Believe to Achieve

Ooops.  This was unplanned.  Just felt like doing this work out again.  Was going to go to spin but not in mood. 

2 mile WU at 8:10 AP (started at 8:27).  1% incline

Water, stretch briefly.

1/2 mile WU 8:06 AP.  1 %.

Right into:

1 min 6:00 pace, 1 min 8:00 pace (0 percent)

2 min 6:15 pace, 2 min 8:00 pace

3:15min 6:31 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

4:30 min 6:40 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

6 min 6:49 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

6 min 6:49 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

4:30 min 6:40 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

3:15 min 6:31 pace, 2:15 min 8:00 pace

2 min 6:15 pace, 1:30 min 8:00 pace

1:15 @ 5:46 to 6:00,  3min @ 7:53 to 8:00 pace, 1 % incline.  (60:15 for 8.5 miles = 7:05AP, not including 2 mile warm up).  Besides forcing ankle into submission this all felt easy.  Not a moment where I didn't think I could not finish this.  6 minute intervals were the easiest :D.    Really like this workout.  Last time I ran this was about three weeks ago.  That time I needed the longer break I was giving myself.  This time 2:30 minutes on every interval but the shorter ones was perfect.  I didn't feel tired starting next interval, like last time.  Must be all the spinning :D.

Okay so I worked all day yesterday and got some advice on my ankle....cause it wasn't really changing...ICE bath, HOT water BATH.  Repeat several times.  I did just that last night and miraculously could walk normally on my heal.  But I awoke to the TIGHTEST HIPS AND THIGHS I have ever had.  SO bad that I thought I should cancel on Rachelle.  But I have been through worse so I thought  I would tough it out and make her run slower.  Her plan was to run the last four fast.  My plan:  survival.  First outdoor run since the New Year's Half with Rachel-- and that cold was IMPRINTED largely in my brain.  It was 5 degrees when we left but sure beat the negative 6 degrees of the New Year's Half.  The sun came up about an hour into our run and it was Heavenly.  I didn't have my watch in VIEW mode so my plan was to see where we were at when we got to the eternal WATER fountain in Alpine.  We got there at 8:12 AP for 9.2 miles.  I honestly thought I was at a 8:30 to 8:45 pace.  So that's good.  My legs were like a dead man's.  NO joke.  I have never even felt that tight in a marathon.  It was a bad dream--- no ankle pain but this intense tightness in my legs!!!!!  I could barely turn my legs over and Rachelle  I am quite certain was tired of hearing my whining about them.  We ran into Mel, Melody, Kim and Julie coming downhill around mile 4 of our run.  We didn't stop.  They were hopping.  We were going up at a leisurely pace.  At the water fountain we ran into several runners from the Blog-- Walter, Scott, and several others.  We left there and headed to mile 10 where Rachelle was to start her four miles fast. I, on the other hand, was not in that mode and decided that I should be wise for once with my body.  When Rachelle took off I got worried that she would get lost as she had expressed this concern...so I hung back and followed at a pace close enough to verbally tell her which direction to go.  I didn't start my watch/lap button and I don't have my garmin tell me my splits anymore (haven't worn my garmin in over three weeks) but after the first mile I was about 20 seconds behind her.  When she got to where I knew mile four of the fast was she kept going....I thought she was going to stop so I slowed there and hung a left and Rachelle was nowhere to be found.  I turned the next right to look down the last hill to my house and there Rachelle was speedily heading towards my house.  I was trying to yell her to slow and wait but she was in a zone.  I decided she must have added on a last tempo mile.  Which ended up exactly what she was doing.  I was back to my nice 8:12 pace.  When I started the tempo my AP was 8:13 for 10 miles. When I finished my tempo my pace was 7:50.   So this puts my four miles at about 6:45 to 6:54 pace. Not bad for running with MUMMY legs and not pushing myself.  Jogged back to my house with Rachelle the last 0.3 miles.  Rachelle had a Raynaud's attack and dizzy spell from her lightning speed  :D.  All is well. Orange juice is a miracle food :D.  Hmmmm....15.2 miles after 3 weeks off of much running at all, except for yesterday's speed work of 10.5 miles.  How quickly I forget :D.  Lips and tongue are going through a weird experience....tingling and burning especially after long workouts. Melanie suggested it might be a iron, vitamin B, zinc or low thyroid issue.  I don't take zinc so I am going to get that and see....and for once and for all stop with  all the chocolate. I only lasted three days!!!  STARTING again, MARK MY WORDS!!

