Believe to Achieve

Ran an easy run with my husband.  Gave my husband an Ironman Timex watch for his birthday Saturday.  Tried it out today.  He is going to get faster now.  My legs slightly stiff at the start but felt quite well after the first mile (9:40).  Which pace we increased to 8:36 by the end (34:59).  Felt I could go faster but trying to keep easy days easy, run smart to avoid injury.  We managed to come in seconds before the wind and rain.  Perfectly planned somehow. Still have this horrid cough, kept me up quite a bit last night, went away on the run, but back as soon as it ended.  I plan on running the Spanish Fork Half this Saturday, got to stay healthy.  I will be happy with anything under 1:40 since I heard it is a flat/rolling hills course.  Anyone do this one and can tell me if this is so? 

Now as I don't know how to switch to the triathlon mode (if anyone knows please comment) I put my biking with my running miles.  Biked to school and back (2 miles) and thought maybe I will crosstrain today with biking 20 as this ridiculous cough is holding me back.  But as  I started to get on my bike I decided to ride to the new PG rec center (3 miles from my house, like the AF recreation center) and try some speed work in case I do the half this weekend.  I began on their new  outdoor track but being made of tires (the track) and very new I got a headache after the first lap from the tire smell.  I finished four easy laps at 9:30 pace then to the recreation center to go on the treadmill.  I did a five minute warmup at 8:57 then increased the pace to 6:40 for an 800 at a  0.5% incline then back to earlier pace for 1:40 then repeated this for a total of four times but increased my pace each time until at 9.4-9.5 miles per hour for the last few minutes (6:19 to 6:23 pace).  I felt I could do at least three more but was getting sick from the smell of cleaners coming from a dispenser in a nearby bathroom door that was open. This recreation center is only two months old so all the new smells were enough for me.  I did brief recoveries to work on my endurance. The cough gone during run but back after the run of course but better during the cool air bike ride home (total bike 29 minutes).  Took it easy on the bike.  Refreshing for my legs.  Now to hydrate and take it easy until Saturday. 

Biked to school and back (2), about to do it again to get my kindergartener.  Got up the focus to do 7 miles at easy pace (8:30 to 8:50 the last five miles).  The first two were up hill and were just at get thru it pace of just under 10:00.  The next three and 1/2  were uphill but not as much and the last one was straight down (1100 north PG).  I took it easy as the nagging cough won't let up and my legs feel heavy from yesterdays speedwork.  Decided to mail in my SF half entry even though I am torn:  will I make my cough linger more or should I help coach the soccer game my daughter is in?  Just found out yesterday that the tournament starts this Saturday and our game is at 8am.  It is double elimination so we still would have one more game if we lose and if we win at least two more after that so I feel I can sacrifice the stress of coaching/watching the game for a good tempo workout that offers so fellow runners.  I like to be involved and wish two good things weren't happening at the same time.  Happens a lot to all of us.  Now to stay healthy and strong until Saturday.  I think I might try to take it real easy at first to do it more tempo then a race. 

Biked to walmart and back at a good pace (7 miles).  Having a good time biking.  I feel so free and fast (faster than running). 

REST DAY.  Felt lazy all day and actually a little depressed.  Without my running my brain dwindles.  I didn't even ride my bike.  I was completely stagnant.  Got to get going tomorrow.

Ran to 600 west and up to farm road and down my 800 route.  Did two by 800 easy at 3:23 and 3:27 (more uphill).  Felt good.  Not sure if good idea to do this before the half tomorrow.  Not even sure about the half tomorrow at all.  A little race anxiety since I don't know the course.  Anyone?  Took 39 minutes.

