12/31/08 - 10 miles

I got off work early today and was able to run outside again. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous this week and today was no exception. The temperature was in the mid 60's when I started my run and progressively got cooler during the run. I ran along the canal banks which makes for a very quiet and peaceful run. I felt really strong through the first 6 miles of the run but I took a little different route than I was used to and I encountered a steep, short hill at the start of mile 7. Because it was unexpected, I had trouble getting back on my pace and the last 4 miles were slower. In addition, I skipped lunch today in order to get some work complete before the holiday so I didn't have the energy needed for a run of this distance. In spite of these factors, I ran the 10 miles in 1:22:17 for an 8:14 pace and my average heartrate was 167 bpm. I drank Gatorade during the run but I felt a little fatigued afterwards.

12/30/08 - 4 miles

I was able to run outside today and the weather was great. I was rushed to finish so our family could go to the Mesa Temple and hear the evening concert and see the Christmas lights. Although today should have been a recovery run, I pushed the pace in an effort to finished quickly. I ran the 4 miles in 28:59 which is a 7:15 pace and my average heartrate was 170 bpm. I felt good afterwards even though the pace was quicker than I was comfortable with.

12/29/08 - 8 miles

We had dinner on Sunday night with the Andersons way out in Peoria. Allyson is Camille's friend from many moons ago and it was good to spend time with them and catch up on all the happenings. Dinner was very good but very bad for you nutrition-wise. Lots of pasta and sauces - Allyson's husband Vance served his mission in Italy so we were really treated to some excellent food. We got home late and then Camille and I stayed up even later talking and watching some television.

In other words, I was very tired this morning and didn't really feel like running at all. However, I forced myself to the gym and suffered through it. I'm sure it will all pay off in the end but I just wanted to go back to sleep for several hours. I ran the 8 miles in 1:04:56 for an 8:07 pace. Not bad all things considered. The kids are still off this week from school so I will continue to run in the mornings which usually means on the treadmill. I really don't like the cold weather and I like running in cold weather even less.

Rest Day Quote

"Hard things take time to do. Impossible things take a little longer." - Percy Cerutty

12/27/08 - 13 miles

I had scheduled a basketball practice for 8:30 this morning for Tanner's team so I was in a rush to get my run in beforehand. The temperature this morning was around freezing so I was glad to have an indoor facility. This was my longest run on a treadmill and I actually didn't mind it. I made 32 ozs. of Gatorade and drank some at 4 miles and then again at 8 miles. I never felt tired and I had lots more after the run. I ran the 13 miles in 1:48:16 which is an 8:20 pace. My long runs should be around an 8:40 - 8:48 pace so I'm pleased with where I am right now.

Total mileage for the week: 36 miles

12/26/08 - 5 miles

We had a break in the rainy weather so I decided to run outside today. For the first mile or so, I questioned my decision since it was cold (upper 40's) and very breezy. I felt better after turning and running a different direction and I warmed up after a mile or so. I ran the 5 miles in 37:06 which is a 7:25 pace and my average heartrate was 168 bpm. I had a good stretch afterwards and felt really good throughout the run.

Rest Day Quote

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. " - Charles Dickens

12/24/08 - 10 miles

Nothing like a double-digit run mid-week to get you going! I had an excellent run today on the treadmill and the time seemed to not drag as much. I have felt really good these past couple weeks and I am optimistic about the kind of race I can run in April. Today, I ran the 10 miles in 1:22:46 which is an 8:16 pace. No problems of any kind to report and my legs felt great. In addition to feeling good about my running, I have dropped a couple pounds as well which is saying something considering all the junk food available during the holidays.

Rest Day Quote

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed."

- Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ

12/22/08 - 8 miles

With the kids out of school for the next 2 weeks, I am going to try and get my runs done in the morning so I will have the evenings to spend with them. I was successful this morning although I didn't get to the gym until after 7 am. Although completely bored after a couple miles, I had a good run and felt great during and afterwards. I ran the 8 miles in 1:04:20 which is an 8:02 pace. We are expecting rain for most of this week so I will probably be stuck indoors staring at the minature television set or the backs of strangers who are on the treadmills in front of me. Oh joy!

Rest Day Quote

The following quote is in honor of Muhammad Ali whom I saw this past Saturday at a college basketball game. In my opinion, he is still the greatest!

"If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize." - Muhammad Ali

12/20/08 - 12 miles

Since we had a family activity planned at 11 am, I got up early and ran my 12 miles at the gym on the treadmill. I get bored pretty easily on the treadmill and I find myself watching the readouts more than I want but I am able to pace myself much better. I ran the 12 miles in 1:42:00 for an 8:30 pace. My legs felt really good and my breathing was great. I felt like I still had lots more after finishing. No pain in either knee either.

Total mileage for the week: 32 miles

12/19/08 - 4 miles

The weather was excellent again tonight - about 55 degrees when I got home from work and set out on a quick run. I ran the 4 miles in 29:15 which is a 7:19 pace and my average heartrate was 170 bpm. I stretched afterwards and really felt good.

Rest Day Quote

"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win." - Sir Roger Bannister

12/17/08 - 9 miles

Tonight I was able to squeeze in a run between the storms of rain that we have been experiencing this week. The temperature was a perfect 58 degrees and a little breezy. I felt great throughout the run and my knee never acted up at all. My legs did not feel so heavy and I didn't feel out of breath at all. I ran the 9 miles in 1:11:09 which is a 7:54 pace and my heartrate was 169 bpm. I felt very invigorated afterwards and was able to have a good stretch. I like where I am at right now and am hopeful that the rest of my training continues on this path.

