Believe to Achieve

Couldn't get out of bed at 445am as planned to try and fit in a 16 before Gold swim meet at 8am in Spanish Fork for two of my daughters.  Really wanted to roll back over and sleep because the whole night was BAD sleep.  Managed to roll out at 524am.  Slowly got dressed and dreadingly walked down the stairs.  Decided to do a mini Tempo workout.  Not a great day to do it feeling fatigued but forced myself.  Did a 1.52 mile warmup (I use the course tool to map my run around a good 4.5 mile loop).  Ran three at marathon pace, is that the same as tempo?  I am forgetting here.  Anyway, ran the first 3 in 21:08 (7:22, 6:45, 6:59), first mile late after re-calculations on course tool by probably 3 seconds  faster really, second mile 3 seconds slower then.  Ran back to house (.16 miles), took a sip on my gatorade set at my starting point and began again with the 1.5 mile run then 3 at marathon pace.  Ran pretty much the exact same speed, weird at 21:09 (7:23, 6:45, 6:59).  The last mile in each is significantly uphill.  Only slight downhill on mile one when I am saying to myself "why am I doing this?"  I awaken by mile two then feel very sleepy on mile three and the hill kills me.  I plan on re-running this when I actually feel good, adding two more sets.  First one then a few weeks later the forth set.  That will be all I can do for speed except a couple of 200s and 400s on the track for a nice post easy run speed check.  16 miler has moved to Monday morning.  Stupid me picked up a first half shift for a desperate coworker tonight :  (       So at 1 am I plan on Z-ing it to the MAX.   My oldest daughter Courtney turns 11 tomorrow.  I had her on a Sunday 11 years ago.  Such a magical moment :  D    We are going to Lagoon on Wednesday to celebrate  :  DDDDDDD

Kill me now run.  Still intensely fatigued.  DRAGGED myself out of bed at 710am.  Waited for Courtney's girlfriends who were dressing her up in a fairy costume, doing her hair in pig tails and ribbons and taking her to breakfast at McDs for her birthday (11 yesterday).   They were giggly and Courtney was VERY surprised and happy.  I wish that was what  I was up to but no the dreaded 16 miler I have yet to do was hanging over my head.  So I put one foot in front of the other and walked out the door then picked it up to a jog and eventually I was running.  An extremely miserable take off.  Just all around grossness.  AHHHHHRGH!!  I do not like to make long runs out of these days.  This ranked up there in the top 5 worse runs I have done.  Thank goodness my effort paid off and can feel halfway decent about the pace.  Big mistake was not eating anything since last night at 8pm and that was birthday cake/ice cream.  I hardly drank either cause I was feeling soooooo bloated.  Anyway knew I would pay for it as I ran to the mouth of American Fork Canyon and 3.5 miles up it to total 8.2 miles UPhill and then 8.2 miles downhill (except there and back at mile 4 going into the canyon is this big dip down, which on the way out means a BIG dip UP, total turtleness here as it was now 9:30am and the sun was a scorchin'). The first half in the canyon was head and sidewind city.  I was spent but pushed it as several bikers sped by me.  I was the only runner up the canyon.  Got to marker 11 and turned around.  The three markers from 8 to 11 were my pacers.  My uphill pace here was 9:13, 9:29 (steep), 9:30 (steeper).  Over, turn around please!!  Downhilll pace:  6:52, 6:37, 6:47.  Way hard on the hips and metatarsals (no flat areas)  plus way hard after Saturdays workout.  Stopped running fast after this.  Too tired.  No water.  Big uphill out of canyon, turtle speed.  Last 3.4 miles at 7:52 pace.   Average pace up for 8.2:  9:23  Average pace way back:  7:53.   Total mileage:  16.4 at 8:34.  If things don't turn around soon I am going to have to check myself in to a rest home.  SOS.  I need a vacation from all cares in  the world.  Not happening,  I work tonight.  Who would have thought? 

Recovery from 16 miler and all nighter last night.  Soooooo obviously no running, just household chores and keeping the kids happy.  Heat wave needs to end soon.

