Go Long!

Went to see a new podiatrist about my Morton's Neuroma. He gave me a steroid shot (which hurt) and said, "Go run. Just don't sit in a hot tub for two days." So I went and ran. His cushiony insoles weren't all that hot, but running on my forefoot and using a toe separator (between my 3rd and fourth toes) seemed tolerable and 6 miles was comfortable.

Actually, I think this was running around the mall. But, hey, it's mobility.

This was Mom's birthday and I can't remember how I got 9 miles in, because we went to Provo and ate with everybody at Chuck-A-Rama in the evening. I think I ran in the morning when Dalene went to the temple.

Ran from my house to the overpass in Roy to do some hill work. Ran from the bottom on the overpass up to main street and back twice. Ran home and hit 10 miles exactly. Asked a guy walking to school to pick up his kids to run with me, which he did. It was cool.

Don't know why I missed. Maybe I went to visit Mom and Dad (I think).

Started late in the day and it got cold. Stashed chocolate milk for the last half of the run and tolerated it well. (In fact I liked it.)

I ran this to see if I actually could. I could.

Went to Idaho to take Scott his Honda and see the kids. Did not run. (Moved my long run up to Friday, but missed a short one.)

Can't remember. Bluff Trail. Felt good.

Ran the south end of the Bluff Trail from the golf course. Hit the long roads in the country. Stashed OJ and chocolate milk for the last half of the run.

Started near the golf course on the Bluff Trail and ran west as far as I could, north to the start of the trail, south past the new fire station and then through the Glen Eagle community to my car. Had a good run with some decent speed (7-8 mpm), sustained over several miles. Good run. 

Didn't run. Helped Jeff with job applications (law firms) and visited Dad for his birthday. Bummer.

I ran about 20 miles on the Jordan River Parkway, starting about 12:30. I don't have exact totals because the battery on my Garmin was low. I started in the middle and ran each direction (5 miles) twice, using my car as a permanent aid station. It worked out well. I finished just after 3:00 so I probably ran 9-10 minute miles... maybe a little faster.

I felt good today, no effects from Saturday's run, so  I decided to try 10 miles, hoping to get 10 everyday this week with something a little longer on Saturday. It snowed like crazy today so I wasn't eager to get out and get my feet wet, but going west into Hooper on 2400 in the afternoon wasn't bad. I struggled with the run, however. My pace with stops (and there were plenty) was about 10 mm. We'll see how I feel tomorrow, but I really think my problem was the burrito and beans I ate for lunch, not my training. I had a lot going on down there as I ran. I'm tired tonight. 

Ran north and then south from the 3 way stop on Bluff Road. Felt better today than yesterday. It was cold (32F) so I wore 2 tights, 2 hats, 2 gloves and 3 tops. I see runners out there in shorts in this weather, but I think they're nuts. Maybe their sweat evaporates faster than mine... I'm still bothered by that. Anyway, 10 felt better today than it did yesterday, but I'm still a little tired. I'll see how I improve tomorrow. I think it's starting to set in.

 Pace was between 8:30 and 10:00. Took some walk rests, for which I won't apologize. finished the course (with stops) in less than 1:40. 

Ran the south half of the Bluff Trail in falling snow. Although it didn't feel that way, my pace was slow. I wondered about running because I feel a strain in the back of my right knee. I think I pulled it a little when I stretched after my run yesterday. That should have taught me a lesson.

I ran easier today than yesterday. I think I'm finally recovering from Saturday's long run. I'll see how I feel tomorrow. 

I did a little wandering today through the Wild Horse Springs and Wheatfield subdivisions. I'm amazed at how many houses are for sale (maybe 30%). Now all I need to do is figure out how to get them all on option. I'll think about it. I had a hard time tracking my run because I forgot to turn off my Garmin several times as I looked at houses and I forgot to turn it back on for what I think was probably 2 1/2 miles. I don't know, so I just logged a conservative 9.4. It could have been 10 or even a little more. 

Right hamstring is a little sore. Blisters on several toes. One black toe nail, another pink. About 30F today, but it got warmer late in my run. I spent 2 hours wandering, but when I checked my watch most of the time my pace was between 8:30 and 10:00, usually right around 9:00. Lost some time looking at houses, but it was a good way to "kill two birds." 

Ran from the middle of the north Bluff Trail north and back to the car for a banana and PowerAde, then ran south to the turnabout and back to the car. Luckily I found my carton of chocolate milk from my run two days ago, still in the snow where I left it near the turn around. That 4 oz of icy chocolate milk probably saved my life. I've run five 10's in a row, but none of them have been comfortable. Typically the first couple of miles are tough, then it starts to flow from miles 4 - 6. Mile seven gets tough again, then it starts to feel good and I can usually bring it in. There's also a little bump at 8.5. Yesterday that bump never went away. Today I felt I finished strong. Speed fluctuated between 9 and 10 mpm until I pushed it to 8 at the end. I was just trying to go an easy pace, but you can't help being influenced by the music sometimes. I listened to my iPod about half of the time. The rest of the time I tried to listen to my footfalls, think about my cadence and concentrate on not over striding.

The pain in the back of my knee has spread to the top of my calf and to my achilles tendon. It doesn't hurt after I warm up, but I'm a little concerned. I had a similar pain during basketball in the fall. I thought about taking time off to baby it, but then decided I wouldn't until it really got bad and it never did. It just slowly went away. I hope this does. I may have increased my mileage too abruptly. I feel like I'm just on the edge of an injury. If I can keep going a few more weeks, I'm pretty sure I'll recover and my training will "set in."

I'm scheduled to do a long run with Dr. Shaw in Salt Lake in the morning. If it's snowing like crazy, she doesn't want to run... so we'll see how that goes. 

It snowed like crazy here and in Salt Lake, so Dr. Shaw decided not to run. Since it is our anniversary and Valentine's Day, I made breakfast for Dalene and later took her to Maddox for lunch. We did bunches of errands and then decided (almost) to visit the kids in Pocatello. At the last minute, we decided not to go, so I put on my duds and went for a run. By then it was 5:30 and I ran mostly in the dark. My right achilles, calf and hamstring are sore, probably worse than yesterday, but I decided to stick it out and try to run through it. I don't know what's best. Anyway, since I couldn't see my Garmin in the dark I ran what I thought was close to 10 miles. When I got in the house and checked my GPS it was only 8.2. Oh, well! Dalene was already worried about my running in the dark so I just let it go. I think I'm feeling better. We'll see what a day of rest does for me when I start back up on Monday.

President's Day. Dalene did not work. While she went to bfast with her friend, Melba, I took off west on 1800, crossing to the south to the start of the Bluff Trail. When I got there, I discovered it had not been cleared of snow, so I zig zagged through the neighborhoods to get 10 miles. It was cold to start but warmed up considerably. Only looked at my watch once as I wanted this to truly be an "easy run." Looks like most of my miles were in the 9:30 range. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever speed up, but I've decided just to get the miles in for one more month. I'll start working on speed in March, after I've had two months of 60+ consistent miles.

In the meantime, the pain in my right leg has settled in the back of my ankle. The achilles feels okay, but the tissue surrounding it are swollen and soar to the touch. It hurts a little when I run, but doesn't seem to be holding me back. No shooting pains, just a dull, lingering ache like a pulled muscle or a sprain. Weird. 

