Believe to Achieve

okay so i put on my ol' brooks pureflow cause i am trying out shoes like i should be a wear tester....i just can't find the perfect shoe.... well I got a new pair of brooks pureflow in the mail yesterday (not the ones I wore today, they are black, the new ones are purple ).   Okay so I put them on and walk around and do a few jogs in my house....I am so lovin' them.  THEN I look down at them--- something doesn't look right--- welll I got them for 59.99 on ebay for being worn once and they look VERY much brand new-- now wear on the sole at all--- not sure where the person wore them-- anyway-- the fabric on the toes is the same color but the pattern is different on each shoe!!!  It's like having fabric you cut for a bathing suit in one continuous strip for both shoes so the shoes don't look the same....do you get what I am saying??  Of course I couldn't wear them today... I need to talk to the store that sold them to me... factory defect??? not sure.  will look at Kim's to see if it just how they make the shoes.  Otherwise they felt sweet on my feet.  I am a symmetrical kind of gal so not sure if I can take the assymetry which is weird cause I am not symmetrical in my body at all!!   Meant to guess that I was running 12 miles today (no pace just a running clock I looked at occasionally).  Apparently I was running faster than I thought--  cause I went over .38 miles.  AP 8:17 (thought it was about 8:30 to 8:35) for 12.38 hilly into Cedar Hills miles all over up and down!! lovely fall weather at 9:40am. 

daughter couldn't sleep again so she climbed into bed next to me.  slept okay nonetheless.  slept until alarm went off at 715am.  got kids out the door and drove two to school and off I went running after a bowl of oatmeal with apple slices.  no sugar.  i am trying to come off sugar yet again.  it is making me achy and tired.  this run was not easy.   legs felt sluggish.  i am sure 12plus miles yesterday in shoes i haven't worn running in a while contributed.  ran a hilly route with some really good climbs.  luckily i ended on a good downhill but my body was so achy it didn't help my speed at all.   Ran in time mode again.  Wanted 10.6 miles and when I got home and reset my watch I had run 10.86 miles.  Phew!!  AP 8:18 pace.  No wonder I wasn't really going too easy pace I guess.  I thought I was.  I like this new effort based running.   btw EVERYONE I NOW HAVE TEXTING!! YUP I MADE IT LONG ENOUGH without it.  I just can't wait to text all my friends now and bug the heck out of them!!! :D   LOL.   smiley face.  ; D.    PS  LOOK at my MIZUONO orange mileage--- almost 600 miles baby!! they have absolutely NO traction left on the toes!!

easy tired miles before work at 445am-- 8:30 AP.    weather not too bad. 

Alleluyah for the ENDING of Daylight savings!!!  seriously I am like a whole new person on this schedule!!  (recall the disaster last March, daylight savings start date, when I got injured trying to keep to my running schedule with one less hour and working??!! so running at 4am was really 3am for a while there!!!  )  Seriously on my drive home from the gym this morning I was wondering why life looked better-- ahhhh it was lighter in the morning after getting up in the dark to run at 530am on the TMs.   My circadian rhythm was messed up for 7 months and now I get only a few short months of this glory when it will be taken away again!!  I know for NON morning people this makes NO sense at all but truly this way is for me!!  I could go on and on with this revelation.  As I drove to the gym this did not dawn on me but I got there right at 530am and hopped on the TM.   No plan at all.  Thought perhaps 10 miles should do the trick.  Felt a little bloated and running is such a great detox!!    I  had no idea where I should start. I have this nagging knee cap pain that I notice when I walk downstairs-- more like joint fluid low or something-- ever since the half marathon in the uncushioned new shoes.  But running doesn't seem to bother it.  Trail running would I believe.  Okay this is what I impromptu ran--  8 progressive miles until the TM timer was about to go off at 60 minutes.  Reset TM and ran two more miles.  All at 1 percent.  It was a progressive run-- miles at 8:13, 8:00, 7:47, 7:35, 7:24, 7:14, 7:03, and last mile at 6:34 AP  (I kept upping the pace every lap til I got to 10mph --6mm briefly).  Then I quickly got a drink of water and ran two more miles starting easy at 7:30 pace but ended with a 7:03 average for the two miles cause I kept upping the pace and got down to a 5:46 pace briefly.  I felt good.  I wasn't tired at all.  All effort felt comfortable.  This way of running on the TM is like a frog in  cold water pot turning up the heat ever so slowly :D.  Hence why I didn't notice any effort changes.  AP for entire 10 miles = 7:20.   Cooled down 1/2 mile jog at 7:45 or so AP.  Loved this run.   Loved driving home in daylight at 7am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    I am glad I figured myself out. 

