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No work today and so I had time for a longer than usual run.  Besides, I was hoping to be somewhere near the top of the milage log for 2012, at least initially.

I ran down to work first to check on a test and was pleased that it was still running since last year.  Happy new year!

Distance was 10.14 at a low heart rate, but that's about all I know.  My GPS completely stops within about an hour now and the wrist band is broken.

Did the hill run plus a couple of miles of mostly flat at the end.  I'm fighting another cold, but I didn't notice it much except in the results.  Ran 6.36 miles in 57:56 for an average pace of 9:07/mi and a max downhill pace of 6:34.

My old GPS is dead.  So, Charles let me borrow his.  Not only does it keep going throughout the race, but it also has a working wrist band.  Heart rate monitor isn't set up yet.

Ran down to work to check on a test and then resumed my normal 10 mile route for a total of about 12.9 miles.  Yesteday, I missed my run because of needing to be at work for a 6:00am phone call from India.  I set up my computer so that they could see my desktop from half way around the world.  Who would have ever imagined this technology 40 years ago?

I accidently stopped my GPS for half a mile, but for what I recorded, here are the stats:  12.39 miles in 1:48:01 for an average pace of 8:43/mile.

5.5 miles in brand new shoes, 23 degrees, and a pesky cough, averaging out to an average performance of 8:42/mile with these splits:  10:03, 8:37, 8:23, 8:14, 8:15, and 8:34.  I'm not using the heart rate monitor anymore now that I'm using Charles' GPS.  May set it up later.  Still deciding.

I saw a lone deer, which is unusual, as they usually travel in groups.  But, when I got closer, I found out the deer was hanging around the road kill of one that was probably his companion.  

I needed to take an easy day, with or without a heart rate monitor.  I picked what seemed to be a low heart rate pace and kept it up.  I think I was pretty close.  I ran 4.64 miles in 53:45 for an average pace of 11:36/mi and it felt good, except for my fingers that were freezing under the gloves.  It seemed colder than yesterday, even though the thermometer was 3 degrees warmer at 26.

Hill route of 4.64 miles in 48:22.  Average pace 8:46 with these uneven splits:  9:18, 10:25, 7:16, 8:26, 8:34, and 8:35.  Saw lots of deer crossing my path, but they were just running from me.  My 14 min/mi pace up that hill must have scared them.

It's been a very dry winter.  Still no significant snow fall.  Skies are very clear and thermometer read 22 degrees this morning.

13.22 miles at what I believe was a low heart rate.  Took an unchartered course and found a roller coaster run (way down and then way up).  Full run took 2:39:44 for an average pace of 12:04/mile.  Thermometer reported 23 degrees, 24 degrees, and 26 degrees, depending on which one you want to believe.

It's time to start thinking about training strategy for my June marathon.  At least I've got a pretty good base fitness level, but losing 5 pounds would probably help.

6.38 miles on steep route, completed in 57:14 for an average pace of 8:58/mile.  I felt like I was going faster than that, but the fast miles didn't quite make up for the slow miles.

I'm breaking my own rule to record something without running something, but I felt compelled to give a weather report.  I did 77 pushups, 76 situps 200 overhead pumps with dumbells, 40 squats and 40 ankle exercises and rode my bike to work.  My face and hands froze during those 15 minutes of riding, even with a ski mask and gloves.  Then I checked the weather, which compelled me to give this report:  8F degrees, wind chill -3F

5.52 miles in 46:56 for an average pace of 8:30/mi, which is 7.1mph.  Temperatures warmed up to 35 degrees this morning, which was nice running weather. Saw two deer or one deer twice, probably the latter.

Ran a slightly longer route this morning because I woke up slightly earlier.  6.44 miles in 55:17 for an average pace of 7mph or 8:35 min/mi.  It was wet but not really raining and 38 degrees.

Got the heart rate monitor synced up with Charles' GPS but did a regular run.  11.46 miles in 1:39:45 for an average pace of 8:42/mile and an average heart rate of 159bpm (max 166bpm)  I probably could have done much better than that, but the long one mile uphill at the end took its toll.

Didn't feel like getting out of bed; didn't feel like running, and especially not running fast.  But I did all three. I ran two miles in the nine's before I was able to get under 8 minutes.  In mile three, I was chasing someone at about a 7:45 pace.  I almost caught him before he turned the wrong way.

5.52 miles in 48:48 for an average pace of 8:51/mile.

Took a whole week off for sickness, family pressures and work pressures.  The latter two are still there, but I feel better.  Due to road closures, I took a different route than usual:  3.99 miles in 35:27 (8:53/mi).  I lost some fitness and gained some weight.

6.81 miles in 58:55 for an average pace of 8:39/mi.  But it took a while to get going.  These were my splits:  10:00, 9:32, 7:56, 7:54, 8:22, 8:08, 8:43.  Two back to back miles under 8 minutes may be a personal best for me.  It helps to be older, on steriods, feeling mostly better, and rested.

I thought I was better on Monday, but I've been struggling since then and trying to get better.  Still have a bad cough that I hope will go away soon.

