Believe to Achieve

Flight booked for Boston with Troy and my three girls.  We are leaving Tuesday April 10th and coming back on Tuesday April 17th.  We are actually flying into Manchester, New Hampshire, my father's birthplace.   Cheaper and hey we don't have to deal with the excitement of Logan Airport in Boston.  : D.  I grew up in New Hampshire.  I was born right outside of Boston in Attleboro Massachusetts.   Thankfully we just joined Southwest Airlines and earned two free flights and got the other three for a great price considering.  So we got five flights to for 167 dollars each!!  btw I am getting a cold and it is a bummer.  It is even going into my nerves as all viruses seem to.  My left leg from the hip to my foot is acting up more than usual.  Don't think I will be running speed today, just an easy 8, if that. 

300pm.  Finally dragged myself out for an easy (but not so easy, I was feeling achy from this head cold coming on) pace 8 miler.  First mile 9:21.   Then apparently progressive run to about a 7:55 - 8:00 pace for the last five miles.  My sinuses made my brain all fuzzy so this was not a fun run.  Just a detox run.  NO overdoing it all.  AP for 8 = 8:17.

forrest gump moment. 

for some reason my MIND is LISTENING to the strong signals it is sending about taking a few days off.  I am having a flare of some sort along with a head cold (that really isn't too terrible) but my left leg is in a lot of pain from my hip to my foot.   I think it is the virus in my nerves and will pass but I don't want to worsen it by running as more pain would not be good right now.  So for the first time in a long time....two days in a row off from working out.  Shocker.    My sinuses are quite plugged up so  I can't smell food well....maybe that is why I am in a slump....food doesn't taste so good right now.  I even can skip meals without realizing it til hours later.  No appetite.  BUT I plan on DRAGGING MY LAZY tushy to Riverton in the morning!!!!

I woke up suddenly at 330am (crud only 5 hours!!) after drifting to sleep some time after 1015pm when I was struggling due to sinus congestion to fall asleep.  After that, for the life of me  I could not fall back to sleep.   I had gotten up to get a drink of water and felt too alert so  I looked on my mail to see if my cousin from Massacusetts wrote me back.  And she did.  Well that got me wired up and excited to see them.  They have several places lined up for me to stay-- Condo in NH, house right outside of Hopkinton (Boston Marathon start) etc....And then I just could not fall asleep.  It was ridiculous.  I wasn't really thinking about my 18 miler because I knew I could run slow and be in GREAT company.  So by the time I left my door at 7am I felt a bit fatigued wishing I could skip the run.  But luckily I had called Rachelle last night to have her join me in my car.  We met at Target in AF.  There was no bailing.   We got up there and there were over 25 runners there I think.  Kind of like we were starting the race that day.  We lined up at the Riverton Half and then just trotted (some of us "sprinted")off to run the course.  Quite the hilly one.  No wind today however so that was a bonus.  But it was 23 degrees, but felt like 17 due to humidity.  My fingers were numb they were so frozen.  Not fun.  My legs were quite stiff the first 4 miles and then due to wearing my Altras on my first long run my hamstrings and lower back kept me honest at a good for me long run pace.  I decided against running the last four fast because I am sick and because my back/hamstrings would be injured if I did.  I never felt winded and kept it real easy.  Aerobically I felt terrific.  My brain is still fuzzy.  This sinus issue is a drag.  I did suck on one Halls cough drop to see if that helped.  Not much.  Took one Gu at mile 10.  No water til 13.1 miles.  Waited around for about 10 minutes before we started the last 5 miles of our run.  I got to run with Kelli finally. She stayed back on the first 13 to help a newcomer out.  Kelli and I need to train together.  I think we could get each other where we want to be.  We are the same pace taking it easy and speeding up so I think that it would be wise.  I am writing this to make Kelli WANT to train with me :D.    I think toning it down in long runs and and easy runs will help me overall to reach that subthree.  Took a long hot shower.  My feet bottoms were pale white for a while there.  I am very much in need of a nap today because of my very short sleep cycle last night.  Hoping taking it easy today pays off.     AP for 18.06 miles = 8:12.  Ran first 13.1 at 8:07 with Rachelle  so the last five were nice and relaxing with Kelli.  The long break made me feel less into it the last five but I still felt fine.

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!   18 MILER GROUP RUN starting at  my house (PM me for my address).  Start time 7:30am??????    I plan on having whole wheat waffles and syrup, bananas, chocolate milk, orange juice, oranges, fat free milk, almonds, and scrambled eggs if anyone wants.  If you want you can bring donuts to share but I typically don't eat them.  Sorry.      Here's hoping for no impending snow storms that make a mess of the streets.  This is a five cities run.  We will run from Pleasant Grove to American Fork, then Highland, Alpine, Cedar Hills then back to Pleasant Grove.   We may lightly dust Lehi. So maybe six cities.  :D.    THESE towns/streets ARE NOT USED to large group runs so JAKE wear your orange!!!!! 

First of all,  have a good laugh--- this is the gift my husband tells me he is giving me for my birthday tomorrow, hilarious---  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eJhAR5tQg0

My workout:  Okay first I will inform the maniacal person I am to run this with very sore lower back.  I finally got my hamstrings to calm down just before heading out the door this morning.  But my left lower back to my left hamstring in the middle really was quite mad during this run.  So what did I do???? I ignored it.  

