Emily's training blog

I have just been running a few days a week for the fun of it. But, my competitive nature is starting to kick in, so I want to train to race again. I'm aiming for SL Half in two weeks. It won't be anything spectacular, but it will give me something to shoot for.

I tried to run outside. I made it a half mile. I couldn't see through the snow/rain mix. I ran on the treadmill instead. 6.75 miles

Moment of reckoning. I got on the track this morning at the Olympic Oval. 2mile warm up followed by 4x200. Workout was 4 x 800/400. 400 meter recovery after the 8's and 1:1 recovery after the 4's. 800's: 2:54, 2:55, 2:53, 2:53. 400's: 84, 83,83,81. It's a start.

9:00 Zumba

Easy neighborhood recovery run. I was really hungry during the entire run. 7:29 average. I am tired of being cold on my runs. I want spring to come. 7:29 average.

Off for Total Body Conditioning class.

Easy recovery run.  I am super sore from lifting class yesterday.  7:41 average.

Laps in Valley Park.   My goals for the week were to hit 40 miles and run every day.  I'm going to surpass my goal tomorrow,  and that makes me very happy!  It will be my first full week  of running  since having  Cali seven months ago.  I'm  glad to  be training again.  I'mean preparing for a big Master's debut in September.   It will be a whole new world of  running for this old lady!  7:22 average.

9 am Zumba 

Long run with a fartlek workout incorporated. 30 minutes easy. 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 minute intervals with 1-1-2-2-3-2-2-1 minute recoveries. Finished with a marathon paced mile. 7:34, 7:06, 7:16, 7:01, 6:41, 6:38, 6:42, 6:34, 6:18, 6:35, 6:31, 6:21. 6:46 average. I like the workout within the longer run. It makes the run go quickly.

Icy roads, so it's  a treadmill morning.  I ran 7.35 miles easy and then did core and push-ups.   I have a sore right hip.  I need to be careful. 

Cruise interval workout.  The goal was to keep the intervals under control and not run all out.  About tempo effort.  I warmed up 16 minutes, and then ran 4 x 5 minutes/3 minutes.  The last one I ran a full mile, and  then cooled down home.  My goal was 6:15-6:20 average for the intervals.  I hit about .8 miles for each, which is 6:15 pace.  I'm trying to learn some control.  They felt pretty good, and my legs don't feel pounded after finishing.

Interval 1:  .79 miles

Recovery: .39 miles

Interval 2: .8 miles

Recovery; .39 miles

Interval 3: .83 miles

Recovery: .39 miles

Interval 4: (full mile)  6:05

Cool down home.  Pace for entire workout 7:08 average.

Zumba class and Treat While You Train, which is a class completely dedicated to rolling out sore muscles.   

Easy recovery run followed by Fitness Blender core workout. My core strength is much improved since I started doing these workouts. Teren and Myles did the workout with me. Fun family time. 7:44 average.

Missed yesterday's  run.  I  had a horrible  night's  sleep.  Getting up before five didn't  happen.  Today I ran a 20 minutes warm up, followed by 15 x 1 minute on/off.  They were all between 5:40 and  5:50 pace.  Cooled down 1.5 miles home.  

Beautiful, sunny spring morning. These are the days it is great to be a runner. 13 miles. 7:07 average. After running I took a Body Pump class. I'm really hoping to see some positive effects of strength work on my running.

So, I missed a day, but ran pretty much the same mileage as last week. I'm ready to push up to 50 miles next week. Taking it up slowly but surely.

Nice early morning run in the pitch black darkness.  Thanks, Daylight Savings.  Such a stupid concept.  They need to get rid of it.    Otherwise, it's nice to have marginally warmer mornings.  7:29 average.

2 mile warm up followed by a progressive tempo. 10 minutes at 6:45 average, 10 minutes at 6:30, 10 minutes at 6:15, and 10 minutes at 6:00. Cooldown ten minutes. 6.3 miles in 40 minutes of running.  

Zumba at 9 and rolling out

Such beautiful  running weather!   It's nice to not be freezing.  A kind fellow runner stopped and warned me about a shady guy walking about a quarter  mile down the road.  I altered my route to avoid a possible  confrontation.   I love that runners look out for each other.  7:36 average.  

Six miles easy in Valley Park.  It was so nice being able to wear shorts and a tshirt.  It was pitch black outside, though.  I hate the dark.  I keep telling myself that in a couple of months it won't be so bad.  7:40 average.  

9 AM:  Total Body Conditioning class.  Gotta keep the strength work going!

One of my children stole my garmin. So,.I just ran with my watch today. I decided to incorporate my speed workout into my long run tomorrow. It was another beautiful morning. I ran two miles longer than I had originally planned. Now to go on a housewide search for my garmin.

Headed to the gym for St. Patrick's Day Zumba.

Easy running  for forty minutes, followed by 3 x 5-3-2 minute intervals with 3-2-1 minute recoveries.  I did two sets unmeasured,but changed up the third set.  On set 3, I  ran a hard mile, recovered 2 minutes, ran 3 minutes hard, recovered to 12 miles (about .2 miles) and then ran the thirteenth mile all out, Finished with  a moderate mile.  Mile 11 was a 6:03, Mile 12 was 6:36, Mile 13 was a 5:40, and the final mile was a 6:36.  (The 5:40 was on a downhill stretch, so not as exciting as it sounds. )  6:55 average.

Follower my run with Body Pump class.

My hips were still sore from Saturday's  long run.  I ran easy on the SLCC extended loop.  Some guy thought it was really  funny to yell at me.  It wasn't.   7:38 average. 

15 minute warm up. 3-2-1mile repeats with half mile recoveries. 3 miles: 6:20 average. 2 miles: 6:10 average. 1 mile: 5:59. 10 minute cool down.

Another "no sleep" night with Baby and sick kids. Didn't make it out yesterday. It was pouring rain this morning. I ran on the treadmill. it was boring.

I'm meeting up with Nan and Sarah Boyden for 800m repeats tomorrow. Running buddies! I'm so excited!

I met Sarah and Nan at Wheeler Farm. We warmed up 2 miles to Cottonwood High for a track workout. We warmed up 4 x 200. The workout was 6 x 800 with 400 recovery. We started at 2:55, but they sped up. 2:55, 2:53, 2:53, 2:50, 2:51, 2:45.

I can't keep up with Nan when she opens up a kick. Running with her will be good for me.

2 mile cooldown.

Thrilled to have running partners!

Met with Nan, Sarah, and Susannah at Murray Park. After a little snafu regarding our meeting place, we ventured out. Sarah wanted six. She got eight due to my great mileage calculating. I hope she doesn't hate me now. Susannah went ten and Nan and I hit fifteen. The second we stopped, it started to rain. Perfect timing. I loved having a group to run with. 7:32 average.

