4 is better than 2

4x1 mile with 2 minutes recovery.  Today was easier than last week by quite a bit.  I am having a hard time focusing throughout the entire rep, but overall the speed feels more comfortable than it did over the last several weeks.  I did drop the speed on the first half of the last rep, but I picked it up again.  I feel pretty good about my progressions to this point, and hopefully I will add some reps in the upcoming weeks.

Mile 1  5:25

Mile 2  5:22

Mile 3  5:19

Mile 4  5:26

Ran easy today out on the Jordan river parkway.  It was a beautiful day, and I felt pretty good.

Well today I put slow in LSD!  Ran out in the marsh in Farmington on a slippery snow packed road, although it was pretty, it was all but impossible to run very fast.  I ended up running farther than I intended and at a pace that was significantly slower than I should have run.  It was good to be on my feet for such a long time, but I will choose a different route next time that will allow me to open up my stride and actually run with a more natural gait.

Ran an easy 5 today up city creek canyon.  I thought I would be a bit more fatigued today, but I actually felt pretty good.  My legs are a bit more sore than I would have liked after yesterday's run, but I am still in one piece.

I ran 10 x 1 min again with minute recovery.  I was going to do the 90 sec reps today, but my legs are pretty hammered from Saturday's long effort.  I felt very fatigued when I first started, but by then end of the set I was moving better.  I am glad I did the set today.

Worst run of the year!!  I felt totally out of sync today, my legs were totally and completely hammered.  I kept thinking I would feel better, but by the end I was just tired.  I hate runs like this, but fortunately they are far and few between.

A marked improvement from yesterday, although I felt a little tired when I first started, I felt good during the interval set.  I chose to cut it short today because of yesterday and because I will be doing the Striders 5k Saturday, and based on Paul's description it will be a pretty hard course.  I hope my legs recover a bit more by Saturday, it has been a long time since I have felt as hammered as I was yesterday.  Recovery time 2 minutes.

Mile 1  5:27

Mile 2  5:24

Half   2:38

Easy run on the Jordan River Parkway.  Felt good today, ran pretty slow and easy, my legs feel much better than earlier in the week.

Ran Jodran River again, nice easy slow run.  Feel like I am fighting a little cold, but I was moving well today.  Tomorrow should be interesting, I am hoping to have a good day, and feel good about my performance.

I knew going in the course was going to be difficult, and it did not disappoint. I ran the course before the start and realized that the first half was going to be tough. I decided I would go out conservatively and try to pick up from there, but I think I was a little too conservative. I cannot complain about my time or finish based on the limited amount of training I have done, and I hope that as the series continues I will gain strength. It is painfully obvious that I have some work to do in the hills, and my speed is just not there, things I know will get better with some more work. It was great to see everyone out today, and equally great to see some good performances. I look forward to a really fun year on racing.

Easy run today, not too many aches and pains from yesterday's effort. The rain had stopped by the time I got out, it was a very pretty evening to run. I look forward to a great week of training.

Out on the parkway this morning, what a beautiful morning - wow!!!  I actually felt ok this today, I was a little stiff at first, but moved right into it. 

After a couple laps around the inside of Sugar House park, I ran 12x2 min with 1 min recovery,. I ran with Taha this morning, he ran very well this morning and kept me honest for the whole set. The hills in the park pretty much ate me up, but I felt like I was recovering well between reps. The set outside is certainly different than the treadmill work I have been doing, but the treadmill has paid off in just my ability to recover between reps.

I was very tired today, my legs would barely move when I was getting started, felt good by the time the run ended.  Ran City Creek Canyon.

Ran a couple miles this morning, and then by Sasha's request I did some 100 meter reps at max effort.  I ended up running 4 reps, the first 2 were not quite 100% - 14.1,13.8.  The next 2 were at max effort although I did not have a lot to give in the last 1 - too short a recovery.  Times: 13.4, 14.0.  I have not tried anything that fast for quite some time and it was obvious, my form sucked.  I think if I practice a little bit I could squeak another second - maybe!!!!

Ran 3x1 mile in the afternoon on the treadmill - I was going to do 4, but I was feeling a little too tired and I would like to stay in one piece.  Overall the set went well, I am glad to have done it today.  2 min recovery between efforts. I am under no illussion that I run faster on the treadmill than outdoors right now, I will eventually transition this set outdoors.