No miles. Ouch! Dalene was home because she had a comp day from SEP's. It snowed like crazy, in fact it never stopped and I ended up spending the day on family stuff including going to the temple and dinner. I hoped to get out late last night but finally decided not to share the road (what little of it was clear) with traffic. I can't make up for it, but I'll double up a couple of days and hopefully get in 60 by the end of the week. I know, I know, no excuses. But a dog really did eat my homework!

So at the suggestion of Care in Co, I'm sitting on the couch with my right achilles resting on a bag of frozen beans. The pain surrounding the tendon isn't so great that it's keeping me from running and my range of motion seems to be the same as in my left leg, so I'm just going to run on and see what happens. I'll try icing it as well for a couple of days (thanks Carolyn).

I ran ten miles on a loop into Hooper. At four different times I ran into people walking their dogs. They all wanted to talk and I actually had a good time with that, even though it slowed me down a little. One lady was from Spain and moved out in the country to get away from everybody. We started to talk because her Jack Terrier wanted to run with me so I had to pick it up and take it back to her. Now she wants to move because somebody's building a house a quarter of a mile away. "Too close!" Maybe she'll sell me her house.

Anyway, the run was pleasant. It was a beautiful day. I'll try to get 3 more miles in later today. 

I ran an additional 3.6 miles this afternoon. It was pretty easy to run at a 9mm pace for that short distance, although I seem to have some phantom (hopefully) pains in my legs and feet. The achilles is a little sore. 

I hoped to run twice today, but went to the temple with Jeff prior to his taking the bar next Tuesday and Wednesday. Didn't have time for an afternoon run, but it was all worth it. 

Between runs yesterday, I felt that familiar burning under my 4th met on my left food. I'd hoped my steroid shot had taken care of that. It wasn't too uncomfortable in my second run. I didn't wear a spacer, but the run was only 3 1/2 miles. Today I used a smaller spacer (tissue) and felt quite a bit of pain between miles 4 and 8. Then it just went away! I can't figure it out. But I'm glad the pain is gone. I'll see how things go tomorrow.

I didn't time most of my miles today, but the pace felt slow. I picked it up a little and ran the last mile or so at an 8:30 pace. I hope things change, but for now 10 miles just take so long! Sometimes I wonder if I have the patience to keep this up. Yeah, I guess I do.

In spite of ice, I still have swelling in my right achilles. It seems to be getting better, though. I also have a slight strain in my right hamstring. Sheesh! I'm starting to sound like an old man.

Everybody says, "Listen to your body," but I think that's a bad idea. Mine keeps saying, "Stay on the couch." I'll never hit 100 miles doing that. 

This was a beautiful day for a run! I drove down to the Farmington Ranches area and ran through the neighborhoods. That's is where I want to live. I'll find a house there before the end of the summer, unless fate actually puts me somewhere else. Funny, I was running back to my car and saw Targhee's parked in front of a Destination Model Home. So I stopped to talk. Since they downsized, he's working out of the model (great office, I think) in order to "kill two birds with one stone." The cool thing about the recession is everybody is doing some needed tightening up. I could buy the model and lease it back to Destination for 6-8 months (long enough to sell my house) but it's kind of big. It also doesn't have a park in the front yard... But I digress.

I ran in my 5 Fingers, which I love. I did, however, develop a sore on the outside of my right foot, where the strap comes over the top. I changed into running shoes at mile 8, when I made it back to my car, and ran a few more miles. My trainers felt like high heeled shoes (at least that's what I think high heeled shoes feel like) and put a lot of pressure on my toes. Now I know why most runners are heel strikers! Yikes! I've got to rethink this shoe issue. My high heeled trainers did make my calves look sexy, though. Well, at least I think so.

 Tight  hamstring in my right leg loosened up after about a quarter of a mile. Still have inflammation in my achilles but  it, too, doesn't seem to be a problem once I get started. I guess I'll just keep running. Tomorrow I run w/ Dr. Shaw on the JRP in Salt Lake. That will  be fun. We'll talk about mitochondria and the metabolism of fat. Hmm.  

Another beautiful day! Today I ran the old Clydzz 10 mile route on the JRT with Dr. Shaw. We talked the whole time, although she did most of the talking at first because my mouth nearly froze off. It warmed up quickly, however. It was a 2 shirt, 1 tight day, although Janet wore shorts, no tights. I guess they're just tougher in Salt Lake. Have I said before how much I hate being cold? 

Anyway, 10.2 miles at about a 9:30 clip. Not fast but not really slow. We passed a bunch of runners and never got passed. Plus we kept up a lively conversation the entire way. It's been two years since we have run together, so there was a lot to say.

We'll run with her brother's boyfriend next week. Yeah, you read that right. That should be an interesting experience. He'll be here from Florida to go to cheese making school with Mark at USU. I'm telling you it's 10 times more interesting to run with somebody than it ever could be listening to the same old tracks on the iPod.  

I may get a few more miles later, but I'm inclined to call it a day and settle a few miles short of 60 this week. All in all, not a bad week. 

I ran my 10 miles in two "laps" today. I went out to see a property in West Weber, but got stood up by the realtor. While I was there I ran five miles. But then I had to take a couple of phone calls and didn't get back to my run until after I got home. So my first run was at 2:30 and my second at 5:00. I ran the first five at an average speed. The second five was much faster. I think it was because I knew I only had to go five. Didn't feel any ill effects from Saturday's run. We'll see how I feel tomorrow, because I kind of pushed it today. I've got to be patient and take it easy so consistent mileage has a chance to set in.

It's another beautiful day. I almost wore shorts, but I hate being cold... so one more day in tights. Mine are fading to grey and I have a nice tan line-- literally. My ankles are tan between the spot where my socks stop and my tights start. So I'm tan on 1" of my legs and in a circular pattern on my face. I run with a skull cap that I just love, but it covers my head and causes the weird tan line on my face. Oh well, runners, especially those who are in their 50's shouldn't worry about such things. Should we?

I felt great when I started today but ran out of steam by mile five. Maybe my second, faster run yesterday took more out of me than I thought. Averaged 10 minute miles. Right hamstring was sore to start and again at the end. Achilles seems to be getting better.

Funny thing, I decided to break out a new pair of Under Armor socks today. They're actually from the same package as the ones I wore yesterday, but not used (or washed yet). I wear toe socks most of the time, but every once in a while I put on conventional socks just so my toes can talk to their friends. Bad idea, I guess. I now have blisters on the end of almost every one of toes. "Tell your friends about that, Guys!"

I guess I learned my lesson: you gotta keep 'em separated. 

I hoped to get another run in later today (maybe 3 miles) but will probably put that off until tomorrow. 

I ran on the south end of the Bluff Trail and then headed out through the subdivisions. This was a mistake because I stopped and looked at several model homes, which meant I made some rest stops I didn't intend to make but maybe needed. It also meant I ran the last half of my run in the dark. I didn't get home until 7:15.  

I also saw the podiatrist today. We decided not to do any other treatments on the neuroma for now. Another injection of cortisone could cause my fat pad to deteriorate and so far I'm doing okay using a toe separator. If it starts to bother me again, we'll look at cyrosurgery. He also looked at the inflammation surrounding my right achilles and thinks it's just bursitis... nothing to worry about, just the result of a lot of use. He thinks it will slowly go away and I probably don't need to cut back on my training. The swelling has gone down a bit in the last couple of weeks.  