Working on my aerobic base after reading Endurance Training book and seeking the advice of great friends (Kim especially).  I am overtrained and very burnt out so I am cutting back on pace and mileage and trying to heal.  With working nights I am becoming way overtrained as I try to squeeze in my workouts without much sleep and my body is completely rebelling.  The fatigue is intense and my allergies have greatly worsened sooooo I have decided to try the heartrate function test and not overdo it there and use my races for anaerobic training.  Something's gotta give and since running is not much fun right now I am taking a yoga moment and reevaluating my abilities right now.  I still hope to PR at SGM and according to this book I can and with much less training.  Sasha told me to work on my aerobic base and I didn't quite understand it until Kim gave me this book to read.  It is sooooo me and I need to watch myself so I am.  I still plan on racing Hobble Creek and doing my long runs (substantially slower if that is what my heartrate dictates on the day I run them).  I am soooo looking forward to running healthier and getting stronger.  When I no longer work nights my body will be better at recovery.  Someday soon I will be parttime.  Crossing fingers : D    Ran  easy 3.8 at 9:36 pace, maximum aerobic function.  See how badly my heart has been crying out?  As the fatigue lessons this will improve.  Sleep is the big factor.

Same old story....massive fatigue, unable to move well at all.  Slept well last night, 8 hours solid, no medications needed.  I don't take ambien or sleep aids.  Soooo, I battled all day wondering "what the heck is wrong with me?"  I decided not to run at all.  All day at  Lagoon yesterday in the heat was enough.  I was tired there too.  Intensely.  Then today the barometric pressure dropped, winds picked up and smoke replaced the clouds.  Not a good combination for me and explains the fatigue and later the headache/muscle aches.  I went to a three hour long staff meeting.  One seat, three hours : (    A hope for a better day tomorrow.  Melanie is trying to keep me focused on still doing our 18 miler Saturday.  We are going down Provo Canyon.  The kids will be on a daddy-daughter campout.  Since I have no sons, I will be ALONE.    Yippee.  What to do, except get paranoid of all the night sounds in my house with noone to blame them on?  Yikes.  Same thing happened last year.  Didn't sleep well all alone.  Anyway, if I run in the on Saturday am it will be according to my MAF test I plan to do on Kim's treadmill tomorrow.  MAF equals max aerobic function.  I am doing the shorter version of warmup (highly encouraged), three miles at MAF then a cool down.  Warmup and cooldown are about 15 minutes each. 

Hungry before leaving because started out late at 9:10am as Kim was trying out her new sneakers on the treadmill in prep for her MIDNIGHT HALF MARATHON tonight down Hobble Creek.  I ran 1.45 miles to her house at a considerable warmup pace of 10:20.  Oh yah. Felt sooooo good.  Got on her treadmill for the Heartrate test after placing on Kim's garmin heartrate monitor around my chest.  We couldn't put the mode to read the heartrate in larger lettering so I had to stop the treadmill to read the heartrate.  The lettering is miniscule, no kidding.  So that part was inaccurate, as jumping off the treadmill to the sides probably increased my heartrate.  I also tried stopping the treadmill to read it, that was doable but took 15 to 20 seconds to get back to pace.  Anyway, my max aerobic heart rate should be 145.  180 minus my age, and add 5 points for running for the past two years no injury and progress in races.  So my aerobic mile started at a pace of 8:00 minutes/per mile.  Second mile slower (expected, and done right if warmed up enough), at 8:13.  Third mile 8:20.   Pretty accurate to my 5k outcome and the books prediction of heartrate.  The book says after time my MAF pace will be quicker and should be tested every three weeks.  No speed necessary until aerobic base obtained then just run races to get anaerobic buildup or run downhill to not go past MAF but get neurological benefits of speed.  As downhill running doesn't increase your heartrate much (for example my 5:48 mile at Bryce, I felt like I was flying, heart not working much at all).  Cooldown by running home 1.45 miles at 9:28 pace.  Downhill on the way back so held back greatly for this to be a real cooldown.  This smokey air is giving me quite the right-sided headache.  OUCH. 