Four quick miles is better than zero.  Cough was worse this morning, but steroid helped.  Ran 4 miles in 33:07 for an average pace of 8:18/mile (158bpm).  At 25 degrees it was a little cool.

4.86 LHR miles in 1:03:06 (12:59/mi and 126bpm)  It felt good to wake up early enough to do  a slow run again.  I also feel good after doing slow runs, more so than fast runs.

They opened up one of the streets I usually run on today, but I found out after I was out.  So, I adjusted my route a little and ended up with 11.28 miles in 1:39:18.  I started wearing down at the end, when I ran a 9:03 mile and the warm-up mile was a 10:34.  All the other miles were in the eights with an average rate of 8:48/mi and 159bpm.  I'm still feeling it, indicating that I've lost some fitness with my sickness, which won't go away.

My 7th child turned 16 today, so now there's another driver out there to watch out for on the roads.  Actually, he's really a good driver.

I completed my 5.5 mile route in 46:57 for an average pace of 8:31/mi and 155bpm.  We had some snow yesterday, but the streets and sidewalks were mostly clear.

I had the opportunity to run as the snow fell today.  It was beautiful.  Ran 4.67 miles in 40:01 for an average pace of 8:34/mile.

I did not feel like getting up, running, or running hard today, but I did all three.  4.66 miles in 39:41, 20 seconds faster than yesterday for the same route (8:31/mi).  Temperature was the same (32) but no precipitation this time.

Cool 10.17 miles this morning in 1:28:51 for an average pace of 8:44/mi.  Snow is in the forcast, but it was a dry 25 degrees this morning.  My fingers froze through my gloves.

After 10 miles on Saturday, I decided I should run slowly to avoid injury.  Besides, I wanted to feel good.  I did and I do.  10.15 miles in 2:03:46 or 12:11/mile.  Average heart rate was 127, max 135.  Mostly not running slowly these days, but being Presidents Day, I had time.

Same clothes but warmer weather caused sweat to roll down my face.  Although it was humid, it wasn't rain that I felt on my face.  At 41 degrees, it was a little too warm for a ski mask.  It was tough to get going, but it turned out all right:  5.52 miles in 47:13 or 8:33/mi.  Average heart rate was 156bpm with 165bpm maximum.

I saw one lone deer at the top of the route who ran further up the mountain.

Late to bed, early to rise, but the results were good.  I ran about a 10K (6.24 miles) in 52:47 for an average pace of 8:28/mi with heart rate of 157bpm (max 167bpm).  Without the wind, it seemed warmer, even though the thermometer said 25 degrees.

Another slow run.  This time 12.34 miles in 2:32:38 for an average pace of 12:22/mi and an average heart rate of 128bpm.  I'd expect that I could go forever at that pace, but not so.  The last two or three miles I slowed down in order to keep my heart rate down.

Got a couple of inches of snow last night, but it was already starting to melt at 36 degrees this morning. It may be all gone by the end of the day.

Yesterday, I slept in and missed my run. Today, I awoke at 3:30 and finally rolled out at 4:00. Ran 8.23 miles in 1:09:45. I crossed mile 7 before the one hour mark. Average pace overall was 8:29/mi, or just under 7mph. If only I could keep up that pace for 18 more miles, I could break that 4 hour time for a marathon.

I'd say this was my best low heart rate run for a while:  5.53 miles in 1:06:19 for an average pace of 12:00/mi and 126bpm (max 132bpm).

I'm happy that Romney beat the opposition yesterday and hopefully got the momentum back going into super Tuesday.  By the time Utah votes, it won't matter.

Today was not the coldest or the wettest or the driest, but I think it was the slickest day that I can remember.  At about 32 degrees, we got a mix of rain and snow and ended up with ice.  Didn't get much traction on the streets and sidewalks.  Still did OK: 5.51 miles in 46:48 for an average pace of 8:30/mi and 153bpm.

March came in like a lion.  We got a couple of more inches of snow and I trudged through more snow than ever this season, although it wasn't as slick at 25 degrees.  Running as the snow falls is one of my favorite things and that was my reward this morning.  Another reward was a surprisingly good pace:  5.49 miles in 1:02:51 for an average pace of 11:26 and 127bpm heart rate.  Didn't expect to do so well at low heart rate, but I'll take it.

12.34 miles in 1:44:53 for an average pace of 8:30/mile and 155bpm, 162bpm max.  Miles 11 and 12 were mostly uphill and my slowest (besides first mile), but my fastest rate was in the final stub, racing downhill at 6:07/mile.

I was looking at some expected marathon times based on mile times.  According to what I read, I would need to be able to run a mile in 7:00 to reach my 4 hour marathon goal.  I haven't measured my mile time for a long time, but I don't think I've come close to a 7 minute pace for a few decades.

3.03 miles in 29:51.  My whole objective today was to measure my mile time.  I ran a slow warmup mile and then a fast mile and a cool down mile.  I was disappointed with my mile time of 7:40, but I misjudged the end of the mile and I still had a little left.  Hopefully, I can get my mile time down to 7 minutes before the June marathon.

