Artichoke's Running Blog (Ken Spence)

6:15 p.m  5 mile run up Settlement Canyon 1/2 mile past Legion Park and back home.  Pretty slow and aching a bit tonight.  Back and knees.  No running tomorrow.

5:00 a.m.  30 minutes at Gold's Gym with Sharon.  15 min. elliptical and 15 min. recumbent cycling.  

8 miles in City Creek Canyon in SLC.  Stayed at the Grand America for our anniversary.  Ran from the hotel to 4 mile turn around in the canyon.  Not all that fast even coming down but it was an enjoyable run.  A bit brisk early on, but felt nice.  Saw Ray ripping it up coming down while I was on my way up.  Looks like his stress fracture has healed.

5 mile run with Tina on the Dark Trail in Settlement Canyon and to about 1/2 mi. above the gate at 8:00 a.m.  Ran a bit faster with her today, but not by much.  48:55.  Quite a few hikers today, 2 mountain bikers, and 1 other runner.

30 minutes at the gym after the run.  20 minutes cycling, 10 minutes elliptical. 

Gym at 5:00 a.m. for 40 minutes.  20 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes upright cycle.

4 mile run at 6:15 p.m.  36:56.  Route through cemetery towards Middle Canyon and back home same way.  Pick up last mile or so. 

5:00 a.m.  My standard 40 minutes at the gym.  20 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes upright cycling.

6:00 p.m.  5 mile run on the Skyline-Upland loop to the gate and back.  Pretty easy. 

5:00 a.m. and 40 minutes at the gym.  20 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes upright cycling.

6:00 p.m. 4 mile run, 38:26.  Up to SR 36 back thru the alley to the high school with large loop on the grass around the high school and the junior high.  Home via the track and West Elementary.  A lot of Little League football practice going on.  I think I saw Pat coaching his team. Way to go, Pat! 

5:00 a.m. run for 4 miles along Skyline and back.  Liz and Roland out this morning with J.Dog.  Easy running, felt pretty good.  Nice temperature.

7:30 a.m. 10 mile run in 1:23:18 with Tina from Tooele to Stansbury Park via Overlake Golf Course and through the west side of Erda.  An encouraging run.  Splits: 8:14, 7:50, 8:03, 7:59, 7:41, 8:00, 8:28, 8:50, 9:12, 8:52.  Fizzled a bit towards the end with some uphill.  Best longer run I've had since before Moab and my disastrous DNF at Boston.  My back felt good throughout.

9:00 a.m. at the gym for 20 minutes of light upper body reps.  3 x 15 on 5 machines followed by 20 minutes upright cycling. 

Heading to Chicago all next week.  Planning on enjoying some runs along the Lake Shore path.  The weather is supposed to be a bit cooler. 

5:10 a.m. Gold's Gym with Sharon for 40 minutes.  20 min. elliptical and 20 min. upright cycling.

6:00 p.m.  Chicago.  5 mile run from hotel to loop around Soldier Field, Aquarium, and Planetarium then north along the Lakefront Path to the Marina by Navy Pier and back to the hotel.  Pretty easy running in 45:55, 9:11 average pace. 

Also about 3 miles walking up Michigan Avenue to Giordano's Pizza and back. 

Chicago.  6:00 p.m. run from hotel to Lakefront Path and north to just beyond Navy Pier and back direct.  Tempo effort last couple of miles or so.  43:33, 8:43 pace.

Also about 3 miles waking up and back on Michigan Ave. 

Chicago.  4.3 miles at 3:00 p.m. in light rain.  Outbound through Grant Park up to the Navy Pier River Walk path and then back via the Lakefront Path.  EZ running.  

A lot of walking today.  Walked from the McCormick Convention Center past Soldier Field and the Museum to the hotel for about 2 miles in the light rain.  2 more miles up and back to the Chicago Architecture Foundation.  About 2 more miles on an architectural walking tour inside the south end of the loop at 5:30 p.m.  And probably 2 more miles up to the Magnificent Mile for dinner.  I was beat so I took the bus back. 

Chicago.  4 miles at 6:00 p.m. Lake shore path along the marina to the Chicago River and back via the upper Lakefront pathway.  36:18, 9:05 average pace.

Walked about 2 miles to dinner and back.  Hard Rock Cafe, Chicago. 

