"A Hefty Hunk Of Steamin Junk"

I really had hard time today! I was pretty good through 16 and 17 miles but after that my legs just blew up and they were done... The last 9 miles I had to run walk the rest of the way in, I know some had to do with the heat and I also think the lack of proper training really failed me today... I was injured from March to the middle of July and I just couldn't get enough training in and certianly not enough downhill training. I haven't had to walk in a race for along time and it was truely humbling, but with heat and the legs letting me down it just made for a bad combination. Its my first full marathon since 2008 (SG) which I did in 3:43:00 so I thought maybe with some race day magic I could pull off a 3:30 but it just wasn't to be. I really need to work on my base mileage over the winter and try and get stronger in the legs so I can start improving, I can't run marathons just to run them, if I'm not getting faster and improving then I feel I'm wasting my time, I'm just not built that way and I feel like I have been going backwards the last couple of years. I'm sorry that I'm complaining but it was a real tough day and it has been a ruff couple of years. I'm going to hold off on the splits till later cuz I feel like its really not meaningful to list them at this point.  Don't get me wrong I really gutted it out today and I'm proud of myself for that cuz it would have been real easy to catch the shuttle down but I didn't... My time is un-offical but its close enough for today until I get the results. My legs feel pretty good but I have a real narly blister on my left pinky toe and it is really sore, which is kind of wierd cuz I usually don't get blisters, and I think the lack of downhill training is the reason for that. There just wasn't enough time. I will take a week off and let all my wounds and blisters heal and then pull up my boot straps and get after it again, I know I am and can be a better runner than this but that will depend on my body co-operating and staying injury free.

See Later

Resting from the marathon on Saturday... Quads are really really sore, walking downstairs is almost impossible, and my big toe unter the nail is an off color blue I hope I don't lose the nail! Pinkey  toe on the same foot has a major blood blister and I'm sure I will lose that one! My big toe is super sore, especially right underneath! Ouch! I'm planning on taking the whole week off but it might be longer with the toe issues, I hope its not though I'm ready to get back out there. I signed up for the runners series and was able to get in, I think it filled up in 8 minutes, crazy! I will be running Painters Half again and then the Spectrum 10K in march, should be a fun time. My plan is to get stronger over the winter in my quads and calfs and start doing hills earlier so I can be better prepared for SG next year, but mainly I want to stay injury free and then be able to run 6 days a week again.

See ya later.

Legs are starting to feel better. Soreness is slowly going away and I'm starting to see some improvement. My big toe is still sore and my brother-in-law looked at it yesteday and thought about taking the nail off but then decided against it. He just taped it up and wants to go that route and see how it recovers. It does feel better today when I walk so I hope that I don't have to remove the nail, I guess time will tell. He also drained my little toe but that hasn't been to bad. I'm still hoping to starting running again next week, just hoping to ease back into it.

See ya later.

Well, its been a week since the SGM and I seemed to be healed up pretty good... My toes are coming around and I think I'm ready to start running again on Monday. I need to get ready for the Painters half in January, so hear we go. My goal is to actually stay healthy for a whole year and be able to stay at it and really go after some PR's for a change. let the madness begin!

We traveled to Oakley today for Ethan's soccer game and we had another barn burner, Ethan scored 3 straight goals to tie it up and then his friend Zac got a goal with a few minutes to go to win it! The kids played hard and never gave up! It was awesome!

Se ya Monday.

My first run post marathon, my legs felt pretty good but I had a few knots in both calfs but I actually felt pretty good. The plan is to ease back into running this week and hopefully get back to a full training next week, but that all depends on how the old legs are recovering.  I ran out towards Payson and just tried to get the legs moving, my average pace was 8:46 with my total time at 35:40 I didn't wear my HR monitor this morning so I don't have any numbers on that. I finished up with my upper body weight training and then some push-ups. I am in the runners series again and my plan is to run the Saint George Half and then Spectrum 10K again,  with my son Ethan running the Spectrum 10K with me, should be a fun time!

See ya Tomorrow.

Rest...

I ran out past the stake center and points beyond this morning, the legs are coming around and the knots in my calf's were all but gone, my achilles on my left foot still got a little stiff towards the end but a lot less than Monday's run. My average pace was 8:40 with my total time at 35:31, no HR info as I didn't wear my strap again. towards the end I was able to get into a really good rhythm for about a half mile and my pace was 7:30 for that little stretch, after the run I did my upper body weight training and then some push-ups.

Ethan had another good soccer game last night! They played Park City again and it was tied through the first half and then Ethan and his Friend Zac just exploded with 2 quick goals and then we just piled it on from there and ended up winning 6 to 0! On top of his goal Ethan had two awesome assists, it was so cool!

See ya tomorrow.

I did a afternoon run today out to mini GU corner and then back to the house, the legs were a little tight but after about a mile I stopped and stretched and then they seemed a lot better. It was pretty hot but not to bad, I was able to get into a pretty good rhythm and on mile 3 without knowing I had a 7:40 mile, I wasn't trying to push it but I had really good form and that always seems to make it easy. I just tried to keep it steady on the way back and enjoy the sunshine! My average pace was 8:19 with my total time at 50:30, I still have a little bit of a knot with my right calf but I don't really feel it until about 4 miles and then its just kind of there, but its real slight so no big concern. I will run just 3 to 4 miles tomorrow and then try and see if I can do 8 miles Saturday before I have to head to Ethan's soccer game up in  Kaysville.

See ya tomorrow.