Rest Day Quote

"No doubt a brain and some shoes are essential for marathon success, although if it comes down to a choice, pick the shoes. More people finish marathons with no brains than with no shoes." - Don Kardong

12/15/08 - 7 miles

Today was raining and cold so I did my run at the gym on the treadmill after FHE. This was probably the better choice so as to lessen the impact on my knee. I didn't have any problems with my knee today and didn't feel any discomfort or pain at all but I didn't push the pace either. I ran the 7 miles in 57:00 minutes which is an 8:08 pace. My legs felt a bit heavy during the run but my breathing was very controlled and I never felt out of breath. I had a good stretch afterwards and felt great.

Running Truths

"Running is a lot like life. Only 10 percent of it is exciting. 90 percent of it is slog and drudge."

- Dave Bedford, English distance runner who occasionally put in 200 miles a week in training

12/13/08 - 10 miles

I had some real apprehension about this run since I haven't run anything longer than 8 miles since the marathon. I couldn't start my run until 11 am due to our ward Christmas party but fortunately, the temperature was still in the comfortable range (mid 60's). I felt strong as I started out and I was pacing strong until mile 4 when I began to feel some discomfort on the outside part of my left knee. I felt this same pain during the marathon but only one time since and that was about a week later. However there might be a problem that I need to address medically but I plan to wait first and see how I feel next week. The pain progressively got worse so I backed off my pace which seemed to be the only way to get some relief. Otherwise, the run felt really good. I ran the 10 miles in 1:24:01 for a 8:24 pace and my average heartrate was 170 bpm.

Total for the week: 28 miles

12/12/08 - 5 miles

A good run that I had to cram in between work and a date night with my wife. The weather was cool (mid 60's) but it felt great to run. I didn't push the pace too much because I knew I had a 10 mile run tomorrow. I ran the 5 miles in 38:07 which is a 7:37 pace and my average heartrate was 174 bpm. I want my to get my average bpm down in the 150's and I need to get my eating back on track. However, it does feel good to get back into a regular routine of running.

Thought for a Thursday

Usually, Thursday and Sunday are my rest days during my training. I have come across so many great quotes in my quest to learn more about running so I thought I would record some of them on my rest days.

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorius triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." -Teddy Roosevelt

12/10/08 - 4 miles

Another good run tonight and I'm getting excited about the upcoming training sessions although I know how grueling they can be. However, I also know how necessary the long runs are in training your body to be ready for the marathon distance. The weather felt colder tonight but I think temperatures were in the low to mid 50's. I felt really good throughout the run and my breathing was much better. I'm going to start wearing my heart rate monitor again so I can track that better but I can get a pretty good idea from my breathing. I ran the 4 miles in 29:57 for a 7:30 pace. My last mile was a 7:08 and I felt really refreshed after finishing. I stretched afterwards which always feels good. I need to do better about eating or drinking some protein after my workouts. I think I'll try to come up with a couple tasty protein drinks that I can blend up quickly.

12/09/08 - 5 miles

Weather was a bit cooler tonight and I wasn't able to start my run until after 7 pm. Temperature was probably in the 50's but it still felt great. I pushed the pace again tonight and could feel the effects of running on back-to-back days (which I haven't done for a few weeks). I felt like I had slowed considerably on miles 4 and 5 but I actually held my pace very good for the entire run. I finished the 5 miles in 37:31 for a 7:29 pace. Every mile was either just above or just below my average pace (no big swings) which is something I have struggled to find outside of the gym. Again, felt great after finishing the run and was able to have a good stretch afterwards.

12/08/08 - 4 miles

Ran a fairly routine 4 miles this evening. It is too cold to run in the mornings (spoken like a true Arizonan) so I am going to try and run after work in the evenings. The temperature was in the low 60's when I ran and it felt great. I tried to push the pace but not anything stupid. I ended up finishing in 29:56 for a 7:29 pace. My last mile was the fastest at 7:11 and I felt great after completing the run. However, because our family was headed to "Reading Under the Stars" at the elementary school, I didn't have time to stretch afterwards.

New goal - Salt Lake City Marathon

I recently decided to take on my 2nd marathon. This time I will be running the Salt Lake City marathon on April 18, 2009. I had been contemplating this ever since completing the St. George marathon (SGM) but I had to wrap my mind around the thought of training for another one. The pivotal factor was my desire to run a marathon in memory of my sister Shannon who passed away the day after the SGM. Not that I think she would have ever desired to run a marathon, but she would have been happy to cheer for me and encourage me in my quest to accomplish the task. I also requested other family members to join me in this adventure and suggested that we use our participation in this event to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Shannon's husband Paul and my brother Boyce have also committed to run the race and several family members have agreed to help solicit funds for CFF.

My 18 week training program begins next week so I have been getting my weekly mileage up the past few weeks. I am getting excited to see how much I can push my body this time around. I would like to run a 3:40 or maybe even a 3:30 but I'll just have to see how the training goes. I will run a half-marathon on January 31st at London's Run in Queen Creek, Arizona and maybe some other 10K along the way as well.

I am going to try and do a better job of logging my runs on a daily or at least a weekly basis so I can refer back to them when needed. Hopefully, my experience with last marathon will help me to prepare better so I can improve on my time and have a great time as well. Here goes nothing!