Believe to Achieve

5  is the loveliest number that I will ever run....in this HEAT!!! HOLY MOLY who started the fire?  I mean searing heat that even the wind is not that inviting!!!  And it is quite the wind.  Last night it blew our very nice grill off our deck and down the stairs on to the concrete.  Bummer.  A wheel is busted and some fender benders.  Dang.    I saw it whirling in the wind while sitting at my kitchen table and screamed out to Troy and couldn't get there in time before it crashed.  BTW NO sprinkler to welcome me to optimism on this run until the last 1/2 mile!!!  Wowsers!! Parched with cotton mouth it was just a mind over heat run.  Back pain there, going nowhere.  I just push through it as usual with anything.  Same loop as yesterday only in reverse.  AP 8:03.  Kept this more of an even pace not so much progressive.  Hosed myself off at the end.  Even my hose water was warm!!   

Met Kim.  Drove separately to Riverton for their city 10k.  Great course.  Follows the ending of the half marathon course but in a back and out fashion.  Warmup for 1.8 miles. Mighty windy.  First half more downhill.  Pretty hilly all around.   Knew Kim would win.  She did.  I came in third overall ($10 gift card to SLC Running store).   I actually had some speed saved up from holding back and ran the last .24 miles @ a 6:13 pace.  Throughout the whole race I thought I might start walking or DNF but mustered the will to run through the pain.  This pain is not normal.  Whatever it is.  It is continous pulsating throbbing pain in both buttocks and the lower back.  Inner thighs numbish as well as lower back and front of abdomen. Pelvis very unstable.  Pain scale 8 during run.  Geez!!  Slept a broken six hours and that just does not make up for the lack of Zzzzs.  Plan to sleep and sleep the next two nights.  Only 5 weeks left until dayshift : D.    AP for 6.2 = 7:12.  Do not feel the least bit worked in any other area of my body except my  foggy brain.  If only I could get rid of this pain....time to go to another Dr. visit.  My bishop is a Family Practice Doctor.  He was just called as bishop last month and he said he would see me and LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE!!   (my husband is his exec. sec so he asked him)  It is so difficult to go to a dr. and come out with prescriptions but no answers hence why the huge delay here.  

Can't run.  Too painful.  Luckily my husband surprised me and took me away for 24 hours to celebrate our 13th Wedding Anniversary.  It was a dud two weeks ago.  I worked that night.  Redemption definitely made.    We had a picnic Sunday night.   Then today he took me out to see Eclipse at the Imax theatre at Jordan Commons.  A luncheon at Olive Garden.  Now there is no way to burn off the calories without running.  Yikes.  Pain is constant in the lower back, hamstrings and sides of sacrum.  Pelvis so very tight.  Not sure why?  Geez.  Can't move my hips well at all.  They seemed locked up and then very painful.  Also hurts to sit for longer than 20 minutes or so. 

Not running.  Pelvis still locked up.  When I get into running form, ie. put leg back and push off my pelvis locks, lower back and hamstrings burn with pain.  Slept three hours.  Took kids to pool and relaxed.  Swam about 50 laps.  Passed everyone in the lane (geez even competitive in the pool).  I love to swim.  Probably due to being taught at an early age by my grandmother when I was four years old.    Used to be good at it.  Just haven't used it much in my training. This was my first 1/2 mile swim this year.  I need to get in there and use those cool hand tools to work the upper body.  This was  a 25 yard/meter?  lane so four people sharing was crowded.  I would rather be in a longer lane and work more on endurance then flip turns over and over.  BTW the girl on the cover of Runner's World is a triathlete with a marathon best of 2:39!!  She says cross-training helped her in her running.