6.48 miles in 54:57 for an average pace of 8:29/mile and 155bpm.  All but the first warmup mile were between 8 and 9 minutes/mile, but miles 3, 4, and 5 were all under 8:10.  That makes a super Tuesday for me.  If Romney can blow away the competition today, all the the better.

Today I ran short and easy, but not at low heart rate.  How's that for a cop-out?  It was a choice between that and skipping the entirely.  So, I ran 2.61 miles in 23:61 for an average rate of 8:56 and an average heart rate of 142bpm.

Good run today:  7 miles in under an hour and 7.34 miles in 1:02:22 for an average pace of 8:30/mi  The first two miles were the slowest at 9:55 and 8:27.  All other miles were between 8:20 and 8:10.  Made up for yesterday's easy run.

I've decided to go with Hal Higdon's intermediate level 2 training schedule.  That meant 14 miles today.  I planned the route last night and started out according to plan.  But then I thought, it's plenty light to run up the canyon.  When I got to the mouth of the canyon, it was closed to all traffic, including runners.  So, I made a U-turn to resume plan A.  But then the milage didn't work out.  So I did some weaving around to get to the 14 mile distance at the end.

All told, I ran 14.1 miles in 2:04:02 for an average pace of 8:48/mi.  Not exactly my fastest pace, but I'll take it.  It is my longest distance for a while.  Hopefully, this new schedule will lead me to a four hour marathon.

 I did some core exercises instead of running yesterday due to some nagging pain.  I think I need to do more of that to prevent injury.  I think I'll try doing planks every evening.

One mile of warm-up, one fast mile, and a mile of cool down.  Did a little better than last Monday.  Got a 7:30 mile on the track compared with 7:40 last week.  Hopefully, I can do even better next time.

54 degrees this morning!  I think spring is coming.  Got a little more spring in my step today too:  5.54 miles in 45:55 for an average pace of 8:18 per mile with these splits:  9:05, 8:25, 8:08, 8:01, 7:48, and 8:17.  Kind of pleased with the 7:48 mile.

It was time for an easy day.  Low heart rate training (at 125bpm) resulted in 5.62 miles in 104:18, for an average pace of 11:27/mile.  All miles and partial miles were between 11 and 12 minutes.

A sharp pain in my left ankle caused concern, but I was able to run through it while my heart rate fell to 117bpm.

Didn't feel strong today for a couple of miles, but finally managed 5.67 miles in 48:06 for an average pace of 8:29/mile with these splits 9:26, 8:49, 8:15, 7:56, 8:08, and 8:16.

Saw a couple of deer this morning, but that may become more rare as the weather warms up.  It was 51 degrees.

10.32 miles in 1:25:35 for an average pace of 8:18 per mile.  Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Fastest laps were 9 and 11 at 7:57/mi.  Breaking the 8:00 barrier is getting to be a little more common, for which I'm pleased.

Ran through the snow in my brand new flat shows.  Snow was falling and I was making the first tracks in the undisturbed snow on the sidewalk.  Tough to beat that.  I managed to stay out of the deep puddles for about 3 miles.  Then my feet got soaked to the skin.

GPS was dead.  Not sure about distance or time.

Today was colder and dryer (27 degrees and no snow falling).  Ran  a slightly different route to get 8 miles and guesstimated a little short: 7.98 miles in 1:07:24) for an average pace of 8:27/mi.

Knocked another 8 seconds off my mile time with a 7:22 mile, a cool down and then a 7:33 mile.  It felt like I still had something left at the end of the second one as I reached a top pace of 6:05.  The track provides a flat surface, so these times are legitimate.

Unfortunately, the Utah Valley marathon for which I have been training is full and I won't be able to run in it.  I didn't think it would fill up so soon.  I'm continuing my training schedule for now, in hopes of finding another one.

I went to bed last night with lots of aches and pains, but nothing serious.  I was uncommitted to a run this morning.  But I woke up in time for a short run and I don't remember having a faster run:

5.65 miles in 46:01 for an average pace of 8:08/mi and the following splits:  9:10, 8:24, 7:54, 7:37, 7:43, and 7:59.  I don't think I've ever strung together so many 7's at the end of a run.  Maybe the occasional speed training is helping.

This was my first run up the canyon for several months and it was nice at 48 degrees.  I feel like I'm on the edge of over training, so I started out pretty slow and had a little energy left at the end.  But, I still feel pretty wiped out after burning 2000 calories.  The run took 2:35:15 for an average pace of 9:34/mile.

I'm now considering the Deseret News Marathon on July 24th, which will put me on a different schedule.  But, I figure it won't hurt to maintain the current schedule for a while.

Ben told me he ran a 5:20 mile, But he wasn't sure it was a mile.  Having missed my morning run, I decided to run it myself with the Garmin.  I ran the same distance in 5:37, but it was only .80 miles, which came out to a 7:02 pace.  I took off on a sprint and had to slow way down.

5.68 miles in 47:44 for an average pace of 8:26/mile in a cool 38 degrees.

