Training in Montana

4 TM miles at the Y, then stretches and 30 pushups and situps. 

4 TM miles at the Y, then stretches and 30 pushups and situps. 

4 TM miles at the Y, then stretches and 30 pushups and situps.  For a change this was in the morning, so followed it up with a shave before work.

4 TM miles this morning after dropping my 7th grader off at basketball practice. 30 pushups and sit-ups.

4 TM miles. 30 pushups and situps. Watched The 100.

4 TM miles. 30 pushups and situps. Watched The 100.

4 TM miles. 30 pushups and situps. Watched The 100.

4 TM miles at home while watching the Falcons destroy the Chicken Hawks.

2 TM miles in the morning before leading a group exercise with a team of misfits. It was actually a very productive MLK day and I can use that vacation day another time.

4 TM miles at Noon. 30 pushups & situps. Left achilles isn't hurting anymore, guess it just needed some time off from long runs? I haven't been more than 6 miles since October 1st. Not sure when I'll get back to long runs.

4 TM miles, much tougher than yesterday as I ran pretty quick and it was a Wednesday Workout. Pushups and situps were harder also so I stopped short of 30.

Been sick for a while, hit the Y for some walking and ended up running a bit.

Finally a) got up to run and b) ran outside. Got up at 5:45, took care of business, and got outside by 6:20, way too late. I gotta speed up the process. It was fairly cold, 12F and possibly -3F with wind chill. Wind wasn't horrible, but I was dressed for success. Work the spikes 1.5 miles then got tired of them, and ran the rest of the way without. My 3/4 mile road is snow and ice covered so I'm not sure how that will work on future runs. But then after 2 1/4 miles I hit snow and ice covered again. I dunno. I'd prefer no snow. St. George anyone?

AP: 8:44

3 TM miles at the Y during lunch. Had to get to a meeting so stopped at 3. Did the last mile a bit quicker, last 1/2 mile at 5:58 pace.

My right foot under the ball of my foot is a bit sore, not sure why. It feels like a cramp. Maybe plantar fascitis?

4.5 miles this morning while in Missoula, MT for business. Found the trail system, and ran around enough to get some mileage. Ran a bit on snow packed areas, but with the recent warming then freezing trend, it was not smooth running. Still enjoyed it.

4  TM miles at the Y during the lunch hour. Something's happened with the wall fans, they're not working. It was warm.

Double digits outside up my favorite hill. Woot woot! Cold but not beyond chilly, so not too bad. Love my black running jacket with wind blocks, insulation, and a butt cover.

4 TM miles at the Hampton Inn while in Spearfish, SD for work.

I'm not 100% sure if I ran on this day or not (writing this a week later) but I think I did 4 on the TM at lunch time.

4 TM miles at the Y, followed by 30/30 pushups/situps.

No running. Got up early and showered, helped somebody move for 30 minutes, helped clean the church and get ready for a funeral, greeted the family, conducted the funeral, took down after the funeral, set up chairs for Sunday Stake Conference, went to Stake Priesthood Leadership meeting, then we had dinner by the RS, then Saturday evening Stake Conference. Left at 7:30 am, got home at 8:30 pm. Long day.

4 TM miles at the Y, followed by 30/30 pushups/situps.

Wasn't feeling it, so walked 1 mile at 15% incline 3.5 mph, then ran 1.5 miles at 6.5 mph.

Had a work lunch so got up early and ran from home. Didn't need a light! And it's not even DST yet. Cold out, very chilled afterwards. 23F with a wind, likely 15F windchill. Not bad, but should've dressed a little warmer.

AP: 8:22

4 at the Y

4 treadmill miles at the Y.

4 TM at the Y. 30/30 after.

4 TM at the Y. 30/30 after.

6 morning miles. I nearly didn't wake up with my 5:45 alarm, but realized I had no opportunity today to run at lunch (or for the next 2 weeks) so I finally rolled out and hit the outside after my morning routine. Perfect conditions; 36F with almost no wind. I wore the right clothes so I wasn't overheated. TM legs aren't ready yet for outside with the hills near my house, but they'll get there soon.

9 miles early up my normal Saturday route, glad to be back out on it. Cut it short to get home and take my 13 yr old to his soccer ref clinic, which my wife and I did together. Took the dogs and went for a 1.85 mile run at Norm's Island, right on the Yellowstone River. Great temps all morning, 36 or so. I love this weather.

