I Love My Dog!

I'm sure that every dog owner is convinced that their dog is really something special...but how can you look at that picture and NOT admit that my doggie is just so handsome?! The bandana is a recent addition, we found it on the floor of Albert's car a few weeks ago...I think it was a remnant left behind from when his brother Val was visiting before Thanksgiving. I think Sherman really likes wearing it and getting it touch with the rogue side of his nature.

In other news, I missed a bunch of training last week after coming down sick with "post-marathon" illness. Albert started it then was kind enough to share. So we were both pretty much sloths for a few days...I didn't even bother to get out of my pjs all day Saturday! This week is much better and I'm hitting all my workouts. The focus has switched back to multi-sport after doing more running and strength training for the past few months.

Also, if there are any local (as in the state of Utah) triathletes out there reading this who are interested in becoming a better open water swimmer, please join us for the Utah Masters Open Water Swim Clinic on Saturday, Feb. 21st from 9-noon at the American Fork Recreation Center! Swing by www.utahmasters.org for more info and a registration form.

This weekend is the beginning of the Salt Lake City Track Club Winter Running Series...the 5K, my favorite (NOT!!!). Albert and I are both scheduled to run but I think it'll be a real leg and lung burner for both of us considering how much gunk we're both still hacking up. Lovely! Albert designed the t-shirts so we are "honorary entries".

More soon!

PF Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Phoenix Half Marathon

Last weekend Albert and I flew to Phoenix for the PF Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and Half Marathon (he did the full, I did the half). It was a great time to leave Salt Lake because the first bad inversion of the winter had set in so we had a welcome escape from the nasty air for a couple of days. The Arizona sky seemed to blue and sunny in comparison---and it was WARM! The high was 77 degrees on race day, a little too warm in fact. Luckily neither Albert nor I were out there long enough to really get toasted in the (relative) heat. The run was a success for both of us: Albert PR'd with a 2:41:21 in the marathon, while I finished with a respectable 1:32:53. It was a solid training day, good enough for 50th overall female (out of 14,000 and some) and 8th in my age group. I took it out at sub-1:30 pace and held it for the first 10K (it just felt so good!) but then realized that holding that pace for another 7 miles was going to be a little more than I can handle at this point. I'm sure that if I had taken it out more conservatively I could have been closer to even splitting...but it's a good place to start with some valuable lessons learned.

Pictures to come if I can figure out how to upload them!

Escaping the Inversion

Albert and I are headed off the Phoenix tomorrow morning for the Rock 'n Roll Marathon (I'm only dong the half). It's a good weekend to go because the first real inversion of the winter has started settling over the valley the last couple of days and it's only supposed to get worse this weekend. Lucky timing! It's not very nice when you can see the air you're breathing. The winter inversions are really the only unpleasant part of living in Salt Lake---otherwise it's a pretty spectacular place to live.

Phoenix has just recently opened a light-rail system so we should be able to get around very easily this weekend. I'll have a full race report as well as a report on the light rail when I get back to Salt Lake!

Snow Globe!

Today it looked like a snow globe outside the windows all day long! I don't think it let up at all until the evening. It made the pm commute a nightmare because all the roads turned to sheer ice (thank goodness I rely on my own two legs to get me to and from work!). We officially met the across-the-street neighbor today because he accidentally slid into Albert's car and put a big dent in the door. Not the best circumstances to meet someone, but he was a good sport and rang our doorbell to confess and give us his insurance info. I did my intervals inside today---not my favorite way to do speed work but it was effective and saved me from any mishaps on the ice.

Sherman Meets His Nemesis

Today we took Sherman for a quick walk through Miller Park, a relatively secret little ravine where the Red Butte stream slices through one of the more upscale older neighborhoods in Salt Lake. We take him there sometimes when we're a little pressed for time because it's close and you get a lot of bang for your buck. This was the first time I've brought my camera along and I'm really glad I did because it was a gorgeous (albeit freezing!) day, and we also witnessed a priceless moment when Sherman met his nemesis in the form of a 3-pound toy of a dog in a little fur-lined pink sweater! Sherman: meet Daisy.

Happy New Year!