Everything Counts

11.3 miles easy on Riverdale Parkway, looping up Adam's Ave and looping back through the Terrace with Dave, Ben, Jared, and even Bret, avg pace 7:40/mile.

10.5 miles easy with Dave, Bryant, and Trace in Clearfield, avg pace 7:08/mile.

AEROBIC BUILDER & 5X45 PICKUPS

Ben, Bryant, Jake, and I met at Kneaders in Ogden at 6:30 and did a five-mile warmup out to the aerobic builder course. We did an 8-mile builder, five minute jog, and then 5x45 seconds at mile pace with equal distance rest back. I ran 5:17/mile pace for the builder and 4:21/mile pace for the pickups. I didn't feel the greatest with this cold still lingering, but it was better than I expected today.

AM: 11.5 miles easy with Ben and Dave, avg pace 7:06/mile.

PM: 5.5 miles on the tready, avg pace 6:31/mile.

11.1 miles with Jason, Dave, and Ben in West DC, avg pace 7:14/mile. Cold.

No run (or sleep) as Amy we left for the hospital at 1:00 a.m. and baby Iris showed up at 6:30 a.m.! Four girls now and we love them all! I'm grateful for my beautiful family.

FARTLEK 13X(2 MIN HARD, 1 MIN EASY, 1 MIN HARD, 3 MIN EASY)

I had to do this in the afternoon after picking Hannah up from preschool. I did it on the treadmill while Hannah and Nora watched Little Einsteins. I wanted to hit 5:10 and 4:50 for my paces, but my treadmill only goes to 5:00 pace. So I ramped it up to 3% incline and used 5:21 and 5:00 for the 2- and 1-minute hard sections. That should be equal to 5:08 and 4:49 paces if run at same effort outdoors on flat ground.

8.65 miles easy in South Weber, first four with Denver, avg pace 7:03/mile.

AEROBIC BUILDER FARTLEK: 20 MIN HARD, 5 EASY, 15 HARD, 5 EASY, 5X45 SECOND PICKUPS

We had a decent-sized crew despite cold, wet, and windy weather this morning. Jake, Bryant, Jason, Wolpert, Dave, and I met at Kneaders at 6:30 and got the run going. The warmup, thankfully, was only in light rain. Once we started the workout portion, it started pouring and it got windy too. But we managed to stay warm until the cool down. Bryant and I ran 5:25/mile pace for the first 20 minutes, then 5:13/mile pace for the 15 minutes, and I averaged 4:23/mile pace for the 45-second pickups. Not a bad workout, considering lack of sleep from the new baby lately and the poor weather.

AM: 11.5 miles easy with Jared, Ben, and Dave, avg pace 7:23/mile.

PM: 6.3 miles moderate, avg pace 6:09/mile.

10.65 miles easy in East Layton with Dave, Ben, Jared, and Jason, avg pace 7:23/mile.

AM: WORKOUT: 20-MINUTE PROGRESSIVE TEMPO, 8X40 SECOND HILLS, 10-MINUTE TEMPO

Bryant, Ben, Dave and I met at Smith's at 5:15 a.m. We warmed up to the tempo loop with bathroom stops at Starbuck's en route. We did a 20-minute progressive tempo (10 minutes at 5:24/mile, 7 minutes at 5:09, and 3 minutes at 5:03), 5 minute jog, 8x40 second hills at 4:31 pace, 5 minute jog, 10-minute tempo to finish at 5:08/mile pace.

PM: 5.45 miles easy on the snow-covered trails in the rain, avg pace 9:38/mile.

8.65 miles easy on Centennial Trail from Uintah TH - Riverdale Rd - Terrace - Down Toll Rd. avg pace 7:11/mile.

6.4 miles on snow-covered trails in Wheeler Canyon and on Old Snow Basin Road with Dave and Bret, avg pace 9:01/mile. We hit some mid-shin deep snow and decided to turn back before getting our legs too tired for tomorrow's workout.