Okay so Melanie and I  opted to run our 18 miler with a little twist.  We decided to drive up and do the Provo Half after a good warm up.  We ran down from the start to mile marker 2 (some white 2 on the ground, no obvious other signs so went by watch, ran nice and easy, 9:30 to 1000).  Then ran back up just in time for the start of the race that was supposed to start at 630am but started at 705am.  We were thinking we would be trampled but we made it back up in time.  We were supposed to take it easy.  Well I did and it paid off for me.  Melanie booked it in at 1:25:38.  If she were really racing she would have won because the top three girls were right in front of her.  I was going easy on the downhill, unsure of pace because no markers until mile 5.  At mile four some guy told me we had just passed it a few seconds ago and my watch said 29 minutes flat.  So I guess I was going at a 7:15 pace.  I thought I was going slow cause many a woman was passing me in the early miles.  Eventually I kept pace and counted off numerous women.  Eventually I had to count just men because the women were far spaced the last few miles.  My last mile was about a 6:40!!  I ran until I could see the timer but slowed a few hundred yards before that cause I didn't want to accidently cross the finish line and the ending is on the crowded Provo River path.  I saw the time at 1:33 something so I was good with that.  My friend I passed just at the last mile came in at 1:34 flat and I saw him booking it in as I turned around at a slow jog.  So sorry I was a "bandit", but they closed the race when Melanie and I got back from Bryce.  We wanted a good workout with our 18 so we took advantage of the course at our feet.  Ran a 9:30 cooldown mile.  Total mileage: 18.6.    We would have rather been official. And after seeing Sarah at the end of the race she told Melanie we could have told Sasha and we could have got in.  Oh well.  Great weather today too.  I am feeling better about my abilities as this race felt quite easy, my heartrate went into anaerobic zone only in the last 4 miles when I pushed the pace.

So after my 430am wakeup yesterday and 18.6 miler/race, I got home showered, blogged, unpacked car from daddy daughter campout (hubby mowing lawn), fed kids lunch, went to see Harry Potter with 11 year old, then drove to Provo Kid to Kid to buy tap/ballet shoes.  Got home at 525pm, ate a wonderfully prepared dinner by Troy, dressed for work and clocked into work at 559pm for another all nighter.  Didn't get real tired until 200am.  Legs felt great all night.  Got home at 0700, slept from 740 am until 1040 when peaked at clock, fell asleep again until noon.  Got up ate cereal.  Checking for April's race report.  Not in yet.  Off to bed again.  This is a killer, no quality sleep week.  Mind over Matter I tell myself.  Work Mon, Wed, and Thursday nights.  So running will only be on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday (way short) then Saturday.  No speed planned so I can recover and hopefully run well at Hobble.  Goal really only under 1:30.  Lately I just want marathon pace cause it is all about the big PR at SGM. 

Out of the blue yesterday afternoon my left hip all the way to my foot acted up.  Mainly nerve pain, sciatica I guess.  Took ibuprofen and had hubby massage it. I am sure it is from poor recovery working all night after running long.  Neurons on fire I guess.  Slept fairly well last night.  Still sore in hip in am but started out real slow.  First mile 10:10.  Lovin' it.  Then eased into aerobic pace of 8:10 to 8:20.  Ran 7.81 miles more on canal and up to the top of 1100 north.  Pace varied to keep heartrate low at 145 to 150.  Last mile cooldown 8:17.  Hip really tight, spasms etc...  Oh well.  Will try to eat more nutritiously.  Kind of ate poorly at work.  7 rolls  (my coworker and I were having a contest) and 15-20 dark chocolate mini milky ways.  Not a good recovery meal.  Thank goodness my husband fed me well before I left.

Nothing, just night shift recovery zombie mode.  Slept 4 1/2 hours.  Stayed up remainder of day until 1130 pm.  Got into a movie with Richard Gere in it.  Able to fall asleep fairly well.