6am run before first day skiing with family this season.  too cold in January.  Okay...TM random run.  needed to take it easy so had to vary something so as to not go fast out of boredom.  Lots of random tightness areas all over in legs.  very ridiculous.  did some hillwork, easy hillwork.  1 to 4 percent.  In this fashion...1, 3, 4, 2 and repeat at 1/2 mile intervals.  Ended up climbing 800 feet in 6.5 miles.  The first 2 miles I forgot to check and got off tm to reset it so I wouldn't try to get 8 miles in 60 minutes in or something crazy.  If I reset the tm I can go slower. ap 7:55 for 8.52 miles.  first mile 8:27.  froze to death at sundance.  could never warm up. family toasty.  it hit me to the core.  i got home shivering and even after a hot shower.  i called into work. felt immense fatigue. slept from 8pm til 615am.  that felt good. 

random very tight right hamstring.  i m falling apart. got to rec ctr to run 8 easy. first mile 8:27...2% avg (1 and 2).....second mile 810ap.  i was at 4% for 1/2 of this mile.  then got notion to break 60 minutes for 8 miles...crap ran slow the first two miles.  so went right to 7:30 pace @ 1.5%. eventually hitting random paces at mile five from 7:19 to 7:24.   flip...not gonna make the cut off..so with two mile to go i ran a 7:03 then 6:50. made it. 700 feet elevation gain , 7:30 avg pace, 8 miles, 1.5 percent for all but one mile at 3 to 4 percent. finished with upper body weights. feeling weak from yesterday of 7 hours of skiing.  chills turned to bout of gi dostress. thankfully rachelle told me about ihop and i stocked up on some carbs.

worked all day.  most likely walked 20 miles.  seriously busy.  patients upstairs and down.  ate a krispy kreme chocolate frosted donut for a late breakfast out of time constraints.  student nurses brought them : D.  legs dead by end of shift. 

tried to meet up with kim for bday run.  she was supposed to look out for me in case I decided to come.  somehow i missed her.  i was FROZEN!!!  my phone said 24 degrees so I thought for sure I was losing it.  then realized phone hadn't updated temp from last night (found that out two hours later).  IT WAS NINE degrees and 100 percent humidity.  FLIP.  It was core piercing.  since kim wasn't around I slowly trudged over to the rec center to do my 6mm on the indoor track as stiff muscles not conducive to running fast in this ol' body.  44 YEARS OLD today!! YIKES.  got there and thawed out putting hot water on my arms.  I only had a single long sleeve thin layer on and my pink pacer short sleeve.  BRRRRrrrr!!  Tried warming up STIFFLY on the track.  After 5.2 miles (just course tooled it, didn't wear my garmin), outside the track felt "squishy".  No wonder my bones are getting soft.  ran a mile warm up in 8:20. told a few gals I was running a 6mm and I was off in lane 3.  well come to find out lane three is inaccurate for distance so when I thought I ran way off I was actually one second over :D.  Glad I figured that discrepancy out.  6:01.   lots of swerving in 6.5 laps, same people in same lanes at different points along my route.  not easy.  too many turns--26 to be exact.  My throat was burning and I actually almost cried from the pain.  I had to have Troy come get me at 7am before he could get the kids up.  My birthday consisted of several FB greetings and a few phone calls : D.  Lunch at Costa Vida, chocolate chip pumpkin cookies from my neighbor (yum, I ate six!!), a soccer game (troy went to the other one), got lost in Riverton/Jordan for 20 minutes.  Made it in time as Rugby still was going on under the "bubble" field and they locked the soccer teams out-- too dangerous in there!!  so getting lost was no big deal as everyone was squished in one small but very nice waiting area.  Both teams.  Then it was Panda Express for starving children (didn't get to choose out of "I'm too hungry mode" of my kids).  But COLD STONE was awesome. We as a family had been off ice cream for FOUR weeks.  YUM, double YUM!!  Watched  Disney's CARS in bed before drifting off to sleep.  Oh yah 44:31 for the 5.2 miles of near death freezation!!