I planned a down week this week. We are vacationing in Moab. I'm not sure how much running I will get in. I started the week with a harder run. I ran an hour progression run. I started at 8.0 mph, and increased .1 every time the song changed on my ipod. I finished at 6:20 pace. To make it more exciting, I also threw in one minute surges every five minutes. The surges started at 6 minute mile pace,and finished at 5:30 pace. I hit nine miles at 60:30. About 6:43 average.

Went to Moab. Lots of hiking. No running. We were up and off to the parks at 7 every morning. The place we stayed was not conducive to early morning runs. So, I got more rest than planned for. Hiking with a baby on my back has to count for some cross training though.

90 minute run, just seeing how far I could get. I hit ten miles in 71 minutes, so I did a fast finish for my last 3. 6:30, 6:15, 6:16 Almost exactly 19 minutes for the last 3. 6:55 average for the whole run. Back on track starting Monday.

It's chilly outside! But, I was enjoying the smell of spring blossoms on my run

I was startled by some ducks waddling on the canal road. Spring is definitely here! 7:28 average.

Total Body Conditioning and Pop Pilates

20 minute warm up. 5 mile tempo run. 6:14 average. Short cooldown.

9 AM: Zumba

Sooo sore this morning. But, after a few easy miles, my tired legs started to perk up, and I started to really enjoy the run. I may have actually burst into song and startled some geese. 7:44 average.

9:00 Zumba. I felt the need to burn off some more crazy.

Kind of sluggish today. I'm hoping to feel a bit more perky tomorrow. I'm targeting 55 miles this week. 7:32 average.

Really windy today. I turned a track day into a fartlek day. 15 minute warm up followed by 5 x 5 minutes hard/3 minutes easy. Paces varied between 5:40 and 6:00. Now to get ready for tomorrow's long run in the rain.

Pouring this morning. I waited until a little later in the morning to run. I bundled up for the cold and rain. I got poured on for six miles and then the sun came out. Then, I roasted for the rest of the run. I ran 13 instead of 15, but that was better than the eight minimum I told myself to finish. I hit 55 miles so yay.

Insomnia night last night, so I slept in and ran on the treadmill. Just a nice slow boring treadmill run.

Part fartlek run, part tempo run. My brain was scattered today. Some days it is hard to focus. 20 minute warm up. (2.65 miles) 2 x 1-2-3-2-1 minutes with 1-1-2-1-1 minute recoveries. I originally planned three sets, but wasn't really feeling the workout. I was over four miles at the end of two sets, so I decided to just finish hard to six miles, with the final mile all out. The paces looked like this: 6:21, 6:28, 6:20, 6:29, 6:13, 5:48. 6:16 average for six miles. I think I need something more structured later this week.

I listened to a great interview with Blake Russell on my run today. Lately, I am particularly motivated by fast Master's runners. I must be showing my age. 7:46 average. I tried to stay nice and easy. I can tell I ran hard yesterday.

I felt extra tired and super sore yesterday. I decided to take an extra rest day. Today, I ran ten easy. I plan to hit it pretty hard for my last long run before racing.

Long run with workout. Forty minutes easy. 10-8-6-4-2-1 minute intervals with 5-4-3-2-1 minute recoveries. Recovered to 14 miles, and finished with a hard mile. 7:31, 7:23, 7:12, 7:14, 7:10, 6:45, 6:31, 6:55, 6:02, 6:33, 6:22, 6:10, 6:29, 6:28, 6:15. Weird all over splits. Rolling hill run. Spent some of my run at Wheeler Farm. Such a beautiful place to run on a gorgeous morning. 6:44 average.

Easy run plus 20 minutes on the elliptical,.chatting up a buddy. Inspired by Boston today. Maybe I should run it one year.

Taking it easy.

20 minute warm up. 4x200. 1600-1200-800-400 workout. 5:48,.4:18,.2:43, 76. Jog home.

No run. I feel a cold coming on. My throat is sore, so playing it safe.

Easy run & strides. Ready for tomorrow

Two mile warm up plus strides. Tried not to go out too hard. Failed miserably. Struggled badly in the second half. 1:23:27. Uneven race, but fairly happy with my time after only eight weeks of training. Good improvement. More to go. Really thinking of TOU full. Short jog to the trax station for cooldown.

Six easy miles trying to work the soreness out of my quads. Darn those downhill races!

Still on recovery.  Five easy and roll out.  I can finally go down stairs front ways not sideways.

Mini workout on the tready.  I slept in this morning.  Progression run with hill repeats.   For the first 30 minutes, I threw in a 3% incline for two minutes, every ten minutes.  I increased pace .1 every song.  After thirty minutes, I did a hill repeat every five minutes instead.   I still increased the pace after every song.  When I finished, I had completed 7 2 minute hills at 3% incline.  At that point I was down to 6:27 pace.  I stopped when I felt like I was starting to work too hard.  I'm still getting over the half marathon.   This week will be relatively easy.  Next week I start a 20 week marathon training program. 

Today starts day 1 of a 20 week marathon training schedule. I'm going to run TOU full as a 40th birthday present to myself. My down week last week turned into a mostly off week with sick kids involved. The timing was actually pretty good for a light (almost transparent) training week.

8.3 miles to start off the week. 7:08 average. Beautiful morning. It's getting lighter!

I decided that I need more hill training in my regimen. I'm a terrible hill runner, and I know there are plenty in TOU.

I ran a 3 mile warm up to the bottom of Bullion hill. This hill is .27 miles. I ran 6 of them. I ran to the bottom to recover. I averaged 1:45 up, and 2 minutes back down on each one. Then, I ran to the steeper but shorter hill up to 1300 W. This hill is .12 miles long. I ran 4 of them. 49-50 seconds up, 1 minute back down. I was definitely not too quick this morning. Hills will take some work. Ran a mile home to finish.

Feeling yesterday's hills.  Nice easy morning run.  It was chilly and my hands were cold.  Fog was rising off the river at sunrise.  It was beautiful  to see.  7:35 average.

Got up to run, but Cali woke up and didn't go back to sleep. So it was a gym day. Warm up followed by 4 x 10 minutes hard/3 minutes easy. 6:12 pace, 6:05 pace, 5:58 pace, 5:55 pace. That treadmill runs a little slow, but the effort seemed right for the workout. Short cooldown. I'm planning on doing my long run tomorrow because Teren is taking the boys camping this weekend.

Tired legs from yesterday, but I am glad I got my longer run in today. I don't have to stress it tomorrow when I don't have many babysitting options.

A very nice gas station employee insisted on cleaning the toilet befow I used it this morning. SO kind.

7:06 average.

When I got home I ran an extra mile with Cole.

Short and EZ.

