Psalm 91:1 NKJV He who dwells in the secret place

Monday:

I did 6 Yasso 800's. I used my Ironman watch to keep track of my splits and I messed up and only got two of the spilt times (I had my garmin on my other wrist so I have the overall mileage). It was raining and windy outside so I almost went to the gym, but I hate treadmills, especially trying to do speed work. The rain was coming down hard that between split 4 and 5 I only took one lap to get ready for the next 800 repeat. I was completely soaked when I was done, and very cold.

Split 1: 2:59 ( I took it easy, because I wanted to see if the wet track was going to cause a problem so I took a sign of caution.

Split 2: 2:34 (I just wanted to get these done because of the rain).

All the rest of the splits were lost.
Totals: 8  miles in 6:34 pace in 52:57

Here's my plans for the rest of the week. If you want to comment feel free. I would be interested on what others are doing.

Tuesday: easy run (6 miles. This will be hard because I'm not used to running less than 10 miles on any run.)

Wedneday: 4 mile Tempo Run (Total 6 miles one warm-up and one cool-down)

Thursday: Marathon pace run (6 miles)

Friday : 12 mile easy long run.

Saturday: easy run ( 6 miles)

Today 7 miles at a 7:29 pace. I took it real easy today. It was very

cold today 19 degrees with the wind blowing... I hate when the

temperature drops below 20 degrees. I basically ran 3.5 miles uphill

then 3.5 miles downhill still trying to match what it will feel like in

Boston. Although these hills are about three times as steep as

Boston's. Tomorrow my last tempo run for the training which will be 4 miles.

Today was a 4 mile Tempo run. I felt so good today... first time I've exactly got 8 hours of sleep in a long time. I ran my first tempo run on a flat course today, except mile 3 of the tempo run had a 6% grade hill for 200m's, and another smaller hill after that. I wanted to run up the hill during the tempo training to see how my legs would respond. I didn't run my normal tempo hilly route because I wanted to shorten the mileage this week, and that course takes me too many miles from my house. I felt really good through the whole run. Tomorrow I will plan on doing a 5 mile marathon pace run.

The temperature climate here is outright crazy, yesterday when I ran it was 19 degrees. Today when I ran at the same time it was
46 degrees. You really can't depend on a good streak of weather yet, except it's suppose to be nice the rest of the week.

Totals 7 miles 6:17 average pace, 4 mile tempo pace 5:48
7:04
5:51(Begin Tempo)
5:42
5:52
5:50(End Tempo)
6:44
6:52

I had a hard day yesterday well last night. I had to put my Dog to sleep at the Animal Clinic. We've had our German Shepherd for 12 years (My wife and I have been married for 13 years), and she was older than the kids. She was a wonderful companion. I stayed with her the whole time when the vet put her to sleep. My wife cried so hard, and I did everything I could to fight back the tears. Our dog kept losing weight, and we took her in three months ago and the vet told us to just feed her more. Well she still kept losing weight and we discovered she had liver disease and her kidney's were failing. The hardest part was telling my 10 and 7 year old girls.

Why I'm I bringing this up, because I really didn't care about my running session today, but I was scheduled to do a 5 mile marathon pace run, and this is a running blog. I ran 6.62 miles at a 6:25 pace in 42.33. Pace miles: 6:14, 6:16, 6:12, 6:14, 6:25. I was disappointed in myself this was suppose to be around 6:30, but it felt so easy, but my mind wasn't focused and I wasn't thinking about the pace. Maybe my pace should be 6:20, because of how easy this was, but I'm not changing it now, because I've already focused on 6:30. Basically you can chalk this run up has a failure, because I wasn't even close to the pace mark. I'm very disappointed in this run, but it felt so easy and I wasn't even pushing I was just at a relaxed pace. But it's a failure, because the purpose was to run at a marathon pace. The last mile I did focus more and I really felt I was going so slow. Anyway tomorrow a slow 12 mile long run.