For some reason I'm finding it easier lately to roll out of bed at 5:45. Most likely the better temperatures. A very slight drizzle and 42F this morning, very little wind. Wore the right clothes, but the legs were tired from going 10 on Saturday so I went super slow. Sad. Hopefully I'll get back into shape.

AP: 8:58

3 at the Y while watching SVU.

Last week of getting up early killed me, unbeknownst to me until now. Legs are leaden, taking a break for a few days.

4 outside at Noon. I'm in horrible shape. Tried to run up the hill to hit the rims trail, and could only make it halfway. I need a training plan and a race. Ugh.

4 outside at Noon.

4 outside at Noon. Love Spring!

4 from home this morning. Lots of mud on my road the first and last 3/4 miles. Otherwise, great morning, temps 45, overcast.

I just realized a neighbor dog totally pranked me on April Fool's Day. I live 5 miles outside of town and the main road is paved, all others are dirt (not even gravel) and we all have 1, 5, 10, 20, or larger acre lots. It's a loose neighborhood, but we all love it. 1/2 mile from my house I saw an unfamiliar black lab who instantly wagged her tail when I said "hey pup" and let me pet her, so I was happy not to be mauled. She then followed me the next 1/2 mile to the paved road, and she was right on my heel as a dog should be. I turned onto the 50 mph road and she followed me, so I turned around and went back home. Would hate to have a flattened dog on my conscience. No tag on her collar so my wife posted her picture to our neighborhood Facebook page and 2 neighbors recognized the dog. We took care of her for the morning and returned her to her home in the afternoon. All's well that ends well, but I missed out on my run. No worries.

I'm guessing 3/4 of a mile running during Boot Camp. I'm getting flabby, and I realize that a regimen of Boot Camp mixed in with running was my best recipe for a bikini body. So I'm going to start strengthening muscles other than my legs and hopefully get my mojo back. And I could use a good race to train for also.

Slowish miles on the TM while sore from Boot Camp. I decided I'm going to start hitting BC 2-3 times per week, and run the other days. Will lower my mileage even worse than it was, but I'm getting flabby and going to Boot Camp helped me a lot a few years ago. Hopefully I can get back to doing occassional doubles: running in the morning, BC at lunch.

1 mile TM warmup before boot camp, then likely more than 1 mile in additional running but it's good enough. Loooots of lower leg work, I will definitely be sore tomorrow and Friday.

4 miles this morning. No headlamp, no long sleeves, no hat. Beautiful morning, 48-50F, slight breeze. Legs so sore from boot camp, went slow.

AP: 8:32

8 miles in the morning, nice temps, no wind. Legs still felt a bit sluggish, I'm guessing from Boot Camp, but I just kept going. Fairly slow overall pace just below 9 minutes per mile. I lost my fitness pretty quickly in the past 6 months, so I need to slowly build it back up.

Tried to do Boot Camp, but bailed after 1 1/2 rotations through the stations as I was lightheaded and out of breath. Hit the TM for 1/2 mile but wasn't feeling better so called it a day. Long weekend, and got to bed late last night, trying to get my taxes done before heading out Wednesday on vacation to St George. Not thrilled I have to pay Uncle Sam 2 years in a row! Where's my @!##%@#%^$ refund?

I'm older than I've ever been, and forgot to stay in shape the past 6 months. I went out for a nice 4 mile run, and cut it short. I started off too fast, not realize how tired I was, and turned around after 1 mile and coasted from there. Boot Camp and the 8 mile Saturday took a way-too-large toll. Easy does it I guess.

5.4 miles hiking to Angel's Landing at Zion National Park.

6 miles on the river trail in St. George.

3.5 miles on the Kaysville Rails to Trails paved pathway. Planned on 4, but wasn't feeling it so stopped at 3.5.

4 miles at lunchtime from the Y. Beautiful weather, 57F with no wind.

What is going on with me? I did nearly 4 slow miles today, AP 8:56, and I was dying most of the way. I am not running fast or much, and my body is rebelling. Am I deficient on certain vitamins or minerals? Am I a total wimp? It's not like my mileage is a lot - it's been less than 20 per week for some time. Am I running too much? Too little? Too slow? I'm getting enough sleep, typically 7 hours per night (maybe I need closer to 8) and my sleep has been pretty solid. I think my nutrition is pretty solid, but I'm not taking a multi vitamin so maybe that needs to change. Maybe I need more greens in my diet, especially the dark leafy iron-rich ones? I could lose 10-15 lbs, I'm getting pretty flabby and my weight has crept up and up so that can't help. I'm leaning towards the biggest causes being my diet and my weight. Any other thoughts in the FRBverse? Not that many read my blogs anymore, but maybe there will be some ideas. Thanks in advance.