Okay here is the report:  After my bike crash yesterday and a wicked migraine from the whiplash, I suppose, I tossed and turned and got up to the bathroom 4 times.  I felt achy like I was an old lady that fell and broke a hip.  My knee swelled (serves me right when my neighbor asked yesterday morning "how do your knees hold up?"  I said "my knees are great, they are bionic".  But then I said "I better knock on wood".  Well that didn't work since I crashed on my bike about three hours later).  Tried to think "it's okay" just run thru the swelled knee pain.  I even broke down and took ibuprofen in the middle of the night.  At 530 am I made my way over to SF.  Met PURPLE PONYTAIL WOMAN, KIM.  Great job killing your goal time, Kim.  Anyway, still feeling achy and now chilled (cold at start), I hung out in my car for a few minutes ate two fruit snacks (the wholesome kind that are 100% real).  I talked a little to Josse and Michelle (Fast Women).  I wanted to get under 1:40.  I met that but it wasn't very easy.  I am still feeling achy and flu-like.  But I told myself "just do it" (thanks NIKE) and I would somehow feel good about it later.  I do but I have to say I am disappointed I didn't win one of the zillion great prizes.  Here is my breakdown:

1--  7:42, I better pick it up if I want 1:40 or better

2-- 7:31

3-- 7:50, wrong direction with the time, took GU before this.

4--  7:40 I think my goal is dwindling, unless I do a negative split (HOPE)

5--  7:27

6--  7:52 the hill starts just before here

7--  7:40  decided to be stronger than the hill

8--  7:07  yay a downhill

9--  7:27  that pace didn't last long

10-- 7:19  okay maybe I can get my goal

11--  7:27  not liking my iPOD music, why do I have Philadelphia playing?  Fumbled to find a better uptempo song.

12--  7:29  I am okay with this as now I am at the last mile and plan on picking it up, can I?

13--  7:08  Ahhhh, glad my effort showed on the clock!!

.1--   .37    (6:10 pace I believe, I do a weird way of calculating but I think I got it right).

GRAND TOTAL:  1:38:22, Does that really mean I will get a 3:16:44 at St. George.  Would like to dream so. 

Actually not sore (lactic) after the race.  Just my neck, shoulders, and left knee are sore from the fall on Friday on my bike.  Knee still sore.  Swelling going down.  Hip feels out of place probably the way I ran to not feel the knee so much.  Did some stretching.  Super Duper migraine.  I am used to these but getting real tired of them.  I had one everyday for a year and they ended finally in late June when I changed my diet to grains and no processed foods and avoided all the allergenic foods I was told I was allergic to.  I ate at a friends house on Friday before the race and she had soup  (lots of soups have MSG in them).  I try not to be too fanatic about restrictions so I had some.  Along with my bike wreck, I think I was in trouble for a migraine.  I usually have to wait it out.  Lortab touches it briefly but I only take a half cause I don't want to feel drugged.  Also a mild muscle relaxant too.  I was glad not to feel lactic at all and actually walked just as normal as I do.  I find this hopeful.

Biked to elementary school and back.  Hip out of place causing IT band issues all the way to my left foot.  Darn that fall.  Oh well what doesn't kill us makes us stronger right?  Anyway was nervous about running but really I felt great, yay!!!   No soreness just pure runners pleasure.  Ran with hubby for 3.5 miles at 8:45 to 8:50 pace.  Faster at the end because my husband had fresh legs.  He didn't run Saturday.  He coached my daughter's soccer team.  They won in penaly kicks.  It was AWESOME!!  It came down to the last kicker on each team.  Our goalie dove for the ball!!!  I am so proud of the team of girls we coach.  On to the next tournament game tomorrow night.  I feel really good now that the headache is gone.  I am trying to think of a strategy to get the projected time Michelle and Josse think I could get which is double the SF half time (3:16:44).  I think perhaps more along the lines of 3:20.  My first goal is to beat 3:30.  I think I can do this.  I feel so much better than the last two years I ran.  Two years ago I trained for only 3 weeks and ran a twenty the week before and came in at 3:46 missing Boston by 34 seconds.  I wasn't trying so that was interesting.  The next year 2007 I had this headache that wouldn't go away.  My half times were slower and I had chronic fatigue badly.  I learned I was allergic to perfumes/cleaners/ colognes and slowly got better as I avoid them (still getting better).  I ran in at 3:41:13.  The first half 9 minute miles as I was worried about myself because I was in ER the Tuesday before with a wicked migraine.  The second half I ran in just under 8 minute miles.  I felt great.  This year my half time is much faster and I just did Hope to Hobble (23-24 miles) and felt awesome in the mountain air.  When it was over I felt I could keep going.  I think I will try the Squaw Peak 50 miler next year.  Anyway lengthy report is now over. 

