Scott's Running Blog

One would think that after a 3 week taper (my code-word for not running) that one would feel full of energy and fast.  If one thought so, one would be wrong. :)

I ran what I think is the Eagle View loop that Paul, Tom and Cory run each week.  After finishing the loop and getting back down to the traffic light at the Springville Highway I noticed that I was about a mile short of my 6 mile goal, so I turned around and continued straight on the road towards 7 Peaks.  Once I hit 4 miles I turned around and ran back to Novell.

My average pace for the run was 8:49, though much of that was due to the two *cough* ten *cough* minute miles that I was doing while climbing those hills for the loop.  Besides running more, I think it would be helpful for me to run some more hills.

All in all, I wasn't too disappointed in how the run went.  The time wasn't great, but I didn't push too hard and it just felt nice to be out.  I think I'll try to run a few hard miles tomorrow to see how it feels.  I'm concerned about the Spectrum 10k that I'm scheduled for next week.  It would be nice to get a feel for what I think I can do.

It has been awesome to read others' entries on this site.  I've learned a lot about training and race strategy.  I've also learned that consistent effort, properly applied, really makes a difference in how well one can run.

One thing I've never read about, but learned today, is that I shouldn't eat a cheeseburger and tater tots on my way out the door to run.  Duh!

My though was to run 4 miles, with the middle two at a 7:45.  After my 1 mile warmup I hit the first one of the two at 7:40, but then started having problems with the lunch.  I slowed down and by the end felt luck to just keep moving.  Chalk this run up to experience.

I went west towards Utah Lake today with the plan of running a 3 mile tempo at a 7:45 pace with a 1 mile warmup and a 2 mile cooldown.  I didn't have any problems with the first mile of the tempo, except that I clocked in a few seconds slow (7:47).  By the end of the 2nd mile, however, I couldn't imagine doing another mile at that pace given how I felt.  So, I took a 1 mile break and then ran the last of the 3 miles at tempo pace.  My tempo times were 7:47, 7:48 and 7:46.

At first I was a little disappointed at how difficult that run felt, expecting that I'd be able to pick up where I left off 3 weeks ago.  As I thought about my run, however, my disappointment turned to realism and then optimism. 

I'm going to run in the Spectrum 10k next week.  I may not be able to hit the time I'd dreamed about a month ago (45:00), but I'm almost positive that I'll hit a PR (previous best was about 53:30).  If I'm not satisfied with my time next week, I'll have another chance in April, then May, and so forth.  Mentally, it feels much better to have a series of small goals than to have one hit-or-miss race.  It also makes it easier to enjoy the journey.

I'll run long and slow tomorrow, and try another tempo on Monday.

 

I don't have much to say about this run other than I did it.  The weather was great, though there was a pretty strong headwind as I ran east towards the mouth of the canyon.  

My route was one I hadn't run before - after running south past the golf course I turned west onto Powerhouse road and continued to 420 east, turning north.  I ran through that subdivision until I hit Main Street between Salem and Spanish Fork, returning home via the River Bottoms road that starts across the street from the ballpark.

My fastest mile was an 8:11, my slowest was a 9:04.  Average for the run was an 8:45.

I stayed inside on the treadmill today to give my joints a softer surface for running.  I ran the last half of a mile at 7:30 pace just to get my breathing up a little bit.

Ran a 1 mile warmup, 3 tempo miles, then finished with 2 easy miles.  Total time for the run was 50:00, for an 8:20 average.  My tempo pace target was 7:45, and I hit each mile in 7:44, 7:44 and 7:48.  Today was a nice run.

I'm getting excited for the Spectrum 10k on Saturday.  I haven't read anything about the course, but Paul tells me that it's more down than up. 

Ran the Spectrum 10k.  I found Paul just before the race was about to start.  Paul invited me to the front before the start, but I declined and later regretted it.  The race started on a road for about .2 miles before diverting to a running path that was wide enough for 4 people at a time.  I started in the back of the pack, just before the people with jogging strollers.  I made a little ground before the jogging path, but then got stuck.  It was sprint... wait, wait wait, sprint... wait, wait, wait, etc. for the next mile.  I'm not sure how much time I lost that first mile, but I think I'm being conservative when I say 30 seconds.  The times per mile were 7:59, 7:43, 7:53, 7:33, 7:28, 8:05 and 1:21.

My unoffical "chip" time was 48:05, for an average of 7:45.  It's the time that I got by starting my watch as I crossed the start line and stopping it when I crossed the finish line.  My official time was a 48:49.

It was a good run - a little disappointing in that I'd hoped to be faster, but still 5 and a half minutes faster than any 10k I'd done before.

Easy treadmill miles before the Spectrum 10k on Saturday.

Ran from my house to Novell.  The times per mile were 8:37, 8:14, 7:56, 8:09, 8:07, 8:04, 8:16, 8:21, 8:17, 8:27, 8:21, 8:29 for an overall average of 8:17.  This was a good run for me.