10 minute warm up. 8 mile tempo 6:21 average. Cooldown to ten.

I was able to run a little later in the morning. It was nice sleeping in until six and running when it's light. I ran a couple miles in the neighborhood and then ran out to Valley Park and around through the neighborhood, then home. Perfect morning. 7:16 average.

Another gorgeous morning run. My hips are sore and tight. More stretching and rolling needed. 7:10 average.

20 minute warm up. 4x200 strides. 1600-800-800-400-400-400-400. 1 lap recoveries between the 1600 and 800's. 90 second recovery between the 400s.

1600: 5:43

800: 2:45

800: 2:45

400s: 80, 80, 82,79.

The headwind on the home stretch was killing me today. I also didn't enjoy running around high schoolers. Overall, kind of a blah day mentally.

Quick jog home. I don't have as much time now that Teren runs in the morning too.

Snowy morning, so treadmill. 20 min. warmup. 2 x 3k 2k 1k at marathon, half marathon, 10k effort with 200 m recovery between intervals. Goal is to work up to 3 sets. 5 minute cool down.

Easy mileage then TBC class.  My stomach was upset this morning.

Really sore from lifting.  I decided to move my faster workout to tomorrow.  Nice easy run listening to The Moth and TED Radio Hour.  I love NPR.  7:08 average.

Late night with sick baby, but I still got my run done. Out 1300 W to 90th S, and then a drop down to the river trail. I tempoed back. First 7 miles, 7:20 average. Next 8 miles, 6:29 average. 7:00, 6;44, 6:32, 6:12, 6:10, 6:08, 6:46 (recovery mile) 6:13 last mile.

60 mile week and 16 mile long run are my goals for next week.

Just time for a shorter run this morning.  I have a crazy week ahead of me.  7:08 average.

I wrote a blog post about why I like to Zumba.

emilys4fs.blogspot.com

I have the writing bug lately.  

Really early morning run. More last week of school craziness. I'm in charge of Field Day today. 20 minute warm up. 3 x 1-2-3-2-1 minutes with 1-1-2-1-1 minute recoveries. 1.3 mile cooldown. 6:53 average.

I wore myself out yesterday. I was dragging today. Too much field day!

Missed yesterday. It happens, but I really need to start building up. Nice ten miler this morning. 7:08 average.

I ran the TOSH Jordan River Half Marathon as a tempo run today. My goal was 6:30 average. I hit it pretty close. I need to learn to focus a lot better in the later miles of a race. My stomach wasn't happy. I had one quick pit stop. I also missed where the course went under a bridge and had to backtrack. Oh well! Good effort, and I got a little money for the morning. I don't feel anywhere close to being ready for a marathon, but efforts like today will help! I think sub-2:50 is a good goal for TOU.

It's great when my husband is off of work and I can run later in the morning. Easy recovery today and probably tomorrow. I feel pretty decent after Saturday's harder effort, but my Achilles is a little sore.

Listened to a podcast that was ranking high school movies. RIP John Hughes!

It is getting really warm in the morning. I was so thirsty when I got home. Valley Park to 3200 W to 2200 W and home. Got yelled at by a dude in a pick up. Why is it always a dude in a pick up? Hate that!

Went to Zumba when I got home.

Jogged with Cole dowmph o the Taylorsville High track. I had him run a mile of hard/easy every 100 meters. He ran a 7:35 mile doing this. I'm impressed with his progress. He's been running every day for the last four weeks. My two older kids are doing rec center track. Then, we ran home. 2.3 miles. Teren had to go to work, so I went to the gym for my workout. I did a ten minute warm up. Then, I ran 10 x 2 minutes on/off, starting at 10 mph and finishing at 11 mph. Cooled down five minutes for 8 miles total.

Ran a couple miles and then stopped to pick up Cole. We ran down to the track and ran an 800 and a 400. Then Cole rode on his bike while I ran three more miles on the river trail. I am glad my kids are starting to get old enough to work out with me.

A little bit of everything workout. I wanted to get some turn over work in since my next three races are 5ks. Warm up with the kids. I planned on 3 x 2 miles of 40/60's. (200 in 40 200 in 60) But, I got bored and switched it up a bit.

Set 1: 40-60's. 13:04 (6:32 average) 400 recovery.

Set 2: 40-55's 12:39 (6:19 average) 400 recovery

Set 3: 1.5 mile progressive tempo. 800 in 6:10 pace, 800 in 6:00 pace, 800 in 5:50 pace. So, 3:05, 3:00, 2:55 goal pace. 9:00 flat.

3:03, 2:58, 2:45 8:48 for 6 laps. 5:56 average.

Cooldown 1.5 miles. I'm determined to hit 60 this week.

Ugh. That was a grind today. Yesterday was tough. I'm happy to get it in. And, after hanging around the 55 mile mark for over a month, I finally hit 60! One more week in that vicinity, and then I will have a down week in Montana. 7:06 average.

Five miles on my own, and 3 ish with Cole biking/running. Took a while to get the blood flowing this morning.

3 mile warm up plus 2 x 200. Turnover workout today. Not very marathon specific.

4 x 400-300-200-100 with 1 minute in between and 400 between sets. Finish with an all-out 800. I wanted to see if I could break 2:40 on an 800.

77-79 on 400s. 57-58 on 300s. 36-37 on 200s and 16-17 on 100s.

2:37 for final 800. I was excited to break 2:40. Hope this helps me avoid sluggish legs and get ready for my upcoming 5ks. I know it's not marathon specific, but it's fun to do short speed occasionally.

Only .75 cooldown. I might try to fit a few miles in tonight.

The family caught Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. Awesome.

Still sick

Feeling better except for a sore throat

I'm not completely recovered from being sick. I struggled the last four miles with dizziness and muscle cramps. I have a twinging right soleus. Probably from the speedwork. I might need to pull back training a bit to dig myself out of my hole.

Early morning easy run. Legs felt good after a thorough rollout on Saturday. Soleus still twinging. No hard running until that stops. 7:15 average.

Suchcrappy two weeks of training with tons of sickness and traveling, and very little sleep. I need to get consistent, so hopefully, no more distractions. Woke up later this morning,so opted for a treadmill run. Last couple miles at marathon race pace. Calf still tweaking.

New shoes made all the difference for my poor Achilles/calf. I could tell the support and stability was much better. More core would be helpful. Decided to run a hard long run today,with the last few miles at marathon effort. I think I was way too fresh. Or my Garmin is off and I need a new one. Whatever. 7:46, 7:07, 7:09, 6;51, 6:57, 7:00, 6:45, 6:46, 6:29, 6:48, 6:14, 6:33, 6:13, 6:01, 6:06, 6:01. 6:40 average. Quick turn over work seems to make a big difference, but also seems to make me push the injury boundary. I need to be careful.

