Training Week: Jan 12 - 18

The beginning of a sunny week! See more on Instagram - @josh_c_arthur

Sunday: 

• PM Skate Ski: 5.23 Mi - 200' - 0:48 - Easy: Blizzard.. I could barely see the trail and there were a lot of drifts which kept knocking me down. I even skied off the trail and into a huge drift without even seeing it. Decided to call it early. This should be the last day of the storm.. hopefully.

Monday: 

• PM Skate Ski: 17.2 Mi - 1,200' - 1:55 - Easy: Finally a little firmer conditions on the nordic trails. The storm is over! A little wind out there made for some drifts across the trails and added a bit of resistance, but overall it was a good day out. 

Tuesday: 

• AM Run: 4.08 Mi - 300' - 0:32 - Easy: Peanut Lake Rd for an easy jaunt to test the achilles. It felt fine I think. I could feel something down there, but that was probably a combination of me being hyper sensitive to it and also there being some scar tissue that needs to get worked out. 
• AM Skate Ski: 24.26 Mi - 3,200' - 2:51 - Hill Intervals: This ski kicked my ass. Met up with Sean and did a 45 minute "easy" warm up, then did 5 x 5 min on a descent set of climbs out on the Bench. Skied a couple more laps up there after to get in some more vert and then headed out for a flat lap on the east side. Thoroughly exhausted by the end, especially my runner arms. 

Wednesday: 

• PM Run: 4.19 Mi - 400' - 0:32 - Easy: Same route as yesterday + a trip to the post office. My body was pretty beat when I got up this morning. Yesterday's nordic workout took it out of me. Achilles felt better though, but there is still a visible scar tissue deposit that needs some work. 

Thursday: 

• AM Run: 7.18 Mi - 500' - 0:54 - Easy: Peanut Lake Rd and McCormick Ranch. Slowly starting to feel better, but whenever I try to run hard I can still feel the Achilles. 
• PM Skate Ski: 20.26 Mi - 1,600' - 2:20 - Easy: Windy, Windy, Windy! Lost of snow drifts across the trails that made for a rough go. Ended up doing laps on a half mile loop that didn't have as many drifts. Worked on a little no poling until that started to hurt after fighting the wind for a few miles.
• PM Strength Workout.

Friday: 

• AM Run: 6.21 Mi - 400' - 0:47 - Easy: Out n Back on Slate River Rd. Felt good to run on some dry pavement instead of ice and snow for the entire run. Missing running long though, but hopefully this is letting my Achilles heal completely while still putting in volume on skate skies. 
• PM Skate Ski: 17.77 Mi - 1,200' - 1:54 - Easy: A couple laps on the west side trails. Felt a little tired from yesterday's skate but still got in a descent ski. 

Saturday: 

• Day Off.

Wind... the theme for most of the week. Made for some interesting skate skiing days.

Week Totals

Skate Skiing: 84.53 Mi - 7,400' - 9:48
Running: 21.66 Mi - 1,600' - 2:45
Core/Strength: 1 Session

Year Totals

Skate Skiing: 147.35 Mi - 10,800' - 18:26
Running: 70.27 Mi - 6,200' - 9:13
Core/Strength: 9 Sessions

Not the biggest volume week, but it was the most I have skate skied in a 7 day stretch. My Achilles if feeling better too, not that I have really put it to the test. I'm looking forward to getting a couple big nordic days in early next week and hopefully some longer runs just to make sure everything is all good before heading to OR on Tuesday. The weather out in SLC looks good, so I am looking forward too some dry trails!! Not really sure what the schedule will end up looking like, but being that it's just two weeks out from SOB50 I hope to find time to do something substantial. Even if it ends up being cross training in a gym. This week was a step in the right direction, and next week will be a hodgepodge.. then off to Cali.