Update: It might just be fatigue from traveling 2000 miles last week. I came home last night at 8:45 and crashed, slept almost 10 hours. My wife is exhausted also. Weird.

Did 2 miles on the TM, threw in a couple fast reps to get my legs moving, maybe I've just been moving too slow?

Had to leave early for work, so I got up at 5:25 and headed out on a run. A bit cold, 34F with a slight breeze. Wore a new lightweight hoodie and it worked pretty well. I'm still thinking my legs hurting may have a nutrition aspect, but the main reason I've determined is simply not running much. I haven't quite hit 200 miles for the year, and it's been 4 months. So not even 50 miles per month, which isn't going to get it done for staying in shape. Mentally I think I've been running more than I have, so naturally I should be at the paces and distances I've been running the past 8 years. Nope, I need a steady rebuild just like my first marathon. I think I'll look at Hal's novice 1 course again and start building up that way. Hopefully problem will be solved.

Woke up early to run, legs felt good, but they should after not running for 6 days. Cool out with a breeze and very light rain.

AP: 8:58

3 miles this morning from home wearing new shoes. Ahhhh. A bit breezy and 41F left me a bit chilly but overall felt good. Trying a low carb diet, so far so good, lost a couple pounds. Hoping a combo of eating better and running better has the right impact.

AP: 8:13

4 miles this morning before an all day work meeting. I love the new shoes. Temps were great, 52F with a breeze. The low carb thing is going well, just trying to figure out what foods have or don't have carbs.

AP: 8:26

4 of the least peaceful miles ever. I decided to take my adversary, the puppy Hazel, on my run. Let's just say she's not so good on a leash. Not horrible and she did learn, but she pulled me the entire way. Hmph.

AP: 8:46

Gorgeous morning. It rained heavily last night, twice, so it was nice and cool (46F) with a minor breeze. Dew point was high, but cool (I could see my breath sometimes). Left early enough to do 6, and glad I did. I'm glad I left the house - woke up a few minutes before my alarm, and seriously contemplated getting another hour of sleep as I didn't feel it. Turns out I did feel it, and felt just great throughout the run. Hopefully I'll remember how today went next time I'm not "feeling it". Also a good reminder to me that morning runs are WAAAAY easier than Noon or later runs.

AP: 8:34

3 Noon miles. Watch freaked out on mile 2 and had me running a 5:45 pace, while I was lollygagging around an 8-8:30 pace. Weird.

I love new shoes and gorgeous mornings. New shoes you can count on, gorgeous mornings not so much. It was a completely clear sky this morning, sun came up before 6, dew on the car windows, slight breeze, and gloves/short sleeves temps (45F). Perfect. Got to bed a bit earlier than past days and slept well, so no problem rolling out of bed. Decided to go for 6, then the legs felt tired so was going to stop at 5, but realized Thursday is my rest day and the legs will heal, so I kep running and I'm glad I did. I miss these regular runs, like I miss an old friend. I don't know if that's cute or sad, because my friends are roads/runs and not actually people? I also have friends in my Netflix binge shows, and I miss them when the shows end. Hmmm. Maybe I have issues. I also have FRB friends but I don't know if they're actually people or bots. Only time will tell.

AP: 8:11

4 this morning. Beautiful morning, 55F.

6 miles this morning from home, great weather (47F, slight breeze). Felt good, ran a few minutes faster than the last time.

AP: 8:18

 Beautiful overcast day at noon. Ran up to the rims and back.

AP: 8:50

6 miles this morning in gloves and long sleeve weather. If the annoying ENE wind weren't blowing, it would have been a perfect overcast morning. As it was, not too bad at all. Glad I wore the gloves and the long sleeve shirt. My legs were tired from my small hillclimb yesterday, so I went another route after 2 miles which forced me to climb hills the next 2 miles. I plodded along and I will reap the rewards another day. Tomorrow I shall rest.

AP: 8:48

6 miles at noon, very mild temps @ 53-55F but I still filled my headband with sweat. Wish I knew my HR, as this was a hard run.

AP: 8:11

8 miles around the soccer field while my son reffed. Most people looked at me like I was crazy, but partly because they were in coats and I was in a tank top and shorts. The mileage wasn't adding up quickly enough so I got a couple miles on the road and finished back at the field. 

AP: 8:33

4 in the morning. Legs tired.

AP: 8:48

5 miles this morning. A bit chilly at 44F, but clear skies and sunny.