I ran in my Five Fingers today. It was about 45 degrees and a bit windy. I ran a loop through Hooper and really enjoyed the fresh country air. It's really "fresh" right now with wet feed yards and ripe silage. Reminded my of the ranch...

I've got a few blisters, but I'm getting them almost every day, so I think that's just going to be part of more miles. Maybe my feet will get used to it.

Even though I ran almost barefoot, it seems like the miles are starting to get a little easier. Maybe it's all starting to sink in. I hope so. 

I ran the north end of the Bluff Trail from the north end without any stops. My goal was to do the entire route in less than 1:40, which I think I did. Actually, I was pressed for time, so when I stopped, my Garmin registered 9.89 miles in 1:37 and I didn't want to run up the road to hit 10... so it's not official, but close. I'm not really working on time, yet, but I do want to increase my speed. I'm being careful not to push it too much so I don't aggravate any of my injuries. So far, so good.  

Planned to run with Dr. Shaw. Had to call and cancel because Jeff came home, we had to move Robbie Gunn, we had a ward employment seminar I needed to attend and I had to fix Jeff's headlights and run errands with him and Dalene. I believe in no excuses. Had I to do it over again, I'd have scheduled the things I could control differently. Anyway, missed my long run and didn't eat as well as I usually do. (I actually ate two donuts at the seminar-- more than I've eaten in over a year.) I think just the thought of those donuts will sustain me on some of my longs runs, though. Dang! I'd like to say they were nasty but they were just good! 

Ran the north end of the Bluff Trail in two loops, stopping in the middle at my car (at the 3 way stop) to rehydrate. My Garmin wasn't charged, so I had a "free run." I ran fast when I wanted to, slower at times and even walked and stopped to chase some birds a couple of times. I also didn't take my iPod because I wanted to concentrated on my footfalls. Lately, I seem to have been "stumping" just a little, so I wanted to make sure I wasn't braking on every step. I started slowly, but got the whole 10 miles in in less than 1:40, so I averaged less than 10 minute miles even with stops. I ran some intervals at a pretty good clip. 

Jeff came home this weekend. With church service, family business and having to replace Jeff's headlights and connectors, I missed my run altogether on Saturday. It was worth it to have him home. Unfortunately, he had a nasty cold and I can feel it coming on now. I hope I get over it quickly because the grandkids are supposed to be coming this weekend. It may have affected my run, because it took me forever to warm up (probably 3 miles) but I felt pretty good at 10 even though I was running hard. I could probably have run several more miles today but it was getting late.  

Ran the south end of the Bluff Trail from the 3 way stop and added a leg into the Nature Conservancy and up through the subdivisions, past RC Willey and then back to the car. I planned to run just 10 because I was in my Five Fingers, but it was a beautiful day and I got carried away. I also got lost in the subdivisions and was unable to get back to the streets I wanted, so I ended up going long. 13.5 was too far. I got some ugly blisters and may have made myself susceptible to all the germs Jeff brought home with him this weekend by overdoing it a little. I don't want to get sick because the grandkids are coming, so I'm taking massive doses of Vitamin C, getting plenty of rest, staying warm, thinking good thoughts and eating highly nutritious foods. I'm also looking for advice. Anybody?

I didn't want to run today. It was really windy. I was afraid I was getting sick. I was tired. I didn't want to get cold. (Have I mentioned that I hate being cold?)

Finally I just decided to run a little bit. In fact, in light of something I read on the blog last week about running the day after your long run, I decided to treat yesterday's adventure as a long run and run short today, so I ran the north end of the Bluff Trail with a jaunt through the Glen Eagle Golf Course. Winds were at least 30 mph, but I just had fun with it... and, can you believe it? I ran into two guys trying to golf in that wind. The grass isn't even green yet and these guys are out there whacking away on bumpy grass in a dominating head wind. I'd admire their dedication, but something just seems a little off here. These guys were driving a golf cart, so how intrepid are they really? My friends who golf talk about how good it is to get out in the open air and exercise, but they've all got big guts and they wheeze like crazy or just don't show up when we have moving assignments. I was on my fifth mile when I passed these guys in their golf cart. They were all bundled up and still looked like they were freezing to death.

I'm frustrated that I'm not very fast (yet) but I'm pretty sure I could beat these guys in speed golf (like they play it in Japan) any day of the week.

I don't know what any of this means. 7.5 miles in just over an hour and ten minutes. Blisters are healing. 

What a day! When I started my run I was facing a 30 mph headwind and I thought, "So this is what it's like to run that fast!" The first three miles were cold and nasty, but then the front must have passed through. The wind died and the weather was mostly nice for the rest of the run. I ran the north end of the Bluff Trail going south, took a detour through the golf course, passed the new fire station and finished my first half by kicking it for about a mile to the round-about. I ran hard to the halfway point because I spotted a runner way up there and wanted to pass her before I turned around. I sustained a 7 minute mile for about five minutes before I finally caught her. She looked like she was just a young mom out to lose some weight, so I may have scared her a little. I hope not. I didn't yell, "Gotcha!" or anything when I sped past her with 100 yards to spare. It would be fun to knock road kill off the trail when you pass them, like they do in Roller Derby, but I'm pretty sure that would come back to haunt me really soon. I haven't been passed lately, but that's just because the fast guys don't know where I run.

In other news, I went to pick up a new pair of jeans today. I thought I'd probably better get a size smaller than I've been wearing, but when I tried them on I discovered I needed a pair two sizes smaller and even they fit a little loose. I'm not running to lose weight, necessarily, but in theory, carrying less weight should make it easier for me to Go Long! We'll see. 

Spent the day getting ready for family,  running errands and finishing up on needed business. Did not get time for a run. Hopefully tomorrow, when the kids are asleep.

Nope. Slept with Allie (my two year old granddaughter, who couldn't sleep because she had a cold). She coughed in my face all night. I didn't get much sleep, but she slept well and acted much more happy in the morning. Did things with family all day including getting ready for Jeff's and Austin's birthday party. No run. Starting to feel sick.

Sick. I hope I got it from Allie. If not, I've probably made everybody else sick. I have a very annoying cough and feel weak. Wanted to run. Didn't feel it would be wise. Will have to see how I feel tomorrow. 

Sick. No run.

No run again today. I don't care if I have to crawl, tomorrow I'll get in some miles. This is ridiculous. 

Nope. Sick in bed.

I'm still not feeling much better, but I had to get out and make some presentations today (yes, they went very well) and decided I just had to do something. So I ran four miles on the south end of the Bluff Trail. It was a beautiful afternoon and the miles didn't feel too bad, considering an entire week without running. I coughed up a lung to start, but after a while got into a groove and finished strong. I wore my five fingers. It was a beautiful afternoon. A little windy, in the fifties.

Okay, so this wasn't all that fun. Having run only four miles (yesterday) in over a week, I decided to go ahead and run with Dr. Shaw this morning on the JRT in Murray. Fortunately she brought Mark along who rode a bike and carried Gatorade and Gu. After we got started, she insisted we run all the way to the end of the trail, which brought us in at just under 14 miles. It actually didn't feel all that bad, but four hours later, I feel like I a used pinata. I'm sure I'll recover just fine and that mostly I'm just not over being sick, yet.