Early morning run at 540am.  Broke my neighborhood boundaries and just went where I wanted--- ended up at the outdoor track at AFH-- ran 3 miles easy at 7:32 AP then headed home again.  Feel really great.  Watch in time mode only so used the laps to tell me.   AP for 8.77 miles 7:55.   THEN went marathon couponing/grocery shopping.  Saved tons.  THEN went on a 15 mile bike ride on the Canal (newly paved : D) in 1:20 minutes.    It was measured with my friends bike odometer.  We were just strolling.  The only hard part was the steep climb up 1100 north to the canal.  Awesome!!  The day was perfect.  THEN  I took five minutes to VOTE for the next president (and others).    MOre to come-- staff meeting at 1700 then Activity Days (I am 8 year old leader) at 7pm.    Finished watching Anne of Green Gables last night with my girls :D. 

8 miles with Rachelle starting at Macey's in Orem and heading into the wind up Provo Canyon, 4 up/back.  Ran into Melody on the way back :D  and she ran with us back to Macey's.  Wore shorts again.  Probably the last day for a while.  Then power cleaned the bathrooms (three) and vaccumed.  Tired.  Just tried blackstrap molasses-- great source of iron, magenisium and calcium.  Currently have a headache from the intenseness of the taste of one tablespoon.  NEVER again.  Now to find some recipes to use up the bottle.  I can't believe how nasty it tasted.  Not one anyone could get used to.  Like bitter chocolate but worse.  Wooo this headache is my body's way of saying-- HELL--O!!!  Back to the liquid iron-- pricey but worth it.  AP today 8:01 for 8.07 miles.  First mile about 8:50.

day off. taking one once a week besides Sunday when I work.   no need to push it right now.  can't make shoe decisions.  Sent back two pair.  Back to Pegasus 29.  They just feel so comfy.  I walked around in them all day.  I wore them for the marathon (different color) and now here I am wearing them again.  I swear I have some brain defect-- the next day the same shoe that I thought felt good doesn't feel right.  BUT on the plus I wore them at SG and PRed and NO blisters.   Want to try the mizuno precision 13s but have not seen them in the stores yet and the 12 were just TOO flexible and wore down too easily.  They realized this -- I think-- and made a sturdier material.  Wish I was a wear tester for shoes cause finding the perfect shoe ain't easy.  Apparently I am running the Thanksgiving Fleet Feet 5k with Rachelle.  Hopefully I can stay within viewing distance from her!!    Our goal is sub 20.  We haven't been into much speed lately.  And you never know how the weather will be.  Not to mention how ridiculous the course is looping and turning. 

nike pegasus 29 grey/lime    couldn't sleep so got out at 445am.  after reading rachelle's TM workout and the fact that we are running a 5k together on Tday I thought I better try some sw too.  So ran the same workout out side.  Put garmin in interval mode and ran a warm up of 2.28 miles in 8:31 pace then straight into the 15 min on/offs.    So wanted to stop at 10.  In fact after 12 I stopped my watch for 15 seconds to catch my breath and did it again at 13.  I had no idea of pace.  Just ran by feel and I was quite worried that my effort that felt hard would end up being a 6:20 or so.   But just had to wait and see.  I didn't even know how my offs were.  Just felt like I was slowly jogging those.  Here are the splits- 5:59/7:50   5:58/7:45   5:47/8:12  5:53/7:42   6:04/8:19   5:58/8:13   5:59/7:57   6:00/8:34  5:57/8:21   6:09/8:00   5:52/8:43   6:09/8:22   5:59/8:25    6:21(car, had to stop or would have been in ER)/8:35   5:53/8:19.   AP for ons = 5:58.5 !!!  Offs AP 8:11.  Cool down only .16 miles at 8:23.  Time for work.  Wanted to vomit up my Panda Express and little Caesars Pizza from my meals the day before.  Seriously got to work on proper nutrition at these times.  My nikes felt awesome on my feet.  And I BEAT THE STORM.  I wore shorts and shortsleeves!!  The wind was picking quite a bit but it felt more like a nice cool off then a bother.  It was the calm before the storm.  It started to rain as  I drove to work 10 minutes later.  Legs feel great now.  Busy 13.5 hour shift.  It is now snowing hard and my kids are making a snow fort in the front yard.  Wish we got our leaves up sooner!!

