Believe to Achieve

This was an EARLY STARTER for only a 16 miler.  Drove up to Nunn's Park in Provo Canyon with Kim at 445am.  Met Melanie and JulieE and began running at 5:17am.  Went on the Highway UP or rolling hills UP for 8 and turned around about 1/2 mile past the Deer Creek Dam.  The others ran longer, Kim 20, Mel 21.  I ran completely alone with my oldies music, Meat Loaf and Carly Simon, just rockin' out : D.  Left foot ailing QUITE BADLY and thought if Only I had another right leg.  It is always feeling so good.  Then my left hip started to get involved.  This is partly to blame on my run down the AF canyon yesterday.  It is pretty uneven on the sides of the road and steep in places.  So this run was supposed to be easy, and it was, actually, except for the painful foot I had to overcome with my mind.  Almost caught the threesome at mile 6.75  water stop even with a potty break.  My first mile is always so slow but it was quite uphill, so they pulled away from me right from the start.  This was not an easy course and vehicles, including eighteen wheelers were blowin' by me.  Even turning around didn't help, some climbs on the way back WITH a headwind.  Dang.  AP for 16 miles = 8:02.  Splits: 9:43, 8:02, 8:06, 8:03, 8:06, 8:08, 7:40, 8:34 (big climb passing over the dam), turn around- 7:35 (really feeling the foot now on this downhill), 8:02, 8:01, 7:41,  8:00, 7:50, 7:45, 7:19.  Done, or so I thought.  Ran back up to Bridal Veil falls 1/2 mile.  Soaked for ONLY THREE MINUTES because it was ICY cold and totally intolerable.  Got my shoes back on and ran another 1 1/2 miles on frozen legs.  Took a bit to unthaw, seriously.  Wowsers!!  Turned around just as I caught up to Josse's mom and said "hi" and it was time to turn back to see if the gals had returned.  I got back to the car and they arrived a few minutes later I could see them up on the freeway, Melanie trying to catch Kim in her last mile.  Her running 21 and Kim 20.  We soaked again in a little milder temp river right by the cars, it was a nice blocked off portion. Self-made with rocks.  Still pretty cold.  I am still hungry even after eating three bowls of cereal.  Total miles= 18.  AP for last two miles nice and freezy= 8:49.