Apparently this is a nasty bug. Several kids in the neighborhood have spent time in the hospital, a couple with RSV, and adults are complaining that it's the worst cold they've had. So I'm not going to say my case was the result of training. It does surprise me, though, since I'm usually disease resistant when I train. Hmmm. 

I'm not feeling that much better, but can tell my cold has progressed and I'm assuming I'm not going to die from it now. Last week I wasn't sure, even though I've heard no one has ever died from the common cold. They could be wrong. I'm pretty sure you could die from the common cold and from running 10 miles. I'm feeling like that could happen today.

I don't know what the deal was on Saturday. Honestly, it was a pain to run, but not unbearable. Today was much harder. Maybe I still haven't recovered from Saturday. It was beautiful, although a bit windy, and I even took my gloves off and one of my shirts on the return (when I had the wind at my back). I forgot how nice it was to run when it is warm. I'd like to remember what it's like to run when it's warm and I don't have a cold. (What a whiner!) Tomorrow will be better. 

I don't know how to say this without whining: total drudgery. I must still be sick. I actually ran one mile, returned to my car at the three way stop and drove home. After a few minutes I regrouped and ran west into Hooper from the house. I just felt tired. I didn't take my watch so I don't know what my pace was but I might have finished faster if I'd have run backwards. A nice, warm day though. I'll survive.

So I'm not feeling all that good anyway, but trying to make the sacrifice. At about mile 8 I run into a guy coming in the opposite direction taking his dog for a walk. What's so strange about that you ask? He was riding a 4 wheeler! He had the dog on a leash and was riding a 4 wheeler! Can you get any more lazy/stupid than that? Obviously he knew the dog needed exercise. He needs exercise! Yeah, I know, maybe he's disabled or something. Maybe. He didn't look disabled. He looked lazy and I just wasn't in the mood for a fat guy dragging his dog on a walk with his 4 wheeler. Come on America! Get off the freaking couch!

I'll probably regret I wrote this tomorrow. 

I get to watch Austin (my four year old grandson) while his parents interview for a job at the U of NM. It's Austin's fault I didn't run.

Austin's fault.

Austin's fault again.

By the way, Austin can run. He'll take off and run a quarter of a mile until I catch up with him. Then he turns on his heels and says, "Carry me!" It's really quite endearing. And it's kind of funny, too. He's so energetic one minute and so needing to be carried the next.

He loves to ride on my shoulders, but he doesn't want me to walk, "trot," or "gallop." He wants me to sprint, full-out. I would think he'd hate all that movement, but the kid seems to like speed. It gives me a good workout.

There are maybe two or three things that are more important that running. Austin (my four year old grandson) is one. Scott and Lisa dropped him off on Wednesday because Scott (heaven forbid this really happens!) had a job interview at the University of New Mexico. They spent the rest of the week down there. Allie (two year old grand daughter) went to the in laws, Dalene had work, Jeff was camping so I was Austin's 24 hr consierge. It was great, but I lost three days of running.

I ran 10 miles this morning with Dr. Shaw on the JRT. It was slow going. The weather was great. My conditioning is poor, but at least I was able to breathe finally. Hopefully next week will be better. Planning on 10 mile days with a longer run on Thursday or Friday. I'll do 10 miles with Dr. Shaw on trails by the Legacy Highway. Haven't run there before, so we'll do some exploring. 

I'm writing this on Wednesday. I can't remember why I didn't run on Monday. That's too long for my feeble brain to remember. I'm losing my super powers. Got... to... run.

Okay, I'm a total slacker. Yesterday I just wasn't feeling well (still) so I didn't run. I decided to take it easy today just to make sure I didn't over do having been sick and all... and surprisingly I felt pretty good. Will run a few more miles tomorrow.

A sad note: Austin got my cold. I hope he does better with it than I did. I'm worried for him because he's only four and this has been nasty. 

I really have nothing to say. I worked on a couple of projects at home today and kept hoping the weather would get better so I wouldn't have to run in the rain or the wind. What a baby! I had to run some errands and go to the store, where, of all things I bought and consumed an entire box of Peeps. I don't even like Peeps! So what if they were on sale! Sugar coated marshmallows with a bunch of artificial coloring, that's all they are. Wait! They were shaped like rabbits, so maybe I got a bunch of protein. Yeah, that's it. They kind of taste like chicken...

I also ate some malt-ball easter eggs that were in the cupboard and some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. What the heck is going on? I never eat like this!

By the time I used up all the good daylight hours with time-wasting projects, I figured I might just as well bag it, in terms of running, which is what I did. Somebody send me a life raft, I'm drowning!

Okay, I'll be better tomorrow. I promise. I'm traveling to Salt Lake and then Provo, but I'll take my winter (grrr!) running clothes with me and make sure I get in 10 miles, even if I have to bathe in the Jordan River afterwards. Wait! Maybe that's what made me sick in the first place. Forget about the bath, I'll just stink the rest of the day. Wait! I can't stink, I'm meeting family for dinner. Dang, I'm not sure what to do. It's complicated being a world class runner. 

I'm starting to feel better from whatever sickness has had me down for the last two weeks. Not having run many miles this week,  I didn't want to go out and use everything up because I'm scheduled for at least 10 miles with  Dr. Shaw tomorrow. On the other hand, I wanted to see what I had in the tank and hopefully clean out the pipes a little so I decided to do 5-7 miles on the Bluff Trail this afternoon. It stretched a little, I ran 8. For the most part I felt pretty good. I had energy for the first time in about a month and after a couple of miles I actually felt like I was getting into the flow also. I feel like I'm carrying at least 10 extra pounds when I run, so I'll have to be careful about what I eat as I begin to build my miles again. Hopefully I'll be back on schedule in about a week.

It's a great day to be a runner! I wasn't sure how I would react to yesterday's run on the heels of being sick for the last two weeks, but I actually felt good for the whole ten miles today and finished strong. I could have run a few more miles, but had commitments, so I was happy to get in 10. I'm a little sore this afternoon, but not bad. A day of recovery tomorrow and I should be more ready to go on Monday than I have been in nearly a month. 

There were a lot of runners on the JRT as it was a "training run day" for the Salt Lake Marathon. Is was good to see a lot of runners, but I think I've seen more in the past. I'm starting to become sort of a running evangelist, so I'm anxious to see more people on the roads. I had a great discussion with Dr. Shaw about what it takes to get people off the couch in light of this weeks forum discussion on running and aging. Very enlightening. Next week we'll explore some of the new trails along the Legacy Parkway.  I hope we can find a bathroom.

It's amazing how much better you can run when you're not sick! I'm not totally out of the woods yet, but I feel pretty good and running today was actually enjoyable. I remember a moment, heading south on the Bluff Trail, with the wind at my back and the sun warming me through my black tights and skull cap-- all the while feeding an urge for peak efficiency, when I actually exclaimed out loud, "This is great!"

It wasn't all great. I pushed the tempo a little, although it was supposed to be an easy day and the five miles back from the turnaround were harder than I expected because I was running into a brisk wind coming straight from the North Pole. It's nice to work on my own because I was able to pick a good time to run-- between storms. I'll be excited when spring finally gets here and I can actually run in shorts. 

