but the humidity was higher to, so it was that cold that sinks into you bones.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:08

A little slick this morning, but not too bad. A bit warmer too -- in the mid-30s. Still feeling tired. Maybe I'll be ready to pick up the pace on Monday after a day off.

Boise, ID 10:30 am

Pace: 7:35

Now that's more like it. It's amazing what a decent night's sleep will do for you. When I first got up the roads were icy and my wife told me I would be crazy to try to go out and run. But, since I am in fact crazy, I went on out anyway. By the time I actually hit the road things had dried out a bit and ice wasn't a problem.

Felt good holding a 7:30ish pace the whole way. Finished strong. Ready to face another Saturday.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:49

Weather was warmer (39) and I felt pretty good. Maybe last week's funk is over. Kept up a good pace despite a few slick spots along the way.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 8:10

Ran up Cloverdale to meet Neil at Overland. Still felt pretty good this morning. It was a bit cooler, around 30, but not bad. I kept a pace close to 8mpm on my way up, ran at a comfortable pace in the 8:20s while chatting up with Neil, then ran back in th 7:50s. Roads weren't slick. That was nice.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:55

The temperature was only around freezing, but there was a breeze that made it feel pretty cold. Had a good run. Got under 8mpm by mile 3 and held it throughout. Expected some slick roads, but they weren't too bad.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 8:08

Down into the low 20s this morning. Had a hard time keeping the pace at 8mpm. It was a pretty good run though. Went up Cloverdale to Edna to Maple Grove to McMillian and then through some neighborhoods.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:54

Good run this morning. Only the first mile was above 8mpm and the last two were well under 7:45.

I wore my Ghost shoes this morning. Bad idea. I got a blister on the back of my left foot. Time to retire that pair, I think.

Boise, ID 10:00 am

Pace: does it really matter?

I went down hard this morning. It was foggy and slick out. The roads weren't too bad, but the sidewalks were really slick. There was a stretch where I couldn't run on the road and I was literally five feet from the end of the sidewalk and I went flying. I somehow landed on my ankle and had to turn around and limp home.
I had run every day except Sundays so far this month (year). I think my streak will end on Monday.

Boise, ID 1:30 pm

Pace: 8:15

I'm back baby!!!

 Well, not really. I crashed and burned three weeks ago and have been sitting it out since. After a week of doing nothing but sitting with my foot in an ice bucket, I broke out the excercise bike and started riding it for two hours a day. I also continued lifting at lunchtime every day, hoping to keep my fitness up.

So I went out today, expecting to go maybe a mile or so. My daughter rode her bike along side. My foot felt pretty good and I think the pedaling helped. I felt like I was going a lot slower than I was. I had to take it really easy around the corners -- I probably looked like I was running with a full diaper whenever I turned.

Anyway, I'm running again and none too soon. I've got a marathon to train for. Just have to remember not to overdo it too soon.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:14

Ran the usual MWF course with Randy, but cut it two miles short. I could have gone the whole way, but I don't want to push it while coming back from the injury. I think I'll do 5 again tomorrow and try the 7 on Wednesday.

Ankle is still sore, especially moving side to side, turning corners. Randy said he was glad we cut it short because his knee was tightening up during the last mile.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:26

Feeling sore today. The ankle is about the same, but the legs were really heavy. I guess that's what taking three weeks off will do. Plus, I pedaled for an hour last night, so I was feeling kind of wiped out. Going to do the 7-miler tomorrow.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:27

Rough one this morning. I started out slow and sped up during the first 4 miles, but then dropped off to around 8:30 the rest of the way. Ankle is feeling a little better each day, but my legs feel weak from the time off. Just have to tough it out through this week and hopefully things will get better.

Meridian, ID (Treadmill) 6:30 am

I hate treadmills. But, it snowed last night and I don't think my ankles are ready to be slipping and twisting on the ice just yet.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:17

I'm looking forward to next week because I'm hoping that since it won't be the first week back, it won't hurt so much. Ankle is feeling much better, still not 100%, but I have some pain in my legs and groin. Just starting up again aches and pains, I hope.

I felt like Randy was pulling me along the whole way, but during the last mile, he asked me "are we running faster or am I just tired?" So I wasn't the only one feeling tired.

Meridian, ID 9:15 am

Pace: 7:57

I really didn't know how far I would end up running today. I chose a course with a few shortcuts back home. When I started out, I thought I would be cutting it really short because I was feeling sore, but those little pains went away soon. It was nice to get in a long-ish hard run. Good for the confidence. Ready for my day of rest and a good week next week.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

7.02 miles

Pace: 8.00

No Randy this morning. Got an email later saying he forgot to set his alarm. I had a good progression run, each mile faster than the previous one. I was trying to get down below 8mpm, but was only at 8.00 by the time I got home.

Busy day tomorrow, so I might do another run this evening.

6:30 pm

7.05 miles

Pace: 7.46

Went out again for tomorrow's run. Got of to a faster start than this morning and was able to hold a pretty good pace.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:59

On my own again this morning. Took the reverse MWF route. Had a good progression without even trying. Just wanted to get the avg. pace under 8. Just barely got it in.

My ankle and groin felt better today than they have so far. Hopefully I can start getting faster now.

Meridian, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:18

Couldn't get the speed up this morning. It was a good run, but I just wasn't feeling it. Cold and a bit snowy this morning.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:33

It snowed a little last night. It probably wasn't very smart to go out there, but I'm not very smart, so I went anyway. It wasn't too bad and the legs felt better than they have since the injury. Only took the short course -- Randy was still recovering from a cold, but then I decided to push my luck and run a few more.

Boise, ID 10:30 am

Pace: 7:54

Good hard run this morning. It was really cold when I started out, but the sun was nice and I was able to keep pushing the pace under 8mpm. Not bad for the end of the week. I really felt close to 100% this time. A little sore during the first mile or so, but then I felt really good.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:58

After missing the first two weeks of the month, I figured my 100 mile a month streak was over. But, when I finished up last week, I was at 90 miles. So, I really had no choice but to do a 10-miler this morning.

Weather wasn't bad. Cool with a bit of wind. Kept a steady pace just under 8mpm the whole way.

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.

Boise, ID Noon

Pace: 6:56

So much for taking it easy today. With a race tomorrow I was going to just go on a short, easy run but the weather was great and my legs felt good, so I ran fast. I'll just have to rest up this evening.

The Dry Creek Half Marathon wasn't very dry. It was raining when it started and the course was muddy throughout. It was a really fun race, but very challenging. Lots of hills and single-track trails that were very slick. I fell down twice, but popped back up and kept running. I was afraid one of my ankles would go out, but I finished injury-free and ready to run again on Monday.

I felt pretty good throughout the race, passing more people than passed me and ran pretty strong the whole way. It was a good training race and I felt pretty good about my finishing time. It will be interesting to compare this race to Robie Creek in two weeks. Right now, I'm thinking that this one was a bit tougher. Robie is just one long hill for 8 miles. This one had hills that just kept coming and coming. And the downhill was pretty difficult in many places because of the mud.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:55

Just trying to recover from the weekend. Tough race on Saturday and then some bad eating on Sunday left me feeling poorly this morning. I just ran through it and felt better by the end of the run.

Boise, ID 11:45am

Pace: 7:16

I woke up this morning, saw that it was pouring down rain and just didn't have it in me. So I stayed in bed. When I got up I realized that my wife was tougher than I am. She was out on her run.