AEROBIC BUILDER & 5x45 PICKUPS

I met Dave and Moss at Kneaders at 7:15. It was 18 degrees (feels like 9 degrees) with 12 mph winds from the NW. We warmed up 6.7 miles to the start of the builder route and then did the builder into mostly headwind. I was ten seconds slower per mile than the last few weeks at a 5:25/mile avg. But, that is mostly due to the cold temps and the headwind; the effort was good. The 5x45 second pickups were faster than previous attempts due to some tailwind on those; I averaged 4:16/mile pace on those. Cool down to 2 hours total running time.

AM: 11.55 miles easy with Dave, Ben, and Manny in low single digit "feels like" temps around Ogden, avg pace 7:27/mile.

PM: 5.45 miles easy up Adams Canyon to the waterfall with Bret, avg pace 10:03/mile.

10.4 miles easy from Kent's Market in Clearfield with Ben, Dave, Jared, Jason, and Hales, avg pace 7:02/mile.

LACTATE SHUNTS 3-1-1-3 FARTLEK

I met up with Bryant, Ben, and Jason at Kent's and we warmed up almost three miles on Rail Trail and then started the workout. The roads and paths had a light layer of snow that slowed things down a bit here and there, but nothing too bad. The workout was 10 sets of 3 minutes at 5:05-5:10/mile pace, 1 min rest, 1 minute at 4:50/mile pace with 3 min between sets. Bryant and I averaged about 5:06/mile on the three-minute sections and 4:45/mile on the one-minute sections. Good workout! We got a bit lost and ran further than planned....

8.05 miles easy with Ben in East Layton, avg pace 7:33/mile.

TEN DAY COUNTDOWN TO 2017 - 10 FAVORITE MOMENTS OF 2016:

With ten days left in the year I decided to reflect on 2016 and do a countdown of my favorite runs of the year, one per day. Today number 10: 25-mile long run in April with Ken and Ben at sub-6:00 pace. Working together with my brothers for 20+ miles was awesome. It was also the first trial of Ucan and I felt like a million bucks at the end of the run. It was the birth of the Ucan grin and the run that really gave me confidence I had solved my stomach, nutrition, and digestive problems in marathons. I dared to dream of faster marathons that day. Oh and Ken bought Kneaders after for us all!

10 miles, the first five with Matt, the rest solo in O-Town, avg pace 7:33/mile.

Countdown to 2017: 9th best run of 2016 was the last day of April, three weeks to go to Ogden Marathon. The workout was an 18-mile tempo on the race course. We treated it as a dress rehearsal, mimick everything you'd eat/drink the night before and morning of and in-race. I ran really strong at 5:27/mile at the end of a 100 mile week. I ran pretty much course record pace for 18 miles and felt I had lots in the tank. I couldn't help but be giddy on the cool down knowing I had something special brewing for Ogden!

20-MINUTE TEMPO, 5-MINUTE REST, 16-MINUTE TEMPO, 5-MINUTE REST, 5X45 SECONDS & 5X30 SECONDS OFF 80 SECONDS REST

I did most of my workout on the Prospector Rail Trail from Gentile in Layton down into Farmington and back. I warmed up six miles and then did the 20-minute tempo in 5:20/mile. I flipped around 15 minutes into that tempo and started heading back North, so that inlcudes a 180-degree turn. I took 5 rest and then 16 minute tempo at 5:11/mile. Another 5 seconds rest and then the pickups. I averaged 4:23/mile for the 45-second pickups and 4:03/mile for the 30-second pickups.

The tempo paces felt forced a bit, difficult. The pickups felt really good, strong, and smooth.

Countdown to 2017...moment #8 - Ben, Ken, Bret and I went out to Antelope Island on Jan 23 for some winter trail running. None of us brought any traction devices, like our microspikes. We thought the trails would be mostly clear. We got there in the dark and got lost a few times. But each time we got lost, we ran into this female trail runner, who was out all by herself running and she directed us back to the right path more than a few times #IslandChick.