Up til midnight.  Two of my daughters crawled into my bed with me while my husband stayed up.  Woke again at 250am.  Then at 4am then alarm at 520am.  Drove Kim and myself to Jane's in Highland.  Ran to the Canal trail (nicely paved now with just a few diversions until complete).  We had a few good hills too.  Jane is 0.3 miles to the canal.  We ran about 3/4 miles after canyon road (6mile turn around).  It was cold but the snowy setting was quite beautiful.  AP 7:26 for 12 miles.  Tired the last two miles.  Not sure of mile splits.  Still off on my garmin.  Our AP at halfway was 7:35.  Lovin' my shoes.  My feet are being spoiled.  They aren't achy anymore. 

dead tired at 930pm so fell asleep fast.  woke once and got up at 530am.  slowly made my way over to the rec at 6am.  Ran on the TM for 10 miles @ 1 % incline. Started at 8:13 pace, then 8:06 for a mile then 8:00, 7:53, 7:47, 7:41, 7:35, 7:30 then two at 6:31 pace-- TM burnt out in the first 3/4 of the 9th fast mile.  Completely died.  It was shaking quite a bit so maybe it shook lose the cord.  No time to assess.  No one left on the TMs (were all taken when I got there) so hopped right on the next one.   NO wobbling at the 9.2 mph pace.  Still at ONE percent grade.  Finished off the last five laps.  Increased the pace the last  1/4 mile from 6:22 down to 6:15 for a fast get it done finish.   Tired today probably because IT WAS SOOOO HOT in the REC center!!! Turn down the heat already!!  I think cause the TMs are upstairs and the frontdesk people are seen thru the mezzanine that all their hot air they keep turning on rises as usual.  I also wore compression socks.  Both together made me feel more heat.  Feel great now.  No soreness from any of my runs this week with my NEW nike pegasus 29s!!   :D    Oh yah!!  a shoe that doesn't make me feel creaky!!

just too cozy in my bed and couldn't get out to run.  worked all day though.

so couldn't sleep when I awoke at 4am so I got out earlier than planned-- 420am.  Ran for 72 minutes at UNknown pace until I reset my watch.  Thought this would for sure get my wanted 8 miles. VERY surprised I was at 8.95 miles and 8:02 AP!!  I seriously thought this was a "jog".  I am coming to life.  So glad.  So of course I zipped around my cul de sac to get that 9 miles.  Came indoors and noticed red stripes on my abdomen and chest.  Oops.  It didn't feel cold at all to me.  Felt really quite nice.  Must be my sweat freezing up in those areas.  Worked all day.  Long day teaching and working (student nurses with me the last two days).  Babies still rule!!

no idea of pace or distance til back from run with kim and jane in highland.  felt faster than usual from the get go-- when kim's watch beeped at one mile I looked at my stop watch mode I had my garmin in-- 7:50.  It was freezing and it took that one mile to warmup to even want to go that pace.  We ran the big dip down and up in Alpine to the Eternal Fountain. Stopped for a drink (along with one other potty stop before mile one --- let jane and i catch our breath, thanks kim!!  and just after mile 1 to have kim take off her jacket and stow it).  It was very dark the whole time except the last mile.  It was also VERY busy on that road with the dip. We had to dodge to different sides of the roads often to stay safe.  Some other runner group was going the other way and said to us "slow down!!".  Obviously to them we were going fast.  AP ended up at 7:14 for 8.46 miles.  Aerobically felt good and my legs too except I was cold and stiff if that makes sense.  Should be interesting-- sw at the AF track with speedy Rachelle.  Can you say nausea??