Warmup 2.5 miles (feeling depressed and nonrunner like):  1/2 mile times at  8:57, 8:41, 8:27, 8:13, 8:00.  All at 2%.  Then 3 x 2 miles at tempo interval pace with 1/2 mile at recovery jog of 8:27 pace.  All at 0.5% incline.  So  6:27 x 2 miles, 1/2 mile at 8:27, 6:27 x 2 miles  (picked it up the last "corner" to 6:18), then 1/2 mile at 8:27 pace, then 6:27 x 3/4 mile, 6:22 x 1/4 mile, 6:27 x 3/4 mile, 6:00 to 6:22 x 1/4 mile.  1/2 mile cooldown at 8:13 AP.  Leg and back were quite tight but the pace was great, very doable.  I ran this faster than three weeks ago!!! Yippee.  I think I ran the pace at 6:35. 

Followed up with a visit to my FAVORITE chiropracter.  He spent over 30 minutes with me with TENS and heating pad and stretches as well as manipulation.  He said my left hip was WAY OUT and he could tell just by looking at how I stood.  Hence why my left leg was in a lot of pain.  The therapy was so very nice.  He even has relaxing music playing. 

What a birthday surprise--- hot flashes and a very tight hamstring/buttock!!  :D.  Yes I awoke in the middle of night (midnight to be exact) dripping wet like I had gone running out in a sauna.  I am serious.  Well that was the first clue I was turning 43 today.  Then, the darn hamstring/buttock pain and tightness!!! Gee whiz, this is new.  I mean for it to contine on and on like this and actually feel worse today!!!  Rolled it and rolled it, mind you it was a killer.  But runners have a thing for pain so I kept doing it.  It felt so much better after rolling it.  Ahhh.  So I went to the gym for 8 recovery miles on the TM at 1%.  It took control to keep it slow like this but I behaved myself for the most part until I got to the last half mile of the 7 th mile and saw that the TM would shut off at 60 minutes and so I upped it to 7:30 pace to get the 7 miles in just under 60 minutes (59:51).  I ran the last mile at 7:56 AP.  I started at 8:27 pace and went up 0.1 mph every 1/10th of mile for the last mile.  That is when knew my hamstring was talking.  He said stop.  Lucky for him I was stopping.  : D.    

Hamstring and left sciatic nerve a pretty bad problem right now.  No way should I run on it.  Worked all day but was so busy I had to ignore the pain as I handed out pain meds all shift.  But worse than this pain was the fact that our furnace gave out.... it was making funny noises and then this morning it felt chilly and the thermostat read 57degrees when it read that it was trying to be at 62 (what we automatically set at for the night).  The vents were blowing cold air.....915 dollars later....and the REMOVAL of the TWO hamsters we have lost in the past 2 years (one two years ago and one last April), having made a nest in our furnace but ended up dying there from lack of food and water.  YUP they made a nest and fell through into the furnace which clogged our furnace which led to our motor dying which led to a thorough cleaning of coils, a new motor and a new switch.  YUP we joined the "year club" to get our air conditoning cleaned/checked in the spring.  Last summer, the kids and I (not husband who does not have a good smeller) could smell "dead" rodent/hamster smell when we turned on our AC.  It went away after about a week so we thought, some other rodent scurried off with our dead hamster.   Who knows when they died but the damage was done when they pulled out lots of insulation to make a nest and it ended up suffocating our heating system.  Totally not impressed and extremely irritated.  We save 915 dollars on our flights to Boston.....little did I know it was to be turned around for an expensive little pet expense.   Dead pet expense.  Seriously still quite upset.  I can't rationalize this one away very well.  I try to get ahead and I can't.  I will have to work forever.  I am not destitute by any means but I am the type of person that will end up sacrificing even the smallest of pleasures just to make penance for such a large expenditure.   Maybe I could get some uplifting advice from fellow bloggers?  please share misery stories.  They help me the most.   : D.  I would like company you know.  I know  I sound dramatic but really...915 dollars??????    At least  I am not freezing to death.  My husband was at home in 55 degree temps indoors all day.  Trust me it is cold when you are used to indoor temps of 67 degrees.  He had to examine the dead hamster remains as the technician thought they might be mice.  But nope, Troy said  "looks like Holly (the name of our last hamster).  Her fur markings were all there.  Decayed bones.  What fun.  I did shed a brief tear.  I did like our hamster but that 9.99 dollar Petsmart pet sure cost us 1000 percent!!!  okay done complaining.  Can't run so it makes it all the worse. 

Pulled my mizuno precision 11s from the DI pile and wore those today.  Worried pureflows caused the IT band problem which then pulled out my hip then tugged on my hamstring.  Altras hurting my 43 year old lower back several hours after a run (not while running).  Where is my perfect shoe????    And then a MIRACLE.  I was on Facebook and saw Kelli post the new shoes she just bought which happen to be my favorite shoe Mizuno Precision, but they are the precision  12s which aren't my favorite.  They caused my PF just before SGM.  They were missing something in the soles that the other models had.  I was worried the new color they just came out with, also the version 12 would be made the same way. THE GOOD NEWS:    I had Kelli do the flexibility test on them and they DO NOT collapse upon themselves.  Alleluyah!!  I can go back to my favorite shoe without having to buy the UGLY orange model (the 11s) that I already ran to the ground last summer!!!   But my happiness is delayed with the mortification of my HUGE expenditure yesterday.  I mean come on let's get real  915 dollars can buy some really nice running gear-- not to mention 9 pairs of shoes!!!  As penance I thought of sacrificing myself by running barefoot for a year.  That's right-- no shoe buying for a year.  That saves 600 dollars right there.  But you know what I think, perhaps I will finally just take my kids out of piano for 9 months from April to December.  That will save me OVER 1000 dollars right there.  Three girls in piano is costly.  They give me a hard time anyway.  Why should I suffer????  I loved piano and played and played and played. Teaching myself through summers.  I only had lessons for a year.    I know this sounds brutal to my kids but honestly I think a break from constantly bugging them to practice would do me a world of good.    My oldest actually practices often on her own.  My youngest needs me to help her when she gets a new song. My middle daughter would love NOT to play.  Hey it was THEIR HAMSTERS that they LET LOOSE twice--- not closing the lid correctly and once leaving it wide open!!!  12 miles today 1 percent incline, started with miles at 8:27, 8:13, 8:00, 7:53, 7:47, 7:41, 7:35, 7:30, 7:24 x 2.  7:19 x 2 miles. Some pickups to no faster than 7:03.  AP last 8.5 miles =  7:29. 