Ran VERY slowly.  Caught up to neighbor running up 1300 west and invited her to extend her run to show her a nice path to run.  She happily accepted and ended up adding over 3 miles to her run.  She was going to turn around at the top of the hill at 1.2 miles from her home.  I wanted company and I agreed to run nice and easy.  It was 1100am.  It didn't feel too bad at all.   It was over 80 degrees but there was a gentle cool wind that made it rather nice.  Didn't sweat much.  Pace 10:20 for 5.25 miles.  See how lovely?  I was trotting but I didn't care.  I blabbed on to her.  She is in her early 20s and live with her parents (my former bishop) just down the street from me.  She usually runs 3 miles.  She fell for the "I think its just 4.5 miles" thought.  I don't know.  It was just a guess.  She kept running and I cheered her on.  I asked twice if she wanted to stop but she continued.  I so love to cheer runners on.   I would love to be a Cliff Pace Runner for a marathon--- the sub 3:40 group-- Boston or BUST.   Pelvis still ailing but not near as bad at the slow pace.   So EASY does it will be my motto for a bit until I get a diagnosis.

4 miles at 8:36 pace.  Slow, slow, quick slow quick slow.  That's how I ran.  Not ready to push any run.  Got on mountain bike and went for 13.75 miles at 4:26 average pace to the mouth of AF canyon.  Sweet day.  Biking is sooo breezy and very tolerable.  Back loved the joy ride.  Legs got a good turn over work out.  Hamstrings loosened and loosened.  Gait still wobbly especially after bike ride.  Stretched well.  Working on core and hamstrings.  Kim and Melanie are speeding by me.  They are headed to Idaho. I have to work of course.  They will be doing an 18 miler with 10 at MP.  Geez, I will never catch up.  Blah, blah.

10 nice and easy at 8:18 AP.  Steep up for 3.75 to mouth of AF canyon then gradual  rolling downhill for the rest.Not pushing it at all.  Stopped at 10 and I was 0.6 miles from my house so I walked slowly home taking in the warm air and greenery around me.  Left butt/hip/hamstring hurting the most but not as bad as the past few days or if I run nice and slow.  Trying to work on form.  Very funny!!  Current Ascics Cumulus just not the shoes to accomplish the change.  These new ones are altering my form already.  Sometimes updating a product is not as good as the makers think.  Leave them be and change the colors is all I ask.  Anyway, the mizuno wave riders felt good on my feet twice when I tried them several months apart.  They are a heck of a lot lighter then these ascics.  Stretched a lot.  Going to crosstrain a lot next week.  Sadly no PRs for me at Bryce next Saturday.   I am going to shoot for 7 to 7:12 average pace depending on pain and the lack of sleep I will get this week as my ugly schedule ensues this evening-- I work the next 5 of 7 nights--fri, sat, mon, wed, and thurs.!! No reprieve.  I will try my hardest to get Thursday night off so I can sleep before the big camping trip with  my family and Melanie's to Bryce Canyon on Friday or it will be like Ragnar revisited leaving on no sleep Friday morning.  Now that sounds like a recipe for disaster.   Happy day I ran!!  

After sleeping 3.5 hours Saturday morning drove to Mapleton canyon (Whiting Campground) for the annual Carlson Reunion.  Had lunch and stayed for the auction.  Stopped at MVP sports to order my Mizunos.  They don't have my size.  Dang!! Now I will have no time to break them in for next Saturday.  They will be in on Thursday.  Came home just after 5 pm and at 5:15pm I left on quick bike ride as I work at 6pm.  Was only going to do 4 or so but did a 7 miler in 29 minutes!!! So love biking.  Standing still it was blazing hot but on a bike instant air conditioning!!!  Biked all around my neighborhood running routes.  Average pace 4:09 on my mountain bike.  Great workout and it woke me up.  Left for work by 5:55pm!!  Back lovin' the rest!!!  Legs lovin' the pedaling : D  Not sure how to log these biking miles.

