Matt's training

10 miles in 1:14:30 a 7:28, Ran around Mantua with Nick.  There is a fire burning in the county and the smoke is plugging me up.  I couldn't breath vary well today.

12.15 miles in 1:41:44 a 8:22 mile ran on the frontage road.  This is a recovery run.

12.75 miles in 2:42:31 a 7:26 mile.  Ran with Brad today.  Two years ago Brad beat me by 20 seconds in the St George Marathon.  He lives in Perry so I have wanted to run with him for the last two years.  Today I did.  We parked at the top of canyon then ran 1.5 miles down to dry lake and back then ran down to Mantua.  Around the lake then to Perry.  At the 14 miles into the run we separated.  He was planning on running 17 miles and I was planning on running 21.  I was running pretty good until 18 miles into the run and I bonked.  The last 3 miles I was struggling to run 8:30 miles.

16.15 miles in 2:03:20 a 7:37 mile.  Ran a big loop around Brigham City that starts going out by the river course.  I didn't have a single mile over 8 minute miles.  My quads are sour from Saturday's run.

10.5 miles in 1:31:41 a 8:44 average.  Ran the river course backwards plus a little.  The run wasn't fast but it was hard.  My legs are not very strong after being sick the last 2 days.

8.0 miles on the treadmill in 60 minutes.

39:52 I broke 40 minutes.  Now just if the course didn't measure short.  I have run this race about 5 times.  This year they moved the start and finish from 2nd south to 58 north.  The course is a loop course that has lots of hills.

Pre race.  I get up and eat breakfast and go up and sign up.  I then run about 2.5 miles warm up.  It is already starting to warm up.  One thing they changed this year is move the start time from 9:00 to 8:00.  I am glad they did because it always gets hot before the race is over.  Plus the last mile of the course is on the Parade route.  At the 9:00 o'clock start time when you are finishing you have a lot of people on the side of the road waiting for the parade to start.  The spectators don't know you are there until they step out in front of you.  So not as many spectators equals a good thing.  While I am warming up stretching I see a lot of runner I know, the race looks like it will be pretty big about 300 to 400 people.  I go over to the starting line and see Nick there warming up.  I thought he had to work today, so did he.  His 8:00 appointment canceled on him. 

Race

I line up right behind Nick and Benjimin Winn.  Ben took first last year in a time of 34:??.  They started the race and Nick, Ben, and another runner just left us in the dust.  The first quarter of a mile felt pretty hard.  I relax a little and just try to run even effort.  At the mile marker I was in about 14th place.  When I made the turn onto 7th south about 1.25 miles in I was in 11th place.  10th and 9th place are about 50 and 100 yards in front of me.  Ahead of them I can see 4 runners running as a group.  At about 3.5 miles into the race I catch the 9th and 10th place runners at the same time.  The one runner of the group of 4 have dropped back a little bit.  I try to close the gap on the group of runners.  When I turned onto 1st east I had one runner about 100 yards in front of me.  I tried not to look back and set my goal on catching the runner in front of me.  I was able to close the gap to 50 yards but I was never able to catch him.  He beat me by about 20 seconds.   I felt pretty good about this race today.  Most years I am just trying to survive the last mile and a half and I was attacking.    Nick took first place and set a new course record.  He needed to take off after the race, so I up picking up his award.  I took first place in my age category.

these came from the Garmin I know there was no down hill in mile 6 so I am not sure what to believe.

15.25 miles in 2:01:04 a 7:56 average.  Ran out to the bird refuge and back.  This is a pretty flat course.

11 miles in 1:32:33 a 8:24 average.  Ran a large loop around Brigham City.  This is a recovery run.  Tried not to push the pace.

11.6 miles in 1:32:36 a 8:00 average.  This was a speed workout.  I ran 3 miles warm up.  Then 8 1:30 laps.  During the last 2 or three laps the high school cross country team ended and started there speed workout.  They were doing mile repeats.  I joined the cross country team on my and there last mile repeat.   Only 4 high school kids out ran me.  Then I ran 5.5 miles cool down.

Splits.    1:31, 1:30, 1:32, 1:31, 1:25, 1:30, 1:31, 1:34,   5:39

8.34 miles in 1:11:25 a 8:34 average.  Ran easy.  Legs were tired after Wensdays speed workout. 

6.05 miles in 49:18 a 8:06.  Just ran easy.  Frontage road loop.  This run was the start of a good but long day.  I had two interviews today.  One interview was a Space Dynamics lab in Logan at 11:00.  The interview and test they gave me took an hour and a half.  After the interview I drove to Orem to interview at Xactware.   I finished the interview and taking the test at about 5:30 to 6:00.  I got home about 8:30 pm.  This was one long day.  Both interviews went ok, I think I could do well for both companys, but I am not a perfect fit for either.  They both seam like nice companies to work for.  This was a long week I had 3 phone interviews and 3 face to face interviews.   I am scheduled to start a contract position Tuesday.  The contract position pays well, but I would like a position that had some benifits and some stability that come with a full time position.   Once my contract position starts it is going to be hard to interview and look for work.

17.25 miles in 2:12:00 a 7:39 average.  I ran out to the bird refuge and back.  On the way to forest street I see a runner run by.  When I get to forest street I see the runner about 100 yards in front of me, I think that could be Nick I am not sure so I increased my speed to try and catch up.  I am running a 6 minute mile and not closing the gap, at that point I know it is Nick.  I yell Nicks name, because I know I was not going to run him down.  Nick turns around and we run together for the next 4 miles.  This is how I got the 4 marathon pace miles.  These fast miles affected me in the last few miles.  I hit the wall.  The fast 4 plus a very long stressful day on Friday wore me out.

Splits  7:31, 6:31, 6:47, 6:49, 6:43, 7:12, 7:37, 7:59, 7:47, 7:40, 7:49, 7:54, 7:57, 7:59, 8:12, 8:27, 9:01.  2:06 a 8:36 average for the last .25.

After running I put together a canopy for my camper.  I need to start getting ready for winter.   It rained Friday night and Saturday so I checked to see if my roof has any leaks.  I just, last may, put a new roof on it, so I wanted to make sure I didn't have any leaks.   Saturday Night I got a really bad head ache. 

8.34 miles same workout as last Thursday.  Garmin was not charged so I ran untimed.  

6.05 miles in 48:17 a 7:59 average.  I ran the frontage road nice and easy.

6.0 miles miny speed workout.  Warmed up then ran 3 800 at 6 minute pace with a jogging lap inbetween.  I started at GE Healthcare today.  I ran before work.

6.0 miles after work.  I don't remember the time.  Ran easy.

13.25 miles in about 1:45 a 7:45 average.  I ran out to Perry and back.  In the moring I volunteered at a local 5K.  The way they kept track of times was weard.  The scairest part of this run is steping on a rock and twisting my ancle.   It hurt, but I was able to run home.  My ancle swell up pretty good.

8 miles on the tread mile in about 58 minutes.  Ran most of the time at 8 miles an hour but a few times increased the pace to 9 and  miles an hour.

7.2 miles in 56:24 a 7:50 average.  I ran the first 2 miles at marathon pace then jogged the remainder.

2.5 miles in 20:20 a 8:05 average.  I had an interview in Provo at 9:00 am, so I car pool down to work on Thursday.  My wife picked me up in Salt Lake and we stayed the night in Provo.  I ran nice and easy just to loosen the leg.  I went to the interview.  I think the interview went pretty well, but I never know how interviews goes.  We drove down to St George and picked our packets.  My wife ran the St George marathon also.  We spent the night about a quarter mile from the start.