Started out on lead legs for some reason.  I wore my very old/many miles  running shoes on the TM yesterday so that probably fatigued out my legs a bit.  But honestly my legs have been hurting a lot lately.  Lots of nerve pains in my hamstrings and quite a bit in my feet.  I felt like Andrea described about painful feet that you would expect at the end of a marathon feeling.  At least I wore my Brooks Pureflow that feel very cushiony.  Hoping to do another check with this shoe as the cause for my sudden flare of IT band issues last week.  I could feel both IT bands just very slightly trying to act up in the run but nothing currently nor nothing when I ran the last four miles fast.  I haven't run my 18 miler with four fast at the end since before Painters Half.  I didn't feel as good during the four fast as I have in the last two times I ran this loop but I managed to stay on goal.   I told God I didn't want to fail today so please help me out.  I took a gu at mile 9 (kept running) then stopped at mile 12 at the eternal water fountain.  It was running without much pressure so I tried as hard as I could to get some liquid in me.  One mile later (13) I started my 4 fast miles.  Again I run 13 to 17th mile fast as the 18th mile has a nice downhill portion.  I don't want to cheat.  : D.   Today was not easy to stay at the goal pace of under 7mm but I did it and I am happy the effort was there!!  Those splits were 6:50 (would have been faster but the streetlight was red so I had to turn left when I needed to go straight and kept looking over my shoulder to see if I could cross yet), 6:42, 6:45, and 6:43.   AP= 6:45.    Took a long hot shower and got my personal masseuse to roll out all my muscles.  AP for the 18 miles = 7:52. 

8 lonely cold miles at 435am before work.  Recovery jog pace -- AP 8:21.  First mile 9:03.  Legs tired.   Worked all day.  Long day. 

Arrived 15 minutes earlier than I usually do at the rec.  Which is a problem because NO tms available.  I ran four on the track.  6.5 laps for a mile in the third lane.  I tend to run faster on a track.  I didn't have a watch but I remember the stop and start time on their digital clock and just guessed at how long it took to retie my  untied shoes and take a swig of water right at mile two.  AP probably about a 7:45 pace or less.    Yay a TM opened up.  Ran 8 miles  on  the TM  AP 7:41/ 2% incline.  8:00, 8:00, 7:47, 7:47, 7:41, 7:41, 7:35, 7:24.  Legs lead.  My cousin Jessica is visiting this week.   Makes it hard to want to do SW tomorrow  morning with the speedstars at the indoor track at 5:30am.  4 x 1600 supposedly.  BTW  Don't forget group run starting at my house this Saturday at 730am sharp-ish.  I will have breakfast at the finish line.  There is an eternal water fountain at mile 12 in Alpine.  This is an 18 miler but I think some may add on and do my usual 20 miler extension further into Alpine.  The courses are posted under "course tool" under "Group 18 or 20 miler".  I will probably get water/gatorade at mile 8.5 (Jane's house) other than that I would suggest bringing water if you need it.   In the Summer there are several places with water but not now except the eternal fountain.  The bathroom there has been open as well  :D.   Sometimes this route varies in intensity.  It is hilly but last five finally give you some downhill!!  Oh I could have made some wicked last five mile course but many of you might have cursed my name :D.  And I didn't want to get anyone lost.   Breakfast closes at 1030am!!  JUST KIDDING!!  : D.   

First let me I do not even feel like I worked out today.  Not even an incling that I ran speed today.  No soreness no tiredness.  This was my 530am morning: To the BYU indoor track.  Haven't run there since the early 90s.  Met JulieE, Josse, Melody, Desiree and Emily.  Plan was 4 x 1600 (5 laps) with two lap recovery.  Didn't go as planned.  First of all I warmed almost 1.5 miles before I saw the others.  Then I ran 1.5 miles with them.  Roughly 3 to 3.5 miles warmup. I started losing count of the laps.  I stopped to get a drink while they kept running their warmup and when they came around again apparently it was time to start the 1600s.  I pretty much had no warning and my watch wasn't even cleared and I was facing the wrong direction.  It was kind of one of those nightmare race starts you can think of.  Glad it wasn't a race!!  I turned around and Melody, JulieE, Desiree, Emily and Josse were already 1/4 of a track ahead of me when I got ready to go.  I don't like to start speed unprepared.  I didn't even stretch.  I felt out of it.  Finished first mile in 6:14 (probably faster, I started my watch more towards the stairs and stopped it at the line. I kept forgetting that part on the first two miles).  It was hard to gauge myself with five laps instead of 4 laps mentally.  I was slowing and speeding up a lot.  The second mile was pretty funny as again as I almost neared them on the two lap recovery they started before me and then suddenly  (after the others passed the ROTCs, but not me) the coach of the ROTCs told them to get on the track RIGHT when I was about to pass by.  They realized I was coming after a few moved to the side and they would tell one another to move over but it was quite distracting wondering if any of them would move.  This mile was 6:22.  The third mile was even funnier.  A rather old guy was on the inside lane. Oh well.  I stayed up with Desiree (mainly because I finally started with someone from the group.  I tried to pass her but then some others got in the way and I was yelling track but nothing came of that so I just stayed behind her.  About three laps in I was mentally beat from OVERSTIMULATION on the track, not to mention the carpets that were just cleaned and quite perfumy at every lap.  They had the fans blowing the lovely air into our track.  The fifth lap  I tried hard not to give up.  I wasted time weaving into the second lane to pass Desiree and thinking about having one more repeat to run.  This mile was a 6:22.  I was in the mindset we were running another one but to my surprise "waiting while running behind them after our two lap jog...noone started running fast....okay maybe we are resting three laps??? Nope.  Okay..."hey aren't we running four??"   I should have just run the last one.  I always do the worst on the third one because I know I have one left to conserve for.  Instead I ran three miles of cooldown.  Let me say I probably WON'T be doing SW indoors again-- too crowded and overheated and smelly.  I do like that the track tilts on the curves however.  I need the four lap track.  It is a mental thing.   I really wish I ran better.  Next time.  There are few things that slowed me both on and off the track today.  Won't dwell on them (one being I should have worn my altras on the soft turf).  Should improve next time.  :D.  

