Run

Library: It was about 84 this morning, my stomach was messed up, and I didn't have anything. Was dead the whole time, even coming back down the hill. I like it warm, but the 80s is too much.

Track workout: started at 5:30, so that means I woke up at 5:00. Too early. Hot again, but I had a lot more energy than yesterday. The workout was a continuous run with 200 m at 5k pace then 200 m at marathon pace. We were supposed to go for 30 minutes. I made it about 26 before I called it good on the knee. Tried to keep the 5k pace around 6:15 and the marathon pace around 7:00, but really it was all just guessing. A few more miles than I was looking for, but the rest of the week I'll be taking it easy. 

Stucki Farms: hot again. Still fighting this cold that started last Thursday with the sore throat. Now it mostly just a little running nose, but I wake up feeling pretty trashed and I'm stuffy most of the run. Still feel like I'm running a thin line of falling back into injury on the IT band, but I think I've got a pretty good handle of knowing when to jump back to the safe side.

Fields loop. Muggy. Right inner hip a little sore, maybe from backpacking yesterday with James. Avg pace was 8:01. Sometimes I felt great, sometimes like I'm on the verge of injury again with the IT band. Rolled on foam roller afterwards.

Drove down past Stucki Farms and Warner Valley Road and parked. Ran along the new beltway alignment which is currently a dirt road. Nice straight, level path to the airport exit, then turned east and followed the road to a sod farm down by Ft. Pierce Wash, but it had a fence. Looked into going south around it, but the road turned to the southwest, so I backtracked up a bit, then turned east then northeast cross country until I came to the old dirt road along the east side of that valley. Followed it north back to my car.

Interesting to see all the earth moving going on out there. Lots of land for future development. Will be nice when the freeway is finished for quick access to the airport, but I predict it will be a long time until the area is really built out, especially because it will mostly be business park stuff out there by the airport. 

Fields loop. Cooler today, but humid. Lots of runners/bikers out. Felt pretty good, but a few pains would come and go. Got into a pretty good rhythm on 20 East at a 7:10 pace. With the downhill, I could maybe keep this pace for the marathon.

Yasso 800s on the track. Figured 3:10 would be a good effort. Warmed up about .75, then a lap of dynamic stretching and 2 laps of strides. Steve said to do 10 800s, but I figured I'd better hold up at 8 tops. 400 m recovery in between. Times were 3:04, 3:03, 3:06, 3:07, 3:09, 3:07, 3:10 and 3:09. It was probably a harder effort than it should have been, but I need to push some of these to get some fitness. Knee felt pretty good, but again I felt like I was coming close to the edge with it. Half mile cool down. After I got home and showered I got on the foam roller for a few minutes and the legs felt pretty good all day after that.

Slow recovery through the fields. Tons (relatively) of traffic on Wash. Fields Road, but once I found some more back roads that I typically don't run on it was much nicer. Avg pace was 8:20. 

Hot & muggy; 85. Just an easy jog to wake me up.

New little loop up 300 E and back down 100 E. Nothing special. Yesterday afternoon work was slow so I went on a hike in the Reserve from Cottonwood Trailhead. Started up Red Reef wash, climbed out up the ridge to the west and made my way up to a nice peak between Red Reef and Heath Wash. After some troubles finding my way back down, followed a wash that I though was Heath Wash (turns out it wasn't) down to Cottonwood Wash and back. 8 miles total; 3.5 hours on the trail. Nice overcast and sprinkles. Love the wet desert!

Wildcat Canyon: here's one I've been wanting to check out for a while. Wasn't sure if I really wanted to drive up there just for 10 miles, but pulled myself out of bed at 6:00 and got out. Started running about 7:15: one other car in the parking lot of some hikers doing the Subway. At one mile in the Subway trail splits and this trail gets noticably less traffic. Uphill another 1.5 to a nice meadow where I took a short water and pee brake. The grass was soaking and by this point so were my feet. Despite the wet socks, no blisters and I felt great the whole run.

Cross over to another small meadow which the trail skirts to the north, then downhill into Wildcat Canyon.  The trail is wide, almost as if it was originally a Jeep road. Some pretty rocky patches too, but overall not too bad: only almost rolled my ankle once. Passed a small spring right on the side of the trail, then crossed the canyon to the other side and I decided I would go all the way to the West Rim trail: 5.8 miles.  Didn't know when I'd get up here again and didn't want any regrets.

Climbed up and out of the canyon and hit the junction at 5.75 miles and 54 minutes. Stopped for a gel and drink. As I walked over to the bushes to take a leak I noticed a bottle on the ground: gatorade...grape...unopened...not expired yet.  I looked around, didn't see anyone so I opened it and drank about half then thought maybe someone would really need this. Put it back down and kind of felt bad.

Turned around and headed back. The first half of the return I kept thinking I'd run into someone who would find their gatorade half gone. But I didn't pass anyone until near the trailhead when I started passing several large groups of Subway hikers. The return was 49 minutes, so I guess we know which way has the most climbing.  Overall, a nice trail and a great morning.  Oh, and my knee didn't bother at all.  Hopefully I still feel good on Monday.  

I'd almost forgot what I love about running.  And sorry to whoever might have been relying on that gatorade. 