Ran up to Murdock Canal via 1100 North Pleasant Grove.  Always exhilarating.  Many stares (it is steep).  Got there in 16:56 (1.9 miles straight up).   I think my fastest so far and still felt like I had more.  Ran the trail to Lone Peak High School (just below it) and then began my 4 by 1 mile Tempos.  First was 7:36 (with a very steep climb for 0.2 miles and moderate for 0.3 miles) so felt wiped out after mile one that I got water at the firestation park in Cedar Hills and walked to my next mile start just a few trees a way.  Nice and even pace at 7:30.  Then another at 7:32 and my last at 7:23.  There done.  No more for me.  I think tomorrow is a very easy day.  YaY!!! Total miles 10 in 1:25 ( avg 8:30 pace). After first 1.9 miles of uphill pace was 8 for 3.8 miles then slower until 4x1 mile.   Needed GU or some kind of nourishment.  Can't wait for taper starting MONDAY.  Did you all notice triangle lady is gone?  I wrote an email to Sasha.  Thanks Sasha!! 

This was a run to "try" to get rid of my almost four day migraine. It gets worse thoughout the day and goes away while I sleep but back again when I wake. Got to break the cycle eventually or I will be where I was at July 2007 when I had one everyday until last June. Instead of getting better with the run it just kept creeping in stronger and had to take a strong medication, darn it. After my daughter's soccer team win tonite when I got a huge adrenaline rush the head isn't so bad. We won in a shoot off 3-1. We actually didn't have to shoot our last goal with our best kicker. The original score before penalty kick off was 0-0. It was pretty much a mud fest. Even I was covered from the knees down. We play again Saturday morning. When to get my 20 miler in? I tentatively have 430am Saturday on my mind with a new runner friend that I just learned is also running SGM. She hasn't done any long runs yet (except a 13 miler). I figured we would take it easy to end up at a 9:00 pace, nothing strenuous. My body is wanting to taper. My friend will appreciate this. But 430am? The sun won't even rise before we get back. So we will have to gear up warmly and enjoy the night.

Okay so I am not in triathlon mode here. But the miles are 6 biking (to AF recreation center and back). I improved my time with biking by over 1 minute. I heard biking fast helps with running turn over. I hope that is true. It seems I am able to run faster easier since adding in biking. It has stretched out my adductor muscles (inner thighs) and making me more flexible. I also swam 1.5 miles. The first mile I swam consistently moderately fast. I was out of breath after the first half mile so I cut the pace a few seconds the second half of the mile. I swam 1600 meters (a mile) in 34:22. If I kept up with the first half pace I would have been at 33:20. It felt good to slow down. Pretty much this was my ceremonial swim. The bubble to the AF pool is going up starting Saturday so noone can swim at the pool for over a week and then the bubble (goes over the outdoor pool so it is indoors in the winter)will be in place. It is large and white. No windows so the lovely mountain views and open breeze will be gone. I took it all in and will count the months for the openess of pool swimming next Spring. I feel great now that the headache is gone.