So, I ran at lunchtime. It was really hard getting myself out there because I was feeling cold. But once I hit the road I was fine and put in a pretty good workout.

Boise, ID 6:15am

7:02 miles

Pace: 7:38

Colder this morning. In the low 30s. Still feeling good and running strong. Knock on wood.

6:30 pm

5.00 miles

Pace: 7:31

Decided to run again this evening. Started out strong but then started feeling kind of woozy. Probably ran to soon after dinner. Backed off a bit in miles 3 and 4 then finished at a pretty good pace. Got rained on.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:44

I was dog-butt tired this morning. But I got up and ran anyway because that's what I do.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:36

April is turning out to be cold. It was 33 this morning. Good run though. Finished strong.

Boise, ID 7:30 am

Pace: 7:28

I got up and ran three pretty hard miles, then went in the house because I had to take my daughter to a conference for her school. But then my wife volunteered to drive her. I went back out planning on taking it easy for seven more. I did the first few in the 7:30-something range but then felt good and took off. My last three miles were 7:15, 7:17 and 7:07.

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Pace: 7:28

Saint John, NB 7:30 am

5.94 miles

Pace: 7:38

Slept a bit longer than I hoped to, but got up in time to put in six miles. Not the most exciting course, but it was a good workout to start the day. Weather was nice. A bit chilly, but I still ran in shorts and was comfortable. Some good hill work.

6:30 pm

7.44 miles

Pace: 7:27

Went down to the Irving Nature Park after work. Jeff came along he did one lap, I did two. It is a great place to run. An up-and-down dirt road that loops around the whole island. Running through the trees with glimpses of the bay here and there. I even saw a porcupine crossing the road.

Saint John, NB 6:30 pm

Pace: 7:17

Went back to the Irving Nature Park. I didn't sleep much last night, so I didn't think I would run very well today. Even thought I might just run one lap. But, I started feeling it and held a strong pace the whole way, improving on yesterday's pace by 10 seconds. And, I saw another porcupine.

Holy crap! I've been running faster lately, but I didn't expect this. I've run this race twice before and finished in 2:02 and 1:57. This isn't supposed to be the kind of race you PR, but I brought home my best half marathon time ever.

The race had a pirate theme this year, so I put on a stupid looking scull and crossbone headband and velcroed a plastic sword to my running shorts. The sword fell off somewhere in the first 50 yards, but by then I was in race mode and could care less about the pirate thing.

I started out at a pretty quick pace, 6:33 in the first mile. Then the hill started. I figured I'd just keep pushing until I got tired. I never really got tired. The only problem was a grinding in my gut. I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich about an hour before the race. Usually that settles in my stomach pretty good, but apparently not this time. I just kept reminding myself that it always goes away. This time it kept up for about a half hour or more. I didn't quit feeling it until after I was over the top.

 The uphill miles were in the 7-something to 8-something range. Mile 8 was 9:16. My average pace at the top was about 8 flat. I reached the summit in 1:06:49 and then picked up the pace. I got passed on the way down by a few younger, faster people and one guy who looked like a PX90 ad but held a pace in the 6:20s until the last mile where I dropped down to 6:51. Here's the splits from my garmin.

Really happy with my time and I had fun too. I rode with two other guys. Neil reached his goal of finishing under 2 hours and Brian crashed, burned and puked. But he has a good story to tell.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:32

Was going to take it easy today with a recovery run after Robie Creek on Saturday. Maybe cut it short or run a bit slower. Still a little sore in the legs and above my butt. Ended up running pretty strong anyway.

The weather wasn't too bad. High 40s with a light drizzle. Started feeling good right way, so we kept the pace under 7mpm after mile 1. I wore shorts, 3 shirts, gloves and a stocking cap. As usual, my legs were fine but my fingers still froze.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:10

It's cold again. Down around freezing this morning. I'm going to run long tomorrow, so I backed off the distance a little this morning. Kept up a good steady pace though.

Boise, ID 4pm

Pace: 7:18

Ogden long run #3 is in the books. My best long run ever. I hit the 13.1 mile mark in under 1:36, which would be a half marathon PR if I was in a race.

Weather wasn't ideal, but could have been worse. Temps in the 50s, some rain and a nasty head-wind for part of the run (which means there was a nice tail-wind for the other parts).

I'll do long run #4 in two and a half weeks and then taper for two weeks before the race.

Boise, ID 2pm

Pace: 7:43

I went out for an easy, short recovery run after yesterday's hard, long run. Now I don't feel so good. Maybe I should have just rested.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:37

Still feeling the effects of Wednesday's long run. This was a good run, but I kept the pace 10 seconds or more slower than I would have. Cold this morning 30 degrees. Sometimes I really hate April. It is such a deceptive month.

Boise, ID 2:30 pm

Pace: 7:01

Good progression run 7:17, 7:14, 7:11, 7:02, 6:53, 6:25. Weather was wonderful low 60s and sunny. One of those days where you are happy to be alive and enjoying this great planet we live on.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:26

Not a bad run for a Monday morning after eating too much over Easter. Weather started out ok, 45 and dry. It started raining about half-way through. Didn't push it too hard, but kept running strong.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:26

Had trouble getting up to the pace that I wanted this morning. I had hoped to average about 7:15, but my legs felt kind of heavy. A little chilly, but a nice morning for a run. I went down Edna to Maple Grove and down the hill. Back up Mitchell, through some neighborhoods and then on the path by HP and home.

Saw my neighbor leaving for work when I was finishing up. I raced him. He won. He was in a pickup.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:20

Randy had to be to work early today, so we only ran 5 miles. Then I grabbed my ipod and ran two more. I kind of made a mistake. I decided to run down the road behind the funeral home. I thought it would hook up with the temporary roads going to the new park. It didn't. It just ended and I had to run through an old plowed field full of weeds. I had to be careful not to roll an ankle on the plow hills.

Weather was cold again -- 36 degrees and clear.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:18

The weather was a bit warmer, but I under dressed, so I was still kind of cold. I held a decent pace most of the way, but had a side stitch in mile 3.

I almost stepped on a dead skunk on Pine St. Luckily it didn't stink (lucky for me, not necessarily for the skunk).

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:22

Who ordered up the snow? There wasn't much, but enough to get in my eyes and bug me. Running South or East wasn't bad, North and West sucked.

Kept up a steady progression until mile 6. At the Cloverdale/McMillian light I asked Randy how he was doing. He said not too good, thigh pain. He asked how I was doing, I said good. A few minutes later he decided to do something about that. He picked up the pace to under 7mpm and then said something about racing to the light. He takes off, I follow. He kills me, even running backwards and smiling at me for a few steps. Got the pace around 5:40 for about a half mile and then after the light slowed down to a 7:14 pace for the final mile.

Nampa, ID 9:00 am

4.1 miles

Pace: 6:59

Busy day, so I went on a short run while my daughter's softball team warmed up. Held a good pace despite a rough head wind for half of the run.

Boise, ID 3:00 pm

5.1 miles

Pace: 6:54

After watching the softball game and having Costco pizza for lunch, I figured this would be a bit slower than the morning run. I was wrong. Kept the pace under 7 for miles 1, 2 and 5. 3 and 4 were into the wind. Two good workouts = one good Saturday.

I passed a teenager riding a bike today. Last week I passed two teenagers on skateboards. What's up with the slow kids these days. Shameful.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

6.8 miles

Pace: 7:18

The usual MWF route. A good solid run, nothing spectacular. Weather is getting better. It was light from the beginning, 41 degrees with blue skies. We're getting there.