Today I did 12.8 miles at a 7:11 pace in 1:32. I ran a course that had a lot of uphill and downhill, more so uphill. I dressed way to warm for this run, because the temperature really increased fast during my run. The effort was good, it was nice running back in the double digit miles which I haven't done all week. Tomorrow probably 4 easy miles with strides at the end.

Haven't really planned out next week, but probably will only do about 20 to 25 miles.

Today I did 6.8.miles.  Five easy miles and 1.8 miles in strides.  The last mile I ran 5.58, but it didn't even feel like it.  I ran it with little effort (100m's stride with 200m's jog in between, I thought I was jogging).  I would have done more, but we were at my daughters soccer tournament in Twin Falls Idaho and it was starting as I was doing my workout.  Can't miss the kids soccer game. 

 
We stayed the night in Twin Falls driving up Friday night so that we wouldn't have to leave Pocatello so early in the morning on Saturday to get to her tournament games that started at 9am.

 Not really sure what next weeks training will bring since its the last week till Boston.  I know Wednesday I'll do a pre-race dress run of 8 miles two at marathon pace.
 

 Monday (Today! WEEK AWAY)

I ran 6.2 miles at a 6:59 pace in 43.32. This was just an easy run. It was cold today at 36 degrees and the wind was blowing at 20 mph right at me for the first 4 miles. I didn't put much effort into this run. I was thinking that next Monday I will be doing it for real.

Tomorrow I will do a 2 mile tempo in my 6 mile run. I might has well get a little bit of tempo work in.

I wore my marathon shoes to get more miles on them, I like to at least have over 40 miles on them for the race, because they feel more flexible.

There comes a point, "from what I've heard from others", in your training where you know how you feel. Well today was a turning point in my training that really made me believe it was a success.

First off the weather was awful. We had a wind advisory today on the weather channel and it was true to form. When I started running it was 19 degrees with a 20mph wind gust blowing against me. What! spring where's it at around here. Today I wanted to do a 6 mile run with a mini tempo of two miles. With little effort I ran the two miles in 6:11 and I was being conservative... it was too easy. I feel really good right now and know that was an accomplishment in my training. Okay it was only two miles, and I know that's not much, but before this training a 6:11 pace for 1 mile would have been a big effort. I know I've improved on something for this to happen, and I know that my marathon pace has improved too. But we still have a race and that's where the training needs to show the improvement.

I know that I plan on taking the first few miles slow in Boston giving up sometime. But I know this will help on the hills, I've learned this from my other hilly marathon's and it does work if you can keep yourself from bursting out. I need to find that Boston pace calculator site, because I believe I will follow that.

My overall totals today were 6.3 miles at a 6:42 pace, little faster on the cool down miles but I wasn't real focused after I accomplished the tempo miles.

Ran 7.7 miles, 6:56 pace in 53:27. Three miles at marathon pace 6:28, 6:20,6:26. Very cold morning at 22 degrees. I was frozen when I was done because of the higher elevation that I run today.

The marathon pace miles were done with little effort, but that should be the case because I haven't ran many miles this week because of the tapering.

4.6 miles at a 7:34 (tapering)

2.64 at a 8:30 pace.  (tapering)

I ran the Boston Freedom run 5k.  Didn't bring my garmin it was just for fun and a warm-up for the real thing tomorrow.

Boston Marathon

The race was fun and I enjoyed every minute of the experience.  I felt I could have run a lot faster but I played it conservative, because of what the weather was suppose to be like.  But I really don't contribute the weather to my time it was my own fault.  Mile 9 I had to brown code in the porter potty and that cost me two minutes.  This has never happened and I can only contribute this to the change in the time of eating for a run.  Then I lost a couple minutes in the beginning because of the bunched runners where I couldn't weave in and out of traffic.  I was really conservative before the hills, because I wanted to make sure the wind would not affect my approach up the hills.  But I felt I was too conservative.  The hills were easy... Heartbreak Hill was a piece of cake.   The last five miles of the race were the fastest miles in the race I felt I could have kept going and wasn't sore after the race so that tells me I was lazy and didn't push hard enough.  Even though I did PR I'm disappointed.  Like I said the weather wasn't a factor it was my own fault.  Robert Cherulyot was 7 minutes slower this year than when he won it last year.  This was also the case with the women's winner.  I really didn't think though the weather was a factor other than the heavy wind gusts at times would knock you off your pace (36mph).