I was just going out to do a regular run and got to my first mile spot of a short route I do and was thinking "I feel like I am going at a my usual easier pace". Imagine my surprise to find it was 8:00 minute mile. I was like hey my body must be adjusting up so that an easy pace is actually faster now. My last mile was 7:37 as I did a loop course (just over 4 miles)that I usually do in the winter or an easy run. I was surprised by that time too. The rest day on Wednesday and the pool/bike yesterday must have helped with muscle recovery. Now for tomorrow at 415am... We changed the time to 15 minutes earlier so that my friend could have time to rest if needed at the water stops and I can be back in time for the marathon of soccer games for each of my three girls(8am, 9am and 11am) and not to mention the later BYU home football game. I am exhausted thinking of my schedule. For some reason I am dealing with insomnia. I don't feel tired after I wake up at 3am. So I walk around get a drink and read. What's the deal? Headache is back from the shoulder to the top of my right head. Neighbor had a meeting at her house (outside, because of my allergies) and her scented candles breezed out her back window and hit me hard. I really wish there was an easy cure for this problem. I may have to wear a mask to the starting line of St. George (just kidding, I will just go to a far corner). Count your blessings this isn't one of your allergies. Scents are everywhere and in almost every product. Meanwhile... Hope you are all gearing up for the last long run. Have FUN!!!!

Yay. Its over. Marathon soccer day and marathon early morning run day. Yah we left about 420am. The roads to ourselves(almost). Got to see a cop pull someone over just after our first mile. Thought he was after us. We were actually at a pretty quick pace for starting out (8:30) so we cooled it down a bit. By mile 3.5 we were at a average 8:50. Since Brooke hadn't run her more than 13 yet and has had to bail out on SGM twice in the past I thought it wise to go easy. It was however a hilly course as PG, Highland, Alpine and Cedar Hills terrain have enough of them. It was about 9 uphill and 9 down. With just over two of flatter terrain. Well we stopped probably a total of 11 minutes. She had her GARMIN. First experience having a GARMIN at my side. Somehow after mile twelve stop it was turned off. We noticed this after about two miles or 17 minutes on my watch. So after restarting it and getting back to home we were at 18.78 so we added 2 miles and rounded down in case it was just under two miles. So total miles= 20.7. Average pace with all the stops 9:38. So with 11 minutes of stops calculated off the pace that makes our running pace average at 9:05. The big uphills we took it real easy on but our last three going all downhill were at 8:15 based on my watch. The weather was perfect. I got home to my husband ready in the car to take off to the first of three soccer games. Our other car broke down the day before so I had to quickly switch shirts, grab a snack and take off for game 1. Middle daughter Brooke scored four goals. Then played goalie most of second half and didn't get to touch the ball. Troy left me there to get to our oldest daughter's tournament game. Needless to say I arrive 10 minutes into the game (got a ride to field from Brooke's coach) with one sick child (she spiked a fever while watching Brooke's game) but she kept me warm as I was chilling in the cool dew morning. Sadly we lost (1-0) as I had to take a potty break (the bathrooms are on the opposite side of Discovery park, a journey). I get back in time to see my awesome goalie forget her position and go to kick a wet ball, miss and the other team score. She loves being goalie and does well. She just forgot to use her hands two minutes into the second half. She played offense the first half. We tried to score and dominated from there on out but the refs looking at their watches blew the whistle. I was timing it too and they ended it two minutes early. I was a sore loser coach. The refs have done this at a few games because they look at what time it is not their timer. ARGGGHH!!! If I was just ten steps earlier/closer to my goalie she would have heard me say "use your hands". It is not up to a goalie to win so I knew we could score. But darn those refs. And thank goodness this is only 5th and 6th grade. Bur our team had worked hard. And we beat the team they lost to last twice. So it was hard to take. This is why I like running. It is solo. You can speed up or you can slow down. You are your own captain. You set your own PRs and you can control yourself. As a team you got to do it together. If one player decides to stay up until 2am and another has a baptism to go to an hour after the game so doesn't come, the team is weakened. I love team spirit. But running will always be my first love.

Ran up 600 west.  Again glad to see my easy feeling pace was an 8 minute mile.  I continued on  then for a total of five miles.  The last mile felt very relaxed and not at all pushed or difficult breathing and was a 7:22.  I hope to be feeling this good a SGM especially the last half when I plan on picking it up a bit.  Total time= 38:45.  Piriformis  (hip)muscle feeling better after looking up some stretches on the internet and using my hand massager.  I am also trying some visualization.  I hear what you can conceive you can achieve.  So everyone get visualizing your best case scenario.  Let's see how we turn out.  Good luck.  Enjoy. 