saucony fives first time since before SG marathon.  can you say flat and feeling the ground beneath you??  37 degrees and I wore shorts meeting Rachelle at 6am at Mtn View track.  We warmed up outside of the track for 2.63 mile (8:29 AP)  then did the ladder workout inspired by Melody-- 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 800, 600, 400, 200.    Started out fine then I quickly became nauseated not necessarily from running too fast but from whatever I ate yesterday, being rather cold-- shunting blood away from my stomach to warm by extremities and anxiety of running with the GREAT Rachelle SPEEDSTAR.  I have a hard time running against my friends and most of my track time is seriously mental as I am not sore or feel too tired now but I am super nauseated still.  Darn those Cougar Tales and long afternoon in the freezing cold-- we watched two soccer games yesterday-- one at 3pm (we got there at 330pm) Princeton vs Marquet and then BYU vs Auburn at 6pm.  A complete adrenaline rush game shivering but finally warmed with the first and only goal scored by BYU with 43 seconds left in the game -- Penalty SHOT by Carly Payne-Holmo.  SWEEET!!    I so wanted to back out on Rachelle but I am not a quitter most of the time so I just had to show up.  I got to bed just after 1030pm after taking a 1/4 xanax.  Haven't had to take anything to fall asleep since before SG but last night I was so hyped up having seen the two games and GETTING a smartphone  for the very first time (and texting for the first time 1 1/2 weeks ago!!).  Geez more distractions is all I need.  Okay back to the work out.  We tried to stick to McMillan paces for a 19:45 5k.   Funny the longer we went the easier it was for us to hit our goal!!  We are more long distance runners for sure.   The way up I hit the goals and quite on the faster end for the 800 and 1000meters.  Rachelle was always 1 to 3 seconds ahead.  Maybe 4 one of them can't remember.  I was so nauseated I thought I was going to poop my pants.  My stomach was not happy.  Okay here are the splits: 

200-- 39.62     Goal-- 36- 40.8    cd  200    met goal

400-- 1:24.65    Goal-- 1:25-1:29   cd 400    little faster than goal

600--   2:12.27   Goal-- 2:05-2:11    cd 600    slower by 1 second

800--  3:01.10     Goal--  2:59- 3:07.8   cd 400    met goal

1000-    3:49.62    Goal--  3:45- 3:58   cd  600     met goal

800--  3:01.37     cd  400    met goal

600-- 2:16.65     cd 200   slower by 5 seconds!!

400--   1:27.66     cd 200   met goal

200--  40.67       cd 200    met goal

CD 1.75 miles  8:51 pace.     Total mileage-- 9.35.  Garmin of course says we ran longer.  Gotta love track accuracy!! BTW I thought it best to start just after Rachelle instead of worrying about one of us taking the outside track after the first three ladders.  This was mental to see Rachelle pull away easily.  I only had enough to hang on. 

so very tired when alarm went off at 5am.  8:15AP for 4.1 miles.  Thought I was at a 8:45 pace so that is good.  Wet out.  Super busy day at work.  Now draining all my adrenaline watching BYU women's soccer after double OT go to Penalty Kicks in order to advance to the "Elite 8".  I can barely watch.  My husband and two of my daughters at the game.  I got home at 6:35pm.  I am shaking with anxiety for BYU.  Crossing fingers!!

barely any sleeping last two nights-- Saturday night due to too much excitement from the BYU Women's Soccer game that ended with double overtime then penalty kicks-- 8 each.  Very intense.    BYU won.   : D.   Then church early 9am. Then dinner with mother and sister's family at my house.  THEN no sleep again-- 3 hours!!  I was wide awake at 1am.  It was awful.  My stomach was giving me so much grief.   Restless the rest of the night when  I got up at 545am I could barely move.  I thought long about totally not running today knowing I had a long shopping day with my mother ahead.  In fact I just got back and still feel very restless.   And for some reason my PF is coming back on both feet.  I am quite sure it is from being very run down.   I got on the TM at 610am and ran at 8:13 pace for one mile then random paces down to 7:41 pace for a little bit before doing some 1 min on/offs.  Inspired once again by Rachelle last week after our SW.    She of course planned way more than I ever wanted to do when she mentioned  running them and CERTAINLY today with little sleep and so much anxiety I just could not push myself.  I ran 8  x 1 minutes  on/off with ons at 10.0 mph  x 2 (6:00), 10.1 x 4  (5:56),   10.2 x 2 (5:52).   Offs at  7.5 mph (8:00).  All at 1% incline.  Got the eight miles done in 60:20....would have been faster but the TMs automatically slow at 60 minutes and change to cooldown so I have to up the pace from zero again.  I was at 7.98 miles at 60 minutes.    But all is well.  Got it done.    : D.   Probably will have nothing left for Thanksgiving day. 

