Mark's Running Journal

Ran to end of Wander Ln and back.  Slow easy effort, except that I pushed a little harder on the last mile home (uphill) to get the overall pace below 8:45.  The final average was 8:43.

I ran in my Hayward III's today for only about the 3rd or 4th time.  The first time I wore them was the day of the Salt Lake Marathon when I ran on the course against the tide for a few miles   to cheer the runners on (When I cheered Sasha by name he gave me a perplexed look of unrecognition).  After about 6 miles the top of my foot started hurting a lot, in a reprise of my SG Marathon injury that waylaid me for a few months.  I was really worried that I had suffered a serious setback, but I managed to bounce back in only a week or two.  Since then, however, I have been very wary about this shoe.  When I do run in them, I make it a point to loosen the laces far more than normal.  Anyway, today I started feeling the same pain again about 1 mile in.  I stopped and loosened the laces and never noticed the problem again.  I'm going to have to really watch it when I wear these shoes.

Ran on Wasatch Blvd 5.06 miles, 8:07 pace.  The pace was very relaxed except for the final downhill mile which I pushed fairly hard (6:25).  I used the inhaler yesterday and today and it really helps.

Yesterday I went to the Dr. about my shoulder stinger/pain.  The neurological assessment was fine, he said that the muscle is inflamed and is impinging on the nerve, causing the numbness in my arm.  He prescribed muscle relaxants for the evening, and some sort of high-powered anti-inflammatory for the day.  He also advised me not to run for 7-10 days.  I'm not going to do that, but I am willing to slow the pace down even more than normal.  

So.... I did 3.91 miles in at a 9:21 pace.   Going that slow did seem to help the problem, as I didn't feel any numbness in my arm as I ran.  And with the grogginess I felt from last night's muscle relaxant, I don't know if I could have gone any faster if I had wanted to!

Jogged with A'Lissa to the EMC 5k.  I didn't run because I like to watch Thatcher's races and this is his last summer before he goes on a mission.  Next summer I'll race (unless I can come up with a new excuse by then!)  Ran around during the race trying watch as much as possible and jogged home with A'lissa after the parade.  It was very hot by then and I had eaten way too much candy!  Thatcher was 1st overall and A'Lissa was top 5 or so and won her age group.  5.45 miles, 8:19 pace

Ran with A'Lissa and Taylor from the cabin to pipeline, and then on pipeline for a few miles.  We initially thought we would take the trail to Terraces, then to pipeline, but Taylor fell almost immediately after hitting the trail and bloodied her knee.  Back to the cabin to clean her up, and then down the road to Birch Hollow.  6.08 miles, 9:10 pace.

Easy 4 miles on Wasatch Blvd.  I would have gone longer, but I wanted to get back in time to talk to Coach Porter before the Skyline athletes left for Dog Lake.  8:20 pace

I woke up this morning and couldn't sleep, so I got up at about 4:30 and started my day.  7.09 miles, mostly relaxed, on Wasatch Blvd.  8:10 pace.

Was up way too late last night, after returning home at around midnight from Taylor's performance in Provo.  Result: didn't run this morning, and I probably won't have time tonight.  Back at it tomorrow morning, I guess.

Ran out and back on Wasatch Blvd again, 7.46 miles this time, 8:30 average pace.  Took it very slow out, comfortable pace on the way back, and pushed it just a bit on the final downhill mile.

 I remember doing a 10 mile run on Wasatch Blvd 3 years ago with A'Lissa.  I was in awe because as I died on the way back she continued on and finished at 8:30/mi. or less.  I must have been slower than 9:00.  Anyway, now 8:30 seems slow.

 P.M. Helped Thatcher and Gamechu with their sprints, and I did a couple of 75m flies myself.

I was short on time this morning and almost didn't make it out.  But, the thought of not posting got me out the door for a short run to Tanner Park and back.  Hail to the Blog! 8:31 pace.

We attended the final show(s) last night at Taylor's YASE camp and had to pick her up this morning, so we spent the night.  Thatcher had arranged to run with Sasha, so A'Lissa and I got up and ran together.  She didn't want to run very far because she had done a longish run the day before in Maui.  We ran from the hotel up through the state hospital grounds, past Seven Peaks, around campus and back.  8:09 pace.

 Breakfast at Guru's.  Tofu scramble, sweet potato hash browns and blueberry pancakes. Yum! I highly recommend it.  Spent breakfast and the trip home receiving a full YASE briefing and reveling in Taylor's successes at camp.

My alarm didn't go off this morning!  Rather than skip the run, I hopped on the treadmill (doesn't take me as long to get me going as it does to get out the door) and managed to get 3.42 miles in at 8:36 pace.