Ran easy with husband back from Elementary School walk to school day (one mile there walking and one mile back running 8:52).  COSMO was our crossing guard.  Pretty fun for the kids.  Then we ran another 4.2 miles around the Mt. Timponogos Temple  and back home.  Last mile easy but at 7:57 pace.  Enjoyable run with husband.  I feel like soccer should still be going on.  PG starts too early then of course ends too early.  It is fall.  Time to still play soccer.  Got to get my girls involved in the other leagues to still be playing I guess.  Count down.  Not too long now for the big day at SGM. 

Something is going wrong with my computer.  I can no longer type in my mileage.  Very freaky.  It just gives me a list to choose from.  So here goes without the ability to add the miles this is what  I did.  I first ran about 2.4miles warm-up to my 800 route.  I ran 6 x 800.  I felt great the first four the last two (wanting negative splits) were more difficult.  But I achieved my goal of going faster each time.  I ran at 1000am to simulate St. George heated conditions.  Probably will be hotter if the weather doesn't change soon down there.  Anyway my splits were with an 800 meter recovery run back to the start of about 4:30 minutes to 6 minutes after each one except the last when I just kept running to my house 1.2 miles away.  Again here goes: 

1. 3:12

2. 3:10

3. 3:09

4. 3:06

5. 3:05

6. 3:04

Total miles 9.2.  Glad only one more intense speed work left  next week.  Running 15 this Saturday.  Can't wait to hear how my friends do at TOU this Saturday.  Wish they made it into SGM with me.  But good for them to try a different one. 

Ran with husband for an easy loop to American Fork Hospital and around their little outdoor trail and back home.  Getting warm at 1000am.  Taking it easy today and Friday.  Running down AF canyon from Tibble Fork Reservoir Saturday.  Kim Taylor, a speedy friend, wants to run it in 7:30 pace.  With the downhill that may be fine.  Not sure if I do marathon pace or not.  I guess it is a good idea and okay two weeks before.   She wants to do 12,  I wanted to do 15 so we compromised and we are running 13.5.  If  it feels easy I should cross my fingers and hope it does for 26.2 miles at St. George.  Any advice if marathon pace is what we should be doing?  What is everyone else doing this Saturday?  Have a great run. 

No not a long run.  I biked my running route from last Saturday with a few cuts.  I was going to just do 10 but then it was such nice weather I kept going.  My back started to ache so it was getting long but luckily  on the downhill I could just stop pedaling and straighten up.  Lots of hills in Alpine.  More noticeable on a bike.  Lots of bikers out too.  I loved the ease of biking (minus back issues) with the cool breeze brushing over my face.  It was a feel good easy workout.  Should have done shorter since running hard tomorrow.  The problem with biking is non-observant cars.  As I started out after helping in my daughter's 2nd grade class, I almost did the exact fall as two weeks ago.  I was cursing myself, "not the knee again, you knuckle head Julie".  Somehow I saved myself  but only a few yards ahead I was nearly  taken out by the opening of a car door on the street side where I was riding.  I swerved, got an adrenaline rush then thought "if I ran into that door, all my training down the drain" .  Maybe I should go home and skip the biking.   But as you read above I stuck it out.  What a beautiful ride.  Hope all of you have tried the pleasures of cross-training like swimming or biking.  Try it.  It really gives certain muscles a break.  ENJOY. 