8:00 am

2.5 miles

Pace: 6:57

I took the car in to the shop and ran home. Upped the pace a bit from the earlier run. Felt pretty good, except that I don't really like running down Fairview. Too many cars.

5:30 pm

2.55 miles

Pace: 7:11

Ran back to get the car.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:12

Wasn't really that motivated this morning. Going long tomorrow, so I kind of just wanted to get it over with. But still, it was a good run. Weather was nice and I felt pretty good.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:13

Last long run before Ogden. If I'm not ready now, I'm not gonna be. I ate a PBJ and ran my regular MWF 7-mile loop with Randy then did another 7-miles stopping back at the house in between for gel and Gatorade. The last 6 mile loop was the roughest, of course, but I was able to hold on to my marathon goal pace. I know you're supposed to do your long runs a bit slower than race pace, but I figured this was the only way I was going to have the confidence to believe that I can hold this pace for the distance.

I used Cliff Shots instead of GU and didn't have the stomach pains that I had previously, so that is good. Plus, that is the brand they will be handing out during the race.

Boise, ID 12:30pm

Pace: 6:53

Five mile recovery run after yesterday's long one. Felt a little fatigued at first, but was feeling really good by the end with a 6:36 final mile. Nice day, weather around 70. Ran at lunch to give my legs a few more hours to recover and to get some sun on my haole white body.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:12

No Randy this morning. I waited for a while and then took off. I saw a few people I know out there, then with about a mile left, along comes Randy. He said he was sitting in his living room playing the guitar waiting for 6:30 to come around and then remembered that we run at 6:15 now. He took a different route but then saw me down the road. Said he ran a 5:40 pace trying to catch me.

Boise, ID 1:30 pm

Pace: 6:41

10 kilometers pushing it pretty hard the whole way. The pace felt good though. If I was in a race, it would be a 10k PR by almost 3 minutes. Ready for my day of rest tomorrow.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:12

Good solid run on a Monday morning. I was feeling kind of funny for a couple of miles but finished strong.

Nampa, ID 5:00 pm

Pace: 6:56

Went for a short run while my daughter was at softball practice. Weather was really nice except for a bit windy. Traffic on Karcher kind of sucked, but the rest of the run was nice.

Felt good. Trying to run strong while reducing the miles this week and next.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 6:58

Good strong run this morning. Doing 5 on my MWF morning runs this week.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 6:57

Still tapering. Perfect weather for a run this morning.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:07

Another nice morning, a little cooler than yesterday. We took a little bit different route because we ran by a house that Randy's wife wants to buy (but won't). Another solid run. I'm going to take tomorrow and Sunday off and then run a few on M-W next week. Starting to get that pre-marathon uptightness. My wife might be ready to kick me out of the house by this time next week.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:21

Cold and pouring down rain. My "easy" run this morning wasn't that easy.

Boise, ID 7:30 am

Pace: 6:54

Went out and ran my fastest 5k ever. Hit the 3.1 mark in 20:24. Next time I do a 5k race maybe I can shave off those 24 seconds. Then I went another .4 miles with my wife at about a 9mpm pace. I was able to run a little later this morning because I was taking off work to drive to Blackfoot for my Aunt's funeral.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:03

Last run before Ogden. I'll rest tomorrow and travel to Utah on Friday. Tapering messes with your head. It's nice to get out for a short run and remind yourself what you have. Hopefully I'm not a basket case by Friday night.

 A good race. I met most of my goals. 19 minute PR and 12 minutes under Boston Qualifying. That will allow me to register on the Wednesday after registration opens. Not a guarantee I'll get in, but at least I won't have to wait the full week.

I had put a lot of pressure on myself this time. I'm 10 lbs. lighter than I was at Top Of Utah in September (I weighed in at 145 the morning before the race) and I've been running a lot faster, so I really expected to BQ this race.

 Almost didn't make it to the starting line. Four of us were waiting for our ride. He didn't arrive on time, so I called him and discovered that his alarm had not gone off. But he made up for it with some sweet Dale Jr.-like moves down Washington Blvd. and luckily the buses were a little late so all was good.

I lined up just ahead of the 7 minute pace and took off. I was pretty close to the front so there weren't any congestion problems. Most of the crowd was behind me.

1    0:06:46 A good start. Maybe a little faster than I planned, but it felt good so I went with it. I wasn't sure how much gravity would help with the downhill stretch at the beginning, so I thought I would hang with a 6:50 to 7 minute pace for the first 8 miles or so.
2    0:07:02
3    0:06:52 I started getting warm, so I decided it was time to shed the throw-away cotton shirt. It was a $1 DI shirt that I had cut at the collar and the bottom, so I tore it off Incredible Hulk style. It worked really well to take it off without messing with my visor, sunglasses or iPod.
4    0:06:52
5    0:06:50
6    0:06:50
7    0:06:57
8    0:07:06 This is where the downhill ends and the course goes slightly uphill for a few miles. I just wanted to hold on to a pace below 7:13 at this stretch.
9    0:07:11
10    0:07:07
11    0:07:21
12    0:07:18
13    0:07:18 Feeling really good up until the half marathon point (exactly the same as last time) when nature starts to call. I run through the half marathon starting line with people calling my name, telling me good job (names were on our bibs). As soon as I pass the crowd, I dive into one of the port-a-johns and drop a deuce in record time. I run out of the can and, for a number of reasons, wearing gloves doesn't seem like a good idea anymore.
14    0:07:55 This is where the hill is. Not a bad hill, only about a half mile long and I keep up a decent pace. I down my third gel at the top.
15    0:07:51 Maybe I swallowed that gel too fast because the gut starts grinding pretty hard in two places. I know it will go away, but it's really hurting most of this mile.
16    0:07:32 Gut still grinding.
17    0:07:42
18    0:07:15 Time to start running down the canyon. I should pick up some good time here.
19    0:07:30 I'm not picking up any time.
20    0:07:46 I'm running downhill, I'm supposed to run faster.
21    0:07:46
22    0:08:00
23    0:07:45
24    0:08:32 Out of the canyon. This is where it will start to really hurt.
25    0:08:59 I start feeling like I'm going to puke and even throw up a little in my mouth, but there's nothing I can do about it but just keep on running.
26    0:08:37 The last mile is up Grant Street. I'm not running very fast, but it's all I've got. I see Paige, she's yelling "you got it babe!" Some of the back-of-the-pack half marathoners are walking toward the finish line, at least I'm passing them.

When I cross the finish line I'm kind of dizzy. Somebody asks "are you ok?" I said "I don't know." He must have thought I said "sure, I feel great" because he just told me to continue on and get my medal.

I saw Jim along the rail and chatted with him for a bit.  He ran his first half marathon and finished in 2:20. I told him I was proud of him and then went into the finishers area and just sat there for a while. I felt much worse than I did after my last marathon. After a few minutes I saw Paige by the fence and she gave me a hug and started crying telling me "you did it, you did it!"

I've never gotten a massage after a race before, but I did this time. The girl giving me the rub down asked if I was going to run another marathon any time soon. I told her that I was planning on doing Pocatello in August, and I probably will, "but right now, I don't want to."

So, that's it. I'm a little gimpy now, but pretty soon the pain will be gone and I will always know that I qualified for the Boston Marathon.

