Going With The Flow

AM - Woke up at 8am and it was already 85 degrees and very humid. I should've gotten up earlier but I needed the sleep. Ran a mile warm-up. I was planning to do 2 x 2 miles at half marathon pace, but had to change it to 2 x 1 x 1 miles. The first two miles were rolling but downhill overall and I hit 11:56. It didn't feel great. Jogged for 4 minutes and then started my second set of rolling but uphill overall. At 1 mile (6:08), my heart was racing and I felt like I was overheating. I stopped and poured water on myself for a 1:30 (mostly jogging) break. I just tried to get through the last mile (6:14). I didn't quite hit the paces that I wanted, but given the fact that I am not used to hot humid temperatures and rolling hills the times weren't too bad. Jake sent me this article about training in heat and humidity http://running.competitor.com/2011/05/training/ask-the-experts-should-i-adjust-for-heat-humidity_11857 So that made me feel better. The most important thing about the workout is the effort level and getting my heart rate in the right zone, and I'm positive that I hit those. My 2 mile jog home was probably 10 min pace! 

 I'm heading back to SLC tonight. 

AM - Ran with Jake to Sugarhouse then back home. Taking it easy today and tomorrow to get ready for the Fight for Air 5k on Saturday. 

PM -  Needed to get the legs moving after work, so just ran a short 1.5 miles with a couple 200s thrown in there.

AM - Horsepark loop with Jake. Can't believe I'm wearing gloves in June!

The Fight For Air 5k race was very close to my condo, so it was nice to wake up and not have to drive more than a couple miles. I did a nice warm-up and included some hard efforts to get my legs ready to race fast. The number of people was much smaller than I had thought, and the start wasn't the most official (a guy starting his watch as the official time with no real start line).

Anyway, the first 1.5 miles was super fast - I have never actually done an aided course and it was actually pretty nice! I came through the first mile at 5:05. PR for the mile :o) The 1.5-2 mile was flat to slightly uphill so I was getting back on a normal pace. I felt strong through 2 miles with a time 10:35. PR for the 2 mile! The race was in Sugarhouse at this point, on the stretch that I run 4-5x a week and am very comfortable running. Jake and I marked half miles on the course yesterday, and that also helped me through the 2.5 and 3 miles. I was excited to go through the finish in 16:52! I actually hit the 3.1 mark at about 16:40 with the extra 90 meters as just bonus (the course was definitely long). I didn't think I was in sub-17 5k shape, but the 250 ft of downhill definitely helped.

I felt great during and after the race with a 3 mile cooldown. Today was a confidence booster for the UVHM next week! That is the race that Jake and I have both been building up for and it should be interesting to see what we can do. 

AM - Jake had never been to Liberty Park before (crazy considering the amount of mileage he does and how nice it is for running) so we ran up 900E to it, around, and back - 11 miles, 7:27 pace. We will probably start running there more often! It was beautiful outside. I felt tired by the end, probably a little fatigue from the race yesterday, but overall good.

After we ate some breakfast, we headed up the mountain to get in a lap of spring skiing. I just wore a sports bra on the way down b/c it was so warm! Next week I'm going to try for skiing in only a bathing suit :o)

The pool in the condo complex got cleaned yesterday, so we spent the late afternoon lounging by the pool, reading, and absorbing some Vit. D! What a perfect day.

AM - Easy run up to Sugarhouse with Jake. I love this weather! It finally feels like spring. 

This is a really great article about the barefoot running debate...it's long, but well worth the read!

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2011/06/barefoot-running-shoes-and-born-to-run.html

PM - 2 miles with strides thrown in every once in a while.

AM - 3 miles around the block. Another beautiful morning today. I hope this weather continues for a while! 

PM -  Met Jake at Wasatch Blvd, biked a mile and put a marker down. Ran 2 x mile on the downhill stretch (5:30, 5:34). Ran a mile in between back up to the start. 5.3 miles total with warm-up and cool down. Last little workout before UVHM!

AM - Ran around the cross country and horse parks. Got to see lots of dogs! :o)

PM - One mile run to get my legs warmed up for stretching

AM - Horsepark loop 4.5 miles. Ran it unintentionally faster than usual, indicating that the taper is working!

PM - 4 x 200 w/ 200m recover jog.. 200s at 6 min pace to get a feel for the pace so I won't go out too fast in the race on Saturday.