new mizunos from my birthday.  precisions.  sweet pink :D.  tried them out with rachelle in Orem from Maceys into Provo Canyon.  4 miles out and back.  30 mile per hour wind gust out of canyon (our predicition).  We jogged nice and easy.  AP up 8:10.  AP back 7:24.  overall= 7:47 for 8.05 miles.  Thanks Rachelle, YOU cutie!! :DDDDDDD         4pm.....with courtney  :)  at rec ctr.  ran 4 on track.. 7:58 ap with first mile at 9:15  paced courtney in fortb lane when she ran third lane. an old guy was very impressed and tried to pace off me. He told me that i was the fastest runner he has seen on this track for as long as i was going. i had fun helping him pit. upper body weights, brief abs and wall sits with acute couple asking me about running caise they saw me on the track. it all felt easy and was so it was funny that they thought i was fast. movies with my girls...life of pi.

mizunos. lovin them. ice and crunch layer of snow. no speed today. jist an easy run at 5am before work. first mile 10!!!!!!!  ap 9:10. did not want to biff and since i havent run outside much this winter i didnt feel confident. just a couple near misses. no falls.

Long work-filled weekend.  Babies.  Gotta love em!! :D.  Worked in admit nursery yesterday. Sweet times :D.  Okay,  not sleeping well after five hours. Wake suddenly at 3 am.  Twittle thumbs.  Then finally get tired by the time it is time for me to go work out go figure.  For some reason (must be all the chinese food my mother in law made for our Chinese New Year Party) I had a continuous flight to the potty this morning,  FOUR timeS!  Tmi but just sayin'.  I then began to feel achy.  And blah. CRAP.  cause I went to bed thinking of doing a tempo run on the TM since I am the 1:30 pacer for the Moab 1/2 marathon.  I am such an over achiever.  If there is a flag in my hands I HAVE TO DO IT!! D: 

Warmed up:  2.5 miles...started at 8:27 pace. Ended with 1/2 mile at 8:00.  1%.  Kept running no stopping the TM after warmup today. I stretched just before starting, briefly.

1/2 mile at 6:53.....hmmmm maybe I should just keep it here...so nice and easy why push it????

Just do it already.  So.. next miles were:  6:44, 6:40, 6:35, 6:31 (wanted to try and go to 6:27 but breathing getting erratic....dehydration...no water but a few sips after getting up.  I never prepare for these tm runs, I had a large amount of dried on salt saliva on the roof of my mouth. totally parched).   Is this enough then??? I felt wimpy but to complete the 5.5 miles I wanted I put the pace back to 6:53 for 1/2 mile.....ahhhhh that's more like it...then 1/4 mile at 6:49, 1/4 at 6:18 to 6:44.  AP 6:37 for 5.5 miles based off time it took to run it-- 36:22.  STOPPED TM and got a drink....now that's more like it.  I think next tempo I will bring along some water.  Maybe even a gu.  I will be doing 7 next time.  YIKES.   Then, 9, then 11.  Or maybe that is too much??????  Once a week though since I am an old lady.  At 11 I would probably do....6:49x 3 , 6:44 x 3, 6:40 x 3, 6:35 x 2.  Ick.     Oh yah,ran a 2 mile cooldown in 16:25.  1 %.  Speedwork done at 0 percent.  Wimpy I know but it will have to do.  I could use a "cola".  Ha ha. 