okay Rachelle, here goes some writing.     Just couldn't go running a 5am after going to be at near midnight.  Woke at 7am feeling a scratchy throat.  Holiday stress early as my mother is in town and she likes to spoil my sister and I and our kids.   We shopped all day yesterday and then watched a movie Monday night with the kids at home.  We also went to dinner at IHOP.  We all devoured our food. Nothing left on anyone's plate.  Shopping can do that to you.  Oh yah....I went running before the day of shopping began again and ONLY had a limited amount of time.  Didn't even have time to TEXT on my new phone!!!  Because of limited time I allowed myself only 60 minutes of running.  Watch in stopwatch mode-- I went 7.58 miles in 60 minutes so 7:55 pace.   I did a twisting hilly route running random roads and lots of angles-- and then I thought of the stupid 5 k I am running--- lots of hair pin turns.  We ended the day with a trip to SubZero ice cream.  My mother's favorite.  The day consisted of driving back and forth to the shops by Kohls in AF and then up to Kneaders in Lindon to meet sister for lunch after stopping at my daughter Amber's forth grade class to give the cooked corn to for their holiday meal. I ate some mashed potatos and a little turkery there too.  I was famished from the go go go.  YUMMY!!  took pictures.  Later my mom and I redesigned my bedding and bathrooms (three) and my Courtney's bedding while my girls were at Activity Days and Young Womens.  SO thankful for the WARM weather!!!!  We ended our evening watching the movie "Mirror Mirror".  Quite a witty film.  We like it.  My mother hadn't seen it and enjoyed it.  Bed at MIDNIGHT.  Yikes.  So overtired and getting sick.

Woke with more body aches and a worse sore throat.  Quickly took in some Airborne and vitamin c.  My mother had to leave my house by 9am to catch her flight and going to bed at midnight, feeling sick was not conducive to early rising.  Got out the door for a short EASY what I thought was a 9 mm pace for only 54 minutes (740am).   Got back in time for a short shower and right into my car with my three girls and my mother to drive up to the airport. AGAIN so thankful for the warmer weather.  AND so thankful to my mom who so graciously spoils us all!!  Really wish she lived here year round instead of visting just twice a year (one week in November and two weeks in May).  It was such a short week as she spent 3.5 days with my sister and 3.5 days with me.  And now sadly she is not here again.  AP today 8:22 for 6.45 miles.  So random and nothing but my garmin in stopwatch mode.  I know I have said this several times lately but it lets me focus on me instead of the time.  I run by feel and today 8:22 felt like 9 pace so that is a good sign especially with having a lovely sore throat and lots of body aches.  Guess I will just shoot for surviving the 5k tomorrow.  Really bummed to be sick now.  Oh well. 