Fredericton, NB, Canada 6:30 pm

Pace: 7.18

First run after the marathon. Went further than I should have, but I found a cool loop on rail-trails and I couldn't resist. It was a really nice run, mostly through the forest but I started feeling sore about halfway through. My quads and right knee were feeling it, so I slowed down a bit. I don't think I'm any worse for wear, but I'll probably go a little shorter tomorrow.

Fredericton, NB, Canada 6 pm

Pace: 7:47

Still too soon. Legs and knees started hurting about 2.5 miles into it. I'm going to take off Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:23

Felt pretty good for about 4.5 miles. The last half mile hurt. I'm going to try to keep it really light this week. I don't want this knee thing lasting too long.

Meridian, ID 9 am

One mile with Riley, getting her ready for Saturday's kid's race.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:12

Knee started hurting, so I stopped at mile 4. Problem was, I went for a 5 mile run and I had to walk a mile home.

Meridian, Idaho

Another mile with Riley. Resting until Monday, hoping the knee will heal.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:17

Did the 5 mile loop with four days off. The knee held up. I kept thinking I was starting to feel it, but it was just my neurotic mind imagining things. I'll do 5 again tomorrow and then try 7 on Wednesday.

On Saturday my kids did the Capitol Kid's Race. Riley did well, I haven't seen any results, but she was probably in the 9 minute range. Alex did awesome too. This was the first year she has done it unassisted. She walked/ran the whole way and even broke into a sprint for the final stretch. Made their old man really proud.

Boise, ID noon

Pace: 6:59

Good solid run. Knee started hurting during the last quarter mile. I was going to try to go 7 miles tomorrow morning. I think I'll keep the runs down to 5 or less for the rest of the week.

Yes, it was just a local race in Eagle, Idaho and yes, most of the faster runners entered the 10k and yes, my primary competition was a 14 year old girl named Megan, but a win is a win. I've never been the one following the police motorcycle before, so that was cool.

When the gun went off a few kids bolted out first, but I passed them all pretty quickly. Then the only person ahead of me was this little girl running really fast. I gradually closed the gap and caught up with her around mile 1.5. I hung right beside or behind her for a half mile or so and then passed her with about a mile left. By the time I reached the finish line, no one was close. When I crossed the finish line I didn't know what to do because I always follow the people ahead of me.

Megan came in second.

The only disappointing thing was that the course was about a quarter mile long. I entered the race hoping to improve on my 5k pr, and I would have if the course was accurate. According to my math, I would have finished under 20:30. I'll take a first place instead.

I wasn't sure how this race would go after running so little these past two weeks nursing the bum knee, but it held up nicely. No knee pain at all. I guess the real test is next week when I bump up the mileage a bit.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:44

Randy was pushing a stroller, so 7:44 is a pretty good pace. Knee held up, felt pretty good.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:22

Tired this morning. I so wanted to stay in bed, but I got up and ran anyway.

7+ miles pain-free miles this morning. Hopefully that means I'm back. I'm planning on ramping back up this week and then jumping into full Pokey training mode next week.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:13

Weather is great, legs feel good, life is good.

 I ran with my wife for about a half mile at the end, that was nice.

Boise, ID 7:00 am

Pace: 7:26

I almost didn't go out and run today. I was tired and dealing with family issues, but I finally made it out about 45 minutes late. Glad I did, of course. Weather was pretty cool, around 45 degrees but felt really good out there.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:32

Randy had the stroller again, but we went the whole seven anyway. He ran at a track meet last night and I played softball, so we were both running a little slower. I was surprised that my legs were kind of sore. In the game, I did a lot more sprinting than I usually do.

Weather was 49 degrees and sunny. Very nice.

Boise, ID 8:00 am

Pace: 7:14

Legs were feeling sore and heavy at first, but then after a couple of miles, I started feeling better and picked up the pace. Weather could not have been more perfect for a run.

Boise, ID 11:30 am

Pace: 7:15

Flying out today, so I skipped the morning run and went out when the sun was shining. Got a little warm, but it was really nice. I'm usually not one to run with my shirt off, but I did for much of my run today. Not because I wanted a sun tan, but because I forgot to apply my little round band aids.

Grand Junction, CO 6:00 am

10.3 miles

Pace: 7:58

Went running with a co-worker. The first three miles were really slow, but it's nice to have company sometimes. After he turned back, I sped up and went down the river path until I got to the place where the path was flooded and collapsed into the river. Then I went up Monument road to a trailhead. I'll run on the trail another day.

5:30 pm

3.1 miles

Pace: 7:36

Hot. I ran on some city streets with shade trees, but it was pretty hot out there. I didn't realize how much it was affecting me until I stopped running and felt kind of dizzy.

Grand Junction, CO 6:15 am

Pace: 8:32

Ran a slow 3 miles with Eric, then took off for 5 more. Feeling kind of fatigued so I didn't get my pace below 8 until my last mile and a half or so.

I was about to turn down a street when I realized that it was named Ute street. I went another block and ran down Main. I don't run on Ute streets.

Grand Junction, CO 6:30 am

Pace: 8:10

Ran from the hotel up Monument road to the Tabeguache trail. I took the trail across until it hooked up with Little Park Road and looped back. It was a pretty rough run: 10 miles wth 934 feet of elevation gain. I think any place with the words "Widowmaker Hill" on the trail map is going to be challenging.

Boise, ID 4:30 pm

Pace: 7:17

Got very little sleep last night and a crappy travel day, so I was feeling exhausted before I ever left the house. With a race tomorrow, I didn't want to push too hard, so I just ran an easy three. I put the pace down below 7 for the last mile or so just to make sure I still can.

Still feeling out of shape. Not sure how the 10k will go. Hopefully, I can put in a good run. I need to teach Neil a lesson about racing against old men.

I had said I was going to teach Neil a lesson about racing against old men. Well, I learned that lesson myself. First place in the race was a teenager. Second place was a guy in the 55-60 age group. Third place was me.

Shawna, from down the street won the women's race, but disqualified herself because she missed a turn and went on a different course. When they announced her name as the winner, she was already gone, so I told them what happened. People were impressed by her honesty. Kind of like that story they tell in church about Pedro and the gym class rope climb.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:21

Good morning run. Took the MWF route with Randy then did another 3 on my own. Started slower 7:45 and gradually increased until my final mile was at 7:04.

Meridian, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:37

Felt tired most of the way this morning. Summer is definitely here. It was warm for a morning run.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:21

Legs were really feeling heavy this morning. I put in some extra miles on Monday and Tuesday and then I got a load of gravel, so I spent Tuesday evening shoveling rocks. Now I just feel tired.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:34

Still feeling tired. Life keeps getting in the way of my running.

I'm running 50+ miles a week and still feel like a slug. What's up with that?

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:12

Felt better this morning. Not a lot of talking on the run, just running.

Thinking about doing 15 tomorrow morning.

Eagle, Idaho 7:00 am

Pace: 7:34

Not a bad run for the end of a pretty high mileage week. I went down Eagle Road to the greenbelt, over to Glenwood and back home. Held a comfortable pace the whole way.

I took a gel at 7.5 miles. I nursed it for about a half mile instead of sucking it all down at once. I think that's what I need to do from now on. It went down easier and I didn't have a gut ache. I think I'll take two on the half marathon next Saturday and see how it goes down at race pace. I felt bad because I tied the empty gel packet to the drawstring of my shorts, but when I got to a trash can it was gone. I became the answer to the question "who's the pig who littered the greenbelt?"