Ran a broken up run.  First ran 3.14 miles.  Warm up first two.  First mile 9:12.  Last mile 7:38, felt easy, yay.  Then took daughter to piano camp.  Ran from there to AF high school track .65miles away (this is all spur of the moment, nothing was planned out, I felt good so wanted to get in a easy track work out).  Ran 4 X 400 with recovery lap in between starting with slow lap.  Took it easy but a little weird running by the cheerleaders on the track (yes they were on the track except the inner lane, with four boys sitting on the grass watching in the inner field, whatever.  At first I thought they were helpers but no, they were salivating.  Of course me going around the track in front of their view distracted them slightly, some 40 year old with a lot of energy).  Splits, not all out just evenly paced, going by feel, not too exhaustion.  Felt good.  Not sure minus the spectators and the pom-poms on the course how much faster/slower  I would be.  1-  1:40   2   1:34  (felt easier than the first)  3-  1:33  4-  1:30   (ran 2:01 to 2:12 recovery laps in between).  Then decided to run 4x 200 with a half lap recovery.  1-  42   2- 40  3-  40   4-  39  (finally under 40).  Ran back to car and got other daughter to piano, drove other daughter home and ran a 1.15 cooldown.  Total mile 9.19.  I like this short version of track workout, I don't feel wasted but gives me an idea of speed pace. 

Ran a wake up run as I worked last night and work tonight.  It was hot when I started at 420pm but there were clouds rolling in so I figured I may get a cooldown out there.  I did. But I started with a wet hat/head to help.  Stopped at Kim's to get my daughter's long lost lion she  got from Disneyland.  I snuggled with it for my last mile home.  Was very sleepy/tired on this run.  Ran 3.48 in 8:35 average pace.  A little under aerobic pace for me so glad I stayed within the zone.  Big run Friday am down Provo Canyon with Melanied and Kim for 18 to 20 miles  : D 

No run, recovery from two  shifts in a row.  Slept until 2pm on and off.  Loving this cool August breezed with scattered thunderstorms. 

I think running and my current schedule is wearing myself down.  After last week's 18.6 miler with the 13.1 tempo, I worked that night then three other nights, Wed and Thursday being the last two.  I try to run with friends at a time I used to but that is the time I am usually collasping and wishing for my bed (my shifts end at 630am).  Melanie, Kim and I had my husband drive us at 450am to Deer Creek Reservoir.  We found the trail but it only lasted  1.5 miles when a dog in the dark barked and woke his owners who yelled out "who's there?"  and then told us we were on private property.  The bike trail had abruptly ended and so we turned with a road that coincided, an old road, with only one house that we could see, just below the campground.  She was not happy and yelled for us to go back.  So we had to back track about 8 minutes and get back on the highway of all places.  Kim had her headlamp thankfully.  We went two miles then went down by the river and ran on the railroad tracks for just over two miles.  Fun footing. My legs were burning with fatigue, then my pelvis then my entire spine.  I was too tired and my muscles wouldn't respond.  My heartrate was low so I wasn't pushing it cardio-wise so I know it is due to sad sleep. I only slept one hour up for two then another 3 hours last night.  My body/mind is confused about when to fall asleep.  So I had to pay for it on this run.  Melanie and Kim were like energizer bunnies and I was feeling so depressed about my situation, everything below my waist just aching and I was getting a left-sided headache.  I kept my pace at 8:30 but just before getting out of the canyon I was able to pick it up despite the pain to 8:00 pace.  I passed Kim and Melanie who stopped to talk to some runners and I didn't even have the strength to stop.  I just kept going up 800 North and over to Orem Soccer Park and onto the Canal trail until 1100 north PG.  Mel and Kim caught up to me two miles from the mouth of the canyon and we ran the last 5 miles together at 7:43 to 8:12 pace.  Last mile 7:55 to Kim's car at Grove Crest Elementary.  Average pace for them 7:53.  My pace was probably 8:15 to 8:20.  The last five miles helped my average pace.  I so don't want to feel like that again soon.  Time for a long nap.  I feel sleepy. 