Met Rachelle before the Fleet Feet 5 K.   WU on the course at a leisurely 8:13  pace for 3.1 miles.  Gotta know this course as it weaves and turns a lot!!  But WELL marked (unless some funloving citizen decides to maneuver one of the many cones with arrows just to have a good laugh).  Course accurate and pretty much flat.  Some good wind at times but not really a factor.  The only factors for me--- is utter exhaustion from nonstop go go go ever since my mother came into town last week.  She was at my house since Sunday and she loves to shop.  I do not.   It stresses me out.  Don't know why. It always has.  We just never had any down time.  So I lost a lot of sleep and ran too hard on easy days to get home to go with my mother.   So lack of sleep and running too hard led me to waken on Tuesday with a sore throat and chest congestion.  By Thursday morning I was achy all over but I knew I could handle a 5 k-- only 3.1 miles.  But NOT an all out 5k.  This was effort based hard but not too uncomfortable (oh except for the first mile when I tried to hang closer to Rachelle and started to have a heart attack).  I did not know my pace.  I had my garmin in stopwatch mode.  So no splits.  You could probably add about 14-15 seconds per mile to Rachelle's splits since I was 43 seconds behind her.  Wish I had felt better to be in the 30 second range behind her like I wanted.   I knew Rachelle was being overly generous with herself wanting to only break 20 minutes.  She looked like this race was easy for her.   I told her she needed to lay off her "crack" before the race.  Well at least that is what "caffeine" came up on my voice texting screen.  Before we met I was hoping she wouldn't take the caffeine to slow her down a bit.  It was too funny that it interpreted my voice saying caffeine as "crack".  That would have definitely slowed her down!!  My next goal is to break 19:30 then 19:15, then 19 minutes.  That would be it for the 5 k for me (on an unaided course like this one).  I am quite happy with my 5k PR considering I ran two speedworks of one min on/offs x 15 then x 8 in the last two weeks coming up to this race and only mile to two mile pickups on the mill to 6:31 pace or so x 2 since the SG marathon.  Oh and the grand finale was last week on the track with Rachelle where my lack of SW really showed.  Before that my only SW on track were my 3 mile time trials x 4 before SGM.  I should have given myself a break and left it at that but then did the 8 x 1 on/offs  three days ago to really get me fatigued.  When I feel better I won't feel like I need an inhaler the first mile.   The air was quite chilly and I wore shorts.  My thighs were rather stiff.  More than I would have liked.   I was thinking the morning would be as warm as the last two mornings.   The best part was winning a very large turkey along with a pumpkin pie.  I was third overall.  We were all in the 19 minute range.  Should have sprinted to the finish but I was worried about pushing too hard when I had to work in a few hours.  I survived work just fine.  6.5 hours non stop action on mom/baby.   Yup busy day at work surprisingly.  It sounds like a cop out but I really just know my body well to not push it too far and make myself sicker.  Some days I can and it is okay.  Today was not that day.  NO puke zone for me :D.  AP 6:22 for 3.1 miles. Then cooldown with Rachelle for a little over 3 up past Costco.  8:37 AP.

Easy run after going to bed past midnight.  Left my house at 815am.  Ran in stopwatch mode this way and that until I felt like stopping.  Ended up 8.78 miles @ 8:23 pace.  Felt like 8:45 AP so that is nice. 

very tired last night after a sad loss for BYU women's soccer.  I went to the game with my family. So fun!!  We had our chances and we were so close!! double overtime and in the first overtime we could have scored but just was not in our favor at the moment.  Then second ot of sudden death--- all went silent as North Carolina strong forward (wow was she quick!!) just faked us out good when our defense accidentally cleared the ball too close to the goal.  Just bad luck.  It was tied 1 to 1 before OT.  We were four minutes from PKs to be the deciding factor.  Oh well someone has to lose.  Wish it wasn't us since North Carolina just about always goes to the championship game.  Ran on my own this morning.  NO garmin.  Just my stop watch.  Just course tooled it.  Very surprised at my "by feel" pace which felt easy even though I was running to Highland on a hilly course.  AP 8:01!!!   woot woot!!  13 miles all alone.  No music.  Was roasty toasty leaving at 830am.  NO stops the enitre way.  That is the way I roll.   : D.    Went to the Mt. Timponogos Temple with my husband and two of my daughters.  My 12 year old Brooke hadn't been yet.  She turned twelve Oct 1st.  She so badly wanted to go and we had it planned.  It was such a lovely two hours!!  Such peace comes through the gospel and serving others!!

just not in the mood to get out running this morning.  got distracted.  first kids to school then dusting, then paying for kids school lunches and organizing....stumbling my feet.  Wore shorts and compression socks.  yup.  just being silly.   Thighs were red for a bit but since I left at 9:45am it wasn't as bad as it could be.  My stomach was bright red however because the shirt I wore doesn't wisk away moisture and trapped my sweat to freeze right there in my middle.  brrrr...!!!  AGAIN garmin in stopwatch mode as I ran in to AF downtown then up back toward Highland and turning and running up the steep temple Hill by Mt. Timponogos Temple.  Such a lovely run.  I just ran an easy pace, no idea of distance or pace.  Got back and pleasantly surprised with an AP of 7:51 for 8.33 miles.  Very odd how I am running better without watching my pace???  We put up our Christmas Tree decorations yesterday.  Fun times as a family!! Just love my little family!!!    : D