Met up with Kim at her house (1 mile jog-9:18) at 550 am.  Drove to temple to pick up Jane and Becca.  Kim and I have run a few times together before.  Just met Jane and Becca.  They are the same pace so we had a good run after driving and parking at Tibble Fork Reservoir (AF canyon).  Ran all miles under 8 and 7 miles were at 7:30 pace.  My legs were tired from yesterdays bike ride.  I knew I would pay for it.  Not much traffic in the canyon.  Did not  feel like I was going to be run over this time.  We ran to the golf course from the street that Lone Peak is on and parted ways with Becca and Jane as they wanted to only do 12 and head straight back to the temple.  We ran on the golf course running trail and up that steep hill (good thing it is brief) and over to the "farm" road.  We were then 3 miles from my house.  So our time was 1:47:46 and having lost the garmin effect with our former running buddies we were left to our own analysis.  We kept up the pace.  Kim is going to do great at St. George.  I was getting winded that the last 0.3 I slowed on a steep downhill.  I think we were at 715 pace.  My last mile by myself was cool down and since I know where the marker was I could tell just slowing down wasn't much slowing down (8:14) so the previous pace was probably as I described.  Then off I went to the two last soccer games of my daughters. Both at the same time so we (Troy and I) did the half-time switch.  He coached Amber's first half (6 goals) and I her second.  Brooke's team finally met up with a team that would make them work (2-1).  Brooke has been getting a cold and seemed "not herself"  on the field.  She managed to make a pass to her teammate right in front of the goal for the win.  Of course I missed it as I was up watching Amber monopolize all the 4 and 5 year olds.  The other coach said "wow that girl is good, she will probably make the olympics some day".  That was nice of him to say.  It would be great to see if she continues to be aggressive in the years to come.  Her dad is a soccer maniac but he hasn't taught her to play at all.  So interesting.  Must be a born into talent.  Why am I going on like this I know not.  I was all excited to view "live results" of the TOU game like their website says "click here" but not apparently working.  Bummer.  Cool idea though.  I am skipping out on the home BYU game today and the next two.  I am letting each of my daughters go to one game.  Then I will go to the last.  I am tired of sitting for four hours especially after the last two when I had just run super duper long runs.  Go Cougars!!  Hope all you had some good runs today.  Congrats on the TOU runners.  YOU"RE DONE!!!! HURRAY.  Unless of course you are running the Grand Slam.  Then we will see you in two weeks. 

Not doing anything.  My back and left knee are giving me trouble.  Over did it with the bike ride  Friday and tempo Saturday.  My calves feel really tight, not lactic just tight.  I am sure a good rest day will do me good.  My body is screaming for it.  Also, my headaches have been awful.  But today it has mellowed out.  I love to run in the rain so I hope some of you got out there in it.  I am in that "did I do the right training?" frame of mind right now.  Sometimes thinking I should just get the 330 marathon and not push it.  Then the other half of me says " this is it, you are almost forty, I can do it (3:20)".  I guess I have to wait to see how the race day "magic" might induce stronger feelings or contrary. 

Ran with husband Troy an unusual but scenic route after 1.5 miles.  First mile 8:05.  Fresh legs always feel great.  We toned it down after that to about 8:20 to 8:30.  The last mile was 7:28 though.  My husband knew where the mile marker was and began to pick it up.  I felt comfortable at the half mile mark left (4:00) but he kept picking it up as I tried to stay with him.  I was like hey slow down I need to be careful of  my knee.  The darn knee/hip is really putting a damper on things.  It can't hold up for 25.2 miles at that pace (7:30) unless I can do the mind over matter game or get some relief soon.  I think my hip is out of place.  I need some tweaking at the left hip.  It causes pain to radiate the length of the sciatic nerve--hip, hamstring, side of knee, to the bottom and inward side of my foot.  Reminds me of my last months of pregnancy.  I am trying ibuprofen and even walked around doing laundry with an ice wrap.  Not good as I didn't notice it had fallen low off the wrap and was pretty much giving me a freezer burn.  Got to pay attention to my icing techniques.  This is marathon laundry day so I can't rest and ice.  Got to keep going, and going.  Will hopefully rest at the park while my kids have piano.  How do you get a hip back in place without seeing a chiropracter?  Or how much does Dr. Brady cost?  I don't have an insurance that covers chiropractic care.   Thanks for any advice. 