One probelm I had is I listened to other runners that have ran Boston before giving me advice that I would never get under 3 hours in this weather and wouldn't PR in these conditions (this was before the race).  Instead I should have trusted my own training and abilities.  But I do know now that whatever one I run next I will PR and not be conservative.  Maybe Ogden or Deseret News marathon next.  I think I'm capable in the future of getting under a 2:50.

I couldn't sleep last night because I was so mad at myself being so conservative in the race.  My strategy ran through my mind over and over again.  Even though my goal was to be under 3  hours I guess why I'm so disappointed is I felt too fresh in the end and should have pushed harder.  But it does make me hungry to run another  marathon soon to see what I can really do and just go for it.

I did a 4.2 mile recovery run at a 8:13 pace from the marathon yesterday.  It felt good really no soreness.  That's the result of being lazy in the marathon and not pushing hard enough. 

 I did accomplish my first goal of being under 3 hours in a marathon.  But it really bothers me that the time could have been much lower without the potty break, slow couple miles, and not being aggressive enough.  I know in the back of my mind that I wasn't aggressive enough because I didn't really know the course so I think that does bring on a semse of being careful.  But if I run it next year I know what I'm capable of.

Now to achieve the next goal to be under 2:50.

No Running.  Enjoying day with the family.

No Running.  I didn't want to start running too soon so that the muscles heal.

I ran 7 miles today at a 7:13 pace.  I'm not sore from the Boston Marathon and feel good so tomorrow I will run 10 miles.  It's time now to focus on the Ogden Marathon and not be conservative, but be aggressive and prove that Boston so have been like this. 

Boston was too easy of a run for me to come away feeling so good.  I wanted to be so sore, because then I know I really worked. 

I ran 12.1 miles today. I was going to only run 8 miles today, but my friend and sister-in-law  where driving up to the Pocatello Marathon course and asked if I wanted to go too, definitely  YES!  The first 16 miles is downhill and that would be excellent training for the Ogden Marathon if I get a chance to go.  My friends are training for the Ogden Half Marathon.  I pushed the pace a bit and ran the 12 miles in a 6:51 pace.   This is faster than I was going to go since I ran the Boston Marathon on Monday, but everything was okay.   I really want to run Ogden I'm so hungry to better my time from Boston that it's killing me inside.

Today I ran 10 easy miles at a 7:05 pace. I ran a course that had a lot of uphill and downhill. Those of you that are from Utah might be familiar with Red Hill around the ISU campus in Pocatello. That was part of the course I ran. This weekend I'm running a 10k race which I haven't done forever it seems. It's sponsored by the ISU Wellness Center, and they don't keep track of your time. I would assume it's not an official marked course. I know that part of the course goes around Red Hill.

I'm feeling good after last Monday's marathon. I do have a little soreness around the hip after Saturday's run, but nothing that's bad. Today I ran in a pouring rain like Boston again.

Today I ran 10.1 miles at a 6:49 pace, the last mile I ran at a 6:14 I wanted to see how I felt running faster after the Boston marathon. Tomorrow I will do a tempo run and really see how I feel.

Today I did 9 x 400 with a 200 jog in-between. I would get six of the splits on my watch

1.19, 1.24, 1.27, 1.26, 1.27,1.26.

Then I did a two mile tempo run 5:50 and 5:53. Then three miles after that 6:19, 6:22, 6:39.

I tried out my new Mizuno Idaten shoes that weight about 7.1oz very light and I felt good in them.

Total miles and average for the whole run according to the Garmin 9.2 miles at a 6:14 pace in 57:33. I felt that I could have kept going at a good pace.

12.2 miles today. I ran the 10k race course that I will run on Saturday as part of the 12 miles. It's a very hilly course, but it will be fun. I ran a few miles somewhat faster miles, mile 4: 6:40, mile 5: 6:19, mile 6: 6:25, mile 8: 6:32, mile 9: 6:00, mile 10: 6:39.