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada 9:15 pm

Pace: 7:23

This run almost didn't happen. I traveled all day and didn't get to the hotel until after 8:30. So, dark was approaching and it was foggy (Happy 4th of July!). So I put on my running gear along with a headlamp and pepper spray. I know pepper spray won't stop a moose, but it made me feel better.

The run was good even though the weather wasn't. It was so wet, I could see the mist in the beam of my headlamp and I ended up soaking wet. Also, the only way I could really tell whether I was running uphill or downhill was by looking at my watch and seeing how fast I was running.

Saint John, NB, Canada 7:30 pm

Pace: 7:50

Not a great run. I mapped out a 10 mile loop, but forgot to check the mileage at the first turn. When I got to the road, it said "Authorized Vehicles Only," so I thought that it must not be it. So I kept running. When I got to 6.4 miles I knew I had missed the turn. But I was at a really cool bridge. It was very high and below was a stream heading out to the ocean. It had boats on the ground next to it waiting for high tide. One boat was far from shore and looked like it has been there for decades. So that was cool. The run back wasn't.

I was having some back pain last week after shoveling those rocks. It had gone away until this afternoon. Now, after this run, it's worse.

Saint John, NB 7pm

Pace: 7:03

I went down to the Irving Nature Park to do a short run. I decided that the cause of my back pain lately has to be the stupid bed at the hotel. I took yesterday off and think I'll sleep on the couch tonight.

I got a late start because of a meeting, but I wanted to get one lap around the park in today. I ran pretty hard and felt good. The back only seems to hurt when I'm not running. I saw a fox, a porcupine looking thing and a huge dog. Good thing the dog was attached to it's owner.

 I felt a little hypocritical because the main reason I ran faster today is because I wanted to finish before the hamburger shop closes.

Been dealing with back pain, time zones and lousy eating lately, so I didn't go into this race feeling very confident. I was pretty sure I could PR, since my previous best was Robie, which goes uphill for 8 miles. I really wanted to get in under 1:30:00, but wasn't sure I could.

I held my pace pretty well over the whole race. My fastest mile was the firt at 6:38 and my slowest was 10 and 12 ate 6:55. The race is an out and back, so I was able to count the people ahead of me. I was in 9th at the turn-around and after about 8 miles I glanced back and didn't see anyone behind me, so I expected to finish in that place. Then at mile 10 the guy directly in front of me (the only one I could still see at that point) took a quick right across the grass towards the bathroom in a park. I felt bad for the guy, but wasn't going to wait for him, so I was in 8th. Then, after passing a bunch of 10kers, with about 1 mile left I passed a guy who looked like he was in the half marathon. So I finished in 7th place with a 10 minute PR and a little medal for second place in my age group.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:13

Perfect weather this morning. Lots of other runners out. I ran 7 with Randy and then did another 3 on my own, bringing the avg. pace down by a couple of seconds to get me to marathon goal pace.

Boise, ID 6:45 am

Pace: 7:14

Cloverdale to Executive to Maple Grove to McMillian to Cloverdale.

Kennewick, WA 6:15 am

Pace: 7:20ish

Ran from my sister's place in Kennewick Park down Steptoe to the river, up Edison and back through Vista Field. Nice weather this morning, about 60 with a little bit of cloud cover in the Eastern sky. Some good hill work coming up out of the park and by the airport. I paused my watch at a corner and then forgot to turn it back on again until 2 miles later, so I'm not sure what my overall pace was, but probably better than 7:20.

Kennewick, WA 6:30 am

Pace: 7:30

I ran a little farther than I had planned. I went down the hill to the Richland Wye and across the Yakima river to Richland, and came back along Columbia Park Trail, Leslie and Gage. Some good hills in there. At one point I was following an irrigation canal, but it turned into an aquaduct that crossed a gulch with no way to cross, so I had to backtrack. Then I stopped at a gas station to get a Gatorade, but the gas station didn't even have a convenience store, just an Esspresso bar. So it stunk like coffee and after waiting for a long time just to buy a bottle of water I gave up and left. Now I'm sleepy.

Kennewick, WA 5:45am

Pace: 7:34

Got up early and ran down 4th street, up Union to 10th, down hwy 396 and back on 4th. It was a nice run, but I was feeling kind of fatigued from the week. Didn't worry too much about my pace and even cut it short a mile. I'm taking tomorrow off because we're going home and if I were to get up early and run before the drive I would probably fall asleep and kill all of us. So I will sleep in and live to run another day.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:06

Met Randy for the usual MWF run. Kept up a good pace, started at 7:33 for the first mile then dropped to around 7:10 for two miles then near 7 and below. At 7 miles Randy went home and I went 3 more at a pace in the low 7s. Felt pretty strong. Trying to do better with my nutrition and exercise this week.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:29

Didn't feel like running this morning but once I got out there I felt ok. A pretty uneventful run. I went down Cloverdale to Executive to Maple Grove to McMillian. I ran with my wife for the last quarter mile or so.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:32

Feeling kind of sore this morning. I shoveled a load of rocks for the yard last night and I started back lifting and doing ab exercises.

We passed a couple of guys from the neighborhood, chatted with them as we went by. Then, when we turned the corner I looked at my watch and said "so we're just letting them think we're running the whole way at a 6:30 pace."

I was going to take a lap around the block at the end to get in 7 miles, but my wife was just starting her run, so I gave her my Garmin and called it a day.

Boise, ID 5 am in the morning

Pace: 7:49

First long run for Pocatello. I decided to increase the mileage of my long runs to 25 miles. I figured that might improve my stamina in the last miles of the marathon.

I did four loops starting and ending at my house. That way I could stop off for water, gels and the restroom. That part worked out pretty well. I took six Cliff blocks and a gel packet. I put them down slowly and didn't have any gut issues.

I wasn't feeling it this morning. Started out slow and didn't get much faster. I started seeing spots in mile 8 and thought I would have to cut it short, but that went away pretty quickly. I held on to a 7 thirty-something pace most of the way, then started to fade in mile 21. In my last mile I was spent. Just hanging on to finish. And I did, so hopefully the next one will be a little easier.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:49

Wasn't sure how I'd feel after yesterday's long run. I was tired and had a few aches and pains, but not bad for the most part. I was going to go the whole 7 miles, but when we got to the turn off, Randy said "how far do you want to go?" That's all it took, I said 5 and we cut it short.

Boise, ID 7:30 am

Pace: 7:10

My wife and I got up and drove down to the greenbelt this morning. Since we run at different paces (but she is getting faster) we decided that we would run for a half hour and then turn around. I started out with a 7:33 pace in the first mile then sped up each mile until the last mile was at 6:47.

The weather was perfect. Chillier than I expected for a morning in July.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:16

Pretty good morning run. I started having a strange pain yesterday. Just above my knee would hurt if I straightened my leg too much, like going down stairs. I felt it a bit at first this morning, but I must have just needed to work it out because it went away after a couple of miles.

After 7 miles with Randy, I took off for three more. Ran pretty solid the last mile was under 7 minutes.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:09

Good solid morning run keeping it below marathon goal pace.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:22

Another morning 10-miler. Legs felt kind of tired today. Probably because I was on my feet a lot last night packing for the trip. Now it's time to hit the road (Jack).

Bountiful, UT 7:20 am

Pace: 7:33

Lots of hills. Started up on Bountiful Blvd. Ran past the temple and then down the hill, very steep. Took a couple of wrong turns and then got on Orchard. Stopped at Dicks for a Gatorade and back to the house. Pretty warm out too.

