This Week in Running 5/29 - 6/4 + Desert Trail Run

Leppy Hills Trail along the Nevada / Utah border

Day	Mileage / Workout	Comments
Sunday	Off	Off
Monday	7	Trail run along the Nevada / Utah border
Tuesday	5	Medium paced - 1 mile of strides at the end
Wednesday	7	Medium paced with some at tempo pace
Thursday	7	All easy
Friday	Off	Walked several miles though.
Saturday	Off	Hiked
Total miles for the week: 26 - YTD: 1026.5

Week's Summary

Well there isn't a whole lot to report this week, other than I am sort of burned out.  Ever since the Ogden Marathon, I've been feeling really slugging and almost unmotivated to run.  Feeling unmotivated to run is a HUGE new one for me.  I never feel like not running.

I really started to feel it on Sunday.  I went to West Wendover for a long weekend run and normally I can squeeze in a run on Sunday morning before we leave . Unfortunately, I couldn't muster up the energy for it.  I figured I'd run aways on Monday morning.

On Monday morning I felt bad.  Like hang-over bad.  But I am a teetotaler and I had gone to bed at a some what reasonable hour.  I just felt drained.  As I was making my way through the Nevada desert on their remote hiking / biking trail I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have to call to have someone pick me up.  I just felt woozy.  However, about 3 - 4 miles into the run, yes it took that long, I got into somewhat of a groove and managed to complete the run.

Leppy Hills Trail along the Nevada / Utah border

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Leppy Hills Trail along the Nevada / Utah border

Throughout the week I had mixed feelings about running but I am a creature of habit, so I did do my runs.  However, on Friday I noticed my Achilles tendon really hurt... like enough for me to put on ice on it.  I hadn't run since Thursday and hadn't felt it at all at work.  It was as if my Achilles decided to take notice.  I had felt a little bit of a twinge on Thursday but nothing all day.  I have had Achilles problems before and let me tell you -- they aren't fun.  It took me about 3 - 4 months of almost no running to get over the injury in the winter of 2009.  I do NOT want a repeat of that.

No Racing This Weekend

I had toyed with going to Casper Wyoming and making a long weekend out of it by doing the Casper Half Marathon.  Faithful readers may recall I did the full marathon in 2014 and I had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.  However, with the my sagging energy levels, a somewhat cranky Achilles and a friend from out of town coming in, I opted to go for a hike up to Lake Blanche.  It was a nice way to cross train and while hiking on a rocky trail isn't really recovery for a cranky injury, it was a good training exercise.

Lake Blanche with Sundial Peak

Ugh, It's Summer

This week also brought us temperatures in the mid to upper 80's.  I am really not a fan of summer running.  I tend to get off of work by 4 PM and I am on the bike trail by 4:30.  Now, with temperatures scorching hot (and in the 90's) I have to adjust my training to either run in the morning or after 7:30 (or beyond).  I am not really a morning runner -- I tend to want to get to the first order of business and that is work.  So the next couple of months for me are a little frustrating.  Perhaps I'll make an effort to do some morning runs. The thought of waking up at 4:30 (or so) doesn't appeal too much to me.

Upcoming Races

06/18: Looking at the Lamoille Canyon Half Marathon

06/24: Utah Midnight Half Marathon - Provo Utah (Confirmed)
10/09: Lake Tahoe Marathon (Very Probable -- hotel booked)
11/13: Las Vegas Marathon (Confirmed)
04/15: Salt Lake City Marathon (Confirmed) (2017)