Went NIGHT skiing with my family at Brighton last night.  95 dollars for five adults and a large pizza.   Family fun night--- except we nearly froze to death...more me than anyone else.  TO THE CORE....after five runs it was two hours and 6pm.  We went in for pizza and thaw out and  I never could.  The kids all went back out and Amber came back in after one more run with frozen fingers--- her gloves were wet when she went out and they immediately iced over outside (it was NEGATIVE 4 degrees when we left by our car temp, and the resort said they would close the mountain at zero...but they never did!!!).  Sitting in the lodge was barely tolerable...I had to put my hands under the warm water sink and push the heat on the hand dryer several times to feel a bit more comfortable.  Well....the bad news is....Troy tried to keep up with my 12 year old daughter and crashed, catching his ski on a rut...twisted it really good and has been moaning and groaning but still saying "I'm fine" since it happened. It is obviously swollen in two places.  He hurt himself two years ago. He is new at skiing...only had gone twice before I met him and we didn't ever go until our oldest was 7 years old.  I on the other hand have been a skier since I was little and this is the first time I have gotten this cold in a long time (apart from last week at sundance during the day, I was gettting sick).  So I did what any normal insane runner would do....I WENT RUNNING IN 7 degrees temps this morning!! YUP at 6:30am I was out there.  I had slept in to 615am and didn't have time for a rec trip to run the tm cause of a Neonatal Rescusitation class for four hours starting at 9am.  So I headed outdoors with a very keen reminder of the bone chillin' night.  I wore LOTS of EXTRA clothing.   Ran 8 miles at 8:09.  First mile 9:02.  Just ran recovery since yesterday's tempo.  But at four miles I did 0.1 miles at tempo pace (6:35 to 6:40) then 0.4 miles easy, repeated 8 times til I got to 8 miles.  Felt very easy but I was getting cold.  In fact I still feel cold!!!! 

Met with Carina and Tara in Lehi.  Ran a nice loop. I was well dressed this time.  So tired of freezing to death...so can't say I was ever cold.   I was stiff however from my frozen body on Monday night skiing.  ANKLE is giving so much crap....IF was pain free I would be on FIRE right now.   Why oh WHY????  It is not like I have a lot of time right now.  HELLO THREE MONTHS and then three WEEKS later---TWO MARATHONS!!!  8.21 miles at 7:42 AP.  First mile 8:32.  I love a slow start.  We eased into a steady pace for the end.    Last mile 7:11.  All the rest 7:36 to 7:51.    We were done by 6:52am.  I got there at 5:48am.  No stops.  The way I like an 8 miler.  Thanks women!!   430 pm- 4  @ 8:49 ap.  so slow i was in a coma...but pain in heel really biting!!!!!!! upper weights .

Work.  busy day at work sometimes counts as a workout. no time at work for even a valentine treat.   decorated three sugar cookies after work with my kids.  Ate them all. yum . sugar intoxication.

early am run before work...flip i thought it would be warm!!! freeze out.  well my thighs and right foot----numb!  thoight it would be a dreadful pace but came out pretty decent. first mile 8:11. last mile 7:08. ap 7:33 for 6.21 miles. at work now. not as bad as yesterday. 

1 mile wu really slow....9:00 pace to meet kim,jane, melody,chandi, julieE, and kassi. i stayed back with jane and chandi.   not time for fast long runs yet.  only going 14 to get 50 for the week.  been a while since i got that mileage.  keeping it here for the next week.  ankle keeps geting pulsating pain signals....so definitely a nerve entrappe. pain under control for todays run shockingly.  i was probably too cold in my feet to notice. they were quite numb the first mile.  so my ap for first 7 miles was just under 8.  we ran to eternal fountain the short way.  but uphill way. ran unintentionally at first...neither jane or i talked about it .....a little tempo run...5 miles @ 6:41. didnt feel forced so thats good. hard part was when jane and chandi put on their music the last three miles together.....so i picked it up and ran ahead. total ap 7:26 for 14.  tempo 6:46,6:40,6:35, 6:40 (uphill), 6:42 (tight quad so slowed down..... think my muscles cooled off too much from the stop at kims to say goodbye to the gals. personally i think it is harder to go faster after stopping longer than three minutes. sorry on phone. lots of typos. no spell check on frb.

Grandiose Speedwork thoughts on Saturday night and they still were in my head on Sunday, Why oh Why???? actually I thought this will be easy. HUH.  Well....it turns out TM errors may have a role.  I think the TM I used must have been off on pace and was actually faster...tell you why in a second.  Okay here is what I ran according to my plan.

2 mile warm up in 8:16 AP.  2 percent incline.  211 feet gain :D.  I figured if I had a nice incline then going to 1 % for the SW would feel "flat".  Hee Hee.

THEN-- off to potty and drink and stretch briefly.

Another 1/2 mile at 2 percent incline 8:27 pace.  Right into speedwork.  My own made up one again. 