Mile 1:  5:27           Mile 2:  5:24      Mile 3:  5:17

I cannot believe how sore I am from the 100's, my hip flexors and hamstrings are very sore.  I managed to struggle for 7, and I feel good about it.

Was down in Moab for the weekend, what incredible weather.   I have forgotten how much I enjoy going down there.  I ran along the Colorado River on the half marathon course, I was a very pretty run.  I was still a little sore from Thursday's sets of 100's, but overall I felt pretty good.  I am happy with the distance and will look to add in the upcoming weeks.  I will probably take tomorrow off, it has been a couple weeks since I have taken a day off, and I feel a little beat up.  I will run pretty hard Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and then back off for Saturday's 10k.  I am trying not to put to much emphasis on this series, there are other races that are far more important to me later in the season.

Day off!  It was nice to take a day of no running. 

Ran with Taha this morning, we ran very well this morning, it was a great morning to run.  The snow had stopped and it was not too cold.  I was a little lethargic when we started, but I felt like I was moving well at the end of the run.

Met Taha at the park for a set of 12x2 min reps with 1 min recovery.  We ran better than last week for the same set.  Taha pressed the pace in the middle of the set which made it difficult, but overall I feel like it was an excellent effort today.  My legs do not feel as beat up as they did last week after the set.  

Thought I would be much more fatigued than I actually was.  It was a nice run and my legs felt pretty good.  Ran from the club through Walker Lane.

Warmed up for 20 minutes and then ran 8x1 min with a min recovery.  I felt horrible from the start, legs are really fatigued.  I felt better by the end of the run, but I need to rest and recover a little before Saturday's 10k.

Well, something better get better between today and tomorrow, I felt completely out of synch today, just sluggish.  I had been fighting a bit of a cold, maybe I still have some effects.  I was thinking of running farther today, but I felt so bad that I just called it at 4.  I hope to at least run strong tomorrow in the 10k, I have no time expectations set, just to feel good and run a smart race.

The course today was exactly what I thought it would be, tough early on.  My race strategy was to run conservatively in the first half and run hard in the second.  I ran the first three miles of the course before the race started to so I could see how difficult the climbs would be. When the race started I went out very slow, too slow. I was at 6:35 at the mile.  If I don't have a faster pace at the start, I have a hard time picking it up later.  Usually I will go out a little aggressive for about a half mile then back off.  I did not fair much better in the second mile even though there was considerable downhill - 6:15.  By the end of the second mile I had lost contact with the group I was running with, that concerned me a little bit, but I thought I could stay close on the climb going into the third mile.  I settled into a slow pace up the climb and gradually lost a little more ground to the group in front, I came through the third mile in 20:34 - I did not get the split, but I knew that was not an acceptable effort.  Upon cresting the hill I got to work,  I came through mile four in 5:20.  About 4.5 miles in I caught Ted and then set my sights on Cody and Taha. I caught Cody and dropped Taha on the climb out of mile 5.  I wanted to catch Nate Long, but I struggled on the climb and could not close the gap any further.  Mile five split 5:38.  I ran in with someone whom I do not know, and Cody finished directly behind me, it was nice to finally meet him.  Overall I cannot complain too much, I gave a solid effort, but I think if I had gone out in the first mile a bit more aggressively I could have finished  a bit faster.  I have not raced a lot in the last year and I have become a little soft.  I look forward to the 10 miler and hopefully a little faster effort.  Great Job to all the bloggers who were there, and to everyone else who braved the cold and course.

Ran a very slow and easy run, wanted to see how the legs were feeling.  I felt good, it was a nice run, nothing hurts so I cannot complain.

All in all a pretty good run.  I ran up City Creek and I felt ok on the way up and quite good on the way down, but I could tell my legs are a little beat up from Saturday's 10k.  I would like to have run further, but I procrastinated all afternoon and did not get out in time to get more done.  I look forward to a hard set tomorrow.

Can we say SNOW!!!!  I had scheduled a hard interval set for the day, but bailed because there was too much snow.  Ran very easy with Taha, it was a very nice run.  Might try to get out this afternoon for a few more.  The interval set will have to wait until tomorrow.

Met Taha at Sugar House Park for the set we were going to do yesterday.  Warm-up about 2.5 miles, and then ran 12x3 minutes with a 90 second recovery.  The first 6 did not feel too bad, we ran at a steady effort, I struggled through 10 and fought through the last two.  Taha ran hard on most of the climbs and I had to fight hard to stay with him.  Overall it was an excellent session and I feel good about finishing the set.