AP: 8:11

Slept in this morning as I felt too tired when I got out of bed at 5:45, so I rolled back in for an hour. Hit the gym at Noon as it was 30 mph wind gusts and 80 degrees. I should've stayed outside. No fans in there, it was hot and AC isn't on too cold in the equipment room. Didn't even run that fast, but I was drenched. Glad to be done.

5 miles at noon. Nice temps, 58F. Legs felt great out, was around 8 mm, then dropped off and walked for 60 sec at 3.5 miles. Slowed after that and felt better.

I slept about 10 hours last night, and I don't know why I was so exhausted.

AP: 8:21

10 this morning up my favorite route. Windy, tough, I'm not in great shape.

AP: 8:59

6 miles on a beautiful morning. 

AP: 8:32

6 miles again on another gorgeous and windless morning. It was 56F and I was sweatin' like a mad dog. My legs were surprisingly tired from yesterday's 6, and they never really did warm up. Guess I need 30-60 minutes of extra sleep at night.

AP: 8:37

Hot outside, 81-84F during the run, not much breeze. Took a handheld full of ice water, which helped, but I slowed a lot and it was a tough 4 miles.

AP: 8:37

Had to get up early to drive 2 hours for soccer games, so no morning run. After the game my wife and I hiked on a gorgeous trail up Hyalite Canyone near Bozeman, MT. Really pretty, some great waterfalls, and plenty of snow (and people). No bears though.

6 am run, and it was fairly warm at 67F & 50% humidity (which is high for us). I was sweating a ton even though I didn't exert myself much.

AP: 8:32

8 this morning from home, normal 8 miles route to  the tree. Haven't done that run in a while. It's been too long, enjoyed it. Legs don't feel ready to pace Angela for 18 miles then walk/run 18 a few hours later with my family, but it is what it is. 

AP: 8:29

I ran to work for Global Running Day. It was hard doing back-to-back 8 mile days as it's been way too long, but it was great practice for doing back-to-back 18 milers next Friday/Saturday, so I'm glad I did it.

AP: 8:20

4 miles in the morning from home. Very sweaty.

 Ran from the hotel in Rapid City. My running nose found the running trail along the river. Somehow I'm typically able to find a cool place to run in a new town. Wish it were cooler though, I was very hot and didn't bring water. Stopped at a tire shop to grab a drink on the return, that saved my bacon.

AP: 9:00

4 miles at Noon to stretch the legs. Lots of wind, felt pretty good actually, and thankfully didn't run into the wind too much.

Holy cow, that was a slog fest. Paced Angela from Footbridge aid station to Jaws, which is the turnaround. It's rained a lot the past few days and it rained 98% of the time I paced her. Even though it wasn't a lot of rain, it added up the past few days and this was the sloppiest anyone had ever seen this 18 mile section. It was brutal. We ran the first mile, and that was all of our running. I took 9 hours and 40 minutes to reach Jaws, at which time we were utterly frozen, and finishing was hopeless. I got back to the hotel, took a shower, and got to bed about 5:15 am. I saw Joe Schmal (SlowJoe) at the Footbridge aid station, then along the way as he was on his way back to Footbridge. He and his fellow runner Julie were killing it, and they finished about 45 minutes before the cutoff time. Way to be Joe! Great to meet you in person a few times.

Got a couple or few hours of sleep, and we headed to the Dry Fork aid station to start the 18 mile run. This was the first trail run and longest distance ever for my wife Kaylene and our 13 year old Dylan. He took 3rd in the 11-19 age group (stud). Our oldest boy Peyton drove us there and picked us up at the end.

The race was fine, we ran a bit and walked a lot. I've walked a lot the past few days. I wasn't very sore after this race as apparently walking is easier on the body than running. New concept.

Ran slowly on the TM at lunchtime. I also realized that Friday night while walking with my pacer, we sometimes averaged a 1.5 mph pace. That is really slow on a TM. Yikes.

Waterskiied like a boss (bosses are old and decrepit).

3 miles at lunch outside. It was warm, my legs are still recovering.

Best run I've had in a while. Did 5 at lunchtime from the Y up to the rims and back. I was able to run the entire way up to the rims, which I couldn't do a couple months ago, so that tells me some fitness is back. My speed isn't back yet from the B2B 18 mile walks, but it should be back soon.

Stupidly decided to try and take our pup running again. Worst run in ages, turned around at 1/2 mile so I could actually enjoy my morning. Hate is a strong word, but I am not a fan of this dog. Argh!

