Mike Kirk has been paroled to Idaho

I'm finally able to run easy again. This is the first day that my lungs haven't burned since Moab. HR still very high for the pace but I'm running.

Same run as yesterday, Parley's. 6:30 AM with Bob. He ran his first race yesterday since December. He cruised a 15:53 5 K without stress or competition.

Memory Grove with Tom. Pace is getting better but it will take most of the week to come back online. It is hard to be patient knowing the three months I put in before Moab.

Zoo Loop. The dirt behind the U is finally dry enough for a real run. Ran sub 1 hour without too much strain. Held back so I can go longer tomorrow. Aiming for 70-80 miles this week. I ordered parts for the treadmill yesterday. It will be necessary this summer when Amy is working.

Raced the storm back with Tom.

On the treadmill. Boring but effective. Alternated increases in speed and 1 percent and 0 percent grades.

Memory Grove alone. Finally felt easy. Three minutes faster than Monday. I am running long with Bob tomorrow.

Washington Park (Parley's Canyon) to home via Emmigration Canyon. I felt pretty good for not running longer than 10 miles since Moab. We ran conservatively up Little Mountain and controlled down Em Cyn. Bob ran a hill workout on Friday evening so neither of us were too anxious to push the pace. I was pleased that I didn't feel weak or bonk afterwards.

To Olympus Trailhead + 1/2 up Olympus. My legs were okay but I am trying to ease back into mileage. I don't want to try to make up for lost training.

Memory Grove with Tom. I felt okay but I ran shorter than planned. My legs were a little tired from Saturday.

Adrienne has a fever this afternoon so it looks like tomorrow I will be on the treadmill at home while she sleeps.

7 miles AM. Home to Point (End of Pipeline trail in Millcreek Canyon). The trail was okay but rocky. The bikers will knock the rocks off in the next few weeks. 1100 feet of elevation gain, almost all of it in the first 3 miles. I felt surprisingly relaxed running up Rattlesnake.

8 miles PM. Parley's. I felt smooth on the downhills but flat on the uphill. Typical for a two-a-day. Adrienne still sick.

Mt. Olympus Trailhead. Windy and Warm. Some Bozo in basketball shorts sprinted past me 30 meters from 3800 South then turned. I wish I knew that we were racing.

We left for Moab (Arches NP)after midnight to camp at Devils Garden until Sunday (Easter).

Holy Thursday. I ran Devils Garden loop with most of the side trails. We arrived at Arches at 5:45 after driving all night. I camped out for a permit until 7:30. There were only 8 campsites open and 16 people waiting in line at 7:30. We were first so no problems.

Salt Valley Road. It was very windy and hot. I felt flat from driving all night yesterday.

Devils Garden.

Devils Garden with Bob. Bob and Bess rolled into camp last night. We had time for a short run this morning. It is amazing to run in Arches with a geologist. Bob and Bess will stay through Thursday. We headed home.

Dog Park AM. There is no daycare this week so all of my runs are early or late. It took a while to warm up but I felt good after 5 miles. I tried to stay comfortable.

Parley's AM. Nothing special except I started at 6 AM.

Olympus PM. I ran 23:20 for the first 3.5 miles into the wind then tried to slow it down. I hit the trail on the way home. I can feel some strenght returning.

Dog Park ++. I ran to the dog park and turned for home. About a mile and a half later I bumped into Bob doing the same run so I turned and ran back to the dog park. His Moab trip ended with the same wind problems that ours did. That's Moab in spring, warm and windy or cold with snow like last year. I felt good on the way out. I ran roughly 4 minutes faster than I did Monday morning.

Old Mill. My legs are starting to adjust to runner more. They were a little tired today. I ran with Bob. He is on spring break this week so I have seen him a more this week than in the past month.

Church to Point on Pipeline in Millcreek Cyn. Early run with Bob. We did not see anyone except for deer and grouse on the trail. We ran very easy. I think that will help my soreness so that I can run longer this weekend. I'll probably run 18-20 Saturday or Sunday. I would prefer Saturday but Amy is working all night Friday night and the kids have soccer Saturday morning. Amy will be trashed around noon so I think she will be napping when I want to run long. I wanted to run the SL 10 miler but Amy gets off of work 15 minutes before the gun.

Very easy for the first 3 miles. I picked it up from 3 to 6, averaging 5:40. It felt easy. I did it between soccer signups for the kids. I wish I could have see the

SL 10 miler.

Washington Park to Home. I ran easy up the hill (top at 5 miles). I ran comfortably fast but controlled down Emigration Cyn. There was a stiff headwind down the canyon. I was jealous of those who got to race yesterday. At the dog park I picked up my bottle. I stayed at marathon pace for the next few miles and backed off near the footbridges. I never felt great today but it was good to run long when I felt blah. In another month or so I'll push further into this run.

Memory Grove with Tom. My legs felt okay but sore. There was a strong wind from the East which made running from Downtown SLC to Rice-Eccles stadium a chore; uphill into the wind. I should have done some strides but forgot. I need to remember the strides to become more efficient at a hot pace.

AM Zoo Loop. I felt okay. I stopped at Sunnyside park and did 8 X 100 meter strides. I think that strides will help me to run fast comfortably now and help me transistion to speedier workouts this summer.

PM treadmill. I increased speed every mile while watching the 2004 Mens' Olympic Marathon. I keep yelling "Watch out" at Vandelei Lima but he never does. I increased the pace every 1/4 to 1/2 mile as I loosened up. I started at 7:30 and ended at 6:13 pace. It felt easy but I had to pick up Grafton from school 5 minutes after finishing the workout.

I ran with Tom for the first 35 minutes and turned back. He was going 2 hours. I had to keep telling him that it probably was not a good idea to run 6:15's at the start of his long run. He is amazing. I saw him finishing and he was still going hard. He is 45 and could still run sub 2:40 any day of the week. I'm sure he could run sub 2:30 if he trained.

My run was good. I picked up the pace after I left Tom. I switched shoes yesterday. Adidas Boston Classics size 9 1/2. I messed up with the last pair and got size 9. They caused me to curl my toes while running. These feel right.

I did a 9 mile warmup to Liberty park and then a loop that was supposed to be at tempo pace. I started out way too fast (sub 5). I cut the workout after a lap. I will try again after Ogden.

AM Burch Hollow to Point in Millcreek Cyn. I ran very easy, just to the point where my legs were warmed up. The trail is perfect, no mud or snow. A friend of mine came nose to beard with a moose above Burch earlier this week. He said there was still a lot of mud and ice. I may get 6-7 on the treadmill this evening.

Burch to Point with Bob. After watching the kids play soccer for 3 hours in the sun I decided to run easier on the trail instead of longer on the roads. I figured it was smarter to run less than to run long on the roads in 75 degree heat while dehydrated. This was Bob's first run since his partial calf tear. He looked okay.

Treadmill. Amy is in SF until Tuesday evening. I started easy for the first few miles. After 4 miles I alternated changing the grade and increasing the speed. I ran a series of 1-0-2-0-3-0-4-0-5-0 percent grade miles. The 5% grade was at 6:31 pace. I can tell that I have good endurance but limitations when the pace gets faster. That is my late spring - early summer goal.