West Jordan, UT 7:30 am

Pace: 7:35

I thought I would run along the Jordan River pathway. A good idea, except that I seem to have found one of the few places along that river that where the pathway doesn't connect. I thought I was on it until I started seeing homeless camps and a dead-end. So, I backtracked and then ran along 1300 West past the temple and back. Not a bad road to run on actually.

Bountiful, UT 6:45 am

Pace: 8:24

Some serious climbing this time. I ran from the in-laws' place up Eaglewood Dr. and around the golf course. I didn't mean to, but I was looking for the Bonneville Shoreline trail and there was a sign with an arrow pointing in that direction. The sign was wrong. But, I eventually found it and took it a couple of miles up to the Air Traffic Control station with a nice view of Salt Lake City. Then back down as steep as the climb up.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:12

Weather was kind of gross this morning. 71 and muggy. Like running in a laundromat. Turned out to be a good morning run though. Increased the pace each mile to finish below marathon goal pace. I thought about going 3 more this morning, but decided to not. Going long tomorrow.

Boise, ID 5:15 am

Pace: 7:30

I got up really early for Pocatello Marathon long run #2. Another 25-miler. I think going the extra 5 miles is really going to help. If I has stopped at 20 miles I would have said I felt pretty good, and you aren't supposed to feel pretty good after a long run. I didn't fade like I did last time though. I've said it before that the last 5 miles are the only ones that matter in a long run. I improved quite a bit from last time:

21     8:23     21     7:20
22     8:19     22     7:50
23     7:49     23     7:38
24     8:17     24     7:34
25     9:06     25     7:28

 My goal was to finish with an average pace of 7:30 and I was at that when I made my last water stop at mile 22. I told my wife that I didn't think I had it in me to hold that pace for 3 more miles. I guess I did.

I almost impaled myself near mile 5. There was a construction sign tipped over at the side of the road and, in the dark, I couldn't see it. I grabbed hold of the base of the sign just in time. If it weren't for a car's headlights behind me I probably would have been gored.

Kauai, HI 6:00 am

Pace: 7:40

An ok run for my first day on Kauai. Not familiar with the roads, so I kept it simple. Ran through town mostly. I did have one adventure. Near the airport I saw a side road that was gated and I decided to run down it. It was nice, running through cane fields but I soon started having thoughts of wild pigs and got a little nervous. The road looped back to the highway, but crossed several hundred feet underneath. There was a cement embankment going down, so I climbed up it and continued on down the highway.

Kauai, HI 6:00 am

Pace: 7:58

Pouring rain, steep hills and miles of pure Hawaiian awesomeness. From the hotel I took a road up near the mountains. When I went by the Menehune fish pond, I stopped, read the plaque and continued on quietly. If there's one thing I know about Menehunes, is that you don't want to piss them off.

The road winded up through jungle and grassy areas up to the highway and back down to the hotel. Good hill work, but my feet are suffering. Running in the rain gave me a blister on the back of my foot and I ripped off part of my toenail boogie boarding yesterday. I think I'll call it a week and take Saturday and Sunday off. Maybe my feet will heal up a bit. 

Kauai, HI 6:00 am

Pace: 7:33

I planned on taking a road behind the airport over to a pier and back. I got turned around and ended up going in front of the airport, but I found the pier. It was just a pier. On the way back I found the road I wanted to go down, but it stunk like a landfill, so I went back the same way I came.

This vacation has been hard on my body. I've had two toenails bleed, a blister on my right ankle, I scraped my chin on the bottom of the pool and, worst of all: baggy shorts + Hawaii humidity = a wicked case of crotch rot. I found a sample pack of Body Glide in my bag today, so I'll give it a try tomorrow. If it works, I'll do my full run. If not, I'll probably pack it in and call it a vacation. 

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:01

Still recovering from the travel day, but I needed to run hard to prove to myself that the vacation didn't set me back too far. Started out at a 7:33 pace and sped up each mile with the last mile at 6:42. Weather was perfect, legs felt strong. Bumps and scrapes from the vacation are healing.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:19

I started out strong for the first 3 miles but then started to fade a bit. Held a 7:15 to 7:20 pace for the rest of the way. Got back to the house at 9.2 miles and didn't have the motivation to run around the neighborhood for another .8. I'll go longer tomorrow.

Tried out a new pair of Ghost 3s. Felt good. Good thing since I bought two pair.

Boise, ID 9:30 am

Pace: 7:33

I slept in this morning and knew I would pay for it as the temperature warmed up, but I needed it. A pretty good run, feeling fatigued, but hung in there. It did get warm in the second half, but it could have been worse.

I ran into Neal finishing his last long run before Pocatello. I was jealous, since I still have one more planned on Tuesday. On my way down Ustick, I high-fived a guy in a skunk suit in front of the Stinker Station.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:31

Slow and easy this morning. We ran like a couple of girls. Yacking the whole way, we even stopped and talked for a few minutes after the run was over.

Boise, ID 5:15 am

Pace: 7:25

Last long run for Pokey. I think doing 25-milers is going to pay off. I've never run more than 20 miles without feeling like I was going to die. This time I finished strong. My two fastest were miles 21 and 25.

Didn't feel horrible afterward either. Soaked in the pool for a little while and I still feel tired and a little sore, but not nearly as bad as I have in the past. Hopefully this bodes well for Pocatello.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:44

Slow and easy recovery this morning. Picked up the pace to 7:15 for the last mile.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:27

I started out kind of slow (8:01 the first mile) but ended up having a nice progression. I sped up gradually each mile until mile 9 was 6:54 and for some reason I got a hankerin to start hoofing it on the last half mile and brought it in at a 6:15 pace.

I added about a half mile to my run because Edna Street was a cloud of dust because of street sweepers, so I went up another block.

Boise, ID 7am

Pace: 7:31

Not a bad run. Still feel kind of tired. Probably will tomorrow too. I need Sunday to come for a day of rest. Had a good progression going. first mile was 7:51 and sped up each mile until I was at 7:07 for the last.

Boise, ID 7:45 am

Pace: 7:19

I wasn't sure how far I wanted to run this morning, so I looked at my calendar and saw that I had run 52 miles so far this week. So I ran 8.

Grand Junction, CO 7:30 pm

Pace: 7:48

I was stressing about work, so I got up early and did prep work instead of running. Then it was 95 degrees when I got off, so I ate dinner and waited till 7:30. I drove to the trailhead on Monument Road and, instead of trail running, I continued up the road and into the Colorado National Monument. Very cool rocks.

I started out sluggish but as it cooled down a little and I got used to the altitude and running uphill I felt better. I went steady uphill for 3.5 miles and then ran back faster.

Grand Junction, CO 6:40

Pace: 7:40

Much cooler this morning, but still kind of tired from last night's run. I did an out-and-back up 7th street, mostly uphill on the out, mostly downhill on the back.

Grand Junction, CO 6:30 am

Pace: 7:38

Ran through town this morning. A lot of starts and stops. Not really feeling it. I need to dial up the nutrition while I dial down the running for the next week and a half.

Grand Junction, CO 6:30 am

Pace: 7:29

Not a bad run. Crossed the river over one bridge, back over the other and along a river trail. I forgot to turn on my Garmin for almost a mile. I hate it when I do that.

Grand Junction, CO 6:30 am

Pace: ?

Forgot to charge my Garmin yesterday, so I just ran. Went up to the trailhead on Monument Drive and turned back.

