Two Weeks to Boston: Thomas

Wednesday: 5.5 miles @ 7:21 pace.

Thursday: Track workout - 5 x 800m (2:49, 2:52, 2:50, 2:51, 2:53)

Friday: 16.29 miles bicycling (17.7 mph average speed). I signed up for LOTOJA, so I figured I probably should start training.

Saturday: 5.0 miles @ 6:46 pace (one mile moderate - 7:14, three miles tempo - 6:34, 6:25, 6:26, one mile moderate - 7:12)

Felt really good on all my workouts this week. Saturday's run was especially nice. Legs felt fast and energy was high.

Three Weeks to Boston: Thomas

Tuesday: 6.51 miles (1 miles easy, four tempo miles (6:40 pace), 1.5 miles easy)

Thursday: Speed, 4x800M (2:50, 2:51, 2:50, 2:51)

Saturday: 13.37 miles @ 6:58 pace. My Garmin was malfunctioning, so I did this run with a regular stopwatch. I was concerned that I might not be able to stay on pace without the Garmin. So I was happy that I came close to marathon pace without the aid of the Garmin.

Four Weeks to Boston: Thomas

Tuesday: Treadmill - 1 mile easy, 4x1600M (6:40 @ 4% incline), 0.5 mile easy.

Wednesday: 7.0 miles at 7:17 pace. Last two uphill miles at 6:57 pace.

Thursday: Speed on treadmill - 1 mile easy, 3x1600M (6:00 pace), 0.5 mile easy.

Saturday: 20.0 miles @ 7:19 pace. Last good long run before Boston.

This was a pretty good week. I have been icing my foot each night and the injury from a week ago has not returned. With 22 days to Boston it is time to start a gradual taper.

Five Weeks to Boston: Thomas

Monday: 5.5 miles on treadmill (1 mile easy, four miles fast - 6:27, 6:22, 6:17, 6:15), half mile easy.

Wednesday: Track workout - 1200 m warm up, 4x800 m (2:50, 2:51, 2:55, 2:55), 1 x 1600 m (6:46 pushing James in the double stroller).

Friday: 6.63 miles @ 7:36 pace. It is starting to get really hot. I did this run in the afternoon and suffered in the heat.

Saturday: 18.0 miles @ 7:42 pace. I planned on doing about 22 miles (the Sand Hollow loop). I felt really good the first 13 miles (averaging 7:10 to 7:15). I stopped for water at the top of the Sand Hollow hill and my right Achilles tightened up. I tried to run/walk through the pain for the next five miles, but the pain was getting severe and I didn't want to risk major injury. I called Elizabeth from the animal shelter to pick me up. I will try again next week for my last long run before Boston.

Six Weeks to Boston: Thomas

Another lackluster training week.

Tuesday: 4.5 miles on the treadmill at a moderate pace (recovering from Lake to Lake relay).

Friday: 5.25 miles on the treadmill - 7:40 average pace with lots of hills (started at 2.0% incline, gradually increased to 6.0%, then decreased back down to 2.0%).

Saturday: Wasatch Powderkeg backcountry ski race. Three climbs, three descents. 5.5 miles, 4,000 vertical feet of climbing. 2:39:23 total time.

7 Weeks to Boston: Thomas

This was a bad training week. Many factors contributed to a poor week of running: 10 hours of driving to Salt Lake on Tuesday, a moderately severe head cold, tapering for Lake to Lake relay. Here's what I managed to do.

Wednesday: 4.25 miles on the treadmill @ 7:15 pace with lots of hills.

Saturday: Lake to Lake Relay. My team finished third overall. I ran legs 3 and 7.

- Leg 3: 5.62 miles in 35:23 (6:18 pace).
- Leg 7: 4.35 miles in 28:00 (6:26 pace).

8 Weeks to Boston: Thomas

Monday: 5.05 miles @ 6:50 pace.

Tuesday: Rest.

Wednesday: Speed. 6x800M (2:47, 2:48, 2:50, 2:49, 2:47, 2:46)

Thursday: 8.35 miles @ 7:02 pace.

Friday: Coached Porter's soccer practice.