15 mile bike ride at 415pm--- Temperature oven like heat, at least 100 degrees.  My  refrigerated  water turned putrid warm within 20 minutes  Head side wind on the up hill taking the trail to the mouth of the canyon.  Average pace 4:30.  Could feel the energy zapping from me every mile but kept it going strong.  Holy moly the heat was searing.  I also worked the last three nights  ( I picked up a shift in order to compromise for Thursday I want off) and have slept a total of 9 hours since Thursday night.  Summer time and working nights is the cause.  My brain just will NOT shut down.  It keeps my nervous system on edge.  I work tonight also.  Then off one and work one and hopefully get off Thursday night or Bryce 1/2 will be even more pathetic for me than already planned.  Pathetic meaning NO PR attempt whatsoever.  Just cruise control, a 1:33 will be suffice.  I will have to test out my legs, I mean my back/hips/hamstrings Wednesday by running.  I am also going to swim a mile Wednesday.  I will be a complete zombie tomorrow.  Love the babies I am caring for.  Too cute for words.  Caring for them is so rewarding.  

Ran to my dentist appointment--heat simulation, test out the pelvis run.  Darn thing still ailing, double sciatica mostly left including pelvis bone pain.  Stress fracture?  I did all the things that could bring one on (increased mileage, change of shoes) plus the added lack of the hormone estrogen..  Can't wait to see if new shoes will do the trick.  My asics are too big and make my knees turn inward.  Blah.  No cavities.  None for years :D.  Ran the square, so back the long way adding on to what I thought was barely three miles but really it was 3.8 on the course tool.  I am going garmin-less for a while.  Wow my wrist felt amazingly light.  I miss the good old days.  Even contemplating selling my garmin.  I ran better going out by feel and using the course tool rather than racing the satellite.  Ran a relaxed pace of 8:49.   Pretty hot outside.  This run was at 2pm.  Slept again only three hours.  Something is seriously wrong with my diurnal rhythm it just won't budge.  

Biked for 2.5 miles to track. All impromptu. Wanting to see if I can even run fast again. Ran one 1/2 mile repeat. Pelvis/hips feel locked up but not too painful since trying to change my stride.  Breathing ridiculous.   Tried to relax.  Not good for breathing when you eat barbecue potato chips just beforehand.  Oops.  Trying to eat healthy. They were the "natural" kind at least.  Oh and did I mention it is hot out?  610pm leave time.  Pace for repeat 6:06 (time 3:03).  Ran a four hundred at same pace just for a break and I was done with that.  Biked a bit more for total bike length of 6.25 miles. 

too tired to go early and too hot to go late and too tight to care.  : D.  Thanks to Melanie I am bruised up from some scraping and she taught me some foam rolling etc....wowsers everything was on fiah!!!  Pretty close to labor pains with that.  Geez.  

easy run focusing on short stride and not dislocating hip and aggravating the pain syndrome happpening in my hips/hamstrings/lower back.  Met Kim at end of her 13+ miler to see how she was feeling and to push her to her finish.  Chatted a bit this morning.  Fun times remembering I am a runner : D.  AP  8:44  for 4.35 miles.  Off to Bryce Canyon this morning.  Going to take it easy and if stars align (meaning my hip pain suddenly goes in to submission) I will try a few speedy miles.  Hoping to just get in under 1:33 but even that my be too much.  Time will tell.  I am not one to give up too easily.  

