No, I can't change the color scheme or layout...

Sat, Aug 30, 2008

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This is a tough course, but it was a great race. It was sponsored by the Midway Running Club, and since I'm a member I also liked the entry fee: free! (Of course, I had to volunteer to do registration, which was fun anyway). The race director, Mark Nelson, is a great guy. I've run with him this summer and enjoyed getting to know him.

The first two miles were freezing cold (what happened to summer?), but I felt great. I felt strong the entire race, even though the first three miles were all uphill. My only mistake was starting to kick a little too far from the finish line. A couple of people passed me in the last 50 feet.

Anyway, I have a new 10k PR! I beat last year's time by about 2 minutes.

Thu, Aug 28, 2008

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Tue, Aug 26, 2008

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Sat, Aug 23, 2008

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Since my parents are facing a little dispute with Heber City over how long it has taken them to get their landscaping in (new home 1 1/2 years old) I took the day off work Thursday and spent 12 long grueling hours spreading 7 truck loads of topsoil at their house. A friend of theirs (a nice 80 year old Japanese guy) came and helped move the topsoil around with a tractor, but didn't have the proper attachment to level it. I.e., we ended up spreading it by hand because we were concerned that if we went and rented a tractor with a box scaper it might offend him. (The fact my parents are on a shoestring budget to put the yard in was a factor too, but I would have paid for the tractor myself). Twelve hours of raking and rolling take a toll on one's body. I think I overexerted myself because Thursday night I couldn't sleep. All I could do was lay there and think about how tired I was and how much it hurt to ...

Thu, Aug 21, 2008

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Looking forward to Hobble Creek 1/2 this weekend. Unfortunately, yesterday I spent the entire day spreading topsoil at my parents house. I over did it and was too tired to sleep last night. Spreading topsoil doesn't use the same muscles as running. :-)

Tue, Aug 19, 2008

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Sat, Aug 16, 2008

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

8:07 pace. Fun course from the base of the Girls camp on the East side of Heber to Midway. (Although I didn't particularly like crossing Main Street). I haven't run much on the East side of town for a while so it was good to get out and run a new course. (As a side note, I passed an incredible number of vacant - half finished real estate developments which doesn't bode well for the real estate market in Wasatch County).

However, I've about decided that I like running in Midway more than anywhere in Wasatch County. On the East side of Heber there are long stretches of road, but the roads don't have wide shoulders and I'm always worried about being hit by some car as the sun comes up over the mountains blinding the drivers heading east. The West side of Heber (okay - mainly Southfield Road) is a haven for contractors driving their big "ever so environmentally friendly"1-ton diesel trucks. I'm not sure why, but ...

Tue, Aug 12, 2008

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Fun recovery run after the Montezuma's Revenge 1/2 Marathon last week. Felt pretty good. A guy I run with in the Midway Running Club must be getting faster (or I must be getting slower). I tried to push it but he kept up with me the entire time. Good job.

Sat, Aug 09, 2008

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This week I didn't feel very well during my training runs, which was a bad omen for his race. Tuesday I couldn't do more than 2 miles -- I just didn't have any energy. Thursday I gutted out 4 miles, but the pace was slow and I just wasn't feeling it. Typically when that happens, its a sign that I'm about to get sick. Well, sure enough today I got the stomach flu.

At the beginning I got stuck way in the back of the pack and couldn't break out for almost half a mile. I was walking and just couldn't get out. I finally broke out and some smart aleck yells, "yeah, go win it dude." Idiot. Then some girl tries to pass me saying, "Watch out, bud." Too bad she couldn't hold that pace for more than 200 yards and I ended up blowing by her on the uphill stretch. "Sorry bud."

From there it went from bad to worse. My stomach started hurting and I could tell that ...

Thu, Aug 07, 2008

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

still not feeling well...

Tue, Aug 05, 2008

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

not feeling well...

Sat, Aug 02, 2008

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Pretty ugly 12 miles, but I made it. I even survived a surprise dog attack on the way back to Midway. I said a few choice words that I can't include in this nice family friendly blog. I hope the dog got my point though. Seems like some dogs only understand certain vocabulary words. Makes one wonder why, when learning a foreign language, the swear words are the easiest and first words one learns... Maybe we are distantly related to dogs?

Thu, Jul 31, 2008

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

8:09 pace