6.13 miles in 50:17 for an average pace of 8:12 per mile.  Felt good today.  I had thought that my flat shoes would be speeding me up.  But, so far, that hasn't been the case.  But I was more rested this morning than yesterday.

Decided to run at low heart rate for today's easy run:  4.62 miles in 50:07 for an average pace of 10:52 per and average heart rate of 128bpm, in spite of a malfunction when it shot up to 188bpm.  Those low heart rate runs leave me feeling great, but I don't do them much any more.

17.4 miles in 2:41 is an estimate based on forgetting to restart my GPS  That comes out to about 9:15 per mile.  Out of the measured miles, I got 16.04 miles in 2:25:59 for an average pace of 9:06/mile.  I'd say is was a pretty good run up to Vivian park and back.  But my feet didn't think so.  My flat shows give me less support, and I injured my left foot.  Hopefully, it won't have long term effects.

I ran two miles in about 18 minutes this morning to see how I would do.  It turns out my back hurt more than my foot.  I may be on my way "back".

Trying to be careful until I can build up my mileage again.  Just ran 4.66 miles in 38:28 (8:15 per mile)  All body parts seemed to be in good working order.  I hate to let all this great running weather get past me.  It may have been a little cool at 45 degrees for short sleeves and shorts, but very tolerable.  It's just going to get warmer from here (I think).

4.62 miles in 38:13 or 8:16 per mile.  First four miles were faster than Saturday, but the last stub was quite a bit slower.  I ran hard enough to feel it in my legs and was not able to maintain the intensity at the end.

Same route, slower speed.  Not sure why, but my calves were bothering me most of the run and now I'm walking around like I ran a marathon.  I know I took a lot of time off, but I didn't think I was ramping back up too fast.  Hopefully, it will feel better as the day progresses.  Ran 4.64 miles in 39:20 for an average pace of 8:29/mi.

5.64 miles at average pace of 8:20/mile.  First mile and a half were quite slow than I had three back to back miles under 8 minutes.  Nice weather at 43 degrees.

I felt the same old pain in my foot again and decided to cut my run way short.  Average pace was 9:58/mile.

5.64 miles in53:01 for an average pace of 9:24/mi.  First mile was 10:39 and last fraction was 8:44.  I was able to increase the pace each mile, mainly because I wasn't sure what I could do and I took it easy at first.  Had some foot pain, but nothing too bad.

I've taken a long break from running, partly to heal and partly to prepare for a long bike ride to St. George with the boys (about 320 miles in 3 days).  Did 3 26 mile rides in the past week and planning my first 50 mile ride tomorrow.  It's all I can do to keep up with everyone else, but so far they haven't complained about my slowness.

3.08 miles at a slow pace.  The 300 mile bike ride is done, but my running has been neglected.  The one in charge of the bike ride now wants to run a marathon with me.  His problem is that he keeps injuring his calf every time he runs.  That happened again today near the end of our run.  It cramped up really bad on him.  Not sure what to tell him.  Maybe I pushed him a little too hard.

Went running with John and Ben at the track.  Ben stayed ahead of me even though I tried to catch him, but he went back home after the first mile.  John wanted to run on the level to avoid injuries.  John just turned 56, went on the bike ride with me, has had a heart attack and is now passionate about completing a marathon.

Ran 4 miles at a 9:45 pace with John.  It felt good for me.  We tried to stay as flat as possible.

Couldn't help but notice the Big Cottonwood Canyon Marathon.  Maybe I can break 4 hours on that one.

4.1 miles at a 9:33 pace.  John set the pace and he did better than the same route on Saturday.  Travis joined us, who hasn't run since his St Geroge marathon in college.  He did well on our bike trip, but seemed to struggle a little this morning.  He's in the Bishopric, so maybe this can be a trend for the whole ward.  I think he's in his 30's.

John learned again that he has problems with hills.  This time he pulled his hamstring just after the climb.  We walked for a while before he told me to go ahead.  Hopefully, it isn't serious.

Ran towards the temple from our Ephriam motel to Manti.  Since I was running alone, I worked harder than usual and ran an average pace of 8:25/mile.  It felt good.

Even though it was mostly walking, I'm counting the distance.  We took 6 Priests and 3 adults, including me up to the tallest peak in Toole county (Deseret Peak) this morning.  It was a little warm at the bottom (especially on the return trip) and cold at the top (11,000 feet in elevation).  I noticed some difficulty breathing beginning at about 9000 feet.  All the boys made it, but one adult only made it to the ridge at 10,000 feet.  I don't remember ever feeling a fiercer wind.  It almost blew us off our feet.  We enjoyed leaning into the wind.  I might receive some photos to post, not sure.

Ran alone.  John is still injured.  Pulled hamstring.  Not sure when he will be ready again.

As for me, I ran 4.66 miles in 40:39 for an average pace of 8:44/mile.  Temperature was 74 degrees, a little warm for me.

Last night, John requested that I run with him this morning.   But, as soon as he took a few steps, he got a sharp pain in his hamstring again, even though it didn't hurt much last night.

As for me, my left knee still hurts from the bike trip, but my quads are feeling a lot better today.  After a very slow start, I ended up running 4.61 miles in 40:48 for an average pace of 8:51/mile.  Mile 4 was 7:53.