Ohhhhh.  I ran hard on Saturday, and my legs hate me for it!  No workout until Wednesday. 

6 miles, then a short track workout with Cole, and one more miles through the neighborhood.   Legs are a bit better.  Workout tomorrow. 

20 minute warm up. 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 minute fartlek with 1-1-2-2-3-2-2-1-1 minute recoveries. 6:41 average. Soooo hot outside.

I wanted my run to be a bit longer, but I stopped by my house for a quick bathroom break and Cali was awake. Once she saw me, there was no possible way I was getting back out the door. My kids have a track meet tonight, so I may try to fit in a few more miles while we wait through hours of heats of the 100.

Longer pre race shakeout run with a pick up at the end of every mile. Sluggish and tight in the hips this morning. I'm running a 5k at the end of a long run tomorrow. It's time to get serious about this marathon thing. I love Taylorsville Dayzz!!!

I ran the Taylorsville Dayzz 5k as a fast finish to my long run. I got up at the ungodly hour of 4 AM to get as much mileage in as I could before racing. I fit 11 miles in before the race. My goal was marathon effort, but I ultimately wanted to beat my time from two years ago, when I ran in similar fashion . . .a 5k at the end of a long run. I also wanted to embrace the hurt a little more. I tend to slip into comfort zones when I run.

I ran 18:43, which was ten seconds faster than last time I raced this race. 6:01, 5:59, 6:05 for the mile splits. The third mile climbs into the park.

I cooled down two miles. I feel pretty good post race. Murray 5k will be a good test with tougher competition.

Easy early morning run. Not feeling too tired from Saturday. Next race up is Murray 5k. I'm shooting for a sub 18.

I wanted something between a threshold and interval workout. I ended up on the treadmill today. I warmed up 20 minutes and ran 10 x 3 minutes on/2 minutes off. I started at 10 mph and increased .1 on every interval. I ended at 11.1 mph, which is 5:24 pace. The recovery was at 8 mph. I felt really strong on this workout. My fitness has definitely improved, because I couldn't do this workout a month or so ago.

I finished my cooldown by sneaking into the Zumba class for the last 30 minutes.

Tired legs today. I'm trying to load up a bit so I can have a couple of easy days beforw Murray 5k without cutting mileage. I'm planning on running my long run on Friday so I can have an extra day of recovery.

Ran part of my run on the River Trail. The pelicans were out. I love watching the pelicans.

Took it nice and easy this morning. 7:57 average. Ran into some gym friends, and ran a few miles with them. Running buddies make all the difference in the world.

10 miles medium pace followed by 20 x 1 minute on/off. I finished hard to 17, trying to break a six minute mile. I ran 6:02.) Then, I backed off to marathon pace to finish. 6:44 average.

Beautiful recovery run with Becca and Susannah. Murray Park to Wheeler Farmn. I believe in the healing power of running on the dirt at Wheeler Farm. That place is magic and I never get sick of running there! 7:47 average.

65 miles this week! woo hoo!

Easy 45 minutes and strides. Still trying to get my legs back for tomorrow. It's going to be a competitive one!

Three mile warm up and strides. Really hood women's field today. My goal was sub 18, but I really struggled the third mile. I still have work to do. Marathon workouts tend to kill my speed,too. Sub 18 will have to wait for another day.

Nan and I went out together. Hit the mile in 5:48, and then Nan took off. I tried to use the downhill to pick up some time. Hit the second mile in 5:43. My legs felt pretty shot after that. I struggled through mile 3, trying to hold on to second. (6:13. ouch!) It's hard to maintain a fast pace when you're just trying to keep a place. 18:26. Not a bad time for the course, but I have better in me. But, my fitness has really improved over the last couple months. I just need to keep moving in the right direction.

Next year I get to double dip!

3 mile cooldown. I need to get a short run in later if I can muster up yhe energy.

AM: Morning shake out run turned into an hour run. I'm sore in the hips from yesterday. Terrible night's sleep last night. Hopefully, I can take a little nap this afternoon. before I hit that elusive second run. I hate double runs, but it's time to start them.

PM: 4.2 at the gym. Tired legs. I need a good night's sleep tonight.

Mid week mid-long with Becca and Nan. Nan and I discussed our race strategy for TOU. I need a shot of her self confidence. 7:18 average.

Eight hours of sleep makes a big difference. Much better than three. Eight easy miles with 10 x 200 meter hill repeats thrown in. I was going to do a track workout, but Nan talked me into a fast finish long run tomorrow. So, just a little strength work this morning.

There's a reason I start my summer runs at 5. Today I met a group in Draper at 6:30. I needed 18, so I ran three before they got there. We ran twelve, and finished three more at marathon pace. I was running with Nan, so that ended up being 6:05-6:10 miles. On hills. In 85 degree weather. I'm tired. Nan is going to push me to be a lot better. I hope I see the payoff in my next races. One more build week, then taper down for Deseret News.

One more buildup week, and then a nice easy week before Des News. 9 muggy morning miles with Becca. I talked her ear off. Running buddies make me happy. In my perfect world, all of my running friends would live in my neighborhood.

20 minute warm up. 3 x 15 minutes with 3 minute recovery. Cooldown until I hit 12. I felt nice and under control this morning.

You know it's a hot summer when you go run at 7 am and it's 76 degrees out, and you think, "Wow. It's a little chilly this morning!"

Bad driver day. I almost got hit half a block from my house.

Such a fun morning with a big group of running friends. 12 miles flies by when you have people to run with. Ran with Jenny for the first time in forever, and with Allie. I'm pretty sure they need to move back to Utah.

7:33 average

Dragging this morning. I met Becca at Taylorsville High. We ran a 3.5 mile warm up. I'm glad I had someone to meet. Even if it was just for a couple miles. 4 x 200 and then workout. I planned on a 2000,1600,1200,800,400. I started in on the 2000, and after 800 meters decided to switch to an 800 meter workout. 8 x 800 with 400 recovery. So,.the first was 2:55 because I was planning on 2000 meters. I decided to aim for sub 2:50 on the rest, since my goal for TOU is sub 2:50. (Yasso 8's) I ran 2:48, 2:48, 2:48, 2:45,2:47, 2:46, 2:43. I felt really strong,especially considering how I dragged through the warm up. It's the first indication that the marathon training is starting to kick in. I would have been fine for a couple more, but decided to save that for another day. I have my first 20 tomorrow, and I will easily be over 70 miles this week. Cooldown home.

Pretty beat up from yesterday's 8 x 800 workout. I was grateful that Becca was willing to meet me early. It was a grinder, and it helped to have a partner. She only needed fourteen, but that means I only had to do six by myself. My garmin lost the signal at 16.2. It hadn't been measuring for about 11 minutes, so I had to estimate the distance a bit. So, I am not sure what the overall pace was. I'm sure I hit 20. It was long and hard and that's all that matters.

