glidergirl

• 16 miles, 4 of which were around marathon pace (a little slower, but I'll count it since it was going uphill)
• I can't believe I'm running a marathon in 7 weeks, eeeek!  My legs need some miles on them for sure
• I didn't have ANY achilles issues... just the regular "my feet/legs are hurting from all this running"

Such a fun run with everyone!  I love being with my running friends, it's definitely a highlight of each week. :)  And thank you Smooth for the yummy treats!  Even though you are so busy with all that's going on!

We missed you Paul, hopefully you can get back to running soon!  And a shout out to Bryanna in Idaho if you're reading this, I wish we could run together.  Hope you're doing well. :)

Splits, elevation info here (didn't wear my HR monitor)

• 10 easy miles: up around the zoo, down 21st south, across 13th east, back home through the U of U

This was a really enjoyable run.  I just set my Garmin training field to only show the distance so that I would just run it easy and by feel rather than by brains/pace. =0)  It felt really smooth. Funny thing is I ended up going the same pace as always (9:24 avg pace), yet it felt more relaxed and slower.  I think I will probably do this more often than not during these next few weeks because I'd like to increase my mileage for Ogden and I don't think my achilles will allow me to do speedwork at the same time.  We'll see!  I may change my mind tomorrow. :)

Splits, elevation, HR info here

10.5 super-duper slow miles that felt smooth and good.  Trading speed for mileage to keep everything happy is not too shabby.  I'll take it!

(no Garmin info)

• 18 slow miles, avg pace 10:07...lots of hills

Surprise!  I had to do my long run this morning because I work tonight and tomorrow night.  I'm really glad that my long run is already done for the week, but I would have rather been able to do my usual Saturday morning run with friends. :(  I will miss all of you tomorrow, but once again, I am already done (not to rub it in!). 

The run felt great for the most part, which hopefully it would feel fine since it was such a slow pace.  I didn't look at pacing again this time, just focused on smooth, strong miles.  My achilles gave me grief during miles 9-11 and I wondered if I should stop, but then it went away and hasn't hurt since.  I was OK with all the hills, but to tell you the truth, Sunnyside and I are NOT on good terms right now!  Usually I would have just kept running downhill and ended downtown, then taken Trax or a bus back home, but I didn't have enough time for the extra 30-45 minutes that takes before my class this morning.  It was hard running my 17th and 18th mile UPHILL.  I felt tired and even slower.  I would have rather finished out strong running flat or downhill.  But other than that, not too shabby!

Check out my creative route...it's hard getting all 18 miles in East of 13th East

• 8.5 slow miles, avg pace 9:38

Felt great!  It's a beautiful day out there...perfect for running. :)  I've had two days off since my long run, so everything has been able to rest up nicely.  It's as if nothing has every happened to my achilles; it's not even tight when I wake up from sleeping!  The only thing that has been bothering me the last couple of days and towards the end of my run today is my peroneus tendon on my right foot.  This hurt on my left foot a few weeks before my achilles injury.  What is up with that?  I'm trying to figure out how to get it stronger.  I'll keep an eye on it and I'll keep running slow as I build up my mileage for Ogden!

Splits and elevation info here

• Extended rest day

Normally I would run 8-10 miles today, but my right peroneal tendons are still recovering from Friday's long run.  On the other hand, my left Achilles/calf muscle is like a shining star! :)  Each day my right foot is feeling better and stronger, so I think I'll probably run again on Saturday or Monday. 

*I do not believe this will be a long-standing issue...just an issue of doing long runs too early after 3 months off running.

• Another rest day (except for the 3 miles I walked to and from school today)

My right foot is still not back to normal - it's probably at about 75%.  It feels better everyday, so I'm not worried.  I'll just give it some more time.  I think by next week it will be great and at that point, I'm just going to run 6-8 each day as opposed to two 10 milers and one 18-20 miler.  I'm feeling a little lazy for not x-training in the mean-time, but I figured I would give myself a "bye" this week since things are getting really crazy with school now that we're 2 weeks till the end of the semester...lots of papers, projects, tests due all over the place.  And to be honest, it hurts to do the elliptical or bike...which is funny because it hardly ever hurt my achilles.  So basically, I'm feeling a little sedentary right now and look forward to running again! :)  Don't be hatin on me even though I'm sedentary!  You'll all still be my friends, right?!  Haha.  Someday I hope to be the runner I once was pre-injury!!  I'm sure it will help once I get this school thing behind me...ya think?

• 4 easy running miles
• 5 moderate elliptical miles
• strength training

I went to 24 Hour Fitness this morning and did a little strength training then jogged two miles up 21st South to watch for Teena and there she was!  GO TEENA!  Then I jogged back down to the gym where the course passed again and waited for Teena to come by.  She looked so great.  You did so well Teena!

My foot felt better, still niggley, but better.  And now I'm pretty sure I know what hurt my foot...my worn out shoes.  I don't know why I didn't learn from last time.  I wear my shoes out so fast on the outer top part of both shoes so I really can NOT go past 300 miles.  They are so worn out right there...no padding whatsoever.  Last time I went past 300ish miles, the same thing happened to my peroneal tendons on my left foot.  I figured this out when I looked back at my garminconnect and I said something about my shoes.  It feels like all the bones and tendons are crunched and bruised when I walk, so it makes sense.  So anyway, I should not have ran the 16 and 18 milers in those shoes.  So I bought two pairs of shoes on www.runningwarehouse.com (they were having a closeout on the shoes I was looking for so I was able to get 2 pair and even with 2, the price was STILL $20 cheaper than at the running store for ONE pair!!!).  Hopefully that solves the problem!