Ran a simulation heat run at 2pm for only two miles.  I was too busy with kids off to school, car repairs and cleaning to get a run in early plus the muscle relaxant flexeril put me in a daze the first half of the day I was lucky to get any tasks done.    I will definitely not take that med close to the marathon.  Benadryl last year was bad enough.  My first mile nice and easy 9:45 and last mile8:41.  Hip feels normal I think.  Apparently it is really relaxed.  I still feel slightly dazed.  I did ride my bike to school and back twice and to pick up my daughter then to pick up our car at the shop (6.5 miles).  New brakes and exhaust fixing up needed to pass inspection.  Already for the drive to SGM.  I can't believe it is getting to be the week mark.  The weather is a lot warmer than last year and it seems it will hold up.  That means one glass of water for my mouth and one for my body at the aid stations.  I don't do well in heat.  But the water bath helps.  Happy running!!!

1040am run (another warm weather simulation)--Brief warm up of 3 minutes before running my 5K route I mapped around my neighborhood a year ago.  Short run for I had some appointments to get to.  First mile I was thinking I sure hope this is faster than race pace (it was) cause while it felt fine I didn't think it could feel fine for 26.2 miles.  It is a hilly course so that made me more hopeful of my ability, but only time will tell.  Here goes:  mile 1:  7:08    Last 2.1 miles: 14:30 (I don't remember where mile marker two is so  I did a cumulative).  Total 5k time=  21:38.  With some figuring that meant my last two miles were at 6:54 pace.  Wow.  The 800s have paid off.  This time was faster than my Nestle 5K in June which is an easier course so I feel good about my effort.  My heart was skipping beats at the end probably due to sugary pancake syrup just before the run.   I like to run with not much in me for that reason.  Effort felt strong/hard but not all out.  So someday maybe I will do under a 21 minute 5K.  Maybe racing it will help my pace.  I am glad it is over.  Quick workout.  Brief cool down of 0.4 miles.  Now time to bask in laziness (and  in ice on  the darn left sciatic nerve), except for a 10 miler  on Saturday (I am going to go a lot slower than last Saturday) and a short tempo run next week and maybe 2x800 meters somewhere in there.  It should feel good to be over quick with speed workouts and cut the mileage way down.   Good luck to all my running blogging friends!!! 

Just biked to school and back twice (4 miles).  My headache is pretty intense.  I describe it as burning pain to the back of the right side of my head that shoots up to the right side of my face and eye and down to my lumbar region of my back.  Intense burning.  It also goes down my right arm at times.  I just grit my teeth most days and fight hard not to be too concerned.  After many doctors I think my next step is chiropractic/acupuncture.  I am sure I brought this on with my run yesterday as I described in an earlier post about my brain malformation.  This is just bad timing to get this intense.  I will still run 10 tomorrow.   I won't let this get me.  It just gets old.    I have read a lot of you bloggers are getting stomach trouble.  I would recommend avoiding food handled by others (going out to eat) the next week.  Big bad bugs are out there and they don't stop food handlers from working with your food.  I sound paranoid but it is so true.  Once I had a waitress tell me as she was waiting on us that she felt awful worse than ever (she sounded it too) but couldn't call in.  Scary.  I tried to remain calm.  I am nurse by the way on a NICU so we are pretty obsessive there.  Hence my philosophy on eating out and staying healthy the week before a marathon. Happy eating!!!  Oh and take some probiotics!!!

If only I had a garmin I would stop this extra mileage problem.  It is just that when I envision a route and think it is only 10 miles then get to where it is about halfway and realize the way back is longer and we our over time oops, oh well.  But this darn knee hip problem is really acting up.  Sooo  I am going to a chiropracter my friend Melanie swears by that works out of Provo.  My hip is definitely the problem but then my knee throbs.  The piriformis muscle is the issue (deep in the hip).  A good wack to the hip (back in place) oughta do it.  Everything feels good except the leg which pain is not easy to run fast thru.  So we slowed it down a bit to help relax my hip.  Average pace 8:30.  Then off to lagoon  with my family for we had free tickets for food and parking and the park thru my father-in-laws work.  It was pretty much marathon amuzement day (I don't do any wild rides due to my headaches).  12 hours of continous walking.  I was exhaused that I finally slept for 7 hours straight.  I am still dealing with insomnia so this was good for me.  Plan for this week:  Rest, Recover, Refocus, Remember.  If I can take the time to do all this I should be ready. 