Hot.  Camped in Cannoville, the finish line, in 99 degree weather with NO shade.  The ground radiated heat.  Melanie and I shared a potlock spaghetti dinner with our families.  Didn't sleep but a 20 minute block.  Air stale and HOT!!  Hands and feet began to swell.  Left at 430am to catch the first shuttle to the start.   Climbed to 7900 feet to enjoy a 15 degree difference in temp for an hour.  Hung out at Ruby's Inn chatting with Julie Esplin on the nice leather couches there.  Ran a 1.9 mile warmup just hoping not to aggravate my back/hamstrings on this run.  Felt fine.  Not feeling the least bit in race mode but knew I could just hold on for my goal.  Ran the first 5-6 miles like last year (minus the wicked fast mile I ran last year for mile 3 in 5:48, this year 6:08).  Then I just mentally told myself I could stop whenever I wanted.  And I did.  I walked thru the last 4 aid stations pouring water all over myself and soaking my sneakers pretty well.  Ooops.    I was under my last years  pace until mile 6 then I just didn't care to hang on.  I had no drive and I had a feelin' I was still the first master woman as Kerri wasn't there to push me.  I passed her the last .1 of the race last year.  And third place was minutes behind us.  And even then I decided top master was no big deal.  But come to find out I still was first even with my much slower time of 1:32:07.  AP 7:01.   I had my garmin on pace and distance so unfortunately I didn't see the finish clock until it read 1:31:58.  I would have pushed it in to be under 1:32 because I had a lot of speed left I just didn't have a lot of care left.  No reason to push it if I was trying to heal and no one to pass my age.  Annie Green passed me at .1 miles and I stayed up with by 4 seconds.  This isn't that exciting of a race report because I had typed it and then lost it so now you have the condensed version.  Camped the last two nights in Byrce Canyon in a shady spot higher up.  We hiked several great hikes and my calves and hamstrings were not too happy with me.  Got home Monday at 5pm, quickly unpacked and headed for work by 6pm.  No shower since I rinsed off Saturday morning because I forgot my shampoo (it is fragrance free) and so I roughed it.  We were down right dirty by the end of our trip.  I swelled pretty badly and had pitting edema at work so much so that my legs hurt to bend.  I gained over 5 pounds of fluid.  Ate a lot of salted peanuts with m &ms so that didn't help the swelling among other things.  Slept like a rockin the tent Saturday night and slept on a rock Sunday night-- meaning I could tell we were on the ground by then with no cushion.  Did I mention it was hot?  Fastest mile: 6:08, slowest 7:43.  Forgot visor.  That would have helped with the sun glare.  Left foot was ailing causing my left hip to stiffen.  My form was not good with my cloppy shoes.  Picked up my new mizunos Friday and currently (Tuesday) wearing them around my house.  Yay!!   

Hiked down in Bryce Canyon the famous 3 mile hike in the reverse direction from last year.  WAY hot!!!  But oh such awesome vistas!!!    Did another 1.5 mile rim hike, a lot easier but exhausted nonetheless.  

3.2 miles without garmin.  Back to old ways. Used my watch and course tool after run.  Feel lighter this way and no pressure.  Hamstrings very sore, lower by back of knees.  Back pain and butt pain gone : D.  Still very swollen.  Felt more so in the heat on this run at 6pm.  HOT.  100 degrees or so.  Pace easy 9:23.  Wore new shoes.  They feel good so far and nice and light.

Up 1100 North slow and steady to Grove Creek.  Left at 845 am.  Muggy and hot.  Ran up over 350 feet in 1.6 miles. Iced in river at the top for 10 minutes.   Ran slow down with cold legs.  AP:  9:20 for 5.2.  Hamstrings sore.  New shoes, being careful.  They feel light.  I still sound loud running.  Form slowly adapting.  Feel the shoes making my legs work more.  No new pains.    Sure hope to be up for my 15 miler this Friday.  Just gonna go easy about 8-8:20 average pace.  NO GARMIN.  Boycotting.  My wrist sure feels lighter : D.

Ran 2.25 miles, biked 15 miles.  Run AP 8:07.  Bike AP 4:43.  HOT but breeze helped.   Swam 1/4 mile at the Spanish Fork Reservoir.  Melanie invited me and the kids to swim there with her kids.  I had just gotten back from biking.  It was 11am.  Got there at high noon.  Sure was hot but the water nice and cool.  It took me 2 minutes 38 seconds to cross it and a little slower back as I swerved to the left and had to over correct to get on course.  I so love to swim especially open like that where I don't have to do lots of flip turns.  This is the second swim of the season.  I really got to get going on swimming more.  I felt so free.  : D.  Hope to rise early to run my 15 miler alone.  So don't want to run in the heat.  It will zap my AP for sure.  BTW-- Monday's work out is Tuesdays and Tuesday's work out was Wednesday's. Can't seem to be able to cut and paste at the moment. 