Ran a very short warm up and just tried to get out the cobwebs.  Joints achy but couldn't take it any longer so picked it up.  Ran my 5K course at moderate speed.  First mile 7:28.  Next two faster to average for 5K a 7:17pace (22:36).  Cooled down with 2.5 miles.  Stretched, meditated.  Average pace for 5.95= 7:52.  Got to take 11 year old to the dr.  She has had chronic sinus congestion, itchy eyes and cough, no fever for over a month now it is getting ridiculous.  Antibiotics didn't help, I think she is allergic to a few things like her mother.  I looked into her nose and I see a large "polyp" blocking her right nare!!!!  And two other swellings in there.  Poor thing.  I am not excited about all the tests that will probably be done for her and hopefully a steroid treatment/antifungal.   Looking up about polyps they can be brought on by an allergic reaction to airborne fungi.  Gross considering all the pools she has swam in that swarm with mold!! 

Wake me up afternoon run at 420pm up on Cedar Hills Trail starting at my girls new dance academy Avondale. Ran north to golf course ending and back, continuing south to Deerfield Elem. Took it easy, no music, just surrounding breeze sounds and meditation. Average pace 8:28. Work tonight, again, then off for three nights and work again the night of the half marathon (meaning after I run it).

Continued from yesterday....I got the crappiest of sleep.  My brain was already changing to the night life, but I had this hangover headache and irritable mood that I knew I couldn't hang out like this....got about 5 hours of broken sleep, even ate a bowl of cereal around 3am.  I decided to still run and see if eventually exercise would put me into stage 3 then REM sleep.  Of course not while running, but I do close my eyes at times and feel a slight drift in that direction.  I did a warm up 1.82 miles up to the canal.  First mile 8:43  to the canal average pace was 9:12 and that is at a steep incline.  I thought I was going slower.  Apparently lack of sleep (I read an inservice on sleep deprivation at work Mon. night) increases perceived exertion.  A no brainer.  But Non rem sleep, stage 3 is the most restorative hormonally and REM sleep helps with calming emotions as you dream your stresses away.  Both types I am rarely getting lately.  Back to the workout.  Like I said most of my runs are impromtu but I wanted to check my speed although speedwork and no sleep is not good Sasha told me.  Oh well.  I survived Bryce that way.  So I continued south on the canal to Battlecreek and ran the first mile of the Strawberries 5K speedily.  Had quite the spectator section (everyone being dropped off at PG High), loads of traffic but I focused and swerved when and where I wanted.  I was surprised to see my time of  6:03 (three days before Bryce it was 6:12).  I felt much like a drunk runner, out of body-like experience, head pounding but body wobbling.  It actually felt easy cause I was numb to any physical pain except the head throbbing.  Ran another slow mile then ran the last mile to my house in 6:40 (half uphill).  I really felt a nap need strongly during that part, my head couldn't convince my body to go faster.  Ran a cool down 1.59 miles at 8:52.  Average pace for all 8:  8:19.  About to lay down for nap, since that is the highlight of my message I am writing to you all.  Sleep necessary for survival.  Hope the two fast miles pay off for Saturday.  Yikes, maybe it was too much?  I no longer know.  I am rambling (see told you I am "drunk")

 I wanted to DNS, but I am not that sane.  Sleep deprivation runs are just getting out of hand.  Yesterday my dr's office called to tell me my estrogen level is menopausal (last year when I wasn't running much it was unreadable), and hence the reason for the insomnia, night sweats, extreme irritability, depression, fatigue, lack of cognition, you name it, I am a match for the list.  I tried regular estrogen last year and was way worse, I just bought some natural estrogen but still have more blood tests to take to figure it all out.  It is genetic, following my mom who was 35.  My symptoms began at 35.  Anyway, I will pull my head out after a depressive episode at the start, like the later it got the more fatigued I got.  Two gus before the start any sugar to jump start my brain.  The noise around me was blaring in my brain I couldn't wait to get it over, go home and knock myself out.  Very surreal.  On the positive side I PRed (told you miracles happen, plus I am strong willed).  Melanie and Kim were going to do sixes the first half so I was going to hang back.  They like to toe the line which  I don't cause then I get passed and don't do a lot of passing.  I started next to them because I don't have good judgment right now and it just didn't matter to me.  I knew they would do great as I couldn't even hang with them in long runs.  I am so proud of my coachees : D    Here are my splits, ipod blasting in my ears, it is just me, my ipod and 13.1 miles of winding road:

1--  6:02   Hello,  I could see Melanie and Kim a ways off so I thought they were the ones with the six minute mile.  Slow down.