Boise, ID 9:30 am

Pace: 6:44

Been feeling slow and fat this week, so I wanted to get out and run hard for a few miles. Kept a good pace, felt really good.

Grand Junction, CO 7:00 am

Pace: 6:57

I entered a new age group today. Ran 5 miles but wore the wrong socks. Got a little blister on the back of my left foot. Maybe I'll take tomorrow off.

Going hard-core on the diet for the next few days. I want to purge the junk from my body before the race. So I had oatmeal for breakfast.

Grand Junction, CO 6:30 am

Pace: 7:43

Just took a short run up to Monument Road. Felt the leftovers of the blister on the back of my foot, so I didn't run too far or fast (probably a good thing this week). It'll be fine on Saturday.

Now, nothing left to do but go to Pocatello and run the race.

I entered this race hoping to improve on my BQ time. If I could finish under 3:10 I could register on day one. I started out feeling good. I ran with Neil and we had a similar game plan -- run about a 7 mpm pace for the first half and then hold on to something below 7:30 to the end. The first part of the plan worked out really well. At the halfway mark we were a few seconds under a 7 minute pace.

The second half of this course is kind of difficult. It flattens out and has a few uphill stretches. I lost Neil at about mile 15 and started slowing down. By mile 20 when I saw my wife, I knew that 7:10 wasn't happening. So, I just kept running as fast as I could and kept telling myself that Neil is somewhere behind you and if you let him pass you, you'll never hear the end of it.

I finished with a time of 3:22:19. Not a PR, but my second best marathon and a good effort. My legs were in a lot of pain immediately after, but about 30 minutes later, it went away and I was ready to go home and watch the Cougars beat Ole Miss.

One thing that went really well is that I didn't have the gut ache that I experienced in my last few marathons. I made sure I sucked down the gels slowly. I think that's what was giving me the gut bombs -- dropping a whole gel in one shot.

Now I wait two weeks to try to get into the Boston Marathon and hope that it hasn't filled up by Wednesday morning.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:32

Easing back into it. I walked a few miles on Monday and Tuesday. Don't want to make the same mistake I made after Ogden.

Boise, ID 6:45 am

Pace: 7:21

Another short, not to hard run. Making sure I don't injure myself. I'll probably go 7 tomorrow.

Meridian, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:18

What a great time of year to run in the morning. Cool and comfortable.

Boise, ID 9:45 am

Pace: 7:39

I was up late watching the Eagle-Capitol football game, so I slept in. That might have been a mistake because I wasn't feeling very good during the run. The temp was up to 82 by the time I finished. Too hot.

Grand Junction, CO 6:30 am

Pace: 7:39

Slept very little last night. Feeling it this morning. I hate the first night in a new hotel room.

Grand Junction, CO

A nice 9-mile loop. Feeling much better this morning. Some good hill work. Spent yesterday watching faster people sign up for Boston. My turn comes tomorrow morning.

Grand Junction, CO 6:30 am

Pace: 7:40

I ran from the hotel up Monument Road for 3.5 miles then turned around and came back. Nice cool morning.

When I got back I registered for Boston. They said confirmation goes out Friday morning.

Grand Junction, CO 6pm

Pace: 7:39

I was lazy this morning and didn't run. So I went out after work. Luckily it was a nice cool evening. I parked at the Albertson's and ran up Monument Road and then turned on S. Camp Road and then back on Broadway. It was a pretty good run, but I felt really fatigued afterward. Tomorrow I fly home.

Boise, ID 7:45 am

Pace: 7:35

I didn't run yesterday. Travel day and too much to do when I got home. But I did get my Boston confirmation, so I'm in. Pretty excited for that.

It was a nice chilly morning. Wasn't feeling great on the run, but it was good to get it in.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:27

First time running with Randy in a few weeks. Ran pretty strong this morning.

Dialing down the calories starting today. Going to get more consistent with lifting too.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:35

It's getting cooler in the mornings. I started working out with the weights and abs yesterday. Starting over always sucks.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:32

Randy only went 5 miles this morning. His foot was sore. So I did 2 more.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:38

Not a bad morning run. Temps staying in the 50s these days. Wearing a long sleeved shirt and shorts. Not ready for the really cold weather yet.

Boise, ID 11:15 am

Pace: 7:30

I took my wife to a doctor's appointment so I didn't run in the morning. It was pretty warm by the time I got out. It's surprising how seldom I've run in the heat of the day this summer. Most of my runs are in the early morning.

Anyway, the run was ok, I felt kind of sluggish from the heat and from still having breakfast in my gut. Finished pretty strong though.

Boise, ID 8:30 am

Pace: 7:32

I slept in for a while this morning, but was still able to get a run in before it got hot. Cloverdale, Joplin, Mitchell, McMillian and home through the Heather Meadows. First 50-mile week in about a month. I have to keep reminding myself to get out there and enjoy it before it gets cold.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:27

Felt really good this morning. Feeling fat and out of shape, but running well.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:50

Ran slower than usual today. It was a good progression though. Another nice cool morning. Great time of year to be out there.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:37

Randy only wanted to go 5 again because of his sore foot. So I got my iPod and reversed the course. Ran faster during the first half. I've been working out more during the day and cutting calories this week. I think it's making me tired.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:53

Kind of slow this morning. I've been on a diet this week, so I think the calorie deficit is sapping my energy a bit. I think it will just take a week or so to get my body used to the new eating routine.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:55

Woke up really tired this morning. Didn't sleep well at all last night, so when Randy said he only wanted to run 5 (foot still sore), I was all over that.

Boise, ID 8:30 am

Pace: 7:55

Still feeling kind of tired. I think I might have caught a bit of a bug. I don't really feel sick, just a little weak and some pressure in my chest. It was a decent long run though. Went down Glenwood to the greenbelt and home up Eagle Road.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:33

I slept really badly last night, so I expected to run tired again this morning. I'm getting tired of that. But, I really felt pretty good. Did a solid 7 with Randy and then took off for 3 more.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 8:04

Slower than usual this morning. Picked up the pace a bit in the later miles, but just wasn't feeling like pushing it today.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:43

Rainy this morning. And I got hit by sprinklers over by the YMCA. Other than that it was pleasant.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:45

Colder this morning. 43 when I left. Had a pretty good run, felt good. Had a hard time warming up when I got home though.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:50

10 miler before leaving town for the weekend.

West Jordan, UT 9am

8 Miles. Pace: 6:59

Ran along the Jordan River parkway trail. It was nice to run in the daylight. Weather was cool, but comfortable. I decided to run a little harder than I have been lately. I got to the point where the trail goes straight into the river and turned back.

1 Mile

Ran back up the trail to find my wife and cool down.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:28

No talking, just running this morning.

Boise, ID 6:15am

Pace: 7:52

Two 10-milers to start the week, then I'll do two 7s and finish with a 5 on Friday so I'm not fatigued for the race on Saturday.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:47

Chilly this morning. Randy's foot was hurting again, so I only did 5 with him, then 2 more on my own.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:35

I took the MWF route, but reversed it.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:41

Short, easy run. 10k tomorrow.

It was a good race. I rode downtown and on the bus to the starting line with Neal. Since the race ends up in Bronco Stadium, a lot of the runners were wearing BSU gear. So, I had to wear my Y visor.

I started out pretty fast, maybe too fast, and slowed gradually throughout the race. When I got to the stadium I turned it on as much as I could.