15 grueling miles.   I forfeited a good start time for more sleep.  Went on a date last night with hubby, got home at 1130pm.  Fell asleep from midnight to 8am.  Dang, the sun was beating hard through our window!!!  Got out of house just past 8:30am.  Did a vicious seven mile climb starting out by weaving around my neighborhood then going up to the mouth of the canyon.  So very uphill and so very HOT !!!  Water fountain at 6 miles then a bathroom with running water from a sink at 9 miles was all I had for fuel.  No gu.  So needed powerade!!   Went hard on the uphill that when  I finally reached the top I had nothing left in my legs to deal with the heat so I just couldn't push it.   So very parched.  Stopped again in the shade before the last brief downhill just below Lone Peak High School on the new trail by the golf course near Art Dye Park.  My heartrate was beating too fast.  I so wanted to quit and find a cell phone to call in my dear husband then just exclaimed to myself to slow down and not care about pace.  Ran the rest so slow but necessary.  I just couldn't take the heat.  Did I say that already?  Dunked my hat in the river at mile 12.6 along while sprinkling water on my legs and sitting on a rock mustering the strength to run 2.5 more miles home in the unshaded road.  No sprinklers.  Too many people being wise with their water. : D.  I think running is getting too hard for me lately.  When will I get my mind over this 50 miler slump?  Ever since Squaw Peak "near death" experience emotionally at mile 43 I can't seem to pull my head out and feel strong again.  Geez.  New shoes take some adjusting so it was good to stop and work out some kinks that were developing in my right calf and left big toe.  Hopefully as I adjust to the shoes I will be stronger.  AP=  8:27.  Fastest mile- 7:44.   Slowest 9:29 (HUGE HILL).  Cooled off in river for 20 minutes.   Showered and passed out on my bed for 1/2 hour.  Feeling better now.   I must have been dehydrated as my cramped muscles no longer feel cramped after drinking and drinking.  

Placed "on-call" at 5pm for my night shift just as I was gearing up to be up all night for the second night in a row.  So very hot outside!! What to do?  I can't run in this heat!!  And the gyms are closed for the holiday.  Decided to just get dressed and see if I could make it out the door.  Called Kim to see if I could use her treadmill.  She called me back 1/2 hour later.  Yay!! I can.  Drove to her house.  Hot ride.  So glad I didn't attempt to run outdoors.  Chatted then she walked me to her basement TM.  She asked if  I wanted the door closed, I agreed.  Plan was to run 2 mile warm up then two at "MP" whatever I can get that to by October 2nd.  Then cooldown.  Well the first two miles felt so lovely I thought maybe I need to always run on the TM to avoid the heat.  And then I started my MP miles-  6:58 followed by an AP second mile of a 6:44 (6:27 to 6:53).   My toes kept hitting the front of the TM so I took that as a sign that I needed to speed up.   I was sweating buckets.  It felt mighty warm.  What happened to the cool air?  Am I that out of shape?  It turned out I was on the side of the house that gets all the afternoon sun and forgot to shut the shade (a little sleepy I guess) and the vent in the room for the air conditioning was closed!!  When Kim came down to help me wipe off her TM from my display of intense sweat she was like "oh my its like 20 degrees warmer in here!!"  Then we realized the problem with the sun and the vent.  Glad to know I was not that out of shape.  I actually felt A LOT better on the TM then outdoors, my form felt better and my body didn't ache.  I was able to place my foot better to avoid the pain I have been having there.  I sure hope I am on the mend   : D.  I will keep adding on MP miles each week.  Next week will be four followed by 6, 8, 10.  Then the Hobble Creek Half marathon in four weeks.  I hope to PR but that all depends on my confidence and my body.  I am working on more positive vibes about my running!!  6.5 miles @ 7:57 pace.   1% grade.