AM - Horsepark loop 4.5 miles easy. Talked with Jake about race strategy. I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited to run on Saturday. There are several other girls that I believe are at the same ability level as I am. This is great - I hope we are able to pull each other to fast times! One thing I know for sure is that I will be the first in line for a massage at the end of the race :o)

Jake and I got a coupon for Dairy Queen at citydeals.com. After the race, we're heading there to get $10 worth of ice cream! Probably the most exciting part about the day.

YAY!!!!! What a great day.

I woke up at the crack of dawn to catch the buses that took us to the start. I was relieved to not wake up hungry, meaning that I ate plenty yesterday (must've been the Moose Tracks ice cream). The ride up was good - I sat by a super nice lady and we chatted. The staging area had tons of fires to keep everyone warm. The next hour went by pretty slow...I didn't know anyone around so I just sat quietly. I did a short 1 mile warm-up and my legs were feeling great.

When we lined up for the start, I didn't realize that I was standing RIGHT next to the guy that shot the gun. That came as a surprise! Oh well - we were off. There was a lead pack of about 5-6 guys that created a quick gap on the rest of the crew. The first 2 miles were pretty downhill, so I ran what I felt was half marathon effort (5:54, 5:56). That was a good feeling! The third mile was all uphill so I came in that mile at 6:15 - exactly what I expected.

Now all I had to do was cruise the downhill until a short hill at mile 11. There were two guys running together about 25 yards ahead of me. The next few miles I just tried to stay in check with them. Miles 4, 5, 6, 7 were 5:39, 5:45, 5:56, 5:55 respectively. Those miles flew by...miles go by so much faster when you're running faster (who would've thought?!).

Miles 8 and 9 were uneventful with times of 6:01 and 5:56. I started to feel the pace at mile 10. This is not surprising because the downhill gradient was less steep and I was going much faster than my goal pace (6:05/mile). I hit 10 in 6:10 and knew that I needed to pick it up and start racing. I passed one guy which lifted the spirits a bit. The next mile had a short hill, hence the 6:07. I was a little disappointed in the cheering for this section - people watching would just look at me and not say anything at all! It was kinda weird.

Anyways, I hit my goal pace in 6:04 for mile 12 and really tried to pick it up for the end. 5:45 last mile with :31 finish! I saw 100m away and knew I could break 1:18. Finished with a total time of 1:17:52. That's 2 minutes faster than my goal time and 4 minutes faster than my PR set a month ago (granted, it was an aided course with 1% downhill gradient overall). I honestly had no idea who was behind me or how far behind me they were because I did not see a girl after the very start of the race, but I think second place was 20 seconds slower.

The race was great overall - perfect temperature, VERY well run by the race director, every mile marker was right on, aid stations and bathrooms everywhere. I was super impressed. The only thing I really wish was better - the massages! I think it was more of a soft pet than a massage :o)

I took a shower then ran to watch Jake race. I was getting nervous about his race, but WOW he was running so fast with a mile to go and ran in 2:21:45. What a marathon debut.

I was very happy to put some names to faces today from people on the blog.  Everyone is so nice and friendly - can't wait to see you for more races!

We got Dairy Queen after the race. Nothing like a large dip cone in celebration!

AM - Shake-out run this morning with Jake. 8:45 min pace - not too shabby considering the race yesterday! 

After some spring cleaning, we went on a super easy bike ride for about 2 hours to loosen up the legs and get outside for a while.

AM - Elliptical for 20 minutes...I actually enjoy it every once in a while!

PM - Strength training for 30 minutes. Short run around Sugarhouse right as the thunderstorm moved in! I still feel sore, but not necessarily tired. 

My work is going to highlight me in their monthly Healthy Lifestyles Spotlight! I'm pretty sure my co-workers are going to think I'm nuts after I tell them how much I exercise. I'm also not really sure if eating ice cream every night qualifies as "food in moderation", but what can you do?

AM - Horsepark loop easy. My back is hurting a lot again...going to see if a massage will help.

PM - Skinned to the top of Alta (1850 ft) and skied super-fun slush on the way down! This is the first time we have skied with relatively fresh legs, and it is way more enjoyable than being exhausted and worrying about feeling good for workouts.

AM - Horsepark loop again. Said hi to all the regulars - honestly, I love this loop so much b/c there's a mile on soft surfaces and I get to see lots of puppies!

I thought this article was good "Mind Over Milkshakes" http://psycnet.apa.org/?&fa=main.doiLanding&doi=10.1037/a0023467

AM - Ran up towards the mountains, meandering through neighborhoods and such.

Check out the Run Utah magazine for June/July. Lots of people from the blog are featured in it (including me, Fritz, Paul, and others)!