I ran the Payson Park loop and extended down into the park which adds in the rollers, the pace was nice and easy I ran via Salem canal road out to the park. My legs were tired and I still have a knot in my right calf but I don't start noticing it until 4 miles or so, my average pace was 8:54 with my total time at 1:03:54. I am running the SG Half Marathon in January as one of my races for the runners series so I am going to start preparing for it now. I have re-dedicated myself over the last couple of days and I will be getting up and running in the mornings! "The Cupcake Stroll is over"! My plan is to do just base mileage for the rest of this month and then start incorporating some speed in around the middle or first of next Month, my goal this year is to get stronger on the hills to better prepare myself for SG. I have entered the Utah Valley Marathon but plan on using it as more of a training run than a Boston Qualify, Speed and hills on the same day makes for a great training run. I finished up today with my upper body weight training and then some push-ups, my goal is to stay healthy and have a full year with no injuries! Let the fun begin.

See ya tomorrow.

I ran out to Mini GU Corner via canal road, out and back. It was a little chilly this morning, but after I got warmed up it was very nice. My legs took forever to warm up but on the way back I was able to get into a pretty good rhythm, my average pace for the run was 8:42 with my total time at 52:52. I feel like I have picked up a little bug or something, runny nose and slight ear ache. I slammed some Emergency-C so hopefully that will knock it out! To finish up I did my lower body workout and some push-ups.

My son Ethan and his soccer team play for the championship tonight, I sure hope they can do it! I'm so proud of them this year, and Ethan has been awesome and I think a lot of it has to do with his running. It has really given him confidence and a quicker step, as if he needed it!:)

See ya tomorrow.

I have got a massive head cold and it is really kicking my butt!!! No running today, I am taking Emergency-C and I am hoping that it well knock it out soon! Set Backs suck!

Feeling a little better today from the head cold, and I feel like I can run finally so I might do a short run later today or I might just wait until tomorrow, if I do later today then I will update then if I do.

Later.

I ran out to GU Corner and then back to the house, when I was close to home I decided to tack on a few more miles so I ran out to the old barn on canal road and then back to the house. The pace was upbeat at times and then slow at times, my last mile was sub 8 minutes so I will count that as MP.  My average pace was 8:39 with my total time at 1:27:05, for the most part I felt okay but when I would stop I would start hacking pretty good and since I finished I have been hacking like crazy! Dang cold! The knot in my right calf was still there but didn't really show up until 5 or 6 miles and then it just kind of stayed the same. I feel like I am recovering from the marathon fine, 3 weeks to the day and everything is feeling pretty dang good, other than the freaking cold that I have been dealing with the last week! I am hoping I can get a full week of running in next week so I can start building my base mileage up.

Its my Stepson Masons farwell tomorrow and then he enters the MTC on Wednesday, with that said I have a lot to do today so I guess I better get going!

See ya Monday

I ran the Payson Park loop this morning and my old legs took awhile to get going but on the way back my turn over seemed to improve. No knots in my calf's and everything seemed okay so that is a good sign. I'm still fighting the bug that I've had the last week, so my whole body just seemed fatigued but I am improving, less hacking and I am getting better sleep at night. My average pace was a little slow at 8:44 with my total time at 1:02:29.

Mason's Farwell went really well yesterday, he did a great job and I am so proud of him! He will make a great Missionary! We take him to the MTC on Wednesday at 1:10, my poor wife is a basket case!

See ya Tomorrow.

I ran in the afternoon today and I ran out  to Mini GU Corner, my legs were not feeling it today again. On mile 4 I was able to pick up the pace a little bit so I am counting that mile as a MP mile. My average pace was 8:47 and my total time was 53:18, my legs pretty much Bonked with about a mile to go. But at least I got er done!

See ya tomorrow.

Rest day today... We took my Stepson Mason to the MTC today as we were busy getting last minute items and getting him ready. I also found out that my niece's daughter Emma has passed away, a very sad day! She was such a cute kid and she will be greatly missed! So I didn't have alot of time to run and my Heart just wasn't in it today, I know no excuse is a good excuse but I'm sticking with it today!

Later.

Couldn't seem to find the time to run today, but I'll be at it again tomorrow morning... My Hearts been heavy the last few days, trying to get use to having Mason gone and then the loss of my little niece Emma it's been hard to get in the running mode but I will resume it tomorrow. I'm sure my Heart will still be heavy though!

See ya tomorrow.

I just wanted to do a nice little run this morning and get the legs shaken out as I haven't run for 2 days, so I decided to run up and over Harry's Hill and then down to the Stake Center and then home. I felt pretty good going up Harry's and then I just tried to keep an even Pace down through Harvest Ridge and back to the Stake Center to the canal, on the way down I had 2 MP pace miles and My average pace for the run was 8:31 with my total time at 49:22. My plan is to try and go 10 to 13 miles tomorrow and see how I feel, I would like to get in some nice longer runs between now and Painters Half in January, but I also don't want to over do it. It was 27 degrees this morning so on came the tights and a beanie for the first time this fall, burrrrrr.

See ya tomorrow.

I ran out past GU Corner and down into the river bottoms and then came back the same way, I slept in a little bit and didn't get out until after 8 o'clock. It was nippy but not to bad, I ran in tights and a long sleeve with a beanie and some gloves. My goal was to go at least 10 miles and maybe more if I felt like it, but my legs were feeling it by 10 miles so I quit there. I wanted to keep an 8:30 pace through out and I did that with a total time of 1:25:42, the last mile felt like a death march but before that I had some pretty steady miles with one MP Mile in the middle. Now it's off to rip all my flowers out for the winter as the cold weather has finally killed them, they look all black and ugly!

See ya Monday.