Run fast

Ran around Carmel. It's a nice spot.

Ran with Nate and Mickey on the JRP and Legacy Parkway. Luckily the weather cleared a bit right before we got started. 7 mile warm up then 8 at 5:32,5:23,5:23,5:22,5:22,5:22,5:28,5:28. The last two felt harder than the others yet they were slower so I think those miles have some rollers. It was great to get this one done and have a couple of guys to do it with.

Ran up to the U and then a few miles through Millcreek. It was a tights day.

Track workout with Nate at the U.

12x800. 2:29,2:32,2:34,2:33,2:33,2:34,2:33,2:33,2:32,2:32,2:30,2:27. I really only remember the first 3 and last 2 but I know we stayed in the 2:32 to 2:34 range for all of the middle splits.  I will call it 3 at MP and 3 at Threshold because the pace was under MP. The weather turned out to be perfect.

Ran through Sugar House and U

Ran with Josh and Zak out on the JRP and Legacy Trail.  After 10 miles we mixed in 5 at MP (5:11,5:26,5:21,5:21,5:14) then I did four more at around 5:50. Ended with 6:04 pace for the run. 

After a gettting a bloody toe on Wednesday from the once worn NB MR1400s I wised up and wrapped the toe in electric tape. No problems today. For never wearing NB's I really like the shoes thus far. Thanks to Zak and Josh for joining me on the run. The weather was much improved over last Sunday.

Ran with Danny around Park City and Kimball Junction. Legs felt heavy today.

Up to the U and south through Tanner Park. I found a fortune cookie on the ground that reads, "you will be fortunate with the opportunities presented to you." Great!

Warmed up then three laps around SHP with Jake and Nate at MP then 3x1600 on the Highland track. Splits around the park were around 5:25 and the mile repeats were 5:12,5:10,5:05. Jake had already done 3x1600 when we started the SHP loop and he did 4 laps instead of 3.  I am glad Nate was there so I didn't feel too lazy :) Nice workout for everyone and great morning to run.

Ran in the rain up to the U

I ran the inaugural Saltair Half Marathon this morning. Weather forecast didn't look good but it turned out to be bearable conditions. The wind picked up a bit after the turn around and my hands felt like bricks afterwards; but for the most part I was expecting a lot worse.  Warmed up 3 with the group and the race started right on time.  I accidentally built a slight lead in the first three miles -5:15,5:16,5:14- because that pace felt comfortable then I backed it off slightly and did the next three in 5:24,5:27,5:22. At about mile 6 I started to hear footsteps from Jake and Nate and we all went through the turnaround in right around 35 flat. From there they immediately put a gap on me and at that point I knew I wasn't going to be able to finish with them.  My last seven miles were: 5:21,5:27,5:26,5:27,5:43,5:36,5:22.  I think the 5:43 at mile 10 was into the heaviest winds because I didn't feel like I slowed down that much.  I ended up about a minute behind Jake and Nate who both ran great and barely broke 1:10. Overall I am happy with the effort but I kind of wish I had just stuck with Jake and Nate from the get go to see if working off of them would have helped. Oh well...after the race we cooled down then attended the awards ceremony.  Consistent with the Saltair scene, we had Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches and Dr. Pepper for post race snacks.

Casual Sunday around around SHP with Nate, Jake, Josh, Allie, Collin and James. I wasn't counting but I must have done 9 laps. It was nice to run on a soft surface for a change. The 7 Eleven next to Liberty Park still has pumpkin spice so that's another excuse to run at the park more often.

Ran up to the U, south past the zoo, along Wasatch Blvd. and back. Dunkin' Donuts next to SHP opened today...but I didn't go.

Jogged over to the tempo loop to run 5 miles with Jake and Nate.  Splits were 5:25,5:17,5:15,5:14,5:11. On the way back I did one mile at 5:30 so 6 MP miles for the day.  Jake added another mile after the 5 then did another set of 6 miles.  I think he's in good shape :)

PM: 1 mile and bootcamp.  I left my gym clothes at work so I did the workout with slip on shoes and pants. My shoe only fell off 3 times.