It was time to step it up a little today.  I ran farther than I hiked last Saturday, but I think hiking Deseret Peak was more fun.  I worked pretty hard to get 10.14 miles in 1:27:23 for an average pace of 8:37/mile.  Hopefully, I didn't overdo it.

Maybe I stepped it up a little too much on Saturday.  My left ankle was hurting enough to change my stride.  Then my knee started hurting.  So, I turned around to come home and do core exercises instead

Ran hard again today.  No real ankle pain, but I can feel some now.  4.62 miles in 38:26 for an average pace of 8:19 per mile.  Two miles were under 8 minutes and all miles were under 9.

Happy Independence Day!  No work, more time, more running.  I've got chronic pain on the back side of my left knee, my left ankle, and my left foot.  I think it's all connected and I need to figure out how to strengthen those muscles to alleviate some of the pain.

 But, it wasn't bad today.  The worst pain came after stretching for a long time at a stop light.  Then I had a lot of ankle pain upon restarting that took about a half mile to subside.  Overall, I was pleased with my effort today:  7.31 miles in 1:01:29 for an average pace of 8:25/mile, even though the first mile took me 9:30.

I didn't know what my knee would do today, so I took it easy for 12:43 miles in 2:01:01 for an average pace of 9:44/mile.  It hurts to bend my knee all the way, but otherwise it doesn't hurt that much.  I wish I knew whether or not the running was causing more damage.

Weather was nice at 68 degrees and I didn't think I sweated that much, but I was down 4.5 pounds from before the run to after the run, even though I drank two cups of water.

5.52 miles in 47:22 for an average pace of 8:35.  Took the first mile pretty easy, as a precaution and the remaining miles were under the 8:35 pace.  It was 71 degrees, but it's supposed to get up to 100 degrees today.

Same route and same distance as Monday, but faster:  5.52 miles in 45:24 for an average pace of 8:13/mile.  It felt good.  Knee pain won't go away, but it doesn't seem to affect my running last night.

Well it happened, my son Kevin got engaged.  A new family will be started on Aug 21 in Seattle, Washington.  It is an extremely short engagement and we will be scrambling to make all the arrangements, but I'm very happy for Kevin and Whitney.

I think the deal was clinched when Kevin went to Seattle to run a 5K with Whitney on the 4th of July.  Kevin likes just about any sport better than running, but this proved his dedication to the cause.

Today is my lucky day!  I expect I'll be lucky with something by the end of the day.  If not, I'm lucky to have a wonderful family.  Alma, Ben, and I had a bench press contest and a sit-up contest last night.  I was much better on the bench press, but they both beat me on sit-ups.

This morning, I ran 5.53 miles in 45:57 for an average pace of 8:19/mile.  Speaking of being lucky, I'm lucky that my knew isn't slowing me down on running for now.  Wish I knew if I was causing damage by continuing to run.

Same route and even slower.  I think a little congestion is slowing me down.  5.54 miles in 46:21 for an average pace of 8:22/mile.

Went to High Uintas wilderness area for hiking and fishing with the Priests.  That must be the most beautiful place on earth.  The mountains kept towering higher and higher.  The lakes and streams were story book  perfect.  We camped at 10,600 feet and found the best fishing at 11,000 feet, which is near the tree line.

Not very dedicated on my running, but finally got back to it today.  5.52 miles in 45:48 for an average pace of 8:19/mi.  Miles 3, 4, and 5 were all under 8 minutes.

Got the go ahead from the doctor to run.  Also got instructions to do physical therapy.  So, I'm doing both.  Physical therapy takes longer than running.

 GPS started out dead.  So early part of run was not recorded.  But the part that I did record was 3.42 miles in 27:57 for an average pace of 8:11/mile.  Not bad after all that time off.

Ran a little further with a working GPS.  4.68 miles in 38:56 for an average pace of 8:20 per mile.  This was one of my better runs.  I ought to be holding myself back a little to promote healing, but I'm too impatient.

No GPS.  Ran an old measured route in about 50 minutes.  Gotta get back into shape without over doing it.  It was plenty warm at 73 degrees this morning.

I'm gaining weight and losing speed.  Took 8:31 per mile this morning as I completed 5.5 miles in 46:48.  Off days are spent doing physical therapy.  Hopefully this will be a winning combination to get me back in shape.

I prevailed upon two of my sons to run in Seattle with me.  We just went out 3 miles and back.  Neither of them have been training.

Back in Orem and ran normal route.  Didn't memorize pace, but it wasn't worth remembering.

Yesterday's run was a little hard.  Didn't want to over train after so much non-training lately.  So, I cut it short and slow 7.49 miles in 1:12:04.  Weather was nice at 64 degrees and it was enough to help me feel well today.

With school back in session, I had to cut my run way short today.  It was basically a 5K:  8.05 miles in 25:42 for an average pace of 8:26/mile.  2nd mile was pretty good at 7:50.