Back off week! Yay! I'm ready for a rest week. I'm fighting a head cold, so it might be lighter than I planned. Rest is the goal.

Today was a little bit of everything. 3 miles solo, 2 with Cole, and finished by myself. 8 x 20 second strides. I'm excited for Deseret News next week.

Met with Becca for a tempo type workout. I warmed up 2.75 and then we ran 2 x 10 minutes with 5 minutes recovery in between. I didn't really have a goal pace. I just wanted to get a little turnover in. Becca insisted that she couldn't go faster than 6:20 pace. She can. The first set was 6:11 average. My body loves 6:10-15. It settles right in to that pace. The second set was 5:55 average. So, about marathon effort and ideal half marathon effort (For a downhill marathon :)) If I can run Deseret News at that pace, I should be pretty close to my time from 2013. Cooled down until I hit nine.

Hot, humid, and windy. Not a very enjoyable run. At least it was short. 5 days to go! 7:23 average.

Murray to Wheeler Farm with Becca. Nice soft surface running!

A short fartlek turnover workout. 20 minute warm up. 3 x 3-2-1 minutes with 2-1-1 minute recovery. 6:32 average. Most intervals in the 5:10-5:20 range. Easy 5-6 tomorrow. Shake out on Sunday. Kill it on Monday. I'm feeling pretty good.

It's weird to run short on a Saturday. I wanted to keep going because I felt like I just got warmed up. Save it for Monday! My hips are sore from doing Pilates yesterday. Gotta roll out and recover. I'm ready for race day to get here.

Standing at the starting line of the Half Marathon this morning, I glanced around at my competitors and thought, "Wow. I'm getting old." But, at 39 years old, I've got nothing to lose, so I embraced my Grandma status and raced as hard as I could. Conservative goal,sub 1:20. Medium goal, sub 1:18. Perfect day goal, faster than 1:16:24 (2013 time).

It was close to perfect. I ran 1:16:53. I had to stop for a bit at mile seven to cough up an inhaled shot block. That threw the race off slightly. But, overall, I am happy with my race. I got spanked by the first place girl, but she was much more fit. I'm glad I held on to second. I'm really close to my fitness level of 2013. TOU should be a good day.

Bonus: No blisters, (though I may lose a toenail.) And, I managed a cooldown this year. I think my recovery will go much better than last time I ran. Still not looking forward to stairs tomorrow.

Tried to run. Only made it around the block. Hurt bad. Gave up.

60 minute cycle. Watched the movie Lion.

Tried running again. First mile was a hobble, but it smoothed out. Felt much better by the end. I have one really sore spot in my right quad. Hope it goes away and doesn't develop into anything serious. Light running through the rest of the week. 7:53 average.

Met Becca at Cottonwood High. We ran to Wheeler Farm and ran a couple of loops. Legs are feeling better every day. I was glad to get some nice soft surfaces in. 7:41 average. Mid-long tomorrow. Hopefully the will be mostly back to normal next week.

Jogged down to the JRT to meet Becca. Got busy talking and didn't pay much attention to mileage. When I got home, I had hit 11 miles. My legs were feeling fatigue, so I might have run a little too long. But, the legs are improving. I will probably feel residual achiness for about another week. 7:26 average.

Early run with Becca. I had to get done before Teren left for scout camp. My legs had some sore spots that didn't feel great today. I thought I was recovering pretty well, but maybe not as quickly as I thought. I will stretch and roll out and hopefully feel better tomorrow. 7:27 average.

Fartlek workout in Murray Park with Becca. I wanted something with some hills. 2.3 mile warm up. 3 x 1-2-3-2-1 minutes with 1-1-2-1-1 recovery. Ended with a climb up the "Snake" for an extra good time. My legs are still feeling the race, especially a spot in my right quad that has me a little concerned. I may have to back down from my original training plan. Cooled down to ten.

Midweek Mid-long. 12.5. Down to the JRT and 9 with Becca and home.

Maybe a second run today? Maybe not.

Tried out my new racing shoes. Saucony Fastwitch. I think we have a keeper. Sore spot in my right quad is gone! Thank goodness. Long run tomorrow!

20 miles. 6:57 average. Ran with Nan, Jocelyn and Angie. Tried to knock it down to 6:10's the last few miles, but didn't really have the legs for it. Still a really strong run. Nan is such a beast.

I thought my legs would be completely trashed this morning. I was really depleted after yesterday. But, I bounced back surprisingly well today. I only needed 7 to finish up 70 miles this week. I met Becca at Murray and we ran to Wheeler Farm. She was finishing a 16 miler and needed eight more. I just ran the eight with her and actually felt really strong after a few miles. 7:25 average.

AM: Easy five. Double run day. Three hard weeks of training left! Then it's taper time!

PM: 7 at the gym. I haven't run on a treadmill in weeks. It was excruciatingly boring. But, daycare.

Big marathon benchmark workout.  15 x 1k with 60 seconds recovery.  Goal was 6:00 mile pace, so 3:45.  Becca was running with me.  The pace was a little  tough for her, so we took 2 minutes after every 5.  3:46,3:44.8, 3:43.7, 3:44.1,3:45.7, and then my watch stopped recording splits.  3:42-3:45 for the next five.  3:42-3:44 for the next four.  3:39 on the last one.  Dang.  I wish I had all my splits.  

This workout was a grind it out type workout.  Perfect for marathon  prep.  Last time I ran this workout (2 years ago.) I stopped at 12.  It was great to bust through the mental barrier.  It's  a great confidence booster.   Even more so because we were cheerleader dodging for much of the workout.  

Not much cooldown.   I  needed to get home.  I may attempt a shakeout tonight.

My legs are toast this morning. It took me four miles to break an 8 minute mile. I definitely worked hard yesterday. 7:48 average.

I was supposed to meet three other girls to run, but two of them bailed. It was just Becca and me. We ran to Wheeler Farm. That's starting to be a weekly occurrence. I ran a few miles shorter than I had originally planned. Do, I'm planning a double. 9 miles

20 minute warm up. 20 x 1 minute on/off. They weren't super fast. I still have Tuesday's workout in my legs. But, a little turnover is a good thing. Cooldown home. 21-22 tomorrow.

Running with 24 year olds makes you run a lot harder than I probably should. I met Jocelyn and Angie and a guy named Travis at Murray Park. I had 21. They had 14-16. I did five before they got there at an easy pace. That didn't last long. We were hitting 6:55-7:00 rolling uphill on 4800S and 1300 W. Then we hit the river trail. Jocelyn and Travis were knocking out 6:20-6:30. Angie and I stayed back at 6;45-6;50. Angie was struggling, and decided to pack it in at 12. I threw in a marathon paced tempo after 16. 6:17,6:18, 6:40, 6:30 ( hitting the uphills) 6:10 into Murray Park. I tan 6:56 average for 21. I felt much stronger than last week, but I think back to back sub seven paced runs might be a little much. I think I should probably run more conservatively next week. Though, I'm happy when the last five miles feel good.

