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Basically sprinted up Gilmer to 1500 E and south to Sugarhouse Park, with the occasional stop for traffic. I felt great, probably could have ran 20 miles. Twisted my ankle about mile 6 or 7, tripping over a friend's dog. Didn't hurt at the time, and I kept running, but it hurts now. When running with a dog expect the unexpected. I didn't need to hurt myself right now, maybe take it easy or bike for a while.

Ankle feels better.

Ran fast to Sugarhouse Park and did a few laps. Jogged slow toward home, and stopped at Emigration Market for a while and got some coffee. Pretty enjoyable run. Ankle was a little sore after, couple asprin and the soreness went away.

Ran fast up Gilmer and to Sugarhouse Park down 1500 E. I know that route well, but I went over I-80 and got lost south of I-80 somewhere and ended up over by Millcreek, there was no shoulder, no sidewalk, it was dark, and I was a long way from home. Ended up calling for a ride home. The whole ordeal took about two hours. The moral of the story is never test an unfamilar route in the dark. Glad I got a ride home. I don't think I will try that route again.

Did a hill work out, got rained on.

Ran a huge loop on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Only ran fast a few miles, then slowed way down sometimes walking the steep sections. I like that trail.

Jogged around the 'hood.

More jogging around the hood. Brought the dog, that's always a mistake.

Pretty much walked this one, and went home and packed.

I ran that race in near Lake Mead, NV, the Valley of Fire Marathon. "Evan's no training - training plan” didn’t pay off as well as it did in St. George. However, I was 3rd in my age group (actually 4th, but the 3rd place overall was in my age group, and you can't win overall & age group, so I got 3rd, cool huh) and 12th overall. I got passed by the guy who was second a few hundred yards from the finish, I was ahead of him the whole race, and just started cramping up on the downhill finish. I think the results say more about the competition than, my training. I got a 3:46:56. It’s a tough marathon, but a really pretty run through red rock and desert. It looks kind-of like Death Valley, or Snow Canyon, I kind-of felt a little like Forrest Gump running through the desert. It's an out and back through the Valley of Fire State Park. There's some rollers and, and few long uphill grades. There's a section going out from the Visitor Center to the top of a dugway about mile 6 to mile 12 that is relentless and you can see the steep dugway coming from a long way out. There is a big hill mile 24 to 25, with a pitch that is San Francisco steep at the top. That was just cruel. I remember coming down it on the way out, and thinking gosh this is steep, this doesn’t look good. It has a 1.2-mile downhill finish, which I got passed on by at least 5 people because I got cramps, every time I tried to go faster. I'd recommend this race, but definitely not as a first marathon. I saw a few people I knew. It was fun, kind of a low-key, small town marathon probably about 100 or so starters in the marathon. They also had a 1/2M and a 10K, maybe 300 people total, most were there for the 1/2M.

The race is pretty casual, no prize money, virtually no spectators, kind-of a cool shirt & medal for finishers. The organizers are very friendly. Park your car at Overton Beach on Lake Mead, and take a short bus ride to the start, sing the national anthem and you’re off. There is an uphill start, followed by a series of rollers, miles 1-6. There is a relentlessly uphill section from 6 to 12, then downhill to the turn-around, back uphill to the top of the dugway at about mile 14.5, or so, and then a long downhill to the Visitor’s Center. I felt good most of the race, especially the downhill section mile 14 to about 20, I passed a few people in this section. I slowed way down on the rollers miles 20 – 25 on the way back, legs felt fine, I would just start cramping if I went too fast.

If you like small races and don’t mind a hard course with good scenery, you’d like this race.

I took a short and slightly painful hike when I got home.

I've recovered from the VOF marathon, but I still have a horrible blister on my left foot. It was a deep one right on the sole of my foot. I need new socks.

I love this race. Basically jogged the whole thing slow and saw a lot of friends, even walked some. I let my brother beat me and I think he felt good about that. Started slow, got slower on the short uphill portion in City Creek then picked back up for the finish in Memory Grove. The weather was little chilly, but a great way to start Thanksgiving Day. I think I could have knocked 10 minutes off the time, maybe next year. I've run this route a lot.

Ran Sugarhouse Park and back through the 15th & 15th neighborhood. Felt good the whole way.

Did some fast intervals through Liberty Park. I'm feeling pretty good. I think I need some new socks, and winter clothing. I like winter running better I've decided. The blister from the Valley of Fire marathon seems to have healed for the most part, but I can still feel it. I need to change my bedtime, wierd sleep the last week. I've postponed the California Internation Marathon. I am now going to focus on the the Gaspirilla Bank of America marathon in Tampa in February.