PM:   To the rec center with my family.    Felt fat as we ate Kneaders French Toast (homecooked) just 30 minutes before running.  Bones creaked the first two miles so started at 9:31 pace for about 1/4 of a mile.  Ran four miles (AP 8:49) then rowed for about 7 minutes then ran another mile at 8:43 pace.  Five miles.  I was just starting to feel good, like I was a runner again.  I am SO   DONE WITH EATING JUNK!!!  It makes me sooooo moody!!!!   DONE I SAY!!!   

oh man this was mentally tough for me.  I was in some spiraling "I don't think I can run another step" mode in the first 1/4 mile.  My brain felt down and depressed.  It was weird.  I wasn't breathing hard I was like lacking vitamin D or something to my brain/body.  I thought I was going to stop and call my husband from the nearest phone and call it a day but magically at mile 3 I started to feel myself again.  I ran the last 6 miles of Allie's 22 miler and was going to turn around and run back but decided to check out the new UNDER the highway trail tunnel (coming out of AF canyon and on to the trail then crossing under the road that passes by Lone Peak high school.  It is finally finished!!)  Yay this is where the AF half will go now instead of risking our lives trying to cross the four lane road!!  (I guess they did have a police man there last year.  Don't need him now).   Well the trail under the bridge lead to my usual trail behind lone peak so  I followed the AF half marathon course to nearly the finish and ran home from there (about two more miles).   I wanted 12 miles and funny for the first time in a long time my course was right on what I wanted :D.  No longer, no shorter.   This was a recovery jog.  The last three miles I was famished and very thirsty.  When I got home I quickly drank some juice and ate a turkey sandwich with cheese and lettuce and red onion.  Well that was mistake.  I have been nauseated ever since almost to the point of puking.  I had to lie down and I actually fell asleep for about 20 minutes.   I also didn't realize how hard I worked with the rowing machine yesterday.  It felt so darn easy while I was doing it.   I slightly sore up top.  AP, I stuck within my recovery range for once-- 8:32 for 12 miles.  First mile 9:30  : D.    Got a few flakes of snow on me.  Probably from the mountains but it finally felt somewhat winter-ish!!

So very tired but couldn't sleep anyway and I also commited myself to meet up with Jane and Kim for five miles at 5 am before rushing over to work.  Of course my first three miles starting at 433am were nice and easy (first mile 9:09) and with Kim and Jane I felt so anemic....like my legs were lead and breathing harder than I would like.  Pace 8:00 for all 8.16.  Worked at AFH then pulled halfway thru shift to NICU at UVRMC.  Busy day.  Activity Days right after work at 7pm.  Go. Go. Go....this lead to me to skip tomorrow's run.

Zero.  So very tired.  Again worked AFH mom/baby then pulled to NICU.  Legs and eyes so very tired.   Got to get it in gear....TOMORROW  THE BIG RUNNING BLOG 20 MILER (was an 18 miler).  Troy and I have been cooking up some pancakes.  Got to go buy some more bananans and oranges.  Kind of ate a few the last few days.  Can't wait to see everyone.  Planning on spray painting arrows tonight with Troy.  EVERYONE please run on the LEFT side of all roads (except in one area by the Alpine circle coming south where the shoulder is too narrow...stay on the right briefly then move over.  I am drawing all arrows on the left side of the road :D).  Water will be about 8.5 mile mark (Jane's house in Highland)  and 16.5 mile mark (bathrooms by golf course just north of Lone Peak High School).  The fountain at Mile 12 should be flowing.  Bathrooms available there.  Hope you all enjoy the run!!  There are so many awesome routes I could have chosen but this is the easiest to cut down on possible confusion!!.  See you at 730am SHARP-ish!!! 