PS, when I got home I decided to hose off my legs and shoes. I noticed that half the tread on one of the shoes was missing. It must have just all come unglued at once because I hadn't noticed anything. I like these shoes and I think I may be able to still run in them, but it's probably time for some new trail shoes. 

Fields loop. Felt dead this morning. Knee acted up a bit too. Not the best morning.

Track: the number of guys is diminishing...no Steve today, Ted was in charge so a little different. I got there late so only 1/2 mile warm up, a lap of dynamic stretching then 2 laps of strides. Workout was 400 at marathon pace (6:50), 400 at 5k pace (6:04), 400 recovery, 800 (6:11), 400 recovery, 1200 (6:02), 400 recovery, 800 (6:03), 400 at marathon (6:49), 400 at 5k (5:55). Finished with 5 stairs and 1/2 mile cool down. Found a real nice rhythm with the 1200. Only felt the knee once today. I wish there were more guys. I ran by myself most of the time, just behind the fastest group, but ahead of the next.

Followed the canal around Shinob Kibe. Had planned on turning around at the fence, but decided to do the "roller coaster". Looks like a new trail has been created because Red Salisbury has enlarged his junk yard. The hills went ok, but the shoes aren't the best for that sort of thing. Barely had 3 so I ran down to the Fields Road and south to Chapparal Ridge then home to finish right at 6. Felt ok, knee bothered a bit, but I got into a nice groove the last 2 miles.

Three.

With the wife! Went south thru Majestic View and on the backside of Staheli Farm, then home. Easy pace for her benefit, but it was probably the fastest she has run in a while.

Missed Saturday's run. We went camping at Duck Creek and I had planned on going out on the Virgin River Rim Trail, but Natalie threw-up twice in the night and I was too tired to wake up, plus I didn't want to leave Kami alone in the morning to get things going.  Too hot to try and run in the evening, so I procrastinated it until today.

Started out on the Hell Hole loop. Hot and muggy and it smelled like pee all down by the river.  Looks like a nice flash flood poured through Hell Hole. Took Telegraph (got a drink at the water wheel park) and Red Cliffs almost to Mall Drive, then down to the park by PVMS for another drink and then back east with one more water stop at the soccer park then home. Legs pretty worked from the mileage on the pavement, but overall feel ok. Avg pace was 8:06.

This is supposed to be an easier week, so I should still be in good shape. 

Track: 800s: 2 @ 5k pace then 1 @ marathon pace. I warmed up about 3/4s and had a nice side ache. Not sure where that came from. Steve was gone again so Ted was in charge. Dynamic stretches were up and down the field, then 2 laps of strides, but I only did 1 because of the side ache. Next into the speed:

3:00 (5:58), 3:04 (6:08) &  3:26 (6:55) (the first 2 were way too fast)

3:07 (6:16), 3:09 (6:15) & 3:24 (6:52)

3:06 (6:15), 3:08 (6:18) & 3:24 (6:46)

Obviously the marathon pace ones were too fast because I probably should be around 7:15. 400 m recover between each one, 5 stairs and 1/2 mile cool down.

Very warm and humid, totally soaked. That and the long run yesterday probably took something out of me. I think I'll move this week's rest day from Thurs to Wed. 

I needed 6 so I went out to Treasure Valley where I can get some water, but the fountain was off. On the way, from the corner by Staheli Farm to the corner by Stonehedge I pushed the pace for a 1/2 mile and hit it right around 3:00. I then decided to run 20 East all the way to the north trying to keep the pace under 6:30. The first mile has a pretty decent downhill and I hit is around 6:19. The second mile a bit flatter and it came in at 6:33. Total time was 12:52, which is about a 20:00 5k.  Hopefully I could go faster in a race.  

Fun morning. 

Got out about the same time as Kami so I ran with her. She kept a pretty brisk pace for the first 2.5 miles, but probably went out too fast and slowed after that. About 9:00 avg pace.

Mustang Pass: got started about 7:00 just after the rain stopped drizzling.  Nice hard trail and cooler temps, but super humid. Had stomach issues (thanks Wing Nutz!), but eventually got those taken care of and just enjoyed the wet, quiet, barren desert. Just went up Mustang and then down the dirt road by the wells to get to 4 and then turned around.

Library. Cooler today, about 71. Looks like it should be drying out, so the temps should be cooler in the mornings. Ran up the hill and focused on keeping a steady pace. Ran down the hill and pushed it a little. Avg pace 7:35.

Track: neither Steve nor Ted showed up today. Last night Facebook said something about "4 400s, 800, 1200s" which didn't make sense to me. Yesterday I was feeling like I need some longer repeats so with no real plan today, I did 1200s. Figured 5 would be a good number and I wanted the pace under 6:25. They were:

• 4:42 
• 4:45 
• 4:44 
• 4:44
• 4:43

The mile pace ranged from 6:17 to 6:22. Felt good about his effort. Finished with 5 stairs and cool down.  

I only planned on 3 today, so I slept in a little. Kami had already left and just as I was about to leave the phone rang. I knew it would be my mom telling me grandma died, and it was. Definitely expected, but I'm not sure how I feel. She was old and worn down and lonely. Death is part of life and living. Yet it's hard for me to fully comprehend that she is gone for good.