AM: 10 easy with Becca. I felt pretty good this morning. Rolling out after Saturday's run made a difference.

PM: 30 minutes easy in the neighborhood in the rain. I felt surprisingly good! 4.3 miles

Darkearly run with Becca. We started a half hour later and it was still pretty dark for the first part of the run. Big tempo workout tomorrow!!!

Early morning tempo workout with Becca. I was so glad to have a partner! We met at Liberty Park at 5:30 this morning. My workout was 5-3-2 miles with five minutes in between. I realized that all these years I have been going off the marked half miles, I had been fudging the workout a bit. You have to stay right on the perimeter for accuracy. So, I went off my Garmin,because I am addicted to it.

5 mile: Goal pace 6:20-30. 6:19, 6:16,6:14,6:24,6:07. 6:16 average.

3 mile: Goal pace 6:10-15. 6:12, 6:08,6:09. 6:10 average.

2 mile: Goal pace 6:00-6:05. 5:55,5:57 5:56 average.

I was toast after the two mile. Quick five minute cooldown.

Good ten miles of intervals. I was wondering if I could run 10-12 straight at 6:15-20. I'm pretty sure I could because I felt really comfortable unless I started dipping below 6:10. 5:55 was NOT comfortable.

I'm doing a marathon paced half marathon next week. That should be a good indicator of how comfortable 6:15-20 is.

AM: Nice easy Wheeler Farm run this morning. I felt much better after yesterday than I thought I would. Double run #2 today! 7.15 miles.

PM: HOT! Afternoon run. 5.25 miles. 7:15 average

Sooo nice to just have a short run today. Hitting it hard tomorrow for 22 long miles!

Long run today. 9.5 with Becca. 12.5 with Jocelyn. No tempo at the end, but lots of good discussions. 7:06 average.

School threw my day off. I was trying to get a run in before Teren ran and we had to head to school. So, I managed 7, with the promise to run in the afternoon. That never happened. So my week is all off already.

My plan was 6 x 1 mile this morning. I jogged over to the track, and then jogged three miles with Becca. When we got back to the track, it was locked. We debated whether we should hop the fence, but decided against it. We ran down to the river trail. At this point I had five miles of warm up. We did two miles with .25 recovery. We were using Becca's garmin,and I couldn't get it to take splits. So, we turned the workout into 5 minutes on, 3 minutes off. We did four sets. (after the two miles we had already done. We were hitting .86-.88 for five minutes. Between 5:45-5:50 pace.

Kind of a mixed up hodge podge of a workout. 2 mile cooldown. 14 total.

For comparison, back when I started training in March, I did 4 x 5 minutes on 3 minutes off. I ran between .79-.83 for the five minute intervals. Total average for the workout was 7:08. Today I ran six, two of them full moles, .86-.88 for the intervals, 6:32 average for 8 miles of workout. My fitness has definitely improved.

Midweek midlong. Long tour of the beautiful Taylorsville neighborhoods with Becca. You know you're a marathoner when 13 feels relatively short. 7:24 average.

AM: I planned on a second run last night, but was feeling pretty pounded, so I decided to play it safe and skip it. I will be short of my goal mileage of 80, but a few miles isn't going to make a lot of difference. At least that's what I tell myself. Morning run. 9.35 miles. 7:21 average.

PM: Treadmill. 5.4 miles.

7 miles plus strides. I feel really flat. I don't think I'm going to have fast legs tomorrow. Hopefully, I will perk up a bit.

The plan was a controlled marathon effort half marathon today. Becca and I warmed up five before the race. We had a lot of time to get a long warm up in. True to small race form, it started about 20 minutes late. My goal was control. I ran with Bill for a few miles before pulling away. He got me excited for TOU, and gave me some good advice . . .mainly to get out of my own head.

I ran alone for much of the race. It's about an 800 foot drop total, but really rolls. I just tried for even effort. The last three miles was on the Draper 5k course. So, mile 11-12 was pretty ugh. It finished in Draper Park. I was reeling in the first place male, but he saw me, and sped up. I finished in 1:20:09.

I cooled down three miles looking for Becca. Apparently, she amd another girl got lost in the race. They missed a turn and ended up somewhere in Draper. They hitchhiked back. Such a bummer for both of them.

My quads are fairly pounded, but started to feel better throughout the run. I was really happy to have running friends this morning. 8 mile out and back with Angie and Becca. 7:28 average.

Quads are still pretty sore. I was going to try a workout tomorrow, but I think I will be waiting for Thursday. Atherton to 700 W to River Trail run with Becca. 7:31 average. Legs warm up pretty well. Downhill still hurts!

Wheeler Farm day with Jenny and Becca and lots of great conversation. Speed workout tomorrow! 7:25 average.

I haven't done any speedwork in a while, so today was a rustbuster turnover workout. I wasn't sure if I would feel very good, because I haven't felt very recovered from the half on Saturday. So, the goal was to ease into it.5-4-3-2-1 lap intervals with 400 m recovery. 90,88,86,84,82 per lap goal pace.

3.75 warm up, including 2x200

2k: Goal: 7:30 Actual:7:20 (Since I felt pretty good, I decided to knock down my goal paces by 2 seconds a lap.

1600: Goal: 5:45 Actual:5:40

1200: Goal: 4:12 Actual:4:11 (This one was closest to goal pace.)

800: Goal: 2:45 Actual: 2:39!

400: Goal:80 Actual:73.4!

I was feeling super spunky today. Becca pushed me to faster times than I have run in YEARS! I didn't even know I could run a sub-5:00 pace anymore!!!

Not entirely relevant for a marathon, but definitely a confidence builder.

1.2 mile cooldown. I'm trying a UJAM class later today! Get my hip hop on!

I didn't sleep well last night. I slept in a little this morning and ran on the treadmill. 8.3 boring miles!

Gorgeous morning run with Jenny and Tee through Holladay. 16 is a lot less than 22! Two weeks! Share all your TOU advice with me!!! 7:07 average.

Nice Labor Day run with Angie! I sure love all my running girls. 7:12 average

Run through Murray with Becca. 7:22 average.

I met Tee super early for a track workout. Trying to move fast before 6:00 am is tough. We warmed up three miles. My workout was 5x 1000 at 3:30 with 400 recovery. Tee wanted six, so I paced her on her last one. I ran 3:30, 3:28, 3:27: 3:29 (got a little too comfortable on this one) 3:22, and 3:33 with Tee. 1.5 mile cooldown.