FRB run starting at my house.  Fun seeing such a large group of great runners starting out from my house at 730am.  (should have warned the neighbors).   First of all the start was colder than I thought it would be.  Sun hadn't risen above the mountains yet.  The lead pack started out at a 730pace making it down to the 5s for the end of the run.  Jake ran 25 miles in like 2:39, he said!! YIKES.  We pretty much could not see them after mile 4.5.  I stayed in a "chase" pack that included Allie, Andrea, Rachelle, Kelli, Chad and Kam.  We ran a pretty decent pace.  Felt great the first 14 miles then the last climb and the brief steep downhill really made my PF ANGRY.  I pretty much ran on my toes on my right foot for the remainder of the run.  Dang.  I am not sure why this is happening. Plan to get my iron level checked this week and to get a second steroid shot as this pain is not conducive to a good time at Boston.  I was still able to push the pace a little at the end but nothing too drastic.   Slowest mile was the first one in 8:06.  The fastest mile was a 7:14 when  I ran to catch back up to Allie and Andrea after I stopped for water for about 45 seconds at mile 8+.  Stopped at the eternal fountain in Alpine for about 3 minutes then ran the back side of Healey drive that leads to the steep downhill.  After the nice climb we didn't feel like pushing that lovely 0.5 mile downhill but it was still a 7:17 mile, the same as the last mile.  BTW this is MY FIRST 20 miler since the St. George Marathon.  I hadn't run longer than 18 miles.  If my hamstrings/lower back and PF would clear I would be ready to go.  I am going to try some hamstring light weights that Allie suggested and get that shot for my foot.  Other than that not sure what to do??  Hopefully  I can get an IV iron transfusion and be miraculously cured like I was the fall 2010.  AP for 20.22 miles =  7:42!!   That is faster than my 18 milers that I have been running and which didn't include the last climb.   I run my 18 miler slow until 13 miles then 4 fast and my fastest AP has been 7:44.   Group energy is so wonderful!!   I honestly don't feel any different then my 18 milers.   Glad I didn't go for the fast four today.  Foot wouldn't have like that .   At the finish we had breakfast and chatted in my house.  It was fun hanging with the gang.  Thanks everyone for coming out here and running with me!!  (or at least the route I picked out SPEEDIES)

Marathon cleaning and workout day!!  I just can't stop when I get on a roll!!  Yesterday I decided I needed to involve my kids in some Spring cleaning.  Sorry FRBs that my house was not clean for you when you visited.  I mean the cleaning was deep cleaning--- baseboards, light fixtures, appliances, drawers cleaned out and vaccumed, floor washed, windows washed.  YUP the whole enchilada.  Even the walls and anywhere else dust can harbor.  We only did the main floor.  Next week or so we will do the top floor.  The basement only needs to be vaccumed since it is fairly new, two years).  Troy put it in himself :D.  Anyway....I started early by getting myself over the rec center in PG onto the TM.  Jason (an ol' ragnar teammate) showed and made my warm up not so boring.  I ran 3 miles at 8:41 to 8:57 pace (all at 1% even the SW).  Got off the mill and pottied and stretched briefly.  Ran 1/2 mile more and went right into my Lactate threshold run--  1 mile by 10k pace (6:22) and then 2 miles at MP (supposed to be 7:04-7:07 but thought that would be way too easy so ran 1 @ 6:53 and 1 @ 6:49.  Despite the OBVIOUS shaking TM (Jason even commented) it felt really good.  I thought I could possibly run three sets.  But I got the notion to switch TMs so I wouldn't have to have deal with the shaking and for some reason not shaking was much harder.  I still had it 1% and that 6:22 mile was killing me.   I ran 1/2 mile recovery in between sets at 8:27 but that didn't seem to help.  I hung on knowing I would be slowing soon.  But when  I got to the second mile and got to decrease the pace to 6:53 that just didn't seem like enough.  I seriously felt like this mill was on a different pace or incline then the other.  I could tell there was an incline and it felt way too noticeable.  I eventually decreased the incline to 0 for a lap then back up to 0.5 percent.  I even had to put the pace back to 7:03 for two laps then to 6:58 for two then 6:53 for one and 6:49 for the final lap.  I should have just stayed at true MP.  Lactate threshold was NOT good for my heart.  My legs felt great but it was my HR that was soaring!!!  It reminded me of what happened to me at SGM right after climbing Veyo.  My HR just could not come down until about mile 24!!!  I have noticed that after workouts lately that my heart is doing the SVT thing again that I used to get through pregnancy and post partum.   It was still up an hour later!!!!    I think I might be eating something that is stimulating my HR.  Not sure what it is.  But it was my diet that cured me from this problem before.  I am also up 5 pounds from two years ago.   And I am faster now, so that is funny!!    I ran the exact same amount of time for both sets-- 1/2 mile warmup, 1 x 1600, 2 x 3200, 1/4 mile recovery (3.75 miles in 26:25).....second TM  1/4 mile recovery, 1 x1600, 2 x 3200, 1/2 mile cooldown (3.75 miles in 26:25).  Ran another 1.5 miles easy at about 8:27 AP, 1 % incline.  Went home and got the girls moving to help me clean as I wrote about above.  Went visiting teaching and was visit taught from 11 to 12pm.  Got back and my husband had helped the girls finish up the windows and clean the floor.  I cleaned for 1.5 hours more, the walls and light fixtures and other odds and ends--- the mother's white glove test, you know.  Just ate two pieces of lasagna I made last night.   Still hungry.   BTW-  foot was killing me during the warmup but it worked itself out by the end.  My foot began to act up when  I started running in my Brooks Pureflow.  Will I ever find the perfect shoe?? I wore my Altras today.  They always feel great on the TM.  There is a new model coming out with more cushion called the Provisioness-- gonna half to try it out!! 