I had taken a muscle relaxant, flexeril (1/4 of a pill) to try to get rid of the intense burning pain in my neck that radiates to my eye, shoulder, arm and lumbar region.  I then threw them all out because they make me drowsy/fog-like and irritable as well as extremely thirsty.  It did not take away the pain.  I have had this pain linger on for weeks at a time.  Finally I am going to a chiropracter at 900 am Tuesday.  I feel like a very poor aligned automobile where my bones are actually rubbing against each other impinging nerves all over my spine.  I hope it goes well.  I did eventually manage to get out of my house after cleaning my kitchen floors (won't be able to move well to do this next week, want all my cleaning done so I can relax post-marathon).  It was 1100am when I got started and first just stood in my front yard thining how am I going to make it thru with this burning pain?  But I remember it does go away if I continue on in my run (but returns right when I do).  So I ran 5.4 miles.  First mile 9:03 with each mile feeling easier and easier I ended up with my last mile at 7:30 and it felt easy.  The heat simulation run was good for me to.  I figure it should benefit me cause I hate the heat and it will actually be cooler on race day so running should feel easier?  Well the remainder of the day I just gritted my teeth living for tomorrow (my chiropracter appt).  No meds touch the pain so I figure a skeleton doctor could do the trick from what I have heard from you all.  Stay tuned for outcome of my tune-up.  Total time running:  44:30.

NO running as my burning headache had been pretty bad and wanted to focus on my appointment at 9am.  The chiropracter Dr. Bowers in Provo said my neck was shifted to the right at the first vertebrae and I have tons of trigger points (part of the fibromyalgia diagnosis I stear away from thinking I really have) and muscle knots (same thing I guess)  along my shoulders, pecs (upper chest) and under my arms and down my  right arm.  I was told in June I had carpal tunnel, elbow tunnel (don't know the true name for it) and thoracic outlet.  Dr. Bowers said they were all related to the same muscle underneath my arms by my chest from all the knots and no blood flow, hence nutrients getting to this area very well.  I tend to agree with him since surgery to open up spaces is not an option for me.  He massaged the areas of concern for 20 to 30 minutes then adjusted my neck, shoulders and back.  He even tried to adjust my TMJ I have had for years.  Yup I have that too.  I am a walking malalignment.  I was in two car accidents and hit a tree with my head (pretty hard, knocked out my baby front teeth and gave me 16 stitches and a doozy scar on my forehead) when I was six years old.  I also fell down the stairs with my walker when I was 1 my  mom said and landed hard on my head. This is speculated to cause my TMJ.  Never knew chiropractics could have straightened me out then.  Dr. Bowers actually adjusts babies too that have rough deliveries.  The TMJ is not a covered item with insurance (some pay $1000 towards care for it if you are lucky) although it is a joint in the body used everyday like a knee, very interesting.  A well-known TMJ specialist said he could fix mine plus braces to realign the way I bite for $7000.  Can't justify it unless money fell from the sky.  But sometimes the tension in my jaw, the continued locking of it and my headaches sway me otherwise.  Sorry this is going on and on.  But after 39 years I try to just deal with it all.  I refuse to be one of the many people I see come in thru my work (I am a NICU nurse) addicted to pain killers (yup they just had babies too!).  Well after the marathon, scraping of my shoulders is indicated and ultrasound waves to my neck.  Probably a good leg massage as well.  If you made it this far or even if you are about to fall asleep, thanks for hanging in.  I will now focus on SGM even though through a blog you never know what people are really dealing with so everyone have a good three days of taking it easy, analyzing, breathing in and out, eating well, sleeping as best you can, and be greatful for our gift of being able to run.