8 mile progressive run in the heat.  Left at 9:45am.  First mile 9:51 last mile 7:56.  Hilly route.  I was joined by my daughter Courtney on her bike.  We searched for the sprinklers and only found a few but they were very refreshing.  Felt so nice to take it easy.  Left toe/bunion acting up big time.  New shoes corrected hip problem but now my foot has issues.  I think I am crooked.  Did squats and planks with daughter following some excercise cards I got from IHC.  Time to get back to basics and help my daughter too.  AP for 8= 8:51.  Plan this week:  8 (done), 4, 8 (w/ 4 miles @MP), 4, 4, 17.  DONE.  : D.  Work tonight, then Wed. and Thurs. nights.  

Slept three hours.  Left house for my 4 miler at 1237pm!!  High noon runs are quite the thrill.  Finding a sprinkler or two was heavenly-- I didn't douse myself, just let them sprinkle me.  I am trying to get my body use to the heat.  I was so not ready for it at Bryce and now that it has been hotter for over a week I am starting to acclimate.  Felt totally tolerable.  Progressive wake up pace, 9:31, 9:02, 8:43, 8:06.  Felt really good allowing myself to go easy.   Worked on widening the forefoot of my left shoe before leaving by flexing the shoe and surprisingly NO PAIN on the run.  I babied it by not pushing off with my toes but it was WELL WORTH IT.  I really like these new lighter shoes!!!  Inner thighs a little sore from my excercises with Courtney but more of a "hurt so good" sore.  AP for 4.1= 8:49.  HOT HOT HOT SWEAT SWEAT SWEAT-- feels great!! : D  My goal is to find the "runnin' feeling" again and it is slowly coming back to me.  I hadn't been getting a runner's high since Ragnar and mostly felt running as tortuous.  Easing back helped tons and starting back up steadily and cautiously really is motivating me.  I will follow my plan.  Tomorrow 4 @ MP of 6::53- 6:58.   

Yay!!  I did it!!  Totally mental (with a little physical) right now.  I have a lot of repressed pain from Squaw Peak I am working through but I am working through it.  I am getting back to myself slowly.  And it just wasn't Squaw Peak.  I was working too much and not sleeping and running tons of other races on top of each other.  I was expecting too much from myself and now that I have hugged myself I feel better.  : D.  Not 100% but really getting close.  Rode my bike to the AF Rec. center (2.8 miles) then hopped on their TM.  I like theirs better than PG rec centers.  They don't bounce all over the place over 8mph.  So I think I will fork out the extra $1 to go there.  Its worth it.  Ran a two mile warm up which averaged 8:30 pace.  I felt really good from the start.  1% incline again.  Ran 3 miles @ 6:58 and 1 @ 6:48.  Cooldown for 2 miles at AP of 8 min/miles.  Total AP for 8 miles=7:38.  Biked home nice and easy.  Humid out.  Nice.  Reminds me of New Hampshire summers.  Arms and middle body with Courtney at home.  I feel GREAT!!  Finally. 

my planned 4 miler.  Courtney rode beside me.  It is quite humid out.  At least the temp is down.  I was dripping sweat by the end.  AP 8:46 (9:30, 8:57, 8:37, 8:08, 8:31).  Just takin' the easy days easy.  Its about time : D.   Lower body with Courtney.  Fun.   It takes me a few miles to wake up.  I am really nervous about day shift.  I can stay up so easily at night now and sleep exactly three hours.  Today however I slept 4.5!!  Yippee.  I am just nervous about the time it will take for me to adjust to waking now at 5:20 am (silly I know I was a day shifter before)!!  So glad I am a mile from work.  I am also sad to lose my nursery shifts.  A regular day nursery shift is hard to come by.  I will have all master float shifts  so I will go in the nursery when it is busy (level 2).  For the most part I will be working mother/baby (still fun) and the NICU at UVRMC instead of American Fork Hospital.  Since I worked there for 17 years that doesn't stress me in the least (except the 25 minute drive home in traffic).  I worry about perfume however because the night shift has so nicely stopped wearing theirs for me.   When the dayshift comes on it is very intense sometimes.  Just a few nurses.  I get to go home when they go home and now I will be there all day with them.   My allergies are getting better but it is probably because exposure is low.  There are also a lot of Dr/nurse contact.  I hope none wear much cologne.  I don't think any of them do wear it that I remember from when they are on-call at night.  Worry, worry worry!!  I just got to be brave.  