Ran around SHP up through the U and research park.  The run was not fun. The wind almost tripped me several times and even when there was a tailwind my back got cold. Fortunately the porta-potties and trees around the U were already blown over when I passed through and I couldn't feel my legs because they were numb.

Casual ran with Josh, Jake, Adam and Nate from Memory Grove, through the U and back through Liberty Park. After yesterday running in the wind I didn't like running but now I like it again.

Last longish run before CIM with Nate, Jake and James out on the JRP/Legacy Parkway Trail. We did 8 easy going north then started our tempo. After one mile into the tempo we turned around for the 9 miles back. There was a bit of a head wind going back but nothing terrible. Everything considered, we lucked out again on the weather. The plan was to start at around 5:45 and progressively work down to the teens. Splits: 5:47, 5:37, 5:31, 5:28, 5:27, 5:24, 5:19, 5:14, 5:15, 5:14 Pretty much went as planned for a change :)

Zigzagged up to the U, over to the zoo, down Wasatch and Foothill and back.

Ran along 11th avenue and back to Sugar House through the U.

Today I ran the City Creek Cold Turkey 6k which has always been a family tradition on Thanksgiving.  This was the 10th year I have run the race.  I won the race two years ago, a week before CIM, but last year was a disaster because I was still dealing with some lingering injuries and the post SGM funk. So this year had to be much better.  I warmed up with Josh then ran the inaugural kid's 1k with my nephew Nicolai.  He got off to a blazing start and soon found himself sitting in 4th place.  2nd and 3rd went out way too hard and obviously weren't in Nicolai's soccer/hockey/swimming shape so he caught both of them right before the turnaround. From there he turned on the burners again and started closing the gap on the big kid who was in 1st.  The big kid saw him coming with a worried face and picked up the pace.  Nicolai finished the race 2nd overall and probably ran around a 9 minute pace, which for a 5 year old 45 inches tall has to equate to a sub 4:30 mile. :)  He was the champ today.

Shortly after his race we got going and lucky for us Miss USA was the starter.  Typical of every year a few young guys got off to a quick start but I caught up and passed them at the half mile point. At that point I could hear a few other footsteps but after we turned up City Creek all I could hear were the big footsteps of BJ Christenson. BJ and I had went back and forth up City Creek and we went around the turn around together.  BJ immediately picked up the pace a bit and gapped me by about 200 ft. I thought he would continue to break away but I managed to keep that gap until we hit the top of Memory Grove. From there I was trying to surge more down the steeper sections and I noticed that I was slowly gaining ground feet by feet. With a half a mile left BJ was only a few seconds ahead so I knew if I pushed it I might have a chance.  I finally caught him right at the gate to the park with about 300 yards left to go.  I started sprinting which I probably haven’t done since playing football in high school and amazingly it worked.  BJ ended up falling off and finished about 4 seconds behind.  For the win I got a pre-cooked smoked turkey that will have to wait until summer to be eaten. Splits were 5:28 (+123 ft), 5:48 (+95 ft), 4:52 (-184 ft.), 4:32 pace for .8 (-188 ft.). BJ always kicks my butt in anything less than a half marathon so it was great to finally beat him. He hasn’t really done any hard workouts since Kona in October so I can understand why he didn’t feel great.

Josh and I cooled down another 4 and we barely made it back for the awards.  Then I had to get on a Black Friday call for work which was dumb because I missed all of the post race festivities in the nice weather. Overall a good workout and prep for CIM. I was also glad to get in a few fast downhill miles which I haven't done since St. George.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I ran to bootcamp this morning then waited 20 minutes for the instructor to show up "I went to a movie and didn't set my alarm." I thought only students were supposed to have dumb excuses. Ran back home after an abbreviated class. The roads were very quiet today.

Fun run with a Matt, Scott, Mike, Nate, Josh, Karl, Adam and Zak. Those guys were nice enough to make the commute.  We ran a few miles up and down City Creek and introduced Matt to a trail for the first time, possibly, then headed up 11th avenue. Sadly I carried my phone on the run, which was the first time ever, and even managed to text my boss while running.  I apologize to the running gods. I will never do it again.