Got in 2 miles after dropping her at home.

6 miles in the later morning, was starting to get warm.

4 miles before work. Nice breeze kept it decent, but 66 is still fairly warm for me. 

AP: 8:52

4 miles this morning while at scout camp in the Moccasin Mountains.

30 miles paddling a canoe down the Missouri River, after 20 miles yesterday.

4 miles at Scout Camp. Cows in the road changed my direction.

3.5 miles near the Kendall Mine at K-M. Trespassed a little, and glad I did.

6 miles on the Jordan River Trail in South Jordan, UT. Leaving tomorrow.

4 miles on the Jordan River Parkway. I thought I missed a trail on the return but ends up that I didn't and I found my car again. Phew. 

My memory is fuzzy but I think I did 3 miles at Noon on this Friday. 

6 miles this morning before heading off to a service project. I wish I were younger and in better shape. 4 years ago I hit a marathon PR, probably because I was younger and in better shape...

Instead of being in Utah, I was in Montana, for whom the 24th of July is a day in the latter part of July. And I am okay with that. I ran on the TM at Noon and am happy for the working fan on the wall. 

5 miles during a smoky morning with a stiff North wind. Legs felt okay, decent run.

AP: 8:32

6 miles this fine morning. Nice and cool at 64, but I could've done with more of a side breeze. (I just checked the NWS page and it was actually 58 degrees this morning, but 65% humidity - no wonder I was sweating with the oldies! That's crazy high humidity for us Western folks.)

AP: 8:33

4 miles. AP: 8:20

4 TM miles at lunch. I got moving faster than normal, and I liked that. 0 incline so not as effective as 1 or 2%, but still... I ran and got sweaty.

A cold front brought an amazing thunderstorm last night, and dropped temps massively, so I ran outside at Noon. 60-63F wasn't bad at all (a 30 degree change from the last few weeks) and I decided to run 5, which I haven't done in a while. Went out too quick the first 2 1/2 so the return trip wasn't as fun, but still had a solid pace.

AP: 8:28 (but had at least one mile at 7:45)

4 miles this fine morning, a bit chillier than normal, so I wore thin cotton gloves but took them off after 1/2 mile. 52 with a breeze was pretty darn nice.

Went for 5 miles this a.m. and it was a bit warmer than yesterday, but definitely cooler than normal. Very nice.

7 hiking miles to the top of Mt Bierstat, my first 14er, 14,000 foot mountain, in Colorado. About 90 minutes from Aurora, my brother's house. He and I climbed the mountain and it was a fun time. The air is thin nearing 14K and we did not move very fast. Would've been fun to run the trail, so maybe I'll do that on my next 14K ascent.

3 miles in Aurora while visiting Jen, Steve, & Marie.

5 miles this morning from home. Quite breezy from the East which was annoying on the earbuds. These new wireless bluetooth headphones don't handle the wind so well, but they still work and hey - no wires!

AP: 8:43

4 miles at noon. It was warmer than I thought it was, but a decent run.

AP: 8:31

4 miles this morning from home. It was much warmer than normal, 66F, with an annoying SW breeze.

AP: don't recall

2 miles at the Y on the TM. Wasn't feeling it.

4 smoky miles this morning. I was feeling it.

Some mileage before work after dropping off the 8th grader at early morning cross country practice.

AP: 8:21 

3 miles at the Y after dropping my kid off at early morning cross country practice. Proud. This is the same kid who took 3rd in his age group at Bighorn 18 miler this year without every running further than a 5K. Proud. 

Double digits for the first time in a long while. I need to knock off the layoff and get back to normal 10+ runs on Saturdays. This was a slow one and I walked a lot up my Veyo hill, but I did it, and I'm proud of it, and I hope to be back. I need a race........

Cold hands this morning! So cold that at mile 1.5 I put my arms and hands inside my t-shirt to keep them cold, then realized it was tough to run without arms, so I ran with cold hands the rest of the way. The smoke finally cleared out of Billings this weekend, but today I had a hard time feeling like I had enough air. I'm just not in the shape I used to be and I'd like to get back to it. I'll do my best.

AP: 8:31

Gloves this morning! 49F or so, and the thin white cotton gloves did the trick. Kept a solid pace, then on the last mile a 20 something woman was running ahead of me and it was certainly motivating to catch up to her and pass her, even though it may have meant running a lot faster pace than I was planning on running.... LOL. It was fun to chase and pull ahead. And she was not scary to look at, either.