I dragged myself out of bed at 4:25 this morning to complete 5.5 miles in 47:40 for an average pace of 8:40/mile.  No hint of daylight during the run, but 73 degrees.  Yesterday, we had a record high of 98 degrees and today is expected to be hotter.

Finished up August with a good run.  I had an extra burst of energy when I heard a dog bark on mile 3.  So, I got a high maximum pace of 6:06/mi.  Overall wasn't too bad either at 8:24/mile for 5.49 miles.

I hiked Timpanogos with my sons Ben and Brian yesterday.  We were quite compatible in our abilities although Brian suffered near the top with elevation issues.  (He lives in Chicago.)  We completed the hike in about 7 hours, 40 minutes with about 40 minutes at the summit.  What a beautiful mountain we have in our back yard.

 This was actually only my second time at the the summit.

5.53 mile in 47:27 or about 8:35/mile.  I took a longer break than planned after the Timpanogos hike, but I had a lot of lactic acid up until today.

The forcast last night for this morning was thunderstorms, but when I awoke at 4:45, there was no sign of rain.  With no excuses, I headed out and ran 4 miles in 33:35 for an average pace of 8:24/mile.  Another runner even told me it was a good pace.

Things are starting to get back to normal, so I should be able to run more regularly now.

Under ideal conditions (52 degrees, three days of rest, injury free, return deadline, mexican dinner in tow, etc.) I believe I set a PR for any of my morning runs.  (Four miles in 32:30 for an average pace of 8:07/mi and these splits:  8:39, 7:52, 7:55, and 8:03.

Had a decent run today.  9.08 miles in 1:17:34 for an average pace of 8:33/mile.  Found it hard to keep up my speed at the end.  That indicates an endurance issue, which definitely makes sense due to my reduced mileage of late.

I gave my flat shoes another run this morning after not using them for a long time.  (I stopped because of knee problems, but my knee is mostly better now.)  Those shoes made me feel empowered to go faster.  If I were in better shape, I would have done even better.  As it was, I ran 4.67 miles in 38:41 for an average pace of 8:17/mi

Went back up to my old route today.  5.5 miles in 46.41 for an 8:30 pace.  Nothing spectacular, but I've been feeling it today.  Used my old shoes, which give me better support.  But they don't know how to go as fast.

I ran 10.17 miles in 1:26:33 for an average pace of 8:31/mile.  Weather was nice at 54 degrees.  I'm pretty wiped out today.  Not in very good shape after slacking off for so long.

Ran on the wet streets, but no rain.  50 degrees and nice.  My son told me that I hold my head back while I run, so I tried to keep it forward a little more this morning.  I think it helped.  I had a pretty good pace:  5.5 miles in 45:39 for an average pace of 8:18/mile.

With a little extra time on my hands, I decided to go a little further:  6.42 miles in 53:43 for an average pace of 8:22/mile.  Without the first mile, it would have been a much better average.  In order of speed:  9:20 (mile 1), 8:27 (mile 2), 8:14 (mile 6), 8:11 (mile 3), 8:09 (mile 5), 8:07 (mile 7), and 7:59 (mile 4).

My left ankle really bothered me during the first mile or two and so I ran pretty carefully.  But the pain soon subsided and it feels fine now.

Started out with more energy than usual this morning, but had less energy at the end of my run.  Ran 10.31 miles in 1:26:32 for an average pace of 8:24/mi.

A little further, a little slower, and a little heavier.  Maybe the weight gain is coming from my core exercises on off days, and lately there have been a lot of off days.  Today's results were 6.44 miles in 54:58 for an average pace of 8:32/mile.  Still decent weather at 54 degrees, but a cold spell is coming and possibly even a frost.

It did get 7 degrees cooler this morning, down to 47, but still not uncomfortable in shorts and t-shirt.  Had about the same pace as yesterday for a shorter distance:  5.52 miles in 46:58 for an average pace of 8:31/mi.

Worked with youth doing yard work until dark last night and there was no hint of light when I finished my run this morning.  The nights are getting longer.

GPS died just after I completed 7 miles and I don't know the exact distance of my run, but I figure it was about 11.7 miles in roughly 1:43.  That comes out to about 8:48/mile.  My goal was to run 7 miles/hour for the first hour, which I barely made.  Then the GPS stopped.

 Went back to long sleeves and gloves today.  It was comfortable at 35 degrees.

By my estimates, I ran 4 miles at an 8:31 pace.  It was pretty cool at 38 degrees.  I should have worn long sleeves and gloves.

7.35 miles in about 62 minutes based on the clock and the gmap-pedometer.  That calculates to 8:26/mile which isn't too bad.  At 52 degrees, it was perfect weather this morning.

Unfortunately, I twisted my knee playing ultimate frisbee last night.  My body does not handle quick changes of direction very well.  That's why I run in big circles.  Knee didn't bother me on the run this morning, but when I suddenly stopped, I got a sharp pain.

Skipped my weekend run, mostly because of concern about my knees, but I felt pretty good running this morning in spite of an occasional pain here and there.

Ran 7.31 miles in 1:01:46 for an average pace of 8:28/mile.  I'll run again on Wednesday as long as my pain doesn't come back.

