catherine's running efforts

On the treadmill at the gym with Eric before work. Happy July. 

I've got the day off work because I had to work last weekend (pretty lame that after I start working for the church I have to work on Sunday for the first time in over 10 years), so I went out for a wandery run in the late morning. I had been planning on doing Eric's BST loop, but we were up late last night and it's supposed to be 10 degrees cooler tomorrow, so I put it off. 

And my Kinvaras came today. I think they're beautiful. 

Eric's BST loop. I'm glad I did it today instead of yesterday; it was cooler, and because there were so many people out and about I wasn't at all afraid of any stick-wielding crazies. 

On the way to the trailhead I passed a bunch of runners going the other way for the Freedom Half Marathon and 5K. It looked like a fun race. 

This is the third time I've done the loop. I was a little faster in some parts and a little slower in other parts than last time. It was better mentally, though - I didn't hate it at all, and for most of it I was happy and glad I was doing it. Last week at the trail race I saw a woman wearing Launches, and I wished I had been wearing mine since they're so much more comfortable than my Cascadias (Ross: "I wish *I* were naked..."), so I tried them today and think that wearing them helped me have a better experience. Yeah, it's rocky and stuff, but I didn't roll my ankle or anything any more than I have before. 

It was a good finish to one of my more consistent weeks, but sometimes I wonder if all this running is just going to make me slower.

I was going to go to the Salt Lake City Track Club speed workout this morning for the first time, but when I got there (after I figured out how to get into the track area (I made it harder than it needed to be)) there were only about three people, and they all seemed to be doing their own thing. I asked one of them, and she said that most people had come at 7:00. I guess I misunderstood the email, website, and newsletter that all said 8:00. Oh well. 

Instead, I ran three laps around the park in my beautiful and almost perfect Kinvaras. They feel so speedy and light! Not as roomy as my Launches (but the next size up was way too big), and there's a part on the left shoe that kind of cuts into my ankle bone, but overall I'm really really happy with them (so far). My goal for the run was to keep my average pace under 8:20, and it ended up being 7:59.

As I was running I was trying to keep a pace that was a little faster than super easy but not so fast that I'd get tired, and I thought about how probably everyone who's improved/gotten fast/met their goals has had to push beyond what's comfortable and easy. Then I thought about the dissertation that I still haven't written (but that was supposed to be done about a year ago). I think I keep waiting to want to do it like I want to read a book or watch a movie or TV show or take a nap or work on a hobby or any of the other million things that always seem to be a better idea when I have free time. But obviously it's not going to get done that way, just like I won't ever be able to qualify for Boston if I don't try to run farther or faster than what feels easy.

I've tried setting dissertation goals with my adviser, with friends, and even with a therapist (I can't write that without thinking about Arrested Development), but so far I haven't made more than a couple weeks of progress over the last couple of years. But since FRB has helped me feel more accountable for my running goals, maybe I can kind of use it for dissertation goals. So today I'm setting a goal that's realistic but not super easy - to complete a proposal draft by the end of August.

Liberty Park loop. Unhappy tummy.

I was a little shell-shocked after yesterday's 3-emergency-bathroom-stops run, so today I just did a mile with Eric after he got home from his ride. I hope he gets un-broken soon so that we can run together more.

Memory Grove loop from work at lunch. Eric came and ran with us and then surprised me with flowers and chocolate-covered cinnamon bears because it's our six monthiversary. He's the best. :)

Then a quick mile on the treadmill in between work and dinner with Eric. The weird lady was on the treadmill next to me. She told me that she doesn't have my build because she's a swimmer (who has won over 50 gold medals in the olympics), that in eight years she's going to marry someone whose name I think I should have recognized (he's currently a cardinal), and something about how she had detonated. (I don't know what she meant, but someone saying something about detonation while running on a treadmill reminds me of that line in The Runner's Rulebook about how the author imagines that passing gas while running is like having little jet propulsions.) 

After a quick, unplanned bike ride, I ran up to Virginia and across to 5th South and then down along the Des News 10K route to home. 

Went to the SLCTC workout at the Highland High track with Eric after work for 2 more miles. 

Eric and I met a girl from our ward for a run at 5:30 this morning. Up through the cemetery to 11th, then across and down through Memory Grove. 

Cemetery/Memory Grove loop. *So* didn't want to leave this morning, but after about 10 minutes I was really glad to be out. 

Sometimes I think I don't know how to run downhill. This morning being on the heels felt easier but too jarring, but the midfoot felt like I was shuffling/skidding and the forefoot (I guess mid- to forefoot) felt too fast for what I wanted.

On the treadmill at the gym with Eric after work. 

Same route as Monday, with Eric. 