Chicago.  4 miles at 6:30 a.m.  Slow and easy up Michigan Ave. to Millennial Park.  Around Frank Gehry's Pavilion and across the bridge through the park up to the north point residential towers by the Chicago River.  Back to hotel along the upper Lakefront pathway.  A bit chilly, but felt good in long sleeves an shorts running along the lake.  Headed home this afternoon.

10 mile run in 1:27:12 at 8:00 a.m. with Tina through town and up the Smelter Road hills and back the same way.  Pushed 4 of the last 5 at tempo pace.  Felt pretty good but I'm sure Tina wanted to be going a lot faster than our 8:43 average overall pace.  For an out and back course I felt pretty good about it since it was only 4 minutes slower than last week which was generally downhill for 8 of the 10 miles.  32 miles for the week.  The Saucony Pro Grid feel like they should be a good shoe.  I'm feeling some slight achilles strain after my runs, but I was feeling that for a couple of days before running in these shoes, so I'm sure they're not the problem.

5 miles easy at 5:00 a.m.  Standard Skyline route with Loma Vista and Upland loops.

5:00 a.m. at the gym with Sharon for 40 minutes.  20 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes upright cycling.

6:00 p.m  4 mile run, tempo pace for 2.  35:52, 8:58 average pace.  Westland loop backwards.  Well, not backwards.  I can't run well that way.  Better put, opposite direction.

5:00 a.m.  40 minutes at the gym with Sharon.  20 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes upright cycling.

6:00 p.m.  5 mile trail run behind Little Mountain to above Deer Hollow.  Pretty slow and easy, but a nice early evening run.  Fall is in the air a bit. 

5:00 a.m. 40 minutes at Gold's gym with Sharon before work.  20 minutes elliptical and 20 minutes upright cycling.

5 miles at 6:00 p.m. along the Jordan River Parkway from Willow Park in West Lehi and south under Pioneer Crossing and into Saratoga Springs and back.  Nice run along the river. Not many out today.  Great temperature.

5:00 a.m. 4 mile run past the cemetery and to the end of the asphalt on Skyline and back direct.

12 miles at 7:30 a.m. starting with 8.5 miles with Tina at tempo effort for the most part, last 3.5 I struggled to finish.  But the good thing.... this was my longest run since stepping off at Boston and with no back issues!  Very encouraging.  35 miles this week.

Afterwards went to the gym and did 20 minutes on the upright cycle and 20 minutes on the weights with  3 x 15 x 6 machines.  It's been 2 weeks since lifting so I feel like I'm starting over. 

5:00 a.m. 20/20 elliptical/cycling workout  at the gym.

6:00 p.m  5 mile run to mouth of Middle Canyon and back via cemetery in 46:35.  Still feeling like summer out there.

5:00 a.m. 20/20 workout, elliptical and upright cycling at Gold's Gym.

6:00 p.m.  5 miles easy in 47:46.   Skyline to the gate and back via Loma Vista and Upland loops.  Gravel stretch to gate with Mark M. Neither of us doing SGM this year.  As Hawk once said, "there's always next year!"  Maybe I'll sit and watch my SGM video tapes from 1984 thru 1988 before we go down on Friday to watch friends do the race.  Liz will be doing number 13, consecutive since running her first one with me in 1999.  I'm into St. George Marathon nostalgia tonight, ain't I?

5:00 a.m. 20/20 gym workout, elliptical and cycling.

5:30 p.m. 4 mile trail run behind Little Mountain and back via Skyline and the cemetery.  Pretty slow and easy in 80 degree "fall" weather. 

Went to the gym at 5:00 a.m. Nobody was there to open it.  I think somebody must have slept in or whoever was covering for her forgot.  I finally headed home at 5:15.  Think I'll go to the gym tonight since I'll be doing my 10 mile run tomorrow morning before heading to St. George, just to "watch" the marathon this year.  It may be painful in a whole other way.  A few friends and acquaintances running it.  Hope to be back to it next year.  My recovery has gone fairly well without any real back concerns yet.  Have hit consecutive 30+ weeks, but nothing more than last Saturday's 12 miler.  I need to make sure I don't do anything stupid.

10 miles at 8:15 a.m.  solo.  1:35:55 easy running up the Smelter Rd. hills via the golf course going out and through town coming home.

Gold's Gym at 10:00 a.m.  30 minutes upright cycling and 20+ minutes on upper body light weights.  3 x 15 x 6 machines.