Saturday: 21.25 miles @ 7:21 pace. It felt good to get in a nice long run at marathon pace + 20-30 seconds. I included lots of hills to practice for Boston's infamous Newton Hills.

9 Weeks to Boston: Thomas

Monday: 17.3 miles @ 7:35 pace.
Tuesday: Rest.
Wednesday: 7.0 miles - 1 mile easy, 4 tempo miles (6:49 average pace), 2 miles of hills at moderate pace.
Thursday: Speed - 3x1600M (5:55, 5:48, 5:46), 1x800M (2:47).
Friday: Rest.
Saturday: 12.16 miles (trail run up the twist along the old road to the La Verkin Overlook) @ 7:28 pace.

Dam 2 Dam Race Report: Thomas

Saturday, February 14, 2009
Dam 2 Dam Five Mile Race at Sand Hollow State Park

Temperature: 37 degrees Fahrenheit.
Weather: Mostly sunny (despite forecasts calling for rain/snow mix).

Pre-race: Elizabeth and I car-pooled to the Sand Hollow parking lot with Richard and Kay (thanks for the ride, Richard!). Once at Sand Hollow we had to take a "shuttle" to the actual start line (the race makes a big loop around the reservoir, ending at the main parking lot). We met a nice family from Vegas in our shuttle. Their 14 year old son, Julian, ran the race last year in 31:00. It was fun to talk to them. Got to the start line and did some warm ups. Local speedster Jose was there, along with a guy from the St. George Running Center club.

Mile 1: Started out a little fast with the lead group. Jose went about 20 seconds off the front of the pack. 6:18.

Mile 2: Jose still out in front. The St. George Running Center guy and one other runner went off the front to try to catch him. I was in a group of about seven or eight (including Julian from Vegas, and my local rivals Glen Watts and Glen Leavitt) behind the front three. A really fast woman set the pace for our group. 6:23.

Mile 3: Three runners still out front. Our group was down to four (me, Julian, the really fast woman, and one other guy). 6:23.

Mile 4: I tried to pull ahead of our group of four. At one point I had a bit of gap on the other three, but the really fast woman caught and passed me right before we got to the dam. 6:27.

Mile 5: Crossing the dam. I could see the four runners in front of me (the three who had been out since mile 2, and the really fast woman). I tried to close the gap, but didn't have the kick. 6:24.

Overall a really good race. I beat last year's time by over a minute. My goal was sub 32:00, so I beat my goal as well. Though I wished I could have picked up my last mile a little bit. I also got $10 at Classic Sports for the third place age division award. Thanks, Jared.

10 Weeks to Boston: Thomas

Monday: 6.5 miles @ 7:12 pace.
Tuesday: Skiing at Brianhead. Ten to twelve inches of fresh, light, untouched snow. If you have to ski Brianhead, this is the way to do it.
Wednesday: 4 miles on the treadmill. 7:50 pace with 3 to 4% inclines.
Thursday: Bad weather prevented a track workout. 3.5 miles on the treadmill with three 800 M intervals at 6:00 pace (the fastest the treadmill will go).
Friday: Rest. Carbo-load for race.
Staturday: Dam 2 Dam five-mile race at Sand Hollow reservoir. 31:55 for the 5.0 miles (6:23 pace). Fourth place Men's Overall, third in Men 30 - 34.

11 Weeks to Boston: Thomas

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: 6.4 miles (1 mile easy, 4 miles @ 6:34 pace, 1.4 miles easy).
Wednesday: Speed, 6x800M (2:53, 2:51, 2:52, 2:51, 2:52, 2:46)
Thursday: Rest.
Friday: 5.47 miles @ 7:34 pace.
Saturday: 13.1 miles @7:30 pace.

12 Weeks to Boston: Thomas

Monday: Rest.
Tuesday: 5 miles on treadmill (1 mile easy, 3 miles at 6:30, 1 mile easy).
Wednesday: Rest.
Thursday: Speed - 5 x 800m (2:52, 2:56, 2:53, 2:55, 2:55)
Friday: 6.5 miles at 7:09 min/mile.
Saturday: 15.3 miles at 7:32 min/mile.