Rob Murphy

Really cold....like 12 degrees.....plus a bit windy up in Emigration Canyon.

Good run. Ran from my house, around the neighborhood a little, and up the canyon. Ann and the kids picked me up before Little Mountain and we went to Ruth's for breakfast.

Had my usual Banana Walnut French Toast. There was only about a 20 minute wait and they are now giving away free coffee to people waiting outside the restaurant in the frigid temps. That's nice!

I feel good about the run. Almost averaged 8 minute pace for the entire run going uphill, against the wind, in a blizzard. Well, not the blizzard part. Very little foot/heel pain. Plus I crashed through the 2600 mile mark for the year. Not bad considering.

Oh yeah... there's a woman in Running Times this month named Jeanne Daprano who ran a 6:58 mile at the age of 75.  I'm pretty amazed by that. 

Sick last night. Went down to the basement to avoid infecting Ann but actually spent most of the night in the bathroom.

Just had a glass of Gatorade. We'll see if I can keep it down.

Happy New Year! 

Nine miles in 72 minutes.

Pretty decent run considering how weak and dehydrated I am.

We're having a big batch of really polluted air right now in Salt Lake City. This is something they call SMOG in most places, but here in Utah we refer to it as an "inversion". This sounds a lot better. Anyway, I've never been bothered much by this but today I could feel my lungs burning. Looking out my front window I can't even make out the faintest trace of the Wasatch Range about two miles to the east. I assume the mountains are still there. 

I'm listening to an interview now with Jared Diamond, the author of Guns, Germs, and Steel. Apparently he has a new book out about "traditional societies" and what we can learn from them. A "traditional society" is one in which people, even though we are living in 2013, haven't ever plugged in an electrical cord or made a phone call. Societies like ours which have electricity and running water and sewage systems apparently lack traditions and are "not traditional". I think we used to call these traditional societies "backwards" or "primitive". 

Thwarted by unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances.

Really excited about the run tonight. 8.5 miles in 1:04.

Bumped into The Krongster early in the run and tagged along with him for a couple miles. Made part of the run pass a little faster.

Over and out. 

Just ran the Best Buy Loop after work, Legs were a little sore. Still adjusting to some consistent mileage I guess.

Ambled over to the gym this morning with kids in tow while wife slept in. Bribed 12 year old child to go to the "Kids Club" at the gym by promising breakfast after.

Did a mile on the Stair Master, a mile on the elliptical and 6.25 miles on the treadmill. 

Many of you probably know that top runner Johanna Olson died yesterday at 33 from brain cancer. If you want to be moved and inspired go to her blog at johannaolson.blogspot.com