Had a very good run this morning, probably because of my long rest.  Also used flat shoes, gloves and, long sleeves in the crisp cool 38 degree air.  Ran 4 miles in 32:50 for an average pace of 8:12/mile with the fastest mile at 7:49.

My main problem is the milage.  I've been running less, not more.

4.64 miles in 39.48 for an average pace of 8:35/mile.  We picked up two grandchildren on Saturday, which consumed the entire day, including exercise time.  Physical fitness is losing out more and more often.

By the way, the grandchildren are adorable.

Ran 10.18 miles at an average pace of 8:32/mile.  Just happy to be running again after cutting back so much.  It was enough to wear me out and so it was a good workout.

Very pleased with today's run.  It warmed up to 44 today, compared to 32 on Saturday.  Flat shoes, short sleeves, and well rested resulted in 4.67 miles in 38:19 for an average pace of 8:13.  Laps were 8:39, 8:08, 8:01, 7:58, and 8:19 (partial).

Slightly better than Tuesday with regular shoes.  (Perhaps they don't make that much difference.)  4.65 miles in 37:57 for an average pace of 8:10/mile.  The weather was still great at 50 degrees.

10.19 miles in 8:34 per mile.  I decided to take it a little easier today.  I still got the first 7 miles done in an hour with 20 seconds to spare, but I didn't quite keep the pace for the last three miles.

Happy daylight savings time!  This was my first Monday run in a while, but it was just a run and I felt good afterwards:  4.64 miles in 39:58 for an average pace of 8:37.  I was bundled up with long sleeves and gloves because it was 40 degrees outside.

I went home last night more excited than I remember ever being at Christmas, but by the time I went to bed, I was not very happy.  Got up this morning to cool down.  43 degrees and short sleeves did the job pretty well.  Ran 5.53 miles in 46:45 for an average pace of 8:27/mile.

Same old route with no GPS in about 40 minutes.  It was starting to rain, but still 55 degrees.  It's supposed be snowing by the end of the day.

4.18 miles in 35:44 for an average pace of 8:33/mile.  The streets were mostly dry except for an occasional clump of snow.  The skies were clear and the air was a crisp 22 degrees.  I'm thankful that I ran, even though it was hard to push myself out into the freezing weather.

7.29 miles in 1:01:08 for an average pace of 8:23/mile.  Miles 4 and 8 were the fastest, but I gradually slowed down between mile 4 and 8.  So, I probably could have done better at the end.  It warmed up 10 degrees (to 32) since Monday and I wore my flat shoes.  Both factors helped my speed.  My weight was not in my favor as I have gained 10 pounds since last summer.

4.66 miles in 38:56 for an average pace of 8:21/mile.  All miles were in the 8's and the temperature was a comfortable 39 degrees.

Ran without a GPS, but it was my 10.2 mile route and it took 91 minutes based on the house clock.  That's almost 9 minutes per mile.  A light rain the whole time, but I was a little too warm with long sleeves and gloves.  (Temperature was 47 degrees).

5.52 miles in 37:30 for an average pace of 8:37/mile.

Happy Thanksgiving!  I'm thankful for the dry, moderate weather this morning and for good health and for family and food.  I like the feeling I get after a good run.  Today's run, as always, ended going uphill for the last mile.  (If I don't take that particular route, I don't get a temperature reading, which was 39 today.)  I had a pretty strong head wind during the last mile that slowed me down to an 8:45 pace.  Overall, I ran 7.31 miles in 1:02:43 for an average pace of 8:33/mile.  The first 7 miles took 59:58.  So,I'll call that 7mph.

Had some knee issues after Thursday's run.  Did some physical therapy on Friday and I decided to risk another run today.  So far, so good and I'm glad I ran.  10.18 miles took 1:27:45, for an average pace of 8:37/mile.  First 7 miles took one hour and 2 minutes.  Maximum speed was 5:55 in mile 2.  Not sure if I've ever had that fast of a pace.

I went ice skating with my family on Saturday and took a fall that really hurt my thigh.  It has been hurting ever since and slowed me down this morning.  I ran 4.64 miles in 42:08 with an average pace of 9:05/mile.  That's my slowest pace in a long time.

5.64 miles in 50:35 for an average pace of 8:58/mile.  My pace has slackened by about 30 seconds per mile and I'm not sure how to explain it.  Nothing to do except keep running and hope things get better soon.  My legs are nearly always sore and so I don't want to push things too much.

Wrapped up the month with a short run without a GPS, but cell phone said it took about 40 minutes, which is a little above average for that run (about 8:40/mile).  I got a little too hot in my long sleeves and gloves.  It's no wonder because the temperature indicated 54 degrees this morning.

Did two runs this morning.  First run was 10.15 miles and energy level was pretty low, ending at about a 10 minute pace.  Came home for a drink and then took Ben out for a 2.27 mile run.  I told him to go slow because my run had deteriorated to a 10 minute pace.  But, he took off and we averaged an 8:41 pace.  He got stomach cramps that slowed him down in mile 2.  I slowed down too, but then we picked up speed at the end and he beat me by a couple of seconds.