Up late last night and then had to work at UVRMC NICU-- 25 minute drive so had to wake 25 minutes earlier to run and that just wasn't going  to happen with turning off lights after 11pm.  Long shift.  Then managed to drag myself to the gym at 7pm for 8 very slow miles at 1% incline-- 8:57 x 2, 8:49, 8:41 x 2, 8:34 x 1, 8:27 x 2.  Didn't have music with me.  Forgot it when  I brought my clothes to work with me.  The rec is on the way home.  Was quite overstimulated.  I am NOT an evening runner AT ALL.  It doesn't even feel normal.  Legs feel lard like and my stomach does not like the jarring after eating all day.  But it felt better than most of my evening runs so that was a plus.  It is nights like this that I miss my morning run that DRIVES me to get out of my bed in the morning early.  Now that feels normal!!  AP-- 8:37 for 8 miles. 

Look at my pathetic hours of sleep, last night and the night before.  And working two 13 hour shifts in a row and running 16 miles within an 8 hour period-- 7 pm  to 8am Tuesday and 420am Wednesday.    Not sleeping well.  But surprisingly my easy run turned progressive and my legs felt much fresher.  Started with an opening 8:52 mile that I thought for sure was a 9:45 pace.  Kept my pace in hide mode but would look at my mile splits as my garmin beeped.  Mile 5 was 7:35.  Ooops.  Toned it down and until the finish when  I did 5 x 0.1 mile strides at about 6:15 pace (I think by the effort).  Ran 0.1 miles in between.  Felt nice out there this morning.  Almost spring like.  I am trying to remember that I used to run fast.  And I used to run injury free.  Hope to be there again.  Stupid heel!!  But IT DID NOT HURT IN MY RUN TODAY.  I am babying it.  No walking around barefoot.   Altras only for speedwork.  And no long runs with my pureflows.   I am on a quest for the perfect running shoe to train in tomorrow.  I am going to try on pair after pair after pair then make a decision.  AP for an easy run = 7:56.  So glad it felt easy today.

Totally had an anxiety attack---  could not fall to sleep for the life of me.  I would drift then wake back up.  Toss and Turn all night.  It was very anxiety producing.  Something hormonal this way comes!!  I have been depressed lately.  Not from anything particular.  I want to feel good, I want to feel "happy" but I am like "blah".  It feels chemical and not situational.   Like if even I tried to be upbeat my body and mind are not listening.   I haven't felt this way (and I am not at that intensity yet thank goodness) since having my last baby, who is now 9 years old.  I went through severe post partum depression.  Enough to NEVER wind up pregnant again.  It scared me a great deal.  Not good.  It lasted over a year and half.  Wow.  That was a nightmare.  My poor baby!!   But she was part to blame.  I went back to work fulltime after 12 weeks and she WOULD NOT TAKE A BOTTLE!!!  NOPE, she would starve herself all day (13 hours, sometimes Troy out of desperation and if I had time, would bring Amber into me so I could feed her).  Basically she would make up for lost nursing time by eating all night which led to chronic sleep deprivation which led to the depression.  So here I am all sleep deprived again.   But my brain just won't relax.  I have some work decisions to make and some financial things to work out and obviously it is making me stressed by showing up in me physically in my runs and sleeping.   YOGA MOMENT please!!  I clean when I am stressed.  Hence the marathon cleaning day last Monday.   I think I will try to take a nap because three nights of 4-5 hours of sleep, running and working 26 hours in two days is not helping.  I did manage to get my butt out the door and got to the rec center by 6am and ran 12 miles.  I ran a ridiculous routine of 1 min on/ 1 min offs x a few.  Pace quick and rest pace at 6.7 mph.  Incline for warmup and cooldown at 1%.  Incline for SW 0.5 percent.   I had to change treadmills after I did several.  I should have changed after the first one but I wanted to get off the mill on an even number.  The TM I was on first, shook even more than the one I had on Monday.  It was as if  I was trail running.  Seriously.  The second TM was a little better but still shook.  I ran my "on" paces exactly one minute.  My "off" minutes were really only 40 to 45 seconds.  I would start upping the pace 10 seconds before the minute and make sure that as soon as it got up to pace  I stayed there for 60 seconds.  It would take 8 seconds to get back to the easy pace.  My legs didn't quite like going fast.  My muscles were pretty tight.  And for the warmup my HEEL and partly my achilles was quite painful.  It went away after the second warmup mile.  Thankful for endorphins because the pain is back and it hurts to step on my heel.   Did some planking and pushups when I got home.  Nothing big-- following the pushup program again, taking the baby step approach-- 6,6,4,7,7.  60 second rest in between.   I could start in the last column which is harder but  I don't have the desire to.   I am going to go slow to NOT freak my body out.  Enough already :D.   Don't worry FRB I will turn this around somehow!!  :D