Easy run listening to my favorite Thursday podcast, Radio Ronin! 7:20 average.

Either my legs are freshening up, or I run faster later in the morning. Probably both. 6.3 later morning miles. 6:51 average. I'm bored with tapering.

Lagoon, hamburgers for dinner, and a major bout of insomnia did not make for the best race ever. But, that's ok. I signed up for this race to run it as a good pre-marathon work out. It served it's purpose. It was a fairly tough course with long gradual uphills. 5:42, 6:00, 5:53, and I don't know what the last little bit was.

Warmed up 4.5 miles. Cooled down back on the course to find my son, who ran 24:58. It was his first time breaking 25. 1.5 mile cooldown.

So, heading out the door, I thought about how perfectly this training cycle has gone; no illness, no injury, and I hit allmy training and race benchmarks. So, of course Karma bit me in the butt. I rolled my ankle today, and strained a muscle up in my hip when I landed. The ankle is fine, but my hip hurts pretty badly. Awesome. 7:07 average.

After babying my leg yesterday, I tested it out. I can run, but I can definitely feel the strain up through my butt. There's no power coming from my right side. Hmmm . . .what to do? I have a few days to heal up. I was planning on taking Thursday off and running 2-3 easy on Friday. I wanted a fartlek workout tomorrow, but that might not be smart.

This may be a much slower marathon than I have trained and hoped for. At least I don't have the pressure of hitting a certain time or place. It is what it is.

Warm up and then 8 x 1 minute on/off and finished with a half mile at marathon pace-ish. (2:57,so sorta fast). Running easy the leg feels better. I can definitely feel the strain/lack of power when I push hard.

I'm not going to run tomorrow, and limit Friday to 15-20 minutes and hope for the best. I can run, and I'm going to race. It just might not be what I had hoped for.

"Right butt-leg" made me laugh! I'm so thankful for Allie!

Made the difficult decision to forego the marathon. My leg hurt, and I couldn't run without favoring it. I took a few days completely off and tried a light run today. Still feels week and I can still feel the strain. It was a good decision not to race.

Better than yesterday, until I got bumped from behind by a dog. Felt the muscle pull slightly again. Aggghh! Leashes, people!

One more week off. Back to it today. Goal was five, but got talking and ended up with almost seven. Leg not 100 percent, but doing much better. I think I can keep steady easy mileage for a week or two.

Solo morning run followed by Zumba. Lateral movement is my best friend right now.

Murray Park to Fort Union loop with Tee and Becca. Sooooo dark. Best my leg has felt! I think I'm on the path to full recovery! Yay!

I was lazy yesterday. But, today I met Becca and managed to get nine miles in. Feeling better every day! Thinking seriously about running Phoenix/Mesa Marathon in February. 7:25 average.

A little longer and a little faster. I could feel the strain a little more, but it's hanging in there. 7:02 average.

Slept in, so treaddy for me. Ugh.

Just Zumba.

Tested out the glute muscle with a light fartlek workout. Ran with Becca. 2 mile warm up. 5-4-3-2-1 minute intervals with 3-2-2-1 minute recovery. 2 mile cooldown.

Still feeling the strain, but the workout was doable.

Rolled out last night. Didn't feel too terrible today. I thought my leg would hurt pretty bad, but it didn't! Progress!

Later morning run. It's nice to run when it is light outside. 3 mile tempo-ish at the end. 6:44 average for entire run.

That felt really long. It's amazing how fast your fitness seems to drop off after cutting back for awhile. Biting wind this morning. Out 1300W to 9000 S. Back on 2200 W. Beautiful morning! Finished with a marathon paced mile (6:12) 7:03 average.

Missed yesterday because of a baby that woke up at four. Today: 2 mile warm up. 10 x 2 minutes on/off. 6:54 average.

Longer run with Becca. Windy morning. I was very happy to have company. 7:25 average.

Missed another day due to no sleep. My kids are waking up a lot at night lately. Gotta get running back together soon.

Today: 15 minute warm up. Tempo workout 20-10-5 minutes with 3 minute recovery. Cooldown for five minutes.

Early morning run with Becca from Murray Park to Liberty Park along 500 E. Drizzly this morning, but a beautiful fall day. 7:20 average.

Easy 8 with Becca along Vineyard Street. 7:21 average

2 mile warm up. Hurdles a homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk. 15 x 200 meters on/off. 39-41. Trying to ease back into speed work. Cooldown  home.

A little longer this morning, because I don't know if I will manage to get any running done while on vacation.

Nope. Didn't run on our trip to Capitol Reef. And didn't run yesterday, because I was doing all the laundry from Capitol Reef. I need to kick the laziness and get going again! 7:18 average.

Treadmill progression run with one minute sprints. Started at 7:30 average, finished at 6:20 average. Pushes started at 6:00 average and finished at 5:30 average. One minute sprint every five minutes. Five minute cooldown.

Pretty sore from yesterday. Took it easy this morning. Got chased by a mean dog.

Ran a beautiful sunrise 8.25 miles along the canal road, and then around Valley Park. When I got home,I took Cole for a 15 minute run We ran 1.75 miles.

Took Zumba at 9.

15 was tough. I'm glad I had Nan and Angie to pull me through. Hip was tight the last 2-3. 7:09 average.

Long night with puking kids, but I got up and got it in. It definitely helped that I was meeting Becca for a run. Here's hoping I don't get sick. 7:24 average.

Gym morning. 15 minute warm up. 4 x 3 minutes at 9.5, 3 minutes at 9.7, 3 minutes at 10.0 mph. The most I have done is seven sets,but I was pretty tired after four today. Gotta build up again. Five minute cooldown.

Every workout I get through before I catch my kids' flu is a victory!

Caught the kids' flu. Yuck. Midmorning run with some pace pushing at the end. Final mile was 6:13. 6:51 average.

10 really windy miles with Becca. Really didn't  feel like running more.

20 minutes warm up. 8 x 2 minutes on/off.  Cooldown  to 8. Lifting after.

Sore legs. Yay weights.  Run from Murray Park with Becca.

Treadmill run. Didn't  want to run in 25 degree weather  quite yet. 3 x 6 pull ups after. I'm a big wimp. 

Late night with the baby. I'm glad I got up and got my workout in. It's time for consistency. I contacted the race director for the Mesa-Phoenix Marathon in February.

Warmed up 15 minutes and then ran 3 x 3-2-1 minutes with 2-1-1 recovery. Mile cooldown. 6:53 average. 7 miles.

9 AM: Total Body Conditioning class. Ouch!

PM: Ran a couple miles pacing the Race Cats kids. I love that my kids are running cross country!

Daybreak run with Caisa and Nan. I love running with friends.