The run felt good, my legs were tired at the end because this was very hilly course, and I've been only getting about 5 hours of sleep the last three nights. I'm trying to finish up my Web Management design for my online college class. Running Boston has put me on a tight schedule where I have to stay up late to complete this project. I'm not sure how I'm going to run the race Saturday. I know I could run it really well if I decide to push it, which might be good to do before the Ogden Marathon.. I'll just have fun, isn't that what running is about.

Today I ran 10.1 miles at a easy slow pace of 7:10. I've ran hard the last couple days somewhat, so I took it easier today. I got about 7 hours of sleep last night, but I was still tired waking up.

Tomorrow 10k race, rush my daughter to her two soccer games 55 miles away (11am and 3pm are her games).  

I haven't signed up for the Ogden marathon yet, because I don't know yet if I have to work that weekend. It's a 50/50 chance ... but I'm pretty sure I will be able to attend.  I hope I'm ready to run a 2:50 I just need to be aggressive.  If I hit the wall been aggressive at least I know I gave it a shot and not wonder.  I know in Boston I could have been under 2:50, because of the way I felt.

Ran this evening 4.6 miles in the high 6 minute mile pace.  (Easy run felt good)

The ISU Wellness Center race which is considered an unofficial 10k race took place today, and it wasn't much of a challenge. The course is marked correctly, but it's unofficial because they don't keep the time you have to yourself. My Garmin was my time clock. I won the race with a time of 36:20. There really was no one to push me so I didn't really push the uphills hard. There was one runner with me till mile two, and I could tell he pushed the first mile to hard. Because I tried talking to him and he was breathing real hard so I knew it was a matter of time I would be way out in front. But I didn't think it would happen in the third mile that I would be way alone. But I did push the downhill in the last mile treating it as a hill repeat. I think I might have been able to shave a minute off this time if I pushed harder, but I'll never know.

Afterwards I ate a powerbar and I was off to Idaho falls to take my daughter to her soccer games (11 years old). She ran the 5k race at 27:10 and finished first in her age. My 7 year old did the 5k walk and did very well. I've also got her running, but I would rather run with her at her age in a race like this. My wife ran the 5k race too with a major headache and not feeling very good so she slowed way down, and she would kill me if I posted her time.

Forgot 2.8 mile run tonight.

No running today.   I feel that 65 miles for last week wasn't enough.  I really felt too fresh and should have done at least 80 miles.

Today I ran 12.2 miles  at a 6:59 pace in the morning, and then 1.4 on the treadmill on my lunch hour.. I was extremely tired because I was woke up at 2am.  Our file system on our Mail Server was locked up, because an error in a snapshot backup which caused our University Mail Server to go down. Fixed the problem and got back to bed by 3am and woke up at 6am to run. 

Have you ever ran and your mind is just tired, but your legs know what to do.  That was my situation this morning.  I really didn't care what pace I ran at I knew I just had to run.  I figured an aerobic run would do good.  I was surprise after two miles my body started to function and get into the run.  The first two miles are uphill in the route I chose this morning, going up Pocatello creek and then turning up Satterfield Drive.  

I got bad news!  I can't run the Ogden Marathon because our system conversion date for May 19th can't be changed.   I'm extremely down, I was excited and ready to be aggressive and push myself.  Also it would have been a good chance to meet some of you who are running it.   I 'm really upset and down.  I guess I will have to wait for the Des. News marathon.  One time a year we have to do a system conversion and it falls on the day that I would want to run a marathon.  I was even thinking of stupid thoughts like I could run the marathon drive back to Pocatello and get there by noon to do the conversion, but it's a team effort and the conversion is scheduled at 9am on Saturday, but that's how bad I wanted to ran and to pace with others (sorry Ted).  It's really a big blow, I ran the Ogden marathon last year and really wanted to improve on my time, because I've doubled my training this year compared to last year.

 Oh well enough feeling sorry for myself, GOD is good all the time.