10 miles in just over 1:30. Not bad, but I'm not keeping track of times until I hit 100 miles. That should be the week of the Ogden Marathon, which I plan to run as a long training run. At the finish, I'll have run 100.2 miles for that week. Just have to get ready. 

Another good run. It's cold and overcast, but we're between storms so I was able to run on dry roads with just a few snowflakes swirling. I expected to feel the effects of yesterday's run but woke refreshed, so I decided to do a hill workout, using the only real hill in the area: the overpass which crosses the tracks on 5600 S going up to Main Street in Roy. From my house I ran two miles through the subdivisions towards Kent's Market (2 miles) then straight up 5600, across the overpass ending at Main Street (2 miles). I ran back down to the bottom of the overpass (1 mile) and repeated the run back to Main Street (1 mile) then returned to my house (4 miles) the same way I came. (Total 10 miles.) I'm happy to say I ran the whole thing exactly one minute faster than I ran my flat 10 yesterday. (1:33) I wasn't trying to push the pace, some I'm glad I'm getting a little faster without having to work at it. I'll add speed to my training when I hit 100 miles at the end of May.

Another cold day (38), but I ran between storms again and even had a little sunshine for part of the run. I ran the south end of the Bluff Trail with the wind at my back to start. At the turnaround (end of the nature park) it got a little brisk with the wind coming from the north. All in all, not that bad. 

I felt pretty good for most of the run but hit the wall at nine miles. I could tell my run yesterday was a little taxing. But I still finished in 1:35 with a couple of stops for construction and to consult with a friendly construction worker about a new fence poorly installed near the Jensen Park.  

I've been pretty good about picking the right time of day to run. That will be coming to an end, however, because next week I'll start running at 6:00AM so I can get time to work on my book and a couple of presentations I've been putting off. Today, however, I ran at 4 in the afternoon and actually had a little sunshine for about half of my run. The wind was fairly calm too. It only rained enough to mess up my sunglasses (several times).

I did ten miles on the north end of the Bluff Trail. I guess after two days of feeling good you'd have to expect a hard day. It was. I got a little food poisoning last night and I think I'm feeling the effects of Tuesday's hard hill run today as well. Running today felt just like it did last week when I was sick. Hopefully things will be better tomorrow. 

Hard miles. Cold. Pain developing in the bottom of my left foot in the same place as my neuroma, runs from fourth met to heel, but more intense in ball of foot. Third toe on right foot feels "smashed." Same shoes, same socks, less miles. Go figure. Family coming for conference. Still have ten scheduled for tomorrow. We'll see if I can pull it off.

Couldn't pull it off. Kids were supportive of my run. Couldn't make it happen. Feet still sore. Do I need new shoes? These (NB 805's) have some mileage on them, or have I just put too many miles too soon on my feet? Feeling another cold coming on. What's with that? I can't seem to get healthy. Missed my weekly goal by 15 miles (Saturday long run). Can't make it up. Will be a week behind on my progression to 100 miles. Oh well. I have a life time. Looking for new shoes and will probably make an appt with the Pod. Need to meet with him about Five Fingers investment anyway.

8 tough miles going south on the Bluff Trail from the 3-way stop. It was a beautiful day and about 60 degrees, so I can't blame the weather. Just had no energy. Stopped to watch the RC airplanes south of the Jensen Nature Park. Those things are amazing. Felt a little better after the rest and ran the last 5 miles a little faster than the first 3. Still, not much of an effort.

I've got a headache and feel "pressure" in my neck. Don't know what's up. Feet feel better today, though.  

DNS for "did not start." Decided to rest the feet for a couple of days. I'm afraid I'm feeling the neuroma returning.

Another day of  rest. I should cross train, but I'm buried with projects and trying to get caught up. I'll run tomorrow.

Ran the north end of the Bluff Trail. Weather was nice although a little windy. No problems with my feet. Nothing exciting to report except I saw a baby snake on the trail. It was dead.

Wait! I do have something exciting to report. I taught Dr. Shaw's capstone class in exercise science on Tuesday. The class is all about diversity and this week's subject was religion. We had an enlightening discussion about a study on exercise in Utah that details participation rates based on religious affiliation. Guess who are healthiest? Guess who are the biggest slackers in regards to exercise?  That's right: active members of the LDS faith in both cases. My conclusion is that, in general, we avoid things that are bad for us (which accounts for the "good health") and we're too busy to exercise (which accounts for our being slackers). A fascinating discussion. I'll see if I can find a web link to the study and post it in the discussion forum. It will be interesting to see what the FRB slackers have to say about it.

A beautiful day today: slightly overcast, temperature in the 60's. I ran in my Five Fingers on the north end of the Bluff Trail measuring start and stop points for my new and improved program, which I'll start next week. My feet seemed to respond to the Five Fingers, so maybe I'll get back to my regular mileage soon. 

Next week I'll run 7 miles in the morning, training shoes, same old, same old. In the afternoon, I'll run 3 miles in my Five Fingers. I'll do a longer run (10-12) on Friday and my regular long run on Saturday with the group. I'll increase my morning miles until I get up to 10 and then increase my afternoon miles until I get up to my 100 mile goal. At 10% a week, it will take 6 weeks and that means I won't make 100 on the week of the Ogden Marathon. It will be the next week. Bummer. 

It looked like rain this morning, but turned out to be a good day for running. I met Dr. Shaw at Parrish Lane in Centerville and we ran north on trails adjacent to the Legacy Parkway. Neither of us had ever run there, so it was fun to see some new country. It turns out this spot is equidistant to our homes, so we'll probably run there again next week. Nothing remarkable to report. We had as always a stimulating conversation about exercise and religion and we saw a skunk and a deer. They were dead. Road kill. 

Trying 2-a-days this week. Was supposed to run 7 this morning, but I miscalculated. Just got in 6.5,  so I'll try to get 3.5 in this afternoon. I want to run harder with the shorter mileage, but held back knowing I have to run this afternoon and the same distances tomorrow.  Feet are okay minus a couple of blisters-- don't know where they came from.

Ran an additional 3.7 this evening for 10.2 for the day. Ran in my 5 Fingers and tried to not go too fast, knowing that I have to do all of this again tomorrow, but it really is easier to run shorter distances... Just knowing it's not going to last more than a half hour takes the "work" out of it, I think. 

A beautiful day. When I finished my evening run I mowed the lawn in the backyard. I'll probably feel that more tomorrow than today's runs. 

It was raining. Then it stopped. Then it started up again. I sat in my car at the north end of the Bluff Trail waiting for a break and finally decided I'd wasted enough time so I just took off. It wasn't as cold as I thought it would be. I actually had a few "this is great moments" splashing through puddles, dodging earthworms and scaring cows (why are they so edgy when it rains?). Glad I got out. No real lingering pains from yesterday, so I'll try to do another 3.5 miles this afternoon. 

 Nope. Done for the day. Too much rain, too many commitments. Maybe tomorrow.