After yesterdays second SW of the week running a number of on/offs at a brisk pace my legs were not feeling the love today.  So plan was to run 20 miles VERY slowly (pretty much a RECOVERY RUN for 20 miles if there should be such a thing).  Turtle speed if  I wanted.  I thought about doing a five mile route 4 times so  I could stop and get fuel but somehow I managed to "run" away from that thought.  I ran a pretty tough hilly 20 miler starting out on 1100 north to Canyon road  and on up 600 west to the Farm Rd.  Even though I was running slow I was parched.  No water.  I hoped there would be a water left from our 20 miler last Saturday (no such luck).  My quads were sore from yesterday.  And  I know I was dehydrated and under fueled yesterday for this run as Troy was staining our banister for the basement and it made me psycho all day from the smell.     Headache and dizzy and moody.   I barely ate anything.  The smell in my kitchen (where he was staining) made me lose my appetite.  I would try to eat something and think it had metal in it or was moldy and would throw it out.  I felt like I was eating the stain.  During my run I could feel my lack of hydration but I am pretty strong and didn't need to stop until mile 12 (which ironically fell at the Eternal Fountain in Alpine, but I was running in the opposite direction).  I ran up Farm Rd to the top (steep grade) and on up the hills to the mouth of AF canyon and on to the trail to our water stop last week which was mile 16 then but mile 8 now.  Okay....so here's the thing....I was really going to stick to the easy/RECOVERY part-- never go under a 8:30 pace but it naturally occured and more so when a woman (I say woman because I am sure she was as old as I) passed me and nodded.  I didn't want to be competitive but  I was running rather slow.  Well I certainly couldn't let her think I was out running some 5 miler slowly....so I kept up behind and funny as it was she was running the same direction into Alpine and up those hills (close to Healey Dr.).  I chose to avoid Healey Hills since I was overdoing it anyway but took the next road north which headed East over to the same road Healey connects with.  It was very scenic.  I ran the exact course of our miles 12-14 in reverse.  It is funny how you notice different things in reverse.  On 300 north in Alpine I looked south at an intersection there and saw this AMAZING INCLINE OF A HILL!!!  Holy Flip  I said to myself... I was going to come back to it on RESTED legs I told myself.  And FRB is thankful  I did NOT put that on our 20 miler.  It was like Heartbreak hill x 4!!!!  I got to the eternal water thankful for my first STOP in the run.   I tried hard to suck water from the dripping fountain-- where is the pressure??? oh the pipe is leaking.     Oh well.  I got maybe 4 ounces.  It was like sipping through a tiny straw.  I then headed south and took the circle veering to the right and headed down Alpine Highway but adding on through a neighborhood there.  I was getting really hungry.  LOW AND BEHOLD MY WATER I left at mile 4  at  last week 20miler was still at the stop sign.  I am sure no one picks up garbage there so it was safe to assume it could be there and it was!!! I gulped and gulped.  There was a guy running and had stopped at that exact corner to rest.  I told him--- with exuberance how happy I was my water from last week was still there!!  Oh the joys of long runs alone!!  I never pushed the pace except very briefly when that woman passed me.  She disappeared up another hillside that would add too much on my run.  No way was I heading UP again.   I never spoke to her but she kept looking over her shoulder at me.  Probably in surprise since she flew by me initially.  Oh at mile 3 I saw my neighbors walking up the hill I was running.  Sorry.  They do however know I am an insane runner.   In fact I asked if the water was working at the park they were turning into and she said "probably not but you probably need some for your insane 20 miles".   She didn't know  I was running 20 today but she KNOWS me all too well.  AP a nice recovery/slow pace of 8:21.  First mile 9:02.  Last mile 8:06.  Only two miles in the high 7s do to that woman!! Do you know how hard it is to ice yourself in your shower??? Brr.......!!  BTW my foot and ankle killed the first two miles of this run.   I almost turned for home the first 1/4 mile of my run thinking  I wouldn't be able to make it.  It hurt all day yesterday.  Will I take time off??  When my ankle falls off. 

Got to bed late.  Watched "The Help" with my daughter Courtney (2.5 hours long).  And due to my ANKLE/HEEL pain it wasn't worth it to get up and TORCHER it some more.  It is slowing me down in my training, mentally and physically.  I don't know what to think of it.  Injuries suck.  I am still in denial that I am injured that I continue to run on (hence my 20 miler on Friday).  I keep thinking I will run it in to submission or something.  I had a little bit of a limp all day at work so that was discouraging.  Stress fracture?????  pretty painful but I am tough.  I can take a lot of pain. 

Okay so I have been reading Dean Karnazes book "RUN!!".  It is quite entertaining.  He is such a nut and I love it!!  In fact  I read it and think  "I can so DO THAT RUN!!"  Not the ones he does in the cold but the 100 milers right here in Utah.  I am all over it!! JUST DO IT!!! 

Wore my Mizuno precision 11s from over a year ago on the TM for 12 miles--  I really think the injury is shoe related.  Brooks Pureflow are rather "smooshy" and they turn my foot inward at the ankle and heel.  I was great when  I ran all the 70 mile weeks in December in my year old well over 700 miles mizunos.  They have been sold out since the first month.  I got two of the second color (orange, I am sporting them on my blog picture at the Bryce 1/2 marathon) last April and May.   I was never injured in all four of those pairs.  Then mizuno changed the flexibility of the precision with their japanese flower model (the precision 12s) and progressively my inner foot could not take too much flexibility and I got injured with PF just before SGM.  I am bummed the pretty light blue pair are no where to be found on line (they were just too cute).  The orange are available a lot of places (not so cute, but hey I MATCH JAKE : D).  I just bought a pair.  I burnt my other two to the ground wearing them completely out last summer with all my running lunacy. 

Anyway ran 12 miles with the abdominal flu-like symptoms-- nausea, and cramping and you know what.  I felt weak but I just kept it up and started to feel better around mile 6.  My ankle and heel was RATHER EXCRUCIATINGLY painful the first mile.  I almost thought I would have to truly stop and take a week off....and then I started running on my forefoot and suddenly the pain went away!!  The mizunos then naturally took over since they have more of a lift (12mm) then the Brooks Pureflow (4mm drop) and the altras which are zero drop.  Life was better.  I could see the light in my injury ending with a change in shoes.  I will still wear my altras as I don't think they are the problem.  The Brooks are just too narrow and for a 4mm drop they sure put in quite the arch support insert.  DO NOT like the feel of it.  I have crushed it flat with all my miles in them but still I can feel it torquing my foot.  I am going to stay away from them for a while.  AP today 7:47 for 12 progressive miles at 1 %-- 8:27, 8:20, 8:13, 8:06, 8:00, 7:53, 7:47, 7:41, 7:41, 7:35, 7:24-7:30, 6:50 for the last mile. BTW Boston Goal time--- 3:10 to 3:15.  Not planning on overdoing it unless some miracle happens.