Then we ran an out and back to Elephant Head, where there's a great view of the Great Salt Lake. This stretch was treacherous with ice. On the way back I slipped and was basically horizontal in the air with my face about to smash into a rock, when I magically flail my arms hard enough and move my legs fast enough to regain my balance for the best near fall ever! Ken dropped to the ground laughing as he was the only one who saw it. Bret and Ben kept running in front of us and Ken and I fell a half mile behind because we couldn't stop laughing. Ken just couldn't believe I didn't go down! We credit the #IslandChick for magically saving me with her island powers. Haha, good times on the island that day.

Merry Christmas!

Countdown to 2017, moment #7

Bryce Canyon Half Marathon. This was a really fun, quick trip down to Bryce Canyon with Benny Van. We left Friday, checked into our motel in Panguitch, picked up packets, and checked out some of the unique landscape down there. The race was so much fun! I was only in like 8th place early in the race as several idiots took off way too fast. I worked up to 2nd place and narrowly lost to Brett Hales by like 13 seconds. Ben also moved his way through the field of idiots and placed 3rd! It was so much fun. We hung out after with Hales, Jason, and my old teammate and friend Levi, who lives down there in Kanab. Good times it was down in Bryce. Next time we need to stay a day longer and go to the National Park after the race.

11.5 miles easy on the treadmill while watching two episodes of "Vikings", avg pace 7:23/mile.

Countdown to 2017, moment #6

Catch Me If You Can

Strider's running store here in Ogden put on a fun contest in Jan. The three fastest people to run Malans Peak trail roundtrip in the snow and send their GPS-data to the store would win a pair of shoes. Also if you broke the course record they would add in a bonus. The record was set last time they did the contest in I think 2010, but that was in the summer. This was winter, running up a mountain in the snow. I had recently acquired some Kahtoola microspikes that would give me the confidence I needed to run fast downhill in the snow. So, I figured I would give the contest a try and go after the record. It was gnarly; so tough. I was two minutes behind CR pace at the top, but coming down in snow is easier than dirt, since you don't have to worry about rocks/roots etc. and if you fall it's on snow. I made the time up just barely and beat the CR and won the contest. I later ran it again with Sariah Long and she broke the women's CR. Then in the summer I went after and got the ascent CR. It was a fun year running up Malans Peak hard. We capped that off last night with a Christmas Eve jaunt up the popular mountain.

11.6 miles easy with Ben in single-digit temps in Ogden, avg pace 7:52/mile, with lots of slippery spots.

Countdown to 2017, moment #5 of 2016...

This is kind of cheating, but I'm going with a full week here. The week I ran the "Ogden Trifecta" which is Ben Lomond Peak, Lewis Peak, and Mount Ogden Peak.

Ben Lomond was first. It was an incredible morning with an amazing sunrise. Ken and I ran up together and caught up to Jared near the summit. Two days later it was Lewis Peak on my ten-year anniversary with Amy. It was awesome to show her that trail for the first time. She's lived here now for over a decade but that was her first time running up a mountain and she killed it! The next day I ran hard up Mt Ogden, going after the Strava CR. I got it, but man that's a brutal trail, over 4,000 feet in under six miles of climbing. For the week I topped 14,000+ of elevation gain!

AM: WORKOUT: 20-MIN PROGRESSIVE TEMPO, 8X50 SECOND HILLS, 12-MINUTE TEMPO

I did this workout at the gym on the treadmill. The roads were too icy and I didn't want to take chances running that fast in the dark. I did the tempo efforts at 1.5% incline and the hills at 4% incline. Paces were 20 minutes at 5:15/mile, hills at 4:41/mile, and 12-minutes at 5:10/mile. Tough workout and so much sweat!!

PM: 5.5 miles on the treadmill watching an episode of Vikings, avg pace 7:38/mile.