I'm so sore today!

Happy to get a full week of training. Glute was sore by the end of the run. Have to be careful. 7:21 average.

Short 45 minute run and core.

15 minute warm up. 40 minute tempo. 10 minutes each at 6:45, 6:30, 6:15, 6:00. 6.3 miles in 40 minutes. Cooldown 1 mile.

Lifting after. 9.25 AM

PM: Run with the Race Cats team 2 mile warm up. 8 x 1 minute on/off. Kid paces. Nice shake out workout. 3.6

Gorgeous morning run from Murray Park with Becca and Tee. Hip flexor and glute strengthening after 7:29 average.

AM: 8.75 miles with 11 x 1 minute pushes every five minutes.

TBC Class at 9.

PM: 3.75 pacing the Race Cats team.

Longish run in the rain with Becca, Tee, and Nan. Had to cut it a little short when it started to hail.

Short run Saturday! It's great having two solid weeks of training in. I think I'm on the upswing! Next week I will take my mileage over 60. The following will be a bit of a down week. I will be traveling for the USATF National Convention.

Going to go take a Zumba Strong class at 10:30. Should be torturously fun!

Met Becca and Tee at Murray Park for a fartlek workout. We kept it fairly short since none of us have been doing a lot of interval work. 2.7 mile warm up followed by 5-4-3-2-1 minutes with 3-2-2-1 recovery. 2mile cooldown.

Turkey Trot on Thursday! Should be fun!

AM: I woke up for an hour between 2-3. So, I slept in a little bit. 6.5 easy at the gym plus Zumba. Run with the kids tonight.

PM: Race Cats practice. 1 mile warm up. 5 x 1k with the kids. Then, I actually stretched afterward. 4.1 miles.

Easy dark run on the River Trail with Becca having running therapy. 7:33 average.

Thanksgiving tradition. I ran it as a tempo run this year since I'm just easing back into consistent training. I have run with my BIL, Brady the last few years. This year Teren and Cole joined us.

This course is freaking hard. It's very hilly. I forgot how tough it was until about 400 meters in. I started kind of slowly and worked to pick people off throughout the race. My goal was under 19 minutes. I snuck under with an 18:48. I was pleased until I found out that I got smoked by two minutes by Grayson Murphy. (She just placed 8th at the NCAA's.) But, decent effort.

Teren took second. Cole won his age group and ran a two minute pr. His cross country training is paying off.We all won a Costco pumpkin pie . . .sooooo much pie.

4mile cooldown with Bill Cobler.

Early morning Black Friday recovery run with Tee. 7:27 average. I don't do Black Friday shopping.

Yay! First time I have felt good on a longer run in awhile. I'm happy with the last few weeks of building. I'm happy to hit 60 this week. I'm headed in the right direction.

15 miles with Tee and Becca out 500 E to Liberty Park and back.7:10 average.

Just a short 45 minute run this morning.

AM: I went to get my garmin off of its charger, only to find it hadn't charged. I was pretty sure it wouldn't last through my workout. I was right. I only made it through one set of intervals and died at 3.75 miles. I ran a couple more miles for around six.

Went to the gym for Zumba.

PM: Workout with the Race Cats. Warmed up one mile. 10 x 300 with 100 walk recovery. My group was around 63-65 seconds. They did a great job. They like to sprint. 1 mile cooldown for four miles tonight. Going to.attempt my fartlek workout again tomorrow morning. Hopefully, I won't be sore at all from kid sprints.

River trail in Columbus with Mel Lemon. My down week is much more down than I planned! 7:32 average

Back on track today. Treadmill tempo. 1.5 mile warm up. 5 x 3 minutes alternating 9.5, 9.7, 10.0 mph. 7.3 miles in 45 minutes. Cooldown to 10.

AM: 6.6 easy neighborhood miles

PM: 2 mile warm up with Race Cats. 5 x 400 meter repeats 75-79, short jog cooldown for 3.5 miles

Murray Park out 4800 s to my house and back. 7:25 average.Glad I had Tee and Becca to help get through those face numbing miles. Midweek midlong is back!

20 minute warm up. 20 x 1 minute on/off. Cooldown back to my house. Becca for company!

Total Body Conditioning class with Becca. Teren asked if Becca and I were dating. No. We're just in a running buddy relationship!

A short 40 minute treadmill run and then.Zumba. I'm sore today!

Had some nervous energy to burn while waiting to hear how Cole did at Junior Olympic Cross Country this morning. 6:53 average.

1.5 mile warm up. 8 mile progression tempo, starting at 9.0 mph, and bumping up .1 every five minutes

The last two miles I increased my pace more frequently and ended at 10.4 mph.

Five minute cooldown.

Gross soupy air.

80 minute jaunt. I had a bloody nose this morning. I hate dry, cold winter air.

I have been fighting a head cold all week, and haven't been feeling too great while running. I don't know whether to push through, or back off. Just one of those little annoyances.

Ran 10 x 2 minutes on/off with Tee. I felt better as we ran, but definitely not my best workout.

Sooooooo sick!

Little less sick. Not 100 percent. 

Feeling better. I still need to catch up on rest. I don't know what I was thinking, wanting to run a winter marathon. This is my worst buildup ever!  It has been tough.  Oh well. I will do the best I can these last 10 weeks and run it for fun and good fitness heading into the spring.  6:54 average.

15 minute warm up. 10 x 3 minutes on 2 minutes off. 10 minute cooldown. Good hard workout!

Morning run with Becca. Sore legs!

Zumba!

Midweek midlonger than last week! Stuffing in a little extra before the storm.

AM: Hour run. Cole told me he would babysit if I wanted to run later . . .for five bucks. We'll see . . .

FREEZING! But, we made it. No pick ups, just a solid long run. First 20 in a while. So glad I had Becca, or I would have stopped at five. 7:17 average.

Slept in and went on a nice easy run with Cole. I'm glad my kids can be my running partners. 8:28 average

I love running on Christmas. It's so nice to get out by myself in the quiet and reflect on the year and other things. Always a present to myself.

Merry Christmas running friends! 7:17 average.

2.2 mile warm up. 4 x 10 minutes with 3 minute jog recovery. Cooldown 10 minutes.

Zumba! I was tired.

Met Nan, Jenny, and Angie at Murray Park. Ran to Wheeler Farm. I wanted 12, but at 10.5 I got hit by a car making a turn and not looking both ways. It was minor, but I banged my elbow pretty hard, and felt really nauseous. So, I hobbled back to my van. Cole wants to go for a run later this afternoon, so I might throw in a second run.

Broke my elbow. Hopefully not out too long. I think I'm cursed.

Still nothing. Kind of scared about impact.

Well, at least I got the long run in. Kind of felt crappy, but my elbow didn't hurt. 7:15 average.