Out Running

Heaven forbid I become a "lost sheep" on this board. Brief update. My training has been hit and miss. Getting back to a consistent routine has been tough. I've kept up on the weekend runs and some treadmill, but mostly i've been cross-training in an effort to build my core and prevent any more injuries. I bought the P90X system and that has definitely been doing the job. Longest run thus far has been 16 miles. I have the Riverton 1/2 coming up on the 27th, the SLC 1/2 in April, Ragnar in June and then go from there. I've been invited by family to run in the Pocatello, ID race in Sept, but it is also 2 weeks before TOU and I'd like to do that again. I'm sure there will be a smattering of other races throughout. Oh and then there is the Renaissance 5K in May that I'm race directing.

A friend and I took advantage of the fabulous weather this morning and got in a combination trail/road run today. The ground was thawed, but not hard yet. A block from the cars is when the rain started....perfect weather.

I have an interesting ankle area issue. It's not right at the ankle, but there is a sore spot about 3-4 inches above it. It is sore when I walk and at first when I run, but then it loosens up. After a long run though, I am hobbling around after. I'm wondering if maybe i've just got some tendonitis in that area. It's been nagging me for a few weeks now. Not getting any better, not getting any worse.

I'm scheduled for a 20 miler this weekend. I'm not planning on running the SL Marathon, but maybe I will since I seem to be getting in the miles for it. We were going to be out of town next weekend and i've missed a few weekend so wasn't planning on it. I'm planning on the half because I'd like to do the new Thanksgiving Point half the following week. Doing a marathon and then a half the following weekend would be too much.

A nice day for a quick 7 miles. It was a little chilly on the start for warming up and slowing down, but otherwise a nice run. I'm looking forward to a longer run this coming Saturday. My new plan of attack for my foot....run until it falls off or gets better. 

Saturdays run could be broken into two parts. First 11 miles...really nice. There were only two of us on our group run this time. Both of us decided we'd keep it at a casual 8:15-8:30 pace because my ankle was a little sore and so were his knees. The weather was overcast, but not too cold. We had a breeze to our back.

The last 9 miles were awful. The wind picked up, the rain came down and our cars were both close to the point of the mountain. I had a jacket on that kept me mostly dry until mile 16 when the snow hit. If there hadn't been the wind it wouldn't have been as bad. A hot shower never felt so good. 

It was nice to get out and get in some miles. I picked up the pace just to see where I am at. With the abductor injury from the winter and the tendons in my right foot it's been an interesting ride. Some days I'm 100% and other I'm not so to get 8 in with 6 close to the pace I'd like was nice.

Got in an easy 3 miles before we left for Vegas. 

I packed my running clothes for the time we were in Vegas and had a friend who was down with friends watching the NCAA games, but neither of us were up to a run. The extended time off was exactly what my foot needed. With the race coming up on the 26th I didn't want to push it, but wanted to be at a pace slightly slower than my race pace goal. I had difficulty maintaining it. Instead I would get into a rhythm and then realize that I was running way too fast for an easy workout and asking for trouble if I pushed it too much. I planned on 5, but I turned down a street I had never visited to see where it would take me and ended up tacking on just a little more.

I have a love/hate relationship with the weather this time of year. On the one hand, I love that the snow has melted and the weather is warming. The struggle I have is judging how warm it will be for race day and having enough layers on that I am cool, but not cold throughout the race. By mile 6 I was warm so I wrapped the jacket around me. I could have dropped it at the clothing drop, but they weren't real well marked and I would have been sad to lose my $60 jacket that I found on clearance.

The course was challenging with some of the hills, but otherwise well planned out. The good news about living in the Utah Valley area is that there are no lack of hills of all shapes and sizes for training. I started a little too fast at a 6:40 pace in an effort to keep up with a friend, but I reigned it in after 2 miles to a 7:30 pace knowing that I couldn't sustain 6:40 the whole time and I'd pay dearly for it later if I attempted it....maybe by the fall I can be there if I stay injury free. 

There was a short 1/2 mile run on an unpaved section of the course down by the Jordan River trail where they are working on the Trax extension.

The goal going into the race was to be at 1:45 or under. Finishing at 1:43 was awesome. That finish time shaved 6 minutes off my SLC half marathon from last year. I'm looking to do the half again this year so I'll definitely be able to tell where I am this year.

An additional benefit from this race was that my sister and her husband ran this. It was their first half marathon.