Countdown to 2017, moment #4 of 2016: Sand Hollow Marathon

Ben, Ken, and I drove down to St George, stayed at my parents' place down there and did the Sand Hollow Marathon as a steady state long run. It was so much fun! We ran 2:36 and ran the whole race together for the most part finishing all three together or within a second for the coolest 1-2-3 overall finishing photo ever! We let Ben take the win (and CR with it) for his first marathon victory. The weather was ideal, the scenery was stunning (Southern Utah in March is green and against the red rock looks awesome). It was pizza and the pool after the race. Good times.

AM: 8 miles easy with Benny in East Layton, avg pace 7:40/mile.

PM: 5.7 miles on treadmill watching Vikings, avg pace 7:38/mile.

Countdown to 2017, best moments of 2016 #3: Ibigawa Half Marathon & trip.

The trip to Ibigawa far surpassed my expectations. It was awesome. We had such a great group to go with. The runners: Scott, Rosy, Tere, Jill and their guests/family that came with them and also St George leadership Kent Perkins and his family and Zack Renstrom. Just great people. Also the host family we had, the Koishi's were incredibly gracious hosts and all the other Japanese race organizers, volunteers, and local leaders were all great! The race was my slowest and probably worst of the year, but it was so much fun and came to mean a lot to me to win it. My brother Denver and I will always remember that fun trip.

10.15 miles easy in South Ogden with Ben and Moss, avg pace 7:17/ mile.

Countdown to 2017: 2nd best moment of 2016, St George Marathon.

I debated all week as to put this at the top moment or the second spot. I'll save the analysis for tomorrow for why this landed second. But man what a race StG was! I love this event, absolutely love it. People who've never run it can rag on the downhill all the want and hate on it, but anyone that has run it knows this is a special race. Is the course fast? Absolutely. But the competition is as high as you can get without leaving the state, and that's part of the fun.

This race has been in my life as long as I can remember. My parents ran this race almost every year when I was growing up. I have fond memories of those family trips to St George. This race has sentimental value to my family, and for that reason winning it meant the world to me and was always on my bucket list of running accomplishments I wanted to one day achieve. I'll never forget this day and to run as fast as I did was really fun.

AEROBIC BUILDER & 5X45 SECOND PICKUPS

I met Bryant and Jason at Kneaders. We warmed up almost to six miles, Jason turned back from there while Bryant and I started our builder. We ran 8 miles at 5:19/mile avg. Then we took six minutes rest to get to a non-slick road to do the 5x45 second pickups. For these I was a 4:08/mile avg with the last one at 3:55/mile, feels good to have the wheels back.

Countdown to 2017: Best Moment of 2016 - Ogden Marathon

I mentioned yesterday that it was a tough decision between choosing winning Ogden as my favorite moment or St George. Both races mean a lot to me and they are the two main races I felt I really wanted to win someday in the state. But the tiebreaker was the emotions I felt crossing both finish lines. When I crossed Ogden it was sheer joy. I had struggled so much on that course previously. I felt I had to overcome a lot to finally win that race, including the most ridiculous racing weather I've ever heard of! It felt like so many obstacles to overcome and I finally did it. With St. George, crossing the line was more of an emotion of relief. I was happy, but I was more just relieved. Relieved that it was over. Relieved that I had won and the training had paid off. I felt a lot of pressure for some reason at St George, pressure I didn't feel at Ogden.

Ogden is my hometown course and I trained on parts of the course throughout the entire buildup. It was new training for me in the sense that we'd upped the ante to longer intervals and longer tempos than ever before. It was awesome to wake up at 4:00 am and meet Ben and Ken to do some monstrous workout while the world slept. At the end of several of those workouts we finised on the race course at the finish line and every time I visioned the end of the marathon and the strenght I would have to close well. It all came true and it was awesome.

2016 is over and I ran a huge marathon PR, ran over 4,000 miles for the first time, and had a lot of fun watching my friends run well. 2017 is going to be even better!