Yesterday I ran at noon in overcast humidity.  Today, NO overcast and was sweltering in my 1pm run while Courtney biked.  Glad I went an extra 1/2 mile yesterday, so I could take a 1/2 off today.  Just followin' the plan : D.  AP 8:49.  I always start out slow and after three miles I am "awake".  It was kind of a detox run since I was dripping sweat just after the first mile.  At work there was a chocolate fountain...cream puffs, brownies and fruit to dip!!  YUM YUM.  Tomorrow the BIG 17 miler.  I will do the same course I did in April (up two miles starting at the fork in AF canyon and down a nice rolling descent ending with three flat to uphill miles) but turn it down a few notches.   Hoping to keep AP at 7:30.  Since I ran it at AP at 7:11 (not incl. 4 stops) in April I think I can do it.  I am just not sure where I stand compared to April especially in this heat.  

Oh my.  Tough run but did it!!  Slept from 1140pm to 630am (alarm).  Should have gotten out earlier but still wasted from the three night shifts this week and 3 hour a day sleep.  Should have gone to bed earlier but Courtney and I stayed up to watch more of A & E's version of Pride and Prejudice.  She just finished the book.  She reads tons.  Had to finally just turn it off.  The first mile  I could tell my lack of sleep was going to wear on me but I still felt I could accomplish my goal with a little push.  It was extremely humid out for Utah and I was just dripping sweat when  I got back and walked inside my house.  Had three water stops.  Ran significantly slower than in April as far as through the canyon.  I just couldn't push out the 6:30s and really isn't time to do that on my long run.  I hope to peak a little later.  I ran this run about three weeks before Ogden and SGM is 9 weeks a way.  No need to rush, right?  The heat began to wear on me.  I left at 7:04 (per garmin).  Started at the fork and ran up over 300 feet 2.15 miles (the Dam) and turned around without stopping.  The garmin lost satellite coverage twice on the west side of the road by the canyon wall.  It said  I ran a 7:02 second mile ( a huge lie), not sure how it did that?  It even calculated my distance longer than in April by 0.3 miles.  Why did it do that?  The map doesn't reveal them as short but I course tooled it at 2.15 like in April.  Of course I figured that in to my calculations and negated my stupid garmin.  I reset it at the top and started on the east side down and had coverage the whole way then.  AP for next 13.1 miles= 7:10.  Slowed the last two miles to make 15 miles @ 7:18 average.  Oh well.  I was so tired and so sweaty.  I dipped my shirt in the river and my hat and it just felt even more humid doing that.  Total average=  7:32 for 17 miles due to the two miles uphill.  Glad its over.   The nerves in my legs are doing the same thing they were doing.  Sure hope it passes quickly.  Iced in AF river for 10 minutes.  Toes were froze.  Slowest mile 9:03, fastest mile 6:40.  Last mile 8:13.  Ate one Gu and one block.  Water x 2 and gatorade  x 1.  BTW  it was biker o-rama out there.  They sort of protected me as they were riding up the same side I was running down so cars saw them first and slowed. Saw a few runners as well. Leaving late was not good as the car traffic was pretty significant.  I can't run with music until out of the canyon because I am too nervous.  Forgot about my music until mile 11.  Geez.