2--6:29  

3--6:42    I missed the third mile mark and hit my watch after the station so this mile is faster next mile really slower. Tried to take a bite of cytomax gel vanilla (Kim had some) just before this mile (never tried it before), gagged after one taste, no more and just tossed all of them at mile 6.5.  So no gu for the race.  Couldn't find the brand (GU) I liked yesterday.  Cliff gels are pretty nasty too.  Thought I would try to see if mile 6.5  had some great brand..

4--5:56 (6:19 average for miles 3 and 4)

5--6:46

6--6:44  (mentally gearing up for the challenging ending)  6.5 mile station had these oddly tasting but better than cytomax gel.  Took one half and kept on going.  Yelled out to some guy who was peeing at the sideline:  "wish I had that plumbing?"  Haven't lost my sense of humor at least.  He passed me 300 yards later.

7--6:51  Did I just run that uphill with some speed? 

8--6:45  Hey how did that happen, the more mentally challenging miles ahead.

9-- 7:01  Perfume girl (sorry whoever you are, but  please lose the perfume), passes me but not speedily, she stops  two times passes me three times keeping the perfume in my brain the last 4 miles.  My left side of my face starts to twitch.  My breathing is laboring.  I try to surge ahead to get her behind me but we yo yo each other to the finish when I pass her

10--6:54  This is after I pass her again and feel some energy.

11--7:38  She passes me just after the water station before the big hill.  I can't run by her so I slow way down and to left of her.

12--7:07  She is a good distance a way that I am able to catch my breath.  I ran in to the water table at this speed practically knocking over the little girls.  I wanted two waters and both girls were handing them out one stepping out in front of me so boom into the water table I crash.  They are so sweet to be there.  I am not mad, hey I am drunk how can I be?  By drunk I mean sleep deprived, the same as three alcoholic drinks, so I am told.  I was probably the cause of the crash.

12.1---  42.6 seconds (7:05 pace).  Here there is a sign that says one mile to go.  Since I don't have a garmin I push my lap button here to know how long I have for the last mile.

13.1---7:02.  I decide to catch my lovely smelling friend, I pass her at just before the .1 mile to go sign.  Her chip time however puts her a head of me, Oh well she is in her 20s. 

The best part about this run is meeting Peggy Peterson for the first time.  We didn't get to chat long.  But so glad to finally meet her.  After that I walked around in a daze just hoping Melanie and Kim were ready to leave soon.  They ran so well so of course they would like to chat for a while.  Some day...when I no longer work nights I will be there with them.  Perhaps in the next life.  Or maybe I will surprise myself at SGM.

Pre-race notes at 440am.  Only a miracle and strong will (working on that) will get me thru this as insomnia to the nth degree has been a stumbling block that I am battling with all defenses.  I tried to go to bed at 9pm, just couldn't fall asleep.  Didn't want to take the only thing that hit or miss works for me (xanax) because if I don't sleep it puts me into a fatigue state.  So....I layed awake all night  I AM NOT KIDDING, I MEAN REALLY NO SLEEP WHATSOEVER.  Worse than Bryce but at least I am not in a tent and worse than my first marathon in 1995.  I almost lost it a 3am so frustrated.  I turned on the fan I turned off the fan.  I opened the windows I shut the windows.  I ate ice cream I drank water.  I counted sheep (no kidding), I watched a bit of Notting Hill (3am), the end of How to Lose a Guy in 10 days (that was at 9 pm).  It is as if I am somehow converted to being up at night from my three night shifts a week.  I was extremely tired today at 10am, like drop dead tired, but I was out grocery shopping with Troy and thought I should stay up so I could sleep better tonight.  Big mistake.  PRAY for a miracle because I am having thoughts of a DNS (but you don't get your finsher shirt that way).  If I do a DNF I might as well have DNS so I could watch the awesome speedy finish.  I am right now going to hard delete my current sadness/frustration and try once again to get that rabbit out of the hat, the longer the minutes pass however the more "real" tired I get.  Right now I am keyed up.  Mostly to do with work, not helping that I have a big race in  two hours.  And work tonight.  Miracles do happen : D  Off I go to pick up Kim and Melanie, oh I better get dressed first : D