1 min on at 6:00 pace (10mph), 1 min off at 8:20 pace (7.2 mph),   followed by 2 minutes on at 6:15 pace (9.6mph), 2 minutes off at 8:20 pace.   REPEAT x 10.  THAT's 30 minutes of an average of 6:10 pace!!  (6 minute cycle x 10 = 60 minutes).    All at 1% except last two-- 9th one at 0.5 percent and last one at 0 percent.  Treadmill goes to cooldown mode at 60 minutes for two minutes but you can still over ride it so I did but geared up for it by upping the last 2 minute repeat to 10 mph and made up for the time loss as the tm tries to slow to a 3 mph, ha !!! ha!!!.  So at 8.8 miles my TM shut off at 62 minutes--- 7:03 pace.  433 feet elevation gain :D. 

So here's the math problem if I ran a 1/2 mile warmup and half of the miles were at 6:10 pace (6 for 1 min, 6:15 for 2min= 6:10 average).....and the other half was at 8:20....hmmmmm my average pace should have been 7:15 not 7:03.  I know I am not a cheater so maybe that is why I actually ran faster longer....I start upping the pace to where it needs to be 5 seconds before the mark and keep it there for exactly the time (1 or 2 min) when the tm hits that pace.  Perhaps that is why??  Not sure... but that is a bit off.  I shouldn't complain....I ran further faster, two good things right???   My intent was to run 10 miles if that but didn't know what mileage I would have at the end after the warmup.  I was at 10.8 (8.8 sw plus 2 mile wu).   I ran a 1.2 mile cool down at 8:27, 1 percent incline.    Woo hoo.  Ankle coming back from dead so of course I had to wake it up!!    Sorry about all the details but I am very much into math.  And soon I will be too old to figure myself out so I need all the information for something, but don't know what :D.

Work. so busy. didnt sit much in 13 hours.

so tired as i awoke two minutes before alarm...but ran anyway since i skipped yesterday.  could not wake up. 6miles 7:56ap.  8:29 first mile.   work so busy avain so tired wbich makes it worse.

MS attack, as I call it.  INTENSE MASSIVE fatigue...not just regular "I am tired" but INTENSE, like hard to lift a limb or even an eyeball.  Followed by joint and shooting nerve pains and numbness...mainly on the left side.  Some memory problems too.  I am thinking food allergies a big contributor-- mainly ASPARTAME and sugary foods.  I had a crystal light (half of one) cause I was tired of plain water and I have been testing myself with it VERY occasionallly (aspartame that is) and have noticed the INTENSE fatigue come on after a period of excitability andinability to focus.  Very odd. I must not break it down in my body and it is like quadruple a dosing.  I could barely move all night and this morning I was walking like a zombie to the rec center.  I went later than usual due to the fatigue.  Got there just past 8am and decided to run a few on the track...well that turned into 9 on the track (6.5 laps x 9).  I started out and most of my tingling and numbness has been on my left side and my LEFT leg was LITERALLY giving "way" as I tried to run.  Like I didn't have the neuromuscular synapse to hold my muscle in a running form.  It happened for a lap and a half so I barely put weight on my left leg til it went away (if it didn't I would have to stop).  Luckily it passed but now my right arm is tingly all the way to my fingers and it is hard to move my hand to type.  I have been thru lots of boughts of this stuff so if it bores you I am sorry.  I am writing it down as a sort of journal to my physical self.  Someday I will have all the answers and I need my symptoms written down.  What if one day I just suddenly can't move at all???  YIKES.  Well I got into a groove at about three miles so I just kept going.  At 8 miles I did one quick lap followed by two rest laps followed by one more quick lap.  Total AP for 9 miles = 7:33 pace. ( used clock on track, no watch, had to keep track of laps not easy, I had some memory lapses so then I would focus on one mile timed so I could see if I was where I thought I was if that makes sense).  Did upper body weights and arms were like jello. It was hard to do what I have usually been doing.  My muscles all began to twitch a lot.  Another symptom I have been having is a burning lip and tongue sensation.  Hmmmm????  Melanie says either, low iron, low thyroid of low vitamin Bs.  I think I got a combo deal as I was actually low on all three with my last check last April.  Lawdy daw.  BLAH!!  