AP: 8:02

4 morning miles.

4.25 morning miles. Again.

10 morning miles. Uphill is hard.

4 miles at home.

AP: 8:47

Mileage in town after dropping my son at early CC practice.

AP: 8:09

4 morning miles after brief measurable rain last night. About twice since the end of June.

AP: 8:57

4 morning miles.

3 morning miles, slightly wet.

3 on the TM at noon.

3 miles on the TM at Noon. I ran faster than normal, felt good not to be plodding along. I had a fan blowing on my head, that helped.

10 misty miles on my favorite gravel road in 40 degree temps with a slight North breeze. Ran all the way up my Veyo hill without stopping until the top, and on the way back didn't stop until the mailboxes at the top of the hill. 

AP: 9:02

4 morning miles.

4 lunchtime miles from the Y. Ran my normal 4 mile route, but in an attempt to cool down better, I cold-stopped at 4 miles, then walked back 1/2 mile to the Y. Normally I go another 1/4 mile then walk 1/4 mile. It helped a bit, I wasn’t super sweaty after showering... but the cold shower did seem to help.

Ran this morning at the Y, did 1/2 mile at warmup 10 minute pace (6.0), then bumped it up to 8.0 (7:30 pace) and maintained it the rest of the time, which I didn’t think I could do. I had 0% incline on the TM, so that helps, but still, it was a good morning. Last 1/2 mile I bumped it up to 8.3, and last 1/4 was 8.6 (6:57 pace). Good morning.

3 at the Y this am. Slow for 1/2 mike, then 7.8 mph the rest of the way. 0% incline is nice on the brain, makes me think I’m faster than I am.

12 long miles. It was warmer than planned and I was ill prepared, but I finished.

3 fast TM miles at Noon. My speed ain’t what it was, but it’s coming back better than it has been. 

4 Miles outside, brisk temps at the start. 

AP: 7:41?

6 for the 6th. At this rate I’ll hit ultra distance later in the month.... Hadn’t done my 6 mile route for a while, and it formerly was a nearly everyday thing. Nice to see an old friend again. Dark at the start, so headlamp, and cold so gloves and hat, but I ditched both at the halfway point as I was overheating. Left Achilles is sore, and has been more months (or years) but I’m starting to worry about it again. I need to find some exercises or something different so it doesn’t progressively get worse.

10 afternoon miles in town from the Y. Afternoon miles and in town miles are much harder than morning country miles.

AP: 8:30 

3 TM miles during Noon at the Y. My legs are tired from Saturday. Not sure if it was the pavement, the late afternoon run, or both. Probably the latter. It was windy outside today and I wasn't feeling it, so did a TM run while watching The Flash, S3 E7 about Killer Frost. Nice little change in that series. My legs felt rough but not leaden, so I bumped it up and up and finished the last with 1/4 at 9.3, 1/4 at 10.1. That was some good turnover. 3 years ago I finished 16th in the Turkey Trot here in town, and I'd like to see if I can post another good time this year. We'll see.

4 morning miles.

Ran 5 miles in semi-cold and quite dark, then came home to lock our chickens in their pen (one wandered far yesterday, but made it home fine) and a porcupine was heading into their pen. Not on my watch! I dispatched it with a nearby 2x4, then bagged it up and put it in the garbage. Not going to allow my dogs to be too curious and get needles in their noses... that’s painful and expensive to remove.

4 cold morning miles. Got it done and felt fine the last 1/2, tired before that.

7 miles in the foothills of Helena, MT. We were there for our last Fall soccer weekend and I got in a nice run. A bit chilly, very dark, and overally just really nice.

Ran at lunchtime. Windy from the West! Tough running into the wind on the out, then tough running with the wind on the way back. No wind resistance = no cooling down. When I hit 4.1 miles and stopped, my headband was literally soaked in sweat and sweat was pouring down into my sunglasses and on the ground, being propelled by the wind. It was bizarre! I remember reading race reports of the 2011 Boston Marathon when Ryan Hall had the wind at his back on the return, and him saying how overheated he got because of a lack of wind resistance. I finally experienced that - very weird feeling.

3 miles from home. Got out late so went a bit shorter than normal. Good temps, no hat needed.