Steaming run at 925am, impromptu course around PG and AF thru trails by Tri City Golf course and up and over to Lone Peak High School.  Started sweltering.  But just slowed the pace midway and picked it up last two to 8s.  Legs barely sore.  After Bryce I couldn't move well for a week.  This is promising for me.  Pace 8:38.  Hard to course tool the looping trails, not on the map.  

Ran with hubby.  He hasn't been consistent.  He huffed and puffed so I slowed it way down for our warmup, but still he huffed and puffed so I just kept our warm up as our pace for three miles.  It was sticky wet out (humid) so not really all that pleasant.  My lower jaw is in intense pain from the new wire.  It is actually so painful it is numb in areas by my cheeks.  Probably due to nerve stimulation overload.  Holy cow.  Hard to focus even as I write this.  Troy took a shorter route, well the original route, home I added on a bit more.  Average pace 8:23 for 6.62.  First three average pace with hunny: 9:00 to 9:18 for three miles.  1/2 mile cool down at 9:00 pace.  So glad I got to go home early last night : D.    I guess I will try TM speedwork tomorrow.  It seems to be working for my friends.  I just don't have a TM or gym membership.  Will pay $3 for a day pass at PG Rec.

Forgot about flyers for Ward Activity this Saturday.  I am on the committee.  Ran the "Tape-the-flyers-to-all-my-neighbors'-doors-circuit-training workout".  Took 42 minutes 44seconds with a little help from hubby and about two minutes stopping to discuss our route.  I was "sprinting" from door to door flinging on tape to the notes, running up lots of stairs  etc.. so pretty good workout.  Ran a 7 minute mile home I was so pumped up.  Plan on running in Cedar Hills this afternoon while Amber is at dance.  So beautiful up there on the trails.  Sleep still crazy, itching all over and night sweats, sleeping two hours at a time (weird, my little sister called me to ask about her symptoms of itching all over, night sweats, insomnia, she is 22months younger, has 7 kids with twins the caboose.  They are 14 months old).  Genetics, so twilight zone-like.   Teeth beginning to feel better but cheeks still numbish.  Better than the intense pain I suppose.  Sorry no TM run for me.  Will start speed next week.  Big 23 miler this Saturday-  Hope to Hobble with Melanie and Kim real early.  

Afternoon run SWELTERING>  just couldn't get into it in the heat/humidity.  Ran only 2.45 miles and just said that's it.  Heartrate at only 110 to 120.  So no pushing it just felt too much heat.  Pace 9:03.  Surprised thought I was much slower.  New shoes bugging my left leg, ARGHhhhh!!!!

Does anyone remember to read the sell/trade section of the blog?  I don't but now I have some shoes I ordered and paid exactly 80.97 for but tried them twice and they are just too big that my left foot is swimming (smaller than right) in them.  They are Gel Cumulus11, size 10 D (wide).  I will take off 10 dollars.  They are usually  $100, so I was told on the site.  Anybody interested?  Otherwise I am going to return them next week, it is just that they charge $10 to ship back and an extra $10 to restock.  So I thought since I originally got free shipping someone else might want a big deal on a great cushy shoe for only 70 dollars.

Workout:  Road bike at 1036am.   Climb in first 5 miles (500 feet), getting tired of the long hill so went out to trail in Cedar Hills, and oopsie more hills, big ones.  Took some odd turns that caused some ridiculously steep hill climbs.  I was wanting it to be over.  I was more hungry, shaking from low blood sugar.  Ahhh made it to 1100 north off the trail and coasted down to my house.  Saturday is going to be hard enough uphill running, what am I doing to myself? Work tonight : D.

