This Week in Running 6/4 - 6/10

Desert Run in West Wendover, NV

Day	Mileage / Workout	Comments
Sunday	13.25	Sun Valley Half Marathon
Monday	2	Trail Running At Craters of the Moon Park
Tuesday	Off
Wednesday	5	Medium paced run
Thursday	5	Medium paced run
Friday	5	Another average run with strides at the end
Saturday	12	Long run Saturday
Total miles for the week: 42.25; YTD: 898.5

Week's Summary

Well in all honesty, a pretty average week.  I got in a good amount of miles and even got in a race.  I've run a race before in Idaho (the 2013 edition of the Bear Lake Marathon) but this was my first complete race in Idaho.  The aforementioned race started about a mile or two in Idaho and finished in Utah.

Last week, I did notice a bit of a right knee problem. About 24 hours before Sunday's half, I went out for a quick, 3 mile jaunt just to burn some calories -- and my knee hurt.  I hate knee injuries.  If you ask any "retired runner" why they quit, inevitably they'll say, "my knees went".  And every time I have a knee problem, I begin to wonder if my days as a runner are over.

I had been having some problems with the right one.  I'd start off running and it would smart a bit and then by the time I had done a mile, it would be forgotten.  On Saturday, it was complaining and during the half marathon on Sunday I felt it for a few miles -- much longer than I had before.

So I wrapped up my knee and ran easy most of the week.  I am happy to report that the issue is a lot more manageable.  I suspect it is an overuse injury or runner's knee.  

I hardly ran the previous week as well.  

This week though the constant reminder of how difficult Sunday's half was for me was lingering in my mind.  Also with the rise in temperatures, my pace has fallen off and every run seems like a work out.

The last few races have not gone as planned either.  The SLC Marathon was painful as was the subsequent 30K the week after (which was not unexpected).  I really had had higher hopes that the Sun Valley one would go better.  I did go into it, though, letting myself off the hook as I knew that the elevation and warmth would take a toll on me -- I had just expected a better result.

It is also nice not to have a marathon on the radar. I don't have to deal with running super long Saturday runs in the heat and I can focus a little more on recovery and getting remotivated.

Weight Loss

I jumped on the scale this morning and found myself at 181 again.  Considering I ate a lot of junk food the past week while on the road, that doesn't surprise me.  Also I haven't been running as much (Last week I ran a grand total of 15 miles or so). I am definitely watching my portion sizes, especially on the home front.  

Upcoming Races

Definitely looking forward to the Lamoille Canyon half this coming weekend (which I did in 2016).  I love Elko and I love visiting Lamoille and I did well at last year's race.  Granted, I have a 3000 foot descent, which is hard not to have a good race. 

06/17: Lamoille Canyon Half Marathon - Lamoille / Elko, NV (Confirmed)
06/24: Utah Midnight Half Marathon - Provo, UT (Confirmed)
07/07: Utah Midnight (Legacy) Half Marathon - Farmington, UT (Confirmed)
07/22; Handcart Half Marathon - Bountiful, UT (Probable)
08/19: Dam Train Race - 12 KM Race - Midway, UT (Confirmed)
11/12: Las Vegas Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)
04/21: Salt Lake City Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed (2018))