** I haven't given up on Ogden yet...I think I just may be able to pull it off as long as I keep being careful!

AM:

• 7 miles on the elliptical (Garmin info here)

PM:

• "Power Pump" class for 1 hour tonight at the gym

I didn't have to work last night or today and I don't have class or clinical!  Read a running book while on the elliptical and now I'm going to follow the Boston Marathon. :) 

(PS it was so fun watching Boston this morning.  Those are some talented runners, I tell you what.) 

**For those of you who missed it, they are replaying it on NBC Universal at 1200am (ET)...definitely worth watching...Desiree Davila is AMAZING**

Hoping for a run tomorrow after my shoes arrive.  ;)  I always send the packages to James' work, so it will be a late evening run, check back then! 

AM:

• 5 miles elliptical while reading (makes the time go by a lot faster!)
• strength training

PM:

• 20 min barefoot walk outside
• 6.5 miles easy running

Here's the situation.  My feet and calves are pansies.  They can run 50 miles a week, but then change one little thing and they fall apart.  So...I'm gonna do something about it!!!!! I feel like I'm a parent who's son got beat up and now I'm teaching him martial arts so he can hold his own next time. :)  Meaning, I'm going to start running barefoot, at least a few miles a week.  Which is funny because I was a huge critic and swore I would never do it.  But I can't deny the arguments for it any longer.  They just make sense to me (as long as you do it right).  Before you freak out (I know...I know...I'm just coming off an achilles injury), just know that I'm starting out super slow (and reading everything I can about it so that I don't do something stupid). I actually haven't even wore my Vibrams yet.  I'm following the plan in this book.  I'm skipping the first step because I love to walk barefoot at home, so I don't think I need that step. Right now I'm working on making the bottoms of my feet tougher so they can start being without shoes more often by walking outside on the sidewalk for 20 minutes a day or every other day.  I won't even be running for probably a month or so.  After my 18 miler when my foot got injured, it has felt better every since to go barefoot or wear my flats or flip flops, so that's really what sealed the deal for me!  Well, that and the fact that I was injured AGAIN and had to take time off running yet again.  So here goes nothin!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/80481698

AM:

• 5 easy miles on the elliptical while studying for a final tomorrow...might as well move while studying ;)  splits here

PM:

• (decided to not run my planned 4 miles...foot still hurt from yesterday's run) 
• 1 mile barefoot walking home from school (about 1 mile of the 1.5 miles)

These tendons injuries drive me NUTS!!!!  I think things are fine after resting, I plan a run, they are a little tight during the run but they warm up and feel fine, things feel great after the run and then the next day what does lots of crunchy crepitus, swelling and pain the day after a 6 mile run equal?  No running once again for a few days. :(  I'm sure you're all getting tired of reading about this yet again! 

After talking extensively with my (future) PT, Teena, I have decided to take another week off to get completely healed.  I can't bike or do elliptical either (and even walking too much is out), so I'm going to try and do a lot of core work, strengthening, stretching...and resting.  My goal is to do at least something 1 or 2 times every day because I tend to not do much if I can't run...but I can't let myself off that easy this time around...gotta avoid the pity party. =0)  I think I have a handle on the factors causing my injuries (at least some of them), so hopefully I can get things under control...again.

AM

• strength training at the gym

PM

• (hope to do some pilates or yoga at home if my class gets done early enough today)

I am out of the depths of depression that is work, no sleep, clinicals and class!  Felt good to get outside today in the sunshine. :)  Today was yet another good day as far as school goes, which makes up for the lack of running at least! I went to a self-elected clinical on my own to shadow a practitioner and loved it! 

• Barefeet work
  • walking home from clinical in barefeet - walked 0.75 miles, ran about 0.25 miles (both on side walk)...the skin on my feet is getting tougher!  
  • running at the park in Vibrams - 1 mile running, 0.7 mile walk (on grass and sidewalk)
  • the motion seems to really strengthen and work out my feet in just the right way, as long as I don't go too fast or too far. 
• 3 easy miles on the elliptical
• strength training

The foot seems to be doing well, we'll see how it feels tomorrow. ;)  I hope you're all doing well!

Barefeet at the park

Elliptical splits

• 70 mins bike while studying (so it was quite slow)
• strength training
• 1.5 miles @ 10:00 avg pace on TM (things felt pretty OK!)

AM:

• 3 slow miles on the zoo loop!  Felt good!  Can't tell you how nice it is to run.
• Core workout with Mitch Gaylord (remember him??  The Olympic gymnast...good old Mitch Gaylord...he has a pretty good workout DVD, not going to lie.)
• Splits and elevation here

PM:

AM

• 2 mile hike up Mueller Park in Bountiful with James, dad, stepmom, sister

PM

• bought a treadmill from ksl.com!!
• ran 2 miles on the TM at 10:00 avg pace (wanted to do more, but had to get to work)
• looking forward to lots of evening "shake out runs" (as the pros would say) while we watch TV and having temperature-controlled runs during the summer when I'm working back-to-back night shifts and can only run in the afternoon in what would otherwise be scortching heat.  I LOVE IT ALREADY!  So fun!