Ran to the end of Wander Lane and back.  Just took at at a comfortable pace and didn't push it at all until I was coming up Brookburn.  Still ended up at an 8:03 pace.

I went to my periodic appointment with the voice therapist yesterday.  My voice hasn't been doing well lately, and yesterday was the worst it has been in a long, long time.  She scoped me and found something troubling, a spot of blood on one of the vocal cords.  The result is that she put me on "restricted voice use" (25-50% of normal talking each day) and gave me a list of other things I need to do to recover.  Among them is to run slow enough that I don't breathe heavily.  Hmmm.  Considering that I was already under orders not to run at all (ignored) to allow my shoulder stinger to go away, I decided I'd better do something about it.  For the next week  (assuming I am clear at my next appointment)  I am going to do all my running on the treadmill at a 10:00 minute pace.  10:00 minute pace because that is slow enough to not breathe heavily, and on the treadmill because I don't think I can run that slow outside!  Ran 4 miles on the treadmill at precisely 10:00 minutes per mile.

 As for the shoulder stinger, it seems to be improving.  I have continued to take the daily anti-inflammatory and have continued to avoid the nighttime muscle relaxant.  As long as I don't forget taking the anti-inflammatory it feels pretty good, although I still get some numbness in my arm.

Another 4 miles on the treadmill at a 10 min./mile pace.

Again, 4 miles at 10 min/mi pace, on the treadmill.

Didn't run in the morning, because I took Gamechu to the Draper Days 5k.  While I was there I set up the timing gates so Sasha could test his 10m fly.  

I got around to running late in the afternoon.  I'm still doing the slow treadmill thing at least until I go back to the voice therapist next week.  10 miles at a 10 minute pace.

5 miles on the treadmill at a 10:00 minute per mile pace.  Last week I did 4 miles per day; this week I'm bumping it up to 5 miles per day, at least as long as I'm on the treadmill.

Continuing the treadmill running, 5 miles @ 10 min/mile pace.

5 miles on the treadmill at a 10:00 per mile pace.  I visit the voice therapist today, and if everything is clear, I will be back outside tomorrow or the next day.  Although... I have been enjoying the Law Order Criminal Intent reruns I've been watching while running...

Went to the voice therapist yesterday and the varix on my vocal cord has actually gotten worse.  I have an appointment with a doctor tomorrow to check it our further.  In the meantime, I'll continue the slow miles on the treadmill.

Spent the morning cheering friends and family at the race (and taking photos) and watching the parade.  After hosting a family party at our home, I finally got on the treadmill this evening for 4 miles.

I planned on running tonight, but we are leaving in the morning to go on a vacation and I just didn't have enough time to get it done.  Besides, Thatcher is hogging the treadmill!

 I went to the Otolaryngologist this morning, and he wants to do laser surgery on my vocal cord.  I scheduled it for September 11th.  Post-surgery I will have to go one week without speaking at all, and another week on top of that with almost no speaking!  He didn't say anything about taking it easy right now, so I'll resume my normal running routine this next week.  I think I'm going to miss my treadmill companion (Law & Order Criminal Intent).

Arrived in South Tahoe much later than planned, but managed to get out for a run along the road and through a residential area.  8:38 pace.

Ran with A'Lissa and Taylor this morning.  We ran down to the lake, alongside the golf course, around the back of the casinos, and then to Pioneer Trail.  We ran on that to Ski Run Blvd to check out Thatcher's workout.  He was on the 5th of 8 half mile hill intervals.  It looked tough and I'm glad I wasn't doing it.  8:17/mile pace.

Ran with A'Lissa and Taylor this morning. We sort of ran with Thatcher also, in the sense that we drove in the same car and started out together before he took off.  We ran on a trail that started at Lake Tahoe HS that was supposed to be several miles long, but we must have taken a wrong turn or something, because we reached a dead end after a couple of miles.  8:42 pace.

We planned on an early start today, and I didn't get out soon enough to run this morning.  We hiked to Eagle Lake and back (2 miles) and then to Emerald Cove (2 miles total), where toured Vikingsholm and hung out at the beach for a while.

 I finally got out for a little run at twilight, but I sure didn't feel like it.  We had just finished a movie (Mama Mia--4 thumbs down from my wife, daughters and me, even though we love Broadway!), so I felt stuffed with popcorn.  I managed 3.92 miles at an 8:53 pace.

Ran on the Powerline Trail with A'Lissa and Taylor.  Thatcher was with us also, but did his own thing once we found the trail.  We took it easy, did about 6 miles.  My Garmin lost its lock in the woods, so I don't have the exact distance or pace, but I think it was just over 6 miles and about a 9:15/mile pace.