He is now in the Teacher's quorum and they are planning to run the Provo City Marathon on May 4.  That means he has a reason to run with me occasionally.  I haven't decided whether or not to run with them because the Provo City Marathon is sooner and harder than the Utah Valley Marathon.

After 2 days off, I finally had a good run.  Felt strong and fast most of the time.  Ran 5.73 miles in 48:16 for an average pace of 8:25/mile.

Three days off and an even better run.  What can I say.  I'm getting

lazy or I'm getting busy.  Either way, my running has tapered off and

I've got to bounce back.  My average pace today was 8:16 per mile,

ending with 8:10, 8:10, and 8:06.  (38:26 total time)  Colder weather is on the way, but it

was still reasonable at 37 degrees this morning.

Ran 10.21 by myself and then 1.43 with Ben.  Ben and I were planning to go further, but his asthma gave him problems.

The first 10.21 went pretty well.  It took 1:27:16 for an average pace of 8:33.  As usual I slowed down a little at the end, but the average speed was under 8:30 for the first 7 miles.  Considering that I don't often go much further than 7 miles at a time, it is understandable that my pace slows down when I go further.

Alma is moving closer to considering the Provo City marathon in April and so am I.  Alma is the hard sell, but he did the 300 mile bike ride with me last June and that might give him the confidence to try.

For me, I've got a long ways to go, especially if I hope to break the 4 hour mark.  The Provo City marathon is early, meaning lots of winter training and difficult because it starts out down hill and averages flat for the last half.

I braved 28 degrees this morning as I ran 5.51 miles in 47:57 for an average pace of 8:42/mile.  The snow was just starting to fall at the end of the run and more is expected today.

Today was a nice day for running at about 40 degrees.  Most of the snow melted yesterday, but there are still some treacherous spots.  I had to slow down a couple of times due to the slick conditions and the traffic.  Overall, a pretty good run:  4.65 miles in 39:40 for an average pace of 8:32/mi.  All miles were similar, between 8:50 and 8:24.

10.57 miles at an 8:30 pace.  I intended to run my normal weekend route, but I got wet socks after a few steps on the street.  I then decided that avoiding water puddles was too stressful.  I turned around and headed for the track.  At least I would be running on a known location.  I made the initial tracks in the snow and it wasn't wet at all, for a while.  After a few times around, I had pounded out a pretty good track and thing started getting slushy.  By the end, my socks were sopping wet and I thought I had frost bite on one of my toes.  Later, I found out it was just a big blister.

My progress is ranging from lazy to lazier as I finally got out for my first run since Saturday.  The boys are out of school for Christmas break.  That meant I could run a little later.  I knew it would be cold and so I put everything on, including long sleeves, long pants, gloves, and ski mask.  That was more than adequate to stay warm with a temperature of 14F.  I ended up running 4.64 miles in 38:33 for an average pace of 8:18 per mile with a 7:50 for mile 3, which was mostly downhill.

Today's run went pretty well.  I had to go back to Sept 24 to find a better pace at this distance.  The temperature was 27 degrees  and no precipitation.  I had to go through a few ice patches, but otherwise the roads were dry.  10.19 miles took 1:26:17 for an average pace of 8:28/mile.

Well, it's official!  All the teachers and most of the Priests are signed up to run the Provo City Marathon on May 4th.  The Bishop had sworn off marathons 11 years ago, but now he's going to do it too, as well as the other young men leaders in the ward.

The dead of winter training cycle adds a challenge to a challenge, but I hope they can all pull through and be successful.  Among those signed up are my sons Alma and Benjamin.

Today's run began and ended in the snow, but overall it went pretty well:  5.49 miles in 46:10 for an average pace of 8:24/mile.

Went to the Orem recreation center to run around their indoor track.  It was my way to get others to go with me.  Ben, Charles, and Brian came.  Alma opted for 2 miles on the treadmill at home instead.  Nobody wanted to run in the snow storm for some reason.

I ran 52 times around the track in about 70 minutes for an average pace of 8:45/mile.  I had a surprisingly strong sprint at the end and then I walked out an extra lap to cool down.

We've had at least 12 inches of snow dumped in the last week.  It snowed overnight again and it was snowing as I ran.  I hesitated to run because of my cold that I suddenly picked up yesterday.  So, I went to the track and created a decent path around it after a while.  But I never got up much speed.  I'm just pleased that I did something.  4.57 miles in 44:17 for an average pace of 9:42 per mile.

Went to the Orem Rec Center to run 10 miles with Charles and Ben.  Charles almost lapped me.  More surprising is that he finished the whole distance after not running for a long time.  Ben was able to complete 3 miles.  After finishing, we noticed our calculations were wrong.  Since we ran 65 laps in the outside lane, we actually completed 10.48 miles.  The time is unknown.

Ran the Rec center track with Charles and Ben again.  This time, it was 39 laps for 6.29 miles in about 51:3, which comes out to about 8:11/mile.  Charles pushed me hard and ended up lapping me 3 times.  Ben ended up needing to stop after 2 miles.