Hope to Hobble 22.5 miler (per garmin). Elevation gain 2000 feet, oh yah!!! First 11 miles is quite the workout. Then comes the real challenge of focusing on footing while picking up the pace so as to not crash and burn. Oh yes we all fell. First, I fell in the dark around mile 5 while grabbing for my water and didn't see the rock, ouch!!! Landed mostly on my left side. My left hand and arm broke my fall, almost broke skin on my chin. Luckily one tiny scrape to show for it on my left pinky. Melanie offered a prayer before we ran so I guess I was looked after. Didn't think so at first. Could have been a lot worse. Later (mile 9ish), Kim and I, hollered ahead to Melanie that we were taking a potty stop, Melanie, not seeing us stopped briefly she told us later and took off from us. Never to see each other again until the finish line. We stopped for almost four minutes here. When nature calls one must answer. Anyway, we made it to the crest in record time for me (Kim's first time), a whole eight minutes faster than last year!!! I thought I was cruising last year. Wow. We stopped to take a gu for just about 2 1/2 minutes. NO sign of Melanie, yet we did see her "tracks". Careful footing starts here, lots of rocks to maneuver. About two miles down as I picked up the pace from the 8:12, Kim was worried about going fast she later told me and then suddenly a yell came from behind me. I turned around in time to see Kim on the ground holding on to her knee. I walked up to her asking "is there blood?" and she yelled back "yes" and then I saw her leg and oowyy!!! and her elbow and both her hands. It was not a pretty sight. Her white shirt dusted with dirt. She did a rollover. This dampened Kim's spirits, it would mine too, having just recovered from a much more minor fall. The sting gone for me now. We stayed together for the next few miles, took another potty stop. Water gone by mile 15, totally parched. Took three gus the whole way. Without water for one. Not good but helped my muscles. I pushed ahead to find Melanie. I knew I was hot on her tail as I could smell her sunscreen at times. This sensitivity comes in handy. I could find a dead person in the woods. I am tracker. Oooo I sound vampire-like. Anyway, off the subject. So I get to the road and turn right thinking Kim should know to turn right, right? Find out later she really is directionally challenged (she had to re-inform me). I was going to build her a cairn (rock pile to show the direction or about five rocks that blocked  her from turning left but I thought for sure she'd know since we looked right for the valley views the whole time. She second guessed herself and turned right and then left. I called out to some bikers, have you seen a girl in yellow shorts (Melanie), "no". You've gotta be kidding there is no way she already done. I decided the biker was delirious on her uphill she didn't take notice of her surroundings. Then I spotted a runner going uphill. She said Melanie was about 1/2 mile ahead. I told the runner to tell Kim where I was at.  She did.  So I picked it up and wondered, Kim would know to turn right? Oh great maybe she doesn't I should  I turn back? No I will just get Melanie to drive us up to get her. I was almost to the end. It took 3 hours and 23 minutes of running time, a little under Melanie's time except she didn't stop so she was waiting a few minutes at the end. She had a large gouge in her hand and some good scrapes on her thighs and a bruised hip. It was all good now. We all fell. What a dirty bunch of girls we were. Kim came in as her friend Stacy went up on her bike to greet her. A nice coincidence as Stacy was chatting with Melanie at the golf course. Poor Kim. She had it the worse in scrapes and desires never to run this again. Melanie and I plan on running it every year. Next year with biker gloves and knee pads for the way down. Then we can really fly. Better wear a chin pad too. And we won't forget to pray : DDDDDD PS I ran this 12 minutes faster than last year. Yee haw. Still loved the run. 22.5 miles in 3 hours 23 minutes. Burned a million calories. Gonna eat and eat : DDDDD

Very easy.  Walked two minutes then ran with hubby for 4.4 miles.  Pace easy.  Feel really awful.  Achy.  Pollution high I think.  I smell smoke.  Definitely smoke.  Three hours later the inversion doubled with pollution.  Took it real easy to not scare hubby away again.  Pace 8:54.  So lovely.