Well, this is turning into a bit of a pattern. I ran earlier today, but not in the morning and then couldn't get my afternoon run worked in. It's probably okay because I ran in the rain, which actually turned to snow and picked up the pace against my good judgement on the second half, averaging 9 minutes for the last 3 and half miles. My legs felt heavy at the 3-4 mile mark but maybe that's because I was listening to a couple of heavy passages from Carmina Burana on my ipod, running into wind and getting plastered by snow in my face. After awhile I got tired of watching for earth worms and just ran. Hopefully I missed most of them. Same route yesterday measured 7.5 on my Garmin. Today it was 7.25? I'm going to have to stop running through tunnels.

If you do it three days in a row it must be a pattern. I got my morning run in (7.0), but didn't get back from appointments in Salt Lake in time for an afternoon run. Maybe I'm just destined to be average. I don't know how I'm going to do a run tomorrow since I volunteered to work at Deseret Industries all day. If I go to bed in the next hour or so, I can be like Carolyn in Colorado and run in the morning before they turn on the lights or the air. 

I ran west towards Hooper and with a few jogs stopped when my Garmin showed 3.5 miles. As I turned to run back, I noticed the house next to where I stood was for sale. It had a nice southwesterly view of Antelope Island and was surrounded by about twenty acres of pasture. It's further from, not closer to Salt Lake, but I keep thinking my next house will have an unobstructed view of Antelope Island. This one does... but you can't trust your judgement when you run. Lack of oxygen makes you think crazy thoughts.  

All I can say is, "That was ugly." Nice weather, a bit of wind, but I couldn't get my legs to move. It might be that I ate out three times in the last two days, or that I'm tired, or that it was just one of those days, or that I'm run down... but that was one slow, ugly run. North end of Bluff Trail past the roundabout and back. It took a long time. 10 in the morning with Dr. Shaw. I hope I recover.

It's a lot more fun to run with somebody who can carry on a conversation than it is to run in the snow all by yourself-- even when you can play classical music on your ipod. Ran 12 with Dr J and Mark this morning on the Legacy. I thought everybody would be at the SL Marathon, but there were still quite a few runners on the trail. More slackers out there than I thought, I guess. A nice day.

This two-a-day thing isn't working very well so far. Jeff (my just-admitted-to-the-Utah-Bar son) stopped in on his way home from visiting his brother and family in Pocatello. He'll be here for a day, so what did we do? Went out to eat like fat and happy people all over the world do when they get together. I suggested we go for a run instead, but that didn't fly. Luckily, I got 8 miles in the best weather of the year this morning. Shorts and a tech shirt. It was great! I actually felt like I ran well, also. I would have liked to have run an additional 3 miles this afternoon, but it's also great (and fattening) to be with family.

I got to watch the finish of the Boston Marathon this morning. It was sad to see Kara Goucher fade to third at the end, and also watch Alan Webb finish third. I have mixed emotions regarding professional racing, but I wanted the Americans to do well (two thirds isn't bad, but they were close enough to win). On any day in most sports anyone can beat anybody else. That seemed to manifest itself today. The problem with marathoning is that you only have a limited number of days to try to get those wins. You can't race a marathon every week. 

One of the benefits of running is you sometimes get these great moments of lucidity. Yesterday I remembered playing basketball with a guy who had a small auto dealership. Jeff is looking for a car, since he wrecked his Galant two weeks ago, and on an unemployed attorney's salary needs a good deal. Today I got Jeremy and Jeff together. If I hadn't run yesterday, I might not have remembered Jeremy's name or how to get a hold of him. How do you measure that running benefit? Jeff will save 1-2 grand on his next car because I made that connection during a run. That's enough to pay for a year's worth of shoes. Unexpected and not bad.

8 miles this morning on the same route I took yesterday. I didn't take a watch, just tried to enjoy the run. I'm a little more tired than I was yesterday, but all in all, a good run. Beautiful weather. Wore thin socks and felt my toes hitting the ends of my shoes. Are my feet still growing? That didn't happen when these shoes were new. 

I ran an additional 3.5 miles this evening in my Five Fingers on the Bluff Trail. My feet feel weak and my legs a little tired, but it was good to get out. The weather has been beautiful for the last several days. Shorts and a t-shirt. 

Ran the same route this morning I have run the last two days. Didn't take my watch again, just tried to enjoy the run which seemed a bit more difficult today than the last couple. Maybe as the week goes on I start to wear down. No real problems, a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Lots of flowers.

DNS. Business meetings.

DNS. Business and... well, business. I won't be able to make this up this week. Dr. Shaw also can't run tomorrow,  so I'm on my own. Maybe I can find a race...

I was afraid I wouldn't get a run in today, but it turned out to be a good run I'm sure I'll feel tomorrow and Monday. I ran up the Ogden City Park trail, past the USU Horticulture Gardens and the Dinosaur Museum to Rainbow Gardens and the mouth of the canyon. Then I decided "what the heck, I might as well explore," so I ran up the canyon for a mile on a side trail until it ended, then ran back and around the face of the mountain across from Rainbow Gardens and north along the Bonneville Shoreline trail. I ran through the neighborhoods on some steep downhills to get back to Rainbow Gardens. I was a little disappointed that I didn't reach sprint pace on the downhills. My legs seemed to be okay, but my feet were sore. I think I need new shoes, or different ones for that kind of running. I had to run back up the canyon to get to the top of the trail and when I got there a guy in sweats was just turning around to go back down the OCP trail. He was about twenty yards behind me and as I started down the trail I thought he might pass me, but the thought of some young weekend warrior punk in sweats passing a seasoned runner like me (in tights) bugged me, so I decided I'd step it up even though I had 3 miles to go and my legs were already hammered. He kind of stuck with me for awhile, maybe the grey hair on the back of my head gave him some encouragement, but I was able to pick up speed gradually until I was running about a 7:40 pace which I was able to maintain all the way to the car. Granted it was downhill, but it's the same kind I'll have when I run TOU to qualify for Boston in the fall. I was encouraged by being able to maintain that pace for nearly three miles. I just need to string 9 of those 3 milers together to make up a good marathon in 4 months. Hmmm. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.

More adventures today. I ran the north end of the Bluff Trail to the round-about and back. At mile 8 I cross a busy east/west road right where it comes off the bluff. Visibility is not good here and cars always go too fast off this blind hill. I've nearly been hit several times myself. What do you think I run into? A cow. There's a pasture to the west and she has come through the fence and is standing almost in the intersection of the trail and this busy, blind portion of the road. She's an Angus, probably three years old and quite skitish. She's big and I'm wearing a bright red shirt. Hmmm. Cows are supposed to be colorblind, but I'm not sure. I can't leave her there, she or someone in a car could be the victim of a nasty accident, so I coax her down the trail a little, away from the road. I look for a gate and see one about fifty yards ahead of us. I slip by the cow, open the gate and then slip back around her so I can push her towards the gate. She doesn't want to go. At this point, I'm remembering all the cow punching I did growing up on a ranch in Wyoming. It was different then. I had a horse and a rope in case the cow went past the gate and didn't want to come back. And I usually had help. Right now I'm alone. I'm on foot. And I don't know this irritated cow. "Man was born to run," I think, and I actually wonder if I can out run her. In a 5K, no problem, but if she chases me or I have to chase her, it will be a sprint. I didn't get a chance to find out. Although she didn't want to go towards the gate, I coaxed her in that direction. When she turned left so did I, when she turned right... the same. I remembered how I kept everything in front of me when I played safety in football. Then I remembered how moving cows and playing defense are so similar. I got her through the gate just as some kids with bikes and dogs came towards us and a bunch of cars whizzed past on the road. The farmer will never know. The teenage driver coming down the hill a little faster than she should will never know, but I wonder if my reason to run today had a little more purpose than to just get in ten more miles. Had I not been there at that exact moment, who knows what could have happened.