wide awake at 4am...so made kids lunches. back in bed and got tired. no sleep though. met rachelle at maceys....we heavy-legged ran up the canyon 4.5 miles then back-- 7:49 ap for 9.  it was snowing the entire run. we were both tired. me especially. i got back and was so tired i crawled into bed for almost three hours after taking kids to school. i was also very achy in the joints. my plan was 15 today with four fast but that juat was not happening. i did gain some energy and managed 8 on the tm at the rec. 1% 8 pace for 2 miles....1/2 mile slightly faster then tested my muscles for the tempo...nearly bailed...653 pace for 1/4 mile was not good so back to 8 pace for a 1/4 mile....tried again...1/2 mile at 6:49 pace...1/4@8:00, 1 mile @ 6:44 (well 1/4 at 6:40 in this mile, so 6:43)..1/4@8,...1.25@6:40 and last 1/4 to 7 miles at 6:18 to 6:35 pace. 8 mm cooldown to 8 miles. 7:27 ap for 8.    7:38 ap for the 17 altogether.

TRUE recovery run at 450 am before work-- acutally stayed within the prescribed pace for recovery for me (8:32 to 9:13).  First mile 9:08.  AP 8:38 for 6 miles.  cold wind.  was underdressed.  stupid phone weather!!   liked going slow. 

so tired so slept in.  rec center at 810am. easy day. sw tmr i suppose.  9 miles around track...after first half mile...no watch but digital clock at track....was feelling really good, except pf in right ankle for two miles.  every lap was consistently taking 1:09 to 1:10.  6.5 laps (a little less but tthis track has issues,lane 2 is also 6.5 laps. i ran in lane 3) equals a mile. so that with weaving to the forth lane numerous times is a 7:30 to 7:35 pace. last three picked it up cause i was feeling good. AP for 9 miles 7:26, probably faster. took 66:49 as far as time goes. ran 1 1/2 laps nice and slow...with some kick  backs. finished with planks and myrtle routine. :)     PM-- 430pm at the rec center with Courtney.  1 mile on track with Courtney-- 9:40.  2 miles soon after with an old guy I met on the track last time Courtney and I ran together.  AP for those two miles 8:15.  27:54 for 3.23 miles (8:44).  Foot was very angry just walking so doing more laps was at first not a happy thing but the rest of me quite enjoyed it.  I just envision chopping off my foot at the ankle and this seems to get me through a run.  Courtney and I then did weights (Courtney used aerobic machines for 20 min on her own) and abs.  : D. 

2 wu 8:27 1% incline. right into mile repeats in pace zone. 6:22, 6:22, 6:20(1\2 @6:22,1/2@6:18),6:18 ....last 1/8 mile at 6:11 to6:15.  800 recovery at 8:27 pace 1% incline.  sw done at 0.5 % incline.  800 recovery is perfect for me.  no struggling in this workout.  all controlled.  :)  feeling strong. wish my ankle would heal already. lots of tlc after workouts. 

550am at the rec.  9 miles easy...progressive miles on tm, 820, 8:13,806,800,753,747,741,735,730. each mile at 1% for half of the mile then 1/2 mile at 2%.  at end of each mile bumped it up to 3% for last .05 to .1.  this way when i  increased the speed by 0.1mph it would feel easier cause then i would decrease incline to 1% :).  for some reason i sweated a lot today.  pm--3.4 miles. 2 on track with courtney. 9:28, 9:05. 1.4 on tm, 813 ap. started at 9 pace. felt good for all tbis except plantar fascia of right heel. upper body wts, wall sits :),jumls, and abs with courtney. was super tired driving to rec but snapped out of it once i got started. courtney helps. :-)

440 am before work. was going to skip today but i was well rested and alert at 430am.  went out to dinner with courtney and troy last night. first time to texas roadhouse for all of us. yum.  sirloin steak with sweet potato. and the rolls with cinnamon butter double yum.  it was courtneys half birthday month. ot os our new tradition..celebrating by going out to dinner alone with each of our children. we deserved it too after our pm workout yesterday, courtney and i.  this am was a reecovery run...garmin in hide mode.  did not know pace but came out to what i felt. 8:38ap. first me 9:16.  all felt very easy. it was freezing. my jaw and thighs were numb.  came home and troy was up...hospital called and i was being pulled to orem...so had to be late. they were sorry. all part of being a float nurse.