This Week in Running 1/29 - 2/4

Photo along the Jordan River Bike Trail

Day	Mileage / Workout	Comments
Sunday	8	Sore from yesterday's long run.
Monday	Off
Tuesday	4	100% easy - not in the mood to run
Wednesday	6	1 x .25M, 1 x .5M, 1 x .75 at 7:20 pace with .07 per .25M rest
Thursday	9	Solid run with spurts at half marathon pace
Friday	5	Average run with strides at the end
Saturday	12.5	First 10K at 10K pace, rest easy on the way back.
Total miles for the week: 44.5; YTD: 221.75

Photo along the Jordan River Bike Trail

Week's Summary

The weather is finally warming up here and that means I can get more miles in without wearing a ton of clothes.  Overall, the winter hasn't been that awful.  We did get a lot more snow than what I've experienced in the past but my bike trail has largely been runnable year round.

I had a bit of a sad turn of events on Tuesday.  I had to put down my cat Angel, who I've had for over 17, maybe 18 years.  She was sick and has been for a bit and we decided her quality of life wasn't good and she was miserable too.  I had a really tough time on my run on Tuesday.  It was always sad to say good-bye to a loved one.  The run, I had hoped would help but it was punctuated with a lot of stops where I just had to take a deep breath.  Running can help with strong emotions, sometimes it doesn't.

I am also sort of in taper mode.  I have about 2 weeks until *I think* I am doing a full marathon.  As mentioned before, I am shooting for a marathon on 2/19 down in Arizona.  

Saturday's long run went pretty well.  In all honesty I had visions of running a mock half marathon race.  But I started out way too fast and I had a hard time dialing it back - even a little. A had a bit of a tailwind and the weather was textbook perfect.  There were too many other runners on the bike trail as well, which helped me keep my motivation.  I'd see one in the distance and I'd work my way up and pass them.  Then another one would appear and I'd work towards that.  I just went for it and figured I'd run as hard as I could until I felt like I couldn't go too much longer.

This turned out to be 10K, which I ran at about 10K pace (8:25's or so).  I started out a little cautiously on account I wasn't sure what I was doing, but around mile 3 or so I figured I'd at least do 10K.  All in all, it went really well and I really felt like I was pushing the pace pretty hard.  I was gassed at the end though and it was long, slow shuffle on the way back.

Weight Loss

I should NOT be going there

I weighed in at 184 this morning.  No major changes.  I have been dialing back the snacks at work and making a conscious effort to eat a bit more healthy, especially at work.  I've been running a lot more so naturally my appetite is strong.  Part of it, of course, is stress.  When I have a rough day at work, I notice I am more apt to go out to lunch -- at the wrong places.  Restaurant food tends to be high in calories.  It gives me some peace and I do try to eat less of a dinner when I get home

Upcoming Races

02/11: Winter Striders Race Circuit 5K - Ogden UT (Confirmed)
02/25: Winter Striders Race Circuit 10K - Ogden UT (Confirmed)
03/04: Legacy Half Marathon - Bountiful, UT (Confirmed)
03/18: Winter Striders Race Circuit 10 Mile - Ogden UT (Confirmed)
03/18: 6 Tunnels Half Marathon - Boulder City, NV (Confirmed)
04/08: Winter Striders Race Circuit Half Marathon - Huntsville, UT (Confirmed)
04/15: Salt Lake City Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed) (2017)
04/29: Winter Striders Race Circuit 30K - Huntsville, UT (Confirmed)
06/24: Utah Midnight Half Marathon - Provo, UT (Confirmed)
07/07: Utah Midnight (Legacy) Half Marathon - Farmington, UT (Confirmed)
11/12: Las Vegas Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)