I ran the south end of the Bluff Trail today thinking I'd just do 7 miles. I was trying to beat a storm I could see blowing in from the northwest, but at 7 miles I felt good and decided to go farther. I actually felt "light" and was running an 8:30 pace. Fortunately. The wind really began to pick up and I could see the storm approaching rapidly so I kicked it to my car just in time. Within a minute everything was drenched and there was lightning everywhere. A fun fast run. 

Big presentation to Sysco. How'd it go? A bit convoluted. It's not me show and the things I can't control didn't go well. But I can say, "I told you so." Picked up Jeff. Prepared for trip to Idaho. No running in sight for the rest of the week.

Nope. Babysitting grandchildren with no hope of getting out.

Nada. Maybe I logged a couple of miles chasing kids...

Nothing. But, dang these are cute kids!

Took Jeff back to Salt Lake, so I decided to run the JRT. Did 10 miles on the usual route and decided to throw in a trip up the hill at 63rd South. It was pretty effortless, so I feel okay about my conditioning. I ran out of energy towards the end of the run and my muscles started to ache. I made it back home and had some dinner, but afterwards felt nauseous and weak like I had the flu. I went to bed early, but woke up an hour later and have been unable to sleep since. My muscles are still a little sore... otherwise I'm fine. Maybe I just had a littlefood poisoning. I'll see how I feel in the morning. Hopefully I'll get a little sleep.

Felt sick (weak). Did not run. Should have.

Did a little loop into Hooper. It was a beautiful day. The course was flat and I was slow. Several times I thought I was speeding up or at least felt like I was running at a good pace, but when I checked my watch I was going the same slow speed I had been for the last mile or so. I actually shook my watch, hoping it was its fault, but alas, it wasn't. I was just slow. I guess you have days like that and since I promised I wouldn't obsess about speed until I hit 100 miles in a week, I'm going to try to not worry about it. Still, if every day was as slow as today, it might take me 100 hours to run 100 miles. I'm not sure I have that kind of time.

In other news, I got out of the POS business today. The company I consult chose to go in a direction other than the one I suggested. They'll make money in the short run, but they've already compromised their integrity... what else is new? The benefit of a longer run is I had more time to process that. It's not about me...

Tomorrow I'm climbing Frey's Peak on Antelope Island with my sons. We'll stay overnight on the island. Not sure how I'll get in my miles, but I'm excited to spend time with the boys. 

I ran the end of the Riverdale Trail up and back with a side trip up the railroad and through the Frisbee Golf Course. I got in some good miles with some ups and downs and at least four miles of dirt trails, which were good for my feet and lower legs. I'd have run a little longer but I ran out of trails and time, since we were getting ready for a weekend on Antelope Island.

I camped on Antelope Island with my sons last night. We hiked a couple of miles in the evening, chasing antelope and mule deer on a trail not far from the campground. In the morning I ran about three miles around the camp and then over and back to the showers on the other side of the bay. I ran in my five fingers and although it felt a little chilly to start, it was great to get out on the road and get things moving after struggling to sleep all night in a tent and high winds. Later in the morning we got a backcountry pass to hike the Sentry trail on the south end of the island. I ran several sections of the trail, which was fairly strenuous, but tried also to be sociable with my sons, too, who were hiking only. I'll go back and run it several times this summer I'm sure, but first I have to solve a minor problem: insects! We were nearly eaten alive by "no-see-ums" on the way up, so much so, that we nearly turned back. These pesky little knats were so thick they covered our clothing and although we applied insect repellent, it just wasn't enough. I wore gloves, long sleeved clothing, a hat with neck shades , but still have hundreds of bites all over my hands, face and in my hair. Supposedly these bugs are gone by the end of May, but by then it will be very hot on the island and the weeds on the trail might make running miserable. We'll also then have to deal with mosquitoes and horse flies. Can it be that I'm already wishing it were winter? I guess running is just inconvenient, not matter what time of year it happens to be. 

Yeah, that's kind of weak. It's all I could do with Mother's Day, the boys visiting, shopping, preparing lessons (substitute) for Sunday and taking Jeff back and forth to Salt Lake. I'll be better. Next week 60 miles. After that, to infinity and beyond.

Just about 10 on a loop out into Hooper and back. Beautiful weather and it felt okay. I got out before (not after) breakfast. Hopefully that will be the norm for the rest of the summer. If I get time, I'll run a little this evening.

Ran 10 miles on the north end of the Bluff Trail this morning. Haven't run there in a week and the weeds are out of control. Just average pace. A bit a wind and cooler than what you would expect for this time of year. No bugs with the wind, so that was good.

Ran my "hill route" through Roy, up the overpass ending at Main Street, back down to the bottom of the hill, up again and then home. I was tired to start, but always seem to do my best on the middle part of the run (the hill section is the middle four miles). Maybe it's because it's harder and I get into that "hard work" mode. I like it. The uphills are tough and the downhills are fast. It makes me run harder. I'll feel it tomorrow.

Ran from the Jensen Nature Park to the Nature Conservancy boardwalk and back through the subdivisions. I had little energy, probably due to yesterday's difficult run, at first. I was hoping for that moment that feels effortless and it came at about 6 miles. It allowed me to speed up my pace. I was debating whether to run 8 or 10 and decided on the shorter run when I picked up my pace, hoping I could sustain it for the last two miles, which I did. I may get a chance to run a few more miles this evening, but I'm glad I got several miles at a sustained speed (even if speed isn't what I'm concerned about in Phase I of my training).

Ran two 5K's this morning. Wanted to do more, but today Jeff got sworn in (now he's a real lawyer) and had to pick up his new car, so we had to hurry to get to Salt Lake. I was afraid I'd make us late, so just into a planned 5 miler, I decided to do 2 5K's (one out, one back) instead. And yes, I know 2X3.1 is greater than 5 miles, but I thought I'd pick up the speed and get done sooner. There's some weakness to this reasoning, but it's the kind of decision I seem to make when my body is starved of oxygen. Anyway, the first 5K was just over 24 minutes. The second was slower. I'd like to be faster, but I'm not going to worry about it until I've hit my 100 miles week, which is still a month away. I plan to do 10 miles with Dr J tomorrow and then maybe a few more later in the day.

Ran 12 miles on the south end of the Legacy Parkway with Dr J. Miles were easy. Had a great conversation about the production of lactic acid in the body and how it works to regulate intensity during training. Hydrogen compounds are actually the culprit, but I didn't understand half of what she was saying and can't remember the other half. All I know is that if you keep on training, you can condition your body to perform at greater speeds and longer duration if you're patient.