Came home and did some pushups, WEEK 1.  And some upper body weights like I used to do back in November. I have been slacking.  Planks x 60/45/45.  Still feel week and flu-like.  Should pass.  May be skiing today with the kids at Brighton since we have free passes. 

Good laugh at the end...stay tuned :D.  Long day so far......started waking early (6:40am ) to get Courtney up for Piano at 7am.  Drove her to piano and read in the car (freezing to death, certainly not going to idle a car for 30 minutes).   I am almost done reading Dean Karnazes book  "Run!!!"    I definitely have an Ultramarathon mind.  I can totally see where he is coming from and hope to fulfill my goal of running the 50k Antelope Island, 50 miler Squaw Peak, and the Wasatch 100 next year.  It's GOT to happen.  Okay so later after getting my other two girls off to school by 915am Troy and I headed to the rec.   No available TM (that's why I like to go at 5:30am right when they open so I don't have to wait for one, I charge in and grab one).   I ran two miles around the track passing everyone several times in two miles and pace wasn't even that fast, it felt very easy and so the pace revealed, 8:37 first mile, 8:13 second mile.  (6.5 laps is a miles).  Troy reserved a "nonshaking" TM for me.  Well, it shakes a little but not like the other EARTHQUAKE TMs.  Got on TM at 1 % incline and ran two miles at 8:20 warmup pace.  Got off and pottied and stretched.  Ran another  0.5 miles at 8:20 pace, I think, and went right in to my planned SW of 5 x 1200m (well, actually 0.75 miles) at 5k pace.  Now the pace I have for 5k is based off Mcmillan's calculator for a 1:28 half marathon (6:07).  Well,  I have NEVER run a 5k at that pace so I slowed it down from that to a 6:11 pace for all five sets.  Needless to say I have never run a 5k at that pace either.  I haven't raced a 5k for three years!! I ran 0.5 mile recovery at 8:57 pace  (exact same time as the SW interval : D).    I ran the SW at 0 incline and the recovery at mostly 1%.    I have to say that I felt completely out of shape today but I think that my flu-like symptoms yesterday that lasted until this morning's run had something to do with it.  I felt lightheaded and achy.    This was all topped off with MARATHON grocery shopping at Walmart (double coupon day) and when I say marathon  I mean marathon.  I was all sweaty just wearing my sports bra under my jacket to get rid of the sweat off off me and my shorts (Troy went home while I was running 12 TM miles and showered then came back to pick me up and head right to Walmart).  I was freezing to death after the first hour and asked Troy for a break to go home and shower. I left him for 45 minutes.  I came back and he was still shopping.  I told him we better hop in line or we wouldn't make a Subthree hour marathon time with the cashier taking all our price matching and double coupons.  We were almost done when I looked down at my watch and saw that it was 15 seconds to a sub3 hour shopping marathon  (lots of marathon jokes being said between my husband and I,  the teller was a young lad, quite amused).  Well I told him to speed it up or I wouldn't be under three hours but that we could go for my B standard of 3:05 and that would be okay.  He said "yah I am going for the 3:05!!.  Yup he was done tallying up our groceries and he crossed the finish line at 3:04:50!!".   I am such a numbers person.  I can't believe I timed us shopping.  I didn't ever think it would take that long.  It was the first time we ever took that long!!!!! 

Old mizuno precision faithfuls today.  This was a marathon workout.  Something Kelli does everyday.  This will probably only happen once in a blue moon--- although I felt quite well today.  This was the first morning I awoke in the last four to five weeks without very stiff calves.   I have stopped running in my Brooks Pureflow so I am thinking that I was right about the shoes for me. 

530am  TM  (was going to go easy and then well I got the notion to run "hills" on the TM)

2%  4 mile warmup:  8:34, 8:20, 8:06, 7:53.

Then  kept it at 7:53 pace for this:

1/2 mile 2.5%

1/2 mile 3%

1/2 mile 3.5%

1/2 mile 4 %

1/2 mile 4.5 %

1/2 mile 5 %

1/2 mile 5 %

1/2 mile 4.5 %

1/2 mile 4 %

1/2 mile 3.5 %

1 mile cooldown:  8:06 at 2 % incline.

I was going to ladder all the way back down but I was getting dizzy and lightheaded and quite hungry so I gave myself a break (which I don't do very often) and just drove home to eat some breakfast.

Next, I did weights at home in my basement-- chest, back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps.  Finished with Day two week one pushups.  I am starting out slow again and building up so the ones I have to do right now are pretty doable for me.  It is always when I get to week 5 that I quit.  Feeling stronger however.

Finally, I went to the gym with my husband at 9:20am and ran a mile around the track easy (8:34).  Went to spin class  for the first time since November.  If anyone ever goes with me I am pretty much like Jane Fonda and scream out with enthusiasm quite often.  "MAKE IT BURN"  was Jane's motto and I uphold that one :D.  Finished the 50 minute spin class (it is 55 minutes but I was running during the warmup.  Oh well.   For my cooldown I ran another mile on the track.  My legs didn't feel weird at all from the transition.  If I weren't scared of falling off a bike I would be so into Triathlons.  I am a pretty fast swimmer.  It is how I am built.  Last mile easy 8:22 pace.  Total 12 miles today.   I sure hope I can wake up tomorrow morning before work and run in the bitter cold with as much energy as I had today.