I was rudely awakened Wednesday morning at 5:30 am by an ambulance tech in the bedroom of my home. Apparently I had a seizure and my wife couldn't rouse me so she wisely called 911 and I got to ride in a red and white bus to the hospital. After tests they found abnormalities in my EEG in the right front temporal lobe, consistent with a seizure and with short term memory loss (which I've been having the past few months). Put me on an anti-seizure drug which has caused massive drowsiness so I was out of work for a while. It's now Tuesday 10/24 and I'm finally back to work, but haven't been out exercising since 10/17. I plan to ease back into it, but we'll see. Kind of a pain for life to get real and kick me in the butt.... Glad I have my health, or who knows how bad this episode might have been?

1 mile walking on the TM, felt great. Ran at 6.0, 0% incline, for less than 1/4 mile and it felt awful - legs very heavy. Hopefully more and more walking will get me back into running sooner rather than later.

I ended up not being able to handle working, so I went on short term disability for the last couple weeks, returning this past Tuesday 11/7. I haven't had a chance to exercise until now.

1 mile on the TM, max 6.5, then about 2 miles walking around the indoor track above the gym at the Y. Towards the end I ran as fast as I could for a few of the 17 laps and it felt great. Might take me a while to get back, but I'm excited to do it.

1 TM mile at meh speed, then about 1 mile walking around the 1/16 mile track (above the gym).

3 TM miles! I ran 3 miles!!!! I surprisingly felt pretty good, so started at 6.0 for a while, got bored with that, bumped it up to an 8:xx mile, then faster the last mile and the last 1/4. Felt pretty darn good, hoping fhis is a turning point back to normalcy.

3 TM miles at the Y during lunch.

3 miles on the TM at noon. Glad to finally feel well enough to run after a week of feeling poor after upping my med dosage. Hopefully I’m now at the right levels and won’t need to increase them again.

Ran the last 0.1 at sub 6, which was fun.

3 TM Miles.

4 miles outside! Gorgeous weather, 50F and nary a breeze but plenty o sun.

3 miles outside before heading somewhere. Legs sore after. #wimp

A quick morning run on icy roads in low 20 temps.

After three late nights trying to fix my brakes, finally got in a run at lunch. TM at the Y, and I felt really good so ran faster than normal. Did the 3 in just over 23:xx, and it was fun to have some quick turnover once again. 30 sit-ups after.

3 sssllllloooowww miles from home this morning after yesterday’s faster effort.

6 Miles!!!!!! Wahooo!!!!!!

4 miles early at the Y after dropping off my 14 yr old for his first day of middle school basketball practice. Legs definitely felt the extra miles from Saturday, but I warmed up after a while and finished the last mile going at a good pace, and just like last week, the last 1/4 was quick, and the last 0.1 was 10.0 mph. Legs felt great, form looked great (there is a big wall of mirrors in front of us, below the 4 TVs), and I felt really good going fast. I won't overdo it, but sometimes I get impatient on the TM and I'm glad my legs responded (eventually).

4 fairly quick miles this morning as I left later than normal and wanted to do 4 instead of 3 or 2. It felt good, in all ways. Legs felt good, only 37 degrees with very little wind, no clouds, gorgeous morning (check my FB page if we're friends on that platform), and just overall felt great. I'm very encouraged, and looking forward to building out my training schedule for the Bighorn 50K. I haven't done the 50K for a few years now, and excited to get back to it. No marathons or ultras in 2017 makes Russ a sad boy. But 2018 is a new year.

2 miles on the TM then 10 minutes on the stairstepper at the Y early this morning after dropping off my boy at Basketball practice. Legs a bit tired, so took it easy.

4 TM miles at the Y this am, and went faster and faster as I was getting bored and ready to be done. Then headed to the PT for my 2nd appointment for a torn labrum. Getting an MRI this afternoon on the shoulder to see if it's torn. I hit my deductible a couple months ago, so better do it before the year is over....

6 TM miles at the Y with my family. Went faster in the beginning than I should have, so backed off, but finished the last couple miles quickly. Felt good, and very sweaty.

4 TM miles at the Y during lunch. Fast, slow, fast, slow, fast. TM running is something I want to end quickly, but always glad I did it.

4 morning miles before work. Dark, headlamp, windy, so wore facemask, but didn't need it the entire time. Felt okay, but haven't been doing much hill work so I should run outdoors much. Maybe once Spring hits.

4 TM miles at Noon at the Y. Legs felt good with 30 hours rest. Started at 7.1, increased every mile to 7.6, 8.1, 8.6, then @ 3.5 miles to 9.1, 9.6 @ 3.75, and 10.1 @ 3.9 miles. Mirrors at the Y allow seeing your form, and I was able to keep a solid form the entire time, so that's encouraging. No incline yet on my TM sessions, when in the past I've always done 2% incline on the TM. With just getting back to running more I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. Maybe soon.