Speedwork on the treadmill 4 mile warmup.1 percent incline. 3 by 10 miles per hour.  3 by 10.1 mph.  3 by 10.2 miles per hour. Lastly 3 by 10.3 miles per hour. offs

treadmill again in order to get my dear husband to join me in working out : D.  Otherwise I would have run outside.  Nice day.    TM-- easy pace miles increased pace by 0.1 mph every 0.75 miles.  It breaks the monotony.  Started at 7.0 mph  (8:34) so ended at 7.7 mph (7:47) at 6 miles.  Okay-- back track three miles--- just before the three mile mark I got a raging bloody nose.  Yup went to blow my nose on my sleeve and blood.  And more blood.  Just on my hands at the moment so I waited til I got to 3 miles (.25 miles away) and made the mad dash to the bathrrom for the clean up.  Amazing none on my clothes or the floor!!  Lots on my hands and in to the sink!!  Came back out to finish up with a tissue stuffed in my nostril for three more miles.  Took it out for my last two fast miles-- 6:53 for 0.75 miles, 6:49 for 0.75 miles and 6:44 for 0.25 miles and 6-6:31 pace for last 0.25 miles to make it 8 miles yet again.  AS RACHELLE pointed out (I was well aware of the time frame however), I have two more regular running days until my CROSSTRAINING month is in full swing!!  Thank you Rachelle for holding me to my word!!  I will only be running 15-30 miles a week and lifting, spinning and stair climbing the rest (possibly some elliptical, hate that machine!!).  GO ME!!  AP 7:48. 

1/2 mile to meet Jane and Kim (I run up and they run down and we meet in the middle).  Shandi also came along.  Of course Kim was at regular speed in the first mile but I was so in my easy easy pace groove that I stayed with Shandi up the first steep hill by Kim's.  We peeled off our layers just after my first mile.  I saw that it was going to be warm by my fancy new smartphone.  I also noticed the warmer air last night talking with my mother in law on her way to her car.  I wore my thinner running tights, just gloves with a short sleeved shirt.  Removed headband and long sleeve at the top of the hill.  After that I was pretty much warmed up and could take anything Kim and Jane threw at me.  : D.  I am feeling pretty strong lately.  Perhaps it is all the vitamins I have been taking??? I have been reading a book "The Ultramind Solution" about vitamins and their role in our bodies-- each body requiring different amounts based off genetic make up.  And MY VERY LOW vitamin D (results were labeled "insufficiency", 2 points off from DEFICIENT two years ago when I was at an all time running low-- bones and joints aching etc....This book says NOT only is deficiency, or insufficiency bad for you but LONG term chronic insufficiency LEADS to disease over time.  WE NEED MORE than the RECOMMENDED allowance because of our NUTRIENT POOR eating habits in this country.  I totally believe it.  I have YET to be SUFFICIENT in VITAMIN D since my all time low number two years ago-- it 21 (under 20 DEFICIENT) and then after taking vitamin d for a few months and rechecking 6 months or so later it was 28.    My last level was 29 taken in October.   Normal is over 30 but BEST is over 50 according to the book I am reading.  Just towing the line is not sufficient enough.  I was also low in Vitamin B and VERY low in DHEA.  Alright enough of supplement soapbox.   I feel better and for that I am very thankful!!!!     I  ran 10.5 miles at 7:23 AP.  Watch in time mode and light was turned off on garmin so never had any clue of pace.  I told Kim not to tell me.  Felt really strong most of the run-- slight fatigue noted around 2 miles before finishing but that quickly passed with the nice downhill we had earlier climbed.  Before SG I hadn't run any short runs that quick.   I wouldn't have been able to do it without a lot of huffing and puffing.  THIS IS MY ON YEAR.  I feel it!! :D

okay so I got out in my shorts and compression "socks" (they are actually arm bands I wear on my skinny legs) and after the first mile off went the gloves and long sleeve-- which I always take off while running.  I only stop on runs with friends.  So I just cruised along in a state of oblivion when I got the notion to do one of my old runs from like two years ago.  Not just a regular hum drum run but the hilliest monster "you are crazy Julie" run.  So with my watch in stopwatch mode I had no reference and I kept the rolling time hidden until close to the finish.  I had remembered that this route was roughly 10 miles depending on which way I went.  Of course I took the very steepest way.  And by steep I mean top of battlecreek drive steep.  Rocky moment for sure.  I got a lot of stares and some cheers.  Very pleasantly surprised with the AP overall at 8:00 even.  I was quite sure that mountainous climbs were slowing me to a halt.  10.23 miles.  Over and out : D.