Good run today. I wasn't too ready for the start but we were off with no time to get cold after our warm-up miles (poor planning on my part.) Did the first mile at 7:19 (the bus stop arrived at 7:09 which is at the peak of the hill.) I was shooting for a 6:45 average, dreaming of making it under 42 min.

Mile 2: 6:27
Mile 3: 6:30
Mile 4: 6:46
Mile 5: 6:39
Mile 6: 6:43

I think this is a PR by 1:10 on this course. Yahoo.

Warm up for the race. We ran most of the course from the finish to the start (The race course is a point to point but it meanders a bit at the start and finish - which make up the rest of the 6.2 course.) Every year, the race starts 10 minutes late so we knew we had plenty of time for this warm-up plan. Of course, this was the one year it started right on time - just got to the starting line and began chatting w/ friends when the proverbial gun went off. Maybe next year I need to plan a bit better.

Nike group run w/ Erik, Dave, Jim, Robert, etc. Took an easy pace to just loosen up and cause blood flow. Looking forward to tomorrow's run and tonight's Trials.

Argh - I'm tired today. Ran too fast yesterday to feel good today - stupid move but it was fun when it happened. Had to get up at 3:45 after getting to bed at 11:30 - after seeing perhaps the best Track and Field events in the United States in 40 years. The Trials surpassed all hopes and dreams last night - the men's 800 and Kip's fantastic 5K were the absolute icing on the Olympic Trials cake. It is almost like Christmas every day of the Trials.

Met up w/ Jon. Warmed up with 3.5 miles - it took at least that long to warm up enough to even stretch today. Did a faster 400 to loosen up (90 seconds) Followed with 8 x 200's and then 2 x 400's. Finished with a bit over two miles cool-down then stretch. Rest periods between 200 - 200 jog and then rest periods between 400 were 400 jog/walk.

First 200 was at 41, second was 39, rest were 38 and two at 37. 83 exactly on the two final 400s.

Good workout as it turned out - had I not publicly stated I'd be there today, I'd have slept in. Glad I didn't do that - now.

Ran w/ the Nike Group again today. Met up w/ Toma and Robert. Also ran w/ a great family from Kansas, an older guy from Seattle, two high school kids from South Dakota, and a track coach from Tucson - great chats along the way. Everyone is so enamored with Eugene and the places we get to run - makes you remember to be grateful. Ran other people's paces this morning so that the conversations could continue - a bit faster than I wanted but, oh well.