As for 2018 races, I'm planning on another Bighorn 50K in June, and considering a BQ Saturday Marathon: Dreyer Last Chance in Chicago 9/8, or Indianapolis marathon on 11/3. Fargo would be nice in May, but I doubt I'd be up for a BQ - I'd much rather get ready for the 50K then do a race after that. My current 26.2 PR was a month after my Bighorn 50K PR, so there's a connection. Maybe I'll do the Deseret News Marathon in July again, and if I get lucky with cooler weather (fat chance) maybe I could get a 3:21. Hmmm...

Noon TM Miles. Yum.

5 snowstorm headlamp miles this morning. I even pulled to the side of the infrequently used highway I run on to allow the snowplow to go past as the driver slowed down significantly to avoid sending rocks or mush my way, which was very thoughtful. We don't get the large Utah flakes here, just the small pellet-type snow, so it wasn't too hard to see. Had some wind, so wore my nearly-clear sunglasses to avoide the driven snow and that worked pretty well. Used my new micro spike look alikes and I think I like them well enough, but I'm not sure. They were only $39.99 where the Katoola brand is $69.99, and while the cheaper ones have the same length spikes, they don't have any directly under the ball of the foot, so pushing off is a challenge. Thinking I might go spend the extra $30 to upgrade. The store said that wouldn't be an issue.

10 cold miles from home during 11 am and 1 pm. Bright sun, no clouds, temps were 9 to 11F, with up to -4 windchill. I felt rough physically as this is my biggest mileage week in a while, and my miles have been mostly TM with no incline. Need to get back to 2% incline as that makes inside or outside difference negligible.

I walked a lot, so 20 minutes slower than I normally have run this route, my normal Saturday 10 mile route. 

Happy to have figured out my cold winter weather attire: double everything. Double gloves, plus hand warmers, double pants, and lots of upper layers. My bro gave me a North Face climbing gear pullover which was perfect. I had a warm running hat, a neck gaiter, and that’s normally all I wear. I would have frozen. 1/4 way in I pulled the NF hat over my head, zipped it up all the way, and it goes right to my nose. It saved me. Yay! Very tired today though, so that wasn’t good. Need to figure that out, impacted my family too much. I was a grumpy Gus...

6 miles on the Layton rails to trails. I love those straight, flat, trails.

6 miles on the way to, and on the Jordan River Trail and back to my sisters house off 2200 West.

6 Miles this fine warm winter morning (40F) to and from the JRP.

Mt Olympus. Yikes. And I went over 100 miles for the month. Yay!

I went up and down the Mount Olympus trail in Salt Lake. Going up I ran less than 1/2 mile on the 3.25 mile trail. It was fairly steep, quite icy in spots, which required microspikes, and so glad my friend warned me of that. I went to Scheels and instead of spending $70 on Kahtoola MicroSpikes, I went with an off brand that were comparable for $40. I will be taking them back and spending $30 more on the name brand. They worked okay, but not great. I haven't uploaded my Garmin yet, so not sure of exact paces, but from mile 2 to 3 it took me 52 minutes while climbing up. Holy moly! That is slow. It was steep, lots of elevation gain, but still - that's ridiculous. I am not in great shape. When I got to the top it's a saddle with great views, but not the very top of Mt Olympus. I decided that I'd already taken plenty of time (over 2 hours) and needed to get back to my family.

I then bombed it down the hill, running as fast as I could, which in icy trail running often isn't that fast. This downhill section is when I realized I needed the namebrand microspikes. The ones I had are made of rubber (not the metal spikes of course) and going downhill made the top parts slide down my foot. The Kahtoola brand are mostly metal, and originally I thought that seemed like overkill, but now I realize that metal doesn't have any give in it, and going downhill they will stay in place the same as going uphill. Anyhow, I knew bombing it down the hill would trash my quads, and what do you know - it worked! I'm writing this on Tuesday, ran the trail on Saturday, and I'm still struggling to walk downstairs without wincing. The first day after the run I had to support myself to sit on the toilet seat, which is always a pleasant joy after a quad buster. (I just looked at my friend's Strava from this run a while back, and now I know why I hurt so bad, and why mile 3 was so slow. Elevation gains: mile 1, 840 feet, mile 2, 909 feet, mile 3, 1650 feet. Total gain/total loss = 3399 feet. Yowzers.)

Check out the elevation gain - way crazier than I thought, even as I was doing it!

Happy running and Happy New Year!