 PM - Strength training. Lots of arm work (they are looking puny) and lots of squats, lunges, kicks, side raises, etc. I have a massage tomorrow so I'm trying to get sore so it feels really good!

Noon - Ran from work to Dimple Dell and around the park for a couple miles. It was beautiful weather and the soft trail was perfect for an easy run. 7:40 pace.

PM - Got the massage. I told him that I was having lower back pain and wanted him to focus there and on my legs. Well, he spent a good amount of time on my upper back, which was totally unhelpful...definitely didn't focus on what I asked. So that was disappointing - my lower back hurt immediately after sitting for 5 minutes afterward (like usual)...oh well. I should probably just go to a doctor and make sure it's nothing serious.

I must've been tired for sleeping 10.5 hours! Probably because my body knew Jake was coming home today and I wouldn't get to do that again for a while :o)

Went for a 11.3 mile run...was sore from all the strength training but overall felt good. The 8 min mile pace I thought I was going was actually 7:15 pace, so that's a good sign. 

Bike riding up to REI just in time for the end of the garage sale going on. Found a running camelbak for cheap, which will be good for long, hot runs!

Took a super easy day today. Weather was gross and rainy!

AM - Run with Jake. 7:45 pace

I compared my races this year with past years...pretty interesting how much I improved in one year.

 http://wasatchandbeyond.blogspot.com/2011/06/andrea-making-jump.html

AM - Ran in the parks.

PM - 60 min bike ride.

Had a terrible back spasm at 1am...couldn't sleep all night. I'm not sure what caused the pain all of a sudden...it has been hurting off and on, but I've never had it where I couldn't walk, stand, sit, basically do anything for more than 5 minutes. I went to work and they immediately sent me to the doctor (I was in tears). Finally got a cortisone shot at 10:30am and lots of pain meds to feel better. I went to the PT, and he seems to think that the immobility of my spine is causing a lot of tension and inflammation in the muscles of that area. I little hard to believe (or understand), but then he tried to loosen it and I could definitely feel the difference. I have lots of exercises to do now so we'll see if it helps.

I'm really going to focus on low-impact cross training for much of the summer. With pool running, skiing, biking, hiking, elliptical, I think that I will be able to maintain my fitness and fix my back at the same time. Running isn't out of the picture, since it doesn't seem like the root cause of the pain. But no pushing it. I would rather be 100% next spring than 70% for the next 2 years!

PM - I did a super easy jog with Jake in the afternoon b/c I needed my back to loosen up so I could effectively stretch.

AM - Elliptical 30 min, stretches. Before you know it, I'll be touching my toes!

PM - physical therapy. 10 min stationary bike, 40 min pool running and exercises.

On steroids and hydrocodone right now...I hate taking medicine!

AM - Elliptical 30 min then stretches. Have an 8 hour drive to Carson City, NV this afternoon...hoping the back survives! We will probably stop every hour. I'm SO excited for our California trip.

AM - 4 miles on the trails in Carson City.

PM - Biked up Heavenly ski resort on one of the service roads for 2500 ft vertical and total 11 miles. Biked 4.5 miles around some South Tahoe neighborhoods while Jake ran.

AM - Skied Mt. Tallac, the most prominent peak seen from South Tahoe. There was a 2 mile approach that felt like backpacking with the skis and boots on the pack. How did we do that for 11 days on the JMT last year?!

PM - Mountain biking 7 miles around the trails.

AM - 8 miles on the Rubicon Trail around Emerald Bay. Amazing trail, right on the water. One of the most beautiful trails I have ever run.

PM -  skied 2 runs at Alpine Meadows in awesome summer conditions. We were able to ski right to the car then 5 miles biking while Jake ran his afternoon workout.

AM - Jake and I skied 2 laps (skinned 3000 feet) at Alpine Meadows (went to Squaw Valley first, but Alpine actually had more snow)

PM - We did an awesome mountain bike ride w/ another 1000 feet of climbing on some XC ski trails ~11 miles.

AM - Ran 8 miles on the bike path in Incline Village. There were some huge houses along Lake Tahoe on this section - hopefully I'll have a place right on the lake like that one day :o)

PM -  The weather cleared so we went up to Mt Rose, skinned up to the summit, and skied a lap... battling some pretty large suncups on the descent.

AM - Skied Ellery Bowl at Tioga Pass. SCARY and challenging, but also fun! Probably wouldn't do that again (at least the 50 degree top part). 1700 ft never took so much out of me before.

PM - 4 miles on a nice trail in June Lake.