Had a loverly bike ride with Eric. 17.6 miles in about a bajillion hours. I rode my new bike for the first time. Cycling is a lot scarier than running. :)

Around Sugarhouse Park. Hate waking up in the morning, but it's nice to get the run out of the way before it gets too warm. 

I tagged along with Eric on his run with Jun and Jun's friend today on a flat-ish trail up some canyon. I was really happy with the pace on the way out, and I loved the trail and kept wishing we lived closer to it. It was also fun listening to Eric and Jun talk about shoes and stuff.

Then I had a Gu just before the turnaround point and somehow it kicked my digestive system into overdrive or something. I had to poop three stupid times over the last half of the run. Eric was nice enough to wait for me, and he even offered to gather leaves in case I ran out of toilet paper (he's such a good provider).

Lame about the trots, but other than that it was a really enjoyable run on a trail perfect for Catherine. I'm glad I got to go, and I hope to frequent the trail many more times in the future.

On the treadmill at the gym after work. SYTYCD was on. It's different without the sound. 

Yes, that's right. One mile. 

Up to Virginia then down along South Temple. 

Last year when I ran this race I had moved back to Utah from Pennsylvania two days earlier, and I was still feeling really sad and sorry for myself about leaving all my friends. Over the past few days I've been feeling really grateful about how the last year has gone, and I'm amazed at the comparison between how sad I was then and how happy I am now.

Anyway, the race went pretty well. My realistic goal was to be faster than I was at the flat 10K in February, and my dream goals were to be under 45 minutes and in the top 10%. I don't yet know how I did compared to anyone else, but according to my watch (a few seconds faster than the finish-line clock) I was over a minute under my dream time goal.

I'm not sure if I was too fast at the start. Eric and I have been talking about it - he says it's better to pace one's self and not go out too fast, but I always get that adrenaline thing at the beginning and wonder why not take advantage of it and bank time for later. I did think about trying to keep it kind of comfortable, but it was also hard because of the big downhills at the beginning. After two miles I felt kind of tired, but I tried to pretend it was a 5K and thought about how cool it would be if I did a 5K with all my miles under 7 minutes (didn't happen). Then I got distracted along South Temple watching two guys with double strollers (one of them took over the other guy's stroller for a bit and then almost lost them both). That took up another mile, and then we were on the parade route and almost done. The only part of the race that really sucked was the stretch up 900 S, but even that was only a few minutes.

At the finish line I found out that Eric had made his goal too, so it was a good race for both of us. I hope everything went as well for all the other FRBers.

Splits: 6:28, 6:31, 7:20, 7:16, 7:10, 7:29, 7:32 (0.2)

Chip time: 43:48.9, 70/1233 overall (women), 12/257 AG

Had a nice 15.67-mile bike ride with Eric. More comfortable than last week but still a little scary. 

A few laps around Sugarhouse Park with Eric. We ran into super awesome Allie on our last lap. She's super awesome.

Today was my first run in the Nike Frees I got at the Nordstrom sale for only 56.00ish, and I'm not sure if I like them. I'm sure they're a better fit than a half size down, but I felt like my heels were slipping a little bit. So I tightened them, but then they kind of hurt the top of my foot. Maybe it's just that my Launches are so nifty that anything else (the Kinvaras and the Frees) doesn't feel as nice.

On the way home we stopped at Smith's for groceries and soda (they're having a 5-for-14 sale on Coke products, and we both really love Dr. Pepper). And guess what? They have "throwback" (what Pepsi called it) Dr. Pepper! It's made with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, so I'm going to start drinking that instead of water. Just kidding. Through tomorrow you get two free boxes of Cheeze-Its if you buy 5 12-packs, though.

Up to Virginia, up through part of the U campus, then down along 100 S and South Temple. Probably a flat route would have been a better idea; I'm still pretty sore from Saturday. 

I've also noticed that I'm a lot less flexible than I used to be. It must be because of all my new muscles (that still aren't strong enough to power my body up a mountain). I'm thinking about going to a ballet class to try to stretch out.

I felt so completely unmotivated to run today. But I also felt completely unmotivated to do almost anything else I had to do today, so at least it's not that I just didn't want to run. 

Maybe it's a Thursday thing. 

Barefoot with Tigger. 

A little in Park City, a little along Foothill, and a little around home. 

I got to go watch Eric ride his bike up around Coalville and Evanston this morning, so I ran around on the race course a bit (8.6) while I was waiting between feed zones. I felt pretty grungy around the clean and nice-smelling wives at the finish line, but I didn't see them at the 6:00 am start or holding musettes (I just learned that word yesterday) at the feed zones, so whatever. After we got home and took a nap I did 3.2 more at Liberty Park to get 30 for the week.

It was really neat seeing Eric race. I think that seeing each other try hard at things and sometimes do well and sometimes do less well helps us bond or something. Plus I really like his cycling outfits.