I did a hill workout and inadvertently also did a speed workout last week. I noticed my calves were tight on Saturday, but didn't think much about it. They felt a little better yesterday, but because they were still sore this morning, I decided to do a long, slow run. In spite of intent, I started out a little fast and my calves (especially the left one) became tight and sore. I didn't want to risk a cramp, so I slowed down and even stopped a couple of times to massage them, hoping to get them to relax. It took a while. I ran 6 miles from the north end of the Bluff Trail to the Jensen Nature Park where I stopped for water. While I was there I saw a lady trying to take pictures of herself, so I volunteered to help her out. That only took a few minutes and she probably didn't even realize I used to do that for a living. Anyway, the rest was good, because on the way back my calves seemed to have relaxed and I ran the entire way without stopping (albeit a little slowly). With a change in my running style (midfoot strike) I put more pressure on my calves and given my tendency towards debilitating cramps I need to watch that they don't become inflamed or they'll become restricted by the sheath that surrounds them and implode. It has taken me a long time to figure out that that is what happens (mechanically) when I work my calves too strenuously. I'm not sure ice will help, but I'll at least keep my legs elevated as much as I can, do some more massaging and see how they are tomorrow.

It was warm today. I've got to make sure I'm out the door by 6AM from now on. Wasn't I just complaining about running in the cold last week? 

Alright, this is the second time I've written this post, so if it doesn't take it this time... I'll just go to bed. I decided to make Tuesdays trail days, so today I ran the Bonneville Shoreline Trail south from Rainbow Gardens in Ogden. After about 3.5 miles I ran into some hikers who said I absolutely had to go see the waterfall in Waterfall Canyon, so I hiked up that trail (it was too steep and technical to run much) and they were right. It was spectacular. The mist actually made me a little cold. I ran south another mile and then turned around and retraced my steps back to my car... well, sort of. There are all kinds of trails in the foothills and it's easy to take a wrong turn here and there. Over all I had a great (and strenuous) run. I bought new Adidas Kanadias on sale for $50 for trail running and they seemed to hold up well, although they're slippery on rocks and I do have blisters on most of my toes. Next time I'll try Injinji's. I got pounced on by a wet dog, saw a teenager in a very revealing outfit run from a snake, met some wonderful people including several runners who shared advice, bumped my head on a tree, tripped on stumps, roots and rocks and drank from a spring gushing from the side of the hill. Plus I saw spectacular scenery, a fox and a bunch of wild flowers. All in all, a pretty good day. I think I'm going to like Tuesdays.

I'm going to call these miles "leisurely miles," since I spent some of the time looking at houses/lots and not running at all. I decided to run through a couple of neighborhoods we've considered living in should we ever decide to move. I was feeling a little sore this morning, so the idea to get out and see some new country appealed to me. I didn't gain more than 5 feet of elevation in the entire run (although I had to step up to get into my car). The soreness I felt in my calves on Monday seems to have gone away. I still have a pain in the arch of my right foot and I'm starting to think it may be coming from my shoes. For road running I'm wearing a pair of NB 805's. I've really enjoyed them (as much as I've enjoyed any shoes) but they've got a lot of miles on them and probably need to be retired. Maybe I'll do a couple of miles in my Five Fingers this evening. Maybe I won't. 

Only 7 miles AND the pace was slow, but they were barefoot in sand in my special-only-I-can-know place, so I'll feel that workout in my feet and calves tomorrow. At the end of my run a bee dropped out of the sky and stung me on my ear. I haven't been stung by a bee in almost 30 years and for a long time we suspected I was allergic, but I haven't died, yet. My ear is pretty swollen and the right side of my face went numb for a few minutes, but my heart rate has stayed the same, nothing else has swollen (tongue, etc.) and I'm as coherent as I usually am (which doesn't say much). I'm going to say it wasn't much of a sting (hurt like crazy though) or I'm not allergic to that bee. Hmmm.

Memorial Day Weekend means a weekend with family in the Teichert Home. I feel bad for Dr J. Her SO is OOT this weekend, so she's running alone. I, on the other hand will be lucky to get even one run in. Friday, Lava Hot Springs and the Soda Springs Geyser with a backyard camp out. Saturday, visit graves and maybe the IF Zoo. Sunday, church, of course. Monday, Chesterfield Ghost Town and then home. All the in-between times will be filled with conversation, getting Scott's house (Pocatello) ready for sale, and playing with Austin and Allie. It might be futile even to pack my running clothes. Maybe I can get somebody to run with me if I promise to push the stroller(s).

I ran just 7 miles in a hurry, out and back to Hooper, because we wanted to get out of town for the holiday. The pain in my right instep/ankle became accute enough for me to write about. I hope it's the result of old running shoes, but it hurt throughout the day and weekend (see newer posts). 

We met Scott, Lisa, Austin and Allie at Lava Hot Springs and swam for a couple of hours. Later we went to Soda Springs and the restored Ghost Town of Chesterfield. Had a great weekend with family. 

Scott said he'd run with me, but changed his mind when it was time to wake up. Just as well, my right foot/ankle was very tender. Austin was the first one up (after Scott's failed attempt) so I ran a slow jog through the neighborhood with him. He drove his battery powered electric tractor and we were able to have a good talk. Sometimes he chased me, which was a lot of fun. An easy two mile jog was probably as much as my foot could take. Gotta get new shoes.

Memorial Day. Visited family in Idaho, returned to Utah. Could probably have made a run, but foot is still sore. No miles.

Trail Tuesdays, so I tackled Frary Peak on Antelope Island. Didn't run a lot because the trail is difficult in spots and because running downhill put a little more pressure on my instep than I wanted. Still, I got in some good miles, though not at the pace I would have preferred. I only crashed and burned (fell down) once. Didn't  break anything, just scraped up my knee.

There were a few bugs out, but not like last month, so I thought I was safe. Apparently not. This morning (Wed) everything itches and I have bites all over the place. If they're from "No-see-ums," they got the name right.  

Nothing. Resting my right instep. Hope it works.

I wasn't thinking. I ran in an older pair of Asics 1130's and because I didn't feel pain (at least in my instep) I forgot to be cautious. I caught up to a woman at mile 3 who was training for the Wasatch Back, so I ran 2 miles with her at a 7:40 pace. I was feeling pretty good, but when I left her and turned to come back the pain returned to my foot. The second five miles were slow. Tightening my laces seemed to help. I picked up a new pair of trainers (something Asics) today and will try them on Saturday. I'll only run tomorrow if my foot feels better and I'll keep it to 5 miles or less. I'll then see how it feels on Saturday.

 BTW-- I thought my workout on Tuesday wasn't very strenuous, but my quads are killing me today. That's a nice feeling I haven't had in a while. 

I took my Dad (89 years old with Alheimer's) to ride horses with my nephew in Circleville. It was a long trip in the car and not such a long ride on the horses. Dad did well for the first hour and a half of riding, but not so well towards the end. It was like riding a bike for him. He seemed to remember how to do everything instinctively, so I guess you can take the boy off the ranch but can't get the ranch out of the boy. At the end Dad starting leaning way back in the saddle as if he were the Man from Snowy River. I couldn't figure that out. I got off and adjusted his stirrups (which didn't help). That gave me a chance to run along for a quarter of a mile. I was in heavy boots that supported my feet and I wanted to see how my foot would respond. No dice. The pain I'd been feeling all day didn't go away and it was killer to run. I'll make an appointment to see the POD on Monday. Something is wrong.  

A little less pain in the foot today, but I won't run. Am I really getting old this soon? Crud.