1 6:05.0 1.00 6:05.0

2 6:25.4 1.00 6:25.4

3 6:29.0 1.00 6:29.0

4 6:35.2 1.00 6:35.2

5 6:42.5 1.00 6:42.5

6 6:45.1 1.00 6:45.1

7 1:00.1 0.18 5:37.5

I had two goals. 1. PR. 2. Get in under 40 minutes. I made the first goal and missed the second by 4 seconds. I guess I can live with that.

Also, I shredded my 5k PR in the first half. My watch showed 19:40 at the 3.1 mark. Too bad it doesn't count. Gives me something to shoot for on Thanksgiving morning.

After the race we ate pancakes.

Boise, ID 8:30 am

Pace: 7:36

Ten miles in the fog. Cloverdale, down the hill at Joplin, up the hill at Mitchell.

Grand Junction, CO 6:30 am

8.1 miles

Pace: 8:00

Ran up Monument Road 4 miles and turned back. Feeling tired this morning.

5:30 pm

5 miles

Pace: 7:36

Since my run was shorter than I'd planned, I did 5 more through town after work.

Grand Junction, CO 5:45pm

Pace: 7:50

I drove out by the airport and ran on a road that headed out toward the mountain north of town. Mostly uphill out, downhill back. It was a good run. The only downside was the dust. A few trucks drove by on the dirt road heading up to a shooting range, and one car full of teenagers probably going up to smoke some weed.

The end of the road was about 7 miles up, but at 6 miles it was getting dark, so I turned back. At mile 11 it was fully dark and a car passed. In the light of it's taillights I saw a big snake on the road. I kind of freaked out and hurdled it. I think if it had been a cow, I still would have cleared it.

Grand Junction, CO 5:30pm

Pace: 7:51

A rough one tonight. I stopped at only 3 miles in, feeling kind of funny. I pulled out of it by the end, but I was hating it for a while.

Planned on going 11 miles, but an overpass was out so I had to change my route. Probably a good thing.

Grand Junction, CO 6:00 pm

Pace: 7:54

One more evening run to finish the week. I like running in the morning better.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:50

It was 48 degrees this morning, but felt colder. Started out at about an 8mpm pace, ended up around 7:30.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:51

It got cold. 31 degrees out there.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:55

Cold again. I took it pretty easy this morning. Started out at a slow 8:20 and gradually increased the pace each mile. When I got into the subdivision there was a guy poking along about 100 yards ahead of my. I crossed the street so I wouldn't blow past him and make him feel bad, but then when I caught up with him he took off into a full sprint. What are we racing dude? So I picked it up a bit more and turned off on my street. I wanted to holler over to him "Hey buddy, I'm on my tenth mile here!"

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:43

Ten more miles. Dark and cold.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:48

Good progression this morning. Last mile was at 7:20.

Boise, ID 8:00 am

Pace: 7:32

A good solid run this morning. Ran stronger each mile. Took a figure 8 loop - Cloverdale, Joplin, Mitchell, McMillan, Eagle.

I got to bed really late last night. I felt like I was running with a hangover at first, but after a while my head cleared and I finished strong.

Boise, ID 9 am

Pace: 7:29

Travel day today, so I went longer and later. Felt really good running this morning, held a good pace and felt stronger the further I went. Now, back to Colorado.

Grand Junction, CO 6 am

Pace: 8:02

Good long hilly run. A bit more tired than yesterday. I'll go back to 10s for a couple more days next.

Grand Junction, CO 6:15am

Pace: 8:11

My achiles was bugging me today. Probably too much mileage front-loaded this week. It felt better by mile 8 or so. I probably should have cut the run short, but I didn't.

It was a pretty cold run this morning. Low 30s with a nasty breeze blowing at me on the way back.

Grand Junction, CO 6:15 am

Pace: 8:18

I ran this loop in the opposite direction on Tuesday. It was steep uphill, followed by a long steady downhill. This time I had a long steady uphill followed by a steep downhill. I prefer the former. It was also quite cold this morning and I get slower as the week wears on.

Grand Junction, CO 6:30 am

Pace: 8:05

Took 1st street to the end of town, then turned around and ran back. Now I'm done for the week. Travel day tomorrow and I don't run on Sunday. It's been a good week.

Colorado is now my 3rd most runned-in state since I started keeping track in the summer of 2007. Sorry Pennsylvania.

Idaho	6251.79
Utah	1522.75
Colorado	517.39
Pennsylvania	509.10
New York	203.54
Massachussets	196.62
Arizona	177.20
California	158.45
Washington	128.07
New Brunswick	127.20
Hawaii	111.33
Texas	98.50
North Carolina	70.76
Montana	48.18
Mexico	28.19
Maryland	26.20
D.C.	10.02
Ontario	8.18

Salt Lake City, UT 7:15am

Pace: 7:40

My flight was late leaving Boise last night and I barely missed my flight to Grand Junction. The guy said "we've got you on a flight first thing in the morning." Apparently first thing means 11:30. It worked out for running though because I wasn't planning on going into the office until after lunch anyway and if I had made my flight, my luggage would not have and I checked my running gear.

So, instead of running up the mesa in Colorado, like I had planned, I ran around the industrial area by the airport in SLC. I felt pretty good this morning. I don't like running in circles, but I finally found a road that leaves the area and heads out towards Tooele, so I went down it for a few miles.

Grand Junction, CO 6:30am

Pace: 7:49

I ran up to the monument and back.

Grand Junction, CO 6:30 am

Pace: 7:49

Took 1st street to the other end of town and back.

Grand Junction, CO 6:30 am

Pace: 7:54

Up to the Monument and back. On Tuesday I found a good route that goes up monument road and then loops through a neighborhood right at the base and then back down for 10 miles. Those rocks are awesome, especially when the sun is coming up.

Boise, ID 4pm

Pace: 7:32

Feeling tired and groggy after a travel day. Almost didn't run today, but did 5 miles to clear my head. Felt better afterward.

Boise, ID 8:30 am

Pace: 7:37

Out and back on the greenbelt. I thought it would be pretty to run in the fall leaves. It was, but with the rain last night, everything was kind of soggy too. It was 35 degrees so the bridges were slick.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

I think my Garmin died, so I ran naked this morning (not really, it was 39 degrees out). Randy and I took the 5-mile loop and when he was done I went around again.

Boise, ID 6:30am

Pace: 8:04

The Garmin didn't die. It finally came back to life after the 5th or 6th attempt at a  hard reset.

I ran pretty slow for the first half of my run this morning. Picked it up some on the back stretch.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:53

Ran 5 with Randy again (he had an 8am dentist appointment), then ran 5 more on my own. Cold this morning 25 degrees. My hands were freezing.

Boise, ID 6:30 am

Pace: 7:50

Warmer this morning, but a little breezy. I also thought it might rain. Ran out to Cole and back again.

Boise, ID 6:15 am

Pace: 7:56

7 miles with Randy. Three on my own.

Boise, ID 7 am

Pace: 7:57

Cold again this morning (that may be a theme for the next few months). Went up Cloverdale to Joplin, Mitchell, McMillan, Eagle, Ustick and home. Ready for a rest day.

Spanish Fork, UT 6:20 am

Pace: 7:49

5.25 miles

I didn't run on Monday. Traveled to Utah and then got busy.

Ran from one end of Spanish Fork to the other. SF isn't a very big town.

Springville, UT Noon

Pace: 8:16

6.81 miles

Lunchtime run with Matt. He took me on a fun